Doors to the Past

Cabell Creek Community

The third settler on Cabell Creek was Billy Adams. This farm is still held 
by his descendants, children of Frank Adams. Next came Billy Bowen and 
David Smith. Smith located on what is now the Henry Jordan farm and Billy 
Bowen on what is called the John Jordan place. 
 
John M. Arthur, son of Thomas, and father of John V. William, and Margaret 
Arthur Gibson, entered land on Cabell Creek so that he might have the 
right to vote. In very early history of this state, a man could vote if he 
owned a horse, many men, but none of Cabell Creek Community as I have 
learned, made shaving horses and swore that they owned a horse in order to 
vote. Later on it became necessary, that one owned land before he would be 
given the right of franchise. So John M. Arthur a very loyal American, not 
to be outdone in this right, entered the land upon which his son John V. 
and Joseph McComas now live. 
 
Wild animals were plentiful in early history. The boys, who had to hunt 
for the cows which roamed at large through the forests, had to be ever 
watchful, for wolves and panthers could be heard in any direction. One 
night Thomas Arthur was awakened by the barking of his watch dog that was 
guarding the sheep in the sheepfold. By the time he could get to him the 
wolves had torn the dog to pieces. Not only were wild animals numerous but 
venomous snakes as well. Doctors were scarce and hard to get so that the 
settlers had to learn much in the way of doctoring themselves. One day 
while hunting along Mud Lick near the present Yoho residence, Thomas 
Arthur and his hunting dog were bitten by a rattle snake. He knew it would 
be death for him if he took a drink or did not do some thing at once, so 
he ate all the powder from his hunting horn then lay in the stream. His 
eyes soon swelled shut and his tongue swelled out of his mouth. Sometime 
in the night he was found crawling up stream. His dog was found dead where 
it had gotten a drink from the stream. 
 
Churches
The first preaching ever held on Cabell Creek was at the Jerry Blake home, 
held by a circuit rider, Charles Carrol, who also preached at Henry 
Marsdin's where Jim Chapman now resides on Barker Ridge, and at Daniel 
Spurlock's on Spurlock Creek. 
 
Preaching services in those days were held in homes. Later on, vacant 
dwellings were used for churches, the seats, being made from lynn logs 
with pegs for legs. 

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