by Bruce Whitaker

Parts 1 and 2 were in the previous two issues. Below is the last section from George Aden Burgin’s “History of Broad River Township,” with dates, names and information that I have added in brackets. Text and punctuation have been left as in the original.

On the Hendersonville and Marion Road up Laurel Creek you come to the Rev. James Ivey Moffitt Place. [James I. Moffitt 1843–1921]. His wife [Nancy Elizabeth Murphy 1847–1932] was Albertus Murphy’s daughter. They had 8 children, five girls [Olive Antonette 1868–1898, Cora Nevada 1873–1933, Nancy Elizabeth 1877–1961, Gemma Alephair, 1881–1972, Ninney Gertrude 1882–1928] and three boys [Cicero Stuart 1866–1946, Ulysses Sherman 1870–1953 and James Fredrick 1885–1906]. Next is the J.M. Shuford old homeplace [James Monroe Shuford, 1831–1900, was a school teacher and also appointed postmaster of Fairview on April 21, 1873. His wife was Elizabeth Catherine Robb 1838–1911. Both are buried in Sharon Cemetery in Fairview]. They had five sons [James Edwin Shuford 1861–1931, Robert Eugene Shuford 1865–1924, Thomas Wayne Shuford 1871–1947, William Henry Shuford 1874–1961 and Carl Clyde Shuford 1877–1927] and one daughter [Minnie Mae Shuford 1868–1945.] He was a pioneer school teacher in this part of the country. I went to him when I was a small boy. In those days there was one teacher. The schools then only lasted three or four months. The teachers then only got $25.00 dollars a month.

On the Marion Road off to the right is Stone Mountain Church. The church was named after Stone Mountain. Stone Mountain joins Bald Mountain. Round Mountain … is cut off from Stone Mountain by a low gap. Columbus Nanny [Columbus M. Nanney 1857–1918] lived in that gap. His first wife was a Miss Panther [Eva Painter 1852–1932]. They had 8 children, 5 sons [Cyrus Cicero Nanney 1873–1941, John Irving Nanney 1875–1940, Jonathan Mills Nanney 1879–1945, Ransom C. Nanney 1881–1915 and William Logan Nanney 1888–1965] and three daughters [Martha Nanney 1876–1955, Mary Nanney 1884–1970 and Esther Nanney 1886–1942].

On the road toward Marion is the old home of Walter Solomon [Walter Watson Solomon/Salmon was born in Burke County, NC in 1828]. His wife was a Miss Smith [Amanda Smith 1828–March 1880]. They had three daughters [Caldonia Solomon, born August 20, 1855, married J.L. Grant, died on October 7, 1931; Esther Solomon 1856–April 1880; and Annie Elsie Solomon, February 11, 1859–May 15, 1915, who married Nathan Columbus Burgess 1862–1938] and two sons [John Peterson Solomon, September 11, 1860–September 7, 1931, who married Lula Tinley, and Walter D. Solomon 1862–?]. He was in the late Civil War. He was captured by the Yankees and taken to Camp Douglas New York [actually near Chicago] and died there [on March 14, 1864].

Through the next narrow you come to the Jim Bly Gilliam old home place [James Bly Gilliam 1839–1918]. He owned all that land in that opening. His first wife was Albertus Murphy’s daughter [Louisa Murphy 1843–April 1878. The census said she died of “newmoney fever”]. They had five sons [William Gilliam 1861–1921, who married Betty A. Phillips; Andrew Jackson Gilliam 1865–1956, who married Laura Brezet Allison 1869–1910 and then Lizzie Terry; Albertus B. Gilliam 1869–1880; Newton Alonzo Gilliam, May 16, 1872–May 11, 1959, who married Jennie Lister French 1896–1974; and Lunnie Gilliam, June 21, 1875, who married Sallie E. Nesbitt, August 6, 1877–December 20, 1955, who was the daughter of Andrew Mann Nesbitt and Nancy Drucilla Marlowe] and two daughters [Lilly Alice Gilliam, June 28, 1867–January 11, 1909, who married Thomas Jefferson Ownbey 1860–1914; and Francis Gilliam, August 1877–January 5, 1955, who married Tobias C. Hall]. His second wife was George Ledbetter’s daughter [Sara Adeline Ledbetter May 16, 1848–October 18, 1931]. They had four daughters [Nora Mae Gilliam January 6, 1882–March 9, 1953; Ida Gilliam, September 22, 1883–November 22, 1955, who married Ollen A. Davis 1878–1954; Hattie Pearl Gilliam, April 16, 1887–August 1977; and Eva Lena Gilliam 1889–1991] and one son [Virgil Lusk Gilliam, July 22, 1886–January 17, 1950, who married Eva Huntley 1888–1926 and then Linda Mae Huntley 1904–1984]. Next is the Eleck Hudgin’s [Alexander Hudgins, May 31, 1849–January 7, 1932] old home place. His wife was a Miss Fortune [Sousan Larcena Fortune 1832–1910]. She first married a Gilliam [Benjamin Franklin Gilliam. She was married next to M.H. Litte and then to Hudgins in 1868]. They had a son John Patillo Gilliam [April 15, 1858–January 2, 1898, who was actually Benjamin Gillam’s son]. Her husband died and she married Eleck Hudgins [Alexander]. They had one son Robey Hudgins [Robey Crayton Hudgins, March 5, 1870– January 1946, who married Madora D. Burgess 1873–1958.] John Patillo Gilliam married Dr Will Ledbetter’s daughter [Margaret Rebecca Ledbetter, February 27, 1865–Jan 1, 1931.] They had five sons [Benjamin H. Gilliam, January 13, 1890–July 19, 1976; William H. Gilliam Feb 1891–?; Samuel J. Gilliam, November, 29, 1893–May 8, 1918; Edward Hobart Gilliam, April 19, 1894– July 20, 1957; and John Littleton Gilliam, June 24, 1897–May 5, 1966] and three daughters [Winfred “Freddie” Gilliam, November 29, 1884–July 7, 1963, who married Alphonzo Burgin; Sallie Hettie “Suttie” Gilliam, March 16, 1886–August 18, 1977, who married Lewis Leander Fortune; and Ella French “Eller” Gilliam, March 20, 1888–March 7, 1946].

All the old settlers of Broad River who lived there 75 years ago except one or two have gone one way of all the earth to that undiscovered country from which no traveler has ever returned…