History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 91

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 91

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).

JOHN H. BLANCET,* owner of a valuable forty-acre farm, which lies three miles from Charleston, W. Va., devotes a part of his land to truck gardening, finding a ready market in the near-by city. He was born in Giles County, Va., May 4, 1853, and is a son of Plez and Sarah (Tuggle) Blancet.

Plez Blancet was born in Virginia and owned his own farm there and engaged in agricultural pursuits all his life. His death occurred in his sixty-fifth year. He married Sarah Tuggel and they had eight children born to them, namely : William, Plez, John H., Joseph, Sal- lie, Eliza, Susan and Fannie, all now surviving except the two eldest born.

Jolın H. Blancet obtained his education in the district schools and afterward worked for his father until his own marriage, when he came to Kanawha County and found employ-

ment at the Ruffner ferry. He remained with Mr. Ruffner for four years and then bought his present farm, which then, however, was wild land. He cleared it and put it under cultiva- tion and now has one of the most productive tracts of land in this section. He has other- wise improved the place and has erected sub- stantial buildings.

Mr. Blancet was married to Miss Maria Gil- lispie, who was born in Putnam County, W. Va., and eight children have been born to them : James, who is a farmer, married Becky Par- sons and has two children; Bertie Lee, who lives at home ; Nettie, who married G. M. Hall, and has three children; Hattie, who is de- ceased; Virgie, who married Frank Thoma; Letha, who married Jack Dodson, and has two children; Nita, who married Ward Russell, and has three children; and Rufus, twin to the above sister, who lives at home. Mr. and Mrs. Blancet are members of the Church of Christ of which he has been a trustee for twenty years. He is a Democrat in politics.

FRANK T. SULLIVAN, who, for a num- ber of years was an active business man of Charleston, W. Va., and a highly respected citizen, was born in Mason County, W. Va., in July, 1875, and died at his home in Charleston, December 2, 1909. He was a son of Alfred T. and Nancy Caroline (Greenlee) Sullivan.

Alfred T. Sullivan was a native of Mason County and for many years was engaged in a mercantile business at Leon, in that county. During the Civil War he was a member of the 13th W. Va. Vol. Inf., Federal army, and saw hard service. His death occurred December 29, 1906, at the age of sixty-four years. He married Nancy Caroline Greenlee, who was a native of Mason County, where she died at the age of forty-eight years. Both were members of the First Baptist church of Leon, W. Va. Six children were born to this marriage all of whom survive except Frank T. He was a young man when he came to Charleston and went into business, becoming a partner in the grocery firm of the C. A. Gates Grocery Co., a well known business enterprise of Charleston. Through his honesty, efficiency and courtesy, Mr. Sullivan made both business and personal

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friends and during the fifteen years in which he was identified with commercial interests here, he established an unblemished business record, and at his death left a modest fortune.

Mr. Sullivan was married at Charleston, October 16, 1899, to Miss Virginia Caroline Eastwood, who was born in Kanawha County and is a daughter of James M. and Emil A. (Turner) Eastwood. The father of Mrs. Sul- livan was born in West Virginia in 1825 and died January 26, 1895. In early life he was captain of a steamboat but later turned his at- tention to other business lines. In politics he was a Republican and in religious faith was a Methodist. His widow survives and resides with her daughter, Mrs. Sullivan. She was born December 9, 1833, a daughter of Branch and Susan (Wilkinson) Turner. Her father was born in 1801, and her mother in 1804, and after marriage they came to Malden, Kanawha County, where the father made salt barrels and in old days floated them down the river. They were members of the Baptist church, to which religious body Mrs. Eastwood and Mrs. Sulli- van both belong. Mrs. Sullivan has two chil- dren, Marie Eastwood, who was born Septem- ber 7, 1900, and Charles Thomas, who was born October 2, 1906.

MRS. MARGARET HUBNER,* a well known and highly respected resident of Elk District, is the widow of John Hubner, who was a prosperous farmer of this section, and who was living retired at the time of his death, which occurred in 1907, when he was aged sixty-one years. Mrs. Hubner was born Octo- ber II, 1848, in Eggersdorf, Germany, a daugh- ter of John and Margaret (Holl) Bargend.

John Bargend, born also in Eggersdorf, Ba- varia, was a farmer, and a mason by trade, and died in his native land in 1868, when aged fifty- eight years. He married Margaret Holl, who lived to be eighty-six years old. Her father was Lenhardt Holl, who was born in Prussia and died in his own land.

