From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 

Typed by Laurie Birks Dean

pp. 417-418

William H. HEARNE, an attorney-at-law of Wheeling, whose practice is 
mainly in corporation law, has offices at No. 1318 Market street.  He 
was born at Cambridge, Maryland, June 16, 1852, and is a son of 
William L. Hearne, who died February 13, 1895.
	William L. Hearne was born in Sussex county, Delaware, and came 
to Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1867. During his business life he was 
largely interested in the iron industry, particularly in the 
Riverside Iron Works, in which he was the largest individual 
stockholder at the time of his death.  He was a director and the 
general manager of this company until his retirement from active 
business in 1880, when he was succeeded in both capacities by his 
son, Frank J., who continued thus until the consolidation of that 
plant with the United States Steel Corporation.  Frank J. Hearne is  
now first vice-president of the National Tube Company and is located 
at Pittsburg.  William H. Hearne the subject of this sketch, was 
attorney for the Riverside Iron Works from 1875 to the time of the 
consolidation, and is now local attorney for the National Tube 
Company.  Four sons of William L. Hearne are still living, namely:  
Frank J., above mentioned; William H.; David Garth, who is interested 
in mining in Kentucky; and Julius G., who is interested in copper 
mining in Arizona.
	William H. Hearne was five years of age when the family moved 
to Missouri.  In 1861 they moved to Brooklyn, New York, where they 
remained until the close of the war.  They then returned to Hannibal, 
Missouri, and eighteen months later, in 1867, came to Wheeling, West 
Virginia.  William H. Hearne received his early schooling at Big 
Creek, Missouri, and Washington, D. C., and later attended Washington 
and Jefferson College four years, graduating in 1874.  He returned to 
Wheeling and read law with Hon. Daniel Lamb for one year, after which 
he entered the law department of the University of Virginia.  In 
July, 1876, he was united in marriage with Annie M. Stockton.  In the 
same year he was also admitted to the bar, and has enjoyed a large 
practice, although he has made a specialty of corporation law.  He 
was one of the founders of the South Side Bank of Wheeling, in 1890, 
in connection with R. M. Gilleland.  He has been attorney for the 
bank and he and his brother, Frank J., have been directors from its 
inception.  He is a trustee of Linsly Institute, and president of the 
board of trustees of the Hearne Tabernacle, which was erected in 1893 
on South street, between Main and Market streets, by his father, as a 
place of worship for the poor.  It has been maintained by members of 
the Hearne fmaily since its completion.
	Mr. Hearne's union with Annie M. Stockton resulted in the birth 
of four children, two of whom are living, namely:  Augusta N. and 
Thomas McKennan, both of whom are at home.  Those deceased are 
Margaret and Laura.  In politics Mr. Hearne is a stanch Republican.  
In 1889 he declined the nomination for judge of the Circuit Court, 
and has since refused many proffered nominations for various official 
positions.