History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 73

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 73

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Mr. Bowen was married at Charleston to Miss Lucy Cantrell, who was born in Ken- tucky, sixty years ago, a daughter of John and Agnes (Fitch) Cantrell, old family names there. Mr. and Mrs. Bowen have two children: Sam- uel E. and M. Elizabeth. The latter was born at Charleston and was educated in the public schools and the Capital City Commercial Col- lege. She resides at home. Samuel E. Bowen was born April 19, 1876, near Charleston, and was educated in the public schools of this city, the University of West Virginia, and the Nash- ville, Tenn., College, graduating from the law department of that institution in 1903 with his degree, and was admitted to the Kanawha County bar. He practices law but is also largely interested as a real estate broker. He is active in Democratic politics and during 1907-8 was chairman of the City Democratic Executive Committee. In Masonry he belongs to many of the branches at Charleston and to the Con- sistory at Wheeling. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. On June 15, 1909, he was married at Staunton, Va., to Miss Tessa

Lee Sellers, who was born in Rockingham County, Va., in June, 1882, and was educated at Bidgewater College. She is a daughter of J. O. T. and Katherine ( Bauserman) Sellers, both of Rockingham County.

D. A. MOORE, who conducts a general store and also handles milk and cream, on the Ferry Branch road, in Loudon District, Kana- wha County, W. Va., was born in Franklin County, Va., June 21, 1850, and is a son of David and Sarah J. ( Griffith) Moore.

The parents of Mr. Moore were born in Franklin County, where the father followed farming until 1871 when he moved with his family to Kanawha County, and his death oc- curred when he was four days beyond his seventy-third birthday. The family consisted of eight children, namely: America and Louisa J., both of whom are now deceased; W. J., who lives in Texas; P. J., who also lives in Texas ; D. A .; Alfred, who is deceased ; and M. E. and Charles.

D. A. Moore attended school in Franklin County, and afterward engaged in farming and in teaming and also worked on the railroad, having habits of industry from youth up and never satisfied unless engaged in some employ- ment. After spending some time in Kentucky and following teaming there, and after coming to Kanawha County, in February, 1871, he turned his attention to merchandising and nine years ago opened his store. He carries a sea- sonable stock calculated to meet the wants of his customers and is prospering.

Mr. Moore married Miss Susan Price, a daughter of John and Catherine Price, of Greenbriar County, where the father was a farmer, and they have one son, John D., who is a civil engineer. Mr. Moore is a Democrat and has served as school director and at one time was constable.

E. FRANK HILL, formerly president of the First National Bank of Alderson, W. Va., and for many years a very prominent business man in Monroe county, was born in Monroe county, W. Va., December 19, 1849, and died at Alderson. December 19, 1904. He was a son of Spencer R. and

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Margaret (Patton) Hill, who were also na- tives of Monroe county. For some years after the Civil War the father conducted a store at Alderson. He was a Democrat in his political sentiments and he and wife were members of the Presbyterian church.

E. Frank Hill was reared in his native county and after his school days were over, became identified with the mercantile busi- ness which he engaed in until 1872, in which year, in association with his father- in-law, Joseph Jarrett, he became interested in stock and cattle raising. In 1891 he or- ganized the first financial institution at Al- derson, the First National Bank, of which he was president until his death.

On October 4, 1871, in Greenbrier county, W. Va., E. Frank Hill was married to Miss Fannie Jarrett, who was born in that county and attended school there and at Lewisburg College. She is a daughter of Joseph P. and Malinda (McClung) Jar- rett, the former of whom was born Septem- ber 3, 1811, in Greenbrier county, and died in 1898, aged eighty-seven years. For many years he was an extensive stock and cattle raiser, and during this time was in partnership with his son-in-law, E. Frank Hill. He was a devout Methodist and his house was the home of the preachers of that faith whenever they came to that section. He married Malinda McClung, who was born December 12, 1808, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Hill, December II, 1891, within one day of being eighty- three years of age. The place on which the Jarrett family lived in Greenbrier county, was settled by James Jarrett, who died in 1822. He located there soon after the Revolutionary War and his stone mansion is still standing near Alderson. He married Polly Griffith, who died in 1802. She was noted as a woman of great endurance and it is said that she would frequently walk a distance of sixteen miles to Lewisburg, in order to hear a favorite minister preach. Two daughters were born to Joseph P. and Malinda Jarrett: Mrs. Hill and Jennie, the latter of whom was the wife of William An- derson. Mrs. Anderson was survived by

