Monongalia County, West Virginia Biography of Harry SANDERS ************************************************************************** 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, , March 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 62-63 HARRY SANDERS, senior member of the representative real estate and insurance firm of Sanders & Miller, in the City of Morgantown, Monongalia County, was born at Maids- ville, this county, and is a representative of old and hon- ored families of the county, the Sanders, Millers and Houstons. John Sanders was the founder of the family in Monongalia County, where he purchased land and established a homestead at Maidsville, Cass District, on the Monongahela River, about five miles below Morgantown. He here made settlement about the opening of the nineteenth century. He was born in the State of Delaware, and represented that commonwealth as a patriot soldier in the war of the Revolu- tion. He enlisted in Captain McClement's company, Second Delaware Regiment, commanded by Col. Henry McNeil, and saw much of active field service in the great conflict tor national independence. John Sanders became one of the prominent and influential citizens of what is now Mononga- lia County, West Virginia, developed, a fine farm property and was prominent in community affairs of a public order, he having served as tax collector for a number of years. In 1823 he visited Richmond, the capital of the then great domain of Virginia, on official business, and then returned to Delaware to attend to some personal business, his death having there occurred in that year, while he was at the home of kinsfolk of his wife. In 1800 he married Esther Griffin, daughter of Samuel and Mary Griffin, she having been born in Kent County, Delaware, February 2, 1781, and having died at the old Sanders homestead at Maidsville January 2, 1815. Her father, Samuel (III) was of the third generation in direct descent from Samuel (I), who came to America, probably in the latter part of the seven- teenth century, and settled in Delaware, where his death occurred in 1759. John Sanders (II), son of John and Esther (Griffin) Sanders, was born on the old homestead farm at Maids- ville, in 1805, and there his death occurred in 1872. His first wife, Elizabeth, was a daughter of Purnell and Mary (Tnmbleston) Houston. Purnell Houston was born in Somerset County, Maryland, February 1, 1755, and was a youthful soldier in the war of the Revolution. In 1790 he came to what is now Monongalia County, West Virginia, and settled on a pioneer farm near Pentress, where his death occurred March 3, 1835, his wife having passed away January 1, 1830. Elizabeth (Houston) Sanders was born February 23, 1802, and remained in the old homestead at Maidsville until her death. John Sanders (II) later married Sarah Hunt, and she likewise died at Maidsville. James Sanders, son of John and Elizabeth (Houston) Sanders, was born on the ancestral homestead at Maids- ville, December 2, 1832, and there his death occurred Febru- ary 19, 1917. In his youth he learned the tanner's trade, and for more than twenty-five years he owned and operated a tannery at Maidsville, besides which he was for a number of years engaged also in the timber business. He served as president of the Board of Education of Cass District, was a staunch democrat and he and his wife were earnest mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Sarah Jane Miller, who was born July 26, 1839, and whose death occurred November 29, 1916. She was a daughter of Amherst and Sarah (Lock) Miller. Amherst Miller was born in 1805, a son of James and Sarah (Messenger) Miller and a descendant of William Miller, who came from England and settled at Northampton, Massachusetts, where he passed the remainder of his life. The Sanders, Millers, Locks and Houstons were all represented by patriot soldiers of the Continental Line in the war of the Revolution. Harry Sanders, son of James and Sarah Jane (Miller) Sanders, was born at Maidsville April 16, 1876. He re- ceived the advantages of the public schools of his native county and early began to assist in the work of his father's farm and tannery. He thus continued until he was nine- teen years of age, and thereafter he was for two and one- half years a student in the University of West Virginia. He left this institution in 1900 and engaged in the real estate and insurance business at Morgantown, where later he formed a partnership with Charles E. Miller, the firm of Sanders & Miller having since maintained recognized leadership in the real estate and insurance business in the city and county. The members of this progressive firm organized the Morgantown Security and Development Com- pany, and of the same Mr. Sanders is the president. Mr. Sanders is an active member of the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, and is a trustee of Athens Lodge No. 36, Knights of Pythias, in which he has passed the various official chairs. He is a zealous member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church at Morgantown, and is a member of its official board. December 25, 1901, recorded the marriage of Mr. Sanders and Miss Mildred Lenora Hewitt, daughter of Abram S. and Mary (Crago) Hewitt, of Maidsville, and of the three children of this union the names and respective birth-dates are here entered: Sarah Frances, September 16, 1902; John Vernon, June 22, 1904; and William Albert, February 10, 1912.