Georgia Genealogy Trails "Where your Journey Begins"

Original Settlers of Walker County Contributed and transcribed by: Frances Cooley Source: History of Walker County, Georgia One of the most difficult as well as the most interesting parts of collecting data for the county history has been that of securing the names of the first settlers in the county. In some sections it was comparatively easy, as well as, I hope, practically correct; while in other parts it was difficult to find any old people who could give the names of the pioneer citizens of their section, with any degree of certainty. In some instances I have secured the names of first settlers from old records, as, for instance, the James R. Jones and the Blackwell registers, mentioned elsewhere. The author has tried to get names of those who settled in the county during the first fifteen or eighteen years of its history, that is, up to about the year 1848 or 1850. Some of these pioneers settled here as early as 1830, or maybe earlier, but the majority came during the later thirties and in the forties. Numerous others, who came later than 1850, might have been recorded as original settlers, in that they entered and settled land never before occupied, building a home and clearing virgin land and establishing an original homestead thereon. However, I tried to draw the line about 1850. It has been impossible to determine from where most of the early settlers originated. Many of the first settlers in the Armuchees—probably a majority—hailed originally from South Carolina, some from North Carolina. Some of them came direct from those states, while others had spent one or more years in some of the counties of eastern or middle Georgia before coming to this county. Probably a majority of the early settlers in the Cove, and in the Rock Spring section and the region further north came from Tennessee. General speaking, the first settlers in the southern and eastern parts of the county came originally from the Carolinas, while those in the western and northern parts came from Tennessee. Many of them, however, came from other Georgia counties or from other states. Practically all the early settlers were farmers and were in search of some of the fine virgin lands lying among the valleys of this sec­tion. The Cherokee country had been surveyed by order of the Legisla­ture in 1831. After the survey these lands were disposed of by lottery. According to this plan any soldier of the Revolution, or of any of the Indian wars, or their widows or orphans were entitled to draw. The following list of original settlers has been compiled after careful inquiry in every section of the county. This list is not correct in every particular. No doubt numerous names have been left out, and it is probable that some few are included that should not be. They have been arranged accord­ing to militia districts and it is likely that some errors are to be found in this grouping. The list follows: Armuchee, East   Benjamin Hunt, Sr. Jack Puryear Wm. Puryear Jeff Ponder Dr. Adam Clements Newton White James Keow, Newton Keown Nathan Keown John A. Tate Wm. Hammontree, Sr.   Jesse Griffin Riley Stansell Adam Davis John Cavender A. C. Ward W. M. Underwood Needham Cannimore Cornelius Kinsey Billy Robbs Wm. Kinsey Roland Kinsey   John Oxford Jacob Goodson, Sr. Mat­thew Keith Andrew Womack Billy Rea Harris Hammontree Joe Dobson Starit Dobson L. D. Vandiver Harrison Hamilto.     Armunchee, West   Constantine Wood Hugh McCiure John McWilliams Wm. Burgess Jacob Cleckler Mr. Milum James Young Wm. Little Spencer Bomar Ephraim Little   Artemus Shattuck George McWilliams John B. Suttle Mr. Camp Abraham Neal Moses Jackson Billy Jackson Wm. Gore Jackie Chapma, Samuel Maloney   Anthony Story James Foster Mr. Stamper Ira L. Bennett Wm. Bailey E. A. Evans James Lawrence Henry Lawrence Malichi Lawrence James Coulter     Cane Creek   Wm. Ramey Hezekiah Ellenburg Hugh A. Smith John Smith Alex Calhoun   Wm. Myers Ausie Mills Colby Wheeler Davie Jackson Thomas Bryan     Cedar Groove   James Ransom Washington Ransom Reuben Ransom George W. Reed Wm. Daugherty Billy Connally Billy Andrews Major Moses Crow Alex Hunter James F. Coulter "Wolf" A. J. McDaniel H. B. Colquit John Hise   Henry Hise George Hise Reuben Haney Johnny Crow James Blaylock Tom Roland Joseph Clarkson James H. Clarkson Billy Hammonds Jim Bunch John Holloway Rob­ert Hunter Burl Smith     Ambrose Smith Charley Holland Isaac Mc-Carty Tom Jones Robert Anderson Aus Clark Ephraim Hancock A. J. McDaniel Johnny McDaniel Emory Hancock E. P. Thompson     Chestnut Flat  Andrew Cooper Louis Williams Edom Moon Jacob Arnold Wm. Arnold Taylor Fuller Wm. Lowery Alex Hall Hugh Rogers Amos Williams James H. owery   David Hall Joel Cooper Tom Cooper Johnny Gladden Elias Arnold H. G. Fuller Hi­ram Shaw Hugh McMullin David Lowery Mark Thornton Martin Camp     Chickamauga   Joshua Hearn James Roark Henry Blaylock Billy Mitchel Noah Meridith Wm. Burk David Autry George Glenn, Sr. Jesse Bagwell Joseph Osborn Jimmy Bryan Marshall McSpadden R. H. Dyer, Sr.   S. D. Dyer James Gordon Thomas F. Gordon Bob Gentry W. D. West Wiley Mullis James Lewis Allen Thedford, Jeptha Hunt Sam Hall Milton Plaster John Brock Young Brock     Chattanooga Valley   James Killer Mr. Hixon   Joseph McCullough Ed Howard     Kensington   Martin Fralix Martin Davis John Davis Jesse Wallin Robert Lindsay Wallin D. D. Singleterry Ben Hardin. Jesse Stephens Billy Simmons Hamp Garmany Billy Cupp James Camp­bell Jim Bonds Miles Whitlow Archie Hill Wm. Hiniard Jacob R. Brooks Robert Guthery Jeptha Carter Wm. Connally Bennie Jones Willis Crumpton Wm. Shaw Stephen B. Phillips     La Fayette   John Caldwell  Andrew Caldwell Bob Caldwell Spencer Marsh Dr. Robert Burton Dickerson Michael Dickson Asa Dickson Joseph Wardlaw Dr. Albert Clendennon Robert Patterson John R. Wardlaw J. C. Culberson James H. Culberson David Stuart R. M. Aycock W. A. Moore Wm. Catlett Dr. James Barry   Edwin Dyer B. F. Davis John Criswell Billy Jones A. B. Culberson John Jones Eli Goree Madison Rhodes Warren Henry Thomas N. Nash Jerry Culberson Abner Mize Dr. Green Gordon Alex Shaw Ben McCutchen Daniel Hogue Lindsay Edward, Wm. H. Johnson   Hugh Boudinot Johnson Tom Phipps  Judge W. M. Black Webb Talley Jim Gambell Will Gambell Gray Lassiter John B. Wheeler Jim Rogers Edmon Russell Wm. Russell Jacob Srite Normon Pogue John B. Pike Mr. Coulter Mr. Kelley Calvin Wheeler Eli Center     Lisbon   Joshua T. Dickey Johnny Long Henry Mitchel, Hiram Malicoat Mosey Dickey John Fricks     Lookout Mountain   Sam Burton John Miller James Massey Mr. Drennon   Noah Fugatt Warren Massey Charles Moore Thomas Lecroy     Pond Springs   Toliver Butler M. C. Butler Jordan Bruce James Bruce Reuben Childress John Satterfield Richard Lane Archie Bonds Wm. Mathis Richard Morgan Isaac Bridgeman James Moad Calvin Barnes Jeff Morgan Henry Boss Ave Cam, Judge John Wicker John Owings Starling Moad Buck Bailey Billy Mitchel, Sr. Mr. Mucklehannon Richard Childress Isaac Garrett Thomas Abercrombie Reuben Childress Bolden Whitlow     Rock Springs   Andy Hicks Milton Lawrence Robert Richard Shields Major J. M. Shields James R. Jones Moses Park Wm. Conley Joshua Brigman Mr. Frazier Thomas Jones Sam Brice J. T. Deck Hiram T. Gill   Amos Wellborn John M. Lawrence Thomas Lawrence Wm. Glass J. T. Renfro Jeff Tipton Johnny Jones, Chessley Payne Richard Harvell A. E-. Rogers Sr., Thomas Adams Thomas Glass Thomas Evatt   Daniel Evans Wm. Satterfield Wm. Conley Solomon Coker Drewry Fowler A. H. Johnson Aaron Lambert Jason Conley John Conley James Willis Dunn Peter S. Anderson Mr. Tierce     Rossville   Xanders McFarland, Thomas G. McFarland, John Buie McFarland, John Hawkins, John Pearce,   Wash Ellis, A. B. S. D. Wilson, Sr., Mike Smith, John Ellis, General Newman.     Wilson and Duck Creek   John C. Lumpkin Joshua McConnell Lecil Day Joshua Martin David Thurman Ephraim Mabry Joe Wardlaw John Williams, Sr. John Day Wm. McCurdy Mr. Clarify Wm. Pogue Mr. Allgood George Shaw Amos Shaw Ezekiel McWhorter John McWhorter James McWhorter Berry Atwood Johnathan Miller Archie Beaird Charley Armstrong Amzi G. Dickson John Dickson Tom Blackwell Andrew McWhorter Raney Chastain Gus McCutchen Mr. Cole Thomas Sharpe Milum P. Roger.     Following the close of the Civil war and for some 25 or 30 years, or till about the year 1890, there was an almost continuous exodus of citizens of the county emigrating westward.   During the seventies and eighties, especially, very many people of the county left each fall seek­ing new homes beyond the Mississippi river. The county paper during the fall and winter months was filled, so to speak, with notices of sales, both of lands and personal property, and of families leaving for the west.   Texas, Arkansas and Missouri were the states to which most of them went. Many of those who went during that time bought lands and settled in that section and prospered; many others became dissatisfied and after a year or two returned to old Walker County and decided to remain at home.   In this way numerous of the original set­tlers of the county, and their descendants, disappeared entirely from its history. ©2007 Genealogy Trails