Tag: Tennessee

Derryberrys Migrate to Tennessee

January 7, 2012 Dennis Ayers No comments exist

By the early 1800s, most of the Derryberrys of Burke County, had chosen to leave North Carolina for the still newer frontiers to the west in Tennessee. Why? Well, in 1790, North Carolina had ceded its western land from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River to the new state of Tennessee. New counties formed almost immediately in eastern Tennessee, but the rest of the state remained Indian lands for awhile. Eventually, by the early 1800s, treaties with the Indians allowed additional counties to form in the middle of the state. The allure of cheap land in Tennessee and Kentucky lead many in the eastern states to simply pack up their families and all their belongings and set off into the wild. Some Revolutionary War soldiers were also collecting their warrant land grants provided by the NC government for war services. In some cases, others bought the land grants from soldiers and moved west.

Before railroads and highways, river travel was often the best way short of struggling over mountains and through dense forests. The most basic and affordable watercraft to employ was the boxy and awkward flatboat. It was so named because of its flat underside and shallow draft, which gave the hull the balance and strength to hold a large deck, but which made the vessel difficult to steer. At anywhere from 8 to 20 feet wide and sometimes up to 100 feet long however, the flatboat was considerably larger than any previous riverboats.

The Derryberrys most likely traveled westward on such flatboats navigating various large rivers in Tennessee which, beyond the Appalachians, are mostly flatwater. The Nolichucky River begins about 50 miles west of Morganton, NC and flows through the Smokey Mountains, where it is sometimes white water, into Tennessee where it joins the French Broad River.

The Derryberrys undoubtedly traveled through gaps in the mountains by wagon before finding the flatwater of the Nolichucky in Green County Tennessee. After embarking on flatboats they continued down the Nolichcky to the French Broad River and then on to the Tennessee River at present day Knoxville. Some travelers at that point apparently disembarked and continued westward by wagon following Avery’s Trace, one of the earliest routes to Nashville. At present day Crossville, they branched off to the southwest to Middle Tennessee. By 1820, there were 12 Derryberry families living in Warren and Maury Counties in Middle Tennessee.

However, there were some Derreberrys who stayed behind in North Carolina, and all are believed to have been descendants of John Derreberry Jr., who had died about 1789 and his wife Hannah. Their three sons, George William, Michael (Micah) and John all farmed their entire lives in North Carolina. Of special interest is Micah who was indeed a robust farmer until the end. In an old Derreberry family bible the following is found:

“Micah Derreberry in 1875, at age of 96, cut 90 Doz. wheat”.

Although it is unclear how much wheat this represents, it still must have been quite an accomplishment for a man his age.

George William Derryberry, our ancestor, and his wife Edey also had three sons plus a daughter, Margaret, before Edey died in her 30s. Little is known about Margaret or the oldest son John who also died early in his 30s. Meanwhile, for reasons unknown, sometime in the 1850s their two youngest sons caught the migration bug. Samuel Derryberry went as far as Arkansas by following the Tennessee River all the way to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Samuel purchased land in Benton County Arkansas which is where he died in 1878. George and Edey’s youngest son, William, who is our ancestor, also moved his family in the 1850s, but only as far as Greene County, Tennessee. Perhaps they intended also to venture further into Middle Tennessee or even to Arkansas, but for some unknown reason once the family got through the mountains their journey ended earlier than planned. Greene County has gently rolling hills and wide flat farmlands in the river valleys. Could it have been the beautiful farmland in Greene County, which enticed them to stop there or was it some unknown necessity? The actual reason is lost to history.

Ira Ayers and Helen Derrie Biographical Sketch

May 9, 2011 Dennis Ayers No comments exist

This is a short biographical sketch of the lives of Ira Ayers and his wife Helen Derrie. It very briefly describes where they lived, worked and worshipped during their lifetimes. Since they are my mother and father, I call them Mom and Dad in this post. I realize that I have already described some of Dad’s and Mom’s early days in previous posts, but I want to include some of that same information again in this post to have a complete summary for both Mom and Dad.

Walnut Mountain, Pioneer, TN

Ira Ayers (Dad) was born in a log house similar to the one shown on Walnut Mountain, in Campbell County, TN on November 14, 1913, and was raised there on a 42 acre farm. The property was located off Adam Hollow Rd off Stinking Creek Rd. The mailing address was RFD #1, Pioneer, TN. It was about 25 miles to LaFollette, TN by road, but less than half that across the mountains on foot or horseback.

As the oldest child, he worked many long hard days on the farm alongside his Father, and shouldered many other family responsibilities.

Seveirville, TN

Dad enlisted into the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCCs) in his early 20s. He was first stationed at the CCC camp in the Smoky Mountains National Park where he helped clear land for roads and campgrounds. He stayed at that camp from June 18, 1935 until March 16, 1936.

Norris, TN

After being in the CCCs for 9 months, Dad was transferred to the camp at Norris, TN which was much closer to home. At this location, he helped clear land for roads and recreation areas around the newly constructed Norris Dam. He worked there from March 16, 1936 until September 30, 1937 when he was discharged from the CCCs. During this period he was hospitalized for 3 months at Ft. Oglethorpe, GA due to a serious accident in which he almost cut off the front of his left foot with an axe.

Charlie Hollow, Stinking Creek, TN

After returning from the CCCs, Dad moved back home to the farm and worked with his brother Addison at the Charlie Hollow Coal Mines. He did not like the work.

