Western Carolina University (4)
View all
- Canton Champion Fibre Company (1)
- Great Smoky Mountains - A Park for America (6)
- Horace Kephart (1)
- Picturing Appalachia (5)
- Cherokee Traditions (0)
- Civil War in Southern Appalachia (0)
- Craft Revival (0)
- Highlights from Western Carolina University (0)
- Journeys Through Jackson (0)
- LGBTQIA+ Archive of Jackson County (0)
- Oral Histories of Western North Carolina (0)
- Stories of Mountain Folk (0)
- Travel Western North Carolina (0)
- Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum Vitreograph Collection (0)
- Western Carolina University Herbarium (0)
- Western Carolina University: Making Memories (0)
- Western Carolina University Publications (0)
- Western Carolina University Restricted Electronic Theses and Dissertations (0)
- Western North Carolina Regional Maps (0)
- World War II in Southern Appalachia (0)
University of North Carolina Asheville (1)
View all
- Forestry in Western North Carolina (7)
- Faces of Asheville (0)
- Grove Park Inn Photograph Collection (0)
- Isaiah Rice Photograph Collection (0)
- Morse Family Chimney Rock Park Collection (0)
- Picturing Asheville and Western North Carolina (0)
- Bennett, Kelly, 1890-1974 (1)
- George Butz (BFS 1907) (2)
- USFS (2)
- Allanstand Cottage Industries (0)
- Appalachian National Park Association (0)
- Berry, Walter (0)
- Brasstown Carvers (0)
- Cain, Doreyl Ammons (0)
- Carver, George Washington, 1864?-1943 (0)
- Cathey, Joseph, 1803-1874 (0)
- Champion Fibre Company (0)
- Champion Paper and Fibre Company (0)
- Cherokee Indian Fair Association (0)
- Cherokee Language Program (0)
- Crittenden, Lorraine (0)
- Crowe, Amanda (0)
- Edmonston, Thomas Benton, 1842-1907 (0)
- Ensley, A. L. (Abraham Lincoln), 1865-1948 (0)
- Fromer, Irving Rhodes, 1913-1994 (0)
- Goodrich, Frances Louisa (0)
- Grant, George Alexander, 1891-1964 (0)
- Heard, Marian Gladys (0)
- Kephart, Calvin, 1883-1969 (0)
- Kephart, Horace, 1862-1931 (0)
- Kephart, Laura, 1862-1954 (0)
- Laney, Gideon Thomas, 1889-1976 (0)
- Masa, George, 1881-1933 (0)
- McElhinney, William Julian, 1896-1953 (0)
- Niggli, Josephina, 1910-1983 (0)
- North Carolina Park Commission (0)
- Osborne, Kezia Stradley (0)
- Owens, Samuel Robert, 1918-1995 (0)
- Penland Weavers and Potters (0)
- Rhodes, Judy (0)
- Roberts, Vivienne (0)
- Roth, Albert, 1890-1974 (0)
- Schenck, Carl Alwin, 1868-1955 (0)
- Sherrill's Photography Studio (0)
- Smith, Edward Clark (0)
- Southern Highland Handicraft Guild (0)
- Southern Highlanders, Inc. (0)
- Stalcup, Jesse Bryson (0)
- Stearns, I. K. (0)
- Thompson, James Edward, 1880-1976 (0)
- United States. Indian Arts and Crafts Board (0)
- Vance, Zebulon Baird, 1830-1894 (0)
- Weaver, Zebulon, 1872-1948 (0)
- Western Carolina College (0)
- Western Carolina Teachers College (0)
- Western Carolina University (0)
- Western Carolina University. Mountain Heritage Center (0)
- Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892 (0)
- Wilburn, Hiram Coleman, 1880-1967 (0)
- Williams, Isadora (0)
- Asheville (N.C.) (1)
- Haywood County (N.C.) (4)
- Jackson County (N.C.) (4)
- Swain County (N.C.) (2)
- Appalachian Region, Southern (0)
- Avery County (N.C.) (0)
- Blount County (Tenn.) (0)
- Buncombe County (N.C.) (0)
- Cherokee County (N.C.) (0)
- Clay County (N.C.) (0)
- Graham County (N.C.) (0)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (N.C. and Tenn.) (0)
- Henderson County (N.C.) (0)
- Knox County (Tenn.) (0)
- Knoxville (Tenn.) (0)
- Lake Santeetlah (N.C.) (0)
- Macon County (N.C.) (0)
- Madison County (N.C.) (0)
- McDowell County (N.C.) (0)
- Mitchell County (N.C.) (0)
- Polk County (N.C.) (0)
- Qualla Boundary (0)
- Rutherford County (N.C.) (0)
- Transylvania County (N.C.) (0)
- Watauga County (N.C.) (0)
- Waynesville (N.C.) (0)
- Yancey County (N.C.) (0)
- Letters (correspondence) (1)
- Manuscripts (documents) (2)
- Negatives (photographs) (2)
- Photographs (15)
- Aerial Photographs (0)
- Aerial Views (0)
- Albums (books) (0)
- Articles (0)
- Artifacts (object Genre) (0)
- Bibliographies (0)
- Biography (general Genre) (0)
- Cards (information Artifacts) (0)
- Clippings (information Artifacts) (0)
- Crafts (art Genres) (0)
- Depictions (visual Works) (0)
- Design Drawings (0)
- Drawings (visual Works) (0)
- Envelopes (0)
- Facsimiles (reproductions) (0)
- Fiction (general Genre) (0)
- Financial Records (0)
- Fliers (printed Matter) (0)
- Glass Plate Negatives (0)
- Guidebooks (0)
- Internegatives (0)
- Interviews (0)
- Land Surveys (0)
- Maps (documents) (0)
- Memorandums (0)
- Minutes (administrative Records) (0)
- Newsletters (0)
- Newspapers (0)
- Occupation Currency (0)
- Paintings (visual Works) (0)
- Pen And Ink Drawings (0)
- Periodicals (0)
- Personal Narratives (0)
- Plans (maps) (0)
- Poetry (0)
- Portraits (0)
- Postcards (0)
- Programs (documents) (0)
- Publications (documents) (0)
- Questionnaires (0)
- Scrapbooks (0)
- Sheet Music (0)
- Slides (photographs) (0)
- Songs (musical Compositions) (0)
- Sound Recordings (0)
- Specimens (0)
- Speeches (documents) (0)
- Text Messages (0)
- Tintypes (photographs) (0)
- Transcripts (0)
- Video Recordings (physical Artifacts) (0)
- Vitreographs (0)
- Canton Area Historical Museum (1)
- Historic Photographs Collection (4)
- Horace Kephart Collection (1)
- Kelly Bennett Collection (1)
- R.A. Romanes Collection (1)
- A.L. Ensley Collection (0)
- Appalachian Industrial School Records (0)
- Appalachian National Park Association Records (0)
- Axley-Meroney Collection (0)
- Bayard Wootten Photograph Collection (0)
- Bethel Rural Community Organization Collection (0)
- Blumer Collection (0)
- C.W. Slagle Collection (0)
- Carlos C. Campbell Collection (0)
- Cataloochee History Project (0)
- Cherokee Studies Collection (0)
- Daisy Dame Photograph Album (0)
- Daniel Boone VI Collection (0)
- Doris Ulmann Photograph Collection (0)
- Elizabeth H. Lasley Collection (0)
- Elizabeth Woolworth Szold Fleharty Collection (0)
- Frank Fry Collection (0)
- George Masa Collection (0)
- Gideon Laney Collection (0)
- Hazel Scarborough Collection (0)
- Hiram C. Wilburn Papers (0)
- Humbard Collection (0)
- Hunter and Weaver Families Collection (0)
- I. D. Blumenthal Collection (0)
- Isadora Williams Collection (0)
- Jesse Bryson Stalcup Collection (0)
- Jim Thompson Collection (0)
- John B. Battle Collection (0)
- John C. Campbell Folk School Records (0)
- John Parris Collection (0)
- Judaculla Rock project (0)
- Love Family Papers (0)
- Major Wiley Parris Civil War Letters (0)
- Map Collection (0)
- McFee-Misemer Civil War Letters (0)
- Mountain Heritage Center Collection (0)
- Norburn - Robertson - Thomson Families Collection (0)
- Pauline Hood Collection (0)
- Pre-Guild Collection (0)
- Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual Collection (0)
- Rosser H. Taylor Collection (0)
- Samuel Robert Owens Collection (0)
- Sara Madison Collection (0)
- Sherrill Studio Photo Collection (0)
- Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Collection (0)
- Stories of Mountain Folk - Radio Programs (0)
- The Reporter, Western Carolina University (0)
- Venoy and Elizabeth Reed Collection (0)
- WCU Gender and Sexuality Oral History Project (0)
- WCU Mountain Heritage Center Oral Histories (0)
- WCU Oral History Collection - Mountain People, Mountain Lives (0)
- WCU Students Newspapers Collection (0)
- Western North Carolina Tomorrow Black Oral History Project (0)
- William Williams Stringfield Collection (0)
- Zebulon Weaver Collection (0)
- African Americans (390)
- Appalachian Trail (35)
- Artisans (521)
- Cherokee art (84)
- Cherokee artists -- North Carolina (10)
- Cherokee language (21)
- Cherokee pottery (101)
- Cherokee women (208)
- Church buildings (167)
- Civilian Conservation Corps (U.S.) (110)
- College student newspapers and periodicals (1830)
- Dams (103)
- Dance (1023)
- Education (222)
- Floods (61)
- Folk music (1015)
- Forced removal, 1813-1903 (2)
- Forest conservation (220)
- Forests and forestry (1058)
- Gender nonconformity (4)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (N.C. and Tenn.) (181)
- Hunting (38)
- Landscape photography (25)
- Logging (103)
- Maps (83)
- Mines and mineral resources (8)
- North Carolina -- Maps (18)
- Paper industry (38)
- Postcards (255)
- Pottery (135)
- Railroad trains (71)
- Rural electrification -- North Carolina, Western (3)
- School integration -- Southern States (2)
- Segregation -- North Carolina, Western (5)
- Slavery (5)
- Sports (452)
- Storytelling (244)
- Waterfalls -- Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.) (66)
- Weaving -- Appalachian Region, Southern (280)
- Wood-carving -- Appalachian Region, Southern (328)
- World War, 1939-1945 (173)
- StillImage (17)
- Text (3)
- MovingImage (0)
- Sound (0)
History of Mt. Sterling, N.C. and its people
-
This “History of Mt. Sterling, N.C. and its People” was written by Jacob “Junior” Ball and tells the story of the communities of Mount Sterling, Big Bend, and Cataloochee and the families who settled there before the advent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 297-page book contains information about lumber companies, churches, cemeteries, and includes many photographs of families and family members.
-
-
isto ,. ( // .... ... and its People. . . by Junior Ball Dedication I dedicate this book to the memory of my parents, Jake (4-25-1886 - 5-24-1970) and Annie (Gunter) Ball (7-12-1891 - 12-28-1988), they loved these mountains they called home. To the memory of our ancestors, those and the generations before them who first settled this land, and to their descendants, with the hope that each generation will honor the memories of their heritage. Special Thanks I'd like to thank my wife, Helen, who worked many long hours helping me gather the information needed in researching and preparing this book. Her help and dedication made it possible for me to complete this project. Acknowledgments Most of my information and pictures has been gathered from the people who lived in the area and participated in it's settlement. They have preserved the memories of their ancestors, and their own lives, to pass on for future generations. I'm sure I cannot rightfully name all the people to whom I feel indebted in aiding me in compiling and writing this book about "History of Mt. Sterling, and Its People." They were most valuable in passing on to me first-hand information. We sat and reminisced for hours on our historical past. Some of the things I knew of and had experienced, others I'd only heard of through stories my parents had told me. I know I've made mistakes and misspelled words, but it was not done intentionally, so please forgive my imperfections and unpolished manner in writing and putting this book together. I pay grateful recognition and owe deep gratitude to these dear friends and family members who were so helpful to me. Reva L. Hannah Gray, Mattie Roberts Alley, Cora Burgess Leatherwood, Bonnie Messer Ball, Beverly Leatherwood, Stevie and Julie Hannah, Delores White, Letha Packett Hicks, Kathleen Phillips Miller, Beatrice Grooms Caldwell, and Alice Phillips. I Maps Table of Contents T & NC Railroad Line 1904 Champion Lumber Company Camps & Sites 1911 -1918 Mount Sterling abt. 1948 Cataloochee Settlements 1835 - 1940 Mount Sterling 1996 II The Development Crestmont, N.C. 1900 Mount Sterling/ Crestmont Waterville Dam Tradition Dies Hard Sutton Top Tower, Mt. Sterling, N.C. III Churches and Cemeteries Mount Sterling Baptist Church War Crimes Sutton Cemetery #1 Sutton Cemetery #2 Hopkins Cemetery John Kouscee Phillips Cemetery Hick's Cemetery Green Corner Cemetery Little Cataloochee Church Cemetery Hannah Cemetery The McGee's of McGee Branch Cemeteries Bishop Francis Asbury IV Civic Development Doctors Diseases Civilian Conservation Corps V Education Cataloochee School/ Mt. Sterling School Mt. Sterling ... Last One Room School Mount Sterling School Mt. Sterling Teens VI Early Settlers and Their Descendants Mattie (Roberts) Alley "The Fighting Hopkins" Benjamin Parker Hopkins Harriett Hopkins/ Woodville Hopkins Lewis E. & Alice (Burns) Phillips Jason & Rilda (Smith) White Ervin Messer Family Lawrence & Beatrice White Mitchell Sutton Family William Rufus & Hester Messer Della Hester Messer Ernest & Annie (Messer) White Ulous (Ulys) Harvey Jonas (Tobe) & Sally (Sutton) Phillips Calloat (Leatherwood) Moore/ Charlie Moore James "Jack" Redmond Jenkins & Phillips Bartley R. & Polly Ann Phillips Levi Sutton Ben & Nola Frazier Arthur Phillips Family Jake & Annie Ball Bartley (Bart) & Dolla (Dolly) McGaha Junior & Helen (Cody) Ball Hardy & Martha (Ball) Phillips Kathleen (Phillips) Miller Dallas & Eva (Horner) Ball Scott Ball Rufus & Golda (Ball) McGaha / Dan & Bonnie (Frazier) Ball Jimmy & Bethona (Ball) Smith Arvis & Belva (Ball) Carver Cataloochee Families John Jackson Hannah Caldwell/ Cook William (Will) G. B. & Rachel (Cook) Messer Samuel McGaha Samuel, Robert, & Isaac McGaha Big Bend Bend of the River Oliver & Letha Hicks McGaha Family Warren Gamaliel Leatherwood Ralph & Agnes (Leatherwood) Hannah James (Jim) Samuel Leatherwood III Frank & Etta (Leatherwood) Stalhman Everett Ray & Vera (Leatherwood) Mull Bud Messer Family Samuel Leatherwood & Tirza Haynes Edward A. Leatherwood Henry & Eliza (Caldwell) Grooms Mail Order Groom Nancy (Harrell) & Edward A. Leatherwood Samuel & Prudence (Sisk) Leatherwood Hiram & Cora Leatherwood Sutton/ Leatherwood VIII Natural Resources and Social Development Apples The Cost Of Living "World's Largest Chestnut Tree" Names and Their Origins/ Family Names Did You Know? Preserving Our Past This book was researched and written during the months of January 1996 to June 3, 1996 . In doing this book I've gathered only history about the Mt. Sterling, Big Bend, and Cataloochee areas and the families who settled them. During this time I tried to contact everyone possible to obtain information for this book. I've tried to mention all of the families I could remember or have been told about. I know I've missed some families throughout the area, but it was not done intentionally. T4-NC G R..E..E:..N: Y'vio4,j]'IT/1l,V. .,,,. (Ept,.),f'lfl .... l r ? C. LC- C,aT:-J/oochee LtJrber- Co; /9oJ..-·l9iY-/ Tc/ IV t . Te rJ 1ve.ss e.e. -1- IVtW T fl Ca /10 lil'IJ , - - - f R l- C, · /J,'Q.e,tJff R,,,r LuMl-ie,r '3u. /9!Jl-/-flltl t3,,JJ3-· Boic(!,,c/- Bel/ \ .i!:' '«t ,1 ...... ,, . ... ,.,., ;,.t ,,. ;;..:. '<.-" . c-- ' Jii, h ... ! 'TM\A) Ir =· ,+'jC,.f'tJ.P, \ .... -.: (Ptlt • f.!.. \' Ce. ti¥ '• ... , . :;jsl�:-;'..:-fi· · ·.V * • " . · . "Poc . *. i! ' tf '> 'l ,.. . ,· "• -. ... , \ 1·• · ,.,. • ".'I. ...;... ·-
M>h f, • • - _ I// , (Rnod,.sKan 1,) ,BobCan .. di;,n .,1 ::\. - ( / ' )¾ PIME.Yl3 ,. ac S o • - , (s,o>hsh T\ - ' ' • nJ // ,----- , , ,.. t lr-odianGr I\ / , ,I ••• , I: 1// /-1/1/ \I ,, ' / ,, - , " ' '',, / a.-,>o,H Sm , /> ,✓,,- ,. /;// (Hon-Lo,' < 1/:, •MiluH,no,h "" o /// , / 0 ; , > D<>dn•ns A < ½ /ff, < ,, •"'-""'"'" ,, - ,,, • ,✓, ., ,,/ ' -::. , . I ,,, :.-:;,/ 1/// ••Wc;;;,.,,crH'B 'r :::;.. '1 •Bi11S•} 11"..- ,, /// //. • ctnncH - . - 11- / ",{, 1/,;:: <> / "' I /' ' od"f//// 'o 4' /'ii'\ r J.Js••c/ ·. "' ' "'' . / /, < I ,,,. G,oom..C , • C - S Du ,E'AA DUDE > •« -'11,.S• , ;;,rl Woodv (Anol k" de Hann.:.h 5.tw"1ill\ '--... , re • H "••-"' y ' H,.,.,,,,,1,· 1 l' W.ttann{\ \ ,. ' !\ 'If \ 'I;; I SUTTOM F't>RT ,..::: '-·"-':::--'- 'If, "'" f.. " '"' ' ' ' ,'\ " 1110hve / Hlc.1!:.M < ''"' .) '"' 0 ::: .t,. ' •M.l<. SuHon --=:::--- J (Su Hon,.,,....,) - illiam O .. .waC'$-SC:r Riv - o\1//1111111/ It/, \\\ e,,' R.IOt;;.£0-'_ ·"\Ii., .. \\\\ I I Ji I I I I I I 1/I \\ \\''°' '::....,"-:o i p l q' ::-.\\\' " ,.. ,,. \ -- .r ,,"' / " //'\': .,, - =-Iv/fl L. .,. -· /4- !:" - / ,.,">_, •-· ✓• I ,II;,,., ,\ . / / ,, ,,- z = ..::::: - -- - ,,:::::::- Sc ' - , ......... 'i: f-.. '-:: ;,,, -":::--'- ---..:..-:--- , // --r, /,;;\'-- if//; oc: ,:.,.,- /, (A,cl,...,,,'hoi;"'<) " Carl Woody "A.T. 1-\;;mn:a ,: aTinc\'./ood .\ I / ' -'::\I! I 1,l1/'1 111// _ I I I, - ..-- a - F>o"l>< '-"ou"'T•,, B Br,.;Wh:.ltey /fl',fJ\ 1 1 1 \1{/•J 1 1\'\· \ft Nrlson 6 cdohnConard . ,.,1/ '-.. I VA,_ '\Ji Dud Hu E DUDE. S;:,w.,·t11\ 1, c ann;;,h 1/ ,W.t+..nnft-· \\ ,, n ,, I' •' 1' \'i+-HAIHIAH j'; ,; CEME:TERy ,} ' \\ __: :\ • /" 1.-;=-:..a'Bl:it1nH.a-nn.i'-' {; ih_n, .. .J•c.k!.onH;nh' ,0, _ -i.;ttle c;;ta/00 ,; L: A ch,,,, "W.G.8.McrsHr ';i (Po,..tOfh:.) :{ ,· (Cl.rk Corr:11 1 :'I •:."-_>, / p-.c"J '•-.., 'k ,;, "' :1.JC - ... ¢ ... L 0 /:: 0 ( ... ,. 'i. . 0 •, •Will No\,nd -. ,'.'0 ,,. -...:, +PA\..MER-7. ,O:' :,0 ewrll O C· GRAV y· RO ,, " 1 ,;,\m«r ATAf OOCH i=" / ,. ) •S;l,.c.«•'1 / ,; 00 ', 1· .h,visP;,-Jcs:;,: locl -· i,:. - :\i::'( > '>.: - ., , ,,· ... . .. . , • , ,, ::;,t ( :r_ · . ., .... .,.;.t '-·:;jt;.· · . . ,1'; ... ., . -r,,,., -:-: •''IK . . , ...t ·• :.,;;,μ,,'I!!,.-:l --. ,,..... . . • 1... , .; . ·,!.:.,, , . •r ·,. : J , ' ti . • , • I ' ; i, , If . ' ·i • . I. ' ' } < '' r .. J I '< : ·· . . .. · f , .. : 1./< \.· ·;. . . : . .'. ( \\ tr·_>,;iy,- .· • . i;:J;•·,.,· . .,,•• ,,, ,.. _. ',.i ·, )r.:· . .,,., -; .. '. 1,.. . • ' \,1' .,.; . ,. ' " f. l , - , A-"'\ vi""' ""' . ...JIIIC· ·w· , 1 (f i': \ ,, ; .• -P. . ' , l ,• J . . : i . , ., . ·-., ---:.\ ·;.. ;' ) . 1 ., . ► I . . , \ ( (.' • ' ,:( . •. t•.; · ' . :("Y' : . ;·· . J •• . l -i( ' • . 1'F ,.f:- • --·-·-:, ; ,'.J .'i i rf'·-- ;cf-';·-\ :,.. :: < . , r,:. ¥ :t'.· v'f:.,:, -, -.: . ·"' .:·•'.Ji\ W i lli am P. McMah a n ( wi th t h e cap on ) a n d E dd i e McG e e w i th t h e m i ll- s tone s from J e s s i e ' s Mi ll. M a ny t h a n k s to W i lli am for t h e s e p i ct ure s a n d t h e va s t amou n t of re s e arc h h e h a s don e on t h e McGe e F am i ly. Cemeteries Much of our history lies in the cemeteries throughout our land, they are an important part of our past. They tell of the hardships and pain of the people who first pioneered and settled the land. Those people who built their homes, churches, and schools, raised their children and buried their loved ones. Each grave, marked or unmarked carries its own story. Near Mt. Sterling Gap, on the old Cataloochee Turnpike, lies the remains of a robbery and murder victim . . . "McMahan's Grave". In Cataloochee there is also a plot containing the graves of 7 slaves and 1 white man. The white man was passing through the area and unknown to the people in the valley. Infant deaths took its toll. Oliver and Letha Hicks buried 3 infant sons and 2 infant daughters. The mortality rate was very high for infants and children and many families suffered the loss of more than 1 child in the family. Many of our cemeteries lie in the national park boundaries. Some near churches, or where a church once stood, some are community cemeteries, and others are family cemeteries. Most of them are atop a hillside, surrounded by trees and the stillness of nature. Indian burial grounds are also located in various places throughout the area. Many graves are marked only by fieldstone, but some have better markers than others. Some have simple headstones, while others are more elegant. Some headstones are homemade, but have had a lot of work, love, and time put into making them. Some of the inscriptions are hand chiseled on the slate rocks while others have no inscriptions at all. In Cataloochee, in a family cemetery, the graves of Doc Caldwell, his wife Sarah, and 2 of their children are all marked by white marble headstones. No matter how simple, or how elegant each of these headstones may be, each holds an important part of our past. Sometime you might want to take a quiet walk through some of the old cemeteries, read the inscriptions on the headstones, and relive a little bit of past history. Bishop Francis Asbury In the long list of circuit riders whose life led to the Methodist movement, the name Francis Asbury stands at the front. Asbury was an Irish immigrant who came to the New World in 1771 to be an assistant to John Wesley on the big circuit system and keep preachers on the move teaching the Methodist faith. Bishop Asbury's circuit riding efforts soon got him the name of "Prophet of the Long Road. " In the year 1810 Bishop Francis Asbury (the first bishop of the Methodist Church in America) traveled the circuit between Holston County, up the French Broad from Tennessee, down through Cataloochee, into Buncombe County, North Carolina. The trail into Cataloochee was an extremely rough passage and Bishop Asbury had enormous difficulties when crossing into Cataloochee. There is a trail in Cataloochee known as "The Asbury Trail", named after Bishop Asbury. The First Session of the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Church, was held in 1812 at Fountain Head, in Summer County, Bishop Asbury and Bishop William McKendree traveled the circuit through Tennessee, Cataloochee area, Haywood County, into Ashville. From Ashville they "scaled the mountains" toward South Carolina. The Shook house in Clyde, N. C. (built about 1795) is the oldest building still standing in Haywood County. Bishop Asbury has spent the night in this house, and has preached in the attic of the house. Jacob Shook became converted to Methodism after this and establi shed a campground on his land where, every year, camp meetings were held and people from all over the county and surrounding areas attended. They'd spend anywhere from a week to a month, worshipping, preaching, socializing and singing. The Mt. Sterling Baptist Church (White Church) was a Methodist Church to begin with. No one I've talked to, seems to know j ust how old the church might be. Sometime around 1929 the Mt. Sterling Methodist Church was "re-dedicated" and changed from the Methodist faith to Baptist. Since then it has been known as the Mt. Sterling Baptis t Church. I can't help but wonder i f the li ttle church might have been one of the Methodi st churches that Bi shop Asbury's followers , might have organized back in the mi d to late 1800's. Bi shop Franci s As bury di ed on March 1816 , but by then he had establis hed a r i ding circui t whi ch included Tenness ee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and a portion of Ohio. Many of hi s fellow bi shops would travel the circuit through thi s rugged wi lderness trying to convert all they could to the Methodi st fai th. Thi s li ttle church, would have been along the route they took. Palmer Chapel ( located in Cataloochee) The land for the Methodi st Church was deeded by Mary Ann Palmer in 1898 , and the church was built in the same year. Most of the preachers were circui t riders suppli ed by the Western North Carolina Conference and would vi s i t about once a month. A reuni on i s sti ll held here each year at the church and fami ly and fri ends clean the cemeteri es , have singing and s ervi ces, and have a dinner. Doctors Doctor John Walter McMaham (1876 - 193 5 ) fondly known as 11 D M II d t r. ac , was a oc or, surg eon, and denti st. It was the early 19001 s when Dr. Mac came to work for Crestmont as a physician and surgeon for the Champion Lumber Company and for the Tennessee - North Carolina Railroad. The railroad, also known as the "pea-vine", was a vital part of the community of Crestmont because it became their one contact with the outside world. The logging camp and bunk houses were located 7 miles up from the town of Crestmont in an area known as Walnut Bottoms. Once a week Dr. Mac would catch the train up the mountain to Walnut Bottoms to check on the men working there and tend to their needs. If he was needed before his weekly trip they'd send someone down the mountain to bring him up. The mill at Crestmont had a whistle and it was used as a signal. Anytime the doctor was needed the mill whistle would signal out 4 quick blasts. People would always gather when they'd hear the 4 blasts to see who had been hurt. In June of 1911 a group of convicts were working on the railroad above Crestmont and they lived in little shanty houses and a railroad boxcar. When a violent thunderstorm came up their shanty houses was demolished. Five men were killed and twenty three were injured in this accident. One of the most terrible accidents to happen though was on the mountain where six men were killed by a dynamite explosion. When the road was being constructed at Walnut Bottoms, six men were drilling holes and setting dynamite in them to blast away the rock cliffs. One of the men thrust a stick of dynamite into the hole that had been drilled, but it didn't go all the way down. Another man took a crowbar and tried to push the dynamite on down into the hole, but it exploded killing all six men. Dr. Mac and some of the men from Crestmont spent the rest of the day gathering up the body parts of these six men and preparing them for burial. This was an awful experience for these men to endure. Dr. Mac tended many an accident victim, sick person, and delivered many babies during his years at Crestmont which was around 1902 - 19 15. During this time he was not only a doctor to these people, but a good and helpful friend. When Dr. Mac left Crestmont Dr. John Alvin Paul (J. A. P. ) Shields (1869 - 19 39 ) became the doctor for the Crestmont area. Dr. Shields worked at Crestmont with the Suncrest Lumber Company in 1916 . He moved from Crestmont to Hartford, TN. in 1919 and worked for the Boice Hardware Company, but still made his trips to Crestmont. In 19 27 he returned to his private practice and worked at this for the remainder of his life. He was an outgoing man and enjoyed a good book as well as a good joke, he also enjoyed his cigars. His friends knew him as a man of integrity and loyalty, and welcomed anyone into his home. Dr. Shields died suddenly Jan. 17, 19 39 at Hartford, TN. and is buried at Union Cemetery in Newport, TN. Charlie Roscoe "Doc" Fish (1888 - 19 78) was twenty four when he first got a job working with the livestock at Boice Hardware Company in Hartford. He'd saddle the horses for the company doctor, Dr. J. A. P. Shields. Dr. Shields was the one who encouraged Roscoe to study medicine and helped him. Roscoe had a "natural ability" when caring, and dealing with animals. Roscoe trained with Dr. Shields and as the years passed Roscoe delivered many, many babies in the mountainous area of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. He would refer to it as "catchin' babies". Roscoe was not a licensed doctor and he refused to be called doctor, but he did except the name of "Doc" Fish as the mountain people called him. During his early years he'd ride horseback for miles in all kinds of weather to help his fellow man. Roscoe not only served the people as a "Doc", but also as a veterinarian. In 19 49 he delivered a two-headed calf, but it died within a few hours. He worked many years without any public recognition, but his life was filled with many rich and wonderful experiences through the people he met. Benjamin Parker Ford (1883 - 1979) was a country doctor and one of sev en children born to Reuben and Harriet (Hopkins ) Ford. He began his career in his early tw enties and deliv ered more than 2000 babi es in the area over the many years he serv ed has a doctor. He was another doctor who was self-taught and very dedicated. Dr. Parker, as he was often called, was in great demand since doctors were so scarce in the isolated areas like Hartford, TN. and Mt. Sterling N. C. Dr. Parker Ford was a people person and a welcome presence to all who knew him. Most of his patients were house calls and people knew when he was in the area so if he was needed a white rag was tied to the mail box to let him know. Sometimes he'd hav e to walk a great distance from the main road to the house to take care of someone. On occasions, it was sometimes necessary for him to haul a patient to the "town" doctor. He'd charge the patient a $2. 00 charge for his services and during all the years of service that fee only went up to $3. 00. In all his years of serv ice he nev er once sent a patient a bill. His calm bedside manner was a comfort to all. He made house calls until he was 90 years old. He then treated people from his home until he was 96 and his own illness shut him down. Not only were doctors important to small isolated communities, but midwiv es as well. The midwife would prov ide assistance during pregnancy and childbirth, she played a very important role in any community. People also had their ow n home remedies which had been handed down through the years. Roots and herbs were gathered and used to prepare these home remedies. Kerosene and even whiskey was also used in treatments. Herbs and roots such as catnip, boneset, horehound, sage, basil, pennyrile, horsemint, snakeroot, ferns, redwood root, pepper, and others were used as remedies. Kerosene or coal soot was used for cuts and whiskey was used with ginger and honey to soothe a cold. These home remedies seemed to work j ust as wel l as the treatments most doctors use today. Our early doctors often used these home remedies and depended on them often for his patients. Diseases In the early 1900's consumption (T. B. ) and typhoid fever posed serious problems for doctors. Appendicitis, referred to as cramp colic, was also another serious problem and many died from it. Hives was also another problem for doctors and contributed in several deaths. In 1911 the dreaded disease smallpox brought a scare into the vicinity and many fell victim to it, but it was in 1918 that the worst epidemic of al l happened, influenza. This highly infectious, and contagious disease of the respiratory tract caused the deaths of hundreds of people in the area. Influenza came into the area at about the same time the l ogging started. People felt that the "pneumonia fever" was brought on by the soured and rotten stumps, which was giving off a harmful and noxious vapor. But unknown to this small isolated community influenza was a world wide epidemic, at that time, and would cause the deaths of 20 million people that year. Civilian Conservation Corps The economic depression that hit the country around 1930 helped create The Civilian Conservation Corps. This established work for more than 2 million young men across the United States. The CCC Camps paid $ 30.00 a month ($25.00 was sent home to his family, and $ 5.00 given to him). These men worked in conservation, flood control, and wilderness projects that sprang up throughout the United States. The CCC program could not have come at a better time for the newly, struggling, Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Through the Corps much needed manpower converged, by the hundreds, to the Smokies. These men set up camp and then went about the labor of building roads, landscaping, making trails, shelters, power lines, fire towers, and bridges. Some of their tent-strewn camps were pitched on Big Creek. In remote areas like this retired loggers, who were familiar with the area were hired in for shifts to back out short trail lengths. Robert Dedmondt served as clerk for Camp 4 15 NC P-7 from May 25, 1933 to June 30, 1934. Mr. A.W. McLaughlin, from Waynesville, North Carolina was Project Superintendent. The following is a list of local men from Mt. Sterling, N.C. and the surrounding areas, that worked for the CCC Camp during that time. Jake Ball, James L. Baker, J.T. Baker, W.C. Barnes, Hampton Burgess, Eldridge R. Caldwell, Lush C. Caldwell, Jim C. Caldwell, Tom Caldwell, Glenn H. Edwards, James Evans, John C. Hannah, Ernest Harvey, Saul Hopkins, Hiram Leatherwood, Fay H. Leatherwood, Robert V. Leatherwood, Rufus T. Lindsey, Arthur McGaha, Burl McGaha, John McMann, Sydney V. Nelson, Fred Owens, Lee Owens, Hardy Phillips, James Phillips, Ephraim H. Riley, Ephriam Sutton, Hardy Sutton, James L. Sutton, Ernest White, James E. White. Mitch Sutton lived in Mt. Sterling during this time and he was found dead one morning at the old depot. He was not a member of the CCC, but a friend to some of the men in the camp. The following was a notation found written in one of the Old CCC Books kept by Robert Dedmondt. At 2: 00 in the afternoon of the drizzly day of May 25, 1933 The Founders of Co. 415 CCC arrived at Crestmont to find only a wild and desolate valley grown over with small trees, shrubs, and weeds. Huge Boulders filled the entire bottom of the valley so numerous that some had to be moved to provide enough room to pitch a tent. Then and in the days that followed a Camp of the Civilian Conservation Corps was built that was considered the best in the sub-district. The men of the CCC Camp worked, fished in Big Creek, Made roads to Walnut Bottoms, etc. The Civilian Conservation Corps program in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was a major success. C::tmp \! i'•~? . 1HL . S . · Copy r· pl in to ::;llm1 , n,0; U,d/·' 1 l. 1/,1'.; nt:l l ( '1> i 1 V P n .i.n nbow 1•'ile Ho . 111•-Ll•-Ul!U,-1 761 7 Neg . No . 1 761 7 Q[crtif icate of izcunrgc ! I front ' ' , ,: ,Fc ,1- -,,/ .(,., .,.,,. ,-1y, . ·. ,. . 7(. ( /J... :i. . , 1 , , • . • ,JUL l 3 l'.JJj QC ib i( in1 t QC011zerbatto1t, lken from l'.C.O. Form No. I. (; o :n - : 1 8 nd i n g W, • -.OINN•., ,..,.'°"' " "' ·• I.U 3-10171 " 1 .: j i J · , -. ·. 1 I . 1 i .,I -i' . .. I1 y === ' .;.. 1 . .,;_, a;hr.:· ·. 1,," -,, ,-. {"- $.: - - ✓' - · . - ; --...... ---- -::------ p ► , _ - School Picture (White Chuich) Techer - Texie Teague 1st. row- Roy Leaterwood , Hol lis Sutton 2nd . row- Hiarm & Ed Leatherwood Mt. Sterling School ( loca ted at Chestnut Branch) Chestnut Branch School Picture ( taken around 1 9 22) 1 st. Row - Smith, Jes sie Mooneyham, Saul llopkins, Hall, Bob Jenkins, Roy Jen kins, Grooms, Lawrence Lindsey, Frank Mooneyha m 2nd. Row - Becky E. Jenkins, Pearl Jenkins, Ma ttie Roberts, Florence Hall, Nellie Price, Z oeie Sutton, Messer children 3rd. R ow - Alan Mooneyham, unk. , Ruth Roberts, Willie Lackey, Arlene Jenkins, ukn. , Delphia Price, unk. , Jetalee Price, unk. , Cindy Jenkins, Viola Price 4th. Row - unk. , Bob. White, Velma Jenkins, Herman Jenkins, Smith, unk. Ortha Jenkins, unk. , Ruth Jenkins, All en Mes ser 5 th. Row - Grooms, Wade Hopkins, unk. , Mark Hopkins, unk. , Genevie Phillips , unk. , unk. , Ada Jenkins, Annie Brown ( teacher) , Adelle Moore 6th Row Alice White, Ensley Hopkins, Mabel Jenkins, Russell Jenkins, Grooms, Chrislee Canupp, Pat_ White 7 th. R ow - R uble Bell, Dewey Jackson, Norman Southerland, Southerland Il I I I !i I !i . i ! f: I i L Chestnut Branch School Picture ( taken around 19 2 2 } Cataloochee School A two room school building was constructed about the turn of the century to serve families living in this part of Haywood County. Cora (Burgess) Leatherwood told us that when she attended school , there was 6 5 kids in the area who also went to school with her. Cataloochee might have been a wilderness, but the people provided school ing for their children. There was more than one schoolhouse in the area, because Little Cataloochee as well as Big Cataloochee had a schoolhouse. School terms varied, but normally it ran from November through January anp sometimes through February and March. Subj ects included spelling, arithmetic, reading, writing,. and grammar. Spelling bees were both a test and an outl et for the pupils' pride. Cataloochee School remained a two room school until the Nationl Park Service took over the area and Bstablished the Park. At this ' t ime the school became a one room school. It was closed through consolidation around 1945. The quietness and emptiness of the vacant building, along with a dusty blackboard and empty desks, is all that remains of the once ctive school. Mt. Sterling School This little one room school was j ust below where Steve and Julie Hannah live. The teacher was Roger Fergerson. Some of the children who went to this school were: Tunney Lackey , Wil J a rd Hicks, Agnes and Reva . Leatherwood, Rufus McGaha, Ada McGaha, Wilce McGaha, B eatrice McGaha, Annie and Bonnie Messer, ' Lill ian McGaha, and Mildred Harvey. Mt. Sterling . . • Last One Room School The rock building still stands that was once the last one room, and one teacher school. The Mt. Sterling school was a remnant of a bygone era in education. In 1967 the school had 12 pupils who were in grades 2 through 8, there was no first graders that year. Constructed in 1930, the rock school had two rooms. At the rear of the classroom on the right side of the building was a lunchroom, about 10 feet wide and 25 feet long. The classroom contained all the essentials needed; a blackboard, a bulletin board , art supplies and cabinet, and in the center of the room was a black coal stove. The older boys would keep the stove filled with coal on the cold days. A few of the pupils even came to school barefoot. Mt. Sterling was a very unique school and the 12 children going there during this time was provided with the best education possible. The teacher in carge of this education was Mrs. Goldie Leatherwood, a native of Cocke County , and resident of Del Rio, (Ravens Branch) Tennessee. Mrs. Leatherwood taught at the Mt. Sterling school its last 9 or 10 years. This had to be a very difficult assignment for Mrs. Leatherwood teaching as many as eight grades in one classroom, but she didn't let this hinder her. Education was "a way of life" for Mrs. Leatherwood. Her father, the late Noah Baxter, had been a teacher in the Raven-'s Branch community. Her sister Mattie Baxter Ashley had also taught school some. Mrs. Leatherwood's husband C. E. "Chuck" Leatherwood was a great believer in education and all 8 of the Leatherwood children had some college education. So Mrs. Leatherwood adapted her teaching mostly by tril and error and eventually developed several techniques that helped educate these children. There was no desks in the middle of the room because Mrs. Leatherwood allowed the children to sit where they wanted. About half the class sit in a row next to the windows, and the rest sit next to the wall. They would pull their desks into small circles when class begin. Because of its smallness the school was closely knit and classes were conducted very informally and in a homey atmosphere, which the chi ldren enjoyed. At lunch time they would wash their hands and file through the classroom into the lunchroom. Their lunches was prepared and served by Mrs. Scott ( Bonnie) Ball, the school's lunchroom worker. The children would eat at two 6 seat tables and by school custom, the boys sit at one table and the girls and Mrs. Leatherwood at the other. After lunch the students were given a recess period. Some of the boys would bring their fishing poles and gathered crickets or night-crawlers and fished in Big Creek, a stocked stream that flowed by about 30 feet behind the school. The most noticeable difference between recess at Mt. Sterling and other schools was that the children romped and played in one group. They didn't split up by sex or age differences. Mt. Sterling was far removed from other schools in the Haywood County school system and because of the strangeness of a "large" school the children didn't want to go to another school. As one boy said, "You won't be able to slip out and fish at another school. " It was a rural school in a isolated community and it was because of its isolation that school was still held there. The Mt. Sterling - Waterville community was bound by the park, the Tennessee/ North Carolina state line, the Pigeon River, and the Pisgah National Forest. About 75 people, adμlts and children, lived in the area at that time. There was only one road from North Carolina leading to Mt. Sterling at the time and that was Highway 284 . This twisting, two-lane bumpy road began at Dellwood and followed the park boundary into the community and crossed the state line to Cosby, Tennessee. A drive from Mt. Sterling to Waynesville would take about an hour and a half. Interstate 4 0 was being built during this time and was to be completed by 196 8. This would mean a quicker route to Waynesville and other places. It would also mean the end of an era . • • the Mt. Sterling school would close. Mrs. Goldie Leatherwood had graduated from Cocke County High School in 1934, but in 1941 she became interested in completing her education. Goldie was 6 1 when she received her degree in elementary education in August of 1974. It was the climax of nearly 21 years of college work, most done by attending night classes, and during the summer months, and 18 years of teaching. Goldie's youngest daughter Jan (Leatherwood) Dellinger was a teacher for the Cocke County school system and is now principal at the Del Rio School. Her son Ted was also a teacher. Her daughter Beverly was valedictorian of her graduation class at Cosby High School and she also substituted some for her mother at Mt. sterling School. Goldie first taught at Compton Memorial School in the Grassy Fork Community. Goldie was also a Title I teacher at Grassy Fork School. Goldie was a very unique and special person. She was loved and respected by all who knew her, and she is greatly missed by all who loved her. Beverly Leatherwood Building of Interstate 40. Beginning of an era • . • the ending of another. N ::,•.1¢,; '{ ... ::- :,iv.,.,4. :?,:';'j/ 'f ., •/-,. ,, ' A ;-;..- '"'1 .,.7;,},,., - •' 1·, -- -- r •· . .., " -, ,tfy.,\\ ' (f _,x: ., f ) - ta,, « ,.,. 'I ;, .. ► - .. - t '• . ' I t(. , () , l . " \' ,.-,,. • I'- \ r-. . . .,., • I r,- /II"" . \. . r r, MT . S t e r l i n g S c h o o l P i c t u r e - T e a c l1 e r G o l d i e L e a t h e r wood 1 s t . r o w : D a n n y Ba l l , D e a n B a l l , R a n d y S u t t o n , B i l l y P h i l l i p s , S t e v i e H a n n a h , W i l l i a m A r t h u r P h i l l i p s , K a t h y Ph i l l i p s , Reva Wh i t e , D o n n a S u e B a l l , S h i r l e y P h i l l i p s . 2 n d . r o w : W a y n e Wh i t e , W a n d a P h i l l i p s , M a r y A . P h i l l i p s , Th e l m a W h i t e , G a y P h i l l i p s , S h e r r y S u t t on , a n d G o l d i e L e a t h e r wood Mt. Ste_r 1 ing Teens Spending 1 2 hours a day gefing a high school education isn' t exactly any teen- agers idea of fun. But, in 1 9 6 9 that' s exactly what four Mt. S terling teens did 5 days a week. Dean Ball, Billy and Kathy Phillips, · and Joan Evans were among 15 students who made this trip 5 times a week. They were enrolled at Cosby and Hartford S chools in Tennessee until I - 40 opened up. I - 40 eliminated the transportation problem and they was bussed back to school in North Carolina. The children attended Rock Hill School and Tuscola High. Mt. Sterling is a small community and when the bus wheeled onto I - 40 headed towards Waynesville, N.C. at 6 : 3 0 each morning Billy and Kathy Phillips mother was behind the wheel. Mrs. Alice Phillips worked at Waynesville Junior High and drove the school bus for 8 years. Alice said she ' d certainly put in a long day by the time she get home at 4: 00 each evening. Today the children of Mt. S terling also have those same long, 1 2 hour, school days. They make the same long bus trip to school 5 times a week to get an education . . - ·. • ., ••• , • /If..; Dean Ball, Billy Phillips, Kathy Phillips, & Joan Evans Mattie (Roberts) Alley Mattie (Roberts) Alley is the daughter of Charles and Maria (Hopkins) Roberts (3-23-1881 - 7-15-1954). Charles's father was Robert King Roberts (born around 1850). In the 1870, Haywood County Census, Robert is married to Martha Garrett and at this time Charles is 2 years old. Maria's parents was Alison Woodville (born 7-28-1848) and Elizabeth "Betsy" (Sutton) Hopkins (born around 1849). Mattie married (1) Buster Hill (2) Mack Alley Children are: (1) Dow Hill married Ann Caldwell (A) Keith Hill (2) Pauline Alley married David (Cobb) Proffit (A) Steve Proffit married Tammy Shults (1) Cody Proffit (3) John Charles Alley (A) Jelanie Alley (1) Janell (2) Joshua (B) Jamie Alley Mattie Alley's house at Mount Sterling, N. C. At one time this was the Mount Sterling Post Office. Maria Hopkins (Mattie's mother) ran the postal s ervice for 40 years. - - - - - - - - - - • r j ,, />. ,.. J. ✓ ·,, . .. . i I :j/ r-· ◄ - - lllllllilllllll ll1lillllllllil illlillllillb llilllililllllh ,, ., :. ,.: ;; .. ,'·--•-::. , ' ---, --· .. .. .,..::-' .-. j '< ;_-i..'bilYJ!• :"."\ --., . -,c " .. ,.,. 'fri.; - 'ii..: ·' . :' . .,.°;),. · .• . , ' •, \ : •"S:y . . W .. . . . . :- ·t :..:. _;_,>t ... . . -,::/ , ;:, ~A i' ··...,\•,• ;;: ,. t · . ;."--...!. • - -'-: :•ia ·, ,,,,;- . ·t ·:- Dow , Mattie, Ann , Pauline , Janel l, David (Cobb) , Jelanie , Joshua , and John llilllililllllh -.. " The Fighting Hopkins" Benj amin Parker Hopkins ( born 1 2 -4- 1 80 8 ) was head of this family of 1 1 sons and 1 daughter . In 1 8 2 6 Benj amin married Ruth Tinker . The children were Abraham , William , Montomery " Gum" , Jasper , Jacob , Baxter , Benj amin Jr . , Israel Horace , Anderson , Woodvill e , Jack , and Anne . Ten of the sons j oined the Armies during the Civil War . Abraham , William , and Montomery j oined the Union and the others j oined the Confederate Army . On Dec . 1 8 6 3 Abraham fought a fight at Mt . S terling , N .C . ( the bridge now stands here ) . Abraham was wounded and died Dec . 1 6 , 1 8 6 3 . Montomery 1 1 Gum 11 was a member of Kirk ' s Regiment . W hile passing through the area he " run up " on a bunch of Confederates . Gum shot a horse out from under one of the troops , as the horse fell the soldier threw up his hand, as i f to salute Gum . It was then that Gum recognized his brother Jacob , a Confederate soldier . Gum quickly dismounted, hastened to his brother , and gave his horse to his brother . Jacob mounted his brother ' s horse and hastened o f f . Gum ( still on Chestnut Mountain ) hid out down the mountainside for awhile hoping his brother might return so they could visit , but he never did. A fter awhile the " addled" horse arose and started wal king around. Gum , glad to see the horse had come around, quickly mounted the horse and rode off to j oin Kirk ' s Camp near the Tennessee - North Carolina line . B e n j a m i n P a r k e r H o pk i n s W o o dv i l l e a n d E l i z ab e t h " Be t s y " ( S u t t o n ) H o pk i n s Benj amin Parke r Hopkins Be njamin Parke r Hopkin was born on De ce mbe r 4, 1808, in Se quat chie , N. C. , his moth ? as Judi th (Cope ) Hopkins . It has be en told that about the time of Be njamin's birt h his mot he r was capt ure d by Indians and held capt ive . It was a long time be fore he r and he r child we re finally re leased by a frie ndly Indian. It is said that Be njamin's fat he r we nt off to fight the Indians and was ne ve r he ard from again. Be njamin als o had a sister name d Rut hie who marrie d Capt ain John Edwards . Be njamin marrie d Rut h Tinker and they had 12 childre n, 11 boys and 1 girl. They we re Abraham (182 7 - 12 -16 -186 3), Ande rs on (b. 182 9), Jacks on (b. 1832 ), Be njamin Jr. (b. 1834), Mont gome ry (b. 1836 ), Jacob (b. 1838), Gibs on (b. 1840), Jas pe r (b. 1843), Baxter (b. 1845), Se re na Anne (1846 - 186 0), Alis on Woodville (b. 1848), and Is rae l (b. 1850). Whe n the Civil War broke out brot he r fought agains t brother as some of the brot hers joine d the Union Army and ot he rs joine d the Confe derate Army. Abraham fought for the Union. He was capt ure d one day, by the Mt . St e rling bridge , and tort ure d be caus e he re fus ed to tell whe re his family's food supply was hid at . He die d 3 days later, le aving be hind his wife , Nancy, and 9 childre n. Abe and Nancy owne d 300 acre s on the top of Chestnut Mount ain. Be njamin was the firs t Pos t Mas ter at Mt . Sterling. He was appoi nt ed on May 21, 1873 and serve d unt il April 30, 1879. His son, Alis on Woodville , then took ove r and serve d unt il Oct obe r 14, 1903. Alis on als o had a saw mill, a gris t mill, and he even made some furnit ure . Robert K i n g R o b e r t s a n d M a r t h a ( G arre t t ) R o b e rt s Mar i a ( Ho p k i n s ) R o b e r t s a n d C h ar l e s R o b er t s ( Ma t t i e ' s P ar e nt s ) o l'Kli\f,s H 'BUILT 1880 MOUNT STERLING North Carolina Hopkins House Harriett ( Hopkins) Ford Harriett Hopkins Harriett Hopkins (12-6-1860 - 11-20-1909) was the daughter of Abraham and Nancy Marie (Butler) Hopkins of Crestmont, N. C. (Abraham was killed during the Civil war). Harriett married Ruben T. Ford (4-8-1859 - 3 -1-1898) and settled in Grassy Fork, Tennessee. They had 8 children and 2 of these died during infancy. Ruben and Harriett are buried in an almost abandoned section of Grassy Fork Cemetery beside their 2 infant daughters. Woodville Hopkins Woodville (born abt. 1848) is the son of Benjamin Parker and Ruth Hopkins. Woodville married Elizabeth "Betsy" Sutton and according to the 1870 N. C •. Census, for Haywood County, had a daughter named Jane "Polly" who was 1 year old. Woodville, Elizabeth, and the baby was living with Sarah "Sallie" (McGaha) Sutton at this time. Woodville Hopkins was the grandpa of Mattie (Roberts) Alley. Woodville had a grist mill and a saw mill at Chestnut Branch. Mattie said she could remember when her grandpa would ground corn and the meal would come out and go down into a little trough. There was a paddle they'd use to dip their meal out and put it into bags. Mattie said she loved playing at the mill when she was a little girl. :..> , ,....., ,.....- U} G) ,' z ..... ,-..... v ,--. .....; r V • ·1 , d •• ·.i , , .... .. r-.. . . . i; -, .• -; . . .....,.... .. , ----·· . - ,r----. . \. ... . . : · ' ;--::..... ·:x,- . ·-:"\' ·:-·. - - 4 i - '. .:-- . - ... r· . -,.,,...----:--: ; i \ :-,-:.\ . -. • . ,. - • '• I I I :::J'..:\ . \ \', ,· . • • • • 1 ·1• I------ ·l '' ... ' ,. · " ;. ·.( . )· ., · )/ · - - -/ Matti e A l l ey an d Kei th H il l < ; j ·{? •/ t1! ,:(' !, i\'i (. .. • ,j ,; .;- -:,,:, J r·:...;.,j;,//.-::1!,·,. :t.,.,:1:fn"i?., .:f.-. 1•.}-P: :· ,l,'. ., ✓ ,,!r: oc:. 1} ,".,'1 ! -;. J a i A l l o y Lore t t a ( d u g ) Thanksgiving 1987 Kei th and Jami e are grandsons of Matti e Al ley O l d Corn M i l l a t t h e m o u t h o f Che s t n u t B r a nc h . W a s E a s t o f Ranger H o u s e a t M t . S te r l i ng O n e o f the O l d P a p e r S a c k s f r om t h e O l d Mi l l . Mattie Alley holding Cody Proffit and Stevie Proffit (Taken about 1 991 ) Cody Prof fit (Taken 1 994) S t evie is the grands on of Mat tie and Cody is her great grands on Mack Caldwell's Old Home Place and Barn at Mt. Sterling, N.C. ' t' . . ,. \ ,, '1, ' . , 1""r": i".· <" ·1t;-. ,.,:v ¥" , 1,,/, ... . - . ,., . _,.-.::. ,4("¥it;•'l. i -...,,c ., ,, H f{f 1,. ·t""'- "'" .,: :tl.\l•·,:"1{ .., ,,:. ..\ t\:;; ,.;,:--;.;tt;r,, :: . . . . •:i-, ::. .1 ) • '.· "\ 1 .; ;::;/::'· ,1,r...riv -;>:\.;11 t'-•'i:/l ... . t;:!t!i(" . ' ."A·-•' \ \:'..n. r; .. :Th i s l i t t l e h o u s e b e l o n ged to M a c k C a l dwe l l . S ome o f t h e peop l e who l i v e d i n i t o v e r t h e year s Barne s , Phi l l ips , Bonn i e B a l l . C l yde and S ar a ( Me s s er ) B a l l , J a n e D a n a n d Bonn i e w er e : Ar l i e a n d B e r t h a L i l l i e G r o o m s , S co t t a n d ( Fr a i z er ) B a l l , and A nn i e The Old Mac k Caldwell Store, Mt. Sterling, N.C. John Crosier "C row" Hopkins Old Car Garage Where He Kept His 49 Ford. ..II ll ,, Ill Thi s l i t t l e h o u s e h a s s e rved many purpo s e s over the yea r s . I t s e r ve d as a s choo l ho u s e for a f ew y e a r s , a c ommuni ty l i b r a r y ( a bookmob i l e wou l d de l i ve r and pick up books ) , a c l ubhou s e , a p l a c e f o r mee t i ng s , a p l ace f o r p a r t i e s , and s h ower s . Lewis & Al ice ( Burns ) Phillips Milas Messer ( 1 1 - 1 8 - 1 8 6 3 - 1 0- 1 4- 1 9 6 3 ) married March 2 4 , 1 8 9 2 t o ( 1 ) Maranda Conard ( 1 8 74 - ? ) , married August 1 0 , 1 90 0 t o ( 2 ) Nancy Sut ton ( 1 1 - 1 7- 1 8 8 1 - 5-30-1 9 7 5 ) . Parents of Milas were Issac Messer ( 1 846 - ? ) and Harriett ( Jane ) Conard ( 1 849 - ? ) . Issac was the son of Daniel ( 1 8 2 3 - ? ) and Elizabeth ( 1 8 24 - ? ) Messer . Harriett was the daughter of George Conard ( 1 8 2 2 - 1 -1 1 - 1 9 0 6 ) and Chana Williams ( 1 - 1 1 - 1 8 2 6 - 4-2 8- 1 9 1 0 ) . Parents of Lewis E . Phillips ( 6-2 2- 1 9 2 7 - 1 - 1 6-1 9 7 8 ) were Clyde M . Phillips ( 1 0- 1 6 - 1 8 9 8 - 6-30-1 9 6 1 ) and Sarah Jane Messer ( 1 1 -6 - 1 9 0 2 - 2-24- 1 9 9 3 ) . Sarah Jane was the daughter of Milas and Nancy ( Sut ton ) Messer . Lewis Phillips was born at Cove Creek , N .C . , but the famil y later moved to the Mt . S terling area . Cl yde and Sarah later moved the famil y to New Jersey where Lewis met and married Al ice Burns . Lewis and Alice later moved back to Mt . S terl ing buying the old homeplace at what use to be called Deadrick Hill . They have four children : Mary Alice , William Lewis ( Bill y ) , Kathryn ( Kathy ) , and S hirley Ann Phillips . They all farmed together raising· potatoes , beans , corn , and tobac co . The c hildren helped by carrying water , plants , and set ting the tobac co . When the tobacco sold the children all got a share of the money . They saved their money and used it for buying their first cars . They also helped in grinding cornmeal for their neighbors . Lewis later moved the famil y to the Big Creek Ranger S tation where he worked for awhile . A fter working here awhile he moved the famil y back up on the mountain and bought the old Mi tch Sut ton place , which j oined their farm . Lewis then went to work for Carolina Power and Light Company . The children all went to school at Mt . S terling in a one room school house . When the one room sc hool closed the children went to school at Hart ford and Cosby High-school in Tennessee . During this time the Phillips children ' s mother , Alice , started l'-! ct r.· y cl r .i v i 1 1 q U1 e b 1 1 s . 1\ l i c <:; d r o v e t h o Lrn ,; L o r c L q h t yea r s , t vJO yecJ r· s i n Te n n e s s ee a n cl s i x y e a r s t o 1,1 c1 y n e s v i. 1 l e , N . C . Lew i s a n d A l. i c e ' s o l de s t: cl a 1 1 q ll t c L- M a L· y A l i c e gradua ted f r om Cosby H i gh schoo l . W i th I - 4 0 now com p l e ted t h e o t her c h i l d ren s tar ted go i ng to Tus c o l a fl .i g h - s choo .l c:i t \'Ja yn e s v i l l e , N . C . where \:.Ji 1 1 i am , Ka th r y n , a n d S h i r l e y i\ n n a l J. th re e g r a d u a t e d . W i ·t h t h e c h i l d ren ge t t i ng on t h e bus abo u t 6 : 3 0 i n the mor n i n g and no t g e t t i n g home un t i l 4 : 0 0 i n the even i ng made for a l o n g day for a l l o f those who had to r i de the b u s . U s ua l l y they wo u l d a l l t a k e a n a p wh i l e r i d i ng u p t h e i n t e r s t a t e . M a r y A l i c e P h i l l i ps marr i ed R a l ph H a n n a h J r . a n d l i ve s a t M t . S te r l i ng , N . C . They have two c h i l dr e n : J e f f e r y S co t t Hannah a n d Arny Mar i e Hannah . W i l l i am Lew i s ( B i l l y ) P h i l l i p s . l i ve s i n N ewpor t , Tennes s e e . K a t h r yn ( Ka t h y ) P h i l l i ps ma r r i ed G a r y V i c k a n d l i ve s i n B y be e , T e n ne s s ee . They have one s o n : M i cha e l G a r y V i c k . S h i r l ey A n n P h i l l i p s marr i ed G e o r g e ( Jo d y ) Wood J r . and l i ve s at Hemp H i l l , N . C . They have two c h i l d r e n : Geor g i a Ann Wood and Da n i e l Wood . Grea t grandch i l d r e n are : D a ko ta and C h e ye nne Wh i te . L ew i s j o i ned the Masons i n 1 9 6 0 a t t h e De l R i o Lodge , b u t l a t er j o i n ed the l odge i n Newpor t . Lew i s a nd A l i ce both j o i ne d t h e Eas tern S t a r i n 1 9 6 1 . The i r two d a u g h t e r s , M a r y A l i c e a n d K a t hryn be l ong t o t h e Newport Eas tern S t a r a l s o . Lew i s P h i l l i ps pa s s ed away i n 1 9 7 8 a f t e r a l e n g t h y i l l ne s s . Lew i s i s bur i ed a t t h e M t . S te r l i ng C h u r c h i n N . C . , J · v; ill i d:1: Lew i.:-;, / 1 J C C 1 a n d S h i r l e y A n n . ,, / •#' . ,- ; ,, .,' ·--: /. .; .· •.:. / Y· • • .,:..,, ,(A • •' Ka th r y n , . :· · ; · ' · Lewi s , & Alice Phillips with chi ldren Mary Alice , Wi lliam Lewi s, Kathryn , and Shir ley Ann M i l a s t•ie s s er ,. , -· , ' -., I. ' ,I_ .. . " · it: /, $,f , f 1$.).f/ I Mary Alice Phi llips Billy Phi llips Shirley Phi llips Children of Lewis and Alice Phi llips K a thy P h i l l i p s S h i r l e y P h i l l i ps D a u gh t e r s of L ew i s a n d A l l i c e P h i l l i p s Lewis E. & Alice (Burns) Phillips Lewis E. Phillips (6-22-19 27 - 1-16 -1978) married Alice Burns. Children of Lewis and Alice are: (A) Mary Alice Phillips (8-23-1951) married Ralph Ford Hannah Jr. (8-19-1945). (1) Jefferson Scott Hannah (11-19-1970) (2) Amy Marie Hannah (10-12-1977) married Kenneth Wayne Arrington (B) William Lewis Phillips (C) Kathryn Phillips married Gary Vick (D) Shirley Ann Phillips married George Wood Jr. (1) Georgia Ann Wood married Jason Todd White (A) Dakota White (B) Cheyenne White (2 ) Daniel Wood Jason and Ri lda (Smi th) Whi te Jason Whi te ( 5- 17 - 1890 - 7 - 29- 1959) marri ed Ri lda Smi th (5- 2- 1892 - 10- 19- 1 98 1). Jason was the son of Thomas H. White (18 57 - 1940) and Sarah Jane Leatherwood (3- 13- 186 8 - 2- 10- 1934). Chi ldren of Jason and Rilda Whi te are: Wade E. , Lawrence, Pauli ne, Verli n, and Edi th . ( I ) Lawrence White (6- 8 - 1917 - 1- 21- 1993) and Bea trice ( McGaha) (6 - 7 - 1917 -3 7 - 19 94) had the followi ng chi ldren: (A) James White marri ed (1) Mary Polk (2) Barbara Will i amson (1) Malvas White (8 -3- 1965) (2) Crystal Gai l Whi te (B) Delores Whi te (5- 1- 1942) (C) Judy White (9- 2- 1944) marri ed Marvi n Nichols (1) Sue Nichols (11-30- 1966 ) (2) Lawrence Eugene Nichols (2- 1- 1970) (3) Marsha Nichols (12- 1- 197 1) (D) Wi lliam H . Whi te (9-6 - 1946 ) marri ed Ruby Eloi se Thomason (1) Tony James Whi te (2- 21- 1970) (2) Tina Mari e Whi te (12- 8 - 197 8 2- 5- 1993) (3) Jason Todd White (3- 26 - 1979) (E) Thelma Zebhanah Whi te (8 - 26- 1948 ) marri ed James Bryant (1) Tresa Ann Bryant (8 - 21- 1969) (2) Tracye Bryant (9- 8 - 197 1) (3) James Earl Bryant (1- 21- 197 6 ) (F) Lucille Whi te (6 - 19- 1951) marri ed Mack Thomason (1) Sandra Jean Thomason (4- 30- 198 1) (2) Ki mberly Deni se Thomason (2- 15- 197 3) (G) Raymond Whi te (12- 26- 1950 - 8 - 23- 1993) marri ed Doris Overholt (1) Lori e Lee White (4- 11- 197 2) (2) Kristie Nichole White (12- 28 - 198 2) (3) Randy Whi te (4- 1989) (H) Reva White (6 - 26- 1957 ) marri ed Donald Rai nes (II) Wade E. White (12-15-1915) married Alma Lois Harrell (4-11-1918) (A) Gladys Irene White (3-16 -1939) married (1) Robert Lisly (2) William Flannery (3) Samuel Brown (1) Deborah Lee Lisle (4-4-1959) (2) William Wade Flannery (7-16 -1966 ) (3) Michael Scott Flannery (10-20-1970) (III) Pauline White married Bernie Hud Cagle (A) Bernie (Bud ) Cagle (B) Charles J. Cagle (C) Kenneth Cagle (D) Judy Cagle (E) Paul Edmond Cagle (IV ) Verlin White (V ) Edith White Jason and Rilda (Smith) White Ervin Messer Family A long time ago, when I was a small boy, I remember this family that lived at Little Cataloochee, they was the Ervin Messer family. Ervin and Dolly Messer had the following children (that I remember): Junior, Deward, Bufford, Jean, Ruth, and Betty. This family lived off the land by farming, fishing, and hunting. When World War II came about Deward Messer was drafted into the Army. Can you imagine a country boy being taken out of the mountains and sent off to war? Well, it was a very traumatic experience for most of them. After awhile Deward got to come home on his first leave (probably before being shipped to Germany). Deward didn't like the Army and didn't want any part of it so he went AWOL. During the time he was AWOL (which was a year or so) he spent most of his time in the woods hunting, fishing, and digging ginseng. He'd slip home every once in awhile for supplies when he needed something, and to see his family. Deward had grew up among the people who lived in the mountains and some of them also provided him with food and supplies from time to time. This one particular time Deward came home for supplies the Army was watching the house. They had been trying to catch him for some time, but had been unsuccessful at it. This time a whole unit of them was waiting with machine guns. Some of the family just happened to spot the men watching the house and warned Deward so he took off running towards the woods. The Army men shouted for him to stop or they'd shoot. Dolly ran behind Deward so they couldn't shoot her son. Well, Deward escaped, but the Army informed his family that if he didn't give himself up they'd be arrested for harboring him. This forced Deward to turn himself in, because he didn't want any harm to come to his family. Deward returned to the Army and after the war was over he was released. He then return home and was once again reunited with his family. Lawrence & Beatrice White Lawrence and Beatrice at one time lived in the last house on Mount Sterling. Their children were: James, Judy, William, Thelma, Reva, Lucille, Raymond, and Deloris. I remember one time we were visiting them and Beatrice was making a banana pudding. All us kids were playing out in the yard and I can remember thinking how good the bananas smelled. I think this was the first banana pudding I had ever seen. I believe I could have eaten the whole thing all by myself. Later on Lawrence moved the family down to the Edd White house. Lawrence farmed tomatoes, tobacco, corn, and potatoes. He also drove the school bus for many years. Lawrence liked to fish and bear hunt. Beatrice was a kind-hearted person and good to everybody. The family have all grown up and moved away, except for Deloris, she still lives in the old home place. Lawrence and Beatrice lived out their lives at Mount Sterling and are both buried at the White Church. Raymond White Children of Lawrence and Beatrice ( McGaha ) Wh i te Jud¥ Wh i te & Ernie Riddle W i ll iam Wh i te Thelma Wh i te Lucille Wh i te Reva Whi te Beat rice and Lawrence Whit e at their Horne Place at Mt . St erling , N. C. Springhouse (Hollis Sutton Place) Old Barn (Hollis Sutton Place) Holli s Sutton's Old Home Place - Mt. Sterling, N.C. This was once the Caretaker's Hous e Located Above Holli s Sutton's Home Place - Mt. Sterling, N.C. Mi tchel l Sutton Fami ly The fami l y of Mi tchel l Sutton l ived on a ri ght smart sized farm. There was Mi tchel l , hi s wi fe Li za, Wi l l i e, Ance, Eui e, and a grandson named Paul , that stayed with them. They, l i ke al l the other fol ks a round them farmed to l ive. Wi l l i e had a mi l l that ran by gas and everybody would bri ng thei r corn to him to be ground. He woul d gri nd peoples corn for them and take l1i s toll from that. Thi s way they had meal for corn-bread for their table. Mi tchel l had a thrashing machine and anyone that had wheat, buckwheat, or rye he woul d thrash i t for them. He woul d keep out some of the grai n for l1is pay. Back then people grew thei r own wheat and rye anc] i l made real good bread. Most of the peopl e made st raw beds to sleep o n out of the rye straw. One ti me the Sulton boys was getti ng thei r wood to burn for the wi nter and they was cutti ng the wood on the hi l l si de. The pasture for thei r stock was j ust on the other si de of the road, from where they was cutti ng thei r wood. They acci dentall y l et a b i g block o f wood rol l down the bank and one o f the cows j ust happened to be standi ng there. Well , that big block of wood hit that cow smack dab in the head and broke her neck. Wel l , those boys got al l excited and they di dn't know what to do. Bonni e sai d they came runni ng to our house and told daddy Bal l (Jake Bal l ) what had happened and ask him what they shoul d do. Wel l , daddy told them that he'd hel p them ski n i t out, because that's al l they coul d do with her. They ski nned and dressed her out and daddy brought home a mess of the meat for helpi ng them. r ,,.,, , .. '·. -. t . -".I j;L h,,;... ..,: -· I Rufus , Bonnie (age 9) , and Bonnie (Messer ) Ball and Scott Ball William Rtifus and Hester Messer William Rufus Messer (10-8-1880 - 2-2-1951) married Hester Messer (3-4-? - 1946). Rufus is the son of William Doc Messer and Elizabeth Betty Phillips. Hester is the daughter of Columbus "Lum" and Julia Messer. Children of Rufus and Hester are: (1) Manson Messer died in infancy (2) Leroy "Roy" Messer married Alma Harvey (3) Western Stanley Messer (11-28-1912 - 1-30-1963) married Ada Farmer. Stanley was an Army veteran of W. W. II. No children (4) Wilburn Messer (12-22-1935 - 10-23-1993) married Susie Harvey . (A) Ray Messer ( B) Wade Messer ( C) Hugh Messer ( D) Wayne Messer ( E ) Betty Sue Messer ( F) Louella Messer (5) Charotte (Ola) Messer (12-15-1914) married Floyd Phillips (A) Hillard L. Phillips (8-3-1930 - 4-11-196 4) (B) Boyd Glenn Phillips (1-29-1935) (1) Gary Phillips (C) William Clarence "Bill" Phillips (1-28-1938 married Anne Bradshaw. Bill is a musician with the stage name "Tater". ( 1 ) . William George (2) Ramie Phillips (D) James Herman Phillips (4-3-1939) married Carolyn Trantham (1) James Carrol Phillips married Cindy Clark (2) Larry Dean Phillips married Susan Rhodes (3) Rachelle Denise Phillips married Jerry Sutton (6 ) Clayton Messer (7-13-1920 -9-15-1944) Killed in W.W. II (7) Marshall Messer (died at age 4 or 5) (8) Bonnie Messer (7-8-1929) married Scott Ball (A) Glenn Ball (9-12-1946 ) married Elaine "Sammie" Webb (1) Kimberly Ann Ball (10-17-1973) married Richie Chesteen (A) James Wesley· Chesteen . \-··· ' . \ i • 1 . .. . ,1 • \ \ Jt' \ i o· -- - ··" . ;:J . . •-,:·(/. :,-.: . ; ·1'::· \ 1 . r· :t. . ; ;_ {)t{!-_ : ('-. · .;. ' ·;"7 . ,, . ' ( • ..... . • · •!.;,, ·, ' :. i --- -,, . ,• ! /, ·• ·, --• ; · " Q; DECCA Plnt:o,as :.,.... • L, ... ........ , . - · .., .. ' ·,.;/..-":-, s·1u PHI LLIPS MOE L LER TA LEN T, I NC . , L;:: a, S I S I 6 ™ A V E N U E S O U T H 1 ' N A S H V I L L E , T E N N E S S E E Phone : A/C 6 1 5-255-66 1 l (B) Michael Andrew Chesteen (2) Randall Scott Ball ( 1- 5- 197 7 ) (3) Patricia Nicole Ball (4- 13- 197 8 ) (B) Jewel Ann Ball (12- 25- 1947 - 12- 26 - 1947 ) (B) Joseph Dean Ball ( 12- 19- 19 3) marri ed (1) Franics Ann Gregg (2 ) Patricia "Pat" Willi s Duckett (1) Bonnie Michelle Ball (4- 19- 197 3) marri ed Ti m Henderson (A) Latasha Lei gh Anne Henderson (7 - 2- 198 8 ) (B) Tiera Renea Henderson (7 - 9- 1990) (2 ) Richard Dean "Jody" Ball (4- 12- 1974) (9) Anni e Messer (4- 16- 1922) marri ed Ernest Whi te (A) Ruby White (3- 5- 1941) marri ed Di nson Evans (1) Kenneth Evans (2 ) Patricia Evans marri ed Tom Weatherman (B) Hazel White (10- 10-1945) marri ed Paul Phi l Leatherwood (1) Jo Ann Leatherwood marri ed Eugene Gene Quilli an (2 ) Bryan Leatherwood (8 -13- 197 7 ) (C) Wayne Stanley Whi te (7 - 1- 1955) Hazel Whi te Ruby Whi te Wayne S. White Wade & Ray Messer Wilburn & Susie Messer's Sons Jo Ann Leatherwood Annie & Ernest White's Granddaughter Boyd & Christine Messer De l l a Heste r Messer ( abt . 1 8 8 5 - 194 6 ) Writte n By Bon nie (Messer ) Ball My mother was a r emarkable woman, other than being my mom she knew a lot of things and was a help to a lot of people. She was also a very good cook and she cooked the old time way. I remember when I was 1 6 years old mommie told me to try my fortune with the new moon. Well, I was all for it an d ask her what I was to do. Now, she said, " When you first see the new moon j ust over the mountain, you turn around with your back to the moon and then look back over your left shoulder at the moon, t hen you say, New Moon, New Moon, Pray let me see who ever my husband may be . . . the color of his hair and the clothes he may wear on the happy day he weds me. Then the one you see in your dreams will be prett y near the way he will be. " My mother was right about this for it was Scot t I seen in my dreams. My mom and t his friend of hers went to the fair, j ust to t ake the children and look around. My brother Roy and a friend of his, Lewis Baker, went in to t his Gypsy tent and the Gypsy told their fortune. She told t hem t hat they would have a lot of laught er. Then my mom went in and had hers told, the Gypsy took my mom' s hand and looked at it and then she told my mom that she saw gr eat sorrow for her . She told her that within 1 0 or 1 1 years she would be blind. The last 1 0 years of my mom' s life she was blind. My mothen i 5 u , f e d dt c ov e C ree C e0te y I n Nor th Carolina. I j Bill, Boyd, & Herman Phillips (sons of Ola Phillips) Wade Messet Sisters . • . Annie, Bonnie, and Charlotte (Ola) E r n e s t a n d A n n i e ( M e s s e r ) . W h i t e E r n e s t W h i t e ( 5 - 1 0 - 1 9 0 61 - 3 - 2 5 - 1 9 8 3 ) ma r r i e d A n n i e M e s s e r ( 4 - 1 6 - 1 9 2 2 ) . E r n e s t i s t h e s o n o f S a r a h J a n e L e a t h e r wood a n d T h o m a s H . W h i t e . A n n i e i s t h e d a u g h t e r o f W i l l i am R u f u s a n d H e s t e r M e s s e r . C h i l d r e n o f E r ne s t a n d A n n i e a r e : ( 1 ) R u b y Wh i t e ( 3 - 5 - 1 9 4 1 ) m a r r i e d Vi n s o n E va n s ( A ) K e n n e t h E va n s ( B ) P a t r i c i a E v a n s ( 2 ) H a z e l Wh i t e ( 1 0 -- 1 0 - 1 9 4 5 ) m a r r i e d P a u l P h i l L e a t h e rwood ( A ) Jo A n n L e a t h e r w o o d ( B ) B r y a n L e a t h e r w o o d ( 8 - 1 3 - 1 9 7 7 ) ( 3 ) W a y ne S t a n l e y W h i t e ( 7 - 1 - 1 9 5 5 ) m a r r i e d ( 1 ) P a m e l a C o g d i l l ( 5 - 1 6 - 1 9 6 1 - 1 1 - 6 - 1 9 9 2 ) ( 2 ) B e t t y W i l l i am s ( A ) M i r a n d a R e n e a W h i t e ( B ) B r i t t a ny M i c h e l l e W h i t e ( C ) A s h l e y N i c o l e W h i te A n n i e ( M e s s e r ) , E r ne s t , a nd S o n W a y n e S t a n l e y W h i t e C al vin ( Cal ) Messer E r nest White Dean and Glenn Ball Sons of Scott & Bonnie Ball Ruby White Dau. of Ernest & Annie White Glenn Ball 'Hazel White Dau. of Ernest & Annie White Roy and Alma (Haryey) Messer' s Children Carol Messer Pless Messer Lonnie Messer Velma Messer Clayton Mess er ,!af::><::>:::><:><::>C><>=C><::,.-<:::,.-<::>-<.::>-'--.( Hester Mess er Roy's Mother Alma (Harvey) Mess er Ada (Farmer) and Stanley Mess er Ulous (Ulys) Harvey It was Christmas and there was a party at the Double Gaps Bonnie's brother, Roy Messer was at the dance along with George, Ulous, Susie, and Alma Harvey (children of Ben and Mary Harvey). Roy was making music at the party, and everyone was having fun. Being Christmas some of the young men was lighting off gunpowder for fireworks. It was getting late so most of the people had left and gone on home when the accident happened. Ulous had carried a barrel of the gunpowder to the party. Evidently he had spilled some of it on him because when he lit it the gunpowder blew up and caught him on fire and burned him up. Ulous (8-3-1909 - 12-25-1931) is buried at Mt. Sterling Church. Ulous Harvey Roy & Alma (Harvey) Messer's Children Benny Messer Ray Messer Wilburn & Susie Messer's Son Arene Messer Roy & Alma (Harvey) Messer Children: Carol, Lonnie, Benny, Arene, Velma, and Pless Jonas "Tobe" and Sally (Sutton) Phillips Stanley and Roy Messer Wilburn & Stanley Messer Jonas (Tobe) and Sally Sutton Phillips Jonas (born abt. 1824) and Sally (born abt. 1830) married about 1845. They spent the first years of their marriage on Chestnut Branch, their first 4 children was born in N. C. They moved to the Tobes Creek a,rea of Cocke County, Tennessee. Tobes Creek was named for "Tobe Phillips". Tobes Creek, flowing from beneath White Rock, empties into the Pigeon River at Brown's Tennessee (Brown's once being a station on the "Old Pea-vine Railroad". Mark Hannah recalled (in his book, "Cataloochee, Lost Settlement of the Smokies'') hearing his grandfather tell of the hunting exploits of a group of Tennessee Hunters, with Tobe Phillips and Tom Barnes (my great grandfather) being among the best. The hunters would meet at Tobe Phillips place on Tobes Creek. A Tobias Phillips also maintained a toll gate near Davenport Gap for Benjamin Parker Hopkins, who built 30 miles of "The Cataloochee Turnpike" with 3 toll-gates t here on. Tobias maintained the road from the top of Chestnut Mountain to the state line. Tobias also operated a grist mill and the stones from that mill are used as a decoration in the foundation of the old , ' McKinley Phillips homeplace. McKinley .i s the great grandson of Tobias. Dock Messer, the father of "Fiddler Cal Messer, " also had a grist mill which was located farther upstream and towards White Rock (now known as Mt. Cammerer). Both mills were waterpowered. Jonas and Sarah "Sally" (sutton) Phillips The Cemetery where Jonas and Sarah "Sally" (Sutton) are buried. This Cemetery is on a hillside above Tobe's Creek, located inside The Smoky Mountains National- Park, directly across the road from Phillip's Cemetery. Jonas and Sarah are the only two people buried here. Jonas Phillips Sarah (Sutton) Phillips Calloat (Leatherwood) Moore Calloat (10-29-1895 - 5-4-1962) married John Lewis Moore on June 15, 1915. She was the daughter of Samuel and Prudence (Sisk) Leatherwood. Calloat was born and raised in the mountains of Mt. Sterling, N.C. Calloat is an Indian name nd was given to her at birth by an Indian mid-wife who made the delivery. Calloat and John Lewis were married at the Goshner Dam, which was located in Tennessee just below the present Carolina Power and Light Company at Waterville, N.C. John Lewis and Calloat raised 8 children: Charlie, Clay, Ray, Maxine, Faye, Manney, Tunney, and Kenneth. Along with raising a family Calloat and John ran a small country store and farmed. I have found the spelling of Calloat 3 different spelling they are: Calloat, Calote and Callot. Charlie Moore Charlie Moore (4-10-1916 - 3-21-198 3) is the son of John Lewis Moore (1892 - 1972) and Calloat Leatherwood (1900 - 1962). Charli married Ellen Ford (97-1915 - 8 -22-1981). Ellen's parents were William Burton Ford (1892 - 1972) and Winnie Ford (1896 - 1979). Charles Lewis Moore (8-3-1936) was the only child born to Charlie and Ellen Moore. Charles Lewis married Ellen Guild's Seabrook on August 8 , 1959. Charles and Ellen have two children, Mary Ellen (Mellen) (5-6 -1964), and Charles Lewis Jr. (10-3-1966 ). Charles Lewis served in the Army for 22 years. He reported for active duty in 1960 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He retired in Feb. 1982 and returned to Cocke County, Tennessee. Char l i e Mo o r e James "Jack" Redmond Jack (3-24-1 91 7 - 3-1 9-1 990 ) married Isabella Noland (3- 1 -1918). Jack is the s on of Jobie Ross Redmond (5-9-1 8 8 6 - 8 -1 1 - 1 934) and Selma Francis Mccary (3-1 0-1 887 - 7-1 7-1 938). Jobie and Selma lived in Shelton Laurel, Fines Creek Township, N.C. Isabella is the daughter of Wiley Baxter Noland and Cora Adaline Rogers. Jack and Isabella were married on October 1 , 1 935. Jack and Isabella had 5 children they are: Jackie Sue (7- 1 2-1 936 ), Jobie Gene (5 -20-1 938 ), Jake Rowe (1 0-22-1 939), Mary Ann (4-1 6-1 941 ), and James David (8-24-1 942) Jack and Isabella lived in Mt. Sterling, where Jack worked for Carolina Power and Light Company for 30 years before retiring to the Old Redmond home place at Shelton Laurel. After Jack ' s death, Isabella moved to Waynesville, N.c : and their son Jobie lives in the Old Redmond home. Jack ' s parents , Jack, and other family members are buried in the Redmond Cemetery at Shelton Laurel. Jake Rowe, Jackie Sue, Mary Ann , Isabella, Jack, James David, and Jobie Gene Redmond Tak en 1 98 5 Jenkins and Phillips Asa Ace Jenkins (8-4 1848 - 12-6-1936 ) married Martha Elizabeth Phillips (1-18-1846 - 7-7-1933). Elizabeth is the daughter of Jonas Phillips (1-18-1824 - 5-22-1899) and Sarah Sally Sutton (5-11-1829 -8-10-1910). Asa and Elizabeth had 9 children, they were: George, James Mitchell, Cordelia, Joseph Russell, Catherine, Rebecca, Millie, William, and Harrison. Asa and Elizabeth lived about 2 miles from Crestmont, between 2 mountains and bordered by Chestnut Branch Creek. This creek ran by the farm where Asa grew apples, peaches, and pears in his orchard. He had a big apple house to store his fruit in. Asa also had honeybees and a large herd of cattle. Martha was a tiny person and was bed-fast the last 13 years of her life and blind the last 8 years. Their granddaughter Maybelle Jenkins (12-10-1906 - 12-8- 1976) daughter of William and Ida (Barnes) Jenkins, married Crosier (Crow) Hopkins (3-3-1886 - 9-18-1969). Crow is the son of Woodville and Elizabeth (Sutton) Hopkins. Maybelle and Crow are buried in the Hopkins Cemetery, Mt. Sterling, N.C. They had no children. Bartley R. and Polly Ann Phillips Bartley R. Phillips (1898 - 10-10-1956) married Polly Ann Phillips. Bart was called "Bart Bear" since his father was known as "Billy Bear", Bart was the son of William Billy Phillips. Polly was the daughter of George and Laura (Sty les) Phillips. Children of Bart and Polly were : Azallee, Ruby, Carolyn, Zeb, Lawrence, Carl, and Margaret E. (2-19-1919 -4-13-196 7 ). Children of Margaret were : (1) James (Jim) Phillips . • . Jim was cremated and his ashes poured in Big Creek, at the "Run-around Hole". A headstone was placed nearby which reads - In Loving Memory of Harry "Jim" Phillips born July 6 , 1942, died April 10, 1993 - His ashes were spread here in Big Creek on Aug. 14, 1993 By family and frieds. (2) Michae l Jerry Phillips (2-5 -1946 - 12-8-1992) Polly Phillips Michael J. Phillips Ruby Phillips Polly Phillips James · "Jim" Phillips Levi Sutton Levi Sutton (1 826 - 1 86 3) married Sallie McGaha. They had . 4 children, Elizabeth Sutton married Woodville Hopkins, John Sutton (3-23-1 851 - 6 -1 927) married Genetta Williamson, Mary Ann "Polly" Sutton married (1 ) Jesse Carver (2) Bob Caldwell, Jesse James "Boss" Sutton married Lucinda Rathbone. Levi moved from Cosby, Tennessee to Mt. Sterling around 1 86 0 . He was killed by renegades in 1 86 3, during the Civil War. John and his wife Genetta raised their family in Mt. Sterling until Carolina Power and Light Company came into the area to build the Walters Power Plant. John and Genetta's children were: (1 ) George Sutton (1 1 -8-1 873) married Margaret Mashburn (2) Sarah Sutton (8-21 -1 875) married Lewis Phillips (3) Margaret Sutton (3-22-1 877) married Jones Phillips (4) William Charles Sutton (1 -24-1 879) married Margaret Johnson (5) James Sutton (2-1 4-1 881 ) (6 ) Samuel L. Sutton (9-23-1 882) married Nila Eva Baxter (7) Robert Sutton (9-20-1 884) married Nora White (8) Lewis Sutton (9-24-1 886) married (1 ) Nola Brown (2) Leicie Jones (9) Martha Jane Sutton (6 -30-1 889) married Russell Jenkins (1 0) Mary Sutton (6 -1 6 -1 892) married (1 ) Alex Plemmons (2) Joe Crook (1 1 ) Albert L. Sutton (7-1 8-1 895) married (1 ) Gertrude Gilbert (2) Maude Phillips, (1 2) Joseph Sutton (9-30-1 896) married Janie Russell (1 3) Isaac Luther Sutton (1 -26-1 900) married Martha E. Gentry. Mary Frazier Pauline Frazier Daughter s of B en and Nol a Fra zi er Ben a nd Nola Fraz ier I went to school with Junior, Jess, Pauline, Billy, and Mary Frazier. They lived about a mile from my house and I'd walk to their house each morning on my way to catch the bus. We'd always play around their house early in the morning before we'd walk the other half mile to the road to catch the bus. Ben always kept two mules to work the farm with and Junior and Jess usually worked the mules with their dad. Nola was a kind, and gentle woman. She was also a great cook and she seemed like a second morn to me. I can still remember the great meals she cooked. I can't remember us kids ever having a argument during the time we was growing up together. Us boys hunted squirrels and rabbits together. They seemed like a second family for me. I was the baby in my family and my brothers and sisters were all older then me and some of them even had families of their own by this time. Well, time has come and gone and we've all went our separate ways. The old homesteads have fallen to the ground and not much remains of them, but the memories are still there of the happy days we once shared. Nola Frazier B e n F r a z i e r Sally Frazier Mother of Ben Frazier • Jess Frazier Junior Frazier Sons of Ben and No la Frazier -"- " ', "---- Cora & Viola Phillips Arnold Phi llips Tunney Lackey Children of Arthur and Syliva Phillips Arthur Phillips Family I remember Arthur use to ride his horse to the little country store and visit community friends on Sundays. I also remember this one time when he lived on the curve just below the White Church and he had a car. Well, he got out of his car and walked off and the car rolled out of the yard and over the bank, then it rolled on down to the hollow below. The car never did turn over during all of this. It finally came to rest at the bottom of the hollow. Arthur got his horse and hooked up to the car, then he had someone drive the car back up the hollow and into the road while his horse pulled. Everything turned out okay. Arthur's wife's name was Sylvia, but they never would live in the same house. They would live in houses several hundred feet apart from each other. Sylvia was always nice to me and I enjoyed playing with their children. Their children were: Glenn (which everyone called him Tunney), Arnold, Cora, and Viola. Some of them went by the last name Phillips and some went by the name Lackey. I would go fishing and hunting a lot with Tunney and Arnold and we'd dig ginseng together, I also made moonshine with them. I sure learned a lot from this family and they knew how to live and survive off the land. They've all passed away now, some of them are buried at the White Church and some are buried at Phillips Cemetery. William Arthur "Guinea Pig" Phillips Son of Viola Phillips A Group o f Mount S te r l i n g B e ar Hunt e r s L e f t to R i ght , J a s on W h i t e , L a wr e n c e W h i te , D o n L e a t h erwood , B o y d H annah , Mr . P a l me r , Char l i e F o r d , Cro s i e r " Cr o w " H o pk i n s , har l i e Moore , and S t a n l e y Me s s e r . T o p L e f t B a c k P ar k Range r . A rv i s and B e l va ( Ba l l ) _ Carver . B e l va k i l l ed t h i s 4 1 / 2 f o o t l o n g rat t l e s nake at M t . S t e r l i ng, N . C . I t had 1 1 r a t t l e r s and a b u t t o n . Mar c h 3 , 1 9 7 2 Jake and Annie Ball Jacob "Jake" Ball (4-25-1886 - 5-24-19 70) was the son of Alfred Ball and Polly Ann Barnes. On May 5, 1907 Jake married Anna Elizabeth "Annie" Gunter (7-12-1891 - 12-28-19 88). Annie was the daughter of Joseph Gunter and Jennie Grooms. Jake and Annie were both born in Cocke County, Tennessee. They had 11 children,- they are: (1) Ollie (1909 - 19 50) never married (2) Martha Ellen (12-12-19 12) married Hardy Windfield Phillips (3 ) Belva Jane (7-25-19 14) married Arvis Earl Carver (4) Scott (4-9 -1919) married Bonnie Messer (5) Dolla "Dolly" (12-15-1920 - 8-31-196 2) married Bartly R. McGaha. Dolly, Bart, and 3 year old daughter Geraldine (5-1-19 59- 8-3 1-196 2) were killed in an automobile wreck in New Jersey. (6 ) Dan (7-12-1922) married (1) Bonnie L. Frazier (10-22-19 31 - 4-3-19 85) (2) Nellie (7) Golda "Goldie" (5-31-19 26 ) married Rufus McGaha (8) Dallas Alex (4-28-19 29 - 11-22-19 83) married Eva Horner (9) Bethona "Sue" (4-12-19 33) married Jimmy Smith (10) Junior (12-3 -19 37) married (1) Mary Lee Black, (2) Helen Louise Cody. (11) One infant baby boy that mom lost, she named him Johnny, (according to Bonnie). Dad took him and buried him on Low Gap Trail at Walnut Bottoms. Dad and mom lived many placs while we were young, j ust to name a few • . • they lived up on Big Creek (now called Ball Fields), at Walnut Bottoms, back and forth between Mt. Sterling and the head of Cosby several times (where Cosby Campground now is), Round Bottoms at Cherokee, Little Cataloochee, Sam Leatherwood Place (where I was born), Hollis Sutton Place on Laurel Creek, we moved further up Laurel Creek and bought a place around 19 42. It had a little house on it with 3 rooms, a porch, and a little side room on it. This is where we lived at the time my two brothers, Scott and Dan, went in the Army. They would have their checks sent home to dad and mom, this was how we was able to afford to pay for our house. From Laurel Creek we moved to Flat Branch and bought a place off my sister Dolly and her husband Bart, because they was moving to New Jersey. Around 1949 to 1950 we discovered my brother, Ollie, had cancer. Some of our family had already moved to New Jersey and they encouraged Ollie, dad , and mom to move up there because they felt the doctors might help my brother. The doctors could do nothing for my brother, he passed away in New Jersey and is buried there, because we couldn't afford to have him sent back home to North Carolina. Dad , morn , and myself ended up having to stay in New Jersey for 2 years, because we didn't have money to come back on. As soon as we could though dad , morn , and myself moved back to Mt. Sterling, North Carolina. I married (1) Mary Black (2) Helen L. Cody , and have seven children they are: Bridgett married (1) Mike Holbrooks (2) Crate Minix, Jeffrey , Brenda married Davis (Jack) Hannah, Gene, Melissa, Rodney , and Michael married Tina Crumbley. We have seven grandchildren they are: Arny , Bobby (Mikie), David , Robin, Brandon, Patricia, and Jody. I lived in the Mt. Sterling area for 36 years. For the past 21 years my wife Helen and I have made our home in Newport, Tennessee. Children of Hardy and Martha (Ball) Phillip s SCHOOL DAYS 1952-53 COSBY Lester (Bud) Phillip s Mary Alice Phillip s Ralp h Phillip s Jerry Phillip s Children of Hardy and Martha ( Ba l l ) Phi l l ips Lythia Phil lips Wanda Phi l lips Dal e Phi l l ips ,/ ' ..,.,, ' l•""''l .'f Wilma Sue Phil lips Ota Gay Phil lips (. ,., ' ------ --- • - ·-------·------------ · ... ,_ ·-- - . -· .. -- - - 1-- . ;/ ' . --- ·-, · · ·:\ ihj,._ 1 , - .. . \. " - 0·1 , ·-,-.;1 -- . /4''.rwiv' € : '-/i. '{:--5 .. - ;; , . .. :! '-.:,;: --- .:... .. 