U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Closs, David (1823-1888) ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Tucker County, West Virginia From the Earliest Explorations and Settlements to the Present Time. by Hu Maxwell Kingwood, W. Va.; Preston Publishing Company, 1884. Pages 387-389 David Closs was born 1823 at Ayrshire, Scotland, where he lived until he was a man. At the age of twenty-four he married Agnes Furguson, in the city of Glasgow. He was a miner by trade. Soon after his marriage he came to America, and worked three years in the Maryland mines about Lonaconing and New Creek. In September, 1850, he came to Horse Shoe Run, and moved into John Stephenson's loom house, near where J. H. Fansler now lives, and remained there about ten days until he could build himself a house. When it was done, he moved into it. It stood two or three hundred yards from the present Pine Grove Schoolhouse. He lived there about three years, and then moved up on the mountain, which from him is now called "Closs Mountain." His experience in farming was enough to discourage almost anybody else. He planted three acres of corn and got only six bushels of ears; sowed three acres of oats, and hauled it all home, straw and all, on a one-horse sled; went to the Glades and bought potatoes at 87 1/2 cents a bushel, carried them home on horseback and planted them, but never dug them. The only thing raised that was worth anything was a little buckwheat and rye. He went back to work in the mines to get a little money to try it over again. His fortune began to grow better. When he got on top of the mountain he raised enough to do him a year; or rather his wife raised it while he was working on the Glover Gap Tunnel, on the railroad to Wheeling. While clearing his land on the mountain, the first year, he waded through snow knee deep, and when he would eat dinner, which he had carried with him, he was often obliged to keep walking while eating to keep from freezing his feet. In 1864: he worked two months in the mines. It was war times and wages were high. In one month he made §157.43. He has been a hard-working man all his life. Although he lived in the woods, yet he never killed a bear or a deer. As he expressed it: "I did all my hunting with the ax and grubbing hoe, and I expect I am as well off as if I had trotted over the mountains all my life with a gun." And he is. He has cleared from the woods a fine farm of 225 acres, and has besides 378 acres of wild lands. He has given good farms to his children, and he has the satisfaction of seeing them all industrious and respected citizens, honest and well-to-do. He has plenty left to last him his lifetime, and he can spend the remainder of his days in ease. His life and what he has done are samples of what perseverance and industry will do, even in the rough mountains of Tucker. There are many localities better than the one which David Gloss selected, and any man with health and strength might do as well as he. The great trouble is that there is not enough energy among our people. There is a wide field to work in, and, although there are few opportunities for amassing fortunes, yet there is room for every one to make a good living, have plenty to eat and wear, and get along well in the world. His children are: William, John, James, Margaret, Alexander, Sarah, Isabel and Duncan. John lives in Maryland, near Oakland. David Closs is known the neighborhood over for his hospitality. No one in need was ever turned from his door uncared for. No one, really suffering, ever asked him in vain for a favor. He is a steadfast member of the M. P. Church. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Register of Deaths, Tucker County, WV (Pages 57-58, Line No. 5) FULL-NAME: David Closs BIRTH-PLACE: Scotland AGE-AT-DEATH: 64y-11m-21d DEATH-DATE: January 25, 1888 DEATH-PLACE: St. George Dist. CONSORT-OF: Agnes Closs OCCUPATION: Farming PARENTS: Wm. & Sarah Closs CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Phthisic INFORMANT: Agnes Closs, Widow ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Tucker County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/tucker/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------