HARRISON COUNTY, WV: Bios - Benjamin Bassel Jarvis
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Submitted by Valerie Crook

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 16
Harrison County

BENJAMIN BASSEL JARVIS, a native of West Virginia, and
the son of William L. Jarvis and Mary Martha (Stout)
Jarvis, was born at the country home of his parents, situated
on the waters of Brushy Fork, near the village of Quiet Dell,
Harrison County, West Virginia, and was the youngest of a
family of six children, namely: Celia T., Louise, Meigs Jack-
son, Arnold Brandley, Paul V. and Benjamin Bassel.

His grandparents on the paternal side were Jesse Jarvis,
and Sarah (Werniger) Jarvis, of Jarvisville, Harrison County,
West Virginia, and on the maternal side, James M. Stout and
Celia (Bassel) Stout, of Quiet Dell, Harrison County, West
Virginia.

Benjamin pursued the duties of a farmer boy in Harrison
and Barbour counties for about sixteen years, with the excep-
tion of about three years, which were spent in the City of
Vernon, Texas, between the age of five and eight years.

At the age of seventeen he entered the West Virginia
Business College at Clarksburg, West Virginia, and upon the
completion of a business course accepted a position as book-
keeper for a lumber company, which occupation he followed
for a few years, when he entered Broaddus College at Clarks-
burg, West Virginia, and from there entered West Virginia
Wesleyan Seminary at Buckhannon, West Virginia.

After leaving the Seminary he was engaged in the lumber
business for about four years, after which time he entered the
Law School at the West Virginia University at Morgantown,
West Virginia, and graduated with the class of 1909.

On October the second, 1909, Benjamin Jarvis married
Grace Caroline Biddle, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, the
daughter of Frank W. Biddle and Elizabeth (Marquis) Biddle.

Shortly after their marriage they moved to Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, where they resided for about three years, and dur-
ing this period he was in the employ as an accountant of a
large lumber dealer, after which time he and his wife moved
to Clarksburg, West Virginia, where he soon entered the
practice of law. Outside of the practice of law he became
interested in investments and promotions of coal, oil and gas
companies 

Politically Mr. Jarvis is a democrat and a great believer 
of the Jeffersonian democracy. He is greatly interested in 
fraternities and clubs, being a Master Mason and member of 
Hermon Lodge No. 6 of Clarksburg, West Virginia, and
member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
Clarksburg Lodge No. 482, a member of the Greek letter,
fraternity, Siema Chi, from Mu Mu Chapter, at the Univer-
sity of West Virginia, Morgantown, West Virginia, a member 
of the Clarksburg Country Club, and the Allegheny and
Cheat Mountain Clubs.

To Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis were born three children, namely:
Jackson M., born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, December
27, 1911, Donna Louise, born August 10, 1913, and Elizabeth
Biddle, born June 18, 1918, in the City of Clarksburg, West
Virginia.
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