The growing season in SWVA is too short for cotton. One of the large money makers in SWVA is the timber business. In William C. Pendleton's book, History of Tazewell county and Southwest Virginia 1748-1920 is a photo of a large walnut log being exported from Tazewell co. The log is loaded on a large wagon which is drawn by eight horses and a man standing on the wagon floor is just head high taller than the diameter of the log! I personally have seen remnants of Tazewell Co. chestnut stumps exceeding 48 inches in diameter. Pendleton gives a good account of the finance of Tazewell county folks. I recommend it to all. David. M. Burke deburgh@scescape.net

Eddie asks if cotton was ever grown in southwest Va.? While cotton will grow in this area, I don't believe it was ever grown commercially here. Flax was the fiber crop of choice in the mountains..Old records in Wythe county list the amount of flax and "rotted flax" people had..I don't know the process, but apparently the flax was "broken" and allowed to rot in order to extract the fibers..I saw a "contraption" at an old house in Smyth County, Va. when I was about nine years old and my mother told me it was a "flax breaker" so apparently she had seen them before.. I imagine that weavers during that time made fine linen to sell from the flax.. On Shipping cattle: Just as they did in the old west, early settlers had cattle drives and "drove" their cattle to markets which had developed to the east..Daniel Boone and the Bryans and other settlers drove cattle from the Yadkin River Valley over Blue Ridge Mountain and all the way to Powell Valley, a very long journey in 1774.. When I was a teenager, we shipped cattle by railroad to Baltimore for sale..There was a stockyard and loading ramp at Wyndale, Va. at that time.. G. Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va.

Is it possible that in some cases, when a man was purchasing land from members of his family, he may have worked for the land? My grandfather purchased acreage from his mother-in-law and her heirs. Contract stated that he would pay so much each year for 15 yrs., work the land, mend the fences, and keep up the land. Just a thought!!! Pat

Today I went to the grave of my gggrandfather, Henry Roberts, on Rattle Creek, in Washington County, Va. and I was reminded of how he acqured his first farm about 1835..Bought over a hundred acres and paid $90.00 dollars in produce down on the farm and agreed to pay a similar amount in meat and produce for three years. The produce was valued "at Abingdon market prices". He paid for the land and I believe is buried on his original farm, however he bought several thousand acres after that and was one of the wealthier farmers in Washington County in 1860..During the Civil War his "Stave Mill" at Greendale, Va. furnished barrell staves to the saltworks at Saltville, Va. All the Staves were hauled by horses and wagon about 15 or 20 miles to the saltworks..Henry also operated a mill and a store at Greendale..His money was in gold bars, not Confederate bills! He was a Captain in the Washinton county Reserves during the war and lost one son also..It was because of Henry Roberrts that my ggrandfather and his son owned a good farm along the North Fork Holston river. G. Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va..

During the Civil War there was a man named White who was ordered to report for military service in Washington county, Va. but he decided to "hide out" and went to a cave along North fork Holston River, not far from his home..He made a living for his family by building furniture inside that cave and selling it to flatboat operators who were transporting salt from Saltville, Va. down to the Mississippi..I have heard that a table made by Mr. White is still in existance in Washington co. Va. G. Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va.....

