Beth Durham's Blog, page 34

Hog Drives

Between John Wayne movies and television series like The Virginian and Bonanza, Hollywood has romanticized and institutionalized cattle drives. But no one ever talks about hog drives. Is there any such thing?

Have you ever asked yourself how would a farmer get a ‘crop’ of hogs to market on the Plateau before he had a truck? Would you imagine he would load them up on a horse-drawn wagon? I saw that in a tv-western episode once where a cattleman bought a prize bull and moved him home in a mons...

How To Comment

A number of readers have told me that they are having trouble leaving comments on the blog. I certainly understand why. If you don't have a login for my website host (and I can't imagine why many of you would have that) then it's not obvious.

So, here's the lowdown:

If you click "comment" at the bottom of any story, a box will appear for you to enter your comment.

Then click "Post Comment" and you will see this black screen.

The default is the double S for the login. But you can click on the pe...

Stories of Early Inns and Taverns of the East Tennessee Country

If you are following “Author Beth Durham” on Facebook, I mentioned last week that I have run upon a fascinating book related to last week’s post. I wanted to share some of it with you this week but it turns out after skimming it, that this will largely be a book review of Stories of Early Inns and Taverns of the East Tennessee Country by LaReine Warden Clayton (1995, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America).

Mrs. Clayton introduces her stories with an entry from her grandfather...

Roadside Stands and a Stage Coach Ride

Crab Orchard Inn

In this on-going study of Appalachian English, there’s a term that we on the mountain use regularly but I never questioned its meaning. If you told me to turn right at the roadside stand, I think I would have been looking for a little place that sold vegetables or some such. We have always referred to the junction of Highway 62 and Campground Road as The Bledsoe Stand. There was never any kind of business or building there in my lifetime so that landmark didn’t help my under...

Dillam and Bohn Feud

Dillam and Bohn Feud as presented in The Land of Saddlebags

Tom Dillam, a wealthy land owner, married John Bohn’s daughter, who soon left him. One day Mrs. Dillam angrily returned to her husband’s farm and took one of her aprons from a woman working in the field. Dillam went to recover it, quarreled with her, and shot his father-in-law, killing him instantly. Dillam baffled the courts for many years by shrewdness and intimidation. He armed and incited his relatives and friends till he had be...

Feuds

This public domain image is supposed to be affiliated with the famous Hatfields and McCoys feud. I don't know any of the people so I couldn't say either way.

As I research and learn about the history of the mountains, my sheltered eyes are often opened to nuances I had no idea existed among my people. Feuds are something I thought Hollywood stereotyped mountain-folk with. However, a chapter in Raine’s book The Land of Saddle-Bags made me think about some of the old stories in a little differ...

Scam Phone Calls

I was working on a story about feuds for this week until I had such a neat experience, I really thought I needed to share it. We'll get to feudin' next week, don't worry. Until then, today’s story is a bit off-subject for my history blog but I think you will enjoy

Despite being registered on the National Do Not Call List, I have been receiving a number of calls from “computer technicians”. Specifically they all identify themselves a “Microsoft Certified Technicians” although they stop short...

How do you Measure Success?

Today’s blog is part philosophy and part mountain history. Do you ever experience a series of conversations and articles that seem to direct your thoughts toward subjects you might not otherwise even think about? Ah, could that be The Holy Spirit guiding my thoughts?

Well over the last few days several sources have driven me to consider success. The Steve Laube Agency blog recently talked about missionaries Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming and Roger Youderian who were killed...

History Fair

I recently re-read my “about” page for this blog and remembered that one of the things I intended to present to you was summaries of historical commemorations and demonstrations. I’m afraid that’s one area of the blog that I’ve been less successful with. Today we’ll change that.

Last Saturday, The Soddy Daisy and Montlake Historical Association hosted a History Fair which I was able to attend and it was surely worth the time. I wish I could detail for you the contents of every booth and lis...

A Life Worth Celebrating

Gladys Pell

On Sunday morning my husband’s maternal grandmother stepped over into Gloryland. After 96 years living a faithful, hard-working and service-filled life she reached her reward. I won’t try to preach to you here but I can’t help but think of what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:6-8:

…my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous jud...