HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY (WV) CHAPTERS 16 - 18 ********************************************************************** 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. ********************************************************************** History of Ritchie County The following is taken from the book "History of Ritchie County" written by Minnie Kendall Lowther, and published in 1910. Transcribed by Janet Waite, Earl Cowan and Erin Stewart. Chapter XVI Bone Creek Settled Transcribed by Janet Waite Page 240 Bone Creek Settled Robert Somerville was the first pioneer to break the forest on Bone creek. He came from Harrison county in 1834, and settled a short distance below Auburn, on the farm that is now the estate of his late son, William. Here he continued to reside until he was laid in the Auburn cemetery. Mr. Sommerville was born near Cumberland, Maryland, on May 1, 1800. He was the son of James Simmeral, * who, with his wife, and two children, came from Cork, Ireland, near 1788, and settled on the coast of Delaware, for a time, before removing to Maryland. When the family came to America, two sons, John and Andrew, remained in Ireland, but Andrew afterwards came to the United States. The other members of the family were: James, Mrs. Nancy Lynch, Mrs. Wm. (Peggy) Burnside, all of Harrison county; and Robert, above mentioned. In 1825, Robert married Miss Mary Ward, daughter of William Ward, of Harrison county, a soldier of the war of 1812; and for long years after his death, "Aunt Polly", as she was familiarly known, continued to reside at the old home below Auburn, where she fell asleep in 1894, at the great age of ninety-one or two years. Their children are: the late William, Martin, George, Franklin, John, Hiram, Mrs. Sarah (Charles) Brown, Mrs. * The name was originally Simmeral, but through some error of pronunciation it finally became Sommerville. Page 241 Drusilla Fisher, Mrs. Margaret (A. N.) Watson, Mrs. Ruhama (Wilson) Watson. All the sons have passed away, except John. Franklin met a tragic death by falling from a building, and Hiram died in childhood, and his remains filled the first grave that "was hollowed out" in the Auburn cemetery. The others all left families; a noteworthy feature is that the dead of this family all rest a Auburn, and here the living all reside. Timothy Tharpe. - The settlement of Mr. Sommerville was closely followed by that of Timothy Tharpe, who came from his native county - Harrison, and took up his residence on the late A. P. Knisely homestead, above Auburn. He later moved to the Israel Cookman farm, and finally, to the Earnest Frymire property, where he died, in 1881. Mr. Tharpe was of Irish lineage. He was born on July 25, 1802; was the son of H. Benjamin Tharpe, a ship- builder and carpenter. When he was but a small boy his parents died, and he was bound out to strangers, and thus the days of his childhood and youth were sadly spent. He was a brother of the late H. B. Tharpe, of Iowa; of Mrs. Susan Hall - mother of the late Lemuel Hall - of Auburn; the late Mrs. Hannah Davis, of Parkersburg; and the late Mrs. Wm. Davis, of West Union. He was a man of very strict religious principles, and was one of the corner-stones of the Auburn M. E. church, as was Mr. Sommerville. On Christmas day, 1823, he was married to Miss Sarah Cox, sister of Col. Daniel V. Cox, of Slab creek, who was born on December 18, 1805; and thirteen children were the fruits of this union. Mrs. Tharpe followed him to the grave in 1884, and both rest at Auburn. Their children: Matilda (Mrs. Henry Hayden), Mrs. Christiana Wagner, W. D., and Mrs. Mahala Mitchell, sleep in Iowa; Mrs. Luvina Collins, on Spruce creek; Mrs. Caroline Brown and E. H. Tharpe, at Auburn; two daughters died in childhood, and one son, Sedwick S., in the Andersonville prison during the Civil war. The surviving ones are H. B. Tharpe, of Holbrook; P. R., of Harrisville; and Mrs. Elizabeth (Isaac) Hayden, Auburn. Page 242 Andrew Law was the third settler on Bone creek. He came from Lewis county, in 1834, and made his improvement on the farm that is best known as the "Thomas Kniseley homestead" - now the home of W. H. Hall. He was quite a young man at this time, not having yet deserted single life; but two years later, he was married to Miss Margaret Waldeck, daughter of Henry Waldeck, a German, who came to America in 1776, as a Hessian soldier in the Revolution; and who, refusing to return to his native land at the close of the war, though a fortune awaited him, entered land on the river below Weston, where he and his wife, Mrs. Mary Sleeth Waldeck - sister of David Sleeth, of Smithville - established their home. A few years after Mr. Law's marriage, on the occasion of a husking bee, while his "good wife" was preparing the pot for dinner, her attention was attracted by an unusual disturbance among the hogs; and, stepping to the door, she discovered an old bear and two cubs making an attack on them. Calling the family dog to her assistance, she managed to tree the mother, and one of the cubs, and to hold them at bay until the "tooting" of the horn brought the men from the field. Mr. Law, seizing his gun as he passed the house, soon brought both offenders to the ground. The other cub, returning in quest of its mother, shared a like fate. Mr. and Mrs. Law went to Colorado in the early seventies, and there, fell asleep. They were the parents of nine children: Dr. Galenlma Law, Mrs. Jeniza (J. F.) Ireland, John E., and Lorenzo D. Law, all of Colorado; the Rev. H. M, of the West Virginia M. E. Conference; Leondias F., of Spencer; Mrs. (W. M.) Agnes Rymer, Harrisville; Mrs. Mary E. (G. M.) Ireland, White Oak; and Henry T., who died in the Andersonville prison during the Civil war. Leonidas and Galelma were also Union soldiers; and Mrs. Ireland, and Dr. Law were once identified among the teachers of the county. The Laws have an interesting ancestral history. They, being in sympathy with the Wesleyans, were driven from Belfast, Ireland, the place of their nativity, by religious persecution. So bitter were their persecutors - the Catholics - Page 243 that they were obliged to leave by stealth, a friendly Catholic girl, having warned them of their peril. And in the wilds of America, "They sought a faith's pure shrine" - "Freedom to worship God." And though many generations have come and gone since that time, the different families of this name still adhere to the religious faith (Methodist Episcopal) that brought their fore-fathers to this land. In 1794, four brothers, Thomas, William, Frank, and John Law, with their parents, set sail for America. The mother died on board the ship, while crossing, and was buried beneath the briny waves, and the rest landed in Philadelphia. Frank died leaving no issue. John, who was an Irish peddler, went West an married and his descendants are scattered over Ohio and Indiana. Thomas and William remained in Philadelphia for a time, but finally emigrated to West Virginia. William settled at the Gooseman's mill, in Harrison county, and was the ancestor of the Lawford branch of the family; and Thomas, near Jane Lew, in Lewis county. Thomas Law married Miss Martha Fisher in "Old Erin", and four months after their arrival in the "City of Brotherly Love," twins were born to them (on April 4, 1795) - the first of the name to be born in America. Shortly after their birth, the mother and the infant daughter passed on, and the son, who was known as Billy F. Law, grew to manhood and married Miss Thornhill, and from him the Otterslide branch of the family are descended, he being the father of the late Thomas T. Law, of Otterslide, and the grandfather of the late Mrs. John Ehret, Mrs. Azariah Bee, and Mrs. Elisha Maxin. When Billy F. Law was a lad of fourteen years, he made a pair of red cedar gate posts, and placed them on his fathers farm, near Jane Lew, and though a century has past, one of these posts, still stands, as a "lone sentinel," keeping its silent vigil. Some years after the death of his first wife (Mrs. Marhta Fisher Law), Thomas Law, senior, married Miss Nancy Dixon, who came from Ireland at the same time that he did; and three sons and three daughters were the fruits of this Page 244 union: Andrew, the Bone creek pioneer; the late James, of Cove creek; and the late Asa, of Jane Lew; Mrs. Eliza Collins, Mrs. Margaret Armstrong, and Eleanor, who married a Mr. Jackson of Jane Lew. Asa Law married Miss Mary Fell, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and lived and died near Jane Lew - on October 29, 1908, at the age of ninety-six years. He was the father of ten children, and at the time of his death, his posterity numbered forty-five grandchildren, fifty-four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, some of whom have passed on. His progeny are said to be scattered