Berkeley County, West Virginia         Biography of AARON BECHTOL

This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook,
E-mail address:  <vfcrook@earthlink.net>

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 420

AARON BECHTOL was a permanent resident of Berkeley
Springs and was elected and served as a member of the
First State Senate of West Virginia. He was born in that
part of Berkeley County, now Morgan County, and for a
number of years carried on an extensive real estate business.
He owned much property at Berkeley Springs, including the
historic house in which he had his home and which was
built by General Washington for a summer residence.

With the formation of the State, of West Virginia, Aaron
Bechtol was elected to the Senate from the Tenth District,
and was a member of the Legislature that convened at
Wheeling in June, 1863. He was also a member of the
Second Legislature convening at Wheeling in January, 1864,
and he likewise represented the Tenth District in the
Senate in the Third Legislature, which met in 1865.

However, during the Civil war he was taken prisoner
by the Confederates, and was held in Richmond for some
time. After his release he returned home and lived at
Berkeley Springs until his death.

Aaron Bechtol married Sarah Roach, a life-long resident
of Berkeley Springs. They had four children, Mary, Henry
C., John W. and James E.  Mary became the wife of
William Tritapoe. Henry married Alice Hines, John W.
married Catherine Coughlin and James married Mary
Wheat.