USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume II > Part 3
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West Virginia Vol. Inf., who was killed in the battle of Winchester, June 13, 1863; Mary, wife of William Branden, who resides in Cleveland, Ohio ; James, subject of this biography: Jennie, who married James G. Wey,-they reside in Kokomo, Indiana, but spend much of their time in Florida; Elizabeth, who resides in Washington, Pennsyl- vania : Lorina, who resides in Tiffin, Ohio; and Isabel, deceased, whose hus- band, David Jenkins, is also deceased.
James Bradley was educated in the public schools of Pennsylvania, and was 10 years old when he took up arms for the cause of the Union. He enlisted in Company F, Ist Reg., West Virginia Vol. Inf., October 10, 1862, and with his regiment participated in all the West Virginia campaigns, and was with General Sheridan in his numerous skir- mishes with General Early in the Shen- andoah Valley. He was in Hunter's Raid and went through to Lynchburg. His regiment took part in the following engagements : Winchester, New Mar- ket, Piedmont, Opaquan Creek, and was present at the surrender of Early's army at Cedar Creek, where the colonel of the regiment was killed. Mr. Brad- ley was never injured nor taken prison- er, and his comrades were wont to jok- ingly remark that he hid behind his ram- rod, in explanation of his freedom from
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injury, as most of the members of his company were wounded at one time or another. ] He was mustered out at Clarksburg, July 12, 1865, and dis- charged at Wheeling about 10 days later. He then returned to private life and for a time engaged in contracting as a carpenter. In 1872 he first en- gaged in the undertaking business and this has been his vocation since that time. He gained the confidence of the people to a marked degree, and although he has had numerous competitors they did not remain in New Cumberland long. His son is now in partnership with him. He has been justice of the peace for six years, and was postmaster under President Harrison, bringing the office up to its present grade. He is a Republican.
Ín 1868, Mr. Bradley married Jen- nie Thayer, a daughter of William Thayer, who died when she was small, and thereafter she lived with an uncle Nathan Thayer. They have the follow- ing children: Mary, wife of H. C. Stewart, of New Cumberland; Nora, wife of George W. Neal : Nettie, widow of John C. Fisher, who died in 1902; Fred, who is in partnership with his father; Carrie, wife of E. A. Hart, an attorney-at-law of New Cumberland; Mabel, who died in December, 1897, at the age of 17 years; and Olive who is
living at home. Mr. Bradley is a mem- ber of W. A. Atkinson Post, No. 18, G. A. R. Religiously, he is a member of the M. P. Church.
HOWARD SCOTT SMITH.
HOWARD SCOTT SMITH, one of the leading business citizens of Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia, identified with the coal, tim- ber and real estate interests of that sec- tion, was born at Burlington, Iowa, May 24, 1867. He is a son of James and Ellen (Kitzmiller) Smith, the former of whom was born in Harrison County, Virginia, now West Virginia, and until his death. in 1889, at the age of 65 years, engaged in farming and stockraising in this State. The mother
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of our subject was born at Stony Riv- er Bridge, Mineral County, Virginia, now West Virginia, and she still sur -. vives, having reached the age of 74 years. She has been a consistent mem- ber of the Baptist Church for a long period. Six of her nine children are still living.
Howard Scott Smith was mainly educated at Lebanon, Ohio. He left school to take charge of the Clarks- burg News, which he ably edited for two years. He then traveled in the in- terests of a wholesale lumber firm of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for some time. He is now extensively interested in coal, lumber and real estate in West Vir- ginia. In 1902 he organized, in Clarks- burg, the Wabash Coal & Coke Compa- ny, wich is capitalized at $200,000, for the puropse of mining and manufactur- ing coal, coke and all by-products. In religious faith Mr. Smith is a Baptist, and in politics a Democrat. He is one of the progressive and wide-awake young men of his section, with large business interests and the capacity to manage them.
WILLIAM A. LEWIS, cashier of the Bank of Smithfield, Wetzel County, West Virginia, was born June 22, 1875,
at Broad Run, Fauquier County, Vir- ginia, and is a son of Hon. William H. and Sue (Smith) Lewis, both of whom were natives of that county.
The Lewis family is of Irish de- scent, but the grandparents of William A. Lewis, William Lewis and his wife, who was a Miss Moorhead, were natives of Virginia. On the maternal side, the ancestry is also of the Old Dominion, the Smith family long belonging to Virginia's first families.
