PUT THERE BY HIS OWN HANDS

State of Tennessee
McMinn County:
An inquisition holden at M. C. Owens barn in the County of McMinn and the State of Tennessee, on the 30th day of June 1892, before John Hart J. P. for said County, upon the body of M. C. Owen, there lying dead; by the Jurors whose names are hereto subscribed, whereupon their oath do say that on the 30th day of June said M. C. Owen did come to his death by hanging to a rope, by the neck, put there by his own hands and by his own acts, came to his death. == In testimony whereof, the said Jurors, have hereunto set their hands; the day and date above written.
John Hart. J. P.
Holding Inquest

Jurors Names
W. S. Spradling
W. T. Kizer
W. T. Land
John Hart Sr,
J. W. Pikelsimes
J. B. Kimbrough
W. E. Barb

The reason for Marshal C. Owen taking his life at age 58 in the barn he constructed is a mystery. We do know his wife Caroline died some three years earlier, also at age 58. At the time of Marshals death his only son Thomas had moved to California leaving his family in Tennessee. Marshal’s daughter Angeline had been abandoned by her husband in Texas and was living back home with Marshal at the time of his death. Marshal was evidently lonely as it as been passed down he was spending considerable time up at the home of his daughter Nancy Jane Owen Wade prior to his death. His health could have been a factor.



FAMILY GROUP RECORD

HUSBAND: Marshal C Owen
BORN: 10/13/1833 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: 10/19/1854 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 06/30/1892 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: George P Owen
MOTHER: Elizabeth Davis
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WIFE: Caroline Thomas
BORN: 10/19/1830 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 02/19/1889 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: Jonathan Thomas
MOTHER: Jane Carmack
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CHILDREN
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Elizabeth Owen
BORN: 08/30/1855 McMinn county, TN.
DIED: 02/08/1867 McMinn County, TN.
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Thomas Owen
BORN: 04/18/1857 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Martha Ellen Wade 11/29/1878
MARRIED: Susie Mary Davis 04/25/1903
DIED: 08/11/1937 Porterville, CA.
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Nancy Jane Owen
BORN: 03/22/1859 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: William Daniel Wade 02/05/1880
DIED: 08/18/1901 McMinn County, TN.
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Angeline Owen
BORN: 01/08/1861
MARRIED: William B Adams
MARRIED: John S Campbell
DIED: 1936 McMinn County, TN.
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Harriet Owen
BORN: 01/22/1863 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Will Columbus Hughes
DIED: 08/02/1939 McMinn County, TN.
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Mary Ann Owen
BORN: 02/09/1865 McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 02/23/1865 McMinn County, TN.
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Louisa E Owen
BORN: 02/26/1867 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Samuel A Brickell
DIED: 12/22/1950 McMinn County, TN.

TWENTY ONE DOLLARS AND ELEVEN CENTS

The date is December 7 and the year is 1865. The Civil War has ended and the brothers, cousins and neighbors who survived have returned home to the local area.

Whether those who fought on opposing sides have begun to communicate is not known, but one can be assured the memories from the hardships suffered run deep.

The Confederate Money is worthless and Jonathan Thomas is dead. Jane struggles to hold onto what is remaining of the Thomas land holdings.

The subject of the back taxes the Federal Government has levied is a concern of all. Congress some three years earlier passed legislation entitled “An Act for the Collection of Direct Taxes in Insurrectionary Districts Within the United States” and the taxes are now due.

Jane turns to her thrifty Dutch son-in-law, Jacob Wattenbarger for help. Jacob pays the taxes and places the receipt in his trunk, where it remains to this day, one hundred and forty four years later.

Copied below is the original tax receipt for the 1735 acre Thomas homeplace dated December 7, 1865, in the amount of twenty one dollars and eleven cents.

THE CAVE

Jacob Wattenbarger was the son of Michael and Nancy Wattenbarger who settled in a community in northwest McMinn County that would later become known as Chuck-A-Luck. The Wattenbarger farm joined the James Wade homeplace on the north boundary.

In 1849 Jacob traveled a few miles south to Rogers Creek and married Louisa Thomas, daughter of wealthy landowner Jonathan Thomas. Jacob and Louisa acquired property from Jonathan in the vicinity of Rogers Creek Church and built a two-story log house a few hundred feet east of the intersection of current McMinn County Roads 180 and 187.

When the Civil War broke out, Jacob faced a dilemma. Jacob, being from the Tranquility Community, which supported the Union, was living at the very center of Rogers creek, which supported the South. His father-in-law owned several slaves, but Jacob did not believe in slavery.

Jacob eventually chose not to fight for either side and instead hid out in the hills above Rogers Creek and slept in a cave, which was located about 800 feet southeast of his house. The cave has since been known as Wattenbager Cave and has been in our family since the time of the Cherokee.

Jacob died in 1905 and his son James Grant (my grandfather) purchased the 693 acres he owned at an auction held on the McMinn County courthouse steps April 28, 1906. Grant and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Hart Wattenbarger, and their six children lived in their house across the road from the Wattenbarger store.

One day my mother, Maggie Lee Wattenbarger, and two of her sisters, against Lizzie’s instructions, slipped off to explore Wattenbarger Cave. Jacob had in earlier years constructed a wooden door to seal the opening to the cave. The frame holding the door had rotted away and the door was lying just inside the cave opening. Being curious, one of my mother’s sisters lifted up the door to peer underneath.

None of the girls were prepared for what they saw, which was the body of a corpse. Home to mother they flew. Grant eventually determined the corpse had been placed there by a country doctor who was in the process of dissecting it to determine the cause of death of the individual. The cool atmosphere in the cave kept the body from decomposing.

FAMILY GROUP RECORD

HUSBAND: Jacob Wattenbarger
BORN: 05/05/1826 PLACE: Washington Cty, TN.
MARRIED: 02/22/1849 PLACE: McMinn Cty, TN.
DIED: 10/15/1905 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: Michael Wattenbarger
MOTHER: Nancy Ann Whistler
-----------------------------------------------------------------
WIFE: Louisa Thomas
BORN: 07/10/1828 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 03/24/1893 PLACE:McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: Jonathan Thomas
MOTHER; Jane Carmack
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CHILDREN
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Martha Wattenbarger
BORN: 01/29/1850 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Rev. Isaac C Culvahouse 12/14/1873
DIED: 08/29/1930 McMinn County, TN.
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Jane Wattenbarger
BORN: 03/01/1851 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: John Arnold 12/27/1877
DIED: 05/01/1915 Rhea County, TN.
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Jonathan Wattenbarger
BORN: 06/09/1854 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Texas Ann Lockmiller 08/27/1877
MARRIED: Sarah Texanna Ramey 12/23/1880
DIED: 01/01/1928 Hunt County, TX.
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Andrew Jackson Wattenbarger
BORN: 10/20/1856 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Easter Womack 07/17/1881
DIED: 1936 McMinn County, TN.
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Mary A Wattenbarger
BORN: 11/22/1859 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: John Franklin Stanton 08/09/1877
DIED: 12/16/1939 McMinn County, TN.
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Nancy Wattenbarger
BORN: 11/14/1861 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: M L Thompson DATE: 08/25/1883
DIED: 03/07/1894 Roane County, TN.
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Tennessee Wattenbarger
BORN: 01/14/1864 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Joseph T Foster DATE: 08/25/1887
DIED: 07/23/1931 McMinn County, TN.
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James Grant Wattenbarger
BORN: 04/17/1866 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Mary Elizabeth Hart 08/19/1894
DIED: 04/29/1955 McMinn County, TN.
----------------------------------------------
Julia Wattenbarger
BORN: 07/11/1868 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Thomas Hunt 10/18/1899
DIED: 08/04/1900 McMinn County, TN.

"UNCLE JACK"

The following is probably one of the more moving tributes to a member of our family that has ever been published. It was written by Daisy Rice Spradling, and appeared in the Daily Post-Athenian Monday, December 2, 1935, the day after “Uncle Jack” passed away.

Taps were sounded today for John "Uncle Jack" Hart, 94, Confederate veteran who answered to the last roll call Sunday. He passed away peacefully at 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon at his home in the Rogers Creek Community, 10 miles west of Athens. He had been ill several weeks, ascribed to the infirmities of age.

Funeral services, attended by a large number of relatives and friends, were held at the Rogers Creek Baptist Church at 2 o'clock this afternoon. Grandsons were pallbearers.

