History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 114

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066

USA > West Virginia > Kanawha County > Charleston > History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens > Part 114

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

HENRY A. WALKER

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In Monroe County, W. Va., Mr. Walker was married to Miss Malissa A. Zirkle, who died in Elk District, Kanawha County, in 1907, at the age of fifty-nine years, seven months and twelve days. She was a daugh- ter of Samuel S. and Amanda M. (Dairly) Zirkle, the latter of whom was born in Mont- gomery County, Va., and when left a widow came to the home of her daughter, Mrs. Walker, where she died in advanced age. She was a member of the Methodist church, while Mr. Zirkle was a member of the Ro- man Catholic church. Three sons and five daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Zir- kle and record as follows is given of the survivors: John Zirkle lives in Kanawha County ; Maggie is the wife of Frank Pax- ton, a farmer in Kansas; Katherine is the wife of Henry H. Hill, of Belva, Nicholas County, W. Va .; and Emma is the wife of David Brackman, of Charleston. To Charles H. Walker and wife the following children were born: Archibald, who was born July 1, 1870, died August 1, 1871; Charles S., who was born March 19, 1872, lives on a farm in Elk District, married Myrtle Cart, and they have four children : Hallie, Ray, Kermit and Quenton; Carrie, who was born April 22, 1874, married Harry Robinson, proprietor of the Commercial Hotel, at Charleston, and they have had one child, Goldie, who is deceased: Will- iam F., who was born January 3, 1876, is a physician, a graduate of the Kentucky School of Medicine, at Louisville, in the class of 1907; Eugene E., who resides on his farm of 260 acres, in Elk District, was born February 12, 1874, married Eva C. Frail, and they have three children : Charles I., Elbert and Virley; Anna M., who was born December 1, 1879; Henry A .; Hugh C., who was born in Kanawha County, March 16, 1883, resides at home, his wife, formerly Masel Hanna, having died a year after marriage; Nora F., who was born in Kanawha County, February 14, 1886, mar- ried John L. Hammack and they reside in Elk District and have one child, Naomi; Romeo H., who was born March 21, 1888, is a student in the college of Physicians and

Surgeons at Baltimore, Md .; and Albert C., who was born July 22, 1890, died August 24, 1890. In October, 1883, Charles H. Walker came to Kanawha County and pur- chased land on Little Sandy Creek, where he has resided ever since. He has done a large amount of improving and now owns a fine place with substantial buildings and a considerable amount of stock. In 1907 he was elected, on the Democratic ticket, a member of the board of Education and is still serving. He is one of the successful agriculturists and highly respected citizens of his neighborhood.

Henry A. Walker obtained his education in the Elk District and afterward taught school for seven years before he settled down as a farmer. He followed agricul- tural pursuits and resided on his farm until January I, 1909, when he was appointed deputy assessor, under Assessor Grant Copenhaver, and since then has given the larger part of his time to the duties of office which he is performing in a very effi- cient manner. He is a Republican in his views but has never been a seeker for polit- ical honors.

Mr. Walker was married in 1906, to Miss Adelia C. Nutter. She was born in Elk District, Kanawha County, W. Va., Febru- ary 8, 1887, and completed her education in the Charleston High School. Her parents, William E. and Sarah E. (Hammack) Nutter, were born in Kanawha County. Her father, William E. Nutter, is one of Charleston's well known business men, be- ing a grocery merchant here for a number of years. He is a Republican in politics but holds no public office. In his religious views he belongs to the Adventist church body. He married Sarah E. Hammack, who died in 1899, survived by three chil- dren : Mrs. Walker ; James A., who is a resi- dent of Charleston; and Myrtle M., who married J. E. Cannon, residing at Scran- ton, Pa., and they have one daughter, Mary B.

Mr. and Mrs. Walker have two interest- ing little children : Beatrice Basel, who was born January 6, 1907; and William Nutter,

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who was born September 18, 1908. They are pretty sure to have many educational as well as social advantages, and it may not be too much to say that they have, be- side other kindred, two very indulgent and admiring grandfathers. For a number of years Mr. Walker has been identified with and active in the fraternal order of Knights of Pythias and he belongs also to the order of American Mechanics. He is one of the representative men of this section and in every way is well qualified for official life although never very anxious to secure pub- lic office. He is liberal in his neighborhood in giving support to benevolent enterprises and contributes to both church and schools.

EDWARD CLARK COLCORD, JR., civ- il engineer, who is connected with the Bow- man Lumber Co. at St. Albans, W. Va., was born at Williamsport, Lycoming county, Pa., January 15, 1885, and is a son of Hon. Ed- ward C. Colcord, who is a prominent business man and politician in Kanawha county. The latter was born in Vermont, but for a number of years has been active in affairs of West Virginia, for twenty years having been a large factor in the lumber industry. For two terms he has served as a member of the West Vir- ginia house of delegates, and one term as state senator. He married Mary McManigal, who was born in Center county, Pa., and was reared at Williamsport.

Edward S. Colcord, Jr., is the eldest in a family of seven children. He obtained his early educational training in the public schools at St. Albans, after which, in 1901, he en- tered the preparatory department of the Uni- versity of West Virginia, where he was grad- uated in the class of 1907, as a civil engineer. In 1909 he came to St. Albans in his present capacity but for two years prior to that had been at work on the locks and dams of the Ohio river.

On March 27, 1910, Mr. Colcord was mar- ried to Miss Gertrude Rock, a daughter of Capt. A. A. and Julia (Doddridge) (Lackey) Rock, of St. Albans. Mr. and Mrs. Colcord have one son, Edward C. (3rd). In politics Mr. Colcord is a Republican.

MRS. HELEN MARGARET CUNNING- HAM, highly esteemed in society, president of one of the literary associations of the state federation, and of life-long activity in the Episcopal church, is a daughter of Samuel and Helen Mar (Kassick) Benedict, and was born in Alexander, Genesee county, N. Y. She was one of several children: Evelyn, George Kassick, Janet, Helen, Frank Lee (the well known novelist and writer who was lion- ized in America and on the Continent forty years ago, and some of whose writings were published in several languages, in England and the chief countries of Europe), and Park B., all of whom were born in New York.

Samuel' Benedict, father of Mrs. Cunning- ham, was born at Norwich, Conn., in 1798, and early manifested that devotion to his coun- try which distinguished his course in later years. He took active part, though but fifteen . years of age, in the defense of Fort Erie against the British. Entering politics, he was twice elected a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, and in after years was successful as a coal operator, merchant and president of a bank. In 1858 he removed to Coalsmouth, Va. (now St. Albans, W. Va.), took an active and prominent part in the Civil War, and rendered valuable service in the work of re- organization under the laws of the new state. In connection with his son-in-law, John S. Cunningham, he owned, among other tracts of land. the one hundred and forty-two thou- sand acre De Witt Clinton tract, in which the Cunningham heirs have still an interest, and a survey through which, made by Col. John S. Cunningham, was the basis of the present Coal River Railroad, which has its junction with the Chesapeake & Ohio in St. Albans.

Helen M. Benedict attended several well known private schools and was carefully reared. She was married at Pittston, Pa .. to John S. Cunningham, a civil engineer and sur- veyor, farmer, soldier and statesman, who was born in Orange, N. J., in 1827. In 1858 he permanently settled in West Virginia. At the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the Union army, was commissioned second lieutenant. IIth Inf., promoted to adjutant, 13th I. V. V. He was next commissioned as captain and pro-

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moted to lieutenant-colonel in the 18th Vir- ginia Militia. He participated in many en- gagements during the civil strife. He was a member of the Grand Arm of the Republic, the Army of the Cumberland and Loyal Le- gion. After the war he took interest in public affairs and was the first superintendent of free schools under the new regime. He received, among other important commissions, an ap- pointment by the state legislature as commis- sioner to represent the state's interest in the Covington & Ohio Railroad Co., with a view to the formation of a new company and the completion of the road to the Kentucky line. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad is the out- come of the energies of that commission. In the meantime he was president of the county court for six years and it was through his in- fluence that Kanawha county has the finest court house and jail in the state. Col. Cun- ningham was also director and president of the board of public works for the improve- ment of the Great Kanawha river, and by a system of sluice navigation removed various shoals and otherwise improved the navigation of the Kanawha.

Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham: Evelyn, John B., Helen Mar- garet, and a son, who died in infancy. They own one of the most beautiful homes of the Kanawha valley, "Belvil," immediately east of St. Albans, which has become one of the cen- ters of work for the Prohibition party.

BOB BAKER BINFORD, commercial traveler, for many years has been associated in this relation with the Hubbard, Bedell Gro- cery Co., a leading wholesale grocery house of Charleston, W. Va., and has a wide acquaint- ance all over a trade territory that takes in West Virginia and adjacent states. Mr. Bin- ford was born October 26, 1867, in Bucking- ham county, Va., and is a son of Joseph T. and a grandson of Baker Binford.

Baker Binford was born in Prince Edward county, Va., a descendant of one of three brothers who emigrated from England and settled at Jamestown, Va., prior to the Revo- lutionary War. Baker Binford was one of the early graduates of Hampden-Sidney Col- 47

lege and his estates were situated near that famous educational institution. He was a member and officer in the Methodist Episco- pal church and was, in every way, a type of the old-time Southern gentleman. He lived to the age of seventy years. His wife, Cath- erine Moss, was also born in Buckingham county, Va., and on the maternal side her an- cesthy was traced to the Bourbons of France. Four sons and six daughters were born to them, of whom two sons and two daughters survive.

Joseph T. Binford was born in what is now Prince Edward county but formerly was Ap- pomattox county, Va., sixty-nine years ago, and died in September, 1905. He was eighteen years of age and a student at Hampden-Sid- ney College when the Civil War broke out, and he enlisted in Co. I, 18th Va. Volunteers, which was attached to Gen. Pickett's brigade, and served all through the war. He partici- pated in many of the leading engagements of that unhappy period of strife, these including : Bull Run, Manassas, Chickamauga, the cam- paign in the vicinity of Richmond, and he was with Gen. Pickett's command when that Con- federate officer made his famous charge at Gettysburg and was one of the nine men of his company who lived through that awful day of carnage. He received a gunshot wound at Manassas, another at Gettysburg and also was injured by an exploding shell that caused him to be more or less of an invalid during the rest of his life. He was also a prisoner of war for some eight weeks and was confined at Delaware Bay. He was a man of sterling principles, a deacon in the Baptist church and for years was identified with the Masonic fra- ternity. He married Lucy S. Harper, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Coleman) Harper. She was born in Tennessee and lost her father when young and was brought back to Virginia by her mother, who was a daugh- ter of Col. Stephen Coleman, who, at one time, owned slaves and twenty-three hundred acres of land in Pittsylvania county, Va., on a part of which Mrs. Binford resides. She became the mother of the following children : Bob Baker; Anna Hortense, who is the wife of Gordon B. Sneed, now living on the old

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Coleman homestead and they have three sons and five daughters; Elizabeth C., who is the wife of E. J. Dawson, living in Pittsylvania county, and they have four sons and two daughters; Joseph Newbill, who is a Baptist minister, a missionary worker in Fayette county, W. Va., married Lillian Bragg and they have one son and one daughter; Lucy S., who is the wife of C. W. Sneed, living on a farm in Pittsylvania county, and they have five sons and three daughters; Mary Virginia, who is the wife of Robert Lee Dawson, a farmer and tobacco grower residing at Dan- ville, Va., and they have two sons and three daughters; and Thomas H., who is pastor of the Calvary Baptist church at Charleston, married Ethel Layman, of Louisville, Ky.

Bob Baker Binford remained in his home in Pittsylvania county until he was about twenty-two years of age and then became a clerk in a store at Maybeury, W. Va., later worked in the coal mines and afterward was connected with the Empire Coal & Coke Com- pany's store at Landgraff, W. Va., for seven years. He then accepted a position as cash- ier for the branch of Armour & Co., at Eck- man, W. Va., and later was transferred to the sales department and was made branch house manager at Thurman, WV. Va. In 1904 he came to Charleston and when the wholesale grocery house of Hubbard, Bedell Grocery Co., came into existence, he became connected with it and has been one of this firm's com- mercial men ever since. He has additional interests and responsibilities, owning a one- half interest in the retail grocery business of William H. Sullivan & Co., of Charleston. Politically he is a Democrat and fraternally is a Mason, belonging to Kanawha Lodge at Charleston.

Mr. Binford was married in 1897, at Chatham, Va., to Miss Bessie E. Lewis, who was born in Pittsylvania county, and they have four sons : Joseph Lewis, Robert Carey, Hub- bard Bedell and James A. Mr. and Mrs. Bin- ford are members of the Baptist church. Mr. Binford is a widely known and popular mem- ber of the United Commercial Travelers' As- sociation and is president of the Band of Gid- eons, a branch of the Commercial Travelers

made up of church members and he was one of the organizers of the third band in West Virginia.

C. R. SHIPLEY, vice-president and treas- urer of the Barrett-Shipley Company, one of Charleston's most prosperous business firms, is a representative of the class of modern young business men of America that claims attention the world over for its enterprise and energy that so often spells remarkable success. Mr. Shipley was born at Lisbon, Md., June 23, 1883, and is the only child of Joseph E. and Deborah Ann (McDonald) Shipley.

Mr. Shipley was educated in the common and high schools at Baltimore and later took a business course in a commercial school, but his business life dates from the age of thirteen years, when he spent his school vacation as a clerk in a grocery store. At the age of fifteen years he entered the employ of a retail hard- ware, coal and lumber firm with which he con- tinued for two years, and then secured a posi- tion in the big mercantile house of John E. Hurst & Co., prominent wholesalers of dry goods at Baltimore. He remained with that house until he came to Charleston, where, on September 20, 1905, in association with J. H. Barrett and J. J. Warwick, he founded the firm of Warwick, Barrett & Shipley. On January 1, 1906, the business was incorpor- ated under the name of Warwick, Barrett, Shipley Company, which continued until July IO, I9II, when the style became Barrett and Shipley Company. The business was started in the old State Hotel, on the corner of Quar- rier and Hale streets, where one floor 25 x 120 feet was occupied. In March, 1907. twenty- five feet of frontage was added and two floors of the building were secured and on October 10, 1910, more space was secured, made necessary by the rapidly expanding of the business, and since then the firm has occupied the two floors of the old building and four floors of a new building with dimensions of 75 x 120 feet, the floor space aggregating 79,000 square feet. Mr. Shipley's activities in promoting the above expansion have been continuous and he devotes all his attention to the interests of his firm.

ALEXANDER M. PUTNEY

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Mr. Shipley was married June 3, 1908, to Miss Edna Young, a daughter of Charles W. and Margaretta (Wiley) Young, old residents at Charleston, and they have one daughter, Anne McDonald. The family residence is at No. 1529 Quarrier street, Charleston. Politi- cally, Mr. Shipley is a Democrat.

ALEXANDER MOSELEY PUTNEY, manager of the Campbell's Creek Coal Com- pany stores in Malden district, Kanawha county, W. Va., and postmaster at Putney, which town was named in his honor, was born January 20, 1852, at Malden, W. Va., and is a son of Richard Ellis and a grandson of Dr. Richard Ellis Putney. The Putney family was established in America by three brothers who emigrated from England, one of these settling in New England, one in Virginia and the third in North Carolina, the last named never marrying.

The great-grandfather of Alexander M. Putney, was Ellis Putney, who married a Miss Ellis of Cumberland county, Va. Their first son, Richard Ellis, was born in Buckingham county, Va., March 13, 1793, became a physi- cian of prominence in Malden district, mar- ried Ann E. Ruffner of Kanawha county, Oc- tober II, 1815, and they had six children: James, Richard Ellis, Lewis, Frances Norton, Ann E. Doyle and Susan E. Thayer.

Richard Ellis Putney, Jr., was born in Malden district, Kanawha county, March 18, 1818, and spent the greater part of his life in this section, his death occurring in 1895, at the age of seventy-seven years. On Octo- ber 15, 1840, he married Alethea Todd, a daughter of Valentine Todd, and she lived into her seventy-third year. They were well known people and are still kindly remembered in the section in which their lives were spent. The following children were born to them: Garland, who died young; Anne E., who mar- ried Otis A. Thayer; David H., who is now deceased; Lilly P., who survived her husband, Joseph Alderson, and is also deceased; Lena and Jennie G., twins, the latter being the wife of William McClung, the former being de- ceased, having survived her husband for some years, J. W. Parrish; Alexander Moseley ;

and Minnie G., who is the wife of I. J. Stanley.

In 1868 Alexander Moseley Putney first started in business with Genl. Lewis Ruffner in the manufacturing of salt, at Sinkersville, in the Pioneer Furnace, one-half mile below Malden, on the Kanawha river. During 1871 and 1872 he was with R. C. W. Lorell in the coal business. On May 1, 1873, he became in- terested in and connected with Campbell's Creek Coal Company, having charge of that company's office for three years in Cincinnati. He then was given the management of the company's stores at Coal Fork, Dana and Putney, at the mines in Kanawha county, W. Va. During the thirty-six years of Mr. Put- ney's association with the Campbell's Creek Coal Company, he has never failed, but once, to personally pay the employees of the mines, and that lapse was caused by his being on his wedding tour. He is a man who prides him- self on being steady at his place of business, thorough and accurate in every detail, true to his pact, always reliable and ever worthy of the great trust and confidence placed in him, not only by the company but by every one who knows him. His word is his bond. His most intimate friends know him to be the embodi- ment of nobleness, truthfulness, gentleness and patience. He is mild and pure in his language, being thoroughly disgusted with and avoiding those who use profane language. Thoroughly temperate, he has always been op- posed to the use of any intoxicant. Mr. Put- ney belongs to neither secret society nor social club, preferring to spend his evenings at home with his family to whom he is fondly de- voted, and with his books and papers, having collected a very handsome and valuable li- brary. He is a man of great energy and in- dustry and always finds something to do which is worth while.

Mr. Putney has always been interested in politics, although never a politician to any de- gree, but his party's success has ever been close to his heart. While zealously working for party and candidates at times, regardless of personal interests, he has but once consented to enter any political race,-that for county clerk-and he was defeated by the Repub-

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licans, as was every Democratic candidate on that ticket. Frequently he has served as a delegate to county and state conventions. Al- though a Democrat, he was appointed post- master at Putney by President Roosevelt.

Mr. Putney was married September 14, 1892, to Birdie Rebecca Littlepage, a daugh- ter of Adam Brown and Rebecca ( Wood ) Littlepage, and they have two children: Re- becca Alethea and Moseley Littlepage. Mr. Putney erected a handsome residence in Charleston district, at the mouth of Kanawha Two-Mile. Mr. and Mrs. Putney are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church.

In naming the town of Putney, Mr. S. F. Dana of Cincinnati, who is president of the Campbell's Creek Coal Company, thought it a compliment and well deserved honor to one who had served his company so long and faith- fully. The town has prospered and now has some fifteen hundred inhabitants.

JOHN H. COPENHAVER*, who is ac- tively interested in the stock business, on Blue Creek, Elk district, where he owns 1,000 acres of blue grass for stock grazing, has long been otherwise interested in this section and since 1902 has been postmaster of Blue Creek. He was born in Kanawha county, July 1, 1856, and is a son of Jacob Thomas and Virginia (Newcomer ) Copenhaver.

The grandfather of John H. Copenhaver was born in Denmark and from there he came to America as one of the early settlers in W. Va. as it it now, his home being in Nicholas county. Jacob Thomas Copenhaver, father of John H., was the second son of the family. He was born in Nicholas county and died in Kanawha county March 21, 1906, aged eighty- one years. In 1850 he moved into Kanawha county, where he followed farming, stockrais- ing and surveying. He married Virginia New- comer, who was born in Marion county, Va., March 16, 1828, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Smith) Newcomer. Mrs. Copen- haver still lives, being now in her eighty-sec- ond year and has many friends and numerous social interests and is a valued member of the Baptist church. To John Thomas Copenhaver and wife the following children were born : Mil-

dred Jane, who is the wife of W. H. Burdett, of Kanawha county; William F., who is a farmer and stockraiser; John H .; Ellen, who is the wife of Dr. J. L. Stump, of Charleston; Grant, who is a resident of Charleston and is county assessor ; Virginia Florence, who is the wife of James M. Fleshman, of Roanoke county, W. Va .; and two that died young.

John H. Copenhaver taught school for a time after completing his own education and then assisted his father in farming for some ten years. He then moved to Charleston, where he was engaged in laboring and teaming until 1886. Then coming to Clendenin, he was in- terested here in the lumber business for six years. In 1892 he returned to Charleston and resided there until 1900, when he came to Blue Creek, where he embarked in the general mer- cantile business and carried it on until Febru- ary. 1910, when he disposed of it and now gives all his attention to his large stock in- terests.

In 1877 Mr. Copenhaver was married to Miss Lizzie Given, who was born November 29. 1860, and died September 13, 1893. She was a daughter of A. J. and Nancy (Goff) Given, the former of whom died while serving as a soldier in the Civil war. To this mar- riage three children were born. Ramey H., who was born December 10, 1877, is a stock- man and grazer: he married Sally Petty and they have three children. Delia, who was born May 18. 1879, is the wife of J. R. King, a mer- chant at Spokane. Wash., and they have two children. Erna May, who was born May 19, 1885. is the wife of Fred Simms, a merchant in Kanawha county, and they have one child.

Mr. Copenhaver was married secondly No- vember 8. 1894, to Miss Chloe J. Jarrett, who was born at Kettle, W. Va., May 4, 1874, a daughter of Columbus and Jane (Slack) Jar- rett. They have one child, Hazel, who was born October 30, 1897. Since 1876 Mr. Copen- haver has been a member of the A. C. church. In politics he is a Republican and has fre- quently been elected to important county of- fices. In 1892 he was elected county assessor and served as such for four years and in 1896 was elected sheriff of Kanawha county and served out his full term. He is identified with

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 114

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1066

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066