History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 58

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 58

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

the U. S. Congress, from California, being a native of Nicholas County, where the family at one time was rich and prosperous. William Sims of Nicholas County, was sheriff, and an- other William Sims became a judge in Cali- fornia. John Sims lived to the age of eighty- four years, spending his last days in the home of Albert G. Walker. Sixteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Walker, the survivors being John R., Lucy Hill, Mildred Brazee, Mil- lie Rose Grant, Hattie Scott and Josie Mathews. The mother of Dr. Walker died at Brownstown when aged eighty-two years.

John R. Walker obtained his early education in an old log schoolhouse with slab benches and puncheon floor. Later he became a clerk in his father's store, and while still selling goods, studied his medical books, but before an oppor- tunity came for him to complete his professional education, the Civil War broke out and he be- came a soldier, enlisting in 1861 in the 8th Va. Cavalry, Confederate Army, in which he served for three years, participating during this time in many warm engagements. He was fortunate enough to escape capture and wounds and after a short period at home entered the Eclectic Medical College at Cincinnati, where he was graduated in 1867. For eight years Dr. Walker then practiced medicine at Logan Court House, coming then to Brownstown, where he has been a very busy general practitioner until quite re- cently and has been the oldest practicing physi- cian in Kanawha County. He still consents to a little office practice, but in the main passes over his heavier professional responsibilities to younger shoulders.

Dr. Walker married Mrs. Fanny ( Powell) Walker, at that time a widow. Her parents were Charles and Lucinda Powell, who owned several plantations in Virginia prior to the Civil War. Dr. and Mrs. Walker had two children, Albert G. and Powell Edward. The former, a railroad man, married Lizzie Lewis and they have one daughter, Margaret Elizabeth. The younger son died at the age of two years and Mrs. Walker passed away on May 23, 1895. Dr. Walker is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, south. Politically he has always been a Democrat. When Winifrede was first made a post-office, Mr. William O'Connor ..

who was the owner of the Winifrede Coal Mines there was made postmaster and Dr. Walker became assistant; and later, for about twenty years served as postmaster at Browns- town.

BUCKNER CLAY, attorney-at-law, and member of the law firm of Price, Smith, Spilman & Clay, of Charleston, West Vir- ginia, was born in Bourbon County, Ken- tucky, December 31, 1877. His mother, Mary Woodford, was the daughter of John T. Woodford and Elizabeth Buckner-both descendants of Virginia ancestors. Through his father, Ezekiel Field Clay, he is des- cended from John Clay, who came to Vir- ginia from Wales in 1613. From the three sons of John Clay were descended all the Kentucky Clays, including Henry Clay.

The first of his Clay ancestors to come to Kentucky was General Green Clay, a soldier in the Revolutionary War and the War of I812. Green Clay settled in Madison County, Kentucky, near the present town of Richmond. His home has later become better known as "Whitehall," the home of his son, General Cassius M. Clay, who first became known as a zealous advocate of the Abolition of Slavery, having freed his own slaves, of whom he had quite a number. When but thirty-two years of age his speeches in advocacy of this cause were published by Horace Greeley. He was a graduate of Yale College and studied law ; served for several terms in the Kentucky Legislature; was a soldier in the Mexican War, and was commissioned Major Gen- eral in the Civil War; he edited the True American, an anti-slavery paper ; and later served as Minister to Russia under Presi- dents Lincoln, Johnson and Grant.

Brutus Junius Clay, the grandfather of Buckner Clay, was another son of Green Clay. He settled in Bourbon County, Ken- tucky ; was a farmer and breeder of blooded stock, He represented the Ashland Dis- trict, made famous by Henry Clay, in the 38th Congress. He was twice married. His first wife was Amelia Field, and his second, her sister, Anne Field. To his first wife

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were born four children: Martha, Christo- pher Field, Green and Ezekiel Field, and to his second, Cassius Marcellus, Jr.

Martha married Henry B. Davenport, of Jefferson County, West Virginia. One of their sons, Henry B. Davenport, is an at- torney-at-law of Clay, West Virginia.

Christopher Field Clay was a farmer, who lived and died in Bourbon County, Ken- tucky.

Both Green and Cassius were graduates of Yale College. The former served as sec- retary to his uncle at St. Petersburg, and later as Secretary of Legation to Minister Marsh in Italy. For many years he owned and cultivated a plantation in Mississippi, and now resides on his farm at Mexico, Missouri.

Cassius M. Clay, Jr., served for several · terms in the Kentucky Legislature and was President of the last Constitutional Con- vention of Kentucky. He is also a farmer, having inherited "Auvergne," the home place of his father, near Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky. However, he has al- ways devoted much time to the study of public questions.

Ezekiel Field Clay, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was educated at Bacon College, Harrodsburg, Kentucky ; served in the Confederate army first as Captain and then as Colonel of Cavalry-for the most part under General Humphrey Marshall. He was twice wounded, and the second time taken prisoner and imprisoned at Johnson's Island. Since the war he has devoted his attention to farming and breeding thor- oughbred horses, at his home "Runny- mede," in Bourbon County, Kentucky.

Buckner Clay is the fourth of six chil- dren; Ezekiel Field, Jr., Woodford, Brutus J., Buckner, Amelia and Mary Catesby.

Ezekiel Field, Jr., a graduate of Yale Col- lege in the Class of 1892, is, like his ances- tors, a farmer in the good old County of Bourbon.

Woodford and Brutus J. Clay were both graduates of Princeton College, the for- mer in 1893 and the latter in 1896. The former has devoted his attention to the

breeding and racing of thoroughbred horses -the latter studied law at the University of Virginia and is now a practicing lawyer of Atlanta, Georgia.

Amelia married Samuel Clay, who is de- scended from a different branch of the Clay family. Mary Catesby is unmarried and lives at the home place.

Buckner Clay graduated at Kentucky University in the Class of 1897; farmed for one year; graduated in law at the Univer- sity of Virginia in 1900; practiced law at Paris, Kentucky, for about two years ; went to Atlanta in January, 1903, and was later admitted to practice in Georgia; in June, 1903, he came to Charleston to enter the law office of Flournoy, Price & Smith. In January, 1907, he became a member of that firm, which became Price, Smith, Spilman & Clay. He is a Democrat.

JAMES M. THACKER, whose valuable farm of 208 acres lies in Union District, Kana- wha County, W. Va., one mile east of the divid- ing line from Putnam County, has been a resi- dent of the county since he was twelve years of age. He was born in Putnam County, WV. Va., and is a son of Dilla and Jane Thacker. His parents moved into Kanawha County in 1861 and resided here until 1865, when they returned to Putnam County, where both died. One of their sons, A. L. Thacker, was a soldier in the Confederate Army and was taken prisoner by the Union forces and confined in Lookout mili- tary prison but after the end of the Civil War he returned to Putnam County.

James M. Thacker obtained his education in Putnam County and later attended school for a time in Kanawha County. Farming has been his main business all his life and since his mar- riage he has resided on his present farm, 175 acres of which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. This is the old Lilly homestead, which has been in the Lilly family for four gen- erations. Mr. Thacker assisted in the erection of the farm buildings while the property was still under the control of N. B. Lilly, and since then has built the present commodious and com- fortable residence.

Mr. Thacker married Miss Elizabeth J. Lilly,

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who was born on this farm in Union District, Kanawha County, a daughter of N. B. Lilly, and they have three living children: Sallie, who is the wife of J. L. Goff ; Annie, who is the wife of W. M. B. Williams, of Union District ; and Everett, who is his father's assistant. He married Cora E. Francis, a daughter of Thomas P. Francis, of Putnam County. Both Mr. Thacker and his son are Democrats in politics but neither have ever been willing to accept office. Everett belongs to Poca Grange, No. 312, and is an Odd Fellow, belonging to Putnam Lodge No. 85 at Poca, to Buena Vista Encampment, No. 80, and Forest Rose Re- bekah Lodge No. 143, I. O. O. F. Both fami- lies are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. They are men of excellent standing and representatives of the best citizen- ship of the district.

FRANK LIVELY, who holds the import- ant office of assistant states attorney general of West Virginia, was born in Monroe County, this state, November 18, 1864. His parents were Colonel Wilson and Elizabeth (Guwyinn) Lively, and he is a grandson on the paternal side of Cottrell Lively, who was of English ancestry but who was born and died in Alber- marle County, Va., where he followed farm- ing. This paternal ancestor of Mr. Lively's at- tained the advanced age of ninety years. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, of whom Wilson, our subject's father, was the youngest.

Col. Wilson Lively was born in 1802 and grew up on the farm, being trained to agri- culture by his father. He became a prominent man, served several terms in the office of sheriff, and later became colonel of a Virginia regiment that formed a part of the Confede- rate army. At the same time he served as a member of the state legislature. In the spring of 1865, while en route to Richmond to attend to his duties as representative, he heard that that city had been evacuated by Lee and that it was in possession of the Union forces. This news proved so great a shock to him that it cause-1 his death. He was a man much re- spected, v ho did his duty as he saw it and in accordance with the precepts and principles of

his early training, and was a consistent member of the Methodist church. He was married in Monroe County, his place of residence, to Eliza- beth Guwyinn, who was born and reared in that county. She survived her husband many years, dying in 1894 at the age of sixty-eight years. She was a daughter of Andrew Guwy- inn, who was of Irish descent, and like her hus- band she belonged to the Methodist church. They were the parents of ten children, all of whom are now living and are married, with families of their own.

Frank Lively, who was his parents' young- est child, was educated in the public schools and subsequently at the normal college at Athens, Mercer County, where he was gradu- ated in the class of 1882. For a short time subsequently he followed the occupation of a teacher, in this manner earning enough to pay his way through the University of West Vir- ginia, at Morgantown, where he was gradu- ated with the degree of A. B. in 1885, receiv- ing also diplomas from other departments. In 1886 he became principal of the Hinton High School. He had already been admitted to the bar-in 1885-and in 1887 he began the prac- tice of law, following his profession in Sum- mers and other counties, and being entitled to practice in any of the courts of the state. By force of ability he soon came into public notice, and, having identified himself with the active work of the Republican party, was appointed in 1898, by Governor Atkinson, as game and fish warden, two years later being elected as prosecuting attorney. After serving three years in the latter office, he resigned to become state game and fish warden, having a great in- terest in the preservation of the game and fish of this region. This office was created in 1897, being filled the first year by Capt. E. F. Smith, who resigned it to perform military service as captain in the Second Regiment of West Vir- ginia Volunteers in the Spanish-American war. Mr. Lively is the second incumbent of this of- fice. In 1904 our subject was the Republican nominee for judge of the Ninth Judicial Cir- cuit but was defeated at the election. In the following year he accepted the position of as- sistant attorney general under C. W. May, re- signing it a year later to become pardon attor-

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ney and confidential assistant to Governor Dawson, in which capacity he served until the close of the administration. He was then ap- pointed to his present office of assistant Attor- ney General, his term ending in 1913. He has been active generally in local and state politics, serving usually on the regular committee of his party to prepare the platform. In all these various positions he has shown excellent capac- ity and proved himself an able man of affairs, besides maintaining a high standing in his pro- fession. He belongs to Blue Lodge No. 62. F. & A. M., at Hinton, in which he has filled all the chairs, being now past master.

Mr. Lively was married in 1890, at Hinton, to Miss Anna Prince, who was born forty years ago in Raleigh County, W. Va., her par- ents being wealthy and influential residents of that section. She was educated at a private school in Kentucky, and is a lady of culture and refinement. Mr. and Mrs. Lively are the par- ents of children as follows: William, who graduated from the high school in 1910, and is now a student at the University of West Vir- ginia, class of 1914; James, now attending the city high school; Frank W., Jr., who is also attending the high school; Frederick and Jen- nie Hill, who are students in the common schools. Mrs. Lively is a member of the Meth- odist church.

IRWIN C. STUMP, M. D., physician, en- gaged in the practice of his profession at Clen- denin, W. Va., was born in Roane County, W. Va., September 24, 1871, and is a son of Dr. C. E. Stump, one of the representative medical men of this section, now retired.

Irwin C. Stump attended the public schools and was reared in a professional atmosphere, his father having been prominent as a physician for many years. He was graduated at the Ken- tucky School of Medicine at Louisville, Ky., in March, 1894, and has practiced in Roane, Clay, Kanawha and Calhoun Counties. For eight years he was physician for the Queen Shoals Coal Company and the Queen Coal and Coke Company, and also the Clay Coal Company of Berrien Creek, making his headquarters at Queen Shoals. At present he is the only prac- ticing physician in Big Sandy District. Dr.

Stump is identified with both the Masons and Odd Fellows at Clendenin. He is unmarried.

JOHN SLACK who is now living in Charleston, was born November Ist, 1834, in Elk District, this County, which was then a part of the State of Virginia. His parents were Greenbury and Amelia (Triplett) Slack.

The Slack family of West Virginia is of Ger- man origin. At an early day Philip Slack and wife came to Elk District from Pennsylvania, and here passed the rest of their lives. Of their children no record has been preserved, save of their son John, the grandfather of our subject, who was already a young man when he left Pennsylvania. He resided for some time on Elk River, but later moved to what is now known as Slack Branch of Blue Creek in the same district. This region was then quite a wilderness. He was a man of much native ability, became one of the early justices of the peace of Kanawha County, serving under the old Constitution of Virginia in operation prior to 1850-51. He acquired a small farm on Elk River, which property is now owned by one of his granddaughters, Mary Wingfield. He was a staunch supporter of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was a personal friend of Rev. Mr. Bascum. afterwards Bishop Bascum of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; who was recommended by Henry Clay to be Chaplain of the United States Congress and was ap- pointed. By virtue of the office of justice of the peace he became the high sheriff of Kana- wha County at some period early in the forties and lived to the age of eighty years. He mar- ried Comfort Samuels and their children were Greenbury, John, Benjamin. Polly. Nancy and Martha. Polly died in Charleston in middle life the wife of John Atkinson. She was sur- vived by a son and daughter. The son died young and the daughter became the wife of the Rev. J. B. Feather of the Methodist Church.

John Slack (2nd) was born in Kanawha County and in early manhood came to Charles- ton. He was deputy sheriff under his father and became the purchaser of the office of sheriff as was the custom of that day; and later in the year 1854 being regularly elected sheriff. The first sheriff elected under the Constitution of

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1850-51 was J. H. Fry ; Slack being the second sheriff. Was elected for two terms, two years each. Also prior to the war he carried on salt manufacturing as a business, and also steam- boating, being captain. He married Sarah Porter and they reared a family. He was county and circuit court clerk of Kanawha County for several years, commencing with the date June 20th, 1863.

Benjamin Slack was a teacher and farmer. He married twice, first to Martha Phillips and secondly to a Miss King, and had children by both wives. Nancy Slack married Charles Bryant, a carpenter ; they resided in Charleston and were survived by children. Martha Slack married Edward High and lived to advanced age in Kanawha County, and they left children.

Greenbury Slack, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Elk District, Kanawha County, W. Va., in 1810, and died at Charles- ton, W. Va., in 1874. He was identified with public matters both in the county and state for many years. After the Constitution of 1850- 51 became effective he was elected a justice of the peace. At the time the State of Virginia seceded he was an earnest supporter of the Union ; and was later a member of the Consti- tutional Convention that brought about the ad- mission of West Virginia to statehood in 1863. He also took an active part in the organization of the state government at Wheeling called the restored government of Virginia. Afterwards he was elected to the West Virginia Senate, and was also at one time collector of tolls on the river for the State. Always a strong anti- slavery man, he naturally allied himself with the Republican party; and although not an apt public speaker, he was a strong and forcible writer. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and at one time wrote and published in pamphlet form a history of the early Methodist and Presbyterian Church in the Kanawha Valley.

Greenbury Slack was married in Nicholas, now Braxton County, W. Va., to Miss Amelia Triplett, who was born on an island in the Ohio River, and who was a daughter of Hedge- man and Mary (McClanahan) Triplett, natives of Virginia. Mrs. Slack's father died from a

gunshot wound received in the early border wars with the Indians. They had quite a fam- ily of children, one of whom was Marshall, the youngest of the family, and who was for many years a prominent politician and a leader in public affairs in his county, being the first Representative in the Legislature of Vir- ginia from what is now Braxton County. He was also a soldier in the Confederate Army, was twice imprisoned and died subsequently at his home in Webster County.

To Greenbury Slack and wife four sons and one daughter were born, the latter being the youngest of the family. She is the widow of John Wingfield, who died at Fort Worth, Texas. The eldest son, Hedgeman Slack, died May 18th, 1908, on his farm near Charleston. He married Mary Jacobs and they had one son, Greenbury, who is now deceased. During the Civil War Hedgeman Slack was a soldier in the Union Army, raising a company which be- came part of the famous 7th W. Va. Cavalry, and of this regiment he was made major, after participating in many engagements including the second battle of Bull Run. After being honorably discharged he was appointed U. S. Marshal for West Virginia by President John- son and again by President Grant, and capably filled that office for some years.

Greenbury, the third son, was a soldier in the Civil War and was killed in battle Septem- ber 19th, 1864, near Winchester, Va. He was then captain of his company, which was a part of the 8th W. Va. Vol. Infantry. His supe- rior officer, Col. John Hall, was killed in the same valley just a month later. The fourth son, Marshall, who was born July 12th, 1838, died August 23d, 1851.

John Slack, whose name appears at the head of this sketch, was the second born of the above mentioned family. From 1852 to 1861 he was a deputy sheriff of Kanawha County, and under the new State of West Virginia was elected first sheriff of Kanawha County, and entered upon his duties in June of the year 1863. He has also held other minor offices, both State and Federal. Mr. Slack married Miss Harriet Young, who was born in Elk District. Her grandfather, John Young, came to this section

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as a scout for settlers from the Virginia Valley, and, it is said, killed the last Indian-one of a band that had stolen a boy. A white man was also killed and was acting with the Indians. The place bears the name of White Man's Fork on the Little Sandy Creek. He attained a ripe old age. John D. Young, father of Mrs. Slack, and son of John and Mary (Tackett) Young, was a farmer in Kanawha County and died in Charleston. When the Civil War broke out he raised a company for the 8th W. Va. Vol. Infantry, of which he was Lieutenant. He married Elizabeth James, who also died at Charleston.

Mr. and Mrs. Slack had five children born to them, namely: Nellie Amelia, who died at the age of five years; Norman H., who is a member of the wholesale grocery firm of Hubbard, Slack & Lewis of Norfolk, Va., and who married Miss Lillian D. Kensett; Liz- zie S., who is the wife of W. T. Williamson, manager of the Bell Telephone Company at Charleston, they having a twelve-year-old daughter, Harriet Viola; John M., who is employed by Lewis, Hubbard & Co., whole- sale grocers of Charleston; and Charles Marshall, who is in the employ of the Bell Telephone Company and who married Miss Dora Supple.

J. D. GARDNER, who is engaged in the mercantile business at Snow Hill, Malden District, is a native of this county, born in Loudon District, March 27, 1860, and is a son of T. J. and Catherine Gardner.

J. D. Gardner went to school in early boy- hood but was not yet very old when he went to work in the mines. He thus con- tinued for a number of years, filling almost all the mine positions before he retired from that industry. Some sixteen years ago he started a grocery store and continued there until 1903, when he came to his present place and embarked here in a general mer- cantile line. He and wife have a small farm and he cultivates that in connection with his other business. He is a well known and respected citizen of his section and is a mem- ber of the Democratic District Committee of Malden District.

Mr. Gardner married Miss Susan M. Rob- erts, a daughter of James Riley and Ada- line (Leftivich) Roberts. Mr. Roberts was one of the pioneers in the salt industry in Kanawha County. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner have children and grandchildren and all are residents of Kanawha County. Charles A., the eldest son, married Willie Woolvine and they have four children-Sterling Reed, Hazel, Margaret and Charles Wellington. They reside at Malden. Howard C., the second son, married Helen Winnel and they live at Dana, WV. Va. Nannie S., the eldest daughter, married James H. Skiles and re- sides at Dana, W. Va. They have three children-Ruth Alma, Charles Ira, and Mary Susan. The two younger children, Camille and Julius S., still live at home. Mr. Gardner is a member of the Red Men and the Knights of Pythias, both at Malden.

E. LESLIE LONG, state treasurer of West Virginia, who was elected to his pres- ent office from McDowell County, W. Va., in 1908 for a term of four years, was born in Tyler County, W. Va., July 23, 1874. a son of L. H. and Martha (Henthorne) Long. His paternal grandfather, who was a native of Tyler County, died in the prime of life when his son, our subject's father, was a child. The paternal great grandpar- ents of Mr. Long were from Pennsylvania. L. H. Long was born in West Virginia in May, 1847. He resides in Alma. Tyler County, where he formerly carried on a mercantile business and was postmaster for some fifteen years. In April, 1863, he en- listed in the 11th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, although not then quite sixteen years of age, and subsequently took part in many engagements, but escaped unhurt. His commander was Col. Bukey of Parkers- burg. W. Va. His brother-in-law, Capt. Eli C. Henthorne, was captain of Company C, 7th W. Va. Regiment in the Federal army, and died from a gunshot wound received at the battle of Spottsylvania. Mrs. Martha Henthorne Long, our subject's mother, was a daughter of James Henthorne, a native of Ohio, and Matilda (Conaway) Hen-

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 58

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