4 -.....!:..":--.•-...!! ;f' ,:!': , " '. . ',oi!: I ' .) ,....,..., - ::._ . ('...,. ,. • . It "' ,, ii ' II> ' OdE • 'J ;;, t( :::;:-. ,;, r.; 1, r, ,:. ,.-- . . . l 1" .. , , J, . • ,c · . !! I ' ; - :. i" i• . i, _,-. l:: .. ·. /, .... • -"" u I ·\._..-v '.....Ji =k. .. !? '¢: ·• . . . I: ' ·,•, . .,.1:, •.. 0 - • • , . . ' ' 'it . --- - "_, . - .. o .. ) v - .. .,,.. ... -=-,:- ..,..-::..,.=-- - - - - -- tJJ "!la .: •. \ "? \ , 0 . . . , .... ; ii'. · :·. . 11:' ,"-·- - " ' ¾: '•1-: ... , . I { . . -.,.•✓ -' ., ,,, .;I. ' t r r f .,,. .;,. -, ·::. :· ./ . ' / . ./)1' .. • -, ..... , . \ . .. • - . r ·• I ,, - , ! . .,. J,.·· -,... .. .;;: ' ,., _,;;.>= · . . ..,.t,.,./. l fill ,,,1 · $ ... , '':•1,t r'J' - - , _ __ .:,:.,,_ - ---· - .:__-:--· - I ,: ,. .. I .,... ·. / I - -""tlflh... t; ·· ···•·· l . •r .. t . -. l f ·_ {ig,.1n., ······ ··•• ... I . , ,. :!'Pi - _ _ ' • :) )'-- . Cb , . &t .. >, . · ···-.,.,,. - cQt . ' -:! .• . ; . 1J . -- --..; 'Iii,. . -:-,,.... '..,..._ .. ... 1 . ' . f" 111 ,, \:.,;, '.:j l:f . )! L f t ; • . . -. . . - . •J.ll' . ! • f!lf /' . l,,,.d:,.--,i'l,......,..l- r7;- · --.-:..__ . . . i . -J,,,ttJI&,. ' "' 11 \:/ 8 t\ \!; "- -- ... . ---- --- - - -·--·-- - -- - --- . ' A Le t te r to my Brother Dan Ba l l , that Mom sent him . The Letter never did ·- -·-- . --- . - . . - -·- . ------ ------...,...--.. --"h -- p...w..t. ... "'· ---- ---- ,,-:,-· ---..,;... __ 0- /f:, 1; . w.,,.. . 1_ n . .,.,t &,1 ,:t-.;· - Q P ,..;.'- z.; -- ... , ·;,h"' a -;•1"""" I ·· : ;;.. .. ,-, (CIK$0l'$ 5TJJ - _ : f /' '/' !!· ' ,,_.. ·.i! . . ' f , ' . · r• ; ._; ;: ::- ----------- .. ,.._ ...... ----A. Kathleen Phi llips (Dau. of Hardy & Martha) Donna Sue Ball Danny Ball Children of Dan and Bonnie (Frazier) Ball Bethona (Sue) Ball Dau. of Jake and Annie Ball Annie (Gunter ) Ball with children Ollie and Mindy (Grooms) Gunter holding daughter Sarah Jane Joseph "Joe" and Jane "Jennie" (Grooms) Gunter Anna "Annie" (Gunter) Ball & children: Martha, Scott, & Belva Anna (Annie ) Elizabeth and oldest son Ollie Ball Dallas and Eva Ball with chi1dren : Dallas Jr. , Tommy, & Linda Bethena "Sue" (Ball) Smith and Jake "J. C. " Carver Bartley (Bart) and Dolla (Dolly) McGaha Dolla Ball born Dec. 16, 1920, di ed Aug. 31, 1962, marri ed Bartley R. McGaha born Fep.' 12, 1906 , di ed Aug. 31, 1962. Children are: (1) Dorothy Ann McGaha born Sept. 24, 1941, marri ed Ray Floriano. (A) Lisa Ann Floriano born Dec. 31, 1962, married Billy Burgess. (1) Brandon Burgess (2) Heather Burgess (B) Keith Raymond Floriano born Dec. 29, 196 4 (C) Scott Jeffrey Floriano born July 22, 1969 (2) Hazel Pauline McGaha born March 24 , 1943, marri ed Fred Lanni ng. Fred was born Dec. 7, 1943. (A) Stephanie Lynne Lanni ng born June 9, 1970 (3) Lola Kate McGaha born Feb. 28, 1945, marri ed Elmer Leatherwood. Elmer was born June 30, 1970. (A) Kristi Lynne Leatherwood born Dec. 25, 1970, marri ed (1) Gary Valenti ne (2)Jimmy Black (1 )Shai na Dani elle Black born Apri l 2, 1992 (B) Michael Elmer Leatherwood born Feb. 13, 1972 (4) Donald Lee McGaha born Nov. 16 , 1951 (5) Gearldine McGaha b;rn May 1, 1959, di ed Aug. 31, 1962 Dorothy A. McGaha Pauli ne McGaha Kri s t i & Mike Leatherwood Chi l dren of Kate & E lmer Leatherwood _ Donald McGaha Son o f B a r t & D o l l y ( Ba l l } McGaha ,, Junior' ,&l ,'Helen) (Cody ) ' Ball Junior Ball born Dec . 3 , 1 9 3 7 , Mt . S terling , N . C . , married Nov . 2 5 , 1 9 6 1 ( 1 ) Mary Lee Blac k , born May 8 , 1 944 , married June 2 6 , 1 9 8 1 ( 2 ) Helen Louise Cody , born Feb . 1 2 , 1 9 50 , Cocke County , Tn . ( 1 ) Bridget t Mary Ball born March 2 3 ,. 1 9 6 2 , married ( 1 ) Michael Holbrooks , ( 2 ) Crate Minix ( divorced) ( A ) Amy Nicole Ball born Sep t . 1 9 , 1 9 7 8 ( B ) Bobby Michael Hol brooks" born June 1 6 , 1 9 8 2 ( C ) Brandon Lee Hol brooks born June 1 6 , 1 9 8 9 ( D ) Patrica Dawn Minix born July 1 5 , 1 9 9 1 ( 2 ) Jeffery Jake Ball born May 25, 1 9 64 ( 3 ) Brenda Ann Ball born April 9 , 1 9 6 5 , married Davis ( Jack ) Rowe Hannah born April 8 , 1 9 5 9 . Jack is the son o f McKinley and Bertha Hannah . ( A ) David Mark Hannah born O c t . 2 6 , 1 9 8 2 ( B ) Robin Louise Hannah born Jan . 1 4 , 1 9 84 ( 4 ) Gene S cott Ball born June 2 2 , 1 9 6 6 ( 5 ) Melissa Gail Ball born Aug . 2 3 , 1 9 7 2 ( A ) Jody Vance Jones born O c t . 1 2 , 1 9 9 3 ( 6 ) Rodney Ball born Dec . 1 4 , 1 9 7 3 ( 7 ) Michael Lee Bal l born Sep t . 6 , 1 9 7 2 , married Sep t . 4 , 1 9 9 3 t o Tina Marie Crumbley born June 20 , 1 9 7 4 . Helen is -"the mother of Michael . C a l Mes ser , Annie, Jake and Junior Ball Gene, Brenda, Jeffrey, & Bridgett Chi ldren of Juni or & Mary (Black) Rodney Ball Melissa Gail Ball Dau. of Junior & Mary Ball Son of Junior & Mary Ball Michael Lee Ball Son of Junior & Helen (Cody) Ball Jacob "Jake" and Anna Elizabeth "Annie" (Gunter) Ball Golda "Goldie" (Ball) McGaha & Martha (Ball) Phillips holding Martha's daughters Wanda and Gay Phillips Hardy and Martha (Ball) Phillips Martha Ellen Ball (12-12-1912) married Hardy Winfield Phillips (10-16- 1912) Hardy is t.he son of James Wiley Phillips (9- 17-1877 - 6 - 10-1929) and Sarah Sally Sutton (4- 4-18 76 - 3- 19-196 0). James and Sarah are both buried at Phillips Cemetery, Cocke County, Tennessee. Martha is the daughter of Jake Ball (4-25- 1886 - 5-24-1970) and Annie Gunter (7-12-1891 - 12-28- 1988). Jake and Annie are both buried a t the White Church, at Mt. Sterling, North Carolina. (1) Kathleen Phillips (6- 20-1932) married Clifton Harold Miller (12- 4-1918). (2) Louise Phillips (9-10-1934 - 9-11-1934) buried at Phillips Cemetery, Cocke County. Her hea dstone is marked "Lucille". (3) Grace Phillips (1-21-1936 - 1-21-1936) buried a t Phillips Cemetery, Cocke County. (4) Lester Winfield "Buddy" Phillips (3-24-1937) married (1) Barbara ? (2) Ann Covak (no children) (3) Chris ? (no children). (A) Les ter Phillips Jr. (B) Donna Phillips (C) Debbie Phillips (5) Lytha Rielda Phillips (11-21-1939) married Edgar McAlvery (6 ) Wilma Sue Phillips (3-11-1942) married (1) Gilbert Farrell (2) Paul Mitchell (7) Mary Alice Phillips (3-1 6 - 1944) married James Humphreys (A) Jimmy Humphreys (B) Michelle Humphreys (C) Phillip Humphreys (8) Patrick Phillips (4-10-1946 ) married Bonnie Lorinso (A) Patrick Phillips Jr. (B) Theresa Phillips (C) Michael Phillips (9) Jerry Lee Phillips (6- 13-1947) (10) Hilda Fay Phillips (3-10-1950 - 8-20-1950) buried Phillips Cemetery, Cocke County. ( 1 1 ) Ota Gay Phillips ( 5 - 25- 1 95 1) married Earl G rindstaff ( A ) Leonard Winfield Grindsta ff ( 12- 23- 197 3) married Julia Hannah. ( 1 ) Kayla Lynn Grindstaff ( 1 0- 8 - 1994 ) ( B Earl William Grindsta ff ( 6 - 1 6 - 197 8 ) \ C ) John Wiley Grindsta ff ( 9- 27 - 1 98 1) (1 2 ) Wahda Louise Phillips (5 - 25 - 195 2 ) married ( 1 ) J erry Matias (1J Walter Dewsnap ( A) Christopher Matias di ed at 6 mo. old, crib death . ( B ) Stevie Matias married Deanna ? ( 1) Amanda Matias born Aug . 1991 ( 2 ) Michelle Matia s born 1994 ( gave up for adoption .) ( 13) Dale Stephen Phillips ( 7 - 28 - 1 95 5 ) ( 14 ) Ralph Keith Phillips ( 7 - 3- 1956 ) married Elenora Hance i;;i: c , /- .. I ·, , , \• , __ . ', i; - .- '--\-:. , . . · . :..;..i: -.' . ::" " .. . Hardy Windfield and Marta Ellen ( Ball ) Phillips Dan Ball Served in the Army dur ing W.W. II Kathleen (Phillips) Miller The following is a story • given to me by my niece Kathleen. It tells of things she remembers when she was young and growing up at Mt. Sterling, N. C. My name is Kathleen (Phillips) Miller and I would like to tell you about where I grew up at as a little girl. I was born to Martha Ellen (Ball) and Hardy W. Phillips on 6 -20-1932. I was born in the area known as Crestmont in Mt. Sterling, N. C. (that area is now a campground). In those days there was a lot of logging for people to work at and farming to do. There was also the CCC Camps in the area, and that gave people jobs to. I can remember my mom saying that - my father worked in logging and at the CCC Camp. We lived in a old store house that had been empty for some time, it belonged to Mack Caldwell. He had built another one closer to the bridge and this one had been left empty. My first school was at "Waterville" and it was a one room school. I don't remember how many children went to the school, but I assume it was for grades 1 - 8. I can remember it was very rough times then as there wasn't much work for the people because of the depression. People grew their own food and they canned food for the winter months. My father wasn't around much, he'd go to work on the mountain making trails and roads through the mountains. So most of the time it was only my mother and me and there was tims we only had bread and water, but we was thankful to have that. I can't remember my first pair of shoes and it seems I was always sick with earaches and allergies (course back then people didn't know about allergies). I missed a lot of school, and missed most of the winter months as I never had warm clothes or shoes to wear. I can remember when it was cold, my mother would wrap my feet in rags so I could go to school when I wasn't sick. I also remember having to walk across the creeks, and they was frozen solid. My father got a job working for the National Park Service at the ranger station at Mt. Sterling. By this time a new school house had been built, near the Post Office. This was a 2 room school. I' ve lost 2 sisters (both passed away soon after birth) and I have a brother named Lester who was born 3-24-1937. We lived a t the ranger station for 3 or 4 years before my father was moved to Cataloochee, where he was assistant ranger. We lived in Cataloochee for 2 or 3 years and by this time I have 3 sisters • • . Lytha, Wilma, and Mary. We still grew our own food and canned it for winter. Times were still hard, but we overcome the hardships. Eventually my father went to the fire watches a t the Mt. Sterling Tower. He had built us a house on my Uncle Lenoard ' s land, which was further up in the mountains, between the Gap of Mt. Sterling, and the fire watch tower. On 4-10-1946 I had another brother born, he was named Pat. We a ll worked the land so we would have food to survive during the summer, as well as the winter months. Our food was free of c hemicals, because I can remember we never had fertilizer in those days. The vegetables we grew in the garden grew good most of the time, depending on the ground. Seems that in those days people were never big and famous like they are now. Course living bac k in the mountains we never had much communication with the "outside" world. A few of the people in the Mt. Sterling area did have battery operated radios. In the late 1940' s my father moved us to the Sage Sutton farm. This was about 1/2 mile from my Uncle Lenoard' s place (he had. sold this land to the Smoky Mountain National Park) . I ' ve had another brother named Jerry Lee and my sister Hilda Fay passed away at six months of age. In Nov. 1950 my Aunt Gener Phillips Lackey came to our house for Thanksgiving, my aunt lived in Carmel, New Jersey. My aunt ask me if I would like to go home with her when she left and I said, "Yes". I went to New Jersey and I started work the 2nd. day I was there. I worked at a company called Martex Roping Machinery Parts. Later I got a job at a basket company making baskets to be sold to the farmers, as there were huge farms there. My next job was at the Armstrong Glass Company in Millvill e, South Jersey. It was at this time in my life I decided to go to dancing school and modeling school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I never pursued this career because I soon realized I didn't have enough money to back myself and pay the Modeling Agency to. You had to pay the agency a certain percentage of money for finding modeling jobs for you. Over the years Armstrong Glass changed its name to Kerr Glass, and by the time I was ready to retire it was changing its name again to Forster Forbes. I worked 30 years and 9 months for the company. I had gotten married 1-29-1983 and when I retired I was moving to Newport, Tennessee. So on 9-4-1983 I made the move to Newport, and at the time of this writing I've been married 13 years and will have iived in Newport 13 years this September. I don't live that far from Mt. Sterling, where I grew up and I visit there often. I enjoy my husband and my family. I have 5 sisters and 5 brothers living. One brother lives in Alabama, a sister who lives in Cosby, Tennessee, and a sister who lives in Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania, and the rest of my family (which includes my parents, 3 sisters, 4 brothers, 5 nieces, 5 nephews, and still growing) lives in New Jersey. I'm sitting here writing this and thinking about times past and comparing them to the present. Lots of changes and progress have happened over the past 50 to 60 years. We've seen hard times and good times and even though our family has seen some very hard times I Thank the Lord for my family. For we all have homes, jobs, and each other and this is a very beautiful thing in such a large family. Kathleen Phillips and Harold Mi ller Wedding Picture (1-2 9 -1 9 83 ) Hardy and Martha Phi llips Ch ild ren , Grandchi ldren , & Relatives Hardy & Martha (Ball) Phillips Dallas and Eva (Horner) Ball Dallas Alex Ball (4-28-1929 - 11-22-1983) married Eva M. Horner (10 -1 -1939) Children are (1) Dallas Alex Ball Jr. (7-19-1961) married E lizabeth Stinger (A) Robin Ball (6 -10-1980) (2) Thomas James Ball (8-7-1962) married Debra Pezzullo (A) Heather Lee Ball (5-9-1986) (B) Thomas James Ball Jr. (8-4-1987 ) (C) Daniel William Ball (3-27-1990 ) (3) Linda Ann Ball (2-15-196 4) (A) David Vergellio Ball (6 -6-1983} (B} Kimberly Ann Ball (1-19-1985) (4) Darlene Elaine Ball (10 -4 -1965} married H erman J. Fenmore (A} Michael Mathew Ball (6 -3-1982) (B) Eric Joseph Fenmore (7-28-1983) (C) Bonnie Sue Fenmore (6-20-1986) (5) Eva Marie Ball (5-5-1968) (A} Jessica Ball (7-8-1985) (B) Richard Bradly Mashall (12-27-1987) (C} Christopher James Mashall (6 -25-1989) Scott Ball I am the fourth child of Jake a nd Annie ( Gunter) Bal l . I was born on April 9, 1 91 9, we l ived a t Crestmont, N. C. at that time. Times was awful hard back then and we j ust did the best we could to make a go of it. There wasn't much work to do so that meant there wasn ' t much money to buy things with. What money we did have had to go for food. Peopl e back then didn't have a l ot to wear and they had to make most of their clothe§ themsel ves. All of us went barefoot in the summertime and a lot of times it was way down in the fall before we got a pair of shoes to wear. I went to school at Chestnut Branch and I had to go barefooted . Sometimes there would be . frost on the ground and I stil l had no shoes, now that was sure mighty cold on my feet. We used a f ireplace and it was my j ob to get the wood in to burn. My mom done a lot of CO?king at the fireplace for us, and it took a lot of wood. We also had to use the l ight from the fire to see how to get around. When I got ol d enough to work I woul d help out some and buy things f or us to use. I knew j ust how hard a time my dad and mom h ad trying to raise all 10 of us kids. J ..., ' i I ( L i Scott Ball Served in the Army during W.W. II Bonnie (Frazier) Ball holding Donna Sue Ball, Dolly (Ball) McGaha Insert picture is Bartley (Bart) McGaha (Dolly's husband) Belva Jane (Ball) Carver Olli e Ball Junior Ball John Ball's daughter Velma My old home place (Junior Ball ). This cabin stands on Laurel Creek , Mt . ster ling , N.C. Once the home of my parents Jake and Annie Ball . Ed and Betty Presler have renovated the little cabin and now own it . I n s i d e the o l d home p l a c e w h e r e J ak e and Ann i e Ba l l o n c e l i v e d . · Rufus and Golda (Ball) McGaha Golda (Goldie) Ball born May 30, 1926, married Rufus McGaha, born Oct. 17, 192 2, died March 19, 1980. (1) Shirley Ann McGaha, born Aug. 3, 19 54, married Tommy Grooms divorced. (A) Ann Maria Quinones born Jan. 2 8, 1994 (2) Joyce Julia McGaha, born Sept. 8, 1955, married Earl Reeves, born Aug. 3, 1952. (A) Mason Earl Reeves born March 19, 1975 (B) Eric Duane Reeves born Dec. 2 , 1978 (3) Lonnie Gene McGaha, born Feb. 16, · 1967, married Joyce Camp (A) Denyse McGaha (1) Kyle David Cross born April · 7, 1995 (B) Crystal McGaha (C) Kevin McGaha (4) Kathy Marie McGaha, born June 2 , 1959, married John Crowle (A) Johnny Crowle (B) Katie Marie Crowle (5) Al Mcgray McGaha, born May 18, 196 1, married. Lisa Bennett (A) Ryan MCGaha (B) Tara Lynn McGaha (6) Lorretta McGaha, born Feb. 25, 196 4, married Gene Garron (A) Travis Garron (B) Tonya Garron Dan and Bonnie (Frazi er) Ball Dan Ball, born July 12, 192 2, married (1) Bonnie L. Frazier, born Oct. 22, 1931, died April 3, 1985, buied in White Cemetery, Waterville, N. C. (2 ) Nellie. Bonnie is the mother of Donna and Dnny. (1 ) Donna Sue Ball married (1) David East (A) Shelly East () Danny Ball Jimmy and Bethona (Ball) Smi th Bethona (Sue) Ball, born Apri l 1 2, 1 933, marri ed James (Jimmy) Vernon Smi th, born July 1 2, 1 929. Children are: (1 ) Robert James Smi th, born Aug. 31 , 1 954, marri ed Cindy Lee, born July 1 6, 1 96 4 (A) Tammy Mari e Smi th, born Aug. 4, 1 976 (Previous marri age) (B) Robert James Jr., born June 1 0, 1 990 (2) Howard Smith, born Nov. 1 5, 1 955 (3) Sharon Smith, born Dec. 1 1 , 1 957, marri ed Robert E. Sampson Jr., born Nov. 4, 1 950. (A) Robert E. Sampson III , born Feb. 26, 1 979 (B) Lori Rene Sampson, born Sept. 28, 1 983 (4) Frank Smi th, born July 1 1 , 1 959, marri ed Nancy M. Cliff, born July 1 , 1 96 0. (A) Krity Mari e Smit h, 6orn Sept 27, 1 977 (1 ) Noelle Joy Nelson born Dec. 1 8, 1 994 (B) Li sa Michelle Smi th, born Jan. 1 5, 1 979 (C) Stephani e Lynn Smith, born May 6 , 1 983 (D) Tiffney D. Smi th, born May 21 , 1 985 (5) Charles Lester Smi th, born Sept. 8, 1 96 0 (6) Debra Ann Smith, born Apri l 20, 1 96 3, married Howard C. Gi bson. Di vorced (A) James Christopher Gibson, born Sept. 23, 1 981 (B) Laura Ann Gi bson, born March 1 5, 1 983 (C) Michael Steven Gibson, born Feb. 1 1 , 1 984 (7) Conni e Larrai ne Smith, born Sept. 28, 1 964, married John Ti ptjew, born July 24, 1 96 1 . (A) John Ti ptjew Jr., born Aug. 28, 1 981 (B) Melissa Sue Ti ptjew, born Dec. 1 9, 1 982 (C) Emily Ann Ti ptjew, born March 1 4, 1 991 (8) Larry Smi th, born Nov. 1 0, 1 966, and Pri scella Bowman, born Oct. 29, 1 970 (A) Larry Smi th Jr., born March 1 8, 1 988 Arvis and Belva (Ball) Carver Belva Jane Ball (7-25-1 91 4) married Arvis Earl Carver (1 0- 6 -1 91 0 - 6 -27-1 993). Children are: (1 ) Arthur Jake Carver (7-2-1 935 - 9 -8- 1 985) married (1 ) Lucille Queen, (2) Glenda Stewart (A) JoAnn Carver ( B) David Carver ( C) Ronnie Carver ( D) Kenneth Carver ( E) Betty Carver ( F ) Steve Carver (2) William Burl Carver (3-1 9-1 938) married (1 ) Judy (?) (2) Lucille Queen (A) Donna Carver (3) Stella Pearl Carver (3-1 9-1 938 - 5-25-1 938) Stella was a twin to William. (4) James Carver (5-6 -1 942) ?rried Myrtle Leatherwood (A) James Jamie Carver Jr. (B) Lisa Carver Cataloochee Families Evan Hannah was the first permanent resident in Cataloochee. He was followed by James and Levi Colwell, George Palmer, Young Bennett, and Jonathan Woody . It is believed that they all arrived in Cataloochee sometime between 1835 to 1845. William Reddy Noland, son of Pierce Noland of Ireland, moved to Cataloochee Valley in 1841. William's wife was Judith Elizabeth Allen, their daughter Sarah Elizabeth married Evan Hannah. Evan and his family lived in a log cabin and farmed. Evan and Elizabeth are buried in a cemetery at Hogan's Branch in Big Cataloochee. The Ewart family came from Canada, the Palmer's came from Virginia. George was a farmer and he, and his wife Polly, lived near the Nellie Post Office. This early community centered round Nellie, where Rough Fork and Palmer Creek converged to join the Cataloochee Creek. There were many marriages betwen local families and the population grew fast. By the mid-19fo • s the children of these families had married and began to expand their territory north into Little Cataloochee Creek, Coggins Branch, Dude Creek, Andy Branch, and Woody Creek. This new settlement centered around Ola, where a store, Post Office, schoolhouse, and Baptist Church were eventually built. 11 f C M a r k H a n n a h w i th h i s b r o t h er s a n d s i s te r a t L i t t l e C a t a l oo c h e e H ome c om i n g . F r o n t r o w F r e d , I v a l e e , Robe r t , B a c k r o w M a r k a n d M o n t . M a r k H a n n a h a l on g w i t h h i s bro t h e r s a n d s i s t e r w a s r a i s e d i n t h e C a t a l oo c h e e a r e a . A f t e r t h e G r e a t S moky M o u n t a i n s N a t i o n a l P a r k w a s e s t a b l i s h e d i n C a t a l6 o c h e e , M a r k w o r k e d f o r t h e P a r k a s a r a ng e r u n t i l 1 9 7 2 w h e n h e r e t i r e d . John Jackson Hannah John and l1is wife, Martha Ann (Simmons) Hannah built this little log cabin around 1 8 6 4 . The property passed on to their son Jim. A rai l fence enclosed th e yard , bee gums stood on the hillside, and the apple orchard , garden, and fields surrounded the cabin and barn . The ·front porch was " Uncle Jim ' s" favorite spot in later years. He ' d sit there and shout out about "Politics" to people passing by on the road below . He reall y liked to get into a good "Repub1 :L can" conversa t:L on and could talk politics for hours. Hannah Cabin located in Little Cataloochee Caldwell' / Cook On Jan. 20, 1814, Henry (Colwell/ Caldwell) staked the first claim to land (100 acres) in Big Cataloochee. Henry was born abt. 1759 in Pennsylvania. He moved to Buncombe County, North Carolina to raise his family of 3 sons and 3 daughters. Henry died abt. 1870. James (born abt. 1801) was the son of Henry. James, his son Levi, and Young Bennett camped out in Big Cataloochee, cleared the land, and built 2 cabins. They then returned to Buncombe County where Young Bennett and Levi both married, Levi married Mary Ann Nailand. Levi and Young took their wives and returned to Big Cataloochee to become the first permanent white settlers. Levi and Mary Ann had 12 children, all were born, raised, married, lived, and died in the Cataloochee area. (1) Harriett married Daniel Cook on 7-25-1854. (2) Nancy Jane (3) William Jarves Harrison (4) Andrew (5) David Morris "Doc" (6 ) Louisa Matilda married Creighton Bennett in 1856. (7) Reuben married Nancy Woody. (8) Mary died at an early age. (9) Hiram married Mary Elizabeth Howell in 1880. (10) John (11) Marion (12) Doctor George Daniel, Harriett, Matilda, and Creighton were the founders of Little Cataloochee (1854 - 1856) located approximately 5 miles from Big Cataloochee. These young pioneers dug a road between the two communities. Daniel J. Cook (b. 4-21-1831) and Harriett g _ Caldwell (or Colwell) (b. 6 -11-1837) settled on the upper portion of Coggins Branch. They erected a log house, which served s the family home for some 50 years. Daniel was known as a talented carpenter and cabinet maker. He made beautiful frniture from cherry wood, a material much admired. He was als o a farmer . H arr ett was a very r esourceful pers on, she wove and made cloth ing for her family, gathered and pres erved food, and taught her ch ildren how to survive in the mountain environment. In 1891 Daniel Cook prov ided for the divis ion of h is property among 3 of his ch ildren . Rachel (who marr ied Will Mess er in '1 894) r eceived the home place and promised to care for her parents for the rest of their days. Hester Cook (who had marr ied John Burgess in 1891) and Harr ison R. Cook established their own hous eholds on the remainder of the Cook estate. H arr ison later sold his part to Will and Rachel and left Little Cataloochee. Thr ee of the Cook daughter ' s , Hester Burges s , Rachel Mess er , and Sarah (who marr ied Samuel Hall) all had 11 children each. Harriett Cook died 10- 25 - 1903 and Daniel died 1- 17-1908. Both are bur ied in the Little Cataloochee Baptist Church Cemetery . H iram and Elizabeth (Liz z ie) Caldwell started building this hous e in 1898 and it took them f ive years to complete it. The s ign in front of the hous e r·eads Caldwell Place 1903. H iram and Liz z ie had f ive ch ildren4. William (Will) G. B. & Rachel (Cook) Messer Will (b. 4-28-1870) and Rachel (Cook) Messer were one of the most prominent families in the Little Cataloochee area. They owned the largest and finest house in Little Cataloochee. It had 11 rooms, plus lighting, and hot and cold water. Will owned several barns, a grist mill, a sawmill, a store, a Post Office (named Ola after his daughter, Viola) , a blacksmith shop, apple orchards, a large applehouse, and 340 acres of land. Will' s parents were Elij ah (1844 - 1936 ) and Christina (1847 - 1883) Messer. They moved into the Cataloochee area around 1870. Will married Rachel Cook on Feb. 11, 1894. Rachel was the daughter of Daniel and Harriet (Caldwell) Cook. Children of Will and Rachel are: Flora (b. 1895) , Loretta (1897 - 1920) , Eva (b. 1899) , William M. (1902 - 1952) , Ollie (1904 - 1920) , Viola (b. 1904) , Verda (b. 1909) , Eula, Vera (b. 1914) , Rowena (b. 1917) , and Viena (1917 - 1918) . Loretta and Ollie both died when a flu epidemic swept Cataloochee in 1920. The Messer family worked hard for what they had. Will was constantly tending crops, building things, and tinkering with new ideas. He was a very intelligent man and a leader in his community. Messer was said to be a very helpful, honest, and generous person. He was always there for his family, friends, and community and looking for ways to make things better. The Messer' s farmed, had apple or.chards, raised .. large crops of corn, and tobacco. They also owned horses, sheep, cattle, and hogs. Apple growing was first introduced into Little Cataloochee by Will Messer, John Burgess, and Mack Hannah. Apples was said to be a big source of income for the people. Messer was also the undertaker and made and sold coffins to people in the area. Rachel would sew the linings in the coffins and the charge for a coffin was $ 7. 00. Will was known to give several coffins away to less fortunate families. Around 1930 Messer moved his family to caidwe.11 County, Wi l l & R a chel Mes s er H om e Ol l ie, Verda, & Viola Messer Daughters of Will & Rachel Messer w1· 11 Messer Barn at Ola N.C. and bought 1 20 8 acres of land. Wi ll continued t o farm and operat e a store for t he rest of his life. Will died on December 4, 1946 , and Rachel di ed August 4, 196 4. Will and Rachel are buri ed at t he Piney Grove Bapt ist Church in Caldwell, County. W i l l i am ( W i l l ) G . B . & Rac h e l ( Cook ) M e sse r Charles & Da u. of Flora (Messer) Morrow Will & Rachel Messer Sam uel & Sarah (Cook ) Hall Dau. of Daniel & Harriet Cook Mack W. Hannah Fathei of Ma rk Hannah Samuel McGaha Samuel was born about 1797 in North Carolina, he married Anna born about 1792 in Tennessee. Samuel and Anna had around 10 children. Samuel and his two brothers, Isaac and Robert, lived in Cosby , Tennessee until about the time of the Civil War. The war took such a hard toll on their families that Samuel moved his family to The Bend of the River in North Carolina. He bought a tract of land, built a cabin, and settled down to raise his family. Samuel's brother Robert was ki lled in front of his family by Rebels during the Civil War. Samuel McGaha was the first settler in The Big Bend. He was followed by Merritt Hicks and his wife Nancy and their three children. Others soon followed the( Grooms, Joe Packett, Cobb Smith, Mims White, the Browns, Suttons, and Gates families. James (Ike) Burlson McGaha Ike was born about 183 3 i n Tennessee, he married Mary Louisy Admony Faitsy Ann Jane Yarboruugh about 1854. Their children were Wilce, Anne Eli zabeth, John, William, Robert Smith, Nancy L . , James Ri ley, Margaret c . , Thomas, and Melinda. Ike di ed i n 1919 i n Big Bend, Haywood County, North Carolina . Samuel, Robert, & Isaac McGaha In 1820 we first find records of McGaha's in Cocke County, Tennessee. In the 1830's we find Samuel, Robert, and Isaac and we believe these three men were brothers. We have not been able to find the names of their parents. Samuel McGaha was born about 1797 in N. C. and married Anna, born about 1793 in TN. (1) William H. born about 1819, died 6 -26-1864 while serving in the Union Army, married Nancy Catherine (Catie) Tittle. (2) Rhoda born about 1823, died between 1850 - 1860, married Joseph Campbell (3) John Giles born about 1824, died about 1906, married Lucretia "Creasy" Tittle (4) Sarah born about 1827, died 1918, married Levi Sutton (5) Elizabeth born about 1827 married Solomon Grooms (6) Issac born April 1833, died 1919, married Jane Yarborough (7) Robert s. born 4-4-1833, died 3-26-1900 married Harriet James (8) Nancy Jane born 1837, died about 1879, married Anderson Grooms Robert McGaha born about 1800, died about 1862 - 186 4. Robert was married two times and possibly three. The name of his first wife, who died after 1830, is unknown. Their children were: (1) Margaret born 2-12-1820, died 6 -16-1896, married Rev. Thomas Caton (2) Rebecca born about 1823, married Perrine Giles (3) Samuel born about 1825, died 4-6-186 4 during the Civil War, married Jane "Jennie" Lindsey (4) Francis Green born 4-9-1827, died 4-21-1896, married Millie Murrell Children listed below are Robert's by his other wives • • • one possibly being Elizabeth Campbell or Elizabeth Norton. (1) Matilda Giles born 1834, married Nathaniel Giles (2) John born about 1835, died 12-29-1881, married Eliza Johnson (3 ) William R. born 2-18-183 8,_ died 9-25-1925, married Mary Johnson (4) Ritty (Ritta) born 1842, married w . Harmon Large (5) Isaac born 1845 • . might have been the Issac who died 9-16-' 186 2 in the Civil War. (6 ) Malcolm born about 1847 (7) Sarah Arminda born 1849, married Harrison R. Large Isaac McGaha born about 1805, died Letween 1870 - 1880, married Frances "Franky" ? (1) Female (2) Female (3 ) Mary born 7-18-183 2, died 7-17-1891 (4) Female (5) Female (6 ) Samuel born 1-11-1836 , died 3 -16-1923 , married Annie McMahan (7) Anne born 183 8, married John McMahan (8) Female (9) Susan born 4-1842 (10) William born 1843 (11) Isaac born 1846 (12) James born 1850 Samuel moved to the Bend of the River • . . a remote area of Haywood County, N. C. Sam was the first person on record to settle in this area, his deed was obtained February 1857 for 100 acres. Robert was killed during the Civil War. He and most of his family were Union sympathizers. One day four men dressed in Union uniforms came to his house and he fed them dinner • • • during the meal they heard some Confederate soldiers riding up. Robert said to the four, "Boys you had better get out the back door. " The four men then revealed to Robert that they were Confederates dressed in Union uniforms. The Confederate soldiers then put a gun in Robert's mouth and shot him there in front of his family. Isaac died in Cocke County, TN. between 1870 - 1880. Big Bend Because of its location in a section where the Pigeon River makes a big wide bend, the Big Bend was thus named a long time ago. Big Bend lies in the northern corner of Haywood County approximately 4 miles from the Madison County, N. C. line. It is 8 miles northeast of Max Patch, and 7 miles from Waterville. To the best of our knowledge Big Bend was settled around 1857 by Sam McGaha. There was once an old road that came up from Hartford, TN. through a boundary of timber, whic is now known as The Gulf. It came from Deep Gap around the head of Groundhog Creek, then into Cold Springs. This road was known as 289, which led to Max Patch and on into TN. Boyce Lumber Company began operations about 1910 in this area and continued their operations until around 1929. About the time Boyce Lumber Company completed their work, The Phoenix Utility Company secured the contract to build a huge power dam at the mouth of Cataloochee, 14 miles from Waterville. Five miles from the Cotton Patch is a large tunnel which runs about 7 miles, it is owned by Carolina Power and Light Company. After all the operations of industry were over, Big Bend seemed to become a forgotten section. The people in this section lived to themselves, with their own habits and laws. There is many interesting legends centering around this little community, some known, and some unknown. Crime visited these free openhearted people often, and those who remember the legends will know the dreadful toll it took on this community. In the 1930's Big Bend could be reached a number of ways, up Pigeon River from Waterville; through Meadow Fork Gap, turn west and following an old railroad grade; you could also come over High Top through the Gap of Mount Sterling and down into the Bend. Coming from Madison County you'd come to Cold Springs, then follow Cold Springs Creek which flows into the Pigeon River. No matter what route you took it was a good distance and it took most of the day to get there. There was very little money to be had and times were hard on those who lived in the bend. Those who belonged stayed on even though the conditions were hard. There were several families living in this section at the time, with about 75 to 80 children. There was no school, church, or any type of recreational games to employ the minds of the children or young people of the area. (Note: Around 1915 there was a school for four or five weeks located one mile from the Cotton Patch on the side of the mountain on the trail leading to the Gap of Mount Sterling. ) Around 1934 - 1935 R. H. Gibson (a case worker for the E. R. A. ) came into the bend through the Gap of Mount Sterling, over High Top, down the mountain, by the "Rest Log", on by the McGaha farm, across the river, and by the Cotton Patch. He visited with the people and soon had them eager and interested in building a school for the children. Midway between the Big Bend and the Cotton Patch was where the school was built. The school building was of rough lumber and was 20 feet by 30 feet. It had five large windows on the south side, double walls, a wooden floor, and a stove. The tables were made of old lumber, but chairs and blackboards were sent by the board of education. Robe r t ( Bob ) and F l or e n c e M c G aha Robert s h o t and k i l l e d h i s brother W i l s e in The Bend o f The R i ver when they g o t i n t o an ar gumen t . Robert a n d W i l s e w e r e the s on s o f I s a a c ( I k e ) a n d Jane Y ar b o r o u gh . T h e s to r y i s tha t Thoma s c a rr i ed h i s dad ' s body f r om T h e B end and b ur i ed h i m a t G r e e n Corner , Tenne s s ee . There a r e 3 g r a v e s i n a r o w toge t h e r a n d o n e o f the s e i s s up po s e t o be t h a t o f W i l s e M c Ga h a . T h i s h a p p e n e d ar ound 1 9 0 0 . Rachel (Sm ithj and Wil se McGaha / Thoma s and Wilse McGaha (Ol iver and Le tha Hicks Old Barn , in The Bend of The River ) O l d Bar n bel1 i nd Le tha H i ck s hous e Bnd of the River In the middle 1800's in the northern part of Haywood County, North Carolina in the Pigeon River gorge, and extending up river from the Hydro-Electric Plant lay the roughest, most isolated, and inaccessible section of the county. Sam McGaha was the first settler recorded to settle in this isolated area known as Big Bend. In Feb. of 1857 he obtained a deed for his 100 acre tract of land. Sam and his wife Anna were in their 6 0's at this time. Proven children of Sam and Anna are: William H. born abt. 1819, John Giles born abt. · 1826, Sam Jr. , Sally, Elizabeth, Isaac " Ike" born abt. 183 3 - died 1919, Robert s . born abt. 183 4, and Nancy born abt. 1837. Soon after Sam had moved into the area he was followed by the Hicks, Grooms, and Packetts. In this remote and isolated section people lived unto themselves, it was a life of their own choosing. It was hard to get a doctor, teacher, minister, etc. to undertake the trip into this section so the people did the best they could. Sam's son Isaac also moved his family to Big Bend. Children of Ike and Jane are: Wilse born 185 4, Anne Elizabeth born abt. 1857, John born abt. 1858, Robert s . 1-8-1863 -2-12-1936 , Mary Nancy 2-20-1865 - 2-20-193 9, James Riley 3 -10-1866 - 12-6-195 1, Margaret Alice 6 -10-1869 -1-16-1942, Thomas born 4-1872, and Melinda born 4-1875. Joe Packett and Tom McGaha had little grist mills and on these they ground their corn meal. The mill was hand powered and had a pulley-belt which ran from the drive shaft to a wheel that was turned by a crank. The Packett family of girls done most of the grinding. The girls would take turn about turning the little mill by hand and it would take 5 to 6 hours to grind a bushel of corn. Packett's little mill, along with McGaha's also ground the meal for their stills. Many a tragedy has occurred in The Bend. Families here were related by blood as well as marriage and many a neighbor has slain his own kin. Oliver Hicks father was killed by a boy that I I I \ . f\ ., ·• ... Letha (Pac kett) , Irene , and Oliver Hicks he'd help raise. All that remains of where he was killed is a crumbling chimney. Oliver's granddaddy (Levi Hicks) built the first house where the olo chimney stands, that was over a 130 years ago. Oliver's sister was also killed when a boy shot through the window, supposedly the boy said it was an accident. It has been told that some people ventured into this area and was never heard of again. Thomas McGaha told his grandchildren how many a man was killed here and put down in an old mine shaft. If a law man did come into the area asking questions about a certain person he was always told the same tale. That they had never seen or heard of that person. Much whiskey was made and carried out of this area, as well as the Mt. Sterling area, by horseback. It was a steep climb to go towards Mt. Sterling from The Bend of the River so after the steep climb they'd rest beside a log, thus they started calling it a "Resting Log". It was named for a resting place long before Scott and Brown were murdered and buried there. Thomas and Ad McGaha Oma Hicks born abt . 1 8 9 6 S i s t e r t o O l i ve r H i c k s 7:1 Pl () ;r, (D rt rt I Walter and Victory (McGaha) Grooms and Daughter Lillian Oliver and Letha Hicks Obid Oliver Hicks (9-17-19J 0 - 2-19-1968) son of Merit L. Hicks and Nancy L. McGaha (Nancy was the daughter of Ike and Jane McGaha). Brothers and sisters to Oliver were: George born abt. 1880, Mathilda J. born abt. 1886, Margaret c . born abt. 1890, Malinda E. born abt. l89 1, Dora born abt. 1894, Oma w . born abt. 1896, John R. 2-2-1900 - 1-3-1928, Lona Hester 1901 - 1979, Roxie 5-25-1903 - 11-2-1976, Samuel born 1906 , and Pearlie born 1908. Letha (Packett) Hicks was born 1913, daughter of Joseph (Joe) Packett and Margaret (Mary) McGaha (Margaret was also the daughter of Ike and Jane McGaha). Sisters of Letha's were: Etta 4-2-1895 - 2-24-1988, Ola R. born abt. 1889, Florence E. born abt. 1891, Nancy L. born abt. 1894, Martha E. born abt. 1896, (?)aesy born abt. 1897, Ida boin 1899, Myrie born 1902, Dollie born 1908, Milla 12-28-1909 - 12-18-1965, Iva born 1910 and Lacy born 1911. Oliver and Letha were both born and raised in the Big Bend section of North Carolina. Letha told us that when she was a young girl she only went to school for about 3 weeks. She said when she quit school she didn't know B from P, so what she's learned she's taught herself. Most of the time she has someone read her letters to her - because she said she couldn't understand a lot of the '! highfalutin'" words people use nowadays. Letha's told us several stories about her sisters, herself. and Olivr, the following is j ust a few of those stories. Letha said one day she was sitting in the house minding her own business when all of a sudden her sister Lacy came into the house and j umped on her "for no good reason. " Letha said Lacy and her scuffled around for a few minutes while their pap j ust sit there watching them, laughing. She said the next thing she knew her pap got up and went outside then he came back in with a switch and grabbed Lacy and threw her across their mamas lap and gave her a whipping. - Letha said:he started laughing at Lacy and her pap turned and gave her a lick with the switch. Well, Letha said she had on this dress with a real big petticoat under it so it didn't hurt her at all, but she did say the switch hit her little finger. When the switch hit her finger she said it hurt, and it hurt bad. Letha said she went around the house crying for hours over her little finger hurting. When Dollie left home Letha said it "throwed" her in the house and she didn't like it "nary a little bit" because she liked being outside. She said housework was a 7 day a week j ob and field work was only 3 or 4 days a week. It wasn't long though till her sister Lacy came to her and wanted to trade j obs. Letha told her she'd trade, but that Lacy would have to take care of the house all 7 days because she wasn't helping her. Letha said they traded and she was glad to be out in the flelds again. Letha said every once and awhile they'd have to go to John Lewis Moore's for a few grocery items and when they did they'd ride the "dump car" along the railroad track. She said part of them would get in and ride while the others pushed then after awhile they'd switch places taking turn about. She said they had a pretty good ways to go and this made it a lot easier and a lot more fun. Then she said someone went and burnt the railroad trusser up and that stopped their riding. Letha said there wasn't much of a need to buy anything cause they raised corn, "taters", beans, meat, and they canned or dried most of their stuff. Oliver had a sister named Lona and she became known as the "Blind Banj er-Picker of Big Bend". Lona has been blind since she was a child, her eyes not having been opened for many days became abscessed and finally burst, l eaving her totally blind. Lona went to a school for the blind, but wasn't happy so after awhile she came back home. She started 'pickin' out tunes on her homemade banj o when she was about 11 years old. After awhile Lona started playing at hoe-downs.· Lona lived in the Big Bend section most of her life, having s; moved later to the upper Hurricane side to live with her cousin Mora McMahan in a cabin near Hurricane Creek. Oliver's mom, Nancy Hicks, and Letha's mom, Mary Packett, ( sisters) done most of the "grannyin'" they was sort of midwives. Letha said some of the things they used for medicine were: catnip tea and ground ivy for babies and hives, for colds they'd use pennyrile and Sampson snakeroot, to bring a boil to a head they'd use slippery elm bark. Then of course she said there was sassafras an spiceood tea for the table because they seldom had coffee. Letha said the younger people grew up and moved away from "The Bend" and Oliver and her was all that was left for years and years. She said the government tried to move them off their land, but Oliver vowed never to move from his home. He said, "I've always lived here, it's my home and I'll be bere till the good Lord takes me. " Then Letha said, "He never moved neither, he lived here in Big Bend till he died in 6 8. " Then she pointed toward the cemetery on the hill and said, "He's buried right up yonder, where he wanted to be, next to his mammy and daddy. " Letha's now 83 years old and she describes herself as a quilter ( which I've seen the beautiful quilts she makes), a ginseng hunter, a piddler, and a gardener. She raises chickens with names such as: Todd, Ralph, Spreadwing, etc. , dogs, and apples, and she still smokes unfiltered Camels. She gets excited when she talks about "makin' shine" ( 50 to 6 0 years ago) and tells how she use to "catch it" coming out of the spout. She said people would come in there and get 15 cases at a time, that is until the law came in arid destroyed the still. She talks about the "marijuana helicopters" flying around now. Then she told us about someone giving her some seeds and telling . her it was black pepper so she decided to, plant the seeds and grow her some black pepper. She said she sowed the seeds {n a pot and when they got up a few inches high she . replanted them in her garden. When they got up about 12 to 15 inches high she said they looked like Spanish Needle so· she pulled them up. She said, "I wasn't fooling with no old Spanish Needles, I've got enough old weeds growing around here. " Then Letha said, "I didn't know what black pepper plants looked like, cause I've never seen one before, but I did know what a pepper plant looked like aA they certainly didn't look like any pepper plant I'd ever seen. She showed the plants she'd pulled up to someone later that day and they told her that they was marij uana plants. Letha said, "Well, great mercy, it's a good thing I pulled them up or they'd had me in j ail if they'd "catched" me growing that. " Then in a very sincere voice she said, "I wouldn't want people reading a bout a mountain woman my age getting caught growing marij uana. Why, reckon they'd believed me if'n I'd told them I thought it was black pepper I was growing? I didn't mean no harm by it. " Letha had another story to tell us about this man from Knoxville, Tennessee that had come up to see her. While he was there he ask her what ginseng looked like so Letha took him down below the barn to show him a plant. While they was walking down the path they came upon a copperhead laying in the path. Letha said when the man saw the snake he turned and ran back towards the house j ust as hard as he could run. Well, Letha said she took her walking stick a nd killed the snake. After she'd killed the snake the man came back and he wanted to take her picture with the snake. Letha said he had her take a rock and act like she was crushing the snakes head, so she did to please him. Then she said he ask her to hold it up by the .tail so he could get another picture, so she did. She said he took his pictures and he even brought her a set of the pictures (she show them to us). While Letha was telling this story she'd laugh every once and awhile. Then when she finished her story she said, "Imagine that a grown man afraid of a snake. I told him, you don't run from a snake, you kill it■ I I Letha (Packett) Hicks and her llomeplace . 1 9 9 6 Le tha ( Packett) H i cks N 0 (j\ μ ..0 rd H 0 ..0 .μ μ Q) {) rd 0.. rd H >, (j\ co co μ ..0 rd H 0 ..0 +.l +.l Q) {) rd 0.. rd H 0 Lora Ball ... Lived at Grooms Place . t- .... - ,f ... . J .? - . Jame s Riley McGaha married Ca ledonia M. Sut ton • I Ada ( McGaha ) K e n n e r I t J Daughter o f R i l e and C a l e d o n i a M c Ga h a 1959,196( L e nora Kenne r Daugh t e r o f G l e n n and Ada ( Mc G a h a ) Kenner Jame s Riley McGaha and Son , Anglo McGaha Ang lo (2-1 9-1 91 6 - 2- 19-1 926 ) Anglo was dragged to death by a horse . l{illed In Belgium PFC. HILLIARD McGAHA, 24, son of Mrs. Cal donia Hannah, of Dellwood, who was killed in action in Belgium on September 5, 1944, according to a message re-, ceived by his mother. He volunteered in the service on October 3, 1H44, ai1d had visited his family only once since he had been in the service. He had served overseas for three years, and was a gun- 1wr on a taiik. Thi s cabi n was bui lt by Ike McGaha when he first came to The Bend. The pictures are the front and backsi de of the cabi n. Thoma s and Ilaselt i ne Mc Ga ha , Es telle (Mc Ga ha ) Pri ce St eve, Juli e (P hi lli ps) Ha nna h, Chi ldren St a nley & Ni ta Ma e McGaha Family Wilse McGaha (son of Ike and Jane McGaha) married (1) Harriet Rathbone, (2) Rachel Smith. Children of Wilse and Rachel are: William Thomas (2-9-1880 - 6 -12-1975) married Nancy Haseltine Wilson, Adam (Add) (7-15-1885 - 7-7-1950) married Sarah Elizabeth Roberts, Victoria (born abt. 1887 - 1963) married (1) Walter Grooms, (2) Leonard Grooms, James Riley (6-9-1893 - 2-9-1929) married Caledonia Barnes Sutton. William Thomas McGaha and Nancy Haseltine Wilson (1-1-1878 - 2-19-1960), were married in 1898. Children from this marriage were: Estella (6 -1-1899 - 5-7-1977) married Rufus Price, Mabel Burr (7-17-1900 - 1025-1971) married Burnard Roe Leatherwood, Arthur (born abt. 1904), Bartley (2-12-1906 - 8-31-1962) married Dolla Ball, Rufus (10-17-1922 - 3-19-1980) married Golda Ball. (I) Estella married (1) Rufus Price (10-4-1893 - 10-10-1954) (2) Z emary McElroy. No Children (II) Burr McGaha and Burnard Roe Leatherwood (3-14-1897 - 2-22- 1971) was married 4-10-1920, they had 12 children. (1) Reva Lucilla (1-8-1921) married (1) Boyd Russell Hannah (5-24-1919 - 10-12-196 4) (2) Olsie Glenn Gray. Children of Reva and Boyd are: Robert Boyd, and Steven Bernard. (2) Geneva (2-8-1922 - 6 -23-1923) (3) Agnes (6 -3-1923) married (1) Ralph Ford Hannah (10-20-1923 - 5-19-1970) (2) James L. Sisk. Children of Agnes and Ralph are: Ralph F. Jr., Linda, Elizabeth, and Debra Ann. (4) Vera (7-19-1926) married E. Ray Mull (1-9-1926) Children: Randall Ray, Wanda Gail, Ricky Lamar, and Ronnie Darrell. (5) James Samuel (10-13-1928 - 12-20-1983) married Mary A. Alfonso (11-7-1933). Children: James Samuel Jr., Michael Joseph, David Brain, and John Anthony B o yd H a nn a h and Agn e s L e a t h e rwood Reva L e a t h e rwood , Ve l m a H a n na h , & A g n e s L e a t h e r wo o d ( 6 ) Orv i l l e ( 8 - 3 - 1 9 3 0 - 8 - 1 2 - 1 9 3 0 ) ( 7 ) Warren G . ( 8 - 2 0 - 1 9 3 1 ) marr i e d G l a d y s Kathryn Knorr ( 1 2 - 1 4 - 1 9 3 2 ) . Chi ldren : Ka t h r y n , Frank l i n , and Dan i e l . ( 8 ) Frank l i n D e l ano ( 1 2 - 9 - 1 9 3 2 - 1 9 3 3 ) ( 9 ) Lena ( 1 1 - 2 6 - 1 9 3 5 ) mar r i ed Varnel P r i ce . C h i l dren : S h i r l e nea , Edd i e , G a r y and David B r i an . ( 1 0 ) Evere t t ( 1 0 - 1 7 - 1 9 3 6 - 1 1 - 1 3 - 1 9 9 0 ) marr i e d I rene H i l l ( 1 1 - 1 3 - 1 9 3 9 . C h i l dren : Robe r t Dean , Doug l a s Wayne , K e i t h R a y , and K e v i n J a y . ( 1 1 ) Jo Ann ( 1 2 - 5 - 1 9 3 9 ) marr i e d Robe r t Doy l e Moore ( 8 - 1 2 - 1 9 3 9 ) . Ch i l dren : R i chard Doy l e , and M i chae l Ke i th . ( 1 2 ) Genev i e ( 7 - 6 - 1 9 4 1 ) marr i e d Kenn e t h Dubl i n P r e s ne l l ( 7 - 2 3 - 1 9 3 9 ) . ( I I I ) A u t hur mar r i ed V i o l a P r i c e ( 1 2 - 1 0 - 1 9 0 6 - 1 1 - 1 4 - 1 9 7 8 ) ( I V ) B a r t l e y Lee married Da l l a Ba l l ( 1 2 - 1 5 - 1 9 2 0 - 8 - 3 1 - 1 9 6 2 ) C h i l dren : Doro t h y Ann , H a z e l P au l i ne , Lola K a t e , Dona l d Lee , and Gear l d i n e . ( V ) R u f u s marr i ed G o l da Ba l l ( 5 - 3 0 - 1 9 2 6 ) . C h i l dren : S h i r l e y Ann , Joyce J u l i a , Lonn i e G e ne , K a t h y Mar i e , A l McCr a y , and Lorre t ta . Genev i e L e a t h erwood ( 7 - 6 - 1 9 4 1 ) Mar r i ed K e n n e t h P r e s ne l l Burn and Burr (McGaha) Leatherwood Agnes (Leatherwood ) Hannah JoAnn Leatherwood (Carl's wife) Reva (Leatherwood ) Hannah F f B 67 Burr (McGaha) Leatherwood and Madie (Mae) Hannah Carl, Charlie, and Boyd Hannah M a b e l B u r r M c G ah a , A r t h u r , Thoma s ( W . T . ) M c G ah a , H a s e l t i ne ( W i l so n ) McGaha , B a r t l e y ( baby ) M c G ah a , E s t e l l e M c G a h a ( t a k e n abt . 1 9 0 7 ) House bui lt by Ervi n Messer Old Apple House at Steve and Juli a Hannah's B e r n a r d ( B u r n ) R o e a n d M a b e l B u r r ( M c G a h a ) L e a t h e r w o o d B u r n a n d B u r r w e r e m a r r i e d o n A p r i l 1 0 , 1 9 2 0 . T h e y h a d 1 2 c h i l d r e n . T h e y r a i s e d 9 o f t h e s e 1 2 c h i l d r e n ( 3 d i e d i n i n f a n c y R e va L e a therwood ( about 8 months o l d ) ",r:c- - ........ '\ ' B u r n R o e L e a th erwood ( ab t . 2 0 ) Mab e l B u r r M c G a ha ( ab t . 1 8 ) Warren Gamalj el Leatherwood Warren ( 8- 30- 1 9 3 1) Leatherwood marri ed Gla dys Kathryn Knorr ( 12- 14 - 1932 ) on June 20, 195 3 . Wa rren i s the son of Burn and Burr (McGaha ) L eatl1 erwood . Warren and Gladys children are: (A) Kathryn L eatherwood (6-3- 195 4 ) marri ed William M. McNamara ( 1) Ryan Patri ck McNamara (8- 27- 1984 ) ( 2 ) Matthew William McNamara (6-24 - 1986 ) (B) Franklin D. Leatherwood ( 3- 11- 195 7 ) marri ed ( 1) Debi e Leon ( 2 ) Joan Howser ( 1) Jami e Lynn Leatherwood (6- 11- 197 8) ( 2 ) Franklin Warren Leatherwood (5- 26 - 1988) (C) Dan i el L eatherwood ( 3- 18- 1958) marri ed I sabelle Devone ( 1) Clinton Bernard Leatherwood ( 11- 8- 197 7 ) ( 2 ) Mari sha Eleaner L eatherwood ( 2-22- 1979) Boyd Russel Hannah and Reva Leatherwood were married on April 19, 1940. They had two children. (1) Robert Boyd Hannah married (1) Evelyn Ann Hatcher on 10- 30-1966 , (2) Sandra Moyers Gibson on 8-10-1991. (A) Robert Lynn Hannah (7-29-196 7) married Becky Jean Parker (1) April Denese Hannah (8- 3-1986) (B) Terry Lee Hannah (3-5-1969) (C) Patricia (Terisha) Ann Hannah (8 -28-1970) married Michael Brackins (1) Jermiah Michael Brackins (5-9-1993) (2) Rebekah Dawn Brackins (4-25-1994) (D) Barbara Stephanie Hannah (2-26-197 4) married Jason Myers (1) Joshua Aaron Myers (7 -21-1993) (2) Steven Bernard Hannah (11-21-1953) married Julie Ruth Phillips (1) Nita Mae Hannah (11-9-197 8 ) (2) Stanley Boyd Hannah (8-3-1981) Burn and Burr (McGaha ) Leathe rwood , Jo Ann (Leatherwood ) Moore , Vera (Leathe rwood ) Mull , Jenny , and Debra (daugh ter of Agn es ) Ruby (Hannah ) Uptor1 , Glee (Hannah ) Hunter , Madie {Mae ) Hannah , and Ra lph Hannah Ralph an d Agn es (L eatherwood) Hannah Ralp h Ford Hannah (10- 20 1923 - 5- 19- 1970) married Agnes Leatherwood (6 -3-1923) on Nov . 16 , 1944 . Their children were : (1) Ralp h Ford Han nah Jr. (8 -1 9-1 945) married Mary Alice Phillip s (8 -23-1951) on Nov . 8, 196 9. (A) Jeffers on Sc ott Hannah (11- 19- 1970) (B) Amy Marie Hannah (1 0 12-1 977) (2) Linda Eliz abeth Han nah (2- 9- 1949) married (1 ) Aus tin Hen sley (died), (2) Jerry Fine (A) Mars ha Lynn Hen sley (3 - 25- 1972) (1) Thornie Webs ter (9- 26 - 198 4) (2) Bonnie Jean Webs ter (12- 15- 198 6) (3 ) Tiffn ey Webs ter (8 -22- 198 8) (4) Lisa Marie Webs ter (4- 1- 1 991) (5) Clyde Aus tin Webs ter (8 - 15- 1992) (6 ) San dy Dee Webs ter (1 1- 24- 1993 ) (B) Scottie Jean Hen sley (10- 22- 1974) (3 ) Debra Ann Han nah (11- 20- 1959) married Billy Lynn Sinard (A) Jos hua Lynn Sinard (3 -15- 198 3) Ralp h (Son ny) Han nah Linda Hannah J,snc:s ( Leatherwood) Hannah Debra Ann Hannah Taken Augu s t 2 2 , 1 98 0 James (Jim) Lea lherwood lD-1 3- 1928 ) ma rried Mary A. Al fonso ( 1 1 - 7 1 9 3 J ) on Nov e In b CT 2 l) , 1 9 5 2 . ,Tim i s th c• son o f Burn and Burr (McGaha } Lea t lH.!rwood . Children of Jim and Mary are : i (A) James Samue l Lea t herwood IV (9-1 6-1 953 ) married Susan Ferreoria ( 1) L. Jenny Leatherwood ( 1 'l -1 9-1 976) {2) Jenni fer Leatherwood (5-1 0-1 978) {3) Kerry Be th Lea the rwood (4-5-1 981 ) (4) Jessica Mary Lea therwood {10-7-1984 ) (B) Michael Joseph Lea therwood (5-27-1 955 ) marr ied (1) Cl ara Ma rie Beauregard (2) Carleen ? . Clara had a son , Ricky Wi lliam Beauregard (8-1 967 } {Michael adopted ) (1) Samantha Faye Lea therwood (10-10-1 991 ) (C ) John Anthony Leatherwood (9-4-1 961 ) marrie d Kristine Burns (1 ) Nicholu s Anthony Leatherwood (1-4-1 984 ) (2) Me lisa Mary Lea therwood (10-1 4-1 985) Michael Joseph and ,J ames (Ji mmy ) Samuel Leatherwood -,I V Jame s ( J i m ) S a m u e l L e a t h erwood a n d M a r y A . A l f on s o . J i rn i s 6 f t . t a l l a n d h i s wi fe M a r y i s o nl y 4 f t . t a l l . Fr ank and Etta (Leatherwood ) Stalhman Fr ank Stalhman (7 -2 7-18 1 - 6-2 5-1918 ) mar r ied Etta Leather wood (11-13 -'1 893 - 5-2 8-196 5) in 1915, childr en were: (1 ) Amos Stalhman (1-2 5-1916 - 5-2 8-1918 ) (2 ) Elmer Stalhman (2 -6 -1918 -6 -4 1944 ) Elmer died in Wor ld War II, his whole group was shot down in a plane in Italy. Elmer was the pilot of the plane, all died. Frank Stalhman died June 25, 1918, when Elmer was only a few months old. Etta mar ried James Mack Caldw ell (4-10-1886 - 6-2 8-1957 ) in 192 0. Childr en from that marriage were: (1) Dor othy (1-10-192 1 - 12 - 22-197 9) mar ried McKinley Reed Sutton (192 0 - 196 9) (A ) Ander son Pet e Sutton (4-16 -1941 ( B) Jew el Sutton ( C) Lor etta Sutton ( D) Phy llis Elaine Sutton (2 ) James Mack Caldw ell Jr . (5-2 9-192 7 Anna Belle Kuy kendall - 2-3 -197 7) 7-17 -1953 ) mar ried (A ) Ronnie Ray Ca ldwell (5-16 -194 9 - 5-16 -1949 ) (B ) Dar lena Caldw ell (9-5-1951 ) mar ried Robert Scott (1 ) Kelley Scott (3 ) Sandr a Caldw ell (5-7 -1953 ) mar r ied Jimmy Tate Dorothy Caldwell & Elmer Sta lham (lt '-- , ·--,<' u Reva (Lea therwood ) Hannah and May (Messer ) Hannah ·:- \ ' \ - : , ·' . ' .,,.,,'· .: ... :\•t·, ELMER STAL HAM - ,::,-· V e r a a n d R a y Mu l l T a k e n j u s t a f t e r t h e y w e r e m ar r i e d R a n d a l l R a y a n d W a n d a G a i l M u l l Everet t Ray an d Vera (Leat herwood ) Mull Vera Leat herwood (7-19-1 926 ) married Everet t Ray Mull (1- 9-1926 ) on November 16, 1945. Vera is the daughter of Burn an d Burr (McGaha ) Leatherwood. Chi ldren of Ray an d Vera are: (A) Randall Ray Mull (2-29-1 948 ) marri ed (1 ) Gai l Mari e Holt (2) Gi sela Schwi erwan ger Wi ggi ns (1 ) Michael Way ne Mull (1-21 -1 967 ) ' ,, (2) Don na Marie Wiggi ns (10-3-1 96 2 - 1-3-1 994 ) marri ed ? Elli s (A ) Brittany Elli s (7 -3-1 985) (B ) Bran don Elli s (1 0-21 -1 986 ) (C ) Sarah Ellis (1 2-1 4-1 988) (D) Tyler Ervin (12-28-1 992 ) (3) St even Wiggin s (10-1 3-1 96 4) married Chery le Warri icke (B ) Wanda Gail Mull (4-15 1949 - 4-15 -1 994 ) married Dan iel Patrick Mart in (1 ) John Christ opher Gray Mull (12-26 -1 97 2) (C ) Ri cky Lamar Mull (4-28-1 957 ) marri ed Shery le Myers (1 ) Aman da Sheri Mull (3-23-1 982) (2) (yle Thomas Mull (10-1 4-1 992 - 12-1 1-1992 ) (D) Ronnie Darrell Mull (1-5-1961 ) married Ganine Gi zzy (1 ) Ronni e Darrell Mull Jr. (12-3-1 988 ) (2) Katie Lei gh Mull (1 2-31 -1 991 ) L ii Ran dall Ray Mull Taken in 1956 Age 8 years E s t e l l e ( Mc G a h a ) P r i c e a n d R u f u s P r i c e a t H i gh Top , M t . S t e r l i ng , N . C . T h om a s a nd N a n c y H a s e l t i ne ( W i l s on) M c G a h a rtj i::ro ... Q) ·r-1 U\ U\ ro :8 -... H Q) ..c .μ ro -μ..i rtj ;:$ ,::Q -... H Q) H Ul Q) Ul ..c Q) .μ :8 0 -:8 Ul Q) i:: Q) U\ ·r-1 H 4U .:8 ... Q) r-1 r-1 Q) ::> H ... >i ro :8 ... i:: ·r-1 ::> H μ,l Bud Messer Family Everyone called them Uncle Bud and Aunt Morrie. Their children were, Ervin, Madie (Mae) , Ivelle, Maggie, and Agnes. Mae married Charles Hannah. Charles and Mae had seven children : Carl, Ralph, Boyd, Glee, Ruby, Velma, and Charlie. Charles was high sheriff and was out on a raid one day when he was killed, this happened at the tunnel on Sterling Creek. This left Mae all alone to raise their children. Mae was pregnant, with their seventh child, when Charles got killed. When the baby was born it was a boy, Mae named him Charlie Hannah Jr. a fter his father. Uncle Bud decided to move in with Mae and the children so he could help out. They had a pretty good sized farm and a big apple orchard. They ' d pick the apples off in the fall and sell them during the winter. They had the field below the road in red clover for hay. They always had chickens and cows on the farm so this meant they had plenty of eggs, butter, and milk to sell. They never grew any tobacco, but Mae always grew a nice, big garden. She ' d grow cabbage, potatoes, beans, corn, and other things. She' d sell some of the vegetables from her garden, but she always made sure she' d canned and saved enough for her family. Mae never did marry again, but she worked hard, and she put all her children through high school. Mae is buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett, Washington. Charles Hannah Sr. is buried at Little Cataloochee in the Hannah Cemetery. SCHOOL DAYS 1940 - 41 Glee Hannah Glee (Hannah ) and Robert Hunter with daughters Jackie and Beverly Taken 7/1 958 Samuel Leatherwood & Tirza Haynes Samuel (5-14-1811 - ? ) married Tirza (1-1-1822 - 1-22-1893) on Jan. 19, 1839 in Haywood County, N. C. They had the following children: (1) Nancy Vironia (11-10-1839 - 1929) married (1) Holland Nelson (2) Ezekiel Harrell (5-26-1843 - 4-18-1917) (2) John Jefferson (5-1-1841 - 8-20-1862) (3) Carolina (12-15-1843 - 3-7-1904) married James Sutton (8-10-1851 - 7-21-1923) (4) Aveline (1845 - 1882) (5) Lucinda (11-20-1850 - 3-28-1922) ( 6) Edward A. (3-14-1847 - 8-10-1924) married (1) Eliza Caldwell Grooms (1-16-1841 - 2-4-1908) (2) Rachel Smith McGaha Rdward A. Leatherwood Edward A. Lea tl1erwood ( 3 - 1 4- 1 8 47 - 8 - 1 0-1 92 4) married ( 1 ) El iza (Caldwell) Grooms ( 1 1 6- 1 8 41 - 2 - 4- 1 908) widow of Henry Grooms, ( 2 ) Rachel (S1nith) McGaha widow of Wilse McGaha. Ed is the son of Samuel Leatherwood and Tirza Haynes. Edward and El iza were married in 1 8 6 7. They had the following chil dren: Sarah Ja11e ( 3 - 1 3 - 1 8 6 8 - 2-1 0- 1 93 4) married Thomas H. White, James Samuel ( 1 2 1 5- 1 8 7 0 - 5-5-1 946) married Prudence Sisk, John (4- 2 7 1 8 7 2 - 3 - 1 6 - 1 93 2 ) married Katherine Hopkins, and Jason ( 1 8 7 4 5 - 6 1 920) married Francis Hall. El iza and Ilenry Grooms had two sons, George ( 5-5-1 8 59 - 1 1 - 1 - 1 92 6 ) married Martha Dorsey, and Harrison ( 5-5-1 8 6 3 - 7- 2 - 1 940) married ( 1 ) Lyda Jackson ( 2 ) Lula Swalsell. Henry and Eliza ( Caldwell) Grooms Henry Grooms ( abt. 1 840 7 4-1 0-1 865) married Eliza Caldwell ( 1 -1 6-1 841 - 2-4-1 908). Henry arid Eliza had two sons they were: ( 1 ) George ( 5 -5 -1 85 9 -1 1 -1 -1 926 ) married Martha Dorsey ( 9-26- 1 862 - 6 -29-1 944). Martha taught Sunday school and was remembered as a good woman, always nice to everyone. When Henry died they closed school for the day. They took him on a wagon and hauled him to the Sutton Cemetery for burial. ( A) Ellen Grooms married ( 1 ) Harrison Lodge ( 2) Arch Jackson they had 2 children. ( B) Walter Grooms married Victory McGaha, they had 1 daughter Lillian ( died at age 4) buried at Sutton Cemetery . ( C) Margaret Grooms ( died at age 9) ( D) Ollie Grooms married Oscar Layman, they had 4 children. ( E) Randolf£ Grooms married Victory Grindstaff, they had 6 children. ( F) Noeh Grooms married Locky Butner, they had 7 children. ( G) Lillie Grooms married West Phillips, they had 6 children. ( H) Lloyd Grooms married ( 1 ) Mazel Trull ( 2) P earl Enman, between the two wives they had 1 0 children. ( I ) Leonard Grooms married Victory McGaha ( Walter's wife) ( J) Bruce Grooms died young ( K) Grace Grooms died at age 4 ( L) Harrison Grooms ( 2) Harrison Grooms ( 5 -5 -1 86 3 - 7 -2-1 940) married ( 1 ) Lyda Jackson ( 2) Lula Swaslell ( 2-23 -1 865 - 1 2-1 2-1 941 ) ( A) Doyle W. Grooms ( 7-1 5-1 898 - 2-28-1 941 ) ( B) Roscoe Grooms ( 2-28-1 908 -2-8-1 93 4) ( C) Myrtle ( D) Helen ( E) Hester Lula's parents were A. G. Swaslell ( 2-23 -1 845 - 7 -1 7 -1 891 ) and Sarah Swaslell ( 4-1 1 -1 848 - 4-1 8-1 91 8). Harrison and wife, her parents and children are buried at the Swalsell Farm on Wolfe Creek in Del Rio, Tennessee. Mail Order Groom I reckon we've all heard of mail order brides over the years well, I remember this happening one time only it was a mail order Groom. A long time ago Davey and Etter (Packett) Sutton lived at the old home place of Edd White. Etter had a sister named Molly who was kind of crippled and couldn't hardly talk good, but everybody liked her and she was always smiling and happy. Davey and Etter finally moved to another home place, j ust below where Reva Hannah lived. I remember thinking that if a car ever ran out of the road it would surely land on their house. Well, as time passed by Davey died. I remember sitting up' with the body. Back then people always kept the body at home and set up with it until time to bury the person. Time passed on and Etter and Molly lived alone. I don't remember j ust how it came about, but somebody in the community suggested that Etter should order her a man. Whoever did this had a book and you could order you a mate out of it. One of the first things you did was give your age and send a picture of yourself to this place. All this was done and time passed by and one day this man, named Ed Moses, arrived with his belongings and ready to see his new mate. Can you imagine how they must have felt meeting each other for the first time? Well, everything seemed to go well and they was married and lived together for several years. Then one day Ed Moses left, j ust as he had arrived. This left Etter and Molly to live alone again. Years later Molly died and was buried at the Mt. Sterling Church. As Etter got older she finally moved in with her sister, Letha Hicks. The last few years of her life she was blind and couldn't hear that well either. She lived those last few years of her life in The Bend of The River, where she had been born and raised. Etter is also buried at the Mt. Sterling Church. George Grooms Son of enry & Eliza Grooms Martha Jane (Dorsey ) Gr ooms ,. -- } --.