As has already been stated, our record of Jonathan Hill and his posterity is far from complete, but, as this record will show, it has now (1943) reached the seventh or eighth generation and increased well into the hundreds. They have been, for the most part, a sturdy, industrious stock, law abiding and average good citizens. They have not expected defeat or accepted it easily. They are represented largely as farmers, teacher,. doctors, preacher. We have located one that is a lawyer. Most all have been religiously inclined as the numerous preachers and biblical names would indicate.

It seems conclusive that the name "Hill" (old English, Hyll; German, Heil or Hull; Dutch, Hiel or Hul;) is English, not Scotch-Irish as is quite generally believed. An account which seems likely to be correct has the ancestral line with which we are concerned, coming to America, from England, early in the 17th century. They probably landed in Connecticut, possibly in Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

A careful perusal of the preceding genealogical sketch by - the Media Research Bureau, gives us a basis for leveling off - some of the apparently conflicting accounts of the genesis and geographical origin of Jonathan Hill, the first in our direct ancestral line that we are (as yet) able to trace our present generation back to.

(154)-David C. Hill says he once had quite a complete record of the Jonathan Hill family but lost it. He remembers, he says, that Jonathan Hill was born in Connecticut, grew to man�hood there, married and had twelve children, six of them born in Connecticut, three in New York and three in what is now West Virginia, that the family landed at Point -Pleasant in 1804 and spelled the name Hille and pronounced it Hillie or Hilly. Part of this does not correspond with other records.

There is considerable evidence to substantiate the probability that Jonathan Hill was born in Connecticut, probably about 1775. An account that seems likely to be correct has him in Rhode Island, married to (lB)-Roxana (or Roxey Ann) Worner and with one child in 1802. We believe they moved from Rhode Island to New York State and from there, apparently, to the northwestern part of what is now West Virginia and settled some where along the Monongahelia River sometime prior to 1813.

There is a gap here of some thirteen years (1802 to 1815) that we can do little more than conjecture with. It seems quite certain that the oldest child (2)-Nancy, was born in Rhode Island; the second child (3)-Alcy, may or may not have been. It seems equally certain that the third child (4)-William and the fourth child (5)-Laton were born in New York State and this brings us up to May 4, 1809, the birth date of (5)-Labon Hill.

(226)-William Ervin Hill of Plaza, Washington says that his grandfather, (7)-Daniel Webster Hill (apparently the sixth child) was born in what is now West Virginia in 1813.

In an old letter to her nephew (230)-Dr. J.O. Hill, (63A) � Virginia (Jeffrey) Hill says; "In 1815 the family hauled their belongings to the Monongahelia River on a sleigh and loaded them on a log raft." The raft was floated down the Monongahelia River to Pittsburg, where its confluence with the Allegheny forms the Ohio River, thence down the Ohio to Point Pleasant. The cargo of this raft is said to have included a cow and probably other live stock.

The family stayed at Point Pleasant about three weeks. One account says that bullet marks were still visible on the beech trees as a result of the battle of Point Pleasant. If this is correct, it would indicate arrival here considerably before 1815. (This battle was fought on October 10, 1774 between about 1,100 Virginia militiamen under General Andrew Lewis and about 1,000 Shawnees and their allies under Chief Cornstalk). The family moved on up the Kanawha River to the mouth of 18 mile creek. Some time later, they moved on up 18 mile creek about fifteen miles into Putnam county. and established permanent settlement on what is now known as the Martin farm. It is believed they were the first settlers in Putnam county.

The nearest grist mill was some 20 miles distant. It was located across the Kanawa River somewhere south of the present site of Arbuckle. When the river was frozen hard enough to support the weight of a horse and sled, they would take their wheat and corn to the mill to be ground into flour and meal. At other times of the year they would pound their grain into meal on a large sycamore stump or grated it on a piece of sheet metal with holes punched through it. Corn was grated from the cob, doubtless before it became too hard, and very palpable mush was made which was cooked and baked over a large fire place several feet wide.

(1)-Jonathan Hill's sister Susan married Bandage Worner, brother of (1A)-Roxana Worner, Jonathan's wife. They came to what is now West Virginia in 1817 and settled in Mason County on Mud Lick It is said the Worners (or Warner see page 6) were big strong men. When the old fashioned husking - bee was popular, and it seems they were held as much for a frolic as for husking corn, they frequently resulted in a fight and a Worner was usually one of the fighters. There is some ground for belief that (1)-Jonathan had two brothers that settled in Virginia, but so far we have not been able to establish this as a fact.

During these early days a man is said to have come up 18 mile creek (for a good many years the roads followed the streams in this hilly timbered country) with a horse wearing iron shoes. Never having seen nor heard of such a thing (17)-Anthony Jividen told of people coming for miles to see the hoof prints of that shod horse.

(1A)-Roxana (Worner) Hill died in 1853 or 1854. She is buried in the Martin cemetery on 18 mile creek in Putnam County, West Virginia. Not long after her death (1)-Jonathan and one son (probably Daniel) started west and came to Kilbourn, Van Buren County, Iowa. From there he (Jonathan) went to Mahaska County and from there to Corydon. He died, date unknown, and , is buried at Corydon, Wayne County, Iowa.

