Preston County, West Virginia Biography of Charles SPINDLER This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the sketch subject. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 265-266 Preston County CHARLES SPINDLER. Before answering the summons of death on March 17, 1922, Charles Spindler had accumu- lated those achievements that mark for lasting honor, an individual life. He was a former sheriff of Preston Comity, and had spent thirty years as a contractor both in general building and in road construction and prob- ably had as much substantial work to his credit in Preston County as any other man in his line. The Spindler family has been in Preston County since prior to the Civil war. His grandfather, Jonathan Spindler brought his family to the United States from one of the German states about 1828, first locating in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where Jonathan Spindler died. He and his wife were buried near Turkeyfoot. He was a farmer, and all his sons were farmers or mechanics. These sons— there were no daughters—were three in number, John, Jona- than and Andrew. Andrew Spindler was a volunteer soldier at the time of the Civil war, but hostilities closed before he got out of training camp. He learned the carpenter's trade, made it his life work, though he also owned a farm and reared his family in the country. On coming to West Virginia he established his home near Clifton Mills in Grant District of Preston County. He was a contractor and builder in this locality. He died in 1908, surviving his wife two years. They were buried at St. Peter's in Grant District. Andrew Spindler was one of the respected men of his locality, though he never sought public honors, voted as a republican and worshipped as a Lutheran. He was a hearty and rugged man, about medium height, and had a fine sense of duty. His wife was Nancy J. Haines, of a family that came to Preston County prior to the Spindlers. She was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Her children were: Elizabeth, widow of Robert Maust, residing near Clifton Mills; William, a farmer and veterinarian in Grant Dis- trict, and a member of the County Court; Loretta, who died at Fairchance, Pennsylvania, wife of Steward Barclay; Isabel, who became the wife of Edward Smith, of Union- town, West Virginia; James G., of Fayetteville, Pennsyl- vania; Samuel of Burkettstown, Pennsylvania; Charles; and Bruce, an undertaker and furniture dealer in King- wood. Charles Spindler was born April 29, 1871, at his father's home in Grant District. He lived with his parents until he passed his twenty-first birthday. He attained a com- mon school education and attended two summer normals in Grant District. For four years he was an apprentice at the carpenter's trade, followed it as a journeyman, and gradually took on an ever increasing scope of activities as a contractor. For many years his work was in building houses and barns in Grant District exclusively. From there he expanded his business over a larger territory, and to include all classes of building and construction work, in- cluding road making. Mr. Spindler perfected an organization for handling per- haps the most important class of public improvement to- day, road building. Of hard surface road in Preston County he constructed some fifteen miles. In 1921 he completed three and a half miles of the Corinth and Albright roads. The building of durable and permanent roads was a subject to which Mr. Spindler devoted a great deal of time and study, and he appreciated some of the limitations imposed upon the contractors. While the type of hard surface roads recently constructed is a wonderful improvement over the old dirt road, it will not stand up, in the opinion of Mr. Spindler, under the heavy traffic of many years, since the construction work specified is too light. Ordinarily five and seven inches of thickness has been the standing for road building over the state, and while experience shows it to be insufficient, county courts have been slow in conceding their mistake and have failed to adopt heavier type, involving greater initial expense, but undoubtedly the better for permanent wear. Insufficient drainage is another feature of road building that Mr. Spindler discovered through experience, but the matter of drainage has been well taken care of in his territory, and undoubtedly an ideal system of drainage and con- struction will in time be the standard. One good example of Mr. Spindler's activities in house building is his Kingwood home, a ten-room brick of two stories, which with its modern features, stands as one of the finest residences in the county seat. Earlier in his career he built his home in Bruceton and another at Terra Alta. One high class artistic home which he constructed is the Lincoln home at Kingwood. He erected four of the Hopemont sanitarium buildings, the Masontown school building and the bank building at that place, perhaps the equal or better than any other banking house in the county. He was also contractor for the Methodist Church and par- sonage at Terra Alta. The best example of his concrete construction is the three-story Herring business building at Kingwood. Along with contracting Mr. Spindler found other inter- ests to engage his time and attention. The people of Pres- ton County nominated him for sheriff in 1908. He was the successful one among five candidates for the republican nomination. He was elected, defeating William M. Schaeffer, and served the four year term allowed by law. He was a village and peace officer, though he had per- haps only the normal routine of duties. Three murders were committed in the county during that time, and he used his official authority to break up some of the illicit traffic in liquor. Mr. Spindler was twice elected mayor of Terra Alta, and served one term in the same office for Kingwood. At Kingwood his administration was marked by an era of street improvement. Mr. Spindler was a member of West Virginia Consistory of Scottish Rite Masonry at Wheeling, and was also affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and Woodmen of the World. He was reared a Luth- eran but for a number of years was a member of the Methodist Church. In Preston County April 11, 1899, Mr. Spindler married Miss Nettie Matheny, daughter of W. J. Matheny and Fanny (Bush) Matheny. Mrs. Spindler was born in Lewis County, West Virginia, in 1876, the oldest of eight children, the others being Effie; Jessie, a trained nurse who died unmarried; Mrs. Hattie Lyons; Howe; Ray; Miss Willa and Miss Myrtle. Except Mrs. Spindler all these children now live in Southern California, around Los Angeles. Surviving the honored husband and father are Mrs. Spindler and two children: Charles Hobart was associated with his father in the contracting business. He married Miss Josephine Brown. Gerald Ralph is a student in the University of Morgantown. The first wife of Mr. Spindler was Luanna Wirsing. By this marriage he had a son, William W., who after reaching manhood became associated with his father in business, and left civilian life to enlist at the beginning of the World war. He was in the field artillery and died at Camp Meade of the influenza and was buried with the honors of a soldier at Kingwood.