Mrs. Hubner is the only survivor of her par- ents' family of six children. In her girlhood she accompanied relatives to America, who lo- cated at Charleston and there she became ac- quainted with John Hubner to whom she was

subsequently married. John Hubner was born in Bavaria, Germany, and was a son of a soldier who participated in the Thirty-Years' War and died in the army. John Hubner was twenty- four years old when he came to America and to Charleston, W. Va., and some time later he purchased a farm in the German settlement in Elk District and through his thrift and indus- try became a man of independent means. He was a consistent member of the Lutheran church. While he always cast his vote, he never desired any political office, giving support to the Democratic party because he believed in its principles. To Mr. and Mrs. Hubner nine children were born, as follows: Dolly, who lives with her mother; George, who is a far- mer, married Redda Anna Copen and has three children-Oda Maria, Froma Esther and Lu-

etta Mildred; Anna, who is the wife of John Haas, a farmer in Elk District, and has three children-Ida, Clarence and Ambrose; John, who lives at home; Minnie, who is the wife of George Henshaw, and has two children-Frank and Margaret; Elizabeth, who attends the High School at Charleston; and three children who are deceased. Mrs. Hubner attends the Luth- eran church.

WILLIAM GILLIGAN, whos real estate holdings at Charleston, W. Va., make him a leading citizen in that line, formerly was ac- tively interested in the lumber industry and for many years before retirement, was concerned in the lumber business. He was born in 1847, in Clearfield county, Pa., and is a son of Ed- ward and Elizabeth (English) Gilligan.

The parents of Mr. Gilligan were born in Dublin, Ireland, of Irish ancestry and of Ro- man Catholic religion. Four of their fifteen children were born before they left Ireland for the United States. After reaching this country they lived first at Pottsville, Pa., and then moved to Clearfield County, where the father died at the age of sixty-five years, having been a farmer. The mother survived to be ninety- four years of age. Twelve of their large fam- ily lived to maturity and seven of these survive.

William Gilligan was one of the younger members of his parents' family. He was seven- teen years of age when he became a lumber-

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HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY

man and worked at logging and rafting in Pennsylvania until 1872, when he came to Charleston, W. Va., and associated himself in the lumber business with M. V. Smith. Their field was in Webster County, at the head of Elk River, and they were doing well, when an unexpected and unprepared-for freshet drove down the river more than 5,000,000 feet of their logs. This disaster was a serions handicap for a time, but later they continued being in partnership for about four years, when they lost the mill by fire. Mr. Gilligan and M. V. Smith were the first to put a skiff in the Elk River, at Addison, in Webster County. Mr. Gilligan then went into the shoe business for a time, and subsequently was interested for five years with William D. Isaac, in the manufac- ture of bricks, under the firm name of Gilligan and Isaac, in which line he continued until ne disposed of his business interests outside of his real estate, practically retiring in 1906. About that time he erected Oakherst, on Swan Hill, a stately residence and beautiful home, overlook- ing the valley and city. He also owns a large business house on Charleston street, together with some fifty-six acres, all in one body, within the corporation limits.

Mr. Gilligan was married on August 27, 1871, to Miss Catherine Quinn, in Clearfield County, who was born in the Parish of Ka- nough, County Roscommon, Ireland, April 3, 1848. She was six months old when her par- ents, Edward and Mary (Killian) Quinn, came to the United States and settled in Clearfield County, Pa., where her father was a farmer for many years, but later went to Buchanan County, Ia., where the father bought a farm, near Winthrop, and there both parents of Mrs. Gilligan spent the remainder of their lives. The father was seventy-six years old at time of death and the mother was seventy-one. They were devoted members of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. and Mrs. Gilligan have had ten children, the survivors being: Martin, who resides at Charleston; Edward, who lives at Charleston, married Ellen Clark, of Colum- bus, O., and they have two children-Robert P. and Ruth C .; William, who lives at home; Mary, who attended a conservatory of music ; and Margaret, Anna, John and Helen, all of

whom live at home. The children have been given superior educational advantages. The family belongs to the Roman Catholic church, and Mr. Gilligan is a member of the Knights of Columbus.

ABRAM. CLARK SHAVER, one of the representative and widely known citizens of East Bank. W. Va., which place has been his home for many years, was born July 21, 1843, on his father's farm in Gallia county, O., and is a son of James and Mary Ann ( Edwards) Shaver.