Frankfort, Ky. Joel Jones was born approximately in 1785 and he owned 160 acres of land. Joel paid taxes from 1828 through 1832 in McMinn Co. Tenn. He served as a juror in Sept. 1827. He acquired a land grant in 1827 for the 160 acres mentioned previously. He held two estates sales, one in 1832 and was named on a debt note in 1841 along with Anderson Jones, Who may be Joel's son. William Jones was born in 1755 and lived near Joel Jones. William is possibly Joel's father. In the 1830 McMinn Co. Tenn. census, Joel was listed as having eight sons and one daughter. The oldest child was born around 1808 with the youngest born in 1830. The youngest child was Francis M. Jones and his brother Aaron Jones was born two years before him in 1828. In the 1840 census, the family no longer lived in Tenn. Neither the wife or the children's names were given in either census. Joel's wife likely died before he moved to Kentucky because there was a marriage to Sarah Turner on May 25, 1844 when Joel was 54 years of age. His son, Aaron ,married Sarah's sister, Sidney Turner. In the 1850 Bell Co. census, Joel and Sarah were listed with their two children, Elizabeth J. and Joel Wiley Jones. In the 1870 census, Joel is listed as 81 years of age, Sarah is 56 and Wiley is 23. Elizabeth J. is declared to be married. Joel Jones died on Feb. 4, 1877. Aaron and Sidney (Turner) Jones lived next door to Joel and Sarah. Aaron and Sidney had one child in the 1850 Bell Co. census, the following children were listed: John Jones born in 1851, Mary Jones born in 1854, and David Jones born 1856. Also listed but unknown to whom they belonged was Speed well Turner, born 1854, John Turner, born 1856, Martha Turner, born 1860, and Margaret Turner born in 1865. In the 1910 Census Aaron is reported as deceased. Sidney is listed as Celia Jones, 78 years of age in the Bell Co. Census. Also declared was Speed Turner born in 1878 and his adopted son Dewey Turner, age 9, born in 1901. Joel Jones, was born in Tenn in 1789. He married Sarah Turner on May 25, 1844. Sarah was born in 1820. She is the daughter of Benjamin Turner born in 1781 in Tenn.;and Elizabeth Turner born in 1785 in Virginia. Joel was married before. Joel and Sarah had two children Elizabeth Jane Jones, and Wiley Joel Jones. Some said he used name of Wiley Jacob Jones. Elizabeth Jane Jones, was born in Kentucky in 1846. She Married Redin S. Rains who was born in 1832. He was the son of Ballinger Rains born 1806, and Margaret (Marsee) Rains born in 1807. Elizabeth J. and Redin Rains had three children in the 1870 census, Joel M. Rains was born 1866. Sarah Rains was born 1867 and Martha E. Rains was born 1868. Wiley Joel Jones, was born in Ky. in 1848. He is the son Joel and Sarah(Turner) Jones. Wiley married Syrilda Jane (Fortner)Evans, on August 12, 1880. Jane had a daughter Mary Evans in a previous marriage. Syrilda J. was the daughter of Henry and Anna Fortner. (Faulkner also) Henry was born in Vir. in 1819 and Anna was born 1825. Syrilda Jane was born in 1855. Wiley and Jane had two daughters Julie and Vinia Elizabeth Jones. Then they divorced. In the 1910 census. Wiley is found in the home of a neice Nancy Catherine (Jones) Marsee, who is the sister of John M. Jones(Blue Buck). Jane was found in the home of Mat and Julie Gibson, Her daughter. If anyone knows aything about this family, it would be deeply appreciated. Delilah

I deleted the wrong item and lost the e-mail on RR ... please resend

In France, mon Petit chou, or my little cabbage head, is a term of endearment! Brenda Curtis

Jerry, That letter broke my heart....Gloria D.

<< It has scenes of mountain folks on their front porch 'making music". >> If any of you have free time this summer and want to experience true mountain music head to my childhood hometown of Galax, Virginia. The 2nd week end in August is the date for the Old Fiddlers Convention which features folk songs, dancing and string music by the true masters. This event, held every year since the early 1930's, is attended by people from all over the world who love this type of music. The town of Galax is on the Carroll-Grayson County lines. This is where you can research all day in the court houses and tap your foot in time to the music into the wee hours of the morning. The people are friendly, the food country good, and the music is authentic. In fact, it is like one large "tail gate party". For further information write to the Galax Chamber of Commerce. Judy

"Carlyine Ritter wrote: > > <<As I recall, there were numerous references to tobacco in court records for Russell Co and sometimes defendants were ordered to pay the > plaintiff in tobacco, so this crop must have been used for cash as well > as sold for cash. (snip) ----- Do you recall the dates, or the earlies date, of these court records. (snip) > -eddie > -------- Eddie, I never documented the references to paying in tobacco, because none of them concerned the JESSEE family I was researching. But it was LDS film, which is easily obtainable. It might have been in one set of microfilm I found especially helpful (LDS #0809781) which was a collection of extracts by Judge Elihu Jasper Sutherland and included selected marriage, tax, and census data in addition to court records. I count it a blessing that I am fortunate enough to share ancestors with the Judge and his wife, whose work brought me great rewards and saved me years of research. Their careful extractions and interviews have provided a bonanza for newcomers to our science. A book which was fairly interesting was RUSSELL COUNTY: A CONFEDERATE BREADBASKET by Theodosia W. Barrett, LDS film #6089076. Hope this will be of interest to you. -- - - - Carlyine Ritter Jessee@harborside.com ICQ #9189377 JESSEE, BROWNING, HABRON/HAYTON - SW VA BLACK/SCHWARTZ, PARSONS - Ashe Co NC RITTER, MEIER, VANDER HEIU, SE IA, WA

