USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 50
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judgment in any enterprise for the general betterment of condi- tions and affairs. He was one of the leaders in securing the con- struction and maintenance of the branch of the Young Men's Christian Association of Hinton ; is the president of its board, and has held that office since the founding of the institution, some twelve years ago. He has been president of the Board of Educa- tion, elected as a Republican when the District was Democratic, and was largely responsible for the construction of the first mod- ern brick school building in the city, as well as the establishment of a public high school. He was one of the promoters of the Hin- ton Hardware Company (wholesale and retail), its vice-president, and has held that position from its foundation.
He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and one of the strong supporters of that organization, and has done more towards securing that denomination a handsome, permanent and substantial house of worship, as well as a neat and attractive residence for the minister-"parsonage"-adjoining the church, than any other person. Mr. James having donated liber- ally towards the costs of the erection of the old as well as the new church building and the minister's home, after having donated a valuable lot of ground on the corner of Ballangee Street and Third Avenue, on which the buildings are located. He donated liber- ally towards securing the ground for the C. & O. Railway Com- pany's yards in Avis, when Hinton was apparently about to lose the division, by reason of not having sufficient grounds on which to operate. He was one of the original founders of the water sys- tem for the cities of Hinton and Avis, and was the president of that company throughout its life of some fifteen years. He is the president of the LaMont Mining Company, and in the organization of a Board of Trade for the two cities he took an active part, and is one of the officers of that organization. His influence may always be found on the side of good order and of morality, and of honest government.
In politics he is an ardent Republican. as is the entire family of the Jameses, but he has never been a politician or office-seeker. He believes in the doctrine of a protective tariff, and was a stal- wart on the money issue following the much larger wing of his party in the campaigns of 1896 and 1900, led by President McKin- ley, on the question of the gold standard versus free coinage of silver, at the ratio of 16 to 1. He made no false pretenses, as so many of our constituents do-promise to vote one way and do the reverse.
It is a pleasure to contemplate a character such as we regard
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
that of James Clark James, because it is good, and not submerged in deceit and hypocrisy. As widely as you may differ from him in public matters, he hideth not his position under a bushel.
He was united in marriage with Miss Campbell, of Pennsylvania, and they have a family of four sons (one daughter having died in infancy)-Paul L. James, general manager of La- Mont Mining Company, who married Miss Carrie Bare, of Vir- ginia; Maurice James, secretary of LaMont Mining Company ; Frank James and Howard James.
Dwight W. James resides in Hinton, at the C. L. Thompson homestead, having married Miss Alice Gott, formerly of Mercer County, West Virginia. He has, with his brother, J. C. James, conducted the lumber business of the concern in this county, he having direct charge of the delivery of the timber from the stump - to the mills.
PETERS.
There are but few known descendants now in the territory of John and Christian Peters. They did not settle in the territory of the county, but near its territorial lines. They, John and Chris- tian, were both soldiers under General Nelson, in La Fayette's Corps, in the Revolution of 1776. They were at the surrender of the British at Yorktown, October 19, 1781, fighting Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. They were of German descent, and were from the Valley of Virginia. Christian was born October 16, 1760, and died in October, 1837. John was probably older.
It was in 1782, with their brother-in-law, Charles Walker, they came to the valley of New River, Christian settling on the grant where Peterstown is built, being named for him. Walker located in the lower end of Monroe County, near the Summers line. John settled in Giles County.
John Peters married a Miss Simms, of Madison County, Vir- ginia, then Rockingham County, from whence he came. Christian married Catharine Belcher, of Rockingham County. She spoke the German language and kept her German Bible in the house.
Captain John Peters, Conrad Peters, James C. Peters, of Mer- cer Salt Works; John Peters, of Peterstown; the late James M. Byrnside, of Peterstown; the late Mrs. C. W. Withrow and Mrs. L. M. Alderson, of Green Sulphur District, are descendants of Christian Peters. Mrs. Alderson left surviving her one daughter, Miss Sallie, who married Mr. Henry Shepherd, a very estimable and honorable citizen of Green Sulphur District, who owns and lives on the old L. M. Alderson homestead.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Mr. James C. Peters, of Mercer Salt Works, has been a justice of the peace of Pipestem District for ten years, and the postmas- ter of that office for many years. He now owns and resides on the old Mercer Salt Works property of some 900 acres, which he in recent years purchased from Hon. B. P. Shumate.
