U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazlett, Robert W. (1828-1899) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: American Medical Biographies (1920) by Howard A. Kelly and Walter L. Burrage Pages 510-511 Robert W. Hazlett was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1828, his parents being Samuel and Sarah Johns Hazlett. His paternal grandparents, Robert Hazlett from Edinburgh, and Mary Caldwell Hazlett, daughter of Katherine Caldwell (nee Rene), a Huguenot, came to America in 1785. He had his college course at Washington, now Washington and Jefferson College, some years later receiving his A. M. He early evinced an interest in medicine and showed it by preparation of many specimens for the college lectures on anatomy and physiology by Dr. James King, a work for which he possessed natural artistic talent. He began to study medicine in Wheeling, West Virginia, with his cousin. Dr. R. H. Cummins, receiving his M. D. in 1851 from Jefferson Medical College, and taking a post-graduate course in Philadelphia, soon after settling in South Wheeling. In 1857 for recuperation he went into the mountains, and, always fond of geology, became interested in searching for coal and oil, and "located" and supervised the boring of the state's first productive oil well. In June, 1861, Hazlett again left practice, this time to enter the Union Army as surgeon of the second West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In the autumn of 1862 he was appointed brigade-surgeon of Lathanis Independent Brigade, and in 1863 surgeon of the United States General Hospital at Grafton. The war over, Dr. Hazlett resumed practice in Wheeling, was very successful and ranked high among his fellows. He was president of the Ohio County Medical Society and president in 1893 of the State Medical Association. From its origin he was consulting physician to the City Hospital. Dr. Hazlett married Mary Elizabeth Hobbs, October 7, 1852, and had four sons and one daughter — Howard, Samuel, Edward, Robert, and Katherine. Dr. Hazlett died at his home in Wheeling, West Virginia, on September 2, 1899, after a year's illness with pernicious anemia. His writings, which were not numerous, are to be found in the transactions of the West Virginia State Medical Association. Samuel Lawrence Jepson. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazlett, Robert W. (1828-1899) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 729-732 ROBERT W. HAZLETT, M. D., deceased, was a distinguished physician and surgeon of Wheeling, West Virginia, for more than 45 years. He was one of the most prominent residents of the city, and at different times held many offices of public trust. He was born at Washington, Pennsylvania, April 26, 1828, and was a son of Samuel and Sarah Hazlett. His father moved from Connecticut to Washington, Pennsylvania, early in the 19th century, and there conducted a banking business. Dr. Hazlett attended Washington College during his youth but because of illness did not graduate with his class. He was a contemporary student with the illustrious James G. Blaine. Subsequently he was given the degree of A. M. by the trustees of the college. In early life he was quite an artist, and prepared many illustrations and specimens for the medical lectures of Dr. King. He determined upon medicine as his profession, and in the early "forties" went to Wheeling and read medicine under Drs. Clemens and Cummins. He then attended Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, from which he graduated in the spring of 1851, returning to that institution the following winter for a post- graduate course. He later located in Wheeling and practiced until the winter of 1857-58, when his health required the relinquishment of his practice. He wandered over the hills of West Virginia, at the same time making a rough geological examination of the coal fields of counties east of the Appalachian Range. During this time he located, and had the supervision of drilling, the first oil well in what is now West Virginia, the oil strike causing much excitement throughout the United States. He also found a peculiar and apparently inexhaustible stratum of coal at Ritchie. His health having improved greatly, he returned to Wheeling and practiced his profession for a short time. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the service as surgeon of the 2nd Reg., Virginia Vol. Inf., being commissioned in June, 1861. In the fall of 1862 he was appointed surgeon of Latham's independent brigade, and in 1863 he resigned and was appointed one of the surgeons of the United States general hospital at Grafton, West Virginia. He was later commissioned by the Secretary of War as surgeon of the board of enrollment of the first district of West Virginia. He saw much fighting during the war, and participated in many engagements, among them being the battles of Monterey, McDowell, Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Waterloo, White Sulphur Springs, Warrenton, Freeman's Ford, Second Bull Run, Centerville, and Chantilly. At the close of the war, Dr. Hazlett resumed practice at Wheeling and was most successful. He served as president of the city and county medical societies, and twice declined the nomination for the presidency of the State Medical Society. In 1893. however, he was unanimously elected to that office, and presided that year at the meeting at Berkeley Springs. He served in the City Council and as member of the Board of Education, and for more than 20 years was examining surgeon for pensions for the United States government. At the time of his death he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and was largely interested in many manufacturing and business enterprises. He was a director of the National Bank of West Virginia at Wheeling, and also of the Wheeling & Belmont Bridge Company. He retired from active practice about 1880, and died in 1899. Many fitting tributes were paid and resolutions passed by the various medical societies and other organizations of Wheeling, and a fine biographical sketch of his life was prepared by Dr. Jepson of Wheeling. His family residence was at No. 921 Main street, where his widow and children now reside. He and his wife had four sons and one daughter, namely: Howard, president of the Mutual Savings Bank, and a stock broker, with his office on 12th street; Samuel, assistant cashier of the People's Bank, Wheeling; Edward, a member of the firm of Lewis & Hazlett, iron brokers, with offices in the City Bank Building: Robert, a record of whose life follows this sketch; and Catherine, who is living at home. Robert Hazlett, who is now serving his third term in the capacity of county engineer of Ohio County, has attained high rank in civil engineering. He was born in Wheeling in 1863, was graduated from the public schools of this city in 1880, and then prepared for college at Linsly Institute. In 1883 he entered the Ohio State University, from which he was graduated in 1887, with the degree of C. E. He returned to Wheeling, where his first work was as assistant engineer on the Southern Pennsylvania & Ohio Railway, from Wheeling to Bowerston, Ohio. He was thus employed for one year, after which he was draughtsman, and later first assistant engineer, for the Wheeling Bridge & Terminal Railway Company. He had charge of the construction of the steel viaduct of the north terminal at Martin's Ferry, and also of the Chapline Hill Tunnel. After their completion he went to Washington, D. C., and assumed charge of the construction of the bridge across the Potomac River, and the building of the electric railway to Arlington Cemetery. He then went to New York City and was associated with Job Abbott, a prominent civil engineer, who had previously been consulting engineer at Wheeling. While with him, Mr. Hazlett made plans for the construction of 200 miles of railroad, and also of station buildings for the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad, in Maine. He returned to Wheeling in 1895, and entered a co-partnership with Gilhner Brown, C. E., which continued until 1899, when Mr. Brown returned to Boston. During the existence of this firm they built the water works system, including the plant and mains, and the masonry reservoir for the Suburban Light & Water Company. They then built the Wheeling & Suburban Railway from Elm Grove to Triadelphia, and later, the Wheeling & Elm Grove Railroad, with double tracks. They built the Parkersburg Electric Railway at Parkersburg. West Virginia (including the erection of the power- house), one of the finest lines in the State. Since the dissolution of the partnership, Mr. Hazlett has been chief engineer of the Fairmont & Clarksburg Electric Railway, which has 30 miles of track, and built a part of the track in Fairmont and Clarksburg. He resigned this position January 1, 1901, and since then has been chief engineer of the Wheeling & Wellsburg electric line, which has 16 miles of track. He succeeded A. S. Bell as county engineer of Ohio County, and is now serving his third term in that capacity. He has had charge of 200 miles of road in the county, and also of the construction of 38 steel bridges, which are rapidly replacing the old wooden ones. Three years ago, at the suggestion of Mr. Hazlett, the Board of County Commissioners began grading and paving the National Pike. His duties as county engineer require a considerable portion of his time, but he occupies himself mostly with designing and construction work. In 1896 he became a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In politics, he is a Republican, and is a member of the City Council from the Second Ward, and a member of the committee on ordinances. He is an officer of the West Virginia Humane Society, an organization which exerts a great power for good, the originator and president being Mrs. John K. List. His father, Dr. Robert W. Hazlett, in his will left a goodly sum of money to different charities, including the Wheeling and City hospitals and the Y. M. C. A. Mr. Hazlett resides at the old home at No. 921 Main street, with his mother and sister. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Information: --------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: DEATH REGISTER of Ohio County WV 1899, Page 124, Line 191 give his place of birth as "Germany" Date of death: Sept 2 at age 71y-6m Cause: Old Age Occupation: Physician DEATH REGISTER, Ohio County WV 1901, Page 158, Line 226 Mary E. Hazlett died Oct 16 at age 72y-0m-23d Marital Status: Widow Cause: Old Age --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Ohio County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/ohio/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------