Jesse Martin Layne was born in Highland County, Virginia, in 1847.
Like Thomas J. Burke, Layne served two non-consecutive terms as mayor. He first served after Burke’s second term. In 1879, he was elected judge of the city’s newly-established Municipal Court. He again served as mayor in 1882-83.
When the Huntington Board of Trade – the predecessor of today’s Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce – was organized in February, 1890, Layne was selected as its first president.
He was only 43 years old when he died in 1890.
