Edna Williams Hudson

This will be a very short post. A leaf fell off of our family tree yesterday. Edna Kay Williams Hutchins Hudson was born April 10, 1937 in Yadkin County, North Carolina and died December 18, 2012 in Davie County, North Carolina. Edna was the daughter of Joy Clinton Williams and Sallie Camilla Hobson Williams of Yadkin County, North Carolina.  She was my husband's stepmother and is survived by her 3 sons and their families, as well as her husband and 4 stepchildren.

Here is the link to her obituary: http://www.hufffuneralhome.com/obits/obituary.php?id=239740

Rest in Peace Edna. You were a very nice lady.

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.

The War Record of Frederick Fincher Starnes

Yesterday, I received the papers on the military service of Frederick Fincher Starnes or Sternes, my 3rd Great Grandfather. He served during the Civil War and there was some ambivalence as to where he was born, due to some faulty census records. This helps clear up where he was born. His two oldest daughters are clearly listed as being born in South Carolina, from their marriage licenses to their death certificates, to those of their children. Maybe now, knowing where in South Carolina to look, I can find F. F in the 1850 census.

Fredericksburg, Va circa 1863


On December 13, 1862, Frederick Fincher Starnes was wounded at Fredericksburg, Virginia. The wound was not fatal and he returned to duty in the spring of 1863.

Map of Fredericksburg, Virginia during the war.



Currier and Ives print of the Battle of Fredericksburg, on December 13, 1862, the day F. F. Sternes was wounded.


He returned for the Battle of Hatchers Run, where he was captured. 





Strategy map of the Battle of Hatcher's Run.


Battery at Hatcher's Run


Officers outside of House used as Headquarters prior to the Battle.
Lithograph of the Battle of Hatcher's Run

He was captured during the battle and taken to Point Lookout, Maryland prison camp, from where he was released at the end of the war.

Point Lookout showing Hospital and Prison Camp

Prisoners at Point Lookout taking the Oath of Alligiance. Was Finch Starnes among this group?

Cedar Point Lighthouse's  Last Days

The Old Hotel at Point Lookout , before being raized in the 1980's

Frederick Fincher Starnes was able to return home after the War between the States. Many unfortunate soldiers and civilians alike, were not. Among those were his  brother William, who contracted Typhoid Fever and died in Virginia. It is said that more soldiers died from disease than from battle.

It's All About the Dirt.

While waiting on documents to arrive from one search, sometimes I venture off into a totally different direction. Basically, where ever my curiosity takes me. I'm not a patient person, but I can research for hours, loosing track of the time.

I've been waiting on land records from Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties involving Frederick Fincher Starnes, my 3rd Great Grandfather. I adore the old map above, from around the turn-of -the century, or probably around the 1890's. It shows roughly where he lived. The old roads have changed, but some retain the names of the old landmarks and you can see where along the creek his property ran.

F.F. Starnes can be seen just under the Township number of 1, then follow the creek down to where it's name is written "Caldwell Creek" and looking over to the right, you see F. F. Starnes again, next to the railroad, under a Mrs. Flowe. Following Caldwell Creek south, you'll find F. F. Starnes again, under a Tucker.  I can see his property was just south of where the Rocky River Presbyterian Church is now, north of Pioneer Mills and just east of Hickory Ridge.

There is a modern road in the area called "Sternbridge". As the Starnes family was sometimes seen as "Stern" or "Sterns", this road may have been named for a bridge he built across Caldwell Creek. I know from his will and other papers that he had a mill on this creek.

In 1890, F. F. Starnes was taxed for 4 different tracts of land, and also taxed for "machinery" he owned located in Township 10. He may have been in a partnership with some one. He would eventually move to Charlotte and buy property on Arlington and Sunshine Streets.

Then, I recieved these estate papers. F. L Starnes, who was his administrator was referring to Frederick Lafayette Starnes, his son, affectionately known as "Fate".

F. F. Starnes was survived by his second wife, Abigail and 5 children; Fate, Thomas Mellon Starnes, Margaret Leavy Starnes Lemmonds, Sarah Alice Starnes Linker and Delia Starnes McAnnulty. His son John, and two daughters had died as children. Daughter Daisy grew up to marry, but did not survive her father.

Belmont Cash Store was obviously a business co-owned and ran by F. F. Starnes, along with his Mill and real estate holdings and rents. The town of Belmont is in Gaston County. Now, I am going to have to research in Gaston County and see if anything turns up. 

Lynn's Dance Club ‎

Out of the Mouths of Moms: Part One

I have the cutest little Momma. She likes what she likes and she says what she thinks, she has a flair for the funny and at 70, she still dances to Chubby Checkers and loves her some Elvis Presley. Momma has that Davis temper and although it skipped me, it did not escape my children, because my oldest daughter is my mother up one side and down the other in personality, which leads me to know she is and will continue to be a wonderful mother herself.

I have a wonderful Mother and there is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God that she is still with me and I hope she is for decades to come. I can not imagine losing my mother and I don't ever want to. But I know in reality that one day, my mother and I will have to say our goodbyes, as I will have to say my goodbyes to my four children, I just don't know who will be saying it first. Momma might outlive me.

But one thing I do hope to leave and pass on is her legacy, her love, her humour, her love of life and....her old sayings.

My Momma has always had a unique way of pronouncing certain words and a colorful collection of "old sayings" to express herself. Some of them have been passed down from generation to generation of Carolina Davis women, and some of them are....just uniquely Momma.

I know this will not be my only post of Momma's Sayings, as I am going to start collecting them, while I can. These are just the start of them.

Even into my fifth decade, I will be talking and use a phrase I've heard since childhood and someone will look at me and say "What are you talking about?" and I realize, it's something I picked up from my mother.

1) Blue Million   Definition: A Lot, a large amount.  My Mom is not the only person to use this terminology, however, I've discovered in certain pockets of the world, no one has ever heard of it.

The Name of this painting is Blue Million. 

2) Don't upset the apricot. I know....it's supposed to be "Don't Upset the Apple Cart", but the way my Mom always said it, I heard, 'don't upset the apricot'. While a large number of people have heard about the proverbial apple cart, and not to upset it, not upsetting the apricot is unique to our family. It means not to mess something up that is working, or to leave well enough alone. If something is existing in peace and harmony, LEAVE IT THAT WAY! Don't upset that apricot. 

3) Old Hats: Definition: an area of expertise, something that someone knows well or is skilled at. 

I thought this was used by everyone until someone at work turned and looked at me funny, when I was teaching them a new skill and told them that before long, it would become old hats. 

4) Sh*t or get off the pot. Some of Momma's saying are a bit....colorful.  She mostly used this one when behind someone in traffic and they have their turn signal on and are not going anywhere. Or similar situations. You get the picture. Momma is always in a hurry when she has a destination. Always has been, always will be...and she does NOT like obstacles in her way....

The Dry Well

This week, I ran into a particularly dry spell in genealogical research. Documents ordered were not arriving or not being located. Missing census records. People I know lived in a particular spot not being found there. Enough to make me throw up my hands and give up. But that is when I have to learn to be patient, because treasures await.

Sometimes, you just have to dig a little harder. Like that dry well, dig a little deeper. And sometimes, you just have to accept the inevitable. Maybe your ancestors were just missed in that particular census.

The ones I keep looking for are Julina Aldridge in the 1870 and 1880 census's. (She had children by the Whitley's, she should have been relatively close to them, shouldn't she?); the family of Thomas Ashley Davis in the 1930 census (they lived in Albemarle in 1920 and 1940, would it not make sense they were there in between?); Travis Crump in 1940 (he was in Albemarle in 1930 and I know at some point he moved to New London, so he should be in one of those two towns), Christine and Maxine Davis in the 1940 census in Winston-Salem, (I know they moved their to work in the Cigarette factories, they were not in the orphanage with their younger brothers in that census, both were over 20 by then and Christine's husband was found boarding there in 1940 and that is also the year they got married, so it only makes sense that the two sisters were somewhere near him as they knew him, and they had obviously not got married by the time of the census, yet), and two of Inez McSwain Hooks daughters in the 1900 and 1910 censuses.

Sometimes, it just takes a little patience, and a lot more digging.

Babies in Boots

Another undentified photo. Three babies in the period dress of the early 1900's, possibly into the 1930's.

What was the oldest little guy thinking as he cradled the younger babies on either side of him? Were their parents friends or are they siblings? Two siblings and a cousin? A group of 3 cousins? The oldest child appears to be a boy due to the hair divided in the middle. Little girls' hair was not styled that way then.

It looks like girls in black stockings are standing behind them and one mother offers a hand to keep the little one on the right sitting instead of rolling over.

These infants would be elderly folks by now, if they are still alive. They were probably members of the Stanly County Whitley, Aldridge, McSwain or Hooks families, from the collection they were found in.

If anyone recognizes these babes, or thinks they favor your grandpa or grandma, please contact me.