Gravesite of General John Hunt Oley
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
Oley Elementary that once stood in Huntington.
Gen. John Hunt Oley gravestone.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Backstory:
Often referred to as the “father of public education,” Oley helped establish the school system in Huntington, while working as the city’s recorder and treasurer. Two schools in the city were named after him and remained in service until 1977.
Prior to settling in Huntington, Oley first served in the Civil War as a Private in the 7th New York State Militia. In 1861, Major Oley organized the 8th Regiment of the Virginia Infantry out of Charleston and led his Union troops in the Battle of Droop Mountain. In 1865, Oley was appointed Brevet Brigadier General for his services in West Virginia. Although originally from New York, Oley remained in West Virginia after the Civil War. He moved to Huntington in 1871 and was employed as an agent for Collis P. Huntington's Central Land Company. He also participated in the founding of Huntington's Trinity Episcopal Church.
After Oley’s death at the Emmons Home in Huntington, he was buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington where he remains today.
Sources
Lost Huntington: Oley Elementary. http://www.herald-dispatch.com. May 12, 2014. November 6, 2018. http://www.herald-dispatch.com/special/lost_huntington/lost-huntington-oley-elementary/article_8d32a....
Platania, Joseph. A Final Resting Place. https://www.huntingtonquarterly.com. . . https://www.huntingtonquarterly.com/articles/issue49/spring_hill.html.