The booklet, The Peter Lineberger Family, by Ralph P. Lineberger, Sr., was written in 1973. A call was made to the Spindale Press, the publisher. They told me the booklet was a one-time run and is out of print. The first few pages are shown below:
RALPH P. LINEBERGER, SR. Author Photo Feb. 28,1950 Type composition by EDWIN G. McCoy, SR. Makeup by JOE MOORE Friends of the author at THE SPINDALE PRESS SPINDALE, N. C. May, 1973
Page Two John Lineberger, Jr. left a wife Barbara, children John 3rd, David, Peter Elizabeth, Magdalene, Barbara, Mary and Ann. John's mother was still living at his death, and was provided for in his will. All of John's children were minors when John died. He also had a sister Ann, who was given 100 acres of land in his will. I have a copy of John’s will naming all of his children and how he divided up his estate. The original home-site was bought by Christian Grove (Grobe) in 1756 from the Lineberger's, and has been in the Grove family ever since. The property is located two miles south of Luray, Virginia on route 340. The Lineberger's owned land south of the Grove tract. I have a copy of the original land grant to John and Peter Lineberger from Thomas Lord Fairfax which I secured from the Virginia State Library. It is our idea that John Lineberger, 3rd was the one that returned in later years to the old Virginia home-place from Lincoln County North Carolina The sketch in Dr. Wayland's history states that John Lineberger became lost with a friend in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, when young, They were compelled to stay all night. In wondering during the night they came to ground that glittered brilliantly; each secured a specimen, which proved to he nuggets of Silver. All efforts to after locate the spot proved futile. (John Lineberger, Jr. perhaps ?) John Leonberger, spelled his name LEONBERGER. His will was wit- nessed by Jacob Cublinger and Daniel Cublinger, two of the people call- ed Mennonites. Fort Stover in Virginia is said to have been built about 1790 by Samuel Stover who married Barbara Lineberger, daughter of John, Jr? Samuel Stover was the son of Daniel and had a son named Daniel, who married Elizabeth Stickley, sister of Elizabeth marrid David Stover, brother of Daniel. We know that John Lineherger, Jr. died in Virginia. John, Sr. could have died in Penn., but most likely he also died in Virginia. At this time we have been unable to locate Lewis, the brother that settl- ed on Hoyles Creek in what is now Gaston County. He could have been born in this country, or came here at an earlier date. Lewis had a land grant of 100 acres on Kuykendahls Creek Tryon County dated May 15th 1772 Lewis Lineberger, land grant Hoyles Creek, then Lincoln County 400 acres Nov. 1784 entered Dec. 8th 1779. John Lineberger, land grant 300 acres on Hoyles Creek Tryon County dated Feb. 28 1775, JohnLine- berger-land grant Tryon County 300 acres March 2nd 1775, on Hoyles Creek. Moses Lineberger, land grant Tryon County, 100 acres Dec. 22 1768 on a branch of Hoyles Creek. Lewis Lineberger, Mecklenburg County, 0227 made entry for 100 acres on a branch of Hoyles creek, Aug. 19 1768 only enterd not issued. According to the ships roster the Hans Leuenberger’s were all members of one family, with one exception, Barbara could have been John, Jrs. wife and not his sister. "The Peter Lineberger Family"
On July 3rd 1973, my son Charles and his wife, my wife and I visited Luray, Virginia, with the express purpose of hunting up any Lineberger's in that area. We found only one lady of 88 years, a Mrs. Lena Lionberger Shaffer. She told us she had a nephew living in Winchester, Virginia. There could be others in the area, or nearby. We found Mrs. Lineberger Shaffer to be a most gracious ladv. She told us where the old Lineberger home could be found on Little Hawk's Bill, mentioned in the land grant of 1749, to John and Peter Lineberger. Mrs. Lena Lionberger Shaffer's husband Claude, had been dead for more 20 vears she told us. We met her son and his wife and son whom were living with her. Mrs. Lena Lionberger Shaffer's brother in law and his wife, who lived just across the road agreed to go with us to the old Lineberger homeplace on Little Hawks Bill Creek, to show us the way. Well, we looked upon the old home site for the first time. The original house had burned and a different house stands on the site. This was the land grant of 1100 acres that Peter and John Lineberger left because of the hostile Indians of that day and time, and came to old Tryon County North Carolina Leuenberger Family: Members of the Leuenberger family are numerous in communes of the canton of Bern, in Switzerland. I have learned about the family from my Lone Scout friend in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Thre are at least two distinguished members of the family- one