DUKE: Of Reedy.

The first of this family name here was Michael Duke, Sr., and his wife, Sarah, with a family of several children, who came here from west Pennsylvania about 1875.

From recollection of what I have been told by members of the family, the last by John, now (1926) large stock raiser of upper Mill Creek, Jackson County, Michael Duke, the father, was born near Nancy, France, about the year 1825, where Michaels father and mother both died, and the family share of a large manufacturing business of the ancestor Duke and another family was promptly taken away from the orphan Dukes, and Michael turned out alone and pennyless, was at first apprenticed to a blacksmith and ran away from his tyranical master got himself stowed away on a ship bound for America, landed on the eastern coast at New York or Philadelphia. By reason of his youth and his skill as an iron worker he easily made a good living and made his way by the year 1850 to western Pennsylvania, where he married Sarah _______, we do not have her family name. To Michael and Sarah were born in Pennsylvania several children.

By 1875 he is in Parkersburg, W. Va., bought of McFarland brothers a tract of 669 acres of land, known as the Camp Place of Right Reedy, on the Ravenswood and Spencer turnpike, three miles above west ofThree Forks of Reedy. For this he paid down $500, and promised the residue of the price, $4,000.00, within two years. He met his payments within the time limit and obtained his deed.

As a farmer he was a good one, his observations had been constructive and clear and his methods were those of the Pennsylvania Dutch. He taught the people of his neighborhood their first lessons in reclaiming worn-out, fallow lands, of which the long field on the turnpike was a good example, its fencing long gone, its hillside land of which there was a strip to the run bottom, had been commons since prior to the Civil War1861and was washed and cut by gullies made by the drainage from the turnpike. This, within two years, was. a beautiful, smoothe, green meadow under Michaels management. They all worked, his daughters went to the fields, and were the first to teach the natives what girls could accomplish in the fields, the neighbors all about held to the old Virginia notion that the ladies spin, weave and do house work only. He taught his, that factories would do all such, much better and cheaper, and the daughters time was more valuable expended in other directions.

To Michael and Sarah Duke were born--all but possibly the last child--in Pennsylvania, the following sons and daughters:

Caroline, who married Jacob Ferguson, lived some years--1S92 to 1910--residents of Spencer.

Alfred, maybe, married in Jackson County.

Emily married W. A. Buckanan, of near Jackson and Roane County line, June 23, 1884, his age 23, hers 30.

Elora married Robert W. Seaman, of Reedy, February 20, 1889, his age 26, her age 24.

George Michael married Hallie Goff, daughter of Cyrus Goff, of lower Spring Creek, December 27, 1893, his age 30, her age 24. Michael and Hallie, with their two sons and one daughter, removed to Texas, about the year 1915 or 1916. The names of these sons were Harry and Roy, the daughters name Bonnie. They settled on a large farm near Abilene, Texas, where Michael, Hallie and Harry have since died.

Lora married an Otho Gilpin, 1911, his age 24, her age 22.

John, possibly the youngest of the family, married Nettie B. Daniell, of lowcr Reedy, in Wirt County, daughter of Charles A. and Edith (Wees) Daniell. See name "Daniell."


Source: History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 512-513
Submitter: Sandy Spradling, November 28, 1999