USA > West Virginia > Barbour County > The history of Barbour County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 40
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ISAAC FRIDLEY, born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, 1818, son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Sellers) Fridley, was married 1852 to Sophia, daughter of Philip Miller. Children, Mary Jane, Mary E., Josephine E., Francis M., Oliver P., Joseph T,, John E., Lewis R. He lives on Shook's Run.
HON. DAVID W. GALL, born in Barbour County July 25, 1851, son of John J. and Rebecca (Sayre) Gall, is of French, German and English des- cent. His early life was spent on a farm. His early education was neg- lected, except instruction given by his mother and sister. When he entered the public schools his progress was rapid, and he soon was a teacher. He entered the West Virginia College at Flemington where he completed his education, but before leaving college he entered the field of journalism by establishing the Plaindealer at Philippi, November 29, 1873. While per- forming the duties as an editor he was preparing himself for the practice of law, and in 1881 passed an examination before Judges John Brannon and A. B. Fleming, of the Circuit Court and Judge Okey Johnson of the Supreme Court. Mr. Gall has always been public-spirited, and has taken an interest in the affairs of his native town, having been three times elected member of the Town Council and twice Mayor. He has also been active in church work, and in 1890 was elected lay member of the general conference of the M. E. Church, South, at St. Louis. Thirteen consecutive years he served
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as superintendent of the Sunday School at Philippi, and was once elected president of the Barbour County Sunday School Convention. In 1890 he was nominated by the Democrats in the 10th District for State Senator. At the previous election the district had given Hon. Thomas E. Davis, Republican, 825 majority; but Mr. Gall went in to win, and transformed the 825 Republican majority into 36 Democratic majority. He carried Barbour by 83 majority, while the congressional candidate, Hon. W. L. Wilson, received only 35 majority. In the Cleveland campaign of 1892, he was chosen chairman of the Democratic County Executive Committee, and with his associates on the committee, so successfully managed the campaign that the entire Democratic ticket was elected, a thing which had not before occurred in years. Mr. Gall, in 1891, delivered a memorial address at the decoration of graves of Odd Fellows at the Bluemont Cemetery at Grafton.
The people of Barbour are indebted to him for much that was accom- plished (and much that was prevented) at the sessions of the Legislature of 1891-3. The independent school district at Belington, and also that at Elkins, were largely due to his efforts. There was a determined fight made against independent school districts. He succeeded in breaking that oppo- sition. A peculiar combination was made against his bill, and an effort was made to compel him to support measures. distateful to him. At that time an effort was made to raise the school tax five per cent. and he was opposed to it. When his bill for the independent school district had passed the Senate, it was laid on the table in the Lower House. This was done with the hope of forcing him to support the measure for increasing the taxes in return for assistance in passing his own bill. But he refused to do it, and in a commendable fight won a clear victory.
In the senatorial contest of 1893, he was for Senator Faulkner, believ- ing by that choice that he was reflecting the sentiments of his constituents more nearly than he would do by voting for Hon. J. N. Camden. He was a strong candidate for President of the Senate in 1893, and he would have been elected had he permitted his friends to support him for the place. In the same year he was a prominent candidate for the Collector of Internal Revenue for West Virginia, but failed in the appointment. However, he was appointed the head of a division in the Treasury Department at Wash- ington until October 5, 1897, when he was reduced to a clerkship, class 3, because a Republican was preferred as Chief of Division. In November, 1898, he was removed from the service. When he retired from the office, sixty of his clerks signed the following testimonial and presented it to him:
"We, the clerks in the office of the Auditor for the Post Office Department, who have been on the work of the Inspecting Division, from July 1, 1893, to October 5, 1897, or any part of the time, bear testimony to the honorable and impartial manner in which D. W. Gall, the then Chief of the Division, eondueted the business. During that entire period, or the time that we were in this Division during Mr. Gall's official life there, we cannot reeall a single dishonorable act done by him, either officially or personally. He
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advanced the work of the Division, elevated the standard and conducted the affairs of the office so as to make things harmonious and pleasant. He showed a high degree of efficiency and retired from his official position with the esteem of all."
Mr. Gall was one of the delegates appointed by Governor Atkinson to the Pure Food Congress at Washington in 1898. Although not in the service of the Government he still resides in Washington, but claims Philippi as his home.