The Peters are among the best citizens and truest people of the county. L. E. Peters, a very prominent divine of the Missionary Baptist Church of Parkersburg, is also a descendant of Christian Peters. The probability is that Peters Mountain was named for Christian Peters, although by some another origin is claimed through a hunter who ranged its wilds in early times.
John Larue, of Hays Creek, in Monroe County, also married a descendant of Christian Peters. His son Lewis still owns and lives at Larue's Springs, on that creek. He taught school on Lick Creek many years ago, and is a most excellent citizen.
The descendants of John Peters still inhabit Giles County, and, like those of Christian, are among the truest and best people of the South.
Charles W. Walker, who owned and resided on a fine farm on New River in the Harvey settlement in Forest Hill District, and who died some years ago, a most enterprising and thrifty farmer, and who married a Peters, a sister of Henry Peters, who lived for many years at the old schoolhouse on Stinking Lick in Forest Hill, now of Monroe County, and of Samuel C. Peters, the cattle dealer of that county, was a descendant of Charles W. Walker, the brother- in-law of Christian and John Peters, as was his wife of these set- tlers. His children still live in this region, excepting one son, Dr. C. A. Walker, who is practicing his profession in Missouri
The father of Mary Burks Alderson and Eliza Angeline With- row was Conrad Peters. He died in Braxton County. A brother of Conrad was Christian, who died in the State of Missouri. Con- rad died in Braxton County.
James C. Peters, the justice above mentioned, is a son of Christian.
The only child of Columbus Wran Withrow and Eliza Ange- line (Peters) Withrow is Estella Burk, who married Oscar T. Honaker, an enterprising merchant and lumber dealer of New Richmond.
Another daughter of Conrad Peters, and the only one now living, is Mrs. Rebecca Pack, the widow of Anderson Pack, who now lives at Burden, Kansas, with her grandchildren, the Man- sers.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Rev. L. E. Peters, of Parkersburg, the Baptist divine, is a de- scendant also of the ancient settlers of the name in the middle New River settlements.
Columbus Wran Withrow, the eldest of the Withrow genera- tion now living in the county, first married a daughter of Brice Miller, an ancient settler at the foot of the Lick Creek side of Keeney's Knob. He was the father of William Anderson Miller and Andrew Jackson Miller. The former married a daughter of William DeQuasie, the Frenchman, the latter a Duncan, daughter of Charles Duncan and Cassie (Alderson) Duncan, and they now live at Roanoke. Nathan A. Miller is a trusted locomotive en- gineer now living in Hinton, a son of A. J. Miller. W. A. Miller died on the Brice Miller farm, now owned by John L. George. Other daughters of Brice Miller married Vardeman DeQuasie ; Joseph Fink, the father of Rev. J. Newton Fink, the Baptist min- ister of New Richmond, and Andrew Hix and T. J. Jones.
Cornelius Miller, another son of A. J. Miller, lives in Talcott District. A few years ago, when returning to his home on Hun- gart's Creek with a considerable amount of money on his person, when a short distance up the creek, near where E. D. Alderson now lives, about dark he was visited by robbers, knocked down, badly wounded and robbed of all his money. A vigilant effort was made by the county authorities to apprehend the robbers, but they made their escape in the darkness into the Big Bend Mountains and escaped, and Mr. Miller was never able to identify the robbers or secure the return of his property.
T. N. COOK.
Thomas N. Cook, a native of Greenbrier County, married Miss Florence Miller, sister of Robert Miller, March 9, 1871. He is a native of Nicholas County, but has been a resident of Summers County for the past twenty years. He was a brave soldier in the Confederate Army, belonging to the Nicholas Blues, Twenty- second Regiment, and later the Thirty-sixth Virginia Regiment, and lost a leg in battle. He spent most of his life before locating in this county in Nicholas. His captain was Hon. C. T. Smith. of Nelson County, Virginia, and for a number of years was located at Ronceverte-a lawyer and politician, and served after the war a number of terms in the Senate of Virginia. Mr. Cook, although coming out of the war, went to work and has succeeded against great disadvantages, having accumulated a considerable fortune.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
He is a schoolmaster by profession; has operated one of the first liveries established in Hinton; engaged in farming at one time, purchasing the Curtis Alderson place on Lick Creek, where he resided for some time. He is a consistent missionary Baptist and a Democrat; a man of high integrity and honor. Mr. Cook was one of the early settlers of Hinton.
