Notes copied from a paper lent by Albyne Gowen Blythe, wife
\nof Rees Blythe, Fullerton, California. Rees is a grandson of
\nJames Blythe, brother of my grandfather, Joseph Blythe.
\nAlbyne’s brother, Tom Gowen, had the complete group of notes
\nduplicated for Albyne. I have copied only those parts applying
\nto the Crocketts and the Blythes and a few excerpts which
\nreflect the early times. What a memory for people he had!<\/p>\n
Ruth Blythe Walker Genealogy (circa 1964)
\n____________________________________________________<\/p>\n
Notes and reminiscences from
\nUncle William Floyd given to
\nCharles E. Gowen in the
\nsummer of 1904 in his 84th year<\/p>\n
We begin with this old pioneer whose name will add historic
\ninterest to the following sketches. We are reminded that
\nCrockett once lived on the east proxy of Mulberry about one and
\none half miles from County Line, Moore County, Tennessee.
\nThere is some dispute as to the exact location of the Crockett
\ncabin, some claiming that it was on the Amos Gore farm, where
\nJim Bird now lives – but what gave use to this opinion is that
\n‘Billie’ Crockett (David’s brother) once lived there – while
\nDavid lived further down the branch near the present home of
\nJim Brown. My grandfather, James B. Gowan, pointed out the
\nexact location of the cabin to Uncle William, and to his best
\nrecollection, it stood near the Brown place and on the same side
\nof the road. This is now the most authentic account that can be
\nhad. Gowan and Crockett were companions and neighbors and
\nwith their dogs and rifles had visited frequently. Crockett was a
\nguest at the house where Bill Mullins now lives – has slacked a
\nhunter’s thirst at the Cave Spring while old Betsy, his trusty
\nrifle, was quietly resting against the old beech tree.<\/p>\n
Gowen sees him on one occasion after he had married his
\nsecond wife and joked him about his new wife who had about
\n$800 in cash. David said this will be mighty good sass (sauce)
\nto carry along with us. It is said that Crockett cleared a field on
\na parcel of land on the farm now owned by George Gowan in the
\n24th district of Bedford County, Tennessee. It was here,
\nwrestling with the sassafras that adorn the summit of Hungry
\nHill that the brawn and bravery was developed that afterward
\nmade him famous as a soldier as well as a hunter and backwoods
\nstatesman. So here in the jungles of the forest living with his
\nfirst wife, the faithful one who crossed the mountains of East
\nTennessee with him, that this old pioneer no doubt spent his
\nhappiest days. He says himself that his reputation as a hunter
\nwas made on Mulberry. He tells Gowen where he once killed a
\npanther. He was drinking from the fine spring on the south side
\nof Mansford on Elk River, the panther sprang on him. He killed
\nhim with his Bowie knife. Crockett was killed March 6, 1836 at
\nthe Alamo, Texas.”
\n____________________________________________________<\/p>\n
Albyne’s brother, Tom Gowen, related a story that had been
\nhanded down in their family. The Gowen family farm near
\nLynchburg, Tennessee, had once belonged to David Crockett
\nwho traded it about 140 acres, to Gowen (James B. Gowen) for a
\nblack horse one time when he desperately needed a horse for a
\nproposed trip. Albyne Gowen Blythe was born in the log cabin
\non that farm.<\/p>\n
Ruth
\nBlythe Walker Genealogy(circa 1964)
\n____________________________________________________<\/p>\n
Following is the balance of The Gowen Papers. It has been
\nincluded as many of the names mentioned in the recollections
\nwere neighbors, acquaintances, and in some instances, relatives
\nof Blythe family members. Their names appear in many early
\nBlythe documents in Lincoln County, Tennessee. The Gowen
\nPapers additionally provide a glimpse into the lives of our
\npioneer ancestors. A copy of Uncle William Floyd’s Notes was
\ngiven to me by Daphana Hill, who I met while visiting
\nLynchburg TN and a descendant of the Gore and Edens families
\nmentioned by William Floyd. Thomas Blythe Jr’s two youngest
\ndaughters, Polly and Paulina, married brothers Benjamin M. and
\nJohn Edens, Daphana’s kin.<\/p>\n
Marie Andrews Cilluffo, 1997<\/p>\n
James B. Gowan was born in Bedford County, Virginia,
\nNovember 22, 1785 near the town of Lynchburg, Virginia and
\nsettled in Bedford County, Tennessee near the town of
\nLynchburg, Tennessee. He often related this coincidence. His
\nfather, William Gowen was killed with an axe by a crazy man.
\nHis mother’s maiden name was Burns hence James Burns
\nGowan. She was of Scotch decent and was related to Robert
\nBurns the Scottish poet. His father married a second time but
\nwife’s name is not known. Three children were born by this
\nsecond wife. Two boys & one girl – Jeremiah, Sanford L. and
\nJulia. We may have relatives from this source somewhere also
\nof Irish decent. Grandfather would joke his children about their
\nIrish when they got their ‘dander up’. Only two of first children,
\nJames B. and William, who were left orphans, James B. at the
\nage of three and William younger. Both bound out to an uncle
\nBurns. Grandfather was set free at 16 years of age – split rails to
\npay for a pony – when paid for it died. He suffered many
\nhardships and privations. Dr. William Gowen, his brother,
\nsettled near Woodbury, Cannon County, married Elizabeth
\nMoore, a splendid woman – raised large family, among which
\nwere Dr. Ike and Jim Gowen of Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n
Grandfather first settled in Williamson County on Harpeth River
\nwhere he married Ann Price on February 23, 1808. Prior to his
\nmarriage, he kept bach. with his would to be brother in law
\nGeorge Price. Came to Bedford County the following year –
\nkilled a deer near the present site of the Courthouse at
\nShelbyville, Tennessee. Settled at the old place in 1809. The
\nchimney mound now in yard, making the site of one of the first
\nlog huts erected at the head waters of Mulberry. The house in
\nwhich his youngest daughter now lives was raised July 4, 1815.
\nOldest child Bettie born in Williamson County. Children as
\nfollows – Elizabeth, married Daniel Brown; Harriet, married
\nEmziah Anthony; Mathew, married Edens first, second time
\nWidow Mullins; Sallie, married William Floyd; William P.,
\nmarried Isabell Emry first, second time Sidney Floyd; Thomas,
\nmarried a Thomas. Last wife of grandfather Gowen was Lucy
\nEmry. Large family of last children as follows: Annie, married
\nWilliam McKilroy; Tillie, married James Morrow; Tempy,
\nmarried James K. Floyd; Fannie, married Tom Clark; Laura,
\nmarried Bill Mullins; James, married Millie Mitchell; Joe,
\nmarried Fanny Hutson. A son and Bennie both died single.<\/p>\n
Mathew Price and wife – my great grandparents came from
\nSouth Carolina and settled in Williamson County on the Harpeth
\nRiver. Note that here is where grandfather met his first wife
\nAnn Price. Later said Price settled at the big spring about one
\nhalf mile north of County Line, Tennessee. He and his wife
\nwere noted for their kindness and hospitality. Wife’s maiden
\nname Elizabeth Eskridge. She was very smart and industrious.
\nBoth buried in old Price graveyard. He died suddenly, had been
\ntying fodder before breakfast in a little field below ‘Cooper
\nShop’, came in, fell across bed and died instantly. Prices as a
\nrule were very smooth, conservative, easy going folks. John
\nPrice, one son was old Baptist preacher ‘Big gun’. John, like his
\nmother full of vim and energy – once owned the Green farm
\nbelow County Line – married a Coffee, moved to ‘Western
\nDistrict’ west Tennessee. Got sick, started to nearest doctor at
\nMemphis and died on road. George Price, another son married
\nFelney Hodge, lived and died where Parsons Ervin now lives.
\nWas an awful sufferer with gravel in bladder and died from
\noperation. Sallie married a widower, Tom Roundtree whose
\nfirst wife was a Gilbreath. Preacher Tom Shaw was Tom
\nRoundtree’s grandson, his mother being a daughter of Roundtree
\nby this first wife Gilbreath.<\/p>\n
First Shaw known was Thomas Shaw, father of this preacher
\nShaw. Aunt Sallie Roundtree had three children – Pollie, Ann
\nand William always called ‘Buck’. Pollie married Jim Berry,
\nAnn married first, Mulford Dean and second time Ben Berry.
\nJim and Ben Barry were brothers and were among the first
\nBerrys. Buck married a Mayfield Ann had three children by
\nBerry – one girl who married John Bennett of Nashville. John
\nPrice’s boys, George and Mathew, were killed at Corinth,
\nMississippi.<\/p>\n
Ben Driver was first Driver to come to Tennessee. He was the
\nfather of Noel Driver and grandfather of Thomas Driver. He
\ncame from North Carolina and first settled near Beech Grove
\nafterward lived in ‘Screamsville’ where Tom now lives. His
\nwife peddled on brooms, soap and other articles. She was an
\nAvon and was of Cherokee decent.<\/p>\n
John Hodge was first Hodge. He was father in law to George
\nPrice also grandfather of Millie Gowen. John Watson and wife
\ncame from Union District, South Carolina. His first wife’s
\nname not known. There were two children, boy named Dave,
\ngirl married a Dodds. Second wife a Whitmore. Children by
\nlast wife as follows – Joe, Sallie, Sidney, Bettie, Jim, Watt, Tim,
\nMiles Bobo, and Mathew. Joe married a Jones, Sallie married
\nElija Floyd, Sidney married Kin Pearson, Bettie first married a
\nTilly, second a Pichard, Jim married a Brown, Watt married a
\nJones, sister of Joe’s wife, Bobo not known, Tim married a
\nStewart, Mathew married a Smith (‘Aunt Becky’).<\/p>\n
John Watson first settled at Jim Parrar’s place and his boys Joe
\nand Watt had blacksmith shop opposite the site of the present
\none. Lived again on hill above Elipleus Hix’s – the log wall in
\nwhich grandmother Floyd was married is now in Jeff Stephens
\nyard. He was a cripple and wore a thick soled shoe. His
\ngrandson Kin Pearson now has his shoe. Sallie was our
\ngrandmother. Bettie was connected with the ‘Dean episode’.
\nMiles Bobo went to Mississippi to oversee negroes and a negro
\nkilled him. Tim married in Trigue County, Kentucky and died
\nin prison. Rock Island, Illinois. Watt died in house in Jim
\nFloyd’s field. Jim died, left wife and two children – Kim and
\nMarion. His father-in-law, Heskiah Brown took children to
\nArkansas. [NOTE: Thomas Blythe Jr’s eldest daughter,
\nElizabeth, was married to Hezekiah Brown, one of their
\ndaughters being the wife of Jim Watson.]<\/p>\n
My grandmother, Sallie Floyd, was eight years old when she
\ncame to this state, walked most of the way from South Carolina.
\nCamped with Indians and learned much of their dialect which
\nshe has repeated to me when I was a child. She was a
\nremarkably strong woman mentally and physically, was a great
\nreader and took interest in current events even in her old age.
\nShe died at the advanced age of 92 years. Bobo was born in a
\nhouse at Rossville near Chattanooga where they were camping
\nenrout to Tennessee. The Watson’s perhaps were of Irish
\ndecent.<\/p>\n
David Floyd and wife, my great grandparents came from Union
\nDistrict, South Carolina, settled at what is now known as the
\nBoyer’s place about one mile south of Flat Creek, Bedford
\nCounty, Tennessee. Wife was a Norman, a sister to Edward
\nGore’s wife. Hence the Gore relatives raised a large family –
\ndied on the same day and were buried in one grave at Flatcreek.
\nChildren as follows – Johnathon, George, David Enoch, Elijah,
\nHosea, Holcum, Peggy, Pricilla, and Jane. Johnathon married a
\nFinney – 5 children names as follows: David, James, Spencer
\nB., Pollie and Pricilla. Spencer B. Floyd was Col. of yankee
\nregiment stationed at Memphis. He was a smart man. Uncle
\nWilliam has letters written by him to grandfather Floyd.
\nJohnathon went to Illinois 70 years ago. This is the stock of
\nFloyds in the north. George married a Cox, sister to Thomas
\nCox, moved to Tippah County, Mississippi 70 years ago. His
\nchildren as follows: John, Thomas and David. His son Tom
\ncame back to see kinfolks when grown young man, was fine
\nlooking and very jolly. David married a Reagor, daughter of
\nAnthony Reagor and sister of Abram and John Reagor. Lived
\nabout Jess Coleman’s at Jim K. place. Raised large family of
\nchildren – Sam, Anthony, Allen, Jim K., Becky, Katie, Mary,
\nPeggy and Jane. Note how old names are handed down.<\/p>\n
Becky married Jim Farrar, Uncle William was best man at Jim
\nFarrar wedding. Stood up with bride’s cousin Mayrie Reagor’s
\ndaughter. The one that married a Diviggins and went crazy.
\nUncle David objected to his girl’s marriage to Jim Farrar. Jess
\nColeman married 2 of the girls, he first married Mary then Jane.
\nEnoch married a Shook. Enoch was a M. Preacher also a very
\nfine cabinet maker and mechanic. Went to Jackson, Mississippi
\n70 years ago. Names of some of his children – Calvin, Alvy,
\nWilliam, Milton (for his great grandmother’s maiden name),
\nLoniza, etc. Elijah married Sallie Watson and raised a large
\nfamily near Flat Creek, Tennessee. Hosea married a Couser,
\nsister to John Couser (Aunt Betsy’s husband). Old John Couser,
\nthe first known Couser, was their father. Hosea was killed by
\nyankee who shot at random near Fayetteville, Tennessee, was a
\ngood, gentle, harmless man. Names of some of his children –
\nJohn, Elijah, Jim, David, etc. Jim killed at Perryville, Kentucky.
\nDavid married and had several girls, one married a Sanders, one
\na Cole. Peggy married Jim Beavers. She is buried on Cane
\nCreek. Note how the Beavers kinship comes in by our great
\naunt’s marriage. Pricilla married John Davis. Jane married
\nNorman Kinney, brothers no doubt to Uncle Johnathon’s wife.
\nUncle Johnathon, George and David in battle of New Orleans –
\none of them wounded on December 14, which was decisive
\nbattle.<\/p>\n
Billie Pearson was first of that family to come to Tennessee.
\nBorn in South Carolina in 1763, died at W. P. Bobo place and
\nwas buried under “rock box” grave in Bobo’s lot. He first
\nsettled at Jim Farrar place. His wife’s maiden name was Jacks,
\nhe was a soldier in the Revolution war and was accused of being
\na tory. When he died, search [missing section]<\/p>\n
Bobo – Elija and Elisha Bobo, twin brothers were founders of
\nthis heterogeneous race in these ‘diggins’. They came from
\nSouth Carolina. The origin of the name was in this way. A
\nbaby boy was found in an old stable in the rack which was made
\nof bows, hence Bo-bo. Aunt Ellen Bobo’s maiden name was
\nRaines, daughter of Bayley Raines.<\/p>\n
Jess Coleman and brothers first known Coleman’s. 6 or 7
\nbrothers all their names begin with J – Jess, Joshua, etc.<\/p>\n
Two old Beardens, Billie and Eli. Billie was Finis father. Eli
\nwas Willis and Winn’s father. I have it now from Jim Bearden
\nthat John Bearden (Billie’s and Eli’s father) came to this county
\nand is buried at Flat Creek. He was a revolutionary soldier and
\nmany years ago the government sent some parties to locate his
\ngrave in order to erect a monument, but his grave could not be
\nfound.<\/p>\n
First Enochs – Isaac Enochs, Uncle Davy’s father, had a brother
\nnamed John.<\/p>\n
First Edens, Samuel and Alec. Samuel’s wife a Franks, Uncle
\nJack’s parents. Alec’s wife a Walker.<\/p>\n
First Bedford was Billie Bedford, very dark complexioned. Ben
\nBedford father, married a Dance.<\/p>\n
First Ray – Hesekiah Ray sons, Jason, Solomon, and Jabel by
\nfirst wife – second wife a Jones, her children Mannel and
\nMarion, Jason’s wife. Aunt Linnie Smith had a brother who was
\nMormon preacher. Solomon’s wife a Clay, father of John C.
\nRay.<\/p>\n
First Reagor, Anthony Reagor, wife a Shook. It is said that all
\nReagors were killed in the Indian massacres except one little
\nboy. This Anthony Reagor who came to Tennessee from North
\nCarolina and were of German descent.<\/p>\n
Sallie Skidmore, Sallie Rambo, and Piggie Heivlin were the old
\n‘witches’ whom the Reagors and others so much feared. They
\nverily believed in their power to ‘HooDoo’ and bewitch. But to
\nmake a picture of the ‘Witch’ and shoot it with a silver bullet,
\nthey believed would break the spell. This Abram Reagor once
\ndid to ‘set right’ the deformed twins Isaac and Jacob. Uncle
\nTommie Dean performed the same ‘feat’ when a thief had stolen
\nhis horse. So the old Salem ‘witchcraft’ creeps down the
\ncenturies.<\/p>\n
First Stegal was Obediah – wife a Hodge. First Holt – Jack Holt
\n– wife a Byrom, Esq. Jim Holt’s mother, 2nd wife a Raney.
\nUncle Jimmie Stone one of the first Stones, wife a Woosley,
\nUncle John Woosley’s sister. Aunt Peggy was noted for good
\n‘hoss’ sense. He had brother – Stone who settled in Cannon
\nCounty.<\/p>\n
First Hix – Billie Hix, who cut his throat with a shoe knife at
\nJohn Frost’s place, first wife not known, second wife a Collins.
\nBuck Hix’s mother Womble, Billie Hix’s father was brother to
\nold Billie. Dr. Newton married Betsy Hix. His brother ‘Nick’
\nNewton married Sallie Hix.<\/p>\n
First Hurstz – Billie and Jim. Billie’s wife a Beard was Uncle
\nJack’s father. Jim was Berryman’s father. Berryman married
\nKalie Campbel.<\/p>\n
First Baxter was James Baxter (Barlow’s father). His wife a
\nGuthery.<\/p>\n
First Farrars – John and Jordon. John married a Harris and was
\nJim Farrar’s father. His wife was first cousin to Isham G.
\nHarris. Jordon married a Hawkins. Father of Joe Farrar came
\nfrom North Carolina.<\/p>\n
First Blythe was Uncle Tommy, Hoel’s father, Ace Blythe’s
\ngrandfather. Hoel’s first wife was a Smith and second wife a
\nJones. First wife was the mother of Ace Blythe.<\/p>\n
First Frost – Ebenezor Frost (was Elder John Frost’s father)
\ncame from North Carolina and married the Widow Clary whose
\nmaiden name was Wright. Hence the Wright in the Frost
\nfamily. She was married 4 times, had 2 children by Clary
\nhusband, one of these girls married Billie Little, father of Elder
\nT. C. Little. Hence Bro. John Frost was Bro. T. C. Little’s half
\nuncle. Ebenezar Frost left in 1837 in a 4 horse wagon when
\nIndians were being driven back and never returned.
\nBillie Gipson and brother George were only Gipson’s known
\nhere.<\/p>\n
Old Granny Wiseman who lived to be over 100 year old and
\nwhose remains rest at the Gowen graveyard was a Merril.
\nHusband died in North Carolina. Two children by her husband –
\nIsaac and Nancy. Isaac Wiseman once lived here but moved to
\nIllinois. Nancy married Noel Driver. She had 3 illegitimate
\nchildren, Sterling whose father was Cornelius Smith, Billie
\nwhose father was Walker Wiliams and Peggy whose father was
\nHesekiah Ervin who left the country. First Ervin was the
\nHesekiah, wife a Simmons. Hence the ‘S’ in Parson J. S.
\nErvin’s name who was a grandson.<\/p>\n
First Ward was Noah Ward, wife’s name not known but she was
\na fiddler. Had a son named Noah who married an Ann Brown.<\/p>\n
First Gore was Edward Gore, wife a Norman, a sister to our
\ngreat grandfather Floyd’s wife. This is where the Gore relation
\ncomes in. His sons were Thomas, Amos and John. John went to
\nTalladego, Alabama. Amos and Thomas raised large families
\nhere. Thomas married a Shoffner. Amos married a Couser.
\nThis is where that stock of Gores get the mark of heavy
\neyebrows, which render them so unlike Uncle Tom’s family.
\nGets this distinguishing feature from Couser side.<\/p>\n
First Boardway was Uncle Lemual – wife a Boon, sister to Billie
\nBoon. First Boon, Billie Boon, wife a Howard. Hence the
\nHoward in Boon family. She was a sister to old Joe Parker’s
\nwife. This is where the Parkers and Boon relation comes in.
\nSaid Boon was lineal in descendant of Daniel Boon.<\/p>\n
First Evans was Billie Evans (Uncle Wesley’s father) wife a
\nWoosley. First McKelveys – Noah, Sam, Joe and William.
\nEmziah and Hosea Anthony came from North Carolina were
\nillegitimate. Their mother lived to be very old with Emziah.<\/p>\n
Pylants not known any further back than Jackson and brothers.”<\/p>\n
Miscellany<\/p>\n
Mag’s grandmother ‘Alkins’ once lived here on this place.
\nEntered this land. Sam Anders her son-in-law lived here with
\nher and perhaps dug the well. Bros. Shaw married Sam Anders
\nstepdaughter, his wife’s daughters by first husband Landers.
\nThis is why Bros. Shaw and Mrs. Holt are related. Aunt Bettie
\nBrown was exact age of Andrew Jackson born December 29,
\n1808. Bedford County court used to convene in an old log
\nhouse on hill above Lifis Hix’s place. The court house used to
\nbe situated near Uncle William Stone’s. Here Thomas H.
\nBenton, afterwards great senator from Missouri, and Felix
\nGrundy practiced law. Benton wrote a book ‘Thirty years in
\nCongress’ which was then a standard work on political history.<\/p>\n
First man buried at Flat Creek was named Reynolds, lived near
\nJim Floyds – hauled him out through lane on an ox slide. Uncle
\nWilliam Floyd voted his first ticket in 1844 for Henry Clay – a
\nwhig. He has heard the following ‘big guns’ speak – Andrew
\nJohnson 1855 at big barbecue Flat Creek. James K. Poke 1860
\nat Shelbyville, John Bil, whig – Bayly Payton – Isham G. Harris –
\nNeal S. Brown, whig – Aaron U. Brown – Dem. – Bill Polk –
\n‘Lean Jimmie’ Jones – Gus Henry the ‘Eagle Orator’ and
\nMeredith P. Gentry who lived in Bedford County on Sugar
\ncreek. It was said of him that his limbs ‘might get drunk but his
\nhead was clear’. Whiskey got him as it did William T. Haskell.
