USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume I > Part 27
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ville, West Virginia, and ex-sheriff of the county, is one of the prominent and representative citizens of the north- western section of the State. He was born June 7, 1837, on Wheeling Island, Wheeling, Virginia, now West Vir- ginia. He is a son of Robert Bruce and Artemisia (Shepherd ) Hunter.
The Hunter family is of Scotch- Irish extraction, and our subject is in a direct line of descent from Robert Bruce of Scotland. Robert Bruce Hunter, the father, was born in Steu- benville, Ohio, in 1813, and died in 1878, in Missouri, to which State he re- moyel in 1870, having previously spent some tiine in Kansas, engaged in farm- ing, but having returned to Missouri prior to his death. He was a cabinet- maker and farmer by occupation, and as a justice of the peace was a member of the Marshall County Court. He was well known in the vicinity of Wheeling as he operated a ferry boat on the Ohio River between that city and Bridge- port, Ohio, for a number of years. In politics he was a Whig until the forma- tion of the Republican party, when he became identified with the latter. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Church. He married Arte- misia Shepherd, who was born in Brooke County, near West Liberty, Virginia, now West Virginia, of Eng-
lish parentage and died in 1859. The two children of this marriage were both sons,-Oscar Bruce and Hanson Walker. The former was an express messenger on the Illinois Central Rail- road when he fell a victim of yellow fever, at New Orleans, in 1878.
Hanson Walker Hunter was edu- cated in the common and high schools of Moundsville, Marshall County, of which place he became a resident in 1843, and later took a commercial col- lege course, in preparation for a busi- ness career. After leaving school, he was engaged in clerking and boating until the outbreak of the Civil War. In June, 1861, he assisted in recruiting a company of infantry, and was mustered into service at Clarksburg, West Vir- ginia, as Ist lieutenant of Company I, 3rd Keg., West Virginia Vol. Inf. His service covered a period of three years and two months. He was promoted to the captaincy of the company in Febru- ary, 1862. In July, 1862, he was de- tailed as provost marshal general of Gen. R. H. Milroy's independent bri- gade of the Second Division, 8th Army Corps. He served as such until July, 1863, when he was relieved and re- turned to his regiment in West Vir- ginia, which was part of Brig .- Gen. W. W. Averill's command. In the mean- while, this regiment, with three other
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regiments, had been mounted and aft- erward his regiment was changed to the 6th Reg., West Virginia Vol. Cav., and our subject was mustered in as major of the regiment in March, 1864, and after continued service (except a 10- days' furlough) was discharged at Wheeling, West Virginia, in August, 1864, by reason of expiration of term of service. Major Hunter was in the battles of Cheat Mountain Summit, un- der General Reynolds, September, 1861; at McDowell and Franklin, May, 1862; Cross Keys, June, 1862; Cedar Mountain, Culpeper Court House, Rapidan and Second Battle of Bull Run, in the fall of 1862; and Win- chester, in 1863. After several raids through West Virginia, Major Hunter was with General Averill in the latter's celebrated raid. Starting from Keyser, West Virginia, December 8th, they marched across the mountains, swam the rivers, and struck the town of Sa- lem, Virginia, on the Virginia & East Tennessee Railroad, where a great amount of property was destroyed and the railroad was badly damaged. Re- turning from this raid, they were com- pelled to get out on cut roads over the mountains to Beverly and Grafton, West Virginia, drawing the artillery over the mountains, which were cov- ered with snow and ice.
After the close of the war, Major Hunter returned to Moundsville and for three years was engaged there in a mercantile business. From 1867 to 1871, he served as deputy sheriff under Sheriff Keltz, and for one year was as- sistant internal revenue assessor for Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler counties. During the succeeding four years he capably filled the position of county as- sessor of personal property, and in 1876 was elected sheriff of Marshall County and served his full term of four years. In the fall of 1881, Major Hunter as- sisted in forming the Marshall County Bank; in January, 1882, he accepted the position of cashier of this bank, of which he is the principal individual stockholder, and has served in that ca- pacity ever since. He is one of the capitalists of the county and is finan- cially interested in the Fostoria Glass Company, at Moundsville; the United States Stamping Company : the Moundsville Electrical Company ; and the Moundsville Land Company ; and owns a one-half interest in 1300 acres of coal land adjoining the town, which is on the way to development.
Major Hunter was married Febru- ary 22, 1865, to Jane E. Edwards, who was born in Moundsville in 1845, and is a daughter of William and Margaret Edwards, the former of whom was a
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native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Virginia. Three children have been born to this union, namely: Daisy; Carl H., who is teller in the Marshall County Bank; and Lottie Bruce, who married Herman McDonald.
