to "Cutter Gap" and the home of "CHRISTYLAND" Del Rio, Cocke County, Tennessee GOD'S COUNTRY U.S.A. By Carolyn Whitaker LAST UPDATE 29 March 2002 Take off your shoes and sit a spell! Come on in and meet the REAL CHARACTERS in the book "CHRISTY", and join me in a journey through the lives of my Click cousins and their friends and neighbors, as they raised their families in an incredible true story that took place in the beautiful Smokey Mountains of Cocke County, Tennessee in the early 1900's. The book "Christy" can be purchased at Barnes and Noble Book Store. PAX - TV & sometimes in other areas on ODESSY - TV network carries the TV series. Check your local cable listings for your viewing area. There is no possible way that I could begin to tell a wonderful story as Lenora Whitaker's daughter, Catherine Marshall told in her book "Christy".  As we all know, this book was written in fiction form, but after delving into the story and talking to family members and descendants from other families involved, the story is pretty much true to the events that actually took place.  The names of the families were changed around, but as I read the book or watch the TV series, knowing who certain family members were, their spirit truely comes to life. My discovery that our family was involved in the story came to light through genealogical research I am doing in preparing to publish a book on the history of my CLICK family, who were among the very first settlers prior to the statehood of Tennessee. Our family is German descent (actually French Hugenots) and settled in Washington County, Tennessee in about 1785, coming down through the Shenandoah Valley along with the many other settlers from the Pennsylvania Dutch settlements. This area of Tennessee. in the heart of the CHEROKEE INDIAN NATION,  was mostly settled by the Germans and Irish, bringing with them the customs and culture of their home country. Many carried with them superstitions that they continued to practice which had been passed down from generation to generation (remember the axe & string in the book?). Strange it seemed to other people, but was a way of life for them. Many of them would isolate themselves and chose to live a secluded life rather than be subjected to ridicule or interference by others. They were very proud, clanish people and took the law into their own hands, the males ruled the roost, and didn't take lightly to outside intrusion.  They were kind and loving people, but of course had their disorderly kin as well. (Course ya know everybody's kin has em!!) As the Christian missionaries made their way around to these isolated areas things changed, but the way of life of the mountain people was difficult for them to understand. LET'S SET THE STAGE: In Catherine Marshall's book she indicates the story beginning in 1912 when Lenora Whitaker, her mother named "Christy" in the book, arrives by train from Asheville, North Carolina to teach in a mission school to the economically distressed "highlanders" children, located a few miles from Del Rio, Tennessee (El Plano in the book).  However, in my research I discovered that Lenora Whitaker, who was 19 years old, was listed in the 1910 census, with what appears to be a sister, Essie Whitaker, age 17. They were boarders residing in the household #235 of Margaret Allison, age 37 single. Also, residing as a boarder was John A. Wood "David Grantland" age 27, Lenora Whitaker's future husband. This area is the location of the mission. To the west of "Cutter Gap" is a mountain called "Hall's Top". This is the general area where Thomas Pack lived, who was mostly portrayed as "Birdseye Taylor" (made up along with other characters such as himself into this character) & his son, Wiley Pack as "Lundy Taylor". I can't find Thomas or Wiley living in this district in 1910, which is known as the "Old Fifteenth". However, we do find that Thomas was born in May, 1873. This area also was occupied by the Turner & Hall families for which the mountain was named, i.e. "Hall's Top". Coming on down from Hall's Top mountain into the area of Big Creek, which is located to the West of Christyland in the valley, we find some of the Click and Fish families. This is the area of the old mill talked about in the book of the "Allen's," which actually was the CLICK MILL owned by James Newton Click and his wife Alice Fish, daughter of Uncle Marion Fish & Laura Avaline Griffith. (Now are ya keepin track of all these "Fishes" yet????cuz it gets MORE confusin as time goes on!) This is Big Creek where the mill was located. Bottom right hand corner you will see Click Mill, up from there you will see Bat Harbor, where