CASTO Of Spencer-City. Descendants of pioneers of Jackson County.
Definite information of this family commences with the careers of three brothers all born on the Buckhannon River of
the Monongahela, in the decade, 1785 to 1795; their names Levi, Johnathan and James, the latter two of the brothers were soldiers of the war of 1812.
Levi while an unmarried young man came to Mill Creek in what was afterward Jackson County, West Virginia, "in the year 1812," says his son, Dr. Absalom in his biograph in Hardesty's, and married about 1816, Miss Hannah Carney of the same place and they settled on Mill Creek.
The other two 'brothers, Johnathan and James, on return from the 1812 war, "settled in Jackson County," says Benjamin Franklin Casto, a son of Johnathan and Magdalene (Westerholt) Casto, "in the year 1816."
James Casto, the third brother, married in Jackson County, Miss __________, and settled on Grass Lick, made a large farm there and he and his wife there reared ten children, whose names, as our informant, Jennings B. Casto, gives us them are as follows:
Elmore, William, Nathan, Mary, Minerva, Riley, Nicholas, George, Charles Carney and Robert Casto. Of these:
Charles Carney Casto, son of James Casto and wife, married in Jackson County, Miss Martha Stewart, in 1859; she was a daughter of George Stewart, son of a pioneer Stewart of Jackson County. Charles C. and Martha, his wife, acquired a tract of 312 acres of land ,in forest then, lying on upper Mill Creek near the mouth of Frozen Camp Creek; here they prospered and reared six sons and four daughters whose names are as follows: Jennings Bell, Rosie Catherine, Thomas L., Minnie B.,Rohert A., Holly Lee, Perry Asbury, John Riley, Maud and Fannie. These are named in order of their respective ages; their respective marriages are as follows:
Jennings B. Casto married Miss Sallie Smith, daughter of Clay C. and Margaret (Coff) Smith, of Spencer, 1899. To Jennings B. and Sallie, his wife, were born one son and two daughters, whose names are Vera, Corinne and Clay Clayton, now a physician in Columbus, Ohio. Always made their home in Spencer, where J. B. conducted for some years a mercantile business. He was elected and served one term, four years, as a justice of the peace; also served one term as mayor of the town.
Rosie Casto, daughter of C. C. and Martha, married in Jackson County, West Virginia, Dr. Alexander R. Parsons, later many years a citizen of Spencer; they had no child.
Thomas L., son of Charles C. and Martha Casto, married Miss Drusilla Brown, born in Harrison County, at her parents' home on Middle Reedy, June 3, 1886; his age 22, her's 20; they later made their home in Spencer, where they reared two sons and two daughters whose names are Coy, John, Rosie and Drusilla.
Minnie B., daughter of Oharles C. and Margaret Casto, at her home in Jackson County, married Martin K. Goff, of Spencer, date we do not have. They made their home in Spencer District; we can name of their children, Rosa, married and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Erline, wife of Wilbur T. Lowe, of City of Spencer, married August 15, 1919.
Robert A. Casto, son of C. C. and Martha, commenced business as a young man in Spencer, married Miss Margaret Smith, in Spencer, March 30, 1894; his age 23, her's 35; she was born in Barbour County, West Virginia, a sister of Joseph M. Smith, long a jeweler in Spencer. To Robert A. and Margaret ("Maggie") his wife were born and reared in Spencer, one son and one daughter, their names, Ralph W. and Aubra now wife of J. Chris Looney.
Holly Lee, son of Chas. C. and Margaret Casto, became a graduate physician and surgeon, settled in Spencer, married Mary McMahon (then widow O'Brien), August 12, 1906; his age 32, her's 28; she and her first husband were parents of a daughter, her name May, now wife of Frederick McIntosh, jr., hardware merchant of City of Spencer.
Maud M. Caste, daughter of Charles C. and Martha, his wife, married in Spencer, Dayton Rhodes. (See Rhodes.)
Fannie Caste, youngest of the foregoing C. C. Casto family, married in Jackson County, Charles Conner, they have two children. Perry and John R. Casto died not having married.
After death of the first wife, Margaret, Charles C. Casto married Minnie Moss of Reedy (she then a widow of Callow), daughter of Robert and Eliza (Rhodes) Moss; the record date of marriage, September 17, 1891; his age 52, her's 22. One child was born of this marriage, a son named Kenna Caste.
Source: History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 473-474
Submitter: Sandy Spradling, November 28, 1999
