History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 58

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > West Virginia > History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3 > Part 58

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. and Mrs. Brewster have five children: Frank M., a graduate of the Weston High School and the West Virginia University, who served as a first lieutenant with the Fif- teenth Engineers in France and is now a foreman for the Hope Natural Gas Company at Miletus, West Virginia; Pauline, a graduate of high school and the State University, wife of R. H. Pritchard; John M., who completed his edu- cation in the high school and university at Morgantown; Virginia and Ruth, the former a graduate of and the lat- ter a student in the Weston High School. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Brewster is affiliated with Weston Lodge No. 10, A. F. and A. M., Bigelow Chapter No. 4, R. A. M., St. John Commandery No. 8, K. T., and Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg. In politics he votes independently.

PORTER OWEN DUNCAN is one of the energetic young business men of Huntington. The Duncan Box & Lumber

Company, of which he is one of the proprietors, is a large and important industry, and while he has had other com- mercial experience Mr. Duncan now gives practically all his time and energy to this business.

He was born at Green Sulphur Springs in Summers County, West Virginia, September 22, 1887, hut for the greater part of his life has lived at Huntington. His fam- ily is one that has been in West Virginia since pioneer times. His father, Michael L. Duncan, was born in Sum- mers County, February 10, 1852, was reared to and up to 1895 followed farming in Summers County, and in Janu- ary, 1895, removed to Huntington, where he became asso- ciated with his brother-in-law, John W. Graham, in estab- lishing the Beader Box Manufacturing Company. In 1898 he bought his partner's interest, and in 1917 the business was changed to the Duncan Box and Lumber Company, and since that year the firm has also done a retail business in lumber. The sole proprietors are M. L. Duncan and his son Porter Owen. The business has had a steady growth and its success is largely due to improving the opportunity for a special line of manufacture. While the factory has facilities for the making of all kinds of wooden boxes, the chief output is the bottle boxes, and in that respect this is the largest industry in the state. The output is shipped all over West Virginia and into sections of Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. M. L. Duncan is also a member of the firm Duncan & Griffith, paving contractors, a firm that has han- dled a large amount of paving in Huntington. In politics he is a republican. He was twice married, and both times in Summers County. His second wife, Sydney A. Graham, was born February 8, 1863, near Pence Springs in that county. Of their children Porter O. is the oldest. Freder- iek enlisted in May, 1918, went to France, and died of in- fluenza two weeks after reaching there, when twenty-eight years of age. Homer A., the other soldier son, lives with his parents and is superintendent of Hanley's Garage. He served in France as an automobile mechanic from Septem- ber, 1918, to April, 1919. The fourth child, Sara Irene. died in infancy. Dolores is a teacher in the public school of Huntington, and Luella Audren is stenographer for the Duncan Box and Lumber Company. The first wife of Mi- chael L. Duncan was Miss McNeer, who was born at Green Sulphur Springs in 1854 and died there in 1883. The chil- dren hy her were Bertie, wife of George Surbaugh, a farmer of Green Sulphur Springs; Hattie, wife of Charles Gwinn, a farmer near Barboursville, West Virginia; James E., a plumber, proprietor of the West Virginia Sanitary Plumbing Company of Huntington, and also in the real es: tate business; and William E., who is engaged in the plumb- ing business as a member of the firm Duncan & Graham at Logan, West Virginia.

Porter Owen Duncan was educated in the public schools of Huntington, attended Marshall College two years, and left there to enter the service of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company as a telegraph operator. He was with that company three years and then with the Baltimore & Ohio until 1915. On leaving the railroad he organized the West Virginia Feed & Produce Company, was in that busi- ness two years and in 1917 became a partner in the Dun- can Box & Lumber Company. The offices and mill of this concern are located at the corner of Van Buren Avenue and Fourteenth Street, West.

Mr. Duncan is a republican, is affiliated with Hunting- ton Lodge No. 313, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Huntington Camp No. 8373, Modern Woodmen of America, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the Chamber of Commerce, the West End Commercial Club of Huntington.

At Webster Springs, West Virginia, in June, 1913, Mr. Duncan married Miss Eva Lowe, daughter of Alonzo and Mary (Seebert) Lowe. Her mother lives at 1078 Adams Avenue in Huntington, and her father, who died in Monroe County, Ohio, was a farmer, merchant and coal dealer. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan are the parents of four children: Owen Lowe, born June 1, 1914; Mary Sydney, horn Novemher 25, 1915; Helen Louise, born February 17, 1919; and Fred- erick Alonzo, born March 27, 1921.

The maternal grandfather of Porter O. Duncan was David

Nuncany

173

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

Graham, who was born in Mouroe County, West Virginia, in 1821, spent his active life as a farmer in Summers County, and died at Huntington in 1914. He was a whig in poli- tics, later a republican, and for a number of years served is county surveyor of Summers County. He was of Scotch ancestry. His wife was a Miss Alderson, a native and life- ong resident of Summers County.

JAMES FITZGERALD is superintendent of the West Vir- iuia Central Gas Company at Weston. He was born and eared on a farm in Western Pennsylvania, but early for- ook the farm as a vocation, attracted by the dominating ndustry, oil production, aud has been a practical man in very phase of this industry for many years.

Mr. Fitzgerald was born at Bradford, Pennsylvania, June , 1874, son of Patrick and Mary (King) Fitzgerald, atives of Ireland. They were brought to the United States y their parents at the respective ages of ten and thirteen, rew up in Pennsylvania, acquired public school educations nd after their marriage located on a farm four miles from Bradford. Patrick Fitzgerald owned and occupied his farm f fifty-eight acres for fifty years, and then retired to Bradford, where he died in 1912. Mary King was his sec- nd wife, and she died in 1913. They were devout Catholics, nd he followed the fortunes of the democratic party. By is first wife he had three sons, and of the ten children f his second marriage seven are living: John, an oil pro- ucer of Bradford; Anna, wife of H. L. Stoner; Mary, ife of Frank Fesenmyer; Ella, wife of M. D. Carmody ; ames; and Ed and Martin, oil producers.

James Fitzgerald acquired a public school education, and t the age of eighteen attended a night school for six onths. He then left the farm to go to the work in the il fields, learned and performed nearly every duty required E an oil man, worked as a pumper, and was a tool dresser ad driller. On October 13, 1909, he connected himself with le West Virginia oil and gas fields, and began with the Test Virginia Central Gas Company as field foreman. He s been superintendent of that corporation at Weston since pril, 1918. Mr. Fitzgerald has other business interests, articularly in the line of his chief experience, and is a ockholder in the Benson Oil Company, the Riddle Oil Com- ny the Royal Oil Company, the Rex Oil Company, and e Cayton Oil & Gas Company.

He married Mabel Curry, of Lost Creek, West Virginia. heir four children are named James, Jr., Harry E., Martha . and John R. The family are members of the Catholic lurch. Mr. Fitzgerald is a Knight of Columbus and an Ik and in politics is a republican.

JOSEPH C. HOOD is a member of the firm of Hood-Dent mpany, garage proprietors and automobile dealers at eston. Mr. Hood is a progressive young business man, d for a number of years before taking up the automobile siness his time and energies were devoted to the manage- ent of an attractive farm in Lewis County.

He was born at Lumberport, Harrison County, West Vir- aia, May 17, 1887, son of William C. and Mary V. (Gus- tn) Hood. His parents were also natives of Harrison unty, his father born near Shinnston in 1850 and his other near Janelew April 4, 1859. Both were liberally ucated, Mary Gusman being a graduate of the Broaddus stitute of Clarksburg, while William Hood supplemented public school training in the State University of West rginia. After their marriage they located at Lumberport, d William Hood was for many years, until his death, member of the general mercantile firm of Horner & Hood. · was a democrat, and he and his wife were faithful Bap- ts. They had two children. The daughter, Hannah P., a graduate of the Buckhannon Seminary and the wife of hn D. Smith of Harrison County.

Joseph C. Hood grew up on a farm, attended public tools and Richmond College, and after his college career k the active management of his grandfather's farm, com- sing over eight hundred acres. He did farming and stock sing on a large scale, and later for a time was in the 3 business. After his marriage he located at Weston, and

now gives his time to the growing business of the Hood- Dent Company.

Mr. Hood married Lucy M. White, sister of George E. White. She is a graduate of Broaddus College of Clarks- burg and of Dennison University at Granville, Ohio, and also did post-graduate work at Lutherville, Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Hood have one child, William Clark, born Decem- ber 18, 1917. The family are members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Hood is affiliated with Jackson Lodge No. 35. A. F. and A. M., at Good Hope, with the Royal Arch Chap- ter and Knight Templar Commandery at Weston, the Scot- tish Rite Cousistory at Wheeling and Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg. He votes as a democrat.

JAMES W. WILSON has been a prominent oil well contrac- tor and operator in several fields of West Virginia during the past quarter of a century. He began his operations in the Sistersville District, but for a number of years past has made his home and headquarters at Weston, where his qualities as a business man and citizen are thoroughly appre- ciated and have gained him high esteem.

Mr. Wilson was born in what is now West Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1865, son of Capt. John Garner and Amanda F. (Winslow) Wilson. In the maternal line he represents the distinguished Colonial family of Winslow, the recorded lineage of which in England runs back to William Winslow, who lived in the fourteenth century. A later generation was represented by Kenelm Winslow, a brother of the famous Edward Winslow, one of the founders of the Pilgrim Colony in Massachusetts and governor of that colony. This Kenelm Winslow bad a son, Lieutenant Job, whose son was James, and James bad a son James. The last named James had a son named Carpenter, born May 22, 1766, and died November 19, 1827, at Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. His children were Charles, George, Carpen- ter, Jr., David, Reuben, James, Ebenezer, Caleb and Joseph. Of these James Winslow was the maternal grandfather of James W. Wilson. His children were named Miller, Mary, Amanda, Lydia, Adelia, Charles, Oscar and Martha. Amanda Winslow was born October 12, 1825, at Punxsu- tawney Pennsylvania, was reared there and became the wife of Capt. John Garner Wilson.

Capt. John Garner Wilson was born near Bennington, Ver- mont, and as a young man removed to Pennsylvania. Octo- ber 23, 1861, he enlisted as a Union soldier, and was em- ployed in recruiting duty, and raised several companies for Pennsylvania regiments. He also took part in the battle of Pollocks Mills before Fredericksburg April 28, 1863. He was at Chancellorsville May 2, 1863, where his company occupied a position exposed to the heavy fire of Confederate sharpshooters. He was mustered out and discharged August 14 1863, but re-enlisted and for one year was cap- tain of Company B of the Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania In- fantry. He received his last honorable discharge at Har- risburg, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1865, returning to civilian pursuits with an enviable record as a brave and resourceful soldier and officer.

After his marriage Captain Wilson located at Brookville, Pennsylvania. He was a republican in politics. Captain Wilson and wife had the following children: Mary, Frank, Lydia, Charles, Alonzo and James W.

James W. Wilson remained at home until he was eighteen. After he left home he spent three years in Nebraska work- ing in stores and on ranches. He then returned to Penn- sylvania, and soon afterward connected himself with the oil industry. In 1895 he went into the Sistersville field of West Virginia, and later Parkersburg. In the fall of 1900 he moved his home to Weston and became a con- tractor for oil wells. He is still in the contract business and also is interested in the production of oil and gas. Mr. Wilson owns a half interest in over six hundred acres of farm land in Lewis County, and is a prominent stock- man and a member of the Lewis County Farm Bureau. He is interested in gas. electric light and ice plants and is a stockholder in the National Exchange Bank of Weston.

In May, 1901, at Parkersburg, he married May A. Hughes. They have three sons: James W., Jr., born No-

Vol. III-21

174

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

vember 8, 1903, and a graduate of the Weston High School; Hughes W., born in 1907; and George S., born in 1913. Fraternally Mr. Wilson is affiliated with Phoenix Lodge No. 73, A. F. and A. M., at Sistersville, with Jerusalem Chapter No. 3, R. A. M., at Parkersburg, Cavalry Com- mandery No. 3, K. T., at Parkersburg, Lodge of Perfec- tion of the Scottish Rite at Parkersburg and West Virginia Consistory No. 1 at Wheeling. In politics he is a stanch republican.

MELVIN B. SPRIGG at the age of forty has achieved defi- nite success in several lines and is one of the prominent lumber dealers in the State of West Virginia. He is presi- dent and manager of the Sprigg Lumber Company at Wes- ton and is officially identified with several other kindred business enterprises in that section of the state.

Mr. Sprigg was born in Braxton County, West Virginia, November 14, 1881, a son of James D. and Sarah J. (McCoy) Sprigg. His grandfather, Edward G. Sprigg, was a pioneer of Braxton County, where he erected a saw mill, flouring mill, carding mill, and provided a tremendous stim- ulus to manufacturing and industrial affairs in that section of the state. He conducted these various factories until the Civil war, when his plants were destroyed. Thereafter he lived the quiet routine of a farmer.

James D. Sprigg, father of Melvin B., was born in Jack- sonville, Lewis County, January 3, 1840, and was a child when the family moved to Braxton County. He grew up in the atmosphere of his father's mills, but after his marriage he turned to farming and later became a maker of harness and saddles and shoes, and conducted this business at Salt Lick Bridge. His wife was born in Braxton County in June, 1846. They were devout members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, South. James D. Sprigg was a democrat, and served two terms as county assessor of Braxton County. In the family were four children: Flora, wife of C. B. Heater; Minnie J., wife of A. C. Squires; M. L., a merchant and dealer in timber lands at Holly, West Virginia; and Melvin B.

