The Steele Creek Blog: Byrum’s General Store Closing September 1st

The Steele Creek Blog: Byrum’s General Store Closing September 1st


The Byrum Family is a Limb in my family tree. Mary Louise Byram married Frederick Fincher Starnes and became one of my sets of great, great, great grandparents. It is sad that this little piece of my family history is closing down.

More than Meets the Eye

Somehow, I got the feeling when I began researching my 3rd great, grandfather, Frederick Fincher Starnes, that there was going to be more to him than meets the eye. Cabarrus County, North Carolina has the wonderful ability to allow research at the Register of Deeds online. Land records, deeds, deeds of trust, plats, mortgages all at the touch of a key. Hence, three and a half pages listing land transactions for Finch and his wives.

Many of them give the locations of where his land was located, which parts he allocated to his children, and parts he leased or rented to unrelated families.

http://www.cabarrusncrod.org/DocumentView.asp?DocumentType=Deed&Instrument=00590286&Close=True

The above is a link to one of these documents, where in 1901, Frederick Fincher Starnes purchases a lot of land on Allison Street, in Concord, North Carolina, which at that time intersected with Beatties Ford Road, which now runs through Huntersville in Mecklenburg County and the Cabarrus County section no longer exists. This lot is described as being in the "Wadsworth Addition" in Concord, which was a subdivision at the time, much like today's housing developments or suburbs.

There was a Colonel John C Wadsworth, who was a Hardware merchant in Concord during this era, co-owner of with N.  Felix York. An old Ad in the Concord High School Yearbook hales "York and Wadsworth 'The Old Reliable Hardware Company Since 1885" South Church Street, Concord North Carolina. Their homes were on the elegant North Union Street. Felix York lived at 103 North Union Street and a Mr. J. P. Allison lived at 113 North Union Street. Their homes are featured in the Concord Historic Walking tour. It is supposed that Allison Street was named for Mr. Allison, who founded the Concord Telephone Company. The Wadsworth Addition and Allison Streets must have connected to this neighborhood, and the subdivision named for Col. Wadsworth.


This one purchase was made from Mr. Adam McGenis Hathcock and his wife Mary Jane Linker Hathcock, originally of Stanly County. A. M. Hathcock was the son of Jackson Hathcock and Mary Ann Furr who was born in Furr Township, in Stanly County. They eventually moved to Albemarle, in Stanly County and lastly to Kannapolis, where Mr. Hathcock lived when he died.

As F. F. Starnes would be living in Charlotte in 1902, the next year, I can only suppose he was making real estate investments with his purchases of land in and around Cabarrus and Mecklenburg Counties.

http://www.cabarrusncrod.org/DocumentView.asp?ReturnTo=BookAndPage.asp

F. F. Starnes soon conveys this property to his son Fate, or Frederick Lafayette Starnes, who in 1906 sells a portion of the property to Gibson Mills Manufacturing Company. In this document, the lot is described as being 'one town lot in Ward Number One Concord, NC situated on the North Side of McGill Street between Allison and Harris Streets.

A postcard of Gibson Manufacturing Company

Another deed records the Indenture on March 17, 1903, between F. F. Starnes and his second wife, Abigail D. Starnes of Cabarrus County and the Trustees of the Rocky River Presbyterian Church, namely,  J. A. Barnhardt, James P Morrison, S. A. Grier, W. Ed Harris and Edwin Ervin. Quoting the document, "and in consideration of the sum of five dollars to them paid, the receipt of  which is hereby acknowledged, do by these presents bargain, sell and conveyants said parties of the second part, as each trustee and their sucessors in office, in trust for the use and benefit of the members of said church and their descendents, as a cemetery and burial ground, a certain lot of land situated in  on one township, said county, known as Spears Graveyard and being on a parcel of a tract of land owned by said F. F. Starnes and metes and boundaries of said graveyard lot are as follows;". It then gives directions of feet along a stone wall, from one dogwood tree to another until it winds up at a right angle at the "wall to the road leading to Pioneer Mills to said Church."

