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EARLY SETTLERS OF
SILVER CREEK TOWNSHIP
JOHN VILEY WHO HAS
BEEN JUDGE
OF THE COUNTY
COURT.
NICHOLAS DYSART
GEORGE W DAMERON
ONCE SHERIFF
WOODSON NEWBY
JAMES GOODMAN
MORGAN FINNELL
WM BURTON
WM THOMPSON
WM R BURCH
GEORGE ELLIS
NEWTON BRADLEY
JEFF I DAWKINS
JOHN VAUGH
CORNELIUS VAUGHN
ALLEN MAYO
JEFF FULLINGTON
SAMUEL COCKRELL
JOHN MINOR
PASHALL TROYMAN
LEVIN I DAWKINS
JOHN ALEXANDER
WM E WALDEN
WM NICHOLS
RODERICK OBRIEN
WM HOLMAN
JOSEPH HOLMAN SR
JOHN SEARS SR
HARDY SEARS
IVERSON SEARS
ALLEN MAYO
WM MAYO
VALENTINE MAYO
JOHN ROWLAND
YOUNGER ROWLAND
D R DENNY
SAMUEL C DAVIS
ISAIAH HUMPHREY
WM FORT
ASA KIRBY
JOHN HEAD
AMBROSE MEDLEY
BASIL MCDAVITT SR
ROGER WEST
JAMES DAVIS
REV SAMUEL C DAVIS
THOMAS BRADLEY
TOLMAN C B
GORHAM
TLOMAN GORHAM JR
THOMAS GORHAM
AMBROSE
HALLIBURTON
WM MORROW
JOSEPH MORROW
MR WILLIAM MATHIS
BETTER KNOWN AS UNCLE
BILLY
MATHIS,EMIGRATED FROM NORTH CAROLINA
IN THE YEAR 1827 AND
ERECTED HIS CABIN,IN
PRIMITIVE PIONEER
STYLE ON 80 ACRES OF
LAND ENTERED AT
GOVERNMET PRICE,WITHIN FIVE MILES
OF WHERE MT AIRY
NOW STANDS.HE IS STILL
LIVING IN HIS 81ST
YEAR WITHIN A HALF
MILE OF THAT
PLACE,HAVING BEEN A RESIDENT
OF THE COUNTY 52
YEARS.HE WAS MARRIED WHEN HE
CAME TO THE STATE
BUT NEVER HAD ANY CHILDREN.
HE WAS HERE
BEFORE THE COUNTY WAS ORGANIZED
AND MENTIONS
WILLIAM HOLMAN,ABRAHAM GROSS,
AND JAMES DYSART
AS RESIDENTS WHEN HE CAME,
THE FIRST OF WHOM
WAS ENGAGED IN RUNNING
A HORSE MILL.
JERRY JACKSON
CAME WITH UNCLE BILLY
FROM NORTH
CAROLINA AND SETTLED IN THE
SAME
EIGHBORHOOD,BUT EMIGRATED TO TEXAS
SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
ABOUT THE YEAR
1837 CAPT WILLIAM UPTON
ANOTHER OLD
SETTLER OPENED A STORE AT
HIS PLACE IN
CONNECTION WITH D C GARTH
WHO LIVED AT
HUNTSVILLE AND HAD ANOTHER
STORE THERE.A
BLACKSMITH SHOP AND A
TABACCO FACTORY
WERE SOON AFTER ERECTED,
AND THE PLACE WAS
FIRST CALLED UPTONVILLE.
THE ENTERPRISING
PEOPLE OF THE VICINITY
HOWEVER WERE NOT
LONG IN OBTAINING
A POST OFFICE
WHICH WAS CHRISTENED MT AIRY
A NAME WHICH IT
HAS SINCE BORNE.CAPT
UPTON SEVERAL
YEARS BEFORE THE LATE WAR
SOLD OUT HIS FARM
AND STORE AND MOVED
SOUTH OF THE
MISSOURI RIVER WHERE HE
STILL LIVES FAR
ADVANCED IN YEARS.
THE BUSINESS AT MT
AIRY HAS SEVERAL TIMES CHANGED
HANDS AND FOR THE
MOST PART DURING THE LATE
CIVIL WAR WAS
ENTIRELY SUSPENDED.IT WAS
AFTERWARDS
REVIVED AND INCREASED,AND ITS
RENEWED
PROSPERITY HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED.
THE MERCANTILE
ESTABLISHMENT THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS
IMMEDEDIATELY
AFTER THE WAR WAS OWNED AND MANAGED
BY JAMES B
THOMPSON ESQ
JODGE JAMES HEAD
ONE OF SILVER CREEKS PIONEERS
A RESIDENT WHEN
THE COUNTY WAS ORGANIZED AND
ONE OF THE JUDGES
OF THE FIRST COUNTY COURT
FOUNDED ROANOAKE
ON THE HOWARD COUNTY LINE IN 1836.