Jacksboro, TN

Helen Derrie, (Mom) was born in Jacksboro, TN on March 7, 1923. She was a middle child in a large family. Jacksboro is the Seat of Campbell County.

LaFollette, TN

Mom moved with her family to LaFollette, TN when she was only 6 months

old. When she was 14, the family moved to a house on Hwy 25W at Coke Oven Hill. Part of the unpainted house can be seen in the picture of her father. They were extremely poor and Mom had to drop out of school and lie about her age so she could get a job in the local shirt factory.

As a young teenager, Mom worked in the shirt factory in Lafollette. There she was paid by the number of pieces sewed in a day. It was called “piecework”.

She met Dad at a square dance. They got married on January 2, 1942 and moved to Baltimore, MD for only a few months until Dad was drafted in the Army. When he went into the service, Mom moved back home with her family in LaFollette, TN. She continued to live there until their first child, Dennis Ira Ayers (me), was born on December 28, 1942.

2112 Coker Ave., Knoxville, TN

Den 1yr & Mother — **Helen and Dennis 1943**

After I was born, Mom soon moved with me to live with her older sister, Lillian, at her house at 2112 Coker Ave. in Knoxville, TN. Aunt Lilley had made the invitation to make sure that Mom and I had better living conditions while I was still a baby. Mom lived there from about January 1943 for a year.

911 N. Calvert St, Baltimore, MD

Before the War, Dad had actually moved to Baltimore with his cousin Leonard Ferguson in May 1941, and worked in a body and fender shop. (Don’t know where he lived during that time.)

1st 911 N. Calvert St in 2009 — **2009 View**

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, he returned to LaFollette and married Mom on Jan 2, 1942. Together they returned to Baltimore for a short time in early 1942 and he got a job with the B&O Railroad. When he was drafted in April, he and Mom traveled back to LaFollette. After the War, they again moved back to Baltimore where the B&O had held his job for him. They first lived in an apartment at 911 N. Calvert Street from January 1946 to March 1948, and acted as superintendents for apartments in two large 3 Story townhouses. Mom collected rents and Dad kept the coal furnaces fired up for heat to all the apartments. They received a reduction in the rent of their own apartment for their efforts.-

107 N. Carey St., Baltimore, MD

They rented an apartment at 107 N. Carey Street from March 1948 to May 1948. The townhouse was across the street from a small park and was the first and only house they ever lived in that had a bathroom shower. Not sure why they lived here only two months except perhaps it was the opportunity to buy their own house which caused them to move again quickly.

2235 Guilford Ave., Baltimore, MD

3rd 2235 Guilford Ave 2009 — **2235 Guilford Ave in 2009 Rebuilt After A Fire**

They bought a 3 story townhouse at 2235 Guilford Avenue in May 1948, and lived there until March 1950. They rented out an apartment on the top floor. On Saturdays, I was allowed to go with some older kids to the movies several blocks away on Greenmount Ave. They were comfortable in this house, but Dad yearned to move to the country.

This is where their second child, Helen Carol Ayers, was born on February 18, 1950.

During the years they lived in the city, they always used public transportation. They bought their first car, a 1947 Gray Pymouth, when they got ready to move to the country in 1950.

Baltimore City Church

In the 1940s, Mom and Dad became devout Christians. They attended the Christian & Missionary Alliance church for most of the time they lived in Baltimore City, and for several more years even after moving to the country. It was located at the corner of Guilford Ave and Lanvale Street. I remember many long rides on Sundays to this church, sometimes twice a day from out in the country. Mom always liked to round up as many neighbor children as possible and take them to Sunday School.

1676 Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, MD

In November 1949. they bought a 7.5 acre farm on Old Court Rd, Woodstock, in Howard County MD.

The property contained a small three bedroom, one bath house with a coal fired furnace. The house had been built in the late 1920s where an old one room schoolhouse once stood. A flagpole in the front yard and and remnants of an old seesaw in the side yard were reminders of an earlier era. However, Mom was pregnant with Carol and needed frequent attention at Lutheran Hospital in the city. So, they didn’t move to this property until April 1950, after Carol was born and the weather had begun warming.

This is the house where their third child, Annette Arlene Ayers, was born on January 11, 1959.

The mailing address was at first just Rt #1, Woodstock, MD, but it was changed around 1970 to 1676 Woodstock Rd. After living there for 53 years they were forced to move for health reasons in April 2003.

Ellicott City Church

Seven years after moving to Howard County, Mom and Dad finally transferred to the First Church of God in Ellicott City. They attended church there from around 1957 until the mid 1980s, over 25 years. Attending church functions was their primary social outlet, and they continued taking neighborhood children to Sunday School.

Rogers Avenue Church

Helen & Ira Ayers 1989 — **Ira and Helen ca 1989**

In the mid 1980s, Mom and Dad left the small church in downtown Ellicott City to join the much larger Crossroads Church of the Nazarene located closer to home on Rogers Avenue. This church offered them many more opportunities for fellowship in their older years. They really enjoyed being in the Primetimers senior’s group.

Camden Yards Rail Yard, Baltimore, MD

Dad first went to work for the B&O Railroad on March 5, 1942, but after only one month of service he was drafted into the Army. The B&O held his job for him until he could resume work as a Brakeman after the war was over. His primary base of work was the Camden Rail Yard in Baltimore City. This site is where the Oriole Baseball Park at Camden Yards is located today.

