USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume VI > Part 26
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Dr. John W. McGehee was only three weeks old when his mother died and a year later his father passed away, and after that the maternal grandmother took charge of the home and reared the young children. Nevertheless, he acquired and gained for himself liberal opportunities in the way of education. After leaving the Madi-
H.P. M. Pherson
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son grade school he completed the course of the literary and commercial departments at Oak Ridge Institute, continued his work in the Uni- versity of North Carolina, and from there en- tered the medical department of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, where he was gradu- ated M. D. in 1904. The following year he spent as an interne in the University Hospital. Doctor McGehee located in Reidsville in 1905 and has been busied with his practice ever since. He is a member of the Rockingham County, North Caro- lina State and Tri-State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association. He is also a member of the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the Royal Arcanum. For two years he served as town commissioner. He is a member of the board of stewards and trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is also a member. June 26, 1906, Doctor MeGe- hee married Mary Olive Frayser of Arkansas. They have four children, Edna Earle, Mary Elizabeth, Louise Franklin and Henry Richard.
ROMULUS BENTON BLALOCK is member of Bla- lock Brothers, one of the largest firms in the general building profession and contracting line in Newbern and in that section of the state. Mr. Blalock had as basis for his business a thorough knowledge and experience in several building trades and has worked his way to a position of merit and success.
He was born in Wake County, North Caro- lina, January 31, 1872, a son of John and Tabitha (Hunnicutt) Blalock. His father was a farmer, and while not a man of wealth, gave his children the best possible advantages at home and in school. R. B. Blalock attended the public schools and quite early in life began learning the trade of carpenter and also as a painter and decorator. He followed these lines until he took up building contracting in 1910 and has since devoted all his time and energies to that work. The firm of Blalock Brothers consists of R. L. and R. B. Blalock, and they maintain business headquarters both at Newbern and at Kinston. Their work is done all over that section of the state, and they have successfully handled a num- ber of large contracts.
Mr. Blalock is a member of the North Caro- lina Builders Exchange. He is a past noble grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also belongs to the Royal Arcanum. In poli- tics he is a democrat, and he is an active member and a former steward of the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church.
On March 11, 1895, he married Miss Zimenia Wimberley, of Durham, North Carolina. They are the parents of four children : Corinne, Ade- laide Zimenia, Elsie and Romulus B. Blalock, Jr.
HARRY SCOTT DONNELL. Among the men who figure prominently in mercantile affairs at Greens- boro one is Harry Scott Donnell, head of the well known men's furnishing house of Donnell-Madearis Company.
Mr. Donnell was born in Greensboro, and has a very interesting ancestry that connects him with some of the early colonial families of the state. His American forefather was Thomas Donnell, who was born in Ireland between 1710 and 1715 and grew up there and married Jane Latham. When they came to America they brought with them five or six children. As colonial settlers in North Carolina they located in that part of Orange
County now included in Guilford County, and here spent the rest of their days. Altogether they reared nine sons and two daughters, named James, Hannah, John, William, Robert, Thomas, Andrew, George, Jane, Latham and Alexander. Alexander died young but all the others except William married and reared families.
In the next generation the ancestor was Major John Donnell, who was commissioned a major of colonial troops in the Revolutionary war. Many of his descendants are members of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. He mar- ried his first wife in Pennsylvania, Hannah Meek, and in North Carolina he married for his second wife Elizabeth Denny. Elizabeth Denny was the mother of Levi Donnell, of the next generation. Levi was born in Guilford County and, like his father, spent his active career as a planter and slave owner. He married Hannah Rankin, a native of Guilford County and daughter of Rob- ert Rankin and granddaughter of John Rankin. John Rankin came to North Carolina from Penn- sylvania in 1764, and settled in what is now Guil- ford County, buying a large tract of land in the eastern section of the county. In 1765 his brother William Rankin joined him and it is from these two brothers that the numerous and well known Rankins of the state are all descended.
