John M. Baker, LL.
B. Our subject is a son of D. M. and Mary E. (Johnson) Baker, who was born in Jackson
County, West Virginia, November 22, 1872,
and received his preliminary education in the
public schools of his native county. Later, in 1892, he was a student in the
State Normal School at Fairmont, West Virginia, and
in 1895 and 1896 he took the course in law
at the West Virginia University at Morgantown and graduated therefrom with the degree of Bachelor of
Laws. The year of his graduation he was admitted as a practitioner in the
Circuit Court of his native county at Ripley, the county seat. Shortly
thereafter he was admitted as an attorney in all the State and Federal Courts, his practice in the meanwhile grew
rapidly until he has all the business he can attend to. He is an excellent trial
lawyer and never fails to acquit himself creditably
in the trial of his cases. He is a Republican in
polities and has been active in promulgating the
principles of his party, but not in the sense of an office-seeker. He is
publicspirited and shows an interest in the growth
and development of his section of the State, and has been urged to accept official positions, but he
prefers to devote his entire time to the practice of the law. The only office he
has thus far held was Prosecuting Attorney of Jackson County, which he filled
satisfactorily, industriously and ably for a four
years' term, from 1905 to 1908, inclusive. For business reasons he moved his
residence from Jackson to Roane County in 1909, where he now resides, and where his practice has materially increased and his field of labor has greatly widened. He has
frequently presided as a Special Judge of the Circuit Court, and on one occasion he held the entire term in Calhoun
County to the satisfaction of lawyers and suitors.
This fact gave rise to general talk to induce him to become a candidate for
Circuit Judge, which he has thus far declined to do. He is careful,
clear-headed, systematic, vigilant and thorough in
his work, and although he has made excellent
headway in his profession there is still a broader field of usefulness and success before him. Mr.
Baker married Miss Jessie N. Riley, of Jackson County, in 1899, and as a result of this union a son—Clay Riley — and a daughter — Mary V.— were born to them. He is a
member of the Masonic Fraternity and is also a
Knight of Pythias. He has devoted much time to the cause of education and has served efficiently on Boards of Education. He
also gives a large amount of thought and attention
to civic matters generally. In short he is nn enterprising, public-spirited,
progressive citizen of the community where he resides. [Bench and Bar of West
Virginia by George Wesley Atkinson, 1919 - Transcribed by Therman Kellar]
Samuel
Bell
Samuel, son of Samuel C. Bell, was born in
Monongalia county, West Virginia, in 1812. He
served both as constable and justice of the peace in Calhoun county, and at the outbreak of the civil war he
joined the Confederate army in 1862. After being engaged in several important
battles, he was taken prisoner by the Union forces, and together with a number
of other Confederate prisoners was imprisoned at Alton, Illinois, where he died
in March, 1863, from the effects of the ill treatment of his captors. He married
Susan Stevens, whose father was a Frenchman and whose mother was a Scotch lady.
They located in Calhoun county, West Virginia, sometime prior to the outbreak of
the civil war. They had the following children: Samantha Ann, married William T.
Haverty; Drusilla, married Isaac T. Law; William Edgar, of whom further; Henry
Perry; Margaret Virginia, married Marshall W.
Trippett. [West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2 By
Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Samuel Paris
Bell Samuel Paris, son of William Edgar
and Rachel Rebecca (Ferrell) Bell, was born at Grantsville, Calhoun county, West Virginia, July 23, 1870. He received
his early education in the public schools, and at the age of sixteen years began
teaching school. At the age of twentyone years he was elected county surveyor for Calhoun county,
and was re-elected to the same position, but before his second term
expired he resigned his office to enter actively in the practice of law. He read
law while he was teaching school, afterwards entering the office of Hon. J. M.
Hamilton, now United States congressman from the fourth district of West Virginia. He studied law under Mr. Hamilton for some
time, and was admitted to the practice of the law in February, 1897, and
remained in the office with Mr. Hamilton until January 1, 1905. At this time a
law partnership was formed with A. G. Matthews, with offices at Grantsville,
West Virginia, which continued until 1910, when a
law partnership was formed with the Hon. Walter
Pendleton, of Spencer, West Virginia, under the
firm name of Pendleton, Matthews & Bell, with offices at Point Pleasant,
Mason county, Spencer, Roane county, and Grantsville, Calhoun
county, and at which time Mr. Bell removed to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where he still
resides. He was at one time the editor of the Calhoun Chroniele, published at
Grantsville, West Virginia, and is at the present
time editor of the Layman's Herald, the official organ of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, in West Virginia, and
which is published at Sutton, West Virginia. He is
a member of the following fraternities: Eureka Lodge, No. 40, Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons, of Grantsville, West Virginia:
Point Pleasant Lodge, No. 33, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Point Pleasant,
West Virginia; Kanawha Encampment, No. 65,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Dodrill, West
Virginia; Miriam Rebekah Lodge, No. 1, of Parkersburg, West Virginia; Parkersburg Canton, No. 7, Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, of Parkersburg, West
Virginia; Spencer Lodge, No. 55, Knights of Pythias, of Spencer, West Virginia; and Shawnee Tribe, No. 25, Improved Order
of Red Men, of Dodrill, West Virginia. He was grand
master of the Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows of West Virginia,
in the years 1905 and 1906, and represented the Grand Lodge of West Virginia in the Sovereign Grand Lodge at its
sessions held at Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1907, and at Denver, Colorado, in
1908. He was the Democratic nominee for the office of judge of the circuit court
of the fifth judicial circuit in West Virginia, in
the campaign of 1912, but was defeated in the general election, along with the
rest of his ticket in the state, although he ran more than a thousand votes
ahead of his ticket in that circuit. He was married
July 12, 1893, to Ona Belle, daughter of Minter J. and Mary (Rutherford) Stump,
of Stumpton, Gilmer county, West Virginia. His wife
was born November 1, 1877, at Normantown, Gilmer county, West Virginia, and
her ancestors were the first settlers of Central West
Virginia, and many of them have reached positions of prominence, both in
county and state. Mr. and Mrs. Bell
have the following children: Myrtle Lucretia, born March 11, 1895; Holly Page,
February 21, 1897; Wilmea Kate, March 18, 1899; William Wade, December 20, 1900;
Virgil Millard, January 31, 1903; Samuel Paris Jr., April 17, 1906; Mattie
Eunice, June 11, 1908; Mary Elizabeth, July 31, 1910. [West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2 By
Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Judge
Reese Blizzard Judge Blizzard, one of West Virginia's noted attorneys and jurists, who has been a resident of the city of Parkersburg
for a great many years, engaged in active and
successful practice, is a native of Nicholas
County, West Virginia, where he was born October
17, 1865. His parents were James and Elizabeth
Blizzard of that county, who subsequently moved to
Gilmer County, where the subject of this sketch
attended the public schools and was later graduated
from the Glenville State Normal School. After graduation he engaged in teaching
in the public schools of Gilmer and Calhoun counties in which he was quite successful.
