Marshall McClung
A story of a bear/dog/human fight reported by whoever was the Snowbird correspondent for the Andrews Sun reveals just how remote and wild Graham County was in the early 1900s.
On the evening of Saturday, May 24, 1913, a large bear broke into the spring house at the D.K. Blanton home and drank a pitcher of milk.
The next morning, almost two dozen armed men – along with dogs – showed up to hunt for the bear. The dogs picked up the bear’s scent and trailed it until late afternoon, before catching up with it. Will Melton and George Denton came within shooting range of the bear, but couldn’t get off a shot for fear of hitting the three dogs who were fighting it. The chase lasted until dark when both dogs – and the men – were exhausted.
The hunt resumed the next morning, when R.J. Cook, Joe Lovin, Will McGee, Grady Lovin, George Denton and Blake Lovin found the bear on Buffalo Creek after a 4-mile chase. Two dogs were fighting the bear. Lovin – who was 14 at the time – was able to get in closer to the bear with a 12-gauge shotgun and shot it in the head. That didn’t stop the bear from continuing to fight the dogs, which were getting the worst of it. Lovin then shot the bear six more times before finally killing it.
By the time the rest of the hunters arrived, the bear was lying at Lovin’s feet. The bear was estimated to weigh about 200 pounds.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, mcclungs@email.com.