Doddridge County, West Virginia Biography of JACKSON V. BLAIR This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the sketch subject. 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. 414-415 Doddridge JACKSON V. BLAIR. In his experience as a lawyer, Jackson V. Blair of West Union, West Virginia, has prob- ably covered a wider and more important field in his adopted county of Doddridge, than any of his contempo- raries, now engaged in the work of the profession. He was admitted to the bar in 1877, having been examined by Cir- cuit Judges Charles S. Lewis and James M. Jackson, Jr., and by Okey Johnson, judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He had studied law under the distinguished judge and public leader Hon. Chapman J. Stuart, with whom he became associated in the practice. Mr. Blair was born April 16, 1853, on a farm on Elk Creek, south of Clarksburg, in Harrison County, Virginia, now West Virginia. His great-grandfather, William Blair, was a native of Scotland where he was educated for the Presbytery, but he declined the robes, left his native heath, landed at Philadelphia, passed into Virginia, rendered military service in behalf of the colonists and after the close of the Revolution, purchased land on Hastings Run, tributary to Elk Creek, in Harrison County, where he established his home. He married Miss Martha McCul- lough, a lady of culture, and to this union were born five children, the eldest of whom was Dr. Alexander Blair, grandfather of the West Union lawyer. Doctor Blair, for several years a leader in popular education, devoted the greater part of his life to the practice of medicine. He married Miss Mary Arnold, a native of Harrison County. Her sister, Roana Arnold, was the wife of Hon. Samuel L. Hays, who as Congressman from this section of the Old Dominion, appointed Thomas J. Jackson cadet to West Point, and gave him money to pay expenses thereto. Hays personally knew young Jackson, and lived to see him christened "Stonewall" on the bloody field of Bull Run. To the marriage of Dr. Alexander Blair and Mary Arnold were born three sons and three daughters; The youngest son, George B., became a tailor by trade at which he worked, and also farmed some. He married Miss Har- riet Morgan, a daughter of Morgan Morgan, ("Mod" Morgan, as he was known,) a native of Marion County. He was a near relative of David Morgan, famed in history as a frontiersman and Indian fighter in the upper Mo- nongahela Valley. He was a brother of Col. Zaquell Mor- gan, founder of Morgantown. They were sons of Morgan apMorgan, who was born in Wales, educated in Lon- don, and came to Delaware, where he married Catherine Garretson, the issue of this union being Morgan, Jr., Anne, Zaquell (or Zacquil), Evan, David, Charles, Henry and James. The father with his family, moved to the Valley of Virginia near Winchester, his estate being in Berkeley County. Of David, Doctor De Hass in his History of Virginia, says: "Of those who removed with their families to Prickett's Fort was David Morgan, one of the earliest settlers on the frontier, and a man of great energy of character and sterling worth. He was a near relative of Gen. Daniel Morgan of Revolutionary memory, and like that distinguished officer, possessed, in a high degree, courage and capacity for almost any emergency." Unto the marriage of George B. and Harriet Morgan Blair, were born, Jackson V. (subject of this sketch), Morgan Franklin, Mary Ellen (now deceased), Thomas J. and William A. Their parents were members of the Baptist Church. Jackson V. spent his early years on a farm, attended the common schools and entered the State Normal at Fairmont from which he was graduated in 1875. He taught several terms, his last being as principal of the West Union Graded School. He was twice elected superintendent of free schools of Doddridge County, and served four years. On June 17, 1890, Governor A. B. Fleming commissioned him. major, as judge advocate of the First Regiment, West. Virginia National Guard, and he served four years. In 1898, Major Blair was the democratic candidate for Congress from the old first district. Although he was not elected, he had the satisfaction of materially reducing his opponent's former majority. In 1912, he was his party's nominee for circuit judge and again made a most creditable race. His long and steady practice of law has been varied with other interests. He was one of the organizers of The West Union Bank, the oldest in the county, and is a mem- ber of its board of directors. He was also, one of the original stockholders in the Ideal Window Glass Com- pany and was president thereof several years. Socially, Major. Blair is a Knight Templar, thirty- second degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Noble of the Mystic Shrine and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges. He is also a member of the Baptist Church. In 1879, he married Miss Ella M. Smith, daughter of Capt. Francis M. F. Smith and Julia Ann Smith, founders of Smithton, now Smithburg, three miles east of West Union. Captain Smith was a native of Fauquier County, Virginia, and a cousin of the renowned William Smith, who was governor of that commonwealth. The wife of Captain Smith was a daughter of Matthew and Maria Newlon Neely, substantial and most worthy pioneer citizens. Mrs. Blair is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; past matron in the Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Unto Major Blair and wife were born eight children, viz.: Julia, wife of Paul M. Ireland, an attorney; Smith, cashier of The Bank of Jacksonburg; William E. of Cincin- nati; Anne Morgan, wife of George C. Grouse, expert ab- stractor of titles to oil and gas lands; Jackson V., Jr., lawyer of Fairmont; George Neely, broker of Akron, Ohio; Francis Keech, field agent of the Portland Cement Association; and Marion R., a student. When the United States entered the World war, three of these sons enlisted in the military service. George Neely Blair was already in the service as sergeant on duty along the Mexican border. Thereafter, he enlisted for overseas service. On August 26, 1918, he was promoted and com- missioned second lieutenant of infantry. He participated in engagements in the Meuse-Argonne and was at the front when the armistice was signed. After that he was trans- ferred to the Army of Occupation in Germany, as second lieutenant of Company K, Twenty-sixth Infantry, First Division. In August, 1919, he sailed from Brest, France, and on September 4th of the following month, received his honorable discharge. Francis Keech Blair, while a student at Bethany College, went to Pittsburgh and enlisted in the navy on the twelfth day after this nation declared war against the imperial government of Germany. He trained at different stations, was assigned to duty on sub-marine chasers and was transferred to The Canonicus, attached to the mine-laying fleet that planted the mines across the North Sea, which "bottled up" the German war fleet, and it finally sur- rendered. On July 16, 1919, he was honorably discharged, as seaman, first class. Jackson V., Jr., who had had military schooling at the Staunton Military Institute, and as cadet at the State University at Morgantown, enlisted in the aviation branch of the service. He completed the prescribed course at the Military School of Aeronautics at the University of Texas, September 19, 1918; trained in different fields and with his squadron, was ready to embark for oversea duty, when the armistice was signed. Thereafter he received an honor- able discharge. While these sons were doing their duty in the army and navy, their father was active in home work, serving as chairman of the local draft board; and their mother in doing Red Cross work, and patriotically cheer- ing her own and other soldier boys on to duty. Major Blair, although approaching the "three score and ten" goal, is yet vigorous and active in the practice of his profession.