WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 01 : Issue 28 Today's Topics: #1 Local History, Portland District, ["Betty Ralph" ] #2 Local History, Reno District, Pres ["Betty Ralph" ] #3 Local History, Union District, Pre ["Betty Ralph" ] #4 Local History, Valley District, Pr ["Betty Ralph" ] ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 08:33:14 -0400 From: "Betty Ralph" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010609083307.01bce390@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: Local History, Portland District, Preston County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Local History, Portland 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. ~http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Early Settlements. - The first attempted settlement by white men in the county was in this district, about 1755, on the Dunkard Bottom, on the east side of the Cheat, by well-intentioned but ill fated Dunkards - the Eckarlys, whose murder is described on page 22. Day's History of Pennsylvania, p. 414, asserts that their name was Eckerlin, that they were originally Catholics in Europe, that these three brothers had charge of the secular concerns of their society of Ephrata, and being suspected of ambitious designs to possess themselves of the title to the property of the society, they were expelled and went to the southwest part of Pennsylvania, from which they removed to Virginia. The society of Ephrata was a distinct sect from the Dunkards, although they descended from them. The first permanent settlement in the district was made by Robert Butler, in 1773, on the east side of the Dunkard Bottom. He was a justice of the peace for many years, and a prominent man in the county in its early settlement. The next settlement was by Thomas Chips, in 1776, near the site of Willey p.o. In 1777, mention is made of the Powells, Brains and Dillons, and on April 11, 1778, more than 2 miles from where Cranberry now stands, occurred the murder of Brain and the capture of little Ben, his son. Jacob Mouser kept tavern on Dunkard Bottom at an early day. He was related to the Chips family, and was unpopular. About 1800, Robert Beatty, a Revolutionary soldier, came from Hampshire County, Va., and located 3 miles from Kingwood on the Dille farm. His children all went West, except John, and are all dead but him. John was born in 1795, and married Rachel Bishop, daughter of John Bishop. Their sons were Thomas, Joseph, Alpheus, James, Henry C., George R., and William W. February 2, 1787, William Ashby received a patent for 500 acres of land as the assignee of Jacob Vanmeter. J.F. Nordeck, P.C. Nordeck, John Vanverth and Samuel B. Crane now own this tract. J.F. Nordeck made the first improvement in the settlement on Laurel Run. John Bishoff (now spelled Bishop) came about 1790, from Hagerstown, and settled on Elliott's Ridge. His children were Rachel, Henry, John, Joseph, Samuel, and William who died November 8, 1881, on the old homestead. Guy A. Bishop, of Pleasant District, is a son of William. John C. Crane lives on the old Bishop farm. He married Mollie, daughter of William Bishop. Abner Messenger, a Revolutionary soldier, married Abagail Pike (a sister to Gen. Pike of the War of 1812), and came to the site of the Messenger settlement about 1800. He was the grandfather of James W. and Edmund Messenger. William Dougherty, father of Jarvis, lived near what is now St. Joe, and owned a large amount of land. In 1794, William Elliott married Jane Dougherty, William's daughter. Abraham Elliott got land of Wm. Dougherty, his father-in-law, and settled where Elliott Crane now lives. Abraham had 11 children. Among this number were William, father of Dr. Felix Elliott; John, father of Captain William Elliott; Sarah, wife of Calvin Crane; Mary, wife of Jacob Crane; and Andrusilla, wife of Robert Forman. Peter Wilhelm came into the wilds of Preston some time before 1800. Solomon, Peter, Jonathan and Catharine were his children. About 1791, John Freeland came from near Baltimore. He married Polly McCann, of Fayette County, Pa. David and Benjamin were sons of his. He lived to be 94. David, born in 1809, has local fame as a hunter - supposes he has killed 600 deer in his time. Twice he has killed five in one day. John Whetsell married Mary Troxall, and came from Frederick, Maryland, about 1800. He was the founder of the Whetsell settlement, 7 miles above the mouth of Muddy Creek. His sons were George, Peter, John, Conrad, Abraham and Michael who married a Felton. D.J. and John O. are Michael's sons. John Felton came from England, and served as justice just long enough to gain the sheriffalty. His son Henry was a distinguished hunter. Among the fathers of the county was one who claimed that he exercised that mastery over serpents known as snake-charming; and that he could handle snakes with impunity. The words of his charm were: "As fire doth melt the wax, And winds blow smoke away, So in the presence of our Lord The wicked shall decay." The Shaws came from Ireland at an early day. Benjamin Shaw reached the sheriffalty by seniority of commission as a justice of the peace, and was among the first representatives of his county in the legislature of Virginia. Benjamin's children were Edgar, Celia and William (father of A. Staley Shaw), who married Sarah Gibbs, a sister of Nancy Gibbs, first wife of David Freeland, Sr. Samuel Shaw, brother of Benjamin, settled near Sandy Creek on the Scott farm. His son Alexander, who died in 1868, was the father of Benjamin, Joseph M. and George C., the dentist. About 1800, Benjamin Trembly, from New Jersey, came to Turkey Foot, Somerset County, Pa., and in 1803, settled where George H. Trembly, his great-grandson, now lives. He married Eunice Remington. His children were Josiah, Ephraim, who died young; John, Mary and Sallie. He was drowned while coming from a fair at Morgantown. John Rodeheaver, a saddler, came from Woodstock, Va., in 1807 and bought land from John Chips where his son, Col. John Rodeheaver, now lives. He married Mary Yagle, and their children were George, Christian, Samuel, Joseph, Isaac, David, William, and John (Colonel of the 104th regiment) and five daughters. John Rodeheaver, Sr., was justice of the peace, commissioner of revenue, and reached the sheriffalty. He started a tannery in 1829. Dennis Jeffers came from Trenton, New Jersey, in early days. His son Abraham was a justice of the peace about 1836. Benjamin, another son, was in the legislature before 1825, and emigrated to Iowa and died there. Martin Ridenour, ancestor of the Rev. James Ridenour, came from Germany in 1820, and settled in Portland District. Nicholas Lee, Sr., came from Maryland in 1824. He enlisted in the 3rd Md. when 59 years of age, and served through the Rebellion. The name of Lee seems to be a martial name. Captain C.C. Lee is his son. Toliver Childs, remembered for the magnitude of his imaginative tales, lived in a small cabin near Captain Lee's house. ______________________________ X-Message: #2 Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 08:33:28 -0400 From: "Betty Ralph" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010609083320.01bcb670@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: Local History, Reno District, Preston County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Local History, Reno 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. - But little information could be obtained of the early settlers. Tradition tells of a family by the name of York, about 1786, being killed or taken captive by the Indians at the mouth of the run bearing their name. Hugh Evans was born in 1769, in Delaware. He married Sarah Thomas, and came near the site of Evansville about 1800. His children were Nancy, Samuel (an old man still living), James (the founder of Evansville), Sarah, Rolla and William. Hugh Evans was a justice of the county court in 1818, and afterwards was sheriff. He died in 1873, at the age of 104 years. Sometime after Evans settled, the Leeches and Hanaways came. ______________________________ X-Message: #3 Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 08:33:40 -0400 From: "Betty Ralph" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010609083334.01bcea70@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: Local History, Union District, Preston County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Local History, Union 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 Pringles, Childers, and Lindsey, in 1761, founded their hunting-camp about 2 1/2 miles east of Aurora, at the mouth of Ryan's Creek, by a large rock. In 1783, an Ashby (the ancestor of Colonel Nathan Ashby) came from Maryland to the eastern part; and James Goff, a Revolutionary soldier, traded lands in Tucker County to a man by the name of Jordan, for the tract of land now owned by his grandson Andrew Goff. James Goff asserted that he was a descendant of the regicide, Judge Goffe, who helped sentence King Charles I. of England to death. James Goff came from Wales, and had several encounters with Indians in Tucker County, according to his grandson's account. His sons were Salathiel, George, Joseph, and Esau, who served in the war of 1812; Daniel, killed by a tree; Thomas, John C., and James J. (father of Andrew). The Rev. John Stough from Hagerstown, Maryland, came out in 1786, and