WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 121 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: NELSON TAYLOR SNYDER, JUNIOR, [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #2 BIRTHS: Fayette County WV Birth Re [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #3 MARRIAGES: Summers County WV Marri [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #4 BIOS: DUNN, Thomas L. Martinsburg [Vivian Brinker <VIVIANB@RAVEN.CCC.] ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 19:29:11 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000424192911.009415d0@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: NELSON TAYLOR SNYDER, JUNIOR, Jefferson Co. Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" History of Virginia, Volume IV, Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago and New York, 1928 pages 186-187 NELSON TAYLOR SNYDER, JUNIOR. Varied interests directed with dignified capability, coupled with a keen sense of duty in either war or peace, are characteristics wihch make not only for good citizenship, but also for successful and progressive advancement. Alexandria because of its own advantages and its close proximity to Washington affords any ambitious man an excellent field for his operations, and in no line are there more openings than those connected with realty transactions. One of these typical Virginians of high character and recognized worth is Nelson T. Snyder, Junior, president of the Snyder-Kane- Boothe Corporation, realtors and insurers. Nelson T. Snyder, Junior, was born in Jefferson County, West Virginia, December 19, 1892, a son of Nelson T. and Emma (McGary) Snyder, also natives of West Virginia, farmers and apple growers during the earlier part of their lives, but now retired and honored residents of Jefferson County, their estate being near Shepherdstown. Educated in the public schools of Shepherdstown and its normal school, Nelson T. Snyder, Junior, taught school for sev- eral years, but later took a business course, in 1911, at East- man's Business College, Poughkeepsie, New York, and a second course at Strayer's Business College, Washington. In 1913 he began to put to practical use the commercial training he had obtained and entered the employ of the Southern Railroad Com- pany, with which organization he continued until 1917, when he went into the army for the World war. Commissioned a second lieutenant, he was made an instructor at Camp Custer, and remained there until he was honorably discharged in Decem- ber, 1918, after which he returned to Washington and spent one year more with the Southern Railroad as statistician, but left in 1919 to organize N. T. Snyder & Company, real estate and insurance, at Alexandria. In 1922 he was joined by Rob- ert L. Kane, the two operating under the name of Snyder & Kane, which firm in 1925, with the addition of Gardner L. Boothe, became Snyder-Kane-Boothe Corporation. At present this organization is doing some very important building and development, and sells homes on the installment plan, financing its projects through its own finance corporation. Perhaps the most important of the development projects is Belle Haven, the beautiful residential district in the neighborhood of the Belle Haven Country Club, although the two Glendale Park develop- ments and Rosemont Park are worthy of consideration. Mr. Snyder is president of the Del Ray Bank in the Town of Potomac, and he was one of the organizers of the Kiwanis Club and dur- ing 1927 served as its president. He belongs to all of the bodies in Masonry at Alexandria, including the Shrine, and he also belongs to the Shriner Club, the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and the Belle Haven Country Club, of which he is a di- rector. He is president of the Belle Haven Realty Corporation and is a director of the Northern Virginia Investment Corpora- tion. Since its organization the American Legion has in him a zealous member. He is a Democrat in political faith. The Presbyterian Church is his religious home. In July, 1917, Mr. Snyder married Miss Lydia. Hammond, a daughter of Harry and Etta (Catts) Hammond, natives of Alexandria, where the father is in business as manager of the Mutual Ice Company. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have two children: Harry Hammond, who was born December 30, 1920; and Nelson Taylor III, who was born September 17, 1924. The Snyder residence is in Belle Haven and is a beautiful home. Mr. Sny- der's list of acquaintances is necessarily a long one and he comes into contact with men of note from all over the country, and the majority of them become his warm personal friends. His spirit of good fellowship leads him to exert himself to render the lives of others brighter and easier, and he is always ready to lend his efficient assistance to those measures which he believes will work out for the betterment of the majority. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 19:52:40 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000424195240.0093d900@trellis.net> Subject: BIRTHS: Fayette County WV Birth Records Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Fayette County WV Birth Records, 1893-1903 pg. 115, line 143 - 1897 FORREN, James, WMA, b. Nuttall father: Harry FERREN, RR man mother: Mary FERREN birth reported by Mary FERREN, mother. Fayette County WV Birth Records, 1915-1920 11/20/1915 FORREN, John M., WMA, b. Lookout parents: John O. FORREN & Beatres FORREN Dr. J. W. Walker, reporting. 