History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 80

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HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

Clay. He is a descendant of John Clay, who came to Amer- ica from England in the first years of the Virginia colony. In a later generation was another John Clay, whose son, Henry Clay, was the father of Charles Clay, born January 31, 1762. Charles Clay married Martha Green, and their son, Gen. Green Clay, was one of the most distinguished figures in pioneer Kentucky. He was born in Virginia, was a soldier of the Revolution, was the first deputy surveyor of Kentucky, for many years a member of the Legislatures of Virginia and Kentucky, and commanded the Kentucky militia in the War of 1812. He died in 1828. Gen. Green Clay was the great-grandfather of the Charleston attorney. He married Sallie Lewis, and their home was in Madison County, Kentucky, near Richmond. Their son, Gen. Cassius M. Clay, was a soldier, attaining the rank of major-general in the Civil war, was an editor and publisher, and served as minister to Russia by appointment from President Lincoln.

Brutus J. Clay, grandfather of Buckner Clay, was born in 1808, was educated at Center College, and in 1827 set- tled in Bourbon County and for years was a leader in agriculture and the live stock industry of the Blue Grass section of Kentucky. In 1853 he was elected president of the State Agricultural Association. He entered the Thirty- eighth Congress in 1862 as representative from his kinsman Henry Clay's district. He died in 1878. He was twice married, his wives being Amelia Field and Ann M. Field, sisters. They were descendants of a distinguished family, and it is interesting to note that one of them, John Field, served as an officer in the British army in the western cam- paigns, beginning in 1754, and was a participant in the battle of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The famous Amer- ican, Cyrus W. Field, was a member of this branch of the Field family.

Col. Ezekiel F. Clay, father of Buckner Clay, was a son of Brutus J. and Amelia Clay, and was born in Bourbon County, December 1, 1840. He left college to enter the Confederate army, became a colonel of cavalry, and was a gallant officer until taken prisoner in the spring of 1864. After the war he settled on his estate, known as Runny- mede, in Bourbon County, a place he made celebrated as the home of some of the finest Kentucky thoroughbreds. Col. Ezekiel Clay married in 1866 Mary L. Woodford, a daughter of John T. and Elizabeth (Buckner) Woodford, representing another noted family of Kentuckians. The fourth of their six children is Buckner Clay.

Buckner Clay graduated from Kentucky University A. B. with the class of 1897, and received his degree in law from the University of Virginia in 1900. He was admitted to the bar at Paris, Kentucky, but in June, 1903, came to Charleston, where for a number of years he has been the innior member of the law firm of Price, Smith, Spilman & Clay.

J. ALBERT TOLER. From the elevated plane of public service down through the fields of its usefulness to the com- munity and its honorable connection with a leading profes- sion and into the privacy of his family circle the career of J. Albert Toler has been characterized by a constant and consistent integrity born of high principles. His profes- sional life has been marked by constant action, and as an official and citizen he has displayed public spirit exemplified in a willingness to stand by his convictions and support worthy movements.

Mr. Toler was born in a little log cabin near Oceana, on Big Huff Creek, Wyoming County, West Virginia, No- vember 28, 1883, and is a son of Henry Paris and Darthula (Brown) Toler. Henry Paris Toler was born at Sun Hill, Wyoming County, in 1857, and died November 18, 1918. He was a son of John and Elizabeth "Polly" (Cline) Toler, and a grandson of Zachariah Toler, who was born in Ireland and as a young man immigrated to America, settling in what is now West Virginia, where his son John was born. When John was still a child the family returned to Ireland, but again came to America when he was nineteen or twenty years of age and located below the mouth of Big Cub Creek, where Zachariah Toler died at the remarkable age of 102 years, after a career spent in farming. A number of interesting anecdotes are related of the prowess, strength

