WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 192 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: WALTER T. McVICKER, Barbour C [Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000723144733.00cd7e40@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: WALTER T. McVICKER, Barbour 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. 585 Barbour WALTER T. McVICKER controls a prosperous industrial enterprise in the production of chestnut poles for the use of telephone and telegraph companies, and he has his resi- dence in the thriving little city of Belington, Barbour County. He was born on the home farm, in Union District, this county, December 20, 1881, and there he was reared to adult age, his educational advantages having been those of the rural schools. At the age of sixteen he found employ- ment and began to depend upon his own resources, and with money which he saved finally defrayed his expenses of a course in the Mountain State Business College, Parkersburg, West Virginia, finishing his schooling in 1902. In the same year went into the lumber woods of this section of the state as a log sealer, and was thus employed until 1904, when he became a partner in the business conducted by Belington Planing Mill Company, with which he con- tinued bis active association until 1908. He was then made eastern representative of the Farrin-Korn Lumber Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, with headquarters in New York City, which position he held for three years. Returning to Belington in 1911 he became connected with Belington Handle & Manufacturing Company, having been actively concerned in the initiation and development of the sub- stantial business of this company. From October, 1917, to May, 1920, he was a. successful field representative of the great Western Electric Company, with which he is still affiliated, but in May, 1.920, he founded his independent enterprise in the producing and marketing of chestnut poles at Belington, with the Western Electric Company as his principal customer, making shipments of chestnut poles to the various telephone and telegraph companies through- out the eastern and middle western states. His enterprise thus lends stimulus to the commercial activities of West Virginia. Mr. McVicker is one of the vital and progressive busi- ness men of Belington, served in 1921 and 1922 as a member of the City Council, is an influential member of the local Business Men's Club, is affiliated with Belington Lodge No. 125, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, attends and sup- ports in his home city the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. McVicker's father, Granvil G. McVicker, was the son of Levi McVicker, who was one of the early settlers of Taylor County. The descendants of Granvil G. McVicker, the father of Walter T. are as follows: by his first marriage, John Mor- gan McVicker and Joseph Lee McVicker. By his second mar- riage, Walter T., of this review; Lonzo C., who served in the employ of the United States Government for a number of years in Philippine Islands, died November 25, 1920, while on board a vessel enroute to a hospital at Zamboanga, Philippine Islands; Otoway S., farmer, in Union District, Barbour County; Hazel, wife of P. H. Fallen, Buckhannon, West Virginia; and Columbus O., who served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, in Company M, One-hundred and Thirty-second Infantry, Thirty-third Division. January 24, 1916, recorded the marriage of Mr. Mc- Vicker to Miss Chloe Sherman, who was born and reared near Belington, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Sherman. Mr. and Mrs. McVicker have two sons: William R. (adopted) and Walter T., Jr. ______________________________ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 14:52:13 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000723144749.00bb9860@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: MORTON VAN VOORHIS, Monongalia 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. 586 Monongalia MORTON VAN VOORHIS. Though vice president of the Federal Trust & Savings Company at Morgantown, and an officer in several industrious corporations, Morton Van Voorhis has always lived in the country and has kept in close touch with agricultural interests. He is one of Monon- galia County's most substantial citizens, and is a member of a family that has participated in the progressive activi- ties of this part of the Monongahela Valley for several generations. The family originated in three brothers who came from Holland, one locating in New York, one in the West and one in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Some of the descendants of the old stock spell the name Voorheeg. Morton Van Voorhis is a great-grandson of Daniel Van Voorhis. The grandfather, L. G. Van Voorhis, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, about 1810, but after his marriage lived in Greene County, Pennsylvania, where he died at the age of ninety-six. It was on a farm still owned by his brother Charles in Greene County, Pennsyl- vania, that Morton Van Voorhis was born October 8, 1868, son of Isaac and Lydia (Ross) Van Voorhis, both natives of that county. Isaac Van Voorhis spent all his life at the old homestead adjoining the West Virginia state line. He was a very substantial citizen, owned large tracts of land, much of it underlaid with coal, along the Monongahela River. Van Voorhis Station on the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road was named for him. He was vice president of the Citizens National and the Federal Savings & Trust Com- pany at Morgantown, but he, too, kept his home on his farm in Greene County, where he died in 1906, at the age of seventy-one. He did a large business grazing cattle and shipping stock to eastern markets, and at one time had a track on his farm for the training of horses. Mr. Morton Van Voorhis has always acknowledged a keen interest in good horses; The wife of Isaac Van Voorhis died at the same age as her husband, and their two sons are Morton and Charles. Morton Van Voorhis grew up on the home farm. As a youth he made modest deals in livestock, and as a prac- tical farmer has done a great deal to stimulate improved livestock breeding in his section. For the past twenty- eight years his home has been on his farm eight miles north of Morgantown, in the Cass District, where he owns about 500 acres. He succeeded his father as a director and at once was elected vice president of the Federal Trust & Savings Company of Morgantown, and keeps in close touch with this substantial financial institution. He is also a di- rector in the Morgan Realty Company and one of the own- ers in the Strand Theater Company. With his two sons he is identified with gas production, their ownership extending to about eighteen wells. He is vice president and director of the Rosedale Coal Company at West Van Voorhis, a company operating two mines, and one of the highly profit- able coal operations in this section. As a stockman Mr. Van Voorhis grazes from 200 to 400 steers. He built his attractive home on an elevated site above the river in as fine a section of country as the state affords, and there is an improved state highway leading up to his home. Mr. Van Voorhis has always voted as a republican, but has had no desire for public office. At the age of twenty-three he married Mary L. Evans, of Monongalia County, daughter of Lindsay Evans, who died when she was a child. Mr. and Mrs. Van Voorhis have three children, Isaac L., John R. and Jessie Mildred. Isaac was trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, was commissioned a second lieutenant and was on duty in France. He went into the army while a senior in the West Virginia State University, and after receiving his discharge resumed his studies and graduated. ______________________________ X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 14:51:59 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000723144804.00bc6cb0@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: W. F. GRADY, 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. 589 Kanawha W. F. GRADY. The Purity Baking Company of Charleston is one of the modern and model establishments of its kind in the entire state. The company was organized by W. F. Grady in 1919, with the following officers: O. O. Older, president; Dr. Atlee Mairs, vice president; and W. F. Grady, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Grady, having had the practical training and experience of an engineer, was in a position to render a great service in the supervision of all the details of construction in the plant. This plant, located on Bigley Avenue, is a modern industrial building, built of brick, steel and cement, 75x120 feet, representing an invest- ment of about $80,000. The machinery is entirely auto- matic and is operated in electrically driven units. The mechanical equipment represents the last word in scientific bread making, and none of the arts and processes as the result of age and long experience in bread manufacture have been omitted here. The management has given this busi- ness intensive study and application since its founding, and has built up one of the most important enterprises in Charleston. The products of this sanitary bakery are dis- tributed wholesale over a large part of the normal com- mercial territory adjacent to Charleston. Mr. Grady is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Credit Men's Association, and is affiliated with the Elks Lodge. ______________________________ X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 17:42:19 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000723173844.00c86100@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: CHARLES P. NASH, M. D, Monroe 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. 596-597 Monroe CHARLES P. NASH, M. D. Although a physician by profession, Dr. Charles P. Nash has been known to the citizens of Alderson and the surrounding community for the past fifteen years in connection with important busi- ness enterprises, his field of endeavor being the handling of land and cattle. He was born in Putnam County, West Virginia, May 9, 1859, a son of James Monroe Nash. James Monroe Nash was born at Richmond, Virginia, and in the early days of his career went to Kanawha County, West Virginia, where he engaged in salt produc- tion, later following agricultural pursuits near Buffalo, a vocation in which he continued to be occupied until his death. He became locally prominent in civic and legisla- tive affairs and at one time represented Putnam County in the State Legislature. His wife was Missouri Martin, whose people were living in Campbell County, Virginia, and Mr. and Mrs. Nash were the parents of five sons and two daughters. Of these, James H., who died recently, was a prominent attorney of Charleston, while with the exception of Dr. Charles P. Nash, the other children became agriculturists. Charles P. Nash grew up on the home farm and after securing his preliminary educational training followed the career of a country school teacher for two years. With the money thus obtained he went to a medical school, and in 1884 was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Baltimore, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He took a secondary course at the Post-Graduate Medical School of New York City, and began practice at Buffalo, subsequently spending one year at Richmond, Virginia. In the meantime he had become interested in land and cattle deals, and after coming to Alderson applied himself to this line of activity, in which he has established a recognized position for himself. He is now the owner of 2,000 acres of land in different parts of Greenbrier and Monroe counties, one of his farms being the old Renickk property on which is yet standing a stone house built when the country was first invaded by paleface settlement. It is of massive construction, a very thick door opening into the interior reinforced by a huge padlock and key, it requiring two turns of the latter to spring the lock. Evidently this house was built as a refuge during threatened Indian invasions and in all probability served its purpose well in repelling the attacks of the hostile savages. Doctor Nash is a democrat and has taken an active interest in local affairs. He was elected to represent Monroe County in the State Legislature of 1913, the last session which elected a United States senator, and had a good record for constructive work. He is a Presbyterian in religious belief and fraternally a Royal Arch Mason. In 1893 Doctor Nash married Mary P. Mann, whose grandfather, William T. Mann, was one of the early pioneers of this region and the owner of much of the New River lands. They have had four sons: James Frank, Charles P., Edwin Mann and Ralph Alexander. Of these, Charles P. has had a remarkable career. He was a student at the Virginia Military Institute when the United States entered the World war, and was to have graduated in June, 1917, with his class, but with six captains of his school was selected for a lieutenancy in the United States Marine Corps, in May, and he and the others were permitted to graduate before the regular time. Young Nash went overseas to Prance as a member of the Marine Corps and for a time served as a marine, but was then detached and assigned to the aviation section of the marine service as a pilot of the Ninety-third Aero Squadron. He secured his flying training under the French and developed rapidly into a skilled and fearless pilot. In the great St. Mihiel drive he was some fifteen miles over the enemy's lines, endeavoring to bomb an enemy aerdrome, when he was shot down and twice wounded, his left arm being blown off with an ex- plosive bullet. Although so horribly wounded he managed to make a successful landing and after capture by the Ger- mans was treated in a German hospital and eventually re- covered. He was held a prisoner by the enemy until the signing of the armistice, when he rejoined his comrades, was returned among the early troops to the United States, in February, 1919, and was retired with the rank of captain. ______________________________ X-Message: #5 Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 17:44:17 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000723174222.00c169d0@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: BIO: WILLIAM H. SAWYERS, Summers 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. 602-603 Summers WILLIAM H. SAWYERS. In the thirtieth consecutive year of his law practice at Hinton William H. Sawyers has accumulated achievements not only in his profession but in business affairs and politics, and is easily one of the most influential men in his section of the state. He was admitted to the bar at Hinton May 6, 1893, by Judges A. N. Campbell and Homer G. Holt of the Supreme Court of Appeals and Judge Frank A. Guthrie of the Kanawha Circuit. The old Norman French way of spelling the name was Sawtiers. In France they were Catholics, but became con- verted to the protestant faith through the reading of protestant literature, and they suffered exile to England. There is record of John Hacker, age seventeen, William Sawyers, age eighteen, and Robert Sheppeard, age twenty, who ran away from England and came to America in 1608 in Ye Hopewell, T. Babb was Master. These useful immigrants settled at "James Citty" in the Virginia colony, and it is from William Sawyers that the present branch of the family is descended. Sampson M. Sawyers, great-grandfather of the Hinton lawyer, served seven years in the American Army during the war for independence. He was under General Wash- ington. His half brother, William Sawyers, was a participant in the battle of Point Pleasant on the western side of the Alleghany Mountains in October, 1774. The grandfather of William H. Sawyers was Alexander Sawyers, who was a soldier in the battle of New Orleans under Jackson at the close of the War of 1812. Joseph A. Sawyers, father of the lawyer, was born in Alleghany County, Virginia, in 1840, and was a soldier in the Confederate Army in the artillery branch under Gen. George Carter. For a time he was under the command of Stonewall Jackson, and was in General Lee's army at Appomattox. He went through thirty-six major engage- ments and was once slightly wounded. He was a non-com- missioned officer. After the war and for many years he was a prosperous farmer in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, always voted for and supported the democratic ticket, and was a member of the Methodist Church. He died December 11, 1916. Joseph A. Sawyers married Cornelia V. Doss, a native of Franklin County, Virginia, and now living at the old Sawyers homestead in Greenbrier County. She was born in 1846, and all her married life has been spent in Greenbrier County. Her three sons are: William H.; Augustus, a farmer at the old homestead in Greenbrier County; and James L., a traveling salesman for Lewis Hubbard & Company of Charleston, living at Alderson. These sons finished their education in the home schools and in the Concord Normal School at Athens. William H. Sawyers graduated from the Concord Normal on July 2, 1891. Before he became a lawyer he taught seven terms of school, and at one time was principal of the Hinton High School. He completed his law course in West Virginia University at Morgantown in 1894, and he also attended the Columbian University at Washington during 1899-1900, while employed in the Department of the In- terior. He also was a student a portion of two years in the International School of Law and Diplomacy, whose Dean was Oliver W. Needham and whose staff of instructors and lecturers included Associate Justices Harlan, Brewer, Gray and John W. Poster. After his admission to the bar Mr. Sawyers began practice at Hinton, and his law business has brought him before all the courts, including the Local and Circuit Courts of his home state, and the Federal Courts of Rich- mond and Charleston. He has served a number of business interests and corporations as attorney and in other capacities, and has helped organize several banks. He has been secretary and attorney of record for three coal corpora- tions, the Piney Coal & Coke Land Company, the McCreery Central Pocahontas Coal Land Company, and the James T. McCreery Company. While a successful attorney without any financial interests in politics, Mr. Sawyers has given much of his time to public duty. He has served as mayor of Hinton, was police judge nine years, president of the Board of Education eight years, and as democratic nominee for the office of attorney general of the state in 1916 he came nearer to being elected than any democratic nominee for a number of years. He has been a delegate to every state conven- tion of his party since 1892, and was a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee for twenty-six years. Mr. Sawyers was editor of the Independent Herald of Hinton from 1895 to 1911, and individually owned the newspaper and plant from 1901 to 1911. His editorials, which were widely copies, were models of a fine literary style, and were equally accepted whether in the field of political argument or in humorous comment on affairs. In 1907 Mr. Sawyers married Josephine McCreery, daughter of J. T. McCreery. They have two children, Frederick W. and Thomas M. Mr. Sawyers is a Presbyterian, is a Lodge, Chapter and Knight Templar Mason, a member of Wheeling Consistory of the Scottish Rite, Beni-Kedem Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charleston and is also affiliated with the Elks and Independent Order of Odd Fellows.