USA > West Virginia > Preston County > A History of Preston County, West Virginia, V.1 > Part 31
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The custom of bestowing a middle name once under way, it was extended to girls as well as boys, and it is now rather the exception to find a person without one.
While certain given names are favorites everywhere, communities have also their local favorites. A class of names may be in common use over a considerable area, and yet be rare or even quite unknown in a county not far away. Into this class for Preston county may be put such names as these: Allen, Arley, Ashbel, Ashford, Barton, Buck- ner, Hunter, Parley, Rawley, Sanford, Annamelia, Basha, Dessie, Fer- nandes, Leanna, Lepha, Rheua, Rufina, Ruhama, Sabrah, Verlinda, and Zadie.
We of this twentieth century are living in a new age. In no respect is this more evident than in the names now in favor. In the colonial day parents named their children for themselves, their parents, their sisters, and their own parents, and thus the Johns, Williams, Elizabeths, and Catherines became almost innumerable. A certain name will recur again and again in a line of family descent.
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
In our own day many of the time-honored names are passing out of favor. Few children are named Zachariah or Susannah, because to the modern ear these terms are long and somewhat uncouth. But plenty of children are still named John, James, Mary, and Susan, which are likewise Bible names and will never go out of favor: Short, smooth-sounding names, rare until of late, and now very common, are Blanche, Emma, Grace, Ida, Laura, Lula, Myrtle, and Pearl. Then again, fewer children are named for their parents, and there is a marked tendency to take up with very new and quite unusual appellations.
As Western Europe passed from barbarism to civilization, the uni- versal use of surnames became a necessity. John's son became John- son or Jackson, the blacksmith became a Smith, the maker of cloth became a Weaver, the owner of a dark grove became a Ravenscroft, the man of muscle became an Armstrong, and the Scottish Highlander perhaps took his name from his clan.
Surnames were not always the arbitrary expressions they now so frequently appear. Though the derivation is oftentimes apparent, yet in many instances it is very obscure. Thus Boyce means a forest, Dodge is a nickname for Roger, Ellis is Elias, Elliott is Little Elias, Browning is Little Brown, and Jenkins is Little John. Emerson comes from Almeric, claimed by some authorities to be the origin-word of the name America. Matlick (Matloch) means Flowery Lake.
England alone has more than 40,000 surnames. Scotland has fewer. Wales has fewer yet. In a Welch village one may find only the names Morgan, Evans, and Jones. But since America was colonized not only from all the countries of the British Isles, but from Germany, France, and other European lands as well, one ceases to wonder at the great number of surnames which may be found in almost any American county.
Not only are American surnames enormous in number, but the tendency has ever been to their increase. Common names are corrupted into new forms. A brother adopts a spelling of his own and thus founds a new family. The foreign surname is modified in sound or spelling, or both, so as to suit it to the American ear and eye. The result is another entirely new word.
The names of Pearce and Pierce are in origin the same, as are also the names Hoffman and Huffman, and Ridenour and Ritenour. Shafer, Shaffer, Schaffer, and Shaver are all variants from the German name Schaefer, meaning Shepherd. At least two surnames are perhaps pecul-
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
iar to Preston. Brain comes from a mispronunciation of Brann in colonial times, while Elliason is a modification of Ellison, due to the fancy of a schoolmaster.
To classify our pioneer families accurately in every instance, with respect to their national origin, is well-nigh hopeless. There is some- times a family which has itself no certain knowledge in the matter. In several instances there is reason to think the present members of the connection are in error as to the opinion they put forward. ,
It is true enough that in some names there is little room for doubt. Thus when in Preston we meet the names Fairfax, Bucklew, Shay, Jenkins, DeBerry, Vansickle, and Bishoff, we are at once quite certain that the sources to which we may assign them are in the order of mention, English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh, French, Dutch, and German. Yet in some instances one must not be too sure. There are names com- mon to two, three, and even all four of the countries of the British Isles Some of the names of our German families are entirely English, so far as the form is concerned. Specimens of this class are Barlow, King, Painter, Rhoades, Sanders, Saucer, Seal, Walter, White, White- hair, and Wilkins. In practice we find the name Brown to cover Scotch, English, and German households. The names King and Martin also include families of all these three nationalities.
