In the pioneer settlement of many lands, it is axiomatic that the first settlers get the best land.
And these early arrivals were highly competent to judge the productivity of the soil by taking note of the forest growth. Unfortunately for them, the biggest trees forested the best land, but this did not daunt them, even though the clearing for their fields was a Herculean task.
One of these fertile and desirable areas of Moore County lay in the Sandhills but was far from being sand land. This anomaly includes Lower Little River from about Thagard Lake upstream to about Black’s Mill and reaches about a mile up Wad’s Creek. Here the soil is clay with large rocks and widespread gravel beds. This area was early discovered and secured by grant.
The 300-acre tract entered by Thomas Wadsworth, later sold to Kenneth Black, and which became “Glendale,” the home of Maj. Alexander McLeod, lies athwart Wad’s Creek and the old Joel Road, is adjoined by other old grants. Wadsworth was the first settler in this area (1758) and was followed by John Pate (1767), John Wadsworth (1774) and Thomas Pate 1775). In 1792, Edmund Hurley came over from Montgomery County and secured a grant of 50 acres adjoining the Glendale and John Pate tracts. The late I. Haywood Caddell much later came into possession of this 500 acres, as well as other lands, and his house stood upon this tract.
It is not known when or if Hurley made his home here, but he did, however, then or later, put one William Clifton on the place, either as a tenant or an overseer. Later (before 1797), Clifton came into possession of this 50 acres, and in addition, the John Pate 200 acres mentioned above.
Little I known about Clifton, perhaps because his presence in the county was brief. His name appears only once in the court minutes, when the deeds to him from Hurley were probated (Feb. 17, 1795). Hurley’s name disappeared from the minutes at that time, and it is assumed he returned to Montgomery County. The writer has heard the account of the death of William Clifton many times and from many sources and does not in the least doubt the reliability of the story, which in brief, was as follows:
Clifton and his son, having been clearing a new ground not far from his home, were returning from their day’s work about dusk, when Clifton was attacked by a wildcat, which jumped onto his shoulders from an overhanging limb. The cat bit through Clifton’s neck, killing him instantly by severing his spinal cord. The boy then killed the cat with a grubbing hoe.
Clifton was buried on the north side of Little River, just above U.S. 15-501, near the dam at Black’s Mill. The writer has seen this grave, but many years ago. It was marked only by two rough stones, secured from the immediate vicinity, with no inscription.
Wildcats, bobcats and panthers were to be found in the county from the earliest day.
