USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume II > Part 21
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
In 1878. Mr. Gilligan married Catherine Reilly, a native of West Vir- ginia and a daughter of Peter and Mar- garet Reilly. From this union nine children have resulted, viz .: Thomas P., who assists his father in the build- ing business; Margaret F., who is as- sistant bookkeeper and stenographer for the Hicks & Hoge Dry Goods Com- pany : Charles P., who is also in busi-
643
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
ness with his father; Mary S., who is attending school; John J .; Catherine V. H. ; Sarah M., who died at the age of three and a half years; Frances D., who also died when three and a half years old; and William, who died at the age of seven months. Mr. Gilligan is a stanch upholder of Republican principles, and with his family is a member of the Catholic Church.
HIRAM C. JONES, M. D.
HIRAM C. JONES, M. D., one of the first physicians to locate in Blue- field, Mercer County, West Virginia, was born January 1, 1861, on the head waters of New River, in Ashe County, North Carolina, where he was reared. He is a son of Drury C. and Mary Ann (Faw) Jones, and comes
of good old Revolutionary stock on both sides of the family.
The great-great-great-grandfather on the paternal side was born in Eng- land and immigrated to this country some time prior to the Revolutionary War and settled in Bedford County, Virginia. He had a family of 10 sons and one daughter.
One of these sons, Daniel Jones, the great-great-grandfather of our subject, served through the Revolu- tionary War as a commissioned officer, and lost all his fortune during the war. He settled on the Great Pee Dee River in South Carolina. He afterward mi- grated to Western North Carolina and settled in Alleghany County where he taught school. He was twice married, having two sons by the first marriage, John and Daniel, and one son, Hud- son, and three daughters by the sec- ond.
John Jones, son of Daniel Jones, and great-grandfather of our subject, married a Miss Long, settled on Pra- ther's Creek, North Carolina, and had a family of four sons: Levi, Thomas, Soloman, and Daniel. John Jones be- came a man of fortune and died at the age of 92, his son Levi dying at the same age, Thomas at 82, Soloman at So, while Daniel still lives and is act- ive, aged 88 years.
644
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
Thomas Jones, grandfather of Dr. Hiram C. Jones, lived and died in Al- leghany County. He was twice mar- ried : first to a Miss Phipps from which union there were three sons, Hiram, Drury C., and Fielding, and two daughters, Ruth, and Matilda.
Drury C. Jones, father of our sub- ject, married Mary Ann Faw, daugh- ter of Rev. Jacob Faw, a Baptist cler- gyman, who served his country in the legislative halls for several successive terms, and who was a direct descend- ant from John Faw who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and came with the early settlers to America, first set- tling in New England. Drury C. Jones enlisted in the cavalry brigade of Baird's Battalion in the 65th North Carolina Regiment, C. S. A., com- manded by Col. G. N. Foot. He fell a victim to typhoid fever near Knox- ville, Tennessee, at the early age of 26 years, leaving a widow with an aged mother and four small children to take care of themselves on a devastated farm. This she did nobly, with much credit to herself. To her bereavement was soon added the death of her eld- est son. Her next eldest was a daugh- ter, Amelia, who married John W. Long and is living in North Carolina.
Our subject, Dr. Hiram C. Jones, and his younger brother, the late Dr.
A. Fielding Jones, attended the public schools during the winters and worked on the farm in the summers until each attained the age of 17, when they began teaching in the public schools, and also attended higher schools for several years. They both afterward took up the study of medicine and at- tended the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, Maryland, the late Dr. A. F. Jones graduating in the class of 1885 and Dr. Hiram C. Jones, in the class of 1889. The latter went direct from college to Bluefield and im- mediately found a large and increas- ing practice to engage his attention. Until about a year ago, he devoted himself closely to the practice of his profession, but since that time has been in oil development in the Kentucky fields, and has organized two of the most successful oil development com- panies in that field. He is largely in- terested in coal lands in Mingo and Logan counties, West Virginia. He is president of the Pocahontas Fuel Com- pany, also president of the Rawl Coal & Coke Company, now operating at Rawl in the Thacker field.
