From HISTORY OF THE PAN-HANDLE, West Virginia, 1879, by J. H. Newton, 
G. G. Nichols, and A. G. Sprankle. Page 268  

Contributed by Linda Cunningham Fluharty.


GEORGE R. TINGLE, Sheriff of Ohio county, is a native of Muskingum county, Ohio, 
and is the oldest son of Joseph D. Tingle, born October 30, 1807 at Morgantown, 
Virginia, while his grandfather was George R. Tingle, of Martinsburg, Virginia, 
who, September 6, 1775, married one Sarah McFarland, of the Forks of Cheat 
river. The latter venerable couple first settled in Morgantown, and then removed 
to Cambridge, Ohio, in 1806, where they built the fourth house in the place, and 
subsequently kept a hotel - becoming a very popular resident. Our subject's 
father, Joseph D. Tingle, practiced law in Guernsey county, Ohio, and was 
appointed by Gov. Tom Convin to a judgeship in the common pleas court. He 
married Catharine, oldest daughter of Richard Thomas, a merchant in Cambridge, 
who was a Baltimorean by birth. They had five sons and four daughters, as 
follows:  Margaret, who is now Mrs. Wilson Scott, of Cambridge, Ohio; Mary was 
married to Mr. J. H. Ash, Kentland, Ind.; and Kitty became Mrs. J. A. McEwen, 
but died in June 1876. George R., the oldest son, and subject of our sketch, was 
born March 6th, 1836, and only received a plain education at Cambridge Academy, 
coming to Wheeling March 1st, 1852. He first clerked in a boot and shoe store, 
next engaged with several wholesale houses as book keeper down to 1858, when he 
assisted to establish the wholesale grocery of Maxwell, Campbell & Tingle, on 
Main street. Mr. Campbell, however, retired in 1866, to become Sheriff, and to 
1871 the house remained Maxwell & Tingle. That year a Mr. Isham joined them, and 
the house was run as Maxwell, Tingle & Co., to 1872. Maxwell then retired and 
Tingle and Isham continued the business to 1876, when Mr. Tingle withdrew his 
interest to fill the expiring term of office for the late R. S. Brown, as 
sheriff. The following fall he was re-elected for four years and still fills the 
office. Mr. Tingle has also served several years in the city council, and 
officiated as a member of the board of commissioners for this county. He was 
always a prominent democrat, from the organization of the party in the state, 
and rendered invaluable services as secretary of the state executive committee. 
As chairman of the capital removal committee in 1875, Mr. Tingle was not only 
most indefatigable and successful in his mission, but earned for himself a 
special popularity for the influence and ability he brought to bear in the 
interests of this city-the result being that to this day Wheeling is the capital 
of the state. He was married in September 1862, to Lila, second daughter of E. 
W. Stephens, of this city, but she died January 20th, 1870, leaving three 
children. Mr. Tingle was married a second time in 1876 to Mary Frances, daughter 
of a Mr. Robertson, of New Orleans, though at the time a resident in Wheeling. 
Mr. Tingle's family, to the present, in all, consists of two sons and two 
daughters.