Joseph Walter THORNBURY

  Noted events in his life were:

• Biography: The History of West Virginia, Old and New. The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.
Chicago and New York, Volume II
pg. 154 & 155

JOSEPH WALTER THORNBURY, M. D., is a pioneer in the profession of medicine and surgery in the Triadelphia District of Logan County, though he still commands all the vigor of the years of comparative youth. His home is at Man, where he located in 1909. The dozen years since have sufficed to cover practically the entire period of development in this region. He was here before the Chesapeake & Ohio built its railroad line into this section and, naturally, the development of the coal deposits following the coming of the railroad.

Doctor Thornbury was born at Glen Hays on Tug River in Wayne County, West Virginia, August 9, 1881, son of Dr. James Harvey and Nancy Isabel (York) Thornbury. Several of his family were physicians before he entered that profession. His mother is a sister of Dr. L. H. York, of Louisa, Kentucky. She died in 1895, and was a daughter of James D. York. Dr. James Harvey Thornbury was born on Marrowbone Creek in Pike County, Kentucky, and is now in active practice of his profession at Stowe, Logan County, West Virginia. As a young man he taught school, and in 1885 began attending medical lectures in the Cincinnati Eclectic College, and graduated there in 1889. In 1890 he located at Dunslow in Wayne County, and remained there twenty years in the performance of his professional duties, since which time he has looked after his mining practice at Stowe. He did much organization work for the republican party in Wayne County, and is a member of Vinson Lodge of Masons at Fort Gay. Of the five children born to his marriage four are living: Florence, wife of Dr. Everett Walker, of Wayne; Jane, wife of Dr. B. D. Garrett, of Kenova, Wayne County; Joseph Walter; and Sadie, wife of Samuel Peters, of Kenova.

Joseph Walter Thornbury attended school at Dunslow and was also a student under Professor McClure at Wayne. He attended the State University in 1898, and for two years following was assistant postmaster of Dunslow, and for one year was at Yukon, Oklahoma. Then he spent another year in the postoffice at Dunslow, and also clerked in a store there. With this varied business training and experience he entered the Cincinnati Eclectic Medical College in 1903, and graduated in 1907. For one year after graduating he practiced at Kermit in Mingo County, and one year at Genoa in Wayne County. >From there he came to Man and has had official relations as mine physician to the Man Mining Company, the Eagle Island Bengal Coal Company at Kesler and a large general practice besides. He was one of the organizers of the Merchants and Miners Bank at Man.

Doctor Thornbury is a leader in his section in behalf of better educational facilities. He served six years on the Triadelphia School Board and a large number of the good modern schools of the district were built during his term, including the District High School at Man.

On July 3, 1907, Doctor Thornbury married Bertha Hegner, daughter of Philip Hegner, of Wyoming, Ohio. The five children born to their marriage are James H., Jr., Frances Virginia, Lawrence, John and Nancy Isabel. Mrs. Thornhury is a member of the Baptist Church. Fraternally he is affiliated with Aracoma Lodge No. 99, F. and A. M., at Logan, Logan Chapter. R. A. M., Dunslow Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in politics he is a republican

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