tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55912189083462249822024-03-09T18:46:09.516-08:00Reflections of Olde SwainCapturing the disappearing history of an Appalachian mountain community.Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-16020313558270810452022-05-24T06:41:00.001-07:002022-05-24T06:59:12.640-07:00Remembering Nellie Martin, A Cherokee Woman from Deep Creek (Part 1 of 2)<p><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This blog entry is a 2-part article published simultaneously, but to fully appreciate and understand the one you must read <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/deep-creek-place-to-wander-and-ponder.html">the other</a> (and vice versa). My research buddy, Don Casada, and I teamed up to write about one of our favorite projects thus far - the placement of a cenotaph for Nellie Martin, a Cherokee woman who lived and died in the Deep Creek/Indian Creek area. We have spent countless hours in the research and writing of these pieces, revising many times, but the resulting articles are ones which we hope will honor Nellie's legacy and the legacy of other Cherokee who inhabited the area but are "known only to God". I wrote this article, which is focused primarily on what is known about Nellie and her family. </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">________________________________</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Back in 2011, when Don Casada and I first started our historical research on home sites in the Swain County portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we made a couple of trips to the park's archives, which at the time were located in a basement of the park headquarters at Sugarlands. Annette Hartigan, the archivist at the time (now retired) was an enthusiastic supporter of our research and was always well prepared for our visits with items she thought we might find of interest.</span></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6Lxz6VpifjMgnt0wTGwt3IlS5KO53Xe_9xjYgM-g0eo8vE0-ZNQ6UlZDTmrfZWhjBSwU7WrrNyZFAylUKCgIkAhOUvWVzhyTFNtlBwaDIllAb7siWtZjmKmAdcookVm5gQ5szkYbFAAl_rxBkTRe-1uqh45RMnEC0LHNJTmCUrSUfawh9G2jwWU5AQ/s1320/Bumgarner%20Cabins%20(Openparksnetwork).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1320" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6Lxz6VpifjMgnt0wTGwt3IlS5KO53Xe_9xjYgM-g0eo8vE0-ZNQ6UlZDTmrfZWhjBSwU7WrrNyZFAylUKCgIkAhOUvWVzhyTFNtlBwaDIllAb7siWtZjmKmAdcookVm5gQ5szkYbFAAl_rxBkTRe-1uqh45RMnEC0LHNJTmCUrSUfawh9G2jwWU5AQ/w640-h384/Bumgarner%20Cabins%20(Openparksnetwork).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM1: The two cabins at the Bumgarner place, approximately 1.7 miles from the Turnaround. According to park records, the smaller cabin was built by Indians. It is likely very similar to Nellie's cabin at the Turnaround. (Source: <a href="https://openparksnetwork.org/single-item-view/?oid=OPN_NS:2D8E6B29CA14ECA0378C815D5F92311C&b=https%3A%2F%2Fopenparksnetwork.org%2Fsearch-results%2F%3Fk%3DBumgarner%2520cabin%26opn_refine_control%3Djump%26xi%3D1%26xm%3D20%26sf%3D">Open Parks Network</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">On one such trip, she pulled out several field notebooks kept by Charles
Souder Grossman (Figure WM2), an architect who, during the 1930s and 1940s, worked
with historian Hiram Wilburn to document the homes and artifacts left behind by
former residents of lands that became the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
We found many exceptionally interesting facts amongst his notes, but one entry
in particular stood out, for it detailed a conversation Grossman had with Will
Jenkins, who lived in a home across the last bridge on Deep Creek at the
current intersection of the Deep Creek Trail and the Loop Trail.</span> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDKtCuU-EZKy-_QhVOgU-yZKYEQfvnG2yyB95iGGP3wMbYsDBDpbvzH3gkzB7haYlZQZGZYC2cxJ3MW-0M-DeamVzdFg4MOGcLeIWVLrDwQwEYEW2b_DOQ3uP10o8_L4LG_C_vKmALzjBQbCnPyi0lcQHS7HcsmZRatKGxSPbLpK-XuNQDFotsawlXA/s627/CHarles%20Grossman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="488" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDKtCuU-EZKy-_QhVOgU-yZKYEQfvnG2yyB95iGGP3wMbYsDBDpbvzH3gkzB7haYlZQZGZYC2cxJ3MW-0M-DeamVzdFg4MOGcLeIWVLrDwQwEYEW2b_DOQ3uP10o8_L4LG_C_vKmALzjBQbCnPyi0lcQHS7HcsmZRatKGxSPbLpK-XuNQDFotsawlXA/w311-h400/CHarles%20Grossman.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM2: Charles Souder Grossman.<br />(Source: <a href="https://openparksnetwork.org/single-item-view/?oid=OPN_NS:4C30C74FED7FD983F640D4F85430836A&b=https%3A%2F%2Fopenparksnetwork.org%2Fsearch-results%2F%3Fk%3DGrossman%26opn_refine_control%3Djump%26xi%3D1%26xm%3D20%26sf%3D">Open Parks Network</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: times;">I have included a picture of the first page of the relevant notes below
(Figure WM3), but they are not particularly easy to read and I have provided a verbatim
transcription below, courtesy of Don.</span></span></p><p> <o:p></o:p><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“Litha Baumgarner Place – Originaly called
Junie Wank Place (Indian). Litha still
living on Lands Creek with nephew. Litha
now about 80 yrs old. (<b>Note: this is incorrect – the Junie Wank place was
well-documented in deeds to have been located on what we know as Juney Whank
Branch</b>.)</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Lived there with her father Ephraim
Baumgarner. New house built about 38
years ago. Pounding mill Litha’s son
built pounding mill. 40 years ago stood
at Will Jenkins place. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Also an Indian Cabin stood at Turn Around
(Nellie Martin Place) on Deep Creek Cabin built of round log. Chimney lined
with stone & mud outside with small poles at bottom with smaller poles
& split poles at the top of chimney.
Cabin about 12’ x 14’. As a rule
Indian cabins were smaller than the White cabins. Had 1 window in lower side opposite the creek
(west). Door in upper side (east). Chimney in north end of building. Stood just below two big apple trees which are
still standing. Floor of rough
lumber. Got it from a little saw mill on
Indian Creek. Nellie died and was buried
near the cabin. She had her crib keys in
her pocket and was buried with them. The
crib door was never opened but a new door was cut in the other end. Crib stood below house of split chest logs
about 8’ x 5’.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Will Jenkins place built by George Jenkins
his Daddy about 30 years ago. Originally
the Corntassle Place (Indian.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Went to Nellie Martin Place with Mr.
Jenkins & was shown site of Indian Cabin & crib also Nellie Martins
grave.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Across the bridge
from the Jenkins Place and on the ridge known locally as graveyard ridge Mr.
Jenkins showed me 7 or 8 Indian graves.”</span></i><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeatNkcoK2wDiLhEgPU20OAQgadldSmF13Af4gayDpecV49vOnPefkE59QR3GkfmCaHxUzrByneyH0OzBBhPIiCIi2Up6eUALIPx1fj_xogNfN_I3_vE2HowLa-dAzZ8FMGvwXHd06Swjb1mY2rIfcu3qm_S5Ncq_fIkaVy5V4q3L5jHqzN0hpS0QvQ/s983/Grossman%20Notes,%20Page%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="547" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeatNkcoK2wDiLhEgPU20OAQgadldSmF13Af4gayDpecV49vOnPefkE59QR3GkfmCaHxUzrByneyH0OzBBhPIiCIi2Up6eUALIPx1fj_xogNfN_I3_vE2HowLa-dAzZ8FMGvwXHd06Swjb1mY2rIfcu3qm_S5Ncq_fIkaVy5V4q3L5jHqzN0hpS0QvQ/w357-h640/Grossman%20Notes,%20Page%201.jpg" width="357" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM3: May 14, 1937 notes on Nellie Martin captured by Charles Grossman. This is one of three pages from which the above transcription is taken. (Source: GSMNP archives)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Nellie is largely an enigma, with what we know about her being bits and pieces gleaned from Cherokee Rolls and US Census records. She was born somewhere between 1842 – 1845 and was the daughter of Oo nu naga ar mar u (Cherokee last name Chu-chu, English last name Martin) and his wife Sorgiu nie glug hi (English name Nancy Martin), both of whom were born in the remote Turtletown area of Polk County, Tennessee. Nellie’s place of birth is not known for certain, but per their Guion-Miller applications (see the sources for a link to a great overview of the Cherokee enrollment records mentioned in this article), her brother Suate was born in 1846 on Indian Creek (Figure WM4), as was his brother George (born in 1858). Therefore, even if she was not born there, she most certainly grew up on Indian Creek. (</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Side note: I was absolutely elated to find out that the Martins had lived on Indian Creek as the names of its Native American settlers have proved elusive. Their documented residence there also supports the long-rumored origin of the name of the nearby Martins Gap, through which runs the trail of the same name that connects the Deep Creek and Indian Creek trails.</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">)</span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFHIv-HwhS54uPUeJnBd1C3EcwoiG54gU5_DaPHN8dVcn-HuSWXZEbc95rPFijQzNVz8U1WE4WAT4VRQd_HKtM_816a_Sx99On97b0iMt3yXeczy6tggd0Deo3wz-A9HOw5QYc52VkAUUcxW1GPVmpXOKq-ke1DtGM_cilU8oG3NfKdUKqeSqDV4xJQ/s758/Suate%20Martin%20-%20Guion-Miller%20Roll.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFHIv-HwhS54uPUeJnBd1C3EcwoiG54gU5_DaPHN8dVcn-HuSWXZEbc95rPFijQzNVz8U1WE4WAT4VRQd_HKtM_816a_Sx99On97b0iMt3yXeczy6tggd0Deo3wz-A9HOw5QYc52VkAUUcxW1GPVmpXOKq-ke1DtGM_cilU8oG3NfKdUKqeSqDV4xJQ/w398-h640/Suate%20Martin%20-%20Guion-Miller%20Roll.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM4: First page of Suate Martin's claim for Eastern Cherokee nation enrollment (part of the Guion-Miller Roll), dated February 3, 1908. It is important to note that the Cherokee spelling of the Martin family's names varied considerably by the Roll being taken. (Source: Fold3.com, Eastern Cherokee Applications of the U.S. Court of Claims, 1906-1909, Record #15711)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nellie appears to have been one of at least seven children (Figure WM12),
several of whom died as teens or young adults. Nellie does appear to have had
some schooling and learned to read and write at some point, perhaps having
received some schooling from her parents (the Indian Creek School was not
established until the early 1870s and would very likely not have educated Indian
children). At some point she married, as the Hester Roll of 1884 records her as
being a widow (Figure WM5); the name of her husband is unknown as no marriage
record was able to be located. We also do not know if she had children. The
1880 census (Figure WM6) records a boy, Jonas Martin, in the household who may
have been her son. However, he appears to have died before the Hester Roll was
taken as he does not appear in conjunction with her record or that of either of
her surviving brothers.</span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZeuRg59yNcjyfySMXSCOBS1CuWLIcF0jG2wY3FCqY4xMqGjHKfm53OtWrexNJmdEBCmsiXoftDAk89YAHwApIpxKSMaZRtA8y9Vp286eP1NpPJlgCkZwZ9qpYgWWZq0gANmIlX91bA14BVT2KC9NbBRc7p2brKRQtkmfoosch07179HRvQ8BnNRxDg/s624/Hester%20Roll%20Screen%20Capture%20for%20Nellie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="624" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZeuRg59yNcjyfySMXSCOBS1CuWLIcF0jG2wY3FCqY4xMqGjHKfm53OtWrexNJmdEBCmsiXoftDAk89YAHwApIpxKSMaZRtA8y9Vp286eP1NpPJlgCkZwZ9qpYgWWZq0gANmIlX91bA14BVT2KC9NbBRc7p2brKRQtkmfoosch07179HRvQ8BnNRxDg/w640-h68/Hester%20Roll%20Screen%20Capture%20for%20Nellie.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM5: 1884 Hester Roll - entry for Nellie (solitary line on top) and her brother George and his wife (bottom). (Source: National Archives, Image M1773-09-013)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwIkKnFg_qdMHMzn8XRNg5M_pN3Wz4iehGCWaIqvl9IYzm2SuPJvIcG70PhH40AqxESX4a3ErC15yu9ZVaAvnRhLuiBZFw98AaeeKpGAs89p42jiPjkh7xDyBipGhONwcEhREIbXBGbLHgWs-SQrQDOGe1qfNrgTwieJAVrFrIFMkMShBiYVy1lKctA/s624/1880%20Census.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="624" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwIkKnFg_qdMHMzn8XRNg5M_pN3Wz4iehGCWaIqvl9IYzm2SuPJvIcG70PhH40AqxESX4a3ErC15yu9ZVaAvnRhLuiBZFw98AaeeKpGAs89p42jiPjkh7xDyBipGhONwcEhREIbXBGbLHgWs-SQrQDOGe1qfNrgTwieJAVrFrIFMkMShBiYVy1lKctA/w640-h132/1880%20Census.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM6: 1880 Census showing the George Martin household. (Source: Ancestry.com)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">On May 23, 1878, Nellie acquired, courtesy of Thaddeus
Dillard Bryson, a 100-acre tract adjoining the Jenkins land; this land contains
what we now know as the Turnaround. This transaction was made on the same day
on which he acquired the Bryson Place, at which she (and almost certainly other
members of the family) had been living. These transactions are better detailed
in <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/deep-creek-place-to-wander-and-ponder.html">Don’s article</a>. The fact that the land was deeded to her suggests that her
husband may have been deceased by this time. The reason for T.D. Bryson’s kind gesture
is unknown, however, the 1880 census (Figure WM6), taken two years later, paints a sad
picture of the family:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The family was headed by the unmarried George, age 20</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nellie was reported to be an “idiot” and “insane”; perhaps suffering
from a mental illness or a neurological disorder affecting her brain (for those
interested, <a href="https://www.trace.com/genealogists/2018/01/mining-1880-census-mother-lode-insanity-idiocy/">here is an interesting article</a> on the categorization of such
individuals in this particular census)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her elderly mother Nancy is also listed as being an “idiot”. In light of
Nancy’s advanced age, senile dementia is a not implausible reason for having
been assigned this classification.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Jonas Martin is a 6 year old child in a household in which the women may
have been unable to care for him.</span></li></ul><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The land granted to Nellie was much further downstream
of the Bryson Place and closer to assistance should the family have needed it.
T.D. Bryson was known to have been a generous community benefactor and may well
have chosen to provide for what he saw as a family in significant distress. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Grossman’s records show that after receiving this gift,
the Martins built (at minimum) a small cabin and corn crib and also planted
apple trees that were still standing in 1937, when Grossman talked with Will
Jenkins. They likely farmed the land in the Turnaround (Figure WM7), some of
the very little relatively flat and arable land in the area.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdvk1e7tqab9f8b6sSll5aZlstW7tCJ9fdynDp-5fDgwBt6wXCQtFjeq4nugKfGHWrkC-aHeCgPlZRHXF5nmVwE1WGXJfR2hBCQUVfgQEdXXmEkuHA_AeDdhXIsYCNh99lFMvF6jnrj2O39EkKFoS5onCPkcWilW8DIzpE6wChKp7pl87MJzORLRjUg/s1390/The%20Turnaround.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1390" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdvk1e7tqab9f8b6sSll5aZlstW7tCJ9fdynDp-5fDgwBt6wXCQtFjeq4nugKfGHWrkC-aHeCgPlZRHXF5nmVwE1WGXJfR2hBCQUVfgQEdXXmEkuHA_AeDdhXIsYCNh99lFMvF6jnrj2O39EkKFoS5onCPkcWilW8DIzpE6wChKp7pl87MJzORLRjUg/w640-h472/The%20Turnaround.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM7: The Deep Creek Turnaround as it looked in 1937. This picture was likely taken from very close to the Hunnicutt home, which Don and I believe to have been the prior site of the Martins' home. (Source: <a href="https://openparksnetwork.org/single-item-view/?oid=OPN_NS:7546C6F8E1AD5887F8E7F4214571D677&b=https%3A%2F%2Fopenparksnetwork.org%2Fsearch-results%2F%3Fk%3DTurn%2520around%26opn_refine_control%3Djump%26xi%3D1%26xm%3D20%26sf%3D">Open Parks Network</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">By the time the Hester Roll was taken in 1884, Nancy
(and likely Jonas) had passed away; Nellie joined them in death soon thereafter.
She was buried near her cabin, likely on the ridge that terminates just before one
reaches the Turnaround (known in later deeds as Indian Grave Ridge – see the
discussion on this in Don’s article). On August 31, 1885, Suate and George, her
brothers and heirs, sold her land for $200 to William P. Shuler, and moved away
from Deep Creek and Indian Creek, leaving only their surname on a remote gap to
record their former lives there.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It was Don’s and my strong feeling that as Nellie’s
burial was well-documented, we should somehow mark her grave. We have done so,
with the Park Service’s permission, for other individuals whose gravesite
locations were passed down by family members over the years, and felt that the
evidence in this case for a stone was very strong. Armed with the notes from
Grossman and deeds proving that Nellie had owned property in the area, we approached
Heath Bailey who was then the Park’s archaeologist to see if the Park Service
would agree to allow us to place a stone bearing a cenotaph for Nellie if we
(Don, Frank March [a fellow park researcher], and I) purchased it. Approval was
granted on June 19, 2018, and on October 23 of the same year, the stone was
placed by Don and Frank in the middle of the Turnaround. Though almost
certainly not the location of her actual grave (see <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/deep-creek-place-to-wander-and-ponder.html">Don’s piece</a> for a detailed
discussion of this), it is a fitting location for it, so that people can observe
it and ponder the lady whom it memorializes.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZYqcXfyqrvGdUcHOYYQIakAR62_0NC4OKT-pMaTHxcD_N_M-KicUIxtcjTeHhra2CNbMEvPYvz7WmlPZQlDpH-CEy3sVC5Y7fKZdUikdJ5FOoeLeVMRXfIPoc3h7HUsP-tY6fhhnDkbU0Qace1H5pJMU-Gd9JAASpaAxSPcTlYP17tBCxIUV2QMnGg/s1022/Susan%20and%20Wendy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1022" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZYqcXfyqrvGdUcHOYYQIakAR62_0NC4OKT-pMaTHxcD_N_M-KicUIxtcjTeHhra2CNbMEvPYvz7WmlPZQlDpH-CEy3sVC5Y7fKZdUikdJ5FOoeLeVMRXfIPoc3h7HUsP-tY6fhhnDkbU0Qace1H5pJMU-Gd9JAASpaAxSPcTlYP17tBCxIUV2QMnGg/w400-h328/Susan%20and%20Wendy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM8: The likely location of Nellie's burial on Indian Grave Ridge just above the Turnaround, where Marion and Columbus Hunnicutt are known to be buried. Susan Casada is standing at their graves and I am standing where the Hunnicutt home was known to be (some of the foundation stones are still there) and where we believe the Martin cabin to have been located. A detailed map of the Turnaround area is shown in Figure DC 13 in <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/deep-creek-place-to-wander-and-ponder.html">Don's piece</a>. (Photo credit: Don Casada)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I would encourage interested readers to visit Nellie’s
cenotaph (Figure WM9). The Turnaround is located approximately 2.1 miles from
the gate at the main Deep Creek trailhead, by following the main Deep Creek Trail.
The stone is located in the middle, approximately two-thirds of the way to the
far end of the Turnaround in the middle and is visible from the trail (more
easily visible in winter).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR8Z_r7tzk42L3fDjsjdFF_0jYmvays0T0VbQ_PiAl1nsRUSa75pG_y6FY4Kf0UhTiPdgEgbzqyt7-8W3i7-YNhlDldQBs7Xg0N-9YKrRt4f1KBwTdEH6LJMMZJJ4SicwyPLZF3zLN4oHH22k_LRD36R7_i7_XwXiuGIjcnEl-qnTZtFw4zjYeNf8rg/s960/Nellie%20Martin%20stone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="925" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR8Z_r7tzk42L3fDjsjdFF_0jYmvays0T0VbQ_PiAl1nsRUSa75pG_y6FY4Kf0UhTiPdgEgbzqyt7-8W3i7-YNhlDldQBs7Xg0N-9YKrRt4f1KBwTdEH6LJMMZJJ4SicwyPLZF3zLN4oHH22k_LRD36R7_i7_XwXiuGIjcnEl-qnTZtFw4zjYeNf8rg/w385-h400/Nellie%20Martin%20stone.jpg" width="385" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM9: Nellie Martin's cenotaph. The "Chis-e-li" spelling of her Cherokee name was pulled from the final deed transferring ownership of the Martin place at the Turnaround to Pate Shuler. <br />(Photo by the author)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Over our lifetimes, Don and I have been at</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the Turnaround
hundreds of times – never knowing, until 2011, the fascinating history that lay
just fifty feet away from us. Of all the historical work I have done, the work
associated with memorializing Nellie Martin ranks exceptionally high on my
list. While the white settlers of the Deep Creek section of the park are
relatively well-documented, quite the opposite is true for the Native Americans
who lived in the area prior to that time. Evidence of their existence there has
come only in the form of a few found arrowheads and pipes, a couple of graves
on Indian Creek that are believed to have Cherokee-language inscriptions on them
(Figure WM10), references to home places such as the June Whank and Corn Tassel
places, maps of reserves taken out in conjunction with the 1819 Cherokee
cession treaty, and interviews with descendants of the original white settlers
who had told their grandchildren that Indians were living on the creek at the
time they moved there. The research we have conducted to give personhood to an
individual who has, heretofore, resided only in a few census roll lines, represents
an important step in establishing a far more complete human history of Deep
Creek.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_GTFerVhGvxap1nL42sYn4tMB5QV0c1JA-j0a6j3vfyRsNi8Rc9S567rY_lzS9iUCAxTkfdoKClkaX3crt4NVy_5NJFgQAUVO4dBBEBnpn4jKFKJU9mtMLTOf5AOF1ji12MjWNYOxbGgrH_9Z5i1ENsDvauXB6HyZgC8zwkjgIEA8evGIXBX9FoXHQ/s1200/Stone%20with%20possible%20Cherokee%20engravings.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_GTFerVhGvxap1nL42sYn4tMB5QV0c1JA-j0a6j3vfyRsNi8Rc9S567rY_lzS9iUCAxTkfdoKClkaX3crt4NVy_5NJFgQAUVO4dBBEBnpn4jKFKJU9mtMLTOf5AOF1ji12MjWNYOxbGgrH_9Z5i1ENsDvauXB6HyZgC8zwkjgIEA8evGIXBX9FoXHQ/w300-h400/Stone%20with%20possible%20Cherokee%20engravings.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM10: Gravestone with what are believed to be Cherokee language engravings; Parris Cemetery on Indian Creek. (Photo credit: Don Casada)</td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Postscript:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
In his notes, Grossman remarks that he was taken to see seven or eight Indian graves
across the bridge from the Jenkins Place. The misnamed “Wiggins 2” graveyard (see
Figure DC8 in <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/deep-creek-place-to-wander-and-ponder.html">Don’s piece</a>) continues to be maintained by the Park Service and
today only five stones remain (two of which appear to be footstones) (Figure WM11).
The graves are oriented between thirty and fifty degrees off an East-West
orientation, which further supports the oral tradition that these are Indian
graves. The identities of the individuals buried there are not known. Corn Tassel
was known to have lived at what later became the Jenkins Place so these graves may
belong to members of his family. However, given Nellie and her family’s close
proximity to this cemetery at some point (at least some of the family having
moved over the mountain from Indian Creek), one wonders if any of these graves
might belong to members of the Martin family (Figure WM12). We will almost
certainly never know. <i>(Note: If you wish to visit this cemetery, the trail
takes off to the left up a mountain just before you reach the last bridge on
the Deep Creek Trail. It is an arduous climb of about one-tenth a mile.)</i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqJ5kUZ3s3dk0VwfZmucYo-8s4zHHAG6Uo17Af3Bt1llvnRtPkaxEXYQ0YHeYm5ogCZaAiJRxSVTY7YAFaOdCJysG04lwgHC7VDn4rP-ZiMpHhX-Pynp4W9G4dQcjtOMAWfctoEYDR6fzS9PoRAlFgWZtqBXqTyOV4hhTfFPjcmeWY6afrjmb4iVYCw/s960/Cherokee%20Cemetery%20on%20Deep%20Creek%20near%20Will%20Jenkins%20home.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="960" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqJ5kUZ3s3dk0VwfZmucYo-8s4zHHAG6Uo17Af3Bt1llvnRtPkaxEXYQ0YHeYm5ogCZaAiJRxSVTY7YAFaOdCJysG04lwgHC7VDn4rP-ZiMpHhX-Pynp4W9G4dQcjtOMAWfctoEYDR6fzS9PoRAlFgWZtqBXqTyOV4hhTfFPjcmeWY6afrjmb4iVYCw/w640-h330/Cherokee%20Cemetery%20on%20Deep%20Creek%20near%20Will%20Jenkins%20home.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM11: The Indian Cemetery on Deep Creek near the Will Jenkins homeplace (above the last bridge on Deep Creek). (Photo by the author)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ra4pOOEdd4fTyNM6mhRQe39JLUG4RedXaRiEDZHBopsbT_hFHEjaERUC_SitjXLOUOW-VJV_ov-bYJMGEfUXSdwOJDh3y1G5gKqtzeczFOJoD2K-uS-WAKOdJiFKZT0JLRlnLRrw7XAgMoXFRAW7JRa2i48uYU2xMk8LfVNv3q86FtGe1to1akjPMA/s624/Suate%20Martin%20siblings.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ra4pOOEdd4fTyNM6mhRQe39JLUG4RedXaRiEDZHBopsbT_hFHEjaERUC_SitjXLOUOW-VJV_ov-bYJMGEfUXSdwOJDh3y1G5gKqtzeczFOJoD2K-uS-WAKOdJiFKZT0JLRlnLRrw7XAgMoXFRAW7JRa2i48uYU2xMk8LfVNv3q86FtGe1to1akjPMA/w640-h240/Suate%20Martin%20siblings.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure WM12: Second page of Suate Martin's claim for Eastern Cherokee nation enrollment (part of the Guion-Miller Roll) showing his siblings. Ironically, Nellie does not appear to be listed. (Source: Fold3.com, Eastern Cherokee Applications of the U.S. Court of Claims, 1906-1909, Record #15711)</td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>_________________________________</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Sources:<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ancestry.com<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fold3.com<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Great Smoky Mountains National Park Archives<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Individual Contributors: Don Casada, Annette Hartigan,
Mike Aday, Frank March, Heath Bailey, Susan Casada, Jim Casada<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">National Archives and Records Administration (Mullay
Roll [1848] Siler Roll [1851], Chapman Roll [1852], Swetland Roll [1869],
Hester Roll [1884]. An excellent description of what was collected by the
various rolls can be found at this link: </span><a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/research/microfilm/m1773.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Eastern
Cherokee Census Rolls, 1835-1884 (archives.gov)</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Open Parks Network.org<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Swain County Register
of Deeds</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p></p><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i><p></p>Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-37174701678799516222022-05-24T05:30:00.006-07:002022-05-24T06:57:03.962-07:00 Deep Creek: A Place to Wander and Ponder (by Don Casada) (Part 2 of 2)<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This blog entry is a 2-part article
published simultaneously, but to fully appreciate and understand the one you
must read <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/remembering-nellie-martin-cherokee.html">the other</a> (and vice versa). My research buddy, Don Casada, and I
teamed up to write about one of our favorite projects thus far - the placement
of a cenotaph for Nellie Martin, a Cherokee woman who lived and died in the
Deep Creek/Indian Creek area. We have spent countless hours in the research and
writing of these pieces, revising many times, but the resulting articles are
ones which we hope will honor Nellie's legacy and the legacy of other Cherokee
who inhabited the area but are "known only to God". This article was
written by Don and is focused primarily on the geography and history of the
area in which Nellie and her family lived. </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">________________________________________</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 1859, more than two decades after the
bitter Trail of Tears, three men from Waynesville – R.V. (Robert Vance) Welch,
W.W. (William Wayne) Battle, and J.R. (James Robert) Love – paid $5,000 for
50,000 acre North Carolina Land Grant (LG) 587, a boundary which covered the
majority of the land between the upper section of Oconaluftee in the east and
Welch Divide in the west. Parts or all
of entire major and minor drainages were within the boundary, as illustrated in
Figure DC1.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a name="DC01"></a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-rk3KlBcjmlGb3ocUrcaHDBsGIpGz8naMI3ofKLo5wvHJLYRqKYR-nirqDl4y1b_NaRotumVBf_XKHdMH74KXKIWDgtX9fv4OUnQpVwxXDwtGdZG7Z8AAmH3_vunyaXJjAk4yqAvTGXRhtsPbVN8q3T9Jn5V64HraGRAzYjZgbbfE710W656aymKDA/s900/Figure%20DC1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="900" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-rk3KlBcjmlGb3ocUrcaHDBsGIpGz8naMI3ofKLo5wvHJLYRqKYR-nirqDl4y1b_NaRotumVBf_XKHdMH74KXKIWDgtX9fv4OUnQpVwxXDwtGdZG7Z8AAmH3_vunyaXJjAk4yqAvTGXRhtsPbVN8q3T9Jn5V64HraGRAzYjZgbbfE710W656aymKDA/w640-h460/Figure%20DC1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Figure DC1. N.C. Land Grant 587 boundary – from Forney Creek to Oconaluftee. (Map by author)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The history of the land embraced by Jackson County, NC Land Grant 587
will be covered in a separate article to be published on </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reflections of Olde Swain</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The land is now entirely within Swain County (formed in 1871 from parts
of Jackson and Macon).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is a story
which touches on many people and landmarks of the county’s history.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But a transaction of principal interest
here involves the sale by the grantees and their heirs of 1100 acres in the
very heart of Deep Creek – the Bryson Place – and an interconnected 100-acre
purchase a few miles downstream.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Will Thomas and T.D.
Bryson strike an agreement</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On September 21, 1868, Will Thomas signed an agreement
which read:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I
agree to let Col. Thadeus </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">(sic)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> D. Bryson have the unimproved Martin tract of land on Deep Creek,
including one hundred acres to be run in a square or oblong square to include
the Martin improvement for the sum which the land and improvements may be
valued to be worth at green back prices by John Millsaps, Wm Cathey, & Lt.
Wm Morris or a majority of them.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">And
I agree to make a title for said land to the said Bryson or his Assignee upon
credit being given on our own contract.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Green back rates<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in; tab-stops: 5.5in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sept.
21 1868<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 8pt; tab-stops: 5.5in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wm.
H. Thomas<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">We
the undersigned referees have examined the Land and value the same at one
hundred and fifty dollars in Green Back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in; tab-stops: 5.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Oct.
24<sup>th</sup> 1868<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wm.
L. Morris<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in; tab-stops: 5.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>John
A. Millsaps<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 8pt; tab-stops: 5.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wm.
H. Cathey<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The wording of the agreement is confused – Thomas
agreed to let Thaddeus Dillard (T.D.) Bryson acquire an <u>unimproved</u>
Martin tract which included the 100 acres of the Martin <u>Improvement</u> – an
utter non sequitur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we’ll see, the apparent
intent was to express his willingness to sell 100 acres of land which had been
improved by the Martins, with the improved section accompanied by an
unspecified area of unimproved land. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The Martin Improvement would later be known as the
Bryson Place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A photo of the Bryson
Place cabin taken almost 70 years later (1937) by Charles Grossman is shown in
Figure DC2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, instead of a single
cabin, it is actually two cabins built at different times, with a small gap in
between the outer walls, but connected by an internal passageway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the portion on the left has stovepipes
sticking out the roof, it originally had only a chimney at the far left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could one of these two sections have been the
cabin of the Martin Improvement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmTcPrHWUQ79n9tonmguwE7fIxhztxR6IW0uUM1SD7AM4RdOrex7J21N6oa9SqQZfQY0smjvNFrulRF9W6RaBJWQmYqzOkgf4z6UKKGlCFrCT5whZwOwhd7HlUwSWKHPrL2x-ib7rzZHz44b-Q94qxozWf4nTI4Zgay_RFxOLPLuWUyM7mGEGkngLGA/s518/Figure%20DC2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="518" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmTcPrHWUQ79n9tonmguwE7fIxhztxR6IW0uUM1SD7AM4RdOrex7J21N6oa9SqQZfQY0smjvNFrulRF9W6RaBJWQmYqzOkgf4z6UKKGlCFrCT5whZwOwhd7HlUwSWKHPrL2x-ib7rzZHz44b-Q94qxozWf4nTI4Zgay_RFxOLPLuWUyM7mGEGkngLGA/w640-h384/Figure%20DC2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Figure DC 2.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">
</span><a href="https://openparksnetwork.org/single-item-view/?noop=noop&lid=frag&oid=OPN_NS:DDE3AEE7D84777076810A1D1A108E218"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">Bryson
Place from the north</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;"><span>.
Open Parks Network</span><o:p style="font-size: 12pt;"></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="DC02"></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Another, more likely possibility, appears in a photo
from the Horace Kephart Special Collection at Western Carolina’s Hunter Library
shown in Figure DC3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The smaller
structure in the foreground of this undated photo (likely around 1910) does not
appear in later photographs of the Bryson Place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The small, south-facing window is similar to
that of the smaller Bumgarner cabin shown in Figure WM1 in Wendy’s accompanying piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As noted by Charles Grossman, that smaller cabin was Cherokee-built, and
the same may very well be true here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fruit trees, both in the foreground behind the unknown couple and in the left
background, beyond the cabin, appear large enough to be several decades old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="DC03"></a><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGtulOe3r5wODSfQSK-fv3g640UvBFkP6lGmpokFnrRvFThmC2TRdUR0oXyGqAK8v5cs4IzXPRvOrhzUWSTxlrgzguniu9_yP35oHFXLCZKgBXC2Xkp1o9MzeRg5zpduib_VLGAD-xWO6It1VqAczxYpdqyuEokUoS3VPTNbmD8zg-Pj2kKRf9VK2aQ/s617/Figure%20DC3.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="514" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGtulOe3r5wODSfQSK-fv3g640UvBFkP6lGmpokFnrRvFThmC2TRdUR0oXyGqAK8v5cs4IzXPRvOrhzUWSTxlrgzguniu9_yP35oHFXLCZKgBXC2Xkp1o9MzeRg5zpduib_VLGAD-xWO6It1VqAczxYpdqyuEokUoS3VPTNbmD8zg-Pj2kKRf9VK2aQ/w534-h640/Figure%20DC3.png" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 17.12px;">Figure DC3. Bryson Place, from the south. </span><a href="https://southernappalachiandigitalcollections.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 17.12px;">Southern Appalachian Digital Collections, Hunter Library</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Regardless of which – if either – of the cabins in these photos was erected by the Martins, in 1868, they were clearly living at the place which Thomas agreed to sell, had been living there long enough to have cleared the land, build a cabin, and made the other necessary changes to warrant the title “Martin Improvement.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It seems entirely possible that the confused wording in
the agreement was a result of Will Thomas’s dementia; he was declared insane
the year before signing the agreement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Less than two years later, when the 1870 Jackson County census was
recorded, 64-year old W.H. Thomas was the first person listed in the Qualla
District.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His profession was given as
State Senator, Merchant & Farmer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the column reserved for identifying ailments, he was listed as “Insane.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas had formerly served as State Senator,
but was not serving in 1870, and in fact had not served in that capacity since
1862.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">All of the individuals named in the agreement would
have been well acquainted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three
referees – Billy Morris, John Millsaps and William Hillman “Hill” Cathey – were
all residents of the Deep Creek area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Millsaps was a physician; Morris and Cathey had served in the Civil War
and were brothers-in-law (Cathey’s wife was Nancy Morris, sister of Billy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Millsaps and Morris in particular owned
considerable lands on Deep Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cathey’s place on Indian Creek was relatively small in proportion, but
was still in excess of 150 acres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bryson
and Thomas would have been well acquainted, as both had represented Jackson
County in the state legislature (Bryson in the House, Thomas in the
Senate).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hill Cathey served in Thomas’s
Legion during the Civil War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The agreement which Thomas signed wasn’t proven until
fifteen years later, when Probate Judge W.A. Gibson approved it on Nov. 3, 1883
and it was registered the same day by Nathan Byers Thompson, Register of
Deeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This delay may have been a factor
in the next subject – duplicate deeds.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiKbirEtjpWyhn36vsPE85GxBOYhoYxvkTBFo6-WY-dIKtYbx8HsOx7i9hwIsUZfUCb99pbgrdBFJfDEooTR9_9RnBWtB5eJXxYsTUuOT_jZQonrjDX9xS7V0N4cRJlTuBi3arzBczJirza3HiCbj63VKr_YPgxIdl_R4vSD_wDu9zgpOIE5WBWzgjg/s889/Figure%20DC4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="889" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiKbirEtjpWyhn36vsPE85GxBOYhoYxvkTBFo6-WY-dIKtYbx8HsOx7i9hwIsUZfUCb99pbgrdBFJfDEooTR9_9RnBWtB5eJXxYsTUuOT_jZQonrjDX9xS7V0N4cRJlTuBi3arzBczJirza3HiCbj63VKr_YPgxIdl_R4vSD_wDu9zgpOIE5WBWzgjg/w640-h376/Figure%20DC4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Figure
DC4. Billy Morris, home place. This site is located just above the parking lot at the gate to the Deep Creek trail. Morris
photo courtesy of Jim Estes. Home photo: </span><a href="https://openparksnetwork.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Open Parks Network</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Deeds in duplicate</span></u><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On May 23, 1878, T.D. Bryson purchased 1,100 acres of
land on Deep Creek in two separate tracts – a 1,000 acre tract and a 100 acre
tract.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boundaries were not
defined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The deed read:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
undersigned do this day sell to TD Bryson one thousand acres of land on Deep
Creek in Swain County and adjoining lands lately purchased from Wm H Thomas and
now occupied by Samuel Elliott at 33-<sup>1</sup>/<sub>3</sub> cents per acre
and also one hundred acres adjoining Geo. Shuler on Deep Creek where Joe
Feather lives at one dollar and fifty cents per acre and we authorize E Everett
to make deeds in pursuance to a power of attorney now effected reserving ¾ of
the minerals in the lands this 23<sup>rd</sup> of May 1878.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The said parties acknowledge the payment therefore
by a credit of one hundred and twenty dollars on RV Welch’s note and three
hundred and sixty three on Samuel L. Love’s note to be surveyed at the costs of
the undersigned this 23<sup>rd</sup> May 1878.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in; tab-stops: 5.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Atest
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">(sic)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span> </span></span>RV
Welch<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in; tab-stops: 5.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">E
Everett<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span> <span> </span></span></span>RGA
Love<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in; tab-stops: 5.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span>W.L.
