"Some day there will be the big coal operations going on here on my place," Fred Schraeder told an early citizen of Harlan County. Schraeder was referring to the "parcel of land" and limits of Harlan, known later as Harlan Gas.

Schraeder, a carpenter, brought the property in the '80's. To Harlan county settlers he was some what of a miracle man. They thought of him as being a wizard with tools.

"Why, he could cut a framing of a house on the ground without matching the pieces and put it up and it would fit perfectly," the old timer said.

The carpenters here in the county were poorly equipped and had no training so therefore, they had to mark off their lumber, measure it, and fit the pieces many times before completeing a building.

Built Many Homes

Schraeder built many houses around the county. On Catron's Creek there still remains a barn built by him. After it was completed men came from miles around to see his work. There was only one small flaw found after it was examined throughly.

Schraeder later sold his property to Judge A.B. Cornett. Coal was later mined from that section just as he had predicted.

John McCreary, also a carpenter, lived in the valley. "Uncle John," as he was often called, enjoyed the quiet evenings sitting on his front porch and playing his fiddle.

One evening while he and his wife sat on the porch, "Uncle John" was "fiddling" away on some soft, melllodious music when a rattlesnake "poked" its head up over the porch.

Story Told Many Times

The story, which is said to be a true one, was told many times to old settlers when they were small boys. Alfred Harris, who lived above the road, killed many snakes during the summer months. The abundant trees and rocks afforded hiding places.

In the background of the picture can be seen the home of James K. Howard.

One day many years ago, some men were hauling logs to Virginia. They had "two span of horses" hitched to a log wagon.

As they crossed the ford of he river, the horses went in too deep and two of them drowned. The incident caused quit a commotion as people walked for miles around to watch and help pull the horses from the river.

The old road wound around near the river above the McCreary home and came out below the Kitts bridge. The river flooded the road almost every time it rained. A new path was cut higher up on the hill.

The dirt road wasn't much much more than a path which was traveled by wagons and horses. Between 1910 and 1913 a road was made using river sand, but was not very substantial.

picture.....A PEACEFUL HARLAN COUNTY VALLEY---East of Harlan an area know as harlan Gas was at one time a mountain farming community with half a dozen families making up the population. Each family had its property fenced off by rails of rock walls. Clearing land was the greatest industry. The picture was made about the time the farmerrs were laying by their cropsand shocking their corn. The dirt road shown in the foreground was used until recent years. The house on the hill to the right was at one time owned by George Creech, Negro, and father of the late Henry Creech.

Sunday November 1, 1953

Volume 52 Number 255

Pages 1 & 8

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