from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and one granddaughter is a missionary in China. James D. Law was born in Lewis county, in September, 1817, and was married to Miss Mary E. Bowen, in 1852, and resided in his native county until 1876, when he removed to Gilmer county, where he died three years later. He was the father of A. F. Law, C. F., Nancy, Josephine, W. S., W. J., Ida V., Missouri K., and Cree I. Law. The Rev. George Collins - a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, also found a home on the Thomas Kniseley (not the Hall) farm, at an early day. He was the first minister in this section, and was a man of no mean ability. He first married Miss Mary Ann Law, of Gooseman's mill, Harrison county - half-sister of the late Asby Law, of Lawford, and when she was about to leave this world, she requested him to marry her cousin, Miss Eliza Law, sister of Andrew Law - a request which was complied with some time later. Sylvester, Edwin, Albert, and Mary B. were the fruits of the first union; and Eliza Catherine, and another child that died in infancy, of the last. The family went to Illinois; and when Miss Eliza C. grew to womanhood, she returned to this county on a visit, and while here, listened to the wooing voice of John M. Brown, of Hannahdale, and became his bride; and at Riddel's chapel, she sleeps. She was the mother of Deputy Sheriff C. Floyd Brown, of Mrs. Iona Wagner, of Hannahdale; and of Mrs. Mae (John) Harris, Weston. Alexander Armstrong is said to have preceded Mr. Col- Page 245 lins to the Thomas Kniseley farm, he having erected the cabin that Mr. Collins afterwards occupied. He was a brother-in-law of Andrew Law, and Mr. Collins, his wife being Miss Margaret Law. From here he went to near Troy, in Gilmer county; and finally, to Ohio. Samuel Mann is said to have been another early settler in this section, but of him we know nothing. Henry Hayden made the first improvement on the farm that is designated at the Frymire homestead. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1819; and form there, came to Harrison county, in 1840, and two years later, to Bone creek; here he married Miss Matilda Tharpe, daughter of Timothy Tharpe; and from here they removed to Davis county, Iowa, in 1859, where they both sleep - she having passed from earth in 1900, and he, in 1906. Isaac Hayden - brother of Henry, was the first settler on the Hayden farm, in this vicinity. He, too, was a native of the "Keystone state," having been born in Westmoreland county, on August 1, 1821. He came to this county in 1849, and two years later, married Miss Elizabeth Ann Tharpe, who was, also, a daughter of Timothy Tharpe, and took up his residence on the farm that remained his home until his death, on February 6, 1894. He rests in the Auburn cemetery, and his widow lives with her son, at Auburn. Their children are as follows: Wm. Bennett Hayden, Washinton; the late Mrs. Mary M. (Samuel N.) Haddox, Pleasant Hill; Mrs. Huldah J. (I. N.)Czigan, Doddridge county; Mrs. Amanda C. (John W.) Haddox, Calhoun county; Irvin M. Hayden, and Gilbert, and Mrs. Abby L. (J.P.) Smith, Auburn; Mrs. Sarah E. (Wilson) Rymer, Gilmer county; Nathaniel Hayden, Doddridge county; and Mrs. Ida (John) Wass, Huntingon. The eldest son, W. B., taught school in this county for near a score of years, and served one term as County surveyor before going West. Gilbert also held the office of County surveyor for ten years. The Haydens are of English descent. They came from "The Motherland," and were among the earliest settlers of the New Jersey colony. They figured in Colonial history both as Revolutionary soldiers, and as Indian fighters. Page 246 Nathaniel Hayden - grandfather of Henry and Isaac - was one of the first settlers in the vicinity of Pittsburg, he having gone there from New Jersey, when but a lad. Twice the eimgrant party to which he belonged, was driven back to New Jersey by the hostility of the Indians. On one occasion, he, and a few other men, made an average of seventy-five miles a day on horse- back, when compelled to flee from the dusky foe. Mr. Hayden, at one time, owned four hundred acres of land in what is now the City of Pittsburg. His earthly pilgrimage began on November 28, 1755, and closed, on September 15, 1845. His wife, Abigail, lived from June 17, 1762, to April 20, 1836. Thomas Hayden, his son, married Miss Mary Hayden, and from him the Ritchie county family are descended. He was born in Pennsylvania - in Westmoreland county - near the year 1788, and his wife was born in 1790; both died there, in 1874. They were the parents of thirteen children: Henry and Isaac, of Ritchie county; James and Thomas, of McKeesport, Pennsylvania; Nathaniel, who lost his life in the Union cause; Samuel, of Idaho; the late Wm., the late Alexander, and Abijah, all of Pennsylvania; Mrs. Christina Marshall, Mrs. Abigail Fell, and Mary M., and Elsie, who both died unmarried. Lemuel Hall. - In 1841, Lemuel Hall came to the homestead that remained in his hands until he passed to his reward in 1897. (Mr. Sheets now owns this farm.) He was of English descent, and came upon the stage of action in Lewis county, on August 9, 1920; was the son of Elisha and Mrs. Susan Tharpe Hall. On December 15, 1840, he was married to Miss Susana Woofter, who was born in Lewis county, on January 17, 1823. Mrs. Hall survived him by two years; and both sleep at Auburn. Mr. Hall was a magistrate for several years, and was long a deacon in the Baptist church. Their children: Mrs. George Brake (Mary Jane), Gilmer coutny; Mrs. Wm. G. Davis (Martha A.), Doddridge county; Cyrus J., Ohio; Marshall D., Francis M., and Mrs. George Emmerson (Louella B.), Kentucky; the late Granville, and George W., Colorado; the late Mrs. L. D. Bartlett Page 247 (Matilda), Auburn; Edward M., Calhoun county; Charles, Emory T., Roane county; and Alfred N., who died in childhood. Elisha M. Hall. - On October 1, 1849, the Rev. Elisha M. Hall - brother of Lemuel - married Miss Tacy Jane, daughter of Joseph Jeffreys, of Doddridge county, and the following year came to Bone creek, where he opened a store, near the year 1857. He made the first settlement on the farm that is now the estate of George Somerville, below Auburn. Mr. Sommerville owned the farm that is now the Town Hall homestead, and he, and Mr. Hall, traded farms. Here Mr. Hall continued to live until he was laid in the Auburn cemtery in 1886. He put two hundred acres of land under cultivation on this creek. He was a prominent minister of the Baptist church; a native of Allen county, Ohio, and his natal day was September 1, 1829. Mrs. Hall died at Auburn, on May 4, 1908, and sleeps by his side. They were the parents of twelve children: John T., Auburn; Wm. F., and Joseph S., Colorado; and Mrs. Tacy J. Brake, Gilmer county; all the rest have joined the throng on the other side; viz., Mrs. Rosa K. (Gilbert) Hayden; Dr. J. Monroe, Preston R., Ava A., Iva O., David A., and two died in infancy. Lawson Hall, brother of Lemuel and Elisha above mentioned, has been a familiar figure in Auburn vicinity, for sixty-seven years, he having come here with his brother, Lemuel, when he was a lad of ten summers. He taught school before the Civil war, as did his brother, and for several years afterwards, and like his brothers, has long been a corner-stone of the Auburn Baptist church. On September 2, 1852, he claimed Miss Sarah J. Sinnett, daughter of Abel and Elizabeth Stuart Sinnett, as his bride, and shortly after his marriage took up his residence where he still lives, and where he has cleared and put under cultivation one hundred fifty acres of land. His wife also survives. They are the parents of ten children: Mrs. Martin L Cunningam (Euphamy), Abel, John A., Mrs. S. A. Weirs (Sarah E.), Mrs. C. A. Ward (Catharine), Mrs. Van Riddel Page 248 (Columbia), all of Auburn; and the other four have passed on; viz., Mrs. C. F. Beall (Sofonia), and William, who were twins; Franlin was a twin of Mrs. Riddel, and George A. in childhood. Martin Sommerville - son of Robert - and his wife, Mrs. Susan Gaston Sommerville, were the pioneers on the Town Hall homestead. They were succeeded here by his brother, George, and his wife, Mrs. Nancy Thomas Sommerville, who later exchanged farms with the late Rev. Elisha Hall, as above stated. Martin sommerville went from here to Otterslide, and there passed from earth, where his son, Robert O. Sommerville, now lives. His other children are: Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Nets, and Mrs. Caroline _________, of Ohio; Mrs. Martha Barrackman, of Roane county Mrs. Fillmore Kelly (Olive), of Berea; Floyd, of Holbrook; and the late John A., and Charles E. Sommerville. The children of George and Nancy Thomas Sommerville are Charles and Henry Sommerville, and Mrs. Louisa Garner, of Auburn; and Madeline and Hattie, who died in youth. Franklin Sommerville made