U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Miller, John (1827-1902) ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Ritchie County by Minnie Kendall Lowther Wheeling News Litho. Co., Wheeling W.Va., 1911 Pages 549-550 John Miller was a typical son of the "Emerald Isle." He was born near Londonderry, in the northern part of Ireland, on June 11, 1827; and there, he was graduated from the High school, and afterwards learned the blacksmith's trade, having served the required apprenticeship of three years as blacksmith and book- keeper, before coming to America in 1847. He landed in New York, and two years later, went to Pittsburg, where he was married to Miss Susan Trover, who, with the two children born of them, died in a little more than two years after the marriage. He then spent some time at Wheeling and St. Louis, before coming to Calhoun county, where he married Miss Henrietta Trippett, daughter of Franklin Trippett, who was born in Monongalia county, on January 3, 1841. and then went to St. Louis; and in 1865, he came to Smithville, and took up his residence in the Sleeth hotel, and opened a blacksmith shop. Pie afterwards purchased the farm, that is now owned by the Mountain State Gas Company, but continued to wield the blacksmith's hammer, until his death on October 10, 1902. He was for long years a pillar in the M. E. church, and was an honorable upright citizen. Mrs. Miller now resides at Pennsboro with her daughter, Mrs. Addie Nutter, wife of ex-Sheriff Okey Nutter, and the other children are as follows: Mrs. F. C. Hardman, James and Frank Miller, Mrs. J. R. Kennedy, Mrs. S. H. Westfall, and Mrs. H. E. Wass, all of this county; William and Orlando, Colorado, and Laura B., who died in childhood. Shortly after, Mr. Miller's arrival in America, he sent for his brother, James, to whom he was greatly attached, and when he landed in New York, in changing his clothing, preparatory to leaving the ship, he threw his money over-board, forgetting it in the pocket of his discarded clothing, and by the time the lad had worked his way to his brother at Pittsburg, he had contracted chills and fever, and died a few weeks later. William, another brother came to America near 1855, and enlisted in the United States Army, and served on the frontier of Texas, Oregon, and other western states, and in the Civil war, until he was wounded in the battle of Petersburg. He settled on Gillispie's run in this county after the war, where he died in 1900. The mother, and two other sons, Robert and Joseph Miller came from Ireland to Gillispie's run, this county, in 1865, where she died in 1893. Robert met his death in a mine at Monongah in 1901, and Joseph lives at Pittsburg. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------