| Did you know that Annamoriah was named after a Indian woman named
Pocahontas Anna Mariah Dye?
Susan Snider says the woman's descendant
told her
she was of Native American descent, once living in Marietta, Ohio.
A early map of the Calhoun area, published about 1800, had only Native American names on the region.
Susan also says "Since I am a Shimer descendant, I
know that Freed community was once called Shimerstown, after an influential
citizen, George Washington Shimer."
The name was changed when the post office was put into effect in the early 1900's,
when a Mr. Freed was appointed to operate the post office.
Susan says "My Dad, Martin
Snider, son of Rev. Jacob Snider, was 10 years old when the "town" burned to the
ground in 1933."
She reports a faulty gas stove being lit by Elzy
Shimer caused the fire. "The blast blew him out the back door of his widowed
mother's house, Rebecca Polan-Shimer,
wife of G.W. Shimer."
Elza Shimer received severe burns getting out of the dwelling.
B.B. Shimer's residence and Alfred Ford's residence were saved.
"Dad still talks of how that fire
ravaged Freed, which was a considerable village at the time."
The village once had a post office, blacksmith shop, coal mine, physician's office,
law office, telegraph agency, hotel, general stores, wheelwright, flour mill, grain
and livestock dealer.
B.B. Shimer's residence and Alfred Ford's residence were saved. We haven't learned if any insurance was carried on any of the property destroyed by fire.
"The community was never to be the same again," she said.
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