HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY (WV) CHAPTER 19 - 21 ********************************************************************** 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. Transcribers are Janet Waite, Earl Cowan and Erin Stewart. Chapter XIX Grass Run Settled Transcribed by Janet Waite. Page 277 Grass Run Settled Grass run derived its name from a bit of grass that grew in a swampy place near its mouth, and though it is a small stream, it has quite an interesting history. John Riddel, its first citizen, was born in Virginia, not far from the present site of Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, on June 30, 1778 - at a time when the forests were resonant with the din of the American Revolution; and with his parents removed to what is now Tucker county, where he was married to Miss Tamar Goff, half-sister of Alexander Goff, senior, who was born in the "Old Dominion," in September, 1782, and died at her home in Gilmer county, on September 15, 1823. This was one of the romantic run- away marriages of early days, and on the banks of the Cheat river, it was solemnized; the young people having been compelled to ford this river to carry out their nuptial plans. The date of the removal of Mr. Riddel from Randolph to Gilmer county is wanting, but it was probably shortly after the war of 1812. There death robbed him of the companion of his youth and there he was again married, on May 16, 1824, to Miss Elizabeth Holbert; and in 1831, they came to this county and settled on what is now the J. C. Rexroad homestead - this old pioneer cabin having stood just across the road from the present Rexroad residence, and only a few rods from the Fonzo post-office, and Hatfield store. Here, death again robbed him of his companion, and some time afterwards, he was married to Mrs. Hannah Dreke Smith, widow of Aaron Smith; and from here he removed tothe Obadiah Bee farm, on Spruce creek, near the year 1838. Page 277 He later went to Lewis county, and finally, to Roane, where he died in 1843, and where he and his last wife sleep. He was the father of fourteen children: viz., the late James, of Roane county; the late Rev. Eli Riddel, of Riddel's chapel; Mrs. Hannah (Benjamin) Cunningham, Mrs. Nancy (Strother) Goff, Mrs. Elizabeth (N. H.) Frederick, of Burnt House; Eleven and George, who died in childhood, were the children of the first marriage; and Tamar, who was the late Mrs. Emmett Norman, of Auburn; Dorcas, who married Rufus Holbert, of Roane county; William and Harrison (who were twins), Thomas, Joseph and John, who passed on in childhood were the fruits of the second union. Though his children have all joined the throng on the other side, his descendants in this and adjoining coutnies are a multitude. Among the grandchildren that are well-known citizens, are Mrs. Clara Goff, Mrs. J. R. Stalnaker, James, the late John Frederick, all of Burnt House; John R. Cunningham, of Tanners; the Normans, of Auburn, and numerous others that we might mention. Riddel Ancestry. - Though not a few of the Riddels claim to be of French extraction, investigation proves that their ancestor, James Riddel, came from Germany along with John and Salathiel Goff, and Joseph Hardman; and that after a brief sojourn in England, they all came to America, and settled at Georgetown, which is now in the District of Columbia, after a twelve month's residence in Baltimore, where they first landed - in the year 1773 or '4. From here they went to Fredericksburg, Virginia, and later to what is now Tucker county, West Virginia, where he probably sleeps. His death occurred on February 26, 1816. He married a Miss Welsh, of Scotland, before leaving the Fatherland, and was the father of the following named sons and daughters: John, James, junior, Benjamin, Jeremiah, Dorcas, who married Joseph Hardman, adn Elizabeth, the wife of Alexander Goff, senior. And from these sons and daughters sprang the innumerable families of Riddels, and Hardmans - and not a few of the Goffs in this and adjoining counties - in fact, these descendants are scattered throughout the Union. John Riddel, as above stated, settled in Ritchie county; Page 278 James, junior, in Lewis county. He was twice married but left no heirs. Benjamin Riddel married Miss Nancy Anne Goff, daughter of Salathiel Goff, and settled at Hollow Meadows, on the Cheat river, in Randolph (now Tucker) county; but near the close of the war of 1812, he sold his possessions there, and removed to Gilmer county, and became one of the pioneers at the mouth of Leading creek. Here he passed from earth, and here his ashes lie. He was the father of ten sons and one daughter; viz., Salathiel, died in Roane county, in 1907, at the age of ninety years; Silas T., the youngest son and the only survivor in the family, resides near Washvurn, in this county; and the others were, Hiram, Richard Welsh, John Goff, Benjamin, junior, George Washington, William (died in infancy), dn the next brother was called William Slavens, James S., and Dorcas, who married William Holbert, of Gilmer county. Jeremiah Riddel, of "Jerry," as he was familiarly known, married Miss Margaret Hardman, sister of Joseph Hardman, who came from Germany with the rest of the party, and followed them in their wanderings until they found a home (and she, a final resting place), in Gilmer county. It is not known where or when they were married, but circumstances point strongly to the fact that they were married in the Fatherland, befoe they set sail for America, but this cannot be verified at this late day. However, he died at Norfolk, Virginia, while serving his country in the war os 1812, and there he reposes. He was the father of six childrenL viz., Eleven, the Spruce crek pioneer; James, junior, John E., George M., and Mrs. John Short. George M. Riddel married Miss Mary Norman, and was the father of Mrs. Nancy Bush, of Auburn; Mrs. Etta Russell, of Parkersburg; and grandfather of Mrs. W. H. Amos, of Auburn, and the well-known traveling salesman, A. W. Westfall. (The family of Dorcas Riddel Hardman appears in an earlier chapter, and that of Elizabeth Riddel Goff follows in this chapter.) James Harvey Cooper was the second citizen of the Rex- Page 279 road homestead. He was born in Pocahontas county, in 1810, and married Miss Julia Ann Whitman, a native of Greenbrier county; and in 1836, came to Gilmer county and settled near Troy; and two years later (1838), removed to the Rexroad farm. After a brief sojourn here, he went to Leatherbarke, and made an improvement on the Dr. A. M. Edgell farm; and near 1840, returned to the Frederick's mill vicinity, and reared the first dwelling on the land that is now owned by his grandson, F. M. Cooper; and from here he removed to "Gilmer county, and took up his residence on what is now designaed as the S. L. Bush homestead, where he passed from earth in 1881, and on an adjoining far, he rests. He was a school-teacher, and inthis profession forty years of his life were spent. He was also a surveyor, and was at one time County surveyor of Gilmer. He was the father of three daughters and eight sons: Agnes died in youth; Julia is Mrs. Fracis Hardman, of Tannersville; and Rebeccca, Mrs. Jesse Hardman, of Nebraska. Five of the sons were Confederate soldiers; Robert S. died in prison; George was slain in the Battle of Fisher's hill, in 1864; the late James T., lost an arm in the cause; John M., who resides in Gilmer dounty, was severely wounded; and Charles, of Auburn, narrowly escaped injury; Andrew Holly also resides in Gilmer county; nd Leonidas, and Henry J., have passed on. While the greater number of his descendants live in Gilmer county, not a few of them are known in this county; the family of Charles Cooper, of Auburn, being prominently known among the teachers, and in other professions; H. E. Cooper was the principal of the Harrisville school for two years; Victor, who was formerly County Superintendent of Gilmer, is now identified among the Harrisville lawyers; Mrs. Homer Adams, of Harrisville; Miss Cora, Everett, Grover, the late Price, who was graduated from the State University, at Morgantown, and died of smallpox in the Philippines, where he went as a teacher; and the late lamented Okey Cooper, of Newberne, were all members of this family, and have all been identified in the profession of teaching. F. M. and Joseph Cooper, of Fonzo, are also grandsons of this pioneer, they being the sons of John Cooper. Page 280 The Coopers * are descended from an old Virginia family. James Cooper, father of James Harvey, being a native of Augusta county, and a typical pioneer of West Virginia. He married Miss Nancy Agness Wooddell, who was also a native of the "Old Dominion," and came to Pocahontas county, early in the nineteenth century and settled near Piney woods, now known as Greenbanks, where the remainder of his life was spent. He was a prominent figure in the early affairs of Pocahontas county, being one of its organizers, and having afterwards served as constable, magistrate, assessor, and pedagogue. He was also one of the pillars of the "Liberty" church, in its early history. His children were ten in number: Elizabeth, became Mrs. Woods, of Highland county; Margaret was the late Mrs. Enoch Hill, of Hardman chapel, this county; Jane married Andrew Kerr, and lived at Dunmore; Lucinda became Mrs. John A. Gillispie, of Greenbanks; Nancy, and Malinda were the other two, all were of Pocahontas county; Thomas died in youth, John T. became a prominent physician. He resided at Parkersburg for a number of years, but finally went to Claysville, where he died in 1878. His son, Arthur, is now a renowned pulpit orator of the Presbyterian church of Illinois; and James and other members of his family still live at Parkersburg. James Harvey, the Ritchie county pioneer, and Joseph W., of Pocahontas, were the other sons. Isaac Collins made the second settlement on Grass run, on the farm that is now the estate of the late Nicholas H. Frederick, near the year 1832. He was of Irish lineage; and was a soldier of the war of 1812, having been drafted into service. He married Miss Rachel Cunningham, daughter of Thomas and Phebe, and they resided at Smithville, and at different other points in this county, before going to Calhoun county, where they spent the remnant of their days, near Freed, and where, on their old homestead, side by side, they sleep. At their home Phebe Cunningham died, and there she rests. * The facts concerning the ancestral history of this family are gleaned in part from the "History of Pocahontas County," the author of that book being indebted to George C. Cooper, son of Joseph, for his information. Page 281 Their children were as follows: Felix, the eldest son, served as a soldier of the war of 1812, and shortly after its close, went to Texas; Thomas, also, went to Texas; Isaac, to Iowa; John D. resides at Chestnut Grove, in Calhoun county; Phebe, became Mrs. Anthony Smith, of Portsmith, Ohio; Hannah married to Isaac Smith, and lived and died at Smithville; Leah was Mrs. Henderson Beall, and Barbara, Mrs. John Beall, both of Calhoun county; Nancy, Mrs. James Wilson, of Wirt county; and Rachel, is Mrs. Jesse McGee, of Harrisville. Among the grandsons and granddaughters are, Martin and A. W. Smith, Mrs. M. A. Ayres, and Mrs. Alfred Barr, all of Smithville; and Isaac and Wilford Collins, of the Lawford vicinity. Philip Frederick was the successor of Mr. Collins on the Frederick homestead, as early as 1835. He was of German origin, and of Pennsylvania nativity, he having been born at Lancaster, in 1775. From his native state, in his young manhood, he went to Rockingham county, Virginia, and from there, removed to this county in 1832, and settled on Indian creek, near the County Infirmary, for a brief time before coming to Grass run. They afterwards emigrated to Athens, Ohio, but soon returned to their old home on this creek, where they spent their last hours. Mr. Frederick died in 1861, and both lie at rest on their old homestead, which is still in the hands of their heirs. Their sons were David, Nicholas H., Samuel B. and Philip Frederick. David Frederick left home in his youth and was never heard from afterwards. Nicholas H. Frederick, who was born on October 6, 1815, married Miss Elizabeth Riddel, daughter of John and Tamar Goff Riddel, who was born on March 7, 1815, while her father was serving as a soldier in the war of '12. The marriage was solemnized, in 1837, at what is not the W. G. Lowther home- Page 282 stead, and they at once took up their residence at the old home on Grass run, where they lived an died, and where they lie at rest. Their children are James Frederick, the late John, Mrs. Louisa (J. R.) Stalnaker, Mrs. Clara Goff, Mrs. William Stalnaker, who are all the heads of families; and Joseph, Samuel, Mary E., Tamar, Martha J., and Nancy, who died in youth. Samuel B. Frederick married Miss Elizabeth Petty, of Wirt county, and principally spen his life in the Burnt House vicinity. He was the father of Samuel, Ulysses G., the late Victor, and Roll, Catherine Snodgrass, Josephine Pritchard, and Amanda. Philip Frederick married Miss Phebe Hardman, daughter of Benjamin, and lived and died on Grass run. They were the parents of Charles, Franklin, William, David, Edward, James, Samuel, Elizabeth, who died young, Leah, who married James Cain, and Safronia, the late wife of George W. Hardman. Benjamin Cunningham, son of Thomas and Phebe, made the first improvements on the Dr. J. F. Hartman farm in 1836; but in 1845, he sold this improvement to David W. Sleeth, and moved his family to Iowa in a wagon. Not being satisfied there, he returned to this county, the following spring, and became the first settler of the Charles Drake homestead, near Hardman chapel. Here the remainder of his life was spent, and here he fell asleep, on April 24, 1853, at the age of fifty-tree years; and on the Joseph Frederick homestead, beside his father, he lies asleep. He married Miss Hannah Riddel, daughter of John Riddel, whose earthly pilgrimage began in Randolph county, on August 18, 1803, and closed on Leatherbarke, on December 13, 1881. She rests at Hardman chapel. Their children were as follows: Phebe died in childhood and James, in infancy; John R. is of Tannersville; Wm. C., of Calhoun; the late Hannah E. (John) Modisette, of Walker; Mrs. Leah C. (Wm.) Vannoy, Gilmer county; and the late Mrs. Nancy H. (Wilson B.) Cunningham, of Eva; Mrs. Rachel Norman, of Doddridge county; Mrs. Tamar J. (James T.) Smith, of Smithville; Eli R., of Iris; and Thomas, of Calhoun county, have all passed on. Page 283 The Dr. Hartman homestead is still in the hands of the heirs of David Sleeth, Mrs. Hartman being his only surviving granddaughter. John Harris built the first dwelling on the F. G. Fling farm at Burnt House as early as 1836. He came from New York and kept a stage coach and a house of public entertainment. While thus engaged a tragical drama is said to have been enacted within the walls of this home, which hung a shadow about the good name of the family, and furnished material for all sorts of weird tales and ghost stories. A stranger, who had stopped for the night, mysteriously disappeared, and nothing ever being heard of him again, suspicion pointed strongly to Harris or his son, William (This is variously stated), as having been the perpetrator of a crime. A child, belonging to the family is said to have told the following story: That while the stranger sat at supper, the father (or brother) decapitated him with a drawing-knife, and concealed his remains up a run, which has ever since borne the name of "Dead Man's Hollow." For many years this region was supposed to have been visited by supernatural beings - apparitions in varied forms appeared to the consternation of the fanciful. But these old superstitious traditions have long since lost their terror - they are now naught but a memory. To those of us who are familiar with the pleasant scenes of this section, they are but little more than interesting legends, or fairy tales. Shortly after this tragic occurrence, in the early fifties, Harris sold his possessions here, to Mrs. Susan Groves - a widow - and her son, John, and went West, and here his history ends. He has no known relatives in this county. While the Groves family resided here, an incident occurred, which gave rise to the name "Burnt House." Mr. Groves being a slave holder in the "antebellum days," is said to have sold a little negress, and she being so enraged at her master for this act of cruelty, set fire to some clothing up stairs, before taking her departure, which resulted in the destruction of the house - the first dwelling where the village now stands, the site being marked by the Ferrell hotel. Page 284 This interesting little legend, however, is set aside by facts which somewhat modify it. The other story being that the little black girl had been lent to Mrs. John Groves, by her father, Mr. Rogers, of Waynesboro, Virginia, and that while Mr. Groves was absent -taking the little wench back to his father-in-law, the house caught fire, and was burned to the ground - hence the origin of the name. The Groveses came from Augusta county, Virginia, and Mrs. Susan Groves went back there and died. John went to California, and Thomas lived in Wirt county, but moved to Cairo, where he died some years ago, and where one of his daughters still lives. Henry Fling. - In 1859, the Grove's farm became the property of the late Henry Fling, and has ever since been in the hands of the Fling family, he having been the first to rebuild where the Grove's residence was burned. In 1849, John Fling purchased quite a tract of land in this section, which he divided between his tow sons, Henry and Levi. Henry built his cabin on the land that is now owned by Mrs. Ona Fling, and having married Miss Eunice Fisher, of Gilmer county, two years before, took up his residence here this same year (1849). And in 1859, as before stated, he moved to the Groves' farm, where he continued to reside until 1883, when he was succeeded by his brother F. G. Fling, who is still the owner. Henry Fling was born in 1821, and died in Calhoun county, in 1906, and sleeps beside his wife in the Baptist churchyard, at Tannersville. His first wife died in 1872, and, two years later, he married Miss Rebecca Holbert, who, with her four daughters, Gay, Martha, Mary, and Jennie, resides at Brookville. The children of the first union have all passed away but three; viz., Mrs. Minerva Kelley, Tannersville; Mrs. Maggie Heller, Nebraska; and Fisher, of Pittsburg; Henry and his family met tragic deaths at their home in Calhoun county, a few years ago by a gas explosion - the charred remains of the wife and two children being laid in the same grave at Tannersville. William died at Big Springs, in Calhoun county; Page 285 George A., at his home near Hardman chapel; Floyd, and Levi J., in Nebraska; Mary S., and John, at Burnt House. Levi Fling built his dwelling near the present residence of his only son, P. J. Fling, about the same time that his brother Henry, made his settlement; but he put a tenant on his farm until his marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth Bush Heckart - an event which took place on August 9, 1869, and commemorated the forty-sixth anniversary of his birth. From that time until his death, in 1905, he was a respected citizen of this community. He sleeps at Mr. Liberty, and his venerable widow still occupies the old home. She first married Jacob Heckart, and is the mother of S. P. Heckart, of Cairo; Mrs. Margaret Harden, and the late W. H. Heckart, Burnt House; the late H. A., of Tannersville; J. M., of Knoxville, Tennessee; Mrs. Sarah (Jerome) Prunty, California; and Mrs. Louie S. Beckner, Tannersville. F. Gainer Fling married Miss Elsie Bush, daughter of George and Mrs. Mary McQuain Bush, of Gilmer county, and is the father of the late General Fling and Mrs. Mollie E. (J. E.) Ferrell. The Flings are of Irish lineage. John Fling was born in America, shortly after his parents crossed the sea; and when he was still in his cradle, his parents both died, and he was reared by a family by the name of "Polen," near Baltimore, Maryland. After he had grown to manhood, and served as a soldier in the war of 1812, he came to Barbour county, (W.) Virginia, and there he met and married Miss Elizabeth Gainer in 1816; and from there, they removed to Gilmer county, in 1831. Here at his old homestead, near Tannersville, he closed his eyes to earth, in 1861. Eight children were the fruits of this union. Besides the three sons already mentioned were: the late Mrs. Jane (Wm.) Wilson, Mrs. Sarah (Thomas) Hardman, the late George and Sanford, all of Tannersville; and Mrs. May (David) Ayres, of Calhoun county. George Fling married Miss Hannah Bush, and was the father of the late H. H. Fling, of Roseville, who figured as an early miller in the history of the towns of Smithville, Auburn, and perhaps, others, in this county. H. H. Fling married Miss Mary Talbott, of Philippi, Bar- Page 286 bour county, and was the father of twelve children; viz., G. W. D. Fling, Mrs. Rose Bush, Mrs. Guy Younge, and Miss Eva, are all of Gilmer county; Laura B. is Mrs. P. J. Fling, of Burnt House, and Dr. I. C. W. Fling is of the same place; P. E. A. Flingis of Arkansas; H. H. J., of Texas; Mrs. Bertha House, of Clarksburg; Gertie L., J. K. W. and M. E. have all passed on. Joseph Cunningham made the first improvement on the head of the stream, on the T. J. Hartman farm. We learn that he never owned this land, that it belonged to the Maxwells at this time. He was the nephew of Thomas Cunningham, being the son of his brother, Benjamin. He married Miss Jane Malone, sister of John and James Malone, and was the father of the late Mrs. Tibitha (Israel) Daidson, of Spruce creek; Benjamin, of Missouri; Findlay, of Ohio; Mrs. Sarah Quinn, and Mrs. Elizabeth Quinn, both of Iowa; Mrs. Priscilla Kenney, of Missouri, who later became Mrs. John Miller, of Hoio; Mrs. Amanda ______, of Missouri; and Robert, of Ohio. After residing at a number of other points in this county, Mr. Cunningham went West, but finally returned to the home of Israel Dacidson, of Spruce creek, where he found a final resting place, beside his wife. Jonathan Bessie, of Virginia, was another early settler on the T. J. Hartman farm; it being claimed by some that he preceded Cunningham here, but we are unable to verify this statement, however. Strother Goff was the pioneer on the old homestead that is still in the hands of his heirs. He was born in Randolph (now Tucker) county, in 1809, and with his parents came to Gilmer county shortly after the war of 1812, where he grew to manhood, and married his cousin, Miss Nancy Riddel, daughter of John and Tamar Goff Riddel, who was also born in Randolph (now Tucker) county, on October 17, 1807. He served a deputy sheriff of Gilmer county under Peregrine Hays, before coming to this county, in 1850, where he spent the remnant of his days. He was one of the corner-stones of the old M. E. church South, at Brunt House, and remained a pillar in this church to the close of his earthly pil- Page 287 grimage. Side by side on the old homestead, he and his wife sleep. Their children were: James R., Mrs. Tamar (James) Frederick, Mrs. Ruhama (Archibald) Wyer, W. H. Goff, Benjamin, Granville, Mrs. Mary Riddel Valentine, and George, of Gilmer county. The last two only survive. The Goff Ancestry. - The Goff's, like many of the other pioneers, have an interesting ancestral history, though two claims as to their origin in the "New World" are in our possession. The first one is that the progenitors of the numerous families, of the name, scattered throughout West Virginia, are lineal descendants of Colonel William Goffe, the English parliamentarian and soldier, who was a member of that distinguished Judicial body that signed the death warrant of Charles the I; and who, bieng compelled to flee from the vengance of Charles the II, sought refuge in the wilds of America, where he wandered about to lay in hiding in old mills, cliffs of rocks, and in caves, near New Haven Connecticut, for 1660-64, when he went to Hadley, Massechusetts, and found a friendly asylum with the minister of the parish until his death in 1679. Almost every school-boy or girl is familiar with the story of the "strange, old man with long, white beard in ancient garb," that suddenly appeared upon the scene at the little chapel at Hadley, on that quiet Sunday morning when a band of devout worshipers were surprised by the Indians, and led them to victory - then disappeared as mysteriously as he had come, leaving the astonished villagers to think that God had sent an Angel to deliver them from the dusky foe. This "strange old man" was no other than Colonel William Goffe, the regicide, who had seen the approaching enemy from the window of the minister's house, and the same individual that is claimed by some to have been the antecessor of the Goffs of this county. But if Colonel Goffe had a family (and doubtless he had, as history tells us that his father-in-law, Edward Whalley, was the companion of his flight) he must have left them behind in England, as circumstances will not permit us to draw any other conclusion. But, while he could barly have been the antecessor of the fore- fathers of Page 288 the West Virginia families, it is not at all unlikely that they all belonged to the same race - the German; for people of this name are said to be scattered through various countries of Europe to-day, and it is not difficult to believe that they all may have sprung from the same parent- stem, when we remember that in olden-times the spirit of migration was ever in evidence - sometimes from natural inclinations, but more often from more imperative reasons - religious or political persecutions, which drove thousands from their native lands. But be this as it may, John T. and Salathiel Goff, the two brothers who were progenitors of the families that belong to this history, were natives of Germany, and of Teutonic birth; but, owing to the tyrannous hand of oppression in the Fatherland, they (with the Riddels, and the Hardmans, and, perhaps, the Springstons) migrated to England, and after a brief sojourn there, embarked to America, landing in Baltimore, shortly before the Revolution, where they remained twelve months before going to what is now Georgetown, in the District of Columbia. John T. Goff married Miss Elizabeth Welsh, of Scotland, sister of Mrs. James Riddel, before leaving the Fatherland, and when they removed from Baltimore, they established their home on the Maryland side, not far from Georgetown, where it is probable that Mrs. Goff died, not many years later; for he was married to his second wife, Monacah Cerrico, as early as 1781. From there, after the Revolution, he removed to near Fredericksburg, Virginia, and later, to what is now Tucker county, West Virginia, where he, doubtless, sleeps on the banks of the Cheat river. From an old time-worn record, we learn that he bade his final adieu to earth, on March 9, 1803; and that his wife, Monacah, died on December 27, 1815. It will be noted in the beginning of this chapter, that his daughter, Tamar, figured in a runaway-marriage six months before his death, and that the scene of this little romance was on the Cheat* river, in what is not Tucker county; hence this is conclusive evidence that his last hours were spent here. * From the "Border Warfare" we learn that John T. Goff was one of the first settlers at "Horse Shoe Bottom," on this river. Page 289 A complete and authentic record of the children of his first union is wanting, but he and his wife, Elizabeth, were the parents of five or more children; viz., William, John, James, Alexander, and Hannah; and he and his wife, Monacah, had three daughters: Johanna, Tamar, and Luda Goff (the first two, Joanna and Tamar, evidently being twins, as the record shows that both were born in 1782, thought the name of the month in this one instance is missing.) James Goff. - Of the subsequent history of William and John, we know nothing, but James was twice married. The name of his first wife is unknown, but the second was a Miss Barnhouse. He came from the Cheat river with the other Goffs, and settled near the Big Bend in Calhoun county; and from there went to Athens, Ohio, where he died at the home of his eldest sone, John B. Goff, who was a soldier of the war of 1812. The children of James Goff were, John B., Robert, George L., William, Mary, Rebecca, and Libbie. Libbie married a man by the name of Lisson, and went to Ohio. George L. married Cathrine Phy, and was the father of Phillip Goff, of Juna, who is the only survivor of the family; James, William, and Susan, the other children, having passed on. Hannah Goff (daughter of John T. Goff) married John Smith, and lived and died on Leading creek, in Gilmer county. Her children were seven in number; viz., George, John, Nathan, Jacob, Phebe (Mrs. John Davis), Luvina (remained single), and Mary (Mrs. William Patton). Joanna Goff * (daughter of John T. Goff) was born on August r, 1782, and on October 8, 1803, she was married to her first cousin, George G. Goff, son of Salathiel Goff, and six children were the result of this union; viz., John L. (born in 1804 and died 1805), George W., Hiram A., Elizabeth (Mrs. Thomas Brannon), Rachel (Mrs. Abra- * The record of this marriage, which was recently brought from its dust- covered hiding place, with its accompanying explanation that "Joanna Goff, daughter of John T. Goff, married her cousin, George G. Goff, son of Salathiel Goff" sets at rest the dispute concerning the relationship of John T. and Salathiel Goff, and establishes the fact beyond cavil that they must have been brothers or half-brothers; for the younger generations remember having heard their grandshires say, repeatedly, that Joanna married her first cousin. These little things seem insignificant to the casual observer, but through them alone we establish facts, and settle controversies. Page 290 Ham Bush, of Gilmer county), and Nancy (Mrs. John Riddel, of Calhoun county). Joanna died in 1861. Tamar Goff (daughter of John T. Goff) married John Riddel, and her family occupy the first place in this chapter. Luda Goff married Jacob Springston, junior, and left a large line of descendants. (See later chapter.) Alexander Goff (son of John T.), who was familiarly known as "Sauny," was the founder of the Ritchie county family. He was born, on October 16, 1773, during the sojourn of the family in England, and near the year 1799, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Riddel, sister of John Riddel, who was born in 1779. The marriage doubtless took place in what is now Tucker county (then Randolph), where they first established their home, and where they remained until after the close of the war of 1812, when they removed to Leading creek, in Gilmer county. Here they reared their large family, and here they resided until some time in the early fifties, when they came to this county and spent the remnant of their old age with their son, Strother, near Burnt House. Mr. Goff died in 1857, and, side by side, they lie at rest on the Strother Goff homestead. Their family record is as follows: John A. - born in 1800; Thomas, in 1806; Strother, 1809; Benjamin, 1811; Dorcas, 1812; George, 1814; Elizabeth, 1815; Alexander, 1816; Joseph H., 1822; and James, who died in youth. Elizabeth, also, died in youth. John a. Goff was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. He married Miss Julia House, and came from Gilmer county, and settled on Long run, near Goff's post-office, where he died. He was the father of - Phillip, of Calhoun county; the late John W., of Gilmer county; the late Alex., of Braxton; Lafayette and Thomas, who lost their lives in the Southern cause during the Civil war; and Mrs. W. O. Barnhouse. S.L. Goff, of Lawford, is the son of Lafayette. Dorcas Goff, the daughter of Alexander, senior, married Samuel Flemming, and shortly after their marriage they came to this county, and settled on Dry run of Spruce creek, where their son, John Fleming, now lives; and there they saw the Page 291 last of earth. Their other children besides John, were as follows: Benjamin, of Pennsylvania; Alfred, who died in youth; Mrs. Joanna (George) Stansbury, of Clarksburg; the late Mrs. Mary (Jacob) Scott, of Mahone; and the late Mrs. Jane Connolly, of Gilmer county. George Goff married Miss Mary Smith, daughter of Barnes Smith, senior, and sister of his brother, Thomas' wife, and settled in Wood county; and from there removed to Missouri, where he died. His children were - John, Henry, George, Barnes, Elzaria, who all resided in the West and South; and Hila Ann, late wofe of James S. Hardman, of Hardman chapel. Henry lost his wife in the Confederate cause, and John is supposed to have been killed by the Indians, some place in the West. Joseph H. Goff, who was also a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church south, married Miss Angeline Davis, and resided in Braxton county for a time. Here Mrs. Goff died, after giving birth to five children; viz., Henry,of Spruce creek; Charles and Theodore, who both died in youth; Mrs. Joanna Davidson (widow of Israel Davidson, junior, of Tanners), of near Grafton; and the late Mrs. Mary McGill, of Spruce creek. In 1865, Mr. Goff was married again to Miss Virginia Buzzard, sister of the late Henry Buzzard, and came to Spruce creek, from Pocahontas county (where the marriage took place), shortly after the Civil war; and here his life came to a close on March 8, 1893. The children of this union are three in number; viz., Floyd P., J. Warren Goff, and Mrs. Alice (Elmore) Summers, all of Hazelgreen. His wife still survives. Thomas Goff married Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Barnes Smith, senior. Benjamin Goff married Miss Eda Smith, daughter of pioneer Aaron Smith.Alexander Goff, junior, married Miss Mary Bush, daughter of George Bush. Strother Goff married his cousin, Miss Nancy Riddel, doughter of John and Tamar Goff Riddel, but the record of Page 292 their families will all be found in other parts of this work. (See spruce crek for all, but Strother.) Salathiel Goff's Line. - Salathiel Goff married Miss Elizabeth L. Gray in the Fatherland and, as above mentioned, crossed to America with his brother, John T. Goff, after a brief sojourn in England; and his wanderings in the Occident differ but little from those of his brother, and of the other families that crossed with them. After leaving Baltimore, where they first stepped on american soil, Salathiel Goff went to Georgetown (with the rest of the immigrant party) and settled on the bank of the Potomac river, on the Virginia side. He is said to have removed to the vicinity of Fredericksburg, a little later, but however this may have been, he was a resident of Harrison county, (W.) Virginia,in 1784; for on July twentieth of this year (1784), when William Haymond, the fist principal surveyor of Harrison county, was qualified for this office, Salathiel Goff, Col. Benjamin Wilson, senior, Col. William Lowther, and Jacob Westfall were the Justices of the Peace of this new County of Harrison. (This comes from an old and authentic record.) But old papers found among the possessions of his son, Geroge G. Goff, which are now in the hands of W. S. Goff, of Glenville, show that his last will and testament was made in what is now Tucker county, so doubtless here his ashes lie. He is said to have died of cancer. His children were Hiram, John, George G., Nancy Anne, Elizabeth, and Mary. Hiram Goff, the eldest son, married Miss Margaret Rush, of Tucker county, and removed to Leading creek, in Gilmer county, shortly after the war of 1812. He was a thrifty farmer, and an extensive stock-raiser and cattle- merchant; and it was his custom to drive his large herds of cattle to Baltimore for market. And on one of these long trips across the mountains, after marketing a large drove, and being paid in gold, he was attacked by a band of robbers, only a few miles distant from Baltimore, and brutally beaten over the head with a club and robbed of his gold. From this cruel wound he became violently insane, and wandered aimlessly about over the surrounding country (in the vicinity of Baltimore) Page 293 in a starving and deplorable condition, for several months before his family could locate him; but at length his identity became known, and his sons went and brought him back to his home, but he was never rational again; and, at times, he had to be confined in a strong room in his home, which had been constructed for this purpose. Some very pathetic stories have come down to his descendants concerning his irrational acts. He was the father of John R. Goff, of Tucker county; of William, who married a Miss Bush, and settled where Spencer now stands; of Dawson, who married Miss Rachel Brannon, of Gilmer county, and settled in Roane county; of George, of Pomeroy, Ohio; Rachel, who was the late wife of George W. Hardman, senior, of Hardman Bend, in Calhoun county; Effie, wife of Jacob Springston; Elizabeth, who married Hiram Riddel, and went to Texas; and of Eda and Cyrus, who died unmarried. Roane county is full of his descendants, Frank, Lee, Charles, Louis and Ira Goff, of Spencer, are his grandsons, they being the sons of Dawson Goff; and Mrs. T. M. Goff, of Harrisville, is a granddaughter. (For the families of Rachel Hardman, and Effie Springston, see Hardman and Springston families.) John Goff, the second son of Salathiel, was the first settler where Glenville now stands. Here his first wife, whose name is missing, died, and he married a Miss Richards for his second. He went to Kanawha county, in his old age, where he died. The children of his first union were as follows: Salathiel, Drusa (Mrs. Parson, of Roane county), and Rebecca (Mrs. Thomas Hardman, of Roane county). The children of his last marriage were three in number, one daughter and two sons. George G. Goff, son of Salathiel, who was born on August 25, 1782, and died in July, 1867, married his cousin, Joanna Goff, daughter of John T. Goff. (See Family of John T. Goff for farther history.) Nancy Anne Goff (daughter of Salathiel) married Benjamin Riddel. (See Riddel family.) Elizabeth Goff (daughter of Salathiel) married William Stalnaker, and came from Tucker county shortly after the war of 1812, and settled on DeKalb, in Gilmer county. Their two children were Salatiel and Nathaniel Stalnaker, who both married and reared families in Gilmer county.Mary Goff (daughter of Salathiel) married a man by the name of Mongold, and had one daughter, Mary. She is said to have died young. Chapter XX Leatherbarke Transcribed by Janet Waite. Page 295 Leatherbarke This stream, which flows into the South fork of Hughes river, below Smithville, took its name from the numerous growth of leatherbarke upon its banks. John Hill. - As so many dates are missing, we have been unable to determine which was the first settler on this creek, but this distinction probably belongs to John Hill, who built his cabin on the Alfred Barr farm, at a very early date. Mr. Hill was a native of Harrison county, having been born on February 8, 1790; and on April 25, 1816, he was married to Miss Keturah Cunningham, daughter of Edward, and niece of Thomas Cunningham, who was also a native of Harrison county; and from this vicinity, they went to Gilmer county, where Mr. Hill fell asleep; on March 17, 1885, and there on the George S. Bush homestead (now the John Ellison farm), beside his wife, he sleeps. Their children were as follows: Celia, who became Mrs. Wm. Holbert; Anna, Mrs. John S.. Holbert; Mary, Mrs. Hannibal B. Wilson; Daniel, who died in his youth, all of Gilmer county; and the late Enoch R. Hill, of near Burnt House, this county. The family have all passed on, but among the grandsons and granddaughters of this pioneer are, Floyd Hill, and Mrs. Harriet Fling, Burnt House; Moses Holbert, Mrs. Phillip Engle, Mrs. William Reeser, and quite a number of others, of Gilmer county. Mr. and Mrs. Hill were members of the first M. E. church organization in this county, and their descendants still cling to this faith. John Earle was the first denizen on the late Eber Wilson homestead - now the home of Hugh Ayres. He was a brother Page 296 of Mrs. Barnes Smith, senior, and was of Harrison county. He married Miss Jemima Drake, daughter of the Rev. John Drake, and after she was laid in the Murphy graveyard, he went to Ohio, but finally returned here and died. Mrs. Susana Stuart Bush, of Iris, is a descendant of his. Benjamin Horner was the second settler on the Wilson farm. He was an Irishman, having been born in "Old Erin." He married Miss Mary Murphy, sister of the four Murphy Brothers, and went from here to Roane county, where they both fell asleep. He had a son, Benjamin, by a former marriage, who went West with Valentine Bozarth. John B. Rogers. - As these first settlers did not remain long, John B. Rogers came into possession of the Wilson farm at an early day. Here he remained for many years; and here his wife, Sarah Webb Rogers, daughter of Benjamin Webb, passed away; after her death he removed to the Dr. A. M. Edgell property, at Smithville, where his last moments were spent. At Smithville, beside his wife, he sleeps. His descendants in the county are still quite numerous. His children were as follows: Robert H., the late A. I. (father of B. F., of Harrisville), both of Calhoun county; the late Mrs. Edmonia Hardman (mother of Sherman Hardman, of Hardman chapel), the late Mrs. Taylor Glover (Drusilla,) mother of A. R. Glover, of Mt. Zion; the late Mrs. Elizabeth (John) Elliott, the late Mrs. Martha (Frank) Elliott, James, who went West, and John, who met a tragic death at Webb's mill, while serving as a Home-guard during the late Civil war. This family are descended from the pioneer Rogers' family of Harrisville. The Rev. John Drake, whose interesting history will be found in a preceding chapter, was the pioneer at the mouth of this stream, on land now owned by W. A. Flesher. William Stuart, junior, was the first settler at Iris, on the farm that is now the home of his son, Robert Stuart. He married Miss Rachel Webb, sister of Benjamin Webb, and came here from the Glover farm at Smithville, near the year 1837; and here they both passed away in 1850, and in the Webb's cemetery, they lie at rest. Mr. Stuart was the son of William Stuart, who settled Page 297 the Byrd farm, above Goff's, and he was a native of the "Keystone state." He was the father of eleven children, all of whom have passed on, except Robert of Iris. Nutter and Joseph died in youth, William Webb, and Anna, later in life; John went West; James, Benjamin, Mrs. Martha (Elisha) Smith (mother of James T. Smith, of Burnt House), and Mrs. Elizabeth Westfall Hardin, remained citizens of this part of the county; and Mrs. Lydia (John) Cain, lived on the North fork of Hughes river. Robert Stuart is now the Iris post-master and merchant. John Solomon Holbert, son-in-law of John Hill, was another early settler in the Iris vicinity. He went from here to Revel, Gilmer county, where he and his wife (nee Anna Hill) sleep; and where his descendants live. Moses, Monroe, the late James, Mrs. Phillip Engle, and Mrs. William Reeser, all of Gilmer county, are his children. He died in 1901. Wilson Benjamin Cunningham was the first denizen of the forest in the vicinity of Eva. He was the son of William and Rebecca Johnston Cunningham, his mother being a native of New Jersey, and the grandson of Thomas and Pheobe Cunningham. His father went from this county to Ohio, near the year 1811, and later became a prominent minister of the Ohio M. E. conference; and there, at Cadiz, on May 12, 1822, Wilson B. was born. He was one of the early school-teachers of the county, and was an exhorter of the Methodist Episcopal church. ,P>On April 10, 1846, at Keokuk, Iowa, he was married to Miss Nancy Hila Cunningham, daughter of Benjamin and Hannah Riddel Cunningham; and two months later they returned to this county, and settled on the James Frederick farm, on Grass run; and from there removed to Eva, to the farm that is now the home of their son, John C., in 1861, where both passed from earth - he, on June 23, 1887; and she, on June 25, 1908. Both rest at Hardman chapel. Their children: Columbus died in infancy; Wade M., in 1875; Benjamin E., in '78; James W., in 1901; John C. resides at the old home; and Theodore, near by; Mrs. Rebecca J. Elder, is of Iris; and Mrs. Clara R. Wiseman, of Richwood. William Cunningham - son of Benjamin - who is now a Page 298 Resident of Calhoun county, was another early settler at Eva. He married Miss Cathrine Cross, daughter of Nimrod, and was the father of four children: Sanford and Sheridan, Victoria, and Mrs. Minnie (George) Lowther, of Calhoun county. John R. Cunningham - brother of William, who is now spending the eventide of his life with his daughter, Mrs. A. H. Cooper, in Gilmer county, was the first settler on the Hildreth farm, near the site of the "Old Pleasant Valley church." He gave the grounds for this church, which was built in 1870, and which was replaced by a frame structure in 1901 - the site being moved farther up the creek. Mr. Cunningham resided here until 1882, when he purchased the homestead that he continued to occupy until 1907, when it passed into the hands of W. M. Nutter. On May 26, 1905, death entered his home and carried away his beloved companion, Mrs. Frances J. Modisette Cunningham, who was the daughter of Augustus and Dorcas Modisette, of Iris. She sleeps at Hardman chapel. His children: Asa L. resides at Columbus, and Mrs. Lillie B. Yates, at Center-Belpre, in Ohio; Mrs. Adaline V. (A. H.) Cooper, in Gilmer county; A. C., at Parkersburg; and Simpson J., at Eva; one daughter died in infancy; William S., Harrison G., and Archie D., in childhood - the last two mentioned sleep in the same grave at Hardman chapel; Julia and Guy died in their young man and womanhood. These brothers are native of this county, and are the grandsons of Thomas and Phebe Cunningham. George Washington Hardman was the first to settle the John R. Cunningham - now the W. M. Nutter - farm. He married Miss Mary Ann Lowther, daughter of Jesse, of Cornwallis, and took up his residence here in the early fifties. He lived at various other points in the county, and finally died at his home below Burnt House, in 1890, and was laid at rest at Hardman chapel by the side of his wife, who preceded him to the grave by a number of years. Their children: the late Mrs. Marietta (W. E. Hill), Harrisville; Mrs. Olive (James) Rexroad, Den run; the late Mrs. Maggie (Wm.) Collins, of Cairo; Mrs. Emma Lee, Cairo; Mrs. Victoria Stanley, Clay county; the late Mrs. Lillie Page 299 (F. S.) Moyer, Fonsoville; the late Mrs. Phebe Cunningham Holstein, of Iris; the late Mrs. Thomas Johnson, and James Hardman, of Cantwell. After the death of his first wife, he married Miss Safronia Frederick, daughter of Phillip Frederick, and four children were born of this union; viz., Lloyd, Frank, George, and Belle. The second Mrs. Hardman has also passed on. This pioneer belongs to the Hardman family, whose ancestral history occupies and earlier chapter. Augustus Modisett. - Near the year 1849, Augustus Modisette and his wife, Mrs. Dorcas Wilson Modisette (sister of Archibald Wilson), with their family, came from Barbour county, and took up their residence near one mile from the present site of the Iris post-office. He