WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 01 : Issue 27 Today's Topics: #1 Local History, Pleasant District, ["Betty Ralph" ] ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 08:33:02 -0400 From: "Betty Ralph" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010609083254.01bce250@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: Local History, Pleasant District, Preston County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Local History, Pleasant District, Preston County, WV, from "History of Preston County" by S.T. Wiley, published Kingwood, West Virginia, 1882. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Betty Ralph bralph@hiwaay.net ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** Early Settlements. - The settlement centers passing today from east to west, are Nicola's or Mill Run, Chidester's, Morgan's Glade, Conner's, Sugar Valley, Beach Run and Harmony Grove. It is a sheer impossibility to give a full and complete account of the early settlements. In early days there were no private records or common place books kept. The young man did not have a diary. He dug into the work, and made his mark on the rail-cut. The graveyards give but a very imperfect list of names. Many were never honored with the rude entablature of rock, and on the rough moss-covered stone slab the names of others can scarcely be deciphered. Jacob Wolfe settled as early as 1785 on the farm now owned by Ezekiel Feather, about one mile from Willey. After the murder of the Green family by Indians, he moved to Wheeling, and remaining about five years, came back and bought of David Morgan the farm now owned by the Metzlers. Jacob Wolfe had neighbors by the names of Isaac Barb, James Webster, Augustine Wolfe and Reuben Askins. His children were Jacob, John, George and Lewis, Sallie, Margaret, Eliza and Susan. Lewis Wolfe, now 81 years of age, makes his home with his son Josiah in Maryland. He was a successful hunter, and on one occasion, kneeling on the ground, shot three bucks without changing his position. Lewis's children living in Preston County are Eugenus, near Pleasant Hill, David and Mrs. Jefferson Cuppett, near Cranesville, all of Portland District. A century ago five brothers by the name of Jenkins came to America from Wales. John Jenkins, the eldest of the five brothers, died in Preston. His son Jonathan was the father of Rolla and James Jenkins. William and Evan and another brother, the fourth, went West. Evan, the third, was the grandfather of the Confederate General Albert Gallatin Jenkins who was killed in the late war. Thomas, the fifth, married and lived in Preston. His children were Elizabeth Cushman, who died in Ohio; Susan Mason, Mary Reed, the Rev. Thomas, a minister in the Baptist Church; Rachel, who married Jacob Cale; the Rev. Absalom, Christian, John who lives at Harmony Grove; Delilah, Joseph and Evan. Evan married Hannah Graham, and lived to be 89 years of age. He was the father of John Jenkins, of Harmony Grove, and Jehu Jenkins, Esq., of Morgan's Glade, who has made such an acceptable justice of the peace that the people will not permit him to be put on the retired list. Hannah Sterling, the Squire's maternal grandmother, dressed the heads of the Corbleys who were killed in Green County, Pennsylvania. Contemporaneous with the Jenkinses, Thomas Gibson settled on the Cheat Hills. Thomas, James, Levi and Robert were his sons. James was the father of Levi, Zaccheus, Samuel, Thomas and the Rev. John E. Gibson, a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania. About one hundred years ago, Christian Cale left the blue Rhine in his native Fatherland, and, coming to America, finally made his home in Preston. His farm was the one now owned by Lewis Everly. Elizabeth, Mary, John and Jacob were his children. The two latter are both living and are over 90 years of age. About 1790, Jacob Feather, who had served seven years in the Revolutionary War, came from Somerset County, Penna. He was originally from Germany, and married Mary Connery in Somerset County. He settled near where Lucian Martin now lives, but afterwards removed to the present neighborhood of Willey, in Portland District, less than a mile from Lick Run, where Adam Feather, father of the Rev. Jos. B. Feather, still "holds the fort." No doubt the young Feathers in his backwoods home were to him what feathers are in the pinions of the dove - supports in the upward flight toward heaven. Clustered aroung him these were certainly enough to keep his heart warm with love and affection - Sarah, Jane, and John, long a justice of the peace; Jacob, Ezekiel, Christopher, James and Joseph, father of John H. of Sugar Valley, and J. Wesley and Michael E., of Cranesville; Mrs. Joseph Michaels, and Mrs. Ethbell Falkenstine of Garrett County, Maryland; and Adam and Eve among the older children. Daniel Martin, originally from Germany, came from New Jersey after the Revolutionary War, in which he had served seven years, and settled near Valley Point. His children were Affa and Isaac, father of Isaac P., who has taught thirty-one terms of school; Mary, Jacob, Sarah and John. Benjamin Jefferys came from below Cumberland, Maryland, after the close of the Revolutionary War, and settled near Mill Run. Thomas, William, Ruth, Rebecca, Ellen, Joseph, and Edmund father of G.W., and Elisha, were his children. Adam Zweyer came from Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1793, and settled in the Jenkins settlement, near Muddy Creek. His family of children were John, who was a justice between 1844-54; Elizabeth, Thomas, Jacob, Eve, Kate, Ranile and Eliza. William Benson and two sons were buried in a small graveyard on the farm cleared out by John Kelly, which is now owned by William M. Smith, as also was James Kelly, brother of John, a soldier of the War of 1812. John Kelly, the Revolutionary soldier mentioned above, emigrated to Muskingum County, Ohio, about 1811, and lived to be 103 years old. John and James, of the War of 1812, were brothers. John G. Smith came from Turkeyfoot (now Confluence), Pennsylvania, about 1800, and settled on little Sandy, near the Scott farm, two miles from Bruceton. His children were Mary, who went to Indiana; Samuel M., previously mentioned, who married a Kelly, and lives on the farm opened up by William Benson; Eve, Eleanor, Nancy, Daniel, who went west; Jacob and William. The place where John Kelly lived had been opened out by William Benson, who came from Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia, and is now owned by William M. Smith, who married a daughter of John Kelly's. William Benson came into what is now Preston County about 1795. He was a weaver by trade, and settled on the Smith farm before mentioned, near Beaver Creek or Little Sandy. His children were George, Sarah, Mary, John and James. The last named was born at Winchester in 1792, and was the father of Ezra D. Benson, one of the present magistrates in Portland District. James Benson was a soldier in the War of 1812. The Bensons are all good marksmen, and several of them are skillful gunsmithes. It was in 1798 that Jacob Smith came from Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and settled where Martin L. Crane now lives. His children were John, Frederick, Sophia, Eve, Barbara, Mary and Elizabeth. Frederick Smith, father of Jacob Smith, of the Craborchard, came when a boy with his father, Jacob Smith, from Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He died November 6, 1875, being over 97 years of age. His son Christian went West. We find an old land-warrent, bearing date of survey November 7, 1798, which was issued to "Jacob Smith, assignee of George Lemmon," for 371 acres - "355 acres part thereof being granted unto him, the said George Lemmon, by patent bearing date the 27th day of September, 1785, and the residue being 16 acres is taken by virtue of Land Office Treasury Warrant No. 927." The date of issue was December 14, 1802. This tract adjoined lands of Ezekiel Jones, William Biggs, Andrew Kirkpatrick and Thomas Chips, and the present owners are Martin L. Crane, Zaccheus Feather, and Jacob Smith. About 1800, James Guthrie, originally from County Tyrone, Ireland, came from York County, Pennsylvania. After his father's death, he and his mother determined to emigrate to America, but she died while crossing the ocean. James's farm was that now occupied by Jeremiah Guthrie. His children were John, William, George, Isabel, Stephen, Rachael, James, Absalom of Missouri; Stephen, Jr.; Amy, wife of L.H. Frankhouser; Bell, wife of James Titherington; Mary, the deceased wife of I.M. Frankhouser; Kate, wife of Dr. Dunham; and Israel, of Ohio. Leonard Cupp was a captain in the war of 1812, and came from Frederick County, Maryland, at an early day. Michael Hartman came from Shenandoah County, Virginia, about 1805, and settled near Muddy Creek, on land patented by a man named Lutes, in 1797. He built the mill now owned by Calvin Crank on Luck Run, in Portland District. His children were Henry, of the Craborchard; John; George, of Cranesville; Harrison, William, Joseph, of the Craborochard, Jacob, Washington, and Lydia, Margaret, Christina and Mary. Jacob Nicola moved from Pennsylvania in 1810, to the northeastern part of the district. He raised three children; John, Jacob and Catharine. Jacob, of Mill Run, is the well-known miller and millwright. Jacob, Sr., moved from Preston to Barbour County in 1851; returned in 1866, and died in 1874. Jacob Nicola, Jr., began merchandising at Fairview in 1866, and was elected a member of the school board in 1879. His lands at Mill Run were patented by Anthony Worley, not long after the close of the American Revolution. Before the War of 1812, Peter Miller found a home on the hills near Cheat River, not far from Muddy Creek. The children left to represent him were Susan, and John P., who died in 1880. John P. Miller was a justice of the peace. His children were William A., J. Allen, Mary Elizabeth, Elvira Sophia, James G., George W., Sarah Melissa, Josiah D., and Isaac N. Shortly before the war of 1812, two brothers, David and Daniel Albright, came from York County, Pennsylvania. David served in that war. He settled first near Jacob Guseman's, and afterwards removed to Cheat River, near the mouth of Roaring Creek. His children were Lydia, Elizabeth, John, Henry, George, William, Mary, and Sarah. Daniel Albright settled in the Craborchard first, and some ten years later, about 1822, removed to the farm now owned by Michael Albright, near Cranesville. His children are Michael, Samuel, Susan, Daniel of Portland District, and Elizabeth. Joseph Metheny settled on Cheat Hills about 1812. He was a justice of the peace for 20 years. His sons were Moses, Isaac, Israel, Aaron, and Absalom, the father of Joseph and Elijah C. Jacob Guseman, son of Abraham Guseman, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, came to the site of King's Mill in 1812. He had followed the sea, being a sailor for three years, but