The Browning homestead on Keener's Ridge, WV
This picture was taken by Elza Dixon who has contributed much in preserving the history of families on Keener's Ridge. Robert Daniel Matheny built this house for his bride Sarah Pierson. His brother helped him build the house and was killed while building the fireplace and stone chimney. There was a large kitchen and large back porch that cannot be seen in this picture.
Just a short distance down the lane from this house was the Rose Hill School. Some of the teachers that have served there are, Pearl Gay Matheny, Erie Gibson, Filmore Gibson and Van Given. The one room school still stands today and serves as a hunting lodge. If you would like to see a picture of Rose Hill School visit Rosja's Pride. She has a picture and poem about the one and only class reunion that was held there a few years ago.
Melvin and Rosie Browning purchased this farm in the early 1900's and moved the family there from Big Otter. This house, pictured above, burnt to the ground in 1924. Mr. Browning had a new house built, the family lived in the grainery until the work was completed. The original farm is still occupied by descendents of the Mel & Rosie Browning. The Rose Hill School is also owned by members of the Browning family. If you would like to know what life on the farm was like for a child please visit my mother's web site. There you will find stories written through the eyes of a child spending her summers with grandma and grandpa on Keener's Ridge.
The Browning's can be found mainly in Kanawha, Logan, Calhoun, Nicholas and Braxton Counties of WV. In Logan County I find Allen k.m. Browning married to Sarah and the parents of Mitchell m.k.m. who marries Charlotte (De)Witte on 11/31/1867. We know that Charlotte was born in Germany in 1845. One of their children was Melvin who married Rosana Starcher, they sat up house on Keener's Ridge around 1918.
This picture and a story about our original homestead was featured in the Braxton Democrat Newspaper a few years ago.
To read about the Witte family history
visit the Witte's
Family History page.
If
you have any additional information on this family or feel that I have
made an error in reporting the facts.
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Page last updated 4/25/99
Page created by Debbie©1998