Last January I took a trip up to Jackson and Smith County Tennessee on my motorcycle. The area where I was born and lived when I was small. Also the area where my Grandparents and other relatives lived. Oh how things have changed. Some of the old houses are still standing and look unchanged, others are gone. The big house that my Great Grand Father Hunter built, where my Father was born, and we thought would stand for another 100 years. Has been torn down to build a huge modern house. I stopped out in the road, and sat there looking at the ruts in the rock of the creek bed, going up the hollow. A man came out of the house and we got to talking. I pointed out the ruts in the rock, and explained how my Great Grand Pa would harness up the mules every Sunday. Load up all his decedents living in that hollow, and drive up the creek to the head of the hollow. Then cross over to the other side onto my Grand Pa's land. Then he would continue down the creek on the other side to the house, where he picked up my Grandpa and his family. Then down the road to the Indian Creek Methodist Church. After services he reversed the route and took everybody back home. The man asked me to take a walk with him. We walked up the hollow and I pointed out where other houses had stood, where old wells are located, and a couple of good clear water springs came up out of the ground. I pointed out the canebreak where I killed my first deer.
My Grand Parents house in Smith County burned just before my Grand Mother Williams died, and my Mom sold the land. Now the area has been turned into a cow pasture.
I went to visit the Elementary school where I attended in the mid 50s. I remember how my Mother complained about the old building at the time, and how it needed to be replaced. I went in and talked to the Principal, she took me around and let me see the class rooms I was in. The building has not changed much inside, and none at all outside, but it still serves the purpose it was built for. Oh upgrades have been made, but the basic structure is still the same. Half the building still has the old hard wood floors.
I went to the old Indian Creek Methodist Church we attended when I was small. The church was built on a bluff overlooking the road and creek. The Church is not being used anymore, and the roof and whole building is sagging in the middle. Looks like it will fall someday soon. Brought back memories of the All Day Singing and Dinner On the Ground. Actually my Grand Father would go down there and stretch wire fencing between two big Oak Trees, to use as a table. Other men would cut post and use them to stabilize the fencing at all four corners and along the long sides. The women would cover it with table clothes and on Sunday they would place the bowls of food on the makeshift table. Everyone would eat, sing some more, then eat again. Us small kids would usually end up curled up under the table sleeping in the shade.
