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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
July 9, 2000
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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. 465-466
Barbour
EMMIT O. BOYLEN. On land and in the same community
where the Pioneer Boylen settled and began his activities
as a home-maker a hundred years ago Emmit O. Boylen
has found his work, congenial duties, and the relationships
that give life value. His home is on rural route No. 2 out
of Philippi, but the locality is better known as Taylor's
Drain. A prosperous farmer, Mr. Boylen has accepted op-
portunities for usefulness outside his private affairs, and
has exemplified the same high standard of good citizenship
that has always characterized the name in this section of
West Virginia.
His pioneer ancestor was his grandfather, Abner Boylen,
who on coming to West Virginia settled in the woods and
on land now owned by Emmit Boylen. He put up a log
cabin and that rude house, with its simple comforts, sufficed
him during his life time and continued to be the home
of his widow for several years. The old house stood until
recently.
The oldest son of Abner Boylen was John Boylen, who
was born at Taylor's Drain in Barbour County July 16,
1834. For his education he attended the old field subscrip-
tion school, and farming was his regular occupation. His
first farming experience on his own account was south of
Philippi, but he soon returned to the Taylor's Drain local-
ity and finally bought the Heck farm, on which he spent
the rest of his life. Mr. Heck was one of the earliest
settlers in that region, taking up land on Hacker's Creek and
built a log house, in which he lived out his life. His wife
and two children are buried at Taylor's Drain Church.
John Boylen was a Union man, but his effort to get into the
army was rejected. He began voting as a democrat, but
the issues of the war made him a republican. He was a
leader in the Methodist Church and helped build the church
now standing on Taylor's Drain, and his home was the
place of entertainment for the minister who Served that
community. John Boylen was a fine example of physical,
mental and moral manhood, stood six feet tall, like men of
his day wore a chin beard, and was kindly and helpful
in his relations with his friends and natives. He was well
informed by reading and observation and an interesting
conversationalist.
John Boylen, who died April 13, 1908, at the age of
seventy-four, married on September 23, 1862, Elizabeth Ann
Read, who represented one of the prominent families in this
section. She was born September 15, 1834, and died
September 11, 1891. Her father, William Read, was born
on Pleasant Creek in Taylor County, and married a Miss
Sayre. William Read had a brother, Rev. Frank Read.
Their mother was one of the finest types of pioneer
women and one of the first settlers in this section of Bar-
bour County. She possessed a great deal of courage and
resourcefulness. When her husband, who was a great
hunter and trapper and supplied most of the meat for the
family in that way, was absent from home on his expeditions
his wife -would prop the cabin door to prevent wolves or
bear or other wild animals from molesting her. Her husband
was of German ancestry, and he used the language largely
in conversation and also read and wrote it. The children
of John Boylen and wife were: Francis A.; Celia A., wife
of Absolom Poling, of Upshur County; John Calvin, a
farmer near Berryberg; Matilda Jane, who married Lewis
Poling, of Bedford County, Pennsylvania; William Irvin,
who died in infancy; James Lloyd, who was a minister of
the Methodist Episcopal Church and died in Lewis County,
leaving two daughters; Emmit O.; Ellis, who died in
childhood.
Emmit O. Boylen was born October 24, 1869, on the old
Heck farm and in a log house which stood there. His
birthplace was within a mile of the site where his grand-
father settled, and for more than fifty years he has remained
in this locality and on his present farm. He secured his
education in the public school on Taylor's Drain. The
day of the log cabin school had passed when he became
a scholar. He came under the influence of some very able
teachers in that school. One of them was Judge Ira E.
Robinson, who was not only a good schoolmaster, but later
distinguished himself as an able lawyer and judge. An-
other figure in the Taylor's Drain community was Scott
White, now a Clarksburg banker, and still another who
made a favorable impression was Jimmie Scott. Emmit O.
Boylen remained at home with his parents and eared
for them in their declining years. When he married he
brought his bride to the old home. He learned farming
under his father, and has never departed to a great extent
from the lessons he thus learned. He not only owns the
homestead where he was born, but the place where his
grandfather settled. He has grown beef cattle, has kept
his stock at a good grade, and has bred some pedigreed
Poland China hogs.
In the line of community service Mr. Boylen was post-
master at Boylen, being appointed during the adminis-
tration of Colonel Roosevelt. He has also been a member
of the School Board and supervisor of roads. He and Mrs.
Boylen are active members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and for many years he was a trustee and steward,
and has been one of the leaders in keeping up Sunday School
work. He was superintendent of the Taylor's Drain Sunday
School, and maintained that institution when his and one
other family were the only ones interested.
At Grafton, October 23, 1895, Mr. Boylen married Miss
Maude B. Slane, daughter of John and Annie (Finley)
Slane, the former a native of Hampshire County, West
Virginia, and the latter of Barbour County, born on
Buckhannon River, where her father conducted a mill.
John Slane was a Government teamster in the Civil war,
being a boy at the time, after the war was a carpenter
in Grafton, and finally entered a pump factory as a
turner and was in the service of that institution forty
years. In 1914 he and his wife removed to Statesville,
North Carolina, and they celebrated their golden wedding
anniversary in that Southern city on April 7, 1922. The
members of the Slane family are: Grace, wife of George
Stephens, of Statesville; Oscar, of Statesville, who is active
head of several mirror factories in North. Carolina, Kentucky
and Tennessee and a man of wealth and influence; Mrs.
Boylen, who was born September 1, 1877; Effie G., wife of
Frank Winneskie, of High Point, North Carolina; Fred, of
Statesville; Willis, of High Point; Lloyd, who died in
childhood; Mabel, wife of Fred Whitescarver, of Prunty-
town, West Vrginia.
At their delightful home in the country Mr. and Mrs.
Boylen have provided for the material comforts and edu-
cation of a happy family of children growing up about
them. These children are: Elbert D., Carl L., Walter
Fred, Clarence, Freda Belle, Neva Clare and Wilford B.
The son Elbert is a merchant in the mining town of
Midland. Carl is a student in an automobile school in
Chicago. Walter Fred is now finishing his education in
Broaddus College at Philippi.
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