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HARRISON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Tina Hursh
frog158@juno.com
September 29, 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 111
Pg. 366 & 367
James Noah Hess has had an active part in the banking interests of Clarksburg
for the past twenty years, being assistant cashier of the Empire National Bank,
one of the leading banks not only of that city but of the State of West
Virginia. He is a member of one of the very oldest families in this section of
West Virginia, his ancestors having been obliged to protect their homes in this
wilderness against the Indians.
The original aancestor of this branch of the Hess family was Balsar Hess
(sometimes spelled Balthaser) a Hollander, who came over on the ship Neptune
from Rotterdam in 1751, landing at Philadelphia September 24, 1751, and
afterward settled in Winchester District of old Virginia, and from there came
to Scotts Mill Run, Monongalia County, West Virginia, and everything here was a
typically frontier character. For the greater part the Hesses have been
farmers, have been members of the Methodist Church, and in politics of the last
two or three generations, republicans. The children of Balsar Hess, the
original settler, were James, who moved to Indiana, Charles who settled at the
mouth of Deats Creek, near the Village of Granville, Monongalia county, West
Virginia, and Jeremiah Hess, who was born in Winchester District of Virginia,
November 20, 1779, and died near Tevervaugh, Marion County, April 20, 1855. He
married Elizabeth Henry, daughter of Aaron Henry, who about 1785 moved from
Winchester District, Virginia, settled on Scotts Mill Run, Monongalia County,
Virginia, now West Virginia. He was a native of old Virginia and a member of
the same family that produced the famous orator of the Revolution, Patrick
Henry. Jeremiah Hess had ten children, Abraham, born January 21, 1804,
Charles, January 5, 1807, Rebecca, June 29, 1808, Henry, June 28, 1809, Peter,
Jeremiah, May 22, 1812, Elizabeth, March 16, 1814, Catherine, November 4, 1815,
Mahale, June 21, 1817, and Eleanor, September, 2, 1822.
The next generation of this family was represented by Peter Hess, who was born
in Marion County, West Virginia, September 26, 1810, and lived for many years
near Tevervaugh on Harter Hill in that county, where he died January 4, 1891.
He married Orpha Sandy, daughter of William and Rhonda (Shinn) Sandy, who was
born in the same county April 3, 1816, and died March 19, 1882. Their children
were named: John W., born November 7, 1833, died at Harter Hill October 13,
1889. Mahlon S., born August 16, 1835, died at Harter Hill February 15, 1856,
Mary E., born August 3, 1837, died at Oakland, Maryland, August 25, 1911.
Robert Nelson, born October 17, 1839, was killed at the battle of Fisher's
Hill, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, September 22, 1864. Jeremiah William born
August 17, 1841, died at Wyatt, West Virginia, March 25, 1910. George W., born
September 24, 1843, died at Centerville, Tyler County, West Virginia, July 10,
1880. David L., born July 13, 1845, died at Harter Hill May 9, 1854. Lavina
Jane, born January 28, 1847, is now living at Corbin, Sumner County, Kansas.
Peter L., born January 28, 1850, died at Harter Hill March 27, 1896. Richard
Marion, born December 13, 1852, died at Corbin, Kansas, August 25, 1919. Sarah
S., born March 16, 1857, died at Oakland, Maryland, August 10, 1912. Abraham
Milroy, born October 2, 1862, is now living at Shinnston, West Virginia.
Of these children Jeremiah William was the father of the Clarksburg banker. He
was born at Harter hill in Marion County, August 17, 1841, and died on his farm
at Wyatt, Harrison County, March 25, 1910. He married Mary M. Sturm, daughter
of Jesse and Matilda (Davis) Sturm who was born in Harrison County, May 26,
1840, and died December 21, 1908. She was a granddaughter of Jacob Sturm, Sr.,
who as a boy enlisted under the banner of the Revolutionary patriots and
followed the fortunes of the illustrious Washington in our county's struggle
for independence. He was with the father of our country amid the hardships and
stern realities of the long, cruel war, and was with him at Yorktown when he
received the sword of the conquered Cornwallis.
Their four children were: WilliamWallace, born May 2, 1867, Iva Eliza, born
June 12, 1869, James Noah, born September 9, 1871, and Daisy Dean, born March
6, 1876. The children of William Wallace are Raymond Cline, Mary M., Geneva
I. And Mildred. Daisy Dean (Hess) Barger's only child, Irene, married William
H. Edwards.
Jeremiah W. Hess was a very strong character and a notable citizen of Harrison
County in his day. Throughout the period of the Civil war he served in the
Union Army first as a private of Company E, Third West Virginia Infantry;
Company E, Third West Virginia Mounted Infantry and company C in the sixth west
Virginia Volunteer Cavalry, on March 25, 1865, was promoted to commissary
sergeant of his company. His brother, Robert Nelson Hess, was a lieutenant in
the Union Army, and was killed in the battle of Fisher's Hill September 22,
1864. He was in Company H of the fourteenth West Virginia Infantry. Jeremiah
W. Hess was a staunch republican in politics, and for two terms represented his
county in the West Virginia legislature, during 1894-96 and 1896-98, and for a
number of years held the office of justice of the peace. He was also president
of the Board of Education of his magisterial district. He and his wife were
both Methodists.
James Noah Hess, who was born at Wyatt, Harrison County, on a farm, September
9, 1871, spent his early life on that farm and in the meanwhile acquired a
country school education, also attending Spring Normal School. For six years
he taught in the rural districts of the county. Subsequently he completed a
course in the west Virginia Business College at Clarksburg, and then for one
year was a bookkeeper for the Waverly Stone Company at Waverly, Ohio, this
being the only period of his life when he was not a resident of Harrison
County. In March, 1897, he moved to Clarksburg, where he has since resided.
For six years Mr. Hess was deputy county clerk of Harrison County. When the
Empire National Bank of Clarksburg began business, November 30, 1903, Mr. Hess
was a bookkeeper. He is now a assistant cashier. He has been continuously
associated with the institution since its organization. He is also a
stockholder in the Union National bank at Clarksburg. He is secretary of the
board of education, Clarksburg School District, which position he has held for
the past twelve years.
He is a staunch republican, and for fifteen years has been a member of the
Harrison County Republican Executive Committee. For two years he was a member
of the Clarksburg City Council. He is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal
Church. He is Past Eminent Commander of Clarksburg Commandery No. 13; Knights
Templar, was for twelve years secretary of his Blue lodge and at present is
treasurer of Hermon Lodge No. 6, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He is a
Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner, a member of the
Clarksburg Country Club, secretary-treasurer of the West Virginia Fair
Association and a director of the Clarksburg Building and Loan Association.
November 19, 1895, Mr. Hess married Miss Lenna Leota Hess, a daughter of
Jeremiah F. and Minerva Jane (Cunningham) Hess, of Marion County. The children
born to their marriage are: Victor Howell, born July 26, 1896, Ethel Lenore,
born October 19, 1898, Bernard Leo, born December 19, 1901, Edith Evelyn, born
September 17, 1905, James Noah, Jr., born October 8, 1908, Helen born February
20, 1912, died June 18, 1913, and Lenna Jean Hess, born November 13, 1916.
The oldest son, Victor Howell Hess, volunteered his service in the World war
with the First West Virginia National Guard, Machine Gun Company, on June 11,
1917, at the age of twenty years, at Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia.
He left Camp Cornwell on September 2, 1917, for Camp Shelby at Hattiesburg,
Mississippi; was transferred from First West Virginia National Guard, Machine
Gun Company, to Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Machine Gun Battalion
of the Regular Army; was promoted from private to the position of assistant to
supply sergeant, with rank as corporal, on November 6, 1917; was transferred to
Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Machine Gun Battalion, and about May 1,
1918, was ordered to Camp Hancock, Augusta, Georgia. June 13, 1918, he was
promoted to sergeant of Training Camp No. 13, Main Training Depot, Machine Gun
Training Center, and was made instructor in machine gunnery, infantry drill,
liason signaling, gas and flame defence, physical training and bayonet drill.
Lieutenant Hess entered the Officers Training School at Camp Hancock, was
commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry, U.S. Reserve Corps, on December
10, 1918, and honorably discharged December 11, 1918, having been in the
service exactly eighteen months.
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