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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: HARLESS, J.B.
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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. 399
J. B. HARLESS, proprietor of a general store at Marmet, Kanawha County, W.
Va., a representative citizen of this section, was born February 27, 1840, in
what was then Kanawha County, Va. His parents were James H. and Spisey
(Barker) Harless.
James H. Harless was a native of Virginia and was a farmer in his native
State for practically all his life, his death occurring when aged sixty-eight
years. His wife was also born in Virginia and she outlived him, dying near
her seventy-second birthday. They had eight children, J. B. being the third
in order of birth. The others were: Martha and Silas, both of whom are
deceased; Mary and Nancy, who are also deceased; Rachel, who is the wife of
M. Snodgrass; Willard Harold, who is the wife of Albert Harold; and Virginia,
who is the wife of L. N. Perry.
J. B. Harless describes the schoolhouse, in which he studied his first
lessons, as a, log structure with very primitive furnishings, with sessions
lasting but three months in the year. On many occasions it became his duty to
get up before daylight and find wood with which to build the schoolhouse
fire, that being in the contract with the teacher. Mr. Harless then became a
farmer and also worked in the tim-ber and continued until he was forty-five
years of age, when he discontinued those lines and went into merchandising.
He purchased his present store which is favorably located for trade, near the
C. & 0. Railroad depot, and he carries a large and well selected stock and
does a prosperous business. He owns other property and is one of the
substantial men of the place. During the Civil War he served in the Union
Army, enlisting in i86i, in the 8th and later the 7th Va. Cav., under Col.
Lozier, and served two years, during which time he par-ticipated in the
second battle of Bull Run, the battle of Cedar Mountain and many other
engagements. He returned from the army practically uninjured and resumed his
former busi-ness activities.
Mr. Harless was married to Miss Mary E. Barker, who was born in Kanawha
County, Va., and they have had three sons and one daughter, namely: Wyatt,
who is deceased; Watson B., who married a Miss Price and they have four
children; C. D., who works for his father, married Alma Grass and they have
one child, Reba; Flora, who is the wife of Thomas Evans, and has four
children, the oldest Sybil who is an adopted son of Mr. Harless. In his
political opinions, Mr. Harless is a Republican.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
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