THE  TOMBSTONE
by: Sarah Helen Johnstone Graham © 2001

 August 2, 1995 became a red-letter day in the history of the Old Wythe County Poorhouse Farm. About eight o’clock after a visit from our “like family” friends Bill, Clara, Sally and Jim Crigger my husband and I uncovered events that would make this August 2, 1995 day become another important piece of the Old Poor Farm’s unwritten history.

About eight o’clock after a wonderful visit, our special guests left. They freely showered compliments on us for all the work, Jr. and I had managed to accomplish. Each of us held down a full time public job, while we did the restoration. Jr. very often worked overtime in addition to his regular second shift job as assembly mechanic.   I, after finishing college worked in the Accounts Payable Department at the home office for Donnkenny Apparel in Wytheville. Jr. worked second shift at Lightnin (Mixing Equipment Company). Bill said we were the first ones in Wythe’s history to pay so dearly to live in the  POORHOUSE! They each vowed to visit us again.

Very often we are asked how we could possibly do all this work???? How did I think up, decorate and dust all this???? Simple, it was just part of GOD’S PLANS for us. No couple could have humanly done it.

Today my loving husband and I would uncover events that would make this August 2, 1995 day become another highlighted, piece of the Old Farm’s history.  Another Poor Farm mystery uncovered today. It would linger in our minds and raise questions from Poor Farm visitors in years to come. 

Junior and I were still “high” from our visitors and all the historical information that their sharp, clear mines had saved, stored and shared with us. As they were preparing to leave we snapped several pictures for our Poorhouse Farm’s history books. We, with GOD’S direction had managed to make more history each day here as we worked on our destined  “ project “.

We seemed this day to be drawn to visit the Pauper Cemetery. It is located within a section of the Poor Farm’s old boundaries. The Wythe County Poorhouse Farm was established here at this chosen location in 1858. Wythe County still owns the old cemetery according to my dear Dad. They also reserved an old right of way to the cinder block barn near the cemetery. The cemetery can’t be accessed this way, however because of swampy conditions. The 340-acre farm was sold at public auction after 99 years as a POORHOUSE FARM. It’s some sort of record and this too, someday we would be instructed to prove. My Dad was there, he bought 147 acres of the Poor Farm at the original auction in 1957. It joined the Johnstone family farm. I remember standing on the hillside beside my Dad’s barn intrigued by the doll-like houses and the large main house with a dining room for the poor! That fascination, respect and love is still with me. Thank you GOD!

I had wanted and hoped for nearly three years now to devote time and care to the forgotten, neglected cemetery.  There  were so many unmarked graves. Tonight I had to go…. With camera still in hand, a large hand painted sign “Wythe County Cemetery” we would proudly announce to history……A more beautiful gravesite not to be found.

We also took with us another treasured piece of Poor Farm history. We hauled along a CSA marker honoring an olde soldier who had fought for the Confederacy. More than fifty years ago this lone marker had been rescued and saved from a bale of hay. It had laid in Bill Crigger’s yard, safe from harm. Angels are always on guard at this Olde Farm, destiny-guiding chosen ones toward each shred of history.  We have a vision, a dream. Someday we will manage to restore this special home for the poor. It was GOD’S plan. 

According to our precious friend Bill, as he grew up and later worked on this unique farm for the Poor, he  often saw the two markers placed on the graves of Hugh Warf by the Daughters of the Confederacy.

Bill returned Jesse Venable’s marker to us once he learned we had moved to the Poorhouse Farm and were restoring it. Bill was happy and knew some one again was willing to accept the duties as Caretakers of the historic Wythe County Poorhouse Farm. Bill’s family and he had worked for the county farm and remembered the old soldiers. They had lived and died at the Poor Farm. So very much history this olde farm does hold. Bill had commented several times that he wished to could have somehow saved Hugh Warf’s marker also.

Shortly after our welcomed visitors had left we boarded our black Dodge Dakota 1989 pickup. Even at 8:00 it was still hot and very humid. We switched on the truck’s AC. Quickly cut it on high cool.  We enjoyed the short drive, only .3 of a mile we measured on the speedometer of the truck. Jr. and I admired the beauty of the front of the Overseer’s home, part of the olde oak fence that still remained along the front of the main house. We marveled at the huge oak tree that stands proudly guarding and shading the ageless Olde Wythe County Poorhouse Farm’s Spring.

A partial fence and a few abandoned posts reverently try to protect and encase the olde cemetery. In a luscious bed of green grass on the rolling hillside we stood in awe at the beauty that completely engulfed us.  I snapped several pictures. Jr. uncovered several fieldstones. Most likely these rocks had once marked the pauper’s graves. The stones perhaps placed there during the 1800s in reverence by poor but proud mourners.

I stood in the middle of the OLDE WYTHE COUNTY POORHOUSE FARM’S CEMETERY basking the warm sun. We delightfully admired the beautiful mountains. We recalled how the beacon had marked the tall peak as we grew up in Wythe County, Virginia. He was born in Max Meadows,  and my dear family for generations born just over the hill in Mudlick. Thank you GOD!  We remembered the day we snapped pictures as the old beacon was lifted by helicopter off the mountain peak, set down at my home place in Mudlick, later to be taken to the local airport.

  SO MUCH HISTORY THIS FARM DOES HOLD.

MAYBE NOW …..  BY ME, IT WILL BE TOLD.

A RICH MAN’S GRAVE SITE COULD NOT BE BETTER.

 THIS OLD POOR FARM CEMETERY ….. GETS TOP LETTER!

  No spot, Jr. and I discussed, could be more beautiful. Such a beautiful resting place had been selected for the OLD CEMETERY. Several friends, whose family had worked for the Poor Farm had told us of the sad but religious funerals conducted at this Old Poorhouse Farm. The Wythe County Board of Supervisors respectfully saw that this Poorhouse Farm lacked nothing that was really needed. I have original inserts from their  board meetings, to prove my suspicions.

My dear husband and I stood together enjoying the beauty and silence of this special chosen place.  We were more determined than ever now to restore the neglected site and place the 1858 history into the minds of all.

Suddenly as if by some mysterious force beyond my control….my body and my very soul seemed pulled back to the side of the OLD CEMETERY. I was tugged and drawn back to a spot I had casually covered earlier in the warm August afternoon. This time, fate, or perhaps my angels dropped in. I spied a small corner of granite like stone peeking from underneath the dark velvet green grass. The very small exposed portion was about the size of a block of jagged lye soap I had carefully placed in a room of the small Pauper Houses earlier in the week.

My voice echoed with joy, delight and excitement as my darling husband turned  toward me hearing my happiness. He, always ready to help came quickly to my side. We had a shovel and pitchfork on the back of the pick up. We remembered and both ran at the same time to get the tools. We quickly began to dig into history. Our curiosity was overwhelming us. Our friends had only told us of the two CSA markers. Perhaps this was the missing one. We had to know. Our bodies and mines worked in unison as we marveled at how I had found the small piece of granite in these acres of open hayfields???? But then again reading each other’s minds we knew  WHO had directed us to this spot in Wythe County History!

The shovel and pitchfork helped. We desperately wanted to uncover this new clue that destiny had provided us with on this mysterious evening. The earth, baked by the hot August sun was so very hard. We were tired but much too excited to “wait for tomorrow.”

It began to get dark but still we kept digging. The shovel that worked on the rock like dirt gave up. It could do no more. A new tool took over. From under the pick up’s seat, ah ha, a large Craftsman Screwdriver was retrieved. It worked  slow but better. We took turns chipping away at the hardened  earth that completely and tightly held this hidden piece of Wythe County Poor Farm history.  We had already made our own unique rules about the restoration of this private museum dedicated to the working class of Wythe County… past and present. . 

Soon the night became black and Jr. pulled the pickup truck closer to our mystery filled find. We had now managed to dig about a two-foot hole into this hardened history  filled gravesite.

Finally, just as we reluctantly prepared to pack up our few struggling tools and quit for the night, I went back alone for one more look and for assurance that this was really happening. The black truck lights fell upon a faint number engraved on this old stone. Most of it was still buried in the dark, dry earth. The exposed number upon cleaning and rubbing with our loving hands pulled us back. Our curiosity gave us new strength in the hot dark night. We must continue our destined task. Nothing, especially fatigue could pull us from this sacred place. We must learn the secrets so this story could be written. We both realized it was part of the plan for us tonight.

What other clues would be uncovered this night? We worked on until the entire date of death could be seen August 1, 1953. Even though we both should be physically exhausted by now we hardly noticed. We continued to carefully stab away at the dirt that still tightly clutched at the old tombstone and the mystery it held. Finally a name began to appear.

JETTIE FULFORD LINVILLE

Died August 1, 1953

Only now could we rest.

We would return tomorrow and finish the chosen rescue of the long forgotten stone. Even thought it was late, we must call Dad and Bill. Bill wanted to come tomorrow and help “June” lift the tombstone from it deep hole. Later Jr. and I carried buckets of water to add to the dry hole to help soften the dry hard black earth. We would all wonder deep into the night, to puzzle at the power that had pulled me to the spot where the olde tombstone lay hidden. To ponder at the destiny and the heavenly force that had picked this particular August night exactly 42 years from the very day Jettie Fulford Linville was buried in this special spot on the Wythe County Poorhouse Farm.