Major Hunter is a Republican. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Knights of Honor, National Union, and is a past commander of J. C. Cald- well Post, Grand Army of the Re- public.
HON. S. B. BAKER.
HON. S. B. BAKER, Adjutant General of the State of West Virginia, and one of the most prominent and use- ful citizens of the city of Parkersburg,
is of English birth, born in 1853 at Dover. He is a son of Henry Baker, who was long connected with the civil service department of the English gov- ernment.
Gen. S. B. Baker came to America in 1869 and first located at Lafayette, Indiana, where a brother was exten- sively engaged in the coal and lime business. Our subject entered the of- fice of the Lafayette Journal and learned the printing business, remain- ing in that city until 1883, when he re- moved to Parkersburg and there formed a partnership with A. B. White, now Governor of West Virginia, in the pub- lishing of the State Journal, a business association which continued through 18 years. Carrying on the business un- til 1902, General Baker sold his inter- est in that year to P. W. Morris.
In 1901 Governor White called his old and trusted friend and associate to the honorable office of Adjutant Gen- eral of the State, a position which Gen- eral Baker is eminently qualified to fill He also has been the efficient president of the Board of State Service Commis- sioners.
Adjutant General Baker has long been prominently identified with the Masonic and other fraternal organiza- tions. He is a member of Tippecanoe Lodge, No. 492, A. F. & A. M., of La-
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fayette, Indiana ; the Royal Arch Chap- ter and the Knight Templar Com- mandery, of Parkersburg ; Osiris Tem- ple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Wheeling ; also of Lodge No. 198, B. P. O. E .; and Lodge No. 25, A. O. U. W., of Parkersburg; and Friendship Lodge, No. 22, I. O. O. F., and Lafayette Lodge, No. 51, Knights of Pythias, of Lafayette, Indiana.
In Adjutant General Baker the State of West Virginia has a faithful and efficient officer,-one who adds to the strength of the present administra- tion.
HON. JOHN E. NEWELL.
HON. JOHN E. NEWELL, member of the House of Delegates, from Chester, Hancock County, West
Virginia, was born December 22, 1861, near Fairview, Hancock County, and is a son of Hugh and Alizan ( Marks) Newell, natives of Hancock County.
In Mr. Newell's ancestry is com- bined the blood of "the Erin and the Scot ; the Teuton and the Huguenot." The great-grandfather of Mr. Newell was born in the north of Ireland and was a pioneer in Western Pennsyl- vania, owning land in Washington County upon which at one time stood an Indian fort. John Newell, the pa- ternal grandfather of John E. Newell, was born in Washington County, Penn- sylvania, was a tanner by trade and died in 1884. Several of his brothers took part in the War of 1812. On the maternal side, the family is of French extraction and some of its members harl contracts with the government for the manufacture of guns for the Revo- lutionary War. The grandfather was a Huguenot and was the first powder manufacturer west of the Alleghany Mountains. Maj .- Gen. Samuel B. M. Young, well known in West Virginia and to all students of recent American history, is a relative and was named for Samuel B. Marks, our subject's ma- ternal grandfather. To the parents of our subject, who were married in 1859, a family of four sons and two daugh- ters was born. By trade Hugh New-
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ell is a miller, which business he fol- lowed in early life, but later engaged in farming, and resides at the old Marks homestead in Hancock County. He is president of the Building & Loan Association in Chester, and is a man of prominence in his locality.
John F. Newell was educated in the public schools of Hancock County and has been mainly engaged in farming, stockraising and fruitgrowing. In 1893, he was united in marriage to Minnie Rose, a daughter of S. F. Rose, and four daughters have been born to this union: Helen, Martha, Frances and Rachel. Mr. Newell has been deep- ly interested in educational matters for a number of years and prior to his mar- riage was made trustee of the public schools and has continued in that of- fice ever since. He has always been identified with the Republican party, and in 1902 he was the choice of his party for the House of Delegates. His services have been of a public spirited character as chairman of the commit- tees on public printing and contingen- cies, and as a member of the committees on education, agriculture, immigration, roads and internal improvements. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow, and a member of the Order of United Amer- ican Mechanics, in which he has passed all the chairs.
In religious matters, Mr. Newell was reared a Presbyterian, but while he takes an active part in the support of this church he is not a member of it, and is always ready to promote relig- ious work in all denominations.
JOSEPH SHOTWELL SMITH, M. D.