James Shaver was born December 27, 1817, in Gallia county, and died on his farm in Springfield township, October 13, 1899. His wife, Mary A. Edwards, was born June 17, 1812, near Edinburgh, Scotland, and came to America with her parents when young. The voyage across the Atlantic ocean consumed six weeks and the Edwards family located at Pittsburg and from there went to Gallipolis, Ohio, where Mary A. subsequently married James Shaver. Her death occurred May 25, 1905. They had six children, namely: Will- iam E., deceased, who served through the Civil War as a member of the 19th U. S. Regulars, and was twice wounded; Abram Clark; Mary J., who is deceased; Susan A., who is the wife of John Ferguson; James L. and Thomas J.

Abram C. Shaver remained on the home farm and was educated in the district schools and at Cheshire Academy. In 1862 he en- listed for service in the Civil War, entering Co. E, 14Ist O. Vol. Infantry, and served ninety days, re-enlisting as a veteran in Co. C, 194th O. Vol. Infantry. under Capt. Ben- jamin Martin. He participated in many bat- tles, served until the close of the war and was honorably discharged and mustered out at Columbus, O. He returned to his father's farm, but his long absence had somewhat changed his views and ambitions, and, remem- bering the beautiful Kanawha valley in which he had lived as a soldier during much of 1862, he resolved to return to that section and per- haps make it his future home. He landed at Coalburg, W. Va., June 17, 1866. At that time Col. W. H. Edwards was president of

MR. AND MRS. ABRAM C. SHAVER

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the Kanawha & Ohio Coal Company, and as he was interested in educational matters and was disposed to favor a veteran soldier, he secured a teacher's position for Mr. Shaver, which the latter acceptably filled for three months, and then was engaged in the company store at Coalburg and continued with the old firm and with its successors, the Robinson Coal Company. For thirty-three years Mr. Shaver was in that store, and during fifteen years and eleven months of this time was post- master. In the meanwhile he had purchased his present desirable property at East Bank. He has always been an active Republican and reputable citizen, and in 1900 was elected a member of the county court, with a plurality of 1,400 votes, and served until 1905.

Mr. Shaver was married December 2, 1869, to Miss Minna Barker, who was born in Ger- many, and they have had six children: Rosa A., born September 12, 1870; Dorothy, born May 10, 1872; Minna, born April 15, 1874; Clara, born February 4, 1876, who died eight- een months later; William B., born April 13, 1877; and Ada, born August 18, 1880. Mr. Shaver and family are members of the Free Will Baptist church. He is a Knight Templar Mason and a Shriner, belonging to Beni- Kedem Temple at Charleston, and he belongs also to George Crook Post, No. 3, G. A. R., at Charleston.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WATSON,* postmaster at Monarch, W. Va., and mana- ger of the Sunday Creek stores Nos. 1, 2 and 3, was born on the old home place of his grand- mother, at Mt. Juliet, Kanawha County, W. Va., July 21, 1869, and is a son of Robert F. and Sally (Dickinson) Smithers Watson.

Robert F. Watson was born at Staunton, Va., and was young when he was brought to what is now West Virginia, by his widowed mother, and was two years old when she lo- cated in Lewis County, where he grew to man- hood. From that county he enlisted at the be- ginning of the Civil War and served four years as a soldier in the Confederate army. His first enlistment was as a private in the 22nd Va. Inf., which later came under the command of Gen. Stonewall Jackson, and later he was in a

cavalry regiment and still later in the artillery. Soon after the end of the war he came to Kanawha County and in 1868 married Sallie (Smithers) Dickinson, a daughter of Benja- min S. and Eliza (Shrewsbury) Smithers. Mr. Watson then went into the mercantile busi- ness, for years being manager for the stores of the Peabody and Lovell Coal Companies, and later had a store of his own which he was con- ducting at the time of his last sickness, his death occurring March 14, 1911, when he was sixty-seven years old, his wife having passed away December 14, 1897. They owned valu- able land in Cabin Creek District at Shrews- bury, Mrs. Watson belonging to old and promi- nent families of this section. They had three children: Benjamin Franklin; David A., who died at the age of fourteen years; and Robert G., who lives on the home farm.

Benjamin Franklin Watson was educated in the Cabin Creek and Malden District schools and then attended the "K. M. I." at Charleston, where he secured a business education. He then entered the employ of the Peabody Coal Company, in their store at Peabody, WV. Va., but after remaining there for a few years, re- turned to the K. M. Institute and pursued his studies there for three more terms. His next business association was with the Lovell Coal Company and he remained with them for four years under his father, afterward becoming a clerk in the Charleston National Bank, and re- maining with that institution for two years. Two years more were spent in the Peel Splint Coal Company's store and he then became bookkeeper for the Monarch Coal Company at Monarch, and continued six years. Mr. Wat- son then served six years as store manager for the Riverside Coal Company and when the Sunday Creek Coal Company absorbed the for- mer company, he continued with the latter or- ganization. He came to Mammoth in 1903, and was appointed postmaster here June 9, 1904, serving in the same capacity for River- side and Monarch.

On June 2, 1898, Mr. Watson was married to Miss Minnie Shaffer, a daughter of A. C. Shaffer, of East Bank, W. Va. They are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. He is identi- fied with the Masonic fraternity and belongs to

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all the Charleston branches and is also a mem- ber of the Knights of Pythias at Cedar Grove.

JAMES T. SNYDER, who is interested in valuable land in different sections of West Vir- ginia, rich in oil and gas, was born on Reynolds street, Charleston, W. Va., near his present home, December 13, 1858, and is a son of Henry and Nancy ( Price ) Snyder.

Henry Snyder was born in Pendleton county and his wife at Clendenin, Kanawha County, W. Va. They were married in 1840, and came to Charleston in 1843, Mr. Snyder building the Snyder Hotel, on the corner of Reynolds and Brown streets, leading thoroughfares of the city at that time. This public house was the stopping place for all who came hither either by land or water, and although he had but twenty sleeping rooms, at times managed to accommo- date as many as 150 guests over night, making them as comfortable as possible, and he con- ducted his hotel from 1843 until his death, No- vember 9, 1882. His books show many distin- guished names. He was a strong supporter of the Confederacy in 1861. In boyhood, when but fifteen years of age, he became a soldier in the U. S. army and for several years was in Florida during the troubles with the Seminole Indians, and during this time was seriously wounded by one of the savages. Mr. Snyder was well known all through this section of the state, was connected with many of the develop- ing enterprises of this locality and was an of- ficial of the Cannel Coal Company. ' His wife was a member of an old state family, her par- ents being Edward M. and Elizabeth (Mur- phy) Price, prominent people at Clendenin, leaders in the Methodist church. The father of Mrs. Snyder died aged fifty-three years, and the mother aged seventy-three years. Mrs. Snyder survived until 1891. She was a de- voted member of the Baptist church. Five children were born to Henry and Nancy Sny- der : Melvin, who is a capitalist and resides on Upper Kanawha street, Charleston; Elizabeth, who is the wife of A. B. Williams, of Charles- ton; John P., who died in New York city in 1908, aged fifty-eight years; James T .: and Josephine, the wife of A. B. Miller, who is foreman of the Dry Kiln Company, of Balti- more, Md.

James T. Snyder was reared and educated at Charleston and his home has never been farther than one block from the residence in which he was born. For some years he was connected with the Charleston Natural Gas Supply Com- pany, but has been mainly interested in looking after the property left by his father, and his own valuable real estate, which includes many acres in Roane County and in the oil and gas belt. He is a Democrat in his political senti- ments and fraternally is connected with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Mys- tic Circle.

Mr. Snyder was married first in 1881, to Miss Sarah E. Oliver, who was born at Charleston in January, 1859, and died October 4, 1894, survived by one daughter, Iris E. The latter married John E. Kirk, of Charleston, and they have one son, James B. On February 14, 1902, Mr. Snyder was married, to Miss Mollie Alice Williams, who was born and reared in Kanawha County, a daughter of William and Catherine (Burdett) Williams, the former of whom died on his farm at the age of fifty-eight years, and the latter in her fifty-third year. They were members of the Free Will Baptist church. Of their nine children, seven grew to maturity and all married. Five of these sur- vive and three live in Kanawha County. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are members of the First Methodist Episcopal church, Charleston.

KELLY CUMMINGS,* one of the indus- trious and successful young men of Elk Dis- trict, Kanawha County, W. Va., who is en- gaged in farming here, was born in Boone County, WV. Va., March I, 1885, and is a son of Gordon and Eveline (Kidd) Cummings, both of whom survive.

Gordon Cummings was born in Boone County, now in West Virginia, sixty-three years ago, a son of John Cummings, a native of Virginia, and a grandson of John Cummings, who, at one time owned one-half of Boone County. He came to the county when not more than four other pioneers had preceded him. Grandfather Cummings was born in 1808 and died in 1906, at the home of his son Gordon, in Kanawha County. The latter came to this county in 1895, locating first at Kanawha City.

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but moving in 1904 to Two-Mile Creek, where he bought a farm on which he has lived ever since. He married Eveline Kidd, a daughter of Abraham and Dolly (Miller) Kidd, and the following children were born to them: Kelly Overton, of Kanawha City ; Laughton, of Kan- awha Two-Mile; Gordon, of Charleston; Sid- ney and Bruce, both at home ; Margaret, wife of E. Miller, of Boone county ; Willie Ann, wife of M. Miller, of Two-Mile; and Martha, wife of C. Carro, of Boone county.

After his school days were over, Mr. Cum- mings was an employe of the nail factory in Kanawha City for two years, then worked for four years in the mines and after that was em- ployed for four years in the Kelly Ax Foundry at Charleston. He came then to Elk district and has been operating the Hermandorfer farm ever since and has been very successful as a farmer. He married Miss Anna Hermans- dorfer.

MEYERS BROS., plumbers and gas fitters, with business location at No. 1003 Washington Street, Charleston, WV. Va., is one of the oldest firms in the city doing business continuously without change of style. The brothers, Samuel H. and Alexander Meyers, are sons of Solomon E. Meyers, who is one of Charleston's best known retired citizens.

Solomon E. Meyers was born in Heidelberg, Germany, June 5, 1843, a son of Alexander and Esther Meyers, who passed many years in Heidelberg, where they died. Alexander Mey- ers, the father, was a soldier in the Crimean WVar. Solomon E. Meyers was not yet fifteen years of age when he left Germany and on one of the old slow-sailing vessels, reached New York. He went from there to Newmarket and then to Cincinnati, O., and some twenty years since came to Charleston to make it his perma- nent home. In 1861 Mr. Meyers enlisted as a soldier in the Confederate army and served for four years as a member of the Ioth Va. Cav., and during this time suffered from four gunshot wounds. He took part in the battles of Cold Harbor, Fairfax Court House, Seven Pines, and the long siege before Richmond together with many others, at Spottsylvania Court House being very seriously wounded through the leg.

He has never taken the oath of allegiance. His political convictions have always been decidedly Democratic. Mr. Meyers is a member of the Hebrew Temple, Charleston. In Cincinnati he was married to Betty Hilburn, who was born at Ninestraight, on the Rhine, in Germany, sev- enty-one years ago, and was an orphan when she accompanied some of her kindred to Amer- ica. She also is a member of the Hebrew Con- gregation. One daughter and three sons were born to them, namely : Effie C., who resides at home; Samuel H., who was born at Raymond City, Putnam county, W. Va., in 1879; Alex- ander, who was born at Brownston, W. Va., October 16, 1880; and Julius, who died at the age of twenty-one years.

For fourteen years the firm of Meyers Bros. has been in existence at Charleston and for twelve of these was located on the corner of State and Capitol streets, in 1909 moving into the present commodious building on Washing- ton Street, where they have plenty of space. The firm does a general plumbing, heating and gas fitting business and they recently have shown much enterprise by introducing a pneu- matic system of water supply for suburban res- idences. They are busy, practical men, success- ful in their undertakings and reliable and re- spected citizens.

WILLIAM LEWIS HENSON,* of the general mercantile firm of Henson & Henson, leading business men at Cabin Creek, Kanawha county, WV. Va., was born December 8, 1876, in Putnam county, W. Va., and is a son of Walter Carson and Mattie (Weiley ) Henson.

Walter Carson Henson was born and reared in Putnam county and owned a farm there. He married Mattie Weiley, who was a native of Ohio, and in 1878 they moved to Kanawha county, locating at Malden, where Mr. Henson was engaged in farming for thirteen years. From there he then moved to a farm situated between Winifrede and Marmet, in Cabin Creek district, where a village has since grown up. He continued agricultural pursuits until 1906, when he opened a general store at Cabin Creek Junction, which he was operating at the time of his accidental death on the railroad, in November, 1908, he then being aged fifty-nine

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years. His widow survives, together with their eight children, as follows: Nannie M., William L., J. Carson, Nyde, Carl Clay, Waldo C., Ben- nett and Helen.

William Lewis Henson was educated in the public schools and assisted his father on the home farm. In early manhood he entered his father's store and continued with him until his death, after which, in association with his bro- ther, J. Carson, he assumed the responsibilities of the business and the brothers have continued together ever since and enjoy a lucrative trade. Both are widely known and are esteemed both as business men and as citizens. In addition to his business as a merchant, J. Carson Henson also represents the Prudential Insurance Com- pany. William Lewis Henson belongs to the Masonic lodge at Montgomery and to the Knights of Pythias at Chelyan, W. Va.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 91

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