December 14, 2005

I have had several readers inquire about my reference last week to Grandma Black Eye and all of the descendants of the Black Dutch that still live in the Aubrey area. Grandma Black Eye lived from 1846 to 1910. She lived in the Onega area for many years before going to Nocona, Texas, where she raised a very large family of six girls and five boys. Grandma Black Eye was extremely fond of her large family as were all Cherokee mothers who wished to provide their family with the best education and livelihood.

When her husband died in 1900, they lived in rural Nocona. He was buried in the Eagle Cemetery, and she lived ten years after. When she died, sadly, she was buried in a different cemetery in Nocona. This was due to the rainy season. The wagons could not get into the Eagle Cemetery, and her burial could not wait until the soil dried enough for wagon travel, so she was buried in a cemetery closer to Nocona.

The names of their children are as follows: Sarah Ester, Martha Elizabeth, Mary Rebecca, Harriet Emily, Cornelia Jane, Susan Turner, and the boys were, James Andrew, Sterling, John L., Joseph, Turney, and Jacob Arthur. Two of these family members were bankers in Oklahoma. I have more research to do on the family of Grandma Black Eye. I would be happy to be put in touch with other genealogists doing research on this Grandma.

The photo for this week is the interior of the J.T. Mohon Blacksmith shop. There are not many of us oldtimers who recall going downtown Aubrey to have a hoe or an axe sharpened or a handle installed.

Ida Mae, one of J.T. Mohon’s daughters, helped me identify the group as they are standing around the coal forge and anvil iron and other items that were a part of Mr. J.T. Mohon’s daily life. The men standing from left to right are Uncle Dal Mohon, J.T. Mohon, unknown, Bud Mohon, H.L. Mohon, one of the Conway twins, Ernest Smith, Hubert Conway, the other Conway twin, Hoot Bostic, and a Conway.

When I was a small child my grandfather, Wood Goin, would come by our house and invite me to walk along with him and we would go to the blacksmith shop. Mr. Mohon worked at a forge that he peddled with his feet; this would generate air that when forced against the coals would create such an intense heat that the metal would become so hot that it would melt. The anvil and hammer were standing near the dipping vat of water and when the metal reached the proper temperature, it was then dipped into the water which made the metal so hard that it was good for use in knives and axes or just about anything his mind wanted to create.

I will talk more about Mr. Mohon’s Blacksmith Shop later.

Mr. J.T. Mohon was an important figure in the area. The young J.T. Mohon married Mary Beaty. He brought me a copy of a handsome certificate that was awarded to his father. The certificate was presented to J.T. Mohon on February 18, 1935, honoring his commission as Justice of the Peace in this area of Denton County.

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