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- [S106] The Mountain Press, 24 Oct 2011.
Upland Chronicles: County poorhouse operated near site of hospital
by CARROLL McMAHAN
Sam Beb Sharp, a local musician street who often played his fiddle on the sidewalks in Sevierville, lived his last days in the Sevier County Poorhouse.
Tom Franklin (front row fourth from left) is pictured seated next to his wife, Rebecca, along with their 17 children. Tom followed his father as superintendent of the Sevier County Poorhouse.
Superintendent Joe Proffitt and his wife, Laura are pictured standing on the porch of the main building on the Sevier County Farm.
Did you ever notice the two cemeteries located a few yards north of Leconte Medical Center?
The graveyards, separated by a gravel driveway, are remnants of the colorful history associated with the property which has long played a prominent role in providing for the needs of Sevier County residents.
Left of the driveway is New Salem (sometimes called Pleasant View) Cemetery, the final resting place of several distinguished members of the local African-American community, including Isaac Dockery and many of his descendents.
The graves on the right comprise the Sevier County Cemetery, which was set aside as a place to bury Sevier County Farm residents without family to facilitate or pay for their burial. The cemetery consists of approximately 200 graves. Eighty-five are marked with field stones and only a few have tombstones with names and dates.
Even though early records are sketchy, oral tradition maintains the property was owned by the county for the purpose of operating the Sevier County Farm, commonly called the poorhouse, for more than a century before Cherokee Textile Mills relocated on the site in 1953.
1860 census records mention the county poorhouse as dwelling #628 with eight residents: a 96-year-old man, five women and two men under the age of 25.
In the days before Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, federal subsidized housing, homeless shelters and nursing homes, the county poorhouse was the only recourse for indigent families and individuals who were sick, elderly, orphaned, mentally handicapped or unable to provide for themselves physically or monetarily.
Many residents worked hard all of their lives but due to unfortunate circumstances had no alternative but live in the poorhouse.
One such occupant was Martha Yarnell Mellinger. Martha was the widow of Jasper Mellinger, who died in 1901 when he was caught in a bear trap set by hunters in the Smoky Mountains. When the hunters discovered Jasper caught in the trap and still alive, they beat him to death rather than taking a chance on being reported to the authorities for setting an illegal trap.
Jasper Mellinger’s remains were not found until several years later, and his wife was left destitute.
Martha Mellinger was known as Granny Mellinger by fellow residents and visitors. She lived in the poorhouse for a quarter of a century. Martha was buried in the cemetery on the property when she died in 1925.
Another inhabitant, Sam “Beb” Sharp, was born a slave in 1847 in the household of Capt. James Sharp of Boyd’s Creek and remained with the Sharp family long after he was freed. A skilled musician, Beb was well known for playing a fiddle on the sidewalks of downtown Sevierville and often entertained at local social gatherings.
After years of sleeping in barns, he lived the last years of his life in the poorhouse. His gravestone is one of very few in the old cemetery with an inscription. Although his surname was Sharp, the unpretentious marble headstone reads: Sam Beb October 25, 1926.
Occasionally, humorous incidents occurred at the poorhouse. One evening a resident named Charlie Christopher who was devoutly religious and suffered from a sleep disorder prayed aloud for a good night’s sleep.
Overhearing the humble plea to God and fully aware Charlie Christopher snored loud enough to shake the entire room, Sanford Allen jumped from his bed, picked up Mr. Christopher and manually carried him to the yard where he placed him on the grass exclaiming , “Now we can both get a good night’s rest.”
While the physical description of the county farm and house varies according to the time period, by 1920 a large white clapboard house with eight 24-by-24 rooms and a large kitchen. A large porch ran the length of the building where residents gathered on pleasant weather days to visit with each other and receive visitors. The farm consisted of 196 acres.
Beginning in 1897, Henry H. Franklin was superintendent of the poorhouse for 20 years. Along with his duties at the poor farm, he was elected constable of the 11th district and once served as deputy sheriff. Henry Franklin owned a farm of his own which was located on King’s Branch.
Richard Thomas “Tom” Franklin assumed the responsibly of superintendent when his father retired in 1917. He operated the facility until 1923. Tom Franklin and his wife, Rebecca Templin Franklin, were the parents of 17 children. Tom also worked as a lumberman for M.B. “Johnny Mac” McMahan.Joe H. Proffitt became superintendent when Tom Franklin decided to move to Missouri. Joe, along with his wife, Laura, and their six children operated the farm for a few years and was followed by David B. “Dave” Ownby. Along with his wife, Naomi, and their five children, Dave Ownby managed the farm until 1936.
John J. Sims and his wife, Kate Snapp Sims, who owned the adjoining farm, took over in 1936. During the 12 years the Sims family operated the farm several improvements were made. A phone and electricity were installed, running water was piped into the kitchen, and outhouses for the use of the residents were constructed. The Sims family also cleared and landscaped a large portion of the acreage.
During John Sims’ tenure, the county paid 30 cents per day to the superintendent to feed the residents. If a death occurred the remuneration was 20 dollars for their burial. Dr. A.W. Roberts was appointed by the county court to provide medical attention to the poorhouse residents. Often he sent his nurse, Helen Sharp, to make the rounds in his place.
Willie Clabo and his wife, Eva, who was a daughter of former superintendent Joe Proffitt, followed in 1948. One time while the Clabos were in running the farm, residents began missing personal belongings. Finally it reached a point where no one had enough clothes to wear or even a spoon to eat with. The Clabos conducted a room by room search for the articles, which were found in a trunk belonging to a new female arrival. The kleptomaniac had packed her trunk so full of stolen goods its heavy lid could barely close.
The final superintendent was Claude Ownby Sr., who was a son of another former superintendent, Dave Ownby. Along with his wife, Nina Lindsey Ownby, Claude Ownby Sr. oversaw the closing of the Sevier County Farm in 1953 and Cherokee Textile Mills constructed a new building.
Cherokee Textile Mills provided much needed employment opportunities for Sevier County residents. The Sevier County Hospital, which was renamed Fort Sanders-Sevier Medical Center and now the LeConte Medical Center, has made good use of the county‘s property that was once the Poor Farm.
Carroll McMahan is the special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage and past of Sevier County. If you have suggestions for future topics, would like to submit a column or have comments, please contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or email to cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or email to ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S112] Census, 1910.
Name Joseph H Proffitt
Event Type Census
Event Date 1910
Event Place Civil District 17, Sevier, Tennessee, United States
Gender Male
Age 26
Marital Status Married
Race White
Race (Original) White
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original) Head
Birth Year (Estimated) 1884
Birthplace Tennessee
Father's Birthplace Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace Tennessee
Sheet Letter A
Sheet Number 7
Household
Role
Sex
Age
Birthplace
Joseph H Proffitt Head M 26 Tennessee
Laura M Proffitt Wife F 30 North Carolina
Eva E Proffitt Daughter F 6 North Carolina
Eugene W Proffitt Son M 4 North Carolina
Henry E Proffitt Son M 2 North Carolina
Nettie Flynn Stepdaughter F 12 North Carolina
Nancy Proffitt Mother F 65 Tennessee
"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9THH-9ZQM?cc=1727033&wc=QZZH-4GR%3A133640301%2C135278201%2C134140201%2C1589089736 : 24 June 2017), Tennessee > Sevier > Civil District 17 > ED 153 > image 13 of 20; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
- [S78] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume I, 1930-1954, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 10 Jun 1940.
Proffitt, Joe Henry hus of Laura Bradley farmer b. Apr 25, 1883 Sev Co d. Jun 10, 1940 Sev Co R5 f. Henry Proffitt b. TN m. Nancy Evans b. Hamblen Co Middle Creek Cem Survivors: widow 3 sons Eugene Knox Henry Asheville NC Luther Sev Co 3 dau Mrs Bill Clabo Sev Co Mrs Neal Roland Asheville NC Miss Ina Mae Proffitt Sev Co 1 sis Mrs Jane Reagan Knoxv.
- [S87] Death Certificate.
Name Joe Henry Proffitt
Event Type Death
Event Date 10 Jun 1940
Event Place Sevier, Tennessee
Gender Male
Age 57
Birth Year (Estimated) 1883
Spouse's Name Laura Bradley
Father's Name Henry Proffitt
Mother's Name Nancy Evans
"Tennessee Death Records, 1914-1963," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D4WQ-QCT?cc=1417505&wc=34D9-YWL%3A1580585701 : 1 April 2015), 004184454 > image 2388 of 2857; State Library and Archives, Nashville.
- [S34] In the Shadow of the Smokies, Smoky Mountain Historical Society, (1993), 308.
- [S147] Find a Grave, (Memorial: 7153759).
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name J. H. Proffitt
Spouse's Name Nancy Evans
Event Date 27 Nov 1887
Event Place , Sevier, Tennessee
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