History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 129

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WILLIAM A. BEAVERS, president of the First National Bank of Grafton, is one of the most versatile business men in the state. He is a man who has thriven on hard work, and has remained unspoiled by prosperity. Since coming to Grafton his supporting energy has been a factor in the success of practically every organized movement for more business and more of the substantial facilities for a growing city.

Mr. Beavers was born near Rowlesburg in Preston County, May 4, 1870. His grandfather, Thomas Beavers was born and reared and married in the vicinity of Rowles- burg, and finally moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and died, when upwards of eighty years of age, at the home 01 his - son David in Kingwood, West Virginia. His sons George W., David and Moses C., all remain in Prestor County, while Coleman and Jacob are residents of Pitts burgh, and Franklin is in Tucker County, West Virginia The five daughters, Susan, Nancy, Hannah, Lizzie anc Sarah, all live in Pittsburgh.

George W. Beavers, father of the Grafton banker, was born on Buffalo Creek in Preston County in 1847. He had only the advantages of the common schools in that neigh borhood, and he saw some service as an enlisted man ir the Union army before the close of the Civil war, in Com pany K, Sixth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. After moving to Tunnelton he became identified with the mer cantile firm of Shaffer & Bonafield, and when they retired he entered merchandising for himself, and continued to sell goods until he gave up active business recently. H. married Jennie Jones. Her father, Fielden R. Jones, wa: a native of Frederick County, Virginia, and spent his active career as a miller on Buffalo Creek, near Rowlesburg .. Thi children of George W. Beavers and wife are: Charles, o: Pittsburgh; William A .; Arthur, of Pittsburgh; Phil, o. Tunnelton; and Clyde, of Pittsburgh.

William A. Beavers was an infant when his parents re moved to Tunnelton, and after a period of study in the common schools he entered the school of experience, fron which he has not yet graduated. When he was nine year:

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of age he began helping in the Tunnelton store of Shaffer Bonafield. At that time he could scarcely reach the top of the counter. Eight years later Mr. Bonafield sent him ;o Kingwood to become clerk for the firm of Shaffer, Brown & Company, with whom he remained two years. He and William Faucett then became retail dealers in general merchandise under the firm name of Beavers and Faucett, purchasing the business of Bishop and Flynn. After two rears they sold out, and Mr. Beavers then set up in general merchandising at Albright for a year, and after selling, established his home at Terra Alta. During the next five years he was on the road as salesman over the territory east of Grafton for Ruhl & Company, wholesale grocers. The next stage of his experience was his association with J. A. Pugh in the firm of Pugh & Beavers, each of the partners putting in a modest capital and working hard to levelop a trade as wholesale grocers. Their enterprise prospered, and after a few years they bought the Morgan- own Grocery Company, but soon sold it to the General Distributing Company, which was then operating a chain of wholesale grocery houses in this region. Mr. Beavers ind Mr. Pugh remained with the firm, but soon became lissatisfied, and they bought back the Terra Alta house and the Grafton Grocery Company, reorganizing their busi- less as the Pugh & Beavers Grocery Company. This com- any soon bought the Randolph Company at Elkins from the same people, incorporating it also in the Pugh & Beavers Grocery Company. These several wholesale and jobbing plants they continued until recently, the Terra Alta house being sold in 1918 and the Elkins house a year ater.

Mr. Beavers has been a business man and resident of Grafton since 1905, in which year he removed from Terra Alta. In addition to his wholesale business his interests lave rapidly extended to banking and to financial and official connections with a large number of successful busi- less concerns. He became a stockholder in the Terra Alta Bank, and when the First National Bank of that place was organized he soon took stock and became a director. He is still one of the stockholders. He is a stockholder in he Tunnelton Bank, the Taylor County Bank at Grafton, he Flemington Bank, Clarksburg Trust Company, Mer- ·hants National Bank of Clarksburg, the Fairmont State Bank and is financially interested in a number of other business concerns. He is a stockholder and director of the Piedmont Grocery Company and a director of the Tygarts Fraction Company. Mr. Beavers was elected a director of he First National Bank of Grafton upon the death of Mr. Malonee, and on the death of Mr. Reynolds, who succeeded Mr. Malonee as president, Mr. Beavers was elected presi- lent of the bank about five years ago. This bank is one of the largest and most substantial financial institutions n the state, has capital of $100 000, surplus and undivided profits of $330 000, and its deposits have increased during he presidency of Mr. Beavers from $1,200,000 to $2 500,- )00. The bank has paid steady dividends from the start, ind for several years has paid twenty per cent annually. It has been noted as a paradox that the busiest men fre- quently have the most time for matters outside business. Throughout his residence at Grafton Mr. Beavers has been i worker in the city's destiny. He early became a director of the Chamber of Commerce, is a director of the West Virginia Wholesale Grocers Association, is president of he Boy Scout Council, one of the board of trustees of Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church and superintendent if the Sunday school, and was for four years a member und four and a half years president of the Grafton Board of Education, retiring from that office in July, 1921. While he was a member the city high school was con- tructed, equipped and furnished at a cost of $115,000, a igure that was a gratifying evidence to the taxpayers that .n important work of this kind could be completed as effi- iently and economically as a similar work for private ndividuals. Other improvements in school systems during he same period included the installation of new toilets in .ll the seven schools, and the general elevation of the tandard of school work.

During the World war Mr. Beavers was chairman of the

County Council of Defense, chairman of the Four-Minute Men, and the fact that the county went far "over the top" in every drive showed how thoroughly Taylor had been organized among the counties of the state. Mrs. Beavers was a leader in the advisory and other work of the Red Cross, being a committee chairman. Mr. Beavers is a past vice president of the Rotary Club. He was reared in a republican home, cast his first vote for presi- dent for Benjamin Harrison, but outside of local and mu- nicipal affairs he has never entered politics as a candidate. Soon after moving to Grafton Mr. Beavers entered upon his Masonic career, is a member of Mystic Lodge No. 75, A. F. and A. M., Copestone Chapter No. 12, R. A. M., De Molay Commandery No. 11, is a past eminent com- mander of Grafton Commandery, a member of West Vir- ginia Consistory No. 1 at Wheeling, and has been assistant director for many years in the Mystic Shrine at Wheeling and recently has been appointed director of the class.

In Preston County, September 10, 1891, Mr. Beavers married Miss Ethel Gertrude Field, who was born in Penn- sylvania in May, 1871. Her father, A. E. Field, was a lumberman who moved from Pennsylvania to Preston County. Mrs. Beavers finished her education in West Vir- ginia Normal School and taught two years in Preston County. With her husband she has been associated with the work of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the For- eign Missionary Society, of which she is president, is the third largest organization of the kind in the Morgantown district. She is a past worthy matron of the Eastern Star, and during her time of office organized the Eastern Star Club.

Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Beavers: Jessie, who is now the wife of Dr. Howard T. Phillips, of Wheeling, West Virginia, and they have a son, Howard T., Jr. The daughter, Bernice, died at the age of sixteen. William A. Beavers, Jr., is a student in the Grafton High School. The residence of Mr. and Mrs. Beavers is a generous home, substantial in its comforts, but withont any effort at ornateness or display. It is a family home where deep human sympathy abounds and where genuine friend- ships are exchanged. In an important sense this home is the culmination of the career of a man who started life as a boy with complete poverty of all those resources outside of human character and striving ambition.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SHUTTLEWORTH, M. D. Few men of medicine are better known in Harrison County than Dr. Ben- jamin Franklin Shuttleworth, who has been engaged in the practice of his calling at Clarksburg for seventeen years, and whose splendid professional application to the duties and responsibilities of his vocation have gained him a position high in its ranks and equally high in the confidence of his fellow-townsmen. While a general practitioner, he has given special attention to internal medicine, and is at pres- ent acting as medical inspector of the Clarksburg public schools.

Doctor Shuttleworth was born at Clarksburg, July 17, 1877, one of the eleven childern born to Benjamin Frank- lin and Mary Rebecca (Blair) Shuttleworth, the former a native of Harrison County, West Virginia, and the lat- ter of Augusta County, Virginia. Notley Shuttleworth, the paternal grandfather of the doctor, was in his day a prom- inent and successful business man of Clarksburg and a man of influence in civic affairs, in which he took a help- ful and constructive interest.

Benjamin Franklin Shuttleworth, of this review, was reared at Clarksburg, where he attended the public schools, after leaving which he took a preparatory literary course at the West Virginia State University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1901. He then entered Jefferson Medical College, and obtained his Doctor of Med- icine degree in 1905. He has twice returned to this insti- tution for post-graduate work. Doctor Shuttleworth be- gan his professional career at Clarksburg, where he has gained a very desirable and representative practice, and has long ranked with the leaders of his profession. He occupies offices at 126 West Main Street. If any branch of his profession may be said to receive more of his

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attention than another it is that of internal medicine, in which he has won more than a local reputation and is frequently called into consultation in cases of this kind.

Doctor Shuttleworth is a member of the medical staff of St. Mary's Hospital, where he has the full and unques- tioned confidence of his professional associates. For sev- eral years he has had the responsibility of caring for the hygiene and health conditions of the children of the city in the capacity of medical inspector of the Clarksburg pub- lic schools. He is likewise a member of the West Vir- ginia State Public Health Council, local surgeon for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, physician and surgeon for the Consolidation Coal Company and medical consultant for the Hope Gas Company. He belongs to the Harrison County Medical Society, of which he was president in 1919; the West Virginia State Medical Society, of which he was first vice president in 1919; the American Medical Asso- eiation and the American Congress on Internal Medicine. Doctor Shuttleworth is a Mason and an Elk. In the Scot- tish Rite branch of Masonry.he has attained the thirty- second degree, and in the York Rite, the Chapter degree, and is also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. In politics he is a republican, but politics has played only a small part in his career, although as a public-spirited citizen be has interested himself in civic matters in an endeavor to se- eure the election of able officials and the passage of worthy legislation. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian ( hurch, and he has always supported worthy religious and charitable movements.

In 1907 Doctor Shuttleworth was united in marriage with Miss Rachael Faris, of Clarksburg. She is a daughter of Samuel S. and Sallie (Davisson) Faris, and was born at Bridgeport, West Virginia. Doctor and Mrs. Shuttleworth occupy a pleasant residence at Clarksburg.

MAJ. H. W. HUNTIR. The career of the late Major Hunter of Moundsville was intimately associated with the big things in the commercial expansion of that locality for practically half a century. He was one of the first city officials, and for over thirty years was prominently identified with banking.

Ile became the first cashier of the Marshall County Bank when it was organized in 1881, this being the first hank in Marshall County. He was an active official of the bank for nearly a quarter of a century, and in 1905, with other local men, he established the Mound City Bank and was its cashier until his death on April 11, 1914, when he was succeeded by his son, Carl H. Hunter. The presi- dent of the Mound City Bank from the beginning has been J. C. Bardel. The first vice president was C. E. Had- docks, who was succeeded by John A. Bloyd. The Mound City Bank is an institution with resources of nearly $750,000. Its capital is $50,000, surplus and profits, $40,000, and it has over $600,000 on deposit.

Major Hunter was born on Wheeling Island, March 7, 1837, son of Robert Bruce and Artemisia (Shepherd) Hunter. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and in direct lineage from Robert Bruce. Major Hunter had a common school education, supplemented by a commercial course. At the age of sixteen he went to Moundsville, and up to the time of the Civil war was a clerk and connected with the river traffic. In June, 1861, he assisted in recruiting a company, and became first lieutenant of Company I of the Third West Virginia Infantry, was promoted to cap- tain, and when the regiment was changed to the Sixth West Virginia he became its major and served until his discharge in August, 1864. Major Hunter for three years following the war was in mercantile business at Mounds- ville. Moundsville was incorporated in 1866, and at the first election he was chosen clerk and treasurer of the corporation. From 1867 to 1871 he was deputy sheriff, and for one year was assistant internal revenne collector for the district embracing Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler coun- ties. Then for four years he was county assessor, and in 1876 was elected sheriff. Soon after he retired from the office of sheriff he entered upon his duties as cashier of the Marshall County Bank.

Probably no man in Marshall County had more friends than Major Hunter. He was a true gentleman, modest in manner, frank and courteous, always speaking kindly and spoken of kindly. He enjoyed success in his business affairs, and his integrity of character won him the highest esteein of all who knew him. For more than half a cen- tury he was ever responsive to the broader commercial and industrial advantages of his city. He was not only a banker but interested in coal operations and industrial organiza- tions. He was connected with the Fostoria Glass Com- pany, the United States Stamping Company, the National Bed Company, the Moundsville Land Company, and was a half owner in the Paris Run Coal Company, these includ- ing some of the organized institutions that have given character to Moundsville as a commercial center. At the time of his death he was the oldest bank cashier on the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio between Wheeling and Grafton and on the Ohio between Wheeling and Parkers- burg.

