USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 38
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John H. Jordan is a Knight Templar in Masonry ; an Odd Fel- low ; a member of the Order of Red Men and the Knights of the Golden Eagle; the Ancient Order of United Workmen ; also of the Modern Woodmen of America.
The great grandmother of John H. Jordan, Mrs. Tompkies, an- other of the children of G. L. Jordan, was a daughter of Mitchell Clay, the first settier at Clover Bottom, and a sister of Tabitha Clay, who was killed by the Indians, an account of which is given elsewhere. Squire William Hughes, of Pipestem, married Louise Jordan, a sister of Gordon L. Jordan.
SHEFFEY.
The old Jordan Chapel has been witness to many celebrated revival meetings by various ministers, the most celebrated of which was by Robert Sawyers Sheffey, a pioneer Methodist preacher, who was celebrated throughout all that region and Southwest Virginia. He was an eccentric itinerant, and one of the most remarkable characters that has ever lived in the New River Valley. During the life of Gordon L. Jordan he regularly visited him about once a year, and frequently held meetings at the old chapel. He was born on July 4, 1820, and died in Giles County in 1902. He was a native of Wythe County. He came into the New River Valley in 1859, and married a Miss Stafford. He was a pious, devout, Chris- tian and godly man, and was a man of wonderful faith in God and most eloquent in public prayer. The most remarkable thing about this eccentric man was that his prayers for special things were not in vain, for what he asked the Lord for he always seemed to receive. So often were his prayers answered and his highest hopes and aspirations gratified. that people who knew him well and were disposed to do evil things, were frequently alarmed for fear he would call down upon them vengeance from heaven, and they be- lieved that if he asked the Lord to smite them with pestilence or death, it would be done. Doubts of his sanity were expressed.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
These expressions, after being conveyed to Mr. Sheffey, he would often publicly repeat, and comment thereon by saying. "Would to the Lord that they were crazy on the same subject that I am."
Many are the interesting stories told of this preacher and his conduct, one or two of which we will give, as he was known to a large number of people throughout the upper region of the county. and I take them by permission from Judge Johnston's "New River Settlements."
Twenty-five years or more ago Mr. Sheffey had a regular preach- ing place on East River in Mercer County near the residence of Anderson Tiller, at whose house, when in the neighborhood. he made his stopping place. It was known that Mr. Sheffey was ex- ceedingly fond of sweet things, and especially of honey, and when on a preaching tour he went to fill this appointment on East River. and as was usual, became a guest of Brother Tiller. Being on a Sunday morning, and late in the summer season, while at breakfast, Mr. Tiller remarked to Mr. Sheffey that he regretted he had no honey for him -- that his bees had done no good. had not swarmed, and he feared that they had frozen ont during the winter, or something had destroyed them. Mr. Sheffey arose from the table, went down upon his knees, and told the Lord that his brother's bees had not swarmed, and that there was no honey in the house, and he im- plored to have the bees swarms. Scarcely had his petition ceased. when the swarm came with such rapidity that Tiller was unable to secure rapidly enough sufficient gums to save them. There is no doubt about the truth of this incident.
At a meeting held by Mr. Sheffey at Jordan's Chapel, Dr. Bray, a physician in the neighborhood, took his wife. Mrs. Martha Bray. the mother of Mrs. Captain Frank Cox, now living in this city, and was present at the Sunday morning services, and had with them a nursing infant child, which was taken suddenly ill about the close of the services. Mrs. Bray became alarmed and grief-stricken about the condition of her child, and in her paroxysms she cried out that her child was dying. A large number of people were present, who gathered around the mother and child, supposed to be dying, when Mr. Sheffey appeared. and being informed of the cause of the trouble, said, "Here, brother, give me the little child:" and taking it in his arms, he feil. upon his knees, and in a most earnest prayer to God, asked for the life of the little child, and that it might be restored to its mother. Arising from his position on the ground, he handed the child to its father, saying. "Here, brother, is your little child, well and all right." So it was.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
These are only a few of the many truthful and similar incidents which are related of this strange man. He had a wonderful faith in God's Providence-His care for His people, in providing for their wants, physical and spiritual.
On one occasion he met a man in a road on a very cold day, and the man had on no socks. Mr. Sheffey, observing this, took off his own and gave them to the man. After riding some distance, he stopped at a house, and the lady of the house said to him that she had knit for him some nice pairs of socks, which she wished to present to him.