Hilliard<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in; tab-stops: 5.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">RM
Henry<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span> </span> </span>Saml
L Love</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; tab-stops: 337.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The wording of the deed is – somewhat like the
agreement language – jumbled in that it says the one thousand acres adjoins
lands <u>lately</u> purchased, yet the adjoining one hundred acres is specified
after the thousand acres in the deed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Regardless, the 100 acre tract is clearly the same one referred to as
the Martin improvement in the 1868 agreement; the price is that indicated by
referees Billy Morris, Hill Cathey, and John Millsaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is noteworthy that in the ten years since
the agreement signed by Thomas, Samuel Elliott had begun to occupy the
unimproved section and Joe Feather (a Cherokee man) was then living on what was
previously described as the Martin improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No record has been found of George Shuler owning land within miles of
this area. Joe Feather and his family are mentioned in the 1880 census, but his
and another Indian family appear to be located in the Galbraith to Cooper Creek
section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A year and a half later, on November 4, 1879, the deed
was proven in the probate court of Samuel B. Gibson, who ordered it to be
registered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No boundaries were given in
the deed; the entire deed is listed above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Notably, the deed was proven in court one day shy of four years before
the original agreement, as noted above.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It was not unusual for deeds to be registered more
than once in the early years of Swain County, in part due to nuances in the
legal process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The land which would
become known as the Bryson Place was one such example.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On May 25, 1879, a year and two days after deeding
both the 1,000 and 100 acre tracts to T.D. Bryson, the Loves, Welch, and
Hilliard, along with their agent Epp Everett, created a deed for the 1,000 acre
tract to Mary C. Bryson (wife of T.D. Bryson), but this time with boundaries
specified:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Beginning on a
pine in the line of a hundred acre tract bought by T.D. Bryson of W.H. Thomas,
runs North 62 East 229 poles to a stake, thence North 28 West 439 poles to a
stake; thence South 62 West 389 poles to a stake; then South 28 East 389 poles
to a stake in the line of said hundred acre tract; thence with its line North
62 East 160 poles to a chestnut, its beginning corner; thence with said line
South 28 East 50 poles to the beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The deed noted that this formerly unimproved tract was
now “known as the place where Elliott now lives.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sam Hunnicutt, in </span><a href="https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/wcu/f/Hunnicutt_20Year_OA.pdf"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">20 Years Hunting and Fishing in the
Great Smoky Mountains</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">, referenced the Elliott place as
both a Camp and an Improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area
today is boggy and rhododendron-infested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Exactly where the camp or improvement was located is unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Then on November 15, 1883, “W.L. Hilliard, of Buncombe
County, North Carolina, Guardian of Wm. H. Thomas, a lunatic”, executed a deed
to Mrs. M.C. Bryson, assignee of T.D. Bryson of Swain County for the one
hundred acre Martin improvement, and explicitly noted that the bond associated
with the agreement had been registered in book D (4) pages 103-104.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Thomas having serious financial issues,
the $150 payment was made by crediting Thomas’s indebtedness to Bryson, which
was over $900.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It appears that, in part, this second edition of the
deed was established to acknowledge that the original agreement signed by Will
Thomas had not been registered until Nov 3, twelve days before this deed to
Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in addition, while the earlier
deed to TD Bryson provided no boundary calls, the deed to Mary Bryson did: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Beginning on a
chestnut and runs South 28 East ninety poles to a stake, passing a pine, the
beginning corner of a one thousand acre tract bought by T.D. Bryson from the
Executors of Jas R. Love & R.V. Welch at fifty poles (then) South 62 West
one hundred and eighty poles to a stake, then North 28 West ninety poles to a stake,
thence North 62 East one hundred and eighty poles to the beginning, passing a
corner of the said thousand acre tract at twenty poles and containing one
hundred acres.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The deed notes that it includes “what <u>was</u> known
as the Martin improvement” – connecting it to the original agreement signed by
Thomas in 1868.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Seeing Nellie Home</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On the same day that the original deed from the
extended Love family (Hilliard, Welch and their Love brothers-in-law) to T.D.
Bryson was registered – November 4, 1879 – agent Epp Everett, acting on behalf
of W.L. Hilliard, S.L. Love, R.V. Welch and R.G.A. Love, executed and had
registered another deed which read:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Know
all men by these presents that we Wm L Hilliard, SL Love and RGA Love as
executors of James R. Love and RGA Love and RV Welch for themselves by their
agent E Everett have this day bargained and sold unto Nelly Chis-esli (Indian)
one hundred acres of land in the County of Swain and State of North Carolina on
boath (sic) sides of Deep Creek above and adjoining tract of land known as the Corntassel
place for the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars <u>paid to said parties of
the first part by TD Bryson</u> the payment whereof is hereby acknowledged.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This tract embraced the land which included the
section which has long been known as the Turnaround.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A photograph of the Turnaround appears in
<a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/remembering-nellie-martin-cherokee.html">Wendy’s article </a>Figure WM7.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-gPepALabXnA96hrpoeaGPNruoZQcGY8t0Ah1UYfkGH7B2TT5jZ-wffz7zN00ek1lfIuugg2AvKKCflMYy_QB-M8wHwwybDTKdPp1VBbkyi6R_tLCZld4HCa9OdFc2Je07_8kMtu38Sv5BagsGaKEw6-RRWZ7xgNo9vlJqk57-crqRgJRzNLj-Or9g/s536/Figure%20DC5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="443" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-gPepALabXnA96hrpoeaGPNruoZQcGY8t0Ah1UYfkGH7B2TT5jZ-wffz7zN00ek1lfIuugg2AvKKCflMYy_QB-M8wHwwybDTKdPp1VBbkyi6R_tLCZld4HCa9OdFc2Je07_8kMtu38Sv5BagsGaKEw6-RRWZ7xgNo9vlJqk57-crqRgJRzNLj-Or9g/w528-h640/Figure%20DC5.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Figure DC5. Portrait of T.D. Bryson in Swain County’s Administration
Building, courtesy of the Bryson family.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">What led T.D. Bryson to purchase the land for Nellie
and the rest of her Martin family?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Both the Martin improvement and the land at the Turnaround
involved a nominal 100 acres and the price for each was the same: $150.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That suggests that there was already some
sort of improvement in the area of the Turnaround since there is nothing
regarding other characteristics of the land which would make it more valuable
(excepting its closer proximity to other families).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <span><a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/remembering-nellie-martin-cherokee.html">Wendy’s piece on the Martins</a></span>, she offers a well-thought out conjecture, namely that
Bryson was looking out for the welfare of the Martins, a family which was under
significant stresses at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
also reasonable to assume that Will Thomas’s concern for them was a key element
of the arrangement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The deed defined the boundaries of the tract and its
relation to the Corn Tassel Place – which adjoined it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Figure DC6, the combined Bryson tracts, as
laid out by the N.C. Park Commission, the tract purchased by T.D. Bryson for
Nellie, and the Corn Tassel Place tract are marked in relation to the overall
Deep Creek drainage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also indicated are
the Bumgarner Place and the Deep Creek trailhead, located at the mouth of Juney
Whank Branch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The upper end of today’s
parking lot sits immediately in front of where the Billy Morris home place
stood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuy_4dNY41WHXCk4HWtFyGYQC2_GCpXGkUeG9kMWAX2E89K8y4j-tKZzLPBEVic2qFtUiw01w87zXlah9ScLLAe2icUeFG5r2F-_m1aSB5DfvrmhEqbCfP8Eh1MGbAeLN6qnxpg0pOdepJjOFwdZdUxahjgb4EJjFxY6FMgzg0UuJb5CtB2CXIG9d4sw/s690/Figure%20DC6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuy_4dNY41WHXCk4HWtFyGYQC2_GCpXGkUeG9kMWAX2E89K8y4j-tKZzLPBEVic2qFtUiw01w87zXlah9ScLLAe2icUeFG5r2F-_m1aSB5DfvrmhEqbCfP8Eh1MGbAeLN6qnxpg0pOdepJjOFwdZdUxahjgb4EJjFxY6FMgzg0UuJb5CtB2CXIG9d4sw/w500-h640/Figure%20DC6.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Figure DC6. Map of locations within the Deep Creek drainage (by author). </span><a href="https://www.diagsol.com/Mapping/Deep_Creek_large.pdf" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 17.12px;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"> for a detailed topo.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The map snippet in Figure DC7 shows the Bryson Place
tract based on the deed from the Bryson family to the N.C. Park
Commission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bryson Place cabin stood
at the extreme lower end of the tract (marked with the black dot).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Martins Gap Trail comes across from
Indian Creek, passes through from Martins Gap on its way down to the Bryson
Place; both can be seen at the lower right portion of the map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gap and trail were obviously named for
Nellie and her family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just north of the
cabin, Elliott Cove Branch empties into Deep Creek from the east, named for
Samuel Elliott who occupied (but did not own) the land when the Brysons
purchased it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Above it, Pole Road Creek,
named for a pole road used to extract lumber from its boundary, enters from the
west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then just above the geographic center
of the tract, Left Fork joins Deep Creek’s main prong.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbRGl8GG2nnvbMnYAdyCFdjM19CrviYGWx2zQr0xkF9OXWB68piWunq8BK7RjOpsVNWYb06r9vPrO9zUl7xUSsW0ViXnmG8eL_bsIgMR1yVtsHup-TDOpsiJ6GUZ2MQAbEHDg4bY0kRQq6Xnj5KczOXMBnWYL_3gufHoMkHpc9AcSZjNU27_oWWLyHw/s474/Figure%20DC7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="465" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbRGl8GG2nnvbMnYAdyCFdjM19CrviYGWx2zQr0xkF9OXWB68piWunq8BK7RjOpsVNWYb06r9vPrO9zUl7xUSsW0ViXnmG8eL_bsIgMR1yVtsHup-TDOpsiJ6GUZ2MQAbEHDg4bY0kRQq6Xnj5KczOXMBnWYL_3gufHoMkHpc9AcSZjNU27_oWWLyHw/w628-h640/Figure%20DC7.jpg" width="628" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Figure DC7. Map of the Bryson Place tract (by author)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The map of the Bryson tract as mapped by the NC Park
Commission varied slightly from the original dual tract deed. That most likely had to do with survey
methods of the 1870s vs those used by William Neville Sloan, a native of
Franklin and great-grandson of Jesse Richardson Siler, namesake of Silers
Bald. Sloan trained in engineering at
North Carolina State College in Raleigh and came back to his mountain home land
to practice both surveying and engineering.
The </span><a href="https://www.diagsol.com/Mapping/BP_Tract_NCPC.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">survey
of this tract</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">, and for that matter, every tract
purchased by the NC State Park Commission lists Sloan as the surveyor. Sloan was assisted by chain bearers and brush
clearers the likes of Mark Cathey (a son of Hill Cathey) and Sam
Hunnicutt. Hiram Wilburn, who also
worked for the Park Commission, noted that Mark Cathey, who was in his upper
50s at the time, could clear brush twice as fast as men half his age.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The children of T.D. and Mary Bryson – Judge T.D.
Bryson, Dr. Daniel Rice Bryson and their missionary sister, Mary Bryson Tipton
– allowed both the Bryson cabin and the boundary to be used as a community
commons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The community which benefitted
– including the family of the author – failed to fully acknowledge and
appreciate the Bryson family spirit of sharing not only this but other Bryson
lands in Bryson City, the town named for their father. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cathey, Hunnicutt, and dozens of others (including
the author’s father) spent countless nights at the old cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Days were spent wandering the roughs and
wading streams of Pole Road, Left Fork, Elliott Cove Branch, Nettle Creek and
the entire upper reaches of Deep Creek, all because the Bryson family shared
with the community, including the folks of the town named for T.D. Bryson,
Sr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In stark contrast, such was not the case with large
tracts of land acquired by individuals who did not make their home here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phillip Rust, a wealthy Boston native who
married Eleanor Dupont, great-granddaughter of the founder of the Dupont
Corporation, hired wardens to patrol his 4,365 acre estate on Noland Creek. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Stikeleather-Smathers group, largely
composed of individuals from Asheville, did the same for their 7600 acre Hazel
Creek estate, composed of lands acquired after Ritter Lumber left Hazel Creek.
Both estates were established after the original Park formation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lands were posted and the local hoi
polloi were run off by the wardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">How bittersweet the survey work must’ve been for Cathey,
Hunnicutt and others who recalled days of hunting, fishing, and backwoods companions
who included preachers, teachers, politicians, a convicted murderer,
northeastern blue bloods of the first rank, and fellow branch water folk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his classic </span><a href="https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/wcu/f/Hunnicutt_20Year_OA.pdf"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">20 Years Hunting and Fishing in the
Great Smoky Mountains</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">, Sam Hunnicutt names men whose lives
in so-called civilization matched those categories, but he never mentioned
anything about them personally; his was an egalitarian outlook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Sam’s eyes, those wandering the wilds of
the Great Smoky Mountains were fellow creatures in an especially sweet part of
God’s creation – a place where neither social rank nor fortune was a
consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The Hunnicutts had their
own special connection to the Turnaround area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An enlargement of the area where the 100 acre tract purchased by T.D.
Bryson for Nellie and her Martin family is shown along with the Corn Tassel
Place tract in Figure DC8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jenkins
Place home stood along Deep Creek immediately to the east of the uppermost
bridge where the Deep Creek loop trail connects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other area features are highlighted,
including three separate home places on both sides of Deep Creek which were, at
one time or another, occupied by various members of the Hunnicutt family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy05nXQG_Bq076YYoi8C0TQVEXCRpcfkC3NIPS9KChzcfH4GsyZDU5SUhekQ8MZxbzUZecnjzM38MeO7wat98ojEgzrX1MmjMu4UINSBo_yaEP8957fTECAp1PFPUY5MjKAoH8KygAY6IMuuIPh5Ltxtn1Mko_BlYR3op1ZZivmKoI6cCGxvU9zq6lw/s553/Figure%20DC8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="501" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy05nXQG_Bq076YYoi8C0TQVEXCRpcfkC3NIPS9KChzcfH4GsyZDU5SUhekQ8MZxbzUZecnjzM38MeO7wat98ojEgzrX1MmjMu4UINSBo_yaEP8957fTECAp1PFPUY5MjKAoH8KygAY6IMuuIPh5Ltxtn1Mko_BlYR3op1ZZivmKoI6cCGxvU9zq6lw/w580-h640/Figure%20DC8.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>Figure DC8. Martin & Corn Tassel Tracts in relation to the homes of Billy Morris and Hill Cathey (Map by author).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Nellie’s family
leaves Deep Creek</span></u></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On August 31, 1885, the Martin Turnaround tract was
sold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The deed reads:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This Indenture
made and entered into this the 31<sup>st</sup> day of August A.D. 1885 by and
between Suate Martin and his wife Da-ga-nu Martin and Geo. Martin heirs of
Nellie Chis-e-li deceased of the County of Swain and State of North Carolina,
parties of the first part and Wm P. Shuler of the Same County and State part of
the second part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Witnesseth: That the
said party of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of two hundred
dollars to them in hand paid…..<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a style="mso-comment-date: 20220515T1123; mso-comment-reference: D_1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Nellie
had been listed in the 1884 Hester Roll, so her death occurred between 1884 and the end of August
of 1885.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that 1880 census, her age
was given as 35, suggesting a birth year of around 1845 – thus the range of
life listed for Nellie on her cenotaph marker in the Turnaround as circa
1845-1885.</span></a><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The Martin property was sold to William Payton “Pate”
Shuler in 1885.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1895, Shuler and his
wife, Narcissus, sold the Martin tract as well as the Corn Tassel tract (which
had been acquired separately) to George Jenkins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around the first decade of the 1900s, Jenkins
erected a two-story home on the east side of Deep Creek (see Figure DC9) and
farmed the land on both sides of the creek, including the Jenkins Fields which
extended from just below the last bridge on Deep Creek almost half a mile down
the west side of Deep Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE24JCtEHl7m54Fpy0bhyVw2ph566Ihn1UYSIyFkR8sm2zuS7q1PoJA8MQBDm8xAv06nMjEIz-5P30co8Zou2U96d7Sdq8G8R0kYgd5mEZwsKN5Q6F8uLOHbdILhZ_j-BBsYe9qkuToyhSGSyDFcTJHTG6qQHnDHQXPNp6NCcNv5XRkHpu7lQUdIN9w/s624/Figure%20DC9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="624" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE24JCtEHl7m54Fpy0bhyVw2ph566Ihn1UYSIyFkR8sm2zuS7q1PoJA8MQBDm8xAv06nMjEIz-5P30co8Zou2U96d7Sdq8G8R0kYgd5mEZwsKN5Q6F8uLOHbdILhZ_j-BBsYe9qkuToyhSGSyDFcTJHTG6qQHnDHQXPNp6NCcNv5XRkHpu7lQUdIN9w/w640-h413/Figure%20DC9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 13.91px;">Figure DC9. Jenkins Place home in 1937, several years after it was abandoned. Source: </span><a href="https://openparksnetwork.org/single-item-view/?noop=noop&lid=frag&oid=OPN_NS:BF66ECF0EFB421A7AB908FA0344661BE"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 13.91px;">Open Parks Network</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 1908, Jenkins and his wife, Cora, sold the entire
Martin tract to William Spurgeon Hunnicutt for $150 – the same price that T.D.
Bryson had paid the Love heirs almost three decades before.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although there had been improvements made by
the Martins, the improvement value had been lost to nature and time.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In 1912, Spurgeon Hunnicutt and his wife, Lottie, set
off the eastern part of the property and sold it to Spurgeon’s oldest brother,
Waitsel Avery Hunnicutt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The deed
language proved to be a significant element in our assessment of the actual
location of Nellie’s grave and home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
read:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 8pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">"Beginning on a bunch of white
walnuts in the old Corn Tassel line on the east side of Deep Creek at the lore </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">(sic)<i>
end of the old field & runs up said creek 38 poles to a chestnut on bank of
Deep Creek then NE with the meanders of the <b>Indian Grave Ridge</b> to the
old line then S71E 57 poles to a stake and pointers thence S 40 poles to a
stake the line of said Corn Tassel Place then with this line W 79 poles to the
beginning. Containing 35 acres more or less being a part of the tract of
land bought from Georg. W. Jenkins of one hundred achears </i>(sic).<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 4.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The section of the
original Martin tract which Waitsel purchased is marked in yellow in Figure
DC10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reference to Indian Grave
Ridge is the first that has been found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It continued to be used up until the time the land was taken by the N.C.
Park Commission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A closer relative
perspective which includes the elements noted below as well as the Turnaround
road and ford locations is provided in Figure DC13<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 4.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Enyho8d8meaT0bTdFtg5H7RXSd9tLWo6y96tQHGt1EVZ1bVpxm3MvdrWXwGYBpm30jiT1IBUz1QUs1L_7dIHR3Lp37S7xT--yQ7RGfL6NFTTL9JxHPphmfRHXHBELGLmPoFtmUG2yvD0QWAZkj7iZpSILdwrjwJavf4_Q6FFOmVCykMq8ht1QDazw/s780/Figure%20DC10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="780" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Enyho8d8meaT0bTdFtg5H7RXSd9tLWo6y96tQHGt1EVZ1bVpxm3MvdrWXwGYBpm30jiT1IBUz1QUs1L_7dIHR3Lp37S7xT--yQ7RGfL6NFTTL9JxHPphmfRHXHBELGLmPoFtmUG2yvD0QWAZkj7iZpSILdwrjwJavf4_Q6FFOmVCykMq8ht1QDazw/w640-h274/Figure%20DC10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Figure DC10. Original Martin Tract purchased by Spurgeon Hunnicutt, with the eastern section sold to his brother Waitsel highlighted and the Indian Grave Ridge which was part of the boundary noted. Map by author.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Family patriarch, Marion Hunnicutt, died around 1904
and his son, Christopher Columbus Hunnicutt, died in 1923, per the Hunnicutt
family.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to family tradition,
father and son were buried on Indian Grave Ridge, just above the home which had
been built there.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The home was logically
sited immediately adjacent to a spring.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On the other hand, the concept of siting a home in the
middle of the almost level bottomland of the Turnaround, and also more than 100
yards away from a spring, would be at complete odds with virtually universal
practice of Smoky mountain settlers, whether Cherokee or White.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Wendy and I have considered the overall
layout of the Turnaround area, we have concluded that by far the most logical
location for Nellie’s home was exactly the same location as that chosen by the
Hunnicutts along the lower end of Indian Grave Ridge. The spring was right next
to the house and siting the home there also didn’t occupy the most arable land.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conservation of bottomland was such a
priority that the original road up Deep Creek was cut into the side of the
hills in order to keep all of the best land free for raising of crops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The spring for the Waitsel Hunnicutt home –
which we also believe to Nellie’s home – is shown in Figure DC11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wendy Meyers is standing in the old road,
which wound around the slope on the east side of the creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old wagon road begins on the east side of
the former ford at the Jenkins Place and connects to today’s Deep Creek Trail
at a rock wall which was built by the Hunnicutts, according to family
tradition.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp0lBVVoBCdk_2FJn-K-wpv6jfJad7dia6m7W292Oo4aFb4jJvu5lRbNk9Za-0GBxqg0AofxCdzrM1_5ZyCNx58DdHOmnFat2jjkJYHr3maMztH1dNbZejZlmHGPMleQsqnmlj5Lvmfo4y8oSIVUb9W2eaZ4-BKIdt1F0FHME65SdGBOAw2hlfmeS1g/s600/Figure%20DC11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp0lBVVoBCdk_2FJn-K-wpv6jfJad7dia6m7W292Oo4aFb4jJvu5lRbNk9Za-0GBxqg0AofxCdzrM1_5ZyCNx58DdHOmnFat2jjkJYHr3maMztH1dNbZejZlmHGPMleQsqnmlj5Lvmfo4y8oSIVUb9W2eaZ4-BKIdt1F0FHME65SdGBOAw2hlfmeS1g/w480-h640/Figure%20DC11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure DC11. Spring next to the Waitsel Hunnicutt home; Wendy Meyers is standing above the spring next to the old road which wound around the side of the ridge instead of along the precious bottomland. </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, the fact that Will Jenkins reported that her
burial was adjacent to the house also fits well with naming the ridge “Indian
Grave Ridge” – since both the home and graves were at the nose of that ridge.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Waitsel sold the tract he had purchased from Spurgeon
to Ed and Mollie Shuler in 1925.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
retained ownership until the land was taken by the NC Park Commission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another tract of land which had formerly been
owned by the Hunnicutts included the Turnaround proper as well as land on the
west side of Deep Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When taken by
the N.C. Park Commission, it was owned by Tom and May Edwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Park Commission report indicated it was “a
six-roomed ceiled and weather-boarded house in good (repair) located on three
acres of level land, beside the creek.”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one was living in the home, which was “being held for recreation
purposes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="break-after: avoid; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: avoid;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A
Serendipitous Homecoming<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Around 2002, Jim Estes was walking up the Deep Creek
trail to fish above the Bumgarner Bend when he encountered a fellow in his
early 80s at the Turnaround.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The older
fellow had been fishing himself, but was seated on the log of a fallen tree
waiting on a nephew to finish fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turned out that the fellow was James Hunnicutt, the youngest son of
Sam and Leah Hunnicutt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James was born
at the mouth of Hammer Branch in 1921, but pointed Jim to where the family had
last lived – at a home site on the other side of the old ford at the Turnaround.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the six-room house mentioned in the
Park Commission report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That home is one
which was incorrectly marked on the </span><a href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3902g.np000174/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">1931 map of the
eastern section of the Park</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That map showed the home on the eastern side of the creek, but both the
N.C. Park Commission records and extant physical evidence (see Figure DC12) place
it across the creek, near the Turnaround ford, as shown in Figure <span>DC13</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I likely would’ve never located that spot had
it not been for Jim Estes passing along the personal memories of James
Hunnicutt.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oW7RvKz_MZIdSBpM1VDLrFEjzv-N7T7bSDVJVdMKL6S0xLXTSckhl7R0ToRdT_OWoEhgfV6g8pCPdXS42ohpPSDnK_v3jVROk1oGSfjXDogH4osjZYdcrvp4E6WEo3st1fxL4Bbyd9yDQhghFEjjjJhxz-XHgm3f-R-iBYpglfW8UXfq9GsNdpt2DQ/s780/Figure%20DC12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="780" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oW7RvKz_MZIdSBpM1VDLrFEjzv-N7T7bSDVJVdMKL6S0xLXTSckhl7R0ToRdT_OWoEhgfV6g8pCPdXS42ohpPSDnK_v3jVROk1oGSfjXDogH4osjZYdcrvp4E6WEo3st1fxL4Bbyd9yDQhghFEjjjJhxz-XHgm3f-R-iBYpglfW8UXfq9GsNdpt2DQ/w640-h438/Figure%20DC12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>Figure DC12: Author with yellowbells/forsythia, chimney remains at the Hunnicutt home place across Deep Creek from the Turnaround. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCEfR1nRb_bJpsAnw1B7w7NYAoEm0pjhz7bCWNC_uJzUBo4DkfRT7j9SK4t1d7rTZRl8eg52GR7fLC9Vj3FHfbFDqdv7aRm9MgUF4PIxLcRzos9IBZq3XH7zfHiRLLj6AJw0_Unc3y7P4Rb60aoHx4ys-e7AedZwZ4X3LQ1mq4csHnBD5Phr9-_m0Hg/s540/NewFigure%20DC13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="479" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCEfR1nRb_bJpsAnw1B7w7NYAoEm0pjhz7bCWNC_uJzUBo4DkfRT7j9SK4t1d7rTZRl8eg52GR7fLC9Vj3FHfbFDqdv7aRm9MgUF4PIxLcRzos9IBZq3XH7zfHiRLLj6AJw0_Unc3y7P4Rb60aoHx4ys-e7AedZwZ4X3LQ1mq4csHnBD5Phr9-_m0Hg/w355-h400/NewFigure%20DC13.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure DC13: Layout of the Turnaround area and features which have been discussed. Map by author.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">James noted that his extended family also
had another home place just southeast of the Turnaround – where his grandfather
Marion and Uncle Christopher Columbus Hunnicutt are buried. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2022/05/remembering-nellie-martin-cherokee.html">Wendy’s Figure WM8</a>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Jim Estes was himself raised on Deep Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His folks, including g-g grandparents Billy
and Sarah Louisa Morris and g-grandparents Goldman and Harriett Estes, were
living on Deep Creek when the Martin family moved to the Turnaround.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His family knew the Hunnicutts well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Those two sons of the Smokies had a homecoming-like
sharing of memories of their common family lore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Figure DC14 photo, Sam Hunnicutt is
standing at the left, with frying pan in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The man and woman to the right of Sam may be a Reeves couple, according
to Jim Estes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jim’s grandfather, Ellis
Estes is on the horse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To the right of
the horse are Tom Clark, Cora McCracken Estes (expecting Jim’s father, Jack,
born in July, 1917), and Laura Estes Clark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rena Cagle, <span>the daughter of Lee and <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-remarkable-woman.html">Annie Clark Cagle who Wendy wrote about previously </a></span>is in the white hat behind unknown boys in
front and Bonnie Rogers is to their right.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxAfu5U3MCO3coDAd3SYpdQSEUg8V_tsvXD8JtZUS5TWRxf7NNEH5fnVQEXaTiart1GeHrsc9vgZxBRxFZLjUNwnijOYvlWaHF4lZ_SZV1NwUMjiInlpwO5IWtUfOzrrk4YJC7gKMgDiQzkdVui1yYXrGIi_239cQwvPBn33WaQvw-ZSQ6HFuVehHpw/s595/Figure%20DC13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="595" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxAfu5U3MCO3coDAd3SYpdQSEUg8V_tsvXD8JtZUS5TWRxf7NNEH5fnVQEXaTiart1GeHrsc9vgZxBRxFZLjUNwnijOYvlWaHF4lZ_SZV1NwUMjiInlpwO5IWtUfOzrrk4YJC7gKMgDiQzkdVui1yYXrGIi_239cQwvPBn33WaQvw-ZSQ6HFuVehHpw/w640-h444/Figure%20DC13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure DC14: Group of Deep Creek folks on a fishing outing. Photo courtesy of Jim Estes.</td></tr></tbody></table><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></u><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Deep Creek calls its own</span></u></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Deep Creek called to James Hunnicutt and Jim Estes,
for it is a place that calls its children home – to cast flies in holes named
by their forebears decades before, visit old home places, drink from the same
rocked-in springs that quenched the thirst of their ancestors, to recall their oft-told
tales and to simply remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The Places of Beard, Blanton, Bryson, Bumgarner,
Cagle, Casada, Cathey, Clark, Cline, Corn Tassel, Durham, Estes, Hunnicutt, Hyatt,
Jenkins, June Whank, Laney, Lollis, Martin, Massie, McCracken, Monteith,
Morris, Morrow, Parris, Queen, Randall, Shuler, Shytles, Styles, Swaim, Teague,
Thomas, Waycaster, Wiggins, and others are integral to the history of the Deep
Creek drainage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Today, fallen chimneys, rock walls or foundation
stones, boxwoods, daffodils, yellowbells, japonica, mock orange and the like are
visual markers for the former home places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are all now Pondering Places, where in solitude or with a small
company, lives once eked out with the combination of a Protestant work ethic
and then common (now rare) know how are remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We owe it to them and ourselves to also
recall acts of sympathetic generosity like that of the Brysons for the Martin
family and the community at large. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Precious memories, may they linger….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">_________________________________________</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sources: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Jim Estes, Wendy Meyers,
Annette Hartigan, Mike Aday, Ed and Dan Bryson, Jason Brady<br /></span><a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/thomas-william-holland"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">NCPedia
article, Thomas, William Holland</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> (gives date of him being
declared insane as March 1867)<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">NC Park Commission
