Carlton Reunion/Rockvale History THIS Saturday

Aug 28, 2017 at 04:57 pm by bryan


Carlton Reunion

The upcoming Labor Day weekend and the Carlton Family Reunion go hand-in-hand. It will be this coming Saturday, September 2, 2017, starting at 10:00AM in the Eagleville Community Center, 317 Old Highway 99, across from Eagleville School.

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Denise Carlton explained, "As always, the food is family style pot luck, everyone should bring a covered dish that feeds 4-6 people and a drink. If it is a family recipe, even better, bring a recipe card to share and put in the family cookbook. The gathering tradition starts at 10 a.m. for set up, 11 for genealogy, and we eat at midday and finishes when everyone leaves. The afternoon is open for sharing memories with each other or singing some old favorites. We continue to collect photos of as many past generations as possible, if you have any to share, bring them to be shared. It is a day to take new photos, let kids play with cousins, make new friends, and renew old relationships. Any branch of the Carlton family or those related are welcome."

During the lifetime of John Abner Carlton (left photo, born February 22, 1837) and since his death in 1911 when these gatherings began being called "Reunions" and the family continued to remember loved ones and share news. "Sara Burns Frizzell once shared she met her husband Ken, at our family reunion, when reunions were held at the old Rockvale School. During those times a big lunch was held for family and after spent with the community joining the family for an afternoon of gospel singing. I am told many marriages happened because of the gatherings", shared Denise Carltons.

"The first reunion I can remember attending as a child was held in Rockvale at my grandparents, B W and Pearl Carlton's house, across from the Rockvale Store", said Denise Carlton. "After that, is was hosted for twenty plus years by Elaine Covington Carlton near Concord. The reunion met in a few different locations until Joe Frank and Juanita Carlton hosted it at the Eagleville Community Center and it continues with a few other family members help".

The Carlton Family History: Carlton's have been known as fair skinned, blue eyed, usually blond and short to medium in stature, good natured, loyal, affectionate, involved in their communities and churches, and love to sing. Poems and articles have been written about the local families and each generation have served in public office. A common thread sees many generations of Carltons and the related families with many generations in different states have served; in the military, as preachers, as elected officials, as doctors, teachers, and talented musicians. Musical families married with the Carlton family known are the Frost Brothers Quartet and their many talented offspring. Robert Fisher Boyce, who married Cora Carlton, is known for his penning of the worldwide Christmas standard in gospel hymnals and widely recorded "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem".

The Carltons have a big extended family around the country related to brothers John and Richard Carlton who arrived in the country in 1720, from Scotland to Chester Pennsylvania and later migrating to North Carolina. Richard received land grants around 1740 in America for fighting in the King's Army. Richard was the father of 12 known children. After the Revolutionary War, several of his children stayed in North Carolina and some came to Tennessee. Two grandchildren, Benajah and Thomas Carlton relocated to Tennessee in the early 1800's. These two are the ancestor lines for the Carltons in Rutherford, Bedford, Williamson and others in Middle Tennessee and some that have relocated to other parts now of the US.

Benajah settled on land at the headwaters of the Overall Creek. This land has been identified as the current farm where Marie and Arnold Williams own on Windrow Road. Benajah's children were William, Blake, Kenion, Frances, Louisa, Nancy and Mary Ann and all were first generations Tennesseans.

William Carlton, the oldest born 1812, (John A.'s father), was sheriff in Bedford County, but was killed at age 49 when his horse was spooked. John A.'s mother, Emily Rucker (b 1815) was a descendant of Benjamin and Peter Rucker, her mother was Chloe Taylor. There are many shared cousins from these two early families and other family surnames that all arrived here early in Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Bedford counties.

John A. (b 1837) had one brother, Minos (or Milton) Benejah (b 1834) and one sister, Sarah Elizabeth (b 1842). His brother, Minos was a preacher and a Tennessee Walking Horse trainer following the Civil War. During his life, John A. was a Confederate soldier, Baptist circuit preacher, pastor of Mt Pleasant Baptist Church, farmer, Rutherford County Trustee and oversaw the reorganization of the County Farm or more commonly called "poor house." He established the Carlton Cemetery on corner of Jackson Ridge Rd and S. Windrow Rd, where he and his 3 wives and family members are buried. This is the land site he owned during the marriage to his first wife,Louisa Haynes. He moved to Rockvale Rd near Concord while married to his second wife, Loucinday Williams Kreuger.