Melvin B. Sprigg spent his early life on the farm and acquired a common school education. At the age of eighteen he went to work with J. H. Brewster in the Sun Lumber Company. He utilized this working experience as an oppor- tunity to gain a thorough knowledge of the lumber business in every detail, and in 1913 he organized the Sprigg Lumber Company, Incorporated, with himself as president and man- ager; M. A. Bailey, vice president; G. W. Riddell, secretary ; Walter A. Edwards, treasurer; and J. J. Ervin, director. This company bought a planing mill, and its business has grown rapidly, involving an increase on the original capital of $15,000 to its present status of $150,000. In 1916 Mr. Sprigg established the Glen-Elk Lumber Company at Clarks- burg, succeeding the former business of the Johnson & Garrett Company. Mr. Bailey has charge of the Clarks- burg business. These two companies manufacture and handle a varied line of building materials. In 1920 Mr. Sprigg organized the Westwood Manufacturing Company at Weston, of which he is vice president. This company makes a specialty of the manufacture of hardwood flooring.

August 21, 1907, he married Miss Iva Lowe. Mrs. Sprigg is a graduate in music from Cornell University. Mr. Sprigg is a democrat. He is prominently active in Masonry, is worshipful master of Weston Lodge No. 10, A. F. and A. M., a past high priest of the Royal Arch Chapter, a member of the Knights Templar, Commandery, Scottish Rite Con- sistory No. 1 at Wheeling, and Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg.

FRANK AGNEW. For over ten years Frank Agnew has been enrolled among the active business men of Huntington. His hat store is one of the few successful specialty shops in the retail district, and in recent years he has established a factory producing a widely known line of men's headgear, sold in his own store and through the jobbing trade.

Mr. Agnew was born at Bethel, Connecticut, July 10, 1870. His father, also named Frank Agnew, was born at Ogdensburg, New York, May 3, 1836, was reared there and as a young man went to Connecticut, was married in Ca-

naan of that state, where he followed the trade of carpen- ter for a number of years, and after his removal to Bethel was a successful building contractor. He was a local leader in the democratic party, held a number of offices, and mani- fested hardly less interest in the Congregational Church, of which he was a devout member. He was affiliated with the Masonic Order. Frank Agnew, Sr., who died at Bethel, Connecticut, December 1, 1918, married Mary Allen, who was born in May, 1841, in Northern Ireland and came to America when a girl. She died at Bethel in October, 1899, mother of one daughter and two sons. The daughter, Jen- nie, born in 1863, was a teacher in the Institution for the Blind at New York City, where she died in 1903. The two sons are Frank and George W., the latter an employe in the hat factory at Huntington.

Frank Agnew attended public schools in Bethel until he was eighteen, and his first business experience outside of school was in a grocery store at Bethel, where he remained one year. For two years he was in the feed and coal busi- ness conducted by his uncle, Chauncey Donalds, and then for two years was road salesman for hay and grain over the State of Connecticut. In this line of business he then extended his interests to dealing in hay on a commission basis, and he shipped hay from the West to Eastern points until 1911. In the meantime, from 1900 to 1911, his home was at Orange, New Jersey.

Mr. Agnew came to Huntington in January, 1911, and at once engaged in the retail hat business. His present store is the outgrowth of the business he established more than ten years ago, and is located at 825-827 Fourth Avenue Soon after engaging in the retail hat business he installed & facility for reblocking hats, and that led to the establish ment of his factory for the making of men's hats. This i the largest hat manufacturing business between Philadel phia and Louisville. The factory is at 831 Court Street.

Mr. Agnew is a director in the Planters Tobacco Ware house of Huntington. He is a republican, a trustee in th Congregational Church, is a member of Huntington Lodg No. 313, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Huntington Chamber of Commerce. He owns some real es tate in Huntington, including his substantial residence in restricted district at 549 Adams Avenue.

In October, 1915, Mr. Agnew married at Huntington Mis Viola M. Durant, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Durant now deceased. Her father had been a hatter in Bethe Connecticut. Mr. Agnew had the misfortune to lose hi wife in June, 1916.

CHARLES WELLS STRICKLAND. Shortly after finishin his education Mr. Strickland went to work with the eng neering department of a coal mining corporation, and sur cessive years of training and experience with different on ganizations have brought him increasing responsibilities c a technical and executive nature. For several years pas he has been located at Huntington as general manager c the mining interests of Cunningham, Miller and Enslow.