Thus in assigning some given Preston family to a certain national group, we are sometimes in much doubt. The listing given below is intended as no more than an approximation. For instance the list of English names should probably be somewhat diminished in favor of the other groups, especially the Scotch. A separate list of Scotch- Irish names is not given, because the Scotch-Irish, or Ulster-Scotch are merely a branch of the Scottish people.
Some of the English names are followed by older or more correct spellings given in brackets.
Several of the Scotch and Irish names are followed in the same manner by the native Scotch or Irish spellings. The Irish names marked with a star are of English or Norman-French derivation.
Where a German name is marked with a star, it appears to preserve the German spelling. When the German spelling seems known beyond a reasonable doubt, it follows after a dash the present form of the name The meaning in some cases is then given in brackets. Some German names have become so modified in form as to make it difficult to determine the original spelling.
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
ENGLISH.
Andrews
Goff (Goffe)
Morris
Ashby
Goodwin
Morton
Baldwin
Green
Overfield
Ball
Gross
Parks
Baker
Gull
Parsons
Bayles
Hagans
Pearce
Beavers
Haines
Peaslee
Benson
Hall
Pell
Bintcher
Hanshaw
Perrill
Bowmar
Harrington
Peters
Boyce
Hartley
Phillips
Bradshaw
Hawley
Pierce
Braham
Hays
Plum
Brain (Brann)
Heath
Pulliam
Britton
Hebb
Purinton
Brown, John W.
Helms
Pyles
Bryte
Hempstead
Ravenscraft (Ravenscroft)
Burgoyne
Herndon
Reed
Butler
Hibbs
Richards
Byrne
Hilleary
Ridgway
Carroll
Holbert
Rigg
Castle
Holmes
Robinson
Chiles
Holt
Rowe
Chipps
Holyfield
Royse
Cleaver
Howard
Sapp
Clarkson
Huddleston
Sharps
Cobun (Coburn)
Huggins
Shuttlesworth
Corbin
Hunt -
Sidwell
Crane
Hyde
Smith, John of Grant
Danks
Jeffers
Smith, Micajah
Darby
Jefferys
Sovereign (Soverns)
Darling
Jennings
Spencer
Dawson
Joseph
Spurgeon
Deakins
King, Valentine
Squires
Dent
Knapp
Stafford
Dix
Knotts
Stone
Dixon
Lanham
Street
Dodge
Lawrence
Summers, Joseph
Dolliver
Lawson
Sutton
Elliason
(Ellison)
Lawton
Talbott
Elliott
Lease
Tanner
Ellis
Lee
Taylor
Elsey
Lemon
Thomas, Benjamin
Emerson
Linton
Titchnell
Everts
Lipscomb
Trickett
Fairfax
Liston
Trowbridge
Felton
Lyons
Turner
Field
Marsden
Turnley
Ford
Mason
Waddell
Forman
Massie
Wakefield
Freeland
May
Walls
Gandy
Menefee
Watson
Garner
Merrill
Weaver
Gibbs
Messenger
Webster
Gienn
Miles
Wheeler
Glover
Minor
White, Thornton
Godwin
Moon
White, John
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Winters Willett
Williams. John Worley
Woodward Wright, Anthony
SCOTCH
Anderson
Galloway
McCrum
Annan Armstrong
Gordon
McGibbons
Ashburn
Graham
McGrew
Ayersman
Gregg
McKee
Barb Barnes
Groves
McMakin (McMahon)
Beatty ( Beattie) Bell Brand
Halbritter
McNair
Hamilton
McPeck
Brandon
Hanway
Miller, James
Brown
Hardesty
Montgomery
Bucklew (Buccleugh)
Hayden
Murdock ( Murdoch )
Burchinal
Hazlett
Murray
Calhoun (Colquhoun) Calvert
Hill, James
Nicholson
Hooton
Orr
Jackson, Samuel
Patton
Chambers Clark
Jackson, Josiah
Rutherford
Cingan (Clinghan)
Collier
Kelso
Scott
Kemble
Shaw
Kimberley
Shoch (Schoch)
Crawford
Kirk
Sinclair
Cresap
Leach
Smith, Jonathan
Criss (Cress)
Lewis
Sterling
Loughridge
Strahin (Strachin)
Mathew
Stewart Turney
Falkner (Falconer)
Matlick
Watts
McCauley
White, Robert
White, William
Wilbern
Wilson
IRISH.
