Re: WV, 1870 - Augusta A. WYCKOFF

William Wyckoff, was living in Hardy
(now Grant) County as early as the time of the war of 1812.
He was a soldier in that conflict, serving in Captain Neville's
company of the Sixth Virginia Militia, at the expiration of
which term he reenlisted. Except for this military duty he
devoted his years to farming, and about 1840 moved to what is
now Taylor County. He was laid to rest in the family burying
ground in the Court House District of that county. His first
wife was Catherine Michael, who left two children, Alfred and
Rachel, the latter dying in infancy. His second wife was Mary
Shillingberg, and to this union were born fifteen children.

One of them was Samuel Wyckoff, who was born in Hamp-
shire County April 24, 1825, and was fifteen years old when
the family moved to Taylor County. His life was quietly
spent in the rounds of his agricultural work, his home, his
worship as a Baptist, and voting as a republican. He married
Mary Ann St. Clair, daughter of Thomas St. Clair and mem-
ber of another family of ancient residence in West Virginia.
They had eight children: Harriet, wife of John Hannegan;
Daniel B., noted below; Columbus; Susanna, who married
Meigs Day; Claudius; Henrietta, who became the wife of
Ellsworth Day; Charles; and Samantha, who married Leon-
idas Bord.

Daniel B. Wyckoff was born near the village of Simpson,
Taylor County, December 22, 1849. Conditions were such
that beyond the country schools he had no opportunity for
education, and for a number of years he lived at Tyrconnell,
Taylor County, clerking in stores and finding other employ-
ment. He also did coal mining for a time, but for nearly a
quarter of a century his duties have been as a supervisor for
the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane at Weston, though
he has retained his home at Grafton tor more than thirty
years. He is a republican in politics. On June 13, 1872, he
married Susan Virginia Bayly, a daughter of Usher S. and
Jane (Stevens) Bayly. Their family of children consist of the
following: Myrtle, wife of M. Edgar Coffman, of Cumber-
land, Maryland; Nettie, wife of Cornelius J. Burnside, of
Pittsburgh; Ole Everett; Adelaide, who married William P.
Sample, of Grafton; Harry G., of Fairmont; Holmes V., of
Wheeling; Samuel B., who died at the age of three years;
Frank Hite, who died at the age of two years; Claire, who be-
came the wife of W. G. Menear, of Grafton; and Paul R., of
Fairmont.

This consecutive account of the family now narrows down
to the individual career of O. E. Wyckoff, of Grafton. He was
born at Tyrconnell, Flemington District, Taylor County,
September 6, 1878, and in that community at an early age he
went to work in the mines. His educational equipment con-
sisted of what he had gained while attending the Flemington
District public schools and two terms in the old West Virginia
College near there. Later he attended the West Virginia
University. He taught school in the villages of Tyrconnell
and Flemington, and subsequently for a year was principal of
the Fetterman School. While teaching he carried work in
the summer normals at the University, also began reading
law, qualifying for admission to the University Law School,
where he finished his course and in May, 1904, was admitted
to the bar.

Mr. Wyckoff has made his success in the law without form-
ing a single partnership alliance. He has always been in gen-
eral practice. He recalls with considerable amusement his
first case. It was as counsel for a negro charged with felonious
assault, and the trial resulted in a verdict for simple assault
and a short jail sentence. The negro after his release prom-
ised his attorney to go to work and pay the fee. To encourage
him as far as possible, Mr. Wyckoff gave him some of the old
clothes from his scanty wardrobe and a quarter of a dollar,
and that was the last he ever saw of this first client.

For some years Mr. Wyckoff has had a growing share of
corporation work. He is retained as counsel for the Taylor
County Bank, the Bank of Flemington and several large cor-
porations, and represents other business concerns and estates.
In the early years of his practice he was city attorney of Graf-
ton two terms, and has performed the duties of referee in
bankruptcy since appointed to that office by Judge Dayton.
He has done some political work for his friends and his party,
the republican, but he has never given his friends any en-
couragement when sounded as a possible candidate.

Mr. Wyckoff helped organize the Taylor County Bank and
the Bank of Flemington. He is president of the Grafton
Rotary Club, a director of the Chamber of Commerce, and
exerted himself without stint in behalf of home work to aid in
winning the great war. He was chairman of the Legal Advis-
ory Board of Taylor County and also one of the "four-minute"
speakers. He is a member of the First Baptist Church and
belongs to several fraternal orders.

In Taylor County July 12, 1905, he married Miss Mayme
Bailey, who was born in the same community as her husband,
one of the three children of Marshall and Anna (dark)
Bailey. Mrs. Wyckoff was born October 26, 1880. They
have one son, Everett Bailey, born July 21, 1906, and a
remarkable specimen of young physical manhood, standing
six feet, two inches tall. He is proficient in his studies and is a
member of the class of 1923 in the Grafton High School.