The Tyree family also were early settlers in the Upper Paint Creek valley. There were three members of the Tyree family that came to this area. Richard T. (Dick) Tyree settled in the Pax section. His farm encompassed the farm now known as the Charley Tyree farm, the Lewis Davis farm, and the Pax Community Cemetery. Dick Tyree was married twice and had children by both wives. His first family consisted of five sons. There were also some daughters but I have not been able to learn anything about them. The sons were R. T. (Tomp), Granville, George, Lowden, and Newton.

Tomp lived just below Cirtsville. He had a water-powered grist mill and ground the corn of his neighbors into meal for them. He had a very good business until Spangler put in the steam-powered mill and that took most of his business. He was a good farmer. His family lived well and were active in the social affairs of the community. Tomp's family consisted of four sons, Christopher, Oliver, Richard, and Alfred, and four daughters, Eliza, Emma, Pricilla, and Rosa.

Granville Tyree lived on a farm that adjoined Tomp's farm and was up on the plateau between Paint Creek and Simms Branch. He was also a good farmer and his family lived well.

Dick Tyree's son, George, died at an early age. I do not know who he married or where he lived but he had two children; Garland who married a daughter of Jimmy Craddock and a daughter Ruth who married Van Rutledge. They had several children.

Dick's other two sons, Newt and Loud, lived on Maple Fork and both reared large families. Dick Tyree's second family consisted of two sons and one daughter, Joseph, Charley, and Rhoda.

Joe Tyree was the first undertaker of the Upper Paint Creek valley and was the first founder of the business that is now owned and operated by his grandson, Joe Tyree. He has a thriving business with funeral homes in Mount Hope and Oak Hill.

Charley Tyree, Dick's youngest son, inherited half of Dick Tyree's farm and lived there all his life. He married Nan Davis, daughter of James S. Davis. Rhoda, Dick's daughter, inherited the other half of Dick's farm and married Lewis Davis, son of William Davis.

Dick Tyree had a brother who came here probably at the same time Dick came. He was Eddie Tyree. Eddie settled on Maple Fork and reared a large family. He had three sons: Louis, Eddie Jr. (Little Eddie) and Matthew. Louis was a carpenter and a school teacher. He moved to Smoot in Greenbrier County many years ago and spent the remainder of his life there. Little Eddie stayed with his father on Maple Fork. They were carpenters and stone masons. They built many of the houses and stone chimneys that were built in Upper Paint Creek valley in the early days. Matthew lived in the Sweeneyburg area for many years. Eddie Tyree had several daughters. One of them married Joe Edmons and they were the parents of a large family. They lived on North Sand Branch. Their daughter, Pauline, married James Allen. Their children consisted of three sons and two daughters:

Arthur, Frank, John, Mary, and Martha. Mary married Edward Dewitt; Martha married Henry Stover. The Allen family lived on Spruce Mountain, all of them are dead now.

Eddie Tyree's daughter, Cora, married John Hoskins. Their children were seven sons and five daughters. They lived at Sweeneyburg. Eddie's youngest daughter, Nannie, married Quince Dillon. They lived at Mattsville on Sandlick. The Eddie Tyree family loved to sing. Eddie was a tenor and Little Eddie sang bass. Their grandchildren and great grandchildren still sing, The choirs of most of the churches in Upper Paint Creek valley have some of the Eddie Tyree descendants singing in them.

Lucy Tyree, the sister of Eddie and Dick, married Raver Sam Davis. They at one time owned most of the land on Maple Fork. They had a large family and gave each of their children a farm. After helping them build a house and establish a home on the land they had given them, Lucy and Sam expected their children to develop the land to be prosperous farmers. If they did not do well, Sam and Lucy disowned them and had nothing more to do with them. All of the sons did well but some of the sons-in-law did not do so well. Abner Toney who married their daughter Jane said when he was courting Jane, it was "Mr. Toney," after they were married, it was just "Old Ab" and hardly that.

Another family that came from Virginia and settled in this area were the Steagalls. There were four of them. An old man, his two sons, and a daughter-in-law. The old man was Drinkard Steagall; his sons were William and Preston; and William's wife, Betty Ann Taylor Steagall. They took up their abode in the log house on the farm of G. W. (Wash) Maynor on Simms Branch. This house was built by two men who owned a stave mill and had bought the stave timber on the Maynor farm. After working their timber into barrell staves, they moved out and the house became a place of refuge for anyone needing a place to live. I don't know how long the Steagalls lived there but later they moved to Dixon Branch and lived in what became the Henry Vass farm.

Drinkard Steagall did not live long after coming to this area. I do not know where he was buried. Bill and Betty Ann were the parents of three sons, George, Bill Jr., and Harrison, and three daughters, Dora, Chloe, and Maggie. George married Agnes Billups; their children were Oscar, Clifford, Clarence (Butch), and Virginia. Bill Jr. married Minnie Vass; they had no children. Harrison married Frances Estep; they had four sons and one daughter. Dora Steagall married Bill Bowyer. Bill and Dora had a large family; none of them are living in this area now. Chloe Steagall married Giles Lester. Their family consisted of three sons and four daughters. Several of their children and grandchildren still live in this area. Maggie Steagall married Frank Bowyer; they were the parents of several children. They moved to Greenbrier County and none of their descendants live on Paint Creek now. The Steagalls were relatives of Cynthia Feazell, wife of Dr. Billy Feazell. Drinkard Steagall was Cynthia Feazell's uncle.

The section of Paint Creek now known as Sweeneyburg was first owned and occupied by John Bailey but after a few years there, Mr. Bailey sold his property there to Huston Carper. He purchased the land where Hulett smith now lives and the property later known as the Shumate Dairy. Carper did not keep the Sweeneyburg property long but sold it to his father-in-law, Archibald Sweeney. It was the Sweeneys that developed the land and converted it into a nice farm. The Sweeneys are of Irish origin and the name was probably McSweeney but was shortened to Sweeney after they came to America.

Archibald Sweeney was born April 4, 1813, in Giles County, Virginia. He was a son of Delany Sweeney and his wife, Priscilla Calloway Sweeney. Archibald married Lucinda Pack. Lucinda was born December 24, 1814. She was a daughter of Loammi Pack and his wife, Jane Lively Pack. Archibald lived on Rich creek, Monroe County, until 1863, when he moved to Raleigh County. died June 30, 1985. He lived only two years after moving to Sweeneyburg but he left a large family. Some of his children took over the developing of the property on Paint Creek.

His children were: Rebecca Jane born 1836; Wilson, born 1838, married Elizabeth Williams; Mary E., born 1843, married George Kidd; Oliva B, born 1845, married Evan Davis; Malinda B., born 1848, married (1) Houstin Carper and (2) John A. Williams; Eliza B. born 1851; and William Archibald Jr., born April 30, 1885, married Samira Phipps.

Archibald's children divided their inheritance. Will Sweeney took the upper section of the bottom land and divided it between three daughters. Minnie, who married Speed Harper, took the lower part of the their land and lived there until her death. Ada married Will Reece. Their farm was up the stream called Little Paint. Mollie married Sam Wingrove. Their farm was the upper end of the Sweeney bottom. Will Sweeney left Sweeneyburg many years ago and settled in Grassy Meadows in Greenbrier County. He had one son, Cleveland, who went to Grassy Meadows with him. Another son of Archibald Sweeney, Wilson, took the lower end of the Sweeney bottom. Wilson was active in the political affairs of Raleigh County and served one term as sheriff. He had two sons, John and Joe. These sons took over the lower section of the Sweeney bottom at Wilson's death. John taking the Wilson Sweeney home and Joe taking a section lower down the stream. Joe's place was on the site now occupied by the Kosnoski home. Joe married Amanda Cottle. He was a good farmer. He and Amanda lived at Sweeneyburg all their lives and reared a large family.

Archibald's daughter, Malinda Williams, lived on the ridge that lies between Paint Creek and South Sand Branch. They had a good farm and lived well. Another daughter, Oliva, married Evan Davis. Their home was up Little Paint above the Reece farm.