West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 21 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Joel SHREWSBURY, Sr., Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] #2 BIO: Colonel William DICKINSON, Sr [SSpradling@aol.com] #3 BIO: Franklin NOYES, Kanawha Count [SSpradling@aol.com] #4 BIO: Bradford NOYES, Sr., Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] #5 BIO: George Goshorn, Kanawha Count [SSpradling@aol.com] #6 BIO: Israel RUE, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #7 BIO: Noah COLLY, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #8 BIO: Randall MILLER, Kanawha Count [SSpradling@aol.com] #9 BIO: John E. Newell, Hancock Count [Valerie & Tommy Crook Subject: BIO: Joel SHREWSBURY, Sr., Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 323 JOEL SHREWSBURY, SR. One of the most noted men who ever lived in the Great Kanawha Valley was Joel Shrewsbury, Senior. He came from Bedford county to Kanawba in 1813, and engaged in the manufacture of salt with Colonel William Dickinson, Sr., continuing the same until 1856, when the partnership of Dickinson & Shrewsbury was dissolved. Mr. Shrewsbury died in Kanawha in 1857, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. He has hundreds of relatives now living in the county, many of whom are among the wealthiest and most distinguished of our citizens. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:04:15 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <79787e36.2516718f@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Colonel William DICKINSON, Sr., Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 323 COLONEL WILLIAM DICKINSON, SR. Colonel Dickinson was born in Bedford county, Virginia, and came to Kanawha with Joel Shrewsbury, Sr., in 1813. He and Mr. Shrewsbury had been engaged in the manufacture of tobacco in Bedford county from 1804, and after their arrival in Kanawha, they formed a partnership in the manufacture of salt, which business they continued until 1856. Colonel Dickinson died in 1862, at the advanced age of about ninety-three. his son William is still living, and quite a number of his grandchildren are also residing in the county. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:11:25 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Franklin NOYES, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 323-324 FRANKLIN NOYES. Mr. Noyes was born in Columbia county, New York, in 1793, and emigrated to Kanawha in 1826. Soon after his arrival in Kanawha county, he engaged in mercantile pursuits, which he followed, without intermission, for thirty years. During the latter part of his life he manufactured salt, which did not prove profitable. He died in April, 1856, in the sixty-third year of his age. Not long after he came to this county he married Miss Nancy Venable, by whom he had nine children, viz: Bradford, Catharine, Isaac, Philip H., Franklin, William A., Charles, James B. and Benjamin. Three of them are dead, viz: Bradford, Isaac and Catharine. The other six are still living, and reside in Charleston. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:16:23 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <8fa935a7.25167467@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Bradford NOYES, Sr., Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 324 BRADFORD NOYES, SR. Mr. Noyes was born in Columbia county, New York, in 1788, and was a brother of the late Isaac and Franklin Noyes, who were prominent citizens of Kanawha for many years. He came here in 1809, and engaged in the business of merchandising, salt-making, &c., which be followed diligently for more than forty years, thus accumulating a handsome estate. He had four children, viz: Mary, Annie, James Bradford and Emma, all of whom are living, except Mary, the wife of John C. Ruby, who died in 1867. Mr. Noyes died in 1850, in the sixty.second year of his age. ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:19:46 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: George Goshorn, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 324 GEORGE GOSHORN George Goshorn, the father of a large family of the best and most honorable citizens of Charleston, was born in Pennsylvania in 1789. When thirty-three years of age he came to Kanawha, and engaged in business. Mr. Goshorn was a man of enterprise, and through energy and application to business, accumulated a considerable estate. He was a man of strict integrity, and maintained a good character till the time of his death, which took place at his residence in Charleston, June 24, 1845. He had five sons, viz: John H., William F., Jacob, George, Alvin and David A. All of whom are living except David, who died in 1870. They are all men of good character, and are leading citizens of Kanawha county. ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:25:39 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <884d110e.25167693@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Israel RUE, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 325 ISRAEL RUE The oldest man now living in Kanawha county is Israel Rue, colored, who resides on Davis' creek, seven miles south of Charleston. He was born in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, March 5, 1777. He was owned by Samuel Gallaway, and when he was eight years of age he was sold to James Gilkerson, of Scott county, Kentucky. According to the laws of Pennsylvania, all slaves born after the passage of the Declaration of Independence were to be made free at the age of twenty-eight. This law was afterwards changed, granting freedom at the age of twenty-one. After Uncle Israel reached the age of twenty-eight, he brought suit for his freedom at Newport, Kentucky, and employed Hon. Richard M. Johnson, who afterwards became Vice-President of the United States, as his attorney, promising him one year's labor for his fee. He obtained his freedom, but Mr. Johnson did not require him to work the full year. He came to Kanawha shortly after the beginning of the present century, to labor for Robert Johnson, the father of Hon. Richard M. Johnson, who was at that time manufacturing salt above the mouth of Campbell's creek, on the lands of Colonel David Ruffner. Mr. Johnson, however, did not reside in the valley longer than two years, but Uncle Israel, being favorably impressed with the country, and the salt manufacturing business, remained in Knnawha, and although nearly one hundred years of age, he is still here. Uncle Israel is small in stature, and was once very active. A few weeks since, he walked from his homestead on Davis creek to Charleston, a distance of seven miles, and returned the next day, without material injury. He connected himself with the Baptist church a few years since, and is confident that, although he spent over ninety-five years in worldly life, he is now saved through the riches of redeeming Grace. ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:33:55 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Noah COLLY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 326 NOAH COLLY. Noah Colly came to Kanawha about 1814. He was a tall, stout mulatto, and drove a dray in Charleston for a full half-century, or longer. He was the only undertaker in Charleston during about forty years. The carpenters always made the burial cases, while uncle Noah drove the hearse, and laid the dead in their graves. He was sexton of the Presbyterian church for a great many years. He was made free in early life, and prized his liberties very highly, although he was not overbearing or insulting in his nature or demeanor. He died in 1869, at the age of seventy-six. His funeral took place from the Presbyterian church, and was largely attended, by both white and colored citizens. ______________________________X-Message: #8 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:39:38 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Randall MILLER, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Kanawha County George W. Atkinson 1876 p. 326-327 RANDALL MILLER Randall Miller, better known in Kanawha as "Uncle Dock, the teamster," was born at Goochland Court House, Virginia, on the James river, forty miles from Richmond, about the year 1795. He was a slave, and had no means of knowing exactly when he was born. The nearest that he can arrive at his age, is from the fact, that he was nearly grown when the war of 1812 with Great Britain took place. He was owned by Humphrey Paraish, and at the marriage of his daughter with Willis McKain, uncle Dock became the property of the latter. Mr. McKain moved to Charlottesvflle, when Uncle Dock was about eighteen years of age, and hired him to the person who had the contract for building the main building of the University of Virginia. He remained there three years, and says that he saw President Jefferson nearly every day during that time. >From Charlottesville he moved with his master, Mr. McKain, to Cabell county, where he remained for about fifteen years. When about thirty-five years of age, he was sold to Ezra Walker, who brought him to Charleston, and for eleven years he drove a team for Mr. Frederick Brooks, during which time he laid by a sufficiency of money, with which he purchased his freedom. After he became free, he purchased a team, and drove a hack between Charleston and the most celebrated mineral springs in the Alleghany Mountains, during the summer seasons ; while in the winter, he did job work with his team in and about Charleston. He is now too old to perform hard labor, yet he is in good health, and does not seem to be very much inconvenienced from his advanced age. ______________________________X-Message: #9 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:11:26 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990919131126.00e01610@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: John E. Newell, Hancock County, WV 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 