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Bedford B. Smith Family

submitted by S. Smith (before 2015)

Bedford B. Smith was the son of Thomas and Mildred (Atkins) SMITH. They had 12 children. Bedford was born 8/19/1808 in NC and died 9/9/1873 in Franklin Co., IL. He lived in Bledsoe Co. until about 1860. Information from Noel Smith states that Bedford B. Smith received Tenessee Land Grant No. 2249, 100 acres, on 18 September 1828. It was on Cumberland Mountain and on the headwaters of Daddy’s Creek. Daddy’s Creek is a branch of Emery’s River in the north part of Bledsoe County.

This Bible was handed down through a granddaughter of Bedford B. Smith, and daughter of Daniel Smith, Mrs. Hazel (Smith) McKenny, to her grandson Baxter B. Fite III, 2130 N. North Street, Peoria, Illinois 61604. Baxter has provided a photocopy of those pages containing family data. Sheila Smith Cadwalader, a great-great granddaughter of Jasper Smith, son of Bedford B. Smith, provided the typed transcription as shown below; that typed version includes the grammar and spelling as shown in the Bible. The layout as shown in this appendix varies in places from the original for purpose of display and conserving space.

Family Record

MARRIAGES

B B Smith & Elizabeth Teeter was married July the 23rd 1829-

James Smith & Sarah Ann Glenn was married Oct. the 29th 1851-

Addaline Smith & Wm Whittenburg was married July the 29th 1852-

Mary Smith & Peter Whittenburg was married Jan. the 27th 1853-

Thomas Smith & Martha Whittenburg was married July the 12th 1854-

William Smith & Marian Callahan was married March the 27th 1859-

Eliza Smith & Wm M Simmons was married April the 20th 1862-

Jasper Smith & Elender Haris was married November the 6th 1865-

Samuel Smith & Marthy J Ward was married the 1st of Aprile 1870-

Jacob Smith & Sarah E. Canada was married July the 29th 1864-

Daniel Smith & Parthny Love was married Dec the 28th 1871-

Bedford Smith & Carmelia Hargrove was married May the 7th 1874-

 

BIRTHS

Thomas Smith was Father of B. B. Smith was born Aprile the 25th 1779-

Mildred Smith Mother of B. B. Smith was born January the 23rd 1788-

B. B. Smith was born August the 19th 1808-

Elizabeth Smith was born Nov the 8th 1807-

Addaline Smith was born July the 7th 1830-

James Smith was born Sept the 22nd 1831-

Mary Smith was born May the 18th 1833-

Thomas Smith was born Oct. the 8th 1834-

William Smith was born July the 29th 1836-

Eliza Smith was born March 26th 1838-

John Smith was born Jan the 31st 1840-

Samuel Smith was born Sept the 17th 1841-

Marion Smith was born Dec the 13th 1843-

Jasper Smith was born April the 25th 1846-

Jacob Smith was born June the 5th 1849-

Bedford Smith was born Aprile the 13th 1851-

Daniel Smith was born Nov the 16th 1853-

 

DEATHS

John Smith Decd Aug. the 27th 1840

Mary Whittenburg Decd Aprile the 3rd 1858–

Marion Smith Decd Sept the 28th 1864

B. B. Smith died Sept the 9th 1873

Elizabeth Smith Decd Feb the 17th 1874

Samuel Smith Deceased January 25 1874

Thomas Smith was decd Jan 1st 1873

Eliza Simmons died Mar (?)

Thomas Smith Father of B. B. Smith Decd Nov the 5th 1850

Mildred Smith Mother of B. B. Decd August the 4th 1869

Parthina Smith Died June 5th 1890

Jasper Smith died June 2 1900

Jacob Smith died June the 3 1901

Ema Sumerss died June 8-1925

Dan Smith died Feb 16- 1931 ,p. Bedford Smith

Daniel Smith was Born Nov the 16 1853

Parthina Smith was born May 23 1853

Orphus T. Smith was born Sept 25 1872

Isabel Smith was bory July 1st 1875

Myrtle E. Smith was born Dec. 12 1877

J. M. Smith was Born June 5 1881

Wm B Smith was born Feb 26 1884

Daniel Smith was Born Nov the 16 1853

Parthina Smith was born May 23 1853

Orphus T. Smith was born Sept 25 1872

Isabel Smith was born July 1st 1875

Myrtle E. Smith was born Dec. 12 1877

Vick Family

Submitted by Bob [surname unidentified] (before 2015)

My g-g-grandfather, Elijah Vick came to Bledsoe County, Tn. in 1815. He and his wife Lucy Gay Vick were from Edgecombe County, NC. Elijah is mistakenly listed on the 1815 Tax List of Bledsoe as Elijah Wick. He is also listed in the 1830 census of Bledsoe County. In 1816 Lucy Gay Vick inherited some land in NC. from her father, Henry Gay, and Elijah and Lucy returned to Edgecombe County, NC., sold Lucy’s land to her sister and brother-in-law, the Mercers, and returned to Bledsoe. They lived somewhere near Robeson’s Crossroads between Pikeville and Dunlap on what is now U. S. highway 127.

Elijah and Lucy had five children, 1 boy and two girls were born in Bledsoe and 1 boy and 1 girl was born in NC. The only name of any of these children I have been able to find is that of my g-grandfather, Robert Vick [ 6 ]. He was born in NC, in 1810 but, after 1815 he lived the rest of his life in Bledsoe and Knox County, Tn. He married Minerva Nelson, I believe in Bledsoe, He is listed in all the censuses of Bledsoe from 1840 through 1870. In the 1860 census he is listed as mulatto. I don’t know whether this means he was part Indian or black. I know his grand father, Robert [ 4 ] of Greene County, NC. owned slaves and property in Edgecombe, Pitt and Glasgow Counties in NC.

Robert [ 6] had twelve children in Bledsoe:

Martha, b. ca. 1835, d. before 1850, I assume she is buried in Bledsoe but I have not been able to confirm any to the Vick deaths in Bledsoe.

Emeline, b 1837, she was living in Bledsoe in 1870, but I have some information she died and was buried in South Pittsburg, Tn.

John, b. 1839 in Bledsoe, d. before 1860 in Bledsoe,

James, b. April 1841, married Sarah Hickey in Knox County on April 5, 1865 when he returned from the Civil War. He fought on the Union side.

Edley, b. 1843, d. as a Union soldier in Flat Lick, Ky. hospital on April 23, 1862, he did not die of combat wounds, he died of measles,

Mary, b. 1846 in Bledsoe, d. after 1870, she never married, I assume she died and was buried in Bledsoe,

Rufus, my grandfather, b. 1848, he died on August 6, 1920 in Nashville, he married Susan Willis of Jackson County, Ala. on June 5, 1873, she died in Nashville on March 27, 1934, Ashley, b. ca. 1849, I have some information that he died in Jackson County, Ala. but I have not been able to confirm this or the date, I have some data that he was a blacksmith.

Virginia, b. ca. 1849-50, she was living in 1898, but I do not have any record of her marriage or death,

Robert Emmitt, b. July 26, 1858 in Bledsoe, married Elizabeth Childress of Washington County, Tn. on December 19, 1888, they lived in Tn., Tx., Ala, and they lived and died in Knox County, Tn.

Alex, b. 1858 in Bledsoe died in childhood, I assume in Bledsoe,

Asbury, b. August 1860, married Sarah ?, d. I believe in Birmingham, Ala., but I have not been able to confirm this, he was also a blacksmith.

Emmitt worked for the old Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad in South Pittsburg. He was a member and an officer of the Odd Fellows Lodge. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Knox County. Rufus worked for the old Nashville Tellico and Charleston Railroad shop in Nashville as a carpenter. He owned property in Nashville. James was what I would consider a hero in the Civil War. He fought in several battles the Battle of Rogersville, Tn.

Haskew, Gourley, Roberson, Hutcheson, Sartain, Fuqua Families

Submitted by Jodie H. Benson (before 2015)

William B. Haskew, b: May 12,1812 Knox County Tennessee, died: March 07,1882 Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tenn. Married: June 17,1831 Blount County,Tennessee.Telithia Gourley, b: November 25, 1809, Buncambe County, North Carolina. died: January, 1895 Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tenn. 9 Children born to William B. and Telithia Haskew.

