West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 45 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Joseph POPP, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #2 BIO: Judge Leroy HARLESS, Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] #3 BIO: James KENNEDY, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #4 WV BIO'S [OLD FOLKS ] #5 BIO: George H. SHREWSBURY, Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] #6 BIO: Valentine FRUTH, Kanawha Coun [SSpradling@aol.com] #7 BIO: C. C. SLATER, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #8 BIO: Hon. R. S. CARR, Kanawha Coun [SSpradling@aol.com] #9 BIO: Robert M. BLACKBURN, Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from WV-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to WV-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. To contact the WV-FOOTSTEPS-D list administrator, send mail to WV-FOOTSTEPS-admin@rootsweb.com. ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:35:35 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <18a1ef46.251e37b7@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Joseph POPP, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 393 JOSEPH POPP, who enjoys the distinction of being the oldest dealer in and manufacturer of harness, retail and wholesale, at Charleston, W. Va., has been a resident of Kanawha County for thirty-nine years and dur-ing all this tirne has been a busy, useful and respected citizen. He was born in the village of Konigsofen, Baden, Cermany, his mother's birthplace, September 25, 1854, and is a son of Charles and Mary B (Coetz) Popp. Charles Popp spent his entire life in Germany and was born at Lauda, in Baden, about 1800, dying there in 1874. He was a maker of window frames, a profitable trade at that time. He married Mary B. Goetz, who was about three years his junior, and her death occurred in 1886. They were members of the Roman Catholic church. Six children were born to them, all of whom married, but the only one to come to America was Joseph, who left his native land at the age of eighteen years. Joseph Popp obtained a good public school education and then learned his father's trade. He was more enterprising than the other mem-bers 6f his family and decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean and seek fortune in America. He sailed from Bremenhaven, in the steamer Leipsic, which landed him safely at Castle Garden, New York, seventeen days later, and from there he went to Pittsburg and from that city came to Kanawha County in 1875. He followed cabinet making and farming for some years but in i885 learned the trade of harness-maker with F. E. Perry. Subsequently he embarked in business for himself on Kanawha Street, Charleston, where he carried on a re-tail business for some years and then added wholesaling and now has both retail and wholesale connections that make him a leader in his line of business in this section. Mr. Popp was married at Charleston to Miss Minnie Schafer, who' was born in 1859, in Allegheny City, Pa., a daughter of Conrad and Pauline Schafer, the former of whom was horn in Wertemberg and the latter in Bavaria, Germany. They came to America on a sailing vessel and were married at Allegheny City and lived there until 1880, when they moved to Kanawha County, where the father was a farmer in Elk District and died there at the age of sixty years. Mr. and Mrs. Schafer had six children born to them, all of whom are living and four married. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Popp: Rose Mary, who lives with her parents, was educated in the parochial schools; Joseph, who was boin April '3, 1892, was afforded good educational opportunities and is in business with his father; and Mary F., who is a student in a church school. Mr. Popp and family are members of the Catholic church. They have occupied their comfortable and attractive residence erected by Mr. Popp at No.613-15 Kanawba Street, for some five years. He is an active citizen and is serving in his second term as a member of the city council. Politically he is a Democrat. Since 1905 he has been a member and treasurer of Lodge No.771, Knights of Columbus, at Charleston. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:57:43 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <21c262dd.251e3ce7@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Judge Leroy HARLESS, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 394-395 JUDGE LEROY HARLESS, now superintendent of the Kanawha County Infirmary, located eight miles west of Charleston, W. Va., was born in what is now Boone county, W. Va., August 23, 1842, and is a son of James H. and Spicey (Barker) Harless. James H. Harless was born in Giles countty, Va., where he was educated. At the time and some time after his marriage, he lived in that part of Kanawha county that now makes up Boone county, W. Va., where he owned about 300 acres of land, which has passed into the possession of his heirs. His death occurred when he was seventy years of age. He married in Kanawba county and his widow survived him some years, passing away in her eightieth year. Ten children were born to them, namely: Martha, Silas B., James B., Le-roy, Rachel, Mary, Nancy, Willa, William and Virginia. The survivors are: James B., Leroy, Rachel, Willa, William and Virginia. The parents of the above family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Tn early man-hood the father was a Whig and later became a Republican and on the ticket of that party was elected to a number of district offices. Leroy Harless was scarcely through school before he joined a volunteer military company, becoming a member of Co. B, 8th Va. Vol. Inf., recruited for the Union Army. After the termination of his first period of enlistment, he reenlisted in the 7th W. Va. Cav., with which he remained connected until the close of the war. He saw much hard fighting and bravely faced danger on a hundred occasions or more, but fortunately escaped all serious injury and when the war ended gladly resumed a life of peace. He came back to Kanawba county and for a number of years was engaged in a mercantile business on Coal river, near Fort Peytona. After this he went into the number and timber husiness which he continued until 1892, when he was elected deputy sheriff on the Republican ticket. He served in this capacity for four years under Sheriff Silman, and four years under Sheriff Copenhaver, and two more years under Sheriff John Jarrett. He was then elected a county commissioner in Kanawba county, and after serving six years returned to private life for two years, when he was appointed to his present responsible office, in 1910. He has always been a Republican and a strong party man. He has a beautiful residence at No. 1001 Bigley avenue, Charleston, which is the family home, but six days in the week he is found at the Infirmary, where all the duties pertaining to this institution are faithfully and efficiently considered, both as to the best interests of the county charges and of the tax payers. He owns a farm of 153 acres, situated in Washington district, - Kanawha county, on which his son-in-law lives as a tenant. Mr. Harless was married first on February 25, 1869, to Miss Lethia Keeney, a daughter of Foster and Eliza Keeney, of this county. She died February 7, 1907, and her burial was on Allen Creek in Kanawba county. She is survived by five children: Elmer E., Cora Ollie, Carrie 0., Gertrude and Wesley. Mr. Harless was married second, December 24, 1909, to Mrs. Rufiny (Foster) McLane, a daughter of James Foster, of Kanawha county. Mrs. Harless married first Charles Hanna, and they had one child, Minnie. No children were born to her second marriage to Charles McLane. Mr. Harless and wife attend the Bowman Metho-dist Episcopal church. He belongs to Blundon Post, G. A. R., at Charleston, and also to tl)e Odd Fellows. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 11:05:59 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: James KENNEDY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 395 JAMES KENNEDY, mine foreman for Mine No. 101, of the Sunday Creek Mine Company, in Cabin Creek District, Kanawha County, W. Va., is a well known resident of this county, where he has lived for thirty-five years, and an experienced and reliable miner. He was born October 5, 1856, in Pendleton County, Ky., and is a son of James and Mary (McKenna) Kennedy. James Kennedy, the father, was born in Ire-and where he learned the trade of brick and stone mason. He then came to America and located at Hamilton, 0., where he married Mary McKenna, who was born at Pottsville, Pa., of Irish parentage. From Ohio Mr. Ken-nedy and wife moved to Pendleton County, Ky., and there he bought a farm, but in 1861 on account of the war, he moved back to Ohio and engaged in mining near Pomeroy. He continued to live in Ohio until his sons brought him to Kanawba County, where he died in i888, at the age of sixty-five years. His wife had died three years before. Eight children were born to them: Charles, John, James, Margaret, Stephen, William, Edmund and Mary, the last named being the wife of C. P. McCafferty. During the labor troubles of 1876, the sons scattered, each seeking a home where prospects seemed more favorable, Charles going to the West and John and James coming to Kanawha County, W. Va., from which locality they subsequently sent for the family still remaining in Ohio. James Kennedy was thirteen years of age when he accompanied his father to the mines where he was set to work at tasks suitable to his age and inexperience, but he soon became a regular miner and worked as such until his marriage. About that time, in partnership with John Barrett, he opened a general store at Shrewsbury, in Kanawha County, and they operated it for seven years under the name of Kennedy & Barrett. After they closed the store Mr. Kennedy went back to mining and was for a time in the employ of J. D. Harris at Monarch and later at Shrewsbury, and was made mine foreman and served in that capacity for three years before coming to the Winifrede Mines where he was foreman for one year, when he again came hack to Shrewsbury and worked as tracklayer for several years. On March I, 1910, he took the responsible office he now so satisfactorily fills. On June 24, 1879, Mr. Kennedy was married to Miss Anna Rodgers, a daughter of J ohn and Ann Rodgers, and eleven children have been born to them, namely: Thomas, who is a mine boss under his father's supervision; Rose who is the wife of T. J. Malone; and ;Mary who is the wife of M. T. Long; Anna; James, Lawrence, William, Margaret, Edward, Raymond and Helen. Mr. Kennedy and family are members of the Good Sheperd Roman Catholic church. He is a Democrat in poli-tics and at one time was his party's candidate for county commissioner. He belongs to the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 11:41:03 -0500 From: OLD FOLKS To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <37ECFB18.9649B113@home.com> Subject: WV BIO'S Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sandy -- I am enjoying very much all the WV Bio's. Keep 'em coming! Roberta ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 14:27:26 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: George H. SHREWSBURY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 395 GEORGE H. SHREWSBURY, a member of the Kanawha County bar, is