Locust Point Rail Yard, Baltimore, MD

Dad also worked months at a time at the B&O Locust Point Rail Yard located near Ft. McHenry in Baltimore. He was a member of the Railroad Workers Union and over the years gained considerable seniority in the Union. As a result, his job was secure and he always was able to “bump” workers with less seniority to work shifts and locations which he preferred. For example, he almost always worked the 3:00PM to 11:30PM second shift which allowed him to do farm work in the mornings.

Dad retired in August 1978 with 36 years and 5 months service. His last position was Yard Foreman. He was 65 years old.

Spring Grove State Hosptial, Catonsville, MD

After working at home to pass her GED test, Mom took a job with the State of MD in a nurses training program at the Spring Grove State Hospital located in Catonsville, MD in 1965. Under this program she eventually became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and worked with mentally handicapped patients. She worked at this hospital until about 1970.

Springfield State Hospital, Sykesville, MD

Sometime around 1970, Mom transferred to the Springfield State Hospital in Sykesville, MD which was an easier commute from home. At this facility she was trained and assumed the duties of an Industrial Therapist. In this job she assigned handicapped patients to various jobs around the hospital campus to develop skills for employment after leaving the hospital. She really liked this job and took great pride in her work.

Mom retired from the state of MD in June 1983 after 18 years of service. She was 60 years old.

LifeSpring Assisted Living Home, Catonsville, MD

Over the years, Dad developed severe arthritis in his hips and ankles and had a hip replaced in his early 80s. Mom had a severe hearing problem and developed Parkinson’s Disease in her 70s. So, in April 2003, due to failing health, Mom and Dad moved together into the LifeSpring Assisted Living Home in Catonsville, MD. At first they were very apprehensive, but they soon learned to like the facility, which was a converted old mansion. They were able to share a large bedroom together. Their strong faith always remained and strengthened them.

Helen 81st BD — **Helen’s 81st Birthday**

However, In the following months, Dad’s health took a turn for the worse, and it was necessary for him to move to a Nursing Home in November 2003. In addition to dementia, Dad suffered from mini-strokes that caused trouble swallowing. This led to severe malnutrition.

Mom continued to live at LifeSpring for almost another year until she fell and broke her pelvis in October 2004. Already suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, the use of morphine to relieve the pelvic pain at the hospital caused her to slip into a semi-conscious state from which she never recovered. At that time she too needed to move to a Nursing Home.

St. Elizabeths Nursing Facility, Baltimore, MD

Dad went first to St. Elizabeths Nursing Home in November 2003 and was well cared for until he died on December 31, 2003 at age 90.

Mom went to St. Elizabeths in October 2004 and was well cared for until she died on January 12, 2005, a little over a year later than Dad. She was 81 years old.

Crestlawn Memorial Gardens, Ellicott City, MD

Mom and Dad are both laid to rest at Crestlawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Sand Hill Road in Ellicott City. This is the final resting place for their tired bodies as I know their spirits are at home in Heaven.

Ira Ayers and Helen Derrie Biographical Sketch AYERS Line

May 9, 2011 Dennis No comments exist

Walnut Mountain, Pioneer, TN

Ira Ayers (Dad) was born in a log house similar to the one shown on Walnut

Mountain, in Campbell County, TN on November 14, 1913, and was raised there on a 42 acre farm. The property was located off Adam Hollow Rd off Stinking Creek Rd. The mailing address was RFD #1, Pioneer, TN. It was about 25 miles to LaFollette, TN by road, but less than half that across the mountains on foot or horseback.

As the oldest child, he worked many long hard days on the farm alongside his Father, and shouldered many other family responsibilities.

Seveirville, TN

Norris, TN

Charlie Hollow, Stinking Creek, TN

After returning from the CCCs, Dad moved back home to the farm and worked with his brother Addison at the Charlie Hollow Coal Mines. He did not like the work.

Jacksboro, TN

Helen Derrie, (Mom) was born in Jacksboro, TN on March 7, 1923. She was a middle child in a large family. Jacksboro is the Seat of Campbell County.

LaFollette, TN

Helen 17 Years Old — **Helen at about 17**

Mom moved with her family to LaFollette, TN when she was only 6 months old. When she was 14, the family moved to a house on Hwy 25W at Coke Oven Hill. Part of the unpainted house can be seen in the picture of her father. They were extremely poor and Mom had to drop out of school and lie about her age so she could get a job in the local shirt factory.

As a young teenager, Mom worked in the shirt factory in Lafollette. There she was paid by the number of pieces sewed in a day. It was called “piecework”.

2112 Coker Ave., Knoxville, TN

911 N. Calvert St, Baltimore, MD

Before the War, Dad had actually moved to Baltimore with his cousin Leonard Ferguson in May 1941, and worked in a body and fender shop. (Don’t know where he lived during that time.)

107 N. Carey St., Baltimore, MD

2235 Guilford Ave., Baltimore, MD

This is where their second child, Helen Carol Ayers, was born on February 18, 1950.

During the years they lived in the city, they always used public transportation. They bought their first car, a 1947 Gray Pymouth, when they got ready to move to the country in 1950.

Baltimore City Church

1676 Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, MD

In November 1949. they bought a 7.5 acre farm on Old Court Rd, Woodstock, in Howard County MD.

This is the house where their third child, Annette Arlene Ayers, was born on January 11, 1959.

Ellicott City Church

Rogers Avenue Church

Camden Yards Rail Yard, Baltimore, MD

Locust Point Rail Yard, Baltimore, MD

Dad retired in August 1978 with 36 years and 5 months service. His last position was Yard Foreman. He was 65 years old.

Spring Grove State Hosptial, Catonsville, MD

Springfield State Hospital, Sykesville, MD

Mom retired from the state of MD in June 1983 after 18 years of service. She was 60 years old.

LifeSpring Assisted Living Home, Catonsville, MD

St. Elizabeths Nursing Facility, Baltimore, MD

Dad went first to St. Elizabeths Nursing Home in November 2003 and was well cared for until he died on December 31, 2003 at age 90.

Mom went to St. Elizabeths in October 2004 and was well cared for until she died on January 12, 2005, a little over a year later than Dad. She was 81 years old.

Crestlawn Memorial Gardens, Ellicott City, MD

Ayers Brothers and Sisters

May 2, 2011 Dennis Ayers 2 comments

As mentioned before, Martin Ayers had four children with his first wife, Hannah, and five children with his second wife, Eullalia. I’ve never seen a picture of the whole group all together. The picture below is the closest with all the offspring present except Addison who had joined the CCCs, and Geneva who was not yet born. It must have been at a special family gathering, since Rose and Mary were already married and living away.

Although growing up they lived in an isolated mountain environment with few material possessions and with no transportation and none of today’s conveniences, the children had normal childhoods, and were close to one another. They had pet dogs and cats, went to school and church, and grew up like everyone else in the mountains…strong and independent. They attended the Flat Rock School located about 3 miles away, which meant a lot of walking. It was a one room schoolhouse with a big pot-bellied stove for heat and a long coatroom in the back. The teacher taught all grades 1 through 12. One side of the big room was for the higher grades and the other side was for the lower grades. They attended church at the Broyles Church of God near Adam Hollow, with the whole family sometimes walking to service. Then as they got older, some ventured off the mountain to find jobs elsewhere.

Unfortunately, due to overall poor economic conditions in the county, in the 1940s Ira, Rose, Addison, Aileen, Bill and Hannah left Tennessee for better opportunities in the North, as Mary, Tom and Geneva stayed behind. While relocating proved to be the right thing for those individuals that left, the result was a fractured family with members living far apart in four different states. Family love was always still there, but opportunities for the brothers and sisters to be together grew fewer and fewer over the years. Now 65 years later only Aileen and Geneva remain. For the benefit of those who didn’t know them, below is an introduction and short summary of how each of the brothers and sisters’ lives evolved from the oldest to the youngest, with some old pictures thrown in for fun. Remember to click the photos to enlarge them. All facts may not be totally correct, so readers please let me know when I need to make corrections.

Ira Lawson Ayers (1913 – 2003)

Ira, born in 1913, married Helen Derrie in 1942 and they moved to Baltimore, MD in early 1946. He worked for the B&O railroad as a brakeman, but he also worked just as hard as a part-time farmer. He and his wife had three children: Dennis, Carol, and Annette. Ira had a serious and stern disposition along with a short temper, probably like his great-grandfather, Elihu. He worked very hard for his family. Only after retirement, did he mellow and become more relaxed. Ira died in 2003 at age 90 after suffering several mini-strokes. See more about his life with Helen in a following post.

Rose Elizabeth Ayers Jordan (1915 – 2001)

Rose, born in 1915, married Vurl Jordan in 1937. She was working as a housekeeper in LaFollette, and she and some other young women like to go watch the men in the CCCs constructing Cove Lake. There she met Vurl who was a bulldozer driver. Rose and Vurl had three children: Jack, Bob, and Carolyn. They moved to Baltimore in the late 1930s where Vurl got a job at the Baltimore Shipyards, and where he continued working during WWII. After the war, he became a partner in a sawmill operation, and later owned a successful hardware & lumber store in Glen Burnie, MD. Rose had a sweet and gentle disposition and always wore a smile. She was a homemaker and the family attended the Nazarene Church. In the 1970s, Rose and Vurl moved to Florida, first to Homestead and then to North Ft Myers, where they spent the rest of their years. Vurl died in 1988 at age 71 and Rose died in 2001 at age 85.

Mary Lou Ayers Myers (1918 – 2007)

Mary, born in 1918, married John Myers in 1935. She was working as a housekeeper in LaFollette, when she met John who lived on a farm nearby. Mary and John had four children: Sue, Janice, Glenn, and Joan. John also came to Baltimore for a time in the 1940s to work in the shipyards, and brought his family to live in Glen Burnie, MD from about 1948 to 1950. Then they returned to live in Tennessee, and never moved again from their farm in LaFollette. In addition to farming, John worked as a carpenter for many years at the Oak Ridge National Laboratories established during WWII in adjacent Anderson County, TN, as part of the effort to produce materials for a nuclear bomb. Mary was a homemaker and was a very quiet spoken lady with a quick smile. The family attended the Independent Baptist Church in LaFollette. John died in 1992 and Mary died in 2007 at age 88.

Addison Lee Ayers (1919 – 1986)

Addison, born in 1919, married Doris Rauhoff in 1940. Addison met her when she was working in a small grocery store in the Stinking Creek area. According to their daughter, Wanda, they were married by a preacher, who was also a postman. One day Addison and Doris were waiting by the mailbox and asked him to marry them! They moved to Milford, Ohio, near Cincinnati in the 1940s. Addison and Doris had six children: Troy, Glenna Faye, Don, Wanda, Ricky, and Debbie. Addison worked at a paper mill where he fed the pulp beaters. He and Doris also liked to build houses, sell them, and then move on to the next house project. Addison was a quiet man, with good humor and a twinkle in his eye. He died in 1986 from cancer at age 66. Doris later moved back to LaFollette, TN where she remarried an old acquaintance. She died in 1994.