Joseph Birdwell Haskew b.March 26,1831 Pikeville, Bledsoe County Tenn. died: June 14, 1864, Florida, In the Civil War. Married: Febuary 23, 1854

Mary Rebecca Roberson b: April 24,1834 Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tenn. died: January 31,1903 Dickens County, Texas

Daughter of James Roberson b: November 11,1784 Virginia died: July 31, 1852, Bledsoe County, Tenn. He had married: July 12, 1828 Sarah Hutcheson b: July 09, 1803 at Grainger County Tenn. Died: August 24, 1876 Bledsoe County, Tenn.

She was daughter of Oliver Perry Hutcheson.

James Roberson son of William Roberson b: November 07, 1759 Belford County, Virginia. Died: January 20,1816, Bledsoe County, Tenn. Married: in Virginia to Rhoda Sartain b: 1766 Virginia, Died:1837 Bledsoe County, Tenn.

William Roberson was the son of

James Roberson b: 1737, Virginia , Died: January 03, 1828, Bledsoe County Tenn. Married: 1756, Mary Fuqua b: 1740 Virginia, died: Bledsoe County, Tenn.

Her parents were Ralph and Prisculla Owens Fuqua of Henrico County, Virginia

Photo Album: Bledsoe County Houses of Worship

Wesley Chapel Methodist Church, Built About 1946

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Source: Bledsoe County Pictorial History II flyer

Photo Album: Families and Individuals

Whittenburg Family

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This photo is of Peter and Launa Whittenburg and some of their children. They had eleven. The two sons in this photo are Bascom and Frank, the youngest girl is Rosa, not sure which daughter the other is. // Submitted by Mary Jo Parker

2002 Multi-Family Reunion in Grandview Community

The notice below announces a 2002 reunion of multiple families at the “Old Grandview School.”  Surnames included the following:

Smith – James – Dinkens – Jolly – Garrison – Reed – Ford – Loden – Brewer – Edwards – Monday – Morris

“and any family that is related to any of these names.”

Bledsoe County’s Beginnings

from Elizabeth Robnett, Bledsoe County Historian

The first settlers moved into the Sequatchie Valley around 1805, soon after the first treaty was signed with the native people. The valley was, at that time, mostly part of Roane County.  Some of the early settlers bore the surnames Wilson, Oxsheer, Tollett, Standefer, Griffith, and Anderson. Louise Maxwell Anderson is believed to be the first white child born in Sequatchie Valley in September, 1806.

The oldest county in the Sequatchie Valley, Bledsoe was named for a member of the prominent Bledsoe family of Sumner County. The most likely candidate for this honor is Anthony Bledsoe, a practical surveyor and Revolutionary war patriot.

Bledsoe became a county in 1807, during James Sevier’s last term as Governor. James Standefer and John Tollett were appointed in 1811 to select a place for the county seat. Alexander Coulter donated forty acres “to erect the town of Madison.”

Much of the land acquired by early settlers was a result of laws passed by the Tennessee State Legislature 1806-1809, which allowed a settler to claim the land he was living on as well as other unclaimed lands. Some of these early claimants in Bledsoe County were John Billingsley, John Hankins, and John Narramore.

Sometime between 1816 and 1818, the county seat was moved to Pikeville.

Bledsoe County was and is comprised of many small communities often bearing the name of a church, store, or post office. These are very often family names.

In 1832, Matthew Rhea listed four place names on his map: Pikeville, Big Springs, Madison and Rainey.

In 1836, by an act of the Tennessee State Assembly, Bledsoe County was divided into 10 Civil Districts. The gentlemen responsible for the districting were Isaac Stephens, Samuel McReynolds and Samuel L. Story.

In 1856, the northern part of Bledsoe County became part of Cumberland County; in 1858, portions of southern Bledsoe County were given up to form Sequatchie County.

