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| Cropped from a carte de visite In the 1860's In her 40's From my Grandmother's estate and in my possession |
I am happy to be telling my paternal great great aunt's story. So often single ancestors are lost in time with no descendants with memories or photographs. Truth be told, my story is only threaded together from the few documents and photographs that I have either found or have been shared by other Hill relations.
Sophia was born on June 2, 1821 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. She was the fourth child born to Joseph Davidson Hill and Sarah Houston Hill. The Hill and Houston families were Monongalia County pioneers and friends.
The Hill property, a land grant given to Robert Hill, Joseph's father, was located on acreage surrounding a section of the current day Stewart Street. Joseph and Sarah's log cabin was located in the area near present day VanGilder Street. "Mrs. VanGilder was the daughter of Joseph Hill, and was born and reared in the home where she died." (Obituary of Mary Hill VanGilder, The New Dominion Post, Morgantown, West Virginia, Friday, January 25, 1908, Front Page).
By 1825, Morgantown was at the end of Monongalia County's pioneer age. When Sophia was in her childhood and teen years Morgantown was considered an education center. There was access to the National Road using the Northwestern Turnpike, river travel, newspapers, dry goods stores, banks, and a flourishing religious scene,
Sophia grew up on a prosperous farm owned by her father. I have found no information regarding her years before 1850. In photos of her she is often holding a Bible, which leads me to believe that Sophia was active in the church. She would have been schooled in skills expected of women at that time; cooking, sewing and gardening. Sophia was literate and undoubtedly attended school for part of the year.
Sophia's siblings:
- Purnell Hill, born July 7, 1815
- George Washington Hill, born January 20, 1817
- Elizabeth Hill, born November 20, 1818
- Sophia Hill, born June 2, 1821
- Alexander Carey Hill, born December 27, 1823
- Joseph Liston Hill, born March 25, 1826
- Mary Louise Hill, born November 27, 1832 (my paternal great great grandmother)
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| 1850 (West) Virginia Census Eastern District Number 36 Monongalia County, Virginia September 3, 1850 |
I should mention here that the discussion around the dinner table from 1838 to 1852 undoubtedly involved Joseph's court battle with the government concerning money owed by his father-in-law, Purnell Houston. The government felt pension money paid to Purnell for his service in the Revolutionary War should be repaid. Not finding a Houston relation to sue, they knocked on Joseph Davidson Hill's door, who was married to Purnell Houston's daughter. The suit was eventually dropped in 1852 after fourteen years.
Sophia was the recipient of a portion of the estate. She was the only one of the Hill siblings who was not married and living at home. She never married and lived with her mother on the family farm, until her mother's death.
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| 1860 Virginia Census Eastern District, Monongalia County Stewartstown Post Office September 17, 1860 |
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| Sophia Hill 1860's Original in my possession |
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| Reverse side of the carte de visite J. P. Shaefer Photographer Morgantown, West Virginia P.O. Box 62 |
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| Close up of Sophia Hill showing the Family Bible |
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| 1870 West Virginia Census Morgan Township, Monongalia County Post Office Morgantown, West Virginia June 27, 1870 |
Forty-nine year old Sophia is living with her seventy-nine year old mother. It is likely that Sophia is tending to the house and taking care of her mother. The value of the real estate is $1250.00 and personal property is valued at $175.00. The real estate value has gone down by over half in the decade. Perhaps the ladies had to sell some of the land since neither of them are employed.
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| SARAH Wife of JOSEPH D. HILL DIED March 18, 1872 Aged 81 yrs ----- =======l |
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| Will of Sarah Houston Hill |
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| Monongalia County West Virginia Births and Wills |
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| 1880 Missouri Census Cream Ridge Township, Livingston County June 11, 1880 |
Hill, A. C., white, male, age 56, married, farmer, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia.
-----, Mary M., white, female, age 56?, wife, married, keeping house, born in Virginia, father born in Delaware and mother born in Virginia.
-----, Benj U. white, male, age 21, son, single, farmer, born in Missouri, both parents born in Virginia.
-----, Isadore A., white, female, age 17, daughter, single, attended school within the year, born in Missouri, both parents born in Virginia.
-----, Mary E., white, female, age 15, daughter, single, attended school with the year, born in Missouri, both parents born in Virginia.
Price, A. F., white, male, age 23, hired hand, single, farm hand, born in Indiana, both parents born in Indiana.
Hill, Geo W., white, male, age 62, brother, single, farmer, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia.
-----, Sophia, white, female, age 60, sister, single, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia.
Sophia signed the autograph album on March 25, 1888 as Aunt Sophia. She was back in the Morgantown area by then and either living with her married sister, Mary Hill VanGilder, or living in the old Hill cabin.
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| Hill Sisters Sophia Hill (left) Elizabeth Hill Robinson (right) |
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| Note Sophia and Elizabeth are holding their Bibles |
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| Back Row Mary Hill VanGilder and Sophia Hill Front Row: Elizabeth Hill Robinson and Unidentified |
These family photographs are probably from the 1890's. They have all been shared by various distant cousins. I wish I knew who the fourth lady is in the photograph directly above. Joseph and Sarah Hill had three daughters. Perhaps she is a sister-in-law to the Hill sisters.
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| 1900 West Virginia Census That Part of the Morgan District North of Deckers Creek Monongalia County June 11, 1900 |
VanGilder, John O., Head, white, male, Birth Feb 1830, age 70, married 52 years, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, farmer, working full time, can read, write and speak English, owns his farm free of mortgage.
------------, Mary, Wife, white, female, Birth Nov, 1832, age 67, married 52 years, mother of 6 children, 6 children still living, born in West Virginia, Father born in West Virginia, Mother born in Delaware, can read, write and speak English.
------------, Jacob Y., Son, white, male, Birth July 1856, age 43, widowed, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, dairyman, works full time, can read, write and speak English, rents a farm.
------------, Mary F., Daughter, white, female, birth Sept 1866, age 33, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, can read, write and speak English.
------------, Bettie L., Daughter, white, female, birth July 1868, age 31, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, grocery store clerk, works full time, can read, write and speak English.
------------, Emma L., Daughter, white, female, birth Nov. 1870, age 29, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, teacher, works full time, can read, write and speak English.
------------, Lida E. , Daughter, white, female, birth Mar 1872, age 27, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, teacher, works full time, can read, write and speak English.
------------, Lena G., Daughter, white, female, birth Oct. 1874, age 25, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, works as a clerk in a grocery store, works full time, can read, write and speak English.
------------, William E., G-Son, white, male, birth Dec. 1882, age 17, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, farm laborer, works full time, can read, write and speak English.
------------, J. O. Ray, G-Son, white, male, birth Feb. 1890, age 10, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia, at school 5 months.
------------, Dwight, G-Son, white, male, birth April, 1895, age 5, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia.
Hill, Sophia, Sister-in-Law, white, female, birth June 1820, age 79, single, born in West Virginia, both parents born in West Virginia. can read, write and speak English
Some of the information is not correct. The VanGilder's had eleven children. Six were still living at home in 1900. Lida's birthdate is April, 1873.
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| Monongalia County West Virginia Register of Deaths |
-HILL FAMILY BIBLE TRANSCRIPTION
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