The North Carolina Gold Rush took place decades prior to the 1849 rush on California. Much of the growth in Montgomery County around 1820 was due to this draw, the hunger for gold. The area around Swift Island was particularly rich and this was where John Melton, Sr. and his relatives originally settled. Gold could have been the reason, as John was born in Granville County, NC, made a plunge up into Virginia, as his older sons were born there, possibly just across the county/state line, before settling for the remainder of his days in Montgomery (the Stanly side) county.
Gladstone, the original Pfeiffer College, in Misenheimer, Stanly County, just south of Gold Hill
Location of the old Gold Hill Hotel where Nancy Melton became operator
One of the tombstones in the Gold Hill cemetery, Ephraim Mauney, was from Stanly County
After the death of John Sr., and Joseph Sr. , some of the Melton clan moved to the town of Gold Hill, in Rowan. There was the Reed's mine in Cabarrus county, near the west Stanly line, and other mines in Rowan, Randolph, Mecklenburg and Iredell, and several mines, some still in operation, in Stanly county in the New London/Richfield area. But Gold Hill, just a few miles from Stanly and right on the Cabarrus county border, was the center of a grove of mines and activity. During the 1840's, this tiny village, once a mile long, was larger than Charlotte and hosted a collection of the wealthy and well-dressed. After 1849, Gold Hill lost a great deal of her population, but a number of mines remained in production, professionals had settled there, balls were held and dreams were made and lost. Harris Melton and his beloved bride Ann Bird, from Albemarle had settled there by 1850, and also one of the Stanly County Solomon's, who were related to the Melton's in some way, at least to Joseph Sr., and had closr dealings with them. By 1852, according to a court document, John Jr., his wife Nancy Boysworth Melton, and their youngest daughter Laura, settled there. Laura would marry a foreigner, a skilled craftsman, named 'Gill', who had settled in Gold Hill. John would pass away before 1860 and Nancy would operate a hotel in Gold Hill for decades after. Harris Melton's brother Elbert, and a Calvin Melton, most likely another brother of Harris and Elbert, also moved to Gold Hill. The town created a number of widows. The dangerous work was likely the culprit.
Tombstone of Eliza Jane Davis Mauney, wife of Ephraim and Grand-daughter of Job Davis, namesake of this blog. She was a daughter of James and Rowena Davis
I went to Gold Hill to seek information on the hotel, and possibly of the family.
Old Assay Office in Gold Hill
One of the restored Merchantile buildings in Gold Hill
The Smithey's shop
These crows do not fly. I wonder if they attract live crows?
A stroll through Gold Hill is a true stroll through the past
Two houses on the outskirts of the restored village of Gold Hill, one remodeled, one waiting.
Inviting store fronts in the restored mining village
The old Gold Hill Post Office and a view of the street
Gas at this station was never $3.00 plus
A view of the sidewalk from Mauney's store. Both Valentine and Ephraim Mauney married daughters of James M. Davis, granddaughters of Job.
Montgomery's Store, across the street from Mauney's
A plaque commemorating the Gold Hill Mining Office
I wonder if one of these men was one of the Melton and Solomon family?
A difficult picture to take a picture of. I'm intrigued by the row of mining cabins in the woods. There was a mile of these.
A large group of mining employees, Who realized their dreams and who lost their lives trying?
St. Stephens Church Road, Gold Hill
The scene across the meadow is beautiful
A barn in back of one of the houses that dot the community.
This church, on St. Stephens Road, is still in use. It is not the only church in Gold Hill. There are at least three.
On Monday, August 26, 2013, The Stanly County Genealogical Society of North Carolina conducted their August meeting. The presentation at this meeting was in two parts and both extremely informative and interesting.
I have been attempting to attend each and every meeting, but sometime life gets in the way. The last meeting, in July, was a special one as well. James Palmer, a young collector of anything Albemarle, presented and shared his love of artifacts and industry with us and part of his impressive collection. I arrived late due to work and left early due to a family emergency, but would have loved to have been able to attend the entire presentation.
This month's meeting was first addressed by Jonathan Underwood, of the Stanly County Museum. Mr. Underwood has been busy making archival materials available to researchers through the digital site, digitalnc.org . http://digitalnc.org/
This site has everything from maps, photos, club journals and scrapbooks, city directories, and other items valuable to researchers.
