|
KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: CARR, Hon. R.S.
******************************************************************
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
HON. R. S. CARR, a representative business man of Charleston, W. Va., and one
who has been highly honored by his city, county and state at various times,
is now largely interested in realty in this section, and through his
enterprise and foresight has been the means of bringing much capital to the
Kanawba Valley. He was born November 17, 1845, in Guernsey County, 0., and
is a son of James and Margaret (Stuart) Carr, both natives of Ireland.
>From Guernsey County, 0., the parents of Mr. Carr moved to Point Pleasant, in
Mason County, Va., when he was ten years old, where he attended school and
resided until 1865, when the family came to Charleston. Here he was employed
as a clerk in mercantile establishments until 1877. He then embarked in the
mercantile business for himself, in which he continued until 1882, when he
turned his business energies in another direction. In that year lie organized
a tow-boat company, of which he became president, and later he became
identified with other business interests of the city and section.
Although but indifferently educated, having had but few opportunities for
improvement during his youth, Mr. Carr was gifted with a quick and receptive
mind and developed into a close thinking and intelligent man in regard to
public affairs. He has not always been identified with the same political
party, his actions having been guided by principal rather than by party
affiliation. Hence, from 1878 until i8So, he was connected with what was
known as the Greenback party, having many of the finest types of men in the
country as his co-thinkers and associate workers. Later he became a Democrat
but shortly afterward he gave up allegiance to that party in order to work in
the interests of what was known as the Labor party. It requires no little
courage for a public man to thus change his political attitude, but Mr. Carr
has always had the support of a large body of progressive men like himself.
In the spring of 1879 he was elected a member of the city council of
Charleston, serving three years in that body, and in 1882 was elected a
county commissioner, and served as president of the board. He was elected in
1886, on the Labor ticket, a delegate from the Ninth West Virginia District.
in which election he overcame the normal Democratic majority of 1200 votes.
He was still further honored in the session of 1889, when he was elected
president of the state senate, serving as such through two sessions. In
connection with Mr. Carr's public services a unique situation may be
mentioned. At the close of his last term, by simply taking the oath of
office, peculiar conditions then existing in the state, he had the chance of
ever afterward being numbered with the governors of West Virginia. The honor
would have been but a temporary one-of but three days duration-but not every
man, when retiring from public life, would have refused even this transient
honor, as did Senator Carr.
In 1869 Mr. Carr was married to Miss Julia E. Wilson, a daughter of John and
Elizabeth Wilson, of Charleston, and they have one son, Frederick N. Carr.
Although no longer very active in politics, Mr. Carr continues to be a
foremost citizen and few movements of public importance are carried out in
his city without his judgment being consulted. He maintains his office in
the National Bank Building, Charleston.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
|
