Lewis County, West Virginia    Biography of John Ward EAKIN

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Submitted by Valerie Crook, <vfcrook@earthlink.net>, July 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 171-172

JOHN WARD EAKIN is secretary and treasurer of the
Eakin Lumber Company of Weston, an important corpora-
tion whose executive officers are chiefly members of the
Eakin family and whose field of operation extends over a
considerable area of Webster and Nicholas counties.

Mr. Eakin was born in Lewis County, West Virginia,
July 22, 1888, son of J. and Victoria (Ward) Eakin. His
father was born near Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, and his
mother in Lewis County, West Virginia. J. Eakin was a
boy when his parents moved to West Virginia, and soon
after leaving public school he became interested in the lum-
ber industry and is still active therein. He now makes his
home at the mills of the Eakin Lumber Company. For many
years the family home was in Weston, where hia wife died
in 1917. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. J. Eakin is a democrat. He is the father of seven
children: Peter E., who is a graduate of Wesleyan Col-
lege at Buckhannon and is president and manager of the
Eakin Lumber Company; Ceph, who attended public school
and business college, is vice president of the company;
Maude, a high school graduate is the wife of John A.
Fisher; Pearl is the wife of O. E. Hunkle; Edna is the
wife of G. C. Hammon; Leah is the wife of E. C. Blair;
and John Ward is the youngest.

John Ward Eakin grew up in Lewis County, acquired a
public school education, attended Wesleyan College and
Business School and practically all his business energies
have been bestowed upon the lumber industry. The Eakin
Lumber Company is incorporated with Peter E. Eakin,
president; Ceph Eakin, vice president; John Ward Eakin,
secretary and treasurer; while the other directors are O. E.
Hinkle, F. B. Mathews, W. A. Jackson and S. P. Bishop.
The company owns and operates as an adjunct to its lum-
bering operations the Erbacon & Summerville Railroad.

May 13, 1913, Mr. Eakin married Nelle Craig, who is a
graduate of the Weston High School and attended a busi-
ness college at clarion, Ohio. They have four children:
Joe, born in 1914; Frances, born in 1915; Mildred, born
in 1917; and J. W., Jr., born in 1920. Mrs. Eakin is a mem-
ber of the Catholic Church. He is an affiliated member of
the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of America,
belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and is a democrat.