Records, NC State Archives<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Swain County Register of Deeds <br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ancestry.com</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Note: questions for the author of this piece, Don Casada, may be directed to him at doncasada@hotmail.com. </span></p></div></div></div>Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-71705497118184132992022-04-24T13:31:00.002-07:002022-04-24T13:47:40.595-07:00A Mysterious Death on Noland Creek<p>When I was a child living on Sherrill Gap, we were less than a mile from the Lakeshore Drive (Road to Nowhere) entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On many a hot summer day, Mom and Dad would load us kids up and take us to Noland Creek to cool off in its cold, refreshing waters. Ever since those early days, Noland Creek has held a very special place in my heart and I still routinely hike there. Finding the newspaper article that inspired this blog only added to my intrigue with the creek. </p><p>Regrettably, there was no solution to this mystery - but I hope you'll find the story interesting nonetheless.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA59YmluClFdcyKC55JXUxhrCuGCdmpQyTWtc5l8Q9bb5pCrPixvxiSNTVjnIZ6vxtlObuect8TCKkZE_BqfOVQOroLWckBsaY_EBkEG9eAGqEeMXAzk_6OWX4djinf7RECNdAniuK2zjUpppTC0DlEEpLTorPJRjavoGWxP6g6fPmkc3d3Ef4cZRTeQ/s1304/FB_IMG_1650825733157.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="621" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA59YmluClFdcyKC55JXUxhrCuGCdmpQyTWtc5l8Q9bb5pCrPixvxiSNTVjnIZ6vxtlObuect8TCKkZE_BqfOVQOroLWckBsaY_EBkEG9eAGqEeMXAzk_6OWX4djinf7RECNdAniuK2zjUpppTC0DlEEpLTorPJRjavoGWxP6g6fPmkc3d3Ef4cZRTeQ/w304-h640/FB_IMG_1650825733157.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noland Creek, 04 September 2020<br />Source: Wendy Meyers</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1wlzUcDQBr10SG_b4hE0qXnzQvpGjz0MR_3eKlkGvOsz4AWYd_2VPLGuZboRj63tb0k3FCm58HkESNa0xDmNbgqzKY9WBkIez6qjgI_-1HaVUk6zdK0WCSi7t1a0bweLNEDpplK313VVErFtRw_4E-mhcP3HUsNr9XS9tBrqwhOInTs-hbephM6pxg/s1011/Screenshot_20220424-144236~2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1011" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1wlzUcDQBr10SG_b4hE0qXnzQvpGjz0MR_3eKlkGvOsz4AWYd_2VPLGuZboRj63tb0k3FCm58HkESNa0xDmNbgqzKY9WBkIez6qjgI_-1HaVUk6zdK0WCSi7t1a0bweLNEDpplK313VVErFtRw_4E-mhcP3HUsNr9XS9tBrqwhOInTs-hbephM6pxg/s320/Screenshot_20220424-144236~2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brothers and I, first bridge on Noland Creek downstream from the parking area (20 May 1984) (Source: Margy Trehern)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________</div><p></p><p>On a late October day in 1911, Jeff Woody, a resident of Noland Creek, went traipsing through the woods near Sassafras Knob on a search for chestnuts and instead stumbled across a scene that must have haunted him for the rest of his life.</p><p>For Jeff Woody found a body.</p><p>On November 2nd, 1911, the Asheville Gazette-News reported the following:</p><p><i>"Information has come here from Bryson City of the finding of a decomposed body of a man at Noland creek in Swain county the first of the week, by Jeff Woody, who was hunting chestnuts. The body was behind a log and was concealed by boards. Coroner Davis (</i>Note: this would have been Dr. Robert Lee Davis)<i> visited the place and gave it as his opinion that the man had been dead about a year. One of the arm bones was broken in two places. The theory of death is that he must have been murdered and boards placed over the body to conceal it. The clothing is said to be of good material, corduroy cap and trousers. In the pockets were found 65 cents, a key, and a razor."</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Q0oIfiRJ3Hju_JHzsOS0qn34dBPz7IPKQMg5oD4M1DTGi92HD5f-c5xz8lgZDIZJHdkqODHybFlZ04ZCJny0NxqpJwRXr5qvy9Lzx_UIRsXOZuD8G_suWTnghsm8EPsRaYyKvZs-0aykOa15TWa66NDDWd1PgjmsXpppD6TlmoN0fkCB0ppP66yQog/s648/Mt%20Guyot%20Quad%201912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="635" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Q0oIfiRJ3Hju_JHzsOS0qn34dBPz7IPKQMg5oD4M1DTGi92HD5f-c5xz8lgZDIZJHdkqODHybFlZ04ZCJny0NxqpJwRXr5qvy9Lzx_UIRsXOZuD8G_suWTnghsm8EPsRaYyKvZs-0aykOa15TWa66NDDWd1PgjmsXpppD6TlmoN0fkCB0ppP66yQog/w628-h640/Mt%20Guyot%20Quad%201912.JPG" width="628" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USGS Mount Guyot Quad (1912), showing the Upper Noland Creek area.<br />Source: usgs.gov<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day, the Asheville Citizen-Times further reported that:<p></p><p><i>"....It is believed that he was a mineralogist and was slain by someone who hid the body in such a manner that he believed it would be concealed forever. The place in the woods was not near a public road although the woods are hunted in quite frequently......It is recalled that about eight months ago a person clothed similarly to the body which has caused so much excitement here was a guest at one of the local hotels. He stated that he was in search of mineral lands and many people here believed that he came to his death immediately after leaving here. His name cannot be recalled. <br />The fact that the clothes of the person who was found dead contained several gravels (</i>NOTE: these were later determined to be quartz<i>) would strengthen the belief that the dead man was a miner or mineralogist. The stranger who was here several months ago is remembered to have enquired about the way to the head of Noland's Creek.<br />The indications are that the man was camping in the woods in which he was found and the opinion is freely expressed that he was slain by his campmate, although no idea is entertained as to who committed the murder." - Asheville Citizen-Times, 03 November 1911</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgP9y0LzILgEdkStEa21bdDxXmwKtw03lxb89bMS-SmDUugRWSIlo18h6_38pNm6gaXjQIwunZ3LDpuR6Z8DvqvyjaC51_jANWTWk-u6YFt2Mu8Zm8Rx8UyEqrMa41jTisbDqy9fR80eCFG2Ij1Kmpx2MY6QwMmKCXdGUQcezy1qs0TjV9EhBc_QwzA/s800/Mens%20Attire%20in%20the%201910s%20(gentlemansgazette.com).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="800" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgP9y0LzILgEdkStEa21bdDxXmwKtw03lxb89bMS-SmDUugRWSIlo18h6_38pNm6gaXjQIwunZ3LDpuR6Z8DvqvyjaC51_jANWTWk-u6YFt2Mu8Zm8Rx8UyEqrMa41jTisbDqy9fR80eCFG2Ij1Kmpx2MY6QwMmKCXdGUQcezy1qs0TjV9EhBc_QwzA/w640-h398/Mens%20Attire%20in%20the%201910s%20(gentlemansgazette.com).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of men in 1910 - the clothing the deceased individual was wearing was probably similar. (Source: gentlemansgazette.com)</td></tr></tbody></table>As no local citizens were determined to be missing, the identity of the man was a mystery. Individuals in the Buncombe County area felt that the remains might belong to a former Confederate soldier by the name of John C. Hunter, who had disappeared from his home on Avery's Creek in May 1909. Various acquaintances indicated that he'd had his arm amputated above the elbow (and the skeleton found had broken arm bones), he'd last been seen in a corduroy coat, and he'd been carrying small stones in his pocket, which he said he'd picked up in some of the "western counties" on the chance that they might hold value. However, it made little sense as to why Mr. Hunter, then about 74 years of age, would be near this remote area of Swain County, a great distance from his home....particularly in 1911. <p></p><p>Investigation into the presumed murder continued, and on January 28, 1912, Henry Dailey was arrested in Cherokee County in connection with it, after officials there had received instructions a few days earlier from an officer (presumably from Swain County) to arrest him on sight. After that, the trail of this mystery goes abruptly cold..... </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZbVgpjWw6l7dn8pRYyhABMkLYn-yAVi79EA2guyLbEuB_1SkxDGMRUcZgRt-UP2OM7aqkSl9vKa3brNBEa77rBDX6YZgKtCbUz1uJDYaSQ0sVPgJxhNkzTciGts8lcCoMYvhk97s0r1zS8ktH-T9jAJangYt-rupgFcJlHcN3_XU8YoOs2GRoLrBJA/s903/Asheville%20Gazette-News%20(30Jan1912).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="443" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZbVgpjWw6l7dn8pRYyhABMkLYn-yAVi79EA2guyLbEuB_1SkxDGMRUcZgRt-UP2OM7aqkSl9vKa3brNBEa77rBDX6YZgKtCbUz1uJDYaSQ0sVPgJxhNkzTciGts8lcCoMYvhk97s0r1zS8ktH-T9jAJangYt-rupgFcJlHcN3_XU8YoOs2GRoLrBJA/w314-h640/Asheville%20Gazette-News%20(30Jan1912).JPG" width="314" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asheville Gazette-News, 30 January 1912.<br />Source: newspapers.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are no further newspaper accounts of what happened after that, and no death certificate to indicate the manner of death. Our mysterious victim's final resting place is likewise unknown, but if his body was brought to Bryson City for autopsy, he may have been buried in one of the unmarked graves in the Bryson City Cemetery. Hope remains that some data regarding this case may reside in the NC State Archives, and if I'm ever able to locate any, I will update this article. </p><p>The next time you're up on Noland Creek hiking, horseback riding, or attending Decoration Day, consider taking a moment as you travel the road to ponder the sad fate of a nameless stranger who walked that same peaceful road in 1910, likely in search of his fortune, and instead met a violent and untimely end in the surrounding woods. It's a tragic story.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EqmCg4TlS_LZPvJxH0Gl_MMdKhJwGGQHdTdVS0gHwB55Dr_6EUtDlyWxFaHg0t3RbVdgcIDwzCOa8hQzB1PtCVDW2CJOsgZxPLcgO8qcOcnxH33bu4vQphEqHk78u6ibT3tTYPX7Fa1GFR2wZ3W9EmT4HmCJQAVEcPQ3p9uuCDplZvFk6vJaHEW0qA/s830/Noland%20Creek%20Road.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="621" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EqmCg4TlS_LZPvJxH0Gl_MMdKhJwGGQHdTdVS0gHwB55Dr_6EUtDlyWxFaHg0t3RbVdgcIDwzCOa8hQzB1PtCVDW2CJOsgZxPLcgO8qcOcnxH33bu4vQphEqHk78u6ibT3tTYPX7Fa1GFR2wZ3W9EmT4HmCJQAVEcPQ3p9uuCDplZvFk6vJaHEW0qA/w478-h640/Noland%20Creek%20Road.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noland Creek Road, 04 September 2020<br />Source: Wendy Meyers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Postscript: Interestingly, another skeleton was found in Swain County less than a year later high up on Hazel Creek. This man was not believed to have been murdered but was felt to have died of hypothermia while crossing the mountains, going from Tennessee to Proctor, likely to work for Ritter Lumber (reported by The Raleigh Times on 20 July 1912).<br /></p><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: center;">_____________________________________________________________________</span></div><p></p><p>Sources:</p><p>Asheville Citizen-Times, 03 November 1911<br /><span style="text-align: center;">Asheville Gazette-News, 02 November 1911</span><br /><span style="text-align: center;">Asheville Gazette-News, 30 January 1912<br />Margy Trehern<br />The Raleigh Times, 20 July 1912<br />www.ancestry.com<br />www.gentlemansgazette.com<br />www.newspapers.com<br />www.usgs.gov</span></p><p> </p>Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-17591386942443346332021-08-24T17:36:00.002-07:002021-08-24T17:46:31.245-07:00The Killing of Willie DeLozier (13 October 1888)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIePjEirc7ZOLxOwZPiEcbW70cQK2fMX52j4IXVIA9AS6nN8egO1a6ZOvubNDZtUGQnuxntI6td18WZn-0IDWZobUUVoaLcNZ6ZlPguHElWxjq2Wip7Uq3viBXPx_Q4m5G8V9fIcNYzgq/s756/Willie+DeLozier+with+siblings+Lillie+and+John+C+%2528Elise+DeLozier+Palmer%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIePjEirc7ZOLxOwZPiEcbW70cQK2fMX52j4IXVIA9AS6nN8egO1a6ZOvubNDZtUGQnuxntI6td18WZn-0IDWZobUUVoaLcNZ6ZlPguHElWxjq2Wip7Uq3viBXPx_Q4m5G8V9fIcNYzgq/w296-h400/Willie+DeLozier+with+siblings+Lillie+and+John+C+%2528Elise+DeLozier+Palmer%2529.jpeg" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William L. "Willie" DeLozier (center) with sister Lillie Ivalee (on left) and brother John Cleveland<br />(on right). The picture was taken circa 1885.<br />Source: Elise DeLozier Palmer (daughter of J.C. DeLozier)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Early on in my research, I came across this fascinating little article in a North Carolina newspaper about the shooting death of an 18 year-old young man in Swain County. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiVle0ysAWmRpILvqps2osrlJQbmIchatSaLfzWZColWaXdgdpNvIztRshnFYMfCLUkta7touUuULmDE1KHiIKmjYtRjGCgV2uATcGKnC6HQajWnQqz5lY-pb16LVaesJEVeOYZGZvv5N/s550/Killing+of+Willie+DeLozier.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="550" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiVle0ysAWmRpILvqps2osrlJQbmIchatSaLfzWZColWaXdgdpNvIztRshnFYMfCLUkta7touUuULmDE1KHiIKmjYtRjGCgV2uATcGKnC6HQajWnQqz5lY-pb16LVaesJEVeOYZGZvv5N/w400-h251/Killing+of+Willie+DeLozier.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: The Daily Evening Patriot (Greensboro, NC)<br />16 October 1888</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Various iterations of this article appeared in other North Carolina newspapers. I was intrigued, as I knew that the DeLozier family had lived in the Judson area and so attempted a great deal of additional research to see what else I could find out about this young man's death - and came up empty-handed. Then a couple of years later, I picked up the book, "Ash, Ashe, Stillwell: A Genealogy", a genealogical history of some of the families who had lived in the Judson and Almond areas of Swain County. Hidden among the book's 425 pages documenting family members and their progeny, I came across exactly what I had been looking for. As it turns out, a relative of the author, John Reid Ashe, had written to him while he was authoring the book and wanted to share an old family story with him. </p><p>It was on the death of Willie DeLozier. I'd hit the proverbial jackpot. </p><p>I hope you will enjoy Choice Stillwell Parker's letter (below) as much as I did. </p><p style="text-align: center;">___________________________________</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"I've heard my Daddy speak of his Aunt Emmoline Delosier many, many times. Also of how her son, Willie, met his death at an early age. He told us that Willie had dated a Sandlin girl a few times, while at the same time some other boy was dating her. He said that someone gift wrapped a pocket knife and mailed it to the Sandlin girl. Now in those days this was considered an insult, so her brother Matt, carried the knife back to Willie Delosier. Willie assured Matt that he had not mailed the knife to the girl, that it was not his knife and he had never seen it before. Matt carried the knife back down to the general store and left it there. A few days later the knife was received through the mail by the Sandlin girl again, all gift wrapped as before.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>On a Saturday afternoon, shortly thereafter, Matt Sandlin showed up at the general store, sat around and talked for a while, and was heard to say he was going over to spend the night with Willie and would kill him while he was there. Matt arrived at Willie's late in the afternoon and after supper they were sitting around talking and Matt asked Willie to go hunting with him the next morning. Willie agreed. Willie did not know the girl had received the knife a second time and no idea what was going on in Matt's mind.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>When morning came, Willie fixed breakfast. His mother was in bed sick with mumps, I believe it was. Willie went up to see about his mother and found her with a headache. He tied a handkerchief around his mother's head and told her of his plans to go hunting with Matt. His mother didn't want him to go, she said she didn't 'feel right about it'. Willie assured her he would be alright and would be back in a little while.</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcvCmv0PYRKs27FYWwAcurDtcAF8A6tG0V0_PjsfAcYtrvfdZPDRISyAN1JlV1gx0SG9GwuZd9dhhextJxjaB3ZNTZ_qR3LcW10MTPGN39yXn1QudxiXVTHSNSG6N-_KdCadgzXrX0iIn/s109/Emaline+Stillwell+DeLozier+%2528from+Ash+Ashe+Stillwell%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="109" data-original-width="80" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcvCmv0PYRKs27FYWwAcurDtcAF8A6tG0V0_PjsfAcYtrvfdZPDRISyAN1JlV1gx0SG9GwuZd9dhhextJxjaB3ZNTZ_qR3LcW10MTPGN39yXn1QudxiXVTHSNSG6N-_KdCadgzXrX0iIn/w235-h320/Emaline+Stillwell+DeLozier+%2528from+Ash+Ashe+Stillwell%2529.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Rebecca Emaline (nee' Stillwell) DeLozier, <br />mother of Willie DeLozier.<br />Source: "Ash, Ashe, Stillwell"</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;">Matt borrowed a gun from Willie and they set out for the field below the house. They said when Aunt Emmoline heard the shotgun blast a little later she said 'Oh, Lord! He's killed my son.' In a short while Matt came back to the house and said there had been an accident. Said he accidentally shot and killed Willie.</i></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Willie was brought to the house and friends and neighbors came in, bathed, dressed, and 'laid Willie out'. In the evening when the community gathered to visit with the Delosiers, Matt was among the crowd but for some reason he would not go in to look at Willie as other friends were doing. When someone asked him why, he said he would rather not see Willie dead. Now, some of the men and boys who suspected what had happened on that hunting trip got together and decided they would make Matt go in and look at Willie. When they forced Matt to look at Willie, blood started oozing out through Willie's white shirt at the spot where the heart is (Willie was shot through the heart). This, they said, was proof that Matt had murdered Willie.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>They carried Matt to jail and had a sort of trial, but since no one saw what happened in that field, he came clear. But my Daddy always said, he and everyone else around there, knew Matt Sandlin had made his threat good and killed Willie Delosier."</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Choice Stillwell Parker in "Ash, Ashe, Stillwell", by John Ashe</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yD5t2wbYmeYCQYBgxlUjvcVWDq0NCP5Vud2J84JmTI-gvlPBapcKoWQDz3pQs3CxlrB6s907awMkMTvzTCfv49Scit08ZG2yOfTelTbiLzYr523LXXbbUXBpjN_vUDF-ImaTLiSTgre5/s549/Inquest+for+Willie+DeLozier.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="549" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yD5t2wbYmeYCQYBgxlUjvcVWDq0NCP5Vud2J84JmTI-gvlPBapcKoWQDz3pQs3CxlrB6s907awMkMTvzTCfv49Scit08ZG2yOfTelTbiLzYr523LXXbbUXBpjN_vUDF-ImaTLiSTgre5/w400-h56/Inquest+for+Willie+DeLozier.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Documentation of the inquest for Willie DeLozier<br />Source: Swain County Herald, 14 February 1889</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">______________________________________________</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">In a sad twist of fate, Willie was killed exactly three years (to the day) after the death of his father, Jesse Ridings DeLozier. Willie, his parents, and many other of his family members, are buried in the Judson section of the Lauada Cemetery. </span></p><p>Note: The Matt Sandlin referred to in the tale of Willie's death was almost certainly Matison W. Sandlin (alternately recorded as <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231105129/madison_alt_matison-b-sandlin">Madison B Sandlin</a>) (1869 - 30 July 1894), who was related to the DeLoziers by marriage (his brother, Will, was married to Nancy Caroline DeLozier). The Sandlin girl referred to would have likely been one of Matt's sisters: Mary (born in 1873) or Rachel Annie (born in 1874). He married Mary Lawing in Cherokee County, North Carolina, in 1891. In early November 1893, Sandlin, who was then living in Clay County, engaged in a quarrel with a neighbor and drew his gun to shoot the neighbor but instead struck the neighbor's 5 year-old son, killing him. He fled and was captured in Chester County, Tennessee, in June 1894 and was brought back to Murphy. He died of typhoid fever in the Cherokee County jail on July 30, 1894, while awaiting trial for the child's death.</p><p style="text-align: center;">________________________</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl8a_UPdWi1Fb-Gqf1nX2uEprC1GTeNiUwW8vL0Y1dLBwf4KBK9ShLSj5FsO_y8mTEcdnuUN1W6C-Pck4Z1jGx7D1ZNGw98Adz4R5PK2XqOF4AlQKPli3eip8SuPlvRX8YrPOs9bd6r5u/s333/Willie+DeLozier+stone+%2528John+Mathis+on+Findagrave.com%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl8a_UPdWi1Fb-Gqf1nX2uEprC1GTeNiUwW8vL0Y1dLBwf4KBK9ShLSj5FsO_y8mTEcdnuUN1W6C-Pck4Z1jGx7D1ZNGw98Adz4R5PK2XqOF4AlQKPli3eip8SuPlvRX8YrPOs9bd6r5u/s320/Willie+DeLozier+stone+%2528John+Mathis+on+Findagrave.com%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willie DeLozier Headstone, Lauada Cemetery<br />Source: John L Mathis for findagrave.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />_____________________________________________________<p></p><p><b>Sources:</b></p><p>Ancestry.com<br />"Ash, Ashe, Stillwell: A Genealogy" by John Reid Ashe; published 1977.<br />Asheville Weekly Citizen, 09 November 1893<br />Asheville Citizen-Times, 19 June 1894<br />Elise DeLozier Palmer and Amy Palmer Evans<br />Marion Record, 17 August 1894<br />Newspapers.com<br />Swain County Herald, 14 February 1889<br />The Daily Evening Patriot, 16 October 1888<br />Wilmington Morning Star, 07 August 1894</p>Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-57091432751345755652020-12-24T14:05:00.000-08:002020-12-24T14:05:00.417-08:00Christmas in Bryson City, 1888<p>In the past, I have published a blog piece on <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-county-wide-christmas-in-1929.html" target="_blank">Christmas in 1929</a> in Swain County. I thought it would be fun to go back another 41 years to see how Christmas was celebrated in Bryson City's early days. Happy holidays to you all!<br />_________________________________________________________________________</p><p>"The Union Sunday School of Charleston (<i>the name of the town was changed to Bryson City in 1889</i>) celebrated Christmas on Christmas evening. The services were held in the court room <i>(see pictures below of the courthouse)</i> which had been tastefully decorated by a committee of citizens, the chief decoration naturally being a tree, which was weighed down with gifts. In addition to those on the tree, two tables were covered and nearly an hour was occupied in the distribution of them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJXtCSH0kepbNpE5nA4uHPInZZEWSbxqCm_AFjdeKgYmmT_FMMUTsQUrdFCW05MwRtzqoFadfopvMJoNbEZ7E6T7W6XBDg2xKBUBwG56T1czr3TvwZmPA4UD4LfySwWmFWs2F-GJO-_9c/s468/FB_IMG_1608833747320.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="468" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJXtCSH0kepbNpE5nA4uHPInZZEWSbxqCm_AFjdeKgYmmT_FMMUTsQUrdFCW05MwRtzqoFadfopvMJoNbEZ7E6T7W6XBDg2xKBUBwG56T1czr3TvwZmPA4UD4LfySwWmFWs2F-GJO-_9c/w400-h289/FB_IMG_1608833747320.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second Swain County Courthouse (destroyed by fire, January 1908)<br />Source: Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigaex-AyW9VTHsJB6g2eU8H8tgy6gqCVSAmkJEkN40y44nHDEKUYf3CXnYh04bPbWt_3cwS5nK9YA181cFjCRzYZJgSgkiHgHWft63QgcT86u6IFPaTj84yjPT24USEwJMft3b0vy4qbi/s684/FB_IMG_1608833728823.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="684" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigaex-AyW9VTHsJB6g2eU8H8tgy6gqCVSAmkJEkN40y44nHDEKUYf3CXnYh04bPbWt_3cwS5nK9YA181cFjCRzYZJgSgkiHgHWft63QgcT86u6IFPaTj84yjPT24USEwJMft3b0vy4qbi/w400-h291/FB_IMG_1608833728823.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second Swain County Courthouse, year unknown<br />Source: Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>At seven o'clock the court room was crowded, the members of the Sunday school occupying seats on the rostrum, the body of the house being filled with their friends and relatives. The services opened with an instrumental duet on the violin and organ by <a href="http://friendsofthebccemetery.org/files/biographical/John_Everett.pdf" target="_blank">Mr. J.H. Everett</a> and <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112630355/jennie-bailey" target="_blank">Miss Jennie Collins</a>. Next came a chorus from Gospel Hymns which was received with much satisfaction. <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70836441/geo-h.-church">Rev. Geo. H. Church</a> read a selection from the Scriptures and led the audience in prayer. Miss Collins and Messrs Everett and <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/220141400/henry-b-mclean" target="_blank">Henry McLean</a> rendered another instrumental piece. Rev. Church gave the children a short Christmas sermon and wound up with a chicken story that was received with great hilarity. The choir then sang another selection from Gospel Hymns. H. A. Hodge made a few remarks on the origin of the name Christmas, and the custom of having Christmas trees. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFkmvk_UmozxcChe7r8xImvdi-qFRcgJmOMaRvt14gyJ5h5JErpBTa3ncJx3TpGkHBGBIV_B6x_6oqqzKCGjV_z1x09-4XyCstC9fJQ99uLA-Sbw09XGur-atpbOiKGH3ckGpJe-w4UdH/s228/Jennie+Collins+%2528Dawna+Carlton%2529+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="194" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFkmvk_UmozxcChe7r8xImvdi-qFRcgJmOMaRvt14gyJ5h5JErpBTa3ncJx3TpGkHBGBIV_B6x_6oqqzKCGjV_z1x09-4XyCstC9fJQ99uLA-Sbw09XGur-atpbOiKGH3ckGpJe-w4UdH/w340-h400/Jennie+Collins+%2528Dawna+Carlton%2529+%25282%2529.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennie (nee' Collins) Bailey (1874 - 1965)<br />Source: Dawna Carlton</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XhnD6lAA_sZFzNV6A8SZMAhVWCXimWYJQ5TXFkj6AT7fcMhjbXQdk01qPOBSsVZ1h68ByXZjEX0J95EirhXVMcOQOXr4IbLqTq9ZpDbWDCBf1FhUHmBiXMZsAgPTuY9zWenRrJZI9N11/s491/John+H+Everett+%2528ancestry+user+dwilkins0316%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="446" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XhnD6lAA_sZFzNV6A8SZMAhVWCXimWYJQ5TXFkj6AT7fcMhjbXQdk01qPOBSsVZ1h68ByXZjEX0J95EirhXVMcOQOXr4IbLqTq9ZpDbWDCBf1FhUHmBiXMZsAgPTuY9zWenRrJZI9N11/w364-h400/John+H+Everett+%2528ancestry+user+dwilkins0316%2529.jpg" width="364" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Henderson Everett (1857 - 1937)<br />Source: Ancestry.com member dwilkins0316</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After another instrumental piece, <a href="http://friendsofthebccemetery.org/files/biographical/DKCollins.pdf" target="_blank">D.K. Collins</a>, superintendent of the school, briefly but feelingly recounted the efforts to build up the Sunday school and spoke of the interest he took in such work. Then came the distribution of gifts, when many hearts were made glad and the audience dispersed in great good humour. Everything passed off quietly and orderly and the committee having the arrangements in charge, and particularly the superintendent of the school are to be congratulated on the success of the evening's entertainment.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDGwXmdWAp2rRs1cyeS0kIDNSQGCWWIeq-QcnVGJPJWRY2Gbw-UNOlNlsYJ4_al6emnMgpQITKP_nXWoQO9RO57nUtu1nXHS4c5nbdv13G1S95xv9GJEGfKeLNwHw0tgkdY4WchDZou2R/s960/Reverend+George+Church+%2528findagrave.com%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="624" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDGwXmdWAp2rRs1cyeS0kIDNSQGCWWIeq-QcnVGJPJWRY2Gbw-UNOlNlsYJ4_al6emnMgpQITKP_nXWoQO9RO57nUtu1nXHS4c5nbdv13G1S95xv9GJEGfKeLNwHw0tgkdY4WchDZou2R/w260-h400/Reverend+George+Church+%2528findagrave.com%2529.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reverend George H. Church (1849 - 1928)<br />Source: Findagrave.com member John M. Campbell</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGUIf5mmVgspRSGVS7VvfPaf0L3h5pvkzF-0TzyU_RFLPqpIfjvXPGEXGYYoOjyquWn2JA57ywcq7zbTnuAcAgI461HAu1zvzJgp-WGyNyFDbCmJYvDUPBVdKQiKB3d_MedHnJ0dilKkm/s554/DK+and+Mattie+Franks+Collins+%2528Dawna+Carlton%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="411" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGUIf5mmVgspRSGVS7VvfPaf0L3h5pvkzF-0TzyU_RFLPqpIfjvXPGEXGYYoOjyquWn2JA57ywcq7zbTnuAcAgI461HAu1zvzJgp-WGyNyFDbCmJYvDUPBVdKQiKB3d_MedHnJ0dilKkm/w296-h400/DK+and+Mattie+Franks+Collins+%2528Dawna+Carlton%2529.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Kimsey (D.K.) and 'Mattie' (nee' Franks) Collins;<br />Mattie was his first wife and the mother of Jennie.<br />Source: Dawna Carlton</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A good many humorous hits were made in the selection of gifts. The biggest laugh being raised when <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198380376/mary-a-miles" target="_blank">Miss Mary Battle</a> opened a large box and a live rabbit popped out. </p><p><i>Swain County Herald, 03 January 1889</i></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh4FUTgBs-nMvEJS0onsanF97zLQbPXkOeDpSndvn3dg7Mo7AaPbVrc1ailR4raa6ab2QN2ZX7DAd3NofmwD85vqw-B_kmYOvUvbPUAx83-x_VQrvrAPMj24ZjfLXodx3n-4hjXMTZv52/s262/Rabbit+in+gift+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh4FUTgBs-nMvEJS0onsanF97zLQbPXkOeDpSndvn3dg7Mo7AaPbVrc1ailR4raa6ab2QN2ZX7DAd3NofmwD85vqw-B_kmYOvUvbPUAx83-x_VQrvrAPMj24ZjfLXodx3n-4hjXMTZv52/s0/Rabbit+in+gift+box.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: www.cleanpng.com</td></tr></tbody></table><i>__________________________________________________________________________</i></p><p><i>Note: I have embedded active links for some of the individuals named in the article so that the reader may find out more about them. Two links to Friends of the Bryson City Cemetery articles (J.H. Everett and D.K. Collins) are particularly detailed. </i></p><p><i>Sources:</i></p><p><i>Dawna Carlton<br />Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society<br />www.ancestry.com<br /></i><i>www.cleanpng.com<br />www.findagrave.com<br /></i><i>www.friendsofthe bccemetery.org<br />www.newspapers.org (Swain County Herald, 03 January 1889</i></p>Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-30668836200489059052020-05-24T12:36:00.001-07:002020-05-25T07:48:24.606-07:00Memorial Day - Remembering Corporal Everett Bates (1895 - 1918)Two years ago, I published an <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-lambs-of-tabor-cemetery.html" target="_blank">article on the Tabor Cemetery</a>. One of the graves I visited at the cemetery was that of <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155462166/everett-robert-bates" target="_blank">Everett Robert Bates</a>, a young Needmore-area farmer who died in World War I. Although all war deaths are tragic, his seems particularly so to me. Why? In addition to his youth and the impending birth of his first child at the time of his death, Everett died in the waning hours of the war, quite literally. He perished sometime between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 - Armistice Day - the very day upon which the war ended. As Memorial Day is nigh, I felt that a remembrance of this brave young man was in order.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_g8J-YG9-BK1su8hkjAq5sQAxSjzc-f-lwnFu1VipnVoeNzLtogXqwNyp5bFBx5zdrUbX_w6ouJS0EhLdb64ZK4VsqWf2dkHRcfaoWqFaEsLVsZHUypJ0lx0Ua2PphxhPq3D5fon7lPO/s1600/Everett+Bates+on+his+wedding+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="175" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_g8J-YG9-BK1su8hkjAq5sQAxSjzc-f-lwnFu1VipnVoeNzLtogXqwNyp5bFBx5zdrUbX_w6ouJS0EhLdb64ZK4VsqWf2dkHRcfaoWqFaEsLVsZHUypJ0lx0Ua2PphxhPq3D5fon7lPO/s400/Everett+Bates+on+his+wedding+day.jpg" width="346" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett Robert Bates (taken September 26, 1917)<br />
Source: David DeHart</td></tr>
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Everett Robert Bates was born in the Needmore section of Swain County on September 27, 1895, the fourth child (of at least 13) of William Jefferson and Sally Jane Levinia (nee' DeHart) Bates. Little is known of his young life but it may be assumed it was the typical life of a child of rural Swain County during that time. He likely attended either the <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2016/09/back-to-school-in-swain-county.html" target="_blank">Hightower School</a> or the <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/search/label/White%20Oak" target="_blank">White Oak School</a> as a youngster, as the 1910 census reveals him to have been able to both read and write, and probably attended one of the churches in the area - perhaps Maple Springs or Brush Creek. He appears to have farmed for a living during his brief adult life. In 1917, the 'Great War' in Europe came knocking upon the doors of the young men of Swain County and Everett was required to register for the draft. His draft card (dated June 5, 1917) reveals that at the time, he was single and working as a farmer for Charles Rastus Browning in the Needmore area. He married Lillie May Marr (1899 - 1978) just 3 months later on September 26th. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNVvWDpH8PZL66QAIfkgXIiDxWfjfhmwGM-nK_vXJQ11UqRab5BG_Ih5zT0XdQJ8AwqnqS2oDlQ1HW0Ig8O7eh0nuL31IzOFyzFJIctLjIOWRNRa9MLG3pa0RJGkSg1ScegIYJm3ePw7-/s1600/Everett+Bates+Draft+Card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1006" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNVvWDpH8PZL66QAIfkgXIiDxWfjfhmwGM-nK_vXJQ11UqRab5BG_Ih5zT0XdQJ8AwqnqS2oDlQ1HW0Ig8O7eh0nuL31IzOFyzFJIctLjIOWRNRa9MLG3pa0RJGkSg1ScegIYJm3ePw7-/s640/Everett+Bates+Draft+Card.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett Bates draft registration card<br />
Source: Ancestry.com and Fold3.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1544ecDO_JgWcWx0eERbXuOp85_99PH-96ptGyitg1720Fach0G3YIqaC9vML2wCDTiIX7KRIFnzHfyqtMfAqsiqINphVESxNelia-qa_M1n3uo3XFXRiiyZVwInjRoQNpsAPE5thrIi0/s1600/Standing+Everett+and+Lillie+Marr+Bates+ans+Seated+Lum+Winchester+and+Nell+Marr+%2528002%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1544ecDO_JgWcWx0eERbXuOp85_99PH-96ptGyitg1720Fach0G3YIqaC9vML2wCDTiIX7KRIFnzHfyqtMfAqsiqINphVESxNelia-qa_M1n3uo3XFXRiiyZVwInjRoQNpsAPE5thrIi0/s640/Standing+Everett+and+Lillie+Marr+Bates+ans+Seated+Lum+Winchester+and+Nell+Marr+%2528002%2529.jpg" width="402" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett Bates and Lillie Marr (top row) on their wedding day (September 26, 1917).<br />
Seated in this picture are Lillie's sister Nell and Everett's friend Columbus 'Lum' Winchester.<br />
Source: David DeHart</td></tr>
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It is almost certain that Everett and Lillie's marriage occurred when it did due to his being 'called up' for duty. For though he had tried to claim exemption from the draft due to disease, his number had been pulled and he left via train for Camp Jackson in South Carolina, just days later on October 2nd. He was enlisted in Company I of the 321st Infantry Unit (the 'Wildcats'), 81st Division of the U.S. Army. Over the next nine months at Camp Jackson, he actively trained for near-certain deployment to the Western Front in Europe. He appears to have had the chance to return home at least once during his training, as Lillie became pregnant in the spring of 1918 but on July 31, 1918 he embarked on the 'City of Glasgow' to go to Europe with his fellow soldiers, never to return alive. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mUQJaBqcM5zLrYMt-dlPTbthLNF-nnb2_WIsmsNORPyg4mImPwfOIKtufJMg0jQkYDz8RQEDxnAfutZIJqzgK0rxmRUEJUm1tkDsSZJnpbtGAMJtSk-nP_a9AUUgly8xfl8s29vS4rEf/s1600/city_of_glasgow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="900" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mUQJaBqcM5zLrYMt-dlPTbthLNF-nnb2_WIsmsNORPyg4mImPwfOIKtufJMg0jQkYDz8RQEDxnAfutZIJqzgK0rxmRUEJUm1tkDsSZJnpbtGAMJtSk-nP_a9AUUgly8xfl8s29vS4rEf/s400/city_of_glasgow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'City of Glasgow' - the ship which transported Everett Bates to Europe in 1918.<br />
It was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Ireland one month later.<br />
Source: wrecksite.eu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett Bates embarkation record<br />
Source: Ancestry.com and Fold3.com</td></tr>
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The activities of Everett's division during the three months prior to his death are recorded elsewhere (link below) and in the interest of saving space, I will not detail them here. However, we are exceptionally privileged to have access to the diary of another soldier in the 321st, who wrote in great detail about the events that transpired on the date of Everett's death at the Battle of Moranville in France. The full diary is located at <a href="https://fromthepage.com/ncdcr-ncarchives/wwi-diaries/thomas-p-shinn-s-wartime-diary" target="_blank">this link</a>, but I have excerpted small bits and pieces to provide the reader some idea of the awful realities that Everett faced on that last day of his earthly existence.</div>
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<i>'About 5 o'clock (am) we walked around and looked at the sleeping company in their little shell holes, every one in a shell of his own. I wondered how many of them would be living at noon that day and I thought how hard it would be to arouse them from a peaceful sleep to go out to kill and be killed. At this time we called the men....the men rubbed their eyes and tightened their belts for there was no water to wash their faces or food to fill their stomachs. The men took it good naturedly and prepared to go over the top.....</i></div>
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<i>The high explosive shells were falling just as though it was raining them from above....we could hear the continuous ring of M.G. (machine gun) fire and every now and then a man could be seen going to the rear carrying a bullet pierced arm or limping back on a leg that had been shot...nothing could stop us as long as life lasted for our orders were to take Attain or die trying. </i></div>
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<i>We were lost in a fog and wading water waist deep.....we rushed on for some distance and found that we were caught in a trap.....we fought there for some time in the marsh up to our waist and the coldest water I ever felt. We were in an awful fix in a trap sure from all sides and our men were being killed by the M.G. from the front and a box barrage from the rear......Our scouts were out in front of the front wave about 40 yards and the fog was so dense that we couldn't see them at all but we knew very well when they came in contact with the enemy for they opened up with what seemed us a thousand M.G. and a few 77s#'s which they shot whiz bangs point blank at us......</i></div>
<div>
<i>At seven minutes to eleven a runner came up to the Capt. out of breath and handed him an order. I had no idea what the order meant.....as soon as he read the order he called two runners and told them to go to the platoons and give them orders to cease firing at eleven o'clock. At 11 a.m. we ceased firing and the Germans jumped up, threw their rifles down and came running to meet us....We spent the rest of the day gathering up the dead and wounded of the field and they were plentiful. We hauled many loads of dead bodies up and buried them in a hole dug like a long ditch. The men were laid close together, side by side, and covered up...... </i></div>
<div>
<i>The Germans celebrated all night long by sending up flares and lights from the trenches and they were so glad they wouldn't sleep at all but we were perfectly willing to rest and sleep.'</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Thomas 'Jack' Pinkney Shinn, Co. B, 321st Inf., 81st Div., U.S. Army </i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz4um3-U0XLPhj_nWGKZvzp93mYWeHv2gTF0F6jJlQ71wqUx3Iln7eY3P5dPrjh936XAHPkvRnMICzqXxSQQ-Vcpq3HMwVst3qFkugs5xD79iKmva0GKTNUpTVL73Tff9oNCfUzHYGFoA/s1600/Mass+Burial+%2528Everett+Bates+would+have+been+included%2529+on+12+Nov+1918+%2528ncdcr.gov%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="855" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz4um3-U0XLPhj_nWGKZvzp93mYWeHv2gTF0F6jJlQ71wqUx3Iln7eY3P5dPrjh936XAHPkvRnMICzqXxSQQ-Vcpq3HMwVst3qFkugs5xD79iKmva0GKTNUpTVL73Tff9oNCfUzHYGFoA/s640/Mass+Burial+%2528Everett+Bates+would+have+been+included%2529+on+12+Nov+1918+%2528ncdcr.gov%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaplain B.S. Vaughn presiding over the mass burial of the dead at Moranville on November 12, 1918. The graves are marked by small slabs of wood. Everett was one of the deceased soldiers for whom this service was given.<br />
Source: <a href="https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2018/11/11/north-carolinians-respond-armistice-november-11-1918">https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2018/11/11/north-carolinians-respond-armistice-november-11-1918</a></td></tr>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Everett was originally interred among this sad line of deceased soldiers described by Jack Shinn. It is not known how his demise was conveyed to his wife and family, though it is almost certain they received the news via telegram. His death was announced in the Asheville Citizen-Times on December 10, 1918. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bp-NbUMIpRim9QypN5v49iWXOaUBOXF0cAIfcQs1N9THLVn9n6YB8QP87MPUL-MB82x-rHwgWYUHGSXk2rEHJi-e2biPgpkGpYBAXkobsrU_BMOM9NpiulqBDvifhU7fMdweUSBeeUyB/s1600/Americas+Honor+List+Everett+Bates+%2528newspapers.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="406" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bp-NbUMIpRim9QypN5v49iWXOaUBOXF0cAIfcQs1N9THLVn9n6YB8QP87MPUL-MB82x-rHwgWYUHGSXk2rEHJi-e2biPgpkGpYBAXkobsrU_BMOM9NpiulqBDvifhU7fMdweUSBeeUyB/s320/Americas+Honor+List+Everett+Bates+%2528newspapers.com%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'America's Honor List'<br />
Source: Asheville Citizen Times, December 10, 1918</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
On February 27, 1919, Lillie gave birth to Everett's child, a son that she named after his father. Sadly, however, Everett Robert Bates Jr.'s life was to be cut tragically short as he died on January 1, 1921, of meningitis. Lillie, no doubt devastated by the loss of both her husband and son in such a short period of time, married James Floyd Cunningham just a few months later in March.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Everett Sr. remained in France until July 1921, when his body was repatriated to the United States (unlike many of his comrades, whose bodies remain buried in foreign soil). He was interred in the Tabor Cemetery near the grave of his son. It is a peaceful and beautiful place for his eternal repose, in the mountains of home - far removed from the horrors of the battlefield upon which he died. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeF8woUmyZGXtnF5HVzREINPvft5NY8Hew7BML5Vj4YCRGWxTpGePq6cUi1KHKns8vGy-UvniE_Raiw1XNYaP0QRPILbQw0MnzsEHrWNxqWBqwfoS4zJz-0UbsnwpEcMzAh1494js8n6m0/s1600/Everett+Bates+repatriation+%2528Fold3.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="770" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeF8woUmyZGXtnF5HVzREINPvft5NY8Hew7BML5Vj4YCRGWxTpGePq6cUi1KHKns8vGy-UvniE_Raiw1XNYaP0QRPILbQw0MnzsEHrWNxqWBqwfoS4zJz-0UbsnwpEcMzAh1494js8n6m0/s640/Everett+Bates+repatriation+%2528Fold3.com%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett Bates repatriation documentation<br />
Source: Fold3.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqBiWl42yPkVzRDKgGLL1f_m8aFvql3uSeMzQ1xfLofpikohfu03CdoiTZU_tRM3EePU4nMD8mnz07Wzjm8lJLSnsOQ_9-pgxLZ49-bVnz_EN6ERYMrkiuohv4cXuq2xDipYKBTpQzWKB/s1600/Everett+Bates+Sr.+Tombstone+%2528Felicia+Mashburn+on+findagrave.com%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1019" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqBiWl42yPkVzRDKgGLL1f_m8aFvql3uSeMzQ1xfLofpikohfu03CdoiTZU_tRM3EePU4nMD8mnz07Wzjm8lJLSnsOQ_9-pgxLZ49-bVnz_EN6ERYMrkiuohv4cXuq2xDipYKBTpQzWKB/s640/Everett+Bates+Sr.+Tombstone+%2528Felicia+Mashburn+on+findagrave.com%2529.jpg" width="404" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tombstone of Everett Robert Bates, Sr. (Tabor Cemetery)<br />
Source: Felicia Mashburn on Findagrave.com</td></tr>
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Sadly, for every Everett Bates, whose life is being honored in this article, there are millions more soldiers who were killed in action whose incomplete lives have been long-forgotten over time. Each of them was an Everett with their own story- full of life, with families and friends they loved and who loved them, with plans for a future that they would sadly never see come to fruition. As we celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 25th, I would encourage my readers to each take a moment to remember all those soldiers who gave their lives for the freedoms that we and our fellow men around the world enjoy and take for granted. May you each have a blessed holiday.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
Notes to the reader: </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>For those interested in learning more, a full-text file of the book, 'The History of the 321st Infantry' may be found for free at <a href="https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p15012coll10/id/511" target="_blank">this link</a>. </li>
<li>The excellent movie, '<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8579674/" target="_blank">1917</a>', was released early this year. It won rave reviews for its depictions of the horrors of the Western Front during World War I - I highly recommend it. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Sources:</b></div>
<div>
Ancestry.com</div>
<div>
Asheville Citizen-Times, December 10, 1918</div>
<div>
David DeHart</div>
<div>
Findagrave.com</div>
<div>
Fold3.com</div>
<div>
ncdcr.gov<br />
Newspapers.com</div>
<div>
wrecksite.eu</div>
Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-20094891429289190142020-04-21T07:35:00.001-07:002020-04-21T09:16:06.111-07:00A Simple Act of Love - a Civil War StoryOn Valentine's Day this year, someone very dear to me who knows well my fondness for history and folk music sent me a beautiful love song set during the Civil War. The song, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?edufilter=NULL&v=AiLObkOtOQc" target="_blank">Yankee Bayonet</a>", by The Decemberists (click on the link to be taken to a recording of it), tells the story of a Confederate soldier from Oconee County, South Carolina, who fell in love but then went off to war and died at the Battle of Manassas (also known as the Battle of Bull Run). Listening to the song (which I instantly loved) reminded me of a Civil War story I'd researched in 2017 with a family hailing from Swain County, and I thought it would make a great article for this blog.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tiTMsQ5z1IdjwO0QaU4kT6B-bLDtkYigB9s6Ej_HJ0YPEvZaQGFyGld2EBKSaL-t4Ya6kRCqRuMnCFKWXuKh0fWDvNlwebTrPZE0cIryY7AAv0kNN_wgrwOzATuJ6Ys-x_YUUjHhfKDN/s1600/Elise+at+grave+of+Nancy+Hemphill.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tiTMsQ5z1IdjwO0QaU4kT6B-bLDtkYigB9s6Ej_HJ0YPEvZaQGFyGld2EBKSaL-t4Ya6kRCqRuMnCFKWXuKh0fWDvNlwebTrPZE0cIryY7AAv0kNN_wgrwOzATuJ6Ys-x_YUUjHhfKDN/s400/Elise+at+grave+of+Nancy+Hemphill.jpeg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Elise (nee' DeLozier) Palmer at the grave of her </div>
<div>
great-grandmother, Nancy (nee' Monteith) Hemphill. </div>
<div>
