Indian Creek, the place where I was born, where I  spent my childhood, where most of my family and friends lived, the place of so many happy memories. Indian Creek is a tributary of the Pound River, it begins at a spring high on Indian Mountain, the Tennessee Divide, south of Pound in Wise County, Virginia, all streams on this side of the mountain flow eventually into the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois.
I have often thought that I should somehow preserve the memories of this wonderful place, thanks to the Internet this can be accomplished and shared with others. Any additional information or corrections would be most welcome.

Indian Creek

Branches of Indian Creek

In this part of the country we have our own way of saying things, therefore you will probably read many words and sayings that you haven't heard in years and maybe never. Such as how we identify our waterways, the first stage we call a stream, a stream runs into a branch, a branch runs into a creek, a creek into a river.

Map 1
Map 2

Tank Hollow - Known to us as Perry Hollow
Scott Robinson Hollow
Hash Hollow
Big Branch
Riley Branch - We refer to it as Birchfield.
Cavenger Hollow - Where my family lived.
Peak Hollow - George Riner Hollow.
Cox Hollow
Cane Branch
Store House Branch 
Barn Branch
Lick Branch - Gilliam Hollow.
Killen Hollow
Duck Camp Branch
Bold Camp Creek
Pound River

Log Houses

Jesse Hubbard  later sold to Daniel Riner
Benjamin Salyers later sold to Thomas Jefferson Addington
George Washington Perkey later belonged to his son Kenderick Perkey
Franklin Perkey later sold to Berry Collins
John Poindexter later sold to Duncan (Pute) Stallard
Alexander Hall later sold to Jerry Chase

Schools & School Teachers

Sawmills

Scott Robinson Sawmill
Denver Short Sawmill
Earlin Baker and Ivory Sturgill Sawmill
There were numerous sawmills that set up on Indian Creek, 
when the timber boundary they had under contract 
was completed they moved on.
One such portable sawmill belonged to 
my great-grandfather McDavid Bolling.

Lumberyards

Scott Robinson Mill
Lonnie Sturgill later Everette Gibson Lumber 
Denver Short and Son Lumber

Churches

Indian Creek Regular Baptist Church of Jesus Christ
Indian Creek Freewill Baptist
Short's Holiness Church
Indian Creek Old Regular Baptist
Harmony Chapel Presbyterian Church
Birchfield Church

Preachers

Elder Daniel Riner
Rev. Kenneth Short
Rev Kermit Deel
Rev. G.T. Francis
Rev. Willie Suggs

Quilting

The women of Indian Creek met every Wednesday at the Freewill Baptist Church to quilt. They did this to raise money to pay the expenses of the church. Each would bring a covered dish and a delicious dinner was enjoyed by everyone. I never learned to quilt but I tried to arrange my schedule to be there at lunch time. They were all wonderful cooks. 

Grocery Stores

Restaurants

Gene Tunnell Restaurant later Ida Gilliam Restaurant
Robos Drive In
Bucks Drive In
Indian Head Grill
Harold Boggs Restaurant
Blue Moon Café

Gasoline Stations

Glen Gibsons
Bud Hashs
Alvers Baker and Claiborne Freeman Station
Winifred Baker Garage
Elliott Clark Esso Station
Hosea Osborne Station
Winfred Baker’s Station later 
Harold Boggs and Earnest Dorton Gulf Station

Motels

Old Virginia Motel
Ida Tate’s Motel
Travelers Rest Motel

Television

The first television belonged to Chester and Icy Stapleton. 
They lived a short way up Birchfield.
Many people in the neighborhood would gather there to watch this wonderful invention. One time I remember was a boxing match
between Jersey Joe Walcott and someone I have forgotten. 
The house was full and overflowed onto the porch and the hillside. 
All the lights had to be turned off because  there was so much snow on the screen.  This caused quite a bit of excitement on Indian Creek.

Telephones

Bud and Mary Hash has the first telephone on Indian Creek, it was located in their grocery store. I remember during World War 11, my father would call and someone would come to our house with the message that a phone call has been received. My mother would rush to the store and she would call  the operator and she would call my daddy and connect the phone service. 
My family has a telephone installed after my daddy returned from World War 11.  He always kept a good automobile, when any of the women in the neighborhood were ready to go to Norton to the hospital to have their babies, they would send a family member to call ahead from our house and daddy would provide the transportation. Everyone called it “going on a Granny Run.”

Theaters

Cossie Mullins Jr. and later the Taylors from further down Indian Creek showed movies on Wednesday nights at Hash’s Store. 
You could see one movie and sometimes two movies, 
get a bag of popcorn for twenty-five cents.
Mullins Drive in Movie, This was built by Coney Mullins and 
his son Jim Ed Mullins, it was only in operation for a short time, later became a used car lot. This is where I went on my first “date” and Roger Bolling invited me to go to the drive in after Easter play practice at our church the Indian Creek Freewill Baptist Church. We didn’t go alone.  We had a car load, my brother Ronnie Clark, his brother Gary Bolling and my cousin Peggy Sue Adkins. This was in 1954. I cannot remember the title of the movie showing that night but that didn’t matter 
we enjoyed the chance to go.

Apple Houses

“Hop” Hopkins, his wife Mallee, their children were Ellis, Robert, Gloria, James and Delores built an Apple House and sold the apples they raised on their farm in the Hurricane section of Wise County. It is still in operation.

Burial Customs

I ask my great-aunt Bertie Adkins Freeman about burial customs.
This is what she told me.
When a person died the mirrors were covered or turned to the wall, the windows were opened, the clocks were stopped and clothing was not changed until the burial was over. The neighbors came in to “lay them out.” They washed the body, put their burying clothes on, rubbed their face and hands with camphor, placed coins on their eyes, tied a cloth under their chin and around their head. The men of the neighborhood dug the grave and made the casket, until it was finished  boards were placed between two chairs and the body was laid on it so it would remain straight. 

The family and friends would gather at the home of the deceased and “sit up” all night. The neighbor women would bring food to feed the family and those spending the night. Sometimes  a person would “stand up” for their loved one, that is they never sat down, this showed a deep devotion for the deceased.  A church service was usually held the night before the funeral. If there were flowers in bloom some would be gathered and placed on the casket, if not then greenery or a sprig from a house plant would be pinned to their clothes. 

Families Living on Indian Creek
1940 to 1955

Starting at the top of Indian Mountain following Route 23 North
Darrell Salyers
Johnny Martin Kilgore
Thurman and Violet Hall Wheatley
Banner Day
Ora Salyers
Willie and Cassie Turner
Sarah Perry
Carl and Mildred Freeman Willis
Earl and Bertha Cox Freeman
Fay and Helen Powers Freeman
Willie and Artha Freeman Kinder
Worley and Earthel Collins Mullins
Joe Carter
Clay and Nell Stapleton Collins
Harry and Mildred Peak Short
Russell and Edna Riner Hubbard
Hubert and Mildred Robinson Whitaker
Scott and Lillie Robinson
Susan and Leola Riner
Adam Hill
Vernard and Odra Stanley Collins
Oma and Ida Gibson
Patty and Cora hash Kilgore
Paul and Frankie Gibson
Glen and Gladys Hash Gibson
Willie and Sarah Riner Suggs
Johnny and Julia Smith Riner
Robert and Ruby Bailey Riner
Webster and Kate Bevins Riner
Otis and Susie Riner Cox
Conard and Mable Hubbard Bolling
Arthur Patton
Bud and Mary Hobson Hash
Fred and Leora Belcher Hash
Earl and Mae Hicks Adkins

Claiborne and Bertie Adkins Freeman
Clara Adkins Baker
Elliott and Violet Baker Clark
Stone Garage
T.J. and Dorothy Collins Williams
Baxter and Eura Hamilton Bolling
Arlin and Hazel Powers
William and Julia Stout Hamilton
Russell and Nell Robinson Williams
Earlin and Dora Lane Baker
Matthew Robinson
Lonnie and Edna Day Sturgill
Emory Phillips
Worley and Callie Stallard Dickenson
Denver and Myrtle Henry Short
Kenneth and Barbara Riner Short
Joe and Pauline Tunnell 
Minnie Dove
William and Ava Collins Dotson
Homer Dotson
Poley and Lucille Kiser Ison
Everette and Edna Gibson
Burton and Alice Day
Robert and Lillian Kinnish Williams
Fred and Oma Addington Brumitt
Charlie Card
Mr. Walters
Crete and Ina Wright
Eugene Alderson
Red VanHorn
James Clark
Scott West
Mr. Selvey
Dutch Buskell
Ralph and Buelah Huffman
Kermit and Mary Sue Long Deel
Everette and Gladys Lester Presley
Hop and Mallie Hopkins
Stella Bates
John and Tabitha Bolling Dotson
G. T. Francis
Jim Hamilton
Cardin Hensley later his mother Flora Hensley
Winfred and Ruth Gentry Baker later Lawrence and Ruby Bolling
Thurman and Nola Mullins

Newton and Muriel Baker Cantrell
Jim Ed Swindall
Willie and Josie Mullins
Leonard and Emma Barnette
Tommy Watts
Cecil Green
Johnny and Cora Baker Dotson
Dee and Margie Lambert Baker
James and Missouri Mullins Baker
Cora Meade
Gather Griffith
Guy and Frances Dotson Freeman
Grant and Lillian Slaughter Dotson
Swan amd Ada Boggs
Feirl and Vesta Hamilton Boggs
Oscar and Beulah Meade Sheppard
Chapman Family
Vernoy and Ilene Boggs
Bruce and Ada Mullins Meade
Willie and Rena Meade Dotson
Lloyd and Florence Mullins
Guy and Annetta Williams Mullins
Fred and Beulah Bolling Mullins
Ray and Ollie Killen Buchanan
Mrs. Goldie Craft
Blondie Craft Hurst Whatley
G.C. and Bertha Hale Boggs
Cotton Crawford Family
Joe and Muriel Sheppard
Jim and Janice Boggs Hamilton
 Jarvey and Viola Boggs
Alvin and Hettie Cantrell
Tollie Boggs
 B.O. Mullins Family
Gorman and Cora Dotson Roberson
Fitzhugh and Tottie Baker Cantrell
M.H. Coffey Family
Edward and Hazel Wright Boggs
J.B. and Oshie Davis
Hibberd and Muphis Isom

Scott Robinson and Hash Hollow
Melvin Perry Family
Cicero Kilgore Family
Bill Baugh Family
Fred Stallard Family
Ked and Winona Brummit Mullins Family
Hadley and Pauline Bolling Clark Family
William and Cosby Hash Kilgore Family
Berkley and Doris Brummitt Boggs Family
Denver and Mary Mullins Family
Otis and Essie Mullins Meade Family
Bob and Cindy Hash
Foster and Thelma Hash Bolling Family
Oscar and Verda Lee Adkins Carter
Carlos and Helen Baker Hash Family
Ed and Jackie Carter Sturgill Family
Mary Riner, widow of Jacob Riner
Leslie and Virginia Collins Addington Family
Cossie and Grace Addington Mullins
C L and Nina Counts Mullins Family
Irvin and Ora Addington Brummitt 
Aunt Lou Hensley Addington
Willard Addington
Everett and Viola Addington Bolling Family
Manuel and Mary Stidham Family
Vencil Collins Family
Arvil and Dewey Short Collins Family
Emory and Hasbie Collins Swanson Family
Hassel and Ruth Short Collins
Jezereal Collins
Olin Collins Family

Back to the main Indian Creek Road
Charlie Mullins
Aunt Malissa Peeks Moore

Birchfiled, Riley's Branch
Lacey and Romeda Hibbitts Collins
Dale and Lakie Boggs Holmes
Chester and Icy Stapleton
Ewell and Dixie Gilliam Gentry
Lewis and Virgie Hash Hayes
Alvero and Evelyn Johnson Hayes
Millard and Estelle Perry Mullins
Delbert and Lizzie Hollyfield
Mitchel and Cleo Hayes Bailey
Samuel and Lizzie McPeek Baker
Lester and Genola Keith Baker
Ben and Helen Horne Brown
Ambrose and Reabul Powers Hayes
John and Mag Hash Mullins Johnson
Brook and Sally Mullins Keith
Robert Hubbard Family

George Riner Hollow, Peeks Branch
Frank and Mima Hamilton Powers
Gertrude Powers
Aunt Missouri Powers
Lexie Hamilton Williams
Cornelius and Ruth Williams Horne
Robert and Liza Riner Robinson Mullins
Eddie and Lydia Sturgill Collins Boggs

Back to main road
Raney Maggard Kilgore
Dan and Nell Marshall Adkins

Cox Hollow
Alfred and Lester Collins Boggs
Ed and Ruth Cox Osborne Family
Laura Boggs Hollenbeck
Homer Boggs Family
Henderson Boggs
Wilburn Boggs
Aunt Malissa Adkins Cox
Virgil Cox Family
Melvin and Carrie Addington Cox
Aunt Tabitha Miller Addington
Wilburn and Edith Boggs Cox

Back to main road
Hosea and Dacie Little Osborne
Ray and Ollie Killen Buchanan Family

Indian Creek Articles & Files

Photos

I will be adding families and would welcome additions and corrections. First I will list families living on the main road and later the ones living in the hollows.

Nancy Clark Brown is the Special Focus Editor of The Appalachian Quarterly, published by the Wise County Historical Society

 Submitted by Nancy Clark Brown ©2001