WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 183 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: WILLIAM H. H. GARDNER, Mason [Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000722220422.00c96d70@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: WILLIAM H. H. GARDNER, Mason 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. 515-516 Mason WILLIAM H. H. GARDNER assumed the office of postmaster in the fine little Ohio River City of Point Pleasant, Mason County, on the 1st of January, 1922, and is giving an admin- istration that fully justified his selection for this position. The postoffice building is a modern and well equipped struc- ture that was erected in 1914, at a cost of $10,000, and the office is now one of the second class, with six office employes and with service to two rural free-delivery routes. In this Federal building are also the offices of the Government steamboat inspectors at this port. Mr. Gardner was born at Pleasant Flats, Mason County, on the 27th of September, 1866, and is a son of the late George P. and Jane (McMaster) Gardner. The father was born in Mason County, in 1840, and was a eon of George Gardner, who was an old-time pilot on the Ohio River, his service having extended from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, and his home in the meanwhile having been maintained on his farm in Mason County, where he died at the age of sixty years. George P. Gardner died at the age of seventy-two years, as did also his wife. She was born in Ireland and was a child at the time of the family immi- gration to the United States. Her father, John McMaster, became identified with coal mining in West Virginia. George P. Gardner became one of the successful and representative farmers of Mason County and was an honored and in- fluential citizen. In the '80s he served two terms as county assessor, and thereafter he served one term as sheriff of the county. He finally purchased the plant and business of the Enterprise Marine Dock Company at Point Pleasant, and there developed an extensive business in the manufacturing and repairing of steamboats. The present postmaster of Point Pleasant is indebted to the schools of Mason County for his early education, which was supplemented by his attending the University of West Virginia two terms and by continuing his studies in the University of Kentucky, at Lexington, in which he was graduated in 1887. Thereafter he served as deputy sheriff under his father, and later he was elected treasurer and general manager of the Point Pleasant Water & Light Com- pany, a dual office of which he continued the incumbent seventeen years. Upon the death of his father he became treasurer and general manager of the Enterprise Marine Dock Company, and to the business of this corporation he gave his close supervision until his appointment to the office of postmaster, when his brother, Capt. S. G. Gardner, as- sumed the management of the dock company. He made no personal campaign for the office of postmaster, and his selec- tion for the position was in consonance with the expressed wishes of the citizens of the community. Mr. Gardner is a director of the Point Pleasant Building & Loan Association, is influential in the local councils and campaign activities of the republican party, and is liberal and progressive as a citizen. He is prominently affiliated with the Lodge and Encampment bodies of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, was for twenty-seven years treasurer of Point Pleas- ant Lodge No. 33, and is treasurer of Fidelity Encampment No. 57. He finds his principal diversion in fishing trips on the Greenbrier River, and has marked prowess in fly-casting. Mr. Gardner married Miss Fannie Long, who was born and reared in the Pleasant Flats section of Mason County, where her father, Morgan Long, was a successful agricul- turist and stock-grower. He was drowned by falling from the deck of the steamer Bonanza in November, 1894, at Cincinnati, Ohio, while on a trip with a load of live stock. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner have one son, George L., who is now in the employ of the Standard Oil Company in the City of Charleston. ______________________________ X-Message: #2 Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 22:07:29 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000722220422.00c98270@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: SAMUEL H. McLANE, Clay 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. 518-519 Clay SAMUEL H. McLANE, who is a member of the bar of West Virginia, has been cashier of the Clay County Bank at Clay since 1908, and his professional training and knowledge have materially furthered the success of his administration of the affairs of the substantial institution with which he is identified. Mr. McLane was born in Barbour County, West Virginia, March 17, 1866, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Kelley) McLane, both natives of Randolph County, this state, which was at that time still an integral part of the old mother state of Virginia. Jacob McLane's father was William, and the latter was a son of Daniel McLane. The family was founded in Virginia in an early day. The maternal grand- parents of the subject of this review were Samuel and Nancy (Cade) Kelley. After his marriage Jacob McLane established his residence on a farm two miles north of Belington, Barbour County, and there he continued for many years as one of the substantial and successful