U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fish, George L. (1844-1915) ------------------------------------------------------------------- The History of Upshur County West Virginia From its Earliest Exploration and Settlement to the Present Time by W. B. Cutright Buckhannon, W. Va., July 1, 1907 Pages 450-451 GEORGE L. FISH, was born June 11, 1844, at Augusta, Oneida County, N. Y. Son of Charles and Jane Fish, who lived in that state from their early childhood. The father of Charles Fish was one of the first settlers in that part of the state, having settled there in about the year 1800. George L. Fish remembers well, having heard his parents tell of their trials in the days of the early settlers. He was early schooled in the responsibilities of life, for, being the oldest son of a large family of children, he had to aid in maintaining the family. About the year 1856, he moved with his father's family, from New York State to East Townsend, about eight miles east of Norwalk, the County Seat of Huron County, Ohio and remained their until August 11, 1862, when he enlisted as a soldier in the Civil War, in the 123d Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His first introduction in the State of West Virginia was at Parkersburg in the fall of that year, at which place his regiment entered cars for Clarksburg, after laying there a short time, marched to Buckhannon and encamped near where his lumber yard, or that of the Alton Lumber Company is now located. He recalls the fact that Buckhannon was not as large then as it is today, and he then thought that he would not take the entire state as a gift and be obliged to live in it. In the year 1864 he was married to Miss Polly Hoover, and to them were born three children, two daughters and one son. At the close of the war he engaged in farming and fruit growing, at Collins, Huron County, Ohio, and continued in that line until about 1881, when he started in the Hardwood Lumber Business, in a small way, the purchase of the first timber involving the outlay of about twenty-five dollars, but in the spring of 1884, he moved to Cleveland, O., and launched out into a larger business. At that place he met with a reasonable degree of success. In the spring of 1890, he again came to Buckhannon, where he has taken great interest in its welfare and development. The Alton Lumber and Coal Company was formed to manufacture the timber purchased, in which firm he associated with him as partners, C. N. Royce of Jefferson, Ohio, and his son G. W. Fish. Later Mr. Royce retired from the co- partnership and it was conducted by the remaining partners until January 1, 1903, at which time the Alton Lumber Company was formed in which G. W. Fish and B. W. Ackles were associated with him as partners. In February of the year following the Company was incorporated under the same name with Geo. L. Fish as president. Besides his operations in timber and lumber he has become interested in the development of Upshur County's coal and proving his confidence in its future he has added several hundred acres of coal rights to his original holdings. In this coal deal, he has also been joined by his son, under the firm name of Fish & Fish. In all of his enterprises he has met with success. When about sixteen years old he started out in the Christian life and joined the Methodist Church and has always believed in and has tried to live an active Christian to this time. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Register of Deaths, Upshur County, WV (Page 5) FULL-NAME: Geo. L. Fish DEATH-DATE: April 27, 1915 AGE-AT-DEATH: 70y-11m-16d MARITAL-STATUS: Married OCCUPATION: Lumberman CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Heart Failure INFORMANT: W. T. Cameron, Physician From Death Certificate, Upshur County, WV #9598 FULL-NAME: Poly H. Fish BIRTH-DATE: April 21, 1842 BIRTH-PLACE: W.Va. DEATH-DATE: May 25, 1928 at age 86y-1m-4d DEATH-PLACE: Buckhannon, Buckhannon District, Upshur County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Widowed (G. L. Fish) OCCUPATION: Housewife FATHER: Wm. Hoover (born in W.Va.) MOTHER: Melissa Squires (born in W.Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Hypostatic Pneumonia / Age INFORMANT: G. Walter Fish BURIAL: Heavner Cemetery ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Upshur County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/upshur/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------