THE PLACE FIRST
WENT BY SEVERAL NAMES AS
SUITED THE FANCY
OF THE SETTLERS,SUCH AS
HEADS STORE,AND
VAN BUREN,THE FAVORITE AND
SUCCESSFUL
CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDECY THAT
YEAR.BUT WHEN THE
POST OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED THERE
AT THE SUGGESTION
OF JUDGE HEAD IT WAS NAMED
FOR THE RESIDENCE
OF A FAVORITE STATESMAN OF
HIS NATIVE
STATE,THE CELEBRATED JOHN RANDOLPH
OF ROANOAKE.JUDGE
HEAD EMIGRATED TO RANDOLPH COUNTY
FROM ORANGE
COUTY VIRGINA SEVERAL YEARS
BEFORE THE COUNTY
WAS ORGANIZED.HE WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY
HIS SISTER MRS FANNIE MEDLEY
AND HER HUSBAND
JACOB MEDLEY WHO SETTLED
NEAR HIM AND WAS
THE FIRST COLLECTOR OF
RANDOLPH
COUNTY.JUDGE HEAD LIVED ON HIS
FARM ADJOINING
ROANOAKE AND CARRIED ON
BUSINESS IN THE
TOWN UNTIL 1849 WHEN HE
MOVED TO
LOCKHART TEXAS WHERE HE DIED
IN 1875 AT THE AGE
OF 82 YEARS.
HE WAS FOLLOWED
TO THIS STATE BY HIS
FATHER AND
MOTHER AND ALL HIS REMAINING
BROTHERS AND
SISTERS EXCEPT MRS MINOR RUCKER
WHO CAME WITH HER
HUSBAND AND FAMILY IN
1837.THEY ALL
SETTLED IN RANDOLPH COUNTY
HIS FATHER JOHN
HEAD AND HIS BROTHER JOHN
HEAD JR SETTLED IN
SILVER CREEK TWO MILES
NORTH OF
ROANOAKE,THE FORMER ON THE FARM WHERE
HE RESIDED UNTIL
HIS DEATH IN 1852 ANND
WHICH THE LATTER
NOW OWNS AND OCCUPIES.
ALL THE OTHERS
SETTLED IN AND AROUND HUNTSVILLE.
THESE WERE DR
WALKER HEAD WHO WAS TWICE ELECTED
TO THE LEGISLATURE
FROM THIS COUNTY AND AT
THE TIME OF HIS
DEATH IN 1845 HE HAD JUST
BEEN ELECTED AS A
DELEGATE TO THE STATE
CONVENTION TO
REVISE THE CONSTITUTION.MRS
EMILY CHILES,MRS
SARAH D ALLEN,MRS AMANDA GARTH,
AND MRS HARRIET
RUCKER WERE THE OTHER MEMBERS
OF THE FAMILY.MRS
MARTHA PRICE THE YOUNGEST
DAUGHTER WAS
SINGLE WHEN SHE CAME TO THIS STATE
AND WAS MARRIED
TO GEN STERLING PRICE AT
HER FATHERS
RESIDENCE IN SILVER CREEK
TOWNSHIP IN THE
YEAR 1833.CAPT JOHN HEAD WHO
AS WE STATED
RESIDES UPON HIS FATHERS
HOMESTEAD
ADJOINING THE FARM ON WHICH HE
SETTLED IN 1831 HAS
BEEN EGAGED IN AGRICULTURE
PURSUITS FOR 52
YEARS.HE RAISED A FAMILY OF
NINE CHILDREN FOUR
SONS AND FIVE DAUGHTERS
SEVEN OF WHOM ARE
STILL LIVING.CAPT
HEAD HAS ALWAYS
TAKEN A LIVELY INTEREST
IN POLITICS ON THE
DEMOCRATIC SIDE,EVER
SINCE THE DAYS OF
ANDREW JACKSONFOR WHOM
HE CAST HIS FIRST
VOTE IN 1824.
THERE ARE NINE
SCHOOL HOUSES IN THE TOWNSHIP
INCLUDING A
GRADED SCHOOL BUILDING AT
ROANOAKE
THE LEADING
PROTESTANT RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS
EMBRACING
BAPTIST,METHODIST, PRESBYTERIANS,AND
CHRISTIANS HAVE
PLACES OF PUBLIC WORSHIP AND
HOLD REGULAR
SERVICES THE MISSIONARY BAPTIST
BEING THE MOST
NUMEROUS.
DR A ALDRIDGE IS
THE ONLY PHYSICIAN
IN THE TOWNSHIP
AT MT AIRY ARE
ALSO A STORE OF DRY GOODS
AND GROCERY KEPT
BY MR JAMES SMITH.A
BLACKSMITH AND
WAGON SHOP,AND A LARGE
TABACCO FACTORY
OPERATED BY MESSRS EVANS
AND
PATTERSON,WHO PRISE AND SHIP THEIR
TABACCO.
THERE ARE TWO
CORN MILLS AND SAW MILLS
IN THE TOWNSHIP
ONE OWNED BY J C HEAD,
THE OTHER BY JAMES
BAGBY.THE LATTER IS
ALSO ENGAGED IN
SOME EXTENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF
FLOUR.
