History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 92

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 92

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JAMES BIBBY, a retired resident of Charleston, W. Va., who owns a large amount of real estate in this section, which has been well improved, spent many years of active en- deavor here, identified with numerous enter- prises which contributed to the upbuilding and advancement of his native city. He was born at Charleston, October 27, 1837, coming of old Quaker stock and of English ancestry.

Edward Bibby, the paternal grandfather, be- longed to a fine old Lancaster, England, family, one that has numbered many men of wealth and importance in its ranks. The Bibby name at the present day is known in the leading marts of trade at Liverpool, and one of the nephews of Edward Bibby, became one of the most ex- tensive growers of sheep in New Zealand.

Joseph Bibby, father of James Bibby of Charleston, was born and reared in Lancaster, England, and there was married to Margaret Swarbrick, and after the birth of their first child, Ellen, they started, in 1831, to seek a new home in America. They set sail in a vessel called the Nectarine which landed them safely, six weeks later, at Norfolk, Va. From there, in company with an English friend, Frank Da- vis, the family started by ox-team, for Cincin- nati, O. They stopped near Charleston and there became acquainted with the Ruffner fam- ily and by the advice of these older settlers, they

remained in what was then a village and pur- chased land, about twenty acres of which lay within the present city limits. Joseph Bibby retained his land until it became very valuable and then sold it to great advantage. After- ward he went into the salt business at Black Rock, near Malden, Kanawha county, where at first he was not successful but later prospered exceedingly. In early years after he first be- came interested in political affairs in the United States, he was identified with the Whig party but later became a Democrat. His death oc- curred at Charleston, January 6, 1893, his birth having taken place April 12, 1805. His widow survived him until the last month of the same year, her death taking place in December, 1893, at the age of eighty years. She was a member of the Episcopal church, while he adhered to the Methodist faith. They were parents of twelve children, six of whom died early in life. Those who grew to maturity were: John H. and Samuel G., both of whom are married and at death left families; Edward, who lives in Monroe county, W. Va., married Lucy Rand : James Robert, who lives in Elk district, where he is a farmer, has been twice married; and William W., who lives retired at Charleston.

James Bibby has spent his entire life at Charleston and he was associated for many years with his brother, William W. Bibby, in extensive business enterprises including flour milling, saw milling and general merchandis- ing and they also built salt boats and coal barges. He has witnessed wonderful changes in Charleston since his youth, changes in some was for the better in his opinion and in other ways the old times seemed the best. For many years he served as a member of the city coun- cil as did his father before him and like his father he has given his political support to the Democratic party. For a great many years he has been a member of the order of Odd Fellows.

Mr. Bibby was married at Cincinnati, O., to Miss Eugenia B. Atkinson, who was born near Charleston, January 15, 1847, and was edu- cated in Kanawha county. She belongs to a distinguished family and is a sister of ex-Gov- ernor George W. Atkinson. Mrs. Bibby is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church. By a former marriage with Emeline

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Stark, who was born at Charleston in 1846 and died in 1869, Mr. Bibby had three children: John W. and Joseph P., who both died young ; and Ella, who resides at home. Three chil- dren were born to the second marriage, namely : Margaret M., who died in infancy ; Francis At- kinson, who was born April 22, 1878, and holds a position in the census department at Washing- ton, D. C .; and James Atkinson, born May 6, 1880, who is now city salesman at Charleston for the Charleston Milling and Produce Com- pany. He married Mary Curns, of St. Albans, W. Va., and they have two children: Eugenia Harriet, who was born March 7, 1906; and James Arnold, who was born August 31, 1909.

CALVIN JONES,* who has lived on his present farm in Elk district, Kanawha county, W. Va., since his parents came here in 1851, was born in Roane county, Va., January 8, 1844, and is a son of Thomas and Susan ( Sha- ber) Jones, and a grandson of Moses Jones.

Thomas Jones perhaps was born in Mary- land, as was his father, and was married to Susan Shaber, who was born in Roane county, Va. She survived him many years, her death occurring in March, 1905, at the age of eighty- four years, while he passed out of life in 1865 when fifty-two years of age. Nine children were born to them and six of these survive, as follows : Melinda, wife of W. Burdett; Henry, of Charleston; George, of Little Sandy; Wil- son, also of Little Sandy; Calvin; and Alfred, residing in Elk district.

Calvin Jones had some schooling but in his boyhood educational advantages were limited. Afterward he carried on the farm work on the old homestead and has continued in the same line with but a year's interruption, that being while he was a soldier in the Civil War. He enlisted in 1864, in Co. K, 7th Va., and was in the army of General Grant. After he was hon- orably discharged in 1865, he resumed his for- mer agricultural interests. He has made many improvements but still occupies the old house, which is the oldest one on Cooper's Creek, but is still comfortable and presentable.

On September 6, 1866, Mr. Jones was mar- ried to Marietta Burditt, who was born Feb- ruary 28, 1849, a daughter of Miles and Me-

linda (Carr) Burditt. Four children were born to them, namely: Elizabeth, who is the wife of S. Jordan, who lives near Two-Mile Creek, and has two children; Sarah Ann, who is the wife of William Cooper, living on Coop- er's Creek, and has eight children : Anna, who is the wife of John Burgess, living on Four-Mile Creek, and has six children; and B. Franklin, a merchant, who married Jane Moles, and has three children. Mr. Jones is a member of the Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist church.

ADAM T. MAIRS, M. D., a well known physician and surgeon, who has been engaged in the practice of his profession at Charleston, W. Va., since 1904, was born February 14, 1855, in Kanawha county, and spent his boy- hood on his father's farm. He is a son of Dr. William and Martha (Aultz) Mairs.

William Mairs, father of Dr. Adam T., was a son of Dr. Joseph Mairs, who was of Irish extraction and moved from Ohio to Jackson county, now West Virginia, when his son Wil- liam was a boy. Dr. Joseph Mairs, Sr., sub- sequently moved to Missouri, where he met an accidental death from sun-stroke. Dr. William Mairs began the study of medicine with his father and completed his course in the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, and after grad- uation he located in Poca district, Kanawha county, where he practiced his profession for many years, now living retired. For a long period he was the only physician in a territory of many miles and his professional visits were made on horseback, his medicine and appli- ances being carried in saddle-bags. He com- pleted his eighty-fourth year on April 3, 191I, and is probably one of the best known men in Poca district. He retains a lively interest in all that concerns Kanawha county, keeps thor- oughly posted on current events and local hap- penings. He is a Republican in his political views and is a Methodist in his religious at- tachment.

Dr. William Mairs married Martha Aultz, an admirable woman in every relation of life. She was the mother of ten children but died when only forty-three years of age. Of this family only one, Henry, died in infancy. Those surviving are: Joseph B., who is a farmer in

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HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY

his native district, where he married and has numerous descendants; Martha A., who is the wife of C. L. Milam, residents of Kanawha county; Adam T .; William Brown, a farmer in Poca district, who married Virgie Morgan; Malissa J., who is the wife of Edward Layne, a farmer in Union district; Mark Wyatt, who is a merchant at Centerville, Ia .; John Wesley, who is a merchant-clothier in business at Charleston, married Mrs. Lora (High) Mor- ley, who had one son, Burton Morley, and they have one daughter, Mildred Joyce; Mary M., who has been twice married, first to Samuel Rust, and second to Andrew McClanahan; and James Daniel, who may still be living in the West, the family having lost sight of him since early manhood.

Adam T. Mairs went from the common schools to Marshall Normal College, at Hunt- ington, W. Va., where he was graduated in 1878. He then taught several sessions of school, in the meanwhile studying medicine with his father, having a natural inheritance in the direction of this profession. Later he en- tered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Md., where he was graduated in the class of 1883. He located at once at Sis- sonville, W. Va., and engaged in the practice of his profession until 1904, when, as men- tioned above, he came to the capital and since then has been located at No. 310 Lovell street. He has built up a practice that is substantial be- cause it is founded on professional ability.

Dr. Mairs was married in 1882, at Sisson- ville, W. Va., to Miss Lovisa V. Gibson, who was born in Poca district, November 20, 1860, and was reared and educated there. Her par- ents were William and Adaline (Dawson) Gib- son, natives of Virginia. The father was a farmer and merchant. They were members of the Southern Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Mairs had one sister and one brother. The

former, Lenora, who was the wife of J. N. Johnson, met with an accidental death, leaving five children. The latter, Robert Gibson, is a farmer in Poca district. Before marriage, Mrs. Mairs was a very successful teacher and is a lady of many social graces.