JOSEPH SHOTWELL SMITH, M. D., chief surgeon and gynecologist, at the Reynolds Memorial Hospital, at Glendale, Marshall County, West Vir- ginia, and a general practitioner in the vicinity, was born in 1867, at Augusta, New Jersey, and is a son of Henry S. and Lucy I. (Shotwell) Smith.
Henry S. Smith was born at Win- sted, Connecticut, about 1836, and now
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lives retired at Washington, D. C. He is a large land owner in Virginia. In politics he is a Democrat. The mother of Dr. Smith was born at Augusta, New Jersey, and died in 1883, at the age of 38 years. She was a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The three children born to Henry Smith and his wife were: Frank, who is en- gaged in an extensive milk business in Washington, D. C .; Minnie May, the wife of John D. Connor, of Washing- ton : and Joseph Shotwell.
Dr. Joseph S. Smith was reared in Washington City and from his earliest school days enjoyed the best of edu- cational opportunities. After complet- ing the public school course, he en- tered St. John's Military Academy, at Alexandria, later Washington and Lee University, at Lexington, Virginia, and in 1888 entered Maryland Univer- sity, at Baltimore, where he was grad- uated in 1891. Beginning practice in Washington, he continued there about three years and then removed to West Virginia, locating at McMechen, and continuing in practice there for the suc- ceeding five years. Dr. Smith was called from there to Glendale to enter the Reynolds Memorial Hospital as its chief surgeon and gynecologist, re- sponsible positions which have been very efficiently filled. Dr. Smith has
also built up a very satisfactory outside practice and is most highly esteemed by the residents of Glendale and vicinity. He belongs to the Bi-County Medical Society and entertains the most cordial relations with his brother practitioners. As a lecturer on surgery and the dis- eases of women at the training school for nurses, connected with the Reyn- olds Memorial Hospital, he is very pop- ular.
For the last four or five years Dr. Smith has devoted most of his time and study to surgery and the diseases of women, in which line he has possibly done as much work as any man in the State : for in addition to Reynolds Me- morial Hospital being the largest gen- eral hospital in West Virginia, it has always kept its doors open to charity cases, and thus in the special line men- tioned Dr. Smith has had an enormous experience.
He subscribes to nearly all the lead- ing journals on surgery and the dis- eases of women published in this coun- try and to several from abroad, such as: London Lancet, British Medical Journal, and Edinburg Medical Jour- nal. In that way he tries to keep posted on anything new in his profession. In addition, it is his purpose to visit nearly all the medical centers in the world by spending two months each summer at
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different cities, so as to have the benefits of the latest improvements and modes of procedure. In the summer of 1902 he took a special course in anatomy, surgery and the diseases of women at the Chicago Clinical School.
In 1897 Dr. Smith married Frances J. Galeski, who was born in Washing- ton, D. C., in 1872. She was reared in the Roman Catholic Church, but Dr. Smith adheres to his mother's faith in the Protestant Episcopal Church. He has membership with the Knights of Pythias, the Elks, and Shield of Honor.
CHARLES WESLEY ARCHBOLD.
CHARLES WESLEY ARCH- BOLD, general manager of the Cam- den works of the Standard Oil Com-
pany at Parkersburg, West Virginia, was born in Harrison County, Ohio, January 18, 1843, and is a son of Rev. Israel and Frances ( Dana) Archbold. His paternal grandfather was James Archbold, who emigrated to Virginia from Ireland about 100 years ago and acquired a tract of land in what is now Doddridge County, West Virginia, on which he made his home,-his remains lie in the old burying ground at Smith- ton, in Doddridge County.
Rev. Israel Archbold, father of Charles Wesley, was educated at the Marietta Collegiate Institute, of Mari- etta, Ohio, which later developed into Marietta College, and was a minister of the Methodist Church devoted his life to the work, in connection with the Pittsburg Conference. He married a daughter of William Dana, who was born at Newport, Washington County, Ohio. Her grandfather was a pioneer of 1788 in Washington County and re- sided near Belpre. She died in 1886 in Titusville, Pennsylvania, and her husband died in 1859, in Columbiana County, Ohio, aged 52 years. Of their seven children, five still survive, name- ly : John D., who is vice-president of the Standard Oil Company, having been interested in it almost since its in- ception, and resides in New York City ; William D., who is with the Continen-
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tal Oil Company, a branch of the Standard, and resides at Denver, Colo- rado: Mrs. J. P. Colter, of Meadville, Pennsylvania: Mrs. H. P. Chamber- lain, of Buffalo, New York; and Charles Wesley, the subject of this sketch.
