History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 52

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 52

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).

R. T. Layne obtained his education in the schools of Union District, which he attended with more or less regularity until he was twenty years of age. He then enlisted in the Union army, joining Co. A, 7th W. Va. Cav., which was organized at Charleston. He was with his regiment in all its marches and battles for three and one-half years, becoming cor- poral of his company. He was mustered out at Wheeling, having escaped all the dangers of war, and returned to the home farm until his marriage in 1867. He bought and operated the first circular sawmill on the waters of Tup- per's Creek, and also ran a grist and sawmill for a time in Jackson County. He then re- turned to the homestead and has remained here ever since. Mr. Layne is a Democrat and has frequently been elected to office by his party, having served two terms as justice of the peace in Union District, one term as constable, and one term as President of the Board of Educa- tion, and one term as a member of the County Board of Supervisors. He has also served sev- eral terms as district trustee.

Mr. Layne was married October 22, 1867, to Miss Mary F. Carney, who was born in Jack- son County, W. Va., May 15, 1845, and died January 29, 1911. She was a noble Christian woman, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and had a wide circle of attached

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friends. She was the beloved mother of the following children : Mahala Jane, who married B. F. Matthew, residing in Fayette County, they having six children-Minerva, Hazel, Pansy, Thomas, Roland and Mildred; J. E., who was born in Union District, married Me- lissa J. Mairs, and has had two children-Elsie, who is a bright school girl, and William, who died February 22, 1903, aged one year ; Robert C., who lives in Poca District, married Eliza- beth Derrick; John S., who married Gertrude Jenkins, and lives in Charleston District, they having five children-Cecil, Masil, Russia, Olive and Thomas; Julia, who is the wife of Enoch Shamblin, of Fayette County, and has five children-Rome, Mary F., Lizzie, May and Bessie; Rhoda, who married Rawley Jo- seph, lives in Putnam County, and has two children-Ida and Roger E .; O. F., who mar- ried Cora Milam, lives at Charleston and has three children-Robert, Carl and Arvil; and E. F., who lives on the home farm and married Clara Milam. Mr. Layne is a member of Lodge No. 147, Odd Fellows, at Sissonville.

HON. LOUIS E. MCWHORTER, jun- ior member of the well known law firm of H. C. & L. E. McWhorter, at Charleston, W. Va., is one of the representative mem- bers of the Kanawha County bar and a cit- izen of public worth. He was born No- vember 30, 1856, at Spencer, Roane County, Va., and is a son of Hon. J. M. and Julia A. (Stalnaker) McWhorter.

Judge J. M. McWhorter, father of Louis E., has long been identified with public life in this section, in 1863 representing Roane County in the state legislature, and serving as the first auditor of West Virginia, from 1865 until 1869. Later he removed to Greenbrier County, and in 1870 was ap- pointed circuit judge of the Seventh Judi- cial Circuit ; again, in 1896, he became cir- cuit judge of the Tenth Judicial District. He was married first to Julia A. Stalnaker, who died in 1869, having been the mother of ten children. Judge McWhorter was married secondly in 1870, to Julia Kinsley.

Louis E. McWhorter was educated first in the public schools of Greenbrier County

and later at Lewisburg Academy. He then entered upon the study of the law, under the supervision of his father and also under that of Hon. H. C. McWhorter, afterward entering the law department of the Univer- sity of Virginia, at Charlottesville. He was admitted to the bar in 1882 but did not en- ter actively into practice until four years later, when he formed a partnership with Judge H. C. McWhorter, which continued until 1897, when Judge McWhorter retired from practice in order to assume the duties of judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals. Shortly afterward, Louis E. McWhorter be- came associated in practice with Isaac Loewenstein, and this partnership lasted until May 31, 1909. In the meanwhile Judge McWhorter had retired from his high public office and on August 1, 1909, again resumed private practice in partner- ship with L. E. McWhorter, under the old firm name of H. C. & L. E. McWhorter, with offices in the Alderson-Stephenson Building.

Mr. McWhorter was married June 27, 1883, to Miss Emma M. Champe, a daugh- ter of Sewall and Almeda Champe. Five children were born to them, four daughters and one son: Julia, Almeda, Lou Emma, Louis Edwin and Ruth Annette. Julia, the eldest, died April 17, 1904. They are mem- bers of the State Street Methodist Episco- pal church. In politics Mr. McWhorter is a Republican, and he represented Kanawha County in the House of Delegates in 1905, and was city attorney for the city of Charleston, from April, 1905, to April, 1907. His residence is at No. IIO Bradford Street, Charleston. Mr. McWhorter is a liberal and public spirited citizen. He lives up to the demands of the day and takes an earn- est interest in the institutions and enter- prises which promise to build up the pros- perity of this section.

WILLIAM B. DONNALLY, a well known business man of Charleston, where he is engaged in the transfer and freighting business, and is also a dealer in grain and feed stuffs, was born in the Salines, on Ka-

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nawha river, this county, in 1851, a son of Van Bibber and Mary B. (Waggoner) Don- nally.

He is a great grandson of Col. Andrew Donnally, born in the north of Ireland, who came to this country about the middle of the eighteenth century, at which time there was a large Scotch-Irish emigration to the Val- ley of Virginia. This early ancestor soon became a prominent man in his locality, serving as high sheriff and county lieuten- ant, or military commander of Botetourte County. This office of county lieutenant, or military commander, was a very impor- tant one at that day and was borrowed from the Mother Country, where it was usually held by a person of rank. It carried with it also the title of colonel. Col. Donnally may have been one of the officers of Bote- tourte County at its formation in 1770. The fort called Donnally's was built in 1771 in that county. The colonel or county lieu- tenant was the person to communicate with the governor and the secretary of the col- ony, commanded the militia and presided at the county courts. He was appointed by the governor with the advice of the council and was generally the most prominent citi- zen. The office was held during good be- havior. Col. Donnally was subsequently made county lieutenant of Greenbrier County and continued in that office under Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, the two first governors of Virginia. There is a story current in the family that he was with Washington's army at Valley Forge during the severe winter of 1777-78 and par- ticipated in the awful suffering of that pe- riod, but, however this may be, there is no further evidence of his being again with the Continental army.

About this time, however, he had his ex- perience of Indian warfare. The murder of the famous Chief Cornstalk by the whites, or rather, by some white men, for it was an act denounced by the best men on the fron- tier, had greatly exasperated the Indians and they retaliated viciously on the unpro- tected settlers. In the spring of 1778 they

attempted to surprise and capture Fort Randolph at Point Pleasant, but failing in that, they turned their attention to Fort Donnally. The occupants of the fort were apprised of their danger in time by two men from Fort Randolph, who succeeded in eluding the savages. Col. Donnally, who had been absent, returned to the fort at night just as the enemy were investing it, but succeeded in entering it without being noticed. The attack which followed was disastrous to the Indians, who departed after suffering considerable loss. Four white men in all were killed, two while on their way to the fort. Among the defend- ers, Col. Donnally's daughter Catherine took a conspicuous part, though then but a . young girl of twelve years. Another daugh- ter, Katie, helped to mould the pewter plate and spoons into bullets and poured hot wa- ter through the puncheons on the heads of the savages. With perhaps one exception, this was the last raid of the Indians to the Greenbrier. Says a writer in the West Vir- ginia Historical Magazine (Quarterly) for July, 1901: "The responsibilities of Col. Donnally's position were very great and the work heavy. He felt personally accounta- ble for the lives of the people in the wilds of the Greenbrier, Meadow Creek and Kanawha rivers and their tributaries. The duties of his office called him constantly from home, but it seems that he was ever at hand when emergencies arose. That he was a man of great executive ability, history proves. Stories of his personal courage and great physical strength are too well known to admit of a doubt and his racy repartees became proverbial. He had only 550 men in the militia at his disposal, for the defense of this western frontier. Gov- ernor Jefferson was now asking for some of these men to be sent to General George Rogers Clark to aid in his expedition against his Indians of the West. The Assembly also required of him more men for the Contin- ental army * The public credit was at so low an ebb that no one would advance money. Ammunition was scarce. The mili- tia must depend upon the corn tax levied on

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the settlers. Yet these brave men struggled on and fought for their country."

Col. Donnally resigned his commission as military commander on September 19, 1781. It was not accepted evidently, as he writes officially to Gov. Patrick Henry in 1785. Col. Donnally was one of the trustees of Lewisburg at its establishment in 1782. He did not come to reside on the Kanawha until after the battle at Fort Donnally. He went directly to the mouth of the river and lived just above the present town of Point Pleas- ant for a year or more. He was one of those who denounced the murderers of Cornstalk, and on one occasion meeting with a man who boasted that he had fired the fatal shot that brought such desolation to the frontier settlements, he knocked him senseless with a stanchion, so that when he recovered he hastened away from the locality and was never more heard of. Colonel Donnally owned many negroes, one of whom, Dick Pointer, distinguished himself in the fight at Donnally's Fort in 1778. A son of the latter was taken prisoner by the Indians in 1790 and was made a chief by them. He subse- quently aided the Americans in the war of 1812.