Source: Amy Palmer Evans (daughter of Elise)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFBjeyMA13a6gx_YX7E-rHlkgWn6KzkcV_8yfQHUGiw5dNmK7xtgdoOUmWj6v2XTreUSyW7QbGvP2sbKj4uxtkSFRCJ_hSXagYEoNDfbF6q_emJ-oaP_FyTqcb3GtD5Oy8KH0Hx7klTZc/s1600/Delozier+family+members+at+Christmas+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFBjeyMA13a6gx_YX7E-rHlkgWn6KzkcV_8yfQHUGiw5dNmK7xtgdoOUmWj6v2XTreUSyW7QbGvP2sbKj4uxtkSFRCJ_hSXagYEoNDfbF6q_emJ-oaP_FyTqcb3GtD5Oy8KH0Hx7klTZc/s400/Delozier+family+members+at+Christmas+party.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Members of the DeLozier Family at the Fryemont Inn, celebrating Elise's 93rd birthday in 2019.</div>
<div>
Source: Wendy Meyers</div>
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Through my research over the years, I have developed a very close relationship with the DeLozier family whose roots lie deep in the area of Swain County that became Judson. Only one DeLozier born in Swain County remains living, and that is Nina Elise (DeLozier) Palmer, who was born at Judson in 1926. Her parents were John Cleveland and Roxie (nee' Woody) DeLozier, who were merchants in Judson up until 1928, when they moved to Buncombe County. Elise's maternal grandmother, <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18292295/mary-ellen-woody" target="_blank">Mary Ellen (nee' Hemphill) Woody</a>, lived with the family much of the time and Elise was privileged to spend a great deal of time with her grandmother as she grew up. Mary Ellen's father, <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37803938/w-n-hemphill" target="_blank">William Nulin Hemphill</a>, was the Civil War soldier about whom this blog article is written.<br />
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Mary Ellen (nee' Hemphill) Woody with two of her DeLozier granddaughters</div>
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Source: Elise DeLozier Palmer</div>
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According to census records, Nulin was born around 1835/1836 and grew up in Haywood County (the reader is reminded that much of far Western North Carolina was part of Haywood County at that time). In 1851, he married <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11195368/nancy-angeline-hemphill" target="_blank">Nancy Angeline Monteith</a> and began to raise a family. The 1860 census places he and his family of four (two children, Allen Clingman and Sarah Jane had joined the family by this time) in the Webster district of Jackson County, where he was a farmer. His real estate holdings at that time were worth approximately $200 and his personal assets were worth $125. Little Mary Ellen joined the family on May 11, 1862. Just two months later, the family's lives were uprooted by the Civil War.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4BARgKYZomC_XU5Px-RvT7HImB9AcqwvWSMILaG5ZEMoY8WV1fVV5dSSjxvWUjDqxTuGjy6ezCnVmokPtm5XgLAhONJm21IzbRY-bC-aLtdF_Scqf971Wnnh0FI93D0Yrn4jP6RkVQM6/s1600/Nulin+Hemphill+1860+Census.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="1197" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4BARgKYZomC_XU5Px-RvT7HImB9AcqwvWSMILaG5ZEMoY8WV1fVV5dSSjxvWUjDqxTuGjy6ezCnVmokPtm5XgLAhONJm21IzbRY-bC-aLtdF_Scqf971Wnnh0FI93D0Yrn4jP6RkVQM6/s640/Nulin+Hemphill+1860+Census.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Nulin Hemphill family in the 1860 Census</div>
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Source: Ancestry.com</div>
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On July 11th, 1862, Company G of the North Carolina 69th Infantry Regiment (better known as Thomas's Legion) was mustered into service, and Nulin would likely have taken leave of his family at that time. In 1863, his unit passed back through the local area and he was able to come home for a brief visit with his family. The story of Nulin's picture, which was taken during that visit, is told by Elise in the video at the link below. (Click on the link to be taken to YouTube, where I have uploaded it. The quality of the video is not high due to my having to compress it, but I think it's still far better to have Elise telling the story on video than for me to present it in a transcription.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUIoP2L6Xgo&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Elise tells the story of William Nulin Hemphill's picture</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE0C0SqfC4hwBpWEiY-W2-d3eynzFSfvGUCnMgC4dzifdJuFrT5MMSx7p6vtXKIiY6q40MxgearWT-Rqa8cgoPaWmvzs72T6BAZvtkr4EsHhaDGL50HCWEdDe_ARC2nU4HRoinCfjwn4v/s1600/Nulin+Hemphill+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="581" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE0C0SqfC4hwBpWEiY-W2-d3eynzFSfvGUCnMgC4dzifdJuFrT5MMSx7p6vtXKIiY6q40MxgearWT-Rqa8cgoPaWmvzs72T6BAZvtkr4EsHhaDGL50HCWEdDe_ARC2nU4HRoinCfjwn4v/s640/Nulin+Hemphill+%25282%2529.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr>
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William Nulin Hemphill (c. 1835 - December 20, 1864), great-grandfather of Elise DeLozier Palmer</div>
<div>
Source: Elise DeLozier Palmer</div>
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Nulin was evidently not well during his brief stay, and soldiers came to the house to retrieve him. As they headed off, Nancy ran out of the house to kiss him and to give him a blanket. That was the last time she saw her husband.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIqCjSUYpkcgFCzG3zwkk4wC4z8HcmAkBdKcTkEivbP3ED6IO22BHzNBFxNL3H2gC4QzmSablCzZI0gDh20TZdP6PkoTfso0NiSRgl0tWci4b-PUfNY14cxQ3bUMWyM2pTih8jwbYK-3y/s1600/Camp+Douglas+in+1863+%2528Encyclopedia+of+Chicago%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Thomas's Legion was largely charged with defending the passes of the Southern Appalachian mountains. Unfortunately, their defense of one of the most well-known passes in the country, the Cumberland Gap, failed. On September 9th, 1863, Nulin's regiment was surrendered to the Union. From the Cumberland Gap, Nulin's regiment was transported north to the famed Camp Douglas in Chicago, Illinois. It was an immense prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers and was known as the "Andersonville of the North". (<i>For those readers who do not know, Andersonville was a notoriously brutal prisoner of war camp for Union soldiers.</i>). There, Nulin and over 400 other members of Thomas's Legion lived in utter squalor, bitter cold, and brutal conditions until either the end of the Civil War - or their death. Camp statistics indicate than one out of every seven soldiers imprisoned there died.<br />
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Sadly, Nulin did not live to see the end of the war, and instead perished 5 days before Christmas on December 20th, 1864, having spent over a year at Camp Douglas. He was initially interred in a grave just outside Camp Douglas, however, after the war, the remains of many of the soldiers who died there were exhumed and re-interred in a mass grave at the Oak Woods Cemetery. There he now lies surrounded by approximately 4,275 other Confederate soldiers; a large memorial marks their final resting place far from their Southern homes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBIV6eYhT0vCF7IC-jKCMJLeS0epO1fHI2kERUobRdy1XtVoCdKC85hxCoGNfgtrsNgDhN-Dn19TQOwsEqn6B0VC_dFTx-DFTRGwKcZWPRcZi27dSvI0SMOz-zINmKf1-bQmiRjt77Yqq/s1600/Camp+Douglas+Marker+in+Oak+Woods+Cemetery+%2528wikipedia.com%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBIV6eYhT0vCF7IC-jKCMJLeS0epO1fHI2kERUobRdy1XtVoCdKC85hxCoGNfgtrsNgDhN-Dn19TQOwsEqn6B0VC_dFTx-DFTRGwKcZWPRcZi27dSvI0SMOz-zINmKf1-bQmiRjt77Yqq/s400/Camp+Douglas+Marker+in+Oak+Woods+Cemetery+%2528wikipedia.com%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Marker for Confederate soldiers who perished at Camp Douglas</div>
<div>
Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, IL</div>
<div>
Source: Wikipedia.com</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nancy remained a widow until 1870, when she married Edmond Thompson in Jackson County. Together, they had another three children and eventually moved to Swain County, to the area that is now the North Shore of Fontana Lake. There, Mary Ellen Hemphill met and married Augustus Poole Woody (who lived in the greater Forney Creek area) and bore Roxie - mother of Elise.<br />
<br />
It is ironic to consider that, had he survived another 5 months to the end of the war, Nulin would likely have made his way back to his family, several other children would likely have been born, and the family may well have stayed in Jackson County. It is almost a certainty that Mary Ellen would never have met Augustus Poole Woody and that the trajectory of generations to come would have been dramatically altered. As such, when one thinks of Nulin, I think it's important to not only honor his service, but also to honor the bittersweet fact that without the loss of his life at the young age of 29, the DeLozier family (and many other families) as we know them would not have come about. And that would be a sad thing indeed.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEy336NTQGIep3Anv7BYOF91pIy0jISMk5lD-MXPcSoT9AMX1OOrnJbtrzkreWirgaXh9fCaFY0aUjEAx4yTUcJVMpXQ5_6BuByhTvcak1GZ3NG2g12aYoXeOgcwP_4lZvdbiImAymWo0M/s1600/John+Cleveland+and+Roxie+%2528Woody%2529+Delozier+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1047" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEy336NTQGIep3Anv7BYOF91pIy0jISMk5lD-MXPcSoT9AMX1OOrnJbtrzkreWirgaXh9fCaFY0aUjEAx4yTUcJVMpXQ5_6BuByhTvcak1GZ3NG2g12aYoXeOgcwP_4lZvdbiImAymWo0M/s400/John+Cleveland+and+Roxie+%2528Woody%2529+Delozier+%25282%2529.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
John Cleveland and Roxanne Myrtle "Roxie" DeLozier<br />
(Parents of Elise DeLozier Palmer)</div>
<div>
Source: Elise DeLozier Palmer</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
_____________________________________________</div>
Sources:<br />
Ancestry.com<br />
Amy Palmer Evans<br />
Elise DeLozier Palmer<br />
Findagrave.com<br />
Fold3.com<br />
Susan Williams Gray<br />
YouTube.com<br />
Wikipedia.com<br />
<br />
<br />Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-51562419536122101522019-12-25T17:18:00.001-08:002019-12-25T17:28:04.085-08:00Stories of Stones - Oscar Shuler (1906 - 1917)Indian Creek is likely my favorite spot in the park, and I am either hiking or riding my bike on it at least once a week. Prior to its acquisition by the National Park Service in the late 1920's, the creek once had (according to one of its oldest residents) approximately 30 families living on it at one time. It had its own church and school and at least one mill (written about in <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-indian-creek-grist-mill.html" target="_blank">this article</a>) and was a small but thriving community. However, Indian Creek, like everywhere else in these mountains, saw its fair share of tragedy and loss, and today I visited the Queen/Styles Cemetery on the creek to pay my respects to a young boy buried there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QHVW8fZ3ZxEFKwHsPMnew77tXtlez_-hiqDBO8AUR0QZLfEUS8xmXzihtPJXDXbUHcQ4lBdfPpLP7r_DTLwFxwe0LCsLA9NQyoXqaDIOiFnVY8MEtSu94oOro8a_9CkWC5g66njTu29f/s1600/Oscar+Shuler+stone+%2528Mike+Gourley%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="250" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QHVW8fZ3ZxEFKwHsPMnew77tXtlez_-hiqDBO8AUR0QZLfEUS8xmXzihtPJXDXbUHcQ4lBdfPpLP7r_DTLwFxwe0LCsLA9NQyoXqaDIOiFnVY8MEtSu94oOro8a_9CkWC5g66njTu29f/s400/Oscar+Shuler+stone+%2528Mike+Gourley%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Shuler's stone<br />
Source: Findagrave.com (Mike Gourley, 2011)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQHJPC8RpACwNJ-1HuwWd8XFgV8x2xUf4Pml8KWhxrZkVMshzcH91WjU30PgGdFeP4zhE7POyF03lBbdiw2o3ivyHmYZJLP_fZ3aBnYc-Wj7GmpTx13uUGVoZ0fpySO0YKng6vKP8GbbZ/s1600/Queen+Styles+Cemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="762" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQHJPC8RpACwNJ-1HuwWd8XFgV8x2xUf4Pml8KWhxrZkVMshzcH91WjU30PgGdFeP4zhE7POyF03lBbdiw2o3ivyHmYZJLP_fZ3aBnYc-Wj7GmpTx13uUGVoZ0fpySO0YKng6vKP8GbbZ/s640/Queen+Styles+Cemetery.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen/Styles Cemetery<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers (December 25, 2019)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Oscar Shuler was born (likely on Indian Creek) on May 19, 1906, the second documented child of James and Nora (nee' Laney) Shuler. We know almost nothing of his brief life. He is captured in the 1910 census at the age of 4 along with his parents, sister Eva, and brother Robert, with his parents recorded as being subsistence farmers (as were most others living on the creek in the early 1900's). Life was hard for these families, and like all children of the mountains, Oscar would have been expected to contribute heavily to the day-to-day activities required to run the household year round - gardening, cutting firewood, helping with the livestock, and so on. </div>
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His parents were both literate and he does appear to have gone to school for at least a time, as his death certificate records his being a "schoolboy". He lived on the upper end of Indian Creek so his walk to and from school would have likely been around two miles each way. He also likely attended the Indian Creek Church on Sundays. Beyond that, Oscar's life is an enigma. I do not even have a picture of him.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcamu4va3oMGzndIMntBbesykEZtS8UQEClr-p5Mj_sUxbZrFVHHh4M1G64Cjkx2DCM746gFq0xiS8z2D-u9eT2tL_bWRlyDVtLGM7Tf5r0X6c8qg7ggc6JKi1O5GRBZGM632nJQ71FUAR/s1600/Robert+Shuler+census.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="1600" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcamu4va3oMGzndIMntBbesykEZtS8UQEClr-p5Mj_sUxbZrFVHHh4M1G64Cjkx2DCM746gFq0xiS8z2D-u9eT2tL_bWRlyDVtLGM7Tf5r0X6c8qg7ggc6JKi1O5GRBZGM632nJQ71FUAR/s640/Robert+Shuler+census.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Shuler family in the 1910 Census, Charleston Township<br />
Source: ancestry.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tragically, Oscar's life came to an end at the tender age of 11 on November 26, 1917, after a devastating 3-day illness. His death certificate records that no doctor attended him, but that per the history given by the parents, it was believed by Dr. James DeHart that he had died of meningitis. With an extant mortality rate for untreated meningitis approaching 70% in the modern day, poor little Oscar stood virtually no chance of surviving this illness over 100 years ago. It is absolutely heartbreaking to imagine the horror faced by Nora and Jim Shuler as they sat watching helplessly as their son succumbed to his illness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaf3xy0Kqb-XaeU3j02te3GWus23TBIvGq_jQJw11WGFdmiC7CM-rQ5UWe6z6HWtGAMNVZt_5CoCpnlD3AgVN7A7Kn1VjRpu0zGy1KEKKhMnW9RDG_C6d5OqhAg23bfpGjSDiL2GtJhJrB/s1600/S123_77-0634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="1600" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaf3xy0Kqb-XaeU3j02te3GWus23TBIvGq_jQJw11WGFdmiC7CM-rQ5UWe6z6HWtGAMNVZt_5CoCpnlD3AgVN7A7Kn1VjRpu0zGy1KEKKhMnW9RDG_C6d5OqhAg23bfpGjSDiL2GtJhJrB/s400/S123_77-0634.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Shuler's death certificate<br />Source: Ancestry.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As tragic as the circumstances of his death were, they were the grist for the creation of one of the most poignant headstones to be found in the entire park. For Nora, in her grief, decided to handcraft a stone for her son rather than place a simple (unmarked) fieldstone. She is said to have carved an inscription in wood; a framework was then created and concrete poured and allowed to cure to create the stone. The end result is a headstone whose inscription is backwards; however, it matters not, for the love with which it was created resonates in every single letter and number. Turned around, the stone reads as follows (I have not corrected the spelling):<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Osker Shuler</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sun if Nora Shuter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wos Borned May 19 196</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Died Nove 20 1917</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
At Rest</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fiY63MGMOEabocL17fFRhr2oL41hj_jGP0SE_M6o046zOSPVJFQYS6_0l-Pw-xXaPPbEn6Be6yEKugOtg0-7zdR7LRPDLYAFx50MaynVv4eKeBYI9us3aji4RiuNv3mvJnArAqHbMrvh/s1600/Oscar+Shuler+stone+%2528Wendy%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="340" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fiY63MGMOEabocL17fFRhr2oL41hj_jGP0SE_M6o046zOSPVJFQYS6_0l-Pw-xXaPPbEn6Be6yEKugOtg0-7zdR7LRPDLYAFx50MaynVv4eKeBYI9us3aji4RiuNv3mvJnArAqHbMrvh/s400/Oscar+Shuler+stone+%2528Wendy%2529.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Shuler's stone - photo is reversed for readability<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers (2012)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
All of Oscar's Indian Creek kin left the area in the late 1920's and early 30's after their land was acquired for the creation of the Park. He has lain quietly for eternity for 102 years now, visited only by the rare curious hiker and by the families that come once a year for Decoration Day on Memorial Day weekend. Time and weather have prevailed and his stone now lies broken on the ground, oddly symbolic of the incomplete life it represents. </div>
<br />
And yet, if you place a hand on the stone and allow your fingers to trace the markings, you can still feel the love and sadness embodied in the hand of the grieving mother who sought to memorialize her child in the only way she could. Through Nora's simple tribute, Oscar's life will always be remembered.....a beautiful and powerful reminder of the tenuous nature of life and death a century ago in these mountains we call home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cm0TngNW9cCzItLAg3Acou3d82Ph5UxcGldr3VT0ZTgBE22f8-l8YtFOyrjjtk89qsYah-c2sA1Ddqs4apcfKOuyFrIouAtV_Aj05j-tPPoN5l6UXmOZV0e9LE7_KCYNCH7uF8cCOWHc/s1600/Oscar+Shuler+broken+stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="762" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cm0TngNW9cCzItLAg3Acou3d82Ph5UxcGldr3VT0ZTgBE22f8-l8YtFOyrjjtk89qsYah-c2sA1Ddqs4apcfKOuyFrIouAtV_Aj05j-tPPoN5l6UXmOZV0e9LE7_KCYNCH7uF8cCOWHc/s640/Oscar+Shuler+broken+stone.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Shuler's broken stone<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers (December 25, 2019)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
______________________________________</div>
<br />
For those interested in visiting the Queen/Styles Cemetery, here are the directions:<br />
From the gate at the main Deep Creek trailhead, hike approximately 0.8 miles up the Deep Creek Trail to the intersection with Indian Creek. Turn right on Indian Creek and hike approximately 2.5 miles until you come to the third bridge on Indian Creek itself. Just before you cross the bridge, there is an old road on the right - take this road and hike approximately a quarter of a mile up the road; the road will terminate at the cemetery. The round-trip hike is just over 7 miles.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
___________________________________________</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sources:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
ancestry.com </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
cdc.gov</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
findagrave.com</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Great Smoky Mountains National Park archives</div>
Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-56807637505707506452019-11-21T08:27:00.001-08:002019-12-05T17:24:09.342-08:00Stories of Stones - U.S. Marshal Noah Hezekiah Burns (1840 - 1874)<div>
Just down the hill from the Swain Memorial Park, on a short ridge behind an abandoned dog lot lies a sad, neglected little cemetery known as the Burns Cemetery. There are nine known burials here; all those lying in eternal repose are believed to be members of the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95180305/uriah-charles-burns" target="_blank">Uriah Charles</a> and <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5804297/sarah-louise-burns" target="_blank">Sarah Louise 'Sally' (nee' Burchfield) Burns</a> family (three graves are marked only by fieldstones and therefore the identity of those buried in them is forever lost). What is remarkable about this cemetery, however, is that two of those buried here - Uriah Burns and his son <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5804313/noah-hezekiah-burns" target="_blank">Noah Hezekiah H. Burns</a> - were both murdered. Today's blog will focus on the death of Noah; I may write one in the future on the death of his father Uriah. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaZ2S3bsHfhwFxumhouoKZTZuaXeJ7WHuSmu3MusbRLJSHqIIywdIwkXU7EOIEX6I8Rq52eI91kxbxLzh0C2W4cA9HsRjRBi5vTwFv4HF5KW2k9aYd0coMvnaxYtkKpMBXSEcuC08QzKT/s1600/Noah+Burns+stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="763" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaZ2S3bsHfhwFxumhouoKZTZuaXeJ7WHuSmu3MusbRLJSHqIIywdIwkXU7EOIEX6I8Rq52eI91kxbxLzh0C2W4cA9HsRjRBi5vTwFv4HF5KW2k9aYd0coMvnaxYtkKpMBXSEcuC08QzKT/s640/Noah+Burns+stone.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headstone of Noah Hezekiah H. Burns, Burns Cemetery (Deep Creek Area)<br />
Source: photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
In bringing this story to you, I would like to acknowledge the partnership of my good friend and fellow genealogical researcher, Carol Cochran, who has done extensive and impeccable research on the Burns family. Thanks are also in order to Shirley Crisp, another Burns descendant and avid historian.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Noah Burns was born July 20, 1840, the second documented child of at least 13 born to Uriah and Sally Burns. He volunteered for service in the Confederate Army at the age of 20, and was mustered as a private into Company A of the 16th regiment of the N.C. Infantry (the famed Thomas' Legion) on April 27, 1861 at Webster. In November 1862 , he was mustered out of the 16th and mustered into Company K of the 39th N.C. Infantry. His service records on fold3.com show that he was wounded in the Battles of Seven Pines/Fair Oaks (Virginia) (<i>see the bottom of this article for a personal note on this battle</i>), Jackson (Mississippi), and Chickamauga (Georgia). He also was briefly a prisoner of war when his regiment was surrendered at Citronelle, Alabama in May 1865; they were paroled one week later in Meridian, Mississippi. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNesYGYe9oxgTDtK61zzMPy0zOdQQKOiSQGFOvqLE_HB_4g7eszXG-ExicKLcFlr9-ShIIrfK6NF8g5chPCIqJcFhiwW2ICm4r_4ebH0D-m6aAhk67PyeLtXcHrUN8UT5A4WUAVfMh4vi/s1600/Noah+Burns+muster+record+%2528fold3.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNesYGYe9oxgTDtK61zzMPy0zOdQQKOiSQGFOvqLE_HB_4g7eszXG-ExicKLcFlr9-ShIIrfK6NF8g5chPCIqJcFhiwW2ICm4r_4ebH0D-m6aAhk67PyeLtXcHrUN8UT5A4WUAVfMh4vi/s400/Noah+Burns+muster+record+%2528fold3.com%2529.JPG" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah Burns Military Record while he was in the 16th regiment of the N.C. Infantry<br />
Source: fold3.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZuN8HUH3eFlxo2yEycJKeAvEyvCR3lRg6DD4rwN38HGHhjvFzjzgwgoGMff4yhX41DZnbVPHCGkCRCtv0ieIrpx_E7uQW7z39DkCoGfl9WEjm9c56NAQ8pUfTCGMrFrP4u3N7rwt5Qez/s1600/Noah+Burns+service+record+%2528fold3.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZuN8HUH3eFlxo2yEycJKeAvEyvCR3lRg6DD4rwN38HGHhjvFzjzgwgoGMff4yhX41DZnbVPHCGkCRCtv0ieIrpx_E7uQW7z39DkCoGfl9WEjm9c56NAQ8pUfTCGMrFrP4u3N7rwt5Qez/s640/Noah+Burns+service+record+%2528fold3.com%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah Burns Roll of Honor Record<br />
Source: fold3.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
While on furlough or leave during the war, he is believed to have fathered a child, Andrew Thomas Lollis, with Elizabeth (nee' Weeks) Lollis, whom he did not marry. After his permanent return home from the war, he married Mary Angeline Cline and they had one child, a daughter they named Mary. At some point, Noah became a Deputy U.S. Marshal during the "Moonshine Wars" (1872 - 1913), a very dangerous time for lawmen in the rural mountains of Appalachia that claimed the lives of at least 21 U.S. Marshals. Sadly, Noah Burns is counted among them.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlf7bcCwHq8lyTTw6iaJ_MXCbNkprbI99yEGfr8vvn2XJrQK5h2Zh7NqQ6wYWtIVlZGqQrvbxU38ytsSMb6cemsmEc7cKzftm3_dAqiyY-zWF8l-fpRRz0twj6xKLs-9pdWbKDOb8qscl/s1600/Old+distilling+operation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="256" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlf7bcCwHq8lyTTw6iaJ_MXCbNkprbI99yEGfr8vvn2XJrQK5h2Zh7NqQ6wYWtIVlZGqQrvbxU38ytsSMb6cemsmEc7cKzftm3_dAqiyY-zWF8l-fpRRz0twj6xKLs-9pdWbKDOb8qscl/s400/Old+distilling+operation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illicit Distilling Operation, year and location unknown<br />
Source: <a href="https://generationsdownareddirtroad.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-harricanes-her-uh-cuns-aint-on-no.html">https://generationsdownareddirtroad.blogspot.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
In March 1874, the following was reported in a Raleigh newspaper:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>"On the 10th (<u>note to the reader: this was February 10th</u>), instr. Deputy Marshall Burns, in company with Mr. W.P. Allman, left Burns' house in Swain County to execute several warrants and capiases which he had in his hands upon parties living in Graham, and that portion of Swain County which borders upon Graham. They went to Cheoah, in Graham County and found an illicit distillery in full blast, and a lot (of) illicit whisky. While at the still-house they were surrounded by a lot of illicit distillers, and were compelled to remain in the house during the night. An Indian came to the still-house for some whisky, which he violently attempted to carry away, but was knocked down by Burns and prevented from taking the whisky. Burns then told him that if he did not go and tell Ross, an Indian chief with whom Burns was on intimate terms, to come with his Indians and relieve him, he would kill him.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The Indian went to Ross as directed and about daylight Ross and his Indians came and took Burns and Allman out of the way of the threatening mob. After Burns was relieved from the place we have mentioned, he discovered that he had left some important official papers in Swain, and leaving Allman in a safe place he set out home, which he reached in safety, secured his papers and was on his return to Cheoah, where he left Allman.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>On Sunday the 15th, as he was traveling on the road 12 miles from Charleston on the Tennessee River, he was shot through the heart and killed instantly by Wm. R. Dills (<u>note to the reader - after consulting with one of his descendants, I feel confident that this was <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140602968/william-rutherford-dills" target="_blank">William Rutherford "Black Billy" Dills</a></u>). The shooting was done with a rifle-gun, and at such close quarters that the patching of the bullet was found in the hole where the ball penetrated the body. There were two men in company with Dills, and the three were removing a cask of illicit whisky. When they discovered these men, Walls and Freeman, pursued their course. They stated that after they had gone about one hundred yards, they heard a gun fire, whereupon they turned to go back where they had left Dills, but met him in a very high state of excitement, moving toward them. He told them not to attempt to go back in that direction or he would kill them, and began reloading his gun.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The above facts in connection with other circumstances appearing at the coroner's inquest. Dills was immediately arrested and taken to Webster, in Jackson County, where he was lodged in jail, and is now held in close confinement."</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>The Weekly Era (Raleigh, NC)</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>March 12, 1874</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cmjGTP6EnZHViYSlZIsAa-dVpK_dAOwLG5slfz4wS3p5toy-MwtZJ25kMiezkwcTTkmVydd2sZSFYMl9t6Fiatp0eJceDRu_Zdg0v5VF4MUYc0n9h5xL4QHlWKFBMr0rtZqzzYrzTlIB/s1600/Black+Billy+Dills.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cmjGTP6EnZHViYSlZIsAa-dVpK_dAOwLG5slfz4wS3p5toy-MwtZJ25kMiezkwcTTkmVydd2sZSFYMl9t6Fiatp0eJceDRu_Zdg0v5VF4MUYc0n9h5xL4QHlWKFBMr0rtZqzzYrzTlIB/s400/Black+Billy+Dills.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Rutherford "Black Billy" Dills<br />
Photo provided by my old friend and classmate Tommy Dills<br />
and his brother, Billy. "Black Billy" was their GG grandfather.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Burns murder case went to trial in October 1874 in Jackson County and Dills was ably represented by 4 attorneys: Allen Turner Davidson and his son Theodore Fulton Davidson (later the North Carolina State Attorney General), W.L. Love, and Kope Elias. After a 3-day trial described as "tedious" by one area newspaper, he was acquitted. On what the basis the acquittal was made, the papers are silent. In May 1875, Dills pleaded guilty to armed conspiracy to obstruct the course of justice and was sentenced to a year to be served in the federal Albany Penitentiary (in Albany, New York).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpndPZ7vXhzlOOvz6WR8vmMRmTpqB5mszFlZTK7NBH5ZO5Zr6kmjuUZcAcz74sFeTmmJ4l1md4trEprctU5q_OZjSjujfpDCIxQyz9wZB1Aj0jlufRyoEzkFwPpJVna3l8a5VP8-WhG1T/s1600/fulton_theodore_davidson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="302" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpndPZ7vXhzlOOvz6WR8vmMRmTpqB5mszFlZTK7NBH5ZO5Zr6kmjuUZcAcz74sFeTmmJ4l1md4trEprctU5q_OZjSjujfpDCIxQyz9wZB1Aj0jlufRyoEzkFwPpJVna3l8a5VP8-WhG1T/s400/fulton_theodore_davidson.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theodore Fulton Davidson, later NC State Attorney General<br />
Source: ncpedia.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
In a sad postscript to this story, on the night of November 2nd, only weeks after Dills' acquittal for the murder of her husband, Noah's wife Angeline was dragged from her bed and whipped repeatedly with hickory switches. Such was the intensity of her pain and fear that she begged her attackers to kill her but to spare the life of her daughter, Mary, and to raise her. The identity of two of her assailants? Her brothers-in-law Taylor and M.M. Burns. Their motive? To drive her off land that she had an interest in and occupied; Noah had been trying to settle the matter with his brothers at the time of his assassination. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
____________________________________________</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>A personal note: As detailed above, Noah H. H. Burns was wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines/Fair Oaks in Virginia. My 4th great-uncle, Corporal Caroden S. Burge, who was fighting for the Union in Company K of the 2nd Michigan Infantry, was killed in that same battle on May 31, 1862. Click <a href="http://micivilwar.com/authors/burge-caroden-s/" target="_blank">this link</a> to be taken to a picture of him as well as some fascinating letters he wrote during his Civil War service.</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
____________________________________________</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Sources:</b></div>
<div>
ancestry.com</div>
<div>
Carol Cochran, Shirley Crisp, Tommy and Billy Dills</div>
<div>
findagrave.com</div>
<div>
fold3.com</div>
<div>
<a href="https://generationsdownareddirtroad.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-harricanes-her-uh-cuns-aint-on-no.html" style="text-align: center;">https://generationsdownareddirtroad.blogspot.com/</a></div>
<div>
ncpedia.org </div>
<div>
The Asheville Weekly Citizen, October 22, 1874</div>
<div>
The Asheville Weekly Citizen, May 20, 1875</div>
<div>
The Daily Journal (Wilmington, NC), November 11, 1874</div>
<div>
The Weekly Era (Raleigh, NC), March 12, 1874</div>
<div>
usmarshals.gov (Specifically <a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/history/moonshine/index.html">https://www.usmarshals.gov/history/moonshine/index.html</a>)</div>
<div>
Wilmington Morning Star, May 20, 1875</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-55811560681873122952019-04-20T14:14:00.003-07:002021-12-20T18:55:21.796-08:00Witcher's Chapel - Easter Morning (April 21, 1889)<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">This Easter morning service exactly 130 years ago was
nothing akin to the type of Easter service typically held at churches in the
modern day. However, it also seems entirely appropriate to celebrate the
homegoing of a clearly beloved community member on the day of the Resurrection. Best wishes to
all my readers for a blessed Easter!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8obOL9qC0oWy9dxC6vdQCIStvwm_7zmtdbRJ9DbB2jbSNoygn_RWJmWCcdw76-CAqUoWEnQpQGlTvdMqH_EwhoP2SEvEpdMSYf9a6KAQEoe2A1Ax9dV4V9fZfMMWzYuk8Oir9CRUeGcN/s1600/Palmer+Chapel+interior.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="775" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8obOL9qC0oWy9dxC6vdQCIStvwm_7zmtdbRJ9DbB2jbSNoygn_RWJmWCcdw76-CAqUoWEnQpQGlTvdMqH_EwhoP2SEvEpdMSYf9a6KAQEoe2A1Ax9dV4V9fZfMMWzYuk8Oir9CRUeGcN/s400/Palmer+Chapel+interior.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Interior of Palmer Chapel at Cataloochee</div>
<div>
Souce: npplan.com</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">___________________________________________</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i>"Rev. P.P. McLean held a memorial service in memory of
Eli Collins at Witchers Chapel Sunday April 21<sup>st</sup> 1889.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i>The morning broke in full splendor, solemn quietude
pervaded the land. Before 9 o’clock the stillness was broken by the call to
Sabbath school. At 10:15 we repaired to the place appointed where the men of
God should stand forth and speak in memory of a sainted brother. The services
were opened by appropriate singing after which the minister arose and said, “We
might, as one of old, ask what it is that has caused this large assembly to
come to the house of God this beautiful Sabbath morning. We presume it is
because a servant of God has been called home to rest.”</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i>A very appropriate hymn was then announced which was
followed by scriptural reading suitable to the occasion. Then was read the life
incidents of the deceased brother, followed by another hymn sung by the
minister. He then announced the text and proceeded to its discussion which was
clear, able, and forcible, making vivid to the minds of his hearers things that
have been passed far down the vale of time. </i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i>The audience was large and attentive. A collection
amounting to $3 was taken for foreign missions. Reception of members into the
church, three. The services were concluded by appropriate singing and prayer.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i>Anonymous"</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> _______________________________</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><b>Notes:</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Witcher’s Chapel was located in close proximity to the
area which later became Judson and was almost certainly named for the Methodist Episcopal minister <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39691184/william-j.-witcher" target="_blank">William Witcher</a>, who at one time resided in Macon
County. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The Witcher’s Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church South was
located on the south bank of Alarka Creek and on the former Parch Corn Flower/Flour reservation (which Thomas Wentworth Pledge Poindexter was living on prior to the
Cherokee removal) – which later became part of Judson. In September 1858,
Elizabeth Poindexter, widow of T.W.P. Poindexter sold, for $1, a half-acre parcel
to the trustees of the Witcher’s Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church South
(consisting of Joel Sawyer, Edward DeLozier [her son-in-law], John Anderson,
and James Ingram) for the purposes of constructing a church house for both
school and church purposes. The building served for several decades as a church,
school, and meeting-house for the community. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMlR4i1O6_K_n5gZYD3avc6S7b2aQsqIbQGHsX1_8LK59fhL8ULXvZadXrHwixdJM7WhUwx-pDhVVyp4EkXsvgmhbQAYRQkl-9ce553mbPK33lkqjvEAV6d50nlJai7fNLxaUgFPLCmuG/s1600/Witchers+Chapel+Services+%2528Swain+County+Herald+24+Jan+1889%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="688" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMlR4i1O6_K_n5gZYD3avc6S7b2aQsqIbQGHsX1_8LK59fhL8ULXvZadXrHwixdJM7WhUwx-pDhVVyp4EkXsvgmhbQAYRQkl-9ce553mbPK33lkqjvEAV6d50nlJai7fNLxaUgFPLCmuG/s640/Witchers+Chapel+Services+%2528Swain+County+Herald+24+Jan+1889%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Newspaper announcement of service times - Witcher's Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church South</div>
<div>
Source: Swain County Herald, 24 January 1889</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The name “Witcher’s Chapel” disappears from the
written record (in the records that I have been able to access) after 1891. It is possible
that it later became the Judson Methodist Episopal Church. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Eli Collins (ca. 1807 – 1889) was originally interred
in the Judson Public Cemetery. At the time of Fontana Lake’s impoundment, his
grave was identified (though was apparently only marked by a fieldstone). No discernible
remains were found, therefore, it is likely that a symbolic shovelful of dark
earth was dug and placed in a new container, and reinterred in Lauada Cemetery.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FQ7i3FPqSt62nsGlzkp4ppE_VzgzJ26ZaKOzKoZTN3ORP23xpTPxNYCrxNuk68wlwnD5ULSOmW4mmDGl_52dE4LSdXQIUVFUmxJEm0PWQ3KwVEpZ29ukhmZy-pQqAQ-mvoWNnm-j7sRl/s1600/Judson+1938.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="938" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FQ7i3FPqSt62nsGlzkp4ppE_VzgzJ26ZaKOzKoZTN3ORP23xpTPxNYCrxNuk68wlwnD5ULSOmW4mmDGl_52dE4LSdXQIUVFUmxJEm0PWQ3KwVEpZ29ukhmZy-pQqAQ-mvoWNnm-j7sRl/s640/Judson+1938.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Judson, NC (1938). Thanks to Don Casada for identification of the church and cemetery.</div>
<div>
Source: NARA Southeast</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">________________________________</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Sources:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Ancestry.com, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Cemetery
Removal Records</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Macon County, NC Register of Deeds</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">National Archives and Records Administration,
Southeast – TVA Records</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Swain County Herald, 25 April 1889</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<br />Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-6038060018197034612019-03-23T19:49:00.002-07:002020-10-14T08:20:05.731-07:00The Old Wikle Place<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Old, abandoned houses - they
capture my imagination. I love to wander through them, placing my hands on the
walls......willing them to tell me their stories. All too often those stories remain hidden, but every so often I get lucky and am able find out more about them. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 125%; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; margin: 3pt 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Sometimes, I enjoy taking a drive out
Needmore Road to take some pictures for a friend of mine, Edwin Ammons, who
was born on Wiggins Creek and considers the area his home. He lives 2
hours away and has not been home for many years, but any glimpse he can get of
his old stomping grounds is deeply meaningful to him. </span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">On this day, I drove further up Wiggins Creek
than I have ever gone and happened upon an absolute treasure - the home you
will see in the ensuing pictures. I shared these pictures with Ed and held my breath in anticipation that perhaps he could tell me something - and he delivered! I thought you'd enjoy what he had to say about this gorgeous place. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 125%; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; margin: 3pt 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY0PRkm9N4O4qxTddd1YwxMJOLXGqNL_TSBNsxBol6bhousdqBiNyKMAOOPywKn16ZyMwCdqTIGCvaBFcFdxkbnAbrp5jLznXjFXdvmiv4C5JX32XmWMPZJgWY8eqx51ftj6zbfoyELLo/s1600/Branch+near+Wikle+home+%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="862" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY0PRkm9N4O4qxTddd1YwxMJOLXGqNL_TSBNsxBol6bhousdqBiNyKMAOOPywKn16ZyMwCdqTIGCvaBFcFdxkbnAbrp5jLznXjFXdvmiv4C5JX32XmWMPZJgWY8eqx51ftj6zbfoyELLo/s400/Branch+near+Wikle+home+%25284%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The Jeff and Tiny Wikle home.</div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 125%; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; margin: 3pt 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i>"The old house is the Jeff <span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; margin: 0px; overflow: visible;">Wikle</span></span>
