McMahan Silver Connections

I wish I could share the photo posted today of the family of Greenberry Silver's son Thomas and his wife Nancy Silver, who was daughter of our ancestor Thomas Silver and his wife Ellendor. Obviously, Greenberry and the elder Thomas were brothers whose children, cousins, married. Not uncommon in the world at the time. But, Thomas, their son, is named for his mother, a McMahan. Without knowing I cannot discuss if he was from a former marriage, or if he adopted his mother's name, through divorce or birth.
But the photo, itself, is so fascinating for the following reasons:
it is a landscape size photo, extremely well done, circa 1890 to 1910...(without looking it up exactly) which includes the mountainous hills behind the small log home, in front of which the large number of family members stand.  There is a lovely picket fence around the cabin, and a real Conestoga wagon, fully "tarped" to the left of the house, like a modern RV might be parked today. LOL The log home has a traditional posted porch which runs the length of the house, and a lean to style add on to the back of the rectangular building, much like we see in the George Silver home still standing in Kona. There is one huge chimney on the home.

That photo is posted on the private page of Yancey Co. NC Genealogy page, hosted by Mike Shelton, by Paul Chrisawn.

Among the family members, Paul Chrisawn, notes "There are Wilson and Briggs men in this pic who married some of the McMahan girls. Dullie McMahan was my great great grandmother and she married Eddie Moore Wilson."

The Dullie he speaks of is listed among cousins listed in either, Aunt Marie's or Grandmother's Bible, which Teresa Jordan now possesses.  When I was early doing research on our Silver families, those notes more than any helped me put together the family structure. After finding it, and tying it to information in cemeteries. I was able to put together the tree which was the basis for my bringing our family history forward the two generations that connect us to all of them.

This information from Paul's post also mentions that Greenberry's son and his wife are named Thomas Silver McMahan and Nancy Silver.  It is possible to see there would be confusion, knowing that our direct ancestors were Thomas Silver and Nancy Ellendor. But we see that both the children were named for family members. Thomas for his uncle Thomas, and Nancy for her mother, Nancy Ellendor. An interesting connection for these two, beyond the fact that they were cousins. 

Paul notes that the family picture is from the Thomas and Nancy McMahan family home, and they are the elder persons at the center of the photo. It was located in the Bodwitch community. You might view this and other photos and information as it comes up by becoming a member of the Yancey Co Genealogy Facebook community. Joining is by request to the page, Mike Shelton.

Paul also gives their burial place as in the Robinson Cemetery in Yancey Co., NC.

I haven't looked back, but I feel sure I don't have this connection of Thomas Silver McMahan being Greenberry Silver's son. And I will not make it formal in my tree without more information.  But it is noteworthy.  I may find upon looking that there is a son named Thomas named among Greenberry's sons.  I will note this post there, if that proves to be so.
Why only note it? Because it helps me remember to do further research and allows that I not forget the research of another person, which allows me to question and resolve for myself a truth.  I am sure when I die there will be more notes needing resolution, than truths confirmed. But it allows for anyone interested to ck it out for themselves.

200 Acres on the Slate River, VA

I have placed the following information on the Anglin page previously, but today I wanted to discuss it a bit.  I noted that I found -

• Debbie Cossey Wasserburger records :"The earliest record of Adrion being in Virginia comes from the Commissioners Court of Albemarle County when on 12 Sept 1746 he and eight other men were ordered to keep their road open and clear to the courthouse. He received land patents in VA 1.) 7-20-1748, 165 acres on both sides of Slate River; 2) 3/3/1760 400 acres on Slate River and 3) 8-20-1760, 370 acres south of Slate River all being in Albemarle County, Virginia. Buckingham County was created from Albemarle Co in mid 1770."

                Note: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gabriel&id=I6456

• In "Rogers Work In Progress" Rebecca notes similar to the above but adds that he was granted 200 acres by George II. Also she adds that he was a member of the French and Spanish Royal Families, an Admiral in the French Royal Navy before coming to America in 1740. She also notes his occupations as becoming a plantation owner, and also a *constable. 

                   *Court records which sometimes mention his name, call him Constable.

As I was making my notes the evening I found this information, a severe storm hampered my being able to stay online, so I didn't finish the transcription, but the following is what I recorded. I love the old language of these documents.  Notice the flowery way they gave the property to Adrian and his heirs for the sum of 20 schillings...LOL. I can't relate to the value of 20 schillings, but it is often written, "schillings sterling," indicating they were pure silver. Loosely valued at an ounce of silver each, one could feasibly take the value of silver today and multiply it by 20, and know about what he paid for his land in relative terms.

