Pioneers' Early Work

Alsacian immigrant Joseph H. Diss Debar drew these sketches of the first settlers, folks like the Riffles, Conrads, Blakes, Williamses, Skinner/Poseys, who turned the wild forest into farms.
Above, pioneers are clearing a field by burning trees that have been killed by removing a ring of bark from around the trunk.
Below is a pioneer's field at the end of his first season.



You can find more fascinating sketches at the West Virginia Culture and History site: http://www.wvculture.org/HISTORY/dissdebar/ddindex.html