USA > West Virginia > Preston County > A History of Preston County, West Virginia, V.1 > Part 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51
John Emerson lives near St. Peter's church.
Two brothers, Clement W., and William Engle, came from Mary- land to the upper valley of Roaring Creek, the former brother arriving in IS44. Their sister, Sarah, married Daniel Albright. The Rev. Albert, a Methodist preacher, is a son of Clement W.
John Englehart, a native of Garrett, came to Guseman in 1888, where he has since been the manager of the woolen factory.
Isaac Erwin arrived from Pennsylvania about 1801, and lived at Lenox on the John K. Peaslee farm. His son, Isaac, settled near Tunnelton and moved thence to Reedsville. Isaac, Jr., lived at Cranes- ville, and John at Willey.
Hugh Evans, a native of Delaware, came to Reno a little earlier, probably, than 1800. He was a substantial citizen, owning 600 acres of choice valley land. His third log house, the successor of two earlier ones destroyed by fire, was the best in the vicinity. Evansville was laid out on his land. He was a justice of the county court in 1828, and was afterward sheriff. He is also said to have been a sheriff of Monongalia prior to the formation of the new county. Hugh Evans lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and two and a half years, and was contemporary with all the American wars from the Revolution to the Civil War inclusive. He saw the last Indian scalp that was brought into Morgantown, it being a trophy by Lewis Wetzel.
James Evans came from Wales to Hazelton about 1860. His son, George D., is a merchant of Clifton.
Warner B. Evans is a more recent arrival in the southeast of Union, as is F. Pierce, in the west of Grant, the latter coming from Fayette. Near Glade Farms is still another small Evans connection.
Henry, Peter, and Joseph Everly were brothers, who appeared in the east of the county a little prior to 1800. Joseph, a soldier at Fort Meigs, married here, but moved to Ohio after the close of
344
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
the war of 1812. Peter lived in Pleasant near Rockville. In middle life he went down the Ohio, taking with him his two oldest children. Henry first lived a little north of Cranesville, but soon afterward moved to Hudson, where he carried on a gristmill. His posterity are the more numerous branch and are found in both sides of the country. Edward C., a grandson, is the present county clerk.
George Everts came from Bedford county, Pennsylvania in 1851, and located on the Huddleson place, southwest of Reedsville. All but two of his children were born before his arrival.
Colonel John Fairfax was a son of William Fairfax by his second wife, Elizabeth Buckner. William, although a tory, like all the Fair- faxes, became in 1783 the manager of Mount Vernon, the family estate of General Washington. The father of William was John, a near cousin to the William whose daughter Anne married Lawrence Washington, and whose oldest son, George William, was agent for Lord Fairfax. In this capacity he employed George Washington as a land surveyor in 1748. The Lord Fairfax who came to America in 1745, and died in 1782 at the age of 91, was a first cousin to William, the father of Anne and George W. He elected to live a bachelor, because jilted through his mother's insistence that he sign away the family estates in order to save the Culpeper grant of the Northern Neck. His marriage bond had already been signed. The Fairfax name begins in England in 1204. with Richard de Fairfax of Yorkshire. On the advice of General Washington, John Fairfax decided at the age of 25 to "go West and grow up with the country." He purchased of Philip Doddridge some choice lands in the glades of Valley, and settled thereon in 1790, or the year following. He would have gone farther West, but for the peril of Indians. In the new home he was a conspicuous citizen and in- fluential in inducing other people to come from the east of Virginia. He was sheriff of Monongalia in 1805, and of Preston in ISI8. He was a colonel of militia and member of the State Legislature. General Buckner, his son, lived at the Fairfax Ferry, near Kingwood. When only twenty years old he surveyed the boundary between Preston and Monongalia. He was three times in the legislature, held various local offices, and was commander of the Tenth Brigade of State Militia. Francis B. F., and George W., lived on the paternal homestead in Valley. Elizabeth L., lived at the Fairfax manor, built in 1818, two miles east of Kingwood. She there dispensed a liberal and elegant hospitality, the stone mansion being frequented by the best society of
345
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
the region. The Fairfaxes were wealthy in realty and in slaves. At present only a very few persons in the county bear the surname.
Lewis Falkenstine, a weaver by trade, came in 1817 from Mason- town, Pennsylvania to Valley. Point. At the latter place he purchased 800 acres for $800. At the former place he could have purchased only 100 acres with the same money. He had made a preliminary visit in 1808, at which time he found a round-log tavern at Sand Spring on Chestnut Ridge, and between there and Bruceton but two other houses. There is a large posterity from his sons, Samuel, Lewis, Jacob, and David.
James Falkner came from Maryland to the vicinity of Hazelton in 1868.
William L. Fansler came from Tucker to Stemple Ridge about 1857. The name has now passed out. Mrs. Mary Fortney, daughter of William L., is a practicing physician.
Uriah Fawcett was living near Clifton Mills at the beginning of the last century. His father, Thomas, passed into history as the slayer of General Braddock. That stubborn martinet had given orders that the provincial soldiers should not take position behind trees as the French and Indians did. Seeing one of them thus disobeying his order, he struck him with his sword and was shot down by the soldier's brother. After Braddock's fall the provincials sheltered themselves as they pleased and thus avoided needless loss of life. Mrs. Lydia Fawcett Guthrie of Grant, is a descendant of Thomas.
William Fawcett was passing through Preston with his wife and family in 1813. They were on their way to Kentucky, but at the Fairfax ford the wife was disabled by a broken bone in consequence of a mishap to the stage. At Kingwood Fawcett bought 300 acres for $100 and a racehorse. He built a log house where the Baptist church now stands, and on the Smalley lot a blacksmith shop where he made all sorts of edged tools. After fourteen months he sold out for $700, purchased lands on Dunkard Creek in Monongalia, lived there a year, and then went on to Kentucky. At Kingwood his daughter, Mary, wedded Thomas Squires. Her younger brother, Charles, had also seen a face there, and this face drew him back from Kentucky in 1822, to marry and live in Kingwood. Charles was keeper of the alms- house from 1847 to 1868, and his sons, William M., and John A., set- tled at or near Kingwood, Birkett M. living on Scotch Hill. James, a half-brother to Charles, also came from Kentucky and lived here a while ..
1
346
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Levi, Joseph, and James Fearer, sons of John of Selbysport, Mary- land, made homes near Glade Farms, as did also George A., their cousin, whose son, Albert R., was a merchant of Terra Alta.
About 1775 Jacob Feather arrived in America as a redemptioner. He served seven years in the Continental army, his master being a fellow- soldier. In 1790 he came here, at first settling north of Guseman on the Lucian Martin farm, but afterward moving to the Joseph B. Feather place near Lenox. His wife survived him until 1860. Their seven sons lived in the same neighborhood. The progeny of these have become very numerous and considerably diffused. John W. was a county superintendent. Joseph B., Charles E., and Dana S., are Metho- dist ministers.
Joseph Fellows, for whom Fellowsville was named, was reared by Israe! Baldwin, to whom he was related. He was an uncle to John Heermans and married Delia A. Hagans. Martin Van Buren was a guest at their wedding.
John Felton came with the Wheelers from Frederick county, Mary- land. He lived a while in Ryan's Glade in Garrett, and in 1808 settled on the river-hill northeast of the Northwestern Bridge. In 1817 he re- moved to the Jackson place at Whetsell's He was a justice 24 years, and was sheriff at the time of his death in 1844. His father came from England to Baltimore about 1759. The connection is found in Portland and Reno.
Dr. Daniel Fichtner came from Somerset to Cranesville in 1854. None of his family but Dr. Martin L., remained here.
Of Peter Fickey, an old resident in the east of Pleasant, we have no coherent account.
The Field connection is derived from Augusta county. There may be a kinship with the Fields of Orange and Albemarle. One of these commanded a division in Lee's army, while another, Major James G. Field, also a Confederate soldier, was Populist candidate for vice-pres- ident in 1892. Richard came to Cobun's Fort near Morgantown in 1772. He was undoubtedly the same Field who settled in 1774 on the Holmes place near Gladesville, and was murdered by Indians a few years later. He had gone alone to inspect his traps in the glades of Valley, and not returning in due time, a searching squad found his body stripped and scalped, and pierced by seven balls. Apparently he was drinking from a spring when waylaid. His burial was in the hollow made by the uprooting of a fallen tree. The spot is on the line between the farms of Sanford Watson and Simon Snider. Benjamin patented the
ME
347
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
survey near Gladesville and lived on it for 30 years afterward. He was probably a son of the murdered man. By his request he was buried on a hill whence he had at one time watched the movements of a party of Indians. Another Richard, apparently a brother, also pat- ented land in the same locality, but seems to have gone West. After the death of Benjamin in 1819, his three sons who remained in Preston settled in Valley. Richard, a soldier in 1812, lived on the I. B. Field place, John in Long Hollow, near by, and Hiram after a sojourn south of Tunneton, came in 1834 to the J. J. Field place, also in Long Hollow. The connection is now numerous and is still chiefly in Valley. One group is around Herring, which for a while was called Fieldsville. Another group occupies a tract east of Reedsville purchased by Samuel in 1846.
At Tunnelton is a slight representation of another family of Fields.
The brothers Jacob and Peter Fike were in Grant in 1810. The latter appears to have no posterity here. His son, Levi, a miller, is remembered for his practical jokes. Jacob, a son of Jacob, built about 1835 a massive stone house about a mile north of Brandonville.
George Fike lived on the Jeremiah Thomas farm in Crant and went to Ohio about 1835. A son, Jacob, who removed to Maryland, had twelve children, mostly born here. One of these is William H., of Hazelton.
Peter Fike came to Union from Fayette about 1853 and located a mile and a half south of Eglon. The connection is rather large.
George Fint came to Eglon in 1847, but died in Nebraska. John was the only one of his children to remain in Preston.
James Flynn lived on the line between Loudoun and Fauquier. He came about 1850, and purchased the farm later developed into the plant of the Austin Coal Company. All the family returned permanently to Virginia excepting Benjamin W., who sold the place and went into the Confederate service through the influence of his cousin, "Extra Billy" Smith. After the war he returned and until his death from a railroad accident, was manager of the Irondale furnace.
Peter Foglesong, son of a German immigrant, lived near Amboy.
Frederick K. Ford came in the 40'c from the Valley of Virginia to the mouth of Wolf Creek. His uncle, a veteran of the Revolution, lived with him. His wife was a cousin to General Anthony Wayne. Of his twin sons, Frank M., was a sheriff, and Frederick G. W., is a retired Methodist minister. George M., son of the latter, is a prominent edu- cator of the State.
348
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Robert and John Forman were Quakers from the southeast of Pennsylvania. The latter seems to have died in 1794. Robert was here in 1786 and purchased land of the Robinetts, the tract including the Chorpenning farm and extending toward Bruceton and Brandon- ville. His wife was from Baltimore. Of their five sons, John was a large landowner at Bruceton and built the stone houses now the property of Ira Thomas. Samuel lived on the Goup farm. Joseph and Richard settled in Pleasant, near John G. Harned's. Isaac, a soldier of 1812, died at Fort Meigs. Otherwise, the early Formans were strict Quakers. It is related of Samuel that a horse was sold from him to pay the fines for his non-attendance at muster. A brother bought the animal and turned it into the lane leading to the house of the owner. But Samuel, obeying his convictions, drove the horse away. The Forman connection is now but slightly represented in Grant, though extensive in the other east side districts and in Valley and Kingwood. John C., son of Isaac, was a well-to-do and prominent citizen of Bruceton and filled a number of public positions. Robert, son of Joseph, moved to Valley in 1840. Abner, son of Richard, was a preacher and was killed by a fall from his horse. Lewis J., grandson of Samuel, is a leading citizen of Grant county and has served in the State Senate. His brother Allen has been much in office as county commissioner, and Lloyd H., another brother, is a physician.
John Forquer came from Somerset about 1825 to the Asbury Liston place near Guseman. But Dayton S., the only male householder now resident, lives near Brandonville.
Of the Fortneys there are two connections; those of the cousins, Daniel and Peter. According to the late Rev. D. R. Fortney, there was in the eighteenth century a family of Fortneys near Fred- erick, Maryland. Some of its members were Daniel, who married Barbara Pickenpaugh, Sr., Catharine, wife of Henry Runner, and Charlotte, wife of Lewis Wolfe. They had a brother Peter. Wolfe purchased land on the Little Sandy in 1796, and seems to have located near the Reno-Taylor line. Runner seems identical with the pioneer of that name in Reno. Daniel Fortney had at least two sons, John and Daniel, Jr. The former married Christina Garlow and came to Monongalia. The latter arrived in Preston in 1796, or, by a less prob- able account, in 1790. The ruins of his log house may be seen in Valley, a little south of Bethlehem church. His oldest son Jacob be- came very literally an old bachelor. His second son, Daniel, lived on
349
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
the homestead, and John was a close neighbor. Henry, an ensign in the war of 1812, went to Ohio about 1810, but soon returning, settled on the W. O. Miller farm near Manown. Their descendants are quite numerous between the Morgantown Pike and the line of Reno. They have furnished the county three school superintendents; Thomas, Lorain, and Willis. The first named served also in the State Legis- lature. Lorain, who won the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, has seen extensive service in the state normal schools of West Virginia. Neil J. is the well-known attorney. His brother, Lycurgus, died at college while taking a divinity course. Daniel R. was 45 years a minister of the Methodist Protestants. His brother John was a physician, as are likewise Adolphus O., Clark S., and Frank D.
Peter Fortney in 1802 walked all the way to the Three Fork from Carroll's Manor, near Frederick, Maryland. He settled on the Jacob H. Fortney farm, which had been patented 15 years earlier. This connection is very numerously represented in the female line, but very scantily in the male line because of persistent emigration by the members of that sex. Jacob, son of Peter, was a physician in Harrison.
Henry Fortney, cousin to Daniel and Peter, came to Monongalia in 1808. His sons were Daniel, Peter, and John. John G., a son of John, lived a while near Gladesville.
Fraish is an early name near Aurora, but we have been given no definite history of it.
George W. Fraley, a native of Alleghany county, came about 1821, living with the Feltons. He settled on the Potter farm near King- wood, but afterward removed to Terra Alta. His wife was Scotch.
John Francisco, whose wife's sister married Robert White, lived on the James W. Brown farm near Kingwood. He was a local preacher. About 1856 he and his sons went to Iowa.
While the Frankhouser family was crossing the Atlantic one child died and another was born. Nicholas came in 1797 from Boonsboro, Md., where he had traded his 80-acre farm for 700 acres in Grant. His cabin stood near the Little Sandy, on the Henry Frankhouser place. His grandson, Lindley H., remembers him as a gruff, white-haired man, who was much inclined to tease. His sons were remarkable for longevity, three of them passing the age of ninety. David settled on the Mud Pike, a mile east of Brandonville, keeping a tavern and a store at his home and another at Clifton. The connection is diffused about Grant, Pleasant, and Portland.
350
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Ephraim Frazee was living on the Little Sandy in 1774, but whether he was the forefather of the Frazees of Garrett we are not informed. Isaac came from Maryland in 1852, settling on the Isaac Patton farm a mile north of Salem church. Asa K. settled in 1868 on the Boger farm. Ross, near Glade Farms, is his nephew.
William Frazier came from Frederick county Md., in 1848, and settled at Evansville. He had been the driver of a horse train on the Baltimore and Ohio road, and was never a steam engineer, although he hauled the first engine that went to Winchester. He was on his way to Harrison, but was induced by an old friend to halt in Preston. The "fine house" of the firiend was a mean log cabin that made Mrs. Frazier homesick. All the five sons were engineers. William H. was killed by a locomotive, and Thomas C. was accidentally killed by his own gun while hunting a squirrel for a sick person.
Robert Freeburn came from Ireland in 1834 and settled on the Jonathan S. Loar place. His mother was a Courtney. His wife was of Scottish birth. His son William became a business man in Nebraska.
John Freeland came about 1804 from Pennsylvania, or from near Baltimore. He settled near St. Joe, but his sons, David, Benjamin, Aaron, and Hiram located in the vicinity of Terra Alta, and James on Nettle Ridge. David was a great huntsman and is said to have killed 600 deer. William B. is a veteran teacher, especially of his · home school, and has been in the State Legislature. Frank, the son of David, is a physician in New York.
Benjamin Freeland settled in 1841 on the Nelson Ervin farm on the north slope of Mount Phoebe.
Richard Fretwell, a railroad conductor, made his home in Rowles- burg in 1876.
Asa, William, and Robert R. Frey were sons of William of Mary- land. All but Asa became physicians.
Friend is a pioneer name of the northwest of Garrett, but members of the connection have crossed the Preston line. John came with his wife and five children to the site of Friendsville in 1760. Five more were born in his blockhouse. Nicholas, the oldest son, was killed by Indians in 1776. Two other sons went to Missouri and the four sisters to Ohio. Gabriel, Joseph and John remained in Garrett and have a numeuros posterity. Joseph married Sarah, a daughter of John Green. Their children were Andrew, John G., Josiah G., William E., and two daughters.
٥
351
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
David H. Fries came from Union Bridge, Md., in 1830, and settled midway between Carmel and Amboy. Later he removed to Amboy, where he cleared out a farm, built a saw and grist mill, and carried on a carding and general cabinet business. About 1850 he went to Rowlesburg.
Dr. John A. Fullmer was a transient resident in the west of Pleasant.
John Funk came about 1797 from Rockingham to the vicinity of Kingwood. Jacob, who appears to have been a son, built a tannery in Kingwood in 1810. He seems to have gone to Ohio with the Morgans and Butlers. The resident connection are derived from the sons George and John and are found mainly in Reno.
A Furman family lived some time near Pisgah.
The Gable family, now extinct, lived near Valley Point.
David Galloway came from Fayette in 1800, and lived on the George B. Hill farm in Grant. His children drifted out, but John M., a grand- son, married in Preston and settled near Hudson.
Samuel Gandy came from New Jersey, and in 1794 purchased a large farm a half-mile west of Gladesville. He was married a con- siderable time before his arrival. A brother came with him but located near Parkersburg. Samuel was keeping a tavern in 1812. He is men- tioned as of strong convictions and eccentric nature. Levi, his son, was a local preacher. He opened up eight or ten farms. It is said of him that when he could no longer make the top of a tree fall into his yard he would move to another spot. Amos, another son, lived on Sand Ridge. He was the father of Captain Cornelius and grandfather of Frank W., formerly county superintendent. The connection has shown an unusual tendency to migrate from the county.
Philip Garner came from Somerset to Ryan's Glade in Garrett somewhat prior to 1800. About 1810 the widow brought her family to the Craborchard and married Amos Roberts, whose daughter Frances married William, the only one of her sons to remain in the county. He settled three miles northeast of Kingwood. John, who went to Barbour, had a large family, and some members of the same appear to have intermarried with various Preston famliies. W. Scott, of Pringle's Run, is the veteran journalist of the county and has been identified all his life with the printer's vocation, besides doing much work in the domain of historical writing.
Aaron Gibbs settled early in the last century on the A. Staley Shaw place just east of Terra Alta.
352
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
Thomas Gibson came somewhat earlier than 1798, and settled on the Rolla Liston place in Pleasant. He owned 800 acres in the angle between the Cheat and the Big Sandy. The posterity of his sons James and Levi dwell on both sides of the Cheat gorge, except that James, Jr., settled near Tunnelton, about 1844, where his son Milford C. be- came a prominent business man. The connection has furnished a con- siderable number of teachers.
Joseph H. Gibson came from Cumberland in 1845 and was in busi- ness at and near Brandonville until 1872. In partnership with H. C. Hagans he built a saw and grist mill, which was burned by Confederate emissaries. In the latter part of his life he lived at St. Joe. He pos- sessed little education, but had good judgment and a keen business instinct. He saved the county a draft by raising a quota of soldiers. In 1869 he was in the State Legislature. His son, David J., was a merchant at Newburg for 27 years.
Jacob Gibson came from Chester county, Pa., in 1868. He lived first at Evansville and later at Independence.
Jacob Geldbach and his wife, of German descent, came to Newburg in 1857.
The Gidley connection has for some time been associated with Kingwood district. The name would seem to be a corruption of Gridley.
Hamilton L. Gillis came from Fayette about 1857.
Elias B. Glenn came from Delaware about 1841, and lived on the Allen Ridgway farm, near Sinclair.
The name of Amos Glover first appears in 1798. He and his brother Benjamin were apprentices to Joseph Worley, whose widow Benjamin married. Amos returned to Pennsylvania upon his second marriage, purchased a large tract of land, and reared a second numerous family. From the sons of his first marriage are derived all the Glovers now in Preston. Richard lived near Hazelton, and William, a justice, on the Flemen C. Barnes place.
John C. Gocke came to the vicinity of Howesville in the 40's and kept a tavern. A son by his second marriage became a Catholic priest. Another is Vincent E., for some years a business man of Howesville.
Robert Goodwin, a stepson to Andrew Sterling, came from Mary- land about 1805, and lived a while at Centenary, in Pleasant, but at length removed to Ritchie county. His son, Captain Joseph M., was a citizen of Kingwood. Colonel Edward A., son of the latter, is a graduate of West Point and is in the United States army.
353
PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
James Goff is claimed as a descendant of Judge Goffe, who was one of the council that sentenced Charles II to the block. He came to Tucker prior to 1774. There is extant a bill of that date, made out by him for building a house for one Mary Combes. In 1783 he moved to the Chambers bottom, just within the Preston line, succeeding a man named Jordan as owner of that choice tract. In Tucker he was burned out by Indians and never again used his former care in the ordering of his home. He worked hard and always had corn, which he sold at the uniform rate of fifty cents a bushel. His money accumulated in a sack concealed under the cabin floor. He could loan out quite a hand- some sum when there was occasion to do so. The actual floor of his cabin was the mother earth. It is related that the kettle of mush was set in the middle of the space, each member of the household helping himself with a wooden spoon. The bill of fare always included bread and meat and sometimes greens. He never called his boys to work, but if they were not out in time to tell weeds from corn, he warmed them with a limber hickory. His brother Salathiel was the direct ancestor of Judge Goff of Clarksburg. Two other
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.