was of Irish descent, and was an old time school-teacher. He died near the year 1874, and sleeps at Hardman chapel beside his wife, who was descended from the Wilson family, whose history appears with the South fork settlers. They were the parents of four sons and four daughters: William lost his life in battle in behalf of the Union cause, in his young manhood. James went to Ohio, where he died at a ripe old age, a few years ago, and where his descendants live; and Wilson sleeps in Wood county; John resided in Murphy district until a few months since, when he went to Walker station; Carrison died single; Frances was the late wife of John R. Cunningham, of Eva; the late Mrs. Harriet Cooper, of Gilmer county; the late Mrs. Elizabeth (John) Collins, and the late Mrs. Mary Knight - mother of Phillip Knight, of Calhoun county, were the other daughters. James Alexander Yates was another worthy pioneer of the Eva vicinity. He was born near Grafton, in 1826, and there grew to manhood and married Miss Sarah Jane Robinson, on March 10, 1847; and ten years later (1857) they came to this county and made the first improvement on the farm that is now the home of Wilson B. Cunningham, junior; and here he passed from earth on January 3, 1897. Mrs. Yates followed him to the grave on November 22nd, of the same year. Both had long been pillars in the church at Hardman chapel, and there they rest. Page 300 Mrs. Yates was born in Maryland, in 1825, and with her parents removed to Taylor county, in 1843. She was the daughter of Owen Robinson, who came from England to Old Town, Virginia, with his parents when he was a boy, and there married Miss Eleanor Mitchell. She was one of a family of ten children, who have all passed to the other side, except Miss Helen Robinson, of Parkersburg. Mrs. Ellen Ison, wife of the late Rev. Benjamin Ison, on the West Virginia Methodist Episcopal conference, was another sister. Mr. and Mrs. Yates were the parents of eight children, four of whom died in infancy. Philander Owen Yates died, in 1909, at his home in Oklahoma, where his family reside; and the other three survive: Mrs. Fannie Cunninham Kelley lives at Rhodesdale, Ohio; Mrs. Mary Ellen (T. A.) Hardman, at Fonsoville; and Mrs. Emma V. Wamsley, at Fairmont. The Yateses are of German lineage. Two brothers came from Hesse, Darmstadt, in the Fatherland, some time before the Revolution, and settled in the Massachusetts colony. One of these brothers, John Yates, took up arms in defense of his adopted country, and after the struggle for Independence was at an end, he emigrated to Virginia, where he remained until after our second war with Great Britain, when he removed to Taylor county, and purchased land for his four sons, Lawson, John, junior, Elijah, and William, near Pruntytown. William Yates married Miss Mary Simpson, and was the father of thirteen children, among whom Alexander Yates, of Leatherbarke. The other members of the family were, Henry, who went to Indiana; Harrison, the father of H. M. Yates, of Center-Belpre, Ohio; Thomas, Abner, Mrs. Elizabeth Sinsel, Mrs. Nancy Derham, and Mrs. Fannie Rector, who spent their lives in their native county, Taylor; and Mary, who died in youth; the rest died in childhood. ,P>The Bealls. - another family whose interests have been identified with this creek since 1847, is that of the late John Beall, who made his settlement where his son, Charles F. Beall, now resides, and here he spent the remainder of his life. Page 301 The homestead of his son James S., and the estate of his late son, Wilson, also belong to the original tract here. Mr. Beall was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was born in Tucker county, (W.) Virginia, in 1817, and when he was still in his cradle, his parents, John and Patricia Holbert Beall, came to Gilmer county (1818), and settled at the mouth of Cedar creek. Here Mr. Beall sleeps, and his venerable wife found a resting-place on the Joseph Frederick homestead, in this county, beside her son, Wilson, and her daughter, Nancy. The other daughter was Maria, who married John Holbert, and went West, where she lies at rest. John Beall, junior - the Leatherbarke pioneer - married Miss Leah Hardman, daughter of the late Rev. James Hardman, in 1840, and first settled on the E. R. Tibbs farm, at Goff's. He later removed to the Frederick's mill vicinity, and from there (the W. G. Lowther farm), to Leatherbarke, where he passed from earth on January 20, 1880. His wife survived until September 10, 1902, when she was laid by his side, on the old homestead. Their children were fourteen in number: Thomas and Henry died in infancy; Dorcas, at the age of eleven years. The rest all lived to rear families: Wilson A., Mrs. Abigail C. Cooper, and Mrs. Phebe (Jacob) Minear, S. M., and M. T., have all passed on; James S., C. F., and Mrs. J. L. Gill, are all of Leatherbarke, M. A., of Clay county, and J. N., of Lincoln, Nebraska. The Bealls are quite numerous in different parts of the State. Those in Gilmer, Braxton, Lewis, and Clay counties are of this family, John Beall, senior, having four brothers, from whom they are descended. Eva Founded. - John L. Gill was the first merchant and post-master at Eva. His store came into existence in January, 1894, and the post-office was established the same year. Mr. Gill was born in Marshall county, on March 23, 1861, and with his parents came to Leatherbarke in November, 1879. On August 5, 1883, he was married to Miss Florence L. Beall, and six children are the result of this union; Eva M. is the wife of C. A. Daily, of Hardman chapel; Leslie A. is married, also; Miss Lulu lies in the churchyard at Hardman chapel; Page 302 And John A., Bernie W., and Irene E. are at home. Mr. Gill was a soldier of the Spanish-American war. The Gills have been leading citizens of this community for more than thirty years, they having come here from Marshall county. The late Andrew and Mrs. Anna Birch Gill were the heads of this family which consisted of the following named members, besides John L. Gill; Bruce, William, the late James and George, the late Mrs. Irene (Frank) Bush, Ms. C. F. Zickafoose, Mrs. Josephine (M. R.) Osbourne, are all of this part county; Mrs. George Hildreth, of Cairo; Mrs. Agnes Rule, of Ohio; Mrs. Susana Furguson, Gilmer county; Mrs. Lizzie Dobbins, Marshall county, and Miss Dora, who lies in the quiet churchyard with her parents. The Iris post-office is perhaps eight or ten years younger than the one at Eva, and Robert Stuart was the first post-master here. Leatherbarke is famous for its numerous stores, and oil developments are in progress on its head waters. Chapter XXI Indian Creek Settled Transcribed by Janet Waite. Page 303 Indian Creek Settled Eli Watkins, John Ayres, and Thomas Stanley were the first pioneers on this creek, they having found homes near the mouth, as early as 1810; and John Starr, (before mentioned,) was the first settler on its head waters, near the same time. Of Watkins' history, we know nothing, except that he was the son-in-law of Thomas Stanley and the brother-in-law of John Ayres. Mr. Ayres came from Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1810, and built his cabin near the present site of the Phillips' school house, on the farm that is now the home of S. C. Phillips. He enjoyed the distinction of being the first school teacher in the Hughes river valley, and his history will appear more at length with the schools. Thomas Stanley made his settlement on the C. M. V. Phillips' homestead - adjoining Mr. Ayres. He was a native of "Old Erin," but came here from Virginia - the time of his coming being variously stated from 1810 to 1830 - and remained until he was laid on the hillside, in 1860. He was the father of John Stanley, who married Ellen Ayres, daughter of John Ayres, and resided on the old homestead until he, too, found a resting place upon the hillside; then his brother, James resided here until the farm became the property of D. M. V. Phillips, late in the sixties or early in the seventies. The other sons were: William, who was killed at Beverly on July 4, 1863, while serving as a Union soldier; Adam and Thomas, died in Wood county; and Mrs. Margaret Taylor, and Mrs. Bridget Parks, in Roane county; and Mrs. Mary (Eli) Watkins, in this county. These children Page 304 have all passed on, but among the grandchildren are, Joseph Stanley, Petroleum, the oldest living descendant; Daniel, and William Stanley, Mrs. Phebe Lewis, and Mrs. Mary Jenkins, of Mellin. John and Flavius Stanley, of Slab and Indian creek, respectively, are great-grand sons. The Stanleys were Indian fighters and were honest, industrious pioneers. Daniel Ayres, son of John and father of "Dick" Ayres, of Island run, made the first improvement on the farm that is now the property of the late Asa Flesher's heirs, near Mahone. He first married a Miss Brown, of Virginia, and had one daughter, Lizzie, who became the wife of Charles Ayres, and went to Indiana; and two sons, Charles and Jeremiah, who also went West. His second wife was Miss Tabitha Tingler, daughter of Henry Tingler, and their children were, "Dick", Jackson, and Mack Ayres, Mrs. Sarah (Daniel) Stanley, Mrs. India Pollock, and Mrs. Mary Rinehart Wiant Kennedy of Smithville. Mr. Ayres died on his home farm and there his ashes lie. Jacob Wolfe was the first to find a home on Plum run, in this section, which is now a noted oil center. He was born in Northern Germany, on January 10, 1816, and there learned the blacksmith's trade; and when