Hello -

Does anyone have any clues to the relationship(s) between Nicholas LINGER, William SMITH, Henry HINZMAN, and William PETERSON? I'm trying to trace William Smith's ancestry and am hoping that these associated families might help.

William Smith was born c. 1770-1775, so I doubt he was in the Revolutionary War as stated below. He died 1849 in Lewis County (W)V. He is believed to have married a Catherine Kiger possibly in Hampshire County and moved to Harrison County (W)V (in an area that later became Lewis County) c. 1813. He had children: Andrew J., Martha, Abraham, Katherine, and William Thomas. He died after 1840,
possibly in 1849. He supposedly had a brother Henry Smith and another brother that family lore called "Extra Billy" because he fought even better than William.

I'm following this lead because I recently ran across a family history entitled "The History of the Linger Family"
(http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/i/b/Robin-Dibar...). On pages 6-7, the author writes, "Young Nicholas Linger ... did journey with his friends into the outpost settlement of the South Branch of the Potomac. Among his friends were William Smith and Henry
Hinzman, who also happen to be great grandfathers of mine [Preston Linger (1888-1957), author of the book] and who also were in the American army during the Revolutionary War. It was told by some of the "old time" Lingers that Nicholas Linger was amount [sic] the group with Hinzman and Smith. It is very likely also that Nicholas was acquainted with my great grandfather William Peterson who moved to Lewis County in 1801. Smith was British, Hinzman was German, and Peterson was Swedish. The cheap land west of the mountains helped to inspire the westward movement. William Smith did not leave the settlement with Nicholas Linger and the others because he met and fell in love with a beautiful blonde girl whose first name is no longer remembered but her last name was Kyger (*see note at end). The Kygers were mentioned in Hampshire County History 1782 and 1784 as among the earliest settlers there. When Smith did leave for the settlements further west, he took her along as his bride... Nicholas Linger went first to the Simpson Creek Settlement (Clarksburg)."

On page 11, the author continues, "It might interest you to know the names of some of Nicholas Linger's neighbors. When Nicholas needed supplies and traveled the trail down the creek tot he Flesher Settlement (now Weston), he first came to the home of the Shoulders family whose property joined his, and next was the George Summers property. Summers came there about 1800. Next Nicholas passed the home of Henry Hardman who was located about one mile above what is now Horner in 1811. Henry Hardman was the first school teacher on Stone Coal, starting in 1815. The next home down the trail was the Wetzel home. A few different families had previously settled intermittently between the Hardman home and Horner, although Horner did not exist then. Great Great Grandfather Phillip McNemer, Sr., father of the wife of Nicholas Linger, was the next settler down the creek after the Wetzel place. Next Nicholas passed the home of Great
Grandfather William Smith. he and Nicholas had known each other back east and were close friends. Smith lived near the fork of Big Stone Coal and Little Stone Coal near Horner. Smith had previously lived near Gaston on property now owned by Ralph Shifflette. Then later, not liking the location near Horner, he moved to the Simons Low Gap at the head of Linger Run. needless to say, Nicholas Linger often
stopped at the Smith home and at the home of his father-in-law, Phillips McNemar, Sr. Then next on the trail he passed where Horner now stands. There was not one house or one person living there then, but just 1/2 mile below Horner lived John and Benjamin Taylor, who came there in 1797. I mentioned above that Great Grandfather William Smith had previously lived near Gaston on the present Shifflette
property. His wife died there early in the winter of 1812 and she is buried there on the upper side of the main Highway Route 33. Great Grandmother Smith's maiden name was Kyger and she is said to have been very blonde and beautiful. Her death was a terrible loss to him from which he never fully recovered. It is thought she died in
childbirth. I have been told, although I have never seen them myself, that there are two very very old grave markers up on the hill. It is also said that a large tree grew up in the middle of her grave. Smith met her when she was living at the South Branch Settlement in Hampshire County. Bush's Mill, now called Gaston, was the next landmark. Lewis Bonnett first built the mill. George Bush had the
grain mill here in 1808 and later sold it to Henry Curtis in 1812. Gaston was called Bush's Mill for about 80 years. From Bush's Mill on to the Flesher Settlement, now called Weston, there were the Bush's, Henry Curtis, Peterson's, John Schoolcraft and the Smith's on Smith's Run.Weston is then a small crude settlement on the farm of Henry Flesher. In 1817, the village was made the county seat and was laid
off in lots which were quickly occupied. It was first called Flesher Station, then Preston, then very briefly Flesherville and finally Weston. Nicholas Linger bought his supplies at the Flesher Settlement and at Lorentz. That was a long distance to go to the store under the traveling conditions of the time. In the opposite direction up stream
from Nicholas Linger's farm were the McCues and Abner Abbott. Abner Abbott was one of the older settlers having arrived there in 1798."

Thanks so much,
Christina Smith Melnarik