West Virginia and its people, Volume II, Part 14

Author: Miller, Thomas Condit, 1848-; Maxwell, Hu, joint author
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 866

USA > West Virginia > West Virginia and its people, Volume II > Part 14

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(III) Dr. Peter A. Haley, youngest child of Rev. Littleberry J. and Mary ( Long) Haley, was born in Louisa county, Virginia, September 20, 1874. His elementary education was acquired in the public and high schools, after which he matriculated at William and Mary College, at Williams- burg, Virginia, later becoming a student at the University College of Medicine at Richmond, Virginia, from which institution he was gradu- ated in 1899, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He immediately en- gaged in the active practice of his profession, having selected Hinton, West Virginia, as a suitable town for this purpose, and remained there until 1903, when he removed to Charleston, West Virginia, in which city he has since that time been established. He has made a special study of the diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and has become an au- thority in this branch of medical practice. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He also belongs to the board of council of the State Medical Associa- tion : is a member of the national, state and county associations, and is connected with a number of other prominent medical organizations. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church.

Dr. Haley married in Caroline county, Virginia. Lula Mahon, a native of that county, daughter of Joseph and Lizzie ( Butler ) Mahon. Chil- dren : William Allen and John Bagby.

Joseph Falone was a native of Corsica. In early man- FALONE hood he decided that the new world offered better facili- ties for advancement than the old. He accordingly came to this country with his wife, remaining but a short time in New York, then taking up residence in Cincinnati. He is still actively engaged in

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business there and is highly respected in the community. He was mar- ried in Italy to Marcellina Rossano, born in Rosina, Italy, died in Cin- cinnati, Ohio, leaving an only son. She was a daughter of the famous sculptor and engraver, Rossano, whose works have been greatly admired, one being a fine statue of the Madonna in the cathedral at Milan, Italy. (II) Louis J., son of Joseph and Marcellina ( Rossano ) Falone, was born in New York City, October 10, 1876. His education was acquired in the public and parochial schools of his native city, and he early dis- played a bright and intelligent mind. It had been the desire of his father that he should establish himself in the clothing trade, and he was appren- ticed to learn it. This line of business did not, however, appeal to him, mining operations appearing to afford better opportunities, and being more in accord with his tastes and inclinations. In order to carry out his ideas he pursued the technical course of studies carried on under the auspices of the International Correspondence School, at Scranton, Penn- sylvania, becoming a proficient mining engineer. As a means of recrea- tion in contrast to his arduous studies he had become interested in base- ball, soon became an expert player, and thus had opportunities opened to him, which enabled him to make his name well known in the annals of baseball history. For some seasons he played with independent teams, then all through the season of 1902 was kept busy with an offer made him in the city of Charleston. Before becoming so closely indentified with baseball work, Mr. Falone had been assistant head usher in the Grand Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio, for a period of ten years, and was an active member of the Cincinnati Gymnasium and the Athletic Association for seven years. After his successful season of 1902, Mr. Falone decided to retire permanently from the strenuous exertions of the baseball field, and engage in another line of business. Selecting the Arcade building, Charleston, West Virginia, as a suitable location, he opened a cigar store, and met with immediate success. This became so marked that it seemed advisable to extend his operations, and he added a pool table and room to his store in 1906, increasing the accommodations two years later. His patronage is a large and lucrative one, and he is ready to adopt all feasi- ble new ideas which tend to the welfare and comfort of his patrons, his own personality being not the least attraction of his place. Mr. Falone owns some valuable real estate in Charleston. His friends are numerous and he is connected with a number of associations, among them the Knights of Columbus and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Charleston. Mr. Falone is a devoted Roman Catholic, the teachings of which denomination were instilled into him in youth.

He married Dorothy Edmunds, a native of Ohio.

HUMPHREYS The Humphreys family has been well known in Kanawha county, West Virginia, for many years, some members having been leaders in business and financial matters, and held in high esteem in affairs of public interest. The family came from Virginia originally, and two generations have now resided in Kanawha county.

(I) James Spicer Humphreys was born near Charlottesville, Albe- marle county, Virginia, died at his home in Charleston, West Virginia, July 10, 1912. In early manliood he settled at Sissonville, Kanawha county, where he was occupied as a carpenter for some years. He was, however, possessed of excellent executive ability, and it was not a very long time before he engaged in business as a contractor, in which line of industry he met with deserved success. Subsequently he became inter- ested in mercantile business, continuing in this until about twenty years

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prior to his death, when he retired from active business life. For a number of years he and his wife resided with their son, Albert J., where he devoted much time to reading. He was an earnest student of history and a deep thinker. Fair-minded and deliberate in his judgment, his ad- vice was sought by friends and acquaintances, and his opinions carried weight throughout the community. While he never aspired to holding public office, he was a stanch supporter of Democratic principles, and his religious affiliations were with the Methodist Episcopal church south. Mr. Humphreys married Cynthia Martin, also a member of the South Methodist Episcopal church, who is now in her seventy-fourth year, and resides with her son.

