Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1903-08-29
THE WESTERN RESERVE
Story Of First White Child Born In
That Locality.
THRILLING FRONTIER TRAGEDY.
Husband Returns From Journey 10
His Old Home to Find His Wife and
Children Gaunt, Hollow-Eyed and
Dyino Of Starvation.

The reader who sits to-day In his
comfortable home and enjoys the
peaceful life of this section OF our
land can scarcely appreciate the great
hardshirs Which the pioneer settlers
of Pennsylvania and Ohio endured 7
century and more ago. as they fought
back the wilderness line and brought
this rich country under cultivation
and civilization This is the story OF
the first white child born in the West
ern Reserve, and of the melancholy
fate which overlook it. The first ex-
ploring party of settlers whas led
into the Reserve by General Moses
Cleaveland in 1896. They were hardy
men, born to conq'ler the wilderness
and make 1t blossom as the rose, ana
thev came with the conscious tread
of those behind whom were following
millions In the western progress OF
the Cleavelaud party halt was made
at a spot on the southern shore OF
Lake Erie, where since has grown up
the town Of COnneaut, Ohio. They
were here for some time during the
early summer Of 1896, and then at
length passed on westward to the
mouth of the Cuyahoga. where they
laid the foundations Of new city
which is now known as Cleveland.
Here we leave them, for this story
has to do with a brave man and his
60 ,lD f~l1D oil
of the Cleavcland party. This man
was James Kingsbury, who had in the
early summer left his old home in
New York state and set out with fam.
fly and household goods to seek \
newer habitation in the virgin Ohio
country Their sad adventures dur
ing the following winter furnish one
of the most thrilling Of frontier TRACE
dies. Kingsbury belonged to that
numerous class to whom the promise
of new things always seemed the GER
tainty Of better things, and the great
rich lands lying to the south Of Lake
Erie seemed like an Eden, or Can
aan. full Of promise. Making all prep
arations possible he followed in the
trail of General Cleavelands survey
ing party. Only a short time after
they had left Conneaut this venture
some family, consisting Of husband.
wife and several children, arrived at
that spot Constructing crude cab
in close by the lake, these pioneers
settled down to spend the winter
being the first family to winter in the
Reserve. Their quarters were rude,
affording but poor accommodations
for a man, not to say anything OF the
more tender woman and children who
so bravely set their hands to the con-
quest of the untamed wilderness.
Soon after this rough beginning was
made Mr. Kingsbury found that he
would have to make journey back
to his former home in the East to at
tend to some business matters which
his sudden departure had compelled
him to leave unfinished. This made
necessary the leaving Of his family
alone in that exposed situation. but
no one flinched from the hardship,
and the husband and father sat out
on his way. Weeks went by and the
time of his expected return arrived.
No sign Of his approach was seen.
The days passed and the weeks in.
creased. The brave pioneer wife and
mother began to fear that death had
overtaken her absent loved one, but
all she could do was to watch and
wait. Food became scarce and they
were compelled to reduce their al
lowance. so that hunger troubled
them as well as cold. Their situation
was becoming desperate. and there
was no Way of helDlng matters Mean.