ROANE COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA 
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@aol.com
November 28, 1999
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CROSS: Of Spencer since year 1870. Elmer Elsworth Cross and his family first of the name
here. Their ancestry: Waid Cross was a son of a family of Crosses, colonists of Connecti­cut,
having married in Connecticut and lived there for sometime, he with his family came to the Ohio
about the year 1802, and settled as pioneers on the Little Muskingum River about two miles
above Marietta, then a neighborhood center of several families all from New England. Waid
Cross and his wife reared only one son, his name, Lucius Cross; he grew up at the pioneer home
there and married Miss Thirza Stanley, in the year 1822, sne a daughter of Timothy Stanley of
Revolutionary fame. Lucius and Thirza soon disposed of the farm on the Little Muskingurn and
removed down the Ohio to Racine, acquired a large tract of forest lands lying about two miles
back from the river, and on it began an ancestral home; cleared many acres and made them into
fertile fields; a notable farm by the year 1832; in which year they built a ten-room frame
dwelling, at that time deemed the best home in Meigs County. There Lucius and Thirza, his wife,
reared their family—five sons and four daughters— and completed their spans of life. The
names of their children given in order of births are: Abigail, born about 1823, married William
Curtis. Eliza, born about 1825, married William Carson. Murial, born about 1827, married
Wesley Hayman. Lucius, Jr., born about 1830, married Elizabeth Reynolds. Timothy, born about
1833, married Miss Jones. Waid, born about 1835, married Addie Miles. Davis Barker, born
about 1837, was thrice married: Miss Carpenter; Miss Becknell; Miss Amanda Batey. Edwin,
M. D., born about 1839, located in Chicago. Lydia, born about 1841, married Thornton Mallory.
All the above marriages were in Meigns County, Ohio. Lucius Cross, Jr., son of Lucius and
Thirza (Stanley), his wife, grew up there on the farm described, qnd in the year 1858 married
Miss Elizabeth Reynolds in the village of Racine. He acquired a part of the home-farm and on it,
on Bowman’s Run, built the “Cross” water grist mill, with improvements and equipments for
making fine bread stuffs deemed “up to date” really in advance of the times. Lucius and
Elizabeth there reared their family and finished their careers. Their children were five sons and
two daughters whose names are: Elmer Elsworth, Edwin Lucius, Alban Benton, Oscar Groo,
Hayman Joy, Jessie Floy and Julia Bessie. Of these: Elmer Elsworth Cross, son of Lucius, Jr.,
and Elizabeth (Reynolds) Cross, his wife, was born on the farm described, January 24, 1861.
Educated in the schools there and Normal at Syracuse. Grew to man­hood there, learned the
miller’s trade, as well as quality of, and dealing in live stock. “Striking out” for himself, he
acquired the St. Dennis Flour Mill at Ravenswood and ran it for some years. In the meantime he
united in marriage with Miss Emma M. Gould, at Ravenswood, October 19th, 1891. She was
born at Mannington, West Virginia, December 10th, 1870, daughter of William H. Gould and his
wife, at time of marriage of the daughter, residents of Ravenswood, West Virginia. In the year
1911, Elmer E. Cross sold the St. Dennis Mill and pur­chased a stock farm of four hundred and
twenty-five acres in Roane County, lying two and a half miles north of Spencer on the Spencer
and Ravenswood turnpike—now State Road No. 14. Settled the family there and all are yet
there. To Elmer E. and Elizabeth M., his wife, were born and by them reared the following three
sons and two daughters: Chester, Zana Merle, Charles Gordon, Lucius Stanley and Madeline
Elizabeth. 

Source:
History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 491-493