Hon. William H. Lewis, father of our subject, member of the Virginia Legislature from Fauquier County, is a prominent farmer of that locality. During the progress of the Civil War, he served as a member of the famous Black Horse Cavalry and was one of General Lee's special scouts. He par- ticipated in many of the battles of that war, beginning with Bull Run, suf- fered imprisonment and many of the troubles incident to exposure when in ill healthı, but survived them all, and at the age of 65 years still takes a leading part in public affairs in his State. The mother of our subject is a daughter of William A. Smith and his wife, who was a Miss Glasscock, and a grand- daughter of William Smith, who was a brother of the noted War Governor of Virginia, Governor A. J. Smith.
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Mrs. Lewis was one of her parents' seven children ; several of her brothers served in the Confederate Army and met death in the service.
Our subject is the second member of the family born to his parents, viz. : H. M., of Charlottesville, Virginia; William A .; Richard, who is living on the homestead; Thomas, who died in infancy ; and Fanny M., who is living at home. Mr. Lewis was reared in Fauquier County and was educated at the Bethel Military Academy, at Bethel, Virginia, where he was graduated at the age of 18 years. For three years he then was engaged in a mercantile business at Charlottesville, Virginia, and in the same line located in West Virginia. After a period as clerk in the First National Bank at Manning- ton, in 1897, he became associated as cashier with the Bank of Smithfield, a position which he has most capably filled ever since. This is one of the sound financial institutions of the coun- ty and Mr. Lewis' conservative and careful course as cashier meets with general approbation.
On September 20, 1900, he married Mae Robinson, daughter of John Rob- inson, of Smithfield. Fraternally he is connected with Mannington Lodge, No. 31, A. F. & A. M., and White Lily Lodge, No. 94, Knights of Pyth-
ias, of Smithfield. Religiously, he be- longs to the Protestant Episcopal Church.
HON. M. P. SHAWKEY.
HON. M. P. SHAWKEY, one of the best known educators in West Vir- ginia, for six years chief clerk in the de- partment of schools, and an author of a number of valuable textbooks, was born at Sigel, Jefferson County, Penn- sylvania, February 17, 1868. He is a son of George and Annie Elizabeth (Witherspoon) Shawkey, who were pioneers in Western Pennsylvania.
The father of Mr. Shawkey was born near Bremen, Germany, and mi-
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grated to Pennsylvania with his par- ents, in childhood. His mother, who belonged to a Scotch-Irish colonial fam- ily, was a daughter of John Wither- spoon, who was a grandson of John Witherspoon, the signer of the Declara- tion of Independence from New Jersey. Her mother belonged to the Siverly family, prominent people in Philadel- phia and throughout Western Pennsyl- vania.
Thus, it will be seen, Mr. Shawkey began life with favorable environments. His natural talents were developed in the public schools of his native State, at Oberlin College at Oberlin, Ohio, and the Ohio Wesleyan University at Deleware, Ohio. He was a leader in college sports, graduated with honors in the class of 1894, and was president of his class. Prior to this he had done a little clerical work in a store and took one year out of his college course to ac- cept a position as assistant superintend- ent of schools in Pennsylvania. His graduation was followed by one year's service as superintendent of schools a: Reynolds, North Dakota, and he was honored by an election to a position on the faculty of Montana University and on that of the West Virginia Confer- ence Seminary, resulting in his accept- ance of the latter position. There he remained two years and was most high-
ly esteemed by both students and his associates of the faculty.
In 1897 Mr. Shawkey moved to Charleston with State Superintedent J. R. Trotter, a close personal friend, and for six years served as chief clerk in the department of schools and as manager of the West Virginia School Journal. He is the author of the West Virginia supplement to Rand, McNally & Company's "Grammar School Geog- raphy." In 1903 he was chairman of the committee of education in the House of Delegates and became active not only on account of his work on school legislation but on other lines. . He is the author of the cumpulsory education law and others, and is a member of the committee on railroads. Mr. Shawkey was the leading candidate for the speak- ership and was defeated at last only by a combination of the entire field, seven aspirants and their followers, working against him. For three years he has been president of the Central Coal & Lumber Company and is largely inter- ested in other business enterprises.
