=Cathell Family in West Virginia=

The first child of Platt and Sarah Williams Cathell was James Mitchell Cathell, born June 17, 1860 either in Baltimore or nearby Woodberry (Baltimore County), Maryland. James died on February 7, 1941 in Rowlesburg West Virginia, at the home of his younger brother Will.

James could have been so named because it was a common and biblical given name, however James was also the name of his great grandfather, the somewhat enigmatic James Porter Cathell. James' middle name, Mitchell, however was certainly from a tradition in his father Platt's line. Platt's father was named Mitchell and Platt's middle name was Mitchell. Many males in the West Virginia Cathell family, to this day, have Mitchell as a part of his name including this author's father and brother. Even though Mitchell is a common last name on the Delmarva Penisula, researchers believe this tradition in the Cathell line came from a close family aquaintance, Mitchell Kershaw.

Whether James Mitchell Cathell was the type to appreciate his time in history is not known, however he certainly saw a remarkable span of America unfold. Being born in 1860 in the heart of Civil War territory, James probably had some recollections of those events as he was 5 years old when the South surrendered and Lincoln was assassinated. James would have been witness to stories coming back about the settlement of the West and its Indian Wars. His younger brother was a soldier in the Spanish American War and various nephews served in the First World War. James lived to see the world in the throes of depression and the unfolding of yet another, and worse, World War. He died months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As the oldest child and in the beginning of his teen years, he probably bore many family responsibilities when Platt uprooted the family from city life to settle in the mountains of West Virginia in 1872. Indeed some evidence exists that James served as a father figure to his younger siblings, including Will with whom he seemed to have an especially close relationship. He was residing close to the family farm in Green Valley when enumerated in the 1920 census, he was 60 years old and probably retired from farming, his occupation is listed as a tobacconist in a Rowlesburg store. It is reported that his brother Will Cathell had bought a building in Rowlesburg for James to pursue this occupation. In the 1930 U.S. Census he was the single occupant of a household in Buckhorn Township, Baxter County Arkansas. His son, Claude, born on April 8, 1908, was a 22 year man living nearby in Gassville Arkansas. James' death certificate states he was a resident of Belington, Barbour County in 1941, one can speculate that he was living out his later years at his brother Jonathan's farm. It is believed however that he had lived with Will in Rowlesburg for some time before his death at age 81. The somewhat sterile public records reveal a man who seemed to have some tragic circumstances but was a person of great compassion.

This photo is a enlarged portion of the Cathell Family photo that appears in Harley Cathell's Eastern Shore Roots and on the main page of the Cathell Family in West Virginia page . The Cathells from the left are Sarah and Platt (his father and mother) and James and his first wife Carrie. The photo of James therefore would be before his mother Sarah died in 1908 and might have been in 1905-- as Elsie Miller Cathell (wife of William Cathell) is holding a newborn baby in the center of the complete photo. Their daughter, Merle Cathell (later Wiles), was born in 1905. If 1905 is correct, James Mitchell Cathell would have been 45 years old in the photo. His first wife, Carrie Cobun Cathell, died in 1909. Harley Cathell states that they were raising baby Claude Cathell as their son at the time of her death. They also were raising nephew Virgil, born in May 1900. One wonders if Virgil was the young child riding the horse in the photo, although Harley identifies the child as Fred Cathell, son of Rutherford and Grace Cathell. My father, an knowledgeable family historian, cannot identify the location of this photo, your help is requested.

Marriage License From WV Culture and History website

James Mitchell Cathell married Anna Turney on October 26, 1910, perhaps to assist with raising the children. James was 49 and Annie was 30. John Myers is also listed in the U.S. Census household as a ward. Annie Cathell died around 1918 . In the meantime, Virgil had been killed in a railroad accident as recounted below.

Death Registry listing of Virgle Cathell From WV Culture and History website

This listing in the 1916 death register for Preston County lists the death of Virgle (Virgil) Cathell as a student killed in a railroad accident in Hardman, West Virginia. Hardman is a B&O Railroad location west of Newburg with a helper and maintenance station but no houses. The circumstances of this accident are unknown to this author.

At some point Claude Cathell left the household and moved to Arkansas. He married Beulah V Webb. Claude died in April 3, 1982 after raising a family of four children and working as a railroad engineer on the Missouri Pacific Railroad around Little Rock. He is buried with Beulah in Edgewood Memorial Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas. A commentator listed him as "a good Christian man who loved his trains".

Death Certificate From WV Culture and History website

Help requested!!

Name: Cathell, James Mitchell	Year of Birth 1860	Year of Death: 1941	Birth Place: Baltimore MD
Spouse:1) Carrie Coburn 2)Annie Turner	Spouse Birth/Death:__________	Burial:Etam Cemetery	Child:Virgil Cathell
Child: Claude Cathell	Child:	Child:	Child:
Residence: Preston Co & Belington WV	County: Preston &Barbour	Occupation:	Notes:Died in Rowlesburg with Will Cathell providing information although address is listed as Belington. (4). See photo above.

---

Use this link to go to the Cathell Family in West Virginia Home Page

Green Valley, West Virginia
August 4, 2007

Green Valley, near Etam West Virginia. Platt Mitchell Cathell homestead. Currently owned and occupied by Gerald "Pete" Cathell, grandson of Platt M. Cathell


1907 Map of Etam West Virginia. The Cathell homestead is just off of this map to the southwest.

Platt and Sarah, as well as many of their offspring are buried in the Etam Methodist Church cemetary.

Children of Platt and Sarah Cathell-use "back" to return to this page from links

Name: Cathell, George E.	Year of Birth 1865	Year of Death: 1932	Birth Place: Baltimore MD
Spouse: Sarah E. Robinson	Spouse Birth/Death:1867-1954	Burial:Etam Cemetary	Child: Roy Cathell 1900-1901
Child: Clarence M. Cathell 1890-1983	Child: Bertha I. Cathell Britton1891-1973	Child: James A. Cathell 1895-1964	Child: Nora A. Cathell 1893-1983
Residence: Green Valley WV	County: Preston	Occupation: Farmer	Notes:

Name: Cathell, Joseph Huvington	Year of Birth 1868	Year of Death: 1964	Birth Place: Baltimore MD
Spouse: Callie V. Adams	Spouse Birth/Death:1884-1960	Burial:Etam Cemetary	Child: Perl A. Cathell
Child: Edith J. Cathell	Child: Dora M Cathell	Child:Earl C. Cathell	Child: William E. Cathell
Child: Elsie E. Cathell	Child: Dorothy C. Cathell	Child:T.Gordon Cathell	Child: W. Donald Cathell
Residence: Etam WV	County: Preston	Occupation: Farmer	Notes: 95 years old at death

Name: Cathell, James Mitchell	Year of Birth 1860	Year of Death: 1941	Birth Place: Baltimore MD
Spouse:1) Carrie Coburn 2) Annie Turner	Spouse Birth/Death:__________	Burial:Etam Cemetary	Child:Virgil Cathell
Child: Claude Cathell	Child:	Child:	Child:
Residence: Belington WV	County: Barbour	Occupation:	Notes:Died in Rowlesburg at Will's

Name: Cathell, Steward H.	Year of Birth 1870	Year of Death: 1953	Birth Place: Baltimore
Spouse: Cyrena May Lipscomb	Spouse Birth/Death:1871-1952	Burial:Etam Cemetary	Child: Thomas Oscar Cathell
Child: Anna L. Cathell	Child: Harry Ervin Cathell	Child: Lula Mabel Cathell	Child: Elmer Neal Cathell
Child: Orville Ross Cathell	Child: Theodore Platt Cathell	Child: Boyd Williard Cathell	Child: Stewart Lee Cathell (loved cake)
Child: Goldie Grace Cathell	Child: Everett McKinley Cathell	Child: Mary Katherine Cathell	Child: Kenneth Hall Cathell
Child: Arthur U. Cathell	Child: Avril Cathell	Child: Robert W. Cathell	Child:Ruth M. Cathell
Residence: Hepzibah Community	County: Taylor	Occupation:Farmer	Notes:

Name: Cathell, William Luther	Year of Birth 1878	Year of Death: 1956	Birth Place: Green Valley -Etam, WV
Spouse: Elsie M.	Spouse Birth/Death:1883-1959	Burial:Etam Cemetary	Child: Merrill (Myrl)Cathell
Child: Charles (Charley) Cathell	Child:	Child:	Child:
Residence: Rowlesburg WV	County: Preston	Occupation: Engineer, B&O	Notes: Pension card in Rowlesburg book

Name: Cathell, Charles (Charley)	Year of Birth 1880	Year of Death: 1952	Birth Place: Green Valley -Etam, WV
Spouse: Mable (Mae)Gaines	Spouse Birth/Death:1887-196_	Burial:Etam Cemetary	Child:Betty (Cathell) Sohn
Child: Dolly M (Cathell) Bolyard Dutton 1914-2002	Child: Gerald (Pete) Cathell, Green Valley, WV	Child: Richard (Rich) Cathell, Chesapeake, VA	Child: Violet (Cathell) Carver
Child: Augusta Cathell	Child: Mildred M. Cathell	Child: C. Harold Cathell	Child:
Residence: Green Valley, WV	County: Preston	Occupation:Farmer	Notes: bought homeplace from siblings

Name: Cathell, Jane	Year of Birth 18__	Year of Death: 19__	Birth Place: Baltimore MD
Spouse: Thomas Springs	Spouse Birth/Death:_______	Burial:_______	Child:
Child:	Child:	Child:	Child:
Residence:	County: Taylor	Occupation:	Notes:

Name: Cathell, John Wesley	Year of Birth June 22, 1872	Year of Death: August 25, 1951	Birth Place: Baltimore, MD
Spouse: Jane Haymon or Layman	Spouse Birth/Death:_______	Burial:Concord Church	Child: Callie Cathell Corley
Child: Johnnie Cathell	Child: Ralph William Cathell	Child: Daisy Cathell	Child:Howard Cathell
Child: Mitchell Cathell (of John, not of Clarence)	Child: Carrie V. Cathell	Child: Inez D. Cathell	Child:Myrtle E. Cathell
Child: Bretsel L. Cathell	Child:	Child: Clifford B. Cathell	Child:Blanch Cathell
Child: Dolly P.Cathell	Child: Bud Cathell	Child: Sarah E.Cathell	Child: Nellie R. Cathell
Residence: rural Belington WV	County:Barbour	Occupation: Farmer	Notes:

Name: Cathell, Jonathan	Year of Birth abt 1873	Year of Death: ?	Birth Place: Baltimore MD
Spouse: _____	Spouse Birth/Death:_______	Burial:?	Child:
Child:	Child:	Child:	Child:
Residence:	County:	Occupation:	Notes: Jonathan might be John Wesley-above?

Name: Cathell, Martha W	Year of Birth abt 1876	Year of Death: ?	Birth Place: ___________
Spouse: _____	Spouse Birth/Death:_______	Burial:?	Child:
Child:	Child:	Child:	Child:
Residence:	County:	Occupation:	Notes:

Name: Cathell, Rutherford B.	Year of Birth abt 1876	Year of Death: ?	Birth Place: West Virginia
Spouse: Grace E. Francis Cathell	Spouse Birth/Death:12/25/1879/?	Burial:?	Child:
Child:	Child:	Child:	Child:
Residence: Harrison Co. WV	County:	Occupation:	Notes: Married Grace 1899

*********************************************************************

Coming Soon . . . ARE YOU THE OWNER OF THIS SITE? When you build your Tripod site, your pages will be displayed at this address. To start building your site, click one of the links below: Building Basics - Getting started is as easy as 1-2-3! Site Builder - Build a site in minutes! No HTML skill required! ARE YOU VISITING THIS SITE? Tripod has everything you need to build a GREAT website! Easy to use tools. Expert advice. Free domain names. No pesky ads. Join today! Learn More | Sign Up!