He could not bear to see his horse suffering, or even any other animal-not even a bug if turned on its back; and he has been known to dismount from his horse and turn the bug over. If he found a hungry dog or animal, he would give it his lunch, not eating it himself. When provided with lunch for a journey through the mountains, the first hungry-looking dog he met, he would give it to the dog, and go hungry the remainder of the journey.
On the upper waters of Bluestone, many years ago, was a whiskey distillery operated by a man and his son. Mr. Sheffey stopped in the neighborhood at the home of a good Methodist family. The good wife of the house told him of this distillery, and that it was wrecking the lives of many of the young men in the community, and requested him to pray for its removal, which he promised to do. The lady inquired how long it would be before she might expect his prayer to be answered. He replied, about twelve months, and, sure enough, in twelve months the distillery was closed up and the owner and his son in jail.
On another occasion, on Wolf Creek, near Rocky Gap, he was informed by a mother of a family of the existence of a distillery in the neighborhood which was proving a great evil, and requested to pray for its removal. He immediately went to the Lord in prayer, and asked Him to destroy the evil, and, if necessary, to send fire from heaven to burn it up. That night an old, dry tree took fire near the distillery, fell on the shanty, and destroyed the whole thing.
J. B. LAVENDER.
This gentleman is of English descent and a native of Mont- gomery County, Virginia, where his ancestors settled on their emigration to this country. He was born September 6. 1849, mar- ried Miss Ella Bransford, of Greenbrier County, a daughter of
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Henry Bransford, in 1876. He is by profession a civil engineer, architect and builder, and has supervised some of the substantial buildings of Hinton. He was the architect and contractor for the handsome brick residence of James T. McCreery on Temple Street, and the architect of the Chesapeake Hotel, now owned by H. Ewart, built by A. B. Perkins. Mr. Lavender, when he first moved from Virginia, located in Ohio, then in Kanawha County, and settled in Hinton in 1882, and is one of the older residents. He was originally a Democrat in politics, but changed his views on the political parties, and in 1888 was the Republican candidate for surveyor of the county, and was the nominee of that party at a later election, but the party being in the minority, he was defeated in each in- stance. He assisted in the re-assessment of the real estate of the county in 1905 under the new tax laws of West Virginia, Jonathan Lee Barker being the assessor, with Mr. Lavender as assistant. In 1900 he was the United States census enumerator for one-half of the county, along with the same Mr. Barker, who was the enumer- ator for the other half. Mr. Lavender is also a professional pho- tographer, which occupation he follows for a diversion. He is also local minister of the Methodist Church. By his courtesy we are able to get a cut of the old George Ballangee mansion at the mouth of Greenbrier River.
BLAKE.
Andrew Jackson Blake resides near Clayton Post Office. He is a native of Fayette County, and was born August 14, 1830. He was the owner of coal lands in Fayette County, and as develop- ments came, he sold and removed to the Clayton neighborhood in 1901, along with his sons, Marcus and Thomas Blake, and two other sons, Edward R. and William Preston. Edward lives in Ne- braska, and William Preston in Fayette. The Blakes are all farm- ers by occupation, Democrats in politics and missionary Baptists. The father of. Andrew Jackson Blake was William Blake, who was born in 1789 in the upper end of Greebrier County. He first settled near Fayetteville, and later near Mt. Hope, in Fayette County. The Blakes are of Irish descent. A. J. Blake married Mary Howery. January 16, 1881. He was a member of Company A, Edgar's Bat- talion, and was engaged during the war as a scout for two years. Marcus Blake married Rhoda E. Dotson, a daughter of Lazarus Dotson. Thomas married Minnie Knafe in Fayette County. Her father's name was Isaac Knafe, a native of Floyd County, Virginia.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
They purchased the old Joseph Hill place near Clayton. Mr. A. J. Blake is a man seventy-seven years of age, hale and hearty, and a man of fine recollection. The Blakes are thrifty, enterprising, law-abiding citizens.
THE MILLER FAMILY.
John Miller, Sr.'s father's name was Patrick Miller, which would indicate that the ancestor was an Irishman. Patrick Miller was born on the Atlantic Ocean while his parents were emigrating to America. Patrick Miller's father settled on the spot where the city of Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia, is built. I have but little information as to the life and movements of the great-grandfather, Patrick, but he was of Scotch-Irish descent.
