History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 43

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William J. Snee grew up on a farm near Pittsburgh. acquired his early education in the public schools and for several terms attended the Pittsburgh Academy anl als the Grove City College in Pennsylvania. He taught several terms in Allegheny County and thus worked his way and paid his expenses while a student of law He graduated in law from the University of West Virginia in 1900. the mime year was admitted to the state bar and began los profes sional work at Morgantown. Soon afterward he was ap pointed assistant prosecuting attorney of Monongalia Coun ty, but resigned in about a year to look after his rapi lly growing clientage. Hle also served two terms as city recorder of Morgantown and was elected to fill an unexpired term us sheriff and treasurer of the county. November 1s. 191s. he was appointed referee in bankr ptey by Julge Dayton of the Federal Court.

Mr. Snee was president of the Monongalia County Ber Association in 1919-20. It's learning and industry have earned him a specially honored position in his prof. sien. Fraternally he is a past grand of Monongalia Lodge No. 10, Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a member of Morgan. town Union Lodge No. 1, A. F and A. M., West Virginia Consistory of the Scottish Rite and Osiris Temji of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Morgantown M sonic Club, is a member of the Kappa Alpha coll ge fraternity, and the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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August 28, 1901, Mr. Snee married Miss Grace Martin, daughter of J. Ami and Mary C. (Snyder) Martin. Her parents formerly lived in Preston County and later in Morgantown.

HOWARD M. MARTIN. Farming, carpenter work, contract- ing and school teaching have been the useful and busy program of activities with which Howard M. Martin has been concerned in his mature years. He is one of the hon- ored residents of Masontown iu Preston County.

He represents one of the very old American families in this section of West Virginia, and is a descendant of Daniel Martin, who went into the war for American independence as a hostler for his uncle, Col. John Martin. Subsequently he became a soldier in the ranks and served seven years and six months, practically throughout the entire war. Daniel Martin was a native of Germany. He married Eliza- beth Wynne. His first settlement was in New Jersey, whence he removed to Pennsylvania, and finally came to Preston County, West Virginia. Ile lived beyond the cen- tury mark, and some declare he died at the age of 105. His wife died of eaneer about 1837. Their children were: Abigail, who married George Sypolt; Jacob, whose record follows; John, a stone mason who married Sarah Sypolt; 1saae, a eripple, married Susanna Metheny and followed shoemaking as a trade throughout his life; and Sarah, who became the wife of John McNair and lived near Valley Point in Preston County.

Jacob Martin was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, February 6, 1793. He was a pioneer in the Valley Point district of Preston County, establishing his first home in the woods there. He lived out his life in that seetion and is buried in the Mount Moriah Cemetery. He married Mrs. Mary (Metheny) Miller, widow of Peter Miller. Her two children by her first husband are Susanna and John P. Mrs. Miller became Mrs. Jacob Martin, February 7, 1816. By her second marriage she was the mother of James, who became a Baptist minister and school teacher, married Minerva Rogers and died June 14, 1896, and Daniel T.

Daniel T. Martin, who was born near Valley Point, Janu- ary 6, 1819, died near Kingwood, June 1, 1887. 1[is first wife was Elizabeth Teets and his second, Mary M. Kirk- patrick. The children of the first marriage were Simon R., Phoebe (who married Pulaski Messenger), Jasper and Jacob Tucker. The children of the second marriage were Sarah Jane, Sampson, Rachel, Josiah F. and Margaret Vir- ginia, who lived in one of the states west of the Mississippi River.

Simon R. Martin, who continues the ancestral record and was the father of Howard M. Martin, was born in the vicinity of Valley Point, December 22, 1838, and except for a few years when his parents lived in Wetzel County he remained in his native county all his life. He started with the education that could be acquired in the district schools of the country, and he and two brothers and his father were Union soldiers in the Civil war. He was in Company 1I of the Third Maryland Infantry in the Army of the Poto- mac. He was onee taken prisoner, but was exchanged and he was in the service almost from the beginning until the elose of the war. He was taken captive and held for some time and then exchanged. Simon R. Martin died June 14, 1915. He married Sarah A. Liston, daughter of John and Naney (Smith) Liston. She died July 3, 1914. Of their children Howard M. is the oldest. Mintie Victoria was first the wife of B. B. Miller and her second husband, Harry Green, lives in Preston County. Anna is the wife of M. H. Taylor, of Masontown. Sabina Jane was married to Sher- man Pell, of Masontown. Granville Ross married first Blanche Greathouse and for his second wife married Bessie Broyle, and both are deceased. He married for his third wife Ella Neely, and they live at Masontown. Atlanta Lura is the wife of I. W. Spencer, of Masontown.

Howard M. Martin was born at Bruceton Mills, April 16, 1862, and when he was about eight years of age his parents moved into the Masontown locality, where he came to man- hood. He attended the public schools, took normal courses at Masontown and about the time he reached his majority he began teaching. This profession formed an important

part of his life for sixteen years. He was a teacher in the winters and worked in the fields on the farm during the summers. After teaching and farming he took up me- chanical work, at the bench as a carpenter and later as a contractor. He did much work of this character in the locality, but eventually surrendered that business to con- centrate his time upon his farm. After his marriage he established his home at Masontown for seven years, then lived for two years at Albright, again was for four years at Masontown, and from there went to Colorado to benefit his wife's health. She yielded to the progress of the disease and died a few months later. Mr. Martin then returned to Preston County, and in 1918 bought his present farm, almost against the townsite of Masontown, and continued its cultivation until his own health compelled him to desist. Among other improvements he erected a substantial eight room house on the farm.

Mr. Martin cast his first vote for president for James G. Blaine, and has never failed to vote at national elections in the republican faith. He was a justice of the peace for one term, was the first mayor of Masontown, and also served as recorder and councilman several terms. He has for many years been active iu the Methodist Episcopal Church, has served as steward and trustee of the Masontown congrega- tion, was one of the building committee at the erection of the new house of worship and for about ten years was super- intendent of the Sunday school.

On June 5, 1889, Mr. Martin married Anna Fay Jackson, daughter of Richard Philip and Sophia ( Heidelberg) Jaek- son. She was born near Albright, Preston County, March 10, 1871, and died February 3, 1904. She is survived by her daughter, Estella S., wife of Charles Malcolm, of Peters- burg, West Virginia, and they have a daughter, Anna Lee. On July 12, 1905, in Preston County, Mr. Martiu married Mrs. Etta O'Bryon. Her father, Zaccheus G. Smith, married Sue E. Wilhelm, a daughter of John Wilhelm. Mrs. Martin was born in Preston County, January 10, 1878, one of a family of twelve children. By her marriage to Charles ()'Bryon she had two children, Sarah R., wife of Arthur Pell, and Opal M., wife of Ferris Taylor. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have four children: Glenn F., born April 14, 1906; Simon Harold Gibson, born March 23, 1908; Dana Ray, born May 7, 1912; and Susan Ruth, born April 7, 1915.

PAUL G. ARMSTRONG has been engaged iu the practice of law at Fairmont, judicial center of Marion County, since 1909, and his record attests alike his professional ability and his personal popularity, for he has built up a successful gen- eral practice and is one of the loyal and progressive citizens of Fairmont.

Mr. Armstrong claims the old Buckeye State as the place of his nativity, his birth having occurred at Bannock, Bel- mont County, Ohio, March 24, 1884. He is a son of John and Martha (Trussel) Armstrong, the former of whom was born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1850, and the latter was boru at Dallas, West Virginia, in 1855. Warden and Eliza Armstrong, paternal grandparents of the subject of this review, were of English ancestry the respective families having been founded in America prior to the War of the Revolution.

Paul G. Armstrong acquired his early education in the dis- triet schools of his native county, and in 1904 was graduated from the high school at St. Clairsville, Ohio. In the follow- ing year he entered the University of West Virginia, in the law department of which he continued his studies two years. He then became a student iu the law department of the Ohio State University, in the City of Columbus, and there he was graduated as a member of the class of 1908. February 2, 1909, marked his opening of an office at Fairmont, where he has since continued in active practice and where he has gained status as one of the representative members of the Marion County bar. He is a member of the Marion County Bar Association and the West Virginia Bar Association. He is also a member of Fairmont Lodge No. 9, A. F. and A. M., of Crusade Commandery No. 6, Knights Templar, of the Mystic Shrine, and of MeDaniel Lodge of Perfection in the Scottish Rite of Masonry at Wheeling, West Virginia. He holds membership in the Cheat Mountain and Allegheny

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clubs and tho Fairmont Shrine Club, and is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fairmont.

THOMAS D. CRAIG. Craig is one of the prominent family names of Preston County, and some space is given on other pages to a formal record of the family, while here partienlar attention is devoted to one of the individual members, Thomas D. Craig, a native son of Preston County, and for many years expressing his service as a teacher, farmer and merchant.

He was born on Morgan's Run, two miles south of King wood, March 1, 1870, son of Charles C. Craig who is one of the surviving members of the Civil war still living in this community. Thomas D. Craig was reared on his father's farm and alternated between its duties and the work of nearby coal mines. Ho did his first work in eval mines as early as ten years of age. Subsequently he was a mine operator. He acquired the advantages of the country schools, attended the old Normal School at Kingwood, and at the age of twenty-two began teaching in rural districts. Alto- gether he taught for sixteen years, his last school being Snyder's School in the Kingwood distriet. While teaching he also operated a coal mine and a farm. About the time the World war began Mr. Craig had to give up business be- cause of a physical breakdown, and, selling his property. he sought renewed health in Florida and Alabama. After a period he was thoroughly reeuperated, and then returned and resumed farming, and since December 1. 1921, has con- dueted a store at Snyder's Crossing.

Mr. Craig has done his duty as a citizen as a republican voter, and in 1900 and again in 1910 was one of the eensus enumerators in Preston County. lle was a delegate to the Berkeley Springs Convention when George W. Bowers was nominated for Congress by the Second Congressional Dis- triet. Mr. Craig has filled various chairs in the Knights of Pythias Lodge, and represented the Kingwood Lodge in the Grand Lodge for two years. He and Mrs. Craig are almost life-long members of the Methodist Church, and he has been superintendent of the Sunday school.

In Preston County, February 12, )896, he married Miss Cora M. Savage, daughter of David Harrison Savage. Some account of the Savage family should appropriately be given at this point.

They represent an original line of people who established their homes in the United States in Colonial times, and the family was represented in the Revolutionary war. Farming has been with few exceptions the regular vocation of the different generations. More than a hundred years ago the grandfather of David H. Savage, John R. Savage, settled in Garrett County. Maryland, seventeen miles northeast of Oakland, near Friendsville. The Savages and the Friends were among the first settlers in that section of Maryland. John R. Savage was a man of intelligence, capable in busi- ness and farming, and spent his life in Garrett County in the development and improvement of his estate. Ile married into the Friend family, his wife being Miss Caren, as they ealled her. They had five daughters and one son: Mrs. Lavina Winger, Mrs. Lydia Savage, Mrs. Savilla Friend. Mrs. Elizabeth Friend, while Mary died unmarried. The only son, Thomas Savage, was born in February, 1-23, and grew up near Friendsville. He acquired a good common school education and was a prosperous farmer in that con- munity. In 1863 he enlisted in the Third Maryland In- fantry, under Captain Ambrose, and was a soldier until the end of the war. He was in the Army of the Potomae, and among other engagements was at the battle of Monocacy. Ho received his discharge at Baltimore in the spring of 1865, and then resumed the work of the farm where he had left off. He was never in official life, voted as a republican and was a Methodist. Thomas Savage married Elizabeth Evans, a native of Wales, coming to the United States at the age of fourteen with her parents, who first located at Mount Savage, Maryland, and later in the Friend settlement in Garrett County. Mrs. Thomas Savage died on the home farm where she had spent her married life. She was the mother of thirteen children, and those who survived infaney were: David Harrison, of Kingwood, West Virginia; Martha, who married Alfred Jenkins, of Friendsville;

George, of Somerfield, Pennsylvania, William and Beaton. who died unmarried; Arthur, who became n commercinl traveler and died at Pittsburgh; Emily, who died young, Freeman, who owns the oll Garrett County homestend, where he reared his family ; and Effie, wife of Frank Thomas, of Markersburg, Pennsylvania.

David Harrison Savage, whose home for over forty years has been in Preston County, was born in Garrett County, Maryland October 17, Ists, and finished his education in West Virginia University at Morgantown, but left before graduating. For ten years he was a teacher in the pubh schools of Prestun County. Hle established his home two miles west of Kingwood, and his last teaching was done it the home distriet there. While still tenching he lu gan culti vating and improving his farm, and was one of the very progressive exponents of agricultural endenvor in this sec tion. Ile did diversified farming, growing the various cereals, raising livestock, making butter at home, minrketing poultry, fat hogs and enttle. His present home is almost against the townsite of Kingwood, where he has lived sinop November, 1917, and where he still cultivates half of the eighty aeres he owns.

David H. Savage served as deputy assessor under Assessor Summers. He cast Ins first presidential vote for General Grant in 1864, and since early manhood has been an active member of the Methodist Church, and has laan on the official board.

In Preston County in June, 1972, Mr. Savage married Miss derusha Cale a native of the county, and daughter of Amos and Mary ( Wishell) Cale. She was one of a family of one son and four daughters, and the others still living are Emory Cale and Mrs. Lucy Burk. Mr. and Mrs. Sas age have one son and four daughters: Cora M., wife of Thomas D. Craig; Gertrude, Mrs. William Morris, of Tun melton; Grace, who died as the wife of Walter Wilson, John M., who is onmarried and a farmer n ar Kingwood ; and Lucy, wife of Charles Evick, of Kingwood. The only two grandchildren of Mr. Savage were born to his daughter. Mrs. Gertrude Morris.

IVAN DAVIS is a banker at Kingwood, being cashier of the Kingwood National Bank. lle acquired his early bus ness training at Morgantown, where he was connected with the glass industry for many years.

Mr. Davis sureecded W. A. Schaeffer as cashier of the Kingwood National Bank and is also one of its directors. This bank was organized in 1902 by local capitalists, the moving spirit being James W. Flynn. Other associates Werr Ira Robinson, of Grafton, Senator Stephen B. Elking and S. II. White. The capital has always been maintained nt $25,000, and the surplus and undivided protits now stand ut a similar figure. The officers are: Mr. Flynn, president ; (' A. Craig and George A. Herring, vice presidents; Mr. Dav . cashier ; and Charles Manown, bookkeeper.

Mr. Davis represents one of the older families of West Virginia, both his father and grandfather having been born in the state. flis great-grandfather more than 100 yeary ago eame from New Jersey and established his home in Duddridge County, where he lived out his life as a farmer. His son William was a Doddridge County farmer all his life, and the third generation of the family here was repre sented by William G. Davis, father of the Kingwood bunker.

William G. Davis was born in 1834, and has now reached venerable years, his netive life having been devoted t farming. He was a Confederate soldier and was in the army until the close of the war. He was a private, nnd though in many battles he escaped wounds or capture. That has been practically his only service outside of his farm and home community. Like most of his ancestors he has been satisfied to vote as a democrat, and he is a member of th Baptist Church. William G. Davis married Miss Martha Ifall, who died in June, 1921, at the age of sixty eight. Her father was Lemuel JJall. of Auburn in Ritchie County. Wil liam G. Davis and wife had seven sons and one daughter : Newton F., Lewis T., William L., Cyrus A., Marshall, Fred. Ivan and Lydia, the latter the wife of W. Lewis of Dodd- ridge County. All the sons nre farmers but William L., who is a Baptist minister, and Ivan.

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Ivan Davis was born near Salem, Doddridge County. November 7, 1882, and he grew up near the county seat and was a factor on the farm until about eighteen. He then supplemented his common school education by attending Salem College three years, and at the age of twenty-one completed the course of the Mountain State Business College at Parkersburg. With this education and training Mr. Davis became an office man for the Mississippi Glass Company at Morgantown, and was continuously with that corporation fifteen years, seeing it grow from a plant employing about seventy-five men to an industry with a pay roll of 300. He was assistant manager of the company when he resigned in July, 1917, to remove to Kingwood and enter upon his duties as cashier of the Kingwood National Bank.

Mr. Davis is a member of the minority party in King- wood, a democrat, and only once has been a candidate for office. He was on the ticket in 1920 for county elerk of Preston County, and made a splendid showing in spite of the inevitable defeat of that year. He is a Methodist, and a member of the Masonic Lodge. Mr. Davis and his wife planned their very attractive home at Kingwood, which is of English style of architecture and was completed in 1921.

Mrs. Davis before her marriage was Miss Isa Lynne Bucklew. She was born in Preston County in 1892 and was married at Kingwood, December 25, 1912. Her father, George H. Bucklew, represents one of the pioneer families of West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have two sons: George William and Delroy Richard.

LOUIS BLACK, director of the West Virginia University School of Music, has a reputation not short of national for his musical gifts and attainments. For a number of years he has been a tenor soloist in choir work and on the con- cert stage, doing that in connection with his teaching.

Mr. Black was horn at Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1872. His father, Ephraim Black, was born in the same county, September 23, 1841, son of Thomas Black, whose family moved from old Vir- ginia to Pennsylvania and were pioneers in Butler County. Ephraim Black had a long and useful career in the Pennsyl- vania oil fields, and for many years was superintendent of the Franklin Pipe Line Company. He is now living in well earned retirement in his eightieth year. His wife, Sarah McCoy, was born March 10, 1841, in Butler County, and has likewise passed the age of fourscore. Her father, Hon. Hiram Francis Craig McCoy, was for many years prominent in the business and public life of Butler County, represented that county a number of times in the Legisla- ture, was also postmaster of Anandale and a justice of the peace.

Prof. Louis Black was reared in Franklin, graduated from the high school of that city, and early manifested the talents which were cultivated by study at home and abroad in some of the best schools and under some of the fin- est masters of the musical art. He graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston in 1898, where he came under the instruction of William M. Whitney. Dur- ing 1902 he studied in Naples, Italy, under Vincenzo Lom- bardi, and was a pupil under Oresto Bimboni in the New England Conservatory Opera School at Boston in 1903-05. For eight years Professor Black was an instructor in the New England Conservatory at Boston. When William M. Whitney founded the International School for Vocalists he became associated with his former master, and at the same time was director of the vocal department of the East Greenwich Academy and tenor soloist in Grace Church at Providence, Rhode Island, during 1905-06. He was teacher of voice culture and the art of singing at Beaver College in Pennsylvania in 1906-1909. While at Beaver he had charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church choir and was tenor soloist at Christ Methodist Episcopal Church in the City of Pittsburgh.

Mr. Black's service with the University of West Vir- ginia as director of its School of Music began in 1909. His individual attainments have brought the school a tre- mendous amount of prestige and he has surrounded him- self with a group of gifted men and women in the va- rious departments of musical art so as to strengthen this

department and make it one of the most popular of the various schools of the university.

Professor Black is a charter member of the Sinfonia Greek letter students fraternity. He is affiliated with the Masonic Order at Franklin, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Black is also a distinguished musician. Before their marriage she was Miss Ethel Boardman Jenney. She was born at Brocktou, Massachusetts, daughter of Joshua Milton and Sarah (Mosher) Jenney. Her father was born at Little Compton, Rhode Island, and was a lineal de- scendant of John Jenney, a French Huguenot who came over ou the ship James, the first ship to follow the May- flower, and served as a member of the staff of Governor Bradford of the Massachusetts Colony. Sarah Mosher, Mrs. Black's mother, was born at North Dartmouth, just out from New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is still living at New Bedford. She is a Quakeress, having been baptized in the Quaker Church.

Mrs. Black graduated from the high school of Brockton, Massachusetts, and from the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston and for a number of years was a teacher of music. Since 1918 she has been head of the piano department of the West Virginia School of Music.

WOOD FAMILY. The records that follow are not only an authentic account of an important branch of the Virginia family of Wood and its allied connections, but abound in references to names and events that make up much of the real history of the western part of old Virginia. A repre- sentative of the family in the present generation, Dr. Amos D. Wood, has for a number of years been a prominent phy- sician and specialist at Bluefield.

I. JOHN WOOD (1745-18-), the first of this family of which we have any definite knowledge, lived in Franklin County, Virginia. He was twice married, one of his wives being named Nellie. He had two sons of whom we have record, Henry and Richard. Henry moved with his family to Missouri. Richard married and lived at the top of "Wood's Gap" in Patrick County, near the Floyd County line.

II. RICHARD WOOD (1769-1859), the son of John Wood, of Franklin County, married Rachel Cocran, of Patrick County. Two children were born to them, John R. and Annie. After the death of his first wife he married -

Brommer, and to them were born Alexander, Jeremiah, Peter, German, Edward and Henry.

Alexander was for many years captain of militia, being an expert drill master. He and German moved with their families to West Virginia. Jeremiah, Peter, Edward and John R. lived in Patrick and raised large families. Henry never married. Annie married David Cochran and lived in Floyd County.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 43

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