Silas Henton Leary ¹¹⁶

  General Notes:

Silas is buried in the Mt. Horeb Cemetery, Hinton, Virginia. There is one stone for Mary, Margaret and Silas Leary. Next to it is another single stone for 3 infants. Their names were Lurty, Augusta and Roscoe. I have no additional information on the infants.

Silas Leary's first wife died at the age of 14 years. She was buried in a common grave along with several others who were transferred from the old burying ground in Dayton, Virginia to higher ground due to high water levels in the Mill Pond. See Margaret Miller for more interesting detail. Silas signed his first marriage license (Margaret Miller) with a mark (x) in 1841. By 1846 he was able to sign his name on his marriage license with Margaret Minnich.

The 1860 Federal Census of Rockingham County, Virginia, lists Silas Leary as 40 years old and his birth place Virginia. His occupation was farm laborer. Real Estate value was 200, and personal value was 60.

The 1880 Federal Census lists Silas Lary as 59 years old and a farmer in Rockingham, Virginia. Family members living in the household were Silas (59 - Farmer), Margaret (59 - Keeping House), Jacob (27 - Laborer) and Mary (33). The birthplace of his parents was Virginia.

From notes written by Silas's grandaughter, Alice Paulina Leary
My grandfather Silas Leary's old home was near Hinton, Virginia. He gave some land to build a church near his home. It was United Bretheran built in 1875. The old home still stands there.
The cemetery where grandparents and aunts and uncles rest is just back behind the church.
Cousin Claud Leary (uncle Clint's son) lives on Route 2 in Dayton, Virginia.
A cousin of David Leary (a nephew of Silas Leary), Josephus Leary donated money to this church and they used it to remodel the church. It is now quite a modern country church.


A document called "Historic Mt. Horeb 1875-1971 A Rural Church Proud of its Rich Past" found at the Rockingham County Historical Society in Dayton, Ohio describes Silas's donation of land to the Mt. Horeb Church:
The land on which Mount Horeb Church now stands was donated by Silas Lary and his wife, Margaret J. Lary. A Deed dated April 24, 1875, between Silas Lary and his wife, of the one part, and J. N. Beery, John W. Rhodes, Samuel Snell and M. G. Jones, Trustees of the United Brethren Church in Christ, of the other part, for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar, conveyed a parcel of land containing two rods and five poles to said Trustees and their sucessors in office forever to the exclusive use of the United Brethren Church in Christ lying on the waters of Muddy Creek at the fork of the roads near Trinity Church.


The church is built on land Silas donated on April 24, 1875, and is called Mt. Horeb Church. In 2016 it is still standing and in use. The address is 422 Hinton Road, Dayton, Virginia. It is at the corner of Hinton and Horeb Church Road. United Bretheran and Methodist merged in 1968. It is now a United Methodist church.


Silas Leary inherited his land and home from Lucinda Henton. See Lucinda Hinton for details of the will which, though contested, was upheld.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Cemetery: Mt. Horeb Cemetery: Hinton, Rockingham County, Virginia. Silas Leary and his second wife are buried in Mt. Horeb Cemetery near Hinton, Rockingham County, Virginia.

2. Occupation, 1860, Rockingham County, Virginia. The 1860 Federal Census of Rockingham County, Virginia, lists the occupation of Silas Leary as Farm Laborer.

3. Picture: Silas Leary Homestead, 1885. This 1885 map shows the location of Silas Leary's home close to where the War Branch and Muddy creeks come together. This also shows the location of Mt. Horeb Church. Silas donated the land it was built on.

4. Picture: Mt. Horeb Church, 1902, Dayton, Virginia.

5. Picture: Location of Silas Leary's home, 2016. Based upon the location of Silas Leary's home on a 1885 map, this is a picture of the area where it was located where the War Branch and Muddy creeks meet.

6. Picture: Mt Horeb Church, 2016, Dayton, Virginia. Silas Leary donated the land for this church.

Silas married Margaret Miller, daughter of Jacob Miller and Unknown, on 8 Nov 1841 in Rockingham, Virginia. (Margaret Miller was born about 1830 in Virginia, died about 1844 in Rockingham County, Virginia and was buried in Cooks Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Harrisonburg, Virginia.)

Silas next married Margaret Minnich, daughter of John Minnich and Elizabeth Hause, on 20 Jul 1846 in Rockingham, Virginia. (Margaret Minnich was born on 21 May 1821 in Virginia,^116,129 died on 27 Nov 1890 ¹²⁷ and was buried in Mt. Horeb Cemetery, Hinton, Virginia.)