the first improvement on the Hoff farm, below Auburn, but while erecting a stable here he met his death by a fall, and this improvement passed into the hands of the Rev. John Miller, and afterwards became the property of the late John Hoff. Mr. Sommerville's widow, Mrs. Caroline Chevront Sommerville, and her only child, Newton, went to Nebraska, where they still survive. John Miller was a lay minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a blacksmith by trade. He had been reared by the late Waitman T. Willey, of Morgantown. He married for his first wife a Miss Robinson, of Monongalia county, and while residing on the Hoff farm, she passed on. Diphtheria invaded the home here, and stilled the voices of all the children, but two sons. Some time after the death of his wife, Mr. Miller married Mrs. Mary Cox Alexander, niece of Philip Cox, and mother of Calvin Alexander, of Auburn, and they finally went West. Martin Ward was the pioneer of the "Ward homestead," Page 249 which is still in the hands of his heirs - his late son's (Smith Ward's) wife, who is now the Mrs. Laban Bush, being the owner. Mr. Ward was the son of William Ward, an Englishman, and of Mrs. Sarah Shobe Ward, a Dutch maiden, who crossed the sea, and came to Harrison county, before her marriage. Here she and her husband, who were identified among the early pioneers of the county, lived and died, and here, in the Bethel cemetery, near their old home, they are sleeping, side by side. Five of their ten children sleep in Ritchie county; viz., George W., who settled just across the line in Gilmer county; Mrs. Robert Sommerville, Mrs. Elizabeth Bailey, who died at the home of Martin Ward, with their brother, Martin, all rest at Auburn; and Mrs. Daniel Cox, on Slab creek. Martin Carr Ward's nativity was Harrison county, on August 1, 1821. There on December 17, 1840, he was married to Miss Mary Jane Gaston, daughter of John Gaston, who was born in the same county, on June 22, 1823; and two years afterward (1842), they came to Bone creek, and settled at the "Ward homestead," where he passed from earth, on March 8, 1897, and she, on December 18, 1908. When they came to this county, Mrs. Ward made the trip on horse-back, through the wilderness, carrying her babe in her arms, and her sister - a girl of ten years, behind her. Marvelous were the changes, they lived to see. None of the other pioneers were longer identified with the interests of the community than they, and none were held in higher esteem. They were the parents of twelve children: Sarah Elizabeth died in childhood; John J., who was a Union soldier, resides in Colorado; Mrs. W. B. Zinn (Anna), at Holbrook; Thomas F., and Albert M., Berea; Mrs. J. T. Hall (Amanda), and C. A. Ward, Auburn; Calvin B., North Dakota; Mrs. J. E. Amos (Eliza J.), near Harrisville; Lewis M., died in childhood; Wm. W., in his youth; and Smith, a few years since, leaving a family. John Hoff was another early settler on this creek, just below the "Ward homestead." He was, also, a Harrison county product, being born on October 9, 1825; and near the year 1846, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Ann Gaston, Page 230 Daughter of James and Charlotte Swisher Gaston. The Gastons being of Irish descent, and the Swishers (or Sweitzers as the name was originally spelled in the native land), og German. Mrs. Gaston was able to speak both German and English, Fluently. Mr. Hoff came to Bone creek near the year 1850, and remained until his death, on August 3, 1903. He was an honest, industrious citizen, and became a large land-owner. Mrs. Hoff, who was a most estimable woman, survived him but a short time, and both lie at rest in Auburn cemetery. The simplicity of the inscription upon the marble shaft that marks the resting place of Mr. Hoff - "Honesty is the best policy" - leaves its impress upon the visitor to this cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Hoff were the parents of eleven children that reached the years of maturity - seven sons and four daughters. These sons are nearly all prominently known in the various walks of life: Eri B. is a minister of the West Virginia Methodist Episcopal conference; Weldon A. L. Hoff was graduated from the Commercial college at Delaware, Ohio, after spending some time in teaching in his native county, and is now a professor in a commercial college in Oklahoma. I. Samuel (unmarried), and Lloyd, who was also a teacher, are prosperous farmers, of near Cairo. Lewis Ross, who began his career as a rural pedagogue in his native state, was graduated from a college at Winfield, Kansas, in the Bachelor of Science degree, and later took a theological course at Drew seminary, and is now a distinguished pulpit orator of the Methodist Episcopal church , of Liberal Kansas. Silas Marion is at this time one of the prominent official figures of his native county. (See Younger Men's Calendar.) George S. and Miss Rosa Byrd, who were both known among the teachers of this county, are lying in their narrow beds in the Auburn cemetery. Rebecca J., is Mrs. E. L. Bee, of Berea; Charlotte C., is Mrs. W. J. Butcher, of Hacker's Valley; and Caroline is the wife of Alva Fitz Randolph, of Alfred, New York. She was, also, a teacher. Page 251 The Hoff family is said to have originated in Germany near the fourteenth century. John Hoff was called from his native land to a professor's chair in the Oxford University, in England; and members of this family migrated to America in Colonial days, and settled at York, Pennsylvania, and in Meigs county, Ohio. But shortly before the American Revolution, one John Hoff came across to visit his kinsmen in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and he settled in Virginia, where he took up arms in behalf of his adopted country in her struggle for liberty; and from him the Ritchie county family come. He was a slave-holder and a large land-owner, and one of his slaves died at West Milford, in Harrison county, only a few years since, in a little home that he had thoughtfully provided for her by his last will and testament. Samuel Hoff, his son, was born at the old homestead, in Harrison county, in 1802, and there spent his entire life, dying on January 8, 1887. Samuel Hoff was married to Miss Catharine Faris, who was born of Scotch parentage, and they had eight children: John Hoff, of this county, being the eldest son. The other children were: Silas, Lewis, Rose, Humphrey, James, Melissa, Rebecca, Amy, and Margaret. Daniel Luzader, though not so early as the others, was the first settler on his old homestead on this creek. He was born near Grafton, in Taylor county, on July 5, 1823, and his wife, Martha A. Newlon, was born near Pruntytown, in the same county, on December 17, 1828. They were married in 1850, and at the close of the Civil war, came to this county, and settled on spruce creek before coming to Bone creek, where they reared their family, and where Mr. Luzadore passed away, on July 20, 1902. His wife followed him to the grave, on July 6, 1906, she having spent her las hours with her son at Pennsboro. Both rest in the Spruce creek Baptist churchyard. Their children were nine in number, and some of them are quite prominently known. Winfield Scott, the eldest son, who was long identified in the teaching profession, is the father of Everett, Mae and Mrs. Flossie Brown, who are among the present teachers. Grant, who was, also, a teacher of former years, was Page 252 Graduated from the Parsons Horological Institute, at Laporte, Indiana, and is now meeting with success in his trade at Pennsboro. Sherman, who was likewise a teacher of Ritchie and Gilmer counties, is a well-to-do farmer of Wayne town, Indiana, where he found his life companion. M. M. is of Harrisville. Mollie B. is Mrs. Randolph Weaver, and Harriett is Mrs. George Weaver, both of Lawford; Martha C. married Alva V. Oldaker and went to Indiana, but they now reside on a fine old plantation in Virginia. Malcolm M. Luzador is the one Ritchian whose reputation as a vocalist is more than "state wide." He first opened his eyes on this mundane sphere in Taylor county, on November 27, 1858, but came to this county with his parents when but a lad of eleven summers. A natural born student, he early entered the profession of teaching and was for a number of years known among the pedagogues of Ritchie, Gilmer, Lewis, and Preston counties, he having at one time held a position in the Academy of Kingwood. His love for music developed at an early age, and he improved his talent about the fireside, as circumstances would permit, attended a few local singing schools, and then took a course of five terms in the West Virginia Normal Music school; and in 1883, he was made the secretary of the West Virginia Music Teachers' Association. He later attended the Indiana State Normal School, where he studied thorough base, harmony, coposition, form and voice under the instructors of national reputation. For more than thirty years he has been a successful teacher of the vocal music, having in that time instructed more than twenty thousand pupils of all ages. Perhaps no other teacher in the State has insructed a greater number or covered a wider range of territory, he having taught in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. He has taken an active interest in politics ever since he reached his majority, and was one of the representatives from this county in the State Legislature in 1901; and having led to a "decisive victory for righteousness' in the defeat of the Salem (Harrison county) charter bill, he became the recog- Page 253 nized leader or the Temperance forces of the House. He is a Baptist in religion and has twice served as Moderator of the Harrisville Baptist church. On August 16, 1892, he was married to Miss Sarah E. Truax, of Alamo, Indiana, and after a five years' residence there, with his wife, he returned to this county and established his home at Harrisville, where he still lives. The one child born of this union died in infancy. (Since this was written, Mr. Luzador has sold his Harrisville home, and has gone to the "Old Dominion" to live.) David E. Brown made his settlement on the "Hardesty" * - now the Thomas Mason farm. He was of Dutch descent. His ancestors came to America as British soldiers during the Revolution; and being so delighted with the county, they took up their residence on the South branch of the Potomac when the conflict was ended; and from there John Brown emigrated to Lewis county, near the close of the eighteenth century, and settled on the waters of the West fork of the Monongahela river, near the Broad run Baptist church. There David E. Brown, the head of the Ritchie county family, was born, on September 9, 1801; there he grew to manhood; there he was married to Miss Deborah Stalnaker, on February 15, 1827; and from there came to Bone creek in 1853. In 1861, Mrs. Brown passed from sight, and at Auburn, she rests. Mr. Brown, who surveved her by a number of years, died at the home of his son, John, at Hannahdale. They were the parents of nine children. Five of their seven sons served as Union soldiers, and all returned home in safety. The eldest son, Joseph C., went to California, during the gold excitement, in 1849. There he married and had a family, and there he sleeps. W. R. (the late father of W. R. Brown, of West Union, and T. A., of Elizabeth), has been sleeping in the Auburn cemetery, for many years; George W. married Miss Frances Nutter, sister of C. W. Nutter, and after her early death, he went West, and near Buffalo, Wyoming, in 1902, he fell asleep; Andrew S. never married. He went to * The Hardesty farm, which was owned by Asa Law, of Jane Lew, was tenanted by Otho Law, before the coming of Mr. Brown, who purchased it. Page 254 Wyoming near 1875, and there he was murdered, in 1901. He lived alone in a secluded spot, and being known to have considerable means, robbery is supposed to have been the motive. Some of his property in the hands of suspicious looking individuals, led to an investigation, which brought to light the heinous crime, and the attempt to conceal it by the cremation of the body. Samuel V. resides at Morgantown; E. M., at Auburn; John M., at Hannahdale; Mrs. P. P. Brown (Mary Jane), at Jane Lew; and Mrs. Elijah W. Summers (Caroline V.), at Summers. George G. Brown - the well known timberman - formerly of Smithville, but now of Huntingon, belongs to this family. He is the son of the late Lemuel Brown, of Doddridge county; and grandson of Thomas and Mary Stalnaker Brown - brother of David - of Lewis county. The Woofters. - Andrew Woofter, in 1851, made the first improvement, on the farm that is now owned by Albert Smith, and he continued to reside here until he was borne to the tomb. He was of German lineage. His ancestors came to America near 1665, and settled in the New Jersey colony. John Woofter married a Scotch maiden by the name of Petit, and emigrated from New Jersey to Loudin county, Virginia; and from thence to Lewis county, (W.) Virginia, where he rests in the old churchyard at Broad run. His son, Jonathan Woofter, married Miss Jeannette Winans, and they were the parents of - the Rev. John Woofter, of the Baptist church. Andrew, William, Perry, Enos, and Jonathan, who resides at Washington, in Wood county, and who is the only survivor of the family; the daughters were: Mrs. Lydia Simmmons, Mrs. Sarah Ferrell, Mrs. Mary Bailey, Mrs. Alcinda Crowcer, and Jane. Andrew Woofter was born in Lewis county, on September 17, 1823; and on May 29, 1845, he was married to Miss Jane Simpson, who was born in Ohio, but was reared in Lewis county. Her father, John Simpson, having removed from that county to the "Buckeye state," where he was killed by lightning; and after his death the family returned to their former home. Mr. Woofter was one of the early pedagogues of this Page 255 Vicinity, and several members of his family were identified in this profession in after years. He died in February, 1902, and his wife followed him to the grave four months later. Both rest in the Auburn cemetery. Their children are as follows: Thomas J., Wood county; the Rev. George A., of the Baptist church, Shinnston; Francis A. Woofter, DeKalb; John S., Houston, Texas; Clarke, Auburn; Ellet, Charleston; Mrs. Sarah E. Adams, Oxford; and Mrs. Columbia J. Bush (M. F.), Burnt House. Homer Adams, the well known Harrisville lawyer, is a grandson of this pioneer; and the Rev. Emery Woofter, of the Baptist church, is a grandson of the late Rev. John Woofter, of the Baptist church - brother of Andrew. Ebenezer Tharpe - son of Timothy - was the first to find a home on the farm that is still in the hands of his widow, Mrs. Amanda Wass Tharpe. Here he died, and at Auburn, he sleeps. They were the parents of eleven children: Alvin and John have passed on; S. S., Milton, Mrs. Rosa B. Wright, Mrs. Lillie Nestor, Mrs. Laura Woofter, and Mrs. Ida Robey, are all of Auburn; Mrs. Grace Brake, of Weston; Mrs. Barbara Aiken, of Greenwood, and E. T. Tharpe, of Burnt House. Return to Table of Contents Chapter XVII Otterslide Settled Transcibed by Janet Waite. Page 256 Otterslide Settled This stream derived its name from the numerous slides made by otters along its banks. William Gribble was the first settler. His ancestors came from Holland in colonial times and settled in Pennsylvania, where he was born, but his family later removed to Preston county, (West) Virginia; and there he (William) was married to Miss Lydia Rogers, who was of Scotch-Irish and Welsh lineage, and was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Wilson Rogers, of Preston county. Her mother belonged to one of the pioneer families of Monongalia county, who forted on the present site of Morgantown in Indian times. The first years of their married life were spent in Preston county, but they came to Otterslide in 1846, and reared their humble cabin on the farm that is now owned by Jason Hudkins, and here they remained until claimed them. They were the parents of the following named children, some of whom have been prominently known: William A. Gribble (lost his life in the Union army), the late Ezekiel, J. B., and Thomas N., Berea; Cornelius A., Harrison county; and John M. Gribble, of West Union, all of whom served as Union soldiers, are the sons. John M. has been a leading figure in public affairs in Doddridge county for a number of years, he having served as assessor, sheriff, and has been the president of the West Union bank throughout its history. The daughters of this family are: Sarah J., wife of the late R. H. Wilson, who died in the Andersonville prison during the Civil war; Perces, the late Mrs. A. J. Nutter, of Ox- Page 257 ford; Mrs. Hattie Skank, who resides in the East; and the late Mrs. Annie (Alex) Stout, of West Union. William Wall was the next settler. He married Miss Fluharty, a sister of the late Adam Fluharty, of Leatherbarke, and came here from Marion county and erected his cabin on the head of the stream, on what is now the Campbell farm. But he was only a squatter, and was supplanted by John Jett, in 1849. John Jett and his wife, Mrs. Mary Watson Jett, came from their native county - Barbour- and remained until 1875, when they removed to Roane county, where they found a final resting place in the Spring Creek cemetery. They were the parents of the following named children: William Jett and his wife, Mrs. Safronia Lowther Jett, have had a longer connection with this creek than any other citizens in its history. He having been here since 1849, when he came with his parents, and she, since the day of her birth in 1845. Wesley Jett, brother of John, senior, married Miss Nancy Lipscomb, and came to this county in 1845, and settled on Brush fork of Bone creek, where they both died, and at Auburn they sleep. Their only son, Wesley, junior, died as a prisoner of war, at Camp Chase, the Union prison at Columbus, Ohio, during the sixties. The Jetts are of Welsh ancestry. William Jett, senior, came from Wales with his wife, shortly before the American Revolution, and settled on the Potomac river below Washington city. He served his adopted country as a solldier in the Continental army, being under the direct command of General Washington. His son, John Jett, senior, was born and reared in Franklin county, Virginia, and there he was married to Miss Sarah Smith; and from there they removed to Barbour county, near the year 1820, where Mr. Jett died in 1863, and Page 258 where his son, John Jett, junior, the Otterslide pioneer, was born. Johathan C. Lowther was another pioneer on this stream. And though he is now a nonegenarian, he is still a familiar figure here. He is the son of Elias Lowther and the only surviving grandson of Col. William Lowther. He married Miss Emza Neal, sister of M. A. Neal, of Pullman, and since her death in 1906, he has made his home with his daughter, Mrs. William Jett. He is the father of one other daughter, Mrs. Rebecca Bee, of Rutherford; and William Lowther, of California, is an adopted son. Ezekiel Kelley was another early settler on this stream. He was the son of John Kelley, and in Doddridge county he was born and reared. Near the year 1849, he was married to Miss Estella Davis, and came to this county and established his home on what is now known as the L. M. Jett farm. Mrs. Kelley died in 1875, and his second wife was Miss Mary Sinespring, who survived him. He died in 1891. He and his first wife were the parents of nine children: Ali, Fillmore, and Festus Kelley, Mrs. Verna Ehret, and Mrs. Lulu Zinn, all of this county; Mrs. Darlie Bond, Roanoke; Horace Kelley, Webster county; and two who are numbered with the dead. Lemuel Davis was another arrival of the year 1849. He, too, was a Doddridge county product. He married Miss Rhoda Bee, daughter of Asa Bee, and they spent the remainder of their lives here. They were the parents of six children: viz., the late Phineas, of Alice, Gilmer county; Ephraim, Alonzo, Gideon, and Daniel, and one daughter, Virginia. Stephen Davis and his wife, Jemima Kelley Davis (sister of Ezekiel Kelley) came from their native county - Doddridge - in 1858, and from here they went to Clay county, where they rest. Their children: Arzander and Leander (twins), Isaiah, Grant and Gordon, and the daughter, Emza, are all living in Roane county; and Elizabeth is dead. Zibbie Davis, a native of Greenbrier county, married Miss Dorinda Lowther, sister of Jonathan, and came here from Doddridge county in 1850, where they remained until Page 259 death; he was laid in the Pine Grove cemetery, in 1898. His only child, Talitha, married Thomas Gribble, and she was laid in the Pine Grove cemetery, on the same day that her father was laid away. Mrs. Davis had passed on two years before. Jacob Fonseman married Katharine Kelley, sister of Ezekiel, and came here from Doddridge county, but did not remain until death, so but little of this history is available. But he had one son, Nelson, who died in Wood county, near Parkersburg. David Randolph, son of Jonathan Randolph, and his wife, Caroline Cornell, both natives of Harrison county, were known among the early people here, but their stay was brief; and they returned to their native county, where they died. She, in 1904, and he, in 1908. FitzRandolph has been one of the prominent names in this part of the county for almost sixty years. This family are of English origin and of Revolutionary stock. Their ancestor, Edward FitzRandolph, came from Nottinghamshire, England, in 1630, and settled in the Massachusetts colony; and form there the family emigrated to New Jersey, and thence to West Virginia. The Randolphs, also, trace their ancestry to Thomas Blossom, a prominent deacon in the Pilgrim church of Plymouth. Edward FitzRandolph had a son, John, and this son (John) was the father of Samuel FitzRandolph, who was a member of the Continental army during the Revolution. And from Samuel's son, Jesse, the Randolphs of this county come. Jesse F. Randolph migrated from New Jersey to what is now Salem, West Virginia, when this section of the country was at will. Here his son, John R. Randolph, grew to manhood and married Miss Experience Brown; and on February 1, 1832, Asa F. Randolph, the progenitor of the Ritchie county family was born, of this union. Asa FitzRandolph married Miss Marvel Maxin, daughter of John Maxin (her mother being a sister of Ezekiel Bee), who was descended from a well-known Rhode Island family Page 260 That emigrated from New Jersey to Salem with the FitzRandolphs and the Bees. The marriage took place on October 1, 1851, and, shortly afterwards, they came to this county and settled on the divide between Otterslide and Bone creek, but after a two years' residence here, they removed to Doddridge county, where Mr. Randolph opened a tannery, at New Milton; but in 1856, they returned to this vicinity and established a permanent home on the river below Berea, where he operated a tannery for a number of years; and where they reared their family. He an his wife were both strong advocates of education, and despite the many disadvantages that surrounded them, their children nearly all obtained good educations. They were both faithful communicants of the Seventh Day Baptist church, and he was a deacon in this church. Mrs. Randolph died on December 2, 1883; and seven years afterwards, he married Miss Mary H. Saunders, of Alfred, New York, and removed to that state, where he claimed his residence to the end of his earthly race. He died while on a visit to his old home at Berea, on September 3, 1903, and was laid to rest by the wife of his youth in the Pine Grove cemetery, at Berea. He and his first wife were the parents of eleven children, tow of whom died in infancy, and nine grew to the years of maturity. Their early training developed in them a love for education, and all of them joined the ranks of the teacher, seven of them having taught in this county. Five were graduated from the Alfred University in New York; viz., Experience, California, who is now Mrs. Meathrell, of Berea; Virgil, and Alva, of New York, and Delvenus, of California. Experience, who was the late Mrs. Leon Burdick, of New York, was also graduated from the Alfred Theological Seminary. The other members of the family are: Mrs. Clev Jordan, and the late Mrs. Emza Coon, New York; the late Ellsworth, and Preston, of Berea. (See chapter LI for more extended account of Experience Randolph.) Chapter XVIII Spruce Creek Settled Transcribed by Janet Waite. Page 261 Spruce Creek Settled Spruce Creek derived its name from the numerous pines that adorn its banks. John Shores. - It was first settled near 1815, by John Shores, who came from Salem, Harrison county, and reared his cabin hear the present site of the E. C. Snodgrass residence. He was a native of the "Old Dominion." His parents came from Devonshire, England, in 1740, and settled in the Virginia colony, where he was born in 1762; and from there he came to Harrison county, at the age of twenty-one years. He three times took the marriage vow. Miss Matilda Howard was the first wire, and of this union, one daughter, Amanda (who became Mrs. William Parks), was born; and one son, Thomas, who died in his early manhood, was the fruit of the second union; his third wife was Miss Sarah Mitchell, of Barbour county, and their children were: Mrs. Rachel Smith, of Slab creek; the late Mrs. Sarah Jane Watson, of Cherry Point, Illinois; the late James Shores, of Cairo, who died at Parkersburg, in 1900; and Mrs. Mary Ann McDonald, of Spruce creek, an octogenarian, who is the only survivor of the family. William Parks - son-in-law of John Shores - who located his cabin on the Minor Bartlett (now the H. C. Buzzard) farm, was the second settler on this creek. After a short residence here, Mr. Parks and his family went to Texas, and one letter reached their friends after their departure; but the Page 262 silence was never again broken, and the supposition was, that they met a tragic fate at the hands of the red man, or in some other manner. Cornelius Wyer. - Near the year 1827, Cornelius Wyer became the owner of the Parks' improvement. He was the son of George Wyer, an Irishman, who married an English lady and settled on Bingamon creek, in Harrison county, where he (Cornelius) was born near 1798. Near 1825, he married Miss Elizabeth Malone, sister of James Malone, junior, and the following year, his connection with this county's history began, when he made the first improvement on the Harrison Wass homestead, above Goff's; and the next year he went to Spruce creek. Being driven from his home, on the Bartlett farm, by a high tide in