History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 47

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Doctor MeClellan was born at llale's Mill, Scott County, Virginia, October 17, 1573, and in the same county wer born his parents, Edward and Martha (Smith) MeClellan. the former on the 12th of February. 1-52, and the latter July 30, 1-56. In IST> Edward MeClellan came with his family to Lincoln County, West Virginia, where he rented land and applied himself indefatigably to farm enterprise. He eventually purchased a farm, and the passing years have prospered him in his activities as an agriculturist and stock grower. Ile is a democrat, and he and his wife are zealous members of the Baptist Church in the'r home community. near Branchland, Lincoln County. Of their four children, Dr. William T., of this review, is the eldest; Robert E. 1 in the rural mail service at Branchland; Sarah E. in the wife of Henry Shuff, a farmer near that place; and Grover C. is in the employ of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railrond C m pany.

The schools of Lincoln County afforded Doctor MeClellan his preliminary education, which was supplemented by his attending the excellent school maintained under the super vision of Professor Elam at Blaine, Lawrence County At the age of twenty years the doctor engaged in tenching school, and through the returns from his effe tive service of ten years as a teacher in the schools of Lincoln and Wnyne Counties he defrayed the expenses of his course in th medi. eal department of the University of Louisville, Keit ky. in which he was graduated in 1905. After thus rec ving } degree of Doctor of Medicine he engage l in pra ti in BA home town of Branchland, and two years Inter h he id. mine physician for the Unitel Stat - Coal & O)] Com nny at Holden, Logan County, where he rensin ] two years. For the ensning four years he was eng g 1 in pra ti e nº Wayne, in the county of ter same nin , and he t nr turned to Holden, whene ciglti n mortis Fter ldw tt the Pond Creek coal district of Pike County, Ket where he was engaged in mine practi @ t ] he rit rn Logan County in 1915 and formel len jr nt i por' t professional alliances as a min phy in a "rg on. In

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1912 he did effective post-graduate work at his alma mater, the medical school of the University of Louisville, and he is a close student who keeps in touch with advances made in medical and surgical science. He is identified with the Logan County and West Virginia State Medical societies and the American Medical Association, is a democrat in political allegiance, he and his wife hold membership in the Baptist Church, he is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and in the Masonic fraternity he is a member of the Blue Lodge at Hamlin, the chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Logan, the temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charleston, and the Scottish Rite Consistory at Wheeling, in which he has received the thirty-second degree.

Christmas day of the year 1905 recorded the marriage of Doctor MeClellan and Miss Lulu Thompson, daughter of Samuel H. Thompson, of Hamlin, this state, and the two children of this union are Ernest and Lillian.

GUY W. SHEPHERD is one of the younger men of Hunt- ington, active in its business life, and is cashier of the American Bank & Trust Company of that city.

He was born at Milton, Cabell County, West Virginia, July 17, 1893. His grandfather was born in Virginia in 1813, owned and lived on a large farm at Hurricane, West Virginia, and was killed at a railroad crossing in 1897. He and his wife reared a family of three sons and one daughter. One son, Daniel, served as a Confederate soldier through the war between the states. Elias K. Shepherd, father of the Huntington banker, was born at Buckhan- non, West Virginia, in 1857, spent his early life near Staun- ton, Virginia, and for many years was in the service of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company. He lived in Milton while in this service, and in 1898 transferred his residence to Huntington. He is now on the retired list of the railroad company. He is a democrat, a very active member of the Baptist Church and is a Royal Arch Mason. Elias K. Shepherd married Mattie Douglas at Ona, West Virginia, where she was born in 1868. Guy W. is the old- est of their children. Thelma, who died at the age of twenty-three, was the wife of V. C. Saunders, of Hunting- ton. Mabel is the wife of Lee Saunders, postmaster and farmer at Ona, West Virginia. Nina is the wife of Oscar T. Peterson, a traveling salesman, living at Omaha, Ne- braska. Marie, Harry and Thomas live at home, Thomas being an apprenticed pharmacist. Richard, the youngest child, is attending the preparatory department of Marshall College.

Guy W. Shepherd has lived in Huntington since he was five years of age, and acquired his education in the public schools of that city and at Barboursville, West Virginia. He completed his junior year in the Morris-Harvey Col- lege at Barboursville, and in 1915 graduated from the Boothe Business School of Huntington. Mr. Shepherd has devoted a half dozen busy years to his service with the American Bank & Trust Company, beginning with book- keeper, promoted to savings teller in 1916, to commercial teller in 1918, to assistant cashier in the same year, and in January, 1922, hecame cashier of the institution.

During the World war he was called to the Naval Acad- emy at Annapolis under civil service, and for a short time was assistant in the public works department. He is a democrat and a member of Huntington Lodge No. 313. B. P. O. E. Mr. Shepherd owns a modern home at 609 Ninth Avenue. He married October 1, 1916, Miss Cressell Steele, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Steele. Her father is living at Huntington, a retired farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd have one child, Helen S., born August 15, 1917.

FRANK W. CRANE, a well known business man of Albright, represents one of the old and prominent families of Preston County in the Crab Orchard community.

He is a descendant of Calvin Crane, who came to the American colonies and settled at Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1640. A great-great-grandson of this American immigrant was Joseph Crane, who died in 1778. His widow subse- quently removed to Ohio with her oldest sons, and died in that state at the age of ninety. Calvin Crane, a son of Joseph, came to West Virginia in 1790, and was founder of

a family now widely distributed over this and other states. The Cranes by intermarriage are connected with nearly every other family of prominence in Preston County today. Calvin Crane located a tract of 2,545 acres on Beech Run Hill in Preston County. It is said that his first marriage was solemnized by Bishop Asbury, the first bishop of the Methodist Church in America. Calvin Crane served as a soldier in the War of 1812 in Col. Jonathan Crane's regi- ment. His three sons were John, Jacob and Calvin Crane, all of whom lived in Preston County and proved themselves substantial citizens.

Calvin Crane was the founder of the family at Albright, owning the Crane farm at Crab Orchard, where he also con- lucted a saw and grist mill. Calvin Crane married Jane Elliott, of another old family of Preston County. Both are buried in the Lutheran Cemetery at Crab Orchard. Their children were: Louisa, who married James Rigg, pro- prietor of the Ruthbel brick house as a tavern and who finally moved to Terra Alta and is now a resident of Oak- land, Maryland; Elliott, who was born at Matheny Mill, spent the greater part of his life on a farm near Albright, and his last days at Terra Alta; Samuel, who was a farmer near Corinth in Preston County, and died there; Polly, who became the wife of Jehu Woodring, and moved to Michigan and died at Adrian in that state; Martin L., who was born and reared at Crab Orchard and died at Terra Alta in old age; John C .; Betsy, who became the wife of Peter Cramer and lived all her life in the Crab Orchard community; and Jarvey, who died in camp while training for a soldier in the Civil war.

John C. Crane, father of Frank W., was born on the farm at Crab Orchard and, like all his brothers, was a soldier in the Union army, being sergeant in Company B of the Four- teenth Virginia Cavalry. He was one of the escort of General Duvall and was in service more than three years. He was never wounded, but suffered ill health after the war, which he ascribed to his military service. He died at the farm near Albright in 1907. In the years following the war he was a farmer and stock dealer and bought up much live stock, which he drove to market at Uniontown and Cumberland, and after the coming of railroads shipped to more distant markets. Though he was rather well known in business, he always made his home on the farm three miles cast of Albright. In politics he voted the republican ticket, and he and his wife were prominent Methodists, and for twenty-five consecutive years he was superintendent of the Sunday School at Albright.

John C. Crane married Mollie Bishop, daughter of Wil- liam and Catherine (Snider) Bishop. She is still living at Albright. Her four children were: Dee, of Morgantown; Cloyd M., of Terra Alta; Spencer, a farmer near Albright, who died leaving two sons by his marriage to Myrtle Welch; and Frank W.

Frank W. Crane, who represents the present generation of this old family in Preston County, was born on the home farm March 31, 1881, acquired his education in the country schools and the high school at Terra Alta, and followed the occupation he learned as a youth, farming and stock raising, until he was thirty-nine years of age. In 1920 Mr. Crane left the farm, bought property at Albright, and opened the Cheat Valley Inn, a high class house of entertainment of which he is the genial landlord. He was also active in the incorporation of the Preston County Bus and Garage Com- pany on May 1, 1921, and is manager of this business. The president is Dr. E. E. Watson, who formerly as an individual owned and operated the line carrying passengers from Al- bright to Tunnelton. This company has erected one of the best garages in the county.

Mr. Crane is the present auditor of the Town of Albright. He is a republican, having cast his first vote for Roosevelt in 1904. He is recording steward of the Albright Methodist Church, Mrs. Crane being church organist and teacher in the Sunday school.

In Preston County, June 15, 1902, Mr. Crane married Miss Myrtle Strawser, who was born at Albright, daughter of Alpha and Jennie (Welch) Strawser. When she was six months old her parents moved to Wyoming, and she spent her girlhood at Wheatland in that state, and still later the

Jury IV Shiphun

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fuily moved to Wentworth, Colorado. Her father was a mer and stockman. Mrs. Crane was born Juno 15, 1885, oldest of two daughters and three sons. Her living others, Dee W. and Frank, both reside at Waumega, tasas. Her brother Ira W. was killed while training as a tdier at Camp Funston, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Crane have daughter, Virginia F., a student in the Albright High $1001.

DAVID J. GIBSON has been a resident of Preston County, active working service, nearly half a century. Ife has 'D a merchant, has figured in the official life of the county, a banker, and for a number of years past has lived at ngwood and conducted an insurance business.

le was born at Cumberland, Maryland, October 21, 1846. l before he was a year old his parents moved to West Irginia and established their home a mile east of Brandons- le, where his father, Joseph HI. Gibson, opened a small fre. Ia association with Captain Hagans he also erected grist mill, foundry, tannery and sawmill, built his home are, and continued a factor in this considerable industrial nmunity until during the Civil war the mills were burned, out the time the Jones raiders passed through Preston unty. Following this Joseph H. Gibson moved to the Al- ght locality and built a dam across Doekerty Creek, and association with Joseph G. Cressler built a sawmill. The o operated the mill and Joseph H. Gibson remained there til his death in 1876, at the age of fifty-six. Joseph II. nson was a native of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, s orphaned when a boy, and was a bound apprentice to : lor at Shippensburg. After reaching his majority he t Shippensburg with his clothing tied in a handkerchief, ssed the Allegheny Mountains on foot to Bedford, Penn- vania, and opened a tailor shop and later removed to mberland, Maryland, where he was in the grocery busi- 3S. Then, accepting an invitation from friends, he moved Virginia, now West Virginia, and settled at the Willett m a mile east of Brandonsville, from which point his eer has been briefly sketched.

At Shippensburg, where he learned the tailor's trade, seph H. Gibson also found his wife, Miss Jane Turner, of rliste, Pennsylvania, related to the Radasill and other ople of Pennsylvania extraction. She survived her hus- nd many years and died at Kingwood. ller children re: Elizabeth, who became the wife of Rev. T. W. Chi- ster and died at Buckhannon; David Joseph; and Jennie . wife of L. Morris Albright, of Kingwood. Joseph HI. bson was a very useful man in every community where he ed. Ile was a local Methodist preacher, was active in re- blican polities and had the gift of speechmaking, though possessed little book education. He represented Preston unty in the Legislature after the Civil war, when the state pital was at Wheeling. During the war period he also presented Preston County as recruiting officer at Grafton, d was quartermaster of the mititia organized to protect e state.

David J. Gibson shared in the varying turas of fortune the family from the time they moved to West Virginia. secured his early education in the schools about Bran nsville, and when still in his teens began working in his ther's store there. In 1870, after his marriage, he moved St. Joseph, where he and his father conducted a mercantile siness. In 1876 he accepted appointment as deputy eriff of Preston County for the four east side districts, der Sheriff Elisha Thomas. After four years in those ties he moved to Newburg, West Virginia, and became sociated with his brother-in-law, Mr. Albright, as a mer- ant. For twenty-seven yeara Mr. Gibson remained a resi- nt of Newburg, though not all the time was spent as a erchant. Here again he became deputy under his old iend. Sheriff Elisha Thomas. He helped organize the rst National Bank of Newburg, and is the only survivor the original board of directors and is its vice president. is also a stockholder in the wholesale grocery business Rowlesburg, West Virginia. Disposing of his property Newburg, Mr. Gibson in 1905 moved to Kingwood, build- g a substantial home on Beverly Hill, and since then he d Mr. Albright have been in the fire insurance business.

Mr. Gibson karued hy early political principles from fui father and cast his first presidential vot for General tirant When the prohibition party rose to meet a great issue he espoused the cause, and gave his support to the party untit its object way accomplished in a nationwide prohibition, after which he returned to the repo han ranks. For munny terms Mr. Gibson was elected mayor of Newburg. He has lwen a member of the Masonic Order fifty two years, Jom ing at Kingwood, is past master of the Newhurg Lodge and is also affiliated with the Royal Arch Chapter and Knig te Templar Commandery at Grafton, West Virginia. Ile w1 rocked in the cradle of Methodism and for a quarter (f . century was superintendent of the Methodist Sunday & cool at Newburg.