three children. To Mr. and Mrs. Hill six children were born, namely: Joseph S., who is cashier of the National City Bank, married Grace Gosling, and they have two children-Joseph Jarrett and Margaret ; Maude, who is the wife of Richard Hodges, of Alderson, and they have three children- Edwin R., Frances Hill and Fannie Jarrett ; Blanche, who is the wife of John Lobban, of Alderson; Mabel, who resides with her mother; Frank, who graduated in law at the University of West Virginia in 1906 andi for three years has been a justice of the peace, married Lillian Haynes ; and Roy L., who is in the commission business and is connected with a Baltimore firm, resides at Charleston. Mrs. Hill and family are members of the Presbyterian church. She became a resident of Charleston in 1908, the family home being at No. 1533 Quarrier street.

THOMAS JEFFERSON GARDNER, better known as Uncle Dick to his many friends, is the oldest merchant at Dana Sta- tion, Kanawha county, W. Va., where he established himself in business in 1880. He was born on the old family plantation on the James river, in Albemarle county, Va., December 14, 1838, and is a son of William and Martha (Woody) Gardner.

William Gardner was born in Virginia and there owned a large plantation before the Civil War and had many slaves to culti- vate it. In 1850 he moved to St. Albans, now in West Virginia, where he became manager for some of the older Thompsons, large planters at that day in that section, and then settled in what is now Loudon district, Kanawha county, subsequently moving from there to Ohio, where his death occurred at the age of seventy years. He married Martha Woody and when she was left a widow in Ohio, she returned to Kanawha county and her death occurred at the home of her daughter Catherine. at what is now Dana. William Gardner and wife had four children: Catherine, who married Thomas Colline, and both are de- ceased : Thomas Jefferson; Lucy Ann, who

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was the wife of Calvin Tucker, and both are deceased; and William, who died young.

Thomas J. Gardner was quite young when the family came to Kanawha county and he attended a subscription school at St. Albans. When he grew old enough to assume responsibilities, he engaged in farming and for two years was farmer on what is now the Oaks farm, working for David Clarkson for board and clothes and a salary of fifty dollars a year. In those days his trusty gun often supplied the larder with meat. He then engaged in flat- boating for a time, transporting salt from the furnaces and then started to merchan- dising, first at Black Hawk, Kanawha county. From there he came to his present location on the Charleston road near Dana Station. Mr. Gardner does a very satisfac- tory business and custom comes from long distances, his friends being found in all parts of the country. He is one of the most substantial residents of Malden district and owns a large amount of real estate.

On July II, 1849, Mr. Gardner was mar- ried to Miss Catherine Alexander, a daugh- ter of Joel and Roxie (Morris) Alexander, both natives of Virginia, Major Billie Mor- ris, the grandfather of Mrs. Alexander hav- ing been a distinguished early settler of this section. To Mr. and Mrs. Gardner four- teen children were born, the family record being as follows: Charles M. married Della Young and lives at Cedar Grove. Roxie, who resides at Charleston, is the widow of Mack Figget. Sarah, who lives in Malden district, is the widow of John Bracken. Mary, who married Jack Walker, resides at Charleston. Mordecai P. is in business at Charleston. He married Winnie Martin. James lives in Malden district and married Susan Roberts. Loraina is the wife of James Lawrence and their home is in Malden district. Pincard is engaged in business at East Bank. He married Belle Buskirk. Lydia is survived by her hus- band, John Todd. Florence married Will- iam Hammond and both are now deceased. Catherine married Edgar Spriggle and they

live at Red Jacket, W. Va. Morris and Thomas both live in Malden district and the former married Eva Angel, and the lat- ter Catherine Young. William, who is now deceased, married Rebecca Skyles, who survives. All the children lived happy in the old home until they left to form homes of their own and Mr. and Mrs. Gardner have the satisfaction of having all the sur- vivors settled reasonably near. They are thus able to watch the development of their descendants, there being some sixty grand- children and also a number of great-grand- children, and the indications are that in these West Virginia will have citizens cred- itable to the old stock.

HON. JOSEPH H. GAINES, of Charles- ton, prominent among the public men of West Virginia, and a successful lawyer, was born in the District of Columbia May 3, 1864, a son of Theophilus and Ariadne (Stockton) Gaines. He is a grandson on the paternal side of Rev. Ludwell Graham Gaines, a native of Culpeper county, Va., and of Virginia parentage, whose family were prominent among the slave holding aristocracy of early days in the Old Dominion. The Rev. Ludwell G. Gaines was educated in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, that state, and after his graduation be- came a preacher of the Presbyterian faith, gain- ing a wide reputation as a man of more than average power in the pulpit. Becoming con- scientiously opposed to the institution of slav- ery, he left the South and went to reside in Ohio, where he continued in the ministry. He died at an advanced age. His wife was in maidenhood a Miss Douglass, and she also at- tained a venerable age, dying in Hamilton county, Ohio. Their children were four in number, namely: Theophilus, John Douglass, William, and Mary. John Douglass Gaines graduated from a medical college at Cincinnati, Ohio, and is now a resident of California. Ohio, of which place he is an active and well known citizen. He is married but has no children. William also became a physician and married, but is now deceased. Mary died early in mar- ried life.

Theophilus Gaines, father of our subject,

HON. JOSEPH H. GAINES

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was born in Ohio, in 1824, and after gradu- ating from a Cincinnati law school, became as- sistant prosecuting attorney and subsequently prosecuting attorney of his native county of Hamilton. At the time of Abraham Lincoln's first call for 75,000 men in the Civil War, he organized a company, which became Company F, of the 5th Vol. Infantry of Ohio troops, of which he was elected captain. He later re- enlisted and while with his regiment in Vir- ginia in 1863, he was detailed as assistant judge advocate and remained in that position until the close of the war, holding a commission as major.

After the close of the great struggle between the sections, he removed to Fayette county, W. Va., where he held the office of prosecuting at- torney for some years. He also practiced law at different times in Nicholas, Clay, Webster and Braxton counties and was probably prose- cuting attorney for one or more of those coun- ties. In 1882 he was appointed by President Hayes as pension agent at Washington, D. C., and held that position for four years. In 1890 he was a candidate for Congress from the Third District of West Virginia, but was de- feated. He was long very active and promi- nent in the councils of the Republican party. He was a member and at one time an elder in the Presbyterian church, and he belonged also to the Masonic order.

Theophilus Gaines was married in Clairmont county, Ohio, to Miss Ariadne Stockton, who was, it is thought, a native of Ohio, and who died at Fayetteville, W. Va., at the age of forty years. He survived her many years, dy- ing March II, 1898, at the age of seventy-four. They were the parents of four children, namely: Ludwell Graham, Martha C., Na- thaniel W. and Joseph H., whose record in brief is as follows: Ludwell G. Gaines, (sec- ond of the name) was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, graduated in law and became prosecut- ing attorney of Fayette county, W. Va., and later judge of the criminal court, which position he held at the time of his death at Fayetteville. He married Martha Ebersole, who was born in California, Ohio, and who now lives in Fay- etteville, having one son, Ebersole. Margaret Katherine Gaines is the wife of W. C. Law-

rence of Columbus, Ohio, who is engaged there in a commercial enterprise. She and her hus- band have three children-Theophilus Gaines, now 25 years old, who resides in Columbus; Wayman C., a graduate of Princeton college, class of 1909, who is secretary to his uncle Joseph, the subject of this sketch; and Julian H., who is a graduate of the local high school. Nathaniel W. Gaines died in 1888 unmarried.

Joseph H. Gaines, whose nativity has been already given, began his education in the schools of Fayetteville, subsequently studied in the preparatory department of the University of West Virginia, and was gradauted from Princeton college in the class of 1886, with the degree of A. B. Admitted to the bar at Fay- etteville in 1887, he entered into general prac- tice there, but in 1895 came to Charleston, where he has since been an active and promi- nent member of the bar. But it is not only as an able attorney and advocate that Mr. Gaines has achieved distinction. He has long been a prominent figure in the political life of the state. His interest in politics dates back to his resi- dence in Fayetteville, where he served as chair- man of the Republican county committee. In 1897 he was appointed United States district attorney for the district of West Virginia by President Mckinley, which position he held until 1900, in which year he was elected a mem- ber of the Fifty-seventh Congress. In the na- tional hall of legislation he fully justified the choice of his constituents, his record there be- ing a highly creditable one. He served on va- rious important committees, including Inter- state, and Foreign Commerce and Ways and Means, showing ever an intelligent grasp of public affairs and a true statesmanship having for its object the greatest good for the greatest number, yet maintaining always the best tradi- tions of his party. So satisfactory, indeed, was his record, that he was repeatedly re- elected, his last term in Congress expiring March 4th of the present year-1911. By vir- tue of his experience and thorough mastery of local and state politics, he wields a powerful in- fluence in the councils of his party and few measures of importance are undertaken without his advice being sought. A good judge of men, he has been the means of introducing to public

