Col. Sebastian Eifort, was born Jan. 12, 1817, near Marburg-on-Hesse,
Germany, the son of Henry and Catherine Eifort. He arrived
in Lancaster, PA in 1830, and served an apprenticeship in confectionery,
and was a contemporary of Thaddeus Stevens and James Buchanan.
From 1837-56 he was involved in the iron business in southern Ohio.
He built the Boone Furnace in 1856, which employed many of residents of
Carter Co. He raised a Home Guard in 1861, and was elected Colonel
of the outfit. He was elected to the legislature, 1863. Sebastian
sold the Boone Furnace in 1866, and with Grahn, started Tygart Valley
Iron Co., a new furnace which never got built, but he managed to develop
the 10,000 acres containing clay into a new industry. He was a Republican.
He died Dec. 11, 1893.
BYGONE BYLINES references to Col. Sebastian Eifort:
Sep 21, 1882
Ashland - Mr. S. Eifort has built a fine two story brick
house with bay windows on Winchester , between 7th and 8th Street. (Sebastian
Eifort
b. 1/12/1817, Neustadt, Germany d. 12/11/1893 Greenup Co, Ky.
bur Greenlawn Cemetery , Portsmouth, Ohio. Married March 15, 1843 in Jackson
Co, Ohio to Rachel Jackson and had 9 children. Rachel
JacksonEifort
b 6/2/1821, d 3/25/1908)
Thursday, Jan 31, 1884
Mt Savage - died 1/23/1884, Mrs. Bolser Newman, a fine
old sister of Col. Sebastian Eifort.
Feb 7, 1884
Carter Co (Olive Hill) - Mrs. Eliza Balser Newman died at Mt.
Savage 1/23/1884 and was buried at Olive Hill. Eliza was sister to
Sebastian, John, William and Benjamin Eifort and of Mrs. Mary Barracks,
Mrs. Susan Petry and Mrs. Margaret. She was born in
Neustadt, Germany May 6, 1818, daughter of Henrich Eifort,
a lieutenant in the French army in the Napoleonic Wars. She came here with
her parents in 1830 and settled in Lancaster, Pa. In 1836 she married Balser
(note: spelled different than first entry, Betty) Newman, a native
of Waldeck, Germany, and with him moved to the state of Ohio and later
to Ky. She had 8 children, 1 dead.( Mrs. John Rodecup
died a few years ago.) Others are: Mrs. Kassie Elk, Mrs. Caroline
Echtenocht,
Mrs. Margaret Burnet, Mrs. Susan Cunningham, Henry and William
Newman.
Catholic.
Sep 25, 1884
Carter Co - (Olive Hill) Miss Josie Petry of Ashland is visiting
the families of John and Col. Eifort.
Submitted by Garrett and Sherry Lowe