History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 98

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 98

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Mr. Shannon was married on May 29, 1889, to Miss Ada A. Thomas, a daughter of the late Jacob and Virginia (Parrell) Thomas. Mrs. Shannon has five sisters: Susan, Lucy, Catherine, Emma and Nellie. To Mr. and Mrs. Shannon the following children have been born: Carl, who is chief clerk in the store; Thomas, Lillian, Mar- garet and Catherine, all of whom survive; and Emma Virginia. Jennings and Ward, who are now deceased. Mr. Shannon is a member of the Church of God, in which he has been an official. He belongs to Cedar Grove Lodge, No. 177. Knights of Pythias.

EBEN OAKES .* notary public and post- master at Malden, W. Va., where he is also proprietor of a general store, is one of the rep- resentative men of Malden district, where he

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has lived for many years and is familiarly known to his large number of friends as "Chet" Oakes. He was born in Cabin Creek district, Kanawha county, W. Va., May I, 1832, and is a son of Eben and Drusilla (Drown) Oakes.

Eben Oakes, the elder, was born in Vermont and his father, Thomas Oakes, was a soldier who took part in the Battle of Bunker Hill and fought through the Revolutionary War. Eben Oakes was a farmer and lumberman. He was married in what was then Kanawha county, Va., to Drusilla Drown, whose brother, Ben- jamin Drown, was sheriff of Cabell county, inheriting the office which, in those days, de- scended from father to son. A grandfather of Mrs. Drown, John P. Duvall, was land sur- veyor all through this section in the very early days. Mrs. Oakes was born September 9, 1805, and died May 10, 1893, surviving her husband, who died on the Parks farm, near Charleston, in 1873, when aged over seventy years. They had the following children born to them: James W., who is now deceased; Eliza, who was the wife of F. Calvert, both of whom are deceased; Allen, who is deceased; John C., who lives in Texas; Drusilla, who was the wife of C. Calvert, both of whom are de- ceased ; Eben; Ira, who is deceased ; and Leoni- das, who is also deceased.

Eben Oakes, who bears his father's name, was reared on the home farm and in boyhood attended George Taylor's private school, at Malden, but was yet a boy when he entered the employ of the Winifrede Coal Company, where he worked for five years. He then be- came bookkeeper for Joel Saulsberry, one of the old mining magnates of West Virginia, and continued with him until 1860, when he became connected with Snow Hill furnace, where he remained for sixteen years, being general manager, afterward being at the Dan- iel Boone furnace for one year. From 1878 until 1881, Mr. Oakes was more or less a con- tinuous resident of Charleston and during this time was in the transfer, grocery and other business lines, in 1880 opening up the present mercantile business at Malden, under his wife's name, and moving to the place on November 3,

1881. The business location is an excellent one, being on the river front.

Mr. Oakes was married at Charleston, in 1879, celebrating Thanksgiving Day, to Miss Lucy P. Coleman, a daughter of Capt. N. B. and Almira (Anderson) Coleman, both natives of Virginia. Six children were born to this marriage, namely: Alma; Lulu, who is the wife of F. O. Harris, and has one child, Er- nestine; Frances, who is a trained nurse ; Eben, who died at the age of ten years; Nelson B. and Willard L. Mr. Oakes belongs to Lodge No. 16, American Mechanics, at Malden, and has served in its various offices. He is a Re- publican in politics and was appointed post- master by the late President Mckinley, in 1903, succeeding Francis Cantaberry. Since 1883 he has also been a notary public and for eighteen years has been a member of the board of education. He remembers with a sense of the great improvement brought about by wise and careful school directors of the present day, the old log schoolhouse of his boyhood, with its slab benches and desks made of rough hewn planks.

R. W. CABELL,* proprietor of the larg- est, mercantile establishment at Winefrede, Cabin Creek District, Kanawha county, W. Va., was born at Malden, Kanawha county, in September, 1842, and is a son of N. B. Cabell, who was the first traveling man sent out in the Kanawha Valley. He was a na- tive of Lynchburg, Va., and died at the age of seventy-two years. During his entire business career he was connected with salt companies.

R. W. Cabell attended school at Mal- den, Manetta and Lewisville, enjoying two years of instruction from Rev. Dr. Robison. He then went to California and for five years was engaged in merchandising there and after he came back to Kanawha county went into business at Marmet. When thirty years of age the Winefrede Coal Company made him agent at this place of their property. His first store was de- stroyed by fire and he has been in his pres- ent commodious quarters, along the C. &

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O. Railroad, for the past eighteen years. He carries a general line of seasonable goods that have been carefully selected and his business continues to be a prosperous one.

