Mason County, West Virginia          Biography of JOSEPH FLOYD BURDETTE

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 611


JOSEPH FLOYD BURDETTE, has had a career marked by
exceptional enterprise. In earlier years he was a timber
and coal operator in some of the eastern counties. His
home for over twenty years has been in Mason County,
where farming, livestock and fruit culture on a commercial
scale have occupied his attention. His main orchards as a
fruit grower are across the river in Ohio, but his home
and his general farming operations are at his country
place two miles north of Point Pleasant.

He is of French ancestry, though the first of the name
came to this country as long ago as 1740. Joseph Floyd
Burdette was born in Putnam County, West Virginia,
December 30, 1861. His grandfather Archibald Burdette,
was born in 1798, and died in Putnam County in 1860.
He had lived at various times in the Kanawha Valley, and
was also a resident of Mercer County, but moved to Putnam
County during the '50s. Archibald Burdette was a son
of William and Sarah (Comwell) Burdette. Sarah Corn-
well was a daughter of Edward Cornwell, who served as a
soldier of the Revolution.  Archibald Burdette married
Rhoda Shumate, who was born in 1797, and died in 1845.
Her father Lieut. Daniel Shumate, was a native of
Fauquier County, Virginia, and was in the Virginia Militia
during the Revolution. He moved to Monroe County, West
Virginia, where he died in 1826.

The father of Joseph F. Burdette was Lewis Burdette,
who was born in Mercer County, West Virginia, in 1837,
and married in Putnam County, Catherine J. Hill, a native
of Monroe County, West Virginia, who came to Putnam
County with her parents. Lewis Burdette spent his active
life as a farmer in Putnam County, near Hurricane, and
died in 1905. His widow, now in her eighty-second year,
is still living at the old homestead. They had four child-
ren: Joseph F.; George L., a fruit grower in Mason County;
Virginia Belle, wife of C. W. Cottle, of Putnam County,
and Napoleon B., who died at the age of eighteen.

Joseph F. Burdette married in Putnam County, Vatura A.
Mynes, who grew up in the same community with him.
After his marriage Mr. Burdette engaged in the coal and
timber business in Fayette County. He operated saw mills
that cut the logs from over 15,000 acres. When he sold
out his timber interests he bought coal land. and leased a
mine, and for four years had a production averaging four
hundred tons per day, with 125 men employed. Both these
operations were very profitable, and after selling out Mr.
Burdette in 1901 came to Mason County and bought 800
acres bordering the Baltimore and Ohio Railway for three
quarters of a mile and extending back into the hills. About
200 acres comprised rich bottom land, well suited for
general farming, while the rest was pasture land and was
sold two years ago to J. O. Shinn. On his farm Mr.
Burdette was a Hereford cattle breeder for about nine
years.  The fine home in which he formerly lived on the
farm is now on the property of Mr. Shinn, and he has
since constructed a large brick residence at his present
home place two miles north of Point Pleasant.

A variety of business enterprises have occupied his time.
For about ten years he was manager of the Kanawha Dock
at Point Pleasant. During the past ten years he has owned
and developed a 175 acre orchard in Gallia County, Ohio,
a few miles from Gallipolis. This is a commercial orchard,
chiefly apples, with some peaches and plums. His splendid
variety of apples are the Rome Beauty, Grimes, Jonathan,
Stayman Winesap, Gano and Ben Davis. This fruit orchard
has proved a satisfactory venture, and has taken much of
Mr. Burdette's personal attention.

Mr. Burdette is affiliated with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, and is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He and his wife
have two children, Pearl T. and Gertrude. Pearl, who is
connected with the National Contracting Company, build-
ing river improvements under the Government, married
Carrie Connor, and has three children, Jack Connor, Joseph
Floyd, Jr., and Alice Reynolds. The daughter Gertrude,
now at home, graduated from Marshall College at Hunting-
ton with the class of 1911.