USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume IV > Part 92
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He has always been active in public affairs in Forsyth County, was elected county treasurer and served six years, and after leaving office was for a time in the livery business. He was then re- tired for three years on account of ill health and spent the time on his farm. Since 1915 has been a dealer in feed and seed. He is also an agricul- turist, owning a farm two and a quarter miles from Winston-Salem. At one time he owned farm lands now included within the city and the por- tion known as Crafton Heights was named by him in honor of his father.
In 1890 Captain Riggins married Mary Gor- rell, daughter of Albert and Fannie Gorrell. Their only child, Albert Gorrell Riggins, died in in- fancy.
Captain Riggins was instrumental in organizing the fire company at Winston, was chosen its cap- tain and later for a time served as chief of the entire department. He is a member of the Twin City Club, the Forsyth County Country Club, and is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and Winston Lodge No. 167, An- cient Free and Accepted Masons.
REV. JAMES ERNEST HALL, now pastor of the Clemmonsville Moravian Church, has for many years been one of the foremost Moravian minis- ters in Carolina. He was for twenty-five years a . member of the Provincial Board of the Southern Province of the Moravian Church, and also a member of the board of trustees of the Theological Seminary. For twenty-five years he was one of the trustees of Salem Academy College, and has twice been a delegate to the General Synod of the Moravian Church held at Herrnhutt, Saxony.
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Rev. Mr. Hall was born at Salem, North Caro- lina, April 14, 1855. His family became iden- tified with the Moravian community of Western North Carolina early in the last century, and going still further back they were active Mora- vians in the Pennsylvania settlements. The foun- der of the American branch of the family is four generations removed from Rev. Mr. Hall. The founder was James Hall, who was born at Brad- ford, Wiltshire, England, December 21, 1724. By an apprenticeship in the woolen mill he learned the trade of cloth fuller. He was converted under the preaching of Cennick and joined the Mora- vian Church at Gormmersal, England.
In 1756 James Hall emigrated to America. He located in the center of the Moravian Colony at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and followed his trade there for several years. In 1776 he removed to Lititz, Pennsylvania, and continued his trade until 1774. Returning to Bethlehem, he became man- ager of a cloth mill there and died in his fifty- ninth year. He was first married at Lititz to Anna Maria Kalkloeser, who left one son named John. For his second wife he married Anna Maria Fisher, and by that union there were two sons and one daughter.
John Hall, representing the next generation, great-grandfather of Rev. Mr. Hall, learned the trade of locksmith. He was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and subsequently located at Ritters- ville, where he spent the rest of his life. He is buried in the Lutheran-Reformed Churchyard at Schoenersville, Pennsylvania.
James Hall, grandfather of Rev. Mr. Hall, was born at Fittersville, Pennsylvania, in 1801. He served an apprenticeship at the shoemaker's trade. In those days all boots and shoes were made by hand, and the shoemaker occupied a correspond- ingly more important position in the scale of in- dustry. For a time he worked at his trade in Lititz, and when still a young man came to North Carolina, making the journey on foot. Lo- cating at Salem, where he found himself on the congenial society of other Moravians, he soon succeeded in company with his brother John in establishing a tannery in the locality then known as Liberty, about a mile north of the courthouse. They did a flourishing business in tanning leather and manufacturing shoes. Some of their products, not consumed by the local trade, were loaded on wagons and conveyed to the mountain districts, where the boots and shoes were traded for hides, tallow, beeswax and other local products. After some years they closed out their business. In the meantime the brothers had acquired considerable real estate in and about Salem. They owned the land including the block upon which the O'Hanlon office building stands. Grandfather James Hall erected the first building on that block, and the corner now known as O'Hanlon's was prior to that known as Hall's Corner. James Hall was in the mercantile business on that corner until after the war. He had built a home on Main Street in Salem between Cemetery and Bank streets, the number of which is now 425. He occupied that old place for many years and died there.
