Ludie Ethel Arwood Van Huss~ Buried in Monte Vista Cemetery, TN

Ludie Ethel Arwood "Arrowood" Van Huss. Daughter of

William Grant Morgan Arrowood and Nina Texa Griffith.

William was the son of Samuel Arrowood and Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood.

If you are related to this branch of the Arwood/ Arrowood family I would love to hear from you!

Please leave me a message with your email address and I will respond.

Searching for the final resting place of William Morgan Arrowood "Arwood".

****************

Winters Resting Grounds ~Old Ellis Cemetery

John Winters, brother to Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood.

Family legend states that she was very close with John and loved him very much.

Rest in Peace, dear Uncle.

******



Service at Mt. Olivet ~ A Step back in time

Those that remember and love Mt. Olivet,  gather faithfully each year for the annual service.

The descendants of those buried here still gather and will never forget.

They have established a committee and fund drive to keep the tiny church in good condition and maintained.

The cemetery has its own fund and is well taken care of, thanks to those that care.

God Bless each and every one of you!

The modest altar inside the church.

The view from the cemetery ~

The stone in fhe foreground on the left is Welzia A. Arrowood's, the next stone in the middle, is Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood Miller's, and the one on the right, is Isabell Correll Arrowood's, wife of Welzia.

The stacked stone foundation columns have been replaced with brick ones, after a windy storm knocked the tiny church off its foundation.

Mount Olivet United Methodist Church Invitation~ 2012

This tiny church has an annual worship service and it is so charming!

In the cemetery directly behind this church, rests Welzia Augustus Arrowood. Alongside Welzia, his wife, Isabell Correll Arrowood.

Welzia's mother, Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood Miller also rests here.

Please join in and help keep this tiny church (and our history) from falling into ruin from neglect!

*****

 

Theodore and Reecie Arrowood ~ Rest in Peace

Theodore Roosevelt Arrowood

Son of Samuel Augustus Arrowood, Jr. and Annie "Eller D" Griffith Arrowood.

Grandson of Samuel Augustus Arrowood and Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood.

Great Grandson of William "Billy" Winters and Eliza Shell Winters buried at Morgan Branch Church Cemetery on Shell Creek, Carter County, Tennessee.

Theodore married Reecie Tipton and they are buried at Maple Lawn Cemetery in Washington County, Tennessee.

May They Rest In Peace ~

They lived their lives well.

"Safe in the arms of Jesus"

~

In Search of Richlands, Buffalo Cove~

Up where the air smells sweetly of pine trees, and the red-tailed hawks soar overhead, 

 there lies the bones of an old man.

Not just any old man,  but the bones of my fourth great grandfather.

The grandfather of the Seven Devils. John James Winters.

He has been there over 130 years waiting patiently for me, or so I'd  like to imagine. He lies on a bluff, over looking a ‘holler’ deep in the forest of Richlands.

The brambles are thick and the briars are plentiful,  but the trek was a wonderful one. I was overjoyed.

We set out to find him and after many turns and down many paths and "hollers" ,  we were led straight to his final resting place. That was a moment that was right up there,  with the best of moments,  for me.

Another golden one, folks.  Big Grin.

His original head stone and foot stone remain, deteriorating with time, but standing, still. The newer marker was placed by descendants that came seeking him before me. I am thankful for them. Those kindred souls that search for the bones of our ancestors, paving the way for the rest of us. Bone seekers. I guess that is what we are called. And rightly so.

I placed my hand on the stone, warmed by dappled sunlight that filtered down through the trees with no leaves. I touched the stone and said, hello, I have come to finally find you. I touched the old stone that was once touched by the person who placed it there, with love, hewn into shape from a rock, and that brought tears to my eyes.

The winter dried leaves crunched under my feet and made a dense carpet all around the bluff.

There were patches of soft earth exposed between the leaves and footprints of deer were everywhere. There were areas of scratched up earth  in the leaves,  that I was told were left by foraging wild turkeys, which are plentiful still, in this area. The red tail hawk followed us into the dense forest  and circled overhead in greeting. The sky was clear and blue and the sun was bright, making the moment magical.

Here he lies in a most beautiful area. I feel sure that he is in good hands. The present owner of the property is aware and respectful of our John James. He intends his rest to be undisturbed, there at his old home place of Richlands.

There is a babbling brook that tumbles and meanders along its path, just beneath the bluff where John James Winters slumbers. It dances around until it reaches the Yadkin River. The vistas of this area are simply beautiful. Mountains hold a certain magic for me, always have. It’s in my blood. My Winters blood, no doubt.

I peered off the bluff, down to the stream flowing below and tried to imagine his home with smoke curling up and out of sight, from the chimney. I knew why he chose to live his life here on this land. It was wonderful there. The wildlife plentiful, fresh water close by, and a view that stretched on and on. What more could someone ask for?

John James Winters was a Prisoner of War during the War of 1812.
He was the father of William "Billy" Winters of Carter County, Tennessee.

I felt like I had come home, once again.

He was the Grandfather of Sarah Ellen. I wondered if she returned here to attend his burial. Was there a ceremony of sorts or was it just family, placing their dead in the ground with due respect?

Who was this man and what was he really like? I stood there and wished for enough time to have talked with him, asked him questions. That was not to be. Time, a century plus, separated us. But blood and family brought us together, once again.   I am proud to be his descendant.