the creek, he went farther up the stream, and reared a cabin on what is now the J. W. Goff homestead, and here he passed away in 1842. (The farm has been continuously occupied ever since the date of his settlement.) His wife, who was born in 1802, died on the waters of Tanner's creek, in Gilmer county, in 1844. They were the parents of four sons and two daughters; all of whom have passed on, except Archibald, of Alfred, Gilmer county. The other sons were John, Mattison, and Benjamin; and the daughters were Elizabeth, who married Phillip B. Goff - son of John A. Goff, of this county; and Sarah, who married the late Daniel Valentine, of this county. Among the grandsons and the granddaughters of this pioneer, who are well- known citizens of this, and adjoining counties, are C. J. Valentine,of Fonsoville; Emery, of Newberne; J. M. and John B., Macfarlan; S. A. Wyer, of Auburn; Mrs. Katharine Beckner, Parkersburg; and George Wyere, and a host of others, of Gilmer county. Levi Smith was the first denizen of Upper Spruce creek. He was the son of Aaron, the pioneer on the Hatfield farm, at Goff's. He married his cousin, Katharine Smith, daughter of Barnes, senior, and made the first settlement where E. C. Goff now lives, before coming to Spruce creek, in 1834, where he found a permanent home on the farm that is now his estate; the old "mansion house" being occupied by his youngest son, Elisha. Here he resided until death claimed him near 1894; Page 263 and on his own homestead, he sleeps. The first grave that was hollowed out on this creek was on this homestead, and it was filled by one of his children. After the death of his first wife, he married Miss Ruhama Morehead, who survived until June, 1910. The children of the first marriage have all passed on. They were, Silas, who died in childhood, Lemuel, Barnes, and Nathaniel, of Spruce creek; Mrs. Wm. (Drusilla) Sommerville, Auburn; Mrs. Christopher (Charlotte) Morehead, Berea; Mrs. Sarah Ann (James) Smith, Spruce creek; and Hannah, who died in childhood. Mrs. Morehead, and Barnes both passed away in February, 1909. The children of the last marriage were the son above mentioned; Allison B. Smith, of Richwood; Mrs. Columbia (Cash) Freed, and the late Mrs. Rebecca Tusker, of Spruce creek. Isaac Smith. - Scarcely had Levi Smith settled down in his new home, when Isaac Smith - his cousin, and Samuel Davidson arrived, the former reared his cabin one day, and the latter the next. The site of Mr. Smith's cabin is now marked by the dwelling of the late Harrison Bartlett. He was the son of Barnes Smith, senior, and his wife, Hannah Collins, was the daughter of Isaac Collins, and granddaughter of Thomas and Phebe Cunningham. He moved from here to Smithville, where he and his wife rest. His children were, Martin Smith, A. W., Mrs Alfred (Cynthia) Barr, Mrs. M. A. Ayres (Mary), Smithville; S. Allen Smith, and Sylvanus Smith, and Mrs.Sabra J. (John), white, all of Iowa; the late Mrs. Rachel (Nutter) Webb,of Smithville; and Lear, and Jefferson, who both died in childhood. Samuel Davidson's cabin stood on the farm that afterwards became the homestead of the late Dr. Harrison Wright. Mr. Davidson was the son of Alexander Davidson, of Smithville, and he married Sarah, the daughter of Barnes Smith. He moved from here to Gilmer county, and settled on Road run, near Tannersville. Here his wife died, and at Tannersville she sleeps. He rests in Braxton county, where he passed away at the home of his son. Page 264 He was the father of three sons and six daughters: Mrs. Elizabeth (J. A. C.) Davis, and Mrs. Mary (Wesley) Byrd, Hazelgreen; Mrs. Benjamin Goff (Elzara), Burnt House; and Warren Davidson, of Braxton county are the surviving ones; and the deceased are, Mrs. Jane Earle, Hazelgreen; Mrs. Alex. McDonald, Racket; Mrs. Adaline Willis Hamilton, second wife of Eli Hamilton, and John and Israel,of Tannersville. From Israel, junior, the late teachers, John and Samuel Davidson, were descended. Joshua Smith, brother of Isaac, made the first improvement on the farm that is now the home of M. L. Law, in 1840. He married miss Emily Beall, and went from here to the Kanawha river, below Grantsville, where he and his wife sleep, and where no small number of his descendants live. His children: Henry, Solomon, Jerome, Levi, and Matthew Smith, and Mrs. Mary Harris, are all of Calhoun county; Newton, is of Braxton county; Mrs. Sarah J. Hickembottom,of Clarksburg; and the late Mrs. Sarah Newlon, of Grantsville. Asby Law. - During the spring of 1848, the late Asby Poole Law became the successor of Joshua Smith on the Law farm, where he continued to reside until he fell asleep, on February 20, 1868, at the age of forty-four years. His sons, F. M., David G., M. L., and Willie, and his daughters, Mrs. Hannah (Wm.) Huff, and Mrs. Elizabeth Singleton, who all have interesting families, are still prominently identified with the affairs of the communtiy in both church and state, and his venerable widow, Mrs. Deborah Gaston Law Bartlett, is spending a pleasant eventide here with her children. Her posterity numbers eight children, forty-two grandchildren, and nineteen great- grandchildren, who have risen up "to call her blessed." Two of her children have passed on - the youngest son, in infancy, and the eldest, John W. Law, father of Steele Law, of Clarksburg, later in life, Morris Law is of Newberne, and Newton, of Cairo. The ancestral history of this family is one and the same as that of the Bone creek branch. The two brothers having come from Ireland at the same time (see Bone creek chapter) and from them all the Laws in West Virginia descended. Page 265 William Law, the progenitor of the Lawford branch, married a Miss. Burnside, and settled near the Gooseman' mill in Harrison county; and of this union six children were born: William, junior, Thomas, John, and Isaac, all of Lewis and Harrison counties; Frank,of Wirt county; and Mary B., wife of the Rev. George Collins. After the birth of these children, Miss Hannah Sill became the wife of William Law, and seven more children were the fruits of this union; viz., David, and Gaston, of Doddridge county; Ruhama, who married Jefferson Law, and Ellen, James Huston, both of Harrison county. Eleven Riddel made the first settlement on the A. J. Reed farm in 1841. He was a native of Gilmer county, the son of Jeremiah and Margaret Hardman Riddel. * He married Miss Susan Davidson, sister of the venerable Israel Davidson, of Lawford, and made a settlement on Leatherbarke, which antedated the one on Spruce creek. He died in June, 1893, at the home of his son, George, on the Ritchie and Gilmer county line, and, beside his wife, he sleeps in the Wright graveyard, on Spruce creek. He was the father of nine children; viz., Katharine Elizabeth, the only daughter, married Henson Bumgardner, and wet to Iowa, where she rests. James and Samuel sacrificed their lives for the Union cause; and Jeremiah died shortly after his return from the Union army; Davidson C., and George, reside near Lawford; Hiram, on Devil Hole, Loman, in Gilmer county; and Grantville, in Webster. The Wright Brothers. - the next settlers in this section were James and Harrison Wright, two brothers, who came from Barbour county, in 1842, and found permanent homes, and final resting places here. James Wright took up his residence near one mile below the little hamlet of Lawford, on the farm that is now owned by his sons, Joshua and James, and Robert Pride - the latter being the occupant of the old home. Here he passed away in 1884, and in the old Spruce creek burying-ground on the M. *See other chapters for ancestral history of Riddels and Hardmans. Page 266 L. Law farm he is sleeping. He first married Miss Mary Wiant, and Joshua was the son of this union; three others having died in childhood. His second wife was Miss Elizabeth Calhoun, daughter of Allen Calhoun, and she was the mother of the Rev. Allen Wright, of Parkersburg; James, of Spruce creek; and Columbus, who died in the asylum at Weston. His last wife was Ruth, the daughter of Daniel Mitchell. He was a blacksmith by trade and one of the earliest in this section. He had wielded the hammer on the Doddridge county side, for a short time, before coming to Spruce creek. Dr. Harrison Wright made his settlement, near one mile above Lawford, on the farm that is now owned by his grandson, Addison Wright. He also owned the Samuel Davidson farm - now the property of M. L. Law. He was born on Simpson's creek, in what is now Barbour county, on June 14, 1815, and died on January 17, 1889, and in the Mt. Ollive churchyard - the Progressive Brethren - on Spruce creek, he lies buried. He married Miss Elizabeth Cleavenger, daughter of Edman Cleavenger, of Barbour county, who was born in 1820, and was laid by his side in 1902. She was of Dutch descent and was a distant relative of George Washington. Their