On February 22, 1865, Major Hunter married Jane E. Edwards. They became the parents of three children: Daisy, Mrs. Lottie B. McDonald and Carl H.

Carl H. Hunter, who succeeded his father as cashier of the Mound City Bank, is the present state senator for the district comprising Marshall, Tyler and Wetzel coun- ties, and he represented Marshall County in the Lower House of the Legislature in 1916. The important law giving state aid to fair associations may be credited to hin, and its value has been demonstrated in larger and better fairs and has greatly stimulated the agricultural and livestock development of the state. Senator Hunter is a member of the Board of Directors of the State Fair Association at Wheeling. He was prominent in all local war work, and the Mound City Bank over subscribed its quota at every occasion.

WILLIAM A. WILLIAMS. The place of his birth and youthful environment provided a strong influence suf-, ficient to direct William A. Williams into the oil indus- try, and that has been his work all his mature years. For over twenty years he has been an operator in West Virginia, both in the oil and gas fields, and is one of the prominent representatives of this industry living at Weston.,

Mr. Williams was born in Crawford County, Pennsyl- vania, at Titusville, July 15, 1878, son of Augustus H. and Addie L. (Chevalier) Williams. His father was born at Port Byron, New York, March 12, 1843, son of Silas and Catherine (May) Williams. Silas Williams was born in September, 1810, at Port Byron, and his wife was born at Fiskill, New York, in 1812. Augustus Williams was reared near Port Byron, had somewhat limited advantages in school, and at the age of thirteen went to work in a mill under his father. He was employed in a flouring mill and on a farm, and in 1863 removed to Pennsylvania and/ for a number of years had an active interest in the oil| country in the western part of that state. For a quarter of a century he was in the furniture and undertaking busi- ness, but has lived retired since 1906. He has two sons, llarry J., an attorney at Tulsa, Oklahoma, and William A.

William A. Williams lived at Titusville, Pennsylvania. until he was twenty years of age. While there he attended the common and high schools, and from earliest youth he has been familiar with the technical language of the oil industry, and almost naturally sought his first employ- ment in the oil fields. With considerable knowledge and experience attained there he came to West Virginia in 1898, where he was with the Standard Oil Company for fifteen years, and has since been an operator who has ex- perienced the various ups and downs of the oil and gas business in West Virginia, but on the whole his record has been an unusually successful one.

Mr. Williams married Miss Helen Howard, of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and a graduate of Marshall Col. lege. Two children were born to their marriage: Gertrude E., born November 24, 1908, died August 30, 1921; and W. Howard was born August 26, 1911. Mr. and Mrs Williams are members of the Episcopal Church, and he

Very Burde

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s a vestryman of St. Paul's Church, Weston. He is af- iliated with Salem Lodge No. 84, A. F. and A. M .; Odell 3. Long Chapter No. 25, R. A. M .; Calvary Commandery No. 3, K. T .; Wheeling Scottish Rite Consistory; and Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg.

GEORGE W. WILSON, of Weston has had a long and ac- ive experience in connection with the oil and gas industry, nd has many valuable interests in the production of these wo great natural resources, not only in West Virginia but lsewhere.

Mr. Wilson, one of the men of special prominence at Veston, was born in Hancock County, West Virginia, Feb- uary 22, 1870, son of S. W. and Mary J. (Dickey) Wil- on. His father was also a native of Hancock County, while his mother was born in New Jersey. She met and harried her husband in Ohio, and they then returned to is former home in Hancock County, West Virginia. S. W. Vilson was a successful man in his business life, and for ight years served as sheriff of Hancock County, holding hat office during the Civil war. He was a deacon in the Presbyterian Church and a stanch republican in politics. Of his seven children six grew to maturity and three are ow living : May, a graduate of Edinburg College in Pennsylvania and wife of John C. Donehoo of Pittsburg; Tora, wife of Dr. J. E. Miller, of Steubenville, Ohio.

George W. Wilson spent most of his early life at Pugh- own in Hancock County, where be acquired his public chool education. At the age of sixteen he began learn- ng the trade of harness maker. That was his trade and ccupation for twelve years, and for ten years be con- ucted a harness shop at McDonald, Pennsylvania, and lso became interested in the oil industry while there. He eturned to West Virginia in 1900 and has since made his ome at Weston, though his interests as an oil and gas roducer require his supervision over an extensive terri- ory. He is interested in the Oklahoma Producing Re- ning Company of New York City, owns a half interest 1 sixteen producing gas wells in Lewis County, and has een identified with several other proven fields. He is ne of the directors and vice president of the Bank of Teston, and owns an interest in a fine farm of over 400 cres on Murphy's Creek.

On April 8, 1912, Mr. Wilson married Margaret Mullady. [is first wife was Lida Ferraday, who with her only child deceased. Margaret Mullady was born in Lewis County, Test Virginia, in 1885. To their marriage were born ree children: George C., born February 6, 1914; Mary ., born January 19, 1917; and Virginia Lee, born May 9, 1921. Mrs. Wilson is a Catholic. Mr. Wilson is a ember of the Presbyterian Church, and is a member of le various York and Scottish Rite bodies of Masonry and a past master, past high priest and past eminent com- ander. He also belongs to Osirus Temple of the Mystic hrine at Wheeling.

PERCY BYRD, who is prominent among Clarksburg's ·presentatives of the natural gas and coal industries, be- des which he has long been influential in political affairs id has served as sheriff of Harrison County, is distinctly be designated as one of the loyal, appreciative and pro- ·essive citizens of his native state.

Mr. Byrd was born at Clarksburg, judicial center of arrison County, on the 20th of February, 1882, and is a n of William Taylor Byrd and Mary Ann (Burns) Byrd, e former of whom still resides at Clarksburg, where he is retired merchant, his wife having died when about fifty- ree years of age. Of the three children the eldest, W. ay Byrd, served as deputy county clerk of Harrison ounty and was a young man at the time of his death; ercy, of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; and essie G. is the wife of Joseph W. Newcomer, of Cincin- iti, Ohio. William Taylor Byrd was born in Harrison ounty and is a son of Abraham and Catherine (Hull) yrd, who were born and reared in Virginia, where their arriage was solemnized and whence they came to what now Harrison County, West Virginia, where they passed e remainder of their lives on their bome farm. Mrs.

Mary A. (Burns) Byrd was born in England, of Irish par- ents, William and Mary (Rogan) Burns, who came to the United States and settled in Harrison County, West Vir- ginia, when the daughter was a child. Mr. Burns bere became identified with farming and coal mining, besides having been a gallant soldier of the Union in the Civil war. His death occurred when he was about fifty-five years of age.

After having profited by the advantages of the parochial schools of St. Joseph's Catholic Church at Clarksburg, Percy Byrd entered Rock Hill College, Maryland, and in 1906 was graduated in this institution, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Later he served three years as deputy sheriff of Harrison County, and upon the death of the sheriff, Michael J. Francis, he was appointed the latter's successor, in January, 1912. At the regular election in the following November he was elected to the office of which he was incumbent at the time, to fill out the unexpired term, there having been no opposing candidate. He thus held the position of sheriff eighteen months, and was ex- officio county treasurer, the two offices being combined. Upon his retirement from office in 1913 Mr. Byrd became Interested in the production of natural gas, and later that of coal. He is now secretary and treasurer of the Norwood Gas Company and is a principal in other corporations, in- cluding the following named: The Fort Pitt Coal Com- pany; the Macfarlane Coal Company, of which he is presi- dent; the Liberty Carbon Company, of which he is treas- urer; and the Louisiana Carbon Company, of which like- wise he is treasurer.

Upon the death of Sheriff Francis Mr. Byrd became executor of his estate, in consonance with a request made in the will of the deceased, who further instructed that the executor hold the properties of Mr. Francis in trust for a period of ten years. These properties included real estate, oil, gas and coal holdings, and in his functions as executor Mr. Byrd has given much of his time to the man- agement and development of these properties.

Mr. Byrd early began to take active part in local poli- ties as a stalwart advocate of the principles of the demo- cratic party, and he has been prominent and influential in the councils and campaign activities of the party in West Virginia. He represented the Third Congressional Dis- trict as delegate to the Democratic National Convention of 1916 at St. Louis. He is a valued member and director of the Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club and the Clarksburg Country Club. He is a past exalted ruler of Clarksburg Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is a Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, hoth he and his wife being communicants of the Catholic Church.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 129

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