Preston County, West Virginia Biography: Fred L. FEASTER ************************************************************************** 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. 387-388 FRED L. FEASTER. An interesting example of true edu- cational leadership is found in the person of the superin- tendent of schools of Grant District in Preston County, Fred L. Feaster. A brief description of what he has done there and elsewhere is in an important sense a valuable contribution to the educational system of the state. Mr. Feaster is a school administrator in his native state, his birth occurring at Maysville in Grant County, August 25, 1885. The Feaster family was established in Grant County by his great-grandfather, who came about 1810 from Rockingham County, Virginia, and acquired con- siderable land in Grant County. Though he lived before the Civil war he always employed free labor in his fields. He died about the time of the war. Among his sons were William Henry, John, Cornelius, Mrs. Mary Raceler, and Margaret, who married Henry Keplinger. William Henry Feaster, grandfather of Superintendent Feaster, spent his active life as a farmer, held the office of squire in the early days, was a Union man at the time of the war and a republican and a member of the Disciples Church. He died at the age of seventy-eight. By his marriage to Mary McDonald he had four sons and a daughter, and by his second wife was the father of four other children. William C. Feaster, whose mother was Mary McDonald, was born near Maysville, April 30, 1855, and secured his education in the old type of subscription school. He be- came a farmer, and continued actively in that vocation until he retired and is now living at his home near Mays- ville. He married Rebecca Painter, daughter of Elias Painter, an old settler of Grant County, who came as a boy to Rockingham County, Virginia. In later life he acquired extensive holdings of land in the county. Elias Painter married Eliza Danna, and they had six children. William C. Feaster and wife had the following children: Albert, a teacher and farmer at Maysville, Grant County; Mrs. Sophia Simpson, whose husband is a farmer near Mays- ville; Samuel O., a representative of the Metropolitan In- surance Company at Fairmont, West Virginia; Fred Lewis; Lulu, wife of Milton Simpson, of Maysville; Harry U., a. roller in a tinplate mill at Marietta, Ohio; Lottie, wife of Ed Haslacker, of Maysville; Orrie, wife of Edward Puf- finbarger, a farmer near Maysville; and Elvin, who is also a farmer near Maysville. Fred L. Feaster grew up on the home farm, and the knowledge he gained of farming and country life has been an important asset to him as a leader in rural education. He attended the public schools, Broaddus Institute, then located at Clarksburg, now at Philippi, and later the State University at Morgantown. When he was a boy there was not a high school in his home county, and to secure advantages beyond the common schools necessitated paying tuition and living expenses, all of which he earned. He began teaching at the age of eighteen, and alternatly was teacher and pupil until he had completed his education and secured a high rating as a teacher. His first term of school was taught in his home county. In order to board at home he walked three and a half miles back and forth, and received $25 a month as wages. After teaching four terms he left the state and went to the far Northwest, stopping in Hubbard and Baker counties, Minnesota, and during the two years he was there he taught a term of nine months' school in each county. On returning to West Virginia Mr. Feaster resumed teaching in Grant County for three years. He was then called into Monon- galia County as teacher of the village school of Blacks- ville. While there he had much to do with arousing public opinion and bringing about the establishment of a district high school, which gave a great impulse to education, in- creasing school attendance and developing the school from a two-room grade to a first class high school, wherein half the teachers of the district have taken college work. In 1918 Mr. Feaster came from Blacksville to Bruceton Mills to take up his work as superintendent of Grant Dis- trict. In this field he has been practically the pioneer in the matter of advanced education. He has had to achieve the establishment of a high school, which was started three weeks after he began his term. Its first en- rollment was nineteen students, and in its third year the enrollment was forty. At Hazelton the first centralized rural school in Preston County has been created, and its work has justly aroused much enthusiasm. It is the result of a consolidation of five older districts, and the school is now- graded, with three teachers in charge. Its children are transported by the district to and from school, and some of the pupils had not previously attended school for sev- eral years. The facilities of this school comprise full eight grades. The schools of Grant District have been graded to har- monize with the state course of study, and as a means of providing school supplies supplementing the funds pro- vided by the state the schools have raised more than $1,800 by holding socials and other entertainments for that pur- pose. The records in the office of the county superintendent of schools show that Grant District has the best school attendance in the county. Club work among the boys and girls has been encouraged. Many have carried out some projects in harmony with instructions issued by the extension department of the State University, and Mr. Feaster has busied himself with keeping the project and the people in touch with the University Extension System. Pig Clubs, Poultry Clubs, Potato Clubs and Corn Clubs have been formed by the boys, and the girls also have clubs in sewing, poultry, potatoes and sheep. The district has an annual camp, where members of these clubs meet to consider and develop the "Four-eight" [sic] idea. "Four- eight" [sic] stands for hand, head, heart and health develop- ment. This camp is continued for a week. The prize win- ners in the different projects are sent to the state camp, usually held at the university, and there compete for the degree or honor of being an all star in the project idea. Mr. Feaster has spent eighteen years in different dis- tricts and in different types of school work. He un- doubtedly has the fundamental qualities of a real edu- cator, being an inspiring leader rather than a routine in- structor. He is broadminded, keeps his mind open to new ideas and is ready to support anything that will make the schools more efficient in the training of men and women. A district "round table" provides the teachers with an opportunity to exchange views, and the twenty-three teach- ers of Grant District are regularly associated to their benefit in these table meetings. Mr. Feaster was married while teaching in Minnesota, at Park Rapids, July 30, 1909. His wife was Bessie E. Mc- Indoe. Mrs. Feaster was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Lauer) McIndoe. Her father was born in Pennsylvania and wi a Baptist minister. Mrs. Feaster was one of a family of four daughters and two sons, and during her girlhood she lived in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, he father having pastorates in all these states. She finished her education in the Shepherd College State Normal and Broaddus Institute at Clarksburg, and for several years before her marriage was a grade teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Feaster have four children: Irene, Nellie, Marguerite and Lois. The family are Baptists and Mr. Feaster has been active in church and Sunday school work, serving as super- intendent or class teacher in the Sunday school.