Swift Memorial College

Eight thousand dollars were expended in adding a wing to each end of the Main Buildin at Swift Memorial College Rogersville Tenn One wing was left unfinished for lack of funds The whole improvement when done will cost about $10,000 (Source: Minutes - United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. 1913, p. 248) Link

"In 1883, Union Presbyterian Church sent the Reverend William Henderson Franklin to Rogersville to organize a school for Negro girls. The school was named for the Reverend Elijah E Swift, president of the Board of Missions for Freedmaen of the Presbyterian Church. By 1893, Swift Memorial College had a three story administration building and a girls dormitory, located where the Presbyterian Church now stands." (Touring the East Tennessee Backroads, Second Edition,Carolyn Sakowski, John F. Blair, Publisher, 2007, p. 142)

Boys Dormitory

 

 After so long a time we are at last able to to the readers of the HERALD and the Memorial Institute with the understanding that our Board would erect an additional building for the accommodation of young men at a cost of at least $10,000. It took two years to raise this desired amount, and another year was consumed in obtaining plans, and erecting and furnishing the building. It is now finished and occupied much to the delight of the President Faculty and students. In the year 1903- 4, $7,202 were raised, in the year 1904-5 $2,174 more were raised bringing the amount up to $9,373. When we reached this point we began our plans for building, many friends of our work a picture of the boys new dormitory at Swift Memorial Institute in Rogersville, Tenn. 

It will be recalled by those who keep themselves informed of current events, in connection with our work that after the Tennessee Legislature made it unlawful to educate colored and white pupils in the same school, the trustees of Maryville College, Maryville ,Tenn, that had formerly admitted both colored and white to its classes agreed to turn over $25,000 of its Endowment Fund to the Trustees of the General Assembly for the benefit of colored education at Swift and although delayed somewhat by the first contractor, who failed to give sufficient bond, we started again and finished the building far enough to have it occupied by students last fall, although some finishing touches were not put on until as late as last spring. The total cost of the building and furnishing was $12,676. The Institution is in a prosperous condition under the faithful and able administration of Rev WH Franklin DD. The arrangement seems quite satisfactory to the Tennessee people white and black and both colleges seen much benefited by this adjustment of affairs. (Source: The Presbyterian Magazine, 1901, p. 635) Available on Google Books, Link 

William Henderson Franklin: college president was born in Knoxville Tenn Apr 14, 1852, son of Henderson and Elizabeth Bates Franklin. AB Maryville College, 1880, AM 1883 STB Lane Theological Seminary Cincinnati, Ohio, 1883; DD Maryville College 1898, married Mrs Laura C Emmons of Concord, N C Dec 24, 1893. Conducted State Teachers Institute Knoxville 1881-2, founded Swift Memorial College Rogersville Tenn 1883, and since pres gave $1,000 1912 toward purchasing lot for college building. 

Presbyterian Pastor St Mark's Church Rogersville 1883-1914, erected new church on ground secured from the Freedmen's Board of the Presbyterian Church, principal organizer Rogersville Presbytery and Synod of E Tenn, gave name and was first moderator of both, again elected moderator of latter by acclamation 1913 commissioner to General Assembly of Presbyterian Church USA for Holston Presbytery (white) 1888-1902; Trustee Maryville College. Republican. Member East Tennessee Colored Teachers Assn, pres 1914. Active in all race matters. Contributor to New York Age, Herald and Presbyter (Cincinnati), the Continent Chicago and other papers. 

Laura C Franklin matron and principal born at Concord, N C on Oct, 1858, daughter of Dalia Holmes, ed Scotia Seminary, Concord; married William Holmes, deceased, 2d marriage Rev William H Franklin pres Swift Memorial College of Rogersville, Tenn Dec 24, 1893. Reared under influence of Scotia Seminary and helped in the care of its students, teacher in schools of Concord 1870-92, became matron 1892, matron and principal since 1893 with Swift Memorial College devoted to child welfare work labored unselfishly and sacrificed much for good of colored race.

In 1932 the Presbyterian Board of National Missions sold the Swift College property to the county.

 

Amis Mill Needs Your Help!

                             Recent Rains have endangered the Amis Mill Dam                                 
Photo credit: Jake, used with his permission

The dam, which was constructed in 1780, is being threatened by the wear and tear of more than 200 hundred years.  If steps are not taken to stabilize the dam, eventually it will fail.  This will be a loss for everyone who loves Tennessee history.

                                           Recent Rains have endangered the Amis Mill Dam                                                                   Photo credit: Jake, used with his permission

                           

   Article about the Save the Dam Project in the Kingsport Paper: Link

Flooding at Amis Mill Dam on Big Creek in Hawkins County   Photo credit: Jake, used with permisson                                                                                                            

Find out how you can support this project: Link

 

History of the Amis House

Amis Mill Restaurant and Park

 

Photos of Amis Mill Dam in late Spring.