children: Zachariah, Lloyd, Alexander, Mrs. Mary Ann Rollins, Harrison Wright, junior, Mrs. Adaline Weaver, Mrs. Clarinda Weaver, all reside on the waters of Spruce creek; Mrs. Elizabeth Bright lives in Greenbrier county; David died in the Rock Island prison during the late Civil war; Ali, near Lawford; Mrs. Moriah Gragg, in Gilmer county; and Edgar, in childhood. The Wrights are of Scotch-Irish descent. The grandfather of James and Harrison Wright crossed the sea, near 1745, and married a Virginia girl by the name of Porter, and settled in this colony. He served as a Revolutionary soldier; and from his son Joshua, who was born in the "Old Dominion," in 1770, the Ritchie county families come. Besides James and Harrison - of this county - Joshua Wright's other children were, the late mrs. Wm. Adams (Lucinda) of Doddridge county - grandmother of Lawyer Homer Adams, of Harrisville; the late Mrs. David Cleavenger Page 267 (Jemima), of Gilmer county; Mrs. Sylvester Monroe (Elizabeth), sleeps in Harrison county; Willis, and Thompson, in Barbour county; and Joshua Wright was a citizen of Seattle, Washinton, the last account, he being the only survivor of the family. Israel Davidson. - The autumn of 1839 was marked by the coming of Israel Davidson, who made the first improvement on the homestead where he is quietly spending the eventide of his serene old age. He is not only the oldest citizen of Spruce creek, but he enjoys the distinction of being the oldest surviving son of Ritchie county. He is perhaps, too, the only citizen of the county that still occupies the home that he obtained from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and one that has never changed hands. He is the son of Alexander Davidson, and in May, 1818, he first saw the light of day at the family home, one mile north of Harrisville. When he was but two years of age, his father moved to Smithville, and there he grew to manhood; and from there, after the death of his father, the family emigrated to Illinois in a wagon, and he went with them - walking much of the distance; but only staid a short time. He was unmarried at the time of his settlement, but three years later, he claimed Miss Tabitha Cunningham, daughter of Joseph Cunningham, who then resided on the E. C. Snodgrass farm, as his wife, and for more than fifty-six years she crowned his life with happiness, and then passed from sight. Two of their five children, Benjamin and James, died in childhood; and Silas, in his young manhood; and Mrs. Samuel Cleavenger, and Albert Davidson, reside at Lawford. Mr. Davidson was, at one time, numbered among the late General Harris' pupils. He was an early pedagogue, and a noted hunter, he having slain near one hundred fifty deer in his time - an almost snow-white one being among the number. Being a gentleman of high character, he is esteemed by all who know him; and though he has no church ties, he has great reverence for religion. His mind is a store-house of Page 268 pioneer lore, and to him we are indebted for no small amount of valuable information. The Daughertys. - In 1840, John Dougherty came to the farm that is now the home of T. T. Goff, below Hazelgreen. A man by the name of Holbert had made a slight improvement here, which he purchased. Remaining on the Goff farm but a short time, he went to Dry run and settled on the farm that is now the home of the Wright Brothers, below Juna; and here his life was principally spent until he was laid in the Reeves cemetery, near the year 1864. He was of Irish descent, his grandfather, George Dougherty, having come from the "Emerald Isle," near the middle of the eighteenth century, and settled in Pennsylvania. He (George Dougherty, senior) served in the French and Indian war, and was with General Washington's army at Braddock's defeat. He, also, served as a Revolutionary soldier; and at the close of this struggle, he was married to Miss Mary Sharrow, an English maiden, who lived in Pennsylvania; and their son, George, was the father of John, of this county. He (George, junior) was a soldier of the war of 1812. John Dougherty was born in the ancestral home in the Keystone state, and there he was married to Miss Katharine Bolinger - sister of the late Rev. John Bolinger - a German maiden; and in 1832, they removed to Monongalia county, and from there they came to Spruce creek, at the time above stated. Their son, the late Jacob, of Lamb's run, served as a Confederate soldier in the Civil war, and George and Wesley, in defense of the Union. The latter met his death shortly after his return home by an accidental bullet wound in his forehead, which he only survived a very brief time. George now lives in Ohio; William, in Mississippi; Mrs. Elizabeth Weinrich, on Lamb's run; and Mrs. Sarah Feathers Scott, of Indian creek, and Mrs. Mary (Eugene) Tibbs, of Missouri, have joined the throng on the other side. (Few families have a more continuous military record.) Benjamin Goff made his settlement on the T. T. Goff homestead, near Hazelgreen, about the year 1845, but in 1852, he sold his interests here to his brother, Alexander Goff, and removed to the Frederick's mill vicinity, and later, to Goff's, Page 269 where his son, E. C. Goff, now lives, and where his last hours were spent. Here his aged widow, who was Miss Eda Smith, daughter of Aaron Smith - the pioneer at Goff's - also passed away a few years ago; and side by side they sleep in the Reeve's cemetery. Their children were ten in number: Strother - father of the late Levi, of Goff's, sleeps near Hazelgren; Alexander died in Libby prison during the Civil war; and Core and Sarah, in childhood; E. C., who was a Union soldier, and a recent member of the House of Delagates, is merchant and post-master at Goff's; and Mrs. Roanna Byrd (Davis) is, also, of Goff's; B. P. Goff is of macfarlan; Mrs. Rebecca Bee (Obidiah), of Belpre, Ohio; Mrs. Dorcas Beall (J. S.), of Burnt House; and Mrs. Mary Gainer (Perry), of Bone creek. Alexander Goff, born November 29, 1818, married Miss Mary Bush, daughter of George Bush, an early settler of Gilmer county, on January 28, 1840, and his family are still prominently identified with the Hazelgreen community. Here, at the old homestead, his venerable widow, who has been numbered among the octogenarians for several years, still survives. But Mr. Goff has been a silent sleeper in the Buzzard cemetery for more than a quarter of a century. This family's religious faith is that of the M. E. church, South, and politically, they are strongly Democratic; while Benjamin's family are members of the M. E. church, and are ardent Republicans. Their children were seven in number: Lafayette died in childhood; Marcellns - father of L. C., of Juna; Marshall - father of Guy, of Burnt House; Dr. Lee, and Ira S. have, also, passed on; T. T., and R. W. are of Hazelgreen; and Mrs. Martha Ellen Wass, of Huntington. Thomas Goff - another brother of Benjamin and Alexander - was the pioneer on the Prather farm. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Barnes Smith, senior, and came from Gilmer county, near 1850; he afterwards removed to the E. C. Goff homestead, and from there, to Iowa, perhaps, late in the sixties, and there, near Decatur, he and his wife rest. They were the parents fo sixteen children, several of whom died in childhood: T. M. Goff, of Harrisville, the late Page 270 Simeon - father of Dr. J. M. Goff, of Hazelgreen, and the late Mr. A. P. Hardman (Thankful Ann), of Fonsoville; were the ones that remained in their native county - the rest all went West; Barnes, Jethro, and Francis; Sarah became Mrs. Daniel Osbourne, and they live at Knoxville, Iowa; Mrs. Elzaria Hendricks, Mrs. Rachel Hendricks, Mrs. Cynthia Rambo, and Eli, who sleeps in the West, are the other members of the family. Aaron Schoolcraft. - The year 1853, brought Aaron Schoolcraft from Gilmer county to the Schoolcraft farm, on Lower Spruce creek. About the ancestry of this typical pioneer hangs a mantle of unusual, historic interest: John, Jacob, and Leonard Schoolcraft - three brothers, were captured by the Indians in their boyhood, and were held as captives until they had almost reached the years of maturity. In fact, Leonard always remained with the red men. But John and Jacob, when nearly grown, were given guns, and an allowance of ammunition, and each day upon their return from hunting, they were required to give a strict account of their success as marksmen. They were expected to kill something with each shot, but they managed, however, to hide away a shot or two each day until a supply had accumulated, and one fine morning, they set out for their home, which was on the South branch of the Potomac. They proceeded without incident until nearing a frontier settlement, when they discovered that the Indians were in pursuit. Taking refuge under a creek bank, they lay in hiding until their pursuers had