Barbara Aileen Ayers Huckelby (1930 – present)

Aileen as she is called was born in 1930. She married Gene Huckelby in 1947 and they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, soon afterwards. Aileen and Gene had two daughters: Brenda and Marsha. Aileen was always a homemaker while Gene worked in the same paper mill as Addison Ayers. He drove a fork lift. After being married for 62 years, Gene died in 2010. He was a quiet, gentle man, and had a strong religious faith. Aileen is very talkative and has a wonderful sense of humor, and she too is very religious. She has a strong memory and has been a great resource of family information. Aileen and Gene liked to spend winters in Florida, and Aileen still returns there with her daughter, Brenda.

William Riley Ayers (1933 – 2003)

Bill was born in 1933 and named after his grandfather. He married Rose Sharp in 1952 and they moved to Milford, Ohio also. He worked for a company that makes heaters. He and Rose had two sons: William and Timothy. Bill was a prankster and a cutup, and always liked to have fun. He loved bluegrass music and played the guitar and banjo as much as he could. He died of cancer in 2003 at age 70. Rose continued to live in Milford, but later died in December 2012.

Hannie Evelyn Ayers Chadwell (1935 – 1993)

Hannie, born in 1935, married Henry Chadwell. They moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1950s. Henry worked for the railroad while Hannie was a homemaker. They had four children: Angie, Paul, Terry, and Tony. Hannie loved music and loved to laugh. She too died of cancer in 1993 at age of 57. Henry also died in 1996.

Aaron Tommy Ayers (1937 – 2008)

Tom, as he was called, was born in 1937. He never married and always stayed close to home, except for a tour in the Army in the 1950s when he was stationed in Maryland and in Germany. He was an MP in the service. Back home in LaFollette, Tom had a variety of jobs over the years including working at a shirt factory and working at a food store. He tended to have various physical ailments that mostly kept him from full-time work, and he continued to live with his mother until she died in 1994. He then continued to live in her house until heart trouble caused him to move in with his sister, Geneva in 2006. Tom was a laid back, easy-going individual who liked to read books. He was a great storyteller, and enjoyed watching television. He died of a heart condition in 2008 at age 71.

Alice Geneva Ayers Collingsworth (1941 – present)

Geneva, born in 1941 was the last child of Martin Ayers and Eullalia Hatmaker. She Married Frank Collingsworth, Jr. in 1959, and she always calls him Junior. Geneva and Junior have lived in LaFollette ever since they were married. They do not have any children. Geneva is a homemaker and Junior worked in construction and also later as a school janitor and maintenance man. Geneva is quiet, soft-spoken, and has an infectious laugh. They attend the Independent Baptist Church in LaFollette.

Ayers Black Sheep

April 27, 2011 Dennis No comments exist

I’ve been asked if we ever had any Ayers ancestors which were notorious or famous for reasons that were unfavorable in public opinion. Well, genealogists call such ancestors the family “Black Sheep”. Every family has Black Sheep whether they are proud of the fact or not. Normally, I don’t go looking for such information, but on occasion it just falls into my lap as I’m researching other points. Out-of-wedlock mishaps aside, our direct Ayers ancestors seem to come up pretty clean. However, there are some stories about other Ayers relations that I think are interesting, and give a feeling for the times in which they lived. The first two stories involve moonshine making in the mountains…..an activity that many participated in….some even for profit!

Although he wasn’t an Ayers, an uncle to Ira Ayers on his mother’s side named Everett DePew was about 10 years older than him. Everett had gotten in trouble with the law over moonshine activity and was summoned to Knoxville for a court appearance. He left home in Stinking Creek one day in 1925 to journey to Knoxville about 50 miles away. He apparently was going to walk to the main road and try to get a ride. A neighbor said they saw him near the mailbox on the road, but no one every saw him again after that day. His disappearance remained a total mystery for over 50 years. Then one day around 1980 a man named Douglas admitted on his deathbed to killing Everett. The actual reason is unknown, but probably he was afraid that Everett would snitch on him and possibly others to the law.

High Johnny Ayers — **“High Johnny” Ayers and Wife**

In recent times, Haskel “Hack” Ayers has been perhaps Campbell County’s most successful businessman. He is the son of John Wesley Ayers, aka “High Johnny” Ayers, who was Ira Ayers’ third cousin. Although Hack is most prominent now, he likes to tell the story about his father being a third generation moonshiner. In fact he wears it like a badge of honor. The tragic ending of the story is that on October 29, 1943, 7-year old Hack had accompanied his father to Kentucky where they bought a pickup truck load of whiskey and transported it back to Tennessee. Later on, after unloading the whiskey in their barn, state police arrived with weapons drawn.

Moonshine Still Operation — **High Johnny’s Still**

“My dad made the mistake of pulling out a double-barreled shotgun. Broke into a shootout; he was hiding behind a car. There was 32 bullet holes in that car,” Hack recalls. High Johnny had died instantly, shot through the heart. 68 years later, Hack proudly displays pictures of his father and a Moonshine Still in the lobby of his Hampton Inn near LaFollette. When I met Hack Ayers (who I have since learned is my fourth cousin) in October 2008, I asked him just how tall was his father to get the name “High Johnny”. He said he was 6 ft 4 in .