After following this profession for several years he took up the study of law in the office of Linn
and Withers at Glenville and
was admitted to the Bar of that county. He
subsequently located at Grantsville, Calhoun County, where he opened an office
and began what soon turned out to be a very
lucrative practice. He possessed, in a large degree, energy, force of will and tenacity of purpose to win. He was found in his law office early
and late, went to the bedrocks of his cases, and when he
appeared in court he knew the law and tried them
successfully, in most instances; consequently, in a remarkably short time he
made a reputation as an unusually successful young lawyer. In the meantime his
business kept on expanding. The Republican party, to
which he belongs, nominated him for Judge of the
Circuit Court in a Democratic district and he was
elected, after a heated contest, and filled the
position creditably and ably. At the end of four years he resigned and
opened an office in the city of Parkersburg,
where he, in a short time, built up a large practice. Shortly after he located
at Parkersburg he was appointed United States District Attorney for the Northern
District of West Virginia, which office he ably
filled for ten years. His force of will, self-reliance and
courage are more than common. From the beginning he had no assistance
and really wanted none. In whatever duty he entered
he threw his strong personality. He likes everybody and
is owned by none. If there is such a personage as a "self-made man" Judge
Blizzard is that one. He mapped out his own career and
won out grandly. He is not only an able lawyer, but he is a leader in
civic matters. He is a farmer and stock raiser,
specially of fine bred horses, and for a number of years he
has been president of a successful banking
institution in the city of Parkersburg. He has been
twice married and has seven children. He has always
been a Republican in politics. He helps every one who needs help and seeks for himself the help of
none. Hs
is one man who "paddles his own canoe." [Bench and Bar of West Virginia by
George Wesley Atkinson, 1919 - Transcribed by Therman
Kellar]Ulysses
Simpson Grant Ferrell Dr. Ulysses Simpson
Grant Ferrell, son of Franklin and Susan (Webb) Ferrell, was born in Calhoun county, West Virginia, August 28, 1865. He
attended the public schools, and took the course of the Baltimore University
School of Medicine, from which he was graduated and received the degree of
Doctor of Medicine in 1893. The same year he began practicing at Burning
Springs, Wirt county, West Virginia, and in 1898
came to Cairo, Ritchie county, West Virginia, where
he has remained, and acquired a large and successful practice. Dr. Ferrell is a
member of the Ohio Valley Medical Association and of the West Virginia Medical Association. He is a member of the
Modern Woodmen of America. He married, in 1896,
Elizabeth, daughter of D. A. Roberts. Children: Gloria, born October 16, 1900,
died in 1905; Margaret, born September 26, 1904. [West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2 By
Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG]
John T. Gainer John T. Gainer, cashier of the Clay County
Bank and one of the most prominent financiers and esteemed citizens of
Clay Court House, West Virginia, was born May 31,
1871. in Auburn. Ritchie County, West Virginia. He
is a son of Albert and Susan A. (Loudon) Gainer, the former of whom was born in
January, 1848. and the latter on January 2, 1849. Our subject's mother was a
daughter of Thomas Loudon, who removed from Virginia
and settled in Upshur County, West Virginia.
