USA > West Virginia > Ritchie County > History of Ritchie County, with biographical sketches of its pioneers and their ancestors, and with interesting reminiscences of revolutionary and Indian times > Part 43
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He is an influential Democrat, and is widely known throughout the state in political circles, and as a Sunday- school worker.
He is the father of three children, Alex G., the eldest married Miss Lena Peirpoint, of Harrisville, and is identified in the mercantile business at Ellenboro : Will A., junior, died at the age of eighteen months, and Kathleen is at home.
Thomas G. Strickler married Miss Dolly Lowther, daughter of James R. Lowther, of Pullman, and is the father of three children, Blanche and Hattiemae, and Tom. G., junior. He is the manager of the Pennsboro Grocery Com- pany, the president of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, at Pennsboro, a member of the Chancellor Hardware Firm at Parkersburg, and has interests in several other business con- cerns.
He served one term as' Grand Master of the Grand Lodge oi Masons of West Virginia, and is a degree member of that fraternity, as is his brother Will A., and Alex Strickler.
Perry A. Strickler, who is also identified in business circles here, married Miss Mary D. Mallory, and is the father of four children : Rachel, Johnson, Elizabeth, and Scott. Mrs. Strickler is the grand-daughter of Ritchie county's first news- paper editor, Enoch G. Day.
The Stricklers hail from the land of "Gessler and of Tell!" Four brothers came from Switzerland, near the year 1700, and settled in the Pennsylvania colony. Abraham Strickler, one of these brothers, subsequently removed to Vir-
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ginia, and found a home in the Shenandoah valley, where his son, Joseph Strickler, was born on September 1, 1731.
Joseph Strickler grew to manhood, and married Miss Barbara -, and was the father of six children ; viz., Barbara, Margaret, Daniel, Joseph, junior, and Cathrine.
Joseph Strickler, junior, was born on September 29, 1786, and married Miss Mary Miley, who was born in 1794, and eight children were the result of this union ; viz., Cath- rine B., Abraham, Isaac H., Rebecca, Jacob P. (father of the Ritchie county family). William, Mary Eleanor, and Joseph T. Strickler.
The older generations of the family are said to have been a highly respected and intelligent race of people. Some of them filled important offices in both military and civil life with honor to themselves and with credit to their country; and none of them were ever known to have been punished for a capital offence; and what has been said of them can as truthfully be said of their descendants of to-day.
An old German Bible, which bears the inscription, "Zit- rich, Switzerland, 1536," and which was brought to America by the family more than two hundred years ago, is now a treasured heirloom of Mrs. Martin Kaufman, of Mill creek, Virginia-a lineal descendant.
Gideon Price's connection with this town began one-half century ago, when he came here from his native county- Monongalia-as a carpenter and builder ; and it continued for a number of years, until he removed to Harrisville where he is now spending the eventidie of his life in his pretty home on North street.
Mr. Price is the son of Caleb Price, who was a native of New Jersey, and his mother was a Miss Barbe of Virginia. He was born on February 4, 1835, and on January 26, 1855, he was married to Miss Rhoda Ann Yeager, daughter of John B. Yeager, of Monongalia county ; and on April 1, 1859. they came to Ellenboro. He served as United States Internal Revenue collector for seven years, and has been a most prominent figure in church and Sunday-school circles, he having been a life long Sunday-school worker and an official
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty-seven years.
His wife died on March 15, 1907, and sleeps at Harris- ville, but their three children survive; viz., Rosalie, the eldest daughter, is the widow of J. W. Pritchard, and at Parkers- burg, she lives: Laura is Mrs. W. F. King, of Denver, Colo- rado; and Charles, the second child, and only son, is a busi- ness man of Denver.
The late General Andrew S. Core, too, merits more than a passing notice in connection with the history of this town.
