The Crittenden press., 1920-09-17
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF the Early Days OF Crittenden
County
Written for the Press by R. C Haynes
EXCITING ADVENTURE
ABkAM WRIGHT

Although there has always beel
a charm in the forest, the stream
and the deep tangled wildwood"
few people today realize the hardship
privations and dangers Of the sturd!
pioneer settlers Of our country
those hardy men and brave womel
who first broke the virgin soil ant
built their homes in the wilderness
where the wild beasts roamed ut
will, where might was right and tn,
majesty Of the law" was tram
Piled under foot by the desperate ant
the renegade.
Among the early settlers of what
is now Crittenden county was Abran
Wright. He was born in Ireland
nearly a century ago. immigratinp
with his parents to this country wher
a boy. At the age Of twenty-five
young Wright came to Kentucky
locating on farm. or rather In
the woods. a few miles from what
is now Crittenden Springs.
At that early date the country was
very thinly settled, and few people
lived between that section and the
Ohio River. The cite where Marion
now stands was nothing more than
the place where two roads crossed
one road leading from old Salem
to Morganfeld and the other from
Princeton to the Ohio River.
Whom Abram Wright married is
not known 10 us. but as this adven-
ture will show, she was q young
woman well fitted to be the wife
Of the dauntless and fearless pio-
neerr Having pre-empted from the
government tract Of land, they
built their cabin home on the outskirts
Of very densely wooded section,
several miles in extent, subsequently
known as Panther Hollow.
Panther Hollow! Who in Crit
tenden county has not heard Of Pan
ther Hollow? Though since the time
Of which we write the woodsman's =
ax has been busy apd tDdey the
country is dotted with farm houses
and growing fields Of corn and wheat
and tobacco, as we'll Us the loca-
ton Of valuable spar mine, yet
even twenty-five years ago it was
an uninhabited wilderness Of wood
wherein none cared TO adventure at
night--which fact looking back
ward, the author Of these sketches
recalls with discontinue.
Abram soon cleared a few acres
of land and furnished his house with
such articles Of furniture as he could
make himself. His land was new,
his soil fertile and he had little diff
fculty in producing what provisions
he needed for his family. At night
from their cabin they could hear the
howls Of the wolf, the cry Of the
wild cat and the scream Of the pan
ther. He was typical frontiers
man. strong and fearless. and she
in her way. equally brave; yet some
times. when the savage cries came
wierdly floating up from the dark
depths Of Panther Hollow she would
draw nearer her husband. AS IL for
protection.
There being no rail roads at that
time, the people had difficulty in
procuring such supplies as they need
ed, other than those they produced.
II 80 happened on one occasion that
the family were in need Of salt and
this could not be procured nearer
than at the old Equality, in Illinois.
This led to the adventure we have
to relate. From bits Of unwritten
history. handed down from father
10 son and from son to grandson,
we will let Abram Wright tell his
own story in his own way:
II was one morning in September
that | decided TO make the trip to
old Equality across the river, for
the salt we needed. Though the
distance was some twenty miles I
thought by starting early could
make the trip and back In one day.
Mama, said to my wife as 4
bade her good bye, II shall be back
BY sunset II nothing unexpected hap.
pens, IL | should be delayed take
care Of yourself, don't venture from
the house. and lock the doors at
night, also keep your gun handy"
"Oh Abram," she replied" ! shall
be safe enough. but you-Oh | fear
for your safety. You know the dan
gers Of Panther Hollow at night.
Besides there are desperadocs all
along the river and the roads lead.
ing to Cave.In.Rock.
"Have no fear for me mama," |
said. I'll take my gun along and
old Ben will soon bring me back
home safe and sound"
She kissed me good.by and I
mounted my mule and rode OF. my
way leading down through Panther
Hollow. II was, as I have said, very
early, scarcely light a. yet, and the
din, nathwav vras srarxrslv disrcrn.