U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Strother, James A. (1870-1930) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 536-537 JAMES A. STROTHER, mayor of Welch, McDowell County, West Virginia, senior member of the law firm of Strother, Taylor & Strother, and one of the leading citizens, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, January 13, 1870. His father, Hon. John R. Strother, is prominent in State politics, and in early life was an attorney. Later he engaged in farming and is still so occupied, at the age of 65 years. In the early "seventies" he served in the State Legislature, both in the upper and the lower house. The Strother family is an old and honorable one in Virginia, of English descent. The mother of our subject belonged to the Payne family of Madison County, Virginia, and the grandmother to the old Wilhoit family, early German settlers in the iron regions of Virginia. The sons of Hon. John R. Strother, exclusive of our subject, are: G. F., a lumberman of Welch, West Virginia; J. H., a merchant of Welch, West Virginia; and Philip, of Culpeper County, Virginia, where the daughters, three in number, of the family also reside. James A. Strother has attained his prominence mainly through his own efforts. His complete knowledge of the law and jurisprudence was gained almost entirely through private reading, and he was admitted to the bar in Culpepper County, Virginia, after a very short course at the University of Virginia. In 1891 he removed to Welch, and for a season was a law partner of W. H. Stokes. In 1901 a partnership was formed by J. A. and D. J. F. Strother and W. L. Taylor, under the firm name of Strother, Taylor & Strother. The business is general practice, including a great deal of corporation work. The firm has built commodious office rooms in the vicinity of the Norfolk & Western Railway depot and commands a large part of the patronage of the county. In politics Mr. Strother was formerly a Democrat, but has latterly been identified with the Republican party. He has served the town in the capacity of mayor for the past seven years, being elected on a non-partisan ticket each year. In 1896 he was a candidate for the State Senate on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated. In 1894 Mr. Strother was married to a daughter of T. S. Taylor, ex- sheriff of Giles County, Virginia. They have one daughter, Mary James, three years old. The family attend the Protestant Episcopal Church. Fraternally Mr. Strother is a Mason, belonging to the blue lodge at Welch and the chapter at Bramwell; and is also an Odd Fellow and an Elk. ------------------------------------------------------------------- From Death Certificate, McDowell County, WV #5153 FULL-NAME: Judge James A. Strother BIRTH-DATE: January 13, 1870 BIRTH-PLACE: Culpepper, Va. DEATH-DATE: April 4, 1930 (at age 60y-2m-21d) DEATH-PLACE: Welch, Browns Creek District, McDowell County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Married (Mary Taylor) OCCUPATION: Judge Criminal Court, McDowell County FATHER: John R. Strother (born in Culpepper, Va.) MOTHER: Viola Payne (born in Culpepper, Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Revolver wound of head, accidental INFORMANT: D. J. F. Strother (of Welch, W.Va.) BURIAL: Culpepper, Va. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for McDowell County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/mcdowell/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------