a lot of kin to the families in "Cutter Gap" lived. The following information was supplied by Woody Pack who still resides in Tennessee, my notes are in parentheses: "As you make the last hard left turn on your way to the Mission site; the cabin on your right is the third edition cabin of my maternal ancestors. George Washington Ellison had a land grant to 160 acres to the top of Chesnut Ridge and back behind you to the original log cabin of his eldest son, Bertie Ellison who married Lizzie Click (dtr of James Newton Click and Alice Fish). Straight up the ridge behind his cabin is the Ellison Cemetary. If you took a tumble off the ridge from Bertie's cabin you would land at the junction of Morgan Branch and Big Creek. Morgan Branch was Christy's "Cutter Gap" and Big Creek was "Tumbling Creek". "Lonesome Pine Ridge" in the book is Chestnut Ridge then and now. The aforementioned cabin just before the Mission is the home of my last living Uncle Clark Ellison. Clark was born 1910 and said he sat on Christy's knee when he was a child. Christy taught my mom Katherine Ellison at the Mission school. Mom was born 1900 - died 1995. At the fork of the road the Old 15th -- down hill to the left and Chapel Hollow Road up hill to the right, if you look off the bluff to your left and down to the bend of Big Creek you will be looking at the site of the old Click Mill, which I remember well. There was a low head dam at about the junction of Big Creek and Morgan Branch that supplied water for the mill wheel via a wooden Millrace on the far side of the creek. There is still a nice house at this junction, which was occupied at one time by my Dad's brother, Noah Pack and his (first) wife Kate Fish, Minnie ("Ruby Mae") Fish's sister, (and both granddaughters of Uncle Marion Fish & Laura Avaline Griffith). Minnie kept the little store in the corner of the yard. The store has been gone for years . When Kate Fish Pack died (14 May 1944), Uncle Noah married (22 Aug 1945) Altha Click (daughter of Marion Stephen Click ("O'Teale's") and Marcelia Fish, dtr of Uncle Marion Fish)." Remember the song "Rocky Top Tennessee"? You're looking at the mountain written about in the song!! Rocky Top is the mountain on the north side of "Cutter Gap" and the road the families walked to do business in Newport, Cocke Co. Tennessee. They traveled this path because it was shorter distance of 7 miles from their homes, instead of going through Del Rio which was 15 miles from Newport. Many of them had family members on this side of the mountain in the "Bat Harbor Community". One day they would travel to Newport, return to Bat Harbor and spend the night with their kin before going back to "Cutter Gap" the next day. If you will look closely in the center of the map you will see a church - this is Ebenezer Mission and the area where the story took place. On my journey in June, 2000 to the area, I plotted my route to get to the location of the Mt. Zion Church Cemetery where many of these families are buried, and the current location of the church (it was moved from it's original location). I believe this map was drawn by Larry Myers, who is the curator of the site of "Christyland". This is located by the railroad tracks in Del Rio (El Plano) where 'Christy' got off the train. One of our fans of 'Christy', Linda Levengood,  learned that the sign in Del Rio which marks the depot location is actually where Christy got off the train and then she walked down the road to the store and the boardinghouse. Larry Myers said she should have stayed on the train a little longer and gotten off at the whistle stop farther down the tracks, along the French Broad River. Someone was waiting for her there - Marion Fish - Minnie's  (Ruby Mae) grandfather, and the hike over that mountain was only about 1 mile from the Mission. Woody Pack tells us more: "Regarding the Big Mudhole at Soldiers Home curve, my Dad told me how he almost lost a yoke of oxen and a ground slide (sled) loaded with logs at this spot when he was young. Mom told us about getting off the train at Del Rio when we would ride on my Dad's railroad pass, vividly about what she said to the conductor when I got sick and soiled the passenger car, he fussed about it, she reported him and he was real nice thereafter.  I was Mom's first boy after three girls and she was very proud of her son.  I recall the depot at Del Rio and the railway express carts that were always on the platform. My mother's older sister, Louise Elzora (Ellison) Metcalf lived on the right on top of a bluff overlooking Big Creek.  