Re: Gordon's question on ceceder churches. This is just my speculation. I have my ggfather's minutes ledger from when he was clerk of the Sasafrass Gap Primitive Baptist Church. Near as I can tell, this church came into being in the 1870's and it appears that this church "seceded" from Sols Creek. It contains a partial list of members and many were former members, including my gggfather James N. Cathey, who was one of the founders of Sols Creek. I believe this church bit the dust sometime during the mid-1880's and most of the members returned to Sols Creek. James N. Cathey's 1888 obituary mentions that he "saw the error of his ways" and re-joined Sols Creek before his death. I haven't found any other mention of this church, other than the minutes that I have, but it makes for hysterical reading. Members were ex-communicated for "speaking evil indignities" (whatever that is) and similar stuff. They were quite radical, believing in foot washing and such. Bet there were a few of these radical "cededer churches" up in those mountains. Re: the Plott hounds. This is from "Western NC - a History", by John Preston Arthur. "The motive which prompted the settlement of most of the mountain counties was the desire of the pioneers to hunt game. To that end dogs were necessary, the long bodied, long legged, deep mouthed hound being used for deer, and a sort of mongrel, composed of cur, bull and terrier, was bred for bear. The Plott dog, called after the famous bear hunter, Enos Plott, of the Balsam mountains of Haywood county, was said to be the finest bear dogs in the State". No mention of the Plott Balsams, though. Shawna