Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-10-16
The Flag Waves Over
Early RecOllectiOns and History
Of Mead Township.

OF Mead Township.
EDITOR RCHRoNICLE-Having had the
pleasure of a recent interview with some
of the oldest residents of Mead township,
and learning some incidents of interest
relative to Its early history, have con-
cluded, with your gracious permission,
to submit them for the readers of THE
CHRONICLE:
DAVID SMITH
was born in the year 1899, in Perthshlre,
Scotland, on the river Fam, near Cree,
on the Kings High Road to Sterling,
and emigrated with his parents to this
country in 1918, landing at Philadelphia
From that city the family Travelled IN
wagons over the mountains, to Browns
vile, Pa, and thence to Wegee, the pres
ent residence of the subject of this
SKETCH in fiat boat, stopping at Pitts
burgh for about six weeks. He describes
the trip over the mountains rs devoid of
interest, save very bad roads and a great
deal of hard work, the men having for
the most part walked all the way. 1t
was the custom in that day for several
teams to travel together as aids to one
another in case of adventure, and STALL
ing in ruts, and such other incidents par
taking of calamity relative to such a
trip in new country, so that there was
plenty of company. He describes the
great city of Pittsburgh as a miniature
of its present self, and says that portion
of it now known as Allegheny City, was
all in fields, and large potion of the
now city proper was also an open coun-
try, unacquainted with the hum OF IN
dustry and the spiral columns darkenlng
the heavens, that SO aptly entities 1t to
the sUbriquet of "The City of Smoke"
The trip across the ocean was made from
Glasgow, in a sailing brig, and occupied
six weeks-a long journey compared
with the facilities for ocean travel OF the
present day. His recollections of faith
erland doesn't seem to be very vivid,
Notwithstanding the fact that he was
nineteen years of age when his family
left that country; but states that his
father was farmer; that the laws of
primogeniture and entail prevailed, and
thinks that in this matter there has been
no change. OF course, then, the lands
were owned by the ariStocracy and
blood, and farmed by tenantry. But our
Scotch Highlander says that many of the
tenantry were well to do, and in re-
spect to this worlds goods, in some cases
there was very little difference between
the landlord and tenant; but that for
the most part rents were high. and the
farming element were poor. His recol-
lections of the City of Glasgow are that
| it was solidly built of substantial stone
structures of immense height-many
eleven stories Highland a large and
fourishing city. When the family Of
our octogenarian landed here, Sixty-one
years ago, the country was all in woods,
comparatively little of the land being
cleared, and many deer and wild turkeys
were found, the former being the most
abundant on the Virginia side. The old
gentleman relates with great gusto some
of his numerous experiences in captu-
ring deer in the Ohio river, aS they were
Swimming across to the Ohio side. The
process was to get in a canoe or Skill,
and row alongside the swimming ami
nal, striking him on the back with a
heavy oar, until disabled, and then drag
him ashore, and kill him. He recollects
of a deer lick up a Wegee hill, near
where Squire Highleyman formerly resi-
ded, and says he recalls having heard
of numerous others, but can't locate
them. There were no roads here. but
the old State road, running to Steuben-
vile, thence to Cambridge from Marlet-
ia. Salt was very scarce, selling at nine
dollars per barrel, and MIR. Smith speaks
of an expedition made by him and some
of his neighbors, 60 miles up the Kama
wha, for this condiment so essential to
the preservation of human life. What ed
ucation Mr. Smith received was had in
the schools of Scotland. These schools,
he says, were of excellent character,
there being taught in them all the
branches from the A, B C's to Latin
and Greek but they were not supported
from public fnnds-each scholar paying
his own tuition, and tells of many of
them carrying their weekly instalments
of 2 pence to the ''auld Domino" for the
learning to be had that week. The inter-
nal improvements of Scotland at that
time consisted mostly of the Kings
highways-excellent stone roads and
fortifcations-r railroads being unknown.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Among the earliest settlers of Mead
township were the Reilleys, Days, Am
blers, WOrkmans, Dillies, Roushes, Lock
woods, Lanes and Lashleys, with James
Muckelhaney, and one Muckelherne.
James Muckelhaney was a noted woods
man, and found his living there with his
dogs and truSty rifle, roaming amidst
the deer and turkey, and dwelling al
most entirely beneath the shades of the
leafy forests, quenching his burning
thirst from the pure, limpid, ripping
springs that gushed in munlicent pro-
fusion from the towering hills herea-
bout, and refreshing the inner man from
savory deer and turkey meat. What
life for the uneducated, romantic mind
PETER SHAVER
was born in Washington county, Pa, in
the year 1909, stepsOn of David Smith,
and half brother to Capt. Andrew Smith,
a prominent, influential and useful citi-
zen of Wegee. Mr.. Shaver's family came
to this section in 1S13-five years before
the Smiths, and has vivid recOllections
the early times that he was identified
with. His people moved into an old log
cabin, situate near where Mr.. David
Smiths fine brick residence is now stand
ing, and in this connection hangs an in
teresting story. l should have men
toned among the early settlers of Mead
township, a mulattO by the name of Ste
phen Pearl. The cabin occupied by the
Shavers, was owned by one Jacob Shri-
yer. This cabin was occupied at the |
time the Shavers arrived in this section |
by Stephen Pearl and his family, COM
posed of eight members, making nine in |
all. Shaver bought the cabin and some |
land of Mr.. Shriver. Pearl claimed a
lease for term of years, and refused to |
vacate; but, however, in time, an agree
ment was reached, and Pearl and family
vacated the cabin to move into a large
hollow sycamore tree, that reared its
stately trunk, not far from the cabin.
This tree was entered some distance
above the ground, and the floor was
reached by short flight of steps. 1t is
said that an 11-foot rail could be turned
around with ease inside this huge mon