He was married in June, 1876, to a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Reger, and to them were born a daughter and two sons: Minnie R., J. Camden and Albert D. His newspaper life of twenty-five years, was a trying one. When he began the publication of the Plaindealer there was no other paper in the county, and the people were unaccustomed to a local paper, and did not appreciate its value. But Mr. Gall had the pleasure of seeing his town and county develop. Soon after he started his paper, a very strong and persistent rival came into the field in the Jeffersonian, but competition only stimulated Mr. Gall to greater exertion, and, after ten years of struggle, he became the owner of both papers, merged them into one, the Jeffersonian-Plaindealer, which name it retained until the first part was dropped by its present owner. From the establishment of the paper, 1873, until he sold it, 1898, he was actively connected with its publication, except while a civil service employee, holding the Philippi post office, during Cleveland's first term, being the first Democratic post master there since 1861. He is an Odd Fellow and a Mason (thirty-second degree) and is president of the board of trustees of Fraternity Cemetry at Philippi.
ANDREW J. GALL, born 1829 in Pendleton County, son of John and Margaret (Arbogast) Gall, was married April 11, 1867, in Barbour, to Mary F., daughter of A. E. and Margaret (Talbott) Corder. Children, Robert B., Emma E., Ella A. and Rissa. He is a member of the M. E. Church, South, a Democrat and a farmer, residing on the waters of Stewart's Run, where he owns 408 acres. He served in the Confederate army form 1862 till 1865 under Jackson and Early. His grandfather served under Wash- ington in the Revolution, and his great grandfather, Gall, came from Germany, and settled in Rockbridge, and his great grandfather, Arbogast, came from Holland and settled in Pendleton County.
JAMES WILLIAM GAWTHROP, born 1844 at Pruntytown, son of Enos D. and Ruth (Wiseman) Gawthrop, was married in 1871 to Mary, daughter of Jacob and Nancy (Martin) Reger. They have no living children. He is a member of the Baptist Church, is a Democrat and a farmer, living near Burnersville. The ancestors of Mr. Gawthrop were English and Irish; his father being born and raised at the Gawthrop homestead near Pruntytown. Mr. Gawthrop followed teaching several years; was three times elected Justice of the Peace; once County Assessor; once a member of the Legis- lature, and in 1899 was appointed Assessor for the western district of
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Barbour. For fourteen years he has been superintendent of the Bethany Baptist Sunday School. In 1861, when seventeen years of age, he enlisted in the Confederate army, and was in the fight at Philippi in June of that year, remaining in the army till the close of the war; was captured and taken to Point Lookout, and later to Elmira, N. Y., where he was held a prisoner nine months. He came into West Virginia on the Imboden raid in 1863, and was in the fighting about Richmond before Lee's surrender. He came to Barbour County in 1868.
GRANT GRAHAM, born 1867 at Kingwood, West Virginia, son of James and Nancy (Field) Graham, was married June 28, 1899, at Buckhannon, to Etta, daughter of Archibald Hinkle. He is an Odd Fellow, a Modern Wood- man, in politics a Republican, by occupation a druggist at Belington, where he located in 1899. He was educated in the public schools. His father was a Union soldier.
WILLIAM TAYLOR GEORGE was born, October 3, 1869, near Talbott's store, in Valley District, son of John R. and Gaytura (Taylor) George. On December 11, 1892, at Marietta, Ohio, he was married to Dora May, daugh- ter of John and Mary (Brown) Howell. Children, Buena May, born near Stockton, California, September 28, 1893, Ada L., born at Visalia, Califor- nia, February 17, 1896. He is a member of the M. E. Church, is an Odd Fellow, in politics is a Democrat, and by profession is a lawyer, residing at Philippi. He attended the United Brethren Academy at Buckhannon, and graduated at the Stockton Normal School, California. In 1891 he was a member of the Barbour County board for the examination of teachers. He taught four years in West Virginia and three in California, in which State he holds a State diploma. In 1895, upon examination before the Supreme Court at San Francisco, he was admitted to practice law, and the next year, having returned to West Virginia, he was licensed to practice in Barbour, and subsequently in Tucker, Taylor, Randolph, Upshur, Harrison, and in the U. S. District and Circuit Courts, and the Supreme Court of West Virginia. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch was Samuel George. He came from eastern Virginia and settled in the upper end of Barbour, and was one of the earliest settlers there. His father was John R. George, of Virginia. The father of the subject of this sketch served in the Union army from 1861 to 1865 and took part in many battles. He spent three years in a Confederate prison, having been captured near Rich- mond.
