History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 79

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 79

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

and buys about ten cars of ice a season. His dairy is conducted with five cows and has been made profitable. In addition to the real estate that he owns at Handley, he has a residence and eight acres of land at St. Albans.

In 1889 Mr. Pike was married to Miss Anna L. Lee, who died September 5, 1910, a daugh- ter of the late S. L. Lee. To them eleven children were born, all of whom survive with the exception of the second: Frank S., a phy- sician ; Alice, wife of L. B. Hayes ; and Georgia, Donald, Alexander, Victor, Florence, Eugene, Joseph and Louisa. Mr. Pike has never been very active in politics but is a good and law- abiding citizen.

JAMES E. ADKINS, of Adkins Brothers, dairymen and dealers in groceries at Charles- ton, W. Va., who have been in business for fifteen years, with quarters at No. 401 Court Street since March 1, 19II, before that in Loudon district, is one of three brothers, J. E., L. F., and L. B., making up the firm. James E. Adkins was born November 27, 1872, in Loudon district, Kanawha county, W. Va., and is a son of Hamilton and Elizabeth (Ar- thur ) Adkins.

Hamilton Adkins came to Kanawha county in 1850 and resided on a farm in Loudon dis- trict until 1906, when he retired and now re- sides on State street, Charleston. He married Elizabeth Arthur, who was also born in West Virginia, and nine children have been born to them and all grew to maturity. One son, Will- iam, died after marriage to Sallie Stone, who survives with their one son. Mamie is the wife of Frank Hall and they reside at Charles- ton and have three children. James E., was the next in order of birth. Richard is a car- penter residing at Charleston, married Rosa Kinser and they have four children. George V., married Julia Bird and they have one son. Ella, and Leon F., and Leonard B., twins, and Bessie, are all at home.

James E. Adkins was reared on the home farm and attended the country schools. He has been in the dairy business almost his en- tire life and has been in the distributing busi- ness for fifteen years. When the present quar- ters were selected the firm went into the gro-

JAMES F. HUDSON

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cery line in connection with their milk business. They handle and produce the very best products known to the trade and have a very large amount of patronage, in milk alone handling 100 gallons daily.

Mr. Adkins was married in Loudon district, to Miss Wanena F. Haws, who was born and reared there, and they have five children: Wil- ber and Edgar, both of whom died young; and Arthur, Maggie and Lorena. Mr. Adkins is a Republican.

W. H. MORRIS, superintendent of the Marmet Coal Company, at Hernshaw, W. Va., is a thoroughly experienced mine man and in his present connection has responsibility over five openings : the New Butler, Lens Creek and Black Band mines at Hernshaw, and two at Monarch, where he served as assistant super- intendent. He was born in 1868, at Blue Creek, Kanawha county, W. Va., and is a son of E. M. and Mary F. (Bowen) Morris.

E. M. Morris was born in Virginia and came as a young man to Kanawha county, where he worked for a time in the mines but later ac- quired a farm and farming and timber con- tracting were his main activities. His death occurred at the age of sixty-two years. He married Mary F. Bowen, and they had seven children.

W. H. Morris obtained a public school edu- cation and afterward worked on his father's farm for a short time. He then went into the mining business and continued for a number of years and learned every detail. In 1907 he came to Monarch and served as assistant super- intendent for the Marmet Coal Company until 1910, when he was made general superintend- ent of both mines-Hernshaw and Monarch- having an assistant at Monarch. The output of this company is 800 tons and employment is found for 300 men. The company owns the W. Va. & Southern Railway for about a four- mile stretch of standard gauge track, and owns about eighty cars and two locomotives. Mr. Morris is superintendent of this railroad. These are all drift mines. Mr. Morris is well qualified for the position he fills and enjoys the respect of his employers and the confidence of the men.

Mr. Morris married Miss Myrtle Crawford, a daughter of Andrew Crawford and they have three children, Lee, William and Langdon. In politics he is a Republican and fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias.

JAMES F. HUDSON, postmaster at Charleston, W. Va., and one of the most effi- cient incumbents that this office has ever had, has been an important factor in the Republican party since attaining manhood and has filled many public positions. He was born December 14, 1869, in Kanawha county, W. Va., and is a son of Anderson and Roxey L. (Holstein) Hudson.

