U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hambrick, J. Walter (b. 1878) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 443-444 J. WALTER HAMBRICK, one of the most active promoters and stirring young business men of Huntington, West Virginia, was born in Mason County, West Virginia, April 3, 1878. He is the president of the Crown Coal & Lumber Company and the owner and manager of an immense plant at Central City engaged in the manufacture of nail kegs and oval wood dishes, be sides being both actively and financially interested in a number of other successful enterprises. Mr. Hambrick was educated at the Mountain State Business College, at Parkersburg, and entered upon an active career while quite young. He began by buying and selling timber at the age of 11 years and has been located at Huntington since 1894. He organized the Big Woods Lumber Company, and the Big Woods, Lombard & Red River Railroad Company, operating in Kentucky, and is vice-president of and a director of the same; the company controls over 6,000 acres of heavily timbered land and some 13 miles of well equipped narrow- gauge railroad. This property is located near the center of the Kentucky oil fields and the land is also underlaid with coal. He is also extensively interested in about 232,000 acres of coal and timber lands, and is pushing developing work. He is also president of the Crown Coal & Lumber Company, but for some time past he has been giving particular attention to the management and improvement, by the introduction of up-to-date machinery, of his plant at Central City where he manufactures nail kegs and oval wood dishes. Mr. Hambrick has in addition to his Central City plant a thoroughly equipped saw and planing mill which enables him to produce his own material for building his houses and boxes for his own purpose. He also has for a supply of raw material over 30,000) acres of timber land and stumpage, which assures him of a constant supply of material at a low price for the Central City plant. He also operates a band mill, besides some portable mills, in which he is directly interested. His Central City plant he has built up until the various buildings cover a floor space of 68,000 square feet, and the capacity of the plant is about 10,000 kegs and 600,000 oval wood dishes per day. The output is all contracted for and larger facilities are necessary. Much of the new machinery was invented and patented by Mr. Hambrick himself, one of these being used in the manufacture of the oval dishes by which they are turned out neither chipped nor checked and an inch of lumber furnishes 25 dishes. His stave machine cuts the staves in natural form without healing, and they can be cut any width. Mr. Hambrick has purchased a number of lots at Central City, near his plant and will soon begin the erection of 40 houses for the use of his employees. Besides his other enterprises, he operates three general stores, one in Central City and two in Kentucky. Mr. Hambrick has conveniently located offices in the Florentine Hotel building, Huntington, and is always in the market to buy or sell all kinds of lumber, and makes a specialty of handling hard wood lumber for stock purposes. In getting out raw material, about 160 men are employed, in addition to his factory operatives. On June 10, 1902, Mr. Hambrick was united in marriage with Helen D. Strack, daughter of E. W. Strack, of Ashland, Kentucky, an extensive operator of that town who pays particular attention to getting out chair stock. It is somewhat remarkable for a country-bred lad to so quickly take a leading position among old business veterans. His faculties are keen, his judgment unfailing, his thorough understanding complete concerning anything he undertakes, while he also possesses that daring which accompanies his temperament. The fact is, he acts while others meditate. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Cabell County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/cabell/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------