Taylor County, West Virginia Biography of Ole Everett WYCKOFF ************************************************************************** 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, , March 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 84 OLE EVERETT WYCKOFF, one of the ablest members of the Grafton bar, has depended on his own exertions tor the success he has achieved. He started with the advantage of a good and honorable name, one that has been identified with West Virginia for considerably more than a century, and with this continent antedating the independence of the United States of America. The first members of this family on coming to this country settled on Long Island, then new Amsterdam, in 1637. His great-grandfather, William Wyckoff, was living in Hardy (now Grant) County as early as the time of the war of 1812. He was a soldier in that conflict, serving in Captain Neville's company of the Sixth Virginia Militia, at the expiration of which term he reenlisted. Except for this military duty he devoted his years to farming, and about 1840 moved to what is now Taylor County. He was laid to rest in the family burying ground in the Court House District of that county. His first wife was Catherine Michael, who left two children, Alfred and Rachel, the latter dying in infancy. His second wife was Mary Shillingberg, and to this union were born fifteen children. One of them was Samuel Wyckoff, who was born in Hamp- shire County April 24, 1825, and was fifteen years old when the family moved to Taylor County. His life was quietly spent in the rounds of his agricultural work, his home, his worship as a Baptist, and voting as a republican. He married Mary Ann St. Clair, daughter of Thomas St. Clair and mem- ber of another family of ancient residence in West Virginia. They had eight children: Harriet, wife of John Hannegan; Daniel B., noted below; Columbus; Susanna, who married Meigs Day; Claudius; Henrietta, who became the wife of Ellsworth Day; Charles; and Samantha, who married Leon- idas Bord. Daniel B. Wyckoff was born near the village of Simpson, Taylor County, December 22, 1849. Conditions were such that beyond the country schools he had no opportunity for education, and for a number of years he lived at Tyrconnell, Taylor County, clerking in stores and finding other employ- ment. He also did coal mining for a time, but for nearly a quarter of a century his duties have been as a supervisor for the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane at Weston, though he has retained his home at Grafton tor more than thirty years. He is a republican in politics. On June 13, 1872, he married Susan Virginia Bayly, a daughter of Usher S. and Jane (Stevens) Bayly. Their family of children consist of the following: Myrtle, wife of M. Edgar Coffman, of Cumber- land, Maryland; Nettie, wife of Cornelius J. Burnside, of Pittsburgh; Ole Everett; Adelaide, who married William P. Sample, of Grafton; Harry G., of Fairmont; Holmes V., of Wheeling; Samuel B., who died at the age of three years; Frank Hite, who died at the age of two years; Claire, who be- came the wife of W. G. Menear, of Grafton; and Paul R., of Fairmont. This consecutive account of the family now narrows down to the individual career of O. E. Wyckoff, of Grafton. He was born at Tyrconnell, Flemington District, Taylor County, September 6, 1878, and in that community at an early age he went to work in the mines. His educational equipment con- sisted of what he had gained while attending the Flemington District public schools and two terms in the old West Virginia College near there. Later he attended the West Virginia University. He taught school in the villages of Tyrconnell and Flemington, and subsequently for a year was principal of the Fetterman School. While teaching he carried work in the summer normals at the University, also began reading law, qualifying for admission to the University Law School, where he finished his course and in May, 1904, was admitted to the bar. Mr. Wyckoff has made his success in the law without form- ing a single partnership alliance. He has always been in gen- eral practice. He recalls with considerable amusement his first case. It was as counsel for a negro charged with felonious assault, and the trial resulted in a verdict for simple assault and a short jail sentence. The negro after his release prom- ised his attorney to go to work and pay the fee. To encourage him as far as possible, Mr. Wyckoff gave him some of the old clothes from his scanty wardrobe and a quarter of a dollar, and that was the last he ever saw of this first client. For some years Mr. Wyckoff has had a growing share of corporation work. He is retained as counsel for the Taylor County Bank, the Bank of Flemington and several large cor- porations, and represents other business concerns and estates. In the early years of his practice he was city attorney of Graf- ton two terms, and has performed the duties of referee in bankruptcy since appointed to that office by Judge Dayton. He has done some political work for his friends and his party, the republican, but he has never given his friends any en- couragement when sounded as a possible candidate. Mr. Wyckoff helped organize the Taylor County Bank and the Bank of Flemington. He is president of the Grafton Rotary Club, a director of the Chamber of Commerce, and exerted himself without stint in behalf of home work to aid in winning the great war. He was chairman of the Legal Advis- ory Board of Taylor County and also one of the "four-minute" speakers. He is a member of the First Baptist Church and belongs to several fraternal orders. In Taylor County July 12, 1905, he married Miss Mayme Bailey, who was born in the same community as her husband, one of the three children of Marshall and Anna (dark) Bailey. Mrs. Wyckoff was born October 26, 1880. They have one son, Everett Bailey, born July 21, 1906, and a remarkable specimen of young physical manhood, standing six feet, two inches tall. He is proficient in his studies and is a member of the class of 1923 in the Grafton High School.