History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 34

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Mr. Marshall married, January 25, 1906, at Wheeling, Miss Rebecca Cooper Paull, a native of Wheeling and daugh- ter of Joseph F. and Emma (Senseney) Paull. Her grand- parents were Judge James and Jane Ann (Fry) Paull. The former was a judge of the Supreme Court of West Vir- ginia. Her grandmother was a daughter of Judge Joseph L. Fry, who was a descendant of Colonel Fry, at one time colonel of the Virginia regiment in which George Washing- ton was lieutenant-colonel. Washington succeeded to the command of the regiment when Colonel Fry was killed in action. Mrs. Marshall's father was a prominent Wheeling manufacturer and financier. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall have two children: John, Jr., born February 22, 1908, and Joseph Paull, born May 20, 1912.

OLIN V. NEAL. For nearly half a century Olin V. Neal has been in business at Parkersburg, and for the greater part of that time has been head of a prosperous jewelry concern. For four or five successive generations the Neals have been associated with the most substantial interests of Wood County. Olin V. Neal is one of the many descendants of Capt. James Neal, founder of Neal's Station and a leader in the first permanent settlement in Wood County. A more complete story of his career is given on other pages in con- nection with other descendants.

Capt. James Neal, who died in Wood County in 1822, at the age of eighty-five, married for his first wife Hannah Hardin, and their sixth child was James Hardin Neal.

James Hardin Neal was a man of superior mental attain- ments for his day. He was born in 1784 and died in 1850. He was elected clerk of the Wood County Court in 1806, having previously served as a deputy county clerk for several years. He knew and was friendly with the Blennerhassets, and was invited but declined to take a part in the ambitious project planned in the island home of the Blennerhassets by Aaron Burr. Later he was summoned as a witness at Rich- mond at the trial of Burr. He built, in 1824, a large brick residence, which for upwards of a century stood as one of the most attractive of the old resident landmarks in Parkers- burg. By his will James Hardin Neal gave his slaves their freedom. He was three times married. His first wife, whom he married in 1810, was Harriet Neale, daughter of Thomas Neale. The youngest of their four children was Hardin Neal.

Hardin Neal, who died in 1855, spent his active life as a farmer at what is now known as Neal's Retreat. He mar- ried Elizabeth Collins, and they were the parents of eight children, the five who reached maturity being: James H .; Eva, who became the wife of James Tsvenner; Virginia M., wife of J. A. Saunders; Joseph; Olin V. The two still liv- ing are Virginia and Olin V.

Clarence

Roby

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HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

Olin V. Neal was born December 23, 1854, and spent the first eighteen years of his life on his father's farm. lle acquired a public school edneation, and in 1872, when he left the farm, began learning the watchmaker and jeweler's trade in Parkersburg. For over eighteen years he was an employe of J. W. Mather, and finally, in July, 1891, estab- lished himself in business and has kept that business grow ing and prospering through a period of thirty years, having his son, the late Vernon Neal, as his aetive partner and asso- einte until the latter's death.

April 18, 1878, Mr. Neal married Miss Dora Laughlin, daughter of Adam Laughlin. Of their four children the old- est is Eva Belle, wife of Frank Wolfe. The second daughter is Mabel Hall, wife of A. Clyde MeCormack, and the young- est ia Miss Chloe Marie.

Vernon M. Neal, only son of Olin V. Neal, was born July 18, 1881, and though he died on May 19, 1921, had earned for himself a most honorable position in the commercial and social life of Parkersburg. He was reared and educated in Parkersburg and as a youth became associated with his father in business. He married Mary Virginia O'Neil. He is survived by Mrs. Neal and six children: Hugh Olin, Dora Margaret, John Vernon, Rose Mary, James Lawrence and Frances Isabel.

CLARENCE ROBY is one of the representative younger members of the bar of Monongalia County, and at Mor- gantown, the county seat, he is building up a practice that in scope and character gives evidence alike of his technical ability and his seeure standing in community esteem. He is a seion in the fourth generation of both the Roby and Feaster families in what is now West Vir- ginia. His grandfather on the paternal side was Aaron Roby, who was born and reared in this state, as was also the maternal grandfather, Sanford F. Feaster.

Clarence Roby was born at Petersburg, Grant County, this state, February 11, 1892, and at the same place were born his parents, Albert Allison Roby and Ida Irene (Feaster) Roby, the former in the year 1866 and the latter in 1871. The parents still reside in Grant County, where the father is a representative agrieulturist and stock- grower.

After having profited by the advantages of the publie schools Clarence Roby attended and was graduated from the Shepherd College State Normal School at Shepherds- town, Jefferson County. He was graduated in 1914, and for one year thereafter was engaged in teaching in the publie schools at Seherr, Grant County. In the autumn of 1915 he entered the University of West Virginia, and in this institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1919, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. From the law department of the university he was graduated in 1921, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and with his virtually eoineident admission to the bar of his native state he opened an office at Morgantown, which has con- tinued as the central stage of his professional activities since that time.

The eall of patriotism had, in the meanwhile, inter- rupted the university work of Mr. Roby, for when the nation became involved in the World war he determined to do his part, with the result that in May, 1918, he entered the Officers' Training Camp at Camp Custer, Battle Creek, Michigan, whence, a month later, he was transferred to a machine-gun offieers' training camp at Camp Hancock, Georgia, where, in September, 1918, he received his commission as second lieutenant in the de- partment of machine-gun operation. He was in the ma- chine-gun group at that camp until November 1, 1918, when he was transferred to the Three Hundred and Sixty- third Machine Gun Battalion of the Ninety-sixth Division, at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, South Carolina. There he remained until he received his hoaorable discharge De- eember 6, 1918, when he returned to Morgantown and resumed his studies in the university. He is a member of the Kappa Sigma college fraternity. His Masonic affiliation is with Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and he ia a Royal Arch Mason, Morgantown Chapter No. 30. In the Seottish Rite he is

A member of Lodge of Perfection No. 6, of the West Virginia Sovereign Consistory, at Wheeling, where nlso he is a member of Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine. His Masonic affiliutions include no membership in the White Shrine and the Order of the Eastern Star. He is a mem ber of Mouongalia Post No. 2, of the American legion. lie and his wife are members of the First Methodit Episcopal Church of Morgantown.

On the 21st of June, 1921, was solennized the mar- riage of Mr. Roby and Miss nagrare Belle Cocoran, who was born at Dawson, Pennsylvania, a daughter of William 11. and Gertrude (Reed) Cochran. Mr Cochran is de reased, and his widow and other members of the family reside at Morgantown, West Virginia.

JOHN FRANCIS IHLI. For twenty years John Fran in Itali has been one of the progressive business men and upright, useful citizens of Morgantown, practically helpful in every 1 hase of eivie development and deeply interested in philan thropie problems.

Mr. Ihli was born in the Town of Mulsch, Baden, Gier many, November », 1569, but his grandparents were natives of Switzerland and France, llis father, Karl Ihli, was born also in Baden, a linen weaver by trade, and he died when his son was a boy. His mother, Julianna ( Kraft) Ihli, was a daughter of a well-to-do farmer in Baden, who was born in France. John Francis Ihli attended the common nud also the high school in his native town until he was fourteen years old, when he began an apprenticeship to the tailor 's trade, which apprenticeship he completed two years later. In the meanwhile his older brother, Frank Ihli, had immi grated to the United States, and John F. felt anxious to follow his example, but he had journeyman servier nhrad of him before he could claim trade freedom, so he started out and worked for a time in Carlsrhue and Frieberg, Germany. and in some places in Switzerland.

It was from Switzerland that he returned home on a visit. and when the visit was over he secured a pass to return there, but instead of using it for that purpose made it serve as a means to get him to Antwerp, Belgium, from which port he took ship for the I'nited States and was safely landed in the harbor of New York in January, 1ss. From there he traveled to Monongahela City, Pennsylvania, where his brother was residing. In reaching the United States Mr Ihli realized a great ambition, and very soon afterward he set out on his journeyman travels in the new land in cheer ful spirit and with high hopes. lle was a careful and skillful workman and found employment wherever he stopped, his travels taking him to towns in Pennsylvanin. Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and further south. The year 1900 found him at work in the City of Wheeling, and since that year he has been, to all intents and purposes, a West Vir ginian.

While working in Fairmont, West Virginia, where he spent five years. Mr. Ihli became a naturalized citizen of the United States. After leaving that city he went to Parkersburg for a short time, and in 1902 came to Morgan town. By this time he had become an expert cont maker, and in that capacity was engaged by the leading merchant tailor of the city, A. K. Smith, with whom he con tinued until 1907, when he embarked in the business for himself, and for a number of years has conducted the largest and most reliable merchant tailoring establishment here. one that compares favorably in every way with similar houses in larger centers of trade.

