The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-06-01

Whence came John McKane and
where he went, we do not know. Doubt
| less he entertained travellers at his
house on Shade Run until the Rev.
dictionary War began and the Indians
became dangerous, then moved back to
the safety of the settlements east
ward.
The old Fuller house, built of white
pine logs, stands on or near McKane's
settlement on Braddock's fifth camp
ground
Joseph Mounts or Mountain
The next settler in this neighbor-
hood was Joseph Mountain. In 1887 he
claimed as a settler Military Lots 2201
and 2204, which were patented to him
in 1897. We have already noted that
he was living here in 1884. Doubtless
he was host to many travellers over
the old Braddock Road, which crossed
Shade Run, thence up and over small
hill Near the western foot of this hill,
on the south side of the road was
"White Oak Spring" at the edge of
spruce foreSt-a part of the Shades of
Death. Here at the White Oak Spring
Joseph Mountain had his log cabin and
here General Washington breakfasted
in 1884.
Later this was the home of William
and Archibald Thistle, who built a
large two-story house on the site Of
Mountains cabin. The Thistle house
was torn down about 1885.
/ Henry Miller built the present frame
house, which stands just back of the
site of the Thistle home, by the White
Oak Spring, still flowing strong.
George Sloan now owns this part OF
the Mountain farm and resides in the
Miller house. This historic place is
only a quarter of a mile south from
U. S. Route 40, from which it may be
reached by a county road turning
south at Joel A. Beachy's.
In 1903, Joseph Mountain and wife
decided Military Lots 2201, 2203 and
22O4 to William Thistle. Prior to this
time the Mountains had moved to a
new home on the Braddock Road in
Pennsylvania, near the Maryland Line.
Thistle paid $500 for the property,
which indicates that Mountain had a
fair log cabin and other improvements
on the land.
It is probable that this pioneer JOS
eph Mounts" or Mountain was a son
of Joseph Mounts, ST., who resided on
Sugar Tree Bottom, on the Potomac
about IS miles above Cumberland. JOS
eph Mounts, ST., died there in 1897.
The Scotch Irish Thistles and Thistle's
Hotel on Negro Mountain.
William, Thomas, Sempson, Archi-
bald, John and George Thistle emf
grated from North Ireland to Allegany
county, Maryland. William Thistle,
ST., appears to have been the father Of
the family In 1878 he signed an agree
ment to deed his land-Lots 2201, 22O3
and 2204-and all his personal prop
erty to Archibald in consideration of
Archibald's promise to pay his (Wii-
liam's) debts and support him Gin a
decent manner for life"
In 1897, William Thistle, farmer,
and Thomas Thistle, "student-at-law,'
with six others, were the first aliens
naturalized in Allegany county.
In 1888, John Thistle was assessed
with two ounces of "silver plate" two
horses, ten cattle, the Joseph Noun
tain lots and "White Oak Spring"
In the census of 1900, he was listed
as head of family of ten, residing on
Negro Mountain.
Archibald Thistle resided on his
farm in what is now Garrett county.
The farm is now owned by George
Sloan. He reared large family Of
daughters. He was justice of the peace
for many years and was County Com
missioner, 1825-1829. In 1889, Archi-
bald Thistle and his wife Julia A.
Thistle decided their property, then
304 acres, to Daniel Miller, of Somer
set county, Pa, for $4,000. They then
moved to Missouri.
The Thistle Hotel.
Thomas Thistle was admitted to the
bar in Cumberland at the July, 1900,
term of Court. Jacob Brown wrote of
him:
"Not finding the practice of law con-
genial, he withdrew from it and en-
barked in the mercantile business in