USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 46
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But this sturdy old soldier and pioneer, after the struggles for indepen- dence and a long and hazardous warfare with the Indians, blazing the way for civilization in the western world, married Margaret Johnson of Randolph coun- ty, and settled on Tygarts Valley river, near where the town of Elkins now stands, where he owned four hundred acres of valuable land entered on the 24th day of November, 1777. Joseph, his brother, entered on the same date, three hundred and fifty acres adjoining. Andrew undertook to dig a ditch to carry the water across a bottom at a long horseshoe bend to secure water power for a grist mill. This enterprise was never completed, but the ditch can yet be seen. The old soldier showed a spirit of enterprise in trying to harness the waters of the Valley river and make it useful to man.
Margaret Johnson was a daughter of Andrew Johnson. She had six broth- ers- John, Charles, Robert, Oliver, Jacob and Levi. Jacob went to Raleigh, N. C., and married a Miss McDonald where he died in 1812, leaving one child about four years old, named Andrew who afterward became President of the United States. Margaret Johnson Skidmore is buried near Elkins in what is now the Odd Fellows' cemetery. Her grave is marked by a stone cut by her son Andrew. Her husband died in Braxton county and is buried in the Skid- more cemetery at Sutton. Their children were James, born August, 1784. (He married Sarah Kettle, daughter of Jacob Kettle. Their children were William, Hickman, Edwin, Edith who married James Madison Corley and is buried at the Corley place in Flatwoods, Mary who married John Daly. Elizabeth who married Isaac Harris, Margaret who died in infancy, Rachael who married John K. Scott and was the mother of the celebrated large Scott family, Sarah who married Wm. F. Corley, father of Attorney A. W. Corley of Sutton.) Andrew, born March 20, 1780; Nancy. born December 25, 1787, (she married Thomas Scott) ; Mary, born February 14, 1789, married Chenoweth; Sarah, born April 28, 1792, married Coberly; Joseph G., born June 17, 1794; Jesse, born April 6, 1796; Eleanor, born March 15, 1798; John, born Angust 15, 1800; Benjamin, born October 20, 1802; Margaret, born February 10, 1804, married Crites; Re- becca, born May 7, 1807, married Jesse Jackson.
Some of the descendants of Captain John Skidmore settled on the Elk and Holly rivers, and many of their kindred are in that vicinity yet, while some of the descendants of Andrew Skidmore settled on the Elk at or below Sutton. Benjamin Skidmore. a most exemplary citizen, owned what is known as the Skidmore bottom which is now a part of the town of Sutton. Benjamin Skidmore's wife was Mary Gordon, and their children were Hilliard, Washing- ton, John Newhouse, Franklin, Jennings, Salina who married J. A. Baughman, Sabina who married B. T. Canfield, Caroline who married J. M. Mace, Mary Ann who married William S. Gillespie and Rebecca who married Thomas Daly. Two sons and two daughters are all of this family who are living. He and his wife, and several of his children, are buried at Sutton in the Skidmore ceme- tery.
Andrew, an older brother of Benjamin, settled three miles below Sutton on
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a traet of one hundred and forty acres of splendid land bought of John D. Sutton, paid for principally by labor in building a post and rail fence on the bottom where the town of Sutton stands. He was a man of remarkable strength and endurance. My father related to me that he killed a yearling bear on Wolf creek and carried it home, together with his gun, shot pouch and knapsack, lay- ing this bulky and excessive load down but twice to rest though the distance was seven miles to his home. Andrew Skidmore married Margaret Hudkins. Their children were Felix, Allen, James, Naomi who married Levi Rodgers, Polly who married James Sutton, Sally who married Levi Prince, David and Eliza who died in infancy, Susan who married Felix Sutton and Nellie who married Elija Rodgers. He and his wife and several of their children are buried at Bealls Mill. The old hewn log house that Andrew Skidmore built a century ago is still standing and is oeeupied by the family of his son James, a home in which he reared his children, and from the shelter of which they married and went out into the world. How sacred the relic and spot where father and mother were united in marriage. In tracing the genealogy of the family we find a similarity of names running through every family, namely : Polly, Rachael, Edith, Betsy, Phebe, Andrew, James, Thomas. The name Oliver appears in the Seott family, taken from the Johnsons, as well as the name of Jacob, Andrew, Robert and Levi.
