WILLIAM REYNOLDS OF GREENBRIER COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA

               WILLIAM REYNOLDS - ONE OF WEST VIRGINIA'S FINEST GUNSMITH'S

                                                                      

 

SIGNED ON PATCHBOX LID

WM REYNOLDS & CO

   
                                                                              

 

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WILLIAM REYNOLDS WAS BORN IN NORTH CAROLINA IN ABOUT 1787.  HE PROBABLY LEARNED THE TRADE OF GUNSMITHING BEFORE HE CAME TO GREENBRIER COUNTY.  THE FIRST CENSUS THAT WE FOUND HIM IN GREENBRIER COUNTY WAS 1840. IN THE 1850 & 1860 CENSUS HE IS LISTED AS A GUNSMITH.  IT IS VERY POSSIBLE HE WAS THERE BEFORE THAT, AND IF YOU HAVE FACTUAL INFORMATION ON THIS PLEASE SHARE IT WITH US.

 

 

BEING AN EARLY MAKER, A LARGE AMOUNT OF HIS RIFLES WERE MADE USING THE FLINTLOCK.  MOST OF THE RIFLES HE  MADE FROM 1835 HAD  THE PERCUSSION LOCK.  MOST OF THE SURVIVING RIFLES WE SEE ARE PERCUSSION, BUT MANY OF THESE WERE CONVERTED FLINTLOCKS.  HIS WORK IS EXCEPTIONAL; HIS ENGRAVING AND INCISE CARVING IS MASTERFUL AND UNIQUE.  HE LEARNED HIS TRADE DURING THE GOLDEN AGE OF RIFLEMAKING AND HELD ON TO MANY OF THOSE TRADITIONS.  GUNSMITHS TRAINED IN THE 1820'S AND LATER TENDED TO USE INLAYS TO DECORATE THEIR RIFLES OR MADE PLAIN UTILITARIAN RIFLES WITH LITTLE OR NO DECORATION.

                                                            

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IN THE BOOK  " GREENBRIER PIONEERS AND THEIR HOMES" BY RUTH WOODS DAYTON , ON PAGE 199. THE AUTHOR STATES " THE TOWN OF ALDERSON HAD A FAMOUS AND EXPERT GUNMAKER NAMED REYNOLDS.  AT THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR THE FEDERAL SOLDIERS TOOK FROM HIM HIS TOOLS AND SUPPLIES, AND FORCED HIM TO DISCONTINUE HIS TRADE FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR.  MANY OF HIS GUNS  ARE STILL IN GREENBRIER TODAY AND ARE GREATLY PRIZED FOR THIER FINE WORKMANSHIP ".

 

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WILLIAM REYNOLDS, GREENBRIER'S FINEST GUNSMITH DIED  IN 1868. HIS WIFE JUDITH DIED  IN 1881.  ON THE OTHER SIDE  OF WILLIAM AND JUDITH'S  HEADSTONE IS BENJ. F BROWN AND AMANDA. AMANDA IS WILLIAMS DAUGHTER.

 

 

C S A

 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BROWN WAS A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER AND SERVED IN  COMPANY D  27TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY. ALSO CALLED THE "MONROE GUARD".

HE SERVED THE ENTIRE WAR AND WAS TAKEN PRISONER IN 1864.

 

 

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IN 1866 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BROWN MARRIED WILLIAM REYNOLDS'S DAUGHTER, AMANDA. IN THE 1870 CENSUS BENJAMIN F BROWN IS LISTED AS A GUNSMITH. NO DOUBT HE LEARNED THE TRADE FROM HIS FATHER IN LAW. BENJAMIN DIED 1874. WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF, OR SEEN ANY GUNS HE MADE.

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WE APPRECIATE DEBORAH F. PHILLIPS FOR ALLOWING US TO USE HER PHOTO OF THE REYNOLD'S AND BROWN'S HEADSTONE.

WITH THIS PHOTO WE LEARNED OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BROWN, A WEST VIRGINIA GUNSMITH WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT.

THANK YOU.

 

THANKS TO THE TWO COLLECTORS WHO SHARED PICTURES OF THEIR SIGNED REYNOLDS RIFLE. PLEASE DO NOT COPY PICTURES, THEY BELONG TO THE OWNERS.

