History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 110

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THADDEUS SOBIESKI CUNNINGHAM. Now living retired at Brandonville, Mr. Cunningham looks back over a career of more than half a century in Preston County, but had already achieved manhood and a record as a soldier of the Civil war before he came to this section of West Virginia.

He was born at Turkey Foot, Somerset County, Pennsyl- vania, October 16, 1842, and though he bears the name of a great Polish patriot he is of Irish ancestry. His great- grandfather was a soldier under General Washington in the Revolutionary war and lost his life at a log rolling in Somerset County; Pennsylvania. John Cunningham, grand- father of the Brandonville citizen, was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and is buried on the hill close to the Methodist Church at Paddytown that county. He mar- ried Jane Mcclintock. Their children were James, Alex- ander, William, John, Robert and Eston, Jennie, who be- came the wife of Thomas Hanna, Mary who married Jacob Gower, Margaret always known as Peggy married Moses Justus, and Mrs. Martha Bays.

Robert Cunningham, father of Thaddeus S., was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, in 1804 and married Sarah Pinkerton, daughter of Matthew Pinkerton who mar- ried a Miss Reed. Robert Cunningham died in 1889, hav- ing survived his wife ten years. In politics he was first a knownothing and then a republican, and both he and his wife were active Methodists. Their children were: Rachel who married Rev. Abraham Williams and lived in Fayette County; Nancy, wife of John Mason, still living in that county; Frank M. who was a Union soldier four years and died as the result of stepping on a rusty nail; James Lawrence, who was in the First Ohio Cavalry and died in the Rebel prison at Andersonville; Thaddeus S .; Clarissa who became the wife of Elijah Harbaugh and died in Fayette County; Matthew who spent his active career in the coal fields but was killed in a railway accident; Ross of Connellsville, Pennsylvania; Martha, who became the wife of Reuben Leonard, an old Federal soldier, and died in Fayette County; and Sarah who died while a girl in school.

Thaddeus S. Cunningham was born on a farm and in July, 1859, at the age of seventeen, the year of the great frost in Southern Pennsylvania, he accompanied his parents to Fayette County, and from that time until he entered the army he lived in Stewart Township. He finished his educa- tion in an Academy at Smithfield and also attended Normal School at Somerset, but this part of his education was a matter of training himself for responsibilities after he had lost his arm in the war.

August 15, 1862, he enlisted in Company H of the One Hundred Forty-second Pennsylvania Infantry. This com- pany rendezvoused a few days at Connellsville, went to Harrisburg, two weeks later was sent to Washington, where he helped build and guard a fort. Then the regiment moved out into the Valley of Virginia to take part in the great and bloody battle of Fredericksburg in December, 1862, where Thaddeus Cunningham fought bravely until shot in the shoulder. His arm was so shattered that amputation was necessary, this operation being performed on the battlefield the same evening. He was then sent to Lincoln Hospital at Washington, where in Ward No. 1 he remained until he recuperated and received his honorable discharge March 6, 1863.

Having sacrificed so much for his country Mr. Cunningham had te refit himself for the duties of Civil life, and after the Normal School training he began teaching in Fayette County and in the fall of 1869 he moved to the vicinity of Rockville in Pleasant District of Preston County. While

there he taught in the public schools and also taught Bruceton Mills, Kingwood, and finally at Brandenvill Among the pupils he instructed in Preston County and w] became men of note were Christian Hartmeyer, Alfr Fletcher, and Dr. Thurman Martin.

