Joseph Workman, Jr. & Elizabeth Reed, 1770-1853
Family history in this section was compiled by Phil Hayes.The original content of his treatise entitled A WORKMAN FAMILY HISTORY: from Jans William to Melvrie is presented herein without alteration.
Birth:
Around 1770, Joseph Workman, Jr., was born one of the ten children of Joseph Workman and Phoebe McRay McMahon in York, or Washington County, PA; although, his death record indicates he was born in Alleghany County, Virginia, in 1773.
It may be of interest here to note that Thomas Jefferson began construction on his new home, Monticello, around 1770. I offer this as a bit of contrast and point of reference.
The Alleghany County birthplace is suspect because it was reported on the death record by a Joseph H. Workman who identified himself as a friend. On the death record, he also listed Hamah as Joseph’s mother which is incorrect: Hannah was Joseph, Jr.’s, first wife. Joseph, Jr.’s, mother was Phoebe McMahon. It so happens that Hannah was from around Hollywood, near Gap Mills, Monroe Co., (W)Va., and only a very few miles from Alleghany County. It is entirely possible that Hannah was born in Alleghany County and not Joseph, Jr.
Sayre, in his book, thinks that Joseph H. Workman put his own father, mother, and place of birth on the death report rather than that of the deceased.
Joseph, Jr., had nine siblings: Abraham (b. 1761 –Washington Co., PA), James (b. c 1763 –York Co., PA), Nimrod (b. c 1765 –York Co., PA), Anne (b. c 1768 –PA), Thomas (b. 1722 [? ‘72] –PA), Jacob (b. c 177d –MD), Moses (b. cl777 –Washington Co., PA), Isaac (b. c 1780 –PA), Phoebe (b. c 1799 –VA). Note that these births span the Revolutionary War. (?) –Writer’s questions.
York County, PA
Washington County, PA
Childhood:
I can only say that Joseph, Jr., spent his childhood “on the trail” owing to his parents’ seemingly endless travels while the children were growing up. In any case, a reasonable guess would probably be that he grew up in Pennsylvania based on the places of birth for his near siblings.
In 1780 when he was around ten, he may have been living with his parents along the upper Bluestone River in Montgomery, or Wythe (?) County, VA
Around 1789, his father settled at Burkes Garden when Joe, Jr., was possibly as old as nineteen.
Montgomery County, VA
Bachelorhood:
In 1791, when Joe, Jr., probably turned twenty-one, he may still have been living at home with his parents at Burkes Garden.
In 1793, when he was around twenty-three, he lived and worked with his brother James on the island in the Guyandotte River which is now Logan, WV. Accounts indicate that he remained there until 1799 when the Breckenridge farm was sold.
In 1800, when Joe, Jr., was possibly thirty, he was taxed in Wythe County, VA.
In 1801 & 1802, he was taxed in Tazewell County, VA. He was probably still at, or near, his parents’ home in Burkes Garden; since, Tazewell County was then newly formed from Wythe.
From 1802 until 1807, he may have been living with his brother James on the farm at Mitchell Heights on the Guyandotte River near present day Pecks Mill, Logan Co., WV.
Burkes Garden, Montgomery County, VA
Logan County, (W)VA
Guyandotte River,
Logan County, (W)VA
Education:
Details are unknown.
Military:
Joseph, Jr., served in the militia during the War of 1812 based on information found in Sayre’s book. In it, he says, “Joseph entered military service, enlisting in the county of Cabell on 30 July 1812, or 1813, serving in Captain (Burwell) Spurlock’s Company of Virginia Militia. He was discharged 30 December 1814. That information was given on 19 October 1872, when Elizabeth (Reed) Workman made application for bounty land.”
I have been unable, to date, to find a record of Grandma Elizabeth’s application for bounty land; although, Sayre found a record somewhere. I don’t know if she was ever granted bounty land. It is curious to note here that Grandma Elizabeth was not married to Joseph when he was in the militia. They weren’t married until 1817.
