2024 03 LegendsDAVIE DOSSIER
Issued by
Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society
Mocksville,North Carolina
July 2024,Issue 3
Historical L egend
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 1
DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
President,Linda Leonard
Vice President,Marcia Phillips
Secretary,Rachel Nelson
Treasurer,Marie Craig
Dossier Editor,Marie Craig
Webmaster,Marie Craig
Websites for Davie County Research:
Our Website:https://sites.google.com/view/dchgs
Description of books and maps for sale:https://sites.google.com/view/dchgsbooksmaps
FamilySearch Wiki for Davie:
http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Davie_County%2C_North_Carolina
FamilySearch records for Davie:
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=191015&query=%2Bplace%3A%22United%2
0States%2C%20North%20Carolina%2C%20Davie%22
Davie County GenWeb:http://ncgenweb.us/davie/
Davie County Public Library:https://www.daviecountync.gov/1162/Local-History-and-Genealogy
Genealogy data in newspapers,Bibles,Daniel Boone Family info,church history,and Flossie Martin records.
Back issues (1987-2023)and index of the Davie Dossier are online at
https://www.daviecountync.gov/1162/Local-History-and-Genealogy.Scroll down to Davie Dossiers.
FindAGrave for Davie County:
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/search?name=&locationId=county_1680&page=1#cem-2640813
Digital Davie:https://www.digitalnc.org/exhibits/digital-davie/
Cemeteries in Davie:http://cemeterycensus.com/nc/davie/
Map of cemeteries:https://cemeterycensus.com/cemgps2.htm?cnty=nc/davie/
CONFERENCES
National Genealogical Society:Virtual Family History Conference,May 16-18,“Expanding Possibilities,”
https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org
RootsTech:29 February -2 March 2024,online and at Salt Lake City.https://www.rootstech.org.Archived online.
North Carolina Genealogical Society has webinars on Wednesdays.https://www.ncgenealogy.org/webinars/
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 2
RIDING HIS HORSE THROUGH THE FIRST COURTHOUSE
by Marie Craig
I made a new friend in a store recently.She told
me that she enjoys reading historical articles about
Davie County.I told her that I have written many
of these and sometimes have trouble finding a new
subject.She asked me about the legend of the man
riding his horse through the old courthouse,so I
decided to pursue the request.
When I first moved to this area almost twenty
years ago,Doris Frye,director of the Martin-Wall
History Room of the Davie County Public Library,
told me of this Davie story.I have all the local
history books,so I started looking for validation.
On page 119 of James Wall’s History of Davie
County,he quoted part of an article on page one of
the 2 October 1930 Mocksville Enterprise.This
article is quoting a previous resident,O.Howard of
Jacksonville,Florida.Mr.Howard had returned to
Davie for a visit.He came by the newspaper office
and told this story of “Old Jim Lanier”who rode his
gray mare southward through the main hallway of
the old courthouse and jumped her over the five
rock steps.He walked upstairs to the courtroom
where the judge fined him $10,but he paid $20 and
said that he was going to do it again.So he walked
back downstairs and repeated the exciting ride.
I have studied the many photos of this old
courthouse and tried to picture size,location,and
placement.The two books,Images of America,
Davie County and Images of America,Mocksville,
have photos of the building.(See page 7.)
Mr.Wall mentions details on page 118 about the
size and location.He quoted the newspaper
Western Carolinian on 25 April 1839 as describing
the two story building,45 by 40 feet,with a
vestibule 10 by 30 feet at the south end.Most of
the photos we have were taken looking north.It
was in the center of Henderson Street (now Main
Street)and Factory Street (Depot Street).Enlarging
the photos seems to show three steps on the north,
and five on the south because of the downward
slope of the land to the south.The next time you
are near Davie County Public Library,slow down
and glance at the rock slab at the front.This is one
of the steps inside that south vestibule.I measured
that step.It is 71.75 inches long,19.75 inches wide,
and the thickness tapers from 9 inches at the back to
6 inches at the front.I tried to imagine leaping
through the air on a horse over five of these.
While I was at the library,I went into the
wonderful History Room.I found four folders of
information about the Lanier family.One page I
copied was a brief article written by C.G.
