Preston County, West Virginia Biography of D. Alton JACKSON ************************************************************************** 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 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 105-106 D. ALTON JACKSON, representing an old and honored business family of Preston County, is a lumber manufac- turer at Rowlesburg and has been effectively identified with the business and civic affairs of that locality for a dozen years. Mr. Jackson was born at Kingwood, October 23, 1881. His grandfather was a Pennsylvanian, early identified with the iron furnace industry in that state, but for many years made his home in Monongalia County, West Virginia. He was twice married, was the father of twenty-four sons and three daughters, and of these only one now survives, Mrs. Anabell Menear of Kingwood. Daniel R. Jackson, father of the Rowlesburg business man, was a child of his father's second marriage, to Miss Fleming. Daniel R. Jackson was born and reared in Monon- galia County, had a practical education, and as a young man entered the Union Army as a private soldier of the fourteenth West Virginia Infantry. He served three years with the Army of the Potomac, and among other engage- ments participated in the battle of Antietam. He was twice wounded, in one engagement having an ear drum bursted and was once shot in the thigh. He suffered from his wounds the rest of his life. While he became a mem- ber of the G. A. R. after the war, he attended only a few of its reunions. His life for half a century was devoted to merchandising at Kingwood, where he began as a gen- eral merchant, later conducted a hardware store, but finally returned to general merchandising. He was a successful business man and interested in progressive development. He was associated with the promotion of the Tunnelton, Kingwood & Fairchance Railway, now the West Virginia Northern, and from 1888 to 1892 was high sheriff of Pres- ton County, succeeding A. Staley Shaw in that office. Soon after leaving the office of sheriff he was appointed deputy United States marshal by Captain Thompson, and also served under Marshal O. D. Elliott. Altogether he spent eight years in that service. While engaged in official duties his mercantile business was carried on by his sons. Daniel R. Jackson by his activities and character was one of the best citizens of Preston County. He died July 6, 1920, at the age of seventy-six. He was a Methodist and affiliated with the Knights of Pythias. His wife was Rachel G. Martin, sister of J. Ami Martin, a native of Preston County, who became well known in business affairs at Mor- gantown. The children of Daniel R. Jackson and wife were: Charles M.; Hoy B.; D. Alton; Mildred M., wife of M. L. Jackson, of Kingwood; Vernon F., of Kingwood; Gertrude Vance, of Morgantown and George D. West Vir- ginia pays a special tribute to George D. Jackson, who was the first native son of the state killed in the World war. He was at the front in France as a lieutenant when he paid the extreme sacrifice, and his body now lies in the ceme- tery at Kingwood. D. Alton Jackson grew up at Kingwood, attended the public schools, and left school to go to work as a clerk in his father's hardware store. He learned the business there by diligent application for seven years. His next service was with the Austen Coal & Coke Company at Ans- ten in Preston County, where for seven years he was man- ager of the company store. Then followed a period as a salesman on the road for the Miller-Clark Grain Company, with headquarters at Fairmont. Mr. Jackson in 1909 lo- cated at Rowlesburg, which he now regards as his perma- nent home. For two years he was on the road as a sales- man for the Rowlesburg Grocery Company. He then en- gaged in the hardware business for a few years, but sold his stock and has since been a lumber manufacturer. The Rowlesburg Lumber Company was organized by Mr. Jackson and W. B. Bowman. They are essentially manu- facturers rather than dealers, and their mills are located on Cheat River, above Rowlesburg. They cut large quan- tities of hardwood lumber and also have a planing mill for finished product. While most of this lumber is sold locally, some of it is exported through jobbers. Mr. Jackson is a republican, although not giving much of his time to politics. He served as deputy sheriff under Sheriff Schaeffer, and has been a member of the Council and mayor of Rowlesburg. Mr. Jackson is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Newburg, the Royal Arch Chapter at Grafton, also the Knights Templar Commandery there and is a member of Scottish Rite Consistory and Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Wheeling. September 21, 1901, at Marietta, Ohio, Mr. Jackson mar- ried Miss Jessie Augusta Spahr. She is a sister of the editor of the Kingwood Argus. Her father, Jesse Spahr, was a tanner by trade and spent all his life in Preston County. Judge Spahr married Rebecca Gibson, and Mrs. Jackson is one of their seven children still surviving.