[This post is for a distant cousin of my father, who wanted to know more about their family lineage, including personal accounts]
On Saturday, May 10th, 2008, the family history my father had shared with me as we spent time together on Saturday:
About growing up on Black Oak Ridge in Fountain City, TN, with his grandparents, same house his mother grew up in. A large part of property on Black Oak Ridge owned by a freedman in late 1800s. Part of freedman’s land purchased by Dad’s great-grandparents in early 1900s.
Grandparents married in 1910. Dresser with mirror in my parents’ dining room served as part of wedding dowry. Dad’s grandmother died while he, who took the train to work at Tennessee Theater (and usually walked home), was met by his two aunts at the theater so Dad knew the news they had. His grandfather died in a nursing care facility during my youth. Dad recalled where both his grandparents had laid in bed during their last days in their house. He drew up floor plans of the two-story house. I recall the old linoleum peeling up in the kitchen, faded wall covering in the front room (the wall dividing the front room into a bedroom and parlor long ago removed to accommodate a hospital bed), stairs to the second floor and a dark closet in the back of the second story with just a sheet over the door, giving a eery feeling to the upstairs.
“Granddad’s mother’s first name was Gertrude. She was known as a strong-willed, somewhat controlling person, especially to her daughter-in-law, my Grandmother, Lucy Margaret Pope Eldridge (Mrs. Frank L.) and my Mother, Thelma May Eldridge, etc., etc.
“Don’ t know her maiden name, nor do I remember her husband’s (Great-Grandfather Eldridge) first name.
“Granddad (Frank Eldridge), their first-born, was a sheet metal worker and union member at the Southern Railway.
“His youngest brother George Eldridge (Uncle Ed) was a staff member of the Burlington Route RR. He commuted daily by train from Naperville, IL, to The Loop and return, 1920s – late 1940s. (Uncle Ed “ran away with the circus” when he was young, and ended up in IL.) He and his wife, Lil, had one son, who lived in Kankakee, IL, until he retired to AZ. Best I recollect, Uncle Ed lived with him until he passed away. Lil (Lilly) was a first gen. German-American. I remember her Mother speaking in a German-accented English.
“His sister, Ada Eldridge Waters , and her husband, owned a small potato chip bakery in Pueblo, CO. Their son Earl was our only family member KIA in WWII.
“The middle brother, Charles, lived in LA and worked for Lockheed Aircraft there. He had one son, whom I met only once, when Granddad and I ‘went west’ in 1951. Never had contact with him thereafter.”
My father’s grandfather (my great-grandfather) worked as a tinsmith/sheet metal worker for the Southern Railway because he left school in the sixth grade to help support family (his father had worked as a blacksmith). He used college-level math and trigonometric shortcuts to design and build parts for his job. He also built the house on Black Oak Ridge, one story at a time. The floor sloped down in places where he had extended the width of the house.
Dad’s mother and uncle used to haul water up the hill from a spring until they got regular running water at the house. Dad used to play at the spring and creek with his friends Philip and George Bradfute. One time they saw a water moccasin and hightailed it up the hill back to the house as if the snake could chase and catch them.
The scary room I remembered as a child had no fearful connotation to my father. His grandfather developed black and white film from Brownie cameras in that room, considered an upstairs closet. A tape job held together one of the family Brownies — family lore said that the camera had rolled all the way down House Mountain.
My great-grandfather owned only one car in his life, a Model T in the 1920s. His wife had earned a reputation as a speedy driver of the car, started back when she had ridden a fast horse (the horse had racing blood and would outrun horse-and-buggy riders if passed). The family used to ride the car up to Monte LeConte long before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park existed. Mechanical brakes did not work well on the car so reverse was used to slow down the car. On the way down the mountain one time, they couldn’t stop the car when a cow stepped out onto the road so they hit and killed the cow (and of course, damaged the car). They located the farmer — he didn’t blame them or ask for compensation because the cow had stepped in front of them, not the other way around.
Harris and Pope are family names on the Eldridge side of my family (Eldridge is paternal grandmother’s name; Capps is paternal BIOLOGICAL grandfather’s name (and not one to discuss with my father since Papa Capps abandoned my father and his mother) — my father changed his name to Hill after his mother remarried).