October 28, IS68, Mr. Gibson married Miss Clara t Cressler, of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, daughter of dotin Cressler. Mrs. Gibson was born at Shippensburg Dethier 28, 1$4%. Iler father had been a banker at Carlisle, Penn sylvania, but spent his last years on his farm near Shoppers burg, where he died at the age of eighty six While a rei dent of the latter place he organized the First Nationa Bank, becoming one of its directory in which capacity the served until his death. Also for many years he was seers tary of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and was for many years a director of the Chamber-burg, Penn sylvania, National Bank. Mrs. Gibson's mother bore the inaiden name of Turner, and she was Mr. Crossler's second wife. Mrs. Gibson is one of two children by her mother, as her father had five other children. Mrs. Gi son and Mry Laura Minnich, of Washington, District of Columbia, ar the only survivors of this family. The two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Gibson are both deceased.

FELIX ELLIOTT was at one time perhaps the youngest postmaster in the State of West Virginia. He has per formed his share of publie duty, but for many years juist has been thoroughly devoted to his essential public service as a banker, as cashier of the Bank of Kingwood.

This is one of the oldest banks in this section of West Virginia, and its history is notable in many ways. In 1.65 a bank was started at Kingwood under the National Banking Act, the promoters being William G. Brown, Sr .. and James C. MeGrew, who owned practically all of the stock. Mr. Brown was the first president and Mr. Metirew the first cashier. The bank's original capital was $125,000. and it was the first bank of this entire region, and probably the first one west of Cumberland. Upon the death of Mr Brown, Mr. M.Grew succeeded to the presidency. w th Francis Ileermans, cashier. In I>>> the national charter was surrendered and a state charter taken out. The Bank of Kingwood has since had a capital stock of $75.0 0 Fol lowing the administration of Mr. Metirew and Mr. Hver mans, the latter was succeeded a cashier by .I. W. Parks, and on the death of Mr. MeGrew, William G. Brown, Jr .. became president. It is appropriate to state that Mr. M Grew was the active president of the bank and looked after its affairs until he was ninety-five years of age. The admin istration of William Brown, Jr., as | resident continued intil his death. While not strictly a part of the history of tie bank, it is interesting to note that three bank president- the two Browns and M .Grew, were all members of ( engr 4 at different times, representing the Second West Virgini District. Mr. Brown, Jr., was succeded as pre ident by P. J. Crogan, the prominent Kingwood lawyer, who 19 still head of the bank. The Bank of Kingwood now has surja and undivided profits equalling its capital steck, with de posits of over $600.000, and the assets passed the million dollar mark soon after the close of the World war.

Mr. Felix Elliott was born in Kingwood, March 16, 156s. The Elliott family was established in P'ro ton County in pioneer times by Robert Elliott, who moved from l'ennsyl vania and lived out his life on a farm in Portland Di trict Felix Elliott, father of the Kingwool banker, was born in Preston County. August 16, 1620. In early life he gan his medical practice, and only in late years dil he re- tire from his profession and become a Kingwood mer bant. He was also a Baptist minister and preach I r gular y dr ing the Civil war period. He was an ardent republi an in

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polities. Doetor Elliott died in August, 1905, his widow surviving him only a few weeks. Her maiden name was Mary Startzman, and she was from Aurora, Preston County, daughter of Jacob Startzman, who was of German ancestry. Doetor and Mrs. Elliott had ten children, but only fivo grew to mature years: Flora, wife of D. C. IInghes, of Buekhannon; Mrs. Lillie Coffmau, who died in Marion County, West Virginia; Edward S., who died in New York City, where he was practicing law; Felix; and Mrs. Emma Werner, of Bowling Green, Ohio.

Felix Elliott as a boy and youth attended the publie schools of Kingwood, there being no high school then. On leaving school he became a merchant's clerk, and it was shortly after his twenty-first birthday that he was appointed postmaster of Kingwood by President Harrison, taking over the duties of the office in 1889, as the suecessor of Capt. J. E. Murdoek. Mr. Elliott was postmaster until Mr. Cleve- land's return to the White House in 1893, and from that year until 1900 he was engaged in merchandising. lle was then selected to manage the stores of the Irona Coal Com- pany, and discharged those duties for six years. He then resigned to engage in banking, and entered the Bank of Kingwood as teller, but in a few months was made assistant eashier and since 1911 has been eashier, as the sueeessor of J. W. Parks. He has, therefore, given almost fifteen of the best years of his life to the bank. He has not been in poli- ties, though he has served the town as a member of the common eouneil.

In Preston County, August 2, 1893, Mr. Elliott married Florence D. Viekery, danghter of Charles E. and Gregg P. (Fairfax) Vickery. The Fairfax is another old family of this section. Mrs. Elliott was born at Terra Alta, Preston County. Her father was a telegraph operator with the Baltimore & Ohio, and later a merchant there, and finally at Kingwood. From 1893 to 1905 he was storekeeper in the Treasury Department of the Government at Washington, and died at Kingwood in 1905. His children were Mrs. Elliott and Rupert E. Viekery, who is in the service of the Balti- more & Ohio Railway Company at Keyser.

Mr. and Mrs. Elliott have two children, Kathleen and Felix, Jr., the latter attending the grade schools at King- wood. Kathleen is the wife of Capt. K. F. Hanst, an army officer stationed at Camp Benning, Georgia. They have two children, Rose Mary and Kenneth. The Elliott home is identified closely with church work at Kingwood, Mr. Elliott and his wife being of the Presbyterian faith, and he is superintendent of the Sabbath sehool and a member of the chnreh session.

CHARLES ARNOLD CRAIG forty years ago was a farm boy in Preston County, and later, when he left home to go out into the world, he had a varied experience in railroading, in the lumber and timber business. But finally he returned to the occupation of his youth, and is now proprietor of a fine dairy farm that is one of the assets of the Kingwood loeality and besides his farming his interests have extended in a financial and direeting way to a number of business institutions in Preston County.

Mr. Craig was born on a farm in Preston County, De- eember 15, 1865. His grandfather, John Craig, was a native of Ireland, came to America when a youth, grew up and lived for a number of years at Germantown, Pennsylvania, where he married into one of the old Pennsylvania Duteh families, and in 1848 he came farther west and settled at Morgan's Run in Prestou County, West Virginia, where his subsequent years were devoted to farming. Of his two sons and two daughters the only survivor is Charles C. Craig, who is now completely retired from activity and lives at Kingwood at the age of eighty-seven. Charles C. Craig grew to manhood in Preston County, had a country sehool edu- eation, and during the Civil war he became a wagon master in the Union army. After the war he returned to farming, and subsequently employed his special talents in the profes- sion of auctioneer, continuing both voeations. His history as an auctioneer covered a period of forty-five years, and during that time he eried sales over the seetion around King- wood. That profession was in a sense a publie office, but otherwise he has kept out of office, though carrying a part of the burden of local polities as a republican.

Charles C. Craig married Elizabeth Castle, who was bor at Frederick, Maryland, September 18, 1840, and was nin. years of age when her father, James E. Castle, brought hi family to West Virginia. Thereafter she lived in the King wood locality until her death. Her children were: John James L., of Garrett County, Maryland; Charles A .; Mar A., who died as the wife of E. W. Thomas; Amanda E. who died in childhood; Thomas B., of Kingwood; Sarah F wife of M. G. Wilson, of Pittsburgh; Richard Edward, o Rowlesburg, West Virginia; Francis M., of New Phila delphia, Ohio; Miss Argensette, of Kingwood; Bertha, wif of W. E. Bolyard, of Keyser, West Virginia; Louella, wh died in infaney; and Nora E., wife of E. W. Fizer, o Morgantown, West Virginia.

Charles Arnold Craig grew up ou his father's farm a Irona, near Kingwood, and the common sehools provide him with a fair education. When past his majority he led home and for two years was in Ohio with the Baltimore Ohio Railroad Company, engaged in the train service out o Newark, His next definite locality was Pontiac, Illinoi: where he did farm work for a season, and before returnin home he saw something of Missouri and Iowa, and hi travels altogether have taken him to thirteen states of th Union.

After his adventures and experiences in the West M. Craig returned to the old homestead and became a factor i the lumber industry, operating saw mills and buying an dealing in lumber and timber lands. For eleven years thi was his main business. When he left it he settled down o his farm near Irona and became a high elass stoek farme. a role in which he is still engaged. On the Irona farm for : number of years he was a breeder of Durham cattle, Polan China hogs and Shropshire sheep. Quite recently he bough a farm near Kingwood, where he maintains his residenee an where the essential industry is dairying. He breeds an handles the Holstein and Jersey eattle. The Kingwood far consists of eighty-three acres, and his farm at Irona contail 213 acres, and these interests constitute him one of the sul. stantial men in the agricultural community of Presto County.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 47

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