History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 131

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ROLFE MILLAR HITE. Considering the extent of his indi- idual interesta and the great properties and holdings in hich he haa acted as an operator, administrator or negoti- tor, Rolfe Millar Ilite stands in the front rank of leaders 1 the coal industry in the northern section of West Vir- inia. His career is a long and notable one in many spects.

He was born July 16, 1\67, at Ilite in Allegheny County, ennsylvania. However, he is descended from a long and rominent line of West Virginia ancestors. His American orefather was Yost Hite, who has the historie distinction f being the first white man to make permanent settlement 1 old Frederick County in the Shenandoah Valley of Vir- inia, now Jefferson County, West Virginia. Yest Ilite came rom Strasburg, Germany, to America, and first located in de Dutch Colony on the Hudson River at Kingston, New York, in 1710. He brought with him his wife and daughter. n 1717 be removed to what is now Germantown, Pennsyl- ania, and settled on his own land at that point. Later he xchanged this land for a large tract on the Schuylkill River t the mouth of what is known as Perkiomen Creek. There e built a substantial residence, also a mill, and it remained is home for several succeeding years. In the meantime he arned of the newly discovered country in the Virginia Colony. Being by nature a pioneer, he made investigations nd in that year secured from Governor Penn of the Penn- ylvania Colony what Hite thought was a grant from the Virginia gevernor and council for a large land grant iu he new country. In 1732, accompanied by his family and wenty other families of colonists, he entered the forests of what is now Jefferson County, at that time occupied by adians only. The validity of his grant was later ques- ioned, and for a time he was in danger of losing his land. ut being conversant with the laws on grants and some- what of a lawyer himself he eventually established his rights, ettled on his land and spent the rest of his life there.

The oldest son of Yost Hite was Col. John Hite, a native f Kingston, New York, who accompanied his parents nto Pennsylvania and Virginia, and became one of the prominent men of his locality. Old records show that he was urveyor in 1747, justice in 1748, assemblyman in 1752, 772, 1780, captain on court martial in 1755, major on court nartial, 1756, lieutenant-colonel on court martial, 1757, and olonel and president of court martial 1760. On different ceasions he entertained asa guest of his home "Surveyor Washington," "Colonel Washington." both titles being for be later distinguished General and President George Washı- ngton.

However, the direct ancestor of Rolfe Millar Hite was he second son of Yost Hite, Jacob, who was born in Penn- ylvania. On going to Virginia he chose for his homestead large tract of land from the grant of his father, situated n the northern part of Frederick County, near what is now Martinsburg, West Virginia. In order to secure competent ettlers for the development of this land he visited Ireland ind brought back with him a number of Scotch-Irish fam- lies. On the return voyage he met Catherine O'Bannon, whom he later made his wife. She lived only a few years after her marriage, and was survived by three sons: Cap- ain John, Colonel Thomas and Jacob Hite, all of whom became distinguished men of their time. The second wife of Jacob Hite was Mrs. Frances (Madison) Beale, daughter f Ambrose Madison and a direct deseendant of the founder of the Madison family in Gloucester County, Virginia, in 653, from whom by another line was descended President James Madison.

1 Thomas Hite, son of Jacob and Frances (Madison) Hite, was born in 1750, in what is now Jefferson County, West Virginia, and became a prosperous man of affairs. Besides

local offices he served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1772 he married Frances Beale.

James Hite, a son of Thomas and Frances (Beale) Hite, was born in Jefferson County in 1776 aud died at the old Hite homestead in 1855. He was three times married. His son Col. James Hite by his second wife married Lydia Peter- son, daughter of Henry Petersen, who married a daughter of Robert Morris, the distinguished Philadelphia Revolutionary financier. Henry Peterson's brother Louis made the first piece of copper pipe manufactured west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Peter Yost Hite, son of Cel. James and his wife Lydia, was born on the old homestead in Jefferson county in 1832 and died August 21, 1911. He married Susan Rebecca Richardson, whe was born in Warren County, Virginia, in 1831, and died November 2, 1884. She was a daughter of Marcus Calmes and Harriet Lydia (Christman) Richardson. To Peter Yost and Rebecca Hite were born the following children: (I) James (who died in infancy), (II) Samuel R., (III) Ilattie Lydia, (IV) Marcus Calmes, (V) Lizzie Isabell, (VI) Rolfe Millar (subject of this sketch), (VII) Mary Virginia, (VIII) John Yost and (IX) Susan Re becca.

