BIOGRAPHY OF GUY H. BURNSIDE, HARRISON COUNTY, WV

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Submitted by Valerie Crook
(vfcrook@earthlink.net)


The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 533-534
Harrison

GUY HERMAN BURNSIDE. The legal profession in Harri-
son County finds one of its able and successful representa-
tives in the native son whose name initiates this para-
graph, Mr. Burnside having been born at Good Hope,
this county, October 3, 1885, and being now well estab-
lished in the practice of his profession at Clarksburg, the
county seat. He is a son of William Calvin Burnside
and Ada Melcena (Post) Burnside.

William C. Burnside was born in Lewis County, this state,
March 8, 1861, and was a resident of Clarksburg, Harrison
County, at the time of his death, April 8, 1919.  He
was a son of John S. and Jemima (Yerky) Burnside, the
names of the other children of the family being as follows:
Jacob Patterson, Mary R., John G., Robert B., Stephen
M., Elizabeth A. and George W. John S. Burnside was
a son of Robert and Rebecca (Bennett) Burnside, the
former of whom was a son of John Burnside, who was
twenty-one years of age when he left his native Ireland,
came to the United States and established his home
in the neighborhood of Good Hope, in what is now Harri-
son County, West Virginia, where he passed the remainder
of his life.

After having profited by the curriculum of the public
schools William Calvin Burnside continued his studies in
the State Normal School at Fairmont. In 1881 he began
teaching in the schools of his native county, and he con-
tinued his effective pedagogic service three years. From
1884 to 1888 he was manager of a general store at Good
Hope, and he then became associated with his father-in-law,
Isaac Ii. Post, in organizing the Economy Stone Company.
They continued the business successfully until 1895, when
they sold the property and business.  Thereafter Mr.
Burnside owned and operated a flour mill at West Milford
for six years. In 1897 he became a traveling salesman,
and in 1903 he removed with his family to Clarksburg.
Here he was engaged in the mercantile business from
1906 to 1908, and later he continued his services as a
successful traveling salesman for several years. He con-
tinued his residence at Clarksburg until the time of his
death, and was a man who commanded unqualified popular
esteem and confidence.

On the 14th of September, 1884, William C. Burnside
wedded Miss Ada Melcena Post, who still maintains her
home at Clarksburg. She was born in Harrison County,
on the 3d of April, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Burnside became
the parents of eight children, namely: Guy Herman,
Enoch Ray, Roy Zelot, Howard Thaddeus, Martha Rachel,
John Isaac, Celia Elizabeth and William Calvin, Jr.

Guy H. Burnside was graduated in the West Virginia
State Normal School at Fairmont on the 13th of June,
1906, and thereafter was for two years associated with his
father in the retail grocery business.  In the autumn
of 1908 he entered the University of West Virginia, where
he took an academic course of one year and where he
thereafter continued his studies in the law department
until his graduation, June 13, 1911, with the degree of
Bachelor of Laws. Thereafter he held an executive posi-
tion in the title department of the United Fuel & Gas
Company at Charleston until October, 1913. On the 1st
of January, 1914, he opened an office at Clarksburg, where
he has since continued in the successful practice of his pro-
fession, besides having developed a prosperous real-estate
business, in which connection he is now vice president of
the Stealey Realty Company.

Mr. Burnside has taken loyal interest in political affairs
and has served as a member of the Republican Executive
Committee of Harrison County.  He has received the
thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite of the Masonic
fraternity, and is a knight commander of the Court of
Honor, besides being affiliated with the Mystic Shrine. He
is also a member of the Delta Tau Delta college fra-
ternity. He and. his wife hold membership in the Methodist
Episcopal Church.

December 28, 1911, recorded the marriage of Mr. Burnside
and Miss Ada Stealey, daughter of Andrew L. and Emma
Jane (Baltzley) Stealey, of Harrison County. Mr. and
Mrs. Burnside have a winsome little daughter, Emma Jane.