ABIA MINOR HAYS, a prominent and popular dealer in general merchandise in the village of Simpson’s Store, East Finley township, was born April 12, 1852, on the banks of the Little Kanawba river, Wood county, near Parkersburg, W. Va., his parents having a short time before his birth removed thither from Waynesburg, Greene Co., Penn. His father, James Wilson Hays, who was born in Waynesburg December 21, 1817, was engaged in mercantile business for many years in his native town, and Graysville, same State. He represented the Fortieth Senatorial District of Pennsylvania in the State Senate, serving two terms. His wife (the mother of our subject), also a native of Greene county, was Hannah M., daughter of Abia Minor, who was one of the associate judges of Greene county for many years, in fact, up to the time of his death. William Hays, the paternal grandfather of A. M. Hays, migrated in 1804 from Adams county, Penn., to Waynesburg, where he embarked in mercantile business, and for nearly a score of years held the office of prothonotary of the county. Sarah (Wilson) Hays (grandmother of A. M. Hays) was a daughter of James Wilson, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to America and settled at Washington, Penn., along with many other so-called "Scotch-Irish Presbyterians," in the latter part of the last century. He was there married to a Miss Lytle, and removed to Waynesburg at the time Greene county was founded, and that village was made the county seat; he became the first postmaster at Waynesburg. Abia Minor Hays served an apprenticeship of several years with his father in the mercantile business at Graysville, Greene Co., Penn., and then, in 1878, enbarked in business for himself, in merchandising at Enon, in Richhill township, Greene county. In 1879 he moved to the village of Simpson’s Store, subsequently purchasing the property. He sold his interests there to W. E. Jenkins, October 1, 1892, and moved to Washington, Penn. Early in 1893 he leased the Whitla store, No. 25 Broadway, New Brighton, Beaver county, and established there an extensive dry-goods house with departments devoted to carpets, millinery, books and stationery. Mr. Hays is a Democrat, but not a politician. He was postmaster at Harvey’s, Greene county, for three years, and afterward at Simpson’s Store for twelve years, or until his removal to Washington, Penn. Mr. Hays was married April 24, 1879, to Miss Nannie Houston, who was born in Richhill township, Greene county, November 25, 1852. She is a daughter of Simon Houston, Esq., who removed to Greene county in 1848 from Washington county, and died March 14, 1877. Her mother, Maria (Cummins) Houston, now living, was born August 3, 1824, in Greene county, of which her parents were natives. To the marriage of A. M. and Nannie (Houston) Hays four children were born, namely: Nancy Maria, October 20, 1880; Sophia Elizabeth, February 9, 1883; Wilson Houston, February 14, 1887, and Harry Minor, December 10, 1892. The three first named are now (March, 1893) residing at Simpson’s Store. Mr. And Mrs. A. M. Hays and their eldest daughter are members of the Christian Church.

Text taken from page 657 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed May 1997 by Laura M. Thomas of Enfield, CT as part of the Beers Project. Published May 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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