Hog Hollow

When I wasn't even looking for it, I ran across a picture of "Threshing at Hog Hollow". I love that name of a location which is quite famously known as the birth place of Elmer Aaron Beard, my grandfather.

Local lore explains the name "Hog Hollow" this way: 

Once upon a time, Hog Hollow was overrun by rattlesnakes causing a lot of grief for ranchers who had to ride spooked horses as they rounded up frightened cattle grazing in the meadows.  Actually, the ranchers didn't care for the snakes any more than the horses or cows did.

Annoyed by this ongoing struggle, the ranchers discovered that pigs were unharmed by the snakes, as the high fat content of their flesh absorbed the venom. The warning rattle of the snakes didn't bother hogs in the least.

The ranchers, who were not only trying to feed their families, but were businessmen to boot, soon replaced the cattle with hogs, who became the grazers of choice. This solved two problems - providing meat for the families and since the pigs were unafraid of the snakes, they stomped and killed the rattlers. Soon the  snakes were gone. 

These swine were not as domesticated as the pig Arnold Ziffel we used to love on Green Acres. In fact, they were quite wild and without the sport of snake hunting to entertain them, they began terrorizing the ranchers' children.

This would not do, and as bacon was rather popular, there are no longer pigs in "Hog Hollow".

Believe it or not, but that's the local lore.