WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 152 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Okey J. Stout - Wood county [Tina Hursh To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19991213212219.00660510@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: BIO: Okey J. Stout - Wood county Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II Pg. 73 Okey J. Stout has for nearly a quarter of a century been a prospering business man of Parkersburg, a druggist and also interested in other lines. He is a brother of Parkersburg's postmaster, Walter E. Stout, under whose name a more complete account of the family will be found. Okey J. Stout was born at Parkersburg, June 18, 1877, and this city has always been his home. He completed a public-school education and in 1897, at the age of twenty, entered the retail drug business after two years of training as clerk in the drug store of W.E. Skirvin. He has concentrated his efforts along this line and is now interested in two drug stores, and is also associated with his brother, Walter, in the oil business and is a director of the First National Bank. Mr. Stout is a Knight Templar and thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Shriner, a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, belongs to the Rotary Club and is a democrat in politics. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 21:33:43 CST From: "Robert Crosley" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <19991214033343.73605.qmail@hotmail.com> Subject: Surname Simonis Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Looking for any info that any body might have on the Simonis Family from around Cabin Creek Va around 1880's.....please if any one knows of them email me....kojack12@hotmail...or bcrosley55@hotmail.com Thanks Bob ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 05:27:32 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <002301bf461d$d59d1260$7e421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: CHARLES M. SCOTT, M. D. of Bluefield 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. 155 CHARLES M. SCOTT, M. D., began practice at Bluefield twenty years ago. During the last ten years his time and skill have been predominently devoted to surgery. His rank as a surgeon is among the best in the entire state. Doctor Scott was born at Graham, Tazewell County, Virginia, October 3, 1878, son of James and Nannie (Hale) Scott, being their only child. His parents were natives of .Virginia and his father was a farmer. The grandfather, Matthew Scott, was a jeweler and gunsmith, and repaired guns for the Confederate army during the Civil war. Charles M. Scott acquired a common school education, attended Princeton Academy, the University of West Virginia at Morgantown and Richmond College at Richmond, Virginia. In 1897 he entered the University College of Medicine at Richmond, from which he graduated M. D. in 1901. The following year he began practice at Bluefield, where he is handling a general practice, but every year he did special work in surgery and other post graduate courses in the New York Polyclinic, and in 1910 began specializing in surgery, which now comprises eighty per cent of his professional work. In the line of his profession Doctor Scott gave Bluefield a modern institution in St. Luke's Hospital, which he built and established in 1905, with accommodations for fifty patients and with every type of modern hospital equipment. Doctor Scott is a busy professional man, has reached a position of ripe achievement, is kindly and generous and one of Bluefield's most useful citizens. He is a member of the Coun! ty, State and American Medical associations and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Doctor Scott is a Baptist, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and Blueficld Country Club, and is an Elk. November 10, 1912, at Catlettsburg, Kentucky, he married Miss Hazel Morton, daughter of Dr. W. W. and Edith (Hill) Morton. They have two children, Helen and Charles Scott. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 05:29:16 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <002c01bf461e$1384d9a0$7e421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: WILLIAM JOHN BRADDOCK of Wheeling, 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. 155 & 156 WILLIAM JOHN BRADDOCK is secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Wheeling Bronze Casting Company, a well ordered concern that contributes its quota to the industrial and commercial precedence of the West Virginia metropolis. He is one of the representative young business men of his native city his birth having occurred in Wheeling on the 17th of April, 1882. Mr. Braddock is a son of John and Ellen (McGrail) Braddock, the former of whom was born at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1859, and the latter was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, in that same year, she being still a resident of her native city, where her husband died in the year 1891. John Braddock was reared and educated in the old Keystone State, where the family was founded in an early day, and he was a young man when he came to West Virginia and engaged in the work of his trade, that of iron-moulder, at Wheeling. Here he passed the remainder of his life, an upright and loyal citizen who commanded unqualified popu! lar esteem. He was a democrat in politics and was a communicant of the Catholic Church as is also his widow. Of the two children, William J., of this review, is the elder, and Mary is the wife of Haven Robb, of Wheeling. The early education of William J. Braddock was obtained in the parochial schools of St. Mary's Church, in the Eighth Ward of Wheeling, and at the age of fourteen years he entered upon an apprenticeship to the moulder's trade at the Riverside Mills, Benwood, Marshall County, an establishment now owned and operated by the National Tube Company. Here he continued to be employed eight years, and in the meanwhile he became an expert artisan at his trade. In 1904 Mr. Braddock established a modest brass foundry of his own at 205 Twenty-ninth Street, Wheeling, and after continuing the enterprise in an individual way until 1917 he incorporated the business under the present title of the Wheeling Bronze Casting Company. The business has become one of substantial order, and in the autumn of 1921 it