U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hoard, Charles Brooks (1805-1886) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 570-573 HON. CHARLES BROOKS HOARD, whose death occurred at Ceredo, West Virginia, on November 20, 1886, was born at Springfield, Vermont, January 28, 1805. The family, according to its early records, is descended from Norman stock which accompanied William the Conqueror in his subjugation of England in the nth century; early in the 12th century it is known to have possessed large holdings in England, Wales and Ireland. The American ancestor was a London banker who with his wife and children reached Boston, Massachusetts, in 1635. He dying soon after, his family removed to Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, and there the widow died in 1661. In 1821, at the age of 16, Charles Brooks Hoard went to Antwerp, New York, where his older brothers had preceded him and were engaged in business. He was in the land office of Mr. Parish for some time at Parishville, and then, having returned to Antwerp, began to learn watch repairing; this business he mastered, after which he accepted a position in Mr. Parish's land office at Antwerp. In 1828 he married Susan Heald, daughter of Daniel and Anna Heald. While with Mr. Parish he was elected a justice of the peace, and was re-elected for several years after he was out of the land office. He also held the office of postmaster at Antwerp under both Jackson and VanBuren. In 1837 he was elected a member of the General Assembly from Jefferson County, and during that session (1837-38) the Legislature passed the celebrated "Safety Fund Banking Law," which proved of inestimable value to the people of the Empire State. The security for issuing bank bills under that law was based upon mortgages of unencumbered improved farming land at one-half its assessed value. He was the author of the mortgage feature in the bill and its operation was peculiarly beneficial to such farmers as possessed good unmortgaged farms but needed ready cash for improving them. In 1843 he was elected county clerk of Jefferson County and moved his family to Watertown in 1844. He discharged the duties of county clerk with entire acceptability, introducing many needed reforms, which gave great satisfaction to members of the bar, and all who had business with the office. Soon after his term expired as county clerk, he with a Mr. Bradford engaged in the manufacture of portable steam engines, their plant being the pioneer factory for this class of engines. Mr. Hoard was a personal friend of Horace Greeley, dating from the time when Mr. Hoard was in the General Assembly of 1837. Mr. Greeley visited Watertown and there examined the first engine which left the shop of Hoard & Bradford, a two-horsepower machine which furnished power for a neighboring printing office. On the occasion of Mr. Greeley's visit, the proprietor was in the act of feeding his cylinder press. The great editor was delighted and in a letter written for the Tribune he gave the inventors a very flattering notice. That was the beginning of a business that proved the most remunerative of any yet started in that part of the State. After four years of partnership, Mr. Hoard bought Mr. Bradford's interest and took his son into partnership. At the height of his business success, Mr. Hoard was elected a Representative of the 35th Congress from the 23rd Congressional District of New York and was re-elected to the 36th Congress by an increased majority. The Civil War coming on at this time greatly reduced the number of orders for engines, because the South and the Mississippi Valley had from the start been the best sections for sales. As the business promised to be much less remunerative as long as the war lasted and perhaps for several years after its close, Mr. Hoard turned his attention to some other article which would give employment to his skilled mechanics and keep in operation his large works which then had spread over several acres, full of the best machinery money could buy. As a temporary matter he undertook a $1,000,000 gun contract with the government, agreeing to manufacture 50,000 Springfield rifles at $20 each. This contract proved extremely disastrous financially, and Mr. Hoard ceased to manufacture. He sold most of his splendid machinery to the Turkish government, but at such a loss as to use up nearly his entire fortune. Having discharged every financial claim upon him and without a single law suit, he began to look around for some other business in which to repair his losses. After a winter spent in Missouri, where he had considerable landed interests, he removed, in 1868, to Ceredo, Wayne County, West Virginia, at that time a town of about 125 people where Eli Thayer had planted (in 1857-58) a small colony of New Englanders in carrying out his colonization scheme, which had a conspicuous place in the political history of the country just before the Civil War. Thayer and his associates had borrowed a considerable amount of money from Mr. Hoard, and mortgaged their town site and adjoining lands for security. The war practically obliterated it as a colonization scheme, leaving Mr. Hoard to realize what he could out of his securities. After investigating the location and the mineral and timber resources naturally tributary to the Ohio River in that section, he decided to remain and bend his efforts to building up the town. He made two efforts, in connection with parties in West Virginia and outside of the State, to build a 50-mile railroad from the river at Ceredo back to the coal deposits, some 25 miles distant. Several thousand dollars were expended, and a few miles of grading done, but both efforts were unfortunate in being so timed as to encounter financial panics — the first in 1873, and the second in 1882-83. A leading idea in these efforts was that it would be an inducement for some railroad from the South seeking the Ohio River to join it and thus be advantageous to Ceredo. This route is now occupied by a trunk railroad. From this time on Mr. Hoard, on account of advancing years, became less active in business affairs, but was thrown more or less among the leading men of his part of West Virginia and of Southern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky. He was recognized as a man of advanced ideas and of large experience. He was generally respected by all classes. His two sons, Pitt Hoard, who moved with his family from New York to Ceredo in 1876, and S. Floyd Hoard who removed to Ceredo in the fall of 1871, are well known residents of Ceredo, having been associated with their father during his life, and together since his death, in the management of their landed interests in Ceredo and Wayne County. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Wayne County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/wayne/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------