and endurance of this sturdy old immigrant, as well as of his son John, also a farmer, who lived to be ninety-four years of age, and of the latter's wife, Elizabeth, or "Polly," who was nearly 100 years of age at the time of her demise. Henry Paris Toler passed his life in farming, in addition to which he dealt in the timber which he cut from his land and which he contracted to deliver at the river bank. He was a leader in the Missionary Baptist Church, and, like the other members of the Toler family, as well as the Browns (who lived on Big Huff) was a stanch adherent of the democratic party until 1892, when all became re- publicans. Aside from Henry P. the members of the family belonged to the Primitive Baptist faith. At Oceana, West Virginia, Henry P. Toler was united in marriage with Miss Darthula Brown, who was born on Big Huff Creek, Wyom- ing County, a daughter of Jack Brown. She survives her husband and for the most part makes her home with her son, J. Albert. Of the eleven children of Henry P. and Darthula Toler nine are living, four of these being sons, all self-educated: W. R., who is a justice of the peace at Mullens; J. Albert, of this notice; John H., a graduate of Concord Normal School and West Virginia University, who is now principal of the Mullens District High School; and Buren H., a graduate of Concord Normal School, who also attended the State University, served in the World war, and is now superintendent of schools of the Slab Fork District.

In his youth J. Albert Toler attended the schools of the community in which he lived, including the Laurel Branch school house, a log structure of one room, and when still little more than a lad entered upon his career as an edu- cator, a vocation to which he devoted, in all, four years. His first trip outside of the county occurred when he was twenty years of age, when he went to the Concord Normal School at Athens, attending that institution for a part of two years. He then resumed his teaching activities, and while thus engaged borrowed law books and began to pre- pare himself for his chosen profession. Eventually he at- tended Kentucky University, now Transylvania, and in June, 1907, was admitted to the bar and located at Pineville, the county seat. There he was in partnership with R. D. Bailey, now occupying the bench as circuit judge, until 1912, when he was elected prosecuting attorney and served in that posi- tion until December 31, 1916. In July, 1917, he was ap- pointed a member of the County Court of Wyoming County to fill out the unexpired term of H. M. Cline, resigned. Later Mr. Toler was in partnership with D. D. Moran, of Mullens, for two years, but is now engaged in practice alone. He stands among the leaders of his calling in Wyoming County, and in his profession is known as a man of sound ability, a valuable associate and a dangerous competitor. Mr. Toler has always proven himself a good citizen, sup- porting worthy movements and contributing to worthy causes. During the World war he volunteered his services as a "Four-Minute Man," and made numerous speeches in this connection, as he did also in behalf of the Red Cross and in the loan and other drives, at the same time con- tributing generously of his private means. He is a stanch republican in his political allegiance, but has never allowed party loyalty to blind him to justice. Fraternally he holds membership in the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, in both of which he has numerous friends.

On October 28, 1907, Mr. Toler was united in marriage with Miss Victoria Trent, a daughter of Humphrey and Arminda Trent, formerly of Rhoderfield, McDowell County, West Virginia, where Mrs. Toler was born. Five children have come to this union: Lyman, Raymond, Beatrice, Ruth and Kate, of whom the last-named died at the age of five years, October 28, 1920.

WILLIAM L. HUNTER, M. D. It is a well-known fact that a forceful personality speaks for itself and that the indi- vidual who can govern himself successfully is frequently called upon to govern the affairs of others. Men of broad ideas and firm grasp on civic matters develop into respon- sible citizens, and because of their resourcefulness and ripened judgment their communities benefit not only in a

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material sense but also with reference to those things which make for a general uplift. One of the men who for years has exerted an influence for good in professional life and in civic affairs throughont a large territory contiguous to Tralee is Dr. William L. Hunter, a member of the Wyoming County Court and physician in charge of practice at the Harty Coal Company, Barker's Creek Coal Company, Mead Pocahontas Coal Company and Virginian Railroad Company, at Tralee, West Virginia.

Doctor Hunter was born on his father's farm at Green- ville, Monroe County, West Virginia, November 4, 1872, and is a son of J. Allen and Laura A. (Smith) Hunter, and a grandson of Joseph Hunter, also a native of Monroe County. J. Allen Hunter was a native of the agricultural community of Monroe County, and was only twelve years of age when the war between the states came on, so that he did not see service, although his older brothers all fought in the Con- federate army. When he attained manhood he adopted farming for his life work, and has been engaged therein throughout his career, being still a resident of Monroe County and in moderate circumstances. He was formerly a democrat, but for some years past has voted with the re- publican party. He is now seventy-three years old, and his wife, also a native of Monroe County, is sixty-eight, and both are faithful members of the Methodist Church and active in church and Sunday school work. She is a daughter of William Smith, who was a pioneer of Monroe County. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hunter: William L., of this review; Clayton, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Monroe County ; J. O., a graduate of the Mary- land Medical College, and now a practitioner of medicine and surgery at Peterstown, Monroe County; Frank, who is in the mercantile business at Princeton, Mercer County, this state; Mary, who is the wife of Doctor Harber, a physician and surgeon of Seminole, Oklahoma; Marguerite, who is now Mrs. Bennett, of Ada, Oklahoma; and Ruby, who is the wife of Albert MeCurry, residing also in Oklahoma.

The early education of William L. Hunter was acquired in the country schools of Monroe County, following which he began his career as a school teacher, a course followed by many professional men whose financial circumstances were such that they must earn their own way through the higher institutions of learning. For ten years he was en- gaged in instrneting the young, and then, in 1897, entered the Medical College of Virginia, at Richmond, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1900. He at once entered practice at Red Sulphur Springs, Monroe County, where he remained nearly fifteen years, then coming to Tralee to take over the practice of the companies mentioned above. He has won for himself a position high in the confidence of the people and the esteem of his fellow-practitioners in the county, and has shown himself thoroughly capable and learned and possessed of a kindly and sympathetic nature that makes friends out of patients. In 1918 Doctor Hunter became a member of the Wyoming County Court, and has remained thereon to the present time, and 1920 served as president. During his term of office many improvements have been accomplished, one of the chief of which has been the extensive building of modern highways throughout the county.

In 1894 Doctor Hunter was united in marriage with Miss Josephine Weikle, daughter of Tippet Weikle, of Monroe County, and to this union there have been born three daugh- ters: Ida, Pauline and Zelma. The family belongs to the Methodist Church, in the work of which they have been active. Doctor Hunter is a Master Mason, holding his membership at Blue Indian Creek, Monroe County, and his Scottish Rite degree at Wheeling. He is a republican in politics and progressive in his ideas and actions.

HARRY HAIRSTON DARNALL. While he has been a mem- ber of the West Virginia har only fifteen years, nothing less than a state-wide reputation attaches to the name of Harry Hairston Darnall of Huntington. His forte has been the criminal law. Numerous causes celebre have tested his resourcefulness in this branch of the law. In the prep- aration of his cases, and in the presence of court and jury, he rises to some of the highest standards that have been

used to measure the attainments of eminent lawyers of either the present or past generations.

Mr. Darnall comes of a distinguished old Virginian fam- ily. His great-grandfather was Henry Darnall, a native of Virginia. His grandfather, Richard Darnall, was born in Giles County, that state, in 1810, and was a planter and slave owner before the Civil war and spent his active life in Franklin and Giles counties. He died in Floyd County, Virginia, in 1896. His wife was Sarah Hardaman, who was born in Franklin County in 1810, and died in Floyd County in 1898.

The father of the Huntington attorney was a well-known Virginia banker and business man, Henry Manze Darnall. He was born in Giles County, September 13, 1859, spent his early life in Giles and Franklin counties, and in 1881 mar- ried at Martinsville in Henry County. He remained in Henry County until 1882, operating a tobacco plantation. Then, in 1882, he became assistant cashier of the old Roanoke Trust, Loan and Safe Deposit Company at Roanoke. He was with that institution a number of years, was for a time general manager of the Gas and Water Company of Roanoke, was president and manager of several land com- panies, and for several years before his death was commis- sioner of revenne of the City of Roanoke. He retired from business in 1915, and died at Roanoke July 16, 1916. He founded and incorporated the First State Bankers Asso- ciation of Virginia. Outside of business his influence was steadily exerted in behalf of better schools, and he was one of the citizens of Roanoke who did most to establish per- manent and a high class school system. For a number of years he was president of the city school board. He was also president of the city council a number of years. In politics he was a democrat, and was a devont member of the Presbyterian Church. Fraternally he enjoyed the im- portant honor of grand keeper of records and seals in the Grand Lodge of Knights of Pythias of Virginia, and was a member of four other fraternal organizations.

Henry M. Darnall married Mary Louise Hairston, who while retaining a summer home in Roanoke resides at Brad- entown, Florida.

