Biography of Jesse W. Waters - 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. 529-530


JESSE W. WATERS. The progressiveness and excellent
business judgment of Mr. Waters are definitely shown in
tlie general appearance and well selected stock of his modern
jewelry establishment in the Law & Commerce Building in
the city of Bluefield, Mercer County.  He was born at
Ellaville, Florida, November 29, 1890, and is a son of
John Shaw and Lucretia Elizabeth (Bell) Waters, the
former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Vir-
gina. The mother died in 1913, at the age of fifty-seven
years, and the father survived her by only a few days, he
having been sixty-five years of age at the time of his death.
The father of John S. Waters was the owner of a large-
plantation in North Carolina and in the operation of the
same retained a corps of fully two hundred slaves, the
ravages of the Civil war having extinguished the greater
part of the family estate. John S. Waters became identified
with lumbering operations in Florida, as an inspector, and
in that state he lived in turn at Ellaville, Jacksonville and
Levson, in which last named town he passed the closing
years of his life. Both he and his wife were zealous mem-
bers of the Baptist Church. Mr. Waters was twice married
and his second wife was the mother of him whose name
introduces this review. The family name of the first wife
was Townsend, their having been one son by this union and
six children by the second marriage.

Jesse W. Waters was an infant at the time of the family
removal to Jacksonville, Florida, and he gained his early
education in that city and at Bellevue, that state. He
thereafter took a one-year course in the Philadelphia College
of Horology, where he gained excellent technical knowledge
of watchmaking and engraving, as well as of optical work.
Upon first coming to Bluefield, West Virginia, he was em-
ployed in the jewelry store of Randolph & Company, and
somewhat more than a year later he here entered the
employ of Isadore Cohen & Company, with which he re-
mained three and one-half years. In September, 1916, with
a capital of $1,600, he established himself in independent
business, at his present location, and in the meanwhile he
had gained & reputation which gave him excellent credit
with wholesale houses, so that he was able to put his
jewelry establishment on a high standard at the start. He
has developed a substantial and prosperous enterprise and
is one of the representative young business men of Blue-
field. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the
Kiwanis Club of his home city, affiliated with the Blue
Lodge, Chapter and Commandery Bodies of York Rite
Masonry at Bluefield and with the Temple of the Mystic
Shrine at Charleston, both he and his wife being members
of the Presbyterian Church.

In 1914 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Waters to
Miss Agnes Hanche, who was born and reared in Bluefield
and who is a daughter of C. H. Hanche. Mr. and Mrs.
Waters are popular factors in the representative social ac-
tivities of their home city.


Submitted by Valerie Crook <vfcrook@earthlink.net> 

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