SPIKEBUCK MOUND

Spikebuck Town is located immediately east of Hayesville, NC on the Hiwassee River bottomland. The Cherokee built a large earthen mound which can still be seen at the mouth of Town Creek. The mound was the chief's house or the ceremonial center for the town.

The first excavation of the Spikebuck site occurred in April, 196l by the invitation of then State Representative Wiley A. McGlamery who owned the land. One of the most interesting finds was made by Frank Osborne while uncovering a fire pit in the village site area. This was the post-mold pattern of an oval-shaped house.

Stone artifacts included plummets, game stones, discs and soapstone pipes. One shell ear plug was found on top of the mound and a few shell beads were located in the village site.

Western Carolina University unearthed Spikebuck in 1973 and 1975. Some of the artifacts dated 3,000 B.C. and 1,000 A.D. Some pottery was stamped on the outside with a paddle to make different designs. Sometimes patterns were made with a corncob. Food bowls were common at the site. Native Americans made checkered, curved, and linear marks on pottery.

The entire town including the houses and the temple mound were surrounded by a stockade. The open area in front of the mound served as a dance ground and ball field. Cornfields were outside the town.

The house walls and stockade were constucted with "wattle-and-daub," a mixture of clay with leaves, and grass, plastered over a wooden post frame. The roofs were covered with thatch or bark.

The Cherokee owned two houses. The winter house had a thatched roof with log sides and during summer it could serve as a sweat lodge.

The summer house was an open rectangle and some had three partitions. The Cherokee actually buried their dead in the summer houses. Few burials occurred in the townhouse mound.

How did Spikebuck get its name? A Cherokee man owned property near the town and was named Spikebuck. The town was named after him.

The rich history of Hayesville, NC has been preserved in the Indian mound. As Stephen Spender said, "History is the ship carrying living memories into the future."

THE PLACE WHERE THEY CRIED

"How many of you live in Tusquittee?" Dan Hollifield asked the Tusquittee Community Association on August 28, 2007, at their covered-dish dinner.

"You're on Cherokee land," he told the club. "I come from the Principal People. All of western North Carolina, north Georgia, eastern Tennessee and West Virginia belonged to the Cherokee.

"They never looked at land ownership until meeting the Europeans. The Cherokee hunted and fished, lived in single-roomed log homes dug out of the ground."

Hollifield explained the Cherokee had one God whom they called Creator. They looked to him for guidance and gave thanks for many blessings during festivals.

When you compare the six festivals of the Cherokee and ancient Israel as found in the Old Testament, you'll find they were similar. Although Hollifield is pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church, he finds no conflict with his faith and being a Cherokee.

Of quarter Cherokee heritage, Hollifield belongs to the "bird clan," the messengers. The Cherokee had seven clans: the bird, bear, paint, deer, wild potato, blue and long hair.

Hollifield also belongs to the Georgia tribe of the Eastern Cherokee. He holds the position as vice chief of the Georgia tribe.

He strives to preserve his Cherokee heritage and present the facts. He said the Cherokee never lived in teepees, never wore bonnets, and the only time they donned more than one or two feathers, was during the Eagle Dance.

The men wore trousers and a turban. The ribbon shirt evolved from bark tied to the hair while playing games. The Cherokee women wore dresses.

Besides lecturing about his Cherokee heritage, Hollifield makes Native American flutes. He crafts them the traditional manner. He does everything by hand and the flutes are tuned to themselves.

"The traditional Cherokee flute was never used in ceremonies," he explained. "It was played only in courtship. The flute evolved into a highly expressive instrument used in healing, meditative, and spiritual rituals."

Additionally, he makes functional bows of dogwood, river cane arrows and sheaths, medicine staffs, blowguns and darts. The Cherokee used blowguns to hunt small game such as squirrels, rabbits, and birds. An accomplished hunter was effective up to about 60 feet.

According to Hollifield, the Cherokee were removed from the Southeast in 1838. They were rounded up by soldiers and held in stockades. Ft. Hembree was built near Hayesville. President Andrew Jackson signed the Removal Act. U.S. troops drove the Cherokee to Oklahoma and thousands died on the Trail of Tears.