Through his mother Harry H. Darnall is related to one of the oldest and most substantial of Virginia families. His mother's grandfather, George Hairston, was born in Henry County, and died at Hordesville in that county. He was owner of about 90,000 acres comprised in plantations in Henry, Patrick, Floyd and Franklin counties. A man of wealth, he was prominent in public affairs, and for thirty years was a member of the Senate or House of Delegates of Virginia. He was elected to office even after he was eighty years of age. Robert Hairston, maternal grandfather of Harry H. Darnall, was born in Henry County in 1824, and for many years he owned and operated and lived upon the Roundabout Plantation in Henry County. Prior to the Civil war he was considered one of the largest slave holders in the state. He and his brother George owned 7,000 acres in Henry County. In his time and even now there is no su- perior tobacco land in the country to that comprised in the Roundabout Plantation. On this plantation he lived ont his life and died there in 1903. Robert Hairston married Miss Elizabeth Saunders, who was born at the pretentions country home of the Saunders family known as Bleak Hill in Franklin County, Virginia. She was born in 1825 and died in Henry County in 1890.

Henry M. Darnall and wife had a family of four children, the oldest being Mary, wife of Mercer Hartman, an attor- ney at Norfolk, Virginia. Harry Hairston is the second in age. Thomas Mauze is an attorney, member of the law firm of Hoge and Darnall at Roanoke. Elizabeth is the wife of Edward J. Snyder, who owns and operates a large orchard near Roanoke.

Harry Hairston Darnall was born at the old family plan- tation in Henry County May 13, 1884. He acquired a pub- lic school education in Roanoke, graduating from high school in 1902, spent three years in the Virginia Polytechnic Insti- tute at Blacksburg, and in 1905 entered Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia, to pursue his law course. He remained there two years, and in June, 1907, was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Virginia.

HarrySt. Barnall

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In July following his admission to the Virginia bar he came to West Virginia and for three years practiced at Beckley. For two years of that time he was town recorder, and he also acted as mayor part of one term. In 1910 he removed to Huntington, and since then has been one of the busiest members of the local bar of that city. Probably 80 per cent of his law practice is in the criminal branch of the law. There has hardly been an important criminal case tried in Cabell County since 1910 with which he has not been identified. His practice as a criminal lawyer is by no means confined to this one county. His law offices are at 803 Fifth Avenue.

Mr. Darnall is a democrat, a Presbyterian, has twice been exalted ruler of Huntington Lodge No. 313, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, has served as district deputy grand exalted ruler of the West Virginia Elks, is a member of the Guyan Country Club and belongs to several social or- ganizations. Mr. Darnall owns a fine suburban home, a brick residence situated on twenty-seven acres of land along the Barboursville Road. He has acquired other real estate in Cabell County. During the World war he em- ployed his profession and all his personal influence to aid the Government in the successful prosecution of the war. He was a member of all the committees for raising funds, was on the legal advisory board of the county, and spent much time helping recruits fill out questionnaires.

In Huntington, June 4, 1908, he married Miss Em Holderby, daughter of Edward and Columbia A. (Stewart) Holderby, the latter still living in Huntington. Her father, who died at Huntington in 1890, was a prosperous farmer of Cabell County, and he owned the old Holderby homestead on the Sixteenth Street Road. One-half of the modern City of Huntington is built on the old Holderby farm, which was patented in 1790. Mrs. Darnall was liberally educated in Marshall College of Huntington and the Virginia College at Roanoke. Two children have come into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Darnall, Harry Holderby, born April 30, 1910, and Lucy Holderby, born March 15, 1919.

OBED BABB. It was perhaps the grandfather of Obed Babb who came from Germany and established this well known family in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Some of the land owned by him there had been traded for land in what was then Virginia, now Grant County, West Virginia. Peter Babb, the father of Obed, was the founder of the family in this section, coming from Pennsylvania in 1818.

The old homestead, known far and wide as Cherry Lane Stock Farm, thus acquired and developed during succeeding years, was maintained by the Babbs until 1919, when Obed Babb, the owner since his fathers death in 1870, sold it and moved to Keyser, Mineral County, where he now resides, retired, at the age of eighty-eight years. He was born at what is now Martin, Grant County, December 21, 1833. His mother was Phoebe Scott, a native of that section.

