CANNON COUNTY, TN - BIOGRAPHIES - R.A. Dennis Manuscripts, Part 2 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- Page 6 Odas King, son of J. D. King, is up with the best, they say. Richard Duggin preached some. He died young in the ministerial work. John Tedder was an ordained Baptist Minister. Leburn Rich is preaching at various places over the country at present. C. L. Keaton preached some in his early years. He was well informed and could sure defend the doctrine. Grada Craddock, great, great, great grandson of Robert and Lydia King has charge of churches in Smith county and elsewhere. James Higgins is a very prominent minister. His work, both school and church, is I think, in Lawrence county. The minister as Baptist; they represent the Church that carries with its self every sign and mark of the true apostolic Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. THE DOCKTORS OR PHYSICIANS: Harrison Adamson was a prominent doctor. He died a few years back, 1952. Joe Turney was a doctor for years up in the Statesville section in Wilson County. Jim Turney practiced in and about Auburntown for some time. He lived respected and died rejected. He was born June 10, 1856; died Nov. 9, 1909. Dr. Henry McGee is written up in the McGee report elsewhere. TEACHERS: There are forty or fifty school teachers listed in the Adams, Keaton, Hancock, King, Kelly, Fuson, Tittle, Higgins, Turney, Lewis, and Allen families. There was and now is some noted educators of the entire generation. J. B. Adams, L. D. Hancock, Grover Keaton, and Aunt Elizabeth Adams called to the public to give them a problem they could not solve or work out. They could solve anything the books contained or anyone could give them to work out & get the correct answer. GENERAL REMARKS The King people were a peaceful, quiet, sociable class of people. They were seldom in court; and a KING law suit was never in court that I ever heard of in my life. They were carpenters, blacksmith, stone masons, also F. _ A. M. The old set of KINGS lived to be very old people. They were all affiliated with the Church that Christ set up the year 33, except three that I know of. Both men and women lived to be seventy years of age up to near ninety years. BIRTHS AND DEATHS VIRGINIA. Jake Adams born 1735 died 1807. Jacob Adams of Tenn born 1761 date of death unknown Abe Adams born Jan 16, 1790 died 1857, Sept 9 William Adams born Dec. 20, 1811 died 1861 Peter Adams born April 9, 1813 died Oct 15, 1884 Jacob Adams born May 13, 1815 died Sept 17, 1887. Captain Billy Adams born 1800 died 1895 Robert King, Sr. born 1785 died 1863 Bill King born 1810 died 1887 James King born 1812 died 1895 J. K. Jake King born 1844 died Aug. 7, 1897. Cidney Alex King born 1833 died 1909 Monroe Kine Page 7 note made on page 7: #8 was in wrong place-next page 9 Monroe King born July 6, 1843 died May 26, 1915 P. A. Keaton born Nov 5, 1810 died July 20, 1892 A. L. Hancock born 1811 died 1897 Cooper C. Hancock born Sept 15, 1815 died Sept 15, 1877 R. A. Hancock born Jan 17, 1827 died July 29, 1897 Lewis Hancock born Oct 25, 1787 date of death unknown. L. D. Hancock born Jan 19, 1859 died May 28, 1880. Andrew Hancock born July 14, 1858 ?) died May 24, 1904 George Hancock born August 28, 1857 died April 14, 1904 I am the only one living that can trace the Kings from great grandfather Robert King, and here it is in a clumsy written hand. With loving gratitude I send this on. Signed R. A. Dennis THIS IS A COPY, AS NEARLY WORD FOR WORD AS POSSIBLE, OF THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OBTAINED FROM MR. FRANK KING, RFD 3, WOODBURY, TENN, WITH WHOM IT WAS ENTRUSTED BY THE AUTHOR BEFORE HIS DEATH. THE EXACT PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH THE MANUSCRIPT WAS WRITTEN IS NOT INDICATED AS IT BEARS NO DATES. IN THE COPYING OF THE MANUSCRIPT CERTAIN INFORMATION HAS BEEN INSERTED AS AND WHERE INDICATED. DUE TO DIFFICULTY IN READING THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT THIS COPY MAY REVEAL INCORRECTLY SPELLED NAMES WHICH MAY BE CORRECTED BY THOSE WHO RECEIVE A COPY AND WHO HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE CORRECT SPELLING OF NAMES, ETC. COPIED AT CHATTANOOGA, TENN THIS THE 5TH DAY OF AUGUST, 1959, BY G. F. KING, SON OF WILLIAM SAMPSON KING, AND GRANDSON OF JORDAN KING. G. F. KING 6512 BALLARD ROAD CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 {hand written in on my copy} Jacob Adams Sr. Br about 1730 d 1807 Mar May children: 1. Jacob Jr. Bor about 1760 Mar 2. Peter 1762 3. Wm. 1766 4. Mary 1773 1.Christophr Cooper 2.Richard Hancock 5. Lydia 1775 Dr. Sam Tittle 6. Elizabeth 1780 Jack Keaton 7. Rebecca 1785 James Hollandsworth 8. Sarah 1789 Cornelius Keaton 9. Isaac 1792 Page 9 Many families have owned it. The cemetery and church ground consisted of about 2 acres and is vacant land. I doubt if a deed was ever given to anyone for that tract. If so it might be on record in Carthage. It was Smith County at that time. Some of the Church of Christ preachers back then were Elijah Preston, (a popular preacher), Elijah Mears, Bob Stanley, Beecher Martin, Henry Morris, (Henry Morris also taught an adding class at Pleasant Ridge), Jay Watson, Jim Kidwell held a school way back in 1882 at Pleasant Ridge. Charles Powell is tinctured with Dennis blood so it is impossible for him to imitate a preacher! The church house that the Methodists built at Pleasant Ridge about 1818 was an odd structure. It was built of small logs, or poles, 50 to 60 ft. long and 30 or 40 ft. wide. A chestnut stump was on the inside of the house and it was hewn and put in shape for a candle stand and for the preacher to stand by and expound the Holy Scriptures to a dying world. It was a low house and its first roof was of popular and chestnut bark. It had no wooden floor. The door was 8 ft. wide for light. Plies were laid across the door to keep out the stock. They pegged bark on both inside and outside walls of the house and they could open a large space for the flue in the roof for the smoke to escape when a huge fire was made to warm the house. They had choice slabs of bark to stand up in front of the door to keep the cool drafts out. During the cold weather the fire on the inside of the house made plenty of light for the congregation at night. Candle molds were in vogue at that time and the people made or molded their candles of tallow, both beef and mutton were used to mold candles. I can well remember when nothing but candles were used for lighting purposes, especially in church buildings. I can remember back 72 years, and there were no glass lamps, cook stoves, metal wash tubs, not metal buckets. My father, Samp Sellers and R. A. Hancock bought the three first Palmetto No 7 cook stoves on Sycamore Creek. That was in 1874. They brought home with them a small brass lamp each, and a quart of kerosene each. But whatever became of the old pole or log house I do not know. Amos Gilley told me Henry Dennis let the Methodist have the house. It is said that Henry Dennis sold Jack Gilley (Amos’ Father) the Sam Dennis farm. Mr. Teasely once owned the place. Mr. Spears lived there years ago. Ward Barrett lived there and so did some two or three of the Prestons. All this was over 100 years ago. Hiram Tittle once owned the farm but never lived there, or so Sam Tittle said. When the Church of Christ was established at Pleasant Ridge they built a very good log house. It stood for years but about 1857 some one set fire to it and burned it to the ground. War was brewing at that time and no house was put back there for nearly 10 years. About 1867 or 1869 they built another log house. This house burned down about 1898 or 1899 and they put up another one called the White House. I burned about 1939. Now they have a very nice house in which to worship. I have heard the best Baptist talent in the state preach as these ministers: J. R. Graves, E. E. Folk, J. H. Anderson, Joe McCluskey, J. H. Grimes, John Oakley, W. O. Carver, J. T. Estes, G. A. Ogle, W. J. Watson, Wm. Simpson, and a host of others now cherished in memory. These were witnesses of the setting up of the Church of Christ in 1827: Aaron Jones born 1804 Capt Billy Adams 1800 Peter Adams 1813 Jacob Adams 1815 Page 10 [noted to see back of Page 9 but 10 is written in on it] John Derting 1793 Larking Keaton 1797 C C Hancock 1815 C C Owen 1809 H Y Morris 1810 Bill King 1810 [William King] Ira Hollandsworth 1814 John Hollandsworth 1817 *John Hale 1818 *A L Hancock 1811 *P A Keaton 1810 *Spy Anderson 1802 * These 4 men were not members of this denomination, however. Page 11 A HISTORY OF SYCAMORE CREEK RUFUS ALONZO DENNIS JUNE 12, 1940 LAND OWNERS (PAGE 4) I have heard my father speak of a Mr. Shaw who once owned the A. L. Hancock farm down on Clear Fork Creek and the Monroe Hancock farm just above the Haley farm now owned by Jennie Vickers, Shelia Jetten and J. J. Dodd. Mr. Shaw possessed a large tract of land upon the Lick Branch. The log cabin house was over across the branch opposite the beautiful Spout Spring. Christopher Cooper got in possession of all this land in some way. Mr. Cooper