FAMILIES A-C: BRINCEFIELD ~ William James & Mary Ann Brincefield
DARRTOWN PIONEER DESIGNATION
William J. Brincefield (1838-1908) and Mary Ann (Perrine) Brincefield are believed to be the first adult Brincefields to have lived in Darrtown, therefore, they are both designated as the Pioneer members of the Brincefield Family branch of the Darrtown Family Tree.
William James Brincefield
(1838-1908)
Mary Ann (Perrine) Brincefield
Brincefield Family Profile
The profile at the right was taken from the Darrtown Family Tree at Ancestry.com
This Ancesty record does not list Mary Ann's last name. However, another Ancestry record (see "Marriage record" link) identifies Mary Ann's last name as Perine (which is sometimes spelled Perrine).
Multiple reports from the U.S. Federal census and Ancestry.com confirm that William (1838) and Mary Ann Brincefield had five children (named at the right.)
Photo of the William Brincefield Family Donated
Mr. Kim Johnson of Minnesota donated the two images that appear below. Kim and his wife, Sally (McVicker) Johnson found these two photos among items preserved by Sally's maternal grandmother, Opal McVicker. Kim added the following note when he emailed these photos in 2013.
"The two attachments are of the Brincefield Family—Judging from the 1910 Federal Census, I’d guess the mother leaning on the rocking chair is Mary E., born 1841 (widowed as of 1910), daughters Clara and Francis, aged 42 and 43 in 1910, William J. born 1873, seated in chair, and Frederick, born 1885, seated on ground. As you can see from Opal’s note, the Post Office was in their house in the 1920’s."
Click the links that appear beneath the photos for a larger view of each.
Opal McVicker's note (above right) refers to the post office being located in the Brincefield home - which serves as a transition to the following section about William J. Brincefield serving as the Darrtown Postmaster.
According to a list of Darrtown postmasters, William Brincefield (1838) was the Darrtown postmaster from 1889 to 1893 and again from 1897 to an unrecorded date.
The 1897 appointment of William J. Brincefield (1838) to the position of the Darrtown Postmaster is noted in the record seen at this link:
The Brincefield home that housed the Darrtown post office stood on the east side of Darrtown's main street - opposite the Hitching Post tavern.
U.S. CENSUS AND MILITARY RECORDS related to William J. Brincefield (1838-1908)
In 1880, the William Brincefield family lived in Lanier Township, Preble County, Ohio. Lanier Township is located north of Gratis, Ohio and south of West Alexandria, Ohio.
By 1900, William J. Brincefield (1838) and his family lived in Milford Township, Butler County, Ohio. With his occupation listed as "postmaster," it seems logical to assume that the Brincefields were living in Darrtown.
However, there is evidence of a sixth Brincefield child named Thomas, who died at 17-18 years of age.
Dale Bufler also shared a story about the time that Orin Brincefield helped local boys buy baseball equipment. This incident occurred after Orin returned from his gold-seeking days out West. On a summer day in the late 1930s or early 1940s, Dale and some friends were hanging out in the center of town, when Orin exited from the Hitching Post tavern. On his own initiative, Orin gave the boys 50-cents (which would be the equivalent of $8, in 2022) and urged the boys to go door-to-door throughout the village to seek donations for baseball equipment. The boys followed through on Orin's idea and acquired about $25 in donations. Dale said he can remember going to Clark's Sporting Goods on Main Street in Hamilton (Ohio) to purchase the balls, bats, etc.
The search continues for more info about Thomas Van Tuyl Brincefield.
Reminder:
For more info, click the gray-colored links.
Webmaster Note: Two men in the Brincefield family were named William J. Brincefield; one being the father (1838), the other being the son (1872). Their respective dates of birth are used to distinguish between them.
(1838-1908)
In 1861, William J. Brincefield (1838) elisted for service in the American Civil War - as evidenced by the information that is available at the following link.
In 1865, William J. Brincefield (1832) married Mary Perine - according to the record seen at the following file.
An 1888 soldiers' pension report includes the names of William J. Brincefield and his wife, Mary.
In 1908, the William J. Brincefield died and was buried in the Darrtown cemetery, according to the record that is available at the following link.
In addition to the mystery cited above (about the possibility of a sixth Brincefield child named Thomas), there is also some uncertainty about the identity of "Cheesy" Brincefield.
There is ample evidence that "Cheesy" Brincefield was a Darrtown resident in the 1930s & 1940s and that he was the son of the village postmaster, William J. Brincefield
We know that Postmaster Brincefield had two sons; we do not know which son was known as "Cheesy." Was it William J. Brincefield or was it Frederick P. Brincefield?
Whatever his first name was, we do know that "Cheesy" Brincefield was a musician. See the Brincefield Quartet
If you have information about "Cheesy" Brincefield, or any other member of the Brincefield family, please use the link in the footer of this page to contact the Darrtown webmaster.
The "ample evidence" includes the census records cited above...
...AND we have the personal memories of...
In a January 2022 email message, Charles Teckman, a Darrtown native, shared his memory of Cheesy Brincefield. Charles wrote, "Cheesy lived with his mother and sister across from the Hitching Post. He sold and delivered some news papers. He also collected mail for some local farmers who did not have rural delivery."
Dale Bufler, born in 1929, grew up in Darrtown. In a January 2022 phone conversation with the Darrtown webmaster, Dale remembered the following about Cheesy Brincefield. Cheesy lived in the house across the street from the Hitching Post. Cheesy had a newspaper route in and around Darrtown and, at some point, Cheesy hired other youngsters to deliver the newspapers. Dale also said that, like many Darrtown residents of that time period, Cheesy played a musical instrument.
Delores (Uhl) Wagonfield grew up in Darrtown as an age-mate to Charles Teckman and Dale Bufler. Delores remembered that Cheesy delivered the Hamilton Journal newspaper.
Fred Brincefield was married - per census reports. Charles, Dale, and Delores do not believe "Cheesy" ever married. Thus, it seems that "Cheesy" was William J. Brincefield, Jr.
One Fact Remains UNKNOWN...
In January 2022, during a telephone conversation with the Darrtown.com webmaster, Darrtown native, Dale Bufler, who was born in 1929, recalled Orin Brincefield. Dale said that he remembers that Orin left Darrtown and went west to become a prospector for gold. (Note: some sources spell Orin's name as Owen.)
1951 LETTER - DISCOVERED IN 2023 - confirms Orin Brincefield's life as a prospector
Goldfield, Nev.
6-11-51
Friend Luther,
Just had a letter from Fred’s wife saying that he had died. Well, that’s too bad. But, we all have to go sooner or later.
Well, what’s on your mind back there? Suppose Odd Haadley is playing good ball by this time.
Well, I just got back to Goldfield … been out on a prospecting trip. The Government has been testing out their atom bomb close around here, so I am sending you a little article how the Las Vegas people like it.
It will be Decoration Day soon, so here is a five dollar bill. Hand it over to Frank Buffler and tell him to gather up a handful of flowers and put them on the Brincefield graves. That will pay him for his troubles.
Let me hear from you and tell me all the news back there.
O.T. Brincefield
Box 775
Goldfield, Nev.
In early July 2023, Kim Johnson and his wife, Sally - who is a granddaughter of Luther and Opal McVicker - contributed a letter to this website that they found among items that they inherited from the McVickers.
Goldfield, Nevada is about 180 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Here's some Internet info about Goldfield.
Fred Brincefield was Orin's younger brother - by ten years
Perhaps "Odd Haadley" was a person from Darrtown. Research is ongoing.
Orin's reference to a "prospecting trip" confirms his time spent as a prospector in America's west.
Here is some Internet info about the Nevada Test Site.
"Decoration Day" was a term used by many for the May 31st holiday - now known as "Memorial Day."
Darrtown native, Dale Bufler remembers that his uncle, Frank Bufler, was a sexton (or caretaker) of the Darrtown cemetery.
The handwritten, 1951 letter - from Orin T. Brincefield to Luther McVicker - appears as two images at the right. The links beneath the letters provide a larger view of the letter.
A typed version of the Brincefield letter appears as an exhibit below.
