U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fortney, Neil J. (1849-1923) --------------------------------------------------------------------- A History of Preston County West Virginia The Journal Publishing Company, Kingwood W.Va. 1914 by J. R. Cole Pages 586-588 HON. NEIL J. FORTNEY. The subject of our sketch, Hon. Neil J. Fortney, was born near Independence, Preston county, November 22, 1849. He was the youngest son of the family of ten children of David H. and Angelina S. Fortney. Mr. Fortney, who ranks among the leading lawyers of our state, is of French descent on the paternal side, and German on the maternal side. His grandfather, Daniel Fortney, a native of France, came to this country about the year 1780, and settled in Frederick county, Maryland, and from there removed to Preston county about the year 1796. Mr. Fortney's early education was received at Independence, Preston county, and he removed with his parents to Indianola, Iowa, in 1865, at which place he attended the public schools for two years. He then took a three-year course at Simpson Centenary College of that place. Leaving Iowa in 1872, he spent some time in traveling over Western and Northwestern states and territories, engaged in school teaching and other employments, and among them, in order to develop a rugged and necessary stock of muscle, spent some time on the "river craft" of the Missouri River. It is plain to see that Mr. Fortney is thoroughly familiar with life in practically all its various conditions. Finally his native state and county appealed to him, so in 1873 he returned to Independence, near where he was born and had spent his early youth, decided upon entering the practice of law, and during his studies taught school and also clerked in stores. In 1877 he was appointed deputy clerk of the county court of Preston, which place he filled for two years; then in 1897, having passed examination before the Supreme Court of Appeals of the state, he was admitted to the bar. One year later he was elected prosecuting attorney of Preston county, in which position he served well nigh continuously for twenty years. By display of great ability and the exercise of the most careful attention to the needs of the people of his county, coupled with absolute fairness in the discharge of his duties, he became and continued to be very popular as an officer, but voluntarily declined to offer himself for re-election, and since then has devoted all his ability and energy exclusively to the practice of his profession. Combining the alert and constructive quality of mind, peculiarly belonging to the French, with the certain and compact reasoning of the German, endows him with ready ability in digesting matters of law and fact, and true discernment of equity. His possession of these qualities, together with his untarnished record for honesty and fairness in his long practice as an attorney was so well known among the representative citizens of the Judicial Circuit now composed of Preston and Taylor counties, that it resulted in securing him a most flattering plurality for nomination for the office of Judge of the circuit at the Republican primary election which was held in the two counties on June 4, 1912 over two other very popular competitors, one of therm being a resident of his own (Preston) county, and was elected by a handsome majority, and at the regular election in the following November was elected Judge by the next largest majority obtained by any of the Judges of the state. Mr. Fortney took up his residence in Kingwood in 1874, and on June 3, 1879, was married to Alice Edna Godwin, daughter of Captain Joseph M. Godwin of Kingwood, and they have one son, L. Vernon, living. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fortney, Neil Judson (1849-1923) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 538-539 NEIL JUDSON FORTNEY, who is now serving his fifth term as prosecuting attorney of Preston County, West Virginia, was born November 22, 1849, near Independence, Preston County, Virginia, now West Virginia. He is a son of David H. Fortney, whose father came to Maryland, from France, and whose mother was of German ancestry. In 1865 David H. Fortney removed with his family to Indianola, Iowa. Neil Judson Fortney attended the local schools in his native locality and after the family removed to Iowa he became a student in Simpson Centenary College. In 1870 he took an extended tour through the West, increasing his fund of general knowledge, engaging in various callings and frequently corresponding for the press. He returned to Preston County, West Virginia, in 1874 and then entered upon the study of the law; he was made deputy county clerk, and in 1879 was admitted to the bar, since which time he has become prominent in his profession, valued in political circles and esteemed in the social and domestic life of Kingwood. In 1880, Mr. Fortney was first elected prosecuting attorney, and he entered upon the duties of that responsible position, on January 1, 1881. At the close of his term of four years, he was re-elected by an increased majority and at the expiration of his second term he was elected again to the same of lice by a still greater majority, and served the full term of four years. He was elected in 1898 to fill the last two years of the unexpired term of his successor, and in 1900 was again elected by a greater majority than at any previous election, and is now serving out the fifth term to which he has been elected, at the end of which he will have served 18 years in all, as noted. His ability and industry, his carefulness, fairness and promptness, have contributed to his success and his capable handling of the important cases brought before him during his long term of office, has given him a reputation all over the State. On June 3, 1879, Mr. Fortney was united in marriage with Alice Edna Godwin, the eldest daughter of Capt. Joseph M. Godwin, of Kingwood, West Virginia. In politics, Mr. Fortney is a Republican. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Information: --------------------------------------------------------------------- From Death Certificate, Preston County, WV #13993 FULL-NAME: Neil J. Fortney BIRTH-DATE: November 22, 1851 BIRTH-PLACE: Preston DEATH-DATE: October 7, 1923 (at age 71y-10m-15d) DEATH-PLACE: Kingwood, Preston County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: married OCCUPATION: Lawyer FATHER: David Fortney (born in Preston Co.) MOTHER: Leila Zinn (born in Preston Co., W.Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Apoplexy / arterio sclerosis INFORMANT: E. Vernon Fortney (of Kingwood, W.Va.) BURIAL: Kingwood Cemetery DEATH CERTIFICATE, Monroe County WV #12162 FULL-NAME: Alice E. Fortney DATE-OF-BIRTH: 3-Jun-1864 in Rowlesburg, Preston, WV DATE-OF-DEATH: 3-Oct-1945 in Sweet Springs, Monroe WV MARITAL-STATUS: widow of Neal Fortney FATHER: Joseph M. Goodwin (born in Barbour Co. WV) MOTHER: Sarah Stone (born in Preston Co. WV) PLACE-OF-BURIAL: Kingwood Cemetery --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Preston County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/preston/bios.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------