Alderman Family

 

The roots of the Alderman family in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, form a classic Appalachian pioneer story, tracing back from colonial New England through the rugged mountains of the Virginia frontier.

The definitive lineage that established the family name in the Allegheny Highlands began with a single adventurous couple in the late 18th century.

1. The Progenitor: Ezekiel Alderman Sr. (1772–1863)

The story of the West Virginia branch begins with Ezekiel Alderman Sr., born in Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut Colony, to Daniel Alderman and Thankful Griffin. Descended from the early English settlers of New England, Ezekiel chose a different path, migrating south down the Great Wagon Road to the western frontier of Virginia.

• Marriage: On July 17, 1791, Ezekiel married Elizabeth Holcomb (1771–1863) in Greenbrier County, Virginia.

• Settlement: They established their homestead in the rugged, heavily forested borderlands between Greenbrier and what would become Pocahontas County, heavily anchoring themselves near the Anthony Creek basin and the Marlinton area.

• Burial: Ezekiel and Elizabeth lived long, resilient lives into their 90s. Ezekiel is buried in the historical Alderman Cemetery in Marlinton, Pocahontas County.

2. The Second Generation: Branching Across the County

Ezekiel and Elizabeth raised a large family whose names populate the early census records of Pocahontas County (specifically the 1850 "District 47" census, before West Virginia achieved statehood in 1863). Two of their sons deeply rooted the lineage locally:

Branch A: Timothy Alderman (c. 1799/1806–1862)

Timothy spent his life farming the rocky, rich soil of Pocahontas County.

• Marriage: He married Elizabeth Jane Dixon Rider (also recorded as DeRyder) on March 2, 1843.

• Tragic End: Historical and genealogical records note that Timothy's life met a violent, abrupt end when he was murdered on January 22, 1862, amidst the lawlessness and bitter local divisions of the Civil War era in the mountains.

• Children: Timothy and Elizabeth Jane brought up a large family in District 47, including Alcinda, Johnson D., Richard Uriah, Octavius M., Elisha Gilbert, William Carvasso, Noah S., and Elizabeth Jane.

Branch B: Daniel Alderman (c. 1800/1802–1888)

Daniel settled intensely along the Anthony Creek waterway, running a farm that straddled the Pocahontas and Greenbrier county lines.

• Marriage: He married Susannah "Susan" Wade (1807–1880), the daughter of pioneer John Wade, on February 7, 1826.

• Legacy: Their large household became a fixture of the regional agricultural economy. Their children included James Couther, John Anderson, Daniel H. (who later became prominent locally), Leonard, George W., Anderson, Mary, and Priscilla.

3. The Third Generation: Community Anchors

As the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought industrialization, logging, and railroads to Pocahontas County, the grandchildren of Ezekiel Alderman became central figures in local civic life, agriculture, and infrastructure.

William Carvasso Alderman (1854–1943)

Son of the ill-fated Timothy Alderman, William Carvasso is a towering figure in the family's late-19th-century history.

• Life: Born and raised in Pocahontas County, he bore witness to the transformation of the region from an isolated wilderness to a booming timber empire. He lived much of his life around Huntersville and later Minnehaha Springs.

• Marriage: He married Phebe Jane Alderman in 1876, further consolidating the family lines.

• Resting Place: Passing away at the age of 88 in 1943, he was laid to rest in the Alderman Cemetery in Marlinton, bridging the family's pre-Civil War pioneer days with modern 20th-century West Virginia history.

4. Local Landmarks & Historical Footprints

The geography of Pocahontas County still carries the structural memory of the Alderman family’s two centuries of residency:

• The Alderman Cemeteries: There are multiple family burial grounds preserved in the county's landscape. The main Alderman Cemetery is located in the vicinity of Marlinton. Another notable pioneer cemetery is the Alderman-Wade Cemetery, located further out near the pristine waters of the North Fork of Anthony Creek, a testament to the early intermarriages that built these mountain communities.

• Civic Roles: By the late 1800s, members of the family had moved from simple subsistence farming into vital civic roles, serving as local Justices of the Peace, school trustees, and community leaders who helped guide the county through its post-war reconstruction and early educational organizing.

   

  To reconstruct the full, granular layout of the Alderman family history in Pocahontas County, we have to look directly at the primary source data—the census tracks, the land records, and the military alignments that define the lineage from the early 1800s onward.

  The precise genealogy of how a Connecticut-born family became embedded in the hills of West Virginia breaks down through these key family lines and structures.

  1. The Pioneer Anchor: From Simsbury to Douthards Creek

  While Ezekiel Alderman Sr. (1772–1863) and his wife Elizabeth Holcombe migrated into the Virginia mountains around 1814, their permanent physical footprint settled at the "Home Place" on Douthards Creek, located near Minnehaha Springs.

  From this geographical base, the family expanded along the county borders. Ezekiel’s sons split the family into two major, parallel mountain empires that populated the 1850 federal census for District 47, Pocahontas County:

  Branch One: The Line of Timothy Alderman (1799–1862)

  Timothy Alderman established his farm firmly in the local district, marrying Elizabeth Jane Dixon DeRyder (Rider).