Another pupil was Eliza J. Liston, a native of Fayet County, Pennsylvania. She and Mr. Cunningham were ma ried December 22, 1867. Her parents were Everhart al Thankful (Thorpe) Liston, the former a native of Presto County and the latter of Fayette County, Pennsylvani Everhart Liston was a Union soldier in Company K of tl Two Hundred Twelfth Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, a organization composed chiefly of old men and doing du" in guarding the fortifications around Washington. M Liston died in 1868 at the age of sixty-six and his wi. survived until 1901, passing away at the age of eighty-fiv The Liston children were: Martha who became the wi of Newton Graham and died in Preston County; Mrs. Cu ningham who was born December 3, 1849; John M., .. Preston County; Hulda A., wife of Evan Bowermaster, Kingwood; and George A., of Farmington, West Virgini

The children bern to Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham hay grown up, established themselves comfortably and us fully in several communities, and there are a large numbe of their descendants who acknowledge Mr. and Mrs. Cu: ningham as grandparents. The oldest child, Kate, is tl wife of Thurman M. King of Hopewell; their children al Edward E., Hazel Elliott, Scott and Lida. The secen child, Sarah B., is the wife of J. W. Wheeler, of Hopewel and their family consists of Albert, Roy, Mary, Wayn Marshall, Theodore, Paul, Clara and Cora. The thir daughter, Emma C., is the wife of Lawrence Conner ( Pasadena, California, and they have three children, Ethe Clarence and Manila. Frank M., the oldest son, is a farm near Hopewell Church; by his marriage to Jessie MeNal he has two sons, Ward and Harold. Edward Cunningham lives at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, married Effie Yeast, an has two children, Darrell and Glenna. Albert Cunningham also a resident of Uniontown, married Lulu Bowermaste and their children are Mabel, Margaret, Mary and Thoma Emmett Cunningham of Charleston, West Virginia, marrie Caroline Lawrence and they have a daughter, Elizabet] and a son, James.

Mr. Cunningham has never failed to cast his ballet fc republican nominees, and has never missed voting at national election. In 1864 he cast a ballot for Abrahar Lincoln. Mrs. Cunningham first had an opportunity o voting at a national election in 1920, and she picked th winner, Warren G. Harding. Mr. Cunningham is an her ored member of Uniontown Post Grand Army of the Re public, being one of the few survivors of that Post.

Their lives have been in complete accord with Christia principles and they have been working members of th Methodist Episcopal Church, Mr. Cunningham serving a trustee of the churches at Hopewell and Bruceton Mill: While never a man of wealth he has always bestowed som portion of his income upon the church, and no minister ha gone from the congregation without his salary, a fact chief to be credited to Mr. Cunningham.

SAMUEL R. BENTLEY. On the selid basis of definit achievement Samuel R. Bentley has a national reputatio in life insurance circles, having for twelve years enjoye that enviable association among the elect known as th $200,000 men, and for two years a member of the To Two Hundred of the Two Hundred Thousand Dollar Club

Mr. Bentley has been an honored citizen of Clarksbur; for over twenty years, and has been a special representativ of the New York Life Insurance Company since 1904. H was born November 12, 1877, at Spencersburg, Pike Coun ty, Missouri. At that time his father was operating : woolen mill at Spencersburg. When Samuel R. Bentley wa two years of age the family removed to Warsaw, Illinois His parents are Jeseph and Jane (Brown) Bentley, native of Yorkshire, England, his father born at Bradford and his mother at Leeds. They were married November 1 1863. Joseph Bentley became a skilled artisan in the

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oleu mills of England. In September, 1870, he came to a United States, his wife and oldest son following in ovember. The family lived successively at Alton and leksonville, Illinois, theu at Spencersburg, Missouri, and r many years at Warsaw, Illinois, where Joseph Bentley is in the woolen mill business. In 1899 he removed to arksburg, West Virginia, to manage the Lowndes Woolen ills. He is now retired from active business and he and s wife still live in Clarksburg, he in his eightieth year ad his wife in her seventy-eighth. They have been mar- ed over fifty-eight years. They have a long record of nsistent membership in the Methodist Church. Their two ns are Albert William and Samuel R. The former is sner and editor of the Hamilton (Kansas) Grit.

