In Big Stone Gap I met up with brothers Rick and Dave to explore our grandmother’s ancestors – The Hortons. They are buried at different cemeteries in the area.
G-3 Thomas Horton
First stop was G-3 Thomas Horton in the Miles-Craft cemetary. The cemetery was on a hillside near the Clinch River northwest of Gate City. It took us a while to figure out how to get to it but when we did we found a reasonably well kept cemetery with a new looking chain link fence.
He was the first Horton born in the area after his father, John Horton, moved to the area following the Revolutionary War. He is buried next to his second wife Martha Catherine Stewart. There was a fantanstic vieew of the countryside from the cemetery.
Harlan County Kentucky
Next stop was Coxton Kentucky. This is where Dad was born in 1929 while his father was working on the nearby coal mine. It’s nearby the town of Harlan which has gained notoriety over the years.
Mining in this area got a big push towards the end of the 1800s. Promoters claimed it was the next Pittsburg as the easy to mine coal was extracted and sent to the steel mills in the north. The mine workers sought to organize so the mine operators brought in immigrants (like my mother’s parents) to work the black seam. It didn’t go well and at one point several men were killed as the tension escalated.
In more recent times the demand for coal dropped significantly in the later part of the 1900s. People left the areas, quite often in ruins as we saw later driving home through Lynch Kentucky. Coxton was hit hard. They finally lost their post office and the unincorporated area’s most recent census showed about 250 people living there.
We drove around the area while the locals sat on their porch and glared at us. At least they didn’t shoot. Crime in rampant in the area after the opioid epidemic that swept through the area this century. It was pretty bleak looking. I found a blog on Tall Tales From Capt Rogue site that has the best information I could find on the area.
We headed back to Big Stone Gap along Highway 160. This went through the heart of coal’s heyday as exhibited in the town of Lynch. At one point in the early 1900s this town has a population over 10,000 working the mines. Large buildings for the mining operation and town were built. After the Second World War the demand for steel started to drop and the operations slowly wound down. The mine owners (steel companies) started demolishing builds and in 1963 the town was incorporated as production ceased. The infrastructure was turned over to the residents to own and manage. A good article on the town can be found on the website Abandoned Places.
We left Lynch as wound down the Trail of the Lonesome Pine into Big Stone Gap. This was a roller coasted ride of switchbacks (gracefully managed by driver Brother Dave!) that wound down into Big Stone Gap. We caught some beautiful scenery including a huge area that had been strip mined. Lots of that in this area.
We had some big fun that afternoon swapping our tall tales over some brews and bongs (herb is legal in Virginia, but you can’t buy it or sell it – huh?). The next morning, we loaded up for the final leg of the tour in the Gate City area.
Gate City
My grandmother was raised here and retired with my grandfather here in the late 1950s. We reminisced about how little we knew about her relatives when we were growing up. After her parents died, Sarah was raised by Grand Uncle Nelson Horton. He was only 10 years older than her father, Lucien. Nelson was from a second marriage of Rev. Thomas Horton, who had a total of 14 children from 1821 to 1871. We always thought she might have been an only child!
G-2 William Patton Horton
Our first stop was near the intersection called Moccasin Junction. G-2 William Patton Horton is buried here with his wife, my G-2 Eleanor Marie Ewing. The name of the cemetery bears the Ewing name. Dave dug up a great, current website of Clan Ewing of Scotland with a reference to their marriage. Located less than 10 miles east of Gate City, the cemetery was located on a hill and was reasonably kept up. Another beautiful view of the countryside.
William had the distinction of serving as a first lieutenant in the Civil War. Fortunately for us all, he survived! He was also listed as a farmer and merchant. He fathered six children, including my great-grandfather Lucien Beauregard Horton.
G-1 Lucien Beauregard Horton
Next was G-1 Lucien Beauregard Horton’s grave and that of G-1 Mary E. Ison. We saw her family name on numerous other markers in the cemetery. It was located in the town of Gate City itself and was by far the largest of the three.
Lucien, a doctor, we believe was educated by a Civil War veteran whose father Lucien had served alongside. His obituary, extensive and reflecting his Christian faith and compassionate nature towards those in need, highlights his early demise. Interestingly, my grandmother was taken in by one of his uncles and, at one point, listed as a daughter, leading me to believe she might have been adopted.
Our Grandparents
We left the cemetery and headed for our grandparents’ house. Located west of town, we visited here many times while growing up. Behind their house was a small Catholic Church that my grandfather attended. He donated an organ to the church sometime after his retirement.
To our surprise, we got to meet both the current owner of the house and Father Tim at the church! We had a great time learning about what happened after they passed.
They also mentioned an old restaurant, Hob Nob, that we frequented while visiting. We had such a good time there, and the memories resurfaced. It was always a highlight of our visit!
Our final stop was Holston View Cemetery, where my grandparents, Edward Bernard Tubridy and Sarah Ellen Horton, are buried. Jake and I visited their grave site in 2017, which was a good thing because I remembered their location on the vast cemetery grounds. Unfortunately, there was a fire, and some of their records were destroyed.
They have a great view as did most of the cemeteries we visited.
We parted ways there, and my brothers headed back to the ranch in North Carolina. Jake and I headed back to Big Stone Gap for our last night before joining them.