Peter Y. Hite attended Virginia Military Institute, and as a young man in 1852 left that state and went to Alle- gheny City, Pennsylvania, where for several years le fol- lewed different lines of employment. In 1855 he entered actively the coal mining industry, and was also a manufac- turer of salt at Hite in Allegheny County. His interests remained there frem 1855 to 1887. During the following year he was a coal producer in Athens County, Ohio, and in 1889 returned to his native State of Virginia. In 1891 he established himself at Fairmont, West Virginia, where he had purchased a coal property as early as 1865, a prop- erty now operated by his sons. He was associated with his sens in the coal and coke business here.

Rolfe M. Hite grew up at Hite, Pennsylvania, attended public schools there and later the Newell Institute at Pitts- burgh. Owing to the fact that be entered upon his busi- ness carcer at the age of eighteen his schooling was limited from the standpoint of time, though the fundamental train- ing he acquired in his youth has been supplemented from year to year by constant reading and by first-hand know]- edge of men and affaira.

Mr. Hite's active career in the coal industry began in 1885, when he engaged in mining and supplying coal to the town of Tarentum, Pennsylvania. In 1888 he was asso- ciated with his father as P. Y. Hite Sons Company in coal operating in Athens County, Ohio. In 1889 be removed to Tazewell County, Virginia, at a time when the Clinch Val- ley extension of the Norfolk & Western Railroad was being built from Tazewell Court House to Norton, connecting at the latter point with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. In that field Mr. Hite represented the interests of T. P. Trigg & Company, a subsidiary of the Tennessce Coal Iron and Railroad Company, a corporation then developing a vast tract of coal lands along the new line of railroad in Diekerson and Wise counties, Virginia. Mr. Hite had active charge of this mine development and still later, acting for the same company, was in the Kentucky coal fields.

Mr. Hite in 1890 organized the Virginia & Pittsburgh Coal & Coke Company, and the following year be located permanently at Fairmont, the center of his new interests. The company, in which his father and brothers were also interested, developed the Kingment Mine and later the Morgan Mine at Rivesville in Marion County. In 1905 R. M. Hite with his brother J. Yost Hite and associates organized the Potomac Valley Coal Company, operating mines in Maryland, near Blaine, West Virginia. In 1920, in company with Mr. Glenn F. Barnes, was organized the Hite-Barnes Coal Company, operating the Eleanor Mine on Indian Creek in Monongalia County. From time to time during the last twenty years Mr. Hite's holdings in the above minea, especially the Morgan, have been increased by the purchase of coal landa, until hia personal, together with his company 's interests, have become recognized as some of the largest holdings of coal land in Northern West Virginia. Besides being an operator he has been a buyer and seller

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and handler of acreage, and in that direction has been a factor in some extensive transactions. A notable instance was the sale of what was known as the Empire field of Pittsburgh coal to an eastern corporation in 1917. Mr. Hite and Samuel D. Brady handled this transaction, involv- ing the sale of 10,000 acres of coal land for a cash payment of over $3,700,000 to the New England Fuel & Transporta- tion Company of Boston.

Another episode in Mr. Hite's career was the part he had in settling up the properties of Josiah V. Thompson, the millionaire of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, who failed in busi- ness in 1915, with holdings aggregating a value of $65,000,- 000, and liabilities of $32,000,000. The Common Pleas Court of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in 1915, appointed Mr. Hite one of the three appraisers of this vast property. Later the Federal Court of Pittsburgh and of West Vir- ginia appointed him, together with David M. Hertzog and George R. Scrugham, of Uniontown, appraisers of the prop- erty, the largest group of assets, comprising 143,000 acres of Pittsburgh coal in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Later the Federal Court of West Virginia appointed him trustee for the West Virginia creditors, whose interests ap- proxinated $5,000,000. The Thompson affairs were ulti- mately settled to the satisfaction of all concerned, Mr. Hite and his associates receiving the commendation of the court for the business-like and thoroughly honorable methods they had employed in handling the matter.

At this writing Mr. Hite is president of the Virginia & Pittsburgh Coal & Coke Company, president of the Hite- Barnes Coal & Coke Company, president of the Lucille Coal Company, president of the Potomac Coal & Coke Company, and manager of the Montfair Gas Coal Company. He is a member of the Fairmont Chamber of Commerce, member of the State Advisory Board of the Old Colony Club, and is active in the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Fairmont.

In 1898 he married Miss Jennie Hunsaker, a native of West Virginia, and who died four months after their mar- riage. In 1900 Mr. Hite married Miss Louise May West, a native of Harrison County, West Virginia, and daughter of Felix and Gula West. Her father was a Confederate sol- dier and, after the war, a prosperous farmer in Harrison County. Mr. and Mrs. Hite have four children, Louise Vir- ginia, Lucille Mildred, Helen Ruth and Eleanor May. Louise is the wife of Lieut. Harry K. Granger, who was in the aviation service overseas twenty-six months, and who is now associated with his father and brothers in the whole- sale grocery business, as Granger Brothers, at Lincoln, Nebraska.

HARRY TEMPLIN LICKLIDER. One of the business men of high standing at Shepherdstown, Harry Templin Lick- lider, is vice president and manager of the Licklider Cor- poration, dealers in agricultural implements. He has passed his entire life in this community, where he has established a well-merited reputation for ability and in- tegrity in business matters and publie spirit and construc- tive ideas in the way of citizenship, and is president of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a native of Jefferson County, West Virginia, and a member of one of the old and hon- ored families of this part of West Virginia.

Edward Templin Licklider, the father of Harry Templin Licklider, was born at Shepherdstown, January 20, 1853, a son of Grandison Templin Licklider, who was born at this place in 1820, a son of Adam Licklider, who was born on a farm one mile south of the city. His father, Conrad Licklider, was born on the same farm and was a life-long resident of the community, where he married Elizabeth Templin, a native of Frederick County, Maryland, where the Templin family were pioneers. Adam Licklider mar- ried Elizabeth Powell, of Frederick County, Maryland, and was a farmer and life-long resident of Jefferson County. Grandison Templin Licklider learned the trade of saddle and harness maker, and did a large and lucrative business, as at that time most of the travel was done on horseback, it being before the advent of the railroads and when lack of roads made travel by carriage practically impossible. He was also thrifty, carefully saved his earnings, and with

them finally purchased the home farm, on which he di in 1901. Mr. Licklider married Amanda Humrickhous who was born at Shepherdstown, a daughter of Albe Humrickhouse, who was born on the Springfield farm Frederick County, Maryland, May 5, 1787, while his fathe Peter Humrickhonse, was born in Washington Count Maryland, a son of John and Barbara Humrickhous Peter Humrickhouse enlisted in the Continental Army May, 1776, as a private, and served through the war, beir with the command that marched to Boston to the relief . General Washington. He married Mary Margaret Mille daughter of Godfried Miller, who was born in Mannhen Prussia, and came to America as a young man. In 174 he was associated with Benjamin Franklin in the prin ing business at Philadelphia, and three of his sons foug) as soldiers during the Revolutionary war. Albert Hur. riekhouse was prominent in business matters at Shepherd town, where he conducted a general store, and also opel ated a stage line that extended from Baltimore to Wir chester. He also served as postmaster, and was the fir mayor of the town. Mr. Humrickhouse married Christin, wise, and both lived to advanced years. Mrs. Amand (Humrickhouse) Licklider died at the age of forty-for years.

Edward Templin Licklider attended the public school &. Shepherdstown in his youth, and in young manhood adopte the vocation of farming for his life work. Eventually h settled on a farm one mile southwest of Shepherdstown on which he lives at this time. Since 1917 he has bee. president of the Licklider Corporation. On October 2€ 1876, he married Ellen Virginia Entler, who was born a Shepherdstown, April 21, 1852, a daughter of Cato Moor Entler, who was born at Shepherdstown. His father Joseph Entler, was born on a farm near Shepherdstown where his ancestors were pioneers. His brother, Danie Entler, served in the Revolutionary war. Joseph Entler wa the proprietor of a hotel at Shepherdstown, and also oper ated a stage line. The house of which he was proprietor an in which he lived is now owned and occupied by his great grandson, Harry Templin Licklider, and is one of th oldest honses in the state. Built of logs, it was originall; intended to contain twenty rooms and during the Revolu tionary war, the War of 1812 and the war between the states was used as a barracks for the soldiers. It has il the past sheltered many distinguished visitors, including Gen. George Washington, Marquis de La Fayette and Henry Clay. Joseph Entler married a Miss Richard.

Cato Moore Entler entered the Confederate service at the commencement of the war between the states, as a membe of Company B, Second Regiment, Virginia Volunteer In fantry, and served until the close of that struggle. Afte: the war he served several years as city recorder. He mar ried Mary Ellen Bowen, who was born at Shepherdstown daughter of William and Elizabeth (Hill) Bowen. Eliza beth Hill was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Years ley) Hill, and on the maternal side a granddaughter of Michael Yearsley, who was born in Alsace-Lorraine, was a Huguenot, and fled as a fugitive to America to escape religious persecution. After a short residence in Pennsyl vania he came to Shepherdstown, acquired a large estatc and presented a set of chimes to the German Reformed Church. He reared seven daughters, to each of whom he gave a stone dwelling, all located at Shepherdstown, where he died in 1808, his remains being laid to rest in the churchyard of the German Reformed Church. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Templin Lieklider became the parents of twelve children, namely: Mary Amanda, Harry Templin, Bettie Butler, Charles William, Florence Egleston, Annie Virginia, Louise Moore, Edna Reika, Edmund Lee, Samona Entler, Ruth and Laura Elizabeth.

Harry Templin Licklider was educated in the public schools and as a young man entered the agricultural imple- ment business of his father. He has advanced steadily through promotion won by fidelity and industry, and now occupies the positions of vice president and manager, in which he is practically directing the policies of the busi- ness and has developed it into one of the really important

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derprises of Shepherdstown. He is also a member of the Jard of Directors of the Jefferson Bank and Trust Com. jny of Charleston, Virginia.

Mr. Licklider married Miss Katharine Butler, daughter { William and Katharine (Lucas) Butler, and to this lion there has been born one daughter, Katharine Templin. William Butler was born on a plantation two miles aouth Shepherdstown, in August, 1847, a son of Charles lomas and Virginia (VanSwearingen) Butler, and a jadson of William and Nancy (Moore) Butler. Charles omas Butler was a planter who cultivated bis fields with ve labor, and took a keen and active interest in public mairs, at one time representing his distriet in the State fnate. He died in 1899, his wife having passed away D'eral years previous. William Butler acquired a good eucation in his youth, but on account of frail health did 1 adept a professional career, choosing instead life on 1. farm. After a few years he entered the employ of t, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, in the capacity t claim agent, a position which he has retained to the j'sent. The out-of-door life and constant change bas sreed with him and time has dealt genially with him, for a the age of seventy-five years he is fully alert mentally t1 active physically. Mr. Butler married Miss Katharine I.mmend Lucas, who was born at Elmwood, Jefferson funty, daughter of Robert Armistead and Katharine (hepherd) Lucas and on the paternal side a lineal de- endant of Robert Lucas, a native of England, who came t America in 1679 and settled in Bucks County, Penn- evania. He was the father of Edward Lucas, who was t' fonnder of the family in Jefferson County, where be stled about 1732, securing a large tract of fertile land im Lord Fairfax. He married Mary Darke, daughter Gen. William Darke, of Revolutionary fame, and their Es fought in the Revolutionary and Indian wars. Kath- tae Shepherd was a daughter of Abraham and Eleanor (trode) Shepherd, and a granddaughter of Capt. Ahra- In Shepherd, who was a son of Thomas and Elizabeth ( anMetre) Shepherd, the former being the founder of Eepherdstown.

JOHN JAMES SKINNER, who is now (1922) serving as city surveyor of his native county, maintains his home Charles Town, Jefferson County, in which place he was In August 11, 1882. His father, Charles G. Skinner. vg born on a farm lying on the line between Fauquier al Loudoun counties, Virginia, January 26, 1844, and i the same locality the latter's father, James Skinner, vg born about the year 1813. a son of Gabriel Skinner. wo was one of the representative pioneer farmers of that dtriet, he having been of Seoteh aneestry. His wife. rose maiden name was Betsey Jackson, was a member o the well known Maryland family of that name. and s was ninety years of age at the time of her death. Jnes Skinner was one of the substantial farmers of Lidoun County at the time of his death, when sixty-two F.rs of age. In that county was born his wife, Jane (arner) Skinner, her father, Charles Turner, having owned al operated a gristmill at Millsville, that county. His we, whose maiden name was Agnes Guliek, passed her eire life in that county. Their children were six in nnber: William Jefferson, Mary V., Edgar, Charles G., lanie and James H.

"harles G. Skinner was reared on the home farm and Paed his early education in the subscription schools of t locality and period. In 1862 he entered the service o the Confederacy, as a member of Company A, Seventh \ginia Cavalry, commanded by General Ashby. On the 2. of May of the same year he was wounded, in the btle at Buekton, Virginia, and his consequent physical dability led to his honorable discharge. About one year Leer he entered the commissary department of the Con- ferate Army, and in this connection he continued his hal service until the eloge of the Civil war. In the numn of 1865 Mr. Skinner went to Mississippi, where h, was identified with the raising of cotton for a period o one year. He passed the following year in Fauquier

County, Virginia, and in the fall of 1867 established bis home at Charles Town, West Virginia. Here he was elerk in a hardware store for the ensuing seven years, and during the ensuing two years he was engaged in the mer- chandise business at Harrisonburg, Virginia. He then removed to his farm, seven miles distant from that place, where he remained until 1900. He then sold the farm and removed to Rectortown, Fauquier County, Virginia, where he served about ten years as magistrate. In 1908 he established his residence at Charles Town, where be has since lived retired. In 1874 he married Lucy M. Locke, who was born at Charles Town in 1841. Her father. William F. Locke, was born in Frederick County, Virginia, and became a leading merchant at Charles Town, besides which he became the owner of large tracts of Iand in Jefferson County. He served a number of years as magistrate, and was the presiding justice of the County Court. He was about fifty-five years of age at the time of his death. His wife, whose maiden name was Rachel Myers, was born in Pennsylvania. Lucy M. Locke Skinner died in 1907, the mother of two sons. Charles Locke, the elder son, graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1897, and be was & representative physician and surgeon at Charles Town at the time of his death, in 1917. His wife, Edna C., a daughter of James II. and Ellen (Cochran) Skinner, sur- vives him, as de also their three sons and one daughter.

John J. Skinner profited by the advantages of the public schools of Charles Town and thereafter took a technical course in the University of Virginia. After leaving this institution he did a large amount of effective work as a chemist and civil engineer for various industrial eor- porations, and the year 1922 finds him the efficient and popular incumbent of the office of county surveyor of .Jefferson County. Mr. Skinner is affiliated with the Blue Lodge and Chapter organizations of York Rite Masonry, and his political allegiance is given to the democratic party.

In 1903 Mr. Skinner wedded Miss Elizabeth Jane Skin- ner, daughter of James H. and Ellen (Cochran) Skinner, and the five children of this union are James, John, Ellen, Charles and Elizabeth.

EDWIN J. PAYNE, who came to West Virginia less than twenty years ago, has had a cumulative career in the coal industry, piling up one interest and responsibility upon an- other, and is one of the busiest and most successful men in his line at Huntington. The Lake & Expert Coal Company, of which he is president, operates some of the large mines in the hituminous fields of West Virginia and Kentucky, and handles the product both for domestic and export trade.

Mr. Payne was born at Newport, Kentucky, March 29, 1883. His father, William A. Payne, was born in Illinois in 1852, was reared in the vicinity of Newport, Kentucky, and after his marriage lived in that city. For a number of years he was an employee of the American Express Company, and then he and his brother James A. organized, owned and operated the Eureka Tackle Block Manufactur- ing Company. William A. Payne, who died at Newport in 1905, was a republican, a member of the Episcopal Church and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married Flora Ello, who was born at Newport, April 16, 1855, and died at Huntington, West Virginia, in November, 1920. Her two sons are Harry V., connected with a hard- ware business at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Edwin J.

Edwin J. Payne acquired a grammar and high school education at Newport, attended Bartlett's Business College of Cincinnati in 1899, and subsequently pursued a mining course with the International Correspondenec School of Scranton. Beginning at the age of eighteen, he was in the service of the Louisville and Nashville Rail- way Company for two years, and in 1904, about the time he attained his majority, he came to West Virginia and at Rend, now called Minden, became secretary to the gen- eral manager of the W. P. Rend Coal Company. Thia com- pany sold out to the Berwind-White Coal Mining Com- pany in 1905, but Mr. Payne retained the same position

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and was with that organization for eight years, serving in various capacities at the mines and in the office of the general superintendent at Chain. In 1912 he hecame sec- retary to George M. Jones, son of the late C. T. Jones, in the management of the C. T. Jones estate at Oak Hill in Fayette County. At the same time he became secretary of the Amherst Coal Company, and in 1913, when these interests took over the Virginia-Buffalo Coal Company, Mr. Payne was made its secretary and also secretary of the Argyle Coal Company. In 1914 he helped organize the Amherst-Fuel Company, and was vice president and general manager of these interests until 1917.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 131

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