Tomlinson in the 5 December 1963 Davie
Enterprise-Record.Tomlinson wrote many,many
articles of local history which have really helped me
as I have written eleven Davie history books.
This article in the library is much more detailed
and includes family history about Jim Lanier and
his family.Jim was born in Virginia,with his very
young mother dying the next day.His father,Dr.
Camillus Voltaire Lanier,remarried and moved to
Davie.His plantation was the “Pass Place presently
the site of the Mocksville airport.”Yes,in 1963,
there was an airport.Description of location:travel
west on 64;at the intersection of Madison Road,
look south to a big flat field.There it is.If we want
to always have current data,we would put Latitude,
Longitude:35.902823,-80.596181.
When I saw his dad’s title as Doctor,I wondered
if I had included him in my book Davie Doctors
born before 1900.There he is on page 68 and 69.
His son is listed in the 1850 census of Halifax
County Virginia as 10 years old along with his
father,his stepmother,and four siblings.He is not
living at home with his family in the 1860 census
for Davie County.Tomlinson says that he
attempted to join the Confederate Army but his
health did not allow it.So he formed the Laniers
Guards and fought as their captain.His poor health
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 3
caused him to abandon this.He continued to fight
for Davie’s future.
There was a Judge Clowde who was his enemy.
Jim was called to jury duty but refused to go.The
judge ordered him to appear by 2:00.According to
this version,Jim rode his gray mare into the
courthouse,up the stairs to the second floor and
calmly to the judge’s bench.The judge fined him
$50 for riding his horse into the building.Jim threw
down $100 and said that “I am riding right back
through.”And so he rode the horse down the steps,
back outside,through the courthouse and jumped
out the south entrance again.
In researching Jim,I find his dates of 11 June
1840 -7 December 1894,dying at 54.In the 1860
census,he is a trader living in the Fulton area with
his brother.In 1880 he is listed as J.B.Lanier,a
distiller,in Salisbury.He is buried in Chestnut Hill
Cemetery in Salisbury,N.C.The name on the
tombstone is James B.Lanier.A family tree on
Ancestry.com says that his middle name is Bell.
[His mother ’s name was Isabella.]
This is lots of data and detail but did he do it?If
so,which story and amount of fine money was
involved?We’ll probably never know for sure,but
it’s fun trying to learn the truth.
___________________________________________________________________
Mocksville Enterprise,2 October 1930,page 1
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 4
Western Carolinian,25 April 1839,page 2,from www.newspapers.com
Transcribed because of
poor quality of printout.
MESSRS.EDITORS:In my two preceding numbers,I
gave a general view of the new County of Davie,-its
water privileges,agricultural products,&C.I now
propose to give you some account of Mocksville,the
County town of Davie,its situation,and improvements.
This place was formerly called Mock’s old field,and is
situated in the centre of the County,on the Ridge hitherto
described,as the location of a Rail Road --should the
Branch of the Yadkin and Fayetteville Rail Road,leading
to Wilkesboro,ever be constructed,it would run
through,or next that town.
Before the division of the County,Mocksville was a
small village,with here and there a house,“few and far
between.”
In the Spring of ‘37,the Commissioners for the
leesting?of the Court-House,laid out the Town into lots,
32 in number,and sold them,at auction,for the sum of
$11,582.50 cents;some lots sold as high as $1,400 each.
The Town may be said to have commenced about that
period,and its growth since has been very rapid.
When we consider the disadvantages of the times,the
present appearance of Mocksville reflects the highest
credit on its industrious and enterprising citizens;--more
than fifty houses have been erected within the last two
years.It now contains rising of 100 dwellings,some of
which are very handsome private mansions.
The Commissioners could not have selected a better
spot in the County,or one more centrally for the
Court-House.It is situated on an eminence gradually
sloping in every direction,on a clean,dry,sandy soil.
The Town is laid out principally on two streets,called
Henderson and Factory,crossing each other at right
angles.In the centre of the Square stands the
Court-House,a very handsome edifice,built of brick.
The water falling from the eaves divides,and those
falling on the East side pass into the North,while those
falling on the West,run into the South Yadkin Rivers.--
The main building is 45 by 40,and the vestibule 10 by
30,two stories high.
