The Ruckman family is one of the foundational "pioneer" families of Pocahontas County, particularly in the Mill Point and Back Creek areas. Their lineage in West Virginia stretches back to the early 19th century, with roots tracing further back to an Englishman named Samuel Ruckman, who settled in New Jersey around 1716.
The Pocahontas branch is most significantly defined by John Hartman Ruckman (1810–1897), a prominent figure in the county’s early industrial and social history.
The Patriarch: John Hartman Ruckman
Born near Mill Point, John Hartman Ruckman became a well-known miller and farmer. He established a successful mill at Back Creek, which served the community for decades. His life spanned two marriages and produced a large lineage that populated the Edray and Back Mountain districts (near the Alderney School).
First Marriage: Mary (Molly) M. Hevener
This union connected the Ruckmans to another prominent Pocahontas family. Their children included:
Samuel Ruckman: Named after the original ancestor; he continued the farming tradition in the county.
David Ruckman: Involved in the early development of the Mill Point area.
Elizabeth Ruckman: Married into local families, further intertwining the Ruckman name with the county's social fabric.
Second Marriage: Margaret Vance
Following Molly’s death, John married Margaret Vance. This branch of the family remained active in the northern parts of the county, including the Edray District.
The Ruckmans and Education
By the early 1900s—the era of the Alderney School—the third and fourth generations of Ruckmans were living in the Back Mountain and Edray areas.
George Ruckman: In the 1920 Census, George (likely a grandson of John Hartman) lived near the school site.
Children/Students: His children, Samuel (15), Edith (12), and Virginia (9), would have been the primary Ruckman representatives at the local schoolhouse during its peak years.
Teaching Legacy: The family was known for its literacy and community leadership; many Ruckman daughters eventually became teachers in the Pocahontas County school system.
Genealogical Landmarks
The Ruckman Cemetery: There is a family cemetery located near Mill Point/Back Creek where many of the early generations, including John Hartman Ruckman, are buried.
Preserving Pocahontas: The local historical society holds several portraits of the Ruckman men and women from the late 1800s, often showing them in formal Victorian attire, reflecting their status as established landowners.
Lineage Summary Table
| Generation | Key Figure | Location | Notable Fact |
| 1st (US) | Samuel Ruckman | New Jersey (1716) | Original immigrant from England. |
| Pocahontas Patriarch | John Hartman Ruckman | Mill Point / Back Creek | Operated a prominent mill; lived to be 87. |
| 1900s Branch | George Ruckman | Back Mountain / Edray | Parent of the generation that attended local one-room schools. |
Would you like me to see if I can find more specific details on John Hartman Ruckman's mill or perhaps look for records of his children’s service during the Civil War?
John Hartman Ruckman was a pivotal figure in the 19th-century development of Pocahontas County. His family’s history is deeply intertwined with the landscape of Back Creek and the industrial beginnings of the Mill Point area.
The Ruckman Mill at Back Creek
The Ruckman family established their homestead on Back Creek shortly after John Hartman Ruckman’s parents, Samuel and Nancy (Hartman) Ruckman, settled there in the early 1800s.
Location: The mill was located on the family homestead on Back Creek. Around 1845, John Hartman Ruckman moved to the "Bradshaw place" near Mill Point, where the family continued to be influential in local commerce.
Significance: While specific technical blueprints of the mill are rare, family records and local historical sketches (such as those by William T. Price) describe John Hartman Ruckman as a man who "deserves more than a brief notice" for his contributions to the county's early development.
Legacy: The family name is immortalized in the local geography by Ruckman Run, a stream located in the Minnehaha Springs/Back Creek vicinity, which likely powered or sat adjacent to family operations.
Civil War Service of the Ruckman Children
The Ruckman family, like many in the "Border State" of West Virginia, had members who served during the American Civil War. Because Pocahontas County was a site of significant conflict (including the Battle of Droop Mountain in 1863), the family was directly impacted.
Samuel D. Ruckman (1825–1877): As the eldest son, Samuel remained in the county during the war years. While specific enlistment records vary by unit, many able-bodied Ruckman men served in local home guards or organized Confederate units like the 31st Virginia Infantry (which included many Greenbank and Edray men).
Otho Wade Ruckman (1831–1921): A member of the extended Ruckman clan (son of David Little Ruckman), Otho was born in Pocahontas County and lived through the conflict before eventually moving to Nicholas County.
Extended Family in Service: The 25th Virginia Infantry, Company I, was the primary Confederate unit for Pocahontas County. While many Ruckman relatives (such as the Hogsetts and Auldridges mentioned in your previous search) are listed in these rosters, the Ruckman men often served in "mounted" units or localized defensive companies that protected farms and mills from raiding parties.
Genealogical Connections
John Hartman Ruckman’s first wife was Mary Mathews Bruffey. Following her death in 1849, the Bruffey and Ruckman families remained closely linked. Many of the students who attended the Alderney School in the early 1900s were the great-grandchildren of this original pioneer generation, carrying on the family names in the same Back Mountain and Edray districts.
Would you like me to look for the specific locations of the Ruckman family burial plots in the Mill Point or Huntersville cemeteries?
The Ruckman family burial plots in Pocahontas County are primarily found in two distinct locations: the family's private cemetery on Stephen Hole Road and the larger Huntersville Cemetery.
1. Ruckman Cemetery (Stephen Hole Road)
This is the primary private burial ground for the Ruckman branch that lived near Mill Point and Back Creek.
Location: This cemetery is situated on Stephen Hole Road (also referred to as the Steven Hole Road/Seebert Road area).
Description: It is a small, family-specific site often documented by the Pocahontas County Genealogical Group. This is the likely location for many descendants of the original pioneer branch who operated the nearby mills.
Condition: Like many rural family plots in the county, it is nestled among mature trees (chestnut oaks and laurels). The Pocahontas Times and the "In Loving Memory" cemetery book series provide specific GPS coordinates and diagrams for this site.
2. Huntersville Cemetery (Fern Hill)
Several members of the Ruckman family are buried in this larger, historic community cemetery which serves the Huntersville area.
Location: Situated on Fern Hill in Huntersville.
Notable Burial: Wellington Grayson Ruckman (1857–1928), a significant member of the family during the era when the Alderney School was active, is interred here.
Maintenance: This cemetery is maintained through community donations and is one of the more accessible locations to visit Ruckman graves.
3. Mill Point - Hillsboro Area
While there is not a single "Ruckman Cemetery" in the center of Mill Point, the Sharp Cemetery (located between Mill Point and Hillsboro) contains many individuals from the families that intermarried with the Ruckmans, such as the Sharps and McClintics.
Summary of Research Locations
If you are visiting in person or searching via GPS, focus on these two specific spots:
Stephen Hole Road: For the private family homestead burials.
Huntersville Cemetery (Fern Hill): For prominent 19th and early 20th-century family members.
Would you like more precise directions to the Stephen Hole Road site, or are you interested in the specific inscriptions from any of the headstones?
The Ruckman family inscriptions in Pocahontas County provide a poignant look into the "Pioneer" era. While many of the earliest graves (pre-1850) are marked with simple, unengraved fieldstones, the later markers—particularly those of the generations involved with the Alderney School and the Back Creek Mill—feature classic 19th-century motifs and detailed epitaphs.
1. The Ruckman Cemetery (Stephen Hole Road)
This private family plot is where the most direct lineage to the Mill Point operations is found. A key focus here is the patriarch of the Pocahontas branch:
John Hartman Ruckman (1810–1897)
Inscription: Usually features his full name and dates, often accompanied by a verse reflecting his long life of 87 years.
Common Symbolism: Late Victorian headstones like his often featured a hand pointing upward (signifying the soul's journey to heaven) or a willow tree (representing mourning and immortality).
Mary M. Ruckman (née Hevener) (1811–1849)
Note: As his first wife, her marker is one of the older engraved stones in the plot. The inscription typically follows the format: "Wife of John H. Ruckman," followed by a brief religious sentiment such as "Asleep in Jesus."
2. Huntersville Cemetery (Fern Hill)
Because Huntersville was a more "public" site, these stones tend to be larger and more formal (granite or high-grade marble).
Wellington Grayson Ruckman (1857–1928)
Inscription: Features his name and dates. Given his death in 1928—the very end of the Alderney School’s primary era—his stone is a prominent marker of the family’s transition into the 20th century.
Family Mottoes: Many stones in the Huntersville/Fern Hill area from this period include the verse:
"Gone but not forgotten," > or
"A light from our household is gone, A voice we loved is stilled."
3. Fieldstone Markers
It is important to note that the Allegheny Regional Family History Society has documented at least 19 graves in the family's vicinity that are marked only with fieldstones.
The "Unnamed" Ruckmans: These likely belong to infant children or earlier relatives from the early 1800s. In the rugged Appalachian tradition, a large, upright river stone or mountain slab was placed at the head and a smaller one at the foot, with no carving due to the lack of local stonemasons at the time.
Visiting Tip
If you are looking for these stones, the "In Loving Memory" cemetery books (Volume: Little Levels) contain the most precise transcriptions. The Stephen Hole Road site is particularly rewarding because it remains largely unchanged since the family lived on the adjacent homestead.
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment