Page 44 - MOST RECENT

COMMISSIONERS

Philip Korner ( 1805-1875) was Joseph's youngest
son. The book Joseph of Kernersville gives the fact that
he was serving as County Commissioner in 1870. His
mind and tastes ran to literature, politics, and the society

of learned persons. He wrote poetiy, monographs on
astronomy, and on the theory of government. He read
law. He was a Justice of the Peace. Until Joseph's
death, Philip assisted his father in "the operation of the
farm, the tavern, the store, the post office, and post
horses, the grist mill, and the threshing-fan and feed-
cutter factory." In 1837 Philip and his brother, John
Frederick, formed the partnership for the operation of
a tan-yard and the manufacture of harness, saddles, and Philip Komer Joseph J. Komer
County Commissioner 1870 County Commissioner 1868
shoes - which business lasted 75 years, into the third Treasurer Forsyth County 1896
generation.
Philip was first married to Judith Gardner by whom
(now the site of Pine Knolls Golf Course), he served
he had seven children who lived to grow up - among
forty years as a Forsyth County Magistrate during which
them Jule, the builder of Korner's Folly. His second wife
service he married 475 couples. He continued an active
was Sarah Gibbons by whom he had two sons. He was
interest in._ the affairs of Forsyth County until his death
laid to rest in the Nloravian Graveyard.
in 1922.
Romulus S. Linville (1837-1922) father of C. L.
Joseph John Korner (1841-1920) first went to school
Linville, was born in Forsyth County on February 4,
taught by Wesley Ross and later attended Kernersville
1837. For four terms he served as Forsyth County Com-
Academy of which Professor T. S. Whittington was
missioner.
principal. Joseph was of a "serious and scholarly" turn
He attended a subscription school taught by his
of mind. He attended White Water College in Rich-
father, Smith Linville, and graduated from Oak Ridge
mond Indiana and Lebanon College at Lebanon, Ohio.
Institute. He taught school in North Carolina and In- ' '
After his return to Kernersville he en 2;aged in construc-
diana for five years. In 1863 he enlisted in the Junior
tion work including the Moravian Church), he taught
Reserves and continued service for the Confederate Gov-
' school, he constructed a section of about four miles of
ernment until the end of the war.
the railroad west from Kernersville, assisted his father
After the war he engaged in the tobacco business
with the farm and the mill, was the first secretary of the
for twenty-five years and operated a tobacco warehouse
Town of Kernersville, and in 1868 was County Com-
in Kernersville on the present day site of· Vance-Ballard
missioner of Forsyth County at age 27. In 1896 he was
Coal Co. In addition to the operation of his 500 acre farm
elected Treasurer of Forsyth County. Then he taught
school again for several years. He was married to Vir-
ginia Elizabeth Doggett. They had two sons and a
daughter.
"To those who knew him well it was impossible to

Linville Family - First row: Romulus S. Caroline, J. Pink, Eugene (Leach). believe that he was capable of doing a mean or dis-
Second Row: Cyrus L., J, Frank, Eljatha, William V.
honest thing."
DeWitt Harmon (1860-1948) was a widely known
figure in Forsyth County for more than fifty years. He
attended the Kernersville Academy and became a teacher
in the Pine Grove School when he was 18. Later he
attended Moravian College at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
and taught in a Moravian School in Nazareth, Pa.
In 1888, after he had become an accredited engi-
neer, he was instrumental in laying the railway between

Winston-Salem and Barbers Junction. In 1897 he erected
the Kernersville Roller Mill. For several years he served
on the Town Board of Commissioners and the local
school board.
By an act of legislature, he was appointed as a mem-
ber of the Board of Highway Commissioners in 1912.
He served as a County Commissioner for four years and
was elected county engineer for 13 consecutive terms.