George Jackson Rogers

Attorney

-- from History of West Virginia, Old and New -- Chicago: American Historical Society, 1923. v. 2., p. 20

GEORGE JACKSON ROGERS has been a Wheeling lawyer for the past twenty years, with an extensive civil practice. He belongs to a family of lawyers, his father having been one of the prominent members of the West Virginia bar.

The grandfather of George J. Rogers was Alexander Rogers, who was born at Newry, County Armagh, Ireland, in 1801. He came to America when a young man, about 1830, settled at Wheeling, and was prominent in business, at first as a merchant tailor and later as owner and operator of an iron foundry. He died at Wheelin January 5, 1887. After coming to Wheeling he married, in 1846, Miss Elizabeth Johnston, who as born at Wheeling, September 28, 1815, and died in that city February 24, 1897. Of her five children three reached mature years: James P. Rogers; Margaret Johnston, wife of Frderick H. Lange, who is president of the Home Outfitting Company at Wheeling and manager of the Alexander Rogers estate; and Thomas Johnston Rogers, who died at Wheeling in 1864, at the age of twenty-four. Elizabeth Johnston, the mother of these children, was aduaghter of Thomas Johnston, who became identified with the Village of Wheeling about 1798 and was one of the leading merchants of the town in early times. He died at Wheeling in 1849. Thomas Johnston married Miss Meholin, who was born in Harrison County, Ohio, and died at Wheeling.

James Patterson Rogers, who was born at Wheeling April 29, 1838, spent all his life in his native city, graduated A. B. from Jefferson College at Cannonsburg, and for about forty years was engaged in an extensive law practice. He was one of the leaders in the democratic party, and shortly after the Civil war served as prosecuting attorney. He was Municipal Court judge in 1874-75, and always after that was known as Judge Rogers. He died at Wheeling January 24, 1904. He was one of the founders of St. Luke's Episcopal Church at Wheeling, and was senior warden from 1881 until his death. He also belonged to the Masonic fraternity. Judge Rogers married Martha Joanna Jackson, who is still living in Wheeling. She was born at Cedarville, Ohio, January 9, 1850. George Jackson Rogers is her oldest child. Elizabeth Johnston Rogers is the wife of James W. Ewing, a Wheeling lawyer. Ladora Kerr Rogers is the wife of Newton Waltz, who is engaged in the carriage and automobile manufacturing business at Wheeling. Minerva Townsley Rogers, the youngest child, died in April, 1882, at the age of seventeen months.

George Jackson Rogers was born at Wheeling March 17, 1876. He acquired a public school education at Wheeling, graduated in 1894 from Linsly Institute, and was major of a battlion of cadets while in the institute. With this preparation he entered the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, graduating A. B. in 1897, and did his law work at Harvard University, graduating LL. B. in 1901. Since then he has been steadily engaged in the practice of law at Wheeling, and has confined his attention to civil cases and has almost altogether an office practice. His offices are in the Wheeling Steel Corporation Building. Mr. Rogers is a member of the Ohio County Bar Association, is a vestryman in St. Luke's Episcopal Church and votes as a democrat. At Bellefontaine, Ohio, September 11, 1912, he married Miss Clara E. West, daughter of John E. and Eleanor (Johnson) West, residents of Bellefontaine, where her father is one of the leading lawyers of his district. Mrs. Rogers is a graduate with the A. B. degree from Wooster University of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have four children: Elizabeth Johnston, born July 15, 1913; John West, born December 2, 1914; James Patterson, born November 6, 1916; and Eleanor Johnson, born December 12, 1920.

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