History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 63

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 63

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FREDERICK COLBURN, deceased, who was the first president of the Dayton-Spring- field and Urbana, Ohio, Street Railroad prior to retiring to Charleston, W. Va., where he made his home for a number of years, was born at Montreal, Canada, in June, 1844, and died at Charleston, August 19, 1909. He was a son of Ezekiel E. and Elizabeth (Bostwick) Colburn.

The Colburns were of English ancestry but of Canadian birth, and so loyal was the mother of Mr. Colburn to the Dominion, that after her husband went into business at Cincinnati, Ohio, she returned to Montreal prior to the birth of her children so that Canada could claim them. Ezekiel E. Colburn died in Texas and his wife in Cincinnati. They were members of the Episcopal church. They were parents of four children: Fred; Helen, who lives in Cincin- nati; Sarah, who also lives in that city; and Elliott, who is a business man in the State of Washington, where he married and has three children.

Frederick Colburn was reared and educated at Cincinnati and started out in business as a traveling salesman and for twenty years was on the road, representing a Cincinnati clothing house. Later he became interested in railroad construction and was the promoter of the line of which he later became president. He was an active Mason and in this relation was widely known in the fraternity. Politically he was a Republican but not a politician.

Mr. Colburn was married at Portsmouth, Ohio, to Miss Sarah E. Davis, who was born, reared and educated there. She is a daughter of Arthur C. and Susan (Leonard) Davis, the former of whom was born at Wheeling, W. Va., and the latter in Pennsylvania, while they were married in Ohio, where Mr. Davis en- gaged in merchandising until his death which occurred during the Civil War. His widow survived until 1889. They were members of the Episcopal church. Mr. Davis was one of

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the most prominent Masons in the State of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Colburn had two children, Alice C. and Fred, the latter of whom lived but eighteen months. Alice C. Colburn became the wife of William G. Moler and they reside in New York City. Since the death of her hus- band, Mrs. Colburn has continued to reside at Charleston where she has many social interests and a wide circle of friends.

HON. MAYNARD F. STILES, a promi- nent member of the Kanawha county bar, resid- ing in Charleston, was born in Tunbridge, Vt. May 7, 1854. He is of New England ancestry, his great grandfather on the paternal side, William Stiles, being an early resident in Ver- mont, in which state he probably died.

The next in direct descent was Asahel Stiles, Sr., grandfather of our subject, who was born in Tunbridge, Vt., and spent his active years engaged in farming in that state, dying, how- ever, at the comparatively early age of forty- five years. He was married, November 8, 1812, to Nancy Bradford, a native of Vermont and a descendant of the famous Governor Bradford of the Plymouth Colony. She was born in 1788 and died in her native state at the age of seventy-two. Her parents were Timo- thy and Edith (Howe) Bradford, the mother being a descendant of a brother of Lord Will- iam Howe, and a daughter of William and Edith (Livingstone) Howe. The Stiles were generally farmers, tradesmen and members of the different professions. They were usually men of large and robust frame and great physi- cal powers, which was also true to a large ex- tent of the Bradfords and Howes, and to these combined circumstances our subject probably owes his stalwart physique, being a man six feet four inches tall and weighing over 230 pounds.

Asahel Stiles, Sr., and wife had a large fam- ily numbering ten children, of whom the fol- lowing is a brief record: Clarissa A., married a Mr. Fairfield. Clarinda M. married J. S. Sanders. Asahel, Jr., was the father of the sub- ject of this sketch and will be further men- tioned herein. Nancy B. married Riley F. Cudworth. David L. married Augusta French, an aunt of Associate Justice Harlan's wife, and

lived and died in New York. John M. went to Chicago, where for many years he carried on a merchant tailoring business and died at an ad- vanced age. He was married and left children. William L. resided in Springfield, Vt., and died there an old man. He was married and a son of his. Frank Stiles, is now editor and pub- lisher of the Springfield (Vt.) Reporter. The eighth child, Baxter Bradford Stiles, settled in Denver, Col., in 1859, and became a very prominent citizen there, being three times mayor of the city, a state officer and leading politician. By profession he was a lawyer. He married but had no children. The two remain- ing children were Melvina, who died in in- fancy, and Maynard F., who died unmarried at the age of less than 50 years. The latter was a lawyer, practicing in Memphis, Tenn., and later in Arkansas.

