History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 188

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > West Virginia > History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2 > Part 188

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

On June 23, 1909, Mr. Bronson married Edith Embleton of Montgomery, West Virginia. She was born in Maso1 County, this state, of English ancestry. Their five children are: Margaret, born April 7, 1910; Wade, Jr., born Sep tember 6, 1911; Elizabeth, born November 23, 1913; Rober and John, born January 3, 1917.

JAMES ABNEY HOGG. Ever since the first white settle ments were planted in the Kanawha and Ohio valleys, under the protection of military force and against the oper hostility of the Indians, members of the Hogg family have played their part here, as soldiers, as home-makers as engineers and in many other avenues of service. Obviously it would not be possible here to give an account of the family in all interesting detail. The member named above was born at the original seat of the family in Mason County, but his business interests brought him some years ago to the great mining district of Logan. He is the present mayor of that city.

Mr. Hogg's ancestry begins with Capt. Peter Hog, spelled with one "g" at that time, a native of Scotland, who came to America and settled in Augusta County, Virginia. He was an officer of the crown in the Dunmore war on the western side of the Allegheny Mountains, and

60 gg

571

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

was an intimate friend of George Washington and fought ia the Revolution. His son Peter came West to occupy a and grant of 8,000 acres given by King George. This land was located at the month of the Great Kanawha River, in what is now Mason County, West Virginia. His son, Thomaa G. Hogg, was born in 1800, waa a land sur- reyor, and was a prominent pioneer in this western region. Many members of the Hogg family have been civil en- gineers. The mayor of Logan was named for his grand- father, James Abney Hogg, who was born in Mason County, was a thrifty farmer, and he married Lucy Ball, langhter of Capt. James Ball, who settled in Mason County about 1785. Among the sons of James Abney Hogg one was the late Charles E. Hogg, one of West Vir- zinia's greatest lawyers and legal authors. He atudied aw while teaching school, and while in practice handled some of the most important cases in the State and Federal onrts. Lawyers knew him as anthor of several important works, found in nearly all law libraries, and he also im- arted his abilities and character upon the legal profession y his work as teacher of law and as Dean of the College of Law of West Virginia, a post he took in 1906.

The father of Mayor Hogg was Thomas G. Hogg, who was born at Clifton in Mason County, July 26, 1856, and is law living at Huntington. He married Matilda Robinson, who was born in Mingo County, Ohio, February 14, 1857, sad died February 12, 1919. Thomas G. Hogg followed he profession of civil engineer and also was a farmer nd teacher, and for twenty-seven years was active in the work of the schools of Mason County. All the family had een democrats. James Abney Hogg of Logan ia the econd in a family of six children. His sister Daisy is the wife of Cleo Fox, foreman in the Chesapeake & Ohio shops at Huntington. Ray is a public accountant at Oklahoma City. Edna lives with her father at Huntington. Tohn has to his credit a service of sixteen years in the Jaited States Marine Corps, in which he holds the rank f lientenant, was in service in Mexico and later in the World war and is now located at San Diego, California. "he youngest of the family is Harry.

James Abney Hogg of Logan was born at Point Pleas- at in Mason County, February 9, 1879, and graduated rom the Point Pleasant High School in 1904. For thir- een years he taught school in Mason County, and taught he same school which had been conducted by his father. While teaching he studied law, but has never been ad- nitted to the bar. While not teaching he also employed is time in the profession of civil engineering, and he nrveyed lands and mines along the Tag Fork of Sandy tiver in West Virginia. His chief professional work for a umber of years has been as a public accountant, and he id work in that line at Huntington. In 1916 he came to 'each Creek. Logan County, representing the E. R. John- on coal mining interests. At one time he was accountant or the Jones interests at Charleston.

Mr. Hogg haa been a resident of Logan since 1919, and ere continnes his practice as an anditor and public ccountant. He was elected mayor of Logan in 1921. and now in his second term of a very successful municipal dministration.

In 1907 he married Merlia Wavbright, daughter of 'olambus Waybright. of Ripley, West Virginia. Their wo daughtera are Elizabeth Harding and Evelyn Way- right. Mr. Hogg is a member of the Methodist Episcopal harch, South, is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Point 'leasant, Logan Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and the Elka wodge at Charleston.

