Family Story Page 1

The Rowan Tree Roan-Rowan Family Stories Page 5

The writings of Leon Virgil Rowan, 1901-1983

(Graciously contributed by Jan & Winston Rowan)

Sand Mountain ©

by Leon V. Rowan

My father (James Franklin Rowan, 1866- 1954) of Irish decent and very energetic in his mid-thirties was a farmer. He was also an owner of a small country store that soon began to dwindle away. As the lean years came, he gave credit to those that could not repay him, or moved away owing him for merchandise. In doing so he could not replace the merchandise, and survive the lean years ahead. He decided to move away and homestead a track of land he had learned of located about thirty miles to the southwest in Etowah County. The following year he began a diversified way of life, nearer to market with better opportunities to succeed.

This mountainous region was many miles long and wide. It is surrounded by the Tennessee River to the northeast and named, "Sand Mountain", because of its abundance of sand stone dunes. Yet, its forest and virgin soil stood present. A challenge to those of who have a spirit and a strong heart, who choose to endure and conquer the hidden danger, and hardships of this beautifully covered mountain, hidden in nature's majestic panorama of forests. Building homes and clearing the land of timber and rocks, preparing the fields for growing corn, cotton, and wheat also planting gardens, all to supply them with a meager livelihood, all by the toil and sweat of their brow.

The scattered inhabitants line far and near through out this region. Three of who were my father's brothers: (?) who had in previous years homesteaded their farms around the forty acres that my father had settled on. This was a long, disheartening adventure indeed for my father to face. The whole area of his land was a deep, rolling forest; it had to be cleared of timber, and underbrush. A house and barn had to be built in a short period of time. He had his own labor, a ten-year-old boy, who was his son, also his own three brothers who helped him build the housed and barn, which was necessary to begin their new livelihood. Thirty by forty feet was cleared for room to build a church school. It is named in honor of my father, ''Rowan's chapel" which is now called '' Noble's Chapel ''.

Rowan's Chapel

All objectives of progress became a community affair that required help from all families that were ready to pool their labor and resources, until they had their projects completed. It became the task for a few of the men to go into their forest to select, and fell the best of their trees. They were to cut them into logs which were then to be hauled away by others, with wagons drawn by a team of horses, mules or pair of ox's, on to a near by sawmill where the logs were sawed into lumber by length and breadth, as ordered by their carpenter. Then they were hauled to the site of their building located in a narrow but shallow ravine, drained by a small creek, that was facing their only main thoroughfare about the center of their community, for the conveniences of all party's.

The building crews meet; on this site, and cleared away the trees and undergrowth. Now ready to begin the structure of their building as soon as the lumber and building materials were all hauled in. Thus began the duties of the housewives to cook up hot meals, and coffee, which they carried in with their buggies or carriages, that were drawn by gentle horses. They served their hard working men and watched them toil to construct and rise up their long cherished and desired church schoolhouse.

My father, filled with enthusiasm was not leaving any stones unturned or letting any ecstasy of enthusiasm cool down before calling a town meeting, for all the citizens to elect three trustees. Thus representing an authority to the superintendent of county schools and to register their credential of procedures, for public support of a one-unit teacher school approved by the county superintendent. Thereafter it became the duty of the trustee's to choose the teacher, and oversee the welfare, and conduct of both teacher and pupils, whenever needed.

The school term was limited to eighteen weeks out of fifty-two, because of limited school funds that existed in rural areas in Alabama, each student was progressed each year from the first to the eighth grade. Of course provided he attended the eighteen weeks of school session. There were no school laws to force parents to send their children up in grade, nor any required age as of today.

The scattered inhabitants of this community were related and loyal, one with another, in some aspects of mutual interest. They formed a grapevine communication to keep them abreast of the current events among themselves, and from within the midst of their surroundings. They were similar in thought as to the three R's taught in a shotgun type schoolhouse church. This was their only educational advantage that reflected in their social and community life to a degree of society, especially this was so of a few persistent ones who fought the human specter of fright to become teachers, lawyers and preachers and doctors, from the schools of higher learning.

Faster Transportation

The outlying terrain of this rugged woodland and mountainous region of Sand Mountain is surrounded by valleys, and rivers reaching out for 15 miles in all directions. It is a gradual elevation, filled with a dense forest of timber and undergrowth. This hides the many creeks that form a watershed on their way into larger creeks, which led on to three rivers, the Tennessee, Coosa, and Warrior. This mountainous region held no place for those weak in spirit, and faint in heart. "It presented a challenge indeed" For those who dared to brave the hidden danger and hardship to conquer this beautiful mountain, hidden in nature.

