Cabell County, West Virginia          Biography of James Overton MARCUM

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II, 
pg. 268-269

	James Overton Marcum, superintendent of transportation and claim agent for
the Ohio Valley Electric Railway company, with headquarters at Huntington,
has been connected with his present company since 1904, during which time
he has gained steady promotion and added prestige.  Mr. Marcum's career has
been a somewhat varied one, as he started life as a professional man and
later entered various fields of endeavor, finally to find success and
contentment in the railroad business.
	Mr. Marcum was born in Smith County, Virginia, October 17, 1865, a son of
Hon. William Wert and Eunice (Cox) Marcum.  The Marcum family originated in
England, whence the original ancestor of this branch of the family
immigrated to American during colonial days and settled in Virginia.  The
grandfather of James Overton Marcum, Stephen M. Marcum, was born in August,
1818, in what is  now Wayne County, West Virginia, and resided for the
greater part of his life at Fort Gay in that county, where he moved to
Catlettsburg, Kentucky, where his death occurred in August, 1893.  He
married Miss Jane Damron, who was born in 1822, in what is now Wayne
County, and died at the age of eight-five years, in 1907, in Mingo County,
West Virginia.
	Hon. William Wert Marcum was born December 17, 1844, in Kanawha (now
Wayne) County, West Virginia, and was reared in his native vicinity, where
he was prepared for the law.  In 1861, when still a mere lad, he enlisted
in the army of the confederacy fro service during the war between the
states, and continued as a soldier throughout the period of the long and
bitter struggle of four years, being finally a member of the eight Virginia
Cavalry.  He fought at Gettysburg, in the various campaigns in Virginia and
in numbers of bloody engagements, but came through unscathed and with a
splendid record for bravery and fidelity to duty.  On his return he resumed
his law studies, and on his admission to the bar entered upon a brilliant
career as a lawyer.  He was distinguished for his erudition and mastery of
his calling, and not only was accounted one of the leaders of the bar, but
was called frequently to positions of importance.  For twenty-seven years
he followed his profession at Louisa, Lawrence County, Kentucky, then
moving to Ceredo, Wayne county, West Virginia, where he continued until his
death, January 15, 1912.  Judge Marcum was a staunch democrat.  He served
as county attorney of Lawrence County for two terms, or eight years, and
after coming to West Virginia became judge of the Criminal Court in Wayne
county until that office was abolished by act of the State Legislature.  
elected to the State Legislature, he served in that body during the session
on 1911, and acted as floor manager for United States Senators Chilton and
Watson.  Judge Marcum was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, a strong supporter of its movements and a constant Sunday
school worker.  He likewise gave generous support to the churches of other
denominations in the town and was a man of charitable impulses and actions.
 As a fraternalist he belonged to Crescent Lodge No. 32, A. F. and A. M.,
of Ceredo, West Virginia, of which he was worshipful master at the time of
his death, having filled that chair for eleven years, and to Wayne chapter,
R. A. M.  Judge Marcum married Miss Eunice Cox, who was born in June, 1841,
in Smith County, Virginia, and died at Louisa, Kentucky, April 14, 1885. 
They became the parents of six children:   James Overton; Belle, who
married Will O'Neal, an attorney of Catlettsburg, Kentucky; Grace, the wife
of Charles C. Hill, of Catlettsburg, employed in the freight department of
the Ohio Valley Electric Railway Company at Ashland, Kentucky; Dr.
Frederick D., a successful practicing physician and surgeon of Ceredo;
Edith, unmarried, a resident of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, buy employed in the
Day and Night Bank at Ashland, that state; and Leo Frank, of Huntington, a
bookkeeper in charge of the commissary for a coal company in Pike County. 
Judge Marcum took for his second wife Mary Elizabeth Burgess, who was born
in Lawrence county, Kentucky, and now survives him as a resident of
Huntington, and they became the parents of three children:  Herma, the wife
of Dr. L. G. Bryner, a dental practitioner of Huntington; Charles W., an
attorney of Ashland, Kentucky, who during the World war held the rank of
second lieutenant and was stationed at Petersburg, Virginia.
	James Overton Marcum received his early education in the public schools of
Louisa, Kentucky, and in a subscription school at Wayne, West Virginia,
under Professor Taylor B. McClure, following which he studied law in the
office and under the preceptorship of his father.  Admitted to the bar in
1894, he practiced his profession at Wayne for one year and was then chief
of police of Ceredo for a time and served as commissioner in chancery in
Wayne County under Judge Thomas Harvey.  On February 24, 1904, Mr. Marcum
entered the employ of the Ohio Valley Electric Railway Company, and in
order to familiarize himself with the system followed the vocation of
motorman, at Huntington, for eight months.   He then entered the claim
department and was later made claim agent, and in March, 1918, in addition
to these duties, assumed those connected with the office of superintendent
of transportation.  He occupies both of these posts at the present time and
maintains offices on the second floor of the Miller-Ritter Building at
Huntington.  He is considered an entirely capable railroad man and has
contributed greatly to the effectiveness of his company's service.  He is a
stockholder in the Consolidated Insurance Company.
	Politically a staunch democrat, Mr. Marcum was democratic state
committeeman of the Fifth Congressional District of West Virginia for four
years, from January 1, 1916, to January 1, 1920, and during his residence
at Ceredo served as mayor of that place for three terms.  He is a member of
the First Congregational Church of Ceredo and of the board of trustees
thereof.  Fraternally he belongs to Crescent Lodge No. 32, A. F. and A. M.,
of which he is a past senior warden; West Virginia Consistory No. 1,
thirty-second degree, of Wheeling, and Beni-Kedem Temple, A. A. O. N. M.
S., of Charleston.  He also holds membership in the Huntington Chamber of
Commerce and the Rotary Club of Huntington.  Mr. Marcum owns a modern
residence at the corner of Second Street and C. Street, West, Ceredo, one
of the modern, comfortable homes of that community, as well as other real
estate at Huntington and Ceredo.
	On November, 6, 1890, At Wayne, West Virginia, Mr. Marcum married Miss
Rebecca Vinson, daughter of K. Pharaoh and Nancy (Wellman) Vinson,
residents of Louisa, Kentucky, where Mr. Vinson is a retired lumberman and
timberman.  To this union there were born three children.  Emma, the
eldest, is a graduate of Marshall College, Huntington, and taught school at
Ceredo and Wayne prior to her marriage to Fisher F. Skaggs, an attorney of
Wayne.  They have one child, James Franklin, born November 2, 1919.  The
second  child of Mr. and Mrs. Marcum, Bessie, is a graduate of Ceredo High
School and Marshall College and at present is a teacher in the Ceredo
Junior High School.  They youngest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Marcum,
Edward L., now an employee of the Ohio Valley Electric Railway Company at
Ceredo, is a veteran of the world war, having been in the service one year.
 He was first stationed at a number of training camps in different parts of
the country, but was finally transferred to the Government hospital
situated at Forty-fifth Street and Lexington Avenue, New York City.  He
held the rank of corporal.  Mr. Marcum married Miss Mabel Kessinger, of
Kenova, West Virginia, and they have one child, Nancy Jim, born March 15,
1921.