Grandma Harris attended Smithwood School. One of the stories she told related how some boys at school came from the French side of Switzerland (a town called Tunn?). American school boys taught the Swiss boys how to say “I love you” to American girls and then laughed when the Swiss boys said the phrase to the American girls (probably thinking they were saying “Hello”). Very funny.
The Harrises owned property where Maryville College now sits. Supposedly a sign on the school campus attests to that fact.
Dad delivered newspapers as a kid. Dad has told me about some of his famous customers in emails through the years. I will pull those together for a later blog entry.
My great-grandfather kept a string of dried hot peppers on the back porch and would eat them to settle an upset stomach. In his later years, he sat in the front room of the house to watch television. A set of condos sits where that house stood — a result of my grandmother and great-uncle selling the property to a developer, teaching me that money has more importance than land held by two generations of family members, signs, too, that my family has always migrated to new/better land.
Subject: FW: Family history for descendents of Col. John Sawyers
Here is some information of Dad’s family history (scanned and OCR’d from a book cited in the email links at the bottom of this blog entry):
FAMILY HISTORY OF COL. JOHN SAWYERS. Col. John Sawyers, born in 1745; died November 20, 1831, age. 86 years. Buried in Washington Church Cemetery, Knox County, Tenn.
Rebecca Crawford, wife of Col. John Sawyers, born February 7, 1753 ; died February 25, 1841, age, 88 years and 8 days. Buried in Washington Church Cemetery. John Sawyers and Rebecca Crawford were married January 30, 1776, in Augusta County. Virginia. To this union were born the following children :
5. — John Sawyers, Jr., born April 9, 1786; died October 1, 1851. Buried in Washington Church Cemetery.
JOHN SAWYERS, JR., FAMILY.
John Sawyers, Jr., second son and fifth child of Col. John Sawyers, was a man of sterling integrity and of sober and industrious habits. In stature was about 5 feet 10 or 11 inches; dark hair and eyes, and withal a commanding figure; in deportment gentle and kind; in the church, state and society, he was one of the substantial citizens of that day. He married Nancy Shell, a daughter of Christian Shell, who early emigrated from Virginia and settled near Graveston, Knox County, Tenn. At the time of his marriage, in 1809, his father located him on about one-third of the one thousand acres purchased in August, 1794, which he afterwards willed him. Upon this tract of land John Sawyers, Jr.. built a large four-room, two-story house of native hewn logs, with a huge stone chimney in the center. Two rooms of this house are still standing with the chimney intact. This house is three-quarters of a mile East of the Josiah Sawyers old home, on the old Emery Road.
John Sawyers, Jr., was the first child born after the removal to Knox County. His second wife was Miss Martha Thompson, whom he married about 1846, who some years after the death of John Sawyers, Jr., married James S. Bell, Beaver Creek, Knox County, Tenn.
James S. Bell died Sept., 1860. His wife, Martha Sawyers Bell, died in 1866 or 1867. Both are buried side by side at Bell’s Camp Ground, Knox County, Tennessee.
2nd S. G. John Sawyers, Jr., fifth child of Col. John Sawyers, born April 9, 1786; died Oct. 1, 1851; buried Washington Church. Nancy Shell, wife, born Feb. 18, 1788; died May 26, 1844; buried Washington Church.
John Sawyers, Jr., and Nancy Shell were married July 11, 1809. To this union was born the following children, to wit:
7. Rebecca Crawford, born Oct.1. 1822; died Nov. 7, 1877 ; buried Anderson Cemetery. Married Samuel K. Harris. (See Harris part of History.)
Rebecca Crawford Sawyers Harris, seventh child of John Sawyers, Jr., became a member of Washington Church upon profession of faith soon after her marriage to Samuel K. Harris. Her life was full of Christian activity and work. She was a thorough student of the Bible, having been trained therein by her grandmother, and she in turn imparted this knowledge to her children by daily reading to them from the Holy Scriptures. She was a woman of strong character, self poised and possessed considerable executive ability. She met the cares and duties of life with a courageous heart and cheerfully and dutifully filled her place in her home. She was a true mother, devoted to the welfare of her children. She left her children, as a testimony to her la})or of love for them, the memory of a life which time cannot erase, and her children rise up and call her blessed.
The immediate cause of her death was pneumonia fever. The morning before she died in the afternoon she said to her son. Dr. M. M. Harris, “The chariots have been here all night waiting for me.” The most of her children were at her bedside, to whom she said many blessed words before her departure.
She was buried Sunday afternoon, Nov. 9, 1877, Rev. David A. Herron, her pastor, preaching the funeral. Buried in Anderson Cemetery.
SAMUEL KINCHEN HARRIS.
Samuel Kinchen Harris, twelfth child of Simon Harris. Born Sept. 12. 1818. on the Holston River, opposite the station known as Mascot, Tenn.. on the Southern Railway, about fourteen miles east of Knoxville. At the death of his father in 1831, Samuel Harris being about thirteen years of age, it fell upon his shoulders to support his widowed mother and two sisters, Clara and Martha. He had but a limited education, owing to the fact of his having to support the family, but notwithstanding this and the poor facilities at that day for getting an education, he attained a good common English education. In stature he was five feet ten inches, fair complexion, blue eyes and light hair; a robust, healthy man all his life.
At his marriage to Rebecca Crawford Sawyers in 1810, he moved to Harbison’s Cross Roads, where he rented a small farm and lived there until the fall of 1841, when he purchased a small farm in Hinds” Valley, eleven miles east of Knoxville, on the Tazewell pike. Here he lived until 1853, when he became Superintendent of the Knox County Poor Asylum, which was then and is now situated at [Maloneyville. He lived here four years, moving to the present old home eight miles east of Knoxville, on the Tazewell Pike, in January, 1857. This farm of two hundred and thirty acres he purchased from Dr. Isaac A. Anderson, founder of the present Maryville College, paying for the place at that time four thousand ($4,000) dollars. Here he lived, completing the raising of his first family of ten children. His beloved wife, Rebecca Crawford Sawyers, died November 7, 1877.
Samuel Kinchen Harris was one of the substantial citizens of Knox County, He served as Justice of the Peace of Knox County for six years, between 1870 and 1880. During this time he took an active interest in all matters pertaining to the best interests of the County, especially in the matter of public roads. He, as well as his first wife, were members of Washington Church, he being at his death a deacon in that church. He lived an honest, Christian life ; his word as good as his bond ; was honorable in all his transactions, leaving behind him a record that his children and descendants may justly be proud of.
OBITUARY of SAMUEL K. HARRIS
One of the Most Prominent Men of Knox County Died at an Advanced Age.
“Samuel K. Harris. age 82 years, one of the best known citizens of Knox County, residing in the Third Civil District, died Friday night, May 4th, 1900, at 7 o’clock, at his home. His health had been failing for some time, yet the end came as a surprise to his many friends in the city.
“The funeral occurred Sunday at 2 p. m., at the Anderson burying ground, six miles out on the Tazewell Pike. Rev. T. M. Lowery. D. D., pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, conducted the services, assisted by Rev. J. H. Newman, of Maryville, Tenn.”
About a month after the death of Samuel K. Harris, William M. Harris, one of his pall-bearers. was killed by accident — June 19th, 1900. William M. Harris being an Elder, and Samuel K. Harris being a Deacon, in Washington Church, a memorial funeral service was held in their honor at Washington Church, some time in July following, the memorial sermon being preached by Rev. P. M. Bartlett, D. D., of Maryville, Tenn., who was then supplying the pulpit at Washington Church.
SAMUEL KINCHEN HARRIS’ FAMILY
2nd H. G.— 3rd S. G. Samuel Kinchen Harris, born Sept. 12, 1818 ; died May 4, 1900; buried Anderson Cemetery. Married Rebecca Crawford Sawyers, born Oct. 1, 1822; died Nov. 7, 1877; buried Anderson Cemetery. They were married Oct. 22, 1840, by Rev. Gideon S. White. To this union was born ton children, to wit :
3rd H. G.— 4th S. G. 1. Madison Monroe Harris, born Sept. 21, 1841.
