I have been off to Cherokee, Alabama, visiting my brother Howard Melton and family. I had a good week. On the Natchez Trace, coming home, the leaves were pretty. Driving along on a sunshiny day, all the different colors of leaves, instead of stopping and smelling the roses I took time to see God's "work of art with his paintbrush." I got to feeling his spirit and felt him paint on my heart "I love you."
Better get on with my history. Mr. George Holland worked this up for their 1986 homecoming and said I could use it as a follow-up of last week.
Throughout Tennessee this year, at the urging of Governor Alexander, There are many cities, town, communities, and churches observing Heritage and Homecoming '86.
We of Eva United Methodist Church decided that we would celebrate Homecoming and Heritage Day. There is little recorded history of Eva.
Eva officially goes back to the establishment of the Post Office. We know that there were settlers in the area when Benton County was established in 1936. Prior to the Civil War of 1860-65 the railroad from Nashville extended westward only as far as Johnsonville on the east bank of the Tennessee River.
In 1864, when General Nathan Bedford Forrest was scouting and preparing for the Battle of Johnsonville, he was supposedly to have set up temporary headquarters in the James Sykes residence a short distance west of the school house.
After the war construction was started extending the railroad on westward. A small settlement developed where the railroad camp had been. It's growth was gradual but persistent. A Post Office was established on January 26, 1881, with Mr. Thomas J. Lowry as Postmaster.
Legend has it that his daughter Lola heard her father discussing a possible name for this office. She spoke up expressing her wish that it be named for her chum Eva Steele. Thus, in 1882, it was announced that Eva Station is becoming an important center for trade. Down through the years there have been numerous postmasters and office location. How long Mr. Lowry served and who followed him I do not know.
In the early 1900's Mr. Andrew J. Sykes was Postmaster. Following him Mr. Lindsey Melton served for a number of years. Mr. Finis Melton served from 1924 to 1929. Mr. D.B. Holland served from 1929 to 1933. Mr. Laymon Cuff, acting postmaster served in 1934. Mr. M. L. Holland served from 1935 to his retirement in 1960 and Mrs. Bessie Wilson Phifer currently serving from 1960.
There have been numerous merchandising businesses in Eva. In the late 1800's Mr. T.J. Lowry perhaps had the first store located adjacent to the railroad in the vicinity of the old depot area. About 1900 Mr. Lewis Browning operated a store in the old store building standing across the road from Mrs. Ila Holland's house. This is one of the few structures still standing. Mr. Browning rant this store until the early 30's.
In the early 1900's Mr. Noah Melton operated a general merchandise store in the railroad and depot area. In the late 1920's this business was operated by Mr. Albert Cherry until the early 1930's.
In the early 1900 era Mr. Lindsey Melton operated a general merchandise store where the Tim Pafford residence now stands. This was a two story building and upstairs was a Woodmen of the World lodge. Mr. Melton also handled a line of burial coffins and caskets.
In the early 1900 era Mr. Lon Tippett ran a blacksmith shop where the Post Office and store building now stands. In this ear Mr. D.B. Holland ran a sawmill for a numbers of years, where Lottie Holland's house now stands.
In the middle 20's Mr. Doss moved the mill to his property on the east side of Eva where he operated until 1940. Along with the sawmill was a grist mill operation where many a bag of cornmeal was ground.
In the 1920 era Mr. W.M. Pafford bought the Lindsey Melton business and operated until the middle 30's. This store handled an inventory of dry goods including ladies dresses, bolts of material, also mens clothing, and shoes for the entire family. This store closed about 1932 due to the great depression.
About 1937 this business reopened as a grocery store by Mr. Frank Pafford and son Tilford and ran until the mid 40's. During the 1900 era Mr. Oscar Lindsey ran a store across the road and a little east of our church. He handled a line of patent medicines and also bought and sold chickens and eggs, thus the nickname Produce Lindsey.
In 1918 Mr. L.J. Holland bought out Mr. Lindsey and relocated the store on the site of Mr. Tippett's blacksmith shop where the present day Post Office and store building now stands. This business included general merchandise, the produce market, and a good inventory of patent medicines and a line of drugs of that era. Mr. Holland's son Crayton was the druggist. Thus the Eva Drug Company originated, also a soda fountain was a part of this drugstore. Mrs. Ila Holland's mantle consists of the slab of marble from the soda fountain.
During this era Mr. Frank McKelvie ran a little store and shoe cobble shop just beyond the Cross Roads Market. The depot was constructed about 1900. This area was a busy spot in the early 1900 era. A cotton gin operated for a number of years.
Around 1910 a canning factory was in operation for a few years during canning season. Stock pens for loading livestock, scales for loading of car loads of corn, also car loads of chickens would be loaded out by L. T. Holland and Sons. Freight for the Eva area and the settlements to the north came to Eva and was transported to it's final destination by mules and wagons. Six passenger trains daily. Four day time trains and two night time. All day time trains stopped with mail and for passengers. Night time were flag stop. The railroad was relocated in 1945 due to flooding of the valley by TVA. The last train through Eva was in December 1945.
During the late 20's and mid 30's Mrs. Lela Holland operated the Holland Hotel across the road from the Post Office. The first school house in the late 1880's was located on the ridge south and east of the Post Office near lake shore.
About 1900 a larger school house was built on the grounds of the rock school house. The school house was enlarged at different times. In the 20's it was a junior high, in the early 30's it was also a senior high school. The last enlargement and rock veneer was pretty much a neighborhood project. The rock was picked up by the women and children, the men hauled the rocks by mules and wagons. With new state regulations, the student body was not great enough to maintain the senior high and about 1934 it reversed to a junior high. It 1942 it reverted to an elementary school. About 1960 the school was closed and all students were bused to Camden. The building was used a few years in the late 60's and early 70's for a kindergarten and then closed permanently.
The first church in Eva was the Methodist Episcopal South organized in 1913. The Eva Land Company gave the church land for a building and the community donated materials and labor and a church house was erected. The Eva Baptist Church was organized in 1917 and met in the Methodist Church until they erected their building.
In the era of 1900-1920, there were six stores operating in Eva. The modes of transportation were horseback, horse and buggy, mules, and wagons. On Saturdays especially, there would be a slight congestion of mules and wagons coming in for supplies, to sell chickens and eggs, or loads of crossties or hickory timber.
In the mid 20's there were two or three Model T Fords, around 1928 two or three Chevrolets arrived on the scene.
About 1933 Mr. Troy Melton erected a small store building where the church parking lot not is. In the late 30's Mr. Frank Parks operated the store. In the 40's this store building was the residence of Mr. Frank and Mrs. Mae Pafford. This site now belongs to the church since 1984.
The heavens declare the story of God and the firmament shows his handiwork.
Server space for the TNGenWeb Project is provided through the generosity of US Internet.
The TNGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved, or disproved by the weight of evidence.
You are welcome to copy information found on the Benton County TNGenWeb site for personal use, and share information with other researchers or genealogical organizations, but this information may not be sold or used in a commercial project without expressed permission. All material submitted by individuals for inclusion in this site remains their property.