USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume V > Part 23
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Mr. Rankin is also president of the Home Build- ing and Loan Association at Gastonia, and active vice president of the Gastonia Insurance and Realty Company. He has proved himself a real leader among the public spirited young men of Gastonia. He is active in the Chamber of Commerce and since the age of nineteen has been a steward in the Methodist Church, South. In Masonry he is af- filiated with Gastonia Lodge and Chapter, Char- lotte Commandery, Knights Templar, and Oasis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charlotte.
At the age of 23, Mr. Rankin was elected a member of the board of aldermen and also city treasurer of Gastonia, North Carolina, to fill out unexpired term of V. E. Long, resigned. When he was twenty-seven years old he was appointed a member of the Board of Commissioners of Gaston County to fill out unexpired term of J. F. Mc- Arver, deceased, and he was nominated to succeed himself by the democratic party in 1918.
He married Miss Ruth Boyce, of Gastonia, whose father, Mr. S. N. Boyce, is cashier of the First National Bank. They have a young daughter, Anna Boyce Rankin, and a son, Rufus Grady, Jr.
JESSE PAUL FRIZZELLE. Along with the large practice that has rewarded his efforts since his admission to the bar twelve years ago, Jesse P. Frizzelle of Snow Hill has made substantial connections with his home community in a busi- ness and civic way, is active in church affairs, and for a number of years has been mayor of his town.
Mr. Frizzelle was born on a plantation in Greene County, North Carolina, September 2, 1882, a son of Jesse and Lovie Cornelia (Brooks) Frizzelle. His father was a successful planter and the family for several generations have been identified with the soil in North Carolina. Mr. Frizzelle was educated primarily in the private and public schools of Greene County and then en- tered Trinity College at Durham. He took both the academic and law courses, graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1904 and from the law department in August, 1906. On his admission to the bar Mr. Frizzelle located at Snow Hill, and with experience and maturing abilities has acquired practically his choice of the legal business in the local courts.
He is also vice president and a director of the First National Bank of Snow Hill and he serves the community both as mayor and city attorney, having been elected mayor in 1908 and having been kept in office continuously since that date. He is chairman of the Democratic Executive Com- mittee of Greene County and in 1916 was nomi- nated for the Legislature, but withdrew his name before the election. Mr. Frizzelle is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, of the Kappa Alpha College fraternity and is a lay leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Snow Hill circuit.
On December 26, 1906, he married Miss Nina Warner Frizzelle, of Washington, North Caro- lina. They have a family of six children, Cor- nelia Elizabeth, Jesse Paul, Jr., Nina Louise, Barbara Warner, Alton Winfield and John Thur- man.
CHRISTIAN THOMAS PFOHL was for over half a century closely identified with business affairs in the community of Winston-Salem and prominently connected as elder and as one of the leading officials with the Home Moravian Church of Salem. His own career was a valuable contribution to the life of this section of North Carolina and he is one of a long line of ministers, teachers and progressive citizens whose careers deserve the memorial of brief mention in this history.
The remote ancestors were residents of Bohe- mia, from which country they removed in 1632 to Poland, sixty miles north of Breslau. In that district of Poland at Bojanowa lived George Pfohl. He married Justine Klohin. Their son George Thomas Pfohl at an early age went to live among the Moravians in Herrnhut, Saxony, united with that church, married Marie Marga- retha Otin, became a minister of the gospel and served in that capacity for more than fifty years.
A son of these parents was Rev. Christian Thomas Pfohl, who was born at Gnadenburg, Prussia, October 21, 1759. He was educated at Niesky, Saxony, and in the Theological Seminary at Barby. He was one of the high minded and intellectual leaders of the Moravian Church and taught at Niesky and Ebersdorf in Saxony, and in 1791 immigrated to America to take a position as teacher in the Salem Boys' School. Suh- sequently he was pastor of the Bethania Moravian
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Church for twenty-one years, from 1802 to 1823. This pioneer Moravian minister married Elizabeth Fockle (Fogle), daughter of Gottlieb and Mary (Leibert) Fockle. She was born at Bethabara, North Carolina, December 2, 1775, and died Sep- tember 4, 1850. Her husband died April 3, 1838.
