Clay County, West Virginia Biography of SAMUEL H. McLANE This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 518-519 Clay SAMUEL H. McLANE, who is a member of the bar of West Virginia, has been cashier of the Clay County Bank at Clay since 1908, and his professional training and knowledge have materially furthered the success of his administration of the affairs of the substantial institution with which he is identified. Mr. McLane was born in Barbour County, West Virginia, March 17, 1866, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Kelley) McLane, both natives of Randolph County, this state, which was at that time still an integral part of the old mother state of Virginia. Jacob McLane's father was William, and the latter was a son of Daniel McLane. The family was founded in Virginia in an early day. The maternal grand- parents of the subject of this review were Samuel and Nancy (Cade) Kelley. After his marriage Jacob McLane established his residence on a farm two miles north of Belington, Barbour County, and there he continued for many years as one of the substantial and successful ex- ponents of agricultural and live-stock industry. Upon his retirement from his farm he removed to Belington, where he now maintains his home, as one of the venerable and honored citizens of Barbour County. He is a democrat in political allegiance, and is a zealous member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, South, as was also his wife, whose death occurred in 1910. Of their eight children the follow- ing still survive the devoted mother, and of the number Samuel H., of this sketch, is the eldest; Haning F. is a farmer in the State of Nevada; Charles L. resides at Elkins, West Virginia, and is a railway clerk on the line between that point and Grafton; Fleming is a farmer in the State of Idaho; and Edwin P. is a resident of Nevada, so that only two of the number remain in the old home state of West Virginia. Samuel H. McLane was reared on the old homestead farm in Barbour County, and after leaving the public schools he attended and was graduated from the State Normal School at Fairmont, besides which he attended the Univer- sity of West Virginia one year. He became a successful teacher in the public schools, and in the meanwhile applied himself diligently to the study of law, his admission to the bar having been recorded in 1904. For the ensuing four years he was in the employ of the Davis Trust Company at Elkins, and he then, in 1908, assumed his present executive office, that of cashier of the Clay County Bank, in which he is a director. P. M. Summers is president of the bank, J. G. Bradley is its vice president, and in addition to the executive officers the directorate of the institution includes also H. B. Davenport, L. H. Samples, J. F. Wilson, W. S. Pierson and B. C. Eakle. Mr. McLane is a democrat in polities, is a director of the Clay County High School, is the present (1922) master of Clay County Lodge No. 97, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is affiliated also with the Modern Woodmen of America, and his wife is an active member of the Baptist Church at Clay. In 1906 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. McLane and Miss Ella Hutton Poe, who was educated in the West Vir- ginia Wesleyan College, at Buckhannon, and who is a popular figure in the social and cultural activities of her home community. Mr. and Mrs. McLane have one son, Henry N., who was born March 31, 1909, and who is a stu- dent in the local high school at the time of this writing, in 1922.