Week 39 #52Ancestors: Map It Out

Where did James and Malissa Sutton live?  I have pondered this many times but began to try and locate their property once again after my return from this year’s Tennessee trip.  I was very intrigued after visiting the Wolfe-Bray Cemetery as it would seem they lived nearby.  Looking through some of my genealogy books was helpful as I discovered a hand drawn map of Thorn Hill in Ramblings from the North Side of Clinch Mountain, Pictorial History of Some Early Families of Thorn Hill by Betty White Martin.  Pam Epperson and I drove along Indian Creek Road a few times to get to our family cemeteries.  This area lies in District 1 of Hancock County as depicted in another photo of Hancock County.  

Indian Creek Road in Hancock County, Tennessee

According to the 1870 and 1880 census, the Sutton property was located in District 7, Hancock County, Tennessee and Peter Wolfe’s property was in District 1. I discovered an old map in the book, Hancock County Tennessee and its people, Volume II, 1994 that provides the location of its districts.  Going back to the lawsuit that occurred over James’ property, the description of the 50 acres in dispute says its location was near the top north side of the Caney Ridge and continued to the south side where the property line joined Isham Sutton’s land (his brother).  Unfortunately, I don’t see a Caney Ridge but I do see Caney Valley and believe to have a general idea of where the land was located.

Edited Hancock County map showing Districts 1 & 7

As I look at the terrain then I realize the Clinch River separates these areas.  How were the bodies transported to the Wolfe-Bray Cemetery?  Being curious about some burial practices, I discovered a thesis by an East Tennessee State University graduate:  Stansberry, Donna W., "Burial Practices in Southern Appalachia." (2004). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 965. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/965.  I learned that McNeil’s Funeral Home was the first to be established in Sneedville and that wasn’t until 1936. Up until then, most families took care of their dead at home. Few people were embalmed so the body was bathed and dressed then laid out with a sheet draped over it until the coffin was completed.   Deaths involved the community and that included digging the grave.  Problems could occur due to the mountainous, rocky terrain and dynamite was sometimes used to break through the rock. Can you imagine? The body was loaded into a wagon where it was pulled by a steer or mules to the cemetery and family and friends walked behind the wagon.  Once they arrived at the grave some hellfire preaching would begin.  How did they cross the Clinch?  Perhaps by ford or ferry as the map below reveals some historical crossing information. 

Source: The Role of Ferry Crossings in the Development of the Transportation Network in East Tennessee, 1790 – 1974 by Tyril Gilce Moore Jr., University of Tennessee – Knoxville

Now I need to revisit Sutton Hollow and find out if James and Malissa's home was nearby.  Another day, another time.

Sutton Hollow Road near Sneedville, Tennessee

Week 38 #52Ancestors: Cousins

This year I dedicated to writing about my paternal ancestors and, thanks to many cousins that I’ve gathered along the way, discoveries have been made in East Tennessee.  Pam Epperson drove from Ohio to meet me once again in East Tennessee to do some research and meet more of the extended family tree.  Time was dedicated to the cemetery hunt for ancestors and this year I was determined to find the Wolfe Cemetery and cousin Pam was up for the hunt!

Find A Grave Site for the Wolfe Cemetery

Find A Grave is a website many use to find their ancestors' graves and I discovered several relatives buried in this cemetery.  A review of the information provided made me think it wouldn’t be hard to find.  Ha!  Actually I had been forewarned by Cousin Elsie Stewart that I would need a four wheeler to get to it. The website location information:  behind the Providence Church in Hancock County, Tennessee.  Well, there is more than one Providence Church so this isn’t helpful.  Luckily, Pam found one of the churches located off Indian Creek Road which was near the Clement Cemetery she planned to visit so I was hopeful that both of us would end the day with visits to ancestors' graves.  The Clement Cemetery was easy to find and we made photo stops along the way of the beautiful countryside.  As I strolled through the cemetery I noticed headstones for John McDaniel and Ruth McDaniel Postle so I photographed them for research when I returned to OKC.  As I suspected, John is the great-grandson of my 4^th great-grandfather, John McDaniel, and that makes him my second cousin three times removed.  Ruth is the daughter of John so she is my third cousin two times removed.  

Clement Cemetery

The Providence Missionary Baptist Church would be much further down Indian Creek Road but there was plenty of time in the day to make it there.  As we drove along this road, Pam noticed that the barn that once belonged to her Shockley grandparents was still standing and that called for a photo stop.

Shockley Barn Photo taken by Pam Epperson

Finally we arrived at Providence Road and turned.  I was very excited but as I pulled into the graveled parking lot my heart sank as no cemetery was in sight.  We decided to park and look around.  Pam had a great idea -- see if the church was open.  Indeed it was!  We looked inside to see if there was paperwork that might mention the cemetery but there was nothing.  However, there were copies of the Mulberry Gap Missional Baptist Association pamphlets so, as copies were plentiful, we took a couple to further investigate.  As we pulled away, we drove up Pawpaw Road to see if a cemetery was further up the way.  Not finding one, we headed back to Indian Creek Road and stopped to talk to a man working near the road. He gave us directions to a Wolfe Cemetery down Antrican Road so we turned around to hunt it down.  He was the sweetest man as he must have went over the directions seven times to make sure we would find our way.

Roads located near Providence Missionary Baptist Church

This cemetery would turn out to be a bust as it only had about four graves but they were Wolfe’s.  Sigh!  There was even another Wolfe Cemetery that we passed on Highway 131 as we drove back and forth to the farm.  Finally as we sat in the Clinch Mountain Lookout Restaurant waiting to be served, I followed Pam’s recommendation and contacted the Hancock County Historical Society.  The lady tried to be helpful but could only tell me that the cemetery was located on Kermit Winstead’s property.  She recommended that I contact the McNeil Funeral Home to see if they could direct me to its location.  Unfortunately, when the director said it might be in the Pawpaw district then my heart sank once again as I explained that I visited one near that area that wasn’t it.  He did not offer up more information so our conversation ended.

In the meantime, Pam contacted an East Tennessee Cemetery researcher who stated the Wolfe-Bray Cemetery was on Pawpaw Rd. about a quarter mile up the road on the right.  This was near the Providence Missionary Baptist Church but not behind it.  Off we went again down Indian Creek Rd. turning onto Providence Rd. and onto Pawpaw Rd. looking to our right.  Once again we could not locate it so Pam suggested we look to see if someone along the road was home that could give us directions.  Luckily as we drove back toward the church, a man was standing on his porch probably watching us drive up and down so we drove down his driveway to chat.  He was friendly but looked a bit weathered and had layers of medical tape across his nose.  Pam opened her window and asked him if he knew of the Wolfe Cemetery located on Kermit Winstead’s property.  He walked over to the car and said he of knew of a cemetery on the property but never heard it called that before.  I asked him what name he knew it by and he said, “nothin’.”  I laughed but he pointed the way and said to park near the gravel that was poured on the road for Kermit’s burial.  He said not to drive up to the cemetery as we could get stuck as the area had a lot of rain.  So I found the patch of gravel and told Pam she could stay in the car if she wasn’t up for the hike but she opened her door and said she wanted to see it.  Up the hill I sprinted but I had reservations as it wasn’t in sight then as I topped the hill there were headstones nestled amongst the trees. Finally!!

Wolfe-Bray Cemetery on Kermit Winstead's property

As I walked through the cemetery looking for relatives, I was so excited to come face to face with Malissa Wolfe Sutton’s headstone.  I must admit that I walked up and said, "There you are!" I scoured the area hoping to find James Sutton’s headstone. They are my 2x’s great-grandparents.  As I walked behind Malissa’s headstone, a gust of wind blew through the trees and I found myself being pulled backward.  Turns out a limb had caught me but I laughed and asked Malissa if she wanted me to stay a while longer.  The cemetery is in need of some tender loving care and tree trimming and I wonder if many people visit it.  I have to say that these Suttons, Brays, and Wolfes are well hidden. Another Tennessee genealogy adventure done and this was on my bucket list.  Now I need to research Kermit’s ancestral line to see if his farm was previously owned by one of my ancestors.  Thank you Pam for sticking with me on this search.  I truly appreciate it!

Pam Epperson resting up at the Dalton Farmhouse in Thorn Hill, Tennessee