Pocahontas County History Preservation, Digitization, Community

Richard Hill, p. 116, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Richard Hill, whose ancestral blood courses the veins of a great many worthy citizens, now claims our special notice in this paper. It is generally believed he came to this region soon after the armies of the Revolution were disbanded, from North Carolina. He was one of the more distinguished of the early pioneers as a scout and a vigilant defender of the forts.

Upon his marriage with Nancy McNeel, daughter of the venerated pioneer of the Levels, John McNeel, he settled on Hill's Creek, on lands lately occupied by Abram Hills family. As long as Hill's Creek flows and murmurs his name will be perpetuated. There were three daughters, Elizabeth, Martha, and Margaret; and seven sons. Thomas, John, Abraham, Isaac, William, Joel, and George.

Elizabeth became Mrs John Bruffey, and lived on Bruffey's Creek. In reference to her family the following particulars are given. Nancy Bruffey married Levi Hooker, from Connecticut, a dealer in clocks, and settled in Missouri. Eliza Bruffey became Mrs Robert Moore, near Edray. Late in life her family went to Iowa. George P. Moore, now of Edray, is one of her sons. Davis and Clark were the other two, now in Iowa.

Martha Bruffey married James Ewing, and lived some years near Marlinton, and finally settled in Nicholas County, West Virginia.

Margaret Bruffey married Morgan Anderson, now of Hills Creek.

Julia Bruffey was married to William McClure, on Little Anthony's Creek.

Christopher Herold, p. 372, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Among the prosperous citizens of Pocahontas County in its early development, Christopher Herold deserves recognition of a special character. He was of pure German parentage--his immediate ancestry came from the Fatherland, settling in Pennsylvania, thence removing to Virginia. Though he could not read English, no one would have suspected it, so well posted he seemed to be in political matters and current affairs. His powers of memory were surprising, and his business sagacity was equal to any of his contemporaries. He was honest and enterprising. He and his sons accumulated an immense landed estate on Elk, Douthards Creek, and other places, amounting to many thousands acres.

Christopher Herold married Elizabeth Cook, of Pendleton County, and soon after their marriage located on Back Creek, now known as the Thomas Campbell place. From Back Creek, Highland County, he migrated to Douthards Creek, about seventy-six years ago, and bought of Colonel John Baxter, and settled on hinds now held by Henry White and sons and Henry Sharp, on Douthards Creek. On this place Mr and Mrs Herold reared their family and passed the residue of their lives. Their family consisted of seven sons and three daughters: Susan, Jane, Elizabeth Ann, Henry, Peter, Benjamin, Charles, Christopher, Andrew, and Josiah.

Susan Herold was married to Philip Moyers, and settled in Upshur County.

Henry Harper, p. 393, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Among the persons whose industry, economical habits, and wise management of diversified useful industries did much for the development of our county, the name of Henry Harper, Senior, is richly deserving of respectful notice. He was a native of Pendleton County, a son of Nicholas Harper, a native of Germany, who lived on the South Branch. Henry Harper's wife was Elizabeth Lightner, daughter of William Lightner, Senior, on Back Creek. For a few years after his marriage he lived on the Branch. About 1812, Nicholas Harper bought two hundred acres from Abram Duffield and Colonel John Baxter, on Knapps Creek, and on this purchase Henry settled.

The young settlers from Pendleton County found a few acres of cleared land. The thickets of thorn and crab apple and wild plums were almost impenetrable. The sheep, pigs, and calves had to be penned by the house to protect them from wolves and bears. By patient and persistent effort land was cleared and a home reared.

Joseph Hannah, p. 224, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Among the earliest settlers of the Elk region was Joseph Hannah, a son of David Hannah, who lived at the mouth of Locust Creek. H e married Elizabeth Burnsides and early in the century settled on the "Old Field Fork of Elk."

His home was on Mill Run near where William Hannah, a grandson, now lives. This immediate vicinity seems to have been a place of more than ordinary importance in prehistoric times. One of the most frequented Indian trails seems to have been from Clover Lick up the Creek to the Thomas Spring; thence over the mountain, crossing at the notch near Clark Rider's farm; thence down by James Gibson's to Elk. Here is the "Magic Circle," mentioned elsewhere in this book. Nearly a mile further down was the encampment where about two acres of land had been denuded of trees for camp fires, and this was the "old field" that gave this branch of Elk its name; and was the-first piece of ground planted by Joseph Hannah.

Mr and Mrs Hannah reared a large family of well behaved, industrious children. This family did a good part in the industrial development of this thrifty section of our county. In reference to their children the following particulars are given.

Joseph, William, Robert, and Sally died in childhood or early youth.

David Hannah, p. 218, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

This paper is prepared to pay a tribute to the memory of a pioneer citizen of our county, the late David Hannah, of the Old Field Branch of Elk. He was a son of David Hannah, Senior, who was the progenitor of the Hannah Family, one of the oldest in Pocahontas. David Hannah, Senior, was a native of Ireland. H e married a Miss Gibson, who was reared in Augusta County, and settled at the mouth of Locust Creek soon after the Revolutionary war. He possessed some practical knowledge of medicine of the botanical school, and did a good deal of practice in frontier times. He was probably the first person that ever practiced physic in lower Pocahontas. Dr and Mrs Elizabeth Hannah were the parents of six daughters and four sons.

Ann became Mrs Joseph Oldham and Lucinda married William Oldham. Their homes were near the source of Locust Creek. Mary Hannah was married to John Mollohan, and lived in what is now Webster County. Elizabeth Hannah became Mrs William Bennett, and lived in Harrison County. Jennie Hannah was married to the late Samuel Whiting, on Droop Mountain, where the Whiting family now lives. Her son Ebenezer married Sallie McMillion and lived on the Whiting homestead. Nancy Hannah became the wife of James Cochran, and lived near the Greenbrier border.

William Hannah and John Hannah died in youth.

William A. Gum, p. 386, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

The Gum relationship in Pocahontas consists of groups, descendants of Jacob Gum and William Gum respectively. The group considered in this paper trace their ancestry to William A. Gum, who left Highland County (then Pendleton) in 1831, and located on the Redden place near Greenbank, now occupied by John Grogg. In 1841, Mr Gum moved to Back Alleghany and settled in the woods, and opened up lands now in the possession of his sons.

Mrs Gan was Elizabeth, daughter of James Higgins of Pendleton. They were the parents of one daughter and two sons: Margaret Elsie, James Henry, and Francis McBryde.

Margaret was first married to James A. Logan, and first settled on a section of the homestead. Her children were John Commodore, who died in 1861 while quite young, and Elizabeth, who became Mrs E. O. Moore, and lived on Deer Creek near Greenbank.

By her second marriage Mrs Logan became Mrs Gragg, and lives on Back Mountain near the homestead. It is her mother in law, Mrs Zebulon Gragg, who is believed to be the oldest person now living in the county.

James H. Gum first married Sally Ann, daughter of Zebulon Gragg, and settled on a part of the homestead. His second marriage was with Tilda Hoover, daughter of Abel Hoover, near Gillespie.

He was a Confederate soldier, attached to the 62d Regiment of mounted infantry, that formed a part of General Imboden's command.

Jacob Gum, p. 390, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

The second group of the Gum relationship are the descendants of Jacob Gum, who came from what is now Crabbottom, in Highland County, soon after the war of 1812. Upon his marriage with Martha Houchin he settled near Greenbank, on land now owned by C. A. Lightner. A part of his wife's patrimony were two colored girls, Delph and Daphne, and in their time colored people were curiosities in this region. Upon moving he settled on the place now held by Joseph Beard.

Mr and Mrs Gum were the parents of seven sons and four daughters. The girls were Mary, Margaret, Nancy, and Nellie.

Mary married Randolph Powhatan Bouldin, a journeyman shoemaker.

Nancy married William Sutton, and lived on property lately occupied by Craig Ashford. Her children were Robert, George, Sherman, Eldridge, Anna, now Mrs Craig Ashford; Magnolia, and Mary.

Margaret Gum married Charles Mace and went to Missouri.

Nellie was a lifelong invalid.

Felix Grimes, p. 188, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

This paper is devoted to the memory of two persons whose numerous descendants have formed an influential element of our citizenship for the past 75 years.

Felix Grimes, the pioneer, and his wife, Catherine, were natives of Ireland. The ship on which they sailed came near being lost during a storm in mid-ocean. At one time the masts were touching the waves, and water pouring in over the ship's side. The passengers and some of the sailors were in frantic terror,--some were praying, some cursing and swearing, and some wildly screaming with fright. The captain and some of the crew were self-possessed enough to urge the passengers to the opposite side of the vessel, and it righted at once, and the voyage was made in safety thereafter. It took three months to make the crossing. The landing was at New Castle, most probably, and some time was spent in Pennsylvania. Following the tide of emigration, these persons finally located a home on the uplands overlooking the valley of Knapp's Creek from the west, nine or ten miles from Huntersville. It is believed they settled here about 1770.

David Gibson, p. 195, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

David Gibson, a pioneer of Pocahontas county, and progenitor of the Gibson connexion in our county, came from Augusta county, near Waynesboro, Virginia, about 1770. He located near Gibson's Knob, two miles south of Hillsboro, now in possession of Isaac McNeel. He reared a large family, but few of their names are known to the writer. One of his sons, John, moved to Indiana, where his descendants now live; a daughter, Mary, died in youth; Sally married Sampson Ochiltree and lived near Buckeye, where Henry Lightner now lives; Elizabeth married Joseph Buckley and lived on the neighboring farm, now owned by Levi Gay; Jennie married a Mr Blake.

David Gibson, another son, located on the Old Field Fork of Elk about 1823, and began life in the woods. The Hannah brothers had preceded him a year or two. David Gibson's wife, Mary, after whom Mary's Chapel is named (a neat house of worship on Elk,) was a daughter of the late William Sharp, near Edray. Her mother was Elizabeth Waddell, daughter of Alexander Waddell, a pioneer settler near Millpoint, the place now occupied by Joseph Smith and others.

Robert Gay, p. 128, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Robert Gay, Esq., the subject of this sketch, was one of the most prominent personalities of his time in the affairs of early pioneer days. He was a native of Augusta County, and was brought up to manhood on the banks of the Calf Pasture River, between Deerfield and Goshen. Just before the Revolution he came to this region and settled first on Brown's Creek.

His first wife was Hannah Moore, daughter of Levi Moore, Senior, who homesteaded and settled the place near Frost now occupied by the family of the late Samuel Gibson, Esq.

Afterwards Mr Gay located on the east bank of the Greenbrier, about opposite the mouth of Stony Creek, near Marlinton. Subsequently he built a new house on the west bank, traces of which are yet visible at the Lumber Yard. The timbers of this house are now in the dwelling occupied by Colonel Levi Gay. These are among the oldest specimens of hewn timber in the county. The tradition is that the old house now owned by M. J. McNeel is the first building of hewn timber ever erected in the county. Here the venerable pioneer spent his last years.

He figured prominently in the organization of the county, was a brave patriot, and widely known and much esteemed. He was a special friend of Jacob Warwick's family, and pleasant relations have ever existed between the descendants of the two old pioneer comrades and attached personal friends.