Today in Johnson City History, Monday, November 11, 2024
Who was Russell Bean? Memorial services, a baby with two heads, Hilltoppers versus Blue Devils, and a very special “Get Involved!” by J. D. Banks
Tuesday, November 11, 1924: One hundred years ago today, The Times reported news with a dateline from Johnson City. Readers learned that “The site of the home of the first white child born in Tennessee, Russell Bean, was permanently marked Saturday afternoon by the unveiling of a marked (sic) at Bonnes (sic) Creek, on the Watauga river (sic), four miles from this city. The marker stands on the site of the Bean cabin, and is composed of blue and white limestone from the foundation of the pioneer home. The ceremonies were conducted by the John Sevier chapter (sic) of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the organization received a deed of conveyance of the lot from Mr. and Mrs. Gentry Hall. Among the notables present were Col. Marvin Lewis of Louisville, president-general of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Fred Millspaugh of Nashville, vice-president general. Russell Bean as born in 1781.”
According to www.loc.gov, The Times was published in Montgomery, Alabama from 1923 until 1927.
Sunday, November 11, 1934: Ninety years ago today, the Johnson City Press informed readers that “Three special memorial services, honoring Johnson City men who paid the supreme price in the World war (sic), will be held here today. One will be given at 10:15 a. m. in the auditorium at Mountain Home, another in the same auditorium at 6:15 this afternoon, while the third will take place at 4 p. m. at the New Martha Wilder school building. Veterans, their families and friends were invited to attend all three services.
“In the morning program at the auditorium, musical numbers under the direction and arrangement of Chaplain Rev. E. H. Brandon, will be presented by a choir. Miss Mary Le Susur will sing the official song of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, ‘Sleep, Soldier Boy.’
“Dr. James M. Peterson, principal speaker, will commemorate the signing of the armistice and the audience will observe a period of silence in memory of the dead.”
Saturday, November 11, 1939: Eighty-five years ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle brought very unusual news to readers. The dateline was Bristol, Tennessee, and the story was carried by the Associated Press. The date was November 10. Readers learned that “A small-town doctor patiently re-told to curious visitors today his experience of delivering a two-headed baby boy to a tenant farmer’s wife in the flickering light of a kerosene lamp.
“Amazed at the nation-wide interest in the unusual case and chuckling ‘I haven’t slept a wink since the news leaked out,’ Dr. J. C. Statzer said the baby and its mother were both ‘getting along fine.’
“I didn’t realize it was going to cause all this fuse,’ he said as he told of removing the second mal-formed head soon after the child’s birth to Mrs. Emory Herron in a little shack 15 miles from here.
“’I got the call to the Herron home late at night,’ the doctor said. ‘I got lost two or three times trying to find the place.’
“’The baby was born about 2 o’clock on the morning of October 17. He had one normal head and a second head growing from the back of the neck. It was covered with hair and had the imprint of eyes, nose and mouth.
“’I just studied the case for about 45 minutes and then decided to operate. I punctured the head and drained from it a thick fluid. Several days later I removed the neck.’
“Dr. Statzer saaid (sic) neighboring farm women helped care for the mother and child after the birth.
“’Mrs. Herron brought the child to my office a few days ago and so far as I can see it is normal. The wound on the neck is not healing as well as I would like, but I think it will heal over in time.
“Dr. Statzer said neighboring cine (sic) at the University of Louisville after attending the University of Chattanooga, and that during 35 years of practice he had delivered about 3,500 babies.
(Note: Clearly, part of the original material was misprinted and deleted.)
“Later, he said, he enrolled at the University of Maryland where he took a summer school course, and then attended medical lectures at Johns-Hopkins hospital (sic), Baltimore, MD.
“’I had some patients at Johns-Hopkins,’ he said, ‘and decided to stuff my head a little by going to lectures.’”
