Page County centenarian dates back to ‘howling wilderness’

Luray-Main St old

December 26, 1891 — One of the most intelligent contributors to [the paper] furnishes us with the following interesting time about a well-known centenarian, Miss Patsy Ward, now living near Rileyville, this county.

She was born in 1790, near Spring Farm, on a place then owned by a man named Hershberger, for whom her father worked. She remembers all about the War of 1812, about the enlistment of soldiers in this section, and also when this whole valley was a “howling wilderness,” with no roads, no town, and with few houses.

She has lived through every presidential term since the foundation of the government, thinks President Harrison’s administration the best of any, and hopes to see him re-elected next time, and that he will appoint Jim Wood to some good office in this service.

She takes a lively interest in everything going on in the world, talks of walking up to Luray (nine miles) some fine day, and is a model of well-preserved womanhood. 

~ From the public archives of the Page News and Courier

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