Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of Edward HINES ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , March 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 641-642 EDWARD HINES, who died December 18, 1909, was one of the early settlers of White Sulphur Springs, and one of the men who from the beginning played a very important part in the development of this part of Greenbrier County. Always public-spirited, he looked forward and was able to see the value of a project, not only for the immediate present, but to those who were to come after him, and acted accordingly. So it is that although his earthly career is ended, the influence of what he accomplished while here lives after him and will for a long time have its effect on the lives of the people among whom he spent so many of his useful years. The birth of Edward Hines occurred at Acres, near Balleyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland, August 9, 1831, and there he grew to manhood, during that period receiving but few educational opportunities. In 1852, with his parents and their other children, he immigrated to the United States and on the same vessel with the Hines family came that of the Leonards, the head of which was Peter Leonard. Edward Hines, or Hynes as the name was originally spelled, found employment after landing in the new country in the construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. In 1869 while a resident of Greenbrier County, he took out his naturalization papers. His father died about this time and was buried at Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia. After the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad was completed Edward Hines came to White Sulphur Springs and here embarked in mercantile pursuits, in which he continued to be active for many years, but prior to his death he retired and for a short period enjoyed the leisure and comforts his industry entitled him to have. On one of his journeys to Baltimore, Maryland, to buy goods for his store he came up with the family of Peter Leonard, and the pleasant acquaintanceship begun on board ship several years previous- ly was renewed, with the result that on May 5, 1867, Ed- ward Hines and Mary Leonard, a daughter of Peter Leonard, were united in marriage. To them were born the following children: John Leonard, Mary, Michael Lawrence, Edward Alphonsus, William Sherman, William Bartholomew and Edward Vincent. From the above it is to be seen that two of the children were named William and two Edward. Of all of these only Mary, John Leonard and William Bar- tholomew are now living. The eldest of the family, John Leonard, has attained to world-fame, and is the pride of Greenbrier County and West Virginia. He was educated at West Point, and had become a major in the regular army prior to the World war. With this country's entry into that gigantic conflict he was commissioned a lieutenant colonel; was subsequently promoted to the command of the Twenty-sixth Infantry, and when the armistice was signed he was a corps com- mander, with the rank of major general. The only other surviving son, William Bartholomew, was born August 21, 1878, at White Sulphur Springs, and there attended the public schools. He has always been very prominent in the life of his home city, which he served as postmaster for fifteen years. With others he assisted in organizing the Bank of White Sulphur Springs, of which he was first cashier and later president. At present he is con- ducting the only moving picture theatre at White Sulphur Springs, and through it giving the people clean and enter- taining recreation. He is a republican, an Elk and a Catholic. On September 15, 1915, William B. Hines married Miss Norah Cahill, a daughter of Mathew Cahill, a native of Ire- land, where he died. Mrs. Hines was born in County Gal- way, Ireland.