History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 51

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Mr. Hartley is affiliated with Dunkard Lodge No. 569. Independent Order of Odd Fellowy, in Pennsylvania, and Athens Lodge No. 26, Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church and the Chamber of Commerce. September 16. 1912, he married Lillian Marie Baer, who was born in Kirby, Pennsylvania, daughter of Benjamin F. and Flora B. (Connor) Baer. They have one son, Kenneth Cornelius born March 5, 1915.

WILLIAM H. ADAMS. Well known and prominent in Mor gantown and throughout Monongalia County, William II. Adams has had the career of a prosperous and progressive farmer, and has spent his life so far in the Cheat Neck neighborhood of Union District. Mr. Adams is one of the able members of the present County Court.

He was born in the Cheat Neek community. November 14, 1865, son of Jacob and Mary Beatty) Adams. This is a family that has been in West Virginia for more than a century. Jacob Adams was born in Preston County in 1823. His father was Thomas Adams, a native of England, and a pioneer of Preston County. Jacob Adams moved to the Cheat Neck neighborhood of Monongalia County when a young man and married there Mary Beatty, who was born in that community in 1537, daughter of Robert Beatty, a pioneer settler. Jacob Adams devoted his life to farm ing, and died at his bome at Cheat Neck in 1915, having survived his wife since 1905.

William H. Adams grew up on a farm, his education being acquired in the common schools, and his energies, study and abilities have been absorbed by the farming

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industry since young manhood. He owns a fine farm at Cheat Neck, and in addition to the productiveness of the soil approximately forty-five acres are underlaid with a vein of Freeport coal. Mr. Adams has always striven to do his part as a citizen, held the office of justice of the peace several years, and was elected to the County Court in 1918 for a term of six years. He is a member of Pine Knob Lodge No. 559, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Brownfield, Pennsylvania, is a working member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and votes as a republican.

Mr. Adams married Nora E. Walls, who was born in Preston County, West Virginia, danghter of Ezra and Tillie (Shaw) Walls. The two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Adams are Ethel, born in 1901, and Hildred, born in 1911.

FRIEND EBENEZER CLARK, Ph. D. While the greater part of his career has been devoted to the teaching of chemistry, Doctor Clark is widely known in scientific circles by reason of his original scholarship and as an authority on the chen- ical side of industry.

Doctor Clark, who for the past seven years has been head of the Department of Chemistry of the West Virginia University, is a native West Virginian, born at New Martinsville, Angnst 21, 1876, son of Josephus and Lina Russell (Cox) Clark. His grandfather, Ebenezer Clark, came to West Virginia from Pennsylvania and settled in Wetzel County. Josephus Clark was born in Marshall County, West Virginia, in 1835, and in Wetzel County was a, merchant and farmer, and served one term as sheriff. He died in May, 1905. His wife, Lina Russell Cox, was born in New Martinsville, West Virginia, in 1848, daughter of Friend and Snsan Cox, and she is still living at New Martinsville at the age of seventy-three. She and her hus- band were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Josephus Clark was a Mason.

Friend Ebenezer Clark grew up at New Martinsville, graduated from the high school there in 1894, and from that year until 1898 carried the undergraduate studies of West Virginia University, receiving in the latter year the Bachelor of Science degree. The following four years he spent in gradnate work in Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore, and was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy de- gree in 1902. Since then he has been a special student in other institutions of learning, having attended the Uni- versity of Chicago during the summer session of 1907, and was in the University of Berlin during 1908. Professor Clark was an instructor in chemistry in West Virginia University during the school year 1902-03. Leaving his alma mater, he was instructor in industrial chemistry in the Pennsylvania State College from 1903 to 1905 and from 1905 to 1914 was professor of chemistry at Center College, Danville, Kentucky. In 1914 he returned to his congenial association with West Virginia University, and since then has held the chair of chemistry.

Doctor Clark is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is a Fellow and life member of the Chemical Society of London, and a member of the American Chemical Society, American Electro-Chemical So- ciety and the Society of Chemical Industry. He is a Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Kappa, belongs to the Masonic Lodge at New Martinsville, and took the Knight Templar Commandery degrees at Danville, Kentucky. He and Mrs. Clark are members of the Presbyterian Church.

In June, 1911, he married Emma May Hanna, who was born at Newcastle, Pennsylvania, daughter of Samuel and Lucy J. (Dinsmore) Hanna. Doctor and Mrs. Clark have two children, Josephine Brown, born Angust 6, 1912, and Samnel Friend, born February 16, 1916.

THOMAS GRANT KEENAN, a member of the County Court of Monongalia County, has for nearly forty years enjoyed a substantial position in the agricultural interests of the county and is one of the recognized leaders in the advanced program of modern agriculture in that section of the state.

His home farm is in the Cass District, and he was born on that farm, November 29, 1863, son of the late John P. and Nancy (Lazzelle) Keenan. His father was born in Dunkard Township of Greene County, Pennsylvania, in 1824,

son of Hugh Keenan and grandson of James Keenan. James Keenan was a pioneer of Western Pennsylvania. On bring ing his family to America he settled in Greene County, and met death at the hands of Indians in the border warfare John P. Keenan was a young man when he moved to Mo nongalia County, West Virginia. His wife, Nancy Laz zelle, was born in the Cass District in 1831, daughter o) Thomas Lazzelle and an aunt of Judge I. G. Lazzelle of Morgantown. John P. Keenan devoted his active life to farming, and he died at the old homestead in 1901 and his wife in 1912.

Thomas Grant Keenan has had the associations of the old home farm where he was born throughout practically his entire life. He attended the neighboring district schools and as a boy took an increasing share of interest and responsibility at home. Now in addition to his ownership of the old homestead of 121 acres he had another farm of 100 acres. Both these farms are underlaid with coal.

A good citizen as well as a substantial farmer, Mr Keenan has accepted several opportunities to work in the public service. He was deputy sheriff from 1904 to 1908. In 1920 he was elected a member of the County Court for a term of six years. He is also a director of the County Farm Bureau, and a director in the Bank of Morgantown. He is a republican in politics, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is affiliated with the Junior Order United American Mechanics and the Order of Elks.

Mr. Keenan married Belinda Bowlby, who was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, daughter of James P. and Susanah (Donley) Bowlby. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Keenan is Marl, who was born June 22, 1892, and is now manager of the Fairmont Branch of the Central Automobile Corporation of Morgantown.

S. JUDSON HALL has spent practically all his life in Mon- ongalia Connty, was for a number of years a successful farmer and stockman, but for twenty years past has been actively identified with the Morgantown Ice Company, and as its general manager and treasurer has built up the industry into one of the largest ice manufacturing and distributing plants in West Virginia.

Mr. Hall was born on a farm in the Clinton District of Monongalia County, September 8, 1854, son of Ephraim B. and Elizabeth (Sonth) Hall. His father, a native of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, born in 1818, came to Monongalia County, West Virginia, when about twenty- one years of age, and first bonght a farm on the flats in Morgan District, later moved to another place in Clinton District, and after selling that went to Henry County, Illinois, and spent three years in that state. On return- ing to Monongalia County he bought a farm in Grant District, and on that place lie lived out his useful and honorable career and died in 1899, at the age. of cighty- one. He was a member of the Baptist Church. In Fayette Connty, Pennsylvania, he married for his first wife, Rhoda Ross, who died in Monongalia County. Elizabeth South, his second wife, was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, daughter of Elijah South, who moved with his family from New Jersey to Western Pennsylvania and thence to Mon- ongalia County, West Virginia. Elizabeth South Hall was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1825, and died January 16, 1908, at the age of eighty-two. Ephraim Hall was the father of ten children, one by his first marriage and nine by the second. A brief record of these children is as follows: John Ross, who lives at Laurel Point in Monongalia County; S. Judson, who was the oldest of his mother's children; Anna C., wife of Wil- liam Hess, of Monongalia County; Elijah Benton, of Morgantown; Ira Ephraim of Morgantown; William P., of Glendale, California; Jesse Spurgeon, of Columbus, Ohio; Squire Thurman, deceased; Joseph Milton, of Penns- boro, West Virginia; and George M., who lives in Glendale, California.

S. Judson Håll spent his early life on his father's farm. His advantages in the district schools were supplemented by two years as a student in West Virginia University at Morgantown. For several years he taught country school. This was during the period that he was attending the uni-

S Judson Hall

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veraity and afterward. Following his university and teach- ing career he took up farming as his regular pursuit, and gradually broadened his enterprise as a stock raiser and lumber dealer in the Battelle Distriet, where be re- mained until 1900. On leaving the farm and going to Morgantown Mr. Hall in 1901 became an employe of the Morgantown Iee Company, in 1905 he bought the con- trolling interest in the company and has ainee been the general manager of the business. This company was in- corporated in 1901. Mr. Hall is also a director in the Commercial Bank of Morgantown, and is a member of the Baptist Church and the Morgantown Chamber of Commeree.

In 1877 he married Mary J. Coen, who died in 1850, leaving a daughter, Isabelle. This daughter is the wife of Lafayette Glover, formerly of Wetzel County, West Vir- ginia, and they now live in Lakeland, Florida, and have three children, Mary, Arthur and Honor. In 1881 Mr. Hall married Mary E. Haught, of Menongalia County, daughter of Wilson and Sarah E. (Harter) Haught. To the second marriage were born seven children: Guy Allen, born Sep- tember 11, 1882, is assistant manager of the Morgantown Ice Company, and by his marriage to Ola Sanders has two children, Mary Catherine and Sarah Jane. Annie Laurie, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is the wife of John Ramer Hall, of Monongalia County, and they now live in Morgantown. Their children are Vio- let, Cecil, Mary, Myrtle, and John Ramer. The third ehild, Viola M., a successful business woman and member of The Daughters of the American Revolution, is the wife of John Campbell, a graduate of Kentucky State University. To their marriage was born one daughter, Ellen Marie. Iva Raye is the wife of Hermas L. Lough, of Morgantown, and the mother of Lelia, Eleanor, Hildred and Hermas Hall. Osear Judson is an assistant manager of the Morgantown Iee Company and by his marriage to Nell Herod, has one son, Jack Herod. Golda Elizabeth, a graduate of Morgan- town High School, West Virginia University, and a mem- ber of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is the wife of Robert Patton White, a graduate of Washington- Irving High School and West Virginia. To them was born one son, Robert Patton, Junior. The youngest, Leila Bent, a graduate of Morgantown High School, is the wife of Ernest Blaine Wells, a graduate of Tyler County High School, West Virginia University and received a master 'a degree from Kansas Agricultural College. To their mar- riage was born one aon, Robert Blaine.

ORMAN DELMONT SCHAFER has for fifteen years been one of the akilled men in the service of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company at Morgantown. He is a native er West Virginia, and directly and collaterally connected with several of the old families of the Menongalia District.

He was born at Laurel Point in the Grant Distriet of Monengalia County, December 28, 1882, son of John C. and Miranda Estelle (Hildebrand) Schafer. His parents are still living and his father was born in Grant Distriet, August 3, 1853, son of Peter and Anna (Gray) Schafer, while the mother was born at White Day in Grant Distriet, April 6, 1854. They are the parents of two children. The older, Zenas, is the widow of the late Jesse HI. Henry, of a prominent family of Monongalia County whose record is given on other pages. Mrs. Henry is the mother of E. Wayne Henry, of Morgantown.

Orman Delmont Schafer apent his early life on the old farm at Laurel Point. He attended distriet school, grad- uated from public school with a diploma in 1899, and fel- lowing that for several years did farm work and also was employed on loek and dam construction on the Upper Me- nongahela River. In 1904 he became weighmaster at the Round Bottom Coal Mine, but in April, 1906, removed to Morgantown and entered the service of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company. He was first an electrical crane man, then electrical engineer, electrical inspecter of the plant, then tracer and shipping clerk, and for several years past has had the responsible duties of foreman of shear- men and opening department.

Mr. Schafer is a justly popular citizen in Morgantown,

activa in civic and social affairs, la affiliated with Morgan. town Union Lodge No. 4, A. F. and A. M., with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Methodist Church.

November 19, 1904, he married Miss Effie Edna De Vault, who was born in Clinton District of Monongalin County, daughter of James A. and Mary (Stansbury ) De Vault. Mr. and Mrs. Schafer are the parents of five children: Benton Delmont, who was born November 30, 1905, and is in the class of 1922 at the Morgantown lligh School; Mildred Carlotta, born December 20, 1907; Mary Zoe, born March 22, 1910; John Vernon, born January 29, 1912; and James Clement, born December 4, 1917.

While his time has been fully taken up with the prac tical side of business and industry, Mr. Schafer has also contrived to develop his artistic talents, and his favorite hobby is pastel work, much of which has been accorded recognition by competent erities. He has n fine collection of paintings. The son, Benton, has shown marked abioty as a cartoon artist, and is improving his talents with a view to making a profession of enrtoon work. A more detailed information of the paternal family may be found in the sketch of E. Wayne Henry and of the maternal fam- ily in that of Clement C. Hildebrand elsewhere in this werk.

MILLER WATSON REED has been active in the civic and business life of Morgantown for a quarter of a century He is a building contractor with a large volume of work to his eredit, and is also president of the Athens Lumber Company.

He was born on a farm five miles frem Morgantown, in the Union District of Monongalia County, April I, 1860, son of John and Harriet ( Ross) Reed. Jis paternal grand parents were William and Lydia (Watson) Reed, the lat ter attaining the age of ninety six. The maternal grand parents were Enoch and Elizabeth (Miller) Ross. John Reed was born in Monongalia County in 1522, and died on his farm in Union District in 1993, at the nge of eighty. one, having devoted all his active years to his farm and to the discharge of his duties as a good citizen. His wife, Harriet Ross, now living at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in her ninety-eighth year, was born in Greene County, l'ennay] vania, but was brought as an infant to Monongalia County. They were active members of the Methodist Protestant and Church of the Brethren, respectively. To their marriage were born ten ehildren: Ross E., a resident of Monongalla County; Josephine, who died in infaney ; James Quinter, who died in August, 1917; Newton, who died as a child ; Omizine W., of Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Belle Olive, wife of James P. Brand of Salem, West Virginia; Miller W .; Idella, whose first husband was Elliot Stewart, and she is now the widow of Jefferson Wallis, of Uniontown; Round. whe died at the age of twenty -one; and II. Clara, the wife of John G. Gibbs, of Uniontown.

Miller Watson Reed grew up on the home farm and had a common-school education. When he left home at the age of twenty-one he learned the tradle of carpenter, started as a journeyman, and in 1896 loented in Morgantown, and has since performed an important service and done a large business as a building contractor. He was one of the or. ganizers of the Athens Lumber Company in 1904, was a directer, and since 1905 has been its president. Mr. Reed served one term as a member of the Morgantown City Couneil, and he is a trustee of the Church of the Brethren.

At Markleysburg, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Mr. Reed was united in marriage with Miss Susana Thomas, a native of Fayette County. Three children were born to this union, but all died in infancy.

RUSSELL AUBRAY WILBOURN. What is probably the larg. est single plant and enterprise devoted to cold storage handling of produce and the manufacture of ice and ice cream in West Virginia, is owned by the R. A. Wilbourn Company, Incorporated, of Morgantown. The president and general manager of this corporation is Rossell Anbray Wilbourn, a man of remarkable energy who has been step- ping upward from the ranks since early boyhood and has exhibited a wonderful resourcefulness aad initiative at every successive stage of his commercial career.

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Mr. Wilbourn was born on a farm in Nelson County, Virginia, March 29, 1881. His father, Robert Willis Wil- bourn, was a native of the same county and spent his active years in commercial lines. Robert W. Wilbourn married Elizabeth Hill, a native of Nelson County. Her family was an old and wealthy one in Virginia, but its fortunes were wrecked by the Civil war. She died in 1905.

Russell A. Wilbourn was the youngest child of his par- ents and lived on their farm until he was ten years of age. lie acquired only such education as was afforded by the common schools. His commercial instinct was aruused at an early date, and at the age of fourteen he and a brother were partners in a retail grocery business. Thus, though unly a little past forty years of age, Mr. Wilbourn has spent fully a quarter of a century in active business life.

He has been a resident of Morgantown since 1901. In the fall of that year he engaged in the retail grocery business, and sold out his store in 1907. He then took up the wholesale produce business, starting uu a modest scale and with only such capital as he could individually com- mand. His experience and training enabled him rapidly to reach out for business and develop a growing concern, and in 1913 the R. A. Wilbourn Company was incorporated. At that time the plant was erected, probably the largest and best equipped produce and cold storage, ice and ice cream manufacturing plant in the state. The company buys by car-load lots and employs a number of traveling repre- sentatives, who cover the adjacent territory uf Monongalia and Preston counties in West Virginia and Greene and Fayette counties in Pennsylvania. The business of this firm is essentially a monument to Mr. Wilbourn's business acumen and the remarkable concentration of his efforts over a period of years.

He is one of Morgantown's popular citizens, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and of Morgantown Lodge No. 411, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Wilbourn married Bess Gregg. She was born in Morgan- town, daughter of the late Thomas Gregg and sister of John M. Gregg, banker and county official. Mr. aud Mrs. Wilbourn have three children: Robert Gregg, born in 1905, graduated from high school in 1921 and is now attending the University of West Virginia; Margaret, born in 1912; and Russell Aubray, Jr., born in 1918.

