Ancestral Lands
We started today in the usual way of a genealogy trip... head down in the library. We heard some interesting comments from Joel Reece at the Iredell County Library - the local history expert. He shared about the origins of an old map of the region that has been ubiquitous in our research... the William Sharpe map of 1773. The purpose of the map was to illustrate the need for additional Presbyterian churches in the area. Sharpe did this by mapping out circles around the Fourth Creek Presbyterian Church, in one-mile increments. It showed where all of the congregation members lived (our Thomas and McKnight families among them), and how far they would have to travel to get to the church. Here's basically what it looked like before Joel had it restored (it was on cloth):
We finished going through the box of information that Mike Trivette from the Iredell Genealogical Society provided, wrapped up our book research, and headed back to the hotel to pick up Jeanie for lunch.
We chose the K&W Cafeteria, apparently a local favorite, for a filling meal before visiting Walmart for a few necessities.
Our plan for the afternoon, since it was too wet to visit the grave site and Fort Dobbs, was to drive out to the site of the Thomas and McKnight land. Old Jacob Thomas lived right on the Catawba River. There's a brick company on part of the land there now. John Thomas (my 5th great grandfather) died on this land in 1829, and 189 years later, mother and I stepped out of the car and stood on that same land. We listened to the running of the river and the wind through the leaves of the aspens and smelled the honeysuckle heavy in the air. We saw the places where the land had been forested for timber over the years... wondered where they would have placed their house, and observed power lines in the distance that mark roughly the area where John was laid to rest. It's an overgrown parcel of land, where I can imagine it would be tough work to keep nature at bay enough to make a living farming. Most of it has returned to its natural state, save for the brickyard, the power lines, the gas line easement, and the railroad.
Moving on from the Thomas land, we made our way through back roads toward the old McKnight parcel. It skirts either side of Third Creek, further up toward Stony Point. Today, it's largely marked by the Lackey Farm Road on the south and west, and Smith Farm Road toward the north. It's a beautiful patch of land, with rolling hills, wheat, cows grazing, and buttercups and clover lining the road. I could imagine the McKnights there farming and raising cattle and hogs and sheep. This land is still largely used the same way today, so it was much easier to imagine.
It was a beautiful day for a drive, and equally humbling and awe-inspiring to walk the land that your people called home... those kindred souls who set your life in motion 200 years ago. On the way back in to Statesville, we were blessed with the beauty of wildflowers, escorting us back to the hotel after a meaningful walk through history.
We continued our day with a lovely dinner at the Twisted Oak in the historic downtown area of Statesville. They have a spicy homemade pimento cheese they are famous for (it was tasty, indeed spicy), as well as [apparently] really spectacular shrimp and grits. It was a pleasant evening to walk down the wide sidewalks, petunias scenting the breeze, and seating areas placed carefully to foster a sense of community... a place where you can sit and visit a while.
We drove through some of the neighborhood, past the Presbyterian Church where we'll worship tomorrow (as our ancestors did long ago... and we don't have to walk 8 miles to get there). The town is full of old houses... the kind we love - with wide porches and columns and paint colors that remind you of a storybook.
These last few hours of time together were filled with old family stories - ones we share in common, as well as ones that are just interesting. We looked at pictures and talked about life then and now and generally fostered friendships that are in our DNA.
We finished going through the box of information that Mike Trivette from the Iredell Genealogical Society provided, wrapped up our book research, and headed back to the hotel to pick up Jeanie for lunch.
We chose the K&W Cafeteria, apparently a local favorite, for a filling meal before visiting Walmart for a few necessities.
Our plan for the afternoon, since it was too wet to visit the grave site and Fort Dobbs, was to drive out to the site of the Thomas and McKnight land. Old Jacob Thomas lived right on the Catawba River. There's a brick company on part of the land there now. John Thomas (my 5th great grandfather) died on this land in 1829, and 189 years later, mother and I stepped out of the car and stood on that same land. We listened to the running of the river and the wind through the leaves of the aspens and smelled the honeysuckle heavy in the air. We saw the places where the land had been forested for timber over the years... wondered where they would have placed their house, and observed power lines in the distance that mark roughly the area where John was laid to rest. It's an overgrown parcel of land, where I can imagine it would be tough work to keep nature at bay enough to make a living farming. Most of it has returned to its natural state, save for the brickyard, the power lines, the gas line easement, and the railroad.
Moving on from the Thomas land, we made our way through back roads toward the old McKnight parcel. It skirts either side of Third Creek, further up toward Stony Point. Today, it's largely marked by the Lackey Farm Road on the south and west, and Smith Farm Road toward the north. It's a beautiful patch of land, with rolling hills, wheat, cows grazing, and buttercups and clover lining the road. I could imagine the McKnights there farming and raising cattle and hogs and sheep. This land is still largely used the same way today, so it was much easier to imagine.
It was a beautiful day for a drive, and equally humbling and awe-inspiring to walk the land that your people called home... those kindred souls who set your life in motion 200 years ago. On the way back in to Statesville, we were blessed with the beauty of wildflowers, escorting us back to the hotel after a meaningful walk through history.
We continued our day with a lovely dinner at the Twisted Oak in the historic downtown area of Statesville. They have a spicy homemade pimento cheese they are famous for (it was tasty, indeed spicy), as well as [apparently] really spectacular shrimp and grits. It was a pleasant evening to walk down the wide sidewalks, petunias scenting the breeze, and seating areas placed carefully to foster a sense of community... a place where you can sit and visit a while.
We drove through some of the neighborhood, past the Presbyterian Church where we'll worship tomorrow (as our ancestors did long ago... and we don't have to walk 8 miles to get there). The town is full of old houses... the kind we love - with wide porches and columns and paint colors that remind you of a storybook.
These last few hours of time together were filled with old family stories - ones we share in common, as well as ones that are just interesting. We looked at pictures and talked about life then and now and generally fostered friendships that are in our DNA.
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