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.

 

                                               CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW

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.

CLICK PICTURES FOR LARGER IMAGE

 

 

 

                                               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.

 

 

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY RIFLE ATTRIBUTED TO

JACOB SHEETZ

SIGNED J C S

                                                                    ROMAN NOSE

 

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY CHARCTERISTIC

HOWEVER THIS  DIMPLE CAN BE FOUND ON RIFLES

FROM OTHER AREAS AS WELL

_____________________________________________

 

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

CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

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GEORGE R. SHEETZ

C.S.A.

 

    

--------------------------

 

WILLIAM F. SHEETZ

GUNSMITH

C.S.A.

 

                         
                                                                         

 

CLICK FOR LARGE VIEW

 

 

JACOB SHEETZ OBITUARY

CLICK PHOTOS FOR LARGER IMAGE

                                                                                                                          

 

                                                                      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

Click for larger image

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

SIMEON AND EVAN P WARD GUNSMITHS

SIMEON WARD PREACHER AND GUNSMITH

SON

EVAN P WARD

GUNSMITH AND CONFEDERATE SOLDIER

CLICK PICTURES FOR

LARGER VIEW

                             

SIMEON WARD was born in Frederick County Virginia in 1804. Simeon Ward lived near Lehew in Hampshire County. His first wife was Sarah Johnson , she died in 1857.  Simeon married again in 1869 to Sarah Racey  who died in 1886. Simeon died January 8 1877.

Simeon was a gunsmith and is stated as such in the 1850 census. He also preached the gospel and belonged to the Timber Ridge Christian Church near High View . He even traveled with Rev. Christy Sine ( 1798-1858) spreading the message of salvation and the word of God.  In the 1860 census Simeon is living with his son Evan P Ward. Evan is listed as a Gunsmith and Simeon is noted as a " Minister of the Gospel".

In the 1870 Census Simeon is listed as a Gunsmith.

After some searching and talking to several collectors and students of the Hampshire County Long Rifle there is currently no known examples' of Simeon's work. Of course the work could be unsigned and we may never know who made it. If you know of Simeon's work please contact us.  We have been more fortunate in the search of Evan P Wards' work. We have seen a few rifles made by Evan, some are signed E P W & a couple are signed E P Ward, all in script.  

Evan was born September 29 1827. Evan married Margaret Spaid (1837-1910).  Early on in the Civil War, Evan joined the 114 TH Virginia Militia. Later on he went into the 18TH Virginia Cavalry.

During the Battle of Lynchburg on June 17 1864 Evan was wounded.

Evan died from the results of that wound several months later on February 2 1865. Evan is buried near his parents,  in Timber Ridge Christian Church Cemetery.

Signed E P Ward

Signed E P W

You can also find his name on the Confederate Memorial in the Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney.

Many of the guns made in Hampshire County went to war during the Civil War. Recently a attributed Evan P Ward Rifle was located in Tennessee . The family who had the rifle said one of their ancestors carried the rifle during some of the Civil War. 

 We have noticed,  on all of Evans rifles,  the hinges on both the patchbox and the capbox are flat. We have not seen this on any other Hampshire County rifles.

If You have  any additional information or questions on the Ward's and their rifles ,  please contact us .

For more information on Evan and his Father read.

Frederick County Virginia

Settlement and Some Families of

Back Creek Valley

1730-1830.

by Wilmer L Kerns PH.D.

You can find this book in the Hampshire County Library

THANKS TO THE OWNERS OF THESE RIFLES THAT ALLOWED US TO PHOTOGRAPH AND POST THEM.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY PICTURES.