The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-09-12
For The Cecil Wing.
NOTTINGHAM AND KISHACOQUILLAS.

Nottingham tract on the Octoraro creek
lies partly in Pennsylvania and partly in
Cecil county, Maryland. Kishacoquillas is
the grand old Indian name of large and
beautiful valley in central Pennsylvania.
Both the valley and the creek which drains
it, derived their name from kishacoquillas,
a Shawanese Chief, whose wigwam in 1855
stood where the creek mingles its waters
with the GO Blue Juniatta."
AS Munster of Cecil colonized Mecklen-
berg, so Nottingham colonized kishaco-
quillas.
In 1741, John Alexander, of Glasgow,
Scotland, removed to Armagh, Ireland and
thence again to America and settled in
Nottingham, on the banks of the Octoraro.
W it'll him came also his sons Hugh, James
and John; his daughters Margaret and
Rachel; his nephews Hugh and James; and
his niece Mrs. Polk.
After a few years the nephews and the
niece migrated to Mecklenberg county,
North Carolina; and John with his sons
and daughters removed to Carlisle, Pa.
Here his son Hugh, having married Martha
Edmston, of Nottingham, Md, turned
aside to settle in Shermans Valley, now in
Perry county, Pa. while his brother James
man remarkable for energy and enter
prise, having married Rosa Read, near
Chambersburg, determined to explore the
interior valleys and become the founder of
4 new settlement in the wilderness.
TIE EXPLORATION AND LOCATION.
After dangerous journey of eighty or
one hundred miles northward of the settle
ments, through forests and through water
gaps in the mountain ranges, along the
Susquehanna, along the Juniatta and
along the roaring Kishacoquillas, his ad-
vance was arrested by the beauty and fer
tility of a noble valley. "No man should
desire a better soil than this Though
hemmed in by mountains, covered with
heavy timber and occupied only by Indians
and beasts, here he determined to found
new things-te plant his settlement.
Across the midst of the valley from Jacks
Mountain to Stone Mountain, he laid his
warrant on a thousand acres-forest clad,
we'll watered, lying handsomely and of a
rich limestone sofia goodly heritage for
his own rising family. 1855.
THE REMOVAL AND SETTLEMENT.
On his return to the region of Carlisle,
though he made good report of the exceed
ing good land which he had explored, yet
one only, his friend William Brown, dared
to accompany him and brave the dangers
of settling so far from help IN time OF
Indian warfare.
But how different was their mode from
the present mode of getting beyond the
frontier? James Alexander had his wife
and children, goods and chattels packed on
the backs of horses, and his money-nine
hundred silver dolars-in long blue stock
| ing, for he, too, was Presbyterian. Will
liam Brown had his family and effects
packed and transported in like manner.
The reader can imagine this little cara
van of young husbands, wives, children
and goods making their toilsome, lonely
and dangerous way along blind bride
paths, through mountain passes, for sue.
cessive days, until they reached their des.
tined valley, far away from friends and III
the comforts OF civil society.
William afterwards Judge Brown, To-
Gated near the entrance of the valley and
near the meeting of the waters, where
afterwards arose the village of Browns
Mills, now Readsville.
James Alexander proceeded four miles
westward to the valuable tract which he
had already selected and patented as his
| future home.
Near the middle of this tract, Spring
Run rises from several large gushing foun
tains of clear, cold, limestone water and
flows south into the Kishacoqnillas. Neal
one of these fine springs and near this run,
he erected a sheltering cabin until, in after
time, large log house could be raised by
the aid of hands brought from distant
Juniatta settlement. Around the chosen
location grew an ancient forest of oaks
and other noble trces-some immensely
high and others of vast bulk of trunk and
wide spread Misunderstanding temple
long sacred to silence save when disturbed
by the savage yell, the twang of the bow.
string, or the cry of some wild bird, OIL
beast. Wolves, foxes, black bear and deer
traversed the valley from mountain to noun
tain. Spring Run and the Kishacoquillas