History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 59

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Paul Hardy graduated from high school in Columbus in 895. He continued his education for two years in Ohio State University, and then followed a period of two years n which he was an employe of the Otis Steel Company at Cleveland. In 1898 he re-entered the Ohio State University, emaining until he graduated in 1902, with the Mining Engineer's degree. He is a member of the Sigma Chi col- ge fraternity. After graduating he spent two years as hief engineer for the Columbus and Hocking Coal & Iron Company and one year as field man for the Jeffrey Manu- acturing Company of Columbus. Mr. Hardy's first busi-

ness interests in West Virginia were as chief engineer for the U. S. Coal and Oil Company, now the Island Creek Con- pany, at Holden. He was promoted to general superintend- ent, then to general manager and finally consulting engi- neer, and continued with the corporation until 1914. In that year he organized the Coal River Coal & Coke Com- pany at Dobra, West Virginia, and was president of that business until it was sold in 1916. In the meantime he or- ganized the Monte Coal Company at Ottawa, West Virginia, became president of the company and sold out in 1921.

Mr. Hardy has been a resident of Huntington since 1914. In 1915, in conjunction with others, he organized the Steel Products Company of Huntington, and is president of that important industry. He is also a director and general manager of the Hardy Burlingham Mining Company, owu- ing some large coal mines in Eastern Kentucky; and is a director of the Huntington National Bank.

His business offices are in the Loop Building. Mr. Hardy is an independent voter, is a member of the Episcopal Church, and is owner of considerable real estate in Hunt- ington, including a very attractive home on Washington Boulevard. During the World war he had some responsible duties in supervising the manufacture of high explosive shells in the plant of the Steel Products Company. Two hundred men were employed in this department of the busi- ness at the time.

In 1907, at Columbus, Mr. Hardy married Miss Anne Brown Huff, daughter of Winfield S. and Anne Huff. Her father is a retired insurance man of Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Hardy have one son, Paul, Jr., born August 21, 1914.

ROBERT H. PRITCHARD, an ex-service man who was a lieu- tenant in his division in France, is one of Lewis County 's most popular young citizens, and is one of the proprietors and the managing editor of the Weston Democrat.

Lieutenant Pritchard was born at Weston April 14, 1892, son of William L. and Catherine (DeVaney) Pritchard, who were also natives of Weston. The mother died in 1917. The father was born March 10, 1863, and is now retired. The family are Methodists, and the father is a republican in politics and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Of eleven children seven are still living.

Robert H. Pritchard grew up in his native city, attended the public schools there, and after graduating from high school entered West Virginia University, where he took the classical course and had three years of preparation for the A. B. degree. He left his studies in university to enter the Second Officers Training Camp at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the Eighty-fourth Division, Camp Taylor, Louisville, Ken- tueky. From June' to August, 1918, this division was in training at Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio, and then went overseas. After arriving in France Mr. Pritchard was made first lieutenant, was assigned to the Fortieth Division and nad duty near Amiens during the last weeks of active hos- tilities. He was returned to the United States in April, 1919. For two years after his return he was instructor in French and English at the Weston High School.

On June 1, 1921, Mr. Pritchard and Andrew Edmiston, Tr., bought the Weston Democrat. The paper is now owned by an incorporated company, of which Andrew Edmiston, Jr., is president and manager, Mrs. Pauline B. Pritchard, wife of Lieutenant Pritchard, is vice president, Mrs. Merle W. Edmiston is secretary, with Robert H. Pritchard as managing editor.

In June, 1920, Mr. Pritchard married Pauline Brewster, who was born in Ohio but was reared in Weston and is a graduate of the local high school and received her A. B. degree from West Virginia University. She is a member of the Scholarship Honorary Fraternity Phi Beta Kappa. They have one daughter, Mary C., born April 1, 1921.

Lieutenant and Mrs. Pritchard are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church. He is affiliated with the local lodges of Masons and Knights of Pythias, is a democrat in poli- ties, and served as the second commander of Weston Post No. 4 of the American Legion. He is a stockholder in the Gem Oil & Gas Company of Burnsville, West Virginia.

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FRANK R. YOKE is superintendent of public schools at Weston, in his native county of Lewis, where various men- bers of the Yoke family have been connected with school work for many years.

Mr. Yoke was born on a farm in Lewis County July 3, 1880, son of S. G. and Helen A. (Wolverton) Yoke. His father was born in Lewis County January 19, 1847, and his mother in Calhoun County, West Virginia, January 9, 1859. Both parents availed themselves of the best possible edu- cational opportunities of their day, and both were teachers for some years. After their marriage they located on a farm, and S. G. Yoke continued teaching in addition to running the farm. He became a well known citizen of Lewis County, served eight years as county assessor, was active in the democratic party and in the Methodist Protestant Church, and was affiliated with the Masons and Odd Fellows. He was the father of three children, all of whom are college graduates. The oldest is Frank R. Grace finished her education and specialized in elocution at West Virginia University at Morgantown, and is now the wife of W. H. S. White, president of the State Normal School at Sheperdstown, West Virginia. The youngest child, Frenck, is a graduate of the State University with the A. B. degree, and is now superintendent of schools at Pied- mont, West Virginia.

Frank R. Yoke grew up on a farm and attended the common schools until he was fifteen. In 1899 he graduated from the Fairmont State Normal School, and for one year taught in a rural district. He then entered West Virginia University at Morgantown, graduating A. B. in 1903, and in 1904 received the LL. B. degree from the Law School. He took his Master's degree in 1907. Mr. Yoke after graduat- ing opened an office and practiced law at Morgantown for a year, but left that profession to resume school work. He was elected and served two years as superintendent of the Richwood public schools. Then for a year he was assistant prosecuting attorney at Morgantown, and from this state went to Alabama and for one year was principal of the Coosa County High School. At Kingwood, West Virginia, he was superintendent of schools two years, and in 1913 was elected superintendent of public schools at Weston. He has been in charge of the city school administration for eight years, has throughout improved and raised the standards of efficiency, and largely for his work in Weston has a state wide reputation in educational circles.

Mr. Yoke married Edna Jenkins, of Kingwood, Preston County. She is a graduate of the Kingwood High School. They have one daughter, Ann, born August 26, 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Yoke are members of the Episcopal Church. He is a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias Lodge and has sat in the Grand Lodge and has been deputy grand chancellor of his district. He is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is a democrat in politics.

HOWARD LLEWELLYN SWISHER, general manager of the Morgantown Building Association, has been for a quarter of a century actively identified with the growth and de- velopment of the fine little city that is the judicial center of Monongalia County. He is one of the leading representa- tives of real estate enterprise at Morgantown, and is es- sentially loyal and progressive as a citizen.

Mr. Swisher was born in Hampshire County, West Vir- ginia, September 21, 1870, and is a son of David W. and Mary Katherine (Bonnifield) Swisher. David W. Swisher was born in Augusta County, Virginia, April 29, 1822, of Swiss-German ancestry, and in 1838 he came from his native county to what is now Preston County, West Vir- ginia, but a few years later he purchased land and made permanent settlement in Hampshire County, where he de- veloped a productive farm and where he passed the re- mainder of his life. In 1846 he married Mary Katherine Bonnifield, daughter of Dr. Arnold Bonnified, of St. George, Tucker County, and she survived him by several years.

In 1892 Howard L. Swisher graduated from the West Virginia State Normal School at Fairmont, and thereafter was for two years a teacher in the public schools of Cali- fornia. Upon his return to his native state he entered the

University of West Virginia, and in the same was grad- uated in 1897 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. After leaving the university Mr. Swisher opened a book and sta- tionery store at Morgantown, and in 1898 he here organ- ized the Acme Publishing Company, of which he continued the president for a number of years. In 1904 he organized the Main Street Building Company, which erected the fine business block now known as the Strand Building. He organized and incorporated the Howard L. Swisher Com- pany in November, 1914, and organized the Morgantown Building Association in November, 1918, with an author- ized capital of $250,000, and of this company he has since been the general manager. Each of the corporations thus formed by Mr. Swisher has done effective service in fur- thering the material development and upbuilding of Mor- gantown. The Morgantown Building Association has been especially influential in aiding citizens of Morgantown to become the owners of excellent homes, as it has done a large amount of building and offered effective cooperation to home-buyers. Mr. Swisher was one of the organizers and is secretary of the Royalty Oil Company, which owns mining rights and also upward of sixteen thousand acres of prospective oil lands in the South and Southwestern states.