Burial took place in the family plot in the church cemetery, located on a sloping hillside, overlooking Rogers Creek Valley, where "Uncle Jack" had spent most of nearly a century.

He was born April 16, 1841, a son of the late John Hart, among the earlier settlers of McMinn county. He was married three times. After the death of his first wife,formerly Miss Henrietta Amelia Snyder, who was the mother of his children, he married Miss Martha Ann Ziegler.

Fate decreed he be left again without a mate and in the third step into matrimony, he took as his wife, Mrs. Nancy Elizabeth Dillard Spradling, widow and second wife of Robert Spradling, a close friend and war comrade of Mr. Hart.

Since her death several years ago, he spent part of the time at his home in McMinn county where he was cared for by a son, John Hart, and the remainder of the time with two sons, Will and Charlie Hart and their families in Hamilton county.

When he returned to his old home in McMinn county for the last time, he told his children "I intend to remain here for the remainder of my life."

Children surviving are: Mrs. Will (Rosa) Small, Mrs. J. G. (Lizzie) Wattenbarger, John Hart 3rd., of Rogers Creek, Will Hart of Hixson and Charlie Hart of White Oak, Hamilton county. Four children are dead, Mrs. John (Ernie) Benton, Lewis, Franklin and Jimmy Hart. There are 29 living grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

"Uncle Jack" had no fear of passing into the great beyond and when the final summons came he met his death without a tremor. Since early manhood, he had been a member of the Baptist church, and was regular in attendance when health and weather would permit.

Mr. Hart joined the Confederate army August 19, 1861/ Company A, 29th Regiment Tennessee Volunteers at Loudon, but about the first of November, the same year, he was transferred to another unit, joining the A. W. Hodges Company at Decatur, and was mustered into service by Col. James Gillespie as a member of Company D, 43rd Tennessee Regiment of which Gillespie was Colonel and D. M. Key was Lieutenant-Colonel.

He went through the siege of Vicksburg, and was in several other battles. His regiment did service in several states, all the way from Mobile, Alabama up east to Maryland.

Those terrifying days were depicted by "Uncle Jack" when in a reminiscent mood, as he was interviewed by the writer at his home last spring. As he recited "The Yesterdays" he told of the grim moments of the conflict in which brother fought against brother.

In the quiet of that spring afternoon, as he sat in his old armchair in his room, it was most interesting to listen to the "boy who wore the gray", whose hair had lightened until it was the color of the uniform he wore when Dixie called.

His speech was halted some, but as he lived once more in the long ago, his eyes would light with the spirit, the courage and the fire of the patriotic youth, as tribute was phrased for such officers as Jackson, Early, Vaughn, and Gillespie, under whose leadership he fought.

A striking tribute was paid to Stonewall Jackson he told how, when General Early, in command of Jackson's old Army Corps at that time, marched through the cemetery at Lexington, Va., where the mortal remains of the great leader were buried. It was a solemn scene, Mr. Hart said. No words were spoken as the whole army marched around Jackson's grave with arms reversed as though attending a funeral.

A Southern flag floated over his grave. Federal soldiers had been there a few days previous to this on their way to Lynchburg, he said, and had almost used up the flagpole, cutting chips out of it as mementos, never offering to take the flag down.

Mr. Hart was discharged at Kingston, Ga., May 10, 1865, after serving three years and nine months.


The mother of John Hart III (1841-1935) was the sister of Louisa Spradling, wife of James Wade. Four of the eight children of W. D. and Jane Owen Wade married descendants of Uncle Jack.