Mr. Cabell was married first to a Miss McConahy, and they had five children : Mrs. Calvert, Henry, Robert, Todd and Fanny. He was married secondly to a daughter of Dr. John A. Hunter and two of their four children survive, Vivian and Theresa. Mr. Cabell and family are members of the Pres- byterian church. In politics he is a Demo- crat and for ten years was postmaster at this place and for a long period a justice of the peace.

CHARLES S. ROSS, supply purchaser, estimator and salesman for the Morgan Lumber & Manufacturing Co., of Charles- ton, W. Va., was born in Allegheny county, Pa., August 12, 1871. He is a son of Mil- ton Ross by his wife Matilda, whose name in maidenhood was Matilda Rockhold.

Milton Ross, who was a native of Penn- sylvania, came after the war to West Vir- ginia and was engaged in the oil business here for some years. He was married in Wirt county, this state, his wife being a native of that county. He subsequently went back to Pennsylvania, but after re- maining there for some years he returned again to West Virginia and he and his wife both reside in Elizabeth, Wirt county. He was for some twenty-five years in the lum- ber business and retired with impaired health about five years ago. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. They were the parents of a large family, as follows: Charles S. is the direct subject of this article. May is the wife of William E. Vernon and resides in Colum- bus, Ohio. Clara is unmarried and resides in Wheeling, W. Va., where she is a trained nurse. Luella is also a trained nurse in Wheeling, W. Va. Dale is now attending Beth- any college (W. Va.), being a member of the class of 1912. James is a resident of New York city, being connected with the Board of Water Supply Works. Edwin re-

sides in Pennsylvania, being a telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. William died at the age of twenty-one years.

Charles S. Ross has been connected with the lumber business since he was fourteen years old, when he first found employment as a tally boy. He subsequently became an inspector and office man and was for a time connected with the Gauley Company, then later with the Elkhurst Planing Mill Company and the Collins' Lumber Com- pany as treasurer. He has been with the Morgan Lumber & Manufacturing Com- pany since its organization. He has a thor- ough grasp of the lumber business and is a very efficient man in his position.

Mr. Ross was married in Lewis county, W. Va., to Miss Minnie Conrad, who was born in that county in 1872 and was edu- cated there. He and his wife are the par- ents of three children : Conrad Milton, born August 28, 1896, and now attending the Charleston public schools; Louise, born February 25, 1899, also attending school; and Charles Philip, born September 16, 1901. Mr. Ross is an Odd Fellow and is a member of Glen Elk Lodge No. 95, of which he is past grand, also a member of the Glenwood Encampment No. 40.

H. E. ROBINSON,* who resides on his valuable farm of III acres which is situated on Poca river, in Poca district, is a member of one of the well known and substantial families of this county. He was born March 7, 1876, in Jackson county, W. Va., and is a son of George W. and a grandson of James and Lo- venia (Crea) Robinson

George W. Robinson was born in Wood county, Va., March 1, 1846. At the age of sixteen years he enlisted for service in the Civil War, becoming a member of Co. A, 15th W. Va. Inf., and was seriously wounded at the battle of Lynchburg, Va. He was honor- ably discharged at Wheeling and then located as a merchant at Parkersburg and after mar- riage lived until November, 1883, at Clays- ville, seven miles above the former place. He then removed to Hiccombottom Branch Creek,

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where he cleared and improved a large part of 300 acres of land, moving from there to a farm of 140 acres on Poca river and from there to the farm now owned by his son, H. E., which then contained 116 acres. It was purchased from George W. Polly and wife and at one time had been partially cleared but was covered with a second growth when Mr. Robinson took it and began its improvement. He was not a farmer in his later years, engag- ing others to look after his agricultural work. A veteran of the Federal army, he was a re- publican in his political views. He served as a member of the school board in Poca district, as constable and as a notary public. He was a man of sterling character and was a class leader in the Christian Advent church.

