The Casebolt Family of Pocahontas County, West Virginia: A Genealogical and Historical Analysis from Frontier Settlement to the Postbellum Era (c. 1774–1920)
I. Introduction and Methodological Context
The history of the Casebolt family in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, is complex, marked by two distinct waves of settlement that span the transition from Virginia's western frontier to Appalachian statehood. To provide an accurate genealogical and historical analysis, it is essential to trace the family's activities across shifting governmental jurisdictions and time periods, starting well before the county's formal establishment.
A. Defining the Scope and Jurisdictional Challenges
Pocahontas County was not formally created until 1822. Consequently, records pertaining to the earliest Casebolt presence (the pioneer generation) must be sought in the archives of its parent counties. The initial settlement area, particularly the fertile region known as the Little Levels, fell under the jurisdiction of Greenbrier County, Virginia, and prior to that, Botetourt County, Virginia. Research focusing purely on modern Pocahontas County archives would fail to capture the first five decades of Casebolt history in the region, emphasizing the necessity of researching the historical county context.
Compounding this difficulty, Pocahontas County’s civil recordkeeping began relatively late, with land and probate records starting in 1822, and birth and death records only commencing around 1853 and 1854, respectively. Therefore, establishing the presence of the pioneer generation relies heavily on extant Greenbrier County materials, such as tax lists, court orders, and petitions.
B. Overview of Key Casebolt Migrations and Foundational Lines
The Casebolt narrative in the area now defined as Pocahontas County is framed by two separate, though temporally overlapping, ancestral lines:
The Pioneer Wave (1774–c. 1796): This lineage centers on John Casebolt (c. 1746), a land speculator and early settler documented in the Little Levels. This line established the family name in the regional frontier but ultimately followed the westward migration trails, dispersing into Kentucky and Tennessee by the early 19th century.
II. The Proto-Pocahontas Settlement: John Casebolt and the Little Levels (1774–c. 1796)
The earliest verifiable connection between the Casebolt surname and the Pocahontas region lies with the pioneer, John Casebolt. His history is critical for understanding the family’s initial integration into the frontier society of the Greenbrier Valley.
A. Origins and the Path to Little Levels
Genealogical research indicates that John Casebolt (estimated birth circa 1746) originated in Baltimore County, Maryland, where his father, Thomas Casebolt, had acquired property named Casebolt's Delight in 1743. Having sold his inheritance in 1767, John began his journey westward, following the most frequently used migration corridor.
His route led him west from the Patapsco River near Baltimore to Frederick, Maryland, then south along the Potomac to penetrate the Blue Ridge Mountains and enter the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Following the valley south for over 100 miles past Staunton (the county seat for much of the western territories at the time), John finally moved across the Alleghenies to the Greenbrier frontier. This journey culminated in his arrival in what is now Pocahontas County by 1774.
B. Archival Proof of Pioneer Residency (1774–1786)
John Casebolt’s presence is firmly established through contemporaneous Greenbrier and Botetourt County records, which governed the Little Levels area.
Documentation of Settlement and Status
John Casebolt is listed on the Botetourt tax and tithable lists for 1774 (with a notation of "Delinquent") and 1775. His initial designation as delinquent on taxes is a common occurrence among early frontier settlers, reflecting the administrative challenges of collecting taxes across the mountains and the lack of fluid cash. However, this transient status was quickly overcome, as evidenced by his later civil participation.
By March 1775, John Casebolt was officially enumerated as the fourth name on a list of thirty-four families residing in the Little Levels settlement. He was listed again in August 1775, demonstrating a settled presence in the community. The Little Levels area had been settled by John McNeel beginning in 1765 , placing Casebolt’s arrival firmly within the first decade of permanent settlement in this region.
Civil Integration and Land Acquisition
Casebolt achieved civic integration, suggesting he met the necessary criteria (often including landholding) to participate in local government. In May 1779, John Casebolt was a signatory, along with 40 other inhabitants of Little Levels, on a legislative petition asking for the creation of a new county out of Greenbrier and other adjacent regions. Furthermore, he served jury duty in Greenbrier County in July 1785.
He acquired substantial property in the region, obtaining 300 acres on both sides of the Greenbrier River in 1780. In 1786, he entered an additional 200 acres by virtue of a State Warrant. These records confirm that John Casebolt was established as a landowner and full participant in the civil life of the Greenbrier frontier.
C. The Pioneer Line’s Displacement and Enduring Trace
While documented in the Little Levels for over two decades, John Casebolt’s primary family unit departed the Greenbrier region around 1796. His later life is traced through court records in Lee County, Virginia (1808–1820), and his descendants, like his son John Robert Casebolt (b. 1787 in Pocahontas County, WV), were found migrating deep into Kentucky, where John Robert died in 1814. The Casebolt pioneer line largely followed the path of least resistance for settlement expansion into the central frontier territories.
However, the family maintained a foothold through intermarriage. Susan Casebolt, a presumed daughter of this pioneer generation, married John Burgess near Millpoint (Pocahontas County) around 1798. This connection linked the Casebolts to a prominent local family, one whose members included a famous gunsmith and veterans. Susan Casebolt Burgess died about 1813, but she left behind six children—John, James, Archibald, Paul, Hannah, and Mary—who maintained the Casebolt lineage within the established social fabric of Pocahontas County. Thus, even after the surname holders departed, the family’s historical memory remained intertwined with the region's founding families.
III. The Second Anchor: Thomas Casebolt and the Established 19th-Century Line
The continuous presence of the Casebolt surname in Pocahontas County from the antebellum period onward is attributed to Thomas Casebolt (1784–1872), who introduced a highly successful agrarian line into the community.
A. Family Origins and the Migration Back East
Thomas Casebolt was born in 1784 in Bath, Virginia, to Henry Casbolt and Barbara Harvey. Bath County neighbors Pocahontas County, suggesting that Thomas’s origins were rooted in the immediate Appalachian region, distinguishing his migration pattern from the longer, trans-mountain journey of the pioneer John Casebolt.
In 1811, Thomas married Mary 'Polly' Swope in Adair County, Kentucky. This marriage confirms that Thomas also participated in the general migration wave into the developing Kentucky frontier. However, Thomas and his family ultimately performed a reverse migration, leaving the rapidly settling Kentucky lands to return to Pocahontas, Virginia, where he resided for "about 20 years" until his death in 1872. This decision to return to the rugged mountain environment, despite the existence of more accessible lands westward, indicates a deliberate strategy of establishing a permanent, rooted, multi-generational presence, likely exploiting available, inexpensive land in the newly formed Pocahontas County.
B. Demographic Success and Final Residency
Thomas and Mary Casebolt were prolific, producing at least 11 children, including George M. Casebolt (b. 1833), Henry Casebolt (b. 1816), Joseph Casebolt (b. 1811), and Jonathan B. Casebolt (b. 1825). This demographic success ensured the proliferation of the Casebolt name in the county.
Thomas Casebolt passed away at age 89 on July 24, 1872, in the Union District, Pocahontas, West Virginia, and was interred at Mcneel Cemetery in Hillsboro. His wife, Mary Swope Casebolt, died in 1873. The permanent burial of the patriarch and matriarch in a cemetery associated with the earliest pioneers (the Mcneel family) confirms their established status among the core families of the Little Levels area.
The following table summarizes the immediate family and major progeny of the established Casebolt lineage:
The Immediate Family of Thomas and Mary 'Polly' (Swope) Casebolt (Major Progeny)
| Name | Birth Year | Relationship | 1860 Census Note (Pocahontas) | Life Span |
| Thomas Casebolt | 1784 | Patriarch | Age 75, Head of Household (701) | 1784–1872 |
| Mary 'Polly' Swope | 1793 | Matriarch | Age 65, Spouse (701) | 1793–1873 |
| Joseph Casebolt | 1811 | Son | Died 1850 (Pre-census) | 1811–1850 |
| Henry Casebolt | 1816 | Son (likely Henry S.) | Age 44, Head of Household (695) | 1816–1892 |
| Josiah B. Casebolt | 1817 | Son | Resided in the area | 1817–1871 |
| Jonathan B. Casebolt | 1825 | Son | Resided in the area | 1825–1904 |
| George M. Casebolt | 1833 | Son | Age 25, Head of Household (701, adjacent) | 1833–1910 |
IV. Archival Evidence and Generational Continuity (1830–1900)
The high concentration of Thomas Casebolt’s descendants in the same geographical area provides a wealth of archival data, confirming the family’s demographic stability and agricultural focus throughout the mid-to-late 19th century.
A. Comprehensive 1860 Census Analysis (Pocahontas County, VA)
The 1860 Federal Census for Pocahontas County, Virginia, demonstrates a dense clustering of the Casebolt family just before the area became part of the new state of West Virginia. The census index records 12 individuals bearing the surname, distributed across several closely related households.