I searched all the available books and records in the Raleigh County Library and the Cultural Center Archives in Charleston, WV. I was not able to find Granddad on any muster roll; however, the answer, I believe, may be found in a brief reference in the Cabell County West Virginia Heritage, a recent county history published by the county commission. On page 303, within the brief biography for the Reverend Burwell Spurlock, it says, “From 1810 to 1815, Burwell was Captain of Militia for Cabell County... His troop was ordered to move out during the War of 1812, but they had only reached Charleston when they received news that the war was over....”
So, from that reference, I believe it is reasonable to suppose that there is no muster roll in the records because there was no actual federal service for Captain Spurlock’s unit. In V. A. Lewis’ book, The Soldiery of West Virginia, he mentions that the first call for troops in what is now West Virginia was on April 19,1812. There was another call on July 18 of that year, as well as, another call on September 3. War began on June 6,1812 and ended with a truce at Ghent, Belgium, on December 24,1814.
Granddad probably enlisted on July 30,1812, as Sayre indicates in his account; although, Sayre was unsure of the year of enlistment. In my opinion, troops were probably enlisted at the war’s start and put on “stand-by” until they were ordered to “move out.” Granddad was discharged six days after the truce was signed.
This is only a curious point; but six days seem to be too little time to get notice of the truce from Europe to the United States and then to get orders to the state militias. There must have been preliminary notice in anticipation of the war’s end. Remember, this was before the telegraph. Remember also, that General Andrew Jackson didn’t get word of the truce until after the end of the year. One can only wonder why he didn’t get preliminary notice, too.
In one of the books that I reviewed, (one that I failed to identify in my notes) it said that troops were “enlisted for a period of one year, or during the war.” I assume during meant “for the duration” of the war. If so, that would account for Granddad’s extended period of enlistment. Note that Granddad was around 42 years old in 1812 and lived on Spruce Fork of Coal River.
Occupation:
I have not been able to find a record, or an account, that mentions a specific occupation for Joseph, Jr. The only census I have found which lists him was for 1850, and it did not list an occupation—of course, he was then 70 years old.
Insight into his possible occupation was gained much the same as was for his father. Joseph, Jr.’s, older brother James was an Indian fighter and worked with survey teams. There are several accounts of James and most of them mention his younger brothers Joseph, Jacob, and Nimrod. Although each of the accounts that I have read are somewhat different, I will try to summarize them to present a single list of events. I believe the differences are mostly due to the respective writers’ incomplete knowledge, or limited area of interest.
Sometime around the spring of 1780, Indians stole several horses from settlers along the Bluestone River in the area along the Fincastle/Cumberland Gap Turnpike in Wythe County, Virginia, not far from Burkes Garden. Sheriff William Ingles, husband of the famous Mary Ingles, and his deputy, John Breckenridge, formed a posse and, in time, tracked the Indians across the mountains to an island in the Guyandotte River near the mouth of Island Creek—the site of present day Logan, WV. In the ensuing battle to regain the horses and to punish the Indians, several Indians were killed, including Aracoma, the leader of the village
The accounts mention James as being a member of the posse. Further, he was later hired by Mr. Breckenridge (who subsequently bought the island) to head a survey party around 1793 and mark the property. (Point of referrence –this is about the time when Daniel Boone moved to what is now Kanawha City.) After the survey was completed, James and his brothers Joseph. Jacob, and Nimrod cleared the land, built a cabin, and farmed the land until around 1799 when Breckenridge sold the land to William Dingess. The brothers then moved down river to another farm at what is now Mitchell Heights. Eventually, James, Joseph, and Jacob took up land in what is now West Virginia: James in present day Boone County on Pond Fork of Coal River; Jacob in present day Wayne Comity; and, Joseph, first on Spruce Fork of Little Coal River in Boone County, then along the Guyandotte River in present day Wyoming County near Mullens.
In the historical society publication, Kith and Kin of Boone County West Virginia, Volume VII, there is a list of all landholders in 1847, the year Boone County was formed. That list shows over 8,000 acres owned by Joseph Workman. The article said that the landowners of high acreage had bought the land for “speculative purposes.”
In 1848 and 1849, Sayre cites Logan County records of hundreds of acres along the “Big Fork” of Guyandotte River owned by Joe, Jr. (“Big Fork” apparently referred to the main Guyandotte River to distinguish it from Clear Fork which empties into the main river down-stream near Simon.)
