Blount and Beyond Online Magazine - Magazine - Page 128
Articles From the Past
Living in the Shadow of Rich Mountain:
David McClanahan's First Family By The Late Eddie McClanahan
Last article I wrote on Rich Mountain and my 3rd great grandfather David McClanahan I spoke of David
first coming to Blount County around 1800 from Jefferson County, Tennessee with probably his 2 brothers
James and Mathew. From 1800 till 1810 David most likely worked his farm and built a house and maybe a
barn and some out buildings. By 1810 David was around 35 years old and married Elizabeth Dellis his first
wife. David and Elizabeth had 3 children John, Samuel, and Martha Jane. Not sure which son was born first
but possibly John. All of David and Elizabeth's children were raised in sight of Rich Mountain but Samuel
was the only one known to stay in Tuckaleechee Cove and matter of fact is buried at Myers Cemetery there
in Townsend which Tuckaleechee Cove later became. John McClanahan grew up and married Mary Polly
Snider the daughter of Peter and Mary Montgomery Snider who were actually neighbors of the
McClanahans.
For some unknown reason just before the Civil War John McClanahan began buying his sibling's land that
was inherited by them at the death of their father David. After obtaining all the land he could he decided to
pack up all of his family married and unmarried and move to Texas. Perhaps a disturbance in the community
caused by the oncoming Civil War had caused John to move his family to a safer place. John and Mary Polly
had 10 children and today there is still many of John and Mary McClanahan's descendants still living in
Texas.
Only Samuel McClanahan of David and Elizabeth's children remained in Tuckaleechee Cove. Samuel
married Sarah Lane and had 7 children. Now Sarah had brought 2 sons John and James Madison Lane into
the marriage with Samuel. Being born out of wedlock they keep their mother9s maiden name of Lane. It was
Samuel's line that held the lonest length of time living near or on the Rich Mountain. With the passing of
Bill McClanahan, the great grandson of Samuel the last of the McClanahan property on Rich Mountain
sadly was sold this year. It was the cabin and land of Bill's grandparents William Henry and Callie Abbott
McClanahan William Henry McClanahan being the youngest child of Samuel McClanahan.
Now the last child of Samuel and Elizabeth Dellis McClanahan was a daughter named Martha Jane. It is
believed that Elizabeth probably died in childbirth with Martha Jane about 1815 or died shortly thereafter
and probably buried in an unmarked grave at Myers Cemetery, as David again married in 1818 to Mary
Polly Ingram.
Martha Jane grew up and married Philip Davis. Philip Davis was the son of Philip and Elizabeth Ferguson
Davis who had come to Tuckaleechee Cove from North Carolina. Now Philip who married Martha Jane had
been married several times before with one of his wives being Mary Law the daughter of Abraham Law and
Philip at the death of Abraham became executor Abraham Law's will. BTW Abraham Law is the only
known person buried at White Oak Sinks a beautiful place off of Schoolhouse Gap Trail.
It is not known what happen to Philip and Martha Jane other than they had 2 boys and perhaps. Philip had
some Melungeon blood in his line. Later you will see where another of David McClanahan's daughters this
one from his second marriage also married a James Lewis Davis who was the brother of Philip Davis. But
let that be for another story and time. All of these people in this story lived or had lived in the shadow of
Rich Mountain.