But not all the Cherokee left. There had been a lot of intermarriage. If the head of the household was listed as white, the Cherokee spouse was exempt from the Removal Act. About 1,000 escaped and remained in the Great Smoky Mountains. The eventually bought land and the government let them stay. These became known as the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.

Today the Cherokee are making great stride to resurrect their heritage said Hollifield. The Cherokee language is a required subject in the school at Cherokee, NC. A lot of children are making doctors and lawyers. "The Cherokee have done great things," added Hollifield.

Finally, Dan Hollifield played, "The Place Where They Cried," on his flute. This mournful tune brought forth memories of the Trail of Tears.

By: Brenda Kay Ledford

THE MESSENGER

THE MESSENGER

On a cold winter morning,
a crimson cardinal perched
above Pepper’s dogloo, captured
my attention as tears

flowed down my face.
The messenger lifted
songs of, “Cheer, cheer, cheer,”
and brought hope

to my broken heart.
He assured me that
the cycle of life continues.
Then a dozen birds

landed in the apple tree
bowing over Pepper’s lot.
Males and females sang together:
“Keep the faith.”
--Brenda Kay Ledford

PEPPER

June, 1996-December 28, 2011

BILL O'NEIL COLLECTS COWBELLS

Bill O'Neil's grandfather was Dr. Samuel O'Neil. Dr. O'Neil was the first eye doctor in Hayesville, NC. Bill still has the case that his grandfather used to examine the eyes of patients.

Bill also has a unique hobby. He collects cowbells. He started collecting cowbells when he worked for Neil Cabe. The collection grew through the years and Bill has a huge display now.

In the early 1990's farmers turned their cattle loose in Clay County to graze in the mountains. They put cowbells on the necks of cattle to locate them. Each fall the farmers rounded up their livestock and fenced them nearby until spring.

In the above photo, different sizes of cowbells are displayed. The larger ones had a deep sound, the tiny bells had a high pitch. The pigs even wore tiny bells in order for the farmers to locate them at time of roundup.

Bill O'Neil's cowbell collection reflects a time in the history of Hayesville that is gone but not forgotten.

DR. SAMUEL O'NEIL

Dr. Samuel O'Neil, son Sam, and wife, Ollie.

DR. SAMUEL O’NEIL WAS CLAY COUNTY’S FIRST OPTOMETRIST

By

Brenda Kay Ledford

How do we know what happened 150 years ago? How do we learn about history? People wrote about it and passed knowledge to family and friends.

Bill O’ Neil’s family history played an important role in Clay County. His grandfather, Dr. Samuel F. O’Neil, was the first optometrist here.

According to Bill, “Dr. Sam was the only optometrist west of Asheville. He traveled to Andrews and even to Atlanta giving eye exams to patients.”

Bill still has ledgers his grandfather used to write prescriptions. The books are filled with names, dates, and methods of payment. A pair of glasses cost $12.00 in the early 1900’s. Many folks had little money and gave Dr. Sam farm products such as milk, butter, eggs, or vegetables.

Additionally, Bill owns the case to fit patients with glasses. The black leather covering the box is worn, but contains lenses and eye charts in great condition.

Bill shows me Dr. Sam’s naturalization paper. His family left Ireland in the 1800’s aboard a steamboat. They landed on the Northeast coast of America, settled in Texas, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Sam decided to succeed. He worked as a child at odd jobs. He finished high school at night, and graduated from college. Dr. Sam was certified to examine eyes and fit people with glasses at age 18 (Clay County Progress, Thursday, March 5, 1998).

But Dr. Sam wanted to travel. He left Chicago in 1884 on a bicycle. A trailer was hooked to the back, filled with the tools of his trade. There were no paved roads or highways. On his journey, he examined eyes and fitted patients with glasses (Ibid).

According to Bill, Dr. Sam passed through Clay County on his way to Florida. Dr. Sam met the lovely Ollie Padgett. It must have been love at first sight. He reportedly said, “I’m coming back to marry you.” And that’s just what he did!

They were married and lived in Clarksville, GA. Dr. Sam drove the first car into Clay County in 1914. It was a 1912 Ford roadster and it took seven hours to travel from Clarksville to Hayesville.

“There was not a foot of paved road,” said Ollie O’Neil in a Clay County Progress article (Friday, February 18, 1995). She continued, “The roads were so narrow tree branches from either side almost met in the middle of the road. We had about six flat tires on the way, maybe four.”

When Dr. Sam chugged into Hayesville, it caused an uproar. The chickens squawked, and horses were so frightened they ran off the road. People cheered and chased the motorcar through town. Some folks had never seen an automobile. I imagine it was like the apocalypse when the O’Neil family rackety-put-putted in their horseless carriage through our remote mountains.

The O’Neil family moved to Clay County in 1918. They bought a home adjoining the Hayesville High School property (Guy Padgett, History of Clay County, NC, 1976).

Dr. Sam practiced optometry in this area until his death in 1931. He left his wife and two children with only ten dollars and the home. Their daughter soon died of polio (Ibid).

Some members of the family wanted to dispose of Dr. Sam’s case of lenses. Fortunately, Ollie insisted they keep the treasure.

Now Bill O’Neil owns his grandfather’s case of lenses. He displayed it, family photos, and Dr. Sam’s prescription pads at the Kickoff Ceremony for the Clay County Sesquicentennial on Monday, February 21, 2011 at the Clay County Government Center.

This story is being reprinted from the "Clay County Progress."

THE STATE NURSE

The following poem is about Florence "Mac" Thompson who was a public health nurse in Clay County, NC for 40 years. This poem was displayed at a gala dedication ceremony for the University of North Carolina Hospitals for Women and Children in Chapel Hill, September 8, 2001.

THE STATE NURSE

For forty years Mac fought
polio, diphtheria, whooping cough,
all diseases that threatened
the health of mountaineers.

She worked to heal
the bleeding hillsides,
to feed the hungry,
comfort the brokenhearted.

She helped rid poverty
from the rural region.
She worked for power
to light dark homes,

and brought joy to sad
faces filled with pain.
She gave hope to patients
who gave up on life.

The state nurse traveled
muddy roads and forded
Shooting Creek to reach
sick, bedridden folks.

For forty years, Mac Thompson
touched the lives of people.
She cared for mountaineers
with a heartfelt love.
--Brenda Kay Ledford

DR. LEON R. STATON HIGHWAY DEDICATION

Dr. Leon Raphael Staton was a country doctor who practiced medicine in Clay County, NC almost four decades. He was a gentle, humble man who made house calls and delivered babies in their homes. He hardly charged anything, usually only a dollar. He gave free physicals to many students at Hayesville High School.

A highway dedication in his memory was held on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at the First Methodist Church in Hayesville, NC. The section of NC 69 from Cherry Road (State Road 1118) northward to US 64 in Clay County was named the Dr. Leon R. Staton Highway.

He was our family physician. When I was about 4 years old, I got the chicken pox. Daddy called Dr. Staton and he made a house call.

When Dr. Staton walked into the living room, I was lying on the couch with my doll. He knew I was a timid child.

"Is your doll sick, too? May I check her?" he asked.

He listened to the doll's heart with his stethoscope, took her pulse, and felt her forehead.

Then Dr. Staton asked if he could look at me. He asked me to stick out my tongue and say, "Augh." He knew how to make a shy child comfortable.

That was typical of the compassion he had for patients. We are fortunate he decided to practice medicine in our county.

Born in Hendersonville, NC, Dr. Staton attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received a medical degree at the University of Maryland. During his residency at Lynchburg Hospital in Virginia, he met and married Nancy Terrell, a registered nurse.

The couple had three children: Leon Terrell Staton, Patricia Staton Ledford, and Robert Howard (Butch) Staton.

Dr. Staton served in the United States Army Medical Corps five years. He also was camp doctor with the CCC's in Harriman, Tennessee.

He read in a magazine that Clay County planned to build a hospital. He and his family moved here in 1940. Although we never got a clinic in our county, the Statons loved the mountains and continued to live in Hayesville.

Dr. Staton served as advisor to the Clay County draft board free of charge. President John F. Kennedy awarded him a certificate for his twenty-five year's service.

Additionally, Dr. Staton served as Clay County Coroner from 1954 to his death in 1976.

It is fitting that the Dr. Leon R. Staton Highway was named for this dedicated physician.

Staton family and descendants, from left: Pat Staton Ledford, Kale Ledford, Terry Staton, Annette Staton, and Pam Staton.