The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-06-06


settlements on the West Fork river
a: war trail led up Middle Island
creek and up Long run, and this was
c0nldered an important staOon 10
0b8srpe the movements OF the IN
dfans IN their raids on the frontier
"Reminiscences Of Salem In pioneer
days by Isaac Fitz Randolph
The first settlement OF what IS
nov salem. Harrison county. w. Va,
was made before there was peace
with the Indians.
"a colony Of about forty families
came from Salem, n. j. These fam
lilies. consisted of Iippincotts. Max
sons. Babcocks, Plumers, Randolphs
and5Davises. William seemed to be
very common name among them,
but IL was always Billy. such for in
stance as Bottom Billy. Greenbrier.
Billy and Jarsey Billy of the old set
tiers. In the next generation there
were Flint Billy. Buckeye Billy, Rock
run Billy and Little Billy. All Of
theseI have seen and was personally
Z acquainted with the most Of them.
The first thing these early set
t1erasdid was to build "a block house;
q for protection against the Indians.
: This; was built on the high plat OF
ground between the turnpike and
raiIIoad, as they now are, east OF the
crossing toward Greenbrier- A town
wass1aid out and called New Salem
after the place from which they
came. Each family built a cabin in
the town around the block house,
and took UP a farm in the surround
y ing valleys, some OF which were sew
era1 miles away. The next thing they
did was to clear a piece OF land for
crop. They went in companies to
do their work. Some stood with guns
ssin hand watching for Indians while
Ill d.. planted
& and tended the crops.
They built a two story log church,
with a gallery and high box pulpit
IA chimney was built in the middle
with a fire place on each side. and
the men and women sat apart. one,
sexs1n each end Of the house Later
6 the chimney was torn down and al
stove put in. The church stood
where the Seventh Day Baptist
chyirch now Is They at first had
logs for seats and when they went
to church the men took their guns
and some stood to guard the worship
pers from the Indians
when the crops were raised, they
had no mills to grind their grain,
but they made hand mills which an
swered for a time. My fathers hand
mill was sold at the sale after his!
death In 1913. After several years
Bottom Billy Davis built a. horse mill
down on what is now known as thel
Horror farm This mill was great
labor saving convenience.
ssAfter peace. was arranged with
the Indians, my father, no longer
needed as spy. arranged to settle
down to peaceful home life. and
built two story hewed log house on
the east bank of Jacobs run, Just
south Of the alley that now leads to
the Baptist church. When his house
ioG
daughter of Greenbrier Billy Davis.
and; took her to his new home. He
/: lived there all the rest Of his life
and sraised nine children, six sons and
three daughters, of which was the
youngest and alone still live to tel
the<story. As the family grew large.
another house was built. back OF the
Sfrst. In this several OF the children
Including myself, lived the first years
Of their married life A little later
built the large log house IN which
Ralph Young lived until 1t burned
three or four years ago
wild game. such as deer, bear.
turkey. etc, was very plenty IN those
early days Bears were so numerous
$50 fond OF pork. that hogs could
not be raised The bears would go
info the pens and kill them. But the
people retaiated and took bear meat
ainsJhe place of pork
NY father and two other neigh
bors, being good hunters, and hav-
ingsgood dogs, made it a practice Tor
a number of years to kill each fall:
sixty bears. twenty to a family When
the game became scarce around Sa-1
lem the hunters would camp out
some distance from home The hides
of their game were dried, made into
large rolls and carried on horseback
Overcast Of the mountains and there
49, 49, e.
1.The people were healthy then iv-
fnzas they did on corn bread and
bearmeat, with rye cogee and sass
afras and ditany tea
THE old ladies were mainly their
doctors using native herbs and other
natural remedies. The orthodox rem.
edySfor the measles was what they
called -sheepnanny tee" which they
said soon brought out the measles,
and IN few days the patient was
alright. The sick were not killed with
Ice and strong poisonous drugs as SO
many are nowadays by the NJ. DIS
of the school.
Times have changed Ny father
neverwore shoe until he was twelve
years old He would slide on the ice
barefooted but now a baby two
months old is out OF fashion If seen
with bare feet.
:ssThe young had but little educa-
ton. NY father felt this 50 keen1y
that after his first children were
large enough to go to school and
there was an opportunity to send
them, he attended with them He
learned rapidly. became good read
~ wrote plain neat hand and was
good at figures
eve made our own sugar. We
had an arch with four kettles in