Logan County, West Virginia    Biography of John T. SYDNOR

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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. 188-189


JOHN T. SYDNOR. Though a young man, still in his early
thirties, John T. Sydnor has held responsible positions with
coal companies for seventeen years. He is general superin-
tendent of mines Nos. 1 and 3 on Huff's Creek and No. 2
on the Guyandotte for the Mallory Coal Company, one of
the largest operators in this section of Logan County. Since
he became general superintendent he has done much to make
Mallory an ideal mining town, and at the time of this
writing is building a union church for the community.

He was born at Wilson, Dinwiddie County, Virginia, June
6, 1888, son of Thomas T. and Amantha (Reamis) Sydnor,
natives of Dinwiddie County. His parents are still living,
his father at seventy-five and his mother at seventy-three.
His father became a courier for General Wise in the Con-
federate army at the age of fourteen, and was only seven-
teen when he was at Appomattox at the final surrender.
He participated in the bloody fighting at the battle of the
Crater at Petersburg, and was also at the evacuation of
Richmond. After the war he continued his education with
an academic course, and attended Hampden-Sidney College.
His father, R. H. Sydnor, was a representative of the old
Virginia aristocratic land holdings, planting and slave hold-
ing class. Thomas T. Sydnor after leaving school returned
to the farm and worked on the plantation, but soon removed
to Nottoway County, and is still engaged in the general
mercantile business. He is a republican and a member of
the Methodist Church. He and his wife had six sons and
two daughters.

John T. Sydnor graduated from high school at his home
town, spent one year in Allegheny Academy at Clifton
Forge, Virginia, and with that education he entered the
coal fields, but as a general student along technical lines
involved in the coal industry. He has taken courses with
the International Correspondence School, and is still a
reader of everything pertaining to the practical side of coal
operation.

In 1905 he entered the employ of the Thacker Coal and
Coke Company as chief pay roll clerk at their mines in
Mingo County. He was there five years, following which
he was office man and pay roll clerk for the Red Jacket
Coal Company, then general bookkeeper and assistant to the
general manager of the Album Coal and Coke Company, and
then transferred to Freeburn in Pike County, Kentucky,
where he was cashier and later superintendent of mining
operations. He was superintendent and later general super-
intendent for the Pond Creek Coal Company in Pike County,
Kentucky. From there he came to Mallory as general super-
intendent for the Mallory Coal Company in October, 1920.

Mr. Sydnor in 1912 married Blanch Ford, of Huntington.
She died in 1915. In 1918 he married Hettye E. Shay,
daughter of A. M. Shay, of Olive Hill, Kentucky. They
have one daughter, Doris. Mr. Sydnor is a member of the
Masonic Lodge at Stone, Kentucky, the Royal Arch Chapter
of Williamson, Huntington Commandery No. 9, K. T., Rose
Croix Chapter of the Scottish Rite at Huntington, West
Virginia Consistory No. 1, at Wheeling, and the Shrine at
Charleston. He is also a member of the Elks, and is a
democrat in politics.