place. Thomas Jefferson <span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; margin: 0px; overflow: visible;">Wikle</span></span> (1862 - 1950) and Haseltine
"Tiny" Morgan (1869 - 1963) had lived there but he had died before I was born. Aunt
Tiny had moved into town (maybe a nursing home) but I can remember her. She
died in 1963. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4x90ouK1boQPbXCosPkZJHozAVdD3KPeuy_0aSv4CAqWcRE5L7DW5gL2t03-74orayDweol6veBn6ULzXmho00tf1Ou7d9ciH0hiyfpfbj6sbygWybi55L383QAPQFhiwRcMOU0Q5qSV/s1600/Jeff+and+Tiny+Wikle+%2528Swain+County+Heritage+Book%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1518" data-original-width="1081" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4x90ouK1boQPbXCosPkZJHozAVdD3KPeuy_0aSv4CAqWcRE5L7DW5gL2t03-74orayDweol6veBn6ULzXmho00tf1Ou7d9ciH0hiyfpfbj6sbygWybi55L383QAPQFhiwRcMOU0Q5qSV/s400/Jeff+and+Tiny+Wikle+%2528Swain+County+Heritage+Book%2529.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Jeff and "Tiny" Wikle, circa late 1940s</div>
<div>
Source: Swain County Heritage Book</div>
</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i>That place was really nice in comparison to others in the area at
that time. It was built really well to have survived this long. I remember the
living room, bedroom, the stairs and the loft bedrooms. I don't remember the
kitchen but I remember the L-shaped back porch that the kitchen door opened out
onto. And the long front porch.</i></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdxPq4VtXQ_1YYaJNnsvJiqxW55b396E8pZbPZrGtfNZ4xyvFC2IMwfE2QG1qZZ9fYFmgqHvG0c9JszoHCD4bLuIpBGTf0k0gQeQAUj84UMLI9Ywds7dlyYv2wQfV57VFQe9C3q8s0eBQ/s1600/Wikle+living+room+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="873" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdxPq4VtXQ_1YYaJNnsvJiqxW55b396E8pZbPZrGtfNZ4xyvFC2IMwfE2QG1qZZ9fYFmgqHvG0c9JszoHCD4bLuIpBGTf0k0gQeQAUj84UMLI9Ywds7dlyYv2wQfV57VFQe9C3q8s0eBQ/s400/Wikle+living+room+%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Presumed to be the living room</div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lEsAozH6rBmu8_-TPT1yMf32px5U5_UPdHmdLAPXekq7ljaePVlCjqP8ppVgO3gfnS8tChDniEtDu9YHbB0L89vUxt9X2W12ATLb60Y40pJtmXUyG4fL4RGv9SnYraFbtA9a1y0DAVKG/s1600/Stairs+to+Wikle+loft.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="873" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lEsAozH6rBmu8_-TPT1yMf32px5U5_UPdHmdLAPXekq7ljaePVlCjqP8ppVgO3gfnS8tChDniEtDu9YHbB0L89vUxt9X2W12ATLb60Y40pJtmXUyG4fL4RGv9SnYraFbtA9a1y0DAVKG/s400/Stairs+to+Wikle+loft.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Stairs to the loft bedrooms. I love the seafoam green color.</div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5aUUmXTPNnvNq4qpLxAumwq0PTMIaN65KLaH3C_xi5rdT8SORrtTixV0iPyEza9ynh5TZ0hRjvCJl29ymBAfjjag-dSFQ-jkjk8U405eI9lDjPxfbZmrOb3pRosbFxD3T2x_F-pJ14Mj/s1600/Wikle+loft+bedroom+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="873" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5aUUmXTPNnvNq4qpLxAumwq0PTMIaN65KLaH3C_xi5rdT8SORrtTixV0iPyEza9ynh5TZ0hRjvCJl29ymBAfjjag-dSFQ-jkjk8U405eI9lDjPxfbZmrOb3pRosbFxD3T2x_F-pJ14Mj/s400/Wikle+loft+bedroom+%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Loft bedroom on chimney wall.</div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyesr</div>
</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSza_7Y_nic9V-0ywWSEN-ceOZ4QRBmSLmPDAw2MQMfmGvwEAD8aafH-Jr0seObDDhVq8pkh8HCseQMnV5X0G67CgR6UCkicB_rkcGG4bPhryVcBV7Z_igrn7DGMyLYsGjk3LXyNoZ_NQ/s1600/Wikle+loft+2+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="873" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSza_7Y_nic9V-0ywWSEN-ceOZ4QRBmSLmPDAw2MQMfmGvwEAD8aafH-Jr0seObDDhVq8pkh8HCseQMnV5X0G67CgR6UCkicB_rkcGG4bPhryVcBV7Z_igrn7DGMyLYsGjk3LXyNoZ_NQ/s400/Wikle+loft+2+%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Loft bedroom on front of home.</div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i>Over the creek behind the house was the one and only
three hole toilet I have ever seen. Two adult seats and one child's if memory
serves me correctly. And there were hinged lids on them. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGbvRFeBt5xv-0bjxQEmrSIDjjj1_vbj4VvE2FuD6L7H4kr2Vp7uD3OiSgh8gR1ul3ExkhDbTuNNm4w9Jq21P3b9JxumrZ8yk5KDrtKdvtX2fheepslet_LK2X3nrV6JXvnTtGHuqfsC7/s1600/Branch+in+front+of+Wikle+home.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="873" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGbvRFeBt5xv-0bjxQEmrSIDjjj1_vbj4VvE2FuD6L7H4kr2Vp7uD3OiSgh8gR1ul3ExkhDbTuNNm4w9Jq21P3b9JxumrZ8yk5KDrtKdvtX2fheepslet_LK2X3nrV6JXvnTtGHuqfsC7/s400/Branch+in+front+of+Wikle+home.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The branch that runs behind the Wikle home.</div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i>There was a road (probably the original) next to the bedroom end of the house and across it was a neat little workshop with anything
and everything a farmer would need. A horse drawn mowing machine and a rake
were parked there...the kind you only see as rusty decorations in front of
peoples' lovely brick homes these days.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv7r3czOwjVVNSwd4_65R_6D0Kq2il2C_kjvAiRDoGbmFwgWw0ZflON-S6ikMJMeQvW0_ipuchBEVKkOkJnmPCipxGIuPkkCk0_JT1p7hszKFNN1Hh80ZkWVPD-CsX-Z-BNhkAAoMEuGR/s1600/Wikle+house+-+exterior+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="872" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv7r3czOwjVVNSwd4_65R_6D0Kq2il2C_kjvAiRDoGbmFwgWw0ZflON-S6ikMJMeQvW0_ipuchBEVKkOkJnmPCipxGIuPkkCk0_JT1p7hszKFNN1Hh80ZkWVPD-CsX-Z-BNhkAAoMEuGR/s400/Wikle+house+-+exterior+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr>
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The Wikle home with view of the old road in front of it. </div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i>A little farther was a little branch that was spanned by
a long flat rock. Where most people would have thrown down a log or two or just
jumped across Uncle Jeff had made something that would potentially last for eons. The
reason for the bridge is because the spring and spring house were up against
the mountain where the modern road is. The spring house was as neat and well
constructed as the rest of the place. Rock on the bottom where the water was
and wood above. There was another smaller version of the rock bridge over the
trickle of water that exited the spring. Good water it was! Travelers on the
road above had a well used trail over the roadbank down to that little spring
and there was always a dipper there. We didn't know about germs back then but
fresh air and sunshine on both us and our drinking utensils would have
eliminated the threat anyway."</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAphtepz2T1uWsBAj4VXDmrTuJdhX6hYjzLIVXlVwFqLv6qXA4TAMpQ2ctwMiOC_HZZ8685waaRezq7kxlHszuTGFmWV2pXOhEUV41OFJTOtioWN66gAWrg6JGZd-_hNPn8betfvXGUoVD/s1600/Wikle+Chimney.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="873" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAphtepz2T1uWsBAj4VXDmrTuJdhX6hYjzLIVXlVwFqLv6qXA4TAMpQ2ctwMiOC_HZZ8685waaRezq7kxlHszuTGFmWV2pXOhEUV41OFJTOtioWN66gAWrg6JGZd-_hNPn8betfvXGUoVD/s400/Wikle+Chimney.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Chimney of Wikle home</div>
<div>
Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">Notes on the Wikles: Jeff Wikle was born in 1862 in Macon County, the son of Andrew Jesse Wikle and Sarah Ann Breedlove. Jesse Wikle enlisted in the Confederacy (the famed Thomas Legion) in 1862 and was never seen again. Jeff, his mother, his sister Arlecy, and brother Allen each went to their graves never knowing what had happened to him. His fate was not known to the family until the late 1960's, at which time it was discovered that he had been captured and transported to Fort Delaware, where he remained until his death in 1865 - less than a month prior to the end of the war. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">Jeff and Tiny married in 1884 when Tiny was but a young girl of 14 or 15 and their first child, Mose (named after Tiny's father), arrived the next year. They went on to raise a fine family of 10 - 6 boys and 4 girls. Jeff was a well-respected leader in his community and in fact served on the death penalty jury for the <a href="http://reflectionsofoldeswain.blogspot.com/2019/03/innocence-lost-murder-of-ethel-shuler.html" target="_blank">Ross French trial </a>discussed in last week's blog article. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"> According to their biographer in the Swain County Heritage Book, Jeff and Tiny lived in this home for nearly the entirety of their married lives - over 65 years. </span></div>
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_________________________________________________</div>
<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">Sources:</span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">
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Ancestry.com</div>
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Asheville Citizen-Times, 09 December 1981</div>
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Edwin Ammons</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; line-height: 125%; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; margin: 3pt 0in; orphans: 2; overflow: visible; word-spacing: 0px;">
North Carolina Archives</div>
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">Swain County Heritage Book</span></div>
Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-35498390392517241142019-03-17T19:21:00.001-07:002019-03-27T04:53:35.356-07:00Innocence Lost: The Murder of Ethel ShulerOne thing I love about old and established cemeteries in many places is the presence of grand old oak trees. These can be seen in many cemeteries in Swain County such as the Bryson City Cemetery and Watkins Cemetery.<br />
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The primary burying ground in the Birdtown area of Swain County for over a century has been the Birdtown Cemetery. It lies on a quiet hill above the Tsali Care Center on Echota Church Road off Highway 19. On the highest point of the hill upon which the cemetery resides rises an infamous oak, known as the "Chapel Oak", described in an 1892 federal document as ".....a mammoth oak, where in midsummer the Indians gather for church and Sunday-school services in preference to the old church (<i>Note: this was the Echota church</i>) or the schoolhouse a little beyond". <br />
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The Chapel Oak, Birdtown Cemetery</div>
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Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
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The Chapel Oak in 1892</div>
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Source: Extra Census Bulletin. Eastern Band of Cherokees of North Carolina. 1892 </div>
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One of the hundreds of graves the Chapel Oak overlooks is that of a 16 year-old girl, Ethel May Shuler. Ethel was born on May 1, 1895 in the upper Galbreath Creek area to George Ebenezer and Katherine Haseltine (Katie) (nee' Cline) Shuler. She had an older sister, Lettie, and another sibling whose name and gender are unknown but who almost certainly died early in childhood. At some point, she and her family moved to Goose Creek, in the Birdtown Community near Cherokee, where they farmed.<br />
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Grave of Ethel Shuler at Birdtown Cemetery. She is buried</div>
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beside her father, George, who died in 1910.</div>
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Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
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Details of Ethel's early life are obscure, and I have been unable to even obtain a picture of her or of any member of her family. However, on Thursday, October 4, 1911, 16 year-old Ethel had a fateful encounter with infamy that would ensure that her brief and incomplete life was never forgotten - not just for the brutal manner in which she met her demise, but also for the speed with which the wheels of justice turned for her murderer.<br />
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On that day, she set out for Trantham's store, where she had an "uncomfortable" encounter with a young "half-breed" Cherokee man named Ross French, who had been in Birdtown playing ball. Unbeknownst to Ethel, as she left the store at approximately 5:00 p.m. to return home, she was followed by French. After she had travelled some distance and was presumably out of sight of anyone else, French seized his opportunity, pulled Ethel into the woods, and attempted to rape her. Ethel managed to hold him off for a time, hitting him on the head with a rock. Ultimately, however, her enraged assailant pulled out his pocket knife and slit her throat "from ear to ear". Ethel's body was found around 8:00 p.m. on the roadside. <br />
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Echota Church Road, where Ethel was killed and her body later discovered.</div>
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Photo by Wendy Meyers </div>
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French was quickly identified as the perpetrator and arrested the next morning - he had hidden the clothes he was wearing at the time of the attack at his grandparents' house, however, his hat was found covered in blood. A lynch mob of nearly 200 individuals swiftly formed. Sheriff Robert Roane spirited French to Deputy Sheriff Sam Beck, who took him over remote mountain trails to Sylva - a distance of some 18 miles. He was then transported to Waynesville via horse (which dropped dead en route) but the mob followed him and the Haywood County Sheriff had to call out the local 'military' to finally get him to safety in Asheville. During his circuitous journey to relative safety in Asheville, French confessed his crime to Sam Beck, and asked that his body be sent to his wife in Birdtown "when the law was through with him". Not without irony, however, his wife refused to have anything to do with him after he confessed and never saw him again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S_8bRyc-PcfTqVRgqHKTieXCvT4vG5Ox_M2b-_y_L4-UHiDxBVGMZr9448w-H9y5RzdRvKdnlkiQZ51z6ygIkeM2ciqbb7qOrWsljPmaDWEo6CtiEkn8CsYAvocituzDEZHGNQEzuaAu/s1600/Melinda+French+turns+cold+shoulder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="692" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S_8bRyc-PcfTqVRgqHKTieXCvT4vG5Ox_M2b-_y_L4-UHiDxBVGMZr9448w-H9y5RzdRvKdnlkiQZ51z6ygIkeM2ciqbb7qOrWsljPmaDWEo6CtiEkn8CsYAvocituzDEZHGNQEzuaAu/s400/Melinda+French+turns+cold+shoulder.JPG" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
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Letter from Melinda French</div>
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Source: The Union Republican, 26 October 1911</div>
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French later retracted his confession, stating that he had only held Ethel's hand while his friend, Bill Craig, murdered her. He further stated that Bill Craig had paid him $60 to aid his flight from justice. However, no stock was put in this statement and the reporting newspaper stated, "It now appears he would be very glad of Craig's capture." <em>(Note: after reading this article, my good friend and excellent genealogist/author Fran Rogers reached out to let me know that Bill Craig was a member of her extended family. Fran was extremely gracious in providing a picture of him for use on the blog. Thanks so much, my friend!)</em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4QQs91ydaZ7wpAZfSQupYilY48zgZZDR8iIcMAvbpwQoyEfaPbtHGz9RWThR3u98mJUvgf7GA_dQmql7HcQpyOgzhQMF1-bhLHRWF6aDk58bVfI_mpmOCeqC-yfDlkIv7rPAnL28c2yC/s1600/Bill+Craig+%2528Fran+Rogers%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4QQs91ydaZ7wpAZfSQupYilY48zgZZDR8iIcMAvbpwQoyEfaPbtHGz9RWThR3u98mJUvgf7GA_dQmql7HcQpyOgzhQMF1-bhLHRWF6aDk58bVfI_mpmOCeqC-yfDlkIv7rPAnL28c2yC/s400/Bill+Craig+%2528Fran+Rogers%2529.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Craig (left), the man falsely accused by Ross French of Ethel Shuler's murder.<br />
Photo provided by Fran Rogers</td></tr>
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After only three weeks, Ross French was brought back to Bryson City to stand trial for his crime. On October 28th, 1911, after an exceptionally short trial of only two hours, he was found guilty and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of E.A. Bradshaw, John C. DeLozier, Tom Dowdle, W.A. Enloe, G.A. Holloway, W.M. Hoyle, Lee Herron, A.L. Kirkland, J.M. Parker, G.E. Tipton, and T.J. Wikle. There can be little doubt that his prior confession and expressed belief that he should receive the ultimate punishment was a strong factor in his conviction and sentence. On the same day, he was transported to Central Prison in Raleigh to await his execution.<br />
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A portion of Ross French's death warrant (November 1, 1911)</div>
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Source: North Carolina Archives</div>
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In the ensuing weeks, French met with the minister of the local African-American Episcopal Church, was converted to the Episcopal faith, and was baptized. His brokenhearted 82 year-old maternal grandfather, John Talala, and his maternal aunt, Sallie Thompson, arrived on November 21st to visit with him and to assist him in making his final preparations. French had little to his name, but bequeathed his yoke of oxen to his grandfather and the remainder of his estate to his wife. He was said to have made peace with his sentence, believed it to be just and correct, and implored his fellow Cherokees to not follow his example.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROPqfvDFfCVlSwvxVsqerNPV9d_VTq1Dw-8YEuqGvN6IjZzoalUOgMivZvmSQO9ssxoTM-st408px_yKHvdXXZri68CRThN0BTlJpmLOy9KZUQ9Mg1DlIeXJ4oQQaDHNIwS4iTZeGxNNE/s1600/NC+Central+Prison+electric+chair+%2528UNC+Libraries%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="194" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROPqfvDFfCVlSwvxVsqerNPV9d_VTq1Dw-8YEuqGvN6IjZzoalUOgMivZvmSQO9ssxoTM-st408px_yKHvdXXZri68CRThN0BTlJpmLOy9KZUQ9Mg1DlIeXJ4oQQaDHNIwS4iTZeGxNNE/s400/NC+Central+Prison+electric+chair+%2528UNC+Libraries%2529.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
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North Carolina's Electric Chair, used until 1938</div>
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Source: UNC Libraries</div>
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On November 24th, French, wearing a dark suit, his long locks shaved, was escorted into the execution chamber at North Carolina's Central Prison, and placed into the electric chair. He was said to have been calm with "typical Indian stoicism" (according to the newspapers) and watched as he was strapped in. At 10:34 a.m., the first jolt of electricity was applied to his body, followed by a second at 10:36 a.m. He was declared dead at 10:40 a.m., dying approximately 7 weeks after having committed his crime. His grandfather and aunt left with his body later that day to bring him home. He was 21 years old. Although his burial location is not fully known, at least one newspaper source places him as being buried in the Birdtown Cemetery in an unmarked grave.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzKimUAPMyYKH8OWhIqI3varlQNBykZ0gF3hCABJYO17-X2eHNfEsJ2_Mozpk_dr1B4SciUJC1FLDvsfFHIHWWA0AAPBnFpG_dOnlFH8oikLxYZE3aAQbNeL71VS-M7bZEu9VTwv4shvD/s1600/Unmarked+graves+at+Birdtown+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="400" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzKimUAPMyYKH8OWhIqI3varlQNBykZ0gF3hCABJYO17-X2eHNfEsJ2_Mozpk_dr1B4SciUJC1FLDvsfFHIHWWA0AAPBnFpG_dOnlFH8oikLxYZE3aAQbNeL71VS-M7bZEu9VTwv4shvD/s400/Unmarked+graves+at+Birdtown+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Two unmarked graves at the Birdtown Cemetery. Ross French is likely </div>
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buried in one of the unmarked graves in the old section of the cemetery.</div>
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Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
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Postscript: Life went on for Ethel's family after the tragic events in the fall of 1911, but they retained her bloody clothing and personal effects in a trunk for decades after she had passed. In 1913, her sister Lettie gave birth to a baby girl whom she named for her late sister. Ethel's sad demise is still spoken of amongst the Birdtown elders and her extended family.<br />
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Sadly, among the witnesses to Ross French's execution was Hugh James "Odie" Lambert, Ethel's brother-in-law. According to individuals with whom I communicated, Odie Lambert always regretted being at French's execution. It is little wonder. Twenty-five years before, as a 12 year-old boy, he watched as his wrongfully-convicted father, <a href="http://www.lukebauserman.com/theweeklyholler/was-he-revived-after-being-hanged/" target="_blank">Andrew Jackson Lambert</a>, was also executed for murder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0xvDPZkLvSiEofZPmty_o6dord0i1mjnRc0w3EOFbfQ1xxudPiCjI9oYNfoFadZCiAyzPtmiKGmwBQX11oUv3nU4vz_Cmxm0rMsTsuk0pRbz986mHDSqEHzNwzb6LUK88uHgiIidfJCu/s1600/Chapel+Oak+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0xvDPZkLvSiEofZPmty_o6dord0i1mjnRc0w3EOFbfQ1xxudPiCjI9oYNfoFadZCiAyzPtmiKGmwBQX11oUv3nU4vz_Cmxm0rMsTsuk0pRbz986mHDSqEHzNwzb6LUK88uHgiIidfJCu/s320/Chapel+Oak+sunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Trunk of the Chapel Oak, Birdtown Cemetery</div>
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Photo by Wendy Meyers</div>
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Sources:<br />
Ancestry.com<br />
Asheville Gazette-News 13 October 1911<br />
Extra Census Bulletin. Indians. Eastern Band of Cherokees of North Carolina. (Washington, D.C.; United States Census Printing Office), 1892.<br />
North Carolina Archives<br />
Peggy Lambert<br />
The Charlotte Observer, 25 November 1911<br />
The Daily Times (Wilson, NC), 13 October 1911<br />
The Lexington Dispatch, 11 October 1911<br />
The Raleigh Daily Times, 24 November 1911<br />
The Union Republican, (Winston-Salem, NC) 12 and 26 October 1911<br />
The Western Sentinel (Winston-Salem, NC) 24 November 1911<br />
The Wilmington Dispatch, 21 November 1911Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-87351217709156299582019-03-10T13:59:00.000-07:002019-03-10T14:57:49.120-07:00Spring at the Old Home Place - A Photo Essay<div>
One of my favorite times to visit old home places is in early spring. Flowers are blooming, springs are flowing bountifully, and fields are greening up. I hope you'll enjoy this little sojourn into spring, provided by those who have gone on before us.<br />
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Double daffodils in bloom at the old Birch McHan/Doyle Hampton home place (Needmore).<br />
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Fields greening up at the McHan/Hampton home place (Needmore). I can sit for hours on the terrace above the old chimney here (the first picture below is taken from this vantage point), taking in the sounds of the spring and Brush Creek, the sight of the lush green fields below, and the slight smell of the wild onions that grow there. It's a very serene experience.<br />
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Crocus growing in a field at the old Freeman Mill (Needmore).<br />
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Leah Truett Hunnicutt's forsythia is still blooming beautifully more than 100 years after being planted (Deep Creek).<br />
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The spring is overflowing at the McHan/Hampton home place (Needmore).<br />
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Japonica (also known as quince) is in full bloom at the Othene Carson home place (Stephenson Branch).<br />
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This old apple tree is still hanging on, budding out at the very top (Needmore).<br />
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Garlic growing at the Jim Stephenson home place (Stephenson Branch).<br />
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This periwinkle was growing below the Old Brush Creek Baptist Church/McHan cemetery (Needmore).<br />
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While hiking on an abandoned logging road in the area that once surrounded the now-drowned town of Judson, my mother spotted these daffodils far down the hill below us. Upon investigation, we found that they marked the site of an old cabin. The first picture is the daffodil field, the second picture is of the same site, with the chimney fall in the front and the daffodils in back (Greater Judson area).<br />
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All photos by Wendy Meyers.</div>
Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-1530277799539835732019-02-23T16:55:00.000-08:002019-03-31T06:28:51.746-07:00In Memoriam: Eliza Poindexter Turk - a former slaveSeveral years ago, when perusing some of the Tennessee Valley Authority cemetery relocation records, I chanced upon a particularly fascinating one. Among the records from the DeLozier Cemetery (located in Judson) was one of a former slave named Eliza - to my knowledge the only officially documented former slave buried in the entire Fontana Reservoir. In honor of Black History Month, I thought I'd share the little we know of her story.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Tracey McCracken Palmer</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Early Life</u></strong><br />
Eliza was born into slavery in the early 1830s (records vary and ages are notoriously inaccurate, particularly in the case of slaves), likely in Macon County. She is recorded in multiple sources to have been mulatto (half black, half white), and was almost certainly the daughter of a slave woman and a unknown white master. Her first documented master was Thomas Wentworth Pledge Poindexter, who had moved to Macon County from Surry County prior to 1830. <br />
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She first appeared on the written record in a slave transaction when she was 8 years old: on January 10th, 1838, Thomas Wentworth Pledge Poindexter (who by then had settled in the area known as the 'Parch Corn Flour' Indian reservation - close to the modern-day Alarka Boat Dock), sold to James Poindexter (likely a close relative), 2 "colored" girls. "Sally" was a black girl 10 years of age, and Eliza was a described as a "yellow" or mulatto girl 8 years of age. Their sale price was $1100, which is nearly $30,000 in modern currency. On January 11, 1838, he purchased them back. The purpose of this odd transaction is unknown. <br />
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By 1844, she had come back into the possession of James Poindexter. A deed records him mortgaging Eliza and Sally, along with 217 acres on the "Parched Corn place", a bay mare, and 19 cattle, in order to purchase some land tracts from one Tyra Davis. By 1850, she likely was back in the possession of T.W.P. Poindexter, as the 1850 slave schedule records a 19 year-old female among his slaves. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEies21Ihz9AxFZhX6chKiCMwqxOzAanXN5woM37Vd2I-0IPyrMHAG5hKGUiECNi8sXBvEM26GfbHYUcDgMGMJ1wrblibHADXf_aCcdrsuOEDMXjpyJlefaYOzSo2f9IsDq_mFGTqYTdrHet/s1600/1850+Slave+Schedule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="1219" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEies21Ihz9AxFZhX6chKiCMwqxOzAanXN5woM37Vd2I-0IPyrMHAG5hKGUiECNi8sXBvEM26GfbHYUcDgMGMJ1wrblibHADXf_aCcdrsuOEDMXjpyJlefaYOzSo2f9IsDq_mFGTqYTdrHet/s640/1850+Slave+Schedule.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1850 Slave Schedule showing 3 slaves in the possession of T.W.P. Poindexter. <br />
Eliza is likely the 19 year-old female.<br />
Source: Ancestry.com</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Young Adulthood</u></strong><br />
In 1851, T.W.P. Poindexter died and Eliza probably passed into the ownership of Edward "Ned" DeLozier, who had married Poindexter's daughter, Betsy, in 1834. This cannot be certain as I have been unable to locate Poindexter's will, however, a 25 year-old female is recorded in the 1860 slave schedule among his 4 slaves, as are a 12 year-old female, a 4 year-old male, and a 3 month-old female. Who were these children?<br />
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Between approximately 1855 and freedom, Eliza gave birth to at least 4 children (dates of birth are approximate): Jiff (b. 1855), Jonathan (b. 1856), Arbazenia "Arvy" (b. 1860), and Caroline "Callie" (b. 1863). The identity of the father(s) of these children is unknown, however, as the children were all mulatto like their mother, it is almost certain that their father was white. Based on birth dates, 2 of the children listed in the 1860 slave schedule may have been Jiff or Jonathan, and Arvy. <br />
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<strong><u>After Freedom</u></strong><br />
It is highly probable that Eliza did not gain her freedom from slavery until sometime in December 1865 or early 1866. Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863, however, North Carolina did not approve the 13th Amendment (that abolished slavery) until December 4th, 1865 - almost 3 years later. On October 1st, 1866, Eliza married (giving her last name as Poindexter) a former slave from Georgia, <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146298618/clark-turk" target="_blank">J. Clark Turk</a>. Though how they met is unknown, he was likely among the many former slaves making their exodus from the farms and plantations of the Deep South toward the North during the early Reconstruction Period. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1870 US Census for Welch's District, Macon County showing Clark and Eliza Turk and children.<br />
Source: Ancestry.com</td></tr>
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Clark and Eliza Turk appear to have settled in the same district in which she had been a slave - the 1870 census shows them in the "Welches" district of Macon County and farming, with property valued at $125 and personal belongings valued at $100. Eliza's 4 living children born prior to her marriage were residing with them at the time, along with a son, Jesse, who had been born in approximately 1867. I do not think it coincidence that he was given this name, as Jesse was also the name of one of Ned DeLozier's sons (Jesse Ridings); he was born in 1847 and Eliza may have cared for him in his childhood. <br />
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After 1870, there is no further documentation of Eliza's life. Clark Turk is known to have remarried in 1874. Therefore, as single fathers with young children usually found new spouses quite soon after the death of a wife in that day and age, it is likely that Eliza died sometime around 1873. She was buried in an unmarked grave in the DeLozier Cemetery amongst her former masters, mistresses, acquaintances, and possibly children and former fellow slaves - seemingly lost to history.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesse Ridings DeLozier (1847 - 1886)<br />
Source: Elise (DeLozier) Palmer</td></tr>
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<br />
<strong><u>Bringing Eliza Back to Life</u></strong><br />
As is well-known, in the early 1940s, Fontana Dam was built by the TVA in order to help power Alcoa's wartime production of aluminum. Prior to the lake being filled, the vast majority of the individuals buried in the cemeteries to be flooded were removed to other cemeteries. The Judson Public Cemetery and the adjacent DeLozier Cemetery were among the cemeteries that now lie under Fontana Lake's waters. Tom DeLozier, son of Jesse Ridings DeLozier, was the individual who identified the graves in the DeLozier Cemetery for TVA. Amongst all the unmarked graves in the cemetery (many of whom were identified as "Unknown DeLozier" or "Unknown Poindexter"), Tom identified the grave of Eliza - noting that she had been a slave. Despite the fact that a number of former slaves are buried in Swain County, very few of their graves are actually known and/or identified. The fact that Eliza's was identified by a member of the family who had had been born in the same year in which she likely died, led the family and I to the supposition that she may have been seen as more of a family member than a slave. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hByfpl2SJ7Pt62pUJ7TctVrTjbAGqqpEaixfE9bDTsHI6EpGkYV04NyTnq02W1fbK-wHHrA6cflPRlMcWwRhJsvKh2ddF0Kuc2nIvjtMc8PFFS2YXfRnKLAupcvLUJnsuKqw41E6-G4S/s1600/Eliza+relocation+record.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1263" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hByfpl2SJ7Pt62pUJ7TctVrTjbAGqqpEaixfE9bDTsHI6EpGkYV04NyTnq02W1fbK-wHHrA6cflPRlMcWwRhJsvKh2ddF0Kuc2nIvjtMc8PFFS2YXfRnKLAupcvLUJnsuKqw41E6-G4S/s640/Eliza+relocation+record.jpg" width="504" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eliza's grave relocation record<br />
Source: Ancestry.com and TVA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsreIBsFcZMX-MZniLEX00OAY6k8XNK8Y-yFKkw6ofijp2jLmeOYYWgS1uxWRjVLH9pV_C7PyOXcBdqq9Myjuxawk_HH9fygpeLWB84gExHgZoNuHGn55kDDhCM6oBIPV9qwYaT9ZbbkKi/s1600/Scott+and+Kim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1423" data-original-width="1110" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsreIBsFcZMX-MZniLEX00OAY6k8XNK8Y-yFKkw6ofijp2jLmeOYYWgS1uxWRjVLH9pV_C7PyOXcBdqq9Myjuxawk_HH9fygpeLWB84gExHgZoNuHGn55kDDhCM6oBIPV9qwYaT9ZbbkKi/s640/Scott+and+Kim.jpg" width="499" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim Palmer and Scott Evans setting Eliza's stone. Kim is the great-grandchild of Jesse Ridings DeLozier.<br />
Scott is the husband of Amy Palmer Evans, who is also a great-grandchild of Jesse Ridings DeLozier.<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After sharing this amazing finding with the DeLozier family (who has helped me enormously in my Judson research, who is exceptionally invested in their family's history, and of whom I am extremely fond), all agreed that Eliza's grave should have a permanent marker rather than the anonymous white cross currently marking it. After locating her grave via the TVA maps (many thanks to Don Casada) and obtaining a small headstone for her, several members of the DeLozier family (some coming from 2 hours or more away), Christine Proctor (head of the Lauada Cemetery Association and a cousin through the Woody line), and I gathered at the Lauada Cemetery on October 28th, 2018 - a gorgeous fall day - to place her stone. A base was prepared and the stone set, a brief overview of her life was given, a fitting poem was read (below), and flowers were placed on her stone. It was a simple memorial, but deeply meaningful to all those that gathered there.<br />
<br />
<br />
In quiet contemplation, the life and dignity of this once-unknown former slave was restored, and she will now live on in perpetuity thanks to the family whom she served over 150 years ago.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Perhaps if Death is Kind</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>(read by Amy Palmer Evans at the dedication)</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Perhaps if Death is kind, and there can be returning,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We will come back to earth some fragrant night,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And take these lanes to find the sea, and bending</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Breathe the same honeysuckle, low and white.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We will come down at night to these resounding beaches</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And the long gentle thunder of the sea</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here for a single hour in the wide starlight</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We shall be happy, for the dead are free.<br />
<em>by Sarah Teasdale</em></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi_JawGHwEQEmiGhvf7op5L0FYTBSVlVUnptRRNQnSoSs0G5YEAs8XVJNvv8IzsLnAuvymaVIhYhmCB7Fq9SqKawTYnX6XgRpjAIyHVw-DOh8NMQNgenQOxFM1VmcRIEBgqF4bljb-9mF/s1600/Josh+and+Lily+Gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi_JawGHwEQEmiGhvf7op5L0FYTBSVlVUnptRRNQnSoSs0G5YEAs8XVJNvv8IzsLnAuvymaVIhYhmCB7Fq9SqKawTYnX6XgRpjAIyHVw-DOh8NMQNgenQOxFM1VmcRIEBgqF4bljb-9mF/s640/Josh+and+Lily+Gray.jpg" width="348" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily DeLozier Gray placing flowers at Eliza's grave. Her father, Joshua DeLozier Gray, <br />
is behind her. Josh is the 2nd great-grandchild of Jesse Ridings DeLozier; Lily is the 3rd. <br />
Several of the family members have old family names as part of their own.<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ntqugYC9JuXxk20jfFm2touyaBBo3rQigLWUHArQSMBzBKffrWvXSpf2MaO5endbGqpNfd-z_D6qAkYlvElUZpP3go0w6te5B9j13h8NS8cglitYrfNFXXNbU503q-ZVbZDdc8YKHvxW/s1600/Elise+and+Christine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="1110" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ntqugYC9JuXxk20jfFm2touyaBBo3rQigLWUHArQSMBzBKffrWvXSpf2MaO5endbGqpNfd-z_D6qAkYlvElUZpP3go0w6te5B9j13h8NS8cglitYrfNFXXNbU503q-ZVbZDdc8YKHvxW/s640/Elise+and+Christine.jpg" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: Tracey McCracken Palmer, Christine Proctor, Amy (Palmer) Evans, Elise (DeLozier) Palmer, <br />
and Kim Palmer (Josh and Lily are behind him).<br />
Elise is the granddaughter of Jesse Ridings DeLozier; her children, Amy and Kim, are his great-grandchildren.<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LhyphenhyphenaW4Xjjw5m6d5pR5mGl81c0zuDilxfbHfo30XQzvF_zjrg_znfzEmyJQTyEF0Z7fbIiZ__SA8outPovH2JhyphenhyphenzebgyZk_d57iWe_jVckYTceUcp73oca1ozHKkHyhRQF1UfHTvf2aNw/s1600/Evans+and+Grays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LhyphenhyphenaW4Xjjw5m6d5pR5mGl81c0zuDilxfbHfo30XQzvF_zjrg_znfzEmyJQTyEF0Z7fbIiZ__SA8outPovH2JhyphenhyphenzebgyZk_d57iWe_jVckYTceUcp73oca1ozHKkHyhRQF1UfHTvf2aNw/s640/Evans+and+Grays.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: Amy (Palmer) Evans and husband Scott; Asa Gray and wife Susan (Williams) Gray.<br />
Susan is also a great-grandchild of Jesse Ridings DeLozier.<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Eliza's Descendants - A postscript for those interested</u></strong><br />
<strong>Jiff</strong> - disappeared from the records after the 1870 census. There is a remote possibility that he could be one "Jiff Harris" - a mulatto man living in the Durham area at the time of the 1880 census who was the same age as Eliza's son. This Jiff Harris had a 2 year-old daughter named Callie (and Callie was the name of one of Jiff's sisters). If this Jiff is one and the same, he had obviously changed his name upon departing the area.<br />
<br />
<strong>Jonathan</strong> - disappeared from the records after the 1870 census. Despite much digging, I cannot locate him anywhere.<br />
<br />
<strong>Arvy</strong> - married <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197059877/wilkes-m-mccoy/photo" target="_blank">Wilkes/Wilson M. McCoy</a> on November 22, 1877 in Macon County. They settled amongst the black community that was established (post-Civil War) in the Cowee area of the county. She had at least 7 children (birth dates are approximate): Lassie (b. 1879), Lulu (b. 1882), Charley (b. 1885), Fannie (b. 1886), "J" (b. 1890), Hettie (b. 1891), and Arie (b. 1893). She probably died sometime between 1893 and early 1900 (based on her husband's apparent remarriage in November 1900). She is likely buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery of the Pleasant Hill African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, based on the fact that her husband is known to be buried there.<br />
<br />
<strong>Callie</strong> - married George Conley on December 22, 1883 in Macon County. They settled in the same community that her sister Arvy lived in. She had at least 1 child, a son, <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192443277/gordia-l_-conley" target="_blank">Gordia "Gordie" Leander Conley (1885 - 1971).</a> As George was remarried in January 1893, Callie likely died in 1891 or 1892. Since her son is buried there, Callie is also likely buried at the Pleasant Hill A.M.E. church. <br />
<br />
<strong>Jesse</strong> - only 5 or 6 when his mother died, he relocated to Jackson County upon his father's remarriage. Heartbreakingly, he can last be seen at the age of 12 in the 1880 census living in the Webster district and working as a farm laborer for another family. As with his half-brothers, he disappeared from the record after this time. He may be buried in an unmarked grave in the Parris Cemetery in Jackson County, where his father is buried. <br />
<br />
<br />
