Lewis County, West Virginia Biography of Thomas W. HARRISON This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 333 THOMAS W. HARRISON has given a good account of his active years as a prosperous and progressive farmer of Lewis County, still owns a farm, but is now practically retired and enjoys the comforts of a good town home at Weston. He was born at Weston August 15, 1854, son of Mathew W. and Sarah L. (Hoffman) Harrison, his father born in Clarksburg in 1825 and his mother at Weston in 1828. Mathew Harrison was reared and educated in Clarksburg, studied for the law, and for many years practiced his profession in Weston. He was also vice president of the National Exchange Bank and was treasurer of the State Hospital at Weston from 1856 until he resigned a short time before his death. He was also treasurer and pay- master of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway. He was con- sidered one of the wealthy men of the county and left a large estate. He was a democrat and served in the Legislature one term. His wife was a member of the Episcopal Church. These parents had seven children, and the five now living are: Thomas W.; Mary, wife of A. A. Warren; R. H., a farmer at Weston; Emma, wife of James Ealston; Anna M., wife of E. G. Davisson. Thomas W. Harrison grew up at Weston, attended the public schools there, had a good business training under his father, and while identified to some extent with com- mercial lines his main work has been farming. On April 22, 1890, he married Genevieve Ralston, who was born at Weston July 11, 1867, daughter of Er and Matilda (Bailey) Ralston. Mrs. Harrison was educated in Weston in private schools, and attended a musical con- servatory at Warren, Ohio. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Harrison moved to a farm two miles east of Weston, and lived in the country until 1918, when they returned to Weston. Mr. Harrison had a place of 451 acres, but has since sold part of it and uses the remainder chiefly for the grazing of cattle. He has been an interested worker in the demo- cratic party of the county, and at one time was nominee for the County Court. He is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America and Weston Lodge No. 43, Knights of Pythias. He and his wife belong to the Episcopal Church. They are the parents of a family of ten children, nine living. Ernestine E. was educated by private tutor and is now superintendent of the West Virginia Children's Home at Elkins. Mary M. is the wife of Dr. John Owens, an army surgeon; Mathew W., a graduate of the Weston High School, enlisted and served as a private during the World war, going overseas with the Eighty-third Division, and later being assigned to the Third Division and was on front line duty for three months, being wounded in the Argonne Forest. He is now a student of agriculture in the West Virginia State University. Eva E. is a graduate of the Weston High School and of the Mountain State Business College at Parkersbnrg. The younger children are: Genevieve, a graduate of the Weston High School; Thomas W., Jr., also a graduate of the Weston High School; William E., deceased; Sallie, in the senior class; Fannie E., in the sophomore class in High School; and Gertrude in the seventh grade of the grammar school.