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| For Immediate Release 3/28/06: by Barbara Gain |
West Union, WV
- The Town of West Union, West Virginia has
requested a Proclamation from the office of Governor Joe Manchin III, the 34th
Governor of West Virginia, declaring December 26 Ephraim Bee Day.
Ephraim Bee was born December 26, 1802 in Salem, New Jersey, and died
October 23, 1888 on Cabin Run, Doddridge County, West Virginia. His parents were
Asa Bee and Rhoda Cox.
Ephraim’s family moved to Western Virginia when he was nineteen years old. He
was a self made man, having but four months of schooling in all his life.
Ephraim was the first Clerk of the Middle Island Seventh Day Baptist Church.
In 1828 Ephraim and his first wife, Catherine Davis, established a log home on
Meathouse fork of Middle Island Creek, now West Union, West Virginia. They built
an Inn at Lewisport (also now West Union, WV), below the Blockhouse on the
Northwestern Turnpike. It became a very popular place for travelers and locals
to meet, revive themselves and to re-provision supplies for their journeys. He
operated the first Blacksmith shop in the area. His farm, stables, tannery and a
horseracing track were also added to increase the family income. Ephraim became
involved in land speculation and owned some 40,000 acres of land.
When Doddridge County, WV was being formed out of parts of Harrison & Ritchie
Counties, Ephraim rallied to locate the County Seat at Lewisport. His brother-in
law, Nathan Davis, Randolph and others, won the County Seat for West Union,
across the Middle Island River.
At the age of 60, he was a Captain of the Doddridge County Militia, which
protected the area from roving Confederate forces, horse thieves & outlaws. He
became a candidate for the First West Virginia Legislature in 1863, at Wheeling,
the first Capitol of West Virginia. His opponent was Joseph H. Diss Debar, a
talented French Alsatian who had settled in the area about 1843. He was an
artist who drew caricature sketches of Ephraim Bee; some of these drawings are
now in the State Capitol at Charleston, WV. It is ironic that it was Mr. Diss
Debar who one day proclaimed that Ephraim’s Inn, which was buzzing full of the
Bee children, was a “Beehive”. The name stuck.
Diss Debar was apparently elected and presented himself at Wheeling on June 20,
1863 to take his seat. Ephraim Bee also presented himself, filed his petition
contesting the seat of Mr. Diss Debar. A committee of the house passed on the
merits and the claims of each and after an impassioned speech by Ephraim,
decided in favor of Mr. Bee. Bee then served in the First West Virginia
Legislature of 1863.
Honorable Ephraim Bee of Doddridge County was returned to Wheeling to serve his
beloved County for two more terms of office in 1866 & 1867.
Ephraim Bee was United States Postmaster for West Union and Grand Lama of the
Ancient and Honorable Order of E. Clampus Vitus, a secret order for playing
jokes, which he originated about 1845 and initiated all prominent people at
Richmond, Virginia, when he was sent there on a political mission. He did the
same in Wheeling when it became the Capitol of the new State of West Virginia.
Ephraim and Catherine Bee had 10 children who lived past childhood. He and his
second wife, Mary Melissa (Polly) Welch, had seven children who lived past
childhood. Ephraim and Polly’s youngest daughter, West Virginia Bee, was born
January 01, 1863, the same day President Lincoln signed the Bill establishing
the State of West Virginia.
After serving his terms of office, Ephraim Bee retired from public life. He is
buried under a beautiful monument at Cabin Run Cemetery, with his second wife,
near where they lived.
The Epitaph;
"A precious one from us has gone, a voice so loved is stilled.
A place is vacant in our home, that never can be filled
God in his wisdom has recalled the precious boon his love had given. Although
the body molders here, his soul is safe in heaven."
"O Death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy Victory."
At the foot of Ephraim’s Monument is a small stone block inscribed with the
letters “ECV”. This was placed by members of the “Ancient and Honorable Order of
E Clampus Vitus” (ECV), the Fraternal Order founded by Ephraim.
A Historic Monument was created by ECV to honor Bee on the Bi-Centennial of
his Birth, and the installation is planned to be coordinated with the July 22,
2006 Festival honoring the 125th Anniversary of the Town of West Union.
FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT:
FRANCES STEWART
304 873-3379
info@westunionfest.org
101 MAPLE STREET, WEST UNION, WEST VIRGINIA 26456
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