BERNARD SHELL. A modern coal mining district like logan County requires an enormous aggregate of machinery nd appliances used in the mines, in the surface equipment nd for the handling and transportation of coal. For eeping this in order such a plant as that of the Guyan [achine Shops at Logan is one of the indispensable uriliaries. This plant was established in 1913 by W. H. liver and Bernard Shell, and in 1914 the business was icorporated with Mr. Oliver as president, and Bernard

Shell, a machinist and mechanical engineer of long and varied experience, aa vice president and general manager.

Mr. Shell was born at Eggleston, Giles County, Virginia, March 30, 1882, son of A. V. and Sallie Caroline (Burton) Shell, who were also nativea of Giles County. His father, now sixty-five years of age, had his home at Graham, Virginia, for thirty five years. He is a akilled mechanic, and for a number of years was bosa blacksmith in the Norfolk & Western Railroad ahops at Bluefield, West Vir. ginia, held a similar position at Switchback for the Poca- hontaa Consolidated Fuel Company, was then in charge of the shops of the New River and Pocahontas Consolidated Fuel Company at Berwind, West Virginia, taking charge there after his aoa Bernard moved to Logan, and in 1917 A. V. Shell came to Lagan and is now general utility man in the Guyan Machine Shops. He is a Presbyterian and democrat, and his wife is a Methodist. They have two sons and four daughters, the other sons being Sidney Herbert, a resident of Graham, Virginia.

Bernard Shell acquired his early education in the Graham public schools, and as a boy began learning the same trade as his father. He served, beginning at the age of fourteen, an apprenticeship in the Norfolk & Western Shops at Blue- field under his father, and on completing that apprenticeship began another as machinist at Switchback under James Jones. He completed this period of training in two and a half years, and then as a journeyman worked in many shops through Canada, the United States and Mexico. In 1908 he was appointed master mechanic of the Raleigh Coal and Cake Company at Raleigh, West Virginia, two years later took a similar position with the New River and Pocahontas Consolidated Fael Company at Berwind, and left there in 1913 to join Mr. Oliver in establishing the Guyan Machine shop at Logan. These shops have had two consecutive firea, but each time the plant was built bigger and better. The business started on a small scale, has steadily grown and increased its facilities apace with the development of the coal fields and the Town of Logan. In the plant are all facilities for handling every class of repair to the me- chanical and electrical machinery used in mining, including armature winding. It is a business that gives employment to a large force of expert mechanics.

Mr. Shell in 1913 married Bessie Berenice Bayless, daugh- ter of H. A. Bayless, of Berwind. Their three children are: Bernard Bayless, Bettie Ann and Robert Louis. Mrs. Shell is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Shell is affiliated with Logan Lodge of Masons, the Royal Arch Chapter at Logan, Wheeling Consistory of the Scottish Rite and Beni- Kedem Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charleston. He is also an Elk and in politics is a liberal democrat.

JOHN CLAYPOOL. The Claypools have played a vigorous part in the development of Logan County, for more than fourscare years. Three generations of the family have been represented here. They have cleared away the woods, im- proved farms, worked up the timber resources, have been business men and influential factors in their home districts. One of the present generation is John Claypool, member of the real estate and insurance firm of Claypool & McGuire at Logan.

His grandfather waa named John Claypool, was a native of Tazewell County, Virginia, and with his family moved to Haff'a Creek in what is now Logan County in 1840. At that time he paid $500 for 500 acres of land. It was covered with heavy timber, and almost his first task was to clear away a portion of the wood so as to have room to cultivate a small crop. In time he made a farm and steadily grew in prosperity. The land which he acquired as a pioneer is today easily worth a million dollars. It has two coal operations on it, one by the Logan Elkhorn Corporation and the other by the Faulkner Coal Company. When the Clay- paola were enjoying their pioneer home in Logan County their nearest rail transportation was at Marmet or old Brownstown, They hauled salt and other supplies from there. John Claypool died at the age of eighty-two, in 1878. He was the father of three sons and one daughter, and the last survivor of these children was William Claypool.