The last story is not about an Ayers Black Sheep, but it has a tragic ending nonetheless. James S. Ayers was Ira Ayers’ first cousin, once removed. He was a policeman in the small town of Jellico, Tennessee on the border of Kentucky when he was killed in November 1909. He died unjustly trying to uphold the law. He is buried in the Hall Cemetery near many of our Ayers ancestors and his tombstone is in the shape of a tree trunk.

Ira Ayers in World War II

April 23, 2011 Dennis 2 comments

LaFollette, TN

Ira Ayers married Helen Derrie in LaFollette, TN on 2 January, 1942, less than one month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor caused the United States to enter WWII. He was drafted in the Spring of 1942 and went to Georgia for induction into the Army. He probably traveled by bus to Georgia. He didn’t know that he had left behind a pregnant wife who would bear a son by the end of 1942.-

Fort Olgethorpe, GA

Ira was inducted at Fort Olgethorpe, GA on 13 April 1942 “for the duration of the war plus 6 months”. He was 5 ft 10 in tall and weighed 140 Lbs. His group was asked to volunteer to go over to the Army Air Forces. Not knowing what the best move would be, Ira decided to wait and see what most of the other soldiers would choose. To his dismay, his name was called first in alphabetical order. Without knowing what the others would do, he decided to step out and volunteer. This single decision may have saved his life as he spent the remainder of the war out of the infantry and mostly out of harms way.-

Wichita Falls, TX

Ira was then sent to Sheppard Air Field in Wichita Falls, TX for Basic Training in the Summer of 1942. This is where many Army Air Forces personnel went for training. He traveled to this station and others in the US by troop train.

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Brookley Field, Mobile, AL

After Basic Training, Pvt Ayers was assigned to the 7th Air Depot Group, a maintenance unit at Brookley Field in Mobile, AL. This assignment may have been the result of his prewar job being listed as “Gas and Oil Man”. This is where Helen went on a bus to visit him. Then his unit received orders to go overseas.

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New York, NY

Pvt Ayers sailed on a troop transport ship which left New York City on 6 August 1942. It was most probably the West Point pictured above which sailed on that day and later joined a convoy of ships from Nova Scotia to England. On the ship, the men slept in hammocks which were spaced only 2 feet apart.-

Avonmouth, Bristol, UK

His troop transport ship arrived at Avonmouth on 18 August 1942. His 7th Air Depot Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 26 August 1942. From this location and others in England, the Eight Air Force ran countless bombing raids over German held territory.-

Belfast, Ireland

The 7th Air Depot Group was temporarily assigned to the airfield at Langford Lodge in Ireland for just a few months in late 1942. Ira mentioned Belfast, Ireland on several occasions when remembering back.-

Warton, Lancashire, UK

The 7th Air Depot Group moved back to England in Lancashire around 29 December 1942. I remember him telling me that he was stationed near Blackpool. A post card he wrote home not long after being assigned there indicated he was in the Repair Squadron. However, he was soon assigned as an orderly in the Officers Dining Hall. The officers really liked him and he remained in this position for the remainder of the war. In the Dining Hall photo, he is standing at the far right side. It was during this period that he was promoted to Corporal.-

Leave in London

On one occasion Ira went to London on a pass, but he didn’t stay long since the city was being bombed regularly and no place was safe.

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Three-Day Pass in Scotland

After the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944, three-day passes were given to the men remaining in England. Only four men at a time from a squadron were allowed to go and most headed to Edinburgh, Scotland. Many of the men had their picture taken at a studio in a Scottish kilt such as Dad is wearing here. The town was peaceful during this time, and it had a big dance hall with bands playing every night.

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Southampton, England

After the victory in Europe in May 1945 (VE Day), he left Southampton, England on 17 November 1945 and was transported back by ship to New York. The return ship was probably the Queen Mary, shown below, which carried 11,683 troops back on that trip. It arrived in New York on 27 November 1945. Ira was glad to be back stateside.

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Fort McPherson, GA

After return to stateside, Ira was temporarily sent to Fort McPherson, GA where he was separated from the service on 2 December 1945. In addition to his Honorable Discharge Papers, he was given a Certificate of Appreciation from Commanding General Hap Arnold of the Army Air Corps, and a Thank You Letter from President Truman.-

Return to LaFollette, TN

Ira didn’t arrive back home until the first week of December of 1945, but it was in time for Christmas, and he had returned unharmed! He had been away for 3 years and 9 months. A country boy had traveled overseas, had seen part of the world, and had participated in a glorious victory for the USA.

James LaFayette Ayers and Betty Ayers

April 21, 2011 Dennis Ayers No comments exist

The only other name as popular as William in the Ayers families of Stinking Creek was James, and again middle names were often used to help separate individuals. James LaFayette Ayers married Elizabeth (Betty) Ayers who was Martin Ayers’ sister. They were second cousins. Although James and Betty are not bloodline ancestors, their tangled love story is worth telling.

Born in 1873, James was the son of William Bailey Ayers and Nancy Jane Douglas. He grew up on a farm, but as a young man he moved from Stinking Creek and became a teamster (a driver of a team of horses). He was 5 ft. 11 in. tall and had dark hair with blue eyes, and a big black mustache. He first married Sarah Boshears in 1892 and they had two children.

