West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 147 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Everett A. Luzader ["John \"Bill\" Wheeler" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <002101bf4367$e273de00$c9dfbec6@wheeler> Subject: BIO: Everett A. Luzader Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume ll. pg. 116-117 Everett A. Luzader, superintendent of the schools of Valley District in Preston County, is one of the forceful young men engaged in the modern educational program of West Virginia, and his life so far has been devoted either to getting an education himself or teaching and school administration. He was born at Auburn, Ritchie County, West Virginia, March 2, 1884. His grandfather, Daniel D. Luzader, was born at Grafton, West Virginia, son of the founder of the family in this state, who came from German. Daniel D. Luzader was a Union soldier at the time of the Civil War, enlisting from Taylor County. He married Martha Newlon of Grafton, and the oldest of their nine children was Winfield Scott Luzader. The latter born at Grafton in October, 1853 and has spent his active career as a teacher and farmer. He taught in Ritchie County for ten years, but in now devoting his time to his farm. He married Clara Davis, whose father, John Davis, enlisted as a Union soldier in the state of Minnesota, and after the war returned East and spent the rest of his life as a farmer near Berea in Ritchie County. Mrs. Scott Luzader died June 10, 1900. Her children were: Lucretia, wife of Mr. Woodzell, of Hot Springs, Virginia; Everett A.; Flossie, wife of E.E. Brown, of Auburn; May, a teacher in the Auburn schools; Gladys and Thyzra, twins, and Otis, all living on their father's farm. Scott Luzader has always kept in touch with educational affairs, and for twelve years was a member of the Board of Education of Union District. He has given an active support to the Republican party, and the family record is that of men interested and more or less active in politics. He and his family are Baptists. Everett A. Luzader is, therefore, representative of a family long identified with the cause of education and agriculture. He spent his early life on a farm, attended county schools, and completed the normal course of Salem College in 1909, but had already taught two years before graduating. The next three years he devoted his time consecutively to the duties of the school room. The following year he was a student in the University of West Virginia, then returned to Salem College, where he finished his literary education and graduated A.B. in 1915. After graduation Mr. Luzader was principal of the Salem High School for four years, was principal of the Newburg High School one year, and came to Masontown as principal of the school of that village, but one year later, in July, 1920, was elected Superintendent of Valley District. As superintendent he has supervision of seventeen schools, two of them being high schools, and a staff of thirty-one teachers. He has done something constructive and progressive in the local educational program, including the completion of the Masontown school building, the improvement of its campus, adding a course in citizenship to the school curriculum and also increasing by a year, the time devoted to the study of agriculture, economics and sociology. Mr. Luzader is affiliated with Salem Lodge, Knights of Pythias. At Tunnelton, December 10, 1914, he married Miss Gail Hemsworth, formerly of Harrisville, Ritchie County, where she was reared. She was born May 26, 1892, graduated from the Harrisville High School and the normal department of Salem College, and at the age sixteen began teaching. She is the mother of three children, Brooks Morgan and Ralph, but at the same time she keeps up her educational work as one of the teachers in the Valley District High School at Masontown. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 20:18:22 -0500 From: "John \"Bill\" Wheeler" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <000801bf4375$a2649a80$2bdfbec6@wheeler> Subject: BIO: Miles H. Orr Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" The history of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume ll. pg. 117 Miles H. Orr, an honored Union veteran of the Civil War, for half a century a farmer in the vicinity of Masontown, represents a family that was established in that part of Preston County late in the eighteenth century, and the name has been one of honorable associations in that community ever since. The great-grandfather of Miles Orr was John Orr, a native of Ireland, who came to America about 1758. His son, John Dale Orr, took part as a soldier in the American Revolution. He was with the American forces at the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown. Soon after the close of the war he left McClennantown, Pennsylvania, and came to Preston County, West Virginia. establishing his home on Sand Ridge near Independence. He has cleared the land and spent the rest of his active years farming. He died about 1840, and is buried in the cemetery on Scott's Hill. His wife, Elizabeth Johns, lies beside him. Their children were: Catherine, who become the wife of Elisha Fortney, and lived in Harrison County; John, whose life was spent as a farmer in Preston County; Ruth, who became the wife of William Menear and died at Scott's Hill; Hiram, whose record follows; George, who lived near Independence and is buried on the home farm; and James, who became a Baptist minister, moved to Illinois, and died in that state. Hiram Orr was born in Preston County, near Independence, in 1803, and his effective work and most of his years were spent in the Scott's Hill locality, where he died in 1856. His wife, Keziah Memear, was born near Gladesville and died in 1845. Her father, John Memear, was a farmer and died while visiting in Ohio. Of the children Hiram Orr and wife, Maj. Uriah