( II) Albert J., son of James Spicer and Cynthia ( Martin ) Hum- phreys, was born in Poca district, Kanawha county, West Virginia, Jan- uary 9, 1863. He acquired his elementary education in the public free schools, and then became a student at the State Normal School, at Leb- anon, Ohio. Coming to Charleston, about 1890, he engaged in business, and his father, James S. Humphreys, located in Charleston about two years later. Here he acquired a thorough knowledge of mercantile affairs in all branches, and his foresight and business acumen soon placed him in the foremost rank, a position he has had no difficulty in maintaining. His active niind was not, however, satisfied with one field of endeavor, and banking affairs soon engaged his attention. He is at present vice-president and managing director of the Elk Banking Com- pany, of Charleston, West Virginia, an institution which was called into life in 1904, by himself in association with Harrison B. Smith, its president. Its capitalization is fifty thousand dollars, its surplus ten thousand dollars, and its deposits amount to more than two hundred thousand dollars. From its inception this business enterprise has run a successful course, with a constantly increasing amount of business. and they now own the building in which their offices are located, at the corner of Tennessee avenue and Charleston street. In public matters Mr. Humphreys has been a very able worker, having served two terms as a member of the city council, two years as a member of the city board of affairs, and held the office of vice-president of the latter body. His progressive views, combined with careful and deliberate consideration of every question of importance, have won for him the good opinion of those best able to judge in the community. In political matters he is a Democrat, and his fraternal affiliations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, having attained the high- est branch in the last named organization.

Mr. Humphreys married Gertrude, born in Kanawha county, a daughter of ex-Judge Leroy and Lethia ( Keeney) Harless, both mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. Ex-Judge Harless resided and died, October 5. 1911, in Charleston, where his wife died in 1894. Mrs. Humphreys is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Representatives of both sides in the civil war controversy

WARTH appear in the family history of Henry Clay Warth.

(1) Robert A. Warth, the first member of the family of whom we have definite information, was a native Virginian, born at New- ton, Roane county, now in West Virginia, and living in Jackson county. West Virginia, until his death at the age of ninety-two years. Although a farmer he also had a large cooper's shop. One of his sons, Charles, made a record in the army of the Confederacy, and received wounds in battle while under the command of General "Stonewall" Jackson.

(II) John A. Warth, son of Robert A. Warth, was also a child of

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Virginia, born about 1847. He moved to Warth's Bottom, Jackson county, and later to Gallipolis Ferry, Mason county, West Virginia, after the separation of the states. He is still living on his estate, a farmer, at the age of sixty-five years. He married Anna Starcher, born in Virginia, and now ( 1913) fifty-six years of age, daughter of William Starcher, a school teacher, who died, aged sixty-six years, at Logan, Ohio. Mr. Starcher's young manhood was dedicated to the Union cause, and he survived to serve with the armies of General U. S. Grant all through the long and bitter contest of 1861-1865. Mr. and Mrs. Warth have had four children, all yet living: Myrtle, born about 1876, married William Hall, and resides at Ocean View, Virginia ; Henry Clay. of whom further; Arthur, born about 1882, a veterinary surgeon, lives at Liberty, Missouri; Mary Belle, unmarried, a teacher at Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

(III) Henry Clay Warth, son of John A. Warth, was born on his father's farm, February 11, 1878. After attending the county schools, he desired further education and therefore, in 1896, came to Hunting- ton to attend Marshall College, where he was graduated in 1900. A further course of study at Oberlin College, Ohio, brought him the ciegree of Bachelor of Arts in 1905, and that of Bachelor of Laws was conferred in 1907 by the University of Virginia. Removing to Huntington he first took as his law partner Herbert Fitzpatrick, with whom he opened an office, but in 1908 the agreement was dissolved, and Mr. Warth practiced law one year independently, after which he entered into a partnership with C. W. Lively, which continued until 1911, when Mr. Lively moved from Huntington to Oklahoma. On July 1, 1911, Mr. Warth joined forces with F. W. Mccullough, under the firm name of Warth & Mccullough, which firm is still in existence, their offices being located in the Parsons Building, on Third avenue.

