Pleasants County, West Virginia, Biography of T. J. Bailey ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal represen- ative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ T. J. BAILEY T. J. Bailey is one of the well-to-do and thrifty farmers of Pleasants county. His birth took place March 11, 1840, his parents being John B. and Maria (Hill) Bailey. The father was born in what was then Tyler county, January 22, 1807, son of James and Elsie Bailey, both natives of old Virginia. The mother was born in Washington county, Ohio, daughter of John Hill, a Pennsylvanian, of Irish descent, who came to Ohio and settled on the Muskingham when it was all a wilderness. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812. The grandfather of our subject on the paternal side served a great many years as justice of the peace, when Tyler and Pleasants counties were both in one, and called by the former name. This postoffice is one of the oldest in the state, and was founded by our subject's grandfather, he being one of the very first settlers of this county. For a number of years he kept a road house or tavern at this place which was a way station for the mails when they were being carried over the old stage line. Our subject is the only living representative of the pioneer company now residing at Grape Island. He was born and reared on the farm where he now lives, and attended the rough schools of those days. In 1867 he was married to Eliza, daughter of Ralph and Rachel Gorrell. The mother was of German descent. The union resulted in the birth of one child, Oella Virginia. The wife and daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He belongs to the I.O.O.F. at St. Marys, No. 22, and is a nobel grand at the present time. He has served as justice of the peace of Union District, and as postmaster under President Arthur, being re-appointed by President Cleveland, serving in all four years and a half. He owns 160 acres of good land, the most of which is of the old Bailey homestead, and of this he has cleared about eighty-five acres himself. The date of his commission as postmaster under Cleveland was October 14, 1886, and served until his successor was appointed by Harrison, when he resigned. He is universally recognized as one of the prominent citizens of the county, and the family is very generally respected. From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY," Vol. I; Brant & Fuller, 1891. (Linda Cunningham Fluharty)