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

Contributed by Linda Fluharty.

Pages 615-616

W. W. IRWIN, a prominent resident of Wheeling, West Virginia, is sheriff of
Ohio county, and conducts a drug store on the corner of Twenty-fourth and
Chapline streets.  He is also a member of the board of trade, and one of
the most  progressive business men of the city.  He was born in Boyle
county, Kentucky, in 1861, and is a son of Robert and Rachel (Wilson) Irwin.
     Robert Irwin was reared in Belmont county, Ohio, and later lived in
Danville, Kentucky, and Knoxville, Tennessee.  He became a prominent business
man, and died at Knoxville in the fall of 1895.  He was united in marriage
at Wheeling, West Virginia, with Rachel Wilson, a native of this city, who
was an aunt of Dr. L. D. and A. J. Wilson.  She died in 1876, having given
birth to three sons and four daughters, all of whom were born at Danville,
Kentucky.  The daughters now reside in Tennessee.
     W. W. Irwin, the first son born to his parents, was educated in Center
College in Kentucky, and graduated at the age of nineteen years, with the
class of 1881.  He immediately thereafter moved to Wheeling, where he secured
a position in the drug store of A. T. Young, with whom he served an appren-
ticeship and learned the business.  October 1, 1883, he located on the corner
of Twenty-fourth and Chapline streets as manager of a drug store, of which he
became proprietor in 1886.  He has since owned this establishment, and his
success as a druggist has been unqualified.  During his official service as
sheriff of Ohio county, it is being ably managed by C. E. Peters.  He has
always been an active Democrat, and in 1891 was elected a member of the second
branch of the city council, where he served two years.  He was then elected
for four years as a member of the first branch of the city council, from the
sixth ward, and his term expired January 1, 1897.  He served two terms as a
member of the board of county commissioners from Webster district. In November,
1900, he was the choice of the people of Ohio county for sheriff, and entered
upon the duties of office January 1, 1901.  The position is one of great
responsibility, but the manner in which he is discharging his duties has met
with universal approbation.
     In 1889, Mr. Irwin was united in marriage with Mary G. Ott, a daughter of
Henry Ott, and they have one daughter, Martha G.  His residence is in the sixth
ward, and he and his family are members of the Second Presbyterian church.
Fraternally, he is a thirty-second degree Mason, being past eminent commander
of Wheeling Commandery, No. 1, K. T., and past potentate of Osiris Temple,
A. A. O. N. M. S. He is a member of Black Prince Lodge, No. 19, K. of P.; and
belongs to the A. O. U. W., and Lodge No 28, B. P. O. E., of Wheeling.