History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 200

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Mr. Noonan who has lived at Huntington since early fancy, was born at Honeywell, Kentucky, April 14, 1881. is father John Noonan, was born in the same locality in 356, was reared and married there, and became a rail- ad mechanic. In 1882 soon after the birth of his son homas, he moved to Guyandotte, West Virginia, and was , the service of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad as a echanic until his death in 1887. He was a republican and member of the Catholic Church. John Noonan, married lizabeth McIntyre, who was born near Honeywell in 351, and is now living with her only son in Huntington. 'e was the second child, and his four sisters were: Nora, idow of Edward Maddy, who was a pipe fitter for the hesapeake & Ohio Railroad and died at Huntington in 914; Mary Ellen, wife of William Chamberlin, super- tendent of a large steel plant and a resident of High tridge, New Jersey; Anna, wife of George Swentzel a raveling salesman for the Mcclintock-Fields Dry Goods Company and a resident of Huntington; and Miss Catherine, who died at the age of thirty-one.

Thomas J. Noonan was six years old when his father ied. Consequently he had the privilege of attending Parochial Schools of Huntington only two terms. His eal education has been the result of continuous reading nd long confabs with men of affairs. When he was eight ears of age he went to work in a grocery store, putting a his hours before and after school. At the conclusion of is brief schooling he was given regular employment in he grocery store of Brady Brothers and remained with hat firm five years at eight dollars per month. Mr. Noonan's longest working service was with the Chesapeake Ohio Railroad. He learned the machinist's trade in he shops, and was in the railroad service uutil 1918. His hrifty habits and his good judgment in making adjust- nents enabled him to lay the foundation of his financial prosperity while still with the railroad. Since 1918 he has riven his active attention to the real estate and insurance business, conducted under the name Thomaa J. Noonan, Real estate and Insurance, with offices at the Florentine Hotel Building at 907 Fourth Avenue. While he does a brokerage business he is mainly concerned with the buying and selling and the handling of city property joth in the business and residential districts with his wn capital. He owns considerable business property in he city. In addition Mr. Noonan is President of the Lincoln Land Company of Huntington, and is a stockholder n the Marietta Coal Company, the Royal Block Coal Com- any and the W. E. Deegans Consolidated Coal Company, all Huntington organizations.

Mr. Noonan is a republican, a member of the Catholic Church, is affiliated with Huntington Council No. 963 Knights of Columbus, and the Huntington Lodge No. 313, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is a member of the Huntington Real Estate Board and the Chamber of Com- merce.

He resides at 1829 Third Avenue. February 4, 1917, at Huntington, he married Miss Hanna Shaw who was born near Jackson, Ohio and was educated in the grammar and high schools of Wellston, Ohio.

EDWARD CALVIN EAGLE, who has been a very successful lawyer of Summers County for years, was elected prosecut- ing attorney in 1920 on a platform that called for the suppression of moonshining and law-breaking in general. While the task has been a difficult one, he has never wavered

in tho performance of his duty so far aa the power of the law and his personal courage and energy avail to that end.

Mr. Eagle was born on a farm in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, May 24, 1873. His parents, Charles F. and Elizabeth Anderson Eagle, are now eighty-four years of age, and have been married since 1866, a period of fifty-six years. The father was born in Clay County, West Virginia, and has devoted his life to farming. The mother is a native of Greenbrier County. Charles F. Eagle was a Con- federate soldier in the Twenty-second Virginia Infantry, but since the war has always voted as a republican. He and his wife have been loyal Methodists for many years. Edward C. Eagle is one of five living children. The others are: Maggie, at home; Ruth, wife of Rev. T. M. MeCarthy, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church; John, a farmer of Frankfort, West Virginia; Meta, wife of A. W. Hill, of Pocahontas County.

Edward C. Eagle attended the common schools of Poca- hontas County and Hillsboro Academy, and for five years was a teacher in country districts. Through teaching be paid his way through West Virginia University, graduating in 1896, and in 1898 located at Hinton, where for nearly a quarter of a century he has enjoyed a place of leader- ship in the local bar. While engaged in general practice his specialty has been real estate and chancery law.

Mr. Eagle served his first term as prosecuting attorney of Summers County from 1902 to 1904. For twenty years he was United States commissioner at Hinton. In the campaign of 1920 he was urged by his numeroua friends to make the race for prosecuting attorney, and entered the contest on the republican ticket. The county is normally democratic, and he was elected by five hundred votes of his democratic rival. Since he took this office he has directed the forces of the law in the capture of seventy-two moon- shine stills in the county, and altogether has secured two hundred and twenty-five convictions in court.

