Iman family notes

enlarge Linville Creek of Rockingham County involves a 20-square mile area just north of Harrisonburg that features rolling hills, creeks, streams, the deep limestone soils that are so productive. There were hardly roads -- only paths and few bridges to the streams so often forded. People walked miles, and now with highways it can all go by way too fast. So very much of what was there in 1790 can still be gleanded by a sharp eye.

Linville Creek Timeline

	Linville Creek was one of the most interesting and important centers of Colonial Virgina. In the lush Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Rockingham quickly became a civilized outpost. It had a history before the Swiss Germans joined the English, Quakers, and few Scotch-Irish who were among the earliest settlers. And Rockingham was always a passage way too, as people landed for a while, developed what they had, and headed off to new places where they could claim twice or tripple the land for half the price or less. By the time the Eymans and Shanks and Brennemans joined the Lincolns, Bryans, and Boones, some of those families were moving on. Churches were building, prosperous second generations were replacing log shelters with stone houses still standing and paying for subscription schools for the kids, and pressures were building. Eymans too moved on and a Civil War brought massive destruction to the area. Measures of the distance between our settlement on the South Branch in today's West Virginia, and the more urbane community of Linville creek can be be seen in the journies of the earliest preachers who walked those woods, a retired President Washington who walked through Peterburg to Rockingham. Soon, it was an underground railroad that was finding safe passage for people out of Rockingham and up through Brock's Gap to Pendleton for a walk through Franklin and on to Petersburg and from there to rail passage to the north.
1703	The first know explorer to the Valley of Virginia went into the mountains and discovered lush valleys with limestone soils of the sort much preferred by those who know how to pick productive farming land.
1715	Governor of the Virginia Colony, Alexander Spotswood claimed the Shenandoah Valley for England.
1730	The Governor and Council of Virginia granted 40,000 acres each to the Dutch Isaac and John Van Meter in the northern part of the Shenandoah, provided that within two years they would induce a sufficient number of people to settle on the land. The next year they transferred the lands to Jost/Joist Hite, apparently figuring the job was not something they were interested in. VanMeters reserved portions of the land for themselves. Some of their extensive land holdings wound up in the hands of Eymans when Christian Eyman of the South Branch purchased land that they had granted to Valentine Cooper.
1730	Morgan Bryan from an Irish family though born in Wales (some say Scottish) and probably a lapsed Quaker raised a family before arriving in Virginia from Chester. In this year he obtained a grant of 100,000 acres toward Winchester to settle a Quaker community. He had a mill in operation in 1734. He later resided on lands adjoining Cornelius Bryan at Linville Creek in what became Rockingham county before migrating to North Carolina. His family was associated with ancestors of Daniel Boone.
1731	Hite got his grant increased for lands to include 100,000 acres for which he contracted to find buyers. From Alsace, he worked hard to recruit settlers, and with his Quaker background and German language, seemed to find friends. He himself settled with a group of 16 families near Winchester. He's therefore credited as the first immigrant to settle west of the blue ridge mountains. He has a son Jacob who lived south of Winchester in the Rockingham area. This son was later to be accused of some "shady deals". He allied, for instance, with a Joshua Pettit from whom Christian Eyman of the South Branch had secured land, in securing Cherokee land claims based on fathering children of the tribe in a second family. Jost Hite's family intermarried with several who would become neighbors of Eymans, Brennemans, and Shanks and settled on the land with sons-in-law (and future neighbors) George Bowman and Jacob Chrisman.
1734	By this date, Hite had issued patents to about 40 other Swiss and German families to the area. Many early anabaptists (Mennonites or Brethren Dunkards) remained in the Conestoga area though some sons who needed to go find their own lands, or new migrants began moving toward the fringes.
1736	Virginia governor Gooch gave a half million acres to Lord Fairfax of Britain without clear boundaries, thus producing with Hite a legal dispute which lasted 50 years. Lord Fairfax first visited Virginia to visit his royal grant of lands in the Northern Neck and returned in 1748 to an estate near Winchester, hiring a young George Washington to survey his lands and clarify borders. Fairfax tried to get land rent payments from many who had purchased from Hite, triggering litigation that ensued for 50 years.
1739	7009 acres were granted to Hite, McKay, Duff, and Green at Linville Creek in Rockingham. This was surrounded by Fairfax lands that many tried to stay away from. The core grants, about 11 square miles of the 24 square miles for Rockingham County included lands on Linville Creek and it's main tributaries. This became the neighborhood of the Eymans, Brennemans, Shanks, Lincolns, Boones, Bryans, and related families.
