Brief Life History of Joel Lafayette
When Joel Lafayette Westfall was born on 29 August 1840, in Randolph, West Virginia, United States, his father, Joel Westfall Jr, was 61 and his mother, Priscilla Rollings, was 44. He married Julia A Burnside on 25 April 1861, in Harrison, West Virginia, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 5 daughters. He lived in Union District, Harrison, West Virginia, United States for about 40 years. He died on 20 August 1917, at the age of 76.
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Family Time Line
Sources (105)
- Joel L Westfall, "United States Census, 1870"
- Joel L Westfall, "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970"
- Joel in entry for Abram Wilcox and Caroline M Westfall, "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (7)
1846
U.S. acquires vast tracts of Mexican territory in wake of Mexican War including California and New Mexico.
1863
Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves in Confederate states to be free.
1863
West Virginia was given statehood status with the "agreement" the citizens would phase out slavery. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Statehood Bill for West Virginia. West Virginia was proclaimed a state on April 20, 1863, with the bill becoming effective 60 days later, June 20, 1863. When West Virginia first entered statehood in 1863, there were only 46 counties. That same year, four other counties voted themselves into West Virginia. Today, there are 55 counties in the Mountain State. The oldest county in the state is Hamsphire County formed in 1754 as part of Virginia. The youngest county is Mingo formed in 1895. The smallest county is Hancock located in the northern panhandle of the state with Randolph being the largest. When the Legislature convened for its first session, there were only 47 members of the House of Delegates and 18 members of the State Senate. Through the years, the number has increased to 100 members of the House of Delegates and 34 members of the State Senate.
Name Meaning
Americanized form of German Westfahl and Westphal .
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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