Dublin: the first settlers

From the county histories, on Dublin township. The passage below is printed exactly as it appears in 1883, including the spelling of the day and the errors the scanner made. It has not been rewritten, summarised or added to.

Alexander McElroy was also one of the pioneers who was under the necessity of braving the fatigues, sufferings, and dangers of a life in the forest. Upon the occasion of his coming over the Tuscarora Mountain with his family, upon their first visit to Dublin township, he performed a feat of daring that none but a pioneer would dare undertake. It was winter, the snow deep and frozen, so that there was a thick crust sufficient to hold ahorse. With difficulty " Aleck" and his little family had climbed up the mountain-side upon the slippery crust, and it occurred to the brave pioneer that he could go down the Dublin slope much quicker and easier than he came up from the foot of the Franklin side. Having a feather bed, which was the bulk of his household goods, he tied small and convenient bundle as possible, mounted his improvised sled, took their little child in his arms, bid his wife give him a start, and away he went down Tuscarora's northwestern slope, reaching the valley below in safety. It is said that no more daring feat was ever performed, and certainly not a quicker trip down the mountain was ever made than that of " McElroy's ride." James McElroy, brother of Alexander, was a "mighty hunter," and always carried with him his trusty rifle wherever he went, for he knew not the moment when he would have use for it.J. Simpson Africa, History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1883) · character 1,726,437 of the scanned text

Quoted from the county histories

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