Taylor County, West Virginia Biography of ENOCH S. GIBSON This biography 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 II, pg. 561 Taylor ENOCH S. GIBSON, whose home since 1912 has been in the vicinity of Webster in the Court House district of Taylor County, is a native of West Virginia, comes of an old and sub- stantial family, and has given the sturdy efforts of his man- hood to the tasks and responsibilities of farming and citizenship. His grandfather was Smith Gibson, who came from old Virginia in company with his mother and his brother Enoch, the latter locating near Buckhannon. Smith Gibson estab- lished his home in Lewis County, married there Malinda Hall, and they lived out their lives on a farm not far from Weston and were buried on the home place. A brief record of their children is: Lucy, who married Fortunatus White and lived in Lewis County; William, mentioned below; Joseph J., who was in Minnesota before the Civil war, and afterward returned to West Virginia and made his permanent home at Freemans- burg; Enoch S., who when a young man went to California, and died in Round Valley, that state; Addie, who married Abram Bond, and died near Lost Creek, Harrison County; Martha, who died in Lewis County, wife of George Gaston; Mary, who married Captain Van Lightburn and finished her life in Arkansas; and Charles K., who resided in Lewis County. William Gibson, father of Enoch S., was born in Lewis County in 1829, and had the limited education available to the average youth of that time. He was reared on a farm and devoted his adult life to agricultural interests. He finally removed to California, and died in Round Valley, Mendocino County, in 1913. His wife, who died in 1878, was Elvira Lawrence, her father, Alexander Lawrence, having moved from Eastern Virginia. William Gibson and wife had the following children: Florence, whose first husband was Henry Sherwood, and she is now the widow of William Sadler and lives at Belpre, Ohio; Enoch S.; Loella, who married William C. Sherwood, of Doddridge County; Edwin, of Oak- land, California; and Martha A., a resident of Weston and wife of William Kemper. Enoch S. Gibson was born in Harrison County March 22, 1854, but spent most of his early years in Lewis and Dodd- ridge counties. He represents a family of farmers, people who in every generation have done their share in the improve- ment of the country and the production of agricultural wealth, and have seldom permitted themselves to be known as candi- dates for political office, and few of them became soldiers. Three of Mr. Gibson's maternal uncles were in the Civil war, Union soldiers, George L., William and John Lawrence, the first going out with an Ohio regiment, while the other two went to the army from West Virginia. Enoch S. Gibson secured a country school education, and as a youth divided his time between the farm and public works. After his marriage he located on a farm in Doddridge County, and in 1912 moved to his present home near Webster in Taylor County. Outside the work that has constituted his main business in life, he has served as a trustee of schools and has been active in church. He is a republican in national and state politics, but supports the best man in local elections. In Harrison County November 8, 1882, Mr. Gibson married Misa Alice Davisson, who was born in that county in August, 1858, daughter of William and Eliza (Allman) Davisson, the former a native of Harrison County, where he spent his life as a farmer. The Davisson children were: George; Sarah, who married Marion Stonaker; Mary, Mrs. John McWhorter; Edgar; Mrs. Samantha Edmonds; Parker; Reason; Catherine, who married Alexander Stewart; and Mrs. Alice Gibson. Wayne E., the oldest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Gibson, was liberally educated in Salem College, the Wesleyan College at Buckhannon and in summer normals, has devoted seven years to highly successful work as a teacher in Taylor County, and during vacations has written insurance and taken part in the labors of the home farm. The second child, Edwin G., is connected with the Hope Gas Company at Salem, West Virginia, and is the father of two children, Ruby and Paul. Miss Ila K., a teacher in Taylor County, was educated in Wesleyan College at Buckhannon and completed a course in the Fairmont State Normal School in 1922. Gretna, wife of B. Harrison Wolverton, of Doddridge County, is the mother of Catherine, John, Mary, Harold and Eugene. Mrs. Delpha Curran, at home with her parents, has a son, James. Ralph is a miner in Taylor County. Osie, the youngest, graduated in 1922 from the Lost Creek High School.