It is not certainly known that he had a companion during the something like three years before the arrival of the immigrants. If he was alone, life must have been lonely at times. The descendants of all the pioneers who have talked on the subject, repeating the stories handed down, join in saying there was no wagon road through from Nashville after the first few miles. One, perhaps W. G. Bratten, told the agent for Goodspeed's history of the State that the colony "came down the Ohio River, up the Cumberland to Nashville, and from that point made their way overland to the Dale settlement in wagons." Another, perhaps a descendant of Rev. John Kite, stated to Rev. J. H. Grime, author of "A History of Middle Tennessee Baptists": "When he [Fite] landed here in the very beginning of the nineteenth century, he found this country still a wilderness, He helped to cut away the cane and underbrush to construct the first road to Liberty, the work consuming a period of nineteen days for a number of hands." We may assume that there were roads a short distance eastward from Nashville, but it may be taken as true that a part of the fifty-six miles to Liberty was almost primeval forest. Doubtless game and fish abounded, and these occupied Dale's mind by day; but the snarl of the bobcat or other noises of the night, together with the solemnity of the great woods, were necessarily spirit-depressing, even if he had no fears of Indians.

We are told that he passed his first months in a rude shack built on the bluff overlooking the creek on the north side of town, about where the Whaley lime kiln was for a number of years. After his friends came he erected a small dwelling on the west side of the turnpike beyond the bridge going north. This writer saw the building carried off by the flood near the beginning of the War between the States, at which time the small mill Dale erected, but at the time belonging to Daniel Smith or the Lambersons, was wrecked.

Mrs. Jean Robertson Anderson, wife of Gen. Kellar Anderson, of Memphis, is a great-granddaughter of Adam Dale. Her mother was Mrs. James (Anne Lewis Dale) Robertson, the third daughter of Edward W. Dale, who was the oldest son of Adam Dale and the only one to leave issue. From a letter of Mrs. Anderson dated November 4, 1914, these facts are gleaned: Adam Dale was born in Worcester County, Md., July 14, 1768. He was a boy volunteer of the Revolution. In 1781 this company of boys from fourteen to sixteen years was raised in Snow Hill, Md., to oppose the progress of Cornwallis through Virginia. Receiving land grants with his father, Thomas Dale, for service, he settled in Liberty, Tenn., in 1797, after having married Mary Hall February 24, 1790. He raised, equipped, and commanded a company of volunteers from Smith (DeKalb) County and fought under Jackson at Horseshoe Bend and other battles of the War of 1812. Removing to Columbia, Tenn., in 1829, he died at Hazel Green, Ala., October 14, 185 1, and was buried there. His wife died in 1859 in Columbia. To this couple were born ten children.

Mrs. Anderson says further:
When the surviving children of Adam Dale had his body removed from Alabama to Columbia after his wife's death, his body was found to be absolutely perfect, petrified. The picture is from an old daguerreotype made shortly before his death. I have several letters from him to his grandchildren. One minutely describes the battle of Horseshoe Bend. Another tells of his English ancestry and their coming to America. I also have the newspaper clipping of the eulogy on his career as soldier, patriot, citizen, and friend published at the time of his death. Among his descendants are Mrs. W. D. Bethell, Denver, Colorado; Mrs. John M. Gray, Nashville, Tennessee; Mrs. Thomas Day, Memphis, Tennessee: Mrs. E. M. Apperson, Memphis, Tennessee; Mrs. J. S. Van Slyke, Dallas, Texas; Mrs. Joseph Houston, Denver, Colorado; and Mrs. W. R. Holliday, Memphis, Tennessee.

Adam and William Dale were probably sons of Thomas Dale, who came to Liberty with the Marylanders. Josiah Duncan married a daughter of Thomas: while another, Sophia, was the wife of William Givan. There are many descendants of these Dales in Tennessee and other States. Among them is Mrs. H. P. Figuers, of Columbia, whose father, W. J. Dale, was born in Smith (DeKalb) County in 1811 and removed to Maury County in 1822. Another is Mrs. Bertha L. Chapman, of Alexandria. She has a Bible containing these entries:

Sophia E. Dale was married to William Givan June 26, 1802.
They had children:
Nancy, born January 11, 1804
George, born September 21, 1806
Elizabeth, born May 1, 1810
Sarah, born April 11, 1812
Thomas, born March 20, 1814
Mary Ann, born June 23, 1816
Robert Johnson, born August 9, 1818
Martha Laws Dale, born November 5, 1820

Martha Laws Dale Givan was married to James D. Grandstaff September 19, 1839.
Mrs. Grandstaff lived in widowhood from 1844 to 1893.

Riley Dale has in his possession a letter from his grandfather, Rev. William Dale, dated February 28, 1844, containing this genealogical note:

I was born on the Lord's day, the 4th of May, 1783. My place of nativity was Worcester County, Md. My father's name was Thomas Dale, of John Dale, of James Dale, both of Londonderry, Ireland. My mother's name was Elizabeth Evans, of John Evans, of William Evans, from Wales.

Thomas Dale, who was a Revolutionary soldier, enlisting in Gen. Charles Smallwood's command, soon became captain of a company of the Maryland line. He owned a great deal of land around Liberty, in which village he erected a house. This was on the lot on which Will A. Vick more recently built. His son-in-law, Josiah Duncan, was settled on the land last owned by the W. G. Bratten heirs. Erecting a house on the farm now owned by George Givan, a mile south of Liberty, he died before moving to it. His widow, with his son-in-law, William Givan, removed to the farm, and it is in the possession of the Givan family in 1914. In the family graveyard in the rear is a limestone slab with this legend: "In memory of Thomas Dale, born March 5, 1744; died January 6, 1812."

The colony set about preparing homes and the community soon took on a more encouraging aspect. The mill was erected on Smith Fork Creek north of Liberty, and the place became widely known as the Dale Mill Settlement. As the little cluster of houses grew larger, the name of Liberty was given it by its founder. It is possible that the mountain between Liberty and Smithville was named Snow's Hill by him in memory of the place where he enlisted for American independence. There is not a Dale in what was once called the Dale Mill Settlement. A grandson of Rev. William Dale, Riley, resides on his farm, several miles from Liberty, aged seventy-two.

There is a diversity of opinion as to who was the first merchant. Goodspeed says he was a Mr. Walk: James Givan thinks his name was Vaught. George Givan, on Clear Fork, it is interesting to state, now owns a well-preserved wash kettle purchased from the first merchant about a century ago.

The earliest dwellings were supposedly built by William Givan, Josey Evans, and Henry Burton, who came with the Maryland settlers. All three were carpenters. Other pioneer merchants were Fite & Duncan, Ben Blades, Joshua Bratten, and Moore & Price.

From Dr. Wright's daybook it is seen that the following firms were in existence as early as 1832-33: Fite, Whaley & Co., Ray & Reed, wood workmen and smiths, Davis & Wood, Derickson & Braswell, saddlers, York & Bailey, and Whaley & Son.

Some years prior to the War between the States the following were in various businesses: Eli Vick, William Vick, Hale & Hays, merchants; W. G. Foster, Frank Foster, William Whaley, and William Ford.

Among the Merchants after the war were:

The Business Directory for 1914

As early as 1832-33 the neighborhood around the village must have been thickly populated or many patrons of the stores came from the Smithville and Woodbury communities.

Some of the names on Dr. Wright's Daybook

There is a certain pathos connected with the changes that have come about in the personnel of the population during the past fourscore years. For instance, a leading family of Liberty in other days was that of Gossett: there is now not a person of the name in the village or in the county. The Dales, as shown, have also disappeared from the town.

DeKalb County | Tennessee