Biography of John K. Hobaugh - Wyoming Co. WV


The History of West Virginia, Old and New 
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume III, 
pg. 613-614 


JOHN K. HOBAUGH. Prominent among the men whose 
activities are felt in the coal mining industry of Wyoming 
County is John K. Hobaugh, superintendent of the Miller 
Pocahontas Coal Company at Corinne, one mile east of 
Mullens, on the Winding Gulf branch of the Virginia Rail- 
road. Practically his entire life has been passed in this 
industry, with all the details of which he is thoroughly 
familiar. He was born at Sunnyside, Allegheny County, 
Pennsylvania, August 29, 1877, and is a son of David and 
Nancy (Kelley) Hobaugh.
David Hobaugh spent his life in connection with mining 
in Pennsylvania, and died in 1914, when sixty-four years 
of age, his wife having passed away in 1902, at the age 
of fifty-two years. One of the men of integrity, who had 
the full confidence of his fellow-citizens, he served capably 
for a number of years as justice of the peace and wielded 
an influence for good in his community. He was active 
in both church and Sunday School work, as was his worthy 
wife, both being of the Methodist faith. Fraternally Mr. 
Hobaugh was identified with the Senior Order of United 
American Mechanics and the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. There were four sons and three daughters in the 
family. One of the sons, H. B. Hobaugh, was for a few 
years identified with the West Virginia mines, being a fore- 
man in the mines at Mount Hope and also acting in the 
same capacity on the White Oak branch of the Chesapeake 
& Ohio Railroad.
John K. Hobaugh attended the public schools of Sunny- 
side, Pennsylvania, and later supplemented his education 
with a course on mining subjects received through the 
International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsyl- 
vania. When still a boy he began to help his father in the 
mines, and passed through all the positions in his upward 
climb, being successively a trapper, coal miner, fire boss, 
foreman and superintendent in Pennsylvania before he came 
to West Virginia, in February, 1913. At that time he 
came to Fayette County and was superintendent of the 
Summer-Lee and Lochgalley mines, owned by the New River 
Coal Company, a concern with which he remained for five 
years, then becoming superintendent of the McKell Com- 
pany mines for two years. When he left that company it 
was to join the Miller Pocahontas Coal Company, which is 
connected with the Deegans interests, and during his 
superintendency many improvements have been made in the 
way of equipment and general conditions. Mr. Hobaugh 
has always been sensible of the value of education, and 
built the schoolhonse at Corinne and the one at Monticello. 
Corinne has become, largely through his efforts, a model 
coal camp, and was recently incorporated with a full set 
of officers. Mr. Hobaugh is a member of the Senior Order 
of United American Mechanics, the Knights of Malta and 
the Loyal Order of Moose. He is a republican in polities, 
and is progressive in action and in ideas.
In 1917 Mr. Hobaugh married Miss Ada Newman, a 
daughter of Asa Newman.



Submitted by Valerie Crook <vfcrook@earthlink.net> 

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