USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume I > Part 12
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
128
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
has ever been an enthusiastic supporter of Democratic principles and an active party worker. He was the party nomi- nee for judge of the Circuit Court in 1896, and although he made a strong race was defeated by Judge Sanders, the present incumbent. Since retiring from the bench, he has commanded a large general practice, but has mainly devoted his attention to corporate practice.
Judge Henritze was first married to a daughter of Capt. I. A. Welch, whose life sketch and portrait appear else- where in this work. She died in 1885, leaving four sons, as follows : W. W., manager of the Welch Lumber Com- pany, residing at Welch, West Vir- ginia ; Price, who is completing a course of study in mechanical engineering at the State University at Morgantown ; Thomas F., who completed a course of study in the State University and was admitted to the bar in October, 1902, and is now practicing law in association with his father ; and W. H., who is gen- eral manager of the Helena Coal Com- pany at Davy, West Virginia. Mr. Henritze formed a second union with a Miss Fairchild, a native of New York State, and to them have been born three children : Helen; Walter M .; and Frederick Cleveland. Fraternally the subject of this biography has been a
member of the Masonic order for more than 32 years, having joined at Dub- lin, Pulaski County. He is a member of Ivanhoe Commandery, No. 10, K. T., at Bramwell. Religiously he favors the Presbyterian Church. He and his fam- ily reside in a fine and comfortable home in Welch.
JOHN D. SAVELL.
JOHN D. SAVELL, mayor of the city of St. Marys, Pleasants County, West Virginia, was born August 31, 1861, in Wellington County, near Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and is a son of William George and Myram ( Eas- ton) Savell, the latter of whom was a daughter of Daniel Easton, who died in 1875. William George Savell died in 1863. at the age of 38 years, leaving
129
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
a widow and five children. Later the widow married a business man of Guelph, Canada, and in 1882 they re- moved to Moosomin, Northwest Terri- tory. Dominion of Canada, where she died in June, 1902, at the age af 68 years. In religion she was a Baptist.
The death of William George Sav- ell left his widow and children in straitened circumstances. Our sub- ject was but two years old at the time. and a home was found for him in a neighboring family where he lived un- til five years old, when he was taken by another family. His youth was passed in hard work on farms, but at the age of 18 years he went to his older brother, in Michigan, and was appren- ticed to the harness-making trade, at which he continued for three years. After he had completely mastered the business, he started out as a journey- man and traveled through Michigan and Wisconsin. In Milwaukee Mr. Savell married Anna McDonough, who died there when their one child, William A., who still lives with his father, was 18 months old. After the death of his wife, Mr. Savell went to Minnesota for one year and then traveled through Upper Michigan and Minnesota, in the pursuance of his business. In 1895 he came to West Virginia as manager for the well-
known harness manufacturer, Adam Flesher, locating at Friendly, Tyler County. One year later it was incor- porated as a town, and Mr. Savell was elected to the office of town sergeant for a term of one year. Since that time he has been engaged in a very prosperous harness business at St. Marys, and has there erected a fine residence.
In 1895 Mr. Savell was married to Mollie E. Kelly, who was born in Ritchie County, West Virginia, and is a daughter of David and Minerva Kel- ly. Four children have been born to this union, two of whom are deceased : Clarence Hobart, who died at the age of five months; and John Daniel, who died in 1902, also at the age of five months. The survivors are: Carl Daniel, born March 23, 1898; and Hattie Eva, born December, 23. 1900. Mrs. Savell is connected with the Broadwaters, one of the best known families of West Virginia. She was a posthumous child; her father died before her birth, leaving the mother with four children. The Kellys are of Irish descent, their ancestors having come to Virginia at an early day.
Mr. Savell has taken a very active part in political work since locating at St. Marys, and was elected a member of the Council in 1900. In the spring
130
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
of 1902, after a stirring campaign, he was elected mayor on the "Good Gov- ernment" ticket, defeating the candi- dates of both the People's and the Citi- zens' tickets by good pluralities.
He possesses those qualifications which especially fit him for his respons- ible position, and his able management of municipal affairs will certainly give the citizens of St. Marys good govern- ment during his administration. Fra- ternally he is connected with Lone Star Lodge, No. 13, Ancient Order of Unit- ed Workmen, of which he has been master workman. The family be- long to the Methodist Church.
GEORGE SCHRAMM, a manu- facturer of harness and collars at No. 1043 Market street, Wheeling, West Virginia, carries on a most successful trade and has been in business for him- self since 1899. He was born in Ger- many, October 16, 1872, and is a son of William and Margaret Schramm.
