Who?

Why?

Joseph Starnes Jr.

A word about names: When immigrants first arrived, there were huge language barriers. Surnames were spelled phonetically according to the ears of any given administrating officer. The Carlock sisters name was from the German Gerlach. Likewise, Starnes evolved from the German, "Staring". It sounded like "Stah-rentz" to the administrator who wrote it down. It is recorded in history as Starns, Stearn and Starnes. First names could also be confusing. For instance, Frederick's wife Mary's full name was Joanna Catherina, or sometimes Joanna Catherine but others called her Mary Catherine. It seems she went by Mary. It is not the purpose of this writing to sort out these distinctions.

Joseph Starnes Jr. has an incredible story that leads to his arrival at our spot in 1816. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and fought at the Battle of King's Mountain. As a young man he travelled with his father and uncle who were land speculators. He was an experienced scout in the fight for independence. He worked with pioneer Daniel Boone at Fort Booneboro in Kentucky. He was ambushed by Cherokee Indians and lived to tell about it. His father and uncle did not.

It is not clear how Joseph Jr. obtained his land on the Middle Little River. The records tell us when but don't say where. Records of land transactions after grants and before Stoneman's raid can be elusive but some of that clears up a bit in the next generation with Joseph's son, Jesse. We have a better idea of where Jesse's spot sat but do not know if any of it came from his father. There doesn't appear to be any land grants to Joseph Jr. and only two small ones to Jesse. It is likely the land was bought from whoever was issued the original grant. Irving is trying to get the honest-serving men to see eye to eye but, as typical, Mr. Where and Mr. When are bickering.

There is an historical marker in Kentucky, it marks the spot of "Starn's Defeat". It commemorates Joseph Jr.'s harrowing escape through the brush after the brutal murder of Frederick Starnes Jr., Joseph Starnes Sr. and Mike Moyer, a brother-in-law. Learn what happened by clicking Mr. What's button.

Joseph Starnes Jr.'s grandparents (Frederick and Ana) were not born in America. They crossed the ocean as children on the same ship. Mr. How tells you how they got down the Rhine to Rotterdam, across the English channel to London, across the Atlantic the New York and ultimately all the way to our spot. He tells the tale of three generations of Starnes', from Frederick Sr. to Joseph Jr., as they moved from spot to spot. When you get through his page, Mr. Why is there to tell you why they had to flee.

Where was the land and when did they live there? Mr. Where and Mr. When can show you.

Jesse Starnes

It's hard to say just how much land Jesse owned or how he got it. Any pertinent records were likely destroyed by Stoneman's Raid in April of 1865. Jesse represents the bottom of the well when following deeds back in time from our spot. He was 16 when his family moved to the Middle Little River but there are not records to tell us exactly where they lived. His father, Joseph Jr., deeded 126 acres to Jesse's younger brother Jarret Harrison. He also sold 100 acres to Lewis Bowman. Lewis was the younger brother of Jarret's wife, Mary. The homeplace could have been on one of those tracts. There do not appear to be any land grants to Joseph Starnes.

Jesse is the Starnes who at one time owned several hundred acres that included our spot. There are no records showing that Jesse got his land from his father despite the inquisition from the honest-serving men. Mr. Wonder is urging us to continue.

Jesse could not have willed, deeded or sold land he did not first own and we do have those records. He entered and was issued two small land grants, we have those records as well. Jesse and his wife Nellie had six daughters and two sons. When he died in 1874, his daughters each inherited about 30 acres. Jesse deeded his sons, Thomas Wesley and James Jefferson, tracts of land. Thomas Wesley's deed was in 1859. It is not known exactly when James Jefferson was deeded his [ ] acre tract. He fought in the Civil War and was wounded but survived. He died in 1874 at age 30. Mr. Why suggests his wartime injuries may have been a factor in his early demise but Mr. How has as not yet confirmed that. Jesse sold a fifty-acre tract to Moses Austin in 1840. He sold the land on our spot that adjoins the Middle Little River to Daniel Bowman is 1857. He sold land to Rebecca Tant, John Benfield and William White. It is also possible other tracts were bought and sold with a handshake in lieu of documents.

The property lines of these various tracts have evolved over the ages but some patterns exist if you compare current maps with old deeds. Mr. Where has this all worked out for us on his page. Mr. How can show you how we figured it out and Mr. When can tell us, you guessed it, when. The links within any given section of an honest-serving man's page will take you to the corresponding section of the respective page.

Daniel Hayward Wittenberg

Postmaster

William's son, Daniel Wittenberg, settled on a large tract of land on the Middle Little River. Parts of his land included parts of our spot. Daniel was a miller who ground flour with millstones using the might of the river. It was he for whom the Wittenberg Township was named.

Much of what we know about the history of Alexander County stems from the work of historian William E. White. His work, "A History of Alexander County" published in 1926, curated what could have easily been lost. He was an accomplished scholar. William was about seventeen when Daniel Wittenberg died in 1865. It's likely the youngster and codger were familiar; their families certainly were.

William White eventually went on to own part of Daniel's spot and that spot is now part of our spot. It was Moses Austin's spot before it was Daniel's. As it turns out, the part of our farm that we call "Spencer" has a rich history. I suppose all spots do but this one is particularly unassuming. There is a grove of very large old Black Walnut trees in what we call "H paddock". It was likely the home place of these various characters who informed our spot's humanity.

William White's work informs us: "Daniel Wittenberg acquired a valuable tract of land just above mouth of Middle Little River on the bank of the Catawba, sometime time about 1830." He built a buhr mill, one of the first in Alexander County, "just above where the Little River breaks through the bank of the canyon of the Catawba." Despite the rough terrain, Daniel built good roads to his mill. It naturally became a gathering place for supplies and information. Both were in short supply. In 1834 the Wittenberg mill was deemed a United States Post Office. The sulky (one horse, two-wheeled cart) route came through twice a week.

This route is identified on a map that was federally commissioned in 1840 of North and South Carolina's postal routes (and canals and railroads). You can see that map and navigate it's parameters courtesy of the University of North Carolina in another window by clicking the button labeled "UNC Map" at the bottom of this section.

Daniel built another smaller mill on a tributary to the Middle Little River, Rock Creek. It was for the manufacture of Flaxseed oil. Flax was a money crop. Farmers, everybody was a farmer back then, always had a buyer in Daniel Wittenberg for flax. The mechanics for the "oil mill' were far different than that of his flour mill. The flour mill used the power of the river to turn one millstone against another. The flax mill employed the lesser might of the creek to turn a cam shaft of sorts which dropped hammers to beat the flax to a pulp. That pulp was pressed by hand with sledgehammers in racks with opposing angled logs. The oil was captured below.

It should be noted, the history books don't shed much light on the specifics. It is assumed the post office was at Daniel's flour mill on the Middle Little River but it may have been at the oil mill on Rock Creek where he lived. In his will, Daniel left his homeplace to his son David. You can read more about David by scrolling down or clicking his name from the roster on the left. The history books don't really tell us how Daniel acquired his land, or from whom. But wills and deeds do tell us what he bequeathed and sold. It can take some generational sleuthing to get to the bottom of it. Legal descriptions are often vague references to formerly known lands. Typically, a dispute arises, courts are summoned and lines are drawn... then all of that gets forgotten. As always, Irving Wonder is right there to cipher through it all and inform us. Mr. Where can show you the tracts Daniel left to his children. Just click his button below.

Daniel married Catherine Keller in 1811. Her father and grandfather, Christian and Peter (respectively) both acquired land grants along the Middle Little River to the Catawba. He and Catherine had two sons and three daughters.

Joseph Starnes Jr. died in 1839 when his son Jesse was about forty years old (they're in the roster on the left). Joseph Jr. and Jesse both got their mail at the Wittenberg Post office. Their land was adjacent to Daniel Wittenberg's.

Daniel died June 12, 1865, less than two weeks after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. His wife Catherine preceded him in death. She died on August 22, 1855. Despite his status of the time, and his name's institutional prominence to this very day, Daniel's final resting place is unknown. Catherine is buried by his side.... if you wonder

how we could know that without knowing the spot they rest, read about David below.

Click Mr. How's button to see how Daniel's grandfather, Henry, came to America. Henry's son, Daniel's father, William was a wealthy plantation owner on Lyle's Creek, the last stop before our spot for the Wittenberg's. Click Mr. Where to see where Daniel's land was and how he divided it. Click Mr. When for census records that show us when Daniel lived on our spot. Mr. What has the story of Daniels' mill.

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David Wittenberg

(1812 - 1874)

Daniel's son, David, had a brother and three sisters. His brother, Peter, went to California during the gold rush and made quite a name for himself on the other side of the country. He killed a man and was jailed but the community rose up in his defense. Evidently, the much younger man had it coming. Peter was released. There is a canyon, a mountain and a creek named for him.

David inherited the home place, which was the five or so acres surrounding his father's flax mill, along with about three hundred and seventy acres on both sides of the Middle Little River, the northernmost part of Daniel's vast holdings. Peter, having removed to California, was not named in Daniel's will. You can find Daniel's will by clicking the button at the bottom of his section (above).

David carried on as a miller in the grain industry as evidenced in the 1850 census but he did not succeed his father as Postmaster. David married Lavina Bowman and they had three children. The eldest, Susannah, died at age nineteen. Not much is known about her... so far. There is some question about when she lived but we're getting ahead of ourselves. They also had two sons, Daniel Monroe (1850-1918) and William Pinckney (1856-1905).

David died on February 7, 1874. He was survived by his wife Lavina who died on November 19, 1897. He is buried on the same hill as Daniel and Catherine. The exact location is unknown. Daniel Wittenberg's final resting place overlooking the Catawba River was likely a special spot he chose for very personal reasons. We can speculate about when the spot was chosen. It seems the first person buried in the Wittenberg family cemetery was Susannah Wittenberg. She died on August 15, 1855. A week later on August 22, David's mother Catherine died. He had to bury his mother and his daughter. Daniel had to bury his wife and grand-daughter. Yellow Fever could have been the cause but that's speculation. It was awful. One can only imagine the grief-stricken decisions that followed, a site was chosen. Daniel and son David surely decided at that moment to rest in the same spot when their time came. And so it came to pass.

In generations that followed, the burial sites are not hard to find. For example, David's sons are buried at the Shiloh Lutheran Church Cemetery in Bethlehem. Magdaline married George Herman who was a member of Old St. Paul's Lutheran Church, she is buried there. But family cemeteries were not always documented or mapped on some register. So how do we know the resting place overlooked the Catawba River? How do we know about Susannah? How do we even know that we don't know the exact location? I am so glad you asked!

Thanks to the persistence of Irving Wonder and his sister, Bea Fascinated, we managed to solve the mysteries by chasing clues and finding the long lost headstones. Mr. What has the details. Mr. How can show you David's will. You can see how David left his estate. Mr. When has the years he lived here and Mr. Where maps it all out. Just click the honest-serving buttons below.

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Daniel M. and William P.

Daniel and William Wittenberg

And William's wife, Minerva

When David Wittenberg died in 1874, he bequeathed the 370 acres left to him by his father, Daniel Hayward Wittenberg, to his sons Daniel Monroe and William Pinkney. They also inherited the four and three quarters acre home place. Their sister, Susannah, preceded her parents in death.

The Middle Little River served as the line that divided the land David left to his sons. According to David's will: "Daniel to have all on the west side of the river and William to have on the east side". You can see David's will by clicking the button at the bottom of his section (above). His sons were charged with providing for their mother Lavina and evidently did not do an adequate job. She sued them and won. It caused quite a stir, here's the "Statesville Record and Landmark" on Friday, August 17, 1883:

"Two reference courts sat at Tayorsville last week, and excited a good deal of interest. One of the cases was that of Lavina Wittenberg against D.M. and W.P Wittenberg, before E.M. Stevenson and R.M. Sharp, Esqs. ..."

William died in 1905 at age 49. He and his wife Minerva had three children, David Ransom, Ollie Victoria and Leathy who died when she was four.

Our spot, with a small exception, sits on the west side of the river. Daniel was the son who narrowed the focus of our spot's circle but ironically, the chain of custody went through William's lineage. William had children and Daniel did not. Daniel left part of our spot to his nephew Ransom. You can see his will by clicking the button at the bottom of this section.

William seemed to be the more ornery of the two brothers although that may not be completely fair. Our information is scarce after more than a century. He did cause some kind of ruckus at church once, he was arrested and charged. Here' the clip from the Statesville Record and Landmark on August 13, 1895:

"W.P. Wittenberg, disturbing religious worship; pleads guilty; judgement suspended on payment of cost."

He was also in court over a dispute of property lines in what is now "Wittenberg Springs" off of Rink Dam Road. Daniel had previously left that tract to his daughter Suffia. Mr. How is still trying to work out how William P. ended up with it. Ultimately His son "Ransom" left to his children by way of his wife.

Ransom and Ollie were 14 and 17 years old (respectively) when their father died on November 18, 1905. Evidently, he returned to field too soon after a surgery of some kind. He did not leave a will so the matter went to court in February of 1906 to settle the dower rights for Minerva, his wife. Gilbert P. Bowman was the administrator of the estate and represented Ollie and Ransom against Minerva. A few years later, they were back in court again to settle a dispute between Ransom and Ollie. Gilbert P. Bowman represented Ollie. The land was divided and allotted. Then Gilbert and Ollie married. He was 30 years her senior. Mr. What has the particulars.

Daniel Monroe Wittenberg began with land and bought more land during his life. In 1880 he was 30 and living on Dudley Shoals road. He lived alone. An article in "The Lenoir Topic" on Wednesday, June 16, 1886 states: "Our bachelor friend, D.M. Wittenberg, has kept "bachelor's hall" for seven years and never stayed away from home but one night during the time. It went on to say, "Mr. D.A. Brinkley, Mr. Wittenberg;s horse jockey, has been preparing for the last two weeks for Taylorsville court." David Brinkley was another prominent figure in our spot's story. We'll get to him as we work down the page.

In the 1900 census, DM Wittenberg was 50 and listed his occupation as a "landlord". In 1910 he is listed as a farmer and an employer who owned his farm. He was a businessman like his father David and his grandfather Daniel. There was an accident in December of 1899 that was widely reported, he was badly hurt. This clip from the Wilmington Messenger by way of the Charlotte Observer appeared on December 19, 1899:

"Charlotte Observer: Hickory, N. C., December 16. - There was quite a serious accident in the back alley in rear of the public square this morning. The team of Dan Wittenberg ran away, and a rescue was attempted by Wittenberg and a boy named Lutherr Reece, who were both badly hurt. The wagon, with a top load of shingles, passed over the body of Whittenberg. Whittenberg and Reece were both taken home in the city ambulance this afternoon. They live 12 miles distant."

The incident gives us a glimpse of his life and those times. He was likely getting a load of shingles for a house he was renting, or building to rent. He had help, Luther, so they went to Hickory and loaded up. Maybe he was settling up with whoever he was buying the shingles from when the horses spooked. It sounds from the article like they were trying to jump on to the wagon rather than trying to jump off of it. That's a dicey proposition and it evidently did not go according to plan. I imagine they made the split-second, albeit futile, decision in a moment of panic. The "city ambulance" was just another horse-drawn wagon. As badly hurt as they were, it didn't take them to a hospital. It took them home to fend for themselves. They were likely very grateful for that.

D.M. Wittenberg never married. He died in 1918, he's buried at the Shiloh Lutheran Church Cemetery, so is his brother William. Having no children, he left his estate to his nephew, David Ransom Wittenberg (William Pinkney's son) and Gilbert P. Bowman who was now the husband of his niece, Ollie Victoria. Ransom Wittenberg and Gilbert Bowman were named as administrators in the will. DM Wittenberg also bequeathed land to Robert Bowman and Adam Bowman. The will gives no metes and bounds for the tracts and very much reads like a landlord would describe it. Adam Bowman gets the 11 acres "on which they now live". Robert Bowman gets the "Riley Austain place" and "that tract of land joining the Riley Austain place". David Ransom gets the "Billy White place" and the "David Starnes place". He gets the "Wavet Bowman place". There is also the home place.

This will is referenced in Ransom Wittenberg's section below while describing my early explorations. There was a small area I could not figure out who owned. We called it, "The Mystery Land." I also referenced it David Spencer's section below that. I mentioned it was the end of the trail when following the deeds back in time. I eventually found the answers I was looking for by walking the woods and reading the deeds. I talked with a few people as well. Clues ensued, I. Wonder pursued. Each old deed revealed how the previous grantor acquired it until it pointed to DM Wittenberg's will. It can be seen by clicking below.

Most of these boundaries would eventually be worked out through the courts with commissioners assigned to survey and divide the lands. A report was issued on March 26, 1912 which settled the dispute between Ransom and Ollie Victoria. It is filed in book 3 on page 336 at the Alexander County Register of Deeds. Parts of the vast expanse of Daniel Hayward Wittenberg's original plantation were passed down through David and on to Daniel Monroe. Some land left to Suffia and Susannah made its way back to the family after they moved west.

To see DM Wittenberg's will and how bequeathed his estate, go to Mr. How's page. And what happened with the mystery land? Mr. What can tell you. Mr. When has the census record for both brothers and Mr. Where has the maps.

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D. Ransom Wittenberg

David Ransom Wittenberg

My Friend Murlee

I am uncertain about the year but it was shortly after we bought the Spencer tract when I. Wonder suggested exploration beyond its perimeter. The county maps those days were blueprint blue and the parcel lines were incoherent approximations. Irving and I set out on foot several times before wandering up to the Middle Little River. It was not on my map, it was on the next county map over.

"Ransom" Wittenberg and his wife Letha were the last link to the Wittenberg's geographical legacy. It is the natural progression for very large spots. Daniel H. Wittenberg did not inherit his land, he bought it. Mr. How cannot, at this point, say who sold it to him. Mr. Where, however, has most of it pinned down. Daniel H. Wittenberg split what land he had left four ways. His son David split his quarter in half in his will. Daniel M Wittenberg's half of the quarter was split again, four ways. Ransom was one of those four. All along the way virtually all of these divisions were further divided and sold.

Ransom was a businessman like his father(s) before him. He was a merchant, he had a store in Bethlehem near where the post office sits today. His daughter Murlee kept the books from the time she was a girl.

After we purchased the Spencer tract in 1995, exploration beyond our growing perimeter ensued. You can read about the Spencer tract by scrolling down or just click his name from the roster on the left. My explorations and research of land surrounding the Spencer tract created a mystery for Irving Wonder and his team of honest-serving men. Mr. What can tell you what happened. His button is at the bottom of the WP and DM Wittenberg section above.

Our spot sits at the end of a dead end road that comes in from the west, there are only woods and creeks to the east. One day, I. Wonder and I wandered. We found ourselves standing on the bank of the Middle Little River. I didn't know that at the time but I knew it was bigger than a creek and was likely on a map.

By then I was already a fixture at the local Register of Deeds office, I had maps from the Tax office as well. Most of what I had learned was related to the property we already owned. I found the blueprint blue aerial map that showed the river but it did not show where it ended up. Plans were made for an expedition. I decided I needed to secure a vessel. I called Jacques but the Calypso was not available so I called my friend Kevin and borrowed his inflatable canoe. It had Disney cartoon characters pictured along its sides. I put it in a back pack, hiked to a cliff and scaled down to the river. After the dizziness from inflating it subsided, I was off!

Another trip to the Tax Office for the next map over showed me where I had been. I learned about the Middle Little River, Rink Dam and the 800 acre lake it impounded. I had driven by the dam a hundred times but evidently Irving was never with me when I did. I learned that it wasn't the middle section of a river, it was a separate tributary to the Catawba between the Upper Little River and the Lower Little River.

The maps back then did have parcel lines but they were not very accurate. It was before everything was digitized and put online. With the help of Mr. Who, Mr. Where and Mr. When... and the kind folks at the Tax Office, I was able to identify the owner of the parcel closest to our spot, just one spot over. It should be noted at this juncture that Mr. How was, and remains, nowhere to be found with regard to this particular tract.

According to the records the land was owned by D.R. Wittenberg c/o M. Moore. Mr. Wittenberg was deceased, the tax bill was sent to his daughter, Mrs. Moore. The Hickory address was listed. I found that door and knocked on it.

"M. Moore" was Murlee Wittenberg Moore, her husband, J.D. Moore, answered the door. It was a little awkward being a curious stranger with no real plan but he welcomed me in and told me the tale. Murlee's father, David Ransom Wittenberg, was the son of William P. Wittenberg who was the grandson of the miller turned 1834 Postmaster, Daniel Hayward Wittenberg. You can learn about all of these characters by scrolling up and down this page or just click the name from the roster in the left.

Ransom Wittenberg still owned quite a lot of family land when he died, even after generations. As dynasties grow, sharing the accumulated assets inevitably becomes harder. It's just the math. Ransom's land was passed to his children through his wife Letha but that land was sold in that generation. All that was left of the family land by the time I knocked on Murlee's door was the 16 acre spot on the river, our peaceable kingdom.

There were eight heirs but Loy and Ransom David (the father was David Ransom but went by Ransom) died before their mother so they never inherited land. The six remaining heirs were not all that friendly with each other after they sold off their other land. There were conflicts with who got what, who did what and who deserved what. By the time I appeared, there were factions and it was a little ugly. JD informed me that yes, the land was for sale but I had to deal through him. If I talked to any of the other heirs, he would not sign off. We got stuck there for about ten years.

JD had trouble breathing and used an oxygen tank. We loaded it up and went to the river once or twice. He wanted to sell but there were other heirs who did not. I would check in every so often, we became friends. I remember helping him in his garden, his tank on a trolley. He got a kick out of the bonsai tree I got him for his birthday one year. Murlee was nice enough but she wanted her nephew to get the property. Other heirs had other ideas but no one was really talking. Some were just waiting. My presence caused a little bit of a rift between JD and Murlee and evidently she gave him the what for about it, so he called me. He told me that unless and until the nephew was not interested, Murlee said to "just forget it".

My heart sunk. I had no claim whatsoever on that land but I did somehow knew that one day it would happen. I thought I would have to let go of that dream. Like with David Spencer, somewhere along the way I had coaxed a promise from JD. He assured me if the heirs ever came together to sell, I would have a shot. I reminded him of his promise. Two days later, he called back. He said he was a man of his word and if I wrote something up and brought it by, he would sign it. I did that right away.

I knew that on one hand it meant very little if anything at all. On the other hand, especially looking back over a quarter century, it was a turning point. This endeavor began around 1998 but the first sale didn't happen until 2008, then it took until 2021 to get the rest of the 34 required signatures. Ultimately, none of it could have happened without the blessing of Murlee. The paper that JD signed, I think, set the table for Murlee and I to eventually work together.

JD died in September of 1999. Towards the end he just watched cartoons all day. I'd come sit with him every now and then. He was very coherent and did not seem confused at all but he didn't say a whole lot. Murlee welcomed the company and he seemed to as well, for what it was worth. I couldn't find a picture of him but I do remember his smile with a downturned mouth. I wrote Murlee a condolence letter.

When Murlee's birthday arrived in March, I sent her flowers. That went on for several years. When I first knocked on her door, I never imagined getting to know her so well or to grow so fond of her but I happened to be there through a very tough time. Such is life. I kept in touch, she was pretty busy. She was still working as an accountant and had girlfriends she did things with. She'd call if there was something she needed help with but that wasn't very often.

The status of the land deal did not really change, I still could not speak with the other heirs. The nephew was still there. I had permission, first from JD and then from Murlee, to fish anytime I wanted to. I had a key to the padlock on the cable at Teague Town Road. My fishing buddy and I took full advantage for a lot of years. Those were good times. Only one of the many heirs ever came there at all. After years, things were going nowhere. That's when I began to look down river and met Louise Powell.

Louise was a shrewd business woman and developer. She did not suffer fools. She toyed with people to flex her power. She had previously purchased 90 or so acres on the west side of the river from the Wittenbergs. Part of that is now "Hunter Chase Estates" on "Rink Pond". She also bought close to 100 acres on the east side including the old mill place. Her development, Hunter Chase Estates, went up the river about 500 feet past the point where Rock Creek emptied into it. That's where it adjoined Murlee's tract, our peaceable kingdom. The river has a loop that circles the Peaceable Kingdom giving it about a half of a mile of riverbank. The part of Louise Powell's land that was not developed wasn't likely to be developed because it was separated by Rock Creek. There was no way in from the other side. I contacted her about the 5oo foot stretch which totaled about 15 acres. It did not have nearly as much riverbank as Murlee's tract but it went west all the way to the Spencer tract. That could work.

Mrs. Powell and I went back and forth sporadically for a few years. I eventually made an offer which she accepted... or so she said. She kept moving the goalposts. First she agreed to separate the 15 acres then she said we had to take all 30. Then she raised the price. The offer was already more than I had offered the Wittenbergs. We considered selling off some land on the north and even had a buyer but in the end it was all just too much. Her land is beautiful but it was our second choice, the Wittenberg tract was the land we really wanted. While we never really felt like the money was the main issue, it was time to up the ante. It did not make sense to offer more money for our second choice.

At that point Murlee and I were friends of many years. During that time she lost her husband and not too long after that, she lost her son to illness. As the years passed some of her siblings died and more heirs came into the picture. Murlee came to peace with the family struggles but it wasn't entirely reciprocal. It was a sad situation, I never pried too much about it but I could see her pain and the change acceptance evoked. She reached out but was hurt by the futility of the efforts. All of that to say, the dynamics had changed considerably. So had the number of heirs. We started over with a new offer and it broke the logjam.

Murlee said she would sell and gave me the blessing to contact the other heirs. It was August of 2008. I finally had permission to do what I should have done at the beginning. I met with an attorney to facilitate an offer to all of the heirs. I had already done the research and knew who they were. It was structured in a way that meant if everybody signed then it would be a done deal... but they all had to sign. Ironically, the only two who signed were Murlee and her beloved nephew.

Two of the heirs, the son and daughter of Murlee's oldest sibling Ruth, did respond to our attorney with a letter of their own for the other heirs. They said they wanted to sell their shares but it was their desire to keep the land in the family. They set a deadline of October 31, 2008 giving the opportunity for any heir to purchase their shares (1/12 each) at the same price we had offered everyone. They said if no one stepped up by the deadline they would sell to someone outside of the family. They didn't specify that it would be us. The letter was sent out to all.

The first thing Monday morning, November 3rd, I confirmed from the attorney that no one had replied. By November 19, the deed was recorded and we now had a 1/6th undivided interest in our peaceable kingdom. We never met or spoke with the sellers. Soon after that, we received a counter-offer from a faction of heirs that was much higher than what we had just paid. We declined the offer. I informed them that we were now their partners in real estate.

On April 22, 2009 the beloved nephew's brother (another nephew) sold us his 1/18th share. Now we had 2/9ths. Because the shares were undivided, we already enjoyed the same privileges as every heir. The family tensions remained, the factions were dug in. Our initial attempt failed and now the entire paradigm had shifted. Unless and until we could secure all the shares, we were no better off.

I talked with Murlee at least a few times a year, mainly at tax time. I'd still send a flower every now and again if I remembered her birthday. She and her sister, Vernette, were the only two of the original six heirs still living in 2009 when we bought in. Murlee had already lost three siblings in the time I knew her. Splitting the tax bill was getting trickier as the fractions divided. Then in 2014 Vernette died, her three sons became heirs to the river property. I'm not sure how many there were at that particular time.

The property was already at a point where it would be impossible to physically divide. Murlee owned 1/6th. The smallest shares were 1/96th, there were two of those. They were the grand-daughters of the step-daughter of Murlee's brother. They split 1/4th of their grandmother's 1/12th share. Their grandmother's brother got the other 1/12th.... really.

The only way to remedy situations like these is to sell the land and split the money. That is essentially what they eventually did with us, only they did it at a time. By law, any heir, no matter their percentage of ownership in the land, can force a sale. If one or more of the other heirs does not buy them out then the land will be auctioned off on the courthouse steps. We didn't want to go that route if we could help it but we were part of the equation now.

In 2020 we isolated from Covid at the river. We cooked out and hung out most evenings of the week, all summer long. The spot became our refuge. The world was crazy, people were afraid and bureaucrats were bossy. None of this was so at the river, friends could gather in peace. The beavers, wood ducks, geese and barred owls didn't care about no stinkin' pandemic, we didn't have to either. The spot asked nothing at all.

It was around then that Murlee signaled she, and her beloved nephew, were ready to move forward with the sale. Over the last dozen or so years the conversations with Murlee always assumed that one day it would happen but she didn't have a sense of urgency about it. We owned the largest percentage at 2/9ths (1/12 + 1/12 + 1/18th) but had no more right to the property than anyone. That was working just fine but it was not sustainable over time. The land was ultimately headed for the courthouse steps if we couldn't get the growing number of heirs to come to an agreement. Twenty years after I first paddled down river in the Minnie Mouse balloon ship, there was a whole new cast of characters. Any factions had long since dissolved, there was no more animus. Some of the heirs didn't even know they owned a percentage. The constant presence throughout it all was Murlee. I learned from her and it was a pleasure to know her. She told me about her family which is the best possible way to learn the tidbits of history that time forgets.

She told me about her paternal grandmother, Minerva Cynthia Miller, they called her Minnie. She is the person peeking over Mr. Who's dialog box on the Wonder page. She smoked a corn cob pipe. Her husband, Murlee's grandfather William, died at age 49 in 1905. Evidently he returned to field too soon after surgery. William and Minnie had three children, Murlees' father David Ransom, and two daughters. One daughter. Leathy, died when she was four. The other was Ollie Victoria Wittenberg. Murlee called her "Ollie Belle". She had a club foot and walked with a limp. Ollie Belle married Gilbert Bowman who was thirty years her senior. They must have been a fan of Woodrow Wilson because they named a son after him, Woodrow Wilson Bowman. He was born in 1913 which was the first year of Wilson's presidency. Murlee's Great uncle, William's brother, was Daniel Monroe Wittenberg. He never married and had no children. He was quite successful. Murlee's mother, Letha, took care of him in his last years.

Murlee died on March 25, 2025. She was 93. I am not sure of the last time I saw her, it may have been the day she, the beloved nephew, his wife, my wife and I, sat around her sunroom table and signed the deeds. I may have seen her soon after, I know I talked to her a few times but I let life get in the way of my humanity. I allowed the connection to fade over the last couple of years. I regret that. Rest in peace Murlee.

Mr. How has breakdown of the entire transaction. Mr. Where can show you the spots. Mr. What has the gallery.

Where?

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David Manuel Brinkley

After Jesse Starnes' death in 1874, his land was divided between his two sons and six daughters. You can read about Jesse by clicking his name from the roster on the left. David Brinkley (1859-1908) began his farm by buying up much of the land Jesse left to his daughters. His spot, which encompasses our spot, was once in large part Jesse's spot. Such is the temporary nature of life when juxtaposed with the steady commitment of spots to stay put.

Mr. Brinkley was married twice, first to Amanda Miller in 1879. They had four children: Sarah Lola, Mary Etta, David Lindsey and Jane Elizabeth. They went by Lola, Etta, Doc and Lizzy. Amanda died in 1903 at the age of 47. David Brinkley's second wife was Dovie Caldwell. They married on May 12, 1904 and had two daughters, Clarissa and Viola.

From all indications, Mr. Brinkley was quite a character. He traveled often on business of unknown (and unpredictable) origin. He was always making plans and doing deals. Legend has it, he once came home with an orphan. As referenced above in D.M. Wittenberg's section, David Brinkley was D.M. Wittenberg's "horse jockey". David would've been a few weeks shy of 27 when the 1886 clip from "The Lenoir Topic" appeared. Mr. Wittenberg was 36 and a businessman who owned considerable acreage of land. The term "horse jockey" likely had older connotations that referred to someone who rode very well and used that skill to buy and sell horses. Land-owners like Mr. Wittenberg employed people like David Brinkley to provide reliable, steady horses. However...

... horse racing was popular during colonial times and even after the Civil War. Could it be that good ol' boys gathered, gambled and gloated if they won a dollar racing in a field? Well, of course it could. These rambunctious, relatively young businessmen may have been just the type for that but, alas, there's no evidence and our spot stays tight-lipped on such matters. It's just fun to think about, that's all.

Over the course of his life, David Brinkley amassed about 250 acres. He did so one tract at a time. Those transactions hold countless stories between the lines of their recorded documents. Records become clearer and easier to find at about this time in history. Dots can be connected from both directions. David Brinkley's story is in part the story of our spot. It can be told in Deeds and deeds, Wills and will, Special Proceedings and special procedures. Mr. Brinkley was 48 when he died in 1908. He is buried at The Bethlehem Church Cemetery.

The honest-serving men have a lot to say about what is between the lines of these documents and are eager to share. There are some direct correlations with certain tracts. For instance, David's daughter Etta inherited the same tract that Jesse's daughter Hannah inherited. Lizzy and Lola inherited what was once owed by Rachel Starnes, another of Jesse's daughters. Mr. Where has his hands full on this one but he's up to the task. Mr. When has the timeline of census records. Our spot's east side encompasses parts of what was David Brinkley's land. The west side of our spot, to the river, was at that time owned by Daniel M. Wittenberg. The dividing line is at the Spencer tract. All of it came from Jesse Starnes. In those days, Daniel H. Wittenberg's plantation was adjacent and to the south of Jesse's land. Mr. How can show you how David Brinkley's estate was divided with Deeds.

Where?

David T. Spencer

An Honorable Man
(1931 - 2018)

Mr. Spencer was an unassuming and jolly cattle farmer. He owned the tract of land behind our house and used our driveway for access. There was no right-of-way at that time. That would come later. He bought the land in 1969 from Walter and Cora Lail. The records of deeds hits a dead end in 19**. The oldest of those deeds refers to the will of D.M. Wittenberg for back title.

Every few days Mr. Spencer would come to tend his cows. He'd mow a few times a year. We eventually met and became friendly, he'd stop and chat on his way in if I was working in the field. This would have been in the early 1990's. We knew we'd like to have his land but we didn't know how we could afford it. It was just a nice thought, the land was not for sale. Despite that, one day I asked him about buying it. He chuckled and said he wasn't sure what he would do in the future but he was staying put for now.

Years went by. From time to time I would remind him, "if you ever decide to sell, we are interested". We were sincere but had no money or plan. The business was just gaining a foothold and we felt like we were there for the long term. We knew we needed to expand to thrive. As the notion took root, I would ask about it more frequently. If I was getting annoying, he didn't let on but I may have gotten a bit pesky over time. One day Mr. Spencer agreed to let us have the first shot at buying the land IF he ever decided to sell. Soon thereafter, that agreement turned into a promise.

I can't remember if we shook hands. We may have but it wasn't necessary. David T. Spencer was an honorable man. We were two neighbors standing in a field looking each other in the eye and speaking without pretense. It meant something. It's how the world was built.

More years went by.

As I recall, by then Mr. Spencer no longer had cows on the land. We had not forgotten about the promise but it wasn't a concern. We had our hands full and he never showed much urgency to sell. We were just biding our time. That's when my lovely wife met Frank Thomas walking the Spencer tract, carrying a clipboard and taking notes. He informed her he was going to buy the tract. Mr. Thomas' was a surveyor, his friends called him "Whitey" because of his white hair. He had a grand plan that involved the peaceable kingdom at the river. Mr. What can tell you what it was, click the button below.

Needless to say, we were alarmed. The "promise" was years prior, it was barely a memory. It wasn't a contract. It was not binding beyond the realm of honor. We never took it for granted but there was hope we would someday own the 22.86 acres... but we were not pursuing it like Frank Thomas was. I called Mr. Spencer.

I remained calm. It looked like things were going to change but not in the way we had hoped. I reminded him of his promise to give us the first opportunity to buy if he ever sold. He reflected a moment and then remembered our talk by the fence line. As it turned out, he had not yet committed to selling the land but he was entertaining an offer. That deal never happened because Mr. Spencer called it off to keep his promise to us. We bought the land for the price he was considering for Frank Thomas. David T. Spencer was a man of honor.

I remember the last time I saw him, it was at an auto parts store. We had a nice chat. I was as old then as he was when I met him decades before. It was just a chance encounter, a pleasant reminder of the past. He was still jolly, he laughed.