by -- Alkire "Ellsworth" Bosley-- 1876-1964)
In the rocked-ribbed hills of Virginia near the northwest turnpike U.S. Route 50, is situated a little cove, opening to the morning sun, and a sloping fertile little valley and bubbling forth in the center of this cove is a splendid limestone spring. Here a man entered the forest, selected a home site, built himself a log cabin, cleared the land of brush and trees, plowed the fields, secured livestock, planted an orchard, and reared his family. His name was David Bosley, my grandfather. This location is in what is now Grant County, West Virginia located on the east slop of the Alleghenys on what is known as Front Ridge the headwaters of New Creek, five miles southeast from Hartmansville. His wife was Annie McCauley. They raised five children, the fourth was David Jackson Bosley, my father, and of him I shall now write.
Born April 25, 1834, his boyhood days were spent here with his parents, following the pursuits usually occupying a boy's mind, which consisted not only of plowing and cultivating the fields, but of driving home the cows, herding sheep and swine and attending school about three months during the winter season. Schools were but little thought of in those days among the poorer class. He therefore secured only a meager knowledge in the way of education. At the age of 12 he began to hunt in the forest and fish in the streams and related many exciting hunts. During these hunts, his mind was occupied by the manner of how to secure some of this valuable land. As he approached manhood he learned the various arts of wood-craft and also became an apt trader. He was resolute, active, nervy, honest, earnest and trustworthy. He regarded his word as his bond.
His first marriage was to Virginia Kitzmiller in 1860. They first lived near Altamont, Maryland, near the Virginia line. They here came in contact with many shanty Irish along with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The Irish being great gardeners and my father owning a good farm horse, he secured considerable employment plowing the lots and gardens for this class of people.
Being visited by his father-in-law, Lewis Kitzmiller, he insisted that father and mother move to a farm owned by him a little farther west. This farm was also to be shared by his wife's brother Alexander, who had recently married Martha Shafer. All went well for the first couple of years until Alexander became angered at his father's offer to divide the farm equally between him and my mother. This proved more than my father could endure, and after quite an argument which nearly ended in a duel, father and mother moved to another farm located one mile west from his father's home place, this farm laying on top of the Allegheny Mountain, near Front Ridge and southeast of the town of Hartmansville W.V. Here their first daughter was born, Mary Magdaline, in November 1863. After remaining perhaps two years he sold his farm to Mr. Frank Barb.
He then moved to another farm called the John Hopewell farm. Here their second child, Newton Grant, was born in July 1865. They did not own this farm and moved to New Creek, where they purchased a farm from Hiram Lyon. Here their third child was born, Emily Cornelia, in 1867. Father sold this farm to his younger brother Ashford. They then again moved to Allegheny in the year 1873 to the Alkire farm on the west bank of the Stony River, near Mount Storm, West Virginia. Here I was born, Alkire "Ellsworth", April 7, 1876.
This farm was cleared from the forest by the Hanlin, Kitzmiller and the Aronhalt families. It contained 540 acres. It was surveyed in 1784 and the Southwest corner cleared by John Kitzmiller, top of River Hill at " Big Meadow" west side of tract cleared by Jonathan Hanlin or (Hanline). North and east cleared by John Aronhalt.
Of these men named herein, none were legal owners of this land. All it seems, were squatters, and after 1882, a strip of land containing 52 acres adjoining, lying east and also on the west bank of the Stony River, was secured by D. J. Bosley in a tax sale, and was not discovered by the Hubbard heirs until the year 1903. Upon finding it was owned by N. G. Bosley, to whom our father had sold it, the Hubbard heirs and the Western Ohio R. R. Co. compromised, allowing him to retain the surface, but they held title to timber and coal, thus a long drawn law suit was avoided.
My father remained on this farm 28 years, but he did not cease dealing in land. He bought and sold during this time about 20 farms. One to C. A. Bosley, his youngest brother, another to David Moreland near Bismark , W.V. Three near Maysville, W.V. He then secured a farm of 265 acres on Red Creek in Tucker County, W.V. from James Lambert. He always said it was the best farm of all he had possessed. During this time he owned much livestock, consisting of cattle, sheep and horses.
Planning to move to Red Creek, W.V. in the year 1887, but owing to the sever illness and death of my mother during the early spring of that year, this move was never accomplished. After a short while he married Lydia (Mumau) Shillingburg, but he could never induce her to move to the Red Creek farm as my mother had consented to do. Having married a woman who would never leave her children and go live there, he continued to reside on the Alkire farm. He then sold the Red Creek farm to Shobe and Hill of Davis, W.V.
He now bought a farm of Geo. Bisner in Mineral County near Hartmansville, W.V., lying one mile north, and he lived there several years cutting off the timber and peeling the tan bark. He then sold it to one of my schoolmates R. V. Hanlin. This farm contained 109 acres. This farm had very fine potato, corn and grass land, also fine orchard land.
About the year 1882, the people who held the real title to my grandfather David Bosleys home place appeared and wanted a settlement. Grandfather had no legal title to the land that he had cleared and built upon as many of the early settlers had done, they were called squatters. Here again my father proved himself a hero as well as a benefactor.
Augusta Wiedersheim being the legal owner of father's boyhood home, father managed to secure the title and allow his aged parents to rest in peace. At this location my grandparents David Bosley & Anna McCauley were buried together with their eldest daughter Susanna. Father then sold the farm to Mr. George McDonald, retaining one fourth acre surrounding the graves of his parents and sister. Title reserved forever to future heirs.
A brother-in-law named William Baker also tried to buy this farm, and upon meeting with my father came to blows. The family doctor, James Lemon, stepped between the two angry men and father shot a hand over the good doctor's shoulder landing a stinging slap across the mouth of William Baker, and so ended the fight, but not the feeling, for my aunt told me herself in her home that she could never forgive my father for slapping her poor William.
This Wiedersheim land, grandfather David's home place, contained nearly 250 acres, 112 lying on the top of the Allegheny Mountains. My father and brother Newton now formed a partnership in the lumber business and cut the timber and exported lumber, and peeled the tan bark and hauled it to Emory, WV, and shipped it to Gorman, MD. to J.G. Huffman & Sons Tanners, and Middlesex Hide & Leather Company of Bayard, WV. Now Millard Lemon, a schoolmate of mine, married and bought this 112 acres lying as before described. He built a house and moved his parents George Lemon and family to live there.
This accomplished, my father bought a track of timber at the A.D. Woods farm near Gormania. This my brother cut into timber also. They now dissolved partnership in the lumber business. My brother moved his mill to the Foley farm near Mount Storm, and father bought a saw mill of W.C. White in Cumberland, MD., and also a small tract of timber of Murry White in Garret County MD. which I helped to cut, log and saw.
We then bought an additional tract of the Hubbard heirs, Russel Hubbard of Philadelphia representing the companys interest. This was cut, sawed, cut into lumber, the tan bark peeled and hauled to Gormania, to the Huffman & Sons Tannery. We now bought tract of timber of Russell Hubbard on the Potomac, below Gorman on the West Virginia side and her we moved the mill from Maryland and began operations as before.
It now became necessary to rent or lease ground on the Maryland side of the Potomac and this lead to the purchase of Military Lot # 1321 of Andrew Mullin and sisters of Bloomington MD., containing 24 1/2 acres on the south side of Glade Run. Here we place docks, built a siding and bridged the Potomac with a wooden span, and started operations. Father still kept buying timber with the money earned from the sale of timber and bark, and I learned to operate the mill as Head Sawer. We were now cutting about 4000 ft. of timber per day.
A man by the name of Reall had done some sawing and became so unruly that father had to discharge him. Reall became very angry, so late one night our mill burned and our boiler exploded under the fire, someone had set the mill and screwed down the top valve so the boiler could not discharge the steam. We were all aroused by the explosion which shook the office and boarding house on the foundations. All the men hurried to the burning mill and I ordered a bucket gang to help save the trucks and wooden bridge, so our only loss was our old mill, which was almost a total loss.
We now bought a heavier mill of the Runbarger Lumber Company at Thomas, WV., and still continued to peel tan bark, haul logs, and within 4 months had the new mill in operation. It was covered with steel roofing, both fire and explosion insured, and we started sawing 8000 ft. per day. Father now bought additional timber of Davis Murphy adjoining the Hubbard tract, also a fine tract on Buffalo Creek of Reese and Herriott, also a tract of William Wilson of Garrett County on Glade Run. This we sold to W. H. & C. Deal of Rockwood, PA., and they placed a mill on the Maryland side of the river in plain view of our own mill and about the same size, agreeing to build a 8-room house, of an improved type, which was to be purchased by my father at termination of lumber work.
Father now bought 55 acres of surface where the mill stood in West Virginia. He and my stepmother sold both sides of the river farms to J.W. Hollen and wife, transferring the deeds to me with the provision that it remain my father's during his natural life. Father had formally owed one acre of land in what is now the town of Gormania, on which some 12 houses now stand, also the M.E. Church. This piece was purchased from Isabella Cooper. Also a farm near Bayard to Reese and Nileer and the valuable timber bought of Reese and Herriott on the Hendrickson farm laying on the north bank of Buffalo Creek. We advertised in the American Lumberman and it was purchased by J.C. Reitz of Rockford PA., for $2000. This tract covered 160 acres and was very exceptional timber, both in the amount per acre and also of superior quality. The tan bark was peeled and hauled to Bayard Tannery by contract in such manner that my father realized $1200 on the bark alone, making a clear profit on the bark and timber of $3200 with very little labor.
My father's health was now fast failing and this was the reason for the sale of this tract, also the tract on Glade Run in Maryland to Deal Brothers. After a consolation with the family doctor, it was decided to send father to Western Maryland Hospital in Cumberland MD. After quite an argument with the head nurse, father was admitted to the private room as per schedule and here he remained until November15, 1901 having improved much in health. Dr. Drinkwater, assisted by Dr. McCom of Oakland Md., ordered that father be sent to Florida, whither he went, and on December 1, 1901, he died having been sick only a few hours. He was or rational mind until the end came and passed away without a struggle, this in DeLeon Springs, Florida. Receiving a telegram from a hotel manager in DeLeon Springs, which read "Your father is dead, if you wish body shipped wire $150 by express." This I did and within one week the body arrived in a heavy oak casket, lined with zink. We had the grave prepared and the funeral was conducted by Rev. Westfall M.E. Minister of which Church my father was a member. We placed him at the right side of his first wife, Virginia Kitzmiller, on the hill overlooking the old log cabin in which I was born and raised. This land is now owned by my niece Bertha Paugh and here in a new house very near to the old one above mentioned, this niece and her husband Riley Paugh and family reside, U. S. 50 West bank of the Stony River and South of Route 50 about one half mile. Thus ended a well rounded, well spent life of a man that any young man might well be proud to own as his sire.
My step-mother attended the funeral of my father, but she only lived a short while after his death. This marriage was a great mistake, as it caused much sorrow and unhappiness and many heartaches, and as my father often said, "was a bad day's work both financially and in compatibility" as a way of citing how unhappy all persons interested became.
Lydia, my step-mother, had two hired women servants most of the time during her married life to my father. First, as I remember them, was Emily Kitzmiller, second Eliza Hanlin, and third Jennie Burgess, who remained 4 years as hired woman and partly in complete control of the home place while father was cutting the timber and peeling tan bark at the Hartmansville farm. These ladies remained the longest in step-mother's employ, but there were many others. Zella and Lucy Dooling, Lula Propat, Carrie Bosley (my cousin), Jane Cosner, Susan Bosley, Tobitha Aronhalt, Linda Kitzmiller (my cousin), Ella Parker, Jennie B. Aronhalt, Maggie Buckbee, Leila Stonebraker, and others. This during a period of 11 years.
As a comparison, I will relate as near as memory will permit, the hired men employed on this farm by my father during this same period. Norman Bray, William bell, William Wolfe, Ernest Wolfe, Jacob Aronhalt, John Donovan, William and Scott White, Henry and George Dolly, Isaac Aronhalt, Edward Idleman, Edward Lyon, John Buckbee. the date of service of these men and girls was between the years of 1888 and 1899. Men employed prior to this date would include Neri Clark, William McCleary, Richard Lyon, Jerry Browning, Edward Aronhalt (son of Hannah), Joseph Seibert, Edward Reed and Crampton C. Harvey. Of the hired girls there were only a few as my Mother and eldest sister did most of their own work. They were Mrs. Hebberley, Ida Kidmell, and Mary Burgess.
At the death of my Mother, Virginia (Kitzmiller) Bosley in 1877, my eldest sister, Mary Magdalene Bosley, married Emmanuel Lyon (son of Benjamin). They lived a short while in Elkins MD., now called Gormania MD. Here they operated a boarding house and hotel. This they traded for a farm in Frederick County, Virginia. At Elkins, their first child was born, named Carrie Virginia. Their other children were all born in Virginia. They were Essie, Virgia, Gilbert, Anna, and Floyd, who died when a small child. This sister, died in 1940 at Hyerstown, MD.
Emily Cornelia, my youngest sister, married Angus M. Aronhalt and raised 4 children. They were Edith Augusta, who married Edward Geldbaugh a B. & O. Engineer. Earl, who died at 20 years of age, was killed in the B & O Round house at Keyser, WV. The other two children died in infancy. Angus M. Aronhalt died July 1943, aged 82 years.
Note ! The writer, A. Ellsworth Bosley, married Ada Eunice Calhoun at Cumberland, Maryland, December 31, 1901. He died Aug 30, 1964 and is buried with is wife in Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
Submitted by -- (grandson) Lynn Alan McGriff [email protected]
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HORRIBLE screamed the headline of the Grant County Press in its Oct 29, 1909 edition. Brutal Double Murder; Whole South Branch is Wrought up over the crime was the banner headline of the Wheeling Intelligencer.
The unsolved double murder of Mrs E M Reid and her son, Coker, who perished amidst the hand-set flames of their home one mile south of Medley on the night of Oct 21, 1909 remains one of the county's most chilling and sensational crimes.
The motive of the slayings was apparently robbery as the Reids, according to newspaper accounts at the time, "kept a large amount of money in the house in what was called their strong room". One paper said the Reids had sold a "bunch of fat cattle" a week earlier and the money was supposedly kept inside.
It was determined that Coker Reid, 21, had first been murdered in the nearby drill shed before being dragged into the house where the fire was set. Authorities found his hat, half-filled with blood, within the barn and containing a small hole made by a sharp instrument the murderer(s) used as the death weapon. The hole would have required a blade three inches wide.
The charred torso and head of the widowed mother (E M Reid had died about three years earlier), the Wheeling Intelligencer related, indicated that she too may have been bludgeoned to death rather than killed in the fire.
Near the bodies, a mason's hammer was found.
Evidently, the murder(s) set the fire to erase the evidence of their deeds.
T M Michael, a neighbor who lived near the Reids, first noticed the two-story house in flames around 11 p.m, and rushed to the scene. But the house was already engulfed in flames by the time of his arrival. Unable to gain entrance, he called in vain for the occupants. The house was completely razed by the fire.
Neighbors first attributed the fire to lightning as a severe storm had just passed through the area. It was not until the next morning that Coker Reid's blood-splotched hat was discovered in the drill shed.
The Press reports; "The news of the awful crime and terrible fate of one of Grant County's most estimable families spread rapidly and hundreds of neighbors and citizens from far and near visited the scene".
Bloodhounds borrowed from the state penitentiary in Moundsville were rapidly dispatched to the scene but so many onlookers had visited the scene that the dogs couldn't discern the murderer's scent from hundreds of others.
Despite a $500 reward offered for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrators, no one was ever brought to trial.
The two Reids were interred in Lahmansville cemetery with Revs. J S Willdridge and L A Racey officiating.