A panther following Nicholas Sutter for two miles one night, was kept off by his walking backward striking a flint before the animals eyes. A pet fawn, pigs, and sheep were killed the same night. Hearing a call from the forest which sounded like “Hello”, then seeing two glaring eyes in the distance he concealed himself in the thick bushes while a panther galloped by.
On another occassion there seemed to be trouble among the pigs. As the owner went out he saw what he thought was a man carrying off a pig. He took a fence rail and pushed the supposed man until he dropped the pig -- and then an old bruin got down on all fours and strode sulkily past him.
Suburbs of Swissdale are Whipporwill Hill, Plum Run, Deise Hollow, Pleasant Valley (some citizens battled long and hard to keep this one), Hardscrabble (made famous by Faraway Moses), VonGunder or Beck Hollow, Croak Hollow, Skunk Hollow and Halltown.
The information listed here was taken from History of Clinton County by Cora Suiter, the History of the Probst Family, Swissdale History by Florence Laubscher. All this can be found in the Ross Library.
*Donated by Dean Laubscher