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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
March 19, 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. 357
ALFRED N. HUMPHREYS is a mining engineer by pro-
fession, has been identified with practical mine operations
in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and, briefly, in the North-
west, but the bulk of his work has been done since he
became a resident of Philippi. He has done much to de-
velop the coal measures of the Tygart Valley.
Mr. Humphreys was born in Luzerne County, Pennsyl-
vania, February 15, 1880. His grandfather, Robert Humph-
reys, was of Welsh ancestry and probably a native of
Wales. He married Catherine Emerich, whose grandfather,
John Emerich, was a partner of John Jacob Astor in New
York City, where large landed interests are said to belong
to John's heirs. The children of Eobert Humphreys and
wife were: Alfred N., Sr., John, Frank, Mrs. Christian
Bach and Mrs. Joseph Fogel.
Alfred N. Humphreys, Sr., was born at Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania, had a college training, and as a young man
entered the profession and business of coal operating and
mine engineering in Eastern Pennsylvania. Eventually he
became general manager of some large coal properties,
and had extensive financial interests in them. He died at
Pittsburgh in 1910, at the age of sixty-three. He was a
republican, a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner and a
member of the Episcopal Church. He married Elizabeth
Gillespie, who is still living at Pittsburgh. Her father,
John Gillespie, was a merchant in Luzerne County, Penn-
sylvania, where he died in early life. Alfred N. Humphreys,
Jr., was the only son of his parents, and his seven sisters
were: Mary H., wife of George F. Brendlinger, of Pitts-
burgh; Miss Harriet R., who died in 1909; Eliza G., wife
of Charles S. Sowash, who died in Bakersfield, California,
in 1912; Miss Lenore G., of Pittsburgh; Miss Florence, of
Pittsburgh; Miss Anna, of New York City; and Constance
C., wife of J. Frederick Knoblock, of Chicago.
Alfred N. Humphreys spent the first ten years of his
life in the place of his birth, and then grew up at Irwin,
Pennsylvania. He was educated in the public schools there,
and took a coal and mine engineering course in Fordham
University of New York. From university he went into
the service of the Westmoreland Coal Company of Irwin
as an engineer, and did general engineering work at the
several mines of that company for five years. He per-
formed work of a similar character two years for the
Ellsworth Coal Company in Washington County, Pennsyl-
vania. From there he came into the New River field of
West Virginia, and for about a year as superintendent of
two 500-foot shaft mines of the New River Coal Company.
Following this came his experience in the Northwest, at
Billings, Montana, where for a year be was superintendent
of the Bituminous Coal Company's mines. Returning to
West Virginia, Mr. Humphreys then established his home
and business headquarters at Philippi.
He operated at Philippi a property under the name of
The Humphreys Collieries Company, continuing for about
three years and increasing the daily production to 300
tons. This property was opened in 1908, and Mr. Hum-
phreys was president of the company and is still in that
office. Since 1912 the property has been leased to the
Humphreys Coal Company. He was associated with several
other enterprises, and in 1919 opened property two miles
below Philippi, under the name of the A. N. Humphreys
Coal Company, of which he is the active head.
Mr. Humphreys is a member of the city council of
Philippi, a member of the Kiwanis Club, is a republican,
having east his first vote for Colonel Roosevelt in 1904,
and, while a man of unusual social qualities, he is not
affiliated with any secret order.
At Philippi, in September, 1910, Mr. Humphreys mar-
ried Miss Grace Heatherly, daughter of James E. and
Laura E. Heatherly. Her mother is still living at Philippi.
Mrs. Humphreys was born at "The Pines," the country
home of the Heatherly family near Philippi. Her father
was one of the extensive farmers in this region. Mrs.
Humphreys is a graduate of Broaddus College. Her sister
is Mrs. E. A. Bowers, and her only brother is Wayne W.
Heatherly. Mrs. Humphreys is active in the Missionary
Baptist Church.
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