was removed from its original location to the fine new plant erected for its use at the corner of Thirty-sixth and McCulloch streets. Here is occupied a modern industrial building that was erected by the company and that is 200 by 100 feet in dimensions. The company gives special attention to the rolling of bronze rods for non-corrosive use, and its products are shipped into most diverse sections of the Union. The executive officers of this progressive corporation are as follows: President, J. W. Mulard, of Martins Ferry, Ohio; secretary and treasurer, William J. Braddock. Mr. Braddock takes lively interest in all that concerns the welfare of his native city, is independent in politics, is affiliated with the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic Church. In the World war period the plant of the Wheeling Bronze Casting Company was given over largely to the manufacturing of special parts for use in the equipping of submarine chasers, in the service of the International Ship Building Company and for the United States Emergency Fleet Corporation, and Mr. Braddock himself gave loyal support to the various patriotic activities centered in his home city and state. On April 6, 1904, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Braddock and Miss Virginia Baumann, daughter of John and Lizzetta (Stensel) Baumann, of Wheeling, where the father is a retired dairyman. Mr. and Mrs. Braddock have three children: Lizzetta, who was born in 1905, and who is now a student in Mount de Chantal Academy at Wheeling; John, who was born in 1907, and who is, in 1921, attending the Columbia Commercial College at Wheeling; and William, who was born in 1915. The family home is the attractive and modern residence property owned by Mr. Braddock at 212 Pierce Street. ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 05:38:27 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <003501bf461f$5bc91ae0$7e421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: WILLIAM J. COLE of Bluefield 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. 156 WILLIAM J. COLE has standardized, systematized and put on a commercial basis one of the oldest arts known to mankind, that of baking bread, and in the Bluefield Bakery, of which he is proprietor, has one of the largest plants of its kind in West Virginia, capable of producing the staff of life for many thousands of people every day. Mr. Cole was born at Marion in Smith County, Virginia, November 12, 1883, son of L. C. and Elizabeth (Wolf) Cole. The Coles have been in Virginia for a number of generations. His grandfather, William Cole, was a Confederate soldier in the Civil war. William J. Cole acquired a common school education at Marion and Graham in his native state, and at the age of seventeen began learning the baker's trade with the Virginia Confectionery Company at Graham. He remained there two years, and then entered the mercantile business for himself. He conducted this business successfully for about nine years, finally selling out in 1911. In Was in 1912 that Mr. Cole bought the Bluefield Bakery, and since then has given his entire time and attention to developing the plant and business. He has installed automatic machinery throughout, and the plant now has a capacity of producing 3,000 loaves of bread per hour or 48,000 in a full day's run. The Bluefield Bakery was originally started in 1900 by M. Stean, who was succeeded by Captain Barger and from him Mr. Cole bought the business. Mr. Cole married in 1905, at Graham, Virginia, Miss Mary Holbrook, daughter of John and Marie Holbrook natives of Virginia. Her father was one of the leading merchants and citizens of Graham. Mr. and Mrs. Cole had six children, William Paul, Elizabeth, Holbrook, Carlyle, Kenneth and William J., Jr. William J., Jr., died in 1920. Mr. Cole and family are members of the Lutheran Church. He is a Knight Templar and Royal Arch Mason Shriner, a member of the United Commercial Travelers the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and the Bluefield Country Club. He has been in business and earning his own way since he was seventeen, and all his prosperity has been gained by hard work and close adherence to the fundamental principles of sound business. ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 05:53:06 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <003e01bf4621$676e2500$7e421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: THURMAN ELROY VASS, M. D. of Summers 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. 156 THURMAN ELROY VASS, M. D. A highly accomplished physician and surgeon at Bluefield, Doctor Vass enjoys a secure prestige in his profession. He possesses the personality and the ability that inspire confidence, and in addition to the good work he has done at Bluefield he has a record as a medical officer with the army, having served in home camps and abroad nearly two years. Doctor Vass was born in Summers County, West Virginia, January 27, 1889, son of Phillip Edward and Eliza (Green) Vass. His parents were born in Monroe County, West Virginia, and his father was a contractor and builder who did a great deal of construction work in McDowell and Mercer counties and, in fact, all through the southern part of the state. Doctor Vass attended the graded schools of McDowell County, graduated in the academic course from the Concord Normal School in January, 1909, and for three years was in West Virginia University, the first year in the preparatory medical course and two years in the regular course. From there he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, where he graduated M. D. in 1914. Doctor Vass practiced the first year at Princeton and then moved to Bluefield, where he was well established before the war came on. He is now a member of the staff and assistant surgeon of St. Luke's Hospital. Almost as soon as America declared war against Germany he enlisted and was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps. He spent five weeks in the Medical Officers' Training School at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, was then assigned to duty at General Hospital No. 14 at Fort Oglethorpe, a month later was sent to the Base Hospital at Camp Travis, Texas, remaining there three weeks, then one month at General Hospital No. 1 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and for three weeks was at Base