The Skidmores in an early day intermarried with the Chenoweths, the Johnsons, the Coberlys, Kettles, Corleys, Scotts, Hinkles and numerous other families. As a rule, they are exemplary citizens, and have been loyal to the government, having been represented in every war from that of 1774 to the present. Their course has been westward from the day of their ascent of the James river to the wilds of the western world. They have never aspired to offiee or eminent positions. Few of them have chosen the legal or professional life, but they have penetrated the forests and assisted in driving back the savage and exterminating the panther and the bear. They have felled the forests ano builded churches and schools, and transformed the wilderness into a land de- sirable for human habitation. The daring revolutionary soldiers and adven- turous citizens, like swampers in the forest. blazed the footpaths, and opened up the way for the generations who were to follow. They followed in the very presence of the Indian tomahawk and sealping knife that lurked in every ra- vine, that crouched behind every bush and boulder. When we think of it, it is simply marvelous-their enduranee in penetrating an unbroken wilderness, in faeing the storms that have no limit to their fantasties while sweeping the peaks of the Alleghenies. Who pauses to think while passing the mounds that eon- tain the saered dust of their fathers, who it was that drove the savage from oeean to ocean and conquered a mighty empire. Not the citizen of wealth, not the men in authority, not the gentlemen of leisure, not society cultured and sparkling in gems, all beneficiaries of a generation unsurpassed and immortal. Every grave should have a monument; every county should have a little his- torieal society and map out and make note of the name and plaec of every
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silent and long-neglected grave; the state of West Virginia, with her limitless treasure, might in justice make provision to seck out and memorialize her wer- thy pioneer dead.
Recently, we had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Delila Coger who with David Chenoweth, aged eighty-eight, are the only living grandchildren of Captain John Skidmore. Mrs. Coger was next to the youngest of Levi Skidmore's fam- ily, and is one of twelve children. Levi was the youngest child of Captain John Skidmore's family and was also one of twelve children. Mrs. Coger is in her 92nd year, and is keeping house with part of her children. Ordinarily she does her own housework, and is remarkably well preserved for one of her years. She is a woman of striking intelligence and foree of character. She related many ineidents of pioneer life, and spoke of many topics of importance relat- ing to the present. She emphasized the fact that there ought to be more strin- gent laws in reference to marriage. She advocates that there should be prop- erty qualifications; that a man entering the matrimonial state should have at least something to begin life with, and that he should be sufficiently intelligent to manage his property; that he should be free from deformity or hereditary disease. This, she said, would lessen divoree and insure a stronger and more energetic race.
If the descendants of Joseph and Rachael Skidmore could be numbered down through all the five or six generations to the present, with all the kindred blood, the number would be as great as the army that followed Grant through the wilderness. If anyone doubts this, and he be a statistician, let him exer- cise his powers of enumeration, and he will begin to see great armies rising up before him.
