Mingo County, West Virginia Biography of Newton Jasper KEADLE ************************************************************************** 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. 76-77 NEWTON JASPER KEADLE, the genial and popular post- master of the City of Williamson, Mingo County, is famili- arly known as "Doc" Keadle, and has been an influential figure in Mingo County from the time of its creation in 1895, Governor McCorkle having appointed him the first sheriff of the new county and the ensuing popular election having retained him in the office, in which he served six consecutive years. Mr. Keadle was born at Madison, Boone County, West Virginia (then Virginia), on the 27th of April, 1860, and is a son of Maj. James W. and Harriet E. (Kessinger) Keadle, his father having been a major in the Confederate service in the Civil war, in which he was captured, and was held as a Union prisoner at Fort Delaware. His death in 1865 resulted from illness contracted while in the army, and his widow having died in 1869, their son Newton J. was doubly orphaned when a mere boy. The old home of the parents was in what is now Monroe County, West Vir- ginia. After the death of his mother the present postmaster of Williamson was taken into the home of one of his aunts at Welston, Jackson County, Ohio, where he remained and attended school until he was fourteen years of age. There- after he was employed on farms and around the blast fur- naces in that section of Ohio until his return to his native town, where he learned the printer's trade in the office of the Coal River Record. In 1887 he established the Logan Democrat at Logan, judicial center of the county of that name, and he continued as editor and publisher of this paper one year. He served also as city marshal of Logan, and while a resident of that place became also a local offi- cial in the internal revenue service. Upon the erection and organization of the new county of Mingo, formerly a part of Logan County, Mr. Keadle was appointed its first sher- iff, as previously noted, and after his retirement from this office he was elected county tax assessor, in which posi- tion he served three and one-half years. He then resigned to take the appointment as postmaster of Williamson, the county scat, in 1910, under the administration of President Taft. He continued his service as postmaster until after the election of President Wilson, when he was succeeded by a democratic incumbent. Thereafter he served as state probation officer until the resumption of republican adminis- tration of the Government, when he was reappointed post- master at Williamson, in 1921. His present administration is proving as efficient and popular as did his former regime in this office, and more than this need not be said. Mr. Keadle has been steadfast and loyal in his allegiance to the republican party, and has been prominent in its councils in this section of the state. He was active in support of the various patriotic movements in the World war period, and gave four of his sons to the nation's service in that connection. He and his wife are active members of the Baptist Church in their home city. In 1889 Mr. Keadle wedded Miss Lucy Miller, who was born in Logan County, this state, a daughter of Judge Miller, who was a leading lawyer and jurist in that county. Mr. and Mrs. Keadle became the parents of a fine family of ten children, all of whom are living: Roy H. entered the nation's aviation service shortly after the United States became involved in the World war. He was transferred to the American Belief Administration and was on the battle lines in France, caring for and assisting in the removal of wounded soldiers, his headquarters having been in the City of Paris and his service having covered a period of twenty-two months. After the World war he became a clerk at the Williamson Post Office. Okey P., an attorney in the office of a leading law firm of Williamson, went overseas with the Pittsburgh Railway Construction Regi- ment, which established headquarters at Tours, France. Mingo P. became a member of the United States Heavy Coast Artillery and was stationed on Fishermen's Island in Chesapeake Bay. Alonzo received his preliminary train- ing at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, received commis- sion as first lieutenant, was later promoted a captain and was then assigned to duty to Company E, Three Hundred and Seventeenth Infantry, in connection with the accept- ing of troops for overseas service. He is now captain in the West Virginia Militia. Emmet, eldest of the sons, is deputy sheriff of Mingo County. John S., the youngest son, is attending the public schools. There are four daugh- ters: Lucy is employed in the First National Bank of Williamson; Katharine is a teacher in the public schools of this city; and Mary and Virginia are still attending school.