MR ROBERT SMITH
WHO OWNS A FINE FARM UPON
WHICH HE OPERATED
A TABACCO FACTORY HALF
A MILE EAST OF MT
AIRY,IS AN OLD SETTLER.
HE CAME TO
HUNTSVILLE IN 1837,WHERE HE
REMAINED SIX YEARS
THEN MOVED TO SILVER
CREEK.HE IS NOW 73
YEARS OLD AND HAS RAISED
A FAMILY OF SIX
CHILDREN,THREE BOYS AND
THREE GIRLS.IN 1842
HE BOUGHT THE COOLEY
FARM ONE MILE EAST
OF HUNTSVILLE,THE FARM
IS UNDERLAID BY A
FOUR FEET VEIN OF COAL.
MR JOHN OSBORN
HAS RESIDED IN THE COUNTY 50 YEARS
HAVING EMIGRATED
FROM ORANGE COUNTY VIRGINIA
IN 1835.HE IS NOW 67
YEARS OLD.HE PURCHASES DRY GOODS
AND OTHER FAMILY
SUPPLIES AT OLD CHARITON
IN CHARITON
COUNTY.ALLEN MAYO,DANIEL MCDAVITT,
AND WILLIAM
FERGUSON WERE MR OSBORNS EARLIEST
NEIGHBORS HAVING
PRECEDED HIM IN THE SETTLEMENT.
REV WM H
MANSFIELD (WEIGHED 300 POUNDS)
RESIDED ONE MILE
NORTH
EAST OF ROANOAKE
ON THE FARM OF 20 ACRES
WHICH HE SETTLED
IN 1831,AND WAS ONE OF THE
OLDEST MEN IN
SILVER CREEK TOWNSHIP AT THE TIME
OF HIS DEATH.HE
WAS BORN IN ORANGE COUNTY VIRGINIA
AND RESIDED IN THIS
COUNTY 50 YEARS.HE WAS MARRIED
IN 1814 IN VIRGINIA
TO MISS SALINA EDDINGS WHO
STILL SURVIVES AND
THEY HAVE 13 CHILDREN.MR
MANSFIELD WAS A
VETRAN OF THE WAR OF 1812
AND DREW THE
USUAL PENSION.HE TOOK A JUST PRIDE
IN HAVING
PARTICIPATED IN THE STIRRING EVENTS
OF THAT GREAT
NATIONAL DRAMA,IN WHICH HIS VALOR
AND PATRIOTISM
CONTRIBUTED TO WIN IMPERISHABLE
HONOUR FOR
AMERICANS AND VINDICATED OUR NATIONAL
MOTTO "FREE TRADE
AND SAILORS RIGHTS".HE NEVER
DEPARTED FROM THE
POLITICAL FAITH WHICH INSPIRED
HIS EARLY
MANHOOD,AND IN HIS OLD AGE HE ADHERED
WITH ANWAVERING
FIDELITY TO THE PRINCIPLES WHICH
IN HIS YOUTH HE
DREW HIS SWORD TO DEFEND.HE WAS
A DEVOTED
CHRISTIAN AND A MEMBER OF THE MISSIONARY
BAPTIST CHURCH
FOR NRARLY THREE QUARTERS OF A
CENTURY.HE WAS
ORDAINED A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL
IN 1832 AND FOR
MORE THAN 40 YEARS VALIANTLY CARRIED
THE BANNER OF THE
CROSS UNTIL INCREASING AGE COMPELLED
HIM TO ABANDON
THE ACTIVE DUTIES OF HIS MINISTRY.
WHEN UNDER A
CONSCIOUS CONVICTION THAT HIS APPOINTED
WORK WAS FINISHED
HE RETIRED TO THE SHADES OF A MORE
PRIVATE LIFE.BEING
SELDOM AWAY FROM HOME HE WAS
OFTEN CALLED UPON
TO PREFORM THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY,
AND WAS NOTED FOR
HIS CLEMENCY TOWARDS RUNAWAY
COUPLES WHOM HE
NEVER DECLINED TO UNITE UNLESS
PREVENTED BY A
LEGAL BARRIER.HE WAS REMARKABLE FOR HIS
SOCIALBILITY AND
HOSPITALITY AND ALWAYS GAVE HIS FRIENDS
A DINNER ON
CHRISTMAS DAY AND ON NEW YEARS DAY 1878
HE CELEBRATED HIS
GOLDEN WEDDING.
MRS SALINA
MANSFIELD HIS WIFE IS THE OLDEST LADY
IN THE
TOWNSHIP,SHE WAS BORN IN ORANGE COUNTY
VIRGINIA IN 1798 AND
IS NOW 86 YEARS OLD.SHE
IS MUCH BELOVED ON
ACCOUNT OF HER SOCIAL AND CHRISTIAN
VIRTUES,AND LIKE
HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN A ZEALOUS
CHRISTIAN AND
MEMBER OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH DURING
THEIR MARRIED
LIFE.SHE WAS A FEW YEARS AGO QUITE
ACTIVE RODE
HORSEBACK AND ATTENDED TO THE DOMESTIC
DUTIES OF THE
FAMILY. |