My Genealogy Hound

J. C. NEELY was born in Doddridge County (now West) Virginia, on July 22, 1847, and is a son of Matthew and Maria (Newlow) Neely. The parents were natives of Virginia and of Irish descent. The paternal grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The father was a soldier in some of the early Indian wars. The parents lived and died in Virginia. Subject is the youngest of twelve children, of whom ten are now living. Subject’s education was received in the schools of Morgantown, Va., and in 1867 he accepted a position as time-clerk in the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; served there a short time and then entered the employment of the Knoxville & Kentucky Railroad, and subsequently was with the Western North Carolina Railroad. In 1871 he turned his attention to railroad contracting, which he has followed extensively ever since; the following being some of the railroads with which he has been engaged: In 1871, the North & South Alabama; in 1872, the Illinois Central; in 1874, the Cincinnati Southern; in 1876, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; in 1879, the Cincinnati Southern; in 1880, the Pensacola & Alabama; in 1881, the Knoxville Branch of the Louisville & Nashville; in 1882, the New Orleans & Northeastern. In 1883 he was appointed by the United States Government as contractor on the Mississippi levee at Fairview, La. Mr. Neely was married at Bardwell, Ballard County, on June 24, 1874, to Miss Virginia Anderson, a daughter of David M. and Elizabeth (Knight) Anderson. The parents were brought to this State when children, and settled first in Logan County. In 1869 they came to this county and settled on the farm of 100 acres, now occupied by the widow. There the father died in 1870. Mr. Neely is a member of the Masonic fraternity.