HOMER THOMAS LAMBERT The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 268 Wayne County Success in life along any path of endeavor demands energy, aggressiveness, proper preparation and self-reliance. Genius and talent may also be present, but for permanency, practicality and the homely virtues are necessary. To the undoubted possession of these may be attributed in part at least the success that has crowned the efforts of Homer Thomas Lambert, of Hunting- ton, a jobber for mine, mill and general contractors' equip- ments, a manufacturer and a man variously connected with leading business enterprises. Mr. Lambert was born at Kilgore, Boyd County, Ken- tucky, September 12, 1884, a son of Samuel T. and Maggie (Simpson) Lambert, and belongs to a family which orig- inated in France and was founded in Virginia during Colonial times. His grandfather, William Lambert, was born in 1824, in Wayne County, Virginia (now West Vir- ginia), where he was reared and educated, and as a young man removed to Boyd County, Kentucky, where he was married. He was a carpenter by trade, and followed that vocation until enlisting in the Union army for service dur- ing the war between the states, in which he saw much active service. At the close of the struggle he returned to his trade, and lived in Boyd and Greenup counties, Ken- tucky, but finally went to Blue Springs, Gage County, Nebraska, where he died in 1906. He was a republican in politics. Mr. Lambert married Elizabeth Ferguson, who was born in Wayne County, and died in Greenup County, Ken- tucky, in 1864. Samuel T. Lambert, who is now a resident of Matewan, Mingo County, West Virginia, was born March 7, 1861, in Greenup County, Kentucky, where he was reared and educated, and as a young man became identified with coal operations, in which he has been interested throughout his career. In 1893 he removed to Thacker, Mingo County, this state, and five years later to Matewan, where he has been superintendent and general manager of the Red Jacket Consolidated Coal and Coke Company and of several other companies. In 1912 he engaged in mine operations on his own account, and in 1916 embarked in the general mer- cantile business, in which he is still interested, having the leading general store at Matewan. One of his community's most prominent and influential citizens, he is serving in the capacity of mayor, and for the past sixteen years has been president of the Board of Education. He is a stanch repub- lican in his political sympathies, belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and holds membership in Bluefield Lodge No. 269, B. P. O. E.; Thacker Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Thacker; and Red Jacket Lodge, K. of P., of Matewan. In 1882 Mr. Lambert married at Geigerville, Boyd County, Ken- tucky, Miss Maggie Simpson, of Kilgore, Kentucky, who died at Thacker, West Virginia, in 1895. They were the parents of five children, as follows: Marvin, a bookkeeper for the Borderland Coal Company at Borderland, West Vir- ginia; Homer Thomas, of this review; Maggie, who died unmarried in 1916, aged twenty-four years; Ethel, the wife of Luther Hill, train dispatcher for the Norfolk & Western Railroad at Williamson, West Virginia; and Haven, an employe of a United States Government stamping mill at Thane, Alaska, who met his death in a fall from a building in 1915, when twenty-two years of age. In 1897, at Thacker, West Virginia, Samuel T. Lambert married Miss Dora Christian, who was born at Matewan, West Virginia, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Christian, the latter de- ceased and the former an agriculturist of Okeeffe, West Virginia. To this union there have been born two children: Willie, who left home and has not been heard from; and Frank, who resides with his parents. The public schools of Red Jacket, West Virginia, fur- nished Homer Thomas Lambert with his primary educational training, following which he pursued a course at the Na- tional Business College of Roanoke, Virginia, from which institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1904. His first employment was as chief electrician of the Eed Jacket mines of Mingo, where he remained two years, and was next with the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company of Columbus, Ohio, for one year. He left this position to be- come master mechanic and electrician with the Pike Col- lieries at Matewan, but after six months joined the Glen Allum Coal Company, Glen Allum, West Virginia, as elec- trician, remaining six months. Mr. Lambert erected the plant of the McDowell Coal and Coke Company at Mc- Dowell, West Virginia, in 1907, and was then with the Goodwill Coal and Coke Company of Goodwill, this state, as chief electrician, for ten months. His next experience was as a traveling salesman for the Emmons-Hawkins Hardware Company of Huntington, for three months, fol- lowing which he joined the Superior Supply Company of Bluefield, West Virginia, as a traveling salesman, with head quarters at Graham, Virginia. In 1911 he left this coin pany and accepted a position with the Queen City Supply Company of Cincinnati, handling mining, mill and con- tractors' supplies, and while engaged with this concern came to Huntington in 1913. In January, 1915, he resigned his position and embarked in business on his own account as a jobber for mine, mill and general contractors' supplies and equipment, and is so engaged at the present time, hav- ing built up the leading business at Huntington. He is likewise engaged in the manufacture of frogs, switches and light track material for the mines, of which there are 2,200 coal mines within a radius of 150 miles of Huntington. His offices are situated at No. 1017-18 First National Bank Building, and the plant is at Fifteenth Street and Jackson Avenue, West Huntington, on the B. & O. and C. & O. railroads. Mr. Lambert is president and general manager of the H. T. Lambert Company, and president of the Linville Oil and Gas Company. He is a democrat in his political allegiance, and his religious connection is with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Fraternally he belongs to Huntington Lodge No. 53, A. F. and A. M.; Huntington Chapter No. 6, R. A. M.; Huntington Commandery No. 9, K. T.; Lodge of Perfection No. 4, and Knights of the Rose Croix No. 4, Huntington, West Virginia; West Vir- ginia Consistory No. 1, Wheeling, thirty-second degree; Beni-Kedem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Charleston; and Huntington Lodge No. 313, B. P. O. E. He holds member- ship also in the Huntington Chamber of Commerce and the Jobbers and Manufacturers Bureau of Huntington, and is a member and director of the Lions Club. Mr. Lambert owns a modern residence at 614 First Street, one of the attractive homes of Huntington. On July 5, 1908, at Ironton, Ohio, Mr. Lambert was united in marriage with Miss Vernon Webb, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Brewster) Webb, the latter of whom resides with Mr. and Mrs. Lambert, while the former died at Hanging Rock, Ohio, where he was a cupola tender. Four children have come to Mr. and Mrs. Lambert: Cecil, born April 9, 1909; Howard A., born June 25, 1911; Eleanor Margaret; and Frances Louise.