THE HUTCHINSON FAMILY.
The Hutchinson family is a family of the older settlers of For- est Hill District, and consisted of two brothers who settled in that district many years ago, and were the sons of Jacob Hutchinson, James A. and John Masten. James A. was a missionary Baptist, while John M. was very prominent in the Methodist Episcopal Church, both brothers being active in church affairs, and were consistent Christian pioneers. James A. was known since the war as Major Jim Hutchinson, having been a major in the Virginia militia before the war. After the war he was township treasurer of the school fund. They were born in Forest Hill District, in what was then Monroe County, their father removing from Au- gusta County and settling in Forest Hill many years before the war.
Major James A. Hutchinson left surviving him Alonza M., Wel- lington, Lewis, J. E. and T. M. A. M. Hutchinson was for eight years Assistant Assessor of Summers County, filling one term as deputy for John Lilly; the other, as deputy for W. C. Dobbins. He was also, like his father, a consistent Christian of the missionary Baptist denomination, and has filled the position of moderator for the Greenbrier Association for the long period of ten years. He now holds the position of jury commissioner for the county under appointment from the judge of the circuit court.
Wellington is a farmer near Forest Hill, as is also Lewis. J. E. was a prominent minister in the missionary Baptist Church, and T. M. is engaged in the mercantile business at Forest Hill, and is the postmaster at that place, which position he has held for several years.
James A. Hutchinson also left four daughters. Mrs. Eliza Ann, Mildred J., Mary C., who married William Gillespie, who resides at Talcott, and Louisa A., who married William A. Goode, of Forest Hill District. John Maston Hutchinson, the other brother, left two sons, James A. and Richard A., who both emigrated to Jackson, Ohio, at which place they still reside.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
WILLIAM B. WIGGINS.
About 1870 there appeared on Greenbrier River one of the quaintest personalities known to the history of the county. He appeared as the representative of the large grant of land known as the Rumford Tract, of several thousand acres. His wife was a Rumford. All the heirs, including Margaret Rumford, an ancient maiden lady, Mary B. Pyle, Richard Humphries and Lucy B. Spain, lived in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Wiggins was eccentric and peculiar and finely educated, writing a magnificent and beautiful hand, as can be seen on the record deed books in the office of the clerk of the county court, where he was engaged as deputy for some time under E. H. Peck, clerk. He had been at one time paymaster in the army of the United States ; had been charged with irregularities in keeping his accounts ; came out short in his accounts, and was tried, convicted and sentenced to confinement in the penitentiary, but was only sent to jail. After serving for some time, he was paroled by President U. S. Grant, and on his release he emigrated to this country and took up his abode, and remained until his death. at an advanced age of about eighty years.
His bondsmen at one time, about 1880, gave him up, came out from Wilmington and carried him back to confinement, but he secured his release and returned. He had, before his downfall, been mayor of the city of Wilmington, and was a licensed lawyer, and was too "handy" with his pen. He built a queer-shaped house with four sides at Wiggins, where he lived alone, doing his own cooking and housekeeping.
In 1890 he was the Republican nominee for clerk of the circuit court against B. L. Hoge. He wrote deeds and other legal docu- ments and did a general scrivener's work, being well qualified for that work. He was an architect of accomplishment, and had a wide reputation in all the region for his accomplished penmanship and education, but in business matters he was a failure. His wife's interest in the Rumford patents of 900 acres was not sufficient for him to make an ordinary living from, and he died in want and poverty, his wife remaining in the East. He had one son, Mr. Charles Wiggins, an employe of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, and a daughter, who married an Episcopal clergyman in Boston by the name of Cobbs.
He secured the establishment of a post office at Wiggins, which
HARRISON GWINN, President Bank of Summes During Its Life.
ALONZO M. HUTCHISON, Farmer.
THENEW
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
was named after him, and was the first postmaster. He secured the establishment also of Don Station on the C. & O. Railway at the same place, four miles from Hinton, on the Greenbrier.
DeQUASIE.
