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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: STEPHENSON, Samuel
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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. 420-423
SAMUEL STEPHENSON, vice president of the Kanawha Valley Oil and Gas Company,
and one of the proprietors of the Holley Coal and Coke Company, is largely
interested in coal, gas and lumber and land enterprises in this part of the
country. He was born March 10, 1859, in Nicholas county, W. Va., and was
reared in Clay county, a son of Andrew J. and Mary Jane (Forsythe)
Stephenson, the former of whom was born in Nicholas county and the latter at
Staunton, Va.
Andrew J. Stephenson was a son of David and Nancy (Rader) Stephenson, and was
born April 29, 1829. David Stephenson was also a native of Virginia and died
in Nicholas county at the age of fifty years, and his widow at the age of
seventy years. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Andrew
J. Stephenson spent his life in Nicholas and Clay counties, Virginia, was a
lifelong Democrat and for thirty-two years was clerk of the county and
circuit courts. His death occurred Octo-ber 31, 1903, at the age of
seventy-four years. He married Mary Jane Forsythe, a daughter of Abraham and
Jane (Whight) Forsythe, who were prominent people near Staunton, Va. Abraham
Forsythe was a man of large estate before the Civil War and owned many
slaves, but his fortune was much depleted on account of his having signed
bonds for a county officer, which were invalidated. With his wife he belonged
to and liberally supported the Methodist Episcopal church. Seven sons and
two daughters were born to Andrew J. Stephenson and wife, namely: Glendora,
who married T. B. Stephenson, a distant relative, residing in Clay county,
and they have three daughters; Forsythe, who is a lumberman, residing at
Charles-ton: Samuel; Elijah L., who is a merchant and miller residing at Clay
Court House, married Missouri Young and they have one son and two daughters;
Albert, who is a farmer in Clay county and holds the office of assessor,
married a Miss Salisbury, now deceased; Florence, who is the wife of John E.
Carden, a merchant at Covington, Va., and has six sons and two daughters;
Homer, a wholesale dealer in feed residing at Clendenin, Kanawha county, also
a farmer and miller, who married Lydia Nichols and has two sons and three
daughters; Ben-jamin L., who died when aged six months; and Eston Byrne, who
is a retired physician. Dr. Stephenson is a member of the State Board of
Control, having been appointed by Governor Glasscock in 1910. He married
Lydia Downey.
Samuel Stephenson is one of the representa-tive and able business men of
Kanawba county but he enjoyed only public schopl educational advantages. He
has been a resident of Charleston for ten years and prior to that time was
engaged in a timber and lumber business in Clay county. He also engaged in
the lumber business for some eight years in Boone county. In association with
other capitalists he is concerned in many large enterprises:is an extensive
operator in oil, coal and gas in West Virginia.
Mr. Stephenson was married in Boone coun-ty, W. Va., to Mrs. Cynthia Dell
(Vickers) Sayers, widow of the late Ira G. Sayers, w'ho was survived by two
children: Ira G., who resides at Charleston; and Nona B., who is the wife of
Dr. Sharp, of Charleston. Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson have two children, Bvron
Jackson and Rebie Dell, both of whom are stu-dents in the public schools.
Mrs. Stephenson is a member of.the Methodist Episcopal church, south.
Mr. Stephenson is not only an influential man in the business circles of
Charleston and Kanawba county, but he is also efficient and valuable as a
citizen. In 1893 he was appointed deputy revenue collector for the southern
district of West Virginia, and performed the duties of this office for two
years and then resigned. He has served in his second term as a member of the
city council, elected on the Democratic ticket, of which party he is a
leading factor in this section. He is a Ma-son of advanced degree, belonging
to the Blue Lodge, at Clay, W. Va., the Chapter, Commandery and Consistory at
Charleston and also to Beni-Kedem Shrine, at Charleston.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
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