FAMILY GROUP RECORD

HUSBAND: John Hart, III
BORN: 04/16/1841 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: 12/19/1866
DIED: 12/01/1935 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: John Hart, II
MOTHER: Mary Elizabeth Spradling
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WIFE: Henrietta Amelia Snyder
BORN: 02/14/1847 PLACE:
DIED: 06/19/1888 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: Moses Snyder
MOTHER: Phoebe Roddy
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CHILDREN
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rosa Lee Hart
BORN: 11/03/1867 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: William Harvey Small 12/01/1889
DIED: 06/25/1966 McMinn County, TN.
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William Alexander Hart McMinn County, TN.
BORN: 01/01/1870 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Ada Lee Sanders
DIED: 11/19/1956 Hixson, TN.
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Theodosia Ernestine Hart
BORN: 01/13/1872 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: John F Benton
DIED: 11/11/1911
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Mary Elizabeth Hart
BORN: 02/05/1875 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: James Grant Wattenbarger 08/19/1894
DIED: 12/29/1959 McMinn County, TN.
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John Moses Hart
BORN: 07/26/1877 McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 05/04/1956 McMinn County, TN.
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James Mortimer Hart
BORN: 12/30/1879 McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 10/23/1883
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Lewis Benjamin Hart
BORN: 02/21/1882 McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 10/18/1883 McMinn County, TN.
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Charlie G Hart
BORN: 08/12/1884 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Ocea Delra Wade 12/17/1905
DIED: 09/06/1956 Hamilton County, Tenn.
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Franklin Roddy Hart
BORN: 07/22/1887 McMinn County, TN.
DIED: 08/16/1887 McMinn County, TN.

THE DAY THE ANGELS SANG

One day in the mid-thirties Blaine “Dude“ Small came galloping down the road that ran in front of our house and rode his horse right up in our yard. “It’s the end of time, the angels are singing”, he yelled.

We went outside and we too could hear the angels singing. The sound was coming from the eastern sky as prophesied, but we could not see anything. In a few minutes the singing stopped and this booming voice proclaimed, “Get Right with God.”

Dude had not been too interested in religion up to that time, but he was ready to change his ways. I don’t remember if Dude was in church the following Sunday or not, but we certainly were.

It was no until later when members of a religious group not known in the area started going from house to house and passing out literature that my parents figured out what was going on.

It was revealed the “intruders” had set up loudspeakers at the top of the ridge on the south side of the church. At that time the hillside behind the old church was clear and in pasture. One could stand at the top of the hill and yell and be heard for some distance in he valley below.

I remember my step grandmother, Gussie Wade, who lived at he top of the hill above us, was frowned upon for accepting the literature that was being passed out. Gussie was somewhat of “free spirit” who had a curiosity about things beyond the ridges that surrounded Rogers Creek.

Gussie lived alone in the big white house after grandpa died and was the best friend a six year old could have.

PAPA WATTENBARGER'S STORE

On the northwest side of what is now the intersection on McMinn County Roads 180 and 187 at one time stood Papa Wattenbarger’s Store. He sold mostly non-perishable items like flour, meal, salt, soda baking powder, coffee, candy, etc. He also carried a pretty complete line of clothing and some farm supplies. Kerosene was a big seller as all homes were lighted with kerosene or “coal oil” lamps as we called them. Papa Wattenbarger closed the store about 1940 as most people by that time had cars and bought their supplies in Athens. Much of the clothing was still on the shelves when he died in 1955.

Papa Wattenbarger was also the last Postmaster at Fiketon, serving in that capacity from June 21, 1898, to February 28, 1903, when the Postal Service was moved to Athens. The name Fiketon was applied for by Absolom Fike who served as Postmaster from 1885 until my Grandfather Wade was appointed Postmaster February 25, 1892.


View Larger Map

Grandpa Wade then started Rural Route 1 out of Decatur, arranging for the route to pass into McMinn County and by his house. That is the reason we to this day get our mail out of Decatur, even though we live in McMinn County. Aunt Ocea would on some days go with grandpa and drive the buggy. I have grandpa Wade’s mail log and the remains of the large umbrella that covered his buggy.

My most vivid memory of Papa Wattenbarger’s store was a large poster that for a time was nailed to the wall inside above the double entrance doors. The poster portrayed the death of John Dillinger, a notorious gangster of that era. It was a gruesome picture with bullets passing through his body from different directions and blood spurting out the exit wounds. After I saw the picture I would not enter the store again until Papa Wattenbarger finally took the picture down at the insistence of my grandmother.

A covered porch extended along the entire front of the store and parallel to the road. This is where the men of the community gathered and swapped tales. On the south side and between the store and what is now County Road 180 was a covered scalehouse for weighing wagons.

On the Rogers Creek Church homecoming day the store porch became a concession stand. Royal Crown Cola banners were nailed between the supporting posts and formed a continuous separation between the servers and those purchasing candy, drinks and ice cream. The store also served as a voting precinct after some rowdiness occurred in the church where the voting had been done.