JOHN MOSHIME, GOODE, born in Shenandoah County in 1839, son of George and Rebecca (Schmucker) Goode, was married May 7, 1861, in Pendleton County, to Susan, daughter of Abraham Simmons. Children, Sarah Alice, Louisa Elmeda, Alba Ellsworth, George Cornelius, Albert Page, William Johnson, Ida May, Frances Virginia, James Garfield, Annie Jane, Howard Guy. Mr. Goode is a member of the U. B. Church, is a
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Republican and a carpenter, living in Valley District. He was educated in the public schools and has filled the office of Constable.
ROBERT S. GODWIN, born 1841, son of Isaac and Mary (Coffman) Godwin, was married April 15, 1866, to Sarah Ann Phillips. Children, James R., Charles E. and Clemantine. He lived with his father thirteen years in Tucker County, then returned to Barbour. He was in the Confed- erate army under Captain John Riley Phillips, was wounded in the head at Camp Alleghany, in the hip at Port Republic, and in 1864 was captured at Spotsylvania Court House, and imprisoned at Point Lookout and at Elmira, New York, until the war closed. When he reached home he weighed ninety pounds, having lost one hundred pounds during captivity. He is now a prosperous farmer near Valley Furnace.
MRS. SALLY GAINER. This venerable lady, the widow of Bryan R. Gainer, is in her eighty-fourth year, and although totally blind can spin her "dozen cuts" a day. She became blind in 1884, was blind thirteen years, then recovered her sight one year, and once more became blind. She relates an incident of pioneer life, originating a local proverb known as "David's Dumplings." In early times the settlers banded together to do their farm work, as defense against Indians, thus going from farm to farm. One of them, David Williams, was so long from home that a dish of dumplings, which he had left on his table, was covered with mold upon his return. Peeping into the house to see that the coast was clear, he caught sight of the dumplings, and mistaking them, woolly as they were, for an opossum which had taken possession of his table, he fired at the object, broke the plate and scattered the dumplings. After that, anything very old and stale was "David's Dumplings."
JOHN W. GAINER, born 1863, son of Isaac and Margaret (Semple) Gainer, was married November 17, 1891, near Meadowville, to Suffrona J., daughter of Elmore B. and Juliann (Wilmoth) Gainer. Their child's name is Sylva Autumn. Mr. Gainer is a Democrat and a farmer, living on Sugar Creek, where he owns 39 acres, nearly all under cultivation. His grand- father, John Gainer, served in the War of 1812.
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GRAHAM H. HAMRICK was born September 18, 1821, in Rappahannock 4 County, Virginia, a son of Peter Hamrick. He moved with his father to Rockingham County, and on April 16. 1844, was married to Margaret, daughter of David Whitmer, and lived thirteen years in that county. In 1857 he moved to the John N. Hall farm on Elk and remained there ten years, and then moved to the farm of Joshua S. Corder on Hacker's Creek,
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and three years later bought the small farm on the same creek where he spent the remainder of his life, and died February 11, 1899. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church. His wife died July 20, 1882. Their family consisted of eight child- ren, David P., the wagon maker, and J. Newton, the merchant of Hopewell; Dorcas, wife of James Cleavenger, a merchant; R. W., a silversmith of RESIDENCE OF G. H. HAMRICK. Spencer, West Virginia; Mollie, wife of George Cunningham, a teacher of Randolph County; Margaret, wife of Perry Phares, a machinist of Cum- berland, Maryland; Augusta (now dead), wife of J. M. Talbott, Justice of the Peace at Parsons, West Virginia, and Eliza (now dead), wife of Samuel Felton, a gunsmith. On September 24, 1885, he married Mary C. Compton, of Clarksburg.
Mr. Hamrick's fame rests on a discovery made by him of an embalming process by which vegetables, meats, and even human bodies may be pre- served for a time, the length of which is not yet known. Two human bod- ies embalmed by him in February, 1888, were in a perfect state of preserva- tion after the lapse of eleven years. Time only will tell how much longer they will be preserved. Mr. Hamrick was not an educated man. About the only book he studied was the Bible, and in it he claimed to have discov- ered his embalming process. Years before he announced his discovery, he occasionally would seek information from his friends on his favorite theme by asking them if they knew of any book which would give an account of ancient embalming, and whether there was any historical mention of em- balming antedating the death of Jacob, as told in the 50th chapter of Gen- esis. He was unacquainted with ancient history, and was not aware that Egyptian mummies, older than Jacob, are now in existence in the museums. The cost of a first-class embalming in Egypt was about $3600; while by Mr. Hamrick's method the cost would probably not much exceed the one hun- dredth part of that.