passed on; but discovering that they were nearing a fort, the Indians Hastily retreated, and when they had disappeared in the distance, the boys resumed their journey and soon came within sight of the fort. "The Whites," seeing them approaching, and mistaking them for savages - so like them was their dress and manner - marched forth to meet them prepared for battle; but the lads, holding up their guns as a token of surrender, were permitted to reach the fort in safety. When once inside, they told the story of their captivity as best they could in their broken, Indian tongue, and when they had finished, an aged inmate of the fort, who Page 271 Had listened in rapt silence, joyfully claimed them as his long lost sons, whom he had mourned as dead. Jacob, who married Miss Parsons, was the father of Aaron - the Spruce creek pioneer. Aaron Schoolcraft married Miss Sarah Collins, sister of the late Chainey Collins, of Smithville, and was the father of Mrs. Granville (Mahala) Tingler, of Juna; and of Mrs. Rebecca Radcliffe, of Lewis county. He and his wife sleep on the old homestead, where he settled. The Bartletts. - The history of the Upper Spruce creek would hardly be complete, without a word concerning the Bartletts, who, though not so early as the settlers before mentioned, were as truly pioneers; as they came here in the ante-bellum days, when but little improvement had been made, and have helped to transform this section of the wilderness into one of the best agricultural districts in the county. This family are direct descendants of Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, who was born at Amesbury, Massachusetts, in 1729, and died in 1795. He was a member of the Continental Congress; Chief Justice of New Hampshire; and the first governor of the "Granite State" under the new Constitution. Three brothers crossed the sea, doubtless, from England, as this is a prominent name in that country, and settled in the New England states, where not a few of their descendants have distinguished themselves, as men of letters, and of military prowess. Josiah Bartlett was the father of William Bartlett, whose two sons, Robert and Thomas, have innumerable descendants. Robert was the father of Harrison Bartlett, who came to Spruce creek in 1858, and remained until 1907, when he was laid in the Baptist churchyard. Harrison Bartlett was born in Taylor county, on Simpson's creek, on April 28, 1829, and there he was married to Miss Hannah Rhyne, who was the mother of seven of his children: John R., Phineas, Nathan, Jeddeiah, Mrs. Lydia Ellen (Robert) Sommerville, of Auburn; and Arminda and Sarah Jane, who died in childhood. After her death, he married Mrs. Elizabeth Reed Smith, Page 272 who was the mother of Ira C. Bartlett, of Newberne; Mrs. Dora (George) Simmons, Auburn, and Mrs. Myrtal (Hayyes) Coburn, Clarksburg. John R. and Phineas, reside in Gilmer county, and Jeddeiah, in Calhoun. Elijah Bartlett, who came to Spruce creek from the place of his nativity, Simpson's creek, Taylor county, in 1859, was the son of Thomas Bartlett, brother of Robert. He married his cousin, Miss Rebecca Bartlett, daughter of Robert, and sister of Harrison, and was the father of three sons and two daughters: Sylvester, and the late Starling, and Lair D., Mrs. Lydia (T. D.) Phillips, Spruce creek; and Mrs. Melissa (Moses) Law, Harrison county. James F. Bartlett, who was long a citizen of this creek, was the son of Samuel and Mary Flemming Bartlett, and the grandson of Thomas. He married Miss Zelda Newlon, of Barbour county, and joined his kinsmen here at the close of the Civil war, and remained until he, too, was laid in the Baptist churchyard, on Spruce creek. He was the father of the late L. D. Bartlett, Patrick R., Mrs. Martha (Chas.) Hickman, Mrs. Celia (D. G.) Law, all of the Auburn vicinity; and Henrietta, and Loverna, who died in infancy. He and his son L. D., were both soldiers of the Civil war. The Bartletts were the corner stones of the Spruce creek Baptist church, and their descendants are among its present pillars. James and Oaf Hickman, who are prominently known among the teachers of the county, are grandsons of James F. Bartlett, a brother of Harrison. Sanford B. Flemming merits a little place in this chapter, as he redeemed from its primitive wilderness one of the finest blue grass farms of five hundred fifty acres, in this part of the county, though he did not come here until the spring of 1868. Mr. Flemming was born in the ancestal home at Flemmingon, in Taylor county, in 1837, and there grew to manhood and married Miss Lydia Ellen Cather, daughter of the Rev. Jasper Cather, in 1861; and seven years later they came Page 273 to Spruce creek, where she passed away in 1900, and where Mr. Flemming died in 1910. They were the parents of two sons: Floyd died in infancy, and Harvey, who was graduated from the State University at Morgantown in the class of 1885, is now a prominent journalist of Kansas City, Missouri. The Flemmings are of Scotch-Irish stock. Their antecessors crossed the sea early in the eighteenth century, and settled in the Virginia colony, and from there, scattered to other colonies. James Flemming, who was descended from this Virginia family, came from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, near 1799, and settled at Flemmingtown, in what is now Taylor county; and from him this town took its name, he having given the right-of-way for the railroad and the ground for the station, at the coming of the railroad. He married the daughter of Judson MacDonald, of Taylor county, and in 1800 a son was born of this union, which was named Patrick Flemming. This son married Miss Margaret MacDonald, daughter of James MacDonald, of Taylor county, and they were the parents of Sanford B. Flemming, of Spruce creek. Patrick Flemming spent his entire life at Flemmington, where he sleeps. Mary, or Polly Flemming, as she was called, sister of Patrick, married Samuel Bartlett, of Barbour county, and was the mother of the late James F. Bartlett, of Spruce creek, and grandmother of Mrs. D. G. Law, of Lawford; and of Mrs. Charles Hickman, of Auburn. Farther Development. - The Methodist Episcopal church was the pioneer church on this creek. This organization was perfected in 1850, and among its original members were Mr. and Mrs. Asby Law, and Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Goff. The first church house was erected in 1853, near the present site of the residence of J. W. Goff, above Hazelgreen, and was known as the "Old Spruce Valley church." From this organization, the present Spruce Creek churches date their history, as does the Bethany church, at Goff's. The Spruce Creek Baptist church was organized through the efforts of Harrison and Elijah Bartlett, in 1859, with thirteen charter members, and it is now a strong and influential Page 274 church. Mrs. Barnes Smith is the only survivor of the original thirteen members. The first church was erected in 1866, and the present one, in 1890. The Methodist Episcopal Church South once had an organization here, but it has now become the Methodist Potestant church. The United Brethren and the Progressive Brethren, or Dunkards, also, have influential organizations. The late John Byrd was long a pillar in the former, and it was called by his name, "Byrd chapel." The late Wilson B. Cunningham, whose history belongs to Leatherbarke, was the pioneer school-teacher on this creek. The house in which this school was taught, stood near the present site of the Wright school house. Goff's was the first post-office. It was moved during the sixties to this creek, but after a few years was changed back to its present location at Goff's. In 1871 or '2, an office was established at the residence of Alexander Wright under the name of "Spruce Creek," but it was discontinued after a few years. Then near 1885, came the Ira S. Goff store, and a little later, the Hazelgreen post-office, with Mr. Goff as first post-master. In 1890 the Lawford post-office was established at the home of M. L. Law, with Mr. Law as post-master; ant this same year E. C. Goff launched the mercantile business at Lawford and erected the first store. Then in 1906 came the Juna office with L. C. Goff post-master. Buzzard's Mill. - Near the year 1860, Buzzard's mill came upon the stage. The late Thomas Hardman, of Tannersville, son of Benjamin Hardman, was the pioneer of this enterprise, and he sold the property to James Holbert. It was then in turn owned by the late Simeon, R. W. and William Goff, and in the early seventies it passed into the hands of the late Henry Buzzard, and thus continued until swept away by a flood in 1896, and it has never been rebuilt. Thomas Hardman married Miss Mary Fling, sister of F. Page 275 The children of the first marriage are: Lewis S., Francis G., Henry G., and John J., and Rebecca and Mary, who both died in youth.