Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Seven Devils

HISTORY OF SEVEN DEVILS Indian arrowheads can still be found in our windy saddle known as Alpine Meadows. We don’t know much about the original natives in this area, but we do know that on March 19, 1775, the government opened up all of the Grandfather Mountain lands for homesteading. This land became known as the Grandfather Community. The first known settler was Issac McClurd from Scotland, who originally settled in Lenoir, NC. There he received a grant for 2000 acres “at the head of the Watauga River”, which included our area. This occurred at approximately the same time that the famous Daniel Boone lived and hunted in Boone, NC. Records exist showing that several families lived on our mountain during the next 150 years and the land was primarily used for farming. According to local folk, the lower end of the mountain became known as Mast Mountain and it produced good cabbage, potatoes, and tobacco. In fact, the present Town Hall location was a cabbage and potato patch. The upper end of the mountain was known as Valley Creek including a section known as Buckeye Hollar. This area was mainly used for raising cattle. High above the meadows were the predominant geographical features of the mountain, Hanging Rock, Four Diamond Ridge, and Hawksbill Rock, which were named in the early 1800’s. Seven men on horseback braved an old wagon trail and observed these peaks one fortunate day in 1964. The four Reynolds brothers; Buck, Frank, Dan, and Herb, Ray Smith, George Hampton, and Gardner Gidley saw this magnificent mountain as something that should be shared by many. The L.A. Reynolds Industrial District of Winston-Salem, NC formed the Resort in 1965 and the founders were met with the challenge of naming the Resort. At this time there was a rumor about an old man on the mountain who had seven sons “as mean as the devil”. People were heard commenting that in the winter the mountain was “as cold as the devils” or “as windy as the devil”. The founders wanted a catchy, unique name that would bring attention to the mountain. They noticed the repeated appearance of the number seven, including the seven predominant rocky peaks surrounding Valley Creek, as well as the many coincidental references to ”devils”. “Seven Devils” seemed to suggest a frivolous, mischievous resort where people could “experience the temptation of Seven Devils”. The Resort flourished with a golf course, ski slope, lake, riding stables, campground, and more until it was sold in 1972. A year later the Resort was in financial trouble, which came to include a bankruptcy in 1976. During this period the Resort was kept going by the Resort Club, which was acting as a Property Owners Association. Mountain Realty Company of Greensboro, NC purchased the Resort and worked with the residents to have the Resort incorporated. This incorporation of the Town of Seven Devils on June 30, 1979 served to establish a firm economic base for the Resort. Growths accelerated between 1979 and 1986 and many improvements were made. ‘The Mountain Group’, headed by Robert Kent and Robert West, purchased the Resort from Chester Brown of Mountain Realty in 1980. Kent and West distributed the land among many individuals, which completed the transition from Resort to Resort Town. During this period the Town acknowledges that growth was inevitable and set forth to control its growth properly and retain its quaint resort character. Today the Town has many accomplishments to be proud of; financial independence and stability, Comprehensive Zoning and Land Use Plans and Regulations, Town Ordinances, successful Tax Collections, beautification programs, a remodeled Town Hall, a very successful Police and Fire Department, a hard working Public Works Department, Town vehicles and equipment to help with daily improvements. The Town is also in the process of improving the water system and road system. Seven Devils is a thriving community with lots of amenities to offer the citizens. The mountain was “colder than the seven devils” and those “devils” were my relatives! My GGGG-grandmother, LuSycnthia Jane Winters was their aunt. Their father was William “Billy” N. Winters (1817-1904) and their mother was Elizabeth “Eliza” Shell (1820-1903). Billy was LuSycnthia’s brother.  The seven “devils” were… John Daniel Wilburn Albert Tipton (married Belle _____________) William Martin W Carrick W Nelson or Nathaniel Their sisters were: Lily (married _____ Brookes) Mary Jane (married Andrew Jackson Franklin) Sarah Malinda Martha Harriett Charlotte “Lottie” Elizabeth This picture is of Martin W Winters and his family... In the 1700’s, some Winters boys were hung for the murder of an Indian. Lily’s daughter once chased the law with a shotgun in Claiborne County. William (maybe a descendent) shot and killed his wife in Tazewell, TN after some of his co-workers teased him that she was seeing another man, because they knew he had a temper. He spent life in prison. It is said that even federal marshalls would not go near where the Winters boys lived. William “Billy” was the son of John W. Winters of NC. John W. was the son of William Winter (born 1726 in Pennsylvania)

23 comments:

  1. I believe Sarah Winters married Samuel Arrowood.

    http://arrowoodpigeonsroostnc.blogspot.com/

    This is a website that starts with their son, Welzia.

    I believe this family is connected to my husband's family.

