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BARBOUR COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Valerie & Tommy Crook
vfcrook@earthlink.net
July 6, 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. 443-444
JAMES HENRY FELTON, who resides at Belington, Barbour
County, was born and reared in this county and is a scion
of one of the sterling pioneer families of this section of
West Virginia. He was born September 30, 1859, on the
old homestead farm in Philippi District, this county, five
miles northeast of Philippi, in the beautiful valley of the
Tygart River. His father, Daniel Felton, was born in
Frederick County, Maryland, January 19, 1807, and in
1814 the family home was established in what is now
Preston County, West Virginia, where his father, John Fel-
ton, became a pioneer farmer on the Cheat River, near
Kingwood. Of John Felton further mention is made in
the personal sketch of another grandson, Capt. John C.
Felton, on other pages of this volume. Daniel Felton was
reared under the conditions and influences of frontier life
in the western part of the Old Dominion State, and in
Barbour County was solemnized his marriage to Lucinda
England, a daughter of John England, who was reared in
Belington District and who, as a loyal supporter of the
Union, was a member of the Home Guard during the Civil
war. Daniel Felton became one of the substantial farmers
and honored and influential citizens of Barbour County,
and remained on his old homestead farm until his death,
on the 24th of September, 1894. His widow, who was born
in September, 1837, is still living (1922) and is eighty-four
years of age at the time of this writing. Of their children
James H., of this review, is the first born; Samuel D. is
a farmer near Arden, this county; Sarah A. is the wife of
J. E. Moore, a farmer in that locality; and Mary Ellen
is the wife of Israel P. Fry, their home being in the State
of Pennsylvania.
James H. Felton profited by the advantages of the rural
and select schools, as is shown in his having been for six
years a successful teacher in the schools of bis native county,
his final term having been in the Overfield school in Elk
District. After retiring from the pedagogic profession he
became actively identified with farm enterprise and in the
manufacturing of and dealing in lumber and timber, with
which later line of enterprise he has continued his con-
nection, to a greater or less extent, to the present time, and
besides which he still owns and has general supervision of
his fine farm in his native county. He cast his first presi-
dential vote in 1880, for General James A. Garfield, and
has since continued his allegiance to the republican party.
He remained on his farm until 1890, when he removed
to Philippi, the county seat, upon his election to the office
of clerk of the Circuit Court, a position which he retained
six years. Thereafter he again resided on his farm until
1899, when he was appointed to the position of examiner
of property accounts in the office of the quartermaster gen-
eral in the United States Army and Navy Building in the
City of Washington, D. C. His appointment came through
Gen. Charles G. Dawes, who was the comptroller of the
currency, and he became well acquainted with General
Dawes, whose splendid powers were brought into service
in connection with the nation's participation in the World
war, and who has since proved one of the ablest men ever
enlisted in the work of organizing the financial affairs of
the Government upon a proper system of economic stability
and retrenchment. Mr. Felton continued his service at
Washington 3 1/2 years, and he then returned to his farm,
upon which his family had remained. Here he has continued
his association with agricultural and live-stock industry
and the lumber business, and he has maintained the family
home in the City of Belington since August, 1912. Here
he has given most effective service as president of the
Board of Education of the independent district of Beling-
ton. The religious faith and affiliation of the family is
that of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
September 22, 1885, recorded the marriage of Mr. Felton
and Miss Lora D. Gall, who was born in Pleasant District,
Barbour County, July 17, 1862, and who is a daughter of
George W. and Elizabeth (Talbott) Gall. Gretchen, eldest
of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Felton, is the wife of Atlee
C. Bolton, of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and
they have two children, Craig Felton and Margaret. Grace
is the wife of R. M. Wylie, of Baltimore, Maryland. Min-
nie is the wife of Clarence Dilworth, of Huntington, West
Virginia, and they have one son, Richard. Miss Prudence
is principal of the Junior High School at Belington, she
being a graduate of the West Virginia Wesleyan College,
which her sisters likewise attended. Mrs. Wylie graduated
from the Mountain State Business College and attended
Marshall College, with which latter institution she was
identified in a clerical and executive capacity for ten years.
Mrs. Dilworth graduated from Marshall College, and prior
to her marriage was a successful teacher in the public
schools, including those of the City of Charleston. Miss
Prudence Felton likewise graduated from the Mountain
State Business College at Parkersburg, and all of the
sisters have proved successful and popular teachers.
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