USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > The history of Randolph County, West Virginia. From its earliest settlement to the present, embracing records of all the leading families, reminiscences and traditions > Part 44
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
359
FAMILY HISTORY.
out into the world to make his way. His father died in 1893. He worked at fifty cents a day to pay board while going to school, and all the educa- tion he got was through his own exertions. During the winter of 1884-5 he taught school at Thorn Grove, and soon after he accepted a position as clerk in J. W. Parsons' store at Job, which position he held until 1897. He then went into the mercantile business on his own account at Alpina. By frugality, industry and perseverance he has accumulated considerable prop- erty, owning 618 acres of land. In his leasure hours, of which he has few, he enjoys the sport of hunting and fishing, and is an expert at both.
ANDREW JACKSON CUNNINGHAM, son of A. J. and Lucy E. (Wimer) Cunningham. In 1898 he married Emma, daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Scherz) Knutti, of Alpina.
HENRY G. CUNNINGHAM, born 1844, son of Eglon. Married Caroline Bland, 1871. Children, Charles E., Retimma, Virginia, Rosanna, Della, William. Blacksmith at Job; was in Southern army.
JAMES L. CUNNINGHAM, M. D., born 1863, in Pittsburg; Irish and Eng- lish ancestry; son of John and Salina (Cowell) Cunningham. Married, 1894, Mary, daughter of William and Margaret (Rees) Roberts. Child, Mabel Marie. Dr. Cunningham graduated in medicine from the Baltimore Uni- versity in 1891, and the next year located at Pickens.
WILLIAM CURRENCE, son of Samuel Currence, was a native of Ireland. · His father, for a second wife, married a wealthy and aristocratic woman who could not get along well with her stepchildren. William, who was seventeen years of age, and who is believed to have been the oldest of the children, one day when greatly provoked, so far forgot himself as to strike his stepmother. This made great commotion among her people, and her hus- band, in order to bring about peace, packed his son off for America. The young man went to Maryland and in course of a few years married Miss Steele, and several years after that he moved to Tygart's Valley and soon became one of the leading pioneers. He built the Currence fort a short distance below Huttonsville, in 1774. This was incorrectly called "Casino's fort" in some of the old histories." The fort stood about 200 yards south- east of the railroad depot at Crickard. When William Currence first came to the Valley he took up land where Beverly now stands, but he soon after traded with some of the Westfalls for 600 acres around Crickard. He built a tub mill on the bank of the river near the fort. This is believed to have been the first mill within the present limits of Randolph County. Shortly after that he built another mill, located it on Mill Creek, a few yards above the site of the present mill of Colonel Melvin Currence. He left ten chil- dren, John, who was known as "Up the river John," Samuel, William, Ann, Sidney, Jane, Sally, Lydia, and two daughters whose baptismal names are
*See note, page 182.
360
FAMILY HISTORY.
not remembered, but one married a man named Shaw and the other a man named Smith (not Jonathan Smith). Of the children, John married Miss Friend, believed to have lived on Leading Creek; Samuel married Elizabeth, daughter of Cornelius Bogard, April 27, 1795; Lydia married Benjamin Hornbeck, who was Sheriff of Randolph County in 1815; Sally Currence married Mathew Wamsley; Sydney married Nicholas Wilmoth; Jane mar- ried Jonathan Smith, and two of her grand daughters are living at this day near Huttonsville, Mrs. Jane Lazure and Mrs. Nancy Wilmoth, the former 85 and the latter 81 years old. William married Mary, daughter of Sylves- ter Ward, June 10, 1794.
William Currence fell a victim to the Indians about 1780 .* He left his home near the Currence fort to go to the Haddan fort, ten miles above. It is related that his children and his wife urged him not to go, because there had been Indian alarms in the neighborhood for several days, and it was believed the savages were still in the vicinity. He sent his son to the pasture to bring a horse, and the boy, in order to keep his father from go- ing, came back and said he could not catch the horses. Under threats of a whipping the boy was sent again, and brought the horse. Mr. Currence rode off, following the old Indian trail up the valley, and while crossing the flats between Riffle's and Becca's Creeks, about one-fourth of a mile from the present residence of Alfred Hutton, he was killed, falling against an oak tree. Two trees are pointed out each as the one where he fell; one a large straight oak; the other has fallen within the last few years, and is now a decaying log. The two are not far apart.
Of William Currence's children, John had five children: John who mar- ried Miss Crouch; Ann who married Peter Conrad; another daughter mar- ried John Conrad, and another married Wallery Conrad; there was a son William. Samuel, another son of William, had four sons, Cornelius, William, Henry and John. They went to the West. William, a son of William the first, married a daughter of Jacob Ward, and she dying, he married a widow, Mrs. Hall. His children were Jonathan, Elizabeth, William H., John, Jemima, Virginia, Catherine and Polly.
COLONEL MELVIN CURRENCE, born 1829 at Crickard, within half a mile of the old Currence fort, is a son of William H., and Eliza (Conrad) Cur- rence; Irish and German ancestry; in 1863 he married Matilda V., daughter of John B. and Elizabeth (Vineyard) Earle. Children, Flora,
* There is mueh in the traditions of the killing of William Currenee to puzzle the historian. We are by no means sure that we know the truth; the date is disputed, the place is disputed, and even the fact that it was William Currenee who was killed is dis- puted, some claiming that it was Cornelius Currenee. All accounts, however, agree that a Currence was killed, and the disagreement as to the exact date is not material. The silence of Withers in the "Border Warfare" on the subject is not easily explained, for his opportunities to reach the facts were much better than any person now possesses. However, it is well known that Withers missed many important occurrenees, and made serious mistakes with regard to others.
361
FAMILY HISTORY.
Frederick W., Jeanette, Elizabeth, William H., Hiram A., Albert B., Eliza A., Felix E. He is a farmer and miller, his mill on Mill Creek grinding 8000 bushels of grain a year. He was elected Constable when 21 years old, and held the office two terms. He then traveled several years in the West. At the beginning of the Civil War he held the office of Colonel of the 107th Regiment of Virginia Militia, and in obedience to orders from Richmond he called out the militia when General Mcclellan's army crossed the Ohio into West Virginia. Seven companies responded and assembled in the vicinity of Huttonsville, where they acted under orders received from General Garnett at Laural Hill. The militia performed much scouting service, and the advance of the Federal army from Clarksburg to Buckhannon, early in July, 1861, was discovered by scouts sent out by Colonel Currence -who immediately reported the fact to General Garnett. Thereupon Garnett, who saw the danger if the Federals should make their way into the valley above Beverly, ordered Colonel Currence to blockade and hold the three roads leading across Rich Mountain, south of the Staunton and Parkers- burg pike. Those roads were rather poor ones at that time, but Garnett knew that the Federals would not hesitate to follow a very poor road if by so doing they could get in the rear of his position. They were the Queen's Mill road, the Middle Fork road, and the Old Yankee road .*
Colonel Currence proceeded according to orders and blockaded the three roads, and posted his militia to be ready to oppose the Federals should they attempt to cut out the blockades. On July 11, 1861, while at the ford of the Middle Fork, the roar of cannon on Rich Mountain an- nounced that the battle was in progress. The militia was too far away to be of any assistance in the battle, and before Colonel Currence could move his men to the scene of action, he learned that the battle was lost and that the victorious Federals had entered Beverly. At this news his militia scat- teredt and never assembled again. Colonel Currence remained almost alone and was taken prisoner; was carried to Grafton, where he was paroled after paying $90 for the privilege. That closed his military record. He is still of the opinion that he could have changed the result at Rich Mountain had he succeeded in getting his troops there in time to take part in the battle.
Of Colonel Currence's children, Flora married John Proudfoot of Bar- bour County; Elizabeth married Jchn Berry of Grafton; Frederick W. married Jane Vaughn and lives at Crickard; William lives at Grafton. Colonel Currence was many years a Justice of the Peace; held the office of Supervisor and has been on the Board of Education. On his farm are In- dian relics of exceptional interest, such as mounds and remains of graves.
*This was so called because it led to a settlement of New Englanders who lived on the upper waters of the Buckhannon River. It was a very old road, traveled by early settlers.
¿See sketch of Colonel Elihu Hutton.
1
362
FAMILY HISTORY. 1
Mill Creek, on which his mill is situated, was called "George Westfall's Mill Run" in 1797. At that time George Westfall lived in Harrison County.
LORENZO D. CURRENCE, son of Squire B. and Margaret (Wamsley) Currence, born, 1869, married 1897 to Mrs. Barbara Painter; farmer.
MARION HARDING CURRENCE, born 1862, son of Jacob C. and Virginia P. (Currence) Currence; in 1891 he married, in Colorado, Iva Mabel, daugh- ter of A. J. and Elizabeth (Muncy) Edwards. Children, Alcanzar Edwin, Arthur Jacob, Omar Jarvis and Virginia Pearl. After receiving a common school education he went to the West; herded cattle in Indian Territory, farmed in Kansas, raised cattle in Colorado, and in 1895 returned to West Virginia and located at Elkins.
HENRY CURRENCE, born 1875, son of Haymond and Labinia (Tenney) Currence.
LEE CURRENCE, son of Jacob, born 1864; Irish descent; married 1891 to Annie Bradley. Child, Mary.
JONATHAN CURRENCE, born 1832, son of William H. and Eliza (Conrad) Currence; married 1857 Nancy Geer. Children, William Fremont, Rhoda, Peter, Charles, Adam, Austin, Eliza; owns 677 acres.
WILLIAM DOLBEARE CURRENCE, son of William and Ellen (Daniels) Currence, born 1822; Irish ancestry; married Adaline, daughter of William and Mary (Burr) Bradley. Children, Laban, Maria, Ann, Delphi, Lewis. He has been Constable eighteen years.
A. B. CURRENCE, born 1850, son of William; married Mary J. Bell 1870. Children, Eliza, William A., Louisa B., Melvin, Retha, Reuben D., Addie; farmer, owns 420 acres.
THOMAS CONRAD CURTIS, born 1839, son of Thomas B. and Mary (Conrad) Curtis; married, 1872, Mary J. daughter of Nathaniel J. and Jemi- ma (Bonner) Lambert; children, Flodie, Willie D., Lester, Odell, Rosabell, Leona Wauneta, May; farmer and teacher; lives near Elkins, formerly owned the land where Wornelsdorff stands, was in Union army. His father was born 1804 in Henry County, Va .; grandfather Brewer Curtis came from England to Virginia. Mrs. Curtis is a sister of Rev James W. Lambert, of Knoxville, Iowa.
JOHN CREED CURTIS, born 1845, son of Thomas B. and Mary (Conrad) Curtis; in 1867 he married Mary E., daughter of John Logan; children, Henrietta, Charles L., Joseph W., Lily J., Loda Dell, Victoria H., Austin C., Mary E., Stephen L., Carrie L., Willie J., Xanna, Cordella. His wife died 1883 and he married Elizabeth G., widow of Talbott Ferguson, and daugh- ter of Rev James Murphy; lives at Elkins; shoemaker and farmer; belonged to the United States Burial Corps in 1867, which removed the bodies of Union soldiers in this section of West Virginia to the cemetery at Grafton.
363
FAMILY HISTORY.
DAVID BLACKMAN CURTIS, born near the site of Elkins, 1841, son of Thomas B. and Mary (Conrad) Curtis, German parentage. In 1870 he mar- ried Mary Virginia, daughter of George McLean; children, George McLean, Stella, Anna May, David Quinton, Eusebius Ozias, Flossie; served three years in the Union army, 2nd W. Va. Volunteer Cavalry, Company B. In 1865 he was transferred to the West where he fought the Sioux Indians. In 1867 he returned to Randolph and taught school till 1890, then engaged in farming, dying. of pneumonia March 26, 1893.
LABAN B. CURTIS, born 1836, son of Thomas B. and Mary (Conrad) Curtis; was married in 1862 to Malinda Doddrill.
GEORGE MCLEAN CURTIS, born near Elkins, 1872, son of David B. and Mary Virginia (McLean) Curtis; German descent. He was educated in the common schools, and at the age of nineteen began teaching, and read law with Hon. C. H. Scott; was admitted to the bar in 1895, and a few months later was admitted to practice in the U. S. court; spent one year at Ard- more, Indian Territory, then returned to Randolph and resumed the prac- tice of law, locating at Whitmer.
JOSEPH WILFORD CURTIS, born at Greenbanks, 1873, son of John C. Curtis; English parentage; in 1896 at Montrose he married Tabitha C., daughter of Ellis Ferguson; teacher, owns a house and lot in Crickard; was three years a member of the county board of examiners.
LESTER CURTIS, born 1879, son of Thomas C. and Mary J. (Lambert) Curtis; learned the barber trade under Thomas C. Davis and C. H. Wymer; his father was a teacher and farmer.
D.
HON. HENRY GASSAWAY DAVIS, unquestionably the leading spirit in the development of the material interests of West Virginia, began life upon a farm in Maryland, and the success which he has attained, both in affairs of business and in winning a place in the esteem of his fellow-men, should be an encouragement to all young men whose road to advancement seems beset with difficulties. Mr. Davis succeeded not through chance, nor because of any smiles of fortune, nor by luck, but every step of his way, from the beginning until now, has been the result of energy, industry, the exer- cise of a clear and a correct judgment, and the acceptance of the experience of the past as a guide for the present. Fifty years or more have passed by since he left home to engage in battle with the world, and during that time he has built railroads, organized banks, opened coal mines, and sat in the Senate of the United States, and otherwise performed an active and useful part in the drama of national life. The changes which have been wrought in his affairs are entirely the product of his own energy. He owes nothing to inheritance. He was born in Baltimore, Md., November 16, 1823, and is the son of Caleb and Louisa Brown Davis. His father was, in
.
