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GREAT
THAT
BRINGETH
TI
GIPT
KNOWLEDGE
ESSE QUAM AIDERI
EX LIBRIS
STEPHEN B. WEEKS CLASS OF 1886; PH.D. THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA THE WEEKS COLLECTION OF CAROLINIANA
C971.57 564
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00032746002
This book must not be taken from the Library building.
reach the leberaber nations, from Old
from Ges and towel to the chief of Glovesmalin of hou lleties and exchange This was about the close of the newo bu tion were then all under arms. The Ghan and interpreter he performed the service. The chief agreed to m'sowell's proposition, and peace som resulted. This incident together with some other matter relating to our family history make up the proper furnished the internal committee would polis to these matters. The
DR. C. D. SMITH. Geologist y Mineralogies, FRANKLIN, N. (.
Franklin, N. C. 1895
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vendo of it. I furnished for the Centennial a paper, Containing conforte
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committo have not com The celebration tost sures howthewe had written the incidence of may fathers while he was get a live. My atritate his love evas with a view to the Tools for the fracture historiane, Havde each community in the State faut in form and presents the early incidents and falls, we would have a Magnificent and clearing 1 Jahed mother. I am confused to my serena
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
MACON COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA.
BY DR. C. D. SMITH.
FRANKLIN, N. C. FRANKLIN PRESS PRINT. 1891.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
MACON COUNTY,
NORTH CAROLINA.
BY DR. C. D. SMITH.
FRANKLIN, N. C. FRANKLIN PRESS PRINT. 1891.
C971.57 5 64
Census of Macon County.
CENSUS BULLETIN No. 12, gives the Population of North Carolina by Minor Civil Divisions. We extract from it the population of MACON COUNTY as follows :
TOWNSHIPS.
1890.
1880.
Burningtown,
682
597
Cartoogechaye.
819
584
Cowee,
1,263
1,066
Ellijay, .
812
689
Franklin, including town,
2,249
1,840
Highlands, including town,
788
436
Millshoal,
699
671
Nantahala,
1,124
855
Smith's Bridge,
1,123
890
Sugar Fork, ..
543
436
Franklin town,.
28
207
Highlands town,
233
82
MACON COUNTY,
10,102 8,064
16408 80436
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY, N. C.
PART I.
I propose to write a brief history of Macon County so far as I have been able to gather the facts. There has heretofore been, and still exists an unaccountable iudifference in par- ticular communities in regard to their local history-the preservation of all the notable events-the histor- ic facts showing their rise and prog- ress. This is especially true of this great plateau of country lying west of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina. This neglect on the part of the early settlers to keep a true historic record of the early settlement, progress, development and succeeding chan- ges of population and civilization, is a culpable injustice to the posterity of the strong, resolute men who, on the retirement of the savages, took possession of the country and sub- jected its lands to the arts of agricul- ture and civilization. It is both interesting and instructive to know something of the men who first built habitations in the wild forests of Ma- con County and introduced Christian civilization and customs where ouly savage life and customs had prevail- ed from away back beyond the bis- toric era. These sturdy pioneers
flocked into this valley in 1820 only seventy years ago, and yet I have found it very difficult to get together the leading facts of history for so short a period. There ought to be in some county department a com- plete and official report of the com- missioners having the matter in hand of the survey of the lands of the county then ordered, the location and survey of the county site (the town of Franklin), and a report of the surveyor-in-chief giving a com- plete diagram of the lands surveyed. The commissioners reported to the State authorities and there are some files in the Secretary's office. No such record can be found in the Register's office of Macon County. Such record would, however, make an instructive and attractive. feature in our county records and would in- terest the student of history and the lovers of antiquarian lore. A proud spirited Board of Commissioners ought to take steps to supply this deficiency in our county records.
After what seemed at one time, would prove to be a fruitless search, I found the record of the organiza- tion of the county, which took place
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nine years after the survey of the of Gen. Thomas Love, who settled lands and the location of the site for the place at the bridge where Capt, 'T. M. Angel recently lived, w. chief. Robert Love had been an honored and brave Captain in thec war of 1812, was inch respected o account of his patriotic devotion 10 American liberty, and was cons quently a man of large influence the town of Franklin. AH back of that is blank so far as any official record is concerned. And for other valuable information which I now proceed to give I have had to rely mainly upon the statements of the few remaining individuals who were participants in the work of survey and location referred to.
