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MINERAL COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Vivian Brinker
VIVIANB@RAVEN.CCC.CC.KS.US
January 13, 2000
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II.
pg. 182
EMORY LEDREW TYLER came from the University of Morgantown with a
diploma as a law graduate some ten years ago, and began his
professional career in Mineral County. He has made an enviable
success, largely due to the two terms he held the office of
prosecuting attorney, and is now engaged in private practice at
Keyser.
Mr. Tyler was born in Doddridge County, West Virginia, March 6, 1885.
His grandfather, John Tyler, came into the western county from the
Valley of Virginia, was a farmer, and married a Miss Powell near
Arthur, West Virginia. Their only child was Conrad Tyler, who was
born after his father's death and was reared under somewhat adverse
conditions, so that he acquired little education. He was born in
Grant County sixty-five years ago, and farming was his steady
occupation until he retired to Keyser, where he is now living. He
is a member of the Methodist Church. Conrad Tyler married Margaret
Veach, who was born in Grant County, sixty-three years ago, daughter
of John and Margaret (Seymour) Veach. The children of this couple
are: Ura, wife of Benjamin Rotruck; Emory Ledrew; May, who married
Howard Arnold; Homer, of Keyser; Erma, of Keyser; Mansfield of Keyser;
Otis, Winona and Jane, all at home.
While Emory Ledrew Tyler was an infant his parents moved to the
vicinity of Mount Sterling, Ohio, and when he was seven years of age
they returned to West Virginia and located in Grant County near
Maysville, where Emory Ledrew lived until reaching man's estate.
He attended the common schools, the Keyser Preparatory School, and
at West Virginia University took the literary as well as the law
courses. He graduated in law in the spring of 1912, and a few weeks
later was engaged to try his first case, at Keyser. This case was
the prosecution of a man for pistol toting, but the decision went
against him. Mr. Tyler was elected prosecuting attorney of Mineral
County in 1912, succeeding Arthur Arnold, and was re-elected for a
second term in 1916. During his eight years in office he made a
distinctive record of winning eighty percent of his cases and gave
particular attention to the vigorous prosecution of all violators
of the liquor law. With greatly increased prestige he left office
in the winter of 1920 to turn his experience to account in private
practice. For several years Mr. Tyler was a partner of Charles
Ritchie, now assistant attorney general of West Virginia, in the
firm of Ritchie & Tyler.
Mr. Tyler's father was independent in politics, while his mother's
people were republicans, and he chose the republican party as his
own political faith, casting his first vote for William H. Taft.
He was a member of the State Judicial Convention of 1920 at
Wheeling, and is chairman of the Republican Executive Committee of
Mineral County. As prosecuting attorney he made his office an
instrument in upholding the patriotic record of Mineral County
during the World war, assisted in recruiting duty and was government
appeal agent and counsel for the Draft Board. Mr. Tyler is
affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of
America, and the Kappa Alpha College fraternity. He is state
lecturer for the Modern Woodmen. His church is the Methodist
Episcopal.
On September 14, 1915, at Baltimore, he married Miss Pearl C.
Compton, who was born at Martinsburg, West Virginia, in December,
1885, daughter of John and Sallie (Buzzard) Compton. She is a
graduate of the high school of her native city, the Cumberland
High School, attended preparatory school at Keyser, and is an
A. B. graduate of West Virginia University and later took post-
graduate work in Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore. Mrs. Tyler
is one of the best educated women in the state, and before her
marriage was a successful teacher of English in the Milton High
School and later in the preparatory school at Montgomery, West
Virginia. She is one of five living children, the others being:
Chester, of Pittsburgh; Ada, connected with the Woman's Extension
Work in West Virginia University; Eva, in charge of domestic
science in the State Normal School at Fairmont; and Vernon C.,
principal of schools at Berkeley Springs. Mr. and Mrs. Tyler have
two daughters, Ruth Winifred and Janet.
While he has had an active career of only about ten years, Mr.
Tyler has formed some substantial connections with business affairs,
being a stockholder in the First National Bank of Keyser, in the
Marteller Coal Company, is vice president of the Mineral County
Coal Company and the Eastern Coal and Mining Company, is attorney
for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, the Marteller Coal
Company, the Dean Coal Company, and has professional connections
with the First National Bank of Keyser, Edington & Company and
other firms.
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