William Scliramm was born in Ger- many in 1830, and was a carpenter by trade. In the latter part of his life he also engaged in the wholesale produce business. He died in 1886. His wife was born in 1829 in Germany, where she is still living with her daughter Maria. They had 12 children, of whom
five are still living, namely : Charlotte, who is the wife of Henry Fischer and lives in Germany ; Daniel, who also lives in Germany; Maria, who married Henry Schultheis and is now a widow; Andrew A., engaged in saloon business in Wheeling; and George, the subject of this biography.
George Schramm's early life was spent in attending public school, and later the military school at Biebrich-on- the-Rhine. In 1893 he came to the United States, and proceeded to Wheel- ing, where he worked for his brother, Andrew A., in making harness. In May, 1898, he left Wheeling for St. Clairville, Ohio, where he opened up a harness shop, but remained one year only, when he returned to Wheeling, bought out his brother's business, and has since continued in it.
Mr. Schramm was united in mar- riage September 29, 1897, with Eliza- beth Schafer, a daughter of John and Wilhelmina Schafer. She was born at Bridgeport, Ohio, August 9, 1877. They have one child, John, who was horn November 24, 1898. They are both devoted to St. John's German In- dependent Protestant Church, of which they are members. Mr. Schramm also belongs to the German Beneficial Union and the Beethoven Singing Society, and is also a member of the executive
131
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
committee of the State organization of the German societies. In politics he in- terests himself in the welfare of the Re- publican party. In all his dealings Mr. Schramm has been honest, industrious, 11pright and temperate, and enjoys the esteem and respect that is justly his due.
REV. DAVID L. ASH, D. D
REV. DAVID L. ASH, D. D., of Clarksburg, who is now closing his fifth year as presiding elder of the Clarks- burg district of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the West Virginia Confer- ence, comes of an old and honored an- cestry. He was born October 20, 1857, on his father's farm some six miles north of Clarksburg, Harrison County, Virginia, now West Virginia,
where his great-grandparents lie bur- ied, in the old cemetery on Gregory's Run. His parents were Isaac P. R. and Sarah ( Harbert) Ash, the former of whom resides, retired, at Clarks- burg, at the age of 76 years. The lat- ter died on January 10, 1887, at the age of 55 years. She was of English-Irish ancestry, and was a daughter of David Harbert, who spent his life in Harrison County, where his father was a pioneer, and where his grandfather was killed by an Indian while defending his fam- ily. On the paternal side the descent was German, the great-grandfather of Dr. Ash coming from Germany and settling for a time at Red Stone, Penn- sylvania. In 1791 this ancestor, Adam Ash, with his wife and son Peter, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, then four years of age, moved to Harrison County, where the family has been established ever since.
Dr. Ash was the third member of a family of four children born to his par- ents. He obtained his education in the public schools. After completing a four- years course prescribed by the confer- ence in literature and the sciences, with an additional course in Greek in the Boston Correspondence School, at the age of 23 years he took up his life work by entering the West Virginia Confer- ence. Among some of his charges
132
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
have been Weston, Wesley Church at Wheeling, and Moundsville; from 1891 to 1897 he was presiding elder of the Morgantown district, residing at Grafton, and, as noted above, has served in the Clarksburg district for five years. He is a representative man in his religious body, and in 1893 was chosen a delegate to the World's Con- gress of Religions that met in Chicago. In 1896 he was honored by an election to the General Conference which met in Cleveland, and by that body was elected one of the publishers of the Pittsburg Christian Advocate, serving in that capacity for four years. He was twice elected secretary of the con- ference, declining a third term. At present he is one of the trustees of the Conference Seminary at Buckhannon. At its commencement in June, 1901, Alleghany College conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, a well deserved mark of appreciation.
On October 17. 1882, Dr. Ash was married to Dora Hammond, who is a daughter of Joseph Hammond, of Moundsville, West Virginia. One daughter was born to this union, Tensia Mabel. who is one of the bright and ambitious students of the Buckhannon Seminary. Dr. Ash is a man of schol- arly attainments, a preacher of power and vigor, and one of the best organ-
izers in his church. As a pastor he has always been popular with his peo- ple, never failing to gather around him both old and young as his supporters. As a presiding elder he has few equals in district work in stimulating both pastors and churches to greatest achievements.
JOSEPH M. NEIL.
