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HARRISON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Valerie & Tommy Crook
vfcrook@earthlink.net
July 23, 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. 577-578
Harrison
WILLIS GUY TETRICK was one of the founders and for
the past seven years has been active manager of the Clarks-
burg Exponent, one of the most successful newspaper enter-
prises and influential organs of opinion in this part of the
state.
Though an active business man, Mr. Tetrick has been a
student of genealogy, and has done much to preserve the
records of his own and connected families, and his re-
searches have proved a valuable source of information in
compiling several of the important family sketches found in
these volumes. The first of the name to appear in Harrison
County were George Tetrick and Jacob Tetrick, both of
whom had records as soldiers in the Revolutionary war.
Another, and the direct ancestor of W. G. Tetrick, was
Henry Tetrick, Sr., a name that is found in the Pennsyl-
vania archives of the Pennsylvania soldiers of the Revolu-
tionary war as a member of the Lancaster County Militia
for the years 1780-81-82-83. Henry Tetrick, Sr., is men-
tioned in the official records of Monongalia County, Vir-
ginia, in 1783, and Harrison County in August, 1793.
Henry Tetrick, Jr., probably a son of Henry. Sr., was
said to have been born in Loudoun County, Virginia, prob-
ably about 1768 or 1770. He married Catherine Davis in
Harrison County, and died near Shinnston in Harrison
County about 1845. His three children were: Josiah born
August 4, 1800, Joseph, born October 24, 1803, and Mary,
born June 19, 1807, all born on Tetrick Ridge in Harrison
County.
Joseph Tetrick. just mentioned, was a fanner and stock-
man. and accumulated large tracts of land. He died at his
residence near Shinnston, April 26, 1861. He married
Tacy Jones, daughter of Joshua and Mary (Sech) Jones.
She was horn in Harrison County, May 13, 1804, and died
near Shinnston, June 1, 1890. Their children were: Har-
rison, George, Alfred, Ozias, Ruhama Ann, Commodore
Barnet, Mary Ellen, Henry Marshall, Martha Jane and
John Blackburn.
Of these Ozias Tetrick was born near Shinnston, Febru-
ary 28, 1831, and likewise spent his active life in farming
and stock raising. He was a democrat, but never held a
public office and was one of the thoroughly substantial and
honorable men of his community. He died near Enterprise,
West Virginia, May 24, 1895. On December 21, 1854, he
married Amy Ann Short, who was born in Fayette County,
Pennsylvania, October 28, 1834, daughter of Samuel and
Elizabeth (Everson) Short. She died near Enterprise,
February 11, 1874, the mother of seven children: Luther
Blackburn, Willis Emory, Lucius Elmer, Charles M., Lulu
E., Ida Myrtle and Daisy Ann. On October 12, 1875, Ozias
Tetrick married Nancy Davis, who was born in Marion
County, October 24, 1851, daughter of James and Mary
(Hobbs) Davis. To this union were born three children,
Leia Tacy, Everal Thomas and Arch Ward.
Lucius Elmer Tetrick, representing the fifth generation
of the family in Harrison County, beginning with Henry
Tetrick, Sr., was born near Enterprise, June 9, 1861, and
died August 18, 1901. In a brief lifetime of forty years
he prosecuted a successful business as a farmer and in other
affairs, and was one of the organizers and for many years
an official of the Farmers Bank at Shinnston. He was in-
fluential in democratic politics, was a member of the
Knights of Pythias and the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South.
Lucius Elmer Tetrick married Sarah Florence McIntire,
and her name introduces another pioneer family of Har-
rison County. According to the land survey records Charles
Mclntire made two improvements in what is now Harrison
County in the year 1773. His former home was probably
either in Harford County, Maryland, or just across the line
in the State of Pennsylvania. On account of Indian hos-
tility he probably did not occupy the land in Harrison
County, and it was after his death that his wife and chil-
dren moved to the land. His son John was killed by the
Indians near Enterprise in May, 1791.
His son James spent his life on the land improved by
his father, Charles, just above the Town of Enterprise,
where he died and was buried. He married Rebecca James,
daughter of Enoch James. Their children were: Enoch,
Isaac, Presley, Delila, Sarah, Senneth, Elias and Allison.
