Martin Grider

Those living in Pennsylvania today use the Greider instead of the Grider spelling of their surname.

In 1764 Martin sold his farm of 160 1/2 acres to his uncle John Grytor, and migrated with his wife and children to the Valley of Virginia. Recores of Martin's holdings are in Augusta County, Virginia, as well as an interesting mortgage taken out 1770 on certain of his chattels and goods to raise twenty seven pounds, ten shillings and five pense to purchase a copper still and all utensils.

Distilling whiskey for sale was the most practical and lucrative method of marketing grain at that time.

A portion of August County by 1778 had been formed into Rockingham County. In May 1781 George Keesle began to sell half-acre lots from a onehundred acre portion of his plantation to form Keesletown. The lots were offered to all the settlers, and Martin Greider was one of the twenty-seven purchasers listed on record. The importance of the town was its location on the main road from north to south, through Virginia.

Martin Greider died sometime after his purchase of a lot in the new town of Keesletown.