State

The Hoovers In Carolina They were originally known as ••Hubers'* and won* among the early <|iiaker settlers in this state. One of their descendants — Herbert — became President of the United States. W II II. К Daniel Boon?. John Finley, G»r?p Rogers Clark. Benjamin Logan and oilier pioneers were ever pushing west- ward, lighting Indians, hunting and trapping, and opening up the wilder* ness West of the Blue Ridge. Quak¬ ers front Maryland and Pennsyl¬ vania were moving into the fertile eon ill ry of middle North Carolina, on whieh those adventurers had turned their backs and were estab¬ lishing new outposts of civilization. Among these earliest Quaker col¬ onists were Andrew and Margaret Hither i Hoover), direct ancestors of former President Herbert Hoov¬ er. who were called to mind by that Chief Executive when he delivered the dedicatory address at the Kings Mountain battleground while at the height of his popularity. Tin* Hubers had emigrated from their native home in Ellenstadt on tin* Rhine (in (iermnny) to Pipe County. Maryland, in search of re. ligioiis liberty. In 17*12. the family moved on to North Carolina, set¬ tling at “The Forks" of the Big and Little Cwharrie rivers at the foot of Shepherd Mountain in Rowan County. Iii a covered wagon, they had brought such possessions as would help most in building their new home in the wilderness, t'ireet- cd warmly hv the Friends who had preceded them, the Hubers soon be¬ came established, and fell in with the simple life of the Quaker pio¬ neers. Built First Grist Mill With his eight sons. Andrew Hoover tilled the rich farm land* and built the lirst grist mill of the section at “The Forks." around which grew something of a settle¬ ment lie seldom wandered farther than Salisbury, where there was a trading post. It was at Salisbury that he he* came acquainted and intimate with •Joseph and Margaret Bryan, parents of Daniel Boone's wife. He had known Morgan Bryan. Joseph's father, in Winchester. Va.. and had By J. B. IIHKIJX camped On his land on his trip t" Carolina. There he learned, in 1775, that a convention in Mecklenburg County had declared independence of British sovereignty, and the fol¬ lowing year a visitor from the Mo¬ ravian settlement, to the north, brought news of the Declaration of Independence by the American col¬ onic*. Talk of bloodshed troubled Andrew Huber, as other devout Quakers, and in accordance with their religious beliefs, they declined to shoulder arms. However, the thrifty families redoubled their work and did much towards supplying provisions for the Continental Army, and earing for the wounded. While Boone and his adventurous followers found the musket and the torch n more effective means of deal¬ ing with Indians who resented the en¬ croachment of the white man upon their hunting grounds, the Quakers insisted on amicable settlement of disputes with their savage neighbors. The latch-string to their homes was always kept on the outside, ami In¬ dians were frequent visitors; fortu¬ nately. however, most of them were from the friendly Catawba tribe on the Yadkin and Catawba rivers. Andrew Huber's children found mates among the families of Way- mires. Lowes, Burketts, and Younts in the settlement, and set up homes of their own. John Huber became inter¬ ested in building grist mills along the Cwharrie. and acquired 150 acres on the east side of the stream. Tie mar¬ ried Sarah Burkett. Their son, Jesse. HOTEL SALISBURY S. Colemon Crabtree, Mgr. SALISBURY, N. C. moved into Ohio some years later and wed Rebecca Yount, great grand¬ daughter of Rudolph Way mire, pio¬ neer Carolinian, and became the great grandparents of Pn*sident Her¬ bert Hoover. In 1702 Andrew И II her moved to the forks of Cedar Run and Cwhar¬ rie rivers, seven miles from the Back Creek meeting house, in the township of Concord. When he died two years later he was laid to rest in the family burial ground, between Flat and Old Hickory Springs, a short dis¬ tance away. A Simple Existence The Huber home, typical of the pioneers of that period, was a sim¬ ple lmx of logs with chinks stuffed with moss and clay, providing only one door and perhaps a single win¬ dow. With one room downstairs. a low attic under the rafters was reached by a ladder. A great outside chimney, built of rough logs, coated on the inside with mud. was built against the south end of the rude home. In the fireplace, large enough for logs five or six feet in length, there was a crane from which was suspended the iron pot in which the wife cooked sim¬ ple meals of eorn-mtish. pumpkins, squash, beans, potatoes, and pork and wild meats, fresh and dried. In a hake-kettle placed upon live coals, she made the bread and corn pone, or fried her steaks which added to the variety in fare. Dishes and other utensils were few — some pewter plates, forks and spoons, wooden bowl*. and trench¬ ers with' gourds and hard-shelled squashes for drinking mugs. Flitches of dried and smoked bacon and other meats were hung on wooden pegs driven into the logs near the fireplace. Leading the rough and primitive life in the simplest of manner, these pioneers were inured from childhood to hardships and privations. Methods of work were as old ns Egypt, or were borrowed from the Indians, and sports stressed physical accomplish¬ ment.