In February 1898, the mysterious sinking of the American battleship The Maine in the Havana harbor killing 266 sailors, quickly led to armed conflict between Spain and the U.S. Although the main issue was Cuban independence, the short Spanish-American War was fought in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. The Navy was ready, but the Army was not well-prepared. In the spring of 1898, the strength of the U.S. Army was just 28,000 men. The Army wanted 50,000 new men, but received more than 220,000, through volunteers and the mobilization of state National Guard units.

Although James Ayers had a young family, at age 25 he left home to be one of those who volunteered from Tennessee. He was probably seeking adventure. In July 1898, he mustered in as a private in the 6th US Vol Army at Camp Wilder in Knoxville, TN. From there the regiment was transferred to Camp Thomas near Chattanooga, TN which had horrific living conditions. The camp

had rapidly grown to a city of over 30,000 men with inadequate supplies and sanitation. Disease and illness were rife. The 6th would remain at this camp longer than any other unit, and while the regiment was there in August 1898, an armistice was reached between the U.S. and Spain ending the war’s fighting. Although the war ended abruptly, the 6th Volunteer Army was ordered to serve as an occupation force and raise the American flag on the newly acquired island of Puerto Rico. They served on that tropical island from October 1898 until February 1889 when they were ordered back to the continental U.S. Most of the men wanted to stay in the Army, but the whole regiment was mustered out on March 15, 1899 at Savannah Georgia, at which time James returned home to Campbell County.

Then his first wife, Sarah, died in 1902. Their children went to live with James’ parents. In July of 1905, James and Betty Ayers, one of Martin Ayers’ sisters, fell in love and were married.

Around 1908, James and Betty moved to Monroe County which is between Knoxville and Chattanooga, TN. The Babcock Lumber and Land Company that was formed in 1907 performed logging operations on more than one-quarter million acres in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. A logging railroad was built, and James became a section foreman for a track crew. He and Betty also operated a boarding house for about a dozen railroad workers.

By the time he registered for the World War I draft in 1918, James was too old to serve. However, his registration shows that he was then working as a track foreman for the company in Blount County, TN. Also, in the 1920 census he and Betty lived together in Blount County. They had no children together. Then sometime after that, the family story goes that James just left the house one day and never returned. Betty never heard from him again and she sadly returned home to stinking Creek.

What happened to him? One the one hand, some researchers believe that James then married a widow named Elllen Riggs (Akins). However, there doesn’t seem to be any record of such a marriage, but she did change her name to Ayers by the 1930 census when she lived in Blount County with 2 children but no husband.

On the other hand, there is proof that James LaFayette Ayers was admitted into the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers system (probably much smaller versions of today’s Veteran’s Hospitals). He was diagnosed with a number of seemingly minor disabilities such as hemorrhoids, muscular rheumatism, varicose veins, etc., but was accepted nonetheless. Perhaps his rheumatism was severe. He first was admitted at the Central Branch home located in Dayton, Ohio for the period from November 1921 to November 1925. He was readmitted a second time at the Mountain Branch home located in Johnson City, TN from March 1929 to Sept 1932. His papers show that he listed his wife as Betty Ayers. James died in August 1936 in Johnson City at age 63.

Did James Lafayette Ayers leave his wife Betty for the widow Ellen Akins or did he leave to go off to the Veterans Home without explaining? There is the very strong likelihood that he did both, and it is clear he spent over seven years in the Veterans Home. Whatever the real story, after he died Betty Ayers was able to draw a widow’s pension for his service in the Spanish-American War for the rest of her life until she died in 1959 at age 79.

Betty Ayers was a wonderful, caring woman and deserved better from her man. She lived out the rest of her life in the old log cabin on Walnut Mountain that she inherited from her brother Matthew

around 1918. She worked tirelessly in her garden and helped with Martin’s family when his first wife died. At times she had her father and mother and her sister, Lucy, live with her, but they all eventually moved on or died. She never seemed afraid to live there by herself….except for one instance. One of her neighbors had some cows wearing cowbells that must have roamed free, and they would come around at night and wake her up. So, one time she got up irritated in the middle of the night and went outside to shoo them away. After she got them moved on, she heard a panther scream nearby. She was so frightened that she couldn’t run back to the cabin fast enough! Scared her half to death!

Aunt Betty, as everyone called her, never had a family of her own, but she was remembered very fondly by her nieces and nephews. In the end, she died alone in her old log cabin.

Years later, a man named Harold Phillips, cousin to Frank Collingsworth, Geneva’s husband, went to considerable trouble to disassemble and rebuild Aunt Betty’s old log cabin down in LaFollette. He had an interest in old structures did the work mostly by himself. The only part worth saving was the kitchen half which is pictured below. Unfortunately, it is now being used only as a shed. No stashed away money was found.

Kitchen part of Aunt Betty's Log Cabin — **Kitchen part of Aunt Betty’s Log Cabin**

Martin Van Buren Ayers

April 18, 2011 Dennis Ayers 3 comments

Martin Ayers ca 1915 -- Click to Enlarge — **Martin Ayers ca 1915**

Martin Van Buren Ayers, born in 1883 in Campbell County, TN, was the fifth child but oldest son of William Reilly (Black Bill) Ayers. As such, he grew up knowing hard work on the family farm. Eventually though, as a young man Martin made his way off the farm to find different work.

