Percy Marshall, who was born in 1899, was born in the oldest house in
Pot Pie, (which has been torn down) said, "the town was named after a man
named Wittman". I dont remember the first name, but he came to this town on a visit
in 1925 when he was in his 70's".
By 1914 ,the town had grown to include six buildings other than homes. There
was the southern church,which blew over in a cyclone,
in 1922, three stores , a blacksmith shop and the old Wittman School.
Back in 1976 Percy Marshall and his wife Anna told a reporter this version of the Pot Pie
naming game...
"theres a couple of stories about how Pot Pie got its name", said Anna Marshall, "but the
one that most people believe is dates back to when it was more of a fishing town, and there were a lot of men working on the
water..
the wives of the men never knew when their husbands would get home ,after being on the water
,so they would always have a pot pie waiting in the oven or on top of the stove".
True or not Mrs . Marshall said she liked that one best.
Now, Mr. Perry Cooper, who was the oldest native of Pot Pie in 1976 disagreed.
Mr. Perry, 84, said, "it started when the Methodist preacher had his Sunday dinner, every
Sunday you had to give the preacher his dinner. He would stop at a different family, and every time he would get the
same thing, chicken pot pie, so he began calling the place Pot Pie".
I was told, back in 1998, by several people that hobos used to name the places they stopped
by what they were fed, and they always got a Pot Pie in Wittman, so they coined the phrase.
And, I also read a paper which stated :
"POT PIE AND RABBIT POINT-Some believe these two places have a significant relationship since
they adjoin on Harris Creek. In 1798, Collison Haddaway left "POT PY" to his wife. It is surmised the name was
misspelled by the clerk. Accurate origin of the name NOT KNOWN".
So who knows just where it all began.