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life a number who have since justified his ef- forts in their behalf, while on the other hand he has exerted his influence against those who were not in the highest degree worthy of the public confidence, and he has made few, if any mistakes of judgment in this respect. Ripe with experience and now at the zenith of his mental and physical powers, it may well be as- sumed that Mr. Gaines will find other and per- haps wider fields of usefulness and that the -fu- ture holds much in store for him.

On November 23, 1898, Mr. Gaines married Marjorie Lewis Gentry, who was born in Charleston, W. Va., thirty-four years ago, and was educated at Mount de Chantel, Ohio, near Wheeling, W. Va. Mr. and Mrs. Gaines are the parents of six children, namely: Joseph Holt, Jr., born November 1I, 1900, Stockton T., Richard K., Margona L., Anne and Hallie.

FRANK R. BUTTS, D.D.S., whose well appointed dental office is located in the Opera House building, on Capitol street, Charleston, W. Va., is one of the leading members of his profession in this city. He comes of one of the old and honored fam- ilies of Virginia and was born in 1873, at Greenville, Monroe county, W. Va., and is a son of Dr. A. Henry and Mattie (Hines) Butts.

Dr. Shannon Butts, the paternal grand- father, was born in Botetourt county, Va., about 1811, and came from there to Monroe county, where he was an early and leading physician. His practice covered a wide ter- ritory and he was known to all the early settlers. His death was felt as a personal loss in many families. He married Mary Reice, who died also in Monroe county, and they were survived by the following chil- dren: A. Henry; Leonidas, who is a min- ister in the Methodist Episcopal church in Virginia ; Jennie, who is the widow of Paul Knight, lives at Hinman, W. Va .: and Fletcher, who was a minister in the Meth- odist Episcopal church and died at Balti- more, Md.

Dr. A. Henry Butts was born in 1834. in Monroe county, W. Va., and died in Feb- ruary, 1906. During the Civil War he

served as a surgeon in Lowery's Heavy Artillery, Confederate army, with the rank of lieutenant. In times of peace he de- voted himself entirely to his profession and was well and widely known. In politics he was a Democrat, while in religion he was a Presbyterian. He was married in Monroe county to Miss Mattie Hines, who was born and reared in Greenbrier county, Va. She survives and is now in her sixty-seventh year. Five children were born to the above marriage, namely : Hettie, who is the widow of Dr. B. F. Kibler, still resides in Virginia and has three children-Lista, Claude and Max; Charles Shannon, who is engaged in the practice of medicine at New- port News, Va., has one son, Shannon; J. Fleetwood, who is a graduate of the dental department of the Baltimore Medical Col- lege, is located at Charleston, is married and has two sons-Henry and Edward; Frank R .; and Mary, who is the wife of Dr. W. W. McDonough, a practicing dentist located at Seminole, Okla.

Frank R. Butts attended the local schools and early became interested in dentistry and later entered the dental department of the University of Maryland, where he was graduated in the class of 1892. He began practice in the office of his older brother, Dr. J. Fleetwood Butts, with whom he re- mained associated until 1905, when he opened his own dental office, as mentioned above. He has been very successful in his profession and has a large practice. He keeps fully abreast with the times and is an active member of the state dental asso- ciation.

In 1902 Dr. Butts was married at Rush- ville, Ind., to Miss Edna Oglesby, who was born and reared in Rush county, Ind., a daughter of J. E. and Anna Oglesby, who now live at Wheeling. Mrs. Butts has one sister, Maria, who is the wife of Fred L. Fox, residing at Carnegie, Pa., and they have two children, Virginia and Frederick. Dr. Butts is a leading member of the Elks, of which he is past exalted ruler.

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JUNIUS E. KENDALL, farmer and surveyor, residing in Elk district, Kanawha county, W. Va., was born June 29, 1870, on the Kendall homestead, on Blue creek, Kanawha county. He is a son of James Edward and Elmira (Guthrie) Kendall.

