BIOGRAPHY OF ISAAC J. COSTON, HARRISON CO, WEST VIRGINIA ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** 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 II, pg. 587 Harrison ISAAC JAMES COSTON. In the twenty years that he has been a resident and in the business life of Clarksburg Mr. Coston has enjoyed that widening diversity of interests that is the synonym of success. His chief business is the Empire Laundry Company, of which he is secretary, treas- urer and general manager. Mr. Coston was born on a farm in Somerset County, Maryland, November 16, 1876, son of Isaac James and Rosena (Humphreys) Coston, his father of English and his mother of Scotch ancestry. The parents were also natives and life-long residents of Somerset County, where they gained their livelihood from a farm. The maternal grandfather was Samuel S. Coston also a native of Somer- set County. The youngest in a family of four sons, Isaac James Coston was left an orphan at the age of twelve years, and from the age of fifteen he had to be self supporting. His early life was spent on the farm and his education was lim- ited to the common schools. From the age of fifteen until he reached his majority he worked at the printer's trade in Princess Anne, Maryland. At the age of twenty-one he became associated in the firm of Hayman & Coston, dealers in fancy groceries and confections at Princess Anne. In 1901 the firm sold their place of business, and in the same year established at Clarksburg a similar business, which was conducted under the firm name of Hayman and Coston for ten years. Mr. Coston 's business associate was Newell J. Hayman. On leaving this business Mr. Coston in 1910 organized the Empire Laundry Company, which was in- corporated with a $20,000 capital. The present capitaliza- tion is $200,000, a figure that reflects in a measure the constant growth and development of the business. I. Wade Coffman is president; Dr. C. C. Jarvis, vice president; and Mr. Coston, secretary, treasurer and general manager. A modern plant on West Main Street was built in 1914, build- ing a two-story brick building 40 feet wide and 300 feet deep, and equipped with all the intricate and efficient ma- chinery devised for laundry work. The company handles an immense volume of business, from a large territory sur- rounding Clarksburg, and besides the routine laundry work they have dry cleaning, carpet cleaning and pleating de- partments. Mr. Coston is also an owner and manager of the Coston Printing Company, a stockholder in the Hayman Green- House Company and a director in the Community Savings & Loan Company. In politics he is a democrat, is a mem- ber of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Clarksburg, and fraternally is Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, and holds membership in the Chamber of Commerce, the Tlotary Club, and Country Club. In 1905 Mr. Coston married Miss Allena May Holden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee D. Holden of Harrison County. The five children born of their marriage are: William H., James D., Dorothy R., Charles D. and Louise.