I had not to this point ever spent any significant time at Appomattox. If you could only go to one Civil War site to get an understanding of the war, I would say spend no less than two days at Gettysburg. But if you want a better understanding of how the war ended and what the following days looked like, visit Appomattox.
Now the actual site name is Appomattox Courthouse. The nearby town of Appomattox was originally Appomattox Station where a separate battle occurred. Using the correct name reduces confusion but not entirely. When you refer to Appomattox Courthouse, it might be assumed that the surrender meetings and signature took place in the courthouse, but that would be incorrect. It was so named because the little town of just over 100 people included the county courthouse. The signing took place in parlor of a local house. Though I went over the property, history, write-ups, and people of the scene with decent thoroughness, I cannot quite say the same for my photographs. To see what I did manage to record, click on “Conciliatory Surrender“.
My friend emphasized the word “Forte” as he described the good properties of the product. The product was Garlic Forte to be exact. Now to you or me that may seem obvious, but it must not have been to him, because when I said, “That must be loud”, by which I meant intense, he didn’t catch my drift. I explained that forte means “loud” in music, like the opposite of piano. He replied, “I never knew that.” No big deal, because it is a trivia fact if you have not been trained in music. But it set me to thinking about the real meaning of the word, its origin in music and elsewhere.
The Fortepiano was invented by an Italian chap named Cristofori in 1698. (1) I knew from my own piano training as a boy that the pianoforte, or piano as it became to be known, was so named because it struck the keys with a hammer so that it could be played loud (forte) or soft (piano) whereas its precursor, the harpsichord, plucks the strings at a more or less constant volume.
But why would an herbal product be called “Forte”? The word more generally means “strong”. And to say, for example, that “Talking is his forte”, is frequently said as “Talking is his strong suit.” So, Garlic Forte is strong or concentrated or effective or odiferous garlic. Well, I guess you could soften things down a bit and use Garlic Piano, but someone might note that you are playing a Musical Joke. (2)
While we were in Johnson City, we looked at several houses to possibly buy. One was near to a place we used to live, so we drove up to see what the old home place looks like now. I’ve always heard it said that real estate is about three things: “Location, location, and location.” From the prices for homes, the huge size modern homes have become and the less than desirable locations of many of those homes, I doubt that is true for many people. But for my wife and I, it is huge. And this little house had location, being situated on a small inholding of private properties surrounded by TVA land and National Forest. It sits just below a gap in the mountain between two lakes, near the Appalachian Trail in fact. Click on Cardin Place to see the pictures of the old home place. I should take some more pictures of the surrounding mountains and lakes for a better indication of location. There are few places so beautiful to my heart. It was a place of peace and nature, wherein two of my children were born with good memories of life and work and even struggle.
My oldest brother and his wife decided to have a big family reunion of both sides of their family. They had planned to have it at their house where many years of Thanksgiving gatherings have occurred. Those gatherings had brought upwards of 30 people, but this one garnered replies of attendence from 70+, threatening to overwhelm their residential infrastructure. They had rented an event tent for the occasion, but that fell through. Their youngest son acquired permission for them to have it at their church. It was best that it happened that way. It was roomy and quite nice.
My wife and I headed out on Friday morning, going to a doctor’s appointment on the way to Knoxville. We met two of our sons and their families at Austin’s Steak and Homestyle Buffet in Knoxville for an early celebration of my wife’s birthday. What better gift than seeing six grandchildren, two sons, and two spouses. It was all you could eat and I was up to the task, filling 4 plates and concluding with two more partially filled.
The morning of the reunion, my wife got together with her four sisters. With me and two brother-in-laws, we had a mini-reunion. Seven of us went out for lunch at a Mexican restaurant, sitting outside under cover with pleasant breeze. It was so encouraging to hear my brother-in-law pray over the meal, not just for the food but for the physical and spiritual well-being of family members. After many years of atheism he came to Christ in his early 70’s. I was among many who prayed for him over the years. Keep praying for those loved ones. Importune God based on His grace to save those around you and be bold to share your life and the Gospel.
