WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 4 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: A. D. OSBORNE, [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #2 MILITARY: Sons of t [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #3 MILITARY: CONT'D So [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #4 MILITARY: CONT'D So [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #5 MILITARY: Roll of D [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #6 BIO: Fred W. VANCE, [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #7 BIO: Robert Clinton [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] #8 BIO: Hon. John J. C [Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@tre] ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 13:46:32 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: A. D. OSBORNE, Hancock Co. *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 227 Hancock County A. D. OSBORNE. An active and unselfish life, based upon high principles, animated by kindly impulses which have been faithfully devoted to industry and directed to the discharge of every duty and responsibility, may be justly regarded as a successful one, without reference to pecuniary results. Under such a searchlight A. D. Osborne may be pronounced as being a successful man in every sense of the phrase. He has held honorable and responsible posi- tions, has faithfully discharged his duties wherever placed, and has retained the confidence and respect of those with whom he has been associated. For a long period he has been identified with the cause of education, and as su- perintendent of the Grant District schools at Newell is carrying on a work that is bringing about excellent results. Mr. Osborne was born in Meigs County, Ohio, where he received his early education, and after attending the Kent State Normal School pursued a course at the Ohio State University at Athens. For five years previously he taught in the rural schools and then for fourteen years was principal of the Ward School at East Liverpool, Ohio, then locating at Newell, West Virginia, where he has been superintendent of the Grant District schools since 1916. Grant District has ten buildings, with twenty-four teachers and 704 pupils. In September, 1921, Superintendent Os- borne's report showed that the enrollment in the grades totaled 299, while 104 pupils were registered in the junior and senior high schools at Newell. The Newell Building was erected in 1912, and consists of eight rooms, a basement library and two portable outside rooms. The high school course consists of a full four years, both junior and senior. There are fourteen teachers, of whom seven are in the high school departments. The matter of education is an important one at Newell, as this is rapidly becoming a place of importance. Newell is one mile below Chester the two communities being separated by a bluff one-half mile long, with just room between for a railroad and road, which at places is very narrow. A bridge connects both Newell and Chester with East Liverpool, Ohio, these bridges being three-quarters of a mile apart, and a street ear line crossing each. Newell has two important industries, the Homer Laughlin China Company, the largest single china plant in the world; and the E. M. Knowles China Company. Mr. Osborne is secretary of the district school board, and a member of the West Virginia Teachers Association, the Hancock County Teachers Association and the Ohio Valley Schoolmasters Club. He is also one of the three members of the County Board of Equalization. He is a Mason and has attained to the fourteenth degree in the Scottish Rite. Mr. Osborne married Miss Annie Swan, of Washington County, Ohio, and they have two children: Vera, a graduate of Newell High School, who attended the Kent Normal School of Ohio, and is now a teacher in the first grade of the Newell School; and Gladys, a sopho- more at the Newell High School. The family belongs to the Presbyterian Church, in which Mr. Osborne is a mem- ber of the Board of Trustees and an active Sunday School worker. *************** ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 15:34:55 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: MILITARY: Sons of the Revolution - 1902 - WV Yearbook YEARBOOK - 1902 Society of Sons of the Revolution In the State of West Virginia. ROLL OF MEMBERS - 1902 pages 43-54 Admitted. Name. Residence. 1899. ANNAN, WILLIAM DENT ROBERDEAU,....Newberg. Great-great-grandson of John Dent. Also great-great-grandson of John Evans. Also great-great-grandson of Daniel Roberdeau. 1901. AVIS, BRAXTON DAVENPORT, Jr.,.... Charleston. Great-great-grandson of Peter Haines. 1902. ARCHER, ROBERT LAMLEY,..........Huntington. Great-great-great-grandson of William Williams. 1902. ARNETT, THOMAS WATSON,........... Fairmont, Great-great-great-grandson of William Haymond. 1897. ARCHER, RICHARD MATHER,.......... Wheeling. Great-great-great-grandson of Israel Putnam. Also, great-great-great-grandson of William Williams. Also, great-great-grandson of Nathan Williams. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1899. AVIS, SAMUEL BRASHEAR,...........Charleston. Great-great grandson of Rev. Christian Streight. 1895. BAIRD, REED McCULLOCH,.............Wheeling. Great-grandson of Absalom Baird. 1897. BAIRD, GEORGE B.,.....................Wheeling. Great-grandson of Absalom Baird. 1900. BAKER, STARKE L.,......................Beverly. Great-great-grandson of Zediekiah Morgan. 1899. BARTON, DANIEL JENIFER,.........Morgantown. Great-great-grandson of Daniel Jenifer. Also, great-great-grandson of Dr. James Craik. 1894. BASSEL, JOHN,.......................Clarksburg. Grandson of John Norris. 1897. BEACH, ALBERT HENRY,. .............Wheeling. Grandson of Burr Beecher. 1900. BEACH, AUSTIN,....................Pittsburg, Pa. Great-grandson of Elisha Mix. Also, great-grandson of Burr Beecher. 1894. BROCKUNIER, CHARLES WESLEY,. ... .Wheeling. Great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane. 1896. BROCKUNIER, SAMUEL HUGH,.........Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane. Also, great-great-grandson of Joseph Brady. Also, great-great-grandson of John Halstead. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1895. BROWN, SAMUEL B.,.................Morgantown. Great-grandson of Thomas Brown. 1899. BROWN, CASSIUS CLAY,..................Worley. Great-great-grandson of James Nicholson. 1900. BOWIE, EDWARD BEATTY,............ Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Allen Bowie, Jr. 1897. BURKE, WILLIAM PAXTON,............Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Edward Devenish Burke. 1900. BURDETTE, FRANK LEE,............. Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of Thomas Lillard. Also, great-great-grandson of James Hill. 1900. BUTCHER, BERNHARD LEE,............Fairmont. Great-great-grandson of John Hart. 1900. BUTLER, ARTHUR BATES,.............Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Francis Ruffin. 1896. CALDWELL, ALFRED,..................Wheeling. Great-grandson of Absalom Baird. 1898. CALDWELL, WILLIAM GOSHOBN..... .Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Absalom Baird. 190L CAMDEN, RICHARD PINDAL,........ Parkersburg. Great-great-great-grandson of Benjamin Adams. 1899. CAMDEN, ROLLA,.................... Parkersburg. Great-great-great-grandson of Benjamin Adams. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1901. CHANCELLOR, WILLIAM NELSON,... Parkersburg. Great-grandson of Thomas Chancellor. 1899. CHANCELLOR, JR., EDMUND PENDLETON,...Parkersburg. Great-grandson of Christian Miller. Also, great-grandson of Thomas Chancellor. Also, great-great-grandson of John Henderson. 1899. CLARK, GEORGE RAMSEY,. ...........U. S. Navy. Great-grandson of Daniel McCollum. 1900. CRANMER, GIBS0N LAMB,.............Wheeling Grandson of John Cranmer. 1900. COX, FRANK CLAY,................... .Wheeling. Great-grandson of Michael Cox. Also, great-great-grandson of Isaac Cox. 1897. CULBERTSON, JOHN D.,................ Wheeling. Great-grandson of Samuel Culbertson. Also, great-grandson of Thomas Grier. 1896. DENT, WILLIAM MARMADUKE,.........Newburg. Grandson of John Dent. 1900. DWIGHT, EDWARD NEILL,.............Wheeling. Great-great-great-grandson of Abiel Pease. 1899. DODDRIDGE, JOHN SEHON,. ..........U. S. Navy. Great-great-grandson of Andrew Waggener. 1896. DuBOIS, JOSEPH D.,. ...................Wheeling. Great-grandson of Peter Miller. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1901. DUNCAN, GEORGE LEE,............... Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of Return Jonathan Meigs. 1895. EDWARDS, WILLIAM SEYMOUR....... Charleston. Great-great-grandson of Timothy Edwards. Also, great-great-grandson of Edward Antil, 3d. 1902. FLEMING, GEORGE WATSON,..........Fairmont. Great-great-great-grandson of William Haymond. 1894. GITTINGS, JOHN GEORGE,............Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of Return Jonathan Meigs. 1901. GOFF, CHARLES J.,................... Clarksburg. Grandson of Job Goff. 1895. GOFF, NATHAN,......................Clarksburg. Grandson of Job Goff. 1901. HARTLEY, JOSEPH MILTON,............Fairmont. Great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1901. HARTLEY, EDWIN FORREST,...........Fairmont. Great-great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1902. HARTLEY, HARRY JOHN,. ..............Fairmont. Great-great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1894. HART, CHARLES MATTHEW,..........Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of John Hart. 1894. HART, JOHN BATTELLE,. .............Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of John Hart. [to be continued] ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:03:19 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: MILITARY: CONT'D Sons of the Revolution - 1902 - WV Yearbook YEARBOOK - 1902 Society of Sons of the Revolution In the State of West Virginia. ROLL OF MEMBERS - 1902 pages 43-54 [continued] Admitted. Name. Residence. 