Horace Greeley (1811-1872)
On December 18, 1872, The Daily State Journal ran this surprising notice:
At the time of his death Horace Greeley owned a farm in Virginia, which is likely to become a source of considerable wealth to his heirs. In 1870 he bought a joint interest in a farm of two hundred and fifty acres, in Buckingham county. The title is still in dispute, and requires a lawsuit to settle it, but there is no doubt that it will be confirmed. The land is extremely valuable, and is known to contain a quantity of auriferous ore under the surface. It is now occupied by colored people rent free.
Apparently, the famous American journalist and politician who said — “Go West Young Man!” – went South . . . to Buckingham!
Who sold Greeley (and partner) the land? Was he chasing the promise of gold? Buckingham was a whole lot closer to New York State than California….
How did the title dispute end? Who were the African-American “tenants?”
If you can help solve this Buckingham Mystery, please leave a comment.
Hats off to Coz. Mary Carolyn Mitton for finding this nugget of Buckingham County History!
Courtesy Rarely Seen Richmond (VCU Libraries Digital Collections)
Towards the end of the 19th century, many families migrated from Buckingham County to Richmond in search of work for themselves and higher education for their children. In the 1890s, my John T. L. Woodson and family moved from Well Water, where Woodson had been a school teacher, to Richmond, ultimately settling not far from Monroe Park (pictured above). Single women, like the McCraw sisters, Louise and Bessie, moved in the early 20th century. In the city, opportunities were open to them that they would only have dreamed of in Buckingham. Click here to read about the remarkable career of Louise Harrison McCraw.
Earlier this year, The Dietz Press published From a Richmond Streetcar: Life through the lens of Harris Stilson, written by Kitty Snow, Stilson’s great-granddaughter. Stilson was an accomplished amateur photographer. While he worked as a streetcar motorman, he documented everyday life in Richmond. His camera captures the world our Buckingham County migrants navigated as they adjusted from rural to city life.
Visit Kitty Snow’s website, Richmond In Sight, and learn about her on-going project, in conjunction with Virginia Commonwealth University, to preserve Harris Stilson’s priceless collection.
Click here to watch her discuss her mission to share it with the communities he photographed: Virginia Currents: Harry Stilson; Wounded Wheels; Virginia Aquarium
Thanks to two thoughtful Slate River Ramblings readers, Rosa Garnett Williams’ survey for “Slate River Mills” and the WPA-era map now agree. Please click here to see the revised post:
Mills of Buckingham County: Slate River Mills
Courtesy Jeremy Winfrey
Over the years, many saw and grist mills operated in Buckingham County. Some lasted through multiple owners as was the case in my Chambers family. Chambers Mills was established by George Chambers and left to his son, George Chambers, Jr., then bought by Samuel D. Holman, who sold to William Oslin. When Oslin’s Mill was washed out in 1899, it was never rebuilt.
In the mid-1930s, less than a dozen Buckingham mills were surveyed for the Virginia Historical Inventory, yet we know more were standing and in operation at the time, including Payne’s Mill in northern Buckingham. Some of the mills surveyed were only ruins, including Slate River Mills, also known as Hocker’s Mill. According to WPA field worker Rosa Garnett Williams, the original was one of the first water-turned mills in the county, built by the Hocker family in the early 1800s. It burned c.1905.
The WPA-era map (above) shows “Slate River Mills” on Slate River, almost due north of Buckingham Courthouse. Mrs. Williams offered directions to Slate River Mills as follows: go south of Dillwyn for 1.9 miles on Route 15, then 3.3 miles north on Route 20 and then west for 2.5 [?] miles on State Route No. 649.
Click here to read about the elaborate mill built at Curdsville.
Courtesy Jeremy Winfrey
Pictured above is a Winfrey family band, one of the many local groups that came and went in Buckingham County, playing at weddings, parties, and holiday gatherings.
In April 2013, Slate River Ramblings reader, Kimberly Maher, commented on the post, Buckingham Notables: The Hamners, describing a band led by her maternal great-grandfather, Herman Springer.
The Springer Family Band, featured Herman, his brothers, some of the younger Springers, and collateral relatives. The Springers worked primarily as farmers and carpenters. In 1910, they left Michigan and settled in Buckingham County. According to family tradition, Herman’s wife, Evie Shepherd, saw him playing with the band and decided to marry him. They were wed in a double ceremony with Jennie Springer and Ed Dunnavant, officiated by Rev. J. J. Spencer, on December 15, 1915.
The Springer Family Band was mentioned in at least one episode of The Waltons, an affectionate nod from Earl Hamner to his youthful visits to Buckingham County. Who knows, perhaps the Springer Family Band played Nelson County, too.
If there are musicians in your Buckingham family tree, please let us know.
Peach cobbler, anyone?
These summer peaches, packed by Seven Island Packing Co. in Arvonia, Buckingham County, look delicious.
Can anyone offer any tidbits of history about the packing plant?
My ancestor, John M. “Jack” Harris, came to Buckingham County c. 1819, settling on 800 acres along Sharps Creek which he acquired from his father, Benjamin Harris of Mountain Grove, Green Creek, Albemarle County. Three of Jack’s brothers, Benjamin, Bushrod, and James, also settled in Buckingham County. Only James stayed in the county for the remainder of his life, dying at his farm, Locust Grove, in 1872. Jack and James left many descendants in Buckingham County; with one exception, they descend from daughters who intermarried with numerous, well-established families: Allen, Ayres, Turner, Miller, Ford, Chambers, Horsley, Steptoe, Boatwright, Layne, and Bolling.
For more about the Albemarle roots of this Harris line, please consider reading my article, “Dates and Dashes: The Harris Family Cemetery and Lives of a Few of Its Residents,” in the 2012 issue of the Magazine of Albemarle County History. You can purchase it online from the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.
Courtesy Historic Buckingham
One of the nineteen Buckingham County churches existing when Thomas Baldwin published the Gazetteer of the United States (1854) was Rocky Mount Church founded in 1788. In 1936, Rosa Garnett Agee Williams surveyed the structure for the Virginia Historical Inventory. Mrs. Williams wrote:
This church building is not very large and very poorly constructed, but a great favorite among the members of the Methodist churches of Buckingham. Something about the old church that is very fascinating is that it was built of heart pine, hand sawed timbers, with shop made nails and wooden pegs. . . A stove is in this church that was placed there when the church was first organized, a very large, square iron stove, has warmed five generations.
A photograph accompanied Mrs. Williams’ prose, rare among the Buckingham surveys. The image can viewed online, part of the digital collection of the Library of Virginia: Rocky Mount Church
Is the church above, drawn by Dr. Margaret Pennington, an elaboration of the same simple building photographed by Mrs. Williams?
To catch up on previous posts concerning the Buckingham County churches included in the 1854 Gazetteer, just type Gazetteer in the search box at Slate River Ramblings. Then, enjoy the results!
For those of you who immediately expressed interest in Buckingham County’s surviving Surveyor’s Plat Book, please note that Eric Grundset’s transcription is still available online from several booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Courtesy Jim Cooke
The outstanding survivors of the 1869 Buckingham Courthouse fire are the Surveyor’s Plat Books, 1762-1858. They are indexed and hold many clues to the earliest families who owned land in Buckingham County. While they in no way replace the lost deeds, wills and other courthouse records, researchers have found many a hidden gem such as this survey for John Miller dated October 31, 1789. At the time, Henry Bell was Surveyor of Buckingham County. Miller’s land was adjacent Mrs. Judith Bell, of Bellmont.
The Surveyor’s Plat Books and indexes have been microfilmed and can be viewed at the Library of Virginia.
For more about Judith (Cary) Bell and her family, see these Slate River Rambling posts:
slate river ramblings . . . . 