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by Robert I. Miskimen Jr (Author)
This is a Family History of a simple Scotch-Irish Immigrant who first served a French Huguenot family named Ferree in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, beginning in 1748. Abraham Ferree purchased the Indenture of one David Miskimmins, born 1732, from Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ulster (Northern Ireland). The Ferree family was a beneficiary of William Penn who gave Madame Marie Warenbuer a grant of 2000 acres in the new colony of Peace in America. They first arrived in 1712 upon the Pequea Valley in Strasburg Township (now Lancaster County) to settle among the Native Americans. They were granted life long friendship with the local Pequea Indians. The first grandchild born on this land was to Philip and Leah (DuBois). Abraham (1715-1775) lived, toiled, and died in Paradise. He is buried with his grandmother, parents, and other relatives in Carpenter's Graveyard. Abraham's youngest daughter was Rachel (1747-1805), also born in Paradise, PA. She became the bride of our David on October 24, 1763 at the Emanuel Church New Castle, Delaware. Together, David and Rachel settled on "Eltinge's Right" along the Potomac River, southwest of Hancock in Western Maryland. This area was first named Linton Hundred. It was here, along the western banks of the Potomac River, that David and Rachel settled on a portion their father Abraham's Plantation and raised fruit and sugar trees to distill spirits for the burgeoning colonies on the eastern shores. Rachel's sister, Elizabeth and her husband Millar settled on the northern half of this plantation. They raised a family of one daughter (Rachel) and seven subsequent sons (John, Abram, David, James, William, Israel, and Joseph). These offspring have yielded six pioneering families which built the American West. They first settled in Ohio beginning in 1805, Illinois as early as 1836, Iowa in 1851, Nebraska after the Civil War, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, California, Oregon, Washington, and other states. This Title will chronicle the growth of the six male offspring, along with the maternal side of each of the families. I hope that the stories presented will help guide future generations to have the same exceptional ideals and primary faith in a Loving Creator, Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. May this also lead others to enjoy the oral / literal history passed to future generation by their mothers, a tradition of the German and Scotch-Irish immigrants which pushed through the Appalachian frontier. This is the joy given the author by his loving Mother Lois Magdalene Hoffmeyer (1926-2005). She first led me to church and salvation, which is also a subject of most pioneering families. Each of the denominations which our families have followed are briefly described. We are blessed to be eighth, ninth, and tenth generation Americans. May you know history to avoid the pitfalls of our past. Learn who your cousins are and where their families settled and lived.