Mr. Underwood demonstrated how to use the site and showed some of the documents he had digitized there, including the medical journals of Dr. Francis J. Kron and the market journals of Daniel Freeman.
Daniel Freeman was an early citizen of Albemarle, but he apparently followed the courthouse as his original journals are labeled Lawrenceville, North Carolina, which is no longer in existence, but located on the Montgomery side of the Yadkin/PeeDee rivers. When the counties were divided by the river in 1841, Albemarle, then the small community of Smith's store, and basically a part of the Hearne plantation, became the county seat, the Freemans came along and established his business in Albemarle.
I checked out these journals to see what information I could extract, as the families I am most concerned with at this time hovered close to the Swift Island Ferry, which would have placed them close enough to Lawrenceville to utilize Daniel Freeman's store. And there they were, in the 1830's. I gained a valuable piece of information from these early journals and found more questions. I found a new Melton, William B., who does not appear in any census record, and therefore must have been a dash in one of the older Melton's households. He definately was not the same as William Jones Melton, one of the younger sons of John Melton Sr., who shows up in the 1850 census and migrates later to Missouri. William Jones Melton would have been a child at this time and not making adult purchases. And the entries are very clearly labeled "William B." There are few solitary Williams, but likely the same person as Henry, who shows up in the later journals, is sometimes shown as just Henry and at others as Henry H. Knowing clearly who he is, I would bet there William B and just William are the same person.
Now, it's on to determine what happened to William B Melton. As there was a lot of migration out of the area during the 1830's, he might have caught a wagontrain west to Tennessee or southwest to Alabama or Arkansas. It also calls for an analysis of the other dashes to see who fits where and where he might fit.
I may never find him, yet, he might turn up among the counties of the known family connections who did migrate.
Other available resources at digitalnc.org are confederate pension files, newspapers from surrounding counties, and early maps.
The second part of the meeting was a presentation on the Sesquicentennial of Albemarle, and the restored Albemarle landmark known as the Marks house, given by member Janice Mitchner.
We were presented with a film from 2007 entitled "Beginnings of Stanly County". It started from the time of the native americans, when many tribes passed through this area, with the last and most recent being the Pee Dee Tribe, mound builders that had a town centered near Mt. Gilead in Montgomery County, where the Town Creek Indian Mound area has been restored. On January 11, 1841, a new county called Stanly was formed and the town of Albemarle was born on 51 acres donated by the Hearne family. The area was already a post office known as Smith's Store. Albemarle was incorporated on February 2, 1857.
Newspaper clipping of 1857 Map courtesy of Janice Mitchner. Notice residence of Jim (James R.) Melton and John Howell on 3rd street, two of the families/people I have been researching as of late.
Just a few years after the incorporation of Albemarle, the Civil War would begin and Stanly County would send a 1000 men to fight. This would be followed by the sad and hard time of reconstruction, which would be followed by the industrial boom of the late 1800's, In 1880, Albemarle and Stanly Counties first newspaper would be published called "The Second Century, " this paper would endure and today goes by the name "The Stanly News and Press", or affectionately known as the SNAP. This era was a time of unprecedented growth: Albemarle Telephone Company would open in 1898. The Yadkin Railroad in 1891 followed soon by the Winston-Salem Southbound. Textile Manufacturing would become the towns major industry with the Efird Mill opening in 1896 and Wiscassett in 1898.
Wiscassett Mills
Albemarle's first bank would open in 1899 and the Lillian Mill, at Five Points, in 1894. In 1900, the population of Albemarle was 1382. A big jump from the few in 1857. Allstar Flour Mills would open in 1918 and the landscape would be changed with the skyscraping silos that marked the entrance into town until just a few years ago.
Allstar Mills
With industry came culture and Albemarle began to grow in areas of entertainment and recreation. The Albemarle Opera House opened and then the Stanly Theater. In 1910, Albemarle had a population of 2166, according to the film. Formal education had grown stagnant after the war, and by the early 1900's, small one room schools peppered the landscape. In 1899, Albemarle City Schools were formed and a Normal School was built on Third Street, on the block where Central School now stands.
Stanly County sent over 1700 of her young men to fight in WWI and over 2 dozen never returned. In 1913, Carolina Aluminum Company came to the county, to change its look and industry forever. They were bought by Alcoa in 1915. Narrows dam was built in 1917 and Badin Lake was formed. At the time, the Narrows dam was the tallest concrete structure in America. In 1920, Albemarle had a population of 2691. In 1915, Kingville School would be built in what was then a suburb of Albemarle and is now one of her neighborhoods. Kingville serviced the non-white students until segregation in the early 1970's, when it was closed and is now used as the E. E. Waddell Center. The first true hospital was built in 1924 "Stanly" and Yadkin Hospital followed in 1926. They merged in 1950. In 1930, Albemarle would have a population of 3493 and in 1940, 4060. The film went on to tell of the American Legion Junior World Series held in Albemarle in 1940 and the opening of the radio stations, WABZ and WZKY. Soon, Albemarle would have an Airport in 1947 for Charter flights and privately owned planes. Her population would grow to 11,980 in 1950 and twenty years later, only 11,126. Perhaps the reason for this was more students graduating high school and going on to college during this era, and finding careers in other places, ushering in the era of the traveling grandparents. During the 1970's, Albemarle saw the birth of Stanly Technical Institute, now Stanly Community College. In 1972, the new Courthouse and Library would be built and still exist. By 1980, Albemarle had grown to a population of 15,110. The Agri-Civic Center was built in 1988. The 1990's began the period of the loss of industry as companies began locating outside of the U.S. The film mentioned a newspaper article from up north describing Stanly County as a "Region of Riches" that was losing jobs. It told of the flood of 1997 that shut down Wiscassett Mills for good and of other plant closings. It ended on a bright note of the success of local teenager, Kellie Pickler, who has gone on to be a country star and winner of "Dancing with the Stars".
The Freeman-Marks House before Reconstrcution
After the film, we were given a brief history of the Marks house. It's a pre-Civil War structure that has been relocated 3 times, in 1847, in 1906, and lastly in 1975. It's a small federal style building that housed several of Albemarle's important early citizens. Until 1975, the house was located behind the old Courthouse. It was even used as a store at one time.
Main room of the Freeman-Marks house, trundle bed.
Archibald C Freeman, a local politician and merchant lived there, and it is believed his father was the one who originally built it. It's original location was outside of the town limits, and Daniel Freeman, Archibald's father, had it move to town. He chose a location near the courthouse ideal for business. Others must have thought so too, as two small back rooms were used as offices.
The Freemans sold the house to Mr. Whitson Marks, who was also a local merchant. He also built a boarding house and used the small house as rental property. Known person's to occupy the house were Dr. Richard Anderson, a marksman with the Stanly County Guards during the Civil War, and Attorney Samuel J. Pemberton who wrote the book "North Carolina Criminal Codes and Digest".
Dr. William H. Lilly, a surgeon during the war, who made use of the offices until moving to Concord.
And then the Marks sisters, who dearly loved the house. Sally Marks obtained her PHd from Columbia University and was the first woman professor at Chapel Hill. Minnie Marks died of thypoid at the age of 19. Miss Patty Marks donated the house and lived to be 100 years old. She, too, was an educator.
Miss Patty Marks tends her garden next to the house.
The presentation ended with a tour of the house, which is decorated with period items, many of them native to the house. A small structure with two chimneys, two rooms and two back offices, it has unique detail in its woodwork and is very well made, to have survived as long as it has. It is first mentioned in records in 1847, but is thought to be much older.
This months presentation was very informative and educational. I was enraptured.
In the new, National Geographical Channel series TV show "Diggers", it features two men, "King George" Wyant and Tim "Ringy" Saylor, who have fun with metal detectors and get crazy excited when they find an old coin, or other valuable treasure. When the detector signals a significant object, they call it "juice".
National Geographic Channels "Diggers", Wyant and Saylor.
While researching, when I find something, a document or other item, which may lead to answers to some unsolved questions, I call that "juice."
Recently, in my Melton research, I came across some 'juice' while pouring thru records on Familysearch.org, the Mormon Church, Utah site, which is full of ancestral treasure.
