WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 157 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: JOSEPH FUCCY, Lewis Co. WV [Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000709114408.00c2ca80@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: JOSEPH FUCCY, Lewis Co. WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 463-464 JOSEPH FUCCY. Before his busy career was ended by death on Sunday, March 19, 1922, Col. Joe Fuccy, as he was popularly known, had accumulated a record of achieve- ments that made him one of the prominent railroad builders and contractors of the State of West Virginia. He was a veteran in the field of railroad building, a work he had carried on more or less continuously for forty years. There are half a dozen different lines in West Virginia and the Ohio Valley in whose construction he participated. While this work made a reputation for him over the state, he was especially known and esteemed as a citizen of Weston, where he had his home for thirty years. Joseph Fuccy was born in Italy, February 11, 1857, son of Russell and Lucretia Fuccy. His parents were reared and educated in Italy, grew up and married there, his father becoming a grist miller and farmer. Both were devout Catholics. The father died in Italy November 26, 1877. Of his nine children four are now living: Sullivan; Vic- toria, who is married and lives in South America; Domi- nico, a contractor in West Virginia; and Mary Antoinette, who is married and living in Italy. Joseph Fuccy was reared in Italy and lived there until he was twenty-two years of age. He had three years of service in the army. In 1881 he came to the United States, and for about two years lived in New York, doing railroad work. He early rose to the responsibilities of a foreman of the construction gang, and in 1883 moved to Pennsylvania and continued to act as foreman. He was at Pitt, Pennsyl- vania, and while there began taking small contracts or act- ing as sub-contractor. His first work as a contractor in West Virginia was in Preston County, where during 1886 he helped build the narrow gauge railroad from Tunnelton to Kingwood. Subsequently he was in construction work along the Ohio and Kanawha valleys, built four miles of railroad at Middletown, Ohio, two miles at Reading, Ohio, two miles at Coshocton, four miles at Short Creek, Ohio, and on returning to West Virginia built three miles of a railroad at Fairmont. During 1890 he was one of the eon- tractors who changed the narrow gauge to a standard gauge from Clarksburg to Buckhannon. He also laid the railroad tracks from Weston to Sutton, and built a branch of thirteen miles from Flatwoods to Wayneville during 1891-92. During 1893 he built the pike from Kovan to Webster Springs. In 1892 Mr. Fuccy established his permanent home at Weston, and while he did considerable railroad building afterward his organization and facilities were gradually adopted for a broader service of general con- tracting and he was head of this profitable business until his death. Outside of railroads there are many evidences of his contracting experience over the state. He was the contractor for the old Fair Ground race track, now occupied by Highland Park at Clarksburg. In 1910 he built about six miles of the interurban line from Clarksburg to Weston, and in 1905 he built part of a similar line from Fairmont to Clarksburg. In 1909 he built the road for the Coal and Coke Railroad Company between Sutton and Gassoway. In 1917 he had the contract for the street paving at Burns- ville, West Virginia. Some of the concrete roads constructed in Marion County during 1919 were assigned to his organi- zation, and during 1920-21 he built two miles of concrete and brick road in Lewis County, the first curbless road in West Virginia and which has been pronounced by Govern- ment engineers as the best road in the state. This was the last important contract he handled. His business involved an enormous amount of capital in the aggregate, and also the handling of hundreds and even thousands of men and brought him in touch with prominent leaders in industrial affairs. As a contractor he enjoyed especially the esteem of engineers and other officials of railroad companies who were unstinted in their praise of his efficiency as a contractor. One of the prominent engineers of the Baltimore and Ohio System, C. McC. Lemley, once wrote concerning the work of grading and construction done under his direct supervision and concluded his letter with the words "Mr. Fuccy I know to be an honest and reliable man, and would cheerfully recommend him to anyone as being thoroughly efficient in any work that he might undertake." The death of Colonel Fuccy came suddenly, following a day of visiting in Grafton with some relatives. He had never married. After the death of his father he supported his mother and brought her to the United States in 1896, and at the age of ninety-four she survives