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PHOTOGRAPH BY W. S. SHERWOOD
THE AUTHOR'S PICTURE
HISTORY
^ OF
RITCHIE COUNTY
\X/1TH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ITS
PIONEERS AND THEIR ANCESTORS, AND
WITH INTERESTING REMINISCENCES
OF REVOLUTIONARY AND
INDIAN TIMES
By
MINNIE KENDALL LOWTHER
WITH PORTRAITS AND OTHER
ILLUSTRATIONS
WHEELING NEWS LITHO. CO., WHEELING, W. VA.
■ox AND
QATIONS.
1911 Lj
COPYRIGHT, 1911
BY
MINNIE KENDALL LOWTHER
i C I
t C ^ t t I
cr>
O-
♦O^nm? nf our d|tliiltoiiri ! l|nui afifrrttnti rltnga
11 1 Anb lian^rs 'rouub tl|^^ witli lipr s^ra^l)
uitnga !
itar^r tl)i| l|tUa, tI|ouglT rlab tn autumn bruitin,
(Uliau fairest Bummits uilitd| tl)? r^iiarfi rrowu !
^uiretrr tltp fragraur? of tlii| summpr bvnzt
(5hau all Arabia brfatl|ps along tl)^ spaa !
Sllir atraugpr'a galp uiafta liom^ tltp rxilp*a atgl),
iFor tljp l|rart'a t^mpk ta tta omn blup akg.
— Oliver Wendell Holmes.
nf
SI)? ftotippra of Ettrl|tf Oloutttg
PREFACE
The idea of writing a history of Ritchie county had its
origin in a suggestion made by Lewis Harvey Adams while
editor of the "Ritchie Standard," about the year 1904 when
he requested us to v/rite some historical articles (of towns and
other points of interest in the county) for his paper. We had
long been an invalid (from an injury to the spine sustained
by a fall from a horse) and was at that time local correspond-
ent for his paper. However, we agreed to comply with this
request in cas£ that the desired data could be obtained, and
shortly after set about the task, and when once at work, we
became so much interested, that the research resulted in a
brief history of the county which ran as a serial in the "Ritchie
Standard" from June 7, lOOG, to January 3, 1907 ; .and by the
time this serial was at an end, quite a number of the readers
of the paper were requesting its issue in "book form." P.ut
Ijeing conscious of its many inaccuracies and imperfections
we resolved to set out anew, and to make a more complete
an.d authentic history before submitting it to the public in book
form. So the wdiole ground has been gone over again, and
much new territory has been explored. Letters of inquiry
with out-lines of su.ggestive questions have been sent to every
known pioneer family ; the telephones and the newspapers have
been pressed into service, and various other devices have been
resorted to in the gathering and the verifying of this data; and
we now submit to the people of this county as authentic, and
as complete a history as can be hoped for at this late day when
the lips of so many of the makers of this history are now sealed
in death. And while we realize that many imperfections are
still in evidence in this work, we trust that the reader will noi:
lose sight of the disadvantages that have confronted us, and the
fact that we are a novice in the "book business"— this being
our first venture.
The orio-inal idea was to go back with these sketches to
the time the ancestors of the pioneers of the county crossed
VIII PREFACE'
the water and down to their sons and daughters ; and it will
be observed that this is still the general plan of the book,
though circumstances have demanded not a few departures
from this plan. But in each and every instance we have used
such material as has been available. Some of the older fami-
lies are written up for several generations in order to bring
them down to the memory of the present people. Some have
had well-preserved records and other data to draw upon, while
others whose ancestry ma}^ ha\e been just as interesting, had
i.one. Others again manifested no interest, hence the absence
of some who should have been included.
Quite a number of complete family genealogies have been
furnished us, but owing to the size of this volume, and the
arduous task involved, it has been necessary to leave the
younger generations and their achievements principally to the
future historian, or to the individual family record-maker.
The prime object of this volume has been to embalm the
memory of the pioneers of this county, and to show briefly
the grow^th and progress that one hundred ten years have
wrought in this little corner of our great Commonwealth.
Some have felt that because their ancestors did not figure in
public affairs that their brief history was hardly worthy of
a place; but would it not be w^ell for us to remember in this
connection that all of the heroes are not found in the front oi'
the battle or in e.xalted positions; but that some of the noblest
of earth have been content to live and die in the humbler
walks of life — "unheralded and unsung." And, truly, such
examples should be an. inspiration for us to "do with our
mi<2ht what our hands find to do," though it mav be a verv
lowly task : for —
"Tl may not be on the mountain's iieight.
Or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle's front
' My Lord may have need of me."
We gratefully acknowledge the valuable assistance ihat
has been rendered us by the many in the accomplishment of
this arduous task; for had this assistance been withheld this
PREFACE ■ IX
little volume could never have been given to the public. Our
investigations have been persistent and thorough, and if some
cherished tradition is found to be set aside, please bear in
mind that this has been done only upon good authority. Many
conflicting statements have confronted us, but we have made
our decisions always in favor of the most authentic informa-
tion, although some disputed points are still left in doubt.
While it is impossible to mention all who have contributed
to this work, the following named persons are among those
who have been especially helpful -outside of their own family
data :
Israel Davidson, the late Joel Westfall, the late General
Harris, the late j\Irs. Salina Woods, the late Mrs. A^nes
Layfield, the late Mrs. Elizabeth McGregor, Mrs. Sarah
Osbourn, George 15. Douglass, Van Martin, Van A. Zeveiey,
Martin Smith, the Rev. James T. Sinnett, Harry Dawson, B.
M. Cowell, Mrs. Lma Haymond Lantz, John B. Lemon, E. R.
Tibbs, Creed Wilson, Hu Maxwell (the historian), Mrs.
Eveline Evans, Mrs. Belinda Hill^ Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Wilson,
George B. Johnson, Christopher Douglass, the late William
Douglass, L. V. McWhorter (the historian of North Yakima.
W^ashington), Miss Fannie McKinney (Williamstown). Mrs.
Iva Lowther Peters (New York), Miss Julia Maxwell (West
Tvlilford), Granville Lowther (Braxton county), Josiah Hughes
(Roane county), Forrest Goff (Glenville), A. H. Hall, C. L.
Zinn, Mrs. Lullu Halbm Parker (Kansas city, Missouri), Miss
Genevieve Collins, Newton P»rake (Buckhannon), and perhaps
others.
We are also indebted to Withers "Chronicles of Border-
warfare," the "History of Ohio," and the "Historical and
Geographical Encyclopedia of the Virginias' for interesting
helps : and to many courtesies from the telephone operators
along the different lines, and for special favors from the
Pritchard Telephone Company, the local newspaper editors
and the kind publishers. Last but far greater than all has been
the help of the great Author of all good.
MINNIE KENDALL LOWTHER.
Fonzo, West Va., January 24, 1911.
L
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
1. — Discover}'- of Ritchie County 1
II. — First Settlers in Ritchie County 2',)
III.— South Fork Settled 4()
IV. — Thomas and Phebe Cunningham (■);/
v.— The Westfalls and Whites 7 J
VI. — South Fork Settlers — Continued S'A
Vll.^South Fork Settlers — Continued 10-;
VIII.— North Fork Settled 1-iO
TX. — North Fork Settlers — Continued 14J
X. —First Settlers in the Cairo Vicinity IGO
XL— Scotch Settlers '_ IT"?
XII.— Bond's Creek Settled 188
XIII.— Husher's Run 30:)
XIV.— Goose Creek Settled 220
XV.— Middle Fork Settled 225
XVI.— Bone Creek Settled 240
XVII.— Otterslide Settled 25(5
XVIIL— Spruce Creek Settled 201
XIX.— Grass Run Settled. 27tJ
XX.— Leatherbarke Settled 295
XXL— Indian Creek Settled 303
XXII. — Chevauxdefrise Settled 31()
XXIIL— Slab Creek Settled 330
XXIV.— White Oak Settled 347
XXV.— Beeson Settled 357
XXVL— Macfarlan and Dutchman 3()7
XXVIL— Devil Hole Creek Settled 377
XXVIIL— Ritchie Mines ' 382
XXIX. — Pioneer Life and Character 300
XXX.— Schools and Teachers 394
XXXL— Churches 400
XXXIL— Mills 418
XII CONTENTS
Chapter Page
XXXIII.— Postoffices 4;>S
XXXIV.— Ritchie County Formed 430
XXXV.— Developments 435
■ XXXVI.— Physicians 443
XXXVII.— Newspapers 453
XXXVIIL— Ilarrisville 4(53
XXXIX. — Prominent Harris\ille Families 474
XL.— Cairo 499
XLI. — Pennsboro 512
XLII.— Ellenboro 53-3
XLIIL— Smithville 541
XLIV. — Burnt House ( Goff's, Fonsoviile) 553
XLV.— Auburn 5G0
XLVL— Berea 573
XLVIL— Pullman (Oxford, Holbrook) 579
XLVIir. — Petroleum (Hig'hland, Cornwallis, Glendale,
Mole Plill. Rusk) 58r.
XLIX.— Tollgate 594
L. — Other Prominent Families 599
LI. — The Younger ]Men's Calendar 620
LII. — The Poet's Corner (536
LIIL— The Blue and the Gray (544
LIV. — Some xA.dditional Ancestries (553
LV. — Natural Resources 6(jG
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
1. Author's Picture Frontispiece
2. Old Rock at the Mouth of IncHan run ;3
3. Lowther Coat-of-arnis 5
i. Col. William Lovvther's Cabin 7
5. Cemetery where Col. Lowther Sleeps <i
G. The Old Stone Ilotise at Pennsboro • 2i
7. James Hardman and Ilardman Chapel 51
8. George W. Hardman 53
9. The Old Malone Homestead (Wyldewood Cottage
whrre the History of Ritchie County was written) 56
10. Archibald Wilson 106
11. John CoHins 132
12. Daniel Haymond -' 134
13. Marsh Cabin 135
14. Emmanuel Dotson 113
15. The Old Marshall Home 167
10. Richard and Eleanor Rutherford 111
17. The Old Rutherford Home J 171
18. Andrew and Catharine Hall Douglass 178
19. William and Elizabeth Plall McGregor lOO
30. Robert Sommerville 339
31. Mrs. Jennie Kendall Lowther 315
23. Harman and Frances Moats Sinnett 316
33. Scene of the First Tragedy in Ritchie County 368
34. Ruins of the Ritchie Mines and Frederick Lcukmi,
the discoverer ■ 383
35 H. S. Wilson -.-- 388
SG. James Woods 393
27. Flarrisville School Building 402'
38. A Modern School P.uilding 403
39. Harrisville M. E. Church 409
30. Harrisville P.aptist Church 412
31. Isaiah and Jane Taylor Wells 417
XIV LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
?:2. The Isaiah Wells Mill and Homestead 419
')3. The Old Xorth Fork Bridge 437
o4. Gen. Thomas Alaley Harris 4U
35. The late Residence of Gen. T. M. Harris 44.'3
36. Dr. and Airs. M. S. Hall 44^
37. Enoch G. Day 4r,l
38. E. S. Zcveley 454
30. White Hall Hotel 405
40. The Court House with, the Annex 468
^1. The Jail 46!)
4?. Harrisville looking from the Cemetery south of town 47')
43. P. & H. Train on Trestle 47-3
4i. Panorama of Pennsboro 5T8
45. J. P. Strickler 53«)
46. Mrs. j. P. Strickler 536
47. L. V. McWhorter (Old Wolfe) 569
48. Portraits Younger Alen's Calendar — 15et\veen 620-621
49. John S. Hall 636
50. Herbert P. AIcGinnis 640
51. Soldiers' Group — Between pages 643-644
52. Oil Derrick 667
CHAPTER I
The Discovery of Ritchie County
S we look with so much pleasure and admir-
ation upon' the smiling valleys and sunny
hill-tops that surround our rural homes, it
sounds like a fairy-tale to be told that a little
more than a century and a quarter ago, this
beautiful landscape was one vast unbroken
wilderness — the lair of wild beasts, and the
home of the savage Red man. But —
"The Red man is no more,
The pale-faced stranger stands alone,
Upon the river's shore."
Tradition, as well as history, tells us that the first "pale-
faced strangers" that ever trod the "Little Kanawha" and
Hughes river valleys and stood^ within the present bounds of
Ritchie county, were Colonel William Lowther and Jesse and
Elias Hughes.
It was in the year 1772, when the glorious touch of
autumn was on every bush and tree, that this brave trio set
out on their long and perilous expedition which was destined
to result in the discovery of what is now the prosperous little
County of Ritchie.
Leaving the place where Clarksburg now stands, they
steered their course up the West Fork of the Monongahela
river to its head waters, and, crossing over the dividing ridge
near the present site of Weston, pursued their journey down
Sand creek to its confluence with the Little Kanawha. Here
they found a beautiful mountain river upon which the eye of
civilized man had, perhaps, never before rested, and being-
filled with delight at this discovery, and lured on by their
'The incident wliich gave rise to the naii\es of Macfarlan and Dutch-
man is found to antedate this. But it lia.s never before been a matter of
hii-tory. See later chapter.
2 HISTORY Of RITCHIE COU.\T\
desire to explore, to penetrate this dense wilderness, and to
find the destination of this river, they followed its tortuous
course, its meanderings like a "silver thread" — naming the
tributaries as the}^ passed along.
The general course of the first one that appeared sug-
gested a more direct route from the point near ^^'eston to the
river they were exploring, than the one down Sand creek, and
they named it "Leading creek." Cedars adorned the banks
of the next stream and they called it "Cedar creek." Then one
came out from beneath stately pines, and "Pine creek" was
the name given to it. High banks of yellow clay marked the
mouth of another, giving rise to the name of "Yellow creek'"
— which is to-day so far-famed for its richness in oil. After
this came a tributarv "stretching far awav among the hills" —
a long line of its course being visible, and the name "Straight
creek" w^as bestowed upon it. From toward the evening sun
flowed another, which suggested the name of "West Fork."
And from the cool, limpid waters of another, thev quenched
their thirst and it has ever since borne the name of "Spring
creek."
Little did these pioneers of civilization dream that before
a centur}- had passed away, this legion was destined to
give birth to what is to-day one of the richest resources of our
Commonwealth. Scarcely less credible is the romancer's story
of the powerful magic wand of "Aladin's Lamp" than the one
that the historian has woven about "Burning Springs."'
Li August, 1860, when the news went out from this place
that the greatest petroleum-producing field then known to the
world had here been discovered, the population of this entire
vicinity was less tlian a score, and six months later, on that
memorable April morn when the whole country was startled
by the firing on Fort Sumpter, it numbered not fewer than six
thousand persons. Capitalists and adventurers from every
quarter of the globe flocked to this "Eldorado," and immense
fortunes came and went in a single day. This was the begin-
ning of the oil industry in our state. And though the popula-
tion of this region once numbered eighteen thousand, it has
now almost returned to'"its primitive wilderness."
'Burning Springs was discovered later by I'lwriek Hostetter and
others. (See Hostetters in South Forl< settlers.)
THE DISCOJ'ERV OF RITCHIE COUXTY 3
y\fter "Spring creek" came another tributary to wiiich the
name "Reedy" was appHed. And at some distance below upon
tlie bank of a small stream, a huge stone was found standhig
erect, and "Standing Stone creek" has ever since been familiar
to the inhabitants of the Little Kanawha valley.
Farther down a beautiful river united its "gently mur-
muring tide" with the Kanawha, and Jesse Hughes claimed
the privilege of conferring his own name upon it. His com-
panions n-iade no protest and the name of "Hughes river" has
ever since occupied a place on the maps of the "Little Mount-
ain State." In 1789, an effort w^as made to have the name
changed to that of "Junius," but the aged citizens still mind-
ful of the debt of gratitude that was due the brave discoverers,
refused to listen to such a change.
Up this river, whose name is so familiar to us all. and
upon whose beloved banks so many of our childish feet have
loitered, "looking for the spring flowers wild," these weary
travelers continued their explorations, and soon a stream of
some magnitude came to view in which flocks of wild geese
were bathing, and the name "Goose creek" at once suggested
itself. Farther up, the river divided into two branches, and
these were designated as the North and the South ?orks of
Hughes river ; and as they proceeded up the South fork, they
discovered a small stream overhung by walnut trees, and it
was called "Walnut creek" until 1784, when Col. Lowther,
with a company of men, surprised the Indians on this creek,
and a battle ensued in which five red men and a white l3oy
The old rock at the mouth of Indian run as it looks today.
4 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
were killed, and ever since that time it has been known a:^
"Indian creek."^ The only stream mentioned that does not
retain its original name. (
After the discovery of Indian creek, these explorers rd-
traced their footsteps to the Kanawha river and continued its
descent, and 'ere long the mouth of a stream filled with slate
rose before their vision, and the name "Slate creek" was ap-
propriated to it. And shortly after this, the goal for which
they had covered so many weary miles was in sight ; the
mouth of the river had been reached, and this little band
stood upon the bank of the bold Ohio, perhaps, among the
first Englishmen that ever set foot upon the site that is now
marked by the interesting city of Parkersburg; and from here
the homeward march began, and in due time they reached the
point from which they had started, having made the way pos-
sible for the "settlements of the now beautiful and populous
valleys of these two rivers."
This little historical drama would hardly be complete
without a word in regard to the ideritity of the heroic actors
who were instrumental in bringing it about, and of them we
shall now speak :
^The scene of this conflict was near the present site of the Indian r'.;n
school-liouse, on land now owned by Dr. C. W. Rexroad. Here, near the
mouth of tills little stream, stand the several cliffs of rocks which shel-
tered the Indians on tliat memorable night, and from which they fled in
dismay on the following morning, "at tlie dawn's early light," leaving
their dead, their prisoners, and their guns. And tliough these old rocks
serve as a most fitting memorial to one of the first tragedies ever enacted
on Ritchie county soil, so mute, and so silent do they stand that very
few who gaze upon them would ever suspect their interesting, tragical
history.
An Incident of this battle which we glean from "Border Warfare"
will doubtless add interest here:
"As soon as the firing was opened upon the Indians, Mrs. Alex Roney,
one of the prisoners, ran toward the Whites, rejoicing at the prospect of
deliverance, and e.Kclaiming, "I am Ellick Roney's wife of tlie Valley, I
am Ellick Roney's wife of the Valley, and a pretty little woman, too, if
I am well-dressed!" The poor woman, ignorant of the fact that her son
was weltering in his own gore, and, forgetting for an instant, that her
husband had been so recently killed, seemed intent onlj^ on her own de-
liverance from the savage captors.
"Another of the captives, Daniel Dougherty, being tied down and im-
able to move, was discovered by the Whites as they rushed toward the
camp; but fearing that he might be one of the enemy, and that he might
do them .'jome injury if they advanced, ore of the men stopped and de-
manded to know who he was. But being benumbed with the cold and so
disconcerted by the sudden firing of the Whites, he could not render his
Irish dialect intelligible to them: and the white man raised his gun and
pointed it toward him, and in loud, emphatic tones told him that if he
did not make it known who he was that he'd blow a ball through him, be
he White man or Indian. Fear supplying him with new vigor, Dougherty
exclaimed. 'Loord Jasus, and am I to be killed by the "^Tiite people at
last?' Col. Lowther heard him and his life was saved."
THE DISCOVERY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
The Lowthers. — "Lowther"^ is a very old name in the
land beyond the deep. It is supposed to be of Norman or
French origin, and its primitive spelling was "Loutre," or
"Louthre" — meaning otter or na-
tive ; and in the ancient chronicles
of the family (in the "Old
World") it is said to be frequent-
ly met with in this form to-day.
But, however this may have been,
they came over to England with
William the Conqueror, from
Normandy in France, during the
autumn of 1066, and have ever
since laid claim to British soil,
though (from here) they have
scattered to Ireland and to vari-
ous other climes. They are distinctively connected with the
North of England, where they own large possessions to-day.
Sir William Lowther was the prime minister of William
the III, about the year 1695, and was subsequently created first
Viscount of Lonsdale; and Sir James Lowther, a very well-
known member of the family, who married the daughter of
Lord Bute (the first prime minister of George the III), was
made the first Earl of Lonsdale, near 1760, and the present
Earl (of Lonsdale) is his direct descendant.
Another head of the family, William, Earl of Lonsdale,
was Postmaster-General and President of the Council in the
second Beaconsfi eld's f^rst government in 1866 ; and the Hon-
orable William Lowther, who still survives at the age of
eighty-eight years, occupied a seat in the House of Commons,
from Westmoreland county, for a quarter of a century, and
his son, the Right Honorable James William Lowther (to
"An old tradition concerning the origin of tlie name "Lowther" in
the "Old World," which has been handed down for generations in the
family, is: "That Henry Low, whose ancestral line came from Ireland,
had three sons, Henry, George and "William, who were English miners
and for some superior skill and valor 't-h-e-r' was added to their name
by royal decree, and William was said to be the grandfather of Col.
William Lowther. But, however cherished this old story may be, its
authenticity is now scattered to tlie winds before historical facts which
are indisputable; as the history of the family is to be found in 'Dod's
Pr.rliamentarian Companion,' 'Who's Who,' and various other English
books of reference."
6 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
whom we are indebted for this information), has been in Par-
liament for twenty-seven years, and is now the speaker of the
House of Commons.
All down the centuries the name has been associated with
the pul)lic affairs of Great Britain, and John Langton Sanford
and Meredith Townsend in their "Great Governing Families
of England," say :
"The history of the Lowthers is that of immense and
almost unbroken civil success. Though they date from the
earliest feudal period and possess to this time a power more
nearly feudal than that of any other family in England, ex-
cept the Perceys and the Wynnes, they would be defined on
the continent as belonging rather to the peerage of 'the robe'
than the nobility of the sword. A race of proud, sensitive,
and singularly efficient men, they have filled high offices as
lawyers, battled bravely as politicians, and performed, once
or twice, good service as ministers of the State. From 1300,
for five hundred years, there never sat a parliament which was
not attended by a Lowther or a Lowther's direct nominee.''
The first record that we have of the family in the Western
world is in the Pennsylvania colony, on October 22 and 23,
1681, when William Penn granted five thousand acres of land
to William Lowther and his sister. Margaret, near "Simpson
Tract." They were the son and the daughter of Armstrong
Lowther, of York count3^ England, and their mother was a
sister of William Penn. W^illiam married Kathrine Preston,
and had a son, Thomas Lowther. Margaret became Mrs.
Benjamin Poole, and their daughter was Mrs. Richard Nichol-
son.^
But Col. William Lowther was not a lineal descendant
of this Pennsylvania family, as some mistakenly think. His
parents. Robert and Aquilla Reese Lowther. crossed to
America (from Ireland) near the year 1738, and settled in
Albermarle county. Virginia. They later removed to the
South Branch of the Potomac river, in what is now the East-
ern Panhandle of this State, and finally to Hacker's creek,
where their lives came to a close. (?)
^To Hon. Hu Maxwell we are Indebted for this bit of information,
whicli is taken from tlie "Crown Inn" (which stood near Bethleliem, in
Pennsylvania), written by W. C. Reichel.
t
THE DISCOJ'ERV OP RITCHIE COUNTY 7
They had quite a family of children, but only part of
their names are at our command; viz., Thomas, Henry, Jona-
than, Joel and William.
Thomas and Jonathan were killed by the Indians. Henry
returned to his home in Albermarle county, after lending a
hand in the erection of the early forts in Harrison county.
Joel probably died in Harrison county, where he settled, and
William is the hero of this drama.
Col. William Lowther was born in Albermarle county,
Virginia, in 1743, not long after the arrival of the family in
the colonies ; and in his early twenties, he was married to
Miss Sudna Hughes, sister of Jesse and Elias. the marriage
taking place at the home of the Hughes, on the South branch
of the Potomac, in^ v;hat is now Hardy county, near the year
1763 ; and here, not far from the beautiful old town of Moore-
field, they established their home and remained until they
removed to Harrison count}% in June, 1773. The date of their
removal being marked by the birth of their fourth son, Jesse,
who is said to have come upon the stage just six weeks after
the family reached their new home (in Harrison county), and
his natal day was Julv 31. 1773.
Col. Wm. Lowtlier'.s cabin as it looks to-day.
This cabin is located one one-half miles below West Milford, on
the Clarksburg road. It was built by Col. Lowther, perhaps early in the
year 1773 i some object to tliis date, but we are confident that it is au-
thentic), and though one hundred thirty-seven years have winged their
flight, it still stands as a sacred remnant of by-gone days. This piature
was taken in June, 190S, and was at tliat time si ill occupied by the
descendants of Col. Lowther.
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Col. Lowther had, however, figured in the erection of
Simpson's fort, near eight miles below Clarksburg, and West's
fort, near Jane Lew, before this time. He played an important
■part, too, in the construction of the "Old Nutter" fort, near
Clarksburg, ruins of which still mark the site.
He soon became distinguished for his fearlessness as a
frontiersman, and for his unselfish devotion to the welfare of
the colonists ; was one of the most capable defenders of the
settlement in the Avar of 1774 (and subsequently) and many a
successful expedition did he lead against the enemy. He was
the first Justice of the Peace in the district of West Augusta ;
the first Sheriff of Harrison and Wood counties, and was at
one time a member of the General Assembly at Richmond,
Virginia^. Having served in all the subordinate ranks of mili-
tary life, he rose to that of Colonel. (Was com.missioned
Major by General George Rogers Clarke in 1781.) "Despis-
ing the pomp and pageantry of office," he accepted it only for
the good of his country.^
On a balmy day in the latter part of October (28) 1814,
he passed from earth at his old home near West Milford.
The old cabin that had sheltered him through so many event-
ful years was the scene of his closing hours, and not far away
on his own homestead he lies in his eternal sleep. He died
rich in the love and esteem of the countrymen that he had so
faithfully served, and it is said that his- name has been handed
down to their descendants "hallowed by their blessings."
A pathetic little incident that has been preserved in the
family says that when he died his devoted old darkey, "Tobe,"
Cemetery ■where Colonel Lowther slc:ep =
'Part of this is taken from the re\ised Border Warfare.
\
THE DISCOVERY OF RITCHIE COUNTY 9
was ?'€.Qn stancling by the fence near the cabin weeping over
his loss ; and that when this old servant was done with earth,
he was laid at his master's feet and a dog-iron was placed at
his grave ; and to this day this iron is in-tact and serves as a
positive mark for Col. Lowther's grave, whose inscription is
no longer legible.
After his death, his wife, Sudna, came to this county and
made her home with her son, Elias Lowther, on the Flanna-
gan farm, above Berea. Here, near the year 1829, she died,
and in one corner of the Flannagan burying-ground she lies
at rest. Jonathan C. Lowther, her only surviving grandson,
remembers seeing her lov/ered here. He was born in 1819,
and thinks that he must have been a lad of near ten years at
the time. He cannot recall her features, biit says that she was
quite small in stature.
Their family consisted of five sons only; viz., Robert,
Thomas, William, Jesse and Elias Lowther, all of whom have
a long line of descendants, which are scattered throughout the
Union.
It may be of interest in this connection to note that an
old cross-cut saw that was once the property of Col. Lowther
is now in the hands of his great-grandson, J. M. Lowther, of
Auburn. He purchased this saw at Winchester, Virginia,
and carried it on horseback to Clarksburg (West) Virginia,
where it was used in sawing timber for the old "Nutter fort,"
which served as a place of refuge for the inhabitants of the
West fork river during Lord Dunmore's war, which antedates
the Revolution.
An heirloom in the form of an old land grant which was
made to Col. Lowther, on June 8, 1785, and signed by Patrick
Henry, on November 14, 1786, while he was Governor of Vir-
ginia, is now a cherished possession of the writer. This grant
is written upon parchment and conveys two hundred twenty
acres to the Colonel on the West fork river, in Harrison coun-
ty, "which includes his settlement." (Hence our proof of his
early settlement at West Milford.)
What a mantle of historic interest clusters about these
silent remnants of the past How sacred they seem to us ! As
one gazes upon the signature of this renowned orator with
10 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
a feeling of awe and reverence, through the phonograph of
years comes a voice of eloquence proclaiming the immortal
words that must ever be the sentiment of the true American
heart, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
Col. Lowther's military record is sucli as to admit his
descendants to membership in the Sons and Daughters of
the American Revolution. Mrs. Iva Lowther Peters, of Fish-
kill, New York, his grand-daughter, several generations re-
moved, and her brother, Earle, having been recently admitted
to these societies on his record.
Descendants of Col. Lowther. — Robert Lowther, the
eldest son, whose natal day was October 1, 17G5, married
Miss Kathrine Cain, sister of John Cain, the Slab creek
pioneer, and settled on the portion of the old homestead.
given him by his father. But at the death of Col. Lowther,
he inherited that part of the estate which included the ''old
cabin," and here, on November 16, 1833, he came to his death
by a fall from this cabin while engaged in re-roofing it. His
wife, who was born on October 2", 1766, died here on March
^5, 1851, and side by side they lie at rest in the old family
burying-ground shown in the picture.
They were the parents of five sons and three daughters :
William B., Jesse .0. Robert, junior. John, James K.. I-Cath-
rine Susan and Mary Lowther.
William B. married Miss Margaret Coburn, and was
identified wath the South fork settlers in this county.
Jesse G., who settled near West Milford, was first mar-
ried to Miss Nancy Swisher, and ten children were the result
of this union. His second wife was Miss W^ady Knight, and
the two children of this marriage were : the late Dr. Jesse G.
Lowther. a well known practitioner of Wirt. Wood and this
county ; and the late Mrs. Nancy Lowther, of W'wi county.
He died at West Milford, on August 25, 1870, at the age of
eighty years, and sleeps in the family burying-ground there.
Robert, junior, married Miss Eliza Highland and settled
on the old homestead, near West Milford, where he reared
three sons and two daughters.
John, who was a prominent medical practitioner, married
Miss Elizabeth Pritchard, and lived and died at Clarksburg;
THE DISCOVERY OF RITCHIE COUNTY 11
and the only child of this marriage was the late Evan Low-
ther, of that city, who died without issue.
James K. married Miss Lydia Knight, and principally
spent his life within the walls of the old ancestral cabin, where
he died at the age of ninety-five years. He had two sons and
three daughters, and one of these daughters, Talitha, the last
survivor of the family died (unmarried) at the old home, on
February 25, 1910.
Kathrine married Thomas Ireland, and they were the first
settlers at the mouth of the Middle fork of Highes river, in
this county.
Susan became Mrs. Abraham Morrison, and principally
spent her life on Brown's creek, in Harrison county. Her
family consisted of three daughters, who have all crossed the
tide.
Mary Lowther was married to her cousin, William J.
Lowther (son of Jesse), and came to this county and settled
near Oxford.^
Thomas Lowther (the second son of Col. William) was
born on March 7, 1767, but his history is rather obscure.
However, he married Miss Mary Coburn, and settled on the'
land given him by his father, near West Milford, and reared
a small family. He is said to have died before he had scarcely
reached the meridian of life of a malady that the physicians
of to-day would term appendicitis; he having undergone a
surgical operation without an anesthetic. Tradition says that
he was a snake-charmer, that he could wield such power over
a poisonous reptile as to be able to handle it without harm
to himself. He, too, rests in the family burying-ground on
the old homestead.
He was the father of Jesse Lowther, the Cornwallis
pioneer ; of Elias, an early settler at Webb's mill ; of Robert,
of Doddridge county; and of one daughter, Mary or Polly,
who is said to have married a man by the name of West, of
near Jane Lew. (Another source of information says her mar-
ried name was White.)
'The descendants of this branch of the family in tliis coujity are a
veritable host, but for an account of those who settled here in pioneer
days see later chapters.
12 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Thomas' descendants in this county are not nearly so
numerous as those of the other sons, but they are not a few,
however. Among them ars Mrs. Matilda McGregor, of Cairo,
a granddaughter ; Mrs. James Rexroad, Mrs. Emma Lee, the
late Mrs. F. S. Moyer and the late Mrs. W. E. Hill, great-
granddaughters.
William Lowther, the third son of Col. William, was born
on the South branch of the Potomac river, not far from
Moorefield, on January 27, 1769 ; and when he was yet in the
"frocks of babyhood," his parents removed to Harrison county,
and here in the "hot bed" of savage warfare, he grew to man-
hood.
Though uneducated, he was a man of marked intelligence,
and his memory was a veritable store-house of pioneer lore,
and of interestiiis' reminiscences of Indian times ; for often,
when a lad, he accompanied his father on his expeditions
-against the dusky foe, and was an eye witness to the conflict
(between the whites and the Indians), at the famous rock
at the mouth of Indian run, in 1784, he being then but fifteen
years of age. And in after life when listening to a recital of
these stirring days from the "Chronicles of Border Warfare,"
he would often stop the reader in order to correct some mis-
statement of the historian, so clear, and so retentive was his
memory.^
Near the year 1789, he was married to Miss Margaret
Morrison, who was born on the banks of the Yadkin river,
in North Carolina, on May 1, 3 768, and with her parents
emigrated to Harrison county in her early womanhood.
After their marriage, they settled near one mile below West
Milford, on the farm that is now owned by the Highlands.
Here they reared their family, and here they remained until
near the year 1837, when they came to this county, where
they spent the evening hours of their lives with their son,
Archibald Lowther, at Holbrook.
At one time, near the year 1797, Mr. Lowther went to
Ohio for the purpose of seeking a home, and, while on the
'As Uie writer's father was one of the grandsons who frequently read
for him, she has been able to correct some of these errors.
THE DISCOVERY OF RITCHIE COUNTY 13
Muskingum river, he helped to rear the first cabin where the
City of Zanesville now stands, but owing to the prevalence
of "fever and ague" in this section, he returned to his home
satisfied to remain at West Milford.
Mrs. Lowther was a woman of a devout religious char-
acter, a Presbyterian in faith, and her old Bible, which was
her daily companion, is now in the hands of the writer. It
bears the date of "1790," and is still held together by the old
leather string that she ever kept about it. Mr. Lowther never
made a profession of religion, but his last audible words were
a prayer, a most earnest appeal to the Infinite Father of love
and mercy. She passed away on MayiJJi^^ 1850, and he, on
November 36, 1857. Both lie at rest in the Lowther burying-
ground, near Holbrook, surrounded by the dust of five gen-
erations of their descendants.
They v/ere the parents of twelve children, six of whom
reached the years of maturity. Five of them married and
four of that five were the heads of pioneer families of this
county,
Alexander, the eldest son (born on January 14, 1791),
married Miss Sarah Ireland, and was the pioneer of Oxford.
Sudna (born on April 10, 1793), became Mrs. George Wil-
lard, and came to this county in pioneer days. (See Middle
fork chapter.)
William (born on October 31, 1793) married Miss Meli-
cent Maxwell and settled at Cairo.
Robert (born on May 34, 1795) settled in Jackson county.
Rebecca (born on December 30, 1803) died in 1885, unmar-
ried.
Archibald (born May 17, 1811, the youngest of the family)
married Miss Charlotte Willard and lived and died at Hol-
brook.
Mary (born December 13, 1797), Margaret (born Septem-
ber 37, 1806), Sarah (born September 3, 1800), Elias (born
December 37, 1806), Kathrine (born September 31, 1809), all
died in childhood; and Jesse (born September 31, 1805), in
youth.
Robert, the one member of the family (of William and
Margaret Morrison Lowther) that did not come to this coun-
]4 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
ty, married Miss !\Iary Hattabough, a nativ^e of Kent county,
Delaware" who was born on November 'i, 1792. The marriage
took place near the year 1809, and they remained in Harrison
count}' until some time in the thirties, when they removed to
Jackson county, where they died, and where many of their
descendants still live. He was a lawyer by profession and
was the first resident barrister of Jackson county. He helped
to survey the pretty town of Riplev, and almost beneath its
shadow his ashes lie. ]^Irs. Lowther died on July 1, 1851, and
he followed her to the grave on April 22, 1856.
Their children were as follows : the late Andrew H.
Lowther (1810-1863), of Wirt county; Harriet (1817-1845),
the late Mrs. John H. Wetzel, of Ripley; William A\'irt
(1820), who died at the age of eighteen years while attending
college in Indiana; Agnes (B. 1822), who died in infancy;
Minerva (1823-1901), the late ^Irs. Joseph Smith, of Ripley;
Margaret (1826-1899) was the late Mrs. Henry Harpold, of
Baltimore; Mary (1828-1899) died at Baltimore, unmarried,
and Edward Duncan (1828-1899), who died at Ripley, unmar-
ried.
The Morrisons. — ^largaret ^Morrison Lowther, as above
stated, was a native of Xorth Carolina. Her father, Archibald
IMorrison, and his brother, who were of Scotch-Irish birth,
emigrated from England to America some time before the
Revolution, and settled on the Yadkin river, in Xorth Caro-
lina. Here he married a ]\Iiss Fooks, and at the breaking
out of the Avar in 1775, when he enlisted as a soldier in the
Continental army, he became separated from his brother, and
never heard of him again. But near the year 1788, Archibald
Morrison removed from Xorth Carolina to A\ est Milford, in
Harrison county, and here he and his wife sleep.
His sons were Alexander, John and AMlliam, who rest
in 'Harrison county, where some of their descendants live;
Archibald, junior, lies in Ohio; ]Marshall Reese, in California.
Margaret Lowther, and Susan, whose married name is un-
known to us, were two of the daughtet-s.
Alexander married Miss Margaret Brake and settled on
Hacker's creek in 1824. He was a soldier of the war of 1812 ;
and a curiosit}' in the form of a briar-root cane, which he
THE DISCOVERY OF RITCHIE- COUNTY 15
brought from Xorth Carolina, and upon which he carved the
head and face of a man, is still in the family.
Alexander Morrison's son, James Monroe Morrison, was
commissioned Lieutenant-General of the U. S. Militia by
President Lincoln. He married Miss Sarah Jane Bennett,
and the}' were the parents of the Rev. U. W. Morrison, of
the A\'est A'irgima Methodist Protestant conference.
Jesse Lowther (the fourth son of Col. William) was born
on July 51, 1773, six weeks after the arrival of the family in
Harrison county. He is said to have been the first white male
child born on Harrison county soil.
Near the year 1790, when he was but a boy, he was mar-
ried to Miss Mary Ragan, a rosy-cheeked Dutch girl, who
was born on December 25, 1770, and settled where West Mil-
ford now stands. Mrs. Lowther was the daughter of a Revo-
lutionary soldier, and the sister of Mrs. Alexander Ireland,
senior. In 1797, they removed from West Milford to the
Ohio river, and established a home on Neal's Island, four
miles below Parkersburg, but they returned to their old home
at West Milford, after a few years, where he died in October,
1854. After his death, his wife, Mary, came to this county,
and spent the closing years of her life with her daughter, Mrs.
William Hall, at Pullman. Here she fell asleep, in April,
1857, and in the Pullman churchyard she lies at rest. Her
husband sleeps in the family burying-ground near A\'est ]\Iil-
ford.
The writer now has a cane which was once the property
of Jesse Lowther, and one which- he presented to his brother,
William. L^pon this piece of anticpiity is a silver plate which
bears the initials of his nanie "J. L."
The children of this family were eleven in number:
William, the eldest (born in 1791), married his cousin, Mary
or Polly Lowther, and settled at Oxford.
Mary Ann was the wife of William Hall, an early settler
of the Oxford vicinity.
Sallie married William Norris, and resided on the South
fork for a brief time in pioneer days, then removed to Gihiicr
county.
IC HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Margaret married William L. ]\Iitchell, and died at West
Milford. She was the mother of Virginia, the late wife of
William I. Lowther, of Pullman; of Margaret, wife of Lewis
Maxwell, junior, formerly of this county, but now of Gilmer;
of Mrs. Mary Hickman of the West; of AVilliam, Cyrus, Madi-
son B., Robert, and Lafayette Mitchell, all of whom have
passed on, except Robert and William.
Jesse, junior, wdio was a physician, w^ent West, finally to
Little Rock, Arkansas, where he died. L'riah died in youth.
Dr. Robert married Mrs. Ellen Stringer Huffman, and
located at Weston, and from there migrated to Mississippi,
wdiere he died after a nine days' illness of fever. His wife
soon followed him to the grave from a broken heart, and the
half-brother brought the two little sons, aged four and six
years, back to their grandfather, Jesse, near the year 1839.
Daniel was educated at Lexington and West Point, and after
finishing his college work, came to Harrisville, where he
opened a law office, and where he died a few months later,
in 1866. William, who was also a lawyer, went to Texas,
v.diere he met his death at the hands of a man that he had
decided a case against. Huffman, who was a colonel in the
Confederate army, and who lost a leg in the cause, died at
Clarksburg, unmarried.
Sudna married Armstrong Maxwell and lived and died
at AVest Milford. The members of this family were : Mari-
anne, who married Jesse Lowther (but we can't say what
number), Mrs. Millie M. (John) Racey, Mrs. Anna L. (Wm.)
Stephens, Mrs. Sudna A. Mitchell, of Gilmer county ; Mar-
cellus Maxwell, of Nelsonville, Ohio: and Irwin and William,
who have passed on ; and Miss Julia Maxwell, of West Mil-
ford.
Elizabeth Lowther married Conrad Kester and died in
Lewis county, where many of her descendants live.
Drusilla became Mrs. Bradbury Morgan, of Zanesville,
Ohio; and Millie was Mrs. Daniel Wyer, of W'oodsfield, Ohio.
Elias Lowther, who was born on Xeal's Island, in 1801,
during the residence of the family there, was married to Miss
Selina McWhorter, daughter of Thomas McWhorter, and
THE DISCOJ'F.RY OF RITCHIE COUNTY 17
Spent his last hours at Palestine, in Wirt county, though he
resided at various other points in the State.
He was the father of the following- named children: AIc-
Duffy and Calhoun (twins), Thomas A\'., Cammillius, Elias
H., John M., who was killed at Elizabeth during the Civil
war; Columbia V. (Mrs. John Edwards), Mary M. (Mrs. P.
W. Morgan, of Jackson county), all of whom have crossed
the tide ; and Jesse and Granville S., of Braxton county ;
Henry M., of Kentucky; W. H. H., of Parkersburg; Mrs.
Celina J. (Amos) Lowther, Wirt county, are the surviving
members, and they are all well advanced in years. . Mrs. J. E.
Burns, of Auburn, belongs to this family, she being the
daughter of Jesse, and granddaughter of Elias.
Elias Lowther (the fifth and youngest son of Col.
William) came upon the stage during the din of the American
Revolution. Pie w^as born in the old cabin, shown in the
picture, on September 16, 1776, and married Miss Rebecca
Coburn, sister of his brother Thomas' wife, and remained in
his native county until 1820, when he came to this county
and erected the first cabin on the Zimri Flannagan farm, above
Berea. He was at one time a member of the Richmond Leg-
islature from Harrison county, and was major in the militia.
During the latter part of his life he lost his mind, and his last
years were spent in the insane hospital at Staunton, V^irginia,
where he was laid to rest near the year 1845.
His wife, who was born in Harrison county, on December
11, 1779, died a few years later at the home of hei son. J. C.
Lowther, at the mouth of Otterslide, and on the Flannagan
homestead she lies in her last sleep.
Their children were as follows :
Peggy died in youth ; Decatur was drowned in the miil-
pond at Berea.
Jesse M. married Miss Lucinda Hall, daughter of William
Hall, and spent his last hours near Berea. (See HAll family.)
William went to Ohio. Sarah was Mrs. George Starkey,
of Harrison county. Elizabeth married Robert Hammond
and went to Ohio. Mary was the wife of Thomas Pritchard,
of Slab creek. (See later chapter.) Dorinda was Mrs. Zibba
18 HISTORY OF RiTClUE COUNTY
Davis, of Otterslide ; and Jonathan C. Lowther, of Berea, the
only survivor of the family, is the young;est son.
He is now (1910) ninety-one years of age, and is as active
as a boy, being able to jump up and crack his heels together.
He enjoj^s the distinction of being the only surviving grand-
son of Col. Lowther. (See Otterslide for his family.)
The Hugheses. — The Hugheses are of Welsh origin. Fam-
ily tradition tells us that they crossed the deep with the Low-
thers and settled in Albemarle county, Virginia; and that
Thomas Hughes removed from there to the South branch of
the Potomac river, in what is now Hardy count}', and from
thence to Harrison county, near the year ITT'3 or 1773, where
he found a home on Hacker.'s creek. One day during the latter
part of April, 1778, while at work in the field, he and Jonathan
Lowther were shot down by the stealthy foe. The others who
were with them managed in some way to escape injury.
Thomas flughes was the father of quite a family of
children, among whom were Jesse, Thomas, junior. Elias,
Job, James, Charles, Sudna, Martha, and another daughter,
who married Joseph Bibbee, of Jackson county.
Job LIughes married Miss Mary Harn, of Harrison coun-
ty, in 1791, and later removed to Jackson county, where he
rests.
Thomas, junior, who was born in 1754, was lieutenant
of a company of Indian spies, at one time. He settled on the
West Fork river, in Harrison county, in 1775, but afterwards
removed to Jackson county, where he died in October, 18:37.
He had one son, Thomas, and here our knowledge ends,
though there are doubtless many of his descendants in that
part of the State to-day.
Of the history of James and Charles we know nothing,
other than that they figured in Indian warfare, and James
was among the pai-ty that encountered the savages at the
time that Macfarlan and Dutchman got their names.
Sudna was the wife of Col. William Lowther.
Martha married Samuel Bonnett, and \hox\ and died on
Hacker's creek, in what is now Lewis county. Her sons were
Lewis, the Rev. Henry Bonnett, of the Methodist Protestant
church, and Elias Bonnett ; and one daughter, Susan, married
THE DISCOVERY OF RITCHIE COUNTY 19
a Wagner; another, a Hinzman.
Lewis Bonnett was married to Miss Margaret Means,
daughter of Robert Means (and aunt of Robert Means, of Cal-
houn county), and they were the parents of Henry Bonnett,
of Troy, and the grandparents of U. G. Bonnett, of Burnt
House.
Jesse Hughes, the eldest son, whose history is of more
moment to us, was born in the "Old Dominion," in 1T50, and
in early life, he was married to Miss Grace Tanner, sister of
one of the pioneer settlers of Roane county, and near the
year 1773, he came to Hacker's creek in Harrison county.
Two years after the discovery of the river that bears his
name, we find him engaged in the awful struggle at Point
Pleasant, but little else of value concerning his life is in our
possession other than that he was a confirmed Indian hater,
an intrepid leader, and a prominent border scout.
He resided near Jane Lew% in Lewis county, at one time
on the small stream that still bears liis name, "Jesse's run,"
and in a rural burying-ground in this section, strangers have
been pointed to a low mound which is said to cover his silent
dust, but this is in error. He died at the home of his son-in-
law, George Hanshaw, at Ravenswood, in Jackson county,
during the autumn of 1839, and near this town he lies in his
last sleep. After his death, Mrs. Hughes made her home with
her daughter, Mrs. Uriah Gandee, in Roane county, until her
death, and in the Gandeeville cemetery, she reposes.
They were the parents of two sons and seven daughters;
viz., Jesse, junior, William, Rachel (Mrs. William Cottrell),
Martha (Mrs. Jacob Bonnett), Sudna (Mrs. Elijah Runner),
Elizabeth (Mrs. James Stanley), Lucinda (Mrs. Uriah Sayre),
Nancy (Mrs. George Hanshaw), and Massie, who married
Uriah Gandee, the founder of Gandeeville, in Roane county,
Mrs. Gandee was the last survivor of Jesse Hughes' family.
She died in 1883 at the age of one hundred four years, and
was laid in the Gandeeville cemetery by the side of her mother.
James S. Gandee, of Higby, Roane county, her son, still sur-
vives ; and the Hon. Frederick Gandee, of that county, is her
grandson.
One of these daughters was captured by the Lidians, but
90 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
was rescued the following year and lived to a good old age,
but we cannot say which one.
Jesse Hughes' name was ever associated with that of
courage and daring, and he "lived many years to enjoy the
peace and quietude that the hardships of his early life had so
dearly bought." And the beautiful nver that bears his name
is a more fitting memorial than bronze or marble.
Ellas Hughes was born on the South Branch of the Poto-
mac river, in what is now Hardy count}^ West Virginia, in
1757, and with his parents and the rest of the family, removed
to Harrison county in the early seventies.
He, too, served under the command of General Lewis at
the battle of Point Pleasant and was one of the last survivors'
of this desperate conflict.
PTe had been born and reared in the midst of savage war-
fare, and his father and a young lady whom he ardently ad-
mired having been killed by the ruthless hand of the dusky
foe, he vowed vengeance on the race, and the return to peace
did not serve to mitigate his intense hatred.
In 1797, tw^o years after General Wayne's treaty with the
Indians, leaving his native hills (with one John Radcliffe),
he went to Ohio and settled on the Muskingum river, and
during the following year, removed to the Licking river and
became the first settler in what is now Licking county ; the
scene of this settlement being in some old Indian cornfields,
near five miles below^ the present site of Newark, Ohio.
"One night in April, 1800, not long after his arrival here,
two Indians stole his and Radclifife's horses from a small in-
closure near their cabins and succeeded in getting aw^ay with
them unobserved." But finding them missing in the morning,
they, well-armed, and accompanied by a man by the name of
Bland, set out in pursuit, following their trail in a northerly
direction all day and camping in the forest at night : but at
the dawn of the next day, they came upon them fast asleep
and all unconscious of danger. Concealing themselves behind
'Though Elias Hughes has been repeatedly recognized as the last sur-
vivor of this battle (at Point Pleasant), Samuel" Bonnifield. of Tucker
county, is entitled to this distinction, as he died in 1847, at the .ige of
ninety-six years. The house which he occupied from 1824-1847 still stands.
He was four times sheriff of Randolph county. To Hon. Hu Maxwell, who
recently visited his grave, we are indebted for this information.
THE DISCOVERY OF RITCHIE COUNTY 21
some trees, they waited until the Indians had awakened and
were making preparations for their departure, when they
drew their rifles to fire upon them; and just at that moment
one of them, instinctively clapping his hands upon his breast,
as if to ward ofT the fatal ball, exclaimed in tones of dismay,
"Me bad Indian! me no do so more!" But the appeal was
all in vain. "The smoke curled from the glistening barrels,
the report rang out upon the morniiig air, and the poor In-
dians fell dead !" Recovering their horses and securing what
plunder the savages had, they returned to their homes, swear-
ing: mutual secrecv for this violation of the treatv laws.
But one evening some time afterwards, when Hughes vv^as
sitting quietly in his cabin, he was startled by the entrance
of two powerful and well-armed savages. Concealing his
emotion, he bade them welcome and profifered them seats.
His wife, a large muscular woman, stepping aside, privately
sent for Radclitfe, whose cabin was near by ; and presently
Radclifife, who had made a detour, entered with his rifle from
an opposite direction, as if he had been out hunting, and
found Hughes talking with his visitors about the murder
with his scalping-knife and tomahawk in his belt, and his
rifle, which he deemed imprudent to try to obtain, hanging
fron: the cabin wall. There all night long sat the little party,
mutually fearing each other, but neither being able to sum-
mon sufficient courage to stir ; but when the morning dawned
the savages withdrew, shaking hands and bidding adieu to
their rehictant hosts, using every precaution in their retreat
lest they should be shot by the daring borderer-
Elias Hughes was captain of a band of scouts in Indian
times, and was a soldier of the war of 1812. He married Miss
Jane Sleeth, who, doubtless, belonged to the same family of
Sleeths who have a place in the Smithville chapter, and they
were the parents of sixteen children. Mrs. Hughes died in
1827, and he passed away near Utica, Ohio, on December 22,
1844, in the hope of a "glorious immortality." Military
honors and other demonstrations of respect were in evidence
at his funeral, and near Utica he lies at rest.
'This story is gleaned from Howe's History of Ohio.
23 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Two of iiis children died in youth and the rest are as fol-
lows : Mrs. Margaret Jones, Mrs. Mary Foster, Mrs. Susana
Leach, Mrs. Sndna Martin, Mrs. Jane Hight, Mrs. Sarah
Davis and Kathrine, who never married, were the daughters ;
and Job, Thomas, Henry, Elias, David, John and Jonathan
Hughes were the sons.
Note. — While our resources for this chapter have been
principally traditional, parts of it are already a matter of his-
tory, as the account of the "Explorations of the Streams" is
to be found in "Hardesty's Historical and Geographical En-
clycopedia of the Virginias," and other parts in the "Border
Warfare" and the "History of Ohio," as mentioned in the
foot notes.
To Josiah Hughes, of Roane county ; Henry Bonnett, of
Troy, and L. V. McWhorter, the historian of North Yakima,
Washington, we owe our thanks for valuable Hughes data.
CHAPTER II
First Settlers in Ritchie County
ORE than a quarter of a century had passed
away after the discovery of Ritchie county
before the coming of the first settlers.
Til is period had been marked by one of
the most important epochs in the history
of our country. The "Old Independence
Bell had proclaimed liberty throughout the
land to the inhabitants thereof ;" the tyrannous scepter of
George the III had been withdrawn; and the "White Dove of
Peace" had spread her downiy wings "o'er a land of the free
and a home of the brave."
A new era had dawned. Civilization had taken up a
westward line of march, and near the close of the 18th cen-
tury, Ritchie county was brought into notice b_y the con-
struction of a State road from Clarksburg to Marietta, which,
for near forty years, was a leading thoroughfare between the
East and the West ; and along this road the pioneers erected
their cabins, which served as "inns or taverns" for the con-
venience of travelers.
The first one of these cabins that came within rhe present
boundary of Ritchie county was built by John Bunnell, near
the beginning of the year 1800, on the site that is now marked
by the thriving town of Pennsboro. Hence the origin of the
name of the stream near by, "Bunnell's run," which serves
as an enduring memorial, although we have been unable to
learn "from whence he came or Avhither he went."
Mr. Bunnell sold his possessions here to John W^ebster.
of New England, who, early in the nineteenth century, built
the "Stone house" at the western end of Pennsboro, which
became the property of James Martin, in 1815, and remained
in the hands of his heirs until the autumn of 1908, when it
was purchased by A. J. Ireland.
24
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
j\Ir. Webster went to Texas and there met his deatli at
the hands of the Indians.
Though the "tenement house" of the buikler has long
since been silent dust, this historic old mansion has withstood
the storms of a century, and still stands, in good preservation,
as a monument to his memory.
The Stone House as it appears today.
George Husher, whose settlement closely followed that
of Bunnell, was the next settler in Ritchie county, but his his-
tory will be found in the Bond's creek chapter:
Lawrence Maley. — During the early springtime of the
year 1803, Lawrence Alaley, a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian, built
the first cabin in what is now Union district, one mile east
of Harrisville, on the farm that is designated as the "Cannon,"
but better known to the older citizens, as the Airs. Ann Har-
ris homestead.
Having a wife and eight children, the eldest, a son.
twenty-one years of age, and finding it necessary to clear a
cornfield at once, he built a rude shelter, by driving stakes
in the ground, and peeling popular bark for a roof, upon the
bank of the river nearly opposite the residence of Grandison
Wolfe, which served for a dwelling until the corn had been
planted, when he erected a better one. near the present site
of the Cannon residence.
PTis nearest neighbor was then at Pennsboro. but others
FIRST SETTLERS IN RITCHIE COUNTY 25
soon found -their way into this wilderness, and a settlement
was formed, which, for forty years, was known as the "Maley
settlement."
Mr. Maley was the paternal grandfather of Ritchie coun-
ty's most distinguished son, the late General T. M. Harris,
and he was a native of Southern Ireland, the son of an Irish
nobleman.
He, being one of the younger sons of the family, was
committed to the care of his mother's brother, a Catholic
priest, to be trained, perhaps, for the priesthood ; and finding
life very tmpleasant under such circumstances, he ran away
and came to America, near the close of the Revolutionary war.
Landing in Philadelphia, he drifted into the country near
by, where he became associated with a family of Seceders by
the name of Harper (The Seceders were one of a numerous
body of Presbyterians who seceded from the communion of
the established church in Scotland in 1733), an association
which resulted in his marriage to Miss Agnes Harper, a little
later.
Mrs. Maley inherited a small dowry from her father's
estate, which she exchanged with a man in Philadelphia, for
a thousand acres in v^^hat is now the Harrisville vicinity, in
1795 ; and she and her husband, with their family and posses-
sions, started at once to take charge of this new acquisition :
but when they reached Harper's Ferry, after a long and
perilous journey over the mountains, learning of the hostility
of the Indians in this section, they changed their course, and
went to the Shenandoah valley, where they remained, in Rock-
bridge county, until they came to Ritchie, in 1803.
Mr. Maley did not long survive the hardships of this
wilderness life, and in 1808, he filled the first grave that was
"hollowed out" in the old "Pioneer cemetery," on the Cannon
farm, one mile northeast of Harrisville. His wife rests by his
side.
Their children were as follows :
William, Thomas and Mrs. Mary McCoy, all of Illinois;
Dr. Samuel, James and John, of Iowa; Mrs. Agnes (John)
Harris and Miss Margaret Maley, who lie sleeping in the Irlar-
risville cemetery.
26 HISTORY or RITCHIE COUNTY
Mrs. Harris, widow of the late General Harris, is a grand-
daughter of this distinguished settler.
The Stuarts and Wilkinsons. — The next pioneers in this
vicinity were George and Joseph Stuart, two brothers, and
Joseph Wilkinson, son-in-law of the latter, who, with their
families, came from Harrison county, in 1805.
Mr. Wilkinson settled on the late Isaiah Wells homestead,
Joseph Stuart, at the mouth of Stuart's run, and George
Stuart, on the farm that soon after passed into the hands of
Thomas Harris, and on which the beautiful town of Harris-
ville now stands.
Mr. Wilkinson only survived a few years after his settle-
ment, and his remains filled the second grave that was made
in the "Pioneer cemetery." He married Miss Xancy Stuart,
daughter of Joseph, and was the father of three children :
Elizabeth, the only daughter, died in youth, and the two sons,
Calvin and Ezekiel, went to California.
After his death. ]\Irs. Wilkinson married Nicholas
Shrader, and in the Indian creek Baptist churchyard, she
sleeps.
Joseph Stuart married Miss Margaret Sparks, of Harrison
county, and was the father of ten children. He lost his life
by the falling of a lumber kiln, while erecting the first store
house at Harrisville, and he, too, rests in the "Pioneer ceme-
tery" there. After his death, the family, losing their land in
this section, removed to Goose creek.
His children were as follows :
Mrs. Nancy Wilkinson Shrader, Mrs. Elizabeth (Abel)
Sinnett, Mrs. Margaret (Thomas) Stout, and Belinda and
Rachel, who died unmarried; and Stephen, John, George,
Joseph and William Stuart, all of Ritchie county, except
Stephen and John, who went West.
Among the grandchilldren of this pioneer who are resi-
dents of the coimty at this time, are Mrs. Lawson Hall, Au-
burn ; Mrs. Lewis Hammer and Mrs. Belinda Hill, Washburn,
and perhaps numerous others.
George Stuart married Miss Hannah Plarris, daughter of
Thomas Harris, and in the Harrisville vicinity they both died.
We have been unable to get a list of the names of their
FIRST SETTLERS JN RITCHIE COUNTY 27
children, but Mrs. Hannah Jones and Mrs. Sarah Calhoun, of
Oxford, are some of their descendants.
Levi Wells. — Shortly after the coming of the Stuarts,
Ashabel Wilkinson made the first settlement on the Dr.
William M. Rymer estate ; and this same year, 1805, brought
Levi Wells with his wife, three sons and two daughters, from
Fayette county, Pennsylvania, to the late George Sinnett
homestead. Soon after his arrival, the first marriage took
place in the settlement, when his daughter, Nancy, became
the wife of William Maley.
