USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume IV > Part 105
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106
Robert (2) Ramsay, a native of Chester County, Pennsylvania, was fifteen years old when he came with his parents to North Carolina, and bravely assisted his father and brothers in the pioneer task of redeeming a farm from the wilderness.
He was a bold and very active Revolutionary soldier and rose to the rank of captain. He was in a number of battles and skirmishes, notably the battles of Ramsour's Hill, June 20, 1780, and Charlotte Court House on the 26th of September following, when the whigs won for Charlotte the proud distinction of being the "Hornet's Nest"
392
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
of America. He was also at the Battle of Cow Pens, fought January 17th and Cowan's Ford February 1, 1781. He became a planter, married Nancy Agnes McCorkle, a sister of the Rev. Sam- uel Eusebius McCorkle, D. D., for many years pastor of the Church of Thyathia, and principal of the celebrated Zion Parnassus Academy. His remains, with those of his wife and one of his sons, and one of his daughters, lie in Thyathia Churchyard, near and about the middle of the old rock wall on the west side of Rowan County.
David (3) Ramsay, was born in that part of Rowan County that is now included within the limits of Iredell County. He inherited a portion of the parental homestead and being successful as a tiller of the soil purchased other tracts of land, and with the assistance of slaves carried on gen- eral farming in his native county until his death in 1858. He was a ruling elder in Prospect Pres- byterian Church nineteen years.
As a member of Gen. Joseph Graham's staff, he went in pursuit of the Creek Indians in 1812-1814, and later he served as colonel commandant of the militia of Iredell County, and for many years was justice of the peace. He married Margaret Fos- ter Graham, who was born in Rowan County, a daughter of James Graham, a Revolutionary sol- dier who served against the Cherokees in 1776; was with Gates at Camden in 1780 and Davidson at Cowan's Ford in 1781.
James Graham's father was one of the active leaders of the Rowan Regulators in 1770-71.
Hon. James (4) Graham Ramsay, M. D., was the third child and oldest son of David and Mar- garet Foster Ramsay, and was born in Iredell County, North Carolina, about eleven miles south- east of the Town of Statesville, on the first day of March, 1823. He was reared on his father's plantation and enjoyed such advantages of educa- tion as the old field schools of that day afforded. After due preparation he entered Davidson College and graduated from that institution in its second class in 1841. Davidson College did not forget her alumnus, but in 1846 gave him the degree of Master of Arts. He was his society 's representa- tive in 1840 and the alumni orator in 1847 and again in 1874. After teaching a year subsequent to his graduation, he read medicine under his brother-in-law, Dr. R. T. Dismukes, entered the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, and re- ceived his medical diploma in 1848.
He established himself as a physician in West- ern Rowan County, and continued practicing med- icine for more than half a century. Being natur- ally a student, he soon became one of the most learned and successful physicians in Western North Carolina and enjoyed the love and confidence of brethren of the profession, but his studies extended beyond the limits of his profession into general literature, politics, theology and masonry, and many were the chaste and elegant addresses which he delivered on different subjects, several of which have been printed and read with profit.
Doctor Ramsay early became active in politics. An ardent admirer of Henry Clay, his activities began in 1844. In 1848 he was in the Taylor- Cass campaign and in 1852 for the Scott-Graham ticket. In 1854 was defeated for the House of Rep- resentatives; in 1856-58-60 and '62 was sent to the State Senate from the district composed of the counties of Rowan and Davie and again in 1883. Doctor Ramsay was an old line whig and a peace man in 1860 and advocated the election of Bell and Everett on the platform of the "Union, the
constitution and the enforcement of the laws." He vigorously opposed secession, speaking every- where in Rowan and the surrounding counties, urging the people not to declare for disunion, but when the war actually began he submitted to the inevitable, and went with his section. He was whole-hearted for the southern cause and was re- turned to the Senate in 1862 and was elected to represent his district in the Second Congress of the Confederate States. Doctor Ramsay served the public in many different positions. In 1872 he was elector on the republican ticket and cast his vote for General Grant for the president and later on was offered a foreign appointment as minister to one of the South American republics, which he at that time declined. He was a ruling elder of the Third Creek Presbyterian Church for forty- six years and was appointed as a delegate to numerous Presbyteries and Synods and was called by Concord Presbytery as one of its commissioners in four general assemblies, the first being the charter assembly of the Southern Church which met in Augusta, Georgia, December 4, 1861. In Masonry Doctor Ramsay attained to the Royal Arch Degree, and was on several occasions called to deliver addresses before the fraternity, which he did with great acceptance. He was a polished and graceful writer, and an interesting speaker, possessing fine literary taste and ability.