The next generation is represented by Rev. Samuel Thomas Pfohl, father of the late Christian T. Pfohl. He was born August 13, 1801, was educated in the Salem Boys' School and in Nazareth Hall and Moravian College and Theologi- cal Seminary at Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He be- came a teacher in Nazareth Hall, and also taught in the Salem Boys' School from 1823, the year his father retired from the ministry, until 1827. From 1827 to 1837 he was pastor of Friedland Moravian Church and was warden of the Salem Congrega- tion from 1837 to 1873. His death occurred May 26, 1874. He married Anna Elizabeth Schroeder, who was born in 1806 and died July 4, 1876. Her parents were John Gottlob and Mary Ann (Peddi- cart or Peddicord) Schroeder.
The late Christian Thomas Pfohl was carefully reared by his devout and high minded parents, was educated in the Salem Boys' School, and at an early age entered commercial life. He became an employe of the F. & H. Fries cotton and woolen mills in 1852, subsequently was promoted to book- keeper, and was actively connected with that busi- ness for over half a century until 1909. At the time of the war he was a member of the Home Guards and was detailed to the manufacture of clothing for the Confederate forces. For thirty years he served as an elder in the Home Moravian Church at Salem.
He married Margaret Siewers, who was born in Salem August 25, 1838, daughter of Jacob and Mathilda (Winkler) Siewers. This venerable woman is still living. She was at one time a teacher in the Salem Academy College. Her chil- dren are: Bernard J., William S., C. Elizabeth, S. Frederick, J. Kenneth and Margaret G.
BERNARD J. PFOHL, a son of Christian Thomas and Margaret (Siewers) Pfohl. has for years taken an active part in business affairs in Winston- Salem, and in an official capacity has been identi- fied with much of the electrical power development in this section of the state and the management of public utilities.
Mr. Pfohl was born September 13, 1866, at Win- ston-Salem, was educated in the Salem Boys ' School and left that institution to become a clerk in the offices of F. & H. Fries, a firm with a long and honorable history in manufacturing affairs in Forsyth County. He was later an officer of the Fries Manufacturing and Power Company, which company improved the water power at Idols Ford on the Yadkin River, and then established an elec- trical plant for transmitting power to Winston- Salem and other points. This power development was accomplished in 1897. Subsequently the Fries Manufacturing and Power Company sold to the Southern Public Utility Company, and since then Mr. Pfohl has been local manager of this corpora- tion. The company owns and controls the electric railway of Winston-Salem, and also the light and power service in the city, and in addition main- tains a large establishment for handling all kinds of electrical goods. Mr. Pfohl was married in 1901 to Sarah Traegar, who was born at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Joseph H. Traegar. Mr. and Mrs. Pfohl have three children: Joseph
Thomas, Henry Clauder and Katherine Adelaide. The family are active members of the Home Moravian Church, in which Mr. Pfohl has served as a member of the board of elders. He has taken a keen interest in the church with which his fam- ily have had such intimate associations dating back for more than a century, and has given his time freely to the various church activities. He has been identified with the Sunday school, and since boyhood times has been a member of the church band and for thirty years its leader. Mr. Pfohl has been a working member of the Wachovia His- torical Society since its organization.
REV. J. KENNETH PFOHL as pastor of the Home Moravian Church at Winston-Salem is one of the representative ministers of the Moravian Church, not only in North Carolina but in the nation. He comes by his profession naturally, since a number of his ancestors were prominent in the Moravian ministry.
He was born at Salem August 13, 1874, a son of Christian Thomas and Margaret (Siewers) Pfohl, worthy people who are referred to on other pages of this publication. Rev. Mr. Pfohl was prepared for college in the Salem Boys' School and enter- ing the University of North Carolina graduated A. B. with the class of 1898. While in college he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Order of Gimghoul, and was editor of the Uni- versity magazine. In preparation for the ministry Mr. Pfohl attended the Moravian Theological Sem- inary at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated Bachelor of Divinity in 1900. For the following three years he was engaged in establish- ing Clemmons School (Moravian) at Clemmonsville, being its first principal, and then accepted the pas- torate of the Christ Moravian Church at Salem. In 1908 he was called from that pulpit to the Home Moravian Church, which is one of the oldest and largest congregations of Moravians in North Car- olina.
Mr. Pfohl was married August 21, 1901, to Harriet Elizabeth Whittington. She was born in Yadkin County, North Carolina, daughter of James M. and Bessie (Benbow) Whittington. Her ma- ternal ancestries are an especially prominent line in North Carolina. She is a granddaughter of Dr. Evan and Bettie (Hall) Benbow. Dr. Evan Benbow was a son of Thomas and Ann (Menden- hall) Benbow, a grandson of Thomas and Hannah (Stanley) Benbow and a great-grandson of Charles and Mary (Carver) Benbow. Mr. and Mrs. Pfohl have six children: M. Elizabeth, Mary D., Ruth W., J. Kenneth, Jr., James C. and Donald L.
