Edith E. Fulk, 17 

Old documents tell us that the families living in this community from 1760 to 1825 were the Trumbo, Brock, Shoemaker, Yont, Eater, and Bible. Later came the Miller, Alger, Kennon, Cootes, Moore, Wonder, Carrier, Nave, and Brunk families.

On the west side of the gap the name of Riddle, Faulk, and Runion may be mentioned as some of the oldest families.

In some of the cemeteries that we have visited we find the above names mentioned. We also find mention made of slaves being buried there. Some of the families who owned slaves were Riddle, Cootes, and Branson. From the accounts given us there must have been a number of slave owners in this section.

Since there are no descendants of those living in this community between 1760 and 1825, it is almost impossible to collect very much matter concerning those people. We have been told that this land was granted to the first settlers by a charter from Williamsburg, Virginia.

The Cootes place has never changed hands since the pioneer Samuel L. Cootes, built and lived here. The Dellinger place also has been kept by some member of the family. This place is about one mile north of Cootes Store. Mr. Charles S. Estep now lives on the old Shoemaker place on the west side of our school-ground. The home of W. E. Parks was one of the old homes. It was built by the Brunks. There are ruins of some old homes around here, but we are not able to find out to whom they belonged.

The occupation of these people as far as we can learn was farming, burning lime and char-coal, weaving flax and carpet. Some of them made a living by raising cattle and distilling whiskey.

There was an iron furnace on the farm now owned by Mrs. Mary Davis, about three fourth of a mile from here. This was one of the furnaces operated by the Pennybackers in the valley in the early part of 1800.