On September 30, 1846, Doctor Ramsay was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Jane Foster and they lived happily together for nearly a half cen- tury. She preceded him to the life beyond, dying in 1895. They were the parents of two daughters and six sons, as follows; Margaret Foster, Flor- ence May, David Allan, James Hill, Edgar Burton, William Graham, Robert Linneaus, and Claudius Clinton, all of whom have joined the great ma- jority beyond save James Hill and Claudius Clin- ton. After the death of his wife Doctor Ramsay broke up his home in the country and spent his remaining days with his son in Salisbury, dying January 10, 1903.
Claude C. (5) Ramsay was born at Palermo in Rowan County on December 31, 1865. When life was young he went to Seattle, Washington, mar- ried Miss Grace Eleanor Anderson of that place, and has been growing with that wonderful city and is now one of its prominent and public-spirited citizens. He has represented his district in the State Legislature and is now chairman of the board of commissioners for King County, in which county the City of Seattle is located.
James (5) Hill Ramsay was born and reared on the farm at Palermo, received an academical edu- cation, and soon after attaining his majority be- came postmaster at South River, and manager of a general store, continuing in both positions until 1880. In that year Mr. Ramsay located in Salis- bury, where he has been an honored and esteemed resident. Off and on for more than twenty-three years he has served as postmaster in Salisbury and has also been actively identified with the ad- vancement of the agricultural and mechanical pros- perity of this section of the state. His farming interests are in his native township, Scotch-Irish. In the intervals between his service as postmaster Mr. Ramsay was tobacco manufacturer and hard- ware merchant.
In 1891 Mr. Ramsay was married to Miss Mary Isabelle Miller, daughter of Maj. Daniel Byrd Mil- ler, a Confederate veteran of Columbia, South Caro- lina. Their children are Annie Laurie, Margaret Ellinor, James Graham and Claudius Clinton.
Tg Wade
393
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Annie Laurie is the wife of Thomas M. Hines and has one son, Thomas M. Hines, Jr. James Gra- ham, a graduate of the University of North Caro- lina, is a first lieutenant at Camp Jackson, Colum- bia, South Carolina, and Claudius C. is now, in 1917, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina.
Mr. Ramsay and family are Presbyterians; fra- ternally he belongs to the Odd Fellows, Elks, Ma- sonic Order, his membership in the latter being in Andrew Jackson Lodge. At different times Mr. Ramsay has been president of the Old Hickory Club, the second oldest social organization in the state. Mr. Ramsay having been so actively and generously identified with all phases of the life of the people, is today one of the most representa- tive men in his county. The just commendation he deserves is accorded to him by all who know him.
THOMAS G. WADE. To an inventor everyday things are full of interest and possibilities. He may never have enjoyed the long technical train- ing that enabled Volta to develop the electric current, Faraday a dynamo, Bell the telephone and Edison the phonograph, but inventive genius is present when he can take everyday things close at hand and through change and better combina- tion evolve new products of great practical value. In this connection attention is directed to one of Cumberland County's inventors, Thomas Greer Wade, who has perfected a home utility inven- tion that gives promise of bringing him a for- tune.
Thomas Greer Wade, who is one of the busy men of Beard, North Carolina, was born in 1880, at Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia. His parents are Z. T. and Katie (Greer) Wade, both of whom were born also in Franklin County and now reside with their talented son at Beard. The Greer family is an old and historie one of Vir- ginia, where it was established in colonial times by Lord Watt Greer, of England. The late Dr. J. H. Greer, an eminent physician of Franklin Coun- ty, Virginia, was a brother of Mrs. Katie Wade. Mr. Wade was reared and educated in his native state, where he had farm and livestock experience, and from there came to Cumberland County, North Carolina, in 1905. He took a position with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company as agent at Beard Station. in which office he continued un- fil September, 1917.