On September 16, 1867, George W. Robin- son was married to Eleanor Carder, who was born in Morgan county, O., April 4, 1848, a daughter of Dr. William and Priscilla (Reder) Carder, and a granddaughter of Richard Reder, of England. The following children were born to George W. Robinson and his wife: Ashby L .; William M., who was mar- ried first to Fannie Painter and secondly to Hettie Shamlin, and now resides at Ranger, Ga., having two children-Priscilla M. and Lexie; Ralph, born September 15, 1873, who died in December, 1900; Harry E .; James Monroe, who is manager of the Robinson Ho- tel, married Minnie Harper and has three children-Ada, Ruby May and Howard; Crys- tal Lavada, who is the wife of John P. Daw- son, and they live in Poca district and have four children-George G., Bertle Edwin, Guy D., and William Monroe; Royal G., a resident of Charleston, who married Nellie Blake; Holly D., who lives at Charleston, married Myrtle Taylor and has one son, Garland; Thomas D., who lives in Alaska ; Josephine L., who is the wife of E. B. Shirkey, of Poca dis- trict and has two children-Thomas Henry and Lewis A .; and Nona E., who married Charles A. Crowder. Mr. and Mrs. Crowder live on the farm above described and they have one child, Zelma C. Mr. Robinson raised many sheep and hogs, much of the farm being pas- ture land. His death occurred November 14, I902.

Ashby L. Robinson, the eldest of the above family, was born August 5, 1868, at Independ- ence, Wood county, W. Va. He is a farmer in Poca district, owning 145 acres on the main Poca river, twenty-four miles north of Charles- ton. He was educated in Kanawha and Jack- son counties and taught school for eleven years and then became a traveling salesman for school supplies and novelties. Following mar- riage he settled on his present farm. For the first five years he conducted a general store and then operated a hotel at Anderson. He was appointed postmaster at Paragon, in June, 1909. He devotes his land mainly to stock and cattle raising, having a preference for Hereford cattle, and has forty-five acres in timber. He was married January 3, 1894, to Miss Ethel J. Pauley, who was born in Elk district, in May, 1874, a daughter of Rev. A. B. and Isabel (Akers) Pauley, and they have seven children: Harold G., Elbert L., Nellie B., Ellen I., Thelma G., Naomi J., and James M.

H. E. Robinson was educated at Charleston and at Lebanon, O., and for some years after- ward taught school. After marriage he located at Charleston and there conducted a store and also the Hotel St. Albert, the Hotel Robinson and the Commercial Hotel. After selling his hotel interests he became a commercial traveler and afterward was manager for the Maytown Lumber Company of Hacker Valley.

On April 10, 1894, Mr. Robinson was mar- ried to Miss Carrie E. Walker, a daughter of Charles W. Walker, of Copenhaver, W. Va. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson attend the Christian church. In politics he is a republican.

NOYES FAMILY-Among those who emigrated from England in 1634 were two brothers by the name of Noyes. These brothers settled in Newberry, Mass., James, the first minister of that town and his brother, Nicholas.

Descendents of James settled in New Canaan, New York, and in 1808 four brothers, Isaac, Bradford, Charles and Franklin emigrated to Kanawha. Three sisters followed shortly-Sybil who mar -.

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ried Braden Allen, Maria, who married John Stone and Nancy who never married.

The brothers engaged in the manufac- ture of salt and were men prominent in business and church affairs. All except Charles left a number of descendents who still reside in Charleston and vicinity. The Rands, Smith, Brooks, Burlinghams, Ab- neys, Dawleys and Burdettes represent the descendants of Isaac and Cynthia Morris, his wife, who, by the way, is said to have been the first white child born west of the Al- leghany mountains. The descendants of Bradford and his wife, Harriet Oden, are the Noyes, Hansfords, Rubys, Hogues, Palmers and Clarksons.

Franklin married Nancy Venable and some branches of the Noyes, Chiltons, and deGruyters represent them. The Hawkins of Fayetteville, W. Va., the Allens and Balls of Kanawha county, are among the descendants of Sybil and Braden Allen.

It is worthy of note that very few of the descendants of the original family have ever removed from the Kanawha Valley.

HON. JOSEPH RUFFNER, for many years a leading member of the bar at Charleston, W. Va., was born at Cincinnati, O., October 29, 1848, and is a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Honeyman) Ruffner.

In his childhood the parents of Mr. Ruff- ner moved to Central Ohio, and from there, in 1854, to Charleston, W. Va., and still later to Campbell county, Ky. In each place the youth had school advantages. In 1866, when he decided to enter upon the study of the law, he went to Cincinnati, two years later, however, returning to Ken- tucky, in which state he was admitted to the bar. After one year of practice in the vicinity of his parents' home, he came to Charleston and has been identified con- tinuously with the best interests of this city ever since and has been in active prac- tice here since 1871, with the exception of several years spent in the west. Mr. Ruff- ner was married in 1875, to Miss Mary Jackson, of Richmond, Ind. They reside at No. 1203 Elmwood avenue, Charleston.

GEORGE BLAINE GILLISPIE, no- tary public, building contractor and dealer in real estate at Charleston, W. Va., has been a resident of Kanawha county all his life. He was born on the old home farm in Union District, July 7, 1862, and is a son of William Harvey and Elizabeth (Gillis- pie) Gillispie.

The Gillispie family in Rockbridge county, Va., was founded by Robin C. Gil- lispie, who, with three brothers, came from Scotland and settled on Wilson's Creek, in the above county. Robin C. Gillispie left a son named for himself, who was the father of Alexander Gillispie, who was the grand- father of George B. Gillispie. Since the days of the great-grandfather, the family has not held slaves, although they have been large landowners and extensive farm- ers. For thirty years Alexander Gillispie also carried on the business of chair mak- ing. In the childhood of his son, William Harvey, he moved to Ohio and owned two farms in Gallia county but the climate did not agree with his wife and he came to Kanawha county, W. Va., settling on a farm in Union District, where he died at the age of sixty-two years. He had married Martha Wright, whose father, John Wright, was a Revolutionary soldier, and she sur- vived to the age of seventy-two years.

William Harvey Gillispie remained with his father and under him learned the trade of chair making and worked at the same for twenty years, this being before the days of machinery, and sold his chairs at Charles- ton, which was then but a small place. After giving up work at his trade he bought a fine fruit farm in Union district, Kanawha county, which is now owned by his son, Granville A. Gillispie. He is now in his eighty-fourth year and resides with his son, George Blaine Gillispie. He married Eliza- beth Gillispie, of the same name but of no known relationship, who died in July, 1908, at the age of seventy-six years. The fol- lowing children were born to them: Gran- ville A .; Angelina M., who is the wife of D. W. Keyser, of West Charleston; Thomas H., who is a resident of Charleston; Mary E.,

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who is the wife of R. G. Witherow, of West Charleston; George B .; William H. H., who lives on Elk River, Kanawha county; James L., who lives in Ohio; Anna Laura, who is the wife of A. G. Robinson, of Union district; and John L., who lives at Charleston.

George B. Gillispie was educated in the district schools and attended the summer sessions of the Normal School in Union district and in Poca district, afterward de- voting about fifteen years to teaching school during the winter seasons and spend- ing his summers at carpenter work. He be- came interested then in improving real es- tate and later went into building contract- ing and his activity in the current year may be shown by ten completed residences in West Charleston, together with a contract for twenty more to be built at Dunbar and finished by December 1, 1911. Mr. Gillis- pie has nine houses of his own in West Charleston and has great faith in the future of that part of the city. He owns a one- half interest in a general store at Dunbar, the firm name being Ballard & Gillispie, the former being his son-in-law, J. B. Ballard. Mr. Gillispie has been postmaster at Dun- bar since 1908 and was postmaster of West Charleston from July, 1901 until July, 1907.

Mr. Gillispie was married at West Charleston, November 10, 1887, to Miss Cintilla M. Given, a daughter of George B. and Alice (Hanna) Given, and they have six children namely: Bertha E., who is the wife of James B. Ballard, of Dunbar, W. Va., and has two children, Leona C. and Lillian; Harry L., who lives at Charleston, married Iva Bonham, and has one child, Etna; and Grace A., George W., William H. and Elizabeth G. Mr. Gillispie and fam- ily are members of the Methodist Episco- pal church. Politically he is a Republican and since 1905 has been a notary public. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the American Mechanics, both of Charles- ton.

WILLIAM HENRY HOGEMAN, whose death on January 5, 1885, deprived the legal profession of Kanawha county of one of its

ablest representatives, was born in the city of New York, December 20, 1846. He was a son of William H. and Mary (Moore) Hoge- man, his father being a native of Germany, who, at the age of eighteen, before his mar- riage, emigrated to Nova Scotia, whence he removed to New York city. There William H. Hogeman, Sr., died in the summer of 1871, at the age of about fifty-five years. He was engaged in the furniture business, both as maker and dealer. His wife survived him about two years.

Their son, William Henry Hogeman, Jr., was reared and educated in New York city, where also he began the study of law. Through the acquaintance of a former well known citi- zen of Charleston, Horatio F. Averill, he ob- tained at the age of eighteen years a position with a West Virginia coal company, being em- ployed in the capacity of clerk. While engaged he continued the study of law, and so assidu- ously that he was admitted to the bar at the early age of nineteen years, and not long after was also admitted to practice in the United .

