WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 150 Today's Topics: #1 BIO..French McCray, LL.B.,Fairmont [PTyler107@aol.com] #2 Bio: Friend Ebenezer Clark of New ["Chris & Kerry" Subject: BIO..French McCray, LL.B.,Fairmont Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg.122 French McCray LL.B., (West Virginia University) 1909, LL.B. (Ohio State University) 1910, is established in the successful practice of his profession in the City of Fairmont, Marion County, is one of the representative lawyers of that community and Divorce Commissioner of Marion County. He was born at Fairmont, February 23, 1883, and is a representative of families whose names have been long and prominently identified with the history of the northern part of West Virginia. His mother, whose maiden name was Martha Virginia Prichard, was a daughter of the late Thomas and Mahala Prichard and a niece of the late Capt. Amos N. Prichard, of Mannington. His father, Charles Edward McCray, one of Fairmont's oldest, best-known and most prosperous citizens, was born in Harrison County, Virginia, (now West Virginia), as were also the latter's parents, John Elliott and Rebecca (Cunningham) McCray, the latter a granddaughter of John Dragoo, a pioneer settler of that section. French McCray was graduated from the Fairmont High School in May, 1904, and thereafter continued his studies at the Fairmont State Normal School during the year 1904-1905. The following fall he entered the Ohio State University (Columbus), which institution he attended during the four years 1905-08, 1909-10, College of Arts-Law, and received the degree Bachelor of Laws in June, 1910. During 1908-09 he attended the West Virginia University, College of Law, from which school he was graduated in June, 1909, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Mr. McCray was admitted to the bar of his native state April 8, 1910. On the 28th day of June, 1910, he was admitted to the bar of the State of Ohio, and honor earned by the successful passing of the rigid bar examination required by that state; and likewise, on November 5, 1910, he was admitted to the bar of the State of Indiana. In November, 1917, he was also admitted to the bar of the United States District and Circuit Courts. Since November, 1910, he has been actively engaged in the general practice of his profession at Fairmont, with a record of excellent achievement as a resourceful trial lawyer and able counselor. During the 1911 and 1913 sessions he was special counsel for the Standard Oil Company at the West Virginia Legislature. At present Mr. McCray holds the position of Divorce Commissioner for Marion County to which place he was appointed by the Circuit Court of said county July 12, 1922. He is a member of the Southern Club (Ohio State), Sphinx Fraternity (West Virginia), "Sons of the Revolution, " Knights of Malta (Fairmont), Marion County and West Virginia Bar associations. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, and he and his wife hold membership in the First Methodist Episcopal Church Fairmont. April 28, 1913, was the date of Mr. McCrays marriage with Miss Marry Rhea Flinchbaugh, who was born in a Columbus, Ohio. She is a daughter of John H. and Alice (Alexander) Flinchbaugh, of Columbus, both natives of the state of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. McCray have a daughter Alice Ann, who was born in the spring of 1921. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 06:30:39 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <014601bf455d$7c447700$51421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: Friend Ebenezer Clark of New Martinsville West Virginia 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 II pg. 152 FRIEND EBENEZER CLARK, Ph. D. While the greater part of his career has been devoted to the teaching of chemistry, Doctor Clark is widely known in scientific circles by reason of his original scholarship and as an authority on the chemical side of industry.. Doctor Clark, who for the past seven years has been head of the Department of Chemistry of the West Virginia University, is a native West Virginian, born at New Martinsville, August 21, 1876, son of Josephus and Lina Russell (Cox) Clark. His grandfather, Ebenezer Clark, came to West Virginia from Pennsylvania and settled in Wetzel County. Josephus Clark was born in Marshall County, West Virginia, in 1835, and in Wetzel County was a merchant and farmer, and served one term as sheriff. He died in May, 1905. His wife, Lina Russell Cox, was born in New Martinsville, West Virginia, in 1848, daughter of Friend and Susan Cox, and she is still living at New Martinsville at the age of seventy-three. She and her husband were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Josephus Clark was a Mason. Friend Ebenezer Clark grew up at New Martinsville, graduated from the high school there in 1894, and from that year until 1898 carried the undergraduate studies of West Virginia University, receiving in the latter year the Bachelor of Science degree. The following four years he spent in graduate work in Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore, and was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1902. Since then he has been a special student in other institutions of learning, having attended the University of Chicago during the summer session of 1907, and was in the University of Berlin during 1908. Professor Clark was an instructor in chemistry in West Virginia University during the school year 1902-03. Leaving his alma mater, he was instructor in industrial chemistry in the Pennsylvania State College from 1903 to 1905 and from 1905 to 1914 was professor of chemistry at Center College, Danville, Kentucky. In 1914 he returned to his congenial association with West Virginia Univers! ity, and since then has held the chair of chemistry. Doctor Clark is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is a Fellow and life member of the Chemical Society of London, and a member of the American Chemical Society, American Electra-Chemical Society and the Society of Chemical Industry. He is a Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Kappa, belongs to the Masonic Lodge at New Martinsville, and took the Knight Templar Commandery degrees at Danville, Kentucky. He and Mrs. Clark are members of the Presbyterian Church. In June, 1911, he married Emma May Hanna, who was horn at Newcastle, Pennsylvania, daughter of Samuel and Lucy J. (Dinsmore) Hanna. Doctor and Mrs. Clark have two children, Josephine Brown, born August 6, 1912, and Samuel Friend, born February 16, 1916. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 06:32:49 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <014f01bf455d$c9b942e0$51421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: Thomas Grant Keenan of Morgantown West Virginia 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 II pg. 152 THOMAS GRANT KEENAN, a member of the County Court of Monongalia County, has for nearly forty years enjoyed a substantial position in the agricultural interests of the county and is one of the recognized lenders in the advanced program of modern agriculture in that section of the state. His home farm is in the Cass District, and he was born on that farm. November 29, 1863, son of the late John P. and Nancy (Lazzelle) Keenan. His father was born in Dunkard Township of Greene County, Pennsylvania, in 1824, son of Hugh Keenan and grandson of James Keenan. James Keenan was a pioneer of Western Pennsylvania. On bringing his family to America he settled in Greene County, and met death at the hands of Indians in the border warfare. John P. Keenan was a young man when he moved to Monongalia County, West Virginia. His wife, Nancy Lazzelle, was born in the Cass District in 1831, daughter of Thomas Lazzelle and an aunt of Judge I. G. Lazzelle of Morgantown. John P. Keenan devoted his active life to farming, and he died at the old homestead in 1901 and his wife in 1912. Thomas Grant Keenan has had the associations of the old home farm, where he was born throughout practically his entire life. He attended the neighboring district schools and as a boy took an increasing share of interest and responsibility at home. Now in addition to his ownership of the old homestead of 121 acres he had another farm of 100 acres. Both these farms are underlaid with coal. A good citizen as well as a substantial farmer, Mr. Keenan has accepted several opportunities to work in the public service. He was deputy sheriff from 1904 to 1908. In 1920 he was elected a member of the County Court for a term of six years. He is also a director of the County Farm Bureau, and a director in the Bank of Morgantown He is a republican in politics, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is affiliated with the Junior Order United American Mechanics and the Order of Elks. Mr. Keenan married Belinda Bowlby, who was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, daughter of James P. and Susanah (Donley) Bowlby. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Keenan is Marl, who was born June 22, 1892, and is now manager of the Fairmont Branch of the Central Automobile Corporation of Morgantown. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 06:35:00 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <015801bf455e$179bebc0$51421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: S. Judson Hall of Morgantown, Monongalia County West Virginia 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 II pg. 152 & 153 S. JUDSON HALL has spent practically all his life in Monongalia County, was for a number of years a successful farmer and stockman, but for twenty years past has been actively identified with the Morgantown Ice Company, and as its general manager and treasurer has built up the industry into one of the largest ice manufacturing and distributing plants in West Virginia. Mr. Hall was born on a farm in the Clinton District of Monongalia County, September 8, 1854, son of Ephraim B. and Elizabeth (South) Hall. His father, a native of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, born in 1818, came to Monongalia County, West Virginia, when about twenty-one years of age, and first bought a farm on the fiats in Morgan District, later moved to another place in Clinton District, and after selling that went to Henry County, Illinois, and spent three years in that state. On returning to Monongalia County he bought a farm in Grant District, and on that place he lived out his useful and honorable career and died in 1899, at the age of eighty-one. He was a member of the Baptist Church. In Fayette County, Pennsylvania, he married for his first wife, Rhoda Ross, who died in Monongalia County. Elizabeth South, his second wife, was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, daughter of Elijah South, who moved with his family from New Jersey to Western Pennsylvania and thence to Mo! nongalia County, West Virginia. Elizabeth South Hall was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1825, and died January 16, 1908, at the age of eighty-two. Ephraim Hall was the father of ten children, one by his first marriage and nine by the second. A brief record of these children is as follows: John Ross, who lives at Laurel Point in Monongalia County; S. Judson, who was the oldest of his mother's children; Anna C., wife of William Hess, of Monongalia County; Elijah Beaten,, of Morgantown; Ira Ephraim of Morgantown; William P. of Glendale, California; Jesse Spurgeon, of Columbus, Ohio; Squire Thurman, deceased; Joseph Milton, of Pennsboro, West Virginia; and George M., who lives in Glendale, California. S. Judson Hall spent his early life on his father's farm. His advantages in the district schools were supplemented by two years as a student in West Virginia University at Morgantown. For several years he taught country school. This was during the period that he was attending the university and afterward. Following his university and teaching career be took up farming as his regular pursuit, and gradually broadened his enterprise as a stock raiser and lumber dealer in the Battelle District, where he remained until 1900. On leaving the farm and going to Morgantown Mr. Hall in 1901 became an employe of the Morgantown Ice Company, in 1905 he bought the controlling interest in the company and has since been the general manager of the business. This company was incorporated in 1901. Mr. Hall is also a director in the Commercial Bank of Morgantown, and is a member of the Baptist Church and the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce. In 1877 he married Mary J. Coen, who died in 1880, leaving a daughter, Isabelle. This daughter is the wife of Lafayette Glover, formerly of Wetzel County, West Virginia, and they now live in Lakeland, Florida, and have three children, Mary, Arthur and Honor. In 1881 Mr. Hall married Mary E. Haught, of Monongalia County, daughter of Wilson and Sarah E. (Harter) Haught. To the second marriage were born seven children: Guy Allen, born September 11, 1882, is assistant manager of the Morgantown Ice Company, and by his marriage to Ola Sanders has two children, Mary Catherine and Sarah Jane. Annie Laurie, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is the wife of John Earner Hall, of Monongalia County, and they now live in Morgantown. Their children are Violet, Cecil, Mary, Myrtle, and John Earner. The third child, Viola M., a successful business woman and member of The Daughters of the American Revolution, is the wife of John Campbell, a graduate of Kentucky State Universi! ty. To their marriage was born one daughter, Ellen Marie. Iva Raye is the wife of Hermas L. Lough, of Morgantown, and the mother of Lelia, Eleanor, Hildred and Herman Hall. Oscar Judson is an assistant manager of the Morgantown Ice Company and by his marriage to Nell Herod, has one son, Jack Herod. Golda Elizabeth, a graduate of Morgantown High School, West Virginia University, and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is the wife of Robert Patton White, a graduate of Washington-Irving High School and West Virginia. To them was born one son, Robert Patton, Junior. The youngest, Leila Bent, a graduate of Morgantown High School, is the wife of Ernest Elaine Wells, a graduate of Tyler County High School, West Virginia University and received a master's degree from Kansas Agricultural College. To their marriage was born one son, Robert Blaine. ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 06:37:21 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <016101bf455e$6bbf3a40$51421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: Orman Delmont Schafer of Morgantown, Monongalia County West Virginia 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 II pg. 153 ORMAN DELMONT SCHAFER has for fifteen years been one of the skilled men in the service of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company at Morgantown. He is a native or West Virginia, and directly and collaterally connected with several of the old families of the Monongalia District. He was born at Laurel Point in the Grant District of Monongalia County, December 28, 1882, son of John C. and Miranda Estelle (Hildebrand) Schafer. His parents are still living and his father was born in Grant District, August 3, 1853, son of Peter and Anna (Gray) Schafer, while the mother was born at White Day in Grant District, April 6, 1854. They are the parents of two children. The older, Zenas, is the widow of the late Jesse H. Henry, of a prominent family of Monongalia County whose record is given on other pages. Mrs. Henry is the mother of E. Wayne Henry, of Morgantown. Orman Delmont Schafer spent his early life on the old farm at Laurel Point. He attended district school, graduated from public school with a diploma in 1899, and following that for several years did farm work and also was employed on lock and dam construction on the Upper Monongalia River. In 1904 he became weighmaster at the Round Bottom Coal Mine, but in April, 1906, removed to Morgantown and entered the service of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company. He was first an electrical crane man, then electrical engineer, electrical inspector of the Plant, then tracer and shipping clerk, and for several years Past has had the responsible duties of foreman of shearmcn and opening department. Mr. Schafer is a justly popular citizen in Morgantown, active in civic and social affairs, is affiliated with Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4, A. F. and A. M., with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Methodist Church. November 19, 1904, he married Miss Effie Edna De Vault, who was born in Clinton District of Monongalia County, daughter of James A. and Mary (Stansbury) De Vault. Mr. and Mrs. Schafer are the parents of five children: Benton Delmont, who was born November 30, 1905, and is in the class of 1922 at the Morgantown High School; Mildred Carlotta, born December 20, 1907; Mary Zoe, born March 22, 1910; John Vernon, born January 29, 1912; and James Clement, born December 4, 1917. While his time has been fully taken up with the practical side of business and industry, Mr. Schafer has also contrived to develop his artistic talents, and his favorite hobby is pastel work, much of which has been accorded recognition by competent critics. He has a fine collection of paintings. The son, Benton, has shown marked ability as a cartoon artist, and is improving his talents with a view to making a profession of cartoon work. A more detailed information of the paternal family may be found in the sketch of E. Wayne Henry and of the maternal family in that of Clement C. Hildebrand elsewhere in this work. ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 06:39:12 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <016a01bf455e$ade87bc0$51421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: Miller Watson Reed of Morgantown Union District Monongalia County West Virginia 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 II pg. 153 MILLER WATSON REED has been active in the civic and business life of Morgantown for a quarter of a century. He is a building contractor with a large volume of work to his credit, and is also president of the Athens Lumber Company. He was born on a farm five miles from Morgantown, in the Union District of Monongalia County, April 1, 1860, son of John and Harriet (Ross) Reed. His paternal grandparents were William and Lydia (Watson) Reed, the latter attaining the age of ninety-six. The maternal grandparents were Enoch and Elizabeth (Miller) Ross. John Reed was born in Monongalia County in 1822, and died on his farm in Union District in 1903, at the age of eighty-one, having devoted all his active years to his farm and to the discharge of his duties as a good citizen. His wife, Harriet Ross, now living at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in her ninety-eighth year, was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, but was brought as an infant to Monongalia County. They were active members of the Methodist Protestant and Church of the Brethren, respectively. To their marriage were born ten children: Ross E., a resident of Monongalia County; Josephine, who died in infancy; James Quinter, who died in August, 1917; Newton, who ! died as a child; Omizine W., of Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Belle Olive, wife of James P. Brand, of Salem, West Virginia; Miller W.; Idella, whose first husband was Elliot Stewart, and she is now the widow of Jefferson Wallis, of Uniontown; Bound, who died at the age of twenty-one; and H. Clara, the wife of John G. Gibbs, of Uniontown. Miller Watson Reed grew up on the home farm and had a common-school education. When he left home at the age of twenty-one he learned the trade of carpenter, started as a journeyman, and in 1896 located in Morgantown, and has since performed an important service and done a large business as a building contractor. He was one of the organizers of the Athens Lumber Company in 1904, was a director, and since 1905 has been its president. Mr. Reed served one term as a member of the Morgantown City Council, and he is a trustee of the Church of the Brethren. At Markleysburg, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Mr. Reed was united in marriage with Miss Susana Thomas, a native of Fayette County. Three children were born to this union, but all died in infancy.