WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 94 Today's Topics: #1 Bio- Alton L. Smith- Bluefield [Joan Wyatt ] #2 Bio: Weimer, Lewis H. - Preston co [Tina Hursh To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <38EC6A5C.508FA962@uakron.edu> Subject: Bio- Alton L. Smith- Bluefield Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume 111 Page 374 Alton L. Smith- Bluefield Long experience in the practical details has made Alton L. Smith a thoroughly expert electrical engineer. For the past ten years he has been the expert manager of the West Virginia Armature Company of Bluefield, of which he is vice president and general manager. This is one of the most important industries of Bluefield, and the company was organized September 1,1911, with W.A. Bishop, president, Mr. Smith, vice president, and W.A. Bailey, secretary and treasurer. The company started with a very small shop, but there has been a steady and satisfactory growth of the business, and its service and output now cover a large territory around Bluefield. The company first rented a small plant on the north side of the railroad tracks from the Superior Supply Company, but the business is now housed in a new plant, with every facility of modern equipment, located on Bluefield Ave. and Pine Street. Alton L. Smith was born in Monroe Co., West Virginia, at Lillydale, December 24, 1881, son of James R. and Harriet Houston (Vass) Smith. James P. Smith was a carpenter, contractor and builder, and for a number of years lived at Hinton, West Virginia, where he died in 1900, at the age of fifty-one. The mother and her two daughters now live at Sulphur Springs, Virginia. Alton L. Smith, being the only son, had to assume responsibilities as a boy and at the age of sixteen became the principal support of the family. His two sisters are now teachers. He acquired his early education in Monroe County and at Hinton, and at the age of fifteen went to work in the marble establishment at Hinton owned by R.E. Moel. He was there two years, and then found work in the line where his talents have been chiefly expressed. For two years he was a night engineer at Hinton for the Light & Power Company, and then took charge of the lighting system of the Dunglen Hotel at Thurman. He was next employed as electrician by the Nutall Coal and Coke Company at Nutall, West Virginia, and two years later joined the Pocahontas Fuel Company as electrician at Switchback. He was in charge at Switshback for seven years, and on leaving that corporation moved to Bluefield and assisted in organizing the West Virginia Amature Company. In 1910 Mr. Smith married Lula Crow daughter of P.C. Crow of Swithcback. They had five children, Ruth, Harry, Helen, Jack and Nancy Jane. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Methodist Church. In politics he votes for the man rather than the party, and is deeply interested in civic affairs, always taking a progressive attitude. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 14:55:08 -0500 From: Tina Hursh To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20000406195508.006e3cbc@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: Bio: Weimer, Lewis H. - Preston county 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 111 Pg. 360 & 361 Lewis H. Weimer was born and reared on the farm where he now lives in the Eglon community of Preston County. As a youth he had an ambition to become an undertaker, and achieved that profession after many difficulties and sacrifices, and is now one of the leading funeral directors of Preston County, conducting a business in his country locality, and a still larger at Bayard. Mr. Weimer was born April 11, 1877. His grandfather, George Weimer, was of German ancestry, a resident of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and spent his last years on his farm in Garrett county of the latter state. He married Barbara Klingaman, also of German stock. She survived him, and their children were: Samuel, who died near Salisbury, Pennsylvania; Jacob, who died on his farm in Grant County, west Virginia; Mrs. Mary Neff of Ohio; Jessie who was a farmer in Garrett County; John, whose records follows; Sarah, who died in Garrett County, wife of Asbury McCroby; Joseph, who was a Union Soldier in the Civil War and spent his life near Oakland, Maryland; Benjamin, who was accidentally killed in Garrett County; Silas, who was a Garrett County farmer, once a member of the Maryland Legislature, and for several years a teacher. John Weimer was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, November 22, 1832. He had a limited education and devoted his entire active career to his farm. He removed with his family to Maryland, and after spending a short time near Sang Run in Garrett County came into Preston County, where he married Magdalena Fike, daughter of Peter Fike and sister of Rev. Aaron Fike, a Brethren Minister whose life record is published elsewhere. John Weimer and wife had the following children: Frank M., of Fredericksburg, Virginia; Joanna, who died in Garret County, Maryland, wife of I.O. Thompson; Rachel, wife of D.G. Judy, of Eglon; Ed of Morgantown; Jemimah, Ephraim, Lida, and Christian, all of whom died unmarried; and Lewis Henry. John Weimer died October 21, 1921, when in his eighty-ninth year, after a residence on the old farm for more than half a century and in Preston County for six years. Lewis Henry Weimer attended the common schools and he was a helful factor on the home farm until passing his majority. On leaving the farm he took a correspondence course in undertaking, and was licensed to practice in the State of West Virginia. He had qualified for his chosen profession after many difficulties, and even