*************

~~~~~~

Winters ~ Taylor's Chapel Cemetery, Buck Mountain, Avery County, NC

If you find that your heart needs a good dose of 'Christmas Spirit', just drive on up to the mountains and stand on a high knoll and breathe in very deeply, these days. They are cutting our North Carolina fir trees down and they are heading to the Christmas tree lots scattered about everywhere. The smell will fill your heart with 'mistletoe and holly' and you will be good to go. I sure was. Grin.

We made our way up to Avery County,  and every mile was building up more excitement in my heart.

Captivated by what I may find, I could hardly wait!

We located a tiny white chapel, located on what is called Buck Mountain.  It is sitting in a beautiful spot, banked by a stand of trees, alongside the ridge. There is an area surrounding Buck Mountain that is filled with fields of Christmas trees, as far as you can see.

The only sounds were the chirping of an occasional bird, and the sound of a far off chain saw as the tree cutters began their chore. The smell wafting up into that tiny church yard was unmistakable Christmas!

I wish I could place a scratch and sniff patch, right here for you to smell. Grin.

What were we doing up in Avery County, NC at a tiny church called Taylor's  Chapel?

Why we had come to visit our relatives, of course.

Almost all of those buried here, tie into our family tree somehow.

Buried here is Mary Jane Winters. She is the sister of our Sarah Ellen "Ellender" Winters, (older sister, by about two years). She married Andrew Jackson Franklin. Andrew was born in Watauga County, NC.

 I located Mary Jane's death record and she is buried here, but apparently, she has no marker standing. There are rows of field stones and square plain rock markers here in this tiny cemetery, centrally located,  and I feel sure one of those stones is hers. She is here, but her stone is lost in time.

Mary Jane and Andrew Franklin had eleven children, that I have found so far.

One son, Andrew Jackson Franklin, Jr., born fifth child of the eleven, on October 11, 1869, married a Mary Jane Potter in 1888 in Carter County, TN. That is where Roan Mountain is located, just over the line from Avery County, NC.

Andrew and Mary Jane went out west and settled in Utah.  Andrew began working in the coal mines and this is where his story sadly ends.

 Andrew Jackson Franklin was killed in an explosion of Winter Quarter #4, a coal mine, at Scofield, Utah on May 5, 1900.

This was a terrible blow, a calamity beyond all compare out on the frontier.

The survivors had no support , no insurance, no governmental assistance to help them,  at that time.

Widows were left  to raise large families and to somehow fend for themselves. Each deceased miner received a new suit of clothes (if he was intact) and a coffin.

Also each poor miner received a roughed out "R. I. P." style, wooden headstone with his name written in pencil.

Apparently over half the names on these makeshift markers were misspelled.

Each widow received $500.00 from the mine. Imagine the grief that was endured during that bleak moment in time.

Only four weeks later, the mine reopened,  with a fresh crew of miners.

Almost like nothing had happened at all.

Left behind was Andrew's widow, age 31, with six children all under the age of ten, with another son on the way. She must have been about five months pregnant with the last child.

Imagine how difficult a time she must have had.

One baby child died at birth, baby Alphonso. He is buried alongside his parents in Utah.

 

Here at Taylor's Chapel are Andrew's brothers and sisters:

Children of Mary Jane Winters and Andrew Franklin:

 

Elizabeth Franklin Turbyfill

Columburn F. "Lum" Franklin

Ella C. Franklin Turbyfill

Their other children, burial locations not yet located:

Louisa Franklin , Sarah Franklin

James T. Franklin, Carolina Franklin

John Edward Franklin and Malinda Franklin.

 

Also buried here are at least 27 Winters descendants. They are mostly the descendants of LuSynthia Winters, sister to our William "Billy Winters. She was the Aunt of Sarah Ellen Winters. Her eldest took the last name of Winters for some reason, so his descendants all have that last name. She remarried after being widowed and the rest of her children were Hicks.

It is truly a beautiful final resting place for our relatives,  here on Buck Mountain in Avery County, North Carolina.

*********

Winters Family ~ Elk Park, Avery County, North Carolina

I have been searching again for family, digging ever deeper for info on our Winters family.
I never stop, really. It would be like casting aside a good book that you just must know the ending of.

 Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood Miller's brothers and sisters lived in the area around Elk Park and the small community of Cranberry, in Avery County. Avery County is just several miles or so from Roan Mountain Tennessee.

We made our way up the highway, heading back to the mountains and heading 'toward home' for me. I was excited beyond words, once again. I guess you already had guessed that, my faithful reader. This stuff gets me going.  The excitement and the possibility of finding what I seek are overwhelming.

 I had info that there was a Winters family cemetery in the area of Elk Park and I was determined to find it.
And find it , we did!

In the town area of Elk Park , now, it's really small folks, we found an old fashioned type hardware store. We ventured in,  and asked people we met about the location of a cemetery called 'Banner Cemetery'.

We have relatives buried in Banner, as well.

One man stopped and chatted when I asked him about the cemetery. He told me that it was just up the road on the right, surrounded by a white fence. I looked up, and sure enough there it was. In plain sight. He asked who I was looking for and I said the Winters family. He smiled and said, you know what? I bet we are cousins. And we are. His mother was a Winters and he said..Yep, The "Seven Devils" Winter family! Shaking his head with agreement, we both had heard all the stories about the Seven Devils.