We would stop there and rest when we had to walk in from the depot at Del Rio. A couple of old landmarks were burned by an arsonist last year just prior to Memorial Day. The Lee Pearce place at Laurel Fork and the old log cabin at the Etta Fox place where Flat Branch joins the old 15th road.  The Pearce place is at Flat Branch and the old 15th road.  The arsonist was caught and confessed to burning some 21 places in Cocke Co." This is the Ebenezer Church Mission where the children in Chapel Hollow "Cutter Gap", went to school & families attended church. Three brothers, James "Jack" Newton, William Franklin "France", & Marion Stephen "Hoss" Click donated the land to build the mission. Their cabins were but a short distance from here. The land was originally purchased by their father, William Henry Click, from Brown King and his wife Lucinda Mc Intosh. (Now ya wanna keep your ole eyeballs peeled for more about the McIntosh's too, cuz the plot thickens)  By 1910 the CLICK family had been in Cocke County for 80 years, and many of their friends and neighbors had arrived from North Carolina in many instances during the 1860's & 70's, and of course some much earlier. The grandparents of these 3 Click brothers was JANE CLICK born 16 Mar 1812 Greene Co. TN d. 1 Sept 1896 Del Rio, Cocke Co. TN Buried at Mt. Zion Church Cemetery, Del Rio, and BENJAMIN JACKSON FORD who were not married, their son WILLIAM HENRY CLICK. Benjamin Jackson Ford & wife, Nancy "Lillard" Mantooth contributed by Wm Creed Click, Jr Benjamin Jackson Ford did later marry to another woman named Nancy "Lillard" Mantooth who was part Cherokee Indian, who lived West of Christyland over the mountain in the Grassy Fork Community. Roger Ford who currently resides in Cocke County, gives us further information to the character of "Dr. Neil McNeil": (Now keep in mind that the son's of Benjamin Jackson Ford below are 1/2 brothers to William Henry Click - - got all that yet??? We're no longer "Fish"in, but "Clickin" and now "Fordin"!! Great scot where's the crick??) "Benjamin Jackson Ford was my 2x grandfather (through Nancy Mantooth). His son Reuben Turner Ford was my Great grandfather. Benjamin J. had another son named Burton Ford, "Uncle Bert", as he was called. Now family tradition has it that Uncle Bert's son, Dr. John Abe Ford, who was a self taught doctor, was the doctor or one of them that came over the mountain to the Christy Mission when called upon." (NOTE: Roger will be mailing me a photograph of Dr. Ford and I will add it when I receive it. Now I'll add a little more flavor to the families of Cocke Co., Roger Ford and I are also kin. My 2x great grandmother Phoebe Gray who married William Columbus Click, parent's were James Gray, Sr & Nancy Ann Campbell. She had two sisters, Sarah Campbell who married John Lillard, Sr (John Lillard, Jr (not married to her mother) is the father of Nancy "Lillard"Mantooth who married Benjamin Jackson Ford),  and another sister, Mary Campbell who married Bartlett Sisk. Roger descends through both the Campbell sisters of my 3x great grandmother Nancy Ann Campbell. Now iffin ya stick around long enough you'll see how close these families intermarried. I wasn't kiddin on my mainpage "Aunt Sissie's Cousin's in Common Homeplace" that I'm related to half the county in one way or the other!!) The "O'Teale's" were Marion "Hoss" Stephen Click & Marcelia Fish's family. William "France" Click & Cora Fish were the "McHone's", & James Newton "Jack" Click  & Alice Fish were the "Bob Allen's". These three Fish girls were sisters and daughters of Uncle William Marion Fish and his wife Laura Avaline Griffith (now word has it that Laura's mother was a witch -- member them superstitions I was a tellin ya'll about before?). They also had a son Whipple Carpenter Fish who married Martha Evelyn McIntosh. Martha was the daughter of John H. Hall (remember Hall's Top??) and Nancy Jane McIntosh who never married. (Now hold on with me here cuz you're gonna heer more about all of these families, and ya 'll gotta try to keep em all straight!! And dontcha be a makin fun of the way we talk either, we're juss kin ya know, got your pencil handy???) Photographs of the Click Family members were contributed by my cousin, William Creed Click, Jr. The photos of the people at the mission were given to my cuzzin Billy by his cuzzin "Ruby Mae" Minnie Fish before here death in 1978. William Henry Click Born 30 May 1833 Greene Co. TN d. 16 Jun 1914 Del Rio, Cocke Co. TN. Buried Mt. Zion Cemetery, Del Rio, TN. He served during the Civil War and as Postmaster of the former Readhill, Tennessee Post Office from 22 Jan 1900 to 15 Oct 1907, was a wagonmaker as well as a farmer. William died at the age of 81. Wouldn't surprise me one bit iffin he was "Uncle Bogg" head of the clan. His wife was SARAH ELIZABETH "Bettie" TURNER. Now here comes MORE ya gotta keep straight. Bettie Turner, was the daughter of Lorenzo Dow Turner and Eliza Buckner. Now here's where ya don't want to forget about ole "Birdseye Taylor" aka Thomas Pack. (Now William Henry was a 2nd cousin to my great grandpa) Thomas Pack was born May 1873, son of William Massey Turner and Carolyn Pack (who's related to all the other Pack's in the area), who were not married. Massey Turner was also a son of Lorenzo Dow Turner, and sister to Bettie. NOW would ya believe that ole "Birdseye Taylor" is a FIRST COUSIN to the three Click brothers (my cuzzins) through their maternal side!!! Now don't that just beat all??? Now ole Tom Pack died in 1937 and is buried near "Hall's Top" mountain in the Fish/Turner Cemetery in an unmarked grave. He was married 3 times and had a total of 9 children. Two of his marriages were to his Turner cousins, one of which divorced him because of violence and court ordered him to stay away from her, the poor thing!!! No wonder "Lundy" was such a little heathen!! Onary ole cuss. Now we know that Cocke County is famous for being the "Moonshine Capital of the World", so ya better go back and re-read the book again so ya can make the connections again, wouldn't ya think??? Now we know that ole "Birdseye Taylor" was a "shiner" and we also know that Marion "Hoss" Click was a "shiner" too. So rest assured there was a WHOLE lot of "pink lemonade" flowing in the cove. Larry Myers told me that "Ruby Mae" caught a bunch of yungins makin shine, held a shotgun on em and pushed the still over the mountain. Don't know which of the bunch it was for sure though. Now I know my Click kin were "shiners" too cause my great grandpa told my grandmammie he had to put that ole whiskey down cause he liked it too much, he juss forgot to tell her how much trouble it got him into. One of the other Click cuzzins in Newport was sellin whiskey to the Union Army during the civil war and I got the receipt for that one!! Other interestin thing about the movie "Tobacco Road" that was made back in the '50's was about the moonshinin in Cocke Co. & believe it was filmed in the area as well. William Franklin "France" (The McHones) Click & Cora Fish, daughter of William Marion Fish & Laura Evaline Griffith. Cora Fish is the aunt of Minnie Fish who was portrayed as "Ruby Mae" in the book. Cora died in 1912 of typhoid fever and France remarried to Milem Shelton. Prior to France's marriage to Cora Fish he had a couple of out of wedlock children with Nancy Jane McIntosh. Their son John Reuben McIntosh lived with France and Cora for a while until France made Nancy Jane McIntosh mad for whipping John Reuben, and he was sent away and raised by a family in Sevier Co. and lived near his aunt, Elizabeth McIntosh Henry. John Reuben inherited land from his aunt and died in 1975 in Sevierville, Tennessee on that farm.(Remember Lucinda McIntosh and Brown King, who sold the land to France Click's father? She is the sister of Nancy Jane McIntosh & she and Brown King eventually moved to Greenville, South Carolina where France moved later.) Now another story has it that a Click who lived in the Del Rio area killed a man by the name of Gentry over a poker game. Now ya know they were a drinkin some of that moonshine they was a makin up there!! Story I heard was the Gentry guy was beaten to death with a board. Now I haven't discovered the culprit yet, but the irony of it all is that my great grandfather, William Reginald Click, born 1840 in Cocke Co. was involved in a murder in Monroe Co. Tenn during the Civil War with a neighbor by the name of Pink Gentry. My grandpa and Pink both ran, and Pink ended up living in Hot Springs, North Carolina which is on the road to Asheville, and just over the line from Del Rio. The Gentry boy was the son of Pink and supposedly killed by one of our cousins!!! MORE to investigate!! See picture of Minnie Fish "Ruby Mae" on the other  "Christy" website (be sure to scroll down the page to also see the Click Family's cabin) Their son, William Creed Click, Sr is in picture below. He is father to our cousin, Billy JR who has graciously shared some of this information with me. Remember the check stubs that "Christy" found when she went back to "Cutter Gap" in the O'Teale cabin from the mills in South Carolina?) Wellll, France Click left the mountains and went to work in the mills in Greeneville, South Carolina and later moved to Shelby Co., North Carolina, where he died 26 Dec 1932. He is buried on the farm where his old homestead stood in "Cutter Gap". Going on the Old Fifteen road you go past Chapel Hollow road that leads up to Christyland and continue on until you get to the concrete bridge where you will see a rock chimney standing on the righthand side of the road.  