Ohio County, West Virginia    Biography of George Jackson ROGERS

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Submitted by Sandra Reed <sandrar@emwv.com>, May 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 

George Jackson Rogers, has been a Wheeling lawyer for the past twenty years, with 
an extensive civil practice.  He belongs to a family of lawyers, his father having
been one of the prominent members of the West Virginia Bar.  

The grandfather of George J. Rogers was Alexander Rogers, who was born at Newry, 
County Armagh, Ireland in 1801.  He came to America when a young man, about 1830,
settled at Wheeling, and was prominent in business, at first as a merchant tailor
and later as owner and operator of an iron foundry.  He died at Wheeling January 
5, 1887.  After coming to Wheeling he married, in 1836, Miss the Elizabeth Johnston,
who was born at Wheeling September 28th, 1815, and died in that city February 24th, 
1897.  Of her five children three reached a mature years: James P. Rogers; Margaret
Johnston, wife of Frederick H. Lange, who is President of the Home Outfitting Company
at Wheeling in manager of the Alexander Rogers estate; and Thomas Johnston Rogers, 
who died at Wheeling in 1864, at the age of twenty-four.  Elizabeth Johnston, the 
mother of these children, was a daughter of Thomas Johnston, who became identified
with the Village of Wheeling about 1798 and was one of the leading merchants of the
town in early times.  He died at Wheeling in 1849.  Thomas Johnston married Miss
Meholin, who was born in Harrison County, Ohio, and died at Wheeling.  

James Patterson Rogers, who was born at Wheeling April 29th, 1838, spent all of his 
life in his native city, graduated A.  B.  from Jefferson College at Cannonsburg, 
and for about forty years was engaged in an extensive law practice.  He was one of
the leaders in the Democratic Party, and shortly after Civil War served as 
prosecuting attorney.  He was Municipal Court Judge in 1874-75, and always after 
that was known as the Judge Rogers.  He died at Wheeling January 24th, 1904.  He 
was one of the founders of St. Luke's Episcopal Church at Wheeling, and was Senior
Warden from 1881 until his death.  He also belong to the Masonic fraternity.  
Judge Rogers married Martha Joanna Jackson, who is still living in Wheeling.  
She was born at Cedarville, Ohio, January 9th, 1850.  George Jackson Rogers is
her oldest child.  Elizabeth Johnston Rogers is the wife of James W. Ewing, a 
Wheeling lawyer.  Ladora Kerr Rogers, is the wife of Newton Waltz, who is engaged
in the carriage and automobile manufacturing business at Wheeling. Minerva Townsley
Rogers, the youngest child, died in April, 1882, at the age of seventeen months.  

George Jackson Rogers, was born at Wheeling, March 17, 1876.  He acquired a public
school education at Wheeling, graduated in 1894 from Linsly Institute, and was a
Major of a battalion of cadets while in the institute.  With this preparation he 
entered the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, graduating A.  B. in 1897,
and did his law work at Harvard University, graduating L L.  B.  in 1901.  Since 
then he has been steadily engaged in the practice of law at Wheeling, and has 
confined his attention to civil cases and has almost altogether an office practice.
His offices are in the Wheeling Steel Corporation Building.  Mr. Rogers is a member
of the Ohio County Bar Association, is a vestryman in St. Luke's Episcopal Church
and votes as a Democrat.  At Bellefontaine, Ohio, September 11th, 1912, he married 
Miss Clara E. West, daughter of John E. and Eleanor (Johnson) West, residents of 
Bellefontaine, where her father is one of the leading lawyers of his district.  
Mrs. Rogers is a graduate with the A.  B.  Degree from Wooster University of Ohio.  
Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have four children: Elizabeth Johnston, born July 15th, 1913; 
John West, born December 2nd, 1914; James Patterson, born November 6, 1916; and 
Eleanor Johnson, born December 12,  1920.