<<As I recall, there were numerous references to tobacco in court records for Russell Co and sometimes defendants were ordered to pay the plaintiff in tobacco, so this crop must have been used for cash as well as sold for cash. Wasn't Russell Co referred to as a "breadbasket" during the Civil War, because it provided so many food staples to the military? Would assume somebody made perhaps not a few dollars for this cause? I imagine lots of land was given in return for military service, which could then be sold. My ancestors sold inherited land in NC and used it to buy land in Russell Co. Records indicate my line didn't own huge numbers of slaves, but they had some and I'll bet they sold some from time to time as well. Also how about dowry income? Couldn't you come by a few acres by marrying somebody's daughter? Would be interesting to see a survey of how the majority of acres were arrived at during selected time frames, huh?>>>>>>>>>> Do you recall the dates, or the earlies date, of these court records. This is an excellent point that tobacco was the currency of choice. You raise the 2d question. WHERE did the cash for slaves come from? Yes, they would have made money, worthless Confederate money, selling commodities to the gov't. It is surprising to me how often land was exchanged during this period. Recall that corn and tobacco would have sucked all life out of the soil in five years or less. -eddie "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

My original post and facts thereof has been lost. I know about the settlement right and the land grants for militia service but MY question is about the straight person-to-person purchases of land and where the cash came from Maybe an example will help. Here is Michael FLEENOR buying 108 acres for $300. The year is 1795. He buying land from his in-laws the LINDER who are moving west to TN. Michael is 39 years old. This is just one of many purchases. Where did he get $300. He had five brothers. I don't know that he got a dime from his parents. He fought at Kings Mt. at age 22. At least one brother bought a lot of land. There is no record that any owned land prior to SW VA. This is not an uncommon scenirio. Any in SW VA did it. I'm not talking about the very large land speculators. They must have had financial backing somewhere. These were simple farmers with no other income than what they could produce on the farms. -eddie Michael & Linder - Wash. Co., VA 1795 THIS INDENTURE made this fifteenth day of September in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety five between Anthony LINDER and his wife Mary of the County of Washington and State of Virginia of the one part and Michael FLEENOR of the county aforesaid of the other part, Witnesseth that the said Anthony LINDER & his wife Mary for and in consideration of the _sum of Three hundred dollars current money_ to them in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. Hath and by these presents doth grant bargain sell alien enfeoff and confirm unto the said Michael Fleenor his heirs and assigns forever a certain tract or parcel of land containing one hundred and eight acres be the same more or less lying and being in the county aforesaid and lieing <sic> on the north side of the North fork of Holstein River being part of a tract of Land granted to said Linder by Pattent bearing date the twentieth day of June 1785 and of the Commonwealth the ninth and bounded as followeth , to wit: BEGINNING on the North bank of the River at an Elm corner to George Linders Land and with a line of the same thence north ?seventy-five degrees West one hundred and thirty one poles crossing is ?slash to a small Ash near the foot of Clinch Mountain thence North eighty degrees East two hundred and sixteen poles along the foot of said Mountain to two poplars on a steep spur near the River bank thence __ the several courses of the same two hundred and forty five poles to the Beginning with all and singular the woods, waters, water courses, commodities __ and appurtenances whatsoever to the said tract of land belinging or appertaining and the estate right title interest, property claim and demand of kin? the said Anthony Linder and his wife Mary their heirs of in and to the same . . . . in law or equity, To Have And To hold the said one hundred and eight acres of land with the appurtenances unto the said Michael Fleenor his heairs and ... forever. And the said Anthony Linder and his wife Mary for themselves and their heirs, the aforesaid tract of land and __ss with the appurtenances unto the Michael Fleenor his heirs .. against the lawful . . . and any person or person whatsoever .. will ... by those ... Witness whereof the Anthony Linder & his wife Mary have ... name and seals the day and year ... Anthony Linder Mary Linder "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

Was cotton ever grown in SW VA, or E.TN?? Tobacco is still the cash crop of SW VA and E TN. Wheat was grown until the midwest became too efficient and productive. I wonder when livestock was shipped out of SW VA. -eddie RE: Cash for Land Purchases/Hauling Tobacco, other products. When we were discussing sugarcane and Cotton a few weeks ago, I posted a message that referred to Tobacco being one of the major crops until Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1794. Then cotton became the major crop. Hauling lead and iron ore: My dad used to help my uncle haul scrap iron from Ewing, VA, by wagon, 15 miles to Cumberland Gap. The oneway trip took a full day, about 1905. I can't imagine such heavy loads being hauled long distances by wagon. But, then, I never could imagine how Daniel Boone, Jim Bowie, and Davie Crockett, managed to get from NC to KY to TX on foot and horseback. It seems their trails led everywhere. How old were they when they died???? (don't answer that.) History was not one of my favorite subjects-until I got old enough to become a part of it!! Pat -----Original Message----- From: Edgar A. Howard <swvaroot@swva.net> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, March 18, 1999 8:58 AM Subject: Re: Cash for Land Purchases I can not say when tobacco was first grown in SW VA but given that it was the primary cash crop I would think it started very early. The questions with it is how did they get it to the markets. Most was sent to England before the War and to Europe (the Dutch) thereafter. I guess some went north. Was it take by wagon, floated down the James or Roanoke, or New to Ohio to the Miss. river to New Orleans. Or down the TN River?? Edgar A. Howard wrote: > > > The BIG QUESTION on my mind is where did these poor > pioneers get the cash to make these purchases. Some of my families came to VA after selling land in PA in the mid 1700's. Some came from families in eastern VA and Maryland that had large plantations. They probably inherited some money or land to sell before moving westward. Were there areas in SW VA that tobacco could be grown for a cash crop? At least one ancestor was a longhunter, but I don't know how much cash these hunters would have made from furs. Phyllis "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more." ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== #1 When you have a new email address please UNSUBSCRIBE from the old BEFORE you lose it; and SUBCRIBE from the NEW address as soon as you get access to it. If you fail to do this please send the old and new address to: ehoward@conknet.com and the Mailing List name -sysop ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== #3 Support the fight against unrequested junk e-mail (SPAM). Visit the webpage at: http://www.cauce.org/ -sysop "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

The map that I have show iron, lead and other minerals in that part of Wythe Co. I just don't see how it could have been efficiently shipped in those days. Maybe 'efficiency' was defined differently. -eddie I have an article with picture of the Shot Tower located about 18 miles South of Fort Chiswell at Jackson's Ferry where Route 52 crosses New River. It also mentioned that it was located near the lead mines. It was built around 1820 so they could sell the shot directly and save $100 in the cost of shipping lead bars to Baltimore. I read where the iron ore at Cripple Creek was one of the main reasons to build the Clinchfield Railroad. Robert Crabtree "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

Robert Crabtree wrote: > > >Mr. Hearl said: Tobacco and salt produced in southwest Va. was floated by flatboat down the rivers to New Orleans to be sold. > There was also lead and iron from Wythe County. (snip) --------- Dear friends, As I recall, there were numerous references to tobacco in court records for Russell Co and sometimes defendants were ordered to pay the plaintiff in tobacco, so this crop must have been used for cash as well as sold for cash. Wasn't Russell Co referred to as a "breadbasket" during the Civil War, because it provided so many food staples to the military? Would assume somebody made perhaps not a few dollars for this cause? I imagine lots of land was given in return for military service, which could then be sold. My ancestors sold inherited land in NC and used it to buy land in Russell Co. Records indicate my line didn't own huge numbers of slaves, but they had some and I'll bet they sold some from time to time as well. Also how about dowry income? Couldn't you come by a few acres by marrying somebody's daughter? Would be interesting to see a survey of how the majority of acres were arrived at during selected time frames, huh? Carlyine Ritter Jessee@harborside.com ICQ #9189377 JESSEE, BROWNING, HABRON/HAYTON - SW VA BLACK/SCHWARTZ, PARSONS - Ashe Co NC RITTER, MEIER, VANDER HEIU, SE IA, WA