Eliza likely has many hundreds of descendants throughout the country, however, as is so common when researching African-American families, most simply vanished from the written record. Sadly, Gordie Conley's line is the only one through which living descendants can be documented. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pl_34Wk0z5nr8AqnBPir-AkLZFbrt_bhV-k8DQIJD5LxYrrI595NryH_6bL-D-u5I5hlxnzvQtzLA0nLm5hRgyNhrIVr9ku_2za2ix1zz0h3WO8NQO2Lutrt8cLhY4MiPwmu3hF6VyuH/s1600/Pleasant+Hill+AME+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1377" data-original-width="1377" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pl_34Wk0z5nr8AqnBPir-AkLZFbrt_bhV-k8DQIJD5LxYrrI595NryH_6bL-D-u5I5hlxnzvQtzLA0nLm5hRgyNhrIVr9ku_2za2ix1zz0h3WO8NQO2Lutrt8cLhY4MiPwmu3hF6VyuH/s640/Pleasant+Hill+AME+Church.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Pleasant African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Macon County (West's Mill area)<br />
At least one of Eliza's descendants is buried here - likely more.<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
__________________________________________________</div>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Sources:</strong><br />
Ancestry.com<br />
DeLozier family (including Malvary Morris Gamble and Lynn Morris Sullivan, who are not pictured above)<br />
Don Casada<br />
Macon County, North Carolina Register of Deeds<br />
Tennessee Valley Authority records<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-24285021695418066612018-12-22T13:33:00.004-08:002018-12-22T13:33:33.013-08:00Letters to Santa - 1909/1910
Today's article is a simple and sweet collection of
letters to Santa written in 1909 and 1910 by Swain County children
(in some cases with the help of their families), with an anecdote or two about their lives after childhood. Enjoy!<span style="color: #990000;">__________________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>The Picklesimer Siblings</u></strong></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 125%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Leon Garrison Picklesimer
(1905 - 1977)</strong></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lavinia (Picklesimer)
Cowan (1903 - 1965)</span></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 125%;">
Leon and Lavinia were the children of Bryson
City mayor Thomas G. Picklesimer and his wife Ellen (nee'
Leatherwood). Less than a year after their letters to Santa were
written, their father was killed when he started to jump off a train that
was leaving the Bryson City station and was caught under the wheels and crushed
to death. Their widowed mother subsequently moved the family to Jackson County. Leon's life
was stalked by tragedy. In addition to the loss of his father at such a young
age, he lost his wife, Sadie (nee' Bryson) in a tragic car accident in 1964
that nearly claimed his life as well as his daughter's. The same daughter, Kaye
Ellen, died 10 years later at the age of 18 of complications from a congenital
heart defect. </div>
<div style="line-height: 125%;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuuND-gbZsWRohy1ic3MQRgL4Pb7WwhDUVi5zPPebnRdKBDXfFCy0TAEdfbKh-KlyHQprWLC5UeKC6iQnHAmNAgU4F62yhEW5LaT0wNGuENZlGdw-jjvbIJPiOwDj6tD2jisQLPazZiyW/s1600/Picklesimer+Letter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="329" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuuND-gbZsWRohy1ic3MQRgL4Pb7WwhDUVi5zPPebnRdKBDXfFCy0TAEdfbKh-KlyHQprWLC5UeKC6iQnHAmNAgU4F62yhEW5LaT0wNGuENZlGdw-jjvbIJPiOwDj6tD2jisQLPazZiyW/s640/Picklesimer+Letter.JPG" width="344" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 17 Dec 1994<br />(John Parris article)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Lauren Sylvia (Conner) Lee
(1899 - 1932)</u></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 125%;">
The nature of the childhood illness that Sylvia refers to in
her letter is unknown. She married Carl Lee and had a child, Harry, who
died 18 days after birth. Sylvia died in Virginia in 1932, and her
body was brought back to Judson for burial. She was the aunt of Swain County
historian Merrell Jenkins Riddle. </div>
<div style="line-height: 125%;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeWvNr0Mm7TVj1s3YN9R6tPNmc14E7RQ9DkiykB5_zbPDy9KHmt6EoyUOij5LxXjSuKL4NiquWAN9dLNJBuzxipd4n-eQipz6PLwNocascD7eJgJht5arSp3G3DfiyH_qqYSeCI2crUXD/s1600/Sylvia+Conner+letter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="628" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeWvNr0Mm7TVj1s3YN9R6tPNmc14E7RQ9DkiykB5_zbPDy9KHmt6EoyUOij5LxXjSuKL4NiquWAN9dLNJBuzxipd4n-eQipz6PLwNocascD7eJgJht5arSp3G3DfiyH_qqYSeCI2crUXD/s400/Sylvia+Conner+letter.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 18 December 1909</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>The Roane Siblings</u></strong></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Hester Roane Fisher (1900
- 1987)</strong></span></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Margaret Roane (1907 -
unknown)</strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Sam Roane (1903-1985)</strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Robert Roane (1904-1987)</strong></span></div>
The Roanes were the children of Charles
T. and Mary Belle (nee' Rogers) Roane. Charles was a US
Marshal during Grover Cleveland's administration, and subsequently served as the sheriff
of Macon County for 8 years. In 1909, he was running a hotel in Judson with at
least 3 of his children. However, his eldest son, Sam, was living with
his uncle Robert Roane and his wife Mary (Siler), who had
adopted him. (Robert Roane was a 2-term Swain County sheriff, a state senator,
and a co-owner of the Roane and Varner store in Whittier).<br />
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPqMEK1YL2NCzqyT_x1XXhDnXnbngmnrwuEBs4hly3KYl2kF450ihkOxj7dE90G5c_mPAHpzVkdMIQkqVSmvNPcbIdkd1G5c8zcjyqOmuEXc8JkDHFcSHkU6XNul5yf1AREk4LHxVsz2d/s1600/Roane+sisters+letters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="508" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPqMEK1YL2NCzqyT_x1XXhDnXnbngmnrwuEBs4hly3KYl2kF450ihkOxj7dE90G5c_mPAHpzVkdMIQkqVSmvNPcbIdkd1G5c8zcjyqOmuEXc8JkDHFcSHkU6XNul5yf1AREk4LHxVsz2d/s640/Roane+sisters+letters.JPG" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 18 December 1909</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyviaAjVEspNLcJ7s_Ecr9uCLCpBTGbfZ4SvaNFevI4Xmi1dJU3mQV6ZuAuFrOt4gknAg9eiSKw7fLc4CBmx7EFUkHHt2ep74k6S6B9V2XLoXkLc261dho2LBEaYIrVD7ZWtTXiNemgLuv/s1600/Robert+Roane+letter+1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="684" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyviaAjVEspNLcJ7s_Ecr9uCLCpBTGbfZ4SvaNFevI4Xmi1dJU3mQV6ZuAuFrOt4gknAg9eiSKw7fLc4CBmx7EFUkHHt2ep74k6S6B9V2XLoXkLc261dho2LBEaYIrVD7ZWtTXiNemgLuv/s400/Robert+Roane+letter+1909.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 21 December 1909</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-T7e1agOSM7igrtzQ1GNiVauVClK-zzrQQfydO2FMQnFSXdI7MsJtiHQ5fhAs03OOHXPle1hAWLEm_ac4ADqSGrdTMv3Y0-Hst_9TGth-0Kz7TkOKG2C6K7aV_6-lxKmbwaxUZ1CGCDC/s1600/Sam+Roane+1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-T7e1agOSM7igrtzQ1GNiVauVClK-zzrQQfydO2FMQnFSXdI7MsJtiHQ5fhAs03OOHXPle1hAWLEm_ac4ADqSGrdTMv3Y0-Hst_9TGth-0Kz7TkOKG2C6K7aV_6-lxKmbwaxUZ1CGCDC/s640/Sam+Roane+1909.JPG" width="508" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 17 Dec 1994<br />(John Parris article)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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By 1910, the family was living
in Bryson City (according to these letters). Unfortunately, none of them (aside
from Sam) appear in that census. Sam may have been living with his
uncle and aunt due to family discord or breakup. At some point before 1920,
Mary and Charles divorced. She married Dr. Robert Orr and moved to Texas,
taking some of the children with her. After Dr. Orr's death in 1921, she moved to
California. The majority of the children seem to have followed - Hester and
Robert both lived in California for most of their lives and died there. Sam,
after a lengthy tenure in Western North Carolina, eventually made it to
California and died there. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah-pLK0n9WYU18tWYAWgIUx73VBf55zcBsD0qkaJEJDsDMJ-nhPXmLrpX6p-dtlBSF9a9qXoamEkqvt4ZUls_23Zp4v1tRTt70Ow9AVdjNKJ1NIDyvHX3st8uWmrWVOiBmvegL6iS2A5f/s1600/Margarete+Roane+1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="539" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah-pLK0n9WYU18tWYAWgIUx73VBf55zcBsD0qkaJEJDsDMJ-nhPXmLrpX6p-dtlBSF9a9qXoamEkqvt4ZUls_23Zp4v1tRTt70Ow9AVdjNKJ1NIDyvHX3st8uWmrWVOiBmvegL6iS2A5f/s400/Margarete+Roane+1910.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 23 December 1910</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNLI2WxcmfGrwyaXB9oE8W3MiUiHPjQ_vn-Cexw8_qFVHS48DPhO_5KKiWSOZpitMboqBpZqXO55sA5sUrikIS9znQFqya9AWJ83xvMIqj8p4calW8UdvVZ6d3GT635ozybrvVaqf9NpW/s1600/Roane+Brothers+letter+1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="503" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNLI2WxcmfGrwyaXB9oE8W3MiUiHPjQ_vn-Cexw8_qFVHS48DPhO_5KKiWSOZpitMboqBpZqXO55sA5sUrikIS9znQFqya9AWJ83xvMIqj8p4calW8UdvVZ6d3GT635ozybrvVaqf9NpW/s640/Roane+Brothers+letter+1910.JPG" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 23 December 1910</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Merry Christmas!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcs6pyWeQxwP26lNn76R-rxPwbad90l2ry6edDScuyTUOiITk-nhYO-XsqysfwY51mNcbe045hrsZP2o1YHy4wcGV9n7-b-vjOuU7muMP6BftPOkwNc2zZJgaiyB2w9QZ7lgA7foCYkK1H/s1600/1910+Christmas+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcs6pyWeQxwP26lNn76R-rxPwbad90l2ry6edDScuyTUOiITk-nhYO-XsqysfwY51mNcbe045hrsZP2o1YHy4wcGV9n7-b-vjOuU7muMP6BftPOkwNc2zZJgaiyB2w9QZ7lgA7foCYkK1H/s1600/1910+Christmas+Card.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Pinterest</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><div style="line-height: 125%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;">__________________________________________________________________</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 125%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sources:</div>
<div style="line-height: 125%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Ancestry.com</div>
<div style="line-height: 125%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Asheville Citizen-Times, December 1909, 1910, 1994 (specific dates in captions)</div>
<div style="line-height: 125%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Newspapers.com</div>
<div style="line-height: 125%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Pinterest</div>
Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-38743485281276486982018-11-18T15:01:00.001-08:002018-11-25T13:57:46.756-08:00Landscapes of Old Schools - White Oak (Updated)At the request of superintendent Charles Carroll, a representative from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction performed a complete survey of Swain County's schools. The survey was begun in September 1932 and ended in June 1933. The report produced provides fascinating insight into the state of schooling in our mountain county during the Great Depression, and even better - contains pictures of the schools that were visited. I will be using this report in upcoming articles to highlight the past (and current) landscapes of the old schools that once dotted Swain County. <br />
<em>(Note: shortly after publishing the original article on the school, Clifford King - mentioned below - called to update me on true location of the school, which is not what I had previously understood the location to be. He graciously volunteered to take me to the school site so that I could see it and take pictures. We made this trek today [11/25/2018] and I have updated the article accordingly.)</em><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNlrP7Gh3Vn6utw_DTPFXRxT-HvF_76cQLN2D-zzEemGHQ-Uo3bHfsKFjnYXIIn-taoHvcLJ55JuGcnSDFGtxWlZCNTGVyZM06jsvNmCBSaL2sqSWCZKfu33xoDru_WnahzBgoFypodN2/s1600/White+Oak+%25231+%25281933+School+Consolidation+Report%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="264" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNlrP7Gh3Vn6utw_DTPFXRxT-HvF_76cQLN2D-zzEemGHQ-Uo3bHfsKFjnYXIIn-taoHvcLJ55JuGcnSDFGtxWlZCNTGVyZM06jsvNmCBSaL2sqSWCZKfu33xoDru_WnahzBgoFypodN2/s400/White+Oak+%25231+%25281933+School+Consolidation+Report%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
White Oak #1 School</div>
<div>
Source: Swain County Schools Consolidation Report (1933)</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Swain County once had two one-room schools that bore the name "White Oak". White Oak #1 was situated at the confluence of Sawmill Creek and the Little Tennessee River. Thanks to Lillian Thomasson's extensive research for her book on the early educational history of Swain County, we can know with certainty that the school was operating at least as early as 1892. It likely operated from at least 1890, as an article in the 1890 Swain County Herald mentions White Oak as a voting location.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94iUbA3wZwezLyXo0I5sqDf8Z5FgZaGcSHJt_HS3mF8fYM7wFzG_Re296qcNdRMk8oHRDch7VnZv3wipIW9xDXr4YYDHeVmAykXEOq48d43b9kA1dStUaAzvwMglochPMGI86PttAJDUO/s1600/Map+of+School+Area.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="797" height="491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94iUbA3wZwezLyXo0I5sqDf8Z5FgZaGcSHJt_HS3mF8fYM7wFzG_Re296qcNdRMk8oHRDch7VnZv3wipIW9xDXr4YYDHeVmAykXEOq48d43b9kA1dStUaAzvwMglochPMGI86PttAJDUO/s640/Map+of+School+Area.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: 1936 Wesser Quadrangle, USGS; <br />
Discussion with Cliff King</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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During the time the school was in operation, no "School Board" proper existed; instead, the school districts were represented by "School Committeemen". During the year in which the consolidation survey took place, White Oak was represented by William Thomas Davis (1865-1952), William Roby Howard (1876-1952), and Abraham "Abie" DeHart (son-in-law of William Roby Howard), all of whom lived in close proximity to the school. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_xFhIjq19zTdtd38DmXXvykOjtn9uI_fY0avl47ID2iQNrgFfMMdnCS_TLklgvIg-k6Q17YpN3SPU6qmLBMPHEGx8UoKKXmhXdOC3O9euTwGgAY5zTASb5yVgv3DJ5Hs5m6RFPFuvUYv/s1600/William+Thomas+Davis+%2528C+Tood+Young+on+Ancestry.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="426" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_xFhIjq19zTdtd38DmXXvykOjtn9uI_fY0avl47ID2iQNrgFfMMdnCS_TLklgvIg-k6Q17YpN3SPU6qmLBMPHEGx8UoKKXmhXdOC3O9euTwGgAY5zTASb5yVgv3DJ5Hs5m6RFPFuvUYv/s400/William+Thomas+Davis+%2528C+Tood+Young+on+Ancestry.com%2529.JPG" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Thomas Davis <br />
Source: C Todd Young on Ancestry.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr62x69g4hDvH5AwQrGeK3l6yKmm_s60RkYgUIAPX7a0UlSsxMt53AGaw771upi9HPPpNljoPjl9-zSKTFe-5Ua4aa8g7o79GB9PvsygUiNOrYD5J3897aPObvUKky4G1Q_OX6C-wYGJTH/s1600/Roby+and+Susan+%2528Slagle%2529+Howard+%2528Fran+Rogers%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="250" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr62x69g4hDvH5AwQrGeK3l6yKmm_s60RkYgUIAPX7a0UlSsxMt53AGaw771upi9HPPpNljoPjl9-zSKTFe-5Ua4aa8g7o79GB9PvsygUiNOrYD5J3897aPObvUKky4G1Q_OX6C-wYGJTH/s320/Roby+and+Susan+%2528Slagle%2529+Howard+%2528Fran+Rogers%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Roby and Susan (Slagle) Howard<br />
Source: Swain County Heritage Book</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_LUgwKVDE3AL5ZVFGta98r6IsaIBqtshKcT8qyHcEB4nPOlka9uDnJhr_rNzslhA3qYgYFvG1uaaFBEu5-ypvDfEpqiwYwK7HvM6v5vgSRn2fb1kzFUQ87aScvHEEaqfTptCMHZk8apK/s1600/Abie+DeHart+with+Wife+and+Children+%2528Greg+Gilbert+on+Ancestry.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_LUgwKVDE3AL5ZVFGta98r6IsaIBqtshKcT8qyHcEB4nPOlka9uDnJhr_rNzslhA3qYgYFvG1uaaFBEu5-ypvDfEpqiwYwK7HvM6v5vgSRn2fb1kzFUQ87aScvHEEaqfTptCMHZk8apK/s320/Abie+DeHart+with+Wife+and+Children+%2528Greg+Gilbert+on+Ancestry.com%2529.JPG" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abie DeHart, wife Lizzie (Howard, daughter of William Roby Howard above), and children<br />
Source: Greg Gilbert on Ancestry.com and Mother June (DeHart) Gilbert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Schoolteachers known to have taught at the school were Lucy Henry (as there were several Lucy Henry's living in North Carolina, her full identity is not certain), Vonnie West (1886 - 1976), and a Ms. Wilhide (first name unknown). <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYC8HdzNUydEakVKhWAHlAtOpsHpCtxHjhau2D-Fe6FoWVUKbdSAGWfXaNe3i6kSh3WYE-H3gkI_wIEr9Kg7GNfWd0VwXnXXwVMP1tWapEBaeaRLXEKFqWlZtg1Cdv6wLoUAfpqaySvN09/s1600/Vonnie+West+picture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="169" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYC8HdzNUydEakVKhWAHlAtOpsHpCtxHjhau2D-Fe6FoWVUKbdSAGWfXaNe3i6kSh3WYE-H3gkI_wIEr9Kg7GNfWd0VwXnXXwVMP1tWapEBaeaRLXEKFqWlZtg1Cdv6wLoUAfpqaySvN09/s320/Vonnie+West+picture.JPG" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vonnie West<br />
Source: <a href="https://yellow.place/en/aunt-vonnie-west-mill-house-and-west-mill-post-office-franklin-usa">https://yellow.place/en/aunt-vonnie-west-mill-house-and-west-mill-post-office-franklin-usa</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With an enrollment of 33 students and an average daily attendance of 24 at the time of the 1932/33 survey, it is certain that hundreds of Swain County children attended the school over the years it was in operation. Few of their identities are known, however, some are, including:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fred Ammons (father of faithful blog reader Ed Ammons)</li>
<li>Rufus King (father of another faithful blog reader, Cliff King)</li>
<li>Some of the children of Abie DeHart</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxilKUi-1rLrx7eu6I6u0yokCSls6YoZH8Zfz9JiudMnkSvOeawVhdSOrdQL6xz100MOL3oaxdcr881DHG2WGfkiwMEIk7TXyj0czYwGI-P_QziVkjQ4WFNJIjFB6tgD76NsxM51LU-w-s/s1600/Fred+Ervin+Ammons+%2528Ed+Ammons%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="690" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxilKUi-1rLrx7eu6I6u0yokCSls6YoZH8Zfz9JiudMnkSvOeawVhdSOrdQL6xz100MOL3oaxdcr881DHG2WGfkiwMEIk7TXyj0czYwGI-P_QziVkjQ4WFNJIjFB6tgD76NsxM51LU-w-s/s320/Fred+Ervin+Ammons+%2528Ed+Ammons%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred Ervin Ammons<br />
Source: son Ed Ammons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEexvtlWgU7nyAqeyoi1MSJ7SvT0JjUOIEiWr_8EmrHmE_TVBBnb5Kin2EAG4Kxw4sD_tM2q_HP1Kg4jvngZHUDirjiz9z0jd-QxPfIMKnwZH0GFVha0lnN4Hi2F3xqnkGBiXKmke9jqqk/s1600/Catherin+McHan+King+and+children+%2528Rufus+on+right%2529+%2528Fran+Rogers%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="626" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEexvtlWgU7nyAqeyoi1MSJ7SvT0JjUOIEiWr_8EmrHmE_TVBBnb5Kin2EAG4Kxw4sD_tM2q_HP1Kg4jvngZHUDirjiz9z0jd-QxPfIMKnwZH0GFVha0lnN4Hi2F3xqnkGBiXKmke9jqqk/s400/Catherin+McHan+King+and+children+%2528Rufus+on+right%2529+%2528Fran+Rogers%2529.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine (McHan) King with children Mary Jane and Rufus Veary<br />
Source: Cliff King/Fran Rogers<br />
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</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZxuTrdCLiHsWLekfMFbTfLCUoQizTJEl10m8EgZVjiK9vgaVbMBhUwy_8DuFB-7C-DNdcuAmVmetIMQiIdZhvqwbPHhD9l29njdlXcSGb0O8DYRp1sQiR5wQc5vO-dvsxLGk0tH6XAzB/s1600/Abie+Dehart+children+%2528Greg+Gilbert%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="623" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZxuTrdCLiHsWLekfMFbTfLCUoQizTJEl10m8EgZVjiK9vgaVbMBhUwy_8DuFB-7C-DNdcuAmVmetIMQiIdZhvqwbPHhD9l29njdlXcSGb0O8DYRp1sQiR5wQc5vO-dvsxLGk0tH6XAzB/s320/Abie+Dehart+children+%2528Greg+Gilbert%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children of Abie and Lizzie DeHart<br />
Back Row L-R: Lambert, Percival, George, and Onley<br />
Front Row L-R, Ralph, Kate, and Arvil<br />
Source: Greg Gilbert on Ancestry.com and mother June (DeHart) Gilbert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another family whose children attended White Oak was that of William Roby Howard. Recently, I had the great honor of talking to his youngest child who is the only member of the family still living. Lexie (Howard) Winchester was born in January 1926 and attended the school for about 2 years - for 1st and 2nd grades (she went to the Bryson City School after the White Oak school was closed). At the age of 92, she is likely to be the last living former pupil there. She had some fond memories of the school that she shared with me, and I hope you'll enjoy them. In places I have moved text around to make the reading more linear, but Lexie's speech is copied almost verbatim. <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
"I lived off 28 south, but there was a trail we always walked on to school. The schoolhouse was right on the Tennessee River. I walked about 2 and a half miles down there every day. I always kind of liked school, you know? I always went to school - I never laid out. I was the only one of the 12 children who finished high school. They all quit when they got old enough - you could quit school when you got through the 7th grade. My other siblings - by the time they were grown, they moved other places where they could find jobs. There were no jobs here at that time. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMQXiuVWRbzJsLSZ0o09IW9qmi2gyMoFb9F25yGpDNWd974yL9ttM2X0mcT0mVwyrXqb_HoMq2mhk24mDyxYVv3RraF4BPZPATFq3UeRSifj7yotHLEjuJBlnAnqgeaH0tqhLiFbnitvs/s1600/Lexie+Winchester+%2528as+a+small+girl%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1058" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMQXiuVWRbzJsLSZ0o09IW9qmi2gyMoFb9F25yGpDNWd974yL9ttM2X0mcT0mVwyrXqb_HoMq2mhk24mDyxYVv3RraF4BPZPATFq3UeRSifj7yotHLEjuJBlnAnqgeaH0tqhLiFbnitvs/s400/Lexie+Winchester+%2528as+a+small+girl%2529.jpeg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three of the Howard girls. Lexie is on the right and appears to <br />
be around 6 or 7 - the age at which she attended White Oak. <br />
Source: Lisa Sutton (daughter of Lexie Winchester)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There was one woman - Miss Henry was her name. I guess she was my 1st grade teacher. There was a Miss Wilhide who taught there at one time but she was not my teacher - she was there before I ever went. She taught 1st through 7th grades there. The school year went the same in the little country school schools as in Bryson City - 8 or 9 months. The schoolhouse faced the playground - the boys played ball and the girls played whatever. There was no equipment of any kind. <em>(Note: Rufus King reported that there was a swing that hung off the large oak tree that White Oak was named for, however, Lexie did not remember it. Lexie's son, Larry, stated that the boys would chase the squirrels up the tree.)</em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
We were all in one big room - 1st through 7th grade. The older kids, like kids who were in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, when the teacher was working with the older kids, they helped the little First graders with their spelling and arithmetic. The older kids helped the smaller kids a lot while she was teaching the higher grades, like teacher assistants I guess. (<em>I asked about corporal punishment here.</em>) They used a paddle, because I know I got it used. The older ones, I don't know what they used. But the little ones, they would just paddle your hand if you were talking or misbehaving. I got a lot of little paddlings on my hands for talking. <br />
<br />
<br />
(<em>I asked if she remembered it being cold in the winter</em>). Well, it certainly was (<em>cold</em>). There was a woodstove in the schoolhouse - it was heated I guess with wood. I don't know if they used coal or not. It was an old fashioned stove with a stovepipe going out the top. That heated the whole room. There was no insulation, I don't guess, in the building. It was one big open room with a wood stove in the middle, why, you wouldn't freeze to death, but it was cold in there. When it snowed and was bad, there were times that they didn't have school when kids couldn't walk to get there. <br />
<br />
<br />
(<em>I asked if the teacher had boarded in the community</em>.)Yes, I remember Miss Henry boarded with an old Dehart family that was not too far from the school. She lived there with the old lady and her husband. If she had a car, I didn't know anything about it. <br />
<br />
<br />
<em>(I asked about friends or other classmates.</em>) I don't remember any girls my age (<em>at school</em>). There was one family who lived right across the river from the schoolhouse - their name was Cabe. They had several kids. I think the girls were older than me. They had a boy about my age (<em>Percival</em>) that I went to school with but there were 2 or 3 other kids in the family and sometimes they would come to school across the river in a boat and take the boat back to the other side of the river when they got out in the evenings. Further down from where they lived there was a bridge across the river - a swinging bridge, they called it, but it was a good ways down from their house. Lots of times they would come across the river to school in a boat and go back home the same way - it was closer."<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmLb2j5tv81-_jtT377cEQxpvtIPUSGrUU1Wg370txBTnYqzXL-bs8sQzvbaVXrM59S4oNM3veRgQ_CAUq7wo45fAARXpl6ka8cMtR25ZfxaLLO963QADI-QpKMkGlV_tXy35wgqoQck0/s1600/Lexie+Winchester+%2528as+an+older+girl%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmLb2j5tv81-_jtT377cEQxpvtIPUSGrUU1Wg370txBTnYqzXL-bs8sQzvbaVXrM59S4oNM3veRgQ_CAUq7wo45fAARXpl6ka8cMtR25ZfxaLLO963QADI-QpKMkGlV_tXy35wgqoQck0/s400/Lexie+Winchester+%2528as+an+older+girl%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie Winchester (left) with her mother, Susan (Slagle) Howard<br />
Look at the dresses - they appear to be made of the same fabric.<br />
Source: Lisa Sutton (daughter of Lexie Winchester)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
________________________________________</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Lexie would almost certainly have been in the 1st grade when the school survey was completed. The inspector stated the following in his report about the school:</div>
<ul>
<li>Organization: Census 40, enrollment 33, average daily attendance 24. Percentage of students promoted 43.2%. There is 1 teacher; index of teacher training - 600. There are 6 grades and the school term is 6 months.</li>
<li>Grounds: very inaccessible and wholly inadequate for school use. </li>
<li>Building: poorly constructed, inadequately lighted; very bad in all respects. Fair pupil desks and seats. Water bucket with dipper. Toilets are over the river (<em>Note: this was corroborated by Cliff King, whose father had told him this</em>), the whole situation is deplorable. </li>
<li>Recommendation: Make every possible effort to abandon this school at once. Consolidate and transport the students to the Bryson City School.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPo_o_1jwOvpmiY0rmn8FecLIqCx-M5hhGS957hTAA5Tod3Ufa_61Tpg8ekYO42ZnAvEWFjRpyvxhWgxwgiRKupwyHZlG7036exuILQ9mWT_b-UXEWVkKNW8kTVnzEFuOhZh2CzR6f61Mn/s1600/White+Oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPo_o_1jwOvpmiY0rmn8FecLIqCx-M5hhGS957hTAA5Tod3Ufa_61Tpg8ekYO42ZnAvEWFjRpyvxhWgxwgiRKupwyHZlG7036exuILQ9mWT_b-UXEWVkKNW8kTVnzEFuOhZh2CzR6f61Mn/s400/White+Oak.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White Oak for which the school was named. <br />Photo taken from the school site, looking toward the river.<br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Swain County paid heed to the recommendation. White Oak #1 appears to have been closed in 1934 but the school remained standing for quite some time thereafter. For a time, at least one family called it home. Cliff King also recalled playing in the empty building as a child - remembering a blackboard painted on the front wall and a bell in the attic. When he was older, he boated tobacco from his brother's fields across the river and hung it to dry in the old schoolhouse. <br />
<br />
<br />
Sadly, Cliff related that the school was burned by arson in the early 1960s. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9WiCcms8tgVWnojRzzbgtfi0izitsKk_37x1foJDLTi1FJfMtDL1FKgbwuriYDujZ-FdsWGCFhDq8UOID2KMunRGvMlJ6HaTBwUZeXQQuPbsMIL_Z-_5Pj3gfuZbHDrYDAUt-ymsxac0/s1600/White+Oak+site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9WiCcms8tgVWnojRzzbgtfi0izitsKk_37x1foJDLTi1FJfMtDL1FKgbwuriYDujZ-FdsWGCFhDq8UOID2KMunRGvMlJ6HaTBwUZeXQQuPbsMIL_Z-_5Pj3gfuZbHDrYDAUt-ymsxac0/s400/White+Oak+site.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The school site - the playground would have been in the foreground. <br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69HnhWpnFV9ZnvAC7W9FX85OPh78Ph7n_Zrcsbe03GCv0hbh4cobxiWzDD2-4IPfgELmMOXK0EkJ0LAd5TjaPQhj1F4trogJZbgrw9KjCYEZDlo5c6XZ6lxDqyof8M5EEMC4mD6XMXPCp/s1600/Cliff+at+White+Oak+site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69HnhWpnFV9ZnvAC7W9FX85OPh78Ph7n_Zrcsbe03GCv0hbh4cobxiWzDD2-4IPfgELmMOXK0EkJ0LAd5TjaPQhj1F4trogJZbgrw9KjCYEZDlo5c6XZ6lxDqyof8M5EEMC4mD6XMXPCp/s400/Cliff+at+White+Oak+site.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliff King standing at approximately the site of the school's front door. <br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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Today, if you're willing to walk a bit and get a little wet, you can still visit the site of the old school. It's a beautiful, secluded, and peaceful spot along the river. Walk on the old road built by Joseph Welch and the old settlers of the county nearly 200 years ago - the road traveled by many a young child on their way to school. Stand on the river bank and touch the gorgeous old white oak the school was named for. Drink from the spring that supplied the students' water. Look across and up the river at the old tobacco fields and at the site of the Cabe home and imagine a little boy and his siblings setting out in their boat to come to school each day from there. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBADbRwr1uMC2q6r-AACSLEr3AQ-1ZROyAQgjj7yUWeD9mc8IUraIdabl3BYMtGL-TJ_krzwz74QGoZYxGNpIeH3UTx-KaAYybTQO6HKI33hsngUPHYGneyTt7L9YPNzwc6qJD4cm6K6N/s1600/Looking+upriver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBADbRwr1uMC2q6r-AACSLEr3AQ-1ZROyAQgjj7yUWeD9mc8IUraIdabl3BYMtGL-TJ_krzwz74QGoZYxGNpIeH3UTx-KaAYybTQO6HKI33hsngUPHYGneyTt7L9YPNzwc6qJD4cm6K6N/s400/Looking+upriver.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking upriver from the school. Floyd King's tobacco fields can be seen across the river in about the middle of the picture. The Cabe home sat on the hill to the right. <br />
Photo by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
And then stand in the playground area and imagine the children scampering about. If you sit still and listen quietly, you can almost hear their laughter. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
__________________________________________</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>Sources:</strong></div>
Ancestry.com<br />
Carol Cochran<br />
Clifford King<br />
C. Todd Young <br />
Ed Ammons<br />
Fran Rogers<br />
Greg and June (DeHart) Gilbert (pictures of DeHart family)<br />
Larry Winchester<br />
Lexie Winchester (interview on August 18, 2018)<br />
Lisa Sutton (pictures of Howard family)<br />
Swain County, Early History and Educational Development (author: Lillian Franklin Thomasson)<br />
Swain County Heritage Book<br />
Swain County Schools consolidation report, 1932-33<br />
United States Geological Survey (1936)<br />
<br />Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-61233741024737232682018-09-03T10:55:00.000-07:002018-09-03T10:55:40.750-07:00The Kerley Sawmill Explosion<em>In searching randomly for Swain County news from 125 years ago, I tripped across today's tale, one that, though sad, deserves to be told in order to honor the victims of this tragedy.</em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
Most Swain Countians are acquainted with several large-scale logging and milling operations that existed in what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Ritter at Proctor, Norwood at Forney, Champion at Smokemont, and several others. However, many smaller operations using portable sawmills were also to be found in the mountains. These sawmills served a vital purpose for the community - producing usable lumber for building homes, barns, businesses, and other structures.<br />
<br /><br />
One such sawing business was located on Conley's Creek and was owned by Larkin Julius (L.J.) Kerlee. It appears to have begun operations by at least 1888, as an article in the Asheville Citizen-Times that year notes that 10 railcar loads of "elegant poplar lumber" from Kerlee had been shipped to New York. And according to the newspaper article below, some of his lumber appears to have been used to build the bridge across the Tuckasegee River in Whittier.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUsiYrK2OiRIwC3nw9z1nl5s12AJRkuJwIF5-gRnJ9qxBpFwR99InS-Mv53Z3x7tDl6abpzlO4nARJiATJHSoiMUblV5afKTg95grvOqyJymV_LOxDOKNTn91vOBiXCt1F9UOinsxrsoD/s1600/Kerlee+lumber+used+for+Whittier+bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="686" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUsiYrK2OiRIwC3nw9z1nl5s12AJRkuJwIF5-gRnJ9qxBpFwR99InS-Mv53Z3x7tDl6abpzlO4nARJiATJHSoiMUblV5afKTg95grvOqyJymV_LOxDOKNTn91vOBiXCt1F9UOinsxrsoD/s400/Kerlee+lumber+used+for+Whittier+bridge.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Swain County Herald, 30 January 1890</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Kerlee family appears to have been prominent in the community, with members often making their way into the local papers. L.J. was one of three gentlemen tasked with the responsibility for holding the 1890 Democratic primary in Whittier. He was also a musician, as a newspaper article records Kerlee playing the guitar for a picnic for the Whittier School in 1890. <em>(Though I have not researched it extensively, Kerlee [alternately spelled Kerley in other reports] was almost certainly a relative of Richard Manson Kerley, who was the first husband of Nancy Ann Conard - better known as "Nance Dude". Nancy's son, Will, settled on Conley's Creek in the 1920s.)</em><br />
<br /><br />
However, the Kerlee family's world was to be upended in 1893. On 22 September, the Murfreesboro Index (Murfreesboro, NC) had this sad news to report:<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><strong>"The boiler of Kerley's saw mill, on Conley's Creek, near Whitter, Swain County, NC, exploded Monday (</strong><u>note: this would have been on 18 September</u><strong>) and instantly killed six men. Those killed are Richard Nichols, manager, of Asheville; James Kelley, Ben McMahan, Henry Smith, laborers; Jesse Gunter, farmer. <em><br /><strong></strong></em></strong></em><br />
<em><strong>The accident is supposed to have resulted from too high pressure of steam. The mill was completely wrecked, the saws, carriage , being broken up and not a piece of the boiler was left near the foundation. The men were blown to pieces, and the fragments scattered. The number of deaths in this accident is greater than any that have occurred in this part of the state since 1883, when twenty-six men were drowned at the convict camps near the scene of the present trouble."</strong></em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRG-u3JhUWd4XKYBtPoDvFGRlShyphenhyphenIoa_iuGW8ygpEiEmks5cQE20oHfXKCx3cZQ0VHR-OyQRgAxDMzYif1HfaMkRVwD4soPQ8ogXEaKsmoJSVfnFlJoDdO4n4u5uIxchq4mRdBmXKy68q/s1600/Steam+Sawmill+in+Pennsylvania.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="686" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRG-u3JhUWd4XKYBtPoDvFGRlShyphenhyphenIoa_iuGW8ygpEiEmks5cQE20oHfXKCx3cZQ0VHR-OyQRgAxDMzYif1HfaMkRVwD4soPQ8ogXEaKsmoJSVfnFlJoDdO4n4u5uIxchq4mRdBmXKy68q/s1600/Steam+Sawmill+in+Pennsylvania.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A steam-powered sawmill in Pennsylvania, circa 1895. It is likely that the Kerlee sawmill had a similar setup. Note the boiler on the right with the steam rising from it. <br />Source: <a href="http://www.pa-roots.com/southbend/burrelltownship/burrellscenes.html">http://www.pa-roots.com/southbend/burrelltownship/burrellscenes.html</a></td></tr>
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Who were the victims of this tragedy?<br />
The employees:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Richard Nichols was born circa 1840 in Canada, and fought with the 23rd Michigan Infantry during the Civil War. He and his family relocated to Asheville, in the area known as the Tahkeeostee Farm (now the French Broad River Park) around 1890 and as of January 1893, he was working for the French Broad Lumber Company (likely the conduit to his employment in the sawmill). He left behind a wife and 7 children, 3 of whom were under the age of 18 at the time of his death. The estate he left was worth only $10 ($280 today). He is buried in the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/48586/riverside-cemetery" target="_blank">Riverside Cemetery</a> in Asheville.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVDAvw5QLlhNpXsB6fFVum0hKeRUG5rsAvzw2N3AwT-T83CCLsNbA-FN9U4etgVi1ivivGxeGJiJLPecDTYQ1kCipHq91GK6A0HIAA8_Y1CHI3kjMR4cdS53x6fDcrx4YFTzcsV6by7fZ/s1600/Clarke-Nichols+wedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="527" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVDAvw5QLlhNpXsB6fFVum0hKeRUG5rsAvzw2N3AwT-T83CCLsNbA-FN9U4etgVi1ivivGxeGJiJLPecDTYQ1kCipHq91GK6A0HIAA8_Y1CHI3kjMR4cdS53x6fDcrx4YFTzcsV6by7fZ/s400/Clarke-Nichols+wedding.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just 8 months prior to his death, Richard Nichols celebrated the marriage of one of his daughters.<br />Source: Asheville Citizen-Times, 26 January 1893</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
<li>"James Kelley" was actually James O'Kelley, born 22 March 1864 in the Hominy area of Buncombe County. He was the son of Francis W. and Margaret Arminta (Young) O'Kelley. According to one account of the explosion, he was employed as a sawyer by Kerlee. At the time of his death, his estate was worth $200 ($5,600 today) and it appears to have been divided amongst his siblings. His brother, Walter, had a son in 1895 whom he named after his brother. He is buried in the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2243842/mount-pisgah-baptist-church-cemetery" target="_blank">Mount Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery</a> in Candler. </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MQyk_753x11QeIm7uEGl4WgM1DS-EkKjkkL0Lqa0R54d5EnDNxJsYGq210qRK32b00swp6KIAR2-JVZJv5_CNFG_GLrlIot_-KUqTlipuZmdsvU0s7yZ2GXXUMPQQTSIF88NVEnddwk2/s1600/James+OKelley+probate+record.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="813" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MQyk_753x11QeIm7uEGl4WgM1DS-EkKjkkL0Lqa0R54d5EnDNxJsYGq210qRK32b00swp6KIAR2-JVZJv5_CNFG_GLrlIot_-KUqTlipuZmdsvU0s7yZ2GXXUMPQQTSIF88NVEnddwk2/s400/James+OKelley+probate+record.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probate record for James O'Kelley<br />Source: Ancestry.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Henry Smith was an African-American man from the community then known as "Coopers" (now Swannanoa) in Buncombe County. He was employed as the "fireman" for the mill on that fateful day. He presumably is the Henry Smith that married Matilda Patton in Asheville in 1881 and had at least one child, William, who was born in 1888. The newspaper reports that his body was returned to the Asheville area; as such, it is my presumption that he is buried in the <a href="http://www.southashevillecemetery.net/" target="_blank">South Asheville Cemetery</a>, which was the primary designated cemetery for African-Americans in that area at that time. </li>
</ul>
The customers:<br />
<ul>
<li>Ben (born 26 March 1871) and Lee McMahan (Lee being the unnamed 6th individual killed, born 06 February 1875) were the sons of John and Rutha (Dillard) McMahan. Tragedy stalked this family. The boys' 2 year-old brother, John, died in 1882; their father, John, died in 1885, their brother, William Love, died in 1891; and another brother, General Pinkney, had just died in May 1893. It is difficult to fathom the grief their widowed mother must have felt when she lost these boys, particularly in such close proximity to the death of Pinkney. Neither Ben nor Lee appear to have been married. They are buried near their parents and siblings in the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2194507/barkers-creek-cemetery" target="_blank">Barkers Creek Cemetery</a>.</li>
<li>Jessie Bowman Gunter (born 19 August 1867) was the son of George Marion and Elizabeth (Nations) Gunter. He married Tennessee "Tennie" Carringer of Graham County in 1889 and they had at least one child, Maggie, who was 3 years old at the time of his death (Tennie remarried in 1894 and stated for the 1900 census that she had 5 children, 4 of whom remained living. It is possible that the deceased child was also Jessie's.) He is buried in the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1984724/marion-gunter-cemetery" target="_blank">Marion Gunter family cemetery</a> in Whittier. </li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogfbI3mU6rawSVBswntea7StimqLhhsWk_WzdGAvrt6SslSTg8pPGkmHr9uge373i2nh71VB4XRIgImhmCuuojRpD4oq4T_0BEqu1KA77xJX0CkGkGXw8_GX6o-53Vyb-v_wr1Wfc9Mcu/s1600/George+Marion+and+Eliza+Nations+Gunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogfbI3mU6rawSVBswntea7StimqLhhsWk_WzdGAvrt6SslSTg8pPGkmHr9uge373i2nh71VB4XRIgImhmCuuojRpD4oq4T_0BEqu1KA77xJX0CkGkGXw8_GX6o-53Vyb-v_wr1Wfc9Mcu/s1600/George+Marion+and+Eliza+Nations+Gunter.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Marion and Elizabeth Nations Gunter, parents of Jessie Bowman Gunter.<br />Source: Findagrave user "Troy", on GM Gunter findagrave memorial</td></tr>