him at Weston. Colonel Fuccy was a member of the Weston Lodge of Knights of Columbus, and a charter member of Grafton Lodge No. 482, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He was a member of the Catholic Church and a republican in politics. Through all his active years as a business man he was noted for his charitable spirit, and one of the provisions of his will is characteristic, being a request that ten per cent of his estate should be invested in the Citizens Bank of Weston and the proceeds be distributed among the poor of Weston as long as the funds remained. Colonel Fuccy was a stockholder in the Citizens Bank, and was an official in the Dancer Manufacturing Company, having been vice president of that corporation. During the World war period he took on active and prominent part in movements for the benefit of the cause, was a large contributor to war saving funds, Liberty Loan drives, and many times was called on as an arbitrator among his own people, proving his patriotism and loyalty to his adopted country by his true Americanism. He was recognized as the leading spirit and figure among the Italian people of the state, and his verdict and word was never questioned by them. ______________________________ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 13:30:00 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000709104336.00cd9640@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: SAMUEL C. JONES, Lewis Co. WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 458 Lewis SAMUEL C. JONES. The home and farm of Samuel C. Jones is ten miles southeast of Weston, in the vicinity of Vandalia, Lewis County. Mr. Jones is now eighty-one years of age, was a soldier in the Civil war, has spent most of his life in West Virginia, and the success he has made at farming and the performance of his duties as a citizen has commended him to the respect and esteem of all who know him. Mr. Jones was born in Highland County, Virginia, April 3, 1841, son of Henry and Sallie C. (Eagle) Jones. His father was born in Highland County, May 18, 1812, son of Joseph Jones, who served as a soldier in the War of 1812. Mis wife was a daughter of James Trimble, a native of Ireland, who was conscripted by the English to fight the Colonists in America, ana after the war never returned, but became a citizen of the United States. Henry Jones and wife were married in Highland County, Virginia, lived on a farm there for some years, and subsequently moved to West Virginia and settled in Upshur County, where he remained until after the Civil war, when he sold out and moved to Lewis County, where they spent the rest of their lives. They owned a farm of 250 acres in Lewis County, and were accounted successful. Henry Jones was a tile- long member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and for many years a class leader. He voted as a democrat until after the Civil war, when he became a republican. He was the father of five children: John, deceased; Mary E., wife of William Reger; Lydia, wife of Charies W. Tolbert; Margaret Ann, widow of William E. Tolbert; and Sam- uel C. Samuel C. Jones grew up on a farm, had a public school education, and in Septemuer, 1862, enlisted in Company E, of the First West Virginia Light Artillery. He was with that command until the close of the war, and par- ticipated in several historic battles. When the war was over he returned to Upshur County, but soon afterward moved to Vandalia, where he became interested in mer- chandising and also served as postmaster, Selling his interests there, he went back to a farm in Upshur County. While a merchant at Vandalia he married Catherine E. Peterson on December 26, 1866. She was reared in Lewis County. Mr. and Mrs. Jones returned to Lewis County in 1869, and for half a century they have made their home on their farm of seventy-nve acres near Vandalia. They are the parents ot eight children: W. T. Jones, a farmer on akin Creek and married Kate Roach; Ida L. is the wife of John C. Chidester, Cora is the wife of B. E. Wells, Retta May is the wife of A. O. Harper; J. Ralph is a glass manufacturer at Bridgeport, West Vir- ginia, and married Mintie Horner; Mary is the wife of J. S. Ocheltree; and H. G. and Sallie Gay, twins, the former married Mamie West and the latter is the wife of Fred A. Linger. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church through a long period of years. He is a republican, though he has never sought any office. Mrs. Jones, whose maiden name was Catherine E. Peter- son, is a daughter of E. D. Peterson, one of the prominent farmers and citizens of the Skin Creek community of Lewis County. As a republican he represented his home district one term in the West Virginia Legislature, and helped write the constitution of the state. He was a prominent leader in the Methodist Church. He was the father of eleven children, five of whom are still living: Sarah J., widow of Acil Casto, who was a Confederate soldier; Catherine E., Mrs. Samuel C. Jones; Mary, widow of Thomas Eckes; Job B. lives in Missouri; N. E. Peter- son is a farmer; David T. was a captain in the Union Army during the Civil war; Samuel T. fought on the Confederate side; the other deceased children were: John D.; Charles Peterson; Matilda, who was the wife of Leroy Horner; Christina, who was the wife of James W. Duncan. ______________________________ X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 13:30:00 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000709104332.00c40440@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: JAMES B. MADISON, Kanawha Co. WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 458 Kanawha JAMES B. MADISON is secretary-treasurer of the Vir- ginian Joint Stock Land Bank, at Charleston. Mr. Madi- son is a young business man and banker, whose experience gives him exceptional qualifications for the management of a bank organized under the Federal Farm Loan Act. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 28, 1885. His education was acquired in the public schools of his native city, and following that he took up the life insurance business. .From a solicitor in the field he was promoted through various branches until he became superintendent of agents at the home office. Leaving the insurance busi- ness in 1910 Mr. Madison became an apprentice appraiser for a farm mortgage concern, and has engaged in all the departments of that business. He has the distinction and experience ot having made appraisements and loans upon farm lands in every state in the United States and a large portion of Canada. The Virginian Joint Stock Land Bank of Charleston, was organized by Mr. Madison and his associates in 1917. Its service covers the states of West Virginia and Ohio, and the Bank now has aggregate assets of about $5,500,000. This bank has the distinction of having made the first loan completed under the provisions of the Federal Farm Loan Act. Mr. Madison married, in 1905, Miss Lillian Evelyn Ashe of Houston, Texas. They have one son, James B. Madi- son, Jr. ______________________________ X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 13:30:00 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000709110934.00c2e630@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: C. BURTON STALNAKER, Lewis Co. WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 460-461 C. BURTON STALNAKER found his work ready for him when he reached the years of manhood and the necessary qualifications, took an increasing share in the burdens of management from the shoulders of his father, and sub- sequently acquired the entire homestead of the Stalnakers on Little Stone Coal Creek in Lewis County, five miles east of Weston. Mr. Stalnaker is one of the principal feeders and shippers of livestock in this part of West Virginia. He was born on his present farm August 19, 1875, son of Sobieski and Christina (Waggoner) Stalnaker. His father was born in Harrison County, West Virginia, Jan- uary 8, 1839, and his mother, in Lewis County, near Jane- lew, November 6, 1835. Sobieski Stalnaker was a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (McWhorter) Stalnaker, the for- mer born near the present site of Janelew in 1800 and the latter born in 1811. Samuel Stalnaker had a family of fourteen children, named Andrew, John, Charles, Julian, Levi, Levi 2nd, Marion, Walter, Sobieski, Amanda, Whit- man, Margaret, Adam and Elizabeth. C. Burton Stalnaker has always lived at the old home- stead, and began performing some of its practical duties while attending school. After his marriage he became a partner with his father in the management of the 600 acres, and in 1916 he bought the livestock and land and has since carried on a large and profitable business in the feeding and shipping of livestock of all kinds. He has shipped many carloads in a single shipment. Besides the stock he buys he maintains good grades of cattle, horses and sheep. A considerable portion of his 600 acres is underlaid with coal, and shafts have been opened at two places, with a normal capacity of two carloads daily. On August 19, 1897, Mr. Stalnaker married Agnes Lee Hefner, who was born in Upshur County, West Virginia, October 9, 1878, daughter of William T. and Virginia (Farrell) Hafner. Her parents were natives of Upshur County. Mr. and Mrs. Stalnaker have two children. Reta V., born June 13, 1898, completed the course of the pub- lic schools and is the wife of dark Smith, a farmer, who is in partnership with Mr. Stalnaker. Leda A. is now a student in the Western High School. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Stal- naker has taken a prominent and official part in his home church and has been superintendent of the Sunday school. He is affiliated with Golden Lodge No. 139, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, and does his political duty as a republican.