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Stanley Family

 

Jonathon Wesley Stanley, was born February 1, 1847 in Russell County, Virginia. He was the son of Lovel Stanley and Isabelle Louvina Wright. He married Sarah Carolina Reedy November 7, 1867 in Wise County.

Wedding Photo

His life history was recorded in 1931 by E. J. Sutherland .

"I was born February 1, 1847, I think, in the edge of Ramey Flats in the south of the mountain, now in Dickenson County, Virginia. My parents were Louvel and Isabel Louvina (Wright) Stanley. Mother was born in Yancey County, N. C. , January 6, 1828, and died April 6, 1926. She came to Virginia with her parents in 1833. Father was born in Franklin or Grayson County, Virginia, March 9, 1827, and died in Dickenson County, January 24, 1909. ....

When they married they settled about a mile from Grandpa Stanley's ( Louvel Stanley's father) in the south of the mountain. There were lots of wolves there then. The first time I remember being at Grandpa Stanley's I was very small. Father bought a farm at the south of Squirrel Camp from Uncle Aaron Wright. Brother Waites was born at Squirrel Camp. He's five years younger than me. He was born in april, 1852. Brother Larkin was born a year and ten months after me. I don't know where Sister Betty and my other brothers and sisters were born at the south of Squirrel Camp. My father and mother both died on Caney Ridge.

Our neighbors were few in the south of the mountain. They were Henry Senter, Joe Stanley, Bill Stanley, Larkin Stanley ( assumed brothers of Louvel Stanley) killed in time of war), George Reed, Alf Killen, Bob Killen(on Cane Creek). Our neights at Squirrel Camp were Sammy Rose, Jackie Johnson Johnny Green, Johnny Yates, and my grandparents.

There were no schools here then, except subscription schools. They were open about three months at a time. I went to school only two or three months, off and on. Old waste houses were used for school houses. Uncle Tom Wright taught most of them. He was my first teacher, out on the Big Ridge near where Brother Frank now lives. I went two weeks to Joe Phipps in Ramey Flats, my last schooling. It was just after the Civil War. We studied the speller and the reader. They had blab-school then. That is, everybody studied their lessons out loud in the school house. There were no dumb schools then.

We had no good roads then. The paths wer just hacked out of the weeks. The first wagon road in this section was on McClure. the way we came to where Clintwood is was down Holly Creek to Phil fleming's place, up Cranesnest River a little space, then up the hill east and out on Big Ridge near Brother Frank's. There was no road from Fremont to Clintwood, only a walking path. It follwed the brances. John Mack Rose lived on Camp Creek.

They said I took the first horse through there in 1866. No riding path there until after Clintwood was struck off. I helped make the first wagon road that way,worked on it 30 days. Man from 16 to 60 were required to work 10 days each year on the road nearest to them.

I used to find lots of flint arrowheads on the bottom of McClure. I once found a clay-pipe pot, with one side broken out. It had been molded out and burnt. My mother once had an Indian tomahawk. It was made of flint with a ring around near the top."

Jonathon and Sallie"s children were; Nancy Elizabeth Louvina Jane Stanley, Polly Anne Elmira Stanley, Bethany Lou Emaline Eve Stanley, Almedia Marina Rosabel Stanley, Alia Lobella Victoria Ellen Stanley, Cordella Sylvania Allifair Stanley Adkins, Sarah Katherine Sofronia Frances Stanley, William Joseph Larkin Stanley, Melinda Lavada Cordella Josephine Stanley, Edward Isaac Lovell Peter Stanley, Mary Magdalene Stanley, David Crockett Franklin Stanley.

Stanley Family Photo

Jonathon Wesley Stanley and Sarah Caroline Reedy Stanley and Descendants ca 1914

More Stanley Family

Stanley Marriages in Wise County,Va.

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