Clarence Wayland Watson (May 8, 1864May 24, 1940) was a

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

"baron" from

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. Watson organized several coal companies that became the Consolidation Coal and Mining Companies in West Virginia,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, and

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. Watson was president of the company until 1911, then became its chairman. Later in life, he became President of Elk Horn Coal Company and served as trustee of various corporations,

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

s, and banks across the

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. Watson was also elected as a Senator from West Virginia to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Stephen B. Elkins, serving from 1911 to 1913. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he served in the

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as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ordnance Department, and served in France from 1918 to 1919. While in France he received a nomination for re-election to his Senate seat, but lost the election. He lived in Fairmont in Marion County, on his family's homestead, an estate named Fairmont Farms, where he bred horses.

Biography

Politics

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, he served as

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from West Virginia from 1911 to 1913 after Stephen B. Elkins died in office. In March 1918, Watson was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the Ordnance Department of the

and served with the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

until January 1919. In 1918, while overseas, he was once again nominated as a candidate for the U.S. Senate from West Virginia, but lost the election.

Horses

He lived in Fairmont in Marion County, on his family's homestead, an estate named

Fairmont Farms Fairmont can refer to: Places Canada * Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia, a resort town ** Fairmont Mountain, a summit near Fairmont Hot Springs United States * Fairmont, Illinois *Fairmont, Minnesota * Fairmont, Missouri *Fairmont, Ne ...

, where he bred horses.FAIR FROM HORSES WIN AT BAY SHORE; C.W. Watson's Stable of High Steppers Makes Nearly a Clean Sweep at the Horse Show. MRS. WATSON DRIVES WELL Two Runaways Enliven the Judging at Opening Day -- Long Island Society Musters In Force.
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' His show horses (including the well-regarded Lord Baltimore) won numerous awards both in the United States and in

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. They also competed in the Bay Shore Horse Show Association at Oakwood Driving Park,

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Personal life

He was married to Minnie Owings Watson of

Ellicott City, Maryland Ellicott City is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its ...

, whose portrait hangs in the ballroom of the Governor's Mansion in

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in West Virginia, most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Kanawha County and ...

. They also maintained residences in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

(where

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now stands) and in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. He died in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, while tending to Elk Horn Coal Company business, and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Fairmont.

References

1864 births 1940 deaths American businesspeople in the coal industry United States Army personnel of World War I Politicians from Fairmont, West Virginia United States Army colonels Democratic Party United States senators from West Virginia West Virginia Democrats Military personnel from West Virginia Businesspeople from Fairmont, West Virginia Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Fairmont, West Virginia) 20th-century West Virginia politicians 20th-century United States senators {{WestVirginia-politician-stub