AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY - WEST VIRGINIA

Housekeeping

2009-03-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

I have not contributed to this blog for almost two years. During that time, however, I have continually been researching and compiling information, updating BLACK RESIDENTS OF GREENBRIER, MONROE, SUMMERS, AND POCAHONTAS COUNTIES by C. Haynes and contributing these Notes to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History Archives and to the Greenbrier Historical Society. A number of important events have happened in these two years. On a trip to Lewisburg a distant cousin handed me a box of about 100 photos that she had retrieved from a family home. Family members were cleaning out a house and the photos were destined for the trash bin. Luckily, she grabbed them. The photos included a tin type. Most were not labeled and so the identities of the people in the photos can not be known. A couple of the photos were identified, however, including one of my grandparents. Also a photo of my grandfather's sister was labeled. The photos are instructive for how people dressed, and how they looked in general. My favorite is of a forlorn looking Santa Claus standing with a child seated on a donkey. Apparently they didn't sit on Santa's lap at that location in those days. Some of the photos have already been included with my Notes which have been sent to the previously mentioned Archives & Historical Society.
I have been able to update much of the information that I have previously posted & I intend to share the new information here as part of the "housekeeping" task. WV Birth, death, and marriages are now on the internet and are accessible by going to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History site. Some counties are still not available but I am sure they will be available in time. Another valuable tool is the World War I and II Draft Registration cards which can be accessed on one of the subscription based genealogical sites. I am currently culling W.V. court cases for information about Black residents of the area. Some of the cases are extremely interesting & give alot of information about how people lived and interacted at a specific point in time.

Rev. G.B. Gibson

2007-04-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Pastor at the John Wesley United Methodist Church in Greenbrier County, Lewisburg.

Rev. William Rhodes Grigsby

2007-04-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Rev. William Rhodes Grigsby was the son of Frank A. Grigsby and Emma Rhodes Grigsby. He appears on the 1920 Census in Greenbrier County, Lewisburg District as a Black Male, age 42, with Marie (36), William (16), Robert (14), Mamie (12), Gosta (11) &. Frances (4). He appears as W. Grigsby. W.V. Death Certificate # 8353 indicates that he died on 7/25/1922 in Greenbrier County & that he was a Minister. He was a pastor at the John Wesley United Methodist Church at Lewisburg, GC.

Rev. Robert L. Kelly

2007-03-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

He officiated at the following (Black) marriages:

1851 -
Clarence Oren Curry & Eva Mae Woods, 11/8/1951

Rev. L.B. Allen

2007-03-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if Rev. Allen was Caucasian or Black but he officiated at the following (Black) Greenbrier County marriages:

1950/1951 - Thomas Rodger Adams & Maggie McDowell

761st Tank Battalion - World War II

2007-02-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

Cleo Caval Haynes Dickason Blakely was my grandfather's sister. She was born in Brushy Ridge, Greenbrier County and was one of the 14 children of George Washington Haynes and Elizabeth Jane Payne Haynes Haynes Lewis.

Cleo was a teacher in a number of locations in W.V. and she was also the principal of a school. I saw her a couple of times when I was a small child. The only thing I can recall about her was the delightful task of brushing her waist long black hair.

When I began to do genealogical research I learned a lot more about Aunt Cleo including the fact that she had a son, Sidney Andrew Dickason, who was a member of the 761st Tank Battalion in World War II.

Yesterday as I was flipping through the channels, and upon seeing the face of a Black soldier, I stopped at the HISTORY CHANNEL. To my surprise, the channel was airing the documentary FIRST TO FIGHT - THE BLACK TANKERS OF WORLD WAR II.

Here are a few quotes from the documentary:
"676 African American soldiers" ... "seven-six-one tank battalion" ... (Patton said) "Your people are looking for great things out of you" ... "awarded the Presidential Unit Citation" ... "34 men from the 761st died" ... "US Army - Fort Hood".

Also see "BROTHERS IN ARMS = The Courageous Story of World War II's 761st Black Panthers" by Kareem Abdul Jabbar & Anthony Walton.

The documentary was very moving & I was proud to know I had a cousin who was a member of the battalion. I'm not sure how many other citizens of West Virginia were members of this battalion. I hope to visit the D-Day Museum in New Orleans to follow up on this documentary and perhaps do some research to see if I can find other WV names.

Rev. R.D. Haynes

2007-02-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Rev. R.D. Haynes officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1903 -
Edward Burk & Maggie V. Syms, 7/9/1903

& he officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1890 -
Ballard W. Haynes & Laura J. Pack (after 9/1890)
John R. Bennett & Ellen Nora Bush (after 9/1890)

1891 -
William Peters & Carrie Gore, 7/3/1891

1892 -
James R. Loggins & Anna B. Gore, 2/28/1892
Charles C. Gore & Ada Bunch, 5/18/1892
James A. Meadley & Sabrina Price, 7/24/1891
James Gore & America Crump, 9/11/1892
Grant Haynes & Malinda Webster, 12/28/1892

1894 -
Samuel M. Kinley & Henrietta Hargo, 4/21/1894
Frank Gore & Nancy Walker, 6/5/1894

1895 -
Frank H. Brown & Fannie Gore, 3/7/1895
Alexander Shanklin & Sarah Leftridge, 8/9 or 10/
Randolph Brooks & Ella Pack, 12/24/1895

1896 -
J.E./Z.E. Dobbs & Annie Bell Kent, 5/14/1896
William E. Huffman & Nellie Clay, 11/26/1896

1898 -
Robert Harris & Ardelia Shanklin, 6/12/1898

1899 -
James E. Merchant & Ada Meadley, 5/1899

1901 -
Charles W. Gore & Lula Haynes, 5/16/1901

1902 -
Robert Gore & Mayme Pack, 2/21/1902
David Hargro & Minnie Agee, 12/23/1902

1903 -
Oliver Age & Nessie Gore
Julia Gore & (unintelligible)

Rev. Jennings

2007-02-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

Rev. Jennings officiated at the following (Black) marriages:

1951 - Lindsay Dane Williams, Jr. & Ruth Ann McKinney, 6/8/1951

Rev. O.T. Harris

2007-02-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if Rev. O.T. Harris was Caucasian or Black but

he officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1895 -
Frank Dunsmore & Janet Haynes, 5/19/1895 at Sinks Grove
Perena Susan Spotts & Lon Erskine, 6/19/1895

&
he officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1896 -
Hiram Gore & Hattie Gore, Jan/28/1896
Dennis Henderson & Charlotte Walker, 2/5/1896
Lewis Johnson & Rhoda Shanklin, 4/11/1896
Joseph Gore & Dora Wood, 6/1/1896
William Hargro & America Crump Gore, 12/24/1896

1897 -
Robert Burks & Nora Muse, Jan/28/1897
Lee Symns & Josie Walker, 2/24/1897
Robert Meadley & Robertie Merchant, 8/5/1897

1898 -
Robert Loggins & Jennie ? Vest

1899 -
Edward Shanklin & Rosie Shanklin, 4/29/1899
Edward Bush & Georgia Jackson, 12/24/1899
G.W. Reddix & Artie Clark, 12/27/1899

1901 -
J.T. Haynes & Stella Walker, Jan/24/1901
Preston Green & Nannie M. Crockett, Jan/27/1901

1902 -
Madison Gore & Cora Harper Davidson, Oct or Nov. 1902
Samuel E. Harris & Minnie S. Muse, 12/25/1902

1903 -
Matison Gore & Lavinia Haynes, 3/31/1903
David Pace & XXX J. Williams, April or May, 1903

1904 -
Dock Lewis & Gertie Davidson, 3/8/1904
Robert Haynes & Dora Gore, 12/1904

Rev. ?Leftridas/Leftridge

2007-01-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

Husband of Sarah E.

He appears on the 1900 Census in Greenbrier County, Blue Sulphur Township, Black male, born 4/1877, Preacher, married for two years to Sarah E., with his children, Sterlen R. (7) & Mary (infant).

Rev. Lamber

2007-01-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

Rev. Lamber officiated at the following (Black) Greenbrier County marriages:

1951 -
Flora Essex & Frank Allen, 12/13/1951

Rev. George T. Lyle

2007-01-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

Rev. George T. Lyle officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1899 -
Virgil Brown & Harriet H. Smith, 4/5/1899

Rev. L.L. Loyd

2007-01-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

Rev. L.L. Loyd officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1903 -
N.W. Keen & Maggie Coles

Rev. William Linton

2007-01-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

Rev. William Linton officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1877 -
George Preston & Sallie Daniel, 3/22/1877

Rev. P.H. Lilly

2007-01-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

Rev. P.H. Lilly officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1891 -
James Carter & Malinda Angers, 10/29/1891

Littleton

2007-01-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

As I indicated in an earlier post, I began to collect the names of other WV residents (mainly in 4 southern counties of WV) after I'd hit a brick wall as it related to the research of my own family. Often, while researching the families of others, I have stumbled onto someone in my own family. That happened again today.

I was looking for Littleton's who had died in WV (by searching the WV Division of Culture and History Vital Records site). I plugged in the name Littleton (for all counties and all years) and one of my earliest traceable ancestors popped up as the first name on the list and in a county that I have never researched.

Mariah Littleton died in Harrison County, Clarksburg, in 1893 at age 100 years and 2 months. She was born in Greenbrier County, she was a housewife, her parents were unknown, her son (as listed on the death information) was Byrd Littleton. There is no WV DC # as her death is listed on a spreadsheet.

Maria was the wife of Cook Littleton (who appears to have been enslaved by the Kincaid family of the Williamsburg District of GC - near Pocahontas). She appears on the 1870 Census in Lewisburg as a Black Female, age 70 and the mother of John Littleton. She was "keeping house".

She was the mother of Mary Ann Littleton Hughes, John Littleton, Byrd Littleton and James Littleton. She was the grandmother of Eliza Ann Littleton. An entry in the Greenbrier County Death Book (1891) indicates that Mary Ann Littleton Hughes was the informant for her brother John's death and that Mary Ann indicated that John's parents were Mary & Cook Littleton.

Mariah's children seem to have remained in Greenbrier County with the exception of Byrd Littleton who moved to Clarksburg, Harrison County (and she joined him there before her death).

Mariah's son, James Littleton (1840 - 1915) remained in GC. When he was 54 y.o. (8/1/1894) he married Nancy "Nannie" W. Perkins Morrison Littleton.
References to James Littleton can be found at:
Greenbrier County Cemetery Book
Larry Shuck's Greenbrier County Marriage Records
Greenbrier County Historical Society Marriage Bonds (the marriage of Eliza A. Littleton)
Greenbrier County Index to Deaths

Mariah's son John Littleton (1841 - 1891) remained in GC. He never married. He worked for the sisters of Lt. Gov. of Confederate Va, Samuel Price & he appears with them on the 1870 Census as a 25 year old (Big Levels District). He is mentioned a number of times in the GC Deed Book. In the 1880 Census he is a 35 y.o. Black farmer, with his mother, Maria (70) & his niece Elvira (22) his cousin Dora (14), his nephew Roy (2) and with his sister Mary Ann Hughes (52). He is buried in the Williamsburg District of GC.

Mariah's daughter Mary Ann Littleton Hughes was discussed in a previous post. She was the domestic servant for Lt. Gov. Samuel Price. She shares a tombstone with her brother James & the stone says that she lived for 112 years.

Mariah's son Byrd Littleton was a grocer in Clarksburg, Harrison County. He appears on the 1900 Census. He died on 8/15/1900. His wife was Maria Webb Littleton (she died 2/2/1923). On the 1900 census, Byrd is listed with the following children: Jennie (18, a school teacher), Hugh (24, a waiter in a hotel), May (22) & Florence (19). Another son, Roy H. died in 1898 of consumption. Information about Hugh can be found in draft records. The other siblings show up in various censuses and appear to have lived together for many years. One sister married a Thomas.

Rev. John Barnett (Black Minister)

2007-01-26T06:13:00.000-08:00

Rev. John Barnett officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1891 -
Granvill Hill & Mittie Spotts, 9/15/1891

and he officiated at the following (Black) Summers county marriages:

1875 -
Patrick Washington & Lucretia Gore, 11/18/1875
1891 -
Matthew Ranson & Sarah Watkins (after May 1891)

Rev. Barnett was a Pastor at the John Wesley United Methodist Church in Lewisburg, Greenbrier County

Rev. F. Barkins

2007-01-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

Rev. F. Barkins officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1892 -
John Lewis Dunsmore & Lydia Erskine, 2/18/1892

Rev. H.D. Bishop

2007-01-26T06:09:00.000-08:00

Rev. H.D. Bishop officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1880 -
William R. Sweeney & Anna Huffman, 11/11/1880

Rev. W.H. Berry

2007-01-26T06:08:00.000-08:00

Rev. W.H. Berry officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1893 - Calvin Fortner & Mary Shanklin, 10/9/1893

Rev. L.A. McLean/L.A.M. Lean

2007-01-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

Rev. L.A. McLean (or his name could be L.A. M. Lean officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1882 -
Henry Good & Harriet Harmon, 12/24/1882

Rev. H.M. McLaughlin /Laughlin

2007-01-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

Rev. H.M. McLaughlin /Laughlin officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1898 -
Thomas Tyler & Malinda Smith, 1/11/1898 at the Colored Baptist Church at Alderson
(on this entry his name appeared to be McLaughlin)

& he officiated at the following (Black) Summers County marriages:

1900 -
am Taylor & Bettie Wilson, 4/27/1900
(on this entry his name appeared to be Laughlin)

There were McLaughlin families in the area. I don't have any Laughlin families so I am guessing that his name is McLaughlin.

Rev. Frederick F. Sawyer (Black Minister)

2007-01-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Rev. Frederick F. Sawyer officiated at the following (Black) Monroe County marriages:

1879 - Thomas Christmas & Mittie Edgar, 10/2/1879

He was the husband of Hester Sawyer.
He appeared on the 1880 Census in Monroe County at Union as a Black Male, age 39, preacher, with his wife Hester (age 54) and with Thomas W. Boothe (age 45). (enumerated as Frederic Sawyers in this census).
He was the "preacher in charge of the Methodist Church" at which he performed the Christmas-Edgar marriage.

Rev. Irving Hosea Carpenter (Black Minister)

2007-01-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Rev. Irving Hosea Carpenter officiated at the following (Black) Greenbrier County marriages:

1918 -
Griffin Davis Johnson and Dorothy Perkins, 5/29/1918

He can be found on a WORLD WAR I DRAFT REGISTRATION CARD where he is shown as Irvin Hosea Carpenter, born 7/4/1879. He lived at Ronceverte, Greenbrier County. He was a Minister at the M.E. Church at Ronceverte. His nearest relative was Annie Wray Carpenter of Ronceverte. He was medium height and build.

Rev. Charles Williams/Rev. Charles (Creigh) (Black Minister)

2007-01-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

See A COMPREHENSIVE NAME INDEX FOR THE AMERICAN SLAVE compiled b Howard E. Potts, p. 76. Mr. Potts indicates that this man (Rev. Charles Willaims) had been enslaved by Mrs. Frances Cree in Greenbrier County, W.V. This would be Mrs. Frances Creigh (Creigh was/is pronounced "Cree").

The Creigh surname (for Black individuals) does not appear to have survived after emancipation. Individuals who were enslaved by the Creigh family may have once been enslaved by the Withrow family as Dr. Creigh's first wife, Mary James Withrow, enslaved a number of individuals.

For information about enslaved Creigh's see African American Records by Mary Frances Bodemuller and Shuck's Greenbrier County Death & Birth Records.
Also see Greigh.

Other individuals enslaved by the Creigh family were:
Betty (Creigh) - See Journal of the Greenbrier Historical Society, Vol. 7, #4, 2002, pages 25 & 35.
Lucinda (Creigh) - (same Journal of the GHS article)
Martha (Creigh) - (same Journal of the GHS article)
Sally/Aunt Sally (Creigh) - (same Journal of the GHS article) & History of Greenbrier County by Otis K. Rice, p. 295, & Greenbrier County Pioneers, p. 325. This writer believes that following emancipation "Aunt Sally" became Sallie Woods. See Black Residents of Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas, & Summers Counties by C. Haynes (available at the Greenbrier Historical Society at Lewisburg, WV, and the W.V. Division of Culture and History in Charleston, W.V.)