James F. Hudson was reared on the home farm and remained there until he had acquired a complete enough education in the public schools, to enable him to become a teacher., Three years as a schoolmaster sufficed and he then turned his attention to merchandising. In 1901 he became chief deputy for James Jarrett, sheriff of Kanawha county, and served in that capacity until 1905, and then accepted the po- sition of county tax assessor and served one year under appointment by W. M. O. Dawson. Mr .. Hudson in 1897 became a citizen of Charleston and in 1902 was elected a member of the city council and during the four years that he served on that body his vote and influ- ence were always given to advance the best in- terests of the city. Since 1900 he has served almost continuously either as a member of the Kanawha county Republican committee or of the Congressional or Senatorial Committees. On March 29, 1909, Mr. Hudson was appointed postmaster at Charleston and his office force in- cludes an assistant, Joseph A. Hudson, nineteen clerks and thirteen letter carriers. He has sys- tematized the work, and in economy and effi- ciency can present to the authorities at Wash- ington, D. C., a most satisfactory showing.

Mr. Hudson was married in 1893 to Miss Sallie B. Jarrett, a daughter of Enos Jarrett, a substantial citizen of Kanawha county. They enjoy a comfortable residence situated at No. 1424 Lee street, Charleston. Mr. Hudson is a member of Charleston Lodge of Elks. No. 202.

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JOHN H. GOSHORN, deceased, whose name was closely identified with the mercantile business at Charleston, W. Va., for many years, was born in West Virginia, at McManns Creek. August 13, 1813, and died May 30, 1892. He was a son of George and Jane ( Farrier) Gos- horn and the eldest of their six children.

John H. Goshorn was nine years old when his parents settled at Charleston, in the year 1822. The father, George Goshorn, engaged here in a hotel and a ferry business and the son gave assistance until 1839, in which year the latter formed a partnership with his brother, William F. Goshorn, in the mercantile business. This house, founded sixty years ago, was, in the lifetime of its organizers, developed into a large enterprise and when the original members passed away the interests were taken over by the younger generation, George A., son of John H. Goshorn, and two cousins of the former, William F. and H. D. Goshorn. In all that pertained to business, John H. Goshorn was an example of industry and integrity, and his name will ever be recalled as one of the able and constructive business men of early Charles- ton.

Mr. Goshorn was married in 1855, to Miss Betty A. Cowey, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Cowey, who came to this country from England, bringing her with them, she being then a child. Mr. Cowey was a salt manufac- turer here for some time, in the early days of that industry. Later he went to Illinois, where he was engaged in the coal business. Mr. and Mrs. Goshorn had three children: Mattie C., George A. and Maggie P. Mrs. Goshorn died in 1887.

GEORGE W. BRADY, a general merchant doing an excellent business at Handley, W. Va., has been a resident of Kanawha county since 1904 and is thoroughly identified with the interests of this section. He was born Oc- tober 12, 1874, in Cabell county, W. Va., and is a son of James S. and Mary E. ( Moore) Brady.

James S. Brady was born in Ireland and came to America as a boy, accompanying his aunt. as he was an orphan. He lived in the city of Philadelphia until he was fifteen years

of age and then worked with a raidroad con- tractor and later became a contractor himself and was associated with Ryan and Austin in the grading of two miles of the C. & O. Rail- road at Cotton Hill, his first work for this road being at Barboursville, where he met Mary E. Moore, whom he subsequently mar- ried. Mr. Brady became a farmer but for sev- eral years he has been associated with his son. James T. Brady, in a mercantile business at Barboursville. He has seven children : Charles, George W., Margaret, Valett, Lucy, James T. and Walter.

George W. Brady was reared on his father's farm three miles distant form Barboursville and attended the public schools and later the Morris Harvey College for two years. Mr. Brady was then associated with C. Davis in the meat business at Huntington, for a short time and afterward took charge of a restau- rant for H. O. Via, at that place. After three years as a clerk in the general store of L. V. Waugh, he went back to the home farm, where he was needed, and followed farming for two years, when he accepted a clerkship in the Mc- Donald Colliery Company store, under Mana- ger James Faulkner, but the mine strike came nine months later, and the store was closed and he went back to his old employer, Mr. Waugh, for another year. For some eighteen months he served as clerk in the company store at Pow- ellton. In 1904 he came to Handley and in partnership with F. B. Irwin, bought his pres- ent business and in 1907 he purchased Mr. Ir- win's interest. In politics Mr. Brady is a Dem- ocrat but he has devoted closer attention to business affairs all his life than to public mat- ters, being no seekr for office.

In May, 1910. Mr. Brady was married to Miss Reba Sevy, a daughter of J. W. and Edith Sevy, of Charleston, W. Va., and they have one daughter. Phyllis. Mr. Brady owns real estate at Handley and is one of the representa- tive men of the place.

