EPHRAIM WILLIS McKOWN, a dealer in real estate and timber lands at Spencer, has had an active association with the business and political life of Roane County for over a quarter of a century.
His family is one of the oldest in West Virginia, and it is one that has been represented with truest American citizenship in practically every important war of the nation. The remote ancestor was Andrew McKown, a native of County Antrim, Ireland, who came to America and settled in Pennsylvania with his son, Gilbert McKown, who was Dorn in County Antrim. They spent their last years at Gerrardstown in what is now West Virginia, where Gilbert McKown died in 1803. James McKown, representing the third generation of the family, and a son of Gilbert, was born in 1752, and was the great-grandfather of E. W. McKown of Spencer. James McKown at the time of the Revolutionary war was a member of General Washington's staff, and was wounded at the battle of the Brandywine, afterward drawing a pension for a number of years. He lived in Pennsylvania, and about 1812 settled in Jackson County, West Virginia, where he died in 1850. In the history of Knox County, Ohio, is mentioned the fact that James McKown, this veteran soldier, was master of ceremonies at an ox roast celebrating the election to the presidency of William Henry Harrison. Gilbert McKown, son of James McKown, was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, in 1787, and enlisted for service in the War of 1812. He moved to Jackson County, West Virginia, about 1814, but from 1822 until 1842 lived in Knox County, Ohio. He then returned to Jackson County, and in 1856 moved to Spencer. He was a miller, and was identified with the early upbuilding of Spencer, where he lived until his death in 1864. His wife was Lydia Flesher, who died near Spencer in 1887. Their son, Norman D. McKown, was born in Knox County, Ohio, May 4, 1840, but spent his early life in Jackson and Roane counties. West Virginia, was married at Spencer, and has had a very successful career as a farmer. He is still living on his farm a mile east of Spencer and is now eighty-two years of age. He and his brothers once operated their father's mill, a combined grist mill, sawmill and carding factory. The mill was the first establishment of its kind in Spencer. Norman D. McKown is a republican, a member of the Baptist Church, and has a veteran's record of service in the Civil war. He enlisted in 1862 in the Ninth West Virginia Infantry, and was in all the engagements of his regiment up to Winchester, where he was severely wounded, and did not recover for active duty for several months. Norman D. McKown married Rebecca A. Miller, who was born near Spencer and died there in 1893. She was the mother of a large family of children: Luverna L., who died in 1919 in Clay County, where her husband, D. V. Goodwin, is a farmer; Ephraim Willis; Ulysses S., who died near Spencer in 1894; Kearney, a road contractor living at Reedy in Roane County; Mrs. Emma Douglas, who died near Spencer in 1898; Maggie, wife of John Carpenter, a farmer at Hillsboro, Ohio; Isaac, a farmer in Roane County; Esley S., living with his father near Spencer and operating the home farm; Sarah C., wife of John Raines, a Roane County farmer; Norman D., a stone mason at Spencer; John M., in the produce business at Spencer; Margie, who died when one year old; Rufus, who died at the age of twelve years; and Chester, a farmer near Spencer and a veteran of the World war. Norman D. MeKown married for his second wife Matilda (Miller) Smith, who was born near Spencer. His first wife, Rebecca A. Miller, was a widow when he married her. By her marriage to William Green, who was killed while a soldier in the Union Army, she had a son, Charles William, a mechanic now living in Oregon.
Ephraim Willis McKown was born near Spencer February 14, 1867, and grew up on his father's farm. He was educated in the rural schools, in normal training courses, and in 1890 graduated from the Mountain State Business College at Parkersburg. He began teaching rural schools in 1886, and altogether spent ten years in the school rooms. Beginning in 1896 he was in the lumber business at Spencer for four years, and since then has conducted some widely extended operations in real estate and the buying and selling of timber tracts. He is individually owner of much property in and around Spencer, including his own residence, a business building on Main Street, five dwelling houses, forty city lots, and a farm of seventy-five acres. He formerly owned and for one year managed the leading hotel at Spencer, which he sold in 1918.
Along with his business affairs Mr. McKown has played a spirited part in local politics and affairs. He was examiner of teachers for Roane County from 1896 to 1900. In 1898 he was republican candidate for Circuit Court clerk, being defeated by thirty-seven votes, the county at that time being normally democratic. In 1899-1901 he was clerk in the Senate under John T. Harris, and in 1904 was elected to the State Senate, representing the Fourth District, comprising Roane, Jackson and Mason counties. Mr. McKown made a splendid record in the Senate during his four-year term, 1905-09. He was appointed chairman of the commission to investigate all state institutions, as a result of which an important change was made in the management of such institutions, the board of control being the centralized authority for all state institutions except the schools, which were put under the board of regents. In the Senate he was also chairman of the committee on insurance, at a time when much important legislation was enacted for the regulation of life and other insurance companies, these laws standing effective today. Mr. McKown was mayor of Spencer in 1920, and inaugurated a bond issue to give the city complete sewerage facilities. He is now chairman of the advisory committee to the County Court in the matter of building permanent roads. Mr. McKown is a Methodist, a member of the Spencer Rotary Club, is president of the Spencer Board of Trade, and president of the Roane Grocery Company, a wholesale business. During the World war he was chairman of the Fourth Liberty Loan drive in the county, and was associated with all the other patriotic campaigns.
At Ernest in Roane County in 1896 Mr. McKown married Miss Florence F. Sarver, daughter of John A. and Amy (Ferrell) Sarver, her mother still living at Ernest, where her father was a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. McKown had one son, a bright and promising boy who died when almost qualified for the serious responsibilities of life. He was born April 8, 1900, and died November 2, 1918, when a senior in the Spencer High School and preparing to enter the State University the next year. In honor of this son Mr. and Mrs. McKown have donated a scholarship to the Spencer High School for the West Virginia Wesleyan College at Buckhannon, the scholarship being awarded a member of the graduating class each year.
Source: The History of West Virginia, Old and New, Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 298-299
Submitter: Valerie & Tommy Crook, November 8, 1999
