History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 69

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 69

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A. HENRY BUTTS, M.D. In the death of Dr. A. Henry Butts, on February 15. 1905, there pased off the scene of life one of West Virginia's eminent men of med- icine, one whose name was known all over the state and was held in honor by the members of his profession and by his fellow citizens generally. He was born in 1824, in Greenbrier county, Va., and his long and useful life came to its close at Charleston, to which city he had come but a few weeks previously. By choice and inheritance he was a physician, his father, Dr. Shannon Butts, having been distinguished as a sur-

geon and physician for many years before him.

Dr. Shanon Butts was born at Penn Cas- tle, Va., and his death occurred in Monroe county, Va. He was a graduate of the University of New York, but his life was spent in his native section, a large part of it in Monroe county, his home being at Greenville. In many ways he was an ex- traordinary man, possessing great talent in many directions and was gifted in music, his voice being one of such great range that he could sing in the highest register, while his personal appearance was so attractive that he was a noted individual in any gath- ering. He came of the best old Virginia stock and had generations of educated and refined people behind him.

Dr. Shanon Butts was married first to Mrs. Mary J. (Reace) Murphy, who was a native of Kentucky. Her first husband, Dr. Murphy, was a well known physician, as was their only son, Frank Murphy, who was a practitioner in Kanawha county and was married at the time of his accidental death by drowning in a swollen stream at St. Albans, W. Va. The children of Dr. and Mrs. Butts were as follows: A. Henry, our direct subject ; Fletcher, who became a prominent minster in the Methodist church, and died at Baltimore, Md .; Leonidas, now more than seventy-two years of age, who resides at Woodstock, Va., and is a super- annuated minister of the Methodist Episco- pal church ; Ann, now deceased, who is sur- vived by her husband, Pembrooke Peck. Dr. Butts was married secondly to Mrs. Margaret (Arnott) Maddy, of Monroe county, who died in 1910, when aged ninety years. Three daughters were born to this marriage.

A. Henry Butts inherited with profes- sional tastes, many of his father's character- istics and talents. He was graduated be- fore he was twenty-one years of age from Mead College, at Richmond, Va. About this time the war between states broke out and the young medical graduate entered the Confederate army as a surgeon and practiced through the war. Afterward he

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established himself in practice at Green- ville, Monroe county, W. Va., and soon be- came widely known for his medical knowl- edge and surgical skill. He was called into consultation by physicians all over the state and his services were in constant demand when major operations in surgery were necessary. His personal qualifications for his profession were also exceptional and his patients often declared that his mere presence was uplifting and invigorating. He was a sincere member of the Presby- terian church, to which he was a generous contributor, and was a great Bible student, making it his duty, as it was his pleasure, to read from the Word every day of his life. He was long identified with the Masonic fraternity and for many years was active in lodge work. In politics he was an inde- pendent Democrat.

Dr. Butts was married at Alderson, Mon- roe county, now West Virginia, to Miss Martha C. Hines, who was born there, May 15, 1833, and was educated by private teachers, having a governess, as was the old custom in exclusive Southern families. Her parents were Charles R. and Cynthia (Con- ner) Hines, both natives of Virginia. Her father owned many slaves and on his plan- tations they were well cared for. His death occurred in old age in Monroe county. He was a native of Greenbrier county and his business life was partly spent at Blue Sul- phur Springs, where he was a merchant for many years. He married in Greenbrier county and his wife died in Monroe county in the prime of life. They had five children : James W., Lorenzo N., Mrs. Butts, John W. and Mary J., the last named being the eldest. She died after marriage, during the Civil War, and left children.

James W. Hines was a graduate of the medical department of the university of Virginia, and afterward entered the Con- federate army, where he advanved rapidly, becoming chief surgeon of the general hos- pital at Richmond, with the rank of major- general. After the end of the Civil War he became prominent in his profession in Vir- ginia and subsequently removed to Le Mar, 30

Ia., where his death occurred. Lorenza N. Hines was also a soldier in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, a member of General Morgan's command, and having contracted consumption while in the ser- vice, he died after reaching home. John W. Hines lived in Illinois for a number of years and married and died there and was survived by two sons, one of these being now in the United States navy.

To Dr. A. Henry and Mrs. Butts the fol- lowing children were born: Hettie, Charles Shannon, J. Fleetwood, Frank R. and Mary. The eldest daughter is the widow of Dr. Benjamin F. Kibler and resides with her mother. She has three children-Claude H., who is a dentist in practice in Oklahoma city, Lista and Maxwell. Charles Shannon Butts is a physician in active practice at Newport News, Va., being a graduate of the New York Medical university; he mar- ried Fannie Moon and they have one son, Charles S., Jr. J. Fleetwood, who is a graduate of the Baltimore Dental college, is one of the leading dental surgeons of Charleston and has a large practice. He married Ida Pemberton, who is a niece of ex-Governor Atkinson, of West Virginia, and they have two sons, Henry P. and Ed- win. Mary is the wife of Dr. McDonald and they live at Seminole, Okla. Mrs. Butts and family are members of the Pres- byterian church, in which Dr. Butts was an elder.

HON. JOHN SHERMAN DARST, state auditor of West Virginia, was born in Ohio in 1860, his parents being Roman and Per- melia (Watkins) Darst. He is a grandson of Abram Darst, born in Virginia about one hundred years ago, who was a miller and farmer, and who early in life settled in Gallia county, Ohio, where he followed the milling business; dying there at anad- vanced age. He married a Miss Shaver, who came from Virginia, and who, like himself, died in Ohio. They were members of the Christian church, in which he was an exhorter.

Roman Darst was the eldest of a large

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family of children. He was born in Meigs county, Ohio, in 1837 and died in 1880 when about forty-three years of age. Like his father he was a miller by occupation, and he became a staunch adherent of the Re- publican party after its formation. He married Permelia Watkins of Gallia county, Ohio, and she died there when about twenty-eight years old, leaving four chil- dren, namely: Moses W., a miller, now re- siding in Pickerton, Ohio, who married Helen Rankin; Ella, wife of John Stivers, a lumberman residing in Georgia, and hav- ing a son and daughter; John Sherman, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; and Mrs. Fannie Hetzel, residing at Pomeroy, Meigs county, Ohio, who has three daughters.

John Sherman Darst after acquiring a common school education, learned the mil- ler's trade, which he followed in Ohio and subsequently in West Virginia, after his re- moval to this state. He was elected to the legislature of West Virginia in 1896, on the Republican ticket, representing Jackson county, and served three terms in the house and one term of four years in the senate, being elected to the latter body in 1901. He was one of the first men in the senate to advocate what is known as the new tax laws and to help place them on the statute books of the state. He was also the father of the constitutional amendments which placed the auditor and secretary of state on salaries, and made the secretary of state's office an elective one. By this amendment the fees collected by these two officials are placed in the state treasury instead of into the private pockets of the auditor and the secretary of state, which has resulted in saving to the state several hundred thou- sands of dollars. He was the father of what is known as the valued policy law, compel- ling fire insurance companies to pay the face value of the policy in case of total loss by fire; also the bill making it a misde- meanor to spit tobacco juice on church floors, as well as the bill abolishing the

public executing of the death sentence in this state, and many other bills of more or less importance.

As senator Mr. Darst represented the fourth senatorial district consisting of Jack- son, Mason and Roane counties. On the expiration of his term he was appointed as- sistant state tax commissioner, in which po- sition he served for four years, being elected auditor for the state, in which office a term of four years also obtains, in 1908. Ex-Governor White, during his term as tax commissioner of the state, referred in the following terms to Mr. Darst's services : "The work of the assistant tax commis- sioner, Hon. J. S. Darst, has been of the highest character, both in efficiency and tactfulness. He has well earned his promo- tion by the votes of the people to the high office of state auditor, and the citizens of our state are to be congratulated on his election to that office. He is a tried and true friend of what is popularly termed 'tax reform, and he will take with him into his new office a sympathetic appreciation of the new tax laws, and an administrative ability, which will make notable his occupancy of the office of auditor."

Mr. Darst has done much to verify this prophecy. He has both earned and gained the public confidence and proved himself a stalwart champion of honest and efficient government, and he has ever placed patriot- ism above personal interest in the adminis- tration of public affairs.

Mr. Darst married Miss Blanche Mckay, who was born, reared and educated in the state of Ohio, and whose parents were Mal- colm and Marjorie (Adams) McKay, the former, Malcolm McKay being now de- ceased. Mr. and Mr. Darst are the parents of three children, namely: Lieut. Guilford Darst, of the United States navy, who is an instructor in mathematics at Annapolis, Md., where he was graduated in the class of 1900; Helen, wife of Frank Corbin, an attorney at Morgantown, WV. Va., and who has one child, Frank, Jr. ; and Moses, resid- ing at home with his parents, who is a stu- dent in the Charleston high school, being

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a member of the class of 1912. Mr. Darst, his uncle, James M. Payne, with whom he his wife and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

WILLIAM DALLAS PAYNE, a well known attorney of Charleston, member of the firm of Payne & Payne, was born at Newport, Giles county, Va., son of Erastus F. and Hattie (Early) Payne. The Payne family is an old one in Virginia, being es- pecially numerous in Campbell and Frank- lin counties. They are said to be descended, all or most of them, from Sir John Payne of Fairfax county. This early ancestor of the family had a number of children, among whom was Barney, who married a Monroe and inherited the Payne estate on Staunton river, in Bedford county (afterward Camp- bell county).

Of the next generation we have no rec- ord, but a grandson of Barney was Thomas A. Payne, who married Frances Powell of Franklin county and had a large family of children, among whom was Charles Henry, grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Charles Henry Payne married Rebecca Price, of Giles county, Va., and he lived for a few years arter his marriage at the old Payne home in Franklin county. His wife died in September, 1856, and he subse- quently contracted a second union. His children by Rebecca Price were William H., who was a captain in the Confederate serv- ice and who was killed in the Civil War, in October, 1864; John R .; Erastus F., father of the subject of this sketch; Elizabeth; James M., who is a member of the law firm of Payne & Payne, of Charleston; Octavia, and Victoria. As already indicated, Eras- tus F. Payne, who still resides in Giles county, Va., married Hattie Early, who like himself is a native of Virginia, belonging to one of the prominent families of the state. from which sprang Gen. Jubal Early of Civil War fame. Her parents were Jubal A. and Jane (Helm) Early.

William Dallas Payne was gradauted from the University of Nashville and also from Washington and Lee University. He then came to Charleston and, having been admitted to the bar, became associated with

has continued for twenty years as a mem- ber of the law firm of Payne & Payne. This firm has a good clientage and transacts much of the important legal business of the city and vicinity.

Mr. William D. Payne married Margaret Allemong, daughter of Andrew and Annie (Wilson) Allemong, the former of whom was a native of South Carolina and the lat- ter of Charleston, West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Payne are the parents of one son, An- drew Allemong. The family belong to the Presbyterian church. Mr. Payne is a mem- ber of the Masonic order, belonging to the Blue lodge at Fayetteville and to the Com- mandery and Shrine at Charleston.

EDWIN POLSUE for many years was a successful business man of West Virginia, identified with numerous important in- terests up to the time of his death. He was born in Penzance, England, September I. 1848, and died at Charleston, W. Va., No- vember 16, 1907. His parents were Wil- liam and Elizabeh Polsue, natives of Eng- land. The father was a man of education and followed school teaching as a profes- sion. He died in England at the age of sixty years, his widow surviving to the age of eighty-seven years. They were mem- bers of the Episcopal church.

Edwin Polsue was sixteen years of age when he accompanied his four brothers to America and all of them located at Wilkes- barre, Pa. There he learned the plaster's trade, and followed it for some years, be- coming a contractor in that line. In Feb- ruary, 1882, he came to Charleston, W. Va., where, in partnership with his son, he was engaged for a time in the meat packing in- dustry and later became also interested in other lines, subsequently moving to Crown Hill, W. Va., where he was in the coal busi- ness until the fall of 1901. He then re- turned to Charleston and shortly afterward established a boiler foundry and machine shops, which he continued to operate al- most as long as he survived. He was a man of sterling character, honest in busi-

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ness and upright in private life. In relig- ious faith he was a Methodist and in poli- tics a Republican. He took no interest in secret societies.

Edwin Polsue was married first, at Wilkesbarre, Pa., to Miss Mary E. Carver, who was born in England, accompanied her parents to America in childhood, and was reared at Plymouth, Pa. Her death oc- curred at Charleston, in the prime of life, after she had been the mother of two chil- dren-one who died in infancy, and Edwin C., who is a resident of Long Beach, Calif. He married Dorothy Bott and they have three children-Mary, Nora and Elizabeth. Mr. Polsue was married secondly at Ply- mouth, Pa., to Miss Retta Clewell, who was born at Berwick, Pa., but was reared at Plymouth. She now resides in a beautiful

home, which is situated on Oakwood Heights, overlooking the city of Charles- ton. Her parents were Augustus and Cor- delia (Zehner) Clewell, both natives of Pennsylvania. The father of Mrs. Polsue died at Plymouth in February, 1899, at the age of sixty-two years. His father was Henry Clewell, who was a son of Henry Clewell, who came to America from France at an early day. The family for several generations lived in Columbia county, Pa. The father of Mrs. Polsue was a soldier in the Federal army during the Civil War, serving four years and partici- pating in much hard fighting. He was a brick building contractor. His widow sur- vives and resides with Mrs. Polsue. To Mr. and Mrs. Polsue two children were born: William C., born February 27, 1902; and Benjamin A., born June 15, 1903, both of whom are attending school.

GEORGE Mc. JONES, M. D., physician and surgeon at Island Branch, Kanawha county, W. Va., is known professionally and in a business way over a wide territory and owns 700 acres of fine land in Kanawha county and other smaller tracts in Jackson county. He was born in Craig county, Va., May 29, 1854, and is a son of A. K. and Delilah Jones.

Dr. Mc. Jones was educated in the schools of Craig and Nicholas counties, and entered upon the practice of medicine in 1871, in Greenbrier county, engaging also in the drug business, and coming to his present location in 1875. He has been very suc- cessful in his practice and there are among his patients those who affirm that his cheery voice and smiling countenance in the sick room are tonics in themselves and greatly assist in the curing of ills. He is a valued member of the Kanawha County Medical Society. He devotes his time to his prac- tice, having his land under the care of a tenant, who carries on general farming and also handles cattle.

Dr. Mc. Jones was married to Miss Martha L. Monroe, a native of Worth county, W. Va., and they have ten children: A. S., A. J., R. A., Janetta, Estella Cleveland, Leota, Lula Victoria, Mary Ellen, Ida F. and Gracie P.

A. S. Jones and R. A. Jones are farmers and dealers in stock. Rev. A. J. Jones is a farmer and minister of the gospel. Dr. Mc. Jones votes with the Democratic party but has never taken an active interest in politics. He is financially interested in the Leatherwood, Riverside, Jackson & Kanawha Short Line Tele- phones.

WILLIAM A. CARVER, deceased, for- merly a respected resident of Charleston, W. Va., a man of business capacity and re- liability, was born at Plymouth, Luzerne county, Pa., May 6, 1872, and was a son of John and Margaret (Jones) Carver. The parents of Mr. Carver were also natives of Pennsylvania but the larger part of their lives were spent in West Virginia and the mother died in Fayette county. The father married again and is a well known coal mine operator, residing at Charleston.

William A. Carver passed his school pe- riod in Illinois. The greater part of his life was devoted to the coal industry; during the latter part he was general manager for different companies and was so engaged until the time of his death, June 24, 1909. After coming to Charleston in 1907 he pur-

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chased the comfortable family home where his family still resides. In politics he was a Republican. He was prominent in Mason- ry and was a Shriner.

William A. Carver was married in Kan- awha county to Miss Anne D. Davison, who was born at Pittsburg, Pa., January 14, 1879, and was eleven years old when she came to Kanawha county. She is a daugh- ter of Thomas K. and Alice (Clark) Davi- son. They came from Pennsylvania to Kan- awha county, where Mr. Davison was in the lumber business for twelve years and then went to Chicago, where he and his wife both live. Mr. and Mrs. Davison are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. The pa- ternal grandfather of Mrs. Carver was Thomas Davison, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, of f Scotch-Irish ancestry. He

married Rebecca Turner at Pittsburg, Pa. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Carver was Rev. Alexander Clark, a prominent minister in the Methodist Protestant church, and an extensive traveler, who was also well known through his writings, many of his hymns being particularly acceptable. He died at the home of his friend, Governor Colquitt, at Atlanta, Ga. His widow still survives and makes her home with her chil- dren. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Carver, namely : Margaret Jones, who was born December 15, 1899; Alice Clark, who was born July 16, 1901; and Thomas Davison, who was born February 13, 1907. Mrs. Carver is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

WILLIAM M. B. HOBBS, one of Charleston's most respected retired citi- zens, where he was engaged in the mercan- tile business for many years, now devotes a large part of his time to religious work and for the past thirteen years has ben superin- tendent of the Sunday-school of the Bream Memorial Presbyterian church, an organi- zation which has an enrollment of 1025 pu- pils. He was born June 7, 1852, in Green- brier county, Va., and is a son of William E. and Martha A. (Hobbs) Hobbs, and a grandson of Allen Hobbs.