Such a progressive man as Mr. Warth is necessarily interested in many different lines. He is president of the financial institution in West Huntington, known as the Central Banking Company. whose constantly increasing deposits now amount to one hundred thousand dollars. The many factories in that part of the city bring it large patronage. Mr. Warth is also president of the Mutual Land Company of Huntington. The Democratic party is favored by Mr. Warth's support, and in spite of the fact that the community is a Republican stronghold at the fall election of 1912, Mr. Warth was elected to the West Virginia state legislature from Cabell county. His religious denomination is the Congregational : he is a member of the Order of Elks, and of the legal fraternity, Delta Chi.

Henry Clay Warth, married. July 18, 1899, in Huntington, Ruth Par- sons, a daughter of Vermont, who has lived ever since babyhood in West Virginia. Her father was one of Huntington's leading men, Chester F. Parsons, who died aged seventy-three, in 1895. He was a public-spirited man, a philanthropist, who made his fortune in wholesale and retail hardware. Mrs. Warth's mother, Mandana S. Parsons, died April 26. 1912, at the age of eighty-two, Henry King Warth, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clay Warth, was born August 30, 1906.

STOLLE This family is of German origin and was for many years prominent in business in Brunswick, Germany. The first of this family to settle in West Virginia was Edward C. Stolle, who was born in Brunswick, Germany, in 1812. For some time he studied for the Catholic priesthood, but becoming interested in other matters he gave up his studies and learned the jewelers' trade. In 1852 he came to this country and worked at his trade in Baltimore, Maryland.

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until 1854, when he located in Charleston, West Virginia, opening a jewelry business on Kanawha street, where the hotel St. Albert is now located. He continued in business until his death, April 20, 1887, having changed his location to No. II Summer street. In 1856 he went to Germany for his family, returning in October of the same year. He was one of the most prominent business men of Charleston, and highly respected for his integrity and thrift. He married Augusta Schmitt, a native of Brunswick, Germany, who died in Charleston, West Virginia, November 29, 1895. Fourteen children were born to them of whom eleven died at an early age. The children surviving were: Mary, Gustave and Agnes, who reside in Charleston.

Mary, eldest daughter of Edward C. and Augusta Schmitt Stolle, married Anton Wurlitzer, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and she is now deceased. She had a daughter, Emma, who married Victor Tischler ; they have three children, one son and two daughters: Edna, Verie and Anton.

Gustave, son of Edward C. and Augusta (Schmitt) Stolle, was born in Brunswick, Germany, March 25, 1844. He attended the public and private schools of his native city, and located in Charleston, West Vir- ginia, in 1856: and in the same year became a partner of his father in the jewelry business under the firm name of Stolle & Son one of the old- est business concerns in the city. Since his father's death he has contin- ued the business alone. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and in politics is a Republican. He is a member of Fernbank Lodge, No. 155, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has served as its past grand ; also to Kanka Lodge, No. 26, Knights of Pythias, being past chancellor, and to the Encampment of the same order of which he is past chief patriarch. He married at Jackson, Ohio, October 24, 1870, Kate, daugh- ter of Thomas and Catherine ( Flaherty ) Manning. She was born near Richmond, Virginia, in 1848, and removed with her parents to Charles- ton, West Virginia, in 1861.

KOONTZ Arthur Burke Koontz, a practicing lawyer at the Kana- wha county bar, residing in Charleston, born in Nicholas county, West Virginia, January 29, 1885, was son of John and Alice (Groves) Koontz, and is of German descent. His grandfather, James Koontz, the first of the name in West Virginia, settled in Green- brier (now Nicholas) county, coming from Pennsylvania, the former home of his wife, Rebecca Longanecker. Besides John, the father of Ar- thur B. Koontz, they had several other children: Samuel, died at St. Albans, West Virginia ; Middleton, a farmer in Nicholas county ; Allen, died while traveling by boat from St. Louis to Malden ; Hannah, married Willis Nichols, now deceased, whom she survives, living near Zela, Nicholas county : Sarah, married Donally Van Bibber, whom she sur- vives, a widow; Eliza, deceased, married John Legg: Jeanette, married Anthony Rader, of Nicholas county.

John, son of James Koontz, was born February 10, 1835, and died July 4, 1911. He was an influential citizen and business man of Nicholas county, where he lived all his days. He was a Democrat in politics, and served as sheriff one term. He married Alice, daughter of John and Catherine ( Duffy) Groves. Her parents, lived. on a farm in Nicholas county ; their children, besides Alice (Groves) Koontz were : David, died in Nicholas county ; John, elected several times from Nicholas county to the West Virginia assembly ; Alfred, a farmer and school teacher, now living at Huntington, West Virginia ; Mary, married Alexander Dunbar, living at Kessler's Cross Lanes, now a widow : Elizabeth, married Nathan Neil, now a widow and living near Drennen ; Belle, married Rev. G. W.

