DAVID SCOTT ZEARLEY The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 377 Monogalia DAVID SCOTT ZEARLEY. Some of the best examples of advanced agricultural methods in the State of West Vir- ginia are found in the districts of the Monongahela Eiver north of Morgantown. This is a district in which spe- cialized farming has been highly developed, and several of the farms there have furnished some interesting demon- strations of crop yields that have set remarkably high standards In the state. One of this progressive group of farmers in the Union District is David Scott Zearley, probably the pioneer and the most successful alfalfa farmer in that section. Mr. Zearley, whose home is eight miles north of Mor- gantown, with postoffice at Point Marion, Pennsylvania, was bora a mile south of the latter village, in Fayette County, but close to the West Virginia line, September 16, 1857, son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Bowman) Zearley. The Zearley family originated in England and first settled in New Jersey. Joshua Zearley, the immigrant, moved west to Venango County in Western Pennsylvania. His son, John Zearley, was born at French Creek in Venango Coun- ty. Joshua, the pioneer, later built the first fulling mill in Fayette County, on Georges Creek. This was about 1790, and the site of the old mill can still be identified by a pier of the Baltimore & Ohio bridge. The old Zearley home is also still standing, and in this home Joshua Zear- ley spent his last days. John Zearley as a young man lo- cated on Baker's Ridge in Monongalia County, but returned to Fayette County and operated a fulling mill on Dunkard Creek in Greene County, Pennsylvania, where he was liv- ing at the time of his death, at the age of fifty-seven. John Zearley was the father of Isaac Zearley, who was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, at Smithfield, on the site of the old fulling mill. He learned the carpenter's trade. Isaac Zearley was one of seven sons. His brothers John and David removed to Iowa. His brother Jacob op- erated a woolen mill at Blacksville, West Virginia, and died in this state. A half brother, Samuel J., was a captain in the Union Army and died at Scottdale, Penn- sylvania. There were two half sisters, Susan and Miss Nancy. Susan became the wife of Thomas Conwell and lived on Baker's Ridge, where she and her husband died. She is survived by daughters, Mrs. Alice Hoard, wife of D. M. Hoard, Mrs. Lizzie Ross, now of Parkersbnrg, and also Mrs. Ida Thomas of Monongalia County. Isaac Zearley followed the trade of carpenter most of his active life and died in Fayette County at the age of eighty-five. His wife, Elizabeth Bowman, died at the same age. His first wife was Mary Colebank, of Monongalia County, who left one daughter, Anna, who became the wife of D. K. Stewart, and both are now deceased. The chil- dren of Isaac and Elizabeth Zearley were: Addis, of Morgantown; David Scott; Isaac Judson, a carpenter; E. Lee, a civil and mining engineer at Uniontown, Pennsyl- vania; and Effie Louise, who died in childhood. Addis Zearley spent three years in West Virginia University, as & young man began teaching, and spent forty years in the schoolroom, chiefly in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, though for four years he taught in West Virginia. He is now living retired at Morgantown. He married a cousin, Lizzie Zearley, and their two children are Joy, a teacher in the high school at Alderson, West Virginia, and Gay, a student in West Virginia University. David Scott Zearley acquired a good education and learned the carpenter's trade under his father. In 1883 he married Mary A. Morris, daughter of Uriah S. and Elizabeth (Board) Morris, whose old home is near Point Marion. Her parents died each at the age of eighty-six. Uriah Morris was a farmer, and lived all his active career on one farm. There were seven Morris children: John G., who lived on the old Morris farm and is now retired at Point Marion; Melissa, wife of William Sawyer, who lives at the former Zearley homestead at Point Marion; Nickson, who left home when a young man and is a carpenter at Holdridge, Nebraska; Mary A., Mrs. Zearley; Sanford C., a blacksmith by trade, now on the police force at Fair- mont; Isaac, a coal operator at Easton; and Matilda, wife of Marshall Sawyer, living near Point Marion. David Scott Zearley has done a great deal of work as a carpenter, and for thirty years lived and worked at Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Twenty-five years ago he moved to his present farm, though much of his time has been taken up with work at his trade. Mr. Zearley in his farm- ing has solved some of the problems of soil preservation and building up in this hill region. Thirty-six years ago his father secured a few pounds of alfalfa seed, and the Zearleys have been a stanch friend of alfalfa as a money crop and soil builder ever since. Mr. Zearley makes alfalfa his leading crop, but has experimented with other legumes, including soy beans and cow peas. He has limed his soil preparatory for alfalfa, and has demonstrated the value of this deep rooted crop as a means of holding the soil on hillsides. Some of his exhibits of the legume crops have served a useful purpose as examples and object lessons at the State University Agricultural School. Mr. Zearley was one of the leaders of the Farm Bureau movement in his vicinity. His farm comprises fifty-six acres, most of it tillable. He is active in the Grange, is an independent voter, and does his work in connection with community affairs, seldom lending his name to the support of any partisan political movement. A great inspiration was removed not only from him and his family but from the entire community when Mrs. Zearley died suddenly September 9, 1921. She was ap- parently in the midst of vigorous health, and the previous day had attended a session of the Farm Bureau. She was an active worker in church, grange, farm bureau and other community affairs. Mr. Zearley has four daughters: Grace, wife of Dell Robinson, of Stewartstown; Martha, a professional nurse at Fairmont; Nellie, Mrs. Elmer Blos- ser, of Morgantown; and Hazel, wife of Wayne Blosser, a merchant at Stewartstown. ==== WV-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List ==== ********************************************************************** WV-FOOTSTEPS/USGENWEB NOTICE: These messages 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. **********************************************************************