Hospital at Camp McClellan, Anniston, Alabama. Ordered for duty overseas, he spent six days at Camp Mills, New York, and October 7, 1918, sailed from Hoboken, landing at Liverpool, October 19th, crossed England and the Channel to La Havre, and was assigned to Rimaucourt Base Hospital Center, where he remained until January 5, 1919. From that date until January 25, 1919, he was at Base Hospital No. 13 at Limoges, and was then sent to Mehun to join the Third Ordnance Battalion as medical off! icer. February 8th this detachment moved up to San Loubes and thence to Geni Court, and from there to Bassen docks where the command sailed for home, reaching port March 5, 1919, and proceeding to Camp Merritt. From there Captain Vass went to Camp Dix, where he received his honorable discharge May 9, 1919, and then returned to Bluefield and resumed his private practice after an absence of practically two years. While still doing duty in France Doctor Vass was apprised of the death of his wife. He had married Miss Nena Beatrice Sell, of Charleston, West Virginia, in February, 1918, and she died a little more than a year later, on March 9, 1919. She was a daughter of L. A. Sell. Doctor Vass is a member of the Episcopal Church, a Royal Arch and Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner at Alzafar of San Antonio, Texas, a member of the County, State and American Medical associations, and belongs to the American Legion and Kiwanis Club. While in college he was pitcher in the baseball team, and retains an active interest in all outdoor sports. ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 06:08:43 -0500 From: "Chris & Kerry" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <004701bf4623$a3889460$7e421104@ChrisKerry> Subject: Bio: DUDLEY IRVING SMITH of Huntington, Cabell 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. 157 DUDLEY IRVING SMITH, of Huntington, has been a resident of Cabell County from the time of his birth and is now one of the more venerable native sons residing in the vital seat city, whose inception and upbuilding have been matters of familiarity to him. He was born at Guyandotte, now a part of the City of Huntington, on the 29th of October, 1845, and is a son of Dudley D. Smith, who was born on a farm near Lowell, Washington County, Ohio, and who received excellent educational training for his day. He taught school in Ohio when a young man and finally, in company with P. S. Smith, came to what is now Cabell County, West Virginia, and the two established themselves in the general merchandise business in the Village of Guyandotte. Within a short time thereafter Dudley D. Smith married Eleanor Miller, of Lawrence County, Ohio. A man of superior intellectuality and sterling character, he became an honored and influential figure in the community, and both he and his wife were earne! st members of the Methodist Church. He was a stanch Union man during the Civil war, and his freely expressed views led to his becoming disliked in the community, which was strongly Confederate in sentiment, with the result that he found it expedient to return to Ohio, where he found more congenial surroundings: Later he returned to Guyandotte, and he was one of the few Union sympathizers not taken captive in the town when it was invaded by a band of Confederate soldiers, who later evacuated the place, when its capture by Union forces seemed imminent. The occupation by Union soldiers led to the burning of thirty-five houses at Guyandotte, and in this both Union and Confederate sympathizers suffered alike, the action having been taken, doubtless, more in reprisal than as a ''military necessity'' for which claim was made. Mr. Smith .and his wife continued their residence in Cabell County until their deaths, and of their eight children only two are now living. Dudley I. Smith, the third child, was attending what is now Marshall College when the unsettled conditions incident to the Civil war caused him to go to Washington County, Ohio, where he followed farm work in the summer season and attended school during the winter. After a year he returned to the parental home, his father having at the time been conducting a small general store at Proctorville, Ohio. After a year or more of work on farms and in a brick yard Mr. Smith took a course in a business college at Cincinnati, Ohio, and thereafter he clerked a few months in a store at Gallipolis, that state. He next became clerk on a steamboat plying the Upper Ohio River, and thereafter he built and operated a wharf boat at Guyandotte, West Virginia. About a year later he sold this business and became associated with his father in mercantile pursuits at Guyandotte. In 1870, as a democrat, Mr. Smith was elected sheriff of Cabell County, and after he had served two years of his four-year term a new election was called, by legislative enactment, and he was again elected for a full term of four years. He thus served six years, and it was within this period that the Younger-James band of desperadoes robbed the Bank of Huntington. After a strenuous pursuit one of the robbers, Budd McDaniels, was killed, one, Clel Miller, captured, and the remaining two, Cole Younger and Frank James, escaped. When the new Town of Huntington was founded its rapid growth attracted to the community all sorts of people, and Ss sheriff of the county Mr. Smith found ample call upon his attention in the suppression of lawlessness and crime. In the meanwhile he had retained his interest in the store at Guyandotte, and had also engaged in the buying and selling of land. After retiring from the office of sheriff he turned his attention especially to the real estate business, and of this line of enterprise he has continued a representative to the present time. In 1902 he was elected a member of the board of county commissioners, and by successive re-elections he retained this position eighteen years, during the greater part of which he was president of the board. Upon the organization of the First National Bank of Huntington, Mr. Smith became one of its stockholders and directors, and for many years past he has been vice president of this substantial institution. He is a Royal Arch Mason and ! he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1870 Mr. Smith wedded Miss Hannah C. Miller, and they have three children: Mayme C. (widow of Dr. A. T. Cherry), George Collord and Dudley Irvin.