Sylvanus Mccreery "Van" Mann

   Another name for Sylvanus was Van Mann.

  General Notes:

The Record of Jacob Mann of Indian Creek By Margaret B Ballard M.D. July 31, 1961 page 230

Sylvanus McCreery Mann, son John and Cynthia (Mann), was born 6 Dec 1869. "Van" as he was called was a most ingenious person and made the first automobile that I ever rode in. The machine was propelled by steam and the fuel was kerosene oil. An old buggy served as the chassis. The second car that Van made was more elaborate but still burned kerosene. There was no fuel pump so the person sitting by the driver had to pump fuel by pulling a rod to which an ordinary white door know was attached. This came through the dashboard on the right hand side of the car. I can remember pumping fuel in return for a ride in the car which would climb the Hill at Greenville to about the location of Uncle Andy Miller's blacksmith shop. At that time Van and his cousin, Ike Ballard decided that typewritters should have spacing according to the size of the letters and that the letter "m" and "w" should have more space than "i" and "l". Van worked on an old Remington and got the spacing perfect. He made a trip to Washington with the machine, but these country men were in no position to compete with the patent office. The Remington Typewriter Co turned down the offer to buy the invention. Now the same idea is used in all the new electric typewriters Another of Van's inventions was a small steam engine that ran from the back poarch of his house in Greenville to the garden fence overlooking the Hill to the east, a distance of about 50 feet. The tract was laid on elevated wooden ties and was a narrow gauge. Finally when the automobiles became more common, Van built a garage near the Masonic Building and repaired the cars and sold used cars. He was also a jeweler and repaired watches. In the rear of his watch shop in the yard of his home at Greenville, he had a photographic studio. We are indebted to him for many of the old pictures that we have today. One astonishing incident that I will always remember. Nate Ballard came to our house below the store and told my mother to go to the store as quickly as possible. Mother thought something terrible must have happened and went running. When she arrived she found my father, Isaac Newton Ballard, picking a banjo and Van Mann dancing. We had never known that my father could play a musical instrument. Van married Mamie Evelyn Whitten died 1945 in 1900, daughter of John Austin and Margaret Virginia (Campbell) Whitten. John Austin was the son of Lewis Austin Whitten and Eveline Keaton. Lewis Austin was the son Lewis and Charlotte (Godwin) Whitten, who came from Virginia and settled on Hans Creek where Loranzo Smith lived. Van and Mamie had 4 children 1. Herbert W Mann 20 Mar 1906-1956 married Anna Lee Long, daughter of Silas and Bessie Edna (Coulter) Long 2. Hattie Mae Mann 1908 married Augustus Mason Helmintoller 3. Isaac Whitten Mann married Wilda Mae Wikle/Wykle 4. Mary Evelyn Mann 1913 married Meverel Pence, son of Delona and Saloma (Wikle/Wykle) Pence

Sylvanus married on 25 Apr 1902 in Monroe Co, WV.