married Mary Adams. Cooper died and Richard Hancock married his widow and of course she was the lawful owner of the land. Mary and Christopher Cooper had no children. She married Richard Hancock and had three children by him. A. L. and C. C. were the boys and Alamenta the only daughter. The heirs of Richard and Mary Adams Hancock heired all the land at their death. [TAKEN FROM KIGERS COPY] Page 12 WILL OF JACOB ADAMS In the name of God, Amen. I Jacob Adams of Patrick County & State of Virginia being in a very low state of health in body but in perfect senses & memory & calling to mind the mortality of the body, I do constitute and ordain this to be my last will & testament. FIRST I recommend my soul to God who gave it & my body to the grave to be buried at the discretion of my Executors & such thing as God has given me I dispose of as follows, (to-wit) SECONDLY for all my just debts to be paid. THIRDLY I do give & bequeath to my beloved wife Mary Adams this plantation whereon I now live & all the working tools belonging hereunto & all my household & kitchen furniture also five Negroes named Aaron, Will, Samuel, Dilamder & Catey & a gray horse and a bay mare named Diamond & four cows & calves & all my stock of sheep & hogs also the debt that Thos. Reeves owes me. The above property for her to have without control during life or widowhood. FOURTHLY I give to my beloved son Jacob Adams a negro boy named Jeremiah. FIFTHLY I give to my beloved son Peter Adams a negro boy named John. SIXTHLY I give to my daughter Lydda Tittle a negro girl named Cielah during her lifetime & if she should die without heir born of her body the said Neby girl & her increase to return to my Estate & divided among the rest of my children. SEVENTHLY I give to my daughter Lydda Tittle a negro boy named Dick. EIGHTLY I give to my beloved daughter Elizabeth Keaton a negro boy named Arch to her and her children & not at all to be at the disposal of Zachariah Keaton her husband. NINTHLY I give to my beloved daughter Rebecca Hollandsworth & her children a negro girl named Hannah but not to be the disposal of James Hollandsworth her husband. TENTHLY I give to my beloved daughter Sarah Keaton & her children a negro boy named George but not to be at the disposal of Cornelius Keaton her husband. ELEVENTHLY I give to my beloved son William Adams a negro boy named Peter. TWELFYELY? I give to my beloved son Isaac Adams a negro boy named Isham also a sorrel mare & her increase & a feather bed. THIRTEENTHLY I do will & ordain that out of the the Estate give to my wife Mary Adams that Frances Cochrel shall have a horse valued to twenty-five pounds & it is further my will & desire that the rest of the land & property not herein mentioned shall be sold at twelve months credit & the money arising from such sale be equally divided amongst my children and further I do constitute & appoint my trusty friends Chas. Foster, Esq. & Capt. John Turner to be my Executors to this my last will & Testament. As witness my hand & seal this 27th day of October 1807. Jacob Adams Signed in the presence of us: James Cox, Thomas Hill, Danniel Maccantire Patrick De. Court 1807 Will Book 1, Page 96-97 Page 13 THE ADAMS FAMILY Jacob Adams, 1761,Jr. sisters were as follows: (of TN) Mary, m. Christopher Cooper. Cooper died and she Mary, m. Richard Hancock. Barbara Adams, Jacobs sister m. Dr. Sam Tittle. Ruth m. Mr. Cummings-She is Tenn Jacob Dau? Susan, a sister to Jacob Adams, Sr. m. Zack Keaton. Sally(Sarah), Jacob Jr. sister, m Cornelius Keaton. Jacob Adams Jr. Dau: Jacob Adams Jr. daughters: Mr. Hays wife was Jacobs dau{?Wasnt this Abe's dau} Caroline, m. James Owen Elizabeth m. James Fuson Priscilla, m. John Overall Francis m. Lewis Hancock Suan m. A E Hancock Jasper Ruyle m. one of Jacob’s dau Abe Adams Dau: Susan Jane Adams, b. Apr 30, 1821 Mary W. Adams b. June 10, 1819 Hannah Leean Adams, b. June 22, 1817 Fanny, m. John Allen Mr. Lewis m. one of Abe Adams girls The Adams, as near as I know and understand from what I have been told arrived here October 1809. H. A. Overall is my author. I have heard Mr. Overall and my parents talk with one another many times. They came from Patrick Co., Va. Zack Keaton married Susan, a sister of Jacob Adams Sr. In Va., and Zack came here with the Adams family. Robert King married Lydia Keaton and Jake Kelley, Sr. married Morning Keaton, daughter of Zach Keaton soon after arriving here. The Adams family was an intelligent class of people. They were industrious and easy to grasp book knowledge. Jim B. Adams is a fine scholar and