So, in view of the above account, Granddad Joseph may well have worked on a survey team in his younger days helping his brother James. It is also likely that he farmed some land, especially near his home at any given time; however, the record is relatively clear that he was a land speculator, although he isn’t specifically named as such.
He must have also been a hunter and trapper. A brief account is given in a letter to Mrs. Patrice Seller, Assistant Superintendent of Twin Falls State Park, from Mr. David G. Webb, Jr., author of the book, Webb Family of Bearwallow Ridge. In his letter, he says, “...Tradition indicates that the Workman Family may have been the reason my Webbs came to Bearwallow Ridge. Joseph Workman had two sons that married daughters of George Webb. Serilda Webb b 1820 m Raymond Shanton Workman while Nancy Elizabeth Webb b ca 1828 m James Matison Workman. Tradition has indicated that Workmans (men only) would pack up their wagons in Shenandoah Valley in early winter and hunt for furs in the highlands. Bearwallow Ridge was believed to have been one location. The men then returned in the spring to their families.”
Mr. Webb goes on to say, “...Bearwallow Ridge and surrounding area (was) an old hunting ground used by Cherokees. Early trappers, including the Workman family men, wintered over there during the late 1790’s and early 1800’s....”
So, it seems that Joseph, Jr., worked at some point in his life as a laborer, a surveyor’s helper, a farmer, a land speculator, and a hunter-trapper.
A typical Hunter/Trapper, circa 1830.
First Marriage, Hannah Reed:
On March 5,1807, Joseph, Jr., married Hannah Reed in Monroe County, VA. He was around 37. She was 24. Their marriage was performed by Rev. John Wisen.
Hannah was the daughter of Benjamin and Susannah (?) Reed. She was born October 15, 1782. They are thought to have lived in the area near Gap Mills, (W)Va.
Modern map for reference.
Married Life, Hannah:
Joseph and Hannah had three boys: Robert, Benjamin, and John M.
“In 1808, when Cabell county was being formed, Joseph Workman entered 200 acres on the Spruce Fork of Cole River to begin below the house wherein he now lives...” according to Hardesty’s History of Lincoln, Cabell and Wayne Counties. (Spruce Fork is on the Little Coal River and separates from Pond Fork at present day Madison.)
Hannah passed away sometime before 1817.
Second Marriage:
On April 9,1817, Joseph, Jr., married Elizabeth Reed in Monroe County, VA. He was then around 47. She was around 24. They, too, were married by Rev. John Wiseman. Benjamin and Susannah Reed, his former in-laws, were witnesses.
Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Mary Elizabeth Shanton Reed. They lived in the same area of Monroe County as Benjamin and Susannah.
Married Life, Elizabeth:
It is uncertain how many children that Joseph and Elizabeth had; however, there are records of six boys and two girls. The boys were Raymond Shanton (b. c 1818), Charles William (b. c 1819), James Madison (Mattisori?) (b. c 1823 / d. 1896), William Washington (b. 1830), and George W. and George Floyd, possibly twins (b. c 1835). The girls were Mary Ann (“Polly”?) (b. c 183d), and Malinda Jane (b. ?).
Listed in the muster rolls for the WV 7th Union Cavalry, there are two Workmans: James, born about 1823, and Amos, born about 1828, both born in Logan County, VA., and both sons of Joseph and Elizabeth Workman. Although the descriptions seem to fit, it is unclear whether this James and Amos are brothers of Shanton.
In 1845, Shanton married Sarilda Webb in Tazewell County, Va. Her parents were George and Elizabeth Webb of Wyoming Co., VA.
In 1855, George W. married Eva Stanley who was the daughter of John and Olley Stanley from Russel County, KY.
On March d,1857, Mary Ann (22) married Mitchell Evans (20) from Ashe (County), NC. He was the son of William and Mary Evans. The record indicates that Mary Ann was from Logan. Did the family live in Logan at that time, or was she living away from home? (From Boone Co. Mar. Rec)
In 1859, George Floyd married Sary (Sarah) Belcher who was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Belcher from Mercer County, VA. These marriages were recorded in the Wyoming County, Virginia, Marriage Register. (Note: The Twin Falls Pioneer Home was owned by Peter Belcher in 1859.)