The University of Chattanooga is now known as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Saturday, November 11, 1944: Eighty years ago today, the Johnson City Press-Chronicle reported that “Darwell Holsclaw and Jim Miller, two as good high school back (several indecipherable words), ran the Johnson City Hilltoppers ragged last night as they paced the Erwin High Blue Devils to a 13 to 12 decision over the ‘Toppers.
“Holsclaw, who all but chased the Hilltoppers out of Gentry Stadium a year ago, came right back last night to run wild against a better Johnson City team than the 1943 outfit and put the Blue Devils out in front in the early minutes of the game when he broke away for 38 yards and a touchdown. Jim Miller crashed off tackle for the extra point that won the game.”
Monday, November 11, 1974: Fifty years ago today, according to the Johnson City Press-Chronicle, “Wiley H. Sells, 215 E. Ninth Ave., and Janice Hendrix, 1313 Lakeview Drive, were treated at Johnson City Memorial Hospital Saturday at 1:10 a. m. for injuries received in a car accident. Sells was treated for a bruise to his leff (sic) face. Janice Hendrix was treated for a rib contusion. Mountain City Sheriff’s Office investigated.”
A very special “Thank You” to J. D. Banks for penning the following for today’s “Get Involved!”
Being a veteran of our American Armed Forces is truly a blessing for me for a variety of reasons. I grew up in a "holler" way up in the woods in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I was schooled to believe that I was just another hillbilly kid who would have a hard row to hoe no matter what. I barely graduated from high school and had no future plans to speak of; so, when I felt like I needed to do something different, I enlisted in the Air Force. I like to jokingly refer to it as Uncle Sam's Flying Circus. But it was probably the best decision I ever made.
My first duty station was to a strange new land out west called South Dakota. It was out near the Black Hills by the border of Wyoming where I met my High School sweetheart, and we're still married today (she was a senior in high school, and I was a Senior Airman). During the remainder of my 30-year career, we lived in and travelled around Europe for almost 10 years. I left to visit some other strange lands such as Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, on my own while my bride patiently waited for me to return. We lived in South Dakota near her family for about 10 years, but we also spent time in Colorado, Florida, and Ohio before deciding to retire back here in Southern Appalachia.
I had always been told that you can take a "feller" out of the mountains, but that you could never take the mountains out of him. And I believe that's so true because no matter where I have travelled, these mountains have always been in my heart. But being a veteran has its drawbacks, too. No matter where you go, you don't really fit in with the local community, simply because you're not from there. I always felt like I could always go home to the mountains, but times have changed. I used to think that the United States of America was the greatest place on Earth. Anyone from anywhere could come here, become a tax-paying citizen, and become an American. Think about it. Germany is for Germans. Russia is for Russians. Korea is for Koreans. However, just about any German, any Russian, any Korean, or anyone else from anywhere else can become an American citizen! How great is that?!
But lately, especially over the last 10 or so years, the bipartisan divisiveness in our country has been downright embarrassing. Don't get me wrong. I'm still proud of my service to America. But I keep it to myself most of the time. If I'm around another veteran, I feel safe. But I've been called a baby killer. I've been called a Nazi. I've been thanked for my service thousands of times. It just depends on who you meet. I get told to go back where I come from more often than you might think, and I have had youngsters yell at me and tell me to "Get out of my way, old man!"
Unfortunately, our America is short on compassion and tolerance, and it doesn't matter what side of the divide you try to straddle closer to. It frightens me to think all this anger and division will boil over and ruin the greatest nation to have ever existed on Earth. I just think it would be nice if people could simmer down a little and use the brain God gave them to think about their behavior and its consequences--treat each other with a little more dignity and respect. I probably don't have a lot of time left—I have lived most of my life already. I’m just going to keep on keeping on, but in the meantime, I ask that you please remember this from the Bible: Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
J. D. Banks is from Piper's Gap, Virginia, and claims he barely graduated from Carroll County, Virginia High School in 1982. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1984-2014. Currently, he is a Graduate Student enrolled in the Appalachian Studies program at ETSU, and a member of the Telford Ruritan Club.
Thank you, J. D., for sharing your story!
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