In 1815, Mr. Wells changed his place of residence to the
Pennsboro vicinity, and Patrick Sinnett became the second
owner of this farm, which is still in the hands of his heirs,
it being the home of his granddaughter. Miss Virginia Sinnett.
Mr. Wells later removed to the Kanawha river, and from
him the Elizabeth W^ellses are descended.
The Sinnetts. — Patrick Sinnett, with his large family,
came from Pendleton county, (West) Virginia. He was a
'typical son of "Old Erin," having been born there near the
middle of the eighteenth century. He had been one of the
King's waiters for seven years before coming to America in
his young manhood ; and finding such service very distaste-
ful, he one day wandered down to the habor just as a vessel
was ready to set sail for the Colonies, and without further
deliberation, stepped on board and turned his face toward the
Occident. When he landed on these shores, he found himself
penniless in a land of strangers, and was sold for his fare, and
was compelled to work for three years to cancel the debt, so
unjust were the laws, and so unmerciful were the executors,
at that age of the world.
He served as a soldier in Lord Dunmore's war, being
under the direct command of General Lewis at the battle of
Point Pleasant ; and he also served as an American soldier
in the Revolutionary war, which closely followed.
He married Miss Kathrine Hefner, a German lady, and
was the father of eleven children. He died at the great age
of one hundred five years, some time in the fifties, at the
home of his daughter, Mrs. Adam Cunningham, junior, on
28 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
the farm that is now the estate of the late Charles Aloyer,
and here, beside his wife, he sleeps.
His descendants in this county are a host, and, like he,
many of them are remarkable for their longevity.
His children were all born in Pendleton county, and were
as follows: John, William, Seth, Abel, Henry, Jacob, George,
Elizabeth, Sarah, Kathrine and Phebe.
William and Seth went to Ohio; Henry remained in Pen-
dleton county ; and the rest all came to this county ; but Kath-
rine and Phebe both married Chancellors and afterwards
went West; Elizabeth became Mrs. James Drake, and Sarah,
Mrs. Adam Cunningham, junior, and they with their brothers,
John, Abel, Jacob and George, were all the heads of well
known pioneer families of this county; but their histories will
be found in other parts of this work, all wdth the exception of
George, who succeeded his father on the old homestead.
George Sinnett was born in Pendleton county, on March
Vi, 1799, and with his parents came to this county in 1815 ;
and, near five years later, he was married to Miss Mary Rex-
road, daughter of Plenry Rexroad, and on the old homestead,
where he died in 1896, at the great age of ninety-seven years,
he spent his entire life.
■ Having given birth to six children, his w^ife, ]\Iary, passed
away, and in 1813, he was again married to Miss Salome
Heaton, daughter of John Heaton, senior, who was born in
1814; and three daughters were the result of this union; viz.,
Harriet C, Virginia and Josephine. Harriet is the wife of
Sheriff John Hulderman, and Josephine is Mrs. '"Nel" ^Ic-
Dougal, and Virginia is single.
The children of the first marriage were:
Catherine (born in 1832), who married Addison Rexroad;
Samuel (born in 1824), of King Knob, Hulda (born in 1826),
who became the wife of John S. Porter and went to some
other State; Abel (born in 1828), who went to Ohio; Eliza-
beth (born in 1830) married John A Lowther, of Oxford, and
after his death, she became ]Mrs. Jacob Allender. She still
survives. Mary T. (born in 1832) became ]Mrs. Turner and
went to Taylor county.
William Cunningham. — The year 1806 was marked by
FIRST SETTLERS IN RITCHIE COUNTY 29
the coming of William Cunningham, with his wife, Susana
Barbara Handyshel Cunningham, and their ten children, from
Culpepper county, Virginia, to the homestead of the late Noah
Rexroad, now the property of E. C. Fox and S. M. HofT.
Mr. Cunningham was one of the most noted pioneers of
early days. He was born in Ireland on July 23, 1764, and
when he was but a small boy, his parents emigrated to Amer-
ica and settled in Culpepper county, Virginia. He was a first
cousin of Thomas Cunningham of Indian fame, and their
fathers are said to have crossed the ocean at the same time.
He served as a soldier during the latter part of the American
Revolution, being then but a mere youth, and was a member
of the victorious army at Yorktown, and a witness of the sur-
render of Lord Cornwallis. And in honor of this defeated
chieftain he named the town of Cornwallis, where he resided
when the stations along the Baltimore & Ohio railroad were
located..
When Harrisville was laid out for a town in 1823, he was
suddenly sei/ced with the idea of founding a town of his own,
and forthwith proceeded to have one laid out on the ridge
where A. O. Wilson and D. B. Patton now reside, which he
named "Williamsburg;" but Harrisville has long since swal-
lowed up this proposed village.
He changed his place of residence to Cornwallis near the
year 1840, and here he bade adieu to earth in 1863, at the ripe
old age of ninety-nine 3^ears.
He gave the grounds for the Pioneer cemetery at Harris-
ville, and within its peaceful bosom his ashes lie. Plis wife
also sleeps here, she having passed on in 1843. (She was of
German descent.)
This burying-ground is no longer "a neglected spot," as
the historian of a quarter of a century ago termed it, but it is
now enclosed by an iron fence, the result of the late General
Harris' labor of love.
Many of the pioneers slumber here? and despite the hard-
ships they endured, the inscriptions bear silent testimony to
the longevity of their lives.
AVilliam Cunningham's sons were: Elijah. James,
William, junior, John, Isaac and Henry; and his daughters
30 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Mrs. Phebe (Jesse ) Lowther. Cornwallis ; Mrs. Leah (Jacob)
Wigner, Ellenboro ; Mrs. Lydia (Henry) Wigner, Cairo; Mrs.
Susan (Robert) Parks, Ohio; and Mrs. Barbara (Nathaniel)
Parks, Ellenboro. Mrs. George B. Johnson, of Ellenboro, is
a daughter of the last named Mrs. Parks.
A\'. H. Cunningham, of Husher's run ; the late D. R.
Wigner, of Pike, and Mrs. Matilda McGregor, of Cairo, are
other grandchildren of this pioneer; and the late Mrs. W. E.
Hill, of Harrisville ; J. W. and Erank Elliott, of Indian creek ;
Thomas Elliott, of Pullman ; Mrs. James Rexroad, of Den
run, and many others we might mention, are great-grand-
children.
William Wells was the first settler at the mouth of Bun-
nell's run. He was a brother of Levi Wells, and he came
from' Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1808, and took up his
residence on the farm that is now the home of Mrs. Bertha
McDougal, and to the day of his death, his interests were
identified with this community.
The Wellses came from Wales to the Keystone State,
near the middle of the eighteenth century, and took up arms
in defense of their adopted country in her struggle for inde-
pendence.
William Wells was born in 1766, and married ]\liss Eliza-
beth Trump, who was of Dutch descent, and they were the
parents of one son and four daughters ; Isaiah Wells, ^ Rachel,
Hester, Mar}- and Eleanor.
Rachel married Daniel Smith ; Hester, John lieaton ;
Mary, James McCown, and Eleanor died single.
Mrs. Wells died in 1850, at the age of eighty-seven years ;
and Mr. AVells, in 1851, at the age of eighty-five years. Both
rest in the Harrisville cemetery.
Mr. Wells was the owner of the first mill on Bunnell's
run, and one of the first in the county, but he sold this mill at
an earl}^ day to John AA'hitney. who turned it into a horse-mih,
and, in 1840, tore it down.
The Heatons. — This same year (1808) brought John
Heaton, senior, from the ]\Iotherland to this vicinitv. He
U"or the family of Isaiah Wells see chapter on Mills.
FIRST SETTLERS LY RITCHIE COUNTY 31
was born in sunny England, on April 28, 1774, and not long
after his arrival here, he was married to Miss Hester Wells,
daughter of William Wells, and took up his residence on the
late Dr. W. M. Rymer farm, he being the second owner.
He died on September 33, 1854, and Mrs. Heaton, on
February 13, 1859, at the age of sixty-nine one-half years.
Their family consisted of three sons and seven daughters ;
viz., John, Eli, A\'illiam, Selvina. Elizabeth, Jane, Sarah,
Salina, Mary and Anne. The last two named died in child-
hood, and nearly or quite all of the rest have now passed to
the other side.
W^illiam died in the West; Selvina married Amos Gulp;
Elizabeth, William Wells ; and Jane became Mrs. Mussetter.
and they, too, all went West; Sarah married George Martin
and died in Gilmer county, and years after, when her remains
were disinterred for removal to Harrisville, they were found
to be petrified, coffin and all. Salina married George Sinnett,
and lived and died at Harrisville.
John and Eli Heaton, who were prominent figures in
public afifairs, spent their entire lives aL Harrisville.
John Heaton, junior, was twice married, his first wife
being Aliss Susana Wigner, and his second. Miss Sarah
Stevens. All died at Harrisville, and here they repose in the
cemetery south of town.
Mr. Heaton was the father of seven children : Alcinda,
the one child of the first union, became Mrs. Henry Gulp, and
went West.
Mrs. Dora (J. H.) Lininger, Mrs. Lillie (J. M.) Barbe,
Mrs. Nerdie (Ghas.) Musgrave, the late John Heaton (the
third), W^ill R., and one who died in infancy, were the children
of the second union.
Will R. is a well known newspaper man, he having long
been identified with the Harrisville papers.
Eli Heaton's stay on earth was very brief ; he died sud-
denly on January 25, 1868, at the age of forty-two years, while
serving as sheriff of the county. Elis brother, John, succeeded
him in this office and finished his unexpired term.
He married Mrs. Sophia A. D. Zinn Davis, mother of the
late T. E. Davis, of Harrisville, and was the father of five
r
1
'61 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
children, three of whom died in childhood ; vi;:., Adelaide,
Grace and Pussy, and Hallie, of the West ; and the late Mrs.
Hettie, wife of J. N. Pierpoint, were the two that grew to
the years of maturity.
Miss Linnie Peirpoint, of Harrisville, his granddaughter, is
the only surviving- descendant in this county.
Mrs. Heaton died in 1867. Both sleep at Harrisville.
Heaton has been one of the prominent names in this coun-
ty almost throughout its history.
The Skeltons. — This same year (1808) brought Edward
Skelton, with his family, to the W. H. Peirpoint farm. He
was born and reared in England, and there he was married to
Mrs. Sarah Walker Gibson, a young widow, of London, who
was, also, of English birth. And from England they emi-
grated to New York city, where the}^ established a home, but
being driven from there by a scourge of yellow fever, they
came to Harrisville. Here Mrs. Skelton died, and after the
home was broken up Mr. Skelton went to Cairo, and spent the
remnant of his days with his daughter, Mrs. Jacob McKinney.
Here he died, and in the old Pioneer burying-ground at Har-
risville, beside his wife, he sleeps.
He was the father of one son. Edward, and three
daughters, Mary, Eliza and Anne.
Edward Skelton, junior, married Miss Jane ^McKinney.
Mary became Mrs. Jacob McKinney. (See McKinney fam-
ily.) Eliza married James Maley ; and Anne. Henry Wigner.
Mrs. Skelton had one son, John Gibson, by her first lius-
band.
James Mitchell was the next arrival in this vicinity. He
came from the "Old Dominion" (1808), bringing with him
four or five slaves, the first that had ever been seen in this
section, and took up his residence on the Edward Cokelev
farm ; and in 1809, William Rogers became the second owner
of the Wolfe farm. He, too, came from the "Old Dominion,"
bringing his family of slaves. His sons. Robert and Lewis,
also found homes here at this same time.
Robert Rogers is said to have settled on the Xorth fork
of Hughes river, and Lewis, on Indian creek; but we have
been unable to learn an3'thing of their subsequent history.
FIRST SETTLERS IN RITCHIE COUNTY 3-3
other than that Lewis was the father of the late Tohn B.
Rogers, of Smithville, and that all the Rogerses in this and
adjoining counties sprung from this family. (See South fork
chapter for family of John B. Rogers.)
And of the Mitchell family we know nothing farther, as
it is evident that the Mitchells of this county did not spring
from this source, as they came from Barbour county at a
much later day.
The Harrises. — During this same year, 1809, John Harris
came from Harrison county, and made the first settlement on
the farm that is now the estate of his late son, John P. Harris.
He was at this time a single man, but the following year (1810)
he w^as married to Miss Agnes Maley, daughter of Lawrence
Maley, and remained a prominent, useful citizen of this com-
munity until he was laid in the Harrisville cemetery.
Mr. Harris' services to this county were of a high order,
for more than thirty years he served as justice of the peace
of Ritchie and Wood counties. He was the father of eight
children, all of whom have crossed the tide. The late General
Thomas M. Harris, whose interesting history occupies another
chapter, James and John P. Harris were the sons ; and Hannah,
Margaret, Anne, Mary and Jane, the daughters.
James married Miss Anne Rutherford, daughter of Rich-
ard Rutherford, senior, and they Vv^ere the parents of two
children. Miss Ella, of Concord, Ohio , and a son who died in
infancy. He was laid away on the old homestead, near Har-
risville, many years ago, but his aged companion survived
until 1908, when she was laid by his side.
John P. Harris married Miss Margaret Rutherford, sister
of his brother's wife, and lived and died on the homestead
that is now owned and occupied by his son, R. R. Harris.
Mrs. Harris survived him by several years, and she fell
dead while walking on the street in New York city, near ten
years ago, and at Harrisville, by the side of her husband and
eldest son, James, she reposes. Their surviving children are
Richard R., who is a prominent nurseryman, of Plarrisville ;
Thomas G., a physician, of Weston ; John, a railroad engineer,
of Weston ; Agnes, who is the wife of the Rev. William B.
Barr, of the Presbyterian church of New Jersey ; Mary, the
34 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
wife of the Rev. Edward S. Littell, of the Presbyterian church
of Pennsylvania ; and Annabel, who held a position as teacher
in a college at Knoxville, Tennessee, became the wife of the
Rev. John T. Aikin, of the Presbyterian church of Rochester,
Pa., June 24, 1910.
Hannah, the eldest daughter of John and Agnes Maley
Harris, married Samuel P)lue and went to Pennsylvania, and
her two children, Agnes, a daughter, and a son, died in child-
hood.
Margaret Harris married T. F. Leech and lived and died
at Harrisville. Mrs. R. R. Hall, of Harrisville, is her only
sunaving child ; another daughter, }>Iartha E., having passed
on in her youth.
Anne Harris died in youth, and Alary and Jane, in child-
hood.
Thomas Harris' settlement here antedated that of his
brother. John, by two years, he ha\'ing succeeded his son-in-
law, George Stuart, on the land where Harrisville now stands,
in 1807.
He married Miss Xancy Cunningham, sister of Elijah M.
Cunningham, and with his family came from Harrison county,
and remained here until his death ; and in ,the old Pioneer
cemetery, beside his wife, he rests. Pie was the father of ten
children; viz., John went to Illinois; James, to Zanesville,
Ohio ; and Adam rests at Smithville ; Efihe became Airs. John
Chancellor and v/ent to Iowa ; Margaret, who married William
Stanley, lies at Harrisville ; Hannah married George Stuart
and lived and died in this county; Elizabeth, Rachel, Sarah
and Mary, who remained single, also died here.
From this pioneer Harrisville took its name, and is a most
beautiful monument to his memory.
The Harrises are of Scotch-Irish origin. Two brothers
came from Ireland before the Revolution, landing in the City
of "Brotherly Love." These brothers were separated, soon
after their arrival, Thomas going Southward, was never heard
of again, and the other one (whose Christian name is
wanting) was the father of Thomas and John, the Ritchie
county pioneers. He married a widow, a Airs. Aliller, whose
FIRST SETTLERS IN RITCHIE COUNTY 35
maiden name was Plummer, and near the year 1800, they
came to Harrison coimty. Besides the two sons mentioned
they were the parents of four daughters, all of whom were the
wives of Ritchie county pioneers :
Margaret married Elijah M. Cunningham ; Jane, Benja-
min Starr; Anna, John Harris, and another daughter was the
wife of Nutter Webb, a pioneer of Goose creek.
The Chancellors. — The year 1809 was, also, marked by the
coming of Thomas Chancellor, with his family, from Culpep-
per county, Virginia, to the farm that for long years was the
home of the late Mrs. John Hawkins, but now the homes of
Edward Wells and James Maxwell. He married Miss Judith
Gaines, a Virginia maiden of Welsh descent, she being his
third wife, and they were the parents of seven sons and one
daughter.
Mrs. Chancellor was the niece of Edmond Pendleton, of
Virginia, and a cousin of General Edmond Pendleton Gains,
of the United States army. Mr. Chancellor was a soldier of
the Revolutionary war, he having served in the Virginia in-
fantry. He died not long after his settlement here, and the
family went to Wood county, where a number of their
descendants still live.
The two eldest sons of these pioneers, Richard and James
Chancellor, died at Norfolk, Virginia, while serving as soldiers
in the war of 1812, leaving no issue ; Cooper and William
sleep in Wood county. Benjamin went to Missouri, and
finally to Mississippi, where he sleeps. John emigrated to
Missouri, and later to Arkansas, where he reposes. (Pie was
the grandfather of C. B. Chancellor, of the Chancellor Plard-
ware Company, of Parkersburg.) Rebecca, the only daughter,
who never married, also sleeps in Wood county; and Thomas,
the sixth son, who was born in the Old Dominion, in 1805.
married Miss Prudence Rector, of Taylor county, and re-
moved to Wood county in 1838, where he died on July 4,
3 872, at his home in Parkersburg. Here his family, who are
prominently known, still reside. To the late Hon. W. N.
Chancellor, his son, we are indebted for this sketch; his other
sons, Edmond P. and Alfred B., are also citizens of Parkers-
burg.
3G HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
The Chancellors are of French origin, although they
went from France to England in the eleventh century (lOGo)
with William the Conquorer, and subsequently removed to
Scotland in the fourteenth century. However, Richard Chan-
cellor, the founder of the family in the United States, came
from England in 1()82, and settled in Westmoreland county,
Virginia. Fie had two sons, W^illiam Cooper, and Richard
Chancellor, junior (the hatter). William Cooper Chancellor
married a ]\Iiss Thomas, and removed to Culpepper county
(Virginia), and here his son, Thomas, the Ritchie county
pioneer, was born.
Doubtless the town of Chancellorsville, in the Old
Dominion, which was so far-famed during the late Civil war,
took its name from this family.
The Starrs. — Near the year ISIO, John and Benjamin
Starr, and Elijah Cunningham, with their families, found
homes in this wilderness. They all came from Harrison coun-
ty, and were all the uncles of General Harris.
Mr. Cunningham settled on land adjoining the U^olfe
farm; Benjamin Starr, on the George ^Martin farm, now the
home of Mrs. Susan Rymer; and John Starr, on Indian creek,
on the homestead that is now the estate of his late son, James.
John Starr's wife was Miss Anne Harris, sister of John
and Thomas Harris, and they were the first settlers on Indian
creek. Here they lived and died, and in the Harrisville ceme-
tery they lie at rest. He has been sleeping since 1846.
The children of the family were Mary, Elizabeth, Effie,
Hannah, Moses, Benjamin, John and James Starr.
Mary became the wife of Jacob Moats, senior, and spent
her life in the Harrisville vicinity. (See Moats family.)
Elizabeth Starr was married to Jacob Wigner, junior,
and in this county she remained until death. Her children
were : Cathrine, Eliza, Elizabeth, Matilda, James, Harper,
Nelson, W^ilbur, Clarke and George AVigner.
Effie Starr was the late Mrs. Henr}' ]\Ioats, of Addis' run.
(See Moats family.)
Hannah Starr, with her husband, William Cokeley, set-
tled at Mt. Zion, where she is now resting in the churchyard.
(See Chevauxdefrise chapter.)
FIRST SETTLERS IN RITCHIE COUNTY 37
Moses Starr was married to Miss Margaret Prince, and
in Wood county he resided. His family consisted of two
daughters : Anne is the widow of Jacob Moats, junior, of Har-
risville, and Jane is Mrs. Sarber, of Parkersburg.
Benjamin Starr died in youth.
John Starr was married to Miss Ellen Ayres, sister of
John B. Ayres, formerly of this county, but now of Spencer,
and resided at different points in this county, before going to
Addis' run, where he died in 1875. His wife survived him
until 1898.
Their children were: Miss Mary and Benjamin, Missouri:
John, of Addis' run; Anne (Mrs. G. W. Hammer), Mrs.
Frances Watson P'oster, and Miss Hannah Starr, Harrisville.
James Starr and his wife, Mrs. Eliza Ayres Starr, (sister
of his brother's wife) spent their lives at the old homestead,
on Indian creek. Here she passed from earth in 1891, and he,
on February 25, 1901.
Their only son, Alpheus, died in youth; Margaret mar-
ried H. M. Murdock, and lives in Ohio: and Misses Sarah and
Fannie are of Harrisville.
Benjamin Starr, senior, the pioneer, was married to Miss
Jane Harris (sister of his brother's wife) and, perhaps, re-
mained here until his death, yet we have been unable to learn
anything definite concerning his subsequent history or that
of his family, other than that he had two children, Moses and
Elizabeth Starr.
Elijah Morgan Cunningham was married to Miss Mar-
garet Harris, he and Thomas Harris having traded sisters,
and in this vicinity they remained until they were borne to
the old "Pioneer cemetery," near Harrisville. He was a
native of Harrison county, and a brother of Edward, a very
early settler, on Husher's run.
His only son died in childhood, and his daughters were :
Elizabeth (Mrs. Elijah Husher, of Husher's run) ; Sarah
(Mrs. Riddel, mother of David J. Riddel, of Riddel's chapel) :
Effie (the late Mrs. James Riddel, of Roane county), and
Rachel and Jane, who remained single. (Effie and Jane were
twins.) All of whom have crossed to the other side.
38 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
This family were related to W illiam Cunningham, of
Revolutionary fame, and to Thomas, of Indian times, they
having- been descended from the same Irish family, as the
similarity of names would suggest; but we have been. unable
to determine the exact connection, though circumstances point
to the fact that they were first cousins.
The Drakes. — During the year 1811, the Reverend John
Drake, a minister of the Baptist church, made the first im-
provement on the farm that is now the estate of the late
Edward D. Lough.
He was the first minister in the settlement, and being
licensed to celebrate the rites of matrimony, took this matter
from the hands of the Reverend Reese Wolfe, a lay minister
of the Baptist church faith, of Parkersburg, wdio had been
performing this important service for the little colony.
The Rev. Mr. Drake was a lineal descendant of Sir
Francis Drake, the English admiral and explorer. His father,
George Drake, came from England, some time during the last
half of the eighteenth century, and probably settled in the Vir-
ginia colony.
However, John Drake was born in 1775, and was one of
the first missionaries to cross the Allegheny mountains, to
Western Virginia.
He was twice married, but the maiden names of both of
his waves are missing. But the record shows that he and his
first wife, Isabel, were married on January 15, 1794; and that
he was married to his second wife, Elizabeth, on January 30,
1803, and with her he came to this county.
After a few years' residence at Harrisville, he removed
to Smithville, and found a home at the mouth of Leatherbrake,
on land that is now owned by W. A. Flesher. Here he con-
^tinued to reside until August 3, 1836, when he was called to
his heavenly reward ; and in the Murphy graveyard, on the
John P. Kennedy farm, his ashes lie.
No imposing monument marks his resting place ! Per-
haps, not even a stone is there to distinguish it from the many
other early graves in the burying-ground, but the record of
his hardships, his noble deeds, his heroic self-sacrifice, is a
FIRST SETTLERS IX RITCHIE COUNTY 39
memorial, sufficient — the Baptist church in this county is a
fitting and enduring monument to his memory.
His wife, Elizabeth, survived him by many years, dying
on May 26, 1854, at the age of seventy-one years.
Bible Record of the Family of Rev. John Drake. — Chil-
dren of John and Isabel Drake:
James Drake, born on March 15, 1795, married Elizabeth
Sinnett, on September 25, 1815.
Jemima Drake,, born on September 19, 1796, married John
Earle on July 22, 1814.
Elizabeth Drake, born on March 21, 1799, and —
Children of John and Elizabeth Drake :
Susana Drake, born on February 26, 1804, died in 1810.
George Drake, born October 22, 1805, died in 1825.
Rachel Drake, born on January 4, 1808, married George
Camp on April 13, 1826.
Mary Drake, born on October 20, 1809, married Seth
Rogers, on March 9, 1854.
Agnes Drake, born on February 19, 1812, niarried Solo-
mon Rexroad, on November 17, 1833.
John Drake, born on April 5, 1814, died in 1852.
David Drake, born on December 19, 1816, and —
Lavina Drake, born on August 15. 1820, died in 1852.
Noah Drake, born on March 16, 1S23, died in 1851.
Aaron Drake, born on October 25, 1826, and —
vSome of these sons went to Charleston and here their
history ends, but James remained here and his descendants
are a host in this county. (See Indian creek chapter.)
The late Mrs. Agnes Layfield, of Cokeley, was a grand-
daughter of this pioneer.
James Drake, a brother of the Reverend John Drake,
went to Ohio, and Hannah, a sister, married Aaron Smith, a
pioneer of this county, and has a large number of descendants
among our well known citizens. (See South fork settlers.)
Adam Cunningham was another early pioneer in this
section.
He was the son of Adam, senior, and the nephew of
40 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Thomas Cunningham, and was a native of this county, being
born on the Hoff farm, below Smithville.
He married Sarah, the daughter of Patrick Sinnett. and
settled on the old ridge road between Harrisville and Smith-
ville, on the farm that is now the estate of the late Charles
Moyer; here he passed from earth at a ripe old age, and here,
with his wife, he sleeps.
His children were: Jacob, of Indian creek; Absolem,
father of John, the Washburn artist; Mrs. Millie (Wm.)
Hoover, of Wood county; the late Mrs. Dolly (James) Webb,
of Harrisville; A'Trs. Phebe (Ephraim) Cunningham, of Indian
run; and the late Mrs. Sarah Ann Mulienax, of the same vicin-
ity.
The Moatses. — Near the year 1819, George Moats and his
wife, Eve, with their family, came from Pendleton county,
and took up their residence on the land that is now marked
by the west end of Harrisville.
They were the grandparents of Andrew Moats, of Har-
risville, and the ancestors of all the families of this name in
the county, they being the parents of twelve children. Mrs.
Moats was a native of North Carolina, and both were of Ger-
man descent.
They gave the grounds for the first Baptist church in the
Harrisville vicinity, and near the site of this old church,
which stood just north of the present residence of Mrs. Wm.
M. Rymer, Mr. Moats met a tragic death, in 1811:, by the
falling of a tree, under which he had sought shelter from a
storm. He was buried almost on the site where he was killed,
but sixty 3^ears after, his ashes were removed to the cemetery
on the hill south of town. Mrs. Moats rests in the Indian
creek Baptist churchyard.
Their sons were: Peter, Jacob, Henry and \\'illiam ; and
their daughters, Christiana, Barbara, Magdalene, Kathrine,
Elizabeth, Frances, Susan and Julia Moats, whose descend-
ants are now a host among the good citizens of the county.
These children in their turn were nearly all the heads
of pioneer families.
Peter Moats, the eldest son, was born in Pendleton coun-
ty, in 1797, and there he was married, at the age of nineteen
FIRST SETTLERS IN RITCHIE COUNTY 41
or twenty years, to Miss Rachel Grogg, and, with his parents,
came to this county and settled on one end of the old home-
stead, on the part that is now owned by the heirs of the late
Samuel Moats. Here he died, and in the Egypt cemetery he
sleeps. He was one of the earliest blacksmiths in this vicinity.
His children were: Joseph, Jesse and Cathrine (Mrs.
Wm. Godfrey), who went to Ohio; the late Wm. P. and Mrs.
Lucinda (Jacob) Cunningham, of Washburn; Mrs. Flora Eve
(Kuhnrod) Mullenax, of Missouri ; the late Mrs. Elizabeth
(James) Layfield, and Mrs. Susana (Salathial) Simmons, both
of Cairo.
Jacob Moats, the second son, was born in 1799; and in
1823, he was married to Miss Mary, the daughter of John
Starr, senior, and on the old homestead, near Harrisville,
where their son, Jacob, died a few years since, they established
their home. Here she saw the last of earth in 1873, and he,
in 1885, and both rest at Harrisville.
Their eldest daughter, Anne, was the late Airs. Andrew
Cokeley, and Susana was the late Mrs. Isaac Cokeley, both
of Harrisville ; Mary became Mrs. Joshua Nest and went
West ; Elizabeth was Mrs. Holland, of Tyler county ; Mar-
garet, Mrs. Robinson, of Wood county ; Jane, the late wife of
J. R. Sigler, of Cairo; India is Mrs. William Gilbert, of Will-
iamstown ; Andrew has long been a prominent merchant of
Harrisville; and Benjamin and Jacob, junior, lie sleeping in
the Harrisville cemetery.
Henry Moats, with his wife, Mrs. Effie Starr Moats, set-
tled on the head of Addis' run, where his son, Heniy, now
lives. He entered a large tract of twelve hundred acres of
land in this section, but his claim being contested, he pur-
chased the entire tract, and obtained a title for it, and it is
now divided into several homesteads (viz. ; J. H. Hattield's,
John Starr's, George Layfield's, Edward Cokeley 's and per-
haps others) besides what is owned by his heirs.
He, too, was a blacksmith by trade, and was the first one
in this section. Here his last hours were spent.
42 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
His children :
John went West, where he died ; George and James lost
their lives in the defense of the Union in the sixties ; Henry
resides at the old home ; William is the owner and operator
of the Moats mill at Rusk; Kathrine married Thomas Martin,
and she now lives with her son in New York ; Hannah was
the late Mrs. David Shrader, of Cairo, and another daughter
was Mrs. Hiram (?) Norman, of Calhoun county.
William Moats married Miss Phebe Drake, daughter ol
James Drake, and settled on the old parental homestead, he
having succeeded his father there. Here he lived and died,
and at Harrisville he rests.
After the death of his wife, Phebe, he married Miss Edna
M. Cunningham, daughter of Enoch M. Cunningham, of
Smithville, and they were the parents of Pompey Moats, and
Misses India and Virginia, who reside at the old homestead
near Harrisville.
The children of William and Phebe Drake Moats V'/ere
the late James and Sinnett Moats, of Indian creek, who were
both soldiers of the Union army, and Cornelius, of Harrisville.
The other children born of this union died in childhood.
Christiana Moats, the eldest child of George and Eve
Moats, who was born in 1793, was married to John Shrader,
and settled on Husher's run. Her sons were Nicholas, George
and William Shrader, and one of her daughters, Fannie, was
]\Irs. James Rollins, of Ellenboro.
Barbara Moats became Mrs. Solomon Dick, and resided
here and in the "Buckeye State." George Dick, of Ohio, is
one of her sons, but the names of tlie other members of the
family are wanting.
Magdalena Moats was the late Mrs. William Kibby, of
Cornwallis, and Hezekiah Kibby, the ex-assessor, of Grant
district, is her only heir.
Kathrine Moats was married to Absolem Harpold, and
from the Webb's mill vicinity, they went to Indiana. Nicho-
las and George Harpold were two of her sons.
FIRST SETTLERS LV RITCHIE COUNTY ' 43
Susan Moats was the late Mrs. Solomon Mullenax, oi
Missouri; Elizabeth was the wife of John Layfield, senior;
Frances was Mrs. Harmon Sinnett; and Julia Anne, Mrs.
Ephriam Gulp, all of this county. (See other chapters for
their families.)
The Cokeleys.^Another family whose name belongs to
this community, though not among the earliest settlers, is
that of Cokeley.
Jeremiah Cokeley came from Ireland near the year 1750,
and settled in the Virginia colony. He was the father of five
sons ; viz., William, Daniel, Edmund, Jeremiah and Elijah,,
and from his son, Edmund, the Ritchie county Cokeleys are
descended..
Edmund Cokeley was a Revolutionary soldier, he having
taken up his sword in behalf of the colonies.
In 1818, his son, Elijah, married Christiana Crofus, a
German maiden, who, with her parents, crossed to Virginia
in 1790; and, in 1822, he passed from earth at his home in
Virginia, and here, near Cumberland, on the Virginia side, he
sleeps.
In 1840, his widow, with her three sons and one daughter ;
viz., Edmund, Isaac, Andrew and Anne, came to the Harris-
ville vicinity, and with them came Daniel Cokeley, a brother
of Elijah, and his family, and from these two brothers all the
diiterent families of this name in this, and sister counties, are
descended.
Edmund Cokeley, the eldest son of Elijah, married Miss
Eliza Wagner, of Cumberland, Maryland ; and near the break-
ing out of the Civil war, with hie family and his widowed
mother, he removed to Iowa, where he died but a few years
since. His mother died in the early sixties, and lies at rest
in a rural cemetery near Vinton, Iowa.
His children were Jonathan, Edward, Asby, Christiana,
Margaret and Martha.
Isaac Cokeley married a Miss Rexroad and lost his life
in defense of the Union in 1863.
44 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Anne Cokeley, the only daughter of Elijah Cokeley, be-
came the wife of Jonathan Barksdale, of Virginia, and after
a brief married life, she died and her family went to lo^va.
Andrew Cokeley, the younger son of the family of Elijah,
was married to Miss Anne Aloats, daughter of Jacob Aloats,
senior, on April 15, 1841, and settled on the old homestead
near two and one-half miles West of Harrisville, where his
heirs still reside.
He was the father of twelve children :
Jacob, of vVilliamstown ; Edmund E., George, the late
Andrew J., all of Harrisville ; and Alvah, of Cairo ; Elizabeth,
the eldest daughter, was the late Mrs. Aaron Eriedly, of
Spruce Grove ; Mary Jane was the late Mrs. Wiljiam Aloats.
of Addis' nm ; Alcinda was the late Mrs. Henr\^ Moats, of
Spruce Grove, the mother of the late F. M. Moats, editor of
the Ritchie Standard ; Susan L. was the late Mrs. John
Echard, of Five Forks ; Melvina became Mrs. Jonathan Coke-
ley, and resides at Vinton, Iowa ; Alargaret R. married Franl^
Griffin and died in 1877, leaving one son ; Belle married
Everett Brake and resides at the old home.
Daniel Cokeley. — Daniel Cokeley, the pioneer, married
Miss Elizabeth Crofus, sister of his brother Elijah's wife, and
came from Virginia in 1840, as above stated, and settled neai;
two miles from Harrisville, on the farm that is now the estate
of his late son, Isaac. Here he died in 1861, at the age of
ninety-four years, six months, fifteen days.
His children were: Isaac, William, Mrs. Nancy Simmers,
all of Harrisville; Mrs. Elizabeth Shock, and Mrs. Sarah Rob-
inson (mother of honored Sherman Robinson, of Harrisville),
both of Calhoun county. His daughter, Mary, married
A\'illiam Sharpneck, of Petroleum, and after her death her sis-
ter, Margaret, married Mr. Sharpneck.
Isaac Cokeley married Miss Susana Moats, daughter of
Jacob Moats, senior, and spent his life at the old homestead,
near Harrisville.
His children: Daniel, of Devil Hole; Jacob, of Elm run,
who have both passed on ; Isaac, of Harrisville ; Alargaret,
late wife of John E. Simmons, of Spruce Grove; Luvina, late
FIRST SETTLERS IN RITCHIE COUNTY 45
wife of Andrew Simmons, and Miss Mary, who, with her
mother, resides at the old homestead.
Wiliiain Cokeley, son of Daniel, married Miss Hannah
Starr, daughter of John Starr, senior, and Mrs. Elizabeth
Duckworth, of Mt. Zion. is the one child of this union. (See
Mt. Zion chapter for further history.)
CHAPTER III
South Fork Settled
ILLIAM LAYFIELD.— Though the Mur-
phys have always, heretofore, been accred-
ited with the first settlement on the South
fork of Hughes river, careful investigation
proves this to be in error: the shade of
AVilliam Layfield rises to a point ol justice,
as he is the rightful claimant to this dis-
tinction ; his settlement on the S. H. West-
fall farm, above Smithville, having antedated the coming of
the Murphys by one year. For twelve months he was alone
in this dense wilderness, being the only settler on this branch
of the river, within the present bounds of the county.
After a four years' residence here, he removed to what
is known as "Layfield's run," a tributary of Goose creek,
where he lived for many years, and where he buried his first
wife, Mrs. Margaret Crawford Layfield. He died on March
20, 1852, at the home of his son, Sanford, near Cornwallis.
and in the Egypt cemetery, by the side of his second wife,
Mrs. Susan Douglas Layfield (widow of John Douglass, of
Scotland), he sleeps.
He was of Irish descent. His father, James La3^field,
came from the "Emerald Isle," and settled on the Soutli
branch of the Potomac river at Moorefield (West), Virginia,
where he (William) was born.
When he was but a lad, all the family, except him and
one brother, were captured by the Indians, and they were
being hotly pursued by the dreaded foe when they were over-
taken by a violent storm, from which they sought refuge
under a tree. This tree was torn up by the roots, and William
escaped, but he never knew the fate of his brother ; never
heard of any of the family again, so the many families of this
SOUTH FORK SETTLED 47
name in the different parts of the country are descended from
him.
He was the father of six sons and one daughter : John,
James, ElHson, Sanford, David and William, junior, and Mary
Ann, who became Mrs. Augusta Crane, and went West.
To the late venerable Henry Layfield. of Cokeley's, we
are indebted for this interesting reminiscence, which he has
repeatedly heard from his grandfather's own lips.
The Murphys. — The Murphys were the second settlers
on this river. Four brothers came from Harrison county, in
1801, and found homes in the Webb's mill vicinity. Amiziah
took up his residence on Vv'hat is now the Frederick Lemon
estate, at Macfarlan ; William, on the John P. Kennedy farm;
Samuel, on the late Alfred Scott estate ; and John, on the Rev.
M. McNeill homestead. Here these brothers passed from
earth, and in the Murphy graveyard, on the John P. Kennedy
farm, and on the McNeill homestead, their ashes lie. After
the older generation had passed away, their heirs, having lost
their lands owing to bad titles, went to Illinois, to Washing-
ton county, Ohio, and to Wood county, this State, and conse-
quently, little is known of their early history, save the fact
that they Avere Indian fighters.
Other settlers found homes in this wilderness in rapid
succession, and for a number of years this was known as the
"Murphy Settlement" along the river from the mouth of In-
dian creek to the mouth of Slab creek ; and the memory of
these pioneers is still kept green by the name, "Murphy dis-
trict."
Nutter Webb. — After the Murphys came Nutter Webb.
He was a native of Harrison county, and the first blacksmith
in this vicinity. His old cabin stood on the south bank of the
river just opposite the present site of AVebb's (Hardman's^
mill, and here he resided until he was laid in the cemetery that
bears his name, in August, 1833. A long line of his descend-
ants still lay claim to Ritchie county soil.
He married Miss Anna Cunningham, daughter of Adam
Cunningham, brother of Thomas, and was the father of two
sons and several daughters : Benjamin, whose history appears
in a later chapter, was one of the most prominent figures in
48 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
the early history of this part of the county ; WiUiam was also
a pioneer, he having made the first settlement on the Elias
Valentine farm ; Mrs. Elizabeth Simms, Parkersburg ; Mrs.
Rebecca (John) Malone, Mrs. Margaret (Adam) Harris, Mrs.
Rachel (Wm.) Stuart, mother of Robert Stuart, of Iris, were
four of the daughters, and perhaps all of them.
The Webbs are of Indian fighting stock, they being de-
scended from Jonas Webb, an early settler of Harrison coun-
ty, who is mentioned in "Border Warfare."
Adam Cunningham was another early settler in the
Webb's mill vicinity, he having found a home on the Hofif,
now the John S. Deem, farm. He was a brother of Thomas
Cunningham, and here the remainder of his life was spent, and
in the Murphy gravej^ard he sleeps.
He was the father of twelve children, whose names in
part are missing, but the following are among them : Adam.,
the grandfather of John Cunningham, the Washburn artist;
Edward and Elijah, and Mrs. Rebecca Beard, Mrs. Drusilla
Beard, ]\Irs. Rachel Nutter, Mrs. Hannah Harris and Mrs.
Nutter Webb.
William Stuart. — Contemporary with the settlements of
the Murphy Brothers was that of William Stuart, senior, on
the late John Byrd estate, near the old "State Ford," above
Gofif's. He was a typical son of "Old Erin," having been
born, reared and educated in the city of Belfast. Ireland.
Here he learned the trade of cabinet-maker and joiner; and
here he was married to Miss Martha Boyd, an English
maiden, of Southampton ; and from here they emigrated to
America in 1789, landing in the "City of Brotherly Love."
where he worked at his trade, for a time, before purchasing
land in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, on the banks of
the "blue Juniata river," below the then little village of Hunt-
ingdon. Here they remained but a brief time ; and from here
they came to Ritchie county, in 1801, and settled on the Byrd
farm, where he died on March 13, 1809. His wufe died in
1834. Both sleep on their old homestead, in the burying-
ground that is now designated as the "Reeves graveyard."
Their son, John, and daughter, Sarah B., who was the victim
of the first surgical operation in this county, also sleep here ;
SOUTH FORK SETTLED ' 49
Polly, and IVIartha, who married Benjamin Webb, rest in the
Webb's cemetery ; Jane married Enoch Cunningham, and at
Smithville she reposes ; James died in Harrison county, and
W'illiam, who was the father of Robert, at Iris.
Among the grandchildren of this pioneer, who are citizens
of the county, are Lewis Rogers, of Lamb's run , P. J. Cun-
ningham, of Pennsboro. James T. Smith, of Burnt House;
and B. F. Prince, of Cantwell, are great-grandsons. ■
Thomas Summerfield was the first settler on what is now
the AV. A. Flesher and the late John Miller homesteads. He
afterwards moved across the river and made a settlement on
the J. R. Westfall farm, and finally went to Ohio.
Alexander Davidson. — In ISiO, the Aliller and Flesher
farm became the property of Alexander Davidson, who con-
tinued to reside here until he was borne to the Smithville
cemetery, in 1837.
Mr. Davidson was of Scotch-Irish descent. His father,
James Davidson, was born in Ireland, and his mother, Mary
Allen, in Scotland ; and shortly after the Revolution they
came to America and settled in the valley of Virginia, near
Winchester; here Alexander was born; and here he was
married to Miss Kathrine Kline, a German maiden, who was
also a native of the "Old Dominion ;"' and after the birth of
their third child, they removed to Parkersburg, where Mr.
Davidson engaged in the shoe-maker's trade for a time, be-
fore coming to the Harrisville vicinity, near 181(), where he
remained until he came to Smithville.
He was the father of ten children ; and after his death
Mrs. Davidson and the family, ha\^ing lost their land here,
emigrated to Illinois in a wagon. Here a number of them
sleep.
He was the father of the venerable Israel Davidson, of
Spruce creek, who is, perhaps, entitled to the distinction of
being the oldest (li\ing) son of Ritchie county, he having
passed his ninetieth milestone ; and of the late Samuel, of
Gilmer county; of the late Mrs. Eleven Riddle, of Lawford ;
and the late Mrs. Edward Rogers, who sleeps in the Pioneer
cemetery, at Harrisville.
50 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COuNTY
William Cline, early in the century, built the first house
at Smithville, on the site that is now marked by the hotel of
M. A. Ayres. He was the father of Abraham and William
Cline, whose names will appear later; but in 1816, this im-
provement passed into the hands of James and Benjamin
Hardman, two brothers, who came from what is now Gilmer
county. These brothers had married the daughters of Thomas
and Phoebe Cunningham, the first settlers in the Frederick's
mill vicinity (in 1S07), whose interesting history occupies
another chapter.
The Hardmans. — In the meantime, while these settlements
were going on at Smithville, Peter Wolfe, of Harrison county,
was making the first improvement on the farm that is now the
A. P. Hardman estate, in the Frederick's mill vicinity ; and he
and James Hardman traded farms. Air. A\"olfe moved to Sinith-
ville, where he died before the year 1830. and Air. Hardman
took up his residence on the A. P. Hardman homeslead, which
he twice lost owing to a defective title ; and he then moved
to the Staunton pike, and became the first settler in the Hard-
man chapel vicinity, on the farm that is now the estate of his
late son, James S. Hardman. Here he passed from earth in
August, 1874. He was a lay minister of the Methodist Episco-
pal church, and he gave the grounds for the cemetery and the
church which bears his name, "Hardman chapel," and beneath
its shadow his ashes lie. He was born in the "Old Domin-
ion." on November 14, 1795, and, with his parents, came
to Gilmer county, to the Kanawha river, when he was but a
small child. At the age of eighteen years, he enlisted as a
soldier in the war of 1812, taking the place of his father, who
had been drafted, and served one year, until the close of the
war. He was never engaged in battle, but frequently wit-
nessed the maneuvers of the enemy's vessels far out at sea.
Tn 1816, he was married to Miss Pliebe Cunningham, who
was born in Lewis county, on August 10, 1795, and died at
her home at Hardman chapel, on July 3, 1871.
From this venerable couple, the many different families
of the name in the county are descended. Their two surviv-
ing daughters are Mrs. Nancy (Asa) Dilworth, of Eatons ; and
Mrs. Julia (Ira S.) GofiF. of \\'aiker. And their late
SOUTH FORK SETTLED
51
sons and daughters were Joseph, who died in childhood ; Mrs.
Leah (John) Beall, Leatherbrake ; Mrs. Harriett Fisher, Gil-
mer county; Mrs. Dorcas Beall, Weston; Mrs. Barbara
(George) Wells, Cornwallis ; Mrs. Phebe (J. M.) McWhorter,
of Buckhannon, who first married Harrison B. Cunningham ;
James Hardman.
Hardman Chapel.
■George W., James S.. and Asbury Poole, Hardman chapel;
and Thomas C., of Auburn.
Benjamin Hardman changed his place of residence from
Smithville to the banK of the river at Frederick's mill, he
being the first settler here, and the builder of this mill ; and
from this community, a number of years later, he went to
Iowa, where he remained but a short time. Returning to this
State, he went to Roane county, and settled on the Middle
fork of Reedy, and from there, passed into the other world,
He, too, was a lay minister of the Methodist Episcopal church,
one of the earliest in this wilderness. His wife was .Sira Leah
Cunningham, and by his side she is sleeping, on the old home-
stead in Roane county.
Their children were: the late Thomas, of Gilmer county;
William, Joseph, Benjamin, Nathaniel, Mrs. Emily Ingraham
and Mrs. Argabrite, all of Roane county; Mrs. Phebe (Phillip)
Frederick, Burnt House; Mrs. Rebecca (Henry) Elliott, Cal-
houn county ; Mrs. Sarah (Alexander) Burdett, Missouri ; and
C2 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Mrs. Mary (Henry C.) McWhorter, Charleston ; mother of
Judge McWhorter, who stepped down from a long term as
judge of the Supreme Court of the State, iu 1909.
The Hardmans ha\e a very interesting ancestral history.
Joseph Hardman was born in Germany not far frora the middle
of the eighteenth century, and about the time he had reached
manhood's estate, he, leaving the Fatherland with an emi-
grant party, which included his sister, Margaret Hardman
(who may have been Mrs. Jeremiah Riddel at this time),
James Riddel, John Goff and Salathiel Goff, went to England :
and from there, a year later, they all embarked to America,
landing in Baltimore a short time before the Revolution — per-
haps in 1773 or 1774, where they remained for twelve months
before going to Georgetown, in what is now the District of
Columbia. Air. Riddel and the Gofifs being more advanced in
years than Mr. Hardman, were the heads of families, that
they brought with them across the sea ; and ere long, the fair
face and charming manner of Miss Dorcas Riddel completely
captivated the afifections of young Hardman, and they were
married ; and upon the banks of the Potomac, within a neigh-
boring distance of the Washington estates, the}^ founded their'
home. And thus it was that Joseph Hardman came to know-
George Washington, not only as a general, for he was a Revo-
lutary soldier, but as an intimate friend. It is said that the
abilit}' and the judgment of the young German w^as of such an
order that he was, not unfrequently, called into council with
other trustworthy pioneers, by General Washington, to con-
struct plans for the safety and protection of the inhabitants
of certain districts of Maryland and Virginia.
"The reminiscences of these stirring days, and his in-
timate acquaintance with the great General, were ever dear to
his heart," and to the close of his life "his deep blue eyes
would sparkle and radiate with a peculiar light," as his mind
reverted to those heroic scenes. After a seven years' resi-
dence at Georgetown, he, with the other families above men-
tioned, removed to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he engaged
in the butcher business, and by strict economy soon accumu-
lated a sufBcient amount of monev to cause him to cast wist-
SOUTH FORK SETTLED
ful glances to the land beyond the mountains; so one morning
in the early spring time, late in the century, he, with his be-
loved Dorcas and three children, Nancy, James and Thomas,
and their belongings, set out in wagons for the great North-
west; and after long weeks of peril and hardships, such as
only pioneers of civilization can know, they reached Ran-
dolph county, where they "pitched their tent" and sojourned
for a time, before coming to Cedar creek, in Gilmer county,
where they reared their humble dwelling and remained for
many years.
Shortly after they settled down here, another child
was added to the family, which they called "Benjamin,"
and in 1813, the fifth and last child was
born, and his name was "George
Washington," for the fond parents de-
clared that his very features were like
none other than the great General. He
grew to the intelligent manhood that
his early youth promised, and married
Miss Rachel Goff, granddaughter of
Salathiel Goff, and settled five miles
below Grantsville, on the little Kana-
wha river, at what is known as "Plard-
man's Bend," and here, on the old
homestead, beside his wife, he quietly
Georgre w. Hardman. reposes. He was promoted to the
rank of major in the Mexican war, and was a large land-owner
and stock-raiser, and from him the Hardman s, who are so
prominently known in political circles in the State, are de-
scended. He being the father of the following named chil-
dren : Sylvester and Orlando, who have joined the throng
over there, once occupied seats in the State Senate; George
W., late candidate for Congress on the Democratic ticket,
has twice served as sheriff of Calhoun county ; Columbus,
who passed on in 1909; Cassett, Marcellus, Jerome and Allen,
who are all prominent farmers, stockmen and timbermen of
Roane county ; Warren and Floyd, who died in infancy ; the
late Mrs. Dorcas (Levi) Ball, and Mrs. S. Jane (Albert)
54 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Pearcy. C. C. Hardman, of Kyger, Roane county, the young
instructor of Farmers' Institutes, who recently formed the
acquaintance of the people of this county, is the son of the
late Sh^vester Hardman.
Nancy Hardman, the only daughter of Joseph and Dorcas
Hardman, married a man by the name of Parsons, of Gilmer
county, and he went to the war (of 1813) with James Hard-
man and died soon after his return home. His wife, Nancy,
then married a Air. Kearns, of Stuart's creek. Gilmer county,
and there some of her descendants still live.
Thomas Hardman was married to Miss Rebecca Goff,
daughter of John and granddaughter of Salathiel, and settled
at Reedyville, in Roane county. Here, at his home, Joseph
and Dorcas Hardman died and at Reedyville they lie at rest.
Joseph was ninety-six years of age at the time of his death.
Some time after the Civil war, Thomas Hardman and
his wife went to Parsons, Kansas, where they spent the clos-
ing hours of their lives with their children, and there their
ashes lie.
Their family consisted of the following named children:
William, the eldest son, still survives as a citizen of
Roane county, though well advanced in years ; Nancv was the
late wife of Sandy Board; Christen?, married Kellis Arga-
bright; George, John. James, Salathial and Drusilla. who ^vas
the wife of Captain Albert G. Ingraham, of the Confederate
army. The late John's family live in Roane county, as do
other descendants, and some of them reside in the far West.
Note. — To Mr. Paul Hardman, of Nebo, Clay courty (only son of Mar-
cellus and the late Chantilla Stump Hardman, and grandson of George
"^'ashinglon), we are indebted for this valuable ancescial .«ketch of the Hard-
man«, and for the verification of the nationality of the GofEs and the Riddles.
He having been selected a few years ago to prepare a history of the Hard-
mans to be read at a re-union of hi« branch of the family, set himself
about the task sparing no pains in gathering and verifying this data, so
far as it was possible to do so. And thougli the Riddle.s claim to be
French and the GofEs, English, it has been proved beyond a doubt, that
they came from Germany to England, and from there to the colonies.
IVIr. Hardinan's sources of inforination were many and varied. He inter-
viewed aged persons in his quest who had known the older generations
of these families, and who had heard them tell in their German brogue
(for they could not speak Engli.'^h distinctly) of the oppression that drove
them froin the land of their birth beyond the deep. He also met with a
young lady from Germany, not long since, who is acquainted with the
Hardmans of the present generation in her native land, and she remarked
about the striking resemblance that he bore to them.
Another .'strong proof of the long a'^sociation of the Goffs. the Riddels
and the Hardmans is the numerous marriages and inter-marriages of the
families for the past five or six generations.
SOUTH FORK SETTLED 55
Several of these sons served as Union soldiers diirinp- the Civil
o
war.
Peter Wolfe, as before stated, made the first settle-
ment on the A. P. Hardnian estate, and he, trading farms
with James Hardman, went from there to the M. A.
Ayres farm at Smithville, where he was laid to rest before
the year 1830. He was born in Harrison county of German
parentage, and was of Indian fighting stock. He married
Miss Maudlin Hanley, of Harrison county, and came to this
county early in the century. He wa,s the father of Samuel
Wolfe, who resided here in pioneer days, but finally found a
resting place in the west ; of the late John Wolfe, of Gilmer
county; Susan, who married James Malone, junior, and sleeps
at Harrisville ; of the late Mrs. Elizabeth (Righter) Cunning-
ham, of Ohio ; and the late Mrs. Mary Drimon, of Harrison
county.
Mrs. John M. Brown, of Hannahdale, is the great-grand-
daughter of this pioneer, and the Wolfes, of \\''olfe Pen, are
also his descendants, besides not a few of them live in Gilmer
comity.
Valentine Bozarth was the successor of Mr. Wolfe on
the Smithville farm. He and his wife, Mrs. Rebecca Hall
Bozarth, came from Plarrison county and went to Iowa, here
their brief history ends. The Bozarths were brave Indian
fighters, and their thrilling adventures with the red men are
recorded on the pages of "Border W^arfare."
The Malones. — Contemporary with the settlement of Mr.
Wolfe on the Hardman farm was that of James Malone,
senior, on the W. G. Lowther homestead, which joins it on
the east.
Mr. Malone was of Irish descent, and along with Mr.
Wolfe, he came from Harrison county, and erected his cabin
near the present site of the Lowther residence, which, though
somcAvhat modernized, was built more than three-quarters of
a century ago by Samuel Wolfe, and is one of the oldest land-
marks in this section.
The location of this farm is one of the most beautiful
along the river, and among its other points of special interest
are : an old Indian mound, which, though once visible for
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
miles around, is fast disappearing under the plowman's cul-
tivator ; and a lasting spring, which has quenched the thirst
of the children of men, the dusky face as well as the pale, for
"thousands of moons," and over its lucid waters bends the
branches of a willow of hugh dimensions, the history of which
began less than forty-five years ago, when Miss Abigail Os-
bourne, eldest daughter of the late AVilliam Osbourne, who
was then a small girl, planted her riding switch there. The
circumference of this tree at the base now measures fifteen
feet.
Mr. Malone removed (from here) to the Kennedy farm,
at the mouth of Lamb's run, and here, he and his wife, who
was Miss Elizabeth Findlay, a descendant of the Drake family,
lie sleeping.
The Old Malone liomestead as it appears to-day ("Wyldewood cot-
tage") where the "History of Ritchie County" was written. One of the
oldest landmarks on the river.
He was the father of James Malone, junior, of John, Mrs.
Jane Cunningham (mother of Mrs. Israel Davidson, of Spruce
creek) ; and of the late Mrs. Elizabeth (Cornelius) Wyei', of
Gilmer count}^ His children were all the heads of pioneer
families of this county.
John Malone married Miss Rebecca Webb, sister of Ben-
jamin Webb, and was the first settler on the E. R. Tibbs
farm, at Goff's. He went from here to Bull creek, v.'here some
of his descendants still live.
SOUTH FORK SETTLED 57
James Malone, junior, married Miss Susan Wolfe, daugh-
ter of Peter, and succeeded his father on the Kennedy farm.
He removed from there, early in the forties, to the farm that
is now designated as the Willianf Flannagan homestead, near
Hannahdale, and here he passed from earth, in the early six-
ties, and in the Harrisville cemetery, beside his wife, he sleeps.
He figured prominently in the early history of the county,
as Justice of the peace and as representative in the legislature
at Richmond.
He was the father of Alfred Malone, a lay minister of the
M. E. church, who sleeps in Kansas; James (the HI), who
died in the Union cause; Francis M., who rests at Lima,
Ohio ; the late Samuel, of Nebraska ; and Osbourne, who died
at Weston; Fannie became Mrs. Broadwater, of Hannahdale;
Rebecca, Mrs. Jacob Trainer, of Riddel's chapel; Mary Jane.
Mrs. William Maley, of the same vicinity ; Elizabeth was the
late Mrs. John Clutter, and Eliza, Mrs. Harvey Clutter, of
Iowa ; Martha married and died in St. Louis, Missouri ; and
Sarah, the only survivor of the family, is Mrs. Clutter, of Pitts-
burg, Kansas.
Mrs. J. M. Brown, of Hannahdale, is the granddaughter
of this pioneer.
Among the great-grandchildren of James Malone, senior,
who are citizens of this part of the county, are C. J. Valen-
tine, of Fonsoville; S. A. Wyer, of Auburn; J. B. Valentine,
of Macfarlan ; and not a few of the Wyers of Gilmer county.
John Wilson was the pioneer on the Kennedy farm, Mr.
Malone having purchased his improvement.
Mr. Wilson and his wife, who was formerly a Miss White,
went from here to Iowa, and we have been unable to learn
anything farther of their history, save that Francis Wilson,
of Tanners, belongs to this family, he being descended from
a brother of John Wilson.
The Elliotts. — Not far from the time of the coming of the
Malones, Jabez Elliott found a home on the Eugene Barker
farm, near the mouth of Lamb's run, and in this vicinity he
58 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
spent the rest of his days, and in the Smithville cemetery he
found a final resting place.
The early history of this family is very meager, and what
is in our possession cannot«be verified.
But they are of English origin and they probably first
settled in the New England colonies, where they were en-
gaged in savage warfare. And we, also, find them in Ohio bat-
tling with the Indians, during General Wayne's campaign.
Jabez Elliott is said to have been a native of the New
England States and a soldier of the war of 1812. He married
Miss Elizabeth AVigner, daughter of John Wigner, senior,
and sister of John, junior, of Ellenboro, and came here from
Harrison county. His venerable widow spent her last days
in an old cabin that stood near the present residence of W. J.
Burwell, in the vicinity of Gofif's. Here she passed to her
reward in 1875, at the age of ninety-six years. She had been
a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal church for seventy-
eight years, she being one of the class that was organized in
1810. She rests in the Smithville cemetery by the side of her
husband.
Their children were as follows :
John, Jacob, Henry, AVashington, Mrs. Elizabeth Low-
ther, Mrs. Sarah Howard and Ad^rs. Manly Collins, all of this
county; and Jabez, junior, of Calhoun. All have now passed
to the other shore, but their descendants in this county are
not a itw.
Among the grandsons are Frank and AA-^esley Elliott, of
Indian creek ; and Thomas Elliott, of Pullman. Hayes Elliott,
the assistant cashier of the Pullman bank, is a great-grandson.