Samuel R. Bentley was reared and educated at Warsaw, linois, attending high school there. He followed his par- ts to Clarksburg in 1899, and he has lived with his father d mother ever since, and for some years past has kept ) the home for them in their deelining years. Samuel R. entley had more than the normal enthusiasm of youth for e stage. He had in fact some decided natural talent for is profession, and was early enlisted in the Thespiau roles. rior to coming to Clarksburg he had concluded two years

the theatrical profession, finally leaving the stage at ittsburgh, and soon after coming to Clarksburg went 1 the road as a traveling salesman with the Ruhl-Koble- ard Company, wholesale grocers. This house in January, )04, was succeeded by the Consolidated Grocers Company ad Mr. Bentley continued in their service for six months nger. He left and in June, 1904, began his duties as zent for the New York Life Insurance Company. For a amber of years he has enjoyed a record among the most roficient of that company's business builders in the great iddle department iucluding Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Ken- icky, and West Virginia. During the two years 1919 ad 1920 he ranked thirty-eighth among the producers of usiness, based on the volume of business written and paid or. Since the company had approximately 6,500 agents at he time, this standing is obviously very near the top. In 920 Mr. Bentley was honored by gaining a vice presidency E the Two Hundred Thousand Dollar Club.

Throughout his residenee at Clarksburg Mr. Bentley has een a leader in loeal dramaties and theatrieal activities. raternally he is a member of the Masons and Elks, in 906-07 was Exalted Ruler of the Clarksburg Lodge of :1ks, and in 1917-18 was president of the Clarksburg otary Club and in 1921 was second vice president of the larksburg Chamber of Commerce. He is a republican, a member of the Clarksburg Country Club, a life member nd on the Advisory Board of The Old Colony Club of 'ew York, and a member of the United Commercial Travel- rs Association. During the World war he took an active art in all local matters ineident thereto.

BENJAMIN M. CHAPLIN, of Morgantown, has been for ears, and still is, an important factor in the development of he industries of that city, and holds a clear title as the ioneer coal operator in this section of West Virginia. His uccess in life has been won solely by himself, for since aving bis father's farm at the age of twenty years he has elied on his own resources, his natural ability, his sound usiness judgment, bis enterprise, his industry and his onesty.

Mr. Chaplin was born on the family homestead in Clay District, Monongalia County, West Virginia, October 15, 876, a son of the late Albert Gallatin and Mahala Alene Strosnider) Chaplin. Albert G. Chaplin was born near fount Morris, Greene County, Pennsylvania, April 20, 1832, nd died at Morgantown in 1907. He was the son of Wil- am and Elizabeth Rumble (Lantz) Chaplin, and grandson f John Chaplin, a native of Maryland who settled at an arly date in Greene County, Pennsylvania. In 1857 Wil- am Chaplin removed to Monongalia County, West Vir- inia, and three years later to Harrison County, this tate, where he died on his farm in 1877. He was a lacksmith by trade, a vocation at which he worked in arly life, but in his later years took up farming.

Albert G. Chaplin learned wagon-making under his father

and in 1857 took up carpentry and the trade of millwright. He followed these occupations until 1862, when he enlisted in Company I, Eighth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, for a period of four years, but after fourteen montha of service was honorably discharged because of physical disability incurred in the line of duty. In 1870 he purchased a farm in Clay District, Monongalin County, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, later entering mercantile lines, for which purpose be built a store on his farın. In 1902 he gave up business cares and removed to Morgantown. His wife, who was the daughter of Moses and Mary Strosnider, died at this place in 1911.

Benjamin M. Chaplin was reared on his father's farm and attended the district schools, acquiring only a common school education. In his younger days he considered his education adequate to his needs believing that with youth, industry and energy he was well equipped for the battle of life. Once out in the world, however, he realized his mistake, saw the advantages of a higher education (then out of his reaeh) and set about improving his mind by self study, and so determined was he in that direction that during the first few years of his married life he prae tically devoted his evenings and spare time to study and research. In 1896 he conducted a hotel and livery business at Jake's Run, in the oil district of Monongalia County, and so continued for two years, during which time he was also engaged in general oil work in that district. In 1898 Mr. Chaplin located at Morgantown and went to work in a planing mill, and while thus engaged studied architec- ture and designing of evenings. Later he began contracting and building on his own account, and built some of Morgan- town's best residenees. His next move was to engage in the lumber and planing mill business under the firm name of Chaplin & Worman, und later this enterprise was merged with the cabinet-making business of A. Rightmire. under the firm name of Chaplin, Worman & Rightmire, Inc. Selling his interest in this company in 1908, Mr. Chaplin returned to general contracting, and in 1913 formed an association with R. E. Kerr, at that time an engineer in the building of the Monongahela Railroad, and the firm of B. M. Chaplin & Company was organized for general contracting on a large seale, doing concrete, masonry, rail- road and industrial and business building, which company was later incorporated under the old name and developed into a large concern.