Asahel Bradford Stiles, Jr., was born in Tunbridge, Vt., May 24, 1817. He spent most of his life in his native state, engaged in farm- ing, but for a few years he was a merchant in Boston. He was a Democrat in politics and aided his party on the stump, being an accom- plished orator, but held no political office. He belonged to that branch of his party that just previous to the Civil War favored the election of Judge Douglass to the Presidency. His early life had been a somewhat strenuous one, as when but 16 years old he had lost his father and the burden of providing for the family had fallen upon him-a task which he successfully accomplished. His liberal tendencies were evinced by the fact that in religion he was a. Universalist and an active worker in the church, serving as Sunlay school superintendent and acting as leader of the choir. In bringing up and educating the other members of the family he had not neglected his own education, but by dint of hard work had acquired quite a compre- hensive fund of knowledge and was regarded as a man of more than average attainments. He was married April 5, 1843. in Brookfield. Vt., to Abigail Lovett Adams, who was born in 1822, probably in Canada, and who died in November, 1884. Her parents were Captain Thomas and Mary (Warner) Adams; the for- mer born August 19, 1788, died at Brookfield, Vt., September 20, 1843. His wife Mary

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HON. MAYNARD F. STILES

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Warner Adams, to whom he was married May 22, 1814, was born September 25, 1795, and died February 22, 1892, in Brookfield, Vt. An ancestor of hers, Major Ames Woodbridge, served gallantly in the Revolutionary War. Her cousin, Col. Seth Warner, was a comrade in arms to Col. Ethan Allen, and was second in command of the "Green Mountain Boys" in the contest between Vermont, then called the New Hampshire grants, and New Hampshire and New York, which colonies both claimed the territory. The struggle was suspended when the outbreak of the Revolution called for a common cause against England.

The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Mary Warner Adams was Major Reuben Adams, born October 22, 1761, who died August 30, 1833, and who married Abigail Lovett, Decem- . covering a territory as large as the state of ber 4, 1763. She was born March 10, 1761, and died October 26, 1841.

Asahel Bradford Stiles and wife had chil- dren as follows: Darwin Lysander, born in Vermont April 26, 1844, now resides in Or- leans, where he is engaged in the farming and dairy business. He was married in Vermont to Fidelia Lincoln, who died in 1910, leaving one child. Winona, who married Herbert Rood. Isabelle. C., the second child, born Oc- tober, 1846, married Thomas O. Lynch and resides in Denver, Colo. They have a son, Ed- ward Asahel, who is an actor and singer of note, and who married Belle Dale. The third child, Imogene Olivia, born in November, 1850, at Tunbridge, Vt., married Ora H. Goodale and resided at South Royalton, Vt. He died three years ago, leaving children, of whom one-Ernest C .- died at the age of 29 years. Another, Grace, is the wife of Dr. H. H. Hayward, a physician of Randolph, Vt. Gertrude, a twin sister of Grace, married Clar- ence I. Cate, auditor of the American Woolen Mills at Boston, Mass. Maynard French, the fourth child, is the direct subject of this sketch. The fifth, Fannie Susan, born November 15, 1857, died in 1882, unmarried.

Maynard F. Stiles attended the public schools of his native town until reaching the age of 14 years. He then became a pupil at the Green Mountain Institute, at South Wood- stock, Vt., subsequently entering Phillips-Exe-

ter Academy, where he was graduated in 1873 after a three years' course. In the same year he entered upon the academic course at Harvard University, being graduated there- from in the class of 1877. He then took up the study of law with John Converse of Boston, but a few years later he was attracted to the West, going to Colorado, in which state he re- mained from 1880 to 1887. These were the days of the great mining boom, when the names of Ruby Camp, Irwin, Gothic, Crested Butte, Gunnison and others carried golden visions of sudden wealth to the adventurous prospector. Mr. Stiles was one of those who thus tempted fortune and during his stay in the West he had an interesting variety of experiences. He be- came police judge at Irwin, his jurisdiction Massachusetts, the office in which his court was located being known as "the Arsenal," it being advisable at times that means of enforcing or- der be at hand, as well as from the fact that the Judge was an enthusiastic hunter of big game. For a time also he held the position of city attorney at Crested Butte.

In 1884 he was married at Gunnison, Col., to Miss Ellen S. Field, a daughter of Benjamin F. and Eliza A. (Trobridge) Field, natives of Wisconsin, but of New England ancestry. Her father was the inventor of many useful manu- facturing processes, particularly those con- nected with the manufacture of strawboard and paper making generally. He came of the noted Field family of merchants and inventors, of which Cyrus W. Field was a leading represen- tative. Both he and his wife are now deceased.

Mr. and Mrs. Stiles on leaving Colorado went to Los Angeles, Cal., where Mr. Stiles practiced his profession. He also in 1888-89 held the post of city auditor and ex-officio clerk of the city council. In the fall of 1891 he re- turned to Boston, Mass., where he entered into a partnership with Samuel W. Clifford. Two years later, in 1893, he came to Charleston and was employed for some sixteen years in repre- senting claimants of the great Robert Morris grant, patented to Robert Morris of Philadel- phia, the litigation concerning which was known in legal circles as "the Great King Land Case."" Since then his legal practice has been largely

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devoted to land cases, though not exclusively. He holds a high rank in his profession, being one of the leading members of the bar of the county. He takes an active interest in political affairs, owning allegience to the Democratic party. He and his wife are attendants of the Kanawha Presbyterian church, and are promi- nent in the best society of Charleston. They have an adopted daughter, Tomas Stiles, who was born in Baltimore, Md., December 19, 1890. She was educated in the public schools of Charleston and at Sherred Hall, this city, and is a young lady of culture and refinement.

HENRY BROWN ALEXANDER, farmer in Cabin Creek District, Kanawha County, W. Va., is one of the substantial and representative men of this section in which the greater part of a long and busy life has been passed. He was born not far from his present home, just across the river from Pratt, W. Va., October 9, 1842, and is a son of John and Catherine (Shelton) Alexander.

John Alexander was born in Bedford County, Va., in November, 1806, a son of Thomas Alexander. The latter was of Irish birth and he was a soldier in the Indian and probably the Revolutionary War. It is known that he lived in Virginia and moved from there to Jackson County, Ohio, and died there. John Alexander came to Kanawha County from Bedford County in 1820, locating near where his son, Henry B., now lives, in 1828 buying fifty acres of land. He engaged in numerous business enterprises, being able to turn his hand easily to any kind of work, followed farming and blacksmithing, was an excellent cooper, built the old salt flat-boats and at the same time carried on a small store. He died on his own property in 1869. He married Catherine Shel- ton, who was born in 1813, a daughter of Samuel Shelton, and died in 1903. Samuel Shelton was one of the old pioneers who settled before the birth of Mrs. Alexander on the site of what is now Pratt, W. Va. One of his sons, Captain Winson Shelton, served in both the lower and upper branches of the state legisla- ture, from Nicholas County. Ten children were born to John Alexander and wife, namely : Andrew . C .; Henry Brown: Cynthia A., wife

of William A. Rogers; Isabella C., deceased, formerly the wife of N. P. Mitchell; Huston S., and five who died young.

Henry B. Alexander spent his boyhood on the farm and before the Civil War attended subscription schools and afterward completed his education in the free schools. He was only eighteen years old when, in March, 1861, he en- listed in what was known as the Kanawha Rangers but later as Co. I, 8th Va. Cav., Con- federate Army, took part in all the movements of his regiment and was promoted to be first sergeant. He was paroled on April 24, 1865, at Lewisburg, W. Va., when he returned to Kanawha County and resumed farming and also engaged in teaming. Later he became con- nected with the coal industry and spent thirty- three years around the mines. After coming into possession of a part of his father's estate, he improved his property and in 1903 erected his present commodious residence.

On October 6, 1870, Mr. Alexander was married to Miss Mary C. Ault, a daughter of the late Capt. A. B. Ault, who was a well known river man for many years. Seven chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, as follows: John, who died aged twenty-two years; Charles, who married Minnie Dunlap; William, who married Elizabeth Morris; Frank, who married Stella Craft; Emmett; Thomas, who married Dennie Crowder; and Sallie, who married Thomas Willie. In politics Mr. Alex- ander is a Democrat and years ago was twice elected constable. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias at Handley, W. Va .; to the Odd Fellows at London, W. Va. : and to R. E. Lee Camp No. 887, United Confederate Veterans, at Charleston.

CALVERY HENLEY ALFORD, de- ceased, was born June 1, 1852, on Mud River, in Putnam County, Va., and died at Charleston, December 18, 1907, being a retired merchant and capitalist. His parents were William and Sallie (Dolin) Alford.

William Alford was born in Monroe County, now West Virginia, and his wife in Boone County, in which latter county they were mar- ried and afterward spent many years on their farm on Trace Fork of the Mud River, in Put-

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nam County. In conjunction with farming, William Alford was a commercial traveler and was on the road for some years for Robert Thompson, a tobacco dealer. During what he intended to be his last trip, he was attacked by robbers near Gallipolis, Ohio, and was killed by an assassin who escaped justice. His widow afterward married Robert Alford, and they had one son, Andrew M., who now resides on the old home farm in Putnam County. To her first marriage Mrs. Alford had borne six sons and one daughter.

Calvery H. Alford was reared on the home farm and resided there until sixteen years of age. He was then for one year with the C. & O. Railroad as chore boy. When his eldest brother married they went into mercantile busi- ness together at Griffithsville, Lincoln County, W. Va., but after being thus engaged for some time our subject sold his interest to his second brother. He and his three brothers were asso- ciated together in the tobacco business for one year and were afterwards engaged in mercan- tile business at St. Albans for three years. Cal- very H. Alford then sold his interest to his three brothers and in the fall of 1885 came to

Charleston. Here he engaged in a general mercantile business which he conducted with much success for some ten years, after which until his death he was occupied in attending to his real estate interests. Mr. Alford was known as an honorable business man and most worthy citizen. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was not very active and never consented to hold office.

Mr. Alford was married February 18, 1883, at Somersville, Nicholas County, W. Va., to Miss H. May Crites, who was born in Jackson County September 20, 1862, a daughter of Nathan M. and Mazilla (Boarde) Crites, and who went to. Nicholas County with her parents when 15 years old. Mr. and Mrs. Crites were married in Jackson County and lived there for seventeen years and then moved to Nicholas County and settled at Somerville, where the death of Mr. Crites occurred September 23, 1899, at the age of fifty-eight years. He was a shoemaker by trade and also engaged in farm- ing. His widow survives and lives at the old homestead. She is a member of the Mission-

ary Baptist church, but Mr. Crites belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church, south. They had two daughters, Mrs. Alford and Leola J. The latter married James F. Pettigrew, and they have two children, Harry A. and Sylvia C. One daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Al- ford, Ella G., born January 7, 1884, whose lit- tle life was covered by but seven months. Mrs. Alford is a member of a religious organization known as Truth.

JOSEPH SAMUEL MASON, postmaster at Villa, W. Va., where he is engaged in the mercantile business, was born No- vember 1, 1847, in Snow Creek Valley, Franklin County, Va., and is a son of Lewis G. and Catherine Jane (Pearson) Mason.

Lewis G. Mason was born in Virginia and died in 1865, at Fort Delaware Prison, from an attack of smallpox, while a prisoner of war. He was a soldier in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and was cap- tured by the Federal forces at Winchester. He owned a large farm and prior to the war followed agricultural pursuits and tan- ning. He married Catherine Jane Pearson, who died at Charleston. His parents were Jack and Julia (Ashworth) Mason, while those of his wife were Thomas and Eliza- beth (Hickman) Pearson, the latter being natives of Germany who settled in Franklin County, Va., when they came to America. Joseph Samuel Mason attended private schools until he was seventeen years of age and then came to Kanawha County. The hard fortunes of war had brought fam- ily vicissitudes and he engaged in work as a common laborer and helped in the manu- facturing of coal oil until 1870. He then engaged in farming and also was a clerk at the Graham mines' store and other places, and then went into the mercantile business for himself at his present location and gave this post-office its name of Villa. He was appointed assistant postmaster under the administration of President Grant and his daughter served as postmistress until her death. Mr. Mason served in the Confeder- ate Army as a member of Col. Henry's brig- ade on guard duty near Richmond from

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November, 1864, until the surrender of General Lee, in April, 1865. He has always been active in Democratic politics and has served as a member of the Democratic Ex- ecutive Committee. He is identified with several fraternal organizations including the Red Men, belonging to King Philip Tribe No. 32 and is collector of wampum ; and to Lodge No. 141, American Mechan- ics, at Villa, of which he is treasurer and junior ex-counsellor.

Mr. Mason was married to Miss Martha J. Turner, a daughter of Jeffrey G. and Nancy (Mason) Turner. The former was a farmer in Franklin County and raised driving horses prior to the Civil War. After moving to Elk District he was employed in the salt works and later lived on Mill Creek, where his death occurred in 1886, at the age of sixty-three years. Mrs. Mason has five sisters and two brothers. To Mr. and Mrs. Mason the following children were born: Lewis Edward, who is bookkeeper for the Kanawha Produce Company at Charleston, married Stella Wickers and they have six children: Thomas J., who is associated in business with his father, mar- ried Cora Butterworth and they have two children; Lulu O., who is the wife of R. L. Buckner, a carpenter in Elk District, has seven children; Alfred C., who is a tele- graph operator; Nancy Catherine, who died at the age of nineteen years; Nellie, who died in infancy; and Charlotte Elizabeth, Ruth Ellen and Dorothy Blanche, all of whom are at home; and Mary Alice, who was the first born daughter and whose beau- tiful and useful young life closed at the age of twenty-one years. She was mentally gifted and was one of the most popular school teachers in Elk District at the time of her death and also served as postmistress at Villa, being appointed in October, 1892. She was organist in the Baptist church and was a beloved teacher in the Sunday-school. Her memory is tenderly preserved not only by her sadly bereaved family but by the whole community, in which she was a favor- ite. Mr. and Mrs. Mason are members of the Baptist church of Mill Creek. Mr. Ma-

son was reappointed postmaster at Villa in October, 1904. Mrs. Mason has the follow- ing sisters and brothers: Sarah, wife of W. Nichols; Ruth E., wife of Jesse Block- ard; Oney F., wife of C. Estep; Eliza, wife of Levi Cavender; Julia E., wife of James Welch; Samuel B. and Jeffrey W.

E. B. STEPHENSON, M. D., a well known business man of Charleston, W. Va., was born in Clay County, W. Va., May 13, 1873, son of the late A. J. Stephenson.

He was educated in the public schools, at Athens Normal school and the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio; en- tered medical college at the University of Louisville, Ky., in 1894; was graduated from the same school in March, 1897, and followed the medical profession for a num- ber of years thereafter, being classed as one of the leading physicians of the state.

He retired from the medical practice be- cause of extensive interests in timber and lumber requiring his entire attention. He is secretary, treasurer and director of one of the leading lumber companies of the state (the Carroll Hardwood Lumber Co.) ; pres- ident of the Stephenson-Sayre Lumber Co .; was appointed by the Governor as the Democratic member of the State Board of Control, in November, 1910, to succeed Dr. Thomas E. Hodges, and later selected as treasurer of this board by its members.

He is a member of the different branches of Masonry, belonging to the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Commandery, and Beni-Kedem Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

ARTHUR WAYNE TAYLOR, chief bookkeeper for the Hughes Creek Coal Company, at Hugheston, W. Va., came to Kanawha County August 15, 1904. He was born at Lansing, Fayette County, W. Va., May 10, 1883, and is a son of Thomas H. and Mildred (Wood) Taylor. The father of Mr. Taylor died when he was five years old and his mother subsequently mar- ried William McClung and they reside in Nicholas County, Va. The children of the

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first marriage were: Lawrence M., Festus, Arthur Wayne and Edgar J. One son, Leonard, was born to the second marriage.

Arthur Wayne Taylor spent his boyhood in Fayette County, where he attended the public schools and later, when living with his grandmother, Mrs. Anna Taylor, at- tended school at Huntington, and com- pleted his education at Marshall College. He assisted his uncle, a business man at Anstead, as clerk and bookkeeper and then came to Hugheston as assistant bookkeeper and buyer for the company store, which was then a comparatively small concern. In September, 1906, he took full charge of the office, while the store was turned over to H. H. Epperly, who was succeeded by the present manager, Fred W. McConnell. Mr. Taylor takes little interest in politics, be- yond the demands of good citizenship, be- ing essentially a business man, and his faith- ful services to the present company are fully recognized.

Mr. Taylor was married November 28, 1907, to Miss Eva Howery, a daughter of B. D. and Willie (Clark) Howery, of Charleston, and they have one child, Helen. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Odd Fellows at Anstead and of the Modern Woodmen at Fayetteville.

SAMUEL V. MATTHEWS, state com- missioner of banking, is a man who for years has taken an active part in public life in West Virginia. He was born in Cabell County, W. Va., on the present site of Huntington, March 6, 1860, a son of Sam- uel and Mary J. (Smith) Matthews.

Samuel Matthews was born in 1826, in Maryland, and when a young man went to Ohio and from there to Virginia-to that section that since 1863 has been known as West Virginia. During the great struggle between the North and South, he enlisted as a private in Co. B, 5th Va. Vols., Federal Army, and saw four, years of service. After the close of the Civil War he lived in Ohio and died there in 1883, at the age of sixty- two years. He was a Republican in his po- litical views, was a man of quiet, domestic 28

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 63

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