The exact year is not known, but before 1910, Martin ventured to the nearest small town of LaFollette. There he got a job as a carpenter at the LaFollette Iron Furnace. In 1910, at age 27, he was living in a boarding house in LaFollette with five other borders. Also about this same time he was involved with a woman named Susan Archer and she had an out-of- wedlock child named Minnie. For whatever reasons, life and work in town must not have suited him very well, because not long after that he was back farming in Stinking Creek.

Martin was a medium sized person, about 5 ft 9 in tall, weighing about 155 lbs, with brown hair and

brown eyes. In 1912, he married Hannah Mae Depew whose father had married Martin’s sister Florence in 1907 and moved next door. Hannah was 18 and 11 years younger. They had four children: Ira, Rose, Mary and Addison. Martin was a quiet person, and he had a stern temperament. All the children had to work hard and obey.

In 1915, after renting a farm on Walnut Mountain for a couple of years, Martin and his brother, Matthew, bought the 107.5 acre property. Matthew took 54 acres and Martin took about 42 acres after selling 11 acres to a neighbor. Matthew was later killed by a timber cutting accident around 1918 and their sister Betty inherited his land.

The original log house on Martin’s farm was located close to the spring near the road. This is probably where the oldest children were born. His Father-in-Law, Bill Depew, helped him build a new house with sawed lumber farther up the hill. This new house had a kitchen, living room and a bedroom, and of course a path out the back door. In addition to working on his farm, Martin also worked for a time at a sawmill in the Stinking Creek area. Most of the time Martin’s family subsisted on animals raised and crops produced on the farm. Whenever shoes, clothing, or something from the store needed to be bought, Martin would raise the cash by selling pigs or maybe selling corn to the mill to be ground into cornmeal.

Martin Ayers' Farm — **Martin Ayers’ Farm**

Tragically, Hannah contacted tuberculosis and died in 1926 at only age 32, leaving Martin with 4 children between 7 and 12 years old. Ira, the oldest, had to drop out of school to take care of the younger children while his father continued to work the farm. In addition, Martin’s mother Malinda had died just a year before. It was a difficult time, but fortunately his sister Betty, who lived in an old log home nearby, helped out some with food preparation and became like a second mom to the children.

Martin’s father, “Black Bill”, and his second wife, Lizzie Gross, had moved to her house in LaFollette on Rose Hill. That house was near where Eullalia Hatmaker lived. So, they introduced Martin to Eullalia whom he dated awhile before asking her to marry him and move up to Walnut Mountain on the farm. She was 19 and 27 years younger, so it was not an easy decision for her, but she eventually agreed and they were married in 1929. Martin proceeded to have five more children with Eullalia by 1941: Aileen, Bill, Hannie, Tom and Geneva.

Aileen says that sometime before she was born, Martin was struck by lightening. It tore off his clothes and shoes and he was burned badly. They wrapped him in a white sheet and packed him in cold mud and he came out of it seemingly unharmed. The lightening also set the house on fire.

Aileen also tells the story that her dad used to ride his horse over the mountains to LaFollette. On one occasion, he went to purchase some goods, and tied his horse up at the edge of town. While he was shopping, the horse got loose and headed back toward home. Along the way, someone caught the horse and removed his saddle and bridle, but the horse once again broke for home. When the horse arrived back at the homestead without rider and saddle, the family thought something bad had happened to Martin. Neighbors gathered with lanterns to go out hunting for him, but just then Martin arrived by foot much to everyone’s relief.

Youngest son, Tom, grew up on the farm working beside his father. He said once they had an old mule named “John” that was a good work mule. But old John had a major attitude problem and wouldn’t let Tom or anybody else ride him.

Tom also liked to tell stories about his Dad being hard of hearing and making lots of bobbles guessing what people said. One time they were working in the field when a jet flew over and made a loud noise. Tom told his father that it was just a jet breaking the sound barrier. His dad replied “What was it doing making sand bags”.

As Martin and Eullalia got older, Aileen and her husband, Gene Huckelby, bought the old homestead

to get them to move off the mountain down to LaFollette. So in August 1954, Martin finally moved to town again after farming on the mountain for 43 years. They moved into a house on Andy Baird Drive that Eullalia had inherited from her Uncle. They later added indoor plumbing to their new residence, and lived there very comfortably in their declining years..

Martin fought tuberculosis for a number of years, but eventually died of pneumonia in 1967 at age 84. He was buried in Hall Cemetery off Stinking Creek Road next to his first wife Hannah. Eullalia also lived to age 84 before dying in 1994. She is buried in the Baird Cemetery next door to the their old house in LaFollette. Her faithful son, Tom, who never married and died in late 2008, is buried beside her.

The Founding of LaFollette, TN

April 18, 2011 Dennis No comments exist

In addition to the Cumberland Gap cutting through the mountains, heading south the next largest break in the mountains is in Campbell County, TN. In the 1890s, two LaFollette brothers arrived in the Big Creek Gap area as it was then known. Upon observing iron deposits, timber stands and abundant coal and water resources located in close proximity, they purchased over 37,000 acres and formed the LaFollette Coal, Iron and Railway Company. To attract workers for their new company, they built the town of LaFollette. As workers flooded into the new town, the population grew from 300 in 1900 to 3000 by 1920. At its peak, the LaFollette blast furnace was one of the largest in the Southern United States and the LaFollette brothers employed some 1500 people from all backgrounds. Ironically, the business failed during the height of the roaring twenties. By then the small town of LaFollette was already firmly in place.