Pleasants County, West Virginia, Biography of Jacob Delong ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES 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 represen- ative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ JACOB DELONG Jacob Delong, a thrifty farmer of Pleasants county, is a native of Belmont county, Ohio, where he was born in 1819, his parents being Jonathan and Sabina (Horn) Delong. The father was a native of Frederick county, in old Virginia, and was a son of Christopher Delong, of Germany. Our subject's father left his home in Virginia when about eighteen years of age, and went to Pennsylvania, where he remained until he was married, after which he went to Ohio and settled in the woods of Belmont county. They had to cut a road through the woods to the place where they settled, and went through many severe trials incident to pioneer life before they succeeded in making a home fit for habitation. The farm that was cleared out at this place was the home of Jonathan Delong until his death. His son, Jacob, was reared to manhood on this old homestead farm, and in that neighborhood he picked up a very ordinary education in the old log school-house. In 1848 he was married to Miss Margaret, daughter of Stephen and Priscilla (LaFevres) Hooper, who were natives of Pennsylvania. The union resulted in the birth of twelve children, as follows: Sabina, wife of S. P. Snodgrass; Priscilla, wife of Robert Reynolds; Rachel, wife of William Ruckman; Nancy, wife of Jeff Ellis; Margaret, wife of William Jones; Ida May, wife of Nelson Shilling. In addition to the foregoing daughters, the following sons are also living: Jonathan, Stephen, Jacob A. and Charles P. The mother was born in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1827, and she and husband are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, of which he served as deacon for several years. He remained on the home place until he was about thirty years of age when he removed to Washington, Ohio, where he settled in the woods on 200 acres of land previously purchased, and there he built a log cabin and cleared out a farm. He remained there until 1865, when he sold his farm and moved in with his father- in-law, where he remained until 1867. In that year he came to West Virginia and bought 328 acres of land, where he now lives, which was a wilderness when he moved upon it. This farm he also cleared out and improved with good buildings of all kinds. He has done a great deal of hard work during his life, but has fought his way to success and is recognized as a good citizen. From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY," Vol. I; Brant & Fuller, 1891. (Linda Cunningham Fluharty)