While John and Alex Miller were engaged in the mercantile business on Lick Creek, many years before the war, a Frenchman by the name of William DeQuasie and his wife came onto that creek, carrying all their belongings in a bundle on their backs. They had no money, credit or property, and could scarcely make themselves understood in the English language. They procured a piece of land and applied to the Millers for a peck of seed corn, which they refused. They were industrious, thrifty, saving people, and before the death of the said Millers they had borrowed many dollars from these thrifty foreigners. They saved money and in- vested it in the rough mountain land, of which they acquired several hundred acres on the Hump Mountain, lived to an old age, and at their deaths left large landed interests, as well as money and lands to their children. Their descendants are numerous. Vardeman, Lorenzo and Harrison were their sons. Squire William DeQuasie, of Fayette County, is a grandson. Wm. Anderson Mil- ler, a son of Brice Miller, of Keeney's Knob, married a daughter, Mary, and the wife of C. W. Wise, of Lick Creek, and of Marion Wise, of New River, who emigrated from Patrick County several years ago, are daughters of W. A. Miller and Mary Miller, nee DeQuasie. Cornelius Stickler, of the Hump Mountain, married another daughter, Andrew J. Stickler being their son and a grand- son of the DeQuasies. These old pioneers could not read or write in English, but when William died he made a last will, devising his property to his wife, and at her death she made a will likewise pro- viding for their children, and especially for a daughter and son, Harrison and Betty, who were non compos mentis.
NOEL.
The pioneer resident physician of the lower end of this county was Dr. Norbin W. Nocl, who was born near the Peaks of Otter in the county of Bedford, Virginia, on the 6th day of March, 1825. After reaching his majority, he removed with his parents to the county of Franklin, in which county he married Miss Mary Webb, on the 30th day of August, 1856. After his marriage he began to
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
prepare himself for the medical profession. He attended lectures and took a medical course at the Philadelphia College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Penn., after which he removed with his family to Green Sulphur Springs, and located for the purpose of practicing the medical profession. Within a short time after his location at that place-some three or four years-the Civil War began, and he returned to Franklin County, Virginia, and enlisted as a private soldier, but was soon promoted to a lieutenant in his company. and shortly after was assigned to the Twenty-second Virginia Regiment as a surgeon, in which capacity he remained until the close of the war.
Dr. Noel was a Virginia gentleman, and a true Southerner, believing until the day of his death in the justness of the principles and the cause for which he enlisted and fought. At the close of the war Dr. Noel returned to Green Sulphur Springs, and again entered into the active practice of his profession, which he followed arduously to the close of his life, which occurred on the 6th day of May, 1892.
His practice extended throughout Green Sulphur District into Fayette, Raleigh and Greenbrier Counties, and he was for many years the only physician in all that region. His travels were by night as well as by day, over rough mountains and through all kinds of weather; distance, inclemency of the weather, roughness of the roads or dangers from the streams never deterred him from attending a call. He was truly a benefactor in those times to all that region of country. His charges were moderate, and he took in payment for his services such of those things raised on the farm. because the people in those days were unable to pay for medical serives with currency. He never was known to sue or enforce the collection of medical bills.
His family consisted of his wife, an intelligent lady, educated at Holland's Institute ; one son, Dr. Edgar E. Noel, who, following in his father's footsteps. adopted the medical profession, now lo- cated at Green Sulphur Springs, and is one of the wealthiest and most prominent citizens in Summers County. He married a daughter of Thomas A. George, of Lick Creek. The only daughter of Dr. Noel, Miss Willie, married Mr. John W. Hale, of Southwest Virginia. Dr. Noel was a prominent citizen of the county at the date of its formation, and at the solicitation of friends in 18-, made the race for clerk of the county court, but was defeated by a small majority through a combination of circumstances. He was a man of fine character, learned in his profession and a Christian gentleman.
DR. N. W. NOEL, Doctor, Soldler and Southern Patriot.
CHARLES A. BABER, Farmer, Miller and Business Man.
THEALLIONS FURLIC LIBRANE
APTI", LENOX ANE
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
WILLIAM C. DOBBINS.
