March 16, 2009
Well, I went to the mailbox to pick up my mail and saw a wild turkey clucking in the middly of the road. He was HUGE – his head probably reaches to just below my shoulder. So I walked toward him and he rand haltingly down the road.
I think he must be injured or sick because he did not fly away. Last I saw him, he was hobbling up Jake’s driveway and into the woods. Keep your eyes peeled…
February 15, 2009
Gordon Fish was born in the Hollow, live most of his life here. Married some 70 years plus, first 8 years lived in the two room cabin located behind the old Starnes house I now own, where his daughters were born. He farmed the hill where my cabin is located with mules for several years. He owned all the land around the church, he sold out in the late 90’s (Lisa Allen’s place, etc.). Knew more about the Hollow than anyone. Mr Fish died at age 91 on Feb 13th, o9! The last of Long Branch old timers. George E Wicker
January 26, 2009
A pack of dogs in the region chased down and killed a deer. Now, this can put a person in a conundrum because it leaves a dead animal, with 20 pounds of meat, and no legal way to use it. Instead, we are forced to bury 20 pounds of food to keep the coyotes away from the area.
A few years ago, because of outcry from hungry country folk, it became legal to butcher fresh road kill so long as you report it within 48 hours. Perhaps it is time to legalize dog kill too?
January 20, 2009
by George E Wicker
A McGinnis man made whisky on the island across fromt eh bluff. Someone kept stealing his whisky, a heavy drinker named Tank Thompson was ambushed and killed along the bluff one morning while riding his mare home. Shot in the back with a shotgun, was an investigation, no one convicted but McGinnis left the country to where no one knows?
Several people were playing cards on the bluff and drinking one night. One fell asleep and when he woke up his money was gone! He sent word to two brothers that was there that he wanted his money back by Monday. Monday came , no money, so he went to the corn field above Lancaster where he knew they would be plowing and shot one with a shotgun. The other brother heard the shot, he was gearing up his mule, and he ran. Man went back home, put the shot gun under his chin, blowed his head off.
Gordon Fish was born in the Hollow, and lived there 80 plus years before moving to Lebanon in 99. He told me that he and his wife lived in the little two room house back of the old house I bought (I own both now). For the first 8 years of their marriage, had two children there. He told me that they been married 65 years then, this was in 99. Old barn is gone, garden spot is grown up, but I store junk in it now! He offered to sell me the old two story house by the shurch and 25 acres in 1999 for $25,000.
The two graves at the end of the yard at the Starnes house are Tony Starnes sister and her daughter. She was married to a Rush, and left a young son when she died. Rush died a couple years later when the boy was 5. Tony Starnes raised the boy until he was 15-16. He is Bob Rush and was in his 80s in 2000. Graves date <>1920.
January 19, 2009
The following write up was put together by George E Wicker. He has long attempted to find out information about this community and owns several tracts of land in the holler.
This is part 1 of 2.
A Winfery man and his wife (Gordon Fish older sister) and three children lived where my garden is located now. Their house burned down and without family help or welfare, the lived in the old barn for nearly three years. (Late 1920s)
Winfery father once lived about where the old barn (last one I bought) of Weavers stands now. He killed a man there one night during a drunken party. He spent the rest of his life thinking that someone would kill him in revenge.
Long Branch road went up by the Trapp place (Barry Hayes) and connect to the Jackson Hollow road in years past (not up to HWY 96 as now). All the children from Temperence Hall walked to Long Branch School by that road or across the ridges. They would stop to feel the air at the “blow hole” at my mail box (Cave).
Between Long Branch and Hwy 141 connection and the Smith County line (along the rock bluff and Caney Fork River going west to Lancaster) there has been 4 unsolved killings, plus one murder suicide.
Mooshine/bootlegging was a major part of Long Branch history, most all people in the hollow was a Maynard or related to Maynards. The two story house close to the church was owned by a Maynard, him and his second wife raised 10 mean kids there. He farmed and made whisky. After the kids were grown, he sold the old house and built one overlooking the river just west of Long Branch & 141 connection (his wife left him after children were grown). One night two men came and shot him through the door and robbed the place. His sons tried to kill every moonshine drinker around that might have killed their dad, did shoot one, other left the country.
<More in part 2>
January 15, 2009
Woke up to a ten degree reading on the thermometer – the INTERNET says it’s 14 here. We are always a little colder than the INTERNET thinks we are.
It’s hard to belive that it is almost time to get our starts going with snowflakes coming down.
January 9, 2009
Guess what google found for me? A J Lambert’s site and this little gem: A Brief History of Temperance Hall, TN.
I posted it on the reference page for further reading.
Thank you Audrey June (Denny) Lambert
January 8, 2009
We just got 200 Nu Mexican Big Jim Seeds! I hope to have starts to share with y’all!
January 7, 2009
Hay, when is the sun coming out again? Dad Gum! Looking forward to growing this blog and including all past, and present members of our holler community. The Yippie Hippie!
January 7, 2009
Here is what is recommended for us to be working on this month to prepare for spring planting… Do these tips look right? What are y’all really working on this month, besides keeping up on firewood?
Vegetable Garden Preparation
Bulbs
Trees
