Hi, Mary Jane . . . Wondered if this info would be useful to you. [Source: "The Story of Frederick County", "The Occasion is the 250th anniversary of Frederick County, which was chartered on December 21, 1738", 1989 Sam Lehman, Editor, Chapter 6 authored by Stewart Bell, Jr., Stephens City] "Stephens City was named for Lewis Stephens, son of Peter Stephens who was one of the original 16 settlers Jost Hite brought to Frederick County in 1732. They came with their families from Germantown, Pa. down the old Indian trail through York and Shepherdstown [Virginia]. Most spoke German and had Lutheran backgrounds. Jost Hite and his son John located their homesite first, where the trail crossed Opequon Creek (on today's route 11 at Bartonville). Next Peter Stephens choose a home site two miles further south, where the trail crossed what we call Stephens Run. He built a log cabin 50 yards north of the run and west of the trail. Peter Stephens wife was Maria Christina Rittenhouse of Germantown, Pa. His eldest son, Lewis, came from an earlier marriage and was energetic and outgoing. He acquired land from his father and others, was granted land by Lord Fairfax, and operated a mill. About 1749 he was appointed surveyor of the highway from his mill to Gabriel Jones; land, and thereafter the title of "Gentleman" was affixed to his name. In 1753 he was appointed a Captain of Militia, in 1754 Captain of a Foot Company in place of John Hite, in 1755 High Sheriff of Frederick County, and in 1757 he was promoted to Major. Lord Fairfax' nephew presented Lewis Stephens' petition to charter the town of Stephensburg to the General Assembly on September 26, 1758. On October 12 an act 'erected and established' the town on a 900 acre tract of Stephens which had been surveyed into 80 half-acre lots, each with a five or ten acre out-lot, and which 'are purchased by different persons who are now settling and building thereon.' He also platted a Market House where Main Street met Fairfax Street, a 'common' and three town wells. Each deed required a 20 by 16 foot house with a stone or brick chimney to be built within two years, and after two years the owner of each property had to pay Stephens or his assigns two shillings yearly. The lots extended as far as Locust Street, and houses were built close to the street to allow more space behind for a garden. Women did most of the gardening, and the makings for necessary home remedies, parsley, safe, horehound and catnip, were planted among the beans, onions, peas, potatoes, beets and cabbage. Shelter was provided for a horse and cow or two, which were pastured on the common or driven to the out-lots during the day, and to the run for watering. Every home had a pen for pigs and a house for chickens, a spinning wheel, candle molds and flintlock musket. The men were harnessmakers, blacksmiths, shoemakers, potters, tanners, carpenters, hatters, and there was even a silversmith." Happy Hunting. Flo. ----- F Day <[email protected]> Winchester, VA, USA ICQ uin 18874402 Mailing List Moderator The Genealogy Help Network http://ghn.genealogy.org -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Friday, January 15, 1999 11:11 AM Subject: Re: Early Settlements >According to "German Origins of Jost Hite" by Jones-Connor-Wust the "sixteen" >families are Jost Hite, Peter Stephan (later Stephens), George Bowman, Paul >Froman, Jacob Chrisman, John Funk, Christian Neuschwanger, Ulrich Burger, >David Gerlach(Carlock), Michael Brock, Henry Falkenberg, Jacob Falkenberg, >Andrew Falkenberg, Robert McKay, Robert Green, and William Duff. I'm still >searching for the origin of Peter Stephan who claimed on his naturalization >papers that he was born in 1690 in Hidelburg on the River Mayne, Empire of >Germany (?) The Main River and the university city of Heidelburg don't >converge. If anyone knows please reply. Thanks, Mary Jane Stephens Hennon in >St. Louis > > >==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ==== >Visit the Frederick County,VA USGenWeb Home Page! >http://www.rootsweb.com/~vafreder/frederic.htm