University of Virginia Library

THOMAS HENRY COOPER

The subject of this sketch, Thomas Henry Cooper,
was born at Locust Gap, Pennsylvania, July 1st, 1869,
and died at Salem, Virginia, March 23d, 1911. He was
a son of the late John Cooper and Maria (Padbury)
Cooper, both natives of Dudley, England. John
Cooper was born November 14th, 1842, and Maria
(Padbury) Cooper, December 10th, 1845. They were
united in marriage in Dudley, England, December
17th, 1866, and shortly thereafter came to the United
States and located in Pennsylvania, where John Henry
Cooper was born and where his father worked in the
coal mines for a number of years.

John Cooper, accompanied by his family, came to
West Virginia in 1871, located on the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railroad and worked in the mines at Fire Creek,
Quinnimont, Hawk's Nest, and Caperton. He came to
the Pocahontas coal fields in 1883 and shipped
his first car of coal from Mill Creek in November of the
following year. Being a practical miner and a man of
keen business foresight, he acquired lands in the Pocahontas
fields and began operations on an extensive
scale and was regarded as a leader in the development
of that section of the State. He acquired wealth and
up to the time of his death, which occurred December
6th, 1899, he was one of the most influential men
operating along the lines of the Norfolk & Western
Railway.

Thomas Henry Cooper, the subject of this sketch,
began work in a coal mine as a breaker boy at the age
of seven years and kept continually at it until he was
fifteen years of age, when he entered Roanoke College
at Salem, Virginia, where he remained for a period
of five years. Returning to the coal fields from Roanoke
College, he was made assistant to his father in the
management of the Mill Creek Coal and Coke Company
at Coopers, West Virginia. In 1893, he was
made Superintendent of the Coaldale Coal and Coke
Company, with his residence at Coaldale, West Virginia.

In 1897 he was elected manager of the McDowell
Coal and Coke Company. Mr. Cooper had the management
of all the above named operations until the
time of his death. These enterprises of which he was
the head, are all owned and controlled by the Cooper
family, hence it can be readily seen that they are
among the largest operators in the Pocahontas coal
fields.

In 1904 Mr. Cooper came to Salem, Virginia, and
erected the most palatial home to be found in this
section of Virginia, and resided there with his family
until his death.

As a citizen of Roanoke County he was interested
in many of the leading enterprises, among which might
be mentioned: Stockholder in the Farmers National
Bank of Salem, Virginia; a stockholder and director
in the Bank of Salem; was the President and the
largest stockholder of the Cooper Silica Glass Company,
and President of the Colonial Bank and Trust
Company of Roanoke, Virginia, from its inception to
the time of his death.

He was a broad minded, public spirited citizen,
generous to a fault, and in his death Roanoke County
sustained an irreparable loss.

June 6th, 1893, he married Mary Ella Busey Barnitz,
daughter of the late Judge and Mrs. William M.
Barnitz, of Salem, Virginia, and to them were born
eight children, as follows: Edward, deceased; Thomas
H; Elizabeth May; John, deceased; Ruth; Blanche;
Mary Barnitz, deceased, and Maria Cooper.

Fraternally he was identified with all branches of
Masonry; was Past Master of the Bramwell Lodge,
A. F. and A. M.; a member of Ivanhoe Commandery
No. 10 Knights Templar, and a member of Beni
Kedem Temple of Shriners, Charleston, West Virginia.
He was also an Odd Fellow.

Religiously he was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, having been converted under

the ministry of Bishop Collins Denny, who was pastor
of the Salem Methodist Church while Mr. Cooper
was a student at Roanoke College.