Mr. Eagle married in 1900 Miss Mollie Baker, daughter of W. A. Baker of Sweet Springs, West Virginia. They have one son, Harold. Mr. Eagle is a member of the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for years was superintendent of Sunday School. He took an active part in local affairs during the World war, serv- ing on various committees.

JOHN FRANCIS BIGONY, M. D. A professional service that has met every test of proficiency and faithfulness as well as time has been that of Dr. Bigony, who for nearly thirty years haa practiced medicine and surgery over a wide extent of country around Hinton, and in connection with his private practice established and has conducted a high class private hospital.

Doctor Bigony was born on his father's farm near Columbus, Ohio, May 22, 1869, son of Joseph and Caroline (Bury) Bigony, who are still living on their farm in that locality. The great-grandparents of Doctor Bigony came from Switzerland, and to repay their passage money over the ocean they worked two and one half years in the Stephen Girard Sugar Factory in Philadelphia. Mary Czircle, his grandmother, when a girl of six years walked with her mother behind the wagon that carried the family possessions from Harrisonburg, Virginia, to Ohio. Joseph Bigony in the course of a long lifetime has been a very prosperous farmer in Central Ohio. He was the father of five sons: Doctor John; Joseph H., who is a scientific gardener and has kept in close touch with the agricultural department of Ohio State University; Hiram Franklin, a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia, now practicing at Millersport, near Columbus, Ohio; Warren Ellsworth, a successful attorney at Columbus, who was educated in the Ohio State University and the University of Texas; Win- field Scott, a scientific farmer at the old homestead and who has also been trained in the Ohio State Agricultural Col- lege. All these sons at some period in their lives were teachers.

Jobn F. Bigony attended home schoola, and later entered the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, graduat- ing Bachelor of Science in 1891 and with the M. D. degree

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in 1892. His period of teaching comprised four years. He begaa the practice of medicine at Kirkersville, twenty-one miles east of Columbus. After being there two years he came to Hinton in 1894, and for some years he performed the arduous labors of a country physician, traveling thou- sauds of miles on horseback in all kinds of weather to look after his patients. During the influenza epidemic of 1920 he fell from his horse while on a professional visit, broke a leg, and was in the woods for hours before being dis- covered and rescued. Doctor Bigony so far as his busy practice has permitted has been a student and kept in touch with the advancement of medical and surgical knowledge, and during 1906 he took postgraduate work in diseases of women and children at Philadelphia. The Bigony Hospital was established in 1904. There were only four rooms to begin with, but it is now a modernly equipped hospital with twenty-three rooms. Doctor Bigony served as county health officer of Summers County five years and as jail physician seven years, and is former secretary and president of the Summers County Medical Society and a member of the State and American Medical Associations. He has also served on the City Council and the Board of Education.

On May 24, 1893, he married Mattie E. Charlton, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Jane (Wilson) Charlton. Joseph J. Charlton was born December 30, 1826, in Monroe County, Virginia, and was of English descent. He was educated in private schools, was a school teacher and vocal music teacher, was ordained a Baptist minister, was a temperance lecturer and served four years in the Confederate Army. He joined the regular army at Salt Sulphur Spring, belonged to Company B. Edgars Battalion, Twenty-second Regiment, under Captain Reed. He was in the battles of Lewisburg, Dry Creek and New Market, and was wounded in the battle of Cold Harbor in June, 1864. Mr. Charlton married twice, first Miss Nancy Parker in 1847. To them, three children were born, E. Tillie, Mary and Jesse. He married for his second wife in March, 1858, Sarah Jane Willson and to them were born ten children, Ida, Nannie, William, Annie, Mattie, Charles, Aldine, Edgar, Sarah and Edna. Mr. Charlton died October 3, 1905, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Mattie Bigony in Hinton, West Virginia. Dr. and Mrs. Bigony have five children: John Charlton, the oldest, is now a student of medicine in the Ohio State University, and during the World war was a cornet player for a year and ten days in Sousa's Band at the Great Lakes Training Station near Chicago. Joseph Clare, the second son, is a clerk in the Hinton offices of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. Ellsworth is a student of mechanical engin- eering in Ohio State University and has also taken military training there and is Major of Cadets. Philip H. is a stu- dent in the Hinton High School and Frances Louise, the youngest, is also in school at Hinton. Doctor and Mrs. Bigony are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and both are teachers in the Sunday School.

