History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 118

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 118

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).

died in infancy, were as follows : Louis Kos- suth, who is a mine manager at Goldfield, Nev .; James William, who is a practicing physician at Greenville, Ky .; Arthur Burke, who is a practicing attorney at Charleston, with office in the Alderson-Stephenson Building; Patrick Duffy, who is now study- ing law at Ann Arbor, Mich .; Luther Vaughn, subject of this sketch; Lula Maud and Ada Blanche, both of whom are suc- cessful teachers. Rouena Catherine, now deceased, who was the wife of Dr. A. L. Morris, of Fayette County; and Gertrude, also deceased, who was the wife of L. S. Tully. She left two children, Maurine and James, both of whom live with their grand- parents.

Luther Vaughn Koontz left school at the age of sixteen years, and from then until he was twenty-three years of age, taught school during the winters, in the meanwhile taking a Normal School course. He was then in the mercantile specialty business for three years, as a salesman, afterward married and spent one year at Charleston and in 1900 came to Clendenin, where he has been interested in real estate ever since. In 1903 he organized the First National Bank and has been its first and only presi- dent. He is president of the Koontz Oil and Gas Company, of Kanawha and Clay Counties; secretary and treasurer of the Koontz Realty Company, operating all over the state; president of the Clendenin Water, Light and Fuel Company ; and a di- rector in the King Hardware Company and the Clendenin Oil and Gas Company. He is president also of the board of Education of Big Sandy District. Since the incorpora- tion of the village, Mr. Koontz has served in all its offices, his many business inter- ests combined with his foresight, public spirit and good judgment, making him par- ticularly well qualified to direct public affairs.

On April 4, 1900, Mr. Koontz was mar- ried to Miss Edith Osborne, who was born February 10, 1874, near Osborn's Mills, Roane County, a daughter of D. F. and Arabel (Jarrett) Osborne. Mrs. Koontz

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previous to her marriage taught five terms of school in Kanawha County. Three chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Koontz: Catharine, aged seven years ; James Philip, aged four years, and Louise, now two and one-half years old. Mr. and Mrs. Koontz are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, in which he has served as Sunday-school superintendent since its or- ganization at Clendenin. He has reached high position in the Masonic fraternity. He is a member of Blue Lodge, No. 126, at Clendenin, of which he has been master; of Wheeling Consistory, No. 1; Albert Pike Council, No. I, Wheeling; Charity Chapter of Rose Croix, Wheeling, No. 1; Albert Pike Council of Kadosh, of Wheeling, No. I; charter member of Charleston Lodge of Perfection; York Rite of Kanawha Com- mandery, No. 4; Charleston; Tyrian Royal Arch, No. 13, Charleston; and Beni-Kedem Temple, Mystic Shrine, Charleston. He is identified also with the Odd Fellows at Clendenin.

JOSEPH SAMUEL BARKER, president of the St. Albans Wharf Company, at St. Albans, W. Va., and for the past six years a resident of St. Albans, was born near Pey- tona, Boone county, W. Va., May 25, 1872, and is a son of Andrew J. and Elizabeth (Scragg) Barker.

Joseph H. Barker, grandfather of Joseph S., was born in Kanawha county, Va., and moved to Boone county, December 25, 181I. He was a farmer by occupation. He was quite prominent in military life and was second lieutenant of the Fourth W. Va. Cav. which regiment was made up after the State was created and he served until the close of the Civil war, being honorably dis- charged October 5, 1865. He married Ma- linda Lawrence, of Logan county, W. Va., who was born August 6, 1812, and died February II, 1866. Joseph H. Barker died June 12, 1880. They had the following chil- dren: Sarah, who died May 20, 1867, was the wife of Hugh Snodgrass ; James H., who is crier of the Court of Appeals, at Charles- ton; Rufus L., who was superintendent of

the coke works at Stonecliff, W. Va .; Susan E., who is the widow of R. E. Perry ; John A., who is a farmer near Peytona ; Joel, who died at the age of eight years; Mary A., who is the wife of James K. Bias, of Hunt- ington, W. Va .; Andrew Jackson; Farlena E., who is the wife of James A. Jackson, of Montgomery; and Jacob B., who lives at Dixon, O.

Isaac Barker, the great-grandfather of Joseph S. Barker, lived to the age of ninety- six years, his death occurring in June, 1869. He came to Kanawha county across the mountains from the East and settled on Big Coal river when his nearest neighbor was at Brownstown, twelve miles away. Wild animals roamed through this part of the country at will and after Joseph H. Barker, at the age of fourteen years, had killed a pnther, the nearby stream was called Pan- ther Branch. This pioneer came here as early as 1807. He married Spicey Scott, and eleven children were born to them.

Andrew J. Barker was born in Boone county, W. V., in 1851, and continued to live there until 1887, when he moved to Paint Creek for a residence of two years. He then went to Winfield and from there came to St. Albans in August, 1905. Before coming to this place he was a car builder. He was married first to Elizabeth Scragg, a daughter of Samuel Scragg and his first wife, Alice (Worthington) Scragg. Grand- father Scragg was thrice married, his sec- ond wife being Cynthia Scott and his third, Evalyn Browning. The mother of Mr. Bar- ker had the following brothers and sisters : William, of Elmwood, Ill .; Stephen, of Ka- nawha county ; Esther, deceased ; Benjamin, of Lincoln county, and Samuel, residing near Marmet, in Kanawha county. Seven children were born to Andrew J. Barker and his wife, namely: Malinda Alice, who died at Winfield, W. Va., was the wife of Thomas Javins ; Joseph Samuel : Ollie, who is the wife of Shaver Crouch, of Winifrede; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Joseph Hudles- ton, of Boomer, W. Va .; Rutherford E., who married Lillian Watson, of Barbours- ville; Esther, who is the wife of Rev. W. A.

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Byrus, pastor of the Lawrence Methodist Episcopal church at Charleston; and Lucy B., who is the wife of John Inghram. The mother of the above family died April II, I88I. Mr. Barker was married secondly November 15, 1884, and four children were born: Ellard, who is deceased; Joyce, who lives at home; Inez, who is deceased; and Hartzell, who lives with her parents.

Joseph Samuel Barker came to St. Albans in 1905 and went into his present business. The St. Albans Wharf Company is incorpo- rated and has abundant capital. It handles feed and building material. He was mar- ried to Miss Maria Teass, who was born March 27, 1874, and is a daughter of Thomas A. and Victoria (Hansford) Teass, the former of whom was a captain in the Confederate army during the Civil war, under Gen. McCausland. He was born in Campbell county, Va., in 1834, a son of John and Malinda (McCaleb) Teass, and died at St. Albans, February 18, 1901. The latter was born November 23, 1837, at Paint Creek, Kanawha county, a daughter of John and Maria (Morris) Hansford, and died November 6, 1904. Mrs. Barker has one brother, Carroll Rutherford, who was born October 30, 1875, and is a successful young business man connected with the Mohler Lumber Company at Lock No. 7, where he is also postmaster. Mr. and Mrs. Barker have three children: Elizabeth Victoria, Thomas A., and Joseph S., Jr. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, his wife being a member of the Bap- tist church. In politics a stanch Republican, Mr. Barker gives hearty support to his party but seeks no office. He is a member of Malden Lodge No. 27, A. F. & A. M., which is one of the oldest Masonic lodges in West Virginia.

ROBERT HENRY WILEY, a leading citizen of Malden district, Kanawha county, W. Va., part owner of the old Gen. Lewis Ruffner estate of 1,300 acres, in this district, was born September 12, 1855, on his grand- father's farm at the mouth of the Little Guyan river, in Cabell county, Va., and is a

son of Robert and Betsey (Hannan) Wiley.

Robert Wiley was born in Meigs county, O., and from there went to Cabell county in young mnhood, where he followed the car- penter trade until 1858, when he moved to Gallipolis and operated a ferry across the river, making his home in Virginia. He con- tinued there until 1868, when he returned to Cabell county and bought a part of the John Morris estate at Mud Bridge and sub- sequently served as postmaster there for some years. His death occurred while on a visit to his son, Robert Henry Wiley, when he was aged seventy-six years. He married Betsey Hannan, who was born in Cabell county and her death in 1884 preceded that of her husband by seventeen months. Her father, John Hannan, was a magistrate and later became sheriff of Cabell county. Eight children were born to Robert Wiley and his wife, namely: William C .; Margaret, who is the widow of Frank Day; Lucinda, who married W. S. Turley, and both are de- ceased; Fannie, who is deceased, was the wife of Thomas Reece; Mattie, who mar- ried W. C. Henson, is his widow; Robert Henry ; Jesse and James.

Robert Henry Wiley grew up on the home farm and attended the subscription schools in the home neighborhood. In 1880 he came to Kanawha county, W. Va., and rented the C. C. Lewis farm in Malden district, and in 1883 purchased a part of this farm and resided at Malden. From there he later removed to the Willim Tompkins property adjoining the Lewis estate. In 1883, when his father-in-law, General Ruff- ner, died, Mr. and Mrs. Wiley moved to the Ruffner homestead on the river, below Mal- den. Mr. Wiley has always been interested in farming and stockraising.

On November 21, 1881, Mr. Wiley was married to Miss Stella B. Ruffner, a daugh- ter of Gen. Lewis and Viola (Knapp) Ruff- ner. The Ruffner family is one of the old ones of the county and in spite of great losses during the Civil war, for years after- ward maintained to a considerable extent the old-time customs and extended a lavish hospitality. Mrs. Wiley remembers many

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interesting events in the life of her parents showing their social standing in the county and also demonstrating personal character- istics which, in their exercise, provided op- portunities for others less fortunate than themselves. To the mother of Mrs. Wiley, the prominent negro educator, Booker T. Washington, owes much. He came to the estate as a boy to work in the garden and the kindly interested mistress of the house noticed him and recognized his laudable ambition to obtain an education. She fur- nished the means for his start on a path which has led him far and away ahead of the majority of his race and he has done cre- dit to her sympathetic understanding. Seven children were born to Mr and Mrs. Wiley, three of whom died young : Veva, Ossie and Clarence. The survivors are: Robert Lewis, who married Anna Curry; and Lulu May, Harry Ruffner and Sadie Ray. Mr. and Mrs. Wiley are members of the Mis- sionary Baptist church and for several years he has been superintendent of the Sunday school. For the past twenty years he has been identified with the Prohibition party and recently was its candidate for the state legislature.

JOHN M. HUTCHINSON, JR., presi- dent of the firm of Hutchinson & Stephen- son Hat Co., dealers and jobbers in hats and caps, at No. 912 Virginia street, Charleston, W. Va., has been a resident of this city for five years and has been employed here for the last twenty years. He was born in Nicholas county, now in West Virginia, in 1864, a son of John M. and Nancy (Rader) Hutchinson, who still reside there, the father being in his seventy-sixth and the. mother in her sixty-eighth year. They are well known people, the mother being a de- vout Baptist, while the father has always been a member of the Methodist church, south. They have two children: John M. and Laura, the latter being the wife of C. F. Herold of Nicholas county.

John M. Hutchinson obtained his educa- tion in the schools of Nicholas county and then turned his attention to merchandising,

for some years being a retail dealer at Sum- mersville, W. Va., but for more than twenty years has been with Charleston business firms, during twelve of these a commercial salesman for the Payne Shoe Company, and for two years afterward was with the Ka- nawha Drug Company. Mr. Hutchinson then became one of the incorporators of his present firm, being made its first president, with William Abney vice president, and L. C. Stephenson, secretary and treasurer. The business is conducted in fine quarters, the building occupied being 120x25 feet in dimensions. The firm handles a general line of hats and caps, gloves, umbrellas and leggings, dealing strictly wholesale, with six salesmen on the road, and the territory covered being in West Virginia and portions of Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia.

Mr. Hutchinson married Miss Lola Fitz- water, who was born at Summersville, Nicholas county, W. Va., a daughter of J. J. W. and Rebecca J. (Williams) Fitzwater, both of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson have had seven children, name- ly : E. Daisey, who is the competent book- keeper of the Hutchinson & Stephenson Hat Company; Emmett Frank, Nita Mae, Hattie Prudence, Wilby Barnes, Carl Payne and Bradford, the youngest dying in his second year. Mr. Hutchinson is a member of the U. C. T. and belongs to the Blue Lodge, A. F. & A. M. No. 76, at Summers- ville, W. Va.

JOHN CHRISTOPHER SEAFLER,* who is well known to the lumber trade throughout the East and Southeast, was for many years a representative of some of the largest lumber concerns in the country and is now engaged in business on his own ac- count with headquarters at Big Chimney, in Elk district, Kanawha county, W. Va. Mr. Seafler was born September 12, 1856, in Hancock county, Va., now West Vir- ginia, and is a son of Peter and Louisa (Crimmer) Seafler.

Peter Seafler was born in Germany and came with his parents to America at the age of four years, the family settling first

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in Butler county and later removing to Beaver county, Pa. After attending school until eighteen years of age, he went to work on the old Erie canal, and later located at Pittsburg, where he spent two or three years working at various occupations. From that city he removed to Shouston, Pa., being employed there in the shipyard, but eventually went to New Cumberland, W. Va., where he secured employment in the brickyard. In 1865 Mr. Seafler moved to Kanawha county, where he was engaged in farming in Elk district until his death. A Democrat in politics, he served two terms as supervisor in Kanawha county, and for twelve years was a member of the board of education of Elk district. He was con- nected with the Presbyterian church. Peter Seafler was married to Louisa Crimmer, also a native of Germany, and they had four children : John C .; Lee A., who is a resident of Bridgeport, O .; Sarah C., who is the wife of U. B. Debord of Newark, O .; and William J., who is a lumberman and farmer of Elk district.

John Christopher Seafler was educated in the common schools, after leaving which he was employed as a railroad grader, and for two years was foreman of a gang. Return- ing home at the end of that time, he was engaged in farming for his parents for two years, and then entered the lumber trade, buying timber, ties and supplies for different railroad companies. He then engaged in the timber line, buying and selling for east- ern concerns and being connected with the Wheeler-Holder Co., of Buffalo, N. Y. for nine years. Returning to the home farm he remained there for one year, but at the end of that time became buyer for the John F. Blessing Co., with which concern he re- mained until September, 1900, in that year becoming a partner of W. F. Thoms in the buying of railway supplies, ties and lumber for bridges and other railway construc- tion work. He has continued thus occupied to the present time and has been very suc- cessful in his undertakings.

Mr. Seafler was united in marriage with Miss Roxey Woody, who was born April

15, 1866, at Charleston, W. Va., a daughter of Fleming and Sarah (Alexander) Woody and granddaughter of James and Roxey (Morris) Woody. James Woody, who died in 1870, was a native of Virginia and one of the early settlers of Elk district, while the Alexander family also came from Virginia at an early day and settled in this section.

Fleming Woody, who is now living re- tired at the age of eighty years, has been a lifelong resident of Elk district, where dur- ing his early years he was engaged in steam- boat and ferry work on the Kanawha river and later engaged in agricultural operations. He was also a soldier during the Civil War. Mr. Woody married Sarah Alexander, who died in 1900, aged seventy-four years. To Mr. and Mrs. Seafler there have been born three children: Blanchard, a sailor in the United States navy, and Romeo and Nellie, who reside at home. Mr. Seafler is a mem- ber of Clendenin Lodge No. 126. A. F. & A. M., and his politics are those of the Dem- ocratic party. Mrs. Seafler is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

ARTHUR BURKE KOONTZ, attorney- at-law at Charleston, W. Va., one of the younger members of the Kanawha county bar who has shown unusual ability and for whom a future is predicted by his collegues, was born January 29, 1885, in Nicholas county, W. Va., and is a son of John and Alice (Groves) Koontz.

The Koontz family is of German extrac- tion and the first member to settle in Nich- olas county, then Greenbrier county, was the grandfather, James Koontz, who came from Pennsylvania, where he had married Rebecca Longanecker. They were the par- ents of the following children : Samuel, who died at St. Albans, W. Va .; Middleton, who is a farmer in Nicholas county; John, who was the father of Arthur B. Koontz; Allen, who died on a boat while on the way to Malden from St. Louis; Hannah, who lives near Zela, Nicholas county, is the widow of Willis Nichols; Sarah, who is the widow of Donally Van Bibber; Eliza, deceased, who was the wife of John Legg; and Jeanette.

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who was the wife of Anthony Rader of Nicholas county.

John Koontz was a very well known resi- dent and active business man of Nicholas county, at one time being elected sheriff on the Democrtic ticket and for many years a strong political factor. He was an exten- sive farmer and dealer in stock. His death occurred near Kessler's Cross Lanes, July 4, 19II. He was married in the early sixties to Alice Groves, a daughter of John and Catherine (Duffy) Groves, who were farm- ing people in Nicholas county and who had the following children: David, who died in Nicholas county; John, who is a very prominent public man in Nicholas county, served several terms in the lower House in the state legislature and later was candidate for the Senate; Alfred, who, like his broth- ers, is a large farmer, also a school teacher, and at present resides at Huntington, W. Va .; Mary, who lives near Kessler's Cross Roads, and is the widow of Alexander Dun- bar; Elizabeth, residing near Drennen, who is the widow of Nathan Neil; Alice, who is the widow of John Koontz, and resides on the old homestead; and Belle, who is the wife of Rev. G. W. Young, D. D., of Louis- ville, Ky., who is secretary of the National Anti-Saloon League, having been connected with this line of philanthropy for fourteen years.

Six sons and five daughters were born to John and Alice Koontz, two of whom died in infancy, those who reached maturity being as follows: Louis Kossuth, who for a num- ber of years has been identified with the manufacturing interests of Pittsburg and the mining interests of Goldfield, Nev., re- sides at the latter place and married Ada Hal- stead; James William, who is a graduate of the Kentucky School of Medicine, has been in practice for a number of years at Green- ville, Ky., and married Martha Frey, of Owensboro, Ky .; Luther Vaughn, who is president of the First National Bank of Clendenin, W. Va., and is prominent in many corporations in Kanawha county, married Edith Osborne, a daughter of David F. Osborne; Arthur Burke, who is

the subject of this sketch; Patrick Duffy, who is a law student at Ann Arbor, Mich .; Rouena Catherine, now deceased, who was the wife of Dr. A. L. Morris; Lulu Maude, who is a teacher and resides at home; Ger- trude, now deceased, who was the wife of L. S. Tulley; and Ada Blanche. This is an intellectual family and eight members of it have been successful teachers.

Arthur Burke Koontz attended the pub- lic schools in Nicholas county, his first in- structor being his brother, L. V. Koontz, later the Summersville school and from there entered Marshall college, where he was creditably graduated in the class of 1907. In the fall of that year he entered Yale University, where he was graduated with the class of 1910 and in January, 1911, opened his law office in the Alderson- Stephenson building in Charleston. He still retains membership in the Phi-Alpha-Delta Law fraternity.

LUTHER C. STEPHENSON, secretary and treasurer of the Hutchinson & Stephen- son Hat Co., dealers in hats and caps, wholesale, at Charleston, WV. Va., was born June 19, 1873, in Nicholas county, W. Va., a son of Samuel and Maria (Hutchinson) Stephenson. The father was a merchant and a farmer and both father and mother died in Nicholas county, the former at the age of fifty-six years and the latter at the age of thirty-five years. Samuel Stephen- son was thrice married, Luther C. being born to the second union.

Luther C. Stephenson came to Charles- ton some seventeen years ago and until 1903 was a traveling salesman, for some years with Abney, Barnes & Co., and for four years for Noyes, Thomas & Co., in whole- sale dry goods and notions. The Hutchin- son & Stephenson Hat Co., was incorpor- ated in 1903, with John M. Hutchinson as president, William Abney as vice-president, and Luther C. Stephenson as treasurer and secretary. A large wholesale business is done, six commercial travelers of the firm visiting the trade in West Virginia and in portions of Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia.

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Mr. Stephenson is a member of the U. T. C. and has served in all the chairs of the local organization and was grand represen- tative at the State Grand Lodge meeting at Huntington, W. Va., in 1911. He belongs also to the Blue Lodge, A. F. & A. M., at Charleston. Mr. Stephenson has never married.

JAMES DAVID RUTLEDGE, a general merchant at Riverside, W. Va., and also as- sistant postmaster, has been established here in business since 1907 and is a repre- sentative citizen of Cabin Creek district. He was born in Giles county, Va., August IO, 1853, and is a son of Charles E. and Sa- rah E. (Sartain) Rutledge.

Charles E. Rutledge and wife were both born in Giles county and he followed farming there until 1876, when they came to Kanawha county and settled at Cedar Grove, Mr. Rutledge operating the Tomp- kins farm for a time and later a farm on Elk river. On the latter farm both he and his wife died in 1905. separated by but three months. his age being seventy-six years and hers seventy-three years. They had a family of six children born to them, namely : James David, Nancy P .. Laura V .. Charles W., Robert Lee and John H., the two survivors being James David and Charles W. The others died young with the exception of John H .. who lived to the age of thirty years.

James David Rutledge attended a sub- scription school in his boyhood and spent his time on the home farm, assisting in the tobacco fields when still young. After com- ing to Kanawha county Mr. Rutledge be- came a school-teacher and continued in educational work for sixteen years, mainly in Cabin Creek district although he also taught in Big Sandy and Elk districts. He also conducted a store for two and one half years on Big Sandy creek and then moved to the mouth of Blue Creek, on Elk river, where he remained for five years. From there he went to Valley Grove, in Malden district, two and one-half years afterward removing to Reemer. one year later to Fall-

ing Rock, where he was in business for two and one-half years more. In 1907 he came to Riverside, where he bought his present place in that year. Before settling perma- nently, however, he made some other moves, conducting business enterprises at Indian Creek, at Belva in Fayette county, and at Gauley Bridge. This property he originally bought from Peter Britt, later sold it to Frances Watson but subsequently repurchased it. He carries a large and well assorted stock and has a fine trade, his store being the only one between Cedar Grove and Hugheston.

Mr. Rutledge was married March 13, 1879, to Miss Mary W. Hudnall, a sister of Dr. Hudnall, well known in this section. Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge have no children of their own but they have reared Annie M. Naylor, who is now sixteen years of age.

GEORGE WILHELM CONNELL, a prominent citizen of Charleston, W. Va .. his residence being at No. 1121 Virginia street, was born in Hancock county. now West Virginia, August 21, 1854, and is a son of Daniel F. and Catherine (Wilhelm) Connell.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 118

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