My West Virginia Pioneer Families

John Boggs is said to have been a son of James Charles and Margaret Jane Sharp Boggs and born in Chester County Pennsylvania on February 14, 1763. This information has not been verified. He is likely the John Boggs listed as age 82 in the 1850 census of District 29, Kanawha County Virginia, which would place his birth around 1768. He is shown with Susan age 77. His place of birth is listed as Virginia. It has also been said that John was at the Battle of Point Pleasant, but he may have been too young. 

John married Susan/Susanna Drennin in Greenbrier County Virginia. The date in official records appears to be April 26, 1787 and is recorded in Book 1, page 9.
In 1810 a John Boggs appeared on Sam McClung's Tax List in Greenbrier Co., VA: Boggs, John, 1 tithable , 2 slaves, 4 horses.

John supposedly owned a large plantation on Muddy Creek in Greenbrier County Virginia where he raised cattle in partnership with Charles McClung. Sometime in the 1820’s John apparently sold his share of the plantation and purchased 8000 acres in now Roane County WV from Benjamin Willard of Parkersburg. The deed is recorded in the Jackson County Clerk's Office, Book 1, Page 6. This land was in the area of Reedy, WV. Sometime between 1820 and 1830, John and Susan with several of their married children, hands and slaves left Greenbrier County Virginia to resettle in what was at different times Wood, Kanawha, Jackson, Wirt and is now Roane County, West Virginia. 

According to Hardesty's History of Wirt County, Reedy District, the first settler was a man of the name of John Shepherd who located and built the first cabin in 1806 on the bank of Left Hand Reedy. In 1807, John Conrad, Peter Conrad and John Hartley found homes beside him, and in 1808 John Smith joined them. Other early settlers were W.R. Wells, Samuel Somerville, John Boggs, John Baker and George Owens.

John Boggs bought 1500 acres of land from Isaac Enoch and Aaron Steed February 19, 1825, for $2,250.00 "in hand paid", but Enoch sued him in the Circuit Superior Court of Wood County, and obtained judgment on March 13, 1827. On March 20th, Boggs gave Enoch a bond in the amount of $3,978 to cover this judgment, with William Boggs, Thomas Boggs, James Boggs, Charles Rector, William Fisher, William P. Fisher, Scarlett G. Foley, John Boyle, Travis Wilson, B.H. Foley and George V. Lewis, all of Wood County, as sureties. Being "willing and desirous to save harmless his said securities" he gave a mortgage or Deed of Trust to James David and James M. Stephenson, on "the following negro slaves: Jeremiah, James, George, Caty, Rachel, Matilda, Sarah, Betsy, Martha, Mary, Polly, Benny, Bob, Henry and Maria, with the future increase of the females." The slaves to be sold at auction to the highest bidder immediately upon the issuing of an execution against said sureties. 
It is said that John Boggs lost his first land purchase through a defective title. This transaction with Isaac Enoch may be the land referenced. John Boggs later purchased 4000 acres from William Tilton. This land was located between Spencer and Reedy and between Reedy Creek and Spring Creek and said to comprise the whole Valley at Three Forks. 

John House wrote, "A man by the name of R.H. Henderson said, I know not how correctly, to have been a resident of Richmond, Virginia, owned an extensive tract of land below Reedy, in the early part of the century. This land was a part of the Richard Graham Survey. Part must have been covered by the Clayborne and Morlan Survey. All or a part of this tract was sold to John Boggs of Greenbrier County, who moved on it in 1824. I think he bought of Henderson, though the purchase may have been from some other party. Anyway, his title was defective, and after two years he gave the land up and left it. Boggs brought on a large force of hands, including several negro slaves, and cleared out quite a farm. His land extended from the Baker Survey to Stewart's line near the Three Forks."

“Being, like all men of the period, who possessed a high degree of intelligence - an expert woodsman, Boggs traced the line from this corner both ways, for a long distance. Careful inquiry could elicit no information as to the history of the line, nor was it even known why or by whom it was made, probably it marked the bounds of some prospective survey, for which no patent was secured.Fearing further loss through litigation, the Boggses abandoned their claim, again losing the money they had invested. The same land was later sold by Enochs to the Stewarts who paid One Thousand dollars in gold for it, and afterward lost the greater part, if not all, of the land.

After the second failure to secure a home, Boggs next invested in a large body of land on Spring Creek below Spencer.

Mat Boggs says there were 3000 acres, for which Three Thousand Dollars was paid. Elijah Callow places the figure at 17,000 acres. This Survey I think included all the Spring Creek Valley from about the mouth of Beaver Dam to within a mile or so of Spencer. To this land he moved in 1831.
While on the Reedy plantation he had cleared on both sides of the Creek, and kept a huge dugout canoe for ferrying purposes.

The family consisted of fifty-two in all - men, women, children, "work hands", and "niggers." All lived together in huge cabins, and all fared alike as to provisions. Cornpone, bear meat, venison, pork, potatoes, beans, pumpkins, etc., were plentiful at times, and all fared sumptuously; again, "lean seasons" came around, and all "worked hard and lived hard" alike.

When moving day came, they started out in a procession over the mountain, a bunch of negroes before, cutting out logs and underbrush, clearing the way, then children and household goods on pack horses, men and women walking, and in the rear two yokes of oxen driven by "niggers" dragging the canoe, which was to be launched on the waters of Spring Creek.

It was not long after his arrival before Boggs, who was an enterprising, progressive citizen, built a school house, not one of the costly white frame structures now built, comfortably furnished inside, but a pole cabin of the then customary type, rib roof held down with weight poles, puncheon floors, split log seat, huge fireplace and other like comforts and necessities. For a teacher, he provided an Irishman named Mitchell, a "schoolmaster" versed in the three Rs - "Readin', ‘Ritin', and ‘Rithmetic" and skilled in the use of hickory and birch, and whose salary was a piece of land where Bill Vandale afterward lived, and the educational advantages of the colony were complete.

The manor house cabin was located at the mouth of Island Run, four miles below Spencer.

In 1831 Boggs built a sawmill, the first in Spencer District.

John Boggs was an industrious, hard working man, and was at one time one of the wealthiest men in Jackson County. He had a good many negro slaves, who, it is said, were treated as well as his other work hands, and well taken care of. He often said, "No man can crack a whip over my niggers."
He gave to each of his children a farm and two Negro slaves, as a start in life.

When Boggs became too old to maintain himself he made his home with his daughter Belmount, who married Benniah Depue, and to whom he gave the home farm at the mouth of Island Run, except a lot of forty acres he reserved in his own name.

Finally becoming dissatisfied, he bought a tract of two hundred acres on the head of Spring Creek, whic he deeded to his grandson, Marshall Depue, for his maintenance. He continued to resdie with Depue until his death, which is said to have occurred on the 2nd of April, 1862 at the John Boggs' children were:

Sarah married James Vandale.
Nancy married John D. Vandale
James R. married Harriet Walkup.
Thomas married Matilda Rockhold.
Evaline B. married Benniah Depue.
Lawrence married, and lived in Ohio.
Malinda married Jonathan Depue.
Peggy married Stephen Hicks.
William married Maria Maze.”

William Bishop wrote that John Boggs came to Roane County with his family from Greenbrier County, VA and brought with him some 20 slaves. He gradually sold all of the slaves since "they proved unprofitable in this kind of country; and the white man found delight in working". 