ex- ponents of agricultural and live-stock industry. Upon his retirement from his farm he removed to Belington, where he now maintains his home, as one of the venerable and honored citizens of Barbour County. He is a democrat in political allegiance, and is a zealous member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, South, as was also his wife, whose death occurred in 1910. Of their eight children the follow- ing still survive the devoted mother, and of the number Samuel H., of this sketch, is the eldest; Haning F. is a farmer in the State of Nevada; Charles L. resides at Elkins, West Virginia, and is a railway clerk on the line between that point and Grafton; Fleming is a farmer in the State of Idaho; and Edwin P. is a resident of Nevada, so that only two of the number remain in the old home state of West Virginia. Samuel H. McLane was reared on the old homestead farm in Barbour County, and after leaving the public schools he attended and was graduated from the State Normal School at Fairmont, besides which he attended the Univer- sity of West Virginia one year. He became a successful teacher in the public schools, and in the meanwhile applied himself diligently to the study of law, his admission to the bar having been recorded in 1904. For the ensuing four years he was in the employ of the Davis Trust Company at Elkins, and he then, in 1908, assumed his present executive office, that of cashier of the Clay County Bank, in which he is a director. P. M. Summers is president of the bank, J. G. Bradley is its vice president, and in addition to the executive officers the directorate of the institution includes also H. B. Davenport, L. H. Samples, J. F. Wilson, W. S. Pierson and B. C. Eakle. Mr. McLane is a democrat in polities, is a director of the Clay County High School, is the present (1922) master of Clay County Lodge No. 97, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is affiliated also with the Modern Woodmen of America, and his wife is an active member of the Baptist Church at Clay. In 1906 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. McLane and Miss Ella Hutton Poe, who was educated in the West Vir- ginia Wesleyan College, at Buckhannon, and who is a popular figure in the social and cultural activities of her home community. Mr. and Mrs. McLane have one son, Henry N., who was born March 31, 1909, and who is a stu- dent in the local high school at the time of this writing, in 1922. ______________________________ X-Message: #3 Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 22:07:44 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000722220422.00c99420@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: GEORGE W. McCUNE, Clay 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. 518 Clay GEORGE W. McCUNE is clerk of the Circuit Court for Clay County, and in his home village of Clay, the judicial center of the county, he is secretary of the board of directors of the Elk Valley Bank, in which he is a stockholder and a director, and he is also secretary of the Board of Education of the Henry District, in which Clay is included. He is the owner of a tract of fourteen acres of land just outside the corporate village limits, and on this place is his attractive residence. Mr. McCune is a stanch republican, and has been active in the local councils of the party. He served as deputy circuit clerk of Clay County for six years, and was then elected circuit clerk, of which office he has been the incumbent since January 1, 1920. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Wood- men of America, and he and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. George W. McCune was born in Roane County, West Vir- ginia, March 9, 1876, and is a son of William H. and Mary J. (Reed) McCune, both natives of Kanawha County, where the former was born in 1844 and the latter in 1848. William H. McCune was a soldier of the Union in the Civil war, held the office of orderly sergeant, took part in many engage- ments and was twice wounded. After the war he continued his activities as a farmer in Roane County until 1877, when he removed with his family to Clay County, where he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives, he having been one of the substantial farmers and highly honored citizens of this county. He was a republican in politics, and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of their nine children eight are mentioned: Harrison is a prosperous farmer in Clay County; Jane is the wife of Henry Holcomb; Grant is numbered among the progressive farmers of Clay County; George W., of this sketch, was next in order of birth; Nancy is the wife of Henry Keller; Lucy died at the age of eighteen years; Patrick C. is a merchant at Clay; and Benjamin, who now holds a clerical position in the postoffice in the City of Charleston was in service with the American Expeditionary Forces in Prance in the World war, and took part in much of the terrific conflict that finally won victory for the allies . George W. McCune was reared on the home farm in Clay County, and that he profited by the advantages afforded in the public schools is attested by the statement that for twenty years he was a successful and popular teacher in the schools of this part of the state, within which period he served as district superintendent of the schools of the Henry District. Mr. McCune wedded Miss Martha E. Dodd, and to this union have been born nine children: Ada is the wife of Curtis Davis; Howard is employed in the general store of the Elk River Lumber Company; Edith is the wife of John Davis; Alice is the wife of Ervin Moore; and Vernie, Earl C., William, Kathleen and Blanche are the younger mem- bers of the parental home circle. ______________________________ X-Message: #4 Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 22:14:49 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000722220422.00c998d0@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: JAMES B. CLOSE, Tucker 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. 