Notes
Matches 23,101 to 23,150 of 23,923
| # | Notes | Linked to |
|---|---|---|
| 23101 | The death record for Nancy Lowther Welker states her burial as Woodland Cemetery, where most of her immediate Lowther family is buried. Findagrave reports her burial plot there as 16-4-4, but has no photo. However, her husband Joseph Welker, who died six years before, is buried at Newman Cemetery, as indicated by his headstone (flat marker) showing his dates as 1855-1926. A matching marker is for "Nannie his Wife" with birth date 1853 and death date blank. | LOWTHER, Nancy "Nannie" (I43708)
|
| 23102 | The death record of Levi Martin Hughes states his burial location as Point Pleasant Cemetery in Doddridge County. There are two cemeteries by that name in Doddridge County, one at Oxford and the other at Fallen Timber. But readings of both cemeteries have revealed no marker for Levi Martin. However, another Doddridge County cemetery with a similar name, the Pleasant Hill Church Cemetery near Zinnia, does have a marker identifiable with him. The marker reads only "Family of Levi Hughes," with no other names, dates or clues to indicate what family members may be buried there. It is reasonable to assume that Levi Martin Hughes himself is buried there. Since that cemetery is the burial location for much of her family, it is also likely that Levi's first wife, Sarah Vanscoy, was buried there when she died in 1889. | HUGHES, Levi Martin (I55328)
|
| 23103 | The death record of Thomas Hughes Bush incorrectly identifies his father as David C. Bush, rather than David T. Bush. Additionally, the handwriting for the name "David" can be mistaken for "Daniel." But the entry does say David. The father of Thomas Hughes Bush is David Thomas Bush. | BUSH, Thomas Hughes (I18530)
|
| 23104 | The death record on file at the Doddridge County Clerk's office indicates Thomas Bennett's middle name as McCarroll and that he was single, while the death certificate at the West Virginia Division of Vital Statistics shows his middle name as McCarl and marital status married. In both cases the informant was R. E. Bennett (his sister Rebecca Elizabeth). with place of death Central District of Doddridge County and burial in the County Cemetery. This make it almost certain that his place of death was the County Infirmary, also known as the County Poor Farm, located about five miles outside West Union on Sunnyside Road. That institution no longer exists, but the nearby County Cemetery, containing countless unmarked graves, can still be found. Other than his death certificate, there is no record of Thomas McC. Bennett's burial location. | BENNETT, Thomas McCarroll (I47977)
|
| 23105 | The death record shows that she died on an unspecified date in 1873, age 18 days. | MOORE, Rose (I124891)
|
| 23106 | The death records of Hattie Virginia (Smith) Cottrill and her son Calvin Jujnior Cottril, who died a month before her, indicated their burial locations as the IOOF Cemetery in West Union (Blockhouse Hill), Doddridge County. But there is a shared headstone (flat marker) for them at Stonewall Park Cemetery in Stonewood, Harrison County. Her name appears on the marker as Virginia Smith Cottrill, with her death date incorrectly inscribed as 1922. Her son's name is shown as Calvin Jr., with no birth/death date given. It is not known whether the two were disinterred from the West Union cemetery for reburial at Stonewall Park, or if the marker is simply a cenotaph in their memory. | SMITH, Hattie Virginia (I127138)
|
| 23107 | The deaths of Asa Bee and his wife before June 1850 are presumed, based on their absences from the 1850 Census, with their two sons appearing in other households in that census and in the 1860 Census as well. | BEE, Asa (I52310)
|
| 23108 | The Dec 9 1887 marriage date cited by Donald E. Norman & Pauline Karabogias in "The Descendants of Christopher Nutter" is at variance with the Dec 9 1875 date shown in Ritchie County marriage records. | Family: William B. CONNOLLY / Ellen J. NUTTER (F6483)
|
| 23109 | The Doddridge County Bank was one of many that failed early in the Great Depression. It is said to have closed its doors on the first day of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency (March 4, 1933), and it officially went into receivership on July 18, 1933. http://www.wvdob.org/general/2003AnnualReport.pdf (page 14) | CHARTER, Lathrop Russell Jr. (I52072)
|
| 23110 | The double headstone with her first husband has her birth date, but no death date. It is assumed that this is her burial location. | COTTRILL, Lucy Ann (I53232)
|
| 23111 | The Durfee and Cleveland genealogies identify her as Caroline Rebecca Deming, but her headstone identifies her as "Catharine Rebecca, only daughter of Morris & Deborah Deming." | DEMING, Catharine Rebecca (I72037)
|
| 23112 | The employees who worked with him over the years were "his family," while his customers became his best friends. He would go above and beyond for anyone who needed help. Duane retired from CVS in Parkersburg, WV, before returning to his hometown to manage Harrisville Shop n Save Express when it opened in March of 2013, where he managed it until his death. He receieved many compliments on how nice the store was and how friendly the staff was and he took great pride in that! Reading the store's Harrisville Shop n Save Facebook page, it was easy to see just how much he personally touched so MANY lives in the store and was recognized for always trying to better his hometown community. He loved making the community a better place and after much thought and discussion, he had told his family that he had decided to run for Mayor of Harrisville in the next term. Sadly, his passing would not allow him to do so, but everyone would agree that he would have been a GREAT MAYOR and would have had the entire town looking like a scene from a Hallmark movie!! Duane was a firm believer in honoring our Veterans and took pride in hosting community dinners and continusouly helped sponsor any event to beneift Veterans. He was the creator of the huge Veterans Remebrance Wall located on the front entrance of the store for the community to honor all of their hometown heroes. | ADAMS, Delmar Duane (I70698)
|
| 23113 | The Emporia Weekly News, Thursday, March 16 1882: Mrs. Maggie Childers, wife of A. S. Childers, died of consumption at the residence of her husband on Plumb creek Tuesday, at the age of 32 years, leaving three young children. | COOPER, Margaret J. "Maggie" (I58030)
|
| 23114 | The entry for his birth date in the 1900 Census looks like Nov 1870, although it could be interpreted as Mar 1870. However, he was present for the 1870 Census, enumerated in July, with his age given as 2 months and his birth month indicated as March. His headstone has only the year 1870. | CHAPMAN, Ira Clinton (I63214)
|
| 23115 | The entry for July 29, 1863, in the diary of Flavius Josephus Ashburn contains the following statement: "That night, the corpse of S.P.F. Randolph was brought home." | RANDOLPH, Samuel Preston F. (I49297)
|
| 23116 | The entry pertaining to Andrew Miller in "Union and Confederate Soldiers and Sympathizers of Barbour County, West Virginia," p. 71, is quoted here in its entirety: "MILLER, Andrew. Enl. Co H, 10th W.Va. Inf. 5-8-62; disch. 5-7-65. Tenant; $0/50; b. Barbour 1824; Methodist Episcopal Church; married Rebecca Nutter 1845; moved to Doddridge Co., W.Va. after war, then Ritchie Co., W.Va. where d. 1888; widow listed Union veterans 1890. Son of Martin and Margaret (Lochrea) Miller; grandson of John & Janet Miller, settled Barbour from South Branch 1780's." (Note: Andrew Miller's wife, Rebecca Nutter Miller, filed for a widow's pension on Aug 4 1888, two weeks after his death. She participated in the June 1890 Special Veterans Schedule on behalf of her deceased husband. Andrew Miller's service dates were reported there as Feb 1 1862 to May 21 1865, at variance from the dates reported above.) | MILLER, Andrew (I33194)
|
| 23117 | The estimated birth date of Nancy J. Ashcraft varies widely in the census records. In the 1850 Census, her age was given as 23 (b. ca 1827), in 1860 as 35 (b. ca 1825), in 1870 as 40 (b. ca 1830), and in 1880 as 60 (b. ca 1820), while age 60 in her Dec 1883 death record puts it in about 1823. | ASHCRAFT, Nancy J. (I131225)
|
| 23118 | The Euclid Company of Ohio was a company that specialized in heavy equipment for earthmoving, namely dump trucks, loaders and wheel tractor-scrapers. It operated in the US from the 1920s to the 1950s, when it was purchased by General Motors. It was later purchased by Hitachi Construction Machinery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclid_Trucks https://www.constructionequipment.com/topical/historical-equipment/article/10748337/the-tangled-web-of-euclid-and-terex-truck-history | FLEMING, Vaughn Larmer (I96506)
|
| 23119 | The exact date and location of Jackson Dawson's death have not been determined. Though severely injured, he reportedly survived the house fire of Sep 25 1856 in which all his children perished. However, we know from Doddridge County Deed Book records that on Dec 22 1856, Eliza & Benjamin B. Dawson sold Jackson Dawson's 150-acre property on Dotson Run, Central District, to George W. Kidlow. In the next few years, several other of Jackson Dawson's properties were also sold by others. The Dotson Run property had been purchased by Jackson Dawson from John, Sarah and Philip Llewellyn on May 3 1855. | DAWSON, Jackson (I50974)
|
| 23120 | The exact form of Sarah's last name is unclear, as many variations have been found. In "The History of Doddridge County," p. 76, she is identified as Sarah Ann Linkswiler, in the death record of son Joshua as Sarah Linswaller, in death record of son George as Sarah Linkswaller but in his obituary as Sarah Linkswallow, in death record of son Joseph as Sarah Linkwiller, in death record and obituary of son Edward as Sarah Linkswaller, in death record of daughter Mary as Sarah Ann Linkwiler, and in death record of daughter Margerite (or Margaret) as Linksville. Her name has also been reported as Sara Ann Linksweiler. | LINKSWILER, Sarah Ann (I9279)
|
| 23121 | The exact location of Augustus F. Coffman's burial is uncertain. His death record states the burial location only as Wallace, but without specifying a cemetery. Findagrave reports it as the Wallace IOOF Cemetery, but without a supporting photograph. There are at least two other cemteries in Wallace where Coffmans are known to be buried, namely the Wallace Lions Cemetery and the Coffman Family Cemetery. | COFFMAN, Augustus Frederick (I117697)
|
| 23122 | The family of Peleg Saunders and Sarah Vars moved to Berlin, Rensselaer Co, NY, in the fall of 1796, and then moved to Sweden, NY, on Feb 23 1811. | SAUNDERS, Peleg (I14461)
|
| 23123 | The family of Thomas Gorby appears to have been enumerated twice in the 1880 Census, once in McElroy District of Tyler County, and again in McClellan District of Doddridge County. | Family: Thomas GORBY / Delilah WEEKLEY (F37285)
|
| 23124 | The family of Ursa & Georgia Gaston was enumerated twice in the 1940 Census. 1940 Census, Hancock Co, WV (community of Hollidays Cove), enumerated on Apr 11 1940: Urse Gaston, 32, occupation galvanizing in steel mill; wife Georgia, 29; son Jr. Clyde, 12; son Lenard J, 2; son Clair R, 8 months; lodger Carney Shields, 18, new worker. (Note: This family's enumeration was entered in such a way that they appeared to be part of the household of another family, that of Rex & Eula Bates. The 1935 residence of all the adults in both families was indicated as being rural Doddridge County. All born in West Virginia.) 1940 Census, Washingto Co, Pennsylvania (Hanover Twp), enumerated on May 10 1940: Ursa Gaston, 32, occupation farmer; wife Georgia, 29; son Ursa, 11; son Barton, 4; son Leonard, 3; son Robert, 8 months. (Note: Son Barton was listed in this enumeration, but not in the enumeration of the previous month. The 1935 residence of the parents and of son Ursa was indicated as being Weirton, WV. All born in West Virginia.) | Family: Ursa Newton "Newt" GASTON / Georgia SHIELDS (F22844)
|
| 23125 | The family of Watters Smith Jr. lived on the farm later owned by Albert McWhorter (kin) in 1971 on Duck Creek near the "new" school house. He was a Confederate sympathizer, although this is disputed by some family members. As Union soldiers arresting him took him away from home, he pulled a silver dollar from his pocket and threw it to his son Edward, who vowed to hold it till his father's safe return. As a prisoner, he was sent to Camp Chase, near Columbus, OH, where he became ill with dysentery. Union neighbors signed a petition for his wife and helped her to get to the camp, where she nursed him back to health. When she was able to bring him home, he weighed only 75 pounds. The silver dollar, dated 1799, has been passed down through the years and remains in the family. | SMITH, Watters Jr. (I1441)
|
| 23126 | The Feb 1976 obituary of Leland Morris Hickman stated that he was predeceased by a brother David. This is the only reference we have found to a child of this name in this family. He does not appear in any census and he was not included in the children of Thomas Hickman and Annie Riley "who grew to adulthood, married and had families" as described in "The History of Doddridge County," p. 167. Circumstantially, the following Doddridge County birth record, Page 89, Line 952, is likely to pertain to this child: Hickman (first name blank), white male, born Dec 28 1897 in West Union, son of Thomas Hickman (day laborer, b. Tyler Co) and Annie Riley Hickman (b. Doddridge Co). http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=2616713&Type=Birth Also circumstantially, the following news article is likely to pertain to this child: Local news item, "West Union Record," Friday, Mar 16 1900, in its entirety: "The infant child of Thomas Hickman and wife of this town died last Sunday morning and was buried in the town cemetery Monday morning." The "town cemetery" undoubtedly refers to the one located at Blockhouse Hill, but it is not clear which of the three sections, the IOOF, the SDB or the Catholic. The IOOF section, where the child's parents were buried many years later, had its first burial in 1899. Because his parents are known to be buried there we also report burial there, but it is equally possible that he was buried in what we now refer to as the SDB section, more established section at the time. Although in modern terms, a two-year-old child would not be considered an infant, we assume that the 1900 news article refers to the same child born in 1897. As of tthe 1900 Census, enumerated in June, the child's mother was reported to have five living children (all of whom we have accounted for, none born in 1897) and two deceased children. Clearly the child born in 1897 and the one who died in 1900 are included in this count, but it is not clear if they are the same or two different children. For the sake of simplicity, we present them as one and assign the name David as indicated. This may require some modification if and when additional information comes to light. | HICKMAN, David (I16566)
|
| 23127 | The Federal Census Mortality Schedule shows only that he died in Marshall County. Since it is known that he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the State Penitentiary, it is assumed that he died in Moundsville, location of the penitentiary. There is no record of his burial. It is likely that he was buried in the prison's cemetery. | OWENS, Isaac (I109966)
|
| 23128 | The first Oliphant to come to America was William Oliphant, "The Covenanter," who was arrested in June 1685 for attendance at a conventicle, or meeting of the Presbyterians, imprisoned with others at London, Leith and Dunottar Castle, and then exiled to His Majesty's plantation in East Jersey, under sentence of death should he return to his native land. The ship sailed from Perth on Sep 5 1685, reaching New Jersey in December. Shortly after William was sentenced to exile, his parents, John and Janet (Gilchrist) Oliphant of Pencaitland, indentured themselves and their minor daughters, Margaret and Janet, to John Hancock, of Edinburgh, to serve him for four years in New Jersey, for their passage over and room, board and other necessities. After the four years, Hancock was to grant John Oliphant 25 acres of land in America, along with one cow, two sows, and was to plow one acre of land and give him corn to plant. Tradition says that John had lost his property because of the heavy fines imposed on him by the English for his loyalty to the Presbyterian cause. Most researchers assume that the Oliphant family sailed to America aboard the Henry and Francis of Newcastle, which was used to transport various religious prisoners and interested emigrants to New Jersey. It appears that William was among the dissenters, while the other Oliphants joined him voluntarily to seek a new life in America. | OLIPHANT, John (I5628)
|
| 23129 | The Flxible Co. (pronounced "flexible") was an American manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, funeral cars, ambulances, intercity coaches and transit buses, based in the U.S. state of Ohio. It was founded in 1913 and closed in 1996. The company's production transitioned from highway coaches and other products to transit buses over the period 1953-1970, and during the years that followed, Flxible was one of the largest transit-bus manufacturers in North America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flxible | MCCOMBS, Clyde Stanley (I131720)
|
| 23130 | The following article by the Associated Press appeared in the Beckley (W.Va.) Sunday Register on Sunday, Oct 4, 1936: WOMAN DOCTOR LIKES HARD WORK AT 65, SHE SCOFFS AT HOUSEWIVES WHO COMPLAIN "Salem -- Dr. Xenia E. Bond, who at 65 is West Virginia's oldest practicing woman physician, says she can't sympathize with housewives who complain their work is hard. "Daily she walks more than eight miles in making the rounds of her patients, keeps long office hours, and frequently is called out at night. Until a few years ago, she walked more than 20 miles daily and she said she thought nothing of it. "Dr. Bond wanted to be a nurse. But her family objected and she decided to study medicine. She finished at Salem College and took her medical work at the University of Illinois. "At one time she visited her patients in a buggy. Then came an automobile, but she dislikes to drive. "Dr. Bond specializes in obstetical cases, and said she has aided in the birth of more than 1,000 children. "Even the deep snows of last winter didn't keep from making her daily rounds." ============================= At least eight baby girls delivered by Dr. Xenia E. Bond were named Xenia in her honor. Xenia Teoditia Fisher, born 17 Feb 1907 in Salem. Forrest Xenia Moore, born 2 Feb 1909 in Salem. Xenia Pauline James, born 21 Sep 1910 in Industrial, Harrison Co. Xenia May Mowry, born 4 Aug 1913 in Salem, Xenia Fluence Flesher, born 12 Nov 1915 in Salem. Xenia Lenore Bond, born 4 Jul 1918 in Salem. Xenia Earldene Furbee, born 18 Mar 1919 in Industrial, Harrison Co. Xenia Lee Fitz Randolph, born 28 Feb 1928 in Salem. | BOND, Xenia Ethel (I129711)
|
| 23131 | The following article, presented here in its entirety, appeared in the Sep 21 1944 issue of the West Union Herald under the headline "Wounded in Action": "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Willis of Blandville have been notified by the War Department that their son, Pvt. Alfred L. Willis, has been seriously wounded in action in France. Pvt. Willis served with a tank destroyer battalion. He is a patient in a hospital in England. Pvt. Willis, while in school here, was very active in Four-H Club work and was voted the healthiest boy in the state one year. He is a graduate of Doddridge County High School." His obituary stated that he was an overseas Army veteran of World War II, where he was a member of Co A, 893rd Tank Destroyer Bn. He received two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart while serving in France. | WILLIS, Alfred Lee (I10390)
|
| 23132 | The following biographical information was posted on Ancestry.com by RobEugGault, great-great-grandson of James Backus and Julia Etta Davis:: James served in the Civil War, being mustered in as a Private, March 15, 1865, at Wheeling, West Virginia. He was in Company E, 7th Regiment West Virginia Infantry Volunteers. His regiment saw action at Appomatox in April, 1865, and also at Farmville and Saylers Creek in the same month. The unit was commanded by Captain Richard C BURTON. James was honorably mustered out at Munsons Hill, Virginia July 1, 1865. James was a farmer. On March 12, 1853 (?1847) he purchased fifty acres in Harrison County on the head waters of Coburns fork of Ten Mile Creek. In later years he obtained acreage on Cherry Camp Run and Raccoon Run in the same vicinity. He also purchased 75 acres of the original 200 belonging to William Jr which, was part of the 400 acre Land Grant of William Sr. He left farming briefly when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was being built between Grafton and Parkersburg to work on its construction in 1852-53. After James death, Julia received a pension of eight dollars a month, which ultimately was increased to thirty dollars a month. She lived with her grown married children for many years after James' death, Her final years with her youngest son, Clarence, in Parkersburg. Aunt Libby remembered her well. She didn't like the way Julietta had to stay in a small room off the kitchen . Juliaetta was blind then and Libby would read to her from the Bible or the Harper's Bazaar magazine. Juliaetta had a pocket sewn in her petticoat and had new nickles for the children when she would visit. This came from Aunt Freda Smith: "Julietta told about her parents (Asa and Content Ann Davis) living in a log cabin (probably at Cherry Camp). One day she was playing with brothers and sisters in the front when Content heard Indians coming through the woods. She had been making soap over a fire outside (it couldn't be made inside because of the lye). Asa was away in the settlement at the time so she herded the children into the cabin, as she grabbed up a kettle of the boiling soap. ... She didn't want the Indians to steal it. When one of the Indians tried to push open the cabin door, she poured hot soap on his arm, scalding him and causing the two to leave. Several weeks later , two Indians came into the settlement to trade . One had a bad burn-scar on his arm. The men made the two leave the area." Juliaetta called her husband "Jeem". She said he liked to dance (not accepted well by the Seventh Day Baptist Church, which could account for his name to be absent from the church rolls!). He also was a good whittler and made dolls for Mary Ellen and Mitt [short for Curmetta]. Julietta had curly hair that was white and very thick in her old age. She died at 99, had very blue eyes and a happy disposition. She was short and chubby. She always visited with her felt slippers (she wore them in the house). | Family: James BACKUS / Julia Etta DAVIS (F42954)
|
| 23133 | The following is a notation in the back of Isaac Davis' Bible: "Susanna Cassaday, daughter of Felix and Susanna Cassaday, born 20 February 1789, the intended wife if Isaac Davis." [per Sam D. Lawson] When Isaac Davis married Frances West, it was his second marriage. In the 1850 Census of Harrison County, Isaac Davis was described as blind and working as a potter. [William F. Donnelly, p. 412] | DAVIS, Isaac (I1440)
|
| 23134 | The following is a verbatim account by an immediate family member of Christopher Columbus Smith. Its accuracy has not been verified. "As the story goes, Sarah Smith died of tuberculosis in 1916. C. C. Smith was depressed, or whatever. He allegedly went to Arkansas to pick strawberries and was murdered for his money by an Indian (who was captured right away). He was allegedly killed from a blow on the back of his head from a tomahawk or hatchet. His son-in-law "Oren" Lee Dilly (who was married to Clair Este Smith) traveled to Arkansas to bring his body home. Buried in Roberts Cemetery." | SMITH, Christopher Columbus (I31635)
|
| 23135 | The following is an excerpt about the community of Oxford from "The James Squires Family of Cabin Run W.Va" (Recollections of Raymond Squires), written and self-published by the grandson of James Monroe Squires and Mary Ann Gull and on file at the Hackers Creek Pioneer Descendants Library in Lewis County: "After the war [Civil War] was over, they opened up a village 3 miles away. They had a big store and post office. They sent 2 wagons every week to St. Mary's for supplies and mail until the railroad was built. An old Doctor by the name of White came to the village. He was one of the kind if one of your kids got sick, give them a dose of castor oil with turpentine. If they was not better the next day, call Dr. White. He would look them over and give them another dose." | WHITE, William (I31060)
|
| 23136 | The following is from a handwritten letter by Frank DeForest Gaston (1853-1920) of Meadville, PA: "A reunion of the Gaston family was recently held at Centralia, Ill at which over 1,000 persons were present, the entire connection numbering over 1300. All were descendants of Wm Gaston who came to Ill in 1827..." "Wm Gaston was born in North Carolina..." (But DAR Lineage Book has birth in Lancaster Co, PA.) | GASTON, William (I3360)
|
| 23137 | The following item appeared in the May 20 1943 issue of the West Union Herald: "Pvt. Vitus Pierce who is stationed at Columbia, South Carolina, is spending a fourteen-day furlough here with his mother Mrs. Amanda Pierce." | PIERCE, James Vitus (I7549)
|
| 23138 | The following letter from Charles Hugh Waldo was one of several soldiers' letters to home that were printed in the "Doddridge County Republican" of Thursday, August 29, 1918: Camp Meade, Md. Aug. 17th, 8:30 p.m. My dear Folks: Just a few lines this evening. I am feeling so good, I can hardly hold myself. I had a fine supper, then went over to the Canteen, or Company store as you would call it, and ate a piece of raisin pie and drank a pint of real cow milk just in from a country dairy. We did not do anything today, as Saturday is always inspection day and we have to clean up our mess kits and have them shining. Then we must have a clean towel and lay it on our bunk, with a tooth brush, comb and cake of soap. They sure do things in a systematic way down here. We have to shave and take a bath each day and say -- they would hang a man if they caught him with dirt under his finger nails. We had fire drill again last night. They called us out at 11:30 and again at 3:00 o'clock in the morning. Say, this fire drill stuff is a danged nuisance -- making a body lose their good sleep. I will not get to attend church services Sunday. I have to go on guard. Seventy-three of us are to guard the W. and A. B. depot from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. We will get to attend prayer meeting Sunday night. We had the best prayer meeting last Wednesday evening that I ever was in. The whole capoodle of us got to feeling good. Mother mine, I can afford to feel good. Everything is well with me and I always go to sleep with a feeling of security -- that Jesus is watching over me; also you and Dad. And when I come back, I will come back a better boy. Love to you all and a good night kiss. HUGH WALDO | WALDO, Charles Hugh (I51893)
|
| 23139 | The following letter from Winfield Scott Chapman was one of several soldiers' letters to home that were printed in the "Doddridge County Republican" (Henry Shinn, Editor) of Thursday, August 29, 1918: Camp Lee, Va., Aug. 16, '18 Friend Henry, As I am just a little lonesome tonight and I am under quarantine and can't leave the "Barracks," I thought I would drop you a few lines to let you and the people in the old town know that I am still alive and feeling the best I have in years, althought the heat nearly gets our "goat" at times. It was 118 in the shade of the Y.M.C.A. building last Tuesday, but we drill just the same. The hospital was full and they had to put up 100 tents to take care of them in the evening. Henry, I don't know much to write, as I am not much on slinging the ink, but if you are going to publish this in the "Dear Old Bugle," it might do some of the boys that are still at home some good to know what a man goes through while taking the schooling of a soldier. This is a few of the things I have had. I have swung an ax on the woodpile all day in the sun; if one don't know how to get these jobs when they get in a training camp, just let them get fresh with their Sergeant, and they won't have no trouble getting them. I have washed dishers and cooking vessels for 500 men, and then scrubbed a "mess hall" that many men eat in. I have used a pick and shovel digging ditches and have drove an army mule in a cart for 3 days at a time, have been on "guard duty" for 24 hours at a time, and walked through water to my waist, and have slept in open tents with "misquitoes" by the thousand, that bit like they were as large as "bumble bees," have sit down right in the middle of a "mule barn" and ate my dinner, have heard the "bugle" of a morning, and would hope that "Kaiser Bill" had to get up by it too. This is not one tenth of what we have to do, but I will not try to tell you the rest, for I don't want to take up too much room in your waste basket. I have stood everything and have gained 14 pounds in weight. I have been moved nearly all over camp and man held now waiting orders to move somewhere, I don't know where, but we hope it is "over there." There is not any of the boys from home with me, and only one man from "Dear Old W.Va." but when I get "over there" those "Dutchmen" will find out that one of the "old Green River boys of '17 is still in the game and is going to go some. I think it would do some of the boys good to come down here and get 68 pounds on their back and a gun to carry. I guess after a week of it, they would think as much of "Kaiser Bill" as I do, which would not look very good in print. Well, I guess I have took up more of your time now than I should, so I will ring off. Keep the Y.M.C.A. and Red Cross work going. Of course we don't know much about the Red Cross here, but they do on the other side. But we do know something about the Y.M.C.A., it is the best friend a solder has, keep it booming. I will send you my address when I land. Oh yes, Henry, I forgot to tell you about the fire calls. We have fire drill every few days. I have been out with as many as 20 hose carts, and have never been run over yet, ha! ha!! I sure would like to be with all the "Green River Boys of '17" this evening, but of course we can't. I hope we can be together when it is all over. As ever your friend, Pvt. SCOTT CHAPMAN * * * * * * * * * * * * * Local news item, "West Union Herald," Thursday, Dec 19 1918, in its entirety: "A letter dated Nov. 17th to Attorney L. W. Chapman from his son, Scott Chapman in France, states that he is getting along O.K., but wants to come back to the good old U.S.A.; he also says he is still taking training in a mechanical school 'over there.'" | CHAPMAN, Winfield Scott (I42074)
|
| 23140 | The following letter was written by Doddridge County's Chapman Johnson Stuart to West Virginia Governor Arthur I. Boreman on behalf of Holdridge Sayre: Transcription by Bryan Holmes, undergraduate student enrolled in Dr. Billy Joe Peyton's Fall 2010 "Introduction to Public History" at West Virginia State University http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/militia/doddridge/doddridge08-01t.html West Union July 24th/64 Gov. Boreman, Dear Sir, Capt Holdridge S. Sayre of this County wishes a recruiting commission under the Presidents last call for 500000 men. Mr. Sayre can recruit a good many men in our county, and I believe would be the most successful man in that way that could be [?] commending. Please send him a commission I am anxious that [?] should avoid a dr [?]. Yours with highest respects C. J. Stuart | SAYRE, Holdridge Smith (I95276)
|
| 23141 | The following news article, transcribed from "The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo" (Sedalia, Missouri) of Tuesday, August 31, 1880, appears to have been a compilation of multiple reports over the preceding week. DEAD IN HIS BED THOMAS W. MCKINLEY, OF WINDSOR, FOUND DEAD IN THE ILGEN HOUSE TODAY Last Sunday evening a gentleman went to the Ilgen house and asked Will Ilgenfritz for a room, who showed him up to room ten, and left him. Will Ilgenfritz then went out of the city, and the other persons about the house did not know who occupied the room, as the house being one which only lets rooms, and does not prepare meals, keeps no register. The room where the stranger lodged consists of a sleeping and a sitting room, the entrance being through the sitting room. The chamber maids, when on their rounds of cleaning up the rooms each morning, they having pass keys to all rooms, looked into room ten on Monday and Tuesday mornings, but seeing a MAN'S CLOTHING LYING ON A CHAIR in the sitting room, supposed he was in bed and skipped the chamber work in that room. About eight a.m. today Linn Ilgenfritz knocked on the door of room ten and failing to hear any response, spoke to Lon Weigart who occupies the adjoining room, and who was walking along the hallway, saying "I can't waken the occupant of No. 10." After considerable knocking, they opened the door and found a man's clothing piled on a chair in the sitting room. On entering the sleeping room the stranger was found in bed, dead, and the terrible odor arising from the remains disclosed the fact that he had been DEAD FOR TWO DAYS at least. Deceased lay in bed with his arms and legs half drawn up as if he had died in convulsions, or at least in great agony. The pillows were covered with blood from his mouth and nose, which had bled profusely, and looked from its location on the bed, as if it had been coughed up and the result of hemorrhage. Lying on the bed beside him was a paper sack half filled with peaches. On a chair near the bed sat three bottles, one partially filled by hydrate of chloral, another with ammonia, and the third, a half pint bottle, about half filled with whisky. In but a very few minutes after the body had been discovered, several men identified deceased as THOMAS W. MCKINLEY a wealthy and well known farmer and stock raiser and dealer residing near Windsor, in Henry County. No money was found on his person. Coroner Jones was at once notified, who took charge of the remains. Various opinions are entertained as to the cause of death. The "Bazoo" will leave the question as to whether deceased came to his death by poisoning, suicide or some kind of hemorrhage which had been thoroughly seated in his system, to the judgment of the coroner's jury. The following SKETCH OF DECEASED was gathered up by a "Bazoo" reporter, from the many acquaintances and friends of deceased in this city. He removed to Henry County from Parkersburg, West Virginia, shortly after the war, bringing with him a great deal of money. At that time he was a Republican, but afterwards became a Democrat and took an active interest in local politics. He purchased a farm of 900 acres one mile west of Windsor, besides cultivating which, he dealt heavily in raising and shipping stock and trading in Texas cattle. This farm he still owned at the time of his death, and was widely known in business circles through Pettis, Henry, Benton and Johnson counties. He was a married man when he first removed to Henry County, but his wife died soon after their arrival in this state. Some time afterwards he was married to a Miss Stringer of Parkersburg, W.Va., a cousin of Henry D. Stringer, formerly a well known land agent of this city. There appears to have been some domestic trouble, as deceased had for some time prior to his death, absented himself from home almost continually. He was formerly a strict member of the Baptist church, but was of latter years addicted to gaming. He was always regarded as a very temperate man. THE CORONER'S INQUEST is being held this afternoon. The inquest and post mortem examination held under direction of the coroner, are both being held in secret session. All newspaper reporters have been barred out. The "Bazoo" is informed that no verdict will be reached today. The cause of this secrecy is unknown. McKinley had his life insured for $1,200 - $2,000 in the A. O. U. W. and $10,000 in some New York company. LATER The coroner's inquest over the body of the late Thomas W. McKinley is not late completed. The proceedings are all strictly secret. Reporters especially are barred from hearing the investigation. A "Bazoo" reporter called on Coroner Jones today, and in response to inquiries in regard to the case, the gentleman said: "The theory that deceased poisoned himself is an untenable one. "We found a bottle of chloral in the room, but it was but a three ounce bottle. I analyzed it and there was but ten grains to the ounce and there was still two ounces in the bottle. "Had he taken the entire bottle full of cloral, of only that strength, it would not have taken his life." The druggist whose label was on the chloral bottle said that he had not used that kind of label for the last three months and that he had no doubt but that the chloral was purchased at his store, but that he remembered nothing about it. (The coroner would not give the reporter the name of the druggist.) The room in which the deceased was found was occupied by transients, and the bottle may have been left in the room for weeks. I do not think the chloral, whisky or ammonia found in the room had anything to do with the death, except that they were placed there to mislead the officers of justice. We made a close examination of the body, but did no cutting. We found many signs of violence on the body. When found in bed, it lay in a position of resistance, one fist clenched and legs drawn up. On the right side of the back of the head was a contusion, evidently caused by the deceased having been struck with some blunt instrument or probably by the fist. The right side of the neck was beaten black as if by a fist. The skin on the inside of the ear was knocked off as if it has been struck by the knuckles of a man's hand. The right arm was bruised and black as if it had been beaten. The scrotum was bruised as if by a kick. The blood spitting was no doubt caused by a knock on the head or by choking. You know he occupied two rooms; one a sitting, the other a sleeping room, the entrance being through the former. We found the key lying on the floor, out about five feet from the door. Both doors were locked and both transoms open. We thought probably the key might have been knocked out into the middle of the floor in that style by kicking on the door when trying to get into the room yesterday; and we placed the key in the lock and kicked on the door, but it was only possible in way to knock the key out about one foot from the door. We found the pocket book of the deceased, not a cent in it, lying on the sofa in the sitting room. He was, I am informed, a man accustomed to invariably carry large amounts of money about him. Now it looks as if he had been murdered, choked and pounded to death, and then robbed. The half filled paper sack of peaches, sitting on the bed beside him, and the bottles of chloral and whisky placed in sight to mislead officers. The perpetrators of the deed then, if the key of the door had been mislaid or lost during the death struggle, may have climbed out over the transom, or he or they if they had the key, may have gone out at the door and tossed the key back in through the open transom, still to mislead the officers into the belief that it was suicide. The coroner's jury adjourned at noon today until 7 o'clock this evening, when they will continue their investigation and strive to ferret out the perpetrators of this horrid crime. The A. O. U. W. of Windsor, of which lodge deceased had been a member, telegraphed to Coroner Jones to send the remains to them. They were shipped this morning to that lodge, which were to have buried them today with the honors of that order. NOTE: Hydrate of chloral, or chloral hydrate, is a colorless solid that has limited use as a sedative and hypnotic pharmaceutical drug. Discovered in 1832, its sedative properties were first published in 1869 and subsequently, because of its easy synthesis, its use was widespread. It was widely used recreationally and misprescribed in the late 19th century. Chloral hydrate is soluble in both water and ethanol, readily forming concentrated solutions. A solution of chloral hydrate in ethanol called "knockout drops" was used to prepare a Mickey Finn. [Source: Wikipedia] The A. O. U. W. was the Ancient Order of United Workmen, a fraternal organization in the United States and Canada that provided mutual social and financial support after the Civil War. It was the first of the "fraternal benefit societies," organizations that would offer insurance as well as sickness, accident, death and burial policies. [Source: Wikipedia] | MCKINLEY, Thomas W. (I62905)
|
| 23142 | The following passage, including the note, is quoted from "Davis - The Settlers of Salem, WV," p. 21, under the family of Joseph Davis (b. 1770): From Hardesty's, Doddridge Co. (1883 ed.), "The most destructive storm that ever visited this section of the state occurred on the third day of June 1833.... The Baptist Church, a heavy hewed log building at West Union,and the first ever erected within the present limits of the county, was razed to the ground. Near it stood the residence of Joseph Davis, one of the first settlers, it was blown down and he was killed...." (Note: Without question this reference is to the Seventh Day Baptist Church which was a branch of the Salem Church and later became the Middle Island Seventh Day Baptist Church. We believe the point that Joseph Davis was killed to be in error, in that he signed a deed in Doddridge County in 1848. Descendants of William Davis, #127 [son of Joseph's brother Nathan Davis & Jane Sutton, who married Sophia Cheney], who still have the old family Bible in their possession, claim that William was killed in such a storm about 1837, also a young daughter was killed in the same storm.) | DAVIS, Joseph (I20592)
|
| 23143 | The following summary of William F. Donnelly's CIA career was posted on the CIA website at http://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/press_release/1997/trailblazers.html WILLIAM F. DONNELLY 1954-1990 Mr. Donnelly set a powerful example across the Agency of enlightened leadership, executive accountability, sound intelligence tradecraft, and personal and professional integrity. His assignments ranged from case officer and Chief of Station to Deputy Director for Administration and Inspector General. | DONNELLY, William Franklin (I24675)
|
| 23144 | The following tribute was submitted by the West Virginia Civilian Conservation Corps: The Friends of James D. Lewis at the West Virginia Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, Quiet Dell, Harrison County will deeply miss Jim, CCC Boy, and Fine Human Being. He was a wonderful man and was proud of being part of our CCC Museum, and proud to have served in his younger years in the CCC. The West Virginia State Civilian Conservation Corps Museum Association is proud to announce that James Dolan Lewis was inducted into the West Virginia State CCC Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 19, 2013 during ceremonies at the Fall CCC Jubilee held at the Quiet Dell United Methodist Church, Quiet Dell, West Virginia. Mr. Lewis was born on August 3, 1920 on the family farm at Selbyville, West Virginia, near Rock Cave and Buckhannon, West Virginia. He is the son of Sheridan and Connie Crites Lewis. James and his wife, Veta Balis Lewis, today reside on farms at Salem and Selbyville, West Virginia. He has a daughter, Connie Dugas. Our Inductee joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937. He served at Camp DG 19 Delmues #590, Projects #2597 and #3238, Pioche, Nevada. Mr. Lewis then was transferred back to West Virginia to Ronceverte, SCS5, #3510, Camp Lewis, near Lewisburg, West Virginia, in the Greenbrier Valley. While serving in the CCC in Nevada, Lewis drove a truck. The CCC Boys helped keep the big ranch viable by building and maintaining roads. During his stay at Camp Lewisburg, he was a laborer. Our inductee remarked: "While out there in Nevada on the big ranch, we got really good food. I was very impressed that the CCC leaders had much better control than the regular military. They were number one and we were expected to be number one, too. They made a man out of me. Lots of boys came in the CCC just out of high school. Some of those boys didnt know how to work, but I did because I was raised on a farm. The CCC taught them city boys how to work and work hard." After our Honoree left the CCC, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and served during World War II. He three years duty at Andrews Air Force and later transported to the Philippines, Icashima near Okinawa where he was in a support role in maintenance of aircraft. He received the Good Conduct Medal and various campaign ribbons. Our Honoree was serving in Japan when the Japanese Envoy landed on Buckman Air Base just before the surrender. Mr. Lewis continued in the U.S. Air Force after WWII and retired as Senior Master Sergeant, having served during the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War. He commented. "I have had so many experiences while in the Air Force all over the world. I really enjoyed it and learned from it." He added. "I also served in England and Turkey in maintenance and support of the most modern of aircraft at the time." In retirement, James and Veta spend their time taking care of two farms at Helvetia and Salem, West Virginia. The couple travelled across this Nation and enjoyed a memorable tour of the Holyland. On May 24, 2014, a graduate of Pickens High School, he attended and was recognized during graduation at his alma mater. James and Veta have been active in the West Virginia CCC Museum Association attending many CCC reunions, jubilees, and donating several rare CCC antiques. Taken from the WVSCCCMuseum website. So very proud to have known Jim. Condolences to his wife Veta, and his wonderful family. Sincerely Richard S. Bailey, Secretary, WVSCCCMA | LEWIS, James Dolan (I91584)
|
| 23145 | The full name of this William J. Tacy has been reported by Findagrave as William Jackson Tacy Sr. But son William Jackson Tacy's death record states his father's name as William Jacob Tacy. However, son William's death record also identified his mother as Virginia Taylor rather than Virginia Arbogast as shown in her marriage record. 1860 Census, Randolph Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), enumerated on Jun 27 1860: William Tacy, 24, farmer, value of real estate $500, value of personal estate $200; Virginia, 23; Albert, 6; Perlina, 4; William, 2; Lucy, 6 months. 1870 Census, Randolph Co, WV (Reynolds Twp), enumerated on Aug 31 1870: William J. Tacy, 34, farmer, value of real estate $1900, value of personal estate $800; Jenny R, 32; Albert N, 16; Alverda, 14; Wm. Jackson, 12; D. Allice, 11; John Morgan, 7; Susan M D, 5; Jacob, 4; Baby (male), 6 months. Following Virginia's death, William married Priscilla Riggleman in August 1878 1880 Census, Randolph Co, WV (Huttonsville District), enumerated on Jun 23 1880: William J. Tacy, 46, farmer; wife Percilla, 40; son John A, 17; dau Susan, 13; son Jacob, 11; son Oliver, 10; dau Florence, 7; dau Early, 5. | Family: William Jacob TACY / Virginia Ruth "Jenny" ARBOGAST (F26957)
|
| 23146 | The Fundamental Agreement of the first settlers of Newark, New Jersey, was signed by a Daniel Tichenor, While improbable that the signer was this Daniel Tichenor since was only eleven years old at the time, it is still a possibility. The Fundamental Agreement (which provided that only members of the established church would be "admitted freemen or free Burgesses) did not have the force of law, and there is no good reason that a minor could not have signed such a symbolic document. No Daniel Tichenor received land in the first division of land or was on the first taxt list as would be expected of a man of age. His name does not appear in the records of Newark town meetings, after the signing of the Fundamental Agreement, until 1680, when he requested land. This was surely our Daniel Tichenor, as he was 23 at the time. The records give no evidence of an older Daniel Tichenor. [Charles C. Gardner Collection, held by the Genealogical Society of New Jersey] [Living Descendants of Blood Royal, compiled by Count d'Angerville, Vol. II] [Vital Records of Connecticut, New Haven, Series I] [New Jersey Historical Society Collections - Records of the Town of Newark, Vol. VI, pp. 3-116, and supplement thereto] Daniel Tichenor's name appears six times between 1680 and 1700 in the town records. In 1684, he had "Liberty ... to take up a piece of land in the Common ..." He was chosen fence viewer in 1689 and was chosen pounder in 1690. One item in the town record of Mar 5 1693 reads as follows: "Whereas, there is much Prophanation of the Lord's Day in the Time of Worship, by the playing of Boys and Girls; therefore Daniel Tichenor and Thomas Lyon are chosen to look after them, and to correct them, or call them by Name as they shall see occasion, for the Year ensuing." [New Jersey Historical Society Collections - Records of the Town of Newark, Vol. VI, pp. 103-116] On Jun 1 1680, Daniel Tichenor was deeded two acres in his father's home lot. Daniel bought 4-1/2 acres in "Little or Tichenor's Neck" adjacent to that lot on May 2 1694. In 1697, he received land, evidently jointly with his brother Jonathan, in right of their father. On Sep 3 1701, he had an "interest of one right" in purchase agreement covering Indian lands west of Newark. His will, written Nov 4 1727, named his wife Elizabeth and children Daniel, John, Joseph and Jane. [Charles C. Gardner Collection, held by the Genealogical Society of New Jersey] [New Jersey Archives] SOURCE: The foregoing account is taken from Harold A. Tichenor's "Tichenor Families in America," p. 40, citing the author's original sources. | TICHENOR, Daniel (I35608)
|
| 23147 | The given names of this couple vary widely in the various records. Some examples: HUSBAND: Orrin P. (marriage record), Orrin (dau Emma's death record), Aaron (son Otha's death record), Aaron (1850 Census), Orion P. (1860 Census), Orin P. (1870 Census), Arnold (1880 Census), O.P. (marriage record of dau Arminda and death record of dau Almira), Oren (birth record of dau Sarah Jane). WIFE: Helen M. (marriage record, 1870 Census, headstone), Almira (son Otha's death record), Julie (son Martin's death record), Hellen (1860 Census), Ellen (1850 Census, death record of dau Almira). 1860 Census, Harrison Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), enumeration date not given: Orion P. Hall, 28, laborer; Hellen, 21; Sarah J, 4; Amanda, 2; Adelia L, 6 months. NOTE: The next enumerated household was that of Orrin P. Hall's parents: Martin E. Hall, 64, farmer, value of real estate $8,000, value of personal estate $580; Jane, 53; David L, 20, laborer; Emaline V, 18; Martha L, 16; Elmyra M, 10. 1870 Census, Monroe Co, Iowa (Monroe Twp, Albia Post Office), enumeraed on Jun 10 1870: Orin P. Hall, 42, farmer, value of real estate $1,000, value of personal estate (blank); Helen M, 32; Sarah J, 15; Amanda, 12; Delia L, 9; Emily T, 6; Lydia, 4; Martin E, 1. All born in West Virginia. NOTE: The next enumerated household was that of Robert W. Tuttle (29, b. NY), Amanda A. Tuttle (23, b. Indiana) and their family. Relationship, if any, of this Tuttle family to Helen M. (Tuttle) Hall is not known. Helen Tuttle Hall died in Iowa on November 22, 1872. 1880 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (New Milton District), enumerated on Jun 16 1880: Arnold Hall, 46, widower, farmer, cannot write; dau Arminda, 28, single; dau Laverna, 19, single; dau Lida, 14; son Martin, 11; son Otha, 9; dau Allie, 7. | Family: Orrin P. HALL / Helen M. TUTTLE (F30732)
|
| 23148 | The Greenbrier Military School was a boys-only, private, military, boarding high school and Junior College, located in Lewisburg, West Virginia. It was founded in 1812. It closed in 1972. The campus was then converted into the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. The school's alumni fund a scholarship at the osteopathic college. The Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association directs and funds the Greenbrier Leadership Institute, delivering principle based leadership programs to high schools throughout West Virginia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenbrier_Military_School Detailed history: http://www.scribd.com/doc/137407942/The-History-of-Greenbrier-Military-School | HEFLIN, John Franklin (I36200)
|
| 23149 | The Hagerstown (Md.) Morning Herald Tuesday, June 27, 1950 Stood by Helplessly MAN SEES WIFE AND CHILDREN CARRIED TO DEATH BY FLOOD (Editors Note: Samuel Dail McKinney, 38-year-old Columbian Carbon Company employe, stood helplessly on high ground early Sunday as a flash flood swept his wife and four children to their deaths at Smithburg. Here is his story as told to the Associated Press.) By Samuel D. McKinney Smithburg, W.Va., June 26 (AP) -- I saw my wife and four children carried away to their deaths by the flood and there wasnt anything we could do. When the water first began to rise, I was in a boat with several others helping to get people to high ground. Those with me included my father-in-law, R. W. Rothwell. Then we went to the Rothwell house where my wife and children were visiting. I told Mrs. McKinney to take our four youngsters ranging in age from two to 11 and Mrs. Rothwell and walk along the railroad track to the home of a friend on high ground. They left with Mr. Rothwell and instead went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clive Bailey, I guess to help the Baileys out a bit. We stayed at the Rothwell house to move furniture until the water began pouring in over the window sills. Moving on to the Bailey home then, where 15 people had gathered, we decided to go to higher ground to leave some of the men so we could empty the Bailey house in about two trips. I couldnt swim, so I was one of those who stayed on the ground. It was pitch dark, and the rain which started about 6 oclock Saturday night kept coming down like it was being poured from buckets. Three men, two of them excellent swimmers, went back with the boat to the Bailey house, but they couldnt get all the way there in the current. One, Gib Davis, either jumped or fell out of the boat and got hold of a grapevine. Then he pulled himself up to the house. The other two drifted downstream with the boat until it lodged on the roof of the garage building, and later escaped from there. The Bailey house was one of eight lying between Middle Island Creek and the railroad track. All eight were swept away. I was on the high ground with the others when the Bailey house went. And there wasnt anything we could do. | Family: Samuel Dail MCKINNEY / Audra Loraine PUDDER (F41593)
|
| 23150 | The Hard Times of Samuel Pyles - by Jennifer Wilt Until recently, I had thought that there were no Doddridge County death records for the years 1860 through 1864. At least there are no death records indexed by those years, either online or at the courthouse itself. So Ive always taken note of anything that indicates a death date in Doddridge for those years. Last month I found a very faded scrap of brittle paper at the West Virginia State Archives and History Library in Charleston that makes reference to a few deaths from that time period. Upon further scrutiny and analysis, it also reveals the incorrect recording of death years for dozens of deaths in Doddridge County in the early 1860s. That fragile piece of paper contains the following handwritten information reported by the Overseer of the Poor of Doddridge County: May 10, 1861 - $2.42 for burial clothes for Marshall Allens child. November 15, 1861 - $4.49 for burial clothes for Isaac Weekley. December 11, 1861 - $1.44 for fringe trim coffin for Silas Weekley. January 2, 1862 - $1.53 for burial clothes for Benjamin Davis. August 2, 1861 - $3.05 for burial clothes for two children of Samuel Pyles To my knowledge there are no headstones for any of the burials mentioned above. This makes sense, because if the families couldnt pay for burial clothes, then they most likely couldnt afford a costly headstone. As for death records, well get to that later. Family of Samuel Pyles I was familiar with all the surnames listed above, except that of Samuel Pyles. Upon much research, I found that Samuel Pyle(s) lived in Doddridge County for only a handful years. Given all that happened to him while living here, Im sure that Samuel was happy to leave Doddridge County behind him. Samuel Pyles, the illegitimate son of Hannah Pyles, was born in 1834 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. According to census records, Samuel lived with his grandmother Barbara Booher Pyles, his mother Hannah, and sisters Nancy and Rebecca in Marion County until 1860. On December 27, 1860 Samuel married Elizabeth Miller in Marion County. They must have immediately moved to Doddridge County, since two of their children died here in August 1861. This would mean that either Elizabeth was pregnant with twins when they got married or the death year in the above record is off by one year. The death dates in the Overseer of the Poor record appear to be in chronological order until the entry for Samuels children. Its possible that the Overseer made a clerical error and that the children died in August 1862. Regardless of the year, 1861 or 1862, two of Samuel and Elizabeths children died while living in Center Point in Doddridge County. Accused of Southern Sympathy Samuel and Elizabeth lived in Doddridge County at a time when certain men in Center Point were being arrested by Union officials for sympathizing with the rebels during the Civil War. Tensions were high during that time, and although many of the accused were indeed Southern sympathizers, some were falsely reported as such by mean-spirited neighbors. Samuel Pyles was one of those accused, although I dont know what his true loyalties were. According to military records on file at the National Archives, Samuel was arrested and transported to the Johnsons Island Prisoner of War Depot, near Sandusky, Ohio. On March 2, 1863 Samuel signed an Oath of Allegiance to defend the Union against all terrorists, including the Confederate Army. He was immediately released and transported to Wheeling, where on March 4, 1863 he signed a statement [featured photo] swearing to secure a bond and to reimburse the Government for the cost of transporting him to Fairmont, from where he would continue to his home in Doddridge County. On March 23, 1863 Benjamin Yeater of Center Point signed a security bond, witnessed by Captain John Carroll in West Union, in the amount of $1,000 to ensure Samuels compliance with his statement. Life After the War Im not sure exactly how long Samuel and Elizabeth stayed in Doddridge County after he returned from Johnsons Island, but it wasnt long. They were again living in Marion County by 1866, when their fourth child was born. Census records tell us that by 1877, Elizabeth had given birth to nine children, but that all but three of them had died by 1880. There are no death records for the four children who died between 1870 and 1880, so their causes of death are not known to me. Samuel Pyles was not the only member of his family who received help from the Overseer of the Poor. Both his mother Hannah and sister Rebecca were inmates at the Poor House in Marion County in 1870. Rebecca died there less than a year later at the age of 29. Hannah also died at the Poor House in 1877 at the age of 75. Their causes of death were not indicated on their death records. Samuel and Elizabeth Pyles were once again living in Center Point in 1880. They later moved to Harrison County, where Samuel died in 1908 and Elizabeth died in 1917. Both are buried at the Wyatt Cemetery near Shinnston. Missing and Mislabeled Records Records of births, deaths and marriages were not required to be maintained by the individual counties until 1853. Ive always attributed the lack of Doddridge County death records from 1860 through 1864 to the turbulence of the Civil War, and I still believe that to be the reason. A similar dearth of records exists for births and marriages for that time frame. After reading the Overseer of the Poor document, I searched the online digitized collection of death records on the West Virginia Archives and History website. I searched by the decedent's name, not death date. I found no death record for the Pyles and Allen children, nor for Benjamin Davis. However, I did find death records for Isaac and Silas Weekley, but for some reason they were indexed as 1865 rather than 1861. The online image showed that their deaths were recorded as handwritten single-line entries in an oversized ledger-style book, with 44 other deaths listed on the same page. Although most of the 46 entries indicated a month and day of death, there was nothing in any entry or anywhere on the page to indicate the year. So why would it be indexed by the State Archives, and consequently by Ancestry.com, as 1865? To find out, I went to the courthouse to look at the original death record in person. Without doubt, there is no year written anywhere on the page, and theres nothing on any other page in the book to help date that page. In fact, I found three other pages also without death years, and a couple of years that have no death records at all. On the page with the Weekley brothers, there are 44 other deaths that I immediately suspected were incorrectly indexed as 1865. Correlating age at death with census ages and an occasional headstone date, I have been able to prove that most of the others on the same page died in 1861, not 1865. Assigning the deaths on that undated page to the year 1865 seems to me to have been an arbitrary decision, made when those records were digitized many years ago by the precursors to Ancestry.com. Genealogists and historians taking those digitized records at face value have unknowingly perpetuated the error ever since. Of course, all of this could have been avoided if the County Clerk in 1861 had simply entered the year to begin with. Invaluable Scraps of Paper This entire article was inspired by a small scrap of paper that originated in Doddridge County over 150 years ago. That fragment of a document, written perhaps by one of your Doddridge County ancestors, is now tucked away in a manilla folder, which is filed in a Bankers box, which is sitting on a shelf, which is in a building that is located just across the courtyard from our state Capitol in Charleston. In other words, something with such a humble beginning has made a long and unforeseen journey to now occupy a place of importance among West Virginias most important historical holdings. The featured photo is part of that folders jumbled contents, most of which literally looks like something retrieved from a trash can. At one point in time, it probably was considered trash, outdated documents that had served their purpose and were no longer needed. We can thank the WV State Archives and History Library for having the foresight to procure and preserve such out-of-the-ordinary documents for historical research. These few priceless fragments of paper contain a wealth of information that gives us a glimpse into what our ancestors endured during the tumultuous years of the Civil War. Theres enough information waiting for me in that one folder to generate dozens of future articles. CREDIT: This copyrighted article was written by Jennifer Wilt and was originally published in her weekly local history column in the Doddridge Independent of July 20, 2018. It appears here with her express consent. | PYLES, Samuel (I126889)
|