History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 10

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James Henry Bowman acquired his education at Bridge- port, completing the sophomore year in the high school there. At the age of twelve he began working during the summer vacations in the Crystal Glass factory at Bridge- port. When he left high school, at the age of fourteen, he continued steady employment in this glass factory until he was eighteen, becoming an expert in the trade. As a means of self advancement he has completed and received two diplomas for engineering courses with the International Correspondence School of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and also completed a course of business management with the same school. In 1906 Mr. Bowman entered the employ of the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company, the Etna Works at Bridgeport, and for eighteen months was employed in matching and pair heating. For about a year he was with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company as car repairer, brakeman and fireman. From July, 1909, to March 1910, he was with the Imperial Glass House at Bellaire. At the latter date Mr. Bowman entered the service of the Whitaker- Glessner Company as tracer in the engineering department, and since September 22, 1919, has been engineer of the Wheeling Corrugating Department. His official dutiea are with the Wheeling plant at the east end of Seventeenth Street.

Mr. Bowman is a republican, a Presbyterian, is affiliated with Bridgeport Lodge No. 181, F. & A. M., and also with Penny Tent, Knights of the Maccabees. He is a stock- holder in the Bridgeport Savings & Loan Company, and he owns a home at 611 Main Street there.

December 14, 1911, at Bridgeport, Mr. Bowman married Miss Neva Jane Burke, daughter of Frank and May (Pool) Burke. Her mother lives at Bridgeport. Her father was a police officer in that city and was accidently killed by a freight train in 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Bowman have two children: Eleanor Marie, born July 19, 1915, and Richard Thomas, born September 28, 1918.

GEORGE TALBOTT BUCHANAN is postmaster of Wellsburg, having been aaaiatant postmaster under his father, the late

Talhott H. Buchanan. Four generations of the Buchana family have been represented in the Northern Panhandl of West Virginia.

They are Scotch Highlanders, Robert Buchanan comin here and locating on a farm in Brooke County when his so Robert, grandfather of the Wellsburg postmaster, was a lac They acquired land in Independence Township, and Rober lived there until his death at the age of seventy. His 80 Thomas lived out his life on the same farm. Talbott B Buchanan was born on the old homestead in 1864, and i was his home until he sold the place in the early '80s an moved to Wellsburg. Here he was in the wholesale grocer business under the firm name of Brown and Buchanan unt the death of Mr. Brown about 1895. Soon afterward Talbott H. Buchanan became deputy sheriff. He wa deputy at the time of the noted trial of Van Baker. Bake was the first man ever sentenced to life imprisonment fror Brooke County. Later Talbott H. Buchanan engaged i the insurance business, and soon after the election of Presiden Wilson was appointed postmaster of Wellsburg and fille that office until his death on Easter Sunday, 1917. Th site of the present Post Office was secured during his admin istration. He was a vestryman and warden of Christ Episcopal Church, and his widow is very active in church affairs. He married Julia Burley of Moundsville, also c an old Scotch family prominently connected with othe West Virginia families. She is living in her fiftieth year.

George Talbott Buchanan, only child of his parents, wa horn at Wellsburg May 28, 1890. He acquired a publi school education, and was about twenty-three years of ag when he became assistant postmaster under his father. Hi father was succeeded by Henry Zilliken, who died on Christ mas Day, 1917, and in May, 1918, George T. Buchanan wa appointed his successor, receiving his commission unde Wilson'a second administration. The Wellsburg Post Offic building was completed ready for occupancy in December 1916, costing about $80,000.00. The appropriation for th Federal Building at Wellsburg was secured while the lat W. P. Hubbard was in Congress. The Post Office ha' fifteen employes, with four rural carriers. Mr. Buchana is also official custodian of the building. Soon after hi appointment as postmaster he was called to the colors, o August 3, 1918, and was in service at Camp Lee and For Moultrie, South Carolina. He had an active part in all th loan drives, though the Victory Loan was made while h. was in the army. His office well upheld its share of respon sibility in the sale of stamps.

July 23, 1919, Mr. Buchanan married Jane Simpsor She was born at Pittsburgh, but as a child was taken to Han ilton, Canada, where her father, George A. Simpson, for number of years has been sales manager for the Canadia Steel Company. Mrs. Buchanan is an active member c church and social clubs at Wellsburg. Mr. Buchanan is past master of Wellsburg Lodge No. 2, F. and A. M., i affiliated with West Virginia Consistory No. 1 of the Scottis' Rite, Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine and a member c the local team of nine members doing the work of two c' the degrees of the Scottish Rite. He is a vestryman an treasurer of Christ Episcopal Church.

