Page 9 - MOST RECENT

surrounded the settlements and settlers for a hundred William Dobson built an inn and store house where
miles around fled to Bethabara for refuge. Was Caleb the roads crossed. The greater of these roads was the
· Story among them? It seems very likely. A number of inter-colonial stage line and since travel was increasing
settlers were slain in the neighborhood and at one point this made an ideal place for an inn. Guests may not
the lndians surrounded the fort, then suddenly they dis- have registered in those days, but how interesting it
appeared. Later, the Moravians learned that the Chero- would be if we had a record of those who came and
kees had been frightened away by the ringing of their went and some "tales of a wayside inn." We do know
church bell and the blowing of the trumpet in the little
fort. In this case music had not. soothed, but had scared
the savage breast!
At some time during this period Caleb Story sold
The Greenfield hom e on South Main Street w as built in the 1860's
his land to one, David Morrow, whose name indicates by John W. Gentry, an early m erchant in Kernersville, who married
Parmelia Kerner, daughter of John Frederick Kerner. It was bought by
he was Irish (or Scotch-Irish) too. What about those John Mabry Greenfield from L exington, North Carolina in 1881. Mr.
Greenfield came to Kernersville to go in the tobacco business with his
four gallons of rum? Two traditions have it that Caleb brother-in-law, Theodore E. Kerner. Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield reared seven
children in the house which still remains in the family.
Story purchased his land from the Indians or that David
Morrow purchased the land from Caleb Story for that
consideration. We do not know, but we do kpow that
this tradition has become a part of our history and rum
was certainly a commodity used as barter on the frontier.
About the year 1771 our third hero, William Dob-
son, an emigrant from Ireland, bought the land from
David Morrow. William Dobson must have been a man
of means, a solid and respected citizen. He was a Justice
of the Peace and is also referred to as "Captain Dobson".
His son, William P. Dobson, was elected a representative
from our county to the State Assembly on August 11,
1814. After his original purchase of the land, William
Dobson bought other tracts of land adjoining the original
four hundred acres until the tract contained 1133 acres.

Dobson's Tavern at the cross-
roads.