It has been a mooted question as to whether Macon County ever be- longed to the territory of Buncombe County. The facts show that it did not, the Buncombe line never having extended further west than the Meigs and Freeman line. The ter- ritory now embraced in Macon and a portion each of the counties of Jackson and Swain, was acquired by treaty from the Cherokee Indians in 1817-19. During the summer and fall of 1819 a few whites came a- mongst the Indians with a view to pur- chasing when the lands should come into market. During that fall many of the Indians moved west of the Nantahala chain of mountains, but the entire tribe did not leave the Tennessee Valley until the fall of 1820. In the spring of 1820 the and James Meabin in accordance with the provisions of an act of the General Assembly. came to the Ten- nessee Valley. now the chief part of . This result was mainly brough Macon County and organized, for the survey of lands, a corps of surveyors of whom Capt. Robert Love, a son
The work of survey went rapid . forward, as there were five or six distinct companies in the field. Tin commissioners first determined upor the Watauga Plains where the late Mr. Watson lived for the county sit for a court house and four hundred acres (the amount appropriated ly the State for that purpose) was loc ted and surveyed. There was, ho. ever, a good deal of murmuring at protest among the surveyors, espe- cially by Capt. Love, the chief, wl favored the present site or the Hal ridge where Mrs. H. T. Sloan nov resides, To harmonize with their em- ployes and to give more general si' isfaction the Commissioners, who had no personal interest in the matte. proposed to call together the entice corps of surveyors and leave it to 3 majority vote of them.
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This proposition was agreed to State Commissioners, Jesse Franklin | and the respective companies surveyors were ordered to assemb! . Ou counting the vote the prese. t. site of Franklin had a majority.
about through the influence of Cap Love, the chief of the corps. compliance with their propos ..
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terms a survey was ordered by the 1 commissioners, the four hundred acres were located and a portion of it laid off into lots including the court house square. I obtained a few years ago the foregoing facts from the late Rev. John McDowell who was a member of Capt. Love's corps and a participant in the elec- tion. I have been thus particular in giving them in order to settle any dispute that might hereafter arise as to the location of the town of Frank- lin. The work of survey as mapped oat by the Commissioners having been finished, a general anction sale of the lands to the highest lidder took place at Waynesville in Sep !. 1820.
The settlement of the town of Franklin commenced at once. The first house built in Franklin was lault by Joshua Roberts on the lot now occupied by Mr. Jackson John- ston. It was a small round log cabin. But the first house proper was Que built of hewn logs, by Irad S. High- tower on the lot where Mr. N. G. Allman's hotel stands. It now cou- stitutes a part of that building. That first house passed into the hands of the late Capt. N. S. Jarrett, thence to Gideon F. Morris, and from him to Jolin R. Allman and then to the present owner, N. G. Allman. There were several log cabins built ahont that time, but the order in which it was done and the claims to priority I have been unable to ascertain.
Lindsey Fortune built a cabin on
the lot where the Franklin House, or Jarrett Hotel now stands. Samuel Robinson built on the lot now occu- pied by Mrs. Robinson. Silas Mc- Dowell first built on the lot where stands the residence of D. C. Cun- ningham. Dillard Love built the first house on Mr. Trotter's lot. N. S. Jarrett built on the lot owned and occupied by Sam L. Rogers. John F. Dobson first improved the corner lot now owned by C. C. Smith. James K. Gray built the second house made of hewn logs on the lot owned by Mrs. Dr. A. W. Bell. Jesse R. Siler, one of the first setlers built the house at the foot of the town hill where Mr. Geo. A. Jones now resides. He also built the second house on the Gov. Robinson lot and the brick store and dwelling owned at present, by Capt. A. P. Manday. James W. Guinn or Mr. Whitaker built the house owned and ocenpied by M Jackson Johnston.
I am indebted for much of this information about the early settle- ment of Franklin to the late James K. Gray and Silas McDowell. There is one other fact worthy of notice. John R. .. an opened the first hotel in Fran' . Shortly af- ter this Jesse R. Sder opened his house at the "foot of the hill" and these two houses furnished the hotel accommodations here for many years. These are the facts of history about Franklin so far as they go. Though meagre and unsatisfactory, they may be interesting to future generations.
