William L. Thomas
- Married Myrtle Dell McKinney
Notes: WILLIAM L. THOMAS is president and manager of the Nicholas Hardware & Furniture Company, whic h controls a large and prosperous wholesale and retail business, the headquarters establishme nt being in the City of Richwood, Nicholas County, with branch stores at Adrian, Upshur Count y, and Heaters, Braxton County.
Mr. Thomas was born at Alton, Upshur County, this state, on the 1st of November, 1880, and i s a son of Alexander B. and Teresa (Vance) Thomas, both natives of Virginia. The former was b orn in Nelson County, February 24, 1845, and the latter was born February 8, 1848. Alexande r B. Thomas was young when he accompanied his parents on their removal to what is now Upshu r County, West Virginia, where the family home was established on a farm on French Creek. The re he was reared to manhood under the conditions marking the middle pioneer period, and ther e his marriage occurred on November 26, 1868, his wife having been a child at the time of he r parents' removal to Upshur County. After his marriage Alexander B. Thomas established his . home on a tract of 100 acres of land at Panther Gap, Upshur County, only two acres of the l and having been cleared. There he reclaimed and improved one of the fine farm properties of U pshur County, and on this old homestead he and his wife still reside, both being members of t he United Brethren Church, and his political allegiance being given to the democratic party . Of the ten children Wellington, Hugh and John reside in Upshur County; Eliza is the wife o f M. L. Wolfe, a farmer near Parkersburg, Wood County; Pearl is the wife of Doctor Simons , a representative physician in Upshur County; William L., of this sketch, was the next in or der of birth; French resides at Clarksburg and Charles at Alderson, this state; Wirt is a res ident of the State of Washington; and Isa is the wife of C. B. Talbott, who is manager of th e Adrian store of the Nicholas Hardware & Furniture Company.
Reared on the old home farm and afforded the advantages of the public schools of his native c ounty, William L. Thomas continued to be associated with his father in the work and managemen t of the farm until he had attained to the age of twenty years, and for the ensuing seventee n years he was actively identified with railroad service, in which he rose from a subordinat e position in the office of a station agent to be station agent at Richwood. He continued hi s incumbency of this position until he became one of the organizers of the Nicholas Hardwar e & Furniture Company, of which he is president and general manager. He is also a director o f the Richwood Banking & Trust Company and secretary and treasurer of the Nicholas Lumber Com pany, in which he is majority stockholder. His vital progressiveness is further shown in hi s being a stockholder also of the Beaver Lumber Company. Mr. Thomas has had no ambition for p ublic office or political activity, but is a loyal supporter of the cause of the democratic p arty. He is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows , of which latter he is a past noble grand. He married Miss Myrta McKinney, of Braxton County , and they have a winsome little daughter, Virginia E.
The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, In c., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 48
List of people | List of surnames | List of places | Map | deGruyter-Helfer Home
Created by Dan Pidcock's GedcomToHTML v1.5.2, with enhancements by Lisa deGruyter.