May 10, 1956

Transcribed by Janette West Grimes

* CAL’S COLUMN *

119 Garderglen, St.,

West Covina, Calif.,

Elder Calvin Gregory,

Macon County Times,

Lafayette, Tenn.

Dear Mr. Gregory:

I have received your paper for about three weeks now, and want to thank you for sending it to me. I enjoy reading it very much. I'm a little puzzled as to how you happened to get my name, though. I note from your paper that you are interested in family history, so I suppose that you either got my name from a genealogical publication or else from a recent letter I wrote to the Rutherford Courier. At any rate, thanks a lot. Your columns on the Smith and Donoho families were very good. I wish that one of the Tennessee papers would run a regular genealogy column something like that in the Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, Va. As far as I can find out, no paper in Tennessee has a column of this type. The Light, San Antonio, Texas, also runs a column like this. Both of these papers print queries from readers.

I started tracing the family tree about four years ago as a hobby. My family on both sides were early settlers of Middle Tenn., mostly Rutherford, Warren and Cannon Counties, but I suppose that branches could have gone into any of the surrounding counties. I was born in Murfreesboro, and lived there until after I graduated from High School. My family lines include Cooper, Parker, English, Skelton, Sisson, Kellar, St. John, Espy, Wood, Leigh, Byford, Phillips and, of course, these married into many other families. Woodbury, Tenn., was first called Woodville after my great-great-grandfather, John Wood, who moved there about 1808 and was first postmaster.

I let a lady out here read your column on the Smith family as she has a Smith line from that vicinity and hasn't had much luck finding data on them.

I notice that you are also a Baptist minister. That is my faith, too. I enjoy the Sunday School lessons from your paper.

I am enclosing some notes that I found in "Tennessee Cousins" that may be of interest to you if you don't already have the data.

Thank you very much,

Sincerly,

Mrs. R. V. Pennington

SMITH TENNESSEE COUSINS

by Worth Ray

page 664

Daniel Smith's wife and children and some connections.

Daniel Smith's wife was Sarah Searcy from N. C. At least two of her brothers, and possibly three, settled in the Mero District and were neighbors of the Smiths. These were probably Barlett, Reuben and Robert Searcy.

Daniel Smith's sons were grown men when the family was living in Washington District in East Tenn.

I have not found an authentic list of Daniel Smith's children. I am very sure he had:

1. Searcy Smith, who owned and occupied "Rock Castle" after the death of his father in 1818.

2. Col. George Smith [ b. 1776, d. 1846 ] who married Tabitha Donelson.

3. Daniel Smith, Jr., about whom I know practically nothing.

4. Mary Smith, who married Samuel Donelson, son of Col. John Donelson and Rachel Stockley.

Then later on in column:

Henry Smith, who was one of the "Long Hunters" who came down out of Va. in 1789, and explored the Cumberland Country, one of his companions on the trip being Isaac Bledsoe, who was a brother of Daniel.

Note: There is quite a lot more on this Smith family, and if you believe this might be your line, I'll copy it for you. I wondered if your Allen Smith could be the son of Daniel, Jr., No. 3 above. - These Smiths were from Sumner County.

DONOHO

page 555 -- Trousdale County

"Among the original settlers and families of the Trousdale section who once lived in Sumner perhaps was the Donoho family.

Albert Gallatin Donoho is said to have been the first white child born in what is now Trousdale County. As he was born in 1798, he probably was actually born in Sumner County the year before Smith Co. was erected from that county."

page 624 -- Rutherford County

Listed here are the children of Charles Ready and Mary Palmer [the town of Readyville was named after him]:

Child No. 8 -- Jane Ready - married [1] Dr. Donoho, [2] Peter Talley. Nothing further is given on this Donoho.

page 650 -- Smith County

This is listing the Rev. War soldiers who settled there.

Charles Donoho. Buried on Goose Creek. Family still owns land.

page 676 -- Davidson County

This is listing early land grants.

John Donoho, 640 acres on Cumberland River, below the mouth of Sinking Creek which right Donoho had from Ebenezer Mann, by assignment Feb. 28, 1785. Name sometimes spelled Dunahoe.

Note: Charles Ready and my great-great-grandfather, John Wood, seemed to have migrated together from Maryland to N. C. and finally to Middle Tenn. There is reason to believe they were related to England.

I wonder if this is the Sinking Creek in Wautauga Settlement. The oldest Baptist church in Tennessee is there.