She was born in Gilman County and there was
married to Albert Gainer. The father of the subject of this sketch is a son of
John Gainer and a grandson of Bryan Gain
er, of Irish
ancestry, who removed from Barbour County to what
is now Lewis County, West Virginia. Since 1879
Albert Gainer has been a traveling salesman. John T. Gainer was educated in the common schools and was reared on his
father's farm. From the age of 17 to 19 years he was engaged in clerical work in
a general store, and then entered the Calhoun County
Bank at Grantsville as assistant cashier, where he continued until August
20, 1902, when he accepted his present position. The Clay County Bank was organized June 4, 1002, with C. S. Pearcy
as its first cashier, our subject succeeding him. Since taking charge, the
capital stock has been increased to $50,000, and the institution ranks high with
others of its kind with respect to its stability and to the safety and value of
its investments. Mr. Gainer was married July 28,
1805, to Minnie A. Jeffries. His second marriage was to Belle Ball, on August
18, 1901. One daughter, Madeline, has been born to this
union. Mr. Gainer is one of the leading Republicans
of his county, in fact has been conspicuous in
party affairs ever since he reached his majority. In Calhoun County he served on
the Republican Executive Committee and has been elected from that county a delegate to many conventions. His interest is,
however, only that of an intelligent and public spirited citizen. His business
is banking, and few are more thoroughly conversant with its requirements than
he, and he has never been willing to accept public office. His fraternal
relations are with Eureka Lodge No. 40. A. F. & A. M., of Grantsville, Calhoun County; Jerusalem Chapter, No. 3, R. A. M., of
Parkersburg; and Calvary Commandery, No. 3, K. T., also of
Parkersburg. In addition to the saddlery and harness
business proper, he carries a large line of shoe findings and shoemaker's
supplies. The public in general knows that he sells his goods at the right
prices. The splendid success of nearly 20 years has fully demonstrated this. Mr.
Popp enjoys a large mail-order business, and all orders intrusted in his care
are highly appreciated and always attended to with great promptness and to the
satisfaction of the customer. [Men of West
Virginia by Biographical Publishing Company - Transcribed by Therman
Kellar]
John M.
Hamilton Hamilton, John M.,
lawyer, banker and statesman of Grantsville, W.Va., was born
March 16, 1855, in Weston, W.Va. He is president of the Calhoun County bank. [Herringshaw's
American Blue-Book of Biography by Thomas William Herringshaw, 1914 -
Transcribed by AFOFG]
John M. Hamilton,
Democrat, of Grantsville, was born at Weston, Va.,
now West Virginia, March 16, 1855; educated in the
public schools; married October 29, 1885, to Minnie Cook; was admitted to
practice law in 1877, and has since practiced at Grantsville, Calhoun County, and in surrounding counties
and the supreme court of appeals; was recorder of
the town of Weston in 1876; committee clerk in the senate of West Virginia in 1881-82; assistant clerk of senate from
1883 to 1887; member of house of delegates and chairman of judiciary committee
1887-88; clerk of house of delegates 1889-90; grand master of Masons of Grand
Lodge of West Virginia 1890-91, and is believed to
be the only mere Blue Lodge Mason who has held that position; was elected to the
Sixty-second Congress, receiving 17,823 votes, to 15,593 for Harry C. Woodyard, Republican, 382 for H. W. Houston,
Socialist, and 485 for G. P. Sigler, Prohibitionist. [Official
Congressional Directory For The Use of The United States Congress, 1912 –
Transcribed by AFOFG]
George Washington
Hardman George Washington Hardman, the
first member of this family of whom we have
definite information lived in Calhoun county, Virginia,
now West Virginia, and was a son of Joseph
Hardman whose father was one of the pioneer settlers of the country on the
border line of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
George Washington Hardman had three
brothers, James, Thomas and Benja
1nin. He married Rachel Goff. Children: Sylvester;
Dorcas, married Levi Ball; Cassett; Columbus; George Washington, Jr., who was
sheriff of Calhoun county, and has been prominent
for many years in the politics of his district, receiving the Democratic
nomination for congress in 1908; Orlando, at one time a member of the State
Senate of West Virginia; Verna, married Albert
Pearcy; Marcellus; Jerome; Allen. [West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2 By
Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Paul Hardman (Democrat.) Addiess: Hallburg,
West Va. Delegate from Clay county. Born at Hardman
Bend, Calhoun county, February 22, 1886; received his elementary education in
the common schools and later attended Marshall College, at Huntington; is a
farmer, lumberman and livestock man; never held public office until he was
elected to repiesent Clay county in the present Legislature; his committee
assignments during sessions of 1917 were as follows: Immigration and
Agriculture, Executive Offices and Library, Printing and Contingent Expenses,
Military Affairs, Arts, Science and General Improvements. [West Virginia Blue Book, 1917 - Transcribed by Therman Kellar
]
Sylvester Hardman Sylvester, son of
George Washington and Rachel (Goff) Hardman, was born in Calhoun county, West Virginia, August 22, 1836. He was a
farmer and breeder of cattle, and an extensive dealer in timber. At the outbreak
of the civil war he was drafted into the Federal army but did not see active
service. He was a member of the West Virginia state
senate in 1893 and 1895. He married, March 20, 1872, Martha, daughter of George
and Susanna (Horton) Crow, born January 15, 1844, in Monroe county, Ohio. Her father was born March 26. 1804, in
Greene county, Pennsylvania, and died in 1900. He
was a son of Martin and Elizabeth (Cackler) Crow, and in 1832 removed to
Illinois, near Chicago, which he described as a "small village with two
taverns." He later removed to Jackson county, Virginia,
and became prominent in politics, being twice elected to the Legislature
at Richmond. He served in the Confederate army, until being wounded, and after
leaving the hospital he purchased cattle for the Confederate government until
general amnesty had been granted by President Lincoln. After the war he was
elected to the West Virginia state legislature at
Charleston. His wife, Susanna, was the daughter of Moses Horton who was born in
Dublin, Ireland, and their children were Michael; Dorinda; William, who served
as captain of Company B, Twenty-second Virginia
Infantry, in the Confederate army, during the civil war; Jane; Martha,
referred to above; George B., for eighteen years county
clerk of Jackson county; Charles Horton.
Children of Sylvester and Martha (Crow) Hardman: Ira R., Susanna, married W. B.
Petty; Charles Crow; Owen Ruby. [West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2 By
Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG]
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 section of the State, was
born October 5, 1867, and is a son of M. and Mary E. Kenney, both of whom are of
Irish extraction, although born near McConnelsville, 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
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 University, Washington, D. C.. where he graduated in
1895, with the degree of LL. M. He located at Grantsville, and immediately
entered actively into politics. 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 Constitutional Commission. On
the floor of the House of Delegates he has shown so much political acumen and
organizing ability, that he earned for himself the honor of IxHng 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 position has
enable Mr. Kenney to become thoroughly acquainted with the political situation
in West Virginia and his abilities are such that it
seems safe to predict for him a continued successful career in the same field.
Mr. Kenney is one of the leading Democrats of Calhoun County. Aside from his
political work he has found time for various literary efforts, and "Kenney'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 companies that have developed territory in
Calhoun and Gilmer Counties. [Men of West Virginia ...By
Biographical Publishing Company - Transcribed by Therman
Kellar]
Lester Kenna
(Democrat.) Address: Pink,
West Va. Born in Wirt county, West Virginia, March 24, 1889; educated in the district
and select schools; is now engaged in farming, in which business he is regarded
as authority insofar as scientific and advanced methods are concerned. Mr.
Lester was elected to the legislature from Calhoun county in 1916, and in the
sessions of 1917 was assigned to and served on the following standing committees
of the House: Education, Counties, Districts and Municipal Corporations, Game
and Fish, Insurance, Roads and Internal Navigation. [West Virginia Blue Book, 1917 - Transcribed by
AFOFG)
Robert George Linn,
LL.B.
Mr. Linn, one of the leading lawyers of
the Kanawha Bar, son of Robert Linn, who was also a lawyer of prominence, was born at Glenville, Gilmer County,
Virginia, April 6, 1849, received his education at
Witherspoon Institute, Butler, Pennsylvania, and
the Cincinnati Law School, from which well known College of Law he graduated in April 1870, receiving the degree
of Bachelor of Laws;
the same year he was licensed to practice at the Gilmer County Bar; was elected Prosecuting Attorney of that county in October 1870 and
served two years; was attentive to his public duties and served efficiently for the full term. In 1872 he was
elected Prosecuting Attorney of the adjoining
county of Calhoun; became a resident of Grantsville, Calhoun County, and
remained there until March 1, 1884, when he returned to Gilmer County,
where he continued to reside until 1900, when he located permanently in
Charleston, the capital of the State. He married
Miss Mary Hamilton, of Weston, Lewis County, June
12, 1876. Eight children resulted from this marriage, two of whom are deceased. A son,
Robert, who graduated from
the law department of
the West Virginia University in the class
of 1906, is a member of
his father's present law firm. Mr.
Linn from early manhood has been an untiring worker, and
his practice has been of a general character
and has been spread out over several contiguous
counties. He had several branch law firms; for example, the one in Braxton
County, for several years was Linn and Byrne; in
Gilmer County the firm for eleven years was Linn and
Withers; in Lewis County, Linn and Brannon;
in Calhoun, Linn and Hamilton; and in Charleston since 1889 the law firm is Linn and Byrne. In the earlier years of
his practice it was his custom to attend the terms of court in several counties wherein he maintained
partnerships and assist in the trial of important causes, but since his location at Charleston
the business of his present firm has become so
extensive that he seldom attends court sessions in any of
the counties wherein he formerly had an extensive practice He is an able,
ingenuous trial lawyer and handles his cases
skilfully, and generally successfully; consequently
he maintains a large clientage. He is never short of
business, and he may be found in his office
at all reasonable hours, except when engaged in court
sessions. Moreover, he is careful, clear headed
and thorough in his work. He is thoroughly grounded
in the law and devotes special care to the
preparation of his pleadings. He is a man of marked courage, and yet
is fair and courteous. His force of will and self-reliance
are far above the average and his integrity is
equal to his accuracy. He asks no favors and fears
no adversary. He is strong in body and mind. In
politics he is a Democrat, but he is much more of a
lawyer than a politician. He never aspired to any office, except positions
strictly in the line of his profession. As we have
stated above, he was six years Prosecuting Attorney of
two different counties, and in 1916 he was
vigorously pressed as a candidate for Circuit Judge of
the Kanawha Circuit, a place he was well qualified to fill, but failed to
secure the nomination. Had he been chosen he would have honored both the Bench and the Bar.
Mr. Linn is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He is both upright and reliable in all of his
dealings. Since writing the above Mr. Linn died, May 13, 1919. [Bench and bar of
West Virginia by George Wesley
Atkinson, 1919 – Transcribed by Therman Kellar]
Linn Family
History discloses the
fact that this Linn family came from good old Scotch-Irish ancestry, and that
among its scions were revolutionary soldiers, eminent judges, attorneys,
physicians and politicians, of much more than the ordinary ability and
influence, especially in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Virginias,
and Missouri. Later generations intermarried with the New England family of
Newcombs; hence the following narrative will treat, to some extent of both
families, which include the well known attorney-at-law in West Virginia and Charleston. Robert G. Linn. (I) Joseph Linn, of
Scotch-Irish descent, was born in 1725, and died April 8, 1800. He married
Martha Kirkpatrick, a native of the city of Belfast. Ireland, born in 1728; died
March 7, 1791, daughter of Andrew Kirkpatrick. Joseph
Linn was an adjutant in the Second Regiment of Sussex Militia, of Virginia, during the revolutionary struggle, Aaron
Hankinson being the colonel. Joseph and Martha (Kirkpatrick) Linn had four sons
and four daughters: 1. Alexander, born in 1753, married Hannah, daughter of
Nathan and Uphamy (Wright) Armstrong. 2. David, married Sarah, daughter of
Brigadier-General Aaron Hankinson, and they had eight children among whom were:
Alexander, married and removed to Ohio; Mattie, married Jacob Shepherd: Polly,
unmarried; Margaret, married a Mr. Shepherd; Aaron, married Eliza Hankinson, and
settled in Finleyville, Pennsylvania. 3. Andrew, mentioned below. 4. Margaret,
married Hon. Joseph Gaston, paymaster of the Sussex Militia, during
revolutionary war days. 5. Marv. 6. Ann, married Jacob Hull. 7. Martha, married
(first) Isaac Schaeffer, (second) Joseph Desmond; she died in 1830, and was
buried at Sandusky, Ohio; the Rev. Isaac Desmond was her son. 8. John, married
in 1791, Martha Hunt, daughter of Lieutenant Richard Hunt; children: Elizabeth,
married Rev. Edward Allen; Sarah, married Nathan Armstrong Shafer; Andrew,
married Isabelle Beardslec; Mary Ann, married Rev. Benjamin I. Lowe; Caroline,
married Dr. Roderick Byington; Alexander, a doctor at Deckertown, married Julia
Yibbert; William H., who was also a physician. The father of these children,
John Linn, was appointed to the court of common pleas of Sussex County, Virginia, in 1805, serving until his death in 1823. He was
twice a member of congress and died at Washington, D. C., during his second
term. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church at Hardyston. (II) Andrew, son of
Joseph Linn, was born in 1759, and died in 1799. He studied medicine at Log
Goal. He married Ann Carnes, of Blandensburg, Maryland, and they were the
parents of five children: 1. Robert, mentioned below. 2. Margaret, married Major
William T. Anderson, of Newton. 3. Mary, married David Ryerson. 4. Martha,
married (first) Hugh Taylor, and (second) Richard R. Morris, of New York. 5.
Alexander, settled at Easton, Pennsylvania. (III) Robert, son of
Andrew Linn, was born April 20, 1781. He probably came to Virginia from Pennsylvania about 1810, and located in what
was then Harrison County, now in Marion County, West Virginia, where he died September 9, 1834. He was by
occupation a farmer and miller. He married Catherine Lyon, born in Pennsylvania,
October 18, 1788. He and his family resided at Linn's Mills. Children: Mary
Jane, married Smith M. Hensill, and died in Portland, Oregon; Priscilla, married
Newton Maxwell; Nancy, married Newton's brother, Milton Maxwell, of Butler,
Pennsylvania; Sarah, married Isaac Courtney; Louisa, married Dr. John T. Cooper,
of Parkersburg; Benjamin, married Sarah Shriver; and Robert, mentioned
below. (IV)
Robert (2), son of Robert (1) and Catherine (Lyon) Linn, was born in Marion
County, West Virginia, while it was yet within Old
Virginia, December 27, 1813, and died December 7,
1860. He studied law in the office of Hon. Edgar C. Wilson, of Morgantown, Virginia, and was subsequently admitted to the bar at
Pruntytown, Taylor county, in 1846; later he practiced law in Gilmer County,
West Virginia. For four terms in succession he
served as prosecuting attorney, having been elected on the Whig ticket, and he
was serving in that office at the date of his death. He held other offices of
trust and importance, in which he served with faithfulness and much ability. He
was among the best known men of his section and bore the esteem of all with whom
he came in contact. Mr. Linn was an elder in the Presbyterian church. He married
in Fairmont, West Virginia, Sophronia S. Newcomb,
born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, in 1816, daughter of Ebenezer (2) and
Sophronia (Smith) Newcomb (see Newcomb VI). She was a woman of rare intelligence
and refinement, and a lifelong worker in the Presbyterian church. She was only
two years of age, when her family removed to Fairmont: hence her life was
largely spent in what is now West Virginia, and she
died in August, 1890. Children: 1. Mary S., born September 21, 1841, married
Newton B. Bland, who died in March, 1896; she died January 28, 1910, leaving
three children: Robert Linn Bland, now an attorney at Weston, West Virginia, who married and has four children; George Linn
Bland, assistant cashier of the Citizen's National Bank of Weston; Hattie, of
Weston, West Virginia. 2. Nancy Catherine Lyon, born
May 3, 1845, married Marion T. Brannon, of Glenville, West Virginia; she has three living children: Hon. Linn
Brannon, ex-judge of the circuit court; Alice, of Fairmont; Howard R., a bank
cashier of Glenville. 3. Robert G., mentioned below. (V) Robert G., son of
Robert (2) and Sophronia (Newcomb) Linn, was born April 6,
1849, at Glcnville,
West Virginia (then
Virginia) and was
reared and educated as most youths of his time were, commencing in the common
schools and later at Witherspoon Institute. When eighteen years of age, he
became assistant clerk in the circuit clerk's office, at Clarksburg, where he
remained three years. In 1869 he entered the Cincinnati Law School, graduating
with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, in 1870. His instructors at law school were
Ex-Governor Hoadley, Bellamy Storer, and H. A. Morrill. After his graduation he
took up law practice at Glenville, the town of his birth, where he became
prosecuting attorney, serving one term. He was two years in Gilmer county, and
twelve in Calhoun county, West Virginia,
where he served two years as prosecuting attorney.
