The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-11-07

NJ A&e AtN@
TOOK shelter In the evening when
their first love feast they
were reminded that they were indeed
IN the wilderness. for the heard the
Noi.es howiing round about their
capin- Sunday they kept as q day Of
rest 10 be followed BY a week Of man
y tor telling trees and clearing land.
SO that In December they put in the
hrst wheat. Later they enlarged the
cabin, made themselves as comforta-
Die as possible. and travellers often
stopped with them. attracted by the
physician, tailor and shoemaker
whose services were greatly needed in
mat new ountry Game was all the
FOOD they had and they had 10 so 10
Virginia for salt. 10 n Yadkin river
Tor flour and corn and 10 the Dan
river for oNen in preparation for the
speedily approaching winter. Dur
ing the next year trade commenced
with their neighbors and the records
lholcate a carpenter shop. tailoring
establishment. pottery. blacksmith
shop, shoe shop. tannery and cooper
SHOP had been established. Doubt
less many OF these Industries were
carried on under the same roof. but
their establishment was the founda-
ton or the prosperity Of the village.
AS regards prices some idea can be
had from the fact that a stranger was
Wiling to cut down and trim one
hundred trees for d pair of shoes.
The first summer they harvested
wheat. corn. tobacco. flax. miilet.
barley. oats. buckwheat. turnips. cot
ton, besides a good many vegetables.
BY 1856 the Bethabara colony con-
sisted OF siXty-fve souls. a number OF
married couples and more unmarried
men having arrived. 1t became a
settlement we'll known and sought for
by travellers. For thirty and forty
miles around families sought refuge
from the Indians here. Those who
had learned to love and respect those
who SO lovingly protected them ap-
piled for membership in the Mora
Wan church, and this led more or less
directly to the founding OF congrega-
tons at Bethania, Friedburg and
Hope.
Bethabara at this time had the
mmu system. which had been
established at Bethlehem. and strang-
ers could not well adopt themselves
to these regulations. and there were
likewise among the Brethren those
VINO preferred their separate house
keeping. 1t was therefore decided to
begin a new settlement in h was
known rs the black walnut bottom
On June Il, 1859, the site Of Betha-
MIA was chosen. Eight families from
Bethabara, together with eight fami-
lies from the neighborhorbood, built
houses and settled in the new village.
Bat it was a trying time. for in addi-
ton to the danger from proving In
dams the two villages were plunged
into deep distress by a Nirulent fever
which visited them in midsummer.
Twelve of their members died, in
Guiding their pastor, the physician.
and one of their business managers,
and nearly all were seriously i'll. Bish-
Op Spangenberg was among them on
a visit and stood brayely by them in
this darkest pter of their history.
From the first, it was the intention
tO pSto bii1h the chief town in the cen
ter of the Wachovia tract, and with
the closing OF the indian war II
seemed the time for such a step had
come. Affairs in the colony had re-
turned to their normal condition.
More Brethren had come from Beth
lehem to cast their lot with the Breth-
rem at ethabar and Bethania and
wider views were entertained ana
new plans conceived. Surveys were
made and sites suggested and on Feb
ruary IA, 1865, the site was chosen
and the new central town named Sa-
lem was established. The first tree
was felled during the singing or "A
hymn. On February 19 eight young
men moved into the first house. ON
their way from B~ethabara they were
fortunate enough to kill two deer.
part of which was prepared for the
first meal. Homes were after this
erected in quick succession and dur
ing the next year many of the Beth
aDdEI community IIONcO 10 CditHi'
being Joined by still more Brethren
from Bethlehem, as we'll az by a
number from Germany.
The coming of the Revolutionary
War found Wachoyia in a fi~OuriShinS
condition. with four established con
gregations and two others almost
ready for separate existence. II had
become the center Of trade for miles
around and was known from one end
of the Province of North Carolina to
the other.
After peace was declared with n
mother country there was much
trouble over the title TO
lands. Certain acts of confscation OF
]property of non~-residents passed the
| State Legislature and as the title TO
the Wachovia tract was IN a proprie-
| tor who was not at the time in Amer
| lea it was feared the WachoVla lands
uare copfscafed But this was final