History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 61

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 61

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GEORGE F. COYLE, a member of the well known firm of Coyle & Richardson, Charleston, W. Va., was born in Berkeley County, Va. (now West Virginia), in 1852, a son of Ed- ward V. and Mary Winpyglar Coyle. His great- grandfather, James Coyle, emigrated to this country from Donegal in the North of Ireland in the year 1745, settling as a pioneer in what is now Jefferson County, West Virginia. A part of his original estate is still in the family name, being the home of a brother of our sub- ject, Jerome B. Coyle.

Edward V. Coyle, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Jefferson County Au- gust 1, 1800, and died in Berkeley County in May, 1890. His sympathies were with the South in the war of 61-65; and although too old to serve as a soldier he was active in his aid to the Confederacy and was held a prisoner at Fort McHenry for several months, not having been released until some time after the war was over.

Three of his sons were in the Confederate Army, one of them, Joseph C. Coyle, a mem- ber of the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, was killed

at the age of twenty-two while on a scouting expedition with a detachment of Colonel Mosby's command, in 1864. The other sons, James W. and Jerome B. escaped all serious casualities, the former dying at his home in Jefferson County some years after the war.

Mr. Coyle was married in Thomasville, Ga., in 1884 to Miss Nannie G. Coyle, no relation, though of the same family name. She was born in North Carolina, and is the daughter of Dr. Thomas Finley and Nancy (Cardwell) Coyle, members of prominent North Carolina families.

Mr. and Mrs. George Coyle are the parents of two children, Margaret Lynn and George Lacy. The former was educated in the public and high schools of Charleston and private school in Baltimore. George was educated in the public schools and at Fishburne's Military School, and Washington and Lee University. He now holds a responsible position in the Coyle & Richardson store.

The Coyle family are all active members of the First Presbyterian church of Charleston, and take an active interest in every movement for the moral and material betterment of the community.

The firm of Coyle & Richardson is composed of George F. Coyle and J. Lynn Richardson ; the two partners having been associated since boyhood, commenced business in Charleston in 1884, and now have one of the handsomest, largest and best equipped business houses in the city, and a business that is second to none in the state. Their store is on the corner of Capitol and Lee streets, the most prominent and accessible part of the city.

JOHN SMITH, who has been a resident of Kanawha County, W. Va., the greater part of his life and now conducts a first class meat mar- ket at Cedar Grove, was born December 4, 1869, in Loudon District, Kanawha County, and is a son of John and Marjorie (Flayman) Smith.

The parents of Mr. Smith were natives of Scotland and they were reared and married there and did not start for America until after their first child was born. The father came to the mining sections of Kanawha County and was a very industrious and reliable man, serv-

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HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY

ing under Joseph Patterson, a well known con- tractor, in tunnel construction. His death oc- curred in 1882, in Louden District, at the age of fifty-two years. He married Marjorie Flay- man, who died in 1896, at the age of fifty-two years. Six children were born to them, namely : Catherine, who is the wife of O. G. Griffith ; Jennie, who is the wife of Charles E. Simpson ; and George L., Frank, John and Joseph P.

Mr. Smith spent his early boyhood in work- ing on the farm on which his parents lived and attending the country schools, and later became a miner at the Acme mines on Cabin Creek and still later at other mines. In 1904 he came to Cedar Grove to work at the Sunday Creek mines and has remained here ever since, on December 1, 1910, going into partnership with C. E. Chandler in the meat business. They continued together until June, 1911, when Mr. Smith bought Mr. Chandler's interest and he now does a very satisfactory business, having a fine local trade and operating a wagon through the mining district.

Mr. Smith was married first to Miss Carrie Angel, and after her death was married to Miss Augusta Jackson, a daughter of Edward Jackson, of Hernshaw, W. Va., and they have one child, Virginia. Politically he is a Demo- crat. He is identified with the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows, both at Marmet, W. Va.

WILLIAM WIRT BRANCH was born in Kirtland, Ohio, September 5, 1835, and died in Charleston, W. Va., April 12, 1907, at the age of seventy-one years, seven months and seven days.

He was descended from Peter Branch of Kent County, England, who with his son John emigrated to America in 1632. The father dying on ship-board, the son landed on an island in Massachusetts Bay, which was afterwards called Branch's Island. On his mother's side, his ancestry traced to Roger Williams. His mother, Lucy J. Bar- tram, being also a direct descendant of the famous botanist of that name.

