Biography of Judge James H. Miller - Summers Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 608 JUDGE JAMES H. MILLER has given forty years of his life to the law and the public service of Summers County. Judge Miller is author of the history of Summers County, written in 1907, a book that will stand for all time as an invaluable source of local history in that section of the state. His dedication of the history is indicative of his fine loyalty to the county: "This book is dedicated to the people of Summers County, who have, for thirty years, so loyally shown their faith in a penniless youth of their own soil, and to whom he is indebted for whatever of success he has attained in their midst." His pioneer ancestor in America was Patrick Miller, who was of Scotch-Irish descent and was born on the Atlantic Ocean while his parents were coming to America. The family were pioneers at Staunton, Virginia. John Miller, son of Patrick Miller, was born in Bath County, Virginia, October 13, 1772, and on account of some family differences he left home and about 1800 moved with his family to Greenbrier County. He was a carpenter by trade, and on his land he erected one of the best homes of that time. He died at the age of seventy-four. On January 27, 1803, he married Jean Hodge, who was born in Highland County, Virginia, February 26, 1780. Their youngest son was William Erskine Miller, who was born at the old homestead August 18, 1825, and died Feb- ruary 3, 1901. He spent the greater part of his life in Greenbrier County, but for several years before his death lived at Foss. He was held in high esteem in Summers County, being regarded as a most unselfish character, a consecrated Christian, honored for his service as a Con- federate soldier, and in his daily life he touched and in- fluenced for good a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He was never a candidate for any office. William E. Miller married Sarah Barbara McNeer, of Monroe County. They were married February 8, 1849, and were the parents of four children: Charles Lewis, who was born in 1852, and was a school teacher, a telegraph operator and agent for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, subse- quently became a farmer and merchant, and built the first silo in Summers County. The second child of William E. Miller is Judge James H. The third, Anderson E., born in 1859, has been a wholesale merchant, banker and a busi- ness man. The fourth child was Miss Mary Benson Miller. James Henry Miller passed his early life on a farm, and as a boy attended a noted place of learning known as the old Gum Schoolhouse on Lick Creek. He was a student under James Huston Miller at Green Sulphur Springs in 1876, and in 1879 he graduated at the Concord Normal, winning the prize for the best oration and the best essay. Judge Miller taught school thirty months, four terms of that time at Hinton. While working as a clerk to pay his ex- penses he studied law with William W. Adams at Hinton, took a law course at the University of Virginia, and was admitted to practice in 1881. He was associated with Elbert Fowler until the latter's death, and then with his former preceptor, W. W. Adams, until the death of Mr. Adams in 1894. During the following ten years the firm was Miller & Reed. Judge Miller served as superintendent of schools from 1882 to 1884. In 1884 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Summers County, and held that office for sixteen con- secutive years, finally declining to be a candidate for re- election. In 1900 he was on the democratic state ticket as nominee for state auditor. In 1904 he received the nomination without opposition for judge of the Circuit Court of the Ninth West Virginia Circuit, comprising Summers, Raleigh and Wyoming counties, and was elected by about twelve hundred majority in a republican district. Judge Miller served sixteen years on the bench, and in 1920 he was again the democratic nominee for state auditor. During his long time on the bench it is said that only rarely was a decision of his reversed by higher courts. Until his election as judge he was active in the demo- cratic party as a delegate to every state convention and sen- atorial and congressional conventions. He was a delegate to the Chicago convention of 1896 when William J. Bryan was first nominated, though he was not an original Bryan man. He is chairman of the State Democratic Committee, and chairman for some twenty years of the Third Con- gressional District. Judge Miller has been prominent in business affairs in Summers County. He has served as president of the Green- brier Springs Company, director of the National Bank of Summers from its organization, and president of the Hin- ton Hardware Company. February 1, 1882, he married Jane Tompkins Miller, daughter of James H. Miller, Jr., of Gauley Bridge. They are the parents of four children: James H., Jr.; Grace Chap- man, now the wife of S. S. Rose, a Hinton druggist; Jean and Daisy Corinne, both at home. The son, James H. Miller, Jr., is now associated with his father in law practice. He graduated in law from Washington and Lee University in 1915, and he then served a year by appointment as circuit clerk of Summers County. For two years he was in the internal revenue service under Sam Hayes, and on July 13, 1918, joined the army in the motor truck service, being trained at Richmond, Virginia. 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