F. LORY & SONS

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 529
Kanawha

F. LORY & SONS. One of the older industrial establish-
ments of Charleston, ante-dating the World war period, is
F. Lory & Sons, planing mill operators. The business was
established as a partnership in 1905, and in 1912 was in-
corporated. The business employs about twenty-five men,
operates the machinery with power produced by natural
gas engines, and makes a specialty of interior finish, floor-
ing and house trim, mainly from hardwood lumber. Prior to
1905, when the business came to Charleston, F. Lory had
operated a sawmill plant in Clay County.

F. Lory was born in Switzerland, and was brought when
a boy to the United States, was reared in Ohio, and learned
the sawmill operation in that state. In 1880 he moved to
Kanawha County, and he was a figure in the lumber industry
of the state until his death in 1914, at the age of sixty-six.
The company also bought real estate and developed several
desirable sections of residence property, and still owns some
property of this kind in Charleston.

The four sons of F. Lory are now all identified with the
business, Ed being president of the company, Fred, vice
president, Albert, secretary and treasurer, and Christopher,
also having a share in the work. They grew up along saw-
mills and planing mills, and Ed Lory has been president
since the company was incorporated.

The mother of these sons is still living. Her maiden
name was Anna Whitmer, and she was born at Switzerland,
but was married in Ohio. Besides her sons there is a
daughter, Elizabeth, wife of C. W. Burdette, of Charleston.
The family are members of the Lutheran Church.

Ed Lory married Lottie Mayer, of Charleston. They have
five children, John, Anna, Elizabeth, Dorothy and Louise. 

Submitted by:  vfcrook@trellis.net (Valerie F. Crook) 

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