USA > West Virginia > Genealogical and personal history of the upper Monongahela valley, West Virginia, Volume II > Part 5
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Margaret, born April 25, 1844; married Aretas Brooks Fleming, Sep- tember 7, 1865 ; children : Robert Willie Fleming, deceased; Gypsy F. (Mrs. Ward) ; Ida Watson (Mrs. Miller, deceased) ; Virginia Wat- son ; George Watson; Brooks Fleming. 3. Ida May, born July 25, 1846. 4. Sylvanus Lamb, mentioned below. 5. George Thomas, born June 29, 1851, deceased; married Margaret Virginia Fleming, October 17, 1872. 6. Lucy Lee, born February 9, 1854. 7. Mary Rebecca, born September 1, 1856; married Conrad Albert Sipe, November 28, 1878 ; children : Frances Hogue (Mrs. Hutton), Lucy Anderson, Mary Watson. 8. James Edwin, mentioned below. 9. Frank Ellsworth, born February 18, 1861. 10. Clarence Wayland, mentioned below.
(V) William Henry, son of James Otis and Matilda (Lamb) Wat- son, was born August 11, 1842. He received a practical education, and in later life turned his attention to farming, in which line of work he has been highly successful. He married, April 29, 1869, Molly Grove. Children: Frederick, deceased; Anna Grove (Mrs. Rohr- baugh) ; Margaret; Mary (Mrs. Lowe) ; Henry W .; Caroline (Mrs. Peddicord) ; Ruth, deceased.
(V) Sylvanus Lamb, son of James Otis and Matilda (Lamb) Watson, was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, December 27, 1848. He obtained a public school education and was reared on a farm, his first work off of the farm being in the mines known as the American Mine, owned by his father, the first operated in West Virginia. He was also engaged five years in the cattle business on his own account. The better years of his life, however, have been spent in the coal min- ing industry. He is now treasurer of the Consolidation Coal Company, which is the largest bituminous coal company in the world. He is also interested in the electric lines, being president of the Fairmont & Clarks- burg Railroad Company, the greatest electric line in the state. He is president of the Fairmont Gas Company, which does an extensive busi- ness. He has always been active in politics, being a leader in West Virginia in many movements of his party, the Democratic, but has always refused public office. In his church relation he is an Epis- copalian. He married, March 25, 1875, Lydia Jane, daughter of Matthew Fleming, of Fairmont, West Virginia (see Fleming genealogy in this work). Children : James Otis, mentioned below; Albert Thur-
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man, mentioned below; Elizabeth Crane (Mrs. Randall) ; George Thomas, mentioned below; Ida Watson, deceased.
(V) James Edwin, son of James Otis and Matilda (Lamb) Wat- son, was born at Fairmont, West Virginia, January 8, 1859. He secured his education at the Fairmont public schools and Eastman's Business College, Poughkeepsie, New York. He is a coal operator. He spent the major part of his life in the coal industry. In 1885 he took charge of the J. O. Watson coal interests which practically con- tained all the coal operations in this district, at that time, and was at the head of same until his health failed in 1899, about which time he gave up the active management of the coal business. He was one of the original stockholders and promoters of the Montana Coal & Coke Company and before the F. M. & P. railroad was completed he with others purchased small tracts of coal at Montana, and on July 7, 1886, with a few men, with J. C. Gaskill in charge, commenced grading for necessary side tracks. This mine was the first to successfully make coke in this field, and the development of same was practically the beginning of the development and making of the Fairmont region. On July 1, 1890, he bought at forced sale in front of the court house the entire property belonging to the West Fairmont & Marion Con- solidated Coal & Coke Company which then owned the West Fair- mont, Marion and Shaft mines, all three of which had been abandoned at that time, and the Marion and Shaft mines allowed to fill up with water. He then organized the West Fairmont Coal & Coke Company, and these mines have been worked successfully since. This same com- pany purchased in August, 1894, what is known as the New England Mine, from the New England, Fairmont & Western Gas Coal Com- pany. An expensive railroad and bridge across West Fork river had been built by this company who worked the mines a short time and then abandoned them, allowing the railroad and mine improvements to go to wreck; when bought by the West Fairmont Coal & Coke Company, the railroad was rebuilt, mines newly opened up, necessary and expen- sive improvements made, the town of New England built, and this mine now has the largest capacity of any single mine in Marion county.