"... Sometime between 1810 and 1820,” according to Sayre, “he (Joseph) had left his home place on Spruce Fork and settled on the west side of the Guyandotte River. The tributary bears the name Joe’s Branch...”
The present-day (2004) place name, Joe Branch, remains on the map; although, there is nothing there now, to my knowledge. The “tributary” name is shown as Joe Branch on the current topographical map. Joe Branch is the next stream down-river from Long Branch, the former site of the large mining complex which was known as the Itmann Tipple. The structures have been tom down and the general site has been reclaimed. Unfortunately, Joe Branch was strip-mined and the lower part of the stream was used as a tailing, or sludge, pond. The mouth of Joe Branch is directly across the river from the end of Cabin Creek Ridge. Twin Falls State Park lies mostly in Black Fork of Cabin Creek.
According to Charles Hamilton Bower, in his paper, History of the Wiley Bower Homestead, “...Lee Bower married Sally Day, daughter of Mr. and Mrs, John Day who lived where the big Itmann Tipple is today (in 1990). Lee and Sally Day Bower lived on the farm for several years where he operated one of the first stores and one of the very first post offices of Wyoming County in his store. We are in possession of a letter written to the postal department by R.L. (Lee) Bower asking that a post office be established at the location that is now Mullens, West Virginia. The letter was dated in 1904 and written and signed by R.L. Bower from Joe’s Branch. West Virginia...”
There is a curious counterpoint here. In the Reference Book of Wyoming County History by MK Bowman, the chapter on place names has an entry that says, “Joe Branch: Joe Quicksell and Joe Mitchell, for whom the stream and an early post office were named, settled near this small stream. HG McGraw had the post office established and kept it at his store. Later Wiley Phillips kept the post office.”
Well... Here, on the subject of Joe Branch, we have at least three writers and an abundance of information. I suspect that the apparent contradiction is probably due to the order of the facts: Granddad Joe was at Joe Branch before 1820; He was listed as an early land holder “on the Guyandotte;” No one named Quicksell or Mitchell is listed as an early land holder; Moreover, Granddad apparently sold the land at Joe Branch around 1828 and moved across the river to Still Run. Perhaps Quicksell and Michell bought the land then. I don’t know how to reconcile the above facts. I can only offer what I have found for consideration.
In any case, it would seem that Hannah’s death probably precipitated the move from Spruce Fork to Joe Branch; although, I have not found a record of her death, or any other account, which might corroborate that opinion.
Perhaps, the real reason Granddad Joe moved to the area around Joe Branch and Bearwallow Ridge, considering the anecdote from Mr. Webb’s letter that was discussed under “occupation,” was the good hunting. There may well have already been a cabin there which had been used during the Workman hunting expeditions from Burkes Garden. Another consideration may have been the closer distance to Tazewell which was the closest town and courthouse. Another possible consideration which should not be overlooked is that the end of the wagon trail was at the mouth of Barkers Creek which was only a short distance up-stream from Joe Branch.
Bowman describes an old Indian trail in her book saying, “Another trail from Bluestone led up the ridge near Spanishburg, crossing Bluff Mountain and down Barkers Ridge some distance, where a branch of the trail led into the Slabfork-Barkers area, following along the ridge some distance, then descending to its foot and continuing along same to the place once occupied by Elmore Yards, fording Guyandotte River at mouth of Barker, and continuing downriver on south side thereof...” There is an obvious error here in her account due to the fact that Barkers Creek is on the south side of the river; therefore, it would not be necessary to ford the river to continue downriver as she says. Rather, one would have needed to ford Barkers Creek instead, which is a rather substantial stream.
