Riley Coulter

In 1855, Riley was born in Pocahontas County, Virginia. It was a small mining community named after the Indian woman who assisted Lewis and Clark. A that time Virginia unfolded all the way to Ohio River. This was not the frontier, but it was not the civilized east coast either. In the area around him, everyone who didn't work in the mine was a farmer. None of them had much money, but they got along OK. His parents , George and Flora, lived next door to his aunt and uncle, they were all farmers.

I imagine what his live would have been like, placing the images I am familiar with and trying to age them to make sense. Did he play with the miner's kids? Did he have to work too much to really have much time for play?

I haven't found the record yet, but I imagine 1861 was a vary tough year for Riley's family. Almost certainly his 31 year old father and younger uncle would have gone to war, but the city he lived was not absolutely aligned to the southern cause. The money would have been very attractive. This town was fairly far from the state seat in Richmond and even further from anyone interested in national politics.

In 1863 the western part of Virginia broke away from the succeeded state of Virginia. It immediately rejoined the union and was recognized as a state. Riley's family, while close to the border between these now waring states, very clearly lived in the West Virginia side. He was eight years old and probably cared more about getting his chores done, than what to call the state he lived in.

I loose Riley to history until 1900 and when I pick up with him he is completely different. He then is married to Harriet, a woman just slightly older than him. He has grown from the boy farmer to a stone mason. They are in their forties and have seven children, all of which still love with them. The work is not steady, but they have a home and all of them can read and write. The have moved to Richmond, West Virginia a township, much smaller than its namesake to the east.

In 1900, in that home in Richmond lives Winnie Mae, Riley's 13 year old daughter, who is not yet working. She is my great, great grandmother.