IDON E. HODGE, secretary and a director in the Morgan Lumber and Manufacturing Company of Charleston, W. Va., and also one of its incorporators, was born in Mason county,

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W. Va., May 13, 1870, and is a son of William B. and Virginia ( Boggess) Hodge.

William B. Hodge was a son of W. Burgess Hodge, a native perhaps of Scotland, certainly of Scotch parentage. The family home was in Ritchie county, Va., where W. Burgess Hodge died at the age of eighty-eight years. His son, William B., was the eldest of his large family. He was born in Ritchie county in 1810, and in 1876 moved with his family to Middleport, O., where he engaged in the prac- tice of dentistry. He married Virginia Bog- gess, who was born in Virginia but was reared in West Virginia. They had six children : Ethie, Idon E., Sallie, John, Mabel and Harry. Ethie is the wife of Emil H. Flick, who is cashier of the Citizens National Bank of Spring- field, O. Sallie is the wife of F. R. Van Ant- werp, who is superintendent of the waterworks at Princton, W. Va. John is a dentist in Ohio. He married Stella Weed and they have a daughter, Virginia. Mabel lives at home. Harry is bookkeeper for a firm of Youngstown, O., married Josephine Webster and they have one son, Webster B.

Idon E. Hodge was well educated and had training in a business office before he came to Charleston to become cashier for the Elk Rail- road Company. About two years later he be- came secretary of the Deveraux Lumber Com- pany and continued in this connection until October, 1904, a period of thirteen years. For the next two years he was connected with the Elk River Stave Company as bookkeeper and then for three years was with the Collins Lum- ber Company. At this time he became inter- ested in the Morgan Lumber and Manufactur- ing Company and when incorporation was ef- fected he became secretary of the company and his interest and activity may be counted among the real assets of this important enterprise.

Mr. Hodge was married at Charleston to Miss Margaret M. Reed, who was born here April 1I, 1870, a daughter of Henry and The- resa (Huber) Reed, natives of New York and of Germany respectively. The father died at Charleston and since then the mother has re- sided with Mrs. Hodge, one of her five chil- dren, and one of the three survivors. Mrs. Hodge has a twin sister, Katherine, who is the

wife of Richard Watts, and they have a hand- some home in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, New York. Mr. Watts is a contractor. They have one son, Richard. Charles B. Reed resides at Alderson, W. Va., connected with a mercan- tile house. He married Mrs. Mary ( Winkler) Laidly and they have two children : Charles B. and Henry W. To Mr. and Mrs. Hodge two sons have been born: Idon M., April 11, 1896; and Alvin Reed, Sept. 20, 1893. They are students of promise in the public schools. Mrs. Hodge was reared in the Roman Catholic church and she and children with her mother attend the same. In National politics Mr. Hodge is a Republican but is independent in local issues.

JAMES T. MELTON, whose beautiful farm of 365 acres lies on Derrick Creek, in Poca district, Kanawha county, W. Va., fourteen miles northwest of Charleston, was born July 10, 1857, in Putnam county, now in West Vir- ginia, and is a son of William Addison and Lu- cinda (Lanum) Melton.

The parents of Mr. Melton both belonged to old Putnam county families and they were born, reared and married there. William Addison owned about 500 acres of land in Putnam county, on the Kanawha river and was an ex- tensive raiser of cattle. Additionally he was widely known as a preacher in the old regular Baptist church, his ministerial missions taking him frequently to other states. He lived to the age of eighty-three years, his wife passing away when aged seventy years. The follow- ing children were born to them: Harvey, who lives in Union district, Kanawha county; Jane, who lives at Kansas City, Mo .; Charles, who is deceased; Silas N., who lives on the old home farm in Putnam county ; Julia, who is deceased ; Fannie, who is the wife of Paul Davis; James T .; Everett, who resides in Putnam county ; Dilla, who lives in Putnam county, married Virginia McClanahan; and Altha, who lives at Pittsburg, Pa.

James T. Melton attended school in Poca dis- trict, Putnam county, and for some time after- ward continued to live in his native county and then came to Kanawha county and after his marriage lived first in Union district and came

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from there to his present farm in Poca district. well, of Charleston, and they have two sons On his many acres of fine grazing land he raises cattle, horses, sheep and hogs, finding a ready market for all he can produce.

Mr. Melton was married April 4, 1878, to Miss Sidney Bailey, who was born in Kanawha county, December 20, 1859, a daughter of Al- fred and Ann (Agee) Bailey, and they have had children as follows: Adar, who is the wife of Edward Martin, residing in Putnam county, and they have four children-Verda, Cecil, Clement and James; Gertrude, who is the wife of Elbin C. Crane, lives on an adjoining farm; Shelby, who married Erna Sisson, a daughter of Benjamin Sisson, has three children-Crane, William and James ; Mary, who is the wife of Arnold Beane; Harold, who lives at Charleston, married Wilda Johnson; and Lennie, Vela, Addison and Lelie, all at home. Mr. Melton and fam- ily attend the Baptist church. Like his fa- ther, Mr. Melton has always been a Democrat but is not unduly active, taking more interest in his own business than in public matters. He is a stockholder of the Kanawha and Putnam County Telephone Company.

DAVID T. FARLEY, who is filling the of- fice of assistant county assessor at Charleston, WV. Va., in a very capable and satisfactory man- ner, was born February 22, 1852, in the village of Malden, Kanawha county, W. Va., and is a son of Francis and Frances ( Shelton) Farley.

Francis Farley was born in Virginia and died . in 1861, at the age of forty-five years. He was a tailor by trade. He married Frances Shelton, who was born in the Kanawha Valley in 1824, and died in 1902. She was a sister of the gallant Captain Winston Shelton, who was an officer in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and later was elected a member of the West Virginia Senate. Seven children were born to Francis Farley and wife, as fol- lows: Martha, who is now deceased, married James Johnson, a Federal soldier at that time. and left children; Sarah, who married a Mr. Hines, died shortly afterward, in California ; Fannie, who resides in Greenbrier county, is the widow of William Williams; David T .: Mary M., who is the wife of George C. Corn-

and three daughters ; Samuel, who has his home at Charleston, with wife and one daughter, is a commercial traveler for the Arbuckle Coffee Company; and Nannie L., who died in the prime of life was survived by her husband, D. C. Lydnor.

David T. Farley was quite young when his parents came in 1861 to Charleston, which city has ever since been his home. He attended the public schools but the larger part of his educa- tion he undoubtedly obtained through observa- tion and natural talent. In 1865 he started as a clerk in the store of P. W. Morgan, with whom he continued for twelve years, going then into the mining regions, where he filled clerical positions until 1882, when he became identified with the Black Band Iron and Coal Company, with which he remained until 1896. For the five following years he was in business for him- self, then becoming connected with official life in city and county. He is very popular, being pleasant and adaptable, and his accuracy as an accountant makes him of great value in his present position to the business community in particular.

In 1886 Mr. Farley was married to Miss Mary Cavin, who was born in 1865, at Charles- ton. Her parents were of Irish birth but were long residents of Charleston, where they died in old age, respected by all who knew them. They were members of the Catholic church. Mr. and Mrs. Farley have had six children, namely : Julia, who was born in April, 1887, and was educated in the common and High Schools of Charleston, now fills the responsible position of cashier for the firm of Covle & Richardson; Katherine T., who was born in 1889, is a teacher in the public schools; Nan, who was born in 1891, married but has no chil- dren; Alfred, who is a plumber by trade, fol- lows the same at Charleston and lives at home : David T., who is a student in the High School at Charleston; and Mary, who attends the pa- rochial school of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church, to which Mrs. Farley and children belong. In politics Mr. Farley is a Republican and he is serving in his second term as a member of the board of education of the

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Independent School District of the city of Charleston.

MRS. NANCY A. BOGGS, widow of Levi J. Boggs, who, for many years was a well known and highly respected resident of Elk District, Kanawha county, W. Va., is a daugh- ter of James and Mary Ann (Ellison) Weis- man, and was born in Monroe county, Va., May 6, 1844.

James Weisman was a native of Monroe county and prior to the Civil War he came to Kanawha county from Roane county, settling on the Elk River. Six years later he moved to Brook and engaged in farming for three years and died on Sorrell's Branch, in 1901, aged seventy-four years. He married Mary Ann Ellison, who died in 1905, aged eighty- four years. She was a daughter of John and Nancy (Cunningham) Ellison, natives of Ire- land. The paternal grandfather, Isaac Weis- man, was a native of Germany and came to Monroe county with two brothers and there en- gaged in farming. James Weisman served in the Civil War as a member of the 4th Va. Vol. Cav., in the Union Army.

