Pleasants County, West Virginia Biography of Dan B. FLEMING ************************************************************************** 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. 75-76 DAN B. FLEMING was in the ranks of West Virginia's educators for twelve or fifteen years, and resigned as city superintendent of schools at St. Marys to become cashier of the Pleasants County Bank. Mr. Fleming was born at Ravenswood in Jackson County, West Virginia, November 15, 1885. The Flemings are of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and his grandfather, Bartholomew Fleming, settled at Ravenswood in 1820. He was a native of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He spent his active career at Ravenswood, where he established a ferry and was one of the first merchants. His wife was Hannah Warth, who was born near Ravenswood and died there. They were the parents of six children: Oscar, who became a farmer and died in Meigs County, Ohio; George P., a retired wharf master at Ravenswood; Miss Carrie, of Ravenswood; Mrs. Emma Polsene, a widow living at Ravenswood; Henry C.; and Winfield S., a general contractor in Denver, Colorado. Henry 0. Fleming was born at Ravenswood June 30, 1845, and has spent all his life there. For many years he has been the leading photographer in that section of the state. He was for several terms a member of the City Council, is a democrat, a member of the Masonic fraternity and a supporting leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Henry C. Fleming married Lillian Rhodes, who was born at Cottageville, Jackson County, in 1851. She is the mother of three children: The oldest, Jessie, is the wife of Max E. Polsene, a musician at Ravenswood; James is in the internal revenue service at Parkersburg; and Dan B. is the youngest. Dan B. Fleming graduated from the Ravenswood High School in 1904. He subsequently spent a winter term in Marietta College of Ohio, and for two years taught in Ravens- wood, spent one year in the schools of Mason County, and in 1910 graduated from Marshall College, the State Normal at Huntington. Following his graduating Mr. Fleming was teacher of mathematics and science in the high school of St. Marys one year, was then elected and served four years as principal of the high school, and was next promoted to superintendent of city schools and had charge of the admin- istration of the city school system until 1920. In January, 1921, Mr. Fleming was elected cashier of the Pleasants County Bank. This bank was established in 1897, being opened for business on March 17th. The first president was Newton Ogden, who afterward was state treasurer of West Virginia; the first cashier was Mr. Isaac Reynolds. This bank has a capital of seventy-five thousand dollars, surplus and profits of twenty thousand dollars, and deposits approximating five hundred thousand dollars. The bank is under a state charter and has occupied its modern bank home, a structure of stone and brick, since 1901. The present officers of the bank are: 0. C. Barkwill, president; P. S. Tarbox, of Oil City, Pennsylvania, vice president; Dan B. Fleming, cashier; Evert L. Burk, assistant cashier; while the directors are 0. C. Barkwill; C. F. Ruttencutter, sheriff of Pleasants County; Dan H. Reynolds of Parkers- burg; Dr. George H. Gale of Newport, Ohio; E. H. Morgan, C. C. Schauwecker, George Phillips and T. J. Taylor of St. Marys, and Lou Wells of Bens Run, West Virginia. During the last years of his educational work Mr. Fleming was, during the summers of 1919-20, superintendent for the Redpath Chautauqua Bureau, covering Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois and Wisconsin. During war time he was secretary of the Pleasants County Chapter of the Red Cross, made many speeches throughout the county in behalf of all the auxiliary war organizations, and gave much of his time to this patriotic duty. Mr. Fleming is a democrat, is a trustee and steward of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, South, and is affiliated with St. Marys Lodge No. 41, A F. and A. M., Sistersville Chapter No. 27, R. A. M., West Virginia Consistory No. 1 of the Scottish Rite at Wheel- ing, Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg, and St. Marys Tent No. 20, Knights of the Maccabees. Mr. Fleming built his new home on Fourth Street in 1921. He married in St. Marys August 2, 1914, Miss Ruth Sayre, daughter of Edward A. and Ella (Gist) Sayre, residents of St. Marys. Her father was formerly cashier of the Pleas- ants County Bank and one of its organizers. Mrs. Fleming is a graduate of the local high school. They have one daugh- ter, Katherine Eleanor, born May 11, 1915.