1744	Cornelius O'Bryan and perhaps his brother John and a Cornelius junior (Bryan) purchased 500 acres on Linville Creek from James McKay. This land adjoined that of "Virginia John" Lincoln, the great grandfather of President Lincoln. It's thought that Bryans may have arrived from Ireland by 1724 and been in Virgiia since the 1740s. John and Cornelius Jr. were witnesses to "Virginia John" Lincoln's will. Thomas Bryan was excluded from witnessing since a marriage relationship down his line mad him less than a disinterested person. Peter, a son of Thomas, was an early and prominent new settler to Tennessee. There were close relations between these families as apparent in witnessing of wills as well as future intermarriage. These Bryans adjoined lands of Morgan Bryan, though the relationship between the two branches hasn't been proven. The descendants of Morgan Bryan migrated to Tennessee and were closely intertwined with the family of Daniel Boone. The son of Henry Eyman of Rockingham married a Mary Bryan, who seems to be the daughter of a Cornelius III in the line established above.
1745	Morgan Bryan was granted 400 acres on Linville Creek, of which 200 were sold to Andrew Bowman in 1747. Morgan's son Joseph and wife Alice, had Rebecca Bryan, who married Daniel Boone, and Martha Bryan, who married Danie's brother Edward. Morgan and his sons founded Bryan's Station near Lexington Kentucky by 1779
1746	Thomas Lewis and Peter Jefferson (father of the president) did survey work to help establish the "Fairfax line", though this didn't end the dispute.
1746	William Linvell (various spellings: Linvel, Linwell), who had married Elanor Bryan, a daughter of Morgan Bryan, was granted 15,000 acres at Linville Creek. He seems to have settled around Edom and built what was called Edom Mills. The key historian of the area suggests that Winwell had probably settled prior to 1739 since there are references to his grants in a 1739 deed. Two small tributaries to the Linville Creek were named by William after his sons: Joe's Creek, and Will's Creek. Linwell put up a small grist mill which is referred to today as Edom Mills, and remains of that are still around about one half mile south of Edom.
1746	William Lenvill, son-in-law of Morgan Bryan sold 500 acres on Linville Creek to George Bowman on the line of Joseph Bryan, who was still living in Frederick county.
1746	Jacob Chrisman bought 500 acres from William Linville on Linville Creek.
1747	Daniel Boone's parents had needed to apologize when his sister married a non-Quaker while visibly pregnant, and were excluded from the Meeting in 1747 when a brother of Daniel married outside of the church.
1748	A young George Washington surveyed the valley for Lord Fairfax presuming that Joist Hige and his associates were "squatters"
1748	John Lincolns sold their land in Pennsylvania and would have been free to move.
1748	It's thought that Morgan Bryan was nearly 80 when he moved his family to the Yadkin Valley of what is now North Carolina where Bryan owned 5,000 acres and was close friends of Boones. Daniel married Morgan's grand-daughter in 1756 when she was 17.
1749	Morgan Bryan and William Linvil seems to have moved to North Carolina by this time.
1749	George Bowman bought 1000 acres on Linville Creek which passed to his sons John and Jacob upon his death in 1768. Both sold their land within the year to Abraham Miller and Josiah Davidson. "Bowman's line" adjoins the northern boundary of Lincoln lands along Linville Creek and was between this middle area and the town of Broadway.
1750	Some believe that Lincolns were in Virginia as early as 1750. In those days people often settled on land for years before they formalized ownership. Lincoln's deed at Linville wasn't signed until 1768, but the family had sold it's property in Pennsylvania in 1748! The family moved at some time between 1750 and 1768.
1750	Josiah Boone in Pennsylvania was recorded to have been condemned of 'disorderly marriage' in May of 1750 although this appears to have been somewhat before his June marriage in an Episcopal church.
1750	By 1750, also in Berks County of Pennsylvania, Squire Boones had sold their Pennsylvania land and were free to travel.
1750	Josiah Boone in Pennsylvania is recorded to have been condemned of 'disorderly marriage' in May of 1750 although this appears to have been somewhat before his June marriage in an Episcopal church.
1751	Cornelius O'Bryan died, leaving property to Thomas (his son), and to eldest son of Thomas, Benjamin. (Beware: there were two Cornelius in series;-)
1752	As early as this, deeds to others define Josia Boone as neighbor. Boone had purchased his land from William Linville and Josiah Davidson, and later sold land to the first of the Mennonites in the Linville Creek/Edom area. Descendants of Josiah Boone intermarried with Bryan and Neville. Josiah served in the Lincoln militia (Lincoln County, Kentucky) during the revolution and went on expeditions against Indians under General Clark. Josiah married a Hannah Henton before 1766, and later Hanna (Hite?). He was living at Linville Creek in 1768 on land adjoining Thomas Bryant. Descendants of Josiah intermarried with Bryans and Nevilles..
