Biography of William L. Foster - Raleigh Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 643 WILLIAM L. FOSTER. The remarkable industrial develop- ment of Raleigh County has had an actor as well as a witness in the person of William L. Foster, who has con- tributed some of the physical labor as well as business man- agement to the progress of this locality. While his early years brought him familiarity with considerable hardship and privation, he is reckoned one of the most prosperous men of the county, and is undoubtedly one of the best known citizens. Mr. Foster, who is a former sheriff of the county, is presi- dent of the Raleigh Herald Company, and general manager of the Electric Light and Power Company at Beckley. He was born at Sophia on Soap Creek, in the town district of Raleigh County, September 3, 1872, son of Joseph and Rosie (Gray) Foster. His parents were born in Montgomery County, Virginia, and were children when their respective parents moved to West Virginia. They were married in Raleigh County. The paternal grandfather was Hugh Foster and the maternal grandfather was John W. Gray, both farmers. The Fosters were Methodists and the Grays were members of the Dunkard Church. Joseph Foster, now seventy-one years of age and living at Pipestem in Sum- mers County, has spent his active life as a farmer, and is now a republican, though in early years a democrat. He is a Methodist. William L. Foster was the only child of his mother, who died when he was five years of age. The sec- ond wife of Joseph Foster was Martha, daughter of Silas Lemon and sister of Captain James Lemon of Franklin County, Virginia. She died in 1914. William L. Foster acquired such education as the schools of the town district could afford, and as a boy he labored long hours on the farm, in the lumber woods and the saw mills. At that time Raleigh County had no railroad. It was a very easy matter to know every voter in the county and even his horse and dog. No mining development had been done, and the only use of coal in the locality was in a blacksmith shop. William L. Foster as a youth hauled wood over tracts of land underlaid with a six foot vein of coal. He was one of the very first to work in the coal mine at Glen Jean, under superintendent J. J. Robinson. He himself became a mining superintendent. In 1898 he removed to Beckley, and was employed in the store of E. D. George and later in the store of the Raleigh Coal Com- pany. He then engaged in the fuel business for himself. Mr. Foster in 1908 organized the Raleigh Bottling Works, and had active charge for a time. In 1912 he took charge of the Beckley Electric Light & Power Company. His elec- tion to the office of sheriff came in 1916, and during the four years he was in office he resigned the management but still remained vice president and director of the Electric Light Company. During his term of sheriff Mr. Foster probably captured more moonshine stills than all other sheriffs in the state of the county put together. At the close of his official term on January 1, 1931, he resumed his post as general manager of the Beckley Light & Power Company. The Herald Publishing Company, of which he is president, publishes the Herald, the leading republican paper of Raleigh County. On June 20, 1900, Mr. Foster married Lottie Sclater, daughter of Hamilton Sclater. Their three children are Edgar Sclater, Roy Gray and William L., Jr. Under the provisions of the second draft law at the time of the World war Mr. Foster was just a few days too old and his son Edgar just a few days too young to be included within its provision. Mr. Foster is clerk of the First Bap- tist Church of Beckley, is interested in the Sunday School work. Is a Royal Arch Mason, a republican and a member of the Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce. Submitted by Valerie Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************