Rogers Family

Blood, Iron, and High Ridges: Two Centuries on Rodgers Mountain

1. Introduction: The Rugged Roots of the "Irish Corner"

There is a certain kind of silence found only in the high gaps of the Allegheny Mountains—a heavy, ancient stillness that either breaks a person or forges them into something as enduring as the stone itself. For those mountain-bound souls who pushed past the safety of the Virginia colonies in the late 1790s, the "Trans-Allegheny" wasn't just a direction; it was a test of blood and bone. Among those who answered the call was Michael Anderson Rodgers Sr., a man born in County Armagh, Ireland, whose journey would eventually anchor a legacy in the "Irish Corner" of Greenbrier and the steep hollows of Pocahontas County.

To look at the Rogers family is to look at the very grain of West Virginia history. It is a story of how a single kin-line crossed an ocean and a mountain range to become the blacksmiths, teachers, and guardians of this land. From the first clearing of the timber to the modern stewardship of the state’s oldest forests, their journey is a two-hundred-year breath held against the Appalachian wind.

2. The Identity Shift: Clerk’s Pen vs. Family Pride

In the dusty ledgers of the 1800s, the family name shifts like the mountain mist, flickering between "Rogers" and "Rodgers." This wasn't a lack of conviction, but rather the whim of a courthouse clerk’s pen and the fluid transcription standards of the frontier. To the men and women working the high ridges, the "d" mattered far less than the strength in their hands; they knew who they were, even if the ink on the page couldn't quite decide.

3. Life at 3,589 Feet: The Homestead on Rodgers Mountain

The family’s heart took root when James Rodgers, Sr. migrated toward Buckeye. He wasn't looking for the easy bottomlands; he was looking for independence. He found it on a soaring ridge south of Stony Creek that the locals still call Rodgers Mountain. This homestead serves as the family's precise anchor point, perched at 38.1870637°N, -80.1675688°W.

At an elevation of 3,589 feet (1,094 meters), the air is thin and the winters are lean. Raising thirteen children in such a "high-altitude ridge farming zone" required a grit that would seem alien to us today. James, Sr. didn't just farm; he tilled the very clouds. He was a man of fierce work, raising his sons and daughters to be as self-reliant as the hawks circling his peaks, sending them out into the county as laborers and domestic workers the moment they were of age.

4. The Multi-Generational Forge: Blacksmithing as a Pillar

While the family tilled the high ground, they also tended to the spiritual and economic soul of the community. Long before the first church stones were laid in Buckeye, James, Sr. helped lead the "Buckeye Society," a group of Methodists who gathered to worship not in pews, but under the sprawling forest canopy. But when Monday morning came, the sound of hymns was replaced by the rhythmic ring of the hammer.

"Several of James’s children and extended family members became skilled blacksmiths, a vital trade in an era of expanding horse transportation and agricultural mechanization."

From Robert Rodgers to his brother-in-law Adonijah Harris, the family forge became a cornerstone of the mountain economy. They were the men who shod the horses and repaired the plows that broke the stubborn Appalachian soil, passing the secrets of iron and fire down through the generations.

5. From War Zones to Healing Halls: A Legacy of Service

The Tragedy of the Civil War The ridges offer no protection from the storms of history. During the Civil War, the family’s loyalty to the Union was bought with a terrible price. Elizabeth M. Rogers watched two of her sons, James M. and Levi J. Griffin, march away never to return. Both died of disease while in service; James M. Griffin, of the 47th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry, now lies in the hallowed ground of Grafton National Cemetery, a long way from the Buckeye ridges.

The Greenbrier and WWII Contributions The call to serve echoed again in 1944. Betty Marie Rogers Carpenter, fresh from Marlinton High School, didn't head for the factories. She went to the Greenbrier Resort, which had been transformed into the Ashford General Hospital. In those grand halls turned into wards, she spent her days tending to the shattered bodies of soldiers returning from the front lines of World War II, continuing the family's tradition of quiet, mountain-born service.

6. Radical Continuity: 42 Years of Reunions and a Cent Piece

There is a stubbornness to the Rodgers blood that refuses to let go of the homeplace. Even as the 1950s pulled kin away to the industrial smoke of Elyria, Ohio, the pull of the mountains remained. In 1978, they started a reunion that would meet for 42 consecutive years, a feat of social cohesion that kept the diaspora tethered to the soil of Buckeye.

The depth of this connection is captured in a story found in the "Seventy-Five Years Ago" news columns: Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers was once turning the earth in her garden when she unearthed an 1847 cent piece. It is the perfect metaphor for the family—a small, resilient treasure long-embedded in the mountain dirt, waiting to be rediscovered by those who still bother to dig.

7. Modern Stewardship: Forestry and 767 Acres of Legacy

By the mid-twentieth century, the family moved from "taming" the woods to guarding them. JoAnn Rogers Fromhart spent thirty years living at the headquarters of Seneca State Forest, where her husband Fred served as superintendent. While she taught generations of local children their letters, she lived amongst the timber and wildlife, embodying a shift from extraction to conservation.

Today, the family has laid down the axe and the plow in favor of the ledger and the conservation plan. In June 2024, Larry W. Rodgers, acting as executor for the Glenda Beckwith estate, managed the transfer of 767.28 acres along Friel Run and Laurel Creek. This isn't just real estate; it is the active preservation of the county’s natural heart, ensuring the land Michael Anderson Rodgers Sr. sought out remains intact for those yet to come.

8. Conclusion: The Mountain Still Stands

From the rolling green of County Armagh to the 3,589-foot crest of a Pocahontas County ridge, the Rodgers family has been a constant. They have been the smiths of iron, the healers of soldiers, and the keepers of the forest. Their story reminds us that a family isn't just a list of names in a Bible—it is the very shape of the horizon.

As you look up at the ridges tonight, ask yourself: do you belong to the land, or are you just passing through? Do you have a "homestead mountain" that would still know your name after two hundred years?

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Historical and Socioeconomic Profile of the Rogers and Rodgers Families of Pocahontas County

Executive Summary

The Rogers and Rodgers families represent a foundational lineage in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, with a historical footprint spanning over two centuries. Arriving in the post-Revolutionary era, the family’s trajectory mirrors the broader Appalachian experience: initial trans-Allegheny migration, the establishment of high-altitude ridge farming, the development of essential skilled trades like blacksmithing, and a deep commitment to Methodist church leadership.

Key insights from the family history include:

• Pioneer Resilience: The establishment of "Rodgers Mountain," a high-altitude homestead rising to 3,589 feet (1,094 meters), requiring intensive localized agriculture and self-reliance.
• Socioeconomic Evolution: A transition from pioneer farming and labor to specialized trades, public education, and large-scale state forest management.
• Civic Leadership: Instrumental roles in the early Methodist Protestant Church and mid-20th-century conservation efforts at Seneca State Forest.
• Modern Stewardship: Continued influence through substantial landholdings—exemplified by recent estate settlements involving over 767 acres— and the preservation of heritage through decades-long family reunions.

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Ancestral Origins and Trans-Allegheny Migration

The family lineage originated with 18th-century Scotch-Irish and European migration to the mid-Atlantic colonies. The paternal patriarch, Michael Anderson Rodgers Sr., emigrated from County Armagh, Ireland, eventually moving from Pennsylvania and Maryland through the Great Valley of Virginia and over the Allegheny Mountains.

Early Lineage and Geographic Roots

Family Member	Ancestral Role	Lifespan & Key Dates	Geographic Roots	Notable Kinship Connections
Joseph Rodgers	Great-Grandfather	b. 1739	County Armagh, Ireland	Married Winifred "Winnie" Green
Winnie Green	Great-Grandmother	b. 1739	County Armagh, Ireland	Paternal Irish matriarch
Michael Anderson Rodgers Sr.	Emigrant Patriarch	1765–1846	Co. Armagh, Ireland; Greenbrier, VA; Sinks Grove, Monroe, VA	Married Catherine Magdalina Troxell (1791)
Catherine Magdalina Troxell	Matriarch	1776–1839	Frederick, MD; Sinks Grove, Monroe, VA	Daughter of David Traxel and Anna Julianna Catherina Doerr
Sarah "Sally" Rogers	Sibling	1792–1872	Greenbrier, VA; Winfield, Henry, IA	Eldest sister of James Rodgers, Sr.

By the late 1790s, the family settled in the "Irish Corner" district of Greenbrier County before James Rodgers, Sr. established the family's permanent presence in what would become Pocahontas County.

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Pioneer Settlement of James Rodgers, Sr. in Buckeye

James Rodgers, Sr. (1789–1859) was the primary figure in establishing the family's Buckeye-area roots. Following the death of his first wife, Elizabeth Jackson, James moved his seven children across the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains. His second marriage to Nellie Lewis produced six more children, resulting in a household of thirteen.

Rodgers Mountain: Geographic and Agricultural Context

To sustain his large family, James established a homestead on a high ridge south of Stony Creek, which became known as "Rodgers Mountain."

Geographic Parameter	Metric Value	Regional Context / Proximity Markers
Latitude Coordinate	38.1870637° N	Southern Pocahontas County; Adjacent to Hillsboro USGS Quadrangle
Longitude Coordinate	-80.1675688° W	Swago Mountain Watershed; Near Swago Creek Drainage Basin
Elevation	3,589 feet (1,094 meters)	High-altitude ridge farming zone; East-Southeast of Bald Knob Summit
Adjacent Features	Swago Mountain Ridge	Located North of Swago Mountain; High Rock Summit Area

James Rodgers, Sr. was noted for a rigorous work ethic, ensuring his children entered the workforce as agricultural laborers or domestic workers as soon as they reached working age.

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Kinship Dynamics, Skilled Trades, and War

Religious and Civic Influence

The family was central to the spiritual development of Pocahontas County. James Rodgers, Sr. was a founding member of the "Buckeye Society," an early Methodist congregation that met in homes or outdoors. This tradition of leadership continued through his descendants, such as his daughter Elizabeth M. Rogers and her husband William "Billy" Griffin, a long-time lay leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Industrial Contributions: Blacksmithing

While farming provided subsistence, the family contributed to the local economy through blacksmithing—a vital trade for agricultural mechanization and transportation.

• Robert Rodgers (son) and Adonijah Harris (son-in-law) were active blacksmiths.
• The trade was passed down through multiple generations of grandsons.

Civil War and Post-War Westward Migration

The Civil War exacted a heavy toll on the family. James M. Griffin and Levi J. Griffin, sons of Elizabeth M. Rogers, both died of disease while serving in the Union army. Following the war, seeking flatter and more fertile land, branches of the family migrated via steamboat to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and eventually the Oklahoma Territory.

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The Rogers-Kellison Branch and 20th-Century Development

The family's presence in southern Pocahontas County was anchored in the late 19th and 20th centuries by the Rogers-Kellison line in Buckeye, led by William H. Rogers and Susie Kellison.

Community Ties and World War II Service

The family owned land along U.S. Route 219. One of their daughters, Betty Marie Rogers Carpenter (1926–2020), exemplified the family's service-oriented nature. After graduating from Marlinton High School in 1944, she served at Ashford General Hospital (the converted Greenbrier Resort), caring for wounded soldiers during World War II.

Cultural Preservation

Despite the post-war migration of some members to industrial centers like Elyria, Ohio, for manufacturing jobs, the family maintained deep ties to Buckeye.

• Family Reunion: Established in 1978, the Annual Rogers/Kellison family reunion was held for 42 consecutive years.
• Local Artifacts: Records note small but significant connections to the land, such as Elizabeth Rogers discovering an 1847 cent piece while gardening in Buckeye.

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State Forestry, Education, and Stewardship in Dunmore

In the mid-20th century, the family’s influence shifted toward conservation and public education in the Dunmore and Green Bank areas, led by JoAnn Rogers Fromhart and her husband, Fred Fromhart.

• Seneca State Forest: Fred Fromhart served as superintendent of West Virginia’s oldest public forest for 30 years. The family lived at the forest headquarters, managing timber, wildlife, and recreation.
• Education: JoAnn Fromhart was a career educator, teaching reading, writing, and English to generations of local students.
• Historical Record: JoAnn served as a local historian, maintaining a daily journal of family and community events until her death in 2024.

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Modern Real Estate and Civic Roles

The Rogers and Rodgers families remain active in the 21st-century economy and landscape of Pocahontas County. Recent legal and business records highlight their continued stewardship of the region's resources.

Recent Land and Estate Activity

Transaction Date	Responsible Party	Legal Nature of Action	Property Acreage Involved	Primary Geographic Focus
June 10, 2024	Larry W. Rodgers (Executor)	Glenda Beckwith Estate Land Transfer	767.28 acres	Waters of Friel Run and Laurel Creek, Edray District
Oct 26, 2023	Larry W. Rodgers (Executor)	Ralph Watson Beckwith Estate Settlement	N/A	Boundaries adjacent to W. H. Rogers; U.S. Route 219
June 25, 2023	Mary Ellen Fry (Sister)	Barbara Jo Rogers Estate	Kinship Settlement	Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church community

Contemporary business activity, such as the 2016 opening of the Buckeye Home, Farm, Lawn and Garden Center, continues to see involvement from family members like Mike Rogers, reinforcing the family's enduring link to the county’s commercial and social fabric.