- . Rudolph & Vi ctoria (Scott ) Grooms wit h children, Erwin, Arvi l, Alma, and Ted, in f ront of t heir home. ,, R o b e r t ( Bo b ) & P o l l y ( S u t t on ) C a l dw e l l h o l d i n g s o n , M a c k . C h i l dr e n o f B ob a n d P o l l y w e r e : H en r y , M a c k , R ub e n , M a i r ah , R a c h e l , M a r y , T u r ne r , a n d H a rr i s on . ,,,JI,, / ."' . ,a;! ...... , ---- fib" r.j/ J Beatrice (Grooms ) Caldw ell Henry Caldwe ll Rache l (Ca ldwe l l) Phi llips , 1 (/J r::; 0 l·j :::i :::i rn (1) l j () H 1 f<> ! r: 0 fl) t1· l j CD fi rj I-'· rt· rn 0 Q>, :::i 'D () 0 fl) f-' f-' f·-' Q, "< ; (1) f-' f-' ,_. 0 rt :::i· (1) Ii < 0 I-'· 1-] Hi 0 fl) r·t· ;r,· tJJ 0 Cl) ([) j :::i Pl I-'· rt- (D c, Ii r 1-' · :::i () (/) (D (D 0 0 -l rt \.0 G) rt· \..0 1-j , ---· ,1··,/'s ,r,.,. 0 0 G) :3 1-j rn 0 . ) 0 n :'J Ul (ll f--' Q., :::; (1) I,_·-,' Nancy (Harrell) and Edward A. Leatherwood N ancy and Edward ar e the children of Samuel and Tirza (Haynes) Leatherwood . Nancy Virani { 11- 10- 18 39 - 1929) married first to Holland Nelson , they divorced, she then married Ezekiel Harrell . Both are buried on their homeplace in Mt. Sterling, North Carolina. There was no children . Edward A. { 3 - 14 - 18 4 7 - 8 - 10- 1924 ) married first to Eliza Caldwell Grooms , E l i z a was th e widow of Henry Grooms. Eliza had two ch ildren by Henry: George and Harr ison . Edward and Eliza had four childr en : S arah Jane, James Samuel, John, and Jason. Eliza died 2- 4 - 1908 and is buried in the Sutton Cemetery at Mt. Sterling. Edward then married Rachel Smith McG aha, widow of Wilse McG aha. Edward is also buried at the Sutton Cemetery. S ar a h H a rr e l l ( E z ek i e l T . H a r r e l l ' s S i s te r ) S arah H a r r e l l ma r r i ed D a v i d ( Da v e ) W i l s o n , they a r e the p a r e n t s of Nanc y Ha s e l t i n e ( Wi l s on ) McGaha . Samuel and Prudence (Sisk) Leatherwood James Samuel Leatherwood (12-15 -1870 - 5 -5 -1946) married Prudence Sisk (2-14-1872 - 4-4-1959) on May 2 2 , 1890. Sam is the son of Ed and Eliza Leatherwood, Prudence is the daughter of Miles and Christine (Suttles) Sisk. Their children were: Della (6-5-1891 8-17-1941) married McKinnley Sutton, Etta (11-13-1893 3-2 8-196 5 ) married (1) Frank Stalhman (2) James Mack Caldwell, Callott (1019-1892 - 5-4-1962 ) married John Lewis Moore, Bernard Roe (314-1897 - 2 -2 2 -1971) married Mabel Burr McGaha, Carl (12 -151899)t Hubert (8-19-1901 - 10-9-1966 ) married (1) Marion Love (2 ) Ella Dillard, Edward (10-16-1903 - 1-1-1983) married Mabel Clark, Hiram (9-4-1906 - 5 -6 -1977) married Cora Burgess, Roy (2-1-1909 - 5 -4-1984) married Deloise Bullington. Corde l i a J a n e ( Owen ) B ur g e s s R i c h a rd H u gh a nd C o rde l i a ( Owen ) Burg e s s we re t h e paren t s o f J o h n B u r g e s s . J o h n m a rr i e d H e s t e r C o o k i n 1 8 9 1 a n d were t h e paren t s o f e l e ven c h i l dren , i nc l ud i n g C o r a ( Burge s s ) L e a th e rwood . Hiram and Cora Leatherwood Hiram Leatherwood (9- 4-1906 - 5- 6 - 1 97 7 ) married Cora Burgess on Jan. 22, 1927. Cora told us the day H iram came after her, (Cora lived in Little Cataloochee) that Bartley McGaha was bringi ng him to pick her up, but Bart ' s car broke down at Mt. Sterling Gap. Hiram got an old mule then and rode it all the way to her house. Vernon Palmer lived j ust above Cora ' s parents, he had a two horse hack so he brought it down there for them to use. Hiram and Cora rode back over the mountain to Mt. Sterling in the hack and Vernon rode the old mule beside them. Cora told us the roads wasn' t much more than a " pig ' s trail" back then. Cora still lives in the house that Hiram brought her home to that day. The house is 1 00 years old, or more. H iram' s father Sam Leatherwood (1 2-15 - 1 8 7 0 - 5 -5-1946 ) helped build the house when he was in his 20 ' s. Children of Hiram and Cora are: (1 ) Dale married Herman Miller (A) Kathy Dale Miller married Eugene Willis (1 ) Reginia Dale Willis ( 2- 25-197 8 ) ( 2 ) Donald (9- 2-1 929) married Paulina Freeman (A) Vida Lynn Leatherwood married Hoover Williamson (1 ) Cirresh Lynnette Williamson ( 8 - 6 -1 985 ) (3) Lucille (3-29-1932 ) married Giles Bryson (A) Gwendlyan Marie Bryson married Jimmy Jones (1 ) Geneva Marie Jones ( 7 - 6 -1 97 6 ) ( 2 ) Gillian Jones (5 - 21-1981 - 5 - 21 -1 981 ) (4) Roy Nease (9- 2-1 943) married (1 ) Floye Parry ( 2 ) Nancy Ruth Davis (A) David Nease Leatherwood ( 7 - 23-1 97 9 ) (5 ) H iram Elmer (10-13-1945 ) married Lola Kate McGaha. (A) Kristi Lynn Leatherwood ( 1 2- 25-1970) married (1 ) Gary Valentine ( 2 ) Jimmy Black (1 ) Shaina Darcelle Black ( 4- 2-1992 ) (B ) Michael Elmer Leatherwood ( 2-13-197 2 ) i I I I Lucille Leatherwood Gwendlyan Bryson Lucille's Daughter Elmer Leatherwood Nov. 1960 Nease Leatherwood Hiram and Cora (Burgess) Leatherwood Clarence Burgess (Cora 's Brother ) ------ " .-1 Dale Leatherwood Donald Leatherwood Hiram and Cora (Burgess) Leatherwood's Home Place . .,.. \ l ( i ', Luc i l l e a n d D a l e L e a t h e r wo o d , F a ye Moore , Agn e s a n d V e r a L e a t h e rwood 1 s t . - F r a n k l i n , K a t h r e n , and D a n i e l L e a t h e rwood , S t e v i e H a n n a h 2 n d . - D a r l ene Ca l dw e l l , M a d i e ( Ma e ) H a nna h , S an d r a C a l dwe l l 3 r d . - B u r r and B u r n L e a t h e rwood , R e v a ( Le a t h e rw o o d ) H a n n a h , W a r r e n L e a t h e rwood , E s t e l l e M c G a h a , E t t a ( L e a t he rwood ) C a l dwe l l Sutton/ Leatherwood McKinley Sutton marrie;tlell Latherwood on 7-6-1913. Children are: (1) Holl is Sutton (2-27-1911 - 8-31-1959) married Loma Hayes (5-9-1913). (A) McKinley Sutton Jr. (8-18-1930) married Ida Ruth Webb (7-12-193 1). (1) Jane Sutton (2-28-1952) married Ralph Hill (A) Matthew Ray Hill (4-9-1983) (2) Penny Sutton (2-12-1955) married Tommy Bible (A) Thomas McKinley Bible (11-22-1991) (B) Doyle Sutton (6 -23-1932) married Reva Dean Ford (6 -7-19j 2 - 4-24-1983) (1) Sharon Kay Sutton (5-3 -1953) married (1) Kalij ah Workman (2) Edgar J. Jenkins (A) James Doyl e Workman (11-31-1971) married Crystal Valentine (1) Thomas James Workman (B) Timothy Kalij ah Workman (11-21-1974) (C) Lemual Samual Workman (8-26-1976 ) (D) Edgar J. Jenkins Jr. (1-18-1986) (2) Doyle Randall Sutton (6 -3-1955) married Reba Black (A) Derrick Sutton (9-3-1980) (C) Ozel la Sutton ( 5-15-193 4) married (1) Kermit Holt (2) Lewis Foux (3 ) Dr. William J. Gutch (1) Robert Holt ( 1-11-1956 ) married Shelia Sampl es (A) Brandon Holt ( 1-19-1980) (D) Lowell Thomas Sutton ( 3 -15-1936 ) married (1) Aileen Fish (2) Shelia Hall (1) Jeffery Lowel l Sutton (10-3 1-1957) married Jane Seehorn (A) Ashley Jane Sutton (2) Kathy Sutton (10-29-1958) married (1) Terry Lindsey (2) Bobby Jack Benson (A) Joshua Benson (7-1-1981) (B) Daniel Benson (1-19-1986) Anderson Pete Sutton (4-1 6-1 941 - 2-3-1 977 ) ( C ) Rob i n B e n s o n ( 3 ) H o l l i s L . S u l. ton ( 2 - 5 - 1 9 6 0 ) marr i ed A n ge l a McNabb ( A ) H o l l i s La ndon S u t ton ( 1 1 - 2 9 - 1 9 9 3 ) ( 4 ) Haro l d S c o t t S u t t o n ( 9 - 2 3 - 1 9 7 2 ) ( 5 ) Thoma s Grcrnd S u t ton ( 9 - 1 7 - 1 9 8 0 ) ( 2 ) Mc K i n l e y R e ed S e t ton ( 9 - 8 1 9 2 0 - 1 1 - 2 8 - 1 9 6 9 ) married Doro t h y Ca l dwe l l ( 1 1 0 - 1 9 2 1 - 1 2 - 2 2 - 1 9 7 9 ) , t he i r c h i ldren are : ( A ) A n d e r s o n ( P e t e ) S u t t o n ( 4 - 1 6 - 1 9 4 1 ) marr i ed Edna O ' Ne i l ( 1 ) N i c k l a s Todd S u t t o n ( 7 - 1 5 - 1 9 6 1 ) ( B ) Jewel S u t to n ( 5 - 2 2 - 1 9 4 3 ) marr ied T homa s E . Dav i s ( 1 ) Jack Reed Da v i s ( 1 0 - 1 1 - 1 9 6 5 ) ( 2 ) S te r l i n g Thomas Da v i s ( 5 - 2 9 - 1 9 7 2 ) mar r i ed S herry R u s i ne k ( A ) Ca r r i e Da v i s ( 1 2 - 1 4 - 1 9 9 2 ) ( 3 ) Ryder S u t to n Da v i s ( 5 - 2 4 - 1 9 7 6 ) ( C ) Lore t t a S u t to n ( 8 - 3 0 - 1 9 4 4 ) marr i e d ( 1 ) Larry Ke l t ner ( 2 ) James Ta l l e y ( 3 ) James ( J i m ) Brya n t ( D ) P h y l l i s E l a i ne S u t t o n ( 8 - 2 4 - 1 9 5 1 - 7 - 2 5 - 1 9 5 2 ) S h a r o n ( S h e r r y ) S u t ton Randa l l ( Randy ) S u t ton Ch i l d r e n o f Doy l e and Reva Dean ( Ford ) S u t ton ,.. L e o n a G r e e n P r i c e ( W i f e : bf, W i l b e · P r i c e ) Granny Bar nes (Mother Caledonia Barnes McGaha ) Ap ples App les was a source of in come, so each fall and early winter the ap p les were picked from the trees, loaded on the wagon s, an d hauled to Knox ville, Ten n essee to be sold at the market. Cora (Burgess) Leatherwood t'old us she rememb red the men and older boy s would be the ones to take th e apples to Knoxville. They 'd usually be gon e 1 1/ 2 to 2 weeks makin g these trip s. It was a lon g trip from Catalooch ee an d Mt. Sterlin g to Knox ville, coverin g 60 to 70 miles of mostly dirt roads which were often muddy. It would usually take 2 to 3 day s to get there an d then an other 2 or 3 day s back, plus ever how lon g they 'd spen d at the ma rket sellin g the appl es . They had to stay with the wagon s at all times (even sleepin g in the wagon s) until all the apples were sold. Sometimes they' d. even en d up having to take the apples door to door to sell all of them. Man y bushels were kept for home use to be processed in to apple butt er an d je lly , appl esauce, canned, dried, sulphured, or stored for fresh fruit throughout the lon g winter mon ths. In my opin ion , there 's nothin g an y better than an old fashion ed stack cake, made from dried ap ples, like my mother use to make. The Cost of Living Back in the mid to late 1800's there was very little money to be had. People would trade and barter with produce and other goods. There was no factories, only saw mill work could be found and that was sometimes scarce. Sometimes there was hauling jobs that had to be done and farm work. Farm wages were very low. Women and children were hired as field hands and generally paid 35¢ a day, plus sometimes given their dinner. Children were paid 10¢ to 25¢ a day depending on their size and age. General farm labor done by grown men was 40¢ to 6 0¢ a day. These were 10 hour work days, from sunup to sundown. Wheat cradlers, ditchers, and good carpenters were usually paid 7 5¢ to $ 1 . 00 a day for 10 hours work. If hired by the week, or even by the month, a different deal was made by the landlord and as little as $ 6. 00 a month, plus their keep was paid to the hired hands. The price of a bushel of wheat was 7 5¢ to a $ 1. 00, corn 40¢ to 50¢ a bushel, a side of bacon was 10¢ to 12¢ a pound, hams 15¢ to 18¢ a pound, salt $ 1. 00 a bushel, eggs 8¢ to 10¢ a dozen, apples 35¢ to 50¢ a bushel, and cider 40¢ a- gallon. Snuff was 5¢ a "tack", tobacco 37½¢ per-cake, gun powder 50¢ a pound, wool cloth 50¢ a yard, calico and domestic 10¢ a y ard dress buttons 15¢ a dozen, a pair of shoes was a $ 1. 50 to a $ 1. 75, and "fine combs" 2 5¢ each. Dried fruit was 4¢ a pound and coffee 20¢ a pound. Blacksmiths charged 50¢ to shoe a horse, 5¢ to sharpen a plow point, and 5½¢ to "cork" a horses shoe. Retailers bought whiskey at 50¢ per gallon. Wine sold for 25¢ a pint, whiskey 12½¢ per half pint or 6¾¢ per glass, rum 12½¢ per "gill". They always kept account of the fractions of a cent. You could buy a cow, calf, and bell for $ 9. 00, a dozen geese or chickens was usually around $ 4. 00. "World's Largest Chestnut Tree" The largest tree to be cut in Haywood County, N. C. was cut on the waters of Big Creek by the Crestmont operation in the early 1920's. Mack Caldwell, of Big Creek, was familiar with the timbercutting operations of that section and he helped measure this giant chestnut tree. They measured the stump a little above the ground with a 10 foot fence rail, measuring straight across the center. Caldwell told that the diameter was almost 12 feet. The tree was rotten on the ground end, and they had to cut off 6 to 8 foot to where it was sound. The 10 foot rail fence would reach across the center of the stump, but would barely go into the hollow of the stump. Caldwell said the full measurement across was "nearly 12 feet". The first 16 foot log, beginning where the log was sound, sawed out 1, 8 00 board feet, but it was unknown how much was cut from the other 2 to 3 cutting from the tree, where the branches and upper limbs took over. The Big Creek folks like to tell of this big tree. I've heard my dad, and some of the other "Old-Timers" tell about how it was all 7 grown men could do to hold hands and barely reach around this giant tree. Some say it might have been the biggest nut-bearing tree in the world. Name Forms Orgin 1-Caldwell, Colwel l, Colwel Engli sh 2-Grooms, Groom, Groome 3-Moore (Old French meaning "more") 4-Phillips, Phillip, Phillipps, Phil lis 5-Sutton (derived from Old English "suo" "tun") 6 -Frazier, Frazie, Fraser 7-Harrell , Harrel 8-Leatherwood 9-Hicks, Ricke (derived from the medieval first name Richard) 10-McGee (transformation of the name McKay) 11-Hannah, Hanna 12-Barnes 13-Hopkins, Hopkin, Hopkinson (family name "Hobb-kin") English Engl ish, I rish, Scottish, Welsh English, German, Jewish English I rish, Scottish, English, Old French English, Jewish, Old Norse English I rish, Scottish English, I rish, Scottish English, I rish, Jewish English 14-Roberts, Robert, Robertis, English, Dutch, Roberto, Robertson French, German Meaning coal ; cool ; and spring male servants; also shepherd those who lived in a moor; great settl ement or South messengers l eather workers; l air of a wild animal ; wood those favored; transgression; immorality worked or lived near a barn; sons of upper class renown; fame; bright 15-Messer, Messerer, Messerman, Messerle 16-Ball 17-Burgess, Burges 18-Cook, Cooke 19-White (Old English word " hivit" ) 2 0-Gunter, Gontier 2 1-Price 2 2-Brown, Browne 2 3-Lewis, Lowis 2 4-McGaha (unknown orgin) 2 5-Packett (unknown orgin) German, Jewish, Scottish English English English meaning knife; cutters; or measuring stout; plump' freeman cooks; sell meat; own a restaurant English, Irish, those with white Scottish hair or skin English, Old French battle and English, Jewish, Welsh English English, Irish, Jewish, Scottish, Welsh army means prize or price; "Fiery Warrior" those with brown hair, eyes, skin, or clothes leader; fame; brightness; war Family Names Names were handed down to us from various ways such as jobs or occupation: builder, food preparer, grain grinder, blacksmith, etc. Example of last names for these jobs . • Carpenter, Cook, Miller, and Smith. Location: Someone might live near a brook, stream, hill, etc. Example of last names. • H ill, Ford, Wood, a nd Brook. Characteristics also might be used such as a small person might be named • • Small, Short, Little. A tall person might be named • . Long, Longfellow, Large. Even animals were used to name a person: Fox - a sly person, Fish - a good swimmer, Dove - a quiet person. Did You Know ? Crestmont had 2 main streets , Hart Avenue and Lacy street . These 2 streets were named for 2 men in the general office . Hart Avenue was really the railroad track with the s maller ( not as nice ) houses on both sides . Mr . Arthur Ford was Agent and Postmaster at the Crestmont Depot and Post O ffice about 1 9 0 3 . The depot was first known as the Mt . Sterling Depot , but around 1 90 3 the name was changed to Crestmont . Maria ( Hopkins ) Roberts ran the Mt . sterling Post O f fice for 40 years . WPA ( Work Proj ects Administration ) WPA was on the l ow end of the work scale , using manual labor . T he men would work on school s , building low-income housing , and roads . CCC ( Civilian Conservation Corp s ) CCC made fire trail s , roads , built s helters , helped with flood control , etc . Cataloochee means standing in a row . The Cherokee called it Gad-A-Lu-Sti . T he trail into Cataloochee was an old Indian trail that was heavily used and extremely rough . In 1 8 1 4 Henry Caldwell made the first entry for land in Cataloochee . Before the construction of I-40 through the mountains of East Tennes see there was a small community called " Naillon Town " . This little town was located one mile above Hartford, TN . past the " Gul f Hole" and below the Waterv ille Power Plant . Several families lived here . There was a small country store operated by Jim Ike and Eva Lee Gates . The store serviced several other s mall communities such as Mt . Sterling , Tobes Creek , and Barnes Valley . rai llon Town di sappeared when I-40 was started. "Moonshine Whiskey" got its name from the light by which its operators were forced to work. It is also referred to as "Mountain Dew" and "WhiteLighting". "Moonshining" was a way of life for the mountaineer passed on from one generation to the next, and to him he was doing no wrong. In 1900, John B. Hart and J.J. Holloway started construction of the railway line from Newport Junction (Eastport) to the state line at Waterville, N.C. On Sept. 1, 1902 the 19 mile stretch of track was finished. It was known as Tennessee & North Carolina Railroad Company (T&NCRR). Champion Lumber Company finished the two mile extension from Waterville to Crestmont. The T&NCRR railroad was abandoned in 1937 and sold to a company in West Virginia who dismantled it and used the rails for scrap iron. The Cotton Patch in The Bend of the River got its name from where Pat Hicks had once grown cotton there. White Rock (now known as Mt. Camerer) is a mass of peaks which towers 5, 025 feet high. It has a formation of sandstone which resembles granite and gleams in the sunlight, hence the name of White Rock. It was first known as Sharp Point and has two springs on the top, one of the springs is called "Bear Wash". The Waterville Dam has 213 steps leading from the top of the dam to the bottom. The first grist mill to be operated in Big Bend was that of Joe Packett. It was a small hand-powered mill, with a pulley belt running from the driveshaft to the wheel and turned by a hand crank. Sam McGaha was the first person to settle in Big Bend. In Feb. 1857 he obtained a deed for a 100 acre tract of land. Preserving Our Past I , l ike a lot of others , have let a lot of valuable history slip by me . When I was younger I didn ' t realize how important this history was . I guess I j ust took it for granted that someone would always be there to tell me about past history , but that ' s not true . My parents have l ong passed on , and with them went a lot of unrecorded history . I wish I ' d had the foresight back years ago to have seen j ust how valuable this history was to me . Maybe then I would have ask more questions , paid more attention to what was said, and found some way to have wrote and kept records of so much history that has been l ost . Whenever given the opportunity to record information from our past history , and our ancestors , everyone should j ump at the chance to do so . I f we ' d all take the time out of this fast -paced world we live in , and spend more time with what few " Old-Timers" there are left you ' d find the rewards were greater then you ever realized. TheS'e " Old- Timers " don ' t have a fancy education , but you ' d be surprised at the weal th of knowledge t hey hold. Knowledge they obtained first-hand, and experienced through good times and bad. Knowledge they are willing to share and pass on for future generations , if we ' ll willing to take the time and listen . This weal th of knowledge will someday be l ost and gone , i f we don ' t take the time out now to preserve our past . Within the past year I ' ve l ost two friends , both of whom I loved and respected. Both held a weal th of valuable history in t heir heads . I ' m thank ful that I took the time to spend with them , listening to what they had to say . They both lived full l i fes and was l oved and respected by many , both are missed very much ; Goldie ( Baxter ) Leatherwood ( 9 - 6 - 1 9 1 2 - 4- 2 8 - 1 9 9 5 ) , and Letha ( Packett ) Hicks ( 1 9 1 3 - 4- 2 9 - 1 9 9 6 ) . Other Books Days Gone, But Not Forgotten Days Gone, But Not Forgotten Memories Volume I Volume II Price List $ 5. 00 $ 5. 00 $ 5. 00 Days Gone, But Not Forgotten, and Memories are true stories written by Junior Ball about when he was a boy growing up, his family life, his ancestors, and stories that his parents had told him. I Remember When $ 5. 00 True stories written by Helen Cody Ball about her ancestors, the community she grew up in, her parents, and her family life. Ball Family History $ 5. 00 A research book about the history and genealogy of the Ball Family . • beginning with Osborne Ball, born about 1779. This book also includes some research on the Gunters, Grooms, and Barnes Families. Junior & Helen Ball 6 54 Hale Brook Road Newport, TN. 37821 ( 423) 6 23-5735
Part of Collection
Great Smoky Mountains - A Park for America
