West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 53 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: James B. MENAGER, Kanawha Cou [SSpradling@aol.com] #2 BIO: Rev. Joseph S. JENKINS, Kanaw [SSpradling@aol.com] #3 BIO: George F. COYLE, Kanawha Coun [SSpradling@aol.com] #4 BIO: John SMITH, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #5 BIO: William Wirt BRANCH, Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] #6 BIO: Henry E. WEISE, Kanawha Count [SSpradling@aol.com] #7 BIO: James M. GATES, Kanawha Count [SSpradling@aol.com] #8 BIO: George G. REYNOLDS, Kanawha C [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: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 05:34:05 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <23c4438a.251f428d@aol.com> Subject: BIO: James B. MENAGER, 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. 453-454 JAMES B. MENAGER, who for many years has been a leading member of the West Virginia bar, and since the spring of 1903 an active and interested citizen of Charleston, bears a name tilat has been one of more or less distinction in America since his ancestors left France and Holland for these shores at the time of the French Revolution. He was horn in Mason county, Va., October 23, 1850, and is a son of Louis B. and Cornelia (Steenbergen) Menager. Louis B. Menager, father of our subject, was born in Ohio, a son of Claudius R. and Mary (Bobin) Menager, colonists from France, who left Paris prior to the storming of the Bastile. Ohio offered them a home and at Gallipolis they spent the remainder of their lives, which were worthy in every particular. Claudius Menager became one of the men of wealth and influence in that town and reared a family that has been proud of its American citizenship. The fourth son, Louis B., was offcred excellent educational advantages, and he, in turn, became a man of influence in his community. His life was mainly devoted to agriculture, although his ed-ucation and natural talents qualified him to be-come a successful advocate. From Ohio he removed to Mason county, Va., where he became a leading citizen, taking a prominent part in public affairs. When the Civil War cloud began to loom threateningly upon the political horizon, Louis B. Menager went on record as a strong opponent of -secession. He lived to see the triumph of the Union cause, his death taking place in June, 1870. He was twice married and was survived by four children. Maria a child of the first marriage, became the wife of Rev. George T. Lyle. The children of the second marriage were Ida, who became the wife of Dr. L. F. Campbell; James B., and Julius L. James B. Menager, after attending Bethany College, in West Virginia, completed his liter-ary education at Washington and Lee Univer-sity, where he was a student during the last year that Gen. Robert E. Lee was its president. Mr. Menager subsequently taught school for one year in Mason county and then took up the study of law in the office of Hon. C. P. T. Moore. He was admitted to the bar of West Virginia February 25, 1872, and for thirty-eight years has been engaged in the practice of his profession in his native state, for twenty-nine years of that time at Point Pleasant and since then at Charleston. In 1880 he was elected prosecuting attorney and served in that exacting office for four years, retiring with an honorable record. For a number of years he was concerned in much of the important litigation in this part of West Virginia, but in recent years has somewhat lessened his activities. In his earlier political life he was a Republican, casting his first Presidential vote for Gen. U. S. Grant. He served as delegate to Republican conventions and was an elector on the Garfield and Arthur ticket. Differing from the majority of his party on the currency ques-tion at the tune the free coinage of silver began to be agitated, he followed the lead of his own convictions and identified himself with the Democratic party. He has studied the public welfare with unprejudiced mind and gives his support to men and measures according to his own ripened judgment. Mr. Menager was married, June 14, 1886, to Fannie Sehon Pomeroy, who was horn at Pomeroy, Ohio, a town that perpetuates the name of her grandfather. She was a descendant on the maternal side of Col. Charles C. Lewis, who fell at the Indian battle of Point Pleasant, October 10, 1774. Mrs. Menager died in 1902, survived by four children-Charles L., Sibyl C., Frances P. and Louis B. Mr. Menager and family attend the Presbyte-rian church. He is identified by membership with a number of fraternal organizations, including the Masons, Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows and Elks. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 05:41:25 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <1fbf7b27.251f4445@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Rev. Joseph S. JENKINS, 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. 