1755	Joseph Bryan (and his wife Alice) sold to Jacob Chrisman (son-in-law of Joist Hite), 500 acres of land at Linville which had been purchased by Joseph Bryan from William Lnvolle, and which had been posessed by Thomas Linville
1755	Daniel Boone of Carolina/Kentucky married Rebecca Bryan, the daughter of Morgan Bryan of Linville Creek. Thee are many stories about how these two met. Some suggest that Daniel had remembered her from his earlier times living at Linville; others suggest that they met at some other Boone-Bryan marriage of which there were several in the families. It's not known whether Rebecca had migrated to North Carolina before the marriage.
1757	There were many Indian disturbances throughout Virginia in 1757-1758. Many settlers moved to Eastern Virginia or back to Pennsylvania for several years.
1758	Joseph Rife, the son of Jacob Rife Sr. <1722> was born in Greenbriar of Virginia. He is thought to have had sons Joseph F Rife Jr., and Jacob (Jake) Rive b. 1789.
1759	Daniel Boone served in militia for several years in the South during a Cherokee Uprising, while the Boones and other families fled to Culpepper County of Virginia
1768	Date of Lincoln deeds at Linville Creek. The land of "Virginia John" would subsequently be divided among his sons who had also purchased lands of their own. Several sons ultimately migrated to Tennessee or Kentucky, while several sons remained in the area and became large land holders. These were members of an emerging Baptist church. Lincolns had slaves.
1760	"D Boon Cilled a Bar in the year 1760" carved in tree in Tennessee. The same appeared in Kentucky in 1803. These may have been forgeries since Boone usually put an 'e' on the end of his name. During this period, Boone would go on "long hunts" for weeks or months alone or with a small group accumulating hundreds of dear skins or trapping beaver and otter during winters. "Buckskins" came to be known as "bucks".
1761	Jacob Chrisman, heretofore one of the largest land holders in the southern part of the Linville Creek area sold 300 acres to Francis McBride, 376 to their son George Chrisman, 300 acres to son John Chrissman.
1761	Adam Shank, whose father Michael was a major land owner along Conestoga Creek, bought land in Manchester Township of York. He likely married Magdalena near that time.
1762	Thomas, the son of Cornelius Bryan Sr., bought 300 acres adjoining other Bryans
1762	Boones returned to Yadkin Valley from Culpepper where they had been to avoid catastrophe
1762	Thomas Bryan, a son of Cornelius O'Bryan, bought 300 acres adjoining his fathers land of McKay. Thomas also received 150 acres conveyed by his brothers John and Cornelius Junior in the same year. Thomas acquired other land over the years, including 350 acres on the head of Long Meadow purchased in 1772.
1762	Josiah Boone must have migrated to Virginia about this time, based on a list of removals from his Quaker meeting.
1765	Some believe that John Lincoln ("Virginia John") migrated to Rockingham this year with Josiah Boone, son of George Boone Jr. Chances are that Lincolns were in the area living on lands they did not own. Perhaps they were residing with Josiah Boone, who had land by this point in time.
1766	Josiah Boone married Hannah Hite in 1766 after his migration to Virginia and following the death of his first wife. Hannah was the daughter of Abraham Hite -- a celebrated soldier from Moorefield of what became West Virginia. Abraham later served as a guide to George Washington on his post-presidency tour (1784) through the South Branch and down to Rockingham and the Bryans on his way home.
1767	Boone first reached Kentucky in the fall on a long hunt with a brother. He visited often and in 1773 moved his family with a group of about 50 migrants to create the first settlement in the area. Efforts to secure the area from Shawnees were extensive and included the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774.
1768	One estimate of the migration date of Lincolns from Pennsylvania to Rockingham. In this year he purchased 600 acres on Linville Creek. The land he purchased was bought from McKay. Lincoln sons purchased adjoining lots, and later inherited parts of the main lands. Isaac lived to the north, Jacob to the south, John Jr. to the East, and Abraham to the west. John, the great grandfather of President Lincoln was a weaver and farmer whose father had died when he was barely 20 years old. James Boon, a near neighbor on Heister's Creek of Exeter Township in Berks County, was Daniel Boone's uncle.
1768	Josiah Boone was living on land adjoining Thomas Bryan. He had married Hanna Hite, daughter of Abraham of Moorefield. This is interesting since generally, Boones are thought to have only tarried at Linville Creek on a migration. Maintaining this land helps to understand ongoing and long-term relationships between Boones, Lincolns, and Bryans -- whether these be the families of Cornelius or Morgan Bryan.
1768	Benjamin Bryan, son of Thomas, married Lydia Lincoln b. 1748, daughter of Virginia John. Benjamin died soon after. Ann Lincoln, the daughter of Virginia John also married Bryan, though William Bryan was the son of Morgan Bryan, and thus of a different line. Morgan and Cornelius had lived on adjoining lands at Linville, and Morgan's son helped execute the will of Cornelius, though their specific relationship is not known. While somewhat different genealogies are attached to each, some suspect that these were brothers.
1770	Abraham, the son of "Virginia John" was a militia leader for Augusta County and married a Harrison of Linvlle Creek. Harrisons and Lincolns were among the first members of a small Linville Baptist Church.
1771	The Irishman Kring bought 400 acres from Abraham Lincoln. This was up near the Dahna-Cherry Grove Road about 3 miles south of Broadway. .
1773	In this year, John Lincoln divided his land with titles transferring to the two eldest sons Abraham and Isaac. Both John Sr. and Abraham built homes near the creek. Adam Shank was subsequently to live on lands purchased of Abraham Lincoln, whose home was right across the Creek from "Virginia John". It's not now which half of Abraham lands went to Shank, though the description of Magdalena's dower right to a "mansion" suggests that the lands may have been those closest to "Virginia John" and slightly north from the Jacob Lincoln lands which adjoined the property of Christian Eyman and Susannah of Conestoga.
1774	Estimated date for Abraham Brenneman to Rockingham. Abraham purchased about 800 acres, much of it from George Chrisman. This was before the Revolutionary War, after which there were many more Mennonites and Brethren heading south. Brenneman subsequently purchased a number of parcels throughout the area. While many of his children were to migrate to Ohio around 1815, those remaining in Rockingham were living near Brock's gap and seem to have had lands just south of Broadway, as well as retaining lands in the Edom area. Brennemans provided grounds for Mennonite burial across from their Edom residence, and this became the most used by early settlers. Abraham died in 1815, after which Brennemans built a church to the southwest, where the population of the day was shifting.
1775	John Reiffe, (born Hempfield Township of Lancaster in 1724) the son of John Jacob Reiffe who married Elizabeth Kauffman went to Rockingham. Both of these families were Mennonite. John had married Anna Gerber, d/o Nicholas and Elizabeth.(Jacob Eyman of Paxtang was the son of an Anna Garber thought by some to be the sister of of Nicholas born in Germany of Switzerland.) Their daughter was the first wife of Abraham Brenneman. John's brother Jacob Sr. had preceded him to the area, and went to Greenbriar, though he was buying land around Timberville and elsewhere in Rockingham in 1771-1772. Their grandson Daniel (b.1794, son of John <1750-1824>) was the owner of land at "Rifeville" which became Dayton -- the site of a lake and mill which was long operated by Bowmans as a Brethren related site.
1775	John Rife Jr., a brother of Jacob Rife Sr. who had arrived earlier, reached Rockingham about 1775. He had been born 1724 and lived for a while in the Leitersburg District of Maryland. He married Anna Gerber, thought to be the daughter of Elizabeth in
1775	Johannes Garber settled at Flat Rock around 1775 alongside Martin Garber his brother. These Garbers were Brethren elders and key leaders of churches which wee son set up at Greemount and Dayton, among other valley spots.
1776	Josiah Boone married Hanna Hite, daughter of Colonel Abraham living at Moorefield and the grand-daughter of Joist Hite.
1776	Daniel Boone listed 1,000 Kentucky acres which had been surveyed for Abraham Lincoln. Eventually, Lincoln owned 5500 acres of Kentucky land. In 1786, Abraham was shot and killed by an Indian while working in a cornfield with his three sons. Thomas, the president's father, saw his father murdered. His brother Mordecai ran and using the family rifle from inside the cabin, killed the Indian as he approached Thomas, who was said to still beside his father's body. by law, the bulk of the estate went to Abraham's oldest son Mordecai. Therefore the president's side of the family struggled.
1777	Michael Shank bought 100 acres at Linville Creek with the deed being delivered by John Schenk.
1777	Josiah sold Michael Shank 100 acres. This land adjoined that of Abraham Lincoln, grandfather of the president. In 1776, Daniel Boone listed 1,000 Kentucky acres which had been surveyed for Abraham Lincoln. Eventually, Lincoln owned 5500 acres of Kentucky land. In 1786, Abraham was shot and killed by an Indian while working in a cornfield with his three sons. Thomas, the president's father, saw his father murdered. His brother Mordecai ran and using the family rifle from inside the cabin, killed the Indian as he approached Thomas, who was said to still beside his father's body. by law, the bulk of the estate went to Abraham's oldest son Mordecai. Therefor the president's side of the family struggled.
1777	Jacob Chrisman to sons George Christman (sic) (b 1745 d 1816) and Henry Christman (sic), grant of property, slaves, ready money and personal estate.
1778	Rockingham County was formed out of Augusta
1778	Jacob Bowman deed states that his land adjoins Jacob Rive between Linville Creek and Long Meadows. This is likely the Jacob Reiff/Rife who was linked to Abraham Brenneman. Many deeds in the area describe the "Bowman line" as the northern border of Lincoln land involvements along the creek. Some Bowmans were Brethren.
1778	Jacob Lincoln purchased 200 acres from Tunis Vanelt, the track laying alongside the southwest of his father's land and that of his brother Abraham. This occurred on the same day as John Lincoln's land purchase of McKay. Jacob married, raised livestock and served as a commissioned officer in McAllister's Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary war. He built a log cabin on his land which was later to be slave quarters. Near 1800 he started on the large brick homestead that one can visit today.
1778	Thomas Lincoln, the father of the president was born at the home of his grandfather, Virginia John. He would subsequently migrate to Kentucky as a very young man. It was in 1786, at the age of eight, that Thomas observed his father dying in a cornfield at the hand of a hostile Indian in Kentucky.
1778	Surveys for Jacob Bowman
1779	Morgan Bryans had migrated to Kentucky and founded Bryan's Station near Lexington
1780	Michael Shank, in partnership with John Reif, bought lands from Abraham Lincoln as this part of the Lincoln family was preparing to migrate to Kentucky where Daniel Boone had secured a great deal of land for Abraham.
1780	Michael Shank sold land to John and Handle Vance.
1780	Henry Shank, Mennonite Bishop born 1758 who married Anna Reiff, daughter of John Reiff, migrated to Rockingham.
1780	John Rife Sr. and family arrive to the area and bought land one mile south of Broadway where the main house was, and various properties throughout the area. John's son Jacob was buying land starting the next year, 1781. Jacob also bought of the grandson of Broadway's first settler (David Robinson) a 14 acre plot on both sides of the creek reaching down to the mouth of the river on both sides with a grist mill partly built and a mill seat. This mill came to called Kline's mill, and is separate from the one which came to be called Bowman's.
1780	John Rife Sr. bought his first lands at Linville Creek from land speculator Cornelius Riddle/Ruddle who owned a good deal of land from 1767 which he acquired from John Miller, and miller from one of the major 1739 Linville grant participants. Riddle had accumulated other lands including grants of his own, and h eld 700 acres by 1789. John's son Jacob also bought land from Ruddle, though details are not known. The Rifes acquired many other properties, including a grist mill on both sides of Linville at the north end of Broadway where the Linville Creek enters the Shenandoah river. John Rife's land was later sold to Giles and Joseph Bowman.
1780	Abraham and Bathsheba Lincoln sold 262 acres at Linville Creek, most of the lot having been received from his father, although Abraham had supplemented his lands with a purchase form Monsey. Abraham is said to have bought 400 acres in Kentucky near this time. It's usually suggested that the Lincolns, including sons Thomas and Mordecai, moved to Kentucky in this year. Interestingly, this land was deeded to a partnership between Michael Shanks and John Reuf(1) (1) Partnerships in land were unusual. Jacob Eyman had joined with a Jacob Racif as first owners of land in Upper Paxtang in 1786. Others were involved in purchasing land of Abraham Lincoln, including Michael Bowman. Given the lay of the land, with Bowmans generally to the north and west of Lincoln lands, it seems even more likely that Adam Shank and Magdalena would have received lands closest to the south and east corner of Abraham's tract. These would have included the Abraham Lincoln home and been right on Linville Creek.
1781	Jacob Rife Sr. bought land at Timberville Virginia, which is within Rockingham borders, and north of Broadway. Jacob also took lands in Greenbriar and was there in 1758 when his first son was born.
1781	Jacob Rife, the son of John Rife Sr. bought land from land dealer Ruddle which was adjacent to Shaver, Abraham Riffe, cornered on John Rife Sr., land, and Bowman's line. Subsequently, Jacob and his wife Katherinie sold most of their land to Bowman and the Rife mill became Bowman's Mills and Post Office.
1782	It's believed that this was the year that Abraham and Bathsheba migrated to Kentucky with their son Tom, who would be the father of the president. In 1786 an Indian shot and killed Abraham Sr.
1782	One estimate of the date at which Abraham Lincoln went to Kentucky from Linville Creek
1782	Jacob Rife Sr. <1758> bought land in Rockingham after his Timberville purchase. He had sons Joseph in Greenbriar, and then Barbara, Abraham, Catherine, and possibly Jacob, Henry, David.
1782	Jacob Lincoln had 200 acres surveyed on the east side of Linville Creek which he purchased from his brother Abraham. Apparently the original design of property lines splitting the creek didn't help matters when it was important to keep cows in one pasture or another, and putting a fence down the middle of a creek which was often forded didn't make a lot of sense.
1785	Henry Eyman paid taxes as carpenter in Lampeter Township, though deed of sale of Lampeter lands listed him as blacksmith. He had served in militia and raised a family, and had not as yet migrated to Virginia.
1785	Adam Shank bought land from John Schenk in 1785 and 100 acres from Michael, a nephew, in 1786.
1785	Surveys for Benjamin Bowman, Brethren Elder. A picture of his log cabin will appear on maps of this site. It was generally necessary for settlers to build "improvements" in order to qualify for deeds, though as an exception, many land owners at Linville Creek owned in addition, "pine lands" which were timbered tracts, usually up the hillside, where wood could be sources for it's many uses in construction and for daily fuel.
1786	The Adam Shanks sold their lands in York and likely proceeded to Virginia from this date. They migrated to Rockingham in this or the following year. Their second daughter, Magdalena was with them and later married Abraham Brenneman. They lived just north of Edom and across the creek from "Virginia John" Lincoln, the grandfather of the president. The Lincoln cemetery across the creek is on land which was once owned by "Virginia John" Lincoln, the great grand-father of the president. The Lincoln homestead was on the land of John's son, Jacob. Lake's Atlas, 1885, gives the name of Shank's Run to a small creek in the neighborhood which empties into Linville. Currently, the Jacob Lincoln home is owned by a member of the Shank family.
1786	The highlands area of Hardy County was formed out of Hampshire County, derived from the older Augusta and Frederick Counties
1786	Hannah Boone, the daughter of Josiah Boone Jr. and Hannah Hite, who were said to have been married in 1800, was born in Boonesborough in November of this year.
1787	Michael Shank took over 200 acres in GreenBriar County and moved there living next to a brother also named Adam.
1787	Jacob Rife, son of John Sr. who had purchased lands in 1780, sold large lots and milling operations to Joseph Bowman. Neighbors included Jacob Bowman, Younts, and soon Samuel Shank, Dunlaps and Geil, Sites, George Chrisman and Conrad Custer. There were no Jacob Rifes in local records after 1835, though there were other Rifes in the area. Most Rife land seems to have migrated to Bowman holdings. Sites seem to have owned the old house built by Rifes and the area was long known as Bowman-Sites farm. In the future, Showalters, another Mennonite name of longstanding association with these interrelated families were to be owners of most of these properties.
1787	Land of John Rife was deeded to his son, Jacob, John having died. As late as 1830, Jacob had land on Linville Creek, at the Pines near Round Hill, and had held land in Long Meadows.
1787	Abraham Beery arrives in Rockingham with family from Lancaster at the age of 69.
1788	The highlands area of Pendleton County of what was to become West Virginia was formed out of Rockingham, Augusta, and Hardy Counties.
1788	Virginia John died and left his lands to his sons.
1789	Sale of Henry Eyman and Mary Sager's land at Lampeter of Pennsylvania to Paul Lantz
1789	Adam Shank received an additional 13 acres adjoining Chrisman, Eversole, Mathews, and Brenneman. This property has been determined to be on the headwaters of the East Branch of Linville Creek, in the center township below Linville Creek Post Office.
1790	Adam Shank took a grant in Rockingham for 66 acres between Smith's Creek and Song Meadow adjoining Harrison and Shulbzer. This deed hasn't been located in detail though it's likely timberland rather than residential property.
1790	Jacob Lincoln put up his first log house on his lands. This building was converted to slave quarters with the construction of the brick house. The first house may have been constructed at an earlier date, with an intervening log structure. Though brick or limestone houses were favored, it often took a generation or two for settlers to be able to afford this form of structure. It may be that acquiring labor for construction was difficulty without recourse to slavery.
1791	Adam Shank grant in Rockingham for 13 acres adjoining Chrisman and Eversole, Mathews and Brenneman. "A study of the land grants locates this property as on the headwaters of the East Branch of Linville Creek, which places the land in central township below the Linville Creek Post Office"
1791	Gasper Moyers purchased land (half of 300 acres) of Thomas Bryan Sr. and his son Peter. The land had been mortgaged to John Kring Sr. and Michael Trout as co-signers. Adjoining owners: John Bryan, William Bryan, Jacob Lincoln. A descendant of Bryan believes that this land was what is known as Atchison house. These were later owners of the land who may have done substantial modification of the building as late as 1850. See Rockingham County Deed Book #00, pp. 89, 381-383. This was quite a complex deed with specification that if payments were not met, the property could be sold through the Winchester Gazette. There may have been legal disputes on this land related to Moyers.
1793	Thomas Bryan died and the will was contested in litigation by Casper Moyers. Undiscovered court papers might help to clarify confusions related to similar deed descriptions between lands of Moyers and those purchased by Christian Eyman and Susannah from John Kring in 1798. The will which was presented to courts in this year provided for half of the Thomas and Peter Bryan lands to pass to Allen, a brother of Peter. Allen is known to have sold the land to John Kring, who may have sold it to Eyman. The property as described in the will, however, involved the place where Thomas Bryan had been living. This would seem to point to some other house besides the "Baxter House" which one can visit today, and with meets far better the deed descrition of lands purchased by Christian and Susannah.
1795	Jacob Lincoln was buying several large parcels in Rockingham during this year, adding to his inventory
1796	Henry Eyman and Mary Sager migrated to Rockingham from Lampeter. Their children were baptized at First Reformed near the migration. The sponsor for their baptism was Maria LeFevre, the wife of Isaac LeFevre and possibly the widow of Ulrich Eyman. Eymans were taxed in Rockingham for 1798.
1796	Abraham Berry, a strong Mennonite with a very large family which came to reside in Edom purchased a large lot of timber near Edom. Some from this family would ultimately migrate to Fairfield County of Ohio.
1798	Christian Eyman and Susannah of Conestoga purchase 177 acres of John Kring adjoining William Bryan, John Bryan, Jacob Lincoln. This land had been conveyed by Robert McCoy to Cornelius Bryan and then recorded by John Bryan to Thomas. Upon Thomas's departure, son Allen Bryan received the land and sold it to Kring.
1798	A Christian Shank of undetermined relationship moved to Rockingham from Pennsylvania and had saw and grist mills.
1800	Near this year, Jacob Lincoln started the project of building out his brick house which was to become today's "Lincoln Homestead"
1800	The Historical Society for Rockingham has suggested that around 1800, ownership of Bryan Land passed to Lincolns. Virginia John had purchased land about a mile north of this house.
1801	Jacob acquired additional lands including small plots adjoining lands of Joshua Strock and Cornelius Briant (sic)(Bran)
1802	Linville Baptist Church, to which Harrison and Lincolns belong southt out Methodists on Linville Creek in order to build a new meeting house. Soon there stood on the hill just east of Linville Creek close to Wenter's Mill and very close to Lincoln homestead a Methodist church
1803	Michael Shank died in Rockingham. Also in the next year, the lands of Adam Shank were taxed in the name of his executors, and so he had died.
1804	A brick house with fireplaces in each of seven rooms was built on Brenneman lands. It was later stuccoed. Abraham Brenneman had extensive land holdings, and may also have been the "Anthony Branaman" (sic) who owned 240 acres in the eastern part of the county on Humes Run which had been assigned to him by Peter Conrad. Brennemans are counted as Mennonites and donated land for churches and cemeteries with many Brethren, though there are also records of military service down this line. They sometimes had servants, and it's been said that the house was constructed in part with slave labor.
1810	A confusing deed for 62 acres from Henry Eyman to William Bryan in trust for Abraham Brenneman was filed in court for this year. John Chrisman was present and acknowledged Henry's recording of the deed. Payments were made to Melchior Brenneman, a son of Abraham. The deed suggests that Eyman was living on this land. The name of Henry Harshbarger is noted in the deed - a Brethren of this name migrated from Dayton of Rockingham to Ohio in 1830.
1810	Henry Eyman appeared in 1810 Rockingham census as Egeman. He had appeared as "Eyeman" for the 1798 count, and was listed this same way in the 1815 land owner directory.
1810	A Frederick Kring lives adjacent to Abraham Brenneman in census. He is likely related to the John Kring who had sold lands to Eyman from the Bryan will.
1811	In the settlement of Adam Shanks estate, a dower was set aside for Magdalena -- meaning that of the couple's lands there would be portions for her use while remainders could be sold for division in settling the estate. She received 40 acres of 140 including a mansion house. There is mention of additional lands at Smith's Creek and Long Meadow, and of the land being near Joe's Creek. Signatories included George Chrisman (his house remains in the national registry of historic places), Joseph Kratzer (who held up to 1300 acres and whose house is also in the national registry), and "John Lincoln". it's often assumed that this John was the great grandfather of the president, but "Virginia John" was deceased by the time of this deed work. The John involved was most likely the son of John, who resided east of the Lincoln family graveyard at Linville Creek, and within a quarter-of-a-mile from Magdalena's land on the other side of the creek. It was because of his son's enthusiasm on behalf of the small Baptist church which became called the Linville Baptist church, that "Virginia John" donated land for the construction of the church on his property.
