Preston County WV Archives Biographies.....Tanner, James November 26, 1872 - November 13, 1944 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Connie Burkett MarionWVusgwArch@gmail.com January 13, 2011, 3:09 am Source: A History of Preston County West Virginia, The Journal Publishing Company, Kingwood W.Va. 1914 Author: by J. R. Cole Pages 667-668, James Tanner (1872-1944) JAMES TANNER. Among the successful farmers and lumbermen of Preston county is James Tanner of Terra Alta. He was the son of Nathan and Alcinda Tanner. He was born November 26, 1872, at Salt Lick, and has spent his whole life in Preston county. Raised on a farm, and having now two large ones, the products of his own savings, his success as an agriculturist has become an established fact. Mr. Tanner is a self-made man. After a few months' schooling for a few winters only, he began the lumber business in a small way. His father had been a manufacturer of staves to some extent, and this may have been a forerunner of his own business begun by him on August 22, 1892, and which now amounts to a capacity for manufacturing 200,000 feet of lumber per month. The first mill was only a twenty horsepower affair and was operated by himself and his brother, William, for a couple of years. In 1904 he moved from Salt Lick to Howesville, and remained there four years, carrying on the business somewhat more extensively. In 1906 he bought the valuable farm on which he now lives, and since that time, in connection with the lumber industry, has been farming somewhat extensively, dealing in blooded stock wholly. He now owns another large farm near Terra Alta, both places being admirably adapted for grazing purposes. His brother, Walter, operated the home farm until 1898, when Mr. Tanner moved on the place, and where he has since resided. In 1908, Mr. Tanner operated a mill at Pleasantdale, then built and operated a more extensive mill at Trowbridge, where a very large and successful industry was carried on to the present time. He also owns and operates plants at Possum Hollow, where he has two mills also which have been in successful operation since 1912. At the present time the Trowbridge interests are being moved to Rodamer, where a more extensive outfit than any yet heretofore is being erected. In this new venture arrangements are being made for the manufacture of 200,000 feet of lumber monthly. Mr. Tanner has been an extensive dealer also in poles. For seven years past he has bought and shipped poles to markets east and west to the extent of 100,000 feet a month. He is also identified with two extensive oil wells in Ohio which are very valuable property. As a farmer, lumberman and oil man, Mr. Tanner has been very successful in life. Mr. Tanner was married to Nancy Everly on the 9th day of March, 1898. She is the daughter of David and Mary Everly of Preston county. Their children are: Hazel, born September 1, 1900; Lester, born November 16, 1903; Charlie, born January 16, 1905; Clifton, born November 14, 1910; Milton, born March 5, 1912. The family worship in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Additional Comments: - - - - - 1900 Census, Preston County WV Union District, ED:110, Sheet 1B Lines 69-71, Enum-Dwelling #14, Enum-Family #14 TANNER, Jas. (head) Nov-1871, 28, M-2yrs, WV-WV-WV, Mfrg Lumber ", Nancy (wife) Mar-1877, 23, M-2yrs, 0-children, WV-WV-WV CRAMER, Wm L (boarder) Nov-1879, 20, Single, WV-WV-WV, Teamster 1910 Census, Preston County WV Portland District, ED:106, Sheet 5A Lines 1-6, Enum-Dwelling #1, Enum-Family #1 TANNER, James (head) 38, m1-12yrs, WV-WV-WV, Lumber Man. ", Nancy (wife)33, 4-children/4-living, WV-WV-WV children: Hazel 9, Lester 7, Charles 5, Clifton 6/12 1920 Census, Hardy County, WV Moorefield District, Town of Moorefield, ED:58, Sheet 5A Lines 22-30, Franklin Street, Enum-Family #115 TANNER, James (head) 47, m, WV-WV-WV, Lumber, Dealer ", Nancy (wife) 42, M, WV-WV-WV children: Hazel 19, Lester 17, Charles 14, Clifton 10, Milton 8, Lucile 3, Wilda 12/12 1930 Census, Hardy County, WV Moorefield District, Moorefield Town, ED:5, Sheet 5A Lines 10-19, Winchester Avenue, Enum-Dw #94, Enum-Fam #106 TANNER, James (head) 57, M-at-age-25, WV-WV-WV, Dealer, Lumber ", Nancy (whife) 54, M-at-age-21, WV-WV-WV ", Lester (son) 27, WV-WV-WV, Sawyer, Saw Mill ", Chas N (son) 25, WV-WV-WV, Laborer, Saw Mill ", Clifton (son) 20, WV-WV-WV, Sawyer, Vanear Plant ", B. Milton (son) 18, WV-WV-WV, Pin Setter, Bowling Alley ", Lucile (dau) 14, WV-WV-WV ", Wilda (dau) 10, WV-WV-WV ", James D (son) 7, WV-WV-WV EVERLY, Mary (Mother-IL) 78, Wd, WV-WV-WV - - - - - Death Certificate, Preston County WV, #14014 Full-name: James Doliver Tanner Date-of-birth: 26-Nov-1861 in Salt Lick WVa (NOTE: The birth year on death certificate differs from the bio, but the dc also has age 72y-11m-17d and 1861 + 73 = 1934 and since he died in 1944, at age 73 the birth year would not be 1861) Date-of-death: 13-Nov-1944 in Kingwood, Preston County WV Husband-of: Nancy Tanner Father: Nathan Tanner Place-of-burial: Kingwood Cemetery Death Certificate, Preston County WV, #14450 Full-name: Nancy Ellen Tanner Date-of-birth: 7-Mar-1876 in Preston County WV Date-of-death: 2-Nov-1953 in Kingwood, Preston County WV Marital-status: Widowed Father: David Everly Mother: Mary Garner Place-of-burial: Kingwood Cemetery File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/preston/bios/tanner136nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/wvfiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb