Ohio County, West Virginia Biography of Harry Walters GEE
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Submitted by Ann Schwirian <TrKeGram@aol.com>, March 2000
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Vol. II,
page 281
HARRY WALTERS GEE was an enthusiastic student of everything connected
with electricity, and soon after leaving school and before reaching his
majority he opened the small shop which by subsequent development has become
the Gee Electric Company, a manufacturing and jobbing concern that now does
business over half a dozen states.
Mr. Gee, who is secretary and general manager of this company, was born
at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1880. The grandfather, George Gee, was
a native of Nottingham, England, and as a young man came to America and
settled near New Richmond in Clermont County, Ohio. In later years he became
one of the large farm owners of that section, and lived there on his farm
until his death. He married Anna Gregg, a native of Pennsylvania, and of
Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. She also died on the homestead at New Richmond.
These grandparents had five children: Raymond, who was a Washington wheat
farmer and died near Spokane in 1913, at the age of sixty-eight; Maria, wife
of Andrew Castlen, still in business as a general merchant at New Richmond;
Charles E.; Annie, of New Richmond, whose first husband was Benjamin Reece, a
farmer, and she is now the wife of George Ebaugh, also a farmer; and Horace,
a farmer near New Richmond.
Charles E. Gee was born on the farm near New Richmond in 1848, was reared
there, and as a young man went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and entered the
service of the Singer Manufacturing Company. Later he was in the service of
the same company at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and in 1885 was transferred to
Wheeling as his headquarters, where he continued as general superintendent of
the Singer Manufacturing Company for thirty-five years. During his last
years he was connected with the Gee Electric Company, and died at Columbus,
Ohio, in November, 1916. He was a republican, but outside of his home and
business his unflagging interest was in the First Presbyterian Church of
Wheeling. It was largely through his work and support that the Eighteenth
Street Mission of that church enjoyed its prestige as an instrument for good
in the city. He was connected with the mission thirty-five years and was
superintendent fifteen years. Charles E. Gee married Lueida McFarland, who
was born at New Richmond in Clermont County, Ohio, in 1847, and is still
living at Wheeling. Of her five children the oldest, a daughter, and the
youngest, a son, died at birth. The other three are: Eugene C., who was a
first-class sergeant in the Signal Corps in the Porto Rican campaign in the
Spanish-American war, and is now an electrical engineer with the Pacific
States Telephone Company at San Francisco; Minnie Ellsworth is the wife of
Dr. Charles F. Bowen, an X-Ray specialist at Columbus, Ohio; and Harry
Walters is the youngest.
Harry Walters Gee was about five years of age when the family removed to
Wheeling, and he received his education in the city schools, graduating from
high school in 1896. The following two years he was employed by the George
K. McMechen Company of Wheeling. Then, at the age of eighteen, he opened a
very small shop for electrical supplies at 1124 Market Street. At the
beginning he did practically all the work of the business, but his enterprise
had the promise of great development in it, and before long his shop was
crowded and he removed to 1126 Market Street, later to 1215 Main Street,
where he took over an adjoining storeroom at 1217, and in 1910 established
the business at its present location on Main and Fourteenth streets. The Gee
Electric Company was incorporated March 3, 1909. The officers are: Otto
Schenk, president; Henry G. Stifel, vice president; while Mr. Gee is
secretary and general manager and A. A. Wheat is treasurer. In its
manufacturing and other departments the company employs seventy-five men, and
as jobbers and manufacturers the products are shipped throughout
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland.
Besides the responsibility of directing this business Mr. Gee is a
director in the Fidelity Investment Association of Wheeling. He is a
director of the West Virginia State Fair Association, of the Wheeling Country
Club, and is vice president and director of the Industrial Relations
Association. He is a member of the Fort Henry Club and the Old Colony Club,
of the First Presbyterian Church and in politics is a republican. He was a
leader in war movements in Wheeling, being a member of the Pershing Limit
Club, and helped in all the drives for funds for Liberty Loan, Red Cross and
other causes. He received a medal of honor for selling Liberty Bonds.
Mr. Gee owns a fine modern home, with well-kept grounds, on Stamm's Lane,
National Road, Wheeling. He married at Wheeling in 1906 Miss Elizabeth A.
Stifel, daughter of Louis C. and Elizabeth (Stamm) Stifel, both representing
old and prominent families in this section. Her father was a partner in J.
L. Stifel & Sons, calico manufacturers, one of the big industries of
Wheeling. Mrs. Gee is a graduate of the Pennsylvania College for Women at
Pittsburgh. Five children were born to their marriage; the first, a
daughter, dying at birth; Charles Louis died at the age of sixteen months;
Eleanor was born August 24, 1915; William Stifel on August 26, 1917; and
Harry W., Jr., on October 8, 1919.