Dennison
Mollissey
Devall*
Duffey
Fawcett*
O'Neal
Flynn
Ormond
Grady Gribble
Poulson
Conley (Connolly)
Haney
Jordan* (Jourdan)
Roberts*
Connor Costolo*
Kelley
Ryan
Crogan Cruse
McGinnis
Means
Neff
Campbell Carnes
Jackson, Henry
Roby
Johnson
Savage
Collins
Conn Craig
King, Nathan
Simpson
Cunningham Curry Dunn
Mayes
Forquer (Farquhar) Frazee Frazier
McCollum
McCoy
Arnold* Blaney Boylan
O'Bryon (O'Brien) O'Hara
Burke* (DeBurgeau) Casey Cassedy Christopher
Parnell
Riley
Shahan ('Shinnegan ) Shay (Shea)
Gibson
McGee
Grimes
McKinney
Guthrie
McMillen
Henry
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
WELCH.
Arthur
Jones
Rogers
Davis
Meredith
Taylor, John
Evans
Morgan
Thomas, Jacob M.
Howell
Powell
Watkins
Jenkins
Price
Welch
Johns
Pugh
Williams, William
Williams, John
GERMAN.
Albright-Albrecht ( Albert) Fike-Feik
Lambert
Auman
Foglesong - Vogelsang ( Bird-Lantz *- Lentz
Avers
Song)
Laub*
Barlow
Fraish-Fraisch
Ledman-Ledmann
Beachy
Fraley
Lenhart
Beeghley
Francisco
Lieb*
Bierbower-Bierbauer
Frankhouser-Funkhauser
Lininger*
Bishoff-Bischoff (Bishop)
Frantz*
Livengood-Lebengut
Blamble-Plampel
Frey
Loar-Lohr
Boger-Bogert
Fries
Maust-Most
Boliner-Bolinger
Fullmer
Meyers-Meyer
Boogher
Funk*
Menear-Miniert
Borgman
Gable-Gabel
Metzler*
Born
Geldbach* (Moneybrook)
Meyer*
Bower-Bauer (Countryman) Gocke
Michael
Bowermaster-Bauermeister
Greaser
Miller, John, of PI. D. -Mueller (Miller)
Brosius
Guseman-Guesmann
Miller, Joseph N.
Bush-Busch
Gustkey
Miller, John, of K. D.
Cale
Harader
Miller, John, of Po. D.
Chidester
Harned-Harnedt
Miller, Daniel L.
Chorpenning
Harsh-Hersch
Minear-Miniert
Colcamp
Harshberger
Moats-Motz
Cool-Kuhl
Hartman-Hartmann
Mosser*
Copeman-Koopmann Core
Hartzell
Mouser-Mauser
Cozad
Hauger*
Moyers-Meyer
Cramer-Kramer
Hauser*
Myers-Meyer
Cupp-Kupp
Heckert-Eckert
Nedrow
Cuppett Deal-Tiell
Heiskell
Nieman
Deets-Dietz
Henline-Henlein
Nine-Nein (Nine)
Dennis
Herring-Hering
Nordeck*
Dill
Hershman-Herschmann
Nose
Ditmore
Hoffman-Hofmann
Otto
Dull
Horchler
Painter
Eichelberger*
Hose
Paugh
Engle-Engel (Angel)
Hotsinpillar
Huffman-Hofmann
Pysel
Ervin-Erben
Kantner*
Keefover*
Keiser*
Rhoades
Ridenour-Ridenhauer
Fansler
King, Edward F.
Riggleman-Riegelmaun
Fearer
Kisner-Kessner
Rinehart-Reinhardt
Klauser*
Ringer*
Feather-Feder ( Feather) Fichtner*
Knisell-Kneyssel
Rechtine
Richard-Reichardt
Everly-Eberlie
Falkenstine-Falckenstein -(Falcon's Stone)
Keller*
Pifer-Pfeiffer
Englehart-Engelhardt
Heiman-Heimann
Nicola
Hartmeyer*
Mosteller*
Bowman-Baumann
Grim-Grimm
Rishel-Rischel
77
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Ritenour-Ridenhauer
Slaubaugh
Troxall-Trochsal Wable-Wabel
Rodeheaver-Roethenhoeffer Sliger
Rohr*
Smith, Jacob, of G. D.
Wagner*
Romesberg
-Schmidt (Smith)
Walter
Rosenberger"
Smith, Jacob, of PI. D.
Wamsley
Rosier-Rosar
Smith, John G.
Weltner
Roth* (Red)
Smith, Henry A.
Werner*
Runner
Smoot
Westerman-Westermann
Sanders, Hiram-Sandertz
Whetsell-Wetzel
Saucer Scherr* Schnapp Seal
Spielman-Spielmann
Whitehair
Spiker-Speicher
Wile-Weyl
Spindler
Wiles-Weills
Seese
Startzman
Wilhelm* (William)
Sell
Stemple-Stambel
Wilkins
Shafer-Schaefer ( Shepherd) Strawser-Strausser
Shaffer-Same as Shafer
Stuck
Stump-Stumpf
Wolfe-Wolff
Summers, Peter
Wotring
Sigler-Zeigler
Silbaugh-Silbach
Sine
Sisler-Schisler
Dewitt Heermans Hendrickson
Schooley Vankirk Vanmeter
Vansickle Vanwerth
SPANISH.
Casteel
HUNGARIAN.
DeNemegyei FRENCH.
Bohon Bolyard (Bolliard) Bonafield ( Bonnifant) Carrico Danser (Danseur)
DeBerry DeMoss Fortney (Fordeney) Larew (LaRue) Largin (L'Argent)
Marquess ( Marquise) Metheny (Mathenee) Posten
Radabaugh (Rodibeau) Severe (Sevier) Trembly (Trembli)
Zinn*
Teets-Tietz
Zweyer*
DUTCH.
Wilt Windle
Shaver-Same as Shafer Sheets
Swindler-Schwindler
Yeast
Sypolt
Snider-Schneider (Taylor) Spahr
White, of V.D .- Weiss ( White)
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
CHAPTER VI OUR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERED IN ALPHABETIC ARRANGEMENT
The object of the present chapter is to give, within the limits of a single paragraph, a concise account of each group-family of Preston county. Each paragraph sets forth, so far as our information would permit, the full name and previous home of the pioneer, the time of his arrival, the place of his settlement, and other facts of interest. Where there is no mention to the contrary, it is to be understood that at the present time the descendants are to be found at or near the place of first settlement. In cases where the family has been long resident on Preston soil, some mention of the various branches is frequently given.
This chapter includes only those settlers whose descendants have for at least a considerable time been identified with this county. In chapters Seven and Ten, Part One, and in Appendices D, E,, and F, will be found many names of other settlers. In numerous instances, these settlers were undoubtedly related to settlers named in the present chapter. It is even probable that to some of them there is unidentified posterity in Preston.
For the national origin of the pioneers, the reader is referred to the preceding chapter. For genealogic information relating to them. he is referred to the following chapter.
Our list includes over 700 group-families, but that we did not suc- ceed in catching all that might properly belong therein is freely conceded.
The arrangement of paragraphs is according to alphabetical order.
The Albrights are of a swarthy type, and hail from the county of York in Pennsylvania. David was a soldier in the war of 1812, and came with his wife a little before that event. He first lived on the Leonard farm near Guseman, but moved to the mouth of Roaring Creek, and later still to the immediate vicinity of the future town of Albright, which received from him its name. By trade he was a miller. Of his sons, George was killed in helping to raise a barn. William was a miller in the Dale Settlement. Henry, another miller, lived near
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Cranesville and was active at the age of ninety. The children of John. the remaining son, scattered into the west of the county. Daniel, a brother to David, came later ; by one account not until 1822. He set- tled at first in the Craborchard, but soon removed to near Cranesville. His sister was the first wife of Daniel Bower. His own wife, Mary Forman, is said to have been unrelated to the Formans of Preston. His son Michael remained on the homestead. The descendants of Daniel, Jr., are chiefly in the vicinity of Terra Alta, while those of Samuel are in the east of Valley. L. Morris, of the third generation, was many years a merchant of Kingwood.
William Anderson settled a mile north of Masontown, where a son still remains.
In 1852 Elisha M. Andrews came with his wife from Warren county in the Valley of Virginia. He located a mile west of Inde- pendence, and the resident connection is still in the same neighborhood. Mrs. Andrews, born 1822, was living when this book was begun.
William B. Annan also came from the Shenandoah Valley, arriving from Frederick county in 1841. He married and lived in Aurora, but the coming of the iron horse drew him to Rowlesburg in 1852. His grandson, William D. R., is a druggist of Newburg.
Isaac Armstrong came from Pennsylvania shortly before the war of 1812, in which he served. He settled southwest of Bruceton between the Big and Little Sandies. The name is now represented only by Isaac G., a merchant of Bruceton.
Robert Arnold, a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, carried on a considerable business in his native country and served on the Ordnance Survey in Dublin. Removing with his wife to America, he continued in business in Alleghany City, but undergoing a reverse in the panic of 1857, he came two years later to Preston. Here he taught school and became the owner of two farms west of Bruceton. Of his sons, Joseph G. remained on the homestead, Benjamin W. becoming a farmer and fruit grower near Terra Alta. Several sons of the latter have fol- lowed teaching.
William Arthur and his wife came from Wales in 1845, and located near Hazelton. His brother made the first T-rail in America. His son. William D., formerly a master mechanic, was merchant and miller at Hazelton from 1861 to 1905. He has been a leading man in his community and a zealous Methodist. His wife's grandfather built the first brick coke oven in the United States.
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Aaron Ashburn was a native of Greene. He came in 1839 with at least three children and located near Bretz. His son Enos lived at Reedsville, Elmer E., son of Enos, succeeding to the family home- stead. George W., youngest son of Aaron, lives near his nephew, and like him is a prosperous farmer. Relatives of Aaron came. to other counties of this state. One of their descendants is O. A. Ashburn of Doddridge, who has won a statewide reputation as educator and county superintendent. He has also served in the State Senate.
William Ashby came from Frederick county, Maryland, about 1776. Stephen and Jesse, whose names appear shortly afterward, were prob- ably brothers. William, whose wife was a daughter of a Welch immi- grant, became a lare landowner, especially on the Maryland line. In partnership with a Vanmeter, he located surveys on the head of Muddy. His stone house was perhaps the first of the kind in the county, and is claimed to have been the first dwelling on the State-road through Portland. The site is rather more than a mile east of Terra Alta, and a little to the north of the Corinth road. The house was a rough affair, mortared with clay, and was designed also to serve as a block- house. At some time in the 40's it was torn down. William died about 1804. his son Nathan living on at the stone house, and William Jr., settling beyond the Maryland line. Jesse, a third son, owned much of the Dunkard Bottom, the result, it is alleged, of a rifle trade. He removed to Iowa, and all the male descendants of the pioneer drifted out of the county. Jesse, a son of William Jr., was in 1908 living in Garrett at the age of ninety-two. Whether the Ashbys now in Preston are of a reimmigration, or are derived from a brother of William, seems unknown to them. They trace their desecnt only to John M., who lived on the site of Reedsville and died at an early age. The tragic death of his grandson, Joseph M., is elsewhere mentioned.
In 1857 George Auman came from Pennsylvania, and moved his family into a stone house on the Wesley Ringer farm in Morgan's Glade. Benjamin was the only son to remain in Preston.
The Avers family appeared near Newburg about 1870, coming from Germany.
The Ayersmans, a somewhat recent arrival, settled at Rowlesburg.
John Baker, a soldier in the war of 1812, married in Monongalia, and came thence in 1835 to the Lee Phillips place near Colebank. His son. Arthur F., settled in Tucker. The other son, Joseph G., lived on the George Sinclair farm in Reno. Asbury C., eldest son of the latter, was an educator and also an attorney of Kingwood. J. Nelson,
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PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
his brother, educated at West Virginia College, taught six years and then went into farming and real estate. Later, he was a merchant and was also owner and operator of the Evansville woolen mill. He was prominent in business and fraternal circles, and in 1898 and 1900 rep- resented Preston in the House of Delegates.
Israel Baldwin, a native of Connecticut, came to Kingwood in 1827 as agent for the owners of a tract of 47,000 acres .. His wife was Phoebe Bunker. He served his adopted town as postmaster, and was a man of wide information. His office stood on the site of the National Bank.
Barnabas Ball came from Monongalia in 1847, and bought of the Tricketts a small farm on York Run. His son, John C., was a resi- dent of Newburg and vicinity.
About 1790 Isaac Barb came from Stony Creek in the Shenandoah Valley. There and here he was a neighbor to the Wolfes. His new home was the farm now owned by John E. Jenkins of Morgan's Giade. The connection became extinct through failure in the male line.
The Barlows came in the German-Catholic immigration to the plateau west of the county seat. John S. C., is an attorney of Grafton.
Flemen C. Barnes was reared after the age of six by John Boger. He is a preacher of the German Baptist Church, a prosperous farmer, and until recent years was highly successful in selling books. He has retired from this work. Jacob P., a cousin, is a merchant of Brandon- ville. The daughters of both became well known as teachers. William J., brother to Jacob P., lived a number of years west of Brandonville.
Another and small Barnes connection occurs between Gladesville and Reedsville.
A few members of the Bayles connection of Monongalia settled rather recently near Hudson, near Reedsville, and near Gladesville.
The Rev. Daniel Beachy of the Amish Church, came from Pennsyl- vania in 1853, and settled on the fine farm at Aurora which is owned by a son and three daughters. Lewis is a cousin to these.
Robert Beatty was a soldier under General McIntosh in the Revolu- tion In 1798 he arrived from Hampshire, and purchased 400 acres on the river-hill plateau northeast of Kingwood, paying for it with two ponies. This tract, which includes the Dille farm, is of much more than ordinary quality. The pioneer built a cabin and began improve- ments, but because of a fear of the Indians the wife did not join him till two years later. When he brought her to the new home he was accompanied by Colonel Moore, who planted some apple sprouts on
322
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
the Beatty farm. In 1856, Robert sold the farm and removed to Ohio, where he died at the age of eighty-seven. John was the only son to remain in Preston. Of his own sons, Thomas and James settled on Salt Lick, and Alpheus, Henry C., and George R., in the Whetsell neighborhood. Henry C., is the last surviving member of the county court as constituted under the old system.
Moses Beavers came with his wife from Loudoun in 1808, to a farm at Red Rock, four miles southwest from Rowlesburg. His father had been killed in battle in the Revolution. William and Samuel, the youngest sons of Moses, lived on the home place. An older son, Thomas H., settled at Kingwood. He had four sons and four sons-in- law in the Federal army. Two of the former, Moses C., and David R., live at Kingwood. George W. lives at Tunnelton.
Michael K. Beeghley came from Pennsylvania to Brandonville about 1850. His son Emmanuel came to Bruceton in 1860, and was a miller there for 38 years. In 1879 he built the stone dam at a cost of $3,000. Michael, a relative ,is a farmer and huckster of Grant. Jacob, still another relative, came to Portland in 1855.
Philip Beerbower was the son of a German immigrant who came to the city of New York in 1732. In 1807 he himself traded his lands in York county, Pennsylvania for the tract near Glade Farms now owned by Harrison and Joseph Teets. All his five children, save Philip Jr., removed to Ohio, and in the West are many of their descendants. After the death of the parent the remaining son went to Ohio with the intention of staying. Deciding otherwise, he returned and bought a mile south of his earlier home the place now owned by his sons, Harry and Zer. His oldest son, George S., also lived in Grant, while Henry C. settled at St. Joe. The Rev. William D., oldest son of George S., was graduated from Roanoke College and became the Lutheran pastor at Brandonville, but died at the early age of 32. Charles W., a younger son, is manager of a large store in Pennsylvania. Jesse, son of Jacob and grandson of Philip, Sr., was a graduate of Jefferson College and the Keokuk Medical Colege. In 1856 he located at Bruceton as a phys- ician. In the Civil War he was a Federal surgeon. Just afterward he went South for his health, but died in Alabama.
James Bell came from Pennsylvania by 1812 or earlier, and settled on the Bell farm two miles south of Newburg. His sons, Richard, James, and Nimrod, reared families in the vicinity. Oliver M., a grand- son of the latter, and teacher, station agent, and railway mail clerk, met an untimely death through an accident.
323
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
In 1793 William Benson came from near Winchester and located on the William M. Smith place on Beaver Creek in Pleasant. He was a weaver. Some of his descendants have been gunsmiths, and the Bensons have a reputation for good marksmanship. The Preston con- nection are derived from the sons George and James, who as well as their father are buried on the Smith farm. James was in the war of 1812. The Bensons are now distributed over Grant, Pleasant, and Portland.
The Bircher connection appeared near Reedsville about the time of the Civil War, but is now in Grant below the mouth of Big Sandy.
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