Hancock County WV

Biographical Sketch of James L. Chapman

James L. Chapman is a native of West Virginia, born near Manchester, Hancock County, in the widely quoted “Pan-handle district,” March 23, 1818, and there he was reared, educated, and lived until the 5th of April, 1854. In that year he migrated to the “land of the Hawkeye,” settling in Jefferson county, but remained in that county only till the following fall, then removed to Wayne county, Iowa, and there continued to live and engage in farming until 1864, when he made his home in Missouri, locating in Harrison county. Six years he pursued farming avocations in that county, then … Read more

West Virginia Naturalization Records

Naturalization Certificate

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen. No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Milton Freshwater

Freshwater, Milton; paving contractor; born, West Virginia, Sept. 11, 1877; son of E. A. and Clarenda Campbell Freshwater; educated in commercial course at Morgantown, W. Va.; married, Johnstown, Pa., Dec. 31, 1907, Miss C. B. Williams; two children; has worked at the street-paving business since 1893; completing street paving in the following places; Johnstown and Freeport, Pa., Chester, W. Va., Alliance, Richwood, Ada and Cleveland, Ohio; since April, 1909; the paving contracts are man-aged by three members of the firm, while Mr. E. A. Freshwater takes no part in this branch of the business; the firm consists of E. A. … Read more