Ephraim Bee (December 26, 1802 – October 23, 1888) was an American pioneer, blacksmith, and inn-keeper of

Doddridge County, West Virginia Doddridge County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,808. Its county seat is West Union. Doddridge County is part of the Clarksburg, West Virginia, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...

, which he represented in the

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular sessions begin with ...

in 1863 and 1866–1867.

Biography

Bee was born to Asa and Rhoda (Cox) Bee in

Salem, New Jersey Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city's population was 5,146,

. He moved with his parents around 1820 to western

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, settling in what later became Lewisport. There he built his own cabin and blacksmith shop. He later operated a prosperous inn which he christened the "Beehive Inn". Bee was married twice: first to Catherine Davis (1803–1852) in 1823, and second to Mary Welch (1823–1905). Between them he had 17 children who survived infancy. Bee is credited as the founder (1845) of

E Clampus Vitus The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of Western United States, the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode#California Mother Lode, Mother ...

, a mostly facetious fraternal organization now dedicated to the preservation of western lore. When West Virginia became a state in 1863 Bee represented Doddridge County in the first state legislature. In 1864–65 he served as the U.S. Postmaster for West Union. He was elected to two later terms in the House of Delegates before his retirement. In his later years Bee was also a successful land speculator, acquiring around 40,000 acres (160 km²) in West Virginia. An item in the ''

West Union Record West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

'' in 1885 stated that "Honorable Ephraim Bee, one of the first settlers in this area & now an old & respected citizen of this county is dangerously ill at his home on Cabin Run." He died on October 23, 1888, age 86, and was buried in Cabin Run Cemetery, near

West Union, West Virginia West Union, incorporated July 20, 1881, is a town in Doddridge County, West Virginia, Doddridge County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 669 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Doddridge C ...

Legacy

Bee's grandson,

Clair Bee Clair Francis Bee (March 2, 1896 – May 20, 1983) was an American basketball coach who led the team at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York to undefeated seasons in 1936 and 1939, as well as two National Invitation Tournament titles in ...

(1896–1983), was a college basketball coach for

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...

and, ultimately, a member of the

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

References

External links

Ephraim Bee – Early Settler of Doddridge County, W. VA

Web Site honoring Bee, his West Virginia Vipers and Doddrige County
1802 births 1888 deaths People from West Union, West Virginia Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates People from Salem, New Jersey 19th-century American politicians {{WestVirginia-politician-stub