364
FAMILY HISTORY.
early life, a merchant in Baltimore County, and afterwards engaged in farm- ing and mercantile pursuits in Howard County. Although generally suc- cessful in business, reverses came to him toward the close of life, and he lost the greater portion of his accumulations. The mother was of Scotch- Irish lineage and of a family remarkable for its strength of character and mental endowments of its members. One of the sisters of Mrs. Davis was the mother of Senator Arthur P. Gorman, of Maryland.
An attendance of a few months at the country schools in the winter time, in Howard County, was all the educational advantage Mr. Davis had. Acquaintance with the world, observation and reflection did all the rest.
When the senior Davis died, the family were left in such circumstances as to make it necessary for Henry to lend his aid in their support. He was only a boy, but he went to work at once to lighten the burdens of his moth- er, who herself taught school as a means of support for herself and children. The first employment was given to young Davis by ex-Govenor Howard, of Maryland, who had a fine plantation called Waverly. In time Mr. Davis became superintendent of the farm. He was a patient, persistent, observ- ing young man, and he watched with special interest the building of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through the section of the country in which he lived. After the completion of the road, he received a position as brake- man, was advanced to the place of conductor, and in time was appointed agent at Piedmont, then the most important station on the road outside of Baltimore. He was at the gateway to the great coal and timber region of West Virginia, on the waters of the North Branch and the tributaries of Cheat River, and he saw the possibilities for development. Continually back and forth along the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and mak- ing a close acquaintance with the people and the interests of the whole sec- tion, he finally put his experience and savings to use by resigning from the Baltimore and Ohio, and going into business at Piedmont with his brothers, under the firm name of H. G. Davis & Co. They traded in general mer- chandise, but dealt largely in coal and lumber, shipping these products both east and west. It was at this time that Mr. Davis laid the foundation of the fortune which he now enjoys. An opportunity offered and he invest- ed in coal lands in West Virginia. They were then entirely inaccessible and consequently of small market value; but when, in after years, his energy and activity caused a railroad to be built through them, he profited by his foresight, industry and good judgment. During the Civil War the Confederates who raided Piedmont under McNeill destroyed many thousand dollars worth of his property." But the war brought business, and after the war the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad needed immense quantities of timber for repairing and building bridges and track; and Mr. Davis having purchased large tracts of land, timbered with oak, in the vicinity of Deer
*History of Hampshire County.
365
FAMILY HISTORY.
Park, Maryland, he was able to saw and deliver the timber to the railroad. He was largely instrumental in making Deer Park the beautiful summer resort that it is. The town of Keyser, county seat of Mineral, was also, to a large extent, founded and built by him.
Mr. Davis realized more thoroughly than any other man of his day the possibilities of the region lying southwest of Piedmont. It was his concep- tion to build the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway from Cum- berland along the banks of the Potomac to its source, then crossing the mountain and continuing to the valleys beyond the Alleghanies. By open- ing up access to coal and timber lands of the greatest value, he sprang at once into an important position in West Virginia affairs. Public life finally brought him into contact with men of prominence and wealth, and before he left the United States Senate he had enlisted several in the enterprise he had in mind. The road was the fruition of his labors; and its prosperity is largely, perhaps wholly, due to the attention he has given it .* The coal mines have since been opened and worked and Mr. Davis is yet actively oc- cupied with these interests. He is the president of the West Virginia Cen- tral and Pittsburg Railway, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway, the Davis National Bank of Piedmont, founded by him, and is a large share- holder in the Davis Coal and Coke Company, and other corporations en- gaged in the developement of the country adjacent to his lines of railroad. In the management of some of these enterprises, his son-in-law, Stephen B. Elkins, now United States Senator from West Virginia, co-operates with him. +
In Tucker County, at an elevation of 3100 feet above the sea, and not more than 250 miles therefrom, in the midst of magnificent forests, and un- derlaid with coal, is the town of Davis; of 2500 people, where in 1884 was an unbroken wilderness. It is a striking example of developement of natural resources in a short time. The town was located by Mr. Davis and was named for him. In 1890 the railroad was extended into Randolph and a town was laid out by Senator Davis and his business associates, to which was given the name of Elkins. Here Mr. Davis has established his home and has built one of the finest residences in the State.
Mr. Davis is a Democrat in politics and his public services began in 1865, when he was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates. Later he served twice in the State Senate, and was United States Senator twelve years, 1871 to 1883, then declining re-election. He has been frequently mentioned for Governor of the State, but has been so far too much occupied to accept the nomination. He did accept a seat as one of the American del- egates to the Pan American Congress, and took an interested part in the
* See the history of the building of that road on page 287.
¡ See sketch of Mr. Elkins in this book,
24
366
FAMILY HISTORY.
proceedings of that body, and he became a member of the International Railway Commission.
In 1853 he was married to Miss Kate A. Bantz, daughter of Gideon Bantz, of Frederick, Md., and they have five children: Hallie D., wife of Stephen B. Elkins, United States Senator; Kate B., wife of Lieut. R. M. G. Brown, of the United States Navy; Miss Grace T., Henry G., Jr., and John T.
Mr. Davis is well known throughout the United States. Baltimore and New York are both important points of distribution for his coal, and he is frequently called to both places by his business interests. He has traveled widely, but has never lost his love of home, and has given many practical proofs of his attachment to the places in which he has dwelt. To Piedmont, his former home, he gave a handsome building, now known as the Davis Free School. During the winter of 1894-5 he sent a letter to the Governor of West Virginia offering to give $50,000 for the establishment of a girl's industrial school upon certain conditions to be fulfilled by the State, and the Legislature appointed a committee to confer with him on the subject. At Elkins he has built and has given to the Presbyterian parish a beauti- ful stone edifice known as the Davis Memorial Church; and in conjunction with his son-in-law, Senator Elkins, has arranged to endow a Presbyterian College to be located at Elkins. His vigor of mind and body at the age of 75 is remarkable. Life has been full of toil, but his spirit is as buoyant, his interest in affairs as keen, and his activity as driving as when he first twisted a brake on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
MATHEW DAVIS, born 1820, in Ireland, son of James. He married in Lewis County, Anna Brady. Children, James, Peter, Mary A., William, Thomas, Patrick, John, Catherine, Ella, Agnes, Winifred, Mathew. Farmer, 110 acres.
JESSE DAVIS, born 1860, son of Jesse. Married Annie A., daughter of Andrew Fairburn. Children, James Riley, William Clay, Daniel W. A., Ida M., Elizabeth M. R., Text L. B., Clara D., Job F.
MADISON DANIELS, son of William and Catherine (Stalnaker) Daniels, was born 1808; was married in Pendleton County, to Ellen, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth (Stonestreet) Skidmore. Children, George H., Har- per, William, Lizzie, John A., Samuel, Bushrod, Mary, Christina. In 1868 he married Caroline Channel. Mr. Daniels has and still operates a mill on which was ground the first wheat in Randolph County. His father met a sad misfortune while on the way to Petersburg, now Grant County, to be married, near the close of the last century. In company with his affianced, Miss Hopkins, he attempted to cross a turbulent mountain stream, and she was washed from her horse and was drowned.
GEORGE HARRISON DANIELS, born 1840, son of Madison Daniels; Eng-
367
FAMILY HISTORY.
lish ancestry. In 1862 he married Martha I., daughter of Martin and Susanna (Spesert) Stemple. Children, Flora A., Jessup, Loretta E., Mar- tin L .; Calvin H., Oliver C., Louie B., George H., Plummer B., Lizzie M., Alta G. Farmer; formerly miller; moved to Tucker County 1861, where he married; two years later returned to Randolph and bought land; later he bought more, including the old homestead, and he now owns 1200 acres near Beverly. He was originally a Whig, then a Democrat, with which party he still votes. In 1868 he was elected Constable. Twelve years later he was a candidate for the Legislature; and again was a candidate and was elected twelve years later. In 1890 he was elected president of the Board of Education, serving two terms. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels and all of their children are active members of the M. E. Church. Mrs. Daniels was born in Preston County, and has assisted her husband in making and maintain- ing a pleasant home, where the rich and poor are welcome. During the Civil War their house was frequently invaded by soldiers, but Mrs. Daniels, with true courage, bravely defended her home. Of their children, Flora married John B. Rose; Loretta is the wife of Charles S. Harper, a well-to- farmer and stock dealer of Tucker County; Calvin married Isie Chenoweth; Louie is a teacher.
MARTIN L. DANIELS, born 1868, son of Hon. G. H. Daniels, was raised on a farm till eighteen years of age, then took a three years' course in the Fairmont Normal School. In 1890 he began teaching in the public schools of Randolph, and has taught ever since; was principal of the Pickens school; in 1898 was principal of the school at Orlena. He has engaged in buying and selling stock for several years; is an active worker in Sunday . schools. He assisted in collecting the family history for this HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, his particular field being Huttonsville and Roaring Creek Dis- tricts, with some work in other parts of the county.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.