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As for the Kerlee family, after that sad day, L.J. stayed in the milling business for at least a time, as he's recorded as working as a sawyer for the Coffin and McDonald sawmill in 1896. By 1900 his family had returned to Buncombe County, and by 1910 they had made the permanent move to Skagit County, Washington, where he died in 1933. <br />
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What a sad day for the Whittier community.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>(Postscript: The other tragedy referred to in the article above refers to the Cowee Tunnel disaster, in which 19 African-American convicts drowned while working to build the Southern Railway in Dillsboro. There is an excellent article on it located at </em><a href="https://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/10992-1882-cowee-tunnel-disaster-comes-into-21st-century-spotlight" target="_blank"><em>this link</em></a><em>.)</em><br />
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_______________________________________________________________</div>
Sources: <br />
Ancestry.com<br />
Asheville Citizen-Times, 17 May 1888.<br />
Asheville Citizen-Times, 26 Jan 1893.<br />
Asheville Weekly Citizen, 21 Sep 1893.<br />
Bryson City Times, 03 Apr 1896.<br />
Findagrave.com user "Troy".<br />
Murfreesboro Index, 22 Sep 1893.<br />
Muskogee Phoenix, 21 Sep 1893.<br />
Pennsylvania Roots website: <a href="http://www.pa-roots.com/southbend/burrelltownship/burrellscenes.html">http://www.pa-roots.com/southbend/burrelltownship/burrellscenes.html</a><br />
Swain County Herald, 30 Jan 1890.<br />
Swain County Herald, 05 Jun 1890.<br />
Washington Gazette, 28 Sep 1893.<br />
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<br />Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-46592957102389700272018-08-12T14:05:00.001-07:002018-08-14T11:36:53.373-07:00Vanishing Landscapes - Old Barns<div>
Little by little, Swain County's history vanishes every year, both in terms of the loss of the people who once called it home, but also in the buildings that are torn down for various reasons. Lately I've been taking long drives through the county in search of old places to photograph before they, too, disappear forever. Today in lieu of a lengthy piece, I thought I'd share some photos of some of the old barns in the county - both past and present. Most of these are from the western end of the county.</div>
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If any of you, my wonderful readers,have particular memories of these barns or the folks who owned them, please do share in the comments or via email (oldeswain@gmail.com). Additionally, if you know of any old barns that you'd like to see photographed, please reach out to me and I'll be happy to do that so long as they are easily accessed (I'd love to do another photo series on them).</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCETNWneBxWxMVwBjs3bRX5CsLWpS6Up4TjbtZuMI0XgzcDUB_dT5XEHLY4P6_4my_J8a5Y4q48-M3srEGOX1DCbNAL-u3fH4LsFphWK-0Rhsgt42X50vtcUtbWQpfkoA5_0X5__Ku3Gx/s1600/Barn+on+Brush+Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCETNWneBxWxMVwBjs3bRX5CsLWpS6Up4TjbtZuMI0XgzcDUB_dT5XEHLY4P6_4my_J8a5Y4q48-M3srEGOX1DCbNAL-u3fH4LsFphWK-0Rhsgt42X50vtcUtbWQpfkoA5_0X5__Ku3Gx/s640/Barn+on+Brush+Creek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Upper Brush Creek</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOggLmp8PoRFz4vKBJ9U2JrypY3ZNmIu4FB1xreLyERvzqFe1nkA5Rp6WjIy083PowrdxrmK3BkP18Iov5hyphenhyphen7zOM3pWV6UFdmCoCKhvT6M_yIJ064e_GzGBLMKQ6xb_8ghrvEGUX9MOc4b/s1600/Bryson+Branch+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1600" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOggLmp8PoRFz4vKBJ9U2JrypY3ZNmIu4FB1xreLyERvzqFe1nkA5Rp6WjIy083PowrdxrmK3BkP18Iov5hyphenhyphen7zOM3pWV6UFdmCoCKhvT6M_yIJ064e_GzGBLMKQ6xb_8ghrvEGUX9MOc4b/s640/Bryson+Branch+Road.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Bryson Branch (note the antique car under it)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTaS7P0g_QsVIOFXzxIz1gaWh_obcW5nEC2LWYGx4wOheaeHTvXynKPUK9K0nGmCWy1_5NznZdSxKSuvVvHhnlw6qZPePzkHmB3VsdAsg2ESGbMXOJduRKlimrSGUO3MAfDDXsnaxJvqj/s1600/Lauada+barn+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1084" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTaS7P0g_QsVIOFXzxIz1gaWh_obcW5nEC2LWYGx4wOheaeHTvXynKPUK9K0nGmCWy1_5NznZdSxKSuvVvHhnlw6qZPePzkHmB3VsdAsg2ESGbMXOJduRKlimrSGUO3MAfDDXsnaxJvqj/s640/Lauada+barn+resized.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
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Cowan Wikle's barn in Lauada (just off NC 28)<br />Information provided by Bill Burnette</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzhuYky97Mq5Giwbby6REmzjQoP4lMJZn3mAaCHykCpP40O1M5X7oqOKiarV_oN_yGUQAcc4sMWfkbRuYpt7563mjmnWe3CTztZIKPykNFgZeu6Howrqj23YH567M5_yf-_3cCQLTbXp-/s1600/Barn+on+Old+Deep+Creek+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1600" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzhuYky97Mq5Giwbby6REmzjQoP4lMJZn3mAaCHykCpP40O1M5X7oqOKiarV_oN_yGUQAcc4sMWfkbRuYpt7563mjmnWe3CTztZIKPykNFgZeu6Howrqj23YH567M5_yf-_3cCQLTbXp-/s640/Barn+on+Old+Deep+Creek+Road.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Deep Creek Road</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABgYKCT6MLIvQuPpFzDzK0y7hg1kS8dA1zBC5L-s5erCF1CiLhaj-WViBI1tyQFCbPizECe8HodBM__6gRVFNGKUioz5bHvqKaTNVJXM32M7y0rGPMr0LRgQIIB4t4cCxAB1FpIdqAlpS/s1600/Silvermine_Large_Barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABgYKCT6MLIvQuPpFzDzK0y7hg1kS8dA1zBC5L-s5erCF1CiLhaj-WViBI1tyQFCbPizECe8HodBM__6gRVFNGKUioz5bHvqKaTNVJXM32M7y0rGPMr0LRgQIIB4t4cCxAB1FpIdqAlpS/s640/Silvermine_Large_Barn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silvermine Creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayerOKvXsIE1rYutpJLU1lJveKvZAuVyy-PeZWyFYAbortBz-LMEHsSZ9lu6YnfqmU7jN-vKTt29ETRf8Pa0db1l5qXO3NkNp23xfMUMrCabQ-rc-VYVv3EAzOrk4ZHr1D0JrdISCvUZO/s1600/Wesser_Creek_barn_on_Gasaway_Rd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="524" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayerOKvXsIE1rYutpJLU1lJveKvZAuVyy-PeZWyFYAbortBz-LMEHsSZ9lu6YnfqmU7jN-vKTt29ETRf8Pa0db1l5qXO3NkNp23xfMUMrCabQ-rc-VYVv3EAzOrk4ZHr1D0JrdISCvUZO/s640/Wesser_Creek_barn_on_Gasaway_Rd.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wesser Creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pMoB049bBgXRZ2ygqfAYsHptTzvCIXhr_ZJ0E_1rbZzjQmyL5OF5Z1PuE53S82yLG_cUt2-RI1mOgiAZlNWgSubRLzvPjIGKX-yV8SA3uWO71-EaWg2unoYjFwlW-k0t4atqR5TBZKFl/s1600/Lower+Brush+Creek+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1164" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pMoB049bBgXRZ2ygqfAYsHptTzvCIXhr_ZJ0E_1rbZzjQmyL5OF5Z1PuE53S82yLG_cUt2-RI1mOgiAZlNWgSubRLzvPjIGKX-yV8SA3uWO71-EaWg2unoYjFwlW-k0t4atqR5TBZKFl/s640/Lower+Brush+Creek+Church.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Brush Creek</td></tr>
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Sources: <br />
All photos taken by Wendy Meyers<br />
Bill Burnette (ownership of barn in Lauada)</div>
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Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-73577425301549929602018-07-31T17:22:00.001-07:002018-07-31T17:26:50.467-07:00Swain County's World War 1 Dead - A Request<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVch97Otb6FffUGL7toJ5gi7D1FyC97ZteUEi9Xy_0yrKr4LABNkr0V3xV0HJXr1s5MWzAJnjPdHMyKZCyOBp3H2fFZk7tE3xH_VpEsGzVeyec9UmCOd3G1nUE4ctKFldCjx8eXzKGlLR/s1600/Fred+Mathis+cross+at+Meuse+Argonne+Cemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="507" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVch97Otb6FffUGL7toJ5gi7D1FyC97ZteUEi9Xy_0yrKr4LABNkr0V3xV0HJXr1s5MWzAJnjPdHMyKZCyOBp3H2fFZk7tE3xH_VpEsGzVeyec9UmCOd3G1nUE4ctKFldCjx8eXzKGlLR/s320/Fred+Mathis+cross+at+Meuse+Argonne+Cemetery.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
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Cross at the grave of Private Fred Mathis<br />
Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial<br />
Lorraine, France</div>
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Photo Credit: soilsister at Findagrave.com</div>
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Dear Readers:<br />
The 100th anniversary of Swain County's active involvement in World War 1 overseas is upon us. Of the 22 Swain County soldiers who died during the "Great War", 14 died between September and November 1918. I think it's important to honor the enormous sacrifice made by these young men and I'd like to put together a couple of blog pieces (for fall publication) about them.<br />
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While I have most of the basic information on each of these soldiers (where they were from, date of birth, date and place of death, and cemetery), I do not have much additional information on the majority of them. That's where you and/or people you know come in. I would love to have pictures, letters, personal anecdotes, or any other additional information I can get that would bring them to life on this blog.<br />
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The names of Swain County's WW1 dead are as follows:<br />
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Barker, William Harvey<br />
Bates, Everett<br />
Cathey, Charles Clyde<br />
Cochran, John Thomas<br />
Franklin, Walter Isaac<br />
Freeman, Caro (There is a good amount of information on Caro on his <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55955037/caro-everett-freeman" target="_blank">findagrave.com page </a>as well as in the Swain County Heritage book, but I'd love more.)<br />
Kalonaheskie, Joe<br />
Kincaid, James William<br />
Leatherwood, James L<br />
Mashburn, Earnest Loyd<br />
Mason, William<br />
Mathis, Fred<br />
Moore, Grady C<br />
Queen, James Robert<br />
Shuler, Finley<br />
Shuler, William<br />
Stephenson, William Berry<br />
Styles, Andy<br />
Turner, Floyd C<br />
Wiggins, John W<br />
Winchester, Benjamin Harrison<br />
Youngdeer, Steve<br />
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If you or a family member/acquaintance are in possession of any material you'd like to see used to honor these brave soldiers, please get in touch with me in either the comments section (please include your email address), via email at oldeswain@gmail.com, or via the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oldeswain/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. You will be credited as the source of the material when the blog is published.<br />
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Thank you for your consideration!<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
WendyOlde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-56779256608260993792018-07-29T14:51:00.000-07:002018-07-31T15:48:59.469-07:00The Lambs of the Tabor CemeteryToday I was enjoying my last day of vacation and chose to take a drive out to an area of the county I don't get out to nearly as frequently as I should - the Highway 28 corridor going from Lauada to Franklin. I had no particular destination in mind but while on Brush Creek, I noted a tiny sign for the Tabor Cemetery on the left and decided to follow it. Upon topping out on a hill above the creek, I found one of the most beautiful and well-tended cemeteries I've ever had the pleasure of visiting.<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism8ldQCTjD0Vbf3j7jFhVNCtKD71HRf8nvrDLEy0b4mrIUYvOQF-YJqGBDnRGYGzR3PbFIVck83t5QFtCIAzItPDJQGaY2lY1NP_yTlXKUae7RY8J0dRjUX_Upr0Ph_j4FknWcNPQXXnK/s1600/Tabor+Cemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="1161" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism8ldQCTjD0Vbf3j7jFhVNCtKD71HRf8nvrDLEy0b4mrIUYvOQF-YJqGBDnRGYGzR3PbFIVck83t5QFtCIAzItPDJQGaY2lY1NP_yTlXKUae7RY8J0dRjUX_Upr0Ph_j4FknWcNPQXXnK/s400/Tabor+Cemetery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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I love looking at old tombstones - not only because of the curiosity I have about the lives of the people they commemorate, but also for the artistry of the stones themselves. Whilst wandering through the stones at this cemetery, I noted something 'different' here amongst the ones marking the graves of children. In older cemeteries, lambs are often seen on the headstones of children - most of the cemeteries in Swain County have them. However, the Tabor Cemetery has a very interesting array of lamb stones - at least 7 different types - such that I felt them to be worthy of their own blog article. Some of these are below.<br />
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I would encourage all who are interested to visit this peaceful cemetery and view the beautiful stones that, while unique, are a bittersweet reminder of the very tenuous existence of children in days not so long past in these mountains.<br />
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<br />
Frank West was born on September 10, 1905, died on October 5, 1905 of unknown causes. He was the son of Henry and Minnie (nee' Marr) West. His parents are buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Macon County.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrAStX4IRLLbwZCZ4R30bnCvh1Uq_ZBHCOXLpysJ-w6Au2UBFqzQ4ykohdXJGOJLZQWtHRtSZK8PbQARyo_ggWj8XSSxd7n9oDSGxuwWIcbiIws5LcPCvFVGcNTeLFouXtjRNPqAI5R2d/s1600/Frank+West.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrAStX4IRLLbwZCZ4R30bnCvh1Uq_ZBHCOXLpysJ-w6Au2UBFqzQ4ykohdXJGOJLZQWtHRtSZK8PbQARyo_ggWj8XSSxd7n9oDSGxuwWIcbiIws5LcPCvFVGcNTeLFouXtjRNPqAI5R2d/s320/Frank+West.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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Everett Bates Jr., was born on February 27, 1919, and died on January 1, 1921 of meningitis. He was the son of Everett Robert and Lillie (nee' Marr) Bates. Everett Sr. was shipped to the World War 1 front in 1918, leaving behind Lillie, who was pregnant. He died in combat in France in November of that year before his son was even born. His remains appear to have been repatriated, and are interred near those of Everett Jr.. Lillie was remarried (to Floyd Cunningham) in March 1921 and is buried in Swain Memorial Park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_xQKAkPDBM0z-3QD8BkIkJkxOcFQOLinJOIkEGCNbwzZYUnBiS0yvcptfbIx1fCRiYakCUC_xgZItKtfkbYCPqZi0ol1t3ycC2jdtpFynxc-PGEBVcyiDhMMcgJLK3idghakDBUKnack/s1600/Everett+Bates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_xQKAkPDBM0z-3QD8BkIkJkxOcFQOLinJOIkEGCNbwzZYUnBiS0yvcptfbIx1fCRiYakCUC_xgZItKtfkbYCPqZi0ol1t3ycC2jdtpFynxc-PGEBVcyiDhMMcgJLK3idghakDBUKnack/s320/Everett+Bates.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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Troy Tabor was born on October 3, 1928, and died on December 22, 1928 of unknown causes. His parents are unknown (no death certificate was filed), however, he may have been the son of the Reverend John and Amanda (nee' Cookston) Tabor, who he is buried next to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqsaaX5sRz9Gmb-TAIJFHjzj5Qfj5OCiic6_QmhmHcyR2-oWQibI1P9VTgF93hHLNVmjNeioltkPvcvg6bI_jGAITO0TXhKVtuJWfkkHzYuFOWOrscrHkTazXj7kzyuHa5YeCOaumwJJn/s1600/Troy+Tabor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqsaaX5sRz9Gmb-TAIJFHjzj5Qfj5OCiic6_QmhmHcyR2-oWQibI1P9VTgF93hHLNVmjNeioltkPvcvg6bI_jGAITO0TXhKVtuJWfkkHzYuFOWOrscrHkTazXj7kzyuHa5YeCOaumwJJn/s320/Troy+Tabor.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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John H. Watkins was born and died on March 17, 1929 of unknown causes. He was the son of Emlis Floyd and Delsia Angeline (nee' Anderson) Watkins. His parents are buried in the Derreberry Cemetery in Cherokee County.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogHvS78lZHBiHL6tyT5qJw53BAQS6nuc3s5Jw-koB8qZtE62k7zj81OTDRLtjHzTAcduxcMw5sj31uX-8nrMW8dyDH-GaGz-N50WU7dTE9NV5-EdPLnSTT5k8dhbwgsbGLiFFyF6xuz62/s1600/John+Watkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogHvS78lZHBiHL6tyT5qJw53BAQS6nuc3s5Jw-koB8qZtE62k7zj81OTDRLtjHzTAcduxcMw5sj31uX-8nrMW8dyDH-GaGz-N50WU7dTE9NV5-EdPLnSTT5k8dhbwgsbGLiFFyF6xuz62/s320/John+Watkins.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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Kathleen Tabor was born on October 9, 1942 and died on January 13, 1946 of diphtheria. (<i>Note: her death certificate states that she was born in 1941</i>). She was the daughter of Verlin and Louise (nee' Welch) Tabor, who are buried next to her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAuBTT_QJ41j5bk1iNhD5beotzbv546o7cKcBIlJHfs4CkX_5oD1iiCZnvls-BRmatp4ngMSyzg0ktzJtEHdC60Pu0le2CB0WXF5sBDGTw1G1tBOQXUJ7tT58zHtilhc8KjD0l3zGHZEQ/s1600/Kathleen+Tabor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="563" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAuBTT_QJ41j5bk1iNhD5beotzbv546o7cKcBIlJHfs4CkX_5oD1iiCZnvls-BRmatp4ngMSyzg0ktzJtEHdC60Pu0le2CB0WXF5sBDGTw1G1tBOQXUJ7tT58zHtilhc8KjD0l3zGHZEQ/s320/Kathleen+Tabor.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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Melvon Ray Burnette was born on January 11, 1945, and died on February 6, 1945 of pneumonia. He was the son of Don Melvin and Jessie (nee' Howard) Burnette, who are buried next to him. (<i>Note: His tombstone may contain a misspelling, as Macon County birth records spell his name as 'Melvin'.</i>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOoKXl_fn0ng5SCzNO_gDm0ANCYHxXiwJyNGos__LwA6nPfhb4jxlUjMHjdra5TPBGflH4hOc6WZ_o3NMQGyP8VZzglGp4LxvLQos91Y-_KRbkIdt1WutNn96CjC-bM_x2_Oihi-UD-7W/s1600/Melvin+Burnette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="873" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOoKXl_fn0ng5SCzNO_gDm0ANCYHxXiwJyNGos__LwA6nPfhb4jxlUjMHjdra5TPBGflH4hOc6WZ_o3NMQGyP8VZzglGp4LxvLQos91Y-_KRbkIdt1WutNn96CjC-bM_x2_Oihi-UD-7W/s320/Melvin+Burnette.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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Robert Zane Nelson was born and died April 12th, 1962 of unknown causes. He was the son of John E. and Wanda (nee' Tabor) Nelson, who are buried in the cemetery with him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbauLULUyHtrnokvCPIJ8CdnpK2IyJHMzkOj_hmAMfPl_86B_Z7L6thyVFXxwz-ERsbTBUHXVcOKvsNyYS903r-p4p1YFY7aC77BNXWDgHhRUgT2LkWRY8paOsdLw0UzfFhnP3JqPUmqly/s1600/Robert+Zane+Nelson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="873" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbauLULUyHtrnokvCPIJ8CdnpK2IyJHMzkOj_hmAMfPl_86B_Z7L6thyVFXxwz-ERsbTBUHXVcOKvsNyYS903r-p4p1YFY7aC77BNXWDgHhRUgT2LkWRY8paOsdLw0UzfFhnP3JqPUmqly/s320/Robert+Zane+Nelson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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Note to the reader: to reach the Tabor Cemetery, take US 19-74 west from Bryson City and turn left on NC 28 South at the old 'King's Grocery' (Texaco gas station). Drive approximately 5.5 miles and take a left on Brush Creek Road. Approximately 1 mile up the road, it will split, with Marr Creek going straight ahead and Brush Creek going off to the right - stay on Brush Creek. In about 0.3 miles, you'll see a sign for Dan Springs Baptist Church on the right. About 0.1 miles past that, you'll see a low sign for the Tabor Cemetery on the left. Take the left and follow the gravel road about 0.1 mile to the cemetery at the top of a hill.<br />
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As always, please reach out with any corrections you might have or other information/pictures you feel could add substance to this article.<br />
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Sources:<br />
Ancestry.com<br />
Burnette family members (information on Melvon Burnette cause of death)<br />
Ed Ammons (information on Robert Zane Nelson's parents)<br />
Kathy and Ryan Bennett (information on Robert Zane Nelson's parents)<br />
Newspapers.comOlde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-16711597392955909752018-02-24T14:02:00.002-08:002018-11-29T18:22:04.462-08:00The Flu and a Murder<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Note to the reader: some of the text is appearing in different fonts and sizes. I did not wish to hold up publication for this issue, but am trying to rectify the issue. Hopefully it will not be too distracting.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times";"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Flu season is in full swing now, and it seems to be a particularly deadly one. Swain County had its fair share of flu deaths over the years, particularly during the 'Spanish flu' epidemic of 1918.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to death certificates filed with the state of North Carolina, influenza claimed the lives of 14 people (7 adults and 7 children) in Swain County during the 1919 - 1920 flu season (which I have arbitrarily defined as November 1919 through May 1920). This represents possibly one third to one half of the actual deaths due to the flu, as many deaths were not registered on actual death certificates in those early days. The most remarkable death associated with this flu season, however, was that of a nurse taking care of a flu-afflicted family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Columbus Lafayette Wiggins (October 1880 - February 25, 1920) was the son of Abraham and Clara (nee' Whiteside) Wiggins and grew up in Swain County. In 1906, he married Laura Alice Weeks (June 28, 1885 - Dec 31, 1964) and settled in the Qualla area (later moving to Deep Creek) to raise his family. On January 19, 1920, the census taker visited and recorded Columbus as being employed as a carpenter, married to Laura, and the father of 5 children (Ralph, Ila, Glen, Grady, and Millard).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCI7qFXSrdZlvMZNvBdiTFjyyivLa6T585iP-CLUqFArNfMUyydxNjFY83Tzwg2g8Y2hqZDCzkcrnEmdLt3D7AJjvua_MXNYoirnj7ZE6Q5kNB32sbvgbKtr-WYhhMncnVpT9e2aaAM9zP/s1600/Columbus+Wiggins+%2528back+middle%2529+%2528Ancestry+user+maryberrong%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCI7qFXSrdZlvMZNvBdiTFjyyivLa6T585iP-CLUqFArNfMUyydxNjFY83Tzwg2g8Y2hqZDCzkcrnEmdLt3D7AJjvua_MXNYoirnj7ZE6Q5kNB32sbvgbKtr-WYhhMncnVpT9e2aaAM9zP/s400/Columbus+Wiggins+%2528back+middle%2529+%2528Ancestry+user+maryberrong%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abraham and Clara Wiggins Family (Columbus is in the back row, second from the left)<br />
Source: Ancestry.com user maryberrong</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That year, the Needmore area was said to have been especially hard-hit with the flu. One of the afflicted families was that of James William 'Willie' Wikle (1878 - 1923), consisting of Willie, his wife Pearl (nee' Potts) (1885 - 1971), and their children Everett, Nancy, Earl, Mae, and Maude. They lived on Hightower Road in a home close to where Wikle Branch crosses under the road. Their children attended the Hightower School.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1jYPlR465YQTUJzqiWRbVQTxpAZpBHavTkx5TpSoBomSN81UHf2ZCWjuw2ZfbBtUru2Rjahw1AQvOgz9WKjU3VXFsob9drEymEJ3OFup2oWmu_0dcFvV-_zz6KZ-DKm9_ZJDcDJMzHi1/s1600/Will+Wikle%2527s+family+%2528Will+on+far+left%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="767" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1jYPlR465YQTUJzqiWRbVQTxpAZpBHavTkx5TpSoBomSN81UHf2ZCWjuw2ZfbBtUru2Rjahw1AQvOgz9WKjU3VXFsob9drEymEJ3OFup2oWmu_0dcFvV-_zz6KZ-DKm9_ZJDcDJMzHi1/s400/Will+Wikle%2527s+family+%2528Will+on+far+left%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family of Thomas and Louisa (nee' Breedlove) Wikle, circa 1885.<br />
Willie is on the far left.<br />
Photo provided by Fran Rogers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV15cGUtWs4HQUipoE3rdRDutTpvWvaI3o2ApWgBJSxZ2ZT8p0qKXvOHpGzBlCQY5ag1fT-0gscslH77F3JFRdoqV1TsQXtiozwhGpTSEhqusvF5-ihOTpI8r3a2yaIGBIMh2RcdK8m0Y/s1600/Will+Wikle+with+son+Everett+%2528Frances+Rogers%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="858" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV15cGUtWs4HQUipoE3rdRDutTpvWvaI3o2ApWgBJSxZ2ZT8p0qKXvOHpGzBlCQY5ag1fT-0gscslH77F3JFRdoqV1TsQXtiozwhGpTSEhqusvF5-ihOTpI8r3a2yaIGBIMh2RcdK8m0Y/s640/Will+Wikle+with+son+Everett+%2528Frances+Rogers%2529.jpg" width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willie Wikle with son Everett in his lap, circa 1907<br />
Photo provided by Fran Rogers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Such was the apparent need in the Needmore area <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">that it seems volunteers were recruited from around the county by the Red Cross to help provide care to those families affected by the flu. One of these volunteers was Columbus, who was paired with a girl whose name was only given as "Dehart", to provide care for the Wikles. It is unclear how many days he had been helping to care for the family, but newspaper accounts state that he had helped them "day and night". </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On February 26th, Columbus took a brief walk outside the Wikle home. Just prior to his return to the home, Willie asked Pearl, who was one of the family members afflicted with the flu, to turn her head to the wall. Newspaper accounts vary as to whether Columbus went to tend to Pearl or to two of the children upon his return, but all accounts agree that when he did, Willie attacked him with a knife and inflicted between eight and ten ghastly wounds, including four to the throat - killing him.</span><br />
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv6eT2_3QMBO5zFcFvH5TV4xXtCoxylEX-Hhyphenhyphen0f7iOLf7iOFLl0gnMqg8KmeirhhS-ZQIyMCzKiOtvwZxNItSKndfBKqHEzrAbHA3cJdnxCA40125l_ZyBiW_23SltqpFZdMNHIGF1X3s/s1600/Site+of+Wikle+murder_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="645" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv6eT2_3QMBO5zFcFvH5TV4xXtCoxylEX-Hhyphenhyphen0f7iOLf7iOFLl0gnMqg8KmeirhhS-ZQIyMCzKiOtvwZxNItSKndfBKqHEzrAbHA3cJdnxCA40125l_ZyBiW_23SltqpFZdMNHIGF1X3s/s400/Site+of+Wikle+murder_compressed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 0px;">
Probable site of the Wiggins murder, on Hightower Road past Wikle Branch</div>
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Photo taken by Wendy Meyers</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RD1nVWARI1ZTnsspFzE7ZdHMZOLpJA4ufJx6ggQKCePslF_AtGH-CGVjgZpujAPtXOBzf7U6caNYMRtDBi9h1tEJ4KCziCKYjleFdGdQAm4qPn64PRiz7_wfYYd0bh2D6k94LuO-kg-_/s1600/Second_Wikle_Homesite_1_40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="645" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RD1nVWARI1ZTnsspFzE7ZdHMZOLpJA4ufJx6ggQKCePslF_AtGH-CGVjgZpujAPtXOBzf7U6caNYMRtDBi9h1tEJ4KCziCKYjleFdGdQAm4qPn64PRiz7_wfYYd0bh2D6k94LuO-kg-_/s400/Second_Wikle_Homesite_1_40.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other possible location of the murder - in a home just across the road.<br />
Pearl Wikle is recalled as having lived here after Will Wikle's death.<br />
Photo taken by Wendy Meyers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wikle was arrested within hours of the murder by Sheriff Rollins Thomasson and two deputies, and held at the Swain County jail pending a grand jury hearing. Two days later, he attempted suicide by slashing his own throat but failed to inflict enough damage to kill himself. What we would today likely term an "emergency hearing" was then convened at which Judge Thaddeus Dillard Bryson II rendered an insanity determination and remanded Will to the insane ward for criminals at the state prison in Raleigh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Various theories were advanced for the murder, including:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jealousy or anger on Willie's part over a supposed romantic relationship between Columbus and the "DeHart girl" (note: according to the 1920 census, the nearest DeHart girls living in proximity to the Wikles were Will's nieces Mary Jane and Delsie);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Religious differences, in that Columbus was a member of the Pilgrim Holiness Church (what we now know today as the Wesleyan Church) and the Wikles were not. Willie was infuriated when Columbus prayed over his family in the manner of his church; and</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Willie had become ill with flu and was so febrile that he had 'gone mad'. This is certainly what his brother believed, as shown in the brief letter below.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcnhMc3xqOVm9lzWPlKxVEX3WXY0iFH-F7_1TRRH0Bv3FirD2xjdBDQRisIMQ76ZByy_83uoMZ9VjRlNymL5pueoodSk6sfrAjD-wptcKEfFlIxOsrG8JHFxQQ3lbLgUUqrGnCcc4zGZA/s1600/Letter+from+J.R.+Wikle+on+Will+Wikle+%2528The+Union+Republican+18+Mar+1920%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="425" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcnhMc3xqOVm9lzWPlKxVEX3WXY0iFH-F7_1TRRH0Bv3FirD2xjdBDQRisIMQ76ZByy_83uoMZ9VjRlNymL5pueoodSk6sfrAjD-wptcKEfFlIxOsrG8JHFxQQ3lbLgUUqrGnCcc4zGZA/s400/Letter+from+J.R.+Wikle+on+Will+Wikle+%2528The+Union+Republican+18+Mar+1920%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letter to the editor of the Union Republican (Winston-Salem) newspaper, written<br />
by Willie Wikle's brother John Riece Wikle from Duvall, NC<br />
(a small community in rural Macon County).<br />
Published March 18, 1920.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the time of his death, Columbus left behind his wife Laura, his 5 living children (the oldest of whom was 12 at the time of the murder), his unborn child, Ruby (born in June 1920), and his father. He was buried in the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14823876/columbus-lafayette-wiggins" target="_blank">Deep Creek Cemetery</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">In July of that year, Willie was reported to have returned from Raleigh to Swain County to stand trial. What happened after that time is unclear, as he does not appear to have gone to prison and presumably was sent home. Regrettably, no newspapers from the 1920's in Swain County are available to tell us the rest of his story. One of Columbus's grandchildren with whom I spoke said that Laura's attitude toward Willie Wikle's prosecution was, "If Columbus were here, he would say, 'Let the Lord deal with him'." </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZFgTybLl4rF4hhCzlHll7qhB4o9irzgQhqIBjwV7LkdzUUuBXQGTTuQnH3bQ4A5fsrDB7oLuJwhwqL4JMvYzBGLSl2tQRrKdsXl99vc0rPsOUmhQjw1_VhDCHyjxYYTxCn7btqM35GcN/s1600/NC+Central+Prison.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="639" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZFgTybLl4rF4hhCzlHll7qhB4o9irzgQhqIBjwV7LkdzUUuBXQGTTuQnH3bQ4A5fsrDB7oLuJwhwqL4JMvYzBGLSl2tQRrKdsXl99vc0rPsOUmhQjw1_VhDCHyjxYYTxCn7btqM35GcN/s400/NC+Central+Prison.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
NC Central Prison (year unknown)<br />
Source: newraleigh.com<span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Willie and Pearl Wikle had no other children after the murder, and Willie died not too many years afterward, on April 26th, 1923. His presumed cause of death was a stroke (his death certificate records that his right side was paralyzed). He is buried in the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87049149/james-william-wikle" target="_blank">Grave Gap</a> (also known as Windy Gap) Cemetery along with many of his kin. Shortly thereafter</span>, Pearl Wikle married Charlie Dehart (a neighbor in the community) and bore daughters Edna (1924-2014) and Pauline (1926-2007) and life continued on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ninety-eight years have now passed, but such was the impact of the murder on the isolated community that Columbus Wiggins' tragic demise is still spoken of today amongst the old Needmore families. With the tale's players long-dead, we will never truly know what drove one well-respected man to kill another on that cold winter day in February 1920. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whatever the case, may they both rest in peace. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">________________________________________________________</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sources: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ancestry.com user maryberrong (photo)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Asheville Citizen-Times, February 29, 1920</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Edwin Ammons (location of the murder and of Duvall, NC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fran Rogers (photos)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Glenna Wiggins Trull, granddaughter of Columbus Wiggins (family's perspective on the murder)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Newraleigh.com (photo)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Fayetteville Observer, March 12, 1920</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Union Republican, March 18, 1920 and July 15, 1920</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Winston-Salem Journal, February 26, 1920 and March 2, 1920</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-6874063779383059442018-01-08T04:46:00.001-08:002018-01-08T18:55:20.943-08:00The Icy Winter of 1876-1877It has been bitterly cold here in Swain County for the past 7-10 days, so much so that many small streams in the area are completely frozen over in places, and the rivers appear to be on their way. I have been watching ice floes float down the Tuckasegee River for several days now. During this week, I was reminded of an account I had read in a family history book that pertained to a particularly cold winter in Swain County, and wanted to share it with my readers. I hope that you will enjoy this little sojourn into the past.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHPXgKokLABC-CjPxJEe6IIeov9oWPpj7TT-yufRvq77KsyrPkR9lI35oYszXvUTLnO2qalYGSz1gTTNeBxSD9zUW-23CwbwqA7iRjx4mW7bcvz6Sc28jeAOCGeRLz4MJfRwC9SHq2isr/s1600/Ice+on+the+Tuckasegee+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHPXgKokLABC-CjPxJEe6IIeov9oWPpj7TT-yufRvq77KsyrPkR9lI35oYszXvUTLnO2qalYGSz1gTTNeBxSD9zUW-23CwbwqA7iRjx4mW7bcvz6Sc28jeAOCGeRLz4MJfRwC9SHq2isr/s400/Ice+on+the+Tuckasegee+River.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Ice on the Tuckasegee River at Governor's Island, 1/5/2018</div>
<div>
Wendy Meyers</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
_________________________________________________________________________</div>
<br />
The late <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15574951/John-Reid-Ashe" target="_blank">John Reid Ashe </a>(1908 - 1988) and his wife <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15574990/wilma-aileen-ashe" target="_blank">Wilma McHan Ashe</a> (1914 - 2004) were prolific researchers, writers, and promoters of family and county history. In fact, one of the original driving forces for the Swain County Heritage Museum was Wilma Ashe, and it is very unfortunate that she did not live to see her dream come to fruition. The paternal side of John Ashe's family ran deep in the Judson area, and he wrote about his family and the history of the area in a very comprehensive book entitled "Ash-Ashe-Stillwell, A Genealogy and History". In the book, he records the story of the winter during which his grandparents, David (1856 - 1926) and Candace ([nee' Stillwell] 1862 - 1939) Ashe were married (they married on December 28, 1876).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo8Uizcqhrai9U064CJd-f00gFE4teOJTyjnMam8afLtUypsSlw0fBUkXT559S46LUITLnZmOxH-_gYMevt4x2Wg5aaaqxzeY6p4F4essGeyEcBqg5zF8vBBjBPch98HUG_VoxytkF0LY/s1600/David+Reid+Ashe+and+Candace+Stillwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1460" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo8Uizcqhrai9U064CJd-f00gFE4teOJTyjnMam8afLtUypsSlw0fBUkXT559S46LUITLnZmOxH-_gYMevt4x2Wg5aaaqxzeY6p4F4essGeyEcBqg5zF8vBBjBPch98HUG_VoxytkF0LY/s400/David+Reid+Ashe+and+Candace+Stillwell.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
David Reed and Candace (nee' Stillwell) Ashe</div>
<div>
Source: Ash-Ashe-Stillwell</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>"Dave Ashe married Candace Stillwell in 1876. In those times the newlyweds usually lived with the parents of the groom until a 'Log Rolling' could be planned and a cabin of their own built. This winter turned out to be one of the coldest on record. All streams were frozen over solidly. Holes had to be cut in the ice daily to obtain water for survival."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Amos Ashe (note: father of David Ashe) had a roller mill powered by water. On sunny days all men pitched in and chipped ice from the millrace and the overshot wheel. Only a small amount of grain could be ground before it refroze and this was divided among those who needed it most. </i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNNxODvvJf4fheasCZvw2vojwAPKP-ozB7xBiXV_xe8vKjt44vJlnMOqzV3B2KkAXEN2NZ3ZMamUieEmssd-JmdhuoOC2srxhZPm2EtKDow6-YoH0emsclTn0vtNGI1xQXjwEiLVJSvOq/s1600/Ashe+Enloe+Mill+millrace+%2528gsmnp%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="353" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNNxODvvJf4fheasCZvw2vojwAPKP-ozB7xBiXV_xe8vKjt44vJlnMOqzV3B2KkAXEN2NZ3ZMamUieEmssd-JmdhuoOC2srxhZPm2EtKDow6-YoH0emsclTn0vtNGI1xQXjwEiLVJSvOq/s400/Ashe+Enloe+Mill+millrace+%2528gsmnp%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Amos Ashe Millrace, 1909</div>
<div>
Source: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Archives and </div>
<div>
Western Carolina University Special Collections</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6HKt3KveYC2sIUk28YxJkEJumcBHCJWXECyKHr6So3tqyLP_q6f9349mOEwghACx2Yvp-GoVZHpzCEmpvdX8yGEH4IuNu3QF-lTevqtg-r0gq3EYan03jVclni7fjaKQg5zrL0optqiU/s1600/Ashe+and+Enloe+Mill+in+Judson+%2528gsmnp%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="178" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6HKt3KveYC2sIUk28YxJkEJumcBHCJWXECyKHr6So3tqyLP_q6f9349mOEwghACx2Yvp-GoVZHpzCEmpvdX8yGEH4IuNu3QF-lTevqtg-r0gq3EYan03jVclni7fjaKQg5zrL0optqiU/s640/Ashe+and+Enloe+Mill+in+Judson+%2528gsmnp%2529.jpg" width="403" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Amos Ashe Mill, 1909</div>
<div>
Source: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Archives and </div>
<div>
Western Carolina University Special Collections</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<i>On their first trip home to visit her parents after they were married, they rode horses. They crossed the Little Tennessee River twice and 'Never a hoof broke through the ice'. Spring came early. Gardens and field crops were planted when the spring thaw came. Huge ice jams formed and backed water and ice floes into the fields and gardens. At that time, the streams were lined with virgin timber. This ice chipped the bark and wood from them and many of the huge trees were completely destroyed."</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
________________________________________________________________________</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sources: </div>
<div>
Ancestry.com</div>
<div>
Ash-Ashe-Stillwell: A Genealogy and History by John Reid Ashe <i>(Note: this book is available for viewing at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City)</i></div>
<div>
Findagrave.com</div>
<div>
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Archives</div>
<div>
Swain County Marriage Register</div>
<div>
Western Carolina University Special Collections</div>
<br />Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-56282955879682748092016-12-24T10:09:00.001-08:002016-12-24T13:38:57.998-08:00A County-wide Christmas in 1929<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I found the article that follows while perusing Newspapers.com. It truly seems to echo the values that I hold most dear about the Christmas holiday. I hope you'll all enjoy it and have a blessed holiday season.</span><br />
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">________________________________________________</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">On Christmas afternoon at 3 o’clock, a community Christmas
tree was held at Bryson City for people less fortunate than others. Long before
the hour arrived hundreds of people over the county kept gathering. There was
snow and ice on the ground and the exercises were held in the courthouse from which
the tree, standing high with hundreds of colored lights, and 10 feet above it a
star, its five points lighted, shining to guide people to the place, could be
seen. It has been a joy to all who have seen it for the past week and will
stand in the square until the New Year.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4B0Wv-GDrdQZle0VoKpKPCcSqMZKRVfJvaEWtDmqJtIdz2gHPKQq5PGQglYZS9OfeiiyJhVAEnmmhQ3HsKUz7rSxuteqpAmuyQY09KF6NFpZXpdDE-y9biCQmzSG3QJWBi7lh74ptOpB/s1600/Town+Christmas+Tree+circa+1920s+%2528everetthotel.com%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4B0Wv-GDrdQZle0VoKpKPCcSqMZKRVfJvaEWtDmqJtIdz2gHPKQq5PGQglYZS9OfeiiyJhVAEnmmhQ3HsKUz7rSxuteqpAmuyQY09KF6NFpZXpdDE-y9biCQmzSG3QJWBi7lh74ptOpB/s640/Town+Christmas+Tree+circa+1920s+%2528everetthotel.com%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Bryson City Christmas Tree, circa 1920s</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: www.theeveretthotel.com</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bryson City is a small town with about 1,500
inhabitants. Just what has been done will be of interest to other small towns.
