Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-03-12
MORAYIAN SETTLEMENT.
The First in North Carolina Some
Interesting Historic Facts
About Salem, N. C.

| interesting hlSlOTlC acts
About Salem, N. C..
Especial ARGUS correspondent
In a recent issue of the ARGUS
I wrote a brief outline Of the his.
tory and phenomenal growth ol
Winston and promised to tell your
readers in my next letter some
thing about the old town OF
| Salem.
Winston and Salem are separ-
ated by a street; nevertheless,
i they are two distinct places.
Winston has its own mayor, board
of aldermen, policemen, water
works, fire department. and post
office. Salem, too, has its own
mayor, board of aldermen, police
men, water works, fire depart
ment and post-office.
This section was settled by
United Brethren, or Moravians.
Early in October, 1853, twelve
of these Brethren started from a
settlement in Pennsylvania to
search out a new home. With a
four-horse wagon, loaded with
supplies. twelve hardy men
drove boldly into the wilderness
and Travelled towards the South.
| The diary, which still exists,
tells Of the many dangers and
difficulties they met with on their
journey.
On Saturday afternoon at 3
O'Clock, November 18th, 1853,
| the travellers reached spot
whose fertility and beauty so at
tracted them that they deter~
mined 20 make it their home
Near the banks Of the clear
stream which gracefully winds
through the fertile valley, they
found the deserted hut Of some
brave hunter, who had been
killed by the Indians, or who had
gone, perhaps, still further into
the solitude Of the great wilder>
Less. In this hut they deter
mined to stay until they could
build a larger one.
That night they held a Love
Feast "a religious exercise still
practiced among the Moravians.
At this Love Feast they partook
of cake and coffee, which are
always used on these occasions.
When they were ready to go to
sleep, they found the hut large
! enough for only eleven men to
sleep on the floor. They. there
fore, swung a ham mock for the
twelfth man. During the night
they were greatly annoyed by
| the bowling of the wolves around
the cabin. Sunday was spent in
devotional exercises. Monday
they began 10 cut down trees,
and in a few weeks they cleared
three acres of land and sowed
some wheat. which they had
| brought with them.
About two years afterwards,
these twelve Brethren we're
joined by some others from the
| Pennsylvania settlement. The
following spring, a number of
families came,
But their troubles were not at
an end. An Indian war bloke out
and all Of the settlers moved into
| the church. which was inclosed
with a strong, high fence, built
of logs. During the day, the
men worked only a short dis
tance from the stockade; at night t,
a close watch was kept and the
bell on the little church was rung
every half hour. After the war
was over, it was learned from
some of the Indians, who had
been converted, that a mum Der
) of times massacres had been
!, planned, hut on each occasion,
i just as the indians were stealth
) lily advancing in the darkness tC
attack the little fort, the bell
would ring. and. thinking that
. the Great Spirit had warned the
white men, 5hey decided it would
be useless to make the attack
On the church, that same old
bell, whose strong, clear notes
. stayed the uplifted tomahawk
of the savage Indian, in notes
strong. clear, and sweet, every
Sunday calls to worship from
peaceful homes the grand-chil-
dren Of the brave men who
, founded the little town, which
they named Bethalara.
J The name was afterwards
81 changed to Old Town, which il
still bears. This was the firs1
, Moravian settlement in North
j Carolina.
Old Town is four miles west o1
z Salem, which was founded In
1866 by other Moravians.
i Salem is in direct contrast with
, Winston. While Salem contains
many elegant residences. large
factories, and the famous Salem
, Female Academy, still there are
SO many old buildings of Dutch
+ architecture that the place pos
sesses a picturesqueness and {