The children of Peter and Phoebe Babb were: James, who during the Civil war, while attempting to recover some sheep stolen from him, was shot and killed by the thief; Milton, who spent his early life in West Virginia, migrated to Illinois and acquired a large farm in Cham- paign County, is survived by three sons, one a prominent lawyer in Idaho, one a retired farmer of Champaign and the other a banker of Homer, Illinois; Catherine, who married Okey Johnson, a farmer and stockman of Mineral County, where they spent their lives; Jane, the widow of Henry Suit, a Grant County cattleman, died at Keyser when past ninety years of age; Daniel William, who for many years was associated with his brother Obed in farm- ing and stock raising and who died in Grant County, where his widow still resides; Obed; and Sallie B., who married Thomas R. Karskadon, of Mineral County, a great prohi- bition leader and once candidate for vice president on the prohibition ticket. Both he and his wife are now deceased.

Obed Babb spent eighty-five years of his life on the farm where he was born. He was a youth when subscrip- tion schools were the only provision made for the educa- tion of children, and he attended a private school near Moorefield. He and his brother Daniel were stock drovers to the Baltimore market in the old days. They handled

live stock on a large scale, cattle, horses and mules. Obed Babb continued to keep in close touch with this business during all of his active career, and is today perhaps one of the best judges of live stock in this section of the state. He proved his title to a leading citizen of his locality, where he was active in community affairs. He was promi- nent in the Methodist Episcopal Church, was an original republican, and voted for John C. Fremont in 1856, but has never responded to any of the invitations to become a candidate for office. In 1869 he married Mary Louise Hennen, daughter of George Washington and Justina (Shay) Hennen, of Morgantown. She was born in Monon- galia County in 1847. All her life has been devoted to her home and children and the moral and the church inter- ests of her community.

Their children are: Dr. Walter Milton; Ernest Peter and Frank Hennen, all of Keyser, and two daughters: Justina, who married J. Walter Scherr, president of the Inter-Ocean Casualty Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, they hav- ing one son, Joseph Walter, Jr., a student in the Cincin- nati schools. The youngest of the family, Mabel, married Clarence E. Vossler, a prominent merchant and stock raiser of Grant County. She died in October, 1918, leaving one son, Charles Henry Vossler.

Dr. Walter Milton Babb was born August 2, 1870. He received his education in the public schools and at Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, and graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania with the class of 1893. After practicing in Mineral County for about one year he entered the Allegheny General Hospital at Pittsburgh as resident physician, and at the expiration of his service there located in Pittsburgh, where he practiced his profession until 1908, when he moved to Keyser, where he lias since resided.

Doctor Babb is a member of the State Health Council, was medical examiner of the Draft Board during the war and especially active in all war work. In 1901 he married Marguerite Mignot, of Alderney, Channel Islands, Eng- land. They have one son, Walter Milton, Jr.

Ernest Peter Babb was born February 18, 1874. He at- tended the public schools, also Shepherd College at Shep- herdstown, and graduated from Eastman College at Pough- keepsie, New York. After some time spent in the old Key- ser Bank, now the First National Bank of Keyser, he was assistant clerk of the West Virginia Senate during the ses- sion of 1897. From there he went to Washington, where be held a position in the War Department during the Spanish-American war, serving under Secretary Alger and Secretary Root. Resigning that position in 1903, he re- turned to Grant County and was until 1919 associated with his father in farming and in the live stock business. When the farm was sold he moved to Keyser and is now a special agent of the State Department of Agriculture, engaged in the administration of the live stock sanitation, commercial feed and fertilizer laws.

In 1899 Mr. Babb married Katherine Bell, daughter of Joseph V. Bell, of Keyser, whose interesting career is the subject of another sketch. They have one son, Joseph Vance, born in 1903, who graduated from the preparatory department of the Potomac State School at Keyser, and is now in his second collegiate year at that institution.

Frank Hennen Babb was born June 24, 1875, and after finishing the course provided in the public schools spent two years at the State University at Morgantown. He re- turned to Cherry Lane Stock Farm, where he was engaged in business with his father until he was twenty-six years of age, when he moved to Keyser to engage in the real es- tate and insurance business. He has one of the standard insurance agencies of the state, and conducts a general bonding and surety business. He promoted Liller's Addi- tion to Keyser, laid off and sold the Reynolds Addition and also the F. H. Babb Fort Hill Addition. He served two terms as mayor of Keyser. He took the lead in getting the Legislature to give Keyser a new charter providing for a commission form of government and as mayor of the old regime he installed this new government and was re-elected as the first commission mayor.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 80

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