Nafzger Genealogy Home Page
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For Christmas, 1993, I again wrote of my genealogical research for my family. Naturally, the sequel was titled Phoenix II. This writing included what I discovered on a very fruitful trip to Botetourt County with my grandmother and my wife.
The book's dedication reads:
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Introduction Our Trip |
"Mulberry Bottom" Discovered
Roanoke In Closing... |
Since writing the original Phoenix, I have spent a great deal of time researching more recent family history. There is considerably more information to be found in the last 100 years than in the previous 100. This has proven to be both a blessing and a curse of sorts. The blessing is obvious; my desire for family information is pleasantly fulfilled. The over abundance of data, however, can prove to be quite frustrating. I can't just sit down at a courthouse or library and stick to researching what I originally intended. Every turn of the page reveals new and exciting information which tends to get me sidetracked.
In April of 1993 I embarked on a research trip of which I had dreamed for two years. Beverly and I packed up the van, dumped the kids at Marty and Fran's (for which we are eternally grateful!), picked up Grandmother (for whom we are also eternally grateful!), and set out for Botetourt County, Virginia, where I consider the real roots of our Noffsinger and Boguess families to be.
The drive through western Virginia left me with a strong feeling of the makeup of my ancestors' character. The scenery told me what they were about. The beautiful green, fertile valleys encircled by towering, majestic mountains said to me that they worked hard; that nothing in this land came easy. For me, just being in this rugged yet beautiful part of the country was an emotional experience. I felt a connection to the people of my past.
Needless to say, the trip proved to be exciting, emotional, and beneficial to my research. Much of what is presented here in Phoenix II is a result of my findings on this trip, as well as continued research at home and through other genealogists. Additionally, new and corrected information is provided.
It is important to me to share my findings with you, my family. If you keep this information and share it with future generations, my work will not have been in vain. These pages will only mean something if they are shared and not forgotten. And once again I challenge each of you to add to it.
Love, Jay
...and my deepest love and gratitude to Beverly, Lauren, Kristen, Grandmother, Marty, Fran and everyone else who aided me in one way or another in my research.
![[Map of
Original Botetourt County]](botetmap.gif)
Botetourt County was established by the Act of Division of Virginia Assembly
which was passed on November 28, 1769, and approved by the governor on December
21, 1769. The Act provided that as of January 31, 1770, Augusta County would be
divided into two counties and parishes.
The county was named for Lord Botetourt, Norborne Berkely, Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia from December 26, 1768, until his death on October 15, 1770. Lord Botetourt was well respected by the people because of his apparent fairness in settling differences with the Crown.
Originally the boundaries of the county were quite expansive (See figure above). Botetourt consisted of parts or all of West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, all the way to the Mississippi River. It also included parts or all of the Virginia counties of Fincastle, Green Brier, Rockbridge, Montgomery, Bath, Monroe, Alleghany, Roanoke and Craig.
The earliest white settlers were mainly Presbyterians of Scotch-Irish decent. Some were French Huguenots. Later, many of these original settlers began to move west and sold their lands to new settlers consisting mostly of Palatine Germans, such as our family. These German families were primarily of the Mennonite, Reformed and Lutheran faiths.
Fincastle serves as the county seat for Botetourt County. Situated along Rt. 220 about ten miles north of Roanoke, it is a sleepy little town that is full of history.
Forty-five acres of this area, originally known as Miller's Mill, were voluntarily deeded by Israel Christian for the purpose of establishing the county seat. In 1772 the General Assembly passed the act of establishment which founded the town of Fincastle, named for George Lord Fincastle, son of Lord Dunmore, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
Today there are still many houses dating to the 1700's along Main Street. However, two disastrous fires took their toll in the 1870's, destroying many homes and businesses. To preserve the historic value of Fincastle, the town was declared an Historic Landmark by the Virginia Landmarks Commission.
Being the county seat, of course the county courthouse proved to be an important source of research information. I spent two full days perusing the land deeds and birth records available there, and I still haven't scratched the surface. Much of my information is derived from this research as well as from visiting many sites.
Outside of Fincastle at the Mill Creek Baptist Church we found the grave of Nannie Lucretia Boguess, John Wesley Boguess' first wife who died during childbirth. It was Sunday and before we left the congregation began to leave. Among them we met Audrey Simpson Kelley whose grand-mother, Marilda Boguess Simpson, was Grandmother's aunt. Grandmother had fond memories of playing at her aunt Marilda's house as a child. The house still stands a mile or so from the church.