The big reunion started around 2 PM. People trickled in and children took up playing GaGa Ball. Including children, my count of attendees at the Francis-Whaley Family Reunion was 51. We met people, set-up, re-acquainted, caught up, played kickball, ate, ate some more, learned family history, reminisced, perused family histories and photos, talked some more, took down, and cleaned up. In one real sense, that’s all we did, but that doesn’t communicate the feelings and emotional connections that were made and strengthened which constitute family. It occurs to me that pictures, though better at conveying those connections, still fall short. I guess you just have to have been there. So, the next time it happens, come along. Concerning the pictures, you can see those at Francis-Whaley 2021.
During the kickball game, I was running to second base and trying to slide so I wouldn’t be put out. My oldest nephew scooped up the ball and smashed it into my face and close range. Impulse and heat of the moment he called it, but in a bit of rebound I’m reminding him that it was just a friendly family game of kickball. My niece reminded me that it couldn’t be a Francis family gathering without me getting hurt. Over those many years of Thanksgiving gatherings we would play touch football, and given my personality, I don’t really play half-heartedly, so her comment was justified. I guess my nephew is of the same tribe.
The Whaley family tree stretches back quite a ways, verifiable back to Charlemagne. So does the my mother’s family Shelton, though we are missing a few generations of making that connection to my family. Oh well, we are all connected to Noah and Adam. And more importantly my wife and I and our five children are part of the family of God. We will just keep praying for those grandchildren.
Our daughter and her family visited this weekend. I thought that we should plan at least one activity of interest. I remember meeting the CEO of the Hart Square Museum at my local climbing wall. She invited me to come see the Museum that her grandfather and grandmother put together over many decades. Since it was between my family members and myself, it would break up their trip a little and get us outside. I was concerned about our tour schedule time being at noon, because of the heat of June, but I was pleasantly surprised that 90% of the tour was in the woods under shade. The CEO met us in their brand new event facility that has been in the works for 5 years from fund raising to near completion. Already events are being scheduled there. I think that this new facility will be a big drawing card and help to fund the museum for many years into the future.
It pretty well dazzles the moment you enter the hall, and there is a kitchen, bathrooms, and dressing rooms in one wing and offices and conference rooms in the other wing. Here you see a birthday party being set up.
The young and energetic CEO passed us off to the young, talkative, and knowledgeable tour guide. He has lived on the premises as son to the caretaker for ten years and has been involved in deconstructing, moving, and reassembling several of the historic structures as well as repairing and upgrading others constantly. Here he is (on the right) in an upstairs bedroom of one of the larger log cabins describing the set-up to my son-in-law. Very few of the pieces of furniture were original with the cabins they are in, but they are all very much period pieces.
Our tour guide (from here on XS) said that there are now 103 and historic log structures on site, approximately 80 of which were log cabin homes. The structures range in construction date from 1792 to the 1870’s (the latter number being an observation of mine and not definite). Most were bought by the late Dr. Hart. XS said the property was originally intended to be a personal preserve for the good doctor but shifted purpose when a friend suggested a log cabin be purchased and moved to the edge of the pond and then a barn. Two of the most fascinating and used structures are the log churches. You might well imagine that some couples would want to be married in these rustic and romantic houses of worship.
The old 19 century pump organ is functional and used in weddings and gatherings.
With a tour guide along and care taken, this is largely a hands on museum. My son-in-law and two grandchildren confirmed that the organ worked. I ran up the scale, impressed with good sound. I only found one white note that had a reduced, though in tune, sound, I suspect because of a dirty or jammed stop.
The people that I met at the museum are not shy about their faith, so it made the whole presentation seem all the more real. Amazingly this structure was an apartment with siding on it when Dr. Hart found it. It cleaned up quite nicely, as we say.
The other church is smaller and has a circuit rider’s portable pump organ that could be folded and strapped behind the saddle of the traveling preacher. My grand-daughter pretends to be the organist on this day. I found an old hymnbook on the podium and began leafing though it. I think myself somewhat knowledgeable in Christian hymnody, but I had gone 50 hymns before I found one I knew. I sang the first verse. It seems an apt response to being in a structure constructed and dedicated to the worship of God.
XS says this is perhaps the best view on the site and a drawing point for small weddings.
I didn’t think to ask at the time, but I wonder if this glass above the window was original. It doesn’t seem likely to me since a “St. Mark” glass should be grouped with the other three Gospel glasses.
The cabins, many and varied, are furnished in even more varied ways. Some, to be sure, are furnished as the homes they originally were and similarly to their actual use according to interviews with former occupants. But others were furnished as workshops and businesses which they were not. This increases the interest in their contents and plays into the one day reenacting festival every Fall.
Most, the following one not included, had original rock chimneys along with the mostly original logs and timber.
This one was decorated as if Christmas was soon to arrive.
The cookstove was impressive.
Except for the cobwebs, which XS says they are constantly clearing, the cabins are furnished to appear occupied in the present.
Given the number of bedrooms, however, I can assure you that this pantry should be better stocked. Check out the blue Mason jars with the zinc lids.
If you included the four poster at right, this bedroom alone could have housed seven youngin’s. It was adjacent to another room with two double beds.
There are also several modern, old design structures on site like this covered bridge…
…and cotton press for making bales. The cotton gin in the barn like structure is one of only two period gins in the country that is still functioning.
There is also a functioning grist mill fed by one of the ponds.
My family members loved combing every inch of what we had time for and asking many questions. Sometimes I think XS was talking as much to himself as to us. He had plenty to say and good, interesting information, too.
I observed that a modern leather belt replacement might be quite expensive and XS added, less durable.
My grandson is positioned just right to be grabbed up by the millstone hoist.
The passage between living quarters and the kitchen is called a dogtrot. The design helped with heat management by avoiding the heat of the kitchen in summer and providing a shady, breezy passage. I think a quick way to get out of the rain without tracking mud into the house would be nice, too.
There are clay and brick ovens and kilns here and there for the festival reenactors to make anything from bread to pottery, pewter, and more.
Can you guess what we saw inside of this cabin?
Bear on the wall, buffalo on the bed, and deer on the foot board, I’m told.
The large, iron rich, mica schist blocks on this chimney were fascinating.
The Holstein hide bed coverlet drew my attention as well.
There were museum pieces at every turn. You should see what was inside the shed.
There is a centrally located picnic pavilion where my grandchildren were attempting to call up anyone with ears to hear.
My son-in-law caught a little wildlife for his daughter to play with.
There is not enough time to go into all 103 structures on a given tour, but you may request that anyone be opened to inspect. I was interested in the pottery cabin. It was full of labeled historic pots. Some were from a well known local potter and his business from the 19th century. This was definitely a no touch zone.
My daughter observed that the Indian glazes had a more smooth appearance and I would add a more matte finish as well.
The last cabin that we went into was furnished as a doctor’s abode. It had matching horn “silverware” and a grand Lazy Susan at table.
I had a few more pictures, but I seem to have arrived at the limit of the blog entry. That is fine, because you need to go see for yourself. Even with every picture I took, you would not have seen the half of it. Go check it out. They seem quite flexible in scheduling tours and there is some real history hear. Or plan an event there. Yes, I’m advertising, but not because I get anything out of it other than the satisfaction of knowing that I pointed some people to a profitable tour for mind and body and helped out a worthy museum. Check out their tours at Hart Square | A Common Past, Uncommonly Preserved. It is located just south of Hickory, NC, near Vale, NC. I was going to add a map, but I have maxed out the storage, evidently. You’re smart, so check it out and go see it this summer.
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