Person Page - 58

     Samuel was born. Samuel died in 1799.¹

     Elizabeth died. Elizabeth was born.

     Joseph died. Joseph was born.

     Eliza died. Eliza was born. She married Samuel Vancleve.

     He married Eliza Roberts. Samuel died. Samuel was born.

     Abraham Van Metre, like all of the Van Metres who were famous grazers and cattle traders, had extensive business relations with the frontier posts that were established along the borders during the advance of the settlers towards the Ohio Valley. With the pioneers who pressed farther into the wilderness and effected settlements in the most desirable localities, Abraham and his brothers were among them. Many emigrants from Virginia began to settle within the borders of southwestern Pennsylvania after the Indians had been dispersed and peace seemed to have restored confidence among the inhabitants.

Abraham acquired settlement rights to lands in Ohio County, Virginia; these were located on the waters of Short Creek, but some of it was not surveyed until 1786, long after he was deceased, but it became them the property of his heirs. A portion of this land, called Black's Cabin, and located on Short Creek, was the scene of the organization of Ohio County which was created out of the District of West Augusta, on Jan 6, 1777, and afterwards established at West Liberty.

A stockade was afterward erected on the Short Creek land a few miles above its juncture with the Ohio River, which became known as Van Metre's Fort. From 1777 to 1782 Major Samuel McCullough commanded at Fort Van Metre, styles the Court House Fort, from the circumstances of the first court of Ohio County in northwestern Virginia being held in it immediately after the organization of Ohio County from West Augusta. The Fort was one of the first erected in this part of Virginia and it stood on the north side of Short Creek, about five miles above its confluence with the Ohio. The well-known Van Metre Fort was located in Richland Township (now) Brooke County, West Virginia.

Source: A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family, page 101, Compiled and Edited by Samuel Gordon Smythe, 1909. He married Mrs. Martha Wheeler. Abraham was born at Somerset County, New Jersey, circa 1721. He married Ruth Hedges circa 1742. Abraham died circa 1783 at Berkeley County, Virginia.

     Ruth died. Ruth was born. She married Abraham VanMetre circa 1742.

     Joseph's occupation: Physician.. Joseph died. Joseph was born. He married Henrietta Short Tabb at Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia, on 8 November 1947.¹

     Isaac died. Isaac was born.

     The death of Joseph Van Metre was, like others of the Van Meters, a tragic one; the condensed substance of the circunstances traditionally current in the family is that he lost his life while crossing the Ohio River, near Tiltonville; he was last seen, by Mr. Hite, in a boat on the river and is supposed to have been either shot by Indians, or lost his life by the capsizing of his boat. Nothing more was ever heard of him. The finding of his gun on a sand bar in the river, with his name upon it, many years afterward, only served to deepen the mystery. This event probably occurred abyt the year 1780.

Source: A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family, pages 96-98, Compiled and Edited by Samuel Gordon Smythe, 1909. Joseph was born at Virginia circa 1743. Joseph died circa 1780 at Ohio River.

     Rebecca died. Rebecca was born at Virginia.

     Mary died. Mary was born at Virginia.

     Ruth died. Ruth was born at Virginia.

     Hannah died. Hannah was born at Virginia.

     Daniel died. Daniel was born at Virginia.

     John died. John was born at Virginia.

     She married Abraham VanMetre. Mrs. died. Mrs. was born.

     John died. John was born. He married Margaret (---?---).

     She married John VanMetre. Margaret died. Margaret was born.

     Rachel was born at Somerset County, New Jersey, circa 1719. She married (---?---) Leforge circa 1736. Rachel died circa 1744.

     (---?---) died. (---?---) was born. He married Rachel VanMetre circa 1736.

     Abraham died. Abraham was born at Berkeley County, Virginia, on 27 October 1773.¹ He married Hannah Burns in 1791.

     Hannah died. Hannah was born on 27 October 1775.¹ She married Abraham VanMetre in 1791.

     His body was interred at Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia, at Hollywood Cemetery. Charles was born at Scranton, Pennsylvania, on 27 April 1906. He married Henrietta Short Tabb on 27 December 1952. Charles died on 4 July 1978 at Pleasantville, New York, at age 72.

     He married Margaret Tabb. Jacob was born on 12 November 1794. Jacob died on 30 April 1845 at age 50.

     She married Jacob VanMetre. Margaret died. Margaret was born.

     Isabel died. She married John Chenowith. Isabel was born on 2 February 1797.

     He married Isabel VanMetre. John died. John was born.

     Rebecca died. Rebecca was born.

     William died. William was born on 1 July 1801.