Their son Enoch was born at the old Mclntire homestead,
September 1, 1800, and spent his life there as a farmer and
stockman. He died February 28, 1852. In 1822 he married
Sarah Ann Mclntire, his first cousin, who was born near the
old McIntire place, March 10, 1800, and died near Enter-
prise, January 30, 1887, a daughter of Charles and Hannah
(Hall) Mclntire. Their children were: Edith, Cena,
Hannah, James, Thomas Jefferson Charles, James Allison,
Van Buren and Jesse. Charles, who was born October 19,
1836, served as a Confederate soldier in the Nineteenth Vir-
ginia Cavalry, coming home after the war to find that all
his property had been confiscated and sold to pay the claims
of Union sympathizers, and none of it was ever recovered.
He started anew, followed farming and stock raising, and
had accumulated a substantial portion, including a good
farm, part of the old Mclntire homestead, before his death,
which occurred June 12, 1889. Charles Mclntire on January
10, 1861, married Rachel Rose Anderson, who was born
August 4, 1841, a daughter of John and Cassander (Jones)
Anderson, and she died at Enterprise, May 3, 1912. Their
children were: Sarah F., Charles J. and James F. The
oldest of their children was Sarah F., who was born October
4, 1861, and died August 6, 1901. On March 23, 1882, she
became the wife of Lucius Elmer Tetrick, and their four
children were: Willis Guy Tetrick. Georgia Pearl, Mabel
Grace and Amy Rachel. Georgia Pearl and Mabel Grace
were twins, both having died young, the former at sixteen
years and the other at the age of two months. Amy Rachel
Tetrick became the wife of F. Ridley Anderson, and they
have one son, Thomas Ridley.
Willis Guy Tetrick was born on his father's farm near
the Village of Enterprise in Harrison. County, January 3,
1883, and acquired his early education in the public schools.
He lived at home until he was eighteen, but farming did not
appeal to him as a permanent vocation. It is easy to
understand that a young man who made such rapid strides
forward when given the opportunity should have early felt
the urge toward the larger life that a wider field of effort
afforded. He became bookkeeper and clerk in the planing
mill and feed store of his uncle, James F. Mclntire, at
Enterprise, in the meanwhile taking an active interest in
general affairs, and on June 1, 1903, he came to Clarksburg
as deputy county clerk, in which position he served with
so much efficiency that when the county clerk was removed
by death he was appointed, March 1, 1907, to fill out the
unexpired term. In 1908 he was elected county clerk of
Harrison County, for a term of six years, which terminated
January 1, 1915. Always a loyal supporter of the principles
of the democratic party, his leadership has been many times
recognized, and in 1914 he was his party's candidate for
mayor of Clarksburg, failing of election only because of his
party being in the minority. At different times he has
served as a member of city, county and state democratic
executive committees.
In 1910 Mr. Tetrick assisted in the organization of the
company that established the Clarksburg Exponent, a news-
paper widely circulated since it was founded, and one that
in the last six years has taken its place as a daily issue with
the best patronized journals of Harrison County. On July
10, 1915, Mr. Tetrick became manager of the Exponent, and
has made it a paying property. His business acumen has
been manifested in other lines and enterprises. He was one
of the organizers of the Clarksburg Trust Company, and
since that time has been a member of its board of directors
and on the finance committee.
On February 9, 1910, Mr. Tetrick married Miss Virginia
Ann Heavner, who is a daughter of Homer M. and Lorena
Bird (Sexton) Heavner. (See sketch on other pages.) Mr.
and Mrs. Tetrick have four children: Willis Guy, born
August 23, 1911; Catherine Virginia, born February 16,
1914; Margaret Ann, born June 17, 1915; and James Elmer,
born February 22, 1918. All are natives of Clarksburg.
The family home is at Clarksburg, but membership is
maintained in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of
Enterprise. For a number of years Mr. Tetrick has been
identified fraternally with the Odd Fellows and the Elks,
and belongs also to some social bodies, although a busy life
like his does not afford a large amount of leisure. In
journalistic circles he is known all over the state. He has
been president of the West Virginia Newspaper Publishers'
Association, and vice president of the West Virginia Edi-
torial Association, and now is serving as vice president of
the West Virginia Publishers and Employing Printers
Association.
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