Mason County, West Virginia Biography of JOSEPH FLOYD BURDETTE This file 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. 611 JOSEPH FLOYD BURDETTE, has had a career marked by exceptional enterprise. In earlier years he was a timber and coal operator in some of the eastern counties. His home for over twenty years has been in Mason County, where farming, livestock and fruit culture on a commercial scale have occupied his attention. His main orchards as a fruit grower are across the river in Ohio, but his home and his general farming operations are at his country place two miles north of Point Pleasant. He is of French ancestry, though the first of the name came to this country as long ago as 1740. Joseph Floyd Burdette was born in Putnam County, West Virginia, December 30, 1861. His grandfather Archibald Burdette, was born in 1798, and died in Putnam County in 1860. He had lived at various times in the Kanawha Valley, and was also a resident of Mercer County, but moved to Putnam County during the '50s. Archibald Burdette was a son of William and Sarah (Comwell) Burdette. Sarah Corn- well was a daughter of Edward Cornwell, who served as a soldier of the Revolution. Archibald Burdette married Rhoda Shumate, who was born in 1797, and died in 1845. Her father Lieut. Daniel Shumate, was a native of Fauquier County, Virginia, and was in the Virginia Militia during the Revolution. He moved to Monroe County, West Virginia, where he died in 1826. The father of Joseph F. Burdette was Lewis Burdette, who was born in Mercer County, West Virginia, in 1837, and married in Putnam County, Catherine J. Hill, a native of Monroe County, West Virginia, who came to Putnam County with her parents. Lewis Burdette spent his active life as a farmer in Putnam County, near Hurricane, and died in 1905. His widow, now in her eighty-second year, is still living at the old homestead. They had four child- ren: Joseph F.; George L., a fruit grower in Mason County; Virginia Belle, wife of C. W. Cottle, of Putnam County, and Napoleon B., who died at the age of eighteen. Joseph F. Burdette married in Putnam County, Vatura A. Mynes, who grew up in the same community with him. After his marriage Mr. Burdette engaged in the coal and timber business in Fayette County. He operated saw mills that cut the logs from over 15,000 acres. When he sold out his timber interests he bought coal land. and leased a mine, and for four years had a production averaging four hundred tons per day, with 125 men employed. Both these operations were very profitable, and after selling out Mr. Burdette in 1901 came to Mason County and bought 800 acres bordering the Baltimore and Ohio Railway for three quarters of a mile and extending back into the hills. About 200 acres comprised rich bottom land, well suited for general farming, while the rest was pasture land and was sold two years ago to J. O. Shinn. On his farm Mr. Burdette was a Hereford cattle breeder for about nine years. The fine home in which he formerly lived on the farm is now on the property of Mr. Shinn, and he has since constructed a large brick residence at his present home place two miles north of Point Pleasant. A variety of business enterprises have occupied his time. For about ten years he was manager of the Kanawha Dock at Point Pleasant. During the past ten years he has owned and developed a 175 acre orchard in Gallia County, Ohio, a few miles from Gallipolis. This is a commercial orchard, chiefly apples, with some peaches and plums. His splendid variety of apples are the Rome Beauty, Grimes, Jonathan, Stayman Winesap, Gano and Ben Davis. This fruit orchard has proved a satisfactory venture, and has taken much of Mr. Burdette's personal attention. Mr. Burdette is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He and his wife have two children, Pearl T. and Gertrude. Pearl, who is connected with the National Contracting Company, build- ing river improvements under the Government, married Carrie Connor, and has three children, Jack Connor, Joseph Floyd, Jr., and Alice Reynolds. The daughter Gertrude, now at home, graduated from Marshall College at Hunting- ton with the class of 1911.