As further evidence of the interaction between the Germans on the two sides of the "Great Mountains", which are now known as the Blue Ridge Mountains, let me cite some land records.
Deobald Christler had a grant for 437 acres in 1755 on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River adjacent to Zachary Blancumbaker and Michael Blancumbaker.
Michael Plankenbeker of Culpeper Co. was granted 254 acres on South Fork of the Shenandoah River in Frederick Co. in 1761 adjacent to Hoffman.
Harmon Spilman of Culpeper Co. was granted 358 acres on Cabbon Creek, a branch of Hogs Creek, in Frederick Co.
It is mentioned that 210 acres had been surveyed on Blue Ridge in Frederick Co. for James Yowell in 1752.
Jacob Holtzclaw of Prince William Co. had 407 acres in Augusta Co. in 1750.
Jacob Holtzclaw of Prince William Co. had 104 acres in Augusta Co. in 1752 adjacent to his other land.
Even earlier than these grants, John Paul Vaught/Vogt moved to the Valley. His son-in-law Christian Clemmons moved about the same time. Both had patents in the Robinson River Valley.
Lodowick Selser had 370 acres in Augusta Co. in 1750 on South Fork of Shenandoah River adjacent to ....Rudy Moick (Mauck, Mauk, or Mock).
Lawrence Garr of Culpeper Co. had 290 acres in Augusta Co. adjacent Mathias Selser in 1751.
The name Mary Selser occurs in the German Lutheran Church in the RRV baptism lists as the wife of Samuel Lederer (1776 and in 1778).
This list could be amplified several times; here it is only meant to give some evidence of the interactions of the Germans on both sides of the Great Mountains. I would be remiss for not mentioning the Yagers as outlined by Jan Creek in
Beyond Germanna
.
(10 Jan 06)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.