West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 63 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: John BAKER, Roane County [SSpradling@aol.com] #2 BIO: James Alfred BALL, Roane Coun [SSpradling@aol.com] #3 BIO: Major William BALL, Roane Cou [SSpradling@aol.com] #4 BIO: Edgar W. BARNES, Roane County [SSpradling@aol.com] #5 BIO: Dr. Thomas BARR, Roane County [SSpradling@aol.com] #6 BIO: Franklin E. BATES, Roane Coun [SSpradling@aol.com] #7 BIO: William J. BATTEN, Roane Coun [SSpradling@aol.com] #8 BIO: Rev. Neville Craig BECKLEY, R [SSpradling@aol.com] #9 BIO: Hedgman BELT, Roane County [SSpradling@aol.com] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from WV-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to WV-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. To contact the WV-FOOTSTEPS-D list administrator, send mail to WV-FOOTSTEPS-admin@rootsweb.com. ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 22:33:48 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: John BAKER, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 439-441 BAKER: Of Reedy, Spencer, Jackson County. The first person of this family name to pioneer in these parts was John Baker, who came to the lower Reedy Creek about four miles below "Three Forks" in the early part of the decade, 1840's, having with him his wife, whom he had married in Randolph County, western Virginia, to whom was born at Horseshoe Bend in Randolph County, Elijah, of whom we can authoritatively say further, as follows: Elijah Baker was born October 4, 1815, at Horseshoe Bend, Randolph County, Virginia; married Miss Nancy Wolfe. Elijah dealt in real estate; bought, moved on, and sold and moved off; thus he and Nancy had first homes at divers places on Reedy, Mill Creek and lastly on Big Sand Creek, flowing into the Ohio at Ravenswood. While living on Reedy two miles above "Three Forks" their son, Dallas Monroe, was born September 19, 1846; sometime after this Elijah and family moved over on Big Sand Creek, above mentioned, settling on a large tract of land, near the halfway between Ravenswood and "Three Forks of Reedy" through which lands ran the Ravenswood and Spencer turnpike, skirting a wide flat knoll on which he built the family residence, having a cross-roads store on the opposite side of the pike. Here for several years his was the best farm between Reedy and Ravenswood, until younger men, the Dawkins and Hutchinsons outstripped him. During the Civil War Elijah Baker counseled all to keep in the paths of honor and chivalry, whether an enlisted soldier or guerrilla, Union or Secesh, and risked his life in that service as often perhaps as any who bore arms at the front. A service he performed in that line for the mother of the author of this book, her name Sarah (Roach) Bishop, of her we write here, as an instance of the war-times service of Elijah Baker; a kind we only read of in stories of times "When Knighthood was in Flower;" this is it in part: It was near the close of that internecine war, late in the year 1864; the strife in Roane County waxed to such heights that reprisals and avengements were being resorted to; the Confederate armies in Virginia were Aif~~ire need of the very necessaries of life. Every soidier on furlough or "A. W. 0. L." from that naked and hungry army came with letters for the folks at home, and braving all vigilance of Union scouts and home guards with which the county at that time was well covered, made his way, usually at night, to the home of the parents of his comrade at the moment yonder in Virginia or faraway South. gazing on the pitiless stars and praying that "mother will receive and feed my distressed and hungry comrade." Orders from Union authorities had been given to home-guards to destroy all residences in which aid and comfort was habitually given "Rebels." A few farm houses had been destroyed under that order. The farm home of Delilah Roach was designated next; she being a widow, of whose family three sons were obnoxious, one, Jesse, with Lee's army, two others at home, garrulous and vindictive; receiving and feeding con-t~nually "skulking Rebels;" a term of imprisonment in Camp Chase had not cured nor detered. That home was the house in which mother was born, her only home, her husband, John Bishop, at the time trudging in the ranks on the Potomac, a volunteer of the Union army. It must not be done! It shall not be done, said Sarah (Roach) Bishop, '5 she waited at the boat landing at Longbottom, for the next packet for Ravenswood. At Ravenswood, some friends carried us-I was then approaching five years old and with mother-out to William Flesher's, then the owner of the big water mill at what is now Silverton. The next morning we were taken into Elijah Baker's wagon and carried to his home,-half the distance of the whole journey,~ared for there until the next morning, when Elijah again brought out his wagon and carried us to Reedy, delivering us there into the care of old William Stewart, a kindred spirit in war philosophy. From Three Forks two miles further, and we were at grandma's. The family home was saved. But there was tragedy. (See paragraph in the Chapter, "The County In the Civil War.") A further word and the reader