2006 4.pdfDAVIE DOSSIER October 2006
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HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWS
A joint meeting of the Historical Society and Historic Davie was held August 15th at the
Library; Aubrey Wensil presided. Reports were made by Pam, Pat, and Diane on their trip to
Surry Community College for the Yadkin Valley History Fair and Conference. Much
information was gleaned from the counties that were represented. Plans for the Daniel Boone
and Rebecca Bryan 250th Wedding Anniversary events of August 18th & 19th were presented.
Several ideas were expressed for future trips –Allison Woods in Iredell County, Bethesda in
Forsyth County, and Fort Dobbs in Iredell were mentioned.
At a meeting of the Historical Society on September 28th at the Library, Aubrey Wensil
presiding, a suggestion was made by Pat Reilly that we offer a lifetime membership for $100.00.
This would not replace the current practice of paying $5.00/year for dues.
The Historical Society had a very nice booth at the Farm-City Day Sept. 16th at the
Masonic Picnic Shelter. Most interesting was Bill Urdanick’s map of Davie Land Grants which
had attendees trying to locate their own present day homes. Mr. Wall’s history book and Davie
County Heritage book were also available.
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From the files in the History Room
ALEXANDER
Descendants of Cyrus Fink Alexander
1 Cyrus Fink Alexander 1858 -1934
..+Mary Howard 1868 -1916
.........2 Charles W. Alexander 1886 -1962
....................3 Katie Alexander
........................+Unk Parker
....................3 Sadie Alexander
........................+Unk Shuping
....................3 C. E. "Buddy" Alexander
....................3 Roy F. Alexander
....................3 Theodore Alexander
....................3 James "Jim" Alexander
....................3 Sinclair Alexander
.........2 Nannie R. Alexander 1888 -1960
.............+Unk Williams
....................3 Guy Williams
....................3 Fred Williams
....................3 Thomas Williams
....................3 Mary L. Williams
....................3 Sarah Williams
....................3 Helen Williams
.........2 Cyrus E. Alexander 1890 -1960
.........2 David Alexander 1892 -1969
....................3 David Jr. Alexander
....................3 Glady M. Alexander
....................3 Mary L. Alexander
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.........2 Robert Clay Alexander 1894 -1925
....................3 Nellie Alexander
.........2 Ada Belle Alexander
.........2 Lafate M. Alexander 1898 -1911
.........2 Thomas F. Alexander 1909 -
BIBLE RECORD
Record copied from the Bible of Cyrus W. Alexander
BIRTHS
Cyrus W. Alexander, born Dec. 3, 1812
Nancy C. Alexander, born Dec. 22, 1820
Mary A(nn) J(ane) Alexander, born July 9, 1836
James Alexander, born June 5, 1836 (1838?)
Margaret E. Alexander, born Feb. 22, 1841
Malinda E(dith) Alexander, born Mar 4, 1843
John M. Alexander, born Jan. 9, 1846
Charles W. Alexander, born Oct 9, 1845
David D. Alexander, born July 3, 1851
Georgia C. Alexander, born May 23, 1854
Buddy (stillborn), June 20, 1857
Cyrus F. Alexander, born Dec. 15, 1858
Jennie Hight Alexander, born July 18, 1861
Wm. J. Alexander, born Feb. 8, 1865
David Wilburn Alexander, born Nov. 11, 1864
David D. Alexander, born July 3, 1851
Margaret A. Alexander, born Jan 31, 1851 (nee Shive)
John W. Alexander, born Nov. 11, 1871
Carrie S. Alexander, born Feb. 8, 1874
Nancy B. Alexander, born March 27, 1876
Charlie D(avid) Alexander, born Oct. 25, 1877
Jennie M. Alexander, born Feb. 17, 1879
MARRIAGES
Cyrus W. Alexander and Nancy C. Lawing, June 25, 1835
Andrew J. Banson and Mary A. J. Alexander, Dec. 18, 1853
Henry W. Castor and Malinda E. Alexander, Jan 1, 1860
Charles W. Alexander and Mary J. Hileman, Jan. 11, 1870
Rufus Cline and Georgia C. Alexander, Nov. 11, 1870
David D. Alexander and Margaret Shive, Feb. 16, 1871
Jennie B. Alexander and Calvin A. Lipe, March 13, 1879
Wm. J. Alexander and Alice Haynes, March 29, 1883
Cyrus F. Alexander and Mary L. Howard, August 20, 1885
DEATHS
Margaret E. Alexander, d. Mar 4, 1852, age 11Y 11D
James Y. Alexander, d Sept. 28, 1854, age 16Y 3M 23D
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Little Buddie, buried June 21, 1857
John M. Alexander, d. Dec. 11, 1864, age 18Y 11M 3D
Mary Ann Jane Benson, d. Feb. 23, 1887, age 50Y 7M 14D
Nancy C. Alexander, d. July 24, 1889, age 68Y 7M 12D
David D. Alexander, d. Apr. 20, 1914, age 62Y 9M 18D
Margaret A. Alexander, d June 17, 1920, age 69Y 4M 19D
Kannapolis paper, July 23, 1934. Jennie Hight (Alexander) Lipe died July 21, 1934, at her home in
Kannapolis. Buried at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, wife of the late Calvin Augustus Lipe of Kannapolis.