PART I
After the land sale in September, tion finally crystalized into the de 1820, at which a large part of the ments for self county government surveyed land was disposed of to the highest bidders, the Tennessee Valley was settled quite rapidly, but it was not until the spring of 1829 that a county government was Or- ganized. During this interim all the legal basiness of the entire territory west from the Tuckaseige river to the Tusquitter and Valley River chain of mountains was transacted by the county anthorities of Hay- wood county and in the Superior court for said county. I remember distinctly the case of a man living within the territory of the present Smith's Bridge township who was tried and convicted in the Superior court for Haywood county for hog stealing, and for this crime received twenty-nine lashes at the public whipping-post in the town of Waynes-
Honey, at the session of the Contra Assembly for 1528-29 an 701 wa passed to diede a new county at. the name of Macon was given it i honor of Nathaniel Macon wie wq a pure statesman and a parteet spec. men of an old time American ja trint and gentleman. The law ere; ting the county appointed thirty-thrpo leading citizens to be qualified alle to serve as the first Board of Magic trates. I here quote the minutes showing the organization of the ' county :
"Minutes of a Court for Macos County, Held for Said County o. the 4th Monday in March, 182! Agreeable to an Act of the Generi Assembly Made and Provided ft Said County.
Present and organizing said com ville. This is the only case of theity, from the county of Haywood kind that ever happened in the terri- Wm. Deaver, Esqr., who appointe tory of Macon county. During this Joshua Roberts to administer th interim the late Col. Joab L. Moore, ; oath to the following Justices of the who resided ne r Franklin, held for Peace for said county, to-wit : Aaro Pinson, Saul Smith, Jesse R. Sile. John Howard, Jacob Siler, Joh. Moore, John Cook, Enos Shield |Jonathan Phillips, Bynum W. Bel. } Benjamin S. Brittain, Joseph Welel Michael Wikle, Thomas Rogers, Wn
four years the position of Deputy Sheriff under Col. James McKee, who was at that time Sheriff of Hay- wood county. Col. Moore did all the business pertaining to that office in the new territory, and was regard- ed as a very efficient and faithful F. Mcker, Andrew Cathey, Georg officer. This transition covering the Dickey. Edward L. Poindexter, Ira formative period of our first popula- S. Hightower, James Buchanan, Wn :.
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Tathem, Wm. H. Bryson, Matthew in the administration of law coming Patterson, Barak Norton, Wm. Wit- son, Thos. Love, Jr., Mark Coleman,
within their jurisdiction, they suffer nothing in comparison with the yery Hugh Gibbs, Axaph Enloe, Robert | best County Boards of Magistrates Huggins. John Wild, Henry Dry- within the State at the present writ man and Jeffers a Bryson, who, after ing. For public spirit and patriotic taking said oath agreeable to law, labor in the direction of connty de- procceded to appoint a clerk for said velopment and in building and keep- county. After balloting for said ap- ing in repair public roads for public pointment, it appeared to the satis- comfort and convenience, they have taction of the court that Nathan B. not had their equal in the county for Hyatt was duly elected clerk."
the last half century. If we take
The court having thus been duly the Scriptural axiom as true that the organized, consisting of thirty-three | "tree is known by its fruit", then the magistrates, they proceeded, by bal- ! deterioration of our public roads iot, to elect all the county officers -! does not place the present population the election continuing from day to in an enviable light when compared day. John Dobson, father of our with the population of Macon Conn- countyman, Capt. J. W. Dobson, ty fifty years ago. This comparison was elected first County Register, stands out with special prominence Bynum W. Bell first Sheriff, Mont- when we consider the present unac- raville Patton first County Solicitor, countable disinclination of our popu- Jacob SHer first County Surveyor, lation to render even a day's labor Michael Wikle first County Trustee, on repairs to say nothing of the more Nathan Smith first Coroner, Robert needed improvements on our public Huggins first County Ranger and roads. To tell a plain historic truth in plain language, our fathers, from James K. Gray, first Standard Keep- er. James Poteet was the first Con- I patriotic motives and with a sense of stable appointed by the new court. public and personal comfort and con- pride, built our county roads, and the present generation is too trifling to keep them up. As an illustration of the spirit of the men who first settled Macou County, it was agreed Of that first Board of Magistrates I venience, and prompted by county knew nearly all personally. Some- thing over sixty-two years have passed away since that first Board of Magistrates was organized into a court. Of the whole number there is but one now living, the venerable that the county should build a road William H. Bryson, who resides in; leading from Franklin down the Jackson county. Taken as a body, Tennessee River to the mouth of the for general intelligence, integrity of | Tuekaseige River to connect with a character and fortitude and fidelity | turn-pike for which Joseph Welch
