History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 74

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Mr. Miller is a native of the Gas Valley, having been born in Poe District, Hancock County, West Virginia, three miles east of Pughtown, October 20, 1876, a son of John P. and Margaret A. (Campbell) Miller, a grandson of Benjamin Miller, also born in Hancock County, and a great-grandson of David Miller. David Miller was born in County Tyrone. Ireland, and as a young man immigrated to America and settled first at Pittsburgh, where he spent a few years. Later, about 1780, he came to the Poe District, where he passed the rest of his life in agricultural pursuits, and his old farm is still in the family possession. He was one of the real pioneers of this locality and experienced the hard- ships of such a life, including the clearing up of a farm and warfare with the Indians, by whom he was forced to leave the community on one occasion and seek refuge in a more settled locality, but was also of the stuff of which the pioneers were made, and lived to the remarkable age of ninety-nine years.

Benjamin Miller, the grandfather of Henry O. Miller was horn in 1799 and spent his life on the same farm, dying in 1876. The family landed possessions were ex-

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nded under his management, and at the time of his death te property was passed on to his two sons, John P. and artin Luther, who spent their lives on that property. A rother, Morgan H. Miller, still resides on an adjoining irm, at the age of eighty-one years. He is a veteran of e Civil war, having fought as a private in Company I, inety-second Regiment, West Virginia Volunteer Infan- y. Another brother, Joseph Harvey Miller, died young. half-brother, Dr. L. M. Miller, who practiced at Toronto, hio, died at the age of thirty-three years, and a half-sister, argaret, married Lawrence W. Glass and now resides , East Liverpool, Ohio. John P. Miller married Margaret . Campbell, a daughter of Robert and Ellen (Young) ampbell, who were of the same vicinity. John P. Miller . addition to being a farmer, was quite a sheep breeder ad grower. He and the other members of the family were mocrats until the split between the states of the North id South, at which time they joined the ranks of the publican party. For many years the family . has been entified with the Presbyterian Church. David Miller was original member of "The Flats" Presbyterian Church, out four miles distant, and his son Benjamin was an elder erein, as was also the latter's son, Morgan H. That urch was organized about 1800 and was the parent church : all the Presbyterian churches of the vicinity. Since 1891 has been known as the Fairview Presbyterian Church, id is located about one and one-half miles from Pughtown, 1 the Flats. David and Benjamin Miller were buried at le site of this church, but John P. Miller, who died in 907, at the age of seventy-five years, was laid to rest ; the Mill Creek Hill Cemetery, as was his worthy wife, ho passed away in 1903, at seventy years of age. They ere the parents of the following children: Joseph Harvey, ho died at the age of thirty-four years while an employe : the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Pittsburgh; Imer A. and B. S., partners on the old farm until it was Id, and now both residents of Pughtown; William M., ho is engaged in the practice of medicine at Clinton, ennsylvania; Robert Sherman, twin of Benjamin S., men- oned before, who left West Virginia as a lad and is now retired farmer of Summer, Nebraska; Margaret Ellen, ho died at Chester at the age of forty-five years as the ife of Lawrence L. Stewart; Mary Jane, the wife of Frank Mayhew, living near Salem, Ohio; and Henry O.

Henry O. Miller acquired his early education in the coun- y schools, following which he attended the Tri-State ormal School, then at Pughtown, of which the president as J. D. Hull. At the age of twenty years he began aching, and spent the next eight years in Hancock County, tring four years of which time he was principal of schools Pughtown. In 1909 Mr. Miller was elected superin- ndent of schools of Hancock County, and consecutive re- jections have brought him to his fourth term. In 1909, hen he first assumed the duties of this office, there were 'ty-eight schools and fifty-eight teachers, with two high hools at New Cumberland and one at Chester. There are w 125 schools, with four first-class high schools. The rollment in 1909 was 1,000 pupils, whereas now there e 4,000 pupils, of whom about 300 are attending the gh schools. Much hard work was necessary to interest e people in the advantages of high school training, but splendid sentiment has arisen in this direction. About nety-five per cent of the teachers have had normal school ining. The Tri-State Normal School continued only until 06, but many of the high school graduates attend normal hools elsewhere in West Virginia, as well as in Pennsyl- nia and Ohio, and at the present time preparations are ing made for summer normal terms in Hancock County. r. Miller is devoted to his work and is an earnest striver ter an elevation of standards. His labors have resulted arousing public interest and in gaining him the co-opera- on of teachers, parents and pupils.