454-455 REV. JOSEPH S. JENKINS, minister of the Methodist Episcopal chtirch, now stationed at MaIden, Kanawha County, W. Va., and one of the most highly esteemed citizens of this sec-tion, resides on a valuable farm of 138 acres, which lies three miles from Charleston in Kanawha County, W. Va. He was born May I, 1835, in Appomattox County, Va., on the present site of Pamplin City, and is a son of Thomas and Martha B. (Fore) Jenkins. Thomas Jenkins was born in 1797, in Prince Edward County. Va.. aud his death occurred in 1883. in Kanawha County, W. Va. He was educated in the subscription schools and was a man of fine natural talent. He learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed until 1842, when he moved with his family to Kana-wha County, where he purchased 330 acres of wooded land. The remainder of his active life was devoted more or less to the clearing and cultivating of his land and he became an extensive and successful farmer for his day and surroundings. He was never a politician in the strict sense of the term, but cast his vote in early days with the Whig party. He was widely known for his many sterling qualities. Hospitality to strangers he made a duty, and many a weary traveler found welcome and refreshment at his fireside. He married Martha B. Fore, who was born in 1808, also in Prince Edward County, and died in Kanawha County, W. Va., in 1881. Both she and husband were laid to rest in a private cemetery on their own land. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and all their lives were con-sistent Christians. Before coming to Kanawha County they had the following children born to them: William H.. John R., Martha Susan, Robert T., Mary A. B., Joseph S., Catherine B., Martha J. and L. R. After settling in Kana-wha County, three more children were added to the family : America Virginia, Plina Annettie and G. W. Joseph S. Jenkins was seven years old when the family moved to West Virginia, and was mainly educated in the local schools and later at Gallipolis. Ohio, where he was under the instruction of Professor Siears for three years. In 1859 he became a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church and has been in active service of the ministry ever since, his labors being mainly confined to West Virginia, but preached some in Kentucky and Ohio. Few men are better known in the section where he labored in the ministry, and surely none are more highly respected, if preaching of funerals and solemnization of matrimony are an indication of respect and appreciation. In 1857 Mr. Jenkins was married first to Sarah A. Humphrey, who was horn in Kana-wha County, a daughter of Samuel H. and Elizabeth Humphrey of Union District. She died in 1887 and her burial was in the family cemetery. Three children survived her, namely: Leonidas L., who is a shareholder in the 20th Street Bank of Huntington, W. Va., and now is a resident and merchant at Ashland, Ky.; Laura V., who was a much beloved teacher in Union District, and died at the age of twenty-three years; and Leodora B., who became the wife of Samuel L. Fariley. They had one child, Anna Laura, who died when aged seventeen months and Mrs. Farlley died shortly atferward. Mr. Jenkins was married secondly to Mrs. Mary Morgan, who was born in Kana-wha County and died in 1906, at Charleston. Mr. Jenkins' third marriage was to Mrs. Emily C. (Shirkey) Guthrie, who was the widow of John Guthrie. Mr. Jenkkis is a pronounced Prohibitionist in politics. Owing to a defect in his hearing he took a Superanuate relation iji the West Virginia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1900, but has filled four pastoral charges since that relation, and is now pastor at Malden, building a new brick church. He is active and in the possession of good health, preaches from two to three sermons per week, and attends to his pastoral labors. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 05:46:07 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: George F. COYLE, 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. 455 GEORGE F. COYLE, a member of the well known firm of Coyle & Richardson, Charleston, W. Va., was born in Berkeley County, Va. (now West Virginia), in 1852, a son of Ed-ward V. and Mary Winpyglar Coyle. His great-grandfather, James Coyle, emigrated to this country from Donegal in the North of Ireland in the year 1745, settling as a pioneer in what Is now Jefferson County, West Virginia. A part of his original estate is still in the family name, being the home of a brother of our subject, Jerome B. Coyle. Edward V. Coyle, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Jefferson County Au-gust I, i86o, and died in Berkeley County in May, 1890. His sympathies were with the South in the war of 61-65; and although too old to serve as a soldier he was active in his aid to the Confederacy and was held a prisoner at Fort McHenry for several months, not having been released until some time after the war was over. Three of his sons were in the Confederate Army, one of them, Joseph C. Coyle, a mem-her of the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, was killed at the age of twenty-two while on a scouting expedition with a detachment of Colonel Mosby's command, in 1864. The other sons, James W. and Jerome R, escaped all serious casualities, the former dying at his home in Jefferson County some years after the war. Mr. Coyle was