Caleb Teffeteller
Maryville Enterprise, Wednesday, September 12, 1923:
“Some Facts About Historical Maryville---The principal buildings of the town of Maryville showed more or less the ravages of the Civil War, when we first remember it in 1866. The Court House had a very large hole in the southwest side in the upper court room. This was said to have been caused by the Confederate soldiers firing a cannon ay a few Federal soldiers, who had occupied the Court House for the purpose of observation, and possibly for sharp-shooting. The Court House roof was surrounded by a cupola. From the top of this protruded a lightning rod and on this was a large and also a small copper ball or sphere. Each was pierced by numerous bullet holes, some so large that martins were able to build nests inside. Still higher on this rod was the weather vane with the different points of the compass designated with capital letters.
The old [Maryville] College was very much dismantled. Soldiers had used it both as a stable and as camps. The General Wallace corner, now Spraker Grocery Co., before W.T. Parham could occupy it as a storehouse, had to be thoroughly cleaned of filth and refuse from former use as a stable.
New Providence Church in its lower story had been ravaged of its floor for fire purposes. Main Street from (Cusick Street) Spraker Grocery Store south to the Sam Houston Inn at Love Street was a mass of ruined bricks, and cellars half full of water.
Many of the citizens previous to 1862 failed to return after 1865. And former, well known names disappeared from the citizenship of our town. New blood came slowly, and but slowly did the new buildings arise upon the ruined foundations of the old town. About the first house to be erected was a building known as the “James M. Greer Cheap Corner.” It was situated on the west side of the Court House, being the first lot in that direction from the Court House. This was a two story building with a warehouse in the rear. The first floor occupied was general merchandise purposes; the second floor by our photographer.
This was where Smith Store now is. Rapidly the balance of this square was taken up with business houses and residences with a couple of saloons thrown in to leaven the whole. The first saloon was about where Palace Theatre is. The next building was “Charles Pflanze Furniture & Undertakers” establishment. He, his father and Sigmon Drick were the manufacturers of most of their sales product and many an hour have I stood around and watched these men mortising and gluing wood together; turning somersaults on their sawdust pile and listening to the gluttering tones of the German language. A small space four feet wide intervened their building and the next building of “Charles Rafter,” a tinner, who not only built this place but also erected himself a residence on the west corner of Louisville Road, (corner of Love and Jail Streets).
The next house above Rafter’s Tin Shop was on the corner of the alley where Johnson’s Bargain Store is. It was first occupied by a man named McCampbell, who had a son called “Buck,” as a clerk, and who supplied many a boy’s sweet tooth with sugar and candy.
This building was next occupied by Condie Johnson and his brother-in-law, Cassidy. A saloon. Close to the rear of this storehouse, these people built themselves a residence and often here was gathered some beautiful Irish girls. Amongst the number was Charles Rafter’s daughter, Mary. And no less beautiful was another, and American girl, a very dark brunette known as Mary Criger. The house on the west corner of the alley was built by James “Squirrely” Wells and above this was the R.N. Hood property where W.A. Dunlap is building. We mentioned the other houses being built with possibly the exception of the house next to Mr. E.F. Harper. This house was built by Mr. Joe M. Hood, who married Mr. Wells’ daughter, Anna, and erected this house on a lot formerly belonging to Prof. Rev. John S. Craig. Coming down on the south side of Main Street, Mr. C.T. Cates, Sr., very early built his law office on the corner of his lot, and afterwards used it as a post office.
Below the Sam Houston Inn, where the Tarvin building now is, William H. Kirk erected a building and used it for his jewelry store and the post office after he had been appointed to succeed Mr. Frank Marion Hood about the year 1872. His residence was on the same lot and built not far from the same time.
The first buildings to be erected on the south side of Main Street was near the year 1868, where Norton’s Hardware Store is. Walker & Faulkner erected a two story and basement brick storehouse. A part of the upstairs was occupied by clerks of this store as bedrooms. Mr. Harvey Carson, Jack Faulkner, Dr. Ed Tedford. The front of the upstairs was used as office rooms for rent. Drs. J.H. Martin, James H. Alexander, James A. Brown and S.P. Rowan, Attorney at Law, had their offices at different times in these rooms. The building south of this was a one story frame occupied by a Negro firm, Allen Garner and James Hall, who sold groceries and general family supplies and made considerable money for a few years. In fact, Garner built the house on the alley in the rear of Frank Eagleton’s home. Before this, J. Gray Henry and his grandfather, J.G. Smith, sold groceries in this building. The building above this would be where the drug store of Waggoner is. This was erected by A.P. Thompson or Dr. Alex A. Goddard; was a two story frame building, drug store on the first floor, residence above. After this, this house and the house below were joined together, and the upper floor of the George Toole grocery store was used as a tin shop by F.P. Hood and Daniel Wells. Next to this, the “Thompson House” was another brick building and jointly three persons erected three, two story buildings. J.M. Greer, the first, which he occupied with our first hardware store; the second door is where Johnson’s store is, owned by Captain Will Henry, and the next by Charles Pflanze. These have stood for more than forty-five years, as the first brick buildings of a stable nature that we had.
The next building within the old bounds of the town proper was the Eureka Hotel. At the time of its erection we regarded it as the most enterprising thing that had happened to our town, and was a worthy monument to our fellow townsman, George C. Jackson, and his friend, George Neff. Somewhat near the fall of the year 1866, an old stage driver and former slave, named Obe Scott, built himself a home a little west of where Mrs. Charlie Boyd now lives on Boyd Alley. Near the same time and in the rear of A.M.E. Zion Colored Church, a Negro named Rans Barger had erected a home for his wife and family. He, himself worked most of his time in Knoxville. Not long after these people had occupied their home one of their sons, Allen Barger, came home from Knoxville and died after a sickness of not more than three to seven days. It was believed by himself and his friends that he had been poisoned by some woman in Knoxville who was displeased with his attention to another than herself and to whom it was understood he was to be married.
There were several boys of these Bargers. They were great workers around brick buildings, and for us boys great pleasure providers because they would go rabbit hunting. Usually Big Matt Porter, Pad, Hen and Gib Porter would be in their company. All of these young men at various times worked for Alfred McConnell, a brick maker, house builder and saw mill man. He died after 1917 near Miser Station in this county, getting up near his 91st year. He was the father-in-law of our worthy citizens, Tobe McReynolds and Judge Robert A. McReynolds. The house that Joe Broyles lives in was built about the year 1870 by a minister from the north by the name of Knight. And just immediately northeast below this, Uncle Johnnie Collins erected him a little house, having moved to our town from Friendsville, Tenn. He belonged to the society of Friends. He came from Pennsylvania as a teacher of art for the Friends School at Friendsville. Later he came to Maryville for the purpose of schooling his daughters and teaching.
As early as 1872 he painted portraits that are in the possession of our family, and Major Will A. McTeer has in his office several valuable mementoes of our town, namely the J.M. Greer Cheap Corner Store, the “Antebellum Courthouse,” as well as the court House erected about 1882, painted by Mr. Collins. We will now proceed to take in the Pride Addition to Maryville. This is that part of town known as East Maryville. This was laid off into lots by John Pride, a short time previous to the Civil War. He with John Toole, placed these lots on the market and attempted to build up and enlarge the town. It began at College Street, extended to the top of the hill where High Street now is, thence to the railroad, with the railroad and the College property, to the depot on Sevierville Road; thence with the Sevierville Road back to the creek near Anchor Woolen Mills. The first house was across the creek on College Street at the end of the bridge, which at that time spanned Pistol Creek. This was occupied by a family named Boyd, a brother and two sisters. Major Will A. MCTeer boarded with this family. Mr. Boyd soon died with tuberculosis. The girls soon moved back to the country.
The next house was the one near the creek, opposite “Harper Spring,” occupied by an attorney-at-law, William D. McGinley; Nimrod Byers, our Chief of Police; later by his brother-in-law, a Mr. Burton, who had a son, William, who as a boy of from fourteen to seventeen, played as a mechanic. And on the stream as it passed his house had erected saw mills, grist mill, overshot wheels, undershot wheels, miniature towns and other mechanical contrivances that continued to be the wonder of the town. He afterwards moved to Springfield, married a Willis, daughter of a tanner; proceeded to learn the tanner’s trade. Then he became the foreman of the Maryville Woolen Mill, living in the house opposite the ruins of the old hosiery mill. While in this mill effected two or three useful patents. Afterwards he was the chief machinist of the Knoxville Woolen Mills until his death somewhere near the year 1906.
The next who occupied this building on the creek was Sam P. Rowan, attorney-at-law of our town, who became first representative, then senator; at all times a good lawyer, a conservative advisor and a well known politician. Beyond this house was a house where Rowan’s Service Garage is. I cannot call to mind an earlier resident of this house than about the year 1880, when Mr. Roderick McKenzie abandoned the old hotel property and moved into this building. Coming back to College Street at the top of the hill on the right, where the Presbyterian parsonage is, early lived H.O. Wilson, a blacksmith of our town. This house was old at that day. When Mr. Wilson moved out of this building, Mr. Elijah Walker moved into it, he having purchased the grist mill known as the “Wilson Mill” of James Waters. Mr. Walker and his wife lived in this house until they each died near 1887. Across the street from this house, on the corner was a two story, frame building with an “L” extending south towards High Street, occupied by John Mook.
And many were the dances that we had at this place with Uncle Johnnie, his daughters, Katherine or Katy and Mary playing the violin. And now and then his wife would take the violin and make better music than either of the others. The next who occupied this house was Uncle John Currier, a citizen of Knox County who came to Maryville, and with a kinsman by the name of Cottrell, had a general merchandise store on the corner where Proffitts now sell goods. When young John Currier or Dick Dowell became tired of sitting up, waiting for the Union League to adjourn because of the entrance being inside of the store to the upstairs hall, they would get to the foot of the steps and yell “Fire!” in order to empty the house. And many were the false alarms that our town had because of this fact. On the north side of High Street, there was no other building nearer than beyond the depot. However, there was a one story frame building on the lot formerly owned by the Hon. H.T. Brown, now by Dr. Andy Gamble. Here lived a Negro, Presbyterian preacher by the name of Uncle Sam Smith, and a near as I can remember, about the year 1872, he appeared to be past eighty. Shortly thereafter he died. He and his wife were very much respected by white people and was believed to be a good Christian man.
On the south side of High Street near where Professor Waller’s family lives was an uncompleted brick building. Soon after I first remember, Major George W. Hutsell added some frame work upon the brick work and lived in this building a few years. At least he was living there when the Dowell-Currier fire occurred on the corner where Proffitts now is. I remember on that night, when the residences were being emptied of their contents, that he threw a bureau with looking glass out of the top floor of a two and one half story building; quietly carried a feather bed down the steps and gently laid it on the ground. But on his next trip he was wide awake and this time he carried out with great care a glass demijohn which held 10 gallons of blackberry wine, seated himself upon a pile of furniture, insisted that he was put there to guard property and after some time was found fast asleep with the demijohn still close in his arms.
The next house in this section of town is the small, one story, one room with an L of one room immediately on the corner of what is known as the Tuckaleechee Cove Road as you go toward Davy Jones’ place. M.L. McConnell first lived here. Next a widow lady and after this Charles Pflanze, and he not very long afterward built himself a small house on the lot next west of this property.
The next house was about where Mrs. S.L. George lives. This was a story and one half brick; first occupied by a family by the name of Zimmerman, then by a family by the name of Johnson, and amongst whom was a daughter, who as a schoolmate and friend, was admired by all of the boys because her ability to play baseball, “old cat” and in base running could outrun any of us.
Beyond the second creek or the creek we will designate as Everett’s Creek on the left side of the road, now known as the Knoxville Pike, was the ruins of an old shed about two hundred feet beyond Calamity Corner. A few seats yet remained upon the ground. This was known as New Providence Church Camp Meeting Ground. Here Dr. Anderson is said to have preached many of his noted sermons, and many acres of ground surrounding this was deeded to him, understood to be a trust as the church property.
Going farther around to the west we find Mrs. R.J. Allen’s home. I cannot place anyone in this house previous to Robert J. Allen. He moved there about the year 1870. This property belonged to Dr. Anderson’s estate. Some of the Wallaces or the Tooles had also owned this. The next house to the west is the home of Captain W.Y.C. Hannum, known as the Cedar Circle. A colored family lived in the yard of this property. The main building was unoccupied. Very soon a Mr. Pate had charge. Then a man by the name of Mitchell, father to Frank Mitchell. The first occupant of the homestead house was Captain Dorton, son-in-law of Frank M. Hood. Captain Dorton had charge of the squad of Federal soldiers who occupied the Court House when the cannon balls were fired into its walls. He and his men were forced to surrender.
The next is the house known as the Fruit Hill property to the left and west of the Louisville Road. This belonged to the Hannum estate. A family by the name of McDaniel or Gibbs lived here, and when John Gibbs one time cut his foot with an ax, not being able to talk plain, he exclaimed to a brother of his, “Murder hurty me burry.” And to this day John Gibbs becomes somewhat vexed if you intimate to him that his brother, Berry, wants to know if he has cut his foot anymore. Dr. James Hannum owned this property. About the year 1870 or 1872 he came back from Mississippi and resided here and resumed his practice as a physician. It has been said of him that he was the best read physician and knew more about the practice of medicine and the effects of different medicine on the system than any physician that has ever been in our county. His father was a noted physician at his day, and another brother who lived in Carter County is said to be a well informed physician. We also knew him as a fine chess, checker and croquet player, as well as a noted shot at birds and rabbits on the go. He would not shoot at either unless they were running or on the wing, and often I have seen him while horseback, shoot and kill one bird to his right and wheel in the saddle and kill another with the other barrel, almost immediately in his rear. However, Captain Will Kirk, our one legged postmaster and watch repairer, was equally as noted a huntsman. Keeping about this distance from the Court House, we find no house.
Sweeping around to the west, then to the south, until we come to the present building owned by heirs of James Monroe Goddard. This was the home of J. Gray Smith and his widowed daughter, Mrs. Eliza Henry. The next building was that of James A. Goddard. Some time back it burned to the ground. It was occupied by Julius Fagg, his aged wife, his daughter, Mrs. J.C. Miller and her family. Mr. Fagg had formerly owned the property adjacent to town from the creek back to the Duncan farm, including all between the Montvale Road and Crooked Creek Roads; thence all the College property lying between the White’s Mill Road and town. When he died, he and his wife were buried close to the fence line, about where Mr. Kithcart’s house now is. Afterwards, the remains were removed to the present Magnolia Cemetery.
Mr. Miller was a shoe drummer and one morning left our town about 8:00 o’clock by way of the K. & A. Railroad. He scolded his youngest boy and remarked to him that he must stay away from the Broyles Saw Mill. The little fellow, about 13 years of age, failed to obey his father’s command and about 9:30 the news came that he had been injured and that death was sure to overtake him within a few hours. His father was to take a train at Knoxville, sixteen train miles away in less than three hours. The only way to communicate with him was by horseback, as this was before the day of telephones and telegraph. No man would allow his horse to be rode that fast. A nephew, however, said that he had a Texas pony there that no one had been able to ride; that he would give to any man that would ride him and bear also the news to his uncle. No one offered for this service. At last there stepped into the crowd a young boy of about 13 years of age, who said that if they would hold the horse until he could get on him, and start him in the right way, he would try it.
This was accomplished and he rode this Texas pony the sixteen miles and down through Gay Street with the police hollering to stop him, in one hour and thirty-five minutes; leaped from the horse, leaving him alone, sprang to the railway track, saw Mr. Miller on the rear of the train and made him understand to get off. The K. & A. furnished a special engine and returned the father to Maryville in thirty-three minutes, which was equal to twenty minutes at this day and time, as the usual schedule at that time was one hour and twenty minutes. The father reached the boy’s side and was with him some ten or twenty minutes before his death. The only thing the boy could say was, “Father I am sorry.” There was a house in the yard of this property that had been used as an office when Colonel Fagg had management of his vast estate, and the last years of the Colonel’s life was passed in living in this house with one of the Asbury Negro women as cook for himself and wife. It seems that they had formerly belonged to the Colonel.
Julius Miller, the grandson of Colonel Fagg, had a pair of oxen that each fall he was kind enough to allow a few of the boys who were good friends of his to use for hauling walnuts, and as a usual thing my father’s backyard was amply supplied with walnuts gathered from Uncle Andy Duncan’s woodland or off what is known as Joe McIlvaine’s farm. For each load that Julius hauled for us, we had to help gather a load for him. Then we would go and help Julius eat.” ---Tab [Will E. Parham]