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EXCERPTS FROM
THE DAVIE RECORD
The Davie Record was a Davie County newspaper which began publication in 1899, under the
editorship of E. H. Morris, later C. Frank Stroud, Sr. It was published each Thursday until 1957 when it
merged with the Mocksville Enterprise. Some items from October, c 1907 are as follows:
Mr.H. R. Cain is running an up-to-date oyster and peanut stand on Walnut Street.
Editor Morris and little son, Cecil, visited at G. C. Patterson’s Sunday evening.
We are sorry to have to report the death of two infants last week; one the child of Mr. and Mrs. J.
Forsythe and the other the child of Mr. and Mrs. John Ijames.
Col. W. K. Clement attended Elkin Court the first of the week.
Farmington News: Messrs. Horn and William Miller, spent Sunday in Farmington. Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Redmon, of Statesville, are visiting Mr. A. W. Ellis, and also attending the protracted meeting at
the Methodist Church. Our merchants are paying 85 cents for peas and 59 cents for corn.
Bixby News: Mr. H. G. Williams was visiting his brother Saturday and Sunday near Bixby. There was a
nice birthday dinner given at Mr. E. W. Lasters by children and grandchildren, October 1 5th, and also a
singing at Miss Mattie Dulin’s Sunday night last. Mr. D. H. Deadmon and wife were visiting his sister,
Mrs. F. H. Williams, near this place Saturday and Sunday.
Following are the names of the tax assessors and list takers for Davie County:
Calahaln: D. M. Booe, A. A. Anderson, H. A. Stroud
Clarksville: P. P. Green, J. M.. Richardson, t. L. Eaton
Farmington: G. H. Graham, C. A. Hartman, B. B. Cornelison
Shady Grove: Brady G. Williams, Elsie Hartman, T. C. Sheets
Fulton: J. B. Smith, Jr., A. M. Garwood, L. A. Bailey
Jerusalem: W. D. Foster, W. H. Hobson, H. H. Swicegood
Mocksville: B. G. Stonestreet, J. F. Ratledge, John Campbell;;
Clothes cleaned, pressed, and mended by Mrs. S. E. Williams, residence first house north of the jail.
The original Malta Steel King and Globe cultivator, garden plows, etc., are on sale at C. C. Sanford Store
here.
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If you do not want your property advertised, pay your tax before the 6th day of May, signed J. L. Sheek,
Sheriff.
Mr. Frank Sain has completed his dwelling and feed barn.
Mr. E. L. Gaither spent a portion of last week at Greensboro, assisting in the trial of Mrs.Estella Hanes
against the Southern Railroad. Mrs. Hanes got judgment of $7,000.
Mr. O. B. Eaton, formerly of Davie County, was nominated for mayor of Winston last week for the fourth
time.As a general thing a Democrat has to leave Davie to get an office.
There were two marriages near Bixby last Sunday evening. The contracting parties were Mr. Alex Blake
to Miss Lizzie Fry and Mr. Alex Jones to Miss Bertha Foster, F. M. Williams, Esquire,officiating.