wUl more fuUy appreciate how un-usually chivalrous was the service of Elijah Baker. Something of what others were doing: Just a day or so before we arrived at William Flesher's, a child had been killed while playing on the little veranda of a house near Flesher's, by a shot fired from the top of a nearby hill; "mistook the child for the dog," was the opinion of some. Only a few days before, a shot from the woods of a near hillside on Elijah's own farm sped so close him, under such circumstances, that the action of the shooter bore no other interpretation that that murder was intended. Elijah was a large man, broad and erect with a large beard and pink cheeks; deep, low pitehed, strong voice and serene countenance; his beard was full, heavy and gray, when I last saw him, which was about the year 1884. Elijah and Nancy (Wolfe) Baker reared only one son; his name, Dallas Monroe Baker, born on Reedy, September 19, 1846; married Mary E. Johnson, near Sandyville in Jackson County, West Virginia. Mary E. was daughter of John Johnson, born in Ramsy Parish, Essex County, England, December 14, 1814, and came by way of Canada to New York, stopping for awhile at Chestrfield in that State; there he married Miss Barbara Carr, born at that place. John and Barbara, his wife, with Mary E., came to Sandyville, Jackson County, in the vear 1854 or 1855. To Dallas Monroe Baker (and wife, Mary E.) were born and by them brought up the following named children: First, John Maurice Baker, Esq., November 22, 1872; married Jessie Riley of Jackson County, West Virginia, September 19, 1899; com-menced married life in that county and served one term (4 years) as proseeuting attorney of Jackson County, then moved to Spencer (see Chapter, this book, "City of Spencer"). To John M. and Jessie, his wife, were horn and by them brought up one son and one daughter; their names, Clay Baker and Mary Baker. Both have married and gone forth. Second, child of D. M. and Mary E. Baker, is Della, who married Captain Lee Knotts, in Jackson County, West Virginia. He was raised to his captaincy in the World War, 1917-1918, and is at this date abroad in the military service of the United States. Third, child of D. M. and Mary E. Baker, married Mr. Robert LeBlanc. Fourth, Mary G., married Reverend H. A. Spencer. Fifth, James Elijah, married Anita, daughter of Doctor W. L. Craig. Sixth, Ida B., married Anderson Johnson. Seventh, Charles Edgar Baker, born at Sandyville, Jackson County, West Virginia, November 20th, 1886; married Ninera, daughter of Daniel and (Riley) Dawkins of Jackson County, West Virginia. Charles Edgar was elected sheriff of Jackson County, 1924, for the term commencing next following, and is now, 1926, serving his county as its sheriff. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 22:42:56 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <0.867b16cc.2526cb30@aol.com> Subject: BIO: James Alfred BALL, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 441-442 BALL: Of Curtis District. James Alfred and Elizabeth (Elliott) Ball, he, born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1837; she, in the same state and county, June 1, 1835, came from there to Curtis District, year 1874, purchased lands on the Spencer and Ripley turnpike where it crosses the divide between Reedy and Mill Creeks. With J. Alfred and Eliza-beth came their three sons: Elroy S., Orville P., and Hudson 0., the last of whom died in 1878. This family soon made a good farm and entered into the citizenship of the district and county. J. Alfred was most active in Curtis and Reedy Districts, serving one term as a constable of Curtis District; and did his part as a promoter of interest in churches and schools. Elroy S. Ball, son of J. Alfred and Elizabeth above mentioned, was born in East Finley Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, October 24, 1863; married Fannie, daughter of George Argabrite of this district and have a large family; taught school in his younger days; has been elected and served five terms as a justice of the peace of Curtis District, and owns and lives on the old "home place." Orville P. Ball, son of J. Alfred and Elizabeth, was born in Washing-ton County, Pennsylvania, September 4, 1870, married Anna Fouty-a neighbor girl-they have three daughters and one son. Russell Ball, born in Curtis District, May 16, 1905, is now linotype man in the work of the Times Record, a newspaper of City of Spencer Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 22:48:55 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Major William BALL, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 442 BALL: Of Left Fork of Reedy. About the year 1873, the two brothers, Major William Ball and Samuel Benton Ball came to Reedy. Major was tall, finely proportioned; S. B., inclined to the shorter and more rugged; both blonds of the brown hair and beard. They were born in Gilmer County, West Virginia, sons of Robert and Lucretia (Martina) Ball, descendants of colonial families of those names, early settlers in the Monongahela Valley. William, the elder, served with Lee's armies in Virginia during the Civil War, when he was advanced to the rank of major; hence "Major Ball." These brothers engaged