\nBoth silver tongued orators. Haskell perhaps did more for
\ntemperance in those days by his powerful speeches than anyone
\nand his friends tried hard to save him from the demon drink. He
\nmade temperance speeches all over the state. Jim Gowen has a
\nsaddle on which his father swam Tennessee river while serving
\nunder Andrew Jackson. Joe Gowen has a wash pot which was
\npurchased by his father in Nashville when there was only one
\nstore there. Tillie Morrow has a chest which was presented to
\nhim by a Cabinet maker in Williamson County for recovering
\nhis stolen horse from the Indians.<\/p>\n
Grandfather killed an Indian while serving under Andrew
\nJackson. While it was done in self defense, he always regretted
\nit. He was behind a tree, the indian hit the tree and filled his
\neyes with bark, then is when he shot him. He was a great hunter
\nand fisherman and kept up said sport even in old age. He killed
\na bear near Lynchburg and another on Joe Gowen’s place near
\nthe spring. He as one year older than David Crockett – Crockett
\nborn on Nollichuky River East Tennessee – August 17, 1785,
\ndied May 14, 1880 age 94 years 5 months and 25 days. He
\nswapped old Nat Berry colored for Ishmael and got $300 boot.
\nDid this to get Ishmael and Rachel his wife together. Ishmael
\ntaught Jim Gowan to work. Very sleepy old darkey, go to sleep
\nsitting at table or anywhere out in the field and dream the ‘hants’
\nwere after him. ‘Hants after me Jimmie cut em loose – cut em
\nloose’ at which request Jimmie scraped around with his knife
\nwhich set the old darkey right. Ishmael buried at County Line,
\nRachel at Flat Creek. She lived to be very old – five children –
\nJohn, Jane, Ben, Dan and Dice. Grandfather Floyd was one
\neyed, but hardly noticeable. Grandmother Floyd’s father – John
\nWatson was crippled by a fall near Ray’s Mill. She many years
\nafterwards was crippled by a fall at the same place. John
\nWatson and wife buried at Pearson graveyard on Motlow place.
\nWat Watson’s wife was daughter of the Jones who lived at Jesse
\nColeman’s place. Joe Watson’s wife I think of same family –
\noften heard grandmother speak of those Jones.<\/p>\n
Shelbyville’s first merchant was James Deery and his goods
\nwere brought from Philadelphia and Baltimore on pack horses
\nand mules. Originally, Bedford County had 25 civil districts but
\nwhen Marshal County was formed, 6 districts. John Adkinson,
\nBarclay Martin, Howell Dawdy, John Lane, Daniel McKissick,
\nWilliam Woods, Benjamin Bradford, were the commissioners
\nwho located the town of Shelbyville and laid off town lots.
\nShelbyville still has a Lane, Martin, Adkinson and Dawdy
\nstreets. First Courthouse in Shelbyville was put up in 1810. It
\nwas a small frame structure and stood on the northwest corner of
\nthe public square. It was burned and in a few years a brick
\ncourthouse was built in the center of the public square. This was
\ndestroyed by the great tornado of 1830. Then another brick
\nhouse was built on the same site. This was burned in 1863 while
\noccupied by confederate troops. Next was built our present
\nmagnificent court the best one in the state, cost $125,000. This
\nmagnificent building was burned by a drunken mob December
\n19, 1934 in an effort to take a negro prisoner from officers and
\nwas rebuilt the following year 1935 costing $170,000.<\/p>\n
George W. Floyd, soldier in Spanish American war, died at
\nMajayjay, Philippine Islands and was later brought back and
\nburied at Flat Creek in the graveyard. The above record was
\ntaken from C. G. Gowen’s notebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Notes copied from a paper lent by Albyne Gowen Blythe, wife of Rees Blythe, Fullerton, California. Rees is a grandson of James Blythe, brother of my grandfather, Joseph Blythe. Albyne’s brother, Tom Gowen, had the complete group of notes duplicated for Albyne. I have copied only those parts applying to the Crocketts and the Blythes and a few excerpts which reflect the early times. What a memory for people he had! Ruth Blythe Walker Genealogy (circa 1964) ____________________________________________________ Notes and…<\/p>\n