William Branch, grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch, enlisted in the Conti- nental Army at the age of seventeen and

served through the entire war, being en- gaged in many of the most noted battles, Brandywine, Monmouth, Fort Mifflin, and others. He was with Washington at Val- ley Forge. He was present at the court- martial of Maj. Andre, and was one of the three guards who removed the body from the gallows. Later, in the War of 1812 he was commissioned a lieutenant.

William Witter Branch, the father of William Wirt Branch, was a man of much prominence in Lake County, Ohio. Being a wagon-maker by trade, and later being admitted to the bar in 1842, he arose through his own efforts, and was elected to Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and served capably on the bench for many years. He encouraged the building of railroads in his section, and it was largely due to his in- fluence that the opposition to the construc- tion of the Lake Shore and Michigan South- ern was overcome.

William Wirt Branch was the oldest of nine children. He had a common school education, and after teaching for several years, during which time he studied law, he was admitted to the bar in Cleveland. His tastes and talents led him also to mechan- ical pursuits and manufacturing. He in- vented and patented several labor saving devices, and becoming interested in the lumber industry, he finally gave up the law. The veneer industry to-day owes much to him for the many improvements he made in veneer cutting machinery. He was one of the pioneers in the industry in this country, and was introduced at the first meeting of the National Veneer and Panel Manufacturers Association as "The Father of the Veneer Industry." He established the W. W. Branch Veneer and Lumber Company, in Madison, Ohio, in 1867, and in 1884 moved to Charleston, W. Va., where it soon grew to be one of the important business concerns of the city. -

A man of public spirit, he gave active sup- port to all movements of a public nature that his judgment approved, and was an especially ardent advocate of educational enterprises. Politically, he was a Demo-

WILLIAM W. BRANCH

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crat, but ever lifted his voice in behalf of purity and honesty of government. He was prominent and active in the Masonic frater- nity, having his membership in Kanawha Lodge No. 20; Tyrian Chapter No. 13; Kanawha Commandery No. 4; and in Beni- Kedem Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. In 1876 he was married to Miss Annie M. Lewis in Utica, N. Y. Three children were born to them. The wife, two children, two broth- ers, and four sisters survived him.

HENRY E. WEISE, who is head car- penter for the Marmet Coal Company, at Hernshaw, Loudon District, Kanawha County, W. Va., is a skilled mechanic, in addition to being competent in the carpen- ter line, being also a first class blacksmith. He was born in the State of New York, Oc- tober 5, 1862, and is a son of Charles and Susan (Renne) Weise.

Charles Weise was born in Pennsylvania, learned the carpenter's trade in his youth and followed it during all his active years, passing the closing years of his life at Le- banon, Pa., where he died in his eighty-sixth year. He married Susan Renne and they had eight children.

Henry E. Weise attended the public schools in boyhood and then learned the blacksmith's trade which he followed in his native state for eight years and then learned the carpenter's trade with his father. Prior to coming to West Virginia he worked as a carpenter in Pennsylvania and later worked at the trade for six years at Davis Creek. In 1898 he accepted his present po- sition, working first as carpenter but soon afterward being promoted to be head car- penter. He has a large amount of respon- sibility resting on him in this position and has a number of men in his employ.

Mr. Weise has a pleasant home at Hern- shaw, with wife and children. He married Miss Lulu Cotton, and they have two sons, Harry and Charles. He is a Republican in his political views.

JAMES M. GATES, who was a prosper- ous business man and respected citizen of 27

Charleston, W. Va., for many years, was born in Gallia County, O., a son of Moses and Harriet (Baultzett) Gates, and died at his home at Charleston, January 15, 1904, aged sixty-eight years. He was a younger member of a large family born to his par- ents and he is survived by his youngest brother, George Gates, who is a retired cit- izen of Cincinnati. The father was a black- smith by trade and the sons served an ap- prenticeship at the forge and anvil. Mr. Gates was quite a young man when he came to Charleston and shortly afterward en- listed for service as a drummer boy in the 23d Virginia regiment, which was recruited in this section for the Civil War. He re- mained in the army for four years and after the close of hostilities, returned to Charles- ton and embarked in the grocery business, but a few years afterwards sold out and from then until the time of his last illness, he conducted a paint and wall paper busi- ness. He was careful, shrewd and fore- sighted and thus was always able to protect his business interests and accumulated val- uable property. The business now con- ducted under the name of J. M. Gates' Sons Company, was previous to the death of Mr. J. M. Gates run under his own name, and years ago was run under the title of "Gates Bros.," he having two other brothers in connection with the same at that time, namely: Virgil A. Gates and George W. Gates. His other two brothers were John Francis, a Universalist minister, formerly of Buffalo, N. Y., and Daniel Haskell, a farmer and statesman, of Round Knob, Put- nam County, W. Va., both being now de- ceased.

