Wayne, I had a similar experience a few years age. All my young life I lived near the top of Newman's Ridge, and was descended from the Collins, Goins, and other melungeon families. I had many time wondered how it was that the Melungeon families had migrated to the Wise co, Va area in such great numbers. It was puzzling. The first Melungeon conference was held in Wise co, at the college. I drove there the long way around through Kingsport and Gate City. Coming back someone at a convenience store in Duffield suggested I take a road down the valley instead. (I can't remember the #) I followed it and came to Hwy #70 north of Kyles Ford, Tn. I crossed that and came on down the valley until I came to Vardy and the Blackwater area. By that time I was in Tn, and when I looked up and saw where Aunt Mahalia Collins Mullins home was located, I knew then that I was a very easy thing for them to have dropped down into the valley and followed it to Duffield, Va. It was a revelation!!! Thanks for listening. Margaret Mabrey [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wayne Duncan" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 6:33 PM Subject: RE: [VALEE] info wanted on old 58 sw LEE Co. > Well, Mr. Moore, It is nice to finally have you find someone I know! I > have > watched your posts with fascination concerning all the family lines and > history you know in the county. > > My DUNCAN line does have some extensions into Claiborne county; although I > have never met any of them personally. Since Lee County, VA is close by, > it > only seems natural that some of my relatives ended up in Claiborne County, > TN. > > I don't know much about Claiborne County, other than what I could take in > on > a long ride through the county on Independence Day a few years back. We > went west on old 58A then took a county road that led us to Thompson's > Settlement in Lee County and then into Claiborne County. Saw lots of > wildlife, deer, squirrels, rabbits, and a fox! > > The trip help me understand why some of my DUNCAN surname ended up in > Claiborne County. The whole area of Hancock, Hawkins, and Claiborne > counties is situated such that folks from VA only had to travel a few > miles > and they would be in TN. I have a much better understanding of Powell > Valley and just how long it is. > > You can purchase Virginia Department of Transportation maps of the county > from an office in the Lee County courthouse in Jonesville. I think I paid > 50 cents each for mine. You can also purchase the maps online using this > website: > http://virginiadot.org/comtravel/MAPs-default.asp > > Blackwater really isn't much other than an accumulation of rolling hills > and > valleys with lots of farms and churches. The "community" itself really is > determined by the folks that live there. I met some of the residents > along > the roads; every one of them were cheerful and tried to help me find the > area I was looking for. Being an amateur genealogist and historian, I > collect bits and pieces of information from everywhere I travel. It is > hard > to believe that I lived on the other side of the mountain for fifteen > years > in Lee County and never really knew much about Blackwater and its > residents. > > This past summer I was determined to try to figure out how my grandmother > and grandfather met. Grandma was born and raised in the Fairview > community > in Scott County, VA and Grandpa was born and raised in Blackwater. The > conventional way of getting to Fairview from my home was to head east > across > Wallens Ridge and then across Powell Mountain, into the town of Duffield > in > Scott County, then taking US 23 to the intersection for the entrance to > Fairview. I followed the Fairview Valley for some distance and lo and > behold, its direction led me straight to Blackwater via the back roads. I > now understand how my grandparents met. > > Hope this helps you understand the relationship between Claiborne County, > TN > and Lee County, VA. Perhaps one day, I can take another trip into > Claiborne > County, TN. > > If you or any other list member would like to discuss my DUNCAN line or > those of your relatives, please feel free to contact me. > > Best wishes and highest regards, > > Wayne Duncan > > > -----Original Message----- > From: TN MAN 2 [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 11:55 AM > To: Wayne Duncan > Subject: RE: [VALEE] info wanted on old 58 sw LEE Co. > > > HI Wayne Duncan,1st are you tied to DUNCAN of CLAIBORNE Co.TN.?. > i know some there in the TIPRELL area. > > i hope to go to BLACKWATER. I was surprised that its that close to TN. > interesting. you said easy to get lost. are there county roadmaps to > buy?. i looked on the huge MOORES of BLACKWATER list. > didn't see DUNCAN or OSBORNE. the 1st name on the list is unknown > KESTERSON. do you know the name? any one on the LEE list reseatching > it?. thank you Ray Moore. Lafayette,IN. > > > > On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 23:21:01 -0500, "Wayne Duncan" <[email protected]> > said: >> Blackwater still has a post office. The zip code is 24221. My >> grandfather >> was born there and lived there until the mid 1920s. I was at the point >> where Tenn and Va meet. My ggreat grandparents are buried in the Carter >> Cemetery which is very close to the Tenn state line and the Scott County >> line. >> >> Unless you have a county map showing all the backroads and gravel roads, >> one >> can easily get lost in that area. >> >> If anyone on the list has knowledge of the DUNCAN surname in this part of >> the county, please let me know. >> >> Wayne Duncan >> List Administrator >> SWVA-NETN-SEKY-CHAT-L >> Website: http://www.hillsandhollers.net >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: elizabeth carden [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 10:58 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [VALEE] info wanted on old 58 sw LEE Co. >> >> >> Hi. Blackwater Va has or had a post office. I knew the place well as a >> kid. >> but I was never in the Tn. side as I think the Melungeons lived there. I >> stayed with my Osborne family a lot as a kid in the 50s. Libby >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Margaret Mabrey<mailto:[email protected]> >> To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 7:34 PM >> Subject: Re: [VALEE] info wanted on old 58 sw LEE Co. >> >> >> Ray >> Just recently you posted and asked for info on 'Blackwater Moores'. >> Blackwater is located in Tn and Va. Blackwater Creek runs down the >> valley >> between Claiborne co and Va. All of this area is called 'Blackwater'. >> The >> paved road turns to a gravel road and that is where Va begins. There >> is >> no >> town or village, just an area called Blackwater or Vardy. I don't know >> what >> you are calling your 'Blackwater Moores' unless they are the ones >> buried >> in >> the Vardy Cemetary. There is a Robert, a Grant and an Emmitt Moore and >> maybe others. If you will put 'Vardy Cemetary' in Google you will find >> some >> links and files that list the occupants of that Cemetary. >> Margaret Mabrey >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "TN MAN 2" >> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> >> To: <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 1:05 PM >> Subject: Re: [VALEE] info wanted on old 58 sw LEE Co. >> >> >> > hi Margaret, i think GRANT & wife are buried near HAROGATE,TN. >> > never heard of a BLACKWATER,TN. i'll look it up. thank you, Ray. >> > >> > >> > On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 21:17:29 -0600, "Margaret Mabrey" >> > <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> said: >> >> There is a Grant Moore buried in the Vardy Cemetery, at Vardy, >> >> Blackwater, >> >> Tn. >> >> Margaret Mabrey >> >> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> From: "TN MAN 2" >> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> >> >> To: <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> >> >> Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 7:05 PM >> >> Subject: [VALEE] info wanted on old 58 sw LEE Co. >> >> >> >> >> >> > list, anyone know a little history on this area?] >> >> > >> >> > at CUMBERLAND GAP when you turned off old 25e onto old 58.go about > a >> >> > mile on the left just before the park campgrounds on the left are > old >> >> > house foundations. anyone know any names of those that lived >> there? >> >> > photos? i was told that back in the 1930s-40s there was a LEE Co. >> >> > sheriff last name of WILLIAMS that went there and tried to arrest >> >> > someone, and he killed 1 or 2. is there a newspaper article on > that? >> >> > >> >> > anyone researching the BLACKWATER MOOREs? a GRANT MOORE married > KATIE >> >> > WILLIAMS. they moved to TIPRELL near CUMBERLAND GAP. >> >> > >> >> > thanks Ray Moore. >> >> > MOORE,MAYES,TOWNSLEY,WHITEAKER, >> >> > WHITAKER,GRUBBS,POE, GRAY, HAUN,LONG,OGLESBY, > CRAVENS,VOWELL,PARKER, >> >> > MOLES,MEADOWS,LAMBERT,NORTH, >> >> > FIELDS,(HUNDLEY,MANIS,of >> >> > HAWKINS Co.TN.) & others. in CLAIBORNE,KNOX,GRAINGER Cos.TN. >> >> > >> > http://tippytnn.topcities.com/moore508/moore.htm<http://tippytnn.topcities.c >> om/moore508/moore.htm> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > ==== VALEE Mailing List ==== >> >> > Need to reach Yvonne, the discussion coordinator? Send her an > email >> at >> >> > <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>. >> >> > >> >> > ============================== >> >> > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. >> >> > New content added every business day. Learn more: >> >> > >> > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx<http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ash >> x> >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> ==== VALEE Mailing List ==== >> >> Please avoid flaming (attacking) any single person or the group. > This >> >> infraction will earn you immediate removal from the list. >> >> >> >> ============================== >> >> Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for >> >> ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: >> >> >> > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx<http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ash >> x> >> >> >> > MOORE,MAYES,TOWNSLEY,WHITEAKER, >> > WHITAKER,GRUBBS,POE, GRAY, HAUN,LONG,OGLESBY, CRAVENS,VOWELL,PARKER, >> > MOLES,MEADOWS,LAMBERT,NORTH, >> > FIELDS,(HUNDLEY,MANIS,of >> > HAWKINS Co.TN.) & others. in CLAIBORNE,KNOX,GRAINGER Cos.TN. >> > >> > http://tippytnn.topcities.com/moore508/moore.htm<http://tippytnn.topcities.c >> om/moore508/moore.htm> >> > >> > >> > ==== VALEE Mailing List ==== >> > Need to reach Yvonne, the discussion coordinator? Send her an email > at >> > <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>. >> > >> > ============================== >> > Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. >> > Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: >> > >> > http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx<http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ash >> x> >> > >> >> >> ==== VALEE Mailing List ==== >> To post messages to the Lee County, VA discussion list, send them to >> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> >> ============================== >> Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for >> ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: >> > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx<http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.a >> shx> >> >> >> >> ==== VALEE Mailing List ==== >> Please avoid flaming (attacking) any single person or the group. This >> infraction will earn you immediate removal from the list. >> >> ============================== >> Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the >> areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. >> Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx >> > MOORE,MAYES,TOWNSLEY,WHITEAKER, > WHITAKER,GRUBBS,POE, GRAY, HAUN,LONG,OGLESBY, CRAVENS,VOWELL,PARKER, > MOLES,MEADOWS,LAMBERT,NORTH, > FIELDS,(HUNDLEY,MANIS,of > HAWKINS Co.TN.) & others. in CLAIBORNE,KNOX,GRAINGER Cos.TN. > http://tippytnn.topcities.com/moore508/moore.htm > > > ==== VALEE Mailing List ==== > To post messages to the Lee County, VA discussion list, send them to > [email protected] > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx >