Son of Norman Dude and Rebecca Ann Miller McKown

Husband of Florence F Sarver McKown and Ella Pearl Isekeit Cadegan McKown

Former West Virginia State Senator-1901-1909

Note:His Bio appeared in "The History of West Virginia,Old and New"-1923,The American Historical Society,Inc.,Chicago and New York,Volume Three,pgs.298-299

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 born 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. McKown 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.]

History of Roane County West Virginia 17774-1927 (1927), pp. 290 and 291, 326, 368, 373, 395, 408 and 409, and 632:

[McKOWN:

Less than one mile from Wrights Mill and while it flourished, up on the Charles Fork, lived Norman D. McKown—the same listed among Roane County's Union soldiers of the "Civil War"—a son of Gilbert McKown, improver of the Runnion Mill, mentioned in the history of the City of Spencer. Norman D. was a farmer and a contractor and builder in stone, as shown by several places in the county court records where was let to him contracts for building the stone work of county bridges. His children were born there, among whom are John McKown, a prosperous dealer and shipper of produce in the City of Spencer, Curran McKown, a building and road contractor, and Ephraim W. McKown, builder and proprietor of the McKown Hotel of Spencer, and State Senator in the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth West Virginia Legislature, years 1902 to 1904, inclusive.

Ephraim McKown, Sr., son of Gilbert McKown, made his home less than one mile above Wrights Mill on the Vandal Fork, about the year 1855. He was long an important person in the affairs of the county; he raised to manhood and womanhood several children, among the best known are Darrel M. and Anderson M. McKown, the latter for many years last past, a resident of the City of Spencer;

taught school several years; served many terms as a member of the district board of education; one or two terms as a justice of the peace in the town; served as deputy sheriff under A. B. Hinzman one term, has been a resident of the City of Spencer for several years, and is now deputy clerk of the county court. The former, Derrel M., is a prominent school teacher and a student; he graduates from the State University this year (1926).]

[ROANE COURT HOUSE, BUILT 1859; DESTROYED BY FIRE 1887.

Drawn from recollection and an old photograph, the property of Ephraim W. McKown, Jr.]

[Roane Court House built, 1859. Destroyed by fire, 1887. Drawn from recollection and an old photograph the property of Ephraim W. McKown, Jr.]

[Mr. Flynn encountered other discouragements. Ex-Senator E. W. McKown bought a (then) modern though second hand power roller press known as a "Flat Bed Press," and started a "Republican Organ" which he christened "The Spencer Times,' 'its first issue came out the last of the year 1911, or first of 1912.]

[ROAN E GROCER Y COMPANY.

The Roane Grocery Company was incorporated on the 25th day of August, 1919. Its incorporators: Ephraim W. McKown, John E. Fairfax and four other citizens of the City of Spencer; capital stock fifty thousand dollars in five hundred shares.

This company at once purchased a lot on the eastern corner at intersection of Church and Court Streets and in the same year erected a two-story concrete block building fifty by one hundred feet in dimensions, and within the year had it full of goods and a good business going; John E. Fairfax, general manager, sending goods into all the surrounding counties. Fairfax died in the year ___, and since his death, E. W. McKown has had charge of the business.]

[The site and ruins of the old Grand Hotel were purchased by Ephraim W. McKown (then Ephraim, Jr.), May of the year 1915 He at once reconstructed and enlarged to four stories, having the pressed brick front, and christened it, "The McKown Hotel " this appeared to flourish; was sold to Homer Lowe and his mother, S. Elizabeth Lowe, and by them run for some years; was purchased from the Lowes by Ephraim W. and Keren McKown in the year 1924; and they, commencing in the year 1925 purchased all the lot between the hotel building, as then, and Market Street and added the extension to Market Street, 1926-27. Thus completing the McKown Hotel as now, 1927, known; which is modern in all its parts and equipment; is four stories besides the basement, and has eighty rooms besides its lobby and mezzanine.

This enterprize was capitalized by an incorporated company, its charter dated July 3, 1925. H . R. Adams, R. L . McCulty, Russell Keith and E. W. McKown, incorporators.]

[Charles Holt married Miss Irene A. McKown, daughter of Ephraim McKown, Sr., of upper Spring Creek, on January 21, 1894, his age 30, her age 24.]