572

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

William Claypool, who represents the second generation of the family, was born near Tazewell Court House, Vir- ginia, February 28, 1832, and was about eight years of age when he came to Logan County. He was a man of strong and virile qualities, which made him conspicuously useful in spite of the fact that they were never polished by educa- tion. All told, he attended school only three weeks, and he could barely read or write. However, he had an intuitive knowledge of mathematics and could instantly compute interest and the cost of cattle, in which he dealt on a growingly increasing scale. He was a shrewd, keen trader, prospered in his business affairs, and had overflowing physical energy. He stood six feet tall. His enterprise was not confined to his own affairs. He built the Claypool Methodist Church, donated land on which the Claypool School is located and served as a trustee of the church. He and the other Claypools were absolutely opposed to secession, and William always voted as a republican. Though he had prospered without an education, he did not for that reason believe that his own children should go without advantages. He did a great deal to maintain a good school in his home community, boarding the teacher of the district free of charge and also furnishing a mule for the teacher to ride to school, and by this liberality he secured for his own and his neighbor's children a better instructor than had many similar districts. William Claypool died at the old home- stead at Mallory in 1901. He married Amanda Buchanan, who was born at Matewan, in what is now Mingo County, daughter of John Buchanan, who was a Confederate soldier. After the death of her husband Amanda Claypool married H. C. Avis, of Logan, president of the Guyan Supply Com- pany. The four children of William Claypool and wife were: John; Mary, wife of C. Abdo; G. R., who is secre- tary, treasurer and general manager of the Guyan Supply Company; and R. H., who was connected with the Guyan Supply Company, was a commercial traveler, and died of influenza in 1918.

John Claypool, the Logan real estate man, was born on the site of the present town of Mallory, on Huff's Creek, March 22, 1876. He was one of the children who benefitted by the advantages of the Claypool School, later attended the Oceana High School in Wyoming County, and at the age of twenty, one leaving school, he went to work for Adkins & Garred on Huff's Creek. He remained with them as book- keeper, also as timber and lumber inspector, for five years, and he inherited some of his father's keen ability of a calculator and learned to estimate the value of trees as quickly as his father computed the value of a steer. On leaving that firm Mr. Claypool opened a store at Man, at the mouth of Huff's Creek. His stock of goods had to be hauled from Dingess in Mingo County, thirty miles across the mountains, since at that time no railroad had come down into the valley. He remained in business there three years, and then for a time was in the timber and sawmill business on Huff's Creek. He manufactured large quantities of lumber and sent rafts of timber down the Guyan River and also to Catlettsburg, Ashland and other points on the Ohio River.

Mr. Claypool since 1909 has been a resident of Logan, and since then has done an extensive business in the buying and selling of real estate and the handling of insurance. He has operated in the real estate market of several towns, and has handled many tracts of coal lands. In 1903 he married Lettie Spratt, daughter of A. D. Spratt, of Gilbert. She died in 1918, the mother of five children, Marie, Ruby, Amanda, Frank D. and John E. In 1919 Mr. Claypool married Mrs. Daisy Miller, a daughter of W. H. Buchanan, of Pearisburg, Virginia. They are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and fraternally he is affiliated with the local lodge of Masons, Athens Chapter, R. A. M., Hunt- ington Commandery, K. T., and Huntington Consistory, thirty-second degree, at Huntington, West Virginia, and he is also a member of the Elks, Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he is a republican.

GEORGE R. CLAYPOOL is secretary, treasurer and manager of the Guyan Supply Company at Logan. He possesses

ideal qualifications for a business man and worker in section of country that is of comparatively recent develo: ment. Physically powerful, he was an adept in the roug work of the timber and lumber camps for several years, ar has been a man of force in whatever he has undertaken.

Mr. Claypool was born at what is now Mallory in Loga County, September 24, 1882, a son of William and Amand (Buchanan) Claypool. William Claypool, who died in 190 at the age of fifty-nine, was eight years of age when h father, John Claypool, moved from Greenbrier County 1 Logan County, establishing his home on a farm. Joh Claypool later served as a commissioned officer in the Cor federate army. William Claypool was a farmer. Befol railroads penetrated this district the Claypool home wa the place of entertainment always sought out by the trave ers running through this region, and its generous hospitalit was shared by ministers of the gospel, commercial traveler and all classes of men whose business took them into the neighborhood. After the death of William Claypool hi widow married H. C. Avis, and they now live at Logar William Claypool and wife had three sons and one daugl ter: John, of Logan, formerly a merchant and now in th real estate business; George R .; Roscoe, who was a travelin salesman and died at Huntington in 1918, at the age o thirty-one; and Mary, wife of Charles Abdo, of Logan.

