Pocahontas County History Preservation, Digitization, Community

John Smith, p. 303, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

This paper is designed to perpetuate the memory of two very deserving persons, who were among the first to open up a home on Stony Creek near its source, now known as the West Union neighborhood. John Smith was a native of Ireland. He came to this region a hundred and thirty years ago, from Pennsylvania, and upon becoming acquainted with the family of Levi Moore, the pioneer at Frost, he made love to Sally Moore, one of the daughters. Upon their marriage the two young people took a fancy to the large spring that gushes so copiously and beautifully from the rocky cliffs at the source of Stony Creek, and settled close by it and built up their home. The place is now occupied by the family of the late Captain William Cochran. Some particulars in regard to their sons and daughters have been already given in other biographic papers, that need not be repeated here in full. In addition, therefore, to what has been written the following fragmentary items of their history are recorded.

John Smith, Junior, married Fannie Cochran, daughter of the late John Cochran, near Marvin, and settled on the place now in possession of John Young, a great-grandson of John Smith, Senior, near Edray. He afterwards moved to Roane County and lived at the three forks of Reedy. He was a Union sympathizer, and was arrested by the Confederate military as such; but when it was ascertained that he was not a dangerous person, he was paroled on his honor, but died on his return home.

John Slaven, p. 144, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

One of the notable families in our local annals was the Slaven relationship, whose ancestor was John Slaven, who came from Tyrone, Ireland, about the middle of the previous century. He first settled in Rockingham County, and then came to what is now Highland County, Virginia, and located permanently at Meadow Dale, on property now held by Stuart Slaven and James Flesher. His wife was a Miss Stuart. Traces of the old home are still to be seen near James Flesher's residence, who is a descendant by the fifth remove.

In reference to John Slaven's sons, we learn that Henry and Reuben went to Ohio and settled in the famous Scioto Valley. Daniel Slaven located his home on Clinch River, Tennessee. Isaiah Slaven married Martha Stuart and went to Montgomery County, Ky. in 1792, about the time that State came into the union, and settled at Mount Sterling. William Slaven settled in Smith County, Tennessee.

Diana Saunders, p. 201, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Soon after the war of 1812 there came to our county one of the most interesting and eccentric personalities that our older people remember anything about, Mrs Diana Saunders, late of Rocky Point on Dry Branch of Swago. She was the widowed mother of four children, Anna, Eleanor, Cyrus, and Isaac. Her cabin home was built near the head springs of Dry Branch, almost in speaking distance of the Rocky Point school house, and just below.

Cyrus Saunders lived in Madison County, Va., and was a merchant and a citizen of prominence.

Isaac Saunders, upon attaining his majority, went to Fayette County, married, and settled on the banks of New River not far from the Hawk's nest. His sister Anna made her home with him for a time, and then became Mrs Ewing of Fayette County.

Eleanor Saunders was married to Barnett Adkisson, from Madison County, and lived on Spruce Flat on the head of Swago, on the place now occupied by James Adkisson. In reference to her children we have in hand the following particulars, communicated by John Adkisson.

Catherine first became wife of William Tyler, from Madison County, and then Mrs Jacob Wei ford, near Millpoint.

William Adkisson, whose wife was Martha Jones, from Madison County, lived on Spruce Flat.

Abel Adkisson, whose first wife was Susannah, daughter of the late Daniel Adkisson, and whose second wife was Frances Hughes, lived on the head of Swago, where his son Oliver Blake now lives.

John McLaughlin, p. 315, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

For the past seventy-five or eighty years the McLaughlin name has been a familiar one among our people. For this reason the relationship so long identified with our county history deserves special mention there for. This relationship will be considered in groups as it is so numerous and widely distributed and derived from a varied though related ancestry.

John McLaughlin, the ancestor of several Pocahontas families of that name, was a native of Ireland, and settled on Jackson's River, seven or eight miles below Monterey, and was one of the pioneer settlers of that vicinity previous to the Revolution. The lands he settled were lately in possession of his son, John McLaughlin, Jr.

His family consisted of six sons and five daughters. In reference to these persons the following particulars have been mainly learned from Mrs Morgan Grimes, one of the descendants by the third or fourth remove. Margaret became Mrs William Carpenter and lived on Deer Creek, near Greenbank; Nancy was married to John Carpenter and lived on Thomas Creek, near Dunmore, where Peter Carpenter now lives; Jane became Mrs Alexander Benson and settled in Illinois; Mary was married to John Beverage and lived on Straight Creek, near Monterey; Susan became Mrs Holcomb, and went to West Virginia; Abigail was married to Thomas Galford and lived near Dunmore on lands lately owned by J. H. Curry.

Hugh McLaughlin, p. 323, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

The third group of the McLaughlin relationship in our county are the descendants of Squire Hugh McLaughlin, late of Marlinton. His early life was spent in part on Jacksons River, Bath County. His wife was Nancy Gwinn, daughter of John Gwinn, Senior, and grand-daughter of John Bradshaw.

Squire Hugh McLaughlin and Hugh McLaughlin, late of Huntersville, were cousins and were intimately associated when they were young men. They were married about the same time, jointly leased a piece of land on Jacksons River, built a cabin and went to housekeeping. There was but one room. This they divided between them and kept separate establishments. Squire McLaughlin would often tell how an axe, maul, and wedge made up his original business capital, and how his housekeeping effects were carried by his young wife on a horse the day they went to themselves in their cabin home on leased land.

Upon the expiration of the lease, early in the twenties, Squire McLaughlin settled in the woods on Thomas Creek, and opened up lands now held by his son George H. McLaughlin.

Mr and Mrs McLaughlin were the parents of three sons and two daughters: William Jacob, John Calvin, George Henry, Elizabeth, and Margaret.

Margaret, a promising young girl, died suddenly.

Robert D. McCutchan, p. 359, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Among the citizens of our county deserving special notice for industry, hospitality, and good influence on society, Robert Dunlap McCutchan, late of Thomas Creek, is to be remembered as one justly entitled to such consideration. While he was not one of the pioneers, he came to Pocahontas soon after the organization of the county, virtually settled in the woods, and built up a home that was noted far and near for its good cheer and lavish hospitality.

January 11, 1825, he married Elizabeth Youel Lockridge, near Goshen, Virginia, and settled on Thomas Creek, in 1826. They were the parents of five sons and four daughters. All of their children except two preceded them to the grave. The eldest died in infancy.

Samuel Hodge McCutchan was a Confederate soldier and a member of Captain J. W. Marshall's company. He was captured in 1863 and taken to Camp Chase, and remained there until the close of the war. H e came home in broken health, and died of consumption in 1869.

John Blain McCutchan was also a Confederate volunteer, and served in the same company. He married soon after the war, Mrs Rachel Bird, daughter of Jacob Bible, near Greenbank. He lately died. There were four children: Lizzie, now Mrs F. M. Dilley; Robert and Luther, twins, died young; and Margaret.

Daniel McCollam, p. 229, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

One of the oldest families in our county is that of the McCollam relationship. While it is not certain yet there is good reason to believe that the pioneer ancestor was named Dan. McCollam. From some interesting correspondence had by James McCollam's family with a lady in New Hampshire there is no reason to question that he was of Scotch-Irish descent, and the son of a physician a graduate of the University of of Edinburg, and lived in New Jersey. The name of the pioneer's wife cannot be recalled.

Mr McCollam, the ancestor, came from New Jersey in 1770, or thereabouts, and settled on Brown's Mountain near Driscol, which is yet known as the "the McCollam Place" now in the possession of Amos Barlow, Esq. His children were Jacob, Daniel, William, Rebecca, Mary, and Sarah.

Jacob McCollam first settled on the "Jake Place," a mile or so west of Huntersville on the road to Marlinton; thence he went to Illinois, and was killed by a falling tree.

Timothy McCarty, p. 404, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

The progenitor of the McCarty connexion, and one of the earliest pioneers in our county, was Timothy McCarty, a native of Ireland. He settled on Knapps Creek previously to the Revolution, and was a soldier in that memorable war for independence. He could speak from experience that hard was the contest for liberty and the struggle for independence. With his humble hand he helped to make the history that forms one of the most instructive chapters in the annals of human endeavors for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

His first marriage was with Nancy Honeyman, and settled on lands now in the possession of Wilson Rider and the Gibson brothers near Frost; thence moved to Browns Mountain and opened up the property now in the possession of Amos Barlow.

By the first marriage there were seven sons: Daniel, Preston, Justin, James, Thomas,—the names of the other two not remembered. All of these sons were soldiers in the war of 1812, and but one ever returned to Pocahontas—Daniel McCarty—to live. The rest either perished in the war, or went to Tennessee or Kentucky.

Timothy McCarty's second marriage was with Jane Waugh, sister of Samuel Waugh of the Hills, whose memoirs appear elsewhere. By this marriage there were thirteen children. The names of but eight are in hand: Eli, Reuben, Samuel, Jacob, Nancy, Jane, Martha, and Sally.

Nancy was married to Robert McClary, a saddler at Millpoint, and finally went to Ohio.

Thomas McNeil, p. 381, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

The McNeil relationship on Swago trace their ancestry to Thomas McNeil, who came to Swago from Capon Valley, Frederick County, between 1768 and 1770. His parents, whose names can not be recalled, came from Scotland. Thomas McNeil's wife was Mary Ireson, from Franklin County, Virginia.

About 1770 Thomas McNeil entered three hundred acres of land and settled where Joseph Pennell now lives, and built the house occupied a few years since by the family of the late William McNeil, one of his grandsons. His family of sons and daughters were widely scattered in the course of years, but wherever they went became useful citizens. His sons were Jonathan, Absolem, Enoch, and Gabriel, and the daughters were Naomi and Mary.

John McNeel, p. 135, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

John McNeel, the ancestor of the McNeel relationship in our county, appears to have been the first to occupy the Little Levels by permanent settlement. H e was a native of Frederick County, Virginia, but passed much of his early life in or near Cumberland, Maryland. He seems to have been fond of athletics, and in a pugilistic contest his antagonist was so badly knocked out as to be regarded fatally injured. To avoid arrest and trial for murder, he refugeed. He followed the trend of the Alleghanies. A long while was spent in their gloomy solitudes, and his sufferings of mind and body can not be even imagined by any of us. Finally, going deeper and deeper into the wilderness, he came at last in view of the Levels, about 1765.

As he overlooked this section from some neighboring eminence, he saw much to remind him of his native region. An extensive, wooded plain, bordered by mountain ranges of unsurpassed beauty, and very fertile. He decided, as every thing looked so much like the old home scenery, to settle here; and chose a site for his cabin near the present home occupied by Hon. M. J. McNeel. Traces of this cabin have been seen by many persons yet living, between the gate on the public road and his residence. If the spot could be identified, it would be well to mark it with a piece of the marble recently found in such fabulous quantities close by.