1813	Daniel Bryan, born 1795 in Rockingham became famous for writing an epic poem entitled "The Mountain Muse" dealing with the heroic exploits of Daniel Boone's adventures. This college educated chap was quite young at this writing. His relationship to Daniel Boone has been widely misunderstood from the beginning. He may be either the son of a Reverend William Bryan, or a Major William Bryan.. first cousins of one another. Often described as a cousin or nephew of Daniel (who had wanted to sue Bryan for his efforts), Daniel was in either case a descendant of Cornelius Bryan, and thus quite a distant cousin. His heroic poetry had not needed a close familiarity with circumstances. Another Daniel Bryan of Kentucky, and a far closer relation, provided much documentation about the experiences of Daniel and his family in Draper Interviews and elsewhere. A grandson of Daniel was Charles Page Bryan, ambassador to Japan and minister to China, Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal, and Belgium. In 1792, William Jennings was a justice of the peace of Shenandoah County, and is thought to be related, in another generation, to William Jennings Bryan, whose great grandfather may have been William Bryan, and whose mother is thought to have been Mariah Elizabeth Jennings. The father of William Jennings Bryan was judge Silas Bryan, a law partner of Judge John Kagy.
1814	Sale of land of Christian Eyman and Susannah to Jacob Lincoln. We don't know if Christian and Susannah ever lived in Virginia, or when they might have visited the lands they clearly owned. Their children (for the most part) migrated directly into Ohio and had settled there before the Christian Eyman of Long Lane died near 1834. Jacob Lincoln's will in 1822 transferred this land to his son David. In the description of multiple parcels involved, there is a suggestion that the Eyman track adjoined lands which had been deeded to Jacob by Benjamin Bryan.
1814	Josiah Boone, Sr. born near 1725 in Pennsylvania, died 1814 in Kentucky.
1815	An Eyman is Supervisor in Conestoga. This is likely a Christian Eyman though the first name does not appear in records.
1816	Henry Eyman purchased 20 acres of Thomas Bowman of Ross County Ohio. This was part of a 170 acre tract granted in 1786 on the head of Joe's Run.
1817	Henry Eyman and Mary Sager migrated to Fairfield County of Ohio. Others have the date as 1813
1819	Henry Eyman receives deed on land surveyed in 1809 for 11 acres with saltpeter mine -- likely in German Valley of Pendleton. There are listings of this property in Pendleton land books of the period. The land was described as being in the "lower district" and 14-15 miles NE of the county seat in the 1823 Pendleton Land Book.
1820	Daniel Boone died at his home on Femme Osage Creek. He'd come to the area with extended family (including Bryans) when it was Spanish territory in 1799 and operated as the law for the district. This was before the Louisiana Purchase and statehood when Boone lost his Spanish claims, though by an act of congress his land was restored to him in 1814.
1822	First Church of Brethren built by Garber son of the Flat Rock Congregation founder. This was near Forestville, about 6 miles North of Broadway.
1822	Jacob Lincoln passed away at Linville Creek.
1823	Henry Eyman paying tax on land at Bigg Gap (15 m. NW of county seat) in Pendleton where it's noted that he's a resident of Ohio. Neighbors: Jesse Henkle, James Campbell, Peter Dunning
1826	Mennonite church built at Brennemans. Accounts vary on who were the first ministers: Michael Kauffman and Samuel Shank, though by some accounts it was Peter Burkholder
1831	The Pleasant Hill Methodist Protestant Church was built on land which Henry Eyman donated in Fairfield County of Ohio. There are few obvious links between names of founding members and those of the Pleasant Run Church, a Primitive Baptist church that lists Eymans as among the congregation. Primitive Baptist congregations seem to have emerged from a fissure with "Old School Baptists" of the Linville Baptist Church in the years leading up to 1830. Much earlier in time, Methodists at Linville had been invited to join Baptists in the construction of a shared facility, though they seem to have rejected the proposal. It's difficult to place Eymans into perspective given the religious tempers of the times. They obviously interacted extensively with Mennonites and Brethren, but were also finding their way in a multicultural world. They lived around Scots-Irishmen and Quakers as well as Swiss-Germans, and even had free Blacks living next door four decades before the Civil War.
1833	Commencing 1831, Henry Eyman placed on pension roles for serving in the Pennsylvania Continental Army.
1850	Henry Eyman died in Fairfield County of Ohio and remains with wife and family at the chapel cemetery which he helped to get off the ground in his adopted Ohio.