The Rev. William C. Dobbins came to this county from Mont- gomery County shortly after the close of the Civil War. He was a member of the Thirty-sixth Regiment under General McCaus- land. His captain was John R. Dunlap. He was reared in Mont- gomery County, and was married in that county to Miss Mary F. Bird. He was born August 20, 1839. In 1881 he was elected assessor, with Alonzo M. Hutchinson as his deputy. They served four years, and at the end of that term was re-elected for an ad- ditional four years, with Peter M. Grimmett as his deputy, serving in all eight years. For twenty-five years he was a minister in the primitive Baptist Church, after which he left that denomination and joined the Missionary Baptists. in which church he has been a minister for fifteen years. In politics Mr. Dobbins is a Repub- lican. In his races for assessor he ran independent, but later was nominated by the Republican party for the Legislature, but was defeated by John W. Johnson. This was in 1888. He and Erastus H. Peck were in a combination in one of Mr. Peck's races for clerk of the county court. Mr. Peck agreed to pay Mr. Dobbins a certain sum of money, and did execute his note therefor in order to secure his influence and the support of himself and friends, but afterwards Mr. Dobbins claimed that Mr. Peck had repudiated the business part of the transaction. Mr. Dobbins has always been a prominent citizen from the foundation of the county. He has a family of four boys and one daughter. His daughter, Mary Alice, married J. L. Farrow. His sons are W. J. Dobbins, B. M. Dobbins, D. C. Dob- bins and A. T. Dobbins. In his first race for assessor he defeated Levi M. Neeley, and in his second, Walter H. Boude. In those races no nominations were made by either political party, and there were always a great number of candidates, especially for that office. Mr. Dobbins, in his early days, was a strong man, but in late years has not taken an active interest in political matters.
JONES.
Jesse Jones was born near Hilldale, in Monroe County, and settled, lived and died a prosperous man, merchant and farmer on Wolf Creek, at Bradshaw Church. This family of Joneses are of Welsh descent. His mother was from Grayson County, Virginia- Miss Margaret M. Miller-and she married a Charlton as her sec-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
ond husband, and by him was the mother of the venerable J. J. Charlton, of Charlton's Mill, on Madam's Creek:
The only family of the descendants of Jesse Jones in this county is William W. Jones, of Talcott, one of the oldest and most re- spected merchants in the county. The mercantile business of which he is the present owner and successor was founded in 1867. The style of the firm was Stafford, Thrasher & Co., and later J. W. Jones & Brother. J. W. Jones, the other member of this firm, was later, in 1875, accidentally killed in his store by a pistol in his own hands. This was September 17, 1875. The business was first be- gun at Rollinsburg, on the opposite side of the river from Talcott, and moved to Talcott on the building of the railway into the coun- try. Mr. Jones was the first express agent in that town, which position he held for many years, and is still doing a general mer- cantile business in his ancient storehouse, the one at Rollinsburg remaining only as a relic and reminder of the past. He was a sol- dier of the Confederate States Army through the war, being a member of Captain Reed's Company B, Edgar's Battalion. He has been a member of the Board of Education of his District, has been a consistent Missionary Baptist. and the people of the com- munity have great faith in his honor and integrity. When the citi- zens of Talcott were sued in the Karnes case, and their homes and property threatened, he was selected as one of the Committee of Safety, along with Messrs. Manning and Ford. In 1894 he married Miss C. Hawkins, of Rocky Point, Monroe County, who died on the 15th of January, 1894.
The other children of Jesse Jones were J. W. Jones, Andrew J. Jones, the merchant of Alderson: James M. and Lewis A., who reside in Monroe County, the latter at the old place on Wolf Creek. His daughters were Mary A., who married Jacob Hall, who died, and she then married W. P. Willis; and Catharine, who married G. W. Hill.
W. W. Jones was also one of the promoters and stockholders of the Talcott Toll Bridge Company, which was instrumental in the construction of the new iron bridge at that place. At one time he owned the Talcott ferry across the Greenbrier at that place, which he sold to Captain Thomas C. Maddy, a descendant of that old and honorable family of first settlers by the name of Maddy, an- other of which is Thaddeus Maddy, of Raleigh, Raleigh County.
W. W. Jones is the oldest merchant in point of time engaged in the business in the county, and a very enterprising and Chris-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
tian gentleman, a Missionary Baptist and a Democrat. He was for many years, until he resigned, the agent for the Adams Express Co. at Talcott.
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