10/14/1915 FORREN, Jim, WMA, b. Lookout parents: J. R. FORREN & Mamie FORREN Dr. J. W. Walker, reporting. 10/14/1915 FORREN, Garnet, WMA, b. Divide parents: James R. FORREN & Mamie FORREN 10/10/1918 FORREN, Donzella A., WFA, b. Elverton parents: John O. FORREN & Beatrice W. HANKINS 2/24/1918 FARREN, Mary C., WFA, b. Ansted parents: S. H. FARREN & Minnie FARREN 6/15/1919 FARREN, William Jr., WMA, b. Montgomery parents: William E. FARREN & Laura Merritt FARREN 5/26/1920 FORREN, Helen, WFA, b. Fayette Co. parents: John Oat FORREN & Beatrice HANKINS ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 20:31:53 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000424203153.00943d40@trellis.net> Subject: MARRIAGES: Summers County WV Marriage Records Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Summers County WV Marriage Records 12/25/1907 W. C. BRIDGES, b. Franklin Co., Va., age 31, single, and Della FARREN, b. Summers Co., age 19, single, by J. S. McCormick. Marriage Book 4 pg. 25, line 7 1/16/1929 - J. T. GUNTER, b. Summers Co., age 21, single, and Marie G. EDLER, b. Galliopoils, OH, age 16, single, by D. G. Richmond. Both reside at Meadow Creek. pg. 25, line 2 1/1/1929 - Bill ALLEN, b. Summers Co., age 21, single, resides Hinton, and Pearl FARREN, b. Summers Co., age 21, single, resides Raford, by H. P. Hackney. pg. 22 line 58 6/13/1928 - O. C. HARRIS, b. Summers Co., age 27, widower, resides Meadow Bridge, and Eula FORREN, b. Greenbrier Co., age 18, single, resides Summers Co., by W. R. Smith. pg. 36, line 70 6/28/1931 - John L. GUNTER, b. Virginia, age 22, single, and Nelcie E. AYRES, b. Summers Co., age 16, single, by W. W. Hicks. Both reside at Sandstone. pg. 40, line 60 6/10/1932 - Ray Edward YOUNG, b. Summers Co., age 19, single, resides Bellpoint, and Thelma Mae FORREN, b. Summers Co., age 19, single, resides Waford, by Charles L. DeLong. pg. 40, line 47 1932 - Married in Mercer Co. Lundy T. GUNTER, b. Summers Co., age 24, single, and Jessie E. RORKE, b. Pocahontas Co., age 25, single, by A. B. Moore. Both reside at Sandstone. pg. 61, line 1 1/2/1936 - Cyrus B. FORREN, b. Wyoming Co., age 25, single, resides Bellpoint, and Helen M. BUCKLAND, b. Summers Co., age 16, single, resides Hinton, by H. M. Bowling pg. 62, line 80 5/27/1936 - Eldridge FORREN, b. Greenbrier Co., age 25, single, and Nannie R. FULCHER, b. Mercer Co., age 21, single, by J. M. Wilson. Both reside at Ellison, WV. pg. 71, line 178 7/21/1937 - John Albert COCHRAN, b. Pocahontas Co., age 25, single, and Effie Lee FORREN, b. Summers Co., age 22, single, by H. P. Hackney. Both reside at Warford. pg. 73, line 16 3/3/1938 - Trommer Jennings YOUNG, b. Summers Co., age 22, single, resides Hinton, and Cleo E. FORREN, b. Summers Co., age 21, single, resides Warford, by A. H. Clark. Date of aplication: 2/28/1938 pg. 78, line 126 12/20/1938 - Hobart M. GUNTER, b. Summers Co., age 32, divorced, and Eva M. CALES, b. Summers Co., age 22, single, by Harry V. Wheeler. Both reside at Sandstone. Date of application: 11/23/1938 ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 11:48:51 -0500 From: Vivian Brinker <VIVIANB@RAVEN.CCC.CC.KS.US> To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <000425114851.9a70@RAVEN.CCC.CC.KS.US> Subject: BIOS: DUNN, Thomas L. Martinsburg The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II. pg. 354. THOMAS L. DUNN Thomas L. Dunn is president of the Dunn Woolen Company and one of Martinsburg's most substantial citizens. It seldom happens that the life story of an individual exhibits more of the obstacles in the path of success than that of Mr. Dunn. The development of his own business character through experience and the tenacious fight he made comprise a lesson of inspiration. Mr. Dunn was born in Frederick County, Virginia, and his father, James H. Dunn, in the same locality. His father was a custom shoemaker during his active life, and died at the age of seventy. He married Margaret Newcomb, who was born in the southern part of Frederick County, and died at the age of fifty-six. Thomas L. Dunn was one of eight children, grew up in a home of very simple comforts, and had only the advantages of winter terms of school in the country. His program of help and work began at the age of nine, and from then until he was fifteen he worked for board and clothes on a farm. He then began and served a three years apprenticeship at the trade of picking, carding, spinning and weaving in a small mill in Frederick County. After spending three years there he accepted a position in the carding and spinning department of the Morgan Mill on Red Bud Creek near Winchester, Virginia. A year and a half later he become foreman of the carding and spinning department in the Brucetown Mill, eight miles north of Winchester. After two years he accepted a position with his first employer, who at this time was general manager of the Red Bud Mill, with the promise that after one year he was to have the contract to do all the picking, carding, and spinning at a price per pound to be agreed upon, furnishing his own help. In pursuance of this contract he procured the help necessary, and when two years later the proprieter died he remained with the lessee of the mill for three years longer. The firm then leased a larger mill in Fredericksburg, and Mr. Dunn took charge of its carding and spinning department. After two years there Mr. Dunn and Meredith Tyler leased a small mill at Buckland in Fauquier County, West Virginia. In the absense of capital to conduct the operations they arranged with C. A. Wyatt & Company of New York to furnish raw material and take all the manufactured goods at a fixed price per yard. Under this arrangement the mill was operated successfull for nine months, until the water power ceased and a steam power power had to be introduced to use up the raw material. Later Mr. Dunn leased the Brucetown Mill, and with capital furnished by the Wyatt Company additional machinery was installed. It was to be known as the Bruce Town Woolen Company, T. L. Dunn, manager. At that time Mr. Wyatt took a partner in the milling business, Mr. W. H. Crawford. They offered Mr. Dunn an interest in the business, but he did not have the required capital and had not yet learned the art of borrowing. Therefore, he arranged for a fixed salary and a percentage of the profits. After two years of successful operation T. A. Wyatt & Company failed in their New York business, and the Brucetown Mill was drawn into litigation. With the aid of one of Virginia's ablest lawyers, Major Conrad, later attorney general of the state, Mr. Dunn had the attachment dissolved, but later, by an order of the court, a bill of review was granted, which necessitated a receiver to be apponted, and Mr. Dunn was employed to run the mill and use up all the raw materials. After three months Mr. Crawford again leased the mill and made arrangements with Mr. Dunn to operate it. Then followed another two years of successful operation. That mill not having the capacity equal to the demand, a search for additional facilities brought Mr. Dunn to Martinsburg, where with assistance of a few citizens the old skating rink at the corner of South Raleigh and Stephen was acquired, steam pwer installed, and it was equipped with four looms. The Brucetown Mill was also continued for two years. The Martinsburg plant was then increased until it had eleven looms, two spinning machines, two sets of cards and was emplying forty people. This stage in his career came to an end in 1894. The fabric made by him was no longer salable on account of the introduction of a new line known as the Reading Hairline. Mr. Dunn in this emergency consulted Mr. Crawford, but the latter had been unfortunate in some of his other business ventures and had mortgaged the mill and had exhausted his credit. Mr. Crawford, therefore, applied to the Building & Loan Association and secured the promise of a loan for making the necessary changes in machinery and equipment to produce the hairline fabric. A few days later the Building & Loan Association notified Mr. Crawford that they had reconsidered their proposition. Mr. Dunn then went before them and said that Mr. Crawford would surely fail unless the loan was made, and by his talk he convinced the board of the merits of the proposed new industry. One of the successful and conservative business men on the board, Mr. J. W. Bishop, asserted that Martinsburg could not afford to lose the industry and expressed his entire confidence in Mr. Dunn's ability. As a result the loan was made, the needed machinery put in, and the new fabric found a ready sale on the market. A year and a half later Mr. Crawford, on coming to Martinsburg, had the satisfaction of burning the mortage papers at the plant. A new building was erected, new machinery installed, and the plant was soon operating forty looms, with seventy-five persons on the pay-roll. In the meantime Mr. Dunn's reputation as an expert in the technical process of weaving had spread abroad, and he had been approached by some business men of Steubenville, Ohio, to secure his cooperation in a plant proposed for that city. This proposition he laid before Mr. Crawford frankly, and the latter gave him a verbal promise to incorporate the business and give Mr. Dunn a satisfactory share of the stock. For this reason Mr. Dunn elected to remain in Martinsburg. About two years later another addition was made to the plant, and the business was incorporated by Mr. Crawford with five members. Mr. Dunn then expected to realize on promises made, and he suffered a considerable shock when he was granted only one share in the new company. It was evident that Mr. Crawford meant that Mr. Dunn should retain only the nominal honor of vice- president and continue as active superintendent. Mr. Dunn, therefore, concluded to lay some plans of his own and succeded in interesting F. H. Graichen, of Providence, Rhode Island, the overseer in the weaving department of the Crawford Mill. Mr. Graichen had much experience in the manufacture of cotton worsted, composed of one- third worsted yarns and two-thirds cotton yarn, a fabric for which there was a great demand. They decided to incorporate their new business with $15,000 capital, Mr. Dunn and Mr. Graichen each to take a third of the stock, and another third to be offered to Mr. Crawford. Mr. Dunn went out among his friends and secured guarantees for $10,000 to take care of his and Mr. Graichen's shares. The arrangement was effected, a building erected and machinery installed, and the business was soon propering so as to necessitate a doubling of the capacity. Mr. Graichen resigned from the Crawford Mill to give all his time to the new establishment, but Mr. Dunn acted only as an advisor in the new concern. In the meantime the Crawford Mill had increased to eighty-five looms and a pay-roll of 300 people. About that time some men at Winchester secured the association of Mr. Dunn and Mr. Crawford in establishing a new mill there, Mr. Dunn being made general manger and a stockholder in the Virginia Woolen Mill of Winchester for the first five years. This establishment had some set backs and reverses in the first few years, but subsequently became very prosperous and is now one of the largest mills in that part of the country. In time the demand for the hairline fabric had waned, and the earnings of the Crawford and the Martinsburg Worsted and Cashmere Mills were materially reduced. The new fabric gaining popularity with the public was known as carded fabric. It necessitated the making of warp and filling yarns and required double the carding and spinning capacity of the older processes. To make the necessary change involved the need of new capital, and Mr. Crawford was then in financial embarrassment that did not permit him to come to the help of his associates. Therefore, it was two years before the changes could be made to bring the plant up to full capacity, bonds having been issued. About that time Mr. Crawford, without consulting Mr. Dunn, employed another superintendent of the worsted and cashmere plant. Mr. Dunn refused to consent to this, and before a meeting of the stockholders, including those from Winchester, he explained the situation and gave assuance of what he could do if allowed to make the line of goods then going into process of manufacture. The men from Winchester had known Mr. Dunn from youth and had perfect confidence in his tireless energy and ability. The goods turned out by Mr. Dunn were sold so readily by New York agents that the profit was much larger than he had promised the stockholders. However, the new superintendent appointed by Mr. Crawford began exceeding his authority, and to avoid a conflict of authority Mr. Dunn resigned his position with the Crawford Woolen Company, after which he confined his activities to the Worsted & Cashmere Mill, under Mr. H. H. Emmert, receiver of said mills. The product turned out by the new superintendent met no market in New York, and as a result the Crawford mills went into the hands of a receiver, and all raw material was worked up and put on the market at a loss. Afterward the Martinsburg Worsted & Cashmere Company plant was sold at auction by the receiver, Mr. H. H. Emmert, to Congressman George m. Bowers, and later purchased by Mr. Dunn, whose only capital consisted of twenty shares in the Virginia Woolen Company of Winchester. Discouragement has never been a feature of Mr. Dunn's career. The difficulties he had to contend with and his ability were thorughly appreciated by Martinsburg business men, and after a number of conferences he succeeded in getting forty men as guarantors of a new capital of $35,000, about $12,000 of which was needed to build an addition to the building in order to install sufficient carding and spinning machinery to balance the plant. In the meantime a new line of samples had been put on the market, about the time the mill was completed. Business was dull, yet the new product sold fairly well. Then in August, 1914, the World war started, and not long afterward Mr. Dunn was fortunate in securing from the French Government an order for a large stock of hospital blankets, so that his mill was put in operation night and day and continued to manufacture blankets and uniform cloth for the French Government for some time. Suddenly, however, he was notified to stop operations, as the French Government had refused to take more goods, which left a stock of 96,000 yards on the wharf in New York City, on which Dunn Woolen Company had drawn $1.00 per yard through W. H. Duval & Company, the New York agents who had secured the contract for Dunn Woolen Company. At this time Mr. Dunn was beginning to feel that he could pay off his indebtness, but the 96,000 yards referred to above had to be charged back on the W. H. Duval & Company's books as returned goods, and interest charges on the $96,000 started at once. The mill remained idle for about one month, when Mr. W. H. Duval secured a contract from the Italian Government and permitted the Dunn Woolen Company to run out all the French blue the company had in process, shipping the same to New York, on which he advanced $1.00 per yard. This enabled Dunn Company to start on the Italian order. Mr. Duval expected to get a satisfactory settlement with the French Government every week, but was held up about one year, before any settlement was made. In the meantime the Italian business ceased and a civilian line had to be gotten out, which was put on the market and the mill output sold in a few days, which necessitated the purchase of additional stock for the above lines. The mill has continued to the present time, not-withstanding it has been passing through the re-adjustment period, and now (May 1, 1922) is running fully 100 percent. During all this time it cannot be imagined what mental strain Mr. Dunn passed through, and but for the assistance and comfort he obtained through faith in Divine Providence he could not have withstood the strain. At the age of twenty-two Mr. Dunn married Charlotte Adelia Bowden, a native of Frederick County, Virginia. Eight children have been born to their marriage, named William N., Walter, Ada, Blanche, Prince, Frank, Gladys and Garland. The family are members of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Mr. Dunn is active in the Martinsburg Chamber of Commerce.