Manly Collins and his wife, Mrs. ]\Iary Elliott Collins,
were the first settlers on Lamb's run after the Elliott family,
they having built their cabin where Emery Tibbs now lives.
Mrs. Collins survived until a few years since, when she
passed away at a ripe old age, and was laid at rest in the Cun-
ningham burying-grovmd, near Mahone.
Mr. Collins was the son of Mrs. Alary Collins, who spent
her last hours on Slab Creek, and a brother of Chainey Collins,
of Smithville; of Mrs. Phebe Smith, late wife of Aaron Smith,
SOUTH FORK SETTLED 59
of Smith's chapel ; and of John Collins, of Wirt county, all of
whom have passed on.
The children of Manly and Mary Collins are as follows:
Daniel, Benjamin, Mrs. Sarah Frederick, and Mary and
Louisa, who are dead.
After the death of Jabez Elliott his family had a dwell-
ing erected, where Peyton Tingler now lives, and for a num-
ber of years this cabin was occupied by the Elliott family.
This stream is said to have taken its name from a man
by the name of Lamb, but we have been unable to learn any-
thing farther concerning his history.
The Wigners. — John Wigner, senior, succeeded William
Layfield on the S. H. Westfall farm, above Smithville. This
old pioneer cabin stood on a rivulet, which still bears his name,
"Wigner's run."
Mr. Wigner was of German lineage, and he came here
from near Philadelphia before the year 1810, and here the
remnant of his days was spent, and in some of the old bury-
ing-grounds in this vicinity his ashes lie.
He was the father of John Wigner, junior, the first settler
at Ellenboro ; of Jacob, of Stuart's run ; of Henry, of Husher's
run; Joseph and Daniel, of Ohio; Mrs. Elizabeth (Jabez)
Elliott, of Gofif's ; Mrs. Elijah Cunningham, Husher's run ;
Mrs. Piarbara Newcome, and Mrs. Susan White, of Gallipolis,
Ohio.
John Cornell. — John Cornell was the first resident of the
Martin Smith farm, above Smithville. He and his wife, Mrs.
Susan Park Cornell, came from "Maryland, My Maryland,"
and having twice purchased this farm and lost it at law,
removed to Pleasants county, in 1840, where he "laid down
the cross" in 1860. Seventeen years later his wife joined him
on the other side, and in the Rutnian cemetery they both lie
at rest.
Mr. Cornell was a Revolutionary soldier, and was the
son of William Cornell, an Irishman. He and his wife were
the parents of twelve children — seven sons and five daughters,
all of whom reached the years of maturity: Benjamin resides
at Bufifalo, in Putnam county ; Susan is Mrs. William Ward,
of Shultz ; Mary is Mrs. Stephen Workman, of Huntington;
60 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Sarah is Airs. William Douglass, of Highland; William sleeps
in Oregon; Harrison, in the Dry Ridge cemetery; two sons
and two daughters, with the parents in the Rutman cemetery;
one son, at Smithville, and one, in Calhoun county.
John Cornell, of Calhoun county, is a grandson of this
pioneer, as is J. A. Cornell, of Burnt House. And Mrs. Free-
man G. Barr, of Smithville, is a great-granddaughter.
Mrs. Douglass, while on a visit with her daughter, Mrs.
A. D. Adams, at the M. E. church parsonage at Smithville,
during the autumn of 1904, visited the place of her nativity,
after an absence of sixty-five years, and noted with interest
the changes that had been wrought by the mighty hand of
"Father Time."
Elias Lowther was another early settler in the Webb's
mill vicinitv. He was the second blacksmith and the first
gunsmith and powder-maker in this section. He was the son
of Thomas and the grandson of Col. William Lowther, and
like the other pioneers of this name, was a native of West Mil-
ford. He removed to Wirt county near the year 1825, and
here, fell asleep, and here some of his descendants live. He
had two sons, Andrew and Daniel, and perhaps other children.
The Dyes. — Dennis Dye was the first settler on the farm
which, is still designated as the "Dye farm," in the Webb's
mill vicinity, though now owned by Martin Smith and son.
Mr. Dye was the son of Reuben and Alary Dye, who
came from Prince William county, Virginia, at an early day
and settled in AVood county, and he was a brother of the hte
D. Dye, of Elizabeth; John, of Ohio, and William and Benja-
min, who started to Texas and were never heard of again.
Dennis Dye was born in 1801, and came to this county
in his early manhood and married Miss Anna Webb, daughter
of Benjamin Webb, and took up his residence on the old
homestead, above mentioned, near the year 1835, where he
remained until June 20, 1866, when he crossed to the other
side.
His wife was born on July 14, 1809, and died in June, 1888.
Both sleep in the Webb's mill cemetery.
His children are as follows: Benjamin, David, William,
SOUTH FORK SETTLED 61
Mrs. Julia (Adam) Laird, Mrs. Jane (Daniel) Nicholson, of
Calhoun county; and Mrs. Martha (Robert) Taylor, of Smith-
ville; and Mrs. Drusilla Gear, of Wirt county; who have all
passed on; and Mrs. Harriet (Barnes) Smith, Burnt House;
Mrs. Nancy (Jacob) Cunningham, Smithville; Mrs. Mary
(Barnes) Smith, Auburn; Mrs. Ag-nes Haught, Wirt county;
and Mrs. Elizabeth Nutter, Kansas, are the surviving ones.
Benjamin Dye, whose family are still identified with the
Smithville vincinity; was born at the old home at Webb's
mill, on August 16, 18?'7, and though he resided across the
Calhoun county line, after his marriage to Miss Roena Petty,
daughter of Rowland Petty, of Wirt county, on January JO,
1860, his entire life was spent within the bounds of the Sm.ith-
ville vicinity. He passed from earth on Alarch 3, 1905,
and Mrs. Dye followed him to the grave on May 30, 1909.
Both lie at rest in the Nicholas burying-ground, near the old
home in Calhoun county.
They were the parents of the following named children :
The one daughter died in childhood ; and their sons are :
Dr. W. T. W. Dye, of Grantsville ; Dr. James A. Dye, Minora;
Rowland F. Dye, Smithville ; George W. and Judson B. Dye,
Freed.
The Smiths. — John Every, of whose history we know
nothing, erected the first dwelling on the B. H. Wilson farm
at Goff's, but this improvement passed into the hands of
Barnes Smith as early as 1810, and remained in his possession
until near the year 1835, • when he removed to Smithville,
where he passed from earth, on March 9, 1857.
In his honor the town was named and within the peace-
ful bosom of its cemetery his ashes lie.
Mr. Smith was of English lineage. His ancestors came
to America in Colonial days and settled in Virginia, but he
was born in Harrison county, on May 18, 1782, and there he
was married to Miss Anne Earle, who was born on November
26, 1788, and died on October 14, 1855, and rests at Smithville.
Nine children were the result of this union :
Isaac and Barnes, junior, sleep at Smithville: Joshua, in
Calhoun county; Levi J., in Boone county, Iowa; Sarah, who
married Samuel Davidson, in Gilmer county, near Tanners-
62 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
ville ; Kathrine (Mrs. Levi Smith), on Spruce creek; Hila
(Mrs. Eli Riddel), near Goff 's ; Mary (Mrs. George Goff), in
Missouri; Elizabeth (Mrs. Thomas Goff), in Iowa.
Although these children were so widely scattered, their
descendants in this county are a multitude. Among the
grandchildren are Martin Smith, Alvus Smith, Mrs. M. A.
Ayres, and Mrs. Alfred Barr, of Smithville ; T. M. Goff', of
Harrisville; the late Mrs. A. P. Hardman, Fonsoville; Mrs.
John White, S. B. and S. A. Smith, of Iowa.
Dr. J. M. Goff, of Harrisville, is a great-grandson.
(Several of these sons were among the pioneers of this
county and the history of their families will be found else-
where.)
Aaron Smith, brother of Barnes, who was also a native
of Harrison county, was the first settler at Goff's, on the land
that is now the homes of Abner Hatfield and E. C. Goff" and
the Reeves estate.
His old cabin, which was built early in the century, stood
near the present Hatfield residence, and not far away, on this
homestead, he lies in his last sleep.
He married Miss Hannah Drake, sister of the Rev. 'John
Drake, who was born on April 17, 1778, and, like his brother,
has an innumerable line of descendants in this and adjoining
counties.
After his death his widow married John Riddel, the Grass
run pioneer, and in Roane county she died on October 27, 1868.
Their children are as follows: Elijah, Levi, William,
Elisha. Rebecca, Zilpah, Susan, Orpha, Rhoda and Eda.
Elijah married his cousin, Miss Roana Smith, daughter
of Squire Smith, of Harrison county, and lived and died near
the mouth of Smith's run, where his son, Aaron, still survives.
He was also the father of the late James, of Gilmer county ; and
of Mrs. Thomas D. Tibbs, of Lamb's run.
Levi married his cousin, Miss Kathrine Smith, daughter
of Barnes, senior, and was one of the Spruce creek pioneers.
William married Miss Susana Cain, daughter of David
Cain, and went to Lee creek, where he died in 1883, at the age
of eighty-six years.
Elisha married Miss Martha Stuart, sister of Robert
SOUTH FORK SETTLED 63
Stuart, aii^ settled the Connolly farm, on Leatherbrake, where
he and his wife and several children, all died near the same time
of fever.
Elisha, his eldest son, who was married, died at this
time; and Levi, of Hardman chapel ; and Gilbert, oi Long run ;
and Mrs. Lydia Ann Goff, wife of the late M. A. Goff, of
Hazelgreen ; and mother of L. C. GolT, of Juna, have since
passed on, leaving families; and James T. Smith, of Burnt
House; and Mrs. Sarah Jane (John) Goff, of Gilmer county:
are the surviving members of the family.
Rebecca Smith married Cornelius Cain, and lived and
died in this county. Her children were the late Mrs. Rosetta
Moats, of Cairo ; Mrs. Phillip Goft", of Juna ; Mrs. Ruhama
(Ephraim) Morehead, Mrs. Louisa Chevrount, David, Cor-
nelius H., Albert, James and Lemuel Cain.
Zilpah Smith married James Riddel and went to Gilmer
county.
Susan became Mrs. Jacob Smith and went to Roane
county.
Orpha was Mrs. Hill, of Clay county ; Rhoda, Mrs. Board,
of Roane county. Eda married Benjamin Goff and became
the head of a pioneer family of this county. (See later chap-
ter.) She was the last survivor of the family.
David Cain was the first settler on the late Wilson Prunty
homestead, now the property of John Gorrell.
He was of Holland descent. He married Miss Mary Cain,
who was born in 1T79, and came here from Ohio. He finally
went to Lee creek, where he sleeps. His wife rests in the
Egypt cemetery at Cairo.
The Cain's run, on the south side of the river, took its
name from a sugar camp that he owned, which was located
just below the John Wass residence.
Mr. Cain has been accredited with the first settlement at
the mouth of Slab creek, btU this claim proves to be in error,
as John Shores, father of the late James Shores, of Cairo, was
the first pioneer at the mouth of this creek.
Mr. Cain's children were as follows :
Susana (Mrs. Wm. Smith), of Lee creek; Mary (Mrs.
64 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Joseph Wilson), of Slab creek; Cornelius Cain, of Cairo, and
Jesse.
Jesse married a Miss Firth, of Barbour county, and set-
tled on the north side of Hughes river, at the mouth of the
run, which still bears his name, "Jesse Cain's run," where
Peter and Charles Wass now live.
Quite a number of David Cain's grandchildren are still
identified among the citizens of the county.
Lemuel Wilson, of Smithville ; Mrs. Phillip Gofif, of Juna ;
the late Mrs. Rosetta Moats, of Cairo ; are among the nundDcr.
A family by the name of Belt made the first improvement
at the forks of Hughes river, on the farm that became the per-
manent home of the Jacksons, in 1830.
Thomas Cummins, another early settler, moved farther
west in 1811, and the name of George Turvey is also men-
tioned among the very early settlers, but we have been unable
to learn anything of his history or settlement.
Although many authentic dates are wanting, the greater
number of these settlers are said to have come before the year
1810.
CHAPTER IV
Thomas and Phebe Cunningham
HE year 1807 was marked by the coming of
Thomas and Phebe Cunningham, from Har-
rison county. Though many historic remin-
iscences cluster about the names of the
brave-hearted pioneers of this county, per-
haps no other one is of such absorbing in-
terest as the one that hangs about the mem-
ory of Thomas and Phebe Cunningham; and, perhaps, too, no
other pioneer family is more largely represented among the
present citizenship of the county ;• and from the pages of
"Border Warfare" we glean the story of their adventure with
the Indians, before they became identified with the history of
Ritchie county :
In 1785, when our tragical story opens, Thomas Cunning-
ham and his brother, Edward, resided in Harrison county on
Bingamon creek, a branch of the West fork, in adjoining
cabins. Thomas was absent on a irading expedition, when
six Indians made their appearance at his home.
Mrs. Cunningham and the four children were gathered
al)out the dinner-table when one entered, and closing the door
behind him, stood with drawn tomahawk for a few moments;
then, having at once apprehended danger from the other
cabin, and having no such fear of the helpless mother and
children, he seemed for a time only intent upon his own
escape.
Edward, seeing the Indian enter his brother's cabin,
secured his own door, and, stepping to a small opening in the
wall, stood ready to fire when the "ntruder should make his
appearance ; but in Thomas' cabin was a like aperture, and
through it the Indian fired at Edward, and gave the signal
for victory, which was answered by Edward, who saw the
06 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
aim of the savage in time to save his life. So narrow was
his escape that the bark from the log struck him in the face.
The Indian, seeing that he had missed his aim, at once
seized an adz and began cutting an outlet through the back
of the cabin, so that he could escape without danger from
Edward's house. While thus engaged, he asked ]ylrs. Cun-
ningham how many were in the other cabin, and she tacill}-
replied by holding up the fingers of both hands.
Just after the firing had ceased another Indian entered the
yard, and, seeing Edward's gun through the port hole, beat
a hasty retreat; but Edward fired, the bullet taking effect in
the Indian's hip; he managed, however, to reach some place
of safety before Cunningham could again load his gun.
Mrs. Cunningham made no effort to escape, for she felt
that death only awaited her at the hands of the lurking foe
without. To escape with her children was impossible ; and
to leave them at the mercy of this savage monster was not to
be thought of. So she cherished the liope that he might quiet-
ly withdraw, but the fallacy of such a hope was soon evident,
w'hen he sank his ruthless tomahawk into the brains of one
of her children, and casting its scarcely lifeless form into the
yard, ordered her to follow him. She, knowing that resistance
meant certain death, quietly obeyed, stepping over the dead
body of her child, as she passed out w'ith her babe in her arms,
and the other two children clinging to her and screaming
frantically at the horror of the sight.
W'hen all were outside, scalping the dead boy. he set iire
to the house, and withdrew to a high point in the field, where
he joined his two companion, who Avere caring for the
wounded Indian. The other two were left to guard the door
of Edward's house, so that they could strike the fatal blow
when the flames should drive them out; but fortunately the
family were able to extinguish the fire from within by tearing
the boards from the roof, though the Indians kept up their
firing all the while.
AVithout hope of accomplishing more, and fearing detec-
tion, they gathered together, and, having tomahawked the
elder Cunningham boy and his little sister — whom they beat
against a tree until life w^as extinct — they took their departure.
THOMAS AND PHEBE CUNNINGHAM 67
Mrs. Cunningham said that the last she saw of her little
daughter was one quivering foot sticking up from behind a
log, where she had been thrown. The poor mother stood
aghast, dazed with grief, momentarily expecting the death
blow to fall upon her and the little one at her breast. But
a more cruel fate awaited her — that of the life of a captive.
From this awful scene, she was taken to a cave. (This
cave is said to be about two miles from the scene of the cap-
ture, on Little Indian run — a branch of Bingamon creek — in
Harrison county.) Here the Indians remained until night,
and, under cover of darkness, returned to the home of Ed-
ward Cunningham, and. finding it deserted, plundered, and
set it on fire.
Mr. Cunningham and his family had taken refuge in the
forest during the night, the nearest settlement being eight
or ten miles distant, and on the following morning gave the
alarm ; and a company of men were soon in pursuit. When
they reached the scene of the tragedy, finding the cabins in
ashes, and being unable to follow the trail, so carefully had
it been covered, they buried the remains of the children and
returned to their homes. But after the lapse of a few days,
circumstances pointed to the suspicion that the savages
were still in the vicinity, and another search was instituted,
in which the trail was followed to the mouth of the cave
and lost. But Major Robinson, being familiar with the forest,
and after dwelling upon the incidents of the day, remem-
bered the cave, and upon investigation, on the following morn-
ing, found that it had been their hiding place, but was now
deserted. They had resumed their journey during the night,
ha\ing been detained here by the wounded Indian, who, Mrs.
Cunningham said, was borne from the cave, and she never
saw him again. She supposed that he was dead, and that
his remains were sunk in a pool near by.
She said that the whites were so near several times that
she could distinctly hear their \'oices ; that they stood -upon
the rock above her head. But a savage stood over her with
an uplifted tomahawk, commanding silence, and forcing her
to keep the child to her breast, lest its cries slundd lead to
their apprehension.
68 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COINTY
Owing- to this delay, they did not reach their own coun-
try for some time, and the poor captive's sufifering from hun-
ger, fatigue and grief, was ahnost beyond human endurance ;
and the helpless infant at the breast, sought milk and ob-
tained blood instead. The Indians, observing this, ended its
sufferings by the tomahawk, while it clung to its mother's
bosom, and then cast its lifeless form beside Lhe pathway,
without leaf or branch to protect it from the beasts of prey.
No tongue or pen can describe the anguish of the suffer-
ing mother, whose only sustenance for ten days was the
head of a Avild turkey and three pawpaws. B}- the frequent
wading of streams, her feet had become so scalded, that when
she reached the village of the Delawares and was permitted
to remove her stockings, the nails and skin came with them.
Yet, on the follow'ing day, she was compelled to continue
her journey. A humane Indian of the village somewhat al-
leviated her pain by an application of sanative herbs.
One incident of this dreadful march, which has been
omitted by the historian, but which will doubtless add inter-
est here, we glean from the Autobiography of the late Rev.
James L. Clarke, who heard it from her own lips, and who
tells it in the following language :
"It was during the painful march after the murder of her
babe, that she was converted. Overwhelmed and horrified
at the murder of her children, and the terrible suffering she
was then undergoing, she longed to die. and wished the
savages would kill her.
"One day while wishing for death, the question was
forced into her mind, 'Are you prepared to die?' It awakened
her, she saw that she was a sinner, and if she died as she
had lived, she would be lost and would have to endure suf-
fering forever to. which the sufferings of the present would
bear no comparison, and that she must be forever separated
from her children, whom she had no doubt were now in
Heaven.
"She now became very much alarmed and feared that
they would kill her before she was |)repared to die. fler sins
became a burden too intolerable to be borne, and she went
THOMAS AND PHEBE CUNNINGHAM 63
lo liini who said 'Come unto me all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'
"One night after the Indians had lain down in a circle
around the fire, with her inside the circle, she kneeled
down at the root of a tree and in her agony wrestled with
God in prayer, and taking Jesus as her Savior, the blessing
came in power. She sprang to her feet clapping her hands,
and shouting at the top of her voice, 'Glory to God.' The
savages raised upon their elbows, gave the Indian 'yough,'
watched her for a while, and lay down again. She con-
tinued to shout for some time, the fear of death was gone,
and her soul was exceedingly happy." And from this time
until Jicr death, she continued a faithful, devoted Christian.
When the home of her captors was reached, she received
no barbarous treatment, but she was filled with fear and the
apprehension of some impending doom. Everything about
her seemed to bode evil. She was delivered into the hands
of the father of the wounded and missing Indian, and was
compelled to wear her soiled clothing, whicli was regarded
as a bad omen for a captive. And thus for three years her
captivity continued.
A conference, preparatory to a treaty between the Whites
and the Indians, was pending, when, one evening, she noticed
an unusual commotion in the village, and, upon inquiry,
learned that the presence of the great Simon Girty occasion-
ed it.
She determined to ask him to intercede for her release,
and on the following day, seeing him passing by on horse-
back, she went to him and lay hold of his stirrup, and im-
plored his interference in her behalf, which, at first, was only
met with derision ; but though the heart of this chieftain had
long been a stranger to tenderness and sympathy, her en-
treaties finally succeeded in touching his better nature, and
he made intercession for her, secured her release, made pro-
visions for her ransom, and had her conveyed to the commis-
sioners who negotiated the treaty.
During the Autumn of 1788, having been in captivity for
three long, weary years, she was taken to a great Indian
conference, at the foot of the Maumee rapids, on or near the
70 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
present site of Perrysburg, Ohio; and while here, Captain
Girty brought the case before the British agent, McKee,
who furnished the trinkets for the ransom, and she was set
free : and from here, she went to Kentucky with two gentle-
men, w^ho came to this conference in quest of their captive
children.
After much difficulty and no little delay, she finally
reached her old home — the home of Edward Cunningham- -
in Harrison county, and found that her husband, on hearing
of her release, had gone in fjuest of her. Depressed by the
disappointment of not meeting him. and by the thought of
the danger and peril that attended his every footstep, she
could not enter into the spirit of rejoicing, that her home-
coming had occasioned; but in a few days her husband, learn-
ing that she was homeward bound, returned, and with joy
unspeakable, clasped to his bosom again the long lost wife.
Though the remembrance of the tragic fate of their children,
shadowed the joy of their reunion, yet, time alleviated their
sorrow^, when other, and more fortunate, children came to
bless their home. And from these children are descended no
small per cent of the present population of Ritchie county.
The Cunninghams are of Irish lineage. Some time be-
fore the Revolutionary war, Hugh Cunningham and his wife.
Nancy, with their family of eight sons (Adam. Ephraim,
Benjamin, Joseph, \\'illiam, \\'alter, Edward and Thomas)
came from Dublin, Ireland, and settled on the banks of the
Potomac, in Eairfax county, Virginia ; and, shortly after the
close of the Revolutionary war, Thomas, Adam, Edward,
Walter, and, perhaps, more of the brothers, came to Harri-
son county, where they entered and patented large tracts of
land under the "tomahawk title," on Bingamon creek. Here
they resided when our tragic story opened.
Thomas Cunningham and his wife. Phebe Tucker Cun-
ningham, were born across the sea. He, in Ireland, and she.
in England of Scottish parentage, in 1761. He had served
as a Revolutionary soldier, before becoming distinguished
b}' this "adventure among the Indians."
THOMAS AND PHEBE CUNNINGHAM 71
In 1807, as above stated, they came to this county, and
settled on what is now the W. E. Hill and the Frederick
homesteads. Here they continued to reside until the death
of Mr. Cunningham, in l.S"i!). He was the first Methodist
Episcopal minister in iliis part of the count_v. and at his
home the first class was organized. He was only a lay min-
ister at this time, but he was licensed to preach, at Zaues-
ville, Ohio, on September 5, 1817 ; and this license, which
was written upon parchment, is now a cherished possession
of his great-grandson, John C. Cunningham, of Eva.
On the Frederick homestead, not far from the present
Frederick residence, he sleeps, in an almost nameless grave.
Mrs. Cunningham spent the last years of her life in Calhoun
county with her daughter, Mrs. Isaac Collins; and. here, ni
1845, she passed away in triumph. "The voice that shouted
'Glory to God' in the midst of the savages, shouted victory
in death." On the Collins homestead, near Freed, she is
sleeping.
The late Rev. James L. Clarke delivered the memorial
sermon at her funeral, and in dwelling on her triumphant
death afterwards, he said, 'T could not help thinking of the
joyful meeting she had with her children in the presence of
Him who had said, 'Suffer little children to come unto me,
for of such is the Kingdom of God.' "
The late children of these distinguished pioneers were
as follows: Henry, Lydia, Walter, and Thomas, who were
killed by the Indians : and William — the first born after their
reunion — who became a minister in 1810, and two years later
took a transfer to the Ohio conference, where he finished his
earthly career at Horner, in Licking county; John, of Spen-
cer; Mrs. Rachel (Isaac) Collins. Calhoun county: Mrs. Leah
(Benjamin') Ilardman, Charleston, W. Va. ; Mrs. Phebe (Jas.)
Hardman, who sleeps at Hardman chapel; Mrs. Barbara Hill,
Eddyville, Iowa: and Benjamin, of Eva.
Amon-g the late grandsons and granddaughters of these
venerable people, who were the heads of well known families
of this county, were: A. P., J. S.. and Washington Hardman,
Hardman chapel; Mrs. John Beall, Leatherbrake ; Thomas
Hardman, Auburn; Mrs. George AVells, Cornwahis ; Mrs. J.
7-? HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
M. AlcW horler, Lluckhannon; ]\lrs. Hannah Smith, Smith-
ville ; Mr. and Mrs. Wilson B. Cunningham ; and EH R. Cun-
ningham, of Eva. Among the surviving ones are: John R.
Cunningham, Gihner county; Airs. Xancy Dilworth, Eaton;
and Mrs. Ira S. Goff, Walker station. Besides quite an army
of great-grandchildren, who are well known citizens — Martin
Smith, Mrs. Alfred Barr, Mrs. M. A. Ayres, and Alvis Smith,
of Smithville, Mrs. James Rexroad, of Den run, and the late
Airs. W. E. Hill, of Fonzo, are among them.
Airs. Hill enjoyed the privilege of residing almost on the
very spot where the cabin of her illustrious great-grand-
parents stood for several years just before her death in lUlO.
Edward Cunningham. — Edward Cunningham and his
wife, Sarah Price Cunningham, wdiom he married in Fairfax
county, A^irginia, lived and died in Harrison county, where
"they fought the redskins ;" and here on their old homestead,
they sleep ; but some of their lineal descendants belong to
the present citizenship of this county. — To their grandson,
Perry J. Cunningham, of Pennsboro, we are indebted for this
sketch.
Their children, William, Joseph, Thomas, Benjamin, and
Airs. Alary Aloore sleep in Harrison county ; Airs. Elizabeth
Robinson at Fairfield, Ohio; Airs. Keturah Hill, in Gilmer
count}' ; and Enoch AI. Cunningham, in Randolph county.
Joseph, better known as 'Tnjun Joe," was captured by
the vShaw^nee Indians, while hiding under the treadles in the
loom house, when he was but a lad of eight summers, and
was adopted by an Indian family, and remained among then,
for sixteen years, or until a short tune after Gen. AX'ayne's
treat}^ w^ith the Indians. Fie became a great hunter while
among them, and after his return liome, he served as pilot
for the pioneer stirveyors of the large and original tracts of
land in this and adjoining counties: and on one of these ex-
peditions, with John Alurphy, he experienced a dreadful hand
to hand encounter^ wdth a huge black bear, which -he finally
succeeded in killing with his knife; and then pried its jaws
open to relieve his knee, which had been the victim of bruinV
'The scene of this fight was on Bear run, a branch of Goose creek,
in this county; hence the name of this .= tream: this bear weighed 600
pounds when dressed.
THOMAS AND PHEBE CUNNINGHAM 73
last stuggle, and which was lamed for the remainder of his
life.
He afterwards married a Miss Ayres, and became the
father of two daughters, and one son; viz., the late Mrs.
Samuel Warne. of Parkcrsburg; Mrs. George Sires, of Clarks-
burg; and the late Dr. John Cunningham, of Illinois.
Enoch M. Cunningham was the only one of Edward's
children that figured among the early settlers of this county.
In 1820, he married Miss Jane Stuart, daughter of William
Stuart, an early settler on Hughes river above Goff's. and
from the Stuart homestead, in 1S40, he moved to Smithville.
He was the father of the following named children : Harrison
B. Cunningham, an early merchant of Harrisville ; Martha
became Mrs. Barnes Smith, of Smithville ; and her twin sis-
ter, Sarah Salina, married Jonathan H. Haddox, of Smith-
ville, later of Harrisville ; Amy married Hannibal C. Brannon,
and Edna M., Williams Moats, of Harrisville.
Amonc: his oreat-s:randchildren, who are well known in
this county, are the late C. E. Haddox, of Moundsville ; C. M.
Haddox, of Charleston ; Mrs. Van A. Zevely, of Cairo ; and
Mrs. Joseph Foster, of Pennsboro.
CHAPTER V
The Westfalls and Whites
HE Westfalls were early settlers in the Fred-
erick's mill vicinity, they having taken the
place of some of the original settlers some
time in the forties.
Joel J. Westfall, who is now spending
the eventide of his long life with his only
son, J. R. Westfall. at Smithville, was the
fii-st of the family to arrive. He came as early as lSi3, and
took the place of James Malone, on the Kennedy farm, above
the mouth of Lamb's run ; and during the following winter
he taught school in an old house on the Tingler — now the
B. H. Wilson — farm, having for his pupils, "the Wasses,"
the Hardmans, the Elliotts, the GofFs and the Tinglers. After
one year's residence on the Kennedy farm, he rented what is
now Frederick's mill, and the W. E. Hill farm, and two years
later his father, John W. Westfall, purchased both the mill
and the farm, and moved his family here, where lie spent the
remainder of his life. He sold the mill in 1857, to the late
Joseph Frederick, but the farm remained in the h.ands of his
heirs until a few years since, when it passed into the hands
of W. E. Hill, who sold it to Henry Barker, in 1909.
The Westfalls are of Irish lineage. They emigrated
from New York to Beverly (West) Virginia ; and from there,
Joel Westfall, senior, and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth AA'hite West-
fall, removed to near the present site of Buckhannon, where
their son, John W. Westfall, was born, and where he was
married to Miss Elizabeth Simon, a Dutch maiden, of Penn-
sylvania, who was the mother of his six children, .'ill of whom
were born at Buckhannon, before the familv came to Ritchie:
THE WEST FALLS AND WHITES 75
Joel was tlie eldest son ; Jacob, and the late James, of Slab
creek ; and Jasper N., who was laid on the Frederick home-
stead in his youth ; and the late Mrs. Margaret (John) Core,
of Buckhannon ; and Mrs. Mary E. (Robert) Stuart, of Iris,
were the other members of the fam.ily. The two alone sur-
vive. Side by side Mr. and Mrs. Westfall sleep on the Fred-
erick homestead. She survived him by a number of years,
and with her daughter, Mrs. Stuart, spent her last hours,
at Iris. (The other Westfalls in tliis and adjoining counties
are descended from the same family.)
Joel J. Westfall was born at Buckhannon, on August 24,
1(S19, and here in the wilds of the torest, he grew to man-
hood, having every opportunity to indulge his love for hunt-
ing and adventure ; and some of these boyish adventurers are
scarcely less thrilling than those of "Robinson Crusoe," or
Stanley in the jungles of Africa:
When he was but a small lad of seven summers, on July
2G, 1826, he killed the largest rattle snake on record in West
Virginia, while alone in the forest Avatching the horses for
his father. This mammoth snake measured nine feet four
inches, with rattles one one-half inches broad. At the
age of eleven years, he killed three deer by moonlight in the
forest near Buckhannon ; and the following year three pan-
thers fell as his victims, and at the age of fourteen, he slew
a bear with his tomahawk. This was only the beginning of
a hunting record, which, perhaps, can hardly be duplicated
by another lad among the early settlers of the State. At one
time he killed a bear and a panther, which had just taken
the life of a deer. So famous did these earl}^ adventures
make him, that he was known far and wide, as the "Boy
Hunter." On one occasion when he came into possession of
a new gun, as a reward for his skillful marksmanship, he
was asked by his father what he wished to do with this gun.
He replied that he wished to kill wild animals, but that he
especially desired to find a bear cave that he had heard much
about through his uncle. So with his father's consent, one
fine morning he set out in quest of this cave, which he finall}'
reached after a long and perilous search. It was in a large
7'- HISTORY OP RITCHIE COUNTY
ledge of rocks, miles distant frojn his home, and, searching
out the entrance, he at once started to explore the interior,
but finding the darkness so dense, he was forced to retreat.
However, securing a pine torch and taking his gun in hand,
he again crawled inside, expecting to find the bear asleep,
but by the time he had proceeded fifty or sixty feet, he real-
ized the fallacy of this expectation, when he saw the glare
of bruin's eye coming toward him. Stepping to one side, he
prepared to fire, but for fear of being forced out of the cave,
he slid into a crevice, and the anirnal dashed by him vvith
force, and presently he heard him fall from the clifif outside,
a distance of thirty feet, and he knew that he must l^e dead ;
and going outside, he joyfully claimed his prey and set out
for home, which he reached after several days' absence to
the relief of his mother, who had been greatly annoyed by
his prolonged stay. In after life his hand did not "lose its
cunning." for while a resident of California, he killed the
largest bear on record in that State. It having weighed one
thousand pounds.
At the age of seventeen years, he was made lietitenant
of Co. D, 133rd Regiment of the Virginia Alilitia, an office
which he held for seven years ; and he was Captain of the r^>Iili-
tia after he came to this county. On January V'3, 1813, he
was married to Miss Eliza B. Mills, daughter of W. R. Mills,
of Pocahontas county, the marriage being solemnized at the
home of her brother at ^Veston ; and J. R. Westfall, of Smith-
ville, was the one child of this union • and when he was still
in "the frocks of babyhood" his young mother passed on, and
on the Frederick homestead she sleeps.
On April 4, 185 !, leaving his young son with his ])arents,
Mr. Westfall started for California — lured there b}' the gold
excitement — where he amassed quite a fortune, and where
he rose to prominence in State affairs. At one time, while
digging for gold, he unearthed a nugget that weighted nine-
teen ounces, and was valued at one thousand dollars. He
served as Deputy Sheriff at Mariposa for four years, at the
end of which time he was elected Road Commissioner and
Supervisor, an office which he held for sixteen consecutive
years, and one that is higher in point of importance than that
THE WESTFALLS AND WHITES 77
of our sheriff. Politically he is a Democrat, and he enjoyed
the honor of being a member of the committee that escorted
William Jennings Bryan, and his distinguished party on their
tour through the "Golden State," during Mr. Bryan's first
ciDmpaign for the Presidency ; and he had the pleasure of eat-
ing several lunches that were prepared by the hand of Mrs.
Bryan. On October 6, 1906, he bade adieu to his adopted
state and returned to Smithville, where he is quietly spend-
ing" the evening hours of his life with his son. Pie is now a
nonagenarian, but his memory is a remarkable store-house
of interesting reminiscences of pioneer days. Later, he died
on October 30, llllO, and was laid away at Smithville, on the
homestead of his son.
William White, wliose heroic deeds "crov/n history's
pages," was his great-grandsire, and few more valuable
stories of early times have come under our notice than the
ever interesting one of the life of this distinguished Indian
fighter, which was told to Mr. Westfall by his great-grand-
mother, Mrs. William White, when he was a child of seven
years, and she, a venerable woman of one hundred two
years. This is the only time that he remembers seeing this
great-grandmother, but he has long treasured the story that
she told him on that memorable day, which we here repro-
duce in her own language, in part:
The Grandmother's Story. — She called him to her and
said that she wished to tell him the story of the life and the
cruel death of his great-grandfather, William White, and that
she hoped that he would remember what she this day should
tell hini :
vShe said "I was a Wallace, a relative of Sir William
Wallace, of Scotland, and I am the wife of William White,
the great scout and Indian fighter.'" There were three of
the White brothers that came from Scotland to America,
William, David and Jonathan.
Jonathan went South and was never heard of again, it
being supposed that he was killed by the Indians; and
William and David settled near Winchester, Virginia.
7S HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
While out hunting- here one day, A\'illiam came upon
some Indians, and thinking that they were seeking his life,
killed three of them ; but among the number was a squaw,
and as he could not think of taking her life, he let her go,
feeling confident that she would not know him. But she did
recognize him, however; and as it was in time of peace and
was a grave violation of the terms of the treaty, he was ar-
rested and put in prison ; but his people raised such a storm
about his confinement, and gathered around the jail and beat
it down, and let him out the next dav. He and a man bv
the name of Pringle then escaped to Buckhannon, and made
their home in a hollow sycamore tree, near the mouth of
Turkey run, on the Buckhannon river, near three miles below
the present site of Buckhannon. She added, "Joel, you will
doubtless see this tree. Your Grandmother Westfall is gone
too early for you to remember her. Your father, your uncles,
and your aunts are all living, but I, your great-grand-
mother, must soon pass over." I am now one hundred two
years old. Among m}- children, grandchildren and great-
grandchildren, I see none that resembles your great-grand-
father, but I see him in the blare of your eye, the shape of
your head, and in your movement, and my little grandson,
I hope that you will be able to remember what your great-
grandmother says to you today, and that you will be able
to punish the foul perpetrator and his allies for the cowardly
murder of your great-grandfather, 'Billy White,' my hus-
band.
■'Your Uncle Heniy is next in resemblance to 'Billy.'
Your father and uncles have all treated me kindly, and' I
might have been living with them today, but I wished to
live and die in the home that 'Billy' and I had impro\'ed, here
on Hickory flat, with my son. I shall not be here long. Tr>-
and remember the words of your great-grandmother. Eliza-
beth Wallace White, my little sonny. I traveled alone from
\\inchester, Virginia, to Buckhannon to join my husband in
his tree house — over hills, deep rivers, and through lone
forests, carrying my fire rolled up in a wet cloth, on horse-
back, by day, that I might have it to kindle at night, in some
secluded place, where I could roast my meat and drink the
THE UESTFALLS AND WHITES 79
pure water tliat gurgled there. Your great-grandfather and
I lived many days here. I was many times alone in the fort
or out on our little farm tending my garden, beans and corn,
while Billy would be out on some scout, or fighting the In-
dians back from the settlement. Your grandmother West-
fall and I have spent many lonely days while our husbands
were away, some times for months at a time, that they could
not be at home.
"About five weeks after I joined Billy in his 'tree house,'
two or three of the Cutrights, two Prmgles. and ^mother per-
son came and stopped, and a week or so later seven or eight
more came, and they all took up farms and wenc to building-
stout log houses, in which they would retreat when the In-
dians would come near us, as there were always scouts out
looking for the Indians. Billy had to be out most of his time,
but would come in and bring his furs and pelts, and sell them
so as to keep me plenty to eat and wear; and I could raise
plenty of corn, beans and potatoes for the scouts when they
'vvould come in. Billy and his brother, David, the Pringles
and the Cutrights generally kept in touch with one another so
as to give the alarm in case of danger. Some of them would
run in and give us warning, so we had easier times." It was
the duty of the scouts to warn any post in danger
■'Billy was taken prisoner by the Indians, but soon made
his escape, and things went along tliis way for som.e time,
when the Indians began gathering and concentrating their
forces around Cincinnati. Governor Dunmore and General
Andrew Lewis had command of the Government forces, and
they were called out to meet the Indians, who uere said to
be gathered in. great numbers. Billy, David, and mosi of
the other men vvcnt, leaving us women with a few old and
crippled men to occupy the cabins and care for the stock, but
we knew that the scouts would look after us, so the troops
Avere preparing for a big contest — "
Here a childish voice interrupted with. "Novv^, grandma.
I want you to tell me all about the Battle of the Point." The
grandriia replied, "Well, do you think you can remember
what I tell you? as you are not more than five? However,
I will try. Well, you see, my little sonny, but I will tell you
so HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
what Pringle and Cutriglit told me on the .morning of the
Battle of the Point:
" 'General Lewis had detailed Billy White and John
Cutright to go out and hunt, so as to procure meat for the
troops. After being out a short time, they heard firing at
the camp, and White said, 'John, there's a battle on, let's go
in,' and immediately they started, but when they got inside
of the lines, word reached White that his brother, David,
had been shot, and that he was lying under a certain tree.
They went at once to the tree and found him begging for a
drink of water, and having no canteens, AVhite and three
other men went and carried water to the dying man in their
hats. They had to go between the lines — the two fires as
they termed it, and the pawpaw bushes fell thick all around
them, but they got back in safety. White, taking the cleanest
looking hat in his hand said, 'Here, brother, is water, but
when you drink you will die.' He then took him in his arms,
and held him until he was dead, and laying him down gently,
took up his gun as calmly as if going to do a day's work, and
said, 'Come, John, let us go.' Cutright said he was a little
at a loss to knowf w^hich way to go, as the Indians had
already began to retreat across the creek, but he follo\^■ed,
somewhat cautiously. 'White was watching to get a sliot at
the Indians, and I (Cutright) had just heard him fire, and
had sent one shot across the creek myself, when 1 noticed
three Indians that were attempting to cross the cieek. White
fired and one fell, then another shot from his gun brought
the last one down, and the three went floating down the
creek into the broad Ohio. He turned to me and said, 'I
have had bad luck, John; I've lost three scalps, so let us gr
for more.' And that evening he showed me seventeen scalps
that he had taken with his own hand Avith my knowledge."
" 'The Indians, being scattered a little, we went aroimd
to where we heard some firing, I stopped to get a shot at
one, but he dodged me, and hearing White fire several shots,
I went toward him. He, seeing me, said, 'Come here, and let
me show you how to kill Indians.' There close by a log he
lay upon his back loading his gun. He said, 'Lie down, or
they'll shoot you.' He lay there for some time popping
THE JVESTFALLS AND WHITES Si
one over now and then, that chanced to stick his head above
the log; and cautioning me to beware, that there were still
ip.ore in ambush, h^inally the eneni)' began shooting under
the log, and finding the bullets coming too close, he moved
farther away, but lying flat on the ground a,ll the while, until
he felt confident that the last one was dead. When the In-
dians were all scalped, he declared his intention to mvesti-
gate the firing of a large gun. that he said he believed an In-
dian was behind. So, off he went, and soon I heard no more
of the big gun, but heard several shots in that direction, and
in about an hour I saw him coming with two guns and two
scalps. I said, 'Well, Bill, did you get the gun?' and he
replied, 'Yes, and the hair, too,' holding up the scalps. He
then asked me (John Cutright) what my success had been,
and remarked that they were getting scarce here, only one
here and there that had been detained b}^ a wounded Indian.
VVe then counted our scalps, and he had seventeen, as before
stated, and three got away. By that time the signals were
calling the troops together, and — ' "
Here again the little grandson, who had been an inter-
ested listener, interrupted, saying, "Now, grandma, I have
heard the story of the Battle of the Point (Point Pleasant),
now please tell me of the cowardly murder of my great-
grandfather, William AVhite. that you asked me to avenge;
and. grandma, if you'll tell me the story I'll promise you if
such a chance ever comes, I'll be there."
"W^ell," the grandmother resumed, "I will give you a
sliort history of it: "y\fter WHiite had built the fort at Buck-
hannon, and had been in command of it and the troops for
several years, a man by the name of Potros came into the
fort and said that he had just come from near the mouth of
the Little Kanawha river, and that he had seen signs of
Indians crossing and coming toward the settlement; that he
felt sure they were lurking about in ambush ; and Ihat he
wanted to have his family and household goods removed to
the fort on the next day. W'hite replied that he Avould send
a company of men and wagons to bring them, but the man
said, *Oh! I couldn't trust my family out without your pres-
83 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
ence.' White said, 'Well, be ready, we'll be there in the
morning.'
'■'When they were fixing to start, I said, 'Billy, don't
you go out today, send others. If you do you will be killed.
I dreamed last night that I saw Indians pointing red hot
guns at you. If you do go, Billy, you'll never get back alive.'
But he replied, 'Well, Betty, if I don't go they will say that
I am a coward,' and he thought it only a dream, and he went.
When they reached their destination, all was right, there
were no Indians to be seen. But he, going into the yard,
discovered signs of the enemy there, and mentioned it to the
rest. He said, 'They have been grinding their knives and
tomahawks on the grindstone, and here is the fray of an In-
dian blanket. Let us load up and get away.' After every-
thing was loaded, and the wagons started, the trader or ren-
egade, said, 'White, you and I and the girls will ride over
the trail to the fort. It will not be much more than a mile,
and we'll get there before the wagons.' " Just as the four
reached the top of the hill, the Indians fired on them, and
White was shot through just above the hips ; but did not fall
from his horse, but as he turned down the hill they fired
again, striking him in the back. His horse taking fright,
started to run, and its foot, becoming entangled in the limb
of a fallen tree, it fell throwing the rider, who was noted for
being able to remount. But the Indians ran down the hill.
and scalped him. and were ofif before any defense could be
made.
He was placed in a boat, but he breathed his last just
as the boat reached the fort, and thus ended the life of one
of the most renowned and intrepid leaders of Indian times.
This fatal day was March the 8, in 1781 or '82, and the scene
was near the present site of Buckhannon.
Though the Indians were pursued, they had secreted
their canoes, and made good their escape across the Ohio,
before they could be overtaken.
(Though varied versions of the life and death of Wliite have hereto-
fore been told, this is doubtless the only authentic one. Mr. Westfall
not only possesses a remarkable memory, but he has kept notes throug'h-
out his life, and to these notes and to his memory, we are indebted for
those early reminiscences, he having .«pent several months in writing them
up for us. — Autlior.)
CHAPTER VI
South Fork Settlers—Continued
LARGE number of the original settlers along
this river lost their lands owino- to defective
titles, and when they were laid away, the
families of not a few of them sought homes
in other parts of the country, and new and
permanent setlers took their places. Hence
the large number of early families along this
river.
A man by the name of Purviance, who resided in Balti-
more, had, in Indian times, entered large tracts of land in
this wilderness ; and an individual, claiming to be his repre-
sentative, came here and sold these lands to the early set-
tlers, and, near a score of years afterwards, wdien the right-
ful owner sent his agent did these worthy pioneers learn of
the fraud that had been practiced upon them.
Henry Jackson. — Among the first to arrive after the orig-
inal settlers was Henry Jackson, who came from his native
county — Upshur, in 1830, an.d purchased the slight improve-
ment made by the Belt family at the forks of Hughes river,
of a man by the name of Byrd.
Mr. Jackson was born near Buckhannon in 1813, and
there he was married to Miss Lydia Reger; and from there
he came to this county and settled on the old homestead
where his son Ulysses now lives. Here he spent the re-
mainder of his life, with the exception of a two years' resi-
dence in Mason county, and here he has been sleeping since
1865. His wife rests by his side. He was the father of three
sons and one daughter besides the one above mentioned:
^^rauville died in childhood; Virginia is Mrs. B. F. Alarshall.
-.i HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
and Cisko and Isaac have passed on, leaving families who
occupy their former estates, which lie near the old home.
The Jacksons have an unusually interesting ancestral
history. ' They are of Scotch-Irish origin.
John Jackson, the progenitor of this famil}'^, was born
near Londonderry, in the north of Ireland, near the beginning
of the second-quarter of the eighteenth century, and with
his parents removed to London, England, when he was but
a boy. Here, he grew to manhood, and in 1748, he emigrated
to America and settled in Calvert county, Maryland, where
he was married to Aliss Elizabeth Cummins, of London, who
crossed the water on the same ship with him.
For a time after their marriage, thev resided on the
South branch of the Potomac river, but near the year 1T68,
they removed across the mountains to what is now Upshur
county, A\'est Virginia, and settled at the mouth of Turkey
run — just below^ Jackson's fort, and not far from the present
site of Buckhannon, where they figured prominently in sav-
age warfare.
Mrs. Jackson was a woman of strong mind and of in-
domitable courage, and she, as well as her husband, rendered
most valuable service in times of Indian invasion. Patents
are still in existence, which conveyed lands to her in her own
right.
These hardy pioneers were the parents of five sons and
three daughters whose descendants are a mighty host
throughout the country:
George, Edward, John, Samuel and Henr}-, were ' the
sons : and Elizabeth, Mary and Sophia the daughters — •
Elizabeth was the late Mrs. Abram Brake, and ^lary, the
late Mrs. Philip Reger, of Upshur county; and Sophia mar-
ried Josiah Davis and lived and died at the old home, near
Buckhannon.
George, Edward and John, with their father, were Revo-
lutionary soldiers and noted Indian fighters, their heroic deeds
being recorded on the pages of "Border ^^^arfare."
Near the year 1770, George Jackson settled on the Wtst
Fork river in the vicinity of Clarksburg where he rose to emi-
nence as a statesman, as well as a militarv man.
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 85
Early in the Revolution he was commissioned colonel of
a Virginia regiment, this commission having come direct
from the hand of General Washington ; and after Harrison
count}^ was formed in 1784, he represented his county in the
House of Burgesses at Richmond. He was a member of the
distinguished body that ratified the Constitution of the United
States, in 1789, and he subsequently served several terms in
Congress, being succeeded by his eldest son, John G. Jackson.
George was the grandfather of the late Judge John Jay
Jackson, of Parkersburg ; of the late Governor Jacob B. Jack-
son, and of the late Judge J. Monroe Jackson, they being the
sons of General John G. Jackson, who married the only
daughter of Governor Meggs, of Ohio.
General Jackson was a close friend of President .Madison
and the marriage took place at the White House during the
Madison administration.
Edward Jackson married a ]\Iiss Hadden, of Randolph
county, and his son, Jonathan who married Miss Julia Xea!,
of Parkersburg, was the father of the late renowned "Stone-
wall" Jackson, of Clarksburg.
Henry Jackson.- — And from Plenry Jackson, senior, who
was born, lived and died, near Buckhannon where he sleeps,
the Ritchie county family come. He was the father of twenty-
five children — fourteen of whom were born of his union with
Mary Hire, and eleven of his marriage with Elizabeth Shreve.
The children of the first marriage were: Esther, Permilia
Elizabeth, (Mrs. Plugh Pribble, senior, mother of the Rev.
U. Pribble, of Harrisville; Hugh Pribble of Cisko ; and the
late Mrs. Charles Plarrison), Amanda Melvina (Mrs. Daniel
Pribble), both of this county; William Vandwater. Hire,
Edward, Mariah, Henry, junior, (the Ritchie pioneer), Rachel
Esta (who died in her young womanhood), John Henderson
Brake, Jacob, Ulysses, Mary (who married and went to Cali-
fornia) and Cecelia who became Mrs. Louis Miller and also
went to California.
The children of the second marriage : Decatur, Samuel
Dexter, James Alonzo, Marion Orlando, Melissa (Mrs. James
SC HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Lowe), Roxana. George Washington. Artemeshia (Airs. An-
drew Martinee), Clispo Mero, and Draper Camden Jackson.
The Hostetters. — The Hostetters were among the next
arrivals. They are of German origin. Ulwrick Hostetter
crossed the sea with his family and settled near York, Penn-
sylvania, and from there removed to Rockbridge county,
Virginia, where he spent the remnant of his days, near Lex-
ington. He was an Indian fighter, and with a party cf
scouts, pursued a band of red men from Rockbridge county
to Marietta, Ohio, on one occasion, where he shot one of the
number that Avas across the river from him. On his return,
with the rest of the part}^, he went down to the mouth of
the Little Kanawha, and up this river, and thus, became the
discoverer of the far-famed Burning springs in A\'irt county.
John Hostetter, his son, was born in the Fatherland, and
married Miss Elizabeth Riprogal, of Virginia, a sister of
Mrs. Daniel Ayres, and came to this county in 1832, and
spent the remainder of his life in the Smithville vicinity,
where he and his wife sleep. He served as captain in the
w^ar of 1812 ; and was the head of a family of four sons and
three daughters :
David, Andrew, John, jvmior, and Jacob, the last two
being twins ; Sallie, the eldest daughter became Mrs. Ford of
V^irginia, and went to Jamestown, Ohio where she died :
Mary became Mrs. Welhellam, and remained in Rockbridge
county; and Elizabeth married Alexander Glover and came
to this county.
John R. Hostetter married Miss Louisa Webb, daughter
of Benjamin Webb, and lived and died in the Smithville
Note. — This family are cloubtle.ss, connected to the late PresldenL An-
drew Jackson, of Tennessee; for when George Jack'^on was in Congress he
formed a friendship with Andrew Jackson and they were able to trace
their ancestry to the same parish in Londonderry, although they were
unable to positively establish the connection; but similar characteristics
and other circumstances almost establish the fact beyond cavil.
To I?-aac Newton Brake of Buckhannon who is a first cousin of
"Stonewall" Jackson, and a second, of Henry Jackson, junior, we are in-
debted for the greater part of this valuable sketch. And while there ib
a little disagreement on the names in this record, as some cannot recall
the names of Esther and Mariah and add that of Cecelia Miller to the
children of the first union of Henry Jackson, senior, it is quite likely
that these two died in cliildhood. For Mr. Brake asserts that this gentle-
man was the father of twenty-five children, and if John Henderson Brake
is meant for two sons (we were unable to tell) doubtless Cecelia belongs
to the last family as one name is missing 'nere.
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED S?
vicinity. He was the fallier of Mrs. Martha (Martin) Smith,
Mrs. Minerva Parl<er, and of the late Mrs. Elizabeth (Alvus)
Smith, of Smithville.
David married Miss Cathrine Fisher, of Rockbridge
county, and came to this county at an early day and spent
the remainder of his life. His children were — -Mrs. VV. A.
Valentine, Goff's ; Mrs. Mary A. Leason, Pennsboro ; Mrs.
V'erna Thorne, Buckhannon ; the late Mrs. Martha Smith, of
the West; Davidson, of Smithville; and Elizabeth, who died
in youth.
Alexander Glover and Miss Elizabeth Hostetter were
married in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1833, and three
years later, they came to this county, and settled on
the Glover homestead, above Smithville, where they re-
mained until they were borne to the Smithville ceme-
tery. He was a carpenter by trade and was one of the earliest
in the county. He was the constructor of the firsi jail build-
ing at Harrisville. Mrs. Glover survived him by many years,
and the old home is still owned by tlie heirs, though now in
the hands of tenants: They were the parents of nine sons
and one daughter, who died in childhood: John, the eldest
son never married, and in the Smithville cemetery he was
laid at a ripe old age. Jacob, and Taylor, also slumber here.
Williams, sleeps in Arkansas, where his family reside; Robert
lives at Clarksburg; Asa, at Fairmont; Charles, at Spencer;
Samuel is unmarried ; and Dr. J. R. at Morgantown.
Jacob, William, and Robert were soldiers of the Civil
war.
Samuel Hyman was another early settler from Rock-
bridge county, Virginia. Here he was born on Novem-
ber 12, 1812, and he came to this county in his early man-
hood, and married Miss Elizabeth Webb, daughter of Benja-
min Webb, and settled on the Hyman homestead, below
Smithville, which is still owned by hi? heirs.
He was a blacksmith by trade and a noted hunter. He
died on April 6, 1904, at the home of his daughter, Mrs,
Martha Holt, near Morgantown ,and was laid at rest in the
Webb cemetery by the side of his wife.
88 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
The children of this family were as follows : Mrs.
Minerva, late wife of John P. Kennedy, of Smithville ; Mrs.
Mary Roberts, Mrs. Martha Holt, wife of the late William
Holt, of Morgantown ; Hattie died in youth ; Benjamin, in the
Civil war ; and John resides near Smithville.
Mr. Hyman was the son of Hyman and Mrs.
Rachel Hostetter Hyman — his mother being the sister of
John Hostetter, senior. Both his parents sleep in Virginia.
His mother was married a second time to Aldridge Evans, of
Rockbridge county, and they were the parents of the late A.
J. Evans, of the Cross-roads ; J. M. of Lamb's run ; Mrs. Mar-
garet (Morgan) Rexroad, Mrs. Martha Mitchell, and Eliza-
beth, who died single. After the death of the mother all the
rest of the family came to this county, and here they sleep.
The father lies on the McNeill homestead where most of the
other members of the family rest.
The Ayreses. — The year 1836 brought Daniel A3a-es with
his family, which incliKJed his parents, his sister, Mrs. Polly
Campbell, and his son-in-law, Henry Webb, from Rockbridge
county. Virginia to the McNeill homestead. They started
on their long and perilous journey over the Allegheny mount-
ains in November in three large covered wagons with their
household efit'ects, driving their cows before them, and not
imtil the first- week in Januar}^ after seven weeks of suffer-
ing and hardships, did they reach their destination.
Mr. Ayres had purchased two hundred acres of land here
of the Purviance survey with a small improvement upon it —
a two-roomed log house and a few acres of cleared land. The
location which is to-day a most beautiful one with its mod-
ern conveniences and improvements, is said to have been a
picturesque one at that time in its sylvan beauty with its his-
toric surroundings.
The river had, in prc-historic times, evidently formed a
bend entirely round the farm, but had changed its course at
a later period ; and at the time of the coming of Mr. Ayres.
the channel had filled up, making a beautiful level bottom,
though the ancient river bed was still "visible and interest-
ing." A mound supposed to contain relics of an unknown
and pre-historic race was another feature of special interest
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 89
on this farm, and but a few hundred yards from the house
were the ruins of an ancient fortification — an excavation of
several feet having been made and the earth thrown up into
an embankment. Flints, darts and arrow heads were found
in large numbers about the ground — serving as silent re-
minders that this had once been the "happy hunting-ground
of a vanished race" whose history, however interesting, will
never be known.
Mr. Ayres was of Irish lineage. His grandfather, Daniel
Ayres came from Ireland and settled on the Susquehannah
river in Pennsylvania, where Daniel Ayres, junior, (father of
Daniel of the McNeill homestead) we.s born in 1745.
In 1773. Daniel Ayres, junior, was married to Miss Ellen
McGee, who was born in Baltimore of Irish parentage in 1745,
and from this city, they went to Rockbridge county, Virginia,
where they established their home and reared a family, which
were as follows :
lohn, the pioneer school-teacher of this county ; Charles,
Lewis, Mrs. Polly (VVm.) Campbell, and Daniel (IH) who
was the youngest son, and the head of the Ritchie county
family.
Daniel and Ellen McGee Ayres came to this county with
their son, as already mentioned, and on the McNeill home-
stead they lie in their last sleep. He died at the age of ninety-
seven, and she, at the age of ninety-five.
Daniel Ayres (III) was born in 1789, and he was married
to Miss Hannah Riprogal, who was born of German parentage
in Virginia, in 1787.
Mr. Ayres served as captain in the war of 1812, and while
at Norfolk in 1814 where he had been ordered with his com-
pany to assist in the defense of the city, he was stricken with
yellow fever and when able to be out again, after spending
sixteen weeks in the hospital, the enemy's vessels were still
hovering about the city in a threatening manner, though no
attack was made.
He served as justice of the peace almost throughout his
residence here, and was one of the chief factors in the organ-
ization of the county, in 1843 — a short time before his death.
;"• mSTORV OF RITCHIE COUXTY
whicli was clue to typhoid fever. He and his wife both died
oi this malady near the same time, and side by side they He
at rest on the JNIcNeill homestead. Their children were nine
in number ; viz., Jackson died in early manhood, and one in
infancy. Margaret married Henry Webb and went to Mis-
souri where she rests. Ellen was the wife of John Starr, Eliza,
of James Starr; Sarah, of Dr. Wm. R. Lowther ; and the late
John B.
John B. Ayres, the 3roung-est son of this family, abo\'e
mentioned was long" prominently known in this county. He
was born in the Old Dominion almost within the shadow of
historic old Lexington, and not far from the Natural bridge,
in 1831, and was a child of but five summers when his parents
came to the McNeill homestead. Six years later they both-
passed on, and he being thrown upon the world, bound him-
self to J. J. Vandivort, the Harrisville saddler and harness-
maker, in 1847, and worked as an apprentice in his shop for
the next fotir one-half years. He was then a journeyman
saddler, and merchant for several years, before settling down
to his trade at Harrisville, in 1870, where he remained until
19'>3, when his declining health prompted him to seek a
change of climate, which he found in Colorado, after visiting
Zion City, the far-famed domain of the late Alexander Dowie,
for a brief time. After a short stay in the West, he then re-
sided near Washington City, and at Grafton for a time before
going to Spencer in Roane county. He died at his home at
Sapulpa, Oklahoma, in November, 1910, and there his remains
were interred.