  The 1850 Federal Census records Timothy as a 50-year-old farmer with a rapidly growing household. His direct descendants became central to the rural workforce of late-19th-century Pocahontas:

  • Alcinda L. Alderman (b. 1843)

  • Johnson D. Alderman (1845–1903) – Later a prominent local farmer.

  • Richard Uriah Alderman (b. 1847) – Named for older regional pioneer lines.

  • Octavius M. Alderman (b. 1849)

  • Elisha Gilbert Alderman (b. 1852)

  • William Carvasso Alderman (1854–1943) – Maintained deep ties to the Huntersville and Minnehaha Springs farming communities.

  • Noah S. Alderman (b. 1856)

  Branch Two: The Line of Daniel Anderson Alderman (1802–1883)

  While Timothy farmed near the county seat lines, his brother Daniel Anderson Alderman pushed directly into the timber-rich basin of Anthony Creek, marrying Susannah "Susan" Wade (1807–1880).

  Daniel's household in the 1850 and 1860 censuses shows an extensive network of sons who would later branch out into Greenbrier and Jackson counties:

  • James Couther Alderman (1827–1915) – Married Sedan Ellen Helmick; his line includes Charles Wesley, Silas D., and Robert E. Lee Alderman, who remained active in regional agriculture and early industrial timber work.

  • John Anderson Alderman (b. 1829)

  • Daniel H. Alderman (1834–1917) – A central civic figure whose sons, John D. Alderman (a farmer and local Justice of the Peace) and Jasper特 Floyd Alderman (who later served as a West Virginia State Senator), left deep marks on regional politics.

  • Leonard Alderman (b. 1836)

  • George W. Alderman (b. 1838)

  • Anderson Alderman (b. 1841)

  2. Cross-Referencing the Pioneer Intermarriages

  The survival of the Alderman lineage in the 19th century relied heavily on strategic community alliances. If you trace the maternal lines back, the family connects directly to the oldest pioneer stock in the region:

  Pioneer Surname	Local Connection Point	Historical Impact
  Wade	Susannah Wade (m. Daniel Alderman, 1826)	Connected the family to the vast John Wade land tracts along the North Fork of Anthony Creek.
  DeRyder / Rider	Elizabeth Jane DeRyder (m. Timothy Alderman, 1843)	Linked the family to the early foundational settlers of the historic Huntersville district.
  Helmick / Buzzard	Sedan Ellen Helmick (m. James C. Alderman)	Deepened connections to the high-altitude farming families along Knapps Creek and the Frost Road.

  3. The Physical Remnants: Mapping the Cemeteries

  The physical lineage can still be verified on the ground through the historical burial plots scattered across the county topography:

  • The Main Alderman Cemetery (Marlinton): Located on the hillside terrain near town, this plot serves as the resting place for Ezekiel Sr., Elizabeth, and the core mid-19th-century members of the family.

  • The Anthony Creek Pioneer Plots: Located further south near the North Fork water gap, these smaller plots hold the hand-carved stone markers of the Daniel Alderman branch and the interconnected Wade and Buzzard lines.

  • The Sharp Cemetery Connections: Later generations o(including 20th-century descendants like Maggie Wade Alderman) are interred in family plots like the Sharp Cemetery, mirroring the late-1800s migration from remote creek basins to established towns along Route 219.

     

    To map out the intricate, structural layer of the Alderman family history in Pocahontas County, we can break down the raw archival footprints across the late-19th and early-20th-century generations. This deeper view details exactly how the family expanded across the county’s remote districts, managed specialized land holdings, and split into distinct modern lines.

    1. Local Census Topology: District 47 to the Huntersville Magisterial District

    When examining the mid-19th-century Federal Census records for Pocahontas County, the family transitioned from a single immigrant household into localized clusters. In the 1850 and 1860 censuses for District 47 (prior to West Virginia statehood), the family heads were systematically categorized by their agricultural production value and real estate land holdings.

    Following the Civil War, the county reorganized into localized districts. The Alderman family split geographically across two distinct mountain zones:

    • The Huntersville District: This area housed the descendants of Timothy Alderman. They were heavily concentrated around Minnehaha Springs, Douthards Creek, and the high slopes of Beaver Dam Mountain.

    • The Greenbrier Border Zone: The descendants of Daniel Anderson Alderman established themselves along the upper reaches of Anthony Creek, operating close to the physical county line. This branch frequently intermarried with families from White Sulphur Springs and Lewisburg.

    2. Expanded Descent of James Couther Alderman (1827–1915)

    As the eldest son of Daniel Anderson Alderman and Susannah Wade, James Couther Alderman anchored a massive third-generation lineage that moved directly into the late-19th-century industrial farming and timber workforce. His marriage to Sedan Ellen Helmick united two foundational mountain lineages, producing an extensive household that populated the Knapps Creek and Frost regions:

    • Silas D. Alderman (1852–1917)

    • Rebecca Alderman (b. 1854)

    • Mary S. Alderman (b. 1858)

    • Charles Wesley Alderman (1859–1944) – Remained an active agricultural and civic presence in the county for over eight decades.