2. John Sawyers Harris, born Aug. 2, 1843 ; died June 2, 1881 ; buried Anderson Cemetery.
3. Susan Malvina Harris, born Nov. 30, 1845.
4. Clarissa Rowena Harris, born IMareh 23, 1848 ; died July 14, 1901.
5. Joseph C’owen Harris, born July 23, 1850.
6. Rev. William Emmons Blackburn Harris, born May 7, 1853.
7. Mariah Paralee Harris, born Sept. 9, 1855.
8. Claiborne Alfred Harris, born June 2, 1858.
9. Ellen Cornelia Harris, born July 14, 1861.
10. Miunie Virginia Harris, born Aug. 28, 1865.
WILLIAM E. POPE’S FAMILY.
3rd H. G. — 4th S. G. Ellen Cornelia Harris, born July 14, 1861, married William E. Pope, born June 4, 1861. They were married September 20, 1883. To this union was born six children., to wit:
4th H. G.— 5th S. G. 1. Nettie Rebecca Pope, born July 5. 1884.
2. Lucy Margaret Pope, born April 24, 1887.
3. Willie Myrtle Pope, born Aug. 2, 1889.
4. Charles E. Pope, born April 16, 1894; died March 30, 1895; buried Anderson Cemetery.
5. Laura Cornelia Pope, born Feb. 28, 1896.
6. Pearl Richmond Pope, born Aug. 13, 1898.
W. E. Pope lives at Fountain City, Tenn. Has been employed by the Sanford, Chamberlain & Albers Drug Company for fifteen years. He and his family are members of the Fountain City M. E. Church.
4th H. G.— 5th S. G. Nettie Rebecca Pope married Nov. 3, 1909, to Rufus H. Caldwell, born Sept. 21, 1875. To this union has been born two children, to wit :
5t.h H. G.— 6th S. G. 1. Evalyn Palmer Caldwell, born June 20, 1910.
2. James Erwin Caldwell, born Dee. 1, 1911.
R. H. Caldwell is connected with the Miller Dry Goods Co., of Knoxville, and lives at Fountain City, Tenn.
4th H. G. 5th S. G. Lucy Margaret Pope was married Sept. 3, 1910, to Frank L. Eldridge. To this union has been born one daughter, to wit :
5th H. G.— 6th S. G. Thelma May Eldridge, born May 22, 1912. Died May 19, 1997.
Mr. Eldridge and family live at Fountain City, Tenn. Prank L. Eldridge is an employee of the Southern Railway Company, Knoxville, Tenn. He is an active member of the Baptist Church.
OBITUARY for Thelma May Eldridge
HIRTH, THELMA ELDRIDGE HILL – age 84, passed away Monday evening in Port Charlotte, Fla. She was a charter member of the South Biscayne Baptist Church. She was a charter cradle roll member of Central Baptist Church of Fountain City. She held a life-membership with the American Federation of Garden Clubs and a life-member of the Florida Garden Clubs. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Lee Bruce Hill; and her parents, Frank Lee and Lucy Pope Eldridge. Retired school teacher of Knox County Schools. Survived by husband, Clarence Hirth of Florida; son and daughter-in-law, Richard Lee and Evelyn Hill of Kingsport; granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Anne Hill and Kevin Sherwood of Kingsport; grandson and granddaughter-in-law, Richard L. II and Janeil Hill of Huntsville, Ala.; great-grandchildren, Nicholas and Maggie Sherwood. Graveside service 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Greenwood Cemetery, Rev. Ed Jenkins officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Central Baptist Church of Fountain City Library Fund or to Carson Newman College. The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. Saturday at Gentry-Griffey Chapel.
Thelma May Eldridge married, in 1933 or 1934, James Horace Capps, born in Knoxville, in the year 1913 [(He subsequently married Bessie Eunice Stallings on 29-Apr-1939 in Knox Co, Tennessee, and had two children: CLADUETTE CAPPS, b. 03-Jun-1946, Knoxville, Knox Co, Tennesse/Knoxville, Knox Co., TN.; ii. JR JAMES HORACE CAPPS, b. 23-Aug-1947, Knoxville, Knox Co, Tennessee.) (She subsequently was remarried to Lee Bruce Hill, born on 27 Jan 1911 (Joppa, Grainger, TN), died on Apr 1978; after Lee’s death, she was remarried to Clarence Hirth – no children were born from from either of the last two marriages)]. To this union was born one son, to wit:
6th H. G.— 7th S. G. Richard Horace Capps was born February 22, 1935 (changed his name to Richard Lee Hill by Court Order-Knox County-1944*). Died May 18, 2012.
