I have been reading all the old remedies, and I remember my mother giving me the sugar dissolved in turpentine for pin worms, although I don't know if she ever saw any. It clearly states on the Vicks vaporub, "not for internal use", but she used to put into my mouth. she always rubbed Vicks on my chest and covered my chest with a warm soft flannel cloth, and it did help me sleep. I always did that for my son when he was little. She would gather up certain plants walking across the ridge to my grandfather's house and when she got home, she would make a certain kind of "kidney tea". Tasted horrible. I still use vinegar for sunburns. When I think what my mother put in my mouth and down my throat in the name of health, I'm surprised I'm here to talk about it. Ruby -----Original Message----- From: FrankiGran@aol.com <FrankiGran@aol.com> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Saturday, February 27, 1999 10:38 AM Subject: Re: Remedies and Cures >All this talk of home cures reminds me of a "not so happy" story. Back in the >very early 70's when everybody was "into" doing things the natural way, I >bought a book at a country auction on cures and remedies. This book had to be >at least 100 years old and was about 4 inches thick with a worn black cover. >My grandmother was always known for her ways of knowing everything. My >children were always having colds and congestion all winter. We lived in >Missouri. After reading this book, I decided to try a cure on my little 4 >year old boy. I put turpentine and lard on his chest then covered with a warm >flannel cloth and covered him up with quilts. I thought well, I'll go one >better and cover the padding on his chest with a heating pad since they didn't >have one in grandma's day. In about 5 minutes he started crying and when I >pulled back the padding his little chest was red and patchy. I quickly bathed >him in soap and water and threw the book in the trash and never tried to cure >anybody again! I do wish I still had the book just for the antiquity of it. > > >==== 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 >

"Educated" people say that planting by the signs is an old wive's tale, but if you have ever planted a garden, you had better dig out that old Farmers Almanac. My mother planted green beans once and she said they had the biggest blooms, but not one bean. Her father told her she planted by the sign of the flowers and not by the sign of the vegetables. She was a believer from then on, always planted by the signs, and always had the best garden. Ruby -----Original Message----- From: Pat Oneal <peon@icx.net> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 11:53 PM Subject: Remedies vs. astrological signs >For those of you who plant small vegetable gardens, this might be of >interest: > >Signs were used for home remedies as well as planting crops. >The family farm was one of bounty. My grandfather provided produce for the >wholesale market in Middlesboro, KY, in the early 1900s. Legend has it that >a local tongue-wagger remarked that he would "miss the day of resurrection >because he'd be off and gone to the market in Middlesboro." > Crops were planted according to the astrological signs. According to Mama, >in early spring a layer of manure was spread over the potato bed and a layer >of rich dirt was spread over the manure. The time to plant potatoes was >half way between the old and new moon. If they were planted at the >beginning of the new moon, farmers discovered the potatoes would grow to the >surface of the ground and sunburn. If planted during the old moon, they >burrowed deep in the ground, making it difficult to dig them when harvesting >the crop. Sweet corn was planted when the signs were in the arms and during >the new moon. Signs had to be in the head when planting cabbage, and >cucumbers were planted when the signs were in the arms and feet, otherwise >called the Twins. My grandmother planted her bed of beets when the signs >were in the heart, thus, producing the best beets in the valley. Pap >planted sugarcane in white sandy loam during the full of the moon, and he >was credited with producing top quality molasses from the cane. (There's >More!) This aught to tell the younger readers that there was a time when >the Moon was used for something besides romancing and for astronauts to land >on! >Although I am involved in genealogy, these stories certainly have been >enlightening to me in that I am learning how our ancestors had to use their >ingenuity to survive. Pat > > > > > >==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== >#2 A large database of SURNAMES and the researcher's email address can be found at >http://www.fortunecity.com/millennium/quarrybank/194/swabc.htm >You may have your SURNAMES included by posting them and your address to the >LIST and NOT to the sysop/owner.

_ BENGE IS NOW FOR SALE _ Below is the blurb that Larry sent. Benge is now for sale. I hope we can have a lengthy discussion about it in the future. I have always wanted to get passed the Hollywood Indian stories and see who they really were. Send check or money order to: $14.95, which includes sales tax, packaging, and postage. Lawerence Fleenor 5532 Powell Valley Rd. Big Stone Gap, Va. 24219 <of course give your mailing address> March 1, 1999 Dear Customer: You purchased a copy of my first book, The Bear Grass, A History, from me. It is now sold out. The response to it was very gratifying. Thank you for your purchase. Perhaps the best part of the response to that book was a surprising out pouring of folk traditions people brought to me concerning the chapter on Chief Benge. It is surprising how much uncollected new material there is out there amongst the people of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and of Eastern Kentucky. I even have had the privilege of talking to some relatives of his. The material began to come together into a story of great pathos, one that required printing into a book dedicated to Benge alone. The material not only covers him from birth to death, but also covers his forebears from their landing at Jamestown and passage into the Cherokee nation. His story is cast against a background of historical context, giving a new perspective on the history of the region, and of the interactions of the settlers and the Cherokee. The book is entitled Benge!, and has 119 pages of narrative, maps, pictures, genealogies, and a complete collection of the historic reference documents, some never before in print. It is in paper back. I would like to mail a copy of this speciality item to you for a total cost of $14.95, which includes sales tax, packaging, and postage. If you are interested, please send your check to the above address. Thank you for your consideration. Feminism AIN'T ladylike

Being raised in the suburbs and only 41 <g>, I don't have any home remedies passed down from my Mom or Grandma. But since moving to Arkansas several years ago, I've heard many interesting home remedies. Recently one of the local news stations did a series on home remedies. According to the plastic surgeon interviewed, the only home remedy for burns that is safe is aloe straight from the plant. He said the acid in vinegar could make the burn worse. I do know from experience that tobacco does help a bee or wasp sting. We had lived here less than a year, when my then 4 year old son was stung on the face by a wasp. I had heard that chewing tobacco applied to a sting would help. At the time I smoked and decided to try wet tobacco from a broken cigarette. It worked like a charm, kind of gross but effective. My two cents. Dani

POSTED AT BETTY'S REQUEST. "bettyw" <bettyw@i-55.com> I keep seeing messages re: The Wilderness Road to Kentucky. I have tried a couple of times to reply to the list I guess it is, but keep getting the message that it is not in the right format. I don't have a clue as to what they are talking about, so I quite trying to post a reply. I was however able to get a message thru to you before, so I will try it this way again. Someone asked the question as to where the Road to Ky went thru Scott Co., Va. Well I can't for all of the places, but I can tell you part of it. The best I can get it from everything I have read is that it followed what was then called the Reedy Creek Road, which followed what is now called the Bloomingdale Road/Bloomingdale Pike. It runs SW I guess it is from Bristol, VA/TN to just on the western outskirts of Kingsport, TN. When you get to the community called Bloomingdale, there is a road that turns west or right off B-dale Pike called Wadlow Gap Rd. This road goes from Sullivan Co., Tn into Scott County, VA., which is just a couple of miles from the turnoff at B-Dale Pike and Wadlow Gap. The road crossed the N. Fork of the Holston River and comes out on the Hilton Hwy ( I guess it has a Rt #, but I don't know it off the top of my head.) You take a left on the Hilton's Hwy and just a 1/2 mile or so, runs into the Rd. from Kingsport, Tn that goes to Gate City, at what is called Moccasin Gap, Va. (There again, since I don't have a map in front of me, I don't remember the Rt #'s. So to get back to the Wilderness Rd. or Daniel Boone's Trail as some have called it, When you go down Wadlow Gap Rd, before you get to the Holston River, there is a road that crosses Wadlow Gap Rs, which is called E. Carters Valley Rd. (which is in Scott Co, Va). This Rd. run kinda of parallel to B-Dale Pike. It goes on down and crosses back into Sullivan Co., Tn and crosses the Hwy to Gate City (the one I mentioned above) a little farther to the east then the Hilton's Hwy. The Rd. then runs on into Hawkins Co., Tn. and on down. Now as you are coming down E. Carters Valley Rd., before you cross over Wadlow Gap Rd., there is a little dirt/gravel road that turns right or west and goes down into what we always referred to "the Holler". Just a little one lane rutty path almost. This road goes 2 or 3 miles and crosses the North Fork of the Holston River a few miles northwest of where the Wadlow Gap Rd. crosses. The only thing is you can't cross it by car. There is the remains of an old swinging bridge across the river there,( which is no longer safe to cross). Way back when, the swinging bridge was not there, but this is where Daniel Boone crossed the river and went on thru ti KY. After crossing the river there, the road went left and came back into Wadlow Gap Rd, on thru Moccassin Gap, right thru Gate City, Va and thru Duffield and on into KY. I am not exactly sure where it crossed into Ky from that point, but am pretty sure up to that point. The reason I know this is because I was born down that 'Holler" and some of my relatives lived there until about 11 or 12 years ago, when they sold their place and moved to Hiltons. The river was just a 1/4 of a mile or so from their house. At the top of the holler, there used to be a stone house that was referred to as the "Block House" I remember it when I was a kid. Some of my relatives lived in it for a while. The house has been burned down for many years, but the stone chimney still stands. Right beside the road near where the house stood, is a monument that says that was the way to Ky. It states that travelers would stop there and wait until enough travelers were assembled so that they could safely travel on into KY. I have pictures of this monument, that were taken close enough so that they can be read with the naked eye. When I get my scanner working, I will scan the picture and try to e-mail it too you. Feel free to share this with your subscribers and if you have any questions that I need to clear up, let me know and I will see if I can state a little differently. I was born down that 'holler' in Scott Co, Va but grew up in Bloomingdale, Sullivan Co., TN a few miles from there. My grandparents owned a old hilly farm down that holler and I spent a lot of my first 8 years there. I walked quite a few time from that holler across the hill to Bloomingdale with my grandma when I was little. Unless you lived in that area, one might not realize where that road is. Betty Bishop Willoughby bettyw@i-55.com -----Original Message----- From: Edgar A. Howard <ehoward@conknet.com> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, February 25, 1999 12:40 PM Subject: Re: The Wilderness Road to Kentucky <<From Abingdon (Wolf Hills), the road followed the trail known as Reedy Creek road to present Kingsport, Tenn.. I can look from the hill where I live and see part of that old road today..and I can walk through the woods and find places where the banks are eight or ten feet high where the pioneer wagons wore the earth away.>>> I wish this person would show me this path. We know where Reedy Creek road was in the Wallace and Wyndale area. It was Black Hollow road but did not run to Butt which is where Black Hollow meets Hwy 19. So where did it turn north toward Abingdon. I think it is near Garrett creek meets Black Hollow road. << When Judge Henderson of N.C. traded a bunch of junk to the Cherokees for land in Ky., he hired Daniel Boone to recruit men >> I read that is was a sizable amount of cash and then the Cherokee told them that the Shawnee would not respect the title. Which was true, the Shawnee killed many settlers. -eddie . . . get a life. Eternal Life! ==== 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 . . . get a life. Eternal Life!

Pam and Sue McN. I love your entries. I've decided if I follow everyone's remedies and cures, I'll not be sick for at least 7 years. I might die, but I won't be sick! Rock candy and whiskey was a common cure at my house. Mama used to put whiskey on cotton for a toothache. She also gave us Casteroil-the worst tasting stuff in the world. A big tablespoonful! As far as I know, it was the cure-all for everything, especially worms. Keep in mind, my mother just died at age 101, so she went way back. I was hoping she'd make it to the Millineum so she could say she'd seen 3 centuries. Very alert! Great stories! (Think she'd understand this Y2k talk?) Speaking of FLUX: My sister died at age two of Flux. Another newborn sister was on hand that had to be cared for by older sisters. No medical cures, no penicillin, etc. She had eaten green grapes from our backyard, and Mama applied that as her reason for having Flux. Neighbors made the small pine coffin. Folks, my mama suffered thru floods, flu epidemic, deaths husband, 6 children, 2 gr'children, and all of her 12 siblings and their spouses. The list goes on. She could make something from nothing, and when company came, she just added more water to the gravy, and more flour to the biscuit dough, and fed the whole crowd. They went away satisfied. Strong lady! Of all the remedies I've seen, there were never any home remedies that cured my motionsickness. I tried 'em all-except one! (Can you imagine drinking your own urine? I'd probably have died!) I was the one of nine who "always" got carsick. My dad had no patience with such things. "It's all in your mind!" Those narrow roads in KY were hairpin curves, especially Booger Mtn, with no place to pull off the road--Mtn on one side, river below. Twenty miles from home and I was asking Daddy to pull over. I was gonna throw-up. His answer was always the same. "Sis, can't ya' wait'll we get there?" I got the seat by the window. Winter or summer, that window was wide open so that I could breathe fresh air. My siblings hated me on those trips. Just another story in my family history! Pat Note: Does anyone know anything about a Gitney Bus (about 1915)? You car enthusiaists?

<< the Rocky Candy desolved in whiskey for chest congestion... My father suffered with asthma almost all of his life and he would make this and keep it in the medicine chest.>>> My father too had asthma and he would drink whiskey and honey. The honey was optional. <g> . . . get a life. Eternal Life!

My father drank corn likker and never had much wrong with him. He lived to be 91 and never had many ailments except spells when he couldn't walk very good and slurred his words!! G. Lee Hearl

My grandmother, Sarah Louise Tatum Harris of Tazewell Co., thought that a laxative would cure anything. So we took laxatives for colds, tooth aches, headaches, anything and everything. I had forgotten all about this until this thread began. ~~ Does anyone else remember having corn meal gravy instead of flour gravy? We ate ours with fried corn bread cakes. Linda in Tampa Genealogy - Always looking for HUNNELL , CRUEY , PUCKETT , LAMBERT , DUFF , MCGUIRE , HARRIS , HARRISON , TATUM , & STEEL(E) in SW Va .

Kathy Bemisdarfer wrote: > > For Ear Aches our family used to take sweet oil warm it and put a few drops > in the ear and a piece of > cotton to keep the oil in. > We also used warm oil in the ears for earache. And oil of cloves on a cotton ball, put on the tooth, for an tooth ache. This was something the teacher did for us at school. And my favorite is something a friend of mine told me about 45 years ago. When you have a speck in your eye and just can't seem to see it or get it out, pull down your lower lid, and place a flax seed inside (no you don't even feel it after a second or so). In the morning, whatever was in your eye will have been drawn to the flaxseed and you can take it right out. It works like a magnet!! Diane

Browned Flour-- mixed with 1/3 glass of water stopped Diarrhea, also used for diaper rash. Brown paper and Vineager placed on the forehead cured a headache. Baking soda -place dampened baking soda on bee sting to draw the poision out Boiled onions juice, while still warm, was put in the ear and apiece of cotton to hold the juice in--for an ear ache. Cold water from the spring saturated to the back of the head and neck area to stop a nose bleed. Horse mint, Catnip,peppermint,penny royal, teaberry,mullin ,and Dog fennel boiled and used as teas to break a fever, break out the hives,measles,and chicken pox.Catnip ,penny royal, and peppermint was good for stomach ailments.Peppermint tea helped you to sleep. Whiskey and moonshine had many healing powers--Flue,pneumonia, toothache, labor pain,and to sterlize cuts. Buttermilk used to heal poision ivy or oak rash Saturate the infected area. Camphorated oil rubbed on the chest and place a warm flannel cloth over it--cured croup--congestion in the chest. We also put Penny royal in the dogs bed to keep the fleas away. Garlic would cure what ever ailed you. Annie

In a message dated 2/27/99 5:30:24 PM !!!First Boot!!!, B4solong@aol.com writes: << will be in touch with those who are offering to assist in research. You are all unbelievely wonderful with your offers of help. >> Helping each other with our research is what it is all about! I know I am not alone when I say that I find great pleasure in helping someone add a few generations to their tree. And somewhere out there is the person who is going to help me find the parents of my "dear old Peter Moore" (born in the 1700's). I really would like to get him on "this side" of the famous genealogist's brick wall! Judy

I was born and raised in Dickenson Co. Va. My Father was the oldest of a set of twins-now the oldest was supposed to have the power of healing. Many a mother in our neighborhood brought their babies to my dad to blow into the babies mouth to cure the Thush(Thrash,Country talk)G. and it did. He could stop bleeding by holding the person's hand and say something to himself and the bleeding would stop. When I was 4 yrs old I had a bad case of warts breaking out on my face,all around my mouth. Daddy went to the leak of the house(We didn't have storn gutters then, so the water just dripped of the house leaving little ditches with little rocks in them)--daddy got a little flat rock and rubbed it all over the warts--saying something to himself.Told me to close my eyes and he tossed it over his shoulder.The warts were gone within a week Annie

I agree, it is a very good movie....... It is also on TV, that is where I saw it. margie -----Original Message----- From: Penny Fraley Richardson <muffin2@gte.net> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Saturday, February 27, 1999 7:24 AM Subject: Re: Book Recommendation >"The Education of Little Tree" is also on video. A good movie. Most video >stores should have it. > >Penny >Ohio > > >==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== >#4 Chain letters, gossip, non-genealogical notes, commercial ads, pleas for help, etc. are >PROHIBITED on this List. Violators will be promptly locked out. -sysop > >

"The Education of Little Tree" is also on video. A good movie. Most video stores should have it. Penny Ohio

Hi, to all who sent Bethel and Lodi (that it is, I looked again) information, I really appreciate it and hope to get over that way this spring or summer. I will be in touch with those who are offering to assist in research. You are all unbelievely wonderful with your offers of help. Thanks again, Audrey

We always kept a little jar of lard mixed with salt to spread on chigger bites. This killed the chiggers and by the next day the bite would heal and not itch. It was great. I made some this summer when my grandson got into a mess of chiggers. It is the salt that works and the lard is used for a base to hold the salt on the skin.

All this talk of home cures reminds me of a "not so happy" story. Back in the very early 70's when everybody was "into" doing things the natural way, I bought a book at a country auction on cures and remedies. This book had to be at least 100 years old and was about 4 inches thick with a worn black cover. My grandmother was always known for her ways of knowing everything. My children were always having colds and congestion all winter. We lived in Missouri. After reading this book, I decided to try a cure on my little 4 year old boy. I put turpentine and lard on his chest then covered with a warm flannel cloth and covered him up with quilts. I thought well, I'll go one better and cover the padding on his chest with a heating pad since they didn't have one in grandma's day. In about 5 minutes he started crying and when I pulled back the padding his little chest was red and patchy. I quickly bathed him in soap and water and threw the book in the trash and never tried to cure anybody again! I do wish I still had the book just for the antiquity of it.

Is anyone else having messages sent hours earlier just now arriving. Eddie, I didn't know if the problem was at my end or elsewhere. thanxx-e.g.b

Vicks with sugar was another remedy my grandmother gave my mom and her siblings.