If you'll look at the movie set you will also see this replica of the chimney of France's home. Arsonists burned the log cabin dwelling a few years ago. The cemetery is located on the lefthand side of the road just before the bridge up a steep hill. Now here is William Creed Click, Jr "cuzzin Billy, JR" with his mother, who so graciously shared his history and photographs with us. Remember Lorenzo Dow Turner above and Eliza Buckner? Billy's mama, Mary Helen Painter, is the great granddaughter of Lorenzo Dow Turner. Lorenzo had another son, Reuben C. Turner (brother of Sarah Elizabeth Turner who married William Henry Click). His daughter, Mary Ellen Turner married John Dolphus Painter, and are parents to Mary Helen. Billy Click, JR's daddy married twice, 1st to Nellie Mae Painter, sister of Mary Helen. William Creed Click, SR was the son of William Franklin "France" (the McHones) Click and Cora Fish. Creed, SR was born and raised in "Cutter Gap" and attended the mission school. (Remember the name Creed Allen in the book???) Creed, SR is in the photographs below at the mission with "Christy". Cuzzin Billy, JR is one of the most kind and loving people you'd ever want to meet. He is deaf, but you'd sure never know it, as he takes care of his elderly mother and works long hours. I love you cuzzin Billy.....you're the greatest!! Mary Helen was born also in "Cutter Gap" and married Creed Click, Sr after her sister died. Taken ca. 1909 Del Rio, Tenn. The lady was a mission worker who had this group of young boys in her class and called the "Sunshine Workers". Front L to R: The lady is believed to be "Christy" but there again may have been "Miss Alice Henderson", Noah Pack, William Creed Click, Sr (cousin Billy's Dad), Nathan Pack, Tillman Ball, Back L to R: Frank Turner, Marion Stephen "Hoss" Click, Charlie Toby, Frank Cashen. Taken 1917 at the mission, Back: Baleue Turner (standing), Marion Stephen Click (lots of forehead showing with big hat) Middle L to R: William Franklin "France" Click, Jim Griffin, Willie Clark, Nathan Pack, Noah Pack (husband of Kate Fish & Altha Alice Click, dtr of Marion Stephen Click), Lenora Whitaker "Christy" Front L to R: Noah Click (son of Marion Stephen Click), Harley Pack, Mack Clark, Frank Turner, & Jess Pack (father of Woody Pack) Uncle William Marion Fish, wife Laura Avaline Griffith, & granddaughter, Minnie Fish "Ruby Mae" taken abt 1907. Contributed by Wm. Creed Click, Jr, great grandson. In an article of the Newport Plain Talk newspaper submitted by Mrs. Wilford Metcalf a few years ago, she talks about Uncle Marion Fish....an excerpt (my notes in parenthese): "Ebenezer was started by Catherine Plantz (Miss Alice Henderson) of Watertown, Wisconsin, a member of the Soul Winner Society in the late 1800's. Before she came, a wandering preacher came through this area preaching and happened to have services at old Fair View, a little meeting house that stood on the point of the hill above the present home of  Mrs. Opal Turner (sister of Minnie Fish "Ruby Mae"), better known as the old Tall Corn Place (Larry Myer's kin & believe this is the place that burned years ago, curator of "Christyland"). He asked the people about starting a Sunday School, and of course, everyone was interested. Then suddenly in the fall of that year a young lady stepped off the train at Bridgeport to be greeted by a crowd of men sitting around a big stove with tobacco juice going strong sometimes landing in the sand box around the stove and sometimes other places. As Miss Plantz walked into the store, Uncle Marion Fish seemed to be the spokesman and said, "Where ye hedin fer, young lady?" She then told her story of how the preacher man told her how much these people in the Tennessee hills wanted a Sunday School and that she had been told some one would meet her, but no one had been so instructed in this group. So again Uncle Marion spoke and said, "I'll let you ride my mule - I've come to mill but I can carry my turn of meal and you can stay with me and Laura until we find a place for a Sunday School." She remained with the Fish family for a few months, going down to Fair View for services. Aunt Betty Ellison's relative took a liking to the mission lady and Uncle Marion Fish and his son in laws, Jack and Marion Click." Catherine Plantz later married Mr. William Nomack, who had come to join her from Wisconsin. They left and went to China. John Wood then came, and is the one credited with building the church and school. Apparently not long afterward Lenora Whitaker "Christy" arrived and she and John were married. They took over together until they were called away to another location. There were many other missionaries who came as well after the Wood's left. Another excerpt from Newport Plain Talk newspaper.... "After the 20's, Miss Frances Marston took over the school. The school had always been on a paying basis; each child had to pay 60 cents a month. If one could see the books that burned you would read like this. M.S. Click - plowed in garden for schooling (The O'Teale's) D. F. Turner's brought vegetables Smith Teague hauled wood J.R. Turner brought fruit and vegetables A.J. Corn brought vegetables (Artor Corn , father of Opal Corn Myers "Jeb Spencer") And on down the list until every family's schooling was paid for. After Miss Marston had been there a while she gave the children jobs to help pay their way and the rent had to pay to use books. Children walked for miles to Ebenezer. The children of Jake Hall and some Bullingtons walked from Chestnut Gap. Roy Metcalf and Myers boys walked from David Carvers.The Frances Click children from up creek, the David Turner children, the Foxes and Turners from the T. Hollow and even Tob's from Sol Messer Mountain. They kept some of the children, who lived to far away to walk, there at Ebenezer. From the time Miss Frances Marston came she had regular classes with certain groups going for Bible down at the dwelling. Summer workers came and continued the sewing and catechism classes until 1927. When Miss Marston died in Knoxville General Hospital from surgery for a tumor, Mrs. Mary R. Henderson remained until late 1928 but she had her restive case of T.B. and the grief over Miss Marston's going so suddenly caused her case to become active and she felt that she should go back to her stepdaughter's home in Cameron, Texas." Martha Evelyn McIntosh, about age 8 yrs, is the daughter of John H. Hall and Nancy Jane McIntosh. This photo was graciously shared by David Johnson, her grandson (in photo below). Now I told ya not to forget about all those Fishes didn't I??? Are ya ready for round 1,2,3 or whatever # it is?? Martha married Whipple Carpenter Fish, son of Uncle Marion Fish and Laura Avaline Griffith. Martha was also sent off the mountain (as John Reuben McIntosh, son of France Click) to live with another family by the name of Abe Watts in Greene Co. Tennessee. At some point she returned to end up marrying Whip Fish, circumstances we're not quite sure about. They had a large family and left Tennessee and moved to Georgia. It was quite by coincidence that I connected with this family. I was scrolling through queries on the Cocke Co. genealogy site lookin for other family who might be researching and found a query about my Click cousins and Jane McIntosh's death certificate that David had posted. I emailed him a reply and the next thing ya know we're plannin to meet in Tennessee to do some research together and figure out what was going on up in those mountains. Boy, did we ever get an education!! and had a fabulous trip walking through "Christyland" visiting with Larry Myers and scouting around through the cemeteries, court records, and libraries which netted us a huge amount of information. Jane McIntosh's family had lived as neighbors to William Henry Click since at least the 1870's when her parents moved to Cocke Co from Hawkins Co. Tennessee. Nancy Jane was born abt Dec 1854 and died 1925 while residing in the household of France Click & Cora Fish's son, CREED CLICK, SR & his lst wife, Nellie Painter at the old France Click homestead.  France had gone to South Carolina by this time. Jane had helped raise the children of the Click families and they ended up burying her when she died. Where she is buried we are uncertain, but possibly in the Click Farm cemetery. In June, 2000 David Johnson and I met in Tennessee and these photos are the result of our adventure with Larry Myers (who's the greatest) and now the owner of the Marion Stephen Click and Marcelia Fish (O'Teale) homestead. (Sure ya won't let me move into that cabin Larry??) Larry Myers on left and David Johnson on right at the O'Teale cabin. Fireplace inside the O'Teale cabin. Marion Stephen Click "Hoss"& his wife, Marcelia Fish lived in this cabin until their deaths, he 1941 and she in 1951. After that time their son, James Madison Click lived  here to care for his brother John Henry Click until his death 1958. James Madison resided here until the 1960's when it was purchased by Larry Myers. To the right of the fireplace is the corner that John Henry Click, who was