He was born near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, on Decem- ber 25, 1804; and there spent his early life as a glass-blower. By his industry and economy in this business, he accumu- lated quite a sum of money, and, going to Russell's mill, in Tyler county, entered the mercantile and milling business ; and from there came to Ritchie county, perhaps, in the for- ties, and was identified with the pioneer merchants of Corn- wallis for a brief time, before coming to Ellenboro, where he remained until his death, on August 11, 1888.
He was at one time numbered among the wealthier mien of the county; but owing to his benevolent spirit, died in moderate circumstances. He was the first Collector of In- ternal Revenues of the State of West Virginia. He served as a soldier in the Union army, and rose to the rank of Briga- dier-General, being commissioned by Governor Peirpoint in 1862, and given command of the Twenty-third Brigade of the Third Division of the West Virginia Militia, but was mus- tered out in 1863 owing to an affection of his throat.
In his early manhood he was married to Miss Catherine Reitz, of Pennsylvania, who was known far and wide for her sweetness of disposition and her many other Christian vir- tues. She died during the Civil war; and he then married Mrs. Christine Mallory Kearns, of Ellenboro, who still sur- vives at the age of seventy-five years.
The daughters of the first marriage were Mrs. Rachel (R. S.) Blair, Mrs. Margaret (L. G.) Reitz, Mrs. Jane (Joah) Martin, all of whom have passed on; Ella, the wife of D. C. Tabler, of Parkersburg, is. the daughter of the last marriage . and Frankie, and A. S. Core, junior, the two other children of this union, died in childhood.
CHAPTER XLIII
Smithville
HOUGH Smithville is among the oldest towns in the county, it is far from being the largest. It now has seventy-five inhabit- ants, and contains about twenty dwellings. including the two hotels. It has two churches-Baptist and Methodist Episcopal -one parsonage (M. E. church), a two- roomed school-building, two general stores, a hardware and undertaking establishment, a post-office, a telephone ex- change, a barber. and two black-smith shops, a milliner and dressmaker-shop, two physicians, and two lodges, Modern Woodman of America and Knights of Pythias. It has seven daily mails ; the extension of the Cairo and Kanawha Valley railroad, from Macfarlan, is under consideration, and oil de- velopinents are in progress ; and a recently completed pump- station now overlooks the town.
David W. Sleeth has been styled the founder in this vil- lage. He came here, near the year 1844, and erected a build- ing where the Clarke residence now stands, and opened a hotel and a store, and; a little later, started a tannery ; and from this time, until his death, on July 5, 1851, his interests were identified with the village, and here, in the cemetery, he lies at rest.
He was one of the magistrates that formed the County court at the time of his death, and we here reproduce in the style and the language of that time, the resolutions of respect that were adopted by this honorable body on the occasion of his death fifty-nine years ago :
Virginia to-wit:) In the County Court, Tuesday,
Ritchie County.)
Jiily the Sth. 1851.
The Court was opened at 11 o'clock, when J. B. Blair
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Esq. in a feeling and impressive manner announced the death of David W. Sleeth Esq. one of the Magistrates of this County, who expired at his Residence on Saturday evening last, after a painful and protracted illness.
The following Preamble and Resolutions were offered by H. S. Jones Esq. and unanimously adopted :
Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to remove from among us David W. Sleeth Esq., a member of this Court to another and a better World and feeling it not only a privilege but a duty to give a public expression of the high estimation in which we hold the memory of our Departed friend
Therefore Resolved :
That we bow with humble submis- sion to the dispensation of an inscrutable Providence mani- fested in the death of our friend and fellow-Citizen. We most cheerfully bear testimony to his Industry Intelligence. & firmness as a Magistrate, his humble devotion as a Chris- tian and his honesty as a man.
Resolved. That we deeply sympathize, with his be- reaved 'family and friends, and tender to them our sincere and heartfelt Condolence on this occasion.
Resolved, That the members of this Court as a token of respect will wear the usual Badge of mourning for 30 days.
