Some of the earliest ones probably had cash from fur trapping, ie. the Longhunters. Many coming into the area we are dealing with, had sold land "back east", in the place they were coming from. Most were not new immigrants. This would give them cash. The land entries that people received back in the 1740's did not take much if any cash to acquire. They were given to encourage settlers. Before that there were the 'head rights' which were also given by the Colony. These land holdings would have been sold for enough to buy the land you are talking about. The fact of the land price going up later is harder to explain, except for the fact that there was not enough land to supply the demand. Newcomers might not have known the land in the Hollows was played out and over paid. These are the first off the top of my head. Diana Williams Walling, Blevins, Jones, McFerran, Laughlin, Quillin