Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1932-07-28

out, and so far as we are able to
learn not even relative is left, but
they or some of them only got as
far as Penn township, and through
the kindness of Chas E. Van Fos-
sen, we have the following excellent
history:
Amos was born in Frederick
county, Maryland. in 1901. Mar
garet Ann Birnside was born at the
same place, March 20, 1907. Very
little is known of their childhood
and early life, except that each
was left orphan at an early age, and
they were raised by white Maryland
families. Amos had little negro
slave boys for childhood playmates,
one of whom long years afterward
found his way to Morgan county
and was | believe negro preacher
jeremiah Myers. And there was
among the servants of the family
that raised Margaret Ann, one
"Black Liza" who had the care of
her and was a sort of ''mammy." :"
Amos Van Fossen and Margaret
Ann Birnside were married Aug. z,
1923, in Frederick county, Mary
land, where five children were born
10 them as follows: William and
Joseph born July l, 1924. William
died Sept. IA. 1924. David Van
Fossen, born Sept. IA. 1926. Ann,
born Oct 10, 1929. James William,
born March 2. 1881. With the above
named children, they emigrated
over land to Morgan county, coming
over what is now known as the ma
rional highway. &. S. 40. Starting
from Cumberland. Md, in 1881. it
may be of interest to note that
when they left their old home and
started on the long and rugged
road over the Blue Ridge, old
Black Liza" cried and followed
sheir one-horse wagon for miles,
begging them to bring her with
them, but as they could not, they
had to send her back. They had in
mind when they started, to go to
the Scioto valley, near Chillicothe,
but for some reason they stopped
in Bristol township with the four
small children, one horse and wag-
on, and twelve and one-half cents
in cash. Amos was boot and
shoe maker and followed that trade
while living in Muttonburg where
Caleb R. was born to them Oct. G,
1898; Mary Allon, Dec. 6, 1886.
Wilson (Dock), April !, 1889. In
the year 1899 or 40 they moved to
Windsor township, where the fol-
lowing children were born: Amos,
July s, 1912, died July IL, 1912;
Emma, born July Z, 1843; Harriet,
Sept II, 1916; Aquilla B.. Nov. 13,
1850. While as stated the old
folks moved to Windsor, some OF
the older children staid in Bristol
for many years. James William
married Cordelia Barker, and fol- |
lowed the blacksmith trade at
Cloud Or Bristol Eve find it was at
Bristol) for years, until he too,
feeling the call of the west emf
grated to Iowa in 1852. 1t is more T
than probable that he helped build +
some Of the early threshing ma
chimes while working at his trade
in Bristol, as we have among our |
tools today an old Sampson block" /
he used to hold the dies to cut the
threads on the stems and bits OF
the early drilling machines. Allow
rs to say here that Clell Greer in
forms us that he has one of the bits
they used when they "tramped"
them down William, being natur-
al born hunter, killed a deer and
wolf in his day when the Indians
roamed the prairie. Draper was a
carpenter and wood worker, and he
helped hew the timber and build
many Of the covered bridges of the
county. Caleb was a farmer, and
lived for a time in Bristol, and [
have heard them relate that when
his son Draper was a small child,
his mother sent him to Henderson's
with some cuts of yarn she had
spun for Kate Henderson. Some
way, asked him where he was go
ing, and he told them. They asked
what he had in his budget He an
swered "Kate's cuts"
Ann was a milliner and lived in
Bristol, and worked at her trade
here for a time, moving to Stock
port some years later, and follow
ing the milliner business there.
Our wife remembers this lady, and
remembers Of buying hats from
her; her shop stood on the site Of
the bank building.
Wilson was also a blacksmith,
learning his trade with William and
others, following that for some
years, and then went to Missouri
and from there to Iowa. The -
children of Amos and Margaret Ann
Van Fossen are all gone. Their
descendants are scattered-sOme
here and others there. All are
fairly honest, and most are 'loyal
Democrats" Draper and Wilson
used to go with gangs of drovers to
drive cattle and hogs to Pittsburgh,
and sometimes on over the noun
tains TO Baltimore, to market. On
one of these trips Wilson picked up
a bean or seed of the American
mahogany, on the old mountain
trail, and brought it home and gave
it to his sister Hattie. She planted
it by the old we'll at the Windsor
township homestead. 1t grew and
was the eventual rr'n Of the we'll
Our father had The tree cut and
sawed, and we have 2 radio cabinet
made from part OF the lumber. Lit
tie did the drnvar how dream that