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    1. my family but my great grandfather shortened our name to Arwood

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  2. Winters, William A.
    Birth : ABT 1817 Carter Co, Tennessee
    Death : 1904 Carter County, Tennessee
    Gender: Male
    Parents:

    Father: Winters, John James
    Mother: Daniels, Nancy Jane

    Family:

    Marriage: ABT 1837 in Carter Co, Tennessee
    Spouse:

    Shell, Elizabeth
    Birth : ABT 1812 Carter Co, Tennessee
    Death : ABT 1907 Carter Co, Tennessee
    Gender: Female
    Parents:

    Father: Shell, Daniel L.
    Mother: Miller, Mary

    Children:

    Winters, Mary Jane
    Winters, Sarah Ellen
    Winters, John H.
    Winters, Daniel Wilbur
    Winters, Malinda
    Winters, Albert Tipton
    Winters, Martha A.
    Winters, William
    Birth : 15 OCT 1852 Carter County, Tennessee
    Death : 2 JUN 1935 Johnson County, Tennessee
    Gender: Male
    Winters, Martin W.
    Winters, Elizabeth Harriet
    Winters, Carrick W. Nelson
    Winters, Charlotte
    Winters, Nathanial

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  3. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~shellmiller/dat278.html#1

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  4. Arrowood, Samuel
    Birth : ABT 1834 North Carolina
    Death : UNKNOWN
    Gender: Male
    Family:

    Marriage: 21 APR 1859
    Spouse:

    Winters, Sarah Ellen
    Birth : 1840 Carter County, Tennessee
    Death : UNKNOWN
    Gender: Female
    Parents:

    Father: Winters, William A.
    Mother: Shell, Elizabeth

    Children:

    Arrowood, Wesley
    Arrowood, Mariah
    Birth : ABT 1861 Carter County, Tennessee
    Death : UNKNOWN
    Gender: Female
    Arrowood, William
    Arrowood, Samuel
    Birth : ABT 1864 Carter County, Tennessee
    Death : UNKNOWN
    Gender: Male
    Arrowood, Eliza
    Birth : ABT 1868 Carter County, Tennessee
    Death : UNKNOWN

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  5. I have pictures of the Winters/7 Devils grave marker if you want to see them... jlivingstonjr@gmail.com

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  6. I would love to have the photo of the grave marker.

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  7. Please send me the photos of the graves and any other information you have I am a descendent of the winters am I have be doing some genealogy and traced back to some thanks for your help beingdrovecrazy@yahoo.com any information a will be greatful

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  8. Please send me the photos of the graves and any other information you have I am a descendent of the winters am I have be doing some genealogy and traced back to some thanks for your help beingdrovecrazy@yahoo.com any information a will be greatful

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  9. Hello can you please email me the picture of the graves I am doing my family history and I am descendant of these winters and if you can send me with any information about them I would muchly be grateful beingdrovecrazy@yahoo.com

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  10. Hello can you please email me the picture of the graves I am doing my family history and I am descendant of these winters and if you can send me with any information about them I would muchly be grateful beingdrovecrazy@yahoo.com

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  11. Hello. I am a descendant of Mary Jane Winters and Andrew Franklin by way of their son James Isaiah Franklin who married Ellen Matilda Moxley of Wilkes County NC in 1902. Their son Arthur Leonard Franklin Sr. was my Grandfather. I am doing my genealogy on the Franklins, Winters, Moxley, and Hutchison. I never got to meet The Franklins due to my Grandmother divorcing Arthur in the 1930's and my father Arthur Leonard Jr never spoke of this side of his family. I would love anything you have. Pictures noting who Mary Jane and Andrew are would be awesome. Farm location and such would be great, I like looking things up on the map, it makes it real for me. Thanks chani_atrieadies@yahoo.com Chani

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  12. Does anyone know if the Winters of Hall county Georgia are related to the N.C. clan? I have searched for a long time for my Grandfather's history. He seems to have come out of no whre...no records of any kind except marriage record to my grandmother in 1881. We were told his mother was Indian and that his father left and never returned. His name was John M. winters,born 1863,died in 1909

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. Hello, my name is Jason Winters and I am a direct descendant of Martin Winters clan I was wondering if anyone had any photos or any info about the family tree and any military records of the seven devil's in the civil war

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    Replies
    1. My name is Molly L. Winters. I am a descendent of the Winters clan. James T. Winters was my grandfather. Sidney T. Winters, son of James and Sarah,wasà my father.

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  15. You can contact me at bigbearcon@gmail.com

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  16. Also I know that some of the family was or had written a book of the family tree if so I would like to purchase one you can reach me at the email above thanks.

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  17. I am a descendent of Billie and Elizabeth Winters. By James T. Winters.

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  18. I know that Clarence Winters has written a book. I also know that the Catawba County library in NC was given a copy. That’s all I know. I would like a copy as well

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