Eagle Rock, situated along the James River in northern Botetourt County, lies in a natural valley surrounded by Crawford Mountain, Rat Hole Mountain, and Sheets Mountain.
This community was originally known as Rat Hole, named for the mountain which had an opening which served as a shelter to hoboes and rats. This name prevailed until the establishment of a post office in 1878, when the name "Breckenridge" was adopted. Residents complained that "Breckenridge" was too long, so the town was renamed "Sheets" in 1879, named in honor of Civil War veteran Evans Sheets. In 1883, "Eagle Rock" was adopted after a bald eagle was killed at the end of Crawford Mountain. Eagle Rock flourished and many new homes were built with the coming of industry in the early 1880's.
The Moore Lime Company of Richmond was established in Eagle Rock in 1881. Lime stone was brought in from local quarries and prepared in two kilns along the bank of the James River. Because the lime was transported in barrels, the company operated three other industries - a stave mill to create the wooden sections of the barrels, a dry kiln to season the staves, and a cooper shop to construct the barrels. In 1933, the industries was taken over by the Virginia Lime Products Company, which operated it until 1942. Then, in 1943, the Eagle Rock Lime Company purchased most of the property of the Virginia Lime Products Company, which operated successfully until about 1954. The kilns of the Eagle Rock Lime Company still stand today.
The Eagle Rock Hotel provided accommodations for salesmen. Merchandise was displayed in the hotel's showroom for local merchants to order. The hotel also served as a stopover for those en route to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
My grandparents, Ted and Ouida, grew up here in Eagle Rock and the surrounding communities. Ted's family moved here when he was nine or ten years old from a farm along Lapsley Run just south of Eagle Rock, below Crawford Mountain. They lived in two homes in Eagle Rock. We located the one in which they lived from Ted's freshman year in high school until after he had gone to college and was married.
Grandmother's family lived down near Buchanan (pronounced buh-CAN-nun) when she was born. The Boguess family moved to Eagle Rock when Ouida was about five years old. Here her father John opened a meat market and general store. For about a year they lived in a rented house down by the railroad tracks known as the "Boyd's House" while John and Roberta had a house built.
The Boguess family lived in their new house until Ouida was about eight, then moved out to Covington in Alleghany County where John had opened another meat market. However, within a year or two, they moved back to the house in Eagle Rock. There they lived until after Grandmother had attended school at William & Mary and was teaching in Louisa, Virginia. At that point, John and Roberta moved to Iron Gate where John opened another market.
Legend has it that the village of Gala derived its name from an Indian word for "Gala Water". This is the name by which it was known until the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company put the name "Gala" on its station there.
Gala is situated between Mill Creek and Sinking Creek, both of which empty into the James River at Gala. Residents long believed that Gala was the site of an ancient Indian village, but had no proof until excavation of the roadbed for the Richmond and Allegheny Railway unearthed numerous artifacts which are now displayed in the Smithsonian Institute. Since then, many arrowheads, pipes, and hatchets have been discovered by farmers while tilling their soil.
Jake and Ozella purchased a 156 acre farm in Gala along the James River and moved there from Eagle Rock in the early 1940's. After Jake's untimely death in 1945, Ozella was forced to auction off the property. She bought a house and moved back to Eagle Rock.
While this chapter of our family's history is a sad one, it is nonetheless a part of our common ancestry and should be understood as such.
Iron gate lies just north of the Botetourt County line in Alleghany County. The line actually traverses Iron Gate with the majority of the town in Alleghany County. Iron Gate is a small town with a couple of stores and a gas station. It amounts to little more than a stop along the C & O Railroad.
The gas station is located on the site where, in about 1926, John Boguess opened a meat market and green grocery after he and Roberta moved from Eagle Rock. This was at the time when Ouida was at one of her first teaching jobs in Louisa, Virginia, located about 25 miles east of Charlottesville.
We were fortunate to find a home in which John and Roberta lived in Iron Gate. They lived in Iron Gate until John's death in 1953.
Clifton Forge, Alleghany County's second largest city, is only two miles above Iron Gate where Rt. 220 meets Interstate 64.
Granddaddy worked for People's Life in Clifton Forge. We were able to find one of Ted and Ouida's homes at 901 Acacia Street at the corner of Lee Street, where the family lived at the time of Uncle Marty's birth.
Covington is the largest city in Alleghany County and serves as the county seat. It is located only about ten miles from the West Virginia border.
Ouida's father, John, opened a market in Covington and moved his family here in about 1914. During their year or two in Covington, the house in Eagle Rock was rented out. We found the Boguess home along Fudge Street in Covington. Coincidentally, Ted's first cousin Louise Noffsinger (Ballou), who now resides in Virginia Beach, lived here with her family only a block away from the Boguess family on Fudge Street.
We visited Cedar Hill Cemetery in Covington, and after some searching, were able to locate the final resting place of Grandmother's parents, John and Roberta Boguess. I found this opportunity for Grandmother to be with her parents to be one of the most important parts of our trip. It certainly made it a worthwhile venture.
In 1771 the mulberry bottom on Craig's Creek was acquired from Abraham Smith by Thomas Arnott. In 1786, Mr. Arnott constructed a massive stone house with walls 22 inches thick. This early home has a basement with a fireplace which was used as a living room. Several port holes which were used in event of Indian attack can be seen high in the gables of the house...It is on Craig's Creek near Oriskany and close to Longdale Baptist Church.
From the Botetourt County Bicentennial Souvenir Program, June, 1970.
In the original Phoenix is found a section entitled "Mulberry Bottom". The story tells of a large, two-story stone house along Craig Creek which was built in 1786. The house was reported to have 22-inch thick walls with a basement and an attic.
I had heard tell of an "old stone house" that had been in the Noffsinger family many years ago from numerous other family members and sources. I had often speculated that the house at "Mulberry Bottom" and the "old stone house" were in fact one in the same. However, I had yet to prove this theory...until now!
During my days of research in the county courthouse in Fincastle, I skimmed through uncounted documents and publications looking for any information on our family. While utilizing the assistance of the very knowledgeable employees to locate documents, I made mention of my desire to find the actual location of "Mulberry Bottom"; that there was an old stone house there which was in our family at one time. The lady assisting me informed me that there was such a house along Craig Creek on the farm of Mr. Rodney Heck and suggested I call him for more information.
Additionally, she showed me a publication with cemetery information, Botetourt County History Before 1900 Through Cemetery Records, published by the Botetourt County American Bicentennial Commission. She believed that one of the cemeteries listed there contained the graves of members of our family and was located near the stone house.
Needless to say, I was elated to stumble in to such information. I contacted the Hecks and was invited to visit their farm the next day.
Just above Eagle Rock along Rt. 220, Rt. 615 branches off to the west at Bessemer. The road runs almost parallel to Craig Creek, slowly winding through Jefferson National Forest and some of the richest bottom land to be found in Botetourt County. Farm houses are situated on large tracts of land along the banks of Craig Creek.
Rt. 707 branches off to follow the creek, ending about three miles later at the farm of Rodney and Doris Heck. The farm encompasses several hundred acres in a beautiful valley between the Rich Patch Mountains to the north and Patterson Mountain to the south.
From the Hecks' house, a wheel rutted dirt road runs through the valley between the mountain ranges and leads to the "Old Stone House at Mulberry Bottom". As we approached the home that amounted to my "Holy Grail" of ancestral research, I felt both excited and nervous. The excitement was for obvious reasons: this was the oldest property I had positively located to date. But, I was also nervous that I would be disappointed by what I found. I was not.
The house sits on the edge of the land farmed by Mr. Heck, within 20 yards of Craig Creek. A cinderblock addition has been added on to the back of the original stone structure. According to Mr. Heck it was added in the 1930's.
It was unbelievable to me that this home was built over 200 years before. Usually structures that have withstood so much time are historical sites which have been refurbished by society groups and lots of time and money. While the house at "Mulberry Bottom" is not ready for tour guides and visitors, it is "whole". It is as solidly built as you would expect 22-inch thick stone walls to be, has all of its windows (less a few broken panes), a solid tin roof and chimney, sturdy floors, and lots of character.
To be sure, the inside is not "livable", yet only because it has been uninhabited for many years. However, the wooden spiral staircase to the upstairs is solid. All of its floorboards are in good shape. We did not venture into the attic nor the basement due to the reported rodent population.
I can't help but to fantasize about the far-fetched idea of buying and
renovating this majestic old home which holds so much family history for us.
Granddaddy (Ted, Sr.) was born in this house on May 10, 1904. Grandmother has
speculated that his parents, Jake and Ozella, were living with Jake's
grandparents, Samuel and Hetty Margaret (Samuel's second wife), while the young
couple awaited their first child.
![[Map
from Mulberry Bottom Deed]](deed.gif)
Samuel was listed on a marriage certificate as being a carpenter by trade. He married my great-great-great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Jopling, on December 7, 1853. On March 7, 1856, my great-great grandfather, Charles Theodore, was born to them. Other children followed.
As listed in a Botetourt County deed book, on December 22, 1859, Samuel bought this land from Jacob Reid, Jr. Jacob had inherited part of this land from his father upon Jacob, Sr.'s death in 1837 (see figure), and later acquired other parcels from his siblings and his mother. The entry deeding this land to Samuel Noffsinger reads in part:
Whereas Jacob Reid late of Botetourt County died seized of a certain tract of land situated on Craig's Creek adjoining Andrew Crawford & others & under proceedings of the Circuit Superior Court ... the said Jacob Reid has sold & desires to convey his undivided interest above stated to Samuel Noffsinger. This deed made the 22nd day of December in the year 1859 between Jacob Reid & Susan his wife of the one part and Samuel Noffsinger of the other part all of Botetourt County, Virginia, witnesseth this consideration of one dollar by the said Noffsinger in hand paid to said Reid & wife the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged ...
Sadly, on July 1, 1866, Mary Elizabeth Jopling Noffsinger passed away, leaving Samuel to raise three children ranging in age from four to nine.
Samuel remarried on March 3, 1868, to Hetty Margaret Owen, of the Owen family from which Granddaddy's cousins Claudine Owen Pendleton and Emily Owen Heaston are descended. Their only child was Hugh Godwin Noffsinger.
In 1894, tragedy struck the family. While in town in a horse-drawn carriage, Charles Theodore was killed when his horses were spooked by a train's whistle. At the age of 38 he left behind his wife, Harriet "Hattie" Cornelius Deisher Noffsinger, and six children between the ages of two and sixteen. Articles about his untimely death from the Fincastle Herald appear below.
Grandmother astutely posed the question: How might Charles Theodore's
death, and his sons being suddenly thrust into manhood, have affected the boys,
Martin Samuel and William Jacob, who both later took their own lives?
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THURSDAY, AUG. 2, 1894. FATAL ACCIDENT. A Young Man Thrown From a Wagon and Killed. On last Wednesday evening, July 25th, Mr. Chas. Noftsinger, a well known young man of Parr, a son of Mr. Samuel Noftsinger, met with a distressing accident, which caused death the following morning. Mr. Noftsinger had taken his wife to Eagle Rock to do some shopping. While his wife was thus engaged he took Mr. Sidney Saville, superintendent of schools of Rockbridge, and his son, into the two horse spring wagon which he was driving, and proceeded to the home of Mr. Abram Saville on the Craig Valley line. When he got to Mr. Whitten's the material train had arrived and was side tracked. Mr. Noftsinger made an effort twice to find out whether the train was going to start, and received no answer. After the two occupants got out Mr. Noftsinger drove past the engine, when the continual whistle of the engine started the horses to run. They ran against a fence, throwing him out against a post, injuring him so badly that he died the next morning from the effects of the unfortunate accident. Much sympathy was mainfested for the dying young man, who was one of the most highly respected citizens of that section. Mr. Noftsinger was 38 years of age, and leaves a wife and six children and many relatives and friends who are grieved at his untimely death. |
A very sad accident occured at Bessemer last Wednesday. Mr. Chas. Nofsinger was driving a two-horse jersey wagon near the Seat and Body factory. The work train was standing on the siding, and when Mr. Nofsinger came up near the engine a Mr. Savalle and two children from Rockbridge got out of the jersey and Mr. Nofsinger hollered to the engineer to know if he was going to start and received no reply. He called to him a second time and no reply save a very loud shrill whistle which freightened his horses - they became unmanageable and began to run. The engineer continued to whistle and the horses ran round behind the factory and some distance beyond, when they ran into a fence and broke away from the wagon, pulling Mr. Nofsinger out on a post, which struck him near the pit of the stomach. He was taken to Mr. J. G. Whitten's, where all attention that could be given was had; nevertheless his injuries proved fatal Saturday morning about 9 o'clock. Mr. Nofsinger was buried near his father's, (Mr. Samuel Nofsinger) last Sunday at 11 o'clock. - The large crowd in attendance showed the high esteem in which he was held by the community. He was a member of Longdale Baptist church and a devoted christian. He was near forty years of age and leaves a wife and six children. To them and his many friends we extend our deep sympathy. Bart. July 31st, 1894. |
In 1899, the following deed was registered:
This deed made this 21 day of August in the year 1899 between Samuel Noffsinger and Hettie M. Noffsinger, his wife, of the first part and Hattie C. Noffsinger, widow of Charles T. Noffsinger deceased of the second part, all of the County of Botetourt and the state of Virginia witnesseth that the said party of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar to them by the said Hattie C. Noffsinger in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, they the said Samuel Noffsinger and Hettie M. Noffsinger his wife do grant unto the said Hattie C. Noffsinger all their rights ... and interest in 164 acres of land ... on both sides of Craig's Creek ... to be held by said Hattie C. Noffsinger during her life time ...
