The Civil War was coming to a close and Onega
was beginning to be a stopping place for people with prior
acquaintances back in the deep south. The village to the north, Pilot
Point, had already began about ten years earlier. Just one mile to the
north-west of Uncle Zeke’s farm was the stage coach stop which was at
the top of the big hill that as a child I knew of as "Zilly Boy
Mountain." The stage coach stop on top of the hill north of Onega was
one of several stops for the stage. Denton’s stop was at "Old Alton"
where settlers were settling.Now that the Civil War was ending
(1865's), Governor Throckmorton, a southern loyalist was slow to
accept orders from the north. And when he did accept their orders, he
only carried out a limited number of the orders.
The new federal and union government had taken on a very large task
of bringing the north and south together. Many new policies were added
to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and there was a
large interest in teaching the Indians new productive trades. A part
of this movement was creating an interest in establishing blacksmith
skills for the Indians, which was slowly accepted. However, the
natives that were of Cherokee ancestry were quickly adjusting to the
new training as a part of their contribution to civilization before
their arrival and settlement in Sand Town and Onega. The Cherokees
were well on the way to developing many different skills and they
brought this knowledge with them when they began establishing
blacksmith shops in Onega. At one time there were five such businesses
in operation in Onega.
I think it would help us all to know that the blacksmith, while it
was a very dirty hot and difficult job, was a necessary and desirable
business which required many talents to be successful. The housewife
during that time found the blacksmith a proper place to have special
knives built. A very special talent of the blacksmith was the ability
to temper metal for knives, wagon wheels, buggy axles and springs.
The photo in this week’s edition was owned by two pioneer families.
The Yarbrough and Plummer Blacksmith shop was located on the Aubrey
Main Street where the City Hall is currently located. The business
section of the old district was no longer in existence at the time
this photo was made. The fire during the 1880's promoted the movement
of the business district to where Main Street was platted and the
Yarbrough - Plummer Blacksmith was located among these businesses
along with several others that included a meat market, and the new
Mullens Hotel and several livery stables. The Mohon Blacksmith was
operated by another pioneer family in the Onega period and was located
behind the Mullens Hotel near the large well that was mentioned
previously in this series of Onega history.
