Preston County, West Virginia Biography: Abisha Gordon DE FOE, M. D. ************************************************************************** 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 2000 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 384-385 ABISHA GORDON DE FOE, M. D. A capable physician and surgeon, Doctor De Foe has done most of his work at Bruceton Mills, and since graduating in medicine has been a member of the medical fraternity of Preston County. He is a native of West Virginia, born in Wayne County January 10, 1873. His father, William A. De Foe, was born in the same county in 1843, son of a farmer there. At the beginning of the Civil war he entered the Union Army in Captain Damron's Independent Rifles. Most of his duty as a soldier was done in the southern part of his own state, and he participated in a number of skirmishes. He was in service as a private, and received his discharge at Catlettsburg, Kentucky. Soon after the war he was elected and served four years as assessor of Wayne County. Following this his time and energies were devoted to his farm in the Shoals region of the county, and he died in 1902. He was a stanch republican, and a Methodist. His wife, Sarah Maynard, was born in Wayne County, several years her husband's junior, daughter of Lewis and Cath- erine (Fluty) Maynard. Lewis Maynard was born in Wayne County, waa a Civil war veteran, and a farmer. His five sons and five daughters were named Charles, Mrs. De Foe, Frank, Henderson, Larkin, James, Mrs. Millie Workman, Mrs. Bettie Workman, Delphia Hagar and Mrs. Polly Perry. William A. De Foe by his marriage to Sarah Maynard had the following children: Lewis, of Texas; William A., Jr., who died leaving a family; Lucretia, wife of John Nixon, of Wayne County; Belle, wife of Charles Irby, of Wayne County; Dr. A. G.; Samuel P., a farmer in Wayne County, who married Sallie Irby; Frank, of Portsmouth, Ohio; and John P., who married Agnes Irby and left two children at his death in Wayne County. The second wife of William A. De Foe was Sallie Sullivan, and a daughter by that marriage is Effie, Mrs. Doliver Bailey of Wayne County. The third wife of William A. De Foe was Mrs. Jane Maynard. William A. De Foe was one of a family of three children, his two sisters being Mrs. Mary Adkins and Mrs. Sallie Maynard. Abisha Gordon De Foe had a farm environment during his boyhood and early manhood, and after finishing a course in Marshall College, the State Normal School at Hunting- ton, he determined to study medicine. While securing his education he taught school, and that proved an important aid financially and otherwise in preparing himself for his professional career. He taught twelve terms altogether. His last teaching was done at Matewan, Mingo County, recently famous as the seat of war in the mining districts. Doctor De Foe graduated from the Louisville Hospital Medical College July 1, 1908. The first year he practiced at Shoals, and then moved east to Brandonville, where he spent another year, and has since had his home and offices at Bruceton Mills. In addition to the heavy burdens of a large private practice he has served as health officer of the town, is one of the councilmen and has been secretary of the Board of Education. He was one of the promoters and is a director of the Bruceton Lighting Company. Dr. De Foe is district committeeman of the republican party, and began supporting the republican ticket in national affairs when he voted for Major McKinley in 1896. He became a progressive supporter of Colonel Roosevelt in 1912, but voted for Mr. Harding in 1920. Doctor De Foe is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge, has taken the Sub- ordinate and Encampment degrees of Odd Fellowship, is a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, and has repre- sented the latter two orders in the Grand Lodge. He was reared a Methodist. At Brandonville June 1, 1911, Doctor De Foe married Miss Callie Forquer, daughter of Dayton M. and Sadie (Smith) Forquer, natives of Preston County, where they have long been known as substantial farming people, the children in the Forquer family were: Max Welton; Mrs. De Foe, who was born in 1883; Kay, of Addison, Penn- sylvania; Fred, of Morgantown, West Virginia; and Miss Lucille, a teacher, now principal of the grade school at Bruceton. Doctor De Foe was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps just two days before the sign- ing of the armistice. Prior to that he had helped the re- cruited men prepare their questionnaires and was active in the Red Cross, Mrs. De Foe being secretary of the local branch. Doctor De Foe was a prominent participant in the famous local tragedy that attracted wide attention in the press of the country. July 20, 1921, Bruceton Mills was the scene of an attempted bank robbery. The attempt was frus- trated, and while the trial has not been held at the date of this writing, the evidence points strongly to the fact that bank robbery was planned, since one of the party had a supply of nitroglycerin, fuse and caps. There were four men, and they entered a home just before coming to Bruceton, helping themselves to food and stealing a pistol. They then separated, two of them remaining behind while the other two sauntered into the village. The telephone had given warning of their approach and citizens had collected to meet them. Doctor De Foe awaited them at the post office. When two of the men approached within twenty feet he stepped out with his Winchester repeating shot gun and quietly told them he would have to detain them for a few minutes until they could be searched. One of the men, John Moore, shoved his hand under the bib of his overalls and drew out a Colts pistol and, dodging behind his companion, Madden, began firing. Doctor De Foe had hesitated, with natural desire not to be the aggres- sor, but the opening fire caused him in self-defense to use his gun, and the first shot hit the bandit fairly in the left eye and dropped him to the ground. He fired again at the same man, but Madden received the load of No. 4 shot across the small of the back, the charge cutting a gash through the muscles on both sides of the spine. The first man kept trying to raise himself to a sittting [sic] posi- tion for the purpose of resuming hostilities, but finally rolled over and died two hours later. Madden and the other bandits were taken to jail at Kingwood, whence they all escaped soon afterward, but Madden and Shaffer were recaptured and are now awaiting trial.