W E CROOKS
THE LIFE HISTORY OF KEYSER'S PROMINENT CITIZEN - HIS PALATIAL HOME

  W E Crooks first saw the light of day in Zanesville, Ohio, on November 22, 1862. When a boy of six, his parents moved to this state, first locating in Hardy county, and afterward moving to Grant County. He received the benefit of a public school education, subsequently attending the State Normal at Fairmont. For about seven years he taught school abandoning that calling to accept a position in the Census Office in the Interior Dept. Later he engaged in the real estate business in Washington, D C. It was during his residence in Washington that he met the present Mrs Crooks.
  During the same year, Mr and Mrs Crooks took up their residence in Keyser, and MR Crooks engaged in the manufacture of cigars and stogies. (See article on Crooks Tobacco Co.).
  An earnest and untiring worker,few Republicans have more effectively contributed to the upbuilding and success of that party. His time and purse have always been at the service of Republican interests. Mr Crooks is a political student of marked depth and thoroughness, and his fond of knowledge on political economics is unusually exhaustive. His party has felt the benefit of these researches. he has in the past been a member of the Executive Committee of the Republican State League and the State Advisory Board, and is now Treasurer of the Republican County Executive Committee. At the last session of the Legislature he was Journal Clerk of the House. His name has frequently been mentioned for a member of the State Legislature by his friends, but so far Mr Crooks has displayed but little ambition for the honors of office and he has never made the race.
  The palatial home of Mr and Mrs Crooks on South Mineral Street known as "Buckeye Cottage" marks an architectural epoch in Keyser's history. Money was expended with a lavish hand, and the services of skilled masters of their trades called into requisition. the spacious grounds, with a frontage of 450 feet and a depth of 120 form a fit setting for what is universally pronounced one of the finest residences in the county. Located on a slight eminence, the unobstructed view of the grand scenery surrounding Keyser can from no other vantage be more appreciated. It is an ideal home of culture and refinement. Every modern innovation which tends to home comfort was embodied in its construction or added to its fittings. It has electric lights, a hot air furnace, baths, a conservatory, etc., and the ten large rooms are finished in highly polished oak. From basement to attic, the interior of this magnificent residence shows ample evidence of the thought and care expended in point of completeness of detail. the large double parlors separated by heavy po****rs are exquisitely furnished, and a harmony of color and fittings is noticeable throughout the house. Delicate grill work supercedes transoms on the first floor; handsome paintings adorn the walls. the library contains many volumes of standard works on a vast variety of subjects, and shows the studious inclination of its possessor. Mr and Mrs Crook's home is one of unusual beauty, and while no lavish entertainments have been attempted, many guests have enjoyed its hospitalities.

TRANSCRIBED OCTOBER 26, 2001 BY PATTI MCDONALD

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