We have in our possession, by descent, a number of very old and ancient books, which belonged to Patrick Miller, and have his name written on the fly-leaf thereof. I am not informed as to how many children he had, or where they settled. John, the senior, having some family differences, set out in the world for himself. and came to Lick Creek. in Greenbrier County, more than 100 years ago, bringing with him three negro slaves, Abe, Sarah and Minta, settling at the forks of Slater's Creek, Flag Fork and Lick Creek. on the farm, and built the house now resided in by William Shut- mate, who purchased the same from J. W. Alderson. He came through the mountains over the Patterson Mountain, having mar- ried a Miss Jane Hodge, of Highland County, Virginia. The three slaves were given him by his father. He acquired title to ninety acres of land, originally, where his residence was built by first clearing out a small patch of ground and raising a crop of corn there, thus securing title by what was known as the best and surest -the "corn title." This crop of corn was raised in the yard of the present building. After raising this crop of corn he secured a patent to the ninety acres.
He was a carpenter by trade, and built what was in those days a fine house, double-story, hewed logs, with a dressed stone chim- ney; evidently before this, however, building a single-story log house, which was afterward used as a kitchen and quarters for the slaves. This kitchen had one of the old-fashioned chimneys at least ten feet wide, built of small stone, with a hickory hewed log for an arch. He made a portion, at least, of his own furniture of cherry and walnut; one, a large walnut, three-cornered cupboard, and the other, a book-case and desk and bureau combined, curiosi-
CLARK ENG. MIL
FOUR GENERATIONS OF MILLERS. From left, standing: Fenton H. Miller, Wm. E., Sarah B., Jas. H., Jr., Margaret A., A. A., Jas. H., Sr., Aseneth and Daisy Miller (Photographed by C. L. Miller.)
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
TION TAXATION !.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
ties in this day. These pieces of furniture are as neat and as well finished as any we see in the modern days.
He cleared up that fertile land and planted an orchard. Soon after he came, finding a wild bee tree, from which he got a start of bees, the same stock which is now held by C. L. Miller, of Foss, at this time, the stock being more than 100 years old. He was a Presbyterian, and Dr. McElheney ministered to his spiritual wants, visiting him once a month for many years. He owned his own still, manufactured his own spirits from the fruit raised in his orchard, and evidently enjoyed all of the liberties dreamed of by the persecuted peoples of the British Isles, so many of whom emi- grated to this land in the early days to escape from religious persecution and to secure the liberties of which they dreamed. He died at the advanced age of seventy-four years, from cancer. It first appeared on his hand, which was amptuated, and it appeared again on his body, and was incurable, his wife having died some time previously from a similar cause.
This farm of John Miller, Sr., passed to his sons, Wm. E. and A. A., thence by them the home plantation was conveyed to James W. Alderson, and by him sold to William Shumate, who now re- sides thereon. The other lands of A. A. Miller passed to his chil- dren, and thence to his son-in-law, John A. George, who now lives thereon.
John Miller, the direct founder of the family, was a native of Bath County, Virginia, born on the Cow Pasture River, October 13, 1772. His wife was Jean Hodge, born in Highland County, Virginia, on Cow Pasture River, on February 26, 1780. They re- moved to Lick Creek, then Greenbrier County, about the year 1800, and reared a family consisting of: Patrick Henry, born November 26, 1803; James Hodge, born October 19, 1805; John Hamilton, born January 5, 1808; Robert, born July 21, 1810; Ervin Benson, born June 1, 1815; Jean, born November 12, 1812; Mary Ann, born July 27, 1821; Margaret Elizabeth, born December 16, 1823; An- drew Alexander, born June 6, 1818, and William Erskine, born August 19, 1825.
John Miller, Sr., and Jean Hodge were married January 27, 1803. Patrick Henry Miller and Margaret George were married and removed to Gentry County, Mo., where their descendants still reside.
