Guide to some of the Historic Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery

Woodlawn is the resting place for many of the people who made lasting contributions to Fairmont, the state of West Virginia and our nation. It also includes graves of over 120 Civil War veterans, both Confederate and Union. While the earliest gravestone is dated 1814, many stones predate the cemetery’s establishment as they were relocated here from other burial grounds as Fairmont grew.

Guide to Historic Burials

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This is a partial listing of some of the prominent burials you will find at Woodlawn. This directory was prepared by Dr. Raymond Alvarez, Marion County and City of Fairmont historian. If you have corrections or additions, please email him at mraymond.alvarez@gmail.com.

Historic District
Section 1 Relocated graves near top of hill
In 1915, graves Old Presbyterian Church in downtown Fairmont were relocated to Woodlawn. This was during the construction of the Watson Building (1st National Bank). These graves pre-date the establishment of the cemetery and include historic figures such as Boaz Fleming (1758-1830) and his wife. Fleming, a farmer who relocated here from Delaware, established the city of Middletown, VA in 1819. Middletown changed its name to “Fairmont” and became the county seat in 1842. Woodlawn Cemetery is on the National Registry of Historic Places. More information about the Fleming family is found here.
First burial
Section 1, lot 270
Joseph R. Hamilton, teenage son of Elmus Hamilton, who was killed by an accidental discharge of a gun when climbing over a fence on April 15, 1875. His family buried him near the place they found his body. This was the border of the Barns-Hamilton property. Eventually, it became a family burial site as other members of these two families were laid to rest within the small enclosure. Originally established on 15 acres, Woodlawn Cemetery Company was incorporated on December 16, 1885, by Elmus Hamilton, J.B. Hamilton, John S. Hamilton, M.N, Barns and John. H. Barns. Today Woodlawn is situated on nearly 43 acres.
Section 3, Lot 38 George Alexander was one of the most prominent and influential citizens of Fairmont. Born in November 1861 (son of John and Caroline (Conn) Alexander) in Monongalia County, he attended WVU in legal studies. He was admitted to the bar in 1892 and opened an office in Fairmont. In 1896 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Marion County. Upon completing his official term of four years lie resumed the private practice of his profession, and later he became attorney for the Fairmont and Clarksburg Traction Company, which was the parent company of the Monongahela Power & Railway Company. He also became attorney for the Consolidation Coal Company where he also served as president. In 1918, Mr. Alexander volunteered for service in the United States Army. He was commissioned captain in the ordinance department and was on duty at Washington, D. C. until he returned to Fairmont.
Section 1, Lot 288 George Amos established an early carriage enterprise and later the “George Amos & Co,” a leading hardware company in Fairmont.
Section 2, Lot 841 W. E. Arnett: Mayor of Fairmont circa 1900—established wharf facilities when the river became navigable to the town. Arnett was largely instrumental in organizing relief funds for widows and families of the 1906 Monongah Mine Disaster.
Historic District
Section 1, Lot 392
J. Walter Barnes: Innovator and principal of Fairmont Normal 1892-1901; developed telephone infrastructure from 1902-1915; Fairmont Commission for Finance; WV Board of Public Buildings. Barnes leadership set the stage for Fairmont Normal’s move from Adams Street to a grand building in Southside Fairmont Avenue. He also was chair of the committee building the First Presbyterian Church on Jackson Street. More information about Barnes here.
Section 1, Lot 9 A. F. Brownfield, with Alex Riheldafer (Section 1, Lot 257) were employed by A. Howard Fleming (postmaster in 1908) in his jewelry store in the 1880s. They established a large store selected by the B&O Railroad as official inspector of employee watches for Wheeling, Connellsville PA and the Fairmont region. They also calibrated employee watches for Fairmont Traction Company.