Nancy A. Weisman grew to womanhood in the home of her parents and in 1862 was mar- ried to Levi J. Boggs. He was born in Nich- olas county, Va., and was a son of John Boggs, who was one of the early salt men in the Ka- nawha Valley. Levi J. Boggs was a shoemaker by trade but he became interested in salt manu- facturing, first at Malden, and after marriage, on Mill Creek, where he also carried on oil re- fining after the old process, and at the same time engaged in farming. During the Civil WVar he went out as a soldier in the Union Army and served for three years as a member of Co. H, 4th Va. Vol. Cav., and was wounded at the battle of Fayetteville. In politics he was a Republican but took no active interest. He was a member of the Baptist church for many years.

To Mr. and Mrs. Boggs the following chil- dren were born: Fleta, who is in business at Charleston: Mollie, who is the wife of James Light, of Fayette county, and they have one child, Fleta; Nellie, who was the widow of John Hunter is now the wife of John Lowe,

and has five children and one grandchild; and Lida May, who is the wife of John Anderson, of Charleston, and has one child, Earle. Mrs. Boggs' great-grandchild is a daughter of Al- pha, wife of H. Sampson. Mrs. Boggs was the third born of her parents' family, the oth- ers being: Hezekiah, who is a contractor and teamster at Charleston; Joseph, who lives at Kanawha city; Augustus A., who is a resident of Mill Creek; Susan Jane, who is the wife of Thomas Pritte, of Mill Creek; Ellen, who is the wife of Richard Mays, of Elk City; and Margaret, who is the wife of John Page, of Elk City. Mrs. Boggs is a member of the Bap- tist church at Mill Creek.

FLETCHER L. TURNER, commission · merchant at Charleston, W. Va., and a reliable and representative citizen, belongs to an old county family of Holland descent. He was born August 25, 1853, near Malden, Kanawha county, W. Va., and is a son of William H. and Elizabeth E. (Harkins) Turner.

William H. Turner spent a long life of al- most eighty years in West Virginia, his death occurring February 1, 1909. He was a practi- cal salt-maker and was active in the salt indus- try for many years, manufacturing and ship- ping this commodity. Personally he was re- spected for his sterling character and his ad- vice was often asked on business questions and public matters because of his known ability and integrity. For forty years he was a deacon in the Baptist church and for about thirty years church secretary. In early life he became a member of Lodge No. 27, F. & A. M., at Mal- den, and for thirty years before his decease, was treasurer of this body. He was married in the Kanawha Valley to Elizabeth E. Har- kins, who passed her life in Kanawha county and died near Malden, in 1868, the mother of six children, as follows: James, who is a mine foreman at Hanley, W. Va. Fletcher L .; Alice E., who is the wife of Charles R. Brown, of Alden, WV. Va .; Dewitt C., who resides with his family in Ohio; William, who died in early manhood; and Daniel, who died in West Vir- ginià.

Fletcher L. Turner was educated in the pub- lic schools and grew to manhood at Malden,

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where he entered into business as a merchant. locating across the Kanawha River at Alden, on the C. & O. Railroad. He continued his interests there for fourteen years and then came to Charleston, where he became a commercial broker. After eight years he went into a gen- eral mercantile business in Charleston, which he continued for several years and then be- came a commercial or commission merchant, a business he still is engaged in, representing houses in Ohio and Michigan, in the general hay, grain, feed and produce lines.

Mr. Turner was married at Charleston to Miss Hester A. Adkins, who was born in Ka- nawha county, in 1868, and is a daughter of John and Letta ( Atkins) Adkins. The father of Mrs. Turner was born in Giles county and died in Kanawha county at the age of fifty years. Her mother was born in Cabell county and died at Charleston in 1898, aged seventy- four years. She was a member of the old school Baptist church. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Adkins, seven of whom survive and all the married ones live in West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Turner have no chil- dren of their own but they have given parental care and affection to two whom they have adopted, Alice and Levi. Alice is the daugh- ter of a sister of Mr. Turner and is now the wife of George H. Belches, who is chief book- keeper in the Charleston National Bank. His mother survives and lives at No. 427 Columbia Avenue, Charleston. She is the widow of George E. Belches, formerly postmaster at Charleston and a deacon in the Baptist church. Mr. and Mrs. Belches have a daughter, Lelia Louise, who was born December 27, 1905. Levi, the adopted son, who is now twenty-two years old, is a resident of Cleveland, Ohio. He is married and has two children, Ira L. and Eugene. Mr. and Mrs. Turner are members of the Baptist church. In politics he is a Dem- ocrat and occasionally has accepted local offices and when he was elected county assessor for the south half of the Lowery District of Ka- nawha county, it was on account of his personal popularity as the district was largely Republi- can at that time. He is a member of Salina Lodge No. 27, A. F. & A. M., at Malden, and belongs to the Odd Fellows at Charleston.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 79

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