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BARBOUR COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Valerie & Tommy Crook
vfcrook@trellis.net
November 10, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 303-304
Barbour
ARTHUR B. SPENCER went into a coal mine at the age
of fourteen. He had an ambition for something better
than the routine of a miner's life, and in the intervals of
his toil he studied the science and technic of the coal min-
ing industry, testing each fresh instalment of theory in
the practical environment of his work. For a number of
years he has been one of the responsible executives of the
coal business in West Virginia, and at present is superin-
tendent of the Gage Coal & Coke Company at Junior, Bar-
bour County.
Spencer is one of the older family names in the history
of West Virginia. The family was first established in
Monongalia County, where Arthur B. Spencer's grandfather,
Caleb D. Spencer, was born. His grandfather moved to
Newburg in the Scotch Hill locality about 1860, and was
engaged in farming until the beginning of the Civil war,
when he moved to Taylor County, to a new home nine
miles east of Grafton. He was one of the very success-
ful men in that agricultural community. He was a Union
soldier, was twice wounded in battle, and was rated as one
of the expert rifle shots in his company. He had several
furloughs, and it is believed that he furloughed at the end
of his three years and veteranized for the duration of the
war. He was a private soldier, and after the final surren-
der he returned to the farm and lived at his place near
Thornton until 1900. Thereafter he lived a retired life
in Kingwood, where he died in October, 1915, at the age
of seventy-seven. Caleb D. Spencer was a republican, and
believed in doing a citizen's duty without taking the honors
of responsibilities of politics. He was the most consistent
and active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church from
boyhood. Caleb Dorsey Spencer, known among his friends
as "Doe," married Jane Lewis, of Brandonville, Preston
County, daughter of John Lewis. She was a woman of
unusual ability and character. She was one of the first
women to engage in school work at a time when school
teachers were usually men. Her husband at the time of
their marriage was unable to write his name, and she taught
him writing so that he was able to correspond with her
while he was in the army. She was an ideal companion for
her husband in every other way, and was deeply concerned
in the spiritual welfare of her children. This good woman
died in 1900, at the age of sixty-seven. Her memory is
particularly cherished by her grandson, Arthur Spencer,
who lived with her several years and benefited from her
instruction on literary subjects as well as morals.
The children of Caleb D. Spencer and wife were three
in number: Thomas Bay; Christian Wilbur, who was killed
at the explosion in the Newburg shaft in 1886; and John
Lewis, general superintendent of the Twin City Traction
lines at St. Paul, Minnesota.
Thomas Bay Spencer was born July 7, 1861, was edu-
cated in the common schools and entered the mining indus-
try as a mule driver on Scotch Hill. He married while
there, and a few years later went to Fayette County, Penn-
sylvania, where he followed coal mining three years, and
on returning to his native state resumed mining in the Fair-
mont District. In 1892 he went to Glendale, Marshall
County, for two years was fire boss of the Glendale shaft,
and in 1894 returned to Fairmont and for two years was
assistant foreman with the Newburg Oil, Coal and Coke
Company. About that time he gave up mining to engage
in farming on his father's old place in Taylor County. In
1897 he became a miner for the Davis Coal and Coke Com-
pany at West Virginia Junction, and in 1899 went to Pres-
ton County and was mine foreman of the Irona Coal Com-
pany, was made superintendent of that company in 1901,
and later became general superintendent of the company's
Irona and Atlantic Mines. This service he left in 1911,
and for one year was at Masontown in the employ. of the
Elkins Coal and Coke Company, and since then has been
a resident of Wellsburg, where he is still at work in the
service of the Eagle Glass and Manufacturing Company.
Among other experiences he was for eighteen months in
charge of the pay roll of the Gage Coal and Coke Com-
pany, of which his son is superintendent.
Thomas B. Spencer has been a republican worker in the
various communities where he lived and was a member of
the Preston County Committee at one time. He has proved
himself a friend of education, and has tried to secure bet-
ter advantages for his own children and children of the
same age than he had himself when a boy. By corre-
spondent courses he fitted himself for the duties of foreman
and mine superintendent. He has long been an enthusiastic
worker in Sunday school organizations, and has organized
a number of Sunday schools. He is a past noble grand
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, past chancellor
of the Knights of Pythias and a Master Mason.
In Preston County in December, 1882, Thomas B. Spen-
cer married Isabel Henry, daughter of William and Helen
(McFarland) Henry. Her father was a brother of Law-
rence Henry, the pioneer coal operator of Preston County,
operating the Newburg Oil, Coal and Coke Company. The
Henry Brothers were natives of Scotland, and for many
years lived around Scotch Hill, where they are still rep-
resented by their children. Isabel Henry was one of thir-
teen children, eleven of whom grew to mature years, and
the other survivors are Mrs. Marion Ralston, Mrs. Agnes
Swan, John F. Henry, Lawrence Henry, William Henry,
Mrs. Mary A. Jennings and Frank Henry. Isabel Henry
was born in December, 1861, and she is mother of the fol-
lowing children: Arthur B., subject of sketch; Christian
Wilbur, of Junior; Helen M., wife of G. G. Garner, of
Wellsburg; Jane Lewis, wife of Clarence Noah, of Wells-
burg; and Jessie, wife of Campbell Hall, of Wellsburg.
Arthur Blaine Spencer made good use of his advantages
in the public schools, though the greater part of his edu-
cation has come since he left school and entered the prac-
tical business of life. In 1914 he received his diploma for
completing the coal mining course in the International Cor-
respondence School of Scranton, and he has taken several
courses on mining engineering. When he went to work at
the age of fourteen he was under his father, and his first
important promotion came in 1906; when he was made fore-
man of the Irona Coal Company in Preston County. When
his father was promoted to general superintendent the son
succeeded him as mine superintendent there. He remained
with that company from 1899 until 1907, when he left Irona
and moved to Mount Clair, Harrison County, becoming fire
boss for the Hutchinson Coal Company. A year later he
was transferred to the Meadowbrook Mine of the same com-
pany as chief foreman, and after another year he returned
to Masontown and was made superintendent of Mine No. 6
of the Elkins Coal and Coke Company. He was in that
position eighteen months, and then became mine foreman
for the Pittsvein Coal Company in Taylor County at Flem-
ington. In November, 1915, Mr. Spencer came to Junior
as superintendent for the Gage Coal and Coke Company,
and since November, 1918, has been manager of the com-
pany's affairs in this locality.
Mr. Spencer has been under the sense of an obligation
to do all he could to provide better educational facilities
for the younger generation. He was instrumental in secur-
ing the public school for the Gage community where he
lived for two years. Since coming to Junior he has built
two homes in the little town, was elected a member of the
Council in 1918, and in 1920 was elected mayor.
In polities he has been a republican since casting his first
vote for William Howard Taft. Fraternally he is a mem-
ber of both branches of the Odd Fellows, the Knights of
Pythias, joined the Lodge of Masons at Bridgeport, took
the Chapter degree at Philippi, the Scottish Rite Consis-
tory work at Wheeling and is a member of Osiris Temple
of the Mystic Shrine at Wheeling. He is a member of the
United Brethren Church, is president of its Board of Trus-
tees, and endeavors to carry a full share of the activities
of church membership.
At Terra Alta, September 28, 1903, Mr. Spencer married
Mary Belle Bowermaster. The minister performing the
service was Rev. Mr. Jones. Mrs. Spencer was born at
Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, in October, 1884, daughter
of Even James and Hulda Adaline (Listen) Bowermaster.
Her brothers and sisters are Marshall C.; Mrs. Cora Blanche
Hawkins, who died at Kingwood; Ira Benjamin, of King-
wood; and John L., of Kingwood. Her father was a
cabinet maker and carpenter in early life, later was in the
undertaking and furniture business at Bruceton Mills, and
about 1885 moved to Kingwood and was in the lumber busi-
ness, later a hardware merchant, and subsequently devel-
oped a general mercantile enterprise there, with which he
continued active until 1921, when he retired. He was one
of the early members of the West Virginia Hardware
Dealers Association. Even J. Bowermaster died March 2.
1922, and was buried on March 4th, his sixty-sixth birth-
day. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer became the parents of three
children: Garold Ray, born November 7, 1904, and died
December 7, 1904, Mildred Adeline and John Kenneth.
Some of Mr. Spencer's other activities in the Junior com-
munity should be noted. He was one of the promoters and
first stockholders in the Merchants and Miners Bank of
Junior, and has always felt a personal interest in its suc-
cess. He organized and became the first president of the
Mildred Coal Company, capitalized at $25,000.00, which
developed and operated mines on the west side of the Tygart
Valley River, near Junior. The Junior Concert Band was
organized in March, 1921, and Mr. Spencer has regarded
this as one of his hobbies and has been active in perfect-
ing the organization of the body of musicians, which now
has a membership of thirty, and is regarded as one of the
best amateur bands in the state.
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