Clay County, West Virginia Biography of DANIEL D. RILEY This file 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. 640 Clay DANIEL D. RILEY as superintendent is directing the educa- tional program of St. Albans, where good schools and high- minded educators have been the rule for more than half a century. In a brief sketch it would not be possible to do justice to the history of the schools and their teachers, but some of them should be recalled. Private schools have been maintained at St. Albans from early in the last century. One of the best remembered was that conducted by an Episcopal clergyman, whose academy is still standing on an elevation overlooking the village. As early as 1832 a school was conducted in what is now called Fairview. C. V. Hansford was teaching there as early as 1868, and continued at his post until his death. The first free school was opened in 1868, Arthur Fox teaching that school. Another early teacher was Dr. George P. Thompson, and still another was Mrs. M. M. Thompson, who was killed in an elevator accident in the Capitol Build- ing at Charleston. Doctor Thompson had taught fourteen years, beginning in 1877. Miss Sallie Hansford was a teacher in 1878, while former United States Senator W. E. Chilton was principal. Mrs. S. L. Cato excelled as a, primary teacher, and was with the school for thirty years. High school work was begun under W. W. Trent as principal, he being followed by L. A. Edwards and the latter by C. P. Guice. Miss Bashaba White, principal of the Central graded school has taught in the grades for ten years. Miss Laura Wood began teaching in 1877, and after a service in the Kanawha Valley of more than forty years is still active and has been connected with the schools at St. Albans for a quarter of a century. Her present pupils comprise sons whose parents and grandparents received their early in- structions from her. Daniel D. Riley has been in school work since early man- hood. He was born in Jackson County, and several other members of the family were teachers, including his mother. His grandfather. Elder Robert Hughes, was at one time county superintendent of schools, and was widely known as a Methodist minister. P. M. Riley, father of D. D. Riley, is now retired and has been a figure in public affairs, serving as surveyor and justice of the peace. D. D. Riley began teaching at the age of eighteen. In 1916 he took charge of the grade work in the St. Albans school, and his connection with the schools has been continuous except for nearly a year while he was absent on military duty. In 1921 he be- came superintendent of the St. Albans schools. The present enrollment is 810, including forty in the colored school and 130 in high school. There are twenty-seven teachers, six of them being high school instructors. Athletics has been much encouraged by Mr. Riley, and the St. Albans High School foot ball team has won an enviable record, being de- feated only once, during the season of 1921. Mr. Riley is a lieutenant in Company B of the One Hun- dred Fiftieth Infantry, National Guard. During the World war he was in Coast Artillery and Ammunition Train. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and Junior Order United American Mechanics and is a charter member of the Rotary Club of St. Albans. Mr. Riley married Miss Essie Hollandsworth, a former music teacher at St. Albans. Their two children are D. D., Jr., and John Matson.