examined the country. The next year he returned with his own and three other families. They settled at Mt. Carmel, and called their little settlement "Salem." The Rev. John Strough's wife was Elizabeth Hogmire. They lived where Lloyd Lantz now resides. She died, and was buried in the yard; her husband preaching the funeral sermon. He afterward married a Troutman at Redstone, Pennsylvania, and went West. His son, Dr. Samuel Strough, born in 1793, is still living at Waterloo, Indiana. Jacob Wagoner came with Stough. His wife was a Troxal. They lived near S. Wotring, Jr's. Their family, except one son, D.H., went West. Jacob Diedrick and his wife, Magealena Troxal, were the thrid family. They lived where Thomas Startzman resides. His wife dying, Jacob went to live with a Mr. Clouse; died and is buried on Deep Creek, Md. Of the fourth family we have no account. In 1788, "the year of the second coming," the little pioneer colony was reinforced by the Stemples, Ridenours, Wotrings, Hershes, and others from Hagerstown. David, a son of Godfrey Stemple, married E. Catherine Rinehart. Their children were Elizabeth, Jacob, John, Maria, Catherine, Susan, Charlotte, and Major David Stemple. Mrs. Stemple was milking one evening, when a bear came into the yard to take their only pig. She grabbed an ax and killed Bruin, as he was in the act of carrying off the pig. Jacob Ridenour married Susanna Stemple, and settled where the Rev. D. Beachy now lives. Their children were John (father of David Ridenour), Margaret, Roxanna, Eve, David, Jacob, and Sarah. John Wotring married a Troxal, and sold his farm in Maryland for a sum in Continental money, which became worthless, and he came out and settled where David Wotring now lives. He was the first tanner in the district. His son John was the first person buried in the Reformed M.E. Cemetery, and his grandaughter, Maria Shaffer, was the first one buried in the Lutheran Cemetery. Frederick Harsh, or Hersh, had four sons: Frederick (who was a squire), Jacob, Andrew, and Daniel, very large, stout men, one of whom could lift 1100 pounds. Youst Heck was single and was the first blacksmith. He came to the Rev. Strough in the field, one day with his gun in one hand and some game in the other, accompanied by a Miss Goff, who was carrying her moccasins in her hand. They desired to married, then and there, and Stough complied with their request. Their settlement grew rapidly and was known as "Germany" or the German Settlement. In 1793, Adam Shaffer came from Germany and married Elizabeth Wotring. His sons were Teavolt, John, Adam, Jacob (father of J.H.), William, Daniel (father of Martin L. and Gustavus), Samuel and Abraham. William Weills came from Hagerstown to Maple Run, settling where Abraham Weills now lives. He had 16 children, of whom 14 went West. Three of them, Absalom, Solomon and George, were ministers. Philo, one of the two children remaining, is now very old. He was a great hunter years ago. He made a wager with George Waltz, over 50 years ago, that whichever that season killed the most bear and deer was to take the pile of skins. When they came in on the appointed day, Weills had killed 37 bear and 126 deer; and Waltz, 26 bear and 137 deer. Peter Carrico and William Hebb, a Revolutionary solder, came from Eastern Virginia in 1790. Carrico settled where Gabriel Pulliam lives. Isaac Irvin, from New England, settled in the neighborhood of 72 the same year. John Wheeler came from Lancaster Co., Pa., in 1800, to the site of Aurora. His wife was Catherine Gour. One of his sons was Squire William Wheeler, the father of Justice H.H. Wheeler, of Rowlesburg. Eight years later, Ambrose Lipscomb, a Revolutionary soldier, settled on Cheat, near the Tucker County line. John Bishoff (now mostly written Bishop) came in at an early day, but soon removed to Portland. David Startzman came from Cumberland in 1818, and put a tannery on the Ridenour farm. In 1820, he bought the farm where Thomas Startzman now lives. He died in 1821. His brother Jacob came in 1822, and put up the present tannery. Jacob married Elizabeth Foster. His children were David, Henry (late Recorder and Clerk of the County Court of Preston County), Isaac, Mrs. Felix Elliott, Mrs. Shaffer, John, Luther, Annie, Thomas (who owns the tannery and is well conversant with the early history of the district), and William. The Startzman house is the oldest building in the district, and at which many noted men have stopped. It was built in 1794 by Jacob Diedrick. ______________________________ X-Message: #4 Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 08:33:50 -0400 From: "Betty Ralph" To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010609083345.01b791f0@mail.earthlink.net> Subject: Local History, Valley District, Preston County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Local History, Valley 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. - About 1776, a man by the name of Ashcraft had a hunting camp on the McMillen farm. It is asserted that Ashcraft had committed some crime and fled from justice. About this year, William Meuear came from Germany, and took by settlement right 600 acres, near where Reedsville now stands. His sons were John, David, Lear and Samuel H. George Zinn married Mary Sayler, and came to Valley District between 1780 and 1790. His children were Jacob (father of Major William B. Zinn), Michael, Samuel, John, William (father of Peter and Samuel of Reno District), Alexander and Peter. Benjamin and Richard Fields came from Augusta County, Va., about 1777, and Richard, it is supposed, was the brother of Benjamin who was killed and scalped by Indians at a spring near where Edwin Watson now lives, described on page 37. Benjamin married Katy Howell, and settled in 1793, near Gladesville. One of his sons, Richard, was in the War of 1812, and another, Hiram, now a very old man, is still living in this district. About 1789, Colonel John Fairfax came out and purchased of Phillip Doddridge a large tract of land, portions of which are now occupied by his sons George W. and F.B.F. Fairfax. He returned the next year. His father in law, Samuel Byrne, contemplated coming out, but died before starting; and his widow, Clarissa, and children, Samuel, Peyton, Sarah and Elizabeth, came out with Colonel Fairfax. Colonel Fairfax told the following anecdote, related to him by General George Washington: In 1770, Washington visited southwestern Pennsylvania, and, on his return, stopped over night on the banks of the Youghiogheny, a short distance from the eastern boundary of Preston; and here he said was the first place in America that he ever saw perfect equality - where the children, the cats and the dogs ate our of the same wooden dish filled with mush and sat on the floor. Daniel Fortney came from France about 1790, and settled northwest of where Reedsville now stands. At this time came Robert McMillen, a Revolutionary soldier. His son William married Sarah Cobun, and his grandsons, A.F. and E.W. McMillen are school teachers of several years' experience. James Cobun was born in 1746, on George's Creek, and married Saborah, daughter of Nathan and Sabrah Trader. He came from Morgantown about 1790 and patented 100 acres where Masontown now stands, and settled where Waitman Hartley lives. His children were Catharine, Jonathan, James, Arthur, Isaac and John. Isaac was born in 1786, and married Prudence Davis. Their children were James, George, Jacob, Simon, Benjamin, Isaac, Catharine, Charity and Sabina, widow of Samuel Graham. Sabrah Trader Cobun, in 1785, was called "the pretty squaw" by the Indians, on account of her beauty and her suit of heavy, long get black hair. In 1790, William Watson, from Eastern Virginia, lived near the site of Masontown, having patented 300 acres of land. His wife was Elizabeth Patton. His children were John, David, Jacob, Nancy, Mary, Jane and William, who was a soldier in the war of 1812, and whose son Thomas Watson (the father of J.W. Watson of Cranberry) now resides on the home farm. Thomas Brown was a soldier under Greene in the Revolutionary War. He came from Fauquier County, Va., in 1805, to where William Menear lives. His wife was Nancy Ash, and their children were Elizabeth, John B., George (father of Bailey Brown), Samuel, William now 87 years old, Mary A. and Thomas F. Richard Pell married Elizabeth, sister of Colonel John Fairfax, and died when preparing to come out. His widow and children, Hezekiah, John, Fairfax, Nancy (wife of Henry Miller), and Martha came out in 1807. In 1813, Edward Hartley came from Fairmont, and lived in a cabin on the site of Hartley's store in Masontown. His wife was Margaret Miller. Their children were Calder, Malin, Henry, Amos, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Mary, Nancy, Jane, Emily and Peter M. ex-justice of the peace and a leading member of the M.E. Church at Masontown. His son Edgar M. is a merchant at Masontown, and his sons S.C., L.E. and H.P., are merchants at Meyersdale, Penn., and his son J.M. is a merchant at Independence and Fairmont. Squire Samuel Graham, who died lately, was a son of David Graham, who operated a powder mill, 100 years ago. His mother was Hannah Sterling, of Greene County, Pa., who dressed the heads of the Rev. John Corbley's family, who were wounded and killed by the Indians. Joseph Liston (father of John A.), came about 1825.