Briner Family History

Submitted by Clifton F. Briner

The entire family of Peter Briner moved from Pennsylvania to Kentucky and Indiana by 1816 except for the family of Andrew Briner (Peter's son). The group that left had lived in Fayette County, Pennsylvania from about 1786. By about 1830 Andrew Briner's family began spelling their name "Bryner." This was a big family. Andrew had eighteen children, most by his first wife, Katherine Coffman. Andrew's second wife was Susannah Zook. Today in Fayette County there are hundreds of Bryner families, all descendants of Peter Briner. Peter Briner died in 1823 and is buried in Orange County, Indiana.

The Stewart Township 1872 map shows an area denoted as "Briner's Ridge District." It was spelled in the way the name was spelled when Peter lived there. Peter owned over 320 acres of that land. The "Whiskey Rebellion" took place in Fayette and Westmoreland Counties while Peter and his family lived there in 1794. The Briners raised grain and were taxed for operating a grist mill, saw mill, whiskey still and operating oxen. As a result of the repressive Federal Taxation thousands of the Fayette and Westmoreland County families pulled up stakes and headed into the interior of the wilderness. In these new areas taxation was not such a problem.

In the region near Briner Springs there is a large hilly area known to older inhabitants as "Briner's Ridge." It seems the Briners must have been looking for a land that reminded themselves of the Laurel Hills of Fayette County, Pennsylvania.