WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 73 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: MORGAN MORGAN, M. D., Berkele [Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000319180553.008409c0@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: MORGAN MORGAN, M. D., Berkeley Co. WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 372 Berkeley MORGAN MORGAN, M. D. Identified with the honorable profession of medicine and surgery in Berkeley County forty years, Doctor Morgan through his professional activities lias kept up the splendid record made by the Morgan family in its various branches over West Virginia. Doctor Morgan, who was born on a farm in Berkeley County, about three miles above Gerardstown, is in the sixth successive generation to bear the name Morgan Morgan. The original of the line was the historic character Col. Morgan Morgan, who was born in Wales, but was liberally educated in London, was an ordained minister of the Church of England, and in the time of William III or a little later settled in Delaware, where he married Catherine Garretson and somewhat later moved into the Valley of Virginia and at Winchester established a church of which he and his son Morgan Morgan, Jr., were pastors for many years. The cabin erected by Col. Morgan Morgan in 1726-27 in the vicinity of the present Bunker Hill in Berkeley County was the first home of a white man in that section of the state. Colonel Morgan had a grant of 1,000 acres of land in that vicinity, and it was on part of this grant that Doctor Mor- gan was born. The church Col. Morgan Morgan established with Doctor Briscoe and Yost Hite has long been known as Norbourne Parish. Col. Morgan Morgan and his wife had eight children, and from these are descended many of the Morgan families still prominent in West Virginia. His son Zackwell was founder of Morgantown, while another son, David, was the ancestor of the present Governor Morgan. The descendants through his son Morgan, a son in each generation named Morgan, have continued successively to occupy a portion of the old homestead in Berkeley County. Morgan Morgan, father of Doctor Morgan, inherited a por- tion of the homestead and was a farmer there throughout his life. He died in 1878. His wife was Mary Silver, who was born in Frederick County, Virginia, daughter of Zephania and Virginia (Henshaw) Silver, natives of Vir- ginia, the former of Scotch and the latter of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The mother of Doctor Morgan died in 1886. Her five children were named Morgan, Zephania, Josephine (who died at the age of twenty-three), William E. and Charles W. Dr. Morgan Morgan attended the common schools, the preparatory school at Newmarket and graduated in medicine from the University of Virginia in 1877. He took post- graduate preparation in Bellevue Hospital, where he gradu- ated in 1879. For three years following he practiced at Berkeley Springs and then returned to the old homestead and conducted a large and successful country practice in that vicinity until 1921, when he removed to Martinsburg, where he lives today. Doctor Morgan in 1906 married Mary J. Brannon, a native of Frederick County, Virginia. They have two chil- dren, Morgan and William Hilton. Doctor and Mrs. Mor- gan are members of the Episcopal Church. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000 18:05:30 -0500 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000319180530.008c3100@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: PAUL H. MARTIN, Berkeley Co. WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 371-372 Berkeley PAUL H. MARTIN, clerk of the County Court of Berkeley County, has been a practicing lawyer in the courts of the Eastern Panhandle for ten years, and is one of the progres- sive leaders in that community. . He was born at Kingwood, Preston County, son of Joseph Ami and Mary Catherine (Snyder) Martin, grandson of Joseph and Ann (Foreman) Martin and great-grandson of Philip Martin, who was a son of John Martin. Paul Mar- tin's mother, Mary Catherine Snyder, was a daughter of Jacob and Clarissa (Carroll) Snyder and granddaughter of Jacob Snyder. Clarissa Carroll was a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Hawley) Carroll. Joseph Ami Martin was born on a farm a mile from Kingwood, and made the best of his limited opportunities to secure an education. On leaving the farm he removed to Kingwood, where for twenty-two years he held the office of clerk of the County Court of Preston County, finally declining to serve longer. He then turned his attention to railroad building. His first experience was in changing what is now the West Virginia Railroad from a narrow to a standard gauge. He then built fifteen miles of railroad extending from Morgantown to Kingwood, and was in oper- ating charge until the property was sold to Senator Elkins. He also built an electric line running out of Morgantown, following which he organized the company and built the first eight miles of railroad connecting Morgantown with Dunkard Valley, thus opening a large and undeveloped district. With this busy program completed he retired and lived at Morgantown until his death in 1917, at the age of sixty-eight. His widow is still living at Morgan- town. They reared four children: Grace, wife of William J. Snee; Bessie, wife of Frank P. Weaver; Paul H. and Carroll F. The parents were active members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, South, and the father was a Mason and Knight of Pythias. Paul H. Martin was educated at Kingwood, attended the preparatory school at Morgantown, and graduated LL. B. from West Virginia University in 1907. Before taking up the practice of law he spent two and a half years with his father in railroad construction. Then, in 1910, he established himself at Martinsburg and devoted his talents entirely to his growing private practice until 1920, when he was elected clerk of the County Court. He and Mrs. Martin are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Martin