In 1911 Mr. Miller was united in marriage with Miss rah Wells, daughter of William H. Wells, of East Liver- ol, Ohio, and granddaughter of George Wells, whose old me stood on the present site of Newell. A blockhouse ce stood on the old Wells farm and Indian relics picked there are now in the possession of Mr. Miller. George

Wells was an old steamboat owner and followed the river, and also followed farming until his farm was all sold to the townsite company. His son, William H., who was a carpenter by trade, died in 1920, age seventy-one years. Mrs. Miller, who was born at East Liverpool, Ohio, is active in the Ladies' Aid Society of the Presbyterian Church, of which she and her husband have long been members. He belongs to the Blue Lodge of Masonry at New Cumber- land and has attained to the Scottish Rite degree. Mr. Miller is well known as a public speaker in the line of educational work, and his services in this direction are frequently in demand.

JAMES W. FINLEY. One of the best known and most highly respected citizens of Hancock County, James W. Finley has long been practically in charge of all the con struction work done by the big firm of Finley Brothers of Chester. He has been identified with this line of work for more than thirty years, and few men bear a better record in business matters or as to citizenship.

Mr. Finley was born on the old Finley farm, one mile from Chester, Hancock County, February 1, 1863, and be- longs to an old and honored family, a complete record of which will be found in the sketch of Mr. Finley's brother, Joseph N. Finley, elsewhere in this work. He was reared on the home farm and secured a good educational training, and was variously employed until he reached the age of twenty-eight years, at which time he entered the trade. Inside of the same month he was given the responsible position of supervision of construction, a line in which he has continued to the present time, being generally the one in direct charge of all the construction work. The Finley Brothers continued as a partnership until August, 1903, when the business was incorporated, with a capital of $10,000, the officers being Joseph N. Finley, president; Joseph McCoy, vice president; R. Frank Finley, treas urer; and George A. Hasson, secretary. James W. Finley assumed the duties of superintendent of construction. R. F. Finley became vice president of the concern in 1916, at the time of the death of Joseph McCoy, a brother-in- law, whose widow is now a director in the concern. In 1921 the capital of the business was increased to $50,000. The work of this concern is not confined by any means to Hancock County, nor to the State of West Virginia, for the reputation of the enterprise for honest represen- tation, high grade of workmanship and honorable fidelity to contracts has extended to distant points, and work has been done by Finley Brothers as far west as Moline, Illi- nois. Much of the success of the business must be ac- credited to James W. Finley, an expert in his line, a capable executive in the handling of labor and possessed of much energy and ideas of a modern character. He was for- mally a member of the Chester City Council, where he served on several important committees and worked faith- fully in behalf of the welfare of his community.

While engaged in park work in Summit County, Ohio, Mr. Finley met Miss Ustha E. Boughton, who later became his bride. Mr. and Mrs. Finley have three sons: Richard Dale, Clyde Ember and Elvet Franklin, all attending school. At one time Mr. Finley belonged to thirteen fraternal organizations and passed through the chairs in most of these orders, of a number of which he was representa- tive to the state bodies. Of later years, however, he has not evidenced so much interest in fraternalism, and when his business duties allow of a vacation he either spends his time in his home or else takes a hunting trip in the mountains of his native state or goes to Michigan in search of deer and bear.

SAMUEL G. POMEROY. Some individuals are fortunate enough to inherit the spirit of industry, financial sense and business capability which help to make them suc- cessful in their life work, while others are obliged to strive against adverse circumstances and only attain prosperity and position because they have developed winning charac- teristics themselves. Pughtown numbers among its most responsible and representative men some who have been satisfied to work out their destiny along the even lines

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of ordinary occupations. They have not sought the ap- plause of admiring throngs, nor have they desired to wrest wealth from speculative enterprises, but, doing the duty that lay nearest at hand, have gained material advance- ment and the respect of their fellows. In this category may be included Samuel G. Pomeroy, who is engaged in the general merchandise business at Pughtown, a commu- nity in which he is well known and highly regarded.

Mr. Pomeroy was born at Pughtown, October 14, 1867, a son of Rev. Joseph S. and Isabel (Griffith) Pomeroy. Rev. Joseph S. Pomeroy was married in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in 1849, and came to Hancock County, West Virginia, as pastor of the old Flats Presbyterian Church near Pughtown, the only church of that denomination in . Hancock County who have been successful in their life

Hancock County, whose members were scattered for a radius of twenty miles in every direction. He lived at Pughtown, where he bought a home, which is now occu- pied by his son. Reverend Pomeroy served the old Flats Church until 1877, a period of twenty-eight years, during which time he labored faithfully, zealously, cheerfully and unselfishly in behalf of his flock and his church, and built np a large and prosperous congregation. He then spent nine years as pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Mounds. ville, following which he returned to his old home at Pugh- town and went into semi-retirement, although he continued to visit various churches as the demand arose until within two or three years prior to his death, when advanced years caused his complete - retirement to a life of rest after a long and eminently useful career. He died in August, 1907, at the age of eighty-five years, being buried at the Flats Cemetery, while his worthy wife survived him twelve years, passing away when but one month and six days less than ninety-five years old. After he had retired from regu- lar active work as a minister Reverend Pomeroy was called upon frequently to officiate at special events. He was called upon to act at funerals, and was popular at marriages. During his long career he married parents and later their children, and buried several generations of the same family. He was also a popular lecturer, being a man of broad information on a number of interesting and important topics, and his voice was frequently heard from . the platform. He and Mrs. Pomeroy were the parents of the following children: John B., who became a minis- ter of the Presbyterian faith, preached in North Dakota, Illinois and Ohio, retired to his home at Findlay, Ohio, and died there in 1920; Chester, who for a time operated the store started by his father soon after the Civil war at Fairview, now Pughtown, and later became a merchant at East Liverpool, Ohio, where he died; ; Samuel G., of this record; Jennie, who died in Colorado as the wife of Ross Carney ; Clara, who married D. L. Evans and died at Pugh- town; Myra, unmarried, formerly deputy postmistress at Pnghtown and with her brother, Samuel G., in the store, and who has remained as his constant companion and housekeeper; and Ella, who married Frank Mcclellan and went to Colorado.

Samuel G. Pomeroy received a public school education at Pughtown and as a youth entered the store of his brother Chester, whose interest in the business he later bought. He has continued in the same line to the present, and this enterprise now has the distinction of being the oldest continuons business in Northern West Virginia. Mr. Pomeroy carries a full line of general merchandise and has developed an excellent business, his customers being drawn from all over the surrounding countryside. His old establishment, the original one, was destroyed by fire in 1906, but was replaced immediately with a more modern structure, the present one. In business circles Mr. Pomeroy is known as the man of the strictest integrity and probity. He has never evinced other than a good citi- zen's interest in politics, although his father kept posted on election returns and was able to recall the returns of every county in the state, a mathematical talent that was also possessed by his son Chester. Samuel G. Pomeroy is unmarried and resides with his sister Myra, a capable housekeeper and a woman of many virtues and numerous friendships. They are faithful members of the old Flats Presbyterian Church, to the movements of which they con-

tribute liberally. While he does not take an active part in public life, Mr. Pomeroy is a friend of progressive and constructive enterprises tending to advance his com- munity, and such receive his unqualified support.

DAVID E. MAYHEW. The prosperous stockman and farmer illustrates by his experience the ups and downs of his vocation, its fascinating promises of fortune and its equally abundant opportunities for failure. He has his full measure of both, as a rule, but if he possesses the qualities which make for success he emerges on the top wave and achieves a permanent place among the substan- tial men of his section. Among the agriculturists of work, one who is well esteemed in his community as an agriculturist and a citizen is David E. Mayhew of Pugh- town.

Mr. Mayhew was born at Pughtown, June 21, 1856, a son of James N. and Mary Jane (Crawford) Mayhew. James N. Mayhew was born near Florence, Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1827, and was seven years of age when he came to West Virginia with his parents, John and Elizabeth (Jackson) Mayhew, the family settling in Han- cock County, adjoining the Village of Fairview, now Pugh- town. John Mayhew, a farmer with about 340 acres of land, lived in a brick house which still forms a part of the residence on the property. He died when past ninety- three years of age, while his worthy wife passed away when seventy-five years old. They were the parents of the following children: Rebecca, who died as Mrs. Albaugh; Eliza, who married a Mr. Buchanan and had a son, John Buchanan, who was an attorney at Beaver, Pennsylvania; James N .; David Simeon, who removed to Illinois; Nancy, who married a Mr. Fulton and died at the age of ninety- six years, being the mother of Rev. W. P. Fulton, a noted Presbyterian divine of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John W., who died in Beaver County, Pennsylvania; William, who was last heard from in California; Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Travis; and Mary, who married Mr. Custer.

