Taylor County, West Virginia Biography of Dellet NEWLON ************************************************************************** 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 Valerie Crook, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 127-128 DELLET NEWLON, whose home is on rural route No. 1 out of Simpson, has given a satisfactory account of his abilities in several capacities; but his outstanding service has undoubtedly been in education. His term as county superintendent was an area of educational progress for Taylor County. Recently he resumed teaching in his home locality. Something is said on other pages of the Newlon family, one of the best known in Taylor County. His grandfather, William Newlon, was born in old Virginia, was a soldier in the War of 1812 under General Dearborn, and soon after leaving the army settled on Long Run. The old farm he owned there is now the property of Daniel R. Shafer of Grafton. He gave the rest of his life to the management and cultivation of this farm. After coming to West Vir- ginia he married Miss Powell, and their childern were: Burr P., who was a farmer and died near Belington; Wil- liam, who moved to a farm in Doddridge County and died at Tollgate; Payton, Nathan and Lemuel, all of whom were farmers on Long Run, where the widow of Lemuel is still living; Chapman, who was born on Long Run and was a farmer there; Frederick, who died when a young man; and Alfred. Alfred Newlon, father of Dellet, enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil war, at first in Company D of the Sixth West Virginia, a company subsequently consolidated with Company E. He was in service in the Valley of Vir- ginia, participated in the battles of Bull Run and Antie- tam, and was with Sheridan a forces at Winchester and Cedar Creek. At the close of the war he went with the regiment to fight the Indians on the western plains. The command went up the Missouri River by boat from St. Louis to Fort Leavenworth and thence overland to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. As souvenirs of this western experi- ence he brought home a large Indian knife and a silver medal, both now the property of his son Dellet. He was never wounded while in the army, but had his feet frozen. Alfred Newlon was as good a citizen as he was a soldier. He was a constable of his district, a republican and a member of the Baptist Church. He was killed by a Baiti more and Ohio train in 1901. He married Elizabeth Yates, daughter of Martin and Elizabeth (Wiseman) Yates. She died in 1909, and of their nine children Dellet is the fourth in age. Dellet Newlon was born June 2, 1876, and his home today is within a mile of his birthplace. He grew up on the farm on Sand Lick, and laid the foundation of his educa- tion in country schools. He attended the summer normal courses in the old West Virginia College, and began teach- ing at the age of twenty-two. His first school was the Gather School, near the old college which he had attended. He was a teacher five consecutive terms, and in 1902 was elected county superintendent of schools as a successor of Wallace T. Phillips. He was thrice elected his own suc- cessor. Here it is possible only briefly to note some of the more important educational progress made during his ad- ministration. A beginning was made of school consolida- tion. The consolidated school at Webster is the result of combining the districts whose schools were five miles from Webster, the pupils being gathered up in wagons and car- ried five miles to the consolidated school. Also the Gabe's Fork School was consolidated with the Simpson School. Two high schools were established, one at Flemington and the other at Simpson. He was the first superintendent to introduce the graduating system for free school diplomas. He also established district institutes, which brought to- gether both teachers and patrons of the schools. After leaving the office of county superintendent Mr. Newlon taught one year, and then turned his attention to business, spending about two years as clerk in the store of the Maryland Coal Company at Wendel. For three years he was deputy sheriff under his brother, Melvin New- lon. After leaving the sheriff's office he was manager of the Simpson Cooperative Store, has also done considerable teaching and has been in charge of the Long Run School since the fall of 1921. In Taylor County, February 5, 1903, Mr. Newlon mar- ried Miss Effie Dearing, who was born in Berry's Run locality, February 4, 1874, daughter of E. Nelson and Elizabeth (Greathouse) Dearing. Her mother was a daugh- ter of John Greathouse, of Ravenswood, West Virginia. Nelson Dearing was born at Buck Run, Taylor County, was a fanner, served as deputy sheriff under Sheriff Davidson, and died January 20, 1920, while his wife passed away No- vember 30, 1919. The Dearing children were: Maud, Jes- sie and Mrs. Newlon. The two oldest daughters were the successive wives of Okey Goodwin. Mrs. Newlon was edu- cated in the public school at Berry's Run. She is the mother of three children: Mildred E., who is a junior in the Simpson High School; Merle, also a junior in high school; and Alfred, a pupil in the Long Run Grade School. In politics Mr. Newlon is a republican and cast his first presidential vote for Major McKinley in 1900. He has attended several local conventions as a delegate. He is a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias Lodge and a member of the Woodmen of the World, is a Baptist, and has been teacher of the young men's class in the Simp- son Sunday School.