The store was torn down after Eliza Thomas bought the property at the estate sale in the 1960’s, thus the property was reconnected to the Jonathan Thomas place.

OCEA DELRAY WADE

Aunt Ocea was the third oldest child of W. D. and Jane Owen Wade. She married one of the sons of John Hart III, Confederate War Veteran. The Hart farm joined the Wade farm on the south side and the two houses were less than one mile apart as the crow flies.



Ocea and Charlie had four children, the oldest of which was Paul. Pauline Marquis Hart, who resides in Michigan, provided the following:

Memories of Ocea Delray Wade (Hart) by Alna Pauline Marquis (Hart)

Born December 13, 1885

Married Charlie Gillespie Hart December 19, 1905

I was her first grandchild. She wanted me to be born on her birth date, but I missed it by two days. My son Charles was the first great grandchild.

Every Christmas we would go to her house for dinner along with her two sons and two daughters. In the corner of her four room house was the most beautiful Christmas tree. It was fairy like with a wonderful assortment of ornaments. On Christmas day her greeting was “Christmas Gift” to all that entered her home.

Christmas dinner in 1945 consisted of a 30 pound turkey that was so large she didn’t have a cooking pan big enough to bake it in. So, she cleaned out a baby bath tub to roast the turkey. Her cook stove was a very large cast iron stove.

Her biscuits were hand formed and always came out of the oven white rather than brown, but they were fully cooked. I could never duplicate that.

She lived at 105 Martin Road in North Chattanooga for more than 50 years. Her sister, Corda, lived directly across the road and in their latter years they would tell each other how much they loved one another before retiring for the night.

I used to play hooky from school at her house.

She loved to quilt. She had a quilting frame in her garage. She and Corda spent many hours quilting. I have one of her quilts.

She planted a flower garden for me in her back yard. One of the flowers was a “Japanese Iris”. Seeing that we were at war then, I asked her if I could rename them to “Korean Iris’” she said of course.

We visited her every Mother’s Day. She had a swing on her front porch that I really enjoyed.

We had many conversations and I shared many secrets with her while going up, she never breached the confidence.

She had naturally wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes. She may have looked very stern but was a very happy and joyful person. Her laugh was beautiful and magical.

She passed away on her wedding anniversary, but I can’t remember the year.

Alna Pauline Marquis Hart

NO SALE

On October 24, 2009, I attended a land sale of over 900 acres of land located in the area of Chuck-A-Luck where our ancestors settled about 1830. The acreage auctioned included all of the former Silas Wade homeplace and part of the Richard Spradling and Michael Wattenbarger homeplaces. The property was open land with no structures and had been used by a paper company for many years to grow pine trees to supply a paper mill.

The paper company sold the property to a land company several years ago when property values were much higher than they are now. The land company had been attempting to divide and resell it to individuals, evidently without much success.

Below is a tract map of the land available, with indicators for both the location of Chuck-A-Luck and where Silas Wade's Homeplace was. (Note: Silas Wade's Homeplace roughly covers Tracts 3 & 4.)


When I left the auction about 2:30 PM all of the seven tracts except one had bids in place ranging from $750.00 to $1,000.00, plus a ten percent buyers premium. The seventh tract was the least desirable of all and most likely received a bid of less than $750.00.

I was not present at the time, but I was told before the close of the auction the seller exercised their right to reject all bids and not one of the above listed tracts was sold.

Below is a satellite image of a smaller area as the tract map above, and with a smaller indicator for where Silas's place was so one can better see the land of the area.


What makes this interesting is the fact that most land being advertised on the open market for sale is listed at much higher than what was bid at he auction. There appears to be a very wide discrepancy between what sellers are asking and what buyers are willing to pay. No doubt the current economic conditions have something to do with this. Might be a good time to come home to Chuck-A-Luck.

DESTROYED BY FIRE

Where the "the old homestead" stood 1891- 2009.
(W.D. Wade Homeplace)

At 5:30 AM on the morning of Friday July 3, 2009, Bettye looked out the west kitchen window of our house to see the W. D. Wade homeplace fully engulfed in flames. I immediately called 911 and they were aware of a fire in our area, but could not pinpoint the exact location. Evidently the glow could be seen all the way to Athens.

Being a two-story frame house sitting on top of a hill, the fire was like nothing I had ever seen. I went up later and talked with the fire fighters and they said their experience led hem to believe the fire actually started about 2:00 AM.

The cause of the fire to my knowledge has never been determined. The electrical service had been disconnected several years and someone had dug up and stolen the copper line from the propane tank to the house.

The age of the house can best be determined by a story that has been passed down that dates the house to a time when Ulys Wade was about one year old. It seems the house W. D. and Jane and family had been living in was located where they wanted to build their new house.

The plan was to jack up the old house and roll it across the road on logs. Since this required several days to accomplish, the family was in and out of the house as need be. When the time came to actually start moving the house Jane suddenly remember Ulys was still inside. Ulys was quickly retrieved and the house was moved as had been planed. Ulys was born July 21, 1890, so the new house was probably constructed in 1891.

JONATHAN THOMAS

Jonathan Thomas (1800-1864) was the father of Caroline Thomas (1830-1889) who married Marshal C. Owen (1833-1892). Marshal & Caroline were the parents of Nancy Jane Owen (1859-1901) who married W.D. Wade (1859-1935). They were also the parents of Thomas Owen (1857-1937) who married W.D. Wade’s sister Martha Ellen Wade (1861-ca.1902).


The following was written by Maudie Stanton Vaughn in 1976:

Jonathan Thomas, son of Jacob Thomas, a Revolutionary soldier and my great great grandfather, came to McMinn County when he was about 21 years of age. He had married in Sullivan County, Tennessee to Jane Carmack, daughter of John Carmack who fought in the first battle of the American Revolution.

John was born in 1800 and his father, having received a land grant in Sullivan County (Holston Valley) for his services in the war, Jonathan grew to manhood in the pioneer settlement once known as Paperville, Tennessee.

Jonathan entered land in the Roger's Creek community west of Athens near the Meigs County line. He was very industrious and soon after he came to McMinn County, he began acquiring land until he had about 2500 acres.(In the 1850 McMinn County census, Jonathan is listed as owning 3400 acres). He had a number of slaves and wagons, which he used to haul freight from far distances, there being no railroads in this area at that time. A thread mill was located on the creek at Mt. Verd, and Jonathan hauled this thread to many places. He would not come back from these trips with empty wagons; bringing sugar, flour, and many other things needed by the people in this area.

Jane was also very industrious, having a large family to feed and clothe as well as the slaves, she never had an idle moment. She had to weave cloth for clothes and bedding for both her family and the slaves, and knit socks and other items of warm clothing for both. It has been told down through the family that when she went in the wagon or buggy with Jonathan to Athens, she would always knit a sock on the way to town and a sock on the way back home.

They first lived in a log house across the road from the brick house they would build later and which is still standing. The brick was made on the place and carried to the building site by the slaves. Jonathan's little boys and the little slave boys would help carry this brick. A large tree stood in the vicinity of the Thomas house, and the Cherokee Indians would hold council under this tree. This was before their removal to the West in 1835.

Their home being on the main road from Athens to Decatur, they had many interesting visitors. Andrew Johnson who was to become president of the United States spent a night there while seeking votes for one of his political offices.

Jonathan was a Justice of the Peace, and many weddings were performed in the then parlor of the home. He would hold court in this room, and his children would lie in the adjoining room, which is the dining room, there being a large crack under the door, and listen to the cases being tried. They were careful not to let their father catch them as they were supposed to be at their chores.

As each of Jonathan and Jane's children married, they were given a farm and two slaves; a field hand for the groom and a house slave for the bride. My great grandfather (Jacob Wattenbarger) declined to accept the slaves as he had strong feelings about slavery so Jonathan gave he and Louisa some extra land. This pleased my thrifty Pennsylvania Dutch ancestor, Jacob Wattenbarger, and he made good use of his land. He also added to his holdings and had a large acreage at his death.

Jane was concerned about the spiritual life of her children and slaves and encouraged Jonathan to help get a church near them. He gave the land for the Roger's Creek Baptist Church and cemetery and a log building was constructed on the site. The church, heated by a large fireplace, burned down one night after services had been held there and a frame building replaced it, which is still standing and is still used. The old church records were burned in the fire that destroyed the church clerks home, a Mr. Spradling, so we do not know who all the original members were. We do know the Harts, Spradlings, Dennises, Thomases, and Rogers attended the early services.

To the north of Jonathan's home is the home he gave to his son, John Lilburn Thomas. It was originally a log structure but through the years rooms were added on and now it is owned by Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Bohannon Sr. Mrs. Bohannon, before her marriage, was Lonnie Mae Thomas. The old brick which Jonathan built is owned by Mrs. James Thomas. She was Liza Bohannon before her marriage. Another home given to his daughter who married the Owen is still standing to the west of the brick house.

One of the daughters married Marshall Arnwine and they lived near Niota. He founded the church, which is called Marshall Hill. The home he gave to Louisa and Jacob Wattenbarger, my great grandparents, was a two story log and it is said it was once used as an inn for the stage coach passengers that passed on this road. It too is still standing, though in bad shape. A great granddaughter bought this piece of ground (Maggie Wattenbarger Wade Morgan) on the death of her father to keep the old house from being torn down.

After Jonathan died, his daughter, Harriett Thomas, married a Mr. Fike and Fike built a store in the crossroads near the Thomas home and the Roger's Creek Baptist Church. A post office was established there and this little community became known as Fiketon. All this is gone now.

The Thomas family cemetery is on a hill above the old brick house and is kept in beautiful condition by Mrs. E. B. Bohannon, Mrs. James Thomas, and Jacob Wattenbarger's grandchildren. Mrs. Bohannon has replaced some of the old tombstones and had others re-lettered. Some of Jonathan's slaves are buried near the family with natural stone markings. One of Jonathan's slaves, an old man, who had been with Jonathan for many years, was found dead one morning by his bedside. He was on his knees and had apparently been praying when death came to him. Since Jonathan had a fondness for this old slave, he buried him on a little knoll near the home. He placed a paling fence around the grave and Jane planted box-woods at the site.

When Jonathan freed his slaves, one, a woman, refused to leave and Jonathan let her live on in one of the brick cabins he had built for his slaves. When she finally left, she slipped away in the night. My father, Lee A. Stanton, could remember seeing her sitting at the spring house churning. Another slave called Doc, knowing he was to be freed, made a little song about it and sang it as he worked. He sang, "I'se gwine to Noo Yawk, I's gwine to Noo Yawk" over and over as the slaves used to sing as they worked.

The Civil War brought many changes to the lives of Jonathan and Jane and after the war was over and Jonathan having passed on, Jane had a hard time holding on to the land Jonathan left her. Though much diminished in size, the property has stayed in the Thomas family until this year of our Bicentennial. Coming to this land when the Cherokees still roamed the hills and valleys, Jonathan died when the land was torn apart by the great Civil War.

(copied 2/6/00 by Vanessa Stanton Butler)

FAMILY GROUP RECORD

HUSBAND: Jonathan Thomas
BORN: 07/25/1800 PLACE: Sullivan County, TN.
DIED: 01/11/1864 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: Jacob Thomas
MOTHER: Louisa Shultz
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WIFE: Jane Carmack
BORN: 07/1798 PLACE: Washington Cty, VA.
DIED: 11/14/1883 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
FATHER: John Carmack
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CHILDREN
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James Thomas BORN: 1824
DIED:
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John Lilburn Thomas
BORN: 01/23/1826 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Mary Ann Wattenbarger 02/18/1849
DIED: 01/05/1905 Monroe County, TN.
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Louisa Thomas
BORN: 07/10/1828 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Jacob Wattenbarger 02/22/1849
DIED: 03/24/1893 McMinn County, TN.
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Caroline Thomas
BORN: 10/19/1830 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Marshal C Owen 10/19/1854
DIED: 02/19/1889 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
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Harriet Thomas
BORN: 09/23/1832 McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: J E Fike 07/19/1878
DIED: 02/22/1901 McMinn County, TN.
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Alfred Carroll Thomas
BORN: 09/08/1836 McMinn County. TN.
MARRIED: Malinda Faulkner
DIED: 03/04/1924 McMinn County, TN.
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Angeline Thomas
BORN: 02/02/1839 PLACE: McMinn County, TN.
MARRIED: Marshall Arnwine 08/22/1856
DIED: 09/05/1908