On January 22, 1902, he married Elizabeth Locke Carver, a daughter of John Carver, one of the most progres- sive and successful business men in the Kanawha Valley, the senior member of the firm of Carver Brothers, among the pioneer coal men of the Valley, and the
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largest shippers in that section of the State. Mr. and Mrs. Shawkey reside in their pleasant home on Upper Vir- ginia street, Charleston, overlooking the Great Kanawha River.
Religiously, Mr. Shawkey is con- nected with the Methodist Church. Fraternally, he belongs to the college society, Phi Delta Theta. Mr. Shaw- key has great confidence in the future of West Virginia and is a zealous work- er for the best interests of the State.
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WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON HOLSWADE.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRI- SON HOLSWADE, a prominent and representative business citizen of Hunt- ington, West Virginia, was born in Lewis County, Virginia, now West Virginia, February 16, 1847, and is a
son of Christian Frederick and Martha (Alkire) Holswade.
Christian Frederick Holswade was born August 4, 1819, in Westphalia, Prussia, and died at his home near Spencer, Roane County, West Virginia, in 1876. He came to the United States in 1835, and in 1846 was married to Martha Alkire, daughter of Nicholas Alkire, one of the most prominent citi- zens of Lewis County, Virginia, now West Virginia. Their children were: William Henry Harrison, Joseph Al- kire, George Washington and John Marcellus.
The subject of this sketch was edu- cated in the common schools and at Marshall College State Normal School, and subsequently taught school in Roane and Kanawha counties. He re- moved to Huntington in March, 1873, and for the following two years assist- ed M. H. Brooks in the post office. He then engaged in the book and news busi- ness with Herman Jenkins as partner. Afterwards he embarked in a furniture or house furnishing business to which he has ever since devoted his time and energies, and modestly admits a remark- able degree of success.
In September, 1875, Mr. Holswade was married to Georgie Ella Gallagher, eldest daughter of James and Mary Gal- lagher of Huntington, and one son
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was born to this union on April 6, 1878, and bears the name of James Frederick. Mr. Holswade, wife and son are all members of the First Presbyterian Church of Huntington and are among its most liberal supporters and active workers.
Mr. Holswade is prominently con- nected with several fraternal societies, among which are the Masons, Odd Fel- lows, Knights of Honor and National Union. In the Masonic bodies he has been recognized as worthy of great re- sponsibility, has served in many official position, and is past master of Hunt- ington Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M .; past commander of Huntington Com- mandery, No. 9, K. T .; past grand commander of the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar, of West Virginia ; and is a life member of the Grand En- campment, Knights Templar, of the United States.
Although one of the busiest of busi- ness men, Mr. Holswade has always taken a lively interest in the affairs of Huntington and has most efficiently filled many positions of confidence and trust conferred upon him by his fellow citizens in such organizations as the Chamber of Commerce, Merchants As- sociation and Board of Education, of which latter body he is at present the honored president.
His beautiful and commodious home, tastefully furnished and liberally supplied with choice books, as well as his magnificent store and its appoint- ments attest his superior taste and liber- al intellectual endowments.
EDGAR T. SPRINKLE.
EDGAR T. SPRINKLE, sheriff of McDowell County, West Virginia, and a well known resident of Welch, was born in Smyth County, Virginia, in 1868. He is a son of William H. and Bell ( Richardson) Sprinkle.
William H. Sprinkle was born in 1841, and is a prominent farmer of Smyth County. Virginia. He served all through the Civil War, in the Con-
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federate Army. In politics Mr. Sprinkle is a Republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The mother of Sheriff Sprinkle was also born in Smyth County, and died in 1885, at the age of 47 years. She was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. A family of six children was born to Mr. and Mrs. Sprinkle.
Edgar T. Sprinkle obtained his edu- cation in the common schools of Smyth County and then went into the service of the Norfolk & Western Railway Company in 1888 as telegraph operator and station agent. Since 1891 he has been a resident of McDowell County. He resided in Vivian township seven years and has been a resident of Welch one year. In November, 1900, he was elected to the office of sheriff of Mc- Dowell County. In this difficult posi- tion Mr. Sprinkle has given excellent satisfaction, carrying out the intent of the law without fear or favor.
In 1896 Sheriff Sprinkle was mar- ried to Ollie Neff, who was born in Smyth County, Virginia, and is a daughter of James P. and Fannie Neff. They have one daughter, Vivian. Mrs. Sprinkle is a member of the Lutheran Church. In politics Sheriff Sprinkle is a Republican and an influential member of his party.
