WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 206 Today's Topics: #1 Fw: Asa Harman, Dr. Teter ["Koren Fae Rawlings" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <001401c0030f$b0147f60$ae264dc6@default> Subject: Fw: Asa Harman, Dr. Teter Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I sent this information to Mr. Davis, who requested information on Asa Harman, and some other families of Pendleton and Randolph Counties. As an afterthought, I am sending to the list incase anyone else is interested. If you are interested let me know, and I will write more from Carrie's book. -----Original Message----- From: Koren Fae Rawlings To: Scott Davis Date: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 11:36 PM Subject: Re: Asa Harman, Dr. Teter > >Dear Scott, > >Here is some information from a book written by Carrie Harman Roy, >"Captain Snyder and his Twelve of WVa". It will give you an idea of >the land our ancestors loved so much and settled. > >Unit One: This is West Virginia on the Dry Fork - Author's Note > >I am a country girl, and grew up among the beautiful Appalachian >Mountains of WVa. The mountains have been my home; they have >sheltered us in the valley of the Dry Fork from many storms. The >mounatins have barred some of the high winds from crossing them and >doing damage in the valley. They have provided us with water on the >hot summer days, and with ice in the winter. I have found that God is >much closer to me among the mountains than in other places. I can >feel His presence and protection very near when on top of the highest >peak. > >"Once upon a time" is the beginning of many stories which are written >for children. My story will have the same beginning, only with a >slight difference. It will be as real and true as only I can make it >from the many adventures I have had, and from the stories and legends >told to me by my parents, grandparents, relatives, and natives of this >vicinity. > >The time element will go back to the 1800's. These were the years of >the migration into this area from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and NY. >This book will encompass stories of the Snyders mostly, but in telling >about them I will have to include others who are so closely connected. > >My mother was one of Captain Snyder's twelve. Consequently, I have >some first-hand knowledge of some of the stories about this great >family. > >There have been some histories written about Randolph County, but none >have been written of this area telling some of the stories about it. >There have been stories...yes, some good and some not so good, some >hair-raising incidents, lynchings, hangings, and murders, just as in >other places. I dislike to think or even remember the bad things, and >I will refrain from doing so. > >These were the days of the early settlements, and of the hardships >they had to withstand when they first moved into this wooded area. As >in the early days of the American development, houses had to be built, >roads had to be blazed, and many things entered into the life and >demands of rearing a family in the wilderness of what is now WVa. > >Exciting! Yes, there were many exciting events. There was war in >which Grandfather Snyder became involved to a great extent. His >experiences were many and dangerous, but he managed to survive. > >Would you like to read about the first jail? Logs floating down the >Dry Fork? The first sawmills, schools, churches, hotels, telephones, >etc? We did not have a Matt Dillion or a Miss Kitty, or a Doc Adams, >but I could cite you some very similar people who lived here. The >time elements begins around the early 1800"s and that was just the >beginning of the migration period. > >The TOWN of HARMAN, WVa, is situated near the junction of the Dry Fork >River and Horse Camp Run. For many years a quiet country village, >with the edvent of the railroad [Central WVa & Southern] which ran >from Hendricks to Horton, WVa, the town began to grow and many people >moved in. > >The two main families at the beginning of this little community were >the Harmans and the Snyders. Rev. Asa Harman owned most of the land >on the east side of the river and Sampson Snyder owned most of the >land on the west side. > >Reverend Asa Harman (1834-1902), the son of Solomon Harman, was a >traveling German Baptist preacher. He went from place to place and >would hold services wherever he could. There were no churches at >first, but he would visit in the homes and have services there. There >the Harman Church of the Brethren was organized by him in 1859, in the >home of Mrs. Jonas Cooper. Her husband had been killed in the war. > >When the town of Harman came into being, there was much discussion as >to what to name it. Reverend Asa Harman had donated 170 acres of land >for the town and it was felt that it should be named after him, and it >was. > >Reverend As Harman, due to a financial need, began to sell off parts >of his vast domain. The Coopers bought a goodly portion and soon many >people owned parts of it. > >Reverend Asa Harman married into the Cooper family. First, he married >Elizabeth Cooper and to them were born two boys, Henry Clay Harman and >Job Harman. After Elizabeth's death, he married her sister Barbara >because Elizabeth requested it. ***************************************************************** > > >{There the story goes on to talk about the Snyder family} My husband >is in the direct line of Jonas Cooper and John Snyder [father of >Sampson Snyder]. If you would like more information on the area, let >me know. > >>> > >>> >Rev. Koren Fae Rawlings >>> >304-358-3261 >>> >Pendleton Co, WVa Historical Preservation Association >>> >pendhist@access.mountain.net >>> >P.O. Box 887 >>> >Franklin, WV 26807-0887 >>> > >>> >>> >> >> > ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 17:10:59 -0400 From: "Koren Fae Rawlings" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <001501c0030f$b2f57f40$ae264dc6@default> Subject: Captain Snyder and His 12 of WVa, by Carrie Harman Roy Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit RELICS AND CUSTOMS THAT HAVE PASSED BY, page 24 On the Dry Fork and found still a few things to prove that they were once used and found important in days long gone by: the mowing machine, the reaper, the scythe and the cradle; the repeating rifle and the muzzle loader of long ago; the bridle path, the log school house like that in which Ichabod Crane lifted the urchins over the tall words with a hickory, and the neat, scientific frame or brick structures. In most things they were not so good. The painted and ventilated house is better than the cabins of the grandfathers, because they are more comfortable; the iron bridge is better than the old wooden structure because it is stronger; the mowing machine and the reaper require less labor than the scythe and the cradle, and are therefore preferred. To appreciate modern things, we should cultivate our acquaintance with and keep warm our veneration for what is past. The better the historian, the better the patriot. From a thousand channels the past enriches the present; and to appreciate the present and prepare for the future, we must trace back to their sources the streams which come to us from the years gone by. It is with the greatest of appreciation for the ancestry of our Randolph County that I am including in this book some of the past living conditions, as well as the many hardships the stories of such life to the growing generations who would follow in their footsteps. One cannot appreciate the good things of today unless one knows of some of the hardships of former times. It is something that the younger generations are losing since so many forget and fail to pass on to their children. **************************************** SENECA ROCKS, page 23 One of the mist interesting natural wonders east of the Mississippi River is the Seneca Rocks, found in Pendleton County, West Virginia, twelve miles east of Harman. They are located on the north fork of the south branch of the Potomac River, near the town of Mouth of Seneca. They rise more than 900 feet above sea level. The stones are of many colors and stand as if on edge, which makes them look like the ruins of some medieval castle. No prettier sight, when the afternoon sun shines directly on them, can be seen anywhere. History tells us that the Indians camped for many years behind these rocks for protection from the storms and where there was plenty of wild game for the killing. In this same area of Pendleton County are several caverns, one of which is Seneca Caverns. In it there are several miles of halls which are well lighted with electricity. The most interesting features are the "ballroom", "Niagara Falls'" and of course the "Princess Snowbird," which looks like the head of a yourn Indian girl. From these legends, the song "Princess Snowbird" was written, a beautiful Indian love story, which brings to memory the great song "Indian Love Call" that has been sung and olayed for years, and one that is loved by so many. West Virginia has many such places of interest that one can visit and see when touring this wonderful state. ************************************** Rev. Koren Fae Rawlings 304-358-3261 Pendleton Co, WVa Historical Preservation Association pendhist@access.mountain.net ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 07:18:20 EDT From: SGANA@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: Mt. Olivet Church Centennial Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church was dedicated in 1900 on Lantz Ridge in Preston County, WV. We will be celebrating its centennial on Sunday, August 27th. There will be a picnic on the church grounds at 1:00 p.m. followed by a homecoming service at 3:00 p.m. Please come and join the celebration. Mt. Olivet Church H. C. 82, Box 29D Aurora, WV 26705