Ephraim Bee^{[1, 2]}

1802 - 1888  (85 years)

• Name	Ephraim Bee
  Born	26 Dec 1802	Salem, Salem, New Jersey, United States   [3]
  Gender	Male
  Birth	Between 1803 and 1804	New Jersey, United States   [1]
  Census	1850	Doddridge, West Virginia, United States   [1]
  	Address: (West)
  Census	1860	Doddridge, West Virginia, United States   [4]
  	Address: (West)
  Census	1870	Doddridge, West Virginia, United States   [5]
  	Address: South West Twp.
  Census	1880	Doddridge, West Virginia, United States   [6]
  	Address: South West Twp.
  Died	22 Oct 1888	Doddridge, West Virginia, United States   [2]
  Death	23 Oct 1888	Doddridge, West Virginia, United States   [3]
  	Address: Cabin Run
  Reference Number	2137
  _AMTID	190111183547:1030:113173531
  Buried	Doddridge, West Virginia, United States   [3]
  	Address: Cabin Run Cemetery, Cabin Run
  Notes	August 23, 1850 Dist No 13 Doddridge County, Virginia 363 335 Ephraim Bee 46 M Farmer 43500 [??] New Jersey Catharine " 45 F Va Amos " 22 M Farmer 2400 " Stinnett " 20 M Farmer " Mckliff [?] " 18 M " " Ephraim W " 16 M " " [next page] Agustin I Bee 13 M Va x [school] Martha S [?] " 10 F " x Leah F Mansford 4 F " Morris Hyner 30 M Tanner 600 New Jersey Charles Dowd 23 M M Labourer 200 Pa July 23, 1860 Doddridge County, Virginia Page 127 878 879 Ephraim Bee 57 M Do [Farmer] 40,000 2125 New Jersey M " 36 F Va Smith " 23 M " ME " 6 F " Jno S " 5 M " Hannah " 3 M " Susan " 1 F " August 29, 1870 South West Twp., Doddridge, West Virginia Page 17 127 117 Bee, Ephraim 67 M W Farmer 73460 6000 Virginia x [MC21] ---Mary 47 F W Keeping house Virginia ---Mary E 16 F W Virginia x [school] ---John S C 15 M W Virginia x ---Hannah 13 F W Virginia x ---Susan 11 F W Virginia x ---Rachel J 9 F W Virginia x ---West Va 7 M W Virginia x ---Tabitha F 3 F W West Virginia Welch Benj 40 M W Farm laborer 140 Virginia x [MC21] June 1, 1880 Southwest District, Doddridge, West Virginia Page 1 Sup 1s t Enum 123 8 8 Bee Ephraim W M 78 x [M] Farmer Bronchitis New Jersey New Jersey Ne w Jersey ---Mary W F 56 wife x House Keeper Virginia Virginia Virginia ---John S W M 25 Son x [S] Farm Laborer Virginia Virginia Virginia ---Susan A W F 21 Daughter x Housework x [school] West Va New J Virgini a ---Rachel J. W F 19 Daughter x Housework x West Va New J Virginia ---Virginia W F 17 Daughter x Housework x West Va New J Virginia ---Tabitha F. W F 13 Daughter x Housework x West Va New J Virginia Britton Mark W M 26 Servant Farm Laborer Virginia Virginia Virginia Doddridge County WVGenWeb - Proud member of WVGenWeb Associated with Swiger Run History Center Library Do you have a question or information to share? Please email us at Doddridge History Research Group Tell us about yourself and your research! Doddridge County WVGenWeb Doddridge County, West Virginia About Us Contact Us Site Map Privacy Doddridge County, West Virginia Click to join DoddridgeResearch Doddridge County "QuickFacts" provided by our Census Bureau Ephraim Bee was born December 26, 1802 in Salem, New Jersey, and died O ctober 23, 1888 on Cabin Run, Doddridge County, West Virginia. His pare ts were Asa Bee and Rhoda Cox. Ephraim’s family moved to Western Virginia when he was nineteen years o ld. He was a self made man, having but four months of schooling in all h is life. Ephraim was the first Clerk of the Middle Island Seventh Day B aptist Church. In 1828 Ephraim and his first wife, Catherine Davis, established a log h ome on Meathouse fork of Middle Island Creek, now West Union, West Virg inia. They built an Inn at Lewisport (also now West Union, WV), below t he Blockhouse on the Northwestern Turnpike. It became a very popular pl ace for travelers and locals to meet, revive themselves and to re-provi sion supplies for their journeys. He operated the first Blacksmith shop i the area. His farm, stables, tannery and a horseracing track were als o added to increase the family income. Ephraim became involved in land s peculation and owned some 40,000 acres of land. When Doddridge County, WV was being formed out of parts of Harrison & R itchie Counties, Ephraim rallied to locate the County Seat at Lewisport . His brother-in law, Nathan Davis, Randolph and others, won the County S eat for West Union, across the Middle Island River. At the age of 60, he was a Captain of the Doddridge County Militia, whi ch protected the area from roving Confederate forces, horse thieves & o utlaws. He became a candidate for the First West Virginia Legislature i 1863, at Wheeling, the first Capitol of West Virginia. His opponent w as Joseph H. Diss Debar, a talented French Alsatian who had settled in t he area about 1843. He was an artist who drew caricature sketches of Ep hraim Bee; some of these drawings are now in the State Capitol at Cha leston, WV. It is ironic that it was Mr. Diss Debar who one day procla imed that Ephraim’s Inn, which was buzzing full of the Bee children, wa s a “Beehive”. The name stuck. Diss Debar was apparently elected and presented himself at Wheeling on J une 20, 1863 to take his seat. Ephraim Bee also presented himself, file d his petition contesting the seat of Mr. Diss Debar. A committee of th e house passed on the merits and the claims of each and after an impass ioned speech by Ephraim, decided in favor of Mr. Bee. Bee then served i the First West Virginia Legislature of 1863. Sketch of Ephraim Bee by Joseph J. Dis de Bar Doddridge WV Maps Census Records Doddridge County Records Doddridge County Photographs Cemetery Links Doddridge County Genealogy Links Doddridge County Veterans Doddridge Who's Who Doddridge County History Research Tutorials and Tools *Queries *while all pages are in progress, those with an asterisk are not posted y et... Honorable Ephraim Bee of Doddridge County was returned to Wheeling to s erve his beloved County for two more terms of office in 1866 & 1867. Ephraim Bee was United States Postmaster for West Union and Grand Lama o f the Ancient and Honorable Order of E. Clampus Vitus, a secret order f or playing jokes, which he originated about 1845 and initiated all prom inent people at Richmond, Virginia, when he was sent there on a politic al mission. He did the same in Wheeling when it became the Capitol of t he new State of West Virginia. Ephraim and Catherine Bee had 10 children who lived past childhood. He a d his second wife, Mary Melissa (Polly) Welch, had seven children who l ived past childhood. Ephraim and Polly’s youngest daughter, West Virgin ia Bee, was born January 01, 1863, the same day President Lincoln signe d the Bill establishing the State of West Virginia. After serving his terms of office, Ephraim Bee retired from public life . He is buried under a beautiful monument at Cabin Run Cemetery, with h is second wife, near where they lived. The Epitaph; "A precious one from us has gone, a voice so loved is stilled. A place is vacant in our home, that never can be filled God in his wisdom has recalled the precious boon his love had given. Al though the body molders here, his soul is safe in heaven." "O Death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy Victory." At the foot of Ephraim’s Monument is a small stone block inscribed with t he letters “ECV”. This was placed by members of the “Ancient and Honora ble Order of E Clampus Vitus” (ECV), the Fraternal Order founded by Eph aim. A Historic Monument was created by ECV to honor Bee on the Bi-Centennia l of his Birth, and the installation was coordinated with the July 22, 2 006 Festival honoring the 125th Anniversary of the Town of West Union. The Return of the Vipers is planned for Spring of 2010.
  Person ID	I2130	Megan's Big Tree
  Last Modified	22 Apr 2018

  
  

  Father	Asa George Bee,   b. 28 Aug 1756, Salem, Salem, New Jersey, United States ,   d. 1826, Doddridge, West Virginia, United States  (Age 69 years)
  Mother	Rhoda Cox,   b. 12 Jan 1755, New Jersey, United States ,   d. 1830  (Age 74 years)
  Married	5 Aug 1793	Salem, Salem, New Jersey, United States   [7]
  Family ID	F29655	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Catherine Davis,   b. 10 Jun 1804, West Virginia, United States ,   d. 27 Jun 1852  (Age 48 years)
  Married	19 Jun 1823
  Children	1. Amos Bee,   b. 28 Feb 1828, Harrison, West Virginia, United States ,   d. 13 Aug 1904, West Union, Doddridge, West Virginia, United States  (Age 76 years)   2. Stinnett Bee,   b. 9 May 1830, Doddridge, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   3. Wickliffe Bee,   b. 25 May 1832, Doddridge, West Virginia, United States ,   d. 16 Oct 1917, Doddridge, West Virginia, United States  (Age 85 years)   4. Ephraim W. Bee,   b. Between 1833 and 1834, Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   5. Agustin I. Bee,   b. Between 1836 and 1837, Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   6. Martha Louise Bee,   b. 24 Feb 1840,   d. 11 Apr 1908, West Virginia, United States  (Age 68 years)
  Last Modified	4 Jul 2019
  Family ID	F916	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Mary Melissa Welch,   b. 2 Dec 1823, Harrison, West Virginia, United States ,   d. 26 Oct 1905, Doddridge, West Virginia, United States  (Age 81 years)
  Married	27 Mar 1853	Wirt, West Virginia, United States   [8]
  Children	1. Mary E. Bee,   b. Between 1853 and 1854, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   2. John S. C. Bee,   b. Between 1854 and 1855, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   3. Hannah Bee,   b. Between 1856 and 1857, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   4. Susan A. Bee,   b. Between 1858 and 1859, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   5. Rachel J. Bee,   b. Between 1860 and 1861, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   6. West Virginia Bee,   b. 1 Jan 1863, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y   7. Tabitha F. Bee,   b. Between 1866 and 1867, West Virginia, United States ,   d. Y
  Last Modified	4 Jul 2019
  Family ID	F925	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 26 Dec 1802 - Salem, Salem, New Jersey, United States Birth - - Between 1803 and 1804 - New Jersey, United States Census - - 1850 - Doddridge, West Virginia, United States Married - 27 Mar 1853 - Wirt, West Virginia, United States Census - - 1860 - Doddridge, West Virginia, United States Census - - 1870 - Doddridge, West Virginia, United States Census - - 1880 - Doddridge, West Virginia, United States Died - 22 Oct 1888 - Doddridge, West Virginia, United States Death - - 23 Oct 1888 - Doddridge, West Virginia, United States Buried - Address: Cabin Run Cemetery, Cabin Run - - Doddridge, West Virginia, United States  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Ephraim Bee.jpg

  
  

• Sources

  [S8] 1850 Census . [S1634] West Virginia Vital Research Records . [S151] Doddridge County WVGenWeb . [S11] 1860 Census . 1852-1853 [S12] 1870 Census . [S14] 1880 Census . Spelled "Beo" [S752] They Came to Milton . [S650] One World Tree .