HOUSE: First of the name in Reedy.
John House was born in Gurnsey (now Noble) County, Ohio, in the year, 1825, son of James House, soldier of the War of 1812, who was a son of a Saxton family of Houses who settled in western Pennsylvania ciurin.g the times of Indian depredations in those parts. James married a Miss Barnes, daughter of the Maryland family of Barnes, and Days, and with her sometime afterward settled in Ohio, where John--first mentioned--was born.
John House grew to manhood at the place of his birth and in 1850 married Miss Jane Connor, born in Harrison County, West Virginia, in the year 1823, daughter of Reverend Richard Connor, a Baptist preacher and his wife, who was Miss Priscilla Davis, daughter of William and Hannah (Lambert) Davis. The Lamberts and Davises, early settlers in Harrison County, from which county the Reverend and his wife had come to Ohio in the year 1824, when Jane was in her infancy.
After this marriage John taught school, served as township clerk in his native state two terms; was living in Wood County, West Virginia, at the outbreak of the Rebellion; was a justice of the peace there under the reorganized Virginia government; went back to Ohio, where he enlisted in the National Guards there and was with it in the chase of Morgans Raid of historic note; he returned to Wood in 1869.
In the early spring of the year, 1872, John and Jane (Connor) House, his wife, with their family, two sons and one daughter, came to Roane County and purchasing a farm on Left Reedy, some three miles above (south) the village of Reedy, settled there for their lifetime home, from which he went out and took his part in public affairs, especially in educational meetings and religious gatherings, in which he was an appreciated member because of his somewhat better education than the average, but he never sought public office.
The names of the children of John and Jane House are James Finney House, John Albert House and Rachel House.
James Finney House, son of John and Jane, remains a bachelor, and lives at the Town of Reedy; was for some years a prominent school teacher; he is noted as a devotee of all the heavier literature; is in demand at all civic gatherings especially where correct records must be made.
John Albert House, son of John and Jane, in early life married Miss Sarah C. Smith, October 18, 1877, she was a daughter of Brown and Elizabeth (Walker) Smith, of Left Reedy. John Albert taught school for a few years of his first activities; in later years moved to Wood County, West Virginia. To John Albert and Sarah C. (Smith), his wife, have been born some children, but I do not have their names.
Rachel House, the daughter of John and Jane, married Christopher C. Coleman, May 25, 1902, his age 51, her age 42 years; of this marriage no child was born.
Source: History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 557-558
Submitter: Sandy Spradling, November 28, 1999
