Simons and Coleman Funeral Home Record: James Mullens, Residence: Craigsville, WV Date of Birth: 4-1-1849 Date of Death: 9-18-1937 at 8 a. m. Occupation: Farmer Birthplace: Monroe County WV, Father's Name Sank Mullens. b NC. Mother's Name: dont' know Cause of Death: Cancer of right face.
Physician: Dr. Brown Place of Burial: Buckle Cem Date of Service: 9-20-1937 at 10:30 Funeral From: Craigsville Church Chestnut Grove, Clergymen: Quinn Near Relatives: John, Elizabeth Hoxed, Homer, Jim, Luther, Emma Rutheford, Burt, George, Woody, Bertha Wilt, Virgil, Joe, LeeSimons and Coleman Funeral Home Record: James Mullens, Residence: Craigsville, WV Date of Birth: 4-1-1849 Date of Death: 9-18-1937 at 8 a. m. Occupation: Farmer Birthplace: Monroe County WV, Father's Name Sank Mullens. b NC. Mother's Name: dont' know Cause of Death: Cancer of right face.
Physician: Dr. Brown Place of Burial: Buckle Cem Date of Service: 9-20-1937 at 10:30 Funeral From: Craigsville Church Chestnut Grove, Clergymen: Quinn Near Relatives: John, Elizabeth Hoxed, Homer, Jim, Luther, Emma Rutheford, Burt, George, Woody, Bertha Wilt, Virgil, Joe, LeeSimons and Coleman Funeral Home Record: James Mullens, Residence: Craigsville, WV Date of Birth: 4-1-1849 Date of Death: 9-18-1937 at 8 a. m. Occupation: Farmer Birthplace: Monroe County WV, Father's Name Sank Mullens. b NC. Mother's Name: dont' know Cause of Death: Cancer of right face.
Physician: Dr. Brown Place of Burial: Buckle Cem Date of Service: 9-20-1937 at 10:30 Funeral From: Craigsville Church Chestnut Grove, Clergymen: Quinn Near Relatives: John, Elizabeth Hoxed, Homer, Jim, Luther, Emma Rutheford, Burt, George, Woody, Bertha Wilt, Virgil, Joe, Lee
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Buried in Buckles Cemetary, Craigsville, WV
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 20021 _FA1
2 PLAC Buried in Buckles Cemetary, Craigsville, WV
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
Simons and Coleman Funeral Home Record: James Mullens, Residence: Craigsville, WV Date of Birth: 4-1-1849 Date of Death: 9-18-1937 at 8 a. m. Occupation: Farmer Birthplace: Monroe County WV, Father's Name Sank Mullens. b NC. Mother's Name: dont' know Cause of Death: Cancer of right face.
Physician: Dr. Brown Place of Burial: Buckle Cem Date of Service: 9-20-1937 at 10:30 Funeral From: Craigsville Church Chestnut Grove, Clergymen: Quinn Near Relatives: John, Elizabeth Hoxed, Homer, Jim, Luther, Emma Rutheford, Burt, George, Woody, Bertha Wilt, Virgil, Joe, LeeSimons and Coleman Funeral Home Record: James Mullens, Residence: Craigsville, WV Date of Birth: 4-1-1849 Date of Death: 9-18-1937 at 8 a. m. Occupation: Farmer Birthplace: Monroe County WV, Father's Name Sank Mullens. b NC. Mother's Name: dont' know Cause of Death: Cancer of right face.
Physician: Dr. Brown Place of Burial: Buckle Cem Date of Service: 9-20-1937 at 10:30 Funeral From: Craigsville Church Chestnut Grove, Clergymen: Quinn Near Relatives: John, Elizabeth Hoxed, Homer, Jim, Luther, Emma Rutheford, Burt, George, Woody, Bertha Wilt, Virgil, Joe, LeeSimons and Coleman Funeral Home Record: James Mullens, Residence: Craigsville, WV Date of Birth: 4-1-1849 Date of Death: 9-18-1937 at 8 a. m. Occupation: Farmer Birthplace: Monroe County WV, Father's Name Sank Mullens. b NC. Mother's Name: dont' know Cause of Death: Cancer of right face.
Physician: Dr. Brown Place of Burial: Buckle Cem Date of Service: 9-20-1937 at 10:30 Funeral From: Craigsville Church Chestnut Grove, Clergymen: Quinn Near Relatives: John, Elizabeth Hoxed, Homer, Jim, Luther, Emma Rutheford, Burt, George, Woody, Bertha Wilt, Virgil, Joe, Lee
1 _FA1
2 DATE 1929
2 PLAC Buried in Buckles Cemetary, Craigsville, WV
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S041711 _FA1
2 DATE 1929
2 PLAC Buried in Buckles Cemetary, Craigsville, WV
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
1 _FA1
2 PLAC County/State: Kanawha Co., WV
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
1 _FA2
2 PLAC Location: Big Sandy Twp
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
1 _FA3
2 PLAC Year: 1870
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
Saunders Mullens served as Captain in the WyCoWV Home Guards during the War Between the States. 1890 Special Census of Civil War Veterans-Saunders Mullens is in Nicholas County, WV list PVT. 34th Ohio---Oct. 1863-April 3, 1864.Gravesite visited.
(1) Sanders Mullens served as Captain in the WyCoWV Home Guards during the War
Between the States.
Solomon s/o Sanders deceased in WyCoWV during the War.
1890 Special Census of Civil War Veterans - Sanders Mullens is in Nicholas county, WV list
PVT. 34th Ohio Vav. Oct 1863--April 3, 1864(2)Married 25 April, 1833 by William Tackitt
(3)[Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131]
Individual: Mullens, Sanders
County/State: Kanawha Co., WV
Location: Big Sandy Twp
Page #: 009
Year: 1870
Simons and Coleman Funeral Home Record of son James shows that Sank was born in NC
Saunders Mullens served as Captain in the WyCoWV Home Guards during the War Between the States. 1890 Special Census of Civil War Veterans-Saunders Mullens is in Nicholas County, WV list PVT. 34th Ohio---Oct. 1863-April 3, 1864.Gravesite visited.
(1) Sanders Mullens served as Captain in the WyCoWV Home Guards during the War
Between the States.
Solomon s/o Sanders deceased in WyCoWV during the War.
1890 Special Census of Civil War Veterans - Sanders Mullens is in Nicholas county, WV list
PVT. 34th Ohio Vav. Oct 1863--April 3, 1864(2)Married 25 April, 1833 by William Tackitt
(3)[Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131]
Individual: Mullens, Sanders
County/State: Kanawha Co., WV
Location: Big Sandy Twp
Page #: 009
Year: 1870
Simons and Coleman Funeral Home Record of son James shows that Sank was born in NC1 _FA1
2 PLAC County/State: Kanawha Co., WV
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
1 _FA2
2 PLAC Location: Big Sandy Twp
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
1 _FA3
2 PLAC Year: 1870
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: 23 Jun 1998, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.13861.131
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002Saunders Mullens served as Captain in the WyCoWV Home Guards during the War Between the States. 1890 Special Census of Civil War Veterans-Saunders Mullens is in Nicholas County, WV list PVT. 34th Ohio---Oct. 1863-April 3, 1864.
Saunders Mullens served as Captain in the WyCoWV Home Guards during the War Between the States. 1890 Special Census of Civil War Veterans-Saunders Mullens is in Nicholas County, WV list PVT. 34th Ohio---Oct. 1863-April 3, 1864.
[millie.FTW]
Gravesite visited. Tombstone reads 1817.
[millie.FTW]
Gravesite visited. Tombstone reads 1817.
[millie.FTW]
Family story states that Solomon went to see a girlfriend and upon arriving he set his gun on the porch. He accidently hit it with his foot, gun went off, killing him.
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Shot himself by accident.
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
[millie.FTW]Family story states that Solomon went to see a girlfriend and upon arriving he set his gun on the porch. He accidently hit it with his foot, gun went off, killing him.
[millie.FTW]
Family story states that Solomon went to see a girlfriend and upon arriving he set his gun on the porch. He accidently hit it with his foot, gun went off, killing him.
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Shot himself by accident.
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
MICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongaheli Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and usually consisted of one room. They could not boast of much education. Books were very few, and their manner of life did not encourage literary culture. Schools did not exist in those days. Finally, teachers were found who could read, write and what was known as cipher a little, and they were employed to teach the children. For years the state of Virginia did very little for the cause of popular education. Almost every other state in the union succeeded them in the literary field. Occasionally an itinerant preacher visited these early settlements and exhorted the people to seek the Lord the best they knew how. The belief is common that men and morals and health were better in those days but the facts do not warrant that belief. It is undoubtedly not true that grandfathers were better than grandsons. Those older men were brave, industrious and generous, but they too, had failings and faults.
[mullensfamily.FTW]MICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongahala Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and usually consisted of one room. They could not boast of much education. Books were very few, and their manner of life did not encourage literary culture. Schools did not exist in those days. Finally, teachers were found who could read, write and what was known as cipher a little, and they were employed to teach the children. For years the state of Virginia did very little for the cause of popular education. Almost every other state in the union succeeded them in the literary field. Occasionally an itinerant preacher visited these early settlements and exhorted the people to seek the Lord the best they knew how. The belief is common that men and morals and health were better in those days but the facts do not warrant that belief. It is undoubtedly not true that grandfathers were better than grandsons. Those older men were brave, industrious and generous, but they too, had failings and faults.
[mullensfamily2.FTW]MICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongahala Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and1 _FA2
2 PLAC III
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
MICHAEL STUMP IIILike his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongaheli Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and usually consisted of one room. They could not boast of much education. Books were very few, and their manner of life did not encourage literary culture. Schools did not exist in those days. Finally, teachers were found who could read, write and what was known as cipher a little, and they were employed to teach the children. For years the state of Virginia did very little for the cause of popular education. Almost every other state in the union succeeded them in the literary field. Occasionally an itinerant preacher visited these early settlements and exhorted the people to seek the Lord the best they knew how. The belief is common that men and morals and health were better in those days but the facts do not warrant that belief. It is undoubtedly not true that grandfathers were better than grandsons. Those older men were brave, industrious and generous, but they too, had failings and faults.
[mullensfamily.FTW]MICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongahala Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and usually consisted of one room. They could not boast of much education. Books were very few, and their manner of life did not encourage literary culture. Schools did not exist in those days. Finally, teachers were found who could read, write and what was known as cipher a little, and they were employed to teach the children. For years the state of Virginia did very little for the cause of popular education. Almost every other state in the union succeeded them in the literary field. Occasionally an itinerant preacher visited these early settlements and exhorted the people to seek the Lord the best they knew how. The belief is common that men and morals and health were better in those days but the facts do not warrant that belief. It is undoubtedly not true that grandfathers were better than grandsons. Those older men were brave, industrious and generous, but they too, had failings and faults.
[mullensfamily2.FTW]MICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongahala Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, andMICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongaheli Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and usually consisted of one room. They could not boast of much education. Books were very few, and their manner of life did not encourage literary culture. Schools did not exist in those days. Finally, teachers were found who could read, write and what was known as cipher a little, and they were employed to teach the children. For years the state of Virginia did very little for the cause of popular education. Almost every other state in the union succeeded them in the literary field. Occasionally an itinerant preacher visited these early settlements and exhorted the people to seek the Lord the best they knew how. The belief is common that men and morals and health were better in those days but the facts do not warrant that belief. It is undoubtedly not true that grandfathers were better than grandsons. Those older men were brave, industrious and generous, but they too, had failings and faults.
[mullensfamily.FTW]MICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongahala Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and usually consisted of one room. They could not boast of much education. Books were very few, and their manner of life did not encourage literary culture. Schools did not exist in those days. Finally, teachers were found who could read, write and what was known as cipher a little, and they were employed to teach the children. For years the state of Virginia did very little for the cause of popular education. Almost every other state in the union succeeded them in the literary field. Occasionally an itinerant preacher visited these early settlements and exhorted the people to seek the Lord the best they knew how. The belief is common that men and morals and health were better in those days but the facts do not warrant that belief. It is undoubtedly not true that grandfathers were better than grandsons. Those older men were brave, industrious and generous, but they too, had failings and faults.
[mullensfamily2.FTW]MICHAEL STUMP III
Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongahala Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to the waters of Steer Creek and all the land it drained. His son Michael Stump IV grabbed an ax and cut down the first sapling ever cut by civilized man, while his brother Jacob picked up the mattock and took out the first grub from the ground in Gilmer, County, West Virginia. Michael Stump Ill became the owner of the largest tract of land owned at that time by a single individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.
A few days after this settlement, Michael and his son Jacob killed a large buffalo, possibly the last one to ever range the mountains of central West Virginia.
There is no certain record as to exactly when Michael's family came into Gilmer county. Tradition points to the year 1799, however Colonel DeWease placed the date as May 6, 1804. The exact date will never be known. Harrison County had been laid out previous to their arrival and Clarksburg was the county seat. Harrison county was formed in 1784.
Michael Stump III reared a large family, most of whom were energetic, and pretty well set in their ways. Michael was very firm in dealing with his children, and spared not the rod when he thought the rod was needed. It has traditionally been reported that one son, John, when he had reached his upper teens, resented being corrected and ran away. For years nothing was heard from him. It was the general suspicion that he and his father had trouble, and that maybe the old gentleman had done his son foul play. Their suspicions were more definitely confirmed some years afterwards when a skull was found in the hillside just above the old homestead, later known as the Sida Stump Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, two miles above the present Stumptown. Years passed by and none dared hint their opinion to Michael. But in 1841 Sarah Stump Boggs received a letter from her brother John, who had been living in Missouri since he left. He had expressed in his letter that he was glad that he was the only prodigal son in the family.
Michael Stump III passed away March 27,1837 at the old homestead on the Sida Stump Farm previously mentioned. His wife, Magdeline Richards Stump, preceded him five years. Their bodies lie buried on the hillside near the old Ball Farm on the right hand fork of Steer Creek, three miles above the town that now bears his name.
Seventy five years went by and the graves lay unmarked then, in 1912, a movement started by a great-grandson Dr. Leland J Stump, resulted in the purchase and erection of a monument to grace their graves. The monument was paid for by dime donations from the great number of Stump descendants scattered all over the country. Only dimes were asked for so that any and all could participate. Donations came from people in every state of the union.
May 30, 1912, the unveiling took place in the presence of the largest crowd ever assembled in Gilmer county. A huge stone was carved into the shape of a large tree trunk, as that was the coat-of-arms of the Stump family back in early times in Germany. Everybody brought their dinners and the entire day was spent in relatives getting together and acquainting themselves with each other. Two eminent Stumps addressed that great body of people. They were Dr. Leland Stump of Charleston and Honorable Taylor Randolph Stump a, statesman of Grantsville, West Virginia.
There that day the British Jack, under which he was born, and Old Glory, under which he fought, were lifted over his grave and a shout of praise rang out, as many tears flowed down the faces of the hundreds present. Beneath that huge tree stump monument lies the first white man to settle the Steer Creek Valley.
Those were the days that tried men's souls. They faced the wilds without a murmur. Their sturdy wives stood by their side without a word of complaint. They were insured to hardships, bravery and valor from their youth upwards. Their strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields, and left their descendants the rich inheritance of the immense commonwealth.
Today the men who conquered this wilderness have all fallen to the hand of death, and like many, Michael Stump III was respected by his descendants enough to prompt the erection of the memorial to his death.