John Denny Donnell, a son of Levi and father of Harry Scott Donnell, was born on a plantation in the eastern part of Guilford County but chose for his career the business of contracting and building. He conducted business at Greensboro for a long period of years and died in that city November 25, 1895. He married Susan Bencini, who was born at Milton in Caswell County and died April 13, 1909. Eight of her children are still living : John, Jr .; Bertha, wife of A. G. Alex- ander ; William Calvin; James R .; Thomas; George; Harry S .; and Annie G., wife of Robert Tate.
Harry Scott Donnell after attending the public schools of Greensboro went to work as clerk in a local grocery store. Soon afterward he trans- ferred his services to a men's furnishings store and while there learned all the details of the busi- ness. This provided him the experience and in 1907 he formed a partnership with J. J. Madearis, and as partners and business associates they have continued to the present time. In 1917 their flourishing enterprise was incorporated as the Donnell-Madearis Company, with Mr. Donnell as president.
In 1908 Mr. Donnell married Edith Sanders. She was born in Georgia, daughter of John W. and Elizabeth (Allen) Sanders. Her mother was born in Ireland, was left an orphan in the care of her uncle, and with that relative came to America. Mr. and Mrs. Donnell have two chil- dren, Dorothy May and Harry Scott, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Donnell are members of the First Presby- terian Church and he has been one of its deacons for ten years. Fraternally he is affiliated with Greensboro Lodge No. 80 of the Knights of Pythias, Greensboro Lodge No. 13, Junior Order United American Mechanics.
HUGH P. MCPHERSON. The name of this planter, merchant and county official of Moore County has traveled to many remote sections of the country, where his work and leadership in some phases of progressive agricultural and co- operative marketing have been greatly admired and appreciated. Mr. MePherson is one of the
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largest commercial fruit growers of the Cameron community, his specialty being dewberries. Cam- eron is the center of the famous dewberry district of North Carolina. Mr. McPherson was one of the pioneer growers of that fruit for commercial purposes, having been in the business since 1905. At the present time he has fifteen acres devoted to the crop and his net income for a single season from this branch of his farm has frequently run above $2,000.
The dewberry industry at Cameron attracted the attention of the editors of The Country Gen- tleman a year or so ago, and one of their staff writers prepared an interesting description of the work done by the Moore County Fruit Growers Association, of which Mr. McPherson was the guiding spirit and the secretary. This organiza- tion was formed in 1904, fifteen growers consti- tuting its charter membership. The object of the association was to maintain a judicious control of distribution of shipments among the markets pur- chasing the berry, and to name a uniform wage for labor employed in harvesting the crop. Dur- ing the producing season in the month of June Mr. MePherson devotes most of his time to the super- vision of his own berry field and his responsibilities as secretary of the association. He keeps in daily if not hourly touch with the principal markets, and has arranged and systematized the shipments from the Cameron field with such success that the North Carolina berries usually command the high- est market price and the interests of the growers are correspondingly safeguarded.
Mr. McPherson by no means places his entire dependence upon berry growing. He is widely known as a thoroughly good farmer, and his splen- did plantation, lying on the Carthage road a short distance west of and partly within the town limits of Cameron, is one of the best in Moore County for its varied productions of cotton, corn and grain, as well as berries and fruit. The cleared and cultivated portions are kept in the finest state of fertility and productiveness.
Mr. McPherson was born in Cumberland County, North Carolina, in 1859. Both the McPhersons and the McDuffies, his mother's family, are of the old Scotch race that has made such impressive marks upon the history and development of the Cape Fear section of North Carolina. Both his grandfathers were born in Scotland. Grandfather Hugh McPherson came to North Carolina when a young man, first locating near Carthage in Moore County, living for several years in Florida, but finally returning to North Carolina and locating in the extreme northwest part of Cumberland County. James D. McPherson, father of Hugh P., was born in Florida but grew up on the Cumber- land County farm. In 1874 he left that and moved to Moore County, locating about three miles southeast of Cameron. During the war he served in the cavalry branch of the Confederate army.