The vestibule fronts the South,ornamented with 4
half circular pillars.The North end is also ornamented
with the same number of pillars and the styles similar.
The Cupelo,though somewhat disproportionate to the
height of the building,is,nevertheless,very striking and
reflects great credit on Col.Austin,the architect and
builder.
The height is 80 feet from the base,and the scenery
from it is extremely beautiful.For miles around you see
spread before you,a vast number of fertile fields and
thick forests,variegated with all the beauties of nature.
In the West and North west,as far as the eye can
reach,o’er hill and dale,the prospect is bounded by a
chain of magnificent mountains,called the Blue Ridge.
North,the view is obstructed by the forest in the
immediate vicinity of the town,and but for this,the Pilot
and Sawratown mountains would stand in full view,as
well as the Blue Ridge.East and South the prospect,
though different in its aspect,cannot be said to be less
interesting.
Here the eye passes over an immense range of
country,rising apparently in the distance,until the
horizon and dark green forest of Rowan and Davidson
meet in a straight line,interrupted only by the Three Hat
mountains in Davidson,and the highest peak of the
Caraway in Randolph.These raise their blue heads far
above the horizon and stand alone in their majesty and
glory.
It matters not in what direction the spectator turns his
eyes,he sees something,at every point,to attract and
admire;something of the sublime or beautiful.
Besides the Public Buildings,the town contains 6 Dry
Goods store,1 Confectionary,2 excellent houses for
public entertainment,2 house for public worship,1
excellent Female School,taught by Miss Emily Alden,1
tobacco factory,1 steam saw-mill,1 Cotton Factory,2
Cabinet ware-houses,2 Tan-yards,2 shoe shops,2 Tailor
shops,3 blacksmith shops,and 1 Hat shop.
The Cotton Factory,built and owned by Thomas
McNeely,Esq.,is worthy of more than a passing notice.
The main building (of brick)is 75 by 45;3 stories high,
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 5
with an addition of 25 feet for the Engine and grist mill.
There are now in operation 500 spindles which
produce 200 pounds of yarn per day,propelled by a
steam engine of 25 horse power.In addition to the main
building,there are several dwelling houses and other
buildings attached,making a little village of themselves.
There are 20 hands employed in the various departments,
principally females,whose modest and decent
appearance arrests,?___,the attention of the beholder,
and excites his respect.I am informed that no other can
gain admission,or be retained in service,but much as
come well recommended for approved character and
good habits;--this is as it should be and redounds greatly
to the credit of the establishment,as well as to the good
name of the Proprietor.
The yarns have a high character in market,and feel
ready made;the demand being greater than the Factory
is able to supply.
The Steam Saw Mill,to which I have alluded,was
built by Messrs.C.&J.Sheeks,who attend and manage
it themselves.They are industrious,steady men,and not
only deserve,but are reaping the fruits of their
enterprize.Success,I say,to all such men and to all such
enterprizes.OBSERVER.
___________________________________________________________________
Davie County Enterprise Record,5 December 1963,section 2,page 4
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 6
north is to the left
looking at the south end of the first courthouse,showing the vestibule with 5 steps inside
that the legend says were the exit of the man on the horse
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 7
Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society
371 North Main Street
Mocksville NC 27028
If you would like to receive your Dossier as a PDF attachment in an E-mail instead of a paper copy,
please send an E-mail message to the editor at dchgslist@gmail.com.
Please state “E-mail my Dossier instead of mailing a paper copy”and include your E-mail address.This
saves money,time,postage,effort,and paper.
The number beside your name,above,shows the year for which you last paid $5 dues.Example:if you have a 23 by your
name,you have paid dues through 2023.DUES CAN BE PAID FOR 2024 NOW.
MEMBERSHIP for a calendar year is still just $5.00/year.Life Membership is $100 per person.
We are 501(c)(3)and dues are tax deductible.
Below is a registration form for your use;checks,payable to the Society.
DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (DCHGS)
Davie County Public Library,371 Main Street
Mocksville,North Carolina 27028
NAME ________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS _____________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________
Send my copy by E-mail instead of paper;yes,no
Davie Dossier,July 2024 page 8