a native of West Virginia and since 1894 has been a resident of the capital city. He was born July 23, 1872, at Point Pleasant, in Mason County, and is a son of Columbus and Cynthia (Jarrett) Shrewsbury. Columbus Shrewsbury was born in West Virginia, where he became a man of public importance and large estate. He served in the office of deputy United States marshal under several Republican presidents and later was elected sheriff of Mason County, W. Va. He commanded his own steamboats on the Ohio and West Virginia great waterways. His death occurred in 1902, he having survived his wife since 1882. George H. Shrewsbury was educated at Point Pleasant and in the Normal schools at Lebanon and Ada, 0. At the former place he studied law and was graduated there in 1893, in which year he was admitted to the bar in West Virginia and then-in 1894-located at Charleston. For some years he was associated with other attorneys in practice, but later opened an office of his own in the Charleston National Bank Building. His practice is a general one. Politically he is a Republican. He takes a citizen's interest in all civic movements of importance and belongs to that class of professional men who, while not desirous of political office for themselves, have high ideals and are willing to give support to those candidates only who have proved both their honesty and capacity. Mr. Shrewsbury was married July 30, 1895, to Miss Carrie H. Seiker, a native of Lebanon, 0., and they have one child, Ruth H. Mr. Shrewsburv and wife are members of the Pres-byterian church. He is a Mason and member of other fraternal societies. The family residence is on Quarrier Street, Charleston. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 14:36:01 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <44500cd1.251e7011@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Valentine FRUTH, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 395-396 VALENTINE FRUTH, a representative business man of Charleston, W. Va., conducting a first class grocery at No.202 Kanawha Street, where he has been established for twenty-two years, was born November 5, 1858, at Pomeroy, 0., and is a son of Abraham and Anna M. (Mees) Fruth. Abraham Fruth was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1832, and died in Mason County, W. Va., May 20, 1885. He was seventeen years old when he came to the United States and with his parents settled at Pomeroy, 0., where he became a miller and millwright and carried on milling from 1845 until i860, afterward conducting a general store. He moved to Ma-son County, W. Va., where he lived retired for some years before his death. He was a strong Democrat but was in sympathy with the Fed-eral Government during the Civil War. On May 2, i85i, he was married at Pomeroy, 0., to Miss Anna M. Mees, who was born in Ger-many in 1834, and was brought to the United States by her parents in 1836. They settled at Pomeroy, 0., and later moved to Mason County, W. Va., where they died in old age. They reared a large family. Abraham and Maria (Ohlinger) Mees, maternal grandparents of Valentine Fruth, were worthy and re-spected people and were members of the Lutheran church. To Abraham and Anna M. Fruth the following children were born: Elizabeth, who died when aged nine years; Henry, who died after marriage; Matilda, who also died after marriage; Abraham, who is the junior member of the wholesale and retail meat firm of Fisher & Fruth, at Charleston, married Elizabeth Fisher and they have one son and three daughters: Valentine; Anna, who is the wife of George Fisher, of the firm of Fisher & Fruth; Emma, who is the wife of Taylor Robinson, now living in Mason Coun-ty, and has one son and one daughter. Valentine Fruth attended the public schools of Pomeroy, 0., in boyhood, and when sixteen years of age accompanied the family to Mason County, W. Va. He started to work as a mule driver in a coal mine and continued mine work, in various capacities, until he was experienced enough to be appointed a mine boss. In i889 he caine to Charleston. He had worked hard all his previous life but had been able to save little and had a very small amount of money to invest when he started his grocery store, at his present stand. Close attention, prudence and excellent judgment have contributed to Mr. Fruth's business success and he now has one of the largest grocery stocks in the city and is a very substantial citizen financially. He is a strong Democrat and has frequently been tendered public offices and is a member of the school board. He has served also in the city council where his advice on pub-ic business was of great practical value. Mr. Fruth was married at Pomeroy, 0., November 28, 1883, to Miss Emma M. Joachim, who was born at Pomeroy, October 25, 1859, and is a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Rasp) Joachim. Mr. Joachim was born in Obenheimer, Germany, and came to America with his parents, and was reared and married at Pomeroy, 0. In 1895 he came to Charleston and died February 4, 1911, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife passed away June 12, 1899, when aged sixty-three years. They were members of the Lutheran church. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fruth: Bertha E., Elbert A., and Clifford I. Bertha E., born November II, i885, was edu-cated in the public schools of Charleston. She married Clem R. Edgar, who is connected with the Baner Meat and Fish Company. Elbert A., born January 24, i886, after graduating from the Charleston High School, entered the University of Virginia and was graduated as an electrical engineer in the class of 1907. He is connected with the electrical Underwriters of Chicago Company at Milwaukee, Wis. Clifford J. was born November 28, 1895, and is a student in the Charleston High School. Mr. Fruth and family are members of the First German Evangelical Church of Charleston. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 14:41:11 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <7c3ffb1.251e7147@aol.com> Subject: BIO: C. C. SLATER, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 396-397 C. C. SLATER, postmaster at Track Fork, W. Va., on Trace Fork Creek, which is a branch of Allen's Fork, in Poca District, Kanawba County, twenty-one miles north of Charleston, owns 124/2 acres of farm land in this district, in which he was born November 7, 1854, a son of William A. and Miriam (Fisher) Slater. William A. Slater was born in Kanawha County and spent his life here, his death occurring in 1890, and his burial was on the home farm. A large portion of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, but during the last two years he conducted a small grocery business. He was a Democrat in politics and for some years served as overseer of the poor in Poca District. He mar-ried Miriam Fisher, who died in 1900. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church south. C. C. Slater attended school in Poca District and when twenty-two years of age engaged in farming with his father and after the death oi the latter, when the homestead land was divided, his portion was his pres-ent farm, which adjoins the other part. He has erected the substantial buildings on the place and carries on general farming, includ-ing the raising of stock and cattle. On November i6, 1909, he was appointed postmaster of Track Fork and is the successor of J. W. Harris, who is deceased. Mail is delivered and sent out from this point three times a week. In politics he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Postmasters' League of Kanawha County. Mr. Slater married Miss Sophia A. Hart, who was born in Mason County, Va., a daughter of Columbus and Sidney Hart, and they have had the following children: Pey-on, who resides on Frog Creek, Poca District, married Mary Lovejoy and they have three chudren-Romie, Masil and Naomi; Mary Mamy, now twenty years old is the wife of W. C. Higginbotham; Ary Amy, a twin sister of Mary M., is unmarried; G. W., who resides on Hammonds Creek, Union District, married Visa Higginbotham, and they have two children; Willia m V., who died at the age of six months; Delilah, who is deceased; Daniel D., who lives in Poca District, married Zella Fields, and they have one daughter, Delilah; and Leff., Thomas, Estel and Sidney Marian, all of whom live at home. Mr. Slater is president of the Allen Fork extension of the Big Four Telephone Company. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #8 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 14:45:42 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Hon. R. S. CARR, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 397 HON. R. S. CARR, a representative business man of Charleston, W. Va., and one who has been highly honored by his city, county and state at various times, is now largely interested in realty in this section, and through his enterprise and foresight has been the means of bringing much capital to the Kanawba Valley. He was born November 17, 1845, in Guernsey County, 0., and is a son of James and Margaret (Stuart) Carr, both natives of Ireland. >From Guernsey County, 0., the parents of Mr. Carr moved to Point Pleasant, in Mason County, Va., when he was ten years old, where he attended school and resided until 1865, when the family came to Charleston. Here he was employed as a clerk in mercantile establishments until 1877. He then embarked in the mercantile business for himself, in which he continued until 1882, when he turned his business energies in another direction. In that year lie organized a tow-boat company, of which he became president, and later he became identified with other business interests of the city and section. Although but indifferently educated, having had but few opportunities for improvement during his youth, Mr. Carr was gifted with a quick and receptive mind and developed into a close thinking and intelligent man in regard to public affairs. He has not always been identified with the same political party, his actions having been guided by principal rather than by party affiliation. Hence, from 1878 until i8So, he was connected with what was known as the Greenback party, having many of the finest types of men in the country as his co-thinkers and associate workers. Later he became a Democrat but shortly afterward he gave up allegiance to that party in order to work in the interests of what was known as the Labor party. It requires no little courage for a public man to thus change his political attitude, but Mr. Carr has always had the support of a large body of progressive men like himself. In the spring of 1879 he was elected a member of the city council of Charleston, serving three years in that body, and in 1882 was elected a county commissioner, and served as president of the board. He was elected in 1886, on the Labor ticket, a delegate from the Ninth West Virginia District. in which election he overcame the normal Democratic majority of 1200 votes. He was still further honored in the session of 1889, when he was elected president of the state senate, serving as such through two sessions. In connection with Mr. Carr's public services a unique situation may be mentioned. At the close of his last term, by simply taking the oath of office, peculiar conditions then existing in the state, he had the chance of ever afterward being numbered with the governors of West Virginia. The honor would have been but a temporary one-of but three days duration-but not every man, when retiring from public life, would have refused even this transient honor, as did Senator Carr. In 1869 Mr. Carr was married to Miss Julia E. Wilson, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Wilson, of Charleston, and they have one son, Frederick N. Carr. Although no longer very active in politics, Mr. Carr continues to be a foremost citizen and few movements of public importance are carried out in his city without his judgment being consulted. He maintains his office in the National Bank Building, Charleston. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #9 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 14:53:21 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <37c062cb.251e7421@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Robert M. BLACKBURN, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 397-398 ROBERT M. BLACKBURN, who, for a number of years was a valued and esteemed citizen of Charleston, W. Va., was born in Guilford County, N. C., not far from Hillsdale, April 5, 1850, and died at Charleston, May 14, 1901. He was a son of Robert and Martha (Washburn) Blackburn. Robert Blackburn and wife spent their lives in North Carolina, he dying at Greensboro, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife at Hillsdale, when aged forty years. The Blackburns and Washburns were both old settled families of the Old North State, where, for generations they were slave and plantation owners and were vitally concerned in all those things that made up the business and social life of the South in antebellum days. To Robert and Martha Blackburn fourteen children were born and those who survived in-fancy were the following: Robert M., the eldest; D. Luther; James; Walter, who was accidentally killed by the kick of a horse, at the age of sixteen years; Newton, who also died at the age of sixteen years; Martha, who is the wife of William A. Scott, of Greensboro, N. C.; Minnie, who is the wife of John Cook, ex-sheriff of Guilford County, N. C.; Clifford; who is dead; and Jasper, who resides at Greensboro, N. C. Robert M. Blackburn was reared in Guilford County. He was mainly educated by tutors as was the frequent custom in the homes of planters at that time, although the outbreak of the Civil war, while he was young, prevented his enjoying advantages that might otherwise have been his. When eighteen years of age he became overseer on the estate of his maternal grand father, Joseph Washburn, where he remained for some years, after which, in association with George Bennett, he entered into the tobacco trade and in the business of dealing in horses, a partnership that lasted for some years. In 1876 Mr. Blackburn became a resident of Charleston, where he embarked in the mercantile business which he successfully conducted until the close of his life. He was a man well and favorably known, honorable in all business transactions, and ever loyal to his friends and his convictions. Although no politician in the general meaning of the term, and at no time a seeker for office, he was an ardent Democrat and lent support to the candidates of the Democratic party and up-held its principles as long as he lived. He was valued member of the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias at Charleston. On June 28, 1876, at Charleston, Mr. Blackburn was married to Miss Margaret Lane, who was born in Nicholas County, W. Va., in 1856, but was reared and educated in this city. She is a daughter of Henry Clay and Hannah (Dunbar) Lane, who were born in West Virginia and lived in Nicholas County until just before the outbreak of the Civil War, when they moved to Charleston. Mr. Lane went out as a volunteer in the Mexican War, and when the Civil war broke out his services as a trained military man were gladly accepted by the Federal government, as were those, for the same reasons, of Captain Grant, of Illinois, who later became the commander-in-chief of the Union army. Major Lane served as military instructor with the rank of major. Both he and wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church-good, kindly people, who gave of their sympathy and means to all who needed help, within the circle of their acquaintance. Of their children, Mrs. Blackburn was the only daughter to reach maturity. One son, John Clay Lane, is a cotton grower in Oklahoma. Harvey E. Lane is connected with a lumber company at Charleston. William Lane resides in West Charleston. Sherman Lane and Spicer P. Lane both live in this city, while the youngest son, Henry M. Lane, is lumber inspector for a company at Crestmont, W. Va. To Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn the following children were born: Robert E., who died at the age of two and one-half years; Walter, who was born in North Carolina, died aged five months; William M., who died at Charleston when almost twelve years old; George Bennett, an educated, brilliant and popular young man, city auditor of Charleston, who died October 31, 1908, aged twenty-seven years; Lyda B., who resides with her husband at Springton, W. Va., was married to Earl Oscar Harrah, a timber dealer, March 8, 1911; Amy V., who died aged two years; Margaret, who died aged nine days; and Lillian Lane and Fay, the last named dying in infancy. Lillian Lane, the second youngest daughter, was born at Charleston nineteen years ago, and her marriage took place June 28, 1911, her parents' wedding anniversary, to William Cline Alexander. Mr. Alexander was born in Virginia and is the leading florist at Charleston. Mrs. Blackburn and her daughters are active members of the Baptist church. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm