USA > West Virginia > Genealogical and personal history of the upper Monongahela valley, West Virginia, Volume II > Part 28
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The records of immigration have fortunately been preserved in part, and it is found that several Ruhls arrived at different times in the eighteenth century. One and all seemed to have sailed from the port of Rotterdam, and here it is interesting to note the various forms of the name which occur in the early records: Ruhl, Rühl, Rühle, Ruil, Rull, Riehl and even Reel, all evidently variations of the same name. This sort of diversity is the despair of historical and genealogical in- vestigators, and springs in part from what may be termed the evolution
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of the name, but at least as often from the ignorance or carelessness of recording officers. It has so far been impossible to connect the Ruhls of to-day directly with the fatherland.
(I) The first of the line traceable in direct descent was Johannes Ruhl, who, as the family record shows, was born in 1739, in Virginia. It is perhaps significant that a Johannes Ruhl took passage September 3, 1742, in the ship "Loyal Judith," from the port of Rotterdam. Ident- ity of name is held by genealogists as fairly good presumptive evidence of kinship. Too much importance should not be laid on the birth in Virginia. As far as our researches go the Ruhls are not, and never have been, a Virginia family. Two points in geographical history may help to explain the matter. The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia was largely settled by Germans and Scotch-Irish from Pennsylvania, and had few pioneers from the Virginia seaboard. The immigrant Ruhls may have gone up the valley with friends or kindred of other names, and later returned to Pennsylvania. Or they might never have left the limits of the modern Pennsylvania, and still have called themselves resi- dents of Virginia, as all the portion of the former state, south and southeast of the modern Pittsburgh, was claimed by Virginia, and actually administered by that state till after the revolution. But what- ever the precise place where Johannes Ruhl first saw the light, most of his life was spent in York county, Pennsylvania, where were also located others of his name, presumably kindred. There he married, August 14, 1764, Helena Schenck, daughter of Andreas and Rosina (Billmyer) Schenck. It is curious to note that this Andreas Schenck came to Philadelphia from Rotterdam, September 25, 1732, just ten years earlier than that other Johannes Ruhl, of whom we have spoken. Andreas Schenck settled in York county, and besides Rosina, born April 14, 1744 (wife of Johannes Ruhl), had Helena, born September 22, 1745, and John Michael Matthew, born February 17, 1747, all of whom are recorded in the First Lutheran Church of York, Pennsyl- vania.
Johannes Ruhl or John Ruhl, as the name seems to have been spell- ed in later life, was a farmer in Codorus township, York county, Penn- sylvania. On the outbreak of the revolutionary war, he took the side of the colonies and is found enrolled in Captain George Hoover's com- pany, of the First Battalion of York County Associators, Colonel James
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Smith, commander. In 1776 this organization marched to Perth Am- boy, New Jersey, where a part later enlisted in the First Regiment of the Flying Camp, under Colonel Michael Swope. We find no further record of service. It is interesting to note that one Peter Ruhl, very probably a relative, was a prominent figure in the public life of York county in revolutionary days.
The county tax lists show John Ruhl's increasing prosperity: In 1779 he was taxed for thirty acres of land; 1780, for eighty acres ; and 1783, for two hundred twenty-five acres, all within the county. In religious belief he was a Lutheran. He died in York county, January 23, 1825, aged eighty-six.
(II) John (2), son of John (1) (Johannes) and Helena (Schenck) Ruhl, was born in York county, Pennsylvania, August 22, 1769. He was an extensive farmer in Codorus township, York county, Pennsylvania, near Shrewsbury. Later the family moved to Ohio, and he died at Galion, Ohio, February 24, 1845. He married, March 24, 1793, Maria Margaretha, daughter of Michael Gerbrich Jr., who served in the revolutionary army under Captain John Miller, in the Third Company, Seventh Battalion of York county militia. His father, Michael Gerbrich Sr., came from Rotterdam in the ship "Duke of Bed- ford," September 14, 1751.
Children of John and Maria Margaretha (Gerbrich) Ruhl: I. John Michael, born February 9, 1794, died July 21, 1802. 2. Jacob, born March 23, 1796. 3. Adam, born July 12, 1799, died July 13, 1802. 4. Lydia, born December 11, 1801, died January 31, 1802. 5. Eva, born May 18, 1804, died August 20, 1808. 6. Margaret, born May 9, 1806. 7. Katherine, born January 24, 1808, died Decem- ber 27, 1833. 8. Levi, born January 12, 1811. 9. Henry, mentioned below. 10. Peter, born December 15, 1815.
(III) Henry, son of John (2) and Maria Margaretha (Ger- brich) Ruhl, was born in York county, Pennsylvania, June 12, 1813, died in Springfield, Ohio, January 9, 1903, in his ninetieth year. He was like his father, a farmer and member of the Lutheran church. In early life he removed to Ohio. He was successively a Whig, Free- soiler, and Republican, in political opinions. He married in Mansfield, Ohio, December, 1839, Mary Sentz, born in York county, Pennsyl- vania, December 25, 1815, died in Springfield, Ohio, November 28,
-
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1893, daughter of John and Mary Anne (Lewis) Sentz. Her father, John Sentz, was born in York county, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1786, died in Galion, Ohio, 1832; her mother, Mary A. Lewis, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, May II, 1785, died in Richland county, Ohio, December 5, 1850.
Children of Henry and Mary (Sentz) Ruhl: I. Louisa Maria, born December 24, 1840; married Henry W. Potter. 2. Rebecca Ann, born October 17, 1842, died February 21, 1888. 3. Michael Me- lanchthon, born March 27, 1844. 4. John Luther, mentioned below. 5. Martha Tabitha, born November 17, 1849; married J. Edward Meyers. 6. Charles Spener, born January 22, 1852; married Emma 7. Mary Florence, born December 18, 1856; married Will- iam Muir.
(IV) John Luther, son of Henry and Mary (Sentz) Ruhl, was born in Galion, Crawford county, Ohio, January 9, 1846. He attend- ed the public schools of Springfield, Ohio, and then took a special two years' course at Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio. In the civil war he served in Company B, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisting March 7, 1865, serving in Virginia, but participating in no battles; was mustered out September II, 1865, at Baltimore, Maryland. After the war he removed to Clarksburg, West Virginia, where he was in the produce business from March, 1869, to January, 1872. He was then for three years in Chicago in the same business, but returned to Clarksburg in 1875, where he conducted a wholesale grocery business until 1904. Mr. Ruhl is now president of the Koblegard Company, wholesale dry goods, and vice-president of the Standard Milling Company, and the A. Radford Pottery Com- pany, and director in the Williams Wholesale Hardware Company, of all of which he was one of the organizers. From 1904 to 1906 he was a director in the Union National Bank, Clarksburg, and since 1905, has been president of the Home Bank for Savings. He is also a director and stockholder in numerous other important concerns. In politics Mr. Ruhl is an Independent Republican, and was chairman of the Repub- lican executive committee of Harrison county for four years in the "eighties," and a member of the West Virginia house of delegates, 1882-1884, declining a renomination. He and his family are members
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of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarksburg. Mr. Ruhl is a mem- ber of Custer Post, No. 8, Grand Army of the Republic.
He married, at Groton, Connecticut, November 10, 1890, Julia Slocum Walker, daughter of David and Mary (Fitch) Walker, who was born in Groton, Connecticut, June 17, 1861, graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, class of 1881. Her father, David Walker, was a sailor, captain of sailing vessels in the merchant marine and whaling service, sailing all seas for fifty years. His children were: 1. Laura Almy. 2. Julia Slocum. 3. Mary Eliza- beth, wife of Robert F. Raymond. 4. William Edward. 5. Isabel Fitch. No less than seven of Mrs. Ruhl's ancestors came over in the "Mayflower," 1620. She is one of the most prominent women in West Virginia, a leader in literary and social circles. On October 19, 1911, she was elected president of the Federation of Women's Clubs of West Virginia, and at the same time chosen delegate to the biennial conven- tion of the National Federation of Women's Clubs at San Francisco, and was appointed one of the women managers of the Buffalo Exposi- tion.
Mr. and Mrs. Ruhl have the following children : 1. Rebecca Louisa, born March 30, 1892, a former pupil at Wheaton Seminary, Norton, Massachusetts, now student of Goucher College, Baltimore, Maryland. 2. Mary Latimer, born November 8, 1893, a former pupil at Wheaton Seminary, Norton, Massachusetts, now student at Mt. Holyoke Col- lege, South Hadley, Massachusetts. 3. Henry Walker, born June 26, 1895, now student at Jacob Tome Institute for Boys, Port Deposit, Maryland.
McGUIRE The founder of this family in America was John Mc- Guire, born in Ireland, came to this country with his parents when a boy, locating in Blair county, Penn- sylvania. He became a locomotive engineer, and on April 24, 1880, was killed while on duty, he being at that time forty-six years of age. He was the son of Philip McGuire, born in Ireland in 1800, died in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 1884. John McGuire married Mary O'Reilly, born in Ireland, daughter of Miles O'Reilly, also a native of Ireland, in which country he died at the age of ninety-four. Mary O'Reilly came to this country alone; she survived her husband's death
John IME Guire M.A.
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and is now living in Huntington, West Virginia, at the age of sixty- three years. Mr. and Mrs. McGuire had seven children, six boys and one girl, of whom four of the sons and the one daughter are still living; the names of the children are as follows : Thomas J., resided at Parkers- burg, West Virginia; Philip P., living in Baltimore, Maryland; John Patrick, of whom further; William C., a resident of Huntington, West Virginia ; Mary B., now Mrs. Krugh, living in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- vania; Edwin, died in infancy; Francis, died in infancy.
(III) Dr. John Patrick McGuire, son of John and Mary (O'Reilly) McGuire, was born November 13, 1873, in Altoona, Penn- sylvania. He was educated at the high school of Altoona, and at St. Michael's College, Toronto, Canada, from which he went to the Uni- versity of Maryland, at Baltimore, and was graduated in medicine in the year 1905. He then came to Clarksburg, West Virginia, where he has remained ever since in the practice of his profession. Dr. Mc- Guire occupies a high rank in the community, not only professionally, but among social circles as well; he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and the Woodmen of the World; and in his political con- victions is an adherent of the Democratic party. He is a member of the Catholic church.
Dr. McGuire married, at the Church of the Immaculate Concep- tion, in Clarksburg, September 21, 1908, Anna (Mulheran) Sommers, born in Clarksburg, June 20, 1878, daughter of Thomas Mulheran, a native of Ireland, who came to this country with his parents when he was six years of age, settling in Harrison county; he became a teamster in the union army during the civil war, and died July 3, 1887. Mrs. McGuire's mother, Margaret Mulheran, was born in Kingwood, West Virginia, June 20, 1853, and is now a resident of Clarksburg. Dr. and Mrs. McGuire have no children.
BRANDON It is from this family that Brandonsville, Preston county, West Virginia, took its name. The first American ancestor was an emigrant from England,
prior to 1732. Egle's "Pennsylvania Genealogy" says: "William Brandon, of Adams county, Pennsylvania, was the son of William and Isabella Brandon, of Hanover; died 1753, leaving a wife Isabella and children, James, Catherine, Ann and William Brandon." It appears
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that members of the Brandon family removed from Adams, or some other county, in Pennsylvania, to what is now known as West Virginia, then Virginia, and there made settlement and reared families. Hon. Eugene Brandon, of whom later, was the son of - and - Brandon, who had children, including these: Eugene, of whom further; one daughter who married James Everly, of Preston county, Virginia; Jane, married Thomas King, of the same county; and Elizabeth, mar- ried a Mr. Horner, who removed to Moravia, Iowa, where both died. One of Mrs. Horner's daughters married B. F. Hough, and they reside in Cerro Gordo, Illinois.
(II) Hon. Eugene Brandon was born about 1825, at Brandons- ville, died 1876. He was of the Democratic party and was a member of the Virginia legislature from Preston county before the state was divided in 1863. He was a man of influence and great sense of honor. He married Clara, daughter of John and Nancy (Carroll) Turner. John Turner served in the union army during the civil war and was wounded, returned home and died at Fairmont, Marion county, West Virginia. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Brandon were: Anna, Mary, Charles W., of whom further; Frank V., Eugene B. and Leroy.
(III) Charles W., son of Eugene and Clara (Turner) Brandon, was born at Parkersburg, Harrison county, West Virginia, October 12, 1866. He was educated at the public schools and at the West Virginia University, and taught in the public schools and in the high school at Elkins a number of years. He then returned to the West Virginia Uni- versity and finished his course in the law department. Just prior to completing this course he was elected clerk of the circuit court and when his term of office expired in 1908, was reelected to the same posi- tion. His present term will expire in 1914. He makes an acceptable, energetic and careful official of Barbour county. He is among the popular county officers and the entire people have confidence in his ability to perform the many important duties devolving on such an official. Mr. Brandon is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 59, at Philippi, his home town. He also holds membership with the Maccabees, Valley Tent, No. 19; Modern Wood- men of the World and Woodmen of America.
He married, October 28, 1900, Blanche, daughter of James and Johannah (Budinger) O'Brien. The O'Briens were natives of Will-
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iamsport, Pennsylvania. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Brandon : Charles W. Jr., born September 18, 1901; J. Blanchard, born April 7, 1903; Harry O'Brien, born April 11, 1910.
RAINEY This is an old Pennsylvania family, whose early records are quite obscure at the present time. The numerous Pennsylvania and New York archives do not possess publications giving the family genealogy. Egle's "Genealogy of Penn- sylvania" speaks of a Rev. William Rainey as the husband of Mar- garet Fisher, daughter of George Robinson, of Cumberland, Pennsyl- vania. This would indicate that the family formerly lived near Harris- burg, Pennsylvania.
William R. Rainey, father of William Wallace Rainey, of Philippi, West Virginia, was born near Stormstown, Centre county, Pennsyl- vania, about 1809, died at Meadville, Crawford county, Pennsylvania, in 1891. He had two brothers and one sister. The sister was named Hannah; she married Thomas Wasson, and for a number of years resided at Stormstown, Pennsylvania. The eldest brother of the two above named was John C. Rainey, who settled at Lancaster, Ohio, and there reared a large family of children. The father attained consider- able prominence in public life, and was clerk of the courts for several years. His son Charles was a writer of some note, and compiled a history of Lancaster county, Ohio. The other brother was Samuel Rainey, who located at Lafayette, Indiana, and was the father of two children-Thomas and Jane Rainey. Thomas was a banker, and Jane married James Ward, a merchant of Lafayette.
(II) William R. Rainey was born near Stormstown, Centre county, Pennsylvania, about 1809, died at Meadville, Crawford county, Penn- sylvania, in 1891. He was by occupation a farmer and progressive in all his methods. He was an educated, industrious man of frugal, tem- perate habits and highly esteemed. He was looked up to by the com- munity as one in whom all confidence could be placed. He was accom- modating and capable, hence had many call upon him to make out legal instruments and to give general business suggestions. He settled wills and estates and arbitrated disputes between his neighbors. In his church faith, he was of the Presbyterian denomination, rather stern in discipline. In politics he was a staunch Democrat. He married Char-
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lotte Darby, a native of Mayville, New York. Children: Caroline, married a Mr. Baker; Marian, married Joseph Nodine; Sarah, mar- ried LeGrand M. Drake; Henrietta, married Jerome Richardson; Helen, married Warren Shotwell; Melodia, married a Mr. Ross; Mary, married Delos Archibald; William Wallace, of whom further.
(III) William Wallace, son of William R. and Charlotte (Darby) Rainey, was born at Meadsville, Pennsylvania, June 18, 1861, in the first months of the civil war. He obtained his education at the public schools ; the normal school at Edenborough, Pennsylvania, and at Alle- gheny College. After he left school life, he engaged in mercantile business at Carns City, Butler county, Pennsylvania, and at Du Bois City, Clearfield county, of the same state. In 1890 he disposed of his business and also of the real estate he held, to take up a different line of work. He commenced to deal extensively in coal lands and timber tracts in West Virginia, Kentucky and other states. Mr. Rainey is possessed of fine business foresight and ability to make large profitable deals. Among his other interests he holds considerable stock in the Fiberton Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The products of this factory consist of chemically treated paper, stronger than leather, and absolutely water proof. Neither hot or cold water, salt water or steam has any effect upon it. Politically Mr. Rainey votes the Democratic ticket.
HARMER This name, spelled Harmer and Harmar, is found in Virginia and Pennsylvania at an early day. The rec- ords show no Harmer beyond Jacob ( 1), the revolu- tionary soldier, who was probably the first of his family to settle in Pennsylvania, or a son of the emigrant.
(I) Jacob Harmer, progenitor of the Harmers of Harrison coun- ty, West Virginia, served as a revolutionary soldier and was probably discharged December 23, 1780. He settled in Germantown, Pennsyl- vania, after the war. When applying for a license as architect, he pro- duced, for the inspection of the court, a paper signed by George Wash- ington, certifying as to his character and faithful service. This proved amply sufficient, and the old veteran received the necessary papers. He married and had two sons: Jacob (2), of whom further, and Joseph,
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who became editor of the New York Citizen, a popular newspaper of the day.
(II) Jacob (2), son of Jacob (1) Harmer, was born in Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania, January 23, 1794, and died, in Winchester, Vir- ginia, March 8, 1868. When a child he removed with his parents to Winchester, where he spent the remainder of his life, and followed the trade of hatter. He married Eliza Tyson Ham. Children : Benjamin Tyson, of whom further; Peter Ham; Emily Susan; James Albert; Theoderick S .; John R .; Edgar R .; Mary J., married a Mr. Cum- mings of New York state; Anna Virginia; Joseph J., and William H. H.
(III) Benjamin Tyson, son of Jacob (2) Harmer, was born Janu- ary 1, 1824, died December 4, 1890. He was a wagon-maker and undertaker, and was in business at Shinnston for many years, starting in 1852. He was a man of influence and high character, and served as president of the county court. He was a Republican in party affili- ations. As a Methodist he was one of the most active members of the church, and was one of the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church in Shinnston from 1854 until his death. He also belonged to the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and was one of the oldest, as well as one of the most active, members in the state at the time of his death. He married Margaret Shepler, born in Front Royal, Virginia, May 10, 1828. She survives her husband, is a resident of Shinnston, and, al- though in her eighty-fourth year, is exceptionally active and well pre- served. Children: I. Benjamin Tyson, a farmer, living in Shinnston. 2. William J. S., living in Shinnston, a wagon-maker and undertaker, successor to his father who established the business in 1852, the oldest business in town. 3. James Albert. 4. Lloyd M. 5. Mary Virginia, married F. K. Dawson, of Clarksburg. 6. Harvey Walker, of whom further. 7. Charles Leslie, farmer, of Shinnston. 8. Elizabeth, mar- ried S. T. Rittenhouse, of Dola, West Virginia.
(IV) Harvey Walker, son of Benjamin Tyson Harmer, was born in Shinnston, West Virginia, July 25, 1865. He was educated in the public school and at Fairmont State Normal School, whence he was graduated in 1889. After teaching in the public schools four years he entered the law department of the University of West Virginia, and was graduated LL. B. in 1892. He at once began the practice of law
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in Clarksburg, West Virginia, where he still continues firmly establish- ed in a lucrative practice. He is a director of the Farmers' Bank of Clarksburg, and is interested in several other banks in his city and county. As a Republican, he has given much time to the public service. He was secretary of the Clarksburg board of education for nineteen years, ending 1910; was deputy clerk of the circuit court, 1890, 1891; member state board of regents for normal school, 1895 to 1901 ; mem- ber house of delegates, 1894 to 1896; state senator, 1900 to 1904; supervisor of the United States census in 1900, and again in 1910; referee in bankruptcy, 1899 to 1901; mayor of Clarksburg, 1906 to 1907. His record as a public official is an honorable one and has brought him well deserved commendation. He is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a trustee of the same, as well as of the West Virginia Wesleyan College. He was elected lay delegate from West Virginia to the general conference of his church held in Baltimore in 1908. His fraternity is the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Harmer married, July 18, 1901, Nellie Marten, born in Shep- ardstown, West Virginia, daughter of Henry C. and Dora (Britner) Marten, both living in Shepardstown, where Henry C. Marten is a hardware dealer, the oldest merchant of that city in point of continuous years in business.
MORRISON Fauquier county, Virginia, has sent forth many ex- cellent families as settlers on the western and north- ern borders of Old Virginia, in West Virginia and Ohio. Among these may be mentioned the Morrison family, especially three or four generations, some of whom now reside in West Virginia.
(I) James Morrison, a cabinet-maker, came to West Virginia dur- ing the early years of the nineteenth century, and settled at Boothsville, near Bridgeport, Harrison county.
(II) Andrew Jackson, son of James Morrison, was a native of Fauquier county, Virginia, and was a carpenter by trade. His wife was Susan Roach, who came from Virginia. She bore him five children : Otto Lewis, of whom further; Almira, Marian, Anna and Herman.
(III) Otto Lewis, son of Andrew Jackson and Susan (Roach) Morrison, was born in 1856 in Harrison county, West Virginia, to
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which locality his parents had removed. He learned the carpenter's trade of his father, and worked at it in Salem, where he makes his home. He is an industrious, honorable citizen; in politics is a Demo- crat; while in his church relations he is a Baptist. He married Dora Pepper, born at Salem in 1862. Mrs. Morrison's father, Marshall Pepper, was born in Barbour county, Virginia, about 1826, and lives in Harrison county, aged eighty-six years, having followed a farmer's career. Children : Arphad Paul, of whom later; Oren F., born 1884, now bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Salem; Aubrey Carl, 1886, a teacher at Salem; Beulah, 1888, a teacher at Salem; Beatrice, 1890, living at home; Marshall Jackson, 1892; Tascar Bruce, 1894, at school; Blanche, 1899, at school; Walter J., 1901, at school; Edwin C., 1903.
(IV) Arphad Paul, son of Otto Lewis and Dora (Pepper) Morri- son, was born in Wilsonburg, Harrison county, West Virginia, Decem- ber 18, 1882. He received a common school education, near Salem, then attended Salem College, later going to Valparaiso University, Indiana. After his studies there he attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, at Buckhannon, graduating from the seminary course in 1908. Previous to this he had taught school four years in country schools and after his graduation he became principal at North View, in a coal dis- trict, and was soon transferred to Adamson as principal, finishing out the year there. In 1909, he was elected principal of the high schools and superintendent at Salem for one year. He was elected county superintendent, November 22, 1910, filling out an unexpired term, and is now serving on his first full term in the same office, which began July 15, 19II. He is a Democrat in politics, and belongs to the Baptist church.
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