The core lineage is confirmed by the enumeration of Thomas Casebolt (75) and Mary (65). Their adult children and their families were established nearby. For instance, Henry S. Casebolt (44) is listed as a head of household, along with his wife Susanna (38) and children Caroline (13), Virginia E. (15), and Renick B. (8). In the adjacent listing (Household 701), George M. Casebolt (25), Thomas’s younger son, is listed with his wife Rebecca (17) and infant daughter Sarah B. (8/12).
This high degree of geographic clustering—with multiple related families enumerated consecutively—is a strong indicator of successful land tenure and a deliberate decision by the adult children to remain near the patriarchal center in the Union District. This demographic density guaranteed that the Casebolt name would leave a deep, statistically visible footprint in all subsequent local records (tax rolls, deeds, and vital statistics). Additional adults, likely siblings or independent kin, are also listed, including Elizabeth (50), Martha (32), and Barbara A. (29).
B. Postbellum Presence and Regional Dispersal
Following the Civil War and the formal creation of West Virginia, the family’s center remained anchored in Pocahontas County. By the 1880 census, members such as Henry L. Casebolt were documented residing in the Little Levels District. The continuity of presence in this specific geographic area confirms the enduring agrarian roots established by Thomas.
However, the Casebolt family also participated in the broader Appalachian pattern of regional dispersal. While the core family remained in Pocahontas, other lines, such as Andrew Jackson Casebolt (b. 1839 in Pocahontas, son of William M. Casebolt), are found migrating to locations such as Kentucky. This dual pattern—stability at the core settlement combined with secondary migration—is typical of successful frontier families.
C. Land and Probate Records
The Pocahontas County Courthouse holds vital records for genealogical research, with land, probate, and marriage records dating back to 1822. These documents serve as primary sources for tracing the material history of the Casebolts.
Deed and property searches allow researchers to map the intergenerational transfer of land and wealth following Thomas Casebolt’s death in 1872. Public record indexes confirm the availability of deeds, plats, and property contracts. A full archival review of these documents, particularly focusing on the wills and estates of Thomas and his sons (Henry, George M., Josiah), would definitively detail the economic reach and familial relationships established in the county throughout the 19th century.
V. Legacy and 20th-Century Archival Footprint
The genealogical and historical trace of the Casebolt family extends robustly into the 20th century, confirmed by public vital records and permanent physical markers.
A. Traces in Modern Vital Records
The Casebolt surname’s continuity is evident in the 20th-century vital records of West Virginia. The state's Vital Research Records Project provides access to death certificates for Pocahontas County covering the period 1916–1954.
These records document individuals born in the 19th century who sustained the family line, including:
Mary Ann Casebolt (b. 1840).
The presence of highly specific names, such as Ernest Guy Hilaria Casebolt, provides crucial genealogical links. Tracing the parentage of such distinct individuals is essential for precisely identifying which branches of Thomas’s large family successfully carried the Casebolt name into the modern era. Official certified copies of these vital records are available from the County Clerk or the West Virginia Vital Registration Office.
B. Physical Markers and Community Integration
The family’s physical legacy is cemented by the burial location of Thomas and Mary Swope Casebolt at Mcneel Cemetery in Hillsboro. The Mcneel family were pivotal early settlers of the Little Levels, arriving in 1765. The Casebolts' internment among this foundational group indicates a deep and enduring level of community integration, placing them firmly within the historical social fabric of Pocahontas County.
Furthermore, the family’s prominence is such that the Casebolt name appears in published Pocahontas County genealogies, often in connection with the allied Swope family, ensuring their historical data is preserved for future researchers.
VI. Conclusions and Directions for Future Research
The Casebolt family history in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, is a powerful example of both frontier mobility and successful agrarian consolidation in the Appalachian region. The narrative is bookended by two distinct ancestral figures: John Casebolt, the pioneer who established the name’s earliest documented presence (1774) in the Little Levels but whose descendants migrated West; and Thomas Casebolt, the resilient progenitor who returned to the region around 1830 and anchored the surname permanently.
The proliferation and clustering of Thomas Casebolt’s large family, meticulously documented in the 1860 census in the Union/Little Levels Districts, ensured the family's socioeconomic stability through the tumultuous transition to West Virginia statehood. This high density of family members continues to provide a clear and traceable line into the 20th century through available death certificates and physical grave markers.
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