W. Branch Young, M. D., is giving effective professional service as physician and surgeon for the Crozer Coal & Coke Company, the Turkey Gap Coal & Coke Company, and the Upland Coal & Coke Company, with headquarters at Elkhorn, McDowell County, where he has also a substantial general practice aside from these connections.

Doctor Young was born at Union, Monroe County, West Virginia, April 16, 1882, and is a son of W. Preston Young and Rebecca Jane (Early) Young, both natives of Virginia, in which state the respective families were founded many generations ago, the Young family being of German and English ancestry and the Early family of Scotch and Irish genealogy. W. Preston Young became one of the substantial and representative farmers of Monroe County, West Virginia, was influential in public affairs of local order, and was serving as county assessor at the time of his death, in 1888. He was a gallant young soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war, in which he served as first lieutenant of Company A, Sixtieth Virginia Infantry. At the battle of Cold Harbor he received a severe wound in one of his hips, and he thereafter passed four months in a hospital.

After attending the public schools at Union, Monroe County, Doctor Young continued his studies in Alleghany Institute at Clifton Forge, where he took a two years' academic course. In 1911 he graduated from the Maryland Medical College in the City of Baltimore, and after thus receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine he was associated with Doctor dark in the practice of his profession at Algoma, McDowell County, about six months. Since the spring of 1912 he has been engaged in practice at Elkhorn, where he is official physician and surgeon, also for the three coal and coke companies above mentioned, besides which he is local surgeon for the Norfolk & Western Railroad. He maintains well equipped offices, operating room and dispensary, and has gained high repute as a skilled surgeon. In 1916 he took an effective course in the New York Post-Graduate Medical School. He is an active member of the American Medical Association, the West Virginia State Medical Society, the McDowell County Medical Society, and the Phi Chi medical college fraternity. He is affiliated also with the Masonic fraternity.

At Sweet Springs, Monroe County, in 1911, Doctor Young wedded Miss Mabel Beckner, daughter of F. L. and Amanda (Baker) Beckner, her father being a prosperous agriculturist and stock-grower in that county. Doctor and Mrs. Young have two children: Elizabeth and William B.

Doctor Young is a liberal and progressive citizen and takes lively interest in all things touching the welfare of his community, but he has had no desire for public office of any kind.

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The HIstory of West Virginia, Old and New
The American Historical Society, Inc.; Chicago/New York (Vol III); p 498

Contributed by: Valerie Crook