First Boys Born in Follansbee

John William Rogers, the first boy born in Follansbee celebrated his birthday.  John, son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Rogers, of 832 Virginia avenue, entertained a host of his little friends in honor of his birthday.  John William was born on March 30, 1905, and was the first American family boy of Follansbee.  The gathering occurred at the Eagle Hall.

The second boy whose birth was celebrated in Follansbee was Charles Neumeyer, who was the first child born after the city was chartered in July 1906. He was later honored for his life achievements by the Follansbee High School Class of 1938-39 at their Reunion in 2001. The Neumeyer family helped in the building of the Follansbee Brothers Mill.   He was the oldest of six children and his mother passed away when he was ten years old.   He attended all the schools of Follansbee as they were constructed, the Jefferson and Mahan Schools, and later the old high school building on Allegheny Street.  Because of conditions at the time of his mother’s death, his father withdrew him from school during his freshmen year when he was 16, and got him a job in the Sheet Metal Specialty Division of Follansbee Steel.  If he had remained in school, he would have been a member of the 1924 graduating class of the new Follansbee High school built in 1922.

• Mill Town Review, “John W. Rogers,” April 3, 1913, Front.
• Brooke County Review, “Follansbee High School Class of 1938-39 Held Reunion,” October 4, 2001, p. 2.

First Girl Born in Follansbee

“My Dad was a McGraw and my mother was a Hahne.  She was the first baby girl born in Follansbee, her doctor was Dr. Huth.  You may remember that there were maple trees all around the house.” – Norma Henson

• Source: I’m From Follansbee, West Virginia; Facebook