We said in the beginning that large families was the rule and not the ex- eeption. We had seventeen to begin with in the year 1745 or 1750. Captain John had twelve children, Andrew had twelve, Levi had twelve, and of the grandchildren, Andrew had ten, and lived to see his fifth generation, Mary, daughter of Rev. J. Y. Gillespie; Benjamin had twelve, James had twelve, John had twelve, Allen had fifteen, Jennings Skidmore was father of seventeen, the same number as Joseph, his great-grandfather, Mrs. Naomi Skidmore Rodgers had nineteen, Mrs. Nellie Rodgers had thirteen, Mrs. Canfield had thirteen, and we visited the home of one of the fourth generation who had twenty children, and the father yet living; David Skidmore Jackson was father of sixteen chil- dren, including one set or triplets. Politically, the early Skidmores with few exceptions were Demoerats, and if the old party of Jefferson shall ever be want- ing in numerical strength, it will be because the Skidmore family has disobeyed the scriptural injunction. We know of three children who are of the eighth generation from Joseph Skidmore, and of the fifth generation from their great- grandfather, Simon Prinee who died in his 98th year. At one time, we saw one of these children, Spurgeon Hefner, sitting in his lap, a sight rarely wit- nessed in this life. The above list contains only a few of the hundreds that might be named measuring up to the patriarchal number.
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We are indebted to the late Attorney A. W. Corley of Sutton for quite a number of names and dates of this artiele. We have made no attempt at bring- ing out the various branches of the Skidmore family or of placing them in their genealogical order. Such an effort would be very laborious and would fill a volume, for we believe the Skidmore family to be the largest in the United States, taking the first six generations. We have only attempted to gather a few facts in order that any of the kindred wishing to trace up their family eon- neetion might take the information which we have tried to impart as a guide, and if any should be benefitted by the same, we will have been amply paid. That this great family is one of honor, Christian virtue and integrity none can deny, and since Andrew, the old Indian fighter, who helped to drive the red- skins from the Alleghenies across the Ohio river and was put in prison for kill- ing Indians after peace had been deelared, no one of the name in six genera- tions has ever been tried for crime nor looked through a prison bar.
We cannot close this imperfect sketch without adding a line to the memory of Allen Skidmore. He was a son of Andrew Skidmore, and was a man of cx- emplary Christian eharacter, touched with the divine spirit of grace. We vivid- ly recall many pleasant evenings spent with him and his faithful and devoted wife. He exemplified in his moral life more of the characteristics of a frontiers- man than is usually found in a well settled eountry. His aspirations were only to do good, and he seemed best contented in a humble cabin home where he spent the greater part of his life; a home stronger and more impregnable than the fortress or palace of a king. It was here that he established his altar, for God was with him.
ISAAC SKIDMORE.
Isaac Skidmore, son of Levi Skidmore, was born near Union Mills, Sept. 18, 1811, and married Lueinda Coger Sept. 25, 1846. Their children were Francena, Samuel K., Mary, Margaret, Jonathan, Theodore, Felix B., Phebe J., Luther C., and Pierson B. Mr. Skidmore owned valuable land and property on the Elk river, and was a prosperous farmer.
FELIX SKIDMORE.
Felix Skidmore, son of Andrew and Margaret (Hudkins) Skidmore, was born April 18, 1823, in Braxton eounty. He married on Sept. 28, 1843, Cyn- thia Frame, daughter of David and Sarah (Harris) Frame. Their children were eight n number: Sarah, Margaret (deceased), David, Andrew (died at age of five), Homer, Franklin, Harriet and Henry F.
Felix Skidmore lived with his father until he was seventeen years old when he began to ride as Deputy Sheriff which he followed for over two years. The other eounty offices which he filled were Commissioner in Chancery, Justice of the Peaec, and a second term of Deputy Sheriff. He was also Captain in the State militia from 1845 to 1850. In 1859, he entered into a mercantile business
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at Sutton, and was prospering when the war came, and his business was ruined. In 1863, he again started a store in Harrison county, and later returned to the same business in Sutton. In 1872, he built a saw and grist mill in Birch dis- trict, which he followed for a great many years.
ALLEN SKIDMORE.
Allen Skidmore, son of Andrew and Margaret Skidmore, was born Jan. 27, 1821, and died Nov. 5, 1883. He married Sarah Shaver, daughter of Isaac and Mary Shaver, March 4, 1841. She was born Jan. 7, 1824, and died May 29, 1851. Their children were Salathial, Anna, Mary, Eleanor and Margaret.
He married for his second wife, Malinda Lyons, granddaughter of John O'Bryan, one of the first pioneers of central West Virginia. They were mar- ried Nov. 27, 1851. Their children were Lavina, Alfred, Sarah, Andrew, Sam- uel, Archibald T., Eliza E., Susan and Wilbert.
GEORGE W. SKIDMORE.
George W. Skidmore was born Sept. 28, 1868, in this county. His father, Benjamin F. Skidmore, was also a native of this county, while the mother, Tamar K. Johnston, was born in Upshur county. His paternal grandparents were Benjamin F. Skidmore and Mary Gordon, and the maternal grandparents, John Johnston and Margaret Miller. He was married Sept. 21, 1904, to M. Elizabeth Fisch, and names of their children are Holly, Franklin and Henry Cecil. Mr. Skidmore is a travelling salesman, and now resides at Lexington, Ky. His grandfather, John Johnston, died in prison in the late Civil war.
MALINDA SKIDMORE.
Malinda Skidmore, wife of the late Allen Skidmore, recently died in her eighty-fourth year. She was the daughter of Samuel Lyons, and her mother was Margaret O'Brien, daughter of Adam O'Brien, the great woodsman. "Aunt Linda, " as she was familiarly known, was a woman of noble Christian character; her acts of kindness covering a period of so many years, has en- deared her in the hearts of the people.
JENNINGS SKIDMORE.
Jennings Skidmore was a son of Benjamin and Mary Skidmore, and was born in March, 1848. He was formerly one of Sutton's most prosperous citi- zens, but met with financial reverses in the 90's, and left Sutton twelve years ago, moving first to Centralia and then to Clarksburg, at both of which places he conducted a boarding house. He was an honest, industrious and well-liked citizen, and his friends here were shocked and grieved when they learned of his sudden death.
He was married first in 1870, to Margaret Skidmore and the following
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1
named children of this union survive: Johnson, of Huntington; Edward, Charles and Jaek, of Beaumont, Texas; Jennings, of Weston ; Amos and Harry, of Clarksburg; Mrs. Rena Davis, of Harrison connty, and Mrs. Sallie Rogers, of near Buckhannon. His latter wife was Miss Kate Davis of West Milford, Harrison county, and four children by this marriage-Esther, Anna Lee, Na- dine and Gordon-are living. He was a brother of Franklin Skidmore of Menlo, Ga., and Mrs. T. M. Daly of Webster Springs, the only members of his immediate family now living. He was one among the last survivors of the grandchildren of Andrew Skidmore who was a soldier in the Revolution. His widow now has the old Skidmore Bible.
JAMES SKIDMORE.
James Skidmore, son of Andrew and Margaret Hoskins Skidmore, was born and reared on the old Skidmore farm, three miles below Sutton on the Elk river. He married Caroline, daughter of George Duffield. They raised a family of twelve ehildren. Mr. Skidmore owned the old farm where he was born. It is now owned by his son Henderson. Mr. Skidmore and his wife have been dead several years. They were buried at the Bell cemetery, two miles above Gassaway on the Elk river.
ISAAC SHAVER.
Isaac Shaver and Mary (Hyer) Shaver came from Rockbridge county, Va., to Braxton county and bought land on the head of Salt Lick near the present town that bears his name. He and his brother-in-law, Christian Hyer, brought all their household effects in one wagon, and settled on adjoining lands. They arrived at their new home in the wilderness country in Sept., 1816. Mr. Shaver's family consisted of Abraham, Paulson, Jacob, Jesse, Sallie and another girl. He died at his home about 18 .... , and his widow lived for many years af- terward with her son Jesse at the old homestead. The Shavers are a hardy, industrious people, and as a rule have large families. They are of German de. seent.
ISAAC LLOYD SHAVER.
Isaac Lloyd Shaver, son of Jacob and Eliza H. (Lloyd) Shaver, was born at Flatwoods, June 19, 1836. On Oct. 28, 1859, he married Cynthia Elizabeth, daughter of Adam and Naney (Morrison) Gillespie. Their children were: Salathiel L., Lemuel H., Belmina Ann, John M., George W., James W., and Jacob A. who died in infaney.
JACOB SHAVER.
Jacob Shaver, son of Isaac and Mary (Hyer) Shaver, was born in Roek- ingham county, Va., and eame to Braxton county with his parents when a
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small boy. Born Feb. 28, 1810. He married Julia Loyd, June 1, 1834, and settled on Shavers fork of Cedar creek, where he cleared a farm, and reared a large family, conssting of eleven boys and five girls. They all lived to be grown men and women. The first death that occurred in the family was Miner- va who died with diphtheria when she was in her sixteenth year. The others all lived to bring up families. His boys were Isaac, Harvila, Willis, Harvey F., Franklin, Morgan D., Addison, Wesley, Johnson, Allen and Dexter. The girls were Julia Ann, Gueretia Minerva, Mary, Indiana. In addition to that necessary for the support of his large family. Mr. Shaver always had a surplus from his farm to sell. Mrs. Shaver did her cooking over an open fire as cook stoves in her day were not common. She told Felix Sutton that in the rearing of her family, she had never upset a vessel on the fire, and none of her children were ever burned or scalded.
Three of their sons, Willis P., Harvey F., and Morgan D. served through the war in the Union army.
JESSE SHAVER.
Jesse Shaver, son of Isaac and Mary (Hyer) Shaver, was born in Rock- ingham county, Va., At an early age, he moved with his par- ents to this county, and settled on the head of Salt Lick where he made his future home. Hc married Matilda Squires, daughter of Col. Asa Squires. Their children were Sarah, Lucy, Mariah C., Stephen, Asa Lee, Isaac Ransom, and Elizabeth S. Mr. Shaver was a prosperous farmer and stock raiser. He was for many years a leading member of great influence in the M. E. church, South. He was a citizen of sterling character. He dicd at the age of 85 years, and his remains rest beside those of his wife and several children in the Flat- woods cemetery.
ASA LEE SHAVER.
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Asa Lee Shaver was born in this county, Oct. 16, 1849, a son of Jesse Shaver. He married Amanda Waybright, Feb. 14, 1878. His wife was the daughter of Levi and Mary Jane Waybright of this county, and date of her birth was May 22, 1860. Names of their children are: Burr who is a me- chanic and lives in Sutton, Russell who is Deputy Postmaster at Flatwoods, and Lucy the wife of Charles Orahood the capable agent of the B. & O. rail- road at Flatwoods.
JACOB SHOCK.
Jacob Shock, son of Henry Shock, was born near White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier county, September 4, 1789, and about 1807, he with his father came to the place now known as Twistville in Braxton county where his father died soon after.
At the age of fourteen, he joined a hunting and trapping party, and came to the woods at Steer creek where they camped, hunted and trapped for a con-
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siderable length of time. While there, he discovered that the land was very rich and fertile, and always after that he had a strong desire to make a home in the Steer ereek valley.
In the year 1810, he married Mary Green, and soon afterwards, he pre- vailed upon his brother-in-law, John Green, to go with him and make a home there. In the month of September, 1815, they came to the place where Rose- dale is now situated at which place they took possession of a boundary of land, and each of them built a house. Green did not stay long. He went back to the Elk valley after selling his improvements to Shock who built a home in the land of wilderness, the land of his adoption.
In speaking of the fertility of the land in after life, Mr. Shock said that he had cultivated the land where Rosedale now stands, and raised forty con- secutive crops of eorn on the bottom near where the Elk and Little Kanawha depot is now located. The same land has been cultivated many years since the death of Mr. Shock. Here was the average bottom land of the Steer ereek valley.
Jacob Shock never became wealthy, but was an independent liver. He had twelve children, and gave them all a comfortable start in life. His wife died on August 4, 1854. He lived twenty-two years a widower, and died at the home of his youngest daughter, Tabitha Bourn, on May 7, 1876, being nearly eighty- seven years of age. He was an - honored and respected citizen, and was for many years of his latter life, a member of the M. E. Church.
JOHN F. SINGLETON.
John F. Singleton and his wife, Lucinda Byrne, came from Farquar coun- ty, Virginia, about the year 1807, and settled on Salt Liek near Salt Liek bridge, where they owned valuable land. Mrs. Singleton was a daughter of Uriah Byrne who was a captain in the Revolutionary army. Mrs. Singleton lived many years after the death of her husband, and died at the advanced age of ninety-eight. She was noted for her congenial nature, and her hospitality, a characteristic that is handed down to her descendants.
The children of John F. Singleton were Samuel, Uriah, Wm. K., Asa B., French F., Charles E., John S., Elizabeth, Mary Jane, Anna, Eliza and Susan.
Mr. Singleton was one of the early school teachers of Braxton. The Singleton family were all farniers and stock raisers, and noted for their in- dustry and enterprise.
CHARLES E. SINGLETON.
Charles E. Singleton, son of John F. and Lucinda (Byrne) Singleton, was born and reared near Salt Lick bridge where he afterward owned valuable land, followed farming and stoek raising, and for several years was engaged in the mercantile business. Mr. Singleton married Margaret Gibson, and reared a large family. He was Clerk of the County Court of Braxton eounty when
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the Civil war began. Their children were Newton G., Flora, Mary B., Minta. Charles, Laura M., Anna and George.
THE SQUIRES FAMILY.
Elizabeth was born March 30, 1746. Asa Squires, son of Elizabeth Squires. was born May 12, 1785. Sarah Cartright Eastip was born Oct. 6, 1785. Asa Squires and Sarah C. Eastip were married in Frederictown, Md., June 27, 1803. They were natives of Farquar county, Va. They came to what is now Braxton county, and settled on Salt Lick, May 20, 1807. Their children were Eliza Eastip, Mary Taylor, Elvira Sophia, Mariah Biggs, Lucinda Ann, Cath- erine Letchworth, Matilda Cartright, Thomas Hanson, Sarah Jane, Wm. Gran- ville, Daniel Stephen.
Elizabeth Squires, the mother of Asa and Eliza Squires, rode horseback from Farquar county, Va., to Salt Lick, arriving at Asa Squires' on Dec. 14, 1822. She was nineteen days on the road, being in her seventy-seventh year. She died March 8, 1840, and was buried in the old Squires cemetery on Salt Lick.
ELIJAH SQUIRES.
Eligah Squires, son of Sarah Squires of Farquar county, Va., and brother of Col. Asa Squires, was born in Farquar county in 1787, and came to Braxton county, Va., about the year 1807-8. He married a Miss Ertin of Farquar. By this marriage, he had three children, Taylor, Asa and William. He settled in Flatwoods on the land now owned by Wm. Hutchison where he remained until his death. He married for his second wife, Elizabeth Gibson, daughter of Nicholas Gibson. She was born in 1803, and died in 1896. To this union were born eleven children, as follows: Eliza, Susan, Mary, James, Edgar, Sarah, Eligah H., Margaret, Lydia, Frank F., and Betty. Eligah Squires was said to be a noble Christian man whose influence still lives. He owned slaves, but set them free. He was a member of the M. P. church, and mainly through his influence and by his means, the Stone run church was erected and a church . society built up.
THOMAS H. SQUIRES.
Thomas H. Squires, son of Col. Asa Squires, born Nov. 4, 1820. He mar- ried Sarah Bush of Gilmer county, and died Aug. 22, 1890. He left no chil- dren. He is buried at the old Squires cemetery.
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