Taylor County, West Virginia Biographies: O. Jay FLEMING ************************************************************************** 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 Linda Katalenich , March 2000 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume II, Pg. 409-410 O. JAY FLEMING, one of the every-day busy, influential factors in the life and affairs of Taylor County is O. Jay Fleming, vice president and cashier of the First National Bank of Grafton and member of one of the oldest families in the county. Business and the professions have enlisted the services of several of the latter generation of this family, though in pioneer times their interests were almost altogether agrarian. The pioneer of the family in this part of West Virginia was James Fleming, a native of Eastern Virginia. He took up a large area of land in Taylor County, and in honor of his activities and character the village of Flemington was named. His three sons were Patrick, Minor S. and Johnson C., and there were also six daughters in his family. Minor S. Fleming was born in the vicinity of Flemington, and devoted his years to the tasks of farming. He married Matilda Bartlett, and both are buried at Simpson. They had one son, James B., and the following daughters: Elizabeth, who married James W. Bartlett; Olivett, who married Lewis Windle, a brother of Mrs. James B. Fleming; Mary who married George Dawson; Florence, who became the wife of George Utterback; and Permelia, who was married to Luther Bartlett. The parents of the Grafton banker are James B. and Mary Elizabeth (Windle) Fleming, now in venerable years and residents at Trapp Springs, Taylor County. The former was born at the Village of Flemington, January 29, 1842, and the latter at Philadelphia January 23, 1845. James B. Fleming at the age of nineteen volunteered in company F of the Third West Virginia Infantry, and was once wounded and captured and held in a Confederate prison. He was under the command of General Franz Sigel, saw service in West Virginia and old Virginia, and was in some of the hard battles toward the end of the war. He was discharged after the surrender of Lee, and in subsequent years took an active interest in the Grand Army of the Republic. He is a staunch republican. His active career has been devoted to farming, his prosperity being derived chiefly from raising and handling such livestock as cattle and sheep. He and his wife, who are members of the Baptist Churdh, had the following children: Curtis D., of Clarksburg; Minerva, wife of John Cook, of Simpson; O. Jay; Sigel, of Cumberland, Maryland; Minor S. a merchant at Weston; and Leotis, wife of I. T. Johnson, of Level, West Virginia. O. Jay Fleming was born November 23, 1869, in the old home community on Gabes Fork between Flemington and Simpson. Between the age of four and ten he lived with his mother's parents near Buckhannon, and while there he first attended a rural school. After returning home he was a pupil in the private school of Professor Colgrove, and at the age of sixteen began teaching, his first school being near Stone House in the Knottsville District. It was his ambition to complete a college and university education, but lack of funds made it necessary for him to be satisfied with something less. For some years he taught in the summer term, attended school in the winter, and also did a season a farm work. In 1892 he graduated in the normal course at Fairmont, and he subsequently taught one term at West Grafton and two terms in the Fetterman School. He resigned in the middle of the second term to go into business as bookkeeper and cashier for Ruhl & Company of Grafton. In 1898 he became office man at Mabie for the McClure- Mabie Lumber Company. In 1899, a little more than a year later, he resigned to become cashier of the Tucker County Bank. This institution was then owned by the First National Bank of Grafton, but when the controlling interest was purchased by the Davis interests it was moved to Elkins, Mr. Fleming going along. While at Elkins he was made treasurer of the Davis Trust Company, the primary purpose of which organization was to handle the estates of Senators Davis and Elkins. In August, 1902, Mr. Fleming returned to Grafton and became assistant cashier of the First National Bank. Two years later he was made cashier, and since 1919 has also had the duties of vice president. The Grafton Bank, chartered as a state institution in 1873, with $50,000 capital, was succeeded by the First National Bank in 1880, with capital of $85,000, this being subsequently increased to $100,000. Besides paying dividends to the aggregate of almost $500,000, the bank's accumulated surplus is over $330,000. Some of the most prosperous chapters of the bank's history have been written since Mr. Fleming became cashier. Twenty years ago the deposits were about $500,000, total resources about $800,000, and the semiannual dividend four percent. During the past year or so the bank has paid a semi-annual dividend of ten percent, has deposits averaging over $2,300,000, and total resources of about $3,000,000. The bank has been housed in its present building since 1896, and the business long since outgrew such accommodations. Plans have been completed for the reconstruction of the entire property, including the Parsons Building, also owned by the bank. When remodeled the bank will have a lobby seventy-six feet long, with triple vaults, including a 15-ton circular door safe, a separate cash vault, triple storage vaults, a modern equipped book vault, making in all seven vaults. The vaults will be electrically lined with the delicately constructed electrical appliances of the Bankers Electrical Association, a company that has electrified the vaults of the United States Treasury and several of the Federal Reserve Banks. Mr. Fleming is a leader in the civic and social as well as the financial life of his home city. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, was one of the organizers of the Rotary Club, and for fifteen years was a member of the Grafton Board of Education, during which period the new high school was planned and built. He is a republican and served with the rank of colonel on the staff of Governor Hatfield. In Masonry he is past officer of the Lodge, Chapter and Commandery, is grand- swordbearer of the Grand Commandery of West Virginia, is a representative of the Grand Commandery of New Hampshire in West Virginia, and in the Scottish Rite has achieved the honor and dignity of a Thirty-second Knight Commander of the Court of Honor. In December, 1920, he was made Illustrious Potentate of Osiris Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Wheeling, and is a charter member and director of West Virginia Educational Association of Scottish Rite Masonry. He is also affiliated with the Order of Elks and Moose. In Taylor County June 16, 1897, he married Miss Florence Kimmel, who was born in Grafton, daughter of S. P. and Henrietta (Carrington) Kimmel. Mr. and Mrs. Fleming have three talented children. Carrie Kathryn graduated at the age of sixteen from the Grafton High School, and in 1920 received her A.B. degree from West Virginia University and is a Phi Beta Kappa honor student. Florence Rosalyn graduated from high school at seventeen and is now a sophomore in the University. Harry Carrington, the only son, was born in 1910, and is in grammar school.