524 Tucker JAMES B. CLOSE, of Parsons, is the efficient sheriff of Tucker County, and is a representative of one of the old and well known families of this section of the state. He was born in the St. George District of Tucker County, September 11, 1883, and is a son of Alexander Close, who was born near the Village of St. George, this county, in 1857, and who here followed the trade of blacksmith for many years, and who more recently became a successful merchant at St. George, where he and his wife still reside. He served twelve years as constable and two terms as county commissioner, his political affiliation being with the repub- lican party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant Church. As a young man Alexander Close mar- ried Miss Catherine Dumire, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Piter) Dumire, of Tucker County. Jacob Du- mire, of German ancestry, became one of the substantial farmers of this county, served as county sheriff, was a republican, and his eldest son, A. Loman, was a gallant young soldier of the Union in the Civil war. The names of the other children are here recorded: John Wesley Oliver, George, Jane (Mrs. Frank Beavers, her husband having been a Union soldier in the Civil war), Catherine (Mrs. Alexander Close), and Florence, who became the wife of P. W. Lipscomb and died in Tucker County. Of the chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Close the present sheriff of Tucker County is the eldest; Edward resides at St. George; Jacob is a resident of Parsons; William lives at Elk Garden; "Tootie" died at the age of fourteen years; and Duncan, Chester and Charles are still members of the parental home circle. David Close, grandfather of the sheriff of Tucker County, was born in Scotland, came to the United States in the '50s and obtained public land near Lead Mine, Tucker County, where he reclaimed and developed a productive farm and passed the remainder of his life, secure in the high regard of all who knew him. He and his wife were zealous mem- bers of the Methodist Protestant Church. In his native land he married Miss Agnes Ferguson, whose death occurred in 1914, he having passed away about 1890. Of their chil- dren the eldest is John, of Berkeley Springs, this state; William died at Thomas, Tucker County; James resides at Berkeley Springs; Alexander, father of Sheriff Close, was the next in order of birth; Duncan died at the age of fifteen years; Mrs. David Root resides at Thomas; Sarah, wife of Lewis Shaffer, died at that place; and Isabel is the wife of Grant James, of Thomas. Sheriff Close gained his early education in the public schools of St. George and there learned the blacksmith trade under the effective direction of his father. At the age of sixteen years he found employment as blacksmith for the Burger Lumber Company, later was similarly em- ployed two years by the Clover Run Lumber Company, and for twelve years thereafter he was blacksmith for the Chaffey Lumber Company at William, this county. He then established at Parsons a custom blacksmith shop, which he successfully conducted until he retired from the work of his trade and became chief of police in this city in 1917. The service which he gave in this position fortified him greatly for the broader duties which became his upon his election to the office of sheriff of the county in 1920, by a majority of 234 votes. Concerning his candidacy for this office the following statements have been made: "Despite the fact that some of the Tucker County electors feared that Mr. Close would not enforce the prohibition law, and others feared that he would enforce it, his candidacy in the primaries took on somewhat of the aspect of a forlorn hope. However, the 'wet' element in the county has found that Sheriff Close has rigidly enforced the prohibition law, as well as all other laws, and his stand for law and order has convinced all opposers that he is a real sheriff who is making a record that has not been excelled in the history of the county. He knows no favorites in his official work, and has a high sense of his executive stewardship." Mr. Close is a republican and is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of United Amer- ican Mechanics. At St. George, this county, July 4, 1903, Mr. Close mar- ried Dora Hedrick, daughter of Solomon K. and Bettie Judy Hedriek, the father being a farmer by vocation and having been a resident of Pendleton County at the time of the birth of his daughter Dora. Sheriff and Mrs. Close have two children: Ruth and Earl. ______________________________ X-Message: #5 Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 22:22:48 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000722220422.00c9de80@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: MYRON G. CAMPBELL, 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. 521-522 Kanawha MYRON G. CAMPBELL. Thirty years ago Myron G. Camp- bell was a wage earner in the coal mines. It was not long until he was promoted to superintendent, and from that he easily progressed into the ranks of operators. He was a pioneer in the development of the Gauley River field. His home has been in St. Albans for a number of years, and he is now owner of the principal public utility of that little city, the St. Albans Water, Light and Ice Company, of which he is president and general manager. The service represented by this corporation was first es- tablished on a modest scale by the organization of the St. Albans Water and Light Company in 1907. This company erected a power house, constructed a reservoir and started delivering electric current and water on a small scale. The plant represented an investment of $50,000. The owners of this company were W. E. and T. H. Mohler. In 1913 Mr. Campbell bought the business, and at once undertook en- largements and improvements that would permit a great ex- pansion of the entire system. He ordered a light plant, en- larged the power plant, installed electric generators of larger unit capacity, but even now the demand for current is such that the plant can supply only about half, the rest being purchased from the Virginia Power Company. To the reser- voir has been added a filtration plant, and the water works now have a daily capacity of 2,000,000 gallons. Mains have been extended four times the length of ten years ago. There are now about twenty-five miles of main, with thirty-three fire hydrants, and there are 750 water consumers and 400 light consumers. The ice plant has a capacity of twenty- two tons daily, and all is sold at wholesale for local eon- sumption. At the present time this public utility has an investment of about $200,000, and there are ten regular employes. Myron G. Campbell was born at St. Albans in February, 1874. His father, John Campbell, was a cooper by trade. The mother, Adaline Calvert, was born at Maiden, and is now eighty years of age, living at St. Albans. Myron G. Campbell was only a boy when his father died, and with only a common school education he went to work in the coal mines at the age of seventeen. He was soon put in charge of a mining store, from that was advanced to superintendent, and at the age of twenty-eight began operating in the Gauley River field. He continued to give his personal super- vision to his mining interests until 1913. As a coal operator he employed about 150 men and shipped six hundred tons daily. His brother, J. M. Campbell, and his brother-in-law, T. H. Mohler, were associated as partners in this industry, and from their three names they comprised the title of their company, known as the Gamoea Coal Company at Gacoma on the Gauley River. Around the mines they de- veloped an industrial village containing eighty-five houses. The business was finally sold to the Midvale Colliery Com- pany. This firm did the first development of the coal east of the Gauley River. Mr. Campbell is a director and vice president of the St. Albans Glass Company, and is a stockholder in both banks. He is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, and is af- filiated with the Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married Miss Virgie Tasker, of Montgomery, West Virginia. They have three children, all educated in the St. Albans High School: Albert, in the garage and transfer business at St. Albans; Nell, now a Senior in Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois; and Grace, who is in her Senior year in Lewisburg Seminary. ______________________________ X-Message: #6 Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 22:23:47 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000722220422.00cc8730@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: F. LORY & SONS, 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. 529 Kanawha F. LORY & SONS. One of the older industrial establish- ments of Charleston, ante-dating the World war period, is F. Lory & Sons, planing mill operators. The business was established as a partnership in 1905, and in 1912 was in- corporated. The business employs about twenty-five men, operates the machinery with power produced by natural gas engines, and makes a specialty of interior finish, floor- ing and house trim, mainly from hardwood lumber. Prior to 1905, when the business came to Charleston, F. Lory had operated a sawmill plant in Clay County. F. Lory was born in Switzerland, and was brought when a boy to the United States, was reared in Ohio, and learned the sawmill operation in that state. In 1880 he moved to Kanawha County, and he was a figure in the lumber industry of the state until his death in 1914, at the age of sixty-six. The company also bought real estate and developed several desirable sections of residence property, and still owns some property of this kind in Charleston. The four sons of F. Lory are now all identified with the business, Ed being president of the company, Fred, vice president, Albert, secretary and treasurer, and Christopher, also having a share in the work. They grew up along saw- mills and planing mills, and Ed Lory has been president since the company was incorporated. The mother of these sons is still living. Her maiden name was Anna Whitmer, and she was born at Switzerland, but was married in Ohio. Besides her sons there is a daughter, Elizabeth, wife of C. W. Burdette, of Charleston. The family are members of the Lutheran Church. Ed Lory married Lottie Mayer, of Charleston. They have five children, John, Anna, Elizabeth, Dorothy and Louise.