When we went into this area in 1927, there was only a trail through the woods from the South Gap to the top of the divide, impassable by car or truck most of the year. It followed near the stream, flat and swampy, being changed from time to time, to avoid bad places. There were no houses, no fences and no clearings. It had for a long time been known as the wilderness and became more so as time went on because roads bypasses it. The early settlers around Hollybrook and east of there though so little of it that they name the stream running up towards the divide "No Business". It still bears that name.
In the early 1800, Wesendock, a political refugee from Germany, bought a large tract of land on No Business about 3 miles up stream from Hollybrook, a very beautiful and rich spot at the forks, cleared land, built a fine home using slaves and others. Tradition has it that both he and his mother who lived with him, were queer but probable this was due to their being aloof and very industrious and meticulous in the conduct of their business. They bought wealth with them and no doubt had little in common with their Scottish and Irish neighbors. After they died, heirs sold the property and moved eastward to White Gate. They would have had good furniture, well designed and well crafted.
Wesendock’s chapel was built on their land and is still in use. The chest was found about 3 miles from here.
The wilderness, having only in recent years, a passable road, was an Indian trail, long unknown to white man, which made it possible for the Shawnees from Ohio, to raid the early settlements in Southwest, Virginia and escape without capture with their prisoners and loot. Consider and picture in your mind, the early trails and roads in this country, even up to with my recollection. They were not fenced, graded and paved affairs. They followed game trails, some no more than a path, others broad where the buffalo had traveled. With no fences, the animals strayed for food (they ate as they traveled) and searching for easier routes. So a trail was not just one path but many (except in mountain gaps used solely for travel), all heading in the same direction but in many places, like the wide top of the Blue Ridge near Christianburg and Radford, spread out over such a large area, that men and animals might pass without seeing each other. All of our early roads and railroad followed these original game trails, later Indian trails, making minor changes by using tunnels and bridges. From Fort Landau to east of Roanoke, the Lee Highway and Southern Railroad follow an old buffalo and Indian trail that no one could get lost on unless they turned off along this trail like all others, there were many trails leading in and off. Some would merge again with the main trail in a short or long distance. Others would lead off to another section of the county, which to take or not take would have to be decided quickly, several times during a days travel. There were no written signs that we have today. As a young engineer, I spent most of my time working and walking in the undeveloped areas, which trail to take was a decision generally left to me, observation and imagination had much to do with it. By observing, you know what, who and how many had traveled ahead of you and you could imagine where such a group was going and by observing know whether they were indecisive about their directions.
Made a wrong turn once that I still don’t comprehend. Had gotten off the train at Pardee, Virginia, one Christmas, headed for Whitesburg to see Lake. It was 4 PM and wanted to get past a particularly rough and dangerous spot near the top of Pine Mountain before hard dark. I climbed Black Mountain and had easing going down Franks Creek to the Poor Fork River. Headed up the easy side of the Pine Mountain, taking all the short cuts, drifted along the doublings to the Gap where the present road goes through just as it was getting dark. Could see well enough to get by the rocky ledge with about 500 feet drop off. Was always concerned about falling and breaking a leg when traveling by myself in the mountain especially in he winter ant at night. Being on the west side of the mountain, dark dropped down. About a mile down the trail forked but I didn’t see it. Either too relaxed or anticipating seeing Lake shortly, found myself on Little Cowan Creek which I should have crossed miles upstream. Hollered out a man who told me it was 3 miles downstream to an old road across Cowan Ridge to Whitesburg. Walked and walked and hollered out another man who said it was 3 miles downstream to the road. After the 3rd man told me, it was 3 miles further down, I decided someone was either ignorant or lying. Found it about a half mile. To this day, still don’t ask anyone how far or which way. Despite a bug near blinding me going down Cowan Ridge, it wasn’t long till I was hugging Lake. It was a 18 miles walk by the main trail but a wrong turn made it longer and if I hadn’t found the old road across Cowan Ridge, would have wound up way down Kentucky River.
Heinrich Adam Harmon (Herrman) having left Germany in 1726 or 1727. In 1745 arrived at the tope of Blue Ridge near Cambria or Christianburg, traveling along the well know Cherokee Trail. Four other families other than his own were with him. Here the trail was broad roughing along the broad mountain top and a wrong turn could easily be taken but the light of historical studies, it appears that some one or several people in the group had previously explored this area and was aware of the King’s Goots and the Colonial government recognition of the Cherokee nation as a friendly government and would not encourage at that time encroachment on their territory. With one exception, the Watuga Settlement, not other pioneers showed respect for the rights on the Cherokees. Adam Harman and his party turned northward along the broad top of the mountain towards Blacksburg. Adam pushed on to Gunpowder Springs (Eggleston) on New River. This was rough country with game trails, seldom used by Indians. No Indian tribes laid claims upon the lands of New River.
New River, rising in North Carolina, until ages ago flowed across the Blue Ridge into the Roanoke Valley, but now turns abruptly at Radford, Virginia and has cut a might gorge through the mountains on its journey to the Ohio. At Narrows, below Eggleston, it is only wide as the river, with railroads and road dug into the steep, solid rock walls of the gorge. To dodge this and other obstacles, the main trail crossed the river and went up Wolfe Creek, into the present Bland County, Rocky Gap, through up Clear Fork and into Southwest Virginia. The Shawnee raiding parties from Ohio sometimes used this train but if closely pursued would go through the Narrows and turn west to the head of Tug (sp?) Fork. Many of the pioneers into Southwest Virginia traveled the trail by Adam Harman and up Wolfe Creek but could not have moved over this route any pieces of very heavy furniture.
Adam and his sons soon learned about Big and Little Walker Creek and Kimberling Creek. From their home, they could go up Big Walker hunting in comparative safety; one son, Henry, received a grant on Kimberling and moved to Holleybrook. By this time, he must have learned of a secret Indian trail though this area, often used by the Shawnees. Going back to the Cherokee trail near Dublin where it consisted of many trails running more or less parallel over a width of many miles. Here gradually heading up to south side of Clayd’s (sp?) Mountain were trails which if followed northward led into a gap which the present road goes through. Leading downward is a ridge which suddenly butts off some 200 feet above the head of a hallow, which leads down to Big Walker Creek. From this point, through an amazing succession of water gaps, the trail leads downstream through a gap, turned sharply left and west on easy grades to Kimberling Creek, turn sharply right and north through a gap, up 3 miles to Holleybrook, thence up to the Divide and through the wilderness to the South Gap, then downstream with Wolfe Creek, through a gap to Rocky Gap, then abruptly turning up Clear Fork and into Southwest Virginia. Using this route, the entire system of the Appalachian Mountains could be crossed without climbing any mountain except Clayd’s Mountain near Dublin. The wilderness due to boggy soil, was perhaps the worst part of the trip for any except foot traffic. There is no record of its having been used as a through route, although the best natural route in the world. Much of the area, even up to 30 years ago, remain isolated and is only reached now by using secondary roads. It appears that it is only remotely possible that the chest of drawers was left at the Divide by someone moving from Eastern Virginia to the West and all facts seem to point it’s origin as being within the present Bland County and being left by the owners as they began a trip westward.
Some of the early Harmans moved westward into Tozewell County but that was before furniture was considered necessary or desired other than a few things carried on horse’s back. Tozewell was also close enough that any desirable piece of furniture would have been gotten later. It had to be some one who was traveling a considerable distance in wagons.
I found three families who appear to fit the necessary requirements of ownership and who would likely have left a chest where found. They are David Byrns, his son, Dr. John W. Byrns and L. D. Dunbar families who moved from Bland County in the 1850’s and settled at Tacoma and Clintwood, Virginia. The Dunbars hauled the plaster for their new home below Holleybrook from Richmond, Virginia and would have at some time gotten brought furniture. This furniture would have been taken later to Holly Creek and anything left would have been an older furniture and not left on the road as they had 2 or more wagons and several horses. If one wagon got stuck, other horses would be hitched in to pull it out. David Byrns moved first and apparently with only a single team and since he was going to establish a new home would have carried many farming tools which have carried many farming tools which were necessary. He would have unloaded and left any heavy furniture when and if he got into difficulties moving it. But David Byrns had been over this route, perhaps many times and at least once when he expected to move over it to Tacoma and being a mature man of good judgment, it is most likely that he began the trip with any excess baggage. He was a surveyor of considerable skill and a Methodist preacher for whom the Byrns’ chapel at Mechanicsburg was named. This would indicate a man of skills and well established in his country. He is an hardheaded Irish man insisting spelling his name Byrns, and moving in his middle years from a comfortable county into a wilderness a wilderness. Adventurous too because it meant beginning news from scratch, building first a small cabin and later expanding. It is not likely that he left the chest in the wilderness.
The Dunbar family (Sarah Jane Byrns) moved in 1857 and spent the winter with Sarah Jane’s father, David Byrns, at Tacoma. Their trip was well planned and they would have taken good furniture from their comparatively new home. They even took their carpets, the first in Dickenson County. It is not likely that they left anything along the way.
Back to the chest itself. The ends or sides are made of one piece of the butts of a large old walnut, found only in Virginia Country. Many of these trees grew along Big and Little Walker Creeks. The mortising is very skillfully done and is the work of a very meticulous person. The decoration is simple and yet artful and unusual. The design on the font of the two top drawers may represent Shamrocks. Originally made as piece of furniture, it was long used as a sage for valuables, indicating by lock mortise and keyholes. The half inch of wood worn off and now replace in the top of the two top drawers indicated steady and constant use over a number of years. The original knobs would have been wood and also the top covering, the present poplar one. In moving it in a wagon over rough roads, the wood knobs would have been removed. The iron pulls were probably put on about 1880. The chest has had several owners as well as different usage. The drawer, although of walnut are not the same as the ends and were probably made a later date.
Based on years of studying this section of the country, its people and early American history of the area, this is my conclusions about the chest of drawers. The ends, top and original framework was done about 1800 at Mechanicsburg, Bland County, Virginia, probably by some millwright engaged in building a mill store or house and later moved on as the custom of his trade. It shortly thereafter came into the possession of David Byrns, Methodist preacher, farmer, surveyor and with knowledge of land laws and patents. He also was most likely to have been the person in the community who would have given medical aid when needed. This would have consisted of setting broken bones, removing foreign objects from the body of mean and beast, recommending herbs and generally first aid. To do his work required tools and records which were kept in a safe and secure place such as this chest. Either he or some one in his employ made the drawers, decorated the front and installed locks. After some 30 or 40 years, David Byrns secure in his position in the community - Byrns Chapel named after him, three daughters married to leading landowners - heard the wild geese calling and prepared to move westward into new country. In the meantime, his son, John had learned about doctoring and was to follow his father and become Dr. John Byrns in the yet then formed county of Wise, Virginia. The chest would have become his property. When Dr. John Byrns left Bland County, he would have started with the chest. About 2 miles east of the Divide and the Kimberling road was the last house of any consequence nearby. In the 1930’s, it showed signs of much better days of long ago. For some reason, probably an over loaded wagon or sick horse, the chest was left here. Perhaps it was an exchange for an horse or help in getting through the wilderness.
Here is stayed some 40 0r 50 more years and had a good home as evidenced by the cast iron pulls installed during this time. Then the property and its owners succumbed to the decay that effected so many in the south during the late 19th century. Both became rather forlorn and hopeless. Like most old furniture of that time the chest become something to he ashamed of since it represent a past that had hailed and was an object to be hid in the barn loft or traded for a sack of grain or gallon of licker. Being sturdy, it withstood the treatment of moonshiners and farmers in a small area, being traded back and forth like an old plow, until we found it. Am glad we did.
These conclusions are not just pure fabrications. They came for the knowledge gained 30 or 40 years, studying many things, talking to many people, traveling by foot, trains and cars over many miles, looking into many dark and filthy corners and always wanting to know why, when and how.
I did not set out to prove a theory because I had none, but the facts were put down on paper, the conclusions came as a logical consequence, although I have the highest respect for Reverend David Byrns and his son, Dr. John, this was not written to glorified them. To do this properly would required much research and talent too. I am most grateful to learn that such an interesting and courageous man as David Byrns was one of the forebears of our children and their children. Some part of him may appear in some of them. As also may some of the Adam Harman (Herrman) mentioned here, although he is 3 generations further removed. As admirable as it is, can not appreciate properly. The determined, single mindness of the German Harmans, as much as the talent and imagination of the Irish Byrns. The Byrns put a little spice into their living.
The chest of drawers came into our possession about 1930. I found it in a shed at the top of the Divide in the wilderness, being used as a storage bin for bolts, nuts and odds and ends. The moonshiner and farmer to whom it belonged, attached no value to it and knew nothing apparently of hits history and cared less. He was considered one of the more substantial of the moonshiners in the area. They all were moonshiners with one or two exceptions; but his house on the divide, the last one on the east and the first on to be reached from the Wolfe Creek side, was a shack like the others, all with a minimum of furniture. Although, the back was gone and generally ill used and dirty, it was in the most unlikely place for what had been a piece of good furniture. It’s being there can only be attributed to an accident or very unusual circumstances.
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