On May 5, 1903, Mr. Ihli married Miss Nancy Mar den, a daughter of John and Naney (Bolton) Marsden. Mrs. Ihli was born in Wigan, Lanenshire, England, and she was but a few months old when her parents cane to th United States and settled in Pennsylvania. Mr and Mrs Ihli have three sens: John Marsden, born May 5, 19 4 George Leo, born July 2, 1905; and ('arl Bolton, teiro May 7, 1914. The eldest son was graduated from the ole school at Morgantown, and for the last four y r been treasurer of the Episcopal Chir So dav

Mr. Ihli has additional bu ine int rests her. ! !! stockholder in the Commere al Bark. He was an irly member and a director of the Busines Men's less it un,

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HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

and was instrumental in the reorganization of that associa- tion into the Chamber of Commerce, which name he sug- gested. He has taken much interest in Chautauqua work and other educational and uplifting movements and has been particularly concerned in Boy Welfare work. He is a member of Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4, A. F. and A. M .; Morgantown Commandery No. 18, K. T .; Lodge of Perfection No. 6 (L. T.) of West Virginia Consistory No. 1, Scottish Rite, thirty-second degree, and Osiris Temple, Mystic Shrine, at Wheeling. He is a past master of Morgantown Lodge, A. O. U. W., and belongs also to the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and is a charter member of the Rotary Club. Mr. Ihli and his family are members of Trinity Episcopal Church at Morgantown, in which he is a vestryman. During the World war he was helpful in all patriotic work and set an example of un- ostentatious liberality.

COL. JOHN A. FAIRFAX MARTIN. Martin and Fairfax are names that suggest a wealth of interesting family and other important history in Preston County, Both names were established here some years before the War of 1812, the Fairfaxes soon after the Revolution.

Allen Martin, pioneer of the Martin family, came from Charles County, Maryland, to the Glades of the Valley Dis- trict in what is now Preston County, and settled in Mo- nongalia County, near Morgantown. From 1806 to 1809 he kept a tavern on the John W. Guseman place. He and his wife are buried at the "bend of the river,"' near Little Falls. Allen Martin married Arlotta Maddox. Apparently the only son of their union to remain in Preston County was Aquilla.

Aquilla Martin won as a bride the beautiful and dis- tingnished Mary Byrne Fairfax, only daughter of John Fairfax and Mary Byrne, the latter a daughter of Samuel Byrne of Virginia. The only son of Aquilla and Mary Martin was Col. John A. Fairfax Martin, one of the most noted of the house of Martin and whose name has been set at the beginning of this record.

The aneestry of Mary Byrne Fairfax is linked with that of one of the most distinguished and illustrious of early Colonial families. In old Virginia the name has been prominent in nearly every generation for several centuries. However, the origin of the Preston County Fairfaxes was a Maryland branch of the family. This remote ancestor was John Fairfax, who came to America some forty years in advance of Lord Thomas Fairfax of Virginia, and settled in Charles County, Maryland, about 1700. This John Fairfax married Catherine, daughter of Henry Norris. Their only son, John Fairfax, inherited the Norris estate, and married Mary Seott, of Elkridge, where Baltimore now stands. John and Mary Fairfax were the parents of Wil- liam Fairfax, whose first wife was Benedicta Blanehard, who bore him two sons and three daughters, and after her death he married Elizabeth Buekner, a daughter of Peyton Buekner of Virginia. In 1789 William Fairfax disposed of his Maryland estate and erossed the Potomac River into Virginia, locating in Prince William County, where he died four years later. William's third son and the first by his second wife was John Fairfax, who as the founder of the family in Preston County deserves a more partienlar account.

John Fairfax was born in Charles County, Maryland, December 10, 1763. In 1783 he accepted an invitation from Gen. George Washington, who had recently relin- quished the command of the Continental Army, to become assistant manager of the General's vast estate of 35,000 aeres of land. Washington's manager then was his nephew, Lund Washington, but two years later he resigned to accept an office under the Government, and in the meantime Wash- ington had found his assistant manager so capable that he at once advanced him to the office of manager, though Fairfax was then only twenty-two years of age, but had singular qualifications and abilities for handling such an immense property. He continued in this office until 1790, when he resigned to take possession of an extensive tract of land in the Monongalia Glades, now Preston County.

With his family and effects and slaves he moved over the mountains and located about a mile south of Reedsville where at Arthurdale he erected an imposing two-story log honse with wide galleries in front and rear and with : semi-circle of slave quarters in the rear. There John Fair fax spent his remaining years, a fine example of the old Virginia aristocrat, and he lies buried in sight of the old mansion. John Fairfax by his first wife, Mary Byrne had the following children: George William, William Buekner, John, Jr., and Mary Byrne, who became the wife of Aquilla Martin.

Col. John A. Fairfax Martin, only son of his parents was born April 22, 1822, and died January 24, 1898. His home was at Kingwood and at Terra Alta, and in his life time his enterprise and influence were associated with many of the important enterprises of the county. He was a mar of wide information, a student of the Scriptures, was public spirited and generous, and had business abilities that en abled him to accumulate much property. He was sheriff of Preston County, represented the county in the West Vir ginia Legislature, and was colonel of the One Hundred Forty-eighth Militia Regiment. His love of humanity and his pronounced affability rendered him personally popular, and the poor especially found in him a trusted friend and counselor.

Colonel Martin married Miss Susan Louisa Fairfax on October 19, 1852. She was born November 17, 1833, dangh- ter of Buckner Fairfax and granddaughter of the pioneer John Fairfax. Susan Louisa Martin died Angust 25, 1854. just fifteen days after the birth of her only child, Isaac Parsons Martin.

Isaac Parsons Martin from infancy was reared in the home of his grandfather, Buckner Fairfax. His grand- parents took great pains with his early training and gave him the advantages of the common schools. For a time: he was in the service of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, and some of his earlier years were spent on the farm in Dunkard Bottom on Cheat River. After his mar- riage he established his residence at Terra Alta, but a few years later went back to Dunkard Bottom, and continued farming there until he moved to Kingwood. He was owner, of many thousands of acres of land, and some of this brought him wealth because of the coal deposits. At King- wood he erected a three-story brick business house, in which he and his older son conducted a hardware store. Isaac Parsons Martin was closely associated with the life and affairs of Preston County until his death, which occurred May 25, 1920. On July 21, 1881, at Grafton, he married Nannie Stanton, of Jefferson County, Ohio, who died April 6, 1919. She was a daughter of H. B. and Mary A. (Kimball) Stanton. H. B. Stanton was born in Warren County, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1820, was a boat builder and a soldier in the Civil war, and died July 28, 1864. Isaac Parsons Martin had two sons. The older, Earl Fair- fax, born August 25, 1882, died in Philadelphia, February 20, 1920, while in the shipbuilding yards of the American Shipbuilding Company. He married Jessie B. Higgins on September 1, 1909.

The only surviving heir of I. Parsons Martin and wife is John Russell Martin, who was born October 24, 1890. He was reared at Kingwood, educated in the public schools there, and for a time was in the employ of the West Vir- ginia-Maryland Gas Company at Rowlesburg. Returning to Kingwood in 1917, he engaged in the life insurance business as the agent of the Equitable Life of New York, also has the agency for the Willys-Knight car, and these with the supervision of his estate of lands and other prop- erties constitute a very busy program. He is also one of the stockholders of the Bank of Kingwood. Mr. Martin is a Scottish Rite Mason, and he and his family are Presby- terians, which was the faith of his father's people, though his mother was of a Baptist family.

May 10, 1910, John Russell Martin married Miss Jean Brown. Their interesting family of young children are Jean Lonisa, born September 11, 1911; Frederick Fairfax. born October 12, 1913; Elinor Brown, born December 14, 1916; and John Russell, Jr., born November 30, 1920.

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HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

J. Y. HAMILTON. A wide diversity of affaira, participa- tion in movemente connected with the community welfare as well as in business, and a thoroughly trustworthy char- acter and personal popularity have made J. Y. Hamilton, of Fairview, one of the best-known men of Marion County.

He was born on a farm on Salt Run, near Mannington, November 22, 1864, aon of Francis and Luvina (Barker) Hamilton. He is descended from a branch of the Ilamilton family that was represented in the American Revolution, and soon after that war was established in Western Vir- ginia. His great-grandfather was Boaz Hamilton, who pioneered in the locality around Fairmont. His grand- father was Fleming Hamilton, who was born on Hamilton Hill at Fairmont and was one of the prominent men of bis time, serving a number of years as county clerk. Francis Hamilton was born on Ices Run, near Fairmont, in 1831, and died at Fairview in 1910. He removed from the farm in 1865 to Mannington, where for a number of years he was engaged on his own account as a carpenter, cabinet maker, furniture manufacturer and coffin maker. He was a first-class mechanic and made himself an indispensable factor in the community. In 1878 he removed from Man- nington to Fairview, where he remained the rest of his years. His wife, Luvina, was born at Flat Run, near Man. nington, in 1833 and died in 1920. Her father was Aaron Barker, one of the older families of Marion County. Francis Hamilton and wife were members of the Methodist Church.

J. Y. Hamilton grew up at Mannington until his four- teenth year, and aince thea his home and interests have been centered at Fairview. At the age of sixteen he was fireman in a sawmill, a year later he was put in charge of a saw and remained with the mill for three years. For another two years he operated the combination grist and sawmill, and for three years was on a farm. Returning to Fairview, he was employed in the aawmill a year and in 1895, at the opening of the Fairview Oil Diatriet, he began teaming, his outfit at the beginning consisting of a single team. He gradually extended his operations until he was a teaming contractor, and at the end of three years he had ten fine teams and all the other equipment, which he sold. In 1897 he opened a small grocery store at Fairview, and gradually expanded the scope of his business until it rep- resented a large general store, including furniture and undertaking. He was active head of this enterprise for twenty years, and when be sold it he was out of active business for about a year, but he still carries on the under- taking department. In the meantime he began operating in real estate, making a specialty of buying farms, im- proving and re-selling them. He also kept seme of his capital invested in the teaming business, owning about thirty teams, and thia department of his business was looked after by his nephew.

In 1920 with his son-in-law, J. E. Sutton, and E. R. Montgomery, both contractors, Mr. Hamilton organized the Marion Construction Company, buying the Haynes Com- pany 's planing mill at Fairview. In the fall of 1920 this company, of which Mr. Hamilton is president and manager, built over a hundred houses. For the last eight years he has been vice president of the Farmera and Merchants Bank of Fairview, ia president of the Fairmont Builders Sup- ply Company, and has other investments in different sec- tions of Marion County. He was one of the six men who were the original promoters of the Electric Railway from Fairview to Fairmont. Mr. Hamilton also has been the builder of more than one-fourth of the business houses and dwellings in Fairview. When he made his entry into Fairview it had a population of seventy-five people, while now (1922) it has more than one thousand population. He served as postmaster at Fairview for more than three years, under President Woodrow Wilson.

Mr. Hamilton in 1920 was candidate for the democratie nomination for sheriff, but was defeated in the primaries, though he received almost the unanimous vote of the Fair- view District. For a number of years he was a member of the Town Council. He and the family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of America.

In 1884 Mr. Hamilton married Miss Emma J. Amos, daughter of P. B. Amos, member of a lending pioneer family of Marion County. Mr. and Mrs. llamilton have a family of seven children: Carley F'., born in 1555, 18 now in business at Clarksburg, married Molle Tennant, daugh- ter of J. L. Tennant, and they have a son, Joseph. Etta Agnes, born in 1887, ia the wife of M. J. Lynch, of Clarks. burg, and their three Bons are Bernell, Arthur and Alert Carl. Ossa Gail, born in 1890, is the wife of J. E. Sut ton, of Fairmont, and their children are Eugene, Maxwel and Emma Jane. Monroe, born in 1894, is associated with his father in business. le married Grace Snodgrass, ant is the father of three children, John; Bettie; and Monroe, Jr. Everett H., born in 1896, lives at Clarksburg and mar ried Madelino Fleming. The two younger children, Verda and Fern, are both at home.

JACOB SPIKER. The career of Jacob Spiker of Preston County has been one of honorable industry based primarily on agriculture, and in later years involving banking and other business connections and an active part in the nr faira of his home community of Masontown.

Mr. Spiker was born near Brandonville in P'reston Coun- ty, July 26, 1847. Ilis grandfather, Michael Spiker, was of German ancestry, lived the greater part of his life in Maryland, and died and was buried in the Morgan Glade settlement of Preston County, on the Ringer furm. His children were: John, Henry, George, Mrs. Barbara Mc- Elroy of Ohio, Mrs. Ann Rideuuur of Pomeroy, Ohio, Sarah Easterday of Ohio; and Samuel, the youngest son, who lived in Ohio for several years and then moved out to Kansas.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 34

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