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The Benjamin Lyons Family of Salemville, Pa.: Part 2

Benjamin married Mary “Polly” Heck, a white girl, but their marriage date is uncertain. According to a paper written by historian Frank Bayer of New Enterprise, they were the parents of five children: Mary, James H., Catherine, Richard and Elizabeth.

A fact later found in Benjamin’s will may prove that his marriage to Mary Heck was after the birth of son James H. on Oct. 8, 1826, for in the will, he calls James “son of my wife.” He refers to the other children as “my daughter Mary…my daughter Catherine.” Son Richard, born about 1829, may have died fairly young, but he was apparently married, leaving a daughter, Mary Elizabeth; mentioned in Benjamin’s will as a granddaughter; “daughter of my son Richard.”

Daughter Mary’s birth and death dates are unknown, but she may have married a Gates. Catherine was born around 1834, and was married to a Matthews, leaving son James Davis Matthew, also mentioned in the will. Daughter Elizabeth’s birth date is unknown; perhaps dying young.

In the writings of Ella Snowberger, Recollections of Bygone Days in the Cove, Volume 7, page 41, she told the following story:

“She (a niece) liked to hear Aunt Leah tell about Benjamin Lyons, the runaway slave, who found refuge at the nunnery. Pleased with his industriousness, Aunt Leah induced him to come to Salemville. There, he acquitted himself so well, that he won the respect of all who knew him. Marrying a girl of pure Caucasian blood, he became the progenitor of one of the most highly esteemed families in the Cove.”

However, although Leah (Baker) Burger would have known Benjamin, she was not the one who persuaded him to move to Salemville. Leah wasn’t born until 1826 (the same year as son James H. was born); many years after Benjamin arrived in the Cove around 1810 with Jacob Snowberger.

In Historical Sketches of Morrisons Cove, by Rev. C.W. Karns, we find another story about Benjamin Lyons on page 25:

“Benjamin Lyon began working for Mr. Snowberger when quite a small boy. He was very capable and trustworthy and when 16 to 18 years of age, Mr. Snowberger would send him on long trips with a six-horse team. He hauled between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and also hauled grain from the cove to Baltimore, bringing back such articles as the settlers needed. He served Mr. Snowberger so faithfully that he helped the young man to start farming on land he gave him.”

When this story about Benjamin driving a team for Jacob Snowberger occurred, they were still living in Franklin County. However, Jacob was thought to have moved to Bakers Summit after 1810, so the trips continued even after their move to the Cove.

With the help of Jacob Snowberger, Benjamin bought a tract of land (part of tract number 10) of the Hon. Charles Cox original warrant. This farm of 126 acres at one time covered the village of Salemville. ‘Banjaman Lyans’ is listed in the 1821 Enumeration of the ‘Taxable Inhabetants’ of Woodberry Township for Bedford County as a farmer.

In his book, “Historical Sketches of Morrisons Cove,” Rev. C.W. Karns repeats the story told by Ella Snowberger, but also has a picture of “A Pioneer Home” erected by Benjamin Lyons and still standing (at the time of his writing in 1933). The caption reads, “Mr. Lyon reared a family of nineteen children, one of whom became the first postmaster at Salemville.” (However, this statement refers to son James H. who had the large family, and was living in the family home at the time.)

The land remained in the Lyons family for six generations: owned by son James H., then members of the Joseph Fetters family through marriage to daughter Amanda Lyons. Robert Mountain was the last to live on the remaining part of the Benjamin Lyons farm. This land may have extended up on the mountainside, as he asked in his will that son James “take care of the timber.” In addition to farming, Benjamin started the first store in Salemville.

Editor’s Note: Doris Dibert is a former elementary school teacher and a “collector of information” on many family lines and history of Bedford County and the Church of the Brethren. Dibert was part of a group that was looking into black families of Bedford County. She has been kind enough to write out the stories of these families and allow the Herald to publish them.

 

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