Joseph Hampton Abe 11-003

 Philip Abe Sons

 Clayton, Herbert, Grover Cleveland

Harmon, Joseph

     Joseph Hampton Abe was (107)(108)born on February 6, 1883 to Philip and Annie Elizabeth (Largent) Abe in (23)(24)(25)Cumberland, Allegany County, MD. He was their third child and the second son. At about the age of two, Philip moved the family to the farm on the Old Furnace Road in Mineral County, West Virginia. He is living there and attending school in (24)(25)1900.
     (109)On April 29, 1910, Joseph is listed as living in the township of Mount Hope in Orange County, New York. He is living in the Seth Alridge household. Six other men are also living there. This seems to be some sort of boarding house as this and many other households in the area were occupied by railroad workers. His occupation is listed as an engineer for the railroad.
     (110)On July 3 of the same year a record for Orange County, New York lists his marriage to Frances R. Ogden. License #1928 was issued on July 2, 1910 and they were married the following day by a minister, Robert S. Young.  His address at this time is listed as Yorktown Heights, N.Y. and Frances' address as Otisville, N. Y.  It seems he may have changed residences between April 29 when the census was taken and July 3 when he applied for the marriage license. The only Yorktown Heights I can find is a good distance away to the southeast in the next county. Frances Rose Ogdon was (6)born on May 29, 1884 the (110)daughter of Alonzo G. Ogdon and Ida E. (Staysa) Ogdon. She was living in the same Mount Hope township as Joseph was in the 1910 Census. Frances' family was listed as living in (111)dwelling #62 and Joseph was listed in (109)dwelling # 188.
     At some point in the next eight years, Joseph brought his family back to Mineral County, West Virginia. His (107)WWI Draft Registration Card shows him living at "Station A, Cumberland Maryland" on September 12, 1918. His exact occupation is listed as "construction work" for a construction company who's name is unreadable (possibly Vany or Vanz). I will have to research further but "Station A" could possibly be the "Queen City Hotel". This hotel was also the station stop for the B and O Railroad. It consisted of 174 rooms, a ballroom and a 400 seat dining room. The beautiful building was torn down in 1972.
     A little over one year later on January 15, 1920 the (112)1920 Census lists them living on Knobley Road in "Dixie Village" (now Wiley Ford, West Virginia). Their residence is next door to the Hiram Abe and Nimrod Abe residences. At this time Joseph's father, Philip, is living with him, Frances and their three children (Evelyn, Helen and Charles). Frances' family apparently came with them to the area also. (113)Her father and mother are found living just across the Potomac River at 11 York Place in Cumberland, Allegany County, MD with her younger brother's family. York Place is a short street between Race Street and Fifth Street (now West Industrial Blvd.). At this time Joseph is working as a "foreman for a contractor". (113)Frances' brother J. Dewitt is working as a butcher in a local "retail meat shop" and was her only sibling.
     In the (114)1930 Census, dated April 30, 1930, Joseph and family are living at 301 East Fifth Street in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. This street is now West Industrial Blvd. Joseph is working as a "rigger" for the Celanese silk factory. A rigger is a person or company that specializes in the lifting and moving of extremely large or heavy objects.
     On his (108)WWII Draft Registration Card dated April 27, 1942, Joseph and Frances are found living at 1314 Lafayette Avenue in Cumberland, Maryland. This is in the block between West Mary Street and River Avenue. His employer is listed as "W.P.A. - Airport". The WPA (Work Projects Administration) was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and funded by Congress. It employed millions of people to carry out public works projects. At this location, funding was for construction on the Cumberland Airport in Wiley Ford, West Virginia.
     Both Joseph and Frances are (13)buried at the Abe Cemetery on the Old Furnace Road between Wiley Ford and Short Gap, West Virginia. The (6)"Abe Family Heritage" lists their deaths as October 28, 1949 and August 5, 1958.
      Children of Joseph and Frances:
               Evelyn May (1911-1988)
               Helen B. (1912-1981)
               Charles Richard (1917-1955)
               James Walker (1920-1988)