Grant County, West Virginia Biography of Henry Asa ALT This file was submitted by CJ Towery, 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 II, page 221-222 HENRY ASA ALT. Among the highly popular and strongly efficient officials of Grant County is found Henry Asa Alt, of Petersburg, deputy sheriff, who is now serving as chief deputy under Sheriff Kimball. During a long and active career Mr. Alt has been engaged in various business yen-three, in which he has maintained a reputation for integrity and capability, and at the present time is the owner of a good farm, although he does not apply himself to its operation personally, his official duties requiring all of his attention. Mr. Alt was born in Pendleton County, West Virginia, in Mill Run District, August 27, 1868, and his life was passed in his native community until he was twenty-five years of age his education coming from the country, where he attended the old-fashioned log cabin school, although the puneheon bench with pegs for legs was absent. His father had been a schoolboy in the same locality when the primitive schoolhouse with its crude equipment was the only means of public education to be secured. Mr. Alt's father was Asher Alt, likewise a native of Pendleton County, and throughout his life a farmer. He died when but thirty-seven years of age, about 1876. He was a Union man, being a member of the Home Guards and not a participant in the war between the states, save for a time as a civilian prisoner of the Confederate forces. Asher Alt married Emily Hedrick, a daughter of Jacob Hedrick, who was a native of Pendleton County, but a son of German parents. Mrs. Alt was born in Pendleton County and died when her son, Henry A., was but four years old. There were four children in the family: Rebecca J., who died as Mrs. A. S. Landis, in Grant County; Henry Ass, of this review; Christina, who married George W. Sites and resides in Grant County; and Emily S., who is unmarried and a resident of Pendleton County. The father of Asher Alt and grandfather of Henry Asa Alt was Jacob Alt, who came out of old Virginia or from Pennsylvania and was of German stock. Be was a life-long agriculturist and died in Pendleton County, where he lies buried in the Mill Run District near his old home. He married Mary Goodnight, and they became the parents of six children: Hannah, who married George W. Borror; Michael, who passed his life as a farmer and died in Pendleton County; Isaac, who spent his life on the farm in that county; Asher, the father of Henry Asa; Christina, who married Henry Hedrick and died in Pendleton County; Letitia, who became Mrs. John W. Hedrick and died in Grant County, where she had passed her married life. After the death of his father Henry Asa Alt went to live at the home of an uncle, in the rural districts of Pendleton County, and there grew to man's estate. He was given an ordinary public school education in the country, and as a youth began teaching school, a vocation which he followed for fifteen years, in the meantime advancing his own education by attendance at Shenandoah Normal College, Basic City, Virginia. During the summer months, when school did not keep, he engaged in farming. His last school was taught at Thorn Run, and when he gave up the educational profession he engaged in the milling business at Williamsport, Grant County, where he purchased a mill property from J. W. McDonald. For five years be conducted this enterprise, making flour, and doing custom work, but eventually sold this business and purchased a half-interest in the flouring mill at Petersburg. He was first associated with Abel A. Parke, and later with Mr. Park's eon, John A. Parks. When ho sold his interest to the latter he in. vested his means in a farm near Lahmanville, which he conducted for some years himself, and of which he is still the owner. This is a successful grain and stock-raising proposition and is still owned by Mr. Alt, who, however, has not enraged personally in farming since coming to Petersburg. Mr. Alt was appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff Kimble January 1, 1921, and succeeded W. 0. Trenton in his present office. His polities have always been republican. His first presidential ballot was east in favor of Benjamin Harrison, in 1892. and he continued his affiliation with the party until 1912, when be supported Colonel Roosevelt for president on the progressive party's ticket. With the dissolution of that party Mr. Alt resumed his relations with his former political home, the republican party. In addition to acting as deputy sheriff Mr. Alt has served Grant District of Grant County as justice of the peace four years. He is a past master of Petersburg Lodge No. 145, A. F. and A. M., and has represented it in the Grand Lodge. He is also a past master of Odd Fellowship, and his religious connection is with the United Brethren Church. On April 12, 1894, in Pendleton County, Mr. Alt was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Kimble a daughter of Wesley and Fannie (McDonald) Kimble. Wesley Kimble, now eighty-two years of age and an agriculturist of Grant County, was a member of the Home Guard during the latter part of the war between the states. He is a brother of the father of of Sheriff John A. Kimble who is mentioned elsewhere in this work in the review of Sheriff Kimble's life. The following children of Wesley and Fannie Kimble reached years of maturity: George W.; John W.; Harness, now deceased; Ulysses Grant; Adam; Jasper; Mary E., who is now Mrs. Alt; Edward; Minnie, who died as the wife of Isaac Alt; Rosa, who is now Mrs. C. W. Smith, of Mineral County, West Virginia; Annie, who married H. F. Borror, of Petersburg; and Irving, of Crestmont, Kentucky. To Mr. and Mrs. Alt there have been born the following children: Sadie, who is the wife of M. H. Roby, of Petersburg, and has two children, Frederick and Donald; Theodore, an agriculturist operating near Forman West Virginia, who married Clarice Frye; Raphael H., an agriculturist of Grant County, who married Glenna Freye, deceased, and has a son, Roswell; and Vernon May, Genevera and Norma, who reside with their parents. Theodore Alt was a soldier during the World war, and received his honorable discharge at Camp Meade, his regiment not having been ordered overseas.