The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-11
THE FIRST SETTLERS
MoravianS Celebrate Arrival
at Bethabara.
On The Seventeenth Of November it will b. 100
Years Since the Peopin of wachovia
Began.
(special To News and Observer.l


Winston Salem. N. c., Oct. 10.-The past
wears have witnessed a number of Centen-
NAL occasions in this section, all of which
were celebrated in worthy manner. The
first one of the celebrations was in the
year 1866, when the founding OF Salem,
one hundred years earlier, was the event
commemorated by the festivities. In more
recent yccrs the one hundredth annlVer-
sary OF the building of the Salem Home
Moravian Church was the occasion OF a
delightful service of meetings in 1900, and
after the occasion itself had passed the
work of the centennial Committee" was
of widespread Importance to congregation
and the community in general. Then
came the centennial in 1902 OF the Salem
Female Academy and College which was
celebrated with such signal success in
every particular. On the 18th of next
month (November) it will be one hundred
and fifty years since the first settlers ar
rived in Bethabara, six miles north OF Sa-
lem. The story of this early settlement
Is indeed interesting to every newspaper
reader.
It was at a time when the Moravlan
Church was very active in organizing mis-
sion work in many parts of the world and
the church authorities desired to pur-
chase large tract of land where a colony
could be established, industries begun and
center created from which missionary
interests could be promoted After con-
sidering many different places in various
parts of the new and the old world, it
was decided that some point in what is
CHI ha fad
A year before the settlement was begun
party of Moravians explored all the diff
ierent sections Of western North Carolina,
going almost as far as( Asheville, and
nearly as far north as the Virginia line.
Finally "Wachovia" tract was selected
and one hundred thousand acres of land
were purchased. The next year com
pany of a dozen men settled on this tract
of land, arriving from Pennsylvania, No
vember II, 1853, at p. m.
The story of their struggles and priva-
tons in this new and wild region reads
like q romance. After they had begrn to
enjoy the blessings of their crops and had
erected comfortable buildings, the French
and Indian war was begun and they were
In the midst Of the greatest dangers for
a number of years. Later the War of the
American Revolution came on and their
difficulties and dangers were even greater.
Then in the time of the organization of
the new republic they were very nearly
banished from lands and homes, and thus
through many trials and difficulties the
section known as Wachovia has grown to
be what it now is The celebration next
month is intended to commemorate this
event and carefully devised plans are be-
ing made to signalize the event itself and
to mark the places about which so much
history clusters. The plans for this cell
ebration are as follows:
In the first place. it is proposed in each
to do something which will
CATION has placed fine pipe organ in its
place of worship. Another is erecting
steeple. Still another is covering the
building with slate and so on throughout
the Southern Province-Province memo
rails are being erected to this one hun
dred and fiftieth anniversary of the be-
ginning of the work in Wachovia.
The celebration of the occasion in No
vember will cover several days. Novem-
Der 18th will be "Bethabara Day" The
train will leave Salem about o'clock and
return about 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
The exercises on this day will be the
dedication of the monuments which it is
proposed to erect at Bethabara, and
sketches will be read and addresses de-
hvered relating to the events connected
with the early history.
Saturday evening, November IA, meet
ing of the Historical Society will be held,
when the history of the founding Of Wa
chovia will be feature of the occasion
This meeting will be public, and will, no
doubt, be held in the Moravian Church.
Sunday, November Is will be Provincial
Day, that is. the entire Province will be
invited to Salem, to engage in the services
of the day. A memorial discourse will be
delivered, a love-feast will follow, and
the exercises of the day will close with
the celebration OF the Holy Communion.
The last service in the series will be
held at 8 o'clock, Tuesday, 18th, the exact
day and hour when the weary and travel
worn band entered the hunters hut at
Bethabara. 1t is suggested that service
be held in every church in the Province,
at o'clock, and thus, with united prayer
and praise, the one hundredth and fiftieth
will be commemorated.
The event will be signalized by more
than celebration. 1t is proposed to erect
substantial monuments to mark the spots
where the settlers experienced their first
joys and sorrows. The Wachovia His
torical Society will erect a substantial
on the lawn beside the church,
with the names of the exploring party
who selected the site in 1852, and the
names of the first settlers in 1853. This
will be a large granite block, suitably
mounted on one or more massize slabs as
foundation stones.
1t has been discovered that the great
milestone is still at the place where the
mill stood century and half ago. This
will be taken to the town and also placed
near the church, and on this will be
an iron tablet with the story of
the experiences of the French and Indian
war briefly given. In addition to this
stone pillars. The fort was a place Of
refuge from the Indians for settlers a !
hundred miles around.
Then, too, the ground on which stood
the first hut viii probably be purchased, |