West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-04-25

piece OF ground was cleared and the
sunlight was let in to the virgin
soil, and in due time crop of Gull.
nary vegetables was planted. The
woods was full of game, especially
bears. deer and wild turkeys. and
the unerring aim OF those sturdy
pioneers soon broke the solitude of
the forest with the shrill echo of
the rifle, and no less inviting was
the tinny tribe of the streams. for
all creeks wore alive with trout.
The four families lived together the
first summer. aud in the meantime
Jehu Hoye and Leonard Deakens.
who had patented large body of
land, came to look at it, and offered
each Of the four families 40 acres.
on the condition that they would
occupy 1t ten years. This was done
to induce others to come. The
offer was accepted by each family,
and they proceeded to select sites.
Slough selected where Lloyd l..
Lantz now lives, and built his cabin
between the spring and the present
road. Wagner selected the land
near their cabin, and now owned by
). Wotring, Jr., and built his cabin
about $50 yards west of Mr.. W.'s
present residence. Teatrick select
ed his land and built his cabin
about 100 yards east OF the Startz-
man Tannery, and Wilt built his
cabin ABOUT $50 yards west OF the
present residence of y. Stcmple, Jr.
He, however, had falling out with
uoye and left after one year, and
bought land of John Goff and set
tied where Joshua Bowman now
lives.
A biographical sketch Of the life
of Joha Slough is still preserved in
the neighborhood, as he afterwards
became a minister. lie says, "The
following year six families and one
single man joined our colony, and
the woodsman's axe could now be
heard in all directions. AS far as
can be ascertained, these fam lilies
were: George Slough, who settled
where ID. Ill. Wagner now lives, but
only remained a few years; August
Christian Whitehair. who settled
where Jacob Elsey lives; David
Stemple, who settled where the old
tavern stands, one half mile west
of Aurora; Jacob Ridenour, who
settled where Daniel Beachey now
lives; John Wotring, who settled
where his great grandson David
Wotring, now lives; Adam Shafer,
at the Greenleaf property, near
Frush's mill; and the single man s
name was Iost Heck, who settled
where Samuel Wotring, Sr., lives.
Within the next few years came the
progenitors OF several well known
families: Thomas Rhinehart, who
settled at the east end of Aurora,
on what is now the property of DR..
j. IL. Lcgge; Peter Heckert, half
mile west Of Eglon, on what is now
known as the John Lantz farm !;
George Rnehart, who settled in the
edge Of Garrett county, Md; ia
cob Knotestine, where Jacob Pifer
now lives; Christian Nine, where
his grand son, David Nine, lives;
Henry Vile. where G.. II. Lawton
resides; Heury Bshoff, on what IS
known as the Daniels farm; Henry
Lantz, where David Dixon lives;
John Wheeler settled farther out
towards the river on the Deakens
land; William Wells settled near
Eglon. All Of those pioneers came
from Washington county. Md, and
others from adjoining counties fol-
lowed. Among them Frederick
Harsh, who bought Thomas Rine-
hart's land, and Mr.. Rinehart
cleared out the William Wheeler
farm; about the same time came
William Bohon. who also settled
near Eglon. Christian BishoT sct-
tied on the Forman farm at Nm boy,
aud Adam Biogaman whore Mr.
Eli Yoder now resides. David
Stemple's father, Godfrey Stomple.
had purchased 900 acres Of land
from Hoyo and Deakons. on which
his son David settled. and his two
other sons, Martin and John, came
out and settled on The same tract
Martin where Lewis Stomplo now
resides. aud John where his son,
David Stemple, Sr., now rs closing