III, pg. 245 Hancock County JOHN E. NEWELL. It would be impossible to deal prop- erly with the men of Hancock County whose names stand out conspicuously in the banking interests of the county, ami who through inherent characteristics and achievements have contributed to the upbuilding and development of the community of Chester without paying special attention to John E. Newell, president of the First National Bank of Chester and of the Hancock County Building and Loan Company, for it is one that compels more than passing mention. For a number of years he has been prominently identified with financial, industrial and agricultural mat- ters, and such has been his force of character and natural inclinations that he has attained prominence, not only as a thorough business man, but as manager of large affairs, in which he has displayed marked executive ability. Mr. Newell was born in Tomlinson's Run, near Pugh- town, Hancock County, where his grandfather, John Newell, ran a mill, December 22, 1861, and is a son of Hugh Newell. John Newell, the grandfather, was a son of Hugh Newell, who built the old fort on his farm, and was him- self the original settler of this section, from Cross Creek, Washington County, Pennsylvania. John Newell was a tanner by trade, and at the age of twenty-one years came to Pughtown, where he operated a tannery in the village, his son Hugh being born here in 1827. Hugh as a lad assisted his father in operating a grist mill, which was later sold, John Newell then building a mill further down, known later as the Baxter or Hartford mill. This he also sold to settle on a farm at Newell, a nice level property on the "hill," a part of which is now owned by the Vil- lage of Newell. There he resided from about 1837 until his death, at the age of eighty-six years, in 1884, being laid to rest at Fairview Plats, Pughtown. His first wife was a Miss Elder, who died without issue. His second wife was Lydia Edie, of Hancock County, who was the mother of Hugh Newell. His third wife was a widow, Mrs. Jo- hanna (Hastings) Frazier, who survived him. They had no children, but Mrs. Frazier had two sons who served in the Confederate army during the war between the states, while Mr. Newell had two sons serving in the Union army at the same time. The children born to John and Lydia (Edie) Newell were as follows: Hugh, the father of John E.; Elizabeth, who married Alfred Marks and died in Han- cock County; William, who was in the United States army and later went to California as a freighter on the plains, and died in the West; Rachael, who married George S. Harker, a pioneer pottery man, and died at East Liver- pool, Ohio; George, who went to Colorado after his parents' death and died there; Benjamin, who lived on the old home farm and for whom the Village of Newell was named; and Rev. James, who served as a lieutenant in the Union army during the Civil war, after which he became a minis- ter of the Presbyterian Church, preached locally for a time, then served in California, where he became pastor emeritus of Bethesda Church at Los Angeles, Washington and Jefferson College and Allegheny Seminary. Hugh Newell, the father of John E. Newell, conducted a mill until coming to Chester with his wife's brother, Alfred Marks, with whom he was in partnership for several years. Later he bought land on Marks' Run, a property of about 500 acres, on which he lived from 1871 until his death in 1903, breeding sheep and clearing up a good deal of land. This old farm, the present residence of his son John E., whose home is but a short distance from that of his brother Samuel, at the old residence, lies about one- half mile back from the Ohio River, up Marks' Run. Hugh's residence was about one mile from the bank at Chester. Hugh Newell was active in securing the building of a bridge across the Ohio River to East Liverpool, served as school trustee, acted as roadmaster and was one of the organizers and the first president of the Hancock County Building and Loan Company. His wife was Alizan Marks, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Ferree) Marks. Her maternal grandfather Ferree, of French origin, was a manufacturer of guns at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and on moving to Coryopolis, then old Middletown, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, was said to have manufactured the first rifles to be made west of the mountains, these being tested by his daughter Mary, according to her personal statement some years ago to her grandson, John E. Newell. Samuel and Mary (Ferree) Marks came to Hancock County about 1818, and their old stone house is still standing, it having been built when their daughter Alizan was about thirteen years of age. Samuel Marks had a 100-acre tract of land, patented by President Washington, including what is now the upper end of Chester. A son, Alfred, suc- ceeded to the ownership, and his old farm is now covered by the Potteries Park, etc., including the old stone house. Alizan