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UPSHUR COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: GOLDEN, W.B.
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Valerie & Tommy Crook
vfcrook@trellis.net
September 24, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 267-268
Upshur County
W. B. GOLDEN. A position of public trust is necessarily
indicative of the man who fills it. When the duties of an
office demanding a keen intellect, a never-failing diplomacy
and a strong moral courage, are, year after year, dis-
charged so satisfactorily that the public vote confirms
them successively on the same person, we may be imme-
diately assured that the individual who occupies the office
is possessed of the proper abilities. In this connection
mention is to be made of W. B. Golden, who was elected
to the office of superintendent of schools of Braxton
County in 1910, served four years and was elected again
in 1918 and is now serving his second term.
Mr. Golden was born in Upshur County, West Virginia
February 19, 1874, a son of A. B. and Celina (McCauley)
Golden, both natives of the same locality and both prod-
ucts of the farm and of the country schools. Prior to
her marriage Mrs. Golden had taught in the free schools
of her native county for several years. After their mar-
riage Mr. Golden turned his attention to farming, and
settled on a small farm near Rock Cave, but in 1884
disposed of his interests in that locality and moved to a
farm near Flatwoods, Braxton County, where they lived
until the death of Mr. Golden, which occurred September
3, 1900, after which Mrs. Golden disposed of the farm
and now resides at Walkersville, Lewis County, with her
youngest son. They were faithful members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church. Mr. Golden was a member of the
Improved Order of Rd Men, and his political faith was
as a democrat.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Golden were as
follows: W. B., of this review; Charles O, who is en-
gaged in farming in the State of Colorado; Eva, who is
the wife of M. H. Crawford, of Weston, West Virginia;
J. L., who is engaged in farming and the lumber business
at Rock Cave, this state; A. H., of Burnsville, Braxton
County; T. R, who is engaged in operating a farm in
Oklahoma; Oscar, who while working for the Government
as a trained nurse in the Philippine Islands, contracted
tuberculosis, from which he died; and Clyde, who resides
at home with his mother.
W. B. Golden was reared on a farm, but cared little
for agricultural pursuits, and when fifteen years of age
taught his first country school. He continued to follow
this vocation, in the meantime adding much to his store
of information by reading and home study courses.
He has been elected two terms of four years each to the
office of county superintendent of schools of his county.
In the superintendency, Mr. Golden has done much to
elevate the standards of the free schools of his county and
place them on a higher plane. He has made himself a
general favorite with teachers, pupils and parents, and
much of his success has been due to the fact that he knows
the needs of his county and is working with all the energy
at his command for the general betterment. So well has
he done his work as superintendent that he is regarded
as one of the best in the state and can no doubt be elected
again with little opposition.
On May 26, 1899, Mr. Golden married Miss Estella M.
Morrison, who was born in Braxton County and educated
in the public schools of her county. To this union were
born five children: Marvin L., a graduate of the high
school at Sutton and has since had two and one-half years
at the State University; Mary Marie, a graduate of the
Sntton High School and teaches in the graded school at
Flatwoods; Audrey, a student at the Flatwoods High
School; Opal and Edith, who are attending the graded
school at Flatwoods.
The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, in which Mr. Golden is superintendent of
the Sunday school. He is a member of the Improved Order
of Red Men, in which order he belongs to the State Great
Council, and in politics is a democrat.
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