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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. 302
Barbour
JAMES E. AUVIL. With the sun of life still high and the
vigor of mind and body undimmed, James E. Auvil has
acquired a good competency through the many years of
well bestowed labor and enjoys the comforts of a modern
town home in the City of Philippi. His active years were
devoted to his farm in Barbour County, and he is still one
of the rural property owners in that section.
He represents a family that has been in Barbour County
since prior to the Civil war. His grandfather, Daniel Auvil,
a native of Germany, came to the United States when a
young man and lived in Southern Pennsylvania, following
farming. He was twice married, had children by both
unions, and all his sons became identified with agriculture,
while his daughters married farmers.
Elias Auvil, a son of his second marriage, was the founder
of the family in West Virginia. He came from Pennsyl-
vania when a young man and established himself near Val-
ley Furnace in Barbour County. He was a farmer, for some
years was a merchant at Valley Furnace, and he lived in
that community until his death in December, 1892, when
about sixty-eight years of age. He was a minister as well
as business man and farmer, and for many years did much
to sustain the Brethren Church in his community. His only
participation in politics was to vote the democratic ticket.
Elias Auvil married Mary Hershman in Preston County.
She was a daughter of James Hershman and died in May,
1892. Their children were: George W., a farmer in Bar-
bour County, who died near Valley Furnace, leaving several
children: Andrew J., a retired farmer at Tracy; Mar-
garet, now living at Parsons, West Virginia, widow of
William Shaffer, who died at Valley Furnace, where he was
a farmer; Martha J., who died near Valley Furnace, wife
of D. J. Howdershelt; and James Elias.
James Elias Auvil was born near Valley Furnace in Bar-
bour County, June 21, 1861. He attended the common
schools, but even while in school had some share of the
work on the farm. After reaching his majority he located
on a farm in the same community, and he still owns a farm
on the west side of the Tygart Valley River. His chief
farming industry is grazing, and he made his best profits
from handling and dealing in cattle and sheep. He gave
many years of labor and intelligent management to the
development of the old home place, and sold it in the spring
of 1921 and moved to Philippi, where he purchased the
property of E. H. Compton. That is now the home of his
retired years.
During the many years he spent in rural districts he
was a member of the German Baptist or Brethren Church,
and took an intelligent interest in every matter affecting
the locality. Mr. Auvil cast his first presidential vote for
Grover Cleveland in 1884, but has not taken politics
seriously.
December 3, 1883, at Valley Furnace, he married Miss
Florence Belle Campbell, who was born in that community
August 5, 1864, and was educated in the public schools
there. She is a daughter of George E. and Elizabeth
(Bryan) Campbell. Her father, who was born in Mary-
land, was educated in Baltimore, where for a time he was
in business, and prior to the Civil war came to West Vir-
ginia and established a store near Nestorville in Barbour
County. He was a merchant for several years and then
took up farming. He is now living at Clarksburg, enjoy-
ing good health at the great age of ninety-eight. He was
born in 1824. His father, George Campbell, was of Scotch
ancestry, and came to the United States from England and
for many years lived at Baltimore, where he was connected
with the shipping and coast traffic. When he retired he
joined his son in West Virginia, and died near Valley Fur-
nace. Elizabeth Bryan, wife of George E. Campbell, was
a daughter of William Bryan, and she died in 1913, at the
age of eighty-four. She was a member of the Methodist
Protestant Church, was reared and educated in Petersburg,
Virginia, and made use of her education to help in Sunday
School work and also to provide her children with instruc-
tion while they were in school. The children of George E.
Campbell and wife were: George, who was a farmer and
physician near Kasson, Barbour County, where he died
leaving two children; Bedford Campbell, a merchant at
Philippi; Albert, a dairyman at Bainbridge, New York;
Mrs. Auvil; Laura, wife of Alex Nestor, of Preston County;
Littlewood W., of Clarksburg; and Rosa, wife of Albert
Shaffer, of Simpson, West Virginia.
Mr. and Mrs. Auvil have seen their children grow up,
receive their education and become established in homes of
their own, and there are several grandchildren to call them
grandparents. Their oldest child, James Britton, foreman
of a pipeline company in Texas, is married and has three
children, Virgil, Elva and Ray. Rose is the wife of Dorsey
W. Cole, a farmer on Pleasant Creek in Barbour County,
and they have a daughter, Olive Belle. Olive Myrtle, the
second daughter, is a graduate of the West Liberty Normal
School of West Virginia and a popular teacher. The young-
est child, Anna Laura, is the wife of Loren Cornwell, of
Preston County, and has a daughter, Marguerite Fay.
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