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Watson Family
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History of Ritchie County
by Minnie Kendall Lowther
Wheeling News Litho. Co., Wheeling W.Va., 1911

Pages 486-487

Arthur Watson and his wife, Mrs. Jane Hawker Watson, with their
family came from Monongalia county to the Harrisville vicinity in
1844, and settled near two miles south of town on the farm that is
now owned by Colfax Moats. Here Mr. Watson died in the early
sixties, (?) and not long after he was laid in the Harrisville
cemetery, the family went to Cherry Point, Illinois, where the
following named members still survive:

James R., Thomas D., Amos M., Asby L., and Mrs. Mary (Samuel)
Clouse. Owen Hawker, also, lives in Illinois, but William has
joined the throng on the other side.

Thomas D. Watson married Miss Sarah Shore, sister of Mrs. Mary Ann
McDonald, of Hazelgreen, but after her death, a few years since, he
married Miss Sarah Miller of Illinois.

John Watson, another son of Arthur, was the progenitor of the
family that remained in this county.

He was born in Monongalia county on February 24, 1824, and with his
parents came to this county at the age of twenty years.

On April 11, 1845, he was married to Miss Eveline Smith, who was
born in Marion county, on March 7, 1825, and, at the old home south
of Harrisville he resided until his death, on December 17, 1853.

Two sons were born of this union, James W., and Joseph A. Watson,
but the latter died on October 13, 1857, at the age of seven years,
and the former, in his young manhood.

In 1867, Mrs. Watson traded the homestead for the corner in
Harrisville which is now marked by the National Bank building, and
in April of that year, became the owner and manager of the hotel
that was for long years known as the "Watson House." In 1901, she,
having retired to private life some years before, transferred this
property to the First National Bank. She died at Harrisville during
the summer of 1909, rich in the love and esteem of a multitude of
friends that she had made during her long public service, and in
the Harrisville cemetery by the side of her husband and sons she
was laid at rest.

James Willy Watson, her one son, who grew to manhood, was born on
April 8, 1848, and was married to Miss Frances Starr, daughter of
John and Eleanor Ayres Starr, on November 8, 1868; and they were
the parents of two sons, John, the eldest, died in early childhood;
and Dr. J. W. Watson is the other.

Mr. Watson met a tragic death by a run-a-way accident on the
Ellenboro hill on September 20, 1870, and his widow is now the wife
of Frank Foster, of near Harrisville.

So Dr. James Willy Watson*(see footnote), of Harrisville, who was
born on March 12, 1871, a few months after the death of his father,
is the only living descendant of the Watson family in this county.
He was graduated from the Dental department of the Maryland
University in the class of 1892, and was married to Miss Christine
Mather, daughter of the late W. T. Mather, on September 26, 1895,
and they have no children.
___________

*Footnote: Since this was written, Dr. Watson has changed his place
of residence to California.

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