Braxton County, West Virginia Biography of William L. THOMAS ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , March 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 48 WILLIAM L. THOMAS is president and manager of the Nicholas Hardware & Furniture Company, which controls a large and prosperous wholesale and retail business, the headquarters establishment being in the City of Richwood, Nicholas County, with branch stores at Adrian, Upshur County, and Heaters, Braxton County. Mr. Thomas was born at Alton, Upshur County, this state, on the 1st of November, 1880, and is a son of Alexander B. and Teresa (Vance) Thomas, both natives of Virginia. The former was born in Nelson County, February 24, 1845, and the latter was born February 8, 1848. Alexander B. Thomas was young when he accompanied his parents on their removal to what is now Upshur County, West Vir- ginia, where the family home was established on a farm on French Creek. There he was reared to manhood under the conditions marking the middle pioneer period, and there his marriage occurred on November 26, 1868, his wife having been a child at the time of her parents' removal to Upshur County. After his marriage Alexander B. Thomas estab- lished his. home on a tract of 100 acres of land at Panther Gap, Upshur County, only two acres of the land having been cleared. There he reclaimed and improved one of the fine farm properties of Upshur County, and on this old homestead he and his wife still reside, both being members of the United Brethren Church, and his political allegiance being given to the democratic party. Of the ten children Wellington, Hugh and John reside in Upshur County; Eliza is the wife of M. L. Wolfe, a farmer near Parkersburg, Wood County; Pearl is the wife of Doctor Simons, a rep- resentative physician in Upshur County; William L., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; French resides at Clarksburg and Charles at Alderson, this state; Wirt is a resident of the State of Washington; and Isa is the wife of C. B. Talbott, who is manager of the Adrian store of the Nicholas Hardware & Furniture Company. Reared on the old home farm and afforded the advan- tages of the public schools of his native county, William L. Thomas continued to be associated with his father in the work and management of the farm until he had attained to the age of twenty years, and for the ensuing seventeen years he was actively identified with railroad service, in which he rose from a subordinate position in the office of a station agent to be station agent at Richwood. He con- tinued his incumbency of this position until he became one of the organizers of the Nicholas Hardware & Furniture Company, of which he is president and general manager. He is also a director of the Richwood Banking & Trust Company and secretary and treasurer of the Nicholas Lum- ber Company, in which he is majority stockholder. His vital progressiveness is further shown in his being a stock- holder also of the Beaver Lumber Company. Mr. Thomas has had no ambition for public office or political activity, but is a loyal supporter of the cause of the democratic party. He is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which latter he is a past noble grand. He married Miss Myrta McKinney, of Braxton County, and they have a winsome little daughter, Virginia E.