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had a charter to the Tennessee State line. Accordingly the court appoin- ted a Jury to lay off and mark the way for said road commencing at the junetion of the Tennessee and Tuck- aseige rivers and to divide it into lots as near equal as their limited means would enable them to do. The jury, laid and marked off seven lote, No. 1 commencing at the Tucka- Beige Ford and No. 7 terminating not far from the Shallow Ford on Ten- nessee river. There was some sort of lottery in assigning this work to the respective captains' militia com- panies. I suppose there was draw- ing of straws or perhaps numbers on slips of paper. The record reads on the appointment of the respective overseers: "This lot falls to Capt. Love's company" &c. &c. to the end of the chapter. It seems that there were six militia companies at that time in the county. It may be well to mention here the overseers of the respective lots, and the Captain's company assigned to each lot, as the building of this road furnishes an interesting and instructive chapter in the history of Macon County. Henry Addington No. 1, Capt. Love's company ; Lot No. 2, Robert Johnson, Capt. Johnson's company ; Lot No. 3, Benjamin S. Brittain, Capt. Mc- Kee's company ; Lot No. 4, Jacob Palmer, Capt. Smith's company,- now Smith's Bridge Township; Lot No. 5, Joshua Ammons, Capt. George's company. Lot No. 6 being regarded as a very hard lot was divi-
- ded into three sections with Jesse R. Siler, Joseph Welch and James Whitaker as the overseers of the re- spective sections with special hands assigned them. Lot No. 7 had Wm Bryson as overseer. This lot fell to Capt. Wilson's company. This lot terminated some where about the Shallow Ford, the road from Frank- lin having been somewhat worked ont to that point. The foregoing lots were worked out by respective companies-the hands forming them- selves into messer, taking wagons to haul their provisions, tools, camp- fixtures &c. The Smith's Bridge company had the lot which May be- tween the 18 and 19 mile-posts The mess consisting of my brothers and some neighbors took me along as cook and camp-boy. There I saw the men taking rock from the river with the water breast deep to aid in building wharves. They remained until the work was finished. This work was done without compensation and for the public good. It illus- trates the sort of stuff of which our fathers were made-the spirit of pa- triotism that prompted a noble race of men to sacrifice and work for their country's good. This work done they returned home, feeling that they had rendered a service that was to benefit their county and their posterity.
The overseers of the roads gener- ally, of that time, were of the best men in the county. That first Board of Magistrates did not believe
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in any class distinction in their de-ja healthy exercise and may be it mands for public service. I find in would bring the rebellions spirit of our young American patriots against road duty to proper terms. At all events it might prevent the lastful fighting their overseers when they demand reasonable and legal service of them. Try it, Esquires, and let us see if there is any blood of our noble sires in the present generation -- any pride of character-any Inie jof the general brotherhood which biuds together the people of a county the records of that first court an or- Her appointing Joshna Roberts the most prominent member of our local bar the overseer of one of our roads. | young men of the present time from This record set me to thinking. There is a whole lot of lawyers in Western Carolina, who are not the peers of Joshua Roberts for respec- ability and legal attainments who might be utilized by our county au- horities by making road overseers of them and thereby causing them to render some good, honest service to j and without which its good name Their country. It would at least beland prosperity cannot long continne.
PART III.
The Courts of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of that day as they were called, were regular jury courts, and I give the names of the first venire summoned to serve as jurors, for the ; June term following :
1 Wymer Siler,
2 Jonathan Whiteside,
3 Jacob Hice,
4 Wm. Cochram,
5 Benjamin Johnston,
6 Wmn. McLure,
7 Peter Ledford,
8 Martin Nortou,
9 Jobn Lamm,
10 John Addington,
11 Matthew Davis,
12 James Whitaker,
13 Henry Addington,
14 Micheal Wikle,
15 Win. Welch, Sr.,
16 Samuel Smith.
17 Gen. T. Ledford.
18 Ebenezer Newton,
19 Joseph Welch, 20 Luke Barnard,
21 George Dickey, 22 Zachariah Cabe, 23 Mark Coleman, 24 Lewis Vandyke,
25 Thomas Love, Sr., 26 March Addington, 27 Jacob Trammel,
28 John Dobson,
29 Andrew Patton,
30 George Black,
31 Isaac Manney, 32 John M. Angel, 33 John Gillespie,
34 Joseph Chambers, 35 John Howard,
36 Jacob Siler.
any wonder that meu raised in such times and famihar with the heroes who staked their all on the struggle against oppression and injustice should be eminently qualified to us all legal disputes between their com-
This venire was composed of typ- peers and mete out justice to the ical and representative men of the violaters of the code?
