History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 177

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Cornelius Kennedy was born in County Limerick, Ireland, May 1, 1837, and died at his home in Parkersburg, West Virginia, December 7, 1919. He was fourteen years old when he accompanied his parents, John and Margaret (O'Neil) Kennedy, to the United States, one of a family of five chil- dren. They first resided at Wytheville, Virginia, and while living there both John and Cornelius helped in the building of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad through that section. John Kennedy died in Virginia, and subsequently his widow and children came to Parkersburg, where her death occurred.

Such educational privileges as Corneliua Kennedy ever en- joyed were afforded in his native land, but no lack of necessary knowledge was ever apparent throughout his long association with some of the keenest business men of the country. He grew to strong and robust manhood, and when the war be- tween the atatea was precipitated he served for a time in the Confederate Army as a teamster, and afterward was engaged

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as watchman at the wharf boat landing, Parkersburg, then engaged in teaming for the boat owner, and still later em- barked in the teaming business on his own account.

Mr. Kennedy continued his teaming business until about 1889. In the meanwhile public improvements were in prog- ress at Parkersburg and the first paving done was one square on Market between Sixth and Seventh streets. The con- tractor for this work engaged Mr. Kennedy to do the teaming. When the next paving contract was let by the city it was se- cured by Cornelius Kennedy, and from that time on his importance in this line of work increased until he was recog- nized as one of the leading contractors in this section and a large employer of labor. His reputation as a street paving contractor extended beyond Parkersburg, and he was called to Buckhannon, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Grafton and many other cities and satisfactorily filled paving contracts. He carried on his business under the style of Con. Kennedy, contractor, until 1911, when his son, John R. Kennedy. be- came his partner and the firm name of C. Kennedy & Son was retained until August, 1919, when Mr. Kennedy sold his interest to his son, John R., who organized the present firm operating as the Kennedy Construction Company and carry- ing on the same line of work established by Cornelius Ken- nedy.

Cornelius Kennedy married Mary Kane, and a family of eleven children was born to them, John R. Kennedy being the fifth in order of birth, which took place at Parkersburg, April 3, 1878. He spent two years at St. Vincent's College, Beatty, Pennsylvania, and two years at Pittsburgh College, now Duquesne University. On June 13, 1898, he enlisted for service in the Spanish-American war, served eight months in Cuba and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. His business interests have been practically confined to street paving contracting, and it has been his proud ambi- tion to maintain the same high class, dependable methods and standards that have been associated with the name of Ken- nedy for so many years. He married Miss Ella A. Martin, of Oakland, Maryland, in 1900, and they have three children: Dorothea, Mary and Margaret.

In his rise to ample fortune and public esteem, Cornelius Kennedy largely remained the unpretending man of other days, careful about his own business affairs but taking com- paratively little part in politics, although at one time he served usefully in the City Council. Respected by his fellow citizens, he was very generally esteemed by his employes, who always found him generous as well as just. The cause of charity in him found a willing ear and an open purse. Mr. Kennedy and his family were of the Roman Catholic faith.

HARRY OTIS HITESHEW, a Parkersburg lawyer, is a member of the firm Kreps, Russell & Hiteshew, which represents some of the best abilities and resourcefulness of the West Virginia bar. Mr. Hiteshew has long been a power in Parkersburg politics and local affairs, and is a member of a family that . has been prominent in this part of the Ohio Valley since earliest pioneer times.

For several generations the Hiteshews lived in Maryland and were Quakers. The grandfather of H. O. Hiteshew was Isaac Hiteshew. The father was Isaac Wesley Hiteshew, who was born in Maryland and became one of the pioneer train- men of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. He was a conductor on the Frederick Division and had charge of the train which carried the soldiers to Harper's Ferry at the time of John Brown's raid. During the Civil war he was in charge of a train between Baltimore and Harper's Ferry. He came as a passenger on the first train into Parkersburg, and thereafter made his home in that city until his death on February 26, 1898. For a number of years he was in the wholesale produce and feed business, and later was a farmer. He was a democrat in politics and in religion was affiliated with the Episcopal Church.

