night with a Swiss."

Joist Hite, the Pioneer

When Joist Hite arrived in Virginia he and his family were required to
settle on the land bought from the VanMeters. His purchase was made in
June 1731. In October of the same year, he and Robert McKay obtained a
grant from the Colonial Government to have 100,000 acres of land
surveyed on the west side of the mountain, with the agreement to bring
in one hundred settlers within two years. During that year, Hite moved
in and settled on that land, but he got an extension of time for
bringing in other settlers. By Christmas of 1735 Hite had brought in
fifty-four families.

All this land was in the County of Spotsylvania and Hite found that he
and his brothers were too far away from the courts so he became
interested in getting a new county organized in 1734. This was named
Orange, in honor of the Duke of Orange. Later on, having acquired more
land, he found himself again too far removed from a court house. And
again he applied for a new county. In fact he needed two counties for
all his lands and ever-increasing settlers. In 1738 Orange County was
divided into three counties, namely: Orange, Frederick, and Augusta to
the west of the mountain. With Joist Hite and his wife Anna Maria came
their daughters, Mary, her husband George Bowman, Elizabeth and her
husband Paul Froman, Magadelena and her husband Jacob Chrisman, and
their sons John, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham and Joseph. Hite, we are told,
allowed his sons-in-law to choose their own homesteads.

His wife, Anna Maria, died in 1738 at Long Meadows and soon he married
again. We read the following quaint marriage contracts between him and
his second wife:

"In the Name of Jesus

"Whereas, we, two persons, I, Joist Hite and Maria Magadelena,
Relict and Widow of Christian Nuschanger, according to God's
holy ordinance and the knowledge and consent of our Friends and
Children and Relations are going to enter into the holy state
of Matrimony. We have made this Nuptial part one with the
others. First promise to the aforesaid Maria Magadalena all the
Christian Love and Faithfulness. Secondly, as neither of us are
a moment secure from death so I promise her Home or Widow Seat
so long as she lives and the Heir to whom the said House shall
fall shall provide the necessary Diet and Cloathes and if that
do not please but that she rather desire to have her
commendat