Before the completion of the Morgantown & Wheeling Railway, which was organized as a trolley live, Mr. Chup- lin saw the great possibilities of the coal fields of Scott's Run, lying along the route of the above railway, and accordingly organized the Scott's Run Coal Company, which was the first concern engaged in mining and developing that coal field, now one of the greatest fields in the country, where the output has reached nearly four hundred carloads daily. Soon after its opening that first mine was sold, but a second mine was opened and the Chaplin Collieries Com. pany, Inc., was organized, taking over large and valuable coal lands in that district, which has been developed into one of the most modern coal companies in this section of the country, and of which company Mr. Chaplin is vice president and general manager. Mr. Chaplin is also inter- ested in other coal corporations, being vice president of the Hess Coal Company, of which he was one of the organizers. He is also vice president of the Monongahela Supply Company, which handles mill and mining machinery and building aupplies on a large scale, this being one of the important companies of this seetion; vice president of the H. C. Gillmore Company, railway and bridge contrac- tors; and vice president of the VanVoorhis Contrneting Company, which confines its business principally to that of highway building. He is also principal owner of the Riverside Lumber Company, organized in 1921, with yards and mill located on the Monongahela Railroad at River- side, a suburb of Morgantown, handling building material of all kinds. This is the largest plant of this kind in the Monongahela Valley. He is likewise interested in the oil industry.

Mr. Chaplin is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Rotary Club

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and the Chamber of Commerce, a charter member of the Morgantown Country Club and vice president and general manager of the Cheat Canyon Company, a country club organization. His religious affiliation is with the Presby- terian Church. In 1897 Mr. Chaplin married Miss Minnie Strosnider, of Blacksville, Monongalia County, and to this union there have been born three children: Virginia, Allen and Eugene.

THOMAS GARRETT LE MASTERS is a native of West Vir- ginia, spent his early life as an oil field worker, but for a dozen years has been in successful practice of the profes- sion of Optometry at Clarksburg.

He was born in Monongalia County, June 28, 1870, son of William J. and Hester (McCord) Le Masters, both natives of Monongalia County and representatives of old and prom- inent families of that section. William Le Masters was a farmer and lived to the age of eighty-four, his wife dying at forty-three. They reared their ten children on a farm.

Thomas G. Le Masters while living on the farm attended the common schools, and completed his literary education in the Northern Illinois College at Dixon. He spent sev- eral years in the West, chiefly as an oil field worker. Sub- sequently with his savings he entered the Schuler School of Ophthalmology at Philadelphia, graduating in 1909. In that year he located at Clarksburg and has achieved gratify- ing success as an optometrist. He is a member of the West Virginia State Association of Optometrists. Fra- ternally he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Masonic Order, Elks, and a member of the Baptist Church. December 24, 1904, he married Miss Oleta Robinson, daughter of Levi and Margaret Robinson of Tyler County. They have one daughter, Margaret.

SCOTLAND G. HIGHLAND, who has served as the efficient and popular general manager of the Clarksburg Water Board, in the progressive city that is the judicial center of the metropolis of Harrison County, was born on a farm near West Milford, this county, August 7, 1879, and is the son of John Edgar and Lucinda Earle (Patton) Highland. He gained his youthful education in the public schools at West Milford, and in later years he completed a course in the Iron City College at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, besides fortifying himself further by a commercial course in G. W. Michael's College at Logansport, Indiana, where he served as an assistant instructor. He later entered the West Vir- ginia University at Morgantown.

In initiating his business career Mr. Highland clerked in a store at Cogar, Braxton County, and later he was for several years a salesman in the store of the W. M. Osburn Shoe Company, Clarksburg. He then succeeded his brother, Virgil L. Highland, as bookkeeper for R. T. Lowndes, a leading merchant and banker of Clarksburg. This position he resigned to accept his present responsible post with the Clarksburg Water Board, his retention of the office of general manager during the long intervening years standing as a significant voucher for his loyal and efficient service and also for the estimate placed upon his administration. Within his regime many problems have been solved in con- nection with the purification and development of the city's water supply, and practically the whole of the present water system has been installed within his incumbency, the while the annual income of the board has increased from $10,000 to $175,000.

Mr. Highland is the author of a well distributed publica- tion entitled, "Standard Sanitary Plumbing Code," this being an able and valuable treatise and practical working manual for sanitary engineers and plumbers, besides which its general applicability touches the protection of property and preservation of public health. The publication deals with safe and proper methods of supplying water to build- ings, a book of enduring value.

He served as chairman of the committee on "Plumbing and Control of Plumbers" of the American Water Works Association, and is a contributor to the technical press on water works subjects. He is a member of the American and New England Water Works associations, and the Amer- ican Society for Municipal Improvements.

Mr. Highland owns a rare water works library and interested in many subjects. He is the author of the wat board's "Fourth Annual Report" distributed among wat works men throughout the country, and a book of ru and regulations which has been widely copied.

He is the author of the "Highland Genealogy" a co. plete family record. He is a republican, is a Master Masc and since the age of thirteen years he has been a memb of the Methodist Protestant Church.

GUSTAV W. LEIVE, secretary of the Wheeling Wall Plast Company, one of the important industrial concerns of t West Virginia metropolis, was born at Aurora, Indiar January 12, 1883. His paternal grandfather was born Germany, in 1833, and was forty years of age when he car to the United States and established his home in the Ci of Cincinnati, Ohio, where his death occurred in 1908. F son, John Henry, father of him whose name initiates tl paragraph, was born in Germany in 1855, was there rear; to the age of thirteen years, and came to the United Stat in 1868. As a young man he removed from Cincinna Ohio, to Aurora, Indiana, where he and his older brothe William, built up the leading jewelry business of the tov and where he became an honored and influential citize He served four years as city clerk of Aurora, was stanch republican, and was an earnest communicant of t. Lutheran Church, as is also his widow, who now resid in the City of Columbus, Indiana, his death having occurr at Aurora in 1888. Mrs. Leive, whose maiden name w: Anna Mueller, was born in Cincinnati, in 1858. Berth older of the two surviving children, is the wife of Ross . Potts, who is in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroa Company and who resides at Columbus, Indiana.

Gustav W. Leive gained his preliminary education the public schools of his native place, and in 1902 was gra uated in the high school at Columbus, Indiana, as presider of his class. In the same year he took a position in tl office of the Columbus Handle & Tool Company, with whi he continued his alliance five years. He then became secr tary to the contracting firm of Caldwell & Drake of Colur bus, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky, and in the intere of this representative firm he came to Wheeling, West Vi ginia, in 1912. Here he continued his service as secretar. until 1914, when he accepted a similar office with tl Wheeling Wall Plaster Company, of which position he ha since continued the efficient and popular incumbent, tl modern plant and offices of the company being situated :. the corner of Twenty-seventh and Market streets, and th personnel of its official corps being as here noted: R. V Marshall, president and treasurer; F. W. Mahan, vice pre ident; and Gustav W. Leive, secretary. This company the most important of its kind in Wheeling and handle all kinds of building materials in addition to its speci: product which gives title to the corporation.

Mr. Leive is a stanch republican, is an active membe of the local Kiwanis Club and the Credit Men's Association and he and his wife are earnest communicants of St. Jame Lutheran Church, in which he is serving, in 1921, as super intendent of the Sunday School. The family home, modern residence owned by Mr. Leive, is situated at 15 Miller Street in the beautiful Edgewood District of Whee ing.

In June, 1911, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Leiv and Miss Mary Ethel Cooper, daughter of Cassius B. an Nora (Peet) Cooper, of Columbus, Indiana, where her fa ther held the office of city attorney and is one of the rey resentative member of the bar of that part of the Hoosie State, his wife being deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Leive hav one daughter, Jean Helen, who was born May 10, 1914.

CLAUDE LLEWELLYN HOLLAND, M. D. The broad and rep resentative scope of the professional business of Docto Holland marks him as one of the leading physicians in th City of Fairmont, Marion County, where he limits his prae tice to the diagnosis and treatment of the diseases of chil dren, a field of service in which he has gained high reputa tion.

Doctor Holland was born on a farm near Uffington, Clin

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t District, Monongalia County, this state, January 18, 1'9, and is a aen ef the late Charles H. and Susan Louisa (rice) Holland, who were representativo of old and hen- cd families of that county, where the father was born on told family homestead in Clinton District in the year 154, his death having occurred in 1918. Ile was & son o Solomon Helland, who likewise was born on the ohl fnily homestead near Goshen Church, that county, a son c Rezin Holland, whose father, Capbell Holland, was the į neer representative of the family in Monongalia Coun- t and who was a descendant of one of two brothers of t name who came from Wales and settled in Virginia for to the Revolution. Solomon Holland was a Union &dier in the Civil war, as a member of Company C, Four tnth West Virginia Infantry, and his death resulted from inries which he received while in the army. Ile married . ia C. Sampsell, a native of Winchester, Virginia, and Daughter ef Oscar Sampsell. After the death of her hus- lad, the mother of Mrs. Solomon Ilolland removed with h family to Morgantown, and there the daughter, Julia ( later became the wife of Solomon Ilolland. Mrs. Susan luisa (Price) Holland was born at ITffington, Monongalia (unty, in 1855, and her death occurred in 1920. She was slaughter of John C. Price. Her brother, John C., is now cuirman of the county court of Monongalia County, and sther brother, Allen R., is a leading merchant at Morgan- tvn, that county. In other personal sketches in this velume i given due genealogieal record of the Price family. Dr. Claude L. Holland was reared on the old home farm Ed gained his preliminary education in the district schools. 1 thereafter continued his studies in turn at the Stato Irmal School at Fairmont and the University of West Irginia. Theugh he was not graduated in either of these ititutions he has rounded out a specially liberal academic cucation, as he has continued a elose student, especially ( philosophy and psychology. In 1901 he graduated from t: Maryland Medical College at Baltimore, and he has sce been established in successful practice at Fairmont. bring a part of each successive year since 1915 he has ten special post-graduate work in the medical department ( Harvard University, where he has confined his study Ed research te the diseases of children, a special phase of fictice to which he has been devoted exclusively since 117, he having been the third physician in West Virginia I adopt this special branch of practice. At Cook Hospital i his home city the Doctor is chief of the department of tildren's diseases, of which he has been the head from b inception of the department. He is consulting phy- ian to the children's department of State Hospital No. 3 Fairmont, and is attending physician of the Salvation .my Nursery in this city. At the entrance of the nation io the World war Doctor Holland tendered his services I the Medical Corps of the United States Army, but he 's rejected on account of certain physical infirmities. He lund other means to express his patriotism, and was ape- hilly active in the furtherance of the local drives in aup- rt of the Government loans, Red Cross work, etc. Doctor holland is a Fellow of the American Medical Association, member of the West Virginia State Medical Association, e Marion County Medical Society and the Southern Med- i] Association. He also has been made a member of 9 American Institute of Medicine of New York. He is iliated with Fairmont Lodge No. 9, A. F. and A. M., and and his wife hold membership in the First Baptist hurch of Fairmont.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 110

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