The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-11-10

seen; no public roads nor improve
ments; tall trees sparsely set, with
luxuriant grass as high as a mans
shoulder, waving grandly in their
shadow. In early spring or late
winter the ground made clean by
forest fires. Dense cane brakes
along the streams where meadows
now are. Herds of buffalo and
droves Of deer grazing quietly on
hill and dale. Hungry bears
providing fearlessly here and there.
Packs Of wolves and crouching pan
theirs, bold and defiant, masters Of
the woods. Turkeys and pheasants
in innumerable hosts. The Kissing
viper and the warning signal of the
rattlesnake, ever and anon to be
heard. No man to be seen but the
Indian In his most savage state;
clad with skin and furs of animals,
no covering for the head but tall
feathers arranged in the hair; the
feet protected from cold and thorns
by moccasins. Armed with bow
and culver Of arrows, together with
the h-dealing tomahawk, and
strings Of human scalps suspended
from the belt as trophies taken
from hostile tribes. Women bear.
ing heavy burdens, doing the
drudgery, while the lazy men acted
as brutal masters.
It Is hard for US to realize 1t, but
such was the condition of this
country a little more than a centu-
ry ago. We have many citizens
who are 90 and 60 years Of age, and
even much older. Count back the
lives Of two such persons and see
how short the time compared to the
progress made.
Your speaker is only of the third
generation by actual descent from
the days of the wild state Of this
locality. The side of the hill, above
a large flowing spring, not 2 miles
from this place has been pointed out
as the spot where Robert McTeer
spent his first night; it was claim
ed to be the first for any white man
on the territory that afterwards be.
came Blount COunty.t I1gwas said
THAT owls hooted, pant "a ncream'
ed and wolves howled Id d him
until the night wa9. max hideOu'
| and st&e -imaginA n y y had con
siderable disturbance of hi
dreams. 1t is evident, however
that he was only one of a Scotch
Irish colony, who had escaped thu
expressions of their day in the OLE
world by coming tn America; frs
settling in Pennsylvania and Vir
ginia and thence coming to thi
place.
A fort was built, the site of which
is well known, on the cleared spot
perhaps $50 yards above wher'
Hafley's mill now stands. 1t wa
of logs, and had notches or hole
cut between the logs, through
which the rifles were fired, Will
the wall protected the body of tn
riflemen. These were called "pOr
holes" This was named "McTeer'
Fort" and was afterwards moved
short distance and converted into
school house, in which the election
of this district were held unit
about the year 1867, when it wa
, again moved and used as a black
smith shop. The building is sill
standing.
The first mill of this part of tn
country was built near the spO
where Hafley's mill now stands
and thirty years ago there wer
some old men living that took de-
light in still abusing that old mil
because part of the machinery ha
to be turned by hand, and it wa
described as the hardest work
!. boy ever undertook. II was tn
: mill and was washed away. l
: 1900 the mill was rebuilt and SUI
J piled with improved machiner.
|. run altogether by water, but NAL
} ing noise when boiling whes
that could be heard a mile, and o
still days, much farther. This
!, building, with the date of its n
newal on the inside of the doc
: stood until after the war of 1876
During the war it ceased to OPP
!. rate; like Grandfather's clock,
T stopped, "never to go again;" an
sometime after peace was mac
: was torn down. 1t was a very ia
log house.
Of the colony who settled he
we have the names of the Boyle
o McCroskeys, McCullochs, MEGA
. gheys, McMurrys, BOyds, Cunnin