1894. HAYMOND, HENRY,. .................Clarksburg. Great-grandson of William Hamond. Also, great-grandson of Richard Bond. 1902. HAYMOND, WILLIAM S.,................Fairmont. Great-great-grandson of William Haymond. 1899. HEISKELL, ANDREW GANO BURT,.... .Wheeling. Great-great-great-grandson, of William Goforth. 1899. HICKMAN, CHARLES LEWIS,.........Clarksburg. Great-grandson of Sotho Hickman. 1896. HILDRETH, EUGENIUS, A.,. ............Wheeling. Great-grandson of Jonathan Zane. 1899. HOFFMAN, DANIEL CLARK,. ........Morgantown. Great-grandson of John Evans. 1902. HOFFMAN, WILLIAM KEMP,.........Morgantown. Great-grandson of John Evans. 1897. HUGHES, HENRY WELDEN,............Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Jonathan Dunham. 1896. HUPP, FRANK LaMOYNE,..............Wheeling. Great-grandson of John Hupp. Also, great-grandson of John Todd. Also, great-grandson of Michael Cox. Also great-great-grandson of Isaac Cox. 1894 JACKSON, THOMAS MOORE,......... Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of Return Jonathan Meigs. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1899. HUNTER, PAUL STUART,............Morgantown. Great-great-grandson of Joseph Huston. Also, great-great-grandson of James Holliday. 1902. JACKSON, SAMUEL NEWTON,. .........Fairmont. Great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1901. KINGSLEY, EDWIN R.,...............Parkersburg. Great-grandson of Nathaniel Herrick. 1902. LEWIS, WILLIAM HAY,...............Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of William Haymond. 1898. MARTIN, FREDERICK THORNTON,..... Fairmont. Great-grandson of James Broadus. 1901. MERRIMAN, JOHN DONLON,............Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Samuel Hitchcock. 1895. MORELAND, JOSEPH,................Morgantown. Great-grandson of Joseph Huston. 1900. MYERS, ERRETT CAMPBELL,........Atlanta, Ga. Great-great-grandson of Michael Cox. 1894. McGREW, WILLIAM CLARK,.........Morgantown. Great-grandson of Daniel McCollum. 1901. McMECHEN, WILLIAM BUSHFIELD,... .Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of William Armstead. 1897. McKINNEY, OWEN S.,...................Fairmont. Grandson of Patrick Sullivan. 1896. MARTIN, LUCIEN B.,................... Glendale. Great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane. Also, Great-grandson of Ephraim Martin. Also, Grandson of Absalom Martin. [to be continued] ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:04:45 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: MILITARY: CONT'D Sons of the Revolution - 1902 - WV Yearbook YEARBOOK - 1902 Society of Sons of the Revolution In the State of West Virginia. ROLL OF MEMBERS - 1902 pages 43-54 [continued] Admitted. Name. Residence. 1902. McKINNEY, ODELL PAYNE,.............Fairmont. Great-grandson of Patrick Sullivan. 1899. McKINLEY, JOHNSON CAMDEN,........Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of John McKinley. 1902. McGREW, JAMES HEERMANS,.......Morgantown. Great-great-grandson of Daniel McCollum. 1899. MARTIN, LUTHER PHILIP,..............Glendale. Great-great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane. Also, great-grandson of Ephriam Martin. Also, great-grandson of Absalom Martin. 1902. NESBITT, CHARLES TORRENCE,....... Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of William Dawson. 1899. NICOLL, EDWARD LARKIN,............Wheeling. Great-great-great-grandson of Robert Monroe. 1900. NICHOLLS, FRANCIS EDMUND,.........Fairmont. Great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1897. NORTON, SAMUEL PURCELL,...........Wheeling. Great-great-great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1899. NORTON, GEORGE WORTHINGTON,.....Wheeling. Great-great-great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1900. OGLEBAY, FRANKLIN MARTIN,....Kansas City, Mo. Great-great-grandson of Charles Martin. 1899. PAULL, JR., ARCHIBALD WOODS,..... .Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Archibald Woods. Also, great-great-grandson of James Paull. 1896. PAULL, JOSEPH P.,.................... Wheeling. Great-grandson of James Paull. Also, Great-grandson of Archibald Woods. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1896. PAULL, ALFRED........................Wheeling. Great-grandson of James Panll. Also, great-grandson of Archibald Woods. 1895. PETERSON, B. WALKER,................Wheeling. Grandson of Daniel Peterson. 1901. PETERKIN, WILLIAM GARDNER,.... Parkersburg. Great-great-grandson of Richard Henry Lee. Also, great-great-grandson of Cabel Gardner. Also, great-great-great-grandson of Samuel Hanson. Also, great-great-grandson of William Dent Beall. 1900. REED, ROBERT JEFFERY,. ............ .Wheeling. Great-grandson of William Reed. 1900. RICHARDS, HOWARD CAMPBELL,..... .Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Nathaniel Irish. Also, great-great-grandson of Thomas Wylie. 1897. ROBERTSON, ZACHARY F.,.............Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Richard Lamb. 1900. RHODES, OLIVER THOMPSON,.......... Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Charles Martin. 1897. STALNAKER, RANDOLPH,.............. Wheeling. Great-grandson of Zedekiah Morgan. Also, great-grandson of James Smith. 1896. TALLMAN, WILBUR H.,. ................Wheeling. Great-grandson of James Tallman. 1896. TALLMAN, ALBERT P.,..................Wheeling. Great-grandson of James Tallman. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1898. THAYER, ABEL H.,.......................Grafton. Great-grandson of Abel Thayer. 1898. THOMAS, NATHANIEL SEYMOUR,..... .Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Samuel Thomas, Jr. 1896. TOPPING, JOHN A.,.....................Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of James Tallman. 1896. UPDEGRAFF, ALEXANDER,............Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1902. WALLACE, GEORGE SELDEN,........Huntington. Great-great-grandson of John Champe Carter. 1901. WALKER, PHILIP GEORGE ..........Charleston. Great-great-grandson of Christian Streight. 1902. WATSON, JAMES FAY,..................Fairmont. Great-grandson of William Haymond. 1902. WATSON, SYLVANUS L.,................Fairmont. Great-grandson of William Haymond. 1902. WATSON, CLARENCE W.,...............Fairmont. Great-great-grandson of William Haymond. 1902. WATSON, JAMES OTIS, JR.,. ............Fairmont. Great-great-grandson of William Haymond. 1902. WATSON, GEORGE THOMAS,...........Fairmont. Great-great-grandson of William Haymond. Admitted. Name. Residence. 1902. WATSON, ALBERT THURMAN,.......... Fairmont. Great-great-great-grandson of William Haymond. 1902. WELLS, CHARLES EVANS,..........Glover's Gap. Great-grandson of Zadock Morris. 1897. WHITE, JOHN BAKER,................Charleston. Great-grandson of Robert White. 1900. WHITE, ALBERT BLAKESLEE,....... Parkersburg. Great-great-grandson of Paul White. 1899. WHITE, ROBERT,...................... Wheeling. Grandson of Robert White. 1897. WILSON, HENRY TYSON,.............. Clarksburg. Great-great-grandson of Peter Miller. 1896. ZANE, PLATOFF,. .......................Wheeling. Great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane. [end of this submission] ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:11:29 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: MILITARY: Roll of Deceased Members - SoR - 1902 - WV Yearbook YEARBOOK - 1902 Society of Sons of the Revolution In the State of West Virginia ROLL OF DECEASED MEMBERS. page 54 Admitted. Name. Residence. 1897. BROCKUNIER, WILBUR C.,.............. Wheeling. Great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane. 1894. HAGANS, JOHN MARSHALL,.........Morgantown. Grandson of Daniel McCollum. 1896. LAMB, GIBSON,.........................Wheeling. Great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane. 1897. MORGAN, HENRY M.,................ Morgantown. Grandson of Zackquill Morgan. 1897. McMECHEN, BIRNEY K.,................Wheeling. Great-great-grandson of William Armistead. 1896. PAULL, ARCHIBALD W.,................Wheeling. Great-grandson of James Paull. Also, great-grandson of Archibald Woods. 1894. PETERSON, WILLIAM FAIRFIELD,...... Wheeling. Grandson of Daniel Peterson. 1896. WOODS, JOSEPH J.,. .................... Wheeling. Grandson of Archibald Woods. ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:31:08 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: Fred W. VANCE, M.D., Upshur Co. *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 229 Upshur County FRED W. VANCE, M. D., has been a physician and sur- geon at Mannington for the past seventeen years. He has high standing in his profession, and his good citizenship is on a par with his professional character. Doctor Vance was born at the Village of French Creek in Upshur County, West Virginia, February 23, 1874, son of John E. and Anna M. (Darnall) Vance, the former a native of Highland County and the latter of McDowell County, Virginia. The grandfather, Col. Morgan A. Dar- nall, served as colonel of his regiment in the Union Army. John E. Vance and his wife were married October 24, 1871, and are still living at the old home place at French Creek, where on October 24, 1921, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Fred W. Vance, at the age of eight years, began help- ing his father in a systematic way, in proportion to his strength, in the latter's blacksmith shop. He attended common schools regularly, and also attended the French Creek Summer Normal School. In 1892 he began teach- ing with a No. 2 certificate, and the following year he taught on a No. 1 certificate. Doctor Vance taught alto- gether five winter and two summer terms. In the meantime he had continued to exercise his strength and manual skill in his father's shop, thus master- ing the blacksmith's trade, and when he left teaching he opened a shop of his own at French Creek. He remained there two years, and for three years conducted