Descendant of Earliest Settler May Come Here

The Marietta Daily Times, May 28, 1910

If his present plans are carried out, one of the notable visitors at the big Home Coming and College Jubilee will be W. H. H. Hardin of Delaware, Ohio, a descendant of one of the first settlers of Marietta. Mr. Hardin's people were, according to the family traditions, among those who first landed in this city and his coming back to the scenes where his people helped in the beginning of Marietta will be of interest, both to himself and to the people of the city.

Mr. Hardin's plans are made known in a letter to this office and with it he enclosed a copy of the invitations to the annual Hardin family reunion, which was held last August at Glenmary Park near Delaware.

An effort will be made to induce Mr. Hardin to carry out his plans and come to this city. His letter is as follows:

Editor,

Dear Sir:

I have noticed in the papers that there is to be a celebration in Marietta the first week of the month of June and (as I understand) it is in honor of the first white settlers.

As the traditional story is handed down to us (the Hardins of today) we can boast of that honor, as our history dates back to 1772 when our people left Summerset County, Pa., and came down the Ohio river on a raft with their household effects, women and children.

Strong men managed the rafts and the older men and larger boys came overland in wagons, bringing what they needed in the way of tools and implements, such as they had in those days, together with their domestic animals.

But before their separation they gathered together in humble devotion to their Almighty God the Creator, asking for his guidance and protection in this adventure. This old stock of Hardins was a very devotional band of Christian workers and were at peace with the red men of the forest and were not injured or molested when the people were put to flight at Neighborsville, now called Newcomerstown.

At the time of the above mentioned meeting they also devised plans for the future to be acted upon in trying to get together again. This one plan was to the effect that on a certain Thursday in the near future at a certain hour in the afternoon, one of the men was to blow the old "conch" shell and if the persons on the raft heard the blowing of the old conch shell, they were to answer by shooting the old gun called "Germany." Tradition as handed down to us of the present generation says that this all transpired, and two years ago the writer of this article had the pleasure of seeing and blowing that same old conch shell at our annual Hardin reunion.

My people here are urging me to attend your celebration and if I do come, I expect to bring that same old shell with me.

Enclosed is one of our cards of last years so that you will see that I am no fraud.

Respectfully,

W. H. H Hardin

1231-2 West Williams Street

Delaware, Ohio.

P.S. The old colonists names as far as I am able to give them are as follows: T. E. Hardin. Friends Patten, Noggle, Spangler, and Cole.