Scott County, Tennessee
FNB Chronicles

This page was created 06 Sep 2008

ISAAC "Ike" KING was born in 1887 to KIRBY and NANCY ELLEN (HATFIELD) KING at Station Camp Creek. As a young boy he was only able to acquire a limited formal education.

In those days school was held only four months of the year. There was a 5 to 10 mile walk to the log cabin school. IKE was a determined young man and realized there was a future by educating children no matter how poor. He went to summer school and was State Certified at an early age. He started his teaching in 1904. At that time all school grades were combined in one-room log cabins. There were few books and supplies consisted of pencils and rough paper. Teachers had a piece of slate and some chalk for teaching purposes. The children were eager to learn and responded to their teacher "Ike" with love and respect.

Those were the days before modern roads or tools. Wood fuel was obtained by ax and saw. Roads were wagon or mule trails and there were many creeks to cross. Despite rain, sleet or snow, children walked to school. There was little recreation and all family members from an early age had chores to perform — this was necessary since they raised their own food.

In the early 1900s, IKE and HATTIE settled on Station Camp on the Big South Fork River. He bought a grocery store from CAL and DORA SMITH. The store was also used as the post office. Nearby was the New Zion Church. It was also used as the school and voting place.

Teacher KING realized they needed some law and order since the community was 12 miles from Oneida. He circulated a petition for Justice of the Peace for the community. It required 200 signatures to file a petition at Huntsville — with some 300 adults being served at the Post Office he was elected to the post of Justice of the Peace and Notary. Ike also served as land agent for the Stearns Coal and Lumber Co. of Stearns, Ky. for a number of years IKE was a teacher, Elva Postmaster, Notary, land agent and Justice of the Peace.

Mr. and Mrs. KING were quick to help their neighbors and it was not unusual for them to walk from 8 to 12 miles to help where there was typhoid or scarlet fever, small pox or other sickness.

HATTIE was orphaned at an early age and was raised by the KING family, IKE and HATTIE fell in love and married. They had 12 children, but four died in infancy. The eight other children all completed the eighth grade. HATTIE KING love [loved?] all children and their home was filled with laughter, shouts and the usual sounds of children.

Mrs. KING lived a simple and happy laugh. Her husband and her children were her world and she was proudly religious until her death in 1968. IKE (who died in 1957), HATTIE, son EDD, granddaughter DeLETTA and grandson JOHNNY BILLINGS are buried in the Coffey Cemetery in Oneida.

Surviving children of IKE and HATTIE KING are: ETHEL WILHITE, Oneida; GENEVIANG [Genevia?] BILLINGS, Oneida; JOYCE BURKE, Oneida; CORENE WHITE, Clinton Indiana; and MARTHA HANIZER, Clinton, Indiana.

FNB Chronicle, Vol. 5, No. 1 – Fall 1993
First National Bank
P.O. Box 4699
Oneida, TN 37841
(p12)

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