While living at Lititz, Pennsylvania, James Hall met and married Sarah Green. She was born in Newport, Rhode Island, October 18, 1802. Her father was Samuel Green, and the lineage is traced back from son to father through John Green, Samuel Green, James Green and John Green. The last John Green came from Salisbury, Wilkshire, England, and located in Boston in
1638. Later he went to Providence, where he bought land from the founder of that colony, Roger Williams. He also bought land of Mianto- nanee, an Indian chief. This land, it is interesting to note, in 1859 was owned by Gov. John Brown Francis of Rhode Island. John Green, the original settler, was also one of the original proprietors of Warwick, Rhode Island. James Hall married after coming to Salem, North Carolina. He had walked back to Pennsylvania, but after his mar- riage bought a pair of horses and a carriage, and in that vehicle he brought his bride to their North Carolina home.
William Henry Hall, father of Rev. James Hall, was born at Salem, North Carolina, October 25, 1829. As a young man he went to Philadelphia to learn the confectioner's trade. Having served his apprenticeship he returned to his native vil- lage and became a confectioner in partnership with his brother. They had their first shop at the corner of Main and Academy streets. After the outbreak of the war William H. Hall entered the Confederate service as a musician. He went out with the Twenty-sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops and was in service until captured at the battle of Gettysburg. After that he remained a prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Maryland, and Fort Delaware. Being released he returned home, resumed the manufacture of confectionery, and conducted two stores, one in Winston and one in Salem. For several years he also supplied the wholesale trade in that community for many miles around. His last years he spent retired.
William H. Hall married Ernestine Augusta Veirling. She was born in Salem, a daughter of Ernest Veirling, also a native of that town, and granddaughter of Dr. Samuel Veirling. Doctor Veirling was a notable character in old Salem. A native of Germany, he was reared and liberally educated, was graduated in medicine, and came to America to practice. Locating in Salem, he erected a commodious brick house at the head of Bank Street, and on a large plat of land surrounding his house he raised herbs from which he manufactured many of his own medicines. He had a high degree of popularity as a physi- cian, and practiced over the surrounding country for many years. Ernest Veirling, his son, bought a farm south of, but now included within the limits of Salem. He continued farming a number of years, subsequently was clerk in a mercantile establishment, and lived in this community until his death. Ernest Veirling married Paulina Reigh, who was born on a farm near Salem and spent their last years in the town of that name.
James E. Hall grew up at Salem, attended the Boys School and prepared for college under the private instruction of Robert Gray and Eugene Goslin. With this preparation he entered Mora- vian College at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in the Academic Department in 1875 and completed the Theological course in 1877. After his return to Salem he was ordained in 1878 as a deacon in the Home Moravian Church by Bishop Immel De Schweinitz. He was or- dained a presbyter in 1879. For four years while teaching at the Boys School in Salem he also had charge of St. Phillip's Church. In 1881 Rev. Mr. Hall was appointed pastor of the Friedberg Church, and was in active service in that pastorate for nearly twenty years. In 1900 he removed to Clemmonsville and has been identified with the Moravian Church there practically from its be- ginning. The first services of the Moravians held
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at Clemmonsville were on the second floor of the Strupe store building on October 29, 1899. August 13, 1900, the church was constituted with thirty-nine members. This congregation has grown and prospered and in 1916 numbered 115. The Clemmons School was commenced October 9, 1900, in a temporary building. "Founder's Hall,"' a commodious brick building, two stories high, was erected in the summer of 1901. This building is in two parts, the east half of the first floor being used for a church, while the west half and all the second story is used for school purposes. For seven years in addition to looking after his church Mr. Hall had charge of the school and all the buildings, including the parsonage, which was erected under his supervision.
In 1881 Rev. Mr. Hall married Martha Johnson. She was born in South Fork Township of Forsyth County, a daughter of William and Salome (Sides) Johnson. Her great-great-great-grandfather Wil- liam Johnson was born in Wales, where he grew up and married, and came with his wife to America, landing at Charleston, South Carolina. He died soon after their arrival and their only son named John was born on the passage across the ocean. This son John became the father of William, whose son William was the father of Mrs. Hall. Mrs. Hall's father was left an orphan at an early age and lived until he was grown with relatives named Clouse in Davie County. On reaching his majority he bought a tract of land in South Fork Township of Forsyth County. Its improvements were a log house and a log barn. He became a very successful farmer and planter, and in time had 300 acres of land. His death occurred at the age of sixty years, and his wife passed away aged sixty-three. Both were devout and faithful Moravians. There were nine chil- dren in the Johnson family named John H., Henry W., Mary, Elizabeth, Martha, Costen E., James M., Maria R., and James L.
