Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-07-17


that time he rode to Baltimore on horse.
back for his goods. The old store was torn
down about one year ago and the shingles
composing the roof were found to be solid,
after remaining on the roof nearly a centu-
ry. The first halter shop was opened by
Mr.. Liggett, grandfather of the present
lawyer Liggett of Hagrisonburg, on the lot
row owned by 2. D. Gilmore. This after
wards passed into the bonds of Gilmore in
1928. The first tannery was opened by a
Mr.. Propst; later it went into possession
of David Trick, who was the father of the
late A. B. Trick, President of the first Ma
tional Bank of Harrisonburg. The first
schoolhouse stood just in the rear of DR..
Hammers office. The first teacher was a
Mr.. Bernhardt. His home was where the
Rev. |. Conder now lives. Afterwards
George Mauzy taught upstairs for num-
Der of years, while he occupied the lower
part as dwelling. Miss Jennetta Conrad
was teacher about the year 1882. Next
Harrison Jeffries and Joseph Mauzy, son OF
Michael Mauzy. This old building was al
so used for warrant trials, elections, and
even preaching. The land upon which it
stood was given to the cold Church" by
Mr.. Burner, who owned all the land which
had belonged to McGahey southeast of the
pike, about the year 1910. DIR. Bashau
was the first physician. He located where
VIM. Herring now lives. Next was DR..
Thrasher, who located in 1880 on a lot
known as the Samuel Lindamood property.
The first merchant mill was owned by Ma
thias Snyder. The farm is now owned by
Jessie Bowcock. The store now occupied
by G. E. Hammer was built in 1S45 by a
Mr.. Abbott for a tailor-shop. The first
church, thought by some to have stood
where the ''Old Church, now stands,
and by others to have stood where Mt. Oil
vet Cemetery is now situated It was own
ed by no particular sect or denomination,
but people came ten or fifteen miles with
their guns and would stack them near the
door, ready for a surprise from the Indians.
The next church was built and the congre-
CATION was organized in 1869, and was
known as the Peaked Mountain Church.
The church now standing was built in 1900
by Nicholas Leap. The pastor at that
time was a man by the name of Brown who
travelled horseback over Frederick, Shen-
andoah, Page, Pendleton, and Rockingham
counties, preaching once a month at each
place. The Methodist church was built in
1885 by q Mr.. Bader. This brings us to
within the present age, and we will simply
add the census as taken by Master G. G..
Herring. 1t includes the census of limit
regarded as belonging to the village. It
is as follows Total number ofinhabitants,
81 number under five, 40 ; over five, 271
number able to read and write, 1870; of IL
literate 91-most Of whom are colored
number that attend school Sc; number of
property owners 55; total number of color
ed inhabitants, 81.
| OLD PEOPLE.
| Our WALLACE can boast of some of the old
est people in the country and we can lay
undisputed claim to several, one of whom
is Mr.. John G. Wetzel who was born at
McGaheysville, in 1902, and has made it
his home ever since. He is living model
of temperance, and is well and hearty at
the present time. Mrs. Wetzel is only a
year or two younger than her husband. An
other very old man is Mr. Himler, an old
bachelor, 80 years of age, and native of
Germany.
A traditional fact of the village is that at
an early date in its history the surrounding
country was nothing more than a treeless
prairie, and one could see for miles. The
first stock raisers at evening, when they
wished to know the whereabouts of their
cattle, had only to go to the high grounds
now occupied by Mt. Olivet Cemetery, and
there they could see for miles over wav-
ing mass Of tall grass and underground,
with here and there tree standing erect
like watchers over the stock. What a diff
ference between then and now! Then
nothing more than a silent prairie roamed
by the wild beasts and the almost equally
wild Indians, the stiffness only broken by
the murmuring of some brool; as it mean
dered toward the sea, or the warwhoop of
the red man in his battles against rival
tribe, or attacking some hardy pioneer set
tlement, where the white mans axe and
hoe had pointed him out to their vengeance.
Now there are no signs of the Indian; he
is gone toward the setting sun and his wal
song is heard no more, his former presence
hardly known of by the child of the white
man, his hunting ground occupied by farms
and villages, and the game he sought either
killed by the white man Or driven away by
the whistle of the locomotive as it rushes
along at amost lightning speed.