Biography of Henry Hutton Ball - Mercer Co. WV


The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
pg. 544


HENRY HUTTON BALL, proprietor of the substantial and
prosperous mercantile enterprise conducted under the title
of the Hub Clothing Company at Princeton, Mercer County,
is one of the representative citizens and merchants of the
thriving little city that is the judicial center of this county,
and he is serving at the time of this writing, in the winter
of 1921-2, as president of the Business Men's Club of
Princeton. He was born in Russell County, Virginia, May
15, 1879, and is a son of Isaiah Drake Ball and Rebecca
(Lockhard) Ball, both likewise natives of Russell County
and representatives of old and honored families of that sec-
tion of Virginia. Isaiah D. Ball was seventy-nine years of
age at the time of his death, June 29, 1821, his wife having
passed away in 1907, at the age of sixty-one years. He was
a saddler and harnessmaker and also owned a small farm
in his native county, whence as a young man he went forth
as a loyal soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war. He
was a staunch democrat and took deep interest in party
affairs, though never desiring to hold public office. He
died in Prineeton, West Virginia, at the home of his daugh-
ter, the wife of Dr. B. W. Bird. Mrs. Isaiah D. Ball died
in Roanoke, Virginia. Both were zealous members of the
Baptist Church, in which Mr. Ball long served as a deacon.
Of the twelve children six are now living.

Henry H. Ball attended the schools of his native county
until he was fourteen years of age and thereafter worked
his way through the high school at Tazewell, Virginia. He
then obtained the position of timekeeper in the employ of
Walton & Luck, railroad contractors, in McDowell County,
West Virginia. Later he clerked in a general store at
Welch, that county, and he next came to Bluefield, Mercer
County, and took a position with the Ferrell Mercantile
Company. This connection continued until 1906, when he
came to Princeton and engaged in the men's clothing and
fnrnishing-goods business.

He had saved from his earnings about $1,000, and on this
basis and that of timely assistance of friends, as coupled
with his excellent business reputation, he was able to begin
his independent business under favorable conditions. He
now conducts one of the large and well equipped mercan-
tile establishments of Prineeton, and has made the Hub
Clothing Company known and honored for excellent service
and fair and honorable dealings. In more recent years
Mr. Ball has conducted also a prosperous real estate busi-
ness, and associated in the same with his brother John K.,
he has erected a number of houses in Princeton, his civic
pride and loyalty being such that he is ever ready to do
all in his power to further the material and civic advance-
ment of his home city. He was president of the Princeton
Chamber of Commerce at the time when its title was
changed to the Princeton Business Men's Club, and of the
latter he is now the president. He is a democrat in politi-
cal allegiance, is a member of the Baptist Church, and his
wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South.

The year 1904 recorded the marriage of Mr. Ball and
Miss Eva Bolin, daughter of F. A. Bolin, who formerly
lived at Athens, this state, but who is now a resident of
Princeton. Mr. and Mrs. Ball have two children: Helen
Lockhard and Virginia Gordon. Another daughter, Mary
Lee, died at the age of seven years.



Submitted by Valerie Crook <vfcrook@earthlink.net> 

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