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 46
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Their other children, besides Mrs. Nay, were Zebulon. Asa, Loami, Mrs. Priscilla, late wife of E. C. Goff, of Goft's : and Mrs. Rhoda (Lemuel) Davis, who have all passed on . Mrs. Ingaby Doak, wife of Robert Doak, of Tyler county ; and Mrs. Almira (Wm.) Dougherty, of Mississippi. Mrs. Dougherty and Mrs. Goff were both teachers.
Ezekiel Bee (another brother of Asa, junior) was born at Fetterman, in 1800. and came from Doddridge county to Berea. in 1852, and remained until he, too, was borne to the Pine Grove cemetery, in 1893. He was first married to Miss Elizabeth Rogers: and Benjamin Wilson Bee, of Salem; and Nelson, of Cowan, were the fruits of this union.
His second wife was Miss Mariah Johnson, daughter of Michael Johnson, an early settler of the Ellenboro vicinity, and they were the parents of eight children : viz., Angelina, who is now the wife of the Rev. M. E. Martin, of Cincinnati. was an early pedagogue of this vicinity. Elizabeth, who died in 1910, was the late Mrs. J. M. Meredith, of Berea ; Sedilla. Alzetta, and Emmaretta rest in the Pine Grove cemetery. Arthur is of Berea: Josiah. of Doddridge county; and Eudolphus, of Kanawha Station. The town stands on the land formerly owned by Ezekiel Bee.
Josiah Bee, senior, brother of Asa and Ezekiel, was mar- ried to Priscilla, daughter of George Davis, and came to this county from Doddridge, in 1859, and remained here until he found a final resting-place in the Pine Grove cemetery. His family are as follows: Dr. Isaiah Bee, of Mercer county, who was an early teacher and physician of this county : the late Jeremiah. Nehemiah, Obadiah, Azariah, Cathrine, who died in youth : Mrs. Joanna (George) McMullen, of Lewis county : and Mrs. Mary Meredith Gardner, of Parkersburg.
Ephraim Bee, senior, another brother, was married to
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BEREA
Miss Kathrine Davis and lived and died in Doddridge county, and from him the Pennsboro, Cairo, and Elizabeth Bees are descended.
John Bee, still another brother, with his wife, Mrs. Ingaby Davis Bee, came here from Doddridge county, near thirty- five years ago, and spent the remnant of his days where his widow and daughter, Lovera, still reside. His other children are : Dr. Estee Bee, Mrs. Cordelia (Henry) Goff. and Albert Bee. Berea ; Ira and Mrs. Ruhama Davis Walker, Roane coun- ty ; and Joel Bee, Walker Station.
Henry Goodwin and his wife, Casandra Leggett Goodwin, came from Marion county, perhaps early in the fifties, and resided in the Harrisville vicinity before coming to Berea, where they spent the remnant of their days, and where they sieep.
They were the parents of several children: Mary be- came Mrs. Hyson Davis, and Martha married Joel Bee, Enoch and Lethean died in their youth, and the rest in childhood.
Dr. L. H. Jones, the first resident physician here, is now a prominent practitioner of Ellenboro. He married Miss Cor- delia Reitz, daughter of L. G. Reitz, and is the father of five daugiiters : the late Mrs. Attie Ralston, Mrs. Beatrice Mallory, the late Bernice Jones, and Annie and Marie.
James Davis, who was one of the first merchants here, married Miss Nancy Leggett, daughter of Enoch Leggett, and was the father of MIrs. Hattie Manear, Mrs. Jennie Gar- rett, Mrs. Lizzie -, William, Walter, and Ivan Davis. He later went to Harrisville, where he lost his wife, and where he still resides with his second wife.
W. H. Batson came from Marion county, and remained here until his death in November 1910. He was the father of Mrs. M. M. Powell, of Harrisville; Mrs. Jennie Maxin, Charles and Lee Batson, of Berea. He belongs to the de- scendants of the Leggett family of Slab creek.
James R. Brake was long a conspicuous figure in the business circles of this community. He, with his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Bush Brake, came from Lewis county to Bone creek, where they resided for a number of years before the Civil war, in which he served as a soldier. Shortly after the
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
close of this struggle, he came to the old homestead here and formed a partnership with Thomas Baker in the mercantile business. They later changed their place of business to Pennsboro, where they dissolved partnership: and Mr. Brake returned here and continued in this business until his death, when his sons took charge. The store has been closed for several years now, and the old homestead is owned by John M. Summers, though occupied by Town Brake, who married Miss Vira, daughter of Mr. Summers.
Mr. Brake was at one time a member of the County court and was widely known in business circles, as are his sons. Several of his children died in childhood, but the surviving ones are as follows: A. Steele, and H. W .. reside in the far West: Wirt, at Buckhannon : Pitt G., at Parkersburg ; and Town, at the old home.
The present business men of the town are Thomas Jack- son, and (Ellsworth) Douglass & (Nathan) Mason, mer- chants, F. P. Bee, physician. E. J. Bee. blacksmith. F. H. Bee. miller, and Fred Meredith, post-master. John Meredith1 is also a leading citizen of the town.
1See White Oak Chapter for history of Meredith .
CHAPTER XLVII
Pullman
HIS town was laid out in 1883 by A. Hunter Hall, who is still one of its prominent citi- zeis. In March, 1882, Miss Carrie V. Zum- bro, sister of Mrs. Hall, purchased a farm of W. B. Loudin, and from this farm lots were sold for the town. John Parker pu1- chased the first one, and erected a dwelling where the Howard residence and the post-office now stand. ir 1883. The post-office was established the same year with A. B. Sommerville as post-master. The name "Pullman" be- ing selected by the Post-Office department.
A. J. Cross, son of John Cross, purchased the second lot and launched the blacksmith and hardware business in 1883. Ile, later, built the A. J. Riddel residence, one of the prettiest in town, and from here he went to Pennsboro, in 1904, where he still lives.
The site of the pioneer blacksmith shop of the place is now marked by the residence of A. Hunter Hall.
The first dwelling on the site of the town, after the orig- inal Cain cabin, was erected on the lot that is now marked by the late Wm. I. Lowther residence; and the second, was the Parker home, where Syelus Hall now lives. These were all old time "mansions."
The first hotel stood where the "Pullman hotel" now stands, and was owned by John Parker. There are now three hotels here, the "Loudin," with E. J. Loudin proprietor, and the Wilson, owned and managed by Mrs. Anna Wilson.
The erection of the first church in what is now Pullman antedates the history of the town by many years. It was built in 1850, and was long designated as "Old Slab."
Enoch B. Leggett was the donor of the original grounds,
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
which were added to later by William I. Lowther. The first church was destroyed by the hand of an incendiary during the Civil war, but was rebuilt in 1868; and in 1899, this old time structure gave place to the present one, which was chiefly the work of William I. Lowther.
The school-house and mill, also, came many years before the town. . Perhaps, as early as 1860, John Parker built a dwelling where Syelus Hall now lives, and, a mill on the site of the garden of the Pullman hotel, near a lasting spring. He continued to run this mill during the war, and operated a carding-machine in connection. And during those dark days, the women were his patrons, it being no uncommon sight to sce them coming to mill laden with their grain and wool. The one mill here now is a roller process owned by the Pullman State Bank.
Shortly after the coming of the mill, the first post-office was established under the name of "Parker's mill;" but it went out of existence during the war.
A. Hunter Hall was the first merchant of the town. His store having stood on the corner of the lot that is now owned by his brother, Syelus Hall.
A. B. Sommerville was the second merchant, and the first postmaster, as before stated. He came from the little sister County of Doddridge, and married Miss Sarah Lowther. daughter of Wm. I. Lowther, and remained here until he was laid in the Pullman churchyard. He was the grandson of the distinguished pioneer, George Husher. He left no heirs, and after his death his widow became Mrs. Winfield Chapman, but she, too, has long since joined the throng on the other side.
Dr. A. D. Summers was the first resident physician. He married Miss Kathrine Mckinley, and went to Roane county, where he died, and where the family still live. Other resi- dent physicians have been Drs. Perry, W. R. Rymer, J. G. Lowther, Leason, Frank Prunty, and N. W. Jones ; and Dr. J. O. Eddy, who came here from the Buckeye state a few years since, and Dr. Benjamin Richards, a native of this county, now look after the sick.
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PULLMAN
Merchants .- Among those who have figured in the mer- cantile business here from time to time, we find the names of the late E. G. Hawkins, Elliott Hall and Son, E. D. Edmonds. W. W. Wells, B. F. Richards, W. E. Cox, J. A. Cox, Curtis Morris, J. A. Veach, A. J. Cross, Frank Pritchard; and the present merchants, J. A. Cox, A. J. Riddel, C. W. Nutter, and the W. S. Stont hardware and general store.
The Bank was instituted in September, 1902, with G. M. Ireland, President, and Okey J. Prunty, cashier. Mr. Ireland is still the president and Fred A. Hall is cashier, with Hayes Elliott, assistant.
The Maccabees Lodge was organized during the Autumn of 1904, with twenty-six charter members. It now has a mem- bership of one hundred seventy-five; and enjoys the distinc- tion of being the largest lodge of this order in the state. It has a neat and comfortable hall, which is valued at two thousand dollars : and a Ladies auxiliary, which was organized in 1908.
This town claimed a population of one hundred fifty- eight in 1906, but it possibly numbers near one hundred seventy-five at the present time (1910) ; and on May twenty- first of this year, it had a lot sale, which added near forty new lots, and a rapid growth in the near future is the present outlook. The Lorama narrow gauge railroad is making daily trips here now, and, doubtless, this town will soon vie with Auburn for the second place, in size, among the towns of Union district.
It was incorporated in 1901 with James R. Lowther as first mayor. In 1906, it numbered thirty-seven buildings, but several have since been added. It has four general stores, and one general and hardware combined, three hotels, a two- roomed school-building, two blacksmith shops, a milliner and dress-maker establishment, one church (M. P.), two parson- ages (M. P. and M. E.), a bank, a mill, a telephone exchange, one lodge hall, one veterinarian, and one young peoples so- ciety-Christian Endeavor.
Asby Hunter Hall, the founder of this enterprising little town, was born in Marion county, on April 21, 1854, and there grew to manhood and began his career as a rural peda-
.
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
gogue. He married Miss Olive Zumbro, of Marion county, on March 25, 1879, and from Harrison county they came to Ritchie, in 1881. He not only founded this town, but has been a prominent factor in its affairs throughout its history. He belongs to the Halls, whose ancestral history appears in the Lynn Camp chapter. He is the father of two children, Glenn and Ruby Hall.
Oxford .- This quaint little village, which at the present time contains not more than a half dozen dwellings, a store, a blacksmith-shop, and a few other buildings, is the second oldest in Union district.
Alexander Lowther, senior, the first settler, in 1822, was its founder. He was born in Harrison county, on January 14, 1191, and was the son of William and Margaret Morrison Lowther, and the grandson of Col. William. He married Miss Sarah Ireland, daughter of Alexander Ireland, who first saw the light of day on August 13, 1196; and near the year 1820, he came to this county and settled on the north bank of Hughes river, just opposite the mouth of the Middle fork, on land that now belongs to G. MI. Ireland-the site of this oid cabin is said to be marked by an oil well-and from here he went to Oxford, where he erected the old log residence. which, though in a state of dilapidation, still stands, at the western end of the village. Here, in 1841, a great shadow fell upon the home, when the beloved wife and mother "passed from sight." Some time after this sad event, he married Mrs. Rachel Stout Neal, mother of M. A. Neal, of Ellenboro, and the one child of this union died in infancy. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was one of the earliest justices of the peace of the county. He died at Oxford, on April 20, 1864, and sleeps in the White Oak cemetery. His first wife lies near the M. P. church at this place, and the second, at Pull- man.
The children of his first marriage were ten in number : Margaret died in youth and was laid at rest by her mother ; Alexander, sleeps at Parkersburg ; Wm. I., at Pullman ; John
( The histories of the Leggetts, the Crosses, the Parkers, and other: who have figured in this town's affairs will be found in earlier chapters. )
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PULLMAN
A., at Oxford ; Robert W., at Cairo: A. Jackson, in Missouri ; Archibald, on Goose creek ; Jesse, at Chrisman, Illinois ; Eliza- beth (Mrs. Samuel Prunty), resides at Summer, Missouri ; and Mrs. Sarahı Stout, at Parkersburg.
P. S. Austin .- Mr. Lowther's old residence here con- sisted of two log houses joined together by an entry ; and in. this entry, the first store was established by the late P. S Austin, of Burnt House, near 1848.
Mr. Austin, a little later, erected a store-house near the present site of the Frank Pritchard store; and he gave the town its name.
Through his efforts the post-office was established in 1849, and he was the first post-master. Near the year 1851. leaving Oxford, he went to Smithville, where he engaged in the mercantile business for a time, and where he met and married Miss Anne Sleeth, daughter of David Sleeth; the marriage taking place on February 8, 1853 ; and soon after- wards, he settled at Burnt House, where his daughter, Mrs. J. F. Hartmann now lives. He was a typical son of the "Old Dominion," being born in Augusta county, on August 29, 1821; and when the Rebellion came on, his sympathies nat; urally lingered about the Southern cause, and he went South and took up arms in behalf of the Confederacy, and remained until peace had again been restored. He then returned to his home at Burnt House, and six weeks later followed his wife to the grave. Two of the children, Charles N., and Lucian Alexander, had preceded their mother to the other shore, and taking the other three, aged seven, five, and three years, he went to his old home in Virginia, and entrusted them to the care of his sister, Mrs. Saphronia Donahoe, who reared them to man and womanhood.
In October, 1880, the son, Lysander Chapman, returned to the home of his father, and in June following he was laid by his mother in the Smithville cemetery.
In December of the same year (1881) the daughters came, and on January 9, 1883, Florilla Floyd, the eldest, became the bride of Dr. J. F. Hartmann, and she, alone, survives.
On September 15, 1903, Saphronia Letitia was married to John V. Warner, of Smithville, and in December, 1905, she,
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
too, was laid in the Smithville cemetery, leaving two little daughters, Mary and Nellie. And with Miss Jessie, Karl and Fleet Hartmann, we number the entire descendants of this pioneer merchant.
On a beautiful day in Autumn-October 1, 1886. Phi- lander Spillsbury Austin fell asleep at his home at Burnt House, and was borne to the Smithville cemetery and laid away by the side of his wife and children.
He was of Scotch-Irish descent-thie son of Alexander and Letitia McClannehan Austin, early settlers on the South river, in Augusta county, Virginia. His maternal grand- father. Col. McClannehan, was Colonel of the Seventh Vir- ginia Regiment in the Revolutionary war. He was one of a family of fifteen children, all of whom died under the paternal roof, except the following: Dr. Alexander Austin (late father of Drs. Charles and Samuel Austin, of Lewisburg; and William, a pulpit orator of the Presbyterian church of New York), who lived and died at West Milford; Rice, who went to Tennessee; and Mrs. Donahoe, already mentioned, Mrs. Virginia Black, and Mrs. Cornelia Kinsolvin, all of Virginia.
Holbrook, which has never been but little more than a post-office is at the present time inhabited by two families : and the inention of a store, post-office, church, school-house. and a blacksmith-shop will probably give the reader a graphic description of this little hamlet, which came into existence with the establishment of the post-office in 1865; and which was named by William Chevrount, who was the post-master at \'est Union at that time. The late Christopher N. Nutter was the first post-master, he keeping the office at his resi- dence.
Mr. Nutter built the first mill here in 1852, but this miil being destroyed by the hand of an incendiary in the early days of the Civil war, was rebuilt, in 1866, by J. M. Brown, of Hannahdale, and the late Godfrey Carroll. Among other later owners were Enoch Leggett, J. F. Ireland, E. M. Brown. A. K. Atha, and C. W. Nutter, who was the last owner and oper- ator, its wheels having been silent since 1893.
PULLMAN
J. C. Gluck, of Auburn and J. L. Lamb, of Harrisville were the first merchants.
The school-house was erected in 1866, and the church, in '74; the late Archibald Lowther having given the grounds for both, he being one of the chief builders of the church, which is known as "the Walnut Grove church." This was one of the last acts of his life. On October 29, 18:4, when the church was nearing completion, he, not having been so very well, walked down to see how the work was progressing, and shortly after his return to the house, suddenly breathed his last.
CHAPTER XLVIII
Petroleum
ETROLEUM was laid out for a town as early as 1854 in view of having it made a railroad station, and it took its name from the petroleum spring near by.
The land where it stand's was originally owned and settled by Richard Parker, who transferred it to Richard Rutherford, senior. at an early day and went West. Mr. Rutherford later trans- ferred it to his son, George Rutherford, who has long been a leading citizen of this community.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company erected the first building, in 1856-the year that is marked by the run- ning of the first train on this road, and this building is still in existence, and is occupied by Mr. Welling.
James Kelley was the pioneer merchant of the village. He came here from "Old Erin" in his bachelor days and married a widow by the name of McCue, and from here. went to Parkersburg, and finally, to "the Smoky City" where he died.
Andrew Shaw (colored) was the first blacksmith : Dr. Van Slyck, of New York, the first hosteler : Dr. Humphrey. the first physician ; and the Rev. D. M. Sleeth, the first min- ister.
Dr. Humphrey went from here to Cairo, and after some years of service there went to Doddridge county.
The Rev. Mr. Sleeth was a scholarly gentleman of the United Presbyterian church faith. He married Mrs. Mattie Newland, of Belmont county, Ohio, and was the father of two daughters and one son, Libbie, Mabel, and Earle, who are all married and live in the West. The father died in
PETROLEUM
Kansas near a year ago, and the mother lives with her chil- dren.
The year 1856 was marked by the coming of the post- office with the late George Rutherford post-master. The present one is George B. Douglass.
The school-house came in 1868, but was transformed into the present two-roomed building in 1880.
The village now claims a population of ninety inhabit- ants, and its two mercantile houses are owned and managed by Rutherford Brothers and L. P. Reitz.
Jerome A. Vandiver was an early merchant here, and the names of Douglass, Rutherford, Reitz and Sharpnack have been prominent ones almost throughout the history of the. village, but as the older families have been given a place in preceding chapters we will only mention the Reitzes, John Cowan and D. M. Sharpnack in this connection.
The Reitzes are of German extraction. Philip Reitz, who was born at Geneva. Pennsylvania, in 1806, and was there married to Miss Rachel Harter, came to this county with his family in 1859, and settled at Ellenboro where he engaged in the mercantile business until 1863, when he removed to Pe- troleum. He continued to sell goods until 1868, when he was succeeded by his son, L. P., and George B. Douglass.
He died here near the year 1894. He was the father of six children : viz .. J. H., and F. W., have passed on: L. P. Reitz, and Ellen M., who is Mrs. D. M. Sharpnack, are of this place ; and T. G. Reitz. and Mrs. Elizabeth Williams, of Parkersburg.