he was still but a lad, he crossed to America, and followed this trade. In 1855, he was married to Miss Margaret Weinreich, daughter of Christopher Weinreich, and sister of the late Lewis, of Mahone, who was also born in the Fatherland, but who, with her father and brothers came to Eaton, in Wood county, in her early womanhood, where her father soon passed away, and where he sleeps. Her mother sleeps across the sea in the homeland. The marriage took place at Wheeling, and in Barbour county they resided until 1857, when they came to this county, and settled on the homestead that is now occupied by their son, L. P. Wolfe; and in this vicinity they still survive, though the weight of ninety-three years is upon Mr. Wolfe. Their children are as follows: L. P., Charles, and John Wolfe, and Mrs. A. A. Scott, all of Mahone; Mary married L. B. Scott, who recently removed from Mahone to Clarksburg, and after her death, her sister, Amelia, became the wife of Page 305 L.B. Scott; Lena was the late Mrs. N. D. Bailey, of Hardman chapel; Margaret first married Silas Smith, and after his death, L. H. Carder, of Iris; Miss Addie is now a physician, of Pittsburg. Jacob Sinnett made the first improvement where his grandson, Dr. C. W. Rexroad, now lives, and from here he passed to his eternal home. He was the son of Patrick, and his wife was Miss Elizabeth Rexroad, daughter of the late Henry Rexroad, of Harrisville. Side by side they slumber on the Charles Moyer farm, on Den run. Their children were: Henry R. Sinnett, of Missouri; Mrs. Phebe (Zebulon) Rexroad, and the late Mrs. Cambyses (Sarah) Lowther. James Drake was the pioneer on the farm that is now the home of the County infirm, he having come here some time between 1810, and '20. He was the son of the Rev. John Drake, and the son-in-law of Patrick Sinnett, his wife being Miss Elizabeth Sinnett. He was a veteran of the war of 1812, and his widow drew a pension of twelve dollars a month until her death in 1884, at the age of eighty-six years. Near 1825 or '30, James Drake built the first saw-mill on Indian creek - the site of this mill being near the Isaac Wilson residence. He and his wife were the parents of twelve children, five of whom reached the years of maturity: Mrs. Phebe (Wm.) Moats, Mrs. Katharine (Otha) Zickafoose, the late Mrs. Agnes (Jacob) Layfield; Wm. Drake, who married the daughter of Barcus Ayres, and went West; and Patrick, who married a Miss Keener, and was the father of the late Mrs. Ella Frey, of Harrisville; and of Charles Drake, oh Hardman chapel. The "County farm" was Mrs. Drake's third of her husband's estate and she sold it to the county for this purpose. John Sinnett was the first to mark the forest in the vicinity of Jackson's store. He erected his dwelling on the farm that is now the Dr. J. H. Snyder estate, at the foot of King Knob hill, near the year 1824. He was a son of Patrick Sinnett, and a native of Pendleton county, having been born on November 12, 1787. He married Miss Elizabeth R. Propst, of the same county, and they Page 306 settled on the Black Thorn creek for a few years after their marriage, before coming to Ritchie county. He erected the first and only powder-mill that was ever in this section, and engaged in the manufacture of powder for a few years - until the mill was carried away by a flood, and was never rebuilt. He went from here to Roane county, where he and his wife rest side by side. She having passed on in 1843, and he, in 1869. Their children were: Harmon, of Chevauxdefrise; Abel P., of Kanawha county; Henry, of this county; and Samuel, and Joseph (twins), of Roane county. Abel Sinnett succeeded his brother, John, on the Snyder farm, at the foot of king Knob hill, and there he continued to reside until he was laid in the Indian creek Baptist churchyard, in July, 1873. He was the owner of the first saw-mill in this section, the site of which is now marked by the Hammer hotel. He married Miss Elizabeth Stuart, and was the father of - Mrs. Belinda (Thomas) Hill, of Washburn; Mrs. Sarah J. (Lawson) Hall, of Auburn; the late Mrs. Elizabeth (W. T.) Moats, of Indian creek; Mrs. Margaret (Lewis) Hammer, Washburn; the late Mrs. Kathrine (James) Moats, Indian creek; and George W. Sinnett, Jackson county. John Webb. - Near the year 1841, John Webb came from Rockbridge county, Virginia, and became the pioneer of Den run, making his settlement on the farm that he occupied until his death, on July 13, 1875; and the one which is now the home of his granddaughter, Mrs. Sarah L. Simmons. Mr. Webb married Miss Elizabeth Isenhour, and was the father of eight children, who were all born in the "Old Dominion;" Henry, Phebe, and Michael married and remained there, and the other five came to this county with their parents - William, James, and Addison, remained here; Mary became the wife of Noah Boston, and went to Illinois; Lucinda, married Henry Fulwider, and went to Indiana. The older generation have now all passed on, but among the grandchildren that are still here are: Mrs. Washington Isner, Mrs. Mary Snyder, and Mrs. Simmons above mentioned, and Isaiah Webb, all of the Washburn Vicintiy. Page 307 The Webbs were the donors of the ground, and were among the chief builders, fo the Den run M. P. church, which bears their name, "Webb's chapel." And here they sleep, on the old homestead. Silas Pettit made the first improvement in the extreme head of the creek, where J. O. Nay now lives, near the year 1843. The place of his nativity was near Fairmont, in Marion county, and the date of his birth was January 27, 1821. His wife was Miss Kiziah Weaver, daughter of Joseph Weaver, and their family consisted of fourteen children. They removed from the Nay farm to the Big Bend, in Calhoun county, in 1850, and there remained until death claimed Mrs. Pettit some time in the nineties. Then in 1897, he was married to Mrs. Jane Williams, and with her spent his closing hours in Wirt county, in 1899, but he rests beside the wife of this youth at the Big Bend. His children were: The late Mrs. Arzana (D. M. V.) Philips, and the late Mrs. Clarissa (Albert) Johnson, both of Smithville; Mrs. Indiana (B. F.) Prince; Mellin: Mrs. Martha (A. I.) Rogers, Harrisville; Mrs. Amanda (Henry) Devees, Mingo, Ohio; Frances married Ephraim Bee, and after her death at Cambridge, Nebraska, he sister, Huldah, became the wife of Mr. Bee; Joseph Pettit is of Ohio; A. J., of Mellin; Aaron, and Benjamin, of Calhoun county; and Henrietta, Willie and Mary died in youth. Thomas Hoover was an early settler on Dog run, a small tributary of Indian creek. He came here from Pendleton county near 1844, and established his home on the head of the stream, where Peter Jones now lives, he having purchased this tract of woodland of Henry Rexroad. He later purchased adjoining tracts, until his territory numbered four hundred forty-five acres. He sold the original tract to Peter Simmons, early in the fifties, and the other tracts, to later settlers from Pendleton county. He gave the grounds for the Spruce Grove M. E. church, deeding it to the trustees and their successors (William and Conrad Mullenax and William and Isaac Cokeley being the original trustees). Page 308 He afterwards patented two tracts of land on the waters of Devil Hole, Indian and Elm runs (696 acres in all), which is now owned by John Simmon's heirs, and the Layfields. He went from this county to Wood, and later to Missouri, where he died. He married Miss Frances Rexroad, sister of Zachariah Rexroad, and was the father of ten children: William, Michael, Daniel, Washington, Charles, Henry, Jacob, Jane, and Mary, who became Mrs. Samuel Sinnett, of Indian creek; Michael, Noah, Washington, and Henry were Union soldiers of the Civil war. Part of the family went West, and John, and Jefferson, of near Cokeley's, are the only families of this name in the county, that are descended from Thomas. They are the sons of William and Emily Cunningham Hoover. Grant and Herbert Hoover, who are well-known among the young teachers of the county, are the sons of Jefferson. Later Settlers.--In the forties and the early fifties quite a colony of substantial citizens came from Pendleton county and found homes on the waters of Indian creek, where their descendants still reside. This colony were all of German descent, and all spent the remainder of their lives there. Jacob Hammer.