William E. Hobbs was born in Prince George county, Va., in 1819, and was the eldest of a family of three sons and two daughters born to his parents, Allen and Jane Hobbs, old residents of Prince George county. William E. Hobbs moved to Greenbrier county in 1849 and a few years later to near Spencer, Roane county, now in West Virginia. From there in 1877 the family came to Charleston, where William E. Hobbs purchased some lots in what was then known as the west end of the city and which became very valuable. In politics he was a Democrat and while living in Roane county had served some years as deputy sheriff and jailer. His death occurred in 1894, at the age of seventy-four years. He married Martha A. Hobbs, a kinswoman, who died in 1901, while on a visit to a daughter in Roane county. She was a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, while Mr. Hobbs had belonged to the Methodist Protestant church. Seven children were born to them, two of whom died young. One daughter, Emma, was accidentally killed by a falling tree, when twelve years of age. James H. is a business man at Hinton, W. Va., and has a large fam- ily. Mary A. is the wife of George Dever- ick, a farmer residing near Clendenin. Wil- liam M. B. was the next born. Margaret A. is the wife of J. Lee Radebaugh, a farm- er in Roane county. Elizabeth, who is now deceased, was the wife of Thomas H. Chap- man, who also is deceased.

William M. B. Hobbs attended the pub- lic schools and after coming to Kanawha county, engaged in teaching school for some time and in 1883 embarked in the general mercantile business at Charleston which he continued for fourteen years. This enter- prise proved very successful and during his active business years Mr. Hobbs acquired considerable property. In politics he is a Democrat and while living in Roane county he served three years in the office of deputy sheriff. He takes a good citizen's interest in public matters but finds more pleasure in other avenues than politics. The leading and training of children in connection with

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church work proves of deep interest to him and the success that has rewarded his ef- forts is nothing less than remarkable. He has long been very active in the work of the Presbyterian church, in which he is an el- der, and has been a delegate to the General Assembly.

Mr. Hobbs was married at Charleston to Miss Sarah E. Fogarty, who was born in 1870, in Kanawha county and was reared and educated on Cooper's Creek. She is an estimable lady, a member also of the Pres- byterian church and is in full sympathy with Mr. Hobbs in his worthy endeavors in the same. He is a past member of Glen Elk Lodge No. 95, Odd Fellows, and belongs also to Glendale Lodge No. 78, Knights of Pythias, having passed through the chairs of both lodges; also a member of the Senior Order of American Mechanics.

JAMES M. CLARK, senior member of the widely known civil and mining engineering firm of Clark & Krebs, with headquarters at Charleston, W. Va., is a highly qualified and thoroughly experienced man in this business. Mr. Clark has been a resident of West Virginia since he was twenty-one years of age. He was born April 6, 1866, at Westfield, N. J., and is a son of James Lawrence and Hannah Margaret (Johnston) Clark.

Mr. Clark's ancestors on his father's side came to America from England, about the year 1680, and the family record in his possession is as follows :

Samuel Clark came from England about the year 1680, settling on Long Island.

Thomas Clark came from England with his father.

William, the son of Thomas Clark, settled in Westfield, N. J., some time prior to 1730.

Captain Charles Clark, a son of William Clark spent his life in Westfield, N. J.

Captain William Clark, a son of Charles Clark, was born in 1756, fought through the Revolutionary War, was captured by the Brit- ish and by them imprisoned in the "Old Sugar House Prison," on Manhattan Island, and died September 28, 1853, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years, three months and eleven

days, as is testified by the headstone at his grave in the old church graveyard, on the bot- tom of which is inscribed, "I would not live alway." When the above mentioned prison was torn down, canes were made of the walnut lum- ber in same and presented to the surviving prisoners, the one that belonged to Captain William Clark being still in the possession of his great grandson, Dr. William A. Clark, of Trenton, N. J.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 69

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