History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 57

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 57

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He married on September 15, 1864, Han- nah Elizabeth White, of Newport, N. H., who died November 14, 1878. On February 13, 1882, he married Mary Elizabeth White, who with three children by his first wife-Edward Wallace, Harold Warren, and Mary Ethel (now Mrs. George W. McClintic)-survived him at his death on December 16, 1897.

Edward Wallace Knight, son of Edward B. and Hannah Elizabeth Knight, was born April 30, 1866. He graduated from Dart- mouth college in the class of 1887, read law in the office of Knight & Couch, and was admit- ted to the bar in May, 1889. January 1, 1892, he entered into a partnership for the practice of law with Messrs. James F. Brown and Mal- colm Jackson, who had theretofore been in partnership under the name of Brown & Jack- son, the style of the new firm being Brown, Jackson & Knight. The present members of the firm, in addition to those named above, are Messrs. V. L. Black, John Wehrle, Angus W. McDonald, George S. Couch, Jr., and Oscar P. Fitzgerald, Jr. Mr. Knight has been gen- eral counsel of the Deepwater, Tidewater and Virginian Railways since 1902. He served in the common council of the city of Charleston from 1891 to 1894, but has held no other of- fice. He married, January 25, 1893, Mary Catherine, daughter of J. E. Dana, and they have three children-Edward Dana, born March 23, 1894; Elizabeth Swift, born August 3, 1897, and Mary Ethel, born July 22, 19II.

J. WILIAM PRITT, postmaster at Der- rick, W. Va., and manager of his father's farm of 256 acres, which is situated on Der- rick Creek, Poca District, Kanawha County, W. Va., was born in this district, May 8, 1871, and is a son of John H. and Mary E. (Samuels) Pritt.

John H. Pritt was born February 14, 1853, in Virginia, and was reared to agri- cultural pursuits. After marriage he set- tled first at Sissonville on Poca River, where

he lived with his brother, J. M. Pritt two years and then moved to what is known as Dave Dick's Branch, above Sissonville. From there he moved to Beane Bridge, on the Poca River, and from there to the farm above mentioned. He married Mary E. Samuels, who is a daughter of John G. and Nancy Emeline Samuels, natives of Kana- wha County, and the following children were born to them: J. William; Henrietta, who is the wife of R. S. Pritt, who resides at the head of Derrick Creek, and they have five children-George, Susa, Alice, Ethel and Esther; T. F., who married Roxie Witt, a daughter of R. F. Witt, and they have five children-Herman D., John Fletcher, Will- iam Roy, Atlee and Clara Ethel; Julia Ann, who is the widow of Frank C. Miller, has three children-Opa, Emmazetta and Ott- mer; Edward G., who resides on Derrick Ridge between Derrick and Allen Fort Creek, married Ora Witt, and they have three children-Hazel, Oran and Lillie; J. M., who is deceased ; Lizzie Jane, who is the wife of Vallie Older, resides on Poca River above the mouth of Kelleys' Creek ; E. C., who lives at home; D. B., who resides on Froggs' Creek, married Chlora Jones and they have one child, Ruby; and E. A., who is deceased.

The Pritt men are all Republicans and are leading factors in the political life of Poca District. J. William Pritt is the only one, however, who is filling any political posi- tions having been appointed postmaster at Derrick on April 8, 1907. Mail arrives at this point from Sissonville, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

COLUMBUS JACKSON TURLEY, gen- eral merchant, doing business on the south side, Charleston, W. Va., was born April 13, 1862, in Washington District, Kanawha Coun- ty, and is a son of Christopher Columbus and Susan (Glispie) Turley, and a grandson of John Turley, who was one of the earliest set- tlers of Washington District.

When John Turley came to Kanawha Coun- ty and settled in what is now Washington Dis- trict, he found a wilderness which was but

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little changed from its virgin state. After se- lecting his land he erected a log cabin and began to clear up his property. It was the cus- tom of that time for other settlers to unite and assist the newcomer and John Turley found this neighborly sentiment prevailing as men came on horseback, a distance of thirty miles, to help him in his log-rollings, some of them having to travel for two days in order to reach the place. Subsequently he performed the same kind service for others. John Turley was a cooper and a boat builder and was able to construct his own boats on which he would convey his barrels down the Coal River to the Kanawha, and thence to the Licks, now Mal- den. He died in 1865, at a goodly age, and had been a Union man throughout the Civil War. Three of his sons served in a northern regiment. He was one of the founders of the Baptist church in his neighborhood and his descendants have continued in the same faith. He married a sister of A. M. Smith, who was once a large land owner and a prominent man of his day in Kanawha County. A large fam- ily was born to this marriage and three of their sons-John H., Jackson B., and Chris- topher Columbus, served in the Federal Army during the Civil War.

Christopher Columbus Turley was born April 30, 1829, in Washington District, Kana- wha County, where he still resides, his home being with a son, Oscar B. Turley. During his active years he was a farmer and also a river man, working both flat-boats and steam- boats for a number of years. During the Civil War he served for one enlistment in the 7th Vol. Cav., of West Virginia. He is a strong supporter of the Republican party and still takes a deep interest in its affairs and keeps posted concerning the leading events of the times. He was married in Washington Dis- trict to Susan Glispie, who was born in 1843 and died in 1899. She was a devoted member of the Baptist church and a wise and tender wife and mother. They had seven children, all of whom reached maturity, married and had children. Francis M., John C., and George S. are deceased. The survivors are: William H., who has charge of an ice plant at Mont- gomery, W. Va., married twice; Jennie, who

is the wife of Cornelius Pickens, a general merchant at Charleston; Columbus Jackson; and Oscar S., who is a general merchant in Washington District, and married Jennie Chandler.

Columbus Jackson Turley has been looked upon as a successful man, prosperous and well informed, for many years, but it required a hard struggle in his boyhood and youth to se- cure an education and to gain a foothold in business. He recalls conditions as they were at that time, with the old log school buildings separated many miles from each other and as many from the homes of the pupils. He was very ambitious as a student and held a fore- most place in his class one winter when he was obliged to walk two miles to school. On one ocassion his father bought him a pair of bro- gan boots, but they did not fit and the father had to make a week's trip in order to change them for another pair. Snow was on the ground but nevertheless the lad attended school even when it necessitated his going back and forth in his bare feet. This spirit of courage and perseverance continued with Mr. Turley and has been a useful asset. In 1887 he began work as a mechanic in railroad construction in the southern states, becoming a contractor, and continued in this line until 1892, when he re- turned to Kanawha County and engaged in merchandising at the Forks of Coal River, re- maining there until 1896. He then went to Danville, Boone County, W. Va., where he conducted a mercantile business under the firm name of Pickens & Turley, also engaged in milling and operated the only planing mill in the county. In 1901 Mr. Turley purchased his present business from John A. Carr, who was formerly a partner in a produce company and built the store building. in 1897. Mr. Tur- ley has made many substantial improvements since he became owner and has put in a large stock of goods. He carries on a general store trade and deals in the wholesale line in feed and flour, and retails groceries and vegetables. He also deals in corn, ship-stuff, middlings, salt, lime, straw, meal, bacon, etc.

Mr. Turley was married January 30, 1890, at Birmingham, Ala., to Miss Almeda Byers, who was born August 16, 1866, at Sterrett,

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Shelby County, Ala., a daughter of Robert and Ann H. Byers, who reside at Sterrett. As was Mr. Turley, Mrs. Turley was reared in the Baptist faith. They reside in their beautiful residence which is so situated at Charleston as to overlook the Kanawha Valley. In poli- tics Mr. Turley is a Republican. He is identi- fied fraternally with the Masons and Odd Fel- lows, also being a Shriner.

WILBUR F. SHIRKEY, M. D., physi- cian and surgeon at Malden, W. Va., where he is an honored member of his profession, belongs to one of the old families of Kana- wha County, it having been established early by his grandfather, David Shirkey, who came from old Virginia. The parents of Dr. Skirkey were John G. and Martha (Matheny) Shirkey. His great grand- father came from Ireland about 1790 and settled in Virginia. He spelled his name "Sharkey." The name was changed to Shirkey by his grandfather. The father of Dr. Shirkey was born near Sissonville, Kanawha County, in 1832, and he died on his farm on the Elk River, in Elk District, in 1887. He was a farmer and also a school teacher. He married Martha Matheny, who was reared at Pinch, in Elk District, and still survives. They had five children, namely: Wilbur F .; David W., who is an attorney at law; Sherman, who is manager of a company store in this section; Mar- garet, who died at the age of eight years; and Susan.

Wilbur F. Shirkey was a child when the family moved to the farm in Elk District and there his boyhood was spent. He at- tended the public schools and also had ad- vantages at Carbondale Academy, and at- tended medical lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Baltimore, Md., beginning his practice at Jarrett Ford and later returning to the medical college to graduate with the class of 1894. Subse- quently he took a post graduate course at the New York Polyclinic, and a second one at the Chicago Post Graduate College, at Chicago, Ill. In 1890 Dr. Shirkey came to Malden, where he has ever since been es-

tablished, and here, through professional ability and sterling traits of character, he has won his way to success in his profession and to the esteem of his fellow citizens. He keeps fully abreast with the times and is a member of the Kanawha County Medical Society, the West Virginia State Medical Society, and the American Medical Assoc- iation.

Dr. Shirkey was married April 14, 1881, to Miss Sarah Woody, a daughter of Flem- ing Woody, and they have five children: Ethel, who is accomplished in music, which she teaches; Wilma, who has turned her talents in the direction of teaching; Sidney, who is a mining engineer; and Wilbur F. and Sarah, twins, who are still in school. In his political sentiments Dr. Shirkey is a Re- publican and is active in party councils, be- ing a member of the County Republican Committee. He is identified fraternally with the Red Men at Malden and to the Ma- sons, belonging to Blue Lodge No. 27, at Malden and to the higher branches at Charleston, being a "Shriner."

GUSTAV B. CAPITO, M. D., of Charles- ton, W. Va., was born in this city in 1878, a son of Charles and Sophia (Bentz) Capito. His paternal grandparents were Godfrey and Catharine (Miller) Capito, the former a native of Germany, who in 1856 set- tled with his family at Mason City, Va., where he was a well known business man for many years, first as a blacksmith and later being en- gaged in the brewing trade.

Charles Capito, who was seven years of age when the family settled in Mason City, was there reared and partly educated, subsequently being a student for six years at Concordia Col- lege, at Fort Wayne, Ind. He then returned home and engaged in the drug business at Ma- son City, later becoming a grocer. In 1872 he came to Charleston, where he has since re- sided. For eleven years he conducted a fancy grocery and vegetable business here, after which he went into the wholesale liquor busi- ness, which he followed until 1905, when he retired. Subsequently he became identified with the city's banking interests, and since

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September 1, 1910, has been president of the Kanawha National Bank, of which he is also a director. He has also been officially con- nected with the Kanawha Valley Building and Loan Association and other important enterprises. He is one of the leading busi- ness men of the city and for eleven years has been president of the Charleston Cham- ber of Commerce.

Charles Capito was married in 1877 to Miss Sophia Bentz and they have four children- Gustav, Bertha, Henry and Kate. Henry Capito is also a prominent business man of Charleston, being superintendent of the Dia- mond Ice and Coal Company.

Gustav B. Capito was educated in the pub- lic schools of Charleston and at the Washing- ton-Lee University, where he was graduated in 1899 with the degree of B.A. Later he entered the medical department of the college and was graduated M.A., M.D. in the class of 1905. He also pursued medical studies in 1904 and 1906 at St. Luke's Hospital, New York City, and later in Berlin, Germany. Then returning home he began medical prac- tice in his native city and has already achieved a good professional reputation. He is inter- ested in hospital work and is a close student of medical science. He belongs to the county, state and national medical associations. Per- haps few men of his age could be found better equipped for his profession, and with the ex- cellent beginning he has already made, it may be confidently expected that his future will be one of still more honorable achievement.

HON. WILLIAM MERCER OWENS DAWSON, ex-governor of West Virginia. was born at Bloomington, Md., within a few hun- dred yards of the Virginia (West Virginia) line, May 21, 1853, son of Francis Ravens- croft (sometimes written Ravenscraft) and Leah (Kight) Dawson. He is descended on the paternal side from martial an- cestors who accompanied Oliver Cromwell to Ireland and fought to subdue the insurrectionary forces in that unhappy island. One of them came to this country quite early in the history of the colonies. At a later date we find a branch of the family residing in Alle-

gheny county, Maryland, where John Dawson, our subject's grandfather, was born. The lat- ter was a blacksmith by occupation and locally a well known and respected citizen. He mar- ried a Miss Ravenscroft, who was born and lived and died in Maryland, in or near Dawson. John Dawson and wife had seven children, most of whom grew to maturity, married, and reared families of their own. The members of the family generally were Methodists in their religious affiliations. The youngest son of John Dawson, the Rev. Samuel R. Dawson, was for many years a well known and popular preacher in the M. E. church, North, and died in 1892 at an advanced age, at Ellenboro, Ritchie county, W. Va. Another son of John, Hanson B. Dawson, was clerk of the Circuit Court of Romney, Hampshire county, W. Va .; he died September 6, 1876. He married a Mrs. Shabe, widow of Daniel Shabe and daughter of James Parsons, whose wife was a sister of General Fairfax. They had no issue.

Francis Ravenscroft Dawson, father of our subject, was the eldest child of his parents, and was born near Dawson, Md., in 1809. He learned his father's trade of blacksmith, and later became clerk for Samuel Brady, a wealthy man who owned a large plantation and a num- ber of slaves. Later Francis R. Dawson took up the mercantile business at Piedmont, W. Va., and at Bloomington, Md. He died in July, 1881, at the age of almost eighty years. He was a class leader in the M. E. church, and a very hospitable man. During the Civil War period, his sympathies were with the Union cause. One of his sons, Frank M., was a sol- dier in the 17th W. Va. Volunteers, enlisting as a private and serving from 1863 until the close of the war.

Francis R. Dawson married, in 1832, Leah Kight, who was born in Virginia in 1811. Her father, John Kight, and her mother, whose maiden name also was Kight, were both Vir- ginians. They were active members of the Methodist church and both attained an ad- vanced age. The children of Francis R. and Leah Dawson were Penelope, John H., Nancy C., Mariam, David Shoaf, Frank M., and Wil- liam Mercer Owens. Of those other than our subject, the record in brief is as follows : Pen-

HON. WILLIAM M. O. DAWSON

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elope, who is the widow of E. Clark Jones, but has no children, resides in Terra Alta, W. Va. John H., who was a well known steamboat cap- tain on the Ohio river, died at Parkersburg, W. Va., in 1879. He married Miss Jennie Shaffer, who resides at Parkersburg, W. Va. Her only son, Harry H. Dawson, of Norfolk, Va .. died in the fall of 1910. Nancy C., widow of George E. Guthrie, resides with her son, the Rev. Charles E. Guthrie, pastor of the First M. E. church at Wilkesbarre, Pa. Other children of hers are D. S. Guthrie, of Chicago; Wade H., state printer at Charleston, W. Va., and William V., publisher of "The Methodist," of Baltimore, Md. Mariam, the fourth child of Francis R. and Leah Dawson, married Jo- seph Goodrich, and died leaving several chil- dren. David Shoaf, the fifth child, if now living, is probably in South America. No news has been received from him for a considerable time. Frank M., whose military history has been already referred to, is a machinist, and resides in Toledo. Ohio. He married Miss Cole of Grafton, W. Va., and they have sev- eral children.

William M. O. Dawson, with whose history we are more directly concerned, had the misfor- tune to lose his mother when he was a child of less than four years, and he resided successively with his father at Cranberry (now Terra Alta), Bruceton Mills, and Ice's Ferry. In 1863 he began to learn the cooper's trade at Cranberry, where also for a time he attended public school, subsequently continuing his education in a pri- vate school at Terra Alta. During this period he also worked for some time as a clerk and taught school. In 1873 he became a resident of Kingwood, the county seat of Preston coun- ty, and became editor of "The Preston County Journal," a Republican newspaper, for which he had previously been a correspondent, as well as for the "Wheeling Intelligencer." Two years later he became the owner of the "Jour- nal" which under his management became a po- tent factor in state politics. In 1874, though not seeking the position, he was elected chairman of the county Republican committee, and was twice re-elected, serving for thirteen years, at the end of which time he retired. In 1880 he was unanimously nominated as the Republican can-

didate for state senator from Tenth district, composed of Monongalia and Preston coun- ties, and was elected. He was the youngest member of the body, and the only Republican member except his colleague. At the end of this four-year term, he was again nominated without opposition, and re-elected to the state senate. In 1888, at the end of his second term, he declined to be again considered as a candi- date though he could have been nominated for the third time without opposition. When he re- tired in 1888 the Senate was nearly equally di- vided between the two political parties. Dur- ing his career as senator Mr. Dawson rendered valuable service as a member of the committee on banks and corporations, on finance, on the joint committee on finance, on the joint sub- committee on finance to prepare the appropria- tion bills ; on counties and municipal corpora- tions, on the penitentiary, on mines and mining. on public printing, and was the only Republi- can member of a special committee to investi- gate the public printing, his report being adopted by the Democratic senate. The decided stand he took for the protection of the school fund is still well remembered and is a matter of public record. He also advocated the regu- lation of railroad charges on the lines after- wards adopted by the Federal government in the creation of the inter-state commerce com- mission. He is also the father of the first mine inspection law of the state, and he initiated and carried through much other beneficent legisla- tion. His name has been since associated with the "Dawson Corporation Law," enacted by the legislature in 1901, while he was secretary of state, and which made much needed and benefi- cent alterations in the corporation laws of the state, adding over a quarter of a million dol- lars to its revenues from the tax in corpora- tion charters.

In 1891 Mr. Dawson was unanimously elect- ed chairman of the Republican State Commit- tee, a position to which he was twice re-elected. When he took charge West Virginia was Dem- ocratic by a majority of 5,000 to 6,000, and had been in complete control of the Democratic party since 1871. His conduct of the campaign of 1892 wrought a great change in the polit- ical situation and was a surprise to all the party

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leaders of the state, and particularly so to the No. 32, also of Kingwood. He is a member of enemy. Under his management the Republi- the Presbyterian church and has been active in Y. M. C. A. work. can party won the great victories in West Vir- ginia of 1894, 1896, 1898 and 1900. Since 1896 the state has been Republican in all branches of the government, having a majority in both houses of the Legislature. Mr. Daw- son resigned the office of chairman in 1904.

In 1897 he was appointed secretary of state by Governor Atkinson, and was reappointed to that office in 1901 by Governor White, being the only man who has served two terms in that important office. His administration of its af- fairs was marked by personal integrity, effi- ciency, and devotion to the public welfare that won for him universal commendation and com- pelled the respect even of his political enemies. having the legislature pass the "Dawson Cor- poration Law," referred to above.

Every one remembers the great political cam- paign of 1904 in West Virginia. The all-ab- sorbing issue was "tax reform." It was based on the recommendations of the tax commission of 1901, which made its report to the legisla- ture of 1903. The body refused to consider the bills to amend the tax laws proposed by that commission. On the question of their con- sideration Mr. Dawson became a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor. It was a fierce, hot campaign. Mr. Dawson was nominated; and the campaign that ensued, re- sulting in his election, was probably the most hotly contested in the history of the state. Mr. Dawson served as Governor of West Virginia from March 4, 1905, to March 4, 1909, and during his administration he succeeded in hav- ing "tax reform" enacted into laws, now often referred to as the "Dawson Tax Laws."

As the incumbent of this high office, he again justified his party's choice and his record as governor is one that will bear close comparison with that of the ablest of his predecessors. It is sufficiently well known to the people of the state to need no detailed recapitulation here. Among minor offices that have been held by Mr. Dawson are those of clerk of the House of Del- egates, in 1895, and mayor of Kingwood. He is a member of the Masonic order belonging to Preston lodge, No. 90, A. F. & A. M. of King- wood, and is past chancellor of Brown lodge,

Mr. Dawson was married in 1879 to Luda, daughter of John T. Neff, of Kingwood, W. Va. She died in 1894, leaving a son, Daniel; and in 1899 Mr. Dawson married Maude, daughter of Jane Brown, of Kingwood, of which union there is a daughter, Leah Jane, born April 4, 1901, and now attending the pub- lic schools. The son Daniel, who was born January 13, 1881, was educated in the Charles- ton schools, including the high school, and sub- sequently entered the University of West Vir- ginia at Morgantown, where he was graduated in 1904. He then took a one year course at Harvard University, and later graduated from the law school of West Virginia University. He is now engaged in the practice of law at Huntington, W. Va. Ex-Governor Dawson is a printer by trade and a lawyer by profes- sion. He is now engaged in the practice of law at Charleston, the capitol of West Virginia.

JOHN R. WALKER, M. D., one of the older members of the medical profession at Marmet, formerly known as Brownstown, Kanawha County, W. Va., was born in this county, June 19. 1832, and is a son of Albert G. and Mary (Sims) Walker, and a grandson of John Walker and John Sims, and a great- grandson of Charles Hunter.

John Walker was born in England and was a young man when he came to America and settled in Essex County, Va., where he mar- ried Lucy Kock. Their children were: Liv- ingston, Jane May, James H., Harriet W., Thomas and Albert G.

Albert G. Walker, father of Dr. Walker, was born in Essex County, Va. He became a farmer and in 1850 embarked as one of the pioneer merchants at Brownstown, where he continued in business for many years, finally retiring and his death took place here when he had almost reached his seventy-sixth birthday. He married Mary Sims, a daughter of John Sims, who was a farmer below Charleston. The Sims family as well as the Walkers and Hunters were all old and prominent people in Virginia. Col. Charles Sims was a member of

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 57

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