JUDGE JAMES H. MILLER has given forty years of his life to the law and the public service of Summers County. Judge Miller is author of the history of Summers County, written in 1907, a book that will stand for all time as an invaluable source of local history in that section of the state. His dedication of the history is indicative of his fine loyalty to the county: "This book is dedicated to the people of Summers County, who have, for thirty years, so loyally shown their faith in a penniless youth of their own soil, and to whom he is indebted for whatever of success he has attained in their midst."'

His pioneer ancestor in America was Patrick Miller, who was of Scotch-Irish descent and was born on the Atlantic Ocean while his parents were coming to America. The family were pioneers at Staunton, Virginia. John Miller, son of Patrick Miller, was born in Bath County, Virginia, October 13, 1772, and on account of some family differences he left home and about 1800 moved with his family to Greenbrier County. He was a carpenter by trade, and on his land he erected one of the best homes of that time. He died at the age of seventy-four. On January 27, 1803,

he married Jean Hodge, who was born in Highland Count Virginia, February 26, 1780.

Their youngest son was William Erskine Miller, who w born at the old homestead August 18, 1825, and died Fe ruary 3, 1901. He spent the greater part of his life Greenbrier County, but for several years before his dea lived at Foss. He was held in high esteem in Summe County, being regarded as a most unselfish character, consecrated Christian, honored for his service as a Co federate soldier, and in his daily life he touched and i fluenced for good a large circle of friends and acquaintance He was never a candidate for any office.

William E. Miller married Sarah Barbara MeNeer, Monroe County. They were married February 8, 1849, al were the parents of four children: Charles Lewis, who w born in 1852, and was a school teacher, a telegraph operat and agent for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, subs quently became a farmer and merchant, and built the fir silo in Summers County. The second child of William : Miller is Judge James H. The third, Anderson E., box in 1859, has been a wholesale merchant, banker and a bus ness man. The fourth child was Miss Mary Benson Mille

James Henry Miller passed his early life on a farm, ar as a boy attended a noted place of learning known as tl old Gum Schoolhouse on Lick Creek. He was a studer under James Huston Miller at Green Sulphur Springs : 1876, and in 1879 he graduated at the Concord Norma winning the prize for the best oration and the best essa Judge Miller taught school thirty months, four terms of the time at Hinton. While working as a clerk to pay his e: penses he studied law with William W. Adams at Hinto took a law course at the University of Virginia, and wa admitted to practice in 1881. He was associated with Elbe Fowler until the latter's death, and then with his forme preceptor, W. W. Adams, until the death of Mr. Adams i 1894. During the following ten years the firm was Mille & Reed.

Judge Miller served as superintendent of schools from 1882 to 1884. In 1884 he was elected prosecuting attorne of Summers County, and held that office for sixteen col secutive years, finally declining to be a candidate for ri election. In 1900 he was on the democratic state ticke as nominee for state auditor. In 1904 he received th nomination without opposition for judge of the Circu: Court of the Ninth West Virginia Circuit, comprisin Summers, Raleigh and Wyoming counties, and was electe by about twelve hundred majority in a republican distric Judge Miller served sixteen years on the bench, and in 192 he was again the democratic nominee for state audito! During his long time on the bench it is said that onl rarely was a decision of his reversed by higher courts.

Until his election as judge he was active in the demo cratic party as a delegate to every state convention and ser atorial and congressional conventions. He was a delegat to the Chicago convention of 1896 when William J. Brya was first nominated, though he was not an original Brya: man. He is chairman of the State Democratic Committee and chairman for some twenty years of the Third Con gressional District.

Judge Miller has been prominent in business affairs i: Summers County. He has served as president of the Green brier Springs Company, director of the National Bank o Summers from its organization, and president of the Hin ton Hardware Company.

February 1, 1882, he married Jane Tompkins Miller daughter of James H. Miller, Jr., of Ganley Bridge. The: are the parents of four children: James H., Jr .; Grace Chap man, now the wife of S. S. Rose, a Hinton druggist; Jear and Daisy Corinne, both at home.

The son, James H. Miller, Jr., is now associated wit] his father in law practice. He graduated in law fron Washington and Lee University in 1915, and he then server a year by appointment as circuit clerk of Summers County For two years he was in the internal revenue service unde Sam Hayes, and on July 13, 1918, joined the army in th motor truck service, being trained at Richmond, Virginia.