L. P. Reitz, who has so long been identified in business here, married Miss Isabella J. Chrisholm in 1827, and five children are the result of the union. Harry died a few years ago, and the other four, Jessie, Mary, Walter, and L. W. Reitz, survive.
In 1871. Mr. Reitz purchased Mr. Douglass' interest in the store, and after managing the business alone for a time, he formed a partner-ship with his brothers. T. G. and F. W. Reitz, but he is now sole-owner and manager at the age of sixty-nine years.
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
The Reitzes are a worthy family. Philip Reitz was a brother of Thomas, of Harrisville.
Daniel M. Sharpnack, second son of Hiram and Lydia Harris Sharpnack, who was born on July 30, 1845, has been identified with the business interests of the town in various ways since 1869, when he came here from the "California House," where he had been engaged in the mercantile busi- ness. He has been post-master, telegraph operator, real es- tate agent, express agent, etc., and is a mechanic of more than ordinary skill.
On December 5, 1867, he was married to Miss Ellen M. Reitz, daughter of Philip Reitz, and three children were born of this union ; viz., Mrs. Rachel (Sidney R.) Curry, Mrs. Alice (Harvey) Stutler, St. Mary's; and Thomas, who was graduated from the Buckhannon Seminary, and from the Ohio Wesleyan University, and is now in business at Mans- ficld, Ohio.
John Cowan was prominent in the affairs of this town and community for a number of years and we here inscribe his name :
He was born in Scotland on October 17, 1832, and spent his youthful days among his native hills as a shepherd's boy : but in his early manhood he enlisted in the Brittish Army for service in the Crimean war (1854-56) belonging to the Highland troops; and, like the other members of this regi- ment, received a medal from the hand of Queen Victoria, for bravery, which is inscribed with the names of the four die- cisive battles of this war; viz., Alma, Balaklava, Sebastopol. and Constantinople. He was an eye witness to the "Charge of the Light Brigade" upon which Tennyson has based his famous poem, and his brother, William, was one of the "six hundred" that rode "Into the valley of death." and one of the very few that escaped that awful fate.
Mr. Cowan lost the use of one of his ears owing to the bursting of an ear-drum during the fierce canonading at Se- bastopol. He was distantly connected to Thomas Carlyle, the great English historian and essayist, and remembered his visits to the Carlyle home with his parents in his childhood.
He came to America during the autumn of 1857. and
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PETROLEUM
spent the winter in New York, but, owing to the severity of the climate, went to New Orleans during the following spring and summer. There he met and married Miss Janett Muir, a Scotch maiden, on January 3, 1862; and together they came to Petroleum in 1872, where he figured as justice of the peace for thirteen years, and as a good citizen for the rest of his days. He had been a communicant of the Free Church of Scotland in his native land. ... ... 1 with the Presbyterian church after coming to this county. He re- moved from Petroleum to a farm four miles distant, but owing to a paralytic stroke which disabled him. he returned to the town where Death closed his eyes on May 30, 1908, and in the Egypt cemetery, near Cairo, he lies buried. Mrs. Cowan with their eight children still survives.
The sons and daughters are as follows :
Mrs. Jessie (R. G.) Powell, Miss Agnes Cowan, and John H., are of Petroleum; Mrs. G. W. Foutty, of Freeport : Miss Marian, of Cairo: Robert L., of Wheeling ; William N .. and James of Sherrard, near Wheeling.
This family of Cowan's do not belong to the same race as the other family of this name that has a place in this work.
Highland .- This town took its name from the Highlands of Scotland, the place of the nativity of the early settlers of this section of Bond's creek. It was born in 1868, when John Helmick erected the first dwelling, and William Smith, the first store. It is now a village of fifty inhabitants. The school-house was added in 1870, and Dr. Villers was the first resident physician. The first mill in this part was put into operation near the year 1820, and was one of the old-time horse-power mills.
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