Remembering a First Memory!

 

My first cognizant memory was the New Years' Eve when I was two-years-old.  I'm not sure why I remember it was that date, but know that the memory has always been my memory - not an event that my siblings or parents told.  Both my Mom and Dad confirmed the memory over the years, but the clue was the fact that I had the croup that year. We were living in a house owned by Dr. Robert Elder, that was very near the feed mill owned by my parents.  In fact, this lot adjoined the feed mill lot.  [Important for a genealogist, who always tries to put the whole story together.]

I was feeling better in the evening, and was lying on the couch wrapped up.  Soon, people in the neighborhood (town of Cedar Hill)  were shooting fireworks in celebration of the coming New Year.  I'm sure that my brothers had a few firecrackers and maybe a few rockets of their own to propel in the stars. 

I remember Dad picking me up off of the couch, and wrapped me in a soft, orange plaid blanket with satin wrapped bound edges.  He carried me outside to see the fireworks.  I remember the laughter of my siblings, the noise of firecrackers, the oohs when a colorful rocket exploded in the air, and the brilliant colors. As the fireworks continued, I remember seeing the bright light reflecting on my Dad's face.  I was warm, secure and protected.  There were other people around watching these fireworks outside, but, mostly, I remember seeing the faces of my family.  

My older brothers always enjoyed shooting fireworks.  This pattern  continued into adulthood. Other than this strange year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have gathered in the Summer to enjoy fireworks at my brother - Denny's house.   As a fireman, he always ensured that the fireworks were handled safely, always made with proper precautions, and available equipment.  As the younger nieces and nephews grew, they were allowed to participate in the family tradition.

I think that the reason this memory remains so vivid in my mind, is that it includes the faces of my family. My family has always provided a warm, secure place to grow, be loved, and be encouraged.  It has been a long time, but FAMILY ALWAYS COUNT!  I understand that not all of us have been blessed to grow in an family like this.  I wish all of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR that brings you joy, love and happiness in your life.   

I look forward to sharing more of my memories with you in the coming days.  Memories shared are part of Keeping The Story Alive!        J. Mark Lowe

Remembering Summertime Old Time Gospel Meetings

[Photograph: A singing school at the Mt. Zion Methodist Church, Robertson County, Tenn.]
J. Mark Lowe
Robertson County Historical Society

Growing up in Robertson County, some of my best stories are about attending Gospel Meetings or as some groups call a Revival Meeting. These were almost always in the mid-Summer after crops were growing, but before the busy harvest season. Hosted by local churches, these meetings typically brought in a visiting evangelist for a week-long event.
These events almost always began with a great food event. Although you don’t hear this phrase as often these days, the concept of dinner on the grounds is still a part of summer church gatherings. When I was a young man, these dinners were often held under the shade trees of some church member’s yard. Remember, we didn’t have air-conditioned homes or churches in those days.
Mr. John Sory and Maxine Inman Stroud hosted many of these picnics for the church of Christ in Cedar Hill. At that time, they lived on Garrett Road between Springfield and Cedar Hill. Their frame house set on a small hill with lots of trees in the front yard. The Stroud children, Faye, John, Tom, Sandra, Ken and Jim, helped everyone unload their food. Two large wagons covered with tablecloths became laden with some of the best food ever made. After the traditional blessing by the visiting preacher, the crowd would grow quiet while plates were heaped with favorite recipes and traditional foods. Almost everyone had a garden then, so the fresh tomatoes, squash casseroles, green beans, garden peas, and sliced cucumbers were homegrown and freshly picked.
Henry W. ‘Bill’ Baggett would choose his favorite dish, usually a dessert, and declare it ‘larrupin good.’ Of course, everyone who hadn’t tasted his choice, had to come back for their own judgment. There are some great restaurants in Robertson county and surrounds, but most of my favorite foods are directly related to these ‘dinners on the grounds’ Miss Lucille’s pickles, Miss Janie Ruth’s rolls and chocolate pies, Miss Ann’s roast beef and potatoes, Miss Rebecca’s ‘fatback’ and my Mama’s cherry cobbler have formed my taste buds. The ladies would often share and receive recipes for a new entree or family favorite.
After enjoying this bountiful feast, the crowd would settle down for conversation and the young folks would wander away to play. With six Stroud children as hosts, the young people at their home were well entertained. I still remember the year when I rode a bicycle around the yard at the Strouds. My usual gang of friends were there: Billy Corbin, Ken Stroud, Jim Stroud, Gail Carter [Jenkins], Steve Carter. Although my brothers had bicycles, their bikes were too large for me to ride. Ken showed me how to pedal and keep my balance. The group balanced the bicycle as I took my first tentative ride. I rode around the back of the house and began to build up some speed. As I approached the side of the house, the yard ran down to the driveway which sloped even further toward the road. Feeling very confident, I peddled away from my protectors and headed towards the driveway. Once I had committed to that direction, I realized that the cars were parked so closely that I wouldn’t be able to navigate this wobbly two-wheeled device between the cars.
In spite of my wonderful tutelage by Ken and the gang, they had failed to show me one important action. I did not know how to stop the bicycle. Rolling ever faster down the driveway, I realized that my stop would probably be sudden and hard. Deciding whose car I would hit was flashing through my mind, but choices like that would require more dexterity than this young boy could muster. Splat! I stopped in the middle of someone’s green Oldsmobile. No visible damage to either the car, bicycle or me, although my bruises did not appear until later. My entourage decided we should probably restrict our riding to the back and side yards.
We wandered back towards the adults when we heard a discussion about keeping in shape. Our young minister, Frank Bunner, challenged another of the men to a push-up contest. Willie Carter was the other challenger. Willie suggested they do inverted push-ups with their feet up the side of a tree. Mr. Carter then demonstrated and did several push-ups basically while standing on his head. The two men laughed and the younger Bunner told Mr. Carter that he believed he could still wrestle him down. I believe there might be old home movies of the Bunner-Carter wrestling match. The two men grappled and tussled while laughing and encouraging the other. There was no doubt that Willie Carter would be the winner. I remember some mention of the wrestling match during the sermon that night, but don’t recall the details, except Jacob and the angel.

Usually after all had played awhile, a group would pull out some songbooks and an impromptu acapella singing would erupt. Gathering around with our parents and their friends was often a highlight of the day. E.W. ‘Dutch’ Armstrong was the prominent bass. His brother, Doug Armstrong, would often take the lead, while everyone else joined the singing. The Armstrong boys had learned to sing back in Stewart county in one of the traveling singing schools. Using shaped notes, they often would share techniques for reading music with our group. Although the harmony was beautiful, all were invited to participate, whether they could carry a tune or not.
This wonderful event finally ended when someone suggested they needed to go feed the cows or milk before church time. Family, friends and visitors were warmly greeted as they parted this wonderful fellowship.
More on these memories later. Keep telling those stories

Family Farm Recognized

Ayres Family Farm recognized for Century of Agricultural Production

J. Mark Lowe

(as printed in the Robertson County Times, 20 Jan 2010)

Dan and Billie Ann Ayres along with their family were recognized in 2008 as living on a Tennessee Century Farm, by the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus. The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. This project recognizes the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program.

On 7 April 1909, Daniel P. and Mary Ayres acquired 83 acres in Cedar Hill from J. B. and Malissa Robertson. Dan P. and Mary were parents to three sons, Joseph, Jack and William, and raised tobacco and corn. Prior to this, Daniel P. Ayres had been an undertaker in Cedar Hill.

div>The second owner of the land was Daniel’s brother, James M. Ayres. He acquired the property in 1910. He and wife Mary Elizabeth Moon reared five children: Bessie Ellen [married Walton Benton Cope], James Louis, Willie Stephen, Samuel Lee and Wallace [died as infant]. During this generation, the farm produced corn, tobacco and wheat. Daniel P. Ayres established a grist mill in Cedar Hill, which he operated until his death.

James M. Ayers and his wife, Mary mortgaged the land to the Union Central Life Insurance Company on 22 Sept 1913. The mortgage was for $700. A description of the property was included on the mortgage:

Beg at a stone, Jesse Alley’s Southeast Corner thence East 50 & 1/6 poles to a Stone, Bob Alley’s corner; thence North crossing the Adams and Barren Plains road [now known as Sturgeon Creek Road] with Bob Alley’s line 240 poles to a stone in William Miles line; thence West with his line 56-1/2 pols to a stone, Allbrooks’s Southeast corner; thence North 5-1/2 poles to a stone; thence West 3-1/3 poles to a stone in said Allbrook’s line; thence South crossing the Adams and Barren Plains road with Jesse Alley’s line 245-1/2 poles to the beginning , containing 83 acres.

After James M. Ayres died in 1919, the family sought to complete his earlier mortgage and extend a new mortgage for building and land.

Mrs. Mary Ayres in her deposition: “I am 59 years of age, reside in the 5th District of Robertson county, on the farm owned by my husband, James, at the time of his death, and my two sons, Louis and Samuel live with me and work and run the farm.

They proposed borrowing $1500 in order to “… pay off the loan and build a new tobacco barn as the storm blew our barn down and blew down the henhouse and damaged the dwelling some, and we have no other barn without building a new one to house our tobacco crop and it will be absolutely necessary to build a new tobacco barn so we can run the farm.” The family petitioned the court to remove the disability of age from Samuel Ayres so he could participate in the mortgage, he being 19 years of age at the time. The original mortgage was released on 19 November 1923.

In 1931, James Louis Ayres became the third generation to own the farm. Louis was married in 1925 to Virginia Ewing Webb (daughter of John J. and Nannie Webb) and their three children were Clarence Edward, James Daniel ‘Dan’ and Betty Ann.

Growing up during the Great Depression, Dan remembers that the family was reasonably self-sufficient. Everyone worked hard to produce corn, tobacco, dairy cattle, hogs and chickens for the family’s table and to sell. He also recalled that although their house was small, “we always had room for family or friends who had no other place to live.”

According to family records, in 1945 the farm received electricity and in the early 1950s, the family’s first telephone was on an eight-party line.

In 1981, Dan, who married Billie Ann Dority, became the fourth generation of the Ayres family to own the farm. Today, the couple’s son, Jeff, produces corn, tobacco, hay and beef cattle on the property, which is currently celebrating a century of family ownership and agricultural production. Lisa, the daughter of Dan and Billie Ann, and her husband, Chris Traughber, have also lived on the farm since they married. The sixth generation to live and work on the farm are the daughter of Lisa (LlieAnna Danielle) and son and daughter of Jeff (Louis Daniel and Laura).

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign denoting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.

According to Caneta Hawkins, director of the Century Farms program, “To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”

For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit

http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres/initiatives/centuryfarms.html

Sources: Century Farm Application; Chancery Case #3027; Original Estate Settlements, Deeds and Mortgages in Robertson County Archives.