The need and demand for better and faster transportation, rather than the slowly drawn ox cart, and mule train had become a live issue in those early days of progress, and expansion. The market places were too far away, for their mode of travel, over a poorly constructed highway that soon became one of their many dilemmas. A dilemma to be solved, and to solve it they did, by soliciting the aid of a Railway Company to build a spur track, a distant of 25 miles from a main terminal at Attalla, Alabama, across Sand Mountain at Guntersville, Alabama. Guntersville is located in the Tennessee Valley, a river part at the foothills of Sand Mountain, and a connection to Memphis Tennessee by steamboat.

Soon the Railway Company made a survey. They decided in favor of the citizen's request to build the track and necessary depot at the towns, and most villages, thus giving outlets to various communities to travel, ship and receive their products, commodities, and hardware. All necessary to the merchants, and citizens across a wide area of this mountain, all soon to be conquered and inhabited by a steady flow of immigrants, seeking homestead rights. Buying property, and mineral rights, and becoming citizens of one of these communities that had began to show its potential worth in various trades, profession, and culture.

The Railway Co. was making steady progress. Most all operation of work had to be done by manpower, or animals, they used dynamite to blast away the rocks, making cuts through the ridges and hills, for the low places, and the trestles, across creeks, and ravines. The citizens were cooperating by cutting their timber, and hewing the logs with the broad axe to make them into cross ties. And bridge timber, being delivered at a nominal price. Thus showing their interest to the company for a long cherished relief to their economy, and prayers.

The New Exciting way of life

The first settlers were beginning to see their dream come true. The smell of nostalgia was in the air, and the time to start planning a long desired excursion to many exciting places of interest. And to help them celebrate the discovery of a new, and exciting way of life which would surface.

Even a visit of one day to Gadsden, Alabama, the county seat of Etowah county, situated on the Coosa River at the foothills of Lookout Mountain, even the famous well known Nochalulla falls, thirty miles away, would give breath taking joy and excitement to a few, who had never been farther than their own isolated community or seen the sun rise and set beyond their own horizon.

The days and hours seemingly grew longer but fewer in number. So few that their planned celebration of their emancipation, from an isolated frontier into the dawn of a new mode of travel, and communication that every town, village, and community effected were already making their plans to celebrate. In such ways as, picnics, music, dancing, and riding on their great demon of steam power. It being glory arrayed with plush coaches, and grates beside large windows, to view their community, and others as never seen before. While others were gathered together, standing, waiting to see this huge ''monster'' arise, out of an almost unbelievable earthly view, with a chugging musical note, and a coarse shrieking pitch of a whistle of its impending approach. All to welcome their presence of joy and gladness.

The wheel of time was surely turning, so were the progress of their own communities, and the current of events taking place, so much that they would not take time to look back even for a day, this was so important, for setting up plans. They prepared their mode of celebration in harmony, style with gaiety and color. They displayed all in the best of pioneer, and dress, the great ordeal of endurance, with time consuming toil took about three years of sweat, from the labor of a loyal, and hard working army of citizens. The desire of the community was speedily drawing to its completion. The completion announcement of the scheduled operation from the Railroad Company had been set for the month of September. This was the latter half of July 1905. Both the company and citizens had time to organize a plan to help them celebrate this momentous event of accomplishment into the doorway of prosperity.

Celebration

Perhaps the mothers of middle age, and older ones, in declining stages of life, had already got out their old bonnets, and dresses made of calico, or gingham. All to be hand washed, starched, and ironed in the best of form or possibly the making of new ones. Maybe the new styles were of such, commonly called, "Mother Hubbard pattern'', or coat suits with fine waist embroidery, for the older and elder ladies, maybe the waist, or hoop skirt, and bust. For the teenagers, and the gals an their twenties. Young beauties in their headgear with hanging streamers and flowers of many colors pinned to their hats. Pig tails, or plats of their hair hanging down their shoulders, and back. This would truly reflect grandeur of pioneer days, all to the time of gala and hoop a-la of songs and gay parities, each dancing to the tune of real country music, banjo, guitar, and fiddle, known as a violin today.

Such tunes as:

1. Turkey in the straw

2. Arkansas traveler

3, Memphis blues

4. My old Kentucky home

"Turkey in the straw" was my favorite one, for the old hoe down, a square dance of chasing the squirrel, and the do-si-do you swing your gal, and I will mine.

In the twilight of a memorable, vanishing and exhilarating pioneer way of life, the people and fashion were slowly ending. The older generation to the younger ones taking their places.

Conclusion:

This is only one story, which are many that were told to me in later years by my father and mother. They were once the children, students, and citizens in this roaring pioneering way of life. They had fond memories of many hardships endured, and joys as they lived their lives on, '' Sand Mountain ''.

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