Mr. Strickland, who was born at Morristown, New Je sey, October 29, 1880, was named for his maternal grand father, Charles F. Wells who was born in New Jersey i 1836 lived at Morristown and later moved to Philadelphi where for many years he conducted an extensive busine as a building contractor, and where he died in 1914.

Allen S. Strickland, father of the Huntington busine man, was born at Morristown, New Jersey, in 1854, ar while living at Morristown developed an expansive busine as a grain merchant, with offices in Philadelphia, and final removed to that city in 1886, living there until his dea in 1902. He was a republican and a member of the M sonic fraternity, being affiliated with St. Johns Comman ery, Knights Templars, of Philadelphia, and Lulu Temp of the Mystic Shrine in Philadelphia.

Allen S. Strickland married Laura Virginia Wells, wl was born at Morristown, New Jersey, December 13, 186 She was the mother of four children: Charles W .; Mabo wife of George Hane, an artisan living in Philadelphi: James, who died at the age of nine years; and John, cabinet maker in Philadelphia.

Charles Wells Strickland attended the public schools

Frank Qquer

175

HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

Philadelphia, and in 1899 graduated from the Central Man- ual Training School, where he was given some of the techni- cal training which proved valuable to him in his early expe- rience in the mining industry. For about a year after leaving school he was employed in the maintenance depart- ment of the Pennsylvania Railroad. On February 1, 1900, he became a rodman on the engineer corps of the Mitchell Coal & Coke Company at Gallitzin, Pennsylvania. He re- mained there until December, 1902, in the meantime being promoted to assistant chief engineer. For a number of years Mr. Strickland's field of work was in Kentucky. At Sturgis he was a mining engineer for the Crittenden Coal & Coke Company until 1905, in the latter year became as- sistant engineer of the West Kentucky Coal Company at Sturgis, and in 1911 was promoted to chief engineer. He left these duties and came to Huntington on February 1, 1918, since which date he has been general manager of the mining interests of the widely known firm of coal operators and coal land owners, Cunningham, Miller & Enslow. The bulk of the interests of this firm are situated in the mining fields of Kanawha and Logan counties. Mr. Strickland's offices are in the First National Bank Building of Hunting- ton. He is also a director in the Bengal Coal Company.

Mr. Strickland is a republican, a Presbyterian and a member of the Guyandotte Club of Huntington. His fra- ternal affiliations are in Sturgis, Kentucky, where he is af- filiated with Kelsey Lodge No. 658, A. F. and A. M., is a past high priest of Sturgis Chapter, R. A. M., and past chancellor of Silver Lodge No. 68 of the Knights of Pythias.

On December 26, 1905, at Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, he married Miss Mary K. Gunning, daughter of James and Mary Gunning, her mother a resident of Gallitzin. Her father, now deceased, was a hotel proprietor there. Mrs. Strickland finished her education in the Mount Aloysius Academy of Crescent, Pennsylvania. The two children of their marriage are: Mary, born June 22, 1913; and Vir- ginia, born September 15, 1919.

PAUL HARDY acquired his early experience in the steel, iron and mining industry in his native state of Ohio, and for a number of years past has been the leading business man of Huntington, where he is president of the Steel Prod- ucts Company.

He was born at Columbus Ohio, January 7, 1879. His grandfather, George Hardy, was a native of Scotland, came as a young man to America and settled at Lebanon, Ohio, where he was a merchant and where he married. He died at Lebanon in 1840. His son, Charles James Hardy, was born at Lebanon in 1828, and was twelve years of age when he lost both his parents by death. He arrived in Columbus, Ohio, shortly afterward in a stage coach, before the days of railroads, was reared and educated there, and became a distinguished factor in the life and affairs of the capital city of Ohio. Banking was his chief business, and when he finally retired from service he had the dis- ;inction of being the oldest bank cashier in point of dis- inguished years of service in the country. He was for many years cashier of the Deshler National Bank of Colum- us. He was a republican in politics and one of the lead- ng members of the Trinity Episcopal Church. Charles James Hardy, who died at Columbus, Ohio, in 1914, mar- ied Emily M. Carpenter, who was born at Lindonville, Vermont, in 1854, and died at Columbus in 1918. They vere the parents of four children: Chester, associated with he Peoples Savings Association of Columbus; Jean M., vife of A. W. Forrest, a real estate man at Columbus; Caroline C., of Cleveland, Ohio; and Paul.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 58

Author: Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: