Raleigh County's First Settlers, 1850-1860 -- The following list was compiled by Judge Winton A. White and presented to the Beckley Post-Herald newspaper in 1950. The list was published in the 1850 Centennial Edition of the Beckley Post-Herald on 26 Aug. 1950. It is now available in either the "Smith-Riffe" microfilm collection at the Raleigh County Public Library in Beckley, or from the Beckley Register-Herald Archives also located in Beckley, WV. Judge Riffe was an excellent historian, however, there are known errors in this work, so please check all information against primary sources. -- 1850-1860 ADAMS, Stephen - Adams, an early Raleigh County lawyer, came to Beckley in 1856 from Campbell County, Va. He was admitted to the bar at the February term of court in 1856 and served as commonwealth's attorney for Raleigh and Fayette counties. He was captain of Company A, 30th Virginia Battalion, during the Civil War. Adams later returned to Lynchburg, Va. where he died. ALLEN, John - A Pulaski County, Va. settler and a native of Carroll County, Va., Allen moved to the Clear Fork of Coal River about 1854. BECKETT, John H. - A Floyd Countian, he settled at Big Whitestick near Davis Tunnel in 1850. BIGGS, Andrew - Biggs moved to Paint Creek from Pulaski County. His sons, Reed, Jackson, Gordon, Edward, and Alonzy (Buck) were Confederate soldiers. The latter was killed at Fort Donelson. BOWER, Martin - A Floyd Countian, Bower settled at Crab Orchard in 1859, moving to Mitchell's Ridge (Coal City) in the 1880's. Bower was related through marriage to Isaac Snuffer at Glen White and Peter Snuffer of Crab Orchard. Two of his older brothers, Phillip and Christopher, married sisters of Peter and Isaac in Franklin County. They remained in Floyd. Bower's father, Christopher, Sr., was killed in Floyd in the 1840's when he was crushed by a mill wheel. BRAMMER, James A. - Flat Top Mountain was the home of Brammer. His farm was located where the Raleigh, Wythe, and Grayson Turnpike crossed the top of the mountain. He was from Patrick County. His residence was on the Mercer side, but he later moved to Odd. Brammer was a lieutenant in the Confederate Army and lost a leg at New Market, Va. on May 15, 1864. BRAMMER, John - A Patrick Countian, he settled at the head of Piney in 1850. He was a Confederate soldier and died in service. BRAMMER, Jonathan - Jonathan was also from Patrick and lived at Flat Top on the Mercer-Raleigh-Summers line. His son Anderson Brammer was a Confederate soldier and lost an arm in service. CALFEE, James - A Confederate soldier, he settled at Crab Orchard in 1856, coming there from Pulaski County. CALLAWAY, Garner - He settled on Dingess Branch near Glen Daniel in 1853 and was formerly from Monroe County. His son Thomas was a Confederate soldier. His father Joshua Callaway came with him to Dingess. Although then of venerable age, he was active in local affairs, dying in 1879 at 97. Garner was a large land owner. CANNADY, Burwell - A Floyd Countian, he settled near Glen White in 1858. His son Jesse B. was a Confederate soldier. CANNADY, Fleming - Brother of Burwell, he moved to Allen's Fork of Guyan in 1858. His son Green was a Confederate soldier. CANTERBURY, David - A native of Monroe, he came to the head of Crab Orchard Creek near Glen White in 1853 by way of Wyoming County, his former home. Canterbury was a noted local auctioneer. COOK, John - A native of Wyoming County, he first settled on Little Bluestone in Summers County, later moving to Mount Tabor in 1850. He was the oldest son of James Cook, who was the youngest son of John Cook, the pioneer Wyoming County settler. Two sons, Lewis and James, were Confederate soldiers. Lewis was killed at Fort Donelson Feb. 14, 1862, while replacing the flag on the wall of the fort. Harvey Cook of Beckley, former sheriff, is the youngest child of John Cook. COOK, John D. - A native Wyoming Countian, he settled on Sand Lick and was a son of Thomas Cook, who was the oldest son of John Cook, pioneer Wyoming County settler. Three sons, Lewis, Thomas and Harrison were Confederate soldiers. Harrison Cook served several terms as assessor of the county after the war. COVEY, Daniel B. - Covey was from Pulaski County, moving near Lester in 1857. His son Thomas was a Confederate soldier. DUNBAR, W. S. - A Botetourt County, Va. native, he first lived in Monroe County, settling there about 1854. He then moved to Shady Spring, then near Clear Creek of Coal River. A Union soldier, he served until after the Battle of Cross Keys in the fall of 1862, when he was discharged because of ill health. EWART, Col. John S. - A Pulaski Countian, he came to Glade Creek in 1855. He was a native of Livingston County, N.Y., was colonel of New York State troops in the campaign against the Indians and came to Pulaski in the 1840's. He was a school teacher, surveyor and contractor and built the first railroad bridge across New River at Radford, Va. He married Sarah Honaker in Pulaski County. She was a grandaughter of Samuel Pack of Glade Creek. He acquired a large land estate in Raleigh, settling at what is now known as the Mont Phillips place near the Beckley Water Company dam. A strong Confederate partisan, his home was burned during the Civil War. The late Harvey Ewart, prominent Hinton businessman and sheriff of Summers County, was his son. FARLEY, John - A Summers Countian, he settled at Winding Gulf about 1850. His son William was a member of Capt. James Sweeney's Independent Confederate Company. FERGUSON, William - Owner of one of the finest farms in the county, he came to the Marshes in 1859 from Roanoke County. FITZPATRICK, Timothy - He was born in Ireland and settled on Turkey Branch near Crab Orchard about 1852. He was Confederate in sentiment. FURROW, Charles - He lived on the mountain between Piney and Beaver at the late Albert Furrow place, building there in 1854. He was from Montgomery County. His sons Crockett and Floyd were Confederate soldiers. Floyd died in prison. GARTEN, Allen - A native of Monroe, he moved into Richmond District in 1856 and was a large landowner, but during the Civil War was taken to Camp Chase Prison in Ohio as a citizen prisoner. GEORGE, Mrs. James - She was from Montgomery County, but moved to Big Beaver Creek near Daniels in 1857. Three sons, Henry, E. D. (Frone) and James D. were Confederate soldiers. Frone was a noted fiddler in his younger days and was often the whole orchestra at the dances held in the neighborhood of the camp. Frone moved to Beckley about 1870 and operated a blacksmith shop on North Kanawha Street for more than 40 years. James D. George was a popular local auctioneer. GILLASPIE, Henry L. - Gillaspie, a native of Allegheny County, Va., went to California in the 1870's. He came to Beckley in 1850 and was the first lawyer to locate here. He was a member of the secession convention and voted for secession. He was a circuit judge after the war and a large land holder. GODBEY, William - A native of Pulaski County, he came to Cranberry about 1854. His son John N. was a Confederate soldier. GRAY, John W. - [There is an apparent error in the first part of this entry. When printed, the first part was from the entry for Martin Bower. I've included only the part that refers to John Gray -MBD] (Gray came to the area) in 1856 and bought a farm of 300 acres from Jesse O'Neal for which he paid $3,000. Part of the town of Lester is built on this farm. Two sons, William and Jonathan, were Confederate soldiers. Jonathan died in Fort Douglas Prison at Chicago. GREEN, Whitson - Green settled at the head of Piney and was from Monroe County. He died while a prisoner at Camp Chase Prison in Ohio. GRIFFITH, John T. - From Franklin County, he settled at the headwaters of Big Beaver Creek. Two sons, Charles and Jehu, were Confederate soldiers. Other sons were Isaac and Stanton. HALE, Michael - A native of Franklin County, he first lived in Monroe County, later settling at the head of Piney in 1853. He was a Confederate soldier in Capt. William Thurmond's company, and served as justice of the peace and member of the County Court for many years. HALSTEAD, Alexander - Halstead was born in Monroe County and moved to Piney near Whitby in 1850. Two sons, Henry and James, were Confederate soldiers. James died of disease in service. HANNA, Joseph - A son-in-law of Moses Scott, he came from Greenbrier County to Beckley in 1851. He was a cabinetmaker. HAWLEY, John B. - Hawley established a home in the Marshes in 1861, moving from Roanoke County. Five sons, Rufus, Terrell, Newton, Benjamin, and William were Confederate soldiers and Rufus and Terrell were killed in battle. HENDERSON, Mrs. Mary - Widow of Capt. Samuel Henderson, she was born in Montgomery County, but moved to Spring Hill where Trap Hill High School is located. Her three sons, Edward, Eldridge, and Orville were Confederate soldiers, all dying in the service. HENDERSON, Thomas - Born in Montgomery County, he was a soldier in the Mexican War in Capt. Preston's Montgomery County company. He moved to Marsh Fork just below the Marshes in 1856. HENDRICKS, James - A Patrick Countian, he moved to the Marshes about 1850. His sons, Thomas and Rufus, were Confederate soldiers and early school teachers. HOWERY, Jonathan - Born in Floyd County, he moved to Big Whitestick Creek in 1853. His son Jehu was a Confederate soldier. HURT, Roland - A native of Patrick County, Hurt came to Montgomery County and then Beckley in 1855. A tailor, he lived on North Kanawha Street. His son, Ira D. Hurt, was a soldier in Company C, 36th Virginia Regiment. He died in service and is buried at "The Pines" near Shady Spring. KIDD, Elisha - Kidd came from Franklin County and settled at Miller's Camp Branch at Old Eccles about 1855. He was a noted Methodist exhorter. His son Preston was a Union soldier and his son was a Confederate soldier. LESTER, Champ - Lester came from Floyd County to Lester in 1855. Five sons, Samuel, Job, Perry, Pearis, and Daniel were Confederate soldiers. Samuel was one of the first county victims of the war, dying in the winter of 1861 of measles. Job was color bearer of the 36th Virginia Regiment. He was six feet, seven inches tall, and in battle or on parade, the 36th's colors could be seen above all others. Daniel was wounded and never fully recovered, dying a few years after the war. MAYNOR, Joseph - A native of Franklin County, he settled on Paint Creek. His son, D. L. Maynor, was a Union soldier. MEADOWS, Jeremiah - A son of Isaac Meadows who settled on the W. C. Richmond farm below Hinton, he moved to Winding Gulf about 1850. Six sons, Richard, Thomas, Jerry, Henderson, Rufus and Preston were Confederate soldiers. Jerry was killed at the last battle of Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 1864. Rufus was the grandfather of former Governor Clarence Meadows. MILLER, Thomas - Miller settled near Glen White and was from Pulaski County. He was Confederate in sentiment. McMILLAN, Nathaniel - A native of Patrick County, he settled near Trap Hill and was Union in sentiment. He married Mary, a daughter of James Hendricks. PACK, Bartley - Pack came to Grandview from Monroe County in 1855 and moved to Shady Spring in 1886. He was a large landowner. PETERS, George - A Monroe Countian, he lived in the Trap Hill neighborhood. His son, L. E. Peters, was a Confederate soldier and became a distinguished Baptist preacher after the war. ROGERS, John T. - Rogers came to the Marshes from Pulaski County about 1855 and moved to Beckley about 1858. He married Martha, a daughter of James Hendricks. He taught school and clerked in stores and was a fine penman. A Union man, he was respected and liked by the Confederates. He served as deputy county clerk a few years after the war, but died in 1876. He was the father of the late T. J. Rogers of Table Rock. SESLER, Jacob - A Montgomery Countian, he moved to Turkey Branch near Pemberton in 1857. He was a blacksmith by trade. SMITH, Hulett - A native of Patrick County, he settled in the Marshes about 1857. He married Angeline, a daughter of Nathaniel McMillan. He was a Confederate soldier and father of Joe L. Smith of Beckley. SMITH, Jacob - Smith came to Grandview from Quinnimont and his first deed there was dated 1853. He moved to Fitzpatrick on Piney in 1855. He came from the north side of Greenbrier River near Alderson to Quinnimont about 1818. By two marriages he was the father of 24 children. Among them were Canada and Joseph Smith. Jackson Smith, former clerk of the circuit and county courts, is a grandson of Jacob Smith. SNUFFER, Isaac and Peter - These two brothers came to Raleigh County from the Bent Mountain section of Floyd and Franklin counties in 1857. Isaac lived just across the line in Franklin and Peter on the other side in Floyd. The last branch of the Snuffer family to move into Raleigh, they were distantly related to George Snuffer, Jr., who came into the county in 1829. Their father, John Snuffer, who died in Franklin County in 1851, was a first cousin of George. John and George were descendants of Hans Michael Schnauffer who migrated from Wittenburg in Germany to Berks County, Pa. in 1751. Isaac Snuffer was a Dunkard and served on the County Court at the start of the Civil War. He died in 1901 at Glen White, where he first settled. Peter died in 1893 at his original home at Crab Orchard. They were related to the Huffs, Rakes, Canadays, Poffs, Sowders and Bowers. SWEENEY, Archibald - A native of Monroe County, he settled on Paint Creek in 1855. His son Wilson was a Confederate soldier and sheriff from 1881 to 1855. Submitted by Melissa Duggins <mduggins@lexcominc.net> **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************