It's the case of The State of North Carolina vs Melton & Bird and its an 1852 court case from Stanly County. I had came across the case already, and had read about its outcome and its historical significance. However, I had not yet read the details of the case, the testimony or the players.
I found these summons:
State vs. Harris Melton and Ann Bird
Supoena for defendants, Rowan County:
James Morphis, D W Honeycutt, John Melton, Charles Reeves and Michael Swisegood to Sept Term 1851. Executed on the 25th of July 1851
note: but D. W. Huneycutt is not to be found in my county.
To the sheriff of Stanly County:
Commanded to summons: Joshua Hearne, James Boysworth, Jarrett Russell, Fanny Russel, Catherine Kirk, Frances Kirk, Charlotte Melton, William Solomon.
Later another supoena of the same list with the name Aaron Saunders added.
Arrest warrant for Ann Bird, Fall Term 1851. Bonded out by James R Melton
March, 1851, Arrest warrant for Harris Melton, Bond signed by Harris Melton and James R. Melton.
An odd date of June 4, 1837 added on near the bottom of this document, near the signatures.
Another Stanly County summons with the names: Henry Marshall, Eben Hearne, and Nelson Hathcock. All of those men were important players in the early politics of Stanly County, serving in offices and general 'movers and shakers' of the community. Already, I am excited about the juice, awaiting the arrival of original documents from the archives in Raleigh. Just the summons tell me a few things.
1) John Melton, Jr. and wife Nancy Boysworth Melton are found in the 1850 cenus of Stanly County. By 1860, Nancy and her daughter Laura J Gill, are living in the town of Gold Hill in Rowan County.
In land records, Nancy Melton is mentioned twice. Once in the division of lands of Jonathan Boysworth, wherein 7 children are named: Almond, Mary, William, Caswell, John, Elizabeth, all Boysworths, and Nancy Melton. Later, sister Mary will marry David Melton. David is one of the sons of John Melton, Sr.
The second time she is mentioned is in a land record dated January 11, 1878, where Nancy Boysworth and surviving daughters, Laura J. Gill and Missouri Forrest of Rowan sell their share of the lands, 'including the residence of John Melton, deceased, 78 acres on the West side of the Pee Dee adjoining Winnie Forrest, Louiza Kirk, J T Forrest and others.
J. T. Forrest, or Jesse Tatum Forrest, was the husband of Missouri. Descendants have her as Missouri Bosworth Forrest, because her name is on a document as such. Bosworth, or Boysworth, was her middle name, apparently, as she was the daughter of John Melton and Nancy Boysworth Melton.
This supoena means that John and Nancy had moved to Rowan County by 1852, and took a few of the sons of Charlotte Melton with them, as well as one of the John Solomon's. Elbert Melton (sometimes shown as Edward), was one of them, as well as a "Calvin". Harris Melton and Ann Bird were living together in Gold Hill in the 1850 census.
The Greensboro article states, " A fourth pardon goes to Chester Melton, convicted in Stanly County of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to eight months on the roads. Melton is 15 and was sentenced in July, and new evidence discovered since the trial seems to establish the innocence of the boy." Greensboro Daily News, Sunday, August 31, 1913.
Who was Chester Melton of Stanly County? What did he do and how is he tied in to the rest of the Meltons?
The only record of young Chester, was as the nephew of Archie Melton of Albemarle, living with Arch and wife Lundy as a child. He appears in the 1900 and 1910 census records.
Was Chester vindicated or did the young man die on the chain gang? More research may or may not tell. His story may be one of the many that evaporated away.
Was he tied in to the Melton family of Stanly County? Yes, as a nephew of Arch Melton, he was.
Arch Melton was a son of Charlotte Melton and a mystery many "Arving" or "Orange" Calloway.
Charlotte Melton was living with James R Melton in 1860. She was indicted as the mother of illegitimate child Elbert Melton in 1841. She was called to testify in the case of Harris Melton and Ann Bird in 1852, as the mother of Harris Melton, along with brothers John Melton, Jr. and James R. Melton, and William Solomon, a brother-in-law.
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Already, I am excited about the juice, awaiting the arrival of original documents from the archives in Raleigh. Just the summons tell me a few things.
