Friday, March 5, 2010

Frances Shiflett Parcel



Russ and I have successfully calculated the shape of the parcel owned by Frances Shiflett and later, John William Allen. I have labeled some landmarks mentioned in the deed but it's still difficult to know exactly where the parcel was. The best hints we have are the road that was mentioned, the branch that seems to run along the eastern edge of the property as well as the names of neighboring landowners. Some of these include Smith Roach, Solomon Shiflett, Powell, Armentrout, and Hill Shiflett.

On the 1901 timber rights deed, another Shiflett is mentioned, which appears to be Hill Shiflett. According to the 1900 census, Hilary Shiflett was a neighbor to John William Allen and family. There is a cemetery in Shenandoah National Park often called the Hensley/Shiflett/Powell (H/S/P) cemetery but also referred to as the Hill Shiflett cemetery (more info here).


This topo map (found here originally), shows the location of the cemetery. To the east of the cemetery is Smith Roach Gap. Smith Roach was also listed as a neighboring landholder on the 1901 deed. The cemetery just north of Smith Roach Gap is called the Smith Roach Family cemetery, so we can assume he did live in this vicinity. If we assume Hill Shiflett lived near his cemetery and Smith Roach lived near his, perhaps the "hse" homesite north of the Smith Roach cemetery would make a good guess as to the location of Frances Shiflett's property. The yellow lines are old wagon roads, and there is a branch or stream running in the direction that we guessed from the deed description.

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