In 1882 Dr. Hiram C. Jones mar- ried Hannah Calloway, the younger daughter of the late Hon. Benjamin Calloway, of North Carolina, who for many years represented his county in
645
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
the Legislature at Raleigh where he met his bride, Harriet Stuart. She was a daughter of the then late John Stuart who had been a successful mer- chant in Raleigh. Her mother, a wid- ow, entertained at her home the officials and friends that came on the first train that ran into Raleigh, which line ex- tended from Norfolk, Virginia. She was called the "Whig Matron" of Raleigh. She entertained Henry Clay when he was a candidate for the Pres- idency, and it was in her kitchen that President Andrew Johnson first saw the light of day.
Hon. Elijah Calloway, father of Hon. Benjamin Calloway, served for 20 years in the Legislature of North Carolina, and was a near relative of Daniel Boone. He was a direct de- scendant from Col. James Calloway, of Virginia, who built the first iron fur- nace above Lynchburg, and served through the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars.
After several months of lingering illness, Mrs. Jones died on the 24th day of March, 1903. The children of Dr. and Mrs. Jones are: Benjamin Calloway and Arthur Shadrach, stu- dents at Marshall College, Hunting- ton, West Virginia; and Harriet Isa- belle, a charming little girl of II years. In politics the Doctor and boys are
regular North Carolina "dyed-in-the- wool" Democrats. Religiously they are Baptists and are members of the First Baptist Church of Bluefield.
The Doctor is possessed of large means and an enviable circle of per- sonal and professional friends.
W. P. CURRY.
W. P. CURRY, station agent for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway at Marmet, Kanawha County, West Vir- ginia, was born in Brownstown, Ka- nawha, County, April 22, 1847, and is a son of Isaiah and Mary C. (Lewis) Curry.
The Curry family is of old Vir-
646
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
ginia stock. Isaiah Curry located in the Kanawha Valley about 65 years ago and was one of the early settlers. His father, James Curry, was a native of Norfolk, Virginia, and spent most of his life in Augusta County. Isaiah Curry was a man who was always much interested in schools and educa- tional matters and he resided at Brownstown for some years. By trade he was a carpenter and built all the salt works on the Kanawha River. For 60 years he was a member of the Methodist Church. He was born in Angusta County, Virginia, and died in Brownstown, in 1897, aged 84 years. The mother of our subject be- longed to an old family of Augusta County. She died in 1900, aged 84 years also.
W. P. Curry is one of a family of eight children born to his parents, namely : Lucinda; Fanny; W. P., of this sketch; James M., postmaster at Brownstown; J. J., at Marmet; and Jackson, the others being deceased. W. P. Curry was reared in his native locality and was educated in the dis- trict schools. On August 9, 1873, he entered the employ of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company as agent, and from that date has occupied the po- sition. Although he learned the car- penter trade with his father and worked
·at it for a time, his other duties have long prevented his following it. He is an expert telegrapher and it is to his credit that he only spent two weeks in learning it.
Mr. Curry has been a justice of the peace for eight years and has given decisions and tried cases to the satis -- faction of his fellow citizens. In fra- ternal life he has also been a promi- nent factor in his selection, belonging to the Masons, Selina Lodge No. 27; the Knights of Pythias; and Olive Branch Lodge, No. 38, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been connected with the last named organi- zation for 31 years.
On February 2, 1874, Mr. Curry was united in marriage with Mary Johnson, who was born in Boston, and these children have been born to the union : E. M., a train dispatcher at Huntington, West Virginia; W. P. Jr., James, Julian and Frank, all telegraph operators; and Lillian, Marie and Robert.
ORVILLE C. DEWEY, for many years one of Wheeling's most distin- guished citizens, residing of late years in his beautiful home at Echo Point, a suburb of which he was the founder, died early in 1902. He was born at Cadiz, Ohio, November 12, 1833. On
.
647
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
his paternal side, he was decended from ancestors who were of the old Puritan stock, and were prominently identified with the early history of the New England colonies.
The first of the family to settle in America was Thomas Dewey, who emigrated from Sandwich, Kent Coun- ty, England, under Governor Winthrop and Rev. John Warham, in 1630. and became the founder of the family in Massachusetts. From him was de- scended a line of the Dewey family, who have ever been distinguished, not only in the New England States, but in the Western country, in which many of them subsequently made their homes. The monument erected to Thomas Dewey, Jr., the first of the family born in America, who died in 1690, is standing to-day in the ceme- tery at Westfield, Massachusetts. From the second son, Josiah Dewey, descend- ed the famous Admiral George Dewey, the celebrated Congregational preach- er, Rev. Orville Dewey, and that noted lawyer and banker, Chauncey Dewey, of Cadiz, Ohio, father of Orville C. Dewey.
Orville C. Dewey was educated in Cadiz, Ohio, and after a year in the Ohio University, at Athens, Ohio, went to Cincinnati to learn the theory of bookkeeping under John Gundry.
After several years of service as book- keeper in the edge-tool manufacturing firm of Seybold & Company, and in the great grocery house of William Glenn & Son, both in Cincinnati, he went in 1856 to Philadelphia and became a clerk in the house of Kilgore, Wilson & Company (wholesale grocers), his fa- ther being the company. He received the munificent salary of $40 per month. His father sold his interest in the firm in 1860, and our subject removed to Wheeling, West Virginia, where he spent the last 40 years of his life.
His brother, Eliphalet C. Dewey, who was a wholesale grocer in Bridge- port, Ohio, located in Wheeling in 1848, and erected the first wire mills west of New England. Being of a me- chanical turn of mind, he erected the Eagle Rolling Mill at the head of 24th street, and conducted the plant very profitably until the hard times existing from 1855 to 1857 carried him down. He turned over his mill to his father (who being his endorser, assumed his liabilities ), and then went to Texas, where he became a planter on the Bra- zos River, and died there in 1882. His father rented the mill to Pendleton & Company, and Orvill C. Dewey be- came a member of the firm in 1861, having as partners, Joseph Pendleton, James Porter, William H. Russell, J.
648
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
M. Todd and R. Watkins. Within
per ton, and then the industry thrived. handicap from $10 per ton to 50 cents tion of Bessemer process reduced the bought for $5 per ton. The introduc- ing, while in England it could be muck-iron cost $15 per ton in Wheel- ing and hauled up town. Puddled than it could be made in Center Wheel- ing it to the stores in Wheeling cheaper sending iron via Baltimore and deliver- its were insignificant, for England was was scarce, wages were low, and prof- placed on iron, times were hard, money mill. For two years, until a tariff was inch guide mill, and one 12-inch bar set, two high muck rolls, one eight- furnace, one crocodile squeezer, one three puddling furnaces, one scraping At that time the mill contained only Company, with a capital of $15,000. the firm name of Dewey, Vance & Vance and William H. Russell, under a new firm consisting of himself, J. N. having been rebuilt in 1861, he formed and the firm was dissolved. The mill tered the firm, the mill burned down two months after the time when he en-
wear, and for use in the arts and sci- had been supplying commodities for all that. In addition to iron, England times, but the Republican tariff changed Those were called good old Democratic
three tons to 90 tons per day. It was. day, and increased the output from naces, which were running night and the firm had erected 45 puddling fur- an increase in capacity, so that in 1870. enactment of the tariff law, and forced for iron increased immensely after the world for this product. The demand has thus secured the markets of the Bessemer steel, and the United States ore required for the production of States had an unfailing supply of the limited amount of iron, the United ences. But while England had only a
of the same size. The strike of the mill per annum, than any mill in the country machines produced 300,000 more kegs, improvements introduced by him, the- plete factory in the country. With the there the largest, finest and most com- of the factories of the country, erected Mr. Dewey, after an exhaustive study the corner of Water and 23rd streets. then decided to erect a nail factory at
troduced, and so completely captured was settled, the wire nail had been in- in Wheeling. By the time the strike fourths of the entire output were made. seven and a half million or three- annually produced in the United States, time, of the ten million kegs of nails. of Wheeling has ever had. At that workers was the greatest blow the city
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
649
the market that not more than a half million kegs per year of the old style are now made in Wheeling.
Desiring to obtain iron of better quality, it was decided by the firm to build a furnace for that purpose, the second on the Ohio River below Pitts- burg. A location was found near Ben- wood, and there was erected in 1871 a furnace that was not second to any in the United States. These vast im- provements evidently developed the in- ventive talent that was latent in him for Mr. Dewey made many improve- ments in mill, factory and furnace, all labor saving in their nature. He con- trived a machine for breaking up old car wheels, that reduced the necessary working force from 12 men to four men on every 12 tons. He increased the width of the nail plate from 12 inches to 15 inches, a great help in the output of nails. He introduced a self- acting plate cropper , a shove-under, to relieve the labor in passing the heavy, wide plate under the rolls (an improve- ment which he patented ). He made a change in the bluing machine that saved many a dollar. He devised a new method of heating large factories. At the blast furnace, he found that the old style of hydraulic hoists was very dirty in operation, and unsatisfactory, as well as the pneumatic and steam
hoists in use. One day in going up the elevator in the Monongahela House, Pittsburg, he wondered what kind of a hoist it was, and returning to the office got permission to examine it. He was soon convinced that just such a hoist would answer the purpose. He at once went to New York, and after a short interview with the famous firm of Otis & Company, they agreed to make one of the proper size to do the work, and said they had been trying to introduce them many times, but had never found anyone with courage enough to adopt them. They promised to send him a gold-headed cane as a testimonial to the courage of his convictions. But the cane was never received. The Otis hoists, or something similar, are now used in every furnace throughout the United States.
