Somewhere down there, White Pine, TN is land once owned by my forefathers. I spent the latter part of the week digging through historical records in Dandridge TN and Newport TN trying to find out just where they lived and in fact, just exactly what their names were. I’ve researched this for years and for several decades have wanted to get here… be here and snoop in person.
There was a secret. It went something like this (to protect the innocent and those who think continuing to keep this secret is important… I won’t use names): Great Grandpa might have accidentally killed someone and fled the law and changed his name. OK great. But they let me search for the wrong name for a decade before they explained to me why I couldn’t find that name. Finally they give me the right name and all I run into are brick walls. If Grandpa’s goal was to hide and not be found… he succeeded. But yesterday, I found his father’s will. He had four living children at the time he wrote his will and he was so displeased with them, he only gave them each a dollar and all the rest of his real estate to his second wife (not their mother).
Land records show he owned a lot of land. They also show his second wife was selling a lot of it after his death. But, curiously, a newer memorial gravestone (not old enough to be their original) says both of them died in 1892. How could she be selling his land after he died, if she died at the same time? I’m going back next week and see if I can find the probate records. Should be interesting.
But who died/was killed and how and what’s the rest of that story.
And as for kayaking, I met a man in the Archives in Dandridge, TN this week, who is going to help me figure out where their land was on the river, they owned 1/2 of a ferry landing… and help me find current owners… and maybe put my kayak in there and actually kayak on ancestral lands/waters. How cool is that? I passed what I believe was that Ferry landing yesterday… it was right past the spot in the picture above. One thing about Tennessee, they don’t have a shortage of long, narrow and winding roads. They are few places where I can pull over with my van and trailer in tow. I might be looking for a place to drop the trailer while I explore.
But if feels good to be here and I think after waiting for this for decades, I will go away content, regardless of what I learn.
Last night I spent the night in a rest stop. Today we had a marvelous thunderstorm, and I napped, did genealogy, popped popcorn, made mocha royal, napped some more with the sound of rain on my rooftop… and when the storm stopped did a little housekeeping. The whole while I kept thinking, how good is this? Is this perfect or what? I feel so very fortunate to have my health back, and be on the road again, and have my mobile computer lab and my wonderful SwankieWheels. It doesn’t get any better than this, until tomorrow.
I am Blessed!
Rest in peace Great Great Grandpa!
(Beth-Car United Methodist Church, Leadville, TN)