WOW!! Gabbie! What a goodie... wish it was Dickson!... and Gabbie is a walking encyclopedia.. tween him and Ira we have it covered! You haven't lived till you see the two of them in hot pursuit of somebodys kin... -----Original Message----- From: Raymon Lindsey <gabbie@aeneas.net> To: DanvilleCrossing-L@rootsweb.com <DanvilleCrossing-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, July 18, 1999 6:20 PM Subject: Re: Road Names ....1844 > >HI Dave and ALL: > As a 72 year man who was raised in the Big Sandy - Danville area I may be >of some help finding a home or farm location? I also have a homemade MAP of >the >area between" Benton Cut" and Danville made about 15 years ago by my wifes >unkle TROY WYNN before he died ,Troy only had a 5th grade ED. but he shows >where most everyone lived between 1910 & 1980 and even had an X showing >where special events happoned ie. where his father was kicked by a mule >that shattered his knee when Troy was 11 years old and he had to finish the >crop. > a pretty good way to find a Farm location is by " RANGE & SECTION " most >of the area near Big Sandy was RANGE 9 and the section was the area that >later became the voter district ie. sec.9 (Faxon area} about 1860 became >Dist.9 and > Most Deeds used creeks , rivers,branches,and other known landmarks for >location id. > if any one needs help in this area let me know.gabbie > P.S. I plan on bringing the MAP to the Next D C reunion. > >At 09:26 AM 7/18/99 -0700, you wrote: >>Hi Lillie, >> >>Some roads still bare their old names, ie, Point Mason, Natchez Trace, >>etc.....but most never had names per se. >> >>Early on roads were catagorized as to their 'class', ie, 1, 2, 3, Turnpike >><yeah Benton Co had a Turnpike thru it>. State set the rules for the >>classification as to width and such. I've read the statutes but don't >>remember where and am to lazy this morning to look them up. Also, >>Tennessee is a 'meets & bounds' state, which means that surveys and road >>lay-outs are specified by physical items on the land, eg, 120 yards to the >>White Oak tree with the ugly branch, then west 60 yards to the eastern >>border of Ulma Thurmonds Super-Duper Beauty Palor for the Celebrity >>Wannabees. This makes it really tuff sometimes to figure out from an old >>surveyors description just where a piece of property laid, plus alot of the >>old landmarks are gone, like the old trees. >> >>The roads additionally were in a state of flux, and you have to follow the >>Court Minutes carefully, eg, The roads around Big Sandy were constantly >>being rerouted as oldtimers died and their land divided and traffic to the >>old homestead decreased. The old route would be declassified and new routes >>'cut' and 'classed'. Additionally, as river and creek beds demanded, new >>routes would be forged to overcome weather related problems such as lowland >>flooding in an attempt to make the roads more weather proof. >> >>'Highway' classified roads appear to be named after the towns that they >>connected. ei. Pt. Mason Road went from Big Sandy to Pt. Mason, Faxon Road >>went to Faxon, Lick Creek went to Lick Creek. I don't know where New Hope >>Road was supposed to go. I can only imagine. Lower class roads really >>didn't have names......you said you were going to Wyatt's Mill or Widow >>McKenzies and everyone knew the roadway you were going to take to get there. >> >>But all is not lost just because you don't have a modern road name. >>Careful study of the road records from the present back to the beggining >>can be fairly accurate, and once you begin to include surveyors records you >>can fairly well pinpoint an old homestead. You gotta remember, these folks >>wouldn't go out and make or particularly change a road for fun. They had >>to be prodded by the authorities to stop farming or 'resting' to go out and >>clear land for a new road. So once a road was laid-off, I don't believe it >>was changed very often. I suspect current roads are fairly close to the >>original roads with only minor changes. Roads that were 'declassified' >>because of lack of use, were just left to be reclaimed by nature, but you >>may still find evidence of their original route. Wonder how they marked >>the 'Mile Trees'. >> >>Hope this helps, >> >>Dave >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- >>--------- >>At 08:22 AM 7/18/99 -0500, Lillie Cotham wrote: >>>Dave, >>>You have renewed my hope of finding where my Matheny relatives lived. >>>After visiting the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, I had given up hope of >>>finding the location. I was planning on looking at deeds. Now I will >>>look at the Court Minutes. I see you have done much research, a lot >>>ahead of my 2+ years, in this area. Would you happen to know if the >>>roads are still named the same now as then. For those of you who haven't >>>been there, this is strictly country, even to an old life-time country >>>girl. >>>Lillie >>> >>> >>>==== DanvilleCrossing Mailing List ==== >>>GENEALOGY is like Hide & Seek: >>>They Hide & I Seek !! >>> >> >> >>==== DanvilleCrossing Mailing List ==== >>My family tree must have been used for Firewood !!! >> >> > > >==== DanvilleCrossing Mailing List ==== >My family Coat of Arms ties at the back ...... >is that normal ??? >