William Patton McConnell b 1846 d 1929; occupation, Scott County Treasurer, musician, mill owner, saw mill owner, merchant; s/o Henry Morse McConnell and Elizabeth "Betty" Kilgore. William Patton McConnell m. 29 Dec 1875 to Elizabeth J "Eliza" Culbertson b 1851 Scott Co VA; occupation, midwife, noted as the Florence Nightingale of Scott Co VA; d/o James Culbertson and Winney Kilgore. (More about William and Eliza). Children of William P McConnell and Elizabeth J "Eliza" Culbertson;

1. Nora Alice McConnell b about 1877 Scott Co VA d Tulsa OK; m. Robert L Elliott b 1869 d about 1933; occupation, revenue officer

2. Mary E McConnell b about 1879 Scott Co VA

3. James Morris McConnell b 1882 d 11 Jul 1945; m. 3 Jul 1907 (or 8 Jul 1907) to Myrtle Lillie Francisco b 11 Dec 1890 Scott Co VA d Nov 1990; d/o Braxton McQuinn Francisco and Elizabeth Jane Dickson Counts.

4. William S McConnell b about 1886 d about 1934 Richmond VA; m. Pattie Smith Francisco

5. Winnie Elizabeth McConnell b 13 Mar 1884 d 28 Oct 1946; buried Nickelsville, VA; m. 14 Mar 1903 Scott Co VA to Wilson Camel Smith b 10 Sept 1878 Nickelsville, VA d 27 Jul 1971; buried Weber City Cemetery, Weber City VA

6. Patton H McConnell b 1896; m. Maude Lay

William Patton McConnell's grandson, Carl P McConnell, a well known musician, wrote the following about his McConnell Grandparents:

My Grandpa, Patton McConnell was a top old-time fiddler and banjo picker. He was considered the champion fiddler of this area (Scott County, Virginia) for years, back in the days of about 1875 until about 1900. He had participated in almost all of the entertainments and exhibitions around this area in those days.

He, for many years, owned and operated a roller mill in Big Moccasin Valley. The mill was a combination consisting of flour, corn, and buckwheat mills. Also attached to it was a saw mill, and a planing mill, all of which were pulled by a turbine powered by water flowing by gravity from a concrete dam, located only a few hundred yards above the old mill place. There was also an old country general store, a blacksmith’s shop and the old dwelling house, all standing in a cluster.

This was an old stomping ground and gathering place for all the surrounding neighborhood. You might say that in the old days, it served as a sort of shopping center for these people.

Grandma and Grandpa McConnell were old-time Baptist Church people. Grandma McConnell was known by many people as Scott County’s own Florence Nightingale. She had the credit for delivering more babies in her lifetime than did a lot of the doctors. Her father, James Culbertson (my great grandpa), was a civil engineer by trade. He was part of the big covered wagon caravan that was formed from this surrounding area of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. They made the long, weary, and rugged journey across the U. S. A. to California during the big “California Gold Rush” in 1848. I am not positive, but I’m very much under the impression that he, James Culbertson, (a big man, 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 240 pounds) served as the wagon master for this journey, which took more than six months to complete. These people had to brave the Indians and wild animals that were so numerous at that time.