He married Miss Anna Hall daughter of llannibal Hall,
who was twenty-three years his junior, and the two sons.
Edgar and Charles, born of this union both died in infancy.
The Princes. — The name Prince became identified with
the Webb's mill vicinity, in the year 1850, when the late John
H. Prince married Miss Drusilla Webb, daughter of Benja-
min Webb, and became the partner of his father-in-law in the
mill and the mercantile business. The store was destroyed
in I860, by the Jones' raid, but he remained in connection
with the mill luitil his death, near 1877. He sleeps by his
wife in the Webb's cemetery. He was born in 1815; and was
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 91
the father of three sons and two daughters : B. F. Prince,
Cantwell ; and John Willian, and Robert J., who with their
sister, Mrs. Anna E. M. (John P.) Kennedy, have passed on:
and Mrs. Martha Frances (E. S.)Byrd, is of Wood county.
Captain AVilliam Prince came from Prince William coun-
ty, Virginia, and settled near Claysville in Wood county at
an early day. Fie was born on August the 31, 17TJ:, and died
on September 4, 1825.
He married Miss Frances Groves, and was the father of
Elizabeth Prince, who married David Sleeth, the founder of
Smithville; of William R., Mary A., Robert K., Nancy J.,
John H., Benjamin G.. and Frances, J. G. Prince. John Fl.
and Mrs. Sleeth were the two that were identified here. After
the death of Captain William Prince his widow was married
to Mr. Vandiver, of Wood county, and the late James V. B.
and Jerome A. Vandiver. of Louisville, Kentucky were the
fruits of this union.
The Tinglers.— The year 1836, brought Henry Tingler
and his wife, Mrs. Mary Phryne Tingler from their native
county — Harrison, to the B. H. Wilson homestead, which for
long years after his death was known as the ''Tingler farm."
Mr. Tingler remained in this part of the county until his
death, and on the E. R. Tibbs' farm, beside his companions,
he found a resting place. After his first wife, passed on, he
married Miss Jane Campbell, and on Indian creek, spent his
last hours.
He was the father of ten children, all by his first mar-
riage except one son, Thomas, who lived in some other pare
of the country.
The children of his first union were as follows : Granville,
Cebart, John, the late Mrs. Tabitha (Daniel) Ayres, the late
Mrs. Elizabeth (Wm.) Collins, Mrs. Matilda (Washington)
Elliott, Mrs. Julia Westfall— mother of W'. H. Westfall, of
Flarrisville ; Mrs. John Ayres, of Long Run ; and Mrs. Rosetta
Prunty Martin Gardner Schoolcraft.
John married Miss Eveline Marlm and was the father of
Peyton Tingler and of Mrs. Safronia Propts Tibbs, of Lamb's
92 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
run. He was a L nion soldier during the war, as was Gran-
ville, but he died in the Saulsbury prison in North Carolina.
Cebart, who resides on Macfarlan was a Confederate sol-
dier.
Granville married Miss Mahala Schoolcraft, daughter of
Aaron Schoolcraft, and was the pioneer on tlie farm where
he still resides, on Dry run near Juna. He is the father of :
Morgan, of Eva ; Aaron, Mrs. John Flemming, Mrs.
Thamer Newlon, and Miss Addie Tingler, and the late Mrs.
Samantha M. (R. W.) Goff, all of Juna.
A. P. Hardman. — Asbury Poole Hardman was the first
CO mark the forest on the Osbourne farm east of Hardman
chapelf He was born on the old homestead that is now his
estate, on January 18, 1827 ; and shortly after his marriage to
Miss Thankful Ann Gofif, daughter of Thomas Goff, in 1850,
began to carve out his fortune on the Osbourne farm. He
inherited the faith of his fore-fathers, and was long a pillar in
the church at Hardman chapel. He died on July 30, 1903 on
the sixth anniversary of the death of his wife, having spent
his entire life within the bounds of the community where he
was born ; and in the churchyard at Hardman chapel, by the
side of his wife, he sleeps.
He was the father of thirteen children : His sons, Jehu
R., Charles F., James H., and his daughters, Mrs. Nora Hen-
dershot, and Mrs. Louella Carder Sutherland, all reside in the
West; and Mrs. Paulina Smith, Misses Verna and Vedella A.,
all rest there; T. A. and A. K. are of Fonsoville ; and A. L.,
of Burnt House; the other two died in childhood.
The Osbournes. — John Osbourne, senior, was the second
owner of the Osbourne farm which is now the home of his
grandson, M. R. Osbourne.
Mr. Osbourne came from the "Buckeye State" to this
vicinity more than sixty years ago, and purchased what is
now the A. P. Hardman, the A. K. Hardman, the Otis Mc-
Neill and the Cumberledge farms. (He also owned what is
now the Lowther homestead) ; and some years later he and
]\Ir. Hardman traded farms, and by this exchange they each
obtained permanent homes; for here they remained until they
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 'Jlj
were borne to their final resting places. It will be remem-
bered that the late Rev. James Hardman, father of A. P., had
owned and lost the A. P. Plardman homestead owing to a de-
fective title before the coming of the Osbournes.
The Osbournes are of English descent. John Osbourne,
senior, was a soldier of the war of 1812 ; he served under a cap-
tain by the name of Christopher Columbus, and was in the
engagement at Bladensburg. He was a bricklayer by trade,
and was one of the number that helped to lay the first wing
of the Capitol building" at Washington City ; and the old
trowel that he used in this historic M'ork, is now a cherished
possession of his grandson, M. R. Osbourne.
He was three times married, but the name of his first
wife is missing. The second, however, was Miss Sarah Bald-
win, of Washington city, who died at their home in Knox
county, Ohio, in August, 1849 ; and the third was Mrs.
Augusta Henry Welsh, of New York, who was the mother of
one daughter, Carrie Osbourne, the late wife of j. R. Hard-
man, of Missouri.
Mr. Osbourne died on February 11, 1871, and filled the
first grave in the Hardman chapel churchyard ; and after his
death, bis widow married the late Rev. Eli Riddel, of Riddel's
chapel, and there she sleeps.
The sons of the first marriage — Frank and Daniel went to
Kansas where their descendants live.
The children of the second marriage were as follows :
The late J. William, and Addison, of Hardman chapel
vicinity; Mrs. Kathrine (Levi) Kirkpatrick, of Slab creek; the
late Mrs. Matilda Welsh, and Joshua, Iowa ; the late Mabray,
Kansas ; Marion, who lost his life In the Union cause ; and
James, who died shortly after his marriage, to Miss Hila Cun-
ningham, the late Mrs. John Modisette, sleep on the A. P.
Hardman homestead. Mary became the wife of Perry Cun-
ningham, and was the mother of Mrs. Phebe Foster, of Penns-
boro ; Addison, who was the father of J. M., of Parkersburg;
and Joshua, and Mabray, were also Union soldiers.
James S. Hardman, brother of A. P., succeeded his father
on the old homestead west of Hardman chapel, where his son,
Sherman Hardman, now resides. He was born on October
94 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
31, 1829; and near the year 1856, he was married to Miss Hila
Ann Gofif, daughter of George Goft", who was born on May
5, 1836, and at the old home above mentioned he Hved and
died.
The -same old hills that were resonant with the funeral
notes of the bell when he was borne to his final resting place
in the Hardman churchyard, on June 21, 1900, reverberated
the first sound that fell from his childish lips seventy years
before. For here he was born : here Nature smiled upon him
in youth, and in the pride of manhood, and looked on in sym-
pathetic silence when the mantle of sorrow fell heavily upon
him in "manhood's middle day," and from here he passed into
the presence of the great King.
He was a soldier of the Union army, an exhorter and a
pillar in the Methodist Episcopal church.
On March 9, 1879, the wife of his youth bade adieu to
earth, and a little later he was married to 3iliss Elizabeth
Frederick, daughter of Joseph Frederick, who only survived
the nuptial hour by twelve weeks. Fie then married Aliss
Edmonia Rogers, daughter of John B. Rogers, who died after
a few brief years, leaving two little sons, Sherman, and Creed,
who died at the age of four years. Mrs. Sarah Jane Galloway
Flesher widow of Asa Flesher was the next wife, and Mrs.
Ruama Starcher Northcraft, widow of the Rev. Richard
Northcraft is the surviving one. His first wife, only, sleeps
by his side.
The children of the first union are as follows: F. C., G.
C., Fremont, Sheridan, T. E., Mrs. Safronia Dailey, the late
Ulysses, and Rosa A., and one that died in infancy.
The Tibbses. — The Tibbses, too have have been identi-
fied with this part of the county for more than sixty years,
and their ancestral history is one of exceptional interest.
Their antecessor, whose first name is wanting, came from Ire-
land, some time during the last half of the eighteenth century,
and settled in the Virginia colon}-, where his son, James
Tibbs was born ; and where he was married to a Miss Wor-
Icy. On the morning following the marriage, Jarnes with his
bride, set out for what is now IMonongalia county. West Vir-
ginia, where he made a pioneer settlement, a little west of
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 95
Morgantown, not long after the close of the Revolution. He
was, perhaps, a soldier of this war, and was a captain in the
war of 1812, being present with his company at the seige of
Fort Meiggs.
Here, near Morgantown. his first wife died, and he mar-
ried Miss Jennie Morgan, sister of the renowned Indian
fighters. David, Levi, and James Morgan.^
Mr. Tibbs was a slave owner, and at one time he was the
possessor of twenty slaves, half of which were the heritage
of his wife ; but sixteen of this number in a body managed to
make their escape across the Pennsylvania line. He spent his
last days in Monongalia county where he sleeps.
He was the father of three sons b}^ the first marriage:
Joseph was a soldier under General Harrison, and fell at the
battle of Big Bend in Indiana. John was also killed in Indian
warfare ; and Robert was tlie remaining son.
Robert Tibbs married Miss Castilla Burris, of Monon-
galia county, a cousin of the late Waitman T. Willey,
of Morgantown, and came to this county in 1848, and
settled on the Hatfield farm at Gofif's, where Mrs. llbbs
was laid to rest in 1852 ; and from there, he removed
to the farm that is now the home of his son, E. R. Tibbs. He
figured in the early afl:'airs of the county as justice of the
peace — an office which he held for many years. He died in
1876, while on a visit with his sons in the West, he being past
eighty years of age at the time of his death ; and in the Snow
Hill cemetery in Missouri, his ashes lie. He was the father of
seven sons :
Boaz B. Tibbs, the eldest son. was graduated from Ihe
Virginia Military Institute, at Lexington with high honors —
the title of Colonel being conferred upon him by this institu-
tion. He was a member of the order of Freemasons, and held
the highest ofihce in this brotherhood in the State, at the time
'David Morgan is said to liave slvinned and dre-sed the liide of one
of the Indians that lie killed. However, the writer has a stereopticon
picture of the monument that the descendants of David Morgan erected
to his memory, a few years since, on the site where his most famous
combat with the red-skins occurred. Tlie shot-pouch, saddle-skirt, etc.
made from the skin of the Indian were on exhibition at the unveiling of
the monument, which stands, just across the river from the little villajre
of Catawba in Marion county, on the Morgan estate. The knife with
which the Indian was killed is still in the hands of the Morgan descend-
ants, who own a large estate near Catawba.
i'U HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
of his death, in ]853. He resided near Fairmont at this tnne.
and his remains were placed in a metalHc casket, and covered
with alcohol, and buried in the ground, at Fairmont; but
some years after they were dis-interred and removed to a vault,
at the mouth of Indian run, near six miles below Fairmont,
on land belonging to his heirs; and long after their removaal.
the features are said to have presented a perfectly natural ap-
pearance, so well had they been preserved b}^ the alcohol.
John, the second son, went to Missouri, where he sleeps.
He was a soldier, and a non-commissioned ofificer of the Civil
war.
Eugene, who Avas an early deputy sheriff of this county,
resides in South Dakota. He was commissioned as captain
in the secret service of the Southern Confederacy, but the war
came to a close before he was called into active service.
William went to Missouri, and there enlisted in the Union
cause, and rose to the rank of captain. He now resides in the
Virginia colony in Texas.
Francis M., who was a Confederate soldier resides at
Paris, Missouri ; T. D.. and E. R. Tibbs, are of this part of the
county. The latter was a non-commissioned officer of the
Union army.
Other pioneers along this river, whose names belong to
our history were John W. Mitchell, John W'ass and Jeremiah
Snodgrass.
John W. Mitchell made his settlement at Pleasant hill.
He and his wife, Mrs. Leanna Haddox Mitchell, were both
natives of Barbour county; and shortly after their marriage
in 1835, they came to this county and settled in a pole cabin
at the mouth of Bone creek, on the farm that was later desig-
nated as the "'Butcher farm" — now owned by the heirs of the
late Alex Pru.nty ; and from here, they removed to the farm
that is now the estate of the late Joseph Haddox — Mrs."
Mitchell's brother, and thus became the first citizens of the
forest at Pleasant hill. They afterwards resided at different
points in the county, but both sleep in the "Old Pleasant hill"
cemetery. Mrs. Mitchell died at Eva in 1892, and he, at
Pennsboro in January 1898, at the age of eighty-three years.
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 97
These venerable people were the parents of twelve
children, two of whom died in infancy, and one, Jerome, at
the age of four years.
Few parents have been called upon to mourn more deep-
ly. Their daughters Xancy (Mrs. Reilly Mason), Mrs. Sarah
(C. F.) Beall, Mrs. Mary (Phonso) Welsh, Mrs. Huldali
(Charles) Zickafoose, all died of consumption ; and the three
sons that reached the years of maturity — -B. F., Marion and J.
Marshall, all met tragic deaths; Mrs. Kathrine (Lemuel) Wil-
son, of Smithville ; and Tabitha, who first married Jonathan
Baker, but is now Mrs. Eber Mason, of Pennsboro, alone sur-
vive.
The three sons were all soldiers of the Union army, and
Marion was injured by the bursting of a shell, while in battle,
which resulted in his being an invalid for the remaining" six
years of his life.
J. Marshall was brutally murdered in Somerset county,
Pennsylvania, the body being dragged near a mile and a quar-
tei from the scene of the tragedy, and placed upon the rail-
road track, where it was dreadfully mutilated by the train.
It was thought that a jealous rival, assisted by tl;e father ot
the girl in question, was the perpetrator of the crime, but no
one was ever brought to justice. The remains were sent
home and laid away at Pleasant hill, but the broken-hearted
loved ones were not permitted to take a last look.
Banjamin Franklin Mitchell met liis death by drowning.
While piloting a raft down the river, he was overtaken by a
\'iolent storm, and, in the darkness, he was lost. The tragedy
occurred in October, 1884, and though every efifort was made
to find the body, it lay concealed in its watery hiding place,
just above the forks of Hughes river, for nine months : being
accidentally discovered at Jast, by u citizen of the vicinity,
who having missed his aim at a hawk, turned his attention
to the fish in the water. The features were beyond recogni-
tion, but he was identified by his watch, in which his name
was engraved, and b}^ letters that were found upon his per-
son, llie remains were taken to the Kendall burying-ground
for interment; and as the dear old mother, sorrowfully bent
over the casket unable to look within, she spoke of the other
98 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY-
son that had been sent home in a Hke manner — that she could
not see, and she sadly exclaimed and, '"This is no better!"
B. F. Mitchell was at one time sheriff of this county, and
he was the only son of the family that left issue. He was
married to Miss Sarah Cathrine Kendall, daughter of Ransom
Kendall in 1867, and was the father of S. H. Mitchell, editor
of the Kanawha News of Elizabeth, Wirt county ; of B. F.
Mitchell, who is employed in "The Youth's Copmanion" office
at Boston ; of Roy. and Miss Agnes, of Pullman ; Mrs. Ella
Riddel, and Mrs. Daisy Reynolds, of Harrison county. His
widow is now Mrs. FI. B. Mason, of Pullman.
John Wass settled on the farm that is known as the
Harrison AA'ass homestead, above Goff's — now the home of
Peter Wass, where Cornelius Wyers had made a slight ini-
provement. He was the son of George Wass, an Englishman,
wdic came across the sea and settled in Somerset county, Penn-
sylvania, where he (John) was born, and where he was mar-
ried to Aliss Barbara Boyers, a German maiden. In the spring
of 184:1. he and his wife with their several children, came from
near Petersburg, to the "Wass homestead," where they re-
mained until they were laid in the Pleasant hill cemetery. Mr.
Wass met his death at the hand of an assassin in July, 1863,
while on his way home from Harrisville. He was taken back to
that place, where he died from the eft'ects of the bullet wound
a few hours later, but not until he had made a statement con-
cerning the tragedy.
He was the father of ten children ; all of whom reared
families of their own save one son, who died in childhood.
Mrs. Lucinda (Eugene) Barker, and Mrs. Mahala (R. H.)
Rogers, are now numbered with the dead, but the rest survive.
Mrs. Elizabeth (H. B.) Tharpe. resides near Holbrook; Mrs.
Amanda (Ebeneezer) Tharp, near Auburn: Mrs. Sarah
(Joseph) Haddox, Berea ; Mrs. Larue (E. R.) Tibbs, and
William, at Goff's; Mrs. Luvina (J. R.) Westfall, at Smith-
ville : and Harrison Wass, at Harrisville.
Jeremiah Snodgrass took up his residence below Berea.
where his daughter, Mrs. John Colgate, now lives. He and
his wife, Mrs. Euphamy Clayton Snodgrass, came from
Marion county in 1845, and redeemed this farm from its primi-
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 99
tive wilderness. Here, they passed from earth — he, in 1880,
and she, four years later, and side by side they slumber in the
Old Pleasant hill burying-ground. He was the son of Frank-
lin and Rachel Burr Snodgrass, and was the father of thirteen
children :
B. F., and Jeremiah, Harrisville; Ezekiel, of Marion
county; the Rev. Elisha, of Auburn, Mrs. Nancy (Greenbury)
Hammond, Berea ; Mrs. Isabel (Thomas) Baker, of Hale,
Missouri ; and Mrs. Rachel Wagner, of Newberne, are all
numbered with the dead. E. C, resides at Smithville; John,
ai Harrisville , Mrs. Sarah Colgate, at Berea ; Mrs. Elizabeth
(Thomas) Prather, at Mt. Zion; David L., in Marion county;
and W. C, in Florida.
This pioneer was the grandfather of the distinguished
pulpit orator, the Rev. Winfield C. Snodgrass, of the Methodisl
Episcopal conference of New Jersey, who, while on a tour in
Europe, some years ago, was accorded the honor of an invita-
tion to fill Spurgeon's pulpit. He is the son of the Rev. Elisha
and Mrs. Mary Cox Snodgrass, and near Auburn he first saw
the light, on December 37, 1849. He began his ministerial
career as a member of the West Virginia conference, and
from here went to the Kansas conference, where he remained
for some years, before going to New Jersey, where he has
added new laurels to his brow. *
The Rev. Hall Snodgrass, who is now serving a Baptist
church in Oklahoma ; and the Rev. McClellan Snodgrass of
the New York M. E. conference are also grandsons of this
pioneer.
William Snodgrass. — William .Snodgrass, an uncle of
Jeremiah, was the first one of the name to come to Ritchie
county. He was a native of Pennsylvania and a soldier of
the war of 1813. In 1807, he was married to Miss Nancy King,
who passed on in 1834, from their home in Marion county,
leaving eight children to his care. Two years later, he was
again married to Miss Mary Pritchard — half-sister of Peter
Pritchard, and in 1841 he came to this county, and penetrated
the unbroken forest on Turtle run — a small tributary of the
South fork — above Berea, and reared the first cabin on the
farm that is now the home of his youngest son, T. C. Snod-
t: «) <k n f /'
100 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
grass ; and here he died in 1879, at the age of ninety-six years,
and at W^liite Oak, he sleeps.
The children of his first marriage were : John Wesley
Snodgrass, who died in Iowa, a few years ago. at the age of
ninet3^-one years — having been a minister of the Methodist
Episcopal church for seventy-three years ; Mrs. Frances
(Nicholas) Baker, and Mrs. Alartha (Elijah) A'lorgan, who
sleep in Marion county; Mrs. Naoma (Davis) Meredith, late
of T3der county; Mrs. Nancy Pierce, Mrs. Comfort Ewins,
and Airs. Isabel (Jared) Hawkins, of Ohio ; and Sarah, who
married Solomon Hawkins and lived and died in this county.
The children of the second marriage were five in number
and were as follows: W. F., who rests in Kansas; B. F., in
the State of Washington; Eliza, who died in infancy; Mrs.
Margaret A., who married George Carder and lives in Ohio :
and T. C. Snodgrass, who lives at the old homestead. Mrs.
Snodgrass died at the home of her daughter in Ohio, and
there she sleeps.
The Snodgrasses are of Irish origin. Three brothers.
W'illiam, James, and Michael Snodgrass, came from Ireland
and settled in W'^ashington county, Pennsylvania. Michael
wandered away, and was never heard from again, and W^illian-.
and James removed to Monongalia — now Marion — county
{\\.) Virginia, in 1787; and three years later James met a
tragic death at the hands of the Indians, on Fishing creek in
W'etzel county, while in quest of his horse that he had lost
while on a bufifalo chase. His remains were afterwards found
and buried, but not until the flesh had been torn from the
bones by the fangs of wolves.
William married Miss Kathrine Yost,^ a German maiden,
ar.d from his sons. William, junior. Isaac, and Franklin, the
Ritchie county Snodgrasses are descended.
Isaac was the father of the lace ]\Irs. John Parker, of
Nathan, who went W est, and of Elias Snodgrass, who died in
Doddridge county.
John Harris. — John Harris was another worthy pioneer
of Tin"tle run. He was born in Flarrison county, on January
25, 1814, and there in 1838, he was married to Miss Dorinda
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTLXUED 101
Coburn, who died a few years later, leaving one son, Geary
Harris, who is now a citizen of Harrison count3^ He then
married Miss Elizabeth Pritchard, sister of Peter Pritchard,
who was born on February 20, 1812, and in 1846, when Tur-
tle run was almost a wilderness they came to this county and
settled on the farm that is now the home of their son, A. F.
Harris. Flere they passed from earth — she, on March 25,
1876, and he, on March 23, 1904. Both sleep at White Oak.
He reached the venerable age of ninety years, and was revered
by all who knew him, as was his companion.
Their children were : Eliza J., who died in youth ; George
W., of Harrison county; the late Mrs. Martha (H. C.) Cox,
and Mrs. Millie F. (G. W.) Hayhurst, and Alpheus F. Harris,
Pullman; and the late Mrs. Nancy Rebecca (Wesley) McCor-
mick, of Tyler county.
Jacob Ehret. — The Ehrets were, also, early peoplf^ on this
stream. Jacob Ehret, senior, came from his native land — Ger-
many, in 1810, when his son, Jacob, junior, was but a child of
six summers, and settled at Philadelphia. Jacob, junior, niar-
ried Miss Joanna Seizer, a German lassie, of the Keystone
state, and near the year 1845, they migrated to West Virginia
and settled in Doddridge county, for a few months, before coni-
ing to Hughes' river, where they sojourned, for a time on land
now owned by G. M. Ireland; and from there they removed
to Turtle run, where they remained until they were laid in
the Pine Grove cemetery, at P>erea. They were the parents
of the late William Ehret, Mrs. Hannah Bee, Mrs. Mary John-
son, and John Ehret, all of this county ; and of Mrs. Cathriue
Bee, of Massachusetts.
Benjamin Prather was born in Washington county, Mary-
land, in 1798, and there he was married in ISilO, to Miss
Cathrine Dick, who was born in 1800, and. in the year 1845,
they joined the little colony on Turtle run, and here they
remained until they were borne to the Pullman cemetery.
They were the parents of James Prather, of Spruce creek :
Thomas, of Slab creek; the late Jacob Prather, and Mrs. Frank
Snodgrass, and Mrs. John Snodgrass.
CHAPTER VII
South Fork Settlers—Continued
RESTON ZINN, brother of Maniy, was the
first settler at Berea, on the Ezekiel Bee
farm. He, with his wife, Mrs. Nancy Rogers
Zinn, came from Preston county, in 1849.
and erected his cabin almost on the very site
that is now marked by the residence of Min-
ter Fox ; and from here he removed to the
J. E. Meathrell farm, where he came to his death by the '"kick"
of a plow.
After he was laid away in the Pine Grove cemetery, his
family went to Illinois and there, and in California, they now
reside.
His children were ten in number; viz., Mrs. Elizabeth
Kuhn, the late Mrs. Angelina (David ) Clayton, the late Mrs.
Adaline (Ishmael) Clayton, Thomas, Ginevera, Perdilla, Biba,
Elendar, Phedora, and Ruth but several of the last ones named
died in childhood.
Thomas D. Pritchard, also came to Berea this same
year — 1849 — and erected his dwelling where the J. M. Mere-
dith residence . now stands — (formerly the Job Meredith);
and, from here, he removed to Slab creek— to the farm that his
son, T. T. Pritchard recently sold to Samuel Haddox. Here he
continued to reside until a short time before his death, when
he went to Lewis county, and there, at Gaston, he lies at rest.
He was born in Monongalia county, on February 25,
1818. and was the son of Thomas, ^enior. and Mary Moody
Pritchard. On February 11, 1843, he was married to Miss
Mary Lowther, daughter of Major Elias Lowther and sister
of Jonathan Lowther, of Berea, and six children were the re-
sult of this union: Rebecca, Silas and Mary died in child-
hood, and beside their mother they rest on the old homestead
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 103
on Slab creek. T. T. resides at Hyattsville, Wyoming; Elias
R., in Roane county ; and Jerusha, at .
Alexander Ireland. — Near the year 1818, Alexander Ire-
land, senior, with his family came from the vicinity of
Clarksburg- and settled just above the mouth of Otterslide,
on the farm that was formerly designated as the "Joshua
Davis" — now a part of the Flannagan, homestead. Here he
remained until some time in the early thirties when he re-
moved to Tyler county, where he passed from earth on July
18, 1843, at the age of seventy-one years.
Mr. Ireland was a native of Maryland, and with his
father, William Ireland, who was, also, a Maryland product,
migrated to Harrison county in his boyhood. Little else is
known of his early family ties other than that he had one
half-sister, who became A-Irs. Sheets, and that his father died
near Clarksburg.
His wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Ragan Ireland, was of German
lineage — the daughter of a Revolutionary soldier. She was
born at West Milford in 1771, and died at her home in Tyler
county, on September 7, 1855, at the age of eighty-four years.
They were the parents of the following named sons and
daughters whose posterity are scattered throughout the
Union :
John, Jacob, Thomas, Jonathan, Jesse, Alexander,-
William, Mary. Eliza, Sarah, Margaret, and Priscilla Ireland.
All of whom have passed on leaving families except Jacob,
who married Miss Martha Wells and died childless, at his
home in Tyler county.
John first married Miss Agnes Maxwell, and his second
wife was Miss Amy Joseph. Mary became Mrs. Robert Doak,
and Eliza married Alexander Doak, and all lived and died in
Tyler county, where many of their descendants reside.
Thomas and Sarah, who was the wife of Alexander Low-
ther, of Oxford, lived and died in Ritchie county. (See other
chapters).
Jonathan (niarried Jane Rose), Jesse (Sarah Wells), Alex-
ander .(Sarah Bond), William ( ), Margaret (Thomas
Bond), and Priscilla (William Wells), and all went West.
104 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
The Ireland ancestral line is not traceable to the land be-
yond the sea, as are many of the other pioneer lineages, but
a very interesting- legend as to the origin of this family in
America has been handed down by tradition for generations;
and although its authenticity cannot be verified, it is given
credence by some and will, doubtless, add interest here:
A lad whose parents had evidently been "lost on the
deep," and whose name and history \v'cre unknov^-n. grew up
on board a ship at sea, and, as his appearance suggested the
Irish nationality, he was called "Ireland" for the want of a
better name.
On one occasion, when this lad had reached manhood's
estate, the vessel which had so long been his home la}^ at
anchor in a harbor on the eastern coast of the Ignited States,
and he decided, for the first time, to venture on shore, and
being so delighted with the land, could not be induced to re-
turn to the ship, and thus America became the home of his
adoption. He married and from him Alexander Ireland is said
to have been descended.
Circumstances point to the fact that this family are con-
nected to other families of the name in the United States who
can trace their ancestry to the land across the water, but this
connection has not been made clear, however. And this lit-
tle tradition still retains its former Aveight and interest.
Dr. William R. Lowther. — The late Dr. \\'illiam R. Low-
ther was the first settler at the mouth of Turtle run, on the
farm that is now owned by Edward J. Lowther.
He was born near West Milford, in Harrison county, in
1809, and with his wife, Airs. Saiah Randall Lowther, of Ohio,
came here in 1838. Here Mrs. Lowther and their infant child
passed away ; and some time after, he married jNIiss Sarali
Ann Ay res, daughter of Daniel Ayres, and sister of John B.
AA'res : and resided on the Ayres — nov.^ the McNeill — home-
stead, near Smithville for a short tif»ie, before removing to
the Holbrook vicinitv where he mace the first improvement
on the Thomas Grifhn farm. He finally removed to Mt. Zion
where his daughter, Airs. Margaret Glover now lives, and
from here he crossed to the other side in 1881, and at Pullman
he lies at rest.
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 105
Mrs. Lowther, who survived him by several years, rests
at his side.
Dr. Lowther was a very successful physician, a school-
teacher of merit, and a man of more than ordinary talent.
Ills children — all of tlie second marriage — are as follows:
Mrs. Hannah E. Parker (widow of Frank Parker), Mrs.
Orvilla (J. H.) Nichols, and George W. Lov;thcr (ex-mayor
of Grafton), all of Grafton; Mrs. Margaret (Taylor) Glover,
Miss Sarah Ann Lowther, D. A., and D. S. Lowther, all of
Mt. Zion ; and John A. Lowther, of Ark?nsas.
William B. Lowther.— In 1840, William B. Lowther,
father of Dr. William R., with his wife, Mrs. Margaret Co-
burn Lowther, and their family, came from his native Llar-
rison county, and succeeded his son on the Edward J. Low-
ther farm, at the mouth of Turtle run. Here the remainder
of his life was spent, and in the Puliman churchyard by the
side of his wife, he lies at rest.
He was the son of Robert, the eldest son of Col. William,
and his children are as follows:
James R., Edward J., and Mrs. Mandane (Robert) Wil-
son, Pullman; Mrs. Rosetta (Granville) Zinn, of Harrisville.
who lately celebrated her ninetieth birthday ; the late Dr.
William R., Napoleon, Mrs. Juliet (Wm. S.) Wilson, and
Misses Julia and Rebecca Lov/ther, all of this county, who
have joined the throng over there; and Lemuel of Michigan.
Ellas Lowther, the youngest son of Col. William, whose
history will be found in an earlier chapter, came from West
Milford, in 18'c!0, and erected the first cabin on the Zimri Flan-
nagan farm, above iScrea.
William J. Lowther, son of Jesse, and grandson of Col.
William, was the pioneer on the Bee farm at Oxford, near
the year 1825.
He married his cousin. Alary Lowther, daughtei of
Robert, the eldest son of Col. William, and witljin the bounds
of this county, at some unknown point, he and his wife sleep.
He was the father of the Rev. Perry Lowther a late min-
ister of the West Virginia Methodist Protestant conference;
106
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Archiliald Wilson.
of Henderson Lowther and several other children whose
names are not at hand.
The Wilsons.^ — The year 1828, brought Archibald Wilson
with his family from Harrison — now Taylor — county, to the
Broadwater farm near Oxford.
Mr. Wilson was a native of Ran-
dolph county, he having been born
near Beverly, in 1801. Near the year
1825, he v\^as married to j\Iiss Eliza-
beth Hudkins, daughter of Barton
Hudkins, of Simpsons creek, Taylor
county ; and after spending the first
years of his married life there, he came
to Oxford, and ten years later, changed
his place of residence to the Edmond
Taylor farm, at the mouth of L3'nn
Camp, on the North fork of Hughes
river, where his life came to a close
in 1866.
His remains filled the first grave that was made in the
U. B. church cemetery at Pennsboro, he having been inter-
ested in the erection of this church at the time of his death.
He was a man of marked ability, and was one of the
prominent citizens of his day in state afifairs. He was a
school-teacher, and was the first county surveyor. He served
as a member of the first Constitutional convention of the State,
and was the first individual to suggest that the counties be
divided into districts for educational purposes ; and was the
author of the resolution making snch provisions, which,
though, perhaps somewhat altered, became a clause of the
Constitution.
His wife died in 1892, at the ape of eightv-three A-ears.
and was laid by his side.
Their children were as follows :
Mrs. Temperance (T. W.) Ireland, Morgantown ; [Mrs.
Josephine (Jesse) Hammond, Portsmouth, Ohio ; W. S. Wil-
son. Texas; Mrs. Eveline (Smith) Bee, Mrs. Love (Alex)
Prunty, the late Mrs. Elizabeth (C. M.) Collins, J. M., Bazil
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED ' 107
H., the late II. N., A. B., Barton H., and L. P., all of this
county. The last four have all passed on.
John Wilson. — Along with Archibald Wilson came his
brother, John Wilson, who was. then a single man, but who
married Miss Charlotte Dotson, of Tollgate, a little later,
and settled in Doddridge county for a short time, before re-
moving to Lynn Camp, where he made the pioneer settlement
on the James Tucker farm, where he passed from earth.
His family consisted of seven daughters and two sons ;
viz., Eda, who married Calvin Haynes ; Eliza, who was Mrs.
Jehu Shinn ; Almira, Mrs. David Hogue : and Angeline, Retta,
Francis, and another daughter; Jasper went west; and Black-
burn was killed by a log at the old home.
Wilson Ancestry. — The Wilsons have a remarkably inter-
esting ancestral line. One, which, in part, belongs to National
History. They are of Scotch-Insh descent. Their antecessor,
William Wilson, was born in Ireland, on November 16, Yi'l'l.
He vv^as the son of Davis Wilson, and the grandson of David
Davis Wilson, of Scotland. He married Miss Elizabeth Black-
burn, who was also a native of "Old Erin," she having been
born on February 2, 1725 ; and near the year 1755, they came
to America, and settled in Shenandoah county, Virginia. Here,
Mr. Wilson died on June 12, 1801, and his wife, on September
2, 1806.
They were the parents of eleven children, four of whom
were born before they crossed the sea :
I. Benjamin born November 30, 1747.
2. Archibald born June 13, 1749.
3. David born September 8, 1751.
4. A\'illiam born February 8, 1754.
5. John born April 12, 1756.
6. Moses born May 1, 1758 and died in 1760.
7. Moses, 2nd born April 8, 1761.
8. James born July 25, l'(63.
9. Solomon born July 2, 1766.
10. Elizabeth (twin) born July 2, 1766.
II. Margaret born April 7, 1768.
]('K HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
John Wilson, the fifth son, and the first one born in Amer-
ica, was a native of Shenandoah cottnty, Virginia. He married
Miss Mary Wathin, a French maiden, and from him the
Ritchie county branch of the family is descended. He being
the father of Archibald, John, and Mrs. Dorcas (Augustus)
Modisette, of this county; Blackburn, of Walker; Mrs. Tem-
perance (Moses) Thompson, Harrison county; and Mrs.
Mary (G. W.) Shinn, Doddridge county.
He (John Wilson) lived and died at Beverly in Randolph
county, where he served as clerk of the County court for
more than thirty years. He was engaged in a desperate In-
dian fight at Wheeling when he was a lad of eighteen years,
and was severely wounded.
His final resting place is at Beverly.
Benjamin Wilson. — Benjamin Wilson, the eldest son of
William and Elizabeth Blackburn \A"ilson, who, as before
stated, was born in Ireland, on X'ovember 'M\ 1717, was not
only a man of great abilit}- and prominence, but he had the
most remarkable progeny that has come under our notice
since the days of the ancient patriarchs, he being the father
of thirty children.
On September 4, 1770, he was married to Miss Anne Rud-
del, who was born on September 20, 1754, and twelve children
were the result of this union. On June 18, 1795, the
mother passed on; and on December 15, 1795, he married Miss
Phebe Davidson, who was the mother of the other eighteen.
And at the time of his death, on January "?, 1S58, his posterity
numbered one-hundred thirty-six persons — twenty-four chil-
dren, seventy-three grandchildren, thirty-two great-grandchil-
dren, and one great-great-grandchild.
"Air. A\'ilson served as lieutenant in the expedition of
Lord Dunmore against the Indians in 1774, and acquired, by
his zeal and attention to duty, ihe confidence of his superior
officers.
"Early in the Revolution, he was appointed captain in
the Virginia forces, and in 1781, he received the appointment
of colonel.
"During the entire war, he was the organ through whicli
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 109
most of the military and civil business of that part of the State
in which he resided was transacted.
"He was a member of the Legislature from the County of
Monongalia for several sessions previous to the year 17S4, in
which year, the County of Harrison was established ; and at
the organization of this county, he became the clerk of the
County court. The duties of this ofitice, however did not with-
draw him from the theater of politics- -as he was selected as
a delegate to the convention, in 1788, which ratified the Con-
stitution of the United States."
Another incident worthy of mention in this connection is
the fact that Col. Wilson was present at Camp Charlotte--
eight miles east of Chillicothe, Ohio — on the occasion when.
Cornstalk, the renowned Indian chief, visited T_.ord Dunmore
in the interests of peace, and had the p:easure of listejiing to
this great chieftain's v>^onderful gift of oratory, which he com-
ments on in the following" language:
"When he (Cornstalk) arose, he was in no wise confused
or daunted, but spoke in a distinct and audible voice without
stammering orTepetition, and with a peculiar emphasis. His
looks while addressing Dunmore were truly grand and ma-
jestic — yet graceful and attractive. 1 have heard the first
orators of Virginia, Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee,
but never have I heard one whose powers of delivery sur-
passed those of Cornstalk on that occasion."
The first county seat' of Randolph county is said to have
been kept at the home of Col. Ben W^ilson four miles from
Beverly, and the following amusing anecdote is told of his
transference of this local-seat of government to another
individual, and of his removal to Clarksburg where he finally
passed to the confines of the tond:), at the age of eighty years :
"During the Civil war when the soldiers Avere stationed at
Beverly (in 1864) a short time after their arrival, George
Renscrift, one of the number, noticed a peculiar hole in the
ground around which the soldiers and the civilians gathered
from day to day to pitch horse-shoes. His attention being
especially attracted to the size of this hole, he remarked to an
•^^j^g'-'^entleman standing near, that this ground must have been
the '^^^^' '■^^^ purpose before the war; and the old gentleman.
110 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
heaving a reminiscent sigh, said, ''Yes, my young man, I am
nigh unto seventy, and I was not born when the first horse-
shoes were pitched into that hole.' And he then proceeded
to tell him its unique history:
lie said, as above mentioned, that the county seat was
kept at the home of Col. Ben Wilson, and that at Beverly,
lour miles distant lived one Jacob Westfall. One da}^ Col.
Wilson came riding down the path past the Westfall residence
and found Mr. Westfall out pitching iicrse-shoes in his yard
all alone.
"Having a good game?" asked Col. Wilson. "Good
enough," was the reply. "I'll bet T can beat you," said the
Colonel. "I'll take the bet," replied Westfall. "How much?"
asked Col. Wilson.
"Whoever beats gets the court house," replied Westfall.
"It's a bargain," replied Col. Wilson, who had everything to
lose and nothing to gain as he already had the court house,
but he was a great old codger to take chances. So the game
began and continued until night and Westfall flaxed the Colo-
nel on every proposition, and won the l:)eL."
This same evening Col. Wilson made Jacob Westfall deed
a quarter of an acre, which included this play-ground, to the
public forever, and according to the provisions of this deed an
individual could play when, and as long, as he pleased, and no
one could hinder him.
The next day Col. Wilson sent Westfall the county seat,
i)ooks, papers and so on, to Beverly, and shortly after sold out
and removed to Clarksburg.
This piece of ground is still used as a horse-shoe play-
ground and will doubtless continue to be thus used until the
end of time, as no one has the power to molest this lot.
This is said to be the only piece of real estate in the world
that has such a title. When the new court house at Beverly
was under contract, the court undertook to sell this lot, but
found upon investigation that it belonged to the public, and
that the county had no authority over it. Consequenth', it
lies there vacant as it did a century ago — a monument c'
'^ich
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 111
cated to the simple game of horse-shoe — and the men and boys
haunt it to-day as they did in the days of Col. Wilson.
Record of the Family of Col. Ben Wilson. — Children of
Col. Ben and Anne Ruddle Wilson :
Mary Wilson born June 7, 1771, married John Haymond.
William Wilson born January 36, 1773, married Miss
Martin.
Stephen Ruddle Wilson born October 21, 1775, married —
Benjamin Wilson born June 13, 1778, married Miss Mar-
tin.
Sarah Wilson born September 11, 1780, married Benjamin
Bryce.
Elizabeth Wilson born August 17, 1782, died September
3, 1782.
Anne Wilson born January 17, 1786, married Dr. Brice.
John W^ilson born July 5, 1788, married Miss Martin and
Miss Caldwell.
Archibald Blackburn born July 25, 1790, married Edith
Roby.
Cornelius AV'ilson born April 7, 1795, married Rachel Mar-
tin.
And two children died without n^mes.
Children of Col. Ben and Phebe Davidson Wilson :
Josiah Davidson Wilson born October 12, 1796, married
Miss Martin and Miss Despard.
David Wilson born February 18, 1798, died umuarried.
Edith Wilson born November 9, 1799, married James
Martin.
Elizabeth Wilson born October 18, 1801, died unmarried.
Thomas W. Wilson born May 12, 1803, married Miss
O'Bannon, of Ohio.
(The language of Col. Wil.son concerning his impre-sion of Cornstalk
is taken from the foot-notes of the revised edition of Withers' Border
Warfare; the anecdote concerning the Beverly court house, from an old
newspaper clipping furnished us by ISIrs. Susan Collins, of Pennsboro —
his granddaughter; and tlie part concerning his public career, is quoted
from the National Intelligencer, of January 29, 1828, in whicli the ac-
count of his death appeared. And to his great-great-granddaughter, Mrs.
.Jessie Norris Tierney, of Glenville, who is a member of the Daughtei's of
the American Revolution, we are indebted for this rare account.
Col. Wilson was the Couhty clerk of Randolph county at the time of
the incident herein narrated.
112 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
Alaro'aret A\'ilson born March 26, 1805. married Hiram
Haymond.
Deborah A\ ilson born October IT, l&OG, married Abel
Smith.
James Pindall Wilson born June 9, 1808, married Rowcna
Haymond, daughter of Thomas.
Daniel Davisson born January 30, 1810, married Miss
O'Bannon.
Phebe Wilson born August "29, 1811. married Amos Gil-
bert.
]\lartha ]\Iartin AA'ilson born June 'i?>. 181o, married Caul-
der Ha3'mond.
Philip Doddridge born June 29, 1814. married Penelope
Sinnett.
Noah L. AA'ilson born March 9, 181(3, married Miss Gilpin,
of Baltimore.
Julia Anne AVilson born September 28, 1817, married
James Robinson.
Harriett Baldwin Wilson born November 13, 1818, mar-
ried Jonathan Haymond.
Rachel AA'ilson born July 20, 1820, married Lewis Hay-
mond and Dr. AA'. D. AA'ilson.
Two died in infancy.
William Hall. — AA'illiam Hall, the progenitor of another
prominent Ritchie count}^ family, found a home on the river
above Oxford, across wdiat is now the Doddridge county line,
as early as 1830, but, ere the lapse of many years, he removed
to the Flannagan farm above Berea, and later resided at both
Pullman and Harrisville. He finally, in his old age, went to
Roane county where be died, at the home of his daughter,
Airs. Thomas McKinley, during the spring of 18T3.
Mr. Hall was born in Loudin county, Virginia, in 1797,
and from there he emigrated to Harrison county in his young
The descendant? of Col. Ben Wilson in this county are not a few but
among the nearest in line are F. H. ;Martin and Mrs. Susan Collins —
grandchildren, of Pennsboro. Mr. Martin being t'ne son of his daughter
Edith, and Mrs. Collins of Rachel. Mrs. .Jolm Hallani of Cairo is another
granddaughter, she being the daughter of Thomas. See Haymond and
;Maxwell liistory for descendants of !Mary Wilson.
Conflicting records of this family have been furnished us but we
have used the one sent us by Mi^s Genevieve Collins of Pennsboro, it
being taken from Col. Wilson's old Bible.
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— COXTINUED 113
manhood where he met and married Miss Mary Ann Lowther,
eldest daughter of Jesse, and Mary Ragan Lowther, and
granddaughter of Col. William, and from West Milford, they
came to Oxford.
Mrs. Hall survived him by three years, dying at the home
of her daughter in Roane county in 1876. And there by his
side she lies at rest.
Their children were as follows :
Jesse L. Hall, William, Celina, Lucinda, Mar^^ Elizabeth,
Elias, Robert Hannibal, Lemuel, Smith, and Judge Cyrus Hall,
all of whom have now crossed the tide, with the possible ex-
ception of Elias.
Jesse L. Hall married his cousin Miss Alcinda Lowther,
and was the father of Cyrus, William E.. Robert G., I\Iarietta,
Ellen, and ^lartha Hall, and after the death of his first wife,
he married again, and went to Elizabeth, Wirt county Avhere
he died and where some of his descendants still reside. Mrs.
Rosa Connolly was a daughter by the second marriage.
William Hall died in his youth, and Mary remained
single, dying at the home of her sister at Point Pleasant at
an advanced age.
Selina married the Rev. George Monroe of the West Vir-
ginia Methodist Episcopal conference, and died childless. She
sleeps at Point Pleasant.
Lucinda married Jesse AL Lowther, son of Elias Lowther,
senior, and lived and died in this county. She was the mother
of Johnson J.. Stillman F., Mrs. Mandane (Hiram) Wilson,
and Airs. Similda Randolph, of Salem ; Mansfield and Syl-
vanus Lowther and Mrs. Salina Bee, of the West ; Thomas, of
Harrison county ; Lucinda — and the late Mrs. Dorinda (Eli)
McKinley, of Harrisville — mother of the late lamented Homer
McKinley.
Elizabeth married Thomas McKinley, and went to Roane
county, where she sleeps. Their children were Lee, Walter,
Rector, Jer>nie and Sarah.
Smith Hall married Miss Jennie Scott, of Hardy county,
and lived and died at Harrisville. His family consisted of
two sons, John and Charles, and of one daughter, Mrs. Laura
^'^ bhert, of Ellenboro.
"seci f
114 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
Robert Hannibal married Miss Bennett, of Wes-
ton, and was the father of Mrs. John B. Ayres, formerly of
Harrisville, but now of Spencer, and of one other daughter.
He died in Virginia a few years since.
Elias Hall married Aliss Margaret Kirkpatrick, sister of
Ichabod, and was an early settler on the Alason farm near the
Pisgah church, in the Pullman vicinity. He finally went to
Roane county where he, perhaps, is sleeping. A\'illiam Smith,
Neal, Hannibal, Lee and Landora Pfall were among his chil-
dren, but this is not all of them.
Lemuel Hall married here and went A\'est where he was
identified as an able barrister.
Judge Cyrus Hall. — Judge Cyrus Hall married ]\Iiss
Amelia Scott, sister of his brother Smith's wife, and principally
spent his long life at Harrisville, Parkersburg, and Charleston.
His family consisted of two daughters, and three sons : viz..
Flora died in childhood ; Louella became Mrs. Chancellor, of
Parkersburg, but after the death of her first husband she mar-
ried H. T. Shefit'ey, of Charleston ; the late Judge Cyrus Hall,
B. B. and Thomas C, all of Charleston, are the sons.
Judge Hall was one among the prominent men that this
county has produced.
Born in Harrison county early in the century, he came to
this county with his parents in the "log cabin days'' and strug-
gled up through the many disadvantages that surrounded the
ambitious lad in those davs of untold orivation and toil.
He was graduated from college, studied law, and at the
age of thirty years went to Woodsfield, Ohio, where he was
admitted to the bar; and after a brief stay here, he returned
to this county and took up his residence at Harrisville, where
he practiced his profession for a number of years. He was
Ritchie county's first Prosecuting Attorney, and was at c<ne
time her representative in the Legislature at Richmond.
He was a member of the Richmond conve^iition that
passed the ordinance of secession, and with one exception
was the last survivor of that stormy body. He went there
as an opponent of secession, but in the heat of the fight, was,
won over and cast his vote for the measure — the passing of
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 115
which sounded the bugle-note for the formation of the "Little
Mountain state."
For a number of years after the birth of West Virginia,
he was the judge of the County court of Wood coiinty. He
practiced in the courts of Virginia and West Virginia for
almost sixty years, rising to distinction at the bar. It is said
that he never lost a case before the Supreme Court of the
State. He died at Charleston early in the year 1909, at the age
of ninety years. His wife preceded him to the grave by fifteen
}'ears.
The Norrises. — Along with William Hall, from Harrison
county, came his brother-in-law', William Norris. who settled
near him on the river above Oxford.
]*\Ir. Xorris was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, on
August 8, 1792, and on April 20, 1817, he w^as married to Miss
Sallie Lowther, daughter of Jesse and granddaughter of Col.
William Lowther, whose natal day w^as October 5, 1795 ; and
after a brief residence on the river here, in 1833, they removed
to Gilmer county where their lives came to a close. His on
November 24, 1861, and hers, on Alay 22. 1870. And both lie
at rest in the Xorris bmying-ground on Cedar creek.
Their family were as follows :
Emily (1818-1906, unmarried), Milton (1819-1896). John
G. (1821—), Jesse (1823—). Mary (1824-1825). Caroline
(LS25— ). Lucinda (182S-] 888, unmarried), Drusilla (1832—,
Mrs. Kerns, of Gilmer county), Elizabeth (1835 — ). Edward
(1837 — ), and Elias Xorris.
Milton G. Norris, who was born on X^o\'ember 10, 1819,
was married in 1869, to Miss Maria Louise Campbell, daughter
of John C. and Anne Wilson Campbell of Clarksburg,^ and
lived and died at the "Beeches" near Glenville. He passed
from earth on July 30, 1896, and Mrs. X^orris survived imtil
Jul}- 3, 1908, and both rest in the family burying-ground at
the "Beeches." Their family consisted of four daughters; ^•iz.,
Mrs. Jessie Campbell Tierney, and ]\frs. Anne Wilson Lewas,
are of Glenville; Sallie Lowther is the wife of the Hon. E. M.
'The Campbells were from AVinchester, Virginia, and the old home
there i& still owned by the family.
116 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Showaller, of Fairmont ; and Miss Rebecca Lupton X'orris is
lying" with her parents in the family burying-ground, she hav-
ing passed from eartli at San Francisco, California in 190?,
while on a tour m the AVest.
The Norrises are of English origin, and the name is an
ancient and prominent one in the "Old World"' to-day. Gen-
eral Sir John Norris was commander of the British array in
the sixteenth century, and was sent by Queen Elizabeth to
aid the Hollanders in their struggle against the Spaniards, at
this time. Tradition says that three brothers crossed to
America about the year 1760, and that one settled in Pennsyl-
vania, one in Maryland, and the other, William Norris, who
was an English school-master, in Virginia ; and from William,
the different families of this state are descended.
His son, John Norris, was born in Fauquier county, Vir-
ginia, on July 4, 1760, and at the age of seventeen years (in
February 1777), enlisted as a volunteer, for three months, in
the company of Captain James Scott, which was organized at
the Fauquier Court House, and marched by way of Lewisburg
(now West Virginia) across the Potomac, at Noland's Ferry
to Frederick, Maryland, thence to Philadelphia, and on to
Ouibbletown (now New Market) in New Jersey. And in
March, 1781, he was drafted, for two months, into the com-
pany of Captain Morehead, who was stationed at Williams-
burg, Virginia, and from this point, on April 20, 1781, they
were driven by the enemy, and retreated to Richmond.
Again, in September, 1781, he was drafted for three
months, and was appointed as orderly sergeant of a company
of militia, commanded by Captain Hel, which was sent from
Fauquier county to join the main army under General Wash-
ington at Yorktown, and here he remained until the surrender
of Lord Cornwallis, on October 19, 1781, and after this he
was detailed as a member of the guard-force which conducted
a band of prisoners to Winchester.
Flis service on the battle-field being at an end, he re-
turned home, and on March 26, 1782, was married to Miss
Mary Jones,, of the "Old Dominion," who was in some way
closely connected to the Washington family ; and about the
year 1807, they removed to what is now Lewis county (then
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 117
Harrison), and settled near the old Jackson mill, five miles
below Weston ; and here death overtook him on February 12,
1836, and here with his wife he lies at rest.
Their family consisted of the following children: Juliet,
Hannah, Polly, Nancy, Eliza, Lucinda, Caroline, John, junior,
and AA'illiam Norris, the Ritchie county pioneer.
Juliet Norris, born on December 22, 1783, was married to
David Jackson. She passed on, on March 16, 1865, leaving
four children: Edward J., Wm., Pitt, Nancy and Mary J.
Jackson.
Hannah Norris (born on October 13, 1787, and died on
May 26, 1879), married Daniel O'Brien, and her children were:
Melville, Emmett J., Mary, Daniel, Nancy, Hannah, and Juliett
O'Brien.
Polly, born July 22, 1785, died, unmarried, on December
29, 1848.
Nancy Norris (bprn October 13, 1794, and died on July
17, J 876) was married to Godfrey Hille, and Frederick, the
one child of this union died in boyhood.
Eliza Norris was born in August, 1798, and died on Dec-
ember 20, 1860, unmarried.
Lucinda (born on November 2-1, 1796, and died on Octo-
ber 14, 1885) was the late Mrs. Benjamin Bassel, of Clarks-
burg, and the mother of John Bassel, a graduate of West
Point, and James Bassell, both prominent attorneys of Clarks-
burg.
Caroline, vvho was born on December 15, 1800, died on
September 4, 1894, unmarried.
John Norris, junior, was born in 1805, and died at the age
df twenty years. And the family of William has already been
given.
Felix Prunty, and Alexander Lowther, junior, were later
pioneers in the Oxford vicinity.
Mr. Prunty was the son of Jacob Prunty, and was a
native of Taylor county. He married Miss Emily Great-
house, and took up his residence where his son, Jacob, now
lives, perhaps in the early forties, and to the day of his death,
on September 22, 1895, he was prominently identified with
the afi^airs of this communitv, both in church and in state.
1]8 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
He represented this county in the Legislature, at one time
and was long a pillar in the White Oak church : and in this
church-yard he sleeps. Mrs. Prunty died in 190S, and she
sleeps by his side.
Their children : Mrs. Cynthia (wife of the late Rev.
Sylvester Lowtherj, Parkersburg ; Mrs. Salina Bee, Tennessee;
Mrs. Fannie (Lewis) Pritchard, Parkersburg; Jacob, and
^Marshall, Oxford, are the surviving ones ; and Alary Jane,
John W., Alexander, Mrs. Elizabeth Leach, and Mrs. Rosetta
Ross, have passed on.
Alexander Lowther, junior, made his settlement on the
farm that is now the home of his daughter, ]\Irs. John
Allender.
yiv. LoAvther was a native of Harrison county, having
been born, near West Milford on May 1, 1816. He was the
son of Alexander and Sarah Ireland Lowther, and the great-
grandson of Col. A\'illiam.
In 1838. he was married to Miss Emily Prunty, daughter
of Jacob Prunty, and shortly after this event, he established
his home here, and remained until 1864, when he removed
to Ellenboro, where he engaged in the mercantile business
for the next two years. From here he went to Graham Sta-
tion, Mason county, and in 1872, to Elizabeth, Wirt county,
where, for more than twenty years, his interests were identi-
fied with the town ; his services to both church and state being
of a high order.
Here, in 1891, Death entered his home and carried away
his wife, and, not long after this sad event, he went to Park-
ersburg, where his life came to a close, on March 28, 1903, at
the home of his daughter, Mrs. Roana L. Kendall; and here
in the Riverview cemetery beside his wife, he sleeps.
He was one of the early school-teachers of the county,
and at different times held county offices. He said "At one
time I knew every man in Ritchie county." As long as he
lived, he spoke fervently of his love for Ritchie county, which
had been his home for sixty-six years.
Their children: M. R. Lowther, who has been promi-
nent in political circles in this state for a number of years,
and who served as State Senator for one or more terms, is the
SOUTH FORK SETTLERS--CONriXUED liy
only surviving son. He and Mrs. Roana L. Kendall, wife
of the late Dr. J. E. Kendall, are both of Parkersburg, and
Mrs. Sallie Allender, is of Oxford. Wilson, the eldest son
died at the age of seventeen, and one daughter, in infancy.
The Allenders. — Jacob Allender was an early settler on
tiie Marshall Prunty homestead. He and his wife Mrs.
Elizabeth Vangrift Allender, were natives of Hampshire
county, he being of English, and she, of German descent. He
was the son of James Allender, and his grandsire crossed
the sea from England. After their marriage they resided in
Marion county for four years before coming to Ritchie in
1<S51, where the remnant of their days were spent, and where
they sleep side by side in the White Oak cemetery. Mrs.
Allender passed away a number of years before he did ; and
some time after her death he married Mrs. Elizabeth Sinnett
Lowther, widows of John A. Lowther, and daughter of the
late George Sinnett, of Harrisville, who still survives.
His children were born of the first union, and w'ere as
follows : T. K. Alexander, Sistersville ; Mrs. Sarah Xutter,
mother of Okey Nutter, Pennsboro ; John Allender, of Ox-
ford ; Christopher, James, Rachel, and Iva, and two others all
died of diphtheria in childhood. All died within one week,
and tW'O were borne to the grave at one time.
CHAPTER VIII
North Fork Settled
ACOB COLLINS was tlie first settler on the
liead of the Xorth fork of Hughes river.
He came from the Shenandoah valley,
Virginia, early in the century with his wife,
Phebe Stuthard Collins, and several chil-
dren, and reared his humble dwelling on the
farm that is now the home of his grandson,
W. J. Collins.
The wilderness at this time was unbroken, and they lived
in their wagons until they could construct a cabin, and kept
fires out so as to protect themselves and their stock from the
wild beasts.
Fearful storms occasionally visited this section, and their
home, at one time, was almost demolished bv one of cvclonic
fury.
]\Ir. Collins is said to have been a man of strong Christian
character with an innate love for doing good to his fellow-
men, but of his ancestral history we know nothing except
that he was of Welsh descent, and that he was probably a
native of the "Old Dominion."
But ]\Irs. Collins was of Revolutionary stock, her father,
and his only brother having served as soldiers in the Con-
tinental army, (the latter dying before his return home).
Here on the old homestead where they settled, they spent
their last hours, and here they rest.
They were the parents of a large family of children, who
were also identified among the early settlers of this part of
the county, and who are as follows: William, Jacob, junior,
Henry B., Xancy, Margaret, Phebe, Frances, James and John.
All of whom reared families except James who died single.
William Collins. — AMlliam Collins, the eldest son, mar-
ried j\Iiss Ellendor Britton, and settled near three miles from
the old homestead where he died in 1871 at a ri]:)e old age.
NORTH FORK SETTLED 121
The fruits of this union were five children: Cohniibus.
of Pennsboro; Cordelia, the late wife of John Maulsby, of
West Union ; Mrs. Charlotte (Joab) Martin, Pennsboro :
Lafa3'ette Collins, and ]\Irs. Helen (Silas) Taylor, who reside
a: Tollgate.
After the birth of these children the Avife passed on, and
he married Miss Harriett Allen, who was the mother of the
late Airs. Ida Martin, wife of Dr. Edgar Martin, of Oxford :
the late Mrs. Salome (Wm.) Hudkins, of Greenwood: and of
George and Alice, who died in infancy.
Death again robbed him of his companion, and he mar-
ried Miss Talitha Lynch, of Harrison county, for his third
wife, and she was the mother of Mrs. Maggie (Omer) Garner,
and i\Irs. Ora (Banks) Martin, both of Tollgate; Mrs. Lora
(Dorsey) Browne, of West Union; Mrs. Lona (John) Har-
per, Pennsboro; and Hiram Collins, of the North Fork, and
of the late Draper.
Jacob Collins, Junior. — Jacob Collins, junior, married
Miss Sarah Ripley, of Tyler county, and settled near the old
homestead, wdiere he reared a large family and where he
spent his last hours.
He was a soldier of the Union army during the Civil war.
and his ten children were as follows:
Kenner, George, and Benjamin died in the West and
Floyd resides there ; Mary is Mrs. Edgar Keys, and Lurena,
Mrs. Andrew Cunningham, both of California ; Frances is
Mrs. Ellis Thomas, of Pennsylvania; Eveline, Mrs. Thomas
Dillon, and Eliza. Mrs. Simon Bradford, both of Parkersburg;
and Amelia is Mrs. Richard A\'ilson, of Pennsboro.
Henry B, Collins. — Henry B. Collins married Miss Eliza
Britton, and also settled near the old home.
He was quite prominent in public affairs, and was one of
the early representatives of the county in the Richmond Leg-
islature. And though he did not take up arms in the Civil
war, he was a strong advocate of the Southern cause. He
died near 1895 at his old home here, and in the family biny-
ing-ground he sleeps.
He was the father of eight children : Mortimer, the
eldest son, lost his life in the Confederate cause at the battle
]22
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
of Rich Mountain. Richard, Jasper, Casandra, who married
the Rev. A. Jones, and India, who was Mrs. Perry Flesher,
of Shiloh, have all joined the throng- over there. F. li. Col-
lins, Drusilla, the wife of Dr. Bartlett, and Alniira who first
married A. Archbold, and after his death Mr. Wilcox, of Har-
risville, are the surviving members of the family.
John Collins, the youngest son of this pioneer family,
was married to Miss Phebe Brice, of Harrison county, and
settled four miles north of Penns-
boro, where he died in 1874.
Pie, too, represented the
county in the Legislature at Ricli-
mond when this state was a part
of the "Old Dominion," and was
ever prominent in public afifairs.
He was an ardent advocate of the
Southern cause during the Civil
war, though not a soldier.
Mrs. Collins came of an old
and aristocratic Welsh family,
she being descended from the
John Collins. g^j.] ^f Carmarthen, through his
daughter, Lady Janet Griffiths, who married a Pirice.
Her grand-sire, Captain William Brice, who was born in
Kent county, Maryland, in 1740, was one of the few patriots
that helped to establish our American Independence. He
served at Valley Forge and Trenton and died in 1783, at
Blandenburg, Maryland, from the effects of the hardshi)>s
endured during that memorable winter at V^alley Forge..
His sons, Benjamin, and Dr. Brice both married the daughters
of Col. Ben Wilson, senior, and Benjamin was the father nf
Mrs. Collins.
The family of John and Phebe Brice Collins consisted of
eight children; viz., Sarah, the eldest daughter, is Mrs. E.
Thomas, of Blacksville, Pennsylvania; y\nna was the late
wife of John B. McKinley; Angle is Mrs. P. B. Michaels, of
Oxford; Jennie L. is the widow of the late Dr. J. B. Crum-
rine. of Pennsboro; the late Creed, and William, of Peims-
borc ; and Benjamin and Virginia who both died in childhood.
NORTH FORK SETTLED 123
Nancy Collins, the eldest daughter of this pioneer family,
married Elias Marsh, and they too lived and died in the vicin-
ity of the old home on the North fork. She having passed
away near the year 1895.
They were the parents of eight children ; viz., V^ictoria,
who married John Lantz, and went to Pennsylvania ; Eliza
married Sydney Joseph and v^^ent to Missouri, where she died
in 1910: Margaret v.-as the late Mrs. Saul Thomas, of Pennsyl-
vania; Isabel is Mrs. James Hickman, of Pennsboro : Adaline
was the late Mrs. Jacob Lantz, of Mole Hill ; Laura became
Mrs. John Steele, and at the old homestead, she resides ; and
the only son. Napoleon Marsh, lives at Centreville.
Margaret Collins married a Mr. Doak, and lived and died
on Middle Island, in Tyler county, near the year 1890, leaving
one child.
Frances Collins married Eli Cline and settled at the head
of the North fork of Hughes river, wliere she died near the
year 1849.
She was the mother of Helen, (wife of the late M. H.
Tarlton), of Nicklin, who died as a prisoner of war at Camp
Chase, in the sixties; and of Jacob Cline, who married Jane
Ridgeway.
Phebe Collins married James Hammond, and for many
years they were identified among the early settlers of Bond's
creek, where she died in 1866. Their children w^ere ten in
number: Cornelius, Granville, Iiwin. the late Rev. William
Hammond, of the West Virginia Methodist Episcopal con-
ference; Mrs. Fannie Markle, Mrs. Berthena Crum,, Mrs.
Sarah Whitecotton, and Mrs. Mary of Ohio ; Mrs.
Anna Clayton, of White Oak, and Mrs. Libby Whitecotton.
MOLE HILL.
Daniel Raymond was the first settler at Mole Hill. He
came here from his native county — Harrison — near the year
1817, and found a home on the farm that is now owned by
124
mSTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Daniel Haymond.
Benson Cunningham, where the
remainder of his life v/as spent.
He, being a man of a high degree
of intelligence, played an import-
ant part in the early affairs of the
county.
He twice occupied a seat in
the State Legislature (being Sen-
ator), and narrowly missed being
a successful candidate for Con-
gress.
He was born near Clarksburg,
on April 28, 1787— on Saturday
morning at 5 o'clock — and here
he grew to manhood, and married ?iliss Mary Ann Bond, sis-
ter of Lewis Bond, who passed from earth at her home at
Mole Hill in 1822, after having given birth to five children.
In 1821 he was again married to JNIiss Elizabeth Griffin,
who passed on a few years later, leaving three daughters.
He then, in 1835, married Miss Hannah Pindale, who only
survived a short time ; and in 1838, he again took the marri-
age vow when he claimed Miss Mary Ann Moore, of Harrison
county as his bride.
The one child born of this union — Anna L. — is now Mrs.
James C. Cline, of Minneapolis, Kansas, and the only sur-
vivor of Daniel Haymond's family.
]\Ir. Haymond died on December 10, 1874, and, beside
his first three companions, sleeps at ]\Iole Hill. The last wife
rests in the Cloverdale cemetery in Doddridge county.
The children of his first marriage were, Mansfield B.,
Eveline, A\'illiam, Daniel C. and Rowena. The last two men-
tioned died in infanc3^
Mansfield lost his life in his early manhood, by an ex-
plosion on board a steamer, while on his way home from
Texas, he being so badly scalded that he only sur\ived the
accident bv a few hours.
NORTH FORK SETTLED 125
Eveline Haymond was married to Elijah Tarleton/ and
their children were the late ex-Sheriff M. H. Tarleton, and
the late Reeves L., Thomas, Creed H, and Edgar Tarleton,
all of whom have passed on.
William C. Haymond, the one son that reached the years
of maturity, went to Texas in his young manhood, and there
served in the Texan army during" some trouble with Mexico,
but he afterv/ards returned home, and married Miss Eleanor
Cline, of Tollgate, and remained a substantial citizen of his
native county until he was borne to his final resting place.
Elis family consisted of nine children: viz.. Marsh Haymond,
Mrs. Florence Peirpoint, Mrs. Lina Lantz, and Mrs. Ella
Stuart, all of Mole Hill, are the surviving ones ; and the late
ones were Josephine, who died in youth; Buena (Mrs. Henry
Davis), Reeves Haymond who met a tragic death at Mole
Hill a number of years ago; and Ida (Mrs. F. G. Pyle of
Tyler county).
The three daughters of Daniel and Elizabeth Grifftn Hay-
mond were Casandra, and Frances, who died single, and Mary
Ann, the late wife of Saul Thomas, who was the mother of
Mrs. Mary Cooper, Mrs. Laura Kysor, and Mrs. Fannie Mc-
Cullough, all of A/[ole Hill.
The Haymonds, like not a few of the other pioneer fami-
lies, have a distinguished ancestral history. John Haymond
emigrated from England before the year 1734 — as the records
show that he had land patented to him in that year — and
settled in the Maryland colony. Tradition says that he was
a skillful mechanic, and that he came to Am'erica to build a
fine residence for a Maryland planter, and being so well
pleased with the appearance of the country, he decided to
adopt it as his home. It is not known whether he was mar-
ried before he came to this country or not. But his wife's
name was Margaret and he first settled on a large plantation,
known as "Constant Friendship," in what is now Montgom-
^Elijah Tarleton wa.s first married to Miss Casandra Haymond, daugli-
ter of William, and one son. William Tarleton, was the result of this
union. His second wife was Eveline Haymond, above mentioned, and his
third, Miss Rowena, daughter of Thomas Haymond, and one daughter
Helen, was the result of this union.
126 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTV
cry county, iMaryland — near the present site of Rockville, and
fourteen miles from Georgetown. Here, he died during the
autumn of 1750. Six children, which are as follows, were
named in his will, which was dated September '^^7, 1750, and
was probated on October "^Oth of the same 3-ear: Nicholas,
Calder, AVilliam, Hannah, who was the wife of John Jones,
Ann and Alary, who afterwards married — one a Kenton, and
the other, a Jarbo or Kelly.
Nicholas died in 17G7 leaving a son and daughter. Calder
married and resided in Alarion county until about the year
1812, when he went to Ohio, to join his son. He finally went
to Indiana where he died in 1817, and where many of his
descendants live. His son, Edward, was a soldier of the Rev-
olution, and was in the battles of Monmouth, Saratoga and
other fierce engagements, and his name was added to the pen-
sion roll in 1818. And from William, the youngest son of
John Playmond, the Ritchie county families come.
William Haymond. — William Haymond was born on the
old plantation — "Constant Friendship"- — in Montgomery
county, ^Maryland, on January 4, 1740 (old style) and here
his youthful days were spent. A\^hen he was only a lad of
fifteen summers, he accompanied the army of General Ed-
^var(i Braddock on its expedition to Fort Duquesne (now
Pitts1)urg) where it met with such dreadful defeat on July
9, 1755 ; and in 1758, he was a member of the successtul ex-
pedition led by General Forbes against the same point, when
the name was changed to Fort Pitt, in honor of the English
prime minister. - •
In February, 1750, he enlisted in the Virginia regiment,
commanded by Col. George Washington, which iiad been de-
tailed to garrison the territory captured from the French,
and served along the Aionongahela and AUegheu}- rners. and
as far North as Lake Erie. AMien the regiment had been
Avithdrawn from the west, it was marched up the Shenan-
doah valley, and on to the Holstein river to suppress an out-
break among the Cherokee Indians, after which it was dis-
charged. The date of William Haymond's discharge was
February 24, 1762, and the place was Fort Lewis, uear Staun-
ton, A'irginia.
NORTH FORK SETTLED 127
Shortly after his return home, on April 19. 1763, he was
married to Aliss Casandra Clelland, who was born on Octo-
ber 25, 1T41, and settled down to the life of a planter; but in
May, 1773, he sold his possessions in Maryland and removed
to the District of ^^'est Augusta, Virginia, and settled on the
Monongahela river, near where Morgantown now stands.
Here he engaged in farming, and is said to have raised a crop
of corn on the very site that is noAV marked by the pretty lit-
tle City of Morgantown.
After the formation of Monongalia county in 177G, he
filled various positions of honor and trust — such as that of
justice of the peace, deputy surveyor, coroner and sheriff;
and at the commencement of the Revolution, he, being an
ardent advocate of the Colonial cause, was appointed captain
of the militia, and was frequently called into active service
by the hostility of the Indians. In 1777, he was placed in
comvnand of Prickett's Fort with a detachment at Scott's
mill ; was promoted to the rank of major in 1781, and per-
formed the duties of an officer of the militia throughout the
Revolution. He was just on the eve of leaving for a i)oint
east of the mountains to join the regular army when the news
of peace reached him.
He was a member of the official body that administered
the oath to the male citizens of Virginia over sixteen years
of age requiring them to renounce all future allegiance to the
British Crown.
When Harrison county was born in 17S4, Mr. Haymond
vv'as made the first principal surveyor of the new county. He
tra\ eled on horse-back to Williamsburg in order to be ex-
amined by the professors of William and Mary's College. The
test was a satisfactory one, however, and he was commis-
sioned by the Governor of Virginia ; and as this office de-
manded his removal to Clarksburg, he purchased a few acres
of ground, near this town, where he took up his residence
that same fall (1784).
He was a member of the commission that built the first
two court houses in Harrison county — one in 1787, and the
other in 1813, and as surveyor, he assisted in marking out
the State road from the Vallev river to near Marietta, Ohio
V?8 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
In 1791, he purchased a tract of one hundred ninety-lour
one-half acres on Elk creek, six miles from Clarksburg, and
to this place he changed his residence, and here, on Xovem-
ber 12, 1821, his long and useful career came to a close. This
old time mansion-house, which has been transferred by will
from father to son, since its purchase, still stands and is occu-
pied by his descendants.
His Avife, Casandra Clelland Raymond, died at Clarks-
burg, on December 23, 1788; and on December 2U, 1789, he
was again married to Mrs. Mary Pettyjohn Powers, who died
on March 20, 1830, and sleeps by his side in the Ilaymond
burying-ground on the old homestead, near Clarksburg.
John G. Jackson in paying tribute to his memory
through the columns of the "National Intelligencer" of Dec-
ember 13, 1821 — on the occasion of his death — says:
"This excellent man was the surveyor of his county, and
a justice of the peace therein, from its first formation until
his decease, and such was the purity of his life, notwithstand-
ing the tendency of his official duties to excite the ill will of
the disappointed speculator, and suitor, that he lived and died
without an enemy : and his virtues became so proverbial that
when excellence was ascribed to a great and good man, it
was said of him, "Pie was almost as perfect as Major Hay-
mond."
He also says, that "He died in the presence of his wife
and his children. He had nineteen children of Avhom eleven
survive him; eighty-one grandchildren, sixty-two of whom
are living; thirtA'-two great-grandchildren, thircy-one of whom
are living; nine sons-in-laws, six of whom are living; and
four daughters-in-law, all of whom survive."
Family Record. — Children of William and Casandra Hay-
mond :
William, born Alay 14, ]764, and died September 17. 1769.
John born December 7, 1765, and married Mary \Wlson'
July 3, 1787.
'Mary W^ilson Haymond was tlie daughter of Col. Benjamin TA'ilson,
senior, and her daughter Sarah Haymond became the wife of Le\i yiax-
well, and tlieir son Rufus Maxwell was the father of tne Hon. Hu ilax-
well.
NORTH FORK SETTLED 12Vj
Ann born August 3, 1767, and married Thomas Douglas,
May jO, 1787, and after his death, she became the wife of Dr.
Isaac Miller Johnson.
Margaret born September 6, 1769, and married Jacob
Polsley, May 31, 1791.
William born June 11, 1771, and married Cynthia Car-
roll, on ^larch 12, 1793.
Elizabeth born on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1773, and
died June 30, 1773.
Walter born May 30, 1774, and died November 16, 1774.
Thomas born January 11, 1776, and married Rebecca
Bond on January 6, 1803.
Sarah born January 24, 1778, and married Allison Clarke
January 3, 1796, and Thomas Bond, November 21, 1813.
Susannah born June — , 1780, and married Robert Bart-
lett, January 12, 1797, and moved to near New Madrid, Alis-
souri.
A son was born on February 22, 1783, that died on the
29th day of the same month without a name.
Rowena born June 17, 1784, and married Daniel Davis-
son on March 30, 1802.
Daniel — born April 28, 1787 — was the Ritchie county
pioneer, whose history has already been given.
Children of William and Mary Raymond. — His second
wife :
Cyrus born SepLember 8, 1790, and married Jane Somer-
ville, on April 18, 1822, and Polly Carpenter on November 17,
1851.
Ruth born November 20, 1792, and married Joshua.
Nixon on September 24, 1811. and went to Illinois.
Maxa born March 14, 1795, and married Robert Robin-
son on August 8, 1816, and went to .Illinois.
Julia born July 28, 1799, and died June 30, 1801.
A daughter born July 30, 1804, died the same day.
Thomas Haymond, son of William, who married Miss
Rebecca Bond — twin sister of Lewis Bond, was a scout dur-
ing the latter part of the Indian wars, and was surveyor of
Harrison county for thirty-two years, and held other offices
of public trust and honor. His son Lewis, married Miss
130 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COVNTY
Rachel Wilson, youngest daughter of Col. Ben Wilson, senior,
and was the father of Mrs. Creed Collins, of Pennsboro.
He (Thomas) died in Harrison county on August 31,
1853, rich in the love and esteem of his fellow-countrymen.
He was also the father of the late Luther Haymond of Clarks-
burg, who almost reached the centur}^ mark.
The descendants of William Haymond, senior, which are
prominently known in different parts of the Union, are in-
numerable, but among them we find the name of one which
is familiar to us all — that of the Hon. Hu Maxwell, the well
known A\^est Virginia historian, who now holds a position
in the Forestry Service at Washington city.
John Raymond's Will.— "In the name of God, Amen. I
John Haymond, of Frederick county. Carpenter, being in
good health of Body & of sound mind & perfect mind & mem-
ory, praise be therefore given to Almighty God, do make and
ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form
following, that is to say, First.
First and principally, I recommend my soul into the
hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merits. Death
and passion of my Savior Jesus Christ, to have full pardon &
forgiveness of all my sins & inherit everlasting life, and my
body I commit to the Earth to be decently hurried &C.
First Item. I give and bequeath unto my well-beloved
wife Margaret Haymond, a tract of land called the "Constant
Friendship," Avith the Plantation that I now live on, the tract
of land containing one hundred fifty acres during her natural
life, then the said Plantation & land to be my dear son
William Haymond's forever.
Item. I give and bequeath vmto my well-beloved wife,
Margaret Haymond. a negro man named Sam, and also a
negro man Cesar, and also a negro woman, named Jenny &
also a negro woman named Poll, and also a negro girl named
Nell «& and also a negro Girl named P"illas and also a negro
girl named Lucy, and also a negro girl named Gate & also a
negro boy named Robin & also a negro boy named Sampson,
and also a negro girl named Sail & also a negro girl named
(To jMrs. Creed Collins of Pennsboro we are incletjted for this valu-
able information, wliich we gleaned from a record of tlie Haymond family
published in 1903.)
NORTH FORK SETTLED 131
Dyner. Ye, said negroes my well-beloved wife, to enjoy dur-
ing her natural life, then the said negroes to be divided be-
tween my children, my dear son Nicholas Haymond to have
negro, Poll & also a negro boy named Robin, forever. My
dear son Calder Haymond to have a negro man named Sam,
and a negro woman named Jenny & a negro girl named
Dyner, forever. My dear daughter Hannah to have a negro
man named Cesar and a negro girl named Lucy & a negro
girl named Alice forever. My dear son William Haymond
to have a negro boy named Sampson & a negro girL named
Gate & a negro girl named Sail, forever. My dear daughter
Ann Haymond to have a negro girl named Fillis and a negro
girl named, Nell, forever.
Item. I give and bequeath to my dear son, Nicholas
Haymond, all that tract of land called Constant Friendship,
containing one hundred fifty acres, being' the other part of
the tract of land that I now live on. to be the said Nicholas
Haymond's and his heirs forever, as soon as the said tract
of land is made over by Mr. Thomas Lucas and wife, which
land is now in the prosecion of will the said Thomas L>ucas'
wife is at age, to make the land over, and I also give my dear
son Nicholas Haymond a negro man named Will forever.
Item. I give and bequeath to my dear daughter. Alary
Haymond a negro boy named Nacy, and one negro girl named
Candeth.
Item. I give and bequeath a negro girl named Alice to
my dear daughter, Hannah Jones, forever, the said negro is
now in the possession of her husband, John Jones.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my dear son, Calder
Haymond, part of that tract of land called "Haymond's addi-
tion," beginning at the end of the first line of Constant Friend-
ship, forever. Calder to have that part that lies next my own
Plantation and to go with the main Road by Lawrence
Owens, and to the Church Road.
And my dear daughter, Ann Haymond, to have the other
part that lies above Mr. Lawrence Owens, next to Mr. Alex-
ander Barricks, running right up to the main road, to join
with Mr. Owen's line.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my dear and vveil-be-
]32 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
loved wife, all my household goods, and all ye stock of every-
thing, Cattle, Sheep Horses Hoggs, during her natural life,
and then the stock and household goods to be divided alike
between my dear sons Nicholas and Calder and William and
Ann Haymond.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my dear and well-be-
loved wife, the House called the "Alill House," during her
natural life, and then the said House to be for the use of m}'
dear sons, Nicholas Haymond, Calder Haymond, and W^illi-im
Haymond during their lives and their heirs forev^er, and each
son to have as good a part as the other."
"JOHN I-iAYMOND, fSeal)
Semptr. 27, 1750.
Test:
JOHN RAWLINS,
. ROBERT EN\NIS,
His
WILLIAM X O'NEAL.
Mark.
The Garners. — John Garner, senior, Avas among the very
first pioneers of the North fork of Hughes river. He married
Miss Elizabeth Grigsby and came from New Jersey early in
the century and entered land in the vicinity of Tollgate,
wdiere he remained until his death in 1841. Not many years
after his arrival here his wife died, and he then married Mrs.
Eleanor Hurst Marsh. His' last hours were spent at the
home of Notley Willis at Tollgate, and here he lies in his last
sleep, as do his two companions.
He was the father of two sons and three daughters all
of the first union; viz., John, junior, William, Nancy, Eliza-
beth, and Delila Garner.
John Garner, junior, was born near Tollgate in 1808, and
in 1830 he was married to Miss Sarah Ann Williams and
established his home on Ruck run (a tributary of this river),
on the farm that is still in the hands of his heirs. Here Mrs.
Garner passed from earth in 1885, and the following 3-ear lie
(This unique piece of antiquity will doubtless be of Interest to not a
few of tlie readers of this book besides the lineal descendants.)
NORTH FORK SETTLED 133
was married to Miss Sarah A. Shepherd, who still survives.
He died in 1893, and at Mole Hill he lies at rest.
He and his first wife were the parents of seven children :
Isaiah (1831-1901), Julia Ann, who is Mrs. J. C. Jones, of
Mole Hill; Hester (Mrs. Edward Ferribee). Loftus P., and
Francis A. Garner, all of Buck run ; Rebecca (Mrs. Amos
Thomas), and William A., who died in infancy.
William Garner went West and there married and reared
a family,
Delila Garner, also went West and married a man by the
name of Maddox. Nancy was Mrs. Underwood ; and Eliza-
beth, Mrs. Williams.
The Marshes. — James Marsh was another very early set-
tler on this river in the Tollgate vicinity. Nothing definite
as to the origin of this family in America is in our possession,
except that they came from England in Colonial times and
settled in Maryland, where James Marsh was born. How-
ever, he married Miss Eleanor Hurst, a beautiful English
maiden, who crossed the deep to Baltimore with her parents
in her girlhood, and was the founder of one of the oldest and
best families of the county.
Near the beginning of the nineteenth century, he came
from Baltimore, and purchased (of Richard Dotson) the farjii
that is now owned by J. M. Wilson, near one-half mile east
of Tollgate, and took up his residence here, where he died in
1810. And only a few paces from the scene of his settlement
on his own homestead, he lies in his last sleep. After his
death, his widow became the wife of John Garner, senior, and
at Tollgate she reposes.
The family of James and Eleanor Hurst Marsh consisted
of five girls and five boys; viz., Eli, Enoch, Elias, Elijah,
James, Epha, Elizabeth, Eliza, Edith and Charlotte Marsh.
James died in childhood, and Elijah, in youth, but all the rest
married and reared families.
Eli Marsh was born on April 4, 1791, and with his parents
came to this county in his boyhood. On March 1, 18'?."), he
was married to Miss Drusilla Turner Israel, who was born
in Harrison county, on June 17, 1811, and at the old Israel
homestead, six miles from Clarksburg, they lived and died.
i:u HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
He was one of the prominent men of his clay, and his wife
was noted for her many beautiful traits of character, and
their comfortable home at "Roselawn farm" was known far
and wide for its hospitality. Mrs. Marsh died on March 13,
1873, and he followed her to the grave on November twenty-
seventh of the same year.
Their little family consisted of two daughters ; viz., Mary
Rebecca, and Susan Jane Marsh.
In March, 18-14, Mary Rebecca became the wife of L'riel
M. Turner, a lawyer, of Culpepper county, Virginia, who
practiced his profession at Clarksburg after their marriage ;
and the one child of this union was the late Prof. Eli Marsh
Turner, of the Morgantown University, who died on March
1, 1908, at the age of sixty-four yeais, leaving a wife, (nee
Miss H. Georgia Jackson, of Newark, Ohio) and four chil-
dren ; viz., Mary R., Phoebe, James J., and Wirt M. Turner,
all of Morgantown.
The other daughter, Susan Jane Marsh, was married, to
Ccl. Benjamin Wilson, junior, of Clarksburg, in June, 1848,
and the two children born of this union are: Buena M., who
is Mrs. John W. Brown, of Clarksburg; and Drusilla, the late
Mrs. George Funy, of W^heeling, who passed on a number of
years ago, leaving one child.
Including the six children of Mrs. Brown above men-
tioned (Wilson, Lilian, Gertrude, Roscoe, Benjamin, and
Marj^ Brown) we have the entire line of the descendants of
Eli ]Marsh.
Enoch Marsh was born near Tollgate in 1804, and in his
young manhood, was married to Miss Mar}^ Ann Cline,
daughter of Abraham Cline, who was born in January, 1808 ;
and after spending the first few years of their married life at
the old homestead near Tollgate. in March, 1836, they re-
moved a little farther up the river and settled on the farm
that is now the home of Ben Wilson, and from here they
passed to their final home. He died on March 31, 18(i5, and
his wife, on September 19, 1878, and both rest on their old
liomestead.
Their children were: Sarah Jane (Mrs. David McGin-
nis), Eli, Elizabeth (Mrs. -John Douglass, of Cairo), Clarinda
NORTH FORK SETTLED
135
(Mrs. J. H. B. Cunningham, of Mole HilH, James, of. near
Ellenboro ; the late Jefferson Marsh, of Harrisville ; and Mary,
Cathrine, Angelina, Eliza, and Ellen P. Marsh, who all died
unmarried.
"Marsh Cabin."
This cabin was constructed from the logs of the old Enoch Marsli
:abin.
A large number of prominent young people in the vari-
ous v¥alks of life in this and sister counties are descended
from this branch of the Marsh family. Among them are H.
E. McGinnis, the honorable County clerk ; Prof. J. F. Marsh,
one of the leading young educators of the State ; Guy Young,
of Glenville; and Harvey Marsh, of Ohio. Calvin Marsh,
an editor in Washington state; Newton Marsh, of Cairo, etc.
Elias Marsh married Miss Nancy Collins, eldest daughter
of Jacob Collins, and settled on "Marsh's run" below Mole
Hill, where he lived and died. (See Collins family for farther
account.)
Epha Marsh was first married to AVilliam Cline, and at
Tollgate they took up their residence, perhaps on the Marsh
homestead, and the two children of this union were Eli Cline,
and Eleanor, who married William Haymond. After the
death of Mr. Cline, Epha Marsh became the wife of Notley
Willis, and the one child of this union is N. G. Willis, of Mole
Hill.
EHzabeth Marsh was married to Amos Keys, and her
home was on Middle Island creek, where she sleeps, in the
Ripley cemetery.
i;^6 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COi'NTV
Her children were seven in number; viz., Helen (died
young), Eveline, John and James, who are all single, reside
at the old home. Jacintha is Airs. Norvel Joseph, of Middle
Island; and Bert and Alarsh Keys are the other two sons.
Edith Marsh married James Franks, and after the birth
of their first child, Angelina, they removed to the Ohio river
below Parkersburg, and here their liistory ends.
Eliza Marsh was the late Airs. Thomas Eastlack. of Har-
rison county, and her children were Eli, Alstorphus, Elias,
and Carminta, who became Z\Irs. liarney Bond, of Middle
Island creek.
Charlotte Marsh was married to Richard "Britton, and
for a time after their marriage they resided, in the "Buckeye
state," but they later removed to Greenwood, in Doddridge
county, and here we lose sight of them. Air. Britton Avas a
newspaper editor, and their family consisted of three children:
Richard, the son, died in his young manhood : Eleanor was
the late Airs. William Collins, of the North fork of Hughes'
river; and Eliza was the wife of Henry B. Collins, of Alole
Hill. (See Collins history.)
Raleigh Haddox. — Raleigh^ Haddox was another very
early settler on the waters of the North fork of Hughes river.
He was of Scotch-Irish descent. His father, Jonathan Had-
dox, crossed the sea from Ireland during the latter part of
the eighteenth century and settled at Richmond, Virginia.
As dates are wanting, it is not known to a certainty where
Raleigh Haddox was born, but it is probable that the "Old
Dominion" was the place of his nativity. He enlisted as a
soldier late in the war of '12, but saw no service. His
wife, Miss Sarah Ferrell, was the daughter of Alajor Ferrell.
of the Continental army, who afterwards served as captain
in the war of 181"2, and received from the Government, in
recognition of his services, a grant of land where the county
seat of Culpepper is now located ; but failing to prosecute
his claim, received no benefit from the grant which is now
valued at one million dollars.
^This name has been spelled in three different ways in the data sent
us: "Raley," "Rollo," and "Raleign," and we preferred the latter.
NORTH FORK SETTLED . 137
In 1825, Raleigh Haddox, with his family, emigrated
from the valley of Virginia to Monongalia county, and from
near Morgantown, four years later, he came to this county,
and settled below Mole Hill on the run that still bears his
name, where the remainder of his life was principally spent.
Mrs. Haddox died in lS.5(i. She was of Scotch descent.
His children were : George Haddox, whose family is
mentioned with the Hushers. Mary who became the wife of
Matthew Riggs, of Tyler county. B. H., Enoch S., and
Jonathan J. Haddox. (The Riggs children were: James,
Manda, Oliver, Raleigh, Enoch, Dock and Agnes Riggs.)
B. H. was married to Miss Nancy Haddox, daughter of
Elijah, a cousin of Raleigh, and Louis C. Haddox, a promi-
nent clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal church, of Colum-
bus, Ohio, is his only son. This son (Louis C.) married
Caroline B. Ireland, daughter of Alexander, and niece of G.
M. Ireland, of Pullman.
Enoch S. Haddox was first married to Miss Caroline
Pickens, of Pleasants county ; and his second wife was Miss
Eliza Chambers, of the same county. One son of the first
union and two sons and three daughters, of the second, made
up his household : O. M., Kinie, Victory, Wm., and Tudie.
Jonathan J. Haddox's first wife was a Miss Robinson,
and his second. Miss Amanda McCoy, of Tyler county, and
one daughter and one son. both of the second union were his
children : John T. and Marie.
Allen Calhoun. — Allen Calhoun was the pioneer on the
farm that is now the estate of the late Edmund Taylor, a lit-
tle east of Pennsboro. He was the first blacksmith of the
town, but at the coming of the railroad, he sold out his in-
terest here, and removed to Spruce creek, Avhere he passed
away during the civil war; and in the old Pleasant Hill bury-
ing-ground he lies at rest.
He was of Irish origin, his parents having crossed from
the "Emerald Isle," shortly before his birth, and settled in
Pennsylvania.
He (Allen) and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Powell Calhoun,
were both natives of the "Keystone" state. Mrs. Calhoun
338 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTV
died near the }-ear 1S45, and was laid at rest in the Pioneer
cemetery at Pennsboro.
Their cliildren were: Samuel Calhoun, of Beason ;
Robert, who died in early manhood ; Powell, formerly of this
county, but now one of the nonegarians of T3der; John, who
spent his last hours at the old homestead, on Spruce creek;
Elizabeth, who married James Wright, of Spruce creek, and
was the late mother of the Rev. Allen \\' right, of Parkers-
burg; and Mary, who married ^Villis Wright (brother of
James), of Barbour county.
The Taylors. — Edmund Taylor V\'as another earl}' settler
on this river. He and his wife, ]\Irs. Rachel McKinney Tay-
lor, were both natives of the "Old Dominion," but they came
here from Harrison county, near the year 1820, and erected
their humble dwelling on the bank of the river near the
mouth of Lynn Camp, on the farm that is now the estate of
their late son Edmund. He was a typical pioneer of gigantic
stature, and was a large land owner. The first sermon in
Clay district is said to have been delivered within the walls
of his home here.
Mrs. Taylor was born on Alay 29, 1791, and was a de-
scendant of the Tucker family, her mother being a sister of
Phebe Tucker Cunningham, of Indian fam.e. She preceded
Mr. Taylor to the home beyond by a number of years, and
his second wife was Mrs. ]\Iary Sherwood Howard. He was
born on April 15. lT9fi, and died at a little home near Penns-
boro some time during the seventies, and b}- the side of his
first wife he lies at rest on the old homestead.
Camden and Joseph Taylor were the children of iiis
second marriage and those of the first were : Lovina, James,
Mary Ann, Nancy, Sarah, Michael, Edmund, junior, and
Rachel Taylor.
Lovina Taylor, the eldest child, who was born on April
15, 1815, married Peter Broadwater and lived and died in this
county. (See Broadwater Family.)
James Taylor, whose natal day was October 7, 1818, was
a man of more than ordinary ability. He was one of the
early Sherifrs of the county and served as a member of the
State Legislature. He resided on Lynn Camp, at Harrisville,
XORTH FORK SETTLED 139
and finally went to Cornwallis, where death overtook him.
But he rests in the Taylor burying-ground on the old home-
stead.
He was first married to Miss Lovisa Dotson, and his
second wife was a Miss Windom. The children of the first
marriage vveie; Phelps, who died in childhood; the Rev. E.
J. Taylor, and James D., of Lynn Camp ; Stonewall, of Park-
ersburg-; the late Mrs. Lovina (Patrick) Monohan, of Cairo:
Mrs. Hannah Broadwater; Mrs. Rachel (Ocran) Corbin, of
Pennsboro ; and the late Mrs. Victoria M. (H. N.) Wilson,
of Burnt House.
The two children of the last marriage were John and
William Taylor.
Mary Ann Taylor, l:)orn September 23, 1820, married
Henson Merrifield, and after she was laid in the Pennsboro
cemetery, the family went to the State of Washington. Avhere
they married, and where they now reside. Helen, James,
Adaline and Edlee Merrifield were the names of the children.
Nancy Taylor, born on November 24, 1822, married Bar-
ton H. Hickman, and in the Gnat's run cemetery she lies at
rest. Mr. Hickman still survives, and their children are:
James, Jack. Luster, Edmund, ]\Irs. ]\Iaggie Dotson, ]\Irs.
Jenning Strosnider, Airs. Fannie Rogers, Mrs. Viola Woofter,
and Mrs. Rose Taylor.
Sarah Taylor was born on January 29, 1825, and died
(unmarried) on June 9, LS95, and was buried in the Taylor
cemetery.
Michael Taylor, born July 12, 1827, married Miss Eliza
Broadwater, daughter of Jefiferson Broadwater, and died a
number of years ago, but his widow survived until 1909. when
she was laid by his side in the Taylor burying ground.
Their children are as follows :
Mrs. Adaline Calhoun, Mrs. Mary (A. P.) Meredith,
Ashford, Peter, James, Waldo, Edmund, Airs. Jennie Bucke-
lew, and Mrs. Ella Nay. Mrs. Aleredith and Mrs. Nay reside
in Washington, on the Pacific coast.
Edmund Taylor, junior, born on October 5, 1829, mar-
ried Ermany Jane Baker, daughter of William and Ruth
Deacon Baker, and lived and died on the old homestead where
lAQ HISTORY Of RITCHIE COUNTY
his parents settled, on January 31, 1903. His wife survived
him by several years, and both rest in the Taylor cemetery.
Their family consisted of thirteen children :
Elizabeth, the first born, is Mrs. Charles Cunningham,
Boggess, Marcus B., William, Brent, Gluck. Grover, Ben,
Ralph, Mrs. Addie Moore, Mrs. Sarah Bernard, Mrs. Daisy
Moore, and Mrs. June Dotson.
Rachel Taylor, the youngest daughter, born on March
15. 1834, married Ashford Broadwater, and spent her last
hours on McKim, but rests in the Tollgate cemetery. Her
children are twelve in number : James, Howard, Harvey,
Ralph, Waldo, Okey, Morris, Harris, Sedwick, Mrs. Mary
Hill, Mrs. Amanda Peebles, and Miss Ida Broadwater.
CHAPTER IX
North Fork Settlers— Continued
SAIAH MARSHALL was an early pioneer
on the river above Tollgate — on the farm
that was until quite recently a part of the
late Creed Collins estate ; and here where
he formed his settlement, he spent the clos-
ing hours of his life; but if he had any de-
scendants (and some say that he had not)
we have been unable to get any trace of them.
Helmick, — Philip Helmick made the first improvement
on the river below Tollgate. He came from Harrison county
near the year 1805, and established his home on the Broad-
water farm, where he saw the last of earth, but of his poster-
ity we know nothing. Li 1839, not long after his death, Eli
Tucker, senior, purchased this farm, which passed into the
hands of the late Jefferson Broadwater, in 1844.
Tucker. — Eli B. Tucker was born in what is now Taylor
county in 1797, and shortly after his marriage to Miss Eliza-
beth Jaco, in his early manhood, he came to the South fork
of Hughes river and founded his home on the Michael's farm,
at Oxford ; and from there removed to what is now the
Broadwater farm. In 1856, he, with his family, went to
Mason county, Missouri, where he fell asleep in 1876.
He three times took the marriage vow, Ruth Scott being
his second wife, and Margaret Dotson, sister of Emmanuel,
his third.
The children of the first union were : Harrison J., Mary
who died in youth, Rachel (Mrs. Henry E. Dotson), Orlinda
(Mrs. Solomon Dotson), Phebe (Mrs. John Sears), and Nel-
son.
Those of the second v/ere : Eli B., who is now spending
his old age just across the Doddridge county line near Toll-
gate; James R., of Tollgate; Booth, Harrison, Thomas,
143 HISTORY OF RITCHIE GOV NT Y
Samuel and Michael, who went West where they rest.
Those of the third marriage : Jackson, Preston, Elizabeth
and Ruhama, who died single; Adaline (Mrs. Thomas Nich-
olson), Loiiise (Mrs. Henry Luck).
The Tuckers are said to be of Scotch lineage, and they
belong to the same family as Phebe Tucker Cunningham, of
Indian fame, but we have been unable to determine the exact
connection.
The Dotsons. — Some time, perhaps, in the early twenties,
the Dotsons found homes in the Tollgate vicinity, and a long
line of their descendants still lay claim to this soil.
The original spelling of this name in the Old World was
"Dodson," but for some unknown reason (probably from the
natural inclination for mis-pronouncing names) it became
changed to its present form.
Two brothers, James and William Dotson, came frou!
England in colonial day?; and settled near Richmond, Vir-
ginia; and from James (or some say his name was Richard)
the different families of this part of the county trace their
lineage.
AVilliam Dotson, son of James (or Richard) married
Miss Alary Franks, and settled at Greenwood, in Doddridge
county, in his 3^ounger days, where he reared quite a family
of sons and daughters, who were as fellows :
Emmanuel, William, junior, John, Squire, Henry, Saul,
Nancy (Mrs. Griggs), Jane (Mrs. Elefrits), Cynthia (Mrs.
Scott), Charlotte (wife of John Wilson), Elizabeth (Mrs.
Ruley)-, Mary Ann (Mrs. Dougherty), and Alargaret (Airs.
Eli B. Tucker, senior).
Emmanuel Dotson was born at Greenwood, on Alarch 1,
1798 ; and in his early manhood, was married to Miss Hannah
Sears, and on Cabin run where Thomas Dotson now lives,
they established their home near they year 1830. Here they
remained until they crossed to the other side, and at Tollgate
they rest. Air. Dotson died on February 12, 1881, at the age
of eighty-two vears.
He and his wife Hannah, were the parents of three sons
and one daughter; viz., Hiram S., John W.. Granville, and
Lovisa Dotson.
NORTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED
143
John W., and his wife, Mrs. Amy Pool Dotson, went to
Minnesota many years ago, but they now live in California.
Granville married Sarah Cross, and they also went West,
where they sleep, and where their descendants live.
Lovisa, the only daughter, married James Taylor and
lived and died in this county. (See Taylor Family.)
Hiram S. Dotson, the one son that remained here, was
born on Cabin run, in 1832, and spent his entire life within
the bounds of his native county,
where his ashes lie.
He was first married to Miss
Susan Markwell. who died while
he was serving as a Union soldier
in ISGo, leaving eleven children ;
and his second wife was Miss
Melvina Poole, who was the
mother of his other five children.
On October 26, 1863, he was
honorably discharged from the
army service because his orphan
children demanded his presence
at home.
The children of the first union were: Mansfield S.,
Spence B., Perry E., Amos A., Wm. F., Alpheus R., Charles
G., Mrs. Alice J. Ash. Mrs. Sarah G. Kyger, and Mrs. Susan
Smith — one name is missing. Those of the second marriage
were: J. W., David V., Thomas J., Mrs. Annabella Nutter,
and Mary, who became the wife of Henry Miller.
William Dotson (brother of Emmanuel) was married to
Miss Anne Ankrum, and settled across the Doddridge count}^
line, where he lived and died. His children were : Daniel,
Jerusha (Mrs. Joseph Dougherty), William, Owen, Rose
(Mrs. Samuel Copendofl:"er), Caroline (Mrs. Hickman), Rilla
(Mrs. Francis Waldo), and Israel Dotson.
John Dotson (brother of Emmanuel) married Miss Susan
Sears, sister of Hannah Sears Dotson, for his first wife; and
his second, was M'iss Mahala Myers. He, too, settled across
the Doddridge county line, but removed to the Harris\^ille
vicinitv in the ante-bellum davs. and there he rests. His
Emmanuel Dotson.
144 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COU.VTY
children : Oliver, Lloyd, Mrs. Minerva Stinespring, Mrs.
Cindona (Daniel) Malone, Clinton, Leeman, Noble and Rufns
Dolson.
Thomas J. Dotson, another brother of Emmanuel, was
one of the early settlers on Buck run (a small tributary of
the head of the North fork, which took its name from the
large number of male deer found here by the pioneer hunters).
He and his wife Ruth Griggs Dotson, were the parents of
five children; viz., Elza, the late Ellis, the late ]\larshall,
Armstrong, and Clara who married George Elefritz.
"Aunt Polly" Dotson, a widow whose identity we have
been unable to learn, was another early settler on Buck run,
but the names of her children have been given us as follows:
Benjamin, Robert, Thomas, John S., Joseph, and l\frs. Alary
Griggs.
And from these two pioneers the numerous families of
the name on Buck run to-day are descended. Like the oilier
r)otsons they are said to be a peaceable, law-abiding race
of people. Many of them are religiously inclined, and not a
lew of them have entered the ministry of the Christian
church, and some of the younger generations are identified
in the teaching profession.
Zachariah Dotson, brother of William, senior, w^as a very
early settler in the Tollgate vicinity. He possibly came as
early as 1(S10, and remained until death, but of his family
we have no record.
Richard Dotson, the head of another branch of the fam-
ily, was also a brother of William, senior, and Zachariah
Dotson. He removed from the Old Dominion to the Monon-
galia glades, and from there to Doddridge county, where he
met the destroyer. Though he is said to have owned land
in the Tollgate vicinity as early as 1800, we have no account
of his ever having made any improvement here. His home,
however was in Doddridge county, and in a burying-ground
on Arnold's creek his ashes lie.
He twice took the marriage vow but the names of his
wives are missing ; but the children of the first union were as
follows: Thomas, Mann, and John Dotson; and those of the
second, Jackson, Elisha, Joseph, Michael, Ruth (Mrs. James
NORTH PORK SETTLERS— COXTIN LED U3
Cain), Lizzie (Mrs. Johnson Childers). and Stacy (Mrs. John
Haggle).
Elisha Dotson was a soldier of the war of 1812, and his
wife was Miss Nancy Wineger. Their family consisted of
t!ie following named children: Trvin Dotson, of Rusk, is the
only survivor of the family and he is now seventy-four years
of aee. Richard, who married Miss Elizabeth Deem, was the
head of the Pllizabeth (Wirt county) family, who have, since
his death, removed to Parkersburg. Albert rests in Wood
county; Hiram, on Goose creek; Jackson, in Oregon; Mary
(Mrs. John Hustage, and Mahala (Mrs. John Flemming),
both in Wood county; and Clarinda (Mrs. George Elefritz),
on Goose creek.
David Cox, though not so early as some of the rest, was
Lhe first to establish a home on the head of Buck run, and
John Garner, whose history has already been given, was
another pioneer here.
Mr. Cox was a native of Maryland, but Avith his father
came to W^etzel county at the age of eighteen A^-ears, where he
engaged in farming with Presley Martin on the very site
where New Martinsville now stands. At the age of twenty-
six years he claimed Miss Rachel Hawkins as his life com-
panion ; and in 1845, they came to Hughes' river and settled
on the William Collins farm until they could find a desirable
location for a permanent home; and the year following (1846)
they removed to Buck run. where they died and wliere their
heirs still hold sway. Their remains lie in the Oak Grove
churchyard on their old homestead.
Their family consisted of five daughters and five sons :
Mrs. Mary Kloy, Mrs. Tiester A. Porter, Mrs. Nancy M.
Hawkins, and Caleb H. Cox now own the old homestead.
Jesse died in Missouri in 1870 ; Edward is of Oklahoma ; James
is a silver-smith and school-teacher, of Doddridge county ;
William, who formerly wielded the birchen rod, and later
figured as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, is
now a successful tiller of the soil in the Buckeye state : and
of the rest we have no mention, but they are probably dead.
Caleb H. Cox is a distinguished pulpit orator of the
United Brethren church in Christ, and is now in charge of
the Valley Mill church at Waverly, West Virginia. Pie is a
116 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
'"six-fold" graduate, and one of his college degrees is that of
Doctor of Divinity from the Kansas City University.
He is also an author of considerable note — "The Manual
of Theology," and the "History of the West Virginia Annual
Conference of the United Brethren Church in Christ," being
the Avork of his 'pen. He has written a number of sacred
songs, too, among which are "Stay with Me, Lord," and the
"Silver River."
He has presented fifteen amendments to the "Book of
Discipline" of his church before the General conference, thir-
teen of which have been adopted; has served as secretary of
the Conference for twenty-eight years, and has been a meni-
ber of the Minister's Examining committee for thirty-two
3-ears.
Gamaliel Waldo made the first settlement on the farm
that is known as the Flannagan homestead near the year 1815.
Traces of his old cabin vvhich stood only a few liundred vards
from the present W. A. Flannagan residence, are still visible.
Mr. Waldo and his wife, Nancy Bartlett Waldo, came
from Harrison county and remained here until about tlie year
1844, when they removed to Indiana witli all their family,
except three members who were established in homes of their
own, and there they saw the last of earth. They were ad-
herents of the Baptist church faith and Mr. Waldo was the
first clerk of the "Mab Zeal" Baptist class at Harrisville in
1825.
Their children were as follows : Hickman, Bartlett,
Phipps, John, Zedediah, Melinda. Matilda, Harriett. Emily.
Amy and Elizabeth Waldo, the daughters ha^'ing all married
in the West.
Hickman Waldo, who married Miss Mary AVilliams,
daughter of Foster and Mrs. Nellie Pritchard Williams, of
Doddridge county, remained in the Tollgate vicinity until he
crossed to the other side ; and here, on the Doddridge county
side, some of his children still live. His family are: John.
Oscar, Jasper, James, and George, of Doddridge county : Syl-
vester and Francis, of Fairmont ; Newton, of Colorado : and
Grant died in youth. His daughters are Mrs. Susan (John
W.) Debrular, of Holbrook ; Mrs. Alice (Joseph) Ankruni,
NORTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 147
Fairmont; and Mrs. Sarah (Wilford) Collins, Ohio.
■ Bartlett Waldo was married to Miss Jane Gray, daughter
of James Gray, of Oxford, and spent his life in Doddridge
county. His children were Arthur, Sarah, the late Mrs. Eliza-
beth (Christopher) Lipscomb, of Clarksburg; Mrs. Emily
Norris, Wetzel county; Thomas Waldo, of Grantsville; and
Miss Victoria W"aldo, of Clarksburg.
The Taylors. — Eli Taylor was the head of another old
and worthy Clay district family.
He was descended from English (or Irish) emigrants,
who crossed to the Western world in Colonial times and set-
tled in New Hampshire. The time of their coming is not de-
finitely known, but it is probable that his grandsire, Daniel
Taylor, was among the first to cross. HoAvever this may be,
our history begins with Daniel Taylor, who married Miss
Sarah Larue for his second wife, and migrated from the
"Hampshire hills" to what is now Hampshire county, West
Virginia, where he established a permanent home, and reared
a family; and from his two sons, Eli and John Taylor, quite
a number of the citizens of this part of the county are de-
scended.
Eli Taylor was born in Hampshire county in 1813, and
his wife, Mary Sigler (born 1812) was a native of Allegheny
county, Maryland.
They were married on May 16, 1833 ; and in 184:1 they
removed to this county, and settled near Tollgate, where their
son, Silas J. Taylor, now resides. Here death closed his eyes
in 1855, but Mrs. Taylor survived until 1876, when she was
laid by his side in the Tollgate cemetery.
Their children were seven in number, viz., John William
(1834-1847), Aseneth Ellen (1836-1861 unmarried), Phillip
(1839-1834), who died at Clarksburg, where he sleeps, (from
smallpox) while serving as a Union soldier; Dan'iel E.
(1841—), lives in Texas; Sarah Martha (1843-54), Silas J.
(1845), of Tollgate; and Eli Griffin, (1849) who was formerly
a teacher of this county, is now of Morgantown. lie (Griffin
Taylor) was married in 1880 to Miss Camora Barcus. of In-
diana.
Silas J. Ta3dor, who still occupies the old home, where
he was born sixty-five years ago, is one of the substantia!
148 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
citizens of this community. He is a successful tiller of the
soil, and was at one time a member of the honorable County
court.
On Januar}^ 1, 186T, he deserted single life when he
claimed Miss Eleanor Cathrine Collins, daughter of William
Collins, as his bride ; and the five children born of this union
are as follows :
Vida A. is Mrs. A. J. Zinn, of Tollgate ; and William C.
and Otha R. are business men of this town ; Miss Faye is at
home; and Silas Reuben lives in Wirt county.
John Taylor, the elder brother of Eli, was born in Hamp-
shire county in 1810, and there in 1832, he was married to
Aliss Deborah Monroe, who was also -born in Hampshire
county of Scotch parentage ; and on October 18, 1833, twins
were born of this union — a son and a daughter; and four days
after the birth of these children the young mother was borne
to her final resting place.
The daughter, Mary E. Taylor, grew to womanhood and
married Mr. Cornwell, and she is the venerable mother of
Hon. J- J- Cornwell, the noted lawyer and politician, of Rom-
ney.
The son, John Monroe I'aylor, remained in his native
county until he had reached the age of eighteen years, when
he went to Bridgeport, in Harrison county. There he met
and married Miss Huldah Pool, daughter of Thomas Pool, a
descendant of the Waldos and Gofifs, of Harrison county, and
from there they removed to Tollgate in the ante-bellum days.
At the breaking out of the Civil war, Mr. Ta3'lor joined
the "Home Guards," and while on duty at the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad bridge, contracted typhoid fever, which finall)'
resulted in his death thirty years later. In February, 189:2,
he sufifered a slight injury to the limb that had been affected
by the fever during his military service, and his wife was the
victim of an attack of la grippe, and both began to decline;
and on a beautiful Sunday in May (1, 1892) they both passed
into the land of eternal day. He preceded her by one brief
hour, and both lie at rest in one grave in the Gnat's run ceme-
tery.
They were the parents of six children : Ira Taylor is
one of the oldest and most successful teachers of the county ;
NORTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 149
Thomas \\'., and J. Hammond are also of this county; Albert
is of Alorg-antown ; and Anna T. (Mrs. Taylor), and Vietta
(Mrs. Flanagan), ixith of Mineral county.
The Lantzes. — The venerable Jacob Lantz, who is, per-
haps, at this time, the oldest resident of the county, has been
identitied with the citizenship of this river for more than
seventy years.
He was born at Blacksville, West Virginia, on August
22, 1814; and there his parents, John and Elizabeth Bonnett
Lantz, spent their lives. On December 8, 1836, he was mar-
ried to Miss Minerva Miner, of Blacksville, and two years
later, they came to this county and settled on the "Simon
Lantz farm" (now owned by ex-Sheriff Okey E. Nutter) ; and
from here, in 1863, he removed to Mole Hill, where he still
survives.
Mrs. Lantz died on March 2, 1860, and was laid at rest
in the Mole Hill cemetery. And on April 14, 1861, Mr. Lantz
was again married to Mrs. Lettie Smith Jones, daughter of
Isaac Smith, of Tyler county, and widow of James Jones;
but on March 3, 1906, Death laid his icy hand upon her, and
slie, too, rests in the Mole Hill cemetery. His granddaughter,
Miss Lettie Marsh, now lives with him.
The children of his first marriage were five in number,
and were as follows :
John Lantz, born November 23, 1837, and died on Febru-
ary 10, 1861.
Simon Miner, born October 26, 1839, and died on January
10, 1863.
Louisa, born June 25, 1841. and in 1860, married Lycur-
gus Hill, and died at her home in Tyler county on October 30,
1903. She was the mother of ex-Sheriff" B. F. Hill ; and ex-
Senator T. P. Hill.
Emeline Lantz, born on February 16, 1843. married Peter
Stuart, on August 27, 1865, and resides at Mole Hill.
Allison Price Lantz, born on May 16, 1848, married Miss
Lina LTaymond. on October 24, 1869, and died at his home at
Mole Hill on April 20, 1870.
The children of the second union are Minerva A., the
wife of Reeves Haymond; and Ida Lantz. wife of John R.
Maish. both of Mole Hill.
150 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
The Cunninghams. — Though not pioneers, the families
of Joseph and James Larkin Cunningham liave long been
identified with the leading citizens of this part of the county.
These brothers were the sons of John and Sarah King Cun-
ningham, and from Marion county they came during the
spring of 1857.
Joseph Cunningham and his wife, Luvina ^^IcCray, set-
tled on the Lewis Bond farm on Gnat's run, where their son
now lives. Here he passed from earth during the summer of
1890, and his venerable widow survived until February 10,
1904. Both rest in the family burying-ground on the old
homestead.
Their children were as follows: Harriet (Mrs. L. S. Sill,
Pennsboro) ; Rebecca (Mrs. D. M. Hayhurst, Beech Grove) ;
Jane (Mrs. \\\ A. Duckworth, Duckworth Summit) ; Ang-
elina (widow of Jefiferson Marsh, of Harrisville) ; Sarah (I\Irs.
A\'. A\'. Collins, Pennsboro) ; Mary (Mrs. D. Z. Taylor, Hamp-
shire county) : Ellen (unmarried), who, with her brother,
Robert, resides at the old home ; the late Andrew, of Okla-
homa : Joseph H. B., of Mole Hill; and the late James Frank-
lin, whose family now live at Huntington.
Jay E. Cunningham, of Pennsboro, wdio is so well known
in Prohibition circles ; J. Frank Marsh, Harvey Marsh, and
numerous other prominent young people that might be men-
tioned, are the grandchildren of Joseph Cunningl]am.
James Larkin Cunningham was married to Miss Eliza-
betli Fox (sister of E. C. Fox, of Harrisville), on January 16,
1815, who was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, un
December 23, 1831, and on their arrival in this county, they
established their home near Beech Grove, where their son,
D. B. Cunningham, now resides. Here ~Slr. Cunriingham died
in March, 1888, and Mrs. Cunningham joined him on the other
side on October 1, 1909.
They were the parents of the following naiiied sons and
daughters: D. B., who was long a teacher in this county.
v.ath his lister, Mrs. ElizaDeth Smith, resides at the old home ;
G. Fillmore met a tragic death by drowning in the South fork
of Hughes' river not far from his home, at Flazelgreen, near
twelve years ago;'. A.. S. is of Beech Grove; Eli, of Illinois;
NORTH FORK SETTLERS—COXTIXUED 151
I\Irs. Lyda Whitehill, of Parkersburg ; Edith married Devvit
Richardson, and after her death at her home in Athens coun-
ty, Ohio, her sister, Mary, became the wife of Mr. Richardson,
and they reside in Ohio still.
John Cunningham, another brother of Joseph and James
Larkin, and his wife, who was Mjss Mahala McCray, sister
of I\Irs. Joseph Cunningham, were also residents of Gnat's
run, but they died childless.
While the connection has not been established between
this family and the older pioneer families of this name in the
county, there is but little doubt that they are a collateral
branch of the same race.
David Allen McGinnis, the subject of this sketch, was
born in Cabell county, on October 1, 1823 ; and, there, on a
farm and in his father's store, the days of his boyhood were
principally spent. He early developed a fondness for books,
and was a student of Marshall college in its academic days.
At the age of seventeen years, he entered the profession of
teaching (first in W^ayne county), and thus continued for a
number of years. Being naturally of a religious turn of mind,
lie united with the Methodist Episcopal church at the age of
thirteen years, and, on August 17, 1844, was licensed to
preach the gospel ; and at once entered the field of the itiner-
ancy, where he continued his labors for seven years — luitil
his failing health compelled him to take a local relation with
the conference.
He was a man of pronounced views and of a deeply relig-
ious character, and the influence of this character has left its
impress upon his descendants, who ever stand for something
in the communities where they reside.
On October 8, 1849, he was married to Miss Sarah Jane
Marsh, daughter of Enoch Marsh, who was also a teacher
and a woman of high. Christian character; and the following
year they came to this county, and settled at Mole Hill, where
his life came to a peaceful close, on Sunday, May 17, 1896.
Mrs. McGinnis was borne to the family burying-ground on
the old Marsh homestead at Tollgate, in November, 1876, and
after her death he was married to Miss Nancy Hammett, of
Wood county. His body rests in the Mole Hill cemetery.
152 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTV
He was the father of twelve children — all of the first
union: viz., P. M. ]\IcGinnis, Donahue; Asbury H., TA'ler
county ; Enoch M., Texas : John H., Gofif's ; Sarnantha, who
first married Warren Cophn. is now Airs. Aaron Younge, of
Wirt county ; ]\Iary Anne is Airs. Isaac Lambert, of Ellen-
boro ; Alelcena J., the wife of Dr. A. S. Grimm, of St. Alary's;
Clarinda, Airs. Francis AlcCullough, of Alole Hill; Sarah, the
late Airs. Leonard Doak, of Harrisville; Armedia, the late
Airs. John Britton. of Alole Hill ; Eliza J., and Lina, Avho both
died in youth, rest in the Alole Hill cemetery. Eliza died in
1885, and Lina, the following year. This family figured
prominently among the teachers of former years, five mem-
bers being thus identified.
Clerk H. E. AIcGinnis, of the Circuit court, is the grand-
son of David A. AIcGinnis, he being the eldest son of P. AI.
AIcGinnis.
