Thanks! Makes it look like the family cuold have migrated southward from Pennsylvania. I didn't know part of Virginia was adjacent to Pennsylvania west of Maryland. Looking at the map bears out that suspicion fast. Wharton, Pennsylvania, is close to the West Virginia state line. But on Google maps, what villages are located where Grant was, and what township is it now? If any. I'm tracing the family of Daniel C. Raymond, b about 1825, give or take a year or two. Born in Pennsylvania, married a girl born in Virginia before 1873, had their first child in 1873 in what looks like Pennsylvania, their next child or two in Virginia, then in 1870 and 1880 they are found in Grant, Preston, West Virginia. I understand West Virginia was created about 1863 and Preston County is much older. I cannot find them before 1870. Now, in 1870 the name was spelled "Ranno". The handwriting is hard to read, but it really does not look at all like "Raymond", which makes it possible taht they originally had a different name. Yours, Dora Smith Austin, TX tiggernut24@yahoo.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane McCann Walsh" <jmwalsh@hughes.net> To: "Dora Smith" <tiggernut24@yahoo.com>; <wvpresto@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 4:47 PM Subject: Re: [WVPRESTO] Where was Grant Township, Preston County, West Virginia in 1870-80? > Hi, Dora, > The land which later became Grant Twp. in 1860 would have been in Preston > County, VA, in its First District. > My sense of these Districts is that they were all "magisterial" districts, > from the beginning. > In Samuel Wiley's History of Preston, there is a section on each district. > He describes Grant as follows on p. 362: > > "The territory of Grant was embraced in the First (magisterial) District > when Preston County was divided in 1852. And in 1863, in order of > division of the county as then made, it became without any change of > boundaries > Pleasant Township. By a change of designation merely, in 1873, it became > Grant District. it is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, on the east > by Maryland, on the south by Pleasant District, and on the west by Cheat > River, which separates it from Valley District." > > Hope that helps. > What family are you tracing? > Regards, > Jane >

Dora, > Thanks! Makes it look like the family cuold have migrated southward from > Pennsylvania. I didn't know part of Virginia was adjacent to Pennsylvania > west of Maryland. > > Looking at the map bears out that suspicion fast. Wharton, Pennsylvania, > is close to the West Virginia state line. But on Google maps, what > villages are located where Grant was, and what township is it now? If any. > > I'm tracing the family of Daniel C. Raymond, b about 1825, give or take a > year or two. Born in Pennsylvania, married a girl born in Virginia before > 1873, had their first child in 1873 in what looks like Pennsylvania, their > next child or two in Virginia, then in 1870 and 1880 they are found in > Grant, Preston, West Virginia. I understand West Virginia was created about > 1863 and Preston County is much older. > Glad I asked who you were looking for. Daniel Raymond was located on a farm not many miles from the Fayette Co., Pa. border, north Bruceton Mills, which is where I live. Daniel seems to have been a brother of my ancestor, Alexander Raymond. Daniel had a tombstone on the farm, Alexander does not. Difficult to reach the cemetery today. To find them before 1870, you should probably look in Somerset Co., Pa. You probably know that Daniel was married more than once. Have you seen the book "History of the Reiman, Rieman, Reaman and Rayman Clan" by a committee of descendants, printed by Walsworth 1982? That compilation gives the parents of Daniel and Alexander as Charles Rayman and Catherine Meyers. > I cannot find them before 1870. Now, in 1870 the name was spelled "Ranno". > The handwriting is hard to read, but it really does not look at all like > "Raymond", which makes it possible taht they originally had a different > name. > > Janice