Important Dates – Chronology of Early Bledsoe County

from Elizabeth Robnett, Bledsoe County Historian

Date Event
1795 John McClellan and Charles McClung explore the northern part of Sequatchie Valley.
1796 Tennessee becomes the 16th state
1801 Roane County, which contained most of Bledsoe, is created.
1805 Cherokee Nation surrenders claims to the area that is now Bledsoe County
1807 Bledsoe County established
1811 Madison becomes the county seat
1812 War of 1812
1816 Town of Pikeville established; county seat relocated
1821 First Bledsoe Courthouse
1830 Pikeville incorporated as a town
1838 Trail of Tears crossed Bledsoe County about 5 miles south of Pikeville
1856 1st, 2nd, and 3rd civil districts taken from Bledsoe County to become part of Cumberland County
1857 10th Civil District taken from Bledsoe to become part of Sequatchie County
1861 – 1865 Civil War. Tennessee secedes from the Union, and joins the Confederate States of America
1866 Tennessee re-admitted to the Union
1891 Pikeville-Banner begins publication
1909 Courthouse fire destroys some records

R. E. Winsett Historical Marker in Pikeville

The historical marker of R.E. Winsett, gospel music producer and hymnodist, is part of the Tennessee Music Pathways.

Winsett composed many sacred songs, including his most well-known, Jesus Is Coming Soon, which was recorded by several artists, including the Oak Ridge Boys. Born in 1876, Winsett began writing hymns when he was only seven years old. His 1908 collection of hymns, Songs of Pentecostal Power, became his first widely-distributed hymnal. His songs became one of the cornerstones of Southern sacred music. His Best of All hymnal is considered one of the top-selling hymnals of all time.

The marker is located at 3095 Main St, Pikeville, TN 37367.

Source: https://www.tnvacation.com/point-of-interest/re-winsett-pathway-marker

Sequachee Valley News (historic newspaper)

Available issues of this regional newspaper, published in Marion County from 1896-1952, are available free for viewing and searching at the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America Web site.

Click here to view the images.

Thomas H. Hill established the Sequachee News in 1893. Hill and his son, William C., published and edited the paper until the former’s death in 1915. William continued as publisher and editor until his death in 1952. Reportedly, the News did not miss a single issue in its six decades of continuous publication.

The News was published in Sequatchie, Marion County. In July 1896, the name was changed to the Sequachee Valley News to reflect its service to the surrounding valley. The paper was temporarily published from Whitwell, Tennessee, in spring 1897, then from South Pittsburg in late 1898, before returning to Sequatchie for the remainder of its time. In South Pittsburg, the News merged with the South Pittsburg Banner. The Banner’seditor, Charles B. Woodfin, continued to edit the South Pittsburg section for the News.

The primary focus of the paper was local news, interspersed with ‘news'(advertisements) from local businesses. The News printed dispatches from correspondents in towns and small communities throughout the county including Sequatchie, Whitwell, Jasper, South Pittsburg, and Victoria. These reports were often signed with unusual noms de plume such as Wide-Awake, Bluebell, A Little Bird, and Granny Bearwich. Occasionally reports were sent from towns further afield, apparently from Sequatchie residents who had moved away from the area. In the late 1890s, the paper temporarily expanded to six pages, with the front page devoted to poetry and serialized fiction but returned to the four-page format shortly after.

The News did not declare allegiance to any particular political party, but it did print announcements of meetings and conventions for both Democratic and Republican parties. While the News did not explicitly support one party, it carried advertisements urging readers to subscribe to (or combine subscriptions with) other strongly Democratic newspapers such as the Nashville American, the Louisville [Kentucky] Courier-Journal, and the St Louis World. The News’editors occasionally made brief statements in support of temperance, but otherwise the paper was predominantly apolitical with an apparently neutral voice. However, in 1899, the News showed its support for the Regents of the White Shield (R.W.S.), an organization which promoted white supremacy in the South. In the two weeks prior to the July 4th holiday, the News ran a half-page advertisement on its front page for the R.W.S. Independence Day picnic in Sequachee. The week after the picnic, the front page declared the event had been an outstanding success. The guest speaker, Major William H. Hunter of Birmingham, Alabama, Supreme Recorder of the Order, had been introduced to the crowd by presiding officer, Thomas H. Hill, publisher and editor of the News. Hill published the virulently racist speech in full on the front page and later, in August, again in a two-page special R.W.S. supplement.

Confusion over the various spellings of the town’s name was addressed in the October 26, 1899 issue of the News. Under the heading, “Sequachee, Sequatchie, Sequaw-chee,” the editors offered a lengthy explanation of the name’s origins and concluded, “[…] as long as the News has any respect for itself or its convictions, it will spell the name of its town Sequachee, and in no other way […].”

The Sequachee Valley News ceased publication after William C. Hill’s death in 1952.

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