Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
The Early Settlers of Upper Beaverdam
And Their Doings
As found in the Apr. 2, 1880; Apr. 9, 1880; May 7, 1880; and May 28, 1880 issues of the HICKMAN PIONEER, published in Centerville, Tennessee.
April 2, 1880
What is know as Upper Beaverdam embraces Beaverdam proper from Col. Levi McCollum up, including Joe’s Branch, Milam’s Branch, Wade’s Branch, Brushy, Piney, and the east fork Beaverdam; and, was first settled by poor, but honest people, mostly from the Carolinas – but all the men who lived in this part of Beaverdam fifty years, there are but two now remaining, viz: Robert Wade and Bartley Milam. Bartley Milam is the son of old Jordan Milam, who first settled on Milam’s Branch (near where Jonathan Arnold now lives) and from him the branch took its name; he raised a large family, to wit: Sam, John, Jordan, Wash, Bart, and perhaps some others; Jordan, Wash, and John died many years ago, the balance all left this county some thirty odd years ago for Arkansas, except Bart, who still remains.
Old Joseph Jones settled near sixty years ago on the place now owned by Elias Bates; he reared a large family, viz: Allen, George W., James, Abner, Stephen, William and Joel M.; his daughters were Polly, Joicy, Sarrene and perhaps others. About the year 1834 or 1835 old Joseph Jones sold out to old John Bates, the father of Thomas and Elias Bates, and moved to Beaverdam Springs, and improved them for the purpose of receiving boarders and keeping up a watering place, but failed to make more than a decent living, and sold out to Jesse Thart, and bought a small place in the neighborhood, on which he lived to a ripe old age; he was a strictly honest and upright man, and beloved by both young and old; his family are all gone – some of them to Arkansas, some to Missouri, and are mostly dead. Joel M. Jones, who lives near Palestine, in Lewis County, is the only one left in this country; he was the youngest child.
Old Joseph Kimmins, about the year 1821, settled near where Charles Milam now lives, near the Etna Furnace; he removed from White County in East Tennessee to Bedford County when that county was comparatively a wilderness, and from there to Beaverdam. He sold out in 1835 to Madison Napier, who bought for the purpose of going into the iron business. Old man Kimmins died near Etna Furnace in 1836; he was looked upon as a strictly honest man, and stood high in the estimation of his neighbors. He reared a family; the widow Cooper, the widow Poore, the widow Cunningham, and the widow Holbrooks of this county, were all that is left in this country. He had one son – Robert – who died in 1830, and was buried on the hill near where Charles Milam now lives; a rude stone marks his last residing place.
Mark Black moved from Bedford County, Tennessee, to the place known as the Gilmore place, one mile below Etna Furnace, in the Winter of 1826 or 1827; he was the father of Jeff, Robert, and Washington Black. Jeff died some years ago, in Whitson Bend, on Duck River; Robert died about a year ago, on Wade’s Branch; Washington is still living on Brushy. He was also the father of Henry Black, who went West many years ago; he was for many years a member of the old Baptist Church.
Henry Breece moved from Bedford County about the year 1821, and settled on the place where George Milam now lives, about one half mile below Etna Furnace; where he died about 34 years ago, from bleeding at the nose; he was a good citizen, and honest and industrious man; he was the father of Ross, Alvie and Benijah Breece, who still live on Beaverdam; after his death his widow sold out to M. C. Napier, and bought the place where Benijah Breece now lives, where she remained till her death, which occurred sometime about the year 1858.
Levi Garrett was among the first settlers on Upper Beaverdam; he settled on the place where Joel P. Morrison now lives; made some little improvement and sold his claim, and moved from place to place, sometimes holding a little place under an occupant claim until the occupant law was repealed, since which time he has never owned any land; he seemed to think the world owed him a living, and if it wouldn’t pay it, he wouldn’t make any fuss about it. He raised a large family, all of whom have gone West except two daughters, viz: Miley Black, the widow of Robert Black, and Adline Garrett, who still live in this county. The old man still lives on Indian Creek, in Lewis County; he is the rise of 80 years of age, and is very feeble.
Elias D. Morrison was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and moved with his father to Bedford County, Tenn., in 1816, where he married, and in 1822 he moved to Beaverdam, near where Etna Furnace now stands. He reared a large family – seven boys and four girls – all of whom are dead, except one son, Joel P., and two daughters, one the wife of John S. Pickard, of Sulfur Fork, and the other the widow Kelly, of Doniphan, Missouri. The old man died in 1852, on the place where John Pickard now lives; he was an honest and upright man, and a strict member of the Presbyterian Church.