He was also interested and a director in the Gaston Gas Coal Com- pany and the Briar Hill Coal & Coke Company. These four companies
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were the nucleus for the formation of the Fairmont Coal Company (now the Consolidation Coal Company). He was one of the organ- izers of the Bank of Fairmont (now the National Bank of Fairmont) in 1895, and has been president of the institution since its organization. He is president of the Watson Company, which company owns the Watson Building in which is located the National Bank of Fairmont, the offices of the Consolidation and other coal companies and corpora- tions, including the Fairmont & Clarksburg Traction Company, Fair- mont Gas & Light Company, and Fairmont Chamber of Commerce. The Watson Company also own a large acreage of valuable real estate in the suburbs of the city of Fairmont. He is president of the Fair- mont Development Company, Fairmont, West Virginia; Watson, Ma- Jone & Miller Company, Fairmont, West Virginia; the Watson Coal Company, which company owns valuable coal lands in the "Pocahontas District," on lines of the Norfolk & Western railroad, in McDowell county, West Virginia, and are being operated by two different com- panies under lease, on royalty basis, from the Watson Coal Company. He is director in the following companies: The Ohley Coal Company (which company own a large tract of coal lands on the Cabin Creek branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, in Kanawha county, West Virginia, and is now being operated by four different companies, operat- ing seven mines, on a royalty basis, under lease from the Ohley Coal Company), Fairmont & Clarksburg Traction Company, Fairmont De- velopment Company, South Side Land Company, Watson Coal Com- pany, Watson Company, Fairmont Gas & Light Company, the Con- solidation Coal Company. Politically he is a Democrat. In church connection is of the Episcopal denomination.
He married Mattie Elizabeth Moderwell, September 1, 1890. Children : Sue Kearsley, Virginia Fleming, deceased; James Edwin, Otis Moderwell, deceased; Robert Lamb.
(V) Hon. Clarence Wayland Watson, present United States sena- tor, son of James Otis and Matilda (Lamb) Watson, was born May 8, 1864, at Fairmont, West Virginia. He received a good education, beginning with the public schools of his native city, and next at the Fair- mont State Normal School. He was busily engaged in coal mining and dealt in coal lands until 1893, when he commenced opening mines in
Im. O Latino
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conjunction with his brothers, which fact fitted him to take the place occupied by his brother, J. E. Watson, when his health failed. In 1900 he formed the Fairmont Coal Mining Company for the purpose of sell- ing the output of the district, and in 1901 he with his associates pur- chased the companies forming the Fairmont Coal Company and later purchased a control of the Consolidation Coal Company from the Baltimore & Ohio Company, merging the Fairmont Coal Company and the Somerset Coal companies into the Consolidation Coal Com- pany. He also bought a controlling interest in the Northwestern Fuel Company's docks at Duluth and St. Paul; also the Metropolitan Coal Company's docks, giving facilities on the Great Lakes as well as on the Atlantic seaboard, Boston, Providence, etc. He has many other busi- ness interests, including a stock farm with some of the finest horses in the world. Politically Mr. Watson is a Democrat and was elected to a seat in the United States senate in 1910 from West Virginia. His having been engaged all of his active life in business of great import- ance and used to dealing with corporations and associated with men high in authority and influence in the industrial world, he was naturally selected for this high position where he can best represent the interests of West Virginia, his native state.
Mr. Watson married, October 10, 1894, Minnie Lee Owings. Mr. and Mrs. Watson occupy the old Watson homestead whereon stands the original log house erected more than one hundred years ago, and still in a fine state of preservation. Nearby is their magnificent mansion within immense grounds.
(VI) James Otis (2), son of Sylvanus Lamb and Lydia Jane (Fleming) Watson, was born March 25, 1875. He was reared in Fairmont, where he attended the public schools, graduating from the high school and the State Normal of Fairmont. Later he entered the University of West Virginia and still later Harvard University. His youth was spent on his father's farm, and when sixteen years of age he commenced working in vacations at the coal mines, and continued with the coal company as superintendent and assistant to president until 1903, when he engaged in business for himself, including some time ranching on plains of Colorado, continuing until 1909. Since the last- named date he has been the general manager of the Fairmont & Clarks-
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burg Traction Company, as well as one of its directors and stockholders. He is a director of Fairmont Trust Company and other companies. He married, in June, 1902, Ella Brandon, daughter of Charles E. Bartlett, of Fairmont. Children : Elinor Bartlett, born May 20, 1903; Mary, March 10, 1905; James Otis Jr., June 11, 1906; Bartlett, February 10, 1910.
(VI) Albert Thurman, son of Sylvanus Lamb and Lydia Jane (Fleming) Watson, was born January 22, 1877. He received his edu- cation in the public schools in Fairmont, later attending the State Nor- mal School. Before finishing school in 1893 he spent some time in the engineering corps of the coal company, later, after finishing school in 1895, in the merchandise department, and in the auditing department, and in 1900 became assistant purchasing agent, and January 1, 1901, was promoted to purchasing agent, which position he still occupies, for the Consolidation Coal Company, Cumberland & Pennsylvania Rail- road Company, Fairmont & Clarksburg Traction Company, Fairmont Gas & Light Company, and a large number of subsidiary companies. For a number of years his offices were located in Baltimore, but in 1908 he brought his offices to Fairmont, where all purchases for the com- panies mentioned are made.
In 1903 he married Florence Davis, of Montclair, New Jersey. They have one son, Albert Thurman Jr., born October 18, 1904.
(VI) George Thomas, son of Sylvanus Lamb and Lydia Jane (Fleming) Watson, was born February 12, 1880. He was educated in the Fairmont public schools, State Normal School and State Univer- sity. His vacations were spent at work in the different departments of the coal company. Upon leaving school he started working at New England Mine, going from there to Murray and Beechwood mines as superintendent, and in 1901 returned to Gaston and New England Mine as superintendent. When the power and mechanical department of the coal company was formed he was made superintendent, and in 1907 was made general manager of the Fairmont & Clarksburg Traction Company, giving that up in 1909 to become vice-president of the Con- solidation Coal Company, in charge of West Virginia, Maryland, Penn- sylvania and Kentucky operations, with offices at Fairmont. Mr. Wat- son also continues as stockholder and director in the traction company,
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and is a stockholder and official in a number of subsidiary companies, at the present time president of the First National Bank, Jenkins, Ken- tucky; director in the Fairmont Trust Company; director Chamber of Commerce, Fairmont Building & Investment Company ; president Fair- mont Mining Machinery Company.
He married, October 15, 1901, Elizabeth Bussing, of Cincinnati. Children : Sylvanus Lamb Jr., born April 12, 1903, Rose Bussing, July 23, 1906; Elizabeth Jane, April 3, 1911.
BOYERS The history of this large family reaches back to the period of the revolutionary war, and has included many eminent men. From the best information obtainable it is believed that Leonard and Catherine Boyers, probably of German origin, were the American ancestors of this family. Many of their de- scendants now reside in West Virginia and adjoining states.
(I) Leonard Boyers, a settler in Pennsylvania, married Catherine , and in their family was a son, Jacob.
(II) Jacob, son of Leonard and Catherine Boyers, was born De- cember 7, 1782, during the war for independence in America, and died January 22, 1836. He was a Democrat, a Methodist, and by occu- pation a miller. He married Elizabeth Lock, in 1805, as shown by records in the family Bible of descendants now living at Fairmont, West Virginia. Elizabeth Lock, daughter of Simon Lock and wife, was born August 30, 1787. Children: Josiah, born February 22, 1806; Catherine E., March 13, 1807; Harriet, August 28, 1808; William G., July 15, 1810; Morgan Lock, see forward; Hycanus J., March 3, 1813; Hezekiah, July 25, 1815; Julianna, February 18, 1817; Mary, October 18, 1818; Jacob, April 22, 1820; Simon L., August 17, 1823; Henry G., October 28, 1824.
(III) Morgan Lock, fifth child of Jacob and Elizabeth (Lock) Boyers, was a native of Greene county, Pennsylvania, born December 19, 18II, and died February 22, 1892, at Jimtown, West Virginia. He was a Methodist minister for the greater part of his life, and reared his family in the way a Christian man should, making them useful men and women in many avenues of life, including the home circles of West Virginia. He married, August 28, 1838, Julianna, born March 9,
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1822, daughter of William T. and Keziah Bright. Julianna (Bright) Boyers died November 5, 1853. Children: Elyisis, born September 27, 1839; Keziah, February 28, 1841; Cyrus F., see forward; Eliza- beth M., December 4, 1843; Elbatine, February 5, 1846; Julia, Febru- ary 23, 1849; William T., August 18, 1851.
(IV) Dr. Cyrus Fletcher Boyers, third child of Morgan Lock and Julianna (Bright) Boyers, was born October 22, 1842, at Jimtown (now Randall), West Virginia. He went to the old-fashioned sub- scription schools, common in his youthful days. Later he attended the academy at Morgantown for two years, and decided to become a physi- cian. He then entered the Columbus (Ohio) Medical College, where he studied medicine in 1865-66; the Berkshire Medical College, Pitts- field, Massachusetts, in the summer of 1867, and graduated from the Baltimore Medical College, Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied in 1881-82. He has been in active medical practice during a period of over forty years, in the following towns : Boothsville, Marion county, West Virginia, 1866-68; Sistersville, 1868-69; Boothsville, again, 1869-73; Palatine (now Fairmont), from 1873 to the present time (1912). Dr. Boyers has been engaged not only in medical work, but has been also a true promoter of local industries in his locality. He has dealt extensively in real estate, engaged in the drug trade, been con- nected with the hospital work of his city, and assisted in building up the pottery industry in Marion county. Politically Dr. Boyer is a Demo- crat. He has been identified with that ancient and honorable fraternity, the Masonic order, since 1868, and is now a worthy Shriner, having advanced to that degree in 1900. He is a member of the Marion County Medical Society, West Virginia State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Since 1866 he has been connected with the Baptist church.
He married, at Boothsville, West Virginia, February 12, 1867, Elizabeth Jane Rymer, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, born March 8, 1850, daughter of Henry A. Rymer, born in 1821 or 1822, died 1898, who had been a Methodist minister, school teacher and medical practitioner from 1849 to 1898, in Marion and Taylor coun- ties, Virginia, and had served in the West Virginia legislature for two terms in the seventies. The children of Henry A. Rymer were: Cath-
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erine M., married --- - Harter, died 1897; Elizabeth Jane, mar- ried Dr. C. F. Boyers, as aforesaid; Jessie E., born December 3, 1852, married - Smith ; Susana M., born March 3, 1854; Ina B., born September 6, 1856, died December, 1907; Frank S., born September 9, 1859.
The children born to Dr. and Mrs. Cyrus F. Boyers are: 1. Lillie Myrtle, born December 2, 1868; educated in public schools and the Fairmont State Normal School; married, June 25, 1888, Virgil New- ton Jones, D. D. S .; children : Edna Hazel, born May 27, 1889; Velma Pauline, born June 5, 1893. 2. Henry Morgan, born October 17, 1870, died October 15, 1898; educated in public schools and the Fair- mont State Normal School; graduated from the Baltimore Medical College, 1891; practiced at Grafton and Fairmont, West Virginia; married Emma Rector Reynolds, June 12, 1894, and had one child: Lawrence Howard, born December 28, 1896. 3. William Frank, see forward. 4. Cyrus Fletcher Jr., born March 12, 1874; educated in public schools, Fairmont State Normal School, Baltimore Medical College, and graduated from Barnes Medical College, St. Louis, Mis- souri; married Rosa Katherine Holland, October 26, 1898, and has one child: Frederick Earl, born April 21, 1903. 5. Charles Leslie, born January 10, 1877; educated in public schools and Fairmont State Nor- mal School, and graduated from Maryland Medical College in 1900; married, June 12, 1902, Naomi Bell Riggs, born April, 1880, daugh- ter of Andrew J. and Jeannette (Israels) Riggs; children: Charles Eugene, born August 31, 1903; Paul Elston, born May 12, 1907. 6. Lee Bernard, see forward. 7. Elbatine Beatrice, born August 22, 1882; educated in public schools and Fairmont State Normal School; married James Albert Justis, December 25, 1907; children : Catherine Beatrice, born May 18, 1909; James Albert, born December 6, 1910. 8. James Walter, born October 28, 1884; educated in public schools, Fairmont State Normal School and Maryland Medical College; mar- ried Bessie Nelson, October 8, 1909. 9. Lawrence Luther, born Octo- ber 14, 1886; educated in grammar school, Fairmont State Normal School, Maryland Medical College; married Della M. Jenkins, De- cem 21, 1911. 10. Darla Catherine Matilda, born February 8, 1888; educated in the grammar school and State Normal School in Fairmont.
4-2M
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(V) Dr. William Frank Boyers, son of Dr. Cyrus Fletcher and Elizabeth Jane (Rymer) Boyers, was born at Boothsville, West Vir- ginia, April 19, 1872. He obtained a fine education. He commenced in the public schools, later attending the Fairmont Normal School. Being of a family of physicians, he decided also to follow this pro- fession and prepared himself accordingly. He then attended a sub- scription school, and the schools at Palatine (now a part of Fairmont) ; in 1892 he entered the Baltimore Medical College, remaining until 1895, and the last two years in Baltimore took a special course in the Maryland General and Maryland Lying-in Hospitals. He graduated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1896. When attending college, he took up carpentry during vacation; and also worked on the old home farm; at the same time practicing nights in order to complete his college course, which was accomplished by his own efforts. He has practiced medicine since 1891, and has confined his attention to general medical and sur- gical work in Fairmont. He passed the State Board of Pharmacy in December, 1898; and has been medical inspector for the Union Inde- pendent Schools of Marion county. He owns and speculates in real estate, and is alive to every modern improvement and advancement that is offered the community. He is a member of the Marion County and the West Virginia State Medical societies and of the American Medical Association. He also has membership in the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he is a Democrat, and in church relationship a Baptist. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce at Fairmont.
Dr. Boyers married, October 8, 1901, Louana Riggs, born in Adlai, Pleasants county, West Virginia, September 5, 1878. Mrs. Boyers is the daughter of Andrew Jackson Riggs, a resident of Adlai, West Virginia, and a farmer by vocation, who died January, 1902. Mr. Riggs was a man of great courage, strength and endurance, yet strange to relate he met death by being tripped by a small boy on a hand-sled. He served in the Union army in civil war days, and was a member of Company F, Fourteenth West Virginia Regiment. He married Jeannette Israels, who is still living at the old homestead, and they were the parents of ten children : John Allen, born 1860; Le Roy, 1863, died in child- hood; Manown Barrickman, April 25, 1866; Perry H., 1868; Samuel, 1870; Dolly O., 1872, married - Stanley; Sylvester V., 1874; Rutherford B. Hayes, 1876; Louana, married Dr. William F. Boyers,
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see above; Naomi Bell, born April, 1880, married Dr. Charles L. Boyers, see above. Children of Dr. William F. and Louana ( Riggs) Boyers : Ruth, born April 25, 1903; William F. Lewis, July 23, 1904; Naomi Beatrice, October 23, 1907; Pauline Jeannette, July 18, 1910.
(V) Dr. Lee Bernard Boyers, son of Dr. Cyrus Fletcher BOYERS Boyers (q. v.), was born October 30, 1879. He attend- ed the schools and graduated in the academic course at the Fairmont State Normal. The years 1897-98 he spent in the Baltimore Medical College, and graduated from the Maryland Med- ical College, May 15, 1900, at the age of twenty years. Before he reached the age of twenty-one he had full charge of the Franklyn Square Hospital of Baltimore City. In 1902 he commenced the prac- tice of medicine in Fairmont. He makes a specialty of gynecology, having obtained a special diploma on that branch of medicine. He already has a gold medal awarded him for special work in this line of work in women's diseases. He belongs to various medical societies, including the Marion County Medical Society, West Virginia State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He is an honored, progressive member of Fairmont Lodge, No. 9, Masonic fraternity, and also holds membership and is the examiner of risks in the Woodmen of the World. Politically he votes an independent ticket, and in church connection is a member of the Methodist Prot- estant denomination.
He married, June 2, 1908, Jessie Pearl, born in Roaring Springs, Pennsylvania, May 9, 1886, daughter of John Dilliny Soyster. She graduated at the high schools of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Her father is the manager of a large wholesale flour and feed establishment in Altoona. Dr. Boyers and wife have one child: Elizabeth Lee, born January 14, 1911.
MEREDITH
This family is of Welsh origin and is numbered among the most prominent in Marion county, West Virginia.
Thomas Meredith was the founder of the family in America. He was a wealthy silversmith of South Wales, who with his family emi- grated to the United States about 1800, locating at Hagerstown, Mary-
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land. He remained there but a short time and moved to what is now Paw Paw district, Marion county, West Virginia, where he settled on a farm, but soon removed to another tract of farming land, near Smith- town, Monongalia county, where he followed farming and stock rais- ing. Becoming dissatisfied with that section of the state, he went on a prospecting tour to Canada, expecting to remove his family there. While thus home-seeking he sickened and died. Children : Hester, be- came the wife of William Brown; Thomas, who was a prominent busi- ness man of Morgantown; Margaret, married James Ross; William, of whom further; Mary, married John Riggs; Catherine, wife of E. B. Ross; John, who was a farmer and justice of the peace for many years, and who in 1870 removed to Bates county, Missouri, where he died three years later.
(II) William, son of Thomas Meredith, was three years of age when brought to this country by his parents. He was reared midst the scenes of pioneer life in Monongalia county. He took up agricultural pursuits, beginning on a farm which he cleared from the wild forests along the Monongahela river, below the present site of Smithtown, but subsequently removed to Marion county, locating on a farm of three hundred acres on Pickett's creek, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying February 13, 1869, at the age of seventy-two years. He did not have good opportunities for gaining an education, but was pos- sessed of a vigorous mind, strong moral feelings, and was highly re- spected by the entire community, as a man of excellent judgment and a good heart. He served fifteen years as justice of the peace, at a time when such officers had to hold court in the county. He was a Whig until just prior to the civil war when he became a Democrat. He served as deputy sheriff a number of years, and was president one term of the county court of Marion county. He married Hannah, daughter of John Powell, a native of Monongalia county. Children : 1. Thomas, deceased; was a carpenter; served in the First Virginia Cavalry during the civil war. 2. Mary, deceased wife of Jefferson Gilpin. 3. William, of whom further. 4. Catherine, deceased wife of John N. Joliff. 5. John Q. A. 6. D. Clifford, deceased; was a teamster in the army in civil war days. 7. Louisa, deceased wife of John C. Jenkins. 8. Amanda, widow of John Hawkins. 9. Marquis Lafayette, a farmer,
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