ROBERT LANG DAVIS is founder and active head of R. L. Davis & Brothers, whose business as gen- eral merchants at Farmville is considered the larg- est establishment of its kind in Pitt County. Like many successful concerns its development and growth have been as the towering oak from the small acorn. It was a matter of limited capital and unlimited energy and progressiveness on the part of the founder of the business which proved the secret of success. The business controls a trade over a wide radius around Farmville, includ- ing several adjoining counties. They have one large central store, four warehouses, and handle every class of goods from men's wearing apparel down to groceries. They are the chief distributors for that section of country of farming implements and fertilizers and the annual volume of business for a number of years has aggregated over $250,-
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HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
000. The firm is also one of the chief cotton buy- ers in Pitt County. The founder of the business is everywhere known trustfully and appreciatively as "Bob" Davis. It is said that there are hun- dreds of people in Pitt County who have never traded at any store or bought any goods except from Bob Davis.
Mr. Robert Lang Davis was born March 23, 1856, a sou of Benjamin Archibald and Mary A. (Lang) Davis. . His father was a farmer. When Robert L. was about five years of age his father went away to fight with the Confederate Army in Company F of the Sixty-first Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, and was with the Confederate troops in many campaigns until he met his death at Charleston, South Carolina, in April, 1863. The death of his father meant that Robert L. Davis' early advantages were of a meager character, and his education was confined entirely to the country schools. He had to overcome handicaps and meet hardships in establishing himself in the business world. For several years he farmed, and in 1872 became a clerk in the store of his uncle, W. G. Lang.
Then, in 1879, with a limited capital and only a few years experience, he set up in business for himself as a general merchant at Farmville. The farm was first known as Davis & Horne, his partner being W. R. Horne. In 1886 Mr. Horne withdrew, and after that Mr. Davis continued alone, grad- ually building up his trade and enlarging the scope of his enterprise. In 1893 he took in his two brothers, Francis M. and John R., and thus estab- lished the firm of R. L. Davis & Brothers, which now for a quarter of a century has held its own among the larger mercantile organizations in the state.
Besides the big work he has accomplished in founding and building up this enterprise R. L. Davis has been a foremost and ever ready factor in everything that concerns the welfare of Farm- ville and vicinity. He is known as a big-hearted and public spirited citizen. His interests are now widespread, and he is well known in financial circles as a planter, manufacturer and business man.
He became one of the large stockholders and a director of the Bank of Greenville, and served as its president from 1896 until it was merged with the National Bank of Greenville, at which time he resigned the presidency. In 1900 he was elected county commissioner of Pitt County and re-elected in 1902, and has also served as mayor and alderman of Farmville. In 1904 he organized the Bank of Farmville and has since been its chief executive officer. Mr. R. L. Davis also took a prominent part in creating a tobacco market at Farmville, building two warehouses and gradually enlarging the facilities until Farmville now supplies one of the chief markets in Eastern North Carolina. He also financed the tobacco drying plant at a cost of $40,000. He was one of the organizers and has been president since its organization of the Farm- ville Oil and Fertilizer Mill, and is president of the Davis Horse and Mule Company. He gave Farmville a modern brick three-story hotel, one of the important institutions of the town. Mr. Davis has also served as a member of the graded school board of Farmville since it was organized. He has never married.
His brother, John Richard Davis, who is active manager of R. L. Davis & Brothers, was born April 20, 1863, had a public school education, and since 1893 has been prominently associated with
his brother. He is a director and treasurer of the Farmville Oil and Fertilizer Company, is vice presi- dent and director of the Bank of Farmville, di- rector and treasurer of the Davis Horse and Mule Company. He is also a bachelor.
Francis Marion Davis, the third member of the firm of R. L. Davis & Brothers, was born February 25, 1861, and after an education in the public schools became clerk in the store of his brothers until he entered the active partnership in 1893. He is also a director of the Davis Horse and Mule Company. June 3, 1903, he married Miss Lucy Bryant, of Wilson County, North Caro- lina. Their four children are named Francis Marion, Jr., Virginia Elizabeth, Janie Long and Margaret Scarborough.
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HECTOR MCLEAN GREEN. Now serving as post- master of Wilmington, an office to which he was appointed by President Wilson on May 28, 1915, Hector McLean Green has long been actively identified with business and public affairs in this section of the state.
He was born iu Harnett County, North Carolina, March 30, 1849, a son of John and Flora Catherine (McLean) Green. His father was a planter. Hector Green spent his early life on the old plantation, and part of his boyhood fell during the dark days of the war. He had to satisfy himself with such education as was afforded by the private schools, and after the war he assisted in rehabilitating the plantation and remained there until 1871.
His chief business success has been in the timber and lumber business, and he built some very exten- sive connections from Wilmington as his head- quarters aud continued actively in the industry until he entered the postoffice. From 1898 to 1912 he also served as treasurer of New Haven County and was chairman of the Democratic Exe- cutive Committee in 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898. Mr. Green is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington.
On November 6, 1873, he married Miss Ida Deems Alderman, of Wilmington. They have one daughter, Alice, wife of Edwin M. Wilson, who is a well known educator. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have a son, Hugh McLean Wilson.
JAMES LAFAYETTE MORGAN, banker and man- ufacturer of Marion, has achieved the dignity and position of a successful business man through many years of consecutive effort, in which ability, common sense and integrity have been dominant characteristics.
Mr. Morgan was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, September 26, 1854. His par- ents were James Webb and Harriet (Briscoe) Morgan. His early life was spent on his fa ther's farm and under his father's direction he also acquired a practical knowledge of tanning. His father operated one of the few tanneries at that time in North Carolina. The son was educated in one of the old fashioned subscrip- tion schools. On taking up his independent career he was identified with the manufacture of tobacco for about seven years. Since then his interests have taken on a wide scope.
Mr. Morgan is president of the First National Bank of Marion, is one of the organizers and a director of the Marion and Clinchfield Manufac- turing Company, a cotton mill, is secretary and
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HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
treasurer of the Marion Light & Power Com- pany, of which he was the active organizer, and also owns a tannery. Mr. Morgau has an ex- tensive tract of farm land, comprising about 2,000 acres and including the widely known Pleasant Gardens farms.
He has also done his share of public duties, having served as alderman of Marion and as register of deeds of the county. January 13, 1886, he married Belle Moore, of Statesville, North Carolina. They have two daughters, Essie is the wife of Hubert McNeill Poteat, a professor in Wake Forest College. The daughter Fay is Mrs. William P. Craig.
RICHARD LAFAYETTE HARRIS. A valued and highly esteemed resident of Elkin, Surry County, Richard LaFayette Harris, vice president of the Elkin Canning Company and a farmer of prom- inence, has spent his entire life in this section of the state, and in its growth and development, whether relating to its agricultural, manufacturing or mercantile interests, has ably performed his full share. A son of the late Fletcher Asbury Harris, he was born on a plantation in Edwards Township, Yadkins Valley, Wilkes County, June 27, 1861.
Ephraim Drake Harris, paternal grandfather of the special subject of this sketch, was born, it is supposed, in Ireland, of Scotch ancestry. The only member of his father's family to cross the At- lantic, he immigrated to America when young, coming directly to North Carolina. Locating about six miles east of Jonesville, he purchased land, and with the help of slaves improved a fine plantation, and in addition to carrying on general farming owned and operated a tannery. Exceedingly pros- perous in his undertakings, he erected a substantial brick house on his estate, and there continued his residence until his death. One of his sons, Thomas, went west, but it is not known in what state he located. Another son, Enoch, enlisted during the Civil war in the Confederate Army, and died while in service, leaving two sons, William W. and Edward E. His daughter Margaret, who became the wife of Rev. Mr. McMasters, lived for a time after her marriage in Wilkes County, from there going West.
Fletcher Asbury Harris was born on the home farm in Yadkin County October 11, 1818, and there grew to manhood. Taking advantage of every of- fered opportunity, he acquired an excellent educa- tion and as a young man did much surveying in Yadkin, Wilkes and Surry counties, having been a civil engineer of high repute. Subsequently pur- chasing a farm in the Yadkin Valley, Edwards Township, he managed it successfully with the aid of slaves, occupying it until his death, which occurred December 24, 1902.
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On April 14, 1841, Fletcher A. Harris married Sarah H. Moore, who was born in Stokes County, North Carolina, June 17, 1820, being a daughter of William C. Moore. She preceded him to the life beyond, dying September 4, 1898. Eleven chil- dren were born of their union, as follows: Wil- liam Clement, who enlisted in the Confederate Army soon after the breaking out of the Civil war, and lost his life in the service; Ellen Virginia; Juriah Lucretia; Ephraim Drake; Julius Newton; Maria, deceased; Margaret Paulina, deceased; Charles Clinton, deceased; Richard LaFayette; Aun Victoria; and Lelia Henrie.
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Brought up on the parental homestead, Richard LaFayette Harris first attended the district schools, later completing his early studies in the Jonesville
High School. He obtained a practical knowledge of agriculture on the home plantation, remaining there until 1885, when he was appointed deputy revenue collector for a term of four years. In 1893 he was agaiu appointed to the same office, and served another term of four years in that capacity. Mr. Harris succeeded to the ownership of his father's estate which he has since managed in- telligently and successfully, although he has not lived upon it for a number of years, his home since 1902 having been in Elkin, where he has erected a commodious house, with modern improvements. Identified with one of the leading industries of Surry County, Mr. Harris is vice president of the Elkin Canning Company and devotes a portion of his time to this concern, which is carrying on an extensive and remunerative business in the canning of fruits and vegetables grown in this section of the country.
Mr. Harris married, November 18, 1896, Iris Adelia Poplin, who was born in Edwards Township, Wilkes County, a daughter of Samuel J. and Eliza- beth Virginia Poplin. Into the household thus established five children have been born, namely: Ohna B., Edwiu Worth, Beulah May, Sarah Eliza- beth and Margaret Victoria. Faithful and valued members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Mr. and Mrs. Harris have reared their family in the same religious belief. Mr. Harris has served as a member of its board of stewards. Fraternally he is a member of the Elkin Lodge No. 454, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, and is a non- affiliating member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
THOMAS SKINNER WHITE. Among the native sons of Perquimans County who have won success and occupy enviable and prominent positions in business circles is Thomas Skinner White, the variety, scope and volume of whose connections make him a leading factor in the life of the community. His salient characteristics are deter- mination, diligence and keen sagacity, and upon these he has builded his prosperity, winning a high and well merited measure of success. Mr. White was born in the little community of Chap- moke, near Hertford, Perquimans County, North Carolina, December 7, 1879, and is a son of Trim Skinner aud Cornelia (White) White. His father was one of the substantial agriculturists of his community and an extensive dealer in horses and mules, and during a long and active career was one of the highly esteemed citizens of the locality of Hertford. He had lived in Elizabeth City four years before his death.
Thomas Skinner White was granted the oppor- tunity of securing a good education in his youth, aud as he was ambitious and industrious he did not fail to take advantage of this chance for a thorough preparation. After he had been taught in the private school of Professor Sheap, he went to Bethel Hill Academy, and when his course was completed there he was ready to enter upon his business career. His first position was secured when he was seventeen years old, when he became collection clerk in the First National Bank of Elizabeth City, an institution with which he was identified for four years. He had then reached his majority, and was anxious to enter upon an inde- pendent career of his own; wherefore, he came to Hertford and embarked in the horse and mule business, a knowledge of which he had gained in his youth through association with his father. After two years of fair success alone he became
. 8. White
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HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
associated in partnership with T. F. Winslow, as Winslow & White, and they have since carried on a constantly increasing business in handling horses, mules, wagons, etc. In 1906 a new opportunity presented itself, when the Hertford Cotton Oil Company got into financial difficulties. Mr. White became one of the organizers of the Eastern Cot- ton Oil Company, which took over the other con- cern, and which has since been one of the success- ful enterprises of the city. He acted in the ca- pacity of secretary-treasurer until 1913, when he was elected president of the company. He has also been connected with financial institutions in an official capacity, and at the present time is a member of the directing boards of the Hertford Banking Company and the Farmers Bank and Trust Company, both substantial and successful institutions. He likewise owns a one-fourth inter- est in the general merchandise business of White & Company, a well known concern; is a member of the firm of Johnson & White, general in- surance agents; and is vice president of the Car- taret Lumber Company, the headquarters of which are at Beaufort, North Carolina. As an agricul- turist he has shared in the development of this part of the country and is receiving excellent re- turns from the products of his 600-acre farm, being also in partnership in the ownership of another property consisting of 500 acres. Mr. White has fully discharged the duties of citizenship, having served as a member of the town commissioners, and as a trustee of the graded schools, and at present is chairman of the Soldiers' Aid Relief Society.
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