Mr. Hamrick began his experiments about twenty-years ago by immers- ing green ears of corn, tomatoes and other perishable vegetables in a fluid which he made. This fluid, when pure, was as clear as water. He kept his secret and experimented for years. Finally he began to preserve small animals and pieces of meat, and so successful was he that he became very anxious to try his method on a human body. Through the assistance of Judge Samuel Woods he obtained two bodies at the Weston Insane Asylum, and was permitted to experiment on them in a room for forty days, with no one else present. After forty days the officers and doctors of the asylum
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were admitted to the room, and found the two bodies perfectly preserved, without a sign of decomposition. From that day Mr. Hamrick's fame began to go forth.
Mr. Hamrick had not obtained a patent. He applied for one, and his application was rejected, on the grounds that the fluid described in his formula, would not produce the result claimed for it. The only answer he could make to this was to offer to give a practical demonstration of it in Washington under conditions named by the commissioner of patents. This offer was accepted, and he took the two mummies from Weston to Wash- ington, with a certificate from the asylum officers setting forth when the bodies had been embalmed, nearly two years before. In addition to this, a subject was procured, and in the presence of several officials, including a representative of the Smithsonian Institute, Mr. Hamrick embalmed the body. A patent was given him without further question. Within a few hours Mr. Hamrick received an offer of $10,000 for the right to use the pro- cess in Pennsylvania. Instead of accepting or declining the offer, he left Washington, and went home. He never made much money out of his dis- covery. He was an old man, and lacked ability, in a business way, to turn his patent into cash. He sold shoprights in many parts of the United States, and his income could easily have been made large, but his health failed, and on February 11, 1899, he died of consumption. On December 24, 1891, he was elected an honorary member of the Paris Inventors' Acad- emy, of France, and was subsequently granted a bronze medal, and still later a gold medal, all without expense to him. When he drew near the end of his life, he prepared embalming fluid for his own body, and instructed his friends how to use it. He died at a time when the weather was intensely cold, the thermometer having been below zero for four days, and part of the time as much as 22 degrees below. All of this time the fluid which he had provided for himself was remote from the fire, in a glass jar, as much exposed as if out of doors, and it was not frozen. He was buried at Mary's Chapel Cemetery, five miles north of Philippi.
DAVID PEYTON HAMRICK, son of Graham H., and Margaret (Whitmer) Hamrick, was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, 1845; and on March 11, 1875, on the Valley River, below Philippi, he was married to Isora, daughter of Isaac and Jane (Hoffman) Woodford. Their son's name is Troy. Mr. Hamrick resides at Hopewell, and is a blacksmith and wagonmaker, having followed the business thirty years. He was in the mercantile busi- ness seven years; and is the owner of 30 acres of highly improved land.
JOSEPH NEWTON HAMRICK, son of Graham H. Hamrick, was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1851, and on May 17, 1887, at Philippi, he was married to Barbara E., daughter of Benjamin and Susan (Mank) Smith. Children, Hallie F., and Rossie and Roxie (twins). He is a mer- chant, residing at Hopewell, four miles north of Philippi, and he owns a
1890>
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half interest in 50 acres of improved land. For twenty-five years, in part- nership with his brother, he was in the wagon-manufacturing business, the first in Barbour, and the wagons were noted far and near on account of their substantial character.
HANSON LEWIS HOFF, a native of Loudoun County, Virginia, and son of Anthony Hoff, was born May 15, 1805, and died October 4, 1890. He was married three times, first to Anna Rightmire, second to Sarah Rightmire, and third, to Mrs. Emily Coplin, in 1858. His first wife was a daughter of John and Anna (Ashby) Rightmire. His children by his first marriage were Granville, Sophia J., Lamar, William D .; by his second marriage, Hartzel Eldridge, and Orlando Purcell. His second wife was born in 1817 and died in 1855. His third wife survived him. Mr. Hoff came to Barbour County when young, and lived at Cherry Hill, where John F. Woodford now lives. He was a Baptist and a farmer, was educated in the country schools, and in politics was a Republican. He was chairman of the meeting held in Philippi which sent Spencer Dayton as a delegate to the first Wheel- ing Convention in 1861, by which the first steps were taken to re-organize the Government of Virginia and to create the new State of West Virginia.
HARTZEL ELDRIDGE HOFF, son of Henson L. Hoff, was born in Bar- bour County in 1843, and died 1895. He married Anna E. Coplin, and they had one daughter, Sallie G., born 1881, and in 1899 was married to O. W. Hall of Barbour County. Mr. Hoff was collector of internal revenue from 1863 to 1873, and for several years was a member of the Barbour County Court. In 1891 he was ordained a minister of the Baptist Church, and preached until his death, dying regretted by all who knew him.
MANZELL M. HOFF, M. D., born August 20, 1859, son of Lamar M. and Malissa E. (Chrislip) Hoff, who were married in 1857. The subject of this sketcli was married September 4, 1890 to Ida M., daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth Teter of Belington. Mrs. Hoff's grandfather was Jacob Teter, and his father was also Jacob (the first of the name to settle in Barbour) and Jacob's father's name was Philip Teter, a Pennsylvanian. The Teters came from Germany. Dr. Hoff is a grandson of Hanson L. Hoff, and a great grandson of Anthony Hoff, and a great, great grandson of John Hoff, of Trenton, N. J. The Hoff family came from Germany in 1750 and settled in New Jersey, and later some of the family moved to Virginia, and some to Ohio. Three brothers came from Germany, one spelling his name Hoff, another Huff and the third, Hough. All of these spellings are now in use. Mrs. Hoff's ancestors, on her mother's side, came from Virginia, her grand parents being Thomas and Sarah (Lemmons) Phillips. The subject of this sketch is a member of the M. E. Church; in politics is a Republican, and belongs to the following lodges and secret societies: Bigelow Lodge No. 52, A. F. and A. M. of Philippi; Copestone Chapter No. 12, R. A. M., and DeMolay Commandry No. 11, Knights Templar, Grafton; I. O. O. F. Lodge
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FIRST COURT HOUSE IN HARRISON COUNTY, 1787 Drawn by Bruce Haymond from the original specifications on file at Clarksburg,
SECOND COURT HOUSE IN RANDOLPH CO, BUILT 1808.
WESTFALLS'S FORT AT BEVERLY.
This building was erected in 1774 as a defense against Indians, and is the oldest house in West Virginia west of the Alleghanies. From a photograph taken in 1899. The windows were cut in it after the Indian Wars.
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No. 59; Tygart's Valley Encampment No. 28, I. O. O. F., Ivan Lodge No. 61, K. of P. Dr. Hoff was educated in the high schools and summer nor- mals, and commenced the study of medicine in 1885, attended the Maryland University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and graduated in April, 1889. He is a member of the Barbour County Medical Society, West Virginia Medical Society, has been a member of the Barbour County Board of Health, and is now president of pension examining surgeons, at Philippi. He was also member and secretary of the board during President Harrison's administration. He performed military service while a member of the Illi- nois State Volunteers.
ORLANDO PURSELL HOFF, born 1847, son of Hanson L. and Sally (Rightmire) Hoff, was married October 11, 1874, to Martha E., daughter of David and Nancy (Reger) Hall. Children, Gertrude, Mary Leona and Florence Lois. He is a Republican and a farmer, living near Hall. He served one year as County Surveyor, and since then has occasionally engaged in surveying. His farm is a valuable one, well stocked with cattle.
JOHN HOWELL, born 1843, at the old Howell homestead, son of Nehe- miah and Rebecca (Limbers) Howell, was married first to Mary E. Ringer, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, January 11, 1866; second, to Mary E., daughter of Robert and Emaline Brown. Children, Columbia E., Annie M., Dora May, R. B. Hayes, and an infant unnamed born in 1873. He is a Republican, a farmer and stock dealer, owning about 1800 acres, of which 450 acres are under cultivation; and he plows 150 acres annually, planting 40 in corn, 75 in wheat, and the balance in oats, buckwheat and potatoes. In one year he raised 1000 bushels of potatoes, 1050 of wheat, and 2000 of shelled corn. The stock he handles is of the improved varieties, usually 300 cattle yearly. When he was in the lumber business from 1873 to 1895, he owned two saw mills and was an exporter of lumber. His dealings in fertilizers are extensive, amounting to 300 tons a year. He lives on a part of the old home farm. He served about one year in the Union army. He has always taken an interest in the success of his political party, and has been three times nominated for office. In 1888 he was defeated by a few votes for Sheriff; in 1892 was elected, on the face of the returns, to the leg- islature, but was counted out on technicalities. In 1894 he was elected Sheriff of Barbour by a large majority. All of his land is underlaid with coal, there being four veins, including the Roaring Creek vein 12 feet thick. Mr. Howell was seven years post master at Calhoun, during his mercantile career. He was one of the stockholders in the narrow-guage railroad, the first in the county. Mrs. Howell was born 1847, and her ancestors were English, her great grandfather having come from that county and settled in Pennsylvania.
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