A great many of the notable discoveries have been the result of accident and Mr. Wade may, in part, attribute his invention to an accident that to another man might have meant nothing but a broken utensil, but which in him immediately called forth inventive powers that were only lying dormant. It was while performing the domestic task of churning cream that Mr. Wade broke the old-fashioned stationary dasher he was using. It was no great trouble for him to fashion a new one and with the love of experiment that belongs to every natural inventor he tried trimming it to windmill or propellor shane, using a nail through the dash-rod so that the dasher would revolve. A trial was made in water and the result noted and then in the costly cream, with the result that but- ter was produced in approximately half the usual time.
Mr. Wade was quick to see that the rotary pro- pellor reversing every stroke was a great improve- ment on the old plan, and it did not take him
long to evolve the idea that two propellers going in opposite directions, would probably produce butter in approximately one-fourth the time of the old way. This theory proved correct and the first time the double dasher was used, butter was produced in five minutes. Since that time the dasher has been so perfected that the time of buttermaking, formerly in most households a long and tiresome process, has been reduced as low as one minute and forty seconds.
Mr. Wade, on realizing the great value of his invention, lost no time in applying for a patent and his application was filed at Washington, D. C., in the United States Patent Office on December 29, 1916, and was patented July 24, 1917, copies of this patent being obtainable by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C., for a trifling sum. The - Canadian Patent has been granted and will be placed on the market there by August 1, 1918. Simple as the device is in construction, it required considerable ingenuity and perfect accuracy in adjusting the parts, Mr. Wade easily triumphing in these particulars. Seemingly in a great agricultural section like Cumberland County such a convenient utility would be deemed indispensable, and probably this is the case, judging by the mass of correspondence that Mr. Wade finds he must attend to, many of the letters received being in high praise of the de- vice. In October, 1917, the dasher, under the ap- propriate name of the B. D. Q. (Butter Double Quick) dasher, was demonstrated at the Fayette- ville North Carolina Fair and took the first prize, the Blue Ribbon, and it has met with a remark- able sale. In January, 1918, it is being manu- factured for him by the Carolina Wood Products Company at Asheville, and plans are being made for the erection and equipment of a factory for the exclusive manufacture of the dasher, and the Chamber of Commerce of Fayetteville are making efforts to have the industry located in that city.
Mr. Wade has a happy domestic circle of wife and two children, the latter bearing the names of Virginia Dare and Dorothy Wade. Mr. Wade married Miss Virginia Embrey, who was born in Fauquier County, Virginia. Naturally she is very proud of the success of Mr. Wade's invention, knowing that he deserves full credit for it.
JAMES FRANKLIN GAUSE, JR. Among the younger generation of Wilmington business and professional men whose names are deserving of special mention for what they have accomplished in their chosen vocations is James Franklin Gause, Jr., senior member of the firm of architects, Gause & Lynch. His career has been an exem- plification of typical ambitious manhood, and he is already accorded a place among the men whose activities are serving to maintain Wilmington 's prestige in the fields of business and architecture.
James Franklin Gause, Jr., was born at Wil- mington. North Carolina, June 15, 1885, and is a son of James Franklin and Frances Caroline (Jones) Gause. His education was given him in the public schools of his native place, and when he was still a lad he began his apprenticeship to his chosen vocation as blue print boy in the mechanical rooms of the Atlantic Coast Line Rail- way. There he displayed ability of a high order, energy and fidelity, and his promotion was quick and sure, so rapid, in fact, that he found him- self within the remarkably short space of four years occupying the responsible position of as-
394
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
sistant mechanical civil engineer. Eventually he left the railway offices to gain more extensive and diversified experience, and for several years worked in architects' offices at Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia. In 1908, when he was ready to embark upon his individual career, he located at Waynesville, North Carolina, and in 1911 established his home and office at Wilmington, where he has since continued to fol- low his profession. In 1915 he took into part- nership James Borden Lynch, and since that time the firm has operated under the style of Gause & Lynch. Mr. Gause has drawn the plans and erected numerous large structures, largely of a public character, including the New Hanover Coun- ty Prison, a concrete edifice which accomodates 250 prisoners. He is a member of the North Carolina Association of Architects, of which he was a director in 1915, and the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. His social connections include membership in the Cape Fear Country Club and the Carolina Yacht Club. Mr. Gause's standing as an architect is high and as a citizen of Wilmington he has al- ways been ready to assist in progressive and public-spirited movements.