The video "Sheffey", produced by Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC is a wonderful documentary shot by the Universities "Unusual Films" which is listed as a major motion picture in 16 mm color. I am reading this from a movie poster on my wall while I am sitting here typing. Robert S. Sheffey was a nephew of the Congressman Daniel Sheffey and very rich SW Virginian Col. James White. After his father's death, he was raised by his rich uncle that had him to enter Emory and Henry College but Robert, unlike his brothers and those to follow, had an aversion for education. He found the Lord with the Methodist, much to his adoptive family's will. He became a circuit rider preacher in a life that somewhat parallels that of Alonzo Dow, although I have never mentioned his name mentioned in the two Sheffey books I have. He visited by horseback and if he had any money, gave what he had to those more needy. He had the gift of power through prayer that many stories have been written. But his biggest interest was in the building and establishing "camp grounds", some of which are still in existence, that these early Methodist could gather and listen to the word of God for a few days. Most of these people lived some distance from churches and this was their way of attendance. This video is very interesting and extremely well done. I purchased my copy for about 28 dollars at a Religious book store on the Fort Chiswell side of Wytheville, just as you enter town. This film was for organized viewing only for a number of years before being offered for sale. I feel that the film was extremely well done except it has little mention of his first wife and their children. That they were often left without money and was near starvation if not for the generosity of his Uncles Daniel Sheffey and James White giving them money. One would believe in seeing the video that his second wife and son Eddie had been his whole life. Far from it. Otherwise for you early Methodist and others interested in the era, it is an excellent film. Like, October Sky, it was not filmed on location but in another state, South Carolina. The quality of the video is excellent. Robert Crabtree

Films of American rural life and music by John Cohen. I will copy from the video box: For years John Cohen devoted his energy and talent to the cause of traditional music, first as a member of the New Lost City Ramblers, but also, for thirty years as a filmmaker committed to honestly documenting the life and music of rural America. Shot in the 1960s, the three films released on this video eloquently capture the vanishing landscape of traditional music in America and the source of its power. For you that remember the old riverside baptism preached by fire and brimstone preachers. There is a wonderful scene taken of a baptism in the water under a railroad trestle just like I remember in Boissevain. It has scenes of mountain folks on their front porch 'making music". One old lady must have been at least a hundred years old. The High Lonesome Sound is a style of music that was applied to the ballads of bad times these common folks faced. This style also carries over the strong Scotch and Irish Highlander music that early country music emulated. You may or may not like this style of music now but it was our heritage and you can not view this film with out feeling emotion and if you are over 60 and true SW Virginians, most definitely will bring back old memories. That is the purpose of documentary films. If any are deserving of an award, these are all academy award winners in my book. For any of you that are interested, pay the price and buy or rent these videos and build your own library. But please be aware of copyright laws and use them for your own personal use. In other words, don't ask me to provide copies. I purchased this video from PBS Videos, a company that list and sell Public Broadcasting Videos. I get a catalog from them about once a month of their current stuff. I do not have their address or a current catalog right now. I f the interest is there, I will provide their address when it comes available, With Eddies permission. I do not push any company, just to provide a source for family and historical information. Robert Crabtree

I don't remember all of the facts at the moment but I believe the name "Matewan" is an Indian name...but I can't for the life of me remember what it means...can anybody help out with this one...??? Pam Researching the following surnames: BURKE, CARTER, PATRICK, WINGO, McGRADY, WIMBERLEY, WITT/WHITT, HENSLEY, ROBERTSON. -----Original Message----- From: MILanders@aol.com [SMTP:MILanders@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, March 18, 1999 9:52 AM To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Matewan I taped the movie Matewan when it was shown on TV. It was a true-to-life rendition of how brutally people treated each other in union labor disputes. The coal miners were undecided whether or not to have a union shop. It was a really well done story, but it isn't for the faint-hearted people to watch. My husband and I were born in Huntington WV and have heard a lot about labor union struggles. I don't know how Matewan got it's name. Ruth Hanley ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== #9 As of 2/27/1999 we have 485 members. Traffic can get heavy so check your mailbox often. We should regulate traffic so it don't get out of hand. There is an average of ten members coming and going each week. -sysop

I am not certain of this title but will call it "Music From the Tri State", meaning the earliest recorded probably predating WCKY. It features many talents of the area such as the Original Carter Family. I am sure Mr. Hearl can add to this post. Anyway, this video is also roughly done but is a wonderful documentary of our early heritage in what is now known as "Country Music". I rented this tape from East TN State University also, the producers of the documentary. It brought back old memories. Folks, check out these State Colleges, Universities and Libraries. They are all in the "Reach Out Educational Programs and have so much to offer. The Library Of Virginia site has so much stuff and you can view the actual documents with a Tif or Tiff viewer capability and a computer capable of fairly large image manipulation. Robert Crabtree