It was one of those moments when you have to try and talk around a good sized lump in your throat and your eyes tear up to overfilled, even if you try hard not to. Dad would have been overjoyed with shaking this man's hand, but I was the one there to do it instead. He smiled and said, "Hello there, cousin"! He knew that his line traced back to William 'Billy' Winters, our ancestor , as well, buried right up the road alongside of Shell creek on Roan Mountain. I knew then, that we were for sure, cousins.

He told me a tale about a William Zebedee "Zeb" Winters, who was the constable (Sheriff) there in Elk Park. He said he was ambushed and killed in the line of duty and after a quick search, sure enough I found him!  Zeb was the son of John Winters and Lana (Mary) Cook Winters.

William  "Zeb" Winters. Died in 1922 from what I can tell. He left behind three children and a young wife, Charlotte Abigail Hollis Winters (his third wife).  He is buried in the small cemetery up on the knoll overlooking the town of Elk Park.

Zeb, as the story goes,  was on his way to investigate a murder and was killed while going to the scene. 

***UPDATE*** 4/26/2012***

The guilty parties were  prosecuted, at least someone paid for the crime. Apparently two Oaks brothers were involved in the plot. Charlie and George Oaks. George was apparently the trigger man, but his single brother Charlie took the blame.  Charlie apparently spent fourteen years behind bars for the killing. 

Zeb Winters has a memorial page on a 'Fallen Police Officer' site, but there is no mention of the guilty ever serving prison time.  I spoke with someone that knew the circumstances and he assures that Charlie went to prison for the crime.  He even saw him when he returned home.

May poor Zebedee rest in peace ~  This story only gets more interesting, and it reads like a movie plot for sure. More info soon!
This Buchanan cousin, that we happened upon in town and spoke with, initially, came down the line from John H. Winters, (one of the Devils) and brother to our Sarah Ellen.

There along a knoll overlooking Christmas tree farms on the mountainside nearby, rests our Winters clan.
 
As I often do when I find myself in these old burying grounds, my mind wandered back in time to a scene that had to have happened, when someone was buried up this steep slope. A horse and carriage no doubt brought the person up, and what kept the poor mourners from tumbling down the mountain I will never know.

I had to watch my step carefully, as I took pictures, the hillside was such a steep grade. Amazing.

The descendant that we met, told us that his mother, Virginia, still lives in the old home place in Elk Park. We found the road and took a picture of the sign, of course.

Virginia is 99 years young. I know with her passing , sadly we will lose more family info. It is just the way of things. I would love to have her stories, to document and preserve.


Our family's history is steeped into this area along the NC / TN line. Just up the road is Carter County, TN and about 8 miles from Elk Park is Roan Mountain, where the mother and father of the Seven Devils are both buried. William "Billy" Winters and Eliza Shell Winters. What a brood they had!

This family of ours had it tough. The many graves of their children attest to that. I see them intermingled in the cemeteries, young lives cut short because of the hard way of life. I feel proud when I think of how they must have struggled to survive in those harsh winters, but they did survive. They were sturdy people, strong willed, too, no doubt . That makes me very proud to be a descendant. I know some of that determination and drive was passed down to me. Just ask my sweetie about my stubborn streak...Grin.

Finding the final resting place of our kin has become so important to me and I have wondered about it, myself  at times.

What makes this quest so consuming? Why is it so important to me?

What is this about, really,  and where does it come from exactly?

Is it the search and the just knowing, along with placing them among the rest of the family in their rightful place? Yes, partly.

It is documenting the information for those that are yet to come, too.

Many markers are endangered and won't be there forever.

There is a ton of reasons, I guess, but the main one is just because I love this so, and feel like it is what I am supposed to be doing.

I am over the moon when I find more info and another search in the making. I am carrying out my Dad's wish. I am going back to the beginnings of me, the beginnings of all of us in our family. I feel so connected to those that have gone before me and I feel closer to the mountains than I ever have.

Documenting it here for others to find is another way of preserving our heritage.

What I can't accurately describe here is the way I really felt while I standing on the knoll, overlooking the mountains and knowing that my family lies here, in hallowed ground.

No wonder we, as a family,  all love being in the mountains.

It is in our blood.
It is who we are.
It has been a part of our family, for generations.
It is our home , plain and simple.

*****

In Search of Seven Devils and the Winters Family Cemetery

Thinking Thursday ~ Billy Winters ~ the Fist Fightin' Man

Well, folks,  you do know what a 'storyteller' is, don't you?

It's a person that has a good memory, who hopes other people don't.*

*************************

I found some interesting stories about our ancestor. Whether or not they are true, now I can't rightly say. But you have to hear them, don't you? I think all stories passed down through the generations have to have at least one grain of truth, or else they are just plain entertaining and that is why they are retold.

There has to be a good reason for the retelling of all stories, after all.


You can deduce and come to your own conclusions. I want to believe that all of our ancestors were good, kind, and noble people . Never did a thing wrong in all their lives.

But,  what are you to think when juicy stories abound? Grin.

Dad had heard about the 'Seven Devils' and he was the first to mention it to me. That started me looking and the looking led to the finding. I found a tidbit here and a smidge there. Putting them down in one place seems fitting for the generations yet to come.  Afterall, that is my main reason for being here, folks.

*********************************

William "Billy"  N. Winters was born on Canoe Creek, Burke County, North Carolina, about the year 1819. He was the oldest of nine children born to John and Nancy Daniels Winters. William was married to Eliza Shell, daughter of Daniel Shell. about 1836-1837 Eliza's mother was a Miller. They lived in the Shell Creek area of Carter County Tennessee where they raised a total of fourteen siblings; seven girls and seven boys. (Father of our Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood)


William, and Eliza, have the distinction of being the parents of the famous, 'Seven Devils', the Winters brothers. I'm not sure that their notoriety as being labled Seven Devil's is a true reflection of their character. I would prefer to think of them as hard working men who couldn't be pushed around. I have heard all kinds of stories about their meanness, whether true or not, I can't say. I do know that at least one of them was killed by a man, Alfred Briggs, who hit him over the head with a shovel. One of them who's name was Nathaniel, and was known as blind Nat Winters, died as the result of being runover by a train, severing his head from his body. Carrick Nelson went blind but died a natural death.

One lady, a relative, I met while living in Canton, Ohio, told me a couple stories about William N. Winters that was somewhat amusing. It seems that William loved to engage in a good fist fight. She told of William while standing talking to a group of men in the town of Elk Park, N.C., and on one occasion, he suddenly looked at his watch, and looking somewhat exasperated, said," I'm due for a fist fight in Fields of Toe in seven minutes" and he broke into a dead run heading for the place of engagement. The place where the fight was supposed to take place was about six miles distance away.

She then related this story to me. She said, Eliza asked William to go out back and bring her in some wood for her cook stove. William very dutifully arose, and went out the back door. The problem was, William was gone four years before he returned, with the wood. He came back through the same door he had left through with a arm load of wood and said to Eliza, "Here honey, is your wood".

No one ever knew where he had been all that time he was gone.

Many stories are around about how tough the Seven Devils were, some about how mean.

I like to think they weren't so much mean as determined not to be pushed around. One son was killed by Alfred Briggs, who hit him over the head with a shovel.

One son, Nathaniel, was blind, known as 'Blind Nat Winters'.
He was ran over by a train, reportedly the accident severed his head.

Sadly, Carrick Winters went blind as well ,  but he died of natural causes.

*******************************************

Wouldn't you just love the opportunity, to sit and  talk to Sarah Ellender
and hear what she has to say about her Dad and her brothers??

Honeycutt Connection ~ Big Crabtree~ Estatoe

I have been searching recently for Mariah Elizabeth Arrowood Honeycutt.
She was the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood .

My generation's Great Grand Aunt. She was closest the sibling, in age, to our Welzia;  a slightly older sister. The census records through the years, show her name as 'Mary Elizabeth', 'Mariah', 'Maria', and simply as 'Eliza'. Even as "Miriar". So the search is not made easy, with all those differences in names.

I found her marriage record to Joseph P. Honeycutt. They were married on October 21, 1877, in Mitchell County, North Carolina. Joseph was the son of Moses "Mosie" Honeycutt and Susannah "Sukie" Tipton.

Yes, the same Tipton family that our Correll family married into, the ones that first settled up in Cades Cove, Tennessee. Not too far from Happy Valley in Blount County.


Joseph and Mariah had at least seven kids that I have found records for.


Aaron Honeycutt , their son, was born July 31, 1880 and was a preacher man. He is buried at Big Crabtree Church Cemetery that I visited up in Estatoe. At the time, I did not know he was kin! I am just amazed at the path this search takes me on..I stood at his grave and took the picture of his headstone and remarked that 'those Honeycutt's married in, you know', grin.   I will go back and pay proper respects one day soon. Not even realizing, when I was there,  that he was my first cousin, twice removed!

Mariah and Joseph are found on the 1900 Census record, living in Harrell's Township, Mitchell County with six children , ranging from age 12 to age 1 year.

They had children: Susan, Aaron, Nathaniel, Russell, Lydia, Naomey, and Joseph.

Aaron's death record indicates:

Name: Aaron Honeycutt


Gender: Male


Age: 79


Birth Date: 31 Jul 1880


Birth Place: North Carolina, United States


Death Date: 3 Jan 1960


Death Location: Spruce Pine, NC Rt #2, Mitchell


Spouse's Name: Nancy Tolley


Father's name: Joe Honeycutt


Mother's name:   Miriar Arrowood

Aaron's death certificate states he was not seen by a doctor, but was believed to have been suffering from cancer.



It also states that he was a 'non-believer' in medical science, right on the death certificate, something I have never seen before .  May you rest in peace, cousin Aaron.

Morgan Branch Church Cemetery ~ Shell Creek

Nestled in the colorful hills of Tennessee rests a country church with it's departed souls resting nearby, in a beautiful setting.

Resting here along a rolling ridge, are Daniel Shell and Polly Miller Shell, who were pioneers to this area. The creek that runs nearby is called Shell Creek, after Daniel.

Many of this couple's descendants are also buried here.

Daniel and Polly were my fourth Great Grandparents.

They were the parents of Elizabeth "Eliza" Shell Winters.
Eliza Shell Winters and her husband William "Bill" Winters are buried near to Daniel and Polly Miller Shell.

Laura Shell Richardson, a descendant, donated the land for this cemetery, many years ago.

Eliza Shell Winters and William Winters were the parents of the Seven Devils and the Seven Angels. Seven sons and seven daughters.

One of the daughters was Sarah Ellen "Ellender" Winters Arrowood Miller.

