LOUIS DUVALL, one of the most substantial farmers of Hopewell township, was the youngest son of Louis, who was a son of Alexander and Abigail Duvall. Alexander Duvall came from France to America at an early day, and first located east of the mountains, afterward removing to Fayette county, Penn., near the Monongahela river, where the remainder of his days were passed. Louis Duvall received a common-school education, and after his marriage, to Hannah McAdams, removed to Still Water, Ohio, then almost an unbroken wilderness. They were in constant dread of the Indians, and when her husband was obliged to leave home to go to mill the wife would hide herself and children until his return. Mr. Duvall contracted malaria while in Ohio, and returned to Washington county to regain his health. No house being ready for them on their return, they lived for a time in a barn, which was remodeled and fitted up for the purpose. But though living to a goodly age, Mr. Duvall never regained his health, and upon the devoted wife and mother fell the heavy weight of providing and caring for the needs of the family. She often found it necessary to take her infant to the field, leaving it in a corner of the fence while she hoed corn. By their united efforts, in spite of the husband's poor health, they were successful and accumulated considerable property. Of the nine children born to them, only three are now living, viz.: Hannah (widow of Elias Garrett, of West Bethlehem township), Abigail (wife of Jacob Deems, now residing in West Pike Run township, this county) and Louis. Mary, Eliza, Jane, Maria, Isabel and John are deceased. The father and mother were members of the Society of Friends, being regular attendants at the services, though the meeting house was five miles distant.
Louis Duvall was born in 1830, in East Pike Run township, this county, and was reared on the home farm. Owing to the feeble health of his father the bulk of the farm work fell upon the boys as soon as they were old enough to be of use. In the summer time he could not attend school, and through the winter, school lasted but three months. All farm work was done by hand in those days. Grain was cut with sickles or cradles, as there were no threshing machine; it was then beaten out with flails or trampled out with horses, being afterward cleaned in a fanning-mill. The winter season was the time for doing such work, and as the process was long and tedious, the opportunities for getting an education were very limited. The schools of that time were very primitive affairs compared with those of today, and speaking of them Mr. Duvall said: "I wonder that we got any education. If the children of today could see with what difficulties we had to contend, they would better appreciate the advantages of the present school system. The school-house I attended was as good as the times afforded. It was built of hewn logs, and had windows of four small panes each. The seats were slabs, into which wooden pegs were driven for legs. There were no backs or desks. Around the sides of the room holes were bored into which long wooden pins were driven. On these pins boards were fastened, forming a writing desk. The ceiling was low and liberally festooned with cobwebs. No maps or charts were used to help the youngsters with their lessons. Into a room of this kind fifty or sixty pupils were crowded. The teachers were men of muscle as well as brains, and believed in the efficacy of the rod." Mr. Duvall attended school whenever possible until he was sixteen or eighteen years of age, then turned his attention entirely to farming, working his father's place.
In 1853 he was married to Mary Deems, a native of Clarksville, Greene Co., Penn., daughter of John and Mary (Reynolds) Deems, the former being a native of Washington county, and the latter born in Fayette county, Penn. To Mr. and Mrs. Duvall have been born eleven children, as follows: John R., Hannah M., Annie M., San Jacinto, William L., Mary Olive, Ulysses G. and Schuyler C. (twins), Lurilla (deceased), W. Claud and Dot Dell. They continued to reside in East Pike Run township until 1879, when Mr. Duvall purchased a farm of 163 acres in Hopewell township, where he has been engaged in farming and wool growing, being ably assisted by his sons, none of whom are married. Two of the daughters are married: Hannah (to John Barnes, residing in Claysville, this county) and San Jacinto (married to Albert Rush, living in Hopewell township, this county). Mr. Duvall has endeavored to give each of his children as good an education as possible. His twin sons are attending college at Ada, Ohio. In politics he is a Republican, and in religion he and his wife are members of Buffalo Presbyterian Church.
Text taken from page 502 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed February 1997 by George & Mary Ann Plance of Gainesville, FL as part of the Beers Project.
Published February 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]