Very interesting how the name came to be and how it was changed over the years. Thank you! -----Original Message----- From: wvpendle-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:wvpendle-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of gc-gateway@rootsweb.com Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 9:40 AM To: WVPENDLE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [WVPENDLE] Samuel Morral's 290a from Ulrich Conrad and howSwitzer's Run was likely named This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: slkmallow Surnames: Aberman, Conrad, Lough, Mallow, Morral, Morton, Seybert, Skidmore Classification: deed Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.westvirginia.counties.pendleton/1769.4/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Per Morton in his History of Pendleton County, Ulrich Conrad had a survey of 240 acres near Deer Run P.O. in 1753 which was patented in 1761 and a 50 acre parcel at Deer Run patented in 1757. Research in the survey book for Augusta County shows that both were surveyed in late October 1753 at the same time as Michael Mallow's 470 acres and Jacob Seybert's 88 acres. Per Chalkley, the Conrads sold the larger tract in 1763: Page 263.--28th June, 1763. Walreck Conrad, planter, and Margaret (signed in German) to Samuel Morral, Jr., of Amherst Co., planter, £40, 240 acres on the Mountain between South Fork and South Branch of Potomac, on Switcher's branch, now in possession of said Samuel Morrall. Delivered: Samuel Morrall, 25th June, 1787. 1763 seems to be the year the settlers were returning to business as usual in this area. This was after the successful end of the French and Indian War and five years after the massacres at Fort Upper Tract and Seybert's fort which had virtually emptied the area of the few settlers still willing to face the likelihood of Indian raids. The land tax list for Rockingham County in 1782 indicates that Samuel Morrel was taxed for 290 acres which is the combined total of the two Conrad parcels. His estate was taxed for the same amount in 1787 in Rockingham County. Research of the various subsequent neighboring grants proves conclusively that the larger Conrad grant which was described in the grant as on Switcher's Branch was, indeed, just east of Deer Run P.O. and further research over several decades in the conveyances of this parcel and neighboring parcels proves that Switcher's Branch was the early name of Deer Run. [See previous post regarding Warren Skidmore's discussion of the location of Switser's Run] Landmarks, of course, did not have English names until the settlers applied them but the early Conrad grants mention Switchers Run or Branch. Most landmarks were named for a feature, such as Stoney Run, or in honor of an early nearby settler, such as Harpole Knob and some were even called by an approximation of the name given by the Indians who had hunted in this area for centuries prior to the coming of the settlers. Switcher's Run appeared to be named for an early settler but none by that name had received a land grant in the area. There were various mentions by several spellings in different recordings over the years of what was the same stream on the portion of the area between the headwaters of modern day Deer Run and through the gap west of the headwaters. A few key variations of the name are listed here: 10 Nov 1757 Ulrich Conrad's 50 acre grant describes the property as on Switchers Run. 7 Aug 1761 Ulrich Conrad's 240 acres grant describes the property as on Switchers Branch. 16 Feb 1771 Jacob Aberman's grant describes the single line he shared with Morral (the old Conrad grant of 240 acres) as being on a line of the Switzerland 29 Aug 1797 Adam Lough's 138 acre parcel is described as on Switser Run 5 Dec 1809 Samuel Morral's heirs sold the original Conrad grant of 240 acres and it was described as on Swishers Branch which starts another variation of the same name. The third item was particularly intriguing since it is known that Ulrich Conrad was born and raised in Switzerland. Switzer is actually an archaic term for someone from Switzerland. So it seems likely the stream Switzer's Run or Branch would then have been called in honor of the place of origin of the man who first received a grant on it, Ulrich Conrad. It was very common for the Palatine immigrants to name places in the "new land' in honor of places from "home". The earlier recording of Switchers is most likely a mild corruption of Switzer - something the English speaking surveyor thought he heard when the German speaking Conrad, or, perhaps, one of his German speaking neighbors Mallow or Seybert, said the name of the stream. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.