K
Kentucky Kache
Guest
This news article appeared in the Greenbrier County, West Virginia "New
River Post" sometime around 1951. It contained many errors and this copy
has been annotated for corrections that follow the article.
The Cranes
William[1] Star Crane came from Baltimore, MD., in 1825[2] and took up a
homestead of government land near Big Clear Creek where Rupert is now
located. He originally came from Holland[3]. When he came to Rupert, he did
not bring his family with him. He built a home and cleared some land. He
returned to Baltimore and came back with his seven sons[4]. His wife did not
accompany them. No one seems to know why. William[1] Star Crane deeded
to each of his sons 160 acres of land and sold the remainder of the
homestead[5].
He made provision with his eldest son, Edward, to look after the six younger
boys[4]. He then began the trip back to Baltimore and was never heard of
afterwards[6]: Some believe he was murdered for his money as he was
carrying a considerable amount. His sons are as follows: Edward, the eldest,
who was called "Squire" and Joseph, Washington, Benjamin, Harry, Dick and
James[4].
Six [7]of these sons married and built on the 160 acres of land given to each
of them by their father. Joseph, who did not marry, lived with Edward.
Edward built on Big Mountain and owned the first store in that section.
Edward had six children, namely: Kate, Betty, Jane, Cist, William and
Joseph[8].
Washington had five[9] children who were: Becky, who married Rupert
McClung; Abby, who married a Walkup; Lee, who married a Burns; William,
who married Kate Shawver, and Kathleen, who married Robert Hunter.
Benjamin moved and built on Mill Creek mountain. He had four children,
namely[10]: Snowden, who never married (his story is told more in detail
later); Scye; Lathe, who married a Hill, and Martha, who married a
McCutcheon from Nicholas county.
James married Martha McClung and they had eight children. Martha was the
daughter of Polly and Billy (Joby) McClung. They settled on what is known as
the Lewis Crawford place just west of Rupert. Later they built near Amwell
Baptist church. Their children were: Charles Edward, Mary[11], William,
Virginia[11] (mother of Ermah Moses), Lycena (who married a Shawver)
Lorena (who married George Walkup), Rose Mae (mother of Mrs J. Hughart),
Dexter Truslow (father of Mrs. John Johnson) and James Amos [Jr.], now 78
and living in Missouri. He is the only living grandson of William[1] Star
Crane.
During the Civil War James Crane was very careful to hide when he knew the
enemy was near. He had a plant floor in his home. He took one board loose
and when he heard the enemy approaching, he would lift the board and hide
under the floor. His wife would place the cradle over the board and rock the
baby until the enemy would leave.
Benjamin Crane buried his money in a big pot. No one knew where it was
until just before his death when he told his son, Snowden.
Snowden became a well-known hermit or recluse. Tall tales were told of his
buried treasure. He lived alone near Orient Hill. Someone who apparently
believed all the tales of the enormous hoard he had hidden, attacked him,
tortured him to make him tell the where-abouts of the money and finally
killed him. No one knows whether or not the murderer ever got the money.
Relatives made a thorough search for the pot of gold, even turning over the
huge rocks, but it was never found.
James Crane took his farm and turned it into a fruit farm. He built a large
"still" and it was in this that he made use of all the fruit produced on his
farm. People came from all over Greenbrier county to buy his famous
whiskey.
Bill Harvey now owns this farm and part of the old rock basement that was
built under the "still" house is still there. He had a government permit to
manufacture whiskey, but the quantity he could legally make was limited.
When the "revenooer" came by and James had reached his quota the large
brass kettle was turned upside down and sealed.
This rather limited activity until James made friends with one of the
"revenooers" who gave him a number of seals. After that, he could make
whiskey to his heart's content as long as he was sure the kettle was upside
down and sealed for inspection. In this way he became one of the wealthiest
men in the community.
Corrections;
[1] First name was Joseph
[2] Joseph's name is found in the Baltimore city Directories for the years;
1812, 1814, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1827, & 1831 business @ 52 N
Liberty St.. Edward E. Crane's name is found in the Baltimore City
Directories for the years; 1831 & 1833 running a grocery and liquor store @
62 & 52 N Liberty St. respectively.
[3] England
[4] Joseph had 6 sons by his first wife between 1808 & 1833; Edward E.,
George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Joseph Star Jr. (b. 1817),
Benjamin Franklin & James Allen. Joseph had 2 sons by his second marriage;
Richard K (b. 1834) and John Quincy Adam (b. 1836)
[5] His will does not divide the land equally amoung his sons. Copy is on file
in Lewisburg, Greenbrier Co., WV.
[6] Joseph never returned to Rupert, he left Benjamin Zopp there to build
homes and make preparations for his family to relocate. His first wife died in
Baltimore City, MD in 1833, there he remarried, had two more children and
died in 1839.
[7] Five of the sons who inherited land, married.
[8] Edward had 10 children; Emma, Joseph Steven, Loftus B., Mary J., Ann
Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Lucinda, William S., Catherine and Truslow.
[9] Washington had 10 children; Abragil Jane (married a Walkup), Rebecca
Ann (married Cyrus Rupert McClung), Kathleen (married Robert Hunter),
Andrew (married a Burns), Allen F. (married Kate Shawver), Alvina, Alice,
Mary Catherine (married Robert B. Hunter), William Samuel (married
Elizabeth Catherine Shawver) and George Washington Jr..
[10] Benjamin's children were: Martha Ann (married Bernard McCutcheon),
Cyrus (married Nancy Washington), Nellie D. Laffayette (married Preston
Hill) and Snoden.
[11] Same person; Mary Virginia who married Joseph Henderson Moses 31
Aug 1877 in Greenbrier Co., WV.
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River Post" sometime around 1951. It contained many errors and this copy
has been annotated for corrections that follow the article.
The Cranes
William[1] Star Crane came from Baltimore, MD., in 1825[2] and took up a
homestead of government land near Big Clear Creek where Rupert is now
located. He originally came from Holland[3]. When he came to Rupert, he did
not bring his family with him. He built a home and cleared some land. He
returned to Baltimore and came back with his seven sons[4]. His wife did not
accompany them. No one seems to know why. William[1] Star Crane deeded
to each of his sons 160 acres of land and sold the remainder of the
homestead[5].
He made provision with his eldest son, Edward, to look after the six younger
boys[4]. He then began the trip back to Baltimore and was never heard of
afterwards[6]: Some believe he was murdered for his money as he was
carrying a considerable amount. His sons are as follows: Edward, the eldest,
who was called "Squire" and Joseph, Washington, Benjamin, Harry, Dick and
James[4].
Six [7]of these sons married and built on the 160 acres of land given to each
of them by their father. Joseph, who did not marry, lived with Edward.
Edward built on Big Mountain and owned the first store in that section.
Edward had six children, namely: Kate, Betty, Jane, Cist, William and
Joseph[8].
Washington had five[9] children who were: Becky, who married Rupert
McClung; Abby, who married a Walkup; Lee, who married a Burns; William,
who married Kate Shawver, and Kathleen, who married Robert Hunter.
Benjamin moved and built on Mill Creek mountain. He had four children,
namely[10]: Snowden, who never married (his story is told more in detail
later); Scye; Lathe, who married a Hill, and Martha, who married a
McCutcheon from Nicholas county.
James married Martha McClung and they had eight children. Martha was the
daughter of Polly and Billy (Joby) McClung. They settled on what is known as
the Lewis Crawford place just west of Rupert. Later they built near Amwell
Baptist church. Their children were: Charles Edward, Mary[11], William,
Virginia[11] (mother of Ermah Moses), Lycena (who married a Shawver)
Lorena (who married George Walkup), Rose Mae (mother of Mrs J. Hughart),
Dexter Truslow (father of Mrs. John Johnson) and James Amos [Jr.], now 78
and living in Missouri. He is the only living grandson of William[1] Star
Crane.
During the Civil War James Crane was very careful to hide when he knew the
enemy was near. He had a plant floor in his home. He took one board loose
and when he heard the enemy approaching, he would lift the board and hide
under the floor. His wife would place the cradle over the board and rock the
baby until the enemy would leave.
Benjamin Crane buried his money in a big pot. No one knew where it was
until just before his death when he told his son, Snowden.
Snowden became a well-known hermit or recluse. Tall tales were told of his
buried treasure. He lived alone near Orient Hill. Someone who apparently
believed all the tales of the enormous hoard he had hidden, attacked him,
tortured him to make him tell the where-abouts of the money and finally
killed him. No one knows whether or not the murderer ever got the money.
Relatives made a thorough search for the pot of gold, even turning over the
huge rocks, but it was never found.
James Crane took his farm and turned it into a fruit farm. He built a large
"still" and it was in this that he made use of all the fruit produced on his
farm. People came from all over Greenbrier county to buy his famous
whiskey.
Bill Harvey now owns this farm and part of the old rock basement that was
built under the "still" house is still there. He had a government permit to
manufacture whiskey, but the quantity he could legally make was limited.
When the "revenooer" came by and James had reached his quota the large
brass kettle was turned upside down and sealed.
This rather limited activity until James made friends with one of the
"revenooers" who gave him a number of seals. After that, he could make
whiskey to his heart's content as long as he was sure the kettle was upside
down and sealed for inspection. In this way he became one of the wealthiest
men in the community.
Corrections;
[1] First name was Joseph
[2] Joseph's name is found in the Baltimore city Directories for the years;
1812, 1814, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1827, & 1831 business @ 52 N
Liberty St.. Edward E. Crane's name is found in the Baltimore City
Directories for the years; 1831 & 1833 running a grocery and liquor store @
62 & 52 N Liberty St. respectively.
[3] England
[4] Joseph had 6 sons by his first wife between 1808 & 1833; Edward E.,
George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Joseph Star Jr. (b. 1817),
Benjamin Franklin & James Allen. Joseph had 2 sons by his second marriage;
Richard K (b. 1834) and John Quincy Adam (b. 1836)
[5] His will does not divide the land equally amoung his sons. Copy is on file
in Lewisburg, Greenbrier Co., WV.
[6] Joseph never returned to Rupert, he left Benjamin Zopp there to build
homes and make preparations for his family to relocate. His first wife died in
Baltimore City, MD in 1833, there he remarried, had two more children and
died in 1839.
[7] Five of the sons who inherited land, married.
[8] Edward had 10 children; Emma, Joseph Steven, Loftus B., Mary J., Ann
Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Lucinda, William S., Catherine and Truslow.
[9] Washington had 10 children; Abragil Jane (married a Walkup), Rebecca
Ann (married Cyrus Rupert McClung), Kathleen (married Robert Hunter),
Andrew (married a Burns), Allen F. (married Kate Shawver), Alvina, Alice,
Mary Catherine (married Robert B. Hunter), William Samuel (married
Elizabeth Catherine Shawver) and George Washington Jr..
[10] Benjamin's children were: Martha Ann (married Bernard McCutcheon),
Cyrus (married Nancy Washington), Nellie D. Laffayette (married Preston
Hill) and Snoden.
[11] Same person; Mary Virginia who married Joseph Henderson Moses 31
Aug 1877 in Greenbrier Co., WV.
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