Guide to the McFarland-Hall-Beck Families Papers, 1772-1928 AIS.1971.01

Arrangement

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
McFarland-Hall-Beck Families Papers
Creator
Beck family
Creator
Hall family
Collection Number
AIS.1971.01
Extent
1.88 Linear Feet
Date
1772-1928
Abstract
The papers of the McFarland-Hall-Beck Families are the records of three families originally settled in Virginia (now West Virginia). This collection includes genealogies, histories, correspondence, memoirs, journals, business and legal papers, photographs and memorabilia. Digital reproductions of the material is available online.
Language
English .
Author
Archives Service Center staff.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of the collection are available online in the finding aid.

Biography

The McFarland Family traces its descendants from William McFarland, born about 1750 in County Tyrone, Ireland. William's eldest son, James, immigrated to the United States, and William, with part of the family, followed in 1812. William Jr. began manufacturing cotton goods for the Providence Dye House (Providence, Rhode Island), before becoming a U.S. citizen and enrolling as a volunteer in the cadets. William Jr. moved west and settled in Finley Township, Washington, Pa., where he volunteered in the Monroe Standard until honorably discharged. William Jr. went on to hold several county offices over the next few years before moving to Marshall County, Virginia, in 1834. Here he served as Justice of the Peace, sheriff, and school commissioner before his death on March 13, 1866. The McFarland Family (including the parents of William Jr.) are buried in a cemetery on Roberts Ridge, West Virginia.

The Hall Family immigrated to this country from England during the mid-eighteenth century. The family descends from Thomas Hall who was married to Rebecca Story. The Halls raised a family in Delaware and may have lived in Snow Hill, Maryland, at some point. Thomas Hall died May 29, 1772, near Duck Creek Cross Roads, Delaware. The remaining family moved west after the end of the Revolutionary War, settling by the forks of the Cheat River, a few miles below Morgantown, West Virginia. During that time the area was considered a part of Virginia and was heavily forested. Stockades were built to protect settlers from attacks by Indians. As the attacks became less frequent, the Halls and other settlers began moving up the Monongahela River, trading their furs in Pittsburgh.

The Beck Family of Ohio County, West Virginia, are descendants of Lemuel Beck. One of the descendants, Samuel Beck, received a commission as first lieutenant of Company S, First Regional, West Virginia National Guard on November 30, 1898. Samuel Beck was the administrator of the T. B. McFarland Estate.

Scope and Content Notes

The papers of the McFarland-Hall-Beck Families are the records of three families who originally settled in Virginia (now West Virginia). The papers include correspondence, as well as memoirs and accounts of battles, particularly during the Civil War. This collection includes genealogies, histories, correspondence, memoirs, journals, business and legal papers, photographs and memorabilia of the McFarland, Hall, and Beck Families.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Dr. Van Beck Hall of the University of Pittsburgh January 4, 1971, and Mrs. Wayland Mary Bowser, August 7, 1973.

Previous Citation

McFarland-Hall-Beck Families Papers, 1772-1928, AIS.1971.01, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh

Preferred Citation

McFarland-Hall-Beck Families Papers, 1772-1928, AIS.1971.01, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Archives Service Center Staff in 1974.

Copyright

The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.

Subjects

    Family Names

    • Hall family
    • Beck family
    • McFarland family

    Geographic Names

    • West Virginia -- Social life and customs
    • Virginia -- Social life and customs
    • West Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
    • Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
    • West Virginia -- Genealogy
    • Virginia -- Genealogy

    Genres

    • Family papers

    Other Subjects

    • Soldiers -- Correspondence
    • Personal papers
    • Soldiers -- West Virginia -- Correspondence
    • Soldiers -- Virginia -- Correspondence
    • Family histories -- West Virginia
    • Family histories -- Virginia

Container List