an epileptic, was penned & talked about in the book. Back then they didn't know what epilepsy was and didn't know how to handle them so they were confined. They just figgered they had the curse. To the left was where his parents slept in the corner. Across the room (where the steps are located) is the kitchen area. Not a very large home for a family of 13 children. All the children slept upstairs on tick pallets. L to R: David Johnson, Carolyn Whitaker, & Phillip Ellison. While David & I were visiting Larry Myers (who's home is behind us and the home of Mrs. Opal Corn Myers, (who's mama and papa were "Jeb & Fairlight Spencer"), Phillip dropped in to borrow something from Larry. When I realized who he was, we immediately got the camera ready. You see David Johnson and I are not related, but we have what we call "Cousins in Common".  Phillip's mother was Lizzy Click who married Bertie Ellison (remember further back about Woody Pack's family above??? he's kin to Phillip too). Lizzy Click's parents James Newton Click & Alice Fish (photo below). Course I'm related through the Click's and David's related to Phillip through the Fishes. David's grandpa Whip Fish and Alice Fish were brother and sister. Now do ya have all of that straight yet??? It does become a bit confusing sometimes! :-) I could get started on how I'm related iffin YA really wanted to know, but I'm a tellin ya you ain't got enough time right now. Now meet the "Bob Allen's". . . . owners of the Click Mill. Laura Avaline Griffith Fish (now her mama is the one purported to be a witch) died 1932, wife of Uncle William Marion Fish died 1924, with daughter Alice Fish Click died Nov 1963 in Walden, New York, with her husband James "Jack" Newton Click born 14 April 1863 died 9 Oct 1929 and buried in the Mt. Zion Church Cemetery, and sons Andrew, Walter and daughter Marie.  He was truant officer for the school, squire Justice of the Peace), merchant, and owner/operator of the Click Grist Mill. David Johnson at the Mt. Zion Cemetery where many of the families have their final resting place. The Ebenezer Church was moved next to the cemetery where it is still used for services of the descendants of these families. The old bell tower is still attached and the bell can be seen from inside the church. OUR NEXT ADVENTURE 27 MARCH 2002 We just couldn't resist the temptation to travel to one of our favorite spots again to refresh our memory of the first visit to "Christyland".  David Johnson contacted me and on a trip to Tennessee with his two sons, Chris & Chad, the four of us made a trek to show the boys the area where their great great grandmother, Jane McIntosh,  had lived and died. L to R: David, Chad, & Chris Johnson at the "O'Teale" cabin While we were there our "cousin in common" Phillip Ellison was trekking up the area to check on one of his vehicles. We stopped to visit with Phillip again and he showed us the area on top of the mountain behind Minnie Fish's ("Ruby Mae") cabin where she was buried. David Johnson at his 1st cousin 1x removed, Minnie Fish's cabin On our first visit we weren't able to see Minnie's cabin for all the brush growing around it. And ,of course, at that time all the snakes were out & we definitely agreed it wouldn't be a good time to try to hike back into the area. After finally convincing all that the snakes weren't out yet, reluctantly, David finally agreed to make the hike up the mountain to find the cemetery. The mountain is straight up & very steep. Phillip showed us a location that would be easier to climb to get to the cemetery. So off the four of us went, huffin & a puffin, slippin & slidin, to crawl up the mountain. It was a cloudy, dreary day, and had been raining earlier in the day, making the area quite slippery. (I must admit I wouldn't have made it up or down without the assistance of the men!! Boy I HATE admittin that one!!! :-) But none the less, we finally reached the top to discover the cemetery. I stood in amazement at how in the world they could ever drag a coffin up that mountain! We discovered four marked graves inside a small fenced area. Minnie Fish, her mother Julia Belle Burke Fish, and her brother, William McKinley Fish. Also, a rock marked with R.W. Marrow with no dates was there. There may also be more graves there that we were not aware of. Julia Belle Burke Fish, wife of John Fish R. W. Marrow, with no dates. We're not sure if this person is related to the Fish or Burke families NOTE: THESE PAGES MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF CAROLYN WHITAKER Copyright 2001 & 2002  Carolyn Whitaker   All Rights Reserved     7 March 2001 EMail           Home       Back