A fixation with the past often has me thinking about how ancestors travelled. While researching my 4th great-grandfather John Ogan’s ties to Richard Bull and Fanny Bray, I found trees that link this couple to John Bull. Could Richard possibly be the son of John Bull who was a pioneer of Hawkins County? He became well known in the area as one of the first settlers who obtained a North Carolina land grant for 55 acres on Bays Mountain. This was near an east-west passageway over the mountain that became known as Bull’s Gap (Source: npgallery.nps.gov). According to Lyn Morrison of
Slow Travels, this road was an important artery of transportation that followed an ancient Indian trail from Abingdon, Virginia to White’s Fort (Knoxville), Tennessee.
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| Rogersville Junction aka Bulls Gap by Rand McNally & Co. 1882 on commons.wikimedia.org |
In 1857, the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad began construction of a line to run between Bristol and Knoxville. This line then connected to Atlanta, Georgia with connections to Washington, D.C., Knoxville, Memphis, Augusta, and Charleston.
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| Certificate vignette from the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company issued in 1853. Source: scripophily.net |
In 1866, the railroad consolidated to become the East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad. Bull’s Gap became a strategic location during the Civil War. Many battles were fought here to gain control of the railroad and town and this resulted in damage that would be repaired and rebuilt. Trains were a popular mode of travel and Bulls Gap became a popular stop along this route.
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| Source: 12 Dec 1863, page 2, The Evansville Daily Journal at Newspapers.com |
Unfortunately, rail travel lost its popularity when Americans fell in love with the automobile and U.S. Highway 11E and State Road 66 drew businesses and residential development away from the rail system and the growth of Bulls Gap dwindled. The old train depot was eventually torn down but several buildings that were built much later remained.
The historic district of Bulls Gap was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Many of the buildings on the inventory list were built in the early 1900’s but one building, the Old Guima Hotel, was built about 1856. That is still much later than John Bull’s arrival in the gap. I wonder what new form of transportation will come to Bulls Gap?
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| Old Guima Hotel in Bulls Gap. Source: www.oldhousedreams.com |
Very interesting topic to write about, I enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDeleteI run the Ogan Y-DNA project and the two Ogans we have tested from the line in TN are NOT the lines in VA (i.e., Peter who m. Euphemia nor Thomas who m. Ann) There is a Thomas Ogan, b. ca 1778 who went to TN and then to western OH; not the same Thomas as in VA.
ReplyDelete1805: Grainger Co, TN, 22 Aug 1805. Marriage Bond for Arthur Overton and Nancy Bragg. Signed by John Ogan. Fanny Bray m. Richard Bull 11 May 1805 Grainger Co, TN, John Ogan bondsman
1810: r. Grainger Co, TN for Peter Ogan
1814: Grainger Co, TN, March 17, 1814, p. 524 #4004.
1814: Grainger Co, TN, 17 Mar 1814., p. 524, #3723. Office of the 5th Dist. of No. 58 dated 1814 founded on Certif. #56 & 58 issued…unto Alexander Outlaw for two hundred acres of Land....which are assigned to John Ogan
1814: Grainger Co, TN, August 15, 1814, pg. 525 #4044…an Entry #1137 deeded Aug 15, 1814 founded in a certificate of number 58...to Alexander Outlaw for one hundred acres of Land...the whole of which are assigned to John Ogan the enterer (see #4045)
1814: Grainger Co, TN "Grainger County Tax Lists 1814-1815". Page 8, A list of polls in the Bounds of Capt. Robert McGinnis for the year 1814 with the amount of taxes. It lists John Ogan owning 50 acres.
(Page 34, List of Polls of Taxable property in the Bounds of Capt. Robert McGinnis for the year 1815. Lists Thomas Ogan owning 200 acres. Is Thomas a brother to John Ogan who was married to a Hannah.)
1824: Grainger Co, TN DB ??, 15th Nov 1824, p. 60-61. "... have the following bounds...Thomas Adams, Peter Ogan and the lands of John Ogan's plantation…
1826: Grainger Co, TN Court Minutes (1824-1844), p. 219, Monday, Aug. 21st 1826. With leave of the Court John Ogan administers…goods & Chatles rights & credits of John Ogan jun Deceased…that Catharine Ogan the widow & relict of Said John Ogan Decd relinquishes her rights of administration in favor of Said John Ogan Sen…
1826: Grainger Co, TN, Court Minutes, Monday, Nov 20th 1826, p. 257. John Ogan Snr administrator of the estate of John Ogan Jur Deceased returns amt of Sales of Said estate
1826: Grainger Co, TN, Court Minutes, Monday, Nov 20th 1826, p. 257. Ordered by the court that John Ogan Ct (?) acts (?) McAnally Rial Jennings John P. Jennings...or any five of them be a jury of view to piece of road leading through Andrew Elders Land and on...next term of this Court. (Court Minutes (1824-1844), p. 240, Nov. 20, 1826)
1830: Grainger Co, TN census: John Ogan & wife were between ages 50-60 yrs
1832: Claiborne Co, TN, November 4, 1832 (possibly 1831), pg. 331 #20345, 500 acres adjoining Kings survey, on the north side of Clinch River, opposite War Creek etc.
1834: Grainger Co., TN Inventories of Estates & Wills-1833-1852, Reel 33, p. 187. INVENTORY August the 16th, 1834 Inventory of property of JOHN OGAN, deceased, to wit, Ten head of horses,...and one trowel. PETER OGAN
1836: ("Distant Crossroads", vol. XVII, July 2000 pub by Hawkins Co, Gen. & Historical Soc.) 29 Dec 1836 Hannah (x) Ogan, widow and relict of John Ogen, deceased and John (x) Epperson and Fanny (x) Epperson his wife and Benjamin Bray, guardian to Polly M. Ogan, granddaughter to John Ogan, deceased and Peter Ogan, all heirs by law of the Estate of John Ogan, dec'd …etc…to Peter Wolfe of Hawkins Co, TN….adjoining where Peter Wolfe now lives, Benjamin Bray; Lewis Mitchel, S.M. Epperson…
1838: Grainger Co, TN, p. 291, 5 Mar 1838. Guardian Report of Benjamin Bray for Polly M. Ogan.
1840: Grainger Co, TN, p. 104, 21 Dec 1840. Settlement, Peter Ogan, Administrator for John Ogan, dec'd. Mentions Hannah Ogan widow of deceased, John Epperson who intermarried with Phamy Ogan, Peter and others.
1841: Grainger Co, TN, p. 368, 9 Jan 1841. Account of Sale, Estate of John Ogan, dec'd. Mentions Hannah Ogan, John Epperson, John Hayes, Benjamin Bray, James McDaniel, A. Wolf, E. Dalton and others. Signed Peter Ogan admins.
Very interesting
ReplyDeletePaula,
ReplyDeleteStill working in an Ogan DNA connection or other connections between Peter and Phamy Ogan of Frederick and Hampshire Co., VA (Hampshire Co is now in WV) and John Ogan of Grainger, TN. In Fold3 I found the letters from Margaret McDaniel thru a lawyer or ombudsman to the Rev War pension board. Also doing a general search using Ogan as the search term, I think I found some links to a McAnally pension petition and Ogan's in Ohio. McAnally is on the roster with Thomas Ogan in Morgan's Riflemen. A Peter Ogan, maybe Peter Bell Ogan, grandson of Evan (m. Susannah Fritter) Ogan,
writing as a character witness.
Are you aware of any other connections between Ogan's in TN with Ogan's in Ohio? Emily Aulicino sent out a query about Ogan's in Guernsey Co, Ohio- names Peter Ogan, John Ogan, Evan Ogan, who all maybe were sons of Peter (m. Phamy) Ogan).
In my estimation the first few Ogan generations in North America followed traditional naming methods. So with the Ogan's of Grainger and Tazewell and the Ogan's of Ohio both using Peter, John, Phamy, and Evan as first names harks of a connection to Peter and Phamy Ogan. And so in my mind saying they are sons of Peter and Phamy.
Emily's family went west to Ohio and Indiana whereas my Ogan's went to Kentucky and Missouri. Emily is beginning to be swayed that Evan (Susannah) Ogan is a son of Peter (Phamy). So if connection between some Ogan's in Ohio with Ogan's in Tennessee, even though not primary (legal) sources, may point to those connections.
I lost (deleted) your original December email to me.
Chet Ogan
chetogan@gmail.com