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Young, D. D., of Louisville, Kentucky, who has done important work in connection with the National Anti-Saloon League for fourteen years, and of which he is now the secretary.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Jolin Koontz were: I. Louis Kossuth, at one time a manufacturer in Pittsburgh, then connected with mines in Goldfield, Nevada, where he lives; he married Ada Halstead. 2. Dr. James William, who graduated from Kentucky School of Medicine, now a practicing physician at Greenville, Kentucky ; married Martha Frey, of Owensboro, Kentucky. 3. Luther Vaughn, president of First National Bank of Clendenin, West Virginia, and connected with many Kanawha county business enterprises : married Edith, daughter of David F. Os- borne. 4. Arthur Burke, of whom further. 5. Patrick Duffy, now at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 6. Rouena Cath- erine, married Dr. A. L. Morris, and is now deceased. 7. Lulu Maude lives at home ; a teacher. 8. Ada Blanche, lives at home ; a teacher. 9. Gertrude, married L. S. Tulley, and is now deceased. All of this family, except Arthur Burke, have been teachers in the public schools.

Arthur Burke Koontz received his first instruction under the tutelage of his elder brother Luther V. Koontz, who was then a teacher in Nicho- las county. He afterwards attended the Summersville school, and later entered Marshall College, where he graduated in 1907. The same year he entered Yale University, and was graduated from the law department in 1910. In January, 1911, he opened a law office in the Alderson-Ste- phen building in Charleston. He is a member of Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity.

MAGOON William Magoon, the first member of this family about whom we have definite information, was born in Cana- ada, and also died in Canada, at the age of ninety. He was a lumberman. Child : William R., of whom further.

(II) William R., son of William Magoon, was born November 22, 1834. He was in the lumber business, but retired twenty-five years ago, and now lives at Manistee, Manistee county, Michigan. He is a great reader. He married Eliza Jane, born March 3, 1839, and living ( 1913) at Manistee, daughter of Edward Secor. Her father was in the banking and produce business at Racine, Wisconsin, where he died at the age of sixty. Children : 1. Henry Walton, born in 1857, died in January, 1908. 2. Olive Clarissa, born September 5, 1859, died May 26, 1892; married G. M. Ramsdell; children: James Walter, born December 23, 1881; Frank M., born January 21, 1884; Harry N., born February 15, 1887 : Clara Lucile, born January 22, 1889. 3. William Wallace, of whom further. 4. Edith A., born May 22, 1864, died May 27. 1884. 5. Emily R., born January 18, 1866; married J. V. McIntosh, lives at Traverse City, Michigan, child : Donald A., born February 26, 1894. 6. Arthur, born July 20, 1868, died June 20, 1894. 7. Eliza Jane, born February 20, 1871 ; married T. B. Jones, lives at Manistee ; children : Marion R., born August 19, 1892: Harry N., born June 24, 1894: Helen Elizabeth, born November 18, 1902.

(III) William Wallace, son of William R. and Eliza Jane (Secor) Magoon, was born at Manistee, Michigan, March 31, 1862. He attended the public school at Manistee. For seven years he was in mercantile life at this place, being manager of a general supply store, dealing in meats flour, hay, etc., in carload lots. Having worked formerly six years in the lumber woods, driving teams, he now left the mercantile business, and became manager of a lumber camp in Kentucky, cutting, drawing, and marketing the lumber for Michigan parties. This continued three years, 7

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until, in 1891, he came to Huntington, West Virginia, and built the fac- tory now owned by the Central Veneer Company, but originally intended for an excelsior plant. In September of the following year he entered the employment of the Consolidated Light and Railway Company, as book- keeper. He remained with them till 1900, being promoted to the position of superintendent, and finally to that of secretary and general manager. When he first entered their employment, nothing but horse-cars were operated. In 1904 he went to Cincinnati, with the great lumber concern of C. Crane & Company, as their sales manager. In 1907 he returned to Huntington, and assumed the general management of the Ohio Valley Electric Railway Company and subsidiary companies. He has rebuilt the entire property. Mr. Magoon is also a stockholder in the First National Bank. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church. He married, at Maysville, Mason county, Ken- tucky, in 1892, Claudia, daughter of Josiah and Hannah ( McMath) Webb, who was born at Moscow, Clermont county, Ohio. Her father was an old steamboat captain on the Ohio river, and owner of packets ; he died in 1901 ; his grandfather was a general in the revolution. Her mother, Hannah ( McMath) Webb, is now ( 1913) living at Vanceburg, Lewis county, Kentucky, and has reached the age of seventy-four. Mr. and Mrs. Magoon have no children.