I compared the dates - Adrian requested the court to grant his freedom from indenture in June of 1721.  Here we see he is purchasing this 200 acres in September of 1746.  So 25 years have past.   200 acres was considered a small parcel in those days, but was consistence with what a freed indentured laborer might purchase. And be quite proud of it. However, I don't believe this was his first purchase. It was, rather, additional lands, purchased, not as an humble free man, but to add to his  previous holdings. He is in fact has been well known as the constable at the time of this purchase.

  It always amazes me that documents of this age survive. I wish someday to have a copy of the original, if possible. But for now the online versions and my transcription will have to do.
I have the transcript for the Land Patent for 200 acres from King George. But I don't know the sources for the comment, above, about royalty,or admiralty. I don't discount it, I just don't have backing of my own. It's one of those wonderful tidbits that lead to more research, if I live long enough.

At the time of the Land Patent*, the county was known as Goochland. In fact a very large part of Virginia had been known as Goochland. This is another example of how large parts of the early colonies, were named under counties, divided into districts which often became smaller counties, which were divided and subdivided, in such a way that the county lines changed over the years, and the individual remained on the same land even though it seemed he moved about.  Not always so.  So as I find the records, I simply record it to leave the search for place to a later date.  I found and transcribed the following:

Land Patent to Adrian Anglin from King George II

It reads:

"Goochland County, Virginia

September 25, 1746

Adrian Anglin 200 Acres

George, the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all to whom these presents shall come, Greetings. Know ye that for divers good Causes and Considerations, but more especially for and in consideration of the sum of Twenty Shillings of good and lawful money, for our use, paid to our Receiver General of our Revenues in this our Colony and Dominion of Virginia, We have Given, Granted and Confirmed and by these presents for us, our Heirs and Successors do Give, Grant and Confirm unto Adrian Anglin one certain Tract or Parcel of Land containing Two hundred Acres lying and being in the County of Goochland on both sides of Slate River and Rocky Creek and bounded as followeth to wit. Beginning at a Pine Saaplin on the side of a Hill the lower side of the River and running thence new lines South sixty five Degrees West, one hundred and seventy eight Poles" (to be continued. storm>)

(Follow the links to the document and its transcription in whole, 2 ppg. above and at the bottom of the page.)

That is as far as I got, but it peaks my interest to know where that bit of land was. It was very common to tag a tree as a corner post. William Anglin, Adrian's great-grandson, was known to have inscribed the boundaries of his properties in Yancey Co. with his Initials, by carving them into trees.  But alas, that sapling no longer exists with any thing that would Identify it to me, that would say this is the place where Adrian marked his land's corner.  So unless the county plates would have it placed, I have to depend on the estimations of other research.  And there are persons who have put up such maps.  Maybe, one day I will take their map, and go see for myself.

My next post will be an airiel view of where the Covered Bridge at Philippi crosses the Tygart River.  Perhaps, I can check where the Slate River and Rocky Creek converge and do an aerial of that as well.  At least we will be in the general area?  That is how I will begin my quest to find "the Place" of one more Ancestor further back.  Jimmy and I are always up for a new trip.  I have never been to Virginia.

Perhaps, you can come with me one day, at least on a virtual trip.

Later,
Cynthia
* Much thanks to the online records of these documents.

Adrian Anglin's Will

Link to Will

By now, if you are reading the blogs, or looking at the site, you are becoming familiar with names.  I purposely repeat them, go back to them, and repeat the connections.  For it is only when you begin to see them and get to know them by repeated introductions, that you begin to make the connections. It happens when you are doing the research.  You see their names over and over, and a picture begins to emerge.  I want to make a short note today about Adrian Anglin.  Lately, several posts and updates to pages have been about William Anglin and his Tygart River Valley home, and how his homestead eventually became the County Seat of Barbour Co. W. VA, called Philippi. I have posted pictures of the covered bridge and the courthouse that were built there in the years since he died and his land belonged to others.  We have mentioned several times, how his son Isaac Anglin migrated to what eventually became Yancey County with his wife Nancy.  We noted that Isaac died within several years of arriving there at age 35, leaving Nancy and the children, and her mother to be the only ones remaining to appear on census records. And I noted that William had tried to help his father Adrian as much as he could before his death back in Virginia, at a time when there was no West Virginia, and Williams homestead was still listed as being in Virginia as well. This was the situation when Adrian died.  Before Anglin's Ford, but after William had built his fort on the land grant. William had returned to his father for a short few years between 1773 and 1777, and perhaps had been there some over the next 3 years, with his family, running the mill, until the estate was settled.
William was the first recipient listed on the Adrian's will. "I give and bequeath to my son William Anglin one shilling sterling and no more of my estate." Which was similarly given to several other married members of his family.

Adrian had been Constable of his town. He had owned a mill. He was intelligent and political. And a reader...
"Now, how do you know that?" you are thinking.
True research of ancestral individuals involves getting to know the people. Kind of like a detective doing an investigation.  Reading the records I find, instead of just marking the names, becomes valuable to know these people.
Adrian Anglin's will is viewable online at:

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kmparker/AnglinDNA/Gr3AdrianWill.htm

(note: Adrian had two wives, the first of which was William's mother. Many of the children listed descend from the second wife.)

The site includes the following statement: " A copy of Adrian's Will and the Inventory  and Appraisement of his Estate are to be found in the Library of Virginia, Assession Number 34126, Box 18, Folder 543: The Gravely Family Papers (Anglin- Athey Families)."

I am not sure if one may be ordered of if you need permission from the family, but I would like to see one day.  But in rereading the notes this morning, I rediscovered a statement written by the researcher, which took note of items within the inventory.

How the papers were found in the first place is a worthy read, but this is the info I wish to leave with our family at this time. It has always been rumored that the Anglin family came from French origins. In fact, many believed that Adrian was French.  I once told Aunt Marie, that I was searching through our Scotch Irish heritage, and she said: "you mean our Scotch-French heritage, don't you.?" I was puzzled, and researched the origin of the name.  It appeared to me that Adrian's indenture meant he came like many others by ship out of ports in London.  As had many Scotch or other European individuals, whose families lived for some time in England or Scotland, before moving on to America. I wasn't, just as many others weren't, sure there was evidence that Adrian was French.  Until, I read on page 9 on the "INVENTORY AND APPRAISEMENT OF HIS ESTATE"  notes that accompanied it:

" Since the early records of Buckingham County, Virginia, were destroyed in the courthouse fire in 1869, we believed that Adrian Anglin's will was lost forever, and we were surprised, overjoyed and puzzled when a copy of the will appeared in Walt Anglin's book The Anglin Families of Colonial Virginia. I eventually learned that Betty Neill sent it to Walt, but that Donald Price of Richmond, Virginia, had found it among a collection of family papers which had been given to the library of Virginia. Evelyn Williams gave me a citation to that Collection, and I sent a request to the library of Virginia for a copy of the will. I had never heard that an inventory and appraisal of Adrian Anglin's estate was also among the records, so I was surprised to receive that from the Library of Virginia along with the will. since I had long ago given up hope that anyone would ever find any corroboration of the hearsay concerning Adrian Anglin's French origin, I was astonished to see that the first item in the inventory was '40 French books.' "

Looking at a copy of the inventory, I can transcribe, that it actually says: " 40 French Books whole bound to a parcel torn ones." I can't transcribe the Olde English value. However on the next line it reads: "13 English Books whole bound with a parcel torn ones....1...0...0...? " the right side of the page didn't print. I will transcribe as many of the other items as I can to the Documents page, later.
They counted money in shillings, etc.

One last note: the names of those doing the Anglin Estate inventory. One of them we will see again, in Yancey County. The 3 persons making the lists: ? Matthews, Jack or Josh Ferguson, and Ephriham Lee.   The will itself was signed by, either the lawyer or witness,  Rolph Eldridge. The notable name is Ferguson. We will see it again in the story of Sarah Caroline Roland, Roland, Ray.  Because her firstborn daughter, Samantha Roland, married a Jeremiah Ferguson, with family roots that trailed those of our other ancestors. That is the kind of thing that leads me on a chase...to see if this Ferguson family has decendants in Yancey Co, one day. So far, it is becoming clear that many of the families of Yancey knew their neighbor's families for years back, into other states.  More on that when we discuss the Civil War and the hardship of knowing what side you were on. Hope your interest is peaked.
Bye for now.

Bishop Asbury's Journal and William Anglin

On Saturday, March 1, 2014, I wrote about the Covered Bridge over the Tygart River: "TYGART RIVER, PHILIPPI COVERED BRIDGE."  I discussed how that bridge crosses where our ancestor William Anglin and his sons lived a primitive pioneer life, but were the owners of the land on which the town of Philippi now stands. Once a pioneer claimed bounty or grant lands, they were required to make improvements upon the land in order to keep it.  For William, who received his land in the 1770's (1773 to 1777?), an ailing father prevented him from doing much to the property for several years.  But, records show that he built a fort, an Inn, and was given permission (ordered at court) to maintain a road to the ferry which he eventually ran across the Tygart River.  At the time, it was called by it's Indian name, along that stretch - The Monoogabela, River.  From what I was able to figure out by making a timeline, the fort came first, but was primitive at best. Next the beautiful valley was planted but flood waters and/or draught destroyed the earliest of his crops.

 It was not unusual for pioneers to expand west, and plant crops that could be left for the summer to mature, and be harvested in fall when the owner returned.  The trips were sometimes disappointing when they arrived to any number of failures.  Stolen crops, crop failure, burned out fields from storm or Indian raid, or just plain weather related inadequacies.  At the time, William had been granted his land in what was western Virginia.  He and his father both lived in Virginia, but in different counties. But, it wasn't long before William was living in West Virginia, just as Rolands who lived in Watauga and Unicoi Counties in what was Western NC, found themselves living in what first became Franklin, and later became Tennessee.

Several writers, who investigated the court documents, seemed to think that William helped his father run his mill in what was Buckingham, Virginia, up until Adrian died on the 25th of April, 1777. His mother had died much earlier in 1738. So William, returned to his land and lived there in what was called Harrison Co, W. VA until his death, in 1803. It was then that he ran an Inn on the East side of the river. One source said it sat about where the church sits now, just past the entrance of the covered bridge.
Now... Just to remind you...his son Isaac, who moved to Burke Co, NC, an area of which later became Yancey Co., NC in 1833 is the first of our Anglin ancestors in NC.

My point for writing today's blog, is to expand upon why William decided to run a ferry across the river in the first place. It wasn't until a very famous preacher, called Bishop Asbury, came to visit and required the services of his Inn, that William began to operate the Ferry with his son, Samuel, manning the opposite shore from his land.  Allow me to tell the story as I understand it. Bishop Asbury was a traveling minister for the Methodist Church. He was not a bishop like in the Catholic church, but rather was called such because of his calling and endorsement by the Methodist church. He was their emissary, so to speak, and the title sort of introduced him as having authority to represent them. He was widely liked, and preached to whomever would hear him. Large crowds gathered along the way, when they heard he was coming. And he believed and wrote often that God was blessing his ministry greatly.  He can be found in years of records in all the states, as having preached as an Itenerate Missionary, and was so well known, that it was said that mail from anywhere in the world would reach him, with his name only on the "envelope."

I read chapter after chapter of excerpts from his journals, seeking the story that involved our ancestor, William Anglin. At the time, all of the valley was known as Anglin's place. Later, when William built the ferry, it became known as Anglin's Ford.  A name given to the original town during the years William manned the Ford. Bishop Asbury himself wrote the paragraph that would one day make William's Inn embarrassingly famous, but is also given credit for why William started the ferry.

In the original Journal I read, the name ANGLIN is given in entirety. But since I first read it, all the excerpts I could find of the journal, mark out the full name, and only give the letter A.  So as I post this clip, you will have to take my word for it.  One day I will find a copy in a library, and make a picture of the original page.  But for now, I am pulling in several pics which I have enhanced and clipped further, to the paragraph, and highlighted the journal entry for this story.  Bishop Asbury was not pleased with Mr. Anglin's accommodations. They were found totally lacking, and worthy of criticism.  Let me let him tell you the tale:


Page 35, Thursday, July the 10th, 1788

It reads: "we had to cross the Alleghany mountains again, at a bad passage. Our course lay over mountains and through valleys, and the muck and mire was such as might scarcely be expected in December.  We came to an old, forsaken habitation in Tygers Valley: here our horses grazed about, while we boiled our meat: midnight brought us up at Jesse's, after riding about 40 or perhaps, fifty miles. The old man, our host, was kind enough to wake us up at four o'clock in the morning.  We journeyed on through devious lonely wilds, where no food might be found, except what grew in the woods, or was carried with us.  We met with two women who were going to see their friends, and to attend the quarterly meeting at Clarksburg.  Near midnight, we stopped at A--------'s (Anglin's), who hissed his dogs at us: but the women were determined to get to quarterly meeting, so we went in.  Our supper was tea. Brothers Phoebus (?) and Cook took to the woods; old _____________? gave up his bed to the women. I lay along the floor on a few deer skins with the fleas.  That night our poor horses got no corn. and next morning they had to swim across the Monoogabela.  After a twenty mile ride we came to Clarksburg, and man and beast were so outdone, that it took us 10 hours to accomplish it.  I lodged with Col. Jackson....."