Mr. Gates was married June 2, 1862, at what is now St. Albans, Kanawha County, to Miss Virginia Rand, who was born in Iowa City, Ia., and was four years old when her parents, Christopher C. and Nancy (Pines) Rand, moved to Kanawha County. Later they came to Charleston where Mr. Rand died at the age of sixty-eight years and Mrs. Rand when aged seventy-three years. Mrs. Gates was reared and carefully educated at Charleston. She is one of a

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large family, not many of whom survive. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Gates are as follows: James Henry, who is a member of the firm of J. M. Gates' Sons Co., of Charleston; Cora Matilda, who is the wife of Cameron Savage, a timberman of Charleston, and has two children; George Daniel, who is in the bicycle and phono- graph business in Charleston; Daniel Has- kell, who is associated with his brothers in the paint business, is married and has two sons; William Stevens and Jesse Arthur, both of whom are members of the J. M. Gates' Sons Co .; Virginia Rand, who is the wife of Alva R. Fisher, a railroad man, re- sides in Cincinnati and has one son, Marion M .; Edward Psalmon (twin brother of George D.) who died at the age of thirteen years; Albert Rand, also deceased; Henry and Eben, who are also deceased, both dy- ing in infancy.

Mrs. Gates resides in her pleasant home at No. 408 Broad Street. In politics, Mr. Gates was a Democrat. He was reared in the Universalist faith and has always adhered to it and his children also belong to that church. He was a man of sterling charac- ter and throughout life was looked on by his fellow citizens as an honorable and up- right man, charitable in the extreme in times of any public calamity, ready with both his purse and his sympathy. 1

GEORGE G. REYNOLDS, postmaster at Elk View, and for many years one of the prominent citizens of Elk District, Ka- nawha County, is the proprietor of a flour- ishing mercantile establishment, and has besides other business interests. He was born Oct. 6, 1857, near Elk View, Va. (now W. Va.), a son of John T. and Mary (Given) Reynolds, and is a grandson of Reuben Reynolds, a pioneer of Roane County.

John T. Reynolds was born November 13, 1813, in Lewis County, Va., and as a young man accompanied his parents to Roane County. In 1865 he located in Elk District, Kanawha County, where he car- ried on a mercantile business for fifteen

years. In the year 1880 he retired and the remainder of his life was spent on his farm. Politically he was a Republican and an ac- tive worker for his party. He served seven years as justice of the peace at a time when the incumbent of that office was the head of the county court; he was a delegate to various conventions and in 1866 was ap- pointed postmaster at Elk View, then the old Blue Creek postoffice.

John T. Reynolds married first Nancy Vineyard, daughter of Presley Vineyard and by her had four children-Presley V., John P., Archie P. and Harriett Y .- of whom all three of the sons served in the Civil War. Mr. Reynolds married for his second wife Mrs. Mary (Given) James, who was born in 1823, a daughter of George and Margaret (McGuffin) Given. Her father located near Elk View before the war and at one time owned most of the district. To John T. and Mary Reynolds were born three children-Margaret J. (now de- ceased), Mary E., who married Charles Campbell; and George G.

George G. Reynolds attended school until he was nineteen years old and for fifteen years subsequently taught school, his sum- mers however being spent in farming. He worked for his father until reaching the age of twenty-three, and then purchased a farm on Indian Creek, which he operated for three years, but eventually returned to the old homestead. Later he succeeded his father in the mercantile business which he has conducted to the present time. He has also engaged in leasing and operating coal mines.

On May 26, 1880, Mr. Reynolds was mar- ried to Miss Lenora Slack, who was born June 18, 1860, a daughter of Major Hedge- man Slack, an old resident of this district. To Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have been born six children, namely: Florence, who is re- siding at home; John H., who is a railroad engineer; Charles G., who is engaged in farming on the home place; Lewis D., who assists his father in the store; M. Ruth; and Allie, who is deceased. Mr. Reynolds is a member of the Masonic order, (Clendenin

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Lodge No. 126); also of the Knights of ·Pythias, No. 147, of Blue Creek, in which he has passed all the chairs; Glen Elk Lodge No. 95, of Odd Fellows; Elk En- campment No. 63, in which he has passed all the chairs and is now scribe; and the Se- nior Order of American Mechanics, in which he has held various offices. An ac- tive Republican, like his father, he has served by State appointment as a member of the Board of Equalization. He has also served on the Jury Commission, has been a notary public for two terms, and for a long period postmaster at Elk View. At one time he was a candidate for the legisla- ture but failed of election owing to the local political conditions.

MARK S. JARRETT, a well known citi- zen of Charleston, where he is engaged in the real estate business, also holding the office of overseer of the poor, comes of one of the old settled families of Greenbrier County, W. Va. He was born on the old Jarrett homestead in Elk district, then in Virginia, March 25, 1856, son of Eli and Nancy (Newhouse) Jarrett.

His paternal grandfather was Owen Jar- rett, who was born in Greenbrier County, where he married Elizabeth Vincent. After the birth of their first child Mr. and Mrs. Owen Jarrett removed to Kanawha County, and settled at Jarrett's Ford on Elk River, in 1812, and purchased land in Elk District-several hundred acres, all of which was virgin land, which he retained possession of until his death in the fifties. The ford in the river near his farm is still known as Jarrett's Ford. His widow sur- vived him many years, being ninety-six years old at the time of her death. They were among the early supporters of the Baptist church in Elk District and were people of social importance. Their family consisted of six sons and three daughters, namely: Eli, a farmer who lived and died at Jarrett's Ford, in Elk District; Squire Jarrett, in Big Sandy District; John, now in his ninety-fourth year, who has always lived in Elk District, on Little Sandy ; Rose

Ann, who married John Samples, she and her husband being both now deceased; Vin- cent, a farmer who died in Big Sandy Dis- trict; Nancy, who is the widow of Charles Osborn and resides in Big Sandy District; Owen, Jr., who owned a farm at Jarrett's Ford and who died in 1910; and Sarah, who was the wife of Benjamin Melton, a farmer in Elk District, both being now de- ceased. Descendants of the above men- tioned family still reside in Elk and Big Sandy Districts.

Eli Jarrett was born in Greenbrier County in 1809 and was three years old when his parents came to Kanawha County. The region was then practically a wilder- ness. The forests were full of wild game and the streams of fish and the land re- sponded generously to the most primitive attempts at cultivation. This great abun- dance of the necessities of life, for which there was then practically no outside mar- ket, induced a generous scale of living and giving that might be called typically South- ern, though changed conditions have since necessarily modified the method, though not the spirit of hospitality. It was said of Mr. Eli Jarrett that he would never sell a neighbor one of his flock, but would take pleasure in giving it; his neighbors knew they had permission to shoot game all over his estate, and he would frequently join them, as he was a good marksman and was fond of hunting. He was a large hearted, generous man, and possessed all the quali- ties of a good citizen. He succeeded to the parental homestead, on which he resided until his death, which occurred May II, 1897. He was a Democrat in politics but served in no public office.

Eli Jarrett was married in Elk District, to Nancy Newhouse, who was born there in 18II and who also died there, at the age of eighty-seven years, in 1899. Her people were early settlers in Elk Valley. Both Eli Jarrett and wife were members and gener- ous supporters of the Baptist church. Eight sons and three daughters were born to them, as follows: Columbus, who was a farmer in Elk District, married Mary Slack,

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both being now deceased; Harrison, who is County in 1868 and was reared in Elk Dis- also deceased, married Sarah Matheny and trict. Her parents, Stephen and Mary reared his family in Elk District; Caroline,- (Panner) Stoffel, were natives of Germany, who is the wife of Birdet Price, a farmer in who were married in Pennsylvania and died in Elk District, the former in 1887, aged seventy-seven years, and the latter in 1885, aged seventy-two years. Mr. and Mrs. Jar- rett have two children: Catherine F., who was born September 9, 1898; and Ruth Irene, born November 2, 1903. The family belong to the Bowman Methodist Episcopal church. He has filled the office of overseer of the poor in Charleston District for the last twelve years, it coming to him without any solicitation on his part, and its accept- ance being prompted by his charitable dis- position. Elk District; James, who married Nannie Darlington, both being now deceased; Owen V., who followed farming in Elk Dis- trict until his death, and married Martha Cummins, both being now deceased; Eliza- beth, who is the widow of Marshall Depew, of Roane County, a farmer and stock raiser who died in 1909, leaving an estate worth about $100,000; Catherine, residing in Elk District, who is the widow of David Jarrett; Eli T., now residing in Cabin Creek Dis- trict, who married Matura Jarrett, now de- ceased, their children being born in Ohio; John T., a lumberman living in Malden Dis- trict, who married Betty Copenhaver; Squire B., who has been in the livery busi- ness at Charleston for many years and who married Mary Vickers; and Mark S., who is the youngest of the family.

Mark S. Jarrett remained with his parents and gave them filial care in their old age. He subsequently became the owner of the parental homestead, where he continued to reside and carry on the various farm indus- tries until 1895. He then moved to Charles- ton, where he went into the hotel business and continued in this line for twelve years, when he retired. A useful and prominent citizen, he was elected a member of the City Council in 1902 and 1903, being polit- ically a Republican.

Mr. Jarrett was first married in 1881 to Mary E. Legg, who died about 1887. They had three children-Marshall E., who died at the age of eleven years; Grace, who is the wife of George Stoffel and resides in Charleston; and Nannie, who is the wife of C. W. Richardson and is also a resident of Charleston. Mr. Jarrett married secondly Cynthia E. Blackshire, by whom he had one son, Sidney, who is now living in Charles- ton.

In 1895 Mr. Jarrett was married thirdly at Charleston to Miss Elizabeth Stoffel, who was born in Beaver County, Pa., November 15, 1861, and who was brought to Kanawha

JOHN HAMILTON HANSFORD, M. D., who is engaged in the practice of medicine at Pratt, Kanawha county, W. Va., was born in Pulaski county, Va., July 24, 1864, and is a son of Felix G. (2d) and a grandson of Felix G. Hansford (Ist).

The Hansford family is an old one in Vir- ginia, being settled in the state by the great grandfather of our subject, John Hansford, who came in Indian times and who was a man of political prominence, serving as a member of the early state legislature, at Richmond. It is said that he erected the first house in Kanawha county that had glass windows, and two years were consumed in building what was then con- sidered as a very pretentious mansion. He died at Paint Creek, in Kanawha county, being sur- vived by his widow, Jane Morris Hansford.

Their son, Felix G. ( Ist), grandfather of Dr. Hansford, married Sallie Frazer, who lived to the advanced age of ninety-four years. He owned a large plantation and was an extensive farmer. His son, Felix G. Hansford, Jr., mar- ried Luella Hamilton, a native of Kentucky. He died at Crown Hill, Kanawha county, W. Va., in 1891, aged sixty-five years. Their chil- dren were,-Lillian, Goldie, Lulu, Felix G. (3d), now deceased, and John Hamilton. Lulu married Robert C. Grigg. and both are now deceased. They left three children- Adrian H., Helen and Ruth.

John Hamilton Hansford acquired his early

JOHN H. HANSFORD, M. D.

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

education in the public schools and in early manhood was employed in the transportation department of the C. & O. railroad. He later entered the University of Louisville, Ky., medical department, where he was graduated in 1888. He entered upon the practice of medi- cine at Crown Hill, his old home, and from there, in 1895, came to Pratt, where he is in the enjoyment of a good practice.

Dr. Hansford was married November 28, 1899, to Miss Katharine Schultz, daughter of William and Sarah (Hansford) Schultz, and they have two children, John Hamilton and Edward M. In politics the Doctor is a Demo- crat. He is a Mason of high degree, belonging to the Shrine at Charleston; also to the Odd Fellows' lodge at Paint Creek.

FRANCIS HANSHAW, whose excellent farm of sixty-eight acres lies in Union Dis- trict, Kanawha County, W. Va., six miles north of the city of Charleston, is a native of this state, born July II, 1831, on Elk River, in Clay County.

Until he was twenty years of age, Mr. Hanshaw had few business responsibilities, attending school the greater part of this time. He then became interested in farm- ing and when the Civil War broke out he enlisted in Clay County, as a private in Co. F, 45th W. Va. Vol. Inf., under Captain Newberry. While in the Virginia Valley he was taken sick and resigned, being con- fined three months at Fort Lookout, and was then paroled and returned home, the war closing soon afterward. In 1866 he was married and for fifteen years afterward lived in Clay County, thirty-eight miles above Charleston, and then moved to the mouth of Cupper Creek, in Kanawha District, Kanawha County, afterward living three years in Texas. Mr. Hanshaw and family then returned to Kanawha County and he has occupied the present farm ever since, which he owns in association with his two sons, Amos and George Hanshaw. Mr. Hanshaw has done a large amount of work on this place, clearing and fencing it and has made many improvements. General

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 61

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