Week 14 – #52Ancestors
Way before I took the deep dive into genealogy, I always stated that my parents were from Tennessee. This is true. My father grew up in Johnson County, Tennessee. My mother grew up in Bristol, Tennessee – but if you’re familiar with the city you know that part of it is in Sullivan County, Tennessee and part is in Washington County, Virginia. But, I digress. . .
In reality, a lot of my ancestors on both sides spent a significant amount of time in ASHE COUNTY, North Carolina.
On my paternal side, my grandfather actually lived in Ashe County (which borders Johnson County) until he moved to Oregon. The Osborns, my grandfather’s ancestors lived in Ashe County) for two or three generations, primarily in the North Fork Township area.
Also on the paternal side, the Greer family lived in Ashe County beginning with its formation in 1799. Prior to that, a few generations lived in Wilkes County.
On my maternal side, my great grandmother, Sarah Duvall, was born in Ashe County as were the first two of her children (probably). Her family lived in the Horse Creek area and then Staggs Creek Township. By 1899, when she married John Rosenbalm, she was living in Sullivan County, Virginia.
Having researched so many ancestors in Ashe County, I feel like I am better versed on Ashe County history than I am of the local history in my own hometown! Ashe County was formed in 1799 from Wilkes County. The counting seat is Jefferson, NC – which is roughly in the center of the county. It is a quaint little town, with wonderful views. Also, shout out to Ashe County Public Library, which has a fabulous genealogy section!
There was a fire at the county courthouse in 1865, and while “many” of the records survived, I do find it quite challenging to find certain documents at times, especially marriage records.
If you didn’t notice, designation of census districts or post offices often includes the name of the nearest body of water, such as Horse Creek, North Fork River and Grassy Creek. Perhaps this explains my love of both mountains and bodies of water!
(image from Google Maps)
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