Princeton — Resuming our look at the history of Mercer County, courtesy of Kyle McCormick’s “The Story of Mercer County,” (Charleston Publishing Co. 1957) and the signers of the Declaration of Independence, courtesy of Benson J. Lossing’s book “Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence,” which is a reprint of the 1848 original, kindly provided on loan by Dr. O.J. Bailes, we now look at from where the names of local cities, towns and communities come.

Spanishburg was named for Spanish Brown, a local farmer.

Camp Creek was where Indians camped.

Speedway was named for a local horse racing track.

Ada was originally named Long Falls, from a fall down the mountain side by local farmer, Ferdinand Mullins. But the first postmaster, John Ratcliff, later named it after his daughter, Ada.

Rock was named for the big rock at the mouth of Sandlick Creek on Bluestone River. Lashmeet was named after Lashmeet Creek.

Oakvale, formerly Frenchville, was named after a large oak tree.

There are 26 Princetons in the United States, but only two Bluefields. There is a Bluefields in Nicarauga named after an Englishman. There was a Bluefield named for Bluefield, W.Va., at a mine in eastern Kentucky, but the post office has been discontinued.

Greasy Ridge got its name from an old woman with a white mule who lived there. She would raid the spring houses of the county for butter and eggs. One warm day, the butter melted and left a trail for the authorities to follow where they arrested her. The road was hereafter known as Greasy Ridge.

Jessie's Knob, at the extreme east end of East River Mountain where it joins with Buckhorn Mountain, was named for Jesse Thomas, who once owned the property but lost it through misfortune.

Going to the Lossing book, we come to William Paca, born at Wye Hall, his paternal residence, in 1740.  After his early education, he was placed in the Philadelphia College, where he graduated with honors, then studied law alongside future compatriot Samuel Chase in the law office of Mr. Hammond and Mr. Hall of Annapolis.

At the age of 20, he was admitted to the bar and the next year (1761), he was elected to the Provincial Assembly. Along with Chase and Charles Carroll, he opposed the Stamp Act and all subsequent revenue-raising measures of the British Government, despite opposition by the colonial governor and loyalists in the assembly, but gaining in popularity among the public.

Paca was one of five delegates from Maryland elected to the First Continental Congress in 1774. He was re-elected in 1775 and served until 1778, when he was named Chief Justice of the Maryland Supreme Court. He, like Chase, was much embarrassed by the instructions given Maryland's delegation to Congress not to vote on independence. A change in sentiment came in time for the delegation to vote on in July and then sign the Declaration of Independence in August, 1776.

After leaving Congress, Paca then served as Chief Justice of the Maryland Supreme Court from 1778 to 1782, when he was elected President or Governor of the state under the articles of Confederation. He served one year then retired to private life.

In 1788, he served in the convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution in Maryland. The next year, he was appointed by President George Washington to serve as a federal judge for the district of Maryland, He held it until he died in 1799, age 59.

This makes a good stopping point for this column. See you next time. To share input on this column, contact me c/o Mercer County Memories at jharvey1@frontiernet.net or delimartman@yahoo.com.