Mr. F. C. Womble was in town one day the past week and stated that he had been holding down a job at
Morganton for some time, but has now accepted a job at Cleveland, in which place he has shipped his
household goods.
The White Wing Art Company will close their tent after May 31st. Now is the time to hurry up and have
your picture made.
Misses Lizzie Mason and Ella and Avis Daywalt were visiting Mr. Ollie Garwood’s family Saturday
night.
Mrs. Haley Tucker and her niece, Miss Mary Stroud, took dinner with Mr. C. D. Crouch’s Sunday.
Mr. M. S. Summers made a business trip to Main one day last week and purchased a cultivator.
Our thanks to Clifton Meroney for an invitation to the commencement at Oak Ridge Institute.
Donations to Famine Relief Fund:
H. F.Tutterow 1.00 W. F. Stonestreet .50
F. P. Ratts .50 H. C. Meroney .50
F. A. Foster .50 E. H. Morris 1.00
J. A. Current .50
Who has ticket No. 70289, the lucky number that takes the buggy? C. C. Sanford Sons Company.
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Thanks to: Marcus Muth in Kentucky, USA
My wife's DAR chapter invited a local official to speak a while back. He opened his remarks
by telling them that his little boy was curious about his preparations for the talk.
His son asked him what he was doing.
"I'm writing some notes for a speech I am to give to the Daughters of
the American Revolution," he replied.
"Gosh," the boy said. "I thought they were all dead!"
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GROWING UP IN DAVIE COUNTY
Reflections from One Hundred Years Ago
Dr. Jamie W. Moore, Editor.
William Jamie Moore, 1902-2000 (grandfather of the editor) grew up in Davie County in
a time that he has lovingly preserved through his stories. In this book, he mentions names,
places, businesses –all the while giving descriptions of the rich rural and small-town culture of
the day. Many Davie County residents will find out what life is like in a small town and county.
An excerpt from the book follows:
The Monkey and the Balloon
When you were very young you attended such outdoor events as you could find which
accounts for the fact that my brother and I were at Mr. James livery stable that summer
afternoon. You might see something interesting, and that day we learned something, or thought
we did.
Since there were no automobiles, Mr. James stable on Depot Street had horses and
buggies for rent as did Mr. Brown on the other side of the square. The area beside Mr. James’
stable was a large fenced pasture where horses were allowed to exercise and nibble such grass as
was available. Today, in this lot, a large balloon was strung out on the ground with a metal
container at the open end of the balloon. This can-like object was filled with burning cotton and
oil and gave off black smoke, and I suppose considerable heat for after a time the balloon began
to lift itself up and finally stood erect with one end anchored to the ground. Fully inflated the
balloon would have been almost three stories high even without the trapeze stretched on the
ground that would dangle below when the balloon was in the air.
Since nobody explained what the plans were, we watched in silence as the attendant
attached a live monkey,harnessed to a small parachute. That was almost too much for us. We
were champing at the bit because you didn’t see many monkeys in those days. In fact, we had
never seen a monkey,or a balloon,before.
The attendant cast off the lines and the balloon rose in the air followed by the monkey on
his little swing. The wind carried that balloon toward the courthouse square angling a little
north. We were off in a flash as fast as we could run, for this required a view from close range.
With the balloon sailing overhead and the monkey dangling below, we raced up to the square,
turned north up Main Street until we passed all the stores, ran past Mr. Johnstone’s house with
the wide yard and turned in at the corner of Johnstone’s cow pasture. The reason for this sudden
pasture turn was that the balloon suddenly collapsed with a small cloud of smoke, and the little
parachute with the monkey dangling below was rapidly slipping toward the earth.
Along with the attendant, and as many others as could run fast enough, we sailed over the
fence and charged across the pasture to the back wire fence where the monkey was backed up
against the wire. Even we could tell the monkey had not thought much of the idea of being
bumped around and banged on the ground. I guess the attendant didn’t notice this, for when he
reached over to pick up the monkey, he, the monkey, bit a chunk out of the attendant’s finger.
The attendant addressed a very personal remark directly to the monkey. Since we did not fully
understand these words, when we got home we hurried over to our friend Mr. Young and told
him what had happened and exactly what the man said to the monkey.