He then returned to Glcnville, in March, 1884, and remained there until 1900,
being associated in law with Hon. John S. Withers. In 1900 he went to
Charleston, Kanawha County, this state, where he now resides and practices bis
profession. He has been associated, as partner in law business in Charleston,
with George Byrne, now of the Manufacturers' Record, and also with
William E. R. Byrne, his present law partner, having also his son, Robert Linn,
as a member of the firm. Mr. Linn maintains offices at Sutton, Weston and
Glenville, this state, having partners in each locality. From 1873 to 1907, he
had for a partner, Hon. John M. Hamilton, with offices at Grantsville, Calhoun
County. It goes almost without saying that Mr. Linn has to do with much of the
important legal business in this section of West Virginia, having so many
sub-offices, the important cases pass through his hands for final investigation.
Politically, he is a Democrat. In religious faith, he is of the Presbyterian
Church. In fraternal connections, he is numbered among the members of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Glenville. He married at Weston,
West Virginia, June 12, 1876, Mary Hamilton, who was
born, reared and educated at that place. Her parents were Dr. J. M. and Mary
(Lorentz) Hamilton, her mother being the daughter of John, and the granddaughter
of Jacob Lorentz, of pioneer fame in this state. John Lorentz married Mary
Roger; both are now deceased. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Linn, probably not in
order of birth, were: 1. Ernest, died young. 2. George, died June 22, 1908,
while a law student at the University of West Virginia.
3. Edna, born June 25, 1878, educated at Wilson College, Pennsylvania;
taught in normal schools, is now at home. 4. Mary, born April 25, 1880, educated
at the Normal School of Glenville, West Virginia,
and Hollister Seminary, Roanoke. Virginia,
now at home. 5. Harriet, born March 30, 1884; graduated first in high
school, then from the Glenville Normal School, and later as a trained nurse at
Washington, D. C. 6. Robert, born July 25. 1882, graduated at the law school of
the University of West Virginia, in the class of
1906, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws; was admitted to the bar the same
year, and has been associated in law business with his father, at Charleston,
ever since. 7. Ruth, born October 25, 1886, is fitting herself as a trained
nurse, at Washington, D. C. 8. John Hamilton, born December 6, 1892, now in high
school.
(The
Newcomb Line). As above referred to, the Linn and Newcomb families are intermarried, and
this fragment of the Newcomb genealogy naturally finds a place here: (I) Francis Newcomb,
born in England. 1605, came to the American colonies, 1635, with his wife, whose
name was Rachel. (II) Peter, son of Francis and Rachel Newcomb, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, March 16, 1648; married, April, 1672,
Susanna Cutting, daughter of Richard Cutting, of Watertown,
Massachusetts. (III) Jonathan, son of
Peter and Susanna (Cutting) Newcomb, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, March
1, 1685, married Deborah; and their children included Benjamin, of whom
below. (IV)
Benjamin, son of Jonathan and Deborah —— Newcomb, was born at Braintree,
Massachusetts, April 9, 1719, removed to Norton, Massachusetts, and died in
1801. He married, November 24, 1743, Mary, daughter of John and Mercy Everett,
of Dedham. (V) Rev. Ebenezer Newcomb, son of Benjamin and Mary (Everett) Newcomb,
was born at Norton, Massachusetts, in November, 1754; he was a carpenter by
trade, also a farmer and a Baptist minister. He fought in the war for national
independence, being a member of Captain A. Clapp's company. He died February 13,
1829. He married Wealthy Willis, February 23, 1779, and she died May 11,
1818. (VI)
Ebenezer (2), son of the Rev. Ebenezer (1) and Wealthy (Willis) Newcomb, was
born October 22, 1785; was a carpenter, and cabinet maker. He removed from
Greenfield, Massachusetts, to Fairmont, Virginia,
now in West Virginia, where he died in 1859.
He married Sophronia Smith, born December 24, 1792. Their daughter, Sophronia,
born December 6, 1816, died in August, 1890. She was a native of Deerfield,
Massachusetts, came to Virginia, with her parents
when two years of age; she married Robert (2) Linn and became the mother of
Robert G. Linn (see Linn V). [West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2 By
Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Henry Calvin Lockney Henry C.
Lockeney is a Virginian by birth, a Republican in
politics, and a Fusionist (of all parties opposed to Democracy) by systematic
practice. He was born in Burnersville, Barbour County,
Va., April 26, 1855. He worked on his father's farm during boyhood until
fifteen years of age, at which time he began to drive a team of horses, and
followed that occupation five years—two years in Barbour county and then three years in Jackson county; but attended public school every winter from the
organization of the free-school system until twenty years of age. In 1875 he
began teaching school, and taught, in all, up to March, 1888, twenty-six terms,
twentytwo of which were taught in Calhoun county,
and the others in Gilmer and Jackson counties, West
Virginia. He was also a surveyor of lands for several years, and in 1882
surveyed the line between Calhoun and Gilmer
counties. Mr. Lockney read
law for three years, while teaching school, and, in 1880, passed a successful
examination, was admitted to the bar and has since practiced in Calhoun and Clay counties. In 1885 he embarked in the
mercantile business and sold goods at Arnoldsburg, West
Virginia, for the short period of six months, having branch stores at two
other points. For about
three years he has devoted considerable time to the study of medicine, in all
its branches; but has never pursued the practice of the medical
profession. In 1880 he was
appointed Notary Public of Calhoun county, and was
appointed a member of the Teachers' Examining Board in the same county in 1882, and was re-appointed to the same office
in 1883. In January, 1887, he was appointed Prosecuting Attorney of Clay county, by Judge Robert F. Fleming, and soon afterward
moved to Clay C. H., when he was appointed Commissioner of Accounts, Notary
Public and Commissioner in Chancery for said county.
