George G. Brenneman Bio. Hancock County, WV ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** Submitted by: Valerie Crook The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 229-230 Hancock County GEORGE G. BRENNEMAN. Seven miles north of New Cumberland, the county seat of Hancock County, and near the Village of Arroyo, is situated the splendid fruit farm owned and actively managed by Mr. Brenneman, who is one of the most extensive and successful fruit growers in this section of West Virginia. He was born on his present homestead farm, on the 10th of May, 1847, and is a son of Jacob and Margaret (Brown) Brenneman, the latter a representative of an honored and influential pioneer family of which mention is made in other personal sketches in this publication. Jacob Brenneman was born in Penn- sylvania and after his marriage he and his wife con- tinued to reside on the farm that is now owned by their son George G., this being one of the fine places on the Ohio River in Hancock County and comprising 318-3/4 acres. Jacob Brenneman showed marked progressiveness and initia- tive ability in here developing one of the best of the early apple orchards of Hancock County, where his father, Chris- tian Brenneman, has obtained a large tract of land and divided the same ultimately among his three sons, Jacob, Richard and Cyrus. Richard Brenneman developed a fine landed estate of 300 acres. One of his sons, Dr. R. E. Brenneman, is a representative physician and surgeon at Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, and another son. H. C., resides at Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia. Cyrus Brenneman sold his land to his brother Jacob, and even- tually he became a railroad agent at Empire, Ohio. Jacob Brenneman was seventy years of age at the time of his death and his sons Cyrus E. and George G. succeeded to the ownership of the old homestead farm, which they equit- ably divided, Cyrus having later died, at the age of fifty- six years, and, with no children of his own having willed his property to his brother George, who thus retains the old homestead in its entirety. To the property George G. Brenneman has added by the purchase of an adjacent tract of forty-three acres. He specializes in the fruit-grow- ing department of farm enterprise, has an orchard of 100 acres, devoted mainly to apples of the best grades, many of the trees having been planted by him and the annual yield from the great orchard averaging about 20.000 bar- rels, the while he has storage facilities for the accommoda- tion of 14 000 barrels and is thus enabled to regulate effectively the placing of his fruit on the market. He is still extending his orchard, and he limits his production of applies to four standard varieties, in which he gives prefer- ence to the popular "Willow Twig" type. Mr. Brenne- man's farm is situated in the finest apple-growing section of the state, soil, water and drainage being such as to insure the maximum returns from orchards and to make the industry one of major scope and importance. Mr. Brenneman is liberal and progressive in his civic attitude but has had no desire for political activity or public office. He married Miss Mary Cowl, and they became the parents of six children: Elizabeth H. is the wife of Frank Goodman, of Cleveland, Ohio; John C. and Jacob N. are associated with their father in the fruit-culture busi- ness, under the firm name of G. G. Brenneman & Sons; Miss Margaret remains at the parental home; Girard G. died at the age of twenty-eight years; and Sadie O. is the wife of Alexander E. Mahan, of whom individual mention is made on other pages of this work.