    • William Alderman (1862–1935) – Born during the peak of the regional Civil War conflict.

    • Sarah S. Alderman (1864–1883)

    • Lillie Mae Alderman (b. 1866)

    • Robert E. Lee Alderman (1869–1949) – Named during the intense post-war Reconstruction era in the Allegheny mountains.

    3. Civic and Political Projections

    By the late 1800s and early 1900s, members of the Daniel H. Alderman branch (1834–1917) shifted away from purely self-sustaining subsistence farming and took on influential roles in local and state governance:

    • John D. Alderman: Operating as a prominent farmer near the regional borders, he served for years as a local Justice of the Peace, handling land boundary conflicts, small claims, and community magistrate duties during the county's rapid population growth.

    • Jasper Floyd Alderman: He entered regional politics directly, expanding the family's influence out of the immediate county borders to serve as a West Virginia State Senator representing Jackson County, demonstrating the family's transition into the state’s formal legislative legal structures.

    4. The Pioneer Cemetery Ledger

    The physical presence of these generations remains sharply visible across the county's historic topography. Family mapping projects track several key resting places:

    The Main Alderman Cemetery (Marlinton)

    Situated on the hillside terrain overlooking the Greenbrier River basin, this central cemetery holds the primary pioneer markers:

    • Ezekiel Alderman Sr. (1772–1863)

    • Elizabeth Holcombe Alderman (1771–1863)

    • William Carvasso Alderman (1854–1943)

    The Sharp Cemetery & Mountain Plots

    As family lines branched out along the Frost Road and toward Huntersville, 20th-century descendants—including prominent matrons like Maggie Wade Alderman (1875–1959), wife of Timothy S. Alderman—were interred in common community burial grounds like the historic Sharp Cemetery, reflecting the tight physical proximity and inter-family alliances that sustained the county’s mountain communities across two centuries.

     

    To round out the micro-level history of the family in Pocahontas County, we can trace the exact architectural lines of the fourth and fifth generations, alongside the legal and property milestones that defined how the Aldermans adapted into the 20th century.

    1. The Post-Civil War Recovery: Elizabeth Jane's Administration

    When Timothy Alderman was killed on January 22, 1862, he left no valid will, throwing his property into the complex care of the local county court during the chaos of the war.

    • Wartime Survival: His widow, Elizabeth Jane DeRyder Alderman, managed to preserve their acreage near Huntersville despite heavy troop movements along the Huntersville-Warm Springs Turnpike.

    • The 1870 Agricultural Rebound: By the 1870 Federal Census, Elizabeth Jane appears as the head of household, managing the farm with her teenage sons, including a 16-year-old William Carvasso Alderman. The census notes that despite regional economic devastation, the family had successfully restocked their livestock and kept their core acreage intact.

    • The Loss of Baby Elizabeth: Archival records show that during this tumultuous period, the family also lost their youngest daughter, Elizabeth Jane Alderman Jr. (1859–1862), compounding the household's wartime grief.

    2. Expanded Detail of the Solomon Alderman Branch

    While Timothy and Daniel Anderson Alderman are the most prominent sons of Ezekiel Sr. in Pocahontas records, their younger brother Solomon Alderman (1810–1864) established a third parallel mountain branch.

    • The Household Structure: Solomon farmed the rugged terrain on the eastern side of the county. According to early family registers compiled by genealogist William Alderman Parker, Solomon's household consisted of three sons and four daughters.

    • Wartime Passing: Solomon passed away in 1864 during the final, leanest year of the Civil War. His children subsequently integrated into the expanding timber economies of the Greenbrier Valley, with several lines migrating westward into Jackson County or down into the industrial tanneries of Greenbrier County.

    3. The 20th Century Industrial Shift: The Marlinton Transition

    The arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad along the Greenbrier River in 1899–1901 completely upended the traditional Alderman way of life. For nearly a century, the family had been isolated, high-altitude subsistence farmers and small-scale millers on Douthards Creek and Anthony Creek.

    • From Farms to Town: Between 1900 and 1920, the fifth generation of Aldermans began selling off portions of their ancestral mountain timber tracts to large industrial logging conglomerates like the Pocahontas Lumber Company and the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company.

    • Urbanization: Progeny of Charles Wesley Alderman (1859–1944) and Johnson D. Alderman (1845–1903) left the isolated creek valleys to move into the newly incorporated municipal boundaries of Marlinton. Here, they became merchants, railway workers, and carpenters, directly constructing the historic wood-frame and brick buildings that still stand in the town today.

    4. The Modern Archival Trail

    For researchers tracking this lineage directly through the local repositories, the definitive legal trail is preserved at the Pocahontas County Courthouse in Marlinton:

    • Deed Books (Pre-1863 & Post-1863): Chronologically log the slow subdivision of Ezekiel Sr.'s original pioneer homestead on Douthards Creek near Minnehaha Springs down through Timothy and Daniel's lines.

    • The Land Markings: These original deeds are highly sought after by local historians because they clearly outline the early 19th-century wilderness borders of southeastern Pocahontas County, using classic metes-and-bounds descriptions linked to natural mountain springs, gap crossings, and old-growth timber stands.