James H. Miller and Aseneth Chapman were married May 25, 1831, and he, after learning the tanner's trade with James Withrow, of Lewisburg, located at Gauley Bridge, then Virginia, where he
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
engaged in the mercantile business for sixty years, continuing in active business until his death, the 23d of October, 1893, at the age of eighty-seven years, leaving surviving him one son, James Henry Miller, Jr., who-succeeded to the business founded by his father. James H., the senior, was appointed postmaster at Gauley Bridge by President William Henry Harrison, and held the office until his death, more than forty years. He represented Fayette County in the Legislature, and filled other positions of trust. His son, James H., Jr., resides at the old homestead, and has continued successfully the business established by his father. He was elected sheriff of Fayette County, which position he resigned, and was also president of the county court, which position he held for six years, and suc- ceeded his father as postmaster at Gauley Bridge. His children surviving him are Fenton H., who married Mattie King; William Alexander, who married Pearl Helman; Robert H., who married Leona Richmond : Jane T., who married James H. Miller, of Hin- ton, and Annie, who married Oscar L. Morris.
Robert Miller and Ankey Alderson were married February 13, 1834, and settled in Morgan County, Indiana, where their descend- ants still reside.
Irvin B. and Sarah Alford were married September 1, 1836, and settled on Sewell Creek, in Fayette County.
Andrew Alexander and Eliza Hinchman were married on the 24th
, 1846. After the death of the latter, on the 9th of November, 1866, he was married the second time to Eliza- beth Thomas, of Centerville, Monroe County, on the 3d day of December, 1868.
Mary Ann married Major Anderson A. McNeer, of Monroe County, on the 15th day of January, 1846.
Jean Miller married Joseph Hill, of Putnam County, West Vir- ginia.
Margaret E. and William B. McNeer were married on the 14th of - -, 1843, and William E. Miller and Sarah Barbara McNeer were married February 8, 1849.
Those of the family of John Miller, the senior, who settled on and near the old homestead, were William E., who, being the young- est, retained the home farm, which he still owned at his death, owning a tract of over 400 acres. Andrew Alexander located one- half mile below on Lick Creek, where he acquired a plantation, some 1,000 acres of good land, which he owned at his death. He erected a substantial brick dwelling, the second one ever erected in that section of the country, and was one of the most enter-
WM. ERSKINE MILLER And Sarah Barbara, IIis Wife, 1895.
CHARLES LEWIS MILLER, Farmer and Capitalist, "The Sage of Foss."
.YORK LIC LIBRARY
1
NTA NATIONS.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
prising citizens, having been a captain of militia and justice of the peace before the war, and one of the first supervisors and members of the county court on the formation of the county, being one of the principal factors in the formation of the new county into a thriving municipality, representing the county in the Legislature for a term, 1880-1881, while the capital of the State was still at Wheeling. He left surviving him two sons, James Houston, who located at Waxahatchie, Texas, and is now the president of the National Bank of Waxahatchie, and the owner of a majority of its stock, and George A. Miller, of Hinton, capitalist, being president of the New River Grocery Co., and connected with many other in- dustrial enterprises.
James H. Miller, Sr., had one daughter, Eliza Ann, who died many years ago, unmarried. His wife was Asenath Chapman, of Frankfort, Ky., who lived to the advanced age of ninety-three years.
Andrew Alexander Miller married first Miss Eliza Hinchman, a daughter of William Hinchman, a descendant of an English gen- tleman who settled at an early day near Lowell. One daughter of A. A. Miller-Elizabeth-married John A. George, who lives at the old A. A. Miller homestead on Lick Creek, she having died some four years ago. His second wife was Miss Elizabeth Thomas, of Monroe County.
William Erskine Miller had four children, Charles Lewis, James Henry, Anderson Embury and Miss Mary Benson. Arvin Benson Miller left four sons, James William, who was engaged in the mer- cantile business in partnership with the late M. Hutchinson, whose daughter, J. Ellen, he married, removing to Hinton, where he now resides, being engaged in the hotel business, and owner and pro- prietor of the Hotel Miller; John A., who married Miss Sallie Knapp, resides at Ashbury, in Greenbrier County, and is engaged in the mercantile business. His son, Dr. Roy Miller, is one of the surgeons at the Hinton Hospital ; Olan Benson, who married Miss Virginia Baber, died in the year 1903, having been engaged in the mercantile business for many years at Alderson, West Virginia. Irvin also left surviving him one daughter, Margaret Ann, who is living with her son, William, at Richmond, Virginia, at this time. She married Dr. Samuel Williams during the war on Lick Creek. Dr. Williams refugeed from Putnam County at the beginning of the war to Lick Creek, and there became acquainted with Miss Margaret Miller, and they were married. They resided at New Richmond for many years, where he died some twelve years ago. Dr. Williams weighed 350 pounds, was very short in stature, was a
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST - VIRGINIA.
man of magnificent learning, having been educated at the Uni- versity of Virginia and the University of South Carolina, although he was very careless in his habits. It was he who provided the West Virginia stone now in the Washington Monument, from the quarry at New Richmond.
Margaret E. Miller, who married William B. McNeer, located and resided on the Slater's Fork of Lick Creek until their deaths. about 1870, leaving two sons surviving them-John Caperton Mc- Neer, a resident of Fayette County, and William Newton McNeer, a resident of Charleston.
Ervin Miller left four sons surviving him, Logan, who was killed in the War of the Rebellion ; John A., who is a merchant at Asbury, in Greenbrier County; James W., the hotel man of Hinton, and Olin B., a merchant of Alderson, as above stated.
John Miller, Sr., died November 25, 1854; Jean Miller, wife of John Miller, Sr., died February 3. 1836; Jean Hill died November 20, 1835; James Hodge Miller died October 23, 1893; Sarah Bar- bara Miller died February 6, 1896; Robert Miller died August 10, 1887 ; Andrew A. Miller died March 26, 1898: John Hamilton Miller died February 18, 1811; Anky, wife of Robert, died July 2, 1890; Aseneth Chapman Miller died June 9, 1898.
WILLIAM E. MILLER.
William Erskine Miller was the youngest son of John Miller, Sr .. and was born on the old homestead, which is now owned by Mr. William Shumate, who purchased the property from J. W. Alderson, a son of L. M. Alderson, four years ago.
The subject of this sketch was born August 18, 1825, and died on the 3d day of February, 1901. He was named for the late William Erskine, who built and at one time owned the Salt Sulphur Springs, in Monroe County, of whom he was a relative. We give below a sketch taken from the "Hinton Leader," written by Mr. John W. Graham, editor of that paper, immediately following his death :
Death of William E. Miller.
"William Erskine Miller, after an illness of several weeks with pneumonia, died at his home at Foss on Saturday the 3d inst., at 12:45 p. m. Funeral services were conducted at his home Sunday afternoon at one o'clock, by his pastor, Rev. H. A. Brown, of the Methodist Church, after which the remains were interred at Hill
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GEORGE A. MILLER (at left), GREEN LEE LILLY. Salesmen for New River Grocery Company.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Top Cemetery. Mr. Miller was born August 19, 1825 near Green Sulphur Springs, this county, formerly of Greenbrier County, Vir- ginia, where a greater part of his life was spent. About ten years ago he moved with his family to Foss, near the mouth of Green- brier, where his death occurred just three days before the fourth anniversary of his wife's death. He is survived by four children, Hon. James H. Miller, of this city ; A. E. Miller, of Beckley ; Charles L. and Miss Mary B. Miller, of Foss.
"In his death Summers County loses one of her best and most honored citizens, the church one of its most consistent members. He possessed a combination of qualities rarely equalled and never surpassed.
"And, in addition to this, he was of a most unselfish character and most humane and merciful disposition, with a gentleness in domestic and social life which obtained the admiration of all who knew him, and added to these the character of a consecrated and devoted Christian. During his long career not a blot ever fell upon his character, not a blemish ever rested on his life. It might be truly said of him, 'If every person to whom he had spoken some kind word, or for whom he had done some kind deed, could drop but one leaf upon his grave, he would bow beneath a wilderness of foliage.'"
I also append a quotation from the "Hinton Independent Her- ald," referring to his death :
"In his death this county loses an honest and upright citizen. Mr. Miller was an unassuming Christian gentleman. While a man of strong convictions, he was as gentle as a child, and obtruded his opinion on no one. He was not a politician, and despised chicanery of the demagogue ; was never a candidate for any office, and refused political preferment. He was a soldier in the Confederacy, loyal to his government, his friends and his country. He leaves as a heritage to his posterity an honorable and good name. He had no enemies. 'Those who knew him best loved him most.' It is a pleasure to pay a tribute to a man of his character. The world is better for his having lived among us. His place, no doubt, can be filled, but will it be? He was of a generation fast passing away, which should be emulated and remembered.
"He leaves surviving him three sons, Charles. L., A. E. and James H., and one daughter, Miss Mary B., who, with a large number of relations and friends, will cherish his memory and the honest, faithful, Christian character which he made and maintained throughout his long life of nearly seventy-five years. Mr. Miller
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