The Montgomery Vindicator was a newspaper ran out of Sevierville, Tennessee from the late 1800’s through the 1960s when it combined with another local newspaper. I am told it operated in the Hatcher’s Cleaners building downtown.

My intention when I set out on this particular blogging journey was to tell you that bit, and then turn it into several stories, the first being a fictional newspaper story, then in recurring posts, the Montgomery Vindicator being the name of a firearm passed down from generation to generation since the Texas Revolution, then whatever else came to mind. Perhaps a Judge whose nickname was The Vindicator. Or something.

I first learned about the Vindicator during a side conversation at library board the other night. It immediately intrigued me and set my mind a-swirl. Early this morning I thought I’d start the telling of it and Googled “Montgomery Vindicator Sevierville” to get all my facts straight. One of the first links was for “some death notices from 1897-1901”. In case you didn’t already know it, I am a sucker for obituaries. They frequently let me down. I need more details! I assume the worst anyway, you may as well appease me. I’m already thinking it. I am also a fanatic about local history. Well, really, any Southern States history.

Okay, okay, any history. Except maybe China’s or something.

But lemme tell you, I have been POSITIVELY CAPTIVATED by the obituaries posted by the newspaper.

June 28th, 1899
  Jones — The wife of Will Jones, of Henry’s X Roads, died Monday morning, June 25th.

That’s pretty sorry. It doesn’t even list her first name or her birthday. When did she marry Will Jones? Was she a mother? How many children? What were their names? Where did they live? What church did she attend? Was she sick? I mean, current obituaries do a better job than this. Why was this particular obituary listed online for posterity? I thought they only chose the juicy ones, like below.

Miss Martha Charlotte Emert died at the residence of her mother, Mrs. Sarah Emert on Middle Creek, Thursday evening June 8th, 1899, at 4 o’clock p.m. age 22 years, 11 months and 15 days. For about two years Martha had been in very delicate health, but not until very recently had her afflictions reached such a stage as to alarm her friends. Martha was the pride of her father’s household, and a favorite with all the relatives. Her bright intellect, her sweet, gentle disposition, her tender loving heart and the cordial greeting she always gave, won for her a large number of acquaintenances and warm friends. She could count her friends by the score, and always remembered and cherished them, and none knew her but to love her. As a church member at this place, which she has been for the past ten years, she was one of our best. Martha took a lively interest in the Sunday School and Epworth league work. Many, many hearts were saddened when the death was anounced by the slow tolling of the bell, and many tears will fall as the sad intelligence reaches her many friends and relatives which reside at a distance from her home. The bright Thursday of June 8th, 1899, will be recalled with sadness by the many friends and relatives who loved her so fondly. But our sadness should be mingled with joy when we remember that Martha, one of mortalities richest flowers, blooms now in all her celestial beauty, and is divinely fair. That on snowy pinions of redeeming love she basks in the sunlight of fruition, floating o’er flowery fields and along the crystal waters of the sweet haven of rest. When here on earth Martha gave her heart of God at 12 years of age, trusting Him in her childish faith. She joined the church at this place, and was ever a consistent member of the same. Her remains were tenderly laid to rest in the Middle Creek Cemetery June 9th, 1899, at 3 o’clock p.,m. Rev. M. A. Rule and E. M. Wynn conducted the ceremonies in the presence of a large crowd of relatives and friends, who had gathered to pay their respects to the memory of Martha. Martha died with God’s praises on her lips, and in her dying hour she whispered, “All is well.”

That is all copied and pasted from the site, so I don’t know whether the person who transcribed it made the errors or if that’s how it was printed. But it is so enthralling, I am willing to overlook it. I like how they refer to the city of Sevierville as “this place”. Several obituaries stated “Five miles southwest of this place” or whatnot. I love the details. I wish more were written like this today. I think I’ll go ahead and get mine ready so all Atchley’s has to do is fill in the blanks. No mundane announcement for me! And no typos! We surely can’t have that. I would roll in my grave. Anyway, I found all 34 pages riveting. Many of them made me laugh, for which I immediately felt guilty. Like this one:

July 27, 1898 Sudden Death. Monday morning about nine o’clock, Addie Dixon, wife of Luther M. Dixon, of Harrisburg, while talking to her mother, Mrs. Mary Robertson, suddenly died. She was somewhat indisposed, but was not considered dangerous. Her husband had gone to his work and her brother, M. C. Robertson, had gone to the woods to kill her a squirrel. She began to feel queer and commenced describing her feelings to her mother, but before she could complete description, she was dead. She and her husband had been married less than a year and seemed to be starting happily and successfully on life’s journey. The young husband, the aged mother and admiring brothers and sisters have our sympathies. She was interred Tuesday at 10 a.m., with appropriate ceremonies.

We don’t know how old she was, but we know her brother wanted squirrel stew for lunch. And I reckon “considered dangerous” doesn’t mean combative, more likely contagious.

But they’re so wonderful!!! I was absolutely captivated and ending up sending many out to friends that I thought may be descendants of the deceased. They found them interesting as well. One wrote back about his family’s property lines being adjacent to the “Bloody 10th” which prompted another Google search, and brought to my attention this juicy tidbit:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12193899/knife_fight_near_scene_of_pickens/

I am telling you, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all this stuff. I feel like my head is a big ol‘ soggy sponge, heavy with new information. It strikes me how most men used to go by their initials. That’s not nearly as common these days. I wonder why they ever did? Did everybody use the same name, just about, and that was the only way to distinguish your kids from the neighbors kids when it was time for supper? I dunno. I became slightly irritated by the Vindicator the more I read, because some of the more notable people got an end note: “The Vindictor sympathizes with the family and friends in their sorrowing of times.” Perhaps it just depended on who was writing. Maybe they didn’t feel right adding it to the ones the family submitted. I may never know. What also suprised me was the passing of so many “High-toned”, “notable”, and “esteemed” individuals right here in our little county, with their “snug little fortune amassed through perseverance and economy”. Cracked. Me. UP. All the babies broke my heart, though. So often the mother died with them, or soon after. Then occasionally the husbands followed suit, probably worn out from nerves and nursing the sick woman and child. So many of those little ones didn’t even get a Christian name.

Anyway, Amber suggested I write their stories backwards, starting with their death and going back. Of course, I’m way too busy to go digging and poring over two centuries worth of historical records, most of which I would imagine to be pretty dry. So I could make it all up. But then, what if I offend the living relatives? That wouldn’t do at all. So I’m not sure how to proceed. It is mighty tempting. Especially with this one enticing obituary I found about a little boy who was playing with matches and set fire to his baby sister’s clothes, effectively killing her. How did his life turn out? Was that the beginning of his madness? Or was he so young he didn’t realize what he had done until it was over and his family never let him forget and he made a monk or something? I mean, it could go any number of ways.

These thirty four pages could be the start of my magnum opus. I strongly encourage you to take a read, even if you just select one of the options and read a page. But I warn you: you’ll be totally addicted and up all night.

Enter at your own risk…. http://sevier.tngenealogy.net/research-assistance/records-resources/27-newspapers-a-publications/10-some-death-notices-from-the-montgomery-vindicator-1897-1901?showall=1&limitstart=