Gravesite of General John Hunt Oley

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Union General John Hunt Oley’s final resting place is at Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington, WV. He is one of two Civil War generals buried at Spring Hill, along with over 300 other Civil War soldiers. Oley had many ties to the City of Huntington, the most prominent being his involvement with the local school system.

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.