Preston County, West Virginia Biography of Joshua WHITEHAIR ************************************************************************** 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, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 103-104 JOSHUA WHITEHAIR has long been known as a man of great energy, sound business ability and civic spirit, en- gaged in farming and the livestock business near Terra Alta, and member of one of the old and substantial fami- lies of Preston County. He was born in that community, February 2, 1856. His grandfather, George Whitehair, was a native of Germany and came from Luxemburg in company with some relatives, the Nine family, which also became well represented in Preston County. George Whitehair married Polly Mc- Gruder, a native of Ireland. Their children were: John, a shoemaker, who died at Rowlesburg; Christopher, who though a civilian was taken prisoner by the Federal troops and died while at Camp Chase, Columbus Ohio; George, who spent his life on a farm near Eglon in Preston County; Isaac, who lived on a farm in Salt Lick; Josias, who moved to Delaware County, Indiana, where he spent the rest of his life; Fannie, who married Henry Broman and moved to Ohio; Margaret and Polly, who left the old home- stead as young women and did not afterward keep in touch with the family. The second wife of George Whitehair was Margaret Strawser, and the three children of this union were: Fyedelany, who lived for a time in Indiana and then settled in Washington State; Mary, who married Minor Whitehair in Indiana and died in Delaware County; and Susann, who died at Salt Lick as Mrs. Henry Messenger. Daniel Whitehair, another son of George Whitehair, was born on Salt Lick, near Ambersburg, more than a hundred years ago, and lived in that community as a farmer until shortly after the Civil war, when he moved to the Terra Alta locality, establishing his home about two miles north- west of the little city, on the mountaintop. Daniel White- hair never had any educational advantages, and with this handicap he acquired a competency as a farmer, lived in- dustriously and rather uneventfully, never concerned him- self with church or politics, merely voting as a democrat. His wife was Sarah Messenger, daughter of Edmund and Eliza (Mason) Messenger. The Messengers came from Maine to Preston County in pioneer times. The children of Daniel Whitehair and wife were: Charlotte, who mar- ried Francis Nine near Sunnyside, Maryland; Edmund, of Philippi, West Virginia; Emily E., who became the wife of Samuel Freeland and died in Preston County; Elijah, a farmer at the old homestead; Joshua; Charles, of Davis, West Virginia; Spencer, a farmer near Terra Alta; Grant, a farmer near Albright; George, a farmer in Delaware County, Indiana; Nancy, wife of Gilbert Metheny, of Terra Alta; Malinda Jane, who died at Terra Alta, wife of Wal- ter Guthrie; Amanda, Mrs. Lawrence Wright, of Delaware County; and Louisa, who died as the wife of Chris Nordick. Joshua Whitehair attended the first free schools estab- lished on Salt Lick, and was about ten years of age when his parents moved to the Terra Alta community. Here he continued to attend country schools, and at the same time gained an experience of the hard work of the farm, clear- ing off the timber, making staves and crossties and now and then cutting a few sawlogs. He was an aid to his parents until past his majority, and after his marriage he settled on a portion of the homestead, living there until 1894, when he moved to his present place, which had been settled by members of the Messenger family. Here for nearly thirty years Mr. Whitehair has been vigorous in the prosecution of his farming enterprise, but is most widely known as a buyer and shipper of livestock. As a young man for several years he butchered lambs for a hotel at Terra Alta. Later he bought stock for D. B. Zimmerman of Somerset County, Pennsylvania for ten years, was then local buyer for the firm of Eden & Company of Baltimore, and later he and his sons used their own capital for the business and for a number of years have been shippers of stock to the Baltimore and Pittsburgh markets. Any worthy movement or interest of the community Mr. Whitehair regards as his own. He has been trustee of the local schools, has served as road boss, votes for the best man in local politics, and in national affairs is a democrat. Mr. Whitehair has reared a fine family of children and has a number of grandchildren. April 25, 1878, he mar- ried Phoebe Ellen Garner, daughter of William R. and Nancy (Ridenour) Garner. The Garner children were: Eva, deceased wife of Thomas B. Jackson; Julia A., who married William Taylor; Phoebe Ellen; Mary who married David Everly; John A., Andrew, William and Wesley Garner. The oldest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Whitehair is William, living at Terra Alta, and by his marriage to Isa Kelley is the father of a son, Hugh Kelley. John White- hair, associated with his father in the stock business, is unmarried. Enzer, a prominent stock dealer near Terra Alta, married Annie Dumire, and their children are Roy, Grace, Blanche and Earl. Bruce is a farmer at Kalispell, Montana. Mintie is the wife of Ora Teets, of Cranesville, and they have a son, Bruce. F. Arch, associated with his father in the stock business, is unmarried. Nancy married Walter Childs, of Kingwood, and they have a son, Willis. T. Rowland, the youngest, now in the stock business at home, finished his education at Ashland College, Ashland, Ohio, and for six years was a teacher in the public schools. The son Bruce Whitehair left home as a young man and went to Montana, where he was in the railway mail service until he volunteered and in 1918 went to France and was assigned to duty in the army mail service at Paris. He resumed his work with the postal department after his return to the United States, and then bought a farm near Kalispell, Montana. T. Rowland Whitehair is also an ex-service man, enter- ing the army in April, 1918, and training at Camp Meade as a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-first Company. He was soon discharged, in May, 1918, and then resumed work as a teacher, but since 1919 has been in the stock business.