Randolph County, West Virginia Biography of HARLEY C. KESLING This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. 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. 550-551 Randolph HARLEY C. KESLING. One of the young and energetic officials of Randolph County, Harley C. Kesling, clerk of the County Court of Randolph County, is one of the popular and efficient men handling the county's business. He is likewise a veteran of the World war, in which he saw much active service overseas, and has the added distinction of belonging to one of the old and honored families of what is now West Virginia, and which originated in the Old Domin- ion many years ago. Mr. Kesling was born in Upshur County, West Virginia, April 12, 1895, and is a son of Adam and Etta May (Lan- ham) Kesling, and a grandson of Mineor and Lucinda (Badabaugh) Kesling, the former of whom was born in what is now West Virginia, Adam Kesling was born July 15, 1863, in Upshur County, where he was reared and edu- cated, and established a residence at Elkins, Randolph County, in 1905. In his youth he had learned the trade of carpenter, and this he has followed as a contractor, many of the large buildings and residences of Elkins being ex- amples of his good workmanship and reliability. He is a republican in politics and in fraternal relations is an Odd Fellow, being a past grand master of his lodge. Years ago he and his wife joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which he still belongs. Mrs. Kesling was born in Upshur County, a daughter of Granville Lanham, who was a native of Virginia and a farmer and public official of Upshur County. Mrs. Kesling died May 9, 1921, aged forty-nine years. The only child of his parents, Harley C. Kesling was ten years of age when brought to Elkins, and here he grew to manhood and attended the public schools. After graduating from high school he took a course at the Mountain State Business College, Parkersburg, West Virginia, and his first position was as labor accountant for the firm of Babcock & Wilcox Company at Barberton, Ohio. He remained with that concern for one year and then became bookkeeper for the Elkins Provision and Storage Company of Elkins, a position which he was holding at the time the United States became embroiled in the World war. Mr. Kesling volunteered in the regular United States army and enlisted September 25, 1917. After five weeks of infantry drill at Columbus, Ohio, he was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with Company C, Fifth Field Battalion, and given signal corps training. Sent overseas in February, 1918, he served first in France with the Forty-seventh French Infantry, in reserve, and later was attached to Company K, Thirtieth Infantry, Third Division, as signalman, with the rank of corporal. At the second battle of the Marne Corporal Kes- ling was automatically transferred to the infantry, with which he served from the Marne to the Vesle River, follow- ing the enemy. At the latter point, August 9, 1918, his detachment was relieved by French troops, and he went back to Grandrecourt, where he entered the gas and infantry training school. Later he participated in the St. Mihiel drive until September 12, 1918, when relief came from an American division to hold the lines. His infantry was drawn back and transferred to a point near Verdun, being held in reserve to support the Seventy-seventh Division. He entered upon the engagement of the Argonne Forest Sep- tember 26, 1918, passing through Montfaucon, September 30th, and he continued with the advance until October 5th, on which date Corporal Kesling was severely wounded by a gunshot which tore away his left hand and injured his left elbow and armpit. The seriousness of the wound made it necessary to amputate his arm at the shoulder joint. He was in the hospital thereafter until sent back to the United States in March, 1919, and received his honorable discharge May 9th, of that year. He is a member of the American Legion and served as the first commander of H. W. Daniels Post at Elkins. Upon his return from military service Mr. Kesling became a traveling salesman for the Elkins Provision and Storage Company, a position which he held until 1921. As the nominee of the republican party he was elected clerk of the Randolph County Court in 1920, and January 1, 1921, entered upon the duties of that office for a term of six years. His official record thus far is an excellent one, and he is proving one of the best incumbents of this office that Ran- dolph County has ever known. Mr. Kesling is a member of the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, and his religious connection is with the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1920 he was united in marriage with Miss Flossie Glee Hedrick, of Elkins.