JAMES H. LANCASTER

James H. Lancaster, secretary of the Schmulbach Brewing Company, at 
Thirty-third and Wetzel streets, Wheeling, West Virginia, is one of 
the prominent men of the city.  He was born in Wheeling January 2, 
1863, and is a son of James A. and Roxana M. (Hall) Lancaster, the 
former of whom was a native of Baltimore, Maryland, the latter of 
West Virginia.

James A. Lancaster was a manufacturer of slack cooperage in Wheeling.  
He was born January 10, 1816, came to Wheeling in 1838, and here 
resided until November 30, 1884.  Then he moved to a farm in Marshall 
county, where he died September 26, 1886.  In the early "seventies" 
he was elected a member of the first branch of the city council by 
the Republican party, although living in a Democratic ward.  He was 
very popular among his people, honest, upright and a good Christian 
man.  In Religious convictions he and his wile were members of the 
Methodist Protestant church, their membership being held in the 
church at Mount Pleasant, Ohio.  He was united in marriage with 
Roxana M. Hall, who died in February, 1870, aged thirty-eight years.  
Two children were born to them, viz.:  James H.; and Minnie B., the 
wife of H. C. Stewart, who lives at Pittsburg, and has one child, 
Ruth.

James H. Lancaster received his mental training in the Wheeling 
public schools, after which he became manager with his father in the 
cooperating business.  In September, 1882, he accepted the office of 
deputy surveyor of customers under Gen. A. H. Beach, afterward 
serving under A. C. Egerter.  He held this office for the next five 
years, until his election as clerk of the board of public works of 
Wheeling.  This last position he filled for two years, and then went 
to New Cumberland, West Virginia, where he was employed as bookkeeper 
for McMahan, Porter & Company, manufactures of sewer pipe and brick.  
On January 1, 1891, he returned to Wheeling, and was bookkeeper for 
the Schmulbach Brewing Company, until he was elected secretary March 
14, 1893, which position he holds at present.  He is also secretary 
of the Fairmont & Clarksburg Electric Railroad Company.

Mr. Lancaster was united in marriage with Katherine E. Vogel, in 
1887.  Mrs. Lancaster is a native of Wheeling and a daughter of John 
M. and Anna (Koerner) Vogel, who still reside in Wheeling,--she is 
the oldest of three children now living, the others being; Minnie, 
wife of Charles E. Taylor, who is a farmer at Ridgeville, West 
Virginia; Emma, wife of I. N. Wykoff, a printer of Wheeling.  Two 
brothers, George and Fred, are deceased.

Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster have been blessed with two children, Walter 
L., who was born August 15, 1890, and died January 3, 1892; and 
Katherine E., who is now a pupil of the primary department in the 
Madison school.

The subject of this sketch is a member and brigadier general of the 
Uniform Rank, Knights of the Pythias, commanding the West Virginia 
Brigade.  he also belongs to the B. P. O. E. and the A. O. U. W.  He 
is a Republican in politics, and takes much interest in the party 
campaignus.  His wife is a member of the English Lutheran church.  
Mr. Lancaster is a first-class man, energetic, enterprising and one 
of the rising business men of the city.  His long service is an 
evidence of duty well done, and of a just appreciation on the part of 
his employers of faithful endeavor.

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

(Janice Davis)