a black- smithing business at Crawford in Lewis County. While a blacksmith Doctor Vance was diligently studying medi- cine. and finally he entered the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati, where he was graduated M. D. with the class of 1905. During his senior year he was interne at Seaton Hospital in Cincinnati. In 1904 he passed the West Virginia Medical Examining Board, and for several months practiced at Gains in Upshur County, but in 1905 returned to Cincinnati to receive his medical degree, and in May of that year established his home and office at Mannington. Almost from the beginning he has had an extensive private practice, and has done much professional work besides. Since 1912 he has been a member of the United States Board of Pension Examining Surgeons. He took post graduate work in the New York Post Graduate College in 1910. He is a member of the Marion County, West Virginia State and American Medical associations. In 1912 Doctor Vance was elected mayor of Mannington and in 1920 was chosen a member of the Board of Educa- tion for the Mannington District. He is a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, and is a charter member of the Mannington Kiwanis Club. In 1921 he was appointed a member of the Board of Trus- tees of Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia. Doctor Vance, in 1897, married Mabel Florence Brooks, also a native of French Creek in Upshur County and daugh- ter of Adolphus and Josephine (Phillips) Brooks. Doctor and Mrs. Vance are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder. He is a republican in politics. His two children are: Mary Eugenia, born August 24, 1905; and John Brooks, born January 12, 1915. *************** ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:41:12 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: Robert Clinton DANCER, Monongalia County *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 233-234 Monongalia County ROBERT CLINTON DANCER is president and general man- ager of R. C. Dancer, Incorporated, a business that stands in the very front rank among the wholesale wall paper houses of the Ohio Valley. The business, in fact, is national in scope. Mr. Dancer was some years ago a modest merchant in wall paper and floor coverings at Mannington, West Virginia, but later moved his business to Wheeling, where it has enjoyed its greatest growth and prosperity and has become exclusively a wall paper house. One of the fundamental principles for success in mer- chandising is giving and maintaining the personal touch between the merchant and his customer. With the devel- opment and complex organization of merchandising, to a point where the merchant is really a big executive who seldom meets even a small percentage of his "trade," a substitute for the personal touch has been found in the product of the busy typewriter and in that vital and vigorous form of communication generally described as advertising. Advertising is, in fact, the great modern means utilized by merchant manufacturer in telling his customers what he has to sell and vouching for its merits. In the development of this modern phase of the mercantile business Mr. Dancer has achieved a most unusual success, and that success has been instrumental in the growth of his great business at Wheeling. In the interest of his business he has for about a year issued a monthly publica- tion known as "the Sample Stand," and through this, in addition to his large volume of private correspondence, he is able to keep his customers and trade friends apprised of new developments in the wall paper business and his own qualifications to supply the needs of the trade. The novel quality of his little publication has attracted many favorable comments from some of the foremost manu- facturers, importers and dealers in wall paper throughout the country. Here it is possible to quote only one of the many letters Mr. Dancer receives commending his publica- tion. The following is a paragraph from the secretary of one of the large manufacturers of paper hanging at Buffalo: "Such an attractive means of communication with your customers, advising them educationally and other- wise, for the good of their business, is something which should result in much mutual benefit, and we think you have gotten off to a good start. In practice, yon are a good subject for membership in Rotary, whose motto is: 'He profits most who serves best.' " Mr. Dancer was born at Mannington, West Virginia, May 29, 1875. His father, Jesse Dancer, was born in this state in 1826 and spent his entire life in Mannington and vicinity. He was a carpenter by trade, for some years had charge of the building of bridges for the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Company, and also erected many residences and business houses in Mannington. He died in that city in 1889. He had served the last two years of the war in the Union Army, was always a stanch republican, was at one time mayor