Section 1, Lot 10 J. H. Brownfield, M.D. was born in Fayette County, PA in 1836 and came to Fairmont to practice medicine in 1860. In 1867, the West Virginia Medical Society was founded in Marion County with Dr. Brownfield of Fairmont and Dr. Jesse Flowers of Mannington as founding members. A monument was erected in Rivesville in 1934 to mark this historical event. He was Mayor of Fairmont and president of the School District during a time of significant expansion of public schools around the turn of the century as a new high school and many elementary schools were constructed.
Section 2, Lot 691-692 James E. Chilson: Established an 1891 livery business, then opened stationery and tobacco shop. He carried newspapers from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and three New York papers (The Journal, Herald and Telegraph). The shop had more than 100,000 postcards at all times by 1908. He was exclusive agent for the Pittsburgh Press, Cincinnati Enquirer, the New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore papers.
Section 2, Lot 497 John A. Clark operated Clark Coal Company and other business including Smith-Race Grocery, Leatherbury Shoes, and vice president of Citizen’s Dollar Bank. Clark and others built the grand Fairmont Opera House in 1902. He served on the board of the new YMCA at that time.
Historic District
Section 3, Lot 33
John Riggens Cook, M.D was recruited to this area from Virginia by the New England Coal Mines, where he served as company doctor. He saw a need to establish a hospital which originally began in a house on Walnut Avenue in 1898. By 1902, a modern hospital known as Cook Hospital opened in the 200 block of Gaston Avenue. He established the first nurse training program in NC West Virginia in 1898.
Historic District
Section 2, Lot 204
George and John Marshall Jacobs: J.M. Jacobs was a prominent figure in local development. He served as chair of the building committee for the YMCA on Fairmont Avenue. The Jacobs-Hutchinson block in downtown Fairmont is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Both brothers had prominent mansions on Fairmont Avenue and 3rd street. These were designed by Andrew Lyons.
Historic District
Fleming mausoleum
Allison Howard Fleming: By the late 1920s, it was proposed that the cemetery be closed. Col. Fleming and a group of realtors devised a plan to endow Perpetual Care. Around 400 remaining lots were sold to allow "the care and upkeep would be perpetual, and the graves would be kept in first class condition. The roads will be under a perfect state of improvement; markers and monuments will be kept in position. This beautiful memorial park will be made and will be kept more beautiful...” Fleming was a jeweler and instrumental in the construction of the Superintendent’s House and Chapel. He and his wife Margaret are interred in a private mausoleum.
Historic District Thomas W. and Annie S. Fleming: Prominent businessman, mayor of Fairmont and WV House of Delegate in 1905. Descendent of Boaz Fleming. Today, the Thomas W. Fleming House is operated by the Woman's Club of Fairmont. Built in 1901, it is on the National Registry of Historic Places, and known for its Beaux Arts and Colonial Revival stye (designed by Andrew Lyons). Fleming (1846-1937) served two terms as mayor of Fairmont and was elected to the House of Delegates in 1905.
Section 5, Lot 20 Edward Clifford Jones: purchased George Yeager’s store in 1906 which became “Jones Department Store,” landmark of downtown Fairmont. Jones Department Store later relocated to the Jacobs-Hutchinson Building and remained an anchor in downtown Fairmont for many years.
Section 1, Lot 121 Joseph Lehman: came to Fairmont in 1903 to index the chancery order books of Marion County courts. He became city editor of The West Virginian newspaper. This paper eventually merged with the Fairmont Times to become the “Times-West Virginian” in 1975.
Section 1, Lot 151 George M. Lilly: moved to Fairmont in 1892 and became a leading contractor for mining and important public buildings in the early 1900s.
Section 1, Lot 267-8 Joseph Milton Hartley: In 1877, Hartley moved to the village of Fairmont and purchased half interest in a dry goods store at the corner of Madison and Adams Street. In 1891 he bought out his partners and the business became “J. M. Hartley” and sons. He moved into the Jacobs-Hutchinson building in 1902. It became one of the largest department stores in north central WV. He envisioned his store as a grand department store that one would find in large cities. Eventually, a new building was constructed a block south and Hartley’s Department store operated through the end of the 20th century. Hartley was president of the First National Bank of Fairmont for 15 years.
Section 1, Lot 260 Andrew C. Lyons: Designed many prominent homes and many of the significant historical structures in Fairmont from 1893-1941. This includes the Jacobs-Hutchinson Block, White School, the People’s Bank building (adjacent to the Courthouse), several schools, churches and a few mansions still standing today on Locust Avenue. He came to Fairmont at age 19 to establish a satellite office for a Pittsburgh architect. His wife Mary Katherine Fleming and children are here. His architectural drawings can be found at the WVU Regional and History Collection. More information about Lyons can be found at Lyons is also found here.
Section 1, Lot 162 Israel Forman: This Preston County native began his career in 1862 and moved to Fairmont in 1864. His studio was in Palatine which merged with Fairmont. Forman served two terms as Mayor of Fairmont. His two daughters continued the photography business after his death in October 1900. Many of his photographs are found in the WV State Archives.
Section 4, Lot 7 Matthew Mansfield Neely, a native of Doddridge County, was born November 9, 1874. He died on January 18, 1958. Neely served as a United States Congressman, a U.S. Senator, and as a Governor of West Virginia. He established a law practice in Fairmont in 1902 with his partner, H. S. Lively. He was mayor of Fairmont in 1908. Served as a Private in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War. Represented West Virginia's 1st District in the United States House of Representatives, having been elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Congressman John W. Davis, and serving from 1913 to 1921. Defeated for re-election to his House seat, he ran for and was elected as a Senator from West Virginia to the United States Senate, serving first from 1923 to 1929, then from 1931 to 1941. In 1941 he resigned from his Senate position, to become Governor of West Virginia until 1945. He ran for, and was elected to, his old 1st District Congressional seat, which he assumed upon the expiration of his Governor's term in 1945. He served in Congress from 1945 to 1947. In 1949 he was elected again as a Senator to the United States Senate, serving from 1949 until his death in office in 1958. . More information can be found here.
Watson Section
Section 1.
James Otis Watson, coal baron and industrialist, and many of his children, including Sylvanus, Clarence, James Edwin, Carolyn Watson Fleming, have prominent memorials in one section. Mr. Watson, who purchased Section 1 of the cemetery, is considered to be the "Father of the Coal Industry West of the Alleghenies." In 1852-53 he opened his first mine with his friend Francis Pierpont on Pierpont's land on the West bank of the Monongahela River (off what is Washington Street today). He was one of several businessmen who helped construct Fairmont’s first suspension bridge in the 1850s. The Watson Coal Co. along with the Hutchinson Coal Co. evolved into the Consolidated Coal Company, which had a tremendous impact on the state and the country. The children of J.O. and Matilda Lamb Watson included William Henry, Caroline Margaret (wife of A.B. Fleming), Ida May, Sylvanus Lamb, George Thomas, Lucy Lee, Mary Rebecca, James Edwin, Frank Ellsworth and Clarence Wayland. He was the father-in-law to Conrad Sipe, an early Fairmont Normal Principal who is buried in this section. More information can be found at e-West Virginia and here.

Clarence Wayland Watson joined his brothers in the coal industry and was known for his stock and training farm (expansion of the original Watson Homestead in Fairmont Farms) that had some of the finest horses in the world. Born in Fairmont in 1864, he attended local schools and began employments in the coal-mining industry. He later organized a number of coal companies, serving as president of the Consolidation Coal Co. 1903-1911. He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Stephen B. Elkins and served from February 1, 1911, to March 3, 1913, but was unsuccessful running for reelection. Watson was commissioned lieutenant colonel in the Ordnance Department of the Army in March 1918 and served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France until January 1919. He was president of the Consolidation Coal Co. until 1928 and chairman of the board of directors of the Elk Horn Coal Corporation, later moving to Cincinnati, Ohio where he died on May 24, 1940. More information can be found here.

James Edwin Watson built High Gate in 1910 on Fairmont Avenue. He was involved in the Watson coal operations and his grand house was designed by Horace Trumbauer of Philadelphia in the Elizabethan half-timber style. There are 25 rooms and between the carriage house (facing Walnut Avenue) and the main house was a tennis court, where many of the country's leading players competed for the coveted Tiffany cup. Here President Taft was entertained as were many other famous figures. After his death in 1926, the property was acquired by the Sisters of St. Joseph as and rest home as well as a kindergarten. In the 1950s it was purchased by the Ross Family, which continues to operate a funeral business to this day.
Watson mausoleum Sylvanus Lamb Watson was born in 1848. He served as treasurer of Consolidated Coal Company, president of the Fairmont & Clarksburg Traction Company, and other businesses. His resting place is in a neo-classical mausoleum in the Watson Section.
Historic District
Section 1, Lot 243
Sam R. Nuzum (1861-1927) was president of People’s Bank, a realtor, a businessman and progressive thinker (Inscription on marker: “With vision and confidences he labored for the up-building of his community.”) Nuzum was instrumental in expanding Woodlawn and also headed the committee to build the Woodlawn Abbey.
Section 1, Lot 133 Thomas A. Maulsby constructed the first steam mill in Fairmont. This provided an option to farmers when dry seasons prevented use of waterpower in mills. He attained rank of Captain in the Union Army and headed Company C of WV’s 12th Infantry or “Maulsby’s Battery.” He was injured in battle and lived the rest of his life with a lame leg as a result.
Near front of Abbey Chesney Ramage, M.D. has a white marble bench placed in his honor following his death in 1957. Dr. Ramage was superintendent at Miner’s Hospital (later known as Fairmont Emergency Hospital) and also served as surgeon for regional patients at various WV facilities (e.g., Hopemont, Weston) brough to the hospital for surgery. He was instrumental in early days of the health department, advocating for water systems and sanitation. In the 1940s, he encouraged the brother-in-law of his wife (Rae Carroll Ramage) to carve a totem pole from a chestnut log he had hauled from Monumental. This totem pole had iconic figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Popeye and the Esquire man and it was perched atop a hillside overlooking downtown Fairmont for nearly 40 years. In 1955, he published “The Brazen Serpent,” a novel based on Masonic symbols.
Educational leaders: Reverend William Ryland White was the first state superintendent of West Virginia public schools (1863-1869). ".. .he laid the foundations of the free public school system in the new state." (Ambler) He fathered the teacher training idea in the state. He resigned (1869) this position to become the principal of the new Fairmont State Normal School where his innovative teacher's training program led the way. He is often called the "Horace Mann of West Virginia." He impacted town, county, state, region, and no doubt, a nation. Fairmont's White Elementary School, today an adult learning center, was named in his honor. Additional information can be found here.

Bernard Butcher, a lawyer, who had served as Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney, was appointed to the Board of Regents of State Normal Schools in 1877. He was elected in 1880 State Superintendent of Schools. He obtained legislation to provide for the education of black teachers, established Arbor Day, making West Virginia the first state East of the Mississippi to have an official Arbor Day, and accomplished many other things that made the state's schools more uniform." (Ambler) As a member of the State Historical Society in 1908, he organized the Marion County Historical Society. Butcher School near the old 4th Street Bridge was named in his honor; it served as a model teaching school for Fairmont Normal from 1907-1920. The building was razed around 2017.

Thomas Condit Miller (1844-1926) was an educator and another who served as state Superintendent of Schools (1900-1909). At age 16, he enlisted in Company E of the 7th Regiment of WV Volunteers. After the Civil War, he was among the first students enrolled at Fairmont Normal School. In later years, he was principal at Fairmont High School for 21 years and served as Principal of West Virginia University in 1893. He was elected principal of Shepherd Normal School, Shepherdstown, West Virginia. In addition he was superintendent of the Methodist Protestant Church Sunday School and served as president of the State Sunday School Association. Fairmont's Miller Jr. High School is named in his honor and today is used as senior housing. Miller’s book, "West Virginia and its people. 2" was written in 1913. Many of the early Fairmont Normal principals can be found at Woodlawn.

W. E. Buckey, a long-time principal of Fairmont Sr. High is buried in Section 1, Lot 152. Buckey was instrumental in creating innovative student teacher training at Butcher School around 1912. He coined the name “Fairmont Senior High” when the new building opened in Loop Park as the old school became “Fairmont Junior High.”
Early coal operators
Section 2, Lots 728 & 916
Hutchinson family: Clyde E. Hutchinson and Melville Hutchinson purchased sections 2 and 3 at Woodlawn, respectively. They set aside the lots that they needed and then gave back the remaining land to sell. All of the money made from these sales was placed in a perpetual fund. Clyde was the developer of the Hutchinson Coal Co., which merged with Watson Coal Co. to form the Consolidated Coal Company. Clyde (1861-1926) built a mansion on Morgantown Avenue in 1912. Named “Sonnencroft” (as he had seven sons), the structure was stucco and tile based on the Inverness Castle in Scotland. When the coal industry declined in the Great Depression, the house was obtained by Judge Shaw, and mostly abandoned. In the 1960s, the property was razed in order for ownership to be transferred to the Marion County Board of Education. Today the East Fairmont Middle School is located on the acreage of the former Hutchinson mansion. Brooks S. Hutchinson (1888-1971) was Chief Counsel for the Hutchinson Coal Company.
Section 2 Mahala Dorcas Prichard (1881-`960 ) began studies at Fairmont Normal in 1899. Dorcas first taught in Rivesville then completed her A.B. in 1910 at West Virginia University and a Master of Arts from Columbia University (1918). She became dean of women at Fairmont Normal and continued in this role through 1946. She is credited for organizing and supervising student counseling services. When Morrow Hall was built in the 1930s, Ms. Prichard desired that it be run on 'standards for how college girls should live ' rather than rules and regulations.
Labor Leader
Section 5
Fred Mooney (January 23, 1888-February 24, 1952) was secretary-treasurer of UMWA District 17 from 1917 to 1924 and was a radical leader in the West Virginia Mine Wars. He was born in a log cabin on Davis Creek, in Kanawha County. He began work in the local mines at the age of 13, as a trapper boy operating the trap doors which controlled underground ventilation but managed to attend school until he was 18. Mooney was among the miners’ leaders during the most active period of the Mine Wars, a time including the 1921 March on Logan and Mingo Counties and the Battle of Blair Mountain. Perhaps his most lasting contribution is his book Struggle in the Coal Fields: The Autobiography of Fred Mooney. He gives firsthand accounts of key events of the Mine Wars, including the trials following the armed march, when more than 500 miners were indicted for treason and murder. Almost all were acquitted.
Historic District
Section 1, Lot 298
Francis and Julia Pierpont: Francis H. Pierpont (1814-1899), the "Father of West Virginia," had great impact upon the history of Fairmont, Marion County, Virginia/West Virginia, and the nation. His home was in Middletown, Virginia, which became Fairmont, West Virginia. A tanner, a teacher, a businessman, and an attorney, he was chosen Provisional Governor of Restored Virginia in 1861 by a staunch Union convention after Virginia officials declared Virginia a member of the Confederate States of America. He served as elected governor of Restored Virginia 1863-68; led the severance movement in western Virginia which resulted in the creation of West Virginia as an independent state in 1863. Presented by the state of West Virginia on April 30,1910, his statue, honoring him as the "Father of West Virginia", was accepted by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to Statuary Hall in the United State Capitol Building in Washington, DC. It stands there today. It was his plan that gave birth to West Virginia. The words were his that persuaded President Lincoln to accept West Virginia into the Union. Julia Augusta Robertson Pierpont (1828-1886) had and continues to impact the nation - she is credited by many historians as having created Memorial Day. The full-length bronze plaques were placed there by the Major William Haymond Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the state of West Virginia to memorialize the Pierponts. More information can be found here and here.
Historic District DAR American War Veterans memorial One monument does not mark a grave but is a tribute to the Veterans of all American Wars up to and including World War I. Veterans from all wars are buried there. Two from the Revolutionary War, one from the War of 1812, six from the Mexican War, 92 Union soldiers from the Civil War, and six from the Spanish American War. The number of veterans from all subsequent conflicts have not been inventoried but you will see various markers indicating service in WWI and WWI . Iron crosses of the Confederate soldiers dot the cemetery. It is likely a reflection of the Union sympathies of the area that these were not inventoried. The DAR continues to support Woodlawn today.
Section 1, Lot 87 Aretas Brooks Fleming was elected prosecuting attorney of the county in 1863 and 1865 He was "elected to W.V. House of Delegates in 1872 and again in 1875. Later he was appointed judge of the 2nd District Judicial Circuit in 1878 and was afterwards he was elected to the same office. In 1888 he was nominated for Governor of West Virginia by acclamation at the Huntington Convention. He served as Governor from 1890 to 1893. He had many business interests including gas, coal and the Monongahela Railroad. He also was instrumental with the establishment of Fairmont Normal School. His monument in the Watson section is the obelisk.
Smiths, Section 1, Lots 227 C.E. Smith, longtime editor and renown columnist of the Fairmont Times for over 40 years published a “Good Morning Column,” known for its wit and journalistic finesse. This column chronicled the early days of Fairmont as well as significant events. His family descended from the first Marion County pioneers including Fontain Smith who fought in the French Indian War and Thomas and Caroline Barns.
Newburg Mine Disaster victims

Top of hill in Historic District
Six victims, all family members, of the 1886 Newburg, Preston County, mine explosion were buried at Woodlawn in the historic district. This was the first important mine explosion in this region of the state. The graves included Richard Birtley, his son, and four stepsons. The lot on which they are buried was bought by George DeBolt of the Orrell Coal Company. Their funeral, held at the Rink on Madison Street, was attended by thousands of people. Mrs. Birtley lost her suit against Orrel as the court ruled in favor of the mine, stating that a miner closed a ventilation door while digging a drainage ditch, allowing gas to accumulate. Some of the widows returned to England.
In front of the Abbey, on the hillside facing East Fairmont. Sam 'Toothpick Sam' Jones was born in December 1925. He died November 5, 1971. He was a major league baseball player. For twelve seasons (1951 to 1952 and 1955 to 1964), he was a pitcher with Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. He was nicknamed "toothpick" because he usually had one in his mouth while he pitched. Raised in West Virginia, he attended Dunbar High School and while serving with the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, Jones began to play baseball as a member of his camp's team. Signed by the Indians as an amateur free agent in 1950, he marked his Major League debut with Cleveland in1951. He earned a place in the record books, when he tossed a no-hit game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 12th, 1955, as a Chicago Cub. In 322 regular season games, he compiled a 102-win 101 loss record with a 3.59 lifetime ERA in 1,643 innings pitched. After retiring as a player, he remained in the game as a Minor League coach. More information can be found here.
Section 1, Lot 259 George Albert Dunnington (1858-1928) was editor of the Fairmont Index, an early Fairmont paper, the forerunner of the Fairmont Times. Copies of the early Fairmont newspapers including the Index can be found on microfilm at Fairmont State’s Library.
Section 5, Lot 20 Edward Clifford Jones (1872-1939) was a Maryland native who started his career in Davis, WV and managed the Beaver Creek Mercantile. By 1900, he established a lady’s department store in Mannington, which he sold to his brother in 1906 and purchased the Yeager Department Store at the corner of Madison and Adams Street. By 1908 it was the largest department store in Fairmont and the region.
Section 2, Lot 59w Owen S. McKinney (1948-1950) was a politician and also involved in public schools and Fairmont Normal’s Board of Regents. He was speaker of the house of delegates in 1899 and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1909. He was editor of the Fairmont Index and Times and one of the men involved in the Fairmont Development Company. He was a director of the Bank of Fairmont, the leading financial institution of this region in the 1900s.
Woodlawn Abbey Dr. L.D. Howard and family have the rear right private section of the Abbey. Dr. Howard was an early physician in Fairmont and was on the staff of Cook Hospital. His cousin was Dr. E. W. Howard and they were from Fayette County, PA.

Dr. E. W. Howard helped Dr. John Cook to establish the first hospital in Fairmont. He came to Fairmont around 1895. Dr. Howard was buried in Masontown, PA but his funeral was held in the Woodlawn Chapel for local services. Dr. Howard served on the board of education during its primary building expansion in Fairmont of Miller School Annex, Barnes Jr. High Annex and Fairmont Senior High, all designed by noted architect William B. Ittner in the late 1920s. A portrait of Dr. E.F. Howard is now displayed in the Superintendent’s House/Chapel.

Charles E. Reed (1867-1945) was superintendent of Fairmont Electric Light Company and represented the James Guffey Interests in coal, oil and gas properties throughout the region in the late 1890s. He owned much real estate and his house on Fairmont Avenue & 7th Street was described as ‘one of the most beautifully appointed homes in Fairmont.’

Charles E. McCray (1882-1932) was the owner of a livery business that catered to the necessities of the public and businesses including buying, selling exchanging, renting horses and carriages. Before the advent of the streetcar, he owned and operated nearly every livery stable in Fairmont. By 1908 he had 44 head of coach and carriage horses, 16 trained saddle horses, five closed carriages and a large number of other vehicles with four barns on the West side of Fairmont and one in East Side.
Section 1, Lot 181 A.C. Kinkead acquired the Globe Book Store that supplied books, stationery, school supplies, pictures, sheet music, musical merchandize as well as a circulating library in Fairmont. It operated in the lower level of the Watson Hotel along Madison Street. He operated the Globe Rubber Stamp Works with his brother James and other family members. Kinkead commissioned many photos for postcards such as the ‘Burned District After Fire of May 1876’ and Monongah Mine Disaster (1907) series of photos found today.
Section 1, Lot 222 George B. Morgan (born 1863)-had one of the largest grocery stores in the area (which he and his brother Frank (1873-1931 began as Morgan Brothers in 1898). They were selected by Chase & Sanborn to distribute their coffee exclusively. The firm of Sprague, Warner & Company from Chicago also named them a ‘first class firm’ to handle their line of ‘Ferndell’ canned goods and ‘other groceries of high merit.’ In 1908, the bachelor brothers were described as ‘good businessmen, taking an interest in everything that makes a better city out of Fairmont.’
Section 4, Lot 138 H. Glenn Fleming born in Fairmont in 1866 established a successful florist and horticulture business in 1902. He had a greenhouse with 25,000 square feet of glass. He had access to coal on his property of three acres to heat the water required to keep the necessary temperature in his greenhouse. Deliveries were made by means of an automobile and wagon as of 1908. He lived at 819 Locust Avenue with his wife.
Section 2, Lot 640 Harry Ludwick Heintzelman (1868-1937) was secretary and treasurer for Monongah Glass Company, Fairmont’s largest industrial plant organized in 1903 and located on 12th Street. Historical photos including those taken by Lewis Hine can be found in the Library of Congress and the WV Archives. Heintzelman later became president of the company. Monongah Glass was known for pressed and blown tumblers and stemware which was engraved, needle etched and decorated. 142,000 pieces were turned out and ready for shipment in 24 hours to US and worldwide markets.
Section 5, Lot 56 Dr. Henry Sanford Yost (1869-1946), a native of Fairview, graduated from Fairmont Normal and pursued his interests in eclectic medicine, graduating from the Eclectic College of Indianapolis in 1890. He opened an office in Fairmont in 1905. Eclectic medicine made use of noninvasive therapies and healing practices popular in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Eclectic physician aimed to provide healing therapies that were in harmony with the body’s natural curative properties. Dr. Yost primarily used plant-based drugs that were indigenous to the United States.
Section 2, Lot 579 J. Clark Miller (1864-1961) was senior bookkeeper and accountant at Cook Hospital starting in 1903. Mr. Miller can be seen in many photographs taken of the graduating nursing classes at Cook in the 1920s. Miller helped transition the hospital to a non-profit community hospital after Dr. Cook’s death and later supervised the transfer of ownership to the City of Fairmont in the late 1930s when Hill-Burton funding allowed the City to construct Fairmont General Hospital on Locust Avenue.
Section 2, Lot 734 Judge Emmett M. Showalter (1869-1949), Judge of the Criminal Court, U.S. District Attorney, President of the B.O.E. during the building of many county schools. He began his legal career as partner in Showalter & Frame but left in 1921 when he became judge.
Section 4, Lot 8 Judge Harry Evans Watkins (1898-1963) was nominated by President Franklin Roosevelt on February 17, 1937, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of WV and the Southern District of WV. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 2, 1937 and received his commission on March 3, 1937. He served as Chief Judge of the Northern District from 1954 to 1963. Watkins served in that capacity until his death on June 6, 1963. For more information, see here.
Section 1, Lot 236 Judge Frank Cruise Haymond (1870-1972), Justice of the Supreme Court of West Virginia for 30 years, was born in Marion County. He received his LL.B. degree from Harvard Law School. He practiced law in Fairmont and served for six years as judge of the Circuit Court of Marion County. In July 1945, Haymond was appointed to fill a vacancy on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. He was elected to the court in 1946 and was reelected to two more 12-year terms. At the time of his death at age 102, Haymond had served longer on the high court than any past jurist. In 1970, Judge Haymond received the American Bar Association’s prestigious ABA Medal, which is awarded to a lawyer or judge who has ‘‘greatly advanced the cause of jurisprudence.’’ No other West Virginian has ever been considered for this honor.

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