Notes for: George Curtis Howard
Dr. George C. Howard was postmaster at Pullman in 1904 and had served Ritchie County's Union District as member and as president of the Board of Education. In 1906, he as admitted to the practice of dentistry. About two years later, with Dr. John Stoops, he opened an office in West Union. He remained in practice there for the next 15 years. He served as Councilman in West Union one term and as Mayor three terms, 1914, 1915 and 1917. He was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates as a repressentive from Doddridge County in 1918.
Elected at their meeting in Fairmont on Oct 2 1915, Dr. Howard was president of Monongahela Dental Society. He became secretary of the West Virginia Dental Association in 1918, was reelected in 1919, and was made vice-president in 1920 and president in 1922, presiding at the meeting at Wheeling in May 1923. He represented the state association at Boston in 1920. Establishing offices at Pullman in 1921, he was elected vice-president of the Pullman State Bank which closed in 1927.
As mayor of West Union, Dr. George C. Howard was responsible for the construction of a public drinking fountain and horse watering trough on Main Street at the foot of the Court House hill.
News item, "Doddridge County Republican," Thursday, July 1 1915, in its entirety:
PUBLIC FOUNTAIN WILL BE DEDICATED
The new public fountain will be dedicated on Saturday, July 3rd, at 10 o'clock a.m.
The unveiling will be by Miss Eulalia Davis, grand-daughter of West Union's oldest citizen, L. T. Davis.
The speech of the occasion will be by Major J. V. Blair. The public is cordially invited to witness these interesting ceremonies.
News item, "Doddridge County Republican," Thursday, July 1 1915, in its entirety:
HOWARD FOUNTAIN
The public spring is being equipped with a complete set of fixtures, and when finished, it will be one of the most up-to-date drinking fountains in this section of the country.
The supply pipe flows into a 50-gallon porcelain-lined reservoir, which is set in cement and concrete about four feet above the surface of the street and entirely arched over with cement. This is fitted with up-to-date faucets and an overflow pipe which supplies the watering trough -- a large, new bath tub, set in solid concrete at a convenient height. The overflow from this connects directly with the sewer, under the pavement.
Great credit is due the town officials for their interest in this important and very essential public convenience, all having donated personally to the work. Mayor Howard deserves especial mention, as he has contributed more largely of his time and means than any other individual, and it is through his personal efforts more than those of anyone else, that the work has been accomplished.
News item, "West Union Record," Thursday, September 30 1915, in its entirety:
PERSONS THROWING TRASH IN WATERING TROUGH WILL BE PROSECUTED
During the last few days, children or some other persons bent on mischief have thrown trash into the public drinking trough, for horses, on the public square. One day last week Mayor Howard found a number of nails in the drain pipe, which almost prevented the overflow from passing out of the trough. A number of buckeyes, stones and other trash also found their way into the trough. Someone also wrote some indecent words in the bottom of the trough. Mayor Howard and the other town authorities are determined that this practice must cease, and will prosecute the offenders should there be any reoccurrence of these misdemeanors, or should the fountain be damaged in any way.
Local news item, "West Union Herald," Thursday, June 15, 1916, in its entirety:
"The Howard Fountain has again been thrown open to the public, and weary wayfarers may quench their thirst without the least danger of imbibing germs. The analysis shows the water to be in a very pure state."
Local news item, West Union Herald, Thursday, Aug 27 1936, in its entirety:
"If I die with a million dollars," a reader of this paper said, "I want to leave to this town a drinking fountain. I am also going to make provision that it will be iced so that no
matter how hot the weather gets, those who so desire it can always get a cold drink. Maybe I won't wait until I get a whole million." The idea is a good one and we hope someone will fix the connections to our own public fountain; it is good and cold water even if it has no ice connection."