VALENTINE The name Valentine is said to mean robust, powerful showing the same root as the Latin valeo. This name was used by the ancient Romans; a saint and a pope have borne it; and its derivative, Valentinian, was the name of three Roman emperors. It is found in almost all countries of southern and central Europe; in these countries it appears both as a Christian name and as a surname. Basil Valentin, a medieval monk and alchemist, among other claims to fame, was the discoverer of antimony. In the United States this name, though not common, is widely spread. There are three comparatively large families in this country, and other Valen- tines not connected with any of these. It is possible that the lineage of all may meet, in the early Middle Ages, in Holland or Germany; the Irish Valentines have a family tradition of Dutch origin, about six centuries ago.

(I) - Valentine, the first member of this family about whom we have definite information, lived in Jessamine county, Kentucky, and died suddenly of cholera at the age of fifty. Child : Richard, of whom further. (II) Rev. Richard Valentine, son of Valentine, was born in Jessamine county, November 8, 1823, died in 1908. For fifty-two years he was a preacher, mostly in Kentucky. During the war he was minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Fayette county, Kentucky. In each of the Presbyterian congregations of that city, there was a seri- ous division of sentiment in regard to the issues of the war; in 1869 the matter was settled by a readjustment, those from each congregation who favored the Union, of whom Mr. Valentine was one of the leaders, form- ing one congregation, and those who had favored the South another. the ministers all resigning, to leave the field clear for harmonious re- arrangement. The last ten years of his life Mr. Valentine lived in Hunt- ington, Cabell county, West Virginia. He married Sallie W., daughter of William J. Smith, who was born at Newcastle, Henry county, Ken- tucky, in 1826, and died in April, 1904. Her father was born about 1780, and died in 1865. He was a large landowner of Henry county and a slaveholder ; he was engaged in stock-raising, and was the first president

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of the railroad from Lexington to Louisville, which road passed through one thousand acres of his land. Children of Rev. Richard and Sallie W. (Smith) Valentine: Hallie \'., married William Holderby, resides at Huntington ; Lida, married James E. Johnson, resides at Huntington : Martha B., resides at Huntington; John Watson, of whom further ; Mamie, married D. L. Hunter, resides at Maysville, Kentucky ; Katie, married Harry Parker, resides at Georgeton, Ohio; Fannie, married Wil- liam Stephens, resides at Georgeton, Ohio; Beatrice, deceased, married R. A. Jack.

(III) John Watson, son of Rev. Richard and Sallie W. ( Smith) Valentine, was born at Newcastle, Kentucky, June 24, 1860. His early education was received at Lexington, to which place his parents removed when he was seven years old. At Augusta, Bracken county, Kentucky, in 1876, his parents having then moved to that place, he became clerk in a dry goods store, in which position he remained until he was twenty- one. In 1882 he came to Huntington, and entered the employment of Harmason, Jack & Company, as a clerk in their general drygoods store. Six years later he formed a partnership with Thomas S. Garland, to deal in dry goods, under the firm name of Garland & Valentine. Withdraw- ing in 1894, he opened the J. W. Valentine & Company general dry- goods store ; two years later he went into partnership with W. H. New- comb, under the name of Valentine & Newcomb; and in the following January he went alone, as The J. W. Valentine Company. In October, 19II, the present firm, The Valentine-Crow Company, was formed. Thus Mr. Valentine has been for thirty-five years engaged in business, and thirty years of this period have been passed at Huntington. When he came here the population of Huntington was only thirty-five hundred. His store is the largest in West Virginia, and has a very high-class trade, being of a thoroughly metropolitan character. It occupies five floors, forty thousand dollars is invested, and thirty people are employed. Mr. Valentine is already regarded as a business pioneer. He is also president of the Thornburg Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of house fin- ishings, doors, frames, etc., at Huntington ; and he has some profitable oil and gas interests. He is a Republican, and a member of the Presby- terian church. He married, at Augusta, Kentucky, January 28, 1885, Darling, daughter of James W. and Elizabeth ( Marshall) Armstrong, who was born and brought up at Augusta. Her father, who died about twenty-five years ago, was a wholesale and retail grocer ; his widow sur- vived him by ten years. Mr. and Mrs. Valentine have no children.

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West Virginia and its people, Volume II, Part 14

Author: Miller, Thomas Condit, 1848-; Maxwell, Hu, joint author Publication date: 1913 Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 866

Author: Miller, Thomas Condit, 1848-; Maxwell, Hu, joint author
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 866