Today in Wheeling History: January 1--Henry Boose Clemens, former slave, barber, and political leader of Wheeling, died (1923).
Henry Boose Clemens (1843-1923) was born into slavery in Wheeling, Virginia, and was a slave owned by Sherrard Clemens, a cousin of Mark Twain. After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Henry became a free man and worked as a barber in Wheeling. He married Elizabeth Annie Lock, whose grandmother was a former slave and lived to be 114 years old. Henry became involved in Republican politics, participating in organizing events and running for city council multiple times. He was known for his wit and humor as a popular barber, and he eventually became a bailiff at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. Henry Boose Clemens passed away in 1923 and is buried at Mt. Wood Cemetery. (https://tinyurl.com/mt7y75d5)
Henry Boose Clemens (1843-1923) was born into slavery in Wheeling, Virginia, and was a slave owned by Sherrard Clemens, a cousin of Mark Twain. After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Henry became a free man and worked as a barber in Wheeling. He married Elizabeth Annie Lock, whose grandmother was a former slave and lived to be 114 years old. Henry became involved in Republican politics, participating in organizing events and running for city council multiple times. He was known for his wit and humor as a popular barber, and he eventually became a bailiff at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. Henry Boose Clemens passed away in 1923 and is buried at Mt. Wood Cemetery. (https://tinyurl.com/mt7y75d5)
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