Foreword

Read Stringtown, West Virginia: A Brief History of a Pre-World War II Rural Community.

See From England to Colonial Virginia and Roane County, WV: Dye Family History.

Foreword
by Ross W. Dye

Men have long been delving into many phases of the question: whence came I? It is to one aspect of this question that I have devoted no little labor and time for more than a year. A statement is made at the end of Part II relative to the sources of the history of my maternal ancestors, so here I will explain the reason for finishing Part II first and give the major sources of the information found in Part I. Because I started with more information on my maternal ancestors, Part II of this work was finished first. To get the material needed to bring Part I into its present form was not easy. The West Virginia Department of Archives and History was very helpful and even sent me a photograph of Jonathan Smith. Certain chapters of the D.A.R. and the S.A.R. were contacted for help. The Virginia State Library was cooperative. Mr. Ott Poling, postmaster at Stumptown, West Virginia, rendered invaluable assistance. Mrs. Eula Pickering, whose great-grandfather, Absalom Stump, was a brother of my great-great-grandfather, George Stump, supplied abundant information. The U.S. Census reports were consulted. Historical societies were contacted. Libraries were visited. The West Virginia Department of Health supplied a copy of the death certificate of Lydia Stump Smith. Aunt Ruby Dye Sergent gave me the information in the Dye Family Bible as well as other facts known to her. Aunt Oshial Dye Vineyard also gave me much help. Ronald Vineyard had a part in copying data from tombstones and others did what they could. The correspondence has been voluminous and the work has involved many hours. Most of the information was supplied free of charge, but in some cases I had to employ professional genealogists to check records not otherwise available to me.

This work was done primarily for my own benefit and for my children’s information, but I am supplying copies to certain relatives in the hope that it will be of interest to them.

Ross W. Dye
December 2, 1964

Notes from Suzanne, daughter of Ross Dye

Part II, with more details about Stringtown, and Romeo and Olive Dye, coming….as soon as I can wrestle it out of my parents!

Read an Interview with Ross Dye, Grandson of John Morgan Dye.

Keep up with our new Old Stringtown farm every day on the farmhouse blog. Our new farm is across the river from John Morgan Dye’s old farm and the Summerfield/Dye cemetery is across the road from us. Abraham Dye’s house still stands and is about two miles away. The old “Lamb place” is even closer and I know just where Jonathan Smith hid his horse from the soldiers….

Go to:

Stringtown, West Virginia: A Brief History of a Pre-World War II Rural Community

From England to Colonial Virginia and Roane County, WV: Dye Family History.

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