Resolved. That these proceedings be entered on the minutes of the Court. and Published in the Parkersburg Ga- zette, and a Copy thereof forwarded by the Clerk to the fam- ily of the Deceased .-
Ordered that this Court do now adjourn until one o'clock P. M.
(Signed) James McKinney C. C. K.
David Wallis Sleeth was born, near Clarksburg. in Har- rison county, on December 25, 1296: but he had called Poca- hontas, Lewis and Gilmer counties his home, before coming to Ritchie. In May 1834, he was married to Miss Nancy Lybrook, of Giles county, Virginia, who died on September 17, 1842, while he was serving as Sheriff of Lewis. county. and was laid to rest in the "Stony churchyard." at Jane Lew. Four children were the fruits of this union: Mary Jane died
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at the age of four years, and sleeps by her mother, at Jane Lew; Chapman and Floyd were laid in the Smithville ceme- tery in the promise of their young manhood ; and Anne Eliza- beth became the wife of P. S. Austin, and was the mother of Mrs. J. F. Hartmann, of Burnt House, and the late Mrs. John V. Warner, of this place. These two small families are the only surviving descendants of Mr. Sleeth.
In 1845, he was married, a second time, to Miss Eliza- beth Prince-sister of the late John Prince, and half-sister of Jerome Vandiver, of Louisville, Kentucky-who followed him to the grave on December 31, 1855, leaving no issue.
The Sleeths are of Scotch descent, and of Revolutionary stock. They came from Scotland and settled in Harrison county, shortly before our struggle for independence. Four brothers, David W., senior, Thomas, John, and Alexander took up arms in defense of their adopted land.
David W. Sleeth, senior, married Miss Katherine Car- penter, and was the father of thirteen children: viz .. John, Nicholas, David W., junior-the founder of Smithville- Henry, Thomas, and George W. Sleeth, Mary, who became Mrs. Henry Waldeck, Mrs. Margaret (Cornelius) Cain, Mrs. Katherine (Samuel) Brannon, Mrs. Sarah (Henry ) Wint. Mrs. Jane (Henry) Stalnaker, all of Gilmer county ; and Mrs. Nancy (Allen) Simpson, Weston.
(The family removed from Harrison county to near Troy in Gilmer).
Nicholas Sleeth married Miss Katherine Collins, and came to this county as early as 1838, and lived and died in the Burnt House community. His two sons Malan, and Ranfeu, and his daughter Nancy, who married Joseph Syl- man, of Gilmer county, were the members of his family. The first wife of the late John Frederick was his granddaughter. and J. M. Frederick, her son, of Burnt House, is his only de- scendant in this county. Others reside in Gilmer and Roane counties.
George W. Sleeth married Miss Rulina Mc Whorter, and lived and died at Smithville, leaving no issue.
Alexander Sleeth married Miss Katherine Wolfe, daugh- ter of David Wolfe, of Harrison county, and niece of Peter
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Wolfe, of Smithville; and came from Lewis county in 1840, and settled on the Malone-now the Kennedy-farm, above the mouth of Lamb's run, where he died, and where he was buried the following year, June 1841.
He leaves a large line of descendants, who principally reside in Gilmer county : but the one family in this county, that are descended from him, is that of Mrs. Nellie Sileott Synder, of Hazelgreen, her late husband E. E. Snyder, being a grandson.
His children were: Mrs. Maria McQuain. Mrs. Mary Coke, Mrs. Emily West, Mrs. Elizabeth Stevenson, mother of the late Will Stephenson, of Grantsville: Mrs. Julia Stal- naker, Mrs. Anna Bush, Granville Sleeth, Perry J., and John MI., who have all passed on; and Mrs. Penelope Snyder, widow of the late W. H. Snyder, of Glenville, who survives.
A Pretty Little Romance is woven about the marriage of Miss Mary Sleeth and Henry Waldeck, which is worthy of a place here :
Mr. Waldeck, who was of German birth was a soldier in the Hessian army, and as it was the custom, at that age of the world for one government to sell soldiers to another in times of war, the regiment to which he belonged was sold to the British for service in the American Revolution, and thus fate decreed that he should be brought to America to fight against the land that he learned to love dearest and best ; for at the close of the war, he refused to return to the Father- land, though a fortune awaited him there; and he crossed the mountains to what is now Lewis county and entered land on the river below Weston, where he founded a "Bachelor's hall." David W. Sleeth, senior, seeing the lonliness of his situation, one day broached the subject of matrimony to him, and advised him to get married. Mr. Waldeck assured him that he should like to act upon this advice if he knew where to find a wife. After a little consideration, Mr. Sleeth said : "My daughter, Mary, is only a little girl yet, but she'd make some man a good wife." The worthy bachelor, however, who was then forty years of age. resolved to sec this little maiden and learn what she had to say concerning the mat- ter : and though she was but fourteen years of age, she lent
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an approving ear to the plan, and soon after became his bride. She was the mother of Mrs. Andrew Law, of Auburn. And Mrs. Agnes Rymer, of Harrisville. and Mrs. G. M. Ireland of Pullman, are among her grand-daughters. Mrs. J. F. Irc- land of Colorado, is another grand-daughter, and the Rev. H. M. Law of the West Virginia Methodist Episcopal Con- ference, is a grandson.
Jerome A. Vandiver was the pioneer clerk of the village. He was born in Wood county on March 30, 1833, and in 1846, when but a lad of thirteen years, was sent here by his father to clerk in Mr. Sleeth's store and to learn the tanner's trade ; and in this capacity, he served until 1852, when he and J. H. Rexroad formed a mercantile firm under the name of "Rex- road and Vandiver," and sold goods for one year ; at the end of which time, Mr. Vandiver went to Harrisville where he clerked in a store, and worked in the Circuit clerk's office for his cousin, Amos Culp, until 1856. After spending the next three years as clerk at Parkersburg, and as traveling sales- man for a Baltimore firm, he went to Petroleum, in 1859, where he was identified with the mercantile firm of Vandiver and Rutherford, until 1865, when, shortly after his marriage to Miss Jane Rutherford, daughter of Richard Rutherford. he went to Louisville, Kentucky, where he continued in the mer - cantile business until 1873, and where he still survives. There Mrs. Vandiver found a resting place in 1894. They were the parents of three sons and one daughter: Wm. Knox is in business at St. Louis, Missouri; and Richard Ruther- ford. and Lawrence Jerome, at Louisville, and Eleanore Frances is the daughter.
Levi J. Smith built the second residence here, where Dr. A. M. Edgell now lives, in 1845. He was the son of Barnes Smith, senior, and with his wife, Mrs. Catherine Royce Smith, and his family. he went to Iowa. where he died, in Boone county, in 1903.
Charter For The Town .- Joseph Wilson, father of the late Col. Ben, junior, of Clarksburg, obtained the charter for the town, which took its name from Barnes Smith, senior, who owned the land where the town stands at the time of its birth ; he having come here from the B. H. Wilson farm, in
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
1842. and kept a house of public entertainment, where the Avres hotel now stands, until his death on March 9, 1857.1
The records show that the M. A. Avres hotel has been open as a public hostelry, continuously, since the year 1828.
G. S. Mccutcheon and J. H. Snyder were later proprie- tors of the Sleeth hotel, which went out of existence many years ago.
"The Wilson House" came upon the stage near a quarter of a century ago with Lemuel Wilson, the present owner and proprietor. at the helm.
Marshall Deane was the first "village blacksmith." He came near the year 1848, and erected his shop on the lot that was formerly marked by the late John Miller's shop, though now vacant, and carried on a general smithing and wagon repairing business. He moved from here to the late Alex Prunty farm near Berea, and finally went West. His wife was a Miss Butcher, sister of the late Mrs. Jacob Dougherty. of Lamb's run.
Physicians .- Dr. W'm. R. Lowther,2 late father of George WV. Lowther, of Grafton, was the first physician of the com- munity. He was a botanic doctor and resided on the Mc Neill homestead.
But the late Dr. Charles Austin was the first resident physician of the town. He was a nephew of the late P. S. Austin, and came here when just out of college, but only re- mained a few years. going to Ripley. Jackson county, and later, to Lewisburg, where he died, near the year 1902.
He was succeeded by the late Dr. Thomas, of Grants- ville. Others who have since been identified in this profes- sion here are: The Drs. James, two brothers, G. C. Badgely. J. H. and I. C. White. C. W. Ailor. A. M. Edgell, the late S. P. Hartman, the late J. H. M. Sinnett, and Dr. Franklin.
Dr. Edgell has had a longer connection with the village than other physician in its history. For more than a quarter of a century, he has been a leading practioner. Pleasants is his native county, and there he began his career as a peda-
1See South Fork settlers for farther account of his family.
"See earlier chapter for his history.
SMITHT'ILLE
gogue ; but in his early manhood he turned his attention to the study of medicine.
After receiving his diploma from a medical college, he went to New Milton, Doddridge county, and there began the practice of his profession ; and there he was married to Miss Melissa Snyder, a native of that county, in 1880: and two years later came to Smithville, which is still his home. He is the father of two daughters, the late lamented Mrs. Daisy (W. A.) Adams, and Mrs. Ethel ( Earle) Batson, of Cairo.
Merchants .- The following named gentlemen have, from time to time been engaged in the mercantile business here : P. S. Austin, the late John B. Rogers, and son, R. H. Rogers, the late J. H. Haddox and Mr. Carr, the firm being known for a time as "Haddox and Carr," the late B. F. Mitchell, and Lemuel Wilson, the late Jacob Clammer, "Pulliam & Wiant," P. S. Lough, T. T. Flynn, L. B. Scott, J. R. Kennedy. J. M. Deem, senior, F. D. Lemon, J. M. Rymer, and E. E. Shimer, Messrs. Rymer, Deem, J. R. Westfall and Shimer now hold this business in hand.
D. H. Valentine was the first shoe-maker of the village. He came here from Gilmer county, where he was born, and remained a citizen of this part of the county, until a few years before his death in 1905, when he went to Wirt county, where he sleeps.
He was a lay minister of the M. E. Church South. He was twice married, his first wife being Miss Sarah J. Wyer. of Gilmer county, and his widow. Mrs. Mary Goff Riddel, daughter of the late Strother Goff, of Burnt House.
He was the father of twelve children: J. B., Macfarian ; James, Ohio; C. J., Fonsoville : E. L., Newberne : and Mrs. Katherine Beckner, Parkersburg, were the fruits of the first union ; and Charles, Marshall, Rov. Mrs. Etta Hatch, Mrs. Blanche Hatch, Mrs. Emma , and Jennie, who died in youth, of the second.
Churches .- The Baptist church, whose history appears in an earlier chapter, came in 1873, and the M. E. church, in 1875. The late John Miller, and R. H. Rogers being the donors of the ground, for the latter.
The Rev. W. H. Shaw, who is now spending the even-
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
tide of his useful life, with his aged companion, at Point Pleasant, was the first resident minister of the town. He came in the spring of 1874, and during the following winter, held a revival meeting in the school-house, which resulted in the organization of the first M. E. class, at its ciose. Among the original members of this class were Mr. and Mrs. John Miller. John Prince and family, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Hard- inan, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Smith, Mrs. Minerva Kennedy, and W. G. Lowther and his late wife, Mrs. Jennie Kendall Low- ther. Several of these members came from the Webb's mill, and the Hardman chapel classes.
The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are the parents of three sons : Alpheus is a tailor by trade, and Charles and George. who were but small boys when the family lived here, are now prominent ministers of the Protestant Episcopal church.
The cemetery is located on the MI. A. Ayres homestead, formerly the Barnes Smith estate.
In 1875, the late Jacob Clammer, and the late H. H. Fling, of Roseville. erected the first flouring mill here, which was only in operation about one year.
This building, which has now vanished from sight, stood not far from the bridge, near the river's brink, and was a considerable structure, being two stories in height.
The history of this village would hardly be complete without a word in regard to the lives of the late Jacob Clam- mer, the late John Miller, and Major M. A. Ayres, whose names have so long been associated with its interests :
Jacob Clammer was born in Fayette county, Maryland. in 1836. and came to West Virginia, in 1859: and worked at the carpenter's trade at Reedy, Roane county, for two years, before going to Calhoun county, in 1861, where. on Decem- ber the 22nd of that same year, he enlisted as a Union sol- dier. in Company C., of the 11th Regiment, West Virgin- ia Infantry, and followed the old flag for three years. being commissioned captain, on January 21. 1864. At the close of the war, he returned to Calhoun county, where, in 1861, he was married to Miss Rachel Stevens, a native of Marion county ; and in 1875. he came to Smithville, as contractor and
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builder of the M. E. church ; and here he remained until he found a resting-place in the village cemetery, in January, 1904. He served the town in the capacity of miller, mer- chant (for fifteen years) and post-master (for ten years) ; was justice of the peace for a number of years, and was an official member of the M. E. church throughout his residence here.
His widow and sons, G. M., S. H., Homer, Okey and Walter are all residents of Colorado; and his daughter, Mrs. Isa Deem, lives in Illinois ; and Maggie and Albert lie in the Smithville cemetery. His second son, S. H. Clammer is now Mayor of Ft. Collins, Colorado.
The Clammers are of German descent. Captain Clam- mer's father came from the Fatherland, early in the nine- teenth century-more than ninety years ago-and settled in Maryland, when he was a young man of twenty-six years. and there married a Dutch maiden, of Pennsylvania, win- died when some of the children were quite young. The father then went to Iowa, where he died the following year. He spelled his name "Klammar" when he arrived, but when it was translated into English. it was spelled "Clemmer and Clammer." Other relatives came at the same time, and some adopted the former, and some the latter, mode of spelling it.
John Miller was a typical son of the "Emerald Isle." He was born near Londonderry, in the northern part of Ireland. on June 11, 1822 ; and there, he was graduated from the High school, and afterwards learned the blacksmith's trade, hav- ing served the required apprenticeship of three years as blacksmith and book-keeper, before coming to America in 1847. He landed in New York, and two years later, went to Pittsburg, where he was married to Miss Susan Trover, who, with the two children born of them, died in a little more than two years after the marriage. He then spent some time at Wheeling and St. Louis, before coming to Calhoun county, where he married Miss Henrietta Trippett, daughter of Franklin Trippett, who was born in Monongalia county, on January 3, 1841, and then went to St. Louis: and in 1865. he came to Smithville, and took up his residence in the Sleeth hotel, and opened a blacksmith shop. He afterwards
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
purchased the farm, that is now owned by the Mountain State Gas Company, but continued to wield the blacksmith's hammer, until his death on October 10, 1902. He was for long years a pillar in the M. E. church, and was an honor- able upright citizen.
Mrs. Miller now resides at Pennsboro with her daughter, Mrs. Addie Nutter, wife of ex-Sheriff Okey Nutter, and the other children are as follows: Mrs. F. C. Hardman, James and Frank Miller, Mrs. J. R. Kennedy, Mrs. S. H. Westfall, and Mrs. H. E. Wass, all of this county ; William and Orlando, Colorado, and Laura B., who died in childhood.
Shortly after, Mr. Miller's arrival in America, he sent for his brother, James, to whom he was greatly attached, and when he landed in New York, in changing his clothing, prepar- atory to leaving the ship, he threw his money over-board, forgetting it in the pocket of his discarded clothing, and by the time the lad had worked his way to his brother at Pitts- burg, he had contracted chills and fever, and died a few weeks later.
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