On August 19, 1913, Mr. Gause was married to Miss Esther Virginia Edson, of Brooklyn, New York: They are members of the. First Pres- byterian Church.
JOHN WETMORE HINSDALE, JR., is a son of the distinguished North Carolina lawyer and states- man, John W. Hinsdale, Sr. During his own career, as a practicing lawyer at Raleigh for the past fifteen years, he has earned many of the cred- itable rewards and honors of the profession.
He was born at Raleigh August 21, 1879, was educated in the . University of North Carolina, graduating in the literary course in 1900 and from the law department in 1901. Since then he has been in active general practice at Raleigh. He is a member of the Wake County and the North Carolina Bar associations, and of the Capital and Country clubs. .
BENJAMIN KINSEY HAYS, M. D. A number of capable and high-minded physicians enjoy the credit and honor that goes with North Carolina's enviable position among the states in point of the efficiency and personnel of its public health work. In the opinion of his contemporaries and fellow workers, Dr. Benjamin Kinsey Hays of Oxford is entitled to more than a' modest share of credit.
While it is not difficult to find various reasons of self interest and advantage that impel many men to take up some branch of the public welfare movement, it is difficult if not impossible to ascribe any selfish motive to those physicians who at the sacrifice of their remunerative clientele oftentimes devote themselves to public health propaganda. Doctor Hays has been a conspicuous example of this disinterested service and has given time and energy to public health work which devoted to his private profession would have meant a comfort- able fortune.
Doctor Hays was born at Oxford, North Caro- lina, July 3, 1870, and nearly all his life has been spent in that quiet and scholastic community. His parents were John W. and Sallie (Duty) Hays, his father being for many years an attorney. Doctor Hays was educated in Horner's Military School at Oxford, and also in the Fishburn Mili- tary School in Virginia. He spent one year with
the Government Geological Survey, began his medical studies in a private office, and continued them in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore and in University College of Medi- cine at Richmond, Virginia For two years he was associated with Dr. Hunter McGuire as interne in his private hospital in Virginia.
Doctor Hays returned to Oxford in 1895 and devoted himself to general practice. For twelve seasons he was resident physician of the Buffalo Lithia Springs of Virginia. In 1908 he was elected a member of the state board of medical examiners, served as its secretary throughout his entire term of six years, and in 1915 was elected secretary of the North Carolina Medical Association, an of- fice he still fills. He has been a frequent con- tributor to medical journals, and has delivered addresses before the state medical societies, in- cluding one at the meeting at Greensboro in 1905, and has addressed graduating classes at Richmond, Virginia, Charlotte, North Carolina, and other places. He has made a close study of the county health and public health work in general, and is undoubtedly one of the ablest authorities in this field.
Doctor Hays is a member and steward of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has appeared as a lecturer before the Men's Bible Class of the Sunday school many times. Many of his themes have been chosen with a view to substituting sci- entific knowledge for superstitions and eradicating old time popular fallacies which still have a strong hold upon otherwise intelligent people.
Doctor Hays married June 4, 1902, Miss Anne De La Croix, a native of Massachusetts. Doctor Havs raised four adopted daughters, Katie and Isabelle Fleming, children of his sister, and Clara and Fannie Hays, children of his brother.
CLARENCE ROYDEN PUGH. Pasquotank County can furnish no better sample of self-made man- hood than that represented in the career of Clar- ence Royden Pugh, of Elizabeth City. In the legal profession, in business affairs, in public life and in the promotion of religion, morality and good citizenship he has been a leader, and while still a young man, as years go, has attained a position of prominence and independence solely through the exercise of his own abilities and an intelligent acceptance of just such opportunities as come to men in general.
