The Staats· Family
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GENEALOGY OF THE STAATS· FAMILY BY HAROLD ST i\..A. TS Approved by NA.TION~i\L ST~i\A.TS REUNION A.SSOCIA.TION Copyright 1921 EXOCH STAATS. ENOCH STA.A.TS. NOCH STA.A.T~, ~o~ of Isaac Statts, and a 1ne1n?er E of the \Vest \ 1rg1n1a branch of the Staats f am1ly, was a man of high moral character, strong mentality, and a christian. He was end~wed ,vith a good memory, strong "'~ill power and an excellent judgement. He knew when to say "yes" as "'~ell as when to say "no." He pos sessed a pleasing personality and great business ability. These, combined~ tended to make Mr. Staats one of the leading, most highly respected and best known citizens of his community, of his county, and of his native state, ,vest Virginia. His death was indeed a great loss to his country, and was one which tended to emphasize the fact that the "path of glory leads but to the grave." Even though, several years ago, he passed beneath that "low green tent whose curtains never outward swing," and even though his body is now a mouldering mass returning to mother earth, his spirit still lives and will never die. His life, deeds and service to maQkind will ever be a bright, shining, golden page in the history and record of .A.merica' s greatest and largest family, the Staats family. Because of this fact, the Staats Genealogy is dedicated to Enoch Staats by a grandson, Harold Staats, as a token of the · high esteem and admiration in which the memory of him i-? held. PREFACE The object of the Staats Genealogy is to preserve for future generations a written record of the great achievements and of the spirit of the family in the hopes that the same may prove an in spiration to the members of the Staats family to strive for higher ideals and to so live and act that their lives and deeds may add fame and glory to the illustrious name Staats, and that they may be an honor to the family and to the sacred memory of their great ancestors. The Staats Genealogy is an outgrowth or rather a develop ment of papers read by the author at the Staats-Casto Reunions at Siniaville, West Virginia, in 1918 and 1919, and at the Staats Reunion at Evans, West Virginia, held in the fall of 1919. At these reunions suggestions were made urging the preparation of a history of geneal ogy of the Staats family. Mr. Ed. Cross, of Ripley, West Virginia, made a motion at the Staats Reunion, that Harold Staats, who was then secretary of the Staats Reunion, be authorized to prepare and have published a genealogy or history of the Staats people. This motion was carried by an unanimous vote. Mr. Staats immediately began work on this book; but owing to entering the service in the United States Army, he was compelled to postpone the work until the end of the war. A committee composed of Harold Staats, chairman, George Staats, and Elias Staats was appointed to select a suitable memorial for the Staats family. This committee decided that the Staats genealogy, already authorized, would be the best memorial that could be erected to the memory of the Staats people. A.s a result of this decision the Staats Genealogy presented here was completed. Here the author or compiler of the Staats Genealogy wishes to express his thanks to the members of the family whose aid was in valuable in the preparation of this genealogy. Chief among these are George Staats, of Parkersburg, West Virginia; Elias Staats, of Evans, West Virginia; C. C. Staats, of Ripley, W. Va.; Mrs. Daisy Holswade of Huntington, W. Va.; Dean James M. Callahan, of West Virginia University, Morgantown, W. Va.; Mrs. George J. New garden, of 1633 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C.; and to the other members of the family who furnished data for the Staats Gene[llogy. The author wishes to especially express his gratitude and indebtedness to the men and women who signed the contract guaranteeing money for printing this book. Among the others to ·whom he is indebted, are the late Mr. James Noyes States, of New Haven, Connecticut, Dr. J. 0. Casto, of Parkersburg, W. Va., Fred F. Wolfe, Editor of the Mountaineer, Ripley, W. Va., Porter H. Rar din, Editor of Jack.~on Herald, Ripley, W. Va., and Elias Staats, of Evans, West Virginia. No doubt had it not been for the encourage ment given by the latter, the Staats Genealgoy would never have been completed. HAROLD STAATS. Ripley, ,v. Va., December 16, 1920. GENEA.LOGY OF THE STA.A.TS FA.l\IILY EMBRACING ALSO Anderson, Bro,vn, Casto, Chesebrough, Cooper, DeKalb, Evans, Flesher, Harpold, Holmes, Johnston, Johnson, Kerwood, King, Lewis, Morris, Park, Parker, Parks, Par sons, Phillips, Provost, Scott, Sayre, Schuyler, Staes, Stas, Stats, Steas, Staat, Statts, Staets, States, Seats, Straat, Straats, Stone, Smith, Starcher, Van Ransellear, Van A.lstyne, Wentworth, Wendell and many other prominent families. Pedigree of · Staats, States, Stats, States-ir, Staats-ir, Stoats, Stots, Staet, States, Stadts, Staatz, Statz, Straat, Strat, Straats, De Staatsir, De States-ir, De Staes-ir, Stat, Stats, Steas, Stas, Staat, Staes, Staatsi, Stotes, and Staadts, Family. OR.GINALLY DESCENDED FROM ADMIRAL JOACHIM GHYSE to whom was given the name "Staats" by the Grand Council· of the States of Holland during the seventeenth century for bravery and courage displayed in naval battle between Dutch and Spanish Fleets during the war between Holland and Spain. THE STAA TS F Al\1IL Y. HE Staats family is an international fan1ily. Its members are scattered throughout the world. They are to be found T. in Europe, A.sia, .A.. f rica, the An1ericas, and the islands of the seas. In these countries especia!!y in certain sections of Europe and North .A.. merica, Staats people are very nun1erous. Here they are nu1nbered among the leading and n1ost pro1ninent citizens of their community. Many of them are even playing an important role in the national life of their respective country. On the other hand, some of the Staats people are un\vorthy of their great inheri tance of a time honored and respected na1ne enrichened by traditions of noble ancestral achievements. Some of these people are even · found in jails, penitentiaries, and other penal institutions. Others are lazy, indolent, good-for-nothing creatures, who are simply pests to their neighbors and friends. Fortunately the number of these people is very small and only constitute a very small per centage of the great race of Staats people. In fact the number of people of this sort is smaller than that of those ·with many other surnames. Just as the Staats people are scattered throughout the world, likewise they are found in every profession of life; but the majority of them are farmers. In Holland and Central Europe, Staats people engage mainly in truck gardening and in working in industrial plants. In 4i\..merica the majority of them are engaged in farming; but a large number are following other occupations as may be observed by re fe:rence to the individual record of the n1en1bers of the family. STAATS PEOPLE IN UNITED STATES. TYPICAL AMERICANS OF DUTCH ANCESTRAGE. The Staats people in 4i\..merica are typical A.mericans of Dutch ancestrage. These people are worthy descendants of the Dutch heroes who curbed the n1ight of Spain and taught the world lessons of freedom and independence. They are meritorious relatives of the present noble, illustrious Hollanders who are waging a ceaseless war for their homes and lives in their everlasting :ij.ght with nature which means civlization, a home and in fact the right of existence to them. Perhaps it might not be amiss to add here a fe"r paragraphs re garding the present Dutch people. In supplementary chapter to History 9f Netherlands by T. C. Grattan, pages 888-89, Julian Hawthorne states "The Dutch were philosophic and were victim to no vague and costly ambitions. They felt that they had given sufficient proof of their quality in the past; the glory which they had ,von as champions of liberty could never fade; now they merited the · repose which we have learned to associate with our conception of the Dutch character. Their nature seems to partake of the scenic traits of their country; its picturesque, solid serenity; its unemotional levels; its flavors of the antique, and yet beneath that composure 8 GENEALOGY OF THE STAATS FAMILY we feel the strength and steadtastness which can say to the ocean 'Thus far and no f-trther' and can build their immaculate towns and their placid canals, and smoke their fragrant pipes on land which, by natural right, should be the bottom of the sea. Holland is a perrenial type of human courage, industry, common sense and moder ation. As we contemplate them today, it requires an effort of the imagination to picture them as the descendants of a race of heroes who defied and overcame the strongest and most cruel power on earth in their day, and then taught the rest of Europe how to unite success in commerce with justice and honor. But the heroism is still there, and should need arise we need not· doubt that it would once more be manifested." "Perhaps the leading explanation of this prosperity," Tarr and McMurry state (Tarr & McMurry's Geography, 1914, page 303), "is the high character of the Dutch people as the Netherlanders are called. For centuries they have felt an intense love for civil and religious liberty; but, being a small nation, they have suffered many hardships in attempting to establish independence and tolerant laws.