U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Arthur, Richard A., Rev. (1817-1899) ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Braxton County and Central West Virginia by John Davison Sutton Sutton, West Virginia, January, 1919 Pages 345-346 Rev. Richard A. Arthur was born in Randolph county, Va., March 6, 1817. He was the son of William and Davison Arthur. His maternal grandfather was Joseph Friend, son of Captain Joseph Friend of Revolutionary fame, whose wife was a daughter of Joseph Skidmore, and sister to Captain John Skidmore. His parents removed from Randolph county to what is now known as the famous Salt Sulphur springs in the year 1819. He was the next to youngest of seven sons, all of whom were respected citizens. At the age of seventeen years, he left his home, crossed the Elk mountain with such school books as he possessed, and went to the little village of Summersville where he entered school and applied himself diligently until such time as he was enabled to teach. After teaching for some time to secure sufficient means to educate himself for the ministry, he entered college at Marietta, Ohio. After completing his course and graduating with honor, he went to Wheeling, W. Va., where he became principal of one of the city schools. In 1851, he was married to Miss Isabella S. Fisher of Wheeling. He felt the call to the ministry to be his life work, and after teaching in Wheeling and at the Clarksburg Academy, he again entered the work of the ministry which was so dear to his heart. He preached the gospel for many years, and held a number of prominent, positions both in the ministry and in educational work. In 1867, he moved his family from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Webster county where he went to recuperate his health which was failing from long and active service in the itinerancy. He regained his health in a large measure, and often preached the gospel with great earnestness and power. He was a member of the Cincinnati M. B. Conference at the time of his death, having been transferred from the W. Va. Conference in 1869. In his memories of him, Judge Wesley Atkinson says that, "As much as any other man of his generation, in the state of his birth, he left his impress upon the times in which he lived." Rev. Arthur died Nov. 11, 1899, at Webster Springs, W. Va. He inherited valuable lands in Webster county, and left quite a comfortable estate to his family. The children who succeeded him were William, a prominent business man of Webster county, and for several years was County Surveyor. William has since died. His daughters now living are Katie who was the wife of Captain Hillery (now dead), and Maggie who never married. One daughter Belle, died in Cincinnati before the family removed to W. Va. The Rev. Arthur was a man of very fine talent. He was at one time Professor of Mathematics in a college in Ohio. As a pulpit orator, he had few equals. He grew up in the ministry, and received inspiration from all that was grand in Nature. The deep gorges and murmuring waters, the valleys and giant mountains with its ever living foliage, the song of every bird of the forest, was to him a melody, while the beauty of the flowers which God had created to beautify his handiwork was to him an inspiration that throughout his ministry never lost its charm. Rev. Arthur, his wife and son William are resting in a beautiful plot of ground near Webster Springs on the banks of the Elk. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Randolph County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/randolph/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------