came to anchor at that place, and ran a carding machine. In 1813 he left King's Mill, and bought a "corn cracker," as a mill was then termed, from a man named Burchinal, on Muddy Creek, not far farm the site of Rigg's factory, which Burchinal had bought from a man by the name of Pierson. The mill was known as "Pierson's corn cracker." The mills in those early days were like the "mills of the gods" in one respect: they ground "slowly"; and in another respect unlike them; for they did not grind "exceedingly fine." A story was told by old man Butler, of Pierson's corn cracker, that he came to mill one time when the mill was running, and a hound was in the meal trough licking up the meal as fast as it came down and barking up the spout for more. Jacob Guseman married Christine Wolfe, in 1815, a cousin to Lewis and Martin Wetzel. Their children were: Mary, now living in the West; Susan, Sophia, Isaac, John W., Joseph, Abraham, Amos, who went west; and Jacob, who lives on the old homestead near the mill. Ludwig Falkenstein (now often written Falkenstine) settled about one mile from Valley Point, in 1815. He was from Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He had eleven children. Lewis, one of his sons, had six children: William, Louisa, Mary, Ann, and Joseph, the father of Ethbell; and Jerome. Thomas Liston came from Maryland and settled on Cheat Hills. Ebenezer, Abraham, Joseph, Mary, Elisha (father of Abraham and John T,), and Joseph (father of W.T.), were his family of children. John Miller left Somerset County, Pennsylvania, came into Maryland, and then (April 1, 1816) settled where his son Solomon, who was born in 1803, now lives. Eliphalet Chidester came into Preston about 1820, from Harper's Ferry, and located near the forks of Sandy. William McCoy Chidester, his son, came with him. William McCoy Chidester's children were named Isaac, Henry, William, Charlotte, Andrew, Elisha, John and Alpheus W. Elisha and John went West. Henry was the father of the Rev. T.W., James M., and Marshall W., who died October 27, 1881, and was a merchant at Deer Park, and once a student at West Virginia University. Clement Engle, in 1844, came to the site of Cranesville, and stopped with John Crane. He afterwards went to Crane's Mill, then to Hauger's Mill. About 1820, George Strawser came from Georgetown, Penna. Philip, Jacob, Joseph, and George were sons by his first wife, and Washington by his second. Henry Deal came from Cambria County, Penna., about 1820, and cleared out the farm now owned by Isaac Layton. One of his sons , John, still lives in Pleasant. Stephen Titchenell was born in 1775, in New Jersey; married Lydia Metheny in 1802, and came to the homestead farm in Pleasant that year. One of his sons was the Rev. Moses Titchenell, born in 1807, and licensed to preach in 1826 in the M.E. Church. He was a presiding elder in the West Virginia Conference for twelve years, and, in 1870, moved to Illinois, and died there May 23, 1877. Another of Stephen's sons is the Rev. Danial Titchenell, of the U.B. Church, born in 1815, now notary public and postmaster at Pleasant Hill, Portland District. About 1818, George Strawser came from Georgetown, Pa. His sons were Philip, Jacob, Joseph and George by his first marriage and Washington by his second marriage. John Smith, shortly after the Revolution, came with his sons Samuel, Aaron, Jonas and Joseph and settled in the "Sandy Creek Glades." Samuel's sons were Harvey, Asa and John T., the father of Prof. S.C., and Samuel H. Smith. Abraham Otto came from Bedford County, Pa., about 1828. His children were John, Edmund (now of Garrett Co., Md.); Ezra, Herbert, and Ruffina, wife of Jehu Jenkins. Joseph N. Miller was brought from Berks County, Pa., when a mere child, by his mother and aunt, to Somerset County, Pa., his father, Henry Miller, having died in Berks County. In 1831, he blacksmithed at Nicola's Mill (then Fike's Mill); afterward, he removed to his present home in Morgan's Glade. Mr. Miller's eight sons are all good blacksmiths. Ami H. is in Eriel, Kansas, a good workman and a man of considerable wealth, Levi F., a Justice of the Peace, has a shop at Mill Run, William H., at Bruceton, Elisha J., at Cranberry, Benjamin A.C. at Cranesville, Hosea McC., at Buchtel, Athens County, Ohio, Joseph J. has been foreman of the B.&O.R.R. blacksmith shops at Grafton, for many years, and Jacob A. follows his trade at Petroleum, Ritchie County. In 1861, Mr. Miller named his locality Morgan's Glade, because the Morgans had patented a thousand acres there. He built a store-house ten years ago, and has since kept a store and is postmaster. Jacob, Philip, Michael, Conrad and Adam Ringer, brothers, came to Pleasant from Pennsylvania in 1832. William P. Ringer occupies the old Philip Ringer farm, which was patented July 12, 1787, and surveyed by William Pettijohn for William Deakins, May 28, 1785. It contains 450 acres. The Ringer mill property, owned by Joseph N. Miller, once the land of John Green, on the Brandonville and Kingwood Turnpike, one mile from Josephine Furnace. About 1820, Samuel Crane built a mill near the present mill. About 1840, another mill was built on the site of Ringer's Mill by Jacob Crane. In 1853, Jeremiah Forquer commenced to build on its site, and, in 1855, Crane put the main works in it. Joseph N. Ringer bought the mill in 1864. David Vansickle came in 1835 from Alleghany County, Maryland. He had three sons: John (the father of Charles T.) Isaac and David, now in Colorado.