At Parkersburg October 17, 1871, Isaac W. Hiteshew mar- ried Columbia Ann Bradford. She was born at Parkersburg August 16, 1845, daughter of Otis Little and Emeline M. (Talbott) Bradford. To this marriage were born four sons: William B., Charles Talbott, Holmes Moss and Harry Otis.

Through his mother H. O. Hiteshew is a lineal descendant of that distinguished Puritan Governor, William Bradford, of the Massachusetts Colony. Without taking up in detail

the genealogical account it is interesting to note that Willi: Bradford had a son William, a grandson William and a gre grandson William; the latter had a son John and a grande John; the latter was the father of Robert and the grandfatl of Robert. The last named Robert Bradford, in the eigl generation from Governor William, was born at Plymou Massachusetts, in 1750, was a Captain in the American for during the Revolution and brevetted major at the end of 1 war, and soon afterward moved to the Northwest Territ to take possession of the square mile of land granted h. He built a log house immediately opposite the foot of Blenn hassett Island, and in 1790 built a house at Belpre, just acr the river from Parkersburg and lived, there until his de: in 1823. His son Otis Little, maternal grandfather of H. Hiteshew, was born at Belpre in 1799, but spent the gres part of his life in Parkersburg, where he was long promin in the river trade.

Ilarry Otis Hiteshew was born at Parkersburg Noveml 12, 1882. He attended the public schools, and took both ? literary and law courses at the West Virginia Universi graduating in law in 1903. For a year he remained at Morga town as an associate of former Governor William E. Gla cock, and in the fall of 1904 returned to Parkersburg. Here practiced with A. Gilmer Patton until the latter's dea and then became junior partner of Hiteshew and McDoug The firm dissolved partnership when Mr. McDougle v elected to the bench. Since then the firm of Kreps, Rus: & Hiteshew has been organized.

For many years Mr. Hiteshew has been intimately ider fied with republican politics in Parkersburg. However, has not sought political honors outside the strict lines of own profession. In 1905 he was appointed commissioner accounts. He was elected prosecuting attorney of Wo County in 1908 and re-elected in 1912, and altogether ] served eight years, being the only man ever re-elected to t successive terms in this office in Wood County.

Mr. Hiteshew is a Knight Templar Mason and Shrin a member of the Elks, the Chamber of Commerce, is a trus of the Kiwanis Club and belongs to the Kappa Alpha coll fraternity. He is a member of the Episcopal Church. AJ 26, 1910, at Parkersburg, Mr. Hiteshew married Ethel Sa White, daughter of Governor A. B. White. They have ( daughter, Grace Talbott Hiteshew.

HUBERT E. GAYNOR, M. D. It is far from the custom medical men to lay claim to being the most important fact in the life of their communities, but, standing as they do guardians at the gate of health, they undoubtedly dese such recognition. Parkersburg, West Virginia, can be sure receiving the best of medical attention, as this is the home a particularly able body of physicians and surgeons, a lead member of which is a native son, Dr. Hubert E. Gaynor.

Dr. Gaynor was born at Parkersburg, September 16, 18 and is a son of Patrick H. and Margaret Jane (Hark Gaynor, the former of whom is a native of Athens Coun Ohio, and the latter of West Union, West Virginia, Edw. Gaynor, the grandfather of Dr. Gaynor, was the founder the family in the United States. He was born in Irela immigrated in 1845, located in Athens County, Ohio, clea up a pioneer farm and spent the remainder of a busy, use life on his homestead. Patrick H. Gaynor was one of a fan of six children. He was afforded excellent educational privile in Ohio, and afterward for many years was a railroad m He is a well known and highly respected citizen of Park burg, and is a member of the police force of the city, serv in the office of desk sergeant.

Hubert E. Gaynor attended the public schools at Park burg through boyhood and then entered Duquesne Univer! at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was graduated from commercial department in 1899, and in 1904 received degree of Bachelor of Arts. By that time he had determi on the study of medicine, and in 1905 entered Georgetc Medical University at Georgetown, Washington, D. C., fr which he was graduated with his medical degree in 1909.

For eighteen months following graduation Dr. Gay served as resident physician of the Children's Hospital Washington, D. C. Early in 1911 he returned to Parkersb and entered into a general practice, and has been hig successful. During the World war he was actively interes

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MARTIN L. CONNELLEY

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in local patriotic movements, and responded when the call weut out from the government for medical assistance, setting aside his personal affairs. Ile was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps and was awaiting orders when the armistice was signed, when he resumed private practice at Parkersburg.

Dr. Gaynor is first vice president of the West Virginia State Medieal Society, and belongs also to the County Medical Society, the Georgetown Medical Society and the American Medical and the Southern Medical Associations, and since 1917 has been a member of the State Public Health Council. He still continues his interest and membership in the Phi Chi college fraternity, and is active as member of the American Legion. Ile belongs to the Roman Catholic Church.

ORRA F. COVERT, M. D. The city of Moundsville, Mar- thall County, claims Dr. Covert as one of its representative physicians and surgeons and as a loyal and public-spirited citizen. He was born at North Fairfield, Huron County, Ohio, February 10, 1865, and is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer families of the Buckeye State, to which the original representative of the Covert family removed from the State of New York and settled in the historic Western Reserve in Ohie. Both the father and paternal grandfather of Dr. Covert were born in Ohio.

Dr. Covert supplemented the discipline of the public schools by attending Heidelberg College at Tiffin, Ohio, and in 1901 he was graduated from the celebrated Rush Medieal College in the City of Chicago. He came to West Virginia in 1893, and has since been continuously engaged in active and successful practice in this state. He has been a resident of Moundsville since 1904, and here has a substantial general practice of representative order. He has taken post-graduate courses in the New York Post-Graduate Medical College, the medical department of Tulane University in the City of New Orleans, in leading clinics in the City of Chicago and at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Covert is chief surgeon of Glendale Hospital and ja one of the most prominent surgeons in this part of the state. Ile is identified with the Marshall County Medical Society, the West Virginia State Medical Society and the American Med- ical Association. In the World war period Dr. Covert was called into active service in the Medical Corps of the United States Army, in which he received commission as a captain and in which he was in service at Camp Sherman, Ohie, for eight months. Since the close of the war he has served as acting assistant surgeon in the United States Public Health Service.

Dr. Covert married Miss Alice F. Farrar, of Burlingame, Kansas, in which state her father was a pioneer settler, he having taken prominent part in the vigorous service which prevented the extension of slavery into that state. The land which he owned is Osage County, Kansas, is still in the possession of the family, and his venerable widow ia atill living (1921). Dr. and Mrs. Covert have one son, Leo D., who is in the practice of medicine in Bellaire, Ohio, and who is special- izing in diseases of the eye, nose and throat. He received hia degree of Doctor of Medicine from Western Reserve Medical College, Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. L. D. Covert married Gladys Perry, of Asthabula, Ohio.

MARTIN LUTHER CONNELLEY. In Liberty District, Ohio County, ten miles northeast of the City of Wheeling is situated the fine homestead farm of Mr. Connelley, who ia now one of venerable native sons of this county and who has stood representative of loyal and progressive citizenship during the course of a long, active and successful career. He was born in Richland District, this county, September 29, 1842, a aon of Elisha and Lorena (Eaton) Connelley. In the possession of the family is an antique arithmetic, published in 1816, and having entry of births in the Con- nelley family.

Elisha Connelley was born in Maryland, near the eastern coast, November 26, 1812, and he was nine years old when his father, William Connelley, there died. The widow and children later removed to Washington County, Pennsylvania, Elisha having been eighteen years old at the time. Soon afterward he came to what is now West Virginia and aet-

tled in Ohio County. Ho brought his mother and other members of the family to the new home, and tho mother passed the closing years of her life with ono of her daugh ters, at Wheeling, where she died at the venerable age of ninety-three years. The son, Eli, became a farmer in Marshall County, and his death occurred at Moundsville, when he was eighty-cight years old, one of his sena having met his death while serving as a soldier in the Civil war. William, another of the children of the widowed mother, remained in Wheeling, was a tailor by trade but eventually engaged in the grocery business at North Wheeling, one of his sons, John W., being still a resident of Wheeling.

About the year 1834 Elisha Connelley married Lerana Edmonds, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of William Edmonds, the date of her birth having been Janu- ary 26, 1816. Elisha Connelley's death occurred April 4, 1898, when he was in his eighty-sixth year, his wife having preceded him to the life eternal. After his marriago Elisha Cennelley and his wife established their home in a modest cabin at Greggsville, and he became a teamster for Mr. Gregg, who was engaged in burning charcoal for tho iren furnaces of this district. Mr. Connellcy later engaged in farming on shares, and from the returns from this line of enterprise he purchased a small house at Greggsville. With increasing prosperity he creeted buildings in that village and also became the owner of four farms. He was an energetic and able business man and became one of the representative exponents of agricultural and live-stock in- dustry in this section of the state. He lived virtually re- tired during the last twenty years of his life, but continued to give his attention to his live stock and farm interests in a general way. He was originally a whig and later a republican in politics, and was one of the few in Richland Distriet who voted for Abraham Lincoln for president of the United States in 1860. He lived to see Richland Dis- triet become a republican stronghold. He and his wife were cenverted under the teachings of Alexander Campbell and became members of the Campbellite or Christian Churel at Wheeling. Of the children the eldest was William, born at Wheeling, in 1836. He became a farmer and later a feed dealer. Benjamin, born in 1838, served through the Civil war as a member of the Fifteenth United States Reg- ulars, and he was somewhat more than seventy years of age at the time of his death. Rachel, bern in 1840, is the widow of George King and resides at Martins Ferry, Ohio. Martin Luther, of this review, was the next in order of birth. Eliza Jane, born in 1845, is the widow of Gilbert Holmes and resides at Garden City, Kansas. Perry, who was born in 1848, was a mere boy when he enlisted fer service as a soldier of the Union in the Civil war, but his parents caused his release. At the age of eighteen years he enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to service on the plains of the West. After his discharge from the army he engaged in mining in the West, and finally, with a companion, he started for the old lieme, nothing further having been heard of him by members of the family and the supposition being that he and his companion lost their lives in a blizzard.

Martin L. Connelley was reared and educated in his native county and has been actively identified with farm enterprise from the time of his boyhood. He has owned and resided on his present homestead farm since 1870, the same com- prising 110 acres, one of the first cabins in this part of Ohio County having been erected on this farm, and the fine springs in the vicinity having led Mr. Connelley to erect his present house near the same. He has made the best of improvement on his farm and has here specialized in the raising of sheep. He served fourteen years as a member of the school board of his district. In 1893 he lost his left arm, below the elbow, while operating the first husking machine brought across the Ohio River into Weat Virginia. He was associated with A. R. Jacob in organizing and developing the local Farmers Mutual Insurance Com- pany, to the upbuilding of which he devoted many years, in the face of strenuous opposition on the part of old- established companies, and he has the satisfaction of knew- ing that this corporation has become one of substantial and important order and been of great benefit to the farmers

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of the locality. The company began operations with $150,- 000 insurance in force, and when the first loss was paid there was in force $214,000. The business has been remark- ably prospered, every loss has been adjusted without re- course to law, for a period of five years no assessments were made, and the corporation now has in force more than $5,000,000 of insurance, its field of operations in Ohio and Marshall counties, West Virginia. Mr. Connelley continued as secretary and treasurer of the company from the time of its incorporation until 1920. He has been for fifty years a zealous member of the United Presbyterian Church at Roneys Point, the church having recently celebrated the semi-centennial of its organization. His wife likewise was an earnest member of this church. Mr. Connelley has been a supporter of the prohibition party forty years-from the time that St. John was its nominee for president. Mrs. Connelley, whose maiden name was Mary E. Giffin, was born and reared in Ohio County and her death occurred in 1884. Of the four children the eldest is Lena Jane, wife of William Holmes, of Garden City, Kansas; Frank E., who has active charge of his father's farm, married Mrs. Elizabeth ( Thiers) Blotzer, who has two children by her first marriage-William and Harry; Joseph L. B., who is associated with the Riverside Tube Works, at Wheeling, married Emma Summers, and they have one child, Laura Jean; Laura L., youngest of the children, became the wife of William Connelley and was a young woman at the time of her death.

WILLIAM WEBSTER WHYTE, of Welch, is serving his tenth consecutive year in the office of county clerk of McDowell County, and has long been one of the prominent and in- fluential citizens of this county, where he was for twenty- four years chairman of the Republican County Committee, besides which he has served as county sheriff and county assessor. He is president of the Pocahontas Insurance Com- pany and secretary and treasurer of the Excelsior Pocahon- tas Coal Company.

Mr. Whyte was born in Amelia County, Virginia, on the 27th of November, 1860, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Webster) Whyte, the former a native of Norfolk, that state, and the latter of Amelia County. The mother died in 1901, aged fifty-nine years, and the father was seventy-two years of age at the time of his death, in 1906. Henry Whyte was a valiant young soldier of the Con- federacy in the Civil war, in which he served in the con- missary department of the famous Mahone Brigade. He became a republican at a time when such political affiliation was looked upon with general disfavor in Virginia. He was in railway service during virtually his entire active career, and was long an efficient and popular conductor on passenger trains between Norfolk and Petersburg. Later he was in similar service on the Norfolk & Western Railroad. His father, Henry Whyte, Sr., was born in the City of Dublin, Ireland. Henry and Elizabeth (Webster) Whyte became the parents of one son and four daughters.

William W. Whyte attended a preparatory school at Petersburg. He became connected with the Norfolk and Western Railway and for some time was in the maintenance of way department. On the 10th of November, 1888, he came to Elkhorn, McDowell County, West Virginia, in the employ of the Houston Coal Company, and he has been closely identified with coal mining industry in this section of the state, the while he has held various executive positions and has authoritative knowledge of all details of this line of enterprise.

From early youth Mr. Whyte has shown an active interest in politics, and he has been a leader in the councils and campaign activities of the republican party during the period of his residence in McDowell County. He was elected county sheriff in 1896, and in this office gave an effective administration during his term of four years. He was county assessor four years, and since 1912 he has served continuously as county clerk. He has been actively con- cerned in the development of coal mining in this section, the first coal having been shipped from McDowell County in September, 1888, about one month before he here estab- lished his residence. He is affiliated with the local Blue

Lodge and Chapter of the Masonic fraternity, as well as the Commandery of Knights Templars at Welch and the Temple of the Mystic Shrine in the City of Charleston, he having served two years as master of the Blue Lodge at Welch Mr. Whyte has shown both efficiency and a fine sense of loyal stewardship in the various public offices of which he has been the incumbent, and he has secure place in popular confidence and esteem in his home county.

In 1899 Mr. Whyte married Miss Mary Watson, daughter of James Watson, of Chester, Pennsylvania, and they have two sons, James W. and William Webster, Jr.

WILLIAM J. HATFIELD is giving a vigorous and effective administration as sheriff of McDowell County and is one of the popular citizens of Welch, the county seat. He was born on a farm on the Tug River, in Pike County, Ken. tueky, and the date of his nativity was August 28, 1883. He is a son of Matthew E. and Alice (Davis) Hatfield the former of whom was born in Pike County, in 1849, and the latter of whom was born in the year 1864, their home being now at Rose Siding, Pike County, Kentucky. For many years Matthew E. Hatfield was actively identified with lumbering operations on the Tug River, and took many rafts of logs down the river to the markets. He has been active also as a farmer. On his farm in Pipe County, Kentucky, the New Thaeker Coal Mining Company is now operating mines. He is a stalwart republican and is a member of the Baptist Church, his wife being a member of the Presbyterian Church. She was born at St. Joseph, Missouri. Of their eight children the eldest and the youngest are deceased.

The public schools afforded William J. Hatfield his early education, which was supplemented by a course in the National Business College at Roanoke, Virginia. There- after he was associated with commercial interests at Blue- field, West Virginia, until 1903, when he came to McDowell County and became a successful dealer in real estate, be- sides which he is interested in three drug stores-one at Welch, one at Iaeger and the third at Wilcoe, this county. He has held various official positions in the City of Welch, including that of deputy sheriff. In 1916 he was elected county assessor, and in 1920 he was chosen sheriff of the county, in which office he is fully justifying the popular vote that made him the incumbent. He is affiliated with both York and Scottish Rite bodies of the Masonic frater- nity and Beni-Kedem Temple of Charleston, West Vir- ginia, as well as with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Loyal Order of Moose. He holds an interest in the Weleb Insurance Agency, of which he is president and is a leader in the local ranks of the republican party.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 177

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