Mingo County, West Virginia Biography of Darwin R. GATES ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 67-68 DARWIN R. GATES, who is associated with his brother Charles M. as one of the principals in the Gates Building & Construction Company at Williamson, Mingo County, was born in Clearfleld County, Pennsylvania, March 3, 1890, and is a son of William M. and Emma B. (Holt) Gates, adequate record concerning the family being given in the preceding sketch of the brother, Charles M. Gates. The early education of Darwin R. Gates included that of the high school, but he was compelled to leave school at the age of sixteen years, owing to the death of his father. He was reared in his native county, and there he gained his early experience in coal mining. After acting as mule- driver in the mines for one year he served two years as weighing boss, and he then came to West Virginia and entered the employ of the United States Coal Corporation, a subsidiary of the United States Steel Company. He was employed one year as assistant mine foreman at Gary, Mc- Dowell County, and six years as mine foreman, and in 1917 he was made mine superintendent for the Wigarb Mining Company at Goodman, where he remained until 1921, when he engaged in the automobile business at Williamson. Four months later he sold his interest in this enterprise and be- came associated with his brother in the real estate, building and general construction business, as noted in the preceding outline of the career of his brother. Mr. Gates is affiliated with both York and Scottish Rite bodies of the Masonic fraternity, and also with the Mystic Shrine, is a member of the Kiwanis Club at Williamson, and he and his wife hold membership in the Baptist Church. June 3,1914, at Indiana, Pennsylvania, Mr. Gates wedded Miss Della Jennie Hess, daughter of Frank and Sarah (Wheeler) Hess, both natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Gates have two children, Leona Wahneta and Della Eleanor.