Biography of William G. Ferrell - Mercer Co. WV

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
Page 318

   WILLIAM G. FERRELL, county assessor of Mercer County, maintains his
official headquarters in the Court House at Princeton, but has been a
resident of the City of Bluefield, this county, since 1897.  He was born
in Pulaski County, Virginia, on the old homestead farm of which he now
owns a part and the date of his nativity was August 7, 1870.  He is a
son of William Ballard Preston Ferrell and Rebecca (Croy) Ferrell, the
former a native of Montgomery County, Virginia, and the latter of Giles
County, that state.  After their marriage the parents continued their
residence in Giles County until 1869, when they removed to Bells
Springs, Pulaski County, and settled on the farm which continued to be
their home during the remainder of their lives, the father having been
eighty-three years of age at the time of his death in 1912, and the
mother having passed away in 1907, at the age of seventy-two years.
William B. P. Farrell gave his entire active life to the basic industry
of agriculture and was one of the successful farmers of the Old Dominion
State, besides which he took much pride in the raising of livestock of
high grade.  He was a man of sterling character and both he and his wife
were devoted members of the Missionary Baptist Church, in the Sunday
School work of which he was specially active for many years.  He voted
for Abraham Lincoln for President of the United States, and ever
afterwards continued his allegiance to the republican party.  Of the
eight children the subject of this sketch was the sixth in order of
birth, and all but two of the number survive the honored parents.
   William G. Farrell gained his early education in the public schools
in Bells Springs, and after leaving school he clerked ten months in a
general store at Glen Lyn, Virginia.  Thereafter he was similarly
employed in a store at Cripple Creek in his native county, and finally
he returned to Bells Springs, where he remained until he came to
Bluefield, West Virginia, which was then a mere village.  At Bluefield
he found employment in the mercantile establishment of E. S. Pedigo, but
a few months later he there took a position in the Globe Store, with
which he was connected two years.  He then formed a partnership with R.
H. Miller, under the title of the Ferrell Mercantile Company, and they
opened a well equipped dry goods and lady furnishing store near the
corner of Federal Street and Princeton Avenue at Bluefield.  Under this
title the business was successfully conducted from 1901 to 1911, and in
1916 Mr. Ferrell became deputy county assessor, in which position he
served until his election to the office of county assessor in  1920,
when he received 86 percent of all votes cast at Bluefield in the
primary, the largest vote received by any republican candidate in the
county, his majority running above that here accorded to President
Harding.  He has been prominent in the local councils of the republican
party, and at Bluefield he and his wife hold membership in the Bland
Street Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
   In 1899, Mr. Ferrell wedded Miss Maggie Jane Gollehon, who was born
in Bland County, Virginia.  They have no children.


Submitted by Susie Lloyd <eslloyd@impop.bellatlantic.net>

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