of Mannington and a leading member of the Presbyterian Church of that city. He was affiliated with the Masonic order. Jesse Dancer was twice married. By his first wife he had eight children, and three of them are still living. W. S. Dancer, a contracting carpenter at Fairmont, West Virginia; Maggie, wife of James Koon, a farmer at Weston; and Mrs. Henry Tutt, wife of a marble cutter living at Grafton. The second wife of Jesse Dancer was Sarah Helms, who was born in West Virginia, in 1844 and died at Mannington in 1909. Robert Clinton Dancer is the only child of this marriage. He spent his early life at Mannington, attended public school there to the age of fourteen, and learned business through a long and diligent practice as an employee of the Snodgrass Brothers' general store. He remained with that firm in a working capacity for ten years, and he and H. B. Beaty then bought out the business and conducted it from 1900 to 1905. In 1905 the partnership of Dancer & Burgess was formed at Mannington, and they engaged in the wholesale and retail wall paper and floor covering business. In 1909, seeking a more central city for their growing business, they removed to Wheeling, and in 1914 the partnership was dissolved and since then Mr. Dancer has been the active head of the establishment. For some years the business has been exclusively wall paper, and this is without doubt the largest wholesale concern in West Virginia in this line. The store and offices are at 1121 Market Street, the store extending to 1118 Main Street. Mr. Dancer handles one of the finest lines of wall paper in the United States, and he does a large business even in New York City and as far west as the Pacific Coast. In December, 1920, he incorporated as R. C. Dancer, In- corporated, of which he is president and general manager. Mr. Dancer is also a director of the Quarter Savings & Trust Company of Wheeling. He is a republican, a mem- ber of Wheeling Lodge No. 5, F. and A. M., West Virginia Consistory No. 1, of the Scottish Rite, Wheeling Lodge No. 28, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is a mem- ber of the Rotary Club, the Wheeling Country Club and the Fort Henry Club. His home is at Birch Lynn, Wheel- ing. In 1905, at Mannington, Mr. Dancer married Miss Bessie Craker, daughter of John and Rose (Skinner) Craker, now deceased. Her father was an oil operator. Mrs. Dancer is a graduate of Keemar College of Hagerstown, Maryland. *************** ______________________________X-Message: #8 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:42:23 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook <vfcrook@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: Hon. John J. CORNWELL, Hampshire County *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 234-235 Hampshire County HON. JOHN J. CORNWELL. Probably the great majority of the people of West Virginia, regardless of party, would fully endorse the words of the democratic state platform of 1920 when it speaks of "the administration of our great war governor as one of the most dignified, able and cour- ageous in the history of the state. He has lifted the governorship to a high plane, which is gratifying to the people of the state." John J. Cornwell has for many years had the esteem and confidence of his home people in Romney and Hamp- shire County. He was born in Ritchie County, July 11, 1867, of Jacob H. and Mary E. (Taylor) Cornwell. The future governor was educated in Shepherd College at Shepherdstown, and soon after leaving that institution he began a career as a publisher and editor, and has been principal owner of the Hampshire Review since 1890. He was active in its management as editor until 1917, when he removed to Charleston. Mr. Cornwell has long been a leader in the democratic party of the state, and was a delegate to the national conventions of 1896 and 1912 and gave a service for ten years, from 1896 to 1906, as a mem- ber of the West Virginia Senate. He was democratic nominee for governor in 1904, and in 1916 he had the remarkable distinction of being the only democratic nominee on the state ticket to be elected. He began his term aa governor in 1917, and served until 1921, when he resumed his home and the management of his business interests at Romney. Mr. Cornwell financed and built the Hampshire Southern Railroad, a line forty miles long, has been president of the Bank of Romney, of the South Branch Development Company, the South Branch Tie & Lumber Company, is now a director in the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Com- pany, and has held the office of secretary and treasurer of the Appalachian Orchard Company. He has been one of the prominent editors of the state, has made a reputation as a forceful writer, and aside from his routine contribu- tions to the press is author of a book entitled "Knock About Notes," published in 1915. He is a Mason and Odd Fellow. June 30, 1891, Mr. Cornwell married Edna Brady, of Romney. ***************