is a member of Equality Lodge No. 44, A. F. and A. M. October 27, 1909, he married Miss Marie Buxton, a native of Martinsburg, and daughter of George W. and Ella (Shaffer) Buxton. They have one son, Paul Buxton Martin. Mrs. Martin's father, George Washington Buxton, was a native of Bedford, Pennsylvania, son of George and Elizabeth (Trail) Buxton, of Frederick, Maryland. George W. Buxton served as a Union soldier, and while in the army he first visited Martinsburg, where after the war he located and became a contractor and builder and brick manufac- turer. He was very young when his father died, grew up in the home of his grandparents, and acquired a good education. He lived at Martinsburg until his death at the age of seventy-eight. His wife, Sarah Ellen Shaffer, was born in Martinsburg, daughter of Christian and Susan (Poisal) Shaffer and granddaughter of George and Mar- garet (Mussetter) Shaffer. George Shaffer was a son of Peter and Susan (Gussman) Shaffer. Peter Shaffer, a native of Pennsylvania, served in the Revolutionary army, and was a pioneer of Martinsburg, owning the land at the northeast corner of West King Street and South Maple Avenue. The house he occupied was built of logs, and some years later the exterior was veneered with brick, thus making a sub- stantial brick house with its solid log frame. The house faced West King Street, while a long ell extended down South Maple Avenue. The house in which Mr. and Mrs. Martin now live is at the rear end of this lot, and faces Maple Avenue. The son of Mr. Martin is the seventh gen- eration to live on this ground. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000 18:05:04 -0500 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000319180504.008c3810@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: CLEVELAND M. SEIBERT, Berkeley Co. WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 371 Berkeley CLEVELAND M. SEIBERT, mayor of Martinsburg, is a prominent young lawyer of that city, and among other public services was three times a member of the Legislature. Mr. Seibert was born on a farm in the Arden District of Berkeley County, and his forefathers have dwelt in that region, chiefly as farmers and land owners, for generations, running back to pioneer days. The original spelling of the family name was Sybert, and another variation in spelling it is Siebert. One of the early settlers of Berkeley County was Wendell Seibert, who came from Pennsylvania. The old stone house built prior to 1800 is still standing and occupied by some of his descendants. His son was born in the same locality, and there also was born George Wendell Seibert, grandfather of the Martinsburg lawyer. The father, Wendell Seibert, was born at the old homestead, and suc- ceeded to its ownership and was a prosperous farmer. During the Civil war he entered the Confederate army in Company B. of the First Virginia Cavalry, and from private was promoted to second corporal. He was with the com- mand in its many hard fought battles, including the first battle of Manassas, the seven days fighting around Rich- mond, Fredericksburg, second Manassas, Antietam, Gettys- burg, Spottsylvania Court House, and at Chancellorsville was severely wounded, a bone in his arm being fractured. The bullet was removed and is now in the possession of his son Cleveland M. Wendell Seibert died at the old home- stead in 1884, a few weeks before the birth of his son Cleveland. The latter's mother was Harriet Kilmer, a na- tive of Berkeley County and daughter of John Kilmer, who removed from Pennsylvania to Berkeley County and bought a farm, where he spent the rest of his life. Harriet Kilmer Seibert was left a widow with eight children, and carefully reared and educated them. She died in 1909. Cleveland M. Seibert grew up on the homestead, attended district schools, a private military school at Martinsburg and later entered the law department of West Virginia Uni- versity, where he graduated when in his twenty-first year. he was admitted to the bar on attaining his majority, and has had a widely varied and profitable practice in both State and Federal courts. At the age of twenty-five Mr. Seibert married Elizabeth Trammel, a native of Martinsburg and daughter of Jacob and Maude (Hollman) Trammel. To their marriage were born three children, Harriet Ann, Cleveland M., Jr., and Philip T. Mr. Seibert is a member of the Berkeley County and West Virginia State Bar associations, is affiliated with Martins- burg Lodge No. 378, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Robert White Lodge No. 67, F. and A. M., a member of the Knight Templar Commandery, the Scottish Rite Con- sistory at Wheeling and also Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Wheeling. He is a member of Washington Lodge No. 1, Knights of Pythias, and Tuscarora Tribe No. 50, Improved Order of Red Men, Mr. Seibert cast his first presidential vote in 1908 for Mr. Bryan. The same year he was a successful candidate for the House of Delegates, and was the youngest member of the House at the following session. He was re-elected in 1910 and in 1912, and during his three terms was an active and useful member, both on the several committees to which he was assigned and on the floor of the House. In 1920 Mr. Seibert had the distinction of being unanimously chosen by the city council as mayor of Martinsburg, the majority of the council being re- publicans. ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000 22:30:49 -0500 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000319223049.00825d40@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: CHARLES HENRY THOMAS, Preston County WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 374-375 Preston CHARLES HENRY THOMAS. Preston County cherishes the memory of the late Charles Henry Thomas for the work and influence he exercised during the vigor of his years, and the qualities that distinguished him are continued and exemplified in his son, Vestus Thomas, a prominent citizen of Bruceton Mills. Charles Henry Thomas was born in Garrett County, Maryland, March 6, 1850. His father, Henry Thomas, for many years lived in Monongalia County, West Virginia, and died on his farm east of Morgantown about 1911. He was a first cousin of Andrew Thomas, father of Rev. Jere- miah Thomas of Bruceton. Henry Thomas by hia mar- riage to Eliza Kelly had three sons, Alexander, Frank and Charles Henry. Charles Henry Thomas was reared in the vicinity of Friendsville, Maryland, acquired a limited edu- cation there and did farm work until he reached hia majority. After his marriage he established his home in West- moreland County, Pennsylvania, where for several years he was a coke drawer from the ovens of Westmoreland and Fayette counties. In 1876 he moved to Monongalia County, West Virginia, and for four years farmed just east of Morgantown. He then moved over into Preston County, and lived on a farm in Grant District until the fall of 1915, when he moved into Bruceton Mills, where his death occurred April 8, 1916. Charles Henry Thomas was a man of great vigor of body, capable of enduring the hardships of manual labor and had the industry and untiring energy that enabled him to make the best pos- sible use of his physical powers. He was also public- spirited, and while he possessed only a limited education, he read widely and kept himself informed on all practical questions. He was a sincere member and deacon in the Church of the Brethren, and had an active part in the erection of the Mountain Grove Church in his rural com- munity. He was a republican, and always voted that ticket. In Westmoreland County in July, 1874, Charles Henry Thomas married Sallie Glover, who is still living at Bruce- ton Mills. Her parents were Andrew J. and Jane (Kelley) Glover. Her father was a Union soldier with a West Vir- ginia regiment and saw some of the hard fighting of the war, though he was never wounded or captured. After the war he established his home near Hazelton in Preston County, lived on a farm there and later moved to Monon- galia County, where his wife died and is buried in Zion Cemetery. His daughter Sallie maintained his home until her marriage, and thereafter he lived in different places until hia death in 1909, at the age of seventy-nine. Andrew J. Glover had the following children: Mrs. Mary Rotk- well, of Friendsville, Maryland; Mrs. Sallie Thomas; Wil- liam, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania; Elsworth, of Char- leroi, Pennsylvania; Harriet, wife of Lowrey Warman, of Grant District; and Charles, who died, leaving a family. Vestus Thomas, only son of the late Charles Henry Thomas, is proprietor of the Home Hotel at Bruceton Mills, and for a number of years has been a leader in the business, educational and other affairs of that com- munity. He was born in Westmorland County, Pennsyl- vania, October 11, 1875, and most of his early years were spent on a farm. He had some experience in the hard labor of the coke fields with his father. The public schools educated him. He started life as a farmer, was married before he was nineteen, and established his first home in Grant District, on a farm adjoining that of his father. He possessed tools and stock, and hard work proved the key that opened the door to a reasonable degree of pros- perity. On leaving the farm Mr. Thomas moved to Bruce- ton Mills and bought the Home Hotel as the successor of John J. Spiker. He and Mrs. Thomas have popularized this house for its splendid service to the traveling public. Mr. Thomas is also in business, handling harness, buggies and farm machinery, and he had a part in the organiza- tion of the Brueeton Bank as a stockholder and contin- uously as a member of the Board of Directors, and for a dozen years has been one of the discount committee of the bank. Mr. Thomas, with several' other associates, organized the Bruceton Electric Light Company, of which he is president. The plant was installed January 1, 1921, and is now furnishing the modern lighting facilities for the town. Among causes of a public nature probably none enlisted more heartily the enthusiasm and effort of Mr. Thomas than the campaign to establish a district high school. He had the satisfaction to see the movement win by a more than 2 to 1 vote. He is a republican, cast his first presi- dential ballot for William McKinley in 1896, and was a delegate from the county to the Wheeling Republican State Convention. Like his father, he is a member of the Church of the Brethren. While living on the farm he assisted in the erection of the Mountain Grove Church, was the principal man on the building committee, and for a number of years was a leader in the work of the Sabbath School. Vestus Thomas and Miss Martha Murray were married February 23, 1893, being the first couple married in the new Uniontown Court House in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Thomas was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, September 11, 1870, daughter of George W. and Martha A. (Dillow) Mur- ray. Her father was a native of Fayette County and died near Haydentown in 1904, at the age of fifty-eight. His widow is still living among her children, who are: Mrs. Mary Smith, of Smithfield, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Thomas; Betsy, who was Mrs. Murray, now the wife of William Kelley, of Grant District, Preston County; Robert, of Fayette County; Sallie, wife of J. C. Everly, of Grant District; and George W., of Grant District. Mrs. Thomas was educated in the schools of Fayette County. She and Mr. Thomas have lived together for nearly thirty years, and they have shared in the work and duties that have been their lot and have been the source of their prosperity. They have five surviving children and also three grandchildren. Their children are May, Blanche, Charles Arthur, Howard Edward and Nellie Maud. May is the wife of Leroy Darby, of Brueeton Mills, and the mother of Eleanor Louise. Blanche is Mrs. Charles Bright, of Bruceton Mills, and her children are Kathleen Eleanor and Dale McClure.