| 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
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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.
Ephraims 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 Ephraims 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
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*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 Pollys 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 Ephraims 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.
|
1802 - 1888 (85 years)
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