Mr. Swisher is affiliated with Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4, Free and Accepted Masons; Morgantown Lodge No. 411, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, the Country Club and the Old Colony Club, in which latter he is a member of the National Advisory Council. He is affiliated with the Sigma Chi college fraternity.

In 1898 Mr. Swisher wedded Miss Mary Dering, daughter of Edward A. and Cordelia (Walker) Dering, of Morgan- town, both the Dering and Walker families having been founded in Virginia in the early Colonial period of our national history.

JAMES A. TIERNEY. The name Tierney has long been an influential one in Weston. The Tierney family was estab- lished here by Patrick Tierney, an Irishman, a man of great energy, public spirit and business acumen, who enjoyed accepted leadership among people of Irish nativity and lin- eage and was one of the most prominent members of the local Catholic Church.

His son, James A. Tierney, has had a successful career as a pharmacist, but is now practically retired from active business. He was born at Weston April 2, 1867, son of Patrick and Mary (Malloy) Tierney. Both parents were, born in County Galway, Ireland, and the mother was brought by her family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of eleven years. Patrick Tierney was educated in Ireland, and for a number of years was an agent for the National Steamship Line. After locating in Weston he conducted a hotel, a popular place of entertainment knowr as the Tierney House. He was also a farmer, a contractor and foreman for the Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and built two sections of that road. He accumulated much property but was always liberal and public spirited in behalf of church and community affairs. He was a democrat in poli tics. Of his nine children six are still living.

James A. Tierney attended public school at Weston anc at the age of seventeen began working in a drug store After three years he went to Baltimore, and while clerking in a drug store attended the Maryland College of Pharmacy paying all his expenses while in school. He graduated with the degree Ph. G. in 1888, and was then offered and accepter a place as a pharmacist in the Bayview Hospital of Balti more. He remained there for ten years, and on his returı to Weston engaged in the retail drug business. One of hi brothers was in partnership with him, and while they started with one store they soon established another and also had a similar business at Glenville. The Glenville business MI James Tierney still owns, though he sold his Weston in terests in 1921.

In 1904 Mr. Tierney married Miss Jessie C. Norris, 0 Glenville. They have two children, James A., Jr., a hig school student, and Jessie Norris, attending the gramma school. The mother of these children died in 1912. I:

Forward L. Swishes

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HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

1914 Mr. Tierney married Martha E. Williams, of Plymouth, Michigan, who is a graduate of a Chicago University. They have one son, William Hopkin, horn April 2, 1917. Mr. Tierney is a member of the Catholic Church and has always been an interested party man as a democrat. At one time he held the office of mayor of Glenville. He was the dele- gate representing the Third Congressional District of West Virginia at the National Convention of the party at San Francisco in 1920.

COMMODORE PERRY LUNSFORD. In the citizenship of Lewis County, Commodore Perry Lunsford has been a well known and esteemed figure for many years, grew up here, was for a time a traveling salesman, subsequently in business for himself at Weston, and was elected assessor of Lewis County after eight years of experience as deputy assessor.

Mr. Lunsford was born in Lewis County, August 20, 1876, a son of Andrew and Almira (Hudson) Lunsford. His father was born in old Virginia May 2, 1847, while his mother was born in Lewis Connty in September, 1838. Both grew up on farms in Lewis County, had a common school education, and after their marriage they settled on a farm. Andrew Lunsford started life without capital, but his industry and good management as a farmer and cattleman brought him ultimate prosperity in the owner- ship of a good farm of 325 acres. He was a democrat, a Knight of Pythias and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His four children were: Dora B., deceased wife of H. B. Wagoner; W. O., a Lewis County farmer; A. J., a railway engineer with the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad.

Commodore Perry Lunsford, the youngest of the children, grew up on his father's farm and acquired a common school education. He had the rontine duties of the homestead until he was twenty-one, and then sought employment in different lines and for nine years was a traveling salesman with the Standard Oil Company. On leaving the road he located at Weston and conducted a feed store and dairy business until he was appointed deputy county assessor in 1912. Mr. Luns- ford was deputy for eight years, and in November, 1920, was elected county assessor, beginning his first official term in January, 1921.

Mr. Lunsford is a democrat, is affiliated with Weston Lodge No. 43, Knights of Pythias, and he and his family are members of the Methodist Protestant Church. On Sep- tember 7, 1898, he married Hadee L. Brown, who was born in Lewis County in Angust, 1881. They have three chil- dren: Bertie E., wife of Clay Smith; Harry E. and and Margaret A.

W. KIRK SPAUR is county road engineer for Lewis County, an office he has filled to the satisfaction of all for eight years. He was born and reared in Lewis County, and besides his technical qualifications has an expert general knowledge of road and highway conditions, and has done much to advance the good roads movement in his section of the state.

He was born on a farm in Lewis County December 15, 1873, son of Greenberry C. and Margaret V. (Alkire) Spaur. The first American ancestor of the Spaur family was Anthony Spaur, a native of Germany, who came to the United States when a young man, first locating in the Valley of Virginia, on the south branch of the Potomac River, and finally moved over the mountains to Lewis County, West Virginia, settling on Big Skin Creek. He was a local minister of the Methodist Protestant Church as well as a farmer. His family consisted of three sons: Anthony R., Hezekiah and Alpha. The son Anthony R. Spaur married Sarah Bonnett. Their family consisted of seven sons and three daughters: Gideon D., Jacob, John, Gilbert, Able, Greenberry C., Lafayette, Virginia, Johama and Nancy.

Of these Greenberry C. Spanr was born in Lewis County December 9, 1845, and died August 16, 1908. He had a farm rearing and training, possessed a meager education, but had sound sense and judgment and after his marriage began life on a tract of twenty-five acres given him by his father. His energy enabled him to prosper, and he ac-

quired other land until he had a farm of 125 acres, which he sold, and then bought the L. L. Wilson farm of 245 acres, where he lived until his death. He was a democrat, and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Prot- estant Church. Greenberry Spaur married Margaret V. Alkire, who was born January 22, 1853, and died in 1902. Her parents were Oliver and Jane (Carter) Alkire, the former a native of Lewis County and the latter of Roane County, West Virginia. After their marriage they settled on a farm on Big Skin Creek, where Oliver Alkire did his work as an agriculturist and millwright. In the Alkire fam- ily were six children: Mandane, Tabitha J., Margaret V., Jeannette, John and Newton. Greenberry Spaur and wife had ten sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to maturity and eleven of whom are living. A brief record of this large family is as follows: Florence, born June 15, 1871; W. Kirk; Etta, born in 1874, now deceased; Earl A., born December 15, 1876; Arch A., born in 1877; Lloyd J., born March 7, 1882, now deceased; Ernest N., born in 1883; Ray O., born in February, 1884; John B., born in 1885; Myrtle M., born in 1887; George O., born in 1889; Dent R., born in 1891; and Terry, born in December, 1896.

W. Kirk Spaur grew up on his father's farm, attended the public free schools, and was a factor in the manage- ment of the homestead until his father's death. Ambition prompted him to prepare himself for a larger career than that offered on the home farm, and he did much to advance his education by private reading and for a period of about sixteen years while residing on the farm he taught in the public free schools in Lewis County. He has made a deep study of engineering, especially as connected with road building. His practical knowledge and qualifications led to his appointment as county road engineer in March, 1913. He was appointed for one year, but by reappointment has been kept in office now for eight years.

On March 24, 1912, Mr. Spaur married May Harold. Their three children are William L., born May 11, 1913; Willis H., born August 27, 1915; and Greenberry H., born December 6, 1919. Mr. Spaur is a democrat in politics and is affiliated with Vandalia Lodge No. 322, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

OLIVER P. WHITE, sheriff of Lewis County, is a native of that section of West Virginia and has enjoyed a growing appreciation among his fellow citizens for his integrity of character and the energy with which he was handled every undertaking.

Mr. White was born on Alum Fork in Lewis County in March 13, 1883, son of Americus and Caroline (Hartley) White. His father was born on Freemans Creek in Lewis County January 31, 1852, was reared on a farm, had a com- mon school education and as a young man engaged in the sawmill business. In 1894 he bought a farm and was em- ployed in its operation until 1900, when he sold out and removed to Troy in Gilmer County, West Virginia, where he continued farming until his death in 1917. He was twice married, and had eleven children by his first wife and six by the second, and fifteen of the children are still living. The mother of Sheriff White was born at Shinnston in Har- rison County, West Virginia, in 1858, and was reared and educated in that county. She was a member of the Metho- dist Church, while Americus White belonged to the Non- sectarian Church and was a democrat in politics.

Oliver P. White was reared on a farm, and after the com- mon schools he acquired an advanced education by corre- spondence courses and by one term of attendance at the Fairmont State Normal. At the age of seventeen he quali- fied as a teacher, and was a popular and successful worker in the public schools for nine years. On leaving the educa- tional profession he went with the Hope & Reserve Natural Gas Company, was employed in different departments, and only left this business upon his election as sheriff of Lewis County in November, 1920. He took up his official duties January 1. 1921. Mr. White was elected as a democrat in a county that is normally republican by thirteen hundred. He received a majority of sixty-three votes, a fact that speaks for itself in regard to his popularity as a citizen and his evident qualifications for office.

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HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

On March 19, 1905, Oliver P. White married Delphia May Douglass. Eight children have been born to their union: Carrie V., Kent D., Iweita T., Wanda L., Floretta Mae, Arthur Wayne, and twin sons named Woodrow W. and Warren G. Mr. White is a member of Weston Lodge No. 10 A. F. and A. M., Bigelow Chapter No. 4, R. A. M., St. John's Commandery No 8, K. T., Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg, and he and Mrs. White are members of the Eastern Star.

ROY R. HALE, who retired from the office of sheriff of Lewis County on the 1st of January, 1921, after an effective administration of four years, is now a contractor in road construction and is one of the well known and highly esteemed citizens of his native county, which he represented as a soldier in the Spanish-American war. The Hale family was founded in America in the early Colonial period, and representative of the same gained distinction as patriot soldiers in the war of the Revolution, by reason of which fact the subject of this review is eligible for and is affiliated with the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Mr. Hale was born at Weston, judicial center of Lewis County, on the 8th of August, 1876, and is a son of Curtis P. and Margaret (Tierney) Hale, both likewise natives of Weston, where the former was born July 12, 1852, and the latter April 8, 1857. Presley M. Hale, grandfather of Roy R., was born in Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia), August 26, 1826, and was a delegate to the first convention, at Wheeling, that took action and brought about the organization of West Virginia as an independent state. He represented Lewis County as a member of the first Legis- lature of the new commonwealth, and was largely instru- mental in framing the first free-school law of the state. He married Dinah Shore, of Fairmont, Marion County. In 1849 he became prominently identified with business enterprise at Weston, where the passing years found him associated with several different lines of business. He was one of the carly directors of the National Exchange Bank of Weston, was a republican in politics from the time of the organiza- tion of the party, and he and his wife were members of the Universalist Church. Their children were Curtis P., Flora and Thomas W. Curtis P. still resides at Weston, as does Flora, who is the wife of Joseph Starrick, and Thomas W. maintains his home at Indianapolis, Indiana.

Curtis P. Hale gained his preliminary education in the Weston schools and thereafter attended the Fairmont Nor- mal School. He was long and actively engaged in con- tracting enterprise, in which he was associated with his father for a number of years, and he is now living virtually retired, as one of the old and honored citizens of Weston. Of their nine children seven are living, Roy R., of this sketch being the eldest; Dr. Presley E. is engaged in the practice of medicine at Portland, Oregon; Mary is the widow of Lewis Newberger; Regina is the wife of Wilber Canaga, of Hammond, Indiana; Margaret is the wife of Foster McLynn, of Portland, Oregon; Josephine, now Mrs. French Fox, is a resident of Weston; and Matthew was graduated in a medical college in Philadelphia as a member of the class of 1922.

In the public schools of Weston Roy R. Hale continued his studies until his graduation from the high school, and at the inception of the Spanish-American war he enlisted in Company F, Second West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, in which he became first sergeant of his company and with which he continued in service until the close of the war, the regiment not having been called to the stage of active conflict. After his return to Weston Mr. Hale finally be- came agent and general yard master of the local station of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and he continued in this service until 1915. He was elected county sheriff in 1916, an office of which he continued the efficient incumbent for the prescribed term of four years, his retirement therefrom having come on the 1st of January, 1921, Mr. Hale is a democrat, he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. His Masonic affiliations are as here noted: Wes- ton Lodge No. 10, Free and Accepted Masons; Bigelow Chapter No. 4, Royal Arch Masons; St. John's Commandery No. 8, Knights Templars; West Virginia Sovereign Consis-

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 59

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