when naturally at himself is surpassingly great. I heard Col. George McKnight say J. B. Adams was the aptest student he ever instructed. THE WAY AND HOW THE ADAMS FAMILY CAME TO TENNESSEE In July, 1809 Jacob Adams, Abe Overall, Isaac Turney, Sr., Wels Adamson, Zachariah Keaton, Sam Fuson and probably many others formed, or organized themselves into a colony of home seekers and turned their faces west in search of the heart of fine country. Dr. Sam Tittle and a Mr. Cummings came when the Adams family came. The colony came in ox carts, rude built wagons, horse back, and almost any way available. They followed the old Nickajack Trail. Nickajack was a hair liped Indian. He was chief of a tribe of Indians that lived or roamed about in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. This tribe of Indians would go east once or twice every year. Their trail came across Kentucky into Tenn. through what is now Macon County, by Red Boiling Springs to Lancaster, where Temperance Hall, Dowelltown and Liberty now is. From Liberty up Clear Fork to the Big Overall Spring. This was a good camping place and they had bark shanties built to camp in. INDIAN TRAIL The trail ran or went up the creek from the Big Spring to the Adamson Branch. Thence up the branch to the Lige Adamson cave. Thence up the long hill where the Bill Bryant and Presley Adamson farm joins. Thence on Page 14 out Pea Ridge and on to the Half Acre Spring. Thence through Warren County, through Grundy Co. and over into Sequatchie Valley and on into Virginia. The colony followed the narrow path for a guide. Of course they had to cut a wide road to travel in as they were traveling in carts and wagons. They drove their cattle, sheep, and hogs along with them. They started in July to get the benefit of the grazing, for the summer and fall grass was fine. Water was hard to find until an old Indian told them how to find it. The main trail was marked by cutting one notch on trees along the way, the water paths was marked with two notches. The salt licks by blazes slits on the bushes and trees. So the colony came and while coming they camped two or three times when camp meetings were being held. Plenty of people lived in east Tenn. at that time but not but few in what is now Middle Tenn in those days. The colony finally arrived at the Big Spring camping ground and met a few Indians who were there at that time. The Red men were very friendly and extended toward them a good welcome. The Indians were fond of liquor and the boys of course had plenty with them. They treated them to their full desire and they piloted the home seekers over the country and showed them the fine caves and good springs of pure water. Abe Overall took up his home over across the creek adjacent to the Big Spring. Wels Adamson located where H. M. Evans now lives. The Turney located one mile above the Big Spring. Christopher Cooper, on of the colony, chose his home up the creek above the Turney entry, known as the A. L. Hancock place. Dr. Sam Tittle located still further up the creek near Gassaway. Jacob settled upon what is known as Adams Branch above the Abe Overall home. Zack Keaton went just over in what is now called the Keaton Hollow. He entered about one thousand acres of good hill land. Jake Kelley, Robert King and Sam Fuson took up their land on Sycamore Creek. No doubt they were a happy set of people for they all stayed here and built good houses and the most of them became wealthy citizens for that day and time. Mr. Cummings settled over in the Danville Neighborhood now Woodbury, Tenn. I am sure many others came along with the colony but I don’t know who they were. I may think of someone later on as I write this. One of Jacob Adams sisters {Ruth b. 1794-1795} married a Cummings. They had sons and daughters. Thomas, one of the sons resided in Warren County. Thomas Cummings, Jr., mayor of Nashville, is a grandson of Thomas Cummings. Warren Cummings was the second son. He married Dove Sullivan. They had ? children. Warren was born Nov 11, 1814, died May 11, 1898. Dovie, wife of Warren Cummings, died Nov. 7, 1884 age 70 yrs. Warren Cummings was worth probably one hundred and fifty thousand dollars at his death. Jim (Stringer) Cummings was Warren’s only heir. Jim died before his father. Warren Cummings died and his (Jim’s) children heired Warren Cummings estate. The Cummings girls married and removed to or near Carthage, Mo. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Pat Spradley patspradley@yahoo.com ___________________________________________________________________