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Farming For A Better Future, page 318
remodeling the house there. He hoped that he and his family could move within two weeks. But by December, Adam was still working on the new home. The case worker came back in January 1936 to find that the Lucas' had successfully moved to Bee Line Highway and Beulah Road within a half mile of Beulahland School. Although the case was closed after that, it was noted that Adam Lucas liked his old farm better because he did not like living so close to the main road.
Hannah MacDonald
Mrs. Hannah MacDonald was a widow between 65 and 70 years old when the TVA visited in March 1935. Her husband had passed away in 1920. Mrs. MacDonald grew up in Limestone County and lived in the Tanner community for most of her life and in the same house for over 30 years. Her house had four rooms, two bedrooms, no electricity or telephone, a wood burning stove, a well, and an outhouse. She owned no possessions such as a radio or sewing machine because, she said, “she can't stand noisemakers.”
Mrs. Hannah MacDonald owned 80 acres of land, 45 being woodland and the balance under cultivation.
Before her husband passed away, the MacDonalds cultivated this land but since she became a widow, MacDonald rented out the land to her son and grandson. The family owned two mules, one horse, two cattle, and 16 chickens. They also had a wagon, mower, cultivator, two turning plows, planters, and harrow. The farm produced butter, milk, eggs, poultry, pork, corn, and wood.
In late 1935, Mrs. MacDonald and her son-in-law, Pearl Macklin, purchased a 118-acre farm from Bruce Nelson on Lucas Ferry Road, south of Jones Crossroads. She repaired the house on the new farm and moved all the buildings from the old farm by March of 1936.
Frank Maclin
Frank Maclin grew up in Tanner. He and his wife lived in their house for 20 years before the TVA visited in 1935. The 19-year-old house contained five rooms - three used for bedrooms. It had no electricity or telephone, was heated by a wood-burning stove, had a well 20 yards away, an outhouse, and was judged in fair condition.
Maclin was 48 years old with a 5th grade education. His wife Blanche, age 38, was from Hale County, Alabama and had remained in school through the 10th grade, a rare level of education among this community at that time. According to the 1930 census, she taught school. Maclin's first wife, Sarah, had died of cancer within the past decade. Blanche had married Frank in 1930. Between them they had one son and three daughters living.
Frank's son, Lewis Lee was 20 years old with a t. 5th grade education and worked part time for the TVA for $30 a month. Blanche's brother, Emory Hobson, age 28 years, also lived in the house. Frank's three daughters were married and lived in Athens, Decatur, and Birmingham.
The Maclin household subscribed to the Limestone Democrat and Decatur Daily newspapers and also had 20 books. The
Maclins were Baptist, Frank was a Mason and Blanche was a member of the Eastern Star. He had a $500 life insurance policy and she had a $150 policy. The house's mortgage was paid in full by 1935. Although the Maclins had no car, they had a sewing machine and phonograph.
Frank Maclin did not consider himself a farmer. He worked for the L&N Railroad for $18 a month, but he also owned 34 acres of land, which his son, Lewis Lee Maclin, farmed. Of the 34 acres, six were wooded and 27 were planted with corn, cotton, hay, sorghum, and other crops. The family had one mule, one cow, some hogs, and 14 chickens. They owned a wagon, plow, and planters and produced butter, milk, eggs, poultry, pork, corn, peaches, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and wood from their land.
George Settles
In November of 1935, George Settles was visited by the TVA at his home on Harris Station Road in Tanner. Mr. Settles was 43 years old with a 4th grade education. He was married to Abbie Batts, 42, who had either a 5th or 6th grade education. The Settles were both from Limestone County and had lived in their house for 22 years. They had six daughters and three sons. Their 35-year-old house had five rooms, of which three were bedrooms. It lacked electricity, a telephone, or other facilities and was heated with a wood burning stove. The frame structure was rated as being in bad condition but judged as clean and well-kept inside. The family owned a 1924 Ford automobile, a radio, and sewing machine.
In 1936, George Settles was working for the TVA for $60 a month, but he preferred to farm like he had done his entire life. He owned 120 acres of land, 85 of which were planted with corn, cotton, hay, and sorghum. Mr. Settles had three mules, four cows, four hogs, and 20 chickens. His farm equipment included a wagon, mower, hay rake, stalk cutter, harrow, two cultivators, three turning plows, planters, and a harness. The farm produced butter, milk, eggs, poultry, pork, corn, sorghum, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and wood.
George Settles did not wish to move far from where he lived, even though his entire 85 acres of cultivated land would be flooded by the TVA. He wanted to move somewhere within the community, hopefully into a five room house with electricity and at least 40 acres of cropland, five acres of pasture, and five acres of woodlands. He did not get his ideal farm, unfortunately. When the TVA case worker visited to assess their relocation, George had rented a farm on the Will Nelson Place. While the Settles were independent and did not require assistance from any relatives, George had to sell his 120 acres and fiveroom house and rent 80 acres and a four-room house on Lucas Ferry Road.
Pleas Orr, Sr. and Pleas Orr, Jr.
According to the federal census records, Pleas Orr, Sr. rented a farm in the area in 1910, but owned a farm by 1920, while Pleas, Jr. was still living at home. By 1930, Pleas Sr. owned a farm and Pleas Jr. rented a farm in the Harris Community. By the time the TVA case worker visited in March 1935, Pleas Jr. also owned a farm nearby.
Pleas Orr, Sr. was 65 years old and lived with his wife, 63, in Harris. The Orrs had four sons and five daughters, but two of their sons died before reaching adulthood. They lived in a five-room house with three bedrooms, no electricity or telephone, a wood burning stove, well, and outhouse. The house was 17 years old. The senior Orr family subscribed to the Limestone Democrat and had about 10 books in the house. They were Methodist, and Orr, Sr. was a Mason. The farm and house was completely paid for by 1935.
Orr, Sr. owned 65 acres of land, 25 of which he rented out to Anna Horton. He rented an additional 66 acres from Gilbert Phillips, his granddaughter's husband. He grew crops on 68 acres of land - 25 in corn, 30 in cotton, and 13 in other crops. He owned three mules, three cows, 15 hogs, and 45 chickens. The farm produced butter, milk, eggs, poultry, pork, corn, sorghum, apples, peaches, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and wood. The family had a wagon, mower, hay baler, harrow, cultivator, three turning plows, and planters. - (4846)