(1)-Jonathan Hill and (1A)-Roxana (Worner) Hill had ten known children. One account says that they had twelve children, the two additional names being Amos and Nathan. We are not in a position to question this too much as the known birth dates we have would permit these two extra children. We believe the following to be the correct dates and order of birth:

(2)-Nancy, born in Rhode Island in 1802.

(3)-Alcy, born probably in Rhode Island in 1804 or 1805.

(4)-William (Billy) born in New York in 1807.

(5)-Labon, born May (or July) 4, 1809 in New York.

(6)^*-Thomas, born probably in New York, date not known.

(7)-Daniel Webster, born August 22, 1813 in W. VA.

(8)^*-Charley, born probably in W. VA. date not known

(9)-Allen, born April 3, 1818 in Putnam County, W. VA.

(lO)-Aaron, born January 11, 1820 in Putnam Co., W. VA.

(11)-Jonathan, born August 29, 1826 in Putnam Co., W. VA.

*One account placed the order of birth of (6)-Thomas between (4)-William and (5)-Labon. Obviously this was incorrect, but it does prompt us to, arbitrarily, place his position between (5)-Labon and (7)-Daniel and the position of (8)-Charley between (7)-Daniel and (9)-Allen. While there is room between (10)-Aaron and (11)-Jonathan for two extra children - Amos and Nathan - it would seem likely that more would be known about them unless they were older than (2)-Nancy. For two of them to have become almost completely lost, they must have been among, if not, the oldest if they existed as some believe.

Believed to be the first child of (1)-Jonathan Hill and (1A)-Roxana (Worner) Hill. She was born, we believe, in Rhode Island in 1802. She moved with her parents to New York, then to what is now West Virginia. She grew to womanhood in this section and married (2A)- John Harrison. To this union two girls and three boys were born:

(12)-Marion, date of birth not known.

(13)-William, date of birth not known.

(14)-Mary, date of birth not known.

(15)-........, a girl, name and date of birth not known.

(16)-........, a boy, name and date 'of birth not known.

After the death of John Harrison, Nancy Hill Harrison married (2B)-William Adkinson. They had three children:

(17)-George,-date of birth not known.

(18)-Roxie Melvina, date of birth not known.

(19)-Virginia, date of birth not known.

Note: (2B)-William Adkinson had seven children by a previous marriage, the third of which was (10A)-Annaliza who later married (10)-Aaron Hill, that is, she married her step-mother's brother.

The second daughter and, we believe, the second child of (1A)-Roxana (Worner) and (1)-Jonathan Hill. She was probably born in Rhode Island in 1804 or 1805. She moved with her parents to what is now West Virginia and settled with them on 18 mile creek in Putnam County. She grew to womanhood and married (3A)-John Jividen. They had seven children:

(20)-Polk, date of birth not known.

(21)-Anthony, date of birth not known.

(22)- John, - date of birth not known.

(23)-Ezekiel, date of birth not known.

(24)-Joel, date of birth not known.

(25)-Polcy Jane, date of birth not known.

(26)-Martha, date of birth not known.

Believed to be the third child and first son of (lA)-Roxana (Worner) Hill and (1)-Jonathan Hill. He was born, we believe, in New York State in 1807. He moved with his parents to what is now West Virginia where he grew to manhood and married (4A)-Olive May (or Mays). They had seven children:

(27)-Elsie, date of birth not known.

(28)-Harrison, date of birth not known.

(29)-Sarah, date of birth not known.

(30)-Daniel, date of birth not known.

(81)-Samuel Thomas, born September 27, 1842.

(32)- James (Jim), date of birth not known.

(33)-Mary, date of birth. not known.

William Hill later married (4B)-Margaret Johnson. They had one child:

(34)-Ellen, date of birth not known.

Like other early settlers of this section, (4)-William Hill was a hunter as well as a farmer, partly by choice and perhaps, partly of necessity. He killed deer and bear, sometimes three in one day. These wooded hills were at this time infested with the dangerous and troublesome puma, often called panther or cougar. The hides and meat of both deer and bear were valuable to these people. The men wore deer-skin clothes and shoes. The venison and perhaps bear meat was roasted on a stick or broiled over hot coals in the fire place. William Hill lived most of his life in West Virginia and died there January 3, 1885, age 78.

Apparently the fourth child and second son of (1A)-Roxana (Worner) and (1)-Jonathan Hill. He was born, we believe, in New York State July 4, 1809. He came with his parents to what is now West Virginia where he grew to manhood and married (5A)-Rebecca (Becky) Woodruff. They settled in Jackson County near the present site of Rock Castle on a place known as Chest�nut Orchard. They had ten children:

(35)-Alzina (Zine) date of birth not known, probably 1830.

(36)-Marthena; born October 1, 1832.

(37)-Roxie Ann, born August 9, 1835.

(38)- Josephine, date of birth not known.

(39)-Clark, born October 13, 1839.

(40)-Eliga, date of birth not known, probably 1844.

(41)-Enoch, born September 17, 1846.

(42)-Ira, date of birth not known.

(43)-Elizabeth, date of birth not known.

(44)-Daniel , born October 15, 1853.

After the death of his wife, Rebecca Woodruff, Labon, Hill married (5B)-Mrs. Lizzie Clemens a widow whose maiden name was Stover. They had two children:

(45)-Elsie, date of birth not known.

(46)-Allma, date of birth not kown.