& E. Klinche

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ANDERSON EMBURY MILLER. A career devoted to solid ind substantial lines of business and industry has been that of Anderson Embnry Miller, who for a score of years has been general manager of the New River Grocery Company at Hinton. The greater part of his life has been spent in Summera County, and for several years he was interested in the timber and lumber industry in thia vielnity.

The New River Grocery Company was ineerpernted in 1901 and opened for business January 1, 1902. The exeen- tive officials are: G. A. Miller, president; II. L. Johnson, secretary and treasurer ; and A. E. Miller, general manager. It is one of the larger wholesale concerns handling groceries throughout the southern and eastern portions of the state. It commands a large and extensive patronage over the territory adjacent to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railread from Kanawha Falls te Covington, Virginia, including the counties of Summers. Fayette, Raleigh, Greenbrier, Monree and Pocahontas, and portions of Mereer and Nicholas counties.

Andersen Embury Miller was born at Green Sulphur Springs, in what was then Greenbrier, new Summers County, October 1, 1859, son of William Erskine and Sarah Barbara (MeNeer) Miller. In this locality his grandfather, John Miller, settled more than a century ago on coming from Bath County, Virginia. William E. Miller was born at the old homestead at Green Sulphur Springs, August 19, 1825, and died February 3. 1901. In 1891 he moved from this locality to Fess, where he lived until his death. He was a Confederate soldier, was a farmer and stock man and was never active in polities. His wife, Sarah Barbara MeNeer was bern May 10, 1827. and died February 6, 1897. Her father was Richard MeNeer, an early settler on Hands Creek. Monroe County, and the MeNeers were originally from Paisley, Scotland. William E. Miller and wife had three sons and one daughter: Mary B. living at Hinton : C. L. Miller, a retired farmer at Belle Point in Summers County; Judge James H. Miller, a prominent lawyer and man of affairs at Hinton; and Anderson E.

Anderson E. Miller attended both free and private schools and taught four winter terms of school. His first active business enterprise was in association with his cousin, W. N. MeNeer, in operating a sawmill at Blue Hope Tunnel. Later he was in the lumber industry on Lick Creek, in the vieinity of Green Sulphur Springs, and he continued active in saw milling operations for ten years. Later he was asso- ciated in the store business with John MeNeer at Belle Point and for eighteen months lived at Buckley, where he was cashier of the Bank of Raleigh, an institution he helped organize. Mr. Miller was alse at one time associated with his brother C. L. in a milling business on Pipe Stem and on Tallory Mountain, and for seven years he owned a store at Belle Point. Since 1902, however, his time and energies have been quite fully taken up by his duties as general manager of the New River Grocery Company at Hinton.

On June 22, 1887, Mr. Miller married Jennie I. Hutchi- son, who was bern at Elten, daughter of Michael IIutchi- son. Mr. Miller lost his wife by death January 24, 1908. There were five children: Owen, associated with the Sterling Motor Company of Hinton; Fay, at home; Harry L., Josie and Barbara Hutchison, both at home. The son, Harry volunteered and entered the First Officers Training Camp at Fort Benjamin Harrison, was commissioned as first lieu- tenant of infantry, and was sent for duty to Camp Fuasten. He failed to go everseaa with his command because of an attack of appendicitis, which developed into oblebitis, but he was continued on duty for twenty-three months. Sinee the war he has been associated with his father in the whole- sale grocery business. Mr. Miller is an active member of the Green Sulphur Methodist Church, South. He is a democrat and is a York Rite Mason and Shriner.

GEORGE EDWARD KLENCKE. Not only has George Edward Kleneke been one of the constructive citizens of Piedmont, but he has actually done more of the con- tracting and building of this little city than any other man now living, and is the oldest of the contractors in this part of Mineral County, although for some

time he has been living retired. He is a native son of the county and was born on the street on which his present residence is located, and all of his life has been spent here, so that naturally his interest is centered around Piedmont and Mineral County.

George Edward Klencke was born July 10, 1854, and he Is a son of Ferdinand Kleneke, a Germaa by birth who exme to the United States in young manhood, and after his arrival in this country first worked as a teamster between Cumberland, Maryland, and Piedmont, West Virginia. This was before the building of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and at a time when there were few bridges and it was while fording the Potomne and struggling with his herses, that was laid the foundation of the illness which resulted in his death ia 1856. lle was a carpenter by trade, at which lie sometimes worked, and he erected the first house built on Main Street, Piedmont, in which his son, George Edward was bern, now the home of William Simmons.

Ferdinand Kleneke married Theresa Zacharias, born in Baltimore, Maryland, of German parents, who subsequently settled at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Klencke's four a quartermaster in the same service during the war of the '60s. The latter, William Zacharias, died at Pittsburgh, and all of his sens have also passed away. William Zacharias served as quartermaster in a Pennsylvania regiment during the Civil war, and after the close of the war returned to his home in Pittsburgh, where he became night agent for the Union Station and held this position at the time the station was burned during the railroad strike of 1877. Mr. Zacharias, although engaged in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, did not receive a serateh. His three sons also returned to Pittsburgh and engaged in the tobacco business, afterward managing the Merchants Hotel.

Mr. and Mrs. Kleneke had three sens, namely: Michael and William, beth of whom are now deceased, and George Edward, whose name heads this review. The mother of these children married for her second husband, John Hartell, and of the seven children born to them but one survives. namely: Frank Hartell, of Cumberland, Maryland. Another son, John Hartell, renched maturity, as did a daughter, Emma, but both died unmarried.

Growing up at Piedmont George Edward Klencke attended its schools until he was fourteen years old, at which time he began learning the carpenter trade under Captain Jarboe and his father, John Jarboe, the last named having been the first mayor of Piedmont, and these two being the oldest builders and among the earliest settlers of the place. After completing his apprenticeship Mr. Klencke remained with the Jarboes for a time as a journeyman, when he left them going with Henry Kight and still later with E. J. Fredlock, a contractor and builder and large factory owner. When he reached the age of twenty-five years Mr. Kleneke formed a partnership with Henry Kight, under the name of Kight & Kleneke, contractors and builders and this associatien was maintained for twenty years. Among other important centraets of this firm were the erection of the Murphy house, now owned by Dr. J. H. Welverton, the erection of the Phligar House, now owned and occupied by H. Clay Thrush, several public seheol- houses of Piedment, a number of residences at Luke. Mary- land, the store building of Graham & Company and many residences at Piedmont. In all of their work the partners were noted for their conscientious fidelity in living up to the spirit as well as the letter of their contracts and the buildings stand as monuments to their skill and honesty. With the burden of his years pressing upon Mr. Kight, the firm dissolved and Mr. Klencke continued alone for five years and then retired from the building industry. While a member of the firm of Kight & Kleneke, Mr. Klencke also built several houses in surrounding towna, namely, Keyser and Barnum, West Virginia, and Lonaconing and Midland, Maryland.

In addition to his work as a contractor and builder, Mr. Kleneke has had other interests at Piedmont and for years was one of the directors of the Davis National Bank of which he is still a stockholder. Although several times elected as a member of the City Council of Piedmont, Mr. Kleneke has refused to qualify, but his atep-father, John

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Hartell served as the third mayor of the city, in which for years he had substantial interests and in the beginning of his career Mr. Klencke found his connection with this most excellent citizen and reliable business man of great value to him. The first presidential ballot of Mr. Klencke was cast for Rutherford B. Hayes, and in national matters he has continued to give his hearty support to republican candidates, but in local affairs he shapes his course according to the qualifications of those sceking office. In 1896 he was first elected county commissioner, to succeed Michael Mastellar in the office, and served a six year term. With John Dayton and George Arnold as his colleagues on the board Mr. Klencke built two of the finest bridges spanning the Potomac River in West Virginia, as well as numerous smaller bridges, and did this in the face of considerable opposition from reactionists. Some dirt-road building was done, but at that time the people had not been educated to the present day appreciation of good roads. At the expiration of his term of office Mr. Klencke retired. Subsequently he was again elected to this office, this time to succeed Doctor Cross, and his associates were Robert Dayton and Robert Bane. This board decided not to build any but concrete bridges, several of them of the two-span type, and a number of the one span-type were constructed during the life of this body. It was this board that began the movement in favor of good roads by constructing five miles of hard-surface road up New Creek from Keyser, for which they provided the machinery, and while doing this inaugural work on the new type of road they also maintained the old dirt roads. A bond issue was floated about this time, its promotion being backed by Mr. Klencke and as a result of his zealous work in its behalf was voted for at the polls. The Piedmont District was bonded for $75,000, and the New Creek District for $250,000 and with the money thus raised the county built a concrete road between Piedmont and Keyser, and Main and Fairview streets of Piedmont were hard-surfaced with Warnite with this fund. With the expiration of his second term Mr. Klencke once more retired to private life.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 200

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