Recap of Pocahontas County Trip
It has been a few weeks since my trip to Pocahontas County. Had to convert this bloody blog over a google based account.. etc. Finally blogging again..
The trip to West Virginia over spring break here was very helpful. Started by stopping in Allentown to see old friends (the Cloaks and Koones..) Then off to Virginia to visit with Linda (Miller Beard) Corwin, Jeff Corwin, and Patrick Beard near Staunton (pronounced Stanton) in Virginia. Linda was kind enough to let me stomp around Stanton on the Monday, and found the Beard Road I had previously found on google earth, just where I thought it was about 11 miles south of Staunton along Rt. 64/81 and 11. It is believed this is where Thomas Beard first settled in 1746 in Virginia, according to the deed recorded in Beverly Manor at the time.
On Monday evening, traversed the mountains to West Virginia and arrived at the Hillsboro Bed & Breakfast, run by Leah and Eugene Burford (originally from Ohio). Stayed in the cute smokehouse, converted to a small bedroom and bath. On breakfast on Tuesday, Leah said.. are you related to the Beards who used to live here? Gosh.. i didn't know there were Beards who lived in that house, then they showed me the Bible which was left behind by the two sisters who had passed away, who had lived there.
Turns out the Bible was given by Mary Gillian McNeel Beard to her grandson, Carl George Beard. It belonged to Janet DeWitt Beard and Mary Martha Beard, two unmarried sisters who lived in the house until the Burfords purchased it. The Bible recorded a lot of the Beard history, including Births, Deaths, Marriages, etc. Took lots of pictures.
Ok, where to first? The Covered Bridge in Beard, WV of course! Found this easily about 8 miles from Hillsboro. Found the remains of the Josiah Beard mill along the creek. That was exciting.. found the Beard chapel, the Kyle Nickel Beard Road, etc. Then .. off to Marlinton.
In Marlinton the first stop was of course the courthouse to look at my gggg grandfather painting hanging there, Josiah Jonas Beard (first clerk of Pocahontas County). His portrait is hanging in the records room in the courthouse. Then off to the library to check in with Pam Johnson, found a wonderful geneology room full of local history and genealogical information.
On Wednesday, off to the Oak Grove graveyard where most of the Beards are buried. This is located on a farm near Wilda Chappell, who is an old friend of the family. Then off to find Traveler's Repose located far north in the county near Barstow. The locals told us that Jessie Beard still lived there. Lost on the mountains near Barstow for about 20 miles, very exciting with drops off the side of the mountain for thousands of feet and rocks the size of boulders in the middle of the mountain road. Then back to Hillsboro. Spent a good deal of time in the library scanning books and Forrest Lee Beard's four scrapbooks, which contained about every goings on of the Beards (and Callisons, and McNeels, etc.).
Also found the graveyard where my grandmother (Beulah Weiford) and her mother (Mary Alice Kellison Weiford) are buried, along with a lot of other Kellisons. Also met with Sherman Beard (and Mary Beard, and his son Bill) at their farm south of Hillsboro. He showed me a picture he has on the wall of the original Josiah Beard house, circa 1880. What a find... and he let me scan it in for my website.
On Thursday decided to head back that evening. Lots of time spent in the library. Went to the top of the mountain near Hillsboro, chasing cows, opening cow fences, to get to the McNeel graveyard at the top of the mountain. Many Beards and McNeels there. On the way to Marlinton, by chance I turned left from where Beaulah Beard is buried and found another graveyard on top of a hill. Stopped to look around, and lo and behold found the grave of D.N. Weiford (and his son Fred Weiford). I didn't know where he was buried!
On the way back, we drove to Harrisburg mainly on the back roads out of West Virginia. On Friday we stopped in Richfield, PA to photograph the grave of Brian Beard (my brother) as I had never seen his headstone. On the way back stopped in Dallas, PA to photograph the graves of Paul Beard (my brother) and Julian Ralph Beard.
The trip was a whirlwind, the area was beautiful, the mountains spectacular, and all in all a very good trip. Thanks to all who helped us when we were there, the area is a jewel of a place still unspoiled.
The trip to West Virginia over spring break here was very helpful. Started by stopping in Allentown to see old friends (the Cloaks and Koones..) Then off to Virginia to visit with Linda (Miller Beard) Corwin, Jeff Corwin, and Patrick Beard near Staunton (pronounced Stanton) in Virginia. Linda was kind enough to let me stomp around Stanton on the Monday, and found the Beard Road I had previously found on google earth, just where I thought it was about 11 miles south of Staunton along Rt. 64/81 and 11. It is believed this is where Thomas Beard first settled in 1746 in Virginia, according to the deed recorded in Beverly Manor at the time.
On Monday evening, traversed the mountains to West Virginia and arrived at the Hillsboro Bed & Breakfast, run by Leah and Eugene Burford (originally from Ohio). Stayed in the cute smokehouse, converted to a small bedroom and bath. On breakfast on Tuesday, Leah said.. are you related to the Beards who used to live here? Gosh.. i didn't know there were Beards who lived in that house, then they showed me the Bible which was left behind by the two sisters who had passed away, who had lived there.
Turns out the Bible was given by Mary Gillian McNeel Beard to her grandson, Carl George Beard. It belonged to Janet DeWitt Beard and Mary Martha Beard, two unmarried sisters who lived in the house until the Burfords purchased it. The Bible recorded a lot of the Beard history, including Births, Deaths, Marriages, etc. Took lots of pictures.
Ok, where to first? The Covered Bridge in Beard, WV of course! Found this easily about 8 miles from Hillsboro. Found the remains of the Josiah Beard mill along the creek. That was exciting.. found the Beard chapel, the Kyle Nickel Beard Road, etc. Then .. off to Marlinton.
In Marlinton the first stop was of course the courthouse to look at my gggg grandfather painting hanging there, Josiah Jonas Beard (first clerk of Pocahontas County). His portrait is hanging in the records room in the courthouse. Then off to the library to check in with Pam Johnson, found a wonderful geneology room full of local history and genealogical information.
On Wednesday, off to the Oak Grove graveyard where most of the Beards are buried. This is located on a farm near Wilda Chappell, who is an old friend of the family. Then off to find Traveler's Repose located far north in the county near Barstow. The locals told us that Jessie Beard still lived there. Lost on the mountains near Barstow for about 20 miles, very exciting with drops off the side of the mountain for thousands of feet and rocks the size of boulders in the middle of the mountain road. Then back to Hillsboro. Spent a good deal of time in the library scanning books and Forrest Lee Beard's four scrapbooks, which contained about every goings on of the Beards (and Callisons, and McNeels, etc.).
Also found the graveyard where my grandmother (Beulah Weiford) and her mother (Mary Alice Kellison Weiford) are buried, along with a lot of other Kellisons. Also met with Sherman Beard (and Mary Beard, and his son Bill) at their farm south of Hillsboro. He showed me a picture he has on the wall of the original Josiah Beard house, circa 1880. What a find... and he let me scan it in for my website.
On Thursday decided to head back that evening. Lots of time spent in the library. Went to the top of the mountain near Hillsboro, chasing cows, opening cow fences, to get to the McNeel graveyard at the top of the mountain. Many Beards and McNeels there. On the way to Marlinton, by chance I turned left from where Beaulah Beard is buried and found another graveyard on top of a hill. Stopped to look around, and lo and behold found the grave of D.N. Weiford (and his son Fred Weiford). I didn't know where he was buried!
On the way back, we drove to Harrisburg mainly on the back roads out of West Virginia. On Friday we stopped in Richfield, PA to photograph the grave of Brian Beard (my brother) as I had never seen his headstone. On the way back stopped in Dallas, PA to photograph the graves of Paul Beard (my brother) and Julian Ralph Beard.
The trip was a whirlwind, the area was beautiful, the mountains spectacular, and all in all a very good trip. Thanks to all who helped us when we were there, the area is a jewel of a place still unspoiled.
posted by Alan Beard at 9:28 PM
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