Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/643

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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Orlando Wemple. For half a century Orlando Wemple was identified with the tobacco interests of Danville, beginning- in 1869 by founding the firm Wemple & Com- pany, of which, for twenty years, he was sole owner. He was then twenty-one years of age and four years prior to that date had located in Danville, working for others un- til establishing his own business. Although invalided in a railroad accident he never ceased his activities until his death, but held a prominent place in many Danville inter- ests as well as in Washington, D. C. ; was active in church, club and fraternal work, particularly interested in church music as choir master for twenty-five years ; a foreign traveler, he crossed the Atlantic eight times, touring Continental Europe frequently, and traveling his own land from ocean to ocean many times both for recreation and on busi- ness intent.

The American families, Wemple and Wemp, descend from Jan IJarentse W'emp, who was born in Dort, Holland, in 1620, came to America in 1640 and appeared in Beverwyck (Albany, New York) in 1643. He appears in several land transfers there including a "bouwery"' on the Poestenkill and in 1662 received a patent for the Great Island lying in the Mohawk, west of Schen- ectady, and a house lot in the village. He married Maritje Wyndertse, who survived him, and married a second husband, Sweer 1 urnise Van Valsen, the village miller, with whom she perished in the massacre and burning of Schenectady by the Indians, February 9, 1690. Jan Barentse Wemp was a captain of foot, appointed in i6go. From Wemp the name soon became Wemple and from the Dutch founder, Jan Barentse Wemp, sprang all the Wemple families of the Alohawk Valley (New York) and from there scattered to all parts of the United States. The branch from which Orlando Wemple, of Danville, descended followed the emigration westward as far as Syracuse, New York, where Dr. John De Graff e Wemple. father of Orlando Wemple, was born, son of John De (jraffe Wemple, a farmer and merchant of that city. The Wemples intermarried with many of the best families of the Mohawk Valley and collaterally Orlando Wemple traced to the names that have made that section famous.

Dr. Jr.hn De Graffe Wemple was born in Syracuse, New York, died in Caswell

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county. North Carolina, in 1899. He was educated in Syracuse, then spent five years in New York City, becoming a graduate M. D. Later he located in Caswell county, North Carolina, where he married and con- tinued in the practice of his profession until his death. His wife, Dorothy (Guwynn) W'emple, was born in Caswell county. North Carolina, resided there all her life and there died. Orlando is the only living child of Dr. John D. Wemple. He had two daugh- ters, Maria T., who married James W. Nun- nally and died at age of sixty-six years, childless, and Laura W., married H. O. Howard, bore him five children, and died aged sixty-three years.

Orlando Wemple, only son of Dr. John De Graffe and Dorothy (Guwynn) Wemple, was born in Caswell county, North Caro- lina, September 23, 1848. He attended the public schools, but by self study, travel, reading and observation, has acquired a uni- versity education in the great school of ex- perience. At age of seventeen years he came tc Danville and worked in the tobacco fac- tories of that city until 1869 when he began business for himself as Wemple & Com- pan}-, dealing in and manufacturing tobacco, the latter department, however, not being added until 1876, when he started a factory for the manufacture of plug and smoking tobacco on a large scale. This branch of the business was carried on under the firm name of Wemple, Ellerson & Company, James R. Ellerson acquiring an interest in Wemple & Company. In 1907, Mr. Wemple being seriously injured in a railroad acci- dent on the Southern Railway, decided to withdraw from manufacturing and he con- fined the business of the firm entirely to the handling and sale of leaf tobacco. Mr. Wemple was also a partner in the real estate firm of Ellerson & Wemple, of W'ashington, D. C, his partner, James R. Ellerson, being a resident of that city. The firm Wemple &■ Company handled from three to five mil- lion pounds of leaf annually, shipping to manufacturers throughout the United States and in foreign countries. One of the pioneer firms in the business in Danville, Wemple & Company, were identified with every step of the progress and advancement in the tobacco business during the past half cen- tury, and ranked, not only with the oldest but most reliable and prosperous firms of the city. In 1907 their business was greatly