Wood County, West Virginia Biography of Wilbert F. CARMICHAEL ************************************************************************** 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 Pam Honaker ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg.461 WILBERT F. CARMICHAEL. A name well and honorably known for many years in West Virginia for sterling business achievement is that of Carmichael, and a prominent bearer of the same at Parkersburg is Wilbert F. Carmichael, whi is the active head of the wholesale confectionery firm of Carmichael & martin, an exceedingly prosperous enterprise of this city. Mr Carmichael was born near Hanlon's Mill, Ritchie County, West Virginia, march 10 1876. His parents were David and Nancy A. (Locke) Carmichael. David Carmichael was a man of sterling integrity and of unusual business ability. He was a native of Ohio and was eleven years old when he came to West Virginia, a por boy seeking employment, which he accepted as a farm hand and worked for 50 cents a day. He had but limited opportunities for acquiring an education, but he had ambition to better his condition and took advantage of such chances as came his way, paying attention to those better equipped than himself and reading instructive books. Proving industrios and reliable in the employ of farmers, this reputation enabled him to secure better wages in the emply of tobacco packers and he became manager of a warehouse. Later he was employed in Hanlon's Mill, situated on McKim Creek, two m iles out of Hebron, and it was at this point, in a little building 12 by 16 in dimensions which he had built himself, that he began business as a merchant. He had natural aptitude for merchandising, and from this humble beginning developed into one of the most successful merchants in Tyler County. Subsequently finding a purchaser for his small store, he opened another at Mole Hill in Ritchie County, removing from there two years later to Wick, Tyler County, where he was a merchant for five years. His next removal was to Meadville in Tyler County, where he remained in the mercantile business and als operated a fram, and then moved to Smithfield, in the oil district of Wetzel County, and for fifteen years was the leading merchant i that county. In the meanwhile David Carmichael married Nancy A. Locke, and three children were born to them: Floyd, who is manager of the Carmichael Candy Company, wholesale canfectioners at Clarksburg, West Virginia; Alice, who died at the age of twenty-two years, was the wife of Nathan Bane; and Wilbert F., who belongs to Parkersburg. David Carmichael was a member of the Christion Church. He was active in the democratic party, served one term as a justice of the peace and at one time was his party's candidate for sheriff. When he retired from business he was succeeded by his sons, and he finally returned to Ohio. His death occurred at Zanesville in April 1917. Wilbert F. Carmichael with his brother and sister had educational advantages that had been denied to their father in his youth but on which he always set a high value. Mr. Carmichael learned telegraphing, and was an operator for four years, then, with his brother, succeeded his father in business, and for the next fifteen years the brothers were associated at Smithfield as merchants and lumber men, Wilbrt F. attending mainly to their lumber interests in Nicholas, Webster and Clay counties. In 1915 they removed to Clarksburg and went into the wholesale confectionery business, where Floyd Carmichael continues, but in association with his brother-in-law, Dr. J. E. Martin, organized with the wholesale confectionery firm of D. W. Dabney. Mr. Carmichael has shown good judgement in his choice of business and the outlook is very promising. In 1897 Mr. Carmichael married Miss Virginia Bucher, who died in 1904, leaving three children: Mabel, wife of Ray Lang, Alice and David. In 1908 Mr. Carmichael married Miss Inez Martin, daughter of Sidney and Sophis (Morrow) Martin, of Shiloh, Tyler County, West Virginia. Mr Carmichael is a Knight Templar Mason and belongs also to the order of United Commercial Travelers.