About three months ago Mayor E.C. Bryson, the youngest mayor of the State,
expressed the idea of a community Christmas tree to G. C. Dugas, vice president
and manager of the Smoky Mountain Power Company. Mr. Dugas went to work.
Others became interested as soon as it was announced and for six weeks untiring
efforts have been expended by about 20 people.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAeCrYJis6fotW7-F_G6iJ72KTLtzvDoMLLV0pp_NI8HpRkQztpfXJzcYLn1sw-SXP3DBZ0m6IB5X_x8LYBaprIhikw50X1agp1sr4HzVRK_rdLRfXs8AaSwce30TdoQIUhHrd2estgNn/s1600/Edwin+Constant+Bryson+%2528Ancestry.com+UNC+Chapel+Hill+yearbook+1925%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAeCrYJis6fotW7-F_G6iJ72KTLtzvDoMLLV0pp_NI8HpRkQztpfXJzcYLn1sw-SXP3DBZ0m6IB5X_x8LYBaprIhikw50X1agp1sr4HzVRK_rdLRfXs8AaSwce30TdoQIUhHrd2estgNn/s400/Edwin+Constant+Bryson+%2528Ancestry.com+UNC+Chapel+Hill+yearbook+1925%2529.JPG" width="319" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Edwin Constant Bryson, Mayor of Bryson City in 1929</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: UNC Yearbook, 1925 (Ancestry.com)</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZwNkxEX1foVcrk_lDpJBpsMQjSP5eyKB5qouttjFAEg3izwfHRmJ4YPGk_sp4DkbKaEOF5H73CNcIAcff3rwDsk5zi-RDouuixDqMYy3is23bBNtgq-yi8mIjBwKAm0wVY9koWsgZq0O/s1600/Graham+C.+Dugas+%2528ancestry+user+JDugas%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZwNkxEX1foVcrk_lDpJBpsMQjSP5eyKB5qouttjFAEg3izwfHRmJ4YPGk_sp4DkbKaEOF5H73CNcIAcff3rwDsk5zi-RDouuixDqMYy3is23bBNtgq-yi8mIjBwKAm0wVY9koWsgZq0O/s400/Graham+C.+Dugas+%2528ancestry+user+JDugas%2529.JPG" width="262" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Graham C. Dugas </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: Ancestry.com user JDugas</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The story has been told far and near to those who
have, and there was a response that has been wonderful from these unknown and
unseen friends, who have given of material things which they manufacture, food
stuffs, toys, overalls, socks, children’s stockings, coffee, candy oranges and
money, which, with the gifts of money here and of material things from
merchants, made this tree possible and a success.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Owing to the snow which made many county roads
impassable, not as many children were here as was hoped, but treats and toys
have been sent as far as possible. Preparation for 1,500 children was made and
over 100 baskets were fixed. Into the baskets were put a sack of flour (24
pounds), three pounds of meat, three pounds of beans, three pounds of coffee, five
pounds of sugar, salt, soda and soap. Added to this were the overalls,
underwear and stockings with many baskets having shoes, some with clothes and
sweaters, and every thing that was available for little children where the need
was greatest.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5-NQrd4NrBhljAlN70XOx6palru2i8WZTxVQyB8vR5zd-2fkx27mgNqPYWYz43ncIFDQk2GICo7Sts-v6JTJlQwOfeeGXOA0SJLCf3_lUV3t1FFk9sjNCq9Gs5eqd7vj5K0UAZiTEbPS/s1600/Pillsbury+Flour+Sack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5-NQrd4NrBhljAlN70XOx6palru2i8WZTxVQyB8vR5zd-2fkx27mgNqPYWYz43ncIFDQk2GICo7Sts-v6JTJlQwOfeeGXOA0SJLCf3_lUV3t1FFk9sjNCq9Gs5eqd7vj5K0UAZiTEbPS/s400/Pillsbury+Flour+Sack.JPG" width="267" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pillsbury Flour Sack</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: pinterest.com</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A goal of $1,500 was set at the first meeting held. It
seemed preposterous. Many said that if $500 was raised it would be a great
success but by the generosity of all, the gifts of material things and money
reached $2,000 (</span><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">note: this is just over $28,000 in 2016 currency</span></i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">). The festival of Christmas is primarily for children. Their hearts
ache if they do not have a visit from Santa Claus and it was decided to place a
toy in the hands of children under 10 whenever possible. Over 1,500 toys were
gathered together over 1,500 treats were fixed, and 1,800 oranges used. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There wasn’t room for one other person in the
courthouse when the hour arrived. The galleries and floor space were filled.
Mayor Bryson explained the movement and spoke of the many unknown friends who
had heeded the call. Dr. R. L. Clear opened the exercises with prayer and a
chorus of singers sang some of the lovely Christmas carols. Judge T. D. Bryson
spoke for a few minutes and then the children were called for and girls passed
on one side and boys on the other of long tables laden with the toys, which had
been arranged separately, as other people handed the bags of candy and an
orange to the little folks.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IIe4BF60mC0_5BKqqNGIQdYv4AhwBfm2zRVwQ-h5SMEpqSxLQt_8VbjAQM0jWiJF0URqCxBqlnKdtgMlTia3f-SvauLqTOIyL7yDfUMhkVcIV3RoRog6MBlgustJkOCJnz0h-fepUhKT/s1600/Liberty+Coaster+wagon+circa+1923+%2528chainsawjournal.com%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IIe4BF60mC0_5BKqqNGIQdYv4AhwBfm2zRVwQ-h5SMEpqSxLQt_8VbjAQM0jWiJF0URqCxBqlnKdtgMlTia3f-SvauLqTOIyL7yDfUMhkVcIV3RoRog6MBlgustJkOCJnz0h-fepUhKT/s400/Liberty+Coaster+wagon+circa+1923+%2528chainsawjournal.com%2529.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Liberty Coaster circa 1923</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: chainsawjournal.com</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Uofi35xJFgogq1MpBgSojYV43L56qHw51Rwin6F2sDnT5SxKk-Y-SbEi_6KZw88ha0ngmJBOVG2kCzFd-r_j0wOkg392GeFGbsQ-ikFGYgep1fyLOM-LAf6mzYIgNnkDwwLIQEwcs8oL/s1600/1929+Effanbee+Doll+%2528alldolls.org%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Uofi35xJFgogq1MpBgSojYV43L56qHw51Rwin6F2sDnT5SxKk-Y-SbEi_6KZw88ha0ngmJBOVG2kCzFd-r_j0wOkg392GeFGbsQ-ikFGYgep1fyLOM-LAf6mzYIgNnkDwwLIQEwcs8oL/s400/1929+Effanbee+Doll+%2528alldolls.org%2529.png" width="299" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1929 Effanbee Doll</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: alldolls.org</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">The baskets were then given out and those who were not here for theirs, were either taken by others to them, or were carried by Bryson City men to the different parts of the county. Many other names have been reported since Christmas Day and foodstuff and some clothing have been purchased for them.</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Special mention should be made of the work of the
executive committee, and other women who left their homes for days to get the
toys, treats, and clothing assembled to Santa Claus who was busy for many days,
of those who got the tree, of men who labored hard, of the kindness of the men
in the A.&P. store who ground and sacked the 440 pounds of coffee given by
Westfeldt Bros. of New Orleans, and a bag of sugar, which was a gift, and of
others whom it also impossible to name, for their cooperation in this move. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It is a Christmas that will long be remembered. There
are many who had a real Christmas joy on December 25 because these people made
it for them. If there is another town in the state with a population of 1,500
people which has cared for as many families in the county as Bryson City, and
furnished toys and treats for 1,500 children, it has not been reported.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is the first time that a community tree
has been held in Swain County. It may be the last or it may not but for one
time a happy feeling entered the hearts of those who received and in those who
gave, who remembered how Christ said: “It is more blessed to give than to
receive”.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: right;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Asheville Citizen-Times, December 29, 1929</span></i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"></span></i></div>
<div align="left" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: right;">
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: center;">
_____________________________________</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sources:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">alldolls.org</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ancestry.com</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Asheville Citizen Times, December 29, 1929</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">chainsawjournal.com</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">pinterest.com</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">theeveretthotel.com</span></div>
<div align="left" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: right;">
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Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-81527202728699910582016-11-05T08:40:00.001-07:002016-11-05T08:40:20.517-07:00Election Day in Swain County - 1884 (Another scandalous election!)In what is sure to be one of most scandalous elections in history, I thought it might be interesting to get a view of what an election looked like in Swain County in the 'Old Days'. This account comes from the observations of a traveler coming through Swain County on Election Day, November 4, 1884. But first, a little background......<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3nQdetGaVzIUpc7zCyke4MEDV_4a64c-UcMoT4AUwAf-mNIpMmTRYlvYMxqERb5nLElgBcoz_VcPDjLlXeZtgCe69PaEurj5pGXSoyFkOQOcqyHppJgR3mXgdE8A7U7OCYskRltHAM9U/s1600/Grover+Cleveland+Library+of+Congress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3nQdetGaVzIUpc7zCyke4MEDV_4a64c-UcMoT4AUwAf-mNIpMmTRYlvYMxqERb5nLElgBcoz_VcPDjLlXeZtgCe69PaEurj5pGXSoyFkOQOcqyHppJgR3mXgdE8A7U7OCYskRltHAM9U/s400/Grover+Cleveland+Library+of+Congress.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Grover Cleveland (1837-1908)</div>
<div>
Source: Library of Congress</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzv2FsN5pg8qBhMX8fUEERTVRBjHAWcyLYXb07GAw0XcDvdsoryI_x2pdrAmrihxF3qikcIpHsZ1vpvtz05TWB0E4eqKCWHFMiZNOWxfFC_S8fg7lZSm3ouCq8J-1QXepx22cEqT546rYk/s400/James_G._Blaine_-_Brady-Handy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="332" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
James Blaine (1830 - 1893)</div>
<div>
Source: Library of Congress</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The race for the presidency was a very tight one, waged primarily between the Democrat nominee, New York governor Grover Cleveland and the Republican nominee, former U.S. Senator James Blaine of Maine. It was also an election notorious for partisan mudslinging. Below is a brief look at the papers of the day (I've put some links for further reading in <span style="color: #3d85c6;">blue</span>).<br />
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<i>"Mr. Simeon Talbott....is in this city, and being approached on the subject of New York politics, said, "Yes, I know Cleveland, perhaps better than any man living. <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/president-clevelands-problem-child-100800/?no-ist" target="_blank">Maria Halpin</a> is my sister-in-law. The story told in the newspapers is literally true, and the half has not been told. Grover Cleveland did seduce my sister-in-law under a positive promise, while she was living in Buffalo. This I know to be true, and Cleveland afterward paid the $500 to me for Maria Halpin when legal proceedings were about to be instituted against him......about six weeks ago, Cleveland wrote me a letter urging me to make a statement showing that he had always treated Mrs. Halpin well, and promised me anything I would wish in case he was elected."</i><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>The Leavenworth Weekly Times, October 9, 1884</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrY3OpiMzFUtkfXWI0tPRGHXkVXbfuIBqQ2PZ3PIwi3GQJ5jUTiZLySaohGfoMMehTJYw2xzuyKj-Lj6mTN_HRPiz1vf7Ws8jrT2vcj16DYHrSsnMM9eRxqmpHAIxWiINfe_peurj7UPm/s1600/Grover+Cleveland+political+Cartoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrY3OpiMzFUtkfXWI0tPRGHXkVXbfuIBqQ2PZ3PIwi3GQJ5jUTiZLySaohGfoMMehTJYw2xzuyKj-Lj6mTN_HRPiz1vf7Ws8jrT2vcj16DYHrSsnMM9eRxqmpHAIxWiINfe_peurj7UPm/s400/Grover+Cleveland+political+Cartoon.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
'Another Vote for Cleveland' political cartoon by Frank Beard</div>
<div>
Source: 'The Judge' (New York), September 27, 1884</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"The man to withdraw, if anybody, is Mr. Blaine. The propriety of his withdrawing is no longer a matter of argument. The missing <a href="https://archive.org/details/mrblainemulligan00unit" target="_blank">Mulligan letters</a> printed this morning showed that he used his high office in the House of Representatives to advance his personal interests, that he peddled information of contemplated legislation to speculators, the understanding being that he should share their profits.........he begged his partners in business in the most humiliating terms to spare him the penalty of an exposure - in fine, that he knew when he did it that if the fact were to become public it would ruin his political fortunes forever."</i> </div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: right;">
<i>The New York Graphic, October, 1884</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYCMI3HRXK6qr6DPb0BWvaUDZ0njC2K2iLTyllc-PQ0UIqtCmy4N1-MEseUBIIH9NFoVpWgJNrhuUcNtM_2c74bSUZH9wy347trdp-HFpHT9PZPdXlvnpG4AMKU8gJX_tDAvzwq6Q415G/s1600/James+Blaine+Political+Cartoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYCMI3HRXK6qr6DPb0BWvaUDZ0njC2K2iLTyllc-PQ0UIqtCmy4N1-MEseUBIIH9NFoVpWgJNrhuUcNtM_2c74bSUZH9wy347trdp-HFpHT9PZPdXlvnpG4AMKU8gJX_tDAvzwq6Q415G/s400/James+Blaine+Political+Cartoon.JPG" width="352" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
James Blaine Political Cartoon by F. Oppen</div>
<div>
Source: Gettyimages.com</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Considering the geographical isolation of most of the men of Swain County at the time (the <i><u>reader is reminded that women did not have the right to vote until 1920</u></i>), it can't be known to what extent these scandalous charges might have influenced their decisions. Regardless, they turned out to play their role in an historic election, as noted in our traveler's account (and drawing), which was printed in 'Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper' on November 29, 1884. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1MtEvwbLnTKRnW4hCErVeYxmwpSuTyRzEnDyoypxrrKvjYrYYlecQtY-U48PuBSovtrdk297EZXktYHXwEzjIaSn75qTLVXZal9JBWJ7ib6sAyyCCKyt51iTVs3Ygs1EJt_gpN1qU9sM/s1600/swain_county_election_FrankLesliesWeekly_Nov1884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1MtEvwbLnTKRnW4hCErVeYxmwpSuTyRzEnDyoypxrrKvjYrYYlecQtY-U48PuBSovtrdk297EZXktYHXwEzjIaSn75qTLVXZal9JBWJ7ib6sAyyCCKyt51iTVs3Ygs1EJt_gpN1qU9sM/s640/swain_county_election_FrankLesliesWeekly_Nov1884.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
'North Carolina - Scene at a Mountain Election Precinct in Swain County'</div>
<div>
Source: Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, November 29, 1884</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"The polling-places of such out-of-the-way districts as Nantahala precinct, Swain Co., N.C.</i> (<u>note to the reader: this would have taken place at Judson</u>), <i>where our sketch was made on the day of the late Presidential election, are not provided with all the modern conveniences, nor are the honest voters addicted to vain pomp and personal display. The sacred privilege of the franchise is exercised in an old wagon-shed, adjoining a corn crib. The 'judges' - he is a small man, indeed, in that section of the country, who bears a less important title than that of judge or colonel - seated on a bench, are the inspectors of election. Each guards a tin coffee-pot, which serves for a ballot-box. Occasionally a judge leaves his seat and circulates amongst the crowd, electioneering, coffee-pot in hand. Refreshments, in the form of ginger-cakes and cider, are to be had on the premises, and such a thing as a drop of blockade whiskey is not, we presume, wholly unobtainable. The gathering is a mixed one, and includes a paroled convict in uniform, who probably is employed in the construction of a railroad in the vicinity. There is not much style about the balloting up there in the mountains, but in the great national result the votes count just the same as though they had been cast in a crystal and nickel-plated ballot box in a brownstone-front polling place in the city."</i> </div>
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A total of 10,060, 145 voters across the country (and 268,356 in North Carolina) turned out for the vote. Over 60% of Swain County's electorate (I do not have the voter numbers at this time) voted for Cleveland, contributing their share to North Carolina's 11 electoral college votes that went to the Democrat. Cleveland won the popular election by relatively little (48.85% of the electorate, compared to Blaine's 48.28%) but won in the electoral college by 37 votes (219 to 182). The election proved historic in that it was the first time a Democrat had been voted into the highest office in the land since the election of 1856. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfV2rdDTR9bL8gLknMTA_lEPaCdw1YWvmj-kDTlf0qcQWEA5DbI6FPX5toMrxT7k7Ims7PF7WqiBaEEfQVmA818H1xn_ZA4p2MgsvidYQHxOztdGFz_Txt88wpQUUcP5_pbDSOtvKBaOb/s1600/1884+Presidential+Election+Swain+County+by+vote_wikipedia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="633" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfV2rdDTR9bL8gLknMTA_lEPaCdw1YWvmj-kDTlf0qcQWEA5DbI6FPX5toMrxT7k7Ims7PF7WqiBaEEfQVmA818H1xn_ZA4p2MgsvidYQHxOztdGFz_Txt88wpQUUcP5_pbDSOtvKBaOb/s640/1884+Presidential+Election+Swain+County+by+vote_wikipedia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Graphic of 1884 Vote by County (Swain is the eagle-shaped county on the Tennessee border)</div>
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Source: www.nhgis.org by Tilden76 (located on Wikipedia)</div>
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No matter what your political leanings or possible disgust with the current candidates, if you've not already done so, get out there and vote. November 8, 2016, should be just as interesting as November 4, 1884.</div>
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<i><u>An interesting note for the reader</u>: Apparently the 'judges' in the Nantahala district decided that tin coffee pots were no longer suitable for voting after the 1888 election. On January 7, 1889, the Swain County Commissioners provided Amos Ashe (most likely one of the 'judges' described in the short article as he lived in Judson) $4 for making election boxes.</i> </div>
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<b>Sources:</b> <br />
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Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, November 29, 1884</div>
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Getty Images (gettyimages.com)</div>
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Library of Congress</div>
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National Historical Geographic Inhgis.org</div>
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Pinterest</div>
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"Presidential Ballots, 1836-1892" by Walter Dean Burnham. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1955, pages 247-57.</div>
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Swain County Herald, January 10, 1889</div>
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'The Judge' (New York) September 27, 1884</div>
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The Leavenworth Weekly Times, October 8, 1884</div>
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The New York Graphic, October, 1884</div>
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Wikipedia (wikipedia.com)</div>
Olde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591218908346224982.post-86869382689623316742016-09-07T18:49:00.001-07:002016-09-08T05:26:01.373-07:00The Life and Tragic Death of Ben EnloeToday, September 8th, 2016, marks 100 years since the death of Benjamin F. Enloe, a member of one of the most prominent families in Swain County during the 1800's and early- to mid- 1900's.<br />
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Ben Enloe, circa late 1890s/early 1900s</div>
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Source: Laura Taylor</div>
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Frequent readers here know of my fondness for the Judson area, because I grew up about a mile from there. One of the most wealthy families in Judson was headed by William Aesoph 'Ace' Enloe. Readers are likely familiar with the Abram Enloe family as being among the early settlers of the Oconalufty Valley, relocating there from Puzzle Creek in Rutherford County sometime after 1810. Ace, one of Abram's grandsons, was born in the Oconalufty area in 1847 and likely lived in that greater area until sometime in the 1890's. He married Margaret Clarinda Conner, with whom (according to the 1910 census), he had 12 children.<br />
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William Aesoph 'Ace' and Clarinda (Conner) Enloe</div>
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Source: Laura Taylor</div>
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Ben, one of the 'middle' children, was born on June 9th, 1879. During his childhood, Ben would have been expected to contribute heavily to the family's day-to-day work: helping in the garden, gathering firewood, hauling water from the spring, feeding the livestock, and similar activities. His responsibilities would have increased as he grew older. The census records note that he was literate so he almost certainly attended school; an 1890 newspaper article noted that the Oconalufty school ran for 5 months out of the year. The Enloes probably also attended church at either the Oconalufty Baptist Church or at the Hughes Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. Sometime in the late 1890's, Ace moved his family to the Judson area, purchasing the Amos Ashe property and mill. Ben probably had a role in running the mill prior to his departure from the area.<br />
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The Enloe Mill in Judson, circa 1910</div>
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Source: Great Smoky Mountains National Park archives</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCvRKOCZoMO9b9m2_SK7c1hKZvnVYOX1vMUhY9djRbpKZAdLyyK0vEPcGswlsiSnr6Bw1oseLDU-2vgC536JGsk1Ji-IY9HulIixpSRcTA3epTHuWHGBENQDUr_eKDrDlR7PfB343RQIL/s400/Enloe+Mill+in+winter+snipped+%2528GSMNP%2529.jpg" width="217" /></div>
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The Enloe Mill in Judson, circa 1909</div>
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Source: Great Smoky Mountains National Park</div>
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Ben had left Swain County by 1900, as the census that year showed him working as a coal miner in one of the 8 coal mines near Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Virginia. By 1910, Ben had left the coal mines and moved much closer to home, living in Asheville and working for the Southern Railway as a fireman. Also called a stoker, the fireman's job was to shovel the coal that powered the steam engines. The job required close coordination with the engineer in order to ensure that the engine was adequately powered for all operations, stoking the fire higher when more power was needed, and making sure that the train didn't explode. Often firemen worked as apprentices to the engineers and were sometimes allowed to operate the powerful locomotives under their supervision.<br />
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Engineer and Fireman/Stoker on a tourist steam locomotive in Colorado</div>
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Source: The Durango Herald</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfzGOqyaI3roq-KM1dWCxBqBm17GlBLrftMG-rORqvYcvau6GeTzngDzxHwN1JhHYgRXns0MWxEDgh0enshCr2q3VZQpkJAB_Pt533vylViSf9aoCa2L0xQijmcx3fFgTkWaf3qLugTuU/s1600/steam+locomotive+engineer+%2528pinterest.com%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
By the time he was 37 in September of 1916, Ben was an engineer for the railroad, responsible for <span class="exhLeaded">managing the very complex steam boiler and controlling the speed of the train, a massive vehicle that could weigh thousands of tons when considering the engine and cars. The engineer had to know the location of signals, curves, crossings, and changes in uphill or downhill grade along his route in order to safely control the train. The job was a good one, earning Ben, a lifelong bachelor with no family to support, a comfortable salary. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDgkT0vgakKIOfK-wYYxn5KL7zfSNFGrT0vysl2CIDQjQW9UckQVY1BH-BZiRs1S54ZsA4YuUzBIXMwBahUU48YO-WZGX7ujkbyhsoymqU5ZbEOrSn_swzL82QOxYVvT2sHP2t7jpQf1Y/s1600/Southern+Railway+Freight+Train+near+Black+Mountain+%2528alibaba.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDgkT0vgakKIOfK-wYYxn5KL7zfSNFGrT0vysl2CIDQjQW9UckQVY1BH-BZiRs1S54ZsA4YuUzBIXMwBahUU48YO-WZGX7ujkbyhsoymqU5ZbEOrSn_swzL82QOxYVvT2sHP2t7jpQf1Y/s400/Southern+Railway+Freight+Train+near+Black+Mountain+%2528alibaba.com%2529.JPG" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
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A Southern Railway freight train near Black Mountain, circa early 1900s</div>
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Source: Alibaba.com</div>
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On the night of September 8th, 1916, Ben was backing a work train in toward the Biltmore train station, likely getting ready to head to his home. Unbeknownst to him, freight train #172, pulling several loaded coal cars, was having difficulty ascending Buena Vista hill 3.5 miles distant from Biltmore. The engineer of the freight train realized that it was not sufficiently powered to make the full ascent and attempted to avert derailment by pulling the engine itself just off the track, leaving the coal cars on the track with their brakes set. Unfortunately, the brakes did not hold and the train began to hurtle backwards toward Asheville, picking up a great degree of speed along the way despite the valiant attempts of brakeman N.G. McGalliard to reset the brakes.<br />
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Coming into view of Ben Enloe's work train, which was situated on a small bridge at the Fairview rail crossing, McGalliard realized that disaster was imminent and jumped clear in the nick of time. Unfortunately though, Ben and his flagman Erwin Pitts did not escape in time and were instantly killed upon the collision of the trains. Pitts' body, buried under tons of coal, was found rather quickly. However, Ben's badly scalded and mangled body, found buried underneath both the work train's engine and the coal, was not recovered until the following afternoon despite what were described as frantic efforts to find him. The wreckage of the trains was spread over a good distance along the track, and the work engine was said to be torn up such that it looked as if it was made of cardboard.<br />
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A coal train wreck, circa early 1900s</div>
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Source: Norfolk and Western Historical Society</div>
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Ben Enloe's death certificate</div>
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Source: Ancestry.com</div>
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Some of Ben's family arrived in Asheville on September 9th in order to accompany his body back to Swain County, where funeral services were held the next day. A cemetery committee chaired by D.K. Collins provided a burial plot for him in the Bryson City cemetery. Two days later, Ace purchased the plot and additional space for other family members to be buried in as they passed away.<br />
Probate records indicate that Ben had $500 (almost $11,000 in today's currency) to his name at the time of his death. His father, Ace, was the recipient of Ben's entire estate. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXm60WT1M7S-PLfwIEoRcODY0uXobJhl2vfARLgo0FFgmEBywpqxSdwxve4SzXZPsTSj-H5CKQn9Pv-dV1Kvkw7Jj3A5cy_CW1PQIljkcMB0wSE6SwoJ9Ld9oc2opeFitjT06L89c3EdeZ/s1600/SIgnature+of+Ace+Enloe+on+Ben+Enloe+probate+record+%2528Ancestry.com%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXm60WT1M7S-PLfwIEoRcODY0uXobJhl2vfARLgo0FFgmEBywpqxSdwxve4SzXZPsTSj-H5CKQn9Pv-dV1Kvkw7Jj3A5cy_CW1PQIljkcMB0wSE6SwoJ9Ld9oc2opeFitjT06L89c3EdeZ/s400/SIgnature+of+Ace+Enloe+on+Ben+Enloe+probate+record+%2528Ancestry.com%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Signature of Ace Enloe on Ben Enloe's Probate Record</div>
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Source: Ancestry.com</div>
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Over the years, Ace and Clarinda, along with some of Ben's brothers and nephews, joined their brother and son in eternal repose in the family plot, a peaceful place with a beautiful view of the mountains. For those interested in visiting, the plot lies a short distance behind the cemetery's angel and in line with the Everett family graves. And if you do choose to visit, spare a moment to reflect on the young man buried here, cut down in the prime of his life in such a tragic manner.<br />
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Tombstone of Ben Enloe in the Bryson City Cemetery</div>
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Source: Don Casada</div>
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<i>I would like to recognize the significant contributions of Laura Taylor to this blog. Laura, a great-niece of Ben Enloe, has contributed significant family history and numerous photographs of the Enloe family that bring this blog entry, and especially Ben Enloe, to life.</i><br />
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<b>Sources:</b><br />
Alibaba.com<br />
Ancestry.com<br />
Don Casada<br />
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_9_8.html<br />
Laura Taylor<br />
The Asheville Citizen-Times, September 9, 1916<br />
The Charlotte Observer, September 11, 1916<br />
The Durango Herald<br />
The High Point Enterprise, September 11, 1916<br />
The Tennessean, September 1, 1890<br />
Western Carolina University Special CollectionsOlde Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907065516770688746noreply@blogger.com2