Richard Lee Hill was married to Mary Evelyn Teffeteller on August 26, 1956. To this union were born 2 children, to wit:
7th H.G. — 8th S.G. 1. Richard Lee Hill, II was born May 6, 1962.
2. Anne Elizabeth Hill was born February 22, 1964. She was married to Kevin Sherwood on Dec. 28, 1985 (subsequently, she was remarried to Bruce Trask – no children were born from the last marriage). To this union were born 2 children, to wit:
8th H. G.— 9th S. G. 1. Nicholas Ryan Sherwood was born June 25, 1992.
2. Maggie Ellen Sherwood was born May 13, 1994.
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Subject: Family history for descendents of Col. John Sawyers
To: My Children/Grandchildren
Date: Saturday, July 3, 2010, 11:04 AM
*Dad writes:
Rick, I am not adopted. My name was changed from Richard Horace Capps to Richard Lee Hill by Court Order-Knox County-1944. I have the exact date and have a copy of the court order, should you want a copy of that copy. Lee was from Lee Bruce Hill, Frank Lee Eldridge and Ralph Lee Eldridge.You were the 5th Lee!
Richard was from Richard M. Harris, who entered service as Sgt, Co F, 3d TN Infantry,U.S.A, at Flat Lick, KY, Feb 10, 1862. (I see a faint hand written note in the S-H Fam Hist Book (hereafter S-H FHB), that says “Great Uncle” (of ?).
That same day, another relative entered service at the same place. William M. Sawyers entered as Captain of Co K, 3d TN INF, USA. He was appointed. Lt. Col. 8-20-1863.
Though in heavy fighting throughout the Civil War, each survived the War and was mustered out in Feb 1965. Richard Harris was wounded.
In battle, William was struck down by an exploding shell and carried from the field of battle unconscious. “His person seemed charmed in this engagement, as his sword was broken, and a number of bullets passed through his uniform, but strange to say, his body was unharmed.” (S-H FHB)
Note that they served in the UNION ARMY. We had relatives on both sides.
Knoxville was a town with sympathies in both directions, N. and S.
Here are Forgey men who served : (none shown in Am Revolutionary War in S-H FHB).
War of 1812-15
Alexander G. Forgey, (with Jackson at Battle of New Orleans, which , as you know, took place AFTER the war was declared over-no instant communication then).
Seminole War, 1836-37
James A. Forgey, (son of Alexander A. Forgey) , under General Jessup.
War with Mexico, 1846-48
James A. Forgey, (the same!), entered service again as a private in Co. C, 1st Indiana Infantry, at New Albany, Ind., June 14, 1846, under command of Col. James P. Drake. Mustered out in New Orleans, June , 1847.
Andrew J. Forgey entered service on same date and place and in same unit as James A., served under Gens. Scott and Taylor in Mexico. Mustered out same date and place.
Civil War, 1861-65
James A. Forgey, (yep, once again!), though 45 years old at the time, entered service as Corporal in Co. H, 29th Iowa Infantry, USA, July 24, 1862. This time he was less fortunate, for he contracted smallpox and all but died of it. He was mustered out on disability April 24, 1863.
Thomas C. Forgey, son of Alexander C. Forgey, private, Co B, 46th Indiana Infantry, Feb. 18, 1864. Mustered out Sept. 4, 1865, in Louisville, KY.
Andrew A. Forgey, son of James A. Forgey, private, Co B, 46th Ind. INF, etc, same as Thomas above.
John B. Forgey, son of James A. Forgey, private, Co H,4th Iowa INF, June 4, 1861. Died of smallpox Feb 3, 1863 and buried in National Cemetery, Young’s Point, LA.
“……ain’t gonna study war no more….”
from an old A-A ( formerly Negro) spiritual whose title I do not remember.
treetrunkdings 