Mineral County, West Virginia Biography of Tom F. KENNY 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. 400 TOM F. KENNY, dean of the insurance agents at Pied- mont, and ex-postmaster of the city, is one of the most rep- resentative men of Mineral County, and one who holds the confidence of everyone who knows him. Practically his entire life has been spent in this locality, and no man has its interests closer at heart than he. He was born on Bac- coon Creek, near the Village of Newburg, Preston County, West Virginia, December 25, 1853, a son of Thomas and Mary (0'Connor) Kenny, both from County Galway, Ire- land, where they were married. Coming to the United States in 1847, they first established their home at Cum- berland, Maryland, but later leaving that city for Preston County, West Virginia, making the trip by stage. On the present site of Newburg they bought an acre of ground, as they had learned the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, then in process of construction, was to have a station at that point, and realizing that the investment was likely to be profitable. Thomas Kenny was a member of the surveying party, and carried the surveyor's chain almost the whole way from Cumberland to Grafton in the work of locating the line of the road. When the location work was completed he was employed by one of the contractors on the construc- tion work, Jacob Humbard, and was connected with the ac- tual building of the road as far west as Grafton. He then wont with the track department of the road, and continued with it until his death, which occurred in 1867, his widow surviving him until 1886, when she died at the age of sev- enty-eight years, and both are interred in the Grafton Cem- etery. The children born to Thomas Kenny and his wife were as follows: John, Timothy, Mary, Patrick, Julia, Tom Francis and Michael. Of these children John Kenny spent his life at Grafton and was track superintendent of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and died in that city. Timothy entered the railroad service and was a conductor on the Third Division of the Baltimore & Ohio until 1866, when he left the railroad, and, coming to Piedmont, built the Kenny House, which still bears his name. This became one of the most famous hostelries along the road, and he con- ducted it until he reached an advanced age, when he re- tired, and he died at Baltimore, Maryland, at the home of his son, Rev. Father T. B. Kenny, of that city, and is buried in Maryland. Mary never married, but spent the greater part of her life at the Kenny House with her brother Tim- othy. She died at Piedmont, and is buried in the cemetery by the side of her parents. Patrick was also a railroad man, and for about forty years was a conductor with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and then retired from its serv- ice. He died in 1916, and he, too, is buried at Grafton. Michael was killed in the shaft explosion at Newburg in 1889, while engaged in coal mining. Patrick was a team- ster during the war of the '60s, for the Federal Govern- ment, and John was assistant to the roadmaster of the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad, having charge of the reconstruction of bridges from the Ohio River to Martinsburg, destroyed by the Confederate forces. Julia, the younger daughter, married James Talbott, a resident of Mononga, West Vir- ginia. Tom F. Kenny spent his boyhood and youth at Newburg, and there received his preliminary education, his boyhood friends being the Crogan lads, one of whom has since be- come a distinguished lawyer of Kingwood, Preston County. The year his father died Tom F. Kenny came to Piedmont, and while completing his education lived with his brother at the Kenny House. Beginning his business career, he conducted a news stand, corner of Second Street and Childs Avenue, and occupied that spot for eighteen years, acquir- ing there his start in life. In 1893 he sold this business and was appointed postmaster by President Cleveland, suc- ceeding William B. Heskett in that office, in which he con- tinued until 1898, when he was succeeded by the republican nominee. Upon leaving the postoffice Mr. Kenny embarked in the life and fire insurance business, in which he has since con- tinued, and he represents many of the most reliable com- panies, including the Hartford, the Home of New York, the Continental, the Royal, the Commercial Union, the Na- tional Union, the Atlas Assurance, and the Camden Fire In- surance Company. He also represents the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company of Baltimore. Of late years he has confined his operations to the fire insurance and bonding business. Before he was appointed postmaster Mr. Kenny had made his influence felt in democratic circles, and during a period of thirty years he was a delegate to the state and congres- sional conventions, and was a member of the one which, after a siege of four days, nominated Governor Wilson. He also gave his support to William L. Wilson for Con- gress. The latter was nominated the first time at Pied- mont by Col. John T. McGraw, of Grafton, in one of his first public speeches. In the democratic contest for presi- dent in 1912 Mr. Kenny was a supporter of the late Champ dark, and did his best to nominate his candidate, but after Woodrow Wilson became his party's candidate he loyally supported him. In fact, Mr. Kenny has always been the advocate of the scholar in politics. He says, "If democracy was run in its purity as handed down to us by the framers of the constitution, we would have different conditions in our country now." He is a Roman Catholic in his religious faith. Tom F. Kenny married at Newburg, West Virginia, Jan- uary 17, 1881, Catherine D. Daily, a daughter of Dennis and Anna (McArthur) Daily, natives of Scotland, who lo- cated at Newburg about 1854, and Mrs. Kenny was born in that village June 8, 1855. There were seven daughters in the family of her parents, namely: Mrs. M. A. Moran, Mrs. Elizabeth Kenny, wife of Patrick Kenny, Mrs. Mar- garet Doonan, Mrs. Tom F. Kenny, Mrs. Esther Barrett, Mrs. Isabel Templeton and Miss Bridget Daily. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tom F. Kenny were as follows: T. Daily Kenny, who is assistant to President William B. Cornwell on the Winchester & Western Bail- road, with hearquarters and residence at Winchester, Vir- ginia; Stanley A., who is assistant auditor in the revenue department of the Federal Government, with headquarters at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John Sheridan, who repre- sents the American Can Company of Chicago at Cumber- land, Maryland; and Ada Maria, who is a stenographer in the Department of the Interior, Washington, District of Columbia, where she has been since the beginning of the World war. Stanley A. and John Sheridan Kenny volunteered for service during the World war. John Sheridan Kenny was the first to enlist from Piedmont, and was in the Second West Virginia Infantry. He was trained at Camp Hum- phreys, mobilizing first in Fairmont, and went overseas from Humphreys. He was sergeant of his company and was made purchasing agent for the camp while in France. After the signing of the armistice he was returned home without injury, and returned to civil life. Stanley A. Kenny went overseas after his brother, and was sergeant- major of his company, but did not get to the front before the signing of the armistice. He was returned home in 1919. also without injury. Taking the internal revenue depart- ment examination, he entered its service, where he has since remained.