State

First Across the Blue Ridge Л1|||оиц1| mil ЦпитнПу known, if wuk C'ol»- n«*l SnmuH lhivi<lson who iiia/oil I lio trail for I lit* firs! pormanonf soil loinonl across Iho Ditto Did”o Mountains. lie mot a tragic fate. ANOTHER of North Carolina's unsung heroes is Samuel ‘ Davidson, whose tragic story old-timers up in the "Land of the Sky" are recalling on this, the 163rd anniversary of the establish¬ ment of the first permanent settle¬ ment west of the Blue Ridge. Although the first permanent settlers received all the glory for having first colonized this then- wild and desolate section of western North Carolina, it is to Samuel Davidson, the pioneer who blazed the trail, that the real honor is due. Several miles from the mouth of Bee Tree Creek, where the first permanent colonists settled and which became known later as the Swannanoa Settlement, is a grave marked bv a granite monument bearing this simple inscription: Here kies Samuel Davidson First White Settler of Western North Carolina Killed here by the Chcrokccs in 17X4. That in brief is the tragic story of the attempt of Colonel Samuel W. Davidson from the Catawba River settlement to settle in this beautiful, historic and fascinating section of our state. Incidentally, there is an interest¬ ing little event connected with the naming of Bee Tree Creek. One of the members of the permanent colony cut down a bee tree on the banks of the stream on which they settled. The tree Tell into the water and split open, the honey spilling into the stream. To commemorate the incident, the stream was then and there christened Bee Tree Creek. But to get back to the story of Colonel Davidson: Crossed Mountains in 1784 He. with his wife and infant daughter and a woman servant, crossed the Blue Ridge in July. 1784. and settled at the foot of Jones Mountain where he built a cabin. It was the custom of those early oioneers not to feed their cattle but to turn the animals loose at night to feed on cane, pea- vine and other excellent cattle- food which grew so abundantly in the woods. To make И easier to find his horse in the morning. Samuel Davidson tied a bell around its neck. After several days had been spent at the cabin he heard the ringing of the bell one morning just before day. the sound seeming to come from the top of the moun¬ tain. Naturally he supposed that the horse had wandered up there during the night, so he went in search of it. He followed the sound until he came to the Indian Trail which runs along the crest of the moun¬ tain. Here, without warning, he was shot down by the Cherokee Indians who were hiding in the bushes waiting for him to appear. They had removed the bell from the horse's neck in order to lure him to the spot where his death was planned and carried out. Mrs. Davidson heard the shots but knew that there was nothing she could do among such a savage band, so she took her tiny daughter and fled to Old Fort where she had relatives and friends. And what a flight it was! Over densely wooded hills and through almost impene¬ trable forest jungles she fought her way for the distance of about 15 miles, carrying her baby to safety. In some way. the servant had ENJOY THE BEST Not Just Pickles But CAROLINA BEAUTY SUPER SWEET PICKLES A Ta*ir Tirol You’ll Nrvrr Fcujri lu*i»t Upon Tliriu .•If thr Ih'tler Groce/s Packed by MOUNT OLIVE PICKLE CO., Inc. Mount Olive, N. C. become separated from her and took a different route to Old Fort. Here. Mrs. Davidson was kindly received by her friends who im¬ mediately formed a party to go to the scene of the shooting and if possible, avenge the death. Searching for the Murderers Davidson’s body was found lying apparently where it had fallen. Members of the party hastily dug a shallow grave and buried it and then went on to find the murderers, whom they sup¬ posed to be members of a hunting Kty from the band of Cherokee ians who lived a short distance away. About a mile west of the spot where the shooting took place, they found the party, killing many of them and driving the remaining ones back into the mountains. It was a year later that the first permanent settlement of white people west of the Blue Ridge was established at the mouth of Bee Tree Creek, a tributary of the Swannanoa. Among the colonists was Samuel Davidson’s twin brother. Major William R. Davidson and a sister. Rachel Alexander. They and the relatives who accompanied them cared for the grave of Samuel Davidson while they lived, and their descendants did the same after them. Permanent Marker Until 1913, a pine tree, in which the initials S. D. were cut. stood at the head of the grave as the only monument to the memory of this brave pioneer. In that year, some relatives erected a monument at the grave on which was placed the before-mentioned inscription. Few historians mention the name of Samuel Davidson in recording the history of our state hut his name has been handed down "by word of mouth" for generations by the mountaineers, who delight in telling "furriners" of his courage and daring. THE STATE. Januabv 8. 1049