WILLIAM GRAY BARNHART The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 592-593 Kanawha WILLIAM GRAY BARNHART, by reason of his four years' service as United States district attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia and as head of one of the busiest law firms at Charleston, achieved a really state wide repu- tation at the bar of West Virginia. These achievements were the result of a comparatively brief lifetime. He was born near Buffalo in Putnam County April 15, 1880, and died on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1921. He was a son of Lewis and Isabel (Hartley) Barn- hart. His father, also deceased, was a native of Pennsyl- vania and of Holland ancestry, and for years enjoyed a high place at the bar of Winfield, county seat of Putnam County. A surviving brother of William G. Barnhart is A. J. Barn- hart, manager of the Charleston Association of Credit Men. The late Mr. Barnhart was a popular member of the Elks and Knights of Pythias. He married Miss Nettie E. Gillespie, of Braxton County. He was the father of two children, Ruth Frances, by a former marriage, and William Gray, Jr. Mr. Barnhart well earned the tribute paid him by the Kanawha County Bar Association, whose memorial, now included in the records of the State and Federal Courts of West Virginia, is a concise review of his life and is pre- sented herewith: "The death of William Gray Barnhart was the fifth among the Kanawha bar in the year 1921, a mortality that is remarkable. Our deceased brother was born April 15, 1880, at Buffalo in Putnam County, and was educated in the local schools of that county and in the University of West Virginia, from which he graduated in 1902. He was admitted to the bar of Putnam County immediately after his graduation, and in the same year was elected to the Legislature from that county, and served in the regular session of 1903 and the extra session of 1904. In 1907 he removed to Charleston, and practiced law in this city, and in 1913 was appointed United States district attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, which position he held until 1917, when he resigned to take up private prac- tice. His official record as district attorney was very high. He was prompt, active, energetic, and very able in the prose- cution of the pleas of the government. In June, 1920, he entered the law firm of Barnhart, Horan and Pettigrew. He was a hard working, energetic, strong and successful lawyer, and an advocate of very marked powers. He was noted for his fidelity to his clients and the painstaking way in which he prepared and tried his cases. His practice extended throughout Southern West Virginia, and this made his acquaintance with the people very wide. Such a man could not keep out of politics, but his participation in politics was not selfish, and he was more often looking after the political party of which he was a member than his own personal interest. There were few men in the state with greater powers upon the 'stump' and he found it difficult to resist the demands of his friends throughout Southern West Virginia whenever a campaign was on, and often he would yield to these demands to the sacrifice of his own personal interest. Few men had more devoted per- sonal friends. Just before he died he had settled himself down to the practice of law to the exclusion of everything else, and that success was attendant which always comes to a lawyer from application and ability. His death, from our narrow viewpoint, seems untimely. Barely in the prime of life, thoroughly equipped for a professional career, it seemed that he was just fairly beginning as a successful lawyer. His fellow members,of the bar deeply regret his untimely death, and feel that this bar has lost a strong arm, and a member who would have added still further luster and honor to our profession." Submitted by: vfcrook@trellis.net (Valerie F. Crook) USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation.