Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of WILLIAM LEWIS. This biography was submitted by Sandy Spradling, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm History of Greenbrier County J. R. Cole Lewisburg, WV 1917 p. 115-118 WILLIAM LEWIS. John Lewis was a descendant of an Augusta county family and a captain at Point Pleasant, and an officer in the Revolution; he commanded a company at the battle of Manmoth, June 28, 1778. After the war he received from the commissioners of the district of Augusta county a warrant for 700 acres of land, and in 1783 or 1784 went with a party of emigrants to Kentucky to locate his land. See the following acount given by a historian. "As stated on page 207-He located on the land on which Frankfort, Ky., now stands. It was flat, wet land, not a healthy location when in forest. He commenced to improve the land, but soon took fever and ague, and abandoned the land. Soon after, he came to Greenbrier county and located the warrant for the 700 acres of land, on the east side of Muddy Creek mountain, including the level, fertile bench of land lying between the mountain and Rich Hollow, joining the Clendennen settlement and Rodgers. Survey recorded Book No. I, page 359, dated September 25, 1786, made by John Archer, deputy for Alen Welch, granted, dated 1787. This was a healthy location. The improvements he put on the 700 acres of land were more substantial and permanent than those put up by most early settlers. He built a large two story house of hewn logs, with a good stone chimney, a smoke or meat-house in the yard, a large double barn, and these buildings are yet standing and in use. He, with the help of his neighbors, built what was called the Buckeye meeting house. This house was built of round buckeye logs, with a small window on each side, and over where the pulpit had been, all up high from the ground, and with an earthen floor. He was a successful farmer and stock raiser, was a justice of the peace, and as such a member of the county court. His children were John, William, Andrew, Erasmus, George, Benjamin, Matilda, Terza, Sallie, Bettie and Polly. George Lewis was born in 1790, married Mary Ann Argabrite in 1814. He acquired title of the greater part of the 700 acre survey, and in 1838 built a large brick house on the land, and after some years obtained a grant for 1,009 acres joining the 700 acre tract. He was a successful farmer and stock raiser, was very fond of a good horse, and raised many of that kind. He was a member of the Greenbrier Agricultural Society. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. He studied medicine, and in the later years of his life practiced the profession. Died 1855. His children were: George Samuel, born in 1815, married Nancy Knight in 1839; Archabald, born 1816, married Matilda Bunger in 1839; William, born 1821; Rachel, born 1823, married John Vincy in 1847; John, born 1825; Mary Ann, born 1827, married Uriah N. Warran, 1846; Ruth, born 1831, married David Hutsonpiller, 1851 ; Sarah Jane, born 1834, married Alfred W. Tapper, 1856, and is living (1899) near Philadelphia. Archabald Lewis, after his marriage in 1839, lived for six years at Bunger's Mill, and was the miller during that time. He then moved into a house on his father's farm and was partner in farming and stock raising for six years. In i85i he obtained a title for 400 acres of the William Monow land, lying on the east side of Muddy Creek mountain and on Milligan's creek built a comfortable log house an4 outbuildings. He later made additions to the house until he had a good-sized, comfortable house. Along with other stock, he, like his father and grandfather, kept a flock of sheep, and raised flax, and most of the clothing for the family was manufactured at home. He was a member of the Greenbrier County Agricultural Society. He died in 1888. His children were: Rachel Bunger, born 1840, married George John Welch, 1859; Mary Elizabeth, born 1842, married Thomas Charles Dotson, 1864; George Henry, born 1844, married Cornelia Agnes Johnson, 1870; Amanda Jane. born 1845, married John Fredrick Cofiman, 1867; Nancy Vernia, born 1847, married James Madison Coffman, 1867; Sarah Frances, born 1849, married George W. Jeffries, 1874; Matilda Catharine, born 1851, married Calvin H. Burdette, 1872; Eliza Bell Westwood, born 1858, died 1861; Archy Penyman, born 1861, married Lillie Richie, 1884. George Henry Lewis, born February 27, 1844, in a small log cabin about fifty yards from a noted well dug by Anthony Hutsonpiller, about the year 1790. The first school he attended was in a small school house, built by co-operative neighbors, on the east side of the Rich hollow, on the edge of the Clendennen settlement -built of round logs, daubed with clay, a wooden chimney, a puncheon floor and puncheon benches, and two very small win-dows. Henry McNeel was the teacher. William R. Johnston and John Holly are the only persons now living who attended that school with him. He attended other subscription schools in the county. He attended the Indiana University, and graduated at Iron City College, Pittsburgh, Pa. He was not ambitious to have or hold office. In 1866 he did not go to the polls to vote, neither did he know that he was being voted for, but was elected assessor of the Upper district of Greenbrier county, in 1866. he declined the office. In 1868 he consented for his name to be put on the ticket for recorder of Greenbrier county. He served two years and was re-elected in 1870. As early as old enough he joined the Sons of Temperance, and has always encouraged temperance and prohibition. He has been an active member of the Grange and other farm organizations. He is now the oldest representative of the Lewis family now living in Greenbrier. Children of George Henry Lewis were: Thomas Archabald, born 1872, married Jessie Mabel Hetherby, at Bakersfield, Cal., in 1902, second marriage to Alice Humphrey, at Oakland, Cal., 1906; George Spotts, born 1875, married Sara Campaigane, at Hamilton, Canada, 1906, second, Janie Arbuckle Bell, 1913; Clarence Edward, born 1878, married Rachel Allie Bell, 1904. Thomas Archabald Lewis attended public schools, then two years at Clifton Academy, three years at Hampden Sidney College, graduating in 1893; was sub-professor at Hampden Sidney one year; professor at the Davis Military Academy one year. In 1896 he went to California and taught in various institu-tions for ten years, and is now living on a small but very fertile farm in California. Clarence Edward Lewis was born in 1878, attended the public schools, and when fourteen years of age entered Hampden Sidney College, graduating with the class of 1897. Since then he has been farming in Greenbrier county. He is identified with the Patrons of Husbandry and has filled the office of assistant steward, lecturer and overseer of the Grange. He has done some work as lecturer in the farmers' institutes of the State. In 1904 Mr. Lewis married Rachel Bell, of Richlands, W. Va., and is the father of one daughter, Minerva Helen, and two sons, Charles Irving and Frank Bell Lewis.