Rocky River Presbyterian Cemetery. One of several cemeteries asscociated with this church. Many Revolutionary Era citizens are buried here. 

Pioneer Mill

The S. A. Grier mentioned in the list of trustees was likely Dr. Samuel Andrew Grier of Harrisburg, Cabarrus County, a Civil War doctor, who continued his medical education after the war and set up office in Harrisburg, near the Starnes's family properties. He was probably a treasured family friend as he would bear two namesakes, in the son of Margaret Leavy Starnes Lemmonds, Samuel Grier Lemmonds and in the son of her brother Fate Starnes, Silas Grier Starnes.

Period Grist Mill

F. F. Starnes operated a Grist Mill on Caldwell Creek near its conjunction with the Rocky River.

Land near Rocky River

This is the document involving the land on Caldwell Creek and Commercial National Bank of Charlotte.

It is going to take some time to pour through all of these land records of sales, purchases, mortgages, leases, gifts and acquisitions of my ancestors. He was certainly mobile and a wheeler dealer. But it's fun finding familiar names in these old documents and puts some color to life of an predecessor.

Frederick 5000: Part One of Frederick F Starnes

Frederick F Starnes or Sterns is buried in Meadow Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetary near Locust,  in Stanly County, North Carolina. The cemetary is in close proximity to both Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties. F. F. Starnes spent his last years in Mecklenburg, but most of his life in Cabarrus, and part of his life in Union County.

He has been a phantom to researchers and descendants. The reason has been two little letters. In a census, the census taker notated that he was born in Georgia. This part I have not verified as true or not. At present, I am trying to find proof that his father was in Georgia, at least for a little while, long enough for his oldest son to be born there.

And do I know who is parents were...sure! Was it difficult to figure it out? No. Why someone hasn't before me, I have no idea. I guess they are seeing for the fruit and not looking up at the tree.

If you find an apple under an apple tree, surrounded by other apples, the probability that it fell from that tree. Now, it is certainly possible that someone brought an apple from many many miles away and just randomly placed it under that tree. Possible, but not probable. I mean, the apple could have been zapped there by an alien if you watch enough TV. But not likely.

Fred Starnes
Age in 1860:	24
Birth Year:	abt 1836
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1860:	Union, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Monroe
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age James N Gaddy 22 Martha E Gaddy 22 William H Gaddy 1 Mary C Gaddy 5/12 Rocsey J Hale 6 James A Hale 4 Fred Starnes 24 Mary Starnes 24 Allace Starnes 6 Ollivy Starnes 5 John Starnes 2

Fred and Mary first show up in the 1860 census of Union County. He is listed next to his father Frederick Starnes and mother Bettie.  He is not in the 1850 census, that I can yet locate, but both his father Frederick Starnes and his grandfather, Frederick Starnes, are.

 He is not living in the household of the Gaddy's. This is a computer glitch, that failed to separate households. 'Allace' refers to daughter Sarah Alice who would marry Wiley Monroe Linker and 'Ollivy' refers to Margaret 'Leavy' Starnes, my ancestress, who married Robert Lemmonds. John is only listed in this census, so likely died as a child, prior to the move to the Rocky River community of Cabarrus County. Several of the Starnes children died young. Most of them buried at Rocky River Presbyterian Church in Cabarrus County.

Daughter Martha Ann lived to be 11 years, 6 months and 9 days old.


Daughter Georgia Ann lived to be 7 years, 6 months and 25 days old.


By 1870, the family was living in Cabarrus County. Thomas, Martha and Della have been born.

F F Stearns [F F Starnes]
Age in 1870:	40
Birth Year:	abt 1830
Birthplace:	Georgia
Home in 1870:	Township 1, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Concord
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age F F Stearns 40 Mary L Stearns 33 Sarah A Stearns 16 Margt R Stearns 14 Thoms Stearns 9 Martha A Stearns 6 Delphi Stearns 1

And then the 1880. Frederick L Starnes, Georgia Ann and Daisy have been born. Grandma Martha Byrum has came to live with the family as well.

Name: F.F. Starns [F.F. Starnes]  Age: 51 Birth Year: abt 1829 Birthplace: Georgia Home in 1880: Rocky River, Cabarrus, North Carolina Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Self (Head) Marital Status: Married Spouse's Name: Mary L. Starns Father's Birthplace: North Carolina Mother's Birthplace: North Carolina Neighbors: View others on page Occupation: Farmer Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane: View image Household Members: Name Age F.F. Starns 51 Mary L. Starns 43 Margaret A. Starns 23 Thomas M. Starns 19 Dalphia A. Starns 10 Georgia A. Starns 7 Fredrick L. Starns 5 Dasie L. Starns 2 Martha Byram 70

View Original Record View original image

Township 1 is Harrisburg and along the border of Mecklenburg and not very far from the intersection of Mecklenburg and Union Counties. Just across the Midland township is the border of Cabarrus and Stanly.  His first wife Mary, and 3, possibly 4 of their children are buried in the Rocky River Presbyterian Church cemetary, which is in Cabarrus County, but very close to the Clear Creek community of Mecklenburg.

He was a Civil War soldier in the 48th infantry. Information on the 48th infantry states that they were recruited from Union County, among others, which is the stronghold of the Starnes family.

48th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry

OVERVIEW:

48th Infantry Regiment completed its organization in March, 1862, at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina. Men of this unit were recruited in the counties of Union, Davidson, Iredell, Moore, Chatham, and Forsyth. Ordered to Virginia, the regiment was assigned to General J.G. Walker's and Cooke's Brigade. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Fredericksburg, then moved to Pocataligo, South Carolina, where it was stationed until August, 1863. Returning to Virginia, the 48th was involved in the conflicts at Bristoe, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor. It then endured the hardships of the Petersburg siege south of the James River and the Appomattox operations. It reported 18 killed and 70 wounded at Oak Grove, lost over fifty percent of the 400 in the Maryland Campaign, and sustained 175 casualties at Fredericksburg and 123 at Bristoe. The unit surrendered with 12 officers and 87 men. Its commanders were Colonels Robert C. Hill and Samuel H. Walkup; Lieutenant Colonel Albert A. Hill; and Majors B.R. Huske, William H. Jones, and Francis L. Wiatt.

F. F. Starnes
Side:	Confederate
Regiment State/Origin:	North Carolina
Regiment Name:	48 North Carolina Infantry
Regiment Name Expanded:	48th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
Company:	E
Rank In:	Private
Rank In Expanded:	Private
Rank Out:	Private
Rank Out Expanded:	Private
Alternate Name:	Frederick F./Sternes
Film Number:	M230 roll 37

Frederick F Sternes
Residence:	Union County, North Carolina
Occupation:	Farmer
Age at enlistment:	30
Enlistment Date:	21 Mar 1862
Rank at enlistment:	Private
Enlistment Place:	Union County, NC
State Served:	North Carolina
Survived the War?:	Yes
Service Record:	Enlisted in Company E, North Carolina 48th Infantry Regiment on 19 Apr 1862.
Birth Date:	abt 1832
Sources:	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

He was held as a prisoner of war. Afterwards, he settled in Cabarrus County, with his wife Mary Byrum. From there, he is easily traced. It is beforehand that is the mystery.

Nathan Monroe Starnes was a first cousin and buried in the same family plot as Fred F. Starnes

Tombstone of Elisabeth Starnes, wife of N. Monroe. 

One of Monroe and Elizabeth Starnes

Abigairl D Furr Starnes Strarnes Misenheimer, wife of John C Starnes, second wife of  Frederick F Starnes,  second wife of Marion Harrison Misenheimer, her third husband. 

Daughter of Monore and Elizabeth Starnes

Close up of Tombstone of F. F Starnes.