 

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA GUNSMITHS SEE:

 

"GUNSMITHS OF WEST VIRGINIA" BY JAMES B. WHISKER & FRED R. LAMBERT

 

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GREENBRIER COUNTY SEE:

"GREENBRIER PIONEERS AND THEIR HOMES" BY RUTH WOODS DAYTON

 

IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE FACTUAL INFORMATION ON WILLIAM REYNOLDS GUNSMITH , PLEASE FORWARD TO US.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND  WE APPRECIATE HELP.

BMS

 

 

BENJAMIN F SHANE

                              BENJAMIN F SHANE GUNSMITH AT COLD STREAM
                                                             WEST VIRGINIA

                                

JOHN SHANE WAS BORN 1803 IN FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA. IN 1821 HE MARRIED CATHERINE MASON. THEY HAD SEVERAL CHILDREN INCLUDING BENJAMIN F SHANE, WHO WAS BORN ABOUT 1827. WE HAVE LITTLE INFORMATION ON BENJAMIN; THE BEST STORY THAT HE LEAVES US IS HIS WELL MADE RIFLES.

                                                        

 

THERE WAS A FRANCIS SHANE LIVING IN THE HOUSE OF  HAMPSHIRE COUNTY GUNSMITH JOHN W. RINEHART ACCORDING TO THE 1850 CENSUS. FOR SEVERAL YEARS I HAD THOUGHT THIS WAS A RELATIVE OF BENJAMIN, HOWEVER, DURING RECENT CORRESPONDENCE WITH HISTORIAN WILMER KERNS, I WAS INFORMED THAT BENJAMIN USED THE NAME FRANCIS OR FRANK. THIS WOULD INDICATE TO US THAT BENJAMIN F SHANE MOST LIKELY APPRENTICED TO JOHN W RINEHART. BENJAMIN MARRIED CATHERINE GILL.  IN THE 1860 CENSUS BENJAMIN IS LISTED AS A GUNSMITH.

 

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BENJAMIN SIGNED HIS GUNS IN THE ABOVE MANNER, "B. F. SHANE". ON A FEW OF HIS GUNS HE ADDED "AT COLD STREAM". THERE ARE SOME SIGNED B.F.S. AS STATED EARLIER HIS RIFLES ARE WELL MADE. THE WOOD TO METAL FIT IS SO TIGHT THAT ON MANY OF HIS GUNS THE TRANSITION APPEARS SEAMLESS. A TESTAMENT TO THE DURABLILITY, IS THE CONDITION OF HIS SURVIVING 160 YEAR OLD RIFLES. SO FAR, ALL OF HIS GUNS THAT HAVE SURFACED ARE PERCUSSION LOCK; IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT HE MADE ANY FLINTLOCK GUNS. MOST GUNS MADE AFTER 1835 MADE USE OF A PERCUSSION LOCK.

IN THE BOOK,  "FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA SETTLEMENT AND SOME FIRST FAMILIES OF BACK CREEK VALLEY  1730-1830,"  PAGE 549 STATES A LOCAL STORE ACCOUNT SHOWED THAT SHANE BOUGHT WHISKEY BY THE GALLON.  THIS  DOES NOT APPEAR TO  HAVE HAD A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON HIS GUNMAKING SKILLS THAT WE CAN SEE. WE BELIEVE THAT HIS GUNSHOP WAS LOCATED ON COLD STREAM ROAD SOMEWHERE NEAR EDWARDS RUN PUBLIC HUNTING & FISHING . THERE IS MORE INFORMATION ON HIS LAND TRANSACTIONS IN JAMES  WHISKER'S  "GUNSMITHS OF WEST VIRGINIA".   ON APRIL 17TH 1861 BENJAMIN DIED IN  HIS GUNSHOP FROM INJURIES RESULTING FROM AN  ANVIL FALLING ON HIM. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW MORE DETAILS OF THIS ACCIDENT. HIS WIDOW CATHERINE, MARRIED GABRIEL MCDONALD II IN 1866 AND MOVED TO NEBRASKA.  WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND BENJAMIN'S FINAL RESTING PLACE. WE DO KNOW THAT  HIS FATHER AND MOTHER ARE BURRIED AT BACK CREEK QUAKER CEMETERY.

IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ON BENJAMIN SHANE OR PICTURES OF HIS RIFLES WE CAN ADD TO THIS POST PLEASE CONTACT US. THANK YOU.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION REFER TO

• GUNSMITHS OF VIRGINIA SECOND EDITION BY JAMES BISER WHISKER, PAGE 134

• FREDERICK COUNTY ,VIRGINIA SETTLEMENT AND SOME FIRST FAMILIES OF BACK CREEK VALLEY 1730-1830 BY WILMER L KERNS

• WEST VIRGINIA HISTORY VOLUME XLV 1984 PAGE 125 "EARLY GUNMAKERS OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY" BY WILLIAM H. ANSEL JR

       

THANKS TO COLLECTORS WHO HAVE ALLOWED US TO USE PHOTOS OF THEIR RIFLES; PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR REPRODUCE.

 

 

 

                                                                           

JACOB SHEETZ GUNSMITH & FAMILY

 

JACOB SHEETZ & FOUR OF HIS SONS.

WE BELIEVE JACOB DICE IS THE ONE ON THE LEFT IMMEDIATELY BEHIND HIS FATHER JACOB. WILLIAM F. ON THE RIGHT.

 

 

JACOB SHEETZ, SON OF MICHAEL SHEETZ GUNSMITH IN CHARLES TOWN, CAME TO HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FROM CHARLES TOWN IN ABOUT 1840. MICHAEL WAS THE SON OF HENRY SHEETZ SR AND BROTHER TO HENRY, FREDERICK, OTHO, AND ZEBULON. FREDERICK SHEETZ CAME TO HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN 1792. OTHO, ZEBULON, AND HENRY ALSO WERE GUNSMITHS IN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. JACOB MADE GUNS NEAR FRENCHBURG,  FIVE MILES EAST OF ROMNEY, ON THE NORTHWESTERN PIKE. IN 1858, HE MOVED TO THREE CHURCHES AND MADE GUNS THERE UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1884. WILLIAM'S CIVIL WAR RECORDS INDICATE HE WAS A GUNSMITH AS WELL. JACOB DICE ALSO FOLLOWED IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS. IN THE 1900 CENSUS HE IS LISTED AS A GUNSMITH. HE DIED IN 1907 AT THE AGE OF 59. HE WAS THE LAST SHEETZ GUNSMITH IN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.  FOR ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN YEARS THE SHEETZ FAMILY OF GUNSMITHS PRACTICED THE ART OF GUNSMITHING IN THE HILLS OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

 

CIVIL WAR TRAILS MARKER IN FRONT OF JACOB SHEETZ HOME & GUNSHOP LOCATION.

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                                               JACOB SHEETZ RIFLE SIGNED J.S.

For Better Picture Click Below

  Collection (wvculture.org)

*ORIGINAL CIVIL WAR BROADSIDE.    "UNION  GENERAL BENJAMIN F. KELLEY'S PROCLAMATION".

 

UNION TROOPS HAD ALREADY DESTROYED THE PRESSES AT THE SOUTH BRANCH INTELLIGENCER IN ROMNEY. GEN. KELLEY PROBABLY HAD THESE PRINTED IN KEYSER OR CUMBERLAND.

 

NO DOUBT MANY OF THESE CITIZENS , MILITIA MEMBERS, AND THOSE INVOLVED IN GUERILLA WARFARE AGAINST THE UNION FORCES, THAT UNION GENERAL B. F. KELLEY WAS WARNING, WERE ARMED WITH RIFLES MADE BY JACOB SHEETZ. JACOB'S SONS WILLIAM  F. AND  GEORGE R. WERE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS, AS WAS HIS DAUGHTER, SARAH ANN'S HUSBAND GEORGE W. BOWMAN.

 

 

JACOB SHEETZ WAS AN EXCELLENT ENGRAVER & USED NICELY FIGURED MAPLE WOOD FOR THE STOCKS.

CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE

 

MANY OF JACOBS RIFLES WERE SIGNED IN THE ABOVE MANNER, HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME SIGNED J. S. IN SCRIPT.

 

                                                                    ROMAN NOSE

 

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY CHARACTERISTIC

_____________________________________________

 

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IS BY JACOB SHEETZ' GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON. WE ARE GRATEFUL, FOR HIS SHARING THIS WITH US.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GEORGE W. BOWMAN & SARAH ANN

 

GEORGE W. BOWMAN JACOBS SON-IN-LAW SERVED THREE YEARS IN THE 18TH VIRGINIA CAVALRY.

C.S.A.

                                                    BURRIED AT OSCEOLA, IOWA

 

RECORDS OF WORK GEORGE PERFORMED FOR HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JACOB

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GEORGE R. SHEETZ

C.S.A.

 

    

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WILLIAM F. SHEETZ

GUNSMITH

C.S.A.

 

                         
                                                                         

 

CLICK FOR LARGE VIEW

 

 

JACOB SHEETZ OBITUARY

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                                                                      JACOBS WILL

 

                                                                                  

                                                  

                                                                 JACOB SHEETZ

                                                         EBENEZER CEMETERY
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                                                             JACOB DICE SHEETZ.

          "THE LAST GUNSMITH FROM THE SHEETZ FAMILY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY"                                         

                             

 

THE SHEETZ FAMILY OF GUNMAKERS HAD SERVED THE PEOPLE OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN ARMS & HONOR FOR  OVER A CENTURY.

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON JACOB SHEETZ AND HIS GUNS SEE:

 

"GUNSMITHS OF WEST VIRGINIA" BY LAMBERT/WHISKER

"WEST VIRGINIA HISTORY VOLUME XLV 1984" ARTICLE BY WILLIAM H. ANSEL

* BROADSIDES WHERE A WAY OF COMMUNICATING CURRENT EVENTS OR NOTICES.THEY WERE PLACED WHERE PEOPLE MAY GATHER , SUCH AS COURT HOUSES, STORES, TRADING POSTS, NEAR CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND AT CROSSROADS.

 

THANKS TO THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPHS AND INFORMATION. PLEASE DO NOT COPY.

 

NOTE: THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. WE WILL ADD MORE INFORMATION AND PICTURES IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS. 

          

 

                                                                       

 

                                                                

THE EVICK GUNSMITH FAMILY OF PENDLETON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA

 

 

WILLIAM EVICK RIFLE

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Adam Evick born 1782 died 1855 was son to George Evick . George's brother Francis Evick was the founder of Franklin the county seat of Pendleton County. Adam Evick was a gunsmith in Franklin from the early 1800's until his death in 1855. His early rifles were flintlock and stocked in wonderful tiger stripe maple. These rifles had brass patchboxes with excellent engraving. Some of  his rifles  had neat silver inlays made of coin silver. Most of the rifles he made after 1835 until his death had percussion locks. We do not know for sure where Adam Evick learned the art of gunsmith. The four petal flower finial on the patchbox is typical of the Valley of Virginia, and the push button patchbox lid release is much like that of John & Henry Sheets from Staunton Virginia. Adam may have apprenticed to Archibald Rutherford Gunsmith of Harrisonburg Virginia.  The few rifles we have been fortunate enough to inspect that Adam made were signed on the top of the barrel, "A E".

 

 

ADAM EVICK RIFLE

Signed A E

 

 

ADAM EVICK

Click for  Larger View

 

 

ADAM EVICK FLINTLOCK

 

 

Signed A E

 

 Adam had two sons that followed his trade, John & William. John was born 1804. John left Pendleton County after 1830 and is listed in the 1840 Census in Pocahontas County. In 1850 he is in Wood County and in 1860 he is in Kentucky. He dies in Lawrence County, Ohio 1882.

 

                                                                                

 

Signed John Evick Rifle

 

                                                60" Overall length, 43 3/8" Barrel, 48 Cal.

                                                                                 

 

Original Flintlock Converted To Percussion Using the Original Lock Plate.

                                                        Click Pictures For Larger Image

 

Special Thanks To The Owner For Sharing

 

 

 

 

William Evick was born 1803 and died in 1886; buried in Mt. Hiser Cemetery in Franklin . He spent most of his life making rifles and keeping them in good working order in Pendleton County. His rifles are in the style of his father's. While some of his guns are flintlock, most are likely  percussion. His workmanship was clean and precise. He was a master craftsman. Some of his rifles are signed, "W E" and we have seen at least one signed, "Wm Evick" in script. William had a son William C Evick who followed in his father's footsteps. The time period that William C was a gunsmith was late in the longrifle period. While he may have made a few muzzle loading rifles, he most likely worked on later model guns. He possibly repaired guns built by his Grandfather Adam, his father, and his uncle.

 

 

 

WILLIAM EVICK

 

To see more pictures of the Evick Rifles see "Gunsmiths of West Virginia" ,"Long Rifles of Virginia" and "Gunsmiths of Virginia." These books are by James B. Whisker. If you have anymore factual information on the Evick Gunsmiths please contact us; we will update this. Also if you have any pictures of Evick rifles that you would let us post here on this blog, we would appreciate your contribution.

 Evick Rebel Rifle

THANKS TO THE OWNERS OF THESE PICTURES FOR ALLOWING US TO POST. PLEASE DO NOT COPY.