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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.
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Monroe King born July 6, 1843 died May 26, 1915
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
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
{hand written in on my copy}
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
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
I have heard the best Baptist talent in the state preach as these ministers:
These were witnesses of the setting up of the Church of Christ in 1827:
Page 10 [noted to see back of Page 9 but 10 is written in on it] John Derting 1793
Page 11 A HISTORY OF SYCAMORE CREEK
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.
[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)
Page 13 THE ADAMS FAMILY Jacob Adams, 1761,Jr. sisters were as follows: (of TN)
Jacob Adams Jr. Dau: Jacob Adams Jr. daughters:
Abe Adams Dau:
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
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
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
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
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
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. Jim
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