Dr. and Mrs. Mairs have three children, one son and two daughters. Atlee, who is now an

accredited physician, was born October 21, 1883. He was graduated in 1905 from the Charleston High School, afterward taking a course of four years in Jefferson Medical Col- lege, Philadelphia, where he was creditably graduated in 1910. He is an enthusiastic stu- dent still and is taking a post graduate course in surgery at Paterson General Hospital, Pater- son, N. J. There is every indication that he will make as eminent a name for himself in the family profession as have father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Dr. and Mrs. Mairs eldest daughter, Thresa, was born December 3, 1885. She has been educated in her native county, graduating from the Charleston High School in 1905 and in November of the same year completed a business course at Elliot Com- mercial College. She is an expert stenog- rapher and occupies a confidential position with the well known law firm of Avis & Hardy, Charleston. Bessie Juanita, the youngest of the family, was born April 7, 1893, and is a student in the Charleston High School, being a member of the class of 1914. Dr. Mairs and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is identified with the Republican party.

JOHN B. FINNEY,* a well known busi- ness man of Union district, Kanawha county, W. Va., is a member of the firm of Finney Brothers, carpenters and contractors. at Charleston. He was born in Union district, October 17, 1865, and is a son of Capt. Will- iam and Elizabeth ( Preston) Finney.

Capt. William Finney was born in Rock- bridge county, Va., but resided in Kanawha county after his marriage and died here at the age of forty-seven years. His burial was near Lock No. 6, in Charleston district. He was a lifelong Democrat. He married Elizabeth Preston, who was born in Kanawha county and survived him many years, her death occur- ring after her seventy-fifth birthday. Eight children were born to them, namely: Letha, who married John Wilson, now deceased; Te- cia Virginia, who is deceased ; Charles, who re- sides in Union district, married Grace Withe- row ; Josephine, who is the wife of M. T. Thurs- ton, resides in Union district ; William, who re-

JOHN LAING

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sides in Union district, married Rosa Shorer; Victoria, who married H. F. Keller, lives in Union district ; Alphonse, who is a resident of Union district, married Jennie Clark; and John B.

John B. Finney attended school in Union dis- trict and afterward learned the carpenter's trade. He tried lumbering for a time but his health failed and he gave that up. For some eight years he has worked as a carpenter at In- stitute and is associated also with his brothers in contracting all through this section. Ever since his marriage he has lived in Union dis- trict, where he owns a farm of forty acres eight miles west of Charleston, thirty acres of which is under cultivation.

Mr. Finney was married February 10, 1892, to Miss Maggie Shover, who was born in Kan- awha county, April 19, 1875, a daughter of Lewis Shover. They have two children, Irene and John Wesley. Mr. and Mrs. Finney are members of the Presbyterian church. He be- longs to the O. U. A. M. Mr. Finney is one of the busy, useful men of his neighborhood, reliable in what ever he undertakes and highly respected in every relation of life.

ALBERT J. GUILL, chief of the police de- partment at Charleston, W. Va., and a repre- sentative business man and substantial citizen, was born in this city, August 2, 1862, and is a son of Richard and Love (Price) Guill.

Richard Guill was born in Prince Edwards county, Va., in 1826. In 1856 he came to Charleston and for many years afterward was in business here, having lumber yards and saw mill near the docks. He was well known on the river and was one of the early and success- ful business men of the place and served in public office at times, being a member of the board of education and of the city council. He remained active until he was seventy-five years of age, retiring then and dying November 21, 1905. He was married at Charleston to Miss Love Price, who was born in 1830, in Kanawha county, W. Va., and died April 25, 1905. She was a daughter of Edward Price, an early set- tler in Big Sandy district, where he followed farming. Seven children were born to Richard Guill and wife, namely: Helen, who occupies

the old homestead at Charleston; John H., who is interested in the lumber business at Charles- ton; Lewis F., who is a resident of Charles- ton; Albert J .; Richard, who is an expert elec- trician, residing in this city; Robert, who died at the age of eighteen years; and James, who was accidentally drowned in the Elk river, when eleven years of age. The surviving sons of Richard Guill greatly resemble their father physically, being fine, well set-up men, weigh- ing some 200 pounds and noticeable for their manly bearing in any gathering. The father of the above family was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, while the mother had been reared in the Baptist faith.

