USA > West Virginia > Preston County > A History of Preston County, West Virginia, V.1 > Part 38
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George Rhodes came from Germany in 1828, and in 1835 was living to the Felix E. Jeffers farm. Later, he moved east of Briery Mountain to the Charles G. Rhoades place. His son Thomas located near Howesville.
John Richards, an English weaver, was impressed into the British navy, and after three and a half years of compulsory service he escaped to Pennsylvania. His son Aaron was reared by Micajah Smith, and set- tled on the W. M. Richards place north of Newburg.
Jacob and David Ridenour, probably brothers, came to Carmel in 1788. To David were born at least three children after his arrival. Joseph, whose name we also find, may have been an older son or a third brother. But at all events, David and Joseph and their families seem to have left at a very early day. Jacob lived on the Beachy farm, his son John staying in the Carmel settlement. Martin, another son, settled in 1810 on the river-hill just east of Caddell, and from him have sprung the present Ridenour connection, which is widely scat- tered over the county.
Lot Ridgway was from Monongalia and settled in 1837 on the Allen Ridgway farm near Sinclair.
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John W. Rigg came from England in 1831, and in 1842 settled on Muddy Creek, where he built a woolen mill. His son Colonel John D., was a Federal soldier, and established the Terra Alta woolen mill.
Henry Riggleman sprang from an early pioneer of Pendleton. In 1857 he came from the Crabbottom valley, Highland county, and set- tled on the Samuel Rogers place, south of Zinn's Chapel. At a recent family reunion, there were present the parents, nearly or quite all the II children, 54 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. In all, 85 persons were present.
William W. Riley, who attained the age of 99 years, came from Pohick, Fairfax county, in 1829, and settled at the Hiram G. Burke place on Bird's Creek. At the same time came a brother, who pur- posed moving to the Little Kanawha. While camping at Flat Rock, between the Gordon schoolhouse and Gladesville he sickened and died. His son, David D., completed the journey, but returned after two years and located on Mount Phoebe.
George Riley, who also came from Virginia, lived on the Adam F. Everts' place near Manown.
William Riley, Jr., son of an Irish immigrant, came from Maryland to the H. C. Riley place near Atlantic about 1825. His oldest son, John, traveled to Oregon with an ox-team, about 1849. The pioneer was a soldier in the war of 1812. His father was killed by Indians.
Thomas Rinehart came to America in 1773, and to Aurora in 1788, settling on the Legge place at Aurora. His children by a first wife were married when he came. John, one of these, was a Lutheran min- ister, and settled in Ohio. Thomas, a son of the second marriage, was in the battle of the Thames in 1813. On the maternal side, the Rine- harts claim kinship with Barbara Fritchie, a lady made famous by one of Whittier's poems.
Jacob, Philip, and Michael Ringer were brothers who came from Somerset in 1832, the first and second settling on the John Jenkins and R. N. Spiker places at Morgan's Glade. Michael was a local preacher, officiating often in a church that stood on the Cuzzard road near his home. He performed a great many marriage ceremonies. George W., a grandson of Jacob, is also a minister. Joseph N., and his son Oren W., are merchants of Terra Alta.
Another Ringer connection, probably related, has some contact with the northeast of the county.
John Rishel lived on the Levi Wolfe farm near Clifton Mills.
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Joseph Ritenour came from Newtown, Va., about 1850, and kept hotel at Brandonville.
Amos Roberts settled in 1776 on Lick Run, south of Lenox, but died on the Dunkard Bottom. He was one of the early justices. His second wife was the widow of Lewis Garner. He seems to have had a son named George.
William R. Robinson arrived from England when 18 and settled at Glade Farms in 1841. Both his wives were from New England.
James W. Robinson of Virginia lived many years at Fellowsville.
Albert N. Roby came from Monongalia in 1881 and settled at North Union schoolhouse in Valley.
John Rodeheaver, a harness-maker of Woodstock, Shenandoah county, visited Preston in 1796 in the interest of his business. During his visit he attended a lot sale and barbecue in the Craborchard, where the attempt was being made to launch the town of Burchinal. The stranger liked the locality so well that in June, 1808, he returned and purchased the farm of 168 acres on which J. F. Rodeheaver lived until recently. He was a soldier of 1812, and served as commissioner of the revenue, justice, and sheriff. There are numerous descendants of his sons, Christian, William, John, George, and Isaac, and they are consid- erably dispersed. Jared H., is the well-known furniture dealer of Terra Alta, and S. Haymond is a traveling salesman.
Jacob Rodeheaver also came from the Shanandoah Valley. He set- tled where the Zar postoffice is.
Benjamin and John Rogers, brothers, came from Pennsylvania about 1830. The former, a blacksmith, lived between Pisgah and Rockville. His shop has disappeared and only some remains of the house are left. He lived to an old age. John settled one mile above the iron bridge on Three Fork. His numerous posterity are divided between Lyon, Rowlesburg, and the Pisgah neighborhood.
Henry Rohr, a native of Monongalia, settled about 1845 on the Calder Hartley farm near Masontown. His son George W. became a merchant of Rohr and Masontown.
John Romesburg, of Swiss descent, was born in Somerset and set- tled two miles west of Clifton in 1861.
Adam Rosenberger came to the vicinity of Clifton about 1845.
Andrew Rosier was an early dweller in the west of Reno. His sister, Barbara, married Stephen Bolyard, and their parents were perhaps the actual pioneers of the family. George W. settled near Sinclair about 1842. George W., Jr., is a merchant.
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The Roth family appeared in the east of Union somewhat recently.
William Rowe came from the Valley of Virginia in 1861, and set- tled near Newburg. His brother David came also to Lyon.
Robert Royse arrived at Boston in 1631. Moses, a descendant, fre- quented the Catskills in Indian days, trading with the natives for furs. Aaron, a son of the latter, served in the Colonial wars and was at Brad- dock's defeat. About 1775 he came to Alexandria, and not later than 1796 he arrived in Preston, settling first in the vicinity of Albright. In 1806 he purchased the Copeman farm of the Darlings. Within these dates he made several other purchases. In 1796 Joseph Friend conveyed to him 100 acres west of the river, the consideration being $200. This was undoubtedly a portion of the John Green farm. The next year Garvis Thompson sold him 232 acres on Coal Lick for $500. The Copeman farm of 186 acres was bought for $2,000, which would seem a very high price for that early day, the purchasing power of a dollar being twice as great as it is now. But America had at that time a thriving commerce, and as is always the case under conditions of pros- perity, prices were of speculative nature. Aaron lived till his death on the farm east of Cheat. He and his wife were buried in an old ceme- tery a mile above Albright. He had three sons who went to Kentucky about the time he came here, and their descendants in the West are numerous. His son Moses remained. Moses, Jr., kept a tavern at Fellowsville and then went to Ohio. John and Hiram, other sons, lived near Kingwood, the former on the Copeman place. As a surveyor, he ran the disputed line between Preston and Garrett. Late in life he went to Ohio. His son, Isaac H. C., is president of the Terre Haute Trust Company, of Indiana.
Joseph Royse, who formerly lived in the north of the county, came from Pennsylvania.
Henry Runner settled about 1812 on the Moses T. Sinclair place near Marquess. He was possibly a son of the Henry who married a Fortney, and perhaps was identical with him. The connection spring from his sons, Peter and Henry.
Rutherford is a rather recent name in Reno.
Edward D. Ryan, son of Daniel and Catherine, came alone from Ire- land when a boy of 13. In 1857 he settled on the Sanford E. Ryan place north of Pisgah. The connection is already numerous. Thomas has been county commissioner.
Hiram Sanders came from Maryland about 1810 and settled on
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Lantz Ridge in Union. The posterity of his sons Alexander and Hiram, Jr., are now on both sides of the Cheat, and mainly in Reno.
About 1844 Andrew J. Sanders came from Emmetsburg, Md., to Cranesville.
Benjamin Sapp and his wife were natives of Delaware, and their fathers were Continental soldiers. In the fall of 1853 they settled on the Culp, or Ravenscraft farm on Three Fork, a mile south of the Gordon church.
Christopher Saucer came from Germany in 1827, and about 1845 set- tled on the Benjamin Vanwerth place southeast of Terra Alta. His son Frederick C., lost his way in the great forest in the northeast of Union and died from the effects of exposure and hunger. 1
Harry D. Savage, formerly of Garrett, settled near Kingwood. He has been very successful as a book agent.
Joseph and Gertrude Scherr came from Switzerland in 1857 and to Eglon in 1859, where their son Julius C., is a merchant. He has been in the State Legislature, and his brother Arnold C., now a resi- dent of Mineral, has been State Auditor.
George Schnopp came to the east of Pleasant in 1846.
Henry Schooley came from Ohio to the vicinity of Sinclair. His sons live now on Laurel Hill, south of the Northwestern Pike.
John Scott came from Baltimore and settled in the glades of Grant, in 1770. It is probable that his father bore the same name and accom- panied him. He was a justice at the time of his death. In his later years, John, Jr., lived at the Little Sandy bridge on the Kingwood road, and kept a store. He died at the outbreak of the Civil War, while a member of the Virginia Legislature. Thomas, a younger son, lived between Bruceton and Brandonville on a fine farm. His own son, David T., is a well-known teacher of long service, and Oliver P., another son, is a merchant of Brueeton.
William Scott, an orphan, was reared near Newburg by his maternal grandfather. His sons of a second marriage are in the vicinity of Masontown.
William W. Scott came from Rockingham long prior to the Civil War He was a tanner and lived on the Cozad farm, south of King- wood
David Scott lived on Three Fork. A son, Miles, once lived on Scotch Hill.
McClellan S. Scott is a physician of Terra Alta, and came there from Virginia in 1872. He is the great-grandson of a Scotch immi-
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grant, who worked for Rumsey, the inventor of the steamboat and became a Presbyterian minister in Augusta. This calling has descended in the family from generation to generation.
In the year of his marriage-1859-Henry Seal settled on his farm near Hudson.
John Seaport lived two miles south of Pisgah. He was drowned in the Cheat.
Seese is a Pennsylvania name having some contact with Grant District.
Henry Sell came from Carroll county, Md., about 1820. His first realty was the Albert Sell place, in the south of Union.
A little previous to 1800, we find the names of James, Jesse, Daniel, and Robert Severe, who seem to have been in the west of Pleasant. From one or more of these have issued the present Severes.
George Shafer, of German birth, settled in Loudoun, whence his son Siegfried moved to Monongalia. Two sons of the latter were Eugenus and Jacob P. The former located near Gladesville, and the latter, a physician, at Terra Alta. William C., who died quite recently, was a photographer of Fairmont, and was well known throughout the state in Sunday School circles. He had lately made a tour in Europe and Palestine. The monument lately set up to his memory at Terra Alta was a Sunday School enterprise.
Benjamin Shaffer came to the Thomas Beatty farm on upper Salt Lick about 1798. Of his sons, Samuel and Henry lived in Union, and Elijah at Kingwood. Israel was reared in Ohio by an uncle. His progeny spell the surname Schaeffer. Gustavus C., son of Israel, is a Methodist minister. William M., another son, was a long while deputy sheriff and sheriff.
Adam Shaffer was, like the foregoing, a native of Germany, but lived near Hagerstown before coming to Brookside in 1793. The Con- tinental money he received for his Maryland property became worthless and left him bankrupt. He arrived at Brookside with 25 cents. Thomas Goff sold him 100 acres of rather inferior land for $100, telling him he need not pay if he should find the amount too hard to procure. There is a numerous posterity of his sons, Tevolt, John, Jacob, and Daniel. Two sons of John were on opposite sides in the Civil War, and both lost their lives in the service. James H., son of Jacob, kept a summer hotel at Aurora. Lloyd C., merchant, ex-sheriff, and representa- tive, is his son. Martin L., son of Daniel, was a merchant of Tunnelton, and was a superintendent at Austin and Irontown. He was elected
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sheriff but went into the Federal army. His younger brother, Gus- tavus J., conducted a large mercantile business at Kingwood for many years.
Henry Shaffer came from Loudoun in his youth and was an appren- tice to Lot Ridgway at Ice's Ferry. Descendants of his sons Aaron and Moses are found in Valley and Grant, respectively. The Shaffers of southern Fayette are said to be-at least in part-of the posterity of his sons John and David. Thence the name was brought into Pleasant and Valley. Samuel M., grandson of Moses, has taught some 30 years. George L., his nephew, who has seen considerable service as assessor, taught school twenty-one years.
Amos and John Shahan were brothers and came from Delaware soon after 1800. They located on the western slope of Laurel Hill in Reno, a little to the north of the turnpike. The rapid multiplication of the Shahans has caused their name to vie with that of the Bolyards in the frequency of its occurrence. Z. Franklin, grandson of Abraham, is a teacher of long service.
Jesse Sharps came from Virginia about 1828 and after living a few years on the Culp farm near Gladesville, he moved to Taylor, his son John remaining here.
Arnold Shaver, said to be related to the Shaffers of Union, settled about 1815 on Laurel Hill in Reno about a mile and a half northwest of the George W. Shaver place. He adopted the spelling Shaver to distinguish his family from others of the same German name. His brother-in-law fell sick while with the army at Norfolk in 1814, and died on his return when only a mile from home. There is a consid- erable posterity of the sons, John, Henry, George, William, and Isaac.
About 1790, Samuel Shaw arrived from York county, Pennsylvania, locating on the north bank of Little Sandy, on the road from Bruceton to Kingwood. He was a son of William. A brother named Alexander never came to Preston. Alexander and James W., sons of Samuel, re- mained in this county, the former living on Pringle's Run and the latter near Hudson. The wife of Alexander was a cousin to Justice Miller of the United States Supreme Court. Leroy S., and the Rev. William H., are sons of Alexander. Benjamin, son of James W., was a prisoner of war in Libby Prison, and as an electrician in the city of New York became wealthy. Benjamin, a brother to Samuel, lived near Guseman. He was a colonel of militia, and in the 30's was sheriff. Leroy S., and A. Staley have also been sheriffs. ,
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William Shaw, an Ulsterman by birth, married a sister to Samuel Shaw. He was of uncommon physical strength. He lived a while in the Craborchard, but removed to the Solomon Shaw farm near Little Sandy church in Reno. His posterity are more identified with Barbour and other counties than with Preston. William J., lived in and near Philippi. He was a soldier of 1812, a magistrate of the county court, and sheriff. In religion he was Methodist, in politics a Democrat, and he was bitterly opposed to slavery. His son Daniel W., was in the State Legislature several terms, and was Speaker of the House. Afterward, he was Superintendent of the State Reform School for Boys, and Presi- dent of Morris Harvey College.
Bayles Shaw married in Preston and lived here some years, five of his eleven children becoming residents or marrying in the county.
The grandfather of Robert P. Shaw was an Irish immigrant. His mother was a Lincoln. He came from Pennsylvania in 1855 and settled on Green's Run near Kingwood.
William Shaw settled near Evansville in 1853.
Thomas Shay settled at the Shay Chapel near Austin in 1834. But John and David Shay were here in 1778.
Conrad Sheets was one of the very earliest settlers on the site of Kingwood. He built a cabin there in 1807 and seems to have died soon afterward. Excepting Susan, his children drifted into Monongalia. John, a grandson, was reared by his uncle, David Trowbridge, and settled on Three Fork. Marshall and George are sons of Rawley, a brother to John, and Luther is son of Jacob, another brother.
William H. Shoch, whose mother was a Shaffer, is a native of York county, Pa., and came to Rowlesburg as a telegraph operator in 1865. He afterward became a merchant. His first wife was a cousin to Bishop John L. Spalding of Illinois. His forefathers were Highland Scotch. The spelling of his name was changed from Schoch by act of legislature.
The Shrout connection is said to be derived from the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac.
The Shuttlesworths came to Monongalia in 1777. Philip and Joshua, two descendants of the pioneer, came to Lyon, the former in 1856, the latter in 1860. They were first cousins and married sisters.
Henry, son of Hugh Sidwell, was of Quaker stock and probably of Loudoun birth. He came from Monongalia about 1832, and settled close to the Israel church near Fellowsville. John N., the merchant of that place, is his son.
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William Sigler, a reed-maker, came to Kingwood from Loudoun not later than 1813. In that year he purchased the tannery of Jacob Funk. He was justice, recorder, commissioner of the revenue, colonel of militia, and member of the legislature.
George Sigley, son of an immigrant from Europe, came from Harri- son about 1846, settling on the Northwestern Pike two miles east of Fellowsville and later moving to the Thomas E. Sigley place. Three daughters of his brother John married in Reno. The parents of George and John came to America about 1812, smallpox breaking out during the voyage.
Moses Silbaugh came from Somerset about 1840 and lived at Brandonville and Bruceton.
Henry Simpson, of Irish birth, settled at the Simpson farm on Felix Run near Marquess, about 1806. His grandson Julius C., is a merchant of that place. John, his first cousin, also settled near Marquess. Only the youngest son of the latter remained to rear a family. Still another cousin, whose name is said to have been David, came when his own son, James, was five years old. He lived to a great age.
Alexande: Sinclair, son of Robert, a Scotch immigrant, came from Alleghany county, Md., in 1843, and settled on a part of the fine farm of Moses T., near Marquess.
The Sine family once lived near Sugar Valley in Pleasant.
George Sisler, a pioneer of Garrett, settled at Blooming Rose, near Friendsville and near the Preston line. His sons George and Samuel came across, the former locating on the George F. Livengood place near Cuzzart, but in the 50's going to Monongalia. Samuel, a soldier of 1812, located after that war near Cranesville. His posterity are numerous. Both brothers married in Maryland, the wife of George being a daughter of David Friend. Samuel A., grandson of Samuel, was a German Baptist preacher. Joseph F., a great-grandson, is county commissioner.
John Slaubaugh settled in 1852 on the Frederick Slaubaugh farm near Eglon.
Henry Sliger settled near Clifton Mills about 1820.
It would be strange indeed if the name Smith did not occur among the thousands of Preston people. There appear to be at least eleven distinct family-groups of this name.
John Smith came from Loudoun in 1785, locating in Pleasant at the mouth of Elk Run near Hazelton. Two years later he built the best house in that part of the county. It was half stone and half log
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and two days were required for the raising. The men gathered for this purpose came from as far as the Cheat and even Uniontown. It is probable that not all his children came here, especially the older ones. Samuel, his son, had a fulling mill on Elk Run. Aaron, another son, was killed by a fall from his horse.
Jacob Smith came from Somerset about 1819 and purchased 900 acres two miles north of Bruceton. The six daughters of his first wife, born between 1786 and 1797, do not seem to have lived in Preston. Judge R. E. Umble of Fayette county, is a grandson of his oldest daughter, Julia.
Another Jacob Smith came from Somerset in 1798, settling close to Lenox on a tract of 371 acres. His son Frederick almost attained the age of 98.
John G. Smith was quite possibly the same as John, a son of the second Jacob. He came from Somerset a little before 1800, lived near Bruceton a while, and then settled on the Jacob Cale place near Hudson.
Micajah Smith was a native of New Jersey. Timothy, his father, was one of ten brothers, of Quaker English stock. The son came from Pennsylvania to Gladesville in 1833, settling on the J. K. Roby farm. A road had to be cut to get to the land, and there were only thirteen houses within a radius of two miles from the present village.
Richard and John H. Smith were brothers and came in their youth from Pennsylvania to the Glades southwest of Reedsville.
Henry A. Smith arrived in America from Germany in 1856. He was at first rejected for enlistment as a Federal soldier, because of insufficient height. He settled on Roaring Creek.
Jonathan Smith, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in 1871 on the Columbus Bolyard farm in Reno.
An earlier Jonathan Smith once lived on the Cress farm near Hud- son. His son Jonathan went to Maryland. His daughter Elizabeth, who married Abraham Liston, was born in 1817.
William K. Smith was living some years prior to 1860 on the W. S. Knotts farm in Lyon. By will he freed his two slaves, a man and a woman, and bequeathed them some land near Evansville, which they were to live upon. They were made man and wife by Joseph Mathew, a justice. The event was the sensation of the neighborhood.
Peter R. Smith, a native of Westmoreland county, Pa., has been a resident of Kingwood since 1867. He has been well known as teacher, county superintendent, and hotel keeper.
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The pioneer Smoot came from the Shenandoah Valley and built the first house-still standing-on the site of Newburg. His son James R., was a widely known merchant of Newburg.
George Snider, one of three brothers, arrived in Philadelphia in 1774. In 1799 he left the vicinity of Harrisburg and settled on the Allison Snider farm, a little west of Albright. He came with his goods loaded on pack-saddles, and his considerable stock of coin hidden in bags of salt. His wife, who lived to a great age, was a devout Methodist of the old-fashioned kind. When told by the Rev. John Francisco that her shouts when he was passing her home made his horse put up his ears, she retorted that if he would hear more praying at home he would not be so scared. Her three sons were drafted for the war of 1812. John and Jacob secured substitutes at $100 each. The third brother had gone only three miles when the company was discharged, the war being over. John settled south of Irona, but removed to Monongalia, although his son Samuel remained. Jacob lived on the home farm. He built a mill nearby on the Cheat, but it did not succeed very well.
John, Henry, and Joshua Snider, were brothers, who came soon after 1800 from the Valley of Virginia. They settled on Scotch Hill. John L. Snider came to Union in 1857.
The brothers Daniel and Joseph Sovereign settled on the lower Sandy in Pleasant in 1774 and 1776. They removed to Ohio, but Daniel, a son of one of these, remained, his wife being unwilling to leave. They lived on the Amon Forman place, near the run that bears the family name.
Frederick Spahr, a native of Germany, came to Glade Farms about 1790. Having some money he purchased a large tract of land. He lived to a great age.
Samuel Spahr, according to one account was a son of a nephew of Frederick. But this is doubtful. He came from Harrisburg, Pa., prior to 1820, and lived some time at Brandonville, but died at New Geneva, Pa. A brother went to New York and another to Ohio.
John R. Speelman came from Frostburg, Md., in 1873, locating in Grant. His son John R., taught 14 years and has since served on the Board of Education.
The Spence family are recent comers to Valley.
Michael, one of the Spikers of Maryland, came from Lonaconing a little before 1840, settling first on the J. W. Groves place, and later on the George E. Spiker farm near Zar. His children were at that time grown.
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