At the general election held in 1888, he was elected to the office of
Prosecuting Attorney of Clay county for a term of
four years, commencing on the 1st day of January, 1889, to which office the
Republicans nominated him by acclamation. Twice he has been appointed a delegate
to the Republican State Convention. In addition to his other avocations, Mr. Lockney owns and manages a
fine farm at Bruin, Barbour county, where he enjoys
a delightful home; also, handles live stock, and does occasional dealing in
lumber, etc. His first vote was cast in 1876 for Gen. Nathan Goff for Governor
of West Virginia, and he has since taken active
interest in every election, co-operating especially with the Greenback element,
but always a Republican, looking to any honorable fusion to defeat the
Democratic party. He was appointed Postmaster at Bruin, October 11, 1883, and
resigned April 1, 1888, under Cleveland's administration. His postoffice address
is Arnoldsburg, Calhoun county, W.
Va. A marked
characteristic of Mr. Lockney—all his life—is, that whatever he does, he does
with all his might. "Keep on the go" has been his motto. Having the courage of
his convictions, he has been always one of the most active, zealous opponents
the Democratic party of his section and State has had, but always honorable in
his opposing efforts. His official record gives the same evidence of zeal. His
fine farm is the picture of systematic industry. [Prominent Men of West Virginia: Biographical
Sketches, The Growth And Advancement of The State, A Compendium of Returns of
Every Election, A Record of Every State Officer by George Wesley Atkinson, 1890
- Transcribed by Therman Kellar]
Albert
G. Matthews
Mathews, Albert G., farmer, lawyer and banker of Grantsville, W.Va., was born
Julv 31, 1872, in McFarlan, W.Va. He is president of the Bank of
Grantsville. [Herringshaw's
American Blue-Book of Biography by Thomas William Herringshaw, 1914 -
Transcribed by AFOFG]
Robert Homer Mollohan
(1909 - 1999) MOLLOHAN, Robert Homer, (father
of Alan Bowlby Mollohan), a Representative from West Virginia; born in
Grantsville, Calhoun County, W.Va., September 18, 1909; attended the public
schools, Glenville College, and Shepherd College 1929-1931; deputy collector of
internal revenue at Parkersburg, W.Va., in 1933 and chief of miscellaneous tax
division and cashier 1935-1938; district manager of Works Progress
Administration in 1939; State director for the Census Bureau in 1940;
superintendent of State Industrial School for Boys 1941-1948;
clerk of the United States Senate District of Columbia
Committee in 1949 and 1950; United States marshal for the northern district of
West Virginia in 1950; again served as clerk of the Senate District of Columbia
Committee 1950-1952; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-third and Eighty-fourth
Congresses (January 3, 1953-January 3, 1957); was not a candidate for
renomination in 1956, but was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor;
unsuccessful candidate in 1958 for election to the Eighty-sixth Congress;
engaged in general insurance business; elected to the Ninety-first and to the
six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1969-January 3, 1983); was not a candidate
for reelection in 1982; resumed insurance business; was a resident of Fairmont,
W.Va., until his death on August 3, 1999. [Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present
- Submitted by Anna Newell]
Phoeba Parsons (1908 - 2001)
Phoeba
Cottrell Parsons was born in 1908 near Arnoldsburg in rural Calhoun County.
Phoeba (pronounced Fee-bee) grew up surrounded by music and dance and became a
fine banjo player while still a young girl. Her father John Cottrell was a
fiddler and he taught young Phoeba to play the fiddlesticks; she later became a
skilled flatfoot dancer and ballad singer. Phoeba enjoyed sharing her talents
with others well into her 90's, even thrilling an audience with a little
flatfoot dance when she was in the right mood. She lived in Calhoun County near
the town of Orma until her death in 2001 at age 93. [Source: West Virginia
Division of Culture and Histroy - Transcribed by Therman Kellar]
Robinson Family
Hon. William Tecumseh Sherman Robinson, usually known as Sherman Robinson, was
born at Grantsville, Calhoun county. West Virginia,
September 4, 1870. His father, Francis Robinson, was an early settler and
lived to the ripe old age of eighty-four. Sherman
Robinson's boyhood days were spent in hard manual labor on a farm, but even then
he was studious, improving the educational advantages possible for him. He
received a liberal education, and was able at the age of sixteen to teach a
public school; and for five years he taught on a first grade certificate. During
this time, he was studying law in his vacations. In October, 1891, he was
admitted to the bar. He was then just twenty-one; and at once entered on the
practice of his profession at Grantsville. He soon attracted attention and his
practice grew rapidly. He was nominated by the Republicans, in 1892 for the
office of prosecuting attorney of Calhoun county,
the county being then, as now, largely
Democratic. Early in the same year he moved to
Harrisville, Ritchie county, West Virginia, where
he has since lived and practiced. For fifteen years he was the law partner of
the Honorable Romeo H. Freer. Mr. Robinson has been very successful in his
profession, and has the confidence and esteem of the members of the legal
fraternity in general. Beside an extensive practice in the courts of West Virginia, he has had important cases before the
federal courts in Richmond, Virginia; Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; New York City, and elsewhere. He has defended every man accused
with murder since he located in Ritchie county, and
has secured acquittals or light sentences in every
instance. His law library is one of the largest and best in West Virginia. Persevering in the studious habits of his
youth, he has become fairly conversant with the Latin, French and Spanish
languages. An attractive man, genial and generous, he is justly popular in his
large circle of acquaintances. He is a member of the Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons. Although his attention has been closely
given to his legal studies and work, Mr. Robinson has held several public
offices. He has been mayor and recorder of Harrisville. For eight years he was
school land commissioner of Ritchie county. In 1908
and again in 1910 he was elected a member of the house of delegates of the
state. Mr. Robinson is a Republican, and a Methodist. Sherman Robinson is
regarded by those who know him best as being fearless in the discharge of his
duties, and is incorruptible Sherman Robinson
married, May 29, 1892, Eva, daughter of Robert James and Elizabeth Jane (Knotts)
Chenoweth, who was born at Minora, Calhoun county. West
Virginia, November 3. 1872. The Chenoweth family is of Cornish descent, a
younger branch of the extinct Trevelezick family, and is an arms-bearing family.