Charles Wesley Archbold īvas reared in Ohio, residing at various places where his father's ministerial du- ties called him. He was educated in the common schools and the Western Re- serve Seminary at Farmington, Ohio. While still young he entered the oil business at Titusville, Pennsylvania, and later became a producer, but for the past twenty years has been associated with the Standard Oil Company. In the spring of 1890 he located in Park- ersburg to accept the position of gen- eral manager of the Camden works.
Mr. Archbold married a daughter of Hon. A. D. Kibbee, a merchant and at one time a member of the Ohio Leg- islature. She was born at Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio. One son was born to this union, William K., who is now an electrical engineer and contrac- tor at Syracuse, New York. He is a graduate of Cornell University and was engaged for some years with the West- inghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. The two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Archbold are Mrs. W. S.
Speece, whose husband is a member of the mercantile firm of Bryan & Speece, of Parkersburg ; and Mrs. J. W. Inslee, whose husband is a dealer in china, glass and statuary, in the same city.
Mr. Archbold is one of the trustees of the First Methodist Church of Park- ersburg. He is the State treasurer of the West Virginia Humane Society and president of the Wood County Hu- mane Society. He has an honorable war record also, having served in the Civil War, as a member of the 87th Ohio and 56th Pennsylvania, both short term regiments. He was taken prisoner at Harper's Ferry on Septein- ber 15, 1862.
DR. EUGENIUS AUGUSTUS HILDRETH, who has been a most prominent member of the medical pro- fession of Wheeling, West Virginia, since 1888, was born in that city July IO, 1864, and is a son of Dr. E. A. Hildreth.
His grandfather, Ezekiel Hildreth, was a teacher in the Lancasterian Acad- emy at Wheeling, but retired some years previous to his death, which oc- curred in March, 1856. He was born at Sterling, Massachusetts, in 1784, and married Sally Zane, who was born at Wheeling in 1796, and was a daugh-
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ter of Jonathan Zane, who was one of the defenders at the siege of Fort Henry.
Dr. E. A. Hildreth was born Sep- tember 13, 1821, and completed a col- lege education at Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, in 1840. He then took up the study of medicine at the Ohio Medical College in Cincinnati, Ohio, from which institution he was gradu- ated in 1844. In 1845 he opened an office at Wheeling and successfully practiced medicine until his death in 1895. He was prominent in his pro- fession, and also found time to devote to other interests. He was a member of the Board of Education several terms, and was president of that body in 1879. He was a member of the board of commissioners of the State Penitentiary at Moundsville from 1868 to 1872. He served as a member of the board of examiners of surgeons for appointment to army service, and la- ter was pension examiner. He was noted as a writer on atmospheric, me- teoric and climatic phenomena, as well as on medical science. He was a mem- ber of the Ohio County Medical So- ciety, the State Medical Society, the American Medical Association, and an honorary member of the California Medical Society and the Victoria In- stitute of Great Britain. In 1851 Dr.
Hildreth married Susan McMechen, who was born in 1824 and was a daughter of Benjamin McMechen. They reared the following children : Frank C., born in 1852, who was an attorney of Wheeling, and at the time of his death, in 1895, was serving as cashier of the Commercial Bank; Ben- jamin M., born in 1854, who spent his active life in the glass business and re- sides at Woodsdale; Sally Zane, wife of William S. Brady, who resides at Echo Point ; Dorrie List, wife of F. G. Kammerer, of Chicago, who has two children, Eugenius Hildreth and Fran- ce ;; and Eugenius A., the subject of this biography. Benjamin M. Hildreth married Kate Turner in 1874, and they have a son, Eugenius A., who is now a medical student of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Eugenius A. Hildreth was pri- marily educated in Linsly Institute and then studied medicine in Jefferson Med- ical College at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, graduating in 1885, his resi- dence during 1886-87 being the Brook- lyn City Hospital. After taking a special course in New York City, he re- turned to Wheeling, where he has prac- ticed since 1888. His office and resi- dence are at 1207 Chapline street. He is a member of the Ohio County Med- ical Society, the State Medical Society
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and the American Medical Associa- tion.
Dr. Hildreth was united in mar- riage, in 1892, with Jane Neave Brady, and they have five children : William; Richard; Eugenius A., Jr .; Hugh
Brady ; and Mary Caldwell. The Doctor is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Board of Education and the Board of Trade. Dr. and Mrs. Hildreth are consistent members of St. Matthew's Protestant Epicsopal Church, of which his father was a ves- tryman.
WILLIAM BURLEY FLETCHER, D. D. S.
WILLIAM BURLEY FLETCH- ER, D. D. S., one of the successful young professional men of Cameron,
Marshall County, West Virginia, was born in that county, April 20, 1872, and is a son of Abraham and Emma Au- gusta ( Earlewine) Fletcher.
Abraham Fletcher was born in what is now the State of West Vir- ginia, and died July 9, 1902, at the age of 62 years. He had been engaged in agricultural pursuits all his life. The mother of Dr. Fletcher was born in Marshall County, Virginia, now West Virginia, and died at the age of 55 years. Both parents were worthy mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church. They reared three children, viz. : S. B .; Will- iam Burley, our subject ; and a sister, Estie M.
Dr. Fletcher was educated in the common schools and early began the study of dentistry, entering the College of Dental Surgery, at Baltimore, Mary- land, in 1896, where he was graduated in 1899. He then opened an office in Cameron, where he has been success- fully engaged in practice ever since. He later took a post-graduate course at his alma mater, making a special study of bridge work, and is fully equipped for the most delicate dental operations, and possesses all necessary modern ap- pliances. He is located very advanta- geously on Main street.
On the 31st of March, 1900, Dr. Fletcher was married to Myrtle Par-
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riott, a daughter of Rev. George W. and Jane Parriott, who was born June 22, 1876. They are members of the Methodist Church, in which Mrs. Fletcher's father was a minister. One son, Charles P., was born to Dr. and Mrs. Fletcher, June 31, 1901. In pol- itics, like his father, the Doctor is a stanch Republican. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias.
CAPT. ISAIAH A. WELCH.
CAPT. ISAIAH A. WELCH .- No historical or biographical work of West Virginia would be complete with- out some mention being made of Cap- tain Welch. He was the pioneer of the Flat-Top coal field, making his first re-
port in 1872, and the wonderful pro- gress and development of this section clearly justifies his predictions and in- vestigations from the first.
Capt. Welch was born in Dodd- ridge County, Virginia, now West Virginia, and was of Scotch-Irish de- scent, his father coming from Lou- doun County, Virginia. He was a civil engineer, and followed that pro- fession for many years. He served six years in the Virginia House of Delegates, representing Kana- wha County; when the Civil War began, he cast his lot with the South, and served full four years. He held the rank of captain, later that of major, and just prior to the final surrender was commissioned a colonel. He was a brave and gallant soldier, and the Lost Cause had no more active and trustworthy supporter than he.
Captain Welch, by persistent efforts and a vast amount of work, secured the removal of the county seat of McDow- ell County from Perryville to Welch, Judge Henritze being his attorney at that time. He was a stanch Democrat, and was a man who was influenced by nothing but principle. He was unsel- fish in disposition and did not accept the opportunity to acquire untold wealth in the coal fields, although he was awake to these opportunities and
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among the first to conceive them. He was a big and strong man, mentally and physically. He was a near relative and schoolmate of "Stonewall" Jackson, their mothers being cousins, and for this distinguished son of Virginia he had a lasting admiration.
Captain Welch's life was saddened by the death of his wife and four chil- dren, all of whom preceded him to the grave. He made his home in the vi- cinity of Bramwell until two years prior to his death, then moved to St. Albans, where he lived until he was called to the unknown beyond, in Feb- ruary, 1902, aged 77 years.
CHARLES HORSTMANN, a well known business man of Wheeling, West Virginia, is vice-president and manager of the Schmulbach Brewing Company. He was born in Germany April 12, 1846.
Mr. Horstmann came to the United States in 1871, and located in the Eighth Ward, Wheeling. He obtained employment in a glass manufacturing plant, and remained there a short time. After this he went back to Germany, remained in his native country three months, and then returned to Wheel- ing and turned his willing hands to a number of occupations. In 1874 he became a driver for the Nail City
Brewery, now the Schmulbach Brew- ery, and continued thus until 1880. He then made another visit to Germany, and returned in four months. He spent four years in beer bottling for himself, after which he served as collector for the Schmulbach Brewing Company for seven years. At the expiration of that time he was made general manager of the large plant and still serves as such. In December, 1900, he was made vice- president of the company. The com- pany is capitalized at $240,000, and has a capacity of 150,000 barrels of beer per year. It employs from 75 to 100 men the year through. The officers of the company are: Henry Schmulbach, president; Charles Horstmann, vice- president ; J. H. Lancaster, secretary ; and Henry Schmulbach, treasurer.
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