You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Bonnie Booker, 66

January 5, 1960 – October 2, 2026

Bonnie Lou Booker, age 66, departed this life on Oct. 2, 2026.

LIFE

Born Jan. 5, 1960, Bonnie was the daughter of Walter and Betty Nichols. She loved fishing, wildlife, music, and dancing. Bonnie will be greatly missed by her family and especially her grandchildren, whom she adored with all her heart.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Walter and Betty Nichols
• Daughter, Michelle
• Sister, Jenny

SURVIVORS

• Sons, Justin Booker and Dillon Booker
• Significant other, Shawn Boswell
• Grandchildren, Colton, Isaac, Dominic, Briella, Layla, Julian, Xzavian, Stella, and soon-to-be-born Aviyana

SERVICES

Bonnie’s wish was cremation.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Freida Bowling, 70

March 10, 1956 – October 5, 2026

Freida Marie Goodman Bowling, age 70, departed this life on Oct. 5, 2026.

LIFE

Born March 10, 1956, Freida was the daughter of Hoyle and Ella Jean Goodman.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Hoyle and Ella Jean Goodman
• Brothers and sisters, Junior, J.V., Donna, and Lee Lee
• Special niece and bingo player, Katherine Bauswell

SURVIVORS

• Husband, Gordon Bowling
• Special daughter, Tiffany Harness
• Grandchildren, Malena West, Bree Haynes, and Malachi Haynes
• Sisters and brothers, Annie Thompson, Linda Smith, Essie Bauswell and husband Wayne, Ella Strunk and husband Carl, Rick Goodman and wife Jennifer, Lisa Robbins, Vaughn and Tommy Goodman, Curtis Goodman, Luster and Vicky, Duke and Jenny, and Jeff and Charlette
• Special nieces and nephews, April and Tom Lay, Danny and Louise Bowling, and Elsie and Hoyletta

SERVICES

• Visitation: Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville.
• Funeral: To follow at 7 p.m. with Bro. Melvin Stephens officiating.
• Burial: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at Lay Family Cemetery in the Rockhouse community.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Jennings Campbell, 88

Winfield
October 29, 1937 – September 29, 2026

Jennings Campbell, age 88, departed this life on Sept. 29, 2026.

LIFE

Born Oct. 29, 1937, in Williamsburg, Ky., Jennings was the son of Johnny Berry and Abbey Canada Campbell.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Johnny Berry and Abbey Canada Campbell
• Brother, Lewis Campbell
• Sisters, Geneva Tindell, Juanita Lanham, and Opal Jones
• Son-in-law, Craig Creech

SURVIVORS

• Wife of 69 years, Flora Wright Campbell
• Daughters, Debbie Creech, and Darlene DeHart and husband Corey
• Son, Gary Campbell and wife Kim
• Grandchildren, Brandon Creech, Brittany Martin and husband Joel, Megan Cowan and husband Keith, Garrett Campbell and wife Ashleigh, Connor Campbell, Angel DeHart Campbell, and Jacob DeHart
• Great-grandchildren, Hadley Martin and Maddox Martin
• Sisters, Betty Green and husband Lonzo, and Norma Campbell
• Sister-in-law, Doris Trammell
• Special friends, Gary Crabtree, Bob Stewart, Greg Stephens, and Zack Lambert

SERVICES

His wish was cremation.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Janet Chambers, 55

Oneida
May 13, 1971 – October 2, 2026

Janet Chambers, age 55, departed this life on Oct. 2, 2026.

LIFE

Born May 13, 1971, Janet was the daughter of James Doris Collins and Kathryn Alene Collins Strunk. She departed following a long battle with cancer. She was of the Baptist faith and a member of Mt. Zion United Baptist Church.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, James Doris Collins and Kathryn Alene Collins Strunk
• Sisters, Barbra Collins and an infant sister
• Grandparents, Andrew and Lola Slaven, James and Kathleen Collins, and Goldie Johnson
• Aunts and uncles, Robert Watson and wife Veda, Lonnie Slaven and wife Thelma, Clelus Slaven and wife Glenna, James Ward and wife Jo, James Neal and wife Helen, and Eddie Whitehead
• Cousins, Jeffery Watson and Michael Watson
• Mother-in-law, Gearldine Chambers
• Father-in-law, Milford Chambers
• Sisters-in-law, Mildred Crabtree and Wilma Spradlin
• Brother-in-law, Dean Chambers
• Great-nephew, Hunter Newport

SURVIVORS

• Husband of 32 years, Dillis Chambers
• Daughter, Karissa Chambers
• Sisters, Kathryn Elizabeth Dople and Anna Sue Collins
• Brother, James Doris Collins Jr.
• Special uncle and aunt, Ken and Kenzela Slaven
• Special friends, Mike Walden, Donnie Brewster, Betty Brewster, and Elaine Payne

SERVICES

• Visitation: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, from noon to 2 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Bro. Jeff Boyatt and Bro. Melvin Stephens officiating. Music will be provided by Mark Muse.
• Burial: To follow at Foster Crossroads Cemetery in Oneida.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Tom Hargett, 76

Helenwood
July 26, 1950 – October 5, 2026

Gerold Thomas Hargett, age 76, departed this life on Oct. 5, 2026.

LIFE

Born July 26, 1950, in Russellville, Ala., Tom was the son of Archie and Opal Lairmore Hargett. He was a member of Oneida Methodist Church but attended White Rock Baptist Church in Huntsville.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Archie and Opal Lairmore Hargett
• First wife, Joyce Slaven Hargett
• Son, Brock Hargett
• Brother, Ronnie Hargett
• Niece, Chantel Wiedemann

SURVIVORS

• Wife, Sandra Storey Hargett
• Mother-in-law, Opal Slaven Phillips
• Brother, Ricky Hargett and wife Marlyn
• Sisters, Polly Wiedemann and husband John, and Elaine Desalvo
• Brothers-in-law, Lynn Phillips and wife Pam, Reid Phillips and wife Velva, and Butch Chambers and wife Dorla
• Sister-in-law, Chris Bridges and husband Leslie
• Daughters, Samantha Beals and husband Eric, and Sabrina Terry
• Grandchildren, Ayla Hargett, Rylan Hargett, Aubrey Hargett, Savannah Terry, Sydney Lawson and husband Andrew, Samuel Terry, and Erica Beals
• Great-grandson, Wesson Bo Shultz

SERVICES

• Visitation: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 3 p.m. with Bro. Jim West and Bro. David Gass officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Hazel Valley Memorial Cemetery.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Darrell King, 69

Robbins
October 18, 1956 – October 3, 2026

Darrell Glen King, age 69, departed this life on Oct. 3, 2026.

LIFE

Born Oct. 18, 1956, in Amherst, Ohio, Darrell was the son of Charles W. King and Shirley Ann Thayer Huffman. He was a United States Army veteran. Besides being a devoted husband, Darrell was a proud father, a dearly loved brother, and a great friend to many. He was never too busy to help when anyone asked. This ranged from helping build houses, porches, wheelchair ramps, and playhouses for those he loved. He was also a longtime welder, fabricator, and diesel and engine mechanic. More than anything, though, he was proud of the family and friends he had. He now resides in the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and will be greatly missed.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Charles W. King and Shirley Ann Thayer Huffman
• Mother-in-law, Donna F. Shoemaker

SURVIVORS

• Wife of 49 years, Derita Stonecipher King
• Son, Darren G. King
• Daughter, Kacey A. King
• Sisters, Cheryl King, Terri Vaughn, and April King
• Brother, George King
• Brothers-in-law, Norris Vaughn and Benny Newport
• Sister-in-law, Brandy King

SERVICES

• Visitation: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 4 p.m. with Bro. Moe Crabtree and Bro. Jeff Watson officiating.
• Burial: To follow in the Black Creek Crossroads Cemetery in Robbins.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Flonnie Smith, 93

Oneida
May 31, 1933 – September 30, 2026

Flonnie L. Douglas Smith, age 93, departed this life on Sept. 30, 2026.

LIFE

Born May 31, 1933, Flonnie was the daughter of Charlie and Hattie Lee Davis Douglas.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Charlie and Hattie Lee Davis Douglas
• Husband, the Rev. Dale Smith
• Brothers, Claude Douglas and James Douglas
• Sister, Juanita Ooten

SURVIVORS

• Children, Shanda Bruner and husband David, James Smith and wife Kathy, and Timothy Smith and wife Venessa
• Grandchildren, Heather Fowler and husband Sam, Molly Proudfit and husband Matt, Dylan Smith, Calvin Smith and wife Megan, and Daniel Smith and wife Kayla
• Great-grandchildren, Mason Fowler, Sara Fowler, Graham Proudfit, and Claire Proudfit
• Brother, David Douglas

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, from noon to 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Oneida.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Dr. Sean Lee officiating. Music will be provided by Allen Martin.
• Burial: To follow at Carson Memorial Park in Oneida.
• In Lieu of Flowers: The family requests that donations in Flonnie’s honor be made to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, an annual Christian fundraising campaign collected by Southern Baptists to support international missionaries worldwide. Donations may be sent in care of First Baptist Church of Oneida, 201 S. Main St., Oneida, TN 37841.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Scott County’s Communities: Elgin

As the “Echoes in Time” series continues its look at the bygone days of Scott County’s individual communities, we travel south this week to Elgin — the tiny map dot between Robbins and Glenmary, where U.S. Highway 27 and S.R. 52 meet along the Norfolk-Southern Railroad.

Originally known as Sedgemoor, this small railroad community came to life in the late 19th century as a place for new arrivals and visitors to the English colony of Rugby to disembark from trains on the Southern Railroad and begin their journey westward along the Rugby Road to the Victorian settlement, which was located between Clear Fork and White Oak Creek where Scott, Morgan, and Fentress counties adjoin.

With a population of 282 when the 2010 census was taken, Elgin has a population density of about 27 people per square mile today. It has its own zip code — 37732 — although it is tiny and is almost entirely enclosed by the 37852 (Robbins) zip code. The exception is a tiny portion on the southeastern side, which adjoins the 37872 (Sunbright) zip code.

POST OFFICES: Elgin was first served by the Sedgemoor Post Office, which opened in October 1880 with Walter S. Allen serving as postmaster. This was about the same time the first trains arrived on the newly-completed Southern Railroad. Sedgemoor closed in December 1881, with Craven Duncan serving as the last postmaster there.

The Elgin Post Office opened Jan. 14, 1891, with J. Thomas Guthrie serving as postmaster. Other postmasters through the years have included Rebecca A. Guthrie, William A. Miller, Craven Duncan, Isaac M. Shoemaker, Samuel J. Morris, Andrew J. Love, Louise M. Smith, Kathryn Cunningham, Alice E. Davis, Elsie M. Phillips, Zelma Smith, June B. Jeffers, Thelma A. Galloway, Dorthy C. Mathis, Lawrence Hill, and Christine M. Vespie.

SCHOOLS: Today, students who live in Elgin go to nearby Robbins School for grades K-8 and Scott High School for grades 9-12. That wasn’t always the case. Historical elementary schools in Elgin have included Rugby Road, which was located just west of the railroad, and Gum Branch, which was located further west near the Sheep Ranch community.

High school students traditionally went to Robbins High School, which opened in 1906. The high school closed in 1971, with the opening of the consolidated Scott High School.

CHURCHES: Elgin is one of the rare Scott County communities that does not have a Baptist church, although several are located nearby in West Robbins, East Robbins, and Robbins proper. Elgin does, however, have two churches: the Elgin Church of Christ, and Rugby Road Methodist Church.

BUSINESS & COMMERCE: Today, almost the only business in Elgin worth noting is Stop & Go, a convenience store just south of the U.S. 27 intersection with S.R. 52, which was originally owned by the Bertram family (specifically, Dickie Bertram).

However, that has not always been the case. A garage once stood at the 27/52 intersection, though it has been torn down. An old commercial building, now vacant, still stands across the highway from the intersection. Further south, at the intersection of U.S. 27 and High Street, is the abandoned commercial building that was once a hardware store owned by Ray Shoemaker (Ray Shoemaker & Son Hardware). He owned the store for 31 years until his death in 2000.

Further west on S.R. 52 are a pair of abandoned commercial buildings, one of which most recently housed Vickie’s Hair Fashions.

On Rugby School Road, which was the main road through the community before S.R. 52 was built, is an old commercial building that most recently housed a pizza parlor owned by Rowdie Epperson and an adjoining video rental store.

A relatively new business at the intersection of S.R. 52 and West Robbins Road is Bri’Obbies, a roadside food stand owned by Robbie and Bridget Muse.

There is a community-owned Elgin Community Center that was built in the 1990s and remains in operation. Mountain People’s Health Councils Inc. also maintains a medical clinic on S.R. 52, which offers sliding-scale fee rural health services. A helipad is located at the clinic.

On the opposite end of High Street, where it intersects with U.S. Highway 27, is a Dollar General. Several other businesses existed at that spot through the years, including a 1990s-era sporting goods store owned by a different branch of the Shoemaker family.

Although it isn’t part of Elgin, west on S.R. 52 is Thelma Frogge’s Grocery, one of Scott County’s last remaining community grocery stores.

ORIGINS: Elgin largely came to be with the construction of the Cincinnati & Southern Railroad, which linked Cincinnati in the North with Chattanooga in the South and passed through Scott County. Also, Elgin owes its existence to the establishment of Rugby Colony to the west. These two advancements occurred almost simultaneously around 1880.

Rugby was founded on the Scott-Morgan-Fentress county line by British author and reformer Thomas Hughes, who envisioned a utopian colony for “second sons” of English gentry. It was established in October 1880, just after the railroad was completed, on land originally purchased by the Boston Board of Land Aid. An ambitious beginning was largely doomed by a typhoid epidemic that swept through the village in 1881, followed by a series of fires and other unfortunate events. By the 1890s, the colony was largely in decline. Decades later, an effort to preserve the old village was launched as Historic Rugby, and a number of original homes and buildings remain.

Settlers migrating to Rugby would disembark from a train at Elgin and board wagons for the westward trip to the village. Thus, the old road heading west became known as “Rugby Road,” and that was the name given to the community that would eventually become Elgin. Southern Railroad engineers avoided using the word “Rugby Road” as the name of the railroad depot, however, because they didn’t want to confuse it with “Rockwood,” which was located further south in Roane County. Instead, they called it “Elgin.” The origination of the name is unclear.

There was originally an aspiration to build a railroad spur west from Elgin to Rugby, but it was never realized.

Sedgemoor was also an early name of the community, because that’s what the post office was called when it opened in 1880. That post office lasted only a little over a year before operations were discontinued. It was another decade before another post office opened and was called Elgin, after the name of the railroad depot.

In those early days, Rugby Road followed an east-to-west route from High Street to what is today an S-curve just west of Elgin, then followed the terrain further west to the Gum Branch area, then on to White Oak Creek, where it crossed the creek and began a gentle ascent to the English village. With the construction of S.R. 52, significant advances were made to the old Rugby Road route. Today, parts of the original route follow S.R. 52, while parts that were abandoned are secondary streets known as White Oak Creek Lane, Gum Branch Road, Sheep Ranch Road, Old Rugby Pike, and Rugby School Road. The original railroad crossing can still be seen but is no longer active. On the west end, part of the original road between White Oak Creek and the Rugby settlement is now a hiking trail. An old Warren pony truss bridge across White Oak Creek was first built in the 1920s and still stands, though it is no longer used.

One of the community’s first businesses was a store located on the Rugby Road and operated by William F. Lee, an early Scott County superintendent of schools who moved here from Overton County, Tenn., and married the sister of Scott County Sheriff John Goad, Ettie Tennessee Goad. After Ettie died in 1890, Lee and Goad went back into private life and ran a business together on the Rugby Road. Later, in 1916, Lee purchased a gasoline distributorship in Oneida, located at the corner of Depot Street and Alberta Street.

A final note on the history of Elgin: While it isn’t clear where the name Elgin came from, or the name Sedgemoor before that, the Elgin railroad depot was established in 1881 to serve the Rugby settlement founded by Thomas Hughes. One can’t help but wonder whether Hughes was responsible for christening the depot as Sedgemoor, which was a location in his native England, located in Somerset. Hughes was not from Somerset, but Somerset was not far from Uffington, Hughes’ home. It was the location of the famous Battle of Sedgemoor that occurred during the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685.

FIRST FAMILIES: No one has documented the first families to settle what is now Elgin. However, families of note through the years have included the Shoemakers, Todds, and others.