Col. Donnally lived a short time at the mouth of the Elk after leaving Point Pleas- ant. Kanawha county was formed in 1789 and he was chosen the first representative. The population at this time however, was so sparse that but thirteen votes were cast, al- thought the polls were open for three days. He again served his county as representative in 1803. From the mouth of the Elk he moved to his permanent home, about five miles above Charleston, on the south side of the Kanawha, where he lived in comfort and prosperity for many years. He died about 1825. He had one brother, whose descend- ants reside in New Jersey and Ohio.

Of his own immediate family he had sev- eral daughters, who are represented by the Slaughters, Hendersons and Wilsons, now living here and elsewhere, and are promin- ently married and represented in the differ- ent professions and trades. There has scarcely been a period in the last century

that this state, county or town was not rep- resented by one of Col. Donnally's descend- ants, either directly or indirectly through marriage. The renowned Daniel Boone was neighbor for years to Colonel Donnally, re- siding on his place up to the time that he left for Spanish Missouri in 1799. Daniel's son, Jesse Boone, who was Colonel Don- nally's brother-in-law, resided in his father's home until 1816, when he also went West.

Colonel Donnally was one of the early salt manufacturers of the county, this industry being an important one at that time on the frontier, as salt, while one of the most neces- sary articles for the pioneer, was also one of the most difficult ones to obtain, except in the immediate vicinity of salt springs, where the salt was manufactured by the tedious process of boiling and evaporation. The Colonel and his wife were Presbyterians in religious faith. They died when between 60 and 70 years of age and were buried in what is now the old family plat, where many of their descendants have found a last resting- place. They had a family of four or five children.

Andrew Donnally (2d), son of the fore- going and grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Fort Donnally, ten miles west of Lewisburg and, like his father, in turn became a prominent man in his com- munity, owning about 100,000 acres of land together with 150 slaves. Together with a Mr. Ruffner, as the firm of Ruffner and Donnally, he owned and controlled the en- tire salt output of the county, this being the first commercial monopoly known in the his- tory of the county. At one time he lived in Charleston, where he owned valuable prop- erty, though he and his wife resided for nearly half a century on the old homestead, which they improved and greatly enlarged in area. A Whig in politics, he was twice high sheriff, was clerk of the courts, and magistrate and a representative in the Vir- ginia legislature. His death took place in 1849 when he was about 70 years of age. In 1802 he had married Marjory, daughter of Captain John Van Bibber, and they had six sons that arrived at maturity, besides two

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daughters. The sons married into promin- ent old families of the valley, and all were engaged conspicuously in business interests. The two daughters married respectively, Henry Fry, great grandson of Col. Joshua Fry, who commanded the Colonial army in 1754, and who had been prominent in Vir- ginia history for thirty years or more, and Col. John Lewis, grandson of Gen. Andrew Lewis, the Indian fighter, and Colonial and also Revolutionary officer of renown. The members of this family, which numbered nine children in all, are all now deceased.

Van Bibber Donnally, father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was the eldest child of his parents. He was born in Charleston, W. Va., in 1809 and grew to manhood in Kana- wha county. His literary education was ob- tained in a college at Athens, Ohio. Like his father, he engaged in the salt business and continued in it most of the time until the breaking out of the Civil War. He was an active member of the Democratic party and in religion a Presbyterian. His death took place in Buffalo, W. Va., when he had at- tained the age of 72 years. He had married in Mason county, W. Va., Mary B. Wag- goner, a native of that county. She was born a little later than her husband and died later, at the age of 75 years. Like him she was a Presbyterian in religion. Their family num- bered ten children, of whom there are five still living, one daughter being a widow and two of the children being yet unmarried.

William B. Donnally, the date and place of whose nativity has been already given, was educated in the public schools, but endowed with a good brain and an energetic nature he has since largely increased his mental equipment in the domain of practical know- ledge. Coming to Charleston in 1885 he established here the freighting and transfer business, of which he is now the head, and which has since grown to large proportions, giving employment to 25 people. A Demo- cratic in politics, he was nominated for the office of sheriff and twice for county clerk, but this being a strong Republican district, he was defeated.

