Captain Snyder and his Twelve of West Virginia

I had wondered why Asa Harman had married the sister of his deceased wife and the section I found in "Captain Snyder and his Twelve of West Virginia" by Carrie Harman Roy explains the marriage. (1977)

"The TOWN of HARMAN, WVa, is situated near the junction of the Dry Fork River and Horse Camp Run. For many years a quiet country village, with the event of the railroad [Central WVa & Southern] which ran from Hendricks to Horton, WVa, the town began to grow and many people moved in.

The two main families at the beginning of this little community were the Harmans and the Snyders. Rev. Asa Harman owned most of the land on the east side of the river and Sampson Snyder owned most of the land on the west side.

Reverend Asa Harman (1834-1902), the son of Solomon Harman, was a traveling German Baptist preacher. He went from place to place and would hold services wherever he could. There were no churches at first, but he would visit in the homes and have services there. here the Harman Church of the Brethren was organized by him in 1859, in the home of Mrs. Jonas Cooper. Her husband had been killed in the war.

When the town of Harman came into being, there was much discussion as to what to name it. Reverend Asa Harman had donated 170 acres of land for the town and it was felt that it should be named after him, and it was.

Reverend Asa Harman, due to a financial need, began to sell off parts of his vast domain. The Coopers bought a goodly portion and soon many people owned parts of it.

Reverend Asa Harman married into the Cooper family. First, he married Elizabeth Cooper and to them were born two boys, Henry Clay Harman, and Job Harman. After Elizabeth's death, he married her sister Barbara because Elizabeth requested it."

This also helps to explain the prevalence of the Cooper name, even today, in Harman, West Virginia.

Speaking of good books, I just finished reading "Wonderful Tonight" by Pattie Boyd who was the wife of guitar gods George Harrison and Eric Clapton respectively. This is a must-read (and a quick read) for anyone who loves the Beatles and the music of Eric Clapton.

The History of Harman?

West Virginians have a proud and rich history, and I can prove it. My home state of Maryland has maybe a couple of songs that reference the state or Baltimore. The state song, "Maryland, My Maryland", is an out-of-date, pro-Confederate ditty sung to the tune of what we now know as "Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree." The bottom line is that Maryland just doesn't have a lot of songs or poems that sing the praises of the Old Line State.

But West Virginia has many songs singing the praises of the Mountain State. "West Virginia" by Hazel Dickens, "Country Roads" made popular by John Denver, "West Virginia" by They Might Be Giants, and "West Virginia Man" by David Allen Coe. There are many more songs about WV and just this abundance of musical tribute is artistic proof of West Virginia's self-pride in history and heritage. And please do not invoke the debate about the true subject matter of Country Roads. We know that the geographical references are more indicative of old Virginia rather than West Virginia, BUT, the name of West Virginia is mentioned in this song and it is indeed for some almost heaven.

So I was surprised that Harman, West Virginia doesn't have a written history, even a small summary of its history, anywhere that I can find online or in the Pioneer Memorial Public Library. In researching the history of Harman, West Virginia, here is what I have found:

"Asa Harman born October 31, 1834; was educated in the common schools; became a farmer, and also was one of the most prominent German Baptist ministers in his state. He resided on a farm in what is now known as the town of Harman, Randolph County. W. Va., the town being named in his honor. He was one of the most prominent men in his section of the state, but met with financial reverses in the later years of his life, greatly interfering with the education of some of his children whom he had attended the university of his state. Died 1902. He married (1) Elizabeth Cooper and (2) Barbara Cooper, sisters."

This is from "Harman-Harmon: Genealogy and Biography" by John William Harman of Parsons, West Virginia, 1928:

In talking to local Harman descendants, the town of Harman was never a timber boom town like many small towns in West Virginia, though they did have a train depot where the post office stands today. Harman was never a coal mining town either. Harman was founded by a farmer and minister as a farming town and the agricultural trade kept the trains of the Dry Fork Railroad full and moving. I have to assume that the land in Harman is rich river bottomland that allows for excellent farming.

Do you live in Harman, West Virginia or have kin from here? Please write or email what you know to me. We would love to add it to our growing history of this charming West Virginia town in Randolph County.