early population of Macon County. I have a distinct recollection of It would be hard to find an abler many of the members of that jury. body of jurors, even now, in any They would compare favorably with any similar body of men, then or now. In stature they were above the ordinary juryman and were de- cidedly manly in appearance with
county in the State. It is true they were a style of men different from the present edition. They were men of sound minds, of the strictest in- tegrity, profoundly impressed with bearing expressive of firmness and the obligations of law and justice la will to do the right. They were and for old fashioned courtly deport- very affable gentlemen and well ment one towards another, and for read for men of their times. In fact, manly bearing in the discharge of they constituted a brotherhood of pa- their duties as conservators of public triots who loved and labored for peace and justice, they have no su-(their country's honor and their coun- periors at the present day. Many try's good. This constitutes the of them came to the years of man- highest type of citizenship for a hood in and about the close of the commonwealth. Such obedience to law and order-such devotion to the publie good -- such fidelity to public trust and such unity of action and purpose in behalf of the well-being of the whole as characterized those men furnish a guarantee of a pros- perons and happy people. Revolutionary war which achieved American independence-at a time and under conditions that "tried men's souls" and when "the survival of the fittest" gave to us a race of men brave, true and thoroughly impregnated with a love for those rights and that justice which cost
At that first court for Macon corn. so great a price of blood. That love ty the court appointed the following was, quickened and intensified by named persons commissioners whose the war of 1812 when the mother duty it should be to draft plans and country, for the second time, attemp. specifications for a court house and led to enslave freemen and levy un- jail for the county of Macon and di- just tribute upon this grand and reeting them to advertise the letting productive country of ours. Is it out the same to the lowest bidder at
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the next term of the court June fol- We are further reminded of the lowing, viz: "Jesse R. Siler, Thom- [times and patriotic character of the as Kinsey, Luke Barnard, Mark early settlers. in the manner and spirit with which they served the public interest. I find in the "Min. utes" for March term 1829, with a Coleman, James Whitaker, Aaron Pinson, John Bryson, Sr." I find in the "Minutes" of the June term of the court for 1829 that the con- court house and jail to build, this traut for building the court house order: "Ordered by the Court, that. was awarded to Col. Davil Coleman the State tax be 20 cents and fifty "at three thousand and eight hun- cents on the poll-for public build- dred dollars" with Gen. Thomasrings 125 cents on each poll, for to Love and Zachariah Cabe as securities defray county charges 5 cents-for for the faithful performance of the weights and measures on each 300 contract. At the same time the con- dollars value of land equal to one tract for building the jail was award-, poll." This order is rather quique ed to Col. Benjamin S. Brittain for in style, but it brings to our knowl- "twenty nine hundred and ninety edge the rate of taxation. The wide five dollars," who gave as securities difference between the taxes of 1829 for the performance of the contract, and 1891 is indeed worthy of our se- Joseph Welch, Jeremiah R. Pacetrions consideration. The present and John Hall. The masous who population complain most bitterly undertook the brick work of the of the heavy burden of taxation an- court house were Samuel Lyle land der which they drag out their weary Dr. T. T. Young, of Washington lives. I believe that in the main county, Tennessee. They were good they lay this sin at the door of rings. 'honest workmen in their line. The men and the extravagance of oficiale.
brick they manufactured were of | excellent quality and the house they built would have stood for a half
Let us see how this is. Our fathers believed that they owed a debt to good government-to the faithin! century longer. But in style and administration of law and the con- capacity it was wholly inadequate to the needs of the present population and from sheer necessity gave way to the substantial and commodious new one which now occupies the site of the old one. For the new ! vailed when the people gathered at and much needed court house the the quarterly courts to transact the public are mainly indebted to a few! public spirited and patriotic surviving ! sons of the fathers of the county. servation of public peace and moral- ity, and they patriotically undertook to perform the public service with- out compensation. I can well re- member the good cheer which pre- county business and such other bus- liness as came within the jurisdiction of a quarterly court jury. It seemed
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