was an officer in the Sixth West Virginia Infantry during the Civil War, was for many years in the lumber business as a mill man and spent his last years retired at Kingswood. Martha became the wife A.B. Menear and died at Kingswood. Eugenus lived near the old homestead. Morgan D. was a Union soldier in the Third West Virginia Infantry, and spent his last days at Fairmont. Miles H. is the next in age. Keziah is Mrs. Monroe Martin and a resident of Reedsville, West Virginia. A Half brother of these children, W. Lee, spent most of his life in Baltimore, where he is buried. Miles H. Orr was born December 17, 1844, was an infant when his mother died, and only twelve at the death of his father. He lived among his uncles and acquired a subscription -school education, and at the same time was trained to farming. On August 15, 1862, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted from Preston County in Company B of the fourteenth West Virginia Infantry. His two captains were Clinton Jeffers and John D. Elliot, while the regiment was first commanded by Colonel Core and then by Col. D.D. Johnson. The regiment rendezvoused at Wheeling, went thence to Clarksburg, then to New Creek, now Keyser, West Virginia, and was ordered to Gettysburg, but arrived to late to take part in the great battle. His command then went into Camp Romney, moved from there to Petersburg, and the regiment took part in Salem raid as far as McDowell, where the Confederates blocked the way. Returning to Petersburg and then to Keyser, the regiment from the latter point marched to Burlington, where it lay during the remainder of the winter. In the spring of 1864, they went on the Dublin raid, and stopped at the battle of Cloyd Mountain and New River Bridge, and then dropped back to Meadow Bluff and then to Lynchburg, Virginia, and finally to Camp Piatt. From there they marched to Martinsburg, and soon afterward joined in the Shenandoah Valley campaign. They fought in the minor engagement at Stephenson's Depot on the 19th of September and in the battle at Winchester on the 24th, Thence they fell back to Harpers Ferry, and from that point moved up to Cedar Creek, but was forced back to Bolivar-Heights. About this time General Sheridan brought reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac into the valley and the troops moved on, striking the Confederates under old Jubal A. Early at Halltown. They then fought the battle of Fisher's Hill, soon after which occurred the conclusive battle of Cedar Creek, in which Sheridan made his famous ride and which cleared the Confederates from the valley. Afterward the Fourteenth West Virginia was assigned duty guarding different points of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and Mr. Orr was in that service until discharged. When he heard of the surrender of General Lee's army he was one of thirty men guarding a division train three miles north of Winchester. He was discharged at Cumberland but mustered out at Wheeling. His regiment had a record of twenty-four battles and skirmishes and he participated in twenty-one of them. His clothing was riddled by bullets, but he escaped without a shot. When he resumed the life of a civilian Mr. Orr returned to the farm and soon bought a tract of land in Valley District. He was occupied with the duties of that farm until the early 80's and since 1883 has been a resident of Masontown. He bought other lands in this vicinity, and farming has constituted the bulk of his business responsibilities. He was one of the promoters and is a director of the Bank of Masontown. Mr. Orr, cast his first ballot for President Lincoln while in the field as a soldier in 1864, and has never failed to support the republican candidate at presidential elections since then. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Grand Army of the Republic. He attended the national encampment at Washington D.C. in 1902 and has met and visited with his old Colonel Johnson several times and in 1915 had the good fortune to meet his old commander, General Duval. December 14. 1867, Mr. Orr married Miss Elizabeth Ashburn, daughter of Aaron and Hannah Ashburn, She was born in the Valley District of Preston County, January 31, 1845, and died November 25, 1913, forty-six years after their marriage. The children of this union were: Birdie M., wife of George M. Cobun of Morgantown; Olive M., wife of N.J. Seaman, of Paden City, West Virginia; Lucy May, at home with her father; and Forest U., who died unmarried at Morgantown. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 22:24:14 -0500 From: "John \"Bill\" Wheeler" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <001301bf4387$36699bc0$cddfbec6@wheeler> Subject: BIO: Mahala Jane Elliott Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume ll. pg. 117-118 Mahala Jane Elliott, a business woman of Kingswood, a native of Preston, County and a member of an old and well connected family near Newburg. Her grandfather, Thomas Shay, founded the family near Newburg. He was the grandson of an Irishman who established this branch of the Shay family in America. Thomas Shay served as a soldier in the War of 1812. Otherwise his life was devoted to his farm, and he never sought the distinctions of public service. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was about eighty years of age when he died. Thomas Shay married Phoebe A. Sidewell, who survived him three years. Their children were: Ezekiel, a blacksmith, who died in Monongalia County; Mary, who became the wife of Alfred Moreland and died in Barbour County; Rees, a farmer who died in Preston County; Benjamin, who died on his farm in Lyon District of that county; Hugh, who spent his life as a farmer in Preston County; Jesse, a farmer of Preston County; Debbie, who died in Preston County, the wife of William Shannon; and James. James Shay, youngest of the children and the father of Mrs. Elliott of Kingswood, was born near Newburg, October 7, 1829. He became a farmer and besides cultivating the soil raised stock on a rather extensive scale. His entire life was spent on the farm where he was born. He died there in May. 1878. He participated in politics only to the extent of voting, and like all the other members of the Shay family, was a stanch Republican. James Shay married Mary Hanway, daughter of Samuel and Mahala (Cox) Hanway. Samuel Hanway was a resident of Reno District in Preston County, but in the early 70's removed to Kansas and settled in Bourbon County, and he died at Barnsville. His children were: Mary, George, Ezekiel, Mrs. Sarah Bishop, Mrs. Rachel Bishop, Mrs. Jane Thomas, James Madison, Holton, Mrs. Rebecca Shaw, john, who died during the Civil War at Camp Chase, Ohio, Robert, and Joseph, a resident of Howard, Kansas. Three of the children, Ezekiel, George, and Mrs. Sarah Bishop, died in Bourbon County, Kansas. Mrs. James Shay died April 5, 1892, mother of the following children: Mrs. Mahala Elliott; Thomas R. of Tunnelton; Carmac and George L., of Kingswood; Elizabeth E., whose first husband was Walter B. Garner and she is now the wife of Elmer Christopher, of Kingswood; Dela A., wife of Waitman T. Newcomb, of Kingswood; and Ella, wife of Charles A. Fletcher, of Washington D.C. Mahala Jane Shay was born at Newburg, March 1, 1860. She and the other children had only the advantage of the common schools, and her years were spent at the old homestead until her marriage on December 20, 1891, to James M. Elliott. Mr. Elliott was born and brought up on a farm within three miles of Kingswood. His father was John Elliott, and he was the youngest of the children to reach mature years, the others being Isaac, William, Mrs. Rebecca Bailey, Mrs. Nancy Forker, Samuel, John Dougherty and Mrs. Minerva Bailey. When Mr. and Mrs. Elliott were married they established themselves on the old Elliott farm, and lived there until Mr. Elliott's death, which occurred January 12, 1912. Mr. Elliott was chiefly interested in the efficient conduct of his farm, and outside of this he worshiped as a Methodist and voted as a stanch republican. The only child born to Mr. and Mrs. Elliott was named John Shay, and died at the age of three years. Mrs. Elliott in 1919 removed to Kingswood and has since engaged in the grocery and confectionery business. She cast her first ballot in 1920, and the head of the ticket bore the name Warren G. Harding. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 11:49:36 -0500 From: "John \"Bill\" Wheeler" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <001301bf43f7$b9567f60$85dfbec6@wheeler> Subject: BIO: Robert Lamley Archer Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume ll. pg. 118 Robert Lamley Archer, vice president of the First National Bank of Huntington, has been through every department of that bank's service beginning as messenger. His record of over thirty years constitutes him one of the older active bankers of the state. Mr. Archer is one of the best known of West Virginia's financial leaders, and has been honored with the office of secretary, treasurer and president of the State Bankers Association and he also served as a member of the Executive Council of the American Bankers Association. He was born in Lawrence County, Ohio, August 24, 1871. His father, Thomas Archer, was born at Penrith, Cumberland County, England, was reared and educated there, married his first wife in England, and his career throughout was merchandising. About 1861 he came to the United States and located at Cleves in Hamilton County, Ohio, and in October 1871, came to Huntington, where he established and built up his successful mercantile enterprise, and was an active in its management when he died in 1876. He was a very devout Presbyterian. His second wife was Frances Mather Richey, who was born in 1833 at West Point, New York, and died at Huntington in 1917. her three sons were: Richard M., a newspaper editor at Wheeling; Robert Lamley; and Frank M., a wholesale merchant at Bluefield, West Virginia. Robert Lamley Archer was reared from early infancy in Huntington, attended the public schools there and after leaving high school at the age of fifteen was employed for three year in an insurance office and then became clerk in the lumber agent's office of the Ensign Manufacturing Company, now the American Car and Foundry Company. Leaving there in 1890, Mr. Archer entered the First National Bank of Huntington as messenger and collection clerk, and subsequent promotions gave him a definite working acquaintance with the duties of individual bookkeeper, general bookkeeper, teller, assistant cashier and cashier and in 1920 he was elected vice president of the Huntington Roofing Tile Company, treasurer of the Huntington Orchard Company, and has other business interests. For nine years he was a member of the Huntington Board of Education. He is a Republican. a vestryman in the Episcopal Church, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Rotary Club, Guyan Country Club and Guyandotte Club, all of Huntington. His home is at 1505 Sixth Avenue. During the World War Mr. Archer was chairman of the Huntington committees for the prosecution of the first and second Liberty Loans drives, and then received appointment from the secretary director of War Savings. In this post he thoroughly organized the state, establishing committees in every county, made many speeches and gave personal direction to the campaign and altogether his organization effected the sale of $20,000,000 worth of War Savings Stamps in the state. In 1893, at West Columbia, Mason County, West Virginia, Mr. Archer married Irma Louise Knight, daughter of Dr. Aquilla L. and Susan Frances (Willis) Knight, now deceased. Her father was an honored and capable physician and surgeon at West Columbia. Mrs. Archer is a graduate of Marshall College of Huntington.