He may have sold some slaves, but on April 11, 1833 John deeded slaves to his children: 
April 11, 1833 Jackson County Deed Book 1 page 265 - John Boggs to James Boggs and others Know all men by these that I John Boggs for and in consideration of that mutual love and affection which I owe my children I do give unto my sons Lawrence Boggs and Thomas Boggs In trust for the purpose herein after mentioned my negro slaves. Viz; Matilda, Molly, Mary, Bob, Martha Perry, Mariah and George living. for the use and benifit of my Children, Margaret, Sally, Avalina B., Matilda and my son James Boggs that is to say. to my daughter Margaret Hicks my slave Matilda and her further increase During her natural life and after the Death of the said Margaret to her legal heirs, To my daughter Sally Vandale my slave Molly and her future increase for and during her natural life and after the death of said Daughter Sally remanded over to her right heirs lawfuly begotten. to my daughter Avaline B. Depue, Mary and her future increase and my slave Bob for and during her natural life & remanded over to the heirs of the said Avaline B. Depue lawfully begotten. to my daughter Matilda, Martha and her future increase & Perry for and during her natural life & Remanded over to her heirs lawfully begotten. to my son James Boggs, Mariah And George and the future increase of the said Mariah for and during his natural life & remanded over to the heirs of the said James lawfully begotten. In testimony to hand. I have here unto set my hand and seal the 11th of April 1833 - John Boggs.
John also granted land to his children and grandchildren and sold off other portions of land. Som records of these transfers are recorded in Jackson County, WV.

Jackson County Deed Book 2 - pages 70 to 71 - Deed from John & Susan Boggs to Thomas Boggs for one thousand seven hundred and forty acres on both sides of Spring Creek a Branch of the Little Kanawha River for two hundred dollars - deed dated Nov. 3, 1836 - delivered to Thomas Boggs March 1839 

Jackson County Deed Book 2 - pages 68 to 69 - Deed from John & Susan Boggs to Mitchell Roberts a tract of land containing 214 acres on Bear Run on both sides of Spring Creek a branch of the Little Kanawha River for one hundred dollars deed dated Nov. 3, 1836 

Jackson County Deed Book 2 pages 69 to 70 - John & Susan Boggs deed to George Washington Vandale for one dollar 480 acres on Spring Creek a branch of the Little Kanawha River Nov. 4, 1836 

Jackson County Deed Book 2 pages 72 to 73 - John & Susan Boggs deed to Thomas Boggs 215 acres for $81.00 dollars a tract of land laying on the East side of Spring Creek a Branch of The Little Kanawha River Deed made Nov. 3, 1836 - Delivered to Thomas Boggs March 1839 

Jackson County Deed Book 2 Pages 73 to 74 - John Boggs & Susan his wife sell to Stephen Hicks 435 acres on Spring Creek a branch of the Little Kanawha River for 100 dollars. This was part of the Tilton Survey of which John Boggs had 4,000 acres. Surveyed the 8th day of February 1754 & granted to William Tilton August 4th, 1785 - Deed made November 3rd, 1836 -Delivered to Stephen Hicks February 22, 1841 

Jackson County Deed Book pages 74-75 to John & Susan Boggs deed to Nancy Greathouse & her husband William Greathouse - 400 acres on lying on Rush Run and Spring Creek a Branch of the Little Kanawha River for 100 dollars cash, deed made August 4, 1836 - Delivered to William Greathouse February 15, 1855 

1860 Census of Roane Co, VA shows John Boggs, born in VA and age 108. If birth date is correct he would be 97, not 108. In 1850 census he was 82 which means he would be 92 in 1860. It is believed he lived to be quite old, but probably not the 108 reported.

John House said, “The date of John Boggs' birth cannot even be approximated, there are so many conflicting accounts of his age at the time of his death, which occurred, says Marshall Depue, his grandson, with whom he was living, on April 2nd, 1862. However, his sister, Mrs. Malinda Parsons of Jackson County, thinks it was in January.” It is said that John Boggs was buried on the Bailey Young farm in Clover, Roane County, WV.

Sources:
Roane County WV Family History published1989 
Boggs Family History by Kenneth Boggs – Unpublished
Pioneers In Roane County, W.Va. - Historical Notes on Early Settlement of Reedy Valley with Notice of Pioneers of Spring Creek and The West Fork - John A. House 1906 
History of Roane County Wm H. Bishop published 1927
Recollections of a Life Time by Daniel Dewees 
Hardesty's History of Wirt County, Reedy District