April 9, 1880
Old Merrel Hinson moved from North Carolina about 1828 or 1829, and settled on the place where E. L. Miller now lives; in a few years after, in a row brought on by a drunken fellow by the name of Atkinson, he got into a fight with Charles Warren, in which (though no weapons were used) they both received wounds from which they died; his family have all died or left the country many years ago.
Robert, Berry, William, Elijah and Gilbert Hicks were all citizens of Upper Beaverdam in a very early day; some of them died here long ago, and some of them moved off – but where they went to, we do not know. Mrs. Arnold, wife of Jonithan Arnold, is the only one of a once very large family that now remains in this county. John Thompson, of Shipp’s Bend, and the young Harders, of Swann, are descendants on the mother’s side from the Hicks’ family; they were generally very quiet and good citizens.
Elias Deaton lived fifty years ago near the Cross-Roads; he was an old Baptist Preacher, a man of very common intellect and not much cultivation; he raised several very rowdying boys; he was rather fond of his dram; he moved over forty years ago to West Tennessee, and there joined the Non Resurectionists, and finally the Universalists; he was a man of not much stability.
Old Willis Dodson settled in this neighborhood over fifty years ago; he was an old Baptist Preacher, a man of very little talent, though honest and upright. He moved to Illinois over forty years ago; he returned to this neighborhood once on a visit; he is long since dead. He had a son, a Baptist preacher, who moved about thirty years ago from this county to Arkansas, and who stood very high in that country as a Preacher. I.T. Garrett, of Cane Creek, Lewis County, is a grandson of old man Dotson, and the only one of the connection now in this country.
Old Daniel Davidson, at an early day, came from North Carolina, and settled on Brushy, where Peter R. Loveless now lives; he had a large family of boys – nearly all grown men fifty years ago – Bill, Dan, Harvey, Ira and John. Many of our people remember Ira as the “Blind Preacher;” he was a man of very little ability, either natural or acquired; moved to West Tennessee over thirty years ago, but was back occasionally until his death, which occurred a few years ago. The balance of the boys all left the county for the West soon after the old man’s death, which occurred about forty-six or forty-eight years ago. Old Aunt Sally Davidson, who lives near the furnace, and the widow Lancaster, of Slipry, are his daughters, and who are the only ones of the family now in this county.
Old Spencer Tinsly was one of the early settlers of Upper Beaverdam; he owned a little grist-mill almost at the very spot where Etna Furnace now stands, near sixty years ago; he was an ignorant, inoffensive old man, and never acquired any property. He left Beaverdam fifty years ago and went up in the upper edge of the county, where he spent the most of his time for several years in trying to start perpetual motion. He finally got back to Bluebuck Creek, where he died only about three years ago, in extreme destitution, at the advanced age of almost one hundred years.
Claybern Berryman was one of the early settlers of Upper Beaverdam; he was an inoffensive old man, of not much energy; he had a large family, and shackled round from place to place without doing much good or much harm. What ever became of him we do not know.
Jerry Booth was one of the early settlers of this part of the county; he was an old man fifty years ago. He was a Conjurer Doctor, Witch Doctor – terribly uncertain – and looked upon by the superstitious as a Wizard.
There is (or was) many more here in an early day, of which we expect to speak in a short while.
May 7, 1880
Old Hooten Harris was one of the first settlers of Upper Beaverdam; he settled at an early day some where near the head of the creek – we do not know the exact place. Of his history very little is known; he left this county about 1828 for Illinois, with his family, in an ox cart drawn by a small pair of oxen. The writer, though but a child, well recollects seeing the neighbors assembled on the road side, and with tearful eyes bid a last farewell to the old man and his family. He has long since been gathered to his fathers, and what became of his descendants is not known.
William Harris (called Bill Harris for short) was also an early settler of this neighborhood. He reared a large family, viz: James, Buck, Benard and John, besides several daughters. The old man died many years ago on Beaverdam; James died some 26 or 27 years since, on the Milam Branch, at the place now owned by the Widow Fannie Harris; Buck died on Buffalo in time of the late war; Benard moved to Arkansas in the year 1850 (or about that time) where he has since died; John died, we think, in the hospital at Clarksville about February 1868. The girls all married long ago and left the country – one of them married William Breece and went to Arkansas, where she has since died; another married George Cox and moved to Missouri, and there died; another married Hugh Cox and went to the Indian Territory, and whether she is living or dead we do not know. Ben and Dick Harris, of Wade’s Branch, are all the male descendants of William Harris now remaining in this country.