The Shoemakers: Lawrence Ray Shoemaker (1928-2000), who owned Ray Shoemaker & Son Hardware, was the son of Pharo Shoemaker (1907-1989) and Addie Mabel Brewster (1907-1995). Pharo Shoemaker was from Black Creek just northwest of Elgin, who married into the Brewster family that was prominent near Rugby in Morgan County (the area today known as Brewstertown). Pharo’s father, Isaac Marion “Ike” Shoemaker (1881-1948) was originally from Black Creek but eventually moved to the Elgin area, as well. Ike Shoemaker’s father, Bailey Columbus Shoemaker, was one of the first Shoemakers in southern Scott County. He and his wife, Lavada Slagle (1864-1939), had 13 children, and the Shoemaker family descended from them. The earliest generations of the Shoemaker family lived in the Black Creek and Black Creek Crossroads communities. Lavada Slagle was the daughter of Keelan Slagle, who died of wounds sustained in Kentucky during the Civil War.

The Todds: The Todd family predated the Shoemaker family at Elgin, and dates back to George Washington Todd (1846-1925) and his wives, Salina Morris (1845-1882) and Louisa Miller (1866-1920). George Todd’s mother was Hannah Lucinda Todd (1816-1886), who lived at Glenmary. Family genealogists speculate that his father was Andrew Russell Lewallen (1824-1896), a son of Andrew Leutian Lewallen and a grandson of Anderson Grant Lewallen, who was perhaps the first settler of the Glenmary area just south of Elgin. She had other children who settled along nearby Wolf Creek. George Todd had 17 children — eight with Salina and nine with Louisa, who he married two years after his first wife’s death. Tragically, multiple members of the Todd family were killed on the railroad. Hannah Lucinda Todd died while crossing the tracks at Elgin in 1886. Her youngest son, James Todd, was killed two years later in Jellico, working as a switchman for the L&N Railroad.

The Hawns: Another early Elgin family of note was the Hawn family, which was originally from the Mill Creek area in Morgan County. Jonathan N. Hawn (1840-1905) married Elizabeth Young (1842-1927) and they had seven children. Their oldest, daughter Emily Jane Hawn (1864-1938), married into the Todd family of Elgin, marrying Samuel M. Todd (1863-1953). Several of their other children moved to Elgin or surrounding areas, as well. Among them was William Henry Hawn (1873-1946), who married into the McCoy family that lived at Elgin, marrying Margaret Ann “Maggie” McCoy (1879-1946).

The McCoys: Maggie McCoy Hawn’s parents were Nathaniel McCoy and Louisa Young. Louisa was the daughter of Matthew Young, a prominent resident of Glenmary. Very little is known about the McCoy family, but Nathaniel’s father may have been a John McCoy. One of Nathaniel’s sons, George McCoy, was the first person buried at the Hawn & Shoemaker Cemetery in 1922.

The Henrys: Douglas Henry (1939-2002) married Wanda Henry and settled down off the Rugby Road in Elgin. He had five children: Scott, Chris, Eric, Pam Bradley, and Lisa Hughett. The Henrys were originally from Glenmary. Douglas’s parents were Hurstle Hugo Henry (1899-1975) and Georgia Young (1913-2010). Hurstle Hugo Henry had a total of 14 children. He was first married to Pauline Todd (1900-1929), one of the daughters of George Washington Todd and Salina Morris.

Other Families: These records do not account for any family that lived in the Elgin area prior to the time of the railroad and Rugby’s establishment in 1880. Clearly, settlement here predated the railroad. More research is needed to help determine these early families.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Scott County’s unemployment rate falls to 4.4%

Scott County’s unemployment rate declined for the second consecutive month in August, falling three-tenths of a percentage point to 4.4 percent.

According to data released last week by the TN Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development, Scott County’s jobless rate dropped from 4.7 percent in July to 4.4 percent in August. The unemployment rate has now fallen six-tenths of a percentage point since standing at 5.0 percent in June.

The August unemployment rate was based on an estimated local work force of 8,795, of which 8,411 were employed and 384 were unemployed. Both employment and the size of the work force declined from July. The estimated work force decreased by 86 people, while the number of employed Scott Countians declined by 54 and the number of unemployed workers declined by 32.

Scott County’s unemployment rate remained higher than it was a year ago. The county’s jobless rate stood at 4.1 percent in August 2025.

Tennessee’s highest unemployment rates in August were found in Hancock and Perry counties, at 5.5 percent each. They were followed by Pickett County at 5.2 percent, Hardeman County at 5.1 percent, and Meigs and Shelby counties at 5.0 percent. Greene County had an unemployment rate of 4.9 percent, while Lake and Lauderdale counties were at 4.8 percent. Benton, Decatur and Weakley counties each had unemployment rates of 4.7 percent.

The state’s lowest unemployment rates in August were found in Cheatham and Sevier counties, at 2.9 percent. Dickson, Macon, Robertson, Williamson and Wilson counties each had unemployment rates of 3.0 percent.

Among neighboring counties, Anderson and Fentress counties each had unemployment rates of 3.5 percent, while Campbell County’s jobless rate was 3.8 percent and Morgan County’s unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.

Among the state’s major metropolitan areas, Nashville showed the way at 3.1 percent, followed by Knoxville at 3.2 percent, Chattanooga at 3.4 percent and Memphis at 4.6 percent.

The unemployment rate increased in 45 of Tennessee’s 95 counties during August, declined in 22 counties and remained unchanged in 28 counties. The statewide unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, while the national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent.

Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)

Sen. Yager announces $71,000 in grant funding for senior services in Scott County

NASHVILLE, Tenn. | State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, announced this week that the Scott County Senior Citizens Center and Scott Appalachian Industries are among five senior citizen programs in District 12 that have been awarded grants by the TN Dept. of Disability & Aging.

The grants are part of a $5 million investment in senior centers approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in this year’s state budget.

Scott Appalachian Industries was awarded $23,000 for its senior citizens programs, while the Scott County Senior Citizens Center in Oneida was awarded $48,000.

Other grants awarded in District 12, which Yager represents, included $50,000 to the Clay County Senior Citizens Center, $50,000 to the Overton County Senior Activity Center, and $40,000 to the Senior Citizens Center of Campbell County.

A total of 122 grants were awarded throughout the state.

The Scott County Senior Citizens Center offers several programs for seniors, including exercise on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., along with meals on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., along with various other programs.

The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center also offers a wide variety of programs, including a walking program, games, and massage chairs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each weekday, along with congregate meals that are free for ages 60 and over at 12 p.m. each weekday, and various other special programs that are announced by month.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

ICYMI

Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Betty Boles, Alma DeBord, Linda King, Gail Shoopman, and Martha Kidd. » Read It

Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter takes a look at the Buffalo community through the years. » Read It

The Weekend

🌧️ Weather: Rain will be likely this weekend, beginning Friday afternoon and continuing through Sunday. Exact amounts are uncertain, but there will be strong probabilities of rain each day. Temperatures will range from the mid 80s on Friday to the low 70s by Sunday. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

—

⛪︎ Featured Church

Bible Believers

Denomination: Baptist
Pastor: Joey Zachary
Address: 120 Cooper Lake Road, Oneida

Services
Sunday School: 10 a.m.
Sunday Morning: 11 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.
Wednesday: 7 p.m.

» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.

—

📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: First Saturday night services will be held at Capitol Hill Missionary Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.), East Robbins Missionary Baptist Church (6 p.m.), Norma Missionary Baptist Church (6 p.m.), and Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church (7 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at www.independentherald.net.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube

Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Alma Jane DeBord, 82

Knoxville, Tenn.
May 15, 1944 – September 24, 2026

Alma Jane DeBord, age 82, of Knoxville, Tenn., departed this life on Sept. 24, 2026, at her home.

LIFE

Born May 15, 1944, in Pikeville, Ky., Alma was the daughter of Marcum and Ruth Davis.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Marcum and Ruth Davis
• Husband, Gary Pat DeBord
• Brother, Jim Davis
• Stepfather, Arnold Lawson
• Grandson, Adam Thomas Vincent Nola

SURVIVORS

• Daughters, Robin Miller and husband Mark, and Dana Dascenzo and husband David
• Son, Daniel Shawn DeBord and wife Tina
• Brothers, Mark Davis, John Davis, and Roy Davis
• Nine grandchildren
• Twelve great-grandchildren

SERVICES

• Visitation: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 12 p.m. with Bro. Dennis Massey officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Black Creek Crossroads Cemetery in Robbins.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Linda King, 85

Winfield
December 8, 1940 – September 24, 2026

Linda L. Stanley King, age 85, of Winfield, departed this life on Sept. 24, 2026, at her home.

LIFE

Born Dec. 8, 1940, Linda was the daughter of Ben and Maudie Mae Reed Stanley. She was a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church in Winfield.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Ben and Maudie Mae Reed Stanley
• Husband, Ronald L. King
• Brothers, Dilmon Stanley and Don Stanley
• Sister, Janet West

SURVIVORS

• Sister, Betty Akers
• Daughter, Rhonda Adkins and husband Bruce
• Sons, Luther W. King and wife Wanda, and Mark A. King and wife Mary
• Grandchildren, Lucas E. King, Laciena Sumner and husband Jake, Anthony S. Adkins, Courtney Friedman and husband Michael, and Cameron T. King
• Four great-grandchildren

SERVICES

• Graveside Service: Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Jonathan Chitwood Cemetery, with Bro. Carlie Duncan officiating. A private viewing will be held before the service.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Donations may be made to the American Lung Association, 212 S. Peters Road, Suite 106, Knoxville, TN 37923.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Betty Boles, 89

September 3, 1937 – September 26, 2026

Betty Lou Medling Boles, age 89, departed this life on Sept. 26, 2026, at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

LIFE

Born Sept. 3, 1937, in Chicago, Ill., Betty was the daughter of Lera Edna Wilson Medling and William Paul Medling. Betty is now in the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom she sang about all of these years. She was a devoted, loving wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her had their life enriched. She always had a kind word and smile. She was always willing to share with anyone she met about the Lord Jesus Christ.

She graduated from Tooley High School in Chicago, Ill. She was saved at an early age. She was a member of the church and choir at Second Baptist Church of Chicago and later a member and choir member at Bethel Baptist Church in Schaumburg, Ill. She was a faithful member of Trinity Baptist Church in Helenwood.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Lera Edna Wilson Medling and William Paul Medling
• Sisters, Mary Edna Evenson, Zela Ruth Wainscott, and Rose Marie Bertolini

SURVIVORS

• Loving husband of 68½ years, William Howard Boles Sr.
• Sons, Howie Boles and wife Nancy, Terry Boles and wife Marcy, Timothy Boles and wife Heidi, George Boles and wife Ericka, and Darrell Boles and wife Shalom
• Sister-in-law, Sue Warlick Boles
• Grandchildren, Jessica Barnett and husband Dusty, Daniel Boles and wife Raven, Sarah Boles, Brent Goad and wife Rose, Afton Covey and husband Nate, Andrew Boles, Holden Boles, Elisabeth Andrasik and husband Jonatan, Josiah Boles and wife Hannah, Ian Boles and wife Grace, Mason Boles and wife Makayla, Gabriella Boles, Audriana Hamilton and husband Jakob, Jesse Boles, Micah Boles, Collin Boles, Adam Boles, Melissa Boles, Rebekah Boles, Kymberlea Boles, Lucas Boles, and Hayden Boles
• Great-grandchildren, Jonathan Barnett, Lydia Barnett, James Barnett, Jason Barnett, Chloe Barnett, Jeremy Barnett, Jared Barnett, Anna Lee Barnett, Emily Barnett, Joshua Barnett, Autumn Barnett, Amelia Barnett, Jonah Boles, Rhett Goad, Taylen Goad, Archer Goad, Ivy Rose Goad, Jarrett Boles, Brody Boles, Adeline Boles, Victoria Boles, Valor Boles, Nova Hamilton, Penelope, Weston, Baylor, Haven Boles, Ester Andrasik, Nora Andrasik, Olivia Andrasik, and Veronika Andrasik

SERVICES

• Visitation: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church in Robbins.
• Funeral: To follow at 7 p.m. with Bro. Dilbert Terry officiating.
• Burial: Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at Baptist Memorial Cemetery in Robbins.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Gail Shoopman, 68

November 25, 1957 – September 22, 2026

Gail Shoopman, age 68, departed this life peacefully on Sept. 22, 2026, at her home.

LIFE

Born Nov. 25, 1957, at Scott County Hospital, Gail was saved at an early age at Smokey Creek Baptist Church and was baptized at the Smokey Creek baptizing hole. She was a loving daughter and loved all her family. She never had any children of her own, but God blessed her to be a mother figure to the children in her family and the children she babysat. Her nieces and nephews looked at her as a mother figure. They deeply loved her and called her “Sissy Gail.”

Gail was always quick to lend a helping hand to anyone in her family or any friend or neighbor who needed help. She worked at Tobe’s Restaurant for more than 20 years and was known as an excellent cook. Gail was also known as an excellent babysitter for many children in her home for many years and treated each child as if they were her own with true love. She will be deeply missed by all who were blessed to know her and to eat some of her country cooking.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Father, L.C. Shoopman
• Sisters, Jeanetta Marie Harness and infant sister Virgie
• Infant brother, Virgil
• Brother-in-law, Aaron Harness

SURVIVORS

• Mother, Frankie Shoopman
• Sisters, Darlene Slaven, Ann Marcum and husband Keith, Judy Jones and husband Benny, and Lynetta Harness
• Brother, Danny Shoopman and wife Tammy
• Several nieces and nephews
• Nephew, Greg Slaven, whom she helped raise
• Niece, Jeretta Jones
• Great-nieces, Desiree Lewallen, Shelby Perry, Maggie Marcum, and Hadley Marcum
• Great-nephews, Waylon Lewallen and Carter Lewallen

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Oneida.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Rev. Keith Marcum officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Marcum-Kidd Cemetery in the Grave Hill community.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Martha Kidd, 78

December 16, 1947 – September 23, 2026

Martha Sue Kidd, age 78, passed from her earthly home on Sept. 23, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer.

LIFE

Born Dec. 16, 1947, in Glasgow, Ky., Martha was the daughter of Ray and Jeanetta Kingery. She grew up in Indianapolis, where she met and married Kelly Kidd. During their years in Indiana, Martha worked at JennAir while Kelly worked at Chrysler. After moving to Oneida, Martha devoted herself to being a homemaker, and Kelly began his career as a semi-truck driver. Martha’s home was a place where people were always welcomed, and she especially loved preparing meals for family and friends. Martha was an exceptional cook, and she had a special gift for making people feel at home and cared for.

She overcame her first battle with cancer the same year Kelly passed away from lung cancer. Six years later, after another courageous battle with cancer, Martha passed from this earthly home and entered her eternal home, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, and no goodbyes. Through her profession of faith, we can find comfort in knowing that she is now resting in the presence of our Lord and Savior. While she cannot return to us, we can be reunited with her through God’s gift of grace and His plan of salvation.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents, Ray and Jeanetta Kingery
• Husband, Kelly Kidd
• Mother-in-law and father-in-law, Aunton and Hester Kidd
• Brothers-in-law, Coy Kidd, Doyal Kidd, and Earl “Buddy” Yates
• Sisters-in-law, Pearl Kidd, Novella Kidd, Pat Kidd, Diane Robbins, and Joyce Munoz
• Niece, Victoria “Sissy” Robbins Jeffers

SURVIVORS

• Daughters, Kelly Sue Cooper and husband Russell, and Margaret Armentrout and husband John
• Sons, Collin Kidd and wife Jade, Ashley Kidd and wife MacHaela, and Aaron Kidd and wife Sarah
• Grandchildren, Marshall Cooper, Kayley Burchfield and husband Zachery, Kobie Kidd, Peyton Lay, Starleigh Alley, Cora Alley, Ashton Kidd, Aleyah Kidd, and Rowan Kidd
• Great-grandson, Levi Burchfield
• Brothers, Gary Kingery, and Jim Ray Kingery and wife Lois
• Sister, Pam Coffey and husband Jim
• Brother-in-law, Bradley Kidd
• Sister-in-law, Georgia Yates
• Lifelong dear friend, Kathy Miller

SERVICES

• Visitation: Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Paint Rock Baptist Church.
• Funeral: To follow at 5 p.m. with Bro. Collin Kidd and Bro. Jason Burress officiating.
• Burial: To follow at the Miller Cemetery in the Leatherwood community.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Donations may be made to the Martha Sue Kidd Memorial Fund in care of Four Oaks Funeral Home, P.O. Box 410, Huntsville, TN 37756.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Scott County’s communities: Buffalo

This week, we continue our “Echoes in time” series’ profiles of Scott County’s communities with a look at Buffalo — the fertile bottomlands of Buffalo Creek and Smith Creek, which housed one of this area’s earliest settlements.

It’s hard to know exactly when the first permanent white settlers cleared land and built cabins along the northern Cumberland Plateau’s waterways. All we have to go by are early tax lists and land deeds, and those are listed in other counties, since Scott County wasn’t formed until 1849. Traditionally, the Smokey Creek community is viewed as being Scott County’s truly first settlement, and there’s no concrete evidence to refute that. But Buffalo was certainly close behind, along with Brimstone, New River, No Business, and Black Wolf Creek (near Glenmary and Elgin).

This much is indisputable: To the first adventurers wandering through the Cumberland Gap and looking to stake out a livelihood in this frontier land, there was no better land to be found between the Cumberland Mountains and the Big South Fork River than Buffalo. The wide, fertile bottomlands were unmatched, and an old Indian trail followed the creek itself, serving as one of the earliest roads through the region.

In fact, Buffalo was perhaps the most prominent Scott County community at the time of the Civil War. And when Scott County was established a decade before the war, county leaders considered making Buffalo the county seat before they eventually settled on the area that we now know as Huntsville.

As a general rule, the Buffalo community can be described as the area between Pine Hill on the east end and Annadale on the west end. Buffalo Creek’s headwaters are located on the “back side” of Pine Hill, and the stream follows Buffalo Road to just east of Smith Creek, where it turns and flows through the Sugar Grove community before crossing S.R. 63 and flowing through mostly undeveloped land to New River near Winona. Besides Smith Creek, major tributaries include Stanley Creek and Rockhouse Fork.

Today, Buffalo remains much the same as it was when the first white men began to settle here more than 220 years ago. There are more homes now than there were then, and they’re fancier, the roads are paved and traveled by automobiles instead of horses, and the virgin timber is long gone while cleared farmlands cover most of the valley that isn’t marked by residences. The residents leave the valley to work jobs now, rather than living a lifestyle of subsistence off the land itself. But it’s still a quiet residential community that never developed into a full-fledged town.

SCHOOLS: Today, the Buffalo community is zoned for Huntsville Elementary School and Middle School, or Fairview Elementary School. Historically, however, several small schoolhouses dotted this landscape. There were schools at Smith Creek, Black Gum, and Sugar Grove, as well as Buffalo School, which was located near where Smith Creek empties into Buffalo Creek and stood until the early 2000s, when it was destroyed by fire. Further north were the Arches Creek School and Posey School.

BUSINESS & COMMERCE: There are no major businesses at Buffalo today, though there have been some smaller businesses located here through the years. Most notably, Civil War veteran John Fetterman — who marched through Scott County as part of Burnside’s invasion in 1863 — returned to Scott County in his latter years and settled on Smith Creek, where he established a factory that made wooden bowls. He opened the community’s first post office in the 1890s, and it was named “Bowl,” after his factory. The bowl factory was located near New Salem Baptist Church.

CHURCHES & CEMETERIES: There are a number of churches dotting the Buffalo community. Where Stanley Creek empties into Buffalo Creek is the Mt. Zion United Baptist Church. Further north, towards Pine Hill, is Salem Baptist Church. Although it isn’t traditionally considered part of the Buffalo community, Pine Hill United Baptist Church is located along Buffalo Road near the Pine Hill crossroads. At Smith Creek is the New Salem United Baptist Church. In the Sugar Grove neighborhood is the Sugar Grove Missionary Baptist Church. On the hill above it is Five Black Gums United Baptist Church. Finally, where Sugar Grove Road meets Old 63 is the Buffalo Bridge Missionary Baptist Church.

There are several small cemeteries throughout Buffalo. Most notable, perhaps, is the Lloyd Cemetery, which is located on the hill overlooking New Salem United Baptist Church, or the Laxton Cemetery, which is located closer to Annadale. However, there are many more, and each of them have rich history.

BUFFALO IN THE CIVIL WAR: As previously noted, Buffalo was perhaps Scott County’s most prominent community at the time of the Civil War, and it was a community that was indelibly changed by the war.

Smith Creek was home to Hiram Marcum, a Union loyalist who served as a pilot to help other loyalists from East Tennessee slip northward into Kentucky to join the federal army. For that, he was targeted by Confederate forces, and the result was the infamous skirmish at his Buffalo farm in September 1861. His 16-year-old daughter, Julia Marcum, lost an eye and a finger defending her family and her home in that fight. Some months later, in January 1862, Confederate troops returned to the Marcum farm, where they shot and killed Julia’s first cousin, George Marcum. He was enlisted in the Union army but was home on leave. The second incident prompted the Marcum family to flee Buffalo. Hiram joined the Union army, and his wife and children moved north into Kentucky. Hiram contracted smallpox and died in Nashville before the end of the war.

Later in the war, a regiment of Confederate pillagers murdered two Buffalo men and left their bodies hanging in a fruit orchard. Their victims were Larkin Cross and Ranson Vanover. Vanover was enlisted in the Union army, but Cross was not. A group of rebel Scott Countians who had helped to form the Scott County Rangers were indicted for the murders after the war, but they fled Scott County and never stood trial. Both Cross and George Marcum are buried at the Lloyd Cemetery near New Salem United Baptist Church.

Several other incidents occurred at Buffalo during the war, including the murder of a Confederate soldier who was attempting to return home after the war and was shot along the main road through the Rock House community, which continued east to Jacksboro.

After the war, outlaws Jesse and Frank James visited Scott County under assumed names. It was said that the Marcum family that remained at Buffalo — Hiram’s brother, George Marcum, and his family — stabled the James brothers’ horses. A ravine along Marcum Creek, which empties into Smith Creek, has long been known to locals as “Horse Lot Hollow.” After George and his wife died, according to the historian Esther Sharp Sanderson, grave-robbers dug up their coffins, believing that gold given to them by the James brothers had been buried with them.

FIRST FAMILIES: In her book, County Scott and Its Mountain Folk, historian Esther Sharp Sanderson wrote that the first two settlers to arrive at Buffalo were Isham Sharp and Thomas Chambers. The men “left their wagons at LaFollette and came through with their families and cattle and with horses carrying their belongings,” she wrote. “They made several trips back and forth before they finally got their meager possessions over the mountain trails to the present site of Buffalo.”

Thomas Laxton was another early settler of Buffalo. Sanderson wrote: “Thomas Laxton, with all his worldly possessions on his back, trudged on foot carrying two hound pups and some fruit trees to Smoky, from North Carolina. He later moved to Buffalo, where he married and reared a large family.”

The patriarch of the Chambers family at Buffalo was actually Thomas Chambers’ father, Revolutionary War veteran William Chambers (1750-1840). Family legend has it that he was captured by Indians during the war and taken to Arkansas, where he learned the customs of the natives and was accepted as one of them, and given the nickname “Walkingstick” (Da-Sti-Sti). The legend says that he married an Indian woman named Tar-Chee-See. They had five children, including Thomas, who married the daughter of another Revolutionary War veteran, Randolph Lawson. Thomas and Katie had at least 13 children. One of them, James Riley Chambers, was on the committee that chose Huntsville as the county seat after Scott County was established in 1849.

William, Thomas and Katie, and many other members of the Chambers family are buried at the Chambers Cemetery, which is located next to where the old Buffalo School once stood.

Isham Sharp may have accompanied the Chambers family when they moved to Buffalo, but the records are inconclusive. Sorting through the broken records trail, it appears that Isham Sharp was born in North Carolina in 1780, and married Sarah Martha Joyce in 1805. They had at least eight children. Making the move to Tennessee with Isham Sharp was likely his brother, James Sharp (1782-1843), and perhaps another brother, Richard Nicholas Sharp Jr. (~1775-1823). It has also been suggested that their parents, Richard Nicholas Sharp Sr. and Elizabeth Sharp, made the move to Buffalo with them.

James Sharp’s son, James L. Sharp (1816-1893), settled in Winfield and became Scott County’s third sheriff. James L.’s parents did not settle at Buffalo, but instead lived in the Buckeye area of Campbell County, near present-day Pioneer. His son, Nicholas Sharp, built the two-story motel in Winfield that became known as the Hines Motel. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to conclusively place the Sharp family at Buffalo, though Isham Sharp certainly lived in Scott County

Besides the Chambers family, one of the most prominent families at Buffalo through the years has been the Laxton family. Thomas Laxton (1795-1862), mentioned by Sanderson in her book, was the first to make the move, and was likely on the scene by 1814, when he enlisted in the East Tennessee Militia at Knoxville as a substitute for James Isom. Laxton married Elizabeth Goad (1800-1881) and they had several children, including Alfred (1821-1892), John “Jackie” (1830-1918), Thomas Jr. (1840-1923), Levi (1843-1864), and likely others.

Esau Laxton (1884-1956) was a Scott County sheriff in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a great-grandson of Thomas Laxton, the son of Isham “Sharp” Laxton (1865-1941). His son, Jack O. Laxton (1923-2002), also served as sheriff of Scott County. Jack Laxton’s son, Darryl Laxton, is a long-time chief of police in Oneida. He is a third-great-grandson of Thomas Laxton. Esau Laxton’s father, Isham Laxton, was called Sharp because that was his mother’s maiden name. John Jackson Laxton married Amanda “Millie” Sharp (1822-1914). She was the daughter of Isham Sharp and Sarah Joyce — providing the clearest evidence that Isham Sharp did, indeed, settle at Buffalo. The Laxton Cemetery at Buffalo contains more than 200 graves.

Then there are the Marcums. No examination of Buffalo’s first families would be complete without a study of the Marcum family, for whom Marcum Creek is named. Marcum Creek empties into Smith Creek. Hiram Marcum, the Buffalo farmer whose home was attacked by Confederate soldiers in 1861, was the son of Arthur Markham III (1757-1832) and Anna Bransgrove (1851). His parents had apparently already settled at Marcum Creek when Hiram was born in 1812. There are two branches of Marcums in Scott County, and both are descended from Arthur Markham III and Anna Bransgrove. John Arthur Marcum, Hiram’s brother, settled the Pine Creek area near Oneida. John Arthur’s son was George Marcum, Hiram’s nephew who was murdered by Confederate soldiers at the Marcum Creek farm in 1862.

Hiram and John Arthur also had another brother, also named George Marcum, who lived at Marcum Creek near Hiram. It was he and his wife, Mary Ann Hanks, who are said to have kept the horses of outlaws Jesse and Frank James when the James brothers were staying in Scott County under assumed names shortly after the Civil War.

It isn’t clear where Arthur Markham and his wife, Anna, are buried, but it may be in unmarked graves at the Marcum Cemetery on Marcum Creek. While descendants of the Chambers and Laxtons can still be found at Marcum Creek today, the Marcums left long ago.

Smith Creek, which empties into Buffalo Creek, takes its name from Drewry (or Drewery) Smith. Born 1794, he was the son of William Smith and Suzan Lampkin, and was a veteran of the War of 1812. Smith had several children, including: Drewery (or Drury) Smith Jr., Kisiah Smith, Jane Smith, Jackson G. Smith, William F. Smith, Henry C. Smith, and John Smith.

According to historian H. Clay Smith, a descendant, in his book, Dusty Bits of the Forgotten Past, Drewery Smith and another Scott Countian, Sam Walker, participated in the movement of the Cherokee to Oklahoma, known as the “Trail of Tears.” At some point along the route, according to Smith, Drewery Smith and Walker became disgusted with the treatment of the Indians and began helping some of them escape.

Drury Smith Jr. lived at Smith Creek, along with other members of his family, during the Civil War. While Drury Smith was neutral, his nephew, Ewell Smith, was staunchly pro-Confederacy. He was a deputy sheriff in Scott County, and had served as postmaster at Straight Fork. His father, Drury Smith’s brother, John Lampkin Smith, had served as Scott County’s first circuit court clerk. John Smith’s wife was Keziah Gibson, and the Gibson family were strong Confederate sympathizers. Ewell Smith helped found the Scott County Rangers, a pro-Confederacy group, and was among the 17 men indicted by a grand jury for murdering Ranson Vanover and Larkin Cross at Buffalo in 1862.

The historian H. Clay Smith wrote that Ewell Smith’s brother, Callie Smith, was home on leave from the rebel army and was ambushed by the Scott County Home Guard, the pro-Union counterpart to the Scott County Rangers. As Smith attempted to reach Drury Smith’s home at Smith Creek, the historian wrote, he and others in his company encountered Vanover and Cross, and hanged them.

The Duncan family settled on Stanley Creek, which empties into Buffalo Creek just north of Smith Creek. The first to settle there was Civil War veteran Joshua J. Duncan (1833-1909). He was the son of Champion C. Duncan (1806-1904), and married Mary Sintha Cross (1831-1888). Later, following Mary’s death, he married Harriet Cross, the daughter of Larkin Cross, who was murdered during the Civil War.

Another of the Duncan clan was Oliver Duncan, who was present with Larkin Cross and Ranson Vanover when they were killed, but managed to escape. Duncan married Joshua J. Duncan’s sister, Rutha, who was his cousin. Larkin Cross married Oliver Duncan’s sister, Henrietta Clara Duncan.

Finally, the Cross family. Larkin Cross was the son of Louis Micajah Cross (1780-1846) and Lovis Duncan (1799-1887). Micajah and Lovis had at least six children. The oldest was Caswell Cross (1822-1893), whose farm was raided by Confederate soldiers the same day Larkin was killed. Micajah Cross was born in Maryland before the Cross family moved to Tennessee. His father, William Cross (1762-1833), made the move to Tennessee with his family. He settled in the Oak Ridge area of Anderson County. Exactly when the family moved to Tennessee isn’t certain, but it was probably between 1823 and 1825.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Scott, Oneida set to move down a class in some sports

Based on the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s initial classifications for the 2027-2029 cycle, it appears that Scott High will be moving from Class 3A to Class 2A in basketball, baseball and softball, and that Oneida will be moving from Class 2A to Class 1A in football.

Those are the major moves as they concern local schools in TSSAA’s initial classifications, which were released Tuesday and are based on enrollment numbers submitted by each school.

Scott High’s new enrollment number is 630, down approximately 10% from the current enrollment numbers that have been used by TSSAA for the past two years. Oneida’s new enrollment number is 322, down about 13% from the current number.

Based on the state body’s initial projections, Oneida will be solidly in Class 1A in football and will remain in Class 1A in basketball, baseball and softball, while Scott High will remain in Class 3A in football and will move down to Class 2A in basketball, baseball and softball — though just barely.

According to the state’s numbers, Scott High would be tied with Stratford High School in Nashville as the largest Class 2A basketball school in the state. Ridgeway High School, with just four more students, is the smallest Class 3A school.

The classifications are subject to change, as teams have until Oct. 2 to appeal TSSAA’s decision or request to play up a classification.

However, while TSSAA routinely allows schools to play up a class, they do not ordinarily allow a team to play down a class based on enrollment numbers. If a school smaller than Scott chooses to play up, it would enhance the Highlanders’ chances of remaining in Class 2A.

In football, Scott is certain to stay in Class 3A. There are 32 schools smaller than Scott in Class 3A, and 16 schools larger. Alcoa, with an enrollment of 685, is the smallest Class 4A school in the state.

As for Oneida, the Indians have solidified their Class 1A classification in basketball. Under the current classification, Oneida is one of the largest Class 1A basketball schools in the state. Now, however, there are 21 schools larger than Oneida in Class 1A. In football, Oneida is projected to go from being one of the smallest Class 2A schools in the state to one of the largest Class 1A schools. According to TSSAA’s numbers, Oneida would rank No. 44 out of 51 Class 1A football schools, in terms of enrollment. Eagleville, at 354, is the smallest Class 2A football school in the state.

TSSAA has four classes in basketball, baseball and softball, and six in football. Each class is evenly divided.

Next up for TSSAA schools will be to learn their district and region pairings, which could change, at least slightly, even in football for Scott High and in basketball, baseball and softball for Oneida.

The Highlanders will certainly have a new district in basketball, as current district foes Anderson County, Clinton, Gibbs, and Union County all remain in Class 3A.

That district has proven favorable for Scott High. The women’s basketball team won their first district championship since the 1990s during the 2024-2025 season, and the men’s basketball team played in the district championship game earlier this year for the first time since the 1990s.

However, Lady Highlander coach Rusty Yaden has expressed an interest in moving down to Class 2A, citing region pairings that are potentially more favorable.

Some of the teams that Scott could potentially be paired with in its new district for basketball, baseball and softball include Cumberland Gap, Eagleton Academy, Austin-East, and Kingston. Other teams relatively close by that will be in Class 2A include Gatlinburg-Pittman, Pigeon Forge, and Claiborne.

When Oneida was in Class 2A for basketball prior to the 2024-2025 season, the Indians shared a district with Eagleton Academy, Austin-East, Gatlinburg-Pittman and Pigeon Forge, along with Alcoa, which will be a Class 3A school.

In football, Scott’s region could potentially remain largely unchanged, as its current region opponents — Austin-East, Kingston, McMinn Central, and Sweetwater — all remain in Class 3A. The only exception is Meigs County, which is expected to move down to Class 2A.

For Oneida, the new football region could include teams like Coalfield, Sunbright, Oakdale, Greenback, Harriman, Oliver Springs, Midway, Rockwood, and Wartburg, though all of those teams will not be in the same region.

