Michael Stephen Peters Sr.’s Followers (2)

Michael Stephen Peters Sr.

Born

The United States

While growing up in East Tennessee and Northern Indiana, I listened to my mother (Texie Beatrice Calhoun Peters) tell about living as a young girl in Avery County, North Carolina. I remember her talking about her grandpa Barney Calhoun and how as a child she would sit on his lap and comb his long white beard. She related on how it could get bitter cold in the winter. The snow would always be deep and would sometimes cover a nine railed fence. She told how her family left Avery County around 1918 or 1920 and moved across the mountains to Carter County, Tennessee near Shell Creek. Grandpa Calhoun went first and the family followed in a covered wagon. I always wanted to know more about the Calhouns – were they came from, when and why they sett While growing up in East Tennessee and Northern Indiana, I listened to my mother (Texie Beatrice Calhoun Peters) tell about living as a young girl in Avery County, North Carolina. I remember her talking about her grandpa Barney Calhoun and how as a child she would sit on his lap and comb his long white beard. She related on how it could get bitter cold in the winter. The snow would always be deep and would sometimes cover a nine railed fence. She told how her family left Avery County around 1918 or 1920 and moved across the mountains to Carter County, Tennessee near Shell Creek. Grandpa Calhoun went first and the family followed in a covered wagon. I always wanted to know more about the Calhouns – were they came from, when and why they settled in Ashe County. Around 1971, my search began in earnest.

I started at the East Tennessee State University Library in Johnson City, Tennessee, viewing old census records. I trudged through cemeteries, delved into book and pamphlets in local libraries. I visited as many court houses as I could. I corresponded with many close and distant relatives. All these activities culminated in the following pages.

The first few pages are an attempt to give a possible origin in Scotland to our Calhoun (Colquhoun) Clan. Around 1200 A.D. a few records began to appear that suggest they settled in the Loch Lomand area of Scotland. Sometime around 1650 a William Cahoon was sent as an indentured servant to Massachusetts. William Cahoon married Deliverance Peck and he was killed during an Indian uprising (The Prince Phillip’s War). It is suggested that many Calhoun are descended from William.

This volume details the descendants of James Cahoon/Calhoun (born c1789) and Catherine Van Zant (born c1790). More emphasis is placed on the descendants of Barney Calhoun and Rachel Osborne. Barney was born c1835 in Ashe County, North Carolina and died in 1930 in Vale, Avery County, North Carolina. He was a Confederate soldier during the Civil War having fought in two units, the 58th North Carolina and the 21st Virginia.

I hope that whoever might look at my book will get some idea of how my ancestors lived and from whence they came. I am proud of my Scottish roots and my Appalachian heritage. ...more