ORLO A. LUCAS is the vice president and general manage of the Fulton Manufacturing Company, which conducts on of the leading industrial enterprises at Richwood, Nichola County. He was born at Morley, Michigan, October 17 1888, and is a son of Alexander and Ida J. (Dodge) Lucas both likewise natives of Michigan, where the former wa born at Carlton Center, Barry County, September 6, 1859 and the latter, at Saginaw, December 21, 1865, the respec tive families having been founded in the Wolverine Stat in the pioneer period of its history. Alexander Lucas, ; son of Thomas and Sarah Lucaa, was reared on a pionee Michigan farm, and as a youth he became identified wit railroad operations, with which he continued to be activel, associated for a period of twenty-three years. He the: engaged in farm enterprise in an independent way, an since his retirement he and his wife have maintained thei home in the beautiful little City of Coldwater, judicial cen ter of Branch County, Michigan, where his wife is an ear

O.a. Lucas

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

nest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of their four children the first born, Myron H., is deceased; Orlo A., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Miss Reva C. remains at the paternal home; and Lester M. is, in 1922, a student in the University of Michigan.

In the public schools of Michigan Orlo A. Lucas contin- ued his studies until his graduation from the high school, and thereafter he continued his residence in his native state until July, 1905, when he established his residence at Rich- wood, West Virginia, where he became a stockholder and office executive of the Fulton Manufacturing Company, of which he is now vice president aud general manager, his experience in this connection having covered the various practical details of the manufacturing. H. H. Steele is president of the company, and W. B. Headley is its secretary and treasurer. The board of directors includes the execu- tive officers and also Mrs. H. H. Steele and Herbert J. Beadle.

Mr. Lucas is actively affiliated with the Masonic frater- nity, in which he is a member of Richwood Lodge No. 122, A. F. and A. M .; Richwood Chapter No. 37, R. A. M .; Sut- con Commandery No. 16, Knights Templars; Beni-Kedem Temple, Mystic Shrine, in the City of Charleston; and the West Virginia Consistory of the Scottish Rite at Wheeling, n which he has received the thirty-second degree. He is a ast noble grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, und is a republican in political proclivities. His wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. Lucas married Miss Mary S. Meadows, of Richwood, und they have two sons, C. Arnett and John E.

HARRY G. CAMPER, M. D., initiated the practice of his profession by becoming a member of the medical and eur- ical staff of the miners' hospital that is now West Vir- rinia State Hospital No. 1 at Welch, McDowell County. Ie continued his effective service as house surgeon at this hospital for a period of two years, and then engaged in the general practice of his profession at Welch, where he has eveloped a professional business and established a reputa- ion that mark him as one of the representative physicians nd surgeons of McDowell County. In 1912 he graduated. rom the Baltimore Medical College, which is now the medi- al department of the University of Maryland, and after hus receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine be soon ame to Welch, as noted above. He has taken post-gradu- te courses in the medical schools of the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University and the University f Maryland, and while thus at the University of Pennsyl- ania he devoted his entire time to the study of anatomy. le is a specially skilled and resourceful surgeon and gives pecial attention to surgical practice. He is serving in 921-2 as county coroner and as a member of the West Vir- inia State Board of Medical Examinere. The doctor keeps illy in line with the advances made in medical and sur- ical science, is a close student and is affiliated with the merican Medical Association, the Southern Medical Asso- ation, the West Virginia State Medical Society and the IcDowell County Medical Society. He is a Knight Tem- lar and Scottish Rite Mason, and is affiliated also with the cal lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. oth he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian hurch. Doctor Camper is recognized as one of the lead- g surgeons of this part of the state, and his private offices 'e the best equipped in McDowell County.

At Norfolk, Virginia, in 1914, Doctor Camper was united marriage to Miss Lena Harrell, daughter of J. J. and lizabeth Harrell, both natives of North Carolina. Doc- r and Mrs. Camper have no children.

Of English and German lineage, Doctor Camper was born Salem, Virginia, June 29, 1884, and is a son of John H. id Mary Elizabeth (Morgan) Camper, the former a native Virginia and the latter of what is now West Virginia. ihn H. Camper, a scion of a family early founded in Vir- nia, became a successful farmer and merchant, served as unty magistrate and was influential in community affairs Salem, Virginia, where he continued his residence until 3 death. He was a zealous member of the Presbyterian turch, as was also his wife. He was a captain in the

Eleventh Virginia Regiment of the Confederate service in the Civil war, took part in many engagements, was severely wounded in one of his knees, an injury from which be never fully recovered, and after being captured he was held a prisoner of war at Washington, D. C., and at Johnson's Island in Lake Erie. In later years he vitalized his inter- est in his old comrades by means of his active affiliation with the United Confederate Veterans.

Doctor Camper continued his studies in the public schools of Salem, Virginia, until he had profited fully by the ad- vantages of the high school, and he then entered medical college, as recorded in a preceding paragraph. Of his ca- reer since that time adequate outline has already been en- tered in this review.

GUY E. MASTIN has found in his native county ample opportunity for the achieving of worthy success and pres- tige in connection with business enterprise of important order, and is the efficient cashier of the Virginia Bank of Commerce, one of the leading financial institutions in the City of Princeton, Mercer County. He was born in this county on the 15th of April, 1886, and is a son of William E. and Louisa N. (Karnes) Mastin, the former of whom was born in North Carolina and the latter in Mercer County, West Virginia, where the Karnes family has long been one of prominence. William E. Mastin was not only a suc- cessful farmer, but he gave fifty-three years of most effec- tive service as a teacher in the public schools. During the entire period of the Civil war he was in the mail service of the Confederate government. His commission as a mail carrier is retained by his son Guy E., who values the same as a family and historic heirloom. His service as a carrier of mail was attended by much danger and hardship inci- dental to the war, and he made a remarkable record of faithful and successful service. He was eighty-two years of age at the time of his death, and his wife survived him six years. His father and grandfather were natives of Ireland, and after coming to America the grandfather served as a soldier not only in the War of the Revolution but also the War of 1812.

Guy E. Mastin attended the public schools of Mercer County until he was fourteen years old, when he became clerk in a general store. After serving four years in this capacity he assumed a clerical position in the Princeton Post Office, in which he eventually won promotion to the position of assistant postmaster. He continued his con- nection with the Post Office for a total period of fourteen years and then, in 1917, became cashier of the Virginia Bank of Commerce, in which office his personal popularity and executive ability have been potent in furthering the upbuilding of the institution. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Moose, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and his wife holds membership in the Presbyterian Church. Her father, Rev. R. E. Redding is now pastor of the Presby- terian Church at Ocean, Virginia.

In 1911 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Mastin and Miss Fannie Redding, then a resident of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, and they have two children, Naomi and Frances.

Statements already made in this context show that Mr. Mastin is eligible for affiliation with the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and in connection with the service of his paternal great-grandfather as a Revolution- ary soldier it is interesting to record that that doughty war- rior was in the same boat with General Washington in the historic crossing of the Delaware River. The father of Mr. Mastin served as a fifer in the Mexican war.

MRS. CHARLOTTE M. EVANS, a resident of the Pruntytown fommunity of Taylor County, representa three prominent camily names of the county. She is a descendant of the Windle and Fleming families, while her husband's people were among the first pioneers to conquer the wilderness of West Virginia.

Her paternal grandparents were Thomas J. and Charlotte (Muse) Windle. The former, a native of Pennsylvania and of Quaker stock, came to Upshur County near Buck-

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

hannon about 1857, and finally moved to Taylor County, he and his wife being buried at Simpson. He was a noted stock drover as well as farmer, buying stock over a large section of the state. His children were Lewis H .; Mary, who became the wife of James B. Fleming, of Taylor County; Annie, living near Webster, widow of Marshall Lake; Thomas H., who died in Braxton County; and John M., of Greenbrier County.

Lewis H. Windle, father of Mrs. Evans, is now a retired farmer in the Webster community of Taylor County. He was born in Philadelphia May 1, 1843, and was fourteen years old when his parents settled in Upshur County. He finished his common school education there, and in the first year of the Civil war joined the Union Army in the First Virginia Volunteers. He was in the command of General Goff and also in Rosecrans' Corps. He was in the battle of Philippi and other campaigns in West Virginia and later in the heavy fighting in old Virginia. After the war he became a butcher, was then connected with coal mining, but the last thirty years of his active career were devoted to the practical side of farming.

The first wife of Lewis H. Windle was Olive Fleming, daughter of Minor S. Fleming and member of the distinguished Fleming family whose record is given more completely on other pages of this publication. When she died she left three children: Mrs. Charlotte M. Evans; Zonia May, who died at Grafton, wife of Scott Dawson; and Gussie, who is the wife of Charles Withers and lives on the Minor Fleming farm near Simpson. For his second wife Lewis Windle married Nancy Mason, daughter of Benjamin Mason, but there were no children by this union.

Charlotte M. Windle was born in the Rural Dale locality of Upshur County, but from infancy was reared near Flem- ington in Taylor County, where she acquired her public school education. At the age of nineteen she was married to John S. Evans.

This branch of the Evans family was founded by Samuel Evans, who was born in Wales about 1700, and at the age of twenty came to the American colonies, accompanied by his father, Richard . Evans. He settled near Hagerstown or Frederick, Maryland. By two marriages he was the father of twenty-two children, his son Richard being killed while fighting the British in the Revolutionary war. His son Edward, born about 1730, in Maryland, and died about 1820, also had a military record of great interest to his de- scendants. He was one of Washington's soldiers in the Braddock campaign of 1755. Through the influence of Washington he was granted in 1772 for his service a tract of land in Monongalia County. He was at Fort Augusta in 1765, and Suffel's history mentions him as a volunteer in the Revolution. He was among the Monongalia militia paid off at Fort Pitt. He settled in Monongalia County probably in 1779 or 1780. At that time Edward Evans was one of those who received a portion of land allotted by General Washington in pursuance of a proclamation of Governor Dunmore in December, 1772. In 1780 he made a declaration that he was a member of the "Old Virginia" regiment in 1756, this confirming his allotment. The records of old Augusta County show the allotment and give further proof of his service in the French and Indian war. His old powder-horn, carried through the war for independence, is now owned by R. E. Campbell of Georgetown, Ohio, and bears the monogram "E. E." and date September, 1775.

The children of the pioneer Edward Evans were: Eleanor, who married Robert Patton; Hugh; Catherine, who became Mrs. Jeptha Wilkins; Samuel, who married Harriet Wilson; and Priscilla, who became the wife of John Wilkins. The son Hugh was born in 1769 and died in Preston County in 1873, when well past the century mark. He was at one time sheriff of Preston County. He married Sarah Thomas. Of their seven children Samuel, born in 1800 and died in 1889, married Sarah Means, and of their eight children the last survivor was Isaac Evans of Fetterman.

Hugh Evans, also a son of Samuel and Sarah (Means) Evans, was born in 1830 in the Evansville community of Preston County, and became a resident of Fetterman in Taylor County. He was in the Government service as & butcher during the Civil war, but his active years were de-

voted to farming. He was sheriff of Taylor County, and widely known as a citizen. He died at the age of forty-two. His first wife was Mary Am-na Shroyer, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Miller) Shroyer, and the only child of that union was John S. Evans. By his second wife, Mary Jean Jones, he had a daughter, Mary, now Mrs. Cleophus Woodford, of Grafton.

John Shroyer Evans was born at Fetterman in Taylor County January 26, 1856, and secured his early education there and at Knottsville. After his marriage to Miss Char- lotte Windle March 13, 1887, he concentrated his efforts upon the farm where Mrs. Evans now lives. Stock and dairy farming was his chief work, and he improved one of the most attractive places along the Grafton-Pruntytown Pike. He died at his home here July 21, 1910. He had served on the local Board of Education, was trustee of the Fetterman Methodist Episcopal church and was a democrat in politics. John S. Evans was thrice married. First, in 1878 to Dora, daughter of James Allen and Mary Ellen (Ford) Bartlett. She died in March, 1880, but this union was blessed with one daughter, Myrtle. On May 9, 1882, he married Susan, daughter of John and Sallie (Curry) Sinsel. Her death occurred in November, 1883. His daughter Myrtle completed her home school education and became the wife of O. L. Scranage. Their present home is on a portion of the home farm, and Gladys, their eldest daughter, is now a student of West Virginia University.