About this time, there came into the firm mainly through his instru- mentality, Nathan Wilkinson, John D. Culbertson, Arthur McKee, W. L. Hearne, F. J. Hearne and several of his old workmen, who had always, up to that period been very faithful, and to some of whom he loaned money and his credit to enable them to become members of the firm. Today they are in very comfortable circumstances. To his men he was always a friend, and when he meets them now, they are
16
650
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
pleased to speak of the good old days. About 1872, he sold out to his part- ners, and the name was changed from Dewey, Vance & Company to that of the Riverside Iron & Steel Works.
Mr. Dewey was always very fond of music, and started Wheeling's first musical society, called the Philhar- monic. This was afterwards changed to the Weisel Institute, in honor of Dr. Weisel who, among his other ac- complishments, had shown great musi- cal abilities, and had been made the leader by Mr. Dewey. He also estab- lished, and was a member of, the fa- mous quartet of St. Matthew's Protest- ant Episcopal Church, consisting of Mrs. Whitney, Mrs. W. H. Hennegen, Mr. Whipple and himself, all being now deceased. He was also very fond of paintings, and of art generally.
After Mr. Dewey's marriage, July 22, 1868, to Elizabeth Good Tingle, a daughter of George T. Tingle, and granddaughter of Hon. Andrew P. Woods, of Wheeling, he bought and rebuilt the house on the corner of Ninth and Main streets, Wheeling, which he occupied for many years. His wife died May 12, 1882, leaving an only son, George Chauncey Dewey, who is in the mining business in Denver. In 1884, he bought part of the old Ed- gington place, east of the city, and un-
til his death lived on this property, which he called Echo Point. This country life was a wise venture, for, where he had hardly a house in sight at first, he was soon able to count his neighbors by the hundreds, and the builder of the last house vies with his predecessors in following a dainty original design, affording every com- fort and convenience.
Mr. Dewey was a Republican in politics, but selected his candidates for county offices without regard to party. He was for several years a director of the Bank of the Ohio Valley, and for several years a vestryman of St. Mat- thew's Protestant Episcopal Church. From its inception, he was a director of the famous Warwick China Company. He was one of the originators, and the first president, of the Fort Henry Club, and was a member of the Wheeling Golf Club. He belonged to the Phoe- nix Lodge of Masons, in Philadelphia.
BENJAMIN M. HILDRETH, for many years actively engaged in the glass business, was born at Wheeling, Virginia, now West Virginia, in 1854, and is a son of Dr. E. A. and Susan L. (McMechen) Hildreth. He was reared and educated in his native city, and graduated from Linsly Institute in 1872.
651
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
Mr. Hildreth then entered the em- ploy of Hobbs, Brockunier & Company as bill clerk and was afterward started on the road as a salesman, in which capacity he continued until 1888. At that time he associated himself with James B. Russell in the glass business, which they carried on successfully at Fostoria, Ohio, for about six years,un- der the name of the Nickel Plate Glass Company, in which Mr. Hildreth served as secretary during that time. In 1894 he severed his connection with the con- cern and a little later acted as secretary of the Beaumont Glass Company for one year. He had previously been con- nected with similar enterprises at Pitts- burg and Dunkirk, Indiana. For the past few months he has not been in active business.
Mr. Hildreth was united in matri- mony with Sarah Catherine Turner, of Wheeling, who formerly lived near Wilmington, Delaware. Her father died in Maryland when she was a child, and she removed to Wheeling at the early age of 14 years, and has since resided there. To Mr. Hildreth and his wife one son was born, Eugenius A. who is 22 years old. Eugenius A. Hildreth is a graduate of Linsly In- stitute and Lehigh College, and is now studying medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia; he will
probably take a special course in surgery.
The subject of this sketch is an ardent Republican in his political action. He and his family are devout members of St. Matthew's Protestant Episcopal Church. His residence for the past four years has been at Woods- dale, where he erected his present com- fortable home.
HUGH M. SIMMS.
HUGH M. SIMMS, a well known young attorney and business man of Huntington, West Virginia, was born in Putnam County, West Virginia, March 10, 1879, and is a son of How- ard T. Simms and a nephew of H. C. Simms, counsel for the Chespeake & Ohio Railway Company.
Howard T. Simms was born a few
652
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
miles south of Charleston, and has fol- lowed farming largely, having re- mained at home and cared for his par- ents after the other children had en- gaged in their various pursuits. He has twice resided in Huntington, that city being his present home, and is now engaged in the machinery agency busi- ness. Howard T. Simms married a daughter of H. A. Burgess, whose great-grandfather was a Revolution- ary soldier, the ancestry being trace- able back as far as Pocahontas.
Hugh M. Simms is the eldest child of a family of seven children, three of whom are now deceased. The others are: Mary, Alma and Earle, all at home. Our subject was reared and educated in West Virginia. He at- tended the public schools of Putnam County ; the Charleston High School; graduated from Marshall College, at Huntington, in 1898; and attended the University of West Virginia at Morgantown. He was for four years instructor in history and political science at Marshall College, at the same time spending his summers at the University. Mr. Simms was ad- mitted to the bar of West Virginia in 1901, but continued teaching until June, 1902, since which time he has devoted his attention to law practice and other business interests. He is a
director of the American Bank & Trust Company, organized in October, 1902; a director of and attorney for the Maxom Miller Supply Company, man- 11facturers and distributors of all kinds of jacks; and also a director of the Banner Printing Company, publishers of the Baptist Banner. Mr. Simms is rapidly building up a large and lucra- tive law practice and now numbers among his clients some of the most in- fluential citizens of Huntington as well as a large number of substantial busi- ness firms. He is rapidly forging to the front rank of the Cabell County bar, and his friends predict for him a bright and successful career. Mr. Simms owns considerable real estate in Huntington and vicinity, and is identified with the progressive element, whose efforts are for the development of the city.
In 1901, Mr. Simms married Miss Patterson, a native of Kentucky, whose people reside in Colorado. She also attended Marshall College. To this union has been born one daughter. Margaret Jane. Mr. and Mrs. Simms reside in a fine cottage at No. 1413 6th avenue, one of the best residence loca- tions in the city.
Fraternally, Mr. Simms is a Blue Lodge Mason of the third degree, and has for the past three years been ven-
653
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
erable consul of the Modern Wood- men of America Lodge at Huntington, the highest position of the local lodge. Both he and his wife are members of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church.
WILLIAM GUSTAVUS CONLEY, LL. D.
WILLIAM GUSTAVUS CON- LEY, LL. D., a well known practic- ing attorney of Kingwood, Preston County, West Virginia, a member of the law firm of Conley & Smith, of Parsons, West Virginia, and a promi- nent politician of the State, was born January 8, 1866, in Preston County, West Virginia, and is a son of Will- iam and Mary ( Freeburn) Conley.
William Conley was also a native of Preston County and was a well known citizen. He engaged in teach-
ing school, later was interested in con- tracting, and at one time was deputy sheriff of Preston County. He served with the rank of major in the State militia. His religious connection was with the Methodist Church. Mr. Con- ley died when his son William Gus- tavus was but a lad. His wife, Mary Freeburn, was born in Scotland and came with her parents to the United States when eight years of age,-they resided for a time at Philadelphia, but later moved to West Virginia. Mrs. Conley died in 1896, at the age of 82 years, leaving six children : Mary J., John A., Edward B., Ella, William Gustavus, and Mattie.
William Gustavus Conley received his education in the common schools of Preston County and West Virginia University at Morgantown, being graduated in law at the latter institu- tion in 1893, with the degree of LL. B. After his admission to the bar, he be- gan practice in the fall of 1893 at Par- sons, where he continued until his re- moval to his present home at King- wood, in 1903. He was admitted to practice in the Federal courts and is the attorney for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company. In January, 1903, he formed a law partnership with Charles D. Smith, under the firm name of Conley & Smith, at Parsons,
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.