WILLIAM HARVEY BRAND, president of the County Farm Bureau of Monongalia County and a former sheriff, has been closely and influentially identified with the agricultural and public interests of this section of West Virginia for many years. He was born in the county, represents one of its old and honored families, and his activities and services have made him a conspicuous figure.

His great-grandfather, John Brand, married Jane Mc- Cray, and of the eight children of their uniou one was James Brand, who was born October 5, 1788. He married Elizabeth Wade, and they became the parents of twelve children.

Edmond Warren Brand, father of William H. Brand, was born at Laurel Point, Grant District, Monongalia County, January 20, 1838. His business was farming, but he also participated in local politics, was deputy sheriff, justice of the peace, and for two terms a member of the County Board. He was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and was a devout Baptist. He died December 25, 1899, and his wife, on September 2, 1910. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Shafer, daughter of Jacob Shafer, of Monongalia County. Their four children were Frank, now deceased; Anna B., wife of S. D. Furman; Ella M., who was married to James W. Scott; and William Harvey.

William Harvey Brand was born on his father's farm at Laurel Point in Grant District, October 23, 1867. His edu- cation was attained in the local schools and he had a good training in agricultural pursuits at home. In 1888, at the age of twenty-one, he became a salesman for farming im- plements, his territory being Monongalia County. In 1897 he was appointed deputy sheriff, filling that office one term. He was elected high sheriff in 1908, and spent one term in that office. Mr. Brand was also elected a member of the County Court for a term of six years, but after two years he resigned in order to give his full attention to his farming

interests. A leader in agricultural matters, he was the gen- eral choice for the office of president when the County Farm Bureau was organized in 1916, and has since continued in office for five years. He was for four years president of the School Board of Morgantown District. Mr. Brand in 1901 bought and moved to a farm in Union District, but he sold this property in 1911 and acquired his present fine farm in Morgantown District. He is a general farmer and livestock raiser, and thoroughly progressive in all his methods. He is also a director of the Farmers and Merchants Bank and the Bank of Morgantown. He aud the family are members of the Baptist Church.

June 14, 1893, Mr. Brand married Inez Lough, daughter of Ellery J. Lough. They are the parents of four children: Everett W., born December 19, 1894, married Clara Wilbour; Dessie, born April 1, 1898, is the wife of Carl Kinnan; Archie Camden, born September 16, 1902, married Bessie Matson; and Willis Delmont, born January 22, 1904, the youngest, is attending Fork Union Military School in Virginia. He is quite an athlete being a regular player on the football, basketball and baseball teams.

AUGUSTUS ALLEN HAMILTON, JR. While he carries about as heavy a burden of practical and technical responsibilities as any mining superintendent in Logan County, Mr. Hamil- ton is widely known over the southern district of the state for his effective leadership in civic and business lines.

Mr. Hamilton is general superintendent of the Lyburn and Wilburn mines for the Richcreek Coal Company in Logan County. He came to the Logan coal fields from the New River fields on November 1, 1906, and his first active connection here was with the Yuma mines controlled by the Robertson Interests of Shamokin, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Hamilton was born on his father's farm at Keslers Cross Lanes in Nicholas County, West Virginia, June 1, 1886, son of Augustus Allen and Ada Ann (Campbell) Hamilton. He was only an infant when his mother died. His father, now seventy-three and living at the old home- stead, is a son of Col. David R. Hamilton, who was a Confederate veteran in the war between the states and a member of an old family of Rockbridge County, Virginia. A. A. Hamilton, Sr., has been a prosperous farmer, has a fine home, and is very much interested in the democratic politics of his section of the state. A. A. Hamilton, Jr., has a brother, John David, who remains at the old home- stead. Mr. Hamilton acquired a good general education in the public schools and the normal at Summerville. His early ambition was to enter the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and he prepared for the examination, but at that stage his father objected and in consequence he pre- pared for a business career by taking a commercial course at Charleston in 1904. On leaving college he had a clerical position with the MeKell Coal Company on Loup Creek, and then in 1906 came to Logan County for the Yuma Coal and Coke Company as pay roll clerk. He also was book- keeper and assistant superintendent, was promoted to superintendent, and in 1917 became general superintendent for the Lyburn and Wilburn mines.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 2, Part 51

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