Charles Bower says in his paper, “Their (the Bowers’) one-horse wagon was made in the Bower Wagon Factory at Jefferson, North Carolina... After several days on the road, such as it was, they came to the end of it, at the mouth of Barkers Creek. Like all other settlers who had come down that trail, they left their wagon in the level space between the Guyandotte River and Barkers Creek, which was then known as die Wagon Graveyard. The big concrete bridge today is over the place where all settlers who came down that trail had to leave their wagon to rot and rust down...” (Writer's parenthesis)
I have, so far, been unable to find sufficient information on old trails to determine the route that Granddad Joe, Jr., may have taken from Spruce Fork to Joe Branch. He could, however, have crossed over to, and traveled up, Pond Fork where he could have then crossed the mountain through Walnut Gap near Kopperston. According to MK Bowman in her book, that was part of an old Indian trail. It is difficult to guess how he may have traveled from there to Joe Branch. Most obvious, perhaps, would be down Clear Fork to present day Oceana, thence up Laurel Fork to Sabine where he could then have gone up Laurel Branch and through the low gap to Cabin Creek. Joe Branch is at the mouth of Cabin Creek. Please remember that this is all conjecture based on looking at topo maps and the bits and pieces of descriptions of old Indian trails.
In 1820, the Giles County, Virginia, census lists a Joseph Workman; however, that census only listed the head of household. There is no way to know for sure that it is our Granddad. Sayre says that Granddad was in Wyoming County before 1820; but, he says elsewhere that Shanton (b. 1818) and Charles William (b. 1819) probably were born in Giles or Monroe County. These scattered notes leave the actual date of the family’s first arrival in Wyoming County a little murky.
Around 1828, Sayre says that Joseph established a new home north of the Guyandotte River in the Slab Fork area. Sayre probably meant the Slab Fork District. The district boundary follows the stream of Cabin Creek (which is slightly down-stream from Joe Br.) down to the river where it then follows the river up-stream. Moreover, on the north side of the river a short distance up-stream from Joe Branch, is Still Run. The first branch off Still Run is called Workman Branch. Workman Branch lies well within the Slab Fork District and seems too much of a coincidence to me to not be the location of Joseph’s new home “around 1828.” Bearwallow Ridge separates Still Run from Slab Fork from present day Mullens to Maben. Their “new home” would arguably not have been in the Slab Fork valley.
I have not yet found the location of the old Joe Workman Farm on Still Run; but, it almost certainly was somewhere on the southern end of Bearwallow Ridge which runs north from the head of Workman Branch to Station Gap. Station Gap now provides the northern entrance to the Twin Falls State Park. The old George Webb cabin (which was within his former 600-acre farm), built in 1850, is still standing on the ridge near Station Gap. The Webb family becomes more important to us, perhaps, in the next generation with Granddad Shanton.
In 1830, Sayre says that son William Washington was born in McDowell County, Virginia. McDowell County was not formed until 1858. The McDowell area was in Tazewell County before 1858. The family location at that time is murky for me.
Around 1836, Sayre says that son George Floyd was born in Logan County, VA. At that time, Logan County included Still Run and Bearwallow Ridge.
In 1850, the census shows Joe, Elizabeth, and Floyd living in the Slab Fork District of Wyoming County.
In 1853, Joe, Jr., passed away in the Slab Fork District.
In 1860, the census shows Elizabeth living in the household with Floyd and his wife Sarah in the Slab Fork District.
Wyoming County, WV (present day)
Religion, Health:
Unknown.
Death:
On November 8,1853, Joseph Workman died of dropsy* at Slab Fork, Wyoming County, VA. He was reported as eighty years old.
*(an old term for edema, which may refer to swelling of the body or to a tumor)
His place of burial is, as yet, unknown: however, one place could be in the old cemetery at the mouth of Still Run which is only a short distance below the mouth of Workman Branch. Another could be the old cemetery at the head of Workman Branch. A third could be in the Bower Cemetery at the head of Bower Branch of Still Run which is inside Twin Falls State Park, Due to the extensive strip mining in the area over the years, thereis also the possibility that his grave may have been relocated, or heaven forbid, destroyed. Hopefully, research will someday turn up further information.
There are obvious errors in Joseph, Jr.’s, death record. What is not obvious is just what, exactly, the errors are. Some possibilities were discussed above under his birth since part of the mystery is the date and place of birth.