Niklaus Leuenberger, the leader of the Swiss peasants during the revolt of 1653, and Dr. Johann Jakob Leuenberger, the jurist and historian, of the nineteenth century. The family that landed at Philadelphia on August 26th 1735 were Hans Leu- enberger, age 50 years, his wife Elizabeth, age 45, the sons Hans Leuenberger Jr., age 25, and Peter Leuenberger, age 8, daughters Elizabeth, age 20, Barb- ara, age 14, and Hanna, age 3 years old. You note the way the name Leuen- berger is spelled in the old country. We have been told by a native of Switz- erland that is the old German way to spell our name. ------ The good Ship Billander Olliver, with it's passengers and crew did come from South Carolina to Philadelphia. We will never know for sure, but we can guess that they perhaps reshipped from South Carolina to Philadelphia. There was at that time Swiss settlers in South Carolina at a place named Purrysburg. We have found Land Grants to Peter Lineberger, in Lincoln County dated 30 day of June 1797, one hundred acres on Mountain Creek. One dated 22 day of August 1793, for one hundred acres on Mountain Creek, and one dated 30 day of June 1797, for 45 acres on Middle Creek; for a total of 245 acres. ---- "Lineberger's in Virginia" The original John and Peter Lineberger, tract of 1100 acres on Little Hawks Bill. was probably divided up after the death of John, Jr. in 1757. John was around 47 at the time of his death ? We think that John, Jrs. brother Peter came to North Carolina after John's death. We know he owned land on Hoyle Creek in 1768, which he sold to Loderwick (Lewis) then moved to Mountain Creek. see Page Two
"THE PETER LINEBERGER FAMILY" By RALPH P. LINEBERGER, SR. I wish to thank the following persons for their helping me compile the material for this book. Miss C. Ivonne Drum, for giving me the connecting link between my great- grandfather, and his father, Michael Lineberger; from her father's works, Mr. and Mrs. George Lineberger Floy Lineberger White Marietha Lineberger Hawkins Lawrence F. Caldwell Yates Webb Lineberger Arthur W. Drum. Bivian B. Drum Jurie V. Arndt Webb A. Murray and W. Lamar Murray Kemley Lee Lineberger Mrs. C. C. Crowell Mrs. E. T. Lineberger Mrs. Neil White B. C. Lineberger, a descendant of Lewis Lineberger Brady K. Lineberger Sarah Lineberger Killian Mrs. Henry V. Lineberger LINEBERGER CREST on front cover, from REFERENCE SOURCE: Planches de L'armorial, General by J. B. Rietstap. Drawing by Ralph Line- berger, Sr. I dedicate this book to my beloved wife Dorothy Elmore Lineberger. Page Three
PREFACE Dear Cousins: I feel that we inherit a lot of our traits and looks from our ancestors. I am proud of the fact that we are descendants of Peter Lineberger, (the pioneer) I believe that Peter was a true Christian gentleman. In reading his Last Will and testament, I have come to the conclusion that Peter Lineberger was a good man. We have spent a lot of time searching the old Lincoln County records. We have found deeds recorded to Peter Lineberger from Francis McCorkle (the Revolutionary soldier) and from John and Lettie Reed. Peter Lineberger bought land on the South Fork of Mountain Creek from these persons. This is where he settled and made his home. This is where all of our folks originally came from. Peter Lineberger willed his children 640 acres of land. He gave some of the children land before he made his last will and testament. Peter Lineberger was the youngest of three brothers who came to America on August 26, 1735. Landing in Philadelphia, where they must have stayed for some time. Peter and John Lineberger were granted a tract of land of some 1100 acres in Virginia in 1749, near the present town of Luray. This grant was only in the name of Peter and John Lineberger, leading us to believe that perhaps the other brother, Lewis, came on down into Lincoln County, North Carolina, during this period. Later on, both Peter and John Lineberger did settle in Lincoln County, North Carolina. The deed for 200 acres of land that Peter Lineberger bought from Francis McCorkle, was dated 1772. At that time Lincoln County was known as Tryon County, and included the counties of Lincoln, Catawba, Gaston, Cleveland and Rutherford. Peter Lineberger owned land in other parts of Lincoln County prior to that date. Peter Lineberger gave his son, John, a tract of land of more than a 100 acres in 1797, as recorded in the old Lincoln County records. I first established for a fact that our side of the Lineberger family are descendants of Peter Lineberger, when reading the deeds describing the dif- ferent tracts of land on Mountain Creek. I have copies of old deeds to establish all facts that I write about. All my life I have heard my dad talk about the old home-place on Mountain Creek. The Lineberger brothers came to America on the good ship Billander Oliver The ship's master was Samuel Merchants, of Charleston, South Caro- lina. According to the ship's roster, there were eighteen men, eighteen women, six boys and three girls aboard, 45 in all. They were German-Swiss people, late of Canton, of Bern, Switzerland. It has been reported that the parents of the Lineberger boys were along on the voyage, but died and were buried at sea. It has been reported that the voyage was one of 18 months; rough, stormy and soul-trying indeed. Consider- ing that today the voyage would be less than a week, we know that it was a rough and tempestous one. When the Lineberger brothers arrived in this country they had a trunk with much gold therein, but the ship's authorities appropriated the gold, and the boys had only strong, healthy bodies and brave hearts with which to start life in a new land. Page Four
Peter Lineberger must have been in his eighties when he passed on. His last Will and Testament was written in 1802, and probated in 1803 in Lincoln County. He was under 16 years of age when he arrived in this country; so the best I can figure, he was between 82 and 84 years old when he died. Peter Lineberger is the ancestor of all the Linebergers in Catawba County, and of course they have spread out. It is my desire to leave this family history, so that others can, when they desire, see whom their ancestors are. I hope that it will be kept up to date in the future by members of the Peter Lineberger clan. I set, about tracing the family history of our side of the Lineberger family, not because I thought we sprung from nobility, but because I felt that as time passed it would become more hard to do. I have always felt that our folks were a family of hard-working, industrious people. It is a fact that all of the old Lineberger's spelled our name with an (A) "Linebarger". I remember my grandmother telling me on several different occasions that it should be spelled with an (E). I think today that most of the family spell the name with an (E). After all, it sounds better spelled with an (E). The ship's roster that brought the Lineberger boys to America spelled the name "Leinberger," which we think is the German way. But, we all know that names are spelled different ways even in the same family. My dad remembers my great-grandfather very well. His name was Hosa H Lineberger, and he was born on April 19, 1815, and died on May 29, 1892. I have a copy of an old deed showing that he bought from James Lineberger 182 acres of land on Mountain Creek in 1841, as recorded in the old Lincoln County records. He paid James $750. dollars for same. That must have been a lot of money in those days; in fact it is no small amount today. I set about tracing this family history on October 1971. To this date I have been very successful. Most all factual data has been obtained from old Lincoln County records. I am thankful that our ancestor Peter Lineberger (the pioneer), had his Last Will and Testament recorded. He left a lot of clues to be followed. We have found the name "Frederick" the most used with our kin in the past. Frederick was the name of the son of Lewis Lineberger, (pioneer). Lewis settled on Hoyle's Creek in what is now Gaston County. Frederick must have been a well-liked person among his kin. Peter Lineberger (pioneer) named one of his sons Frederick. My grandfather was named Frederick. Michael Lineberger named one of his sons Frederick. This Frederick was a brother of my great-grandfather, Hosea H. Lineberger. Lewis Lineberger's son Fred- erick was granted (4) tracts of land by the state. This alone must have meant that he was a person of some influence during his day and time. We think he may have been a soldier of the American Revolution. My dad told me that when the family moved away from the Mountain Creek area, they first moved into a house on W. Union Street; the third house from the west end of Union. These old houses have long since been torn down. They moved next into a house on E. Main Street, then later bought a house just below on East Main Street. Hosea H. Lineberger lived with my dad and family while they lived on Union Street and until his death, in Maiden, N. C. Peter Lineberger (pioneer) named all of his sons with Biblical names except one. They were Peter Lineberger, Jr., John Lineberger, Michael Line- berger, Frederick Lineberger, Jacob Hill Lineberger, David Lineberger and Page Five
Daniel Lineberger. His daughters were Elizabeth Lineberger, Rebecca Line- berger, Mollie Linebrger and Mary Lineberger. John Lineberger (pioneer), is one of the three brothers we can find no rec- ords of after he bought the property on North Branch of Killian's Creek. John may have taken his family and moved back to the place in Virginia. We know that some of them did move back. According to the book "A Family of Five Republics," (which is a short history of the Lineberger family), John Lineberger, whom we think is a descendant of Lewis Lineberger, moved with his whole family to Indiana in 1882. They are our northern cousins. John Lineberger (the pioneer), we think settled on Long Branch of Killian's Creek. Of course Peter Lineberger (pioneer), named one of his sons John, no doubt after his brother, John. I feel that I am the only one that has ever tried to trace down the Peter Lineberger clan. L. M. Hoffman of Dallas, N. C. in his book, "Our Kin," wrote much of the Lineberger's of Gaston County. Most of them are descendants of Lewis Lineberger, brother of Peter and John Lineberger. On September 6, 1769, John Lineberger bought a tract of land from N Crowder and wife, Calamia, of 200 acres on Long Branch of Killian's Creek, above the Shoals and above Joseph Sailors place. In 1770, Peter Lineberger bought 300 acres of land from Michael Masters, on the north branch of dark's Creek, adjoining land of George Posey. It is our thought that John Lineberger settled near his brother, Peter Lineberger. Peter Lineberger must have sold his Clark's Creek property when he settled on the South Fork of Mountain Creek in 1772. In the year of 1793, Peter Lineberger bought 260 acres of land from John and Lettie Reed. The tract was Lettie Reed's part of her first husband's estate. John Littel (her first husband), received the land grant from His Majesty King George III, in 1767. Peter Lineberger paid John and Lettie Reed, Thirty- Five Pounds, North Carolina Currancy, for the 250-acre tract of land. When the Lineberger family left the home-place of 1100 acres in Virginia, they perhaps never thought that some of them would some day return. But some of the family did return to the old home in later years. They found that the tax on the home-place was almost like buying the property again, when they did return. We understand that part of the Lineberger family spell the name Lionberger; and that the family name is few in number in Virginia. Now touching on the American Revolutionary War. We can find only one report of a Lineberger fighting in that conflict. The Fourth of July Celebra- tion of 1836, as reported in the "Raleigh Standard,'" lists Frederick Lineberger as one of 12 Revolutionary soldiers present at the banquet that evening. We think that it is most likely that our side of he Lineberger family were sup- porers of the American Revolutionary. Peter Lineberger (pioneer) bought a part of his land from Frances McCorkle, a Revolutionary soldier, in what was then Tryon County. The Peter Lineberger family were friends of the McCorkle family. Several recorded deeds were witnessed by the McCorkles. During the War of 1812, Sixth Company Detachment from the First Lincoln Regiment, lists DAVID LINEBERGER as Corporal, and JOHN LINE- BERGER as private with the same company. They were sons of Peter Line- berger of the Mountain Creek area. It was in the year of 1768 that Peter Lineberger sold 200 acres of land on Kuykendahl's Creek, to Loderwick Lineberger (son of Lewis). After this he moved into what is now the Mountain Creek area of Catawba County. Page Six As far as I have been able to determine, all Linebergers are descendants of the three brothers who came to America in 1735. We are all related, whether some care to admit it or not, so I have found. I can say for a fact that I am proud of being a descendant of Peter Lineberger (pioneer). He was no doubt well thought of in his day and time. He was a wealthy man for his day, the owner of a plantation, as stated in his Last Will and Testament. But the greatest thing about him was that he was a Christian. This makes me proud to be one of his descendants. August 1, 1972 is the 200th Anniversary of the first land purchase by Peter Lineberger from Francis McCorkle, on the South Fork of Mountain Creek. That land was bought before the Revolutionary War, and we believe some of it is still in Lineberger hands. We have tried to locate the resting place of PETER LINEBERGER, but have not been able to do so. We think that it is located on the property of Cross Country Camp Grounds on highway 150. There was at one time a church and old cemetery so located, we have learned. We have also learned that this old cemetery was destroyed. We are inclined to believe that this property and others was part of the original plantation homesite of PETER LINEBERGER I feel sure that I will leave many of the descendants of Peter Lineberger out of this book. I assure you it is not on purpose. I first started out to only get my own family of cousins, which are Frederick Pinkney Lineberger family and the Worth Lineberger and the Agustus Lineberger families. However, it has grown into much more. Those of you not included, can add a supplement sheet including an uptodate family history. I am sure I have all the basic information herein to help you figure it out. Page Seven