married in Thomasville, Ga., in 1884 to Miss Nannie G. Coyle, no relation, though of the same family name. She was born in North Carolina, and is the daughter of Dr. Thomas Finley and Nancy (Cardwell) Coyle, members of prominent North Carolina families. Mr. and Mrs. George Coyle are the parents of two children, Margaret Lynn and George Lacy. The former was educated in the p~blic and high schools of Charleston and private school in Baltimore. George was educated in the public schools and at Fishburne's Military School, and Washington and Lee University. He now holds a responsible position in the Coyle & Richardson store. The Coyle family are all active members of the First Presbyterian church of Charleston, and take an active interest in every movement for the moral and material betterment of the community. The firm of Coyle & Richardson is composed of George F. Coyle and J. Lynn Richardson; the two partners having been associated since boyhood, commenced business in Charleston in 1884, and now have one of the handsomest, largest and best equipped business houses in the city, and a business that is second to none in the state. Their store is on the corner of Capitol and Lee streets, the most prominent and accessible part of the city. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 05:55:15 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <17a73204.251f4783@aol.com> Subject: BIO: John SMITH, 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. 455-456 JOHN SMITH, who has been a resident of Kanawha County, W. Va., the greater part of his life and now conducts a first class meat market at Cedar Grove, was born December 4, 1869, in Loudon District, Kanawha County, and is a son of John and Marjorie (Flayman) Smith. The parents of Mr. Smith were natives of Scotland and they were reared and married there and did not start for -America until after their first child was born. The father came to the mining sections of Kanawha County and was a very industrious and reliable man, servmg under Joseph Patterson, a well known con-tractor, in tunnel construction. His death cc-curred in 1882, in Louden District, at the age of fifty-two years. He married Marjorie Flay-man, who died in 1896, at the age of fifty-two years. Six children weTe bom to them, namely: Catherine, who is the wife of 0. G. Griffith; Jennie, who is the wife of Charles E. Simpson; and George L., Frank, John and Joseph P. Mr. Smith spent his early boyhood in work-ing on the farm on which his parents lived and attending the country schools; and later became a miner at the Acme mines on Cabin Creek and still later at other mines. In 1904 he came to Cedar Grove to work at the Sunday Creek mines' and has remained here ever since, on December I, 1910, going into partnership with C. E. Chandler in the meat business. They continued together until June, 1911, when Mr. Smith bought Mr. Chandler's interest and he now does a very satisfactory business, having a fine local trade and operating a wagon through' the mining district. Mr. Smith was married first to Miss Carrie Angel, and after her death was married to Miss Augusta Jackson, a daughter of Edward Jackson, of Hernshaw, W. Va., and they have one child, Virginia. Politically he is a Democrat. He is identified with the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows, both at Marmet. W. Va. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 06:01:01 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <72784d95.251f48dd@aol.com> Subject: BIO: William Wirt BRANCH, 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. 456-459 WILLIAM WIRT BRANCH was born in Kirtland, Ohio, September 5, 1835, and died in Charleston, W. Va., April 12, 1907, at the age of seventy-one years, seven months and seven days. He was descended from Peter Branch of Kent County, England, who with his son John emigrated to America in 1632. The father dying on ship-board, the son landed on an island in Massachusetts Bay, which was afterwards called Branch's Island. On his mother's side, his ancestry traced to Roger Williams. His mother, Lucy J. Bar-tram, being also a direct descendant of the famous botanist of that name. William Branch, grandfather of the sub-ject of this sketch, enlisted in the Conti-nental Army at the age of seventeen and served through the entire war, being engaged in many of the most noted battles, Brandywine, Monmouth, Fort Miffliii, and others. He was with Washington at Val-ley Forge. He was present at the court-martial of Maj. Andre, and was one of the three guards who removed the body from the gallows. Later, in the War of 1812 he was commissioned a lieutenant. William Witter Branch, the father of William Wirt Branch, was a man of much prominence in Lake County, Ohio. Being a wagon-maker by trade, and later being admitted to the bar in 1842, he arose through his own efforts, and was elected to Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and served capably on the bench for many years. He encouraged the building of railroads in his section, and it was largely due to his influence that the opposition to the construction of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern was overcome. William Wirt Branch was the oldest of nine children. He had a common school education, and after teaching for several years, during which time he studied law, he was admitted to the bar in Cleveland. His tastes and talents led him also to mechan-ical pursuits and manufacturing. He in-vented and patented several labor saving devices, and becoming interested in the lumber industry, he finally gave up the law. The veneer industry today owes much to him for the many improvements he made in veneer cutting machinery. He was one of the pioneers in the industry in this country, and was introduced at the first meeting of the National Veneer and Panel Mantifacturers Association as "The Father of the Veneer Industry." He established the W. W. Branch Veneer and Lumber Company, in Madison, Ohio, in 1867, and in 1884 moved to Charleston, W. Va., where it soon grew to be one of the important business concerns of the city. A man of public spirit, he gave active support to all movements of a public nature that his judgment approved, and was an especially ardent advocate of educational enterprises. Politically, he was a Demcrat, but ever lifted his voice in behalf of purity and honesty of government. He was prominent and active in the Masonic fraternity, having his membership in Kanawha Lodge No. 20; Tyrian Chapter No. 13; Kanawha Commandery No.4; and in Beni-Kedem Temple A; A. 0. N. M. S. In 1876 he was married to Miss Annie M. 'Lewis in Utica, N. Y. Three children were born to them. The wife, two children, two brothers, and four sisters survived him. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 06:04:40 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <39bbd725.251f49b8@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Henry E. WEISE, 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. 459 HENRY E. WEISE, who is head carpenter for the Marmet Coal Company, at Hernshaw, Loudon District, Kanawha County, W. Va., is a skilled mechanic, in addition to being competent in the cirpenter line, being also a first class blacksmith. He was born in the State of New York, Oc-tober 5, 1862, and is a son of Charles and Susan (Renne) Weise. Charles Weise was born in Pennsylvania, learned the carpenter's trade in his youth and followed it during all his active years, passing the closing years of his life at Lebanon, Pa., where he died in his eighty-sixth year. He married Susan Renne and they had eight children. Henry E. Weise attended the public schools in boyhood and then learned 'the blacksmith's trade which he followed in his native state for eight years and then learned the carpenter's trade' with his father. Prior to coming to West Virginia he worked as a carpenter in Pennsylvania and later worked at the trade for six years at Davis Creek. In 1898 he accepted his present Position, working first as carpenter but soon afterward being promoted to be head car-penter. He has a large amount of responsibility resting on him in this position and has a number of men in his employ. Mr. Weise has a pleasant home at Hem-shaw, with wife and children. He married Miss Lulu Cotton, and they have two sons, Harry and Charles. He is a 'Republican in his political views, Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 06:08:59 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <4b4e1640.251f4abb@aol.com> Subject: BIO: James M. GATES, 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. 459-460 JAMES M. GATES, who was a prosperous business man and respected citizen of Charleston, W. Va., for many years, was born in Gallia County, 0., a son of Moses and Harriet (Baultzett) Gates, and died at his home at Charleston, January 15, 1904, aged sixty-eight years. He was a younger member of a large family born to his parents and he is survived by his youngest brother, George Gates, who is a retired citizen of Cincinnati. The father was a black-smith by trade and the sons served an ap-prenticeship at the forge and anvil. Mr. Gates was quite a young man when he came to Charleston and shortly afterward en-listed for service as a drummer boy in the 23d Virginia regiment, which was recruited in this section for the Civil War. Ile re-mained in the army for four years and after the close of hostilities, returned to Charles-ton and embarked in the grocery business, but a few years afterwards sold 'out and from then until the time of his last illness, he conducted a paint and wall paper business. He was careful, shrewd and foresighted and thus was always able to protect his business interests and accumulated val-uable property. The business now conducted under the name of J. M. Gates' Sons Company, was previous to the death of Mr. J. M. Gates run under his own name, and years ago was run under the title of "Gates Bros.," he having two other brothers in connection with the same at that time, namely: Virgil A. Gates and George' W. Gates. His other two brothers were John Francis, a Universalist minister, formerly of Buffalo, N. Y., and Daniel Haskeli, a farmer and statesman, of Round Knob, Put-nam C,ounty, W. Va., both being now de-ceased. Mr. Gates was married June 2, 1862, at what is now St. Albans, Kanawha County, to Miss Virginia Rand, who was born in Iowa City, Ia., and was four years old when her parents, Christopher C. and Nancy (Pines) Rand, moved to Kanawha County. Later they came to Charleston where Mr. Rand died 'at the age of sixty-eight years and Mrs. Rand when aged seventy-three years. Mrs. Gates was reared and carefully educated at Charleston. She is one of a large family, not many of whom survive. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Gates are as follows: James Henry, who is a member of the firm of J. M. Gates' Sons Co., of Charleston; Cora Matilda, who is the wife of Cameron Savage, a timberman of Charleston, and has two children; George Daniel, who is in the bicycle and phono-graph business in Charleston; Daniel Haskell, who is associated with his brothers in the paint business, is married and has two sons; William Stevens and Jesse Arthur, both of whom are members of the J. M. Gates' Sons Co.; Virginia Rand, who is the wife of Alva R. Fisher, a railroad man, re-sides in Cincinnati and has one son, Marion M.; Edward Psalmon (twin brother of George D.) who died at the age of thirteen years; Albert Rand, also deceased; Henry and Eben, who are also deceased, both dying in infancy. Mrs. Gates resides in her pleasant home at No.408 Broad Street. In politics, Mr. Gates was a Democrat. He was reared in the Universalist faith and has always adhered to it and his children also belong to that church. He was a man of sterling character and throughout life was looked on by his fellow citizens as an honorable and up-right man, charitable in the extreme in times of any public calamity, ready with both his purse and his sympathy. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #8 Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 06:15:17 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: George G. REYNOLDS, 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. 460-461 GEORGE G. REYNOLDS, postmaster at Elk View, and for many years one of the prominent citizens of Elk District, Kanawha County, is the proprietor of a flourishing mercantile establishment, and has besides other business interests. He was born Oct. 6, 1857, near Elk View, Va. (now W. Va.), a son of John T. and Mary (Given) Reynolds, and is a grandson of Reuben Reynolds, a pioneer of Roane County. John T. Reynolds was born November 13, 1813, in Lewis County, Va., and as a young man accompanied his parents to Roane County. In 1865 he located in Elk District, Kanawha County, where he carried on a mercantile business for fifteen years. In the year 1880 he retired and the remainder of his life was spent on his farm. Politically he was a Republican and an active worker for his party. He served seven years as justice of the peace at a time when the incumbent of that office was the head of the county court; he was a delegate to various conventions and in 1866 was appointed postmaster at Elk View, then the old Blue Creek postoffice. John T. Reynolds married first Nancy Vineyard, daughter of Presley Vineyard and by her had four children-Presley V., John P., Archie P. and Harriett Y.-of whom all three of the sons served in the Civil War. Mr. Reynolds married for his second wife Mrs. Mary (Given) James, who was born in 1823, a daughter of George and Margaret (McGuffin) Given. Her father located near Elk View before the war and at one time owned most of the district. To John T. and Mary Reynolds were born three children-Margaret J. (now de-ceased), Mary E., who married Charles Campbell; and George G. George G. Reynolds attended school until he was nineteen years old and for fifteen years subsequently taught school, his summers however being spent in farming. He worked for his father until reaching the age of twenty-three, and then purchased a farm on Indian Creek, which he operated for three years, but eventually returned to the old homestead. Later he succeeded his father in the mercantile business which he has conducted to the present time. He has also engaged in leasing and operating coal mines. On May 26, 1880, Mr. Reynolds was married to Miss Lenora Slack, who was born June 18, 1860, a daughter of Major Hedgeman Slack, an old resident of this district. To Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have been born six children, namely: Florence, who is re-siding at home; John H., who is a railroad engineer; Charles G., who is engaged in farming on the home place; Lewis D., who assists his father in the store; M. Ruth; and Allie, who is deceased. Mr. Reynolds is a member of the Masonic order, (Clendenin Lodge No. 126); also of the Knights of Pythias, No.147, of Blue Creek, in which he has passed all the chairs; Glen Elk Lodge No.95, of Odd Fellows; Elk En-campment No.63, in which he has passed all the chairs and is now scribe; and the Se-nior Order of American Mechanics, in which he has held various offices. An active Republican, like his father, he has served by State appointment as a member of the Board of Equalization. He has also served on the Jury Commission, has been a notary public for two terms, and for a long period postmaster at Elk View. At one time he was a candidate for the legislature but failed of election owing to the local political conditions. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm