Broadnax House (Pittsylvania County, Virginia)

Woods Reveal Ruins of Landmark
By Bernard (Staff Writer)
The Bee (Danville, Virginia)
May 19, 1993
(click on photograph for larger image)

A walk in the woods near the Wood Fiber Industries plant reveals what remains of one of Danville's landmark homes. Local historian Danny Ricketts called a few weeks ago and said he had found something I would really like. I took the bait. Don't get me wrong. I love history, but it's a walk in the woods this time of year that improves other sensory skills.

When Danny calls, I know it's not going to be a wild-goose chase. Danny spends a lot of his time in the courthouse in Chatham looking up information about old families in the area. Danny's not going to say he discovered that Jimmy Hoffa is buried at Whitmell, and he knows where. No, when Danny calls, it's certain he's done his homework. So, he takes me out to the spot off Gypsum Road to take a look at the old Broadnax House. The first part of the hike is easy. A utility road makes for easy walking. Then, the woods get thick. The briars are like machetes, cutting through clothes and skin. It's snaky. The ruffle of an occasional shotgun blast can be heard in the air. I feel like Ronny Cox to his Jon Voight -- and we're not 500 years from the road.

Trial of Henrietta Jeffries

Still another illustration of the sympathetic relationship that has existed between the races in Caswell County is found in the files of the Caswell County Historical Association, Inc. The account is typed but unsigned, and the facts related in that source are substantially as follows: At the December, 1911, term of Superior Court in Caswell County a case of unusual interest was scheduled for trial. A true bill had been found by the Grand Jury on an indictment of an old black woman named Henrietta Jeffries charged with practicing medicine without a license. The case had been widely discussed in the county and when the case was called the courtroom was filled to capacity.

Judge Charles M. Cooke was presiding and the solicitor or state prosecutor was S. P. Graves. The state carefully picked its jury, but when the defendant was asked if she was satisfied with the jury she replied: "If the Judge has no fault with the jury, it suits me all right." The solicitor then began the usual questions: "Are you ready for trial?" "Yes, I'se ready." "Are you guilty or not guilty?" "I don't know zackly what you mean by that, but if you mean that I helped these white women when they needed me the most, the I'se guilty." As she said this Judge Cooke became quite interested. A tear glistened in his eye, and his old wrinkled face took on a glow. It was evident that she had the judge's sympathy. He looked at her for a moment, and he realized that she was "an old granny woman" and a midwife of the old school. Then he asked: "Aunt Henrietta, who is your lawyer? You'll need one." In her childish way, and with a faith that was beautiful to behold, she said: "Judge, I'se got no lawyer, but you am Judge and I'se depending on nobody but you." Judge Cooke, as if manifestly affected, said in a husky voice: "You have done chose the right lawyer this time."

Lea Family of Caswell County, North Carolina

Perla Clay Otken stated: I am a granddaughter of James Lea, son of Zachariah Lea and Sabrina Clay; son of Luke Lea and Elizabeth Wilson; son of James Lea and Anne Talbot. Thus, she places herself in line of James (Country Line) Lea.
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Letter from Perla Clay Otken, McComb, Mississippi, 27 August 1931

James Lea, according to tradition, emigrated from England and settled first in King and Queen County, Virginia, and then moved about 1750 to North Carolina in what is now known as Caswell and Person County. He located about two miles west of Leasburg, a village subsequently established and named for the family. My sister, Frances, is quite a genealogist. Were she at home now I'd ask her to write you, as she is better versed in family history than I, and has a great deal of data which is authentic, as she secured it in person from records on file in Hanover Court House, Hanover, Virginia, the Lawson-McGhee library in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the courthouse in Rutledge, Granger County, Tennessee.  While in Tennessee, she copied the marriage license of great grandfather Zachariah Lea, who with his wife, his wife's mother, my grandfather James and his wife, are all buried at my mother's old home about twelve miles from here in Amite County, Mississippi.

Two cars full of Lea grandchildren visited this sacred spot last Sunday afternoon. Four generations are sleeping beneath those gnarled cedars on that lonely hill-top.

Your friend, Perla Clay Otken

Comment: This was the depression, cars and roads of the time in southern Mississippi lend a certain "pathos." I am grateful that sister Frances traveled to several states in her determined search for the proof necessary to prove descent. My guess it was for DAR as they required copies of originals.
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Thomas Day Tour

Museum Receives Day-Era Workbench

By Gerri Hunt, Assistant Editor, The Caswell Messenger (Yanceyville, North Carolina), 21 November 2011

Downtown Milton was full of activity Saturday, as the Thomas Day House was open as part of the Fall Foliage Homes Tour. Shops and restaurants were open, and several tables were set up on the Broad Street sidewalk, with merchants peddling wares. And proceeds from a chili cook-off benefited Friends of Milton. At 9:30 a.m., Ed Hobbs, of the Mid-West Tools Association, donated a Thomas Day-era cabinetmaker's workbench and more than two dozen tools to the Thomas Day House/Union Tavern, for permanent display in the museum. Hobbs later explained that a member of his group, who is in Old Salem, researched and designed the workbench. Then Roy Underhill, of the PBS TV show "The Woodwright's Shop," built it by hand, just as it would have been constructed in Day's time. The workbench and more than a dozen tools were presented to the museum. Saturday monring, for permanent display.

"We're really thrilled to death with [the donation]," said Marion Thomas, past-president of TDH/UT, who was on hand for the donation ceremony, and greeted visitors to the museum. She said the tool association had previously made donations to Mount Vernon and Monticello. She added that Nancy Mangum also gave TDH/UT a lot of tools. Throughout the day, Hobbs demonstrated the use of the tools and the workbench, and talked a lot about Day himself. "If Thomas Day walked in here right now, he'd probably say, 'Yes, this is what my shop looked like'," said Hobbs. "He was a good cabinet maker, and he was really smart," he continued. "He was very much into veneering; he would offer a client a pine piece for one price, then offer veneered pieces for higher prices... but it was the same piece of furniture, just with different veneers."

Hobbs showed off many woodworking planes, and a toothing plane, which has a serrated blade and is used to roughen up the wood surface so the glue and veneer could stick to it. He demonstrated a holdfast, an old clamp shaped like a crowbar, which slipped into a hole on the workbench. The short curved end was flattened, and sat on a piece of wood to be worked on. The holdfast was secured by hitting it with a mallet, essentially wedging it into the tabletop hole and keeping the wood still. Hobbs made sure visitors took a look at a large wooden screw vise attached to the backside of the workbench, to hold large pieces of wood. The Mid-West Tools Association is not a stranger to the TDH/UT, as members come to the museum periodically for demonstrations. The museum is open by appointment only. Signs are displayed in Milton with contact information for locals who have keys to the museum.

Some local merchants took advantage of the crowds in town for the Fall Foliage Tour. Across the street from the museum under the overhang that covers the entrances to several small shops, tables lined the sidewalk. Joetta Mabe was selling handmade soaps, a preview for the retail shop she will open next to the tire store in the next month or so. Michele Thomas, who now sells antiques at The White Owl, battled against Lawrence "Taco" Smith in a chili cook-off. Milton resident Bobby Pearson was all smiles as he dug into a bowl of chili with a corn cake. "The chili is what brought me out today," he said.

North Carolina Railroad

"North Carolina Railroad Has Proved Profitable Investment--It Lent Money to Confederacy and Has Returned State and Individual Stockholders Profit of More Than $14,000,000 in 94 Years"

Raleigh, Feb 9, 1944--(AP)--A $4,000,000 investment which survived and lent money heavily to the Confederate States in the Civil War, has returned the State of North Carolina and hundreds of individual stockholders a profit of more than $14,000,000 in 94 years. The investment is the North Carolina railroad, now owned by the North Carolina railroad company -- or the State and its hundreds of co-partners. Chartered in 1849, it now is under lease to the Southern Railway company for 99 years at a net annual rent of 7.15 percent of the owners net capital stock -- or $214,007 a year. Add to that the revenues derived from special dividends from the sale of special rights and property along the line itself. Taken over a period of 47 years since the lease was signed, the operating company now has paid to the owners something like $10,058,294 in rental percentage payments alone. At the end of the 99 years a new lease must be signed or the property goes back to the owners.

Danville, Virginia: Early History

"Wynne's Falls Provided Site For City To Grow" by John H. Brubaker III

As if the place just grew, like Harriet Beecher Stowe's Topsy, the origins of Danville are frustratingly vague because its first settlers did not keep written records of life on the south side of the Dan. It is known from early land records that the first man to ask the Commonwealth for land of his own within what has become the City of Danville was William Wynne, a justice of Brunswick County. He received 200 acres on the south side of the Dan in 1738, at which time Danville, Pittsylvania County and all the land around them in Virginia were a part of Brunswick. Later he moved his family to this area and settled at the falls on the river.

Pistols and Politics in Caswell County

"Lively Politics and Pistols: A Republican Rumpus in Caswell County -- Adams Painfully Wounded"

Danville, Va., October 24. -- There was a lively political row at Miner's store, in Caswell county, on Saturday last. The particulars, as far as can be learned, are as follows: S. P. Womack [actually T. P. Womack] announced himself as Republican candidate for sheriff, and in the course of his remarks said that there was a Republican traitor in the camp who was trying to injure him. Reference was had to A. B. Adams [actually S. B. Adams], a well-known Republican and clerk of the Superior Court for that county. After Womack had left the stand Adams denounced him, and Womack struck Adams in the face. B. Y. Womack, brother of the other Womack, then came up and Adams drew a pistol and shot at him. B. Y. Womack then drew his pistol and shot Adams in the arm inflicting a painful but not fatal wound.

Source: The Richmond Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia), 25 October 1892.
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The S. P. Womack [T. P. Womack] of the above article is believed to be Thomas Pancoast Womack (1861-1916), who already was Caswell County sheriff at the time, and apparently was announcing his intention to run for the office again. He was successful and served as sheriff 1891 to 1894. His pistol-brandishing brother is Bartlett Yancey Womack (1856-1897).

The brothers are sons of Thomas Jefferson Womack and Ann Elizabeth Yancey Womack, thus being grandsons of Bartlett Yancey, Jr. (1785-1828).

The A. B. Adams referred to in the article is S. B. Adams (Spencer B. Adams), who served as Caswell County Clerk of Court 1882-1896.

The location of Miner's Store is unknown.