-- Among the first of these to arrive was Jacob Hammer, who settled where Miller I. Hill now lives, some time in the forties. He married Miss Phebe Moyer, sister of James Moyer, and on their old homestead, they sleep. Their children are as follows: Samuel, who died in the Andersonville prison during the war; and Lewis and George, of Washburn, who were also Union soldiers; Jacob died in childhood, and Leonard, in his young manhood; Mary married Peter Zickafoose, and went to Kansas; Sarah is the widow of T. Benton Rexroad, of Washburn; Mrs. Louisa Laird Friedley, and Mrs. Phebe (M.I. Hill), are of Spruce Grove. James Moyer and his wife, Mrs. Abigail Rexroad Moyer-daughter of Zachariah Rexroad- were the next arrivals in 1849. They settled on the farm that is now the estate of their late son, Charles, and here they sleep. Mrs. Kathrine (P.R.) Tharpe, of Harrisville, is the only survivor of the family; the sons, Charles, Edmond, and James, who died in childhood, all having passed on. Page 309 Peter Moyer and his wife, Mrs. Louisia Rexroad Moyer, found a permanent home on Den run, where Mr. Moyer still survives, though Mrs. Moyer has been sleeping on the old homestead for a number of years. He is a brother of the late James Moyer, and his family are: Lewis, Frank, Ellsworth, Grant, Charles, and Mrs. Mary (Samuel) Moats. Amos Jones was another member of the Pendleton colony. He married Miss Phebe Simmons, daughter of Peter, and settled where his son, Samuel, now lives, in 1854. Here he and his wife passed from earth, and on the Peter Moyer homestead they lie at rest. Their children: Peter M., and Samuel, Harrisville; Mrs. Katharine (Lee) Parker, Wood county; and Mrs. Delia -----, Ohio. Peter Simmons and Jacob Crummett, with their families arrived in 1854. Mr. Simmons bought an improvement of Thomas Hoover, and settled where Peter M. Jones now lives. He married Miss Sarah Moyer-- sister of James and Peter, and side by side they sleep on the Peter Moyer's homestead. Their children were---Mrs. Amos (Phebe) Jones; Mrs. Jacob Crummett, and Aaron Simmons, Den run; Mrs. Sydney Jordan, Macfarlan; the late Mrs. A.W. (Mary) Zickafoose, Harrisville; and the late Mrs. Sarah (A.W.) Zickafoose, and Abigail, who was drowned in childhood. Jacob Crummett purchased two hundred one acres of land at three dollars twenty-five cents an acre, and established his home on the farm that is now his estate, though unoccupied. His father, Jacob Crummett, senior, and his mother, Abigail Rexroad, were both of German lineage; and, in Pendleton county, he was born on March 19, 1826. He united with the Lutheran church in his boyhood, but was an adherent of the Methodist Episcopal church faith for the last forty-five years of his life, and was an exhorter in the church. On May 15, 1855, he was united in marriage with Miss Mahala Simmons, daughter of Peter Simmons, and three sons and one daughter were the result of this union; George F. Crummett and Mrs. Margaret (Levi) Moreton live near the Page 310 old home; Martin J., is of Huntington, and the Rev. S.P. Crummett, of Parkersburg. Mr. Crummett died on February 4, 1907, and was laid in the Fairview churchyard, on Devil Hole, and Mrs. Crummett lives with her daughter. Simon P. Crummett.-- The career of the Rev. Simon P. Crummett merits more than a passing notice, as he is now a distinguished pulpit orator of the Methodist Episcopal church. The Rev. Mr. Crummett was born on the old homestead, not far from Harrisville, on March 5, 1857, and began life for himself as a school- teacher in the rural districts of his native county, and continued in this profession for twelve years. A part of this time he filled the office of assessor-holding this office for eight years. In 1886, he entered the ministry, taking work as a supply; and joined the West Virginia conference, the following year. He served as pastor of the Volcano, Elizabeth, West Union, Belleville, Guyandotte, and Kingwood charges, and the Wesley chapel, at Wheeling, before being appointed as Presiding Elder of the Buckhannon district in 1899- a position which he filled for five years. He was then then transferred to the Presiding- eldership of the Parkersburg district, and has just completed his term of six years in this capacity under the changed names of "District Superintendent". (1910) On October 5, 1882, he was married to Miss Laura J. Douglass, daughter of the late John, and Mrs. Elizabeth Marsh Douglass, who was born near Cairo on August 2, 1861, and two sons, Aubrey and Paul, are the fruits of this union. Sampson Zickafoose was also identified among the settlers from Pendleton county, he having arrived here some time during the forties, and located just above the Den run church, where he died on March 20,1885, at the age of ninety-three years. His last resting place is marked in the Mt. Zion churchyard. He married a Miss Wade and they were the parents of the following named children: Otho, Peter, and Asbury Zickafoose, Mrs. Nimrod Kuykendall, Page 311 who went West; Mrs. Wm. T. Mitchell, Mrs. James Westfall, and Mrs. Phebe White. Dr. S.H. Zickafoose, of Harrisville, is a grandson of Mr Zickafoose, and all the other families of the name in the county are his descendants. An interesting Reminiscence. - A thrilling reminiscence of the "ante-bellum days," which comes into our possession through a gentleman who was known to the facts herein recorded, will doubtless add interest to this chapter: In the year 1856, on the left bank of the stream near one-half mile below the Phillips school-house, stood an old grist-mill of the pioneer order, which was designed solely for the purpose of manufacturing corn meal for the convenience of the citizens of this neighborhood; and under this same roof was an "up-and-down saw," which turned the timber into lumber for flooring purposes, etc., for the log houses. This old mill was probably built by Barcus Ayres, whose name has already found a place in this history, but, however, this may have been, while it was playing its part well in the affairs of the community, a man by the name of Sylvester Rush, of Pennsylvania, appeared upon the scene, and purchased this mill. He, being a man of considerable shrewdness and enterprise, soon decided that, from a financial standpoint, the manufacture of corn into liquid form would be far more profitable than that of meal, so he turned the peaceful old mill into a distillery, and it now became the favorite resort of "swine," both quadruped and "biped." The former growing fat upon the grain that remained after the alcohol had been extracted, and the latter, "guzzling the swill that was distilled through the 'worm,' all the while growing poorer and more like his four- footed companions." The price was low, and the proprietor of the establishment would gladly exchange his liquor for corn, wheat, or any of the commodities of the day, so that it was no difficult task for any one to obtain the desired quantity; and it was no uncommon sight to wee a weary, way-worn traveler with a sack of corn on his back, going toward the mill, and to see Page 312 him returning laden with jugs, bottles, coffee-post or tin-buckets of the "stuff." It did not seem to be an illicit business, either, as it was carried on openly without interference from the law, and it seemed to grow and to prosper until is was suddenly wiped out of existence by the power of an unseen "Hand." During the spring of 1858 or '59, Mr. Rush was joined by his brother, Samuel, who had recently returned from the "gold-fields" of California, and together, they were laying their plans for a more extensive manufacture of the "soul destroying stuff," when these plans were suddenly foiled, and their unholy work came to an ignominious end. It was during the month of April in one of these years, amidst a flood-tide in the creek, that Sylvester Rush,, being interested in some rafted timber that he wished to market at a certain point down the river, secured the services of Asa G. Dilworth as pilot, and with his brother, Samuel, set out with his raft. They proceeded without incident until they had reached the Little Kanawha river, when the raft became unmanageable, and though the three men worked frantically to bring it to shore for the night, their efforts were all in vain - they were carried into the Ohio river. A cold north wind was blowing and soon one of the brothers dropped down exhausted, and became so benumbed that he was unable to rise. The other brother went to his assistance, and not returning to his post of duty, Mr. Dilworth groped about in the darkness until he found them lying apparently asleep, but kneeling down so that he could examine them more closely, he found to his horror that both were dead. By this time, he, too was so benumbed with the cold that he was unable to rise from his knees, and there bending over the lifeless forms of his unfortunate companions, he fought with all his might against the stupor that threatened to render his body as pulseless as theirs, until the coming light, when he was just able to signal some one on shore, who came to his rescue at a timely moment. Dilworth, however, recovered sufficiently to accompany the remains of the Rushes back to their home, but he long Page 313 remembered the horror of that awful experience - perhaps, to life's last hour. Those unfortunate brothers were laid at rest in the Haught burying-ground, on this creek, but a few days after their interment, their father arrived from Pennsylvania, and carried their remains, with those of Sylvester Rush's children, back to their old home, and the bereaved family of Sylvester went along, and thus the Rushes, both dead and living, passed out of the history of this county. This was the death blow to the distillery business on this creek, and attempt was made a little later to revive the work, but without success, and the fixtures were hauled away, and our informant says that so far as he knows no other such an attempt has since been made within the bounds of the county. As this county has ever stood firm against licensing such "dens of iniquity." In incidents like this one can hardly fail to recognize the over-ruling power of an Omnipotent Hand. And how grateful we should be that a protecting power has frowned upon the licensing of this greatest curse of the human race in our midst through all these years; and let us hope that the historian of the next century can still hand this record down to generations yet unborn. We had scarcely been able to realize the blessing of the anti-license policy until, a short time since when beyond its influence, we were compelled to listen to the riotous voice of this evil under the sanction of law.