, States courts. His remarkable ability attracted the attention of Judge Summers, who upon his own retirement, offered his practice to the young lawyer, which was accepted. In 1866 Mr. Hogeman formed a partnership with W. S. Laidley, which lasted until his death. He was for some time counsel for the C. & O. Railroad Company and secured the right of way and laid out the C. & O. railroad. He was also attorney for C. P. Huntington, who was his personal friend and who offered him a salary of $10,000 per year to act as his private attorney. A man of upright character and gentlemanly manners, he was universally es- teemed. He was a forceful and eloquent orator able to attract and hold large and intelligent, audiences, his ability in this direction, how- ever, being manifested chiefly at the bar, as, though a strong Democrat, he was not particu- larly active in politics. Though not a large man physically, he had a fine and well formed head showing marked intellectuality. He was a working member of the Episcopal church, having been confirmed therein at the age of thirteen years, and for many years was a ves-

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tryman of St. John's church of that denomi- nation in Charleston. Though once offered the nomination for United States senator, he declined it owing to his professional relations with the C. & O. railroad. He belonged to no secret orders.

William Henry Hogeman was married in Charleston, in the autumn of 1871, to Miss Anastien W. Ruffner, who was born on the old Ruffner homestead near Charleston, W. Va., April 17, 1846, and who was educated in this city. She was a daughter of James, a granddaughter of Daniel, and a great grand- daughter of Joseph Ruffner, the immigrant ancestor of the Ruffner family, who came to the Kanawha Valley from the Shenandoah Valley, Va. The Ruffners were one of the oldest families of Charleston and one of the most respected. They were members of the Presbyterian church.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Hogeman were as follows: (I) Henry died when eleven months old. (2) Martha Morton, whose second name was that of her maternal grandmother's family, was born January 18, 1874, and was educated in Charleston and at a college at Almira, N. Y., married in 1903, Harold Warren Knight, a lumberman, who was born in Charleston, July 3, 1869. Mr. Knight was educated in the city schools and at Dartmouth college, graduating B. S. in the Class of 1889. He was one of the promoters of the Roy Furniture Company and after- wards of the Knight Lumber Company, of which he is secretary and treasurer, Mr. J. C. Roy being president. Their place of business is at Sattes, this county, and they are extensive manufacturers and dealers in lumber, handling it from the forest to the markets. Mr. Knight is a democrat in politics and is also a Mason, belonging to Beni-Kedem Temple M. S. and other divisions of the Masonic order, in which he has held high office. He and his wife have four children-Annie Hogeman, born Febru- ary 22, 1904, who is attending public school ; William Henry, born October 20, 1905; Har- old Warren, Jr., born January 25, 1907; and Martha Morton, born July 29, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Knight are members of St. John's Epis- copal church. (3) Andrew Lewis Hogeman

was educated in the city schools of Charles- ton and the John Hopkins Preparatory School at Baltimore. He then entered the employ of Ruffner Bros., as traveling salesman. Later he engaged in the dredging and sand business with J. H. Gates, under the firm name of Gates & Hogeman. He was married to Mary Dunlap in March, 1903. In December, 1906, he went to Denver, Colo., on account of poor health, and died there in September, 1909. He left a daughter, Nancy Morton, who was born January 21, 1904, and who resides with her widowed mother in Charleston. (4) Meredith, a twin brother of Andrew, died in early infancy.

ROBERT GRAVES HUBBARD, of Lewis, Hubbard & Co., wholesale grocers of Charleston, W. Va., was born in Malden, Kan- awha county, March 20, 1862. He comes of an old Virginia family and is a son of John F. Hubbard, who was born in Bedford coun- ty, Va., eighty years ago and who came to this valley and to Malden in 1847, in company with William Dickinson. The latter was one of the prominent men of the state at that time being extensively engaged in the salt manufac- turing business. John F. Hubbard later be- came a merchant in Malden and was thus en- gaged until 1881, in which year he took up his residence in Charleston. He died in this city in 1893. He had served two terms as sheriff of Kanawha county-from 1880 to 1884, be- ing elected on the Democrat ticket. He made a capable official, being prompt and efficient in the execution of his duties. He was a promi- nent Knight Templar Mason and possessed many sterling qualities as a man and citizen.

John F. Hubbard was married in Kanawha county, W. Va., to Miss Annastatia Wilson, who was born in Loudon district, this county, in 1837, and who is still living, being active in mind and body, although now seventy-four years of age. She came of Southern paren- tage and she and her husband were Presbyte- rian in religion. They had eight children, of whom two died young. Anna, the fourth child, was accidentally killed at the age of seventeen years. The others were: (I) Robert Graves, the subject of this sketch. (2) Julia is the

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 98

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