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HANCOCK COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: BRENNEMAN, George G. (published 1923)
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Submitted by
Valerie Crook
vfcrook@trellis.net
September 12, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 229-230
Hancock County
GEORGE G. BRENNEMAN. Seven miles north of New
Cumberland, the county seat of Hancock County, and near
the Village of Arroyo, is situated the splendid fruit farm
owned and actively managed by Mr. Brenneman, who is
one of the most extensive and successful fruit growers in
this section of West Virginia. He was born on his present
homestead farm, on the 10th of May, 1847, and is a son
of Jacob and Margaret (Brown) Brenneman, the latter
a representative of an honored and influential pioneer
family of which mention is made in other personal sketches
in this publication. Jacob Brenneman was born in Penn-
sylvania and after his marriage he and his wife con-
tinued to reside on the farm that is now owned by their
son George G., this being one of the fine places on the
Ohio River in Hancock County and comprising 318-3/4 acres.
Jacob Brenneman showed marked progressiveness and initia-
tive ability in here developing one of the best of the early
apple orchards of Hancock County, where his father, Chris-
tian Brenneman, has obtained a large tract of land and
divided the same ultimately among his three sons, Jacob,
Richard and Cyrus. Richard Brenneman developed a fine
landed estate of 300 acres. One of his sons, Dr. R. E.
Brenneman, is a representative physician and surgeon at
Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, and another son. H. C., resides
at Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia. Cyrus
Brenneman sold his land to his brother Jacob, and even-
tually he became a railroad agent at Empire, Ohio. Jacob
Brenneman was seventy years of age at the time of his
death and his sons Cyrus E. and George G. succeeded to
the ownership of the old homestead farm, which they equit-
ably divided, Cyrus having later died, at the age of fifty-
six years, and, with no children of his own having willed
his property to his brother George, who thus retains the
old homestead in its entirety. To the property George
G. Brenneman has added by the purchase of an adjacent
tract of forty-three acres. He specializes in the fruit-grow-
ing department of farm enterprise, has an orchard of 100
acres, devoted mainly to apples of the best grades, many
of the trees having been planted by him and the annual
yield from the great orchard averaging about 20.000 bar-
rels, the while he has storage facilities for the accommoda-
tion of 14 000 barrels and is thus enabled to regulate
effectively the placing of his fruit on the market. He is
still extending his orchard, and he limits his production of
applies to four standard varieties, in which he gives prefer-
ence to the popular "Willow Twig" type. Mr. Brenne-
man's farm is situated in the finest apple-growing section
of the state, soil, water and drainage being such as to
insure the maximum returns from orchards and to make
the industry one of major scope and importance.
Mr. Brenneman is liberal and progressive in his civic
attitude but has had no desire for political activity or
public office. He married Miss Mary Cowl, and they became
the parents of six children: Elizabeth H. is the wife of
Frank Goodman, of Cleveland, Ohio; John C. and Jacob N.
are associated with their father in the fruit-culture busi-
ness, under the firm name of G. G. Brenneman & Sons;
Miss Margaret remains at the parental home; Girard G.
died at the age of twenty-eight years; and Sadie O. is the
wife of Alexander E. Mahan, of whom individual mention
is made on other pages of this work.
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