Mason County, West Virginia Biography of JOHN W. C. HESLOP 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. 619-620 JOHN W. C. HESLOP is proprietor of the Point Pleasant Machine Works, and has made this enterprise one of major industrial importance at Point Pleasant, Mason County, a point specially prominent in connection with navigation interests on the Kanawha and Ohio rivers. The Point Pleasant Machine Works were established in 1888 by Mr. Heslop and David Price, and the business was continued .under the firm name of Heslop & Price until 1898, since which year the subject of this review has been sole owner of the business. In earlier days the establish- ment was given over largely to the manufacturing of steamboat machinery and to the general machine outfitting of river boats. Later was added the manufacturing of mining machinery and the manufacturing and installing of marine engines and mine castings. The plant has been enlarged from time to time to meet the increasing demands placed upon it, and much of the trade is drawn from river- port cities, especially in the supplying of steamboat engines. Mr. Heslop was born at Bridgeport, Ohio, in 1853, and the schools of his native state afforded him his early educa- tion. He learned his trade at Pomeroy, Ohio, which place then had important marine machine shops. He has been concerned actively with machine manufacturing during his entire business career, and his former partner, Mr. Price, was a skilled blacksmith. Prior to engaging independently in business Mr. Heslop had been in the employ of Enos, Hill & Company, which firm controlled a large business in manufacturing and providing marine machinery for river boats, with headquarters at Gallipolis, Ohio, which town is only a short distance down the Ohio River from Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Thus when he initiated his inde- pendent enterprise at the latter place Mr. Heslop had to encounter the strong competition of the firm by which he had previously been employed, but excellent service and correct business policies ultimately enabled him to build up a substantial and representative trade. After the destruc- tion of the Gallipolis plant of Enos, Hill & Company both of his former employers worked for Mr. Heslop in his shop at Point Pleasant, he having purchased the patterns which they had saved from the fire that destroyed their plant, and later having obtained also valuable patterns saved from a fire that destroyed the plant of the Gallipolis Foundry & Machine Company. In the Point Pleasant Ma- chine Works are to be found a number of skilled mechanics who have here been employed fully thirty years. Mr. Hestop [sic] has proved one of the liberal and progressive citizens of Point Pleasant, has served as a member of the city council, was for thirteen years a member of the local board of education, his service having included the period in which the present high school building was erected, and his loyal co-operation has been given to movements and enterprises tending to advance the general welfare of his home community. He is a charter member of the local lodge of Knights of Pythias, is prominently affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, including franklin Commandery No. 19, Knights Templars, and the Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charleston. At Mason City, West Virginia, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Heslop and Miss Aurilla Jarrott, who was born in Kanawha County, this state, a daughter of the late Lemuel Jarrott, who was for a number of years engaged in the manufacturing of salt at Maiden, Kanawha County. Martha, oldest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Heslop, is the wife of Hugo Juhling, of New Haven, this state; Sue is the wife of S. C. Wilhelm, of Point Pleasant, he being secretary of the Marietta Manufacturing Company; Aurilla is the wife of Milton L. Miller, auditor for the same company; Miss Nan remains at the parental home; Lemuel is engaged in the clothing business in the City of Charles- ton; William is actively identified with the Point Pleasant Machine Works; and Robert J. is the present manager of the plant of this concern. Like his father and brother, Robert J. Heslop is a staunch supporter of the cause of the republican party, and he served four years as chair- man of its executive committee in Mason County. He literally grew up in the industrial business conducted by his father, and has succeeded the latter in the active supervision of the plant. He is president of the Progress Building & Loan Association, of which he has been a director from the time of its organization, in 1905, and which has contributed much to the civic and material advancement and prosperity of Point Pleasant. He holds membership in the local Kiwanis and Country clubs, and is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, including the Commandery of Knights Templars and the Mystic Shrine, and is also a member of the Knights of Pythias.