Mr. Donnally was married in this county

to Sallie Ashton Cotton, who was born in Charleston in 1858, daughter of Dr. John T. and Sarah (Fitzhugh) Cotton, one time resi- dents in Ohio, but who were for many years prominent in the business and social life of Charleston, Va. Of this union there have been ten children, of whom two died young. The living are as follows: Sarah is the wife of L. L. Sheets and has one son, Donnally. John C., who was educated at Phillips- Exeter Academy, graduating also from the law department of the University of Virginia in the class of 1903. Frank Woodman died at the age of 9 years. William B. Jr., who is a well educated young man, is associated with his father in business. The other chil- dren, Henry Fitzhugh, Van Bibber, Doro- thy, Fitzhugh and Robert, are attending the high school. Mr. Donnally adheres to the religious faith of his ancestors, being a Pres- byterian, while Mrs. Donnally is an Episco- palian.

NOANE SNYDER, one of the younger business men of Berrien Creek, Kanawha County, W. Va., where he is engaged in the mercantile line and since 1907 has been assist- ant postmaster, was born at Queen Shoals, Big Sandy District, Kanawha County, July 1, 1886, and is a son of John F. and Nancy (Lynch) Snyder. The mother of Mr. Snyder died in 1891, leaving three children, Elmer, Noane and Bessie.

After the death of his mother and his fath- er's second marriage., Noane Snyder was rear- ed in the home of his grandparents until he was twelve years old. He attended school and after- ward spent two years as a coal miner and later worked with his father as a carpenter until 1905. He then came to Berrien Creek, where he embarked in the general mercantile business. Mr. Snyder is a Republican in his political sen- timents. He married Miss Ella Stump, who was born in Kanawha County and is a daugh- ter of George W. Stump, Esq., of Clendenin. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have one son, Russell, who has reached the age of two years. They both belong to'old families of this section and are prominent in the pleasant social life of Ber- rien Creek.

JUDGE LEROY HARLESS

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JOSEPH POPP, who enjoys the distinc- tion of being the oldest dealer in and manufac- turer of harness, retail and wholesale, at Charleston, W. Va., has been a resident of Kanawha County for thirty-nine years and dur- ing all this time has been a busy, useful and re- spected citizen. He was born in the village of Konigsofen, Baden, Germany, his mother's birthplace, September 25, 1854, and is a son of Charles and Mary E (Goetz) Popp.

Charles Popp spent his entire life in Ger- many and was born at Lauda, in Baden, about 1800, dying there in 1874. He was a maker of window frames, a profitable trade at that time. He married Mary E. Goetz, who was about three years his junior, and her death oc- curred in 1886. They were members of the Roman Catholic church. Six children were born to them, all of whom married, but the only one to come to America was Joseph, who left his native land at the age of eighteen years.

Joseph Popp obtained a good public school education and then learned his father's trade. He was more enterprising than the other mem- bers of his family and decided to cross the At- lantic Ocean and seek fortune in America. He sailed from Bremen-haven, in the steamer Leipsic, which landed him safely at Castle Gar- den, New York, seventeen days later, and from there he went to Pittsburg and from that city came to Kanawha County in 1875. He fol- lowed cabinet making and farming for some years but in 1885 learned the trade of harness- maker with F. E. Perry. Subsequently he em- barked in business for himself on Kanawha Street, Charleston, where he carried on a re- tail business for some years and then added wholesaling and now has both retail and whole- sale connections that make him a leader in his line of business in this section.

Mr. Popp was married at Charleston to Miss Minnie Schafer, who was born in 1859, in Allegheny City, Pa., a daughter of Conrad and Pauline Schafer, the former of whom was born in Wertemberg and the latter in Bavaria, Ger- many. They came to America on a sailing ves- sel and were married at Allegheny City and lived there until 1880, when they moved to Kanawha County, where the father was a

farmer in Elk District and died there at the age of sixty years. Mr. and Mrs. Schafer had six children born to them, all of whom are liv- ing and four married. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Popp: Rose Mary, who lives with her parents, was educated in the parochial schools; Joseph, who was born April 13, 1892, was afforded good educational opportunities and is in business with his father; and Mary F., who is a student in a church school. Mr. Popp and family are members of the Catholic church. They have occupied their comfortable and attractive residence erected by Mr. Popp at No. 613-15 Kanawha Street, for some five years. He is an active citizen and is serving in his second term as a member of the city council. Politically he is a Democrat. Since 1905 he has been a member and treasurer of Lodge No. 771, Knights of Columbus, at Charleston.

JUDGE LEROY HARLESS, now super- intendent of the Kanawha County Infirmary, located eight miles west of Charleston, W. Va., was born in what is now Boone county, W. Va., August 23, 1842, and is a son of James H. and Spicey ( Barker) Harless.

James H. Harless was born in Giles countty, Va., where he was educated. At the time and some time after his marriage, he lived in that part of Kanawha county that now makes up Boone county, W. Va., where he owned about 300 acres of land, which has passed into the possession of his heirs. His death occurred when he was seventy years of age. He mar- ried in Kanawha county and his widow sur- vived him some years, passing away in her eightieth year. Ten children were born to them, namely : Martha, Silas E., James B., Le- roy, Rachel, Mary, Nancy, Willa, William and Virginia. The survivors are : James B., Leroy, Rachel, Willa, William and Virginia. The parents of the above family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In early man- hood the father was a Whig and later became a Republican and on the ticket of that party was elected to a number of district offices.

Leroy Harless was scarcely through school before he joined a volunteer military company,

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becoming a member of Co. B, 8th Va. Vol. Inf., Post, G. A. R., at Charleston, and also to the recruited for the Union Army. After the ter- Odd Fellows. mination of his first period of enlistment, he re- enlisted in the 7th W. Va. Cav., with which he JAMES KENNEDY, mine foreman for Mine No. 101, of the Sunday Creek Mine Company, in Cabin Creek District, Kanawha County, W. Va., is a well known resident of this county, where he has lived for thirty-five years, and an experienced and reliable miner. He was born October 5, 1856, in Pendleton County, Ky., and is a son of James and Mary (McKenna) Kennedy. remained connected until the close of the war. He saw much hard fighting and bravely faced danger on a hundred occasions or more, but fortunately escaped all serious injury and when the war ended gladly resumed a life of peace. He came back to Kanawha county and for a number of years was engaged in a mercantile business on Coal river, near Fort Peytona. After this he went into the lumber and timber business which he continued until 1892, when he was elected deputy sheriff on the Republi- can ticket. He served in this capacity for four years under Sheriff Silman, and four years under Sheriff Copenhaver, and two more years under Sheriff John Jarrett. He was then elected a county commissioner in Kanawha county, and after serving six years returned to private life for two years, when he was ap- pointed to his present responsible office, in 1910. He has always been a Republican and a strong party man. He has a beautiful residence at No. 1001 Bigley avenue, Charleston, which is the family home, but six days in the week he is found at the Infirmary, where all the duties pertaining to this institution are faithfully and efficiently considered, both as to the best inter- ests of the county charges and of the tax pay- ers. He owns a farm of 153 acres, situated in Washington district, Kanawha county, on which his son-in-law lives as a tenant.

Mr. Harless was married first on February 25, 1869, to Miss Lethia Keeney, a daughter of Foster and Eliza Keeney, of this county. She died February 7, 1907, and her burial was on Allen Creek in Kanawha county. She is survived by five children : Elmer E., Cora Ollie, Carrie O., Gertrude and Wesley. Mr. Harless was married second, December 24, 1909, to Mrs. Rufiny (Foster) McLane, a daughter of James Foster, of Kanawha county. Mrs. Har- less married first Charles Hanna, and they had one child, Minnie. No children were born to her second marriage to Charles McLane. Mr. Harless and wife attend the Bowman Metho- dist Episcopal church. He belongs to Blundon

James Kennedy, the father, was born in Ire- land where he learned the trade of brick and stone mason. He then came to America and located at Hamilton, O., where he married Mary McKenna, who was born at Pottsville, Pa., of Irish parentage. From Ohio Mr. Ken- nedy and wife moved to Pendleton County, Ky., and there he bought a farm, but in 1861 on account of the war, he moved back to Ohio and engaged in mining near Pomeroy. He continued to live in Ohio until his sons brought him to Kanawha County, where he died in 1888, at the age of sixty-five years. His wife had died three years before. Eight children were born to them: Charles, John, James, Margaret, Stephen, William, Edmund and Mary, the last named being the wife of C. P. McCafferty. During the labor troubles of 1876, the sons scattered, each seeking a home where prospects seemed more favorable, Charles going to the West and John and James coming to Kanawha County, W. Va., from which locality they subsequently sent for the family still remaining in Ohio.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 52

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