McGinnis Ancestry. — This family is of Irish-AIalesian
origin and its history dates back so far that it has almost be-
come lost in the "haze of antiquity."' But the authentic his-
tory, however, begins with the year 1000.
The name comes from two Irish words — "Alag," meaning
son, and ''Agensha," meaning great strength, and from these
two ancient words, its various spellings, "AIcGennes," '"AIc-
Ginnis," "Alagennis," etc., originated.
The family migrated from the Xorth of Ireland to the
Western A\'orld — from County Down of Ulster, where they
were a powerful clan in early times, and the "Red Hand of
Ulster" is on their coat-of-arms. They, with their rivals, the
O'Neills, ruled the province of Ulster until the coming of the
English, in 1600, when many of them left their homes, going
to foreign lands — some to the Highlands of Scotland, and
some to other climes. But the first record we have of the
family in the Occident is near the year 1700, when some of
them entered the Indian w^ars in the New England colonies.
Captain AIcGinnis. commander of a company of New
Hampshire troops, routed the French at Rock}^ Brook, near
Lake George, in 1755, and w^as killed a little later by a spent
ball, but he was unmarried. Soon after this, several families
of the name settled at Philadelphia, and from them the Ale-
NORTH FORK SETTLERS— COS TI\U ED 153
Ginnises of Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia come.
They are to-day very numerous throughout the Union, the
entire number being estimated at two thousand five hundred,
but Pennsylvania claims the larger share.
The Rev. Edmund McGinnis, who was born in Cabell
county (West) Virginia, on November 25, 1798, and with his
parents removed to Guyandotte, in Cabell county, in 1811,
was the progenitor of the Ritchie county family. He, too,
was a zealous worker in his Master's vineyard. He, havmg
been converted at the age of seventeen years, was licensed to
preach in 1827.
On June 12, 1821, he was married to Miss Mary Hough-
land, of Washington county, Ohio, who was a relative of
George Washington, Eli Whitney and Robert Fulton. He
removed to Texas late in life and there passed away in the
"full triumphs of faith" on June 9, 1865.
He delivered his last sermon on March fifth and. while
thiis engaged, was seized with the fatal illness, which con-
tinued until June, as above stated. His wife died on July 0.
1S7(), and by his side she sleeps. They were the parents of
ten children, all of whom have crossed the tide — six preceded
him home: Among them were David \. McGinnis, wdio lived
and died at Mole Hill ; Oliver A., Milville, and Fletcher, and
Mrs. Melcena Beurhing, who all went to Texas ; and Mrs.
Mary Johnson, who sleeps at Huntington.
The Rev. F. AI. Malcolm, of the West Virginia M. E.
Conference, is descended from this family, he being a son of
A-Irs. Virginia McGinnis Malcolm, and the grandson of Col.
John McGinnis, of Cabell county.
To Herbert P. McGinnis, brother of Clerk H. E. AIcGin-
nis, we owe our thanks for this valuable sketch. He having
gleaned it from a publislicd record of the family.
Abraham Cline was a very early settler on Avhat Avas
locally known as "Dry Ridge," not far from the Pleasants
county line, but he changed his place of residence to High-
land about the year 1822, where he kept a house of pul:)lic
entertainment, for a time, and here our information concern-
ing his history ends, though it is quite probable that he has
descendants in this county. His daughter, Polly, who is said
154 HISTORY or RITCHIE COUXTV
to have been the first white child born on this side ot the
Bhie Ridge mountains, became the wife of John Douglass and
went West. This pioneer was of German origin, and was the
son of William Cline, senior, who made the first improve-
ment where the little town of Smithville now stands, and who
afterwards removed to near Gallipolis, Ohio, where he prol)-
abiy found a resting place.
One of the Clines is said to have killed the last Indian
that met his death at the hands of a white man in this section
of West Virginia, he having shot the intruder while he was
attempting to steal his horse.
William Cline, junior, brother of Abraham, was married
to Aliss Epha Marsh, daughter of James Marsh, and after a
brief residence near Gallipolis, Ohio, removed to Middle
Island creek, Doddridge county ; and from there, to Tollgate,
this county, where he died and where he lies buried. He left
two children, Eli, aged twelve, and Eleanor, aged eight years :
and after his death his widow married Notley G. Willis, and
one son, N. G. Willis, of Mole Hill, was the result of this
union. (For farther history of Cline descendants see Hay-
mond history.)
Eleanor Cline became the wife of William C. Haymond,
and has a long line of descendants in this county.
Eli Cline, who first married Miss Frances Collins, daugh-
ter of Jacob, and afterwards, Mrs. Bradford (widow of Jacob
Bradford), died at Pennsboro near the year 19()0. For the
children of the first marriage, see Collins history, and of the
three sons born of the second union, William alone grew to
the years of maturity.
CORNWALLIS SETTLED.
Jesse C. Lowther (son of Thomas and grandson of Col.
William), was the first to break the forest at Cornwallis. He
came from his native county — Harrison, and married, Phebe.
the daughter of William Cunningham, of Revolutionaiy fame,
in 1811, and settled on the "Horner farm," on the Harrisville-
Cornwallis road, the following year. He later purchased an
additional tract of land at the mouth of Bear nui, and built a
cabin on the site that is now marked by the Naughton resi-
dence; and here he died in 1842 at the age of fifty years, and
NORTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 155
in the Pioneer burying-ground at Harrisville, beside his wife,
he rests.
He and his wife were the parents of twelve children :
VVm. H. Lowther, who rests in UHnois ; John G. J., of Corn-
wallis ; Margaret, who first married a Cunningham, and later,
Ichabod Kirkpatrick ; Lydia, was the late Mrs. John Elliott,
and Barbara, the late Mrs. Jacob Elliott; Jane married \Xm.
Hardman, and went to Nebraska; Mary Ann Avas the late
Mrs. G. W. Hardman, of this county; and Matilda, the only
survivor of the family (who first married Maxwell Lowther,
of Cairo), is now the widow of the late David McGregor, of
Cairo. The rest died in youth.
Wolvertcn.— A man by the name of Wolverton built the
second cabin at Cornwallis. Then in 1840 came William Cun-
ningham (whose interesting history occupies a place in an
earlier chapter), from Harrisville, and purchased near one
thousand tv/o hundred fifty acres at the mouth of Bond's
creek, which is now divided up into several farms, and erected
his humble dwelling near the present site of the Roland resi-
dence.
John G. Skelton and George Wells were the other early
settlers in this section.
John G. Skelton (a deaf mute) was the son of Edward
Skelton, an English pioneer of the Harrisville vicinity. And
his wife, Miss Prudence Chidester. was also a deaf mute.
They went from here to Cairo, and from there to Illinois,
where they both lie at rest in the Litchfield cemetery.
They had three daughters and two sons, all of whom
could hear and talk. Kathrine, the eldest daughter, married
at Litchfield, and there perhaps the descendants of the family
live.
George Wells is still a resident of this community, though
helpless from the weight of years and ill-health. He is the
son of the late Isaiah Wells, of the Ilarrisville vicinity, and a
native and life-long resident of this county. His natal day
was August 31, 1S34; and he came to Cornwallis in 1858,
shortly after his marriage to Miss Barbara Hardman, daugh-
ter of the late Rev. James Hardman, of Hardman chapel ; and
erected the first mill in this section, that same year ; and con-
tinued to operate it until 1875, when its wheels became silent,
156 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTV
and its pulses refused to beat. Here in 1S71, the wife of his
youth passed from sight, and in 18?5, he was married to Miss
Virginia Dilworth, daughter of Asa Dilworth, and niece of
his first wife, who is the companion and stafl: of his "decHning
years."
l"he children of his first marriage are Mrs. Jennie Xew-
land, of Boreland ; Mrs. C. A. Kearns, Rusk ; Tip Wells,
Cairo ; C. L. Wells, Grafton ; and Edw^ard, Harrisville.
The children of the second union are two sons : C. C. and
Bert, both of Cornwallis.
SILVER RUN.
"Little streamlet fair and free
Sing your song — so sweet to me!
Of your onward rushings to the far off sea;
'Cause I love your bonnie dankg.
Silver streamlet — take my thanks!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ :;:
"Fair Stream of Silver run,
Lightly laughing playful run
From the snowlands to the southern sun;
Let the shine of silvered sands,
Glinting, glean upon my hands.
In remembrance — fairest lands!"
HERBERT P. :\rGINNIS.
"Silver Run" is but a mere speck on the map, "a flag
station, a by-place of the county, and of the State — an un-
known corner of the v/orld," a stream three niiles in length,
yet with all its insignificance, it has a history worthy of
record, a place in our sonnets : it ha^ ing inspired the pretty
lines above quoted from the pen of our Box'-Poet, who is one
of its most familiar friends.
It is supposed to have been settled near the year I80O b}-
some unknown Nimrod, who dug his cave in a hill, but its
first permanent settlement was made by Mr. Campbell, who
came from Baltimore in the ante-bellum days and improved
the fine farm that is now owned by his son, William Camp-
bell. Other Irish families arrived later, principally from the
I ' East, and finding work on the railroad and in the timber in-
dustry, a colony was soon formed. The community is still
distinctively Irish, and among these families are the Camp-
bells, the Donohues, the McTights, the McGinnises, and others
that might be mentioned. A German familv bv the name of
I
NORTH FORK SETTLERS— CONTINUED 157
Alink was also among the earlier settlers, they having come
from the Fatherland during the first years of the Civil war.
The name of the stream originated about the year 1857,
while the railroad tunnel was being arched, when something
that resembled silver was unearthed.
P. M. McGinnis, who now owns the Hall lands, settled
here near 1876, and Avas instrumental in securing the first
regular station at this point; and erected the first real store-
house in which B. F. Hill, of Tyler county, later Sheriff of
this county, opened a general store. The post-office uiider
the name of "Donohue" came in the eighties, and near this
time a more modern store building was erected.
"Silver Run" w-as now a central lumber shipping point
for Goose creek and Sheep run, and tram roads extended for
eight or ten miles back into the wilderness. Oil seekers had
already been prospecting on the Hall (McGinnis) lands, but
this fluid was not found in paying quantities until much later.
Speakeasies flourished in an early day, and one old Irish
lady(?) became quite familiar with the scenes at the jail and
the court house at the County seat, but these times have long
since past, and the community is now quiet and law-abiding.
The Catholics, "ever loyal and hardworking people," con-
structed a log church on "'Tunnel hill" in early days, but a
modern structure, the largest of this denomination in the
county, now adorns the site. Here, in this churchyard, the
first graves of the community were hollowed out, and the
dates on the stones show that some were laid here in the fifties
and others during the dark days of the Civil war.
The Silver Run of to-day is a paying oil-center. Its
entire population, including oil-field laborers, section hands
and residents is not more than two hundred, and the little
hamlet-station consists of three dwellings, a store-house, a
blacksmith-shop, a telegraph office, a school-house, and a
platform. Here our boy-poet-author-editor, to whom we are
indebted for this sketch, lives ; and here his print-shop is
located; and it is not at all unlikely that in the time we call
some day, that this little corner of the universe will be dis-
tinguished as the birthplace of a modern Longfellow or Bay-
ard Taylor.
158 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Rusk. — Isaac Nutter, as stated in an earlier chapter, was
the first settler at Rusk, his old cabin having stood on the
farm that is now owned by W . J. Moats. And the next
notable landmark here was the old Pribble mill, which came
upon the stage as early as 1839, with Daniel Pribble as
builder and operator, but the wheels of this old mill ceased
to turn before its owner crossed to the other side, and the site
is now marked by the Moats' mill, which was built by the
late William Meredith, father of the Rev. Thomas Meredith,
of the West Virginia Methodist Episcopal conference, per-
haps, thirty-five years ago. But Mr. Moats has been the
owner and proprietor for the past quarter of a century, and
during the year 1909, he rebuilt and enlarged this mill, and
added his store to the structure.
The Pribbles. — Our information concerning Daniel Prib-
ble is very meager, but he was a native of Greene county,
Pennsylvania, and removed from there to Wirt county before
coming to this commimity, where he died. He married Aliss
Amanda Melvina Jackson, sister of Henry Jackson, and was
the father of several children, whose names are missing.
His brother, Hugh Pribble, senior, who married Miss
Permilia Elizabeth Jackson, another sister of Henry, was also
an early settler here. He was the father of Hugh Pribble. of
Cisko ; the Rev. U. Pribble, of Harrisville ; Mrs. Herilda Hall,
of Washington state ; the late Mrs. Charles Harrison, senior,
of Cantwell ; the late Mrs. Henrietta Mason, and other chil-
dren.
The hamlet of Rusk, which is little more than a thickly
settled community, came into existence near the year ISSO,
when the post-office v/as established. It was named in honor
of the maiden name of the late Mrs. Charles Levv'is, her name
being spelled "Russ."
Frank Davis, son-in-law of Mr. Meredith, erected the first
dwelling, and was the first merchant and post-master. The
first school-house stood on the farm of C. A. Kearns. There
are now six or seven residences close enough together to
resemble a hamlet, two stores, a mill, one church (M. P.). a
school-house, blacksmith-shop, and no post-office, as the rural
route has swallowed it up. J. W. Heck is the other merchant,,
besides Mr. Moats, and he is also the telephone operator.
^arrpb tn tljf iipmnry
of
tUtam mh
Jrattr^fi f tatt ii'2Ctntt^g
Time conquers all, and we must time obey.
— Pope.
And, oh! the crowning joy of life,
Where'er that life may be,
Is the true heart that through all strife
Still living, trusts in me.
— Donn Piatt.
CHAPTER X
First Settlers In the Cairo Vicinity
HE first settlers in the Cairo vicinity were,
Isaac, Levi, John, and Thomas Nutter — ■
four brothers, and Richard Gilhspie, who,
early in the century, took up their abode at
the mouth of Addis' run ;^ but they, having
no title for the land, were only teniporar}''
settlers, and, at the coming of W^illiani ]\Ic-
Kinney, in 1818, they found homes elsewhere.
Richard Gillispie, being compelled to flee from the indig-
nation of his neighbors, owing to a difficulty which had arisen
over the killing of a cow, had sought refuge on the stream
that bears his name — "Gillispie's run," before the coming of
the McKinneys ; but tlie Nutter Brothers remained here until
that time.
The Nutters. — This family of Nutters, like the ones of
Oxford and Holbrook, were descended from the traditional
four brothers, that came from England and settled in Harrison
county in Colonial times.
Isaac Nutter married Miss Elizabeth \A ebb. who Vv-as,
perhaps, the sister of Nutter Webb, of Webb's mill, and after
leaving Addis' run, made the first scttlem.ent where the vil-
lage of Rusk now stands ; and in 1844, having lived at dififerent
other points in the meantime, he removed to the farm just
below the mouth of Gillispie's run, and from here, in 185(i,
went to Indiana, where he fell asleep.
He was the father of several children, and not a few of
his descendants are still citizens of this county.
Margaret, the eldest daughter, married Jesse Cain, of
Rusk, and was the mother of E. A. Cain, and Siotha Cain, of
^This stream took its name from a man by the name of Addis, who
owned tlie land here at the time of the arrival of the Xuttery.
FIRST SETTLERS LX THE CAIRO HCIXITV 161
Rusk; J. W. Cain, of Harrisville — the County surveyor;
Frank Cain, of Ellenboro ; and Mrs. Simon Tenant, of Petro-
leum.
John Nutter, the eldest son, went to Indiana ; Matthew,
to Missouri; George, to Wisconsin; jane was the late Mrs.
VV^illiam Enoch, of Indianapolis ; Elizabeth married Alexander
Bickerstaff, and resides at Mellin ; David rests in California;
and Mrs. Nancy Clarke, the youngest daughter, who married
again after the death of Mr. Clarke, resides in California. She
and Mrs. Bickerstafif being the only survivors of the family
(of Isaac Nutter).
Levi Nutter married Miss Margaret Webb, sister of his
brother's wife, and, after leaving Addis' run, went to Goose
creek, where he became the pioneer settler of the well-known
"Nutter farm." he having purchased near one thousand acres
of land in this wilderness.
Here he reared a large family, and here, he found a rest-
ing place, more than a half century ago. Some of his des-
scendants still lay claim to a part of this old homestead,
though part of it is now the estate of the late "Dick" W^ilson.
His only daughter married Sylvester Webb, and some of
her family live on the old homestead.
Three of his sons, Thomas, Math, and Tone, met tragic
deaths. John was another son ; and Benjamin, the youngest,
and last survivor of the family, died a few years since, in the
Hospital for the Insane at Weston.
When Mr. Nutter first settled here, he had a wife and
one child, a cow and calf .and one horse; and when he went
to visiL his brother, Isaac, seven miles distant, he rode on
horse-back and carried the calf, the cow follov/ed behind, and
the wife walked and carried the child ; this manner oi pro-
cedure being necessary to protect the calf and the child from
tl;e wolves.
John Nutter married Miss Mary Mounts and, from the
Cairo vicinity, the}^ removed to Calhoun county, in 1818, and
settled on the West foi'k of the Kanawha river, just below
Richardsonville, where he spent his last hours : His children
were as follows :
James and Humphrey, who have both passed on, were
162 . HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
the sons. Sarah (Mrs. Jonathan Nicholas), Elizabeth (Mrs.
yVbraham Starcher), and Basha (Airs. Jeremiah Hickman")
v.ere the daughters. T. J. Nutter, of Rusk, is a son of
Humphrey, as is James Nutter, of Wirt county.
Thomas Nutter, the last one of the four pioneer brothers,
went from the Cairo vicinity to x*\thens county, Ohio, and set-
tled on the banks of the Little Hocking river, and here his
history ends.
William Nutter. — From "The Recollections of a Life-
Time.'" a little sketch of early days in Calhoun and Gilmer
counties, we learn that Mrs. Mary Starr Nutter, the widow
of William Nutter, another brother of the four above men-
tioned, came from Ritchie county with John Nutter, in 1818,
and settled where Richardsonville now stands, but her name
escaped the early settlers of this county, as William Nutter
is not remembered among the pioneers here. However, her
children were David, Isaac, Thomas, Levi, A\'il]iam, and
Nancy, who became the wife of Jacob Starcher, senior.
The McKinneys. — The Nutters, as above stated, were
only squatters at the mouth of Addis' run, and, in 1818, the}'
were dispossessed by William McKinney, who purchased a
tract of three thousand nine hundred twenty acres in this
section, of Mathias j\Iattenly, for the small sum of eight
thousand forty dollars. He afterwards bought another
tract of one thousand eighty acres, and after giving each one
of his children a large farm, he sold the remainder to a colony
of Scotch settlers, who came later.
Mr. McKinney came from the ."Keystone state," with his
wife and large family of children, and founded his home
where his late grandson, Jacob McKinney, resided until his
death. He figured prominently in the early history of the
county, both in church and state aiTairs ; and for a number of
years after his coming, this was known as the "McKinney
settlement," the former name "Egypt," being gradually
dropped.
William IMcKinney was born of English parentage in
Lyconing county, Eastern Pennsylvania, on September 4,
1760. He was the son of William and Hannah McKinney,
and was next to the voungest member of a familv of six chil-
FIRST SETTLERS IX THE CAIRO J-IC1\ITV 16:!
dien (viz., Sarah, who married a Mr. Haggerty, Jemima.
Jacob, John, and Cathrine). Though so young, he served as
an American soldier during the latter part of the Revolution ;
and on July 14, 1789, he was married to Miss Frances Piatt,
and from this time until he came to Ritchie county, his home
was at White Deer valley, on the Susquehannah river.
Mrs. McKinney was of French descent. She was the
daughter of John and Jane Williamson Piatt, and the grand-
daughter of John Piatt, of France ; and at historic old Tren-
ton, she was born, on March 7. 1770, when the bugle notes of
the Revolution were being sounded, but her parents later
removed to White Deer valley, Pennsylvania, where she met
and married Mr. McKinney.
In 1789, when General Washington was enroute from
Mt. Vernon to New York city, for his first inauguration to
the Presidency, when he reached the old bridge at Trenton
over 'which lie had retreated before Lord Cornwallis' army,
a few years before, a beautiful triumphal arch under which
he was to pass, greeted his eye. This arch had been prepared
by the ladies of the town in honor of the occasion, and was
supported by thirteen pillars, wreathed with flowers and
evergreen, and it bore the inscription, "The Defender of the
Mothers will be the Preserver of the Daughters."
''Beneath the arch stood a party of thirteen loyal young
ladies, laden with baskets of flowers, and as the hero of the
Revolution approached, they showered the flowers in his
pathway — singing as they did so, the following ode, which
had been composed for the occasion :
"Welcome mighty Chief once more,
Welcome to this grateful shore;
Now no mercenary foe
Aims again, the fatal blow,
Aims at thee, the fatal blow.
"Virgins fair, and matrons grave,
Those thy conquering arm did save,
Bu:ld for thee, triumphal bowers.
Strew ye fair, his way with flowers,
Strew your hero's way with flowers."
164 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
"Frances Piatt Avas one of this number, and in tlie ]ne>-
ence of the writer/ in later years, she sang this little o.le,
reviving the feeling of her youth and her loyalty to her
Chieftain."
Mrs. ]\IcKinney^ was a woman of strong mind, and ot a
cheerful, happy disposition, and her husband being ever kind
and generous, "the Avorld went well with them." When they
hrst came to this wild country the younger members of the
family were very much dissatisfied, and they would say, ■'Oh,
dear, mother, you have brought us to a wilderness !"' But
vv'ith her characteristic cheerfulness, she would reply, "'O chil-
dren, you will sec railroads running through your farms, yet,
some day." At the absurdity of such a prediction all would
break into a laugh, thus dispersing the shadow occasioned
by their undesirable surroundings. And though the dear old
mother never lived to see it, the prophesy has long since been
fulfilled. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad runs through what
was at that time the "Mc Kinney estates" for miles, and the
busy town of Cairo stands on the farm that once belonged to
their daughter, Kathrine McKinney McGregor.
Mr. McKinney was the first mill-owner in this section.
He was a Presbyterian in religious faith, and was a man of
a strong influential character. He passed to his reward on
June 24, 1848, on the first anniversary of the death of his wife.
(She died on June 24, 1847.) Both sleep in the Egypt ceme-
tery.
Their children were as follows: William, John Piatt,
Jacob, Hannah (Mrs. Joseph Marshall), Jane (Mrs. Edward
Skelton), David and Kathrine (Mrs. David McGregor) were
twins, vSarah (Airs. Richard Wanless), and James.
Nearly all these sons and daughters were in turn, the
heads of pioneer families of this county.
William McKinney, junior, the eldest son of William and
Frances Piatt McKinney, was born in Pennsylvania, on ]\Iay
17, 1790. and there, on January 22. 1818, he was married to
Mary Wilson Miller; and, a few months later, \\ith his
T'or the ancestral history of the Piatt family see chapter on Schools.
(Her grand-daughter, Mi.ss Fannie McKinney, of Williamstown, con-
tributed this sicetch, and the above quotation is reproduced in her own
language.)
FIRST SETTLERS IX THE CAIRO VICINITY 16r.
parents, they came to this county and settled on the farm
that is now the estate of the late Jacob Hatfield, senior. After
a twelve years' residence here, the}^ went to Harrisville,
where ]\lr, McKinney purchased the Mathias Cline store, and
engaged in the mercantile business for eight years before re-
moving to Waverly, in Wood county, where he died, in IS"* 1), at
the age of eighty-nine years. Here Mrs. McKinney died at
the age of eighty years. Both rest in the Bethel cemetery,
near the old home.
Thev were the corner stones of the Bethel church at
Waverlv, the first organization being made at their home, in
April, 1845, when Mr. McKinney was ordained as Elder — an
office which he filled until his death.
Their family consisted of ten children, all of whom
reached the years of maturity except one that died in infancy;
viz., Robert Simpson, William Piatt, Frances S. (unmarried),
Eliza J. (Mrs. Thomas Miller), Abram F., Hannah M. (Mrs.
James Sharps), Festus H., Mary S. (unmarried), and Jacob,
all of whom have joined the parents on the other side, save
Miss Mary S., who resides at Parkersburg.
Robert Simpson and William Piatt, the two eldest sons,
were the victims of a most thrilling experience while the
family resided on the "Hatfield farm," they being but five
and two years of age, respectively, at the time of the incident :
Their father being absent from home, their mother sent
them to drive the young cattle to the forest, and, uncon-
sciously, they wandered too far to find their way back ; and
when they failed to return home in a reasonable length of
time, she became alarmed, and, taking her babe in her arms,
went to the home of her father-in-law and made the sad truth
known — that her children were lost.
All the able-bodied men, with her husband, were at Park-
ersburg — thirty miles distant, "at muster," but she gathered
together what help she could — both men and women — and
went in search of the little wanderers. But they being un-
familiar Avith the forest, could not venture far, and all night
long they searched to no avail, and on the following day the
father was called home, and he, too, joined in the quest, which
was continued throughout the next night all to no purpose;
166 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COiW'TV
but during" the thirfl day. however, they were found near
three miles from tlic home ahnost perished from hunj^er and
cold — the elder being in a state of unconsciousness. They
had been out almost two days and nights without food, with
the exception of a few berries that they had found. It was in
the month of October, and during the first night, a cold rain
had fallen, and the elder brother had taken ofif his coat and put
it on the little one to keep him warm, and their dog helped to
keep them from freezing at night. They said that their dog
drove a "big black dog" away from them one night, but it
was supposed to have been a bear, by the older people.
The mother could never speak of the pathetic incident in
after years without tears.
John Piatt McKinney, the second son of William and
Frances Piatt McKinney, was born in the Keystone state, on
August 19; 1792; and on July 4, 1826, he was married to Miss
Sarah A\'. Lacy, and near Cairo, they resided until 1836, when
they removed to Parkersburg, and took charge of the '"United
States" hotel — one of the best in the city at that time. Here
Mrs. McKinney died, in 1844, at the age of forty-seven years,
and two years later their only daughter, Frances Selina,
passed on, at the age of thirteen years. Aftei tliis sad evenv,
Mr. ^SIcKinne}-, principally, made his home with his brothei.
David ; and here, on April 23, 1879, he passed from earth, and
in the Odd Fellows cemetery, at Parkersburg, he rests.
His three sons were William Hopkins, David P.,^ and
Thomas E. McKinney. The last two mentioned reside at
Springfield. Ohio, and are unmarried.
Jacob McKinney, the third son of William and Frances
Piatt AIcKinney, was born on X'ovember 16, 1799 ; and on
June 9, 1828, he was married to ]\Iiss ]\Iary, daughter of
Edward Skelton, senior, and settled just across the river from
the old McKinnev homestead, where he and his wife saw the
last of earth, and in the Egypt cemetery their ashes lie. He
died on January 15, 1861.
Their nine children were as follows: Anne Eliza (Mrs.
Luke Terrv). Cathrine (]\Irs. H. B. McCollum). fames, Mary
•David p. died in April, 1910.
FIRST SETTLERS IX THE CAIRO I'lCIXITY
167
M., Sarah, William S., and Frances A. (who all remained un-
married) ; Jacob B., and John P. McKinney.
Hannah McKinney, the eldest daughter of William and
Frances Piatt, was born in the "Keystone state," on March
13, 1795; and there she was married to Joseph Marshall, on
September 23, 1816, and from there they went to Ohio, where
they remained for a few years, before coming to this comity,
and settling on the "Marshall homestead," near one mile
south of Cairo. This old pioneer residence, with its massive
chimney and huge fire-place, is one of the very few that have
escaped the plans of the modern architect, and still stands,
undisturbed, in its original state. It is now the property of
A. M. Douglass, of Cairo.
The old Marshall home as it looks to-day, after almost the lap-e of a
century.
The first church organization in the community (Pres-
byterian) was perfected at the Marshall home, and here, a
little band of worshipers gathered regularly until a church-
hotise was erected.
Mr. Marshall died in 1835, at the home of his brother-in-
law, James McKinney, at Williamstown, he having been
stricken with the fatal illness while on his wa}- home from a
business trip to Cincinnati; and in the "Bukey cemetery" at
Williamstown, he rests. His wife died at the old home near
Cairo, in 1874, at the age of eighty years, and she lies in the
Egypt cemetery.
IfiS HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
They were the parents of eight cliildren — seven sons and
one daughter, the late AJiss Ellen Marshall, of Cairo, being-
the (laughter. The sons were, William M., Francis J., John
P. (who never married). Robert R., of Gilmer county; Jacob
W., David H. (died in youth), and Hezekiah B. Marshall, of
Buckhannon, who was a resident of Mining Flats, this state,
for fifty-four years, and who is the only survivor of the family.
John W. Marshall, formerly of Oil Ridge, but now of
Wood county, is a grandson of this pioneer, and he has not a
few other descendants in this, and adjoining counties.
Jane McKinney, the second daughter of W illiam and
Frances Piatt McKinney, was born on July 4, 1797, and was
married to Edward Skelton, junior, on January 1, 1822, and.
after a forty-five years' residence in the Cairo vicinity, they
removed to Illinois, where all the family are sleeping, except
Augustus D., who resides in Kansas City, Missouri.
Their other children, besides the one mentioned, were,
John G. (a mute), who married Miss Prudence Chidester, who
was, also, a mute ; William M., Frances (unmarried) ; Edward
A., and Eliza J., who married George Briggs.
David McKinney, the fourth son of William, and Frances
Piatt, and his sister, Kathrine, were twins. They were born,
on August 1, 1801 ; and on December 29, 1831, David was mar-
ried to Miss Sarah M. Henderson, and settled on the farm,
given him by his father, in the Cairo vicinity, where he re-
mained until 1848, when he removed to Harrisville, and after
a three years' residence there, went to Willow Island, on the
Ohio river, in Pleasants county, where he was identified in
the mercantile business for the next three years. He tlien
resided on a farm in Pleasants county for tv\^enty years, going
frc>m there to A\'iiliamstown, where he fell asleep in 1881. in
the eighty-first year of his life. His wife preceded him to the
grave by three years, she having reached the age of seventy-
one years. Both sleep near the St. John's Episcopal church
in Pleasants county.
They were the parents of five daughters and one son.
John, who died in infancy. The daughters were: Nancy, who
married Oscar L. Ridgely ; Miss Frances Piatt AIcKinney.
of Williamstown ; Alary J. (unmarried) ; Hannah Al.. who be-
FIRST SETTLERS IX THE CAIRO VICINITY 160
came Mrs. Giles R. Hanimat ; and Sarah C. who married
John D. Sharp. Mrs. Sharp and Miss Frances alone survive.
Kathrine McKinney, the third daughter of William and
Frances Piatt McKinney, who, with her brother, David, first
saw the light on August 1, 1801, was married to David McGre-
gor, on March 17. 1842, and settled at Cairo, where she died,
on September 11, 18G3, and was laid in the Egypt cemetery.
Three children were the fruits of this union ; viz., William
A., and John P., the sons, both died in infancy, and Frances S.,
the only daughter, is now Mrs. I. S. Hallam. of x\beline, Kan-
sas.
Sarah McKinney, the youngest daughter of William and
Frances Piatt McKinney, married Richard Wanless, senior,
and was the mother of five children : John, A\'illiam A.,
Richard, junior, Frances and Mary Wanless. (For farther
history of her family see Wanlesses.)
James McKinney, the youngest son of William and
Frances Piatt, was born, on November 26, 1807 ; and he was
married to Miss Suannah Bukey, on January 1, 1832, and the
first years of their married life were spent at Williamstown.
from whence they removed to Harrisville. where Mr. McKin-
ney was engaged in the mercantile business, and wdiere he
filled the County clerk's ofBce for a number of years. Here
Mrs. McKinney died ; and on Alay 18, 1854, he was married a
second time to Miss Minerva Stephens, of Harrisville, who
stiii survives, fie died on July 2Q>, 1889, and lies at rest, be-
side the wife of his youth, in the Harrisville cemetery.
The children of his first union were three in number:
Drusilla B., who married William A. Wanless; Mary Eliza-
beth, wife of Joseph Arbour; and Hezekiah McKinney, who
lives in the West.
Alma, the late wife of Dr. W. E. Talbott, of Harrisville,
was the one child of the second union.
170 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
"Hie hand of llic king that the scepter hath borne ;
i'he bruvv of the priest that the mitre hath worn ;
Tlie eye of the sage and the heart of the brave,
Are hidden and lost in the depths of the grave.
So the multitnde goes, like the flower or the weed
That withers away to let others succeed ;
So the multitude comes, even those we behold.
To repeat every tale that has often been told.
For we are the same that our fathers have been ;
We see the same sights our fathers have seen ;
We drink the same stream, and view the same sun,
And run the same course our fathers have run.
®0 tlf^ ii^mnrg
of
(S\^t Bwttl^ S^MtVB
Richard and Eleanor Rutherford.
Farewell to the Highlands — farewell to the North,
The birth-place of valor, the country of worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove.
The hills of the Highlands, forever I love.
— Burns.
CHAPTER XI
Scotch Settlers
HE year 1819, brought a small colony of per-
manent and substantial Scotch settlers to
the Cairo vicinity. This colony included
Richard Rutherford and his wife, Richard
^^'anless. senior, who was then a young man
in his teens, and his sister, Miss Isabel Wan-
less, and John Taylor, senior, and his wife,
who were all brothers and sisters-in-law.
The Rutherfords. — Richard Rutherford and Miss Eleanor
A\'anless were married at Leith, Scotland, in 1810, just on
the eve of their departure for America; and upon their arrival
here, they purchased a large tract^ of land near five miles
beloAv Cairo, which is still owned by their descendants. Here
they spent the remainder of their lives, and in the Egypt ceme-
tery, they sleep.
They were the parents of ten children, whose descendants
in this county are a host: Alary, Ellen, Ann, Susan, Margaret,
Isabella, Kathrine, Jane, George, and Archibald Rutherford.
Mary Rutherford, the eldest daughter, became the wife
of \Mlliam H. Douglass, and died childless.
Ellen Rutherford married Andrew Hall and was the mother
of nine children. -
Ann Rutherford, who was the wife of the late James Har-
ris, was the mother of ]\Iiss Ella Harris, of Xew Concord,
Ohio ; and of one son, who died in infancy.
Susan Rutherford became INIrs. Matthew Douglass, and
died childless.
Margaret Rutherford, who was the wife of the late John
P. Harris, of Harrisville, was the mother of three sons and
'This land had formerly been settled by Benjamin Butcher, who, with
his first wife, rests here: but little else is known of his history other than
that he came here early in the century.
-See Hall familv for names of her children.
SCOTCH SETTLERS 173
three daughters^ She fell dead while walking on the stree^
in New York city several vears ago, and with her husband
sleeps at Harrisville.
Isabella Rutherford, who is the only survivor of the fam-
ily, is now Mrs. George B. Douglass, of Petroleum ; and their
only child is Dr. E. H. Douglass, who resides with them, and
is the village physician.
Kathrine Rutherford remained unmarried.
Jane Rutherford married Jerome A. Vandiver, whose his-
tory appears with the Smithville chapter, and her children
were four in number.
George Rutherford, who was long a prominent factor in
business, circles at Petroleiun, married Miss Sarah Griffin, and
they Avere the parents of the following named children : John
G., and Richard H., of Ohio; W. H. and S. I., of Petroleum;
Jennie, Archibald and Newton, who are numbered with the
dead: Alice (Mrs. John McCoy), of California; and Delia,
who is now Mrs. McKinney, resides with her mother at the
old home.
Archibald Rutherford was long a leading citizen of the
Rusk community. He first married Miss Rebecca Grifim, of
near Harrisville; and his second vv'ife was Miss Martha Campy
bell, of Ohio. His family, which consisted of two sons and
two daughters, were all born of the first union: Jennie, the
eldest daughter, with her parents, lies in the Egypt cemetery;
and the rest are all married ; viz., Ellen is the wife of H. E.
McGregor, of Cairo; Erank is a physician of near Pittsburg;
and Richard W., who was graduated from the college at New
Concord. Ohio, and who spent several years in the profession
of teaching, resides at the old home.
All the family except the three daughters, Margaret, Ann,
and Jane, with their parents, slumber within the bosom of the
old Egypt cemetery.
The first two mentioned, with their husbands, lie at Har-
risville; and the last one, in Louisville, Kentucky.
While the Rutherfords have never been office-seekers, and
have seldom held public positions, the progenitors of this
family, as well as their innumerable descendants, have ever
'See Harris family.
]?4
HISTORY or RITCHIE COUNTY
stood for the best citizenship of the county ; and the name is
an honored one in their native "Scotia," beyond the sea — Anne
Rutherford, daughter of an eminent physician, of Edinburgh,
who doubtless belonged to this same family, was the mother
of one of Scotland's greatest bards — Sir Walter Scott — "The
Wizard of the North."
The old Rutherford home as it looks to-day.'
'This was one of the oldest frame tauilding.s in this part of the coun-
ty, it having been built near the year 1839, by Richard Rutherford. The
old log cabin, which was the original home of Mr. Rutherford and prob-
ably the one erected by Benjamin Butcher, the first pioneer here, still
stands and one corner of it is visible in this picture.
The Wanlesses. — Richard Wanless, senior, iinarried Miss
Sarah McKinney, youngest daughter of William and I^rances
Piatt McKinney, who was born on January 15, 1805, in the
Keystone state. They were married on April 17, 1830, and
took up their residence in this vicinity on land still owned by
their heirs ; and here they continued to reside until they were
borne to the Egypt cemetery.
They were the parents of five children, all of whom ha^'e
joined them on the other side : John, sleeps in Kansas; and
all the rest; viz., William A., Richard, junior, Frances, and
Mary, in the Egypt cemetery.
John married and had one son — Dr. Richard ^^''anless, of
Xew York city.
W'illiam A. Wanless married Miss Drusilla McKinney,
daughter of Jacob McKinney, and was the father of one son,
William Wanless, junior.
Richard, junior, and Frances remained unmarried.
Mar}^ became IMrs. Christopher Douglass, of Cornwallis,
and was the mother of two sons and tliree daughters ; viz..
SCOTCH SETTLERS 175
Richard W. is a dentist of St. Mary's ; and the other son, E.
H. Douglas, is a prominent pulpit orator of the Presbyterian
church, of Ohio: Fannie is Mrs. A. C. Rollins, of Cornwallis ;
and Anna and Sarah are at home with their aged father.
These include the entire posterity of Richard, senior, and
Sarah McKinney Wanless, to the third generation.
Isabel Wanless, sister of Richard, senior, who came from
Scotland with the emigrant part}^ married Stephen Outward,
and in the Egypt cemetery she sleeps. Her children were
Mary, Jane, and William Outward.
George Wanless, an elder brother, came over at the same
time. He married Miss Anne Douglass, and lived and died in
Carroll county, 'Ohio.
Miss Bittie Wanless, another member of this family, mar-
ried Robert Cranston, and settled in New York.
Mrs. Jennie Anderson, Mrs. Margaret Browne, Mrs.
Susan Dodds, and William, who died in youth, with their
parents, Archibald and Mary Rutherford Wanless, remained
in Scotland. The Wanlesses and Douglasses, are closely al-
lied by nature, the mother of Archibald Wanless being Miss
Isabella Douglass before her marriage.
John Taylor, senior, and his wife, Mrs. Mary Wanless
Taylor, took up their residence on the farm that is now the
estate of their late son, John. Here, they remained until they
were laid in the Egypt cemetery Avith the many others of
their race. They were the parents of four children : Archi-
bald, the eldest son, died in infancy ; Ellen never married ;
John, who was born, lived, and died under the parental roof,
niarried Miss Lydia Pew, but left no issue ; Sarah married
David Pevv^, and was the mother of several children; xxz.,
John A., William, Archibald, and Florence, who, with her
mother and brother. John, lives at the old home, and Anna,
who has passed on.
The Douglasses, who also came from Scotland, were the
next settlers in this vicinity. In 1818, John Douglass, senior,
and his wife Susan Howee Douglass, with their four daugh-
ters and two sons^ (viz.. Susan, Belle, Anna, Jane, William,
'Two nieinber.s of the family, Andrew Douglass and Mrs. Margaret
Atcheson, remained in Scotland. Mrs. Atcheson died there, but Andrew
came to thi.s country later.
176 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COi'XTY
and John, junior), bade adieu to their native land, and set sail
for America, on the "good ship Queen Anne," landing in Phil-
adelphia, after a long and perilous voyage, where the father
died of fever, a week later, and where he was laid t'j rest.
After the father had passed from sight, the rest of the
family went to Pittsburg — residing there and at other points
in the Keystone state for a few years, before coming to Wheel-
ing (West), Virginia, where they met with Jack and Robin-
son, two earh' settlers of Bond's creek ; and through their
influence came to Ritchie county and found a home in the
Cairo vicinity — first on the late David Pew homestead, and a
very little later, on the farm that is now the estate of the late
John Douglass. They having purchased the latter tract of
William McKinney, senior.
While residing here, the four Doviglass sisters, above
mentioned, were married: Susan became Mrs. George Prater;
Belle, Mrs. James West : Anna, ^Irs. George \\^anless ; and
Jane, Mrs. John Younge ; and all went to Ohio, where they
answered the final call.
The widowed mother, Mrs. Susan Howee Douglass, after-
wards became the wife of William Layfield, the first settler
on the South fork of Hughes river.
William Douglass. — On board the same "good ship" with
the Douglasses was a prettv Scotch lassie by the name of
Ellen Roberts, who, with her brother, William Roberts, was
also bound for America : and at Halifax, she and Wiiliam
Douglass were married, and along with the rest of the family,
they came to the Cairo vicinity. But, in the earl}- thirties,
leaving the John Douglass homestead, they went co the
"Schultz farm," in Pleasants county ; and later, to the Cline
farm on "Dry Ridge," and finally, during the construction
of the Xorthwestern turnpike in the early forties, they re-
moved to the late Andrew Douglass homestead, on Goose
creek, and became the first settlers of the forest in what is
now the Glendale vicinity. Here, they erected a large,
hewed-log house, v.hich served as residence, hotel and post-
ofifice ; ]Mr. Douglass being the first post-master at the "Goose
creek" office. And here, in 18?7, the lamp of his life went out.
His venerable companion had preceded him to the other shore
SCOTCH SETTLERS 177
by seven years, and side by side, they are sleeping in the
"embracing mold" of tlie Douglass cemetery, not far distant
from the U. B. church in that vicinity.
They were the parents of ten children : Elizabeth, the
eldest daughter — born in 1S20, and died in 1905 — never mar-
ried. Thomas and Margaret died in childhood. Susan mar-
ried Harrison Cornell, of Pleasants county ; John married the
daughter of his Uncle John Douglass, and went to Kansas,
where he sleeps ; and Mary, who is now Mrs. Adami Robson,
resides in Kansas.
Jeremiah R., who was one of the early pedagogues of
the Glendale vicinity, married Miss Elizabeth Umphrey, and
after residing on French creek, and in the Cornwallis com-
munity for some years, he went to Cabin run, near Tollgate,
where he saw the last of earth ; and beside his wife in the
Douglass cemetery he is resting. His only daughter, Mrs.
Mason, resides on Cabin run ; his son, Thomas, in Wirt coun-
ty ; D. E., is a prosperous merchant of Berea ; and William,
the other son, died in youth.
Andrew married Miss Sarah M. Bills, and died at the old
homestead in 1904. He was the father of fifteen children:
Three died in infancy; John niet a tragic death in Oklahoma
a year or so since, and the rest are as follows: Mrs. Mary
J. Lowther, Mrs. Grace Emerick Mrs. Florence Scott, Mrs.
Eva Templeton, Mrs. Elizabeth Irvin, Minnie and Mrs. iMyr-
tle Snyder, Andrew R., Clarence W., Jeremiah L.. and Charles
E. Douglass.
Eleanor Jane became ]\[rs. William Flamilton and went
to Kansas, where she rests.
William Douglass, the last surviving son of the family,
vv'ho was long a leading citizen of Highland, was laid in the
Highland cemetery in November, 1909. He married Miss
Sarah Cornell, daughter of pioneer John Cornell, and was the
father of five children; viz., William, jimior, of Highland, is
the only son ; Cathrine is Mrs. F. L. Hamilton, of the same
place; Sarah Elizabeth is the wife of the Rev. A. D. Adams,
of the West Virginia Methodist Episcopal conference ; Mary
Eleanor is Mrs. D. W. Alkire, of Tyler county ; and Belle,
Mrs. E. R. Reed, of Parkersburg.
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTV
John Douglass, junior, son of John and Susan Howee
Douglass, married Aliss ]\Iary Chne, daughter of Abraham
Chne, a very early pioneer, who is said to have been the first
white girl born west of the Blue Ridge mountains, and went
to Kansas, where they heired their "six feet of earth.''
William Roberts, who came with this little band of emi-
grants, married Aliss Xannie Cameron, and at Cairo they
sleep. They left no issue.
Andrew and Catharire Hall Douglass.
Andrew Douglass. — The year 1829, brought Andrew
Douglass, son of John and Susan Howee Douglass, with his
wife, Catharine Hall Douglass, and their five sons (viz., John,
Wm. H., Andrew, junior, Christopher, and Matthew), from
Scotland, to the farm adjoining Cairo, which is still in the
hands of his heirs.
This family crossed to New York in the '"Jean Hasty,"
and from there, made their way to the Ohio river, near the
mouth of the Big Beaver ; there they rested while Andrew
Hall, who was one of the party, went to Pittsburg- and
secured a keel boat, and on this they drifted down the river
to the mouth of Cow creek, in Pleasants county, where they
were met by William Douglass and his horses, as this was
the only means of conveyance at that time. Here, at Cairo,
where they first settled, they spent the remainder of their
SCOTCH SETTLERS iro
lives, and in the Egypt bnrying-ground, they are sleeping, as
are the sons above mentioned, with the exception of Christo-
pher, who lives at Cornwallis.
Three children were added to the family after their ar-
rival here : James R. died while serving as a soldier in the
Civil war, and in the Egypt cemetery he, too, rests. Ellen
married William Skelton, and at Litchfield, Illinois, she sleeps;
and George 13. is of Petroleum.
John, the eldest son, was well known throughout the
county, he having been County surveyor for many years. He
married Miss Elizabeth Marsh, sister of the late Jefiferson
Marsh, and at the old home at Cairo she still survives, though
he has been gone for several years. Matthew I3ouglass, and
Mrs. Emma (David) McGregor, of Cairo; and Mrs. Laura
Crinnmett, wife of the Rev. S. P. Crummett — the Superin-
tendent of the Parkersburg district of the West Virginia ^L
E. conference, are his children.
Wm. H., too, was widely known, he having served as
Clerk of the Circuit court for many years. He married "\iiss
Mary Rutherford, and left no heirs.
Matthew, who married Miss Susan Rutherford, was killed
by the falling of a tree, in the Cornwallis vicinity. He left
no issue.
Andrew was twice married, his first wife being Miss
Mary Hindmarsh, and his widow, Aliss Narcissus Smith. The
one child — of the first union — was Andrew, junior, who has
passed on.
Christopher, who has long been prominently identitied
with the Cornwallis community, married Miss Mary Wariless,^
and five children were the fruits of this union.
Ellen, the only daughter, became Mrs. William Skelton
and went to Illinois. -
George B. Douglass, the youngest member of the family,
is a leading citizen of Petroleum. He is a veteran of the Civil
war, having enlisted in the 2nd West Virginia Infantry V^ol-
unteers in 1861; but owing to an illness which immediately
followed, was not mustered into service until later in the year,
"See Wanless history.
-See Cairo chapter for lier family.
IH) HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
when lie re-enlisted in tlie Sixth Virginia, where his services
continued for three years. He married Miss Isabella Ruther-
ford, and is the father of one son, Dr. E. H. Douglass, of
Petroleum, as before stated.
The name, Douglass, has been a distinguished one almost
throughout the annals of Scotland. History tells us that they
were "territorial magnates" before the time of Bruce and
Wallace ; that they played a conspicuous part in the numer-
ous wars that visited their native land from time to time; and
that they early became guardians against the encroachment
of the English — as their estates lay on the outer borders of
the country. In the days of feudalism, they were a powerful
clan ; and at the battle of Floddenfield, when James the Fifth
of Scotland fell, tw^o hu.ndred of the name were slain.
The name not only figures prominently in the history of
"Scotia," but it holds a place in its stories and its songs. In
"Marmion," the pretty little poetical tale that Sir Walter Scott
has woven about the Battle-field of Flodden, the memory of
Archibald Douglass, the Earl of Angus, is enshrined.
He being a man of remarkable strength of body and mind
acquired the popular name of "Bell-the-Cat." At the time
that the war against England was declared, he was an old
man, and he protested earnestly against such a step : and on
the eve of the battle of Flodden, he remonstrated so vehement-
ly on the impolicy of fighting that the King in a voice of in-
dignation, told him "that he might go home if he were afraid."
At this insufiferable insult, the brave old earl burst into tears
and retired, leaving his sons, George, Master of Angus; and
Sir William, of Glenbervie : in command of his followers.
These sons were both numbered among the two hundred of
the name that fell on that fatal day ; and the aged father,
broken-hearted over the calamities that had befallen his house,
sought relief from his sorrow within the friendly walls of a
religious castle, where he died a year later.
To this same Archibald Douglass, the familiar, ireful lan-
guage of Lord Marmion was directed when he exclaimed :
"If thou said'st, I am not peer,
To any lord in Scotland here,
Lowland or Highland, far or near,
Lord Angus — thou — hast — LIED."
SCOTCH SETTLERS 181
In the "Lady of the Lake" it was the fair Ellen Douglass,
that sang the simple lay, "Soldier Rest Thy Warfare O'er,"
etc., to the Knight of Snowden — to James Fitz James.
The Halls. — Andrew Hall, who is mentioned as a mem-
ber of the Douglass emigrant party, was the son of William
and Mrs. Ellen Brown Hall, of Scotland ; and a brother of
Mrs. Andrew Douglass, senior, and of Mrs. Andrew Younge.
He was at this time enjoying single life, but a little later, he
claimed Miss Margaret Blake as his wife, and settled at Park-
ersburg, where he was a stone contractor. He finally re-
moved to Wheeling, and there he and his wife sleep. They
were the parents of six children, two of whom have passed on.
and the others reside at Wheeling, and in the far West.
Miss Isabel Hall, his sister, who was, also, a member of
the emigrant party, lived and died at Cairo. She never mar-
ried.
Mary Hall, another sister of Andrew, married James
Browne, in Scotland, and came to the Cairo vicinity. Mr.
Browne was a miller by trade, and they went from here to
Brooke county, where they bade their final adieu to earth.
They had six children, four of whom were born in Scotland,
and some of their descendants still reside near Wheeling.
John Hall, another brother, married Miss Margaret Doug-
lass, in Scotland, and after her death, he, too, with his family,
came to America, and settled in the Cairo vicinity, in the
year 1836; and there remained until he was laid in the Egypt
cemcter3^ He had three sons and two daughters, who crossed
the sea with him. Eespeth had married AVilliam Newland
in her native land, and they settled in Pleasants county, where
some of their descendants live.
Ellen Hall married James Pew and lived and died at her
father's house. Her only child, Maggie, is now Mrs. Milton
Wall, of Pennsylvania. After she was laid in the Egypt ceme-
tery, Mr. Pew married Miss Nancy Younge, and was the
father of four more children. The Pews are of German de-
scent and came here from the "Keystone state."
John Han, junior, son of John and Margaret Douglass
Hall, married Miss Hannah Pringle, and lived and tlied at
Parkersburg, and there, beside his companion, he sleeps in
182 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
the Cook cemetery. His youngest daughter, Mrs. John Dare,
now occupies the old home.
William Hall married Miss Mary Taylor, and resided be-
tween Cairo and Cornwallis. His children are John, and Miss
Margaret, of Cairo ; and Mrs. Mary Jenkins, of Petroleum.
Andrew Hall, junior, married Aliss Ellen Rutherford, and
spent his life at the old homestead, near Cairo ; and in the
Egypt cemetery beside his wife he is sleeping. He was the
father of the following named sons and daughters : John
Hall, of Beliott, Kansas; Richard R., of Harrisville ; William,
a prominent merchant, of Cairo; Andrew and Archie L., of
Ohio ; Misses Ellen and Mary, of Cairo ; and the late ]\Iiss
Eppie. and another daughter who, with the parents, lie in the
quiet churchyard.
The Younges. — Along with the Douglasses, in 1829, came
Andrew Younge, and his family from Scotland. His wife,
Mrs. Agnes Hall Younge, was a sister of Mrs. Andrew Doug-
lass, and they were the parents of nine children — six daugh-
ters and three sons — all of whom were born in Scotland, ex-
cept one daughter and one son, who were born at Cairo. Mr.
and r\Irs. Younge spent the remamder of their lives here and
with the many other pioneers, sleep in the Egypt- cemetery.
Their children : William H. Younge married Miss W-
meda Browne, of Parkersburg, and resided there until after
her death, when he went West, and there re-married. He
now lives in Arkansas, and is the only survivor of the family.
He lost his eyesight six years ago and now lives in darkness.
His family consists of three sons.
Andrew Younge, junior, married Miss Janet Smith, and
lived at Parkersburg. Pie had two sons, and one daughter.
Lulu, Avho was the late wife of U. B. Merchant, of Cairo.
Jolm married Miss Rebecca Lowther, daughter of \M11-
iam. of Cairo, and died childless.
Xancy became the second wife of James Pew, and her
children were four in number ; viz., Preston, Andrew, Jessie
and Xannie, who, after her death, with their father, went
West. They now reside at St. Louis, Missouri. X^annie is
married.
Ellen Younge married Brigham Wood, of ^^'hite Oak,
SCOTCH SETTLERS 1S3
and left no issue; and Mary, Isabel, Christiana, and Margaret
never married.
John Layfield, senior, eldest son of William Layfield,
whose history appears witli the South fork settlers, was an-
other early pioneer in this section. He was born in the wilder-
ness, on the S. H. Westfall farm, above Smithfield, on Febru-
ary 4, 1803 — was perhaps the first child born within the ores-
ent limits of this county. He married Miss Elizabeth Moats,
and first settled on "Dry Ridge," on Goose creek, and from-
there he removed to the dividing ridge between Addis' and
Elm runs, v/here his grandson, Noah Layfield, now lives ; and
there he passed from earth on March 5, 1877, and in the Mt.
Moriah churchyard, he sleeps. His wife was laid by his side
in 1892.
They were the parents of eleven children. One died in
childhood, and the rest are as follows: the late Henry, John,
junior, Jacob, George, Mrs. Mary (Uriah) Shrader, ti;e late
Mrs. Margaret (Milton) Reger, Mrs. Sarah Furr, the late
Mrs. Elizabeth Hilkey, and the late Miss Julia Lavfield. all
of this county.
Nearly all of the Layfields in the county are descended
from John, senior. His brother, Sanford, lived and died near
Cornwallis, where he was tTinnel watchman on the B. & O. rail-
road for many years. The others went West. John Layfield,
senior, and his sons, George and James, were all Union sol-
diers in the Civil war.
The Philippses were another worthy pioneer family that
have heretofore been overlooked.
They crossed the "briny deep" from the "Emerald Isle"
at a date unknown, and settled at Norfolk, Virginia. Here
Benjamin Philipps was born in 1810 ; and at the age of twelve
years, with his parents, Thomas D. and Mrs. Sarah Lemon
Philipps, he removed to Belington, Barbour county, where he
grew to manhood and where his parents fell asleep.
In 1830, he came to this county, where he met and mar-
ried Miss Mary Deem, daughter of pioneer Jacob Deem, wha
was born here in 1812 ; and shortly after his marriage, set-
tled on the North fork of Hughes river, six miles below Cairo,.
< n the old homestead that is still in the hands of his heirs.
184 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COL'XTY
Here, he continued to reside, until April, ISQ?, when he was
borne to his final resting- place in the Egypt cemetery. Here,
his companion also rests.
They, like the other pioneers, came at a time when the
forest was resonant with the howl of the wild beast, and tlicir
domestic animals were not unfrequently disturbed by the bear
and the wolf.
This venerable couple were the parents of a large family
of sons and daughters; viz., Thomas D.. Lawford ; Benjamin
F., A. R., Mrs. Sarah Dotson, the late Rev. A. Id. Philipps,
of the Baptist church, and the late Mrs. Rachel (George)
Twyman, all of Rusk; D. M. V., of Smithville. who was a
Confederate soldier; Philip C, wdio resides at Elizabeth; and
Mrs. Cinderilla (Samuel) Hatfield, Cairo.
Thomas D. lost his hearing when a small child, and was
educated at the college for the Deaf and Blmd at Staunton.
Virginia, as was his wife, Mrs. Lydia Bartlett Philipps.
The Sharpnacks. — Sharpnack is another prominent, pio-
neer name that belongs to the history of this part of the coun-
ty. This family trace their ancestry to Germany, where the
name Avas originally spelled "Scharpenack."
In the year 1759, the founder of this family, leaving his
native land — "Prussia" — wdth his wife and one child, Peter,
set sail for the New World ; but he died on board the emi-
grant ship, and was, doubtless, sunk beneath the waves, and
his widow^ and child came on to Philadelphia alone. Here, a
few^ months later (in 1760), she gave birth to another son,
who was known as "Henry." These two sons grew up in the
"City of Brotherly Love," and became identified as silk
merchants.
Peter returned to the place of his nativity at Elberfeld
Half Camp, Prussia; and Henry took up his residence at
Rice's Landing, in Pennsylvania, where he met and married
Miss ]\Iary Rice in the year 1783. Here he reared a large
family; and here his last hours were spent — in 1848. Pie was
locally known as "River Plenry."
His sons were : Daniel, Samuel, Henry, Peter. John,
Jacob, and William ; and he had three or more daughters.
John, with his wife and brothers, Samuel arid Henry.
SCOTCH SETTLERS 185
crossed the plains to Pike's Peak, in 1819, in wagons drawn
by their cows. Having secured some gold there, they all re-
turned to Iowa and settled near Modale, where they reared
families.
William Sharpnack, who was born near the year 1785,
was married near 1808 to a Miss Anderson, and settled in
Wetzel county, on the site that is now marked by the Anthem
post-office. Here he established a mill and a distillery, and
reared a large family. Near 1840, while chopping wood, he
met with an accident that cost him his life.
tlis children were : Richard, Daniel, Samuel, William,
John. Henry, Peter. Hiram, Jane and Hester.
William Sharpnack, junior, was born in 1810, and married
Miss Sarah Harris, daughter of Anthony Harris, and removed
from Wetzel to Ritchie county in 1845 ; and after resid-
ing for a brief time on Buffalo run, settled on a tract of land
near the present site of the "California House." Here, his
wife, Sarah, died, leaving three children, Elias, Anthony and
Elizabeth, who died in her youth. Some time after this sad
event, he married Miss Margaret Cokeley, daughter of Daniel
Cokeley, of near Harrisville, who only survived a short time.
He then married her sister. Miss Mary Cokeley, and three
children were born of this union; viz., John I., Frank D., and
Martha, who became Mrs. William Cox, and went to Hot
Springs, Arkansas, where she died without issue.
After the death of his third wife, William Sharpnack mar-
ried Miss Eleanor Pipes, of Tyler county, who still survives.
He lived a long and useful life, dying on July 8, 1890, at the
age of eighty years. He was a leader in the Methodist Epis-
copal church, and was Captain of the Militia before the Civil
war. His sons Elias and Anthony, were soldiers of the Union
army for three years.
Hiram Sharpnack, brother of William, who was born on
April 11, 1818, married Miss Lydia Harris, daughter of An-
thony, in 1843 ; and five years later he came to this county
and settled on a tract of land joining his brother, near the Cali-
fornia House, where he remained until his death on November
20, 1880. He was a skillful workman in both wood and iron —
was a cabinet-maker, builder, and mill-wright.
)S(i HISTORY or RITCHIE COUX'TY
His wife died in January, 1886.
They were the parents of nine children : \iz., William H.,
Daniel M., Rachel A., Isaac N., Sarah F., Lucy J., Alary V'..
Ella P., and Martha E.
William H. served as a Union soldier for three one-half
years during the Civil war ; and then married Miss Kathnne
Smith, of Freeport, and settled there, where he has been a
leading figure in business and political circles for forty years.
His wife died in 1906, and his two children are ]\Irs. ^Minnie
(R. C.) Marshall, and Joseph N. Sharpnack, wdio was for sev-
eral years identified with the Cairo Bank.
(For D. M.'s Family see Petroleum.)
Isaac X. and his wife, Ida J. Huntington, and their onl}-
son Fred, reside at Parkersburg, where he is manager of the
Western Union Telegraph Company.
Rachel A., the eldest daughter, married Thomas Bath-
gate, of Scotland, who, in 1865, removed from the old "Bath-
gate homestead," at Petroleum, to Missouri, wdiere she died a
number of 3'ears ago, leaving several children, who are prom-
inently known in dilierent parts of the West. After her deaths
Mr. Bathgate re-married and he now lives at Polo, Missouri,
at the advanced age of eighty-one years, surrounded by ease
and luxurv. When he first came to America, he worked at
digging ditches for the small sum of eight dollars a month
snd his board.
Sarah F., the second daughter, became Mrs. James Lil-
lie, of New York, and went to Missouri, where her husband
died in 1905, leaving a small family.
]\Iary F. Sharpnack, who died in 1886, was the wife of
the late Alfred B. Enoch, and mother of Chester Enoch, of
Parkersburg.
Ella P. married Winfield Clarke, of \'olcano, and resides
at Tacoma, Washington, and has one son, AA'infield.
The other daughters never married.
John Sharpnack, a cousin of William and Hiram, with
his wife, Hannah, also came to Ritchie county in the forties,
and settled on Bufifalo run, where he reared a large famii>,
which are as follows : Hiram, Abraham, Elma, ]\Irs. Lydia
A. (J. W\) Hensley, Mrs. Sarah J. (John H.) A\'endell. of
SCOTCH SETTLERS 187
AJichigan; Airs. Mahala (John B.) Rice, and Henry Sharpnack,
Seattle, Washington.
All the different families of this name in the United States
are said to have been descended from the same common
ancestors in the Fatherland.
CHAPTER XII
Bond's Creek Settled
Bond's creek is a stream not noted in song,
No pencil or tongue its beauties portrayed;
Unwritten, unsung it glided along,
Keeping time to the music it ripples made.
'Tis a gentle stream with its winding way.
Through a woodland d&U where the wild flowers bloom;
Where the trees their pliant branches sway.
And the air is filled with a sweet perfume.
—John S. Hall.
OXD'S CREEK, with its numerous trib-
utaries, drains one of the most fertile
regions in the county. It has its source in
the dividing ridge between Tyler, Pleasants,
and Ritchie, and its confluence with the
Xorth fork at Cornwallis, eighteen miles dis-
tant.
Its name perpetuates the memory of one of its earliest
settlers — "Lewis Bond."
Mr. Bond has, hertofore, been recognized as its first
pioneer, but careful investigation proves this to be in error,
as George Husher was without doubt his predecessor here.
But as ]\Ir. Husher's improvement was slight, and liis stay
brief, his rightful claim to this distinction was lost to view
until quite recently, when the facts were brought to light
from their hiding-place in the cob-webby past.
The Coming of the Hushers. — George Husher is recog-
nized as the second^ pioneer within the present bounds of the
county, as his settlement at Highland closely followed that
of John Bunnell, at Pennsboro, in 1800.
^But so many came near the same time that it is difficult to establish
this fact beyond doubt.
BONDS CREEK SETTLED 189
Mr, Husher was of German origin, and was probably born
in the Fatherland. However, his natal day was July 6, K'71,
and that of his wife. Annie Terrell, who was a native of one
of the New England colonies, was December twelfth of the
same year. They were married on February 12, 1793 ; and as
early as 1801, came to Highland and opened a blacksmith-
shop and a house of public entertainment; but after a brief
residence here, they removed to Husher's run — to the farm
that is now the home of John Fowler, near three miles below
Elienboro ; and from there, in 1830, they went to Cabin run,
and became the first citizens of the forest where Tollgate now
stands ; the site of their old cabin being marked by the resi-
dence of the late T. J. Broadwater. Here, in 1838, Mr. Husher
fell atleep, and in 185G, his wife, Annie, was laid by his side
in the Baptist church cemetery, at that place.
Their family consisted of six daughters and two sons ;
viz., Elijah, Mary, Kathrine, Elizabeth, Jacob, Anna, Nancy,
and Selina Husher.
Elijah Husher was born on October 19, 1794. and on April
3, 1818, he was married to Miss Mary (or Polly) Cunning-
ham, da'ughter of Edward Cunningham, of Bond's creek ; and
remained in this part of the county until after the early death
of his wife, when he went West and spent much of his time
in traveling about until late in life, when he settled down v/ith
his only daughter, Margaret, at Terre Haute. Indiana, where
he rests.
Mary Husher, born March 13, 1796, was married to
Alexander Sommerville, on January 28, 1836 ; and near West
Union they resided until 1878, when they removed to Kansas,
where they rest. Their children were five in number: Adol-
phus, of West Union; the late A. B., and S. Salome Lowther
(first wife of the Rev. Oliver Lowther), of Pullman: Mrs.
Minnie Davis, and Busie, who went to Kansas with their
parents.
Kathrine Husher, born July 31, 1799, became Mrs. Nixon,
on October 21, 3 822, and went to Ohio, where she reared a
family and died.
Elizabeth Husher, who was born on October 17, ISO;*,
was the late Mrs. Bond, of Indiana. She had one daughter,
190 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Selina, and one son, Lewis Bond, who came I^ack to Ts'ler
county, near twenty-five years ago^ and was married to a Z^Iiss
Wilson, of the Pennsboro vicinity.
Jacob Husher was born on September 1, 1805, and went
to Ohio in his younger days, where he met and married Miss
Nancy Boran, of Washington county ; and at Covington, Ken-
tacky, they established their home, a little later. Here he
enlisted in the Union cause and served for four years ; and
here he spent his last hours, near the year 1878. His only
child, Xancy. became Mrs. Ridgeway, of Covington.
Annie B. Husher, born on December 28, 1807, was first
married to John Ankrum, of Highland; and they settled near
Centreville, in Tyler county, where Mr. Ankrum and their
three sons — George, Solomon, and Augustus, all died Avithin
a few months; and her second husband was William ]\Ioore,
of North Bend IMill, and this marriage was childless.
Nancy Husher, born, perhaps, near the year 1809, was
married to John Rawson on August 26, 1887 ; and settled in
the Ellenboro vicinity, where they both lived and died. They
had no children of their own, but they reared three of his
brother's children ; viz., Thomas, Samuel, and Mary Rawson.
who was the late wife of Eber Mason, of Pennsboro. ^Ir.
Rawson passed from earth in July, 1861, and his wife, in
August of the following year.
Selina Husher was born on December 13. 1813; and on
May 14, 1843, she became the v/ife of George Haddox, son of
Raleigh Haddox, of this county; but in 1867, they removed
to Pleasants county, where their lives came to a close. She
died on April 21, 1894; and he. on June 19, 1898. They were
the parents of seven children; viz.,
Virginia, Greene, John R., Mary Ann, M. D.. G. B.. and
Cindonia, who died in early childhood.
The Bonds. — Lewis Bond, the second settler of this creek,
whose memoiy is so fittingly enshrined by its name, was born
in Cecil county, Maryland, on February 16, 1780, amidst the
din of the American Revolution ; and on November 15, 1805,
he was married to Miss Lydia John, daughter of Jehu and
Elizabeth David John, and granddaughter of the Reverend
Enoch David, of Philadelphia, who was also a native of the
BOND'S CREEK SETTLED 191
Keystone state — of Fayette county. And in 1813, with her, he
removed to Brookville, Indiana, and three years later (1816),
came to Bond's creek, and established a home north of High-
land ; but we are without authentic information as to the exact
scene of this settlement. However, he later removed to Gnat's
run, where he built the "old brick house" that is now owned
and occupied by Robert Cunningham — it being, perhaps,
second only in age to the "stone house" at Pennsboro.
After a long residence here he removed to the wSouth fork
of Hughes river, in Doddridge county, where he remained but
a short time, before going to Quiet Dell, in Harrison county,
near the year 1860. There he quietly passed into the land of
eternal rest, on April 1-1, 1867. And within the peaceful bosom
of the old Seventh-Day Baptist cemetery, at Lost creek, in
Harrison county, he lies in his last sleep.
He and his wife, Lydia, were the parents of twelve chil-
dren, which are as follows : Alfred J., Edwin P., Ethelbert
D., Benjamin Franklin, Thomas, and Lewis, junior, who died
in youth, (and another son was named Lewis J.), and Richard
C. ; Rebecca E., the eldest daughter, married William P. Bond ;
Casandra, Simeon Bond ; Mary Ann, Thomas Booth Bond ; and
Lydia, Daniel D. Kildow.
Two of these sons were ministers of the gospel, and four
were physicians. All have now crossed to the other side, but
their descendants are widely scattered in this and other states.
The original home of the Bonds was in Cornwell county,
England, where there remains to-day the ruins of an ancient
castle, which was held by their antecessors for more than
three hundred fifty years.
They belonged to the landed aristocracy of their day, and
were recognized by the higher castes in the social realm.
But the first account we have of the family in America,
begins with the year 1700, when Richard Bond and his wife,
Sarah, crossed to the colonies.
Their son, Samuel, married Miss Ann Sharpless, daughter
of John Sharpless, of Chester, Pennsylvania, wdio formerly
came from Cheshire, England, and from him the Ritchie coun-
ey family trace their lineage.
This marriage took place in 1736, and a pretty little tradi-
192 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
tional romance is woven about it, which says that they eloped
at the ages of nineteen and fourteen years, respectively; and
that they were pursued by the girl's father, who arrived too
late to prevent the ceremony; but he, seeing the fallacy of
farther opposition, joined, good naturedly, in the nuptial feast
and "took the children home."
Samuel and Ann Bond were the parents of four children:
Richard Clayton, Sarah, Margaret, and Susanna.
Richard Clayton Bond, this only son, was born in Cecil
county, Maryland, in 1728, and was twice married ; his (irst
wife being Miss Mary Jarman, of Cumberland county, Mary-
land; and his second Miss Mary Booth. He removed to Har-
rison county, this state, later in life, where he saw the last of
earth.
He was the father of fifteen children : Samuel, born in
1754, Richard, Susana, Levi, Lydia, John, Abel, Sarah, and
Mary were the nine children of the first union. And Rachel,
Thomas, Lewis, Rebecca, Mary Aim, who died in infancy, and
another daughter named Mary Ann were the fruits of the
second union.
Lewis Bond, above mentioned, son of Samuel and Mar\^
Booth Bond, was the Ritchie county pioneer, after whom
Bond's creek was named.
And Rebecca Bond, his twin sister, who married Thomas
Haymond, of Harrison county, was the grandmother of Mrs.
Creed Collins, senior, of Pennsboro. (See Llaymond family
history.)
Sarah Bond, the daughter of Samuel and Ann Sharpiess
Bond, married Ebeneezer Howell, of New Jersey, in 174:9,
and they were the parents of — Samuel, Richard, Lewis, Sarah.
Ebeneezer, Azariah, Susanna, Tamar, Margaret, Anne, and
George.
Their son Richard Howell was, in 1775, appointed Cap-
tain of the Fifth Company in the Second Battalion of the "Jer-
sey Line." He spent the winter with his command in the
Highlands of the Hudson, and was a participant in the unsuc-
cessful expedition to Canada in the spring.
He was in active service tliroughout the Revolution, and
was in the noted engagements at Brandywine and German-
BOXD'S CREEK SETTLED 193
town, and witnessed tlie terrible suffering" of the patriotic
army at Valley Forge.
In 1793, he was chosen governor of his native st<?ie--
New Jersey, and served as chief executive for eight consecu-
tive terms.
He was the grandfather of Mrs. Jefferson Davis, the late
wife of the only President of the Southern Confederacy.
In a biographical work on the Governors of New^ Jersey,
the following beautiful tribute is paid to his memory :
"Howell, for social virtue far-famed,
Shone in the ranks and urged the dreadful war;
His graceful form expressed a noble mind,
The soul of honor, friend of human kind."
Margaret Bond, daughter of Samuel and Ann Sharpless
Bond, married Jonathan Davis, of New Castle county, Dela-
w^are, who was the founder of the Newark Academy — now
the Delaware college; and their children were: Ann, Samuel,
David, Ammi, Susanna, Sarah, Richard, and John.
Susanna Bond, daughter of Samuel and Ann Sharpless
Bond, married Elnathan Davis, and their children were :
Rachel, Jonathan, Jacob, Ebeneezer, Jebediah, Susanna, Sam-
uel Bond, Jeremiah, Elnathan. Susanna (the first Susanna
having died in infancy), and Margaret.
Jack and Robinson. — The next settlers on this creek were
an Englishman by the name of Jack, and Charles Robinson,
a Scotchman, brothers-in-law, who both took up their resi-
dence in the same house, at Highland. Jack had been an ad-
miral in the British navy, and he first came to the "New
World" in his official capacity during the war of 1812. Rob-
inson is also said to have been an officer in the Brittish army ;
and shortly after the close of our second conflict with the
Mother-Country, they came to Bond's creek. They went
from here to Rock Island, Illinois, some time during the twen-
ties, and there some of their descendants still live.
The McGregors. — John McGregor, senior, was the next
settler at Highland. He was born and reared near Edin-
burgh, Scotland, and there learned the blacksmith's trade, in
1809. he was married to Miss Susanna Blakeley, of Glasgow ;
and three years later, with their little son, James, they set
194 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
sail for America; and after a six month's voyage, landed in
Philadelphia, where the}^ remained until April, 1819, when
they went to Pittsburg" in an emigrant wagon. From here
they floated down tlie Ohio river to the mouth of Bull creek,
and from there via the "Old State road" found their way to
Bond's creek, where they established a permanent home, and
reared one of the most prominent and highly respected fam-
ilies of the county.
]\Ir. McGregor was one of the earliest blacksmiths here,
and his great-grandson, M. A. McGregor, is the present High-
land blacksmith.
During the latter part of the year 1830, he, being in very
ill healtli, went to Uniontown. Pennsvlvania. to consult a
physician whose fame had been wafted far and wide, but who
proved to be a fake: and there, on January 3, 1832, he passed
into the other world at the age of fiftv-two vears. eleven
months, ten days, and as there were no facilities for bringing
the remains home, they were laid away in the old Presbyterian
churchyard, at Uniontown.
A marble slab of antique design marks his resting place,
which has only been viewed by two of his descendants — John
McGregor, his son, who accompanied him on his last journey,
and Charles L. Hall, his great-grandson.
Mrs. ]\IcGregor rests in the family burying-ground at
Highland.
This venerable couple were the parents of eleven children ;
viz., James, John, junior, David, Susan, AX'illiam, Jeannette.
Thomas, Joseph, and Alexander McGregor. Elizabeth and
another Thomas who died in inianc}'.
James McGregor, the eldest son, who was born in Scot-
land on Augvist 16, 18] 0. was married to Miss Jane Morrison,
of Marietta Ohio, and settled on Bond's creek, Avhere he re-
mained until after the death of his wife, in 1855, when he re-
moved to Cairo. Here he engaged in the mercantile business :
and here he fell dead while sweeping his porch in 1874. He
was the father of eight children, all of whom have joined him
on the other side, except three.
Susan died in youth. Sarah was the late Mrs. Bail Wil-
son, of Pennsboro ; and Baxter. Renic, and |ohn have also
BOND'S CREEK SETTLED 195
passed on. James, junior, William, and Florence, who is Mrs.
Elmer Devaughn, live in the West.
John McGregor, the second son, was born in the "City of
Brotherly Love," on May 14, 1813 ; and on September 11,
1834, he was married to Miss Delilah Martin, who w^as born
on August 19, 1817 ; and at Hebron, in Pleasants county, they
established their home and reare'd a large family. Here he
died in 1886, and here many of his descendants live.
His children are : The Rev. Silas McGregor, of the West
Virginia Methodist Episcopal conference ; William M., Tyler
county; S. E. (Mrs. Asa Fitzwater), Pennsboro; Cathrine
(Mrs. Amos Wagner), India D. (single), Jeannette G. (Mrs.
John Odell), all of Plebron ; and Anna D., Susanna B., Elva
J.. Fanny R. (Mrs. F. M. Morgan), David W., Eliza J., and
Spencer B. McGregor have all passed on.
David McGregor, the third son of the family, was, also,
born in the "City of Brotherly Love," on June 4, 1815, and
with his parents came to Bond's creek in his early childhood.
Here he remained until he had reached the age of twenty-two
years, when he went to "the McKinney settlement" and
formed a mill partnership with William Lowther, of Cairo ;
but he became the sole owner of this mill property, a little
later (1838), and run a store in connection with it. The post-
office (with William McKinney post-master), was also kept
at this mill. Near the year 1850. he erected another mill, at
Cairo, and opened a store in the same building; and for sev-
eral years (until he sold the lower one), he operated both
mills and stores. His mercantile business at Cairo continued
down to his old age, and he was prominently known in polit-
ical, church, and lodge circles. He was a charter member of
the Kate Barclay L O. O. F. lodge, which was organized in
November, 1848, and was also a charter member of the Good
Templars' order, which was instituted at Cairo, in 1870. Being
installed as Grand Worthy Chief of the latter, he organized
mau}^ Good Templar lodges throughout the state, and was
the candidate for Governor on the Prohibition ticket in 1884.
He held the commission of Colonel in the State militia at the
breaking out of the Civil war, and was profifered the Colonency
in both the Confederate and the Union armies, but declined
196
HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
to accept, as he wished to remain on neutral grounds. He
was a life-long Democrat, and three times represented his
Senatorial district in the legislative halls at the State Capitol
— (1878-1882). And he was one of the earliest presidents of
the Sunda}' school organization of the county.
On March 17, 1S4-2, he was married to Miss Kathrine AIc-
Kinney, daughter of William and Frances Piatt McKinney,
and, at their home at Cairo, she passed from earth, on Septem-
ber 11, 1863, leaving one daughter, Frances S., who is now
Mrs. 1. S. Hallam. of Abeline, Kansas. The two sons, William
A., and John P., born of this union, died in infancy.
On Xovember 1, 1864, Mr. McGregor again took the mar-
riage vow, when he claimed Mrs. Matilda Lowther, daughter
of Jesse Lowther, of Cornwallis, and widow of Maxwell Low-
ther, as his wife : and six children were the result of this
union ; viz., Lilian B., who is Mrs. Robert W^ilson, of Parkers-
burg; David G., of Cairo; Rob Roy, of the South; Nettie
Pauline, F. Herbert McGregor, who is a prominent young
barrister of Parkersburg, and Miss Lelia Bertha McGregor.
Mr. McGregor passed away very suddenly while absent
from home on business in 1891, and was brought back to the
Egypt cemetery for burial. Mrs. McGregor still survives at
the old home at Cairo. The one daughter oi her former mar-
riage is Airs. Mary Lowther Earnest, of the West.
."■'In,
William and Elizabeth Hall McGregor.
BOND'S CREEK SETTLED 197
William McGregor, the fourth son of the family, was but
an infant when his parents came to Bond's creek, he having
been born at Philadelphia, on October 25, 1818.
On April 24, 1814, he was married to Miss Elizabeth
Gregg Hall, daughter of Samuel G. Hall, who was born in Bar-
bour county, on September 25, 1825 ; and settled at the old
homestead on Bond's creek, which is still in the hands of his
heirs. ^ Here the sun of his w^ell-spent life sank behind the
Western hills in December, 1903. His ^ enerable widow, who
was revered by a legion of friends, survived until May 3, 1910,
when she passed away at the home of her son, W. S. McGreg-
or, at Cairo. Both rest in the Highland cemetery. Few
women have called forth a higher tribute than the one paid
to her beautiful Christian character by the pen of a grand-
daughter on the occasion of her recent death ; and few, per-
haps, have been more entitled to such a tribute. Generous,
intellectual, kind and loving, she was almost universally ad-
mired.
The children of this family are as follows:
Harlan P., wholesale china dealer, of Wheeling; the late
Mrs. Virginia (John) Cottrell, of Parkersburg, who died in
1895; Mrs. Anna (G. F.) Carroll, Fairmont; J. B. McGregor,
Pennsboro : Burns and Clyde, Salem; Mrs. Rose (Theodore)
Furbee, Tyler county; W. S., Cairo; Mrs. Mary (James)
Chestnut, Ohio ; Indiana died in infancy, and Homer, who
was graduated from the Marietta College, and also from the
Presbyterian Union Theological Seminary at Cincinnati, died
after having served as pastor of a church in the South for one
year.
Thomas McGregor, born on Bond's creek, on September
19, 1823, went to Madison, Indiana, at the age of seventeen
years to live with his uncle, Thomas McGregor; and chere he
married and reared a family of six children by his first wife,
and three by his second.
Shortly before his death in 1903, he removed to Kansas,
where he rests. His descendants principally live in Indiana,
Kansas and New Mexico.
''He purchased four thousand acres on this creek, in 1838, at a tax
sale for seven cents an acre, and tlie wliole county and state tax at this
time was but forty cents on the entire tract. Tlie family still own five
hundred acres of tliis tract.
198 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Joseph McGregor, the youngest son of the family that
reached the years of maturity, was borU; Hved and died on
Bond's creek, where he sleeps. His life began on May 11,
1825, and ended in 1898. He married Miss Eliza Jane Alartin,
and was the fatlier of six children; viz., Baxter McGregor,
Misses Gallic, and Mattie, Highland: Bryson, the late Mrs.
Josephine Saterfield ; and Mrs. Frankie (Marion) Alkire, who
now lives at McMechen, Marshall county.
Alexander McGregor, born on March 7, 1827, died in his
young manhood. And Susan, born March 5, 1817, died in
1876, unmarried. Elizabeth, born February 2. 1812, died
August 12, 1852. Another son named Thomas, born May 25,
1820, died at the age of five months and fifteen days.
Jeanette McGregor, the only daughter that reared a fam-
ily, born in 1821, was married to Leonard S. Hall, brother of
John S. Hall, the blind poet, who was long a leading barrister'
of New Martinsville; and after his death, in 1875, she went to
Wheeling, where she spent her last hours at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Addie Baggs, in 1904.
Her other children are as follows: Mrs. Sue Newman,
Hon. vSeptimus Hall, who was a member of the State Gonsti-
tutional Gonvention in 18"} 2, and who has since been a mem-
ber of both houses of the Legislature, Bruce Hall, and the late
William, all well-known lawyers of New Martinsville.
At the time of the coming of the McGregors, this country
was engaged in its second war with Great Britain, and it Vv^as
the custom of the British men-of-war to take young unmar-
ried men from the emigrant ships bound for these shores and
press them into their service; and on board this vessel, as a
member of the McGregor party, was a young man b}' the
name of Ferguson, who was made the unfortunate victim of
this custom ; he being seized and taken on board a British
man-of-war, from which he escaped by swimming to shore
at some point on the coast of Florida. From here he made
his way to Ganada, and finally, back to the place of his nativ-
ity at Edinburgh, Scotland, where he became a prosperous
business man.
Thomas McGregor, senior, an elder brother of John,
senior, came to America also, and settled in Indiana, where
BOND'S CREEK SETTLED 199
he lived and died. He married but had no children ; but as
above stated, he partl}^ reared his nephew, Avho bore his own
name — Thomas McGregor.
The Halls. — "About two hundred years ago there was a
young farmer by the name of Hall residing in the Northerp
part of England." He fell in love with a beautiful Scotch
lassie, wooed and won her ; and, doubtlessly, influenced by
the wonderful tales they had heard of the New World, shortly
after their marriage, they crossed the ocean and settled at
Duck Bridge, Maryland, not far from Baltimore. Here, after
rearing a family of several children, they died at an advanced
age.
One of their sons, Samuel, married, and was the father
of two sons, Thomas and Joseph ; and when the Revolution-
ary war broke out, the father and the elder son, Thomas, took
up arms in defense of the colonies, and served under the direct
command of General Washington.
Samuel and his wife died within two days of each other,,
and were laid in the same grave ; and after their death, their
sons crossed the mountains and settled in Pendleton county
(W.) Virginia, on the South branch of the Potomac, where
they v/ere engaged in farming.
Joseph was first married to Miss Barbara Dickenson, and
David, John, Samuel, Thomas, and Nancy, were the children
of this union.
After her death, he (Joseph) removed to Harrison coun-
ty, where he was again married to Mrs. Elizabeth Reger Tal-
bott, who was the mother of his three sons, Jacob R., Enoch,
and Philip ; and his two daughters, Kathrine, and Phoebe Hall.
Here he died in 1821, at the age of eighty years, and his widow,
who survived him, lived to the age of eighty-seven.
John Hall, a son of his first union, married Miss Eliza-
beth Gregg, and was the father of Samuel G. Hall, the Ritchie
county pioneer, and of four other children ; viz., Louis Ches-
tine, Thomas, Nancy and Elizabeth.
Samuel G. Hall was born in Harrison county, in 1803,'
and there the days of his youth and his young manhood were:
spent. In 1823, he was married to Miss Rachel Hudkins,.
daughter of Barton Hudkins, whose history appears among;
200 HISTORY Of RITCHIE COUXTY
the early settlers of U'hite Oak, and after spending the first
nineteen years of their married life in Barbour and Tyler
counties, they came to Ritchie in 1842, and took up their resi-
dence on Bond's creek, at the mouth of Dog Comfort, on a
part of the farm that is now the homestead of Thomas Dye.
Two years later they emigrated to Indiana, and there, in 184('),
Air. Hall fell asleep, and at X"ew BuiTalo, Michigan, his ashes
lie. In 18-i9, Airs. Hall, with her three younger children, re-
turned to Bond's creek, where she continued to reside until
1874, when she removed to St. Alary's, where she bade adieu
to earth in 1883, and at Highland she lies at rest.
The children of this family were twelve in number — seven
girls and five boys: Naomi (who married Jacob Bosler),
Sacharissa (x\mos Gorrell), and Rebecca (W'iibert Rider),
have all passed on. Sarah A. is Mrs. S. P. Howell, of Indiana ;
Elizabeth, the late venerable widow of William McGregor,
of Highland: and Misses Alary J., and Xannie P., reside at St.
Alary 's. Aliss Nannie has led a very active life, she having
taught school for forty-four years in Indiana, and Wc-^t \"ir-
ginia. In 1883-4, she was principal of the St. Alary's school —
an honor that has never been conferred on any other member
of her sex.
She has been engaged as a teacher in Sunday-school work
for more than fifty years, and was President of the St. Alary's
organization, of the W. C. T. U. for seventeen years.
Leonard S. Plall, the eldest son of the family, was a mem-
ber of the Richmond Convention that passed the ordinance
of secession. He took an active interest in the attairs of the
Confederacy during the war, and at its close went to Wetzel
county, where he served as Prosecuting Attorne}', and rose
to eminence at the bar. Here he died in 1875. (See AIcGregor
Family.)
Simon Hall, who now resides in Indiana, took up arms
in behalf of the Union cause. William A\'. also served as a
Union soldier, and was a lawyer of ability. He practiced at
the bar of Wetzel county until 1870, when he removed to St.
Alary's, where he held the oilfice of Prosecuting Attorney for
fourteen years. Here he passed from earth in September,
1884.
BOXD'S CREEK SETTLED 201
Allen S., who died at Fort Sill, Indian territory, in 1880,
was a Confederate soldier; and, on comparing notes with his
brother, William, in after Hie, found that they had unwitting-
ly "fought against each other in seven different battles."
John S. Hall, the blind poet, of St. Mary's, is the youngest
member of the family ; and to his interesting career, which is
set apart from all the others in this history by the hand-i-cap
of blindness, we dedicate a little corner of this work — to Rit-
chie county's first poet. (See Poet's Corner.)
Hon. Septimus Hall, of New Martinsville, who has been
State Senator, and is now a member of the House of Dele-
gates, is a grandson of Samuel G. Hall, he being a son of
Leonard, and Mrs. Jeannette ^McGregor Hall.
The Pyles. — This family comes of English stock. Elisha
Pyles w^as a soldier of the war of 1812, and tradition says at
its close he was sent to the Northwest in the campaign against
the Indians, and that he either died or lost his life in battle
in Ohio near the year 1817. However, he never returned:
and in 1820 his widow, Mrs. Kathrine Crawford Pyles, of
Monongalia county, with her two orphaned children, Pene-
lope, a daughter of a few summers; and William, a child of
three, emigrated to Middlebourne, in Tyler county, where she
remained for a few years — until she was married to John
Cunningham, son of Edward Cunningham, an early settler
at the mouth of Whiskey run. And after her marriage to
Cunningham they settled at the forks of Husher's run, where
they remained until her son had established a home of his
own; and they then removed to Ohio, where death overtook
them.
Five children ^vere born of her union Avith Cunningham ;
The late C. B. Cunningham, of Ohio; the late B. F., of
Gilmer county ; and Edw^ard, of Missouri ; and Micha, who
died at Mineral, Ohio ; and Laura, who is married and resides
near Guisville, that state.
Penelope, the daughter of the first union, married against
her mother's wishes and went away and was never heard from
agam.
William I. Pyles, the son of the first union, who was born
202 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
on March 31, 1817, was the progenitor of the Ritchie county
family.
After his mother came to Middlebourne, he lived with
two families by the name of Sayre and Hayne, until she mar-
ried again ; and on Husher's run, at the home of his step-
father, he grew to manhood.
On March 30, 1837, he was married to Miss Elizabeth
Cunningham, daughter of Elijah and Sarah Wigner Cun-
ningham, and granddaughter of William, of Cornwallis, who
was born on March 39, 1816. and soon after their marriage,
settled on Husher's run, where they remained until 1839,
when they removed to Bond's creek and settled on land owned
by John Rawson — and made the improvement that vv^as after-
wards purchased by John Weekly ; and also the one that
passed into the hands of John Lacy at an early day.
Mr. Rawson entered a thousand acres of land on this
creek at the small cost of one dollar eighty cents for the
entire tract; and after making the improvements above men-
tioned on the Rawson land, Mr. Pyles purchased a farm of
his own farther up the creek. And from here he went to the
Madison Lambert farm, where he resided for some time, and
where he run a water-mill.
He finally removed to the head of Big Knot, where he
fell asleep on March 29, 1892. His wife died on August 20,
1894, and side by side they lie at rest in the Beech Grove
cemetery ; here, too, their eldest son, who died in 1845, is also
sleeping.
jNlr. Pyles was noted for his 'craze" for planting out fruit
trees, and wherever he lived, he left a young orchard as a
memorial.
His children are as follows :
Sarah, who is the widow of the late J. A. Lacey, resides
in Ohio; Barbara, who married S. A. Rawson, died in 1877:
Serena B., who resides at Hebron, is the Avidow of the late
John Wricke ; Laura V. is the widow of J. W. Hawkins, and
at Parkersburg she resides ; Susanna is Mrs. A. Bevers, of
West Union ; and W. Harrison Pyles, who is unmarried, is of
Hebron.
The Weeklys. — The autumn of 1847 brought John ^^'eek-
BOND'S CREEK SETTLED 203
ly from Tyler county to Bond's creek, and thus added another
good family to the permanent citizenship of the county.
Mr. Weekly was born in 1790, and was a veteran of the
war of 1813. He was first married to a Miss Gatrell_, ^vho
died in early life, leaving two sons and three daughters ; and
in 1835, he again took the marriage vow, when he claimed
Miss Sarah Garrett as his bride ; and seven children were the
result of this union. Mr. Weekly died on July 5, 1878, and
his wife, Sarah, who was born in 1804, on January 36, 1864.
Both sleep at Highland.
The children of the first marriage were : Stephen, who
married Miss Nancy Garrett, and lived and died on Goose
creek, where he reared a large family. Thomas, who went
West; Mary (Mrs. Hillery Pratt), Rachel (Mrs. John T.
Lacy), and Mrs. Dorcas Wright, all of this county; with the
possible exception of Mrs. Wright.
The children of the second union: Richard (married
Miss Ada Corbin), Justus (Miss Lucreta Carpenter), John
(Miss Orpha Slocum), Rhoda (Mrs. George Corbin), Jane
(Mrs. Henry Williamson), Elizabeth (Mrs. John Farming-
ton), and Sarah (Mrs. Jacob Pratt), all of whom reared large
families except Justus, who died childless ; and all were citi-
zens of this county, but Jane and Elizabeth.
The Lacys. — For more than seventy years the name of
Lacy has had a prominent connection with the citizenship of
Bond's creek.
John T. Lacv, the founder of this familv, was born in
Fauquier county, Virginia, in 1806 ; and in 1833 he was mar-
ried to Miss Rachel Weekly, and a few years later, came to
this county and took up his residence near two miles north
of Highland, on the old homestead that is still in the hands
of his heirs. Here, in 1857, Mrs. Lac}^ passed from earth
after having given birth to seven children ; and two years later
he married Miss Naomi Hudkins, sister of Daniel Hudkins,
of Cabin run, and six children were born of this union.
Mr. Lacy was an old time pedagogue, and he taught the
first school on Bond's creek; in a log house of "primitive
style," that stood where the Lac}^ school house now stands.
204 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
He was always interested in educational and religious v/ork,
and contributed liberally to both causes.
His father died when he was quite young, and his mother
then married Mr. Henry Haddox,^ a veteran of the Revolu-
tionary war, and they came to Bond's creek, and niade their
home with Air. Lacy for a time, and then went to Kansas,
where ]\Irs. Haddox died, x^fter her death Mr. Haddox re-
turned to the home of his step-son, and spent the remainder
of his days, dying at the advanced age of ninety years.
]\Ir. Lacy died in 18S3, and his second wife, in 1900. All
sleep within the bosom of the Highland cemetery.
The children of his first marriage are : Mrs. Elizabeth
Pratt, and Mrs. Fannie Pratt, who survive ; and j\Iary Jane,
the late wife of William Bolton, of Tyler county ; the late
Mrs. Alartha (Samuel) Rawson, and James, of P)Ond's creek.
The children of the second union are : P. L. Lacy, A\'il-
bur ; Mrs. Emma Hayhurst, Ellenboro : A. L. Lacy, Nebraska;
Mrs. Ida Brown, J. B. and Miss Ella Lacy, Pennsboro.
]\Irs. Ida Brown, and perhaps other members of the fam-
ily, haAe been teachers.
Edvi^ard Cunningham was one of the earliest pioneers
on Bond's creek, he having settled at the mouth of Whiskey
run at a very early day. Pie w^as a native of Harrison county,
and a brother of Elijah M., who married the sister of Thomas
Harris. He later removed to Husher's run, where he died,
and at Ellenboro he lies at rest.
His sons were Adam, John, William, Thomas, Elijah,
and James ; and his daughter, Mary or Polly, as she was
called, became the second Avife of Elijah Husher, of Husher's
run.
Murphy Cunningham, a grandson of this pioneer, who is
now very old, lives at Poynette, this state, and Mrs. Laura Fel-
lows, a granddaughter, resides in Ohio, as do a number of his
other descendants, Moses Cunningham, of Ellenboro : and
Joseph, of Shultz, are other grandsons.
The Martins. — Martin, too, is an old and worthy Bond's
creek name.
'Henry Haddox was a nephew of Raleigh Pladdox. of the South fork,
and his only daughter, Julia, married Frank Cook, of Parkerstjurg.
BOND'S CREEK SETTLED 205
John Martin was born in the New Jersey colony, of
Enghsh parentage, in the first quarter of the eighteenth cen-
tury ; and he, with his son, Joseph, fought in behalf of the
colonies during the American Revolution. He being a com-
missioned officer in General Greene's army. Shortly after the
close of this struggle, he emigrated to what is now West Vir-
ginia, and settled at Wheeling, and finally, removed to Athens,
Ohio, where he died at the age of ninety-nine years.
His son, Joseph, was born in New Jersey, in 1758, and
during the residence of the family at Wheeling, he married
Miss Martha Br3'son, an Irish lassie, who crossed to America
at the age of twelve years, and near the dawn of the nine-
teenth century, he removed to Tyler county, where he died in
1833.
His son, Ephraim, was born in Tyler county, on August
18, 1803, and, in 1831, he was married to Miss Sarah Allen,
of Lewis county, who was of German extraction, and took up
his residence in his native county, where he remained until
1848, when he came to Bond's creek, and settled on the farm
that is now the home of his son, Van Martin, near Pike.
Here he continued to live until 1900, when he Vv^as laid in the
Highland cemetery at the age of ninety-seven years. His
wife had preceded him home by nine years.
He was the father of the following named children — some
of vv'hom reside here and are identified among our leading
citizens :
Mrs. Eliza J. McGregor, Highland, who has passed her
seventy-sixth mile stone ; Van Martin, of Pike, aged seventy-
three , Joab Martin, of Pennsboro, aged seventy-one; Mrs.
Susan Freeland, Morgan county, Ohio, aged sixty-nine, all of
whom bid fair to carry out the traditional longevity of the
family. Joseph Bryson Martin, with his brother, Joab, were
soldiers of the Union army, but he lost his life at Cloyd
Mountain.
The Campbells. — Campbell is another Bond's creek name
that stands for good citizenship. This family is of Irish
origin. Robert Campbell, whose ancestors emigrated from
Ireland to Scotland, and from thence to America, married
Miss Margaret Bell, and settled in Hancock county, (\V.)
206 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Virginia, where they reared nine children — seven sons and
two daughters. Two of these sons, Archibald and William
Campbell were identified among the settlers of this creek.
Archibald Campbell married Miss Jane Adams, of Brooke
county, who was of Scotch descent, and they came to Bond's
creek near the year 184:5 ; but afterwards rem.oved to Upland,
in Mason county, where they found a resting place.
Serena A. Campbell, who was laid in the Highland ceme-
ter}' in 1905, was the late wife ot Van A. Martin, of Pike.
Mrs. Malinda A. Locke resides at the old home near Upland,
and Samantha. Eliza, Bradford, and Wvlie lie in the cemetery
at Upland.
William Campbell married ]\Iiss Susan Adams, the sister
of his brother's wife, and they came to Bond's creek, near
1853, and remained until they were laid away in the Higliland
cemetery. .
^lana A., their eldest daughter, is Mrs. J. F. Bolton, of
Beech Grove : Anne E., who was laid in the Highland ceme-
tery, in 1891. was the late Mrs. Aaron Stuart ; and Emma G.,
Alilton A., Oliver H., and William Lamar, none of whom were
married, all rest in this cemetery.
iviilton A., who served as a soldier in the Union army (in
the lith A\'est Va. Infantry), died in a hospital at Parkers-
burg, in 1864. And Oliver H., who enlisted in the same regi-
ment, died in the Danville prison, in Georgia, in November,
1864.
The Rollinses. — Moses Rollins was one of the very earli-
est pioneers on lower Bond's creek. He was born on July 8,
1763, and died during the winter of 1858-9, at the age of
ninety-six years. He was a veteran of the Revolution, and a
Brittish cannon-ball had taken oft both legs, and "so he laid
down his arms." And he carried bullets from the enemiy's
giins in his hip to the hour of his death. He lies in the '"'Tay-
lor burying-ground," and his wife, A'ancy, who was born in
]795. probably, rests by his side.
From a well-worn old family Bible the following record
was taken :
Henry Rollins (born April 1. 1810), Jeremiah (January
30, 1813), Sarah (May 9, 1815), Edward (June 1. 1817).
BOND'S CREEK SETTLED 207
Rebecca (May 6, 1819), Jemima (February 15, 1821), James
(January 6, 1823), William (November 29, 1824), Lemuel
(October 15, 1827), Elizabeth (January 6. 1830), and Jesse M.
(September 25, 1832).
The data concerning this family is very meager, but the
descendants are quite numerously scattered throughout
Ritchie and adjoining counties. B. F. Rollins, of Cairo ; Amos,
of Cornwallis ; and the late John, of Lawford ; are grandsons
of Moses Rollins.
The Pratts merit a place among the older {)eople of Bond's
creek, thouoh not so earlv as manv of the rest.
Thomas P. Pratt, the head of this family, was a Monon-
galia county product : and from there he came to this county
in 185G, and settled on the Luke Hemsworth farm, on Big
Knot run, where he spent his last moments on April 16, 18(37,
and at Hebron he lies at rest.
His wife, Mrs. Cynthia Anne Evans Pratt, was born in
Monongalia county, on April 29, 1804, and died en October
14, 18G9, and was laid by his side.
Their family consisted of the following named members:
Maria M. (1831-1852), unmairied; William O. (1839-
1868), unmarried; John W. (1840— died in youth); Phebe
(1845-1845) ; Thomas B. (1850-1854) ; Martha A. (1835-1896),
married George Shingleton, and died in Pleasants county,
leaving five children; Dudley N. (1837-1891). married Miss
Fanny Lacy, and spent his life on Husher's run, where his
only heir, John B. Pratt, now lives. Margaret (1846 — ), mar-
ried John Wricke and died at Hebron, leaving no issue. And
James E. Pratt, the remaining member of the family, spent
his life in this county.
James E. Pratt was born in Monongalia county, on Sep-
tember 26, 1842, and with his parents, came to Bond's creek,
in his boyhood. At the age of twenty years he took up his
sword in defense of the LInion, and served for two years in
Company G, Fourth Regiment West Virginia Cavalry. He
manifested quite an interest in educational matters and was a
member of the Board of Education of Clay district at the time
of his death, and was also a member of the Grand Army Post
at Pennsboro.
208 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
On October 24, 1867, he was married to Aliss Sarah
Elizabeth Hogue, and thirteen children were the result of
this union. He died at Beech Grove, on April 12, 1909, and
was taken to the U. B. cemetery at Pennsboro, for burial.
Mrs. Pratt still survives.
The children : Arah, the eldest daughter, is Mrs. A. R.
Horner, of Parkersburg- ; Cynthia is the wife of Dr. L. H.
Hayhurst, of Pullman; Bertha is INTrs. R. L. Lacy, of Mari-
etta; E. E. Pratt, is of Clarksburg": J. I., of Charleston; O. C,
of Parkersburg; T. O., of Pittsburg; Harry, of Parkersburg;
Luther and Earle, are at home, and Asa, Andy, and Charles
died in childhood.
CHAPTER XIII
Husher's Run
HIS stream is a tributary of Bond's creek,
and its name perpetuates the memory of its
first settler, George Husher, who was, also,
the first settler of Bond's creek. And
though it is but a small stream, it drains a
fertile region, and not a few prominent pio-
neer names have an association with its his-
tory.
Elijah Cunningham, son of William, was one of the
earliest settlers after Jacob Husher. He was a native of the
"Old Dominion ;" and his wife was Miss Sarah Wigner, sis-
ter of John Wigner, junior. Here they both spent the greater
part of their lives, and in the Ellenboro cemetery, they lie at
rest. He died during the autumn of 1868; and she, in ]883,
at the age of ninety years.
Their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, married \A'm. I. Pyles,
and was the mother of W. H. P\des, of Hebron ; Sarah Ann
was the late Mrs. AA'illiam Wells — mother of George Wells,
of Pennsboro ; Barbara became Mrs. John A. Webb, and went
to Kansas ; Emeline is Mrs. McLean, of Ohio ; Cathrine was
the late Mrs. Van Cundif¥, of Danville, Illinois ; Mary Jane,
who is still single, resides at Belpre, Ohio; William, the only
son (married Alargaret Curry), resides near Pennsboro.
John Wigner was the first settler at Ellenboro. He was
of German descent and of Pennsylvania birth ; and he came
to the Smithville vicinit}-, from the "City of Brotherly Love,"
with his parents, ]\Ir. and Mrs. John Wigner, senior. He was
first married to Miss Katherine Wetzel, a near relative of the
distinguished Lewis Wetzel, vv^ho was, also, of German line-
210 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
age ; and with her took up his residence on the G. \V. Lam-
bert farm, near Ellenboro, about the year 1814. His second
wife was Miss Sarah Ann Larison. He was a soldier of the
war of 1812. He sold his possessions here to Bazil William-
son, and went to Harrison county, w^here Jie "heired his six
feet of earth."
His children were two in number: Jacob W'igner, junior,
and Mrs. Mar}'- (Andrew) Johnson.
George B. Johnson, and Mrs. Mary Wigner, of Ellenboro :
Mrs. Jabez Elliott, junior, of Calhoun county; and Jackson
Johnson, of Indiana, are his grandchildren.
His two brothers, Jacob and Henry Wigner, also, found
homes in this part of the county near the same time.
Jacob Wigner, senior, was married to Miss Leah Cun-
ningham, daughter of pioneer William, of Harrisville and
Cornwallis, and settled on Stuart's run, on the farm that has
since been known as the "Patrick Cochran homestead." Here
his death occurred in 185o, and at Riddel's chapel, beside his
wife, he rests. He was the builder of the lirst dwellin<j in the
town of Ellenboro.
His children were: Airs. Joseph Rush (the only surviv-
ing one), the late D. R. Wigner, of Pike; Elijah, William,
James, Mrs. W. B. Carpenter, and Henry, who died in youth,
all sleep in this count}^ ; and John S. Wigner, and Mrs. Susan
Clarke, in Pleasants county.
Henry Wigner was married to Miss Elizabeth Lowther,
daughter of Jesse Lowther, of Cornwallis, and settled on
what is best known as "the Hitchcock farm" — now the home
of J. S. Pratt, near Ellenboro. But he afterwards removed to
the Cairo vicinity, where he passed from earth, at a ripe old
age, and in the Egypt cemetery, with his companion, his
ashes lie.
His children were : William, of Ellenboro ; Wesley, of
Pennsboro ; Mrs. Susan (John) Heaton, of Harrisville; and
Phebe, who died in youth.
Michael Johnson was another early settler on Flusher's
run. He was born and reared in "Old Erin ;"' and there he
was married to Miss Hannah Hughes, a relative of Jesse and
Elias Hughes, and from there, they fled to America from
H USHER'S RUN 211
religious persecution and settled in Virginia. They came to
the Ellenboro vicinity, in 1827, where they remained until
they passed to the "home over there."
Their family consisted of eight children ; viz., George and
Andrew, were both drowned while crossing the Ohio river in
a skifl", in 1834; William went to Iowa; ATrs. Susan Gaston,
Misses Dorcas and Rebecca Johnson were all of Harrison
county ; and Maria, the wife of Ezekiel Bee, Avas of Berea.
Andrew Johnson married Miss Mary Wigner. daughter
of John Wigner, junior, and was the father of the venerable
George B. Johnson, and Mrs. Mary Wigner. of Ellenboro.
Mr. Johnson is now seventy-six (1909) years of age, and
lives in the same vicinity where he was born ; he having never
been beyond the limits of the state. His memory carries
him back to the days when the present site of Ellenboro was
a sugar-camp, and the public highways were little more than
bridle-paths.
He married Miss Elizabeth Parks, daughter of Nathaniel
Parks, an early pioneer of this county, and is the father of one
son, W. A. Johnson, of Pennsboro.
Nathaniel Parks was born in Harrison county, on June
11, 1803, and came to this county in his early manhood (near
1825), and married Miss Barbara Cunningham, daughter of
William, of Cornwallis, and settled in the Harrisville vicinity.
He later removed to near Ellenboro, where his life came to
a close in 1895. His wife was born in 1803, and died in 1887.
Both sleep in the Ellenboro cemetery. They were the parents
of the following named children: The late Wm. H., of Cairo;
James M., of Ellenboro; John C, of Cornwallis; Mrs. Edith
(Benjamin) Wricke, Pike ; Susan first married Wilson A.
Gribble, who lost his life in battle during the Civil war, and
she then became Mrs. Robert Hancock, and went to Wis-
consin, where she died; Mrs. George B. Johnson, of Ellen-
boro, already mentioned, is the other daughter ; Martin died at
Washington city during the Civil war ; John and William
were also soldiers of the Civil war.
John Rawson was another very early settler in the Ellen-
boro vicinity, on the farm that is now the home of John
Fowler. He married Miss Nancy Husher, daughter of George
212 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Husher, after whom the stream was named, and here spent
the remnant of his days. He was one of the earhest millers
in this section. He first owned a horse-mill, and later secured
steam power and run a grist and saw-mill combined. He
died in July, 1861, and his wife, in August of the following
year, and both rest on the old homestead. He had no children,
and he willed his property to two of his nephews.
William Carpenter, senior, was the first settler of the
Yerkey homestead, on Husher's run. He was born in Steu-
ben county, New York, in 1802, and there, in 1821, he was
married to Miss Nancy T. Armstrong, who was born in the
same county in 1805 ; and after a few years' residence in the
"Empire state," they emigrated to Potter county, Pennsyl-
vania, and from there, came to Husher's run in the spring of
18il. He was one of the early ministers of the Baptist church
in this pa^t of the county, and his labors continued until a few
years before his death, in 1880. Here he passed away, and
within the bounds of this vicinity he found a resting place.
He was the father of six children: Lovera. the eldest daugh-
ter, is Airs. William Wigner, of Stuart's run ; Lucretia is the
widow of the late Justus Weekly, of Bond's creek; Nellie
Avas the late wife of John G. Wigner; Nancy J., died in child-
hood; Wm. B., late of Washburn, is now of Tyler county;
and J. W., who married Miss Rosalina Wilson, resides at Bel-
laire, Ohio.
Along with Mr. Carpenter from Pennsylvania came F'red-
erick Tanner, Truman Stephens, and Daniel Vancourt.
Air. Tanner was a mill-wright, and as he was a bachelor,
he remained as a member of the Carpenter household until
his death, in 1864, at the age of eighty-five years.
Truman Stephens was a native of Massachusetts ; and
his wife, Roena Kibbee, was born in New York; and for a
short time after their marriage, they resided in the "Empire
state," and from there, emigrated to Potter county, Pennsyl-
vania, and from thence to the Ellenboro vicinity — to the farm
now owned by Benjamin McGinnis — in 1841.
Here their lives closed at the home of their daughter,
Mrs. Vancourt. and in the Ellenboro cemetery they lie in
their last sleep.
H USHER'S RUN' 213
Tliey were the parents of four daughters ; viz., Liza was
the late Mrs. James McGee; Amanda Miranda was Mrs.
Daniel Vancourt ; Jane first married a man by the name of
Calhoun, and after his death, she became Mrs. Weekly. And
Lucinda, the only survivor of the family, is Mrs. Martin
Cochran, of Tollgate.
Mr. Stephens was a soldier of the war of 1812.
Daniel Vancourt and his wife, Mrs. Amanda Miranda
Stephens Vancourt, settled on a farm adjoining the Carpenter
homestead, and there remained until he was laid to rest on
his own farm. They were the parents of the following named
children :
Julia A., who became Mrs. Adam Raley, and went to
Baltimore; Amanda M., married Wm. Moore, and lived on
Stuart's run: Phebe L., became Mrs. William Parish, of Mari-
etta, Ohio ; Mary Cathrine is Mrs. Presley Rollins, of Hush-
er's run ; Margaret A., Mrs. James King, of Marietta ; Tru-
man D., Jane, and Mary Matilda have passed on ; and David
A. lives in Roane county.
Joseph Cochran was another early Pennsylvanian in the
Ellenboro vicinity. Plis father, John Cochran, came from Ire-
land during the Revolutionary war, and at once took up arms
in behalf of the colonists, and served for three years. At the
close of this struggle, he married Miss Elizabeth Adams, of
Greene county, Pennsylvania, and settled at Pittsburg. There
Joseph Cochran was born, and there he was married to Miss
Sarah Gill, of Mercer covmty, Pennsylvania; and in 1844, they
removed to this county. Their children were, Jonathan,
Samuel, Martin, Kathrine J., Sarah, Nancy, and Elizabeth
(who married Elijah Cunningham). Martin Cochran married
Miss Lucinda Stephens, and he is the only one of the family
that lives in this county, his residence being at Tollgate. The
rest reside in the West.(?)
William Hitchcock was the pioneer of the Pratt farm, one
mile east of Ellenboro, at the mouth of the small stream that
bears his name — "Hitchcock run."
He married Miss Phebe McKinney and came here early
in the century, and remained until he answered the final sum-
214 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
mons. Here he and his wife and nearly all of their descend-
ants shnnber.
His children were as follows :
IMichael, ^^'illianl, Waldo, Nicholas, ]\Iary, and Florence,
all of whom have passed on. Mary died in youth, Florence
in early womanhood, and Michael, the only one of the house-
hold who married, left a family. But they, too, have nearly
all passed on.
The Corbins have been prominent citizens of the county
for sixty years, and in this chapter they claim a place.
English in origin, they came to America in Colonial times
and settled in the "Old Dominion." George Corbin was mar-
ried to Miss Sallie Jennings, of Virginia, who belonged to
the same family as the distinguished \Mlliam Jennings Bryan,
and their son, John W. Corbin, was the head of the Ritchie
county family.
John W. Corbin Avas born in Culpepper county, \ irginia,
on October 7, 1786, and served as a soldier in the war of 181'^.
On January 14, 1819, he was married to Miss Rebecca
Williams, daughter of James and Barsheba Williams, who
was born in Monongalia county, on February 8, 1803 ; and
from Booth creek, Taylor county, with their large family,
they removed to Husher's run, in Xovember, 1850. Here they
passed away — he, on July 24, 1878, and she, on April 20, 1885,
and both rest in the Ellenboro cemetery.
Their family consisted of thirteen children ; viz., Sallie,
Oliver Perry, Frances, Alexander M., George, Elizabeth,
Ephatha, Ada, Joanna, Mariana, Pelina, Josephus, and Ocran
Corbin, all of whom married and reared families, except
Frances and Mariana, who died in childhood.
Sallie Corbin, the eldest, wdio was born on February 16,
1820, married Hiram Wilkinson, and after a long residence
here, they removed to Salem, where she died in December,
1902. Her family consisted of nine children : Loman, of In-
diana ; Celia (Mrs. Fenton Elifritz), of Ohio; Mary (Mrs. A.
J. Pritchard), of Parkersburg; Rachel (Mrs. Wm. Childers\
of Salem; Frances (]\Irs. Benjamin Grouser), Parkersburg;
Benjamin, Daniel, Josephus, and Ocran Wilkinson. The last
two named died in childhood.
HUSHER'S RUN 215
Oliver Perry Corbin was born on November 10, 1821,
and on March 2, 1845, he was married to Miss Nancy Ann
Taylor, who passed on near the year 1855, leaving six chil-
dren; and in 1857, he was again married to Miss Mar}^ Lin-
sey, and twelve children were the result of this union. After
calling Ritchie county his home for a number of years, he re-
moved to Jackson county, where his life came to a close.
The children of the first marriage were : Gustavns
Adolphus, Rebecca Ann (Mrs. Robert Jones), Joseph Taylor,
Lorenzo Dow, Mary Virginia (Mrs. John Faber), and Martha
Columbia (wife of the Rev. W. H. Maddox). The last two
mentioned were twins. All reared families of their own, ex-
cept L. D. Corbin, who died in youth.
The children of the second marriage : Arelions B., Alice
J. (Mrs. A. T. Maddox), Florence Belle (Mrs. J. H. G. Win-
ter), Lizzie (Mrs. D. E. Kessel), John D., Julius C, Ella
(Mrs. E. D. Kessel), Chestinie M., Zorah (Mrs. C. R. Smith),
and one who died in infancy.
Alexander McKra Corbin, born Alarch 13, 1827, was mar-
ried to Miss Margaret Williams, and finally, removed from
this county to Parkersburg, where he spent his last hours.
His children were twelve in number: Festus, Belle (Mrs,
Theodore Butcher), Aliss Rebecca, Dean (who died in youth),,
Susana (Mrs. John Hudkins), Luda (died in youth), Eliza
(Mrs. Frank Riley), Elizabeth (Mrs. ^Maxwell), Abraham,
Laura (Mrs. John Fredline), Arilda (Mrs. Edward Shantaley),
and Rufus Corbin.
George W. Corbin, born June 27, 1829. married Miss
Rhoda Weekly, daughter of John and Sarah Garrett Weekly,
and lived and died in this county. He w^as the father of the
late Dr. M. L. Corbin, Arlington, Mrs. Bessie (J. F.) Low-
ther, and Wm. S. Corbin, all of this county; J. ^I., of Illinois;
Mrs. Saccharissa (J. M.) Hughes, Parkersburg ; Mrs. Jane
Phillips, wife of the Rev. Mr. Phillios, of the Pittsburg M. P.
conference ; Rev. O. L. Corbin, of the Congregationalist
church of California; and the late Rev. J. D. Corbin. of the-
Pittsburg Methodist Protestant conference. This family have'
also been prominently known in educational circles in this
county.
216 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
Elizabeth Corbin, born June 25, 1831, was married to
George Cunningham, and removed to Tyler county, where
death overtook her. Her children : Martin Van Buren Cun-
ningham, Mary Jane (Mrs. Michael Adams), Andrew J.,
Pauline (Mrs. James Bell). Thomas B., John W., Joanna,
who died in infancy, Oliver P.. and Lettie, who is ]\Irs. Isaac
A^^ilHams.
Ephatha Corbin, born January IG. 1833, was married to
James Cunningham, and of this union ten children were born;
viz.. Jasper N. Cunningham, Permilia (Mrs. i\Iary Hammett),
Sarah (Mrs. Edward Friends), John (died in youth),
Rocellana (Mrs. Thomas Mahoney), Josephus (unmarried).
Amber (Mrs. Henr}- Rexroad), Viola (widow of the late Dr.
D. F. Ireland), the late Edmund D., and Emily, who is ]\Irs.
Charles French.
Ada Corbin, born on July 33, 1836. is noAv ]\Irs. Richard
Weekly, of Bond's creek. And their children are : Frances,
who married Clarke Saterfield, C. C. Weekly, Harlan P.,
Alosella (Mrs. Dudley Smith), Theodosia (Mrs. F. Alorgan),
Albert, the late Emma, the late Draper, who died in youth,
Samuel, Irena (Mrs. Earle Flesher), and Dollie (J\Irs. Elmer
Saterfield).
Joanna Corbin, born February 28, 1838, was married to
Thomas Rawson, and removed from this county to Eliza-
beth, Wirt county, where she died. Her children: Wm. J..
Albert J., John W., Burleigh H., Charles E., Frank, Joseph
C, Leslie B. Rawson, INIollie R. (Mrs. Samuel ^lorris), and
Doilie B., who is Mrs. Frank Wiseman.
Paulina Corbin, born on July 37, 1841, was married to
Alfred Fowler, of Ellenboro, and remained in this county
until after the death of her husband, when she removed to
Parkersburg, where she now resides with her son, Burleigh
Fowler. Her other children are : Dexter, Thomas, Palmer.
Lotta, Avho is ]\Irs. D. B. Patton, of Harrisville ; and Hattie
(Airs. J. D. Hill), Williamstown.
Josephus Corbin, born on November 3. 1813, is still a
resident of this county. He was first married to Miss Juliana
Hogue, of Bond's creek, and eight children were the result of
this union; viz., Ollie (Mrs. W^illiam Boggess), Zannie (Mrs.
RUSHER'S RUN 317
Okey Hill), Alonzo F. Corbin, Sallie (Mrs. M. O. Morgan),
Lillie (Mrs. Samuel Campbell), Floyd, and Howard, who are
at home, and one son who died in infancy. His second wife
was Aliss Drusilla Petit.
Ocran Corbin was born on September 30. 3 845, and died
at his home in this county two or three years since. Flis
wife was Miss Rachel Taylor, daughter of James Taylor and
granddaughter of Edmund Taylor, and their children were
twelve in number; viz., Oliver P., John, James (Avho died in
young manhood), Charles, Frank (a lawyer). Wade, and
Grover, who both died in youth, Lester, Josephine (Mrs.
Hubert Moss), Rosella and Kate, vv^ho are at home with their
mother; and one daugliter died in infancv.
Since finishing the above account, a bit of valuable in-
formation concerning the Corbin ancestry comes to us from
Miss Christine Washington, of Charlestown, West Virginia,
which we here add : ^/ypf^-C^ C-^xO^ t^
Henry Corbin crossed to the Virginia colony near the
year 1654,. and settled in King and Queen county. He had
three sons and five daughters: Henry, Thomas, Ga^^vvin,
Letitia, Alice, Winifred. Anne, and Frances.
Henry died young. Thomas never married. Gatvvin
married several times. Letitia became the wife of Richard
Lee, of Mt. Pleasant ; Alice married Phillip Lightfoot ; Wini-
fred, Leroy Griffin; Anne, William Taylor; and Frances be-
came the wife of Governor Edmund Jennings, of Rippon. Vir-
ginia. And doubtless from her Sallie Jennings Corbin, above
mentioned, is descended.
Gatvwin Corbin, the one son of the family that left issue,
married for his second wife Jane, daughter of John Lane, of
York river, who was probably the mother of all his children,
but Miss Bassett, daughter of Wm. Bassett, was another wife.
Flowever, his daughter, Jennie Corbin, married Col. John
Bushrod, and her daughter, Hannah, was the wife of John
Augustine Washington, the brother of George Washington.
Perhaps the present generations may find this bit of in-
formation valuable in tracing their ancestry, as it came too
late for farther investigation on our part.
The Fowlers. — Another family whose name has stood for
218 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
good citizenship in this part of the county for sixty years is
that of "Fowler."
Henrv Fowler, son of Isaac and ]\Iarv Komer Fowler,
was of German lineage and of Virgniia birth. He first opened
his eyes on earth on the Osage river, in 1808; and in 18il, he
was married to Miss Elizabeth Cofifman, who was also a
native of Virginia ; and near the year 1850, they came to
Husher's run, and settled on what is now designated as the
"Barnes farm," and a little later, purchased the old Husher
homestead, and here the remainder of their lives were spent.
Air. Fowler passed away in 1872 : and his wife, who was born
on August 15, 1819, survived until 1894. Both lie at rest in
the Husher's run burying-ground.
Their famih^ consisted of the following named children,
all of whom survive, except Albert, the eldest son, who died
in this county several years ago : Thomas resides in Indiana ;
M. D., in Calhoun county ; Alary is the wife of B. H. Wilson,
and Nancy is Airs. AV. H. Aloore, both of Goff's : J. X. resides
near Harrisville; Alartha is Airs. William Rawson, of Alary-
land ; and John H. Fowler, the youngest son, lives at the old
home on Husher's run.
Hamilton. — Almost sixty years have winged their noise-
less flight since the late Caleb T. Hamilton joined the little
colon}' on Husher's run ; and his family have ever since been
recognized among the good citizens of the county.
Air. Hamilton was born in Alonongalia cotmty, in 1829,
and there his youthful days were spent. His mother was Aliss
Alargaret Pratt, and his father lost his life in an accident on
the first steamboat that ever ascended the Alonongahela river,
as far as Alorgantown.
On October 28, 1852, he was married to Aliss Alary J.
Cole, of Alarion county, and in April of the following year,
they came to Husher's run : and after a brief residence here,
removed to Bond's creek, where he died on August 3, 1889,
and where Airs. Hamilton, though blind, still survives.
He was a lineal descendant of Alexander Hamilton.
He was a soldier of the Union army, and his service was
in Company F, Fourteenth West Virginia Regiment Volun-
teers.
H USHER'S RUN 219
Seven children made up the members of this family, two
of whom died in infancy, and the rest are as follows :
W. H., and F. L. Hamilton, are of Highland ; J. N., of
Parkersburg; C. J., of Hebron; and S. H. Hamilton, of Elkins,
.all of whom have families of their own.
CHAPTER XIV
Goose Creek Settled
HE DEEMSES.— Adam Deem was the pio-
neer of Goose creek. He was of English
origin, but his ancestors migrated from
England i:o Ireland, shortly after the con-
quest of this "Isle" by William of Orange,
and from there they came to New England
near the year 1735.
But the first connected and authentic history of the fam-
ily in the "New A\'orld"' begins with Adam Deem, senior,
who was born at Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1T5T, and served
as a soldier of the Continental army during the American
Revolution. This same Adam Deem removed from the place
of his nativity to Pennsylvania in his early manhood, and
finally in his old age, came to this county, where he spent his
last hours, on what is known as the old ''Deem homestead ''
just across from the mouth of Goose creek. Here he died, in
1861, at the great age of one hundred four years, and on this
homestead, beside his wife, he lies at rest.
He was the father of seven sons and five daughters. The
•names of the daughters are wanting, but the sons were as fol-
lows: Adam, junior, Phillip, Jacob, John, James, David and
Isaac G. Deem. All of whom married and reared families.
Adam Deem, junior, married his cousin, Hannah Deem,
and came here from the place of his nativity — Greene county,
Pennsylvania, near the year 1810, and settled on the farm
that is now owned by Mrs. M. J. Hall, near the mouth of
Goose creek. He was the first denizen of the wilderness here ;
was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was a typical pioneer
hunter. He died in the "Buckeye state" near the year 1867,
and there he rests. His wife also rests in Ohio, but not by
his side.
GOOSE CREEK SETTLED 221
He reared a large family, which were as follows : i\bra-
ham, John, Adam (III), Isaac, Philip, Jacob, Alargaret (Mrs.
John Turvey), Charlotte (Mrs. M. Turvey), Melissa (Mrs.
James H. Davidson), and Elizabeth (Mrs. Adam Ware).
Philip Deem (son of Adam, senior) was born in Bedford
county, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1785, and in 1809. he
was married to Miss Rachel Kidwiler, who was born on April
1, 1790. In 1810, they came to this county and settled ^.en
miles below Cairo, on the river — on the farm that is now
owneci by Cornelius Bradley, and Alexander Douglass. Here
Mrs. Deem passed away, on August 5, 1856, and on January
4, JSfio, her husband joined her on the other side. They both
rest on the Dotson farm at Rusk.
Philip Deem was a soldier of the war of 1813, and was
in the fierce engagement at Lundy's lane (on July 25, 1814).
He was the father of a large family. His son, Perr}^ died in
his early manhood ; James married an Irish lady and settled
at the old home, where he died in 1868; Adam, who w^as a
minister of much ability, went to Indiana, where he fell asleep.
The rest of his family Avere daughters ; viz., Elizabeth, Rachel,
Cathrin'e. Hannah, Roena, Mary, and Cinderilla.
Elizabeth married Peter Coyle and her onl}^ daughter is
Mrs. John Booth, of Barbour county.
Hannah married James Marshall and lived in Wood
county. Her children were Jacob, Frank and Alice Marshall.
Cathrine was the late Mrs. James Stuart, of Goose creek.
Roena \^^as the late Mrs. Frederick Lemon, of Macfarlan,
and Mary was the late Mrs. Benjamin Philips, of Rusk. (See
Lemon and Philips histories.)
Rachel married Daniel Donley and died at her home on
Elm run, in 1907. She was the last survivor of the family of
Jacob Deem, and her children are — the late James, Donley,
Philip, Thomas, Joseph, Rachel, Bridget, and the late Mary.
■ Cinderilla married John Bradley, and remained in this
county, where she reared a large family; viz., Philip met a
tragic death at a picnic at the Ritchie Mines in 1882.; John
and Rachel died young; Cornelius lives near Rusk; Mary A.
is Mrs. Meyers, of Cairo; Kathrine, Mrs. L. D. Cain; Ellen,
Mrs. N. B. Delaney; and Hannah is Mrs. B. T. Jackson.
222 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Jacob Deem (son of Adam, senior) married Miss Mary
Lazier, of Pennsylvania, and came to this county not far
from the year 1810. and established his home at the mouth
of Bear run, below the Oxbow, where he remained until death
claimed him. He was one of the contractors of the Parkers-
burg and Staunton turn-pike, as early as 1838 or '9. He had
five sons and four daughters ; viz., James, who was the father
of John Deem, of Smithville ; Patrick, David, Jacob, and
William; Elizabeth and Roue died unmarried; Susan is Mrs.
B. B. Nutter, of Oxbow ; and Louisiana, who was born in 1805,
was the late Airs. William Jenkins, who was laid in the Eddy
graveyard in Alarch, 1909.
It is claimed that Mrs. Jenkins was born in this countv,
and if this be true, the Deemses came here earlier than 1810.
A/Jrs. Jenkins was married in 1825, and her husband died in
1863. Mrs. Daniel Eddy, of Macfarlan, is one of her daugh-
ters.
James Deem (son of Adam, senior) ^vas a famous story-
teller and hunter, and the scene of his pioneer settlement was
across the Wirt county line, near what is now Freeport. }Icre
he lived and died, and in the Freeport cemetery he lies buried.
He married Miss Rachel Sargent, who, after his dtath,
with part of her family, went West, where she is sleeping.
Their family were as follows : Nepthalem, Jeremiah, Jef-
ferson, James, Franklin, Lucetta (Mrs. H. D. Nutter), Cath-
rine i^Mrs. B. Mountz). Sarah (Mrs. Jesse Lee, of -this county),
Angeline (Mrs. Edward Lazure), Nancy (Mrs. Isaac Thorn-
ton), Matilda (Mrs. Goodnow, of the West). Armanilla (Mrs.
(Mrs. Charles Ingrahm), Sacarissa and Rebecca's married
names are missing, as they went West, and there chose their
life companions. The families of these sons and daughters
are scattered throughout Ritchie, Wood, ^\lrt, and some
reside in the West.
Isaac G. Deem (son of Adam, senior) married Afiss
Nancy Enoch, and found a permanent home, and a final rest-
ing place on Goose creek. He was the father of ten sons and
three daughters : Abraham, Calvin, Commodore, John M.,
Jeremiah. Matthew, Isaac, and tripletts that died in infancy,
GOOSE CREEK SETTLED 223
were the sons; and Margaret, who married Henr}^ Lowther ,
Mary, wife of David Roberts ; and Sarah Elizabeth, widow ot
the late Richard Dotson. and mother of Hon. C. D. Dotson,
formerly of Elizabeth, bnt now of Parkersburg, are the dangh-
ters. They, with the two brothers, John M., and Calvin Deem,
still survive.
John Deem (son of Adam, senior) lived and died at Free-
port, in Wirt county. He was a soldier of the war of ISXi,
and, like the rest of the Deemses, came here very early in the
century. He married twice, and had three sons at least.
George, John, and Jehn Deem, and two daughters, Mrs.
Rachel Black, and Mrs. Elizabeth Braden.
David Deem went West in his early manhood.
Other Settlers. — William Douglass, whose history occu-
pies a place in a former chapter, was the first to mark the
forest in the Glendale vicinity.
Robert Armstrong settled at the foot of Goose creek liill,
and Samuel Hamilton was another early pioneer ; but we
have been unable to learn anything definite concerning the
history of either of these gentlemen.
A man by the name of Harris made the iirst improve-
ment on Bear run, a small tributary of this stream. He came
here from the '"City of I'.rotherly Love," and purchased a
tract of four huncfred acres of land for sheej) raising-
purposes, but ovv^ing to his failing health, returned to his
former home, after a brief stay here, and died in a short time.
His daughter, Miss Rose Harris, is a teacher in the school
for the Deaf and Blind, in Philadelphia.
The Harris estate was divided up and it is now owned
by a number of progressive farmers, among whom are. John
and Joseph Meshia, James Ross, William Sheets, B. Beail,
S. S. Cowell, B. M. Cowell, and others.
Nathan and John Carter were other early settlers of Bear
run, but this is all v/e know of their history.
A large tract of land (4000 acres) known as the "Hark-
ness estate," which was long under litigation, but which is
now owned by Brent Maxwell, also, lies on this stream.
Mrs. Cornelia Storer, a very wealthy lady of New York
224 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
city, also owns several thousand acres on Goose creek, and
the Bitrnhafns and Dr. Boles are other "landed-lords," who
own large possessions here.
The name of the little stream of "Bear run" here had its
origin in a fierce conflict which took place at Rock-ford, be-
tween "Injun Joe" Cunningham and a liuge black bear, which
resulted in the defeat of bruin, who weighed six hundred
pounds when dressed. (See Cunningham chapter.)
The Ross family, though not so early as the others men-
tioned, have been worthy citizens here for, perhaps, sixty
years.
Robert Ross was born on Booth creek, in Harrison coim-
ty, in 1810, and being left an orphan at the age of fourteen
years, went to Tennessee to live with a married sister. At
this age of the world, it was the custom for the farmers to
"boat" their products to New Orleans for market, and while
here, he made several trips to the Crescent city on a flat boat.
He served as a soldier in the Mexican war, having enlisted
from Harrison county, and at the close of hostilities, again
returned to his native county, where he was married to Miss
Elizabeth Starks, and after spending the first few years of
their married life there, they came to Goose creek, where thev
established a permanent home. Mr. Ross died in January,
1880, and Mrs. Ross, in April, 1886.
They were the parents of nine children; viz., Francis B.
Ross, Jehu, James, Meshiac, Joseph (who lost his life in his
burning dwelling early in the year 1910), Mrs. Phoebe Rine-
hart, Mrs. Martha Webb, Mrs. Luna Williams, all of Goose
creek ; and Mrs. Sophia Smith, of W^ashburn.
CHAPTER XV
Middle Fork Settled
HOMAS IRELAND, son of Alexander, was
the first pioneer to find a home on the Mid-
dle fork of Hughes river. In October, 1820,
he was married to Miss Katherine Lowther,
dauohter of Robert, the eldest son of Col.
William ; and shortly after this event, took
up his residence on this river, near its con-
fluence with the South fork, on the farm that is now the
property of his son, G. M. Ireland; and here the remainder of
his life was spent.
Thomas and Sarah Lowther Ireland.
As is well known, the forest at this time was full of wild
animals of various species, and not long after his arrival here,
lie killed a large panther, which had come close to the house
226 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUSTY
and raised a disturbance with the hogs. At another time, he
shot a young panther, and fearing an attack from the mother
beast, lost no time until he had reached home in safety. He
also killed two huge bears at difit'erent times with his "trusty
rifie."
He was a man of unalloyed integrit3^ and of strong re-
ligious convictions, and w^as one of the .corner-stones of the
White Oak Methodist Episcopal church, he and his wife being
among the charter members. And beneath the shadow of
this church, side by side, they lie in their last sleep.
Their children w^ere twelve in number: . Robert, Alex-
ander, John C, Albert, Alortimer, George M., Thomas W.,
J. Franklin, Elizabeth, Cathrine, Susan and Sarah.
Robert went to Kansas, where he died in 1870, and where
his family still live.
Alexander resides in Ohio. John C. passed away in
Dodridge county. Albert died in childhood (in 1849), and
Elizabeth, at a ripe old age.
Mortimer is now a superannuated minister of the Method-
ist Protestant church, and his home is at W^orthington, Marion
county.
George AI., the only one that remains here, has long been
a prominent figure in Sunday school and Farmers' Institute
circles, as w^ell as in business affairs. He served as a soldier
of the Union in the Civil w^ar and rose to the rank of Captain.
Thomas W., who was identified among the teachers of
this county in former years and served one term as County
Superintendent, is now a prominent minister of the ^Methodist
Protestant church, and Morgantown is his home.
J. Franklin went to Colorado many years ago, where he
still lives.
Cathrine and Susan make their home with their brother.
G. AI., at Pullman : and Sarah is Mrs. Maulsby, of West Union.
This family, like many of the other pioneer families, has
produced a host of prominent young people. Among them
are the Rev. A. L. Ireland, of the Methodist Episcopal church :
A. D. Ireland, of Parkersburg: Miss Addie Ireland, teacher
of art in the Fairmont schools ; and many others that might
be mentioned.
MIDDLE FORK SETTLED 227
Archibald Lowther was the second pioneer on the Mid-
dle fork of Hughes river. Harrison county was the place of
his nativity, and near the little town of West Milford, on
May 17, 1811, he first saw "the light of day." On September 'I'd,
1834, he was married to Miss Charlotte Williard, who was
born of German parentage in Greene county, Pennsylvania,
on January 29, 1813 ; and in 1836, they came to Holbrook, and
settled on the farm that is now owned by William Adams,
and Mr. Townsend — the site of the original cabin Ijeing near
the Townsend residence. Here, for more than forty years,
the family resided (until 1876, when they sold the farm to
the late John Coburn) ; here, Mr. Lowther suddenly fell
asleep, on October 29, 1874 ; and here, on tlie old homestead,
surrounded by the silent dust of five generations of the family,
beside his wife, he lies at rest.
When Mr. and Mrs. Lowther arrived, their nearest neigh-
bors were at Oxford, and at the mouth of the river: and
though they did not keep a house of public entertainment,
their home was known far and wide for its hospitality to
strangers, and it was a general stopping place for travelers.
After the old homestead had passed into other hands,
Mrs. Lowther lived with her children, until Iter death, on
April 6, 1895. She was a woman of strong physique, and of
no ordinary degree of intellect, and her whole life was char-
acterized by kind and helpful deeds.
The children of this family were seven in number; viz.,
Elizabeth Jane, the first born, died at the age of seventeen
years ; Robert, the third son, in childhood ; and Margaret C.,
who was the late Mrs. T. E. Nutter, of Holbrook, in 1905.
William George, the eldest son, resides at Fonsoville ;
Alexander S., at Peabody, Kansas ; John Marshall, near Au-
burn ; and Sarah Ann is Mrs. C. W. Leggett, of Pullman.
W. G. and Alexander were soldiers of the Union army
during the late Civil war.
The next arrivals were Mr. Lowther's parents, William
and Margaret Morrison Lowther,^ and his widowed sister,
Mrs. Sudna Willard, and her three daughters. Mlie elder
ipor history of WiUiarn Lrowther see first chapter.
228 . HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Lowther and his wife remained as snembers of tlie household
of their son until they passed from earth ; and Mrs. Willard
took up her residence on the Lowther homestead, where she
reared her little family.
Mrs. Sudna Lowther Willard, was the only daughter of
'\\'illiam and Alargarct Morrison Lowther that married and
reared a family. She was born near West Milford, on April
10, lvD2, and in her early womanhood, she was married to
George Willard, brother of I\Irs. Archibald Lowther ; and,
w^hile on a visit with her brother, Alexander Lowther, at Ox-
ford, a short time before the family removed to this county,
]\Jr. AMllard died, and w-as laid at rest on the Flannagan farm,
above Berea.
She died full of years at the home of her daughter, Mrs.
M. A. Neal, and, at Pullman, she slumbers.
Her daughters were Margaret, Rebecca, and Charlotte
Willard..
Margaret married \\'ilson Watson, of Otterslide, and w^as
the mother of three children: John, the only son, died in in-
fancy ; Sudna Jane was the first w'ife of the late A. M. Wade ;
and Charlotte is Mrs. Ai Kelley, of Otterslide.
Rebecca \A"illard married William R. Brown, and was
the mother of William R. Brown, ex-Prosecuting Attorney of
Doddridge county; and of Hon. T. A. Browai, of Parkersburg;
and of the late Mrs. Ozenia Lipscomb, and the late ^Irs. ]\Iary
Hodge.
Charlotte, the youngest and only surviving daughter, is
Mrs. AL A. Neal, of Pullman. Her children are, Llomer and
the late Clarke Neal. of Colorado: l\Irs. Alice Hawkins Cor-
bin. and the late Mrs. Louella Peirpoint, Mrs. Jane Alusgrave.
the late Olive Neal, and Miss Isa Neal, who holds a position
as teacher in the Fairmont schools.
The Willards are of German origin. George ^^'i^lard
came from the Fatherland late in the eighteenth century, and
settled in Greene county, Pennsylvania. He married Mrs.
Elizabeth Hume Ghanz, the w^idow^ of a Frenchman, but a
native of Germany, before leaving the land of his birth, and
they were the parents of four sons and three daughters : viz.,
MIDDLE FORK SETTLED 229
Elias was the father of Porter E. Willard, of Cameron; Jacob
settled in Kanawha county, but went from there to California
during" the gold excitement, and was never heard of again ;
Isaac rests at "Brown's mill," in Monongalia county; George,
the progenitor of the Ritchie county family, in this county ;
Elizabeth became Mrs. Schenk and went to Illinois, where
she spent her last hours, and where her descendants live ;
Dorothea was another daughter ; Mrs. Hannah Ghantz Jen-
kins, of Illinois, was the half-s'ister ; and Mrs. Charlotte Low-
ther was the youngest, and the only member of the family
that was not taught to read and to speak the German lan-
guage. When she was but a small child, her father removed
to the Monongalia side — his farm lying across the Virginia
and Pennsylvania line. Here Mrs. Lowther grew to woman-
hood ; here she was married ; and here her parents sleep.
Though the connection cannot be made clear owing to
the burning of the Willard records in Colonial days in Mass-
achusetts, there is but little doubt that this family and that
of the late Frances E. Willard are descended from the same
race. Her ancestors, who were of German lineage, came from
England to the Massachusetts colon}^ during the seventeenth
century, and became prominently identified with colonial
affairs. (A letter dictated by her in person not long before
her death is before us.)
The love that bound her (Miss Frances Willard) to the
land that gave her fore-fathers birth, she so beautifully ex-
pressed in the following language, on one occasion, when the
pride of nationality was being discussed :
"First, I am a Christian, then, I am a Saxon ; then I am
an American ; and when I get home to Heaven, I expect to
register from Evanston."
The Zinns. — After the Lowthers and the Willards came
the Zinns. This family trace their ancestry to the Fatherland.
George Zinn and his wife, Mary Saylor Zinn, with licr brother.
William Saylor, emigrated from Germany to America in the
year 1776. It is not positively known where they first estab-
lished their home, but they removed from Hagerstown. ^larv-
land, to Preston county (^^^est) Virginia and from there to
230 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Harrison county, where they spent the remnant of their days.
These venerable pioneers were the parents of eleven children ;
namely, Jacob, Elizabeth, John, George, Michael, Henry,
Alexander, AVilliam, Samuel, Peter, and Mary Zinn.
Elizabeth, the eldest daughter, married Henry Grimm
and removed to Indiana ; and Mary became Mrs. Bland and
remained in Harrison county ; Henry and George lived in
Ohio, and the rest probablv remained in this state.
John Zinn, the second son, whose history concerns us
most, married ]\Iiss Ruth Gandy, and they, with their family,
and their married son, J. W. Zinn, came from Preston count^^
late in the thirties, and settled on the farm that is now the
home of H. C. Zinn — the son of J. A\\ Zinn. Here the re-
mainder of their lives were spent, and in the Baptist church-
yard, at Oxford, they sleep.
The elder Zinn was a tanner by trade, and he opened the
first tannery in this part of the county; and his son run a
horse-mill for the convenience of the public.
John and Ruth Gandy Zinn were the parents of thirteen
children, twelve of whom married and reared families of their
own ; and not a few of the substantial citizens of this, and
sister counties, are descended from this worthy couple.
Their children were as follows:
Samuel, George O., Alanley, J. V\., Granville, Preston,
Rachel, Narcissus. Fernandez, Amelia, Delila, Elizabeth, and
Thomas, who died at the age of fourteen years.
J. Wesley Zinn, who, with his father, settled the H. C.
Zinn farm, was born on August 14, 1814, and died in 1853,
and was laid in the Oxford churchyard. He married Miss
Eliza Hoskins, of Preston county, and they were the parents
of — W. B. Zinn, Mrs. Mary E. (Taylor) Cox, of Wirt county;
Mrs. Sebra (Thomas) Law, Edward D., and C. X. Zinn. of
the West; and H^. C. Zinn, of Holbrook.
Q, Manley Zinn, some time after the arrival of the fam-
ily, married Miss Lucy Ann Wilson, sister of Isaac AX'ilson.
and settled at the mouth of Bear run. on the farm that is now
the property of his son. ]\I. B. Zinn. Here he passed away ia
1868, at the age of fifty-four years, and in the Baptist church-
MIDDLE FORK SETTLED 231
yard at Oxford he sleeps by the side of his wife, who survived
him by many years. (Manly and J. Wesley Zinn were twins.)
He was the father of C. L. Zinn, of Auburn, who is prom-
inently known in political circles, and who has twice repre-
sented his native county in the Legislature, at Charleston.
His other children are: Newton Zinn, of Glenville ; M. B.,
of Holbrook ; Worthington, of Oxford ; Noah; of Clarksburg ;
Grant, of Parkersburg; Victoria, wife of the late Granville
Hall, Colorado ; Mrs. Palestine Wilson, Toledo, Ohio ; Mrs.
Alice Childers, and Mrs. Magdalena Nutter (mother of At-
torney Bruce Nutter), both of Buckhannon ; and Martha, who
died in the "beauty of her youth."
George Zinn and his wife, Mrs. Sarah Gray Zinn, came
with the rest of the family, from Preston county, and settled
just across the Doddridge county line; but. a little later, they
removed to the Oxford vicinity to the farm that is now the
home of their son. Granville Zinn. Here their last hours were
spent, and, with the other pioneers of their name, they rest in
the Baptist churchyard at Oxford.
Their children were the late James, of Oxford; John, of
Lewis county; Thomas, of Harrisville ; Granville, above men-
tioned ; Milroy, and O. M. Zinn, who resides with his sister,
Mrs. E. A. Leggett, at Oxford ; Mrs. Mary J. Marsli, Lewis
count}' ; Mrs. Elizabeth Douglass, of the West ; Ruth, who
first married Mr. Bumgarnt, is now Mrs. James Carter, of
West Union ; and Delia, wlio died in youth.
Samuel Zinn, the eldest son of John and Ruth Gaudy
Zinn, was first married to Miss Miranda Weaver, who died
ere long, leaving five children ; viz., Elizabeth, Columbus,
Minerva, Rachel (who is now Mrs. E. M. Brown, of Auburn),
and Worthington. Ilis second wife was Miss Ann Dawson,
and the twelve children of. this union, which are scattered in
different parts of the West, were as follows: Elizabeth,,
William, Elijah, Sarah, Preston, Eliza, Martha, David B.„
Mary, Laura, Jerusha, and Ella Zinn. (Married names un-
known to us.)
Rachel Zinn (daughter of John and Ruth Gandy Zinn)
married Thomas Gray, and they settled just across the
232 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
Doddridge county line, near one-half mile from the Oxford
post-office, on the farm that is still in the hands of their de-
scendants — the children of their late son. Charter, being" the
heirs. Here they lived and died, and in the Baptist church
cemetery at Oxford they lie at rest.
Their children were eleven in number ; viz.. Jane, the
first born, married John Stiriespring, and I\Irs. J. E. Day, of
Doddridge countv. is her onlv child. Thomas died in child-
hood; William, in 3'oung manhood: Amelia and Erminia, in
early womanhood; James was a soldier of the Union army,
and not long after his return home (late in the '60's) he
passed on : Elizabeth is Mrs. John M. Gribble, of West Union :
Sarah was the late Mrs. F. A. Nutter, of Oxford ; Narcissus is
is Mrs. Charles B. Cleavenger, of Oxford; Lucia, who first
married the late \\ ilson B. Lowther, of Oxford, is now Airs.
L. C. Alorris ; and Charter, the only son that left a family,
married Miss Hannah Bee.
Narcissus Zinn (daughter of John and Ruth Gandy Zinnj
married Samuel Rogers, but she died early in life, and ]\Ir.
Rogers married again. The family resided in the Oxford
vicinity for a time in pioneer days, but returned to Preston
county. Two of her children were Thomas and Preston, but
here our authentic information ends.
Delila Zinn (daughter of John and Ruth Gandy Zinn)
married David Fortney, and remained in Preston county. Her
children's first names only are at hand : Eugene, Fernandez,
L3'-curgus, Charlotte, Ashford, Caroline, Silas, and Orpha Fort-
ney. Mr. Fortney, of Leatherbarke, is descended from her.
Elizabeth Zinn (daughter of John and Ruth Gandy Zinn")
married Thomas Brown, and remained in Preston county.
And her children were, Adaline. Buckner. A\'illiam. Charles.
Virgil and Cloa Brown.
Preston Zinn (son of John and Ruth Gandy Zinn) mar-
ried ]^Iiss Nanc}' Rogers. (See Berea settlers.) And the
family of Amelia Zinn, who first married Thomas E. Davis,
senior, and later Eli Heaton, will be found in a subsequent
chapter.
MIDDLE FORK SETTLED 233
BEAR RUN SETTLED.
Granville Zinn, the remaining son of John and Ruth
Gandy Zinn, married ]\Iiss Rosetta Lowther, and settled on
Bear run, on the farm that is now the home of Delaine Tharpe,
in 1843.
This stream, whicli is a small tributary of the Middle
fork, took its name from a huge black bear that came to its
death here at the hands of Mrs. Zinn's father and brother,
\\m. B., and \\n\. R. Lowther, and Wm. K. f^owther, while
Hi this section on a hunting expedition years before the date
of this settlement.
Mr. Zinn lived and died where he settled, and some time,
after he was laid in the Oxford Baptist churchyard, his widow
and son, Samuel, removed to Harrisville, where they still re-
side. Airs. Zinn celebrated her ninetieth birthday in February,
1910.
Besides the son mentioned, their children were as fol-
lows: The late W^illiam, the Rev. Lemuel, and the late
George, of Salem ; Mrs. Margaret Harbert, Harrison county ;
Albert Zinn, Tollgate ; arid Ellen and Sophia, who died in
childhood.
George Griffin was the second settler on Bear run. He
was born in Harrison county, on February IG, 1828 ; and on
February 22, 1849, he was married to Miss Juan Fernandez
Zinn (daughter of John and Ruth Gandy Zinn), who was born
on November 30, 1828 ; and in 1852, they settled on what is
known as the Roger's farm, on the Ritchie and Doddridge
county line, and in 18T3, they removed to Holbrook to the old
homestead, where their remaining years were spent. Here, in
January, 1909, Death, for the first time, invaded this family
circle and claimed Airs. Grififin, who was a noble type of
womanhood. Mr. Griffin then went to the home of his son.
Charles G. Griffin, in Ohio, and there, near two months later.
Death overtook him. His remains were brought back and
laid in the South fork Baptist churchyard, b}' the side of the
companion that had traveled with him so far down the "decliv-
ity of time."
These pioneers were the parents of ten children, who are
234 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
all living and who are all the heads of respected families ; viz.,
A. Virginia is Mrs. James K. Wilson, of West Union ; M.
Caroline is Mrs. W. B. Hayden, of Centreville, Washington ;
J. Franklin, is of Wood county ; Thomas J., of Holbrook ;
John Woofter, of California; Charles G., of Ohio; ]\Irs. Laura
Crofton, of Idaho; Mrs. Lucetta J. (S. L.) McClain, of West
Union ; Ella is Mrs. Gilbert Hayden, of Auburn ; and Homer
Griffin is of Wirt county.
Several members of this family w^ere at different times
identified in the profession of teaching here and elsewhere.
The Griffins are of Welsh descent. John Griffin crossed
from Wales some time during the latter part of the eighteenth
century, and settled in Maryland. His son, Samuel, married
Miss Sarah Scarf, of Hartford county (Maryland), and set-
tled in Talbott county ; and from there, near the year 1804,
they migrated to Harrison county, (W.) Virginia, where they
spent the remaining years of their lives.
They were the parents of eleven children ; viz., Xancy,
John, Henry S., Susana, Edward, William S.. Joshua H., James
S., Benjamin S., George G., and Martha Griffin. Several of
these sons were soldiers of the war of 1812.
James S. Griffin, the progenitor of the Ritchie county
faniil}', married ^Nliss Martha Harbert. and settled at Lumber-
port, in Harrison county. He was one of the pioneer minis-
ters of the Baptist church in wdiat is now West Virginia, his
field of labor being in Harrison, Ritchie and the adjoining
counties, reaching as far as Kanawha county. He was the
first Moderator of the Mt. Pisgah Baptist church, in Gilmer
county, being elected to this office at its organization, on Octo-
ber 27, 1854. He rests in Harrison county.
His children were — Joshua, John, Allison, Benjamin.
Luther C, Charlotte (Mrs. Jeremiah Robey"), Jane (}\Ir;-i.
Christian Davis), Permilla (who married Anthony Winter-
mine, and went to Oregon), and George G. Griffin. All the
rest of the family remained in Harrison county except the last
two mentioned. Benjamin and Luther were soldiers of the
Civil war.
H. B. Tharpe, shortly after his marriage to Miss Eliza-
beth Wass, sister of Harrison Wass, in 1847, made the first
MIDDLE FORK SETTLED 235
settlement on the old homestead, where he and his aged com-
panion are quietly spending the eventide of their lives. Per-
haps, this remarkable instance can hardly be duplicated in the
county. One by one they have followed their five children
to the grave, and only three of their grandchildren survive ;
viz., Mrs. Dora Pritchard Cox, who resides with ^hem ; Por-
ter Tharpe, of Clarksburg; and Mrs. Ora Bush, of Troy — the
latter being the children of the late Harrison Tharpe.
Their only daughter, Eliza Ellen, was the late Mrs. Ar;-
drew Pritchard. John died in childhood, and Irvin and George
Tharpe, in their young manhood.
The Nutters. — The year 1849 was marked by the coming
of Christopher N. Nutter to the farm that is now the home of
his son, C. W. Nutter ; and two years later, his father, Thomas
Nutter, made the first improvement, on the farm that was
until recently the home of his grandson, T. E. Nutter — now
owned by M. B. Zinn.
The elder Nutter (Thomas), Avho was a native of the
Clarksburg vicinity, married Miss Lois Parks, and was the
father of— AV. EI. H. Nutter, of Iowa; G. Hamilton, of Ohio;
Daniel, of Barbour county; Mrs. Thomas Scoonover, of Ran-
dolph ; Sarah, who became the wife of the Rev. Thomas Hat-
field, of Ohio; Airs. Mary (Wm.) Douglass, and Mrs. Belinda
(Levi) Douglass, both of Barbour county; and Lois, who
went to California, and there married.
Mrs. Nutter died and was laid to rest in Harrison county,
before he came to Ritchie county. Here on the Middle fork,
he passed from earth, and in the Lowther cemetery, he sleeps.
Christopher N. Nutter married Miss Sarah Swisher,
daughter of Isaac Swisher — a pioneer of Lost creek, Harrison
county, and from the time of their arrival until they were laid
in the Lowther cemetery (in 1883 and '94, respectively) they
were among the substantial citizens of this community.
Their children were John A. Nutter, who lost his life in
the Confederate cause; the late Mrs. Erances (G. W.) BroAvn,
who sleeps at Holbrook ; Mrs. Mary A. (A. S.) Lowther, of
Peabody, Kansas; the late T. E., of Parkersburg ; and C. W.,
of Holbrook. who is now a member of the honorable County
court.
336 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
AI. Bruce Nutter, who is a prominent attorney at Buck-
hannon, belongs to this family, he bein^- the s-rand^on i^f Ham-
ilton, and the son of Thomas.
Andrew Nutter, an early pioneer of the Oxford vicinity,
whose descendants in this county are not a few in number,
also, belon»'ed to this family, he being a first cousin of Thomas
Nutter.
He was a native of Harrison county and a veteran of the
war of 1812 ; he having enlisted at the age of seventeen years,
and was in the engagement of Ft. Defiance on the Alaumee
river. He married Aliss Malinda ^Villis (sister of Robert
Willis, of Oxford ; of Mrs. Peter Pritchard, of White Oak ;
and of Mrs. William Elder), and they were the parents of
Willis, John, Andrew, junior, and Mrs. Julia A\'arren, of Ox-
ford : Mrs. Nancy Hart, Mrs. Alalinda Hart, and Mrs. Eliza-
beth Hart, of Pleasants county ; and Airs. Sallie Watson, of
Roane county ; all of whom have passed on, except Mrs. War-
ren, who is now a nonegenarian, and possibly another one or
two.
Willis Nutter married Aliss Julia Richards, of Harrison
county, and his son, Thomas, married Aliss Sarah A. Allender,
daughter of the late Jacob Allender, of Oxford, and they were
the parents of ex-Sheriff Oke}^ E. Nutter; of Emma, the wife
of Lee Prunty, of Oxford; of Mrs. Lola (Ben) AA'ilson, of Toll-
gate; Mrs. Bessie (Fred) Ross, of Pennsboro ; and of Mrs.
Eva Tharpe, of Oklahoma city.
W. M. Nutter, of Eva; AL B., of Oxford; and W. J., of
Pennsboro, are the other descendants of Andrew, senior, they
being the sons of Andrew (HI), of Oxford.
John Nutter, brother of Andrew, senior, and his wife, ^Trs.
Emily Vincient Nutter, were early settlers just across the
Doddridge county line : but they removed from there to
Leatherbrake, in the early fifties, imCv there spent their last
days; and on the old homestead, near Iris, they sleep. They
were the parents of several children : Jacob and Andrew, Mrs.
Julia (Lewis) Rogers, ]\Irs. Alary (Henry) Smith, and Cassie,
who married and lived in Ohio, have all passed on. Nels6n
lives in California; Thomas, in Kansas; Airs. Ellen (Wm.)
MIDDLE FORK SETTLED 237
Connolly, in Virginia; and Dorinda, Avho never married, on
Leatherbarke.
The Nutters are of Scotch-English descent. Four brothers
came from England and settled in Harrison county, where
they figured quite prominently as pioneers and as Indian
fighters ; and from them the far-famed Indian fort took its
name ; and from them all the Nutters of this, and adjoining
counties, are descended. Thomas, one of these brothers, with
a company of other men, followed the savages from Harrison
county, to what is now the vicinity of Washburn, where the}^
overtook and killed one of the leaders of the band, Avho man-
aged to crawl under a clilT of rocks, where his skeleton was
found a number of years afterwards. He (Thomas) was the
progenitor of the Elolbrook, Oxford, and Leatherbarke fami-
lies, his son, Christopher, being the father of Thomas, of Hol-
brook ; and his son, John, of Andrew, senior, of Oxford, and of
John, of Leatherbarke.
The Watsons, — Other early settlers in this part were
Otho, George, and John Watson— three brothers, from Bar-
bour county, who all made their improvements on Brush run —
a small tributary of the Middle fork.
They were the sons of Jacob Watson, who removed from
Marion to Barbour county near 1812. He married a Miss
Gandy — sister of Mrs. John Zinn, and one son, Otho, was
born of this un.ion. After her death, he married Miss Sarah
Pritchard, sister of Peter Pritchard, and they were the parents
of — George and John, and of Mrs. John (Mary) Jett (mother
of Wm. Jett, of Otterslide) ; Mrs. Elizabeth Westfall, Mrs.
Castor, Mrs. Nancy Divers, Mrs. Amanda Divers, all of Bar-
bour county; Mrs. Jane Rowe, and the late William, Roane
county; the late Mrs. Angeline (Lair) Simons, of Auburn;
and Emily, who died unmarried.
Otho Watson married Miss Louise Jett, and made the
first settlement on Brush run, in 18-15 ; from here he removed
to Roane county, where his widov/ still survives (1908) at the
age of more than one hundred years. This pioneer and two
of his sons, Jacob, of Roane county, and George, who died
during the Civil war, served as Union soldiers ; Irvin, Mrs.
Elias (xA-melia) Pritchard, and the late Mrs. Matilda Boise, of
238 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUXTY
Roane county; and Airs. Henry Collins are the other children.
George Watson married Miss Susan Divers, and remained
here until death ; and in the Auburn cemetery, beside his wife,
he rests.
His children are — ]M. B., and Wilson, of Auburn ; An-
drew, of Salem: George, of Parkersburg; Mrs. Mary Bee. of
Berea ; the late Mrs. ]\Iartha (J. B.) Gribble, of Auburn; Mrs.
Jennie Summers, and Mrs. Alice Adams, Roane county; Mrs.
Elien Smith, Doddridge county; and ]\Irs. Adaline (Marshall)
Hall. Colorado.
John Watson married Aiiss Kathrine Thrash, of Barbour
county, and spent the remainder of his life on Brush run,
where he settled ; and in the Lowther burying-ground, beside
his wife, he found a resting place. His children are: Nealy,
and Jacob M., of Aiiburn ; the late Thomas, and David, of
Elizabeth: Scott, of Parkersburg; Grant, of Cincinnati; and
John ("Jack"), of Fenwick.
After the death of his first wife, he w'as married to Miss
Sarah Maxwell, daughter of Lamar 3.1axwell, of Doddridge
county, and was the father of several more children ; Mrs.
Charles Sinnett, of Auburn ; of Dora, Sarah, ]\Iary. Joe, and
Morgan, junior.
William Adams w^as another early settler on the waters
of the Middle fork. Though his domain was just across what
is now the Ritchie and Doddridge county line, his interests
"were identical w-ith those of the other pioneers of this vicinity.
He was a native of Plarrison county — the son of Jonathan
Adams, a Revolutionary soldier, who fought under General
Washington. He married Miss Lucinda Wright, of Harrison
county (who was a member of the A\^right family, of Spruce
creek), and in 1840, took up his residence in the forest where
his son, William Adams, now lives. Here he passed from
sight in 1861 ; and in the Auburn cemetery, beside his wife, he
sleeps. After the death of the wife of his youth, he married
Miss Louisa Summers, sister of Joseph and^Elijah Snmmeis;
and they were the parents of five children: Elijah, and Alex-
ander Adams, J\lrs. Susana Pierce, IMrs. Margaret Husk, -and
Mrs. Flora Edgell, of Doddridge county.
MIDDLE FORK SETTLED 239
The children of the first union were; viz.,
William, who lives at the old homestead; Joshua Adams,
of Summers — the father of the well known lawyer, Homer
Adams, of Harrisville ; the late Jackson Adams, of Summers ;
Mrs. Mary (Thos.) Hickman, of Grove; and the late Mrs.
Harriet (Elias) Snodgrass, Ritchie county ; the late Mrs. Mary
Ann Leeson, the late Mrs. Elizabeth Lipscomb, and the late
Mrs. Sarah Gray, who was the mother of the Gray Brothers,
of Elizabeth, \\ irt county.
CHAPTER XVI
Bone Creek Settled
ROBERT SOMMERVILLE was the first pio-
neer to break the forest on Bone creek. He
came from Harrison county in 1834, and set-
tled a short distance below Auburn, on .the
farm that is now the estate of his late son.
William. Here he continued to reside until
he was laid in the Auburn cemetery.
Mr. Sommerville was born near Cumberland, Maryland,
on May 1, 1800. He was the son of James Simmeral,^ who,
with his wife, and tAvo children, came fiom Cork, Ireland, near
1788, and settled on the coast of Dela-
ware, for a time, before removing to
Maryland. When the family came to
America, two sons, John and Andrew,
remained in Ireland, but Andrew after-
wards came to the United States. The
other members of the family were :
James, Mrs. Nancy Lynch, Mrs. A\'m.
(Peggy) Burnside, all of Harrison
county ; and Robert, above mentioned.
In 1825, Robert married Miss Mary
Ward, daughter of William Ward, of
Harrison county, a soldier of the war
of 1812 ; and for long years after his death, "Aunt Polly," as
she was familiarly known, continued to reside at the old home
below Auburn, where she fell asleep in 1894, at the great age
of ninety-one or two years.
Their children are: the late William, Martin, George,
Franklin. John, Hiram, Mrs. Sarah (Charles) Brown, Mrs.
Robert Sommerville.
•The name was originally Simmeral, but through some error of pro-
nunciation it finally became Sommerville.
BONE CREEK SETTLED 241
Drusilla Fisher. Mrs. Margaret (A. N.) Watson, Mrs. Ruhama
(Wilson) Watson.
All the sons have passed away, except John. Franklin
met a tragic death by falling from a building, and Hiram died
in childhood, and his remains filled the first grave that "was
hollowed out" in the Auburn cemetery. The others all left
families : a noteworthy feature is that the dead of this family
all rest at Auburn, and here the living all reside.
Timothy Tharpe. — The settlement of Mr. Sommerville
was closely followed by that of Timothy Tharpe, who came
from his native county — Harrison, and took up his residence
on the late A. P. Knisely homestead., above Auburn. He later
moved to the Israel Cookman farm, and finally, to the Earnest
Fry mire property, where he died, in 1881.
Mr. Tharpe was of Irish Hneage. He was born on July
35, 1802; was the son of II. Benjamin Tharpe, a ship-builder
and carpenter. When he was but a small boy his parents
died, and- he was bound out to strangers, and thus the days
of his childhood and youth were sadly spent. Fle was a
brother of the late H. B. Tharpe ,of Iowa ; of Mrs. Susan
Hall — mother of the late Lemuel Hall — of Auburn ; the late
Mrs. Hannah Davis, of Pai-kersburg ; and the late Mrs. Wm.
Davis, of West Union. Fie was a man of very strict religious
principles, and was one of the corner-stones of the Auburn
M. E. church, as was Mr. Sommerville.
On Christmas day, 1823, he was married to ]\liss Sarah
Cox, sister of Col. Daniel V. Cox, of Slab creek, who was
born on December 18, 1805 ; and thirteen children were the
fruits of this union. Mrs. Tharpe followed him to the grave
in 1884, and both rest at Auburn.
Their children: Matilda (Mrs. Henry Hayden), Mrs.
Christiana AVagner, W. D., and Mrs. Mahala Mitchell, sleep
in Iowa ; Mrs. Luvina Collins, on Spruce creek ; Mrs. Caroline
Brown and E. H. Tharpe, at Auburn ; two daughters died in
childhood, and one son, Sedwick S., in the Andersonville
prison during the Civil war. The surviving ones are H. B.
Tharpe, of Hoibrook ; P. R., of Harrisville ; and Mrs. Eliza-
beth (Isaac) Hayden, Auburn.
242 HISTORY or RITCHIE COUXTV
Andrew Law was tlie third settler on Bone creek. He
came from Lewis county, in 1834, and made his improvement
on the farm that is best known as the "Thomas Kniseley
homestead" — now the home of W. H. Hall.
He was quite a young man at this time, not having yet
deserted single life ; but two years later, he was married to
Miss Margaret Vvaldeck, daughter of Henry Waldeck, a Ger-
man, who came to America in 1T7G, as a Hessian soldier in
the Revolution ; and who, refusing to return to his native land
at the close of the war, though a fortune awaited him, entered
land on the river below Weston, where he and his wife, ^Irs.
Mary Sleeth Waldeck — sister of David Sleeth, of Smithville —
established their home.
A few years after Mr. Law's marriage, on the occasion
of a husking bee, while his ''good wife" was preparing the pot
for dinner, her attention was attracted by an unusual dis-
turbance among the hogs ; and, stepping to the door, she dis-
covered an old bear and two cubs making an attack on them.
Calling the family dog to her assistance, she managed to tree
the mother, and one of the cubs, and to hold them at bay
until the "tooting" of the horn brought the men from the field.
Air. Law, seizing his gun as he passed the house, soon brought
both offenders to the ground. The other cub, returning in
quest of its mother, shared a like fate.
Mr. and Mrs. Law went to Colorado in the early seven-
ties, and there, fell asleep.
They were the parents of nine children : Dr. Galehria
Law, Mrs. Jeniza (J. F.) Ireland, John E., and Lorenzo D.
Law, all of Colorado; the Rev. H. M., of the West Virginia
M. E. conference; Leondias F., of Spencer; Mrs. (W. M.)
Agnes Rymer, Harrisville ; Mrs. Mary E. (G. M.) Ireland,
White Oak; and Henry T., v/ho died in the Andersonville
prison during the Civil war. Leonidas and Galelma were also
L^nion soldiers ; and Mrs. Ireland, and Dr. Law were once
identified among the teachers of the county.
The Laws have an interesting ancestral history. They,
being in sympathy with the A\'esleyans, were dri\en from
Belfast, Ireland, the place of their nativity, by religious perse-
cution. So bitter were their persecutors — the Catholics —
^1
BONE CREEK SETTLED 243
that they were obliged to leave by stealth, a friendly Catholic
girl, having warned them of their peril. And in the wilds of
America, "They sought a faith's pure shrine" — "Freedom to
worship God." And though man}^ generations have come
and gone since that time, the different families of this name
still adhere to the religious faith (Methodist Episcopal) that
brought their fore-fathers to this land.
In 1794, four brothers, Thomas, William, Frank, and
John Law, with their parents, set sail for America. The
mother died on board the ship, while crossing, and was buried
beneath the briny waves, and the rest landed in Philadelphia.
Frank died leaving no issue. John, who was an Irish
peddler, went West and married and his descendants are
scattered over Ohio and Indiana.
Thomas and William remained in Philadelphia for a time,
but finally emigrated to West Virginia. William settled at
Gooseman's mill, in Harrison county, and was the ancestor
of the Lawford branch of the family ; and Thomas, near Jane
Lew, in Lewis county.
Thomas Law married Miss Martha Fisher in "Old Erin,"
and four months after their arrival in the "City of Brotherly
Love," twins were born of them (on April 4, 1795) — the first
of the name to be born in America. Shortly after their birth,
the mother and the infant daughter passed on, and the son,
who was known as Billy F. Law, grew to manhood and mar-
ried a Miss Thornhill, and from him the Otterslide branch of
the family are descended, he being the father of the late
Thomas T. Law, of Otterslide, and the grandfather of the
late Mrs. John Ehret, Mrs. Azariah Bee, and Mrs. Elisha
Maxin.
When Billy F. Law was a lad of fourteen years, he made
a pair of red cedar gate posts, and placed them on his father's
farm, near Jane Lew, and though a century has past, one of
these posts, still stands, as a "lone sentinel," keeping its silent
vigil.
Some years after the death of his first wife (Mrs. Martha
Fisher Law), Thomas Law, senior, married Miss Nancy
Dixon, w^ho came from Ireland at the same time that he did ;
and three sons and three daughters were the fruits of this
244 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
union : Andrew, the Bone creek pioneer ; the late James, of
Cove creek; and the late Asa, of Jane Lew; Mrs. Eliza Collins,
Mrs. Margaret Armstrong, and Eleanor, who married a Mr.
Jackson, of Jane Lew.
Asa Law married Miss Mary Fell, of Westmoreland coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, and lived and died near Jane Lew — on
October 29, 1908, at the age of ninety-six years. He was the
father of ten children, and at the time of his death, his poster-
ity numbered forty-five grandchildren, fifty-four great-grand-
children, and two great-great-grandchildren, some of whom
had passed on. His progeny are said to be scattered from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and one granddaughter is a mis-
sionary in China.
James D. Law w^as born in Lewis county, in September,
1817, and was married to Miss Mary E. Bowen, in 1852, and
resided in his native county until 1876, when he removed to
Gilmer county, where he died three years later. He was the
father of A. F. Law, C. F., Nancy, Josephine, W. S., W. J.,
Ida v.. Missouri K., and Cree L Law.
The Rev. George Collins — a minister of the Methodist
Episcopal church, also found a home on the Thomas Kniseley
(now the Hall) farm, at an early day.
He was the first minister in this section, and was a man
of no mean ability. He first married Miss Mary Ann Law,
of Gooseman's mill, Harrison county — half-sister of the late
Asby Law, of Lawford, and when she was about to leave this
world, she requested him to marry her cousin. Miss Eliza
Law, sister of Andrew Law — a request which was complied
with some time later.
Sylvester, Edwin. Albert, and Mary B. were the fruits of
the first union ; and Eliza Catharine, and another child that
died in infancy, of the last. The family went to Illinois ; and
when Miss Eliza C. grew to womanhood, she returned to this
county on a visit, and while here, listened to the wooing voice
of John M. Brown, of Hannahdale, and became his bride; and
at Riddel's chapel, she sleeps. She was the mother of Deputy
Sheriff C. Floyd Brown, of Mrs. lona Wagner, of Hannah-
dale : and of Mrs. Mae (John) Harris, Weston.
Alexander Armstrong is said to have preceded Mr. Col-
BONE CREEK SETTLED 245
lins to the Thomas Kniseiy farm, he having erected the cabin
that Mr. Collins afterwards occupied. He was a brother-in-
law of Andrew Law, and Mr. Collins, his wife being Miss
Margaret Law. From here he went to near Troy, in Gilmer
county ; and finally, to Ohio.
Samuel Mann is said tO' have been another early settler in
this section, but of him we know nothing.
Henry Hayden made the first improvement on the farm
that is designated as the Frymire homestead. He was born
in Pennsylvania in 1819 ; and from there, came to Harrison
county, in 1840, and two years later, to Bone creek ; here he
married Miss Matilda Tharpe, daughter of Timothy Tharpe ;
and from here they removed to Davis county, Iowa, in 1859,
where they both sleep — she having passed from earth in 1900,
and he, in 1906.
Isaac Hayden — brother of Henry, was the first settler on
the Hayden farm, in this vicinity. He, too, was a native of
the "Keystone state," having been born in Westmoreland
county, on August 1, 1821. He came to this county in 1849,
and two years later, married Miss Elizabeth Ann Tharpe. who
was, also, a daughter of Timothy Tharpe, and took up his
residence on the farm that remained his home until his death,
on February 6, 1894. He rests in the Auburn cemetery, and
his widow lives with her son, at Auburn.
Their children are as follows : Wm. Bennett Hayden,
Washington; the late Mrs. Mary M. (Samuel N.) Haddox,
Pleasant Hill; Mrs. Huldah J. (L N.) Czigan, Doddridge
county; Mrs. Amanda C. Qohn \¥.) Haddox, Calhoun coun-
ty; Irvin M. Hayden, and Gilbert, and Mrs. Abby L. (J. P.)
Smith, Auburn; Mrs. Sarah E. (Wilson) Rymer, Gilmer
county; Nathaniel riayden, Doddridge county; and Mrs. Ida
(John) W^ass, Huntington. The eldest son, W. B., taught
school in this county for near a score of years, and served one
term as County surveyor before going West. Gilbert also
held the office of County surveyor for ten years.
The Haydens are of English descent. They came from
"The Motherland," and were among the earliest settlers of
the New Jersey colony. They figured in Colonial history
both as Revolutionary soldiers, and as Indian fighters.
2i6 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Nathaniel Hayden — grandfather of Henry and Isaac —
was one of the first settlers in the vicinity of Pittsburg, he
having gone there from New Jersey, when but a lad. Twice
the emigrant party to which he belonged, was driven back to
New Jersey by the hostility of the Indians. On one occasion,
he, and a few other men, made an average of seventy-five
miles a day on horse-back, when compelled to flee from the
dusky foe. Air. Hayden, at one time, owned four hundred
acres of land in what is now the City of Pittsburg. His
earthly pilgrimage began on November 28, 1755, and closed,
on September 15, 1845. His wife, Abigail, lived from June
17, 1762, to April 20. 1836.
Thomas Hayden, his son. married Aliss Mary Hayden,
and from him the Ritchie county family are descended. He
Avas born in Pennsylvania — in Westmoreland county — near
the year 1788, and his wife was born in 1790: both died there,
in 1874.
They were the parents of thirteen children : Henry and
Isaac, of Ritchie county; James and Thomas, of AIcKeesport,
Pennsylvania; Nathaniel, who lost his life in the Union cause;
Samuel, of Idaho ; the late Wm., the late Alexander, and
Abijah, all of Pennsylvania; Mrs. Christina Marshall, Mrs.
Abigail Fell, and Mary M., and Elsie, who both died unmar-
ried.
Lemuel Hall. — In 1841, Lemuel Hall came to the home-
stead that remained in his hands until he passed to his reward
in 1897. (Mr. Sheets now owns this farm.) He was of
English descent, and came upon the stage of action in Lewis
county, on August 9, 1820; was the son of Elisha and Mrs.
Susan Tharpe Hall. On December 15, 1840, he was married
to Miss Susana Woofter, v/ho was born in Lewis county, on
January 17, 1823. Mrs. Hall survived him by two years ; and
both sleep at Auburn. Mr. Hall was a magistrate for several
years, and was long a deacon in the -Baptist church.
Their children: Mrs. George Brake (Mary Jane), Gil-
mer county; Mrs. Wm. G. Davis (Martha A.), Doddridge
county; Cyrus J., Ohio; Marshall D., Francis M., and Mrs
George Emmerson (Louella B.), Kentucky; the late Gran-
ville, and George W., Colorado; the late Mrs. L. D. Bartletl
BONE CREEK SETTLED 247
(Matilda), Auburn; Edward M., Calhoun county; Charles,
Emory T., Roane county ; and Alfred N., who died in child-
hood.
Elisha M. Hall.— On October 1, 1849, the Rev. Elisha Al
Hall — brother of Lemuel — married Miss Tacy Jane, daughtei ■
of Joseph Jeft'reys, of Doddridge county, and the followini^
year came to Bone creek, where he opened a store, near the
year 1857. He made the first settlment on the farm that is
now the estate of the late George Somerville, below Auburn.
Mr. Sommerville owned the farm that is now the Town Hall
homestead, and he, and Mr. Hall, traded farms. Here Mr.
Hall continued to live until he was laid in the Auburn ceme-
tery in 1886. He put two hundred acres of land under cultiva-
tion on this creek. He was a prominent minister of the
Baptist church; a native of Allen county, Ohio, and his natal
da}^ was September 1, 1829.
Mrs. Hall died at Auburn, on May 4, 1908, and sleeps by
his side.
They were the parents of twelve children : John T.,
Auburn; Wm. F., and Joseph S., Colorado; and Mrs. Tacy J.
Brake, Gilmer county ; all the rest have joined the throng on
the other side; viz., Mrs. Rosa K. (Gilbert) Hayden ; Dr. J.
Monroe, Preston R., Ava A., Iva O., David A., and two died
in infancy.
Lawson Hall, brother of Lemuel and Elisha above men-
tioned, has been a familiar figure in the Auburn vicinity, for
sixty-seven years, he having come here with his brother,
Lemuel, when he was a lad of ten summers. He taught
school before the Civil war, as did his brother, and for several
years afterwards, and like his brothers, has long been a cor-
ner-stone of the Auburn Baptist church. On September 2,
1852, he claimed Miss Sarah J. Sinnett, daughter of Abel and
Elizabeth Stuart Sinnett, as his bride, and shortly after his
marriage took up his residence where he still lives, and where
he has cleared and put under cultivation one hundred fifty
acres of land. His wife also survives.
They are the parents of ten children : Mrs. Martin L.
Cunningham (Euphamy), Abel, John A., Mrs. S. A. Weirs
(Sarah E.), Mrs. C. A. Ward (Catharine), Mrs. Van Riddel
248 HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
(Columbia), all of Auburn; the other four have passed on:
viz., Mrs. C. F. Beall (Sofronia), and William, who were
twins; Franklin was a twin of Mrs. Riddel, and George A.
died in childhood.
Martin Sommerville- — son of Robert — and his wife, Mrs.
Susan Gaston Sommerville, were the pioneers on the Town
Hall homestead. They were succeeded here by his brother,
George, and his wife, Mrs. Nancy Thomas Sommerville, who
later exchanged farms with the late Rev. Elisha Hall, as
above stated. Martin Sommerville went from here to Otter-
slide, and there passed from earth, where his son, Robert O.
Sommervil 