He goes on to say that they had 700 people show up for the service!

An enhanced clip with the area referencing our ancestor, William Anglin high-lighted.

 

 

The crossing of the Tygart River upstream had been so hazardous, other writers say, that it is believed that Bishop Asbury asked that a ferry be instituted, and one of the early documents in the courthouse, was the one which gave instruction to William that he should maintain a road to the Ferry.  Bishop Asbury was considered to be persuasive in more areas than just saving souls, and apparently it was true.  If he complained, changes occurred.  But what better business for one to operate?

In William's defense, they were struggling to have enough food in those early years. I believe it was 1773 that was called the starving year, when many settlers along this frontier, in these mountains died.  Or left.  William was doggedly determined if nothing else.  Another historical fact, seems to explain why William's Inn was overcrowded.  Bishop Asbury apparently didn't know of the danger. But when I compared the dates, I was surprised they were only days apart. 

An Indian band had attacked a neighbor's homestead, killing all the members of the family except a young girl, whom they took.  We often read such tales or see them in old western movies, but it seems this practice by Indians was not a fairy tale.  Men from the area formed a scouting party, and they chased the Indians, finding the girl alive, and recaptured her, bringing her back to friends, saving her from a future as an Indian hostage.  This definitely explains why William Anglin was said to sick his dogs on anyone unfamiliar in the night. And it possibly explains the poor reception the night visitors got in terms of food and care, from a supposed Inn.  There were others at the Inn who left so the women could at least have a bed, and poor Bishop Asbury who slept on flea bitten hides, at least wasn't sleeping on the dirt floor.  I am sure it was a miserable night for them all, but chasing Indian raiders over several days of the past week, had not given William much opportunity to be the pleasant host.  Whom we can see, Mr. Asbury preferred, in fact expected.

Hope you enjoyed the story. 

Before, I jump next time back into the Anglin history, and tell you more about William's great-grandson, also named William, I want to let you know that William's son  Isaac, who came into Yancey Co. to make a home (Burke at the time), only lived to be 35.  On the 1800 Census, only his wife Nancy Anglin appears among the other men, I can ID as blood-line ancestors, because, Isaac had died in 1795. On the 1790 Census, the first ever taken, a Lettie Dyer appears near Isaac Anglin, among the individuals of the 11th/12th Companies.  I, personally believe, Lettie is Nancy's mother, or Aunt. Isaac, sadly left little documentation, but our Grandmother, Nora Anglin Roland, also left her ancestral history written down for her children. And she named Isaac Anglin as the last person she knew of, in the line, going back. She believed he was from Virginia.  He's there, thankfully on Census. Thank goodness, one was taken so we can see his name recorded!

Just a note to my own family...I believe this is why our mother was named Virginia.

New Finding of an Ancestral Grandfather

The family lines of wives of family are often difficult to find.  Unless you really know something about the family, it takes a lot of research and help from other researchers, often.  I knew that Isaac Anglin's son William had married an Elizabeth Austin. I had searched often and found only her brothers, Samuel and Thomas. I found a grave of Elizabeth Anglin, but couldn't say for sure it was hers, because it didn't have much info. I found records from the 1800 census which had several Austons, as they spelled the name then, and one family had 3 men in the home, all of whom were the right age to be her father.  Another researcher listed a Robert Austin as her brother's father, but the one Robert I found was too young, but since naming patterns indicate unknown names of uncles, it still was possible that one of the 3 men was a Robert. So, accepting another researcher's info that their father was named Robert, there had to be one.
After a lot of searching though 1800 to 1820 Censuses, I was unable to find Robert Austin, who may have been living with one of Elizabeth's brother's families. But since she was born in 1798 in Buncomb Co, NC, I knew he was present there. But I finally found him near Henry Roland in the 1830 Census listed in the same age category as Henry Roland, which makes him the correct age. He is listed however as Rob or Bob Austin. The writing is difficult to read. Also on the page are James McMahan and Thomas Gardner also of similar ages. Under magnification it appears more like Rob than Bob, which only adds to the greater possibility that he is our ancestral grandfather - Robert Austin.
The schedule number on the page is 281 (handwritten) for the 1830 Buncomb Co. NC Census. It would be 3 more years before this part of the county would become Yancey Co. NC. It seems that I have found him. Now I need to find more about him.
Woo Hoo! Another Grandfather 6 generations back, and the father of a 5th generation back Grandmother! That's a plus.

Rates in Taverns in 1796

While entering Fuller information on that page this morning, (in process) I ran across some fun information. It predates the time Ezekiel Fuller and his children were in the county, but perhaps not his wife's Ann's (Anna's) family, since she was born in Georgia in 1799.

Its interesting to me to find info like this where the courts actually found it necessary for some reason to regulate the prices for such things as alcoholic beverages, room  and board, and food for your horse. LOL

Of interest: the dates on this info predates William's family's arrival to the county, but I found it interesting:

JACKSON COUNTY, GA - COURT 1796 Rates in Taverns

*****************

Copyright. All rights reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm

***********************

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by:

"Pattie Causey" <pacausey@mindspring.com>

This is in the Jackson Co. court records - 1796

"Ordered that the following Rates be Lawful for any Tavern Keeper or retailer of Spiritous Liquors to sell by and shall not extort a larger sum for any single article than what is here allowed -

for Breakfast of good holesome diet......$ - 25 (cents)

first Table for Dinner of (ditto) Warm.... - 37 1/2 (cents)

? Table for Dinner of (ditto) Cold........... - 25 (cents)

for Supper of (ditto)............................... - 25

for Lodging of........................................ - 10

half pint of Jamaica or West india Rum.... - 25

half pint North East Rum........................ - 18 3/4

half pint Brandy...................................... - 18 3/4

half pint Whiskey.................................... - 12 1/2

horse feed 4 cents for each quart

of Corn or bundle of fother

feeding & Stableing a horse twenty

four hours with a plenty of

Corn and fother....................................... - 37 1/2"

Tygart River, Philippi Covered Bridge

FOR MORE PICTURES CLICK HERE

This lovely covered bridge was not in place during the years our ancestor lived on the land where it is now built. But he did begin a ford across the river there, in response to a very public call for one, from the difficult crossing made one evening by the very famous Bishop Asbury, of the Methodist faith.  William Anglin and his son Samuel ran the Ferried crossing for many years, and ran an Inn on the town side of the river, as well as maintained the road to the crossing.  All of which are recorded by documents I found. And recorded information in numerous books on the subject.  The Inn was said to be situated very near where a small church stands just as you enter town after crossing through the bridge.  As I sat at this spot and tried to imagine it, I could almost feel the memories they left behind, a small boat or log float being hauled across from shore to shore by a long pole.  How many man hours did it take to run the ferry? How many travelers benefited from his work. Was it busy like the covered bridge is today, or did it take years to get to that point.  How many nights did they take refuge inside the fort he built there to escape the Indians. The stories said there were Dogs that that sicked on the unwanted Indians.  Nearby, a neighbor's family was killed by Indians, and their daughter was taken captive. William was among the men who spent two nights, as the story goes, seeking her, and were able to bring her back. No details on how that occurred, we can only imagine.  How many travelers, feared for their lives as they approached the river crossing, hoping to arrive to the safety of the Inn on the other side? His place was primitive, and not at all full of amenities. Basic food, flea ridden bedding, possibly dirt floors. But safety, food and rest none the less.  And eventually a means to safely cross the sometimes very swollen river, that received the waters off the mountains on either side.  During storm and high water, there was no place more welcoming than an Inn at a fort.

If you ever watched old episodes of Daniel Boone, or read a pioneer story from one of the great classic authors, you know how they gathered the neighbors to safety when danger prevailed against the early settlements.  I am so humbled when I realize my ancestor lived that lifestyle, developed the basics for that settlement, and made the place of Philippi possible eventually. Because he was among the Pioneers who cleared the land, and provided the place where they would eventually build the little town.

I have updated the ANGLIN page with more pictures of the Covered bridge and of the little town of Philippi, including of the plaque on the town square which reads that  the land on which Philippi is built was once owned by William Anglin.  Our William Anglin.  Father of our Isaac Anglin who moved to what became Yancey County.  The bridge itself has a great deal of history, not applicable to our family, but the location marks for me a place where I can go to contemplate the great thing our ancestor did, that made it possible for us to know life at all.  Thank you William Anglin, for persevering  And making a way for our family to have a future in the earliest days of the western frontier.