Lewis County, West Virginia    Biography of A. F. WHELAN

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Submitted by Valerie Crook, <vfcrook@trellis.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. 158-159


A. F. WHELAN has to his credit a record of practically
half a century of active participation in the commercial
affairs of Weston. He is now retired from merchandising,
though the business goes on under the management of his
son, A. F., Jr. Mr. Whelan among other honors is a vet-
eran Union soldier.

He was born in Berkeley County, West Virginia, January
22, 1840, son of James and Johanna (Welsh) Whelan, the
former a native of County Kilkenny and the latter of
County Waterford, Ireland. They grew up and were edu-
cated and married in Ireland, and came to the United States
in 1829. They lived in New York for a time, where James
Whelan was a laboring man. For three years he worked
on the  Washington and Cumberland Canal, and subse-
quently leased a farm in Pennsylvania and worked it seven
years. He then moved to Preston County, West Virginia,
and was a foreman in the building of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, and subsequently located at West Union, where
he was superintendent of construction for the west end
of the tunnel two years. When he gave up railroad work
he bought a farm in Lewis County, on Mud Lick, three
miles southeast of Weston, and in that country district
continued his activities as a farmer until the end of his
life. He then moved to Weston, and both he and his good
wife died there. They were devout Catholics and he was a
democrat.  He was one of the substantial farmers of
Lewis County, owning at one time 400 acres of land. Of
his eighteen children six are still living: A. F. Whelan;
Margaret, widow of John Morrison; Dr. M. E. Whelan,
of Roanoke, West Virginia; Thomas, of Weston; Miss
Julia; and Martin, of Jefferson, Texas.

A. F. Whelan grew up on his father's farm, and at-
tended the parochial schools. He lived at home until the
Civil war came on, and he joined the Union army and for
2-1/2 years served as a brigade wagon master. On July 3,
1865, soon after the close of the war, he married Mary
McGill. She was born in Ireland and came to the United
States with her parents when she was a girl.

After his marriage Mr. Whelan bought the property
where he now lives in Weston. For three years he was
manager of the store of P. M. Hale, and then, in 1868,
engaged in business for himself. He continued in busi-
ness until nearly all his early contemporaries had retired,
and finally he retired himself, turning the business over
to his son Andrew F. Mr. Whelan was one of the organ-
izers of the Citizens Bank of Weston, one of the substantial
financial institutions of the state, and he is still vice presi-
dent. Mr. and Mrs. Whelan had seven children, and the
five now living are: Alice W., wife of William McGary, of
Weston; Mary J., wife of Walter A. Edwards, of Weston;
Andrew F., Jr., successor to his father in business at Wes-
ton; Catherine, widow of Luther Sleigh; and Thomas A.,
who is cashier of the Citizens Bank. The deceased chil-
dren are: James Joseph, who died at Thomasville, Georgia,
in young manhood, and one child that died at birth. The
family are members of the Catholic Church and Mr. Whelan
is a democrat in polities.