Marion County Remembers

Quartermaster First Class James Gilbert Arnett was born November 10, 1894, in Fairmont, West Virginia to Luther "Luke" and Sarah (Swindler) Arnett. In 1900, Luther (then 31) was working as a mail carrier. I wasn't able to obtain 1910 census data for the family, but by 1920 Luther was working as the City Clerk at the Marion County Courthouse, Sarah worked at a local department store, and James' older brother "Junior" worked as a painter. James' WWI draft card, dated June 5, 1917, lists James as having brown hair, brown eyes, and being of medium height and build. The Thursday, January 31, 1918 issue of The West Virginian featured him in a list entitled "More Final Draft Classifications." His draft lottery number, as listed there, was 1414. He was living at 400 Spring Street in Fairmont, WV, and working as a levelman with engineers with the Monongahela Valley Traction Company, a passenger and freight railroad service. James enlisted in the United ...

Remembering 1LT Harry Blackstone Colborn (Fairmont) September 3rd, 1921 - February 5, 1945 ---- 1LT Harry Blackstone Colborn was born September 3rd, 1921 in Fairmont, West Virginia, to Andrew J. and Martha (Hutchinson) Colborn. During the 1930 census, the family was residing at 322 Locust Avenue, and Andrew is listed as a lawyer. Harry was the oldest of 4 living siblings, all born within an 8 year time period. The 1941 Fairmont city directory lists Andrew as living in the same Locust Avenue home but serving as the vice president of the Hutchinson Coal Company, a step up from the 1939 city directory that lists him as the lawyer for the Hutchinson Coal Company. In the same directories, Harry and his younger brother Melville are listed as students. While attending West Virginia University (WVU), Harry received a B.A. in Political Science (class of 1943) and was a member of the Sphinx men's honorary for seniors, Phi Kappa Psi, and President of the Interfraternity Council. Harry also se...