George R. Claypool attended school at Mallory and th Oceana High School in Wyoming County. Leaving schoc at the age of eighteen, he became a clerk in the store of hi brother John at the mouth of Huff's Creek. He remaine- there five years, laying the foundation of his business ez perience. He then opened a store of his own at Cyclone also on Huff's Creek. This store was established before railroad came down into Logan County. He hauled all hi goods from Dingess on the Norfolk & Western Railroad, distance of thirty miles. After six years as a merchant Mi Claypool took up the timber business. He engaged his ow: labor and also his capital in this enterprise, cutting off tract of timber and working it up in his own sawmill. H rafted a great deal of lumber down the river. While hi splendid physique and perfect health made him well fitter for the lumber industry, Mr. Claypool has been equall; successful as a merchant.

After two years in the timber business and three year on the farm he came to Logan, and for a time was a sales man in the store of William Ghiz. He then organized th. Guyan Supply Company, wholesale dealers in groceries, flou and feed, and the business of this firm is now distributed all over the adjoining coal fields.

Mr. Claypool for eight years was a member of the Board of Education in the Triadelphia District of Logan County After moving his home to Logan he became a member of the city council, and in August, 1921, when the commission form of government was adopted, he became one of the city commissioners. He is a director of the First National Bank and has supplied capital and his personal influence to the development of several coal properties.

In 1904 he married Miss Vinia Altizer, daughter of P G. Altizer. She died in 1910, leaving three daughters Orpha, Opal and Gladys. In 1914 Mr. Claypool married Minnie Patterson, daughter of John Patterson, of Bar boursville. Mr. Claypool is a member of the board of stewards and board of trustees of the Methodist Church al Logan. He is a Royal Lodge Mason, is a past grand of Logan Lodge of Odd Fellows, and is a republican.

J. CARY ALDERSON. The oldest bank in the length and breadth of the Guyan Valley is known as the Guyan Valley Bank of Logan. It has performed all the service expected of an institution of this character for over twenty years and its resources as well have steadily improved. The chief personal factor in its prosperity has been J. Cary Alderson, who organized it, became its first cashier, and since 1912 has served as its president.

In his capacity as a banker and business man of Logan County Mr. Alderson has contributed additional dignity to a name that has been one of historical distinctions in West Virginia for more than a century and a half. He is s descendant in the sixth generation of an old Yorkshire Eng-

If V. He Heman.

573

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

sh family. The Aldersens for several generations were rominent miniaters. His Yorkshire ancestor was Rev. ohn Alderaon, a minister. A second generation was also epresented by a John Alderson, who in time also took up be profession of the ministry. He was born in 1699. As youth he formed a romantic attachment which was not avored by his father, and his father as a means of break- ng up the match gave the aen £200 to enjoy a period of ravel. In the course of his journeys he reached Liverpool, nd by that time had expended all his capital. He was duced to accept passage on a ship then starting for Amer- a, and the first record of him in this country finds him in law Jersey in 1719. He became a Baptist preacher, preach- ig in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and finally moving › Virginia, where he bought a farm adjoining one owned y the grandfather of Abraham Lincoln. On his farm here Jehn Alderson built a Baptist Church. His last days 'ere apent at Fincastle, Virginia, where he died in 1780. ía married Jane Curtis, of New Jersey, and they were the arents of seven aons and one daughter.

The third generation of the family was also represented y a Rev. John Alderson, who was born in New Jersey in 738, and was the pioneer of the family in West Virginia. Ie had all the enterprise and the fondness for adventure hat characterize the pioneer, and he turned this disposition › the advantage of the Baptist Church, of which he waa ne of the most honored pioneer missionaries. He explored be Greenbrier and Kanawha valleys during 1760-75, and in ne trip went as far as the Ohio River. He was probably he first preacher in the Kanawha Valley. During 1774-75 e laid out the first road to Jarretts Ford on Wolf Creek, ow in Monroe County. Soon afterward be removed his amily to the Greenbrier River, at what is now the town of Alderson, and here be set out the first orchard and built he first church west of the Alleghany Mountains. The ommunity became known as Aldersen's Ferry and neigh- orhoed. He carried the gospel te many isolated commu- ities in the mountain district. The church he and his ollowers built on the Greenbrier River recently celebrated s 150th anniversary. The present church is the third edi- ce to stand on the same foundation. At the anniversary ust mentioned the father of Cary Alderson read a paper of eminiscences. Rev. John Alderson frequently preached to he Indians, and it is literally true that in going about on is duties as a minister be carried a Bible in one hand nd a gun in the other. He died at what is now Alderson n 1821. He married in 1759 Mary Carroll, a relative of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Of his three sons one was jeorge Alderson, who became distinguished in the pioneer ffairs of the Kanawha Valley and whose aon, James O., vas at one time pastor of the Greenbrier Church. The econd son, Joseph, was the father of Lewis A. Alderson, who was a pioneer in the Baptist ministry in Kansas, and ounded Ottawa University in that state.

John Alderson, the fourth to bear that name in as many enerations, was born at Alderson in Monroe County and ras a business man. Among his various enterprises he was ssociated with the pioncer salt manufacturing industry of he state. This John Alderson was the grandfather of the ogan banker.

George Alderaen, father of Cary Alderson, was born at Alderson November 13, 1833, a date which old timers al- rays recalled as the night the stars fell. He married Vir- inia Stevens, who was born in Monroe County in 1842, aughter of a Yankee schoolmaster. George Alderson and rife have been married fifty-four years, and both of them re still living. He has been an official in the old Green- rier Baptist Church. At the time of the Civil war he en- ered the Confederate Army and served with the rank of aptain on the staff of General William C. Wickham. He as always been a loyal democrat, has represented his ounty in the State Legislature, and fer forty years be was . justice of the peace, until he declined to serve longer. For hany yeara he was master of Alderson Lodge of Masons, nd was a director of the First National Bank of Alder- on. George Alderson and wife had a family of five sons nd one daughter, and of these only J. Cary survives. Of hose deceased Bernard C., who died at the age of forty,

was a graduate of West Virginia University, was a teacher and founded the Alderaon Baptiat College of Alderson. William W. Aldersen graduated from the College of Phy- aiciana and Surgeons in Baltimore, practiced in Alderaen and later in Texas, to which state he removed for his health and where he died at the age of thirty. George Alderson was a farmer on the old homestead, a member of the State Legislature. Cabell died in childhood. The only daughter, Virginia, died at the age of thirty-five und was the wife of C. B. Rowe, of Alderson.

John Cary Alderson was born at Alderson in Monroe County September 29, 1868. He gained a liberal education before beginning his business career, attended schools in his native county, and in 1883 entered Hampden-Sidney College in Virginia, where he graduated A. B. in 1887. He took his law course in the University of Virginia, graduating LL. B. in 1890. Prior to graduating from law school he was for a time assistant professor of Latin and Greek in the prepara- tory department of Hampden-Sidney College. Later he taught a private preparatory school of his own at Green- brier, five miles from Lewisburg, West Virginia. After graduating from law school in 1890 his choice of a place for his professional career was Aracoma, now the town of Logan and county seat of Logan County. He is one of the oldest residents of this community, and in thirty years has not only witnessed but bas been an influential factor in the development of the town and surrounding country. For five years he was associated in the practice of law with H. K. Shumate, and after that was alone in practice until 1900, when he organized the Guyan Valley Bank and be- came its cashier. For six years he was deputy clerk of the County Court under his father-in-law, S. S. Altizer.

While in law practice Mr. Alderson gave his special at- tention to civil and chancery cases. Outside of his business as a banker he has been interested in the development of the coal fields of this section, and has been president and otherwise officially identified with several coal land and coal operating companiea.

On May 16, 1893, Mr. Alderson married Julia Altizer, daughter of S. S. Altizer. Her father, who was a candi- date for Congress in 1906, died in Cabell County, West Vir- ginia, in 1907. Mr. Alderson has been a deacon of the Baptist Church for many years, is a past master of the Lodge of Masens, a member of Logan Chapter, R. A. M., and the Knight Templar Commandery at Charleston. In politics he is a democrat, and was chairman of the demo- cratic county committee for eight years.

WILLIAM V. MONEMAR. Logan County claims an ex- cellent contingent of able and successful lawyers, and among the number is he whose name initiates this review and who is established in practice at Logan, the county seat.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 188

Author: Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: