|
KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: BLACKBURN, Robert M.
******************************************************************
Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
September 25, 1999
******************************************************************
History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 397-398
ROBERT M. BLACKBURN, who, for a number of years was a valued and esteemed
citizen of Charleston, W. Va., was born in Guilford County, N. C., not far
from Hillsdale, April 5, 1850, and died at Charleston, May 14, 1901. He was a
son of Robert and Martha (Washburn) Blackburn.
Robert Blackburn and wife spent their lives in North Carolina, he dying at
Greensboro, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife at Hillsdale,
when aged forty years. The Blackburns and Washburns were both old settled
families of the Old North State, where, for generations they were slave and
plantation owners and were vitally concerned in all those things that made up
the business and social life of the South in antebellum days. To Robert and
Martha Blackburn fourteen children were born and those who survived in-fancy
were the following: Robert M., the eldest; D. Luther; James; Walter, who was
accidentally killed by the kick of a horse, at the age of sixteen years;
Newton, who also died at the age of sixteen years; Martha, who is the wife of
William A. Scott, of Greensboro, N. C.; Minnie, who is the wife of John Cook,
ex-sheriff of Guilford County, N. C.; Clifford; who is dead; and Jasper, who
resides at Greensboro, N. C.
Robert M. Blackburn was reared in Guilford County. He was mainly educated by
tutors as was the frequent custom in the homes of planters at that time,
although the outbreak of the Civil war, while he was young, prevented his
enjoying advantages that might otherwise have been his. When eighteen years
of age he became overseer on the estate of his maternal grand father,
Joseph Washburn, where he remained for some years, after which, in
association with George Bennett, he entered into the tobacco trade and in the
business of dealing in horses, a partnership that lasted for some years. In
1876 Mr. Blackburn became a resident of Charleston, where he embarked in the
mercantile business which he successfully conducted until the close of his
life. He was a man well and favorably known, honorable in all business
transactions, and ever loyal to his friends and his convictions. Although no
politician in the general meaning of the term, and at no time a seeker for
office, he was an ardent Democrat and lent support to the candidates of the
Democratic party and up-held its principles as long as he lived. He was
valued member of the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias at Charleston.
On June 28, 1876, at Charleston, Mr. Blackburn was married to Miss Margaret
Lane, who was born in Nicholas County, W. Va., in 1856, but was reared and
educated in this city. She is a daughter of Henry Clay and Hannah (Dunbar)
Lane, who were born in West Virginia and lived in Nicholas County until just
before the outbreak of the Civil War, when they moved to Charleston. Mr. Lane
went out as a volunteer in the Mexican War, and when the Civil war broke out
his services as a trained military man were gladly accepted by the Federal
government, as were those, for the same reasons, of Captain Grant, of
Illinois, who later became the commander-in-chief of the Union army. Major
Lane served as military instructor with the rank of major. Both he and wife
were members of the Methodist Episcopal church-good, kindly people, who gave
of their sympathy and means to all who needed help, within the circle of
their acquaintance. Of their children, Mrs. Blackburn was the only daughter
to reach maturity. One son, John Clay Lane, is a cotton grower in Oklahoma.
Harvey E. Lane is connected with a lumber company at Charleston. William Lane
resides in West Charleston. Sherman Lane and Spicer P. Lane both live in
this city, while the youngest son, Henry M. Lane, is lumber inspector for a
company at Crestmont, W. Va.
To Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn the following children were born: Robert E., who
died at the age of two and one-half years; Walter, who was born in North
Carolina, died aged five months; William M., who died at Charleston when
almost twelve years old; George Bennett, an educated, brilliant and popular
young man, city auditor of Charleston, who died October 31, 1908, aged
twenty-seven years; Lyda B., who resides with her husband at Springton, W.
Va., was married to Earl Oscar Harrah, a timber dealer, March 8, 1911; Amy
V., who died aged two years; Margaret, who died aged nine days; and Lillian
Lane and Fay, the last named dying in infancy. Lillian Lane, the second
youngest daughter, was born at Charleston nineteen years ago, and her
marriage took place June 28, 1911, her parents' wedding anniversary, to
William Cline Alexander. Mr. Alexander was born in Virginia and is the
leading florist at Charleston. Mrs. Blackburn and her daughters are active
members of the Baptist church.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
|