Sarah Ellender married Samuel A. Arrowood . They were my 2nd Great Grandparents.

'Seven Devils' In The Tree

Located centrally, between Boone, Blowing Rock, Sugar Mountain, Banner Elk, and Beech Mountain, there is a town called Seven Devils, North Carolina.

Boasting an elevation of 5,200 feet, the town of Seven Devils was founded in 1775. The lower end of the mountain was used to farm everything from cabbage to tobacco and the upper end was used for raising cattle. Hanging Rock, Four Diamond Ridge and Hawksbill Rock were the highest peaks in the area.

Seven men on horseback braved an old wagon trail and observed these peaks one fortunate day in 1964. The four Reynolds brothers; Buck, Frank, Dan, and Herb, Ray Smith, George Hampton, and Gardner Gidley saw this magnificent mountain as something that should be shared by many. The L.A. Reynolds Industrial District of Winston-Salem, NC formed the Seven Devils Ski Resort in the town, in 1965.

Have you ever heard the story about an old man on the mountain who had seven sons "as mean as the devil"? People were heard commenting, that in the winter, the mountain was "as cold as the devils" or "as windy as the devil".

There is a repeated appearance of the number seven, including the seven predominant rocky peaks surrounding Valley Creek, as well as the many coincidental references to "devils".

Well, naturally these “devils” figure in to our tree…grin.

William Winters, born about 1767, in Ireland, most likely, married Miss Mary Balew on September 30, 1795 in North Carolina.
They had a son named John James Winters , born about 1795 in Burke County, North Carolina.
John James Winters married Nancy Daniels on March 13, 1814 in Burke County, North Carolina.

John James and Nancy Winters had five children.
One of these children was William “Billy” N. Winters.
William “Billy” Winters married Elizabeth "Liza" Shell in 1837.

Boy, did they have some kids.
Seven boys and seven girls.


One of the seven girls was our Sarah Ellen “Ellender” Winters Arrowood, wife of Samuel.

Children of William and Liza Shell Winters:

Mary Jane Winters, Born 1838
Sarah Ellen Winters, Born May 1840
John H. Winters, Born 1843
William "Billy" Winters, Jr., Born 1844
Malinda Winters, Born 1845
Albert Tipton Winters, Born 1847
Martin W. Winters, Born 1854
Carrick W. N. Winters, Born 1855
Elizabeth Harriet Winters, Born February 10, 1855
Charlotte "Lottie" Elizabeth Winters, Born 1856
Martha A. Winters, Born March 1858
Charles Winters, Born 1860
Nathaniel Winters
Daniel Wilbur Winters, Born 1844




The old story went that there were "seven blue eyed boys and seven green eyed girls". Some family members said the girls were dark eyed. I think the eye color of the girls was just a matter of perception.

Note (The eye color of the male grandchildren was said to be as blue as the sky.)

"There were seven devils and seven angels".

It was commonly believed in those days that all of the boys were devils and the girls were all angels.



Dan Winters reviewed the character of the members of the family and reached the decision that two of the boys were of general good character, and two of the girl were "mean as devils", therefore he listed two of the girls as 'devils'. One of the girls changed her ways after the days of her marriage. She was Malinda, married to William Hobson. William was a good man and apparently he had a good effect on Malinda. Elizabeth was tough to the end, she left her first husband and children to marry her second husband. She made his life difficult to the very end.

Dan Winters can remember the old time Winters mentioning that there were two girls named Mary, the Winters family. One girl grew up and married and raised children, the second, which we have assigned the name of "Mary Nancy" to determine her from Mary Jane. Mary Nancy was listed on the 1840 census and was not listed on the 1850 census, she died before the age of 12. She is buried in the same cemetery as her father at his feet and to his left.

Daniel Wilbur Winters was generally a good man, he had one child out of wedlock but beyond this, he was a good man. Albert Winters was generally a good man. He got his reputation because of his ability to fight. In the 'tough man' contest that they held during the summers, Albert won the event 15 years running. He could defeat most or all of the men of his day in a fist fight, thus the misconception that he was one of the "Devils". Understand, he was a tough customer, in those days anyone who lived in this area was tough, and they had to be.

The Devil List ~

John H. Winters. (The Second Meanest of the Group)
Malinda Winters (She became a Reformed Devil, in her later years and turned good.)
Martin Winters (The Meanest of the Group)
William H. Winters (Fair to Middlin’ Mean)
Carrick Nelson Winters (Loved Mischief)
Nathaniel Winters (Middlin’ To Mean)
Elizabeth Harriet Winters (One Tough Customer)


The Angels list ~

Mary Jane Winters (Good Woman)
Mary Nancy Winters (died as a child before 1850)
Sarah Ellen Winters (Good Woman)
Daniel Wilbur Winters (Good man, died young)
Albert Tiption Winters (Good man, lived to a good old age, married the daughter of a Baptist preacher)
Martha Winters (Good Woman)
Charlotte Winters (Good Woman)

John H. Winters is buried in the Ellis Cemetery in Elk Park, North Carolina.
Daniel Wilbur Winters is buried in the Richardson Cemetery on Morgan Branch.
Albert Tiption Winters is buried in the Albert Winters Cemetery at the top of Little Elk Road in Elk Park, North Carolina.
Martin Winters is buried in the Richard Donnely Cemetery on Highway 91 North in Mountain City, Johnson County, Tennessee. (He has no marker for his grave.)
William H. Winters is buried in the Owens Cemetery, on Deer Run road, off Highway 91 North.
Carrick Nelson Winters is buried at his cemetery at the end of the Claude Jones Lane on Little Elk Road in Elk Park, North Carolina.
Nathanial Winters is buried beside John H. Winters in the Ellis Cemetery in Elk Park NC.

Mary Jane Winters Franklin is buried at the Taylor’s Chapel on Buck Mountain, North Carolina.
Mary Nancy Winters is buried at the Richardson Cemetery on Morgan Branch Tennessee, near her father.