Oneida’s district for basketball, baseball and softball could remain unchanged. The Indians’ current district foes — Coalfield, Jellico, Wartburg, Oliver Springs, Sunbright and Wartburg — will all remain in Class 1A.

Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)

A nice fall weekend is on tap, but the heat isn’t finished

A beautiful weekend will bring fall-like weather to East Tennessee, but the summer heat isn’t completely over.

We’re expecting dry conditions, with plenty of sunshine and high temperatures only about 73° to 74° today, tomorrow and Sunday, with nighttime lows dipping into the upper 40s. It’ll be the coolest weekend we’ve had since football season started, and our first break from the summer heat since May.

But the summer heat will make a return next week. We’ll be back into the low 80s by Tuesday, and we’re expecting the mid to upper 80s by the middle of the week, with the hot temperatures extending into next weekend before we have a shot at another cold front that could deliver another round of fall-like weather.

Forecasters say the strong El Niño pattern that has developed in the Pacific Ocean will keep warmer-than-average summer weather in our forecast through at least the middle of October. Long-range meteorologists are predicting above-average temperatures through the months of November and December, as well.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

Trump to visit Knoxville for Vols game

President Donald J. Trump will be in East Tennessee Saturday to attend the highly-anticipated football game at Neyland Stadium.

No. 14 Tennessee, which is off to a 3-0 start, is scheduled to face No. 1 Texas at 12 p.m. Saturday. The Longhorns, which vaulted to the top spot in the rankings after a comeback from a three-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter against previously top-ranked Ohio State, are quarterbacked by Arch Manning, the nephew of former Vol Peyton Manning.

Reports emerged on Wednesday that Trump would be in attendance for Saturday’s game. In response, the University of Tennessee announced that gates to Neyland Stadium will open at 9 a.m. and that additional U.S. Secret Service checkpoints will be present at each entry.

Trump has made attendance at high-profile sporting events a hallmark of his administration. He attended the World Cup championship between Spain and Portugal last summer, and also attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

ICYMI

Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Ruth Wesley, Glenna Harness, and Ramona Crabtree. » Read It

Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter takes a look at days past in the Brimstone community near Robbins. » Read It

The Weekend

🌥️ Weather: Daytime highs in the low to mid 70s, nighttime lows in the mid to upper 40s, and dry weather as far as the high can see! Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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⛪︎ Featured Church

Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church

Denomination: Baptist (Missionary)
Pastor: Jerry Byrge
Address: Mountain View Road, Robbins

Services
Sunday Morning: 10 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.
1st & 3rd Saturday: 6 p.m.

» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: The annual Scott County Heritage Festival will be held at the Museum of Scott County, on the campus of Scott High School, Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. There will be live music, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and authentic demonstrations.

• Saturday: Fourth Saturday night worship services will be held at Straight Fork Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and Antioch Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at www.independentherald.net.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Ruth Wesley, 87

Winfield
December 30, 1938 – September 16, 2026

Ruth Wesley, age 87, of Winfield, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at Big South Fork Medical Center in Oneida.

LIFE

Born Dec. 30, 1938, Ruth was the daughter of the late Aster and Carmie (Wright) Davis. She was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Winfield.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Aster and Carmie (Wright) Davis.
• Son: Kenneth Micheal Wesley.
• Brothers: Ed Davis and Joe Davis.
• Sisters: Betty Wilson and Wilma Davis.

SURVIVORS

• Son: Jeffery Wesley.
• Grandchildren: Emily Wesley, Isiah Wesley, Jonathon Wesley, Cassie Abbott, James Wesley, D.J. Chitwood and Shanna Hatfield.
• Brother: Jerry (Shirley) Davis.
• Sister: Sylvia Terry.
• Special cousin: Sharon Kay (Wilson) Ernstes.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 12 p.m. with Bro. Robert Blankenship officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Perkins Cemetery in Winfield.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Glenna Harness, 77

Huntsville
October 10, 1948 – September 17, 2026

Glenna Kathleen “Glenn” Gibson Harness, age 77, of Huntsville, peacefully departed this life on Sept. 17, 2026, at her home, surrounded by the love of her family.

LIFE

Born Oct. 10, 1948, Glenna was the daughter of Delus and Dora Gibson. She was a member of the Bull Creek United Baptist Church. She lived a life defined by love, devotion, kindness, and an unwavering dedication to her family. Glenna was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who cherished her family above all else. She found joy in simple blessings: sewing and creating with her hands, planting and tending flowers, and spending time with Ova. Her home was a place of warmth, comfort, and unconditional love, where family and friends were always welcomed with open arms. Known for her gentle spirit, caring heart, and quiet strength, Glenna had a special way of making those around her feel loved and valued. Her greatest happiness came from being surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, whose lives were forever enriched by her love, wisdom, and encouragement.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Delus and Dora Gibson.
• Brothers: Carl Gibson, Albert Gibson and Willie Gibson.
• Sisters: Izella Harness, Ettamae Harness, Irena Olinger, Georgie Gibson, Doris Smith and Kay Lambdin.
• Special nephew: Wally Gibson.
• Step-granddaughter: Ashley Mason.

SURVIVORS

• Beloved husband of 60 years: Ova Harness.
• Son: Jeff Harness and wife Patsy.
• Daughter: Donna Hamby and husband Allen.
• Sister: Florena Massengale.
• Grandchildren: Ryan Hamby and wife Shiana, Dakota Harness and wife Hannah, and Katelyn Matthews and husband Corey.
• Great-grandchildren: Avianna Harness, Haven Harness, Colt Harness, Adaleigh Hamby and Lucas Matthews.
• Step-grandchildren: Roger Mason and wife Tiffany, Josh Mason and wife Tess, and Danielle Gayheart and husband Jake.
• Step-great-grandchildren: Jaycee Mason, Grayson Mason, Landon Mason and Avah Gayheart.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 5 p.m. with Bro. Keith Marcum officiating.
• Burial: Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Bull Creek Cemetery.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Ramona Crabtree, 87

Oneida
October 1, 1938 – September 18, 2026

Ramona M. Blevins Crabtree, age 87, of Oneida, passed away on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at the Big South Fork Medical Center in Oneida.

LIFE

Born Oct. 1, 1938, Ramona was the daughter of the late Tirl Monroe and Florence Elizabeth West Blevins. She was a member of New Haven Baptist Church.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Tirl Monroe and Florence Elizabeth West Blevins.
• Husband: Norman L. Crabtree.
• Daughter: Melva Lane.
• Brothers: Buddy, Joe, Bill and Roy Earl Blevins.
• Infant sister: Flora Elizabeth Blevins.
• Granddaughter: Niki Jeffers.
• Grandson: Lance Burchfield.

SURVIVORS

• Sons: Keith Crabtree, and Dudley Crabtree and wife Charlotte.
• Grandchildren: Misty (Caleb) Thompson, Devin (Korri) Crabtree, Chase (Morgan) Crabtree, Haleigh Crabtree, Shannon Day, Vanessa (Scott) Gray and Beverly Joy Jeffers.
• Great-grandchildren: 16.
• Great-great-grandchildren: Nine.
• Brother: John Blevins.
• Sisters: Beverly Blevins and Gene, and Mary Chambers.
• Sister-in-law: Wanda Blevins.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 3 p.m. with Bro. Keith Marcum officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Marcum-Kidd Cemetery.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Scott County’s communities: Brimstone

Two weeks ago, the Independent Herald‘s “Echoes in Time” series profiled the Black Oak community in western Scott County. Continuing in alphabetical order, we shift southward this week to Brimstone.

Nestled in the Cumberland Mountain valleys along Brimstone Creek, this was long the coal-mining and logging hub of Scott County. It was originally known as Hughett, for the name of the first postmaster, Jasper Hughett. Another post office was located at what is now known as Lone Mountain, near the head of Brimstone Creek.

Generally speaking, Brimstone is considered to be everything along the creek from the “head of the creek” above Lone Mountain to the intersection of Brimstone Road and Low Gap Road at Mt. Pleasant. From there, Brimstone Creek follows Low Gap Road and the old Tennessee Railroad on to New River, while Brimstone Road turns west and winds out of the valley to U.S. Highway 27 at Robbins. Another major road in the community is Ridge Road, which exits Brimstone Road near Robbins and reconnects at Indian Fork, while also providing an exit to Black Wolf Creek.

Originally, settlement at Brimstone began in the creek valley and then spread to the mountaintops, including Round Mountain and Griffith Mountain. Today, settlement is limited to the creek valley.

Post Office: Today, the residents of Brimstone are served by the Robbins Post Office. Historically, there were two post offices located at Brimstone. There was Hughett, which was located near where Huntsville Branch and Indian Fork Creek empty into Brimstone Creek at Slick Rock, and Cortland, which was located near Lone Mountain.

Hughett opened in January 1887 and was named for its postmaster, Jasper Hughett, who would go on to become a prominent businessman at Robbins, owning a retail store and a share of the bank there.

Cortland opened in December 1892 with Eldridge Shannon serving as postmaster. It isn’t clear where the name originated.

In September 1935, Hughett post office closed and moved to Cortland. Its last postmaster was May Chambers. In December 1936, Cortland post office closed and moved to Robbins. Cassie Griffith was the last postmaster there.

Schools: A number of schools served the Brimstone community through the years. In 1935, there were no fewer than five elementary schools located along Brimstone Creek: Pemberton, which was located where Brimstone Road meets Low Gap Road at Mt. Pleasant; Slick Rock; Gilbert, located just south of Slick Rock; Lone Mountain; and Griffith, located on Indian Fork Creek in the vicinity of Griffith Mountain.

One by one, those schools gradually closed and students began traveling to Robbins for school. It was there that Jasper Hughett helped organize a high school in 1906. The first students graduated from the high school in 1915, and the first class to receive high school diplomas was in 1918. Robbins High School closed in 1971, when Scott County consolidated high schools in Robbins, Norma, and Huntsville, and opened Scott High School. The last principal at Robbins High School was Taskel Welch, who was also the first principal at Scott High.

Business & Commerce: There have never been much in the way of retail at Brimstone. Today, the only business on Brimstone Creek is Full Throttle Campground, which is located above Lone Mountain and caters to riders from Brimstone Recreation and the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area.

Industry, however, is a different story. Brimstone was traditionally one of the chief hubs for coal-mining and timber-cutting in Scott County, dating back to shortly after the arrival of the Cincinnati-Southern Railroad, which included a depot at Robbins. Its opening in 1880 helped open lands throughout Scott County to natural resource exploitation by making coal and timber much easier to transport out of the rugged terrain.

The first railroad into Brimstone Creek was built in the 1880s. It was the Knoxville & New River Railroad, a narrow-gauge rail that left the Southern Railroad near where the Robbins Brick Yard would later be located, crossed the ridge, and reached Brimstone Creek in the vicinity of where Indian Fork Creek empties. From there, it followed Brimstone Creek to Lone Mountain. Its purpose was to reach the virgin stands of timber in the area of Lone Mountain. There were plans to extend the railroad over the mountains to Knoxville, but it was never completed.

Years later, the Brimstone Railroad was built, connecting with the Southern Railroad at New River and following Brimstone Creek from the river all the way to Lone Mountain. The purpose of the Brimstone Railroad was to assist the coal-mining industry.

As the 1900s progressed, several different coal-mining operations opened at Brimstone. There were two different tipples that served the coal industry, each with a side rail connecting to the main railroad. There was one at Huntsville Branch and another near Lone Mountain. Brimstone was home to two fatal mine explosions in the mid 20th century. The Phillips-West Mine Disaster killed nine men on March 23, 1959, and the Kline Mine Disaster killed five men on May 24, 1965.

Beginning in 1909, the Round Mountain Lumber Company began purchasing land in the mountains surrounding the Brimstone Creek valley. That company was purchased by the Payne family from Harrisburg, Penn., in the 1920s and was managed by Howard H. Baker Sr. The company became known as the Payne-Baker Company, and eventually became known as the Brimstone Land Company in the 1970s when it was purchased by Howard H. Baker Jr. and W.H. Swain. At one point, the Brimstone Company owned one-sixth of all the land in Scott County. It still holds some mineral rights near Brimstone, but much of the land has since been sold to other timber companies. In the 2000s, the State of Tennessee purchased much of the mountaintop areas around Lone Mountain and Slick Rock for the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area.

Churches and Cemeteries: There are three churches on Brimstone Creek — Lone Mountain Baptist Church, Slick Rock Missionary Baptist Church, and Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church. The largest cemetery on Brimstone is the Lone Mountain Cemetery, adjacent to the church. Another large cemetery is Slick Rock Cemetery. A number of smaller cemeteries are found throughout the community, including the Rob Sexton Cemetery on Round Mountain that dates back to Revolutionary War veteran Timothy Sexton, and the Goad Cemetery near Slick Rock that dates back to Revolutionary War veteran Joseph Griffith. Other cemeteries include the Walker cemeteries on Indian Fork Creek, the Hughett Cemetery near Slick Rock, and the A.J. Robbins Cemetery near Slick Rock.

Origins: The Brimstone community is one of Scott County’s original settlements, though it was part of Anderson County at the time and later Morgan County. It dates back to when Revolutionary War veteran Joseph Griffith was granted land on Brimstone Creek and moved his family there after the war. He was a personal bodyguard to General George Washington when Washington accepted Lord Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown, ending the war.

Anderson County was formed in 1801 from portions of Knox and Grainger counties. In 1817, Morgan County was formed and included the Brimstone community. In 1849, Scott County was formed and included the Brimstone community.

It’s not clear where the name Brimstone originated. It’s commonly accepted that it was born of the “fire and brimstone” spoken of in the Bible, but the exact context is unknown.

First Families: Although the exact timeline of their migration to Brimstone Creek is unknown, the first families to settle Brimstone were the Griffith family and the Robbins family.

Pvt. Joseph Griffith served in the 7th Virginia Regiment under the command of Gen. George Washington, and saw action at several different battles. He married Phoebe Hudson in 1792. The exact location of their Brimstone farm is unknown, but it was likely in the vicinity of what is now Gib Griffith Lane near Slick Rock.

Joseph and Phoebe Griffith had several children, and all Griffiths in Scott County today are descended from them. Many of the people who still live at Brimstone are Griffiths or related to the Griffith family.

The Sexton family was also an early family to settle at Brimstone, including Revolutionary War veteran Timothy Sexton. His son, William Sexton, married Joseph Griffith’s daughter, Rhoda. Timothy Sexton was originally from New Jersey and married Esther Sisel, which some speculate may have been a derivative of the surname we know as Cecil. They married in South Carolina in 1782 and had as many as 14 children. They moved first to Georgia and then to present-day Scott County. A land survey shows that Timothy Sexton owned land on the west side of New River in 1808. He was living on Brimstone Creek in 1819. When he applied for a veteran’s pension in 1825, he owned 30 acres of land, a small cabin, and several livestock.

The Robbins family at Brimstone dates back to at least 1814, when 140 acres were surveyed on Brimstone Creek for Michael Robbins. However, he appeared on an Anderson County tax list in 1805, and may have lived at Brimstone then. He married Mary “Polly” Lewallen, the daughter of Anderson Grant Lewallen of Black Wolf Creek. One of their children was William Robbins, who was the first man to sign an oath of allegiance to the Scott County Home Guardduring the Civil War. Because of that, his home was targeted by Confederate soldiers at the Battle of Brimstone in April 1862. That battle was a victory for the Home Guard. His home was located near what is now Gib Griffith Lane.

It was for the Robbins family that the town of Robbins was later named.

Another of Michael Robbins’ children, Elizabeth Emily Robbins, married Joshua Goad Jr., a grandson of Revolutionary War veteran Abraham Goad, who lived on New River south of present-day Huntsville. Joshua and Emily established a farm near where Indian Fork Creek empties into Brimstone Creek — known as the Walker Farm today — making the Goads another of Brimstone’s first families. They had a son, Joshua Goad, who served as sheriff of Scott County. Their daughter, Etta Tennessee Goad, married Scott County School Superintendent William F. Lee. She was the grandmother of U.S. Congressman and Knoxville Mayor John J. Duncan Sr.

The Hughett family was another of the early Brimstone families, beginning with William Hughett. Originally from Virginia, his lineage isn’t completely clear, but it’s possible that he was a grandson of Abraham Goad (daughter of Elizabeth Goad, who married William E. Hughett). He married Jane “Jincy” Jeffers. They had eight children. One of them, John Hughett, was a justice of the peace for 44 years in the Robbins area. A grandson, Frank Hughett, served as Sheriff of Scott County. Another grandson, Jasper Hughett, was the first postmaster at Brimstone and later a prominent merchant at Robbins.

Not yet mentioned is the Overton family, which settled on Mill Creek near Lone Mountain. It dates back to John and Nancy Overton. Their descendants became quite a prominent family in the Lone Mountain area. Their son, William “Bill” Overton, was the first person buried at the Overton Cemetery on Mill Creek in 1920.

Finally, the Walker family became quite prominent at Brimstone in the latter part of the 19th century. Samuel Walker (1818-1907) married Mary Ann Elizabeth Hutson (1818-1910). They did not move from North Carolina to Indian Fork Creek until sometime after 1850. Daniel Walker, their son, was a Union soldier during the Civil War who was captured by Confederate forces, escaped, and made his way back to Brimstone Creek by subsisting on acorns and other woodland foods as he journeyed home. He married Almira Goad, the daughter of Joshua Goad and Elizabeth Emily Robbins, which is how the Goad Farm at Indian Fork Creek came to be known as the Walker Farm.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Mountain View ‘underground home’ listed for sale

ROBBINS | One of Scott County’s most unique homes is on the market.

Known locally as “the underground house,” the bunker-style home on Mountain View Road is listed for $224,900 by East Tennessee Realtors.

The home is being marketed as a “rare earth-sheltered, bunker-style home.” It is a two-bedroom, two-bath home totaling 1,449 square feet. It is situated on 8.2 acres and includes a detached two-car garage.

The home, located at 1803 Mountain View Road in Robbins, was originally built in 1977. It is currently owned by Victor Martin, of Wildwood, Fla., according to property tax records. The realtor’s listing indicates that the home was designed and built by the seller’s father.

While the home is covered by earth, it features concrete block walls and a steel-reinforced concrete ceiling.

The home has been listed for nearly two months. According to the listing, it needs repairs and updating.

Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)

TSSAA enrollment numbers show declining student bodies

The numbers that will be used to separate Tennessee’s high schools into sports classifications for the next two years confirm what was already apparent: enrollments are shrinking.

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association this week released enrollment numbers that have been reported by each of the state’s 457 public or private high schools. Those numbers will be used for reclassification purposes.

Oneida reported an enrollment of 322, while Scott High reported an enrollment of 630.

Both of those numbers are down substantially from two years ago. At that time, Oneida’s enrollment was 370 and Scott High’s was 701. Oneida’s enrollment has dropped 13.0% since then, and Scott High’s has dropped 10.1%.

Currently, Oneida participates in Class 2A in football, Class 1A in basketball, baseball and softball, and Class A in soccer.

Scott High participates in Class 3A for football, basketball, baseball and softball, and Class AA for soccer.

Although both schools have experienced decreased enrollment, it’s not clear that sports classifications will change, due most other schools also seeing decreased enrollment. That’s particularly true for Scott High, which is firmly in the middle of Class 3A. Oneida, on the other hand, is currently one of the smallest schools in the state in Class 2A for football, and one of the largest schools in the state in Class 1A for basketball, baseball and softball.

For example, Oneida’s current region opponents in football include Tellico Plains, Eagleton Academy, and Polk County. Those schools’ numbers in 2024 were 416, 451, and 435, respectively. This year, their enrollments are 386, 460, and 369. Eagleton is an exception to the rule, with a slightly increased enrollment.

Scott High’s current region opponents in football include Meigs County, McMinn Central, Austin-East, Kingston, and Sweetwater. Their new enrollments are 479, 530, 591, 612, and 572. Their old enrollments were 536, 607, 662, 618, and 570.

Under the current classification, there are 51 teams in Class 1A for football, 49 in Class 2A, 50 in Class 3A, 51 in Class 4A, 49 in Class 5A, and 50 in Class 6A.

The enrollment cutoff for Class 1A under the current system was 351. Teams smaller than Oneida in Class 2A include Houston County, Mitchell, Gordonsville, and Halls. Meanwhile, the cutoff for Class 2A under the current system was 528, and the cutoff for Class 3A was 743.

Based on the new numbers, Oneida is the 132nd-largest school in the state, while Scott High is the 272nd-largest. However, many of the schools beneath both of them in terms of enrollment do not participate in some sports.

In basketball, Oneida’s current district opponents are Coalfield, Jellico, Oliver Springs, Sunbright, and Wartburg. Scott High’s district opponents are Anderson County, Clinton, Gibbs, and Union County.

Under the current classification, there are 89 schools in Class 1A for basketball, baseball and softball, with 85 in Class 2A, 86 in Class 3A, and 86 in Class 4A.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

Scott County’s Emma Carroll performs at Colts’ halftime show

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. | Scott County native Emma Carroll and her Ball State dance teammates performed — along with other dance teams from the state of Indiana — at the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium during Sunday’s NFL season-opener.

Ball State’s Code Red dance team was invited to perform with the Indianapolis Colts’ cheerleading squad during halftime of the Colts’ game against Baltimore on Sunday. The Ravens won the game, 41-23.

A 2025 graduate of Scott High School, Carroll is a sophomore at Ball State. She trained at Gotta Dance Studio in Oneida prior to receiving a scholarship at Ball State University, which is located in Muncie, Ind.

Sunday’s performance was the second big stage of the early season for the Code Red team, which previously performed at Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, during the college football season-opener earlier this month.

Ball State’s home opener was on Saturday, a 41-17 win over Stony Brook.

Ball State’s remaining home games are against Toledo on Oct. 3, Sacramento State on Oct. 24, Buffalo on Nov. 11, and Central Michigan on Nov. 28.

The Weekend

🌥️ Weather: It’s going to be hot. Which isn’t really news anymore. But hopefully this will be our last 90-degree weekend of 2026. Temperatures will push into the low 90s Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a very slight chance of a stray afternoon thunderstorm each day. Nighttime lows will be in the upper 60s. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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⛪︎ Featured Church

Big Ridge Road

Denomination: Baptist (Missionary)
Pastor: Devin Rose
Address: 237 Big Ridge Road, Oneida

Services

Sunday School: 10 a.m.
Sunday Morning: 11 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.

» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Friday: High school football finds both teams at home. Oneida will host Tellico Plains (7:30 p.m.) and Scott High will host McMinn Central (7:30 p.m.). The Sevenly Construction Pregame Show will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the IH Sports Network.

• Saturday: The Scott County Farmers & Crafters Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Scott High Drive in Huntsville.

• Saturday: Big South Fork Brewing (Main Street, Oneida) will host its one-year birthday bash, opening at 12 p.m. At 6 p.m., the first keg of custom craft beer ever brewed in Scott County will be tapped.

• Saturday: Third Saturday night worship services will be held at Lone Mountain Baptist Church (6 p.m.), Capital Hill Missionary Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.), Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church (7 p.m.), High Point United Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and House of the Lord (7 p.m.). For more information, see the Church Directory at www.independentherald.net.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Cathy Jean Caldwell, 73

Huntsville
July 19, 1953 – September 8, 2026

Cathy Jean Caldwell, age 73, of Huntsville, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, at the Big South Fork Medical Center in Oneida.

LIFE

Born July 19, 1953, Cathy was the daughter of the late Verlon and Cora Smith Caldwell.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Verlon and Cora Smith Caldwell.
• Siblings: Sharon Reed Boyatt, Teresa Bridges, Ricky Caldwell, Wendell Caldwell and Karen Crabtree.

SURVIVORS

• Children: Shonda, Aaron and Shannon.
• Siblings: Loretta Thompson, Anita Barrett, Randall Caldwell, Darlene Ray, Wanda King, Wesley Caldwell and Mark Caldwell.
• Grandkids: Taylor, Roger, Justin, Molly, Bryson and Shyann.
• Great-grandkids: Everly, Trinity and Malia.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Bro. Randall Caldwell officiating.
• Burial: To follow in the Daniel Memorial Cemetery in Helenwood, Tenn.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Marvin Keeton, 70

Huntsville
June 10, 1956 – September 9, 2026

Marvin Lester Keeton, age 70 of Huntsville, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, at his home.

LIFE

Born June 10, 1956, Marvin was the son of the late K.C. and Nadean Keeton.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: K.C. and Nadean Keeton.
• Brothers: Gary “Dudly” Keeton and Travis Keeton.

SURVIVORS

• Daughters: Chasity Jeffers and husband Mike, and Lorie Mason and Joel West.
• Son: Jonathan Keeton and wife Haley.
• Grandchildren: Ryan Jeffers, Kiara Jeffers and Jeremy Coffey, Hayden Mason and Gavin Mason.
• Special companion: Debbie Guy.
• Work family: 50 years at Thermoid.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at White Rock Baptist Church in Huntsville.
• Funeral: To follow at 6 p.m. with Bro. Jim West officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Keeton Cemetery in Huntsville.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Nelva Phillips, 89

Wellington, Ohio
July 4, 1937 – September 5, 2026

Nelva Phillips of Wellington, Ohio, formerly of Scott County, departed this life Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026.

LIFE

Born July 4, 1937, Nelva was the daughter of the late Culm and Elsie Butler Terry. She was of the Baptist faith. At the age of 16, Nelva worked with a local doctor making house calls and delivering babies. She also worked at the Scott County Community Hospital for a short time before marriage. Later, Nelva worked for many years in Wellington at the Elms Retirement Village (later Sprenger Health Care). She also cared for residents at Weber Health Care and Kendal at Oberlin. Nelva truly loved her work and the many residents she cared for over the years.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Husband of 53 years: Eldon Phillips.
• Daughter-in-law: Denise Phillips.
• Parents: Culm and Elsie Terry.
• Sisters: Nell Crabtree and husband Fil, Irene Lawson and husband Clark, Hazel Carson and husband Andy, Eva Evans and husband Hugh, Edna Dennison, Ruth Terry and Dortha Acres.
• Brothers: Buddy Terry, Elbert Acres and wife Pauline, and Edgar Acres and wife Mona.
• Brothers-in-law: Ron Roberts, and Ottis Phillips and wife Mary Helen.
• Sisters-in-law: Imogene Strunk and husband Roy, and Mae Elliot and husband Charlie.

SURVIVORS

• Children: Gregory Phillips and wife Jody, Anthony Phillips and wife Pauline, Douglas Phillips and wife Libby, Sue Phillips and Christopher Phillips.
• Sister-in-law: Patricia Roberts.
• Special nephew: Dean Carr.
• Grandchildren: 17.
• Great-grandchildren: 24.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 4 p.m. with Bro. Dean Barnes officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Jim Carson Cemetery.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Sedora L. Fancher, 88

September 29, 1937 – September 12, 2026

Sedora L. Fancher, age 88, departed this life on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.

LIFE

Born Sept. 29, 1937, Sedora was the daughter of the late W.R. Goad and Juanita Duncan. She was a faithful member of White Rock Baptist Church, where she taught children’s classes and sang in the choir. She was a devoted follower and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ her entire life, and is now rejoicing with her Lord Jesus Christ and other family members that went on before her.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: W.R. Goad and Juanita Duncan.
• Sister: Rhonda Goad.

SURVIVORS

• Husband of 67 years: Ray Fancher.
• Sister: Beverly Davis.

SERVICES

Sedora’s wishes were cremation. A celebration of life will be held Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, at 3 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville with Bro. Jim West officiating.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Linda McCann, 82

Robbins
August 25, 1944 – September 12, 2026

Leora “Linda” Cross McCann, age 82, of Robbins, departed this life on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, with her family by her side.

LIFE

Born Aug. 25, 1944, Linda was the daughter of C.D. “Bud” Cross and wife Alta Mae Cross. She was of the Baptist faith and belonged to the Black Creek Cross Road Missionary Baptist Church for over 70 years. Linda loved her family, especially her great-grandbabies, listening to gospel songs, and when she was able four-wheeling with her children and friends. Going to church and singing in church. She will be dearly missed by all.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: C.D. “Bud” Cross and wife Alta Mae Cross.
• Son: Dennis Wayne McCann.
• Sisters and brothers: Violet Hill, Ruby Graham, Lora Mae Hull, Harlis Cross, Castel Cross and infant brother Carnell Cross.

SURVIVORS

• Loving husband of over 59 years: Earl McCann.
• Children: Billy McCann and wife Charlotte, and Tonya Massengale and husband Jonathan.
• Grandchildren: Brittany McCann and Brandon Hamby, Dustin Bowling and wife DeAnn, and Kelly Anderson and husband Mark.
• Great-grandchildren: Landon Frogge, Abi Hamby, Rylee Anderson, Dilynn Bowling, Luke Hamby, Dallas Bowling and Ada Hamby.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Oneida.
• Funeral: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Oneida with Bro. Darrel Webb and Bro. Joe West officiating.
• Burial: To follow at the McCann Family Cemetery.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Open your account online — anytime, anywhere! First National Bank makes it easier than ever to bank with us. You can open an account online, from the comfort of your home or on the go. Start now. (Sponsored content.)

A Scott County sweep at the Tennessee Valley Fair

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | It was a good night for Scott County at the Tennessee Valley Fair on Saturday.

Not only did girls from Scott County sweep the Tennessee Valley Fairest of the Fair and Fairest of the Fair Junior competitions Saturday evening, but contestants from Scott County claimed the top three spots in Saturday’s nightcap at the Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center.

The 110th edition of the Tennessee Valley Fair, which began Friday and continues all this week, saw Helenwood’s Jayden Gray crowned the Junior Fairest of the Fair (ages 13 to 15), and Huntsville’s Jaeda Newport crowned the Fairest of the Fair (ages 16 to 20).

Jayden is the daughter of Tim and NaRicka Gray and is a student at Oneida High School. Jaeda is the daughter of Eric and Marki Newport and is a 2026 graduate of Scott High School.

The evening pageant, the highlight of the fair’s beauty contests, was swept by Scott County contestants. While Jaeda Newport was crowned the winner, the first runner-up was RaeLynne Blevins of Oneida and the second runner-up was ShayLeigh Gray of Helenwood.

RaeLynne is the daughter of Dave and Becky Blevins. ShayLeigh is a sister to Jayden Gray, and the daughter of Tim and NaRicka Gray.

Need a good rate on your auto insurance? Contact your local State Farm agent, Roger Baldwin. (Sponsored content.)

Scott’s comeback at A-E comes up just short

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | Time ran out in East Knoxville Friday night with Scott High stranded on the 45-yard-line.

More accurately, Scott’s last-second, desperation heave was picked off by the Roadrunners, helping them preserve a 31-28 victory over the Highlanders in a comeback that came up just short.

Scott (2-1, 0-1) had been down 24-7 late in the third quarter before beginning the comeback bid. The Highlanders put two scores on the board late to make the game close but were haunted by a few individual moments throughout the game.

There was a fumble near the end of the first half, when the Highlanders were simply trying to get to the locker room with a 12-7 deficit. Instead, Austin-East (2-1, 1-0) recovered at the two-yard-line and tacked on a garbage score just before the end of the half to go up 18-7.

Then, after the Roadrunners had swiftly added another score to start the third quarter, the Highlanders had a drive stall inside the red zone. Down 24-7, Scott chose to attempt a fourth-and-six conversion rather than settle for three points, which turned out to be the difference on the scoreboard at the end of the game.

Penalties also continued to hurt Scott High. The Highlanders were penalized seven times for 46 yards — a season low — but there were some costly ones. Scott’s first drive appeared promising before a holding penalty killed the possession and Austin-East marched 92 yards for the game’s first score.

Scott finished with 361 yards of offense — almost identical to the 366 put up by Austin-East. But stopping the Roadrunners proved to be difficult. A-E quarterback Landon Lightfoot completed 14 of 25 passes for 213 yards, a season-high given up by the Highlander defense.

Lightfoot started the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and later threw for two more scores.

Jesse Jeffers had a monster game for Scott High. The junior finished with 200 yards of total offense, most of it on the ground, and was also a leading tackler on defense. He was named the IH Sports Network’s First National Bank Player of the Game.

After Lightfoot’s score in the first quarter, Scott answered with an impressive drive that was capped by an eight-yard Carter Slaven touchdown run, and the Highlanders led 7-6.

Austin-East regained the lead on the ensuing possession, with Jocorious Towns scoring on a 30-yard run for a 12-7 lead.

That was the way it appeared things would stand at halftime, but a fumble deep inside the 10-yard-line late in the half flipped the script. Austin-East pounced on the fumble at the two, setting up an easy touchdown plunge by Keyvon Booker just before the intermission to put his team up 18-7.

The third quarter started with A-E taking possession and swiftly tacking on another score. Lightfoot connected with Dikyeis Towns for a 19-yard strike, and the Roadrunners led 24-7.

The Highlanders’ ensuing drive stalled inside the 10-yard-line, when A-E made a fourth down stop just short of the sticks. But the Highlander defense came up with a stop, and then the comeback effort began in earnest.

After Slaven scored on a three-yard run to make it 24-14, A-E tacked on another score on a 30-yard Lightfoot pass to Travis Burgins. But Scott struck back with a one-yard run by Slaven, then Jeffers broke free for an 18-yard run to make it 31-28.

The Highlander defense got one more stop to give the offense an opportunity to win the game. But with no timeouts remaining, Scott was powerless to stop the clock and the final possession became more of a desperation effort, which ended with a deep pass being intercepted by A-E.

The loss was Scott High’s first of the season, but was an important loss became it marked the opening of region play. The Highlanders will now host McMinn Central on Sept. 18 in what is an almost must-win game for Scott’s playoff hopes.

CAK is powerful in 49-0 win over Oneida

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | It was apparent that Oneida was up against a stiff challenge with Friday’s trip to West Knoxville to face Division II foe CAK. But if there was any hope that the Warriors might overlook the Indians, that was quickly extinguished by a CAK squad that looked primed to make a serious run at a state championship in December.

CAK (3-1) scored on every single possession, rolled up more than 400 yards of offense, and led 42-0 by halftime, before a running clock shortened the second half. The Warriors’ defense was just as dominant as their offense, limiting Oneida to only 33 yards of offense and four first downs.

Oneida (2-2) continued to play without injured starting quarterback Connor Mays, who missed a second consecutive game, and had a difficult time generating offense against CAK.

There were positives for the Indians: Oneida did not turn the ball over, and was penalized just twice.

Beyond that, bright spots were hard to find. CAK scored twice in the first quarter, added four more scores in the second quarter, and had put the game away well before the halftime break.

Isaac Kannah scored on a 19-yard run to give the Warriors their first score just 70 seconds into the game.

On the next possession, Seaton Moffett completed a 29-yard pass to Baker Sterchi for a score, and it was a 14-0 game after the first quarter.

The second quarter saw CAK score on two more Moffett touchdown passes, both to Hunter Bennett, before a pair of touchdown runs — one by Kannah covering 41 yards and one by Masyn Apaletegui covering four yards.

The second half saw CAK possess the ball just twice, scoring on a 21-yard run by Easton Sternberg on the first possession. The clock ran out on the Warriors’ second possession of the second half.

Friday’s game was Oneida’s final non-region tune-up. The Indians will host Tellico Plains on Sept. 18.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

☀️ Weather: The heat returns in earnest this week. After a high of 86 degrees today, we’re expecting temperatures in the low 90s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with no more rain in sight. Temperatures should cool down ever so slightly heading into the weekend. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at independentherald.net.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Additionally, Golden Grooves Exercise will be offered today at 1 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: The Scott County Finance Committee will meet at the Scott County Mayor’s Office in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.

Monday: The Winfield Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Winfield Municipal Building, beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 9:15 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Robbins Elementary School Food Pantry will be open September 15 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Barton Chapel (5760 Scott Highway, Robbins). Turn onto School House Road at Keeton Monuments and follow it to the entrance of Barton Chapel (do not try to enter Barton Chapel from U.S. 27 please). Parents, grandparents, guardians or caregivers of a child attending Robbins Elementary School or Head Start are eligible to receive food.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida) at 12 p.m.

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Senior Meal Connect.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 423-569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer Chair Volleyball at 11 a.m. and Senior Trivia at 1 p.m. today.

Thursday: The Town of Oneida Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Oneida Municipal Services Building, beginning at 6 p.m.

Thursday: The Town of Huntsville Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Huntsville Municipal Building, beginning at 6 p.m.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. Before you dig, Call 811! It’s the law! You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Subscribe now

You’re reading Friday Features, a weekly newsletter containing the Independent Herald’s feature stories — that is, stories that aren’t necessarily straight news but that provide an insightful look at our community and its people. If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by First National Bank. Since 1904, First National Bank has been a part of Scott County. First National is local people — just like you. Visit fnboneida.com or call (423) 569-8586.

Sacred Ground: Ryan Cemetery

The Ryan Cemetery in the Gum Fork community east of Winfield dates all the way back to the first Ryans to settle in present-day Scott County: Joseph Ryan and his wife, Martha Holt.

Today, the Ryan Cemetery includes nearly 150 graves — some unmarked, some marked by unidentifiable field stones, but most marked by commercial stones. It remains active; there have been a number of burials here in recent years, and many of the graves are actively decorated.

The Ryan family

Joseph R. Ryan was born Sept. 7, 1787, in Virginia. His father was William Ryan (1755-1836), a Revolutionary War veteran who would later move to North Carolina, then Tennessee, and finally Alabama. He may have been married to Mary Chancellor. However, that has not been proven. As such, Joseph Ryan’s mother remains a source of speculation.

Joseph married Martha Evelyn Holt (1794-1852) in 1808. She was the daughter of Drury Holt (1759-1835) and Sara Elizabeth Rogers (1765-1852). The Holt family lived near Gum Fork, on the Kentucky side of the state line, in the area known as Little Rock Creek.

Did Joseph marry Martha before the move to the Cumberland Mountains? Did he meet her after both had moved to this area? The Holt family was also originally from Virginia.

Martha’s sister, Lucinda (1795-1872) married David Trammell, the son of Revolutionary War veteran Dennis Trammell. They settled on Capuchin Creek. The Trammell family moved to the area sometime around 1807.

Joseph and Martha’s children included David Ryan (1813-1850), Drewy Ryan (1816-1885), Joel Ryan (1822-1896), Malinda Ryan Strunk (1825-1903), Martin Ryan (1830-1894), Moses Ryan (1839-1901), and Cornelius Marion Ryan (1842-1923).

Most of the children scattered, though one — Moses — remained in Scott County. He married Sarah Smith (1844-1924) and served in the Union army during the Civil War. He was buried at Ryan Cemetery when he died in 1901. (Sarah was buried there in 1924.)

The cemetery begins

Martha Holt Ryan was probably buried at what would become the Ryan Cemetery when she died in 1852. Joseph was certainly buried there when he died in 1873. Martha’s grave is not identifiable, but there are several unmarked graves and graves marked only with field stones.

While Moses was the only one of Joseph and Martha’s children to be buried at the family cemetery at Gum Fork, several other of their descendants were buried there through the years.

Daisy Ryan was the first when she died in infancy in 1903. She was the newborn daughter of William Henry Ryan and Hannah Lay. William was one of Moses’s children, making Daisy Moses’s granddaughter and Joseph’s great-granddaughter.

Five years later, in 1918, six-year-old Octavia Ryan was buried at the cemetery. She was the daughter of Lee “Houk” Ryan and Lydia King. Lee was another of Moses’s children.

William Henry and Hannah were later buried at the cemetery, as was Houk, whose body was found inside his burned home in the Gum Fork community in 1953.

Elizabeth “Bettie” Ryan was another of Moses’s children, and was buried at the cemetery in 1918, at age 35. She married Mark Ryan, who was buried at the cemetery in 1946. (Their daughter, Goldie Maxey, was buried at the cemetery in 1990.)

Another of Moses’s children buried at the cemetery was Joseph Ryan, who died in 1919 at age 50. He was married twice; neither of his wives are buried at the cemetery. However, he had a son, Howard, who was buried at the cemetery in 1933. He also had a 14-year-old daughter, Georgie, who was buried at the cemetery in 1919.

Another child, an 11-month-old baby named Ernest Ryan, was buried at the cemetery in 1930. He was the son of T.E. and Goldie Ryan, according to his stone. He had a six-year-old sister, Shirley, buried at the cemetery in 1937.

And in 1933, baby Fay Ryan was buried at the cemetery. She was the daughter of Herman Ryan and Octava Thomas. Herman was another of the children of William Henry Ryan and Hannah Lay. He was buried at the cemetery in 1936 when he died of unknown causes at the young age of 32. His wife remarried and moved away from Scott County.

Mary Nicholas Hill Ryan was buried at the cemetery in 1938. She was the wife of Pleasant Ryan.

Many years later, Lawrence William Ryan was buried at the cemetery in 1976. He was another of the children of William Henry Ryan and Hannah Lay. His wife, Sadie Elizabeth Neal Ryan, was buried at the cemetery in 2005. They had two children buried at the cemetery: Evelyn Ann Ryan King in 2005, and John Earl Ryan, also in 2005.

Janet Ryan was buried at the cemetery in 2007. She was the wife of Jimmy Ray Ryan.

The Lay family

One of the earliest burials at Ryan Cemetery was Spencer Lay, who died in 1884 at age 24. According to his headstone, it was erected by his brother, L.P. Lay — Lewis P. Lay.

(There was a three-year-old Harvey Lay buried at the cemetery a year earlier. It isn’t clear who his parents were.)

Spencer was the son of Michael and Elizabeth Lay. The Lay family lived in the Jellico Creek area near Gum Fork at the time of Spencer’s death, before later moving to McCreary County.

These Lays were from the same branch of Lays who moved into the Rock House area of Scott County from Pioneer. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of “Missouri Jack” Lay. Other children included Lucinda, born in 1861, and Dauswell Mitchell, born in 1878.

The Lay graves at Ryan Cemetery are a story of tragedy. Most died young, beginning with 24-year-old Spencer.

The next year, 16-year-old Cenia Lay was buried at the cemetery. She was the daughter of William Paris Lay and Lucy Robinson. William was a brother to Michael Lay. William and Lucy were later buried at the cemetery in 1915 and 1916, respectively. Their other children included John Putteet, George Andrew, Jessie, James Harlan, David, Jincie, Bettie, Sarah, Berry, and Shrena. James Harlan was buried at the cemetery in 1969, and his wife, Martha, was buried there three years later.

A baby was buried at the cemetery in 1896 who was the son of T.L. and L. Lay, according to his stone. That was followed by a four-year-old Hilleary Lay in 1913, and a one-year-old Maurena Lay in 1921.

Pete Lay was buried at the cemetery in 1940.

The Childress family

A baby, Martha Childress, was buried at Ryan Cemetery in 1889. It isn’t clear who her parents were. However, another child — three-year-old Dilla Childress — was buried at the cemetery in 1897. She was the daughter of George Childress and Amanda Daugherty.

The Childress family lived at Gum Fork, and George and Amanda were buried at the cemetery when they died in 1922 and 1939, respectively.

George’s parents, Arthur Childress and Mary Ann Robinson, were buried at the cemetery in 1906 and 1902. Arthur was a Civil War veteran who fought in the Union army.

George’s siblings included Elizabeth Jane, James Lindsay, John, and Mary Jane.

There was also a 55-year-old Ethel Childress buried at the cemetery in 1901.

The Anderson family

Three-year-old Shelvey Anderson was buried at the cemetery in 1891. Unfortunately, no further information is available about this child. However, the Anderson family was another one that lived at Gum Fork in the late 1800s.

Another child, three-month-old Henry Anderson, was buried at the cemetery in 1916. His stone identifies him as the son of William and Maudy Anderson.

The Anderson family was connected to the Lay family. Cynthia Lay, the daughter of Lewis and Martha Lay (granddaughter of William Lay) married Calvin Rufus Anderson. They’re both buried at the Ryan Cemetery, as are two of their daughters, Nervia Anderson Jones and Martha Anderson Duncan and her husband, Tearl. Tearl and Martha have a son, Ortel Duncan, who is buried at the cemetery, along with his wife, Bertha Jeffers. Two of Ortel and Bertha’s children, Eva King and Shirley Maxey, are also buried at the cemetery, as is Shirley’s husband, Willard.

The Maxey family

Goldie Ryan, daughter of Mark and Elizabeth Ryan, married James Oscar Maxey, the son of John Maxey and Mary Childress.

John Maxey was buried at the cemetery in 1924, the same year that a baby, Edgar Maxey, was buried there.

James and Goldie had a young son, one-year-old Junior Ryan Maxey, who was buried at the cemetery in 1929. His siblings buried at the cemetery include Billie Lee Maxey, who died in 1953 at age 12; Jackie Maxey, who died in infancy in 1943; Mark Byrd Maxey; and Mary Maxey Hall.

James’ brother, Charley Maxey, married Minnie Bell Bond. After her death in 1933, he married Nora Bell Stephens. They’re all buried at the cemetery. Their youngest son was Willard Maxey, who married Shirley Duncan.

Their other children buried at the cemetery include Hazel Baker, who died at age 20 of tuberculosis; and Kenneth Maxey.

Another sibling, Crofford, was buried at the cemetery in 1934 at age 20.

The cemetery today

The most recent burial at Ryan Cemetery was in 2021, when Ledford Leo King died at age 71. The son of Charles Columbus King and Nora Mae Stephens, he had a sister, Ethel Baird, who was also buried there in 2021. Her husband, Leamon, had previously been buried at the cemetery in 2017.

Other burials at the cemetery in 2021 included David Grant, who was a nephew to Ledford and Ethel, and Eva Lou Duncan King, along with Patricia Williams Maxey.

Arthur Drayton Anderson, 1948-2017
Arthur Rufus Anderson, 1903-1979
Billy Samuel Anderson, 1941-2014
Calvin Rufus Anderson, 1861-1924
Cynthia Lay Anderson, 1861-1935
Eldred Anderson, 1927-1974
Henry E. Anderson, 1915-1916
Kathryn Byrd Anderson, 1917-2010
Nolamay Rosetta King Anderson, 1945-2008
Richard Earl Anderson, 1957-1957
Shelvey Anderson, 1887-1891
Stephanie Moriah Anderson, 1990-2007
Artie Angel, 1913-N/A
Thomas J. Angel, 1858-1921
William W. Angel, 1871-1941
Ethel Alice King Baird, 1935-2021
Hazel Maxey Baker, 1921-1941
James Barton, 1858-1927
Martha King Barton, 1850-1935
Alonzo Chambers, 1900-1915
Isabelle Almeda Baker Chambers, 1870-1916
Amanda Daugherty Childress, 1869-1939
Arthur Lindsay Childress, 1827-1906
Dilla Childress, 1893-1897
Ethel Childress, 1845-1901
George G. Childress, 1857-1922
Martha F. Childress, 1888-1889
Mary Ann Robinson Childress, 1822-1902
Linda Maxey Crabtree, 1959-2016
Shafter Cross, 1907-1948
William Estes Cross, 1930-1948
James Edward Davenport, 1945-1945
Columbus Davis, 1887-1904
Henry Davis, 1861-1927
Huffman Davis, 1891-1917
Kelley Davis, 1906-1922
Nancy Jane Chitwood Davis, 1868-1902
Nobia Ellis Davis, 1900-1901
Bertha Jeffers Duncan, 1920-2000
Betty A. Maxey Duncan, 1933-2007
Jackie Ray Duncan, 1957-1957
James Champ Duncan, 1890-1968
Linda Mae Fuston Duncan, 1896-1983
Martha Ethel Anderson Duncan, 1896-1978
Marvin C. Duncan, 1932-2009
Ortel Woodard Duncan, 1922-1994
Tearl Sidney Duncan, 1892-1982
William Ellis Duncan, 1918-1942
David Lenville Grant Sr., 1962-2021
Kathleen E. King Grant, 1937-2009
Larry Wayne Grant, 1960-2013
Mary Jewell Maxey Hail, 1951-2017
Rodney Joe Hail, 1972-2016
Harold David Hill, 1957-2014
Beecher Smith Jones, 1922-1990
Bertha Emma Duncan Jones, 1932-2009
Doris Jones, 1957-1957
Erskin Manuel Jones Sr., 1924-1997
Harold Jones, 1950-1950
Hayle Elizabeth Jones, 1990-1990
Lois Jones, 1957-1957
Nervia Anderson Jones, 1886-1966
Theodore Sherman Jones, 1920-1944
Charles Columbus King, 1900-1985
Charlotte King, 1844-1904
Delois Carol Stephens King, 1940-2006
Eva Lou Duncan King, 1949-2021
Evelyn Ann Ryan King, 1946-2005
Hunter Cole King, 2019-2020
James Alvis King, 1907-1930
James Frances King, 1876-1972
Ledford Leo King, 1950-2021
Nora Mae Stephens King, 1911-1994
William Donald King, 1931-2015
Cenia Lay, 1869-1885
Harvey Lay, 1880-1883
Hilleary Lay, 1909-1913
Infant Son Lay, 1896-1896
James Harlan Lay, 1874-1969
Lecy Clay Robinson Lay, 1856-1916
Martha Lay Lay, 1886-1972
Maurena Lay, 1919-1921
Nathaniel Lay, 1909-1912
Spencer F. Lay, 1860-1884
William Paris Lay, 1834-1915
Pryar Pete Laye, 1878-1940
Billie Lee Maxey, 1941-1953
Charley Maxey, 1894-1977
Crofford Maxey, 1914-1934
Denton Cleamon Maxey, 1926-1957
Edgar J. Maxey, 1924-1924
Goldie Ryan Maxey, 1909-1990
Jackie Maxey, 1943-1943
James Oscar Maxey, 1907-1969
John W. Maxey, 1861-1924
Junior Ryan Maxey, 1928-1929
Kenneth Walter Maxey, 1943-2011
Mark Byrd Maxey Sr., 1945-2004
Mary Childress Maxey, 1871-1949
Minnie Bell Bond Maxey, 1894-1933
Nora Bell Stephens Maxey, 1906-1980
Patricia Ann Williams Maxey, 1951-2021
Shirley Jo Duncan Maxey, 1950-2017
Teddy Joe Maxey, N/A-1966
Willard Maxey, 1948-2020
William Lindsey Maxey, 1901-1981
Octavia Ryan Meadors, 1871-1943
Edward Lee Meadows Sr., 1929-2011
Denton C. Moxey, 1926-1957
Cora Maxey Neal, 1889-1939
Oscar Neal, 1924-1991
Sary Partin, 1842-1889
Dudley Parton, 1897-1920
Janice Lee Smith Ross, 1944-1963
Daisy Ryan, 1903-1903
Elizabeth R. Ryan Ryan, 1883-1918
Ernest Ryan, 1929-1930
Fay Ryan, 1933-1933
Georgie Ryan, 1909-1923
Hannah Lay Ryan, 1880-1968
Herman Kendric Ryan, 1904-1936
Howard Ryan, 1895-1933
Janet Ryan, 1956-2007
John Earl Ryan, 1947-2005
Joseph R. Ryan, 1787-1873
Joseph R. Ryan, 1869-1919
Lawrence William Ryan, 1910-1976
Lee C. Ryan, 1885-1953
Mark Ryan, 1870-1946
Martha Evelyn Holt Ryan, 1794-1852
Mary Nicholas Hill Ryan, 1866-1938
Moses Swan Ryan, 1839-1901
Octavia Ryan, 1912-1918
Sadie Elizabeth Neal Ryan, 1924-2005
Sarah Smith Ryan, 1844-1924
Shirley Ryan, 1931-1937
William Henry Ryan, 1881-1958
Hilery Carson Strunk, 1907-1980
Ollie Crystal Maxey Strunk, 1911-1997
Ardol Orin Trammell, 1922-1925
Clarence E. Wilson, 1920-1964
Barbara Henry Wright, 1961-2011
Nadine Georgia Jones Wright, 1930-1993
Ronald Lee Wright, 1969-2000
Theodore R. Wright, 1917-2003

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Daybreaker bright and early Monday morning. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

New County Commission appointments unveiled

HUNTSVILLE | Committee assignments for the new term of Scott County Commission were unveiled when commissioners met here Tuesday night for an organizational session.