JOSEPH M. NEIL, one of the rep- resentative young men of Charleston, West Virginia, who is successfully en- gaged in a nursery and seed business, was born in Nicholas County, West Virginia. His parents were Randolph and America J. (Elliott) Neil, both of whom are descended from prominent Old Dominion families, of English,
133
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
Scotch and Irish extraction. Randolph Neil was a mechanic and also a farmer, but died when his son was six years of age.
Joseph M. Neil is essentially a self made man. The death of his father threw him upon his own resources when still a lad, and prevented his taking ad- vantage of any educational opportuni- ties, except those presented during the winter months in the common schools. He entered upon his present line of business at the age of 15 years, as a salesman of nursery stock and has con- tinued in the same line ever since with the exception of a few years during which he was in the post office service at La Porte, Indiana. For the past 17 years, Mr. Neil has continued to ex- pand his business and has patrons in nearly every State in the Union, hand- ling only the best stock, and following honorable business methods. He is a member of La Porte Lodge, No. 36, I. O. O. F., of La Porte, Indiana.
CHARLES J. ELIG, who is presi- dent and manager of the Charles J. Elig Carriage Company, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was born in Wheeling, a son of Adam Elig, who is engaged in the grocery business at Wheeling.
Mr. Elig was reared and educated
in Wheeling, entering upon a business career upon leaving school at the age of 23. He has devoted his attention exclusively to carriage manufacturing, and his knowledge of that business is complete.
The Charles J. . Elig Carriage Company was established in 1860, by John Pfarr, who at that time furnished the Southern market with carriages and plantation wagons. Mr. Pfarr continued in the business until 1870, when Hook & Shrader became the pro- prietors, continuing in the business un- til 1880. Then the firm became known as John Pfarr & Company, and in 1885 Lotz & Elig became owners of the business. Mr. Elig acted as manager. The present company was incorporated in 1893, with Mr. Elig as president and James P. Morgan as secretary. Mr. Elig still holds the office of president, while Thomas J. Ball is vice-president, and H. P. Waltz is secretary and treasurer.
The present fine six-story building, with a frontage of 33 feet, facing Mar- ket street, was erected in 1896. About 25 people are employed, and there are lumber yards in connection with the plant. Strictly high-grade goods are manufactured, a specialty being made by the firm of phaetons, depot-wagons and box buggies. The
I 34
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
territory for the business is practically unlimited.
Mr. Elig married a daughter of Jacob Zillis, and they have three chil- dren,-Dorothy; Emma; and Charles J., Jr. The family are communicants of St. John's German Independent Pro- testant Church.
H. M. PATTON, M. D.
H. M. PATTON, M. D., a promi- nent physician of Parkersburg, was born in 1867 in Otsego County, New York, and is a son of M. R. Patton, now a resident of Otsego County, but formerly a commission merchant of Boston and New York City.
Dr. Patton secured his medical edu- cation in the University of New York, and during his years of practice since
graduation has seen much military work. He spent eight years in the city of New York, in hospital and dispen- sary duties, and for six years was con- nected with the medical corps of the New York National Guard-the 3rd Brigade and Stlı Regiment. During the Spanish-American War he spent one year in Cuba, as Ist lieutenant in the 4th Regiment, U. S. Vol. Inf., and is now assistant surgeon in the West Virginia National Guard, holding the rank of captain. His military record reflects great credit upon him, not only for bravery but for medical skill and efficiency. In 1896 Dr. Patton located in Parkersburg and entered upon gen- eral practice, locating his office at No. 5231/2 Market street. He has made many professional and personal friends and is in the enjoyment of a very satis- factory practice.
Dr. Patton married a daughter of J. L. Buckley, ex-sheriff of Wood County, and they have one daughter, Elizabeth Thayer, the representative of the fifth generation of the family ; what is also remarkable is that all live on one square in the city. Here may be seen little Elizabeth, aged three months; her mother, aged 25 years; her grandmother, aged 46 years; her great-grandmother, aged 60 years, and the venerable great-great-grandmother,
135
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
aged 91 years. Dr. Patton is identified with the Republican party. He attends the Presbyterian Church.
HON. LUTHER HAYMOND.
HON. LUTHER HAYMOND, who for a long period was the cashier of the Merchants' National Bank of Clarksburg, and the possessor of valu- able coal and oil property in the vicin- ity, was born February 23, 1809, in Harrison County, Virginia, now West Virginia, on a farm some six miles southeast of Clarksburg. He is a son of Thomas and Rebecca ( Bond) Hay- mond, the former of whom was a son of William Haymond, a native of Maryland. The father of William
Haymond was John Haymond, who was born in England and settled near Rockville, Montgomery County, Mary- land. William Haymond served in the French and Indian War under General Washington. He located in Harrison County at the time of its organization, was its first surveyor and retained the office to the time of his death in 1821 and was succeeded by his son Thomas. His remains and those of his family rest in Harrison County.
Thomas Haymond was born in 1776 and was surveyor of Harrison County from 1821 to the date of his death in 1853, coming here with his father. During the French and Indian War he served as a scout. He married Rebecca Bond, who was born in Cecil County, Maryland, and died near Clarksburg, aged 89 years.
Luther Haymond is the only sur- vivor of the six children born to his parents that survived infancy. He was reared among the scenes of pioneer life and still recalls the sound of the howling of wolves around his log cabin home. Ilis education was the best ob- tainable at the time in the locality, and he learned surveying as a boy, carrying the links for his father. His ability in mathematics encouraged his adopting this vocation, and he followed surveying from 1832 to 1860, and
136
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
probably did more work of this kind in the State than any one now living. Many of the highways were located by him. In 1860 Mr. Haymond gave up surveying and accepted the position of cashier of a branch bank of the Mer- chants' & Mechanics' Bank of Wheel- ing, but the outbreak of the Civil War disarranged banking plans for some years. In 1865, when the Merchants' National Bank of Clarksburg was es- tablished, he was made cashier and served from that date to 1895, resign- ing at that time. Mr. Haymond has been very largely interested in oil and coal operating and owns great tracts of valuable land, and devotes his time and attention to looking after these inter- ests. In the session of 1843-44 he served with distinction in the Virginia Legislature. He was a Whig in poli- tics at the time, and although the coun- ty was Democratic he was elected by a good majority, and has held a number of responsible positions, such as county treasurer and commissioner in chan- cery. Fraternally he is an Odd Fel- low.
In 1833 he was married, first, to Delia Ann Moore, who died in 1867, the mother of all his children, four of whom still survive, namely: Henry, Thomas, Bruce and Myra Lewis. Lee Haymond, deceased, succeeded his fa-
ther as cashier of the Merchants' Na- tional Bank. During the Civil War he served in the Commissary Department of the Federal Army and had a cap- tain's commission. Henry Haymond served through the Civil War as a cap- tain in the 18th Regiment, U. S. In- fantry, and later in the Indian wars. The second marriage of Mr. Haymond was to Madisonia Gittings, of Clarks- burg, a granddaughter of Judge John G. Jackson, and a great-granddaughter of Governor R. J. Meigs of Ohio.
HON. HARRY C. WOODYARD.
HON. HARRY C. WOOD- YARD, Member of Congress from the Fourth Congressional District of West Virginia, and a distinguished citizen of Spencer, Roane County, West Vir-
137
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
ginia, was born at Spencer, November 13, 1867, and was educated in the com- mon schools of the vicinity. For a number of years he has been engaged in the wholesale grocery and lumber business. Mr. Woodyard has been closely identified with the business in- terests and the commercial develop- ment of his section of the State, and is one of the directors of the Roane Coun- ty Bank.
Mr. Woodyard is recognized as one of the leading Republicans of his part of West Virginia. He was elect- ed to the State Senate, from the Fifth Senatorial District, in 1898, and served on the judiciary committee and as chairman of the committee on rail- roads. In 1900 he was a candidate for Congress, but was defeated in con- vention by Hon. James A. Hughes. During this year he was treasurer of the Republican State Executive Com- mittee. On July 2, 1902, Mr. Wood- yard was nominated at Parkersburg, West Virginia, for Congress, in the Fourth Congressional District, and was elected on November 4th, over William N. Chancellor, Democrat, and George R. Brown, Prohibitionist, the vote standing: Woodyard, 19,158; Chancellor, 16,968; and Brown, 710.
Mr. Woodyard was united in mar- riage with Emma Douglas.
WILLIAM HOMER GREER.
WILLIAM HOMER GREER, a leading business citizen of Cairo, West Virginia, and one of the prominent and influential politicians of Ritchie County, was born October 4, 1872, in Ripley, Jackson County, West Virgin- ia, and is a son of William Thomas and Mary Virginia (Bennett) Greer. Since April, 1896, he has conducted an extensive hardware business at Cai- ro and is an important factor in other local enterprises.
Mr. Greer was educated in the pub- lic schools of his native town, and was a student in the Episcopal High School at Alexandria, Virginia, 1890-91 ; and at Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia, 1891-92. In December, 1892, he established The
10
138
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
Mountaineer, a Democratic newspaper, at Ravenswood, West Virginia, and continued the publication of his party's organ in Jackson County until the fall of 1894, when he disposed of his news- paper plant in order to accept a lucra- tive position offered him by Represent- ative Hermann, of Oregon. He re- mained in Oregon until April, 1896, when he returned to West Virginia, locating at Cairo, Ritchie County, where he now resides and conducts an immense hardware business and is fin- ancially interested in a number of local enterprises. Mr. Greer was instru- mental in the establishment of The Mutual Bank, a new banking institu- tion of Cairo, and is secretary of the Cairo Board of Trade.
Mr. Greer has been very prominent in public life for a number of years. In January, 1901, he was elected a mem- ber of the Common Council of Cairo, and in 1902 was elected recorder. He was secretary of the Democratic Con- gressional Convention at Huntington in 1894, which nominated Judge Tom Harvey for Congress; in 1896 he was elected a member of the West Virginia delegation to the Democratic National Convention held at Chicago; in 1898 he was his party's nominee for State Senator from the Third Senatorial District, composed of the counties of
Ritchie, Tyler. Doddridge and Harri- SO11. Although defeated by his Re- publican opponent, Hon. Anthony Smith, he made a strong race, reducing the usual Republican majority in the district more than a thousand votes. He was secretary of the Democratic Executive Committee of Ritchie Coun- ty from 1898 to 1902. In 1900 at the Point Pleasant district delegate con- vention of the Fourth District he was elected alternate-at-large to the Demo- cratic National Convention held at Kansas City, July 4, 1900. He is president of the W. J. Bryan Club of Cairo, organized in 1900.
On June 27, 1900, Mr. Greer was married by Rt. Rev. G. W. Peterkin, D. D., Protestant Episcopal Bishop of West Virginia, to Marion Collins, daughter of Hon. and Mrs. Creed Col- lins, of Pennsboro, West Virginia. To this marriage a son, Creed Collins, was born, May 3, 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Greer are members of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Mr. Greer is an Elk, having his membership with Parkersburg Lodge, No. 198; he is a Kappa Sigma ; a mem- her of the I. O. H .; and a Knight of Pythias,-he was the first chancellor commander of Egyptian Lodge, No. 127, Knights of Pythias, and repre- sented this lodge at the session of the
139
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
Grand Lodge held in Parkersburg in 190I and the session of the same body at Grafton in 1902, and was deputy grand chancellor in 1901-02. At the municipal election held January I, 1903, Mr. Greer was elected mayor of Cairo, defeating Mayor J. Newman, who was then serving his second con- secutive term.
Mr. Greer is a director in the Pennsboro Mining Company, organ- ized for the purpose of operating val- uable lead and zinc property in Central Missouri.
HARRY SHAW.
HARRY SHAW .- Among the many brilliant men whose zeal, ability and educational equipments have largely contributed to the expeditious
furtherance of the business of the State is Harry Shaw, clerk of the West Vir- ginia House of Delegates. Mr. Shaw was born in Marion County, West Vir- ginia, February 15, 1872, and is a son of Joshua and Jane ( West) Shaw.
Mr. Shaw secured his preparatory education in the public schools of Marion County, West Virginia, and then took the advanced course at the Fairmont State Normal School, and subsequently entered Duquesne Col- lege at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Later, at the West Virginia University, he re- ceived the degrees of LL. B. and A. B. He was adınitted to the bar at Fair- mont, West Virginia, in 1895, and there successfully engaged in the prac- tice of his profession, winning the approbation of the public, bench and bar. Always an ardent supporter of the Republican party and one of its most active workers in his section, he was selected for the office of clerk of the House of Delegates by a handsome majority in 1901 and was unanimously re-elected in 1903.
Fraternally Mr. Shaw affiliates with the Odd Fellows. Few men in Marion County of the same age have come so favorably and prominently be- fore the public, and, judging by the past, it is safe to predict a brilliant pro- fessional and political future for him.
140
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
FRANCIS VOLNEY COX, M. D., D. O.
FRANCIS VOLNEY COX, M.D., D. O .- There is no department of learned endeavor in which greater prog- ress has been made within recent years than the field of medicine and surgery. From the earliest times recorded the art that alleviates and removes pain and heals the afflicted has been justly re- garded as among the highest and noblest of human functions. A promi- nent member of the medical profession in New Martinsville, West Virginia, is found in Dr. Francis Volney Cox, who was born in Clarington, Ohio, May 12, I851.
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.