Obviously, Samuel and Hettie ensured that Charles' widow was well cared for. It has to have been a terribly difficult task to raise six children alone, especially in the days when women were not normally bread-winners.
The Noffsinger Family Cemetery
Although discovering the old stone house was the most important find during our trip, there was more; an unexpected bonus for my time and research.
Across the valley from the stone house, Mr. Heck directed us up a rutted and rocky dirt road that he had fashioned up the side of a mountain several hundred feet in height. It was a slow climb through the trees and dirt which led to an open plain atop the hill. Across this field in the opposite corner near a tree line lay a small cemetery with a handful of headstones.
We drove across the field to the cemetery, got out of the van, and discovered the final resting place of Samuel, Hettie, Charles Theodore, and Hattie. Along with a few members of other families who had lived here, a scattering of unmarked stones, probably of long forgotten slaves, were the ancestors whose lives echoed in the old stone house at "Mulberry Bottom". We had come upon the first graves that I had found of any of my direct ancestors since my research began.
To me this is sacred ground and I found myself tidying up around the headstones and talking to my great-great-great grandfather, his wife, my great-great grandfather Charles Theodore, my namesake of sorts, and my great-great grandmother who endured such tragedy and still managed to raise six children. I almost felt that I had some catching up to do, for all of the years that I didn't know them personally and never would. They had been acquaintances on paper and on my computer screen, but now I feel that I really know them.
Mr. Heck told us that when he was deeded this land years ago by Fenton Parr, the previous owner, the property at the cemetery was left as community property of the descendants of those who rested there. He has honored the deed and treats the land as a sanctuary, occasionally cutting down the small saplings that spring up and mowing the underbrush. He understands how important this small cemetery is to some and is happy to show family to it.
Our last order of business on this trip was to visit the cemeteries in Roanoke where Jake and Ozella are buried, as well as Martin Samuel and Effie May Ricks Noffsinger, Jake's brother and his wife. This proved to be a perfect opportunity to pay a visit to Granddaddy's cousin Emily Heaston. Emily was very gracious to be our tour guide. Without her we may have never found the cemeteries.
Our first stop was Evergreen Cemetery where Martin Samuel and Effie May are buried. Martin was the oldest of Charles Theodore's children, and probably became the man of the house after his father's death. Sadly, Martin took his own life in 1938. Effie May lived until 1984. Louise Noffsinger Ballou, Martin and Effie's daughter, tells me that Jake was very distraught over his brother's death and feels it may have been a contributing factor in Jake's own death.
From Evergreen we drove to Fairview Cemetery. A good deal of the Wilhelm family (Ozella's) is buried here, along with William Jacob (Jake). I had found little information on Ozella's family and was pleasantly surprised to find additional information on Ozella's parents and siblings.
Another good source of Wilhelm information was to follow. After our visits to the cemeteries we had time for a brief visit with Sarah Wilhelm. Sarah, the widow of Ozella's youngest brother Mark Spurgeon, was kind enough to share some additional information on the Wilhelms which greatly enhanced my research.
One of my greatest desires since starting genealogical research has been to visit the places where my ancestors lived, worked, built families, and died. In Phoenix I said that I hoped to visit Botetourt County to do more digging into our past, and my hopes became reality last April.
The most important part of this trip was the presence of two very important people in my life: my grandmother and my wife. I don't believe that the trip would have been worth the trouble without Grandmother. Finding homes and graves which only she could have found made for a fulfilling journey into our past. There is no way that I could have known where to find family homes in Eagle Rock or Iron Gate if I had set out without her. She shared with us places and experiences that would have otherwise gone unknown, but which are now forever available to us thanks to her. And although I know that she may have had a million other things that she would rather have been doing, she was the consummate traveller and kept right up with us...often leading the way!
And, of course, without my beautiful wife Beverly to support and assist my efforts, none of this would have been possible. Although my research thus far has been on my side of the family, she shares my excitement at every little find I make, and allows me my time to do this work.
As before, I hope for nothing more than for you to enjoy and share this work with your families. It is very important to me that this information be available to all of my family for years to come, and that will only be possible if you keep it, share it, and add to it.
I will be continuing my research as time permits, and will share it whenever possible. Please don't hesitate to let me know of any additional information or corrections that you may come across. Thank you.
Theodore Jacob Noffsinger, III
![[Auction Pamphlet]](auction.gif)