Sarah Ellen Winters, Mount Olivet Methodist Church Cemetery, Gastonia, North Carolina.
Malinda Winters Hobson is buried in the Albert Winters Cemetery at the top of Little Elk Road Elk Park, North Carolina.
Martha Winters Caraway is buried at the Caraway Cemetery on Morgan Branch Tennessee, in the Richardson Cemetery.
Charlotte Winters Greer is buried in Idaho, exact location, unknown.
Elizabeth Harriet Winters Nelson is buried in the Blackwell Cemetery on Buck Mountain, Tennessee.



The family of the Seven Devils carried on with a practice that caused the members of the community, to believe that they were, “Devils“.
Every summer, from about 1865 until about 1900, they came to the Doll Flats (the Doll Flats is a mountain meadow at about 4500 ft. above sea level on the North Carolina & Tennessee state line). They would hold a tough man contest (men only), the one stipulation was that each member must be a blood descendant of John Winters. Anyone else would be forcibly removed. They would fight in rounds, until a champion was declared. This process was close to the fighting style of the Vikings, that terrorized Europe, from 700 AD to 1100 AD.

They would start the process with a "Ditty", of which one line went, "Come and join our social group".

Albert Winters won the event for fifteen years running.
It took a week or more for the fighters to recover from the wounds they received in this contest. The rest of the community would see the distorted faces of the men with these wounds and conclude that normal people did not do this type of thing. The men loved a good fight, William the father was a bare knuckle fighter, he was a large man with great strength, he once picked up a grown horse and set it over a fence, (a grown horse could weigh 800 to 1000 pounds).

This family developed their attitudes before and during the “War Between the States” we can only guess at what it was like to live in those times during the unsettled conditions of the war. This family, like so many others, took a long time to return to the concept and execution of ‘living in times of peace‘. The Sheriff was twenty miles away and could not get to the area for a day or two, even if he wanted to. The people of this era and location had to fend for themselves, Mr. Frank Fields stated that men of this era would settle disagreements among themselves, they did not like outside intrusions.

This is the game board that the pieces moved on, the men and women were the pieces and the players, the interplay between the players fills out and embellishes the story of the ‘Seven Devils‘.

One thing of interest is that during the summer tough man contest when darkness came, they would take a break and gather the rails from William Hobson's fence, and build a bonfire (like the Vikings) and then carry on with the contest. I think William Hobson probably split some extra rails and hid them away so he could quickly rebuild his fence each year.

The rails were made from the chestnut trees that covered the land in those days.
These men were his in-laws, so he did not disagree much with them.

The Bee Keeping Preacher Named John Henry

John Henry Arrowood was born January 02, 1872, in Brummetts Creek, Mitchell Co, N.C.
He was the child of Samuel Augustus and Sarah Ellen Winters Arrowood. Born the sixth and last child to this couple.

John Henry was a "Preacher Man" in the mountains.

He married Nora Barnett. Nora’s father was Rev. Spencer Barnett. Nora was born July 03, 1875, in Poplar, Mitchell County, North Carolina. They married on December 18, 1892, in Mitchell County. They had a total of 13 children:
Richard, Frances “France”, Spencer, Sarah, David, Welzia “Welzie”, Robert Henry and Henry Robert (twins), Garrett, Lemuel, Esther, Dessie, and Johnie.


John Henry was written about by a local man by the name of Harvey J. Miller  (John Henry's nephew by marriage). The following are excerpts from the articles:

The Rev. J.H. Arrowood of Pigeon Roost area recalls seeing and hearing a crowing red bird in the Pigeon Roost area about 60 years ago, but does not recall ever seeing a white robin, recently discovered inhabiting the area. Arrowood said the red bird would alight on a hill near his home and crow like a bantam rooster.

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller.

Rev. and Mrs. J.H. Arrowood spent last week at Johnson City, visiting Arrowood's brother, the Rev. Sam Arrowood, who was seriously hurt when he was kicked by a horse.

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller, writer for the Spruce Pine, N.C. newspaper, dated 11/9/1950.

Bears

Bears, once plentiful and feared by man and beast in Pigeon Roost area, are seldom seen now. But such places as Bear Wallow, Bear Cove and Bear Knob are reminders of the early days when the area was a howling wilderness and bears roamed the wilds.

In pioneer days, the bear population was so numerous, the animals prowled among the settlers in search for food. Oftentimes they tore up the beehives to get honey, and they raided the streams for fish. They also made it hard for the moonshiners. They raided for mash and whiskey, and upset the barrels and vessels used around the distilling plant. The animals were so destructive and so plentiful that the settler's often had to get out their guns and go in search for them.

Early settler's trapped bear for food and clothing. The meat was used for food, and the hides for clothing, bed covering and carpets for the homesteads.

Names given certain areas by the early settlers, because of the bears, have been retained through the years.


John Arrowood, great-grandfather of the Rev. John H. Arwood, now nearing 90 years old, came over from England. He settled his family on the upper reaches of Pigeon Roost Creek. Due to the number of bear wallowing in the mud where he drove his stakes for a homestead, he called the place Bear Wallow. For years, bears continued to wallow in the mud near the old homesite.

The Rev. Arwood now resides in Spruce Pine, but when he lived here a few years ago, he told us his ancestor planted and grew an orchard at his Bear Wallow farm. He said when the trees began to bear, the bears would climb the trees for fruit. The older bears would shake the trees so that the cubs on the ground could have some.

Note: The community of Bear Wallow NC still exists today!


Excerpts taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller, dated 4/12/62.

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Ever since he was a boy, the Rev. John H. Arwood of Pigeon Roost has found diversion in keeping bees. Through his years in the ministry, he has learned to respect the value of a hobby. While he has studied insects all his life, he fully believes that bees are the most interesting of all insects.

Despite his advanced age of nearing 84 (to be exact, his 84th birthday is January 2nd), he has found this season to be the most wonderful one of his long career in the keeping of bees. This probably is because experience has taught him much in the bee business.

He has saved ten more hives this season. When there are two or three swarms at the same time-that never occurs very often-he places them all together in the same hive, which makes over a bushel of bees. But he has gums, as he calls them, that hold over two bushels, which handily take care of the big swarms.

He said when he accumulated the different swarms together, the bees would kill all the queen bees but one. He said the bigger the late swarms were, the better they got along.

Arwood stayed able this summer to climb trees and ladders to saw off the limbs where the bee swarms had collected, so he could let the limbwhere the bees were down with a rope to the gum. Then they are shaken into their new home and the lid placed on top. At night, when the bees have quieted down, the gum is placed where it is to stay.

He owns two veils, but did not use a bee cap or gloves when working with the bees this summer. He often dipped up bees with his bare hands and used one smoker that he made out of cloth rags. He got very few bee stings this summer. He said he had learned to work gently with bees.

Arwood has different types of hives or gums. Some are patent; others around hollow log with set crossbars inside. A few of them are long, square gums made out of lumber with set crossbars inside of them too. He has some hives that he calls bee palaces that once had small glass windows in them. He has one gum log that belonged to his mother, that probably is about 75 years old. He said his mother always kept many bees.

He has his bees located in one place in straight rows at the foot of a little hillside, with a small shed in the background where he has stored away empty bee hives. The shed is covered with clapboard. Arwood at the present time is the owner of 31 bee hives. He has more than any bee-keeper in the entire Pigeon Roost section.

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller.

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The Rev. and Mrs. J.H. Arrowood, an elderly Pigeon Roost couple, are probably the only family in the Carolina mountain country which will still buy roasted coffee beans and grind their own coffee. The Arrowoods grind their own coffee as they use it on an old-time coffee mill. They claim the flavor is much better when it is fresh ground.

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller.

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The last corn mill on Pigeon Roost that was pulled by a water wheel was owned and operated by the late Rev. and Mrs. John H. Arrowood, located in the upper section. He had one of the small water wheels that was called the undershot kind. He had to aleays catch water in the mill race to get enough water to keep the wheel rolling. This mill wheel was hooked to a dynamo machine by Arrowood's son, R.H., and they had the first electric lights on Pigeon Roost, as well as the first electric radio.

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller, dated 3/16/72.

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For several years, there had not been any services held in the "House of Welcome Church" in the upper section of Pigeon Roost until the doors were recently opened for Sunday School, now slated for each Sunday morning and two preaching services scheduled each month, but the time is yet to be announced by the pastor, the Rev. Harrison Street. The church was named "House of Welcome" when it was first established many years ago by the late Rev. John H. Arwood.

The church is located just below the little hilltop where the Bennett Cemetery is located and where lies buried Mr. and Mrs. Elac Bennett, one of the early pioneer couples of the Pigeon Roost area. Mr. Bennett was a farmer and herb doctor, and Mrs. Bennett was a midwife.

There was first a Freewill Baptist Church in the old log school house that stood about a mile down the road from the present "House of Welcome Church".

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller, dated 8/6/64.


***Aunt Hilda remembers going up to see the family and going to church at the "House of Welcome", where they were having an old-fashioned 'Foot Washing'.***


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Fonzer Miller attended the funeral services Saturday of his uncle, the Rev. John H. Arwood.

Preacher Arwood, as he was affectionally called on Pigeon Roost, lived here practically all his life until about 10 years ago, when he moved to Spruce Pine where his son Robert lived.

Preacher Arwood had been an ordained minister of the Freewill Baptist Church denomination for over 60 years, and pastored churches until poor health prevented him from doing so some several years ago.

His ministerial work was begun a long time before good roads ever came to this mountain area, and he traveled from one church to another on horseback. The writer recalls that he once told us that several times the church that he wanted to preach at was so far away that he would have to start on the trip Friday so he could get there and he would stop at some of his friends somewhere on the way and stay the nights.

Cold or disagreeable weather hardly ever prevented him from meeting with his appointment, but he said, as he was telling us one time about his ministerial work, that his shoes had many times been frozen to the stirrups.

So, with the going away of Rev. Arwood, another pioneer preacher has passed on.

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller, dated 11/21/63.













Notes for Rev. John Henry "J.H." Arrowood:
John was given the last name Arrowood, but later began spelling it Arwood. In his family bible, John spelled all the children's last names as Arrowood with their births, until he got to Johnie. He then used Arwood. He may have changed the spelling between 1914 and 1916.

John Henry Arrowood was ordained as a minister on December 17, 1904. Ordaining council signatures: N. Honeycutt, A. Badamo, G. Hopson, A. N. Benfield, and T. H. McCoury. J. H. was in Relief, Mitchell County, NC in 1935. When he died, he had been ill for 2 years.

John Henry passed away on November 02, 1963, in Spruce Pine and was buried at Sinking Creek Cemetery, (Barnett Cemetery) Johnson City, Washington County, Tennessee. Nora Barnett Arrowood passed away on March 01, 1967, in Erwin, Tennessee. She was buried alongside John Henry at Sinking Creek Cemetery.

John Henry also operated a cement factory and produced cement products.

My Aunt Hilda remembers fondly the visits up to the mountains to visit with Uncle John and Aunt Nora. They had a mountain home that had a creek running right under one corner of the house. The creek water ran straight into the house and into the sink in the kitchen, running continuously. She said that the food was unbelievable when Aunt Nora put on a spread. The kids were plentiful and there was fun to be had by all. Hilda remembers going into their root cellar being quite an experience. She said it was scary and dark as a child. John and Nora had an old hollowed out trunk of a tree, nestled under water in the creek. This is where they stored their perishable items such as milk and butter. It was right upstream, of course from the outhouse that was located over the creek. That was fortunate for the outhouse to be downstream of the outside ‘refrigerator‘, but not so fortunate for the neighbor’s that lived further downstream…

Samuel and Sarah Ellender Winters Arrowood

Samuel Augustus Arrowood was a preacher man in the mountains of North Carolina.
He was born in Yancey County, North Carolina in the year of 1836.
He married Sarah Ellen “Ellender” Miller on April 21, 1858 in Yancey County. Sarah was the daughter of William N. Winters and Elizabeth “Liza” Shell. Sarah Ellen's parents are buried at Morgan Branch Freewill Baptist Church Cemetery, Carter County , Tennessee.

Samuel and Sarah Ellen are my great-great-grand parents.

Samuel and Sarah had six children. Welzia Augustus Arrowood was their firstborn and my great grandfather. Next came a daughter named Mariah, a son named William, a son named Samuel Augustus, Jr., another daughter named Eliza Caroline, and lastly a son named John Henry.

Samuel was listed as head of household in the 1870 census of Carter County, Tennessee. Just about three years later, about 1873, Samuel was dead at 37 years of age.

Sarah was left widowed, with six children, the eldest of which, was twelve years old. Sometime soon after losing Samuel, Sarah remarried to a man named David Miller. David was a widower as well, having lost his wife, Margaret Jane Callahan about three years prior. David and Margaret had seven children during their marriage. Sarah Ellen had another five children with David. Firstborn was Albert, then next, Locky, Polly, David Jr., and Lydia.

***
David MILLER was born in 1822 in Poplar, NC. He died before 1900. Birthdate determined from 1870 U.S. Census records. He was commonly known as "crippled" Dave because of an injury incurred in the Civil War. He was reportely a Union soldier. David is in the 1880 Mitchell County Census with second wife S.Ellender Miller and the following children: Samuel Miller 19, Delilia Miller 18, Nancy J. Miller 16, Albert Miller 5, Locky Miller (female) 4, Lydia Miller 2, Polly Miller 7 mo, W.M. Arrowood Step-son 14,Elizabeth Arrowood Step-daughter 12 , J.H. Arrowood Step-son 10. ***


Stop just for a moment and imagine the size of that dinner table..
All those kids: mine, yours and ours..whew. Her original six, his seven, and then the five from their marriage.

Sarah was married to David for about 27 years before he died about 1900. Sarah was listed on the 1900 census of Hollow Poplar Township, Mitchell County, North Carolina, age 65 years, living with son David and daughter Liddie.

Sarah Ellen operated a grist mill on Pigeon Roost until a flood washed it away.
Sarah Ellen came to the area to visit, or maybe live with her family in August of 1914. She passed away and was buried in Mt. Olivet Methodist Church Cemetery in Gastonia, North Carolina. She did not have a marker placed at that time. About one year later, on August 1, 1914, her son Welzia died and was buried right beside of his mother. In September of that same year, Welzia's brother William passed away.

Sarah’s grave remained unmarked for years. I found her death certificate while searching for the family and listed on it, was the place her body was interred. My Dad, Steve Lewis Arrowood, had a marker placed on her gravesite. Finally, she is remembered with a proper headstone.

Flood of 1900 and Corn Mill


The following article was published in the State magazine published in Raleigh about the great flood of 1916:

Several old timers here said it was nothing compared to the great May flood of 1900.

F.M. Miller of this place reports that he was only about a month old when the great May flood of 1900 occurred, and he recalls of his parents telling him that they had to flee to higher ground when their log cabin in the valley was being surrounded by water.

Another old timer reported that when Aunt Ellen Miller's building that housed her old corn mill that was pulled by the water wheel went floating the creek, the people who were watching the rising stream from the hillside saw a white cat, that acted unconcerned, sitting on the roof of the building which rode on down the creek and the house stayed together for sure until it drifted out into the river.

Excerpt taken from the writings of Harvey J. Miller, dated 3/21/61.

This is Sarah Ellen "Ellender" Winters Arrowood: Seated on the left in dark dress.

From Family Tree Files