Another abstract from the History of Twiggs County Page 20 ……slaves were used for field work and other such duties requiring strength and endurance. The very young and extremely old male slaves performed chores less strenuous, such as caring for the animals and chopping firewood. On several large plantations select slaves were taught to be blacksmiths, masons, and other similar trades and practiced these learned skills exclusively. Slave women and girls generally performed tasks pertaining to household duties, as weaving, cooking, sewing, and yard jobs, but on occasions the women were used as field laborers. The slave was looked upon as a piece of property or a tool used to produce an end product at a profit to the master. So long as the owner received renumerations in return for the cost, board, clothing, and lodging of the slave, he was usually retained, but when the end product was less than the cost of production over a period of time, then slavery ceased to be an asset to the owner and the slave was sold, or given in payment for a debt. The mode of travel from one community to another was by horse back, ox cart, wagon, road cart, the fringed top surry and stage coach. The settlers used the old trails blazed by the indians for the most part until they could survey and improve roads. The pioneer settlers were men of enterprise and intelligence, who despite the hardships and privations that existed, learned how to find their way around, developed business and farming interests and a county where their progeny and later settlers have had a chance to live a rewarding and useful life, contributing in part to the building of a great State and Nation. The newcomers were welcomed by those who had previously settled here. As the settlements grew in size, a log church was built to care for the spiritual needs of all. The minister was a circuit rider, who besides providing for the spiritual needs of his flock, was often an advisor on many daily problems. Often churches had to be used for schools. The schoo master was an important person in the community. The following surnames of the first settlers according to George White in HISTORICAL COLLECIONS OF GEORGIA are: Fort, Wimberly, Perry, Crocker, Peck, Wall, Tarver, Everett, Williams, Denson, Jones, Hodgins, Wilder, Murphy, Lowery, Johnson, Thorp, Davis, Ray, Harrell, Harrington, Sullivan, Melton. In other sources the following family names were listed among the early settlers: Fannin, Griffin, Lawson, Ware, Hughes, Chappell, Powell, Wood, Smith, Jamison, Wilkinson, Joiner, Pearce, Andrews, Bull, Young, Hawthorn, Dick, Evans, Shine, Solomon, Hinson, Bullard, Beckom and Ricks. Soon other families settled in the county, purchasing land as noted on the 1818 Tax Digest, which was the earliest available digest. An interesting article appeared in THE TWIGGS HERALD in Ferbruary 1903, J. J. Wimberly, editor. Captioned - OBSERVATIONS. "Twiggs is one of the grandest counties of this, or any other state. The blood of Glovers, Burns, Wimberlys, Hughes, Jones, Faulks, O'Daniels, Williams, Asbells, Johnstons, Slappeys, Burketts, Whitehursts, Fitzpatricks, Walters, Griffins, Stevens, Shannons, Solomons, and many other distinguished men who have made Georgia History, flow through the veins of the younger generation of Twiggs County citizens, many of whom are worthy of their distinguished sires." >From the early sires passed a heritage undaunted to progeny - thus the cycle of history moves.