Hugh P. McPherson after getting his education worked in the store of Muse Brothers, merchants, at Cameron, and later entered business for him- self. He was reared on a farm and first to last his main occupation and interests have been con- nected with agriculture. He is also a man of affairs. and for several years has held the posi- tion of chairman of the board of county com- missioners of Moore County. He is active in the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. McPherson married Miss Mary Leach, of the Camden community. After the death of her father her mother married the late Dr. Hector
Turner, one of the prominent citizens of Moore County. Mr. and Mrs. McPherson have four chil- dren: Miss Kate, James A., Miss Lulu B. and Hugh Cone. The son James is a graduate of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of North Carolina, and is now in the aviation department of the United States army as an aeroplane mecha- nician.
WILLIAM PARETT LOVE, D. C. What is known as a "new school" of the healing art, the science of chiropractic, is now officially recognized in North Carolina on an absolute equality with other schools. It is represented by a state examining board, and there is a large membership compris- ing the State Chiropractic Association of North Carolina.
The secretary of the state examining board and treasurer of the State Chiropractic Association of North Carolina is Dr. William Parett Love of Charlotte. Doctor Love is a native of North Carolina and representative of a well known old time family of Cleveland County, a county famous for its prominent and historical characters. Doc- tor Love was born at Shelby in that county in 1891, a son of William P. and Roberta Elizabeth (Brady) Love. His parents are both still living. The grandfather "Jimmie"' Love, gave the land for the location of Shelby, the county seat of Cleveland. Doctor Love's father was a native of Shelby, but for a number of years has had his home at Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Doctor Love was four years of age when the family removed to Spartanburg and he grew up in that city. He finished his literary education in the Boiling Springs Academy of Cleveland County and in the University of North Carolina. He studied for the Chiropractic profession in the Palmer School at Davenport, Iowa, and was grad- uated with his degree Doctor of Chiropractic in the class of 1915.
It will not be out of place to indicate some of the fundamental principles of chiropractic. It is the philosophy of the cause of disease, and the science and art of being able to adjust it. The chiropractor begins with the assumption that the brain is the dynamo of life current, conveyed to all parts of the body through the spinal cord and nerves, and that disease is largely the result of obstructions in the transmission of this cur- rent. The chiropractor is therefore one who knows how to remove such pressure or cause of obstruc- tion, and the exercise of his art is to enable na- ture to restore health by opening up the vital lines of communication with the center of life energy and with practically no intervention from drugs.
For a time Doctor Love practiced at Morganton in Burke County, but on January 1, 1916, located permanently in Charlotte. This city afforded him a wider field and more opportunity for exercis- ing his high talent, and he now has attractive and well equipped offices in the Lalla Arcade on South Tryon Street.
Doctor Love married Miss Rosalie Smith, of Greensboro, North Carolina. She is related to the Wharton and other well known families of that city. They have two children, William Whar- ton Love and Roberta Jeanette Love.
LEONIDAS B. WILLIAMS. In a leading position on the roll of Guilford County's legists is found the name of Leonidas B. Williams, who of recent years has taken a more and more prominent part
Very truly yours
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in the legal controversies of his part of the state. He is a product of the farm, and was mature in years before he entered upon the regular practice of his profession, but within the comparatively short space of time that has elapsed since he tried his maiden case he has forged steadily to the fore- front, so that he has not alone won material re- ward but the confidence of the general public and the respect of his fellow-members in his calling.
Mr. Williams is a native son of Union County, North Carolina, born February 6, 1876, his parents being J. B. and Mary E. (Knotts) Williams. His father was also born in Union County, but in the late '50s removed to Georgia, where he was living at the time the war broke out between the northern and southern states. At Thomasville, in that state, he enlisted in an infantry regiment, and continued to serve as a soldier wearing the Gray until peace was declared, when he returned to Union County, North Carolina, and here resumed his operations as a farmer. In the early '80s he removed with his family to Richmond County in this state, where he continued his agricultural pursuits. His wife was a daughter of the late Col. John Knotts, who was a prominent figure in the history of North Carolina in ante-bellum days. She died in August, 1904.
Leonidas B. Williams was reared on the home farm in Richmond County, and divided his boy- hood between assisting his father in the work of the homestead and attending the public schools. Later he pursued a course at Wake Forest College, and then took up the study of law, being licensed to practice in 1902. His first field of endeavor was in Richmond County, being located at Hamlet for three years and at Rockingham, the county seat, for three years, and then for two years was tempo- rarily located at Charlotte, but in December, 1910, came to High Point to settle permanently, and this city has since been his home. Mr. Williams has gained a substantial standing at High Point, which is the great furniture manufacturing city of the South, and has been retained as counsel by a num- ber of the leading concerns in cases of importance. He is possessed of splendid talents as an attorney, and is particularly able as a forensic lawyer, being more at home and at his best as a trial lawyer in the court room than in any other capacity. He is an exceptionally fine pleader, and is unusually successful in jury trials. His public services ren- dered have been as attorney for the Town of Ham- let, as county attorney of Richmond County and as city prosecutor for the City of High Point.
Mr. Williams married Miss Ora Clyde Whittaker, of Richmond County, and they have one daughter, Louise Jackson.
ANSON MITCHELL CHURCH. venerable and highly respected citizen of Wilkes County, Anson Mitchell Church has been prominently identified with the development and advancement of the agricultural and mercantile interests of the county, and has served efficiently and acceptably in official capacities. A son of Alexander and Mary (Eller) Church, he was born December 29. 1837, in Wilkes County. Alexander Church was a hotel keeper in Wilkesboro for a number of years, and as "mein host" was quite popular with the traveling pub- lic. He also served as sheriff of the county. He spent his last days in Wilkesboro. and his wife died after he did, in North Wilkesboro.
Brought up in Wilkesboro, Anson .Mitchell Church acquired his education in the public schools, and during the Civil War was a member of the Vol. VI-7
Home Guards. At the time of his marriage he began farming in Wilkes County, but later became active in public affairs, serving as sheriff of the county, and as deputy collector of internal revenue. Mr. Church afterward embarked in mercantile business near Quary, but sold out there and opened a store in North Wilkesboro, where his sons were associated with him. In 1907, having accumu- lated a competency, Mr. Church retired from busi- ness pursuits, and in 1916 returned to his farm, situated six miles below North Wilkesboro, where he is enjoying to the utmost the fruits of his many years of toil.
Mr. Church married first Susanna Eller, who was born November 2, 1836, a daughter of Ab- salom Eller. She died March 31, 1898, leaving eight children, as follows: Alice Virginia, wife of Noah Robinett; Louise Cornelia married John Ivy Myers; Ellen Salenia married John Gragg; Mary Octavia, wife of Franklin Stafford; Robert Lee; Thomas W .; William Harvey; and Beulah Lillian. Mr. Church married for his second wife Lillie Staley, and of their union five children have been born, namely : Almer, Lola, Ansel, Rufus and Ennis.
A member of the Baptist Church and an earnest and active worker in religious matters, he was a charter member of three churches of that denom- ination and a liberal contributor toward the erec- tion of five church buildings.
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JOHN A. WILLIAMS, M. D. In addition to the letters indicating that he is a doctor of medicine, Doctor Williams is privileged to write the letters F. A. C. S. after his name, indicating that he enjoys the honor of membership aud fellowship in the American College of Surgeons. Doctor Wil- liams is an accomplished and brilliant surgeon, and about twelve years ago, in order to have full scope for his work in that field, he removed to Greens- boro, from which city his reputation has spread to many distant points in the state.
Doctor Williams was born at Leesburg iu Cas- well County, North Carolina, and his family have been in North Carolina for several generations. His grandfather, William Williams, was a planter in Person County, where so far as known he spent all his life. James Pulliam Williams, father of Doctor Williams, was born in Person County, was reared on a farm, and was busied with that voca- tion when the war broke out between the states. He and two of his brothers at once entered the Confederate army, and both brothers gave up their lives as sacrifice to the cause. He himself suffered many of the hardships of a soldier's life, but came through the war with only such impairment of physical health and material means as nearly every volunteer had to experience. After the war he removed to Leesburg, where in addition to farming he became a manufacturer of tobacco. He died there at the age of forty-eight. He was thrice married. The only child of his first mar- riage was William K. For his third wife he married Catherine Scott Woods, who was born in Caswell County, daughter of Andy and Minerva (Richmond) Woods. Her only brother, James Mon- roe Woods, lost his life in the Confederate army when only seventeen years of age. She died at the age of seventy-six, after rearing two sons, Jolın Alexander and James W. James W. is a farmer in Caswell County.
Dr. John A. Williams atended the public schools of Leesburg and prepared for college under the tuition of a noted educator, Solomon Lec. He en-
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tered Wake Forest College, graduated Bachelor, of Science, and from there entered the medical de- partment of the University of Virginia at Char- lottesville and completed the regular course and received his degree M. D. in 1895.
One of the important factors of Doctor Williams' success has been the long and thorough prepara- tion he made preliminary to beginning his actual practice. After leaving medical college he re- moved to New York City, was for a time an in- terne in the Polyclinic Hospital, and later was in the New York Infant Asylum at Mount Vernon. Altogether he put in five years of active work in various New York institutions. With this train- ing and experience lie returned to his native state and was engaged in practice at Reidsville until 1906, when he sought a larger field and removed to Greensboro. He now devotes his time almost exclusively to surgery. Doctor Williams is a former president of the Rockingham County Medical So- ciety, is also ex-president of the Guilford County Medical Society, and belongs to the North Caro- lina State Medical Society, the Tri-State Medical Society, the Southern Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He is president of the Eighth District Medical Society at this writing.
In 1908 he married, Miss Susan Reese, daughter of J. M. and Alice M. Reese. Doctor and Mrs. Williams have two daughters, Frances and Cath- erinc. Doctor Williams is member and vice presi- ident of the Guilford County Country Club, is a member of the Merchants and Manufacturers Club of Greensboro, and is affiliated with Greensboro Lodge No. 602, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and with the Knights of Pythias.
ARDEN WINFIELD TAYLOR has been one of the active business men of Kinston for a number of years and is now filling with credit and an effici- ency highly pleasing to his constituency the office of sheriff of Lenoir County.
Sheriff Taylor was born near Hookerton in Green County, North Carolina, January 4, 1876, a son of John Richard and Josephine Virginia (Wiggins) Taylor, substantial farming people of Green County. His father subsequently became an active Baptist minister. Mr. Taylor was edu- cated under private instruction. He laid the foundation of his business experience by clerk- ing for eight years in a general store, and in 1903 he set up in business on his own account at Institute, near LaGrange. He conducted his business there for seven years and on selling out in 1910 removed to Kinston and became associ- ated with J. T. Kennedy in purchasing a general stock of merchandise. In 1912 Mr. Taylor was elected sheriff of Lenoir County and his first four years were so satisfactory that he was again elected to the same office in 1916. He is affili- ated with the Masonic Order, the Knights of Pythias, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, the Improved Order of Red Men and the Woodmen of the World. He has also been active in church affairs as a member of the Christian denomination and is a former deacon,
On January 11, 1899, he married Miss Hattie Kennedy, of Institute, North Carolina. Four children have been born to them: William Ken- nedy, John Heber, Troy William and Ethel May.
WILLIAM BENJAMIN BLADES. For many years one of North Carolina's most prominent lumber men and still a controlling factor in various cor-
porations and industries, William Benjamin Blades came to this state from Virginia and Maryland, where his earlier business successes had been won. His home has been at Newbern for the past thirty years.
Mr. Blades was born August 12, 1854, at Bishop- ville, Maryland, a son of Peter Clowes and Nancy (West) Blades. His father was a former sea captain, but subsequently retired to the land and followed merchandising and farming the rest of his active life. William B. Blades was well edu- cated in Bishopville College in Maryland. Early in his career he became associated with his brother J. B. Blades in merchandising in Virginia and in oyster planting along the coast of that state. In 1876 he set up a mercantile establishment at Bishopville, Maryland, but in 1882 came to Bath, North Carolina, and from that time forward his interests were particularly identified with the lum- bering industry. In 1886 he removed to Newbern, and was one of the responsible factors for making that city an important center of lumber milling. When he sold his principal interests in the lumber field in 1906 he disposed of 200,000 acres of timber lands.
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