History of the Early Settlers
Of Dry Fork, Rich Mountain and Shavers Mountain By E.C. Wyatt, Randolph Enterprise, Elkins, WV, 1922-1923
16 Nov 1922 – Randolph Enterprise [Summerfield]
The Summerfields, up to the second generation were very hardy people but they didn’t hold their own in strength after that as the Elza’s do.
The early ones were musicians but very few of the younger ones are musicians. They are mostly farmers.
Washington Summerfield was a farmer and minister in the Dunkard Church. He lived at Gladwin and died there about 30 years ago. His sons are Joseph and George W. One of his daughters was murdered it is supposed and the house burned own over her. This house stood on the east side of Rich Mountain on the Parsons farm, if I mistake not.
Joseph Summerfield lives on the old home place. He is a farmer, a stout man. He has one son, but I do not remember his name.
George W. lives at Gladwin and works on public works and his sons name is Henry.
Abraham Summerfield made his home with his son George, after his wife died.
He used to live along Leading Creek. If I am not mistaken his wife died while he lived on the Parsons farm. He seemed to be the most active one of the boys, he practiced jumping running and wrestling. One time while attending court at Beverly he jumped over a covered wagon and a show man made him an offer of $50 per month if he would travel with him but he refused the offer. When he was 60 years of age he could hold his big toe on one foot and jump back and forth with the other foot.
He was a violinist and a very jolly man and would go through with as many antics as a monkey. He died at the home of his son George on Red Creek in September 1908 at the age of 89 years. He enjoyed good health up to the day of his death. That day he told me of incidents of his life back to the time he first saw a raccoons track in the sand, and in the evening I left the home to visit a sick man but had not gone more than 300 yards, until one of his great grandchildren called me back and said grandpa had fell dead and I had just gotten over a hard siege of typhoid and couldn’t run, the spark of life had fled before I reached the scene. He walked into the kitchen to get a drink and fell backwards and was almost gone before his granddaughter Mrs.
Lottie Jones could reach him.
His sons were John, Harman and George.
John was Justice of the Peace at Harman for a while and he had an uncle named John and he was called “Squire John” and his uncle they called “Fifer John”. John died near Bowlesburg in Preston County.
Harman went out to Indiana awhile and later moved to Oklahoma. I do not know if he is living yet or not. I don’t know anything about his family.
He was a lumber dealer and farmer here but practiced farming altogether after he settled in Oklahoma.
George used to live near the late Arch Colletts farm, then later moved to Harman, also lived on Middle Mountain. He was one of the most kind hearted gentlemen I ever knew. He was a teamster in the Union army during the Civil War. He was a large man and enjoyed good health up to about five years before his death, was a farmer and also worked on public works at times. He died at his home on Bonner Mountain last June and his death was published in this paper and also the Inter-Mountain. He was 76 years old.
His sons are Lloyd and Pete. He also had a son named French but he died about 28 years ago.
Lloyd lives at Bowden and is a blacksmith and also works on public works and is a violinist.
Thomas Summerville was among the first settlers of Middle Mountain and I will write of him later.
Joseph Summerfield lived near Onego in Pendleton County, he was the champion rail splitter of his day, he was a match for Abe Lincoln at splitting rails, and was a farmer. He died about four years ago at the age of 95 years.
His sons were John, Jacob and Beauregard, they are all dead. Joseph was cutting wood and the ax glanced and cut Beauregard in the thigh and he bled to death.
Jacob was married and his sons are Isaac and Clay. They live in Pendleton County.
[End of article]
Transcribed by Cathy Thompson
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