Mr. Pugh was born March 31, 1884, at Wan- chese, Roanoke Island, Dare County, North Caro- lina, a son of Saint Clair and Holland (Wescott) Pugh. His father was a merchant and fisherman on Roanoke Island, where the youth attended pub- lic and private schools, subsequently going to Dur- ham Preparatory School and then to Trinity Col- lege. Durham, where he was graduated in 1906. In the following year, when but a little past his majority, he became an independent candidate for the North Carolina Legislature, and was elected to that body as the only independent chosen, be- ing the youngest member of the House. When his term expired he went to the University of Chi- cago, where in 1908 and 1909 he took a law course, and in 1910 was admitted to the bar of Illinois. In that same year he further prepared himself in the University of Wisconsin, but in 1911 re- turned to Chicago, and during that and part of the following year was engaged in teaching school. In 1912 he also taught law in the Hamilton Col- lege of Law, but early in 1913 returned to North Carolina, and, settling at Elizabeth City, was ad-
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1
395
.
mitted to the bar of the state in February. Since that time he has been engaged in the general prac- tice of his calling and has steadily risen to a foremost place among the practitioners of this section. He is at home in every department of his calling and has been identified with a number of important cases, his success in which speaks well for his knowledge of the law, his logic, and his powers of oratory and persuasiveness. In addi- tion to the organizations of his profession Mr. Pugh is a member of the Masons and a Knights Templar and Shriner, and belongs to the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men. He has various important business connections, be- ing secretary-treasurer of the East Caroline Trans- portation Company, secretary-treasurer of the Albemarle King Coal Company, and a partner in the firm of Daniels & Pugh, an ice corporation. Mr. Pugh was the main factor in the organization of the Elizabeth City Chamber of Commerce, and at the present time is its manager. Since the early days, when he was independent in his views, he has swung his support to the republican party, having been chairman of the Pasquotank County executive committee, and at one time was candidate for the office of state superintendent of public instruction. He has been particularly ac- tive in religious work, and at present is one of the stewards of the City Road Methodist Episco- pal Church and superintendent of the Sunday school, member and secretary of the Conference Sunday School Board; and president of the Dis- trict Sunday School Institute.
On December 23, 1908, Mr. Pugh was happily married to Miss Adell Bulpitt, of Taylorville, II- linois.
JULIUS BROWN has been an active member of the bar of Greenville for the past fifteen years. . While the law represents to him a means of liveli- hood he has also used liis profession in many ways to promote the public welfare and has frequently served the public.
Mr. Brown was born in Bethel. North Carolina, November 18, 1879, a son of Fernando and Ann M. (Martin) Brown. He grew un at his father's farm, attended the Bethel High School. and took his law work in the University of North Caro- lina. graduating in August, 1902. On being ad- mitted to the bar he located at Greenville and soon won his spurs as an able and hard fighting attorney in competition with many older and experienced men. He is a member in good stand- ing of the North Carolina Bar Association. and was formerly attorney for the Board of County Commissoners. Mr. Brown is a Mason and Odd Fellow. He married August 13. 1913, Miss Estelle Thigpen, of Greenville. They have 'one daughter, Julia Estelle.
CLARENCE ALBERT SHORE, M. D. As a scientist, physician and public health official Doctor Shore is one of the eminent men of North Carolina. After his graduation from the University of North Carolina in 1901 he spent three years in that insti- tution as instructor in biology. He then entered the medical department of Johns Hopkins Uni- versity at Baltimore, where he was graduated in Medicine in 1907. Since then Doctor Shore has rendered an invaluable service in the North Caro- lina State Laboratory of Hygiene.
He is a member of the American Public Health Association, of the Tri-State Medical Association,
of the Wake County and North Carolina Medical societies, the American Medical Association and the Southern Medical Association.
Doctor Shore was born in Salem, North Carolina, November 26, 1873, a son of Henry Washington and Lavinia Elizabeth (Boyer) Shore. His father was a merchant and the family were members of the Moravian Church, with which Doctor Shore is also identified. His early education was acquired in the Moravian Boys School at Salem, and he was there prepared for college, next entering the Uni- versity of North Carolina. Doctor Shore is a mem- ber of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Nu Sigma Nu College fraternities, and the Capital Club at Raleigh. He was married May 27, 1914, to Miss Ellen Dortch, of Raleigh.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.