Franklin County TN - History: The Joe Taylor Cabin ************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/tnfiles.htm ************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Donald Hill Dec 2009 THE JOE TAYLOR CABIN I am not sure who Joe Taylor was. As indicated in the following census data, it is likely that he was born in Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1879. In 1880, he apparently was a one-year-old baby with his mother, Ellen. The categories are: dwelling, name, race, sex, age, relationship to head, occupation, and place of birth. 1880 CENSUS (Franklin County, 18th District) 53 SMITH, M.F. W F 33 Keeping house AL Emma W F 12 Dau At school AL James W M 10 Son At school AL TAYLOR, Ellen B F 18 Servant TN Joseph Mu M 1 TN He may have been in Bedford County in 1900. The categories are: dwelling, name, relationship to head, race, sex, month and year of birth, age, marital status, place of birth, and occupation. 1900 CENSUS (Bedford County, 20th District) 130 ADAMS, Mary E. Head W F 9/1843 56 Wd TN HIGHTOWER, Samuel Son-in-law W M 9/1865 34 M TN Farmer Oda W. Dau W F 7/1871 28 M TN Clarence Grandson W M 11/1892 S TN Davis W. Grandson W M 6/1899 S TN TAYLOR, Joseph Servant B M 8/1879 S TN Farmer 1900 CENSUS Joe’s family may have been in Franklin County (District 19, Prairie Chapel) in 1900. 157 TAYLOR, Davis Head B M ?/1860 40 M TN Ellen Wife B F 4/1861 39 M TN Minnie Dau B F 9/1881 18 S TN Brittie Dau B F 1/1883 17 S TN Fisher Dau B F 12/1884 15 S TN Lovie Dau B F 11/1887 12 S TN Etha Dau B F 7/1889 10 S TN Bishop Son B M 3/1891 9 S TN Andrew Son B M 12/1892 7 S TN Ivora Son B M 4/1894 6 S TN Helen Dau B F 8/1896 3 S TN I have not been able to locate him in the 1910, 1920, or 1930 censuses. His cabin, perhaps better described as a shack, was located at 35.3017N, 85.9534W, which is near the Elk River in northern Franklin County. It was sheltered in the shade of a large oak tree, which in the 1950s was about four feet in diameter. I am unsure how Joe acquired the place or even if he owned it. He could have been allowed to live there by Will Oliver (1877-1954) in exchange for his help on Will’s farm. Joe farmed about two acres to the south of this site. This area is still known as the “Joe Taylor place.” Since he was not listed in the census records for this area in either 1920 or 1930, he must have moved there after 1920 and departed before 1930. He probably left the area shortly after Alzura Rutledge died on April 1, 1927, and Joe notified Henry Brannon (1892-1966) of her death (see http://files.usgwarchives.org/tn/franklin/bios/rutlege-alzura.txt). With her death, he was the last African-American remaining in what had been a small community of ex-slaves and their descendants. He probably left the area shortly after that event. He was surely gone in 1930, because, at that time, Joe Carlton (1900-ca1931) and his bride, Margaret Henley (1910-?), had moved into the cabin. They were married on October 10, 1926, in Grundy County. Joe Carlton’s parents are unknown. As indicated in the 1910 census, he was staying with his brother. In 1910, Joe Carlton was living with (James) Allen Hill, (1863-ca1930); in 1920, with his brother Will; and, in 1930, with his wife and son. 1910 CENSUS (Franklin County, 9th District) The categories are: dwelling, name, relationship, sex, race, and place of birth. 158 HILL, Allen Head M W 50 TN Salley Wife F W 51 TN James Son M W 25 TN Rebeca Dau-in-law F W 29 TN James A. Grandson M W 1 TN CARLTON, Joe Lodger M W 10 TN 1920 CENSUS (Franklin County, 9th District) The categories are: dwelling, name, relationship, sex, race, marital status, and place of birth. 230 CARLTON, Will Head M W 21 M TN Clemmie Wife F W 20 M TN Tressie M. F W 2 S TN CARLTON, Joe Bro M W 14 S TN Joe’s brother, Will (1897-?), married Clemmie Lindsey (1898-?) on August 6, 1916. They later moved to Memphis. 1930 CENSUS (Franklin County, 9th District) The categories are: dwelling, name, relationship, sex, race, and place of birth. 56 CARLTON, Joe Head M W 28 TN Margaret Wife F W 20 TN Hulen Son M W 2 TN Joe and Margaret had two children, Hulen (1927-1997) and Tennessee (ca1931-?), before Joe died of tuberculosis. Joe was buried in the Hill Cemetery (35.295°N, 85.949°W). His casket was made of beaverboard, a cheap compressed wood. After the grave was dug, the workers were faced with the problem of lowering the casket into the hole. (Jess Hill, 1897-1968) removed the harness traces from his wagon, and these were placed under the casket. With four men holding the ends of the traces, the casket was moved over the hole. As they were lowering the casket, however, one of the traces broke, causing that end of the casket to plunge to the bottom and break open. The men, exhausted from digging the hole, now faced a more difficult problem. They could think of no reasonable way to pull the casket, with Joe’s remains, from the hole so that it could be repaired. Further, since Joe had died of tuberculosis, they did not want to handle the body. They simply covered the casket with dirt and went home. He lies there today in an unmarked grave. Margaret left the cabin and moved in with her mother, Tennessee Hill Henley (1878-1936), and later married Alvin Coker (1909-1982). She and Alvin lived near Manchester and had one child, Wanda Lee (ca1936-?), who died young. Hulen and Tennessee died before 2005. After it was abandoned, the cabin was used by Will Oliver to store fodder. At times, Roosevelt Rankin stayed there, hiding in the fodder, to avoid the sheriff (see http://files.usgwarchives.org/tn/franklin/bios/rankin51gbs.txt). It burned about 1940. At present, there is no trace of the cabin; a small brier thicket covers the site. A few years ago, the giant oak tree fell, and William Henley (1926-present) cut it up for firewood. Where the tree stood, there is now only a depression about one foot deep and six feet across. ---