Newell, who was born on this farm, in the same year as her husband, died five years later. Her brothel- Alfred, who passed almost his entire life in the old stone house referred to, died as the result of an accident. Mr. and Mrs. Newell were faithful members of the Presby- terian Church. He was a Union man, an honorable citizen, and a man who was greatly respected in his community. He and his wife had five children: Mary, the widow of Dr. Hamlin Barnes, of Cleveland, Ohio; John E.; Anna, the wife of S. W. Root, of Los Angeles, California; Frank, the owner of a fruit ranch at Bakersfield, California; and Samuel, residing on the old home place as a partner of his brother John E. John E. Newell received a public school education and as a youth adopted the vocation of farmer, one which he has never relinquished, although numerous other interests have also attracted his attention. In partnership with his brother Samuel he is the owner of 450 acres of land, on which he is carrying on dairying with a herd of Holstein cattle, supplying milk by wholesale. He has also met with success as a fruit grower, raising apples and peaches, with twenty-five acres in fruit, mostly set on the higher land. A few miles inside the "horseshoe," partly surrounded by the Ohio River, constitutes what is recognized as one of the best fruit-growing sections in this part of the United States. The hills are some 500 feet above the river and are comparatively free from frost injury, and even in 1921, a notoriously bad year for fruit, a good apple crop was harvested here. Mr. Newell is president of the National Bank of Chester, having succeeded the first president, Judge Campbell. He is also president of the Hancock County Building and Loan Company. As a public-spirited citizen he has accepted the responsibilities of public life, and as the regular party nominee was sent to the State Legislature for the session of 1902-1903, during Governor White's term of office. He has since served as county commissioner, the county jail and residence of the sheriff being erected during his term of office, and during the World war he was chairman of the Hancock County Draft Board. With his family he belongs to the Presbyterian Church at Chester, in which he is president of the board of trustees. Mr. Newell married Miss Minnie Rose, of Chester, daugh- ter of Samuel F. and Martha (Pugh) Rose, Mr. Rose hav- ing been an early merchant of Chester, now deceased. Mrs. Rose was a daughter of John Pugh, of the family who settled Pughtown, the old county seat of Hancock County. The five children of Mr. and Mrs. Newell all reside with their parents, being: Helen R., a teacher at Chester; Martha M., a teacher at Newell; Frances E., a teacher in the high school at Newell; Rachael E., a student in the West Virginia University, from which she will graduate as a member of the class of 1924; and John Roscoe, who is attending the high school at Chester. ______________________________X-Message: #10 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:12:47 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990919131247.00e07ec0@trellis.net> Subject: HIST: Hancock Co. Building and Loan Co. 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 III, pg. 246 Hancock County HANCOCK COUNTY BUILDING AND LOAN COMPANY. The wonderful growth of realty values during the '90s in Northern West Virginia brought to the forefront a class of men who for general ability, astuteness and driving force have been seldom surpassed in the annals of trade in this section. It is all well enough to say that condi- tions develop men, but it is better and more accurate to state that men bring about conditions. Hancock County owes what it is to the men who had the courage to perse- vere, to act wisely and to keep their operations clean in one of the most difficult fields of endeavor. In 1899, when Chester was but a small village, the urgent demand for more homes made the time opportune for the organization and operation of a modern savings and loan association in the community. The original plan of the Hancock County Building and Loan Company was devel- oped and formulated by a few of the leading citizens in the latter part of 1899, and December 31 of that year the association was incorporated under the laws of the State of West Virginia, by S. T. Herbert, G. Y. Travis, N. G. MacCrum, J. W. Gipner, O. C. Vodrey, C. A Smith, S. F. Rose, W. N. Voegtly. William Banfield, J. E. McDonald and Hugh Newell, with a total subscription of $6,100 as the capital thereof, and paid in on said subscriptions, $610. On January 10, 1900, the stockholders met and elected the following directors: Hugh Newell, C. A. Smith, J. E. McDonald, S. T. Herbert, S. F. Bose, J. W. Gipner, G. Y. Travis, O. C. Vodrey and W. N. Voegtiy. The board then organized by electing Hugh Newell, president; C. A. Smith, vice president; S. T. Herbert, secretary; N. G. MacCrum, treasurer; and G. Y. Travis, attorney. The Hancock County Building and Loan Company