HON. A. E. KENNEY.
HON. A. E. KENNEY, member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, from Grantsville, Calhoun County, and one of the ablest attorneys of that sec- tion of the State, was born October 5, 1867, and is a son of M. and Mary E. Kenney, both of whom are of Irish ex- traction, although born near McCon- nelsville, Ohio. The father of Mr. Kenney was engaged in a mercantile business and was also interested in the development of oil properties.
The educational advantages enjoyed by our subject were of an excellent character. After completing the course at Burning Springs High School in Wirt County, West Virginia, he began
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the study of the law, inheriting a natural ability for this profession from a long line of Irish ancestors. After practicing for a time at Grantsville, in 1893 he went to Georgetown Univer- sity, Washington, D. C., where he graduated in 1895, with the degree of LL. M. He located at Grantsville, and immediately entered actively into poli- tics. His ability was soon recognized and in 1896 he was elected to the House of Delegates and has been honored by re-elections in 1900 and 1902. In 1897 he was made a member of the Con- stitutional Commission. On the floor of the House of Delegates he has shown so much political acumen and organiz- ing ability, that he earned for himself the honor of being elected by his party in caucus as leader of the steering committee and was the nominee of the minority for Speaker of the House. Although belonging to the minority side of the House, his political tactics were of such a nature as to secure the passage of a number of important measures, in which a large proportion of his constituents were interested. His long occupancy of this honorable po- sition has enable Mr. Kenney to be- come thoroughly acquainted with the political situation in West Virginia and his abilities are such that it seems safe to predict for him a continued success-
ful career in the same field. Mr. Kenney is one of the leading Demo- crats of Calhoun County. Aside from his political work he has found time for various literary efforts, and "Ken- ney's Geography of West Virginia" is a favorite textbook.
Mr. Kenney in addition to his law practice has given considerable time to organizing several oil and gas com- panies that have developed territory in Calhoun and Gilmer Counties.
REV. JOHN FRANK BAXTER.
REV. JOHN FRANK BAXTER, son of Jacob and Saraphina (Shan- non) Baxter, was born in Washington County, Tennessee, in 1866.
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His father, a descendant of an old Scotch family, was a native of Virginia. When a young man he went down into the Valley of Tennessee and purchased a farm upon which he has since lived for over half a century.
Our subject's mother was born in Washington County, Tennessee, and is of Irish extraction. Her grandfather was born during the voyage between Ireland and America. By this union there were eight children born, five sons and three daughters ; the three eldest -- two daughters and one son-died in infancy ; the other five are now living, -George W., pastor of a Congrega- tional Church in Iowa; Elbridge J., an attorney-at-law at the county seat of Washington County, Tennessee; Rev. John Frank, the third member; Will- iam W., a Presbyterian minister in Kentucky: Lulu L. is at home. The highest aim and ambition of the par- ents was to secure a liberal education for their children.
Both Jacob Baxter and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he has served as trustee for many years, and is also a trusteee of Washington College, the oldest institu- tion of learning in the State. He is a man of positive character and of firm principles. At the outbreak of the Re- bellion, he was opposed to secession ; he
is now a conservative Democrat. He is hale and hearty at the good age of 86 years, his wife being 75 years old.
The subject of this sketch was grad- uated from Washington College in the class of 1888, and from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illi- nois, in 1891.
Immediately after leaving the Sem- inary, he received a call to the Ravens- wood Presbyterian Church and has since been its faithful pastor.
Mr. Baxter was married June 17, 1897, to Julia Curtis, of Ohio. Dur- ing his labors in this field, the Ravens- wood Church has expended over $2,000 in repairs, and a convenient chapel has been erected at a cost of $1,200. The church membership has been doubled.
Rev. Mr. Baxter also has charge of the church at Spencer, the county seat of Roane County, where a new brick edifice is in course of construction, cost- ing $4,000.
He is recognized as a scholarly and sincere Christian gentleman. While loyal to his own church, his breadth of mind and catholic sympathy of heart make him charitable and loving to- wards all churches.
Rev. Mr. Baxter is in close touch with the hearts of his people and the community at large, as the healthy growth and stability of his work bear
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evidence. His pastorate has been one of more than ordinary duration and has been attended with success.
J. WALTER HAMBRICK.
J. WALTER HAMBRICK, one of the most active promoters and stir- ring young business men of Hunting- ton, West Virginia, was born in Mason County, West Virginia, April 3, 1878. He is the president of the Crown Coal & Lumber Company and the owner and manager of an immense plant at Cen- tral City engaged in the manufacture of nail kegs and oval wood dishes, be - sides being both actively and financially interested in a number of other suc- cessful enterprises.
Mr. Hambrick was educated at the
Mountain State Business College, at Parkersburg, and entered upon an ac- tive career while quite young. He be- gan by buying and selling timber at the age of 22 years and has been located at Huntington since 1894. He organized the Big Woods Lumber Company, and the Big Woods, Lombard & Red River Railroad Company, operating in Ken- tucky, and is vice-president of and a director of the same; the company con- trols over 6,000 acres of heavily tim- bered land and some 13 miles of well equipped narrow-gauge railroad. This property is located near the center of the Kentucky oil fields and the land is also underlaid with coal. He is also extensively interested in about 232,000 acres of coal and timber lands, and is pushing developing work. He is also president of the Crown Coal & Lumber Company, but for some time past he has been giving particular attention to the management and improvement, by the introduction of up-to-date machin- ery, of his plant at Central City where he manufactures nail kegs and oval wood dishes. Mr. Hambrick has in addition to his Central City plant a thoroughly equipped saw and planing mill which enables him to produce his own material for building his houses and boxes for his own purpose. He al- so has for a supply of raw material over
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30,000 acres of timber land and stump- age, which assures him of a constant supply of material at a low price for the Central City plant. He also operates a band mill, besides some portable mills, in which he is directly interested.
His Central City plant he has built up until the various buildings cover a floor space of 68,000 square feet, and the capacity of the plant is about 10,- 000 keg's and 600,000 oval wood dishes per day. The output is all contracted for and larger facilities are necessary. Much of the new machinery was in- vented and patented by Mr. Hambrick himself, one of these being used in the manufacture of the oval dishes by which they are turned out neither chipped nor checked and an inch of lumber furnishes 25 dishes. His stave machine cuts the staves in natural form without heating, and they can be cut any width.
Mr. Hambrick has purchased a number of lots at Central City, near his plant and will soon begin the erection of 40 houses for the use of his em- ployees. Besides his other enterprises, he operates three general stores, one in Central City and two in Kentucky. Mr. Hambrick has conveniently located offices in the Florentine Hotel build- ing, Huntington, and is always in the market to buy or sell all kinds of lum-
ber, and makes a specialty of handling hard wood lumber for stock purposes. In getting out raw material, about 160 men are employed, in addition to his factory operatives.
On June 10, 1902, Mr. Hambrick was united in marriage with Helen D. Strack, daughter of E. W. Strack, of Ashland, Kentucky, an extensive oper- ator of that town who pays particular attention to getting out chair stock.
It is somewhat remarkable for a country-bred lad to so quickly take a leading position among old business veterans. His faculties are keen, his judgment unfailing, his thorough un- derstanding complete concerning any- thing he undertakes, while he also pos- sesses that daring which accompanies his temperament. The fact is, he acts while others meditate.
ELSON CRAWFORD, county surveyor of Cabell County and city en- gineer of Huntington, West Virginia, is a thoroughly practical as well as a self-made man. He was born in Law- rence County, Ohio, January 7, 1866, and is the oldest of a family of three children of A. E. Crawford, who was born March 29, 1835. The parents of our subject are farming people and re- side at Arabia, Ohio.
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Elson Crawford had only the educa- tional advantages to be had in attend- ance upon the common schools, with two terms of select school, but his nat- ural inclinations along mechanical and engineering lines have been used with fair success, for he has given his em- ployers entire satisfaction along those lines. In 1891 he removed to Hunting- ton, and in September of that year ac- cepted a position in the repair depart- ment of the Huntington Electric Light & Street Railway Company's car barn, and in 1895 was made master mechanic, which position he held until April 16, 1900, when he resigned and entered the field of civil engineering, a general practice of which he has since enjoyed. In November, 1900, he was elected to the office of county surveyor, and in May, 1901, was made city engineer. Without the advantages of resident college training, Mr. Crawford credits the greater portion of his success to the thorough presentation of the theory of engineering by the International Cor- respondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania, in which he has been a student since 1893.
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