Mrs. Evans has given her life to her children and her nome. Her daughters are leaving their mark and influence on West Virginia education, and her only son besides carrying on the activities left by his father has a record of service in the World war. Mary, her oldest daughter, was educated in the Broaddus Institute, West Virginia University, and is a graduate of the Fairmont State Normal, and is now prin- cipal of the West Virginia Industrial School for Boys. Lulu is a graduate of the Grafton High School and the Fairmont State Normal, attended summer sessions of West Virginia University, and is one of the teachers in the First Ward school of Grafton. Sallie Evans, after graduating from the Grafton High School and getting her A. B. degree from the State University, taught four years, and then married Frank E. Lyon, of Michigan, and is now living in Ontario, Canada. Harriet, a graduate of the Grafton High School and of Mar- shall College of Huntington, was a teacher in Grafton three years before her marriage to C. B. Shingleton of Clarksburg, West Virginia. Their present home is in Charleroi, Pennsyl- vania, and they are the proud parents of one baby daughter Charlotte Ann. Alma supplemented her high school course at Grafton with two years in the University, taught a year in rural schools and then became teacher of French and Latin in the Harrisville High School. Olive Ada, a graduate of the Grafton High School and the West Virginia Wesleyan College, had a year and a half of teaching experience, and is now the wife of L. F. Damron, of Huntington. Annie Laurie, the youngest daughter, completed the high school course at Grafton in 1921 and is now taking nurses' training in the Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Hugh Evans, the only son, grew up at the old home farm and early took an interest in the dairy and stock. He was educated in the Pruntytown public school and had a commer- cial course at Grafton. At the beginning of May, 1918, he volunteered, was assigned to Company A of the 401st Engi- neers, was trained at Richmond, Virginia, and Fort Ogle- thorpe, Georgia, and from Long Island went overseas on the transport Leviathan, the converted liner Vaterland. After landing at Brest the 401st Engineers were sent to Charms, then to Le Mans for equipment, and were engaged in construction of pontoon bridges just behind one of the advanced lines when the armistice was signed. The regiment was under the direct command of Major General Alexander, commander of the Forty-second or Rainbow Division. Hugh Evans became a sergeant in his company. His farthest east was in Belgium, forty miles from Brussels. February 22, 1919, he sailed from St. Nazaire, France, on the U. S. S. Mongolia, arriving at New York March 7th, was at Camp Merritt where the contingent was broken up, and he was sent to Camp Meade for discharge. He left Camp Meade March 29th, and arrived at Grafton late the same day

graph Moreland

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

Since the war he has been handling the responsibilities of the 10me farm. He is vice commander of Taylor County Post No. 78 of the American Legion.

GENERAL THOMAS BARTLETT, funeral director, head of he Bartlett and Bolin Company of Grafton, has spent the greater part of his active life in commercial lines, and has een a resident of Grafton over a dozen years.

He was born in Pleasant Creek District, Barbour County, October 9, 1878. His grandfather, Thomas Bartlett, was native of Taylor County, and spent his last years on Pleasant Creek in Barbour County. His wife was Jemimah Bartlett, ind their children were: Effie G .; David; Benjamin; Matilda Chenowith; Mrs. Elizabeth Cole; Sarah, who married C. M. Davis; Virginia, who married Greenberry Carter; Mary, who married William Lake; Mrs. Josephine Davis and Joseph, wins.

Joseph Bartlett, father of the Grafton business man, and low a retired farmer at Bridgeport, was born near Webster, West Virginia, February 10, 1857. He married Laura J. Smith, daughter of Jehu Smith. Their children are: General Thomas; Ithamer J., of Fairmont; W. Howard, of Bridgeport; Ethel, wife of Herman Shutts, principal of the high school t Masontown; Mrs. Eva Stewart, of Bridgeport; Zada, at Bridgeport; Bruce E. and Orbit J. of St. Albans.

G. T. Bartlett spent the first fourteen years of his life on tis father's farm in Pleasant Creek District, after which the amily lived a few years near Simpson in the Court House District and then near Webster in the same district. Hig ncreasing strength was utilized on the farm while getting in education in the local schools, and he also attended the Fairmont State Normal two years and did one year of pre- aratory work for the law in West Virginia University. For three years he was one of the well qualified teachers in he Knottsville and Flemington districts, and abandoned chool work to become an employe of the Fairmont Coal Company, beginning at the bottom and performing such luties as mule-driving, car-greasing and coal-dumping. Ie barely escaped with his life in a mine accident, and Abruptly left the work to seek a position in the New England Store at Watson. The following year he learned many of he fundamentals of merchandising. About that time the Fairmont Coal Company absorbed the John A. Clark Coal Company, and Mr. Bartlett was transferred to manager of the company store at Chiefton. Altogether he gave his ervice to the company for seven years, and left to engage n the furniture and undertaking business at Bridgeport. Ie was there a year, and then established himself in a similar ine at Grafton. About twelve years later the furniture lepartment was discontinued, and the Bartlett & Bolin Company now employs all its resources for undertaking.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 10

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