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TYLER COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Chris & Kerry
cmac4330@chesapeake.net
December 10, 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 II
pg.150 & 151
ADAM GROW, a member of the firm of Jackson & Grow, which conducts a well
equipped general machine shop in the City of Morgantown, Monongalia County, was
born at Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia, October 17, 1887, a son of Lewton
W. and Anna C. (Davis) Grow, both like-wise natives of this state. Lewton W.
Grow was born in Taylor County in 1858, a son of Adam Grow, who was an old-time
plasterer and under whose direction the son, Lewton W., learned the same trade,
of which he continued a representative, as a contract plasterer, for many years
at Grafton, where he and his wife still maintain their home and where he is now
living virtually retired. Mrs. Grow was born in the year 1863. Both are active
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Adam Grow (II), the immediate subject of this review, acquired his early
education in the public schools of his native city, and there in 1902 he entered
upon an apprenticeship to the machinist's trade. He became a skilled workman,
and continued to be employed in the railroad shops at Grafton until the time of
the strike of the workmen in the shops in 1909. In that year he removed to
Morgantown, where for the ensuing eight years he was employed as a machinist by
the Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad Company.
In 1917 Mr. Grow formed a partnership with Curtis G. Jackson, another skilled
machinist, and under the firm name of Jackson & Grow they opened a small machine
shop at Morgantown. Excellent service and fair and honorable business policies
caused the enterprise to expand from year to year, and the firm now owns the
large and modern brick machine shop building that is the stage of the
substantial and prosperous industry which they have built up, the establishment,
on the west side of the river, being the largest of the kind in Morgantown and
controlling a representative supporting patronage.
In 1911 Mr. Grow was raised to the degree of Master Mason in Morgantown Union
Lodge No. 4, Free and Accepted Masons, and in this lodge he has passed the
various official chairs, the final honor of being chosen master of the lodge
having come to him in December, 1920. He is affiliated also with Morgantown
Chapter No. 30, Royal Arch Masons; Morgatown Commandery No. 18, Knights
Templars; Morgantown Lodge of Perfection No. 6, Scottish Rite, and has received
the thirty-second degree of this latter rite in West Virginia Sovereign
Consistory No. 1, besides being a member of Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine
at Wheeling. He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South.
Mr. Grow chose as his wife Miss Lucy E. Frankhouser, who was born in the State
of Maryland and who is a daughter of Ammi and Ellen Frankhouser. Mr. and Mrs.
Grow have three children, whose names and respective dates of birth are here
recorded: Margaret Lucile, November 29, 1915; Adam III, November 29, 1917; and
Clyde, January 12, 1921.
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