Old Billy Morrison was one of the early settlers of Upper Beaverdam, and was, we think, from Virginia. He settled about the year 1820 some where near Etna Furnace now stands. He was familiarly known by the rather euphonious name of “Old Short and Dirty,” a named derived from his lowness of stature, and his extreme filthy habits. He was so poor that himself and family went dressed in thin cotton clothes both winter and summer, and generally in rags at that; he has been seen, when upwards of ninety, dressed in very thin cotton clothes and stark barefooted in the dead of winter, and he would walk over the frozen ground apparently as insensible as the dumb brutes. He generally tended a little mill for some person in the country; he never did own any property; he reared a family of three boys and two girls, viz: Bill, Jim, Joe and Lydia, one other daughter whose name we have forgotten; James was a man of family near fifty years ago; he like his father would go almost naked and barefooted through the hardest weather that came, and appeared to enjoy himself as well, as if he possessed all the luxuries that heart could wish; he raised a family of six or eight children, who were an indolent and unthrifty set, some of whom are dead, and some are living in Perry County, and one (daughter) is living on the Milam Branch in this county yet. Bill left this county near fifty years ago, and what ever became of him we do not know. Joe wandered from place to place, a thriftless, indolent, dissipated tramp, and finally died some ten or years ago in Perry County, and was buried at the expense of the county; he left no family; he married when young, but soon separated from his wife, and never married again. The old man died on this creek some eighteen or twenty years ago, at the ripe age of near one hundred years – a striking proof that it is not luxury, refinement, or even the ordinary comforts of life, that secure good health and long life. Ebenezer Morrison, is the grandson of Old Billy, and is about the only one of his male descendants now in this county.
Old John McCann (usually called “Wee Johnny”) was one of the early settlers of Upper Beaverdam, where he was from we do not know. He was so extremely small was the reason why he was designated. “Wee Johnny.” He was by trade a sley maker, and in early times “Wee Johnny” was always on hand at musters, elections, sales and public gatherings with his bundles of sleys ready to supply the weavers, for in those times every family had its loom, wheel and cards, and the sley maker was as necessary as the blacksmith or wheel-right. Old John raised several children, viz: James, Elijah, Andrew, Henry and Thomas. James has for several years been a Justice of the Peace in the Lobelville district of Perry County, but is now living on Wade’s Branch in this county – he is a good citizen. Elijah died in the Mexican War. Andrew is in Texas, and we learn is doing well. Henry and Tom went West we think, and died. “Wee Johnny” also raised several daughters – Betsey married Jerry Jackson, a man admitted by all to be the biggest liar according to his sense that ever lived in the county; Polly married Ebenezer Morrison, and Rebeca married Allen Morrison; they were all very poor, all of them never more than able to live, and scant at that; they raised large families, which candor compels us to say are very worthless. Very few of either the Morrison or McCann family had any education, could neither read nor write; they were of Dutch descent and retained all the superstitions of their ancestors, but were generally considered honest; their notions of religion and morals were very vague, and not of the character to be encouraged or fostered in a refined community.
May 28, 1880
Old John Angel was among the early settlers of Upper Beaverdam; he settled at the place where the widow Banks now lives, probably sixty years ago, where he was from we do not know; he was an honest, upright man, one who attended to his own business, and we believe was a member of the Old Presbyterian Baptist Church. He raised four sons, viz: William, James, Ben and John. Bill left this country some fifty years ago, and what ever became of him we do not know. James married in this county and raised a large family; he was a very clever citizen; he left this country about the year 1849 for Arkansas, where we learn he was brutally murdered by outlaws during the late war. Ben and John died on Beaverdam. The old man left this country some thirty – five or forty years ago, but where he went to or what became of him we do not know.
