Bill Farnsworth, it may be just a coincidence with your William Stephens being in Harper's Ferry, but if not, he may be a descendant of Peter Stephens (1690-1757). The following statement is from the National Historic Parks brochure on Harper's Ferry in the Civil War section: "Harper's Ferry was still a relatively young town, although its origins could be traced to 1733, when a Pennsylvania Dutchman named Peter Stephens settled here and began a ferry boat service. In 1747, Robert Harper, a Philadelphia millwright and the man for whom the town is named, bought out Stephens, improved the ferry operation, and built a gristmill on Virginius Island." When Robert Harper, one such traveler, bought the claim of Peter Stephens in 1747, the settlement consisted of a cabin and ferry operation. While traveling to fulfill that contract, he crossed the Potomac River at a small ferry operation run by Peter Stephens. Recognizing the potential investment value of Stephens' ferry equipment and associated buildings, Harper purchased the property, and later expanded it with parcels bought from the Fairfax family, developing the settlement and ferry service which would eventually be named Harper's Ferry. "Peter Stephens was among the first to settle in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and founded the town of Stephensburg. His son, Peter, penetrated up the same valley to Wythe Co., VA." (1) "Peter Stephens, Sr., (d. 1757) was an Original Land Proprietor and Founder of Stephensburg (Stephens City), VA, also received a land patent, 674 acres, 11/10/1752, Frederick Co., VA" (2) "Peter Stephens, Sr. was born in 1690 or a little earlier (probably in Germany). There is little known about his early history or the exact date he came to America, but since he was so closely identfied with Jost Hite, it is presumed that he may have come to this country with Hite, settling, first, in Rockland county, NY, later coming down through New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the Valley of the Shenandoah, VA with Hite and others in the year 1732. Peter Stephens, Sr. married Maria Christina Rittenhouse of Germantown, PA. There is a tradition in the family that Peter had a previous marriage and that his eldest son, Lewis, was a child of this union. Jost Hite settled in Opequon while Peter traveled a few miles further south and settled on Crooked Run, near which he founded the town of Stephensburg now Stephens City, Frederich County, VA. On Oct. 3, 1734, he received a patent from Jost Hite, 674 acres of land adjoining Hite (the same recorded in Orange Co.) and on Nov. 10, 1752, he secured 572 acres adjoining his own patent. In 1743 the county of Frederick was formed from Orange and from that date we find many deeds from Peter Stephens and his descendants recorded in the Frederick County records. He died in 1757 leaving his large estate to his wife (of whom we have no further record) his four sons and three daughter. (3) 1. The Peter Stevens Family History and Genealogy, published 1892 by Edward Stephens Clark, M.D. 2. "Daughters of the American Colonists, Vol. 20" 3. "Peter Stephens and Some of His Descendants," D.V.Stephens I my self, have a double connection to Peter, through his son Peter Jr. (md Anna Maria Chrisman) and his daughter Keziah (md Abraham Chrisman, brother of Anna Maria). Link to my RootsWeb file: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dmjohnson&id=I16527 Descendants of Peter Stephens, Sr. 1 Peter Stephens, Sr. b: 1690 in Heidelberg, Germany d: 1757 in Frederick County, Virginia .. +Maria Christina Rittenhouse b: 1695 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania m: November 17, 1712 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania d: 1758 in Frederick County, Virginia ..... 2 Lewis Shirley Stephens b: 1714 in Kingston, Ulster County, New York d: 1805 in Stephensberg, Frederick County, Virginia ......... +Mary (unknown) ..... 2 Margaret Stephens b: 1719 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania d: May 1801 in Shenandoah County, Virginia ......... +Lorentz Snapp b: 1723 in Alsais-Lorraine, Germany ..... 2 Lawrence Stephens b: 1722 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania d: October 1776 in Frederick County, Virginia ......... +Mary Bowman b: November 09, 1735 in Frederick County, Virginia m: 1752 d: January 1820 in Frederick County, Virginia ..... 2 Peter Stephens, Jr. b: Bet. 1726 - 1735 in Frederick County, Virginia d: 1812 in Montgomery County, Virginia ......... +Anna Maria Chrisman b: September 29, 1735 in Orange County, Virginia m: 1754 in Frederick County, Virginia ..... 2 Maria Christena Stephens b: Abt. 1728 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania d: 1812 ......... +John Leewill ..... 2 Mary Magdalena Stephens b: Abt. 1730 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ..... 2 Henry Stephens b: April 08, 1734 in Frederick County, Virginia d: November 1767 in Frederick County, Virginia ......... +Elizabeth Mnunk ..... 2 Keziah Stephens b: 1737 in Augusta County, Virginia d: May 05, 1814 ......... +Abraham Chrisman b: October 15, 1733 in Frederick County, Virginia m: 1759 in Augusta County, Virginia d: October 29, 1799 in Montgomery County, Virginia Cheers, and good hunting, Michael Kent Island, Maryland > Subject: [STEPHENS] Roll Call -- William J. Stephens MD/VA/IL > > My Stephens dead end is WILLIAM J. STEPHENS who was born about 1812 and > married to Elizabeth Michael in Frederick County Maryland in 1837. He > was a merchant in Harpers Ferry (West) Virginia until after the Civil > War when he removed to Decatur, Illinois. He married second Elizabeth > Thomas in Frederick. William J. Stephens siblings included Arnold S., > John G. and probably Hiram T. Stephens. I don't have any female > siblings. > > Children of William and first wife included:Frances Virginia, Martha A., > Eugene A., Wiliam Michael, Charles H., Ellen E., Mary Catherine, Thomas > Joseph, John Arnold, and Anna Louisa. several of whom died young. > Children by second wife were Genevieve E. and Joseph Osburn. All were > apparently good Roman Catholics. > > I have been unable to identify William J. Stephen's ancestry. > > Bill Farnsworth