Picnic Table above the dam

Remains of the mill

Waycross, Tennessee

Photo credit: Google maps

GPS coordinates: 36° 35' 35" North, 82° 38' 55"

Near the Virginia state line in Stanley Valley. The area is also called Cameron for the local church and Waycross for the railroad station¹ (on the CC&O railroad). Link

Other descriptions say it is in Churchill, Mount Carmel or Carter Valley.
 

1The Bellamys of Early Virginia, Joe David Bellamy, iUniverse, 2005, p. 242

 

Cameron Methodist, just over the Virginia state line
Photo credit: Google maps

 

Hawkins County Marble

"US Capitol west side" by Martin Falbisoner - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons -

The Hawkins County marble was the first quarried and it is said that it w brought to notice by the favorable expression with reference to it by Dr Troost, the first State geologist.

In 1838 the Rogersville Marble Company was formed for the purpose of sawing marble and establishing a marble factory in the vicinity of Rogersville. Orville Rice was elected president and SD Mitchell secretary. The company operated to a limited extent for several years, erected a mill and sold several thousand dollars worth of marble annually, which was mostly distributed in East Tennessee. In 1844 the company sold out to the president, Rice, who on a moderate scale carried on the business for many years. He sent a block of the “light mottled strawberry variety” to the Washington monument This was called the “Hawkins County Block” and bears the inscription “From Hawkins County, Tennessee. Another block of one of the best varieties was sent, by act of the Legislature, which was called the State Block. These blocks attracted the attention of the building committee of the National Capitol, who although they had numerous specimens from all parts of the Union before them, decided in favor of the East Tennessee marble. An agent was sent out by them to ascertain whether or not it could be obtained in quantity who upon examination found the supply apparently inexhaustible. As a result of these circumstances, an extensive quarry affording an excellent material, has been opened near Mooresburg, Hawkins, County, and is now known as the old Dougherty Quarry. From this was obtained marble for probably one half of the ornamental work in the Capitol at Washington. The balustrades and columns of the stairs leading up to the House and Senate galleries, the walls of the marble room, and other parts of the building are made from it. It has since been used in the United States Treasury building, the State house at Columbia, SC, and many of the finest buildings in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Cincinnati. The stone from this quarry has not been used for general construction on account of the high price which it commands for ornamental work. 

Tennessee Marble

Old Union Meeting House Tragedy May of 1866

Union United Methodist Church  Photo credit Sharon Phillips McMurray

There are two accounts of a tragic event that occurred at the Union Meeting House in April of 1866.  The first account is from Mrs. Bean, wrote a letter to Richard Nye Price in 1910.  She was not a witness, but since she lived close to the church, she recalled what her neighbors told her.  The second article is from a newspaper article that was published soon after the event and later published in the Evening Telegraph (Philadelphia).

Old Letter from Mrs Bean to the Reverend Richard Nye Price dated 1910

Mrs Bean lived one mile away from the church and relates the following details:

Bn Hichey had an appointment to preach and it seemed like a very large crowd had formed

Theopholus "Theo "Schrivener and two of his sisters were among the congregation. Two boys named Ben and Clint Walters had been lured by a bad man named Frank Monday to prevent Mr Hichey from preaching. However, Mr Hichey had not arrived and the boys began to make trouble with Mr Shrivener.

The Walter's boys were armed and demanded that Me Schrivener come out.

At this point, Mr Eldridge Hord and William Shelton, both old men. took the ring leaders to the door and put them out roughly. He turned around and shot Mr Hord in the crowd.

Sam Smith, on the outside of the house, shot Mr Walters, then the other Walter brother shot Smith. Although hit, Smith fired and hit his assailant, severely, but not fatally.

The first boy lay in the yard dying and asking someone to pray for him. Ephriam Brown went out to pray for him.

The other wounded men recovered.

Not withstanding all ot his Ben Hichey came out at last and preached.

Mrs. B.L. Bean

The old log church and cemetery  
Photo credit: Sharon Phillips McMurray

Fatal Tragedy at a Funeral

The Bristol (Tenn.)

News reports the following particulars of a fatal tragedy which occurred last Sunday, at a church called Union, in the northeastern portion of Hawkins county, Tenn. The funeral of John Ellis, Jr., who had been a Confederate soldier, was to be preached by the Rev. R. M. Hickey, of the Holston Conference.

Two men by the name ot Walters, perhaps brothers, manifested a disposition to disturb the quiet of the
ssembly. Eldridge Hord, Esq., ot that community, remonstrated against their conduct, some angry words ensued, and Walters shot Hord, wounding him severely in the thigh.

Whereupon Samuel Smith, who bad been a Confederate soldier, fired twice upon Walters, killing:
him on tbe spot. The other Walters then shot Smith, wounding him slightly. Smith returned
the fire, wounding the second Walters mortally, and then made his escape.

(Source: Emory & Henry College Archives: Link

(Source: The evening telegraph. (Philadelphia [Pa.]), 25 April 1866. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025925/1866-04-25/ed-1/seq-1/>