Mr. and Mrs. Hall have two children, Bertha and William James. Bertha is the wife of Harry Peterson and their two children are named Harry and Josephine. William James received his higher education in the Agricultural and Mechanical Col- lege at Raleigh, and on leaving school took a posi- tion with the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company. He resigned that to become connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, where he was occupied until he volunteered for training in the United States of America.
WILLIAM MARSH SANDERS has for over thirty years been actively identified with merchandising at Smithfield in Johnston County. Many other business and civic interests have claimed his time . and attention. Aside from his success, which has been well deserved, the chief matter of interest attaching to his career is his character of positive and aggressive honesty and high mindedness, which has enabled him to render a valuable service to the community by stimulating and keeping up the moral tone which, without the presence of such men as Mr. Sanders, inevitably is lowered and fails to respond in times of emergency and stress.
Mr. Sanders was born near Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, February 14, 1858, a son of Lucian H. and Martitia (Marsh) Sanders. His first ancestor in North Carolina was William Marsh, who served as a captain in the Continental army and who died, according to the inscription on his tombstone, at the age of a hundred three years, nine months, seven days. Mr. Sanders'
father was a whig and was thoroughly opposed to the secession movement. However, though he and his family recognized the inevitable outcome, they went into the Confederate army and made all the sacrifices imposed upon the sons of the loyal South.
Lucian H. Sanders graduated from the Univer- sity of North Carolina in 1844, and was a man of acknowledged leadership and one of the best edu- cated men in his community. While a farmer, he had an academy established on his plantation, and it was in that school that William M. Sanders re- ceived much of his early training. He also at- tended an academy near Raleigh, presided over by Capt. John J. Fray, one of the noted educators of the South. At the age of nineteen he went to work in a country store, and in 1886 engaged in the general merchandise business at Smithfield, and has been steadily serving his patrons there for over thirty years.
Mr. Sanders was the first man in Johnston County to abolish fences around his fields, and it was his example and leadership that brought about the no fence law. He was much more aggressive and determined in fighting the liquor traffic in city and county, and he led a campaign personally to close up the barrooms and was the first chairman of the local dispensary board. He also took a primary part in building both the cot- ton mills at Smithfield and for years was presi- dent of both companies. Many years ago he had a private bank, operated largely as a matter of convenience to his customers, and located in the store, and later he organized and incorporated what is the Johnston County Banking and Trust Company, of which he is president. Having been reared on the farm, Mr. Sanders has at all times been thoroughly identified with agriculture. At this time he owns and operates several plantations, also three large gin plants and a brick plant. One gin mill is located on his plantation, another is at Four Oaks and one is at Smithfield. He is vice president of the Selma Cotton Mills, is chairman of the finance committee of the state prison board, is a director of the Bank of Four Oaks, is a former mayor and member of the town board of Smith- field, was for years chairman of the road commit- tee of the township, is a director of the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company of Greensboro, of the Atlantic Fire Insurance Company of Raleigh, a member of the executive board of North Carolina Agricultural Society, and a member of the executive board of the prison farni. Recently he was appointed chairman of the Fourth Con- gressional Democratic Executive Committee by Chairman Warren of the Democratic Executive Committee. Mr. Sanders is a steward in the Methodist Episcopal Church at Smithfield, and was chairman of the building committee when the handsome church edifice was erected at a cost of $20,000. All these relationships, briefly told, rep- resent the resourcefulness and the varied service rendered to his community.
May 20, 1885, he married Miss Lillian Lee Long, daughter of William Long, of Caswell County. Nine children have been born to their marriage: Laura, who died at eight; Ashley, who died at four; Mildred, a student in Peabody College in Ten- nessee; Ruth McKelway, wife of Dr. Abraham H. Rose, of Smithfield; William Ransom, in the whole- sale grocery business and proprietor of a garage and now in the quartermasters department at Camp Johnson; Sarah Elizabeth, a graduate of Peace Institute at Raleigh; Lillian, wife of George
gym M. Sanders
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R. Pou, who is now in the Aviation Corps in France; Frances Campell; and William Marsh, a student in the Bingham School at Asheville.
