The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-07-10

This county is frequently called the
"Glades," and sometimes pleasantly
styled the Estate of the GIades," but
the term only applies to a portion of
it. The word ''Glade" is defined to be
"a clear, green spot in the wood, or an
avenue through it," or as Thompson
says, 'rhe unsheltered glade" The
term was applied to the mtimbered
lands or natural meadows which line
the headwateTs of nearly all the
streams of Somerset, Stonycreek,
Brothersvalley, Summit, Milford, Jen-
ner aud Conemaugh townships, while
the streams Of Shade, Paint and Ogle
townships rise in the pine barrens OF
the Alleghenies and flow through deep
gOrges covered with hemlOck timber.
One acquainted with the appearance
of the ''Glades' can readily distinguish
them from land that has been reclaim
ed from timber, although the original
grass, which resembled blue grass, has
disappeared and mixture of coarse
grass and sedge, commonly called sour
grass, has since taken its place. Some
of the "Glades," especially the marshy
parts, have since grown up in dense
thickets of alder and willow brush.
\ very clear description of the
"Glades" is found in the journal of
Herman Husband, one Of the first set
tiers of the county, and of whom fur
| ther mention will be made. In describ-
ing the general appearance ofthe coun-
try at that time he says: 'Innumera-
ble Glades extend from the top of the
mountain range on the east 10 the top
of a parallel range on the west, through
Il valley ranging in extent from twelve
| tO twenty miles. The land is divided
into hills, bottoms and gIades. The
hills are mostly covered with fine and
lofty timber with but little underbrush.
The bottoms are open and often soddcd
with short grass that never attains
height of more than few inches. The
streams after leaving the gIades on
which they generally take their rise
break through rugged ridges and dark
pine forests often so thick rs to exclude
the rays Of the SUM-
OF the natural productions Of the
country he says: ''rhe wild fruits ne
gin to ripen in July Service berries.
choke cherries, wild cherries, wild
plums and black haws abound in the
bottom. On the ridges huckleberries,
raspberries and blackberries grow in
an unlimited extent aLd ripcn in great
perfection. As the season advanced
the nuts appeared, the hazel nuts in
clusters on the edges of the gla,Ies, the
chestnuts and hickory nuts on the up
lands, together with the different >pe-
cies OF oak, covered the ground with
promiscIOus heaps. The northern
slopes are covered by the wild pea vine,
which afforded excellent pasture. The
pea was small tuber almost rs large
as the common pea and grew under
ground. After the country was settled
acres upon acres of ground Were rooted
up by hogs in search of wild peas, and
in consequence il disappeared from the
country"
The territory included in the present
limits of this county was evidently not
the home of the Indian, who took
shelter under the mountains and along
the streams, bat il undoubtedly affor,i-
ed him Il fine hunting ground, A. there
was an abundance of game. The elc-
walton of the country and the severity
of the climate made il too cold for Il
home, a. the winters in 80 denscly
wooded country as this was M that
time must have ''lingered long in the
lap of spring. and been very severe,
and ii was evidently at first not very
attractive Ia the white settlers, a. the
counties of We-tmoreland. Washing
ton, Fayette and Allegheny, all west of
Us, were settled and organized before
Somerset county.
We can very well imagine what a
beautiful country il was in its primi-
tive state. Standing on the summit Of
either one of the mpIntain ranges that
bound Us east and west, there must
have been presented l. the eye scene
of unsurpassed beauty At a distance
Of twenty miles the other mountain
range stands out i'm bold outline.
stretching along for many miles, and
! it may well have been said. in the Ian
guage OF the poet:
"'Tis distance lends enchantm,nt To the
view
And robes the mountain in it, azure hue
But nothing was required t0 lend en-
chantment 10 the whole stretch of in
| tervening country of hill and valley, of
forest and glade. What delightful
prospect il must have afforded i'm the
''leafy month of June when the for
ests were covered with their foliage of
every variety of green, and when later
| they were tinted with their varied col
| orS and Autumn spread its transcend
ent beauty from mountain range TO
mountain range over the whole; when
the morning sun first touched with its
rays the summit of the Alleghenics,
and its setting flooded the heights of
the Laurel Hill with sea of gold and
hathed the whole intervening country
with its soft and mellow light.
And vet the seasons had come and
gone for countless ages over this.lovely
scene, with no one to appreciate it,
beauty and grandeur, and the waters
of the streams, then nameless, had
flowed on silently To the ocean and
heard no sound save their own dash
ings, the howl of the wild beast and of
the wild man.
But the time was rapidly approach
ing when it was To he invaded 10y the
white man. The tide of immigration
had set in rapidly and began to occu-
py the counties in the eastern part of
the state. Immigrants came from
England, Ireland and Scotland, and in
large numbers from the Palatinate, Ba-
varia and Baden and other parts of the
"Fatherland,n and in the course of
time their descendants began To seek
new homes; and we now approach the
period when the pioneer first made his
appearance in this section of coun-
try.