Mr. Young explained that “You son of a bitch” was a very clear opinion but should only
be used when a monkey bit your finger.
Mr. Young knew how to talk to boys. No lectures, just clear statements of fact.
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THE LAWS OF GENEALOGY
1. The document containing evidence of the missing link in your research invariably will be lost
due to fire, flood, or war.
2. The keeper of the vital records you need will just have been insulted by another genealogist.
3. Your great, great grandfather’s obituary states that he died leaving no issue of record.
4. The town clerk you wrote in desperation, and finally convinced to give to you the information
you need, can’t write legibly, and doesn’t have a copying machine.
5. The will you need is in the safe on board the “Titanic”.
6. The spelling of your European ancestor’s name bears no relation ship to its current spelling or
pronunciation.
7. That ancient photograph of four relatives, one of whom is your progenitor, carries the names
of the other three.
8. Copies of old newspapers have holes which only occur on last names.
9. No one in your family tree ever did anything noteworthy, always rented property, was never
sued, and was never named in wills.
10. You learned that great aunt Matilda’s executor just sold her life’s collection of family
genealogical materials to a flea market dealer “somewhere in New York City”.
11. Yours in the ONLY last name not found among the three billion in the world-famous
Mormon archives in Salt Lake City.
12. Ink fades and paper deteriorates at a rate inversely proportional to the value of the data
recorded.
13. The 37-volume, sixteen-thousand-page history of your county of origin isn’t indexed.
14. The critical link in your family tree is named “Smith”.
---Author Unknown
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HUMOR
Thanks to: Barbara Chisler in Vibbard, Missouri who writes that she found this wedding
announcement in the ExcelsiorSprings (Missouri) Weekly Call newspaper,
dated 11 November 1915:
MR. COBB WEDS MISS CORN
Miss Margaret Corn was married to Mr. Stanley Cobb recently at El Paso,
Texas at the home of the bride's parents. The marriage license clerk at
the courthouse refused to issue the license, thinking it was a joke.
When he convinced the clerk that it was on the level, Cobb shelled out
for the license.
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Notice has been received of the availability of a new booklet: Morgan Bryan, Senior’s
“Original Eleven” Anson (Rowan) County North Carolina Granville Land Grants,
Encompassing land in today’s Davie, Forsyth, Surry, Wilkes, and Yadkin Counties 1748-1800.
A copy of this booklet is in the library and additional copies may be ordered from the author,
Kathryn Weiss, PO Box 129, Forbestown, CA 95941 at a cost of $12.00, postage paid. If you
mention the Davie County Historical Society, she will make a donation of $2.00 to our Society.
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D C H G S 2006 OFFICERS
President:Aubrey Wensil
Vice-President:Linda Leonard
Secretary-Treasurer:Frances Beck
Board of Directors:Dale McCullough
Diane Webb
Bill Urdanick
Dossier Editor:Nancy Murphy
ITEMS FOR SALE
Postage and handling included in price
Davie County...A Brief History (Wall) Paperback 7.50
The Daniel, Squire, and John Boone Families in Davie
County (Wall, Boone, & Martin)5.00
Davie County Marriages 1836-1900, by Nancy K. Murphy 25.00
Davie County Marriages 1901-1959, by Nancy K. Murphy 25.00
Davie County Cemeteries, a two-volume set 55.00
by D.C. Historical & Genealogical Society
1860 Federal Census-Davie County, by Murphy & Sain 17.00
1870 Federal Census-Davie County, by Murphy & Sain 17.00
1880 Federal Census-Davie County, by Murphy & Sain 22.50
Maps -Lagle Land Grant 6.50
-Hughes Historical 6.50
-1887 Alderman 2.50
Postcards (set of 8 )2.50
Davie County Heritage Book 45.00
These items can be ordered from the Davie County Historical and Genealogical
Society Office. North Carolina residents need to add 6% sales tax to the total.
Membership for Calendar year 2007 remains the same as in previous years -
$5.00/year. The number following your name on the address label indicates the year
through which your dues are paid. Below is a registration form for your use; checks are
to be made payable to the Society.
DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Frances Atkinson Beck
1131 Wagner Road
Mocksville, North Carolina 27028
NAME _____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________
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