USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 41
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Rev. J. Y. Gillespie was for several years a travelling minister in the Meth- odist Protestant ehureh. He is a man of exemplary eharaeter, and served as a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war. He now resides at Hyer, this eounty.
JEREMIAH H. GILLESPIE.
Jeremiah H. Gillespie, son of Adam and Nancy Morrison Gillespie, was born in Nieholas county, Virginia, October 13, 1835. Married Almira J. Posey. Their children were Benjamin F., deceased; James M. Allie (twins), John D. Delbert, Minnie, Lydia G. and Martha L.
His second wife was Elizabeth Post, widow of James Freil. They are liv- ing, at an advaneed age, members of the M. E. Church.
Adam Gillespie, born in Bath county, Virginia, married Nancy Morrison. Their children were Mariah, Griffin, Jeremiah H., Cynthia, Mary, James P., William S., George W., John and Julia.
GIVEN.
We find the name of John Given mentioned as Captain of a company from Bottount, Augusta, or a company in the Revolutionary war. He served in Col. John Boyer's Regiment, Campbell's Brigade under Lafayette, and was with Colonel Boberton when Tarleton plundered Charlottville. We see another Cap- tain Given mentioned as Captain and later a Colonel in the militia from Augusta in the war of 1812. His name was Alexander R. Given.
In a nearly day in the settlement of Braxton county, Wm. Given came from Bath county and settled on the Big Bireh. His father was Irish, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary army. His wife was a Miss Bratton. Whether he was the Captain John Given spoken of or not, we have no authentic account. John Given was the only Revolutionary soldier of whom we have a record.
James F. Given was the son of Wm. Given, his mother being a Miss Frame. He was born Sept. 20, 1818, and grew to manhood on his father's farm. He married Ruth Duffield who bore him thirteen children. For several years he worked on the farm and in the blacksmith shop. He was a man of sterling char- aeter, and a strong believer in the principles of Jefferson. In 1852-53, he repre- sented Nieholas and Braxton counties in the Virginia Legislature, and was con- sidered one of the strong men of that body. In 1866, he represented Braxton county in the W. Va. Legislature, and for many years, he was connected with the educational institutions of the county as president of the school board. He was one of the strong leaders and wise councilors of his party. Perhaps no man ever lived in the county who had more sincere friends than James F. Given or
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one in whom the people had greater confidence. He lived to a good old age, and left many descendants.
WILLIAM. GIVEN.
William Given, a son of Robert and Jane (Given) Given, was born Jan. 18, 1838, in Braxton county. He married Elizabeth A., daughter of Adam and Granville (Rose) Given, Oct. 6, 1864, and the following children were born: Robert A., Granville J., Ruina A., Benton H., Oscar L., Adam A., Jennie C., Blemie L. William Given died June, 1917.
DAVID GIVEN.
David Given lived on Scotts Mountain about the year 1840. He married a Miss Lamastus of Nicholas county. Their family of seven children is as fol- lows: Malinda married Joseph Duffield; Kasiah married Tunis Davis; Charity married Roberts: Becky Jane married Benjamin Roberts; Alema- rinda went West and married Roberts; Agnes married Frank Scott; and one son, Washington, went West.
JAMES FRAME GIVEN.
James Frame Given was born at Glendon on Oct. 18, 1864. His parents, James F. Given and Ruth Duffield, were born near Herold, this county. Wil- liam Given was his grandfather, and a Miss Frame, his grandmother.
Mr. Given was married to Amanda B. Keener on March 28, 1895, and their children are Eunice, Hugh, Ethel and Bruce. Mr. Given is a devout mem- ber of the M. E. Church, South, and is a very industrious farmer near Frame- town.
GEORGE GOAD.
George Goad was a Virginian, born in Carroll county, April 15, 1850, and a son of Andrew and Ellen J. (Ayers) Goad. His father entered the Con- federate army in 1862, and served until the close of the war, when he returned to his farming in Carroll county. George Goad worked with his father until he was twenty-four years of age, and then began for himself. He commenced dealing in horses, locating in Braxton county in 1875, and lumbering, drifted and rafted timber and logs to Charleston. He added to his other business the conduct of a store of general merchandise which he established at the mouth of Strange creek. He was married June 20, 1879, to Sarah A. Frame, and the following children were born: Nimmie (deceased), Nettie, and Norman who is a physician at Strange Creek at this time. George Goad represented this county in the State Legislature during the sessions of 1889, 1891 and 1893. He also served the people of this county as Sheriff. He died at his home at Strange Creek in July, 1917.
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IRA H. GREATHOUSE.
Ira H. Greathouse, a son of Asa and Lydia Qucen Greathouse, was born in Harrison county, April 27, 1860. On December 6, 1888, he was married to Mrs. Mary L. Morrison, and to this union were born five children, four of whom are now living. They are Charlie T., deccased, Asa Carl, Maggie, Mabel and Genevieve. Mr. Greathouse is a successful farmer, and a member of the M. E. Church, South. He was formerly a merchant in this county, and a lumberman, and was for one term a member of the County Court.
HOMER A. HOLT.
Homer A. Holt, one of the most distinguished lawyers of West Virginia, was born in Lewis eounty, Virginia. When quite a young attorney, he came to Braxton county to praetieee his profession. He married Mary Ann Byrne, daughter of John B. Byrne, on Jan. 27, 1857. .
Judge Holt continued his residence in Sutton until 1874, when he was elected Judge of the Circuit Court embracing the county of Greenbrier. He then removed to Lewisburg, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred at his home in Lewisburg in. 1897.
Judge Holt was the son of Mathew Holt, a Methodist preacher. His ehil- dren were John Homer Holt, of Huntington, Robert Byrne Holt and Mrs. Charles S. Dice, of Lewisburg. He was Judge of the Circuit Court for 16 years, and in 18 he was elected a member of the Supreme Court of West Virginia, a position which he filled with ability. Mrs. Holt, wife of Judge Holt, died at Lewisburg, Feb. 3rd, 1914, in her 79th year.
JOHN H. HOLT.
John H. Holt, son of Homer A. Holt and Mary Ann Byrne Holt, was born in Sutton, Braxton county, Virginia, August 10th, 1860. He attended the local sehools, and subsequently took a course of two years at Randolph Maeon College, Virginia, and studied law one year with his father, after which he took a summer course at the University of Virginia, under Dr. John B. M. This was followed by a law eourse at George Town University, Distriet of Co- lumbia, where he was graduated with the degree of L. L. B. Mr. Holt then took the post graduate course of law at Yale, graduating with the degree of Master of Laws. He located at Wheeling and formed a partnership with M. T. Frame, and there spent three years. In 1890 he removed to Huntington, West. Virginia, forming a law partnership with C. W. Campbell. On the retirement. of his father from the Supreme Court of Appeals, he was nominated, in 1896, by the Democratic Convention, to succeed him, but was defcated, running 2,000 votes ahead of his ticket. In 1900 he. was the standard bearer of his party for Governor, but was again defeated, running ahead of his tieket.
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In 1886, at Wheeling, Mr. Holt was united in marriage with Effie Ewing. They have four children, Homer, Dorcas, Helen and Klea.
As an attorney, and profound jurist, Mr. Holt has no superior in West Virginia. He practices in all the higher courts. His affable and congenial na- ture, together with his great ability, renders him one of the most popular men of the State.
DR. ANDREW C. HUMPHREYS.
Dr. Andrew C. Humphreys was born March 13, 1810, in Greenbrier eoun- ty, Virginia. He married Mary McQuain Hefner in 1832; she was born in Pocahontas county. Dr. Humphreys came with his family an dsettled in Sut- ton, West Va., in 1860, and practiced medicine until his death, which occurred September 15, 1866. Mrs. Humphreys died October 7, 1893; they are buried in the Skidmore cemetery. Their children were, Caroline J., Samuel A., An- drew J., Malinda A., Mary E., JJames W., Milton W., John C., Robert H., Sarah F., Daniel F., Houston B. His son, Milton W., graduated at Washing- ton & Lee University, Berlin University and at the University of Leipsic. He is the author of many works of the highest merit; some of his text books are used in the best institutions of learning in America. He ranks as one of the great scholars of the world. Two sons are living in Sutton, Robert H. and James W. The latter has four sons in the U. S. army.
JOHN HACKER.
John Hacker was born in the Valley of Virginia, and came to the Buckhannon settlement in 1768 or 1769. He located permanently in 1773 on Hacker's creek which was named for him. He held the office of Justice of the Peace, and bore a prominent part in the Indian wars of his neighborhood. It is said that he had served with General Clark's Vincennes Campaign. He died in 1821.
JOHN HOOVER.
John Hoover moved from the Valley of Virginia to Braxton county, at an early date, and settled on the mountain between the Elk and the Ilolly, for many years known as Hoover mountain, now called Ware Mountain. Mr. Hoover's wife's name was Esther. They had two sons, John and Paul. Their daughters were Sally, who married Mckeever, and Eliza, who married Wm. Morrison. Mr. Hoover's family were born and reared in the Shenandoah Val- ley. He was one of a large family, said to be six brothers, that scattered and settled in Pennsylvania and other states.
.John Hoover, son of John and Esther Hoover, married Lucinda Butcher; they lived for many years on Flatwoods Run, where they reared a family of six sons and one daughter. Their children were Jesse M., Asa, Wesley, Wil- liam, Francis, Granville and one daughter, Caroline.
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Paul, son of John and Esther Hoover, married Martha Short. Their chil- dren were Morgan, James, Thomas Benjamin and two daughters. The eldest married Morgan Simmons.
HENRY S. HEFNER.
Henry S. Hefner was born June 24, 1859, at Sutton. His father, Samuel C. Hefner, was born in Greenbrier county, W. Va., and his mother, Sarah E. Shaver, at Flatwoods. Mr. Hefner was married Sept. 1, 1886, to Sarah A. Stout, and their children are Ersie D., Effie L., and Sarah Rachel. He now resides at Barboursville, W. Va., and is engaged in farming and the real estate business.
Mr. Hefner's father served four years in the Confederate army, having enlisted in 1861, and was lieutenant at the close of the war. He soon after- wards moved to Glenville, living there seven years, then moved to the farm on Salt Lick near Burnsville where he spent the remainder of his life. His mother spent the latter part of her life at his home in Barboursville.
BENJAMIN HUFFMAN.
Benjamin Huffman was born in Barber county, Va., May 9, 1828. His father, Alexander Huffman, was a native of Virginia, and was said to be of German descent. His mother, Hannah Vanoy, was of Scotch-Irish descent.
The subject of this sketch was married to Drusilla Stump on Nov. 16, 1846, and their children are Granville, Henson, Daniel, Jacob, Ward, Ruhala Jane, and John. By occupation, Mr. Huffman has always been an industrious farmer, and is a faithful member of the Missionary Baptist church.
COL. JOHN HAYMOND.
John Haymond, the son of Major William Haymond, was born near Rock- ville, now in Montgomery county, Maryland. December 7, 1765, and came with his father to near Morgantown in 1773. He married Mary, the daughter of Colonel Benjamin Wilson, July 3, 1787, who then lived in Tygart's Valley near Beverly. The wedding party from Clarksburg on their way to the bride's home eamped out all night under a cliff of rocks a short distance from Philippi on the Valley river. It was said that the bride and groom were the hand- somest couple on the frontier.
John Haymond. was clerk of the Board of Trustees of the Randolph Academy, Deputy Surveyor, Sheriff.' Member of the Legislature from Harrison county, Member of the State Senate, an officer of Militia, took a prominent part in the Indian wars and was in many expeditions against them. In a skirmish with the Indians on Middle Island Creek, now in Doddridge county, a ball passed through a handkerchief which he had tied around his head.
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He was a member of the Virginia Senate at the time of the passage of the celebrated resolutions of 1798, and in all phases of the parlimentary contest in that memorable struggle, his name is found as voting against them.
About the year 1807 he moved onto a large tract of land on the Little Kanawha river, in what is now Braxton county near Bulltown, built a mill and established a salt works. He built canoes and floated down the river to the Ohio and thence up to Pittsburgh, purchased kettles in which to boil salt water and returned with them by the same route, a long tedious and laborious journey.
He conducted a manufacture of salt for many years and died September 5, 1838. His descendants still live in Braxton county.
JOHN HAYMOND.
John Haymond, a house carpenter and joiner, came from England to the Colonies, some time prior to 1740. He located in the Colony of Maryland. He had three sons, William, John and Calder, all of whom served in the Revolu- tionary war.
William, after the war, located near Clarksburg. John Haymond, called and known as Col. John the Indian fighter, was a son of William, and set- tled at Bulltown, on the Little Kanawha river. He reared a large family. William P. Haymond, whose name, by reason of his being a land surveyor and Commissioner of Delinquent and Forfeited Lands, is connected with more of our land titles than any other name, was a son of Col. John Haymond. Wm. P. was the owner and proprietor of the mills at the Falls of the Little Kanawha, from an early day, until the time of his death, in 1869.
Thomas Haymond, a son of Col. John, was the father of Luther D. Hay- mond, who was Prosecuting Attorney of the county when the Civil war began. Luther D. Haymond joined the Confederate army; and was Captain of a com- pany from this county. After the war, he located in Virginia, and practiced law there, until the time of his death, in 1886.
Eugenus Haymond was a son of Thomas; and John Q. Haymond, who now lives near Falls Mills, and who was a Federal soldier, and Sarah J. Squires, wife of E. H. Squires, living at Flatwoods, are children of Thomas, and the only children of his large family now living.
All of the Haymonds in this county are descendants of Col. John, and many of his descendants are to be found in other counties of this state, and other states of the Union, especially westwardly.
W. E. Haymond, an attorney-at-law, was the son of Eugenus and Mary J. Berry Haymond, daughter of Benjamin Berry. He was reared on a farm, not far from Falls Mills. He attended the public schools of the neighborhood in the winter season, and labored on the farm in summer, and after acquiring a good common school education, he taught school for a few terms. Afterwards, he read law in Weston, Lewis county, and was admitted to the Bar, in Sutton,
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in 1879. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Braxton county in 1884, and served in that capacity for eight years.
Mr. Haymond married his first wife, Emma C. Hawkins, of Buckhannon. To this union were born two children, Gertrude and Nora. For his second wife he married Ethel Rhoades, of Lewis county.
Mr. Haymond was a candidate for Congress on the Democratic ticket in 1900. The District being Republican, he was unable to reduce the large ma- jority that confronted him.
He has enjoyed a large and lucrative law practice, being chief council for E. D. Fulton, of New York vs. Geo. J. Gould, The Little Kanawha Syndicate and others, in which about 50,000 acres of coal land was involved, in Braxton and Gilmer counties. For his services in this suit he was paid $35,000.
Mr. Haymond has done more, perhaps, than any other citizen of his town, to promote such interests as would build up the town and community. It was through his influence that the Coal & Coke Railroad was extended from Gassa- way to Sutton. It is through his efforts that the Government is locating an extract plant at Sutton, which will add greatly to this section of country.
ANDREW J. HOPKINS.
Andrew J. Hopkins, son of Caleb and Mary A. (Cocke) Hopkins, was born in Goochland county, Va., Jan. 17, 1825, and came to Braxton county with his parents in 1842. On Dec. 16, 1851, he married Sarah, daughter of G. G. and Martha (Stout) Dennison. Their children numbered ten: Lucian M., Minerva C., Martha A., Matilda E., Lucy J., Narcissus W., Sabina C., Walter L., Alice V. and William J.
ELIJAH HEATER.
Elijah Heater, son of Solomon and Betsey E . (Wilson) Heater, was born in this county in 1834. He enlisted in the Confederate army in 1861, in Gilmer county, and served through the war. Among the battles in which he was en- gaged were: Laurel Hill, Droop Mountain, Bulltown, Beverly and Buckhan- non. At Droop Mountain, he was taken prisoner, and sent to Fort Delaware where he remained eighteen months at which time he was released and sent to Clarksburg.
March 1, 1874, Elijah Heater married Victoria Wyatt who was born in Randolph county, a daughter of Jacob and Kittie A. (Johnson) Wyatt. Their children were Al. B., Hayes P., Early S., Sarah I., and boy unknown.
JOHN HEATER.
John Heater was born July 5, 1818, and died at his home near Heater sta- tion, Dec. 15, 1894. On Oct. 17, 1847, he was united in marriage with Eliza-
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beth A. Berry, daughter of William and Caroline Berry, by which union they were blessed with seven ehildren, three sons and four daughters; the eldest, William Wirt, died Dec. 4, 1882; Madora J., wife of T. Cunningham, J. B. Heater, Leo A., wife of N. G. Singleton, Charles B. Heater, Sophrona Heater, wife of J. H. Long; and Rebecca, wife of Jaeob Huffman, died:
J. H. HUTCHINSON.
J. H. Hutchison was born Feb. 13, 1884, at Flatwoods. His father, Wm. Hutchison, was born in this eounty, while his mother, Esther C. Jones, was born in Highland eounty, Va. His grandparents, Felix Hutchison and Anne Knieeley, were natives of Nicholas county.
Mr. Hutchison was married to Miss Blanche Mearns Dec. 25, 1906, and their children are Bernard Mearns and William Milton. He began teaching school in 1901, attending Glenville Normal in 1902 and 1903. He was elected County Superintendent of Free Schools in 1914. As a teacher and County Superintendent, he is very popular. When not engaged in sehool work, he cultivates his farm situated on the head of Salt Liek.
WILLIAM HOOVER.
William Hoover, son of John and Cynthia Hoover, married Jerusha, daugh- ter of Tunis MeElwain who was born in Pendleton county in 1773. Mr. Hoover settled on the head of Bireh shortly after his marriage which occurred in 1867. He was the father of eleven ehildren, and two of his sons are prominent men of Webster county. Dr. Marshall Hoover is one of the leading physicians of his county. John Hoover is a lawyer, and enjoys a lucrative practice, and is the present Prosecuting Attorney. William Hoover died in 1890, and his wife died in 1909.
FRANCIS HOOVER.
Franeis Hoover, brother of William Hoover, married Amanda Prince, daughter of Simon and Peggy (Sisk) Prince. They raised a large family. Mr. Hoover died in 1916.
CAPTAIN N. M. HYER.
The founder of the Hyer family eame from Germany at an early period of the country's history, and settled on the James river at or near Jamestown. He had two sons, one of whom emigrated East, and the other moved to Rock- ingham county, Va. It was here that Leonard Hyer, grandfather of the de- ceased, was born about the year 1758. He was captured by the Indians at the age of thirteen, and kept in captivity for three years. After regaining his liberty, he joined General Washington's army, and served until the indepen-
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dence of the country was gained, then returning to Rockingham he married a lady by the name of Rohrbaugh and reared seven children. Two of these children, Christian and Mary, came to Harrison county, now Braxton, and set- tled near Flatwoods about 1817; the other five emigrated to Ohio.
Captain Hyer was a son of Christian and Julia Hyer; his mother's name was Sirk; she was a niece of the celebrated Adam Poe. It was at the exemplary Christian home of his parents that he grew to manhood, and whence he received his early moral and religious training.
He married Elizabeth Jane, daughter of James W. Morrison, and their children are James M., Mary E., Nancy V., Emma T. and John W.
In 1862, when the struggle waged the fiercest and vast armies were strug- gling for supremacy, Mr. Hyer voluntecred as a private in Company F, Tenth West Virginia Infantry, and was shortly afterwards made 1st Lieutenant of the company, and then elected Captain, a position that he held until the close of the war. He was taken prisoner in 1863 and was sent to Libby and then to Charleston, S. C., from there he was sent to Savannah, Ga., remaining as a prisoner seventeen months and eleven days. He had as companions in Libby, Bishop C. C. McCabe, Neal Dow, the great temperance advocate of Maine, and others of national celebrity. His prison life was one of great privation and danger, and at the time of his release his life hung upon a very brittle thread.
Captain Hyer died at the age of seventy-five.
A. J. HYER.
A. J. Hyer, son of Christian Hyer and Judy (Sirk) Hyer, was born in Braxton county Aug. 24, 1818. He married Hannah Rodgers, daughter of Levi and Naomi (Skidmore) Rodgers, and to this union were born Naomi J., Jacob S., Christian B., Julia, Mary E., Alice, Wm. G., George T.
By his second marriage with Hannah Morrison, widow of James Morri- son, there were born three children, Joseph, Jackson and Flora. Mr. Hyer owned a good farm in Boling Green that he bought by his own industry and frugality. He was a model farmer and citizen, and for many years was a member of the M. E. church. He died December 10th, 1894, and was buried at the Hyer cemetery on his father's old farm near Flatwoods, by the side of the remains of his first wife.
LEONARD W. HYER.
Leonard W. Hyer, son of Christian and Judy (Sirk) Hyer, was born 18 ..... He married McPherson and their children were James, Harvy. Mr. Hyer served through the Civil war in his brother's com- pany. He owned a farm on Cedar creek, and was a carpenter as well as a farmer. Was a member of the M. E. church.
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L. D. HYER.
L. D. Hyer, son of Samuel E. and Clara J. (Wheeler) Hyer, was born in 1861. He married Clemena Riffle, and their children were: Victor, Minter, Porter, Dessie, Edgar, Carder, Hallie, Orile Otis and Oley Oris, the last two named being twins.
Mr. Hyer owned a good farm on O'Brions creek in Clay county where ne resided. He was elected Sheriff of Clay county in 1908. He died May 4, 1911, and his son Porter finished his term of office.
JACOB S. HYER.
Jacob S. Hyer, son of Adam J. and Hannah Rodgers Hyer, was born in Braxton county, Jan. 10, 1849. He was reared on a farm until his thirteenth year. It was his industry and close application to business that induced his parents to send him to Weston where he could have better educational advan- tages. The opportunities thus afforded were very diligently improved. After he left school, he secured a position with George A. Jackson in the clerk's office, and later he entered the mercantile store of A. A. Lewis as a clerk.
After the close of the Civil war, Mr. Hyer came back near his old home, and went into the mercantile business at Flatwoods run, on the Elk, at a place now called Hyer. After successfully conducting the business there for a few years, he moved his store to Sutton where he expanded in business and soon became the principal merchant of the town. He helped organize the old Sutton Bank which was the first bank established in the county, and-became its Presi- dent, a position which he held until his death in 1903. He was a candidate on the Republican ticket for House of Delegates, and while the county was largely Democratic, he reduced the majority and lacked only a small number of votes of being elected. He was the nominee of his party in 1892 for the office of State Auditor, and once more reduced the majority in the sections where he had been best known for many years. Mr. Hyer was connected with school work in this town for many years. He was a member of the Masonic order, and the last few years of his life, was a member of the M. E. church, and was liberal of his means, and active in promoting the interests of the church.
He married in 1878 a daughter of Charles E. Singleton, and after a short period, this highly estecmed lady was taken from his embrace, and he was left with two children, George Edwin and Charles J.
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