Tuesday’s meeting was the first for five new commissioners — Allen “Ladd” Phillips in the 1st District, Mike Keeton and Dacy Williams in the 3rd District, Zach Strunk in the 5th District, and Jason Perry in the 6th District. It was also the first meeting for County Mayor Dennis Jeffers as chairman of the commission.

As mayor, Jeffers is responsible for appointing committees, which are then approved by the commissioners themselves. Fourth District Commissioner Kenny Chadwell will continue to chair the Finance Committee and the Budget Committee, while 4th District Commissioner Shonda Gray will continue to chair the Emergency Services Committee and 5th District Commissioner Kelly Posey-Chitwood will continue to chair the Community Development Committee.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee will now be chaired by 6th District Commissioner Colby Burke. It was previously chaired by Robyn McBroom, who did not seek re-election in the 5th District. And the Intergovernmental Committee is now chaired by 7th District Commissioner Jared Burke.

Second District Commissioner Taylor Buttram Stephens is now chairing the Parks & Recreation Committee, while newly-elected 3rd District Commissioner Mike Keeton will chair the Beer Board and Posey-Chitwood will chair the Ethics Committee.

Joining Posey-Chitwood on the Ethics Committee are Joyce Keeton from the 2nd District, Perry from the 6th District, and Mike Keeton from the 3rd District. Rena Erwin, Scott County Trustee, will also sit on the committee.

Joining Mike Keeton on the Beer Board will be Strunk and Perry.

Joining Stephens on the Parks & Recreation Committee are 1st District Commissioner David “Blue” Day and 7th District Commissioner Tom Payne, along with Perry and Williams. Community-at-large members of the committee will include Nick Botts and Diane Smith.

The Finance Committee includes Mayor Jeffers, Road Superintendent Kelvin King, and Scott County Director of Schools Marc Taylor by default. Joining Chadwell on the committee from County Commission are Jared Burke, Posey-Chitwood, and Payne.

Joining Chadwell on the Budget Committee are Mike Keeton, Payne, Colby Burke, Jared Burke, and Gray.

Joining Colby Burke on the Building & Grounds Committee are Day, Gray, Stephens, Joyce Keeton, Phillips, and Mike Keeton.

Joining Posey-Chitwood on the Community Development Committee are Strunk, Gray, Mike Keeton, Joyce Keeton, Phillips, and Perry.

Joining Gray on the Emergency Services Committee are Stephens, Day, Perry, Strunk, Colby Burke, and Williams.

Joining Jared Burke on the Intergovernmental Committee are Joyce Keeton, Phillips, Chadwell, Posey-Chitwood, Colby Burke, and Williams.

County Commission meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 5 p.m., with committee meetings held on the 1st Monday at 5 p.m. The Finance Committee meets on the 2nd Monday at 5 p.m. The Beer Board and Ethics Committee meet only when they have business to consider. All meetings take place at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville.

Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)

Rain chances grow for parched region

It has been an exceptionally dry end to summer, but some rain may be in store for the region over the next couple of days.

The National Weather Service has a 50% chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for Friday, followed by a 90% chance of rain on Saturday. Meteorologists say that a cold front that was once expected to create rain chances today and tomorrow will stay north of the region. However, a piece of shortwave energy is expected to fuel better rain chances going into the weekend.

Significant rainfall is not expected, which means the very dry start to fall will continue. Scott County has recorded less than a quarter of an inch of rain since Aug. 19. That has pushed streamflows to very low levels, with the Clear Fork River flowing at less than six cubic feet per second as of Thursday. Less than 25 percent of the time do streams flow at their current levels in early to mid September.

After a brief and weak reprieve from the heat, temperatures near 90 degrees are expected again next week. A pattern change, with milder temperatures, is expected around Sept. 20.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

ICYMI

Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Buddy Blevins, Brad Chambers, Bibi Drinnon, James Patterson, Hurstle Terry, and Kay White. » Read It

Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter takes a look at the Black Oak community along Leatherwood Road west of Oneida. » Read It

The Weekend

⛈️ Weather: Rain is likely to start the weekend, with rain a near certainty on Saturday. However, coverage is expected to be isolated to scattered on Friday, and spotty on Saturday. Temperatures will be in the mid 80s. Drier weather returns for Sunday. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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⛪︎ Featured Church

Norma Missionary Baptist Church

Denomination: Baptist (Missionary)
Pastor: James C. Pennington Sr.
Address: 127 Norma Church Road, Huntsville

Services
Sunday Morning: 11 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.
1st Saturday: 6 p.m.

» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.

—

📅 Community Calendar

• Friday: High school football finds both teams on the road, with Oneida playing at CAK (7 p.m.) and Scott High at Austin-East (7 p.m.). Both games will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network, with the Sevenly Construction Pre-Game Report beginning at 6 p.m.

• Saturday: The Scott County Farmers & Crafters Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 600 Scott High Drive in Huntsville (rain or shine).

• Saturday: The U.S.S. Tennessee Battleship Memorial Museum will be open on Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The focus area is occupation. Admission is free. The museum is located on the campus of Scott High School.

• Saturday: Second Saturday night service will be held at Jake’s Branch United Baptist Church at 6 p.m. For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Saturday: Narcotics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Buddy Blevins, 85

Oneida
September 5, 1940 – September 2, 2026

Robert Tirl “Buddy” Blevins, age 85, of Oneida, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at his home with his loving family by his side.

LIFE

Born Sept. 5, 1940, Buddy was the son of the late Tirl Monroe and Florence Elizabeth West Blevins. He was a member of Pine Creek United Baptist Church. As a young boy he delivered newspapers around the West Oneida area and helped his dad on various jobs. For many years he helped Jess Weaver, his wife and girls, at the Jess Weaver Store. One of his favorite things was going to churches all over Scott County and listening to gospel music. He was very knowledgeable of the Bible. For many years he made greeting cards for people all around the United States. He meant no harm to anyone. Buddy was a kind and loving person.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Tirl Monroe and Florence Elizabeth West Blevins.
• Infant sister: Flora Elizabeth Blevins.
• Brothers: Roy Earl Blevins, William H. (Bill) Blevins and Joseph A. (Joe) Blevins.
• Brothers-in-law: Norman L. Crabtree and Harold Chambers.

SURVIVORS

• Sisters: Ramona M. Crabtree, Mary Chambers and Beverly J. Blevins (Gene).
• Brother: John N. Blevins.
• Sister-in-law: Wanda Blevins.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 6 p.m. with Bro. Keith Marcum and Tony Daugherty officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Marcum-Kidd Cemetery.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Bradford Chambers, 91

Oneida
May 18, 1935 – September 7, 2026

Bradford R. Chambers, age 91, of Oneida, passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

LIFE

Born May 18, 1935, Brad was the son of the late Joe Mart and Laura Belle Collins Chambers. He was a graduate of the Oneida High School Class of 1954. He attended Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., where he was in dental school. He was drafted into the US Army, and while there he received the Good Conduct Medal.In March of 1957, he married the love of his life and soul mate that he always referred to as Christine. After his honorable discharge from the Army, Brad and Christine made their home in Indianapolis, Ind. There he remained until he moved to Lexington, Ky., then Bradenton, Fla., until he returned to Tennessee in 2025. Brad loved and took great pride in his flowers. He specialized in Africa violets and won many ribbons at shows in Indiana and surrounding states. He always had beautiful gardens wherever he lived. Brad, along with his best friend in life, Bob Dailey, spearheaded a bus ministry at his church in Indianapolis for under privileged children. He also served as song director, Sunday School teacher, and Deacon through the years. He was a faithful member and supporter of the churches he attended throughout the years. Faith Haven Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., was special to him, even when he moved from the area. He continued to support, speak to and visit with Pastor John East and his wife, Kim Weekley. Brad fiercely loved his family. He attained the title of great-great Poppa Brad. He always said, “They keep getting grander” the more that he got.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Joe Mart and Laura Belle Collins Chambers.
• Soulmate and mother of his children: Doris Christine Boyatt Chambers.
• Special companion: Wilmerth (Willie) Marley.
• In-laws: Boyce and Laura Miller Boyatt.
• Brothers: Cliff (Juanita) (Prillie) Chambers, Tommy (Mertie) Chambers and JR Chambers.
• Sisters: Eva (Junior) Litton and Jetta Chambers.
• Brothers-in-law: Wayne Boyatt and Royce Boyatt.
• Sisters-in-law: Charlene (Robert) Ellis and Sandra (Johnny) Crabtree.
• Son-in-law: JR Baker.

SURVIVORS

• Daughters: Laura (Paul) Lay and Elaine (John) O’Beine.
• Grandsons: Sean (Liana) Spradlin and Cameron (Gina) Spradlin.
• Granddaughter: Shawn (Josh) Downton.
• Great-grandchildren: Eight, who were the light of his life.
• Great-great-grandchildren: Six, who all called him Pappa Brad.
• Sister: Colletta (Cecil) Chitwood.
• Brothers-in-law: Deffis (Sharon) Boyatt, Dale (Karen) Boyatt and Steve Boyatt.
• Sister-in-law: Euladean (Benny) Carson.
• Constant doggie companion: Blaze.

SERVICES

Brad’s choice was cremation. A private memorial service will be held at his graveside at a later date.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Bibi Drinnon, 91

Huntsville
March 23, 1935 – September 1, 2026

Vivian Ileana “Bibi” Loveday Drinnon, lovingly known as “Bibi,” passed on into the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sept. 1, 2026, at her home in Huntsville.

LIFE

Born March 23, 1935, Bibi was the daughter of Robert and Ellis Loveday. She was a faithful wife and mother and dear friend to many. She worked over the years at the Blue Circle Restaurant, the City of Knoxville cafeteria (where she met her husband Guy Drinnon), and the local Knox County school cafeteria and as a treasured baby-sitter and caregiver to many babies and children. She was a faithful member and active part of her local church always taking part in Bible school and any activities going on. She was also always involved in her children’s and later grandchildren’s activities. Bibi truly exemplified a Christian walking with her Lord every day! Bibi will be dearly missed by all her family and friends.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Husband of 33 years: Guy Edward Drinnon.
• Parents: Robert and Ellis Loveday.
• Sisters: Wanda Nelson, Betty Smith, Barbara Tipton and Peggy Townsend.
• Brothers: Oscar Floyd Loveday, Douglas Loveday, Quinten Loveday and Marvin Loveday.

SURVIVORS

• Son: Guy Drinnon and wife Judy.
• Daughter: Michelle Carson and husband Jared.
• Grandchildren: Morgan Taylor and husband Mark, John Carson and wife Emily, Grant Drinnon and wife Noelle, and Merry Lay and husband Hughston.
• Great-grandchildren: Sawyer Vivian Drinnon, Sadie Drinnon, Brody Taylor and Carson Lay.
• Honorary grandchildren: Christy Turner, Kristin Langdon and Abby Stridde.
• Great-nephew: Randall Smith.
• Best friend and caregiver: Lisa King.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Mountain View Missionary Baptist Church.
• Funeral: To follow at 7 p.m. with Bro. Jared Carson officiating.
• Burial: Graveside service will be held Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Berry Highland South Memorial Park, 9010 E. Simpson Road, Knoxville, Tenn.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

James Patterson, 80

Oneida
June 11, 1946 – September 2, 2026

James Patterson, age 80 of Oneida, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center.

LIFE

Born June 11, 1946, James was the son of the late Gilbert and Rose Ella Abbott Patterson.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Gilbert and Rose Ella Abbott Patterson.
• Sisters: Elizabeth Ellis, Flossie King and Faye Patterson.
• Brother: Thomas Patterson.

SURVIVORS

• Brothers: William Patterson and Joseph Patterson.
• Daughters: Rinda Cadell and Lela Oliver.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Burial: A graveside service will follow at Pine Hill Cemetery with Bro. Mark Muse officiating.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Hurstle Terry, 81

Oneida
August 19, 1945 – September 8, 2026

Hurstle Terry, age 81 of Oneida, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, at his home.

LIFE

Born Aug. 19, 1945, Hurstle was the son of the late Febie Watson Terry.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Mother: Febie Watson Terry.
• Brothers: Clayton Terry, Milford Terry and infant brother, James.
• Sisters: Marie Honeycutt and Ella Chambers.

SURVIVORS

• Wife: Phyllis Terry.
• Sons: Dude Michael Terry and wife Lisa, and Shon Terry and wife Sabrina.
• Daughter: Andrea Cooper and husband Cecil.
• Grandsons: Seth Terry, Adrian Terry and Samuel Terry.
• Granddaughters: Brittany Massengale, Savannah Terry, Sydney Lawson and husband Andrew, and Kylie King and husband Clay.
• Great-grandsons: Eli Rose, Wyatt Boyatt, Kolt Potter, Gus Terry and Bo Shultz.
• Brothers: Jimmy Terry and Chuck Terry.
• Sister: Irene Terry.
• Special nephew: Roy Layne.
• Special friend: Lyhue Crowley.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Celebration of Life: To follow at 3 p.m. with Bro. Darrell Laxton and Bro. James Roberts officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Litton Cemetery.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Kay White, 78

June 23, 1948 – September 6, 2026

Kay White, age 78, departed this life on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.

LIFE

Born June 23, 1948, Kay was the daughter of the late Donald Packingham and Hermine Huntoon.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Donald Packingham and Hermine Huntoon.
• Husband: Butch White.
• Son: Martin Buzzell.
• Brothers: Michael Packingham and Donald Packingham.
• Granddaughter: McKenzie Nicely.

SURVIVORS

• Daughters: Angela Fields, and Amy Lay and husband James.
• Grandchildren: Christine and Justin Sheldon, Randy Arman Jr., Chelsea Kay Grubbs and Phoenix, Sarah King and husband John, Matt Lay and wife Kaitlyn, Nick Lay and wife Nevaeh, and Noah Lay and wife Kate.
• Great-grandchildren: Kearstin, Kaydin, Kaiya, Parker, James, Lili and Sarah.
• Sisters: Ruth Ann Jacobsen, Emma Mottashed and Deni Grubbs.
• Special friends: Jim and Sharon Leverence.

SERVICES

Kay’s wishes were cremation. A celebration of life will be held Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 12 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville, with Bro. Charlie Golden officiating.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Scott County communities: Black Oak

Which of Scott County’s communities came first?

That’s difficult to say without knowing exactly who was the first to settle Scott County — or, rather, the first to settle the lands that would eventually become Scott County, since they were a part of Campbell, Anderson and Morgan counties until 1849 (and some of the northern areas were originally considered part of Wayne County and even Pulaski County, Ky., in the earliest days).

Mikel Low is traditionally considered the first permanent white settler in Scott County, which would make Smokey Creek the first community. But other communities with claims of being first would include Chitwood (Winfield), New River, Brimstone, Buffalo, and Paint Rock. Between the years of 1806 and 1810, settlement had begun in earnest in these areas, almost always beginning with the fertile bottomlands along the streams.

Long before things had consolidated and Oneida grew into Scott County’s economic hub, with Huntsville as the county’s industrial hub, each community was largely self-sustainable, with mills, stores, schools, post offices, and more. They were connected by the main roads through this rugged plateau land, which mostly followed old Indian trails that had been used for ages before people of European descent stumbled upon the scene.

Over the next several weeks, the Independent Herald‘s “Echoes in Time” series will reflect on the history of these communities, drawing from the Encyclopedia of Scott County (www.ihoneida.com). Also, the Scott County Historical Society has a forthcoming book, “Communities of Scott County,” that will be available for purchase at their offices, located on the second floor of the old Scott County Courthouse in Huntsville (open Tuesday and Thursday mornings).

This series is not an attempt to profile Scott County’s communities in the order they were settled, which would likely be an exercise in futility. Rather, it is simply an alphabetical listing.

Black Oak

Located west of Oneida, Black Oak is a part of the 37841 zip code, and is sometimes called Possum Rock or Leatherwood. It is generally considered to be the S.R. 297 corridor from the intersection of Station Camp Road to Leatherwood Ford in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. Some might also consider the Toomey Road area to be part of Black Oak, including the new Toomey Falls subdivision. Surrounding communities include Station Camp to the north, Coopertown and Verdun to the east, White Pine to the west, and Helenwood to the south.

Because there are no specific boundaries, there is no way to accurately measure the population of the Black Oak community.

Major streams that drain the Black Oak community include Anderson Branch and Bill Branch on the west side of S.R. 297, both of which empty into the Big South Fork River. Areas east of S.R. 297 drain into Pine Creek, with the help of Mill Branch, which heads up at Lake Arlie — named for Oneida businessman Arlie Lay, who built it and whose family still owns it.

Post Office: The Black Oak community is served by the Oneida post office today. Even in the days when post offices dotted the map in rural Scott County, there were never any post offices located in the Black Oak community. The closest rural post offices, outside Oneida, were Elva, Zena and Frona, all located in the Station Camp and No Business areas west of the Big South Fork River.

Schools: The only historical school in the Black Oak community was O’Possum Rock School, which was located at the intersection of S.R. 297 (Leatherwood Road) and Camp Road. A building that once housed the school still stands, though it is abandoned and in a serious state of disrepair. Today, Black Oak is served by Burchfield School for grades K-8 and Scott High School for grades 9-12.

Business & Commerce: Major businesses in the Black Oak community include Carson’s Truss, a family-owned builder of custom wooden trusses that is owned by Benny Carson, and Jet Machining Inc. One of the community’s longest-running businesses was Terry & Terry Store, located at the intersection of Coopertown, Leatherwood and Station Camp roads, but it closed with the death of its last surviving owner, Bertha Terry, in 2007. Her sister and the store’s co-owner, Dorothy Terry, died in 1993. Another old store, the Tom Payne Store, was owned by Thomas Miller Payne. The store closed after his death in 1959, but continued to be used as a voting precinct until it was destroyed by a tornado on April 3, 1974. It was located just east of where Leatherwood Baptist Church is located. In more recent years, there was a store called Last Chance, located just west of Leatherwood Baptist Church. The building that housed it is used today as a private residence.

Churches: There are two Baptist churches in the Black Oak community: Black Oak Baptist Church and Leatherwood Baptist Church (formerly known as O’Possum Rock Baptist Church). Black Oak Baptist was originally located next-door to Carson’s Truss Co. but later moved to its current location on Coopertown Road. O’Possum Rock Baptist changed its name and signage to match the nearby landmark in the Big South Fork NRRA.

Cemeteries: The largest cemetery in the community is the O’Possum Rock Cemetery, which is sometimes called the Black Oak Cemetery. The oldest cemetery is the largely forgotten Keeton Cemetery. There is also the Miller Family Cemetery, Ike Smith Cemetery, Trosper Cemetery, the Ovie Smith Cemetery, and the William Smith Cemetery.

Origins: Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of information available about the history of the Black Oak community. It was not a major settlement in the early 19th century like other parts of Scott County. The river bottoms to the immediate west — including Station Camp, Parch Corn, and No Business — were earlier settlements than Black Oak.

Black Oak got its name for the black oaks and red oaks that once grew in abundance there, according to the historian H. Clay Smith. The original wagon road through the community followed roughly the same route that S.R. 297 now takes, although there were some variances. Additionally, the O’Possum Rock community, a bit further west towards Leatherwood, was once considered a separate community from Black Oak. Today, the name Black Oak generally incorporates both areas.

Adjoining the Black Oak community was a Welsh settlement in the mid 1800s known as Brynffynon, founded by Samuel Roberts. It extended from present-day Pistol Lane and across present-day Toomey Road. The Civil War spelled the end of the Brynffynon settlement, leaving its owners desolate.

First Families: The first family to permanently settle at Black Oak may have been the Thompson family, which lived where Old Litton Place is now located.

Lewis Thompson (1792-1863) is the oldest grave found at the Keeton Cemetery at Black Oak, though that cannot be conclusively proven. The stone is engraved only with the initials “L.T.” However, Thompson was known to have lived in the area. His first marriage was to Pheby Gray. He later married Mary “Polly” Brown (1826-1902) in 1849. He had at least 11 children.

Elzwick Thompson (1818-1904) is also buried at Keeton Cemetery. He was one of Lewis Thompson’s children. His wife, Nancy Brown (1827-1905), is buried at the cemetery, as well.

Another relatively early family of the Black Oak community was the Terry family, which eventually included sisters Bertha and Dorothy Terry, who married brothers and were the owners and operators of Terry & Terry Store.

One of the first members of the Terry family to live at Black Oak was Miles Terry (1848-1929), who married Artema “Artie” Coyle (1843-1911). Artie was one of the first people buried at O’Possum Rock Cemetery. She and Miles had eight children, and the extensive Terry family of the Black Oak community descended from them.

Miles Terry was the son of Martin Terry (1832-1890), and a grandson of Josiah Terry (1780-1868), the first settler of Oneida. Descendants of Miles Terry still have substantial landholdings in the Black Oak community today.

Although they weren’t the first family to live at Black Oak, there has been no family in the community more consequential than the Miller family. Originally from No Business, William J. Miller (1895-1980) and Ellen Burk (1893-1996) moved to Black Oak and established a farm during the Great Depression era, when they tired of flooding rains drowning their cornfields near the Big South Fork River.

Will Miller was the son of Francis Miller, who owned a store near the mouth of No Business Creek. Ellen Burk was the daughter of Lewis Burk and a great-granddaughter of Jonathan Burke, an early settler of the Parch Corn section of Big South Fork. It was at Jonathan Burke’s cabin that the Battle of No Business was fought in 1863. Francis Miller later purchased the cabin and moved it to No Business, and it was there that Will Miller was raised.

Will and Ellen’s children included Laura Boyatt (1919-2009), Hester Kidd (1921-1996), Lenord Miller (1924-2012), Eva Payne (1926-2019), Lorene Phillips (1929-2021), Elizabeth Harris (1933-2016), and Lillard Miller (1936-2023). Most of their children remained in the Black Oak area for their entire lives, and many of their descendants — Millers, Boyatts, Paynes, and Carsons — remain in the community today. It was Eva Payne’s father-in-law who owned Tom Payne Store at Black Oak, and it is Laura Boyatt’s son-in-law, Benny Carson, who owns Carson Truss Co.

Of course, no discussion of the early families of Black Oak would be complete without mentioning the Smith family, including the sons of Samuel and Sally Smith. One of them, William “Bill” Smith (1870-1931) and his wife, Sarah Slaven (1865-1933), are buried at the William Smith Cemetery at Old Litton Place, just a stone’s throw from the Keeton Cemetery. William’s better-known brother was John J. “Hawk” Smith, the noted Big South Fork resident who lived near what is Angel Falls Village today.

Samuel and John Hawk were the grandsons of Anderson Smith (1800-1890) and Sarah Slaven (1796-1888), who had a farm on Station Camp Creek. Sarah was a daughter of Richard Harve Slaven, who is believed to have been the Big South Fork region’s first permanent white settler.

Bill and Sarah had at least six children, and those children married into the Terry and Keeton families that lived at Black Oak.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Scott High makes defensive adjustments, defeats Monterey

HUNTSVILLE | It was close for most of a half, as Monterey used a size advantage on the offensive line and mashed on Scott High with its run game.

But then came the second half, some defensive adjustments by the Highlanders, and a comfortable, 33-14 win over the Wildcats.

Scott High (2-0), stumbled at times offensively in its home opener, but used a big night on special teams — and another big night by explosive junior Carter Slaven — to pull away from Monterey (1-2).

Missing a key component of their offensive attack, the Wildcats leaned on Donald Musell. He was up to the challenge, rushing for 113 yards on 31 carries. Hank Shepard added 52 yards on 10 carries.

But after 130 yards in the first half — which seemed like even more, because Monterey was able to run almost at will against the Highlander defense on back-to-back possessions once it shifted to a heavy front — the Wildcats could do almost nothing in the second half.

Scott High shifted to a heavier defensive front and limited Monterey to just 56 yards of offense in the second half, and the Wildcats did not sniff the end zone.

“They’re very well coached,” Scott High coach Billy Hall said of Monterey. “They’re very good in the box and that’s what they do. Coach (Eric) Privett handled it very well. He came to me and said, ‘This is what I’ve got, and I said, ‘Absolutely, roll with it.’ I’ll be honest, I really didn’t even need to know what it was.”

As a result of the defensive adjustments, Scott High was able to pull off a comfortable win despite not generating any offensive scores of its own in the third or fourth quarters. The only score in the second half was a 57-yard Slaven punt return — his second of the game — early in the fourth quarter.

The Highlanders got the scoring started after a Monterey punt that was partially blocked to open the game. Gage Privett connected to Sawyer Barnes from six yards out to give Scott the early lead. Privett finished 12 of 18 for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Monterey’s second possession resulted in another blocked punt, which was scooped up by Slaven at the 21-yard-line and returned for a touchdown, giving the Highlanders a 13-0 lead.

Unable to move the ball through its first two possessions, Monterey began to find some sizeable gaps to run through, and was able to put a pair of touchdowns on the board. The first was a one-yard run by Musell early in the second quarter.

Scott answered, though, as Slaven scored on an eight-yard run.

That was followed by a one-yard touchdown plunge by Ethan Phillips, as Monterey continued to hang around.

Again, the Highlanders had an answer. This time, Privett and Slaven hooked up for a 28-yard strike, making it 26-14 at the half.

Neither offense could get much going in the second half, but Slaven scooped up a punt off a bounce and returned it 57 yards for a score with 8:45 remaining. He is believed to be the first player in school history to return two punts for scores in a single game. He now has eight touchdowns in just two games this season.

Scott High finished with 222 yards of offense. Jesse Jeffers led the rushing attack with 59 yards on eight carries. Slaven was the top receiver, with four catches for 71 yards.

Hall said after the game that his team is still making mistakes, but they’re correctable.

“We just need to execute a little bit better on both sides of the football,” he said. “We’ve hurt ourselves a lot, but it’s things we can clean up. We’ve made some mental mistakes, but everything is fixable. And, nevertheless, we’re 2-0.”

One big issue for the Highlanders has been penalties. Through two games, Scott is averaging well over 100 yards per game in penalties.

“You’ve gotta be in the moment,” Hall said. “When the whistle blows, you can’t do something extra. You just have to be smart and know what’s going on. We just have to be aware of what’s going on.”

Three players left the game with injuries for Scott High, though the extent of them was not immediately clear. Kennix Parton and Devin Prewitt suffered ankle injuries, and Elijah Wilson left with a knee injury.

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Bledsoe County uses timely defensive stops to best Oneida

PIKEVILLE, Tenn. | The stat sheet suggested a much closer game than the scoreboard indicated.

The scoreboard said that Bledsoe County (2-1) defeated Oneida (2-1) by a 35-13 count on a muggy Friday evening.

The stat sheet, meanwhile, showed that Oneida rolled up 300 yards of offense on 43 snaps — identical to Bledsoe County’s 300 yards on 41 snaps.

The Indians rushed for 180 yards and, despite playing without injured junior quarterback Connor Mays, completed eight of 10 passes for 120 yards.

Time of possession and penalties were even between the two teams, as well, and neither the Indians nor the Warriors had a turnover.

So where did the difference come from? Bledsoe County did not have to punt the football, turning five possessions into five touchdowns, while its defense made stops at opportune times to force Oneida into a pair of punts and also a failed fourth down try.

That allowed the Warriors to build a 21-0 lead at the half and extend it to 35-7 before Oneida scored a touchdown in the game’s waning seconds.

Bledsoe County, always tough, scored on touchdown runs of seven yards, four yards, and two yards to build the 21-0 lead, underscoring its grind-it-out approach that was typical of Bledsoe County teams the Indians have faced in years past.

Oneida was able to edge back into the game with a 12-play, 80-yard drive to start the third quarter, which ended with a 17-yard touchdown run by Waylon Hill.

But Bledsoe answered with back-to-back touchdowns by Noah Shrum to put the game out of reach.

Shrum finished with 66 yards on six carries, including three touchdowns. Bledsoe quarterback Luke Morris completed all four of his passes for 79 yards.

Gage Duncan led Oneida’s ground attack with 89 yards on 16 carries.

In Mays’ absence, senior Cannon McDowell completed five of seven passes for 77 yards, including a 51-yard connection with Kannon Gazay. Waylon Hill completed three of three passes for 43 yards, and added 59 rushing yards on eight carries.

Hill added 10 tackles on defense, and was named the IH Sports Network’s First National Bank Player of the Game.

Sophomore Tate Shepard led the Oneida defense, with 11 stops.

Bledsoe County took the game’s opening possession after a big kickoff return to midfield. Despite digging a deep hole with back-to-back penalties, the Warriors converted a third-and-15 play and eventually scored on a seven-yard run by Cade Swafford.

Oneida’s first possession started with a McDowell-to-Drayton Wade pass for a first down, but stalled immediately after that. Bledsoe was impressive in its response, reeling off four first downs in five plays to get deep into the Indian red zone. Oneida stiffened its back inside the 10-yard-line, but Bledsoe County was able to convert a fourth down play, then score on a short run by Marcos Ramirez to build a 14-0 lead.

Oneida got into Bledsoe County territory on its next possession, but found itself behind the sticks after a third down penalty, and was forced to punt.

Bledsoe’s third and final possession of the first half led to another Warrior touchdown, as they covered 64 yards in nine plays, scoring on a two-yard run by Shrum with less than a minute remaining in the half.

Oneida nearly got into the end zone to end the first half, when McDowell and Gazay connected on the 51-yard pass play to the goal line. But Bledsoe’s defense came up with a big stop, as Shrum made the tackle at the two-yard-line to keep the Indians off the board.

That stop loomed even larger when Oneida started the second half by marching 80 yards in 12 plays to score on a 17-yard run by Hill.

But even if the first half had ended with a score, Bledsoe County’s offense was too dominant against an always-stout Oneida defense. The Warriors responded to the Indians’ score by swiftly marching 73 yards in six plays. On third down, Shrum broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run, making any comeback by Oneida seem impossible.

With the game growing late and the three-touchdown deficit on the board, Oneida was forced to attempt to convert a fourth-and-one play at its own 27-yard-line on the ensuing possession. Bledsoe County got a stop at the line of scrimmage, and quickly tacked on an insurance score for a 35-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Oneida took possession with 7:58 left on the clock and put together a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended on a two-yard touchdown run by Gage Duncan with 11 seconds remaining.

The road won’t get any easier for Oneida in the short-term, as the Indians get set for a Friday night trip to CAK, one of the state’s top-ranked private schools. That will be Oneida’s final tune-up before beginning region play.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

☀️ Weather: We’ll be hot and dry today, but it’ll feel nice compared to what we’ve seen the past week or so. We’ll top out around 86 degrees with mostly sunny skies. It’ll be another dry week overall, though we will see a chance of rain Thursday and Thursday night. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 9:15 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Scott County Commission will meet in an organizational session at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at the Highway 27 Unity Club in Oneida at 12 p.m.

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Golden Grooves Exercise at 1 p.m.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer a trip at 10:30 a.m.

Thursday: The Scott County Board of Education will meet in regular session at the Central Office in Huntsville, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District pipelines are generally safe. They can be damaged by things such as excavation, natural forces, and automobile accidents. These can potentially cause a leak.Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Subscribe now