History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 53

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 53

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James Kennedy was thirteen years of age when he accompanied his father to the mines where he was set to work at tasks suitable to his age and inexperience, but he soon became a regular miner and worked as such until his marriage. About that time, in partnership with John Barrett, he opened a general store at Shrewsbury, in Kanawha County, and they operated it for seven years under the name of Kennedy & Barrett. After they closed the store Mr. Kennedy went back to mining and was for a time in the employ of J. D. Harris at Monarch and later at Shrewsbury, and was made mine foreman and served in that capacity

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for three years before coming to the Winifrede Mines, where he was foreman for one year, when he again came back to Shrewsbury and worked as tracklayer for several years. On March 1, 1910, he took the responsible office he now so satisfactorily fills.

On June 24, 1879, Mr. Kennedy was mar- ried to Miss Anna Rodgers, a daughter of John and Ann Rodgers, and eleven children have been born to them, namely: Thomas, who is a mine boss under his father's supervision; Mary, who is the wife of M. T. Long; Anna; Rose, who is the wife of T. J. Malone; and James, Lawrence, William, Margaret, Edward, Raymond and Helen. Mr. Kennedy and fam- ily are members of the Good Sheperd Roman Catholic church. He is a Democrat in poli- tics and at one time was his party's candidate for county commissioner. He belongs to the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

GEORGE H. SHREWSBURY, a member of the Kanawha County bar, is a native of West Virginia and since 1894 has been a resi- dent of the capital city. He was born July 23, 1872, at Point Pleasant, in Mason County, and is a son of Columbus and Cynthia (Jar- rett) Shrewsbury.

Columbus Shrewsbury was born in West Virginia, where he became a man of public im- portance and large estate. He served in the office of deputy United States marshal under several Republican presidents and later was elected sheriff of Mason County, W. Va. He commanded his own steamboats on the Ohio and West Virginia great waterways. His death occurred in 1902, he having survived his wife since 1882.

George H. Shrewsbury was educated at Point Pleasant and in the Normal schools at Lebanon and Ada, O. At the former place he studied law and was graduated there in 1893, in which year he was admitted to the bar in West Virginia and then-in 1894-located at Charleston. For some years he was associated with other attorneys in practice, but later open- ed an office of his own in the Charleston Na- tional Bank Building. His practice is a general one. Politically he is a Republican. He takes a citizen's interest in all civic movements of im-

portance and belongs to that class of profes- sional men who, while not desirous of political office for themselves, have high ideals and are willing to give support to those candidates only who have proved both their honesty and ca- pacity.

Mr. Shrewsbury was married July 30, 1895, to Miss Carrie H. Seiker, a native of Lebanon, O., and they have one child, Ruth H. Mr. Shrewsbury and wife are members of the Pres- byterian church. He is a Mason and member of other fraternal societies. The family resi- dence is on Quarrier Street, Charleston.

VALENTINE FRUTH, a representative business man of Charleston, W. Va., conduct- ing a first class grocery at No. 202 Kanawha Street, where he has been established for twenty-two years, was born November 5, 1858, at Pomeroy, O., and is a son of Abraham and Anna M. (Mees) Fruth.

Abraham Fruth was born in Bavaria, Ger- many, in 1832, and died in Mason County, W. Va., May 20, 1885. He was seventeen years old when he came to the United States and with his parents settled at Pomeroy, O., where he became a miller and millwright and carried on milling from 1845 until 1860, afterward conducting a general store. He moved to Ma- son County, W. Va., where he lived retired for some years before his death. He was a strong Democrat but was in sympathy with the Fed- eral Government during the Civil War. On May 2, 1851, he was married at Pomeroy, O., to Miss Anna M. Mees, who was born in Ger- many in 1834, and was brought to the United States by her parents in 1836. They settled at Pomeroy, O., and later moved to Mason County, W. Va., where they died in old age. They reared a large family. Abraham and Maria (Ohlinger) Mees, maternal grandpar- ents of Valentine Fruth, were worthy and re- spected people and were members of the Luth- eran church. To Abraham and Anna M. Fruth the following children were born: Eliza- beth, who died when aged nine years; Henry, who died after marriage; Matilda, who also died after marriage; Abraham, who is the junior member of the wholesale and retail meat firm of Fisher & Fruth, at Charleston,

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married Elizabeth Fisher and they have one son and three daughters: Valentine; Anna, who is the wife of George Fisher, of the firm of Fisher & Fruth; Emma, who is the wife of Taylor Robinson, now living in Mason Coun- ty, and has one son and one daughter.

Valentine Fruth attended the public schools of Pomeroy, O., in boyhood, and when six- teen years of age accompanied the family to Mason County, W. Va. He started to work as a mule driver in a coal mine and continued mine work, in various capacities, until he was experienced enough to be appointed a mine boss. In 1889 he came to Charleston. He had worked hard all his previous life but had been able to save little and had a very small amount of money to invest when he started his grocery store, at his present stand. Close attention, prudence and excellent judgment have contri- buted to Mr. Fruth's business success and he now has one of the largest grocery stocks in the city and is a very substantial citizen finan- cially. He is a strong Democrat and has fre- quently been tendered public offices and is a member of the school board. He has served also in the city council where his advice on pub- lic business was of great practical value.

Mr. Fruth was married at Pomeroy, O., No- vember 28, 1883, to Miss Emma M. Joachim, who was born at Pomeroy, October 25, 1859, and is a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Rasp) Joachim. Mr. Joachim was born in Obenheimer, Germany, and came to America with his parents, and was reared and married at Pomeroy, O. In 1895 he came to Charles- ton and died February 4, 1911, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife passed away June 12, 1899, when aged sixty-three years. They were members of the Lutheran church. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fruth: Bertha E., Elbert A., and Clifford J. Bertha E., born November II, 1885, was edu- cated in the public schools of Charleston. She married Clem R. Edgar, who is connected with the Bauer Meat and Fish Company. Elbert A., born January 24, 1886, after graduating from the Charleston High School, entered the Uni- versity of Virginia and was graduated as an electrical engineer in the class of 1907. He is connected with the electrical Underwriters of

Chicago Company at Milwaukee, Wis. Clif- ford J. was born November 28, 1895, and is a student in the Charleston High School. Mr. Fruth and family are members of the First German Evangelical Church of Charleston.

C. C. SLATER, postmaster at Track Fork, W. Va., on Trace Fork Creek, which is a branch of Allen's Fork, in Poca District, Kanawha County, twenty-one miles north of Charleston, owns 1241/2 acres of farm land in this district, in which he was born Novem- ber 7, 1854, a son of William A. and Miriam (Fisher) Slater.

William A. Slater was born in Kanawha County and spent his life here, his death oc- curring in 1890, and his burial was on the home farm. A large portion of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, but during the last two years he conducted a small grocery business. He was a Democrat in politics and for some years served as over- seer of the poor in Poca District. He mar- ried Miriam Fisher, who died in 1900. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church south.

C. C. Slater attended school in Poca Dis- trict and when twenty-two years of age engaged in farming with his father and after the death of the latter, when the homestead land was divided, his portion was his pres- ent farm, which adjoins the other part. He has erected the substantial buildings on the place and carries on general farming, includ- ing the raising of stock and cattle. On November 16, 1909, he was appointed post- master of Track Fork and is the successor of J. W. Harris, who is deceased. Mail is delivered and sent out from this point three times a week. In politics he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Postmasters' League of Kanawha County.

Mr. Slater married Miss Sophia A. Hart, who was born in Mason County, Va., a daughter of Columbus and Sidney Hart, and they have had the following children: Pey- ton, who resides on Frog Creek, Poca Dis- trict, married Mary Lovejoy and they have three children-Romie, Masil and Naomi; Mary Mamy, now twenty years old is the

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wife of W. C. Higginbotham; Ary Amy, a twin sister of Mary M., is unmarried; G. W., who resides on Hammond's Creek, Union District, married Visa Higgin- botham, and they have two children; Will- iam V., who died at the age of six months; Delilah, who is deceased; Daniel D., who lives in Poca District, married Zella Fields, and they have one daughter, Delilah; and Leff., Thomas, Estel and Sidney Marian, all of whom live at home. Mr. Slater is presi- dent of the Allen Fork extension of the Big Four Telephone Company.

HON. R. S. CARR, a representative busi- ness man of Charleston, W. Va., and one who has been highly honored by his city, county and state at various times, is now largely interested in realty in this section, and through his enterprise and foresight has been the means of bringing much capital to the Kanawha Valley. He was born Nov- ember 17, 1845, in Guernsey County, O., and is a son of James and Margaret (Stuart) Carr, both natives of Ireland.

From Guernsey County, O., the parents of Mr. Carr moved to Point Pleasant, in Mason County, Va., when he was ten years old, where he attended school and resided until 1865, when the family came to Charles- ton. Here he was employed as a clerk in mercantile establishments until 1877. He then embarked in the mercantile business for himself, in which he continued until 1882, when he turned his business energies in another direction. In that year lie or- ganized a tow-boat company, of which he became president, and later he became iden- tified with other business interests of the city and section.

Although but indifferently educated, hav- ing had but few opportunities for improve- ment during his youth, Mr. Carr was gifted with a quick and receptive mind and devel- oped into a close thinking and intelligent man in regard to public affairs. He has not always been identified with the same politi- cal party, his actions having been guided by principal rather than by party affiliation. Hence, from 1878 until 1880, he was con- 24

nected with what was known as the Green- back party, having many of the finest types of men in the country as his co-thinkers and associate workers. Later he became a Democrat but shortly afterward he gave up allegiance to that party in order to work in the interests of what was known as the Labor party. It requires no little courage for a public man to thus change his political attitude, but Mr. Carr has always had the support of a large body of progressive men like himself. In the spring of 1879 he was elected a member of the city council of Charleston, serving three years in that body, and in 1882 was elected a county commis- sioner, and served as president of the board. He was elected in 1886, on the Labor ticket, a delegate from the Ninth West Virginia District, in which election he overcame the normal Democratic majority of 1200 votes. He was still further honored in the session of 1889, when he was elected president of the state senate, serving as such through two sessions. In connection with Mr. Carr's public services a unique situation may be mentioned. At the close of his last term, by simply taking the oath of office, peculiar conditions then existing in the state, he had the chance of ever afterward being numbered with the governors of West Virginia. The honor would have been but a temporary one-of but three days dura- tion-but not every man, when retiring from public life, would have refused even this transient honor, as did Senator Carr.

In 1869 Mr. Carr was married to Miss Julia E. Wilson, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Wilson, of Charleston, and they have one son, Frederick N. Carr. Although no longer very active in politics, Mr. Carr continues to be a foremost citizen and few movements of public importance are carried out in his city without his judgment being consulted. He maintains his office in the National Bank Building, Charleston.

ROBERT M. BLACKBURN, who, for a number of years was a valued and esteemed citizen of Charleston, W. Va., was born in Guilford County, N. C., not far from Hills-

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dale, April 5, 1850, and died at Charleston, May 14, 1901. He was a son of Robert and Martha (Washburn) Blackburn.

Robert Blackburn and wife spent their lives in North Carolina, he dying at Greensboro, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife at Hillsdale, when aged forty years. The Black- burns and Washburns were both old settled families of the Old North State, where, for generations they were slave and plantation owners and were vitally concerned in all those things that made up the business and social life of the South in ante-bellum days. To Robert and Martha Blackburn fourteen chil- dren were born and those who survived in- fancy were the following: Robert M., the eld- est; D. Luther; James; Walter, who was ac- cidentally killed by the kick of a horse, at the age of sixteen years; Newton, who also died at the age of sixteen years; Martha, who is the wife of William A. Scott, of Greensboro, N. C .; Minnie, who is the wife of John Cook, ex- sheriff of Guilford County, N. C .; Clifford, who is dead; and Jasper, who resides at Greensboro, N. C.

Robert M. Blackburn was reared in Guil- ford County. He was mainly educated by tu- tors as was the frequent custom in the homes of planters at that time, although the outbreak of the Civil war. while he was young, pre- vented his enjoying advantages that might otherwise have been his. When eighteen years of age he became overseer on the estate of his maternal grandfather, Joseph Washburn, where he remained for some years, after which, in association with George Bennett, he entered into the tobacco trade and in the busi- ness of dealing in horses, a partnership that lasted for some years. In 1876 Mr. Blackburn became a resident of Charleston, where he em- barked in the mercantile business which he suc- cessfully conducted until the close of his life. He was a man well and favorably known, hon- orable in all business transactions, and ever loyal to his friends and his convictions. Al- though no politician in the general meaning of the term, and at no time a seeker for office, he was an ardent Democrat and lent support to the candidates of the Democratic party and up- held its principles as long as he lived. He was

a valued member of the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias at Charleston.

On June 28, 1876, at Charleston, Mr. Black- burn was married to Miss Margaret Lane, who was born in Nicholas County, W. Va., in 1856, but was reared and educated in this city. She is a daughter of Henry Clay and Hannah (Dunbar) Lane, who were born in West Vir- ginia and lived in Nicholas County until just before the outbreak of the Civil War, when they moved to Charleston. Mr. Lane went out as a volunteer in the Mexican War, and when the Civil war broke out his services as a trained military man were gladly accepted by the Federal government, as were those, for the same reasons, of Captain Grant, of Illinois, who later became the commander-in-chief of the Union army. Major Lane served as mili- tary instructor with the rank of major. Both he and wife were members of the Methodist Epis- copal church-good, kindly people, who gave of their sympathy and means to all who needed help, within the circle of their acquaintance. Of their children, Mrs. Blackburn was the only daughter to reach maturity. One son, John Clay Lane, is a cotton grower in Oklahoma. Harvey E. Lane is connected with a lumber company at Charleston. William Lane resides in West Charleston. Sherman Lane and Spicer P. Lane both live in this city, while the youngest son, Henry M. Lane, is lumber in- spector for a company at Crestmont, W. Va.

To Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn the following children were born: Robert E., who died at the age of two and one-half years; Walter, who was born in North Carolina, died aged five months; William M., who died at Charleston when almost twelve years old; George Ben- nett, an educated, brilliant and popular young man, city auditor of Charleston, who died Oc- tober 31, 1908, aged twenty-seven years; Lyda B., who resides with her husband at Spring- ton, W. Va., was married to Earl Oscar Har- rah, a timber dealer, March 8, 1911; Amy V., who died aged two years; Margaret, who died aged nine days; and Lillian Lane and Fay, the last named dying in infancy. Lillian Lane, the second youngest daughter, was born at Charles- ton nineteen years ago, and her marriage took place June 28, 1911, her parents' wedding an-

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niversary, to William Cline Alexander. Mr. Alexander was born in Virginia and is the leading florist at Charleston. Mrs. Blackburn and her daughters are active members of the Baptist church.

J. B. HARLESS, proprietor of a general store at Marmet, Kanawha County, W. Va., a representative citizen of this section, was born February 27, 1840, in what was then Kanawha County, Va. His parents were James H. and Spisey (Barker) Harless.

James H. Harless was a native of Virginia and was a farmer in his native State for prac- tically all his life, his death occurring when aged sixty-eight years. His wife was also born in Virginia and she outlived him, dying near her seventy-second birthday. They had eight children, J. B. being the third in order of birth. The others were: Martha and Silas, both of whom are deceased; Mary and Nancy, who are also deceased; Rachel, who is the wife of M. Snodgrass; Willard Harold, who is the wife of Albert Harold; and Virginia, who is the wife of L. N. Perry.

J. B. Harless describes the schoolhouse, in which he studied his first lessons, as a log structure with very primitive furnishings, with sessions lasting but three months in the year. On many occasions it became his duty to get up before daylight and find wood with which to build the schoolhouse fire, that being in the contract with the teacher. Mr. Harless then became a farmer and also worked in the tim- ber and continued until he was forty-five years of age, when he discontinued those lines and went into merchandising. He purchased his present store which is favorably located for trade, near the C. & O. Railroad depot, and he carries a large and well selected stock and does a prosperous business. He owns other prop- erty and is one of the substantial men of the place. During the Civil War he served in the Union Army, enlisting in 1861, in the 8th and later the 7th Va. Cav., under Col. Lozier, and served two years, during which time he par- ticipated in the second battle of Bull Run, the battle of Cedar Mountain and many other en- gagements. He returned from the army prac-

tically uninjured and resumed his former busi- ness activities.

Mr. Harless was married to Miss Mary E. Barker, who was born in Kanawha County, Va., and they have had three sons and one daughter, namely: Wyatt, who is deceased ; Watson B., who married a Miss Price and they have four children; C. D., who works for his father, married Alma Grass and they have one child, Reba; Flora, who is the wife of Thomas Evans, and has four children, the old- est Sybil who is an adopted son of Mr. Har- less. In his political opinions, Mr. Harless is a Republican.

HON. PETER SILMAN, president of the Glenwood Bank, of Charleston W. Va., has served efficiently and acceptably in many public positions and is one of the rep- resentative business men of the Kanawha Valley. He was born in Kanawha County, now in West Virginia, July 15, 1859.

Although Mr. Silman had no other educa- tional advantages than those offered by the public schools, he early acquired the solid knowledge that made him acceptable as a teacher and followed educational work as an instructor for nine years. To be an active and useful citizen in almost any line, it be- comes necessary for a man to interest him- self more or less vitally in public matters, and Mr. Silman was not slow in recognizing this fact. He won the attention and confi- dence of his co-workers in the Republican party, and in 1892 was elected sheriff of Kanawha County. The attitude of his fel- low citizens regarding his administration may be judged by the fact that when he was a candidate for state treasurer, in 1900, he was elected to that office by a majority of over 20,000 votes. In both his public life and private business Mr. Silman has dis- played the practical, sensible qualities which ever mark the strong and successful man, combining with these a large measure of conservatism that is particularly desirable in financial undertakings. In 1908 Mr. Silman became president of the Glenwood Bank, of which his son, Robert Emmett Silman, is cashier, while John J. Melton is vice presi-

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dent. Mr. Silman is also a director in the Capital City Bank. He is identified with a number of other successful enterprises at Charleston which rely on his advice and judgment and seek his cooperation.

Mr. Silman was married in 1883, to Miss Minnie C. Jenkins, and they have had five children, namely: Alphonso B., a sign painter; Robert Emmett, cashier of the Glenwood bank; Everett W., who died age 20 years; Hazel, wife of L. J. Higgon- botham ; and Helen Lucile.

The family residence is at No. 1213 Ana- conda Avenue, Charleston. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church.

WALTER B. BROOKS, a well known bus- iness man and citizen of Charleston, W. Va., was born in Kanawha county, May 1, 1846, a son of William Chauncey Brooks. He is a de- scendant in the fifth generation of John Brooks, a native of Connecticut, who spent his life in that state engaged in agriculture. This John was a son of the immigrant ancestor of the family, who came from England about the year 1700. John Brooks married a Connecticut girl who lived to the great age of ninety-six years, and who, it is said, on one occasion was hon- ored by dancing with General Washington, at an entertainment in Boston, shortly before the Father of his Country was elected to the Pres- idency. She was then a young woman. John Brooks and wife were the parents of four sons, Charles, Chauncey, Frederick and John Jr., the last mentioned of whom, after marrying, re -- mained with his widowed mother on the home farm.

Chauncey Brooks, who is the next in direct line to the subject of this sketch, left his native state and settled in Baltimore, where he became a very wealthy man, leaving at his death over six millions of dollars. He was the first pres- ident of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the head of four large wholesale houses in Balt- imore, in which city he was a noted character. He was twice married and had a large family. seven children being born of the first marriage. Two of his sons served in the Confederate army. Charles, one of the three who emi-

grated settled in New York city, married and had a family.

Frederick, son of Chauncey and grandfather of our subject, when a young man set out for Tennessee, intending to go into business there, but at Manasses Junction, Va., meeting a young lady named Frances Oden, he fell in love with and married her. remaining in that place for a time, where he conducted a store. In 1816 he came to the Kanawha Valley, bought salt prop- erty and in 1818 settled at the Salt Licks four miles east of Elk, on the north side of the Kan- awha river. Here he engaged in the salt man- ufacturing business, but after residing a few years in this locality he came to the site of the present city of Charleston and bought a block log house on the spot that now marks the cross- ing of Brooks and Kanawha streets. Some years later and previous to the war, he pur- chased a large plantation in Kentucky, on which he lived throughout that protracted struggle. Though like other members of the Brooks fam- ily, he was the owner of slaves, his sympathies were with the Union cause, and when victory finally declared for the North, he felt it no hardship to surrender the right to his human chattels, or, if it proved a hardship, he at least made the sacrifice willingly. Some of the other members of the Brooks family were supporters of the Confederacy and slave holders on prin- ciple. Frederick Brooks died on his plantation in Kentucky, in 1869, aged seventy-seven years. He was an active man of affairs, and was an elder in the Presbyterian church, to which belonged most of the Brookses. In politics he was Whig. His wife died in Kanawha county, some years later at the venerable age of ninety- four. She was a daughter of James and Fran- ces (Skinner) Oden, her mother being a daugh- ter of Gen. Skinner, prominent as a soldier in the Revolutionary army. She lived to the age of ninety-six years. Her youngest son, Maj. James Oden, was born when she was fifty-eight years old, and was noted for his daring cour- age as displayed in the Revolutionary war.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 53

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