John Chenoweth, born in Wales in 1652, married Mary Calvert. daughter of Lord
Baltimore, and came to America in 1680 and settled in the colony of Maryland.
From this immigrant couple to Mrs. Robinson the line is: (I) John Chenoweth,
just named. (II) Arthur Chenoweth, born in 1688; came to Berkeley county, Virginia, in 1720; married Patience Calvert.
daughter of the third Lord Baltimore. (Ill) John Chenoweth, died in 1770;
married, at Japa, Harford county, Maryland,
November 21. 1730, Mary Smith. (IV) William Chenoweth born January 8, 1732, died
in 1772; married Elizabeth — . (V) John Chenoweth born in 1745 served in the
Revolution; married January 7, 1779, Mary Pugh. (VI) Robert Chenoweth, born
April 19, 1782; came to Randolph county, Virginia,
settling where Elkins has since been built: married (first) August 24,
1802, Rachel Stalnaker, (second) Edith Skidmore. (VII) Robert James Chenoweth,
child of the second marriage, born October 29, 1829, died May 16, 1906; married,
in 1853, Elizabeth Jane Knotts. (VIII) Eva; married Sherman Robinson. Mrs.
Robinson is the organizer of the Ritchie county
Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Children of William
Tecumseh Sherman and Eva (Chenoweth) Robinson: Geraldine, born October 15, 1893;
Nell, born March 7, 1896. [West Virginia and Its People, Volume 3 By
Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Edwin M.
Starcher
Starcher, Edwin M.,
lawyer and jurist of Fairfax. S.D., was born Dec. 25, 1863, in Calhoun county, W.V'a. He is
judge of the county court for Gregory county. [Herringshaw's
American Blue-Book of Biography by Thomas William Herringshaw, 1914 -
Transcribed by AFOFG]
Boyd B. Stutler (1889 -
1970)
Author and historian Boyd Blynn
Stutler was born July 10, 1889, in Gilmer County. At
18, he became the owner, editor, and publisher of the Grantsville News
in neighboring calhoun County. Three years later
Stutler was elected mayor of Grantsville, the Calhoun County seat. He later
served as president of the board of education of the Grantsville school
district. Stutler enlisted in the army in World War I, rising to the rank of
sergeant and serving with distinction in the American offensives of
1918.
After the war, Stutler became chief clerk to the
superintendent of public printing at the state capitol. During the 1920s, he
authored several publications, became managing editor of the West Virginia
Review magazine, and served as associate editor of the 1929 West
Virginia Encyclopedia. In 1931, Stutler co-wrote a textbook on West
Virginia history. He later served as a managing editor and director of the West
Virginia Historical Education Foundation, and president of the West Virginia
Historical Society. He was an avid collector of materials relating to
abolitionist John Brown. In 1963, his book West
Virginia in the Civil War was published. In 1976,
Stutler’s John Brown materials were acquired by the State Archives and now
comprise a significant research collection.
Stutler was also active in veterans’ affairs, serving as
a leader at the local and national levels. He was managing editor of the
American Legion magazine from 1936 until 1954. During World War II, he was a war
correspondent in the Pacific, and witnessed the Japanese surrender aboard the
USSMissouri. Boyd B. Stutler died February 19, 1970, and was buried in
Sunset Memorial Park in South Charleston. [Source: The West Virginia
Encyclopedia by Joe Geiger - Transcribed by Therman Kellar]
Howard Waldo
(Democrat.) Representative in the House of Delegates from the
county of Calhoun. Born March 4, 1881, in the town of Grantsville, where he still resides; is engaged in
general business and takes a great interest in the development of Calhoun
county; was elected on the Democratic ticket as a member of the House of
Delegates from that county In 1914, and during the session of 1915 served on
standing committee, of that body, as follows: Insurance; Humane Infititutinns
and Public Buildings; Executive Offices and Library; Arts, Science and General
Improvements; Uame and Fish; Passed and Enrolled Bills. [West Virginia Blue
Book, 1916 - Transcribed by Therman Kellar]