Thomas Green was an early settler on Upper Beaverdam; he lived near sixty years on the place where Boss Breece now lives; he was a blacksmith by trade; he was a very stout, able-bodied man, somewhat dissipated in his habits, very superstitious, and when in liquor had no objection to a social know-down, would go in a ring and fight any man with his fist – but would have scorned to use a weapon on any man, for in those days men fought fair and honest, and often merely for the sake of testing their manhood. Thomas Green raised several children, to-wit: John and Dick, Patsy, Peggy and Lilly, and perhaps some others; his girls were very fine looking women; his oldest daughter married John Trull, and left her about 1830. John married Cathy Hicks some forty years ago, but for some cause soon separated from her, and went to Arkansas, and has never returned, where it is said he is doing well; he is the father of our former tax-collector, Robert F. Green, of this neighborhood. The old man with the remainder of his family, left this country and went West, we think over forty years ago. The old man was looked upon as somewhat tricky, disposed to take advantage of his neighbors in little neighborhood transactions, and lived very unhappily with his wife - though we think this was generally attributed more to the faults of his wife than himself. We have never heard from any of them, but John, since they left this country.
Little George Hinson was a citizen of Beaverdam at an early day; he came from North Carolina to this country about the year 1829 or 1830; he was fond of his dram; and when in liquor would rather fight than eat, and we guess he had more fights than any man that lived in the county; and it did not matter with him whether he whipped or got whipped, he was always ready to try it over at any time; he raised several children, viz: Elijah, Jordan, Larkins, Sam, and two daughters (at least) and perhaps more – one of whom married Enoch Barber, and one Temple Garrett. Elijah and Jordan are living in Perry County, in this State, where they have raised large families. Sam went to Missouri. We think Larkins died or was killed in the late war. The old man died about twenty years ago, in this or Lewis County, in extreme destitution – probably in a great measure the result of a life of dissipation; a good many of his descendants are very honorable and high-minded gentlemen.
Old man Lovett was one of the early settlers of Upper Beaverdam; he settled on Wade’s Branch, then called Maurie’s Branch, at the place now owned by James McCann; where he was from we do not know; he was an inoffensive old man, and raised a large family, so far as we know all boys, viz: Jesse, John, Sam, Reuben, Eli and Levi, and perhaps one or two others – some of whom were good citizens, and some rather wild and dissipated in their habits. John married a Miss. Cox on Wade’s Branch, and lived in this county until about 1848 or 1849, when he left and went West, we think to Arkansas. The old man moved West many years ago, and all the rest of his family – except Jesse, who in his young days was very poor. He took a lease about the year 1840 on the place where Stephen Murphree now lives, and was said to be the hardest working man that ever lived in that neighborhood. He stayed there a year or two and moved from there to Duck River where by hard licks he has secured for himself a good home. He has raised a large family, some of them still live around him, and some have married and gone to other countries, and some are dead. Jesse has always been considered a very good citizen. What ever became of the old man and the balance of his family after leaving this country we do not know.
Old Arthor Atkinson moved from Bedford County, in this State, to this neighborhood about 1830; he settled we think on Wade’s Branch, at the place known as the Jesse Bates place; he came to this county rather under a cloud, that is, there where rumors followed him with suspicion; his wife was said to be a good woman; they only raised three or four children, viz: John T., of Milam’s Branch – Bill, who married a daughter of Thomas Warren’s and went to Missouri, where himself and about all his family (we think) have died. He was of a roving disposition, fond of his dram, his fiddle, his gun and a deck of cards; he was rather a worthless, shiftless kind of fellow. Old Arthur raised one daughter, who we think married Sam Lovett, and what ever became of them we do not know; whether they had another daughter we do not know. John F. Atkinson first married Milly McClaren, a sister of Reuben McClaren, of this vicinity, by whom he raised one girl and three boys. The girl married John Belfield and Whit; Dan married a daughter of Charles Caughron’s, and one married Jones Rivers’ daughter, and the other is still single. John F. lost his first wife soon after the war; he then married the Widow Sarah Maberry, widow of Wesley Maberry, and is still living on Milam’s Branch, in this district; the people have honored him several times with the office of Constable and Justice of the Peace. Old man Arthur Atkinson’s first wife was drowned in Beaverdam, near where McCollum’s mill now stands, about the year 1845, after which he married the Widow Nancy Gill – they sometimes lived together and sometimes were apart. He was of a roving disposition, would take trips off from home and be gone for a year or two at a time, and rumor said generally married wherever he stopped for any length of time; he has been dead for upwards of twenty years.
Cleave McCann was an early settler of Wade’s Branch; he left this country long ago; he never married while here, and what became of him we do not know; while here he did but little good in the world, and not much harm; he appeared to be one of creation’s supernumeraries.
Note: For clarity, corrections were made to some misspelled names and words.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/tn/hickman/messages/610.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|