JONES CEMETERY, BEAR CREEK, MAURY COUNTY TENNESSEE

Old Ledger book - in house torn down in early 1960s.

By THOMAS H. CHUNN,  Thursday, 3 May 1962. Columbia Herald

"It was before my time" say most people when you inquire about the names appearing in Robert M. Nicholson's Account Book found a few days ago.

Joe Huckaby sold his log constructed home since it was in the way of the new Interstate Highway cloverleaf at the intersection of State Highway 99, some 9 1/2 miles east of Columbia. As the wrecking of the house proceeded the Account Book was found on the plate where the rafters rest.
It is believed Mrs. Robert M. Jones placed the book on the plate, since Robert M. Nicholson was her father.
The walls of the log portion of the house are yellow poplar chinked and daubed with red cedar and mortar. At either end, the house featured a stone fireplace. The floor joists were cedar logs and the bark was still intact and appeared so well preserved as to give the appearance that the logs were only recently cut from the woods. A mystery, however, is why the log floor joist had auger holes some 1 1/2 inches in diameter bored in them at random. The corners were notched with door jambs fastened with one inch pegs. The doors were constructed of black walnut while the floors were sub-floored with ash and the finish floor of yellow poplar. This is another puzzler to the writer since ash makes a much more beautiful floor and should have been the finished floor rather than used as the sub floor. Another item of interest found in the demolishing process was a U.S. Flag featuring 36 stars.
Before Mr. Bob Jones acquired the property, it belonged to, "Uncle Billy" Sowell. Mrs. Etta! Locke thinks that the home was erected by "Uncle Billy" some 125 to 150 years ago. Mrs. Locke is a granddaughter of Robert M. Nicholson. In an interview with Mrs. Locke, she told the writer many interesting stories told to her by her Grandmother Sarah. Mrs. Locke states that her Grandfather Nicholson not only operated a blacksmith shop, but also operated a store, gin, and grainery.
The location of the business was about two miles south of Minor's No. 2 Store on the Rock Springs Road. Mrs. Locke remembered quite vividly her Grandmother relating her concern about her son, Charles Nicholson, the day the Battle of Franklin was in progress. That day Charles was killed and now lays buried in the Hardison Cemetery near Rock Springs. One time during the Civil War while Robert M. Nicholson was away driving hogs to Mobile, Ala., the Yankees came and raided the farm and burned the grainery.
But this is not a tale of Civil War days, but of people who lived in the eastern part of what was to become Maury County in 1807 from 1783 to and 1844 the folks who did business with Robert M. Nicholson. The following list of his customers features the pioneer forefathers of many Maury County people. Though many names were difficult to read, the writer has made every effort to copy the names as written. It is interesting to note the expressions of eagerness in the faces of the few who have had the opportunity to thumb through the Account Book looking for family names.
Few people can relate the names of their forefathers beyond the name of their grandfathers. Many will have to do a lot of head scratching to know if some of the names enumerated below are truly their own great, grandfathers and in some instances, their great-great grandfathers.
A. Barker Park, William T. Roberts, Alexander Barker, Wiley S. Emry, Wiley Hays, John Smizer, John T. Willice, Cazbi Scott, Elishia Williams, Robert Gilliam, Andy Forsith, Hazwell Tompson, Edman Baucomb. James Robertson, (a James Roberston, Father of Middle Tennessee, arrived at Big Salt Lick (Nashville) via Boon's Wilderness Trial in 1780. If he had been 30 years of age the above James Robertson could be one and the same � certainly he could have been the son of the original pioneer).
Andrew Egnew, John C. Fuzzel, William Johnson, Francis Parker, Charley G. Jones, Henry A. Wilson, Blackburn B. Lockridge, Tillman Mills, John Conley Farther, Alfred T. Smizer, William Russaw, Fen Martin, Susan Rummage, Daniel Derryberry.
Acy Rummage, John Edger, Robert Jones, William Dooley, Robert M. Cooper, William Pain, Marquis Hoben, Caunsel Lambert, James Wheatley. Lavick Lambert, Thomas Oglevie, Richard J. Cook, Samuel Edger, Banda Fuzzle. C. W. Br idgeas, Byesaier Weatherley, John Timmons. W.G. Hays, W. R. Miner, Joseph Turner, Milian Scott. R. F. Knott, M. W. Dooly. William Wilks, Westly Cranford, Ryley Wheatly, Davis K. Hayes.
Olivor W. Bridges. Mark Jackson, William Rummage, John R. Holcomb, Geo W. Weaver, Benjamen Harrison, George Hays, Byrd Hail, Albert Huckaby, James Smith. John C. Huckaby, Thomas Wheatly, William Eskew, Samuel Wheatly, Samuel Rummage, William B. Farrar, James Y. Booker, Marey Robertson, Jerimiah Dunkin, Nancy Wilson, Aromy Clark, Wiley T. Emrey, John Nicholson, James Nicholson.

