Pleasants County, West Virginia    Biography of John B. WATSON

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Submitted by Valerie Crook, <vfcrook@earthlink.net>, March 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 III, pg. 39

JOHN B. WATSON, M. D. For over thirty years Dr. Watson
was performing his duties as a physician and surgeon, and
most of that time has been a resident of St. Marys, his native
town, in which he grew up and in which he has won the recog-
nition of old time friends and associates, both in a professional
capacity and as a high minded citizen.

Dr. Watson was born at St. Marys May 5, 1862. His
grandfather, John Watson, was born in England in 1807 and
as a young man came to America and settled on a farm near
St. Marys, where he married Rosanna Barker, a native of
Pleasants County. John Watson was a millwright, and he
and his wife spent the rest of their years in and around St.
Marys, where he died in 1894. The son, Andrew J. Watson,
was born in Pleasants County in 1840 and was for a number
of years identified with merchandising at St. Marys. In 1881
he removed to East Liverpool, Ohio, where he lived practically
retired until his death in 1917. He was a democrat, and a
member of the Methodist Protestant Church. His wife was
Miss Charlotte Core, who was born in Harrison County,
West Virginia, in 1838, and died at East Liverpool, Ohio, in
October, 1920. Dr. Watson is the oldest of their large family
of children; Mamie, who lives at East Liverpool, is the widow
of William Good; Joseph C. was an oil well driller and died at
East Liverpool in 1920; Mrs. Flora F. Griffin lives at Toronto,
Ohio, where her husband is foreman in a pottery plant;
William A. is foreman for the Newell Street Railway Company
at East Liverpool; Iva is the wife of William Lawson a farmer,
at East Liverpool; Charles is a motorman with the Newel
Traction Company at East Liverpool; Virdie lives at East
Liverpool, where her husband is employed in one of the pot-
tery plants; and Andrew J. is a motorman for the Newell
Traction Company.

John B. Watson spent his early life in Pleasants County
and attended rural schools up to the age of thirteen and at
that time began earning his own way. He was employed by
his father in shaving staves and also worked in the timber
until he was twenty-one. He came to manhood with a vigor-
ous constitution but only a common school education. He
began the study of medicine under his uncle, Dr. Joseph B.
Watson, at St. Marys, and subsequently entered the College
of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, where he grad-
uated in 1887. After graduating for nine and a half years
Dr. Watson practiced at Lawrence in Upshur County, and
since then has performed his professional work at St. Marys.
His offices are on Second Street. Since 1920 he has been
county health officer and is a member in good standing of
the State and American Medical Associations. Dr. Watson is
a democrat, has filled all the lay offices in the Methodist
Protestant Church, and is affiliated with St. Marys Lodge No.
41, A. P. and A. M., St. Marys Camp No. 20 Knights of the
Maccabees, St. Marys Lodge No. 22, Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and
the Tribe of Ben Hur.

In 1889, at Friendly, West Virginia, Dr. Watson married
Miss Linnie F. Williamson. Two children were born to their
marriage: Sue Mary, who died at St. Marys at the age of
twenty-seven.was the wife of Dr. Jed C. Wilcoxen, a St. Marys
dentist. The only son, Dr. J. Loomis Watson, graduated
Doctor of Dental Surgery fr m the University of Pittsburgh
and was in the Student Army Training Camp at Pittsburgh
during the war. He is now practicing his profession at Pitts-
burgh.

Mrs. Watson is a daughter of Friend C. Williamson, who
was born in Tyler County, West Virginia, in 1842, and lived
there all his life. He had various business interests, and was
an extensive dealer in fruit. The town of Friendly in Tyler
County was named for him, and he was living in that com-
munity when he died in 1911. He was a democrat and was
one of the leading members of the Methodist Protestant
Church in his vicinity. He was also a Mason. Friend C.
Williamson married Adelia Thorne, who was born in Jackson
County, West Virginia, in 1844, and is now living at Friendly.
Mrs. Watson was educated in the public schools of Friendly,
and before her marriage was a milliner and dressmaker.