U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Freeland, William Baldwin (b. 1860) --------------------------------------------------------------------- A History of Preston County West Virginia Biographical Department, Supplied by J. R. Cole Kingwood, W. Va., The Journal Publishing Company, 1914 by H. S. Whetsell Pages 811-812, THE FREELAND FAMILY. John Freeland came about 1804 from Pennsylvania, or from Baltimore. He settled at Bob Town, on the Cheat. His wife, Mary McCann, was of Irish descent. Their children were: David, James, John, Benjamin, Aaron, Isaac, William, Jacob, Hiram, George, Abraham, Rachael and Elizabeth. David married a Miss Gibbs, and lived two miles east of Terra Alta, where the Sanitarium is now. He married the second time, and by his wife. Miss Lucy Smith, had one son, a physician in the city of New York. They lived on Nettle Ridge. David was a great huntsman and was said to have killed six hundred deer. James settled on Nettle Ridge also. He married Sarah Ridenour. John married Sarah Lonacre. They lived in Indiana. Benjamin, the father of William Baldwin, the veteran teacher, was born August 8, 1816. He located on Nettle Ridge, adjoining his brother James. The old log house was occupied for a dwelling until about the year 1876, when the original part of the new house (and still occupied) was built. He died here February 25, 1887. On October 1, 1840, Benjamin Freeland married Miss Nancy Messenger, daughter of Samuel and Abigail (Pike) Messenger. The Pikes were of Revolutionary fame. Eleven children were born of this union. Those dead are: James, John A., Mary Elizabeth Whetsell, Mrs. Lucinda Whitehair, Mrs. Louisa Hoff, Benjamin, Susanna, and David. Mrs. Sarah J. Arnold is living near Terra Alta. Samuel and William are still living also. Benjamin Freeland was an industrious farmer. He was a Democrat until war times and then became an ardent Republican. He and his wife were members of the Baptist Church. William Baldwin Freeland was born on the old homestead place, where he now lives, December 24, 1860. He supplemented his education in the common district schools by a course in the Normal School at Terra Alta, under Professor A. W. Fike, completing that curriculum of work in school, in 1877 and 1878. After that he taught school twenty-five years in Preston county. He taught the home school seven consecutive terms, and thirteen terms in all. Comment is unnecessary. He also became a Professor in the Normal School, both in the home school district and at Terra Alta. His first state certificate was obtained August 5, 1889; it was for six years. By renewals it is still in vogue, not terminating until 1919. In 1902 the Republican party nominated and elected Mr. Freeland a member of the Lower House of the State Legislature, and in so doing honored one of the best friends the public schools of West Virginia ever had. While serving in the legislative body during the year 1903, and during the special session of 1904, and again in 1905, legislation looking to the highest interests of the rural schools was brought forth in bill form by him at that time and subsequently enacted into law. There were three measures in particular that deserve special mention, and these were in addition to his ardent support of the tax reform measures, which were finally adopted: (1) Was the bill for the centralization and consolidation of the rural schools of the state. (2) Fixing the minimum term of the school year at six months, and taxing the state for the poorer schools. To this end a tax assessment of $75,000 was set aside for the .poorer schools for this purpose. (3) A State School Board to be appointed and uniform text books to be adopted. April 13, 1881, Mr. Freeland was married to Miss Mary Martha Albright, daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Engle) Albright, of Cranesville. Their children are: Lulu Bucklew, born March 1, 1887; Mrs. Jessie Pearl Fearer, born April 21, 1890; Russell Albright, born November 21, 1892; William Lynn, born December 18, 1894; Margaret Eleanor, born April 7, 1898. The daughter, Jessie, has two children: Beatrice and Russell Harold. She is the wife of Artie Fearer. They live on a farm near Terra Alta. Mr. Freeland is owner of the old homestead farm, a valuable piece of land consisting of 320 acres. He is a raiser of blooded stock: Of cattle the Red Polled and Polled Angus; sheep of the Shropshire breed; the O. L. C. hogs, and Plymouth Rock chickens. His farm is well stocked and well cultivated. Mr. and Mrs. Freeland are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. --------------------------------------------------------------------- (wife of William Baldwin Freeland) From Death Certificate, Preston County, WV #10108 FULL-NAME: Mary M. Freeland BIRTH-DATE: February 13, 1861 BIRTH-PLACE: Preston Co., W.Va. DEATH-DATE: July 1, 1926 DEATH-PLACE: Terra Alta, Portland District, Preston County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Married (Baldwin Freeland) OCCUPATION: Farmers Wife FATHER: Daniel Albright (born in W.Va.) MOTHER: Sarah Engle (born in Md.) INFORMANT: A. R. Fike (of Terra Alta, W.Va.) BURIAL: Freeland Cemetery --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Preston County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/preston/bios.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------