William Oscar Maddox, Sr.

From the Record

The chapter title renders him 'William Oscar Maddox (Sr. ?)'. Lived in the Good Hope area of Harrison County, Virginia (WV). In 1838, after his father-in-law Aaron Cheuvront received a 2,000-acre land grant in Jackson County (Lockhart, Odaville and Sandyville areas) from Governor Allison of Virginia -- believed granted for the American Revolutionary War service of Aaron's father Joseph Cheuvront -- William and the Cheuvront family sold out in Harrison County, drove wagons and livestock overland to Parkersburg, floated everything down the Ohio River by raft to the present site of Ravenswood, and cut a wagon path along Sand Creek (the 'Sandy') to the new homeland.

William Oscar Maddox was the first Maddox to settle in Jackson County, Virginia (WV); he built his log house on a bank above Sand Creek where the Morgan Farm is now located. He died of Typhoid Fever leaving his wife and eight children; Aaron Cheuvront took the family in and helped raise the children (all listed in Aaron's household in the 1850 census). A copy of his marriage bond is on file at the Harrison County courthouse.

From the Family Manuscript

• In 1838, Aaron Cheuvront, father of Williams wife received a 2,000-acre land grant from Governor Allison of Virginia, this land was in Jackson County, Virginia (WV) in the Lockhart, Odaville and Sandyville areas. We believe that this land grant was given to Aaron Cheuvront for his fathers service in the American Revolutionary War; his father was Joseph Cheuvront. At the time, the Cheuvront family and William Oscar Maddox lived in Harrison County, Virginia (WV) in the Good Hope area. William Oscar Maddox and Cheuvront family sold out in Harrison County, Virginia (WV).

  Maddox Family History, transcript line 821.

• In 1838, the Cheuvront family and William Oscar Maddox packed everything they had onto wagons, herded and drove the livestock from Harrison County, Virginia (WV) across land to Parkersburg, Wood County, Virginia (WV). While at Parkersburg, they built rafts, loaded everything on board and floated down the Ohio River to the present site of Ravenswood, Jackson County, West Virginia. Once they arrived at Ravenswood, they unloaded everything and took out across land, following Sand Creek (called the Sandy), cutting a path for the wagons until they arrived at their new home- land. William Oscar Maddox was the first Maddox to settle in Jackson County, Virginia (WV).

  Maddox Family History, transcript line 823.

• Once they reached the new land, they had to cut timber, build log homes, clear land and plant crops; this would be a big job, at the time, since Jackson County was a vast wilderness. Deer, elk, bears and wolves were very common in this area at the time. Very few people had settled in this part of Jackson County.

  Maddox Family History, transcript line 825.

• William built his log house on a bank above Sand Creek in the location where the Morgan Farm is now located. Aaron built his cabin in the location of Lockhart in the area where the Balderson Store was later built.

  Maddox Family History, transcript line 827.

• William came down with the Typhoid Fever and he died on the 21st day of August 1841. He was buried on a high bank up from Sand Creek, this cemetery would later be known as the Maddox Cemetery, Jackson County, West Virginia. Typhoid Fever was a real and deadly problem for the early settlers in this area, numerous people died from it. After his death, Aaron Cheuvront took the family in and helped to raise the children of William Oscar Maddox. When he died, he left his wife and eight children behind. In the 1850 census of Jackson County, Virginia (WV), it lists Anna Maria Elizabeth (Cheuvront) Maddox and the eight children as living in the same household with Aaron Cheuvront.

  Maddox Family History, transcript line 829.