James Edward Kendall was born Febru- ary 28, 1828, on Elk creek, and was a son of Joseph Kendall, who was born in King George county, Va., and came as a boy to Kanawha county, one of the oldest settlers. He located first at Boom on the Elk river and then moved to Blue creek, where he bought 33,000 acres of timbered land. He was the first settler in the eastern part of Elk district and in 1834 built the first cabin. A millwright by trade he built the first steam mill in Kanawha county and built mills of all kinds in other sections. Joseph Kendall was born in 1798 and died in 1865 and the old place on Blue creek where his remains rest is now called Kendolia. His wife was Elizabeth Anderson Burgess of an old pioneer family of the salt regions. James Edward Kendall became a surveyor and worked in this profession all through the county. In 1850 he built a water mill and constructed salt boats to load at differ- ent furnaces during the palmy days of the salt industry, and later operated grist mills and saw mills and also engaged in farming and still continues his agricultural opera- tions in King George county. In 1901 Mr. Kendall served as a delegate to the state legislature. He married Elmira Guthrie, who was born December 31, 1835, a daugh- ter of Elijah and Jane B. (Thomas) Guth- rie, and in 1900 they moved back to the old Virginia homestead. To this marriage seven children were born, the six survivors being: Fred A., a farmer on Blue creek ; Floyd, a farmer in Virginia; Albert, a resi- dent of California ; Junius E .; Frank, living at home, and Elmira, wife of C. Brock, liv- ing in California. By a previous marriage with Margaret Hill, a daughter of Moses Hill, Mr. Kendall had two children, Ernest and Elizabeth, both of whom are deceased.

After his school days were passed, Junius E. Kendall worked on the farm and in the

timber and was associated with his father in surveying and they surveyed some of the oldest landmarks on the Elk river. In 1902 Mr. Kendall came to Charleston and in the following year opened a grocery store in West Charleston, which he conducted for five years and then sold and has devoted himself since then to the timber business together with farming and surveying. Like his father he is a stanch Democrat.

Mr. Kendall was married to Miss Nettie Fulks, who was born in Virginia, a daugh- ter of John and Demarius (Williamson) Fulks, the family belonging to Bedford county. Mr. Kendall is a member of the Masonic lodge at Charleston of which his father and grandfather were both members, and he belongs also to Glendale Lodge, No. 78, Knights of Pythias, West Charleston.

Among his early ancestral names appears that of Pocahontas. His great-grand- father, James Kendall, a son of Waffendall and Peggy Kendall, was captain of a trad- ing schooner on the Potomac river and married Rebecca Wroe, who was the great- granddaughter of Pocahontas, whose ro- mantic history is a part of the country's annals.

HON. HENRY BRANNON, judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Vir- ginia, has been prominent in public as well as professional life in this state for many years, serving in legislative bodies and on the bench with equal efficiency. Judge Brannon was born at Winchester, Va., No- vember 26, 1837, and is a son of Robert and Catherine Brannon, and a brother of the late Judge John Brannon, under whose su- pervision he was prepared for the bar.

Henry Brannon at the age of eighteen years was a creditable student in the public schools and the academy at Winchester, and with this preparatory training entered the University of Virginia, where he was graduated in 1858 and in the following year was admitted to the bar. After scarce a year of practice, in 1860 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Lewis county, the exacting duties of which office he per-

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formed capably and satisfactorily, return- ing then to private practice which subse- quently became one of the largest in this section. He was interested and active in public affairs, and in 1870-I he was elected to the state legislature and proved his worth as a statesman while a member of that body. In 1880 he was elected judge of the eleventh judicial circuit, succeeding his brother, Hon. John Brannon, and served eight years, when he was elected an asso- ciate judge of the Supreme Court of Ap- peals for West Virginia, and in 1894 was made preciding judge. It is a notable fact that almost all the public men of impor- tance are or have been in some way con- nected with the law, the thorough training which prepares them for the bar, equally equipping them for responsible position in other lines. This has been exemplified in the case of Judge Brannon, whose public services have been distinctive in several directions.

In 1858 Judge Brannon was married to Miss H. J. Arnold, a daughter of Elijah Arnold, of an old family of Weston, W. Va., and they have six children. Judge and Mrs. Brannon occupy one of the beau- tiful residences which adorn Weston.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 73

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