James N. Mayhew received a public school education and as a youth engaged in agricultural pursuits, which he fol- lowed throughout life, being one of the well-known and highly-respected men of his community. He married in Columbiana County, Ohio, Mary Jane Crawford, and they became the parents of thirteen children, all of whom are living at this writing, in 1922: Thomas C., a resident of Nebraska; John H., of Chester; David E., the subject of this sketch; William Lucas, a resident of Lisbon, Ohio; Nancy Jane, widow of Wesley Herron, of Pughtown, who has thirty-two grandchildren in 1922; James L. and Charles C., twins, the former mayor of Chester, West Virginia, and the latter a resident of California; Ella, the widow og Howard Warren, of Cleveland; George, of Sebring, Ohio; Ira, residing on the old farm home; Frank, of Salem, Ohio ; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Emanuel Thomas, of Salem, Ohio; and Noah, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania. All of the members of this remarkable family still survive, the youngt est being now in middle life.

David E. Mayhew has passed his entire carcer on the old farm and at the village nearby. He received a country school education and when given a choice of vocations de cided upon agriculture as his life work, and has had no reason to repent of his decision. He is now the owner of a property of sixty-seven acres, on which he has made modern improvements and erected substantial buildings and his progressive methods, industry and good manage ment have served to gain him a worth-while and well deserved success. His standing in the community is that of a man of integrity, and his good citizenship has never heen questioned. A democrat in politics, he follows the family inclinations, as nearly all of the Mayhews have been supporters of democratic principles and candidates In 1896 fourteen votes from this immediate family alone were cast for the candidacy of William J. Bryan for presi dent, including father, sons and sons-in-law.

Mr. Mayhew married Miss Lida A. Sproule, daughter o. Hugh and Nancy (Donehoo) Sproule, and granddaughter of Hugh Sproule, of Ireland. Both Hugh Sproule the

Paul d. Both

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elder and younger were agriculturists all their lives and were men of probity and integrity, both being elders in the old Flats Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Mayhew's father passed his entire life in Hancock County and died at the age of seventy-five years. Her mother, Nancy Donehoo, was a sister of Dr. R. S. Donehoo, the oldest physician in Hancock County. Mrs. Mayhew was reared on the liome farm and educated in the public schools, and was eighteen years of age at the time of her marriage. There were two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Mayhew who died in infancy, and they have a foster son, Hubert S. Mills, Mrs. Mayhew's nephew, who was taken into their home and hearts at the age of 21/2 years and has been given every advantage. He has passed his life on the farm and is now twenty-three years of age, and accounted one of the capable and industrious young agriculturists of the community. The family are members of the old Presbyterian Church, although Mr. Mayhew was reared in the faith of the Metho- dist Protestant Church, of which his parents were members.

PAUL A. BOOTHE. His professional work as a mining and consulting engineer has brought Mr. Boothe an exten- sive experience in a number of states, both East and West. He recently established at Huntington the Panl A. Boothe & Company, consulting engineers and architects, and the firm serves a large and important clientele in the industrial regions of this state.

Mr. Boothe was born at Fort Scott, Kansas, March 11, 1888. He is a descendant from the old English family of Boothes. His ancestor, William De Boothe, obtained spe- cfal recognition from the Crown, and one of his sons, George Boothe, was knighted, William De Boothe was a landed proprietor in Lancashire, England. The grandfather of Paul A. Boothe was William K. Boothe, who was born in 1840, and spent most of his life in the vicinity of Terre Haute and Staunton, Indiana, where he was a farmer and merchant. He finally disappeared, being last heard from at Staunton in 1904.

