U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Flesher, Adam (1844-1919) ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Ritchie County by Minnie Kendall Lowther Wheeling News Litho. Co., Wheeling W.Va., 1911 Pages 528-530 Adam Flesher. — A very interesting history, and one which dates back to Revolutionary and Indian times, would be omitted should we overlook the name of Adam Flesher, who is at this time one of the oldest citizens of the town. Mr. Flesher opened his eyes on this mundane sphere, at Weston, on March 27, 1844; and there, remained on his father's farm until he had reached the age of fourteen years, when, with knapsack in hand, he trudged through to Parkersburg where he learned the saddler's trade under John Lowry, finishing his apprenticeship under Joseph Coulter, at Marietta, Ohio. At the close of this apprenticeship, he enlisted in the Union army, in the Seventh Ohio Cavalry, for three years, and immediately after the war settled down to his trade at Hebron, where he remained for twelve years. While there, in February 1871, he was married to Miss Mary Elizabeth Bailey, who died on November 1, 1874, and was laid away at St. Mary's. Three years later, he came to Pennsboro (1877) and opened a harness-shop, and, with the exception of a few month's residence at Smithville, he has ever since been a citizen of this town; has twice held the office of Justice of the Peace, and has long been an official member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1877, he was married to Miss Madisona P. Haddox, daughter of Jonathan Haddox, who died on April 29, 1910, and lies at Duckworth Summit. One daughter, Edith, died in childhood; and the other daughter, Ida B., is Mrs. W. J. Martin of this place. Mr. Martin is a partner with Mr. Flesher in the harness business and is the assistant cashier at the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank. Mr. Flesher's Ancestor, Henry Flesher, was born in England and emigrated to America in his boyhood and settled at Weston where he built a block-house, as early as 1730. He married a Miss Butcher (?) and reared a family of six sons and one daughter. The daughter married and started to Ohio, but nothing was ever heard of her again; and some time after her departure, a band of Indians crossed the Ohio river, at Parkersburg, and, following a trail to Weston, fell upon the rest of the family at sundown and wiped them all out of existence, save the mother who escaped to the fort at Jane Lew, and one son, Adam, who fled to the mountains by way of Court House run. When the Indians killed Henry Flesher, they captured his old flint- lock musket and carried it as far as the mouth of Stone Coal creek, where they dropped it; and, half a century after, this old gun was found, though rusted into three pieces, and it is now one of the interesting relics that can be seen at Weston. Adam Flesher, senior, the one son of the family that escaped the scalping-knife of the savages, was married to Miss Mary Stots, of Clarksburg, and settled near two miles below Weston, where he reared a family of fourteen children, all of whom reached the years of maturity and married. He having reared them on "wild hog and bear," according to the statement of his grandson. It is said that he thought more of his old gun than he did of his wife, his whole heart being in the chase. He was a soldier of the Continental army during the American Revolution and was at the Battle of Bunker's hill. He was, also, a soldier of the war of 1812. He was born at Weston in 1754, and died near there in 1856 at the age of ninety-six years, despite his many hardships. His descendants are now scattered throughout the Union, (though they are more numerous in West Virginia, Indiana, and Texas) and will, perhaps, number twenty thousand. They are generally honest, law-abiding, and hard-working citizens, and many of them are to be found in the higher walks of life. Isaac Flesher, his son, who was born in 1810, and died in 1854, was the father of Adam Flesher, of Pennsboro; H. Flesher, of Gilmer county, who lost his life in the Civil war; the late Porter, of Williamstown, who was, also, a soldier of the Civil war: the late Crayton, of Pleasants county, the late Mrs. Suemma Bush, and the late Mrs. Zelema Lowe, of Lewis county. Henry Flesher, another son of Adam, senior, was the father of the late Asa Flesher of Smithville, and the grand-father of Solon and Theodore Flesher; and Felix H. Flesher, a brother of Asa, was the father of the Hon. W. A. Flesher, of Smithville. ------------------------------------------------------------------- From Death Certificate, Wood County, WV #106 FULL-NAME: Adam Flesher BIRTH-DATE: March 27, 1843 BIRTH-PLACE: Lewis Co., W.Va. DEATH-DATE: April 12, 1919 (at age 76y-0m-16d) DEATH-PLACE: 2417 Dudley Ave., Parkersburg, Wood County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Widowed OCCUPATION: Retired / Harness Maker FATHER: Ira Flesher (born in Lewis Co, W.Va.) MOTHER: Devora Peterson (born in Lewis Co., W.Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Dilation of heart complicating arterial sclerosis INFORMANT: Mrs. N. J. Martin (of 2117 Dudley Ave., city) BURIAL: Duckworths Summit, W.Va. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Ritchie County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/ritchie/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------