than he was not equipped for business, having no capital. He secured practical experience while in the service of Mr. A. R. Fike, of Eglon, and he borrowed the capital to buy out his employer in 1906. He paid interest on borrowed money until his business profits replaced the loans and created his own capital. He moved from his cabin home back from the public highway to the vicinity of Maple Run, and there eventually erected a generous home and equipped himself with facilities for business. Later he established the branch at Bayard, which now does a larger business than the original establishment and, as it is in a railroad town, it seem likely that Mr. Weimer will in time concentrate his efforts there. He is now head of an extensive business, affording a great contrast to the situation when he started, without capital and with a family and home for which to provide. He has a complete equipment of automobile and horse drawn hearses and his business at Eglon is half a mile south of the village. Mr. Weimer is a member of the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association. He gave his first national ballot to Major McKinley in 1900, and has acted in the interest of that party steadily, serving many years as a committeeman for Union District. For years he was president of the Union District Board of Education, and in 1918 was elected county commissioner as successor to Allen Forman. The Chief business before the court of which he was a member was school consolidation, levys for school purposes, and routine business. Mr. Weimer is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, and is a prominent member of the Lutheran Church, having been its councilman, secretary of the joint council for several years, and is now chairman of the joint council. In his home community December 24, 1899, he married Mis Lucinda Liller, who was born within two miles of Eglon, June 2, 1880, daughter of James and Catherine (Fike) Liller. Her mother was a daughter of David Fike, a brother of Rev. Arron Fike, above mentioned. Mrs. Weimer's parents were natives of Preston county and spent their lives as farmers here. Of their fourteen children, thirteen grew up: Mary, whose first husband was George Winters and she is now the wife of Joseph Rembolt of Eglon; David of Garrett County, Maryland; Jennie, who has been three times married and is living in Garrett County; Henry, of Garrett County; Ella, wife of Geroge L. Wotrig, of Byard; Louvina, who died as Mrs. Thomas Conn; Aaron, a farmer in Garrett County; Ida, who died at Horston, West Virginia, wife of Jacob Nester; Lizzie, Mrs. Lee Hurshman, of Philadelphia; Mrs. Weimer; Leola, who married Thomas Root of Preston County; Ressa, wife of Arthur Sell, of Union Bridge, Maryland; and Myrtle, who died when a young girl. Mr. And Mrs. Weimer have two children, Cleo and John Arnold, the latter attending the Eglon public school. Cleo completed a liberal education and is now the wife of Early F. Roth of Bayard. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 14:55:10 -0500 From: Tina Hursh To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20000406195510.006f29ac@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: Bio: McCrum, Page Robert - Preston county 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 111 Pg. 361 Page Robert McCrum is the leading merchant of Aurora, and has the distinction of being the oldest merchant from the standpoint of continuous experience in Preston County. His active connection with merchandising at Aurora is a matter of more than half a century, but at intervals he has also rendered a valuable service in public affairs. Mr. McCrum was born at Aurora July 19, 1852. His father, Summers McCrum, was born in Randolph County, this state in 1826, and was nine years of age when he was left fatherless. He lived with his step-father until he came to Preston County, and on going to Aurora he took charge of the Curtis Store and was not yet of age when he became a responsible factor in the business of Curtis & Son. Not long afterward, in 1845, he established a business of his own in the site now occupied by the Lantz Hotel. From that time until 1871 he was active in the business life of the village. Besides general merchandising he was also a farmer and one of the most extensive sheep growers, owning flocks which he let out on the shares and which were herded over portions of two or three counties. In time the sheep business represented the larger part of his capital and enterprise. Summers McCrum was not in politics to any extent. He began as a democrat, but through the issues of the war became a republican. In 1860 only one vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln in Aurora precinct. The voter, Adam Giessman, and old German citizen was threatened with mob biolence for thus expressing himself. K Summers McCrum at that time was a Douglas democrat, but immediately after secession he became a republican. He was a leader in church work as a Methodist, and the present Methodist Church at Aurora was constructed as the result of efforts in which he took a prominent part. In Tyler County Summers McCrum married Eliza H. Nicklin, a native of that county and daughter of Dr. Samuel Nicklin. She died in 1881, while Summers McCrum survived until 1905. Their children were: Page R.; Lloyd L., who was a merchant at Gormania and then at Hendricks and died at Gormania, leaving a son, A. Bliss; Alvin A., born September 9, 1858, and now associated in business with his brother Page at Aurora; and Lillie, Mrs. Charles F. Trotter, of Washington, D.C. Page R. McCrum attended some of the early sessions of the first free schools established at Aurora. At the age of seventeen he entered the University of West Virginia at Morgantown, completing his sophomore year there. K His father desiring to retire from merchandising, page returned to Aurora in 1871, and tough not yet twenty years of age took active charge of the business. With his accession the firm became McCrum & Son, later when Alvin became a partner, the title was S. McCrum & Sons, but for a number of years past the firm name has been P.R. and A.A. McCrum. This is the business in which Mr. McCrum has found his time and talents absorbed for half a century. He is a director in the First National Bank of Terra Alta, West Virginia, of which he was also the second president. He began voting as a republican and was one of the first young men in this community to announce his convictions for that party. His first presidential vote went to General Grant in 1872. The first official service he rendered was assistant to Clerk Henry Startzman, of Kingwood, for several months. His first elective office was as a member of the house of delegates. He was elected in 1878, serving under Speaker Moffett and re-elected in 1880 under Speaker Wilson. The house in both terms was democratic, and a republican member had little opportunity for constructive work. One matter of importance before the House during his first term was the increase of jurisdiction of magistrates. Mr. McCrum voted for the party choice for United States Senator when he knew in advance there was no chance to elect him. Subsequently Mr. McCrum was for several terms a member of the County Court. The business before the board was largely routine, since road building had not become an important issue involving a great expenditure based on bond issues. Only a bridge was built now and then, and perhaps the most important duty of Mr. McCrum was handling the yearly financial settlements with the sheriff. Mr. McCrum served a number of times as member of the Union District Board of Education, and was also its secretary. While he was a member of the board the addition to the Auroa schoolhouse was built. In Rock Island County, Illinois, November 16, 1887, Mr. McCrum married Miss Lucy B. Brown, going out to that state to claim his bride, who, however, is a native of Beverly, Randolph County, West Virginia, and member of an old family of this state. She was born at Beverly August 10, 1853, daughter of Bernard L. and Mary E. (Dailey) Brown, the latter being a daughter of Hugh and Edith (Butcher) Dailey. Bernard L. Brown was for about twenty years clerk of the Circuit Court of Randolph County prior to the Civil war. He died in 1869, and his widow removed with the family to Cordova, Illinois, where Mrs. McCrum finished here education in high school. She was one of a large family of children, of whom Edith, Edwin, Clarence, Oscar and Alice are deceased, and the others still surviving are Mrs. Addie F. Earl, of Fort Worth, Texas; Mrs. S.N. Bosworth, of Beverly, West Virginia; Charles B., of Clinton, Iowa; and Mrs. Roberta Williamson, of Pomona, California. Mr. and Mrs. McCrum have two surviving sons, Summers Daily McCrum and Harold B., the former born October 3, 1888, and the latter, December 8, 1891. Summers D. married Elinor Brown, daughter of John H. and Eugenia (Bishop) Brown, of Kingwood, and their two children are Robert Brown and Summer Dailey, Jr. They all live at Aurora. Harold Bernard McCrum graduated in law from the University of West Virginia in 1914, and is one of the popular attorneys of Preston County. He was elected and served in 1921 as a member of the House of Delegates, and in that session was on the committees of prohibition and temperance; counties, districts and municipal corporations and roads. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 14:55:12 -0500 From: Tina Hursh To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20000406195512.006f5898@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: Bio: Peters, Clem E. - Ohio county 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 111 Pg. 361 & 362 Clem E. Peters has shown fine initiative and constructive powers in his executive administration as secretary and treasurer of the Conservative Life Insurance Company of Wheeling, West Virginia, and admirable institution of which specific record is given in following review. Mr. Peters was born and reared in the State of Ohio where he received excellent educational advantages, and he has been a resident of Wheeling, West Virginia, for a quarter of a century. Here he was for some time employed as clerk in a drug store, later was here engaged independently in the drug business, and it was in his sleeping apartment over his drug store that the insurance company of which he is now secretary and treasurer virtually had its inception, in 1906, while it has been in large measure due to his resourceful energies and progressive and careful policies that the company has forged to the front as one of most substantial, well ordered and beneficent functions-a home institution of which West Virginia may well be proud. Of the determined spirit that animated Mr. Peters and his associates in their efforts to build up this worthy enterprise results speak for themselves, but the casual observer can have slight comprehension of the heavy responsibilities assumed, the great obstacles surmounted, and the discouragements set aside in the stupendous evolution of a solid and noble institution of broad scope and ever widening influence. The review of the inception and growth of this insurance corporation, as given in following pages in this publication, should be read in connection with this sketch of the progressive and representative citizen who has played so important at part in the upbuilding of the company and business.