JOSEPH EPPYE DEBNAM is editor and proprietor of the leading newspaper at Snow Hill and for many years has been successfully identified with educational work in that county. He is county superintendent of instruction and has supervised the work of the public schools in Greene County for fifteen years.
Mr. Debnam was born in Wake County, North Carolina, June 11, 1870, son of Omega Thomas and Rebecca (Wiggs) Debnam. His father was a Wake County farmer. He grew up on the farm, attended the Stanhope Academy in Nash County, and finished his education in Wake Forest College. Mr. Debnam began teaching in early manhood. He taught in private schools for a number of years and for three years was principal of the Snow Hill Academy. In 1902 he was elected to the office of county superintendent of public instruc- tion in Greene County and has been successively retained in that position to the present time.
He is editor and proprietor of the Standard La- conic, which was established at Snow Hill in 1906 and has the leading circulation of any paper pub- lished in that city. Mr. Debnam has been very active in the Baptist Church, having served as dea- con, treasurer, clerk and superintendent of the Sabbath school. He is past master and is now secretary of Radiance Lodge No. 132, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
On December 26, 1897, he married Miss Birdie Lee Speight, of Greene County. They have five children : Waldemar Enos, William Douglas, Jos- eph Eppye, Jr., Birdie Lee and Robert Gerald.
JOSEPH A. VANCE is a prominent foundryman and manufacturer at Winston-Salem, and member of one of the oldest families in this section of North Carolina.
He was born on a farm in Kernersville Town- ship of Forsyth County, North Carolina, and is descended remotely from one of two or three brothers who came from Ireland and were colonial settlers in North Carolina. Mr. Vance's great- grandfather, John Vance, lived for a time in Bel- lews Creek Township, then in Stokes but now in Forsyth County, and subsequently moved to Ker- nersville Township, where he spent his last years. He lived to be very old and his widow passed away at the age of ninety-five. Taking the family as a whole old age is a notable characteristic.
John Vance, grandfather of Joseph A., was born in Kernersville Township and inherited part of the old homestead. He also bought some land a mile and a half away in Belews Creek Township. His life was protracted to the age of eighty-four. His wife, Polly Marshall, died at the age of seventy-eight. They reared eight children.
William N. Vance, father of Joseph A., was born on his father's plantation in Forsyth County in 1819, bought some of the old homestead and was extensively engaged in general farming. He died at the age of eighty-two. He married Hepsy J. Smith, who was born in Kernersville, daughter of Adam and Eunice (Starbuck) Smith, of Nan- tucket, Massachusetts. Mrs. Hepsy Vance died at the age of sixty-four, having reared seven children.
Joseph A. Vance grew up on his father's farm, attended the district schools, and since the age of seventeen has lived in Winston-Salem. For seven
years he was employed by Fogle Brothers, and then bought an interest in a foundry and machine shop and subsequently became its sole owner. He has developed that to a large and important business, one of the chief of its kind in Winston- Salem.
Mr. Vance married for his first wife Adelaide Fogle, who was born in Salem and died in 1894. She was the mother of four children, Clara, Lucy Louise, Horace H. and Charles F. The daughter Clara is the wife of Charles Siewers and has four children, named Charles, Caroline, Margaret and John D. Lucy Louise is the wife of W. Ledoux Siewers, of a prominent family elsewhere men- tioned in this publication. Mr. Vance married for his second wife Annie Pittman. Their two chil- dren are Rosina and Joseph A., Jr.
C. TRENHOLM MECLENAGHAN has for a number of years been recognized as a leader in the field of insurance in North Carolina. In fact, his experience and varied qualifications are so well known that he was recently induced to become a candidate for the democratic nomination for state insurance commissioner. He is not only a thor- oughly practical man in the business, but has made a study of its theoretical details, and has succeeded in building up one of the most important general insurance agencies in the South.
He was born at Florence, South Carolina, No- vember 5, 1886, a son of J. H. and Portia (Bacot) McClenaghan. His family were early settlers in North Carolina, and he is a nephew of the late Colonel William J. Saunders of Raleigh.
In 1904 Mr. McClenaghan graduated from the Porter Military Academy at Charleston, having taken a course in architecture and mechanical drawing. It was his ambition then to become an architect, but before he could become settled in practice there occurred one of those slight inci- dents which are afterwards regarded as critical turning points in an individual career. He visited his uncle Colonel Saunders at Raleigh, and while there accepted an opportunity to go into the in- surance business with John C. Drewry. He proved his capability in a short time, became chief clerk in Mr. Drewry's office, and for the first five years devoted his efforts exclusively to life insurance. He then took up casualty and fire insurance, and has since become general manager of the Tar Heel Company, which sells every form of insur- ance, from life and health to liability, bonding and insurance of automobiles and all kinds of property. This company has the state agency for tho New Amsterdam Casualty Company, the New York Plate Glass Insurance Company and is local agent for the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Com- pany, the Fire Insurance Company of North America, the North Carolina Fire Insurance Com- pany, the Atlanta Fire Insurance Company, and the Raleigh Fire Insurance Company.
While building un his reputation as a success- ful business man, Mr. MeClenaghan has not neg- lected those forms of civic and social activity which are so essential to the community and the ยท individual's life. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, is a past master of William G. Hill Lodge No. 218, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is District Deputy Grand Master of the Fifteenth Masonic District. He is also a member of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, of the Country Club, and a former member of the Board of Di- rectors of the Young Men's Christian Association.
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He is a member of Christ Episcopal Church. Outside of business he finds his favorite diversion in hunting and fishing, and usually spends a few days every season hunting geese and ducks along the shores of Eastern Carolina. On April 14, 1914, at Raleigh he married Miss Amelia Whita- ker. They have one daughter, Miss Marian Tren- holm McClenaghan.
LYCURGUS R. VARSER. There is no class more intimately connected and associated with the public events of any community than that which is rep- resented by the bench and bar. The courts are the final arbiters of the disputes which arise in any locality. Property rights, rights of personal liberty and all other matters over which a con- tention exists are finally determined by the courts and these courts are valuable in proportion to the legal learning and integrity of the bench and bar and those summoned before this tribunal to assist in the administration of justice. Probably the County of Robesou can present as fiue an array of legal talent as any other county in the state, and prominent on its lists is found the name of Lycurgus R. Varser. Mr. Varser is not only a lawyer of great ability and learning, but a man who is also prominent in various other matters directly concerning the welfare and advancement of his community, and is especially well known and esteemed at Lumberton, where he is a member of the firm of McLean, Varser & McLean.
Mr. Varser was born in 1878, in Gates County, North Carolina, a son of W. H. and Emily (Duck) Varser. His father was also born in Gates County, the Varser home being in the extreme northern part of this county, adjoining the state line of Virginia. Both the Varser and Duck families were originally from the nearby southeastern section of Virginia, the former coming to that part of the Old Dominion from England, although the name is of Holland Dutch origin. They intermarried in Virginia with the Ellises, Whitfields and other families of prominence.
Lycurgus R. Varser received a liberal education in his youth, first attending the local schools of his native locality, later going to Reynson Insti- tute in Gates County, and matriculating in 1895 at Wake Forest College, from which he was grad- uated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1899. He took his law course also at Wake Forest, and graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws from that famous institution in 1901. In the meantime he had taught two school years at Back Swamp School in Robeson County and Mount Moriah School in Wake County. In 1901, being licensed to practice, he entered upon his profession at Kinston, in partnership with A. J. Loftin, as Loftin & Varser. Later, J. G. Dawson was ad- mitted to the firm, which adopted. the style of Loftin, Varser & Dawson. There he made a splendid professional reputation in general prac- tice for thoroughness in the principles of law and their forceful application. In removing to Lum- berton on March 1, 1911, he found a wider field for his exceptional talents and he has since re- mained as one of the strongest and most active advocates at the bar. Shortly after his arrival - at Lumberton Mr. Varser formed a partnership with Hon. Angus Wilton McLean, of Lumberton, a sketch of whose distinguished career will be found elsewhere in this work, the' firm style now being McLean, Varser & McLean. It is the opin- ion of one of the Supreme Court justices that: "There is no better all-around lawyer in the state
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