com- menced business in a modest and unassuming manner March 8, 1900, and for four years thereafter its office and place of meetings were in the law offices of Herbert & Travis at East Liverpool, Ohio. The first application for a loan was made by James S. Cochrane, of Chester, and was granted. The first secretary received a salary of $25 per year for the years 1900 and 1901, $50 for the year 1902, and $9 for the year 1903. On March 17, 1904, the offices of the association were removed to the rooms of the First National Bank of Chester, West Virginia, and S. T. Herbert having resigned as secretary and N. G. MacCrum as treasurer, O. O. Allison was elected to the dual office of secretary-treasurer. During the early days of the life of the association it was impossible to supply the money necessary to make the loans required by the people of Chester and the vicinity, and realizing that the home is the bulwark of civilization, that every individual or institution that makes it easier for the general public to build or purchase a home adds strength and perpetuity to their government and prosper- ity to their community, the board of directors resolved to put forth every effort to induce the people to become mem- bers of the association, which has resulted in hundreds of people building and owning their own homes. The men behind the company are responsible for its success. They are not new in this section of the country nor are they new to the building and loan business. They have been born and reared in this part of the country and hence know the value of the property upon which they make loans. The association is now firmly established in the confidence and esteem of the people of West Virginia and adjoining states, as the best place in this section of the country to save money at an earning rate of not less than 5 per cent per annum compounded semi-annually, or to borrow money on easy terms either on farm or city prop- erty. This splendid reputation has been secured by prompt service, fair dealing, safe business methods and economical management during the more than twenty years of its existence. The present officers of the company are: John E. Newell, president; A. B. Allison, vice president; O. O. Allison, secretary; Daniel S. Dawson, assistant secretary; O. O. Allison, treasurer. Perry L. Rigby, attorney, and these gentlemen (with the exception of Mr. Dawson), form the board of directors, together with the following: R. W. Pugh, Thomas C. Glenn, Robert R. Hobbs, Thomas G. Stewart, A. L. Skinner, Frank Finley, W. W. Thompson, J. C. Cunningham, J. S. D. Mercer, Thomas B. Timothy and George E. Conkle. ______________________________X-Message: #11 Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:12:08 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990919131208.00e01170@trellis.net> Subject: HIST: Fisrt National Bank of Chester, Hancock Co., WV 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 III, pg. 245-246 Hancock County FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHESTER. During the twenty years of its existence the First National Bank of Chester has developed into one of the strongest financial organiza- tions for a community of its size to be found in the north- ern part of the State of West Virginia, and one which has won its standing in banking circles and in the confi- dence of the general public through a strong yet conserva- tive policy, honorable representation and the connection therewith of men of known integrity and probity. This financial institution was opened October 15, 1903, its original capital being $50,000. The original board of directors included the following: Judge Joseph A. Camp- bell, president, now deceased: Joseph N. Finley, vice presi- dent, as now; F. W. Stewart, now deceased; John R. Donahue, now deceased; James Porter, now deceased; C. F. Allison, at that time sheriff of Hancock County, and now deceased; John E. Newell; John D. Stewart, now deceased; J. H. Maxwell; George B. Ahrendts; Mark Mil- ler; A. B. Allison; S. E. Calhoon; and T. R. Cunningham, now deceased. O. O. Allison was the first cashier, but was not then a member of the board of directors. Since the opening a number of changes have taken place in the personnel of the board, but the same policy of conservatism and honorable conduct has been adhered to. The present board consists of the following: John E. Newell, president; O. O. Allison, cashier; Joseph N. Fin- ley, first vice president; George E. Lewis, M. D., second vice president; J. C. Cunningham, E. C. Stewart, Robert R. Hobbs, S. A. Stewart, J. M. Calhoon and R. M. Ramsey. The present home of this banking house, which was erected in 1907, at a cost of $20,000, includes the bank, a store and general offices overhead. At the close of business December 31, 1921, the resources of the bank were over $790,000, and the deposits over $600,000. *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ***********************************************************************