It is true that a persistent spirit of adventure always had an influence upon the westward movement. Those earlier settlers could have lived in older settlements in the east, but the wilderness of the west, little explored and vaguely known, seemed to promise something better. Expansion and conquest seemed to urge them on. They demanded more and more room. They sought freedom of thought, worship and action. To acquire their desires they were willing to labor, to face danger, to fight and to die if necessary. When they left for the west they possessed few household goods. There were a few pots and pans, possibly a kettle, an ax, a rifle and a change of clothing. At night they slept by a fire in the woods and by day trudged through the woods under a hot sun, a downfall of rain or maybe a snowstorm. Their homes were made of logs, chinked with mud and sticks, and1 _FA2
2 PLAC III
2 SOUR S04170
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002
2 SOUR S04171
3 DATA
4 TEXT Date of Import: Feb 28, 2002Like his forefathers he developed early in life a love for the wilderness and outdoor living. This instinct was inherited from both sides of the family tree. He spent most of his early manhood days following his Uncles, Elias and Jesse Hughes, through the forests of the Monongaheli Valley. In this valley his grandfather Thomas Hughes was massacred by Indians in 1778. This experience forever marked Elias and Jesse Hughes as deadly enemies of the savages, and inspired young Michael to take up the trail also as an Indian scout. His wild instinct and desire to even the score with the red men led him out from the more refined and quiet life of the society of the South Branch into the borderlands of the Indian hunting grounds.
Beyond all doubt he frequently accompanied his uncles Westward on the Indian trails. Doubtless, many Indians paid the penalty for his grandfathers' death. One of these Indians was killed on the spot now covered by the town of Ravenswood, West Virginia in Jackson county, in 1780.
In 1786, Michael Stump III entered a large tract of land on Hacker Creek in what is now Lewis County, just across the river from what is now Jacksons Mills. In the same year Michael was married to a lady named Magdeline Richards by the Reverend J.W. Loveborough. This marriage took place on February 10, 1786. Magdeline was the daughter of the old pioneer Issac Richards. Shortly after this marriage a small band of Indians and border ruffians attacked a family across from the Stump home, burning their house and murdering the entire family. Michael was away from home at the time and Mrs. Stump climbed into a large beech tree and remained hid until the Indians disappeared. Then she ran all the way to Clarksburg and spread the alarm. When Michael returned home, he traded his land claim for an old gray mare and transported his family back to the South Branch of the Potomac. During his stay on the South Branch his oldest son was born and he named him Michael IV
It was not pleasing to the nature of Michael Stump Ill to be contented to stay in the old settlements. His heart yearned for the wilds of the frontier. Day by day he pined for his brothers who had moved westward, one of them into the wilds of Kentucky, and the other into the Ohio Valley. Being a surveyor by trade and. having a mental picture of the mountains and valleys, and the direction they drained, he became convinced of the idea of joining his brother in Kentucky by traveling overland to the west instead of following the waterways. Day by day he and his family continued to travel westward following his compass and with the sun as his guide. They transported their property in an old homemade wooden wheeled wagon. They stopped at every stream they crossed to water their axles to keep them from catching on fire. They passed through Clarksburg, traveled up the West Fork River, what is now called Weston, passing their original cabin across from Jackson Mills, they proceeded west from Weston up what is called Poke Creek, then over on to the Leading Creek, and from there to what is now the town of Glenville. Camping at the last named spot they proceeded the next day to a place near Normantown when Stump decided to go directly west, crossing the mountain late in the evening, reaching the top of the mountain range between the left hand fork and the right hand fork of Seer Creek. On this mountain, at a place that has ever since been called "Camp Hill" on a farm known as the Ball Farm, they camped.
Rising the following morning, Michael saw a great fog covering the entire landscape. He told his family he believed a large stream was nearby. He said "I believe I'll scout a few hours this morning before moving out." He took his rifle and walked down the hill, out of sight. After several hours his wife was alarmed and sent two of his older boys to look for him. They found him down by the river skinning a buck deer he had just shot. They carried the two hams back into camp, and being well supplied with meat they spent another night there.
That night, around the campfire, the family held a council, and it was decided they had found a goodly land, and in the evening of the second day Michael Stump III staked his claim to te individual in the history of Steer Creek Valley.t Virginia.
Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786
[mullensfamily.FTW]Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786
[mullensfamily2.FTW]Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786
[mullensfamily.FTW]Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786
[mullensfamily2.FTW]Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786
[mullensfamily.FTW]Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786
[mullensfamily2.FTW]Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850
Harrison County, VA
Stump, Michael Spouse : Richards, Magdalena
Marriage date : 10 Feb 1786