Charles P. Boothe, father of Paul A., was born at Des Moines, Iowa, in 1866, but grew up near Terre Haute, In- diana, was a merchant at Rich Hill, Missouri, where he mar- ried, lived for a very brief time in Fort Scott, Kansas, and since 1895 his home has been at Kansas City, Missouri, where he is in the lumber and coal business. He is inde- pendent in polities, is a lay minister of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and is one of the highest Odd Fellows in Missouri, being a past grand of the Grand Lodge of the state. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Charles P. Boothe married Harriet Barber, who was born at Streator, Illinois, in 1867. Paul A. is the old- est of their children. Martha Charline is the wife of W. Benjamin Wilson, their home being at Kansas City, while is duties are with the Standard Oil Company's plant at Sugar Creek, Missouri. Robert, the third child, died in nfancy, and Gordon K., the youngest, is a heating engi- leer in Kansas City, Missouri.

Paul A. Boothe acquired a public school education at Kansas City, graduating from high school in 1906, and in he course of his subsequent education attended the Uni- versity of Missouri at Columbia, the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago, and the Montana School of Mines it Butte. He graduated from the Montana school with he degree of Metallurgist and Mining Engineer in 1916. in the meantime he had performed a widely varied service n engineering and construction work in Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota and Montana. For two years he was assistant hief engineer for the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, ind after his graduation from the school of mines he eturned to Chicago, and was in business in that city as a onsulting engineer until May, 1917. He then went to Butte, Montana, to take charge of the designing of a con- rete shaft to be placed in Granite Mountain for the North Butte Mining Company. He remained there until October, 917, acting as consulting engineer. In October, 1917, he stablished himself in practice at Denver, Colorado, and n the spring of 1919 became associated with the Lloyd- Thomas Company of Chicago, Illinois, industrial engineers nd appraisers.

Mr. Boothe came to Huntington and on January 1, 1921, estabhshed the Paul A. Boothe Company, consulting engi- neers and architects. He is president of the company, whose offices are in the Wilson Building on Tenth Street.

Mr. Boothe's church preferences are the Episcopal, but his affiliations are with the Methodist Church. He is a mem- ber of the West Side Country Club and West Side Com- mercial Club of Huntington. On April 30, 1914, at St. Paul, Minnesota, he married Miss Elsa Helen White, daugh- ter of Benjamin Stuart and Caroline (Beiswenger) White. Her father, who died at Madisonville, Ohio, was a successful attorney. Her mother died at Chicago, June 2, 1914. Mrs. Boothe is a graduate of the Hinshaw Conservatory of Mu- sic at Chicago, and attended the American Conservatory in the same city. She is a soprano and has appeared with success on the concert, lyceum and opera stage. Mr. and Mrs. Boothe have two children: Helen Adair, born May 24, 1917, and Barbara Ann, born November 16, 1919.

WILLIAM D. LEWIS, wholesale merchant and banker of Charleston, is a successful business man who has pursued a well balanced purpose in his achievements. Mr. Lewis in later years has given generously and has been in fact pri- marily responsible for the success of Charleston's unique institution, the Union Mission. The Union Mission stands out as perhaps the most original organization of its kind in the country. It is a centralized agency, both religious and philanthrophic, wherein are concentrated the means and the influences for the alleviation of hardship and suffer- ing in the community. It performs the work performed in many other cities by the Associated Charities, but is even broader in scope than those worthy organizations, and it has been conducted so efficiently as to win the confidence of men like Mr. Lewis, who alone, it is said, has contributed many thousands of dollars to the Mission, and it consti- tutes his largest interest and pride outside his business and personal affairs.

William D. Lewis was born near Malden in Kanawha County, June 21, 1850, son of John D. and Betty (Darneal) Lewis. He is of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His great-grand- father, Charles Lewis, was a native of the Shenandoah Valley, served as a colonel in the Indian wars, and was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant, in what is now West Virginia. His son, Charles Lewis, Jr., subsequently settled in the vicinity of Point Pleasant, on the Ohio River, and was a farmer there. John D. Lewis, father of the Charles- ton business man, was born in 1800, and was reared in Mason County and later settled on the Kanawha River, where he was a pioneer in the salt industry, and at one time owned 70,000 acres of land covered with timber and under- laid with coal. He was a man of wealth, a large slave owner, served in the Legislature, and was widely known for his blameless character and philanthropic impulse. He was a whig and later a democrat, was a member of the Episcopal Church, and died at the age of eighty-two, in December. 1882. Betty Darneal, his third wife, was born in Kentucky and died in 1851, leaving two children, Julia D. and William D.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 74

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