Mason County, West Virginia Biography of JOHN P. LEWIS 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. 445 Mason JOHN P. LEWIS, sheriff of Mason County, has measured up to every qualification of good citizenship and business efficiency. He has been widely known over this section of West Virginia as a farmer and grower of fine livestock, still operates a dairy farm, and has bred and trained and raced some noted horses. The energy and vigor he has put into his private affairs and his public service came to him from a long line of distinguished soldiers and fron- tiersmen. His ancestry is one of the most notable pos- sessed by any West Virginian. The founder of his branch of the Lewis family was John Lewis, a son of Andrew and Mary (Calhoun) Lewis. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, but was born in France in 1673. While living in County Donegal, Ireland, he killed his landlord in resisting an illegal attempt to eject him from his possessions, and fled to Portugal and thence to America, first locating at Philadelphia. In 1732 he became the first white settler at Bellefonte in Augusta County, Virginia. He married in 1716, in Scotland, Margaret Lynn, and among their sons who gained special distinction in Colonial American history were Andrew, Thomas, William, and Charles. The direct ancestor of John P. Lewis was Andrew Lewis, who was born in Ireland about 1720. He and his brothers early became conspicuous in the frontier struggles. He was a major in Washington 's Virginia Regiment in the West- ern campaign of 1754-55. He was appointed brigadier general at the beginning of the period of hostilities of 1774, and was commander and chief at the battle of Point Pleas- ant on October 10, 1774. His brother, Col. Charles Lewis, was killed in that great battle with the Indians. During the Revolution Andrews Lewis served as a brigadier general. He died in 1781. His wife was Elizabeth Givens, and their sons were John, Thomas, Samuel, Andrew and William M. Thomas Lewis, son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Givens) Lewis, settled in Mason County, West Virginia, on lands granted his father for his services in the Indian campaigns and revolution. Members of the Lewis family have been prominent in the community around Point Pleasant ever since. He married Sallie Thornton, and their children were Thomas, Andrew, William, Evans and Samuel. Andrew Lewis, grandfather of Sheriff Lewis, married Jennie Boswell. Their children were William, Pallas, Sam- uel and Columbus. Pallas S. Lewis was born in 1823, and in early life was a teacher and later a farmer, and died in middle age. He married in 1848 Hannah Barnett, who was born in 1831, daughter of William and Susie (Draughty) Barnett. She died at the age of eighty-seven. A portion of the old Bar- nett homestead is still owned by John F. Lewis. John F. Lewis had four brothers: Andrew E., who lives on the old Miller farm near Point Pleasant; James C., whose home is on Three-mile Creek; Henry C., a locomotive engineer living at Covington, Kentucky; and William E., who died in early life. John F. Lewis was born on the Kanawha River, three and one-half miles from Point Pleasant, January 26, 1862. He was reared on the farm, and at his father's death took over its management and remained at home until he was twenty-seven. In 1890 he married Margaret Schools, who was born in 1863, daughter of Paul and Mary Schools. John P. Lewis was first called into public service from the farm when he came to Point Pleasant as deputy sheriff under John C. Porter and R. L. Barnett. He held that office seven years, and in 1904 was appointed postmaster at Point Pleasant, an office he held for eleven years. In 1920 he was elected on the republican ticket to the office of sheriff, with a majority of between 1,400 and 1,600. His time has been completely devoted to the duties of this office, his son Harry being his deputy. His dairy farm is on the old Barnett homestead. His herd consists of Jersey cattle, and in former years he also bred and exhibited Hereford cattle and won many honors at local fairs. Mr. Lewis has many of the traits and tastes of a native Kentuckian, particularly in the line of fine horses. He has bred both cattle and race horses, has trained many fine animals for the track and show ring, and he still keeps a fine saddle horse. Mr. Lewis has steadily indulged in every phase of an active outdoor life, and while he has mingled with men both in politics and socially he is an exemplar of strict temperance and has never gambled or drunk whiskey. He has been interested in community affairs, was a member of the school board eight years, and fraternally is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America and Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a member of the official board of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had five children: Mary, deceased, Hannah, deceased, Harry, Sallie B., deceased, and Katie, who married Joseph Lunsford, of Point Pleasant, and has one daughter, Betty Joe, aged two years. Harry married Lou Gibbs and has two children, Mary Louise, six years of age, and Ruth Vir- ginia, two years of age.