in the timber business on the Little Kanawha and its tributaries. Their business brought them to Reedy, where Major William united in marriage with a Miss Sallie Conrad. He became owner of the better part of the Mordecai Thomasson-Ben Riddle farm on Left Reedy; was prominent for fifteen years, 1875 to 1890; no children were born to Major Ball and his wife. Samuel Benton Ball, son of Robert and Lucretia, his wife, married twice; first, on April 17, 1873, to Miss Victoria Armstrong, daughter of Lenox Armstrong of Jackson County, West Virginia, one time sheriff when Reedy was part of Jackson County. Acquired a large farm on Left Reedy, his home; was elected and served one term as member of the County Court of Roane. To S. B. and Victoria (Armstrong), his wife), were born in Roane County, two daughters and one son. Their names in order of their respective ages are: Minnie, Frank Lenox and Ida. Minnie is the expert court stenographer in Spencer; Frank L. married Miss Blanche Tailman, 6th April, 1910; his age 30, hers 24. She was a daughter of Samuel and Rosa (Seaman) Tailman of Right Reedy. Ida united in marriage with Holly H. Burke-neighbor-29th July, 1905; her age 21; his age 24. They live at Parkersburg. Victoria, the first wife of Samuel Benton Ball having died, he united in marriage with Miss Myrtle Armstrong, on 4th day of October, 1888; his age 47, her age 30. She was a sister of the first wife. The farm at this time comprised nearly four hundred acres, well furnished home and much live stock. He died in the year 1908. The family yet holds the farm. Of the marriage of S. Benton and Myrtle (Armstrong) Ball, were born and became citizens, four children whose names respectively, are Beulah A., Brooks, Eugene and Nina. Beulah A. and Brooks are still single; Nina married Mr. Paul Lukens, born in Pendleten County, West Virginia, and Eugene was killed in service in France in the World War. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 22:51:49 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <0.8d30614e.2526cd45@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Edgar W. BARNES, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 443 BARNES: Edgar W. Barnes was born in Harrison County, Western Virginia, October 3, 1833, the son of John and Frances (Vincent) Barnes, Virginians by birth. Edgar W. Barnes, now an M. D. and a graduate of one of the Eastern schools of medicine and surgery, came to Roane County about the year 1856 or 1857, for it is observed that on May 28, 1857, he and Eleanor, daughter of Josiah and Elizabeth Hughes, were wedded. She was born in Marion County, Western Virginia, April 8, 1838. Two young people these were. He twenty-four and she nineteen. Dr. Edgar W. Barnes so far as we can learn was the first regular practitioner of medicine to locate in Harper District. He enlisted and served through the Civil War as a Confederate soldier. In the year 1880, in an interview, he mentioned with some pride his farm on which be resided and from which he attended to the duties of his profession. He and Eleanor raised only the child; Leslie D., born January 1, 1862; Married M. Starcher June 11, 1883. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 22:58:41 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <3be08a50.2526cee1@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Dr. Thomas BARR, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 443 BARR: Dr. Thomas Barr, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (O'Connor) Barr; the father, Thomas, was born in Edinburg, Scotland; the mother, in Dublin, Ireland. Both died in Lynchburg, Virginia, he in 1851, she 1853, Thomas, Jr., subject of this sketch, being nine years old wheri his mother died. Dr. Thomas Barr was born in Amherst County, Virginia, March 15, 1844; he does not tell how or where he grew up in his biography dictated to Hardesty's about the year 1883. Enlisted in the Confederate army, 1862, Co. K, 14th Va. cavalry; as served, he was only twenty years old when he enlisted. As the Vir-ginia cavalry furnished its own mounts, he must have been a young man of promise. He served through this war, coming out unscathed. In Greenbrier County, August 22, 1866, he married Allie F., daughter of John and Mary (Hyde) Kincaid; three years later they arrived in Roane County, their first born with them; they made their first home at Peniel on upper Reedy; from which point the doctor went out plying his profession, soon gaining a good reputation as an efficient and kindly physician. He makes no mention in his biography where or when he obtained his medical knowledge; he was liked and succeeded. After a few years at Peniel he moved his family to Reedy where he lived for some years in the neatest and best kept residence of the village, the leading physician for nearly ten years. About the year 1884, the family moved to the State of Colorado. To Dr. Thomas Barr and Allie F. (Kincaid), his wife, were born in years prior to their departure for Colorado the following children: Harry W., September 14, 1868; Charles C., February 4, 1870; Otey H., December 11, 1872; Willy G., October 24, 1877; Walter B., August 21, 1880; Emma G., December 21, 1882. Though there is not one of this estimable man's family in this State, and maybe not one will ever see this, oblivion shall not claim them. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 23:01:53 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Franklin E. BATES, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 444 BATES: Franklin E. and Elizabeth (Kesler) Bates, his wife, came from Fayette County, West Virginia, about the year 1857, and settled on a tract of forest land on lower Reedy not far from "Three Forks" in. the same year. He was. a veteran of the War of 1812; enlisted and met his death in the Civil War. They had some sons and daughters, the first two or three of whom were born in Fayette County, Western Virginia. A daughter, Margaret A., married Jacob M. Leasher, Decem-ber 6, 1867. A son, John H. Bates, married Miss Fluvana McClung in Roane County, March 4, 1872; she a daughter of Mortimor M. MeClung and wife, of near Reedy. A daughter Fannie married and made her home "back in Fayette County." The children of Margaret A. and Jacob M. Leasher were several sons and daughters; of these are remembered Ceorge, Roland and Cyrus. There were some daughters, but we fail to get their names. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 23:04:02 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: William J. BATTEN, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 444 BATTEN: First of Spring Creek. The first of this family name "Batten," was William J. Batten, his wife, nine sons and one daughter came from Hackers Creek, Lewis County, West Virginia, and settled first on what is now the high school grounds. William J. Batten was a blacksmith or day laborer. His wife who came here with him died, and soon afterward he married Catherine Runnion, March 12, 1857. Of this marriage were born six sons and five daughters; of the above twenty-one Battens we have much general, but little sufficiently specific information to write here. All married and settled in Roane County. The son of the family best known in the Town of Spencer, was William H. Batten who married Rachel Harper, daughter of Henderson Harper of Poca. These were the parents of a William, Jr.; Joseph; Pery; Lee, and Louis, the youngest. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #8 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 23:09:03 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Rev. Neville Craig BECKLEY, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 444-446 BECKLEY: The first of this family name residents of Roane County were the Rev. Neville Craig Beckley, his wife, who before marriage was Miss Elizabeth Lore of Raleigh County, and their three children, Alfred C., Emma J. and Robert H. The family arrived here from Fayette County, in the year 1874, the Rev. Neville C. having been sent here by the Methodist Episcopal Conference to take charge of the work here in Roane. The Methodist Episcopal's strongest locality at that date was upper Middle Fork of Reedy in Curtis District. Here Reverend Beckley located his family and made their home, from which he went out in the surrounding country and preached his regilious faith and for years urged on communities the value of Christian religion; during which time he laid the foundation for a strong church in the county, the full fruition of which occurred under his successor, the Rev. C. H. Lakin, who saw an increase in. church buildings from one, that at Reedy, known as "Fleshers Chapel," to a dozen or more scattered about the county, including one in the Town of Spencer. Reverend Neville C. Beckley died at Charleston, where he was taken suddenly ill while on his way to a new appointment in Fayette County. The history of the Beckley family is an illustrious one; a National history of no small import, and of the State of West Virginia none more important. Lewis' History of West Virginia devotes a little more than four pages to General Alfred Beckley, founder of Raleigh County, the county seat of which is "Beckley," that perpetuates his name. He was the father of Neville Beckley, our citizen preacher above mentioned. We have room here for only an outline of the history of the Beckley family, and we reduce that outline to the following facts: The first of the name gaining public notice was a John Beckley, clerk of the national House of Representatives during the presidency of Washington, the elder Adams and Thomas Jefferson; Mayor of the City of Richmond, 1783; member of the Board of Aldermen; Secretary of the Virginia Constitutional Convention, 1788, and the first Librarian of Congress: died April 8, 1807. Of the family John Beckley left, we will write here of one only, General Alfred Beckley. He was born on Capitol Hill, City of Washington, 26th of May, 1802; and, as observed, was a fatherless child at five years of age. He says, "My mother removed to the City of Philadelphia with myself, a boy of five, her only child; she lived in Philadelphia till some time in May, 1814." "While in Philadelphia I was sent to several schools of repute." "We removed to Frankfort, Kentucky, in May, 1814." "In 1819, Mr. Monroe, then president, and a warm friend of my father, on application of my mother, through Gen. William Henry Harrison, gave me the warrant of cadet of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N. Y." "On General Harrison's invitation I became an inmate in his family at North Bend for six months, availing myself of the instruction of General Harrison's private instructor to his children." "I graduated on the 1st day of July, 1823, number nine in a class of thirty-five." * * * "I served thirteen years honorably in the United States army; two years of which was in Florida, 1824-1826." This was in the Seminole War; six years arsenal duty near Pittsburgh; two years at Fort Hamilton Narrows, N. Y In the year 1836, General Alfred Beckley married Miss Amelia Neville Craig, daughted of Neville Craig, Esq., editor of the Pittsburgh Gazette, and at once resigned his commission as an officer of the army. After this marriage and resignation he set out with his wife and mother for Fayette County, Western Virginia, for the purpose, as he says, "To improve a body of unsettled stony lands for my widowed mother and myself lying in the southern part of Fayette (now Raleigh) County." (There were several hundred thousand acres of this land, we are told.) In the volume "History of Fayette County," by Peters & Garden, 1926, the value of this Beckley land is mentioned on page 546. "Sold for $3,000; now worth $150,000." "In 1849, the General Assembly of Virginia, elected me as Brigadier General of Militia, creating for me a new district." When the Civil War broke out General Beckley was ordered out, and had to go, as we must surmise, against his sentiments, for he later re-signed his commission and General Floyd disbanded the Virginia militia. General Beckley became a prisoner with the other citizens of Raleigh Court House when Colonel Hays took the place in 1862. General Beckley was paroled. The son, Neville, subject of this sketch, enlisted and served in the Union army. To General Alfred Beckley and Amelia Neville (Craig), his wife, were born several children there in Raleigh, the new county formed by his enterprise, in the year 1850; its county seat, "Beckley." The names of these children were: John Isaac, William, Henry, Alfred, Jr., and Neville Craig, the Reverend Nevil C., who became the citizen preacher of Roane. The old General after the death of Amelia N. C., married a second wife whose name we do not have, and of this marriage were born: Webster, Stewart and Mariah. Of the children of the Rev. Neville C. Beckley we should here say: Alfred Craig married Leona A. Sleeth, of Middle Reedy, 14th August, 1877, "of age." We do not have the record of the miarriage of Emma J. Robert Henry married Mary Wine, daughter of Richard Wine of Spencer, April 4, 1881, "consent of parents." Robert H. and Mary, his wife, made their life's home here in Spencer. For many years he plied the trade of house and sign painter; of later years he has kept a store of general supplies for such work, including paintings, pictures, wallpaper, etc. To Robert H. and Mary (Wine), his wife, were born: J. Walter, James, Melissa, Neville, William B. and Howard. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #9 Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 23:11:44 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <1cb5f4d3.2526d1f0@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Hedgman BELT, Roane County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 446-447 BELT: Of Upper Spring Creek. In a "History of Our Western Border" by Lucius C. McWhorter, which deals mainly with the early settlements of Marrison County, it is stated that the "Belts" of the pioneer people were descendants of a certain Captain "Broadbelt" of the Revolution, and one branch of these descendants dropped the first syllable and called themselves just plain "Belt," and another branch of the family tree used the name in the form, "Bent,' 'and in those names conveyed lands, married and signed papers. Hedgmon Belt and his wife Sarah Ann (Nichols) Belt were the first of the name to settle in Roane County, and came here from Lewis County, Western Virginia, where Hedgman was born, March 16, 1833, son of Delana and Hester (Golden) Belt, natives of Fauquier County, Virginia, who settled in the Monongahela Valley, Delana having served in the War of 1812. Sarah Ann, the wife of Hedgmon, was born in Lewis County, Western Virginia, May 16, 1833, married Hedgmon there January 15, 1856. She was a daughter of John and Nancy (Bailey) Nichols, born in Harrison County (the part later Lewis County) ; the former, 1807; the latter, 1812. Both the Belts and Nieholas were in Roane as early as 1865. The Belts made their home farm on head of Charles Fork, Spring Creek. To Hedgmon and Sarah Ann (Nichols), his wife, were born and by them reared the following named children. Challenge F., born 1856, married Miss Gay Arnold; D. Scott, 1860; John Christoy, 1862; Sheridan P., 1866; Emma A., 1867, married John C. Tuttle; Jacob M., born 1870; Henry W., 1872; Della A., 1874; Hedgman David, September 30, 1876; and Cammie, 1878. Cammie married Rossel Garrett Thompson, son of F. Marrion Thompson of upper Spring Creek, 24th April, 1900; her age, 21; his, 24. Hedgman D., of above, married Miss Blanche Eva Hinzman, March 1, 1905. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm