USA > West Virginia > Preston County > A History of Preston County, West Virginia, V.1 > Part 37
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was possible at all she gave assistance. Their distinguished son, James C., is elsewhere mentioned. Samuel, a younger son, was graduated from the Virginia Military Institute. Isaac, an older son, remained on the homestead.
William McKee, a prominent and well-to-do citizen of Brandonville, arrived there in 1847, coming from Pennsylvania. It is related of him that he drove 45 miles to the funeral of his father, who died at the age of 91.
Luke McKinney moved from Jefferson county to the Dorsey Knob, south of Morgantown, arriving there in 1810. In 1820, he settled on the Joseph J. Mckinney farm west of Bretz.
John J. McMakin came from Hampshire county about 1850 and settled at Independence. His son Robert A., lives near Amboy.
Robert McMillen, a soldier of the Revolution, arrived about 1790, and patented 500 acres on the river-hill near Friendship schoolhouse in Valley. His cabin stood near the house of William H. Everly. His great-grandson, Alcinus F., is a surveyor. Robert M., brother to the latter is a physician. Their nephews, Russell H., and P. Wade, are graduates of the State University.
The McNairs are seemingly all of the same Pennsylvanian stock. John appears to have arrived in the west of Pleasant about 1820. Perry, a nephew, came to Grant in 1858. Andrew S., of Bruceton, arrived from Fayette when 16. William was living in Long Hollow about 1850.
William McPeck of Pleasant is a recent comer from Monongalia.
Isaac Means came to Evansville from Taylor.
William Menear was the son of a German immigrant, and is re- garded as a son of John Minear, a pioneer of Tucker. He took a survey north of Reedsville in 1774, but because of the Indians he did not live on it till after 1785. He parted with a half of this fine selection for a silver-mounted rifle. Three years before he took patent for his land, one David Menear had patented 260 acres west of Cheat in a "plumb" orchard. Moses, a brother or son to William, was one of those pioneers in Hacklebarney who abandoned their holdings because of a fear that their titles were defective. His selection was the Simon B. Titchnell farm. He removed to Barbour and has descendants in Marion and other counties. David and John, the sons of William, lived on the family homestead. Their descendants are a host, and they have scattered southward and eastward.
Benjamin K. Menefee came from Warren county about 1840 and
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settled near the York Run church. His son James F., removed to the mouth of Elsey's Run.
Peter Meredith lived on the river-hill north of Kingwood and was a neighbor to the pioneer Beatty. He purchased his land of the Butlers in 1805.
Philip Merrill, a New Englander, lived on the Felix E. Jeffers farm in the Whetsell Settlement.
" Abner Messenger, a soldier of the Revolution, was a native of Simsbury, Conn. His wife was a sister to General Zebulon Pike, who discovered Pike's Peak and fell in a successful attack on Toronto. Abner and his wife went to Ohio, but as she was dissatisfied, they returned as far as the Preston hills, about 1805, and settled for the rest of their days on the B. W. Arnold farm, a mile west of Terra Alta. They built a two-storied log house with a central chimney. During the early period of settlement it was not much trouble to kill several rattlesnakes before breakfast. Abner also fought at Baltimore in 1814. In the 50's Abner, Jr., went to Gilmer with all his family excepting Alpheus. John Ewing, son-in-law to the pioneer, was in the wars of 1846 and 1861. James Miller, another son-in-law, was grandfather to Thomas C. Miller, lately State Superintendent of Free Schools. Edmund has seen long service on the county court.
William Messenger, who married a daughter of the foregoing Abner, came from New York.
Absalom Metheny migrated from Rockingham to Harrison, but shortly afterward came here, arriving about 1800 and settling in the Craborchard near the David O. Feather place. Elisha M., of Muddy Creek is the oldest of his grandsons. His son William J., has been president of the county court. George W., of Elijah C., and his own son, Percy W., became Methodist ministers.
James Metheny, a cousin of Absolom, appears to have come about the same time. He settled on Beech Run Hill at the Henry C. Martin farm. Of his 16 children, Nathan was the only son to remain in Preston. The latter settled in 1829 on the Silas M. Metheny farm near Rockville. He was a sheriff and prominent citizen. His progeny is more numerous than that of Absalom.
John Metzler came from Somerset about 1850 and settled near Mor- gan's Glade. His grandson, Charles R., is station agent at Newburg.
John George Meyer, a native of Strassburg on the Rhine, came to America when 18, worked on the National Road, and in 1833 bought the farm on Mason Run still held by the family.
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Lewis T. Meyers came about 1877, settling on the Mud Pike two miles west of Glade Farms.
William Michael arrived from Cumberland about 1796 and settled near the Oak Grove schoolhouse, a mile south of Bruceton. His sons John and Philip remained in Grant, James settling in Pleasant, and William, in Reno, where his son John F., became a physician of Fel- lowsville, the nine sons of the latter also taking professional careers Walter H., a grandson of Philip, was graduated from the State Uni- versity in 1884. He taught in the University of North Carolina and then became connected with the American Law Boow Company of New York. His brother, J. Clark, is an attorney of St. Paul, Minn.
David C. Miles, a sheriff of Preston, was living prior to 1854 on the J. M. G. Fairfax place east of Reedsville.
The Miller name is perhaps more numerously represented in this county than any other, especially in Pleasant. It divides into at least seven distinct connections.
Peter Miller resided a few years on Beech Run Hill. He served in the war of 1812 and never returned.
John Miller came from Somerset in 1816, locating on the Solomon Miller place a little west of Valley Ponit.
Joseph N. Miller was a son of Henry, a German immigrant and came here from Berks county, Pa. His wife was from New England. He arrived at Hazelton about 1830, but at length removed to Morgan's Glade, where he was storekeeper and postmaster. It was he who named the office Morgan's Glade, the Morgans having patented a thousand acres here. His eight sons followed his example in taking up the trade of blacksmith.
A second John Miller came in the spring of 1781 from near Front Royal. His purchase of 600 acres comprised the Vankirk and Jordan farms and the east half of the site of Kingwood. His land included a cabin and a clearing, and he proceeded to put in a crop. One night he found that an Indian was prowling about the house, but he and his two boys, John and William, effected their escape. They returned to the Shenandoah, the father dying on the way. John, Jr., who inherited the Preston property, returned not later than 1787. He sold the land he inherited on the Ohio near Blennarhassett Island. The brother inherited some land in North Carolina, but returned to Virginia. Of the sons of John, Jr., David remained on the homestead and Henry settled near the Tunnelton Campground. Joseph A., a justice, living near the latter locality, is a grandson of Henry.
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A third John Miller came from Pennsylvania about 1800, but has no male descendants here. His daughter Christina, who married Philip Wolfe, could speak no English before she was 18.
Daniel L. Miller came from Somerset about 1840 and settled on the A. J. Deal place. This connection is at Glade Farms and Brandon- ville.
James Miller, a Scotch weaver, came in 1847, and purchased 400 acres at Manown for $400. He at length removed to Marshall county, but his son William remained.
John Minear was born about 1730, came to America in 1767, and to Tucker in 1773, where he was a leader of the infant colony and a man of education, judgment, and influence. He and his son Jonathan were killed by Indians. Minears of the female sex have married into families of Union. John, a descendant of the pioneer, lived near Austin, where he was known as "Groundhog John." His boy Charles was murdered about 1852 by Irish railroad workers. It is maintained by some that William Menear of Preston was a son of the pioneer. But if any relationship existed it was probably not so close.
The parents of Burkett Minor and his sisters appear to have lived in Kingwood District early in the last century, but their names are not known to us. Burkett is said to have been a good, all-round mechanic.
The Moats connection of Union would appear to be derived from Jacob, an early German pioneer of Pendleton county. He came to America in 1749.
The Mollisseys of Valley are a rather late arrival from Monongalia.
Robert W. Monroe, a native of Hampshire, came from Harrison to Independence in 1845, and in 1876 to Kingwood. At first a teacher and civil engineer, he became a lawyer at the age of 39.
Henry Montgomery of Maryland came to Irondale about 1862, and was a railroad engineer as long as age permitted.
Jacob Moon came from Marion and was living near Kingwood prior to the Civil War. His son Jacob became well-to-do after remov- ing to Missouri.
There was a second connection of Moons on the Barbour line near Evansville.
Samuel Moore came from Maryland in 1836, and lived in Union on the John Nine farm.
David Moore, a shoemaker and renter, came from Rockingham about 1850, locating at Independence.
VL
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Edmisson Moore, a son of Mrs. Green by her second marriage, lived a little east of Fellowsville. His wife attained the age of precisely one hundred years and seven months.
George D. Moore lived near Tunnelton.
Between 1774 and 1825 there were so many Moores on the Pennsylvania line west of Big Sandy that the locality was styled the "Moore Settlement." Yet the name has long since disappeared from Grant.
The pioneer Morgan family seems to have included at least seven children. Their mother came with them, apparently as a widow. The sons were grown and there was a married daughter. William and Hugh settled in 1775 on the west bank of Cheat at the mouth of Mor- gan's Run, which derives its name from them. The other Morgans appear to have been minors at this time. Some of them were, at least. Patrick was killed by Indians about 1778. David was a surveyor. In 1786 he patented 1000 acres on Muddy Creek. Most of the connection went to Ohio, Joseph going in 1806, and Hugh about 1815. Purchases of lands in the new State were made in 1811, but the migration was delayed in consequence of the war with the British and Indians. Hugh owned a portion of the site of Kingwood. About 1806 he built a house on the lot where the late Elisha Thomas lived. When he moved to Ohio. all his ten daughters were married except two. James, another Morgan, lived on the Potter farm. William remained on the home- stead at the river. His sons were William, John and George. The last named died at an early age. John sold his share of the farm to his other brother, and with the span of horses and $100 in money that he received as payment, he betook himself to the West. William, Jr., sold out to Jesse Ashby, and about 1840 began keeping store at Albright. It is claimed that his mother, who took Michael Grady for a second husband, lived to be 104 years old. In her way of living she remained old-fashioned to the last, pounding her dough on a rock and making her bread with water and salt and no soda. She bought her sugar and coffee by the sack and sugared her coffee well, the latter article being a rarity here until her old age. For her place of burial she selected a sugar maple on the hillside above the cabin. The tree has since blown down.
Reuben Morris, son of an immigrant from England, came from Pennsylvania about 1817 and settled near Kingwood. He taught school, surveyed, was justice, member of county court, and deputy sheriff. His sons John J., and Edward were also surveyors.
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Samuel Morton came about 1787 from Westchester county, Pa. He sent for his son Samuel to help build the mill he put up at Bruceton, in 1791. Of this son we have no further record. Benjamin, another son, lived on the fine farm near Brandonville, which was later the home of his two single daughters. His wife did not take kindly to the frontier and spent many moments in watching for wagons coming from the East. William, another son of the pioneer, lived at Bruceton, and his own son John on the Andrew Collins farm. Samuel, another son of William, built a mill at Clifton, but moved into Pennsylvania about 1855. His brothers and sisters went West several years earlier. One or two Thomas Mortons are named in 1798.
Nicholas Mosser came from Germany probably a little earlier than the Revolution. After the war of 1812 he moved from Lancaster county, Pa., to Selbysport in Garrett, being accompanied by his sons, Christian, John, and Nicholas. John, a soldier of 1812, settled shortly after that event at Clifton Mills. Jacob, a son of Christian, settled near Rockville about 1847. His sister Barbara married John C. Robinson. The Mosteller family lived a mile west of Bruceton.
Jacob Mouser kept a tavern on the Dunkard Bottom at an early day. He was related to the Chipps family. He removed to Thornton in Taylor county, but his grandson George settled near Newburg.
Jacob Moyers came from Pennsylvania to Grant a little earlier than 1800, settling on the A. J. Deal place.
John S. Murdock was a native of Monongalia. His father died dur- his minority, and he was reared by Godfrey Guseman, the other chil- dren being reared by other persons. He came to Kingwood abut 1827 and lived there the rest of his very long life. He was a justice and in 1852 a member of the county court. Four of his sons remained in Kingwood. Godfrey G., a younger brother to John S., lived on Three Fork and at Tunnelton, and went West about 1874. One son, William H., returned and lives at the county seat.
Jacob Murray, son of Charles, an immigrant from Ireland, came to Colebank in 1841 and in 1849 removed to the A. J. Murray farm near Sinclair.
A century ago, William Myers, who seems to be a son of Joseph or John,-named in 1798,-was living in a cove of Chestnut Ridge, near the northwest angle of Preston. John, a son of William, remained on the home place, while Daniel, another son, located a little west of Rowlesburg.
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Christopher Myers came from Germany and in 1852 located in the German Settlement near Howesville.
Jonathan Nedrow, grandson of a German immigrant, came from Somerset in 1840, settling near Florence on the W. M. Jeffreys place. His mother died in 1904 at the age of 99. Samuel H., the oldest son, is a merchant of Brandonville. John S., and the oldest son of the latter are physicians.
John and William Neff came from Pennsylvania to Valley in 1866.
John T. Neff, a native of Maryland, went to Missouri in 1844, but located at Kingwood in 1868, where he kept a hotel. His son James H., is a lieutenant in the United States army.
Nestor, which is a Barbour and Tucker name, is slightly repre- sented in Reno.
Richard Nicholson was a member of the Quaker colony in Grant.
Jacob Nicola came from Somerset in 1797 and with his three children settled on the Harrison Cale farm a mile west of Valley Point. His grandson, Jacob B., was a miller.
John Nieman came from Germany in 1835 and to the east of Pleasant in 1871.
Christian Nine came from Philadelphia in 1801, and settled near Amblersburg on the George Nine place. His brother Conrad settled near Eglon, but within the Maryland line. The connection is somewhat numerous in Union, and in Reno there was once a larger representation than now.
About 1834 John F. Nordeck settled on the Nordeck farm southeast of Corinth.
Michael Nose, a German immigrant, settled in Barbour. His sons George and Jacob settled near Marquess, the former about 1854.
Robert T. O'Bryon lived at the Annan Tannery in recent years.
John O'Hara came from Ireland in 1847, and a few years later set- tled three miles northwest of Gladesville.
Daniel W. O'Neal is a recent comer to the Pisgah neighborhood.
John E. Ormond with his widowed mother and his two sisters came from Somerset to the vicinity of Pisgah in 1865.
John Dale Orr, son of a Scotch-Irish immigrant, was born in Bal- timore county, Md. His father was drafted for the Continental army, and the son went in his stead, being present at Yorktown when only 16 Soon after the Revolution closed he went to Uniontown, Pa. He took part in the campaigns against the Indians in Ohio, and was twice severely wounded. In 1778 he settled on Sand Ridge a mile and a half
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south of Independence. His posterity in Preston are the offspring of his sons John, Hiram, and George, and are most numerously clustered in a neighborhood between Independence and Gladesville. Fourteen grandsons of the pioneer were in the Federal army, and at least eight of the succeeding generation are teachers in the public schools of the county.
Abraham Otto came from Bedford county, Pa., to Morgan's Glade in 1824. His son John E., settled near Cranesville.
John E. Overfield came from Virginia about 1850, and located west of Reedsville.
Isaac, Israel, and Joseph Painter were brothers who came from Hampshire county in the 50's and settled at Amboy, which for some time was known as Painter's Mills. Yet the name has disappeared. Frank V. N., a professor in Roanoke College, is the author of "A His- tory of Education," and other standard pedagogical works.
Henry L. Parks, a cabinet-maker, came from Hardy to Kingwood, about 1823, where his son James W., was many years a cashier of the Bank of Kingwood.
A Parnell family once lived at Cuzzart.
Parsons is a very early pioneer name in Hardy and Tucker. Jona. than came from the latter county about 1857, settling on the P. B. Michael place near Sugar Valley in Pleasant. James was a first cousin. Another relative was Dr. Solomon, who lived at Kingwood a number of years.
In 1776, Robert Patton settled on the D. F. Kirk farm, which is now within the corporate limits of Masontown. His daughter Jennie married Arthur Cobun. Francis, seemingly a brother, came a year earlier. The Patton name had disappeared from Preston by 1835.
James Paugh came from Hampshire county to the Dunkard Bottom before 1812. The connection is now nearer to Terra Alta.
Robert Pearce of English birth came to Aurora after the Civil War.
John K. Peaslee came from New Hampshire in the 60's, settling at Lenox; his brothers settled at Etam.
Richard Pell died while making ready to come from Fairfax county. His widow and children arrived in 1807, locating close to the Pell school- house, southeast of Reedsville. The second wife was a sister to Colonel John Fairfax. Of her sons, John retained the homestead, Fairfax set- tled near Independence, and Hezekiah on the Marcellus Pell farm north of Kingwood. Hunter H., a son of John, lived on Bull Run. Two sons of his brother, William F., who went to Calhoun, are said to have been the youngest enlisted soldiers of the Federal army.
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James Perrill came from Mineral to Bird's Creek about 1835. His grandson, John A., is a veteran railroad conductor.
Charles Peters came from New Hampshire to Etam about 1860.
The Phillips family settled near Independence.
George S., and Jesse S., Pierce, settled near Marquess, probably about 1820.
Samuel, a relative to the above-named Pierce brothers, came from New Jersey. He was one of seven brothers who served in the Conti- nental army. He removed to Wood, but John A., a grandson, settled at Rowlesburg in 1872. He is father to Carleton C., the attorney.
John Pifer was an early resident in the south of Union, but the name has not been largely represented here.
John W. Pifer lived below Albright.
James Plum came from Monongalia in 1817 and settled midway be- tween Tunnelton and Fellowsville. Jacob, a half-brother, came about the same time, and settled about two miles distant. John, son of the latter, was a Baptist mintsier. William, another son, was 31 years a state senator in Missouri.
James Posten came from Hampshire about 1790 and located south- east of Masontown on the E. M. Hartley farm. His son Leonard lived in the Craborchard, but finally removed to Iowa, although his own son, Salathiel J., remained. The sons of Nicholas, grandson of the pioneer, have taken to business and professional careers outside of the county: Elias Poston was a surveyor of Hardy in 1783.
David Potter came from Lonaconing, Md., in 1840, and settled where is now the county almshouse.
John Poulson arrived from Monongalia about 1840, and located on the Thomas Poulson farm in the west of Reno.
Samuel Powell came from Pennsylvania about 1820, and settled near the Brain curve, a little east of Newburg. His grandson, M. Taylor, was a physician of that town. There was an Aaron on Three Fork a score of years earlier, as well as a Thomas in the east or north of the county.
James Pratt came from Virginia and settled in Lyon about 1825. He first lived on the George W. Orr place and then located permanently near the head of Bird's Creek. John, his son, was in the war of 1812.
Dr Samuel A. Pratt came to Kingwood from Tyler county.
William Price, who seems to have been a colonel of militia, was in 1802 keeping tavern at the Fairfax Ford (now Caddell), his sign reading, "Feed for Horses and Whiskey for Men." About 1807 he
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moved to Kingwood, which just then was taking its start and built the Herndon tavern. Later, he lived in a house a few yards to the west of the old Bank of Kingwood building. He owned much land at one time, but lost a large part of it by untoward events. His male posterity drifted out of Preston. The Halfway House in Valley was once kept by a Price, perhaps a son. His daughter, Sarah, made from cloth of 'her own weaving a suit of clothes for the young man who grubbed the first acre in Kingwood.
Jacob Price settled in Lyon on the Eugene S. Lanham place about 1845. Several of his grandsons are teachers.
Mahlon Pugh was living about 1800 on the west side of Cheat above the Trowbridge ferry.
John Pugh, who married a Garner, had a mill in this locality or higher up the river.
Gabriel Pulliam came from Virginia in 1856, and settled at the mouth of Wolf Creek. He kept store, was assessor 12 years, and was active in political campaigns. His brother Hiram came in 1861, but moved away. ~
In 1848, Jesse M. Purinton, a Baptist minister, came from New England to Reno. He and some associates purposed to found a Baptist congregation at Etam. But as most of the newcomers drifted away, the plan had only temporary success. A son, Daniel B., minister, edu- cator, and author, very recently resigned after able service as presi- dent of the West Virginia University. His other sons, Aaron L., and G. Dana, also became educators. The former has served as superin- tendent of schools at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is worthy of note in this connection that the two popular songs entitled "West Virginia Hills," both emanated from Preston, the Rev. D. B. Purinton being the author of one, and the Rev. D. H. King of the other.
Thomas Pyles came from Loudoun about 1790 and settled two miles southeast of Reedsville. The connection are derived from his sons, Thomas and Hunter. His seven daughters married into neigh- boring families.
The Pysels are near the state line in the vicinity of Clifton.
George Radabaugh, a native of Harrison, was a soldier in the war of 1812. Soon after leaving the army he settled on the Thomas Rada- ·baugh farm, two miles north of Herring. About 1800 there were Rada- baughs in Pendleton county.
Abner Ravenscraft came from Maryland, perhaps about 1830, and
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lived at Kingwood on the J. W. Parks land. His son, William H., is a physician of Oakland.
John C. Rechtine came from Prussia in 1856 and settled in the north of Kingwood District on the Christopher Borgman place. His father came with him.
About 1790 Ernest Reckard arrived from Staunton and acquired 500 acres in the Craborchard, his house standing on the Jared A. Feather farm He could then speak no English. The connection are now in the northeast of Portland and east of Pleasant.
William Reed came from the Valley of Virginia to Monongalia. James, a son, purchased 900 acres immediately west of Reedsville, which place takes its name from him. His hewed-log house, which was much the best in the neighborhood, stood just across the pike from the present residence of Henry H. Reed. After the loss of five infant children there was not another death in the family of James for 61 years. Henry H. has been interested in several inventions, and has a proclivity for writing verse, some of which finds expression in print. Quinter, of Reno District, who has been on the county court, is a son of John, a brother to James. John H., related to the foregoing, settled in Hacklebarney in 1839.
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