JOHN WILLIAM SWIGER was born in Bavaria, West Germany, (c) 1730, the child of one of the prominent families of the German empire. He was raised to adulthood in Bavaria, West Germany. At the age of about 19, John William married Miss Mary ( _____ ) in Bavaria, West Germany (c) 1749.

After their marriage, John William and Mary first settled in Bavaria, West Germany, where their first child, Christopher, was born in 1750. After a few years, John William, Mary, and Christopher set sail for the new land of beauty and opportunity, the United States of America, in about 1755. After some time at sea, they landed in Virginia, and traveled overland to make a home in Loudoun County, Virginia. Her in Loudoun County, the remainder of their children were born and raised; they spent about 21 years of married life in Loudoun County, Virginia.

During the Indian War and the Revolutionary War, two of his sone, Christopher C. and John Sr., enlisted and served in Yohogania County, District of West Augusta, in the area soon to become Greene County and Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The stories that Christopher and John brought back home about the beautifiul country and farm land, and possibly the atrocities of the Indians of Viriginia during this time, influenced John William and his family. In 1777, John William, Mary, and their family moved to Fayette County, Pennsylvania where they resided for a few years.

Here in Pennsylvania, John William was engaged in merchantile pursuits and had a large distillery in neighboring Greene County, PA, and in this way, came into possession of considerable Continental money. (His executors invested this money in a large tract of land in what is now Barbour County, WV, this being the only way in which the government would redeem the money. However, the heirs of this land failed to look after and pay the taxes and the revenues upon it, and the land reverted back to the government.)

Following the Revolutionary War of 1776-1779, John William, finding his stock of wares for his large merchantile business becoming short and desiring to replenish it, reportedly set sail back to his native Germany for that purpose. However, he was never heard from again, and was presumed dead at sea. It is supposed that he and his little craft were swallowed up by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

After John William's presumed death at sea, Mary soon remarried to Joshua Allen, a widower at Fort Pitt (now Pittsburg), Allegheny County, PA, in the 1780's.

After their marriage, Mary and Joshua, along with both of their families, came down the Monongahela and the West Fork Rivers to take up a land grant on the West Fork River near Hepzibah, Harrison County, WV before 1790, and here on this farm they spent the remainder of their lives.

Joshua Allen died near Hepzibah, WV, (c) Novermber 1810, at the age of about eighty-two. He apparently died intestate; however, and inventory of his estate is recorded in Harrison County, WV and dated November 23, 1810. (Harrison County will book 1, page 443).

Mary was a homemaker and the mother of 7 children.

Excerpt from Swiger Family History by Ira L. Swiger, located in the New Martinsville, WV Public Library

JOHN WILLIAM SWIGER was born in Bavaria, West Germany, (c) 1730, the child of one of the prominent families of the German empire. He was raised to adulthood in Bavaria, West Germany. At the age of about 19, John William married Miss Mary ( _____ ) in Bavaria, West Germany (c) 1749.

After their marriage, John William and Mary first settled in Bavaria, West Germany, where their first child, Christopher, was born in 1750. After a few years, John William, Mary, and Christopher set sail for the new land of beauty and opportunity, the United States of America, in about 1755. After some time at sea, they landed in Virginia, and traveled overland to make a home in Loudoun County, Virginia. Her in Loudoun County, the remainder of their children were born and raised; they spent about 21 years of married life in Loudoun County, Virginia.

During the Indian War and the Revolutionary War, two of his sone, Christopher C. and John Sr., enlisted and served in Yohogania County, District of West Augusta, in the area soon to become Greene County and Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The stories that Christopher and John brought back home about the beautifiul country and farm land, and possibly the atrocities of the Indians of Viriginia during this time, influenced John William and his family. In 1777, John William, Mary, and their family moved to Fayette County, Pennsylvania where they resided for a few years.

Here in Pennsylvania, John William was engaged in merchantile pursuits and had a large distillery in neighboring Greene County, PA, and in this way, came into possession of considerable Continental money. (His executors invested this money in a large tract of land in what is now Barbour County, WV, this being the only way in which the government would redeem the money. However, the heirs of this land failed to look after and pay the taxes and the revenues upon it, and the land reverted back to the government.)

Following the Revolutionary War of 1776-1779, John William, finding his stock of wares for his large merchantile business becoming short and desiring to replenish it, reportedly set sail back to his native Germany for that purpose. However, he was never heard from again, and was presumed dead at sea. It is supposed that he and his little craft were swallowed up by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

After John William's presumed death at sea, Mary soon remarried to Joshua Allen, a widower at Fort Pitt (now Pittsburg), Allegheny County, PA, in the 1780's.

After their marriage, Mary and Joshua, along with both of their families, came down the Monongahela and the West Fork Rivers to take up a land grant on the West Fork River near Hepzibah, Harrison County, WV before 1790, and here on this farm they spent the remainder of their lives.

Joshua Allen died near Hepzibah, WV, (c) Novermber 1810, at the age of about eighty-two. He apparently died intestate; however, and inventory of his estate is recorded in Harrison County, WV and dated November 23, 1810. (Harrison County will book 1, page 443).

Mary was a homemaker and the mother of 7 children.

Excerpt from Swiger Family History by Ira L. Swiger, located in the New Martinsville, WV Public Library