Albert J. Guill obtained his education in the public schools. When he first entered into bus- iness it was as a grocery merchant and he has continued in that line ever since but has many additional interests. In 1892 he became a mem- ber of the police force of Charleston and be- came the head of the department in 1908 and it may be mentioned that Charleston has the name of being one of the best regulated and policed place of its size in the state. Mr. Guill is interested in 1000 acres of oil and gas prop- erty in Kanawha county, and is associated with the mayor of Charleston, in the ownership of considerable real estate in the city. He is a member also of the Diamond Ice Company.

Chief Guill was married to Miss Willie Hens- ley, a native of West Virginia. They attend the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a Democrat but he is not identified himself with any fraternal organization.

JOHN LAING, chief of the department of mines for the state of West Virginia, is a man pre-eminently well qualified, both by natural ability and special training, for this important position. His ancestors for several generations have been connected in one way or another with mining interests and he has himself had a wide practical experience in every branch of this industry, from the lowest to the highest.

Mr. Laing was born near Glasgow, Scot- land. August 24, 1865, a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (McAlpin) Laing, and comes of pure Scottish blood on both the paternal

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and maternal sides. His great-grandfather, John Laing, and his paternal grandfather, also named John, or otherwise John Laing, Jr., were both Scotch miners. The former lived and died in his native land, passing away at an advanced age. He was a highly respected citizen, and a member of the Presbyterian church, and he and his wife were the parents of a large family of children.

John Laing, Jr., was the first of the family to come to the United States, landing in this country in 1863. He came alone and located in Mercer county, Pa., where he subsequently died in the sixty-first year of his age. He had been previously married in Scotland and left behind him a grown-up family. In 1867 he went back to his native land to fetch his family, and on his return to this country was accompanied by his sons and their wives and children, making a party of twenty-six per- sons in all. They all settled in Mercer county, Pa., and being a thrifty and practical people, like most of their race, they prospered and multiplied and many of their descendants are now scattered throughout that region. The wife of John Laing, Jr., was in maidenhood Margaret Boey, and she also came of a good old Scotch family. She died in Raleigh county, W. Va., at the age of nearly seventy- seven years. She and her husband were Presbyterians in religious faith, and in politics he was a Republican. They were the parents of quite a large family.

Alexander Laing, son of the foregoing and father of the subject of this sketch, was born near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1840, and died at the age of forty-six years, in Clay county, W. Va., where he had resided for some years previous. He was a practical miner and fol- lowed mining as his regular occupation during his industrial career. He married in Scotland in 1861 Elizabeth McAlpin, belonging to an old Scottish clan, whose plaid and coat of arms entitled them to rank among the gentry of the country. She was born in April. 1840, and is still living, being a resident of Charles- ton, W. Va., as a member of the household of her son John, our subject. Her father, James McAlpin, died of cholera at the early age of twenty-three years, at a time when that dis-

ease was epidemic in Scotland, and she subse- quently accompanied her husband to America at the time of the family emigration in 1867. She is still active in mind and body, possess- ing a keen intelligence, and is a prominent member of the Presbyterian church.

Alexander and Elizabeth Laing were the parents of four sons and six daughters, as follows: (1) Jeanette, married Robert A. Gilchrist and they now reside in McAlpin, W. Va. They have four sons and four daughters. (2) John, the direct subject of this record. (3) James, now a resident of Charleston, W. Va., married Anna Templin, and they have one son. (4) Elizabeth is the wife of David Evendoll, of Sharon, Kanawha county, W. Va., and they have two sons and two daugh- ters. (5) Margaret is the wife of William Whitlock and lives at Fire creek, Fayette county, W. Va. She has one son. (6) Mary is the wife of W. H. Warren and resides in Richmond, Va. She has two sons and one daughter. (7) Bessie is wife of J. D. Hum- phreys and resides at Hinton, Summers county, W. Va. She has three sons and two daughters. (8) A. W., who resides at Sharon, Kanawha county, W. Va., married Mary Wright and has one son and two daugh- ters. (9) William married Miss Cora Buster, of Green Brier county, W. Va., and they now reside at McAlpin, W. Va. They have a son and a daughter. (10) Anna is the wife of IV. T. Green of Charleston and is the mother of two sons and a daughter.

John Laing, our direct subject, grew up in Mercer county, Pa., where he remained until he was eighteen years of age. He then came to West Virginia, in which state he has since resided. His literary education was acquired in the public schools, but his knowledge of the mining industry has been gained, as already intimated, by long personal experience. Be- ginning at the early age of nine years, he has occupied every position connected with the in- dustry, from trapper, or door-keeper, to super- intendent, owner and operator, or rather, we should say, to that of which he now holds as chief of the mining department of the state- an almost unique record. He has been presi- dent of various mining companies, and has

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been an operator since 1893. He is at the of coal area," and that "of the fifty-five coun- present time president and manager of the Wyatt Coal Company, owning four mines on Cabin creek, and having a capacity of five thousand tons per day, the present output be- ing three thousand tons. He is also president of the McAlpin Coal Company, of Raleigh county, W. Va., extensive shippers, and of the McGregor Coal Company, engaged in de- veloping two mines in Logan county, W. Va.

To these various responsible positions Mr. Laing has climbed by dint of his own natural shrewdness and persevering industry. He has fought for every step he has gained in his up- ward path, neglecting no opportunities for self-improvement, but availing himself of every source of information aside from knowl- edge personally gained through experience. The extent of his special knowledge on this important subject, so intimately connected with the welfare of a large number of inhabi- tants of this state, is well shown in an address delivered by him before the West Virginia Coal Mining Association, at Washington, D. C., on December 16, 1910. In this address, which is too long to be extensively quoted here, Mr. Laing, after a few introductory re- marks concerning the geological nature and origin of coal, went on to review the history of coal mining in West Virginia, covering such topics as the nature and extent of the coal area of the state, early and later opera- tions in the different coal fields, with a de- scription of the kinds of coal mined and state- ments as to the output at various times, and an account of the various companies formed ; the examination of mine foremen, condition of the various mines, with other much valuable information in regard to the number of per- sons employed in the industry, accidents and their causes, etc. To accompany this lecture he prepared a diagram showing coal sections, with a graphic chart of coal mined, the differ- ent seams worked and their analyses.

To refer more in detail to the lecture, he showed that "the state of West Virginia oc- cupies the middle and widest portion of the Appalachian coal field, and is the greatest coal bearing field of the Union, possessing about 9,500 square miles, or 6;080,000 acres

ties in the state, thirty-nine of them carry some of the coal measures." He said further, "If we estimate the total available good coal in this area that can be recovered under commer- cial conditions at 10,000 tons to the acre, this will yield 60,800,000,000 tons of available coal. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910, West Virginia mined 59,274,708 short tons of coal. At that rate it would take more than one thou- sand years to exhaust the total coal area of the state." He showed that previous to 1840 coal mining operations in the state were largely experimental, intermittent and superficial, be- ing confined chiefly to the river hills, or, more correctly, to the outcroppings therefrom, the fuel being applied to the running of salt fur- naces; together with a few occasional openings in the lower seams to supply the local black- smith, wood being generally used for fuel in all the cabins. In 1835 in the salt region of western Virginia, there were ninety establish- ments producing 1,000,000 bushels of salt an- nually and consuming 5,000,000 bushels of coal, or about 200,000 tons annually. "In 1840," said Mr. Laing, "the amount of bitu- minous coal mined in Allegheny or western Virginia was returned as 289,698 tons of 28 bushels per ton, and the total amount of coal produced in the whole of Virginia was 379,- 369 long tons, and the number of workmen employed was 995. The capital invested in this work was $1,301,885."

Mr. Laing further showed that the first systematic exploration of the mountains and hills of the Great Kanawha took place about 1849, the cannel coal on Coal river having been brought to the attention of investors in 1840 by William M. Peyton of Roanoke, Va. A number of mining companies were subse- quently organized and the business began to assume a degree of importance that was only interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War, when operations ceased for a time, to be re- vived later. His address also contained the information that West Virginia has more than sixty different seams of coal, "about two- thirds of which are thick enough in different portions of the state to be workable." To quote Mr. Laing's descriptions of the various

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 92

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