presents
Willcockson Genealogy Library
The Log House That John Built:
The John and Sarah (Boone) WILLCOCKSON Home in Mocksville, North
Carolina
Part 2
The following article written by Gordon Tomlinson appeared in the
Enterprise-Recorder, July 24, 1975. It is under copyright
and
may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. The Willcockson Society is
grateful
to the author and the publication for allowing us to make it available on our
website
to the many descendants of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson.
Pat Frunzi, a descendant of John & Sarah's daughter, Sarah Willcockson Hagans,
kindly
transcribed this article for us exactly as it appeared in the newspaper.
Pat is a co-founder and current board member of the Willcockson Society.
Please note: The sources and authenticity of the information
in this article are not known to us at this time. It is, however, a very
intriguing read!
The Saga of the Wilcoxson House In the second article of the current series on the Boone family the marriage of Sarah, the eldest daughter of Squire and Sarah Boone, to a John Wilcox was reported. The Boones were Quakers. John Wilcox, who was soon to adopt the name of Wilcoxson, was not. Because of "marrying-out of the faith" Squire Boone and his daughter were censured by the Exter Meeting of Berks County, Pa. This is believed to have been one of the reasons for the migration of the Boone family to what is now Davie County.By Gordon Tomlinson
Mr. and Mrs. John Wilcoxson were members of group that began migration southward around May, 1750. In all probability they traveled the "Great Wagon Road" that ran from Philadelphia to Shallowford. What became known as "The Shallowford Road" then proceeded south through what is now Forsyth and Davidson counties and onto Salisbury.
However, research by Armand Daniel indicates that the Boone party, instead of following the Shallowford Road, turned to the right after crossing the river and took an old Indian trail. This trail entered present Davie County about two miles east of Huntsville and crossed the present Farmington-Huntsville Road a short distance north of the Burr Brock homeplace. The route continued on by Wyo to what is now the Pino section of Davie, then to the Eaton's Church area and on to the Bear Creek Church area, then down Bear Creek to the George Evans place (where Squire Boone built his cabin). From where Squire Boone settled, the route continued on into the area where the present prison camp is located, to Swicegood's Store (Jericho), then on through the present Seaford Lumber Camp area, on through a graduated slope to the present lands of A and Buck Seaford. (It was on this tract that Daniel Lewis, also believed to have been one of the leasers of the group, built one of the first log cabins in this area). Crossing Bear Creek the trail went southeast following the division line of what was to be two of Davie's oldest and largest plantations. John Wilcoxson built to the north on 800 acres and on the south was the Archibald Bentley 900 acre plantation.
"The old deeds call for this road and when the earth is plowed deep clear evidence of the road can be seen, even though not used for more than 175 years," said Armand Daniel.
After leaving the Wilcoxson and Bentley plantations, the road passed the lands of Jacob Keller, then the lands of Jessie Pearson, to "The Shoals" where Cooleemee is now located. At this spot the Yadkin could be foarded for travel onto Salisbury.
"Many sections of this trail, later to become a road, can be pinpointed with certainty. And, it is for sure that all of the original log cabins and houses of those of the Boone party were built on this road, " said Mr. Daniel.
Mr. Daniel says his research indicates that in addition to the Boones, the John Wilcoxsons, the Daniel Lewis', the party also probably included George Wilcoxson and family, Issac Wilcoxson and family, the John Frohocks, a man by the name of McElenhenny. A short time later another group came this route that included Jonathan Hunt, Edward Hughes, Thomas Parker, William Giles, Willie Ellis, Thomas Foster, and others, leaving the road to the left north of what is now Mocksville.
The Squire Boone-Daniel Lewis group, all related by blood and marriage, took over a continuous tract of land over four miles in length, reaching from north of the Squire Boone-George Evans tract, south to within 1,000 feet of where the Armand Daniel family now lives. Upon this tract they all built homes and it is reasonable to assume that they helped one another in the building.
John Wilcoxson originally received 520 acres, later acquiring more, of the best land of the group and built upon it one of the better and larger houses, using logs as large as 18-inches by 34-feet. This is the only one of these first houses still standing.
This Wilcoxson house is also believed to have been used as a fort against Indian attacks for all the Boones and Wilcoxsons between the years of 1751 and 1755.
At the time of the American Revolution, John Wilcoxson and his wife had reared all of their 11 children, ten of which had left home leaving only the youngest son, William. All the Boones and Wilcoxsons, except John Wilcoxson and son, William, were Tories, loyal to the crown. William was a Whig and rendered valuable service to the colonies in the struggle. John Wilcoxson remained at his home and is quoted as saying:
"I am old. I have lived here more than twenty years, raised all my children, have a large and good plantation with several houses, and I do not want to lose it and do not want to move. If I aid the colonies and the war is won by them I will be in good shape. If the crown wins, I have enough sons and sons-in-law that were loyal to the king to protect me. Heads I wins and tails I win."
And win he did. He received his grant in 1783 of 640 acres, the limit, and retained possession of 165 additional acres, which was later sold with a grant never being issued.
At this time John Wilcoxson was 64. William later married and moved to the 165 acre tract which he purchased from his father in 1798. John Wilcoxson was living with his son at that time, having sold the 640 acre tract to Abraham Welty in 1787.
John Wilcoxson died sometime between 1798 and 1805, between the ages of 79 and 86. Sarah Wilcoxson died around 1814, in her 90's while living with her grandson Jessie Wilcoxson in Kentucky.
In 1788 Abraham Welty sold the tract to John Rowland. In 1796 John Rowland sold to Edward Parker, the great-grandfather of the late A. T. Grant and the Great-great-great grandfather of Armand T. Daniel, the present owner.
Parker was an educated planter, reportedly with a lot of gold and many slaves. Tradition has it that he was looking for three things when he left Virginia for this area: (1) The best farm he could find; (2) The best house; and (3) Nearness to a good school. He found all three in the John Wilcoxson plantation.
The farm was level, or practically so, with many acres on Bear Creek, and very fertile. The house was the best in Davie County in 1796 and remains even today one of the better built houses. There was also a good school one mile away at "Bentley." Bentley is said to be the first named community in present Davie County. Here was located a trading post and postoffice. When Archibald Carter purchased Bentley around 1823, the school was know as the "Baldy Carter School." It was at this school that Peter S. Ney taught school. Ney lived with the John A Meroneys at Liberty and walked through the woods to Bentley where he taught the grandchildren of Edward Parker, along with the Carters, Kellers, Daniels, Andrew Selzers, Thomas McQuinns, H. R. Austins, and others.
[the following photo is not from the above article]
