Aretus and his wife Rebecca came to settle in Clarendon, where he arrived April 7th, 1815. The family moved into a house built for a school house, until they could build a house for themselves.
They built a house and moved into it April 24th, 1815. The first year they lived on provisions they brought in with them. The next year being the cold season, they bought rye at one dollars and twenty-five cents a bushel, and pork at twenty-five dollars a barrel, in Palmyra. The next year they were out of bread stuff before harvest, and ate green what boiled in milk as a substitute, and what is strange none of the family had dyspepsia.
When Aretus Pierce came in it was an unbroken wilderness on the west, from his place to the Oak Orchard Road, eight miles; north to Sandy Creek, four miles; east two miles; south to Farwell's Mills, Eldridge Farwell, a. Dudley, John Cone, Wm. Austin and Mr. West, had settled in Clarendon, and other settlers towards Sandy Creek came in the same year as Mr. Pierce. A few came before them.
More information under son Aretus Pierce Jr. personal sheet
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