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This Article Appeared In The Times

But Was Not Actually Titled Cal’s Column

We have received the following letter from C. C. Slate, of 1020 Trinity Lane, Nashville, Tenn. :

Dear Elder Calvin Gregory:

I think I can help you out a little on the Donoho family. Champ Donoho was a nephew of my grandmother, Nancy Ann Donoho Slate. Champ sold goods in Red Boiling Springs, for a number of years. He and his wife were the parents of two daughters; Cora, who married Billy West; and Virgie Donoho, who married Lon West, a brother of Billy West. After the death of Billy West, his widow married Dr. Jess Smith.

Champ Donoho was a cousin to Anthony Donoho, who married Nellie Borden. They were the parents of ten children. Rose Ann, the oldest daughter, married Frank Reeves; Martha, married a Crawford; Mary, married Fletcher Whitley; Sarah Donoho, married Andy Ferguson; John Donoho, married a Crabtree; Squire Donoho, married Maggie Whitley; Rod Donoho, married Mary Holliman; Amos Donoho, married Sarah Baker; and Howard and Stanton Donoho, who were unmarried when they left Tennessee about 40 years ago.

My grandmother was born June 28, 1818. The Slate family came from North Carolina about the year 1825, but I do not know when the Donoho family came. My grandfather, John Slate, and Nancy Ann Donoho were married April 25, 1841. They were the parents of nine children. William Laton Slate was my father and was born May 24, 1842. He married Sarah Ann Young. Mary William Slate was born March 13, 1844, and was never married. Sophie Lee Slate was born July 19, 1845, and married John Rice. Elizabeth Ann Slate was born April 6, 1847, and married J. C. [ Uncle Guy ] Whitley. Judy Slate, born Sept. 24, 1848, married Wiley Jones. Louvena Mildred Slate, born Nov. 26, 1850, married Billy Cook. Amanda Catherine Slate, born Nov. 25, 1853, married James Haywood Whitley. Haley Peyton Slate, born Nov. 25, 1856, married Maggie Young; and Prudilla Addeville Slate, born April 19, 1859, married Torn Owens.

I make such a "poor out" trying to write that I will not take any more of your time. Both of my great-grandfathers lived to be over 100 years old. Sammie Slate was 104 years old at his death, and Billy Donoho was 106.

Sincerly yours,

Charley C. Slate

[ Editor's note. We are glad to have this informative letter from our friend of many years. We hope he will write again soon].

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This Article Appeared In The Times

But Was Not Actually Titled Cal’s Column

THE DONOHO FAMILY

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Bakerton, Tenn.

April 28, 1956

Dear Mr. Gregory:

I enjoyed reading your letter in last week's Times on the history of the Donoho family of Middle Tenn. I was acquainted with the families of the late Anthony, Jack, Harve and Wade Donoho. I also knew the late Champ Donoho and his family.

I got acquainted with Anthony Donoho and his family in 1879, when I was six years old. In 1880, I attended school with his oldest children at North Springs, Jackson County, on Jennings' Creek for four months. This was my first "free school." The late Gilbert Crabtree, elder of the Church of Christ, was my teacher.

Anthony married Nellie Borden about 100 years ago. The following are the names of their children beginning with the oldest: Rose Ann, John, Squire, Martha, Mary, Sarah, Rod, Amos, Howard and Stanton.

John married Reathie Crabtree, of Jennings' Creek, Jackson County, in September, 1880, on a rainy Sunday.

I remember they passed by home riding horseback and each carrying an umbrella.

John taught school in Jackson County a number of years, beginning in 1882. He was the father of several children. Most of the older ones attended my first school. I taught at North Springs in 1894.

Rose Ann married Franklin Reeves, of Hermitage Springs, Clay County, Tenn., in the fall of 1885. To this union five children were born, three boys and two girls.

Squire married a Miss Whitley, of Red Boiling Springs, in 1887. To this union several children were born. Squire died in 1908.

Martha married William [Billie] Crawford, son of the late Andy Crawford, sometime in the year 1880. They moved to Illinois soon after their marriage. She has been dead for several years. William [Billie] has been dead about three years.

Mary married Fletcher Whitley, of Red Boiling Springs, about 65 years ago. Mr. Whitley died about 55 years ago. She later moved to Oklahoma and I understand that she is still living; as are Amos, Howard and Stanton.

Sarah married Andy Ferguson in 1888. He and his wife have been dead for about 30 years.

Amos married the daughter of the late Carroll Baker, of Hermitage Springs, Tenn., about 50 years ago. Soon after his marriage he moved to New Mexico, and has become a sucessful farmer.

I do not know whom Howard and Stanton married. They moved to Illinois several years ago. I haven't seen either of them in over 30 years.

I will give the history of Jack Donoho and his family later.

Yours truly,

Jacob S. Jenkins