Biography of Joseph C. McConnell - Mercer Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 567-568 JOSEPH C. McCONNELL is giving a most effective ad- ministration as mayor of the City of Princeton, judicial center of Mercer County. His birth occurred on a farm in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of March, 1876. His parents, Joseph and Sarah (Welker) McConnell, were born and reared in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and shortly after their marriage removed to Mercer County, that state, where they passed the remainder of their lives on their excellent homestead farm, the father having died in 1895, at the age of fifty-two years, and the mother having been sixty-three years of age when she passed to the life eternal in 1903. All of the twelve children attained to years of maturity, the subject of this sketch having been the eighth in order of birth, and of the number ten are still living. Four of the sons became successful contractors in the coal fields of West Virginia, and these four had previously been teachers in the public schools. One son is a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church, of which the par- ents had been earnest members. The son, Norman is now a contractor in Tazewell County, Virginia; Harry resides on a farm near the old home in Mercer County, Pennsylvania; George is a contractor and resides at Princeton, West Virginia, the. four brothers, including Joseph C., of this review, having come to this state in 1895 and having been partners in their original contracting operations in the coal fields, all of the number having previously learned the trade of brickmason in their native county. The father served many years as justice of the peace in Springfield Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and was otherwise a prominent figure in community affairs. One of his broth- ers was killed in battle while serving as a Union soldier in the Civil war, and another brother likewise was in the service of the Union, he having been captured and having been held a prisoner both at Andersonville and Libby prisons, notorious in the history of the war. The lineage of the McConnelI family traces back to Scotch-Irish origin, and the Welker family is of the old Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Joseph C. McConnell supplemented the discipline of the public schools by attending Volant College, and in his early experience as a teacher in the district schools he received $28 a month for his services. He devoted four years to teaching, a work which he greatly enjoyed, but low salaries then paid in this profession caused him to abandon the same. He learned the trade of brickmason, and joined his brother Norman at Clarksburg, West Virginia. Thereafter the four brothers engaged in contracting at Huntington, this state, and one year later removed to Williamson, where they continued operations five years. In August, 1909, Joseph C. McConnelI came to Princeton, Mercer County, to complete a small contract and with no intention of remain- ing here. The city was then a mere village, as this was prior to the building of the railroad roundhouse, which greatly spurred the civic and industrial advancement of the town. He was led to establish here his permanent residence, and has been closely and influentially associated with the civic and material development and upbuilding of the thriv- ing city of the present day. His civic loyalty and progres- siveness led to his being importuned by leading citizens to become a candidate for mayor of the city in 1920, in No- vember of which year he was elected by a majority that emphatically showed his secure place in popular confidence and esteem. He had been a member of the city council in 1919, but had resigned after making a vigorous fight for better city government. His election to the office of mayor shows the popular estimate placed upon his course in this connection, and he is making every effort to bring about a clean and adequate administration of all departments of the city government. As a contractor and builder Mayor McConnell's operations have extended throughout the coal fields of West Virginia, and for the past seven years his brother George has been his associate in this extensive business which is now conducted under the title of The Mc- Connell Construction Company, with Princeton's mayor as president of this important industrial corporation. As a builder he has been associated with the construction of all manner of buildings, from mine houses to bank and school buildings of the most modern type. In national politics the mayor is a democrat, and in a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Moose. In 1907 Mr. McConnell wedded Miss Macie Rodgers, daughter of Richard Rodgers, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, and they are zealous members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he is a deacon, as had also been his father. Submitted by Valerie Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************