Pg. 127, Helen Barnhart Morris Scrapbook.
Joseph Montgomery
The death of Joseph Montgomery occurred at the home of his sister, Mrs. James Archer, on Birch
avenue, about 6:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 11, 1916, of acute indigestion, with valvular heart trouble
contributory, being afflicted with the latter trouble about two years. He was aged 74 years, one month
and 18 days.
The deceased was born near Dallas, W.Va., Nov. 23, 1831, son of James and Rachel McKain Montgomery.
Mr. Montgomery while young located in West Finley township, where he spent most all of his life.
He united with the Christian congregation at Beham about the time of its organization, and was a
man of upright character.
Besides Mrs. Archer, there are two other sisters, Mrs. Geo. Horn, of Freeport, O., and Miss
Ella Montgomery, of West Finley township.
The funeral service was held at the Archer home Wednesday evening.
The remains were taken Thursday for interment in Dallas cemetery.
Pg. 40, Helen Barnhart Morris Scrapbook.
Sarah Jane Montgomery
Brief the illness and very unexpected the announcement of the death of Mrs. Sarah Jane Montgomery,
at her home on Greene street shortly after five o'clock, Sunday evening, June 4, 1905, of bronchial
apoplexy, aged 85 years.
The stroke proved fatal after but little more than 15 or 20 minutes. She had been reading her
Bible shortly before, and it still lay open. Dr. Inglis was called, but she breathed her last
almost before anything could be done. The deceased was a daughter of the late Dr. Samuel
and Susan Todd, and was born Nov. 3rd 1819, of Smithfield, Westmoreland county, Pa. Part of
her early life was spent at Monongahela. For three or four years she was matron of the Sheltering
Arms home for girls in Pittsburg.
She lived with her grandmother Kerr at Cross Creek and at her death made her home with uncle,
the late Hampton Kerr, while living in Cross Creek she was an active Sunday School worker. In
May, 1880, she was married to John Montgomery, of East Finley, who died in June, 1881. She united
with the Monongahela Presbyterian church in early life and was for perhaps 60 years or more a
professed Christian, being a member of the United Presbyterian church at the time of her death.
She was always of a jovial disposition from her youth, industrious in her care of her home,
and garden. She has resided in Claysville since 1881. Two brothers survive-- Aaron Barton, in
Wilkinsburgh,at the U.P. Home for the Aged and Hamilton, of Richmond, Ind.
Funeral services were conducted by her pastor, Dr. A. MacLechlan,assisted by Dr. Frank Fish.
The pall bearers were G.Y. Holmes, D.M. Campsey, W.M. Mustard, S.C. McCracken, G.B. Sprowls.
Interment in Claysville cemetery.
Pg. 8, Helen Barnhart Morris Scrapbook.
Alexander Sprowls His Own Sketch of His Useful Life.
[The following sketch was written by Alexander Sprowls, a grandson of the pioneer John Sprowls,
who came to America from Ireland in 1794. It was written in April, 1876. He died on the 10th
day of September following, having spent a very useful life, was always faithful to his church,
earnest in every worthy enterprise, ever ready to minister to the sick of needy; an earnest
patriot. Many revere his memory and will rise up to call him blessed.]
I was born the 17th of June, 1811, in Finley township, Washington county, Pa., on the
Enlow fork of Wheeling creek. Lived there until April, 1815, when my parents moved into what is
now East Finley township, near the old Herman meeting house. I received all the schooling, I ever
got in an old log school house on the bank of the creek on what is now the John Knox property.
I never went to school more that two months in the year, and that in the winter time. I never
looked out of the school through glass. In my days of going to school it was through greased paper
in the place of glass, and had to sit and split logs or slabs for seats and pins put into the wall
with a board laid on them for writing desk. I suppose I never went to school more than nine months
in all my life.
I was baptized in my infancy by a Methodist preacher named Simon Lock. The first sermon I ever
heard was preached by Jacob Winters in the old school house, where I went to school. In my 16th
year I went to work on the national road; worked there three months, but did not like the work and
quit. Then I became acquainted with the family of Elias Day; worked for him most of my time. I went
out on Cross Creek to work when harvest come. Never received more than 62 1/2 cents a day's
harvesting in my days of working out. It was while I was working at Elias Day's that I became under
conviction, under the preaching of Cornelius Loughren, an Irishman, who had been preaching at
Upper Ten Mile Presbyterian church, but had been suspended and forbidden to preach in the name of the
Presbyterian body. He was suspended because he preached a full and free salvation through faith
in Jesus Christ and free communion. He then preached at Elias Day's, Epriam Post's, Lawrence Sargent's
and many other places in that neighborhood. We might say he was the instrument that God used to bring
the first Cumberland Presbyterian preacher to that part of the country.
The first Cumberland Presbyterian preacher I ever heard was Alfred Bryan, I heard him preach his
first sermon in Washington county. He preached in on Dry Run, in a new house of Luther Day's on the
third or fourth Sabbath of August 1831. Then my conviction of sin and need of salvation became more
deeply impressed upon me and continued until the camp meeting held in September of the same year.
There I professed faith in Jesus Christ. The meeting was conducted by Morgan, Bryan, Chapman,
Donnell, Burroughs, Lindley and Loughren. It was held on what was then called the Burt Camp ground,
now Old Concord. I was then in my 21st year. I united with the Cumberland Presbyterian church in
October of the same year. The session met in the same house where I heard the first Cumberland
Presbyterian sermon preach. In recalling scenes at that camp meeting it brings up many things
that makes my heart rejoice that I ever saw that day.
When we think of between 250 and 300 that we believe where hopefully converted and we still imagine
that we can see Brother Chapman, with his gray hair, walking along the aisles with tears rolling
down his cheeks and singing that old familiar hymn, "I'm not ashamed to own my Lord, nor to defend
his cause," and then hear him exhort sinners come to Jesus; then Donnel, with all the incentives of
heaven to influence the sinner to come to Christ; then Morgan his power that the sinner not to go
down to hell; then Brian, to point the mourner to Jesus. These scenes are pleasant to think about.
Then when we look after those who were connected at that camp meeting we can see but few of
them now have went to other fields of labor, but the most of them have gone from the church militant
to the church triumphant; and then comes to me the question, why is this so? I leave this with Him who
orders all things well.
On the 8th day of April, 1832, I came into West Finley township to live with him seven years.
In 1837 bought the farm that brother James lives on and the farm that I now live on. I was married on
the 17th of January, 1839, to Jane Montgomery of Brookfield, Trumbull county, Ohio. We can say what
very few can; that we never moved in our lives. The reason was we had nothing to move. I had lived
with my brother. He moved out of the house the first of April after we were married and left us the house.
Then we commenced to gather and continued until we got what we now have. I was elected elder
in the Concord Cumberland Presbyterian church on May 6th, 1839, was ordained some time in June following
by John Morgan. I was elected school teacher in West Finley township, in 1844, served nine years.
Served as Township Treasurer, two years, as assessor and collector three years. I was the first
Cumberland Presbyterian In West Finley township. I was one of the trustees appointed by the court when
the Windy Gap Cumberland Presbyterian church was chartered. I helped build the church house in 1847
helped build the parsonage and improve the ground in 1857-8-9.
I was elected poor director of Washington County in 1858, and during the three-year term attend
all the meetings of the board but two, when I had typhoid fever, Brother Arthur and I started to
Iowa, May 21, 1867, to visit Joseph and Harvey Seaman, the Templetons, and John M. Day, old
neighbors who went from East and West Finley and Morris township. We had a very pleasant
visit, but I never had any notion of going there to live. My trip cost me $58.65. On April 8,
1868, I was appointed a delegate to the General Assembly of the C.P. Church, which was held at Lincoln,
Ill., on the 23d of May. I had good health, a pleasant trip going and returning, and it was a very
profitable and interesting meeting. I formed many acquaintances I shallever remember.
We built part of the house we now occupy in 1849. Simon and James Sprowls did the carpenter work.
It was their first job after they were free from their boss. We built our barn in 1856. Daniel Ealy did
all the carpenter work and sawed all the lumber on his own mil for $175; Leonard Plants did the mason
work for $128; the pine lumber cost $12.50 per 1000 feet in Wheeling. We built an addition to our
house in 1865, and then the wool house at the same time. Another addition was built to the house in 1875.
Nelson Towns did the carpenter work for the last addition. We bought the home farm from Samuel
McFarland in 1837 at $8 per acre, the upper farm. 75 acres, from Howard Potter for $1000; some more
land from Wm. Earnest, at $33 per acre.
In 1846 we sold a small piece of land adjoining his farm to Edward Alexander at $7 per acre, and
in 1844 we sold 14 acres to John Nickerson at $22 per acre.
April 1st, 1872, Alexander McCleary, Dr. J.W. Hancher and I were appointed road commissioners of
West Finley township by the State Legislature. We surveyed the township roads in half-mile sections,
marked them, prepared specifications for each section, and sold them to the lowest bidder, to be kept
for three years according to the specifications. I was then elected road commissioner for two years
more.
Mrs. Mary Montgomery
Mrs. Mary Montgomery, 72, wife of Jesse M. Montgomery, of near Claysville, died Tuesday, July 27,
1948, at 7 a.m. at her home following a lingering illness. She was born near Enon Church, Washington
County, June 20, 1876, a daughter of Lindsay and Lydia Huffman Jones. She had resided in the Claysville
district for the past 20 years.
Mrs. Montgomery was twice married. Her husband was James Phillips. To this union were born four
children: Mrs. Gladys Clutter, of Washington, R.D. 4; Arthur Phillips, of Dunn Station; Walter Phillips,
of Washington, and Mrs. Fern Sprowls, who is deceased.
On March 28, 1924, she was united in marriage with Jesse M. Montgomery.
Besides her husband and the above mentioned children she leaves three sisters, Mrs. Minnie Wright, of
West Finley, R.D.; Mrs. Alta Conklin, of Nineveh; Mrs. Lucy Murphy, of Wind Ridge; two brother, Charles
H. Jones, of Claysville, and Hugh M. Jones, of West Finley, R.D.; 15 grandchildren and six
great-grandchildren.
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