Thomas Christmas, William Cranford, Thomas Lurtherlin, Samuel Kittrell, Tefsay Rainey, Riley Huckaby, David Weatherly, Thomas Forseth, Anderson Underwood, Elizabethan Jones Elizabeth B a u c am, Elizabeth Gilliam, Ivins Jones, Samuel Farrar. Michael Dooly, Thomas Freeland, William Robertson, William Fulsome, Beaufoard Turner, James Williams, Chriseman Dunckin, Nathanial M. Geray, David Jackson, Thomas Jackson, Daniel Jackson. William David, Hiram Conley, James Wilson.
Arthur I.. Cranford, John Atkins, William Christopher, William Hays, "Widow" Harrison, David Scott, Crawford Matthis, Allen Loftin, David U. Lunr, William Robards, Andrew Forsith, James Cook. William Barnett, Thomas Triplen.
William Blackburn, Robert Wallace, John Long, Joshua Nevels, Kilpatrick Milton, Madison Dooly, Madison Forsith, Green Cook, David Underwood, Stephen Harrison, Francis Parks, Captain Keffoard, Lewis Renfrow, William" Gilliam.
Thomas Reaves, Richard Mathis, Lawrence Halcomb, John Hail, Robert Wright, Doctor Grady, Artimous Brown, Striplen Thomas, Nathaniel Powell, Stephen Reaves, Thomas Homes, Michael Mackey, John Hutherson, Robert Wallace, Pleasant Wright, Aiasey Rummage, William Williams,
Francis Smith, Albert Huckaby, Samuel Hayes, Thomas Williams, William J. Buck.
Robert Johnston, John T. Willis, William Gofourth, William Simmons, James Crawford, Young Nicholson, (Son of Robert M.), Thomas Stone, John Fuzzel, William Kilcrease, William Campbell, John C. Carrigan Calvin.
William Swin, John Simmons, Hamblin Wilcox, Joseph H. Agnew, Joshua spears, James Y. Hardison, Robert Hardison, Danial Learrot, Ester Bridges, Milliam Wilks, J. Z. Booker. Smith Christopher, Joseph Turner, William Minor, John Rummage.
Andrew Jackson (Could this have been President Andrew Jackson? It is possible since the date of President Jackson's death was 1845.
Benjamin Murman, Kurnelions Pain, Alexander Wheatly, John I Lemizer, Ruffin Latham, Richmond Mathis, Flemming Simmons. Stephen Harrison, Ruffin Gething, John Harrison, Ruffin Hays, Alford N. Wooldridge, John Jones, Gilliam Jackson. A. Whitehead, Thomas Wheatley, Joseph Temes, Smith Crhistopher, 0. W. Bridges, Bird T. Hail, Artinus Brown, Aramma Clark, Bradly Cimbroad, W. B. Folian, Cathran Vaughn, Mathew Cooper, Thomas Freeland.

Flem Simmons, P. M. Billington, S. H. Easly, N. B. Philips, W. H. Dodson, David Dobbin, John Dobbin, William Dobbin, Soloman Cook, Jerimiah Dunkin, James Freeland, Edward Barram, John Daniels, Wattiam Vaughn, Robert Chreage, John Chreage.
W. L. Bapter, Note: A notation at bottom of this account "To Grandson of Daniel E..... 1841. received payment in full by note,'')
Lewis Renfrow, Isah Wetherly, William Amis.
H Wilcox, James Stephens, W. B. Folsom, Robert Wright, Wesley, Cranford, J. B. Speares, Thomas Wright, Alexander Barker, William Davis, J. S. Cheek, Pleasant Wright, Thomas L. Ogilvie, Jessey Witt, John Crippin, William Cranford, Lewis Hardison, C. M. Griffin, William B. Fulsom, Lamy T. Moore, Nathan Vaughn, Elizabeth Truelove, J. B. Rainey. Nuton ,Scott, A. Clarke, John G. Francis Chase, Hance Wright, Acy Haridson and Joseph Wetherly.
Just what was the topic of conversation along about 1838 to 1844? It was in 1838 that the Cherokee Indians embarked on their "Trail of Tears" to a new wilderness home in the west. In 1840 William Bryant of Davidson County was issued a patent for a steel plow. Many farmers at the time refused to use an iron plow thinking that its use would poison the soil.
The Manny's Reaper and Mower put Tennessee way out front in wheat production. In 1840 Tennessee produced 4 1/2 million bushels of wheat. Corn was king with Tennessee producing 44,986,188, bushels. About this time the Tennessee Agricultural Society was promoting the idea of producing silk worms with the worms to feed off of mulberry leaves. The idea met with little success' but "Lean" Jimmy Jones wore a suit made of Tennessee silk. In 1839 Columbia was really excited. The 100 ft. Madison had arrived via Duck River loaded with 150 tons of freight. The Madison was the first steam boat to navigate the Duck River. Money in 1838 was hard to come by with a depression having
started in 1837. There was a move on to establish a State Bank while others wanted a system of education while still others wanted to
build turnpikes. The period from 1840 to 1860 was known as the golden era of the turnpike companies.
We had some counterfeiters around to. The punishment for that was than 39 lashes on the hare back, bound in the pillory for not less than three hours, and imprisonment for not less than 12 months. The first offense was $50, no less. A person was also to suffer death without the benefit of a preacher.

Transcribed into Text from an image of the original news clipping dated 3 May 1962 by Wayne Austin 14 Sep 2009 for Faye Bradford & to be used here. Information compiled by Faye Bradford 10 Sep 2009