Today in Wheeling History: October 11–Thomas P. Thomas, grandson of Revolutionary War heroine Betty Zane, a prominent Wheeling resident, and former bookkeeper for Stone & Thomas department store, passed away at the age of 94 (1922).
Thomas Powell Thomas was born on November 29, 1827, in Belmont County, Ohio, on a farm above West Wheeling. He was the grandson of Elizabeth Zane, a notable figure in West Virginia history for her heroic act during the Revolutionary War. Thomas spent his early years farming and later participated in the California Gold Rush of 1849. After a brief stint in California, he returned to Wheeling and became a bookkeeper for the Stone & Thomas department store, which was co-managed by his brother, J.C. Thomas. Following the Civil War, Thomas retired from business and took up farming on the south end of Wheeling Island, which was predominantly farmland at the time. He lived a relatively private life, not engaging much in public affairs or politics. Thomas was known for his keen intelligence and could recite many of Shakespeare’s plays from memory. He passed away on October 11, 1922, at the age of 94, at the home of his nephew, W.E. Stone, 206 South Front Street, Wheeling Island. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library (https://tinyurl.com/yc39vk4a), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/yftvhu3z), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/mtd3exn4)
Photo credits: Wheeling Intelligencer, October 12, 1922
Thomas Powell Thomas was born on November 29, 1827, in Belmont County, Ohio, on a farm above West Wheeling. He was the grandson of Elizabeth Zane, a notable figure in West Virginia history for her heroic act during the Revolutionary War. Thomas spent his early years farming and later participated in the California Gold Rush of 1849. After a brief stint in California, he returned to Wheeling and became a bookkeeper for the Stone & Thomas department store, which was co-managed by his brother, J.C. Thomas. Following the Civil War, Thomas retired from business and took up farming on the south end of Wheeling Island, which was predominantly farmland at the time. He lived a relatively private life, not engaging much in public affairs or politics. Thomas was known for his keen intelligence and could recite many of Shakespeare’s plays from memory. He passed away on October 11, 1922, at the age of 94, at the home of his nephew, W.E. Stone, 206 South Front Street, Wheeling Island. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library (https://tinyurl.com/yc39vk4a), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/yftvhu3z), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/mtd3exn4)
Photo credits: Wheeling Intelligencer, October 12, 1922
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