John A. married three times and had 20 children and one step child. His wives were Lousia A. Haynes, Loucinday Williams and Julia Lamb. His 13 children with Louisa were William, Julia, Jim, Sallie, John A.M., Nannie, Emily Ellen, Louisa A., Maggie, Tom, Tennie, Josie, and Mary Etta. He had 7 children with Loucinday; they were Robert Lee, Cora, Nora, Samuel, Alf , Frank, and Bee Washington. Loucinday's first child was Mary Caroline Kreuger. John A married Julia later in life and they did not have children.

The children of John A. married into these families; Rutledge, Williams, Hale, Drye, Burns, Shoemaker, Walden, Scales, Holton, Bennett, Little, Boyce, Covington, White, Vaughn, Inglis and Simmons. John Abner Carlton had 150 grandchildren, each year the number of surnames related grows with marriages occur with the newer generations. This family lineage has been recorded in several local books.

For information on the reunion please contact Denise Carlton @ 615 604 0401 text or email carltondenise@gmail.com

Rockvale Store and Community History

Rockvale Store, drawing by Tim Davis

Early merchants of the Rockvale Store, built in 1884 and placed on the National register of historic places in 1995. The first merchant was Andrew Jackson, followed by L. R. Hutchinson, H.P. Johns, T.F. Holden, Blanton Williams and his father in law, William Washington Comer, T. P. "Doc" Burns, Dickie Williams (for 31 years) and the Paul and Helen Windrow for approximately 30 years. The store was sold to Whitney and Goodwin Stegall and they sold it to the Windrows.

Benajah Carlton's son, Kenion Carlton (1815-1880) lived on Snail Shell Cave Road and the first family cemetery is located on his old place. This is the burial location of many of the first two generations of Carltons. Kenion is noted in many legal documents for the area. This family line is married intothe Windrow family and was active in the Windrow Church and revivals. his descendant Officially, Rockvale community started as a mail drop point in 1869, when John N. Dykes, built his home on the Snail Shell Cave Rd. and set aside one room to be used as a post office drop. The US Post Office was officially established in 1872, with Minos Benajah, "Miney" Carlton named as postmaster. Postmaster listed at Rockvale were Minus B Carlton, 1872; John N Dykes, 1881; Thomas F Carlton, 1891; Thomas F Carlton, 1893; Lemuel Hutcherson, 1906; Andrew Jackson, 1909; Thomas F Carlton, 1919; Cecil Bowling, 1919; and Ruby Lee Gillespie Powers, 1953. The first rural route delivery experiment for Rutherford County was out of the Rockvale Store in the early part of 1901, with Minus B Carlton as the first rural carrier, 1901-1907. It was a success and more routes and distance was added shortly after.

Kenion Carlton's son, Francis Marion Carlton (1851- 1906) married Minerva Elizabeth Taylor, daughter of Benjamin and Eliza Branch Taylor. Frank received business training in St, Louis, Missouri and came back to Rutherford County. His house is still standing in Rockvale, near where he donated land for the original Rockvale Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the first Rockvale School. He is most known for having built the first business in Rockvale, known simply as the Rockvale Store, that started the Rockvale community business area. He carried on extensive farming operation on his and his wife's land. His wife "Miss Betty" continued on after him operating the farms and business, until their daughter, Mary Ann Carlton "Miss M. A." who married Clint Edward Yeargan took over and their son Frank Carlton Yeargan took over after that. Many people know the home place, store and residence rented with the store as the Frank Yeargan place from this family.

Rockvale Historical Society

The Rockvale Historical Society is looking for those interested in helping save the store. The plan is to restore the building and make it available for daily use by the community seniors and serve as a place for genealogies and collections and the society headquarters. RHS is accepting pledges of money, in kind materials and labor for this project to preserve and restore the Rockvale Store.

If interested in membership in the Rockvale Historical Society or helping preserve old Rockvale and its history, please contact Edith Windrow at 615 427 2017 or edwindrow@aol.com or Denise Carlton at 615 604 0401 or carltondenise@gmail.com

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