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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: RUFFNER, Alexander
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
September 25, 1999
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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 418-419
ALEXANDER RUFFNER, a representative member of the old Ruffner family of West
Virginia, which has been prominently identified with Kanawba County since the
days of Joseph Ruffner, eldest son of Peter, the emigrant settler who came
here in 1794, taking up vast tracts of land. Jn the same year he made some
improvements and in the following year brought his family from Virginia and
ever since the name has been one of high standing in this section.
Col. Joel Ruffner, father of Alexander Ruff-ner, was born in Kanawba County
near the present city of Charleston, December II, 1802, and died here
September 8, 1882. He was a well known man both in private and military life
and when only eighteen years of age became a colonel in the state militia. He
married Diana Marye, who was born October 21, 1800, in the Shenandoah Valley
and was of French ancestry on the paternal side. Her death cccurred October
23, 1881. They were parents of sixteen children, thirteen of whom grew to
maturity, and seven daughters and three sons yet survive, of this family,
Alexander being the sixth in order of birth.
Alexander Ruffner was horn April 4, 1837, at Charleston, He attended the
early schools which were meager in their advantages as compared to the
present day, and has devoted the greater part of his life to farm pursuits
hut in earlier years also followed surveying and helped to make the survey
for the old C. & 0. Railroad in i868. During the Civil War he remained at
home to look after the affairs, but two of his brothers, Daniel and Joel,
lost their lives while serving in the Confederate Army. Since October, 1858,
he has been a voter and his ballot has always been cast in support of
Democratic principles and candidates. No citizen of Charleston is better
known than Mr. Ruffner, although he has never been willing to accept any
public office.
Mr. Ruffner was married October 30, 1883, in Poca District, Kanawha County,
to Miss Mary V. Wallace, who was born in Poca District, October 29, 1857, a
daughter of an early settler, Peter Wallace. The latter lost his life from
the foul gas generated in an oil well that he was assisting a companion to
dig. His wife, Rachel (Aults) Wallace, also met death through accident,
being fatally burned, with one of her sons, Simon, in a fire that swept what
is now the south side of this city. Mrs. Ruffner has never been able to get
over this great bereavement, having been much attached to her mother and
brother. Mr. and Mrs. Ruffner have no children. She is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church, while Mr. Ruffner comes of a long line of
Presbyterians.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
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