Writing Your Story

Even very accomplished, currently famous people, who achieve a great deal of recognition, will be forgotten in the blink of an eye. (Watch "Jeopardy" some evening, the contestants may not remember who was Secretary of State four years ago.)

I am unaware of any ancestors who have a history book written about them. Most likely that won't happen in the future either. A few have been mentioned in a county history. A few have been mentioned in news articles. Some are recognized for military service. Some had political positions. But in the course of time even Presidents are forgotten by most people.

Our family has a nice collection of interesting folks. Most led fairly ordinary lives. Occastionaly they did/do something special or received recognition. As much as I enjoy learning about their lives, their challenges, their accomplishlishments, I also love learning about the simple memories of more recent relatives. My Aunt Lois remembers her Grandmother Poteat's Gingerbread and Sweet Potatoes. Her Grandfather Poteat liked to tell ghost stories and play checkers. My mother-in-law never forgot a birthday. My dad asked great questions.

Everyone has special stories and memories. Hopefully you are recording your stories. The sweet, the sad, the funny, the awe inspiring,and the tender stories all have a place in "your story".

If you were sitting around the table talking about your freshman year in high school, what story is always shared.... write it down. If you could see your best friend from fourth grade, what would you talk about... write it down. My most embarassing moment in junior high ... was when I slid down a dry spillway for a large pool. I tipped back on my heels and my backside. The concrete surface was rough like sandpaper; so when I got to the bottom of the grade, the back of my shorts was gone. I had to walk home through two neighborhoods with an almost bare backside.

Every life has ups and downs, choices to make and outcomes that follow. Somethings are private for now. Someday you may find a reason to share when feelings once tender have healed. Those are personal decisions. Your Story is yours to share as You choose. I encourage you to record memories that will help your family through the years.

Someone said, "A life recorded is a life twice lived."

John Bishop Harry

Birth: Mar. 7, 1774
Death: Feb. 10, 1868

John Bishop Harry and his wife Sarah Ann traveled to Lincoln County , NC on their honeymoon in a covered wagon. They settled in Lincolntown where he kept the old tavern and inn. By trade he was also a silversmith, clock maker and gunsmith.

In 1835 John Bishop, whose nickname was "John Bull", was a State Senator representing Lincoln County . He took an active part in the organization of Cleveland County in 1840-41. He help survey the new county and lay out the county seat, Shelby .

He surveyed the bounds of the new county (Cleveland NC) and laid out the court house square and the streets of Shelby, the county seat of the new county. Shortly after the new county was formed, he purchased a large tract of land in the southern end of the new county which on its south side joined the South Carolina state line. Here, he established his home on Buffalo Creek. Later he built a home and moved to a new location about 2 miles south of his first home. Here he lived the rest of his life. He established a great slave plantation on this farm which included about 8 square miles.

Buried ( Near Gaston, York Co. NC.?) in Old Shiloh Pres. Church cemetery about a half mile inside the South Carolina line from his big plantation and about 3 miles from his old home place.


An unfortunate accident befell John Bishop while returning from Raleigh on horseback. He was caught in a heavy thunderstorm and thoroughly drenched for hours. The dye from the red lining of his hat mixed with the rain and ran in his eyes. It injured his eyesight and he was almost blind during the last years of his life.

John Bishop owned many slaves and over a thousand acres between Buffalo Creek and the South Carolina line. The land lay along a stream called Jacob's Branch. There he built a large home for his wife and family. After the death of Sarah Ann, he sold his home to Major Borders. He moved two miles up the road and built a smaller, rectangular home with one large room, a fireplace in the south and two pot racks at the north end. He had a dozen slaves that lived nearby and assisted him. Here he lived out his last years in luxury and comfort. A beautifully executed will in his own handwriting shows that he was well educated. It is also interesting to note that a map of his property made by him showed the location of a money swamp where gold, silver and Confederate money was hidden during the War Between the States. The money swamp was never found.

s/o David & Anna Bishop Harry

A different side of W G Harry

As an adult looking back at my grandfather, he was an "old man" in his late 50's and beyond. We know parents and grandparents from our vantage point. Our children and grandchildren see us as the people we have become. These pictures are from the Universtiy of North Carolina college yearbook, the "Yackty Yack". They show his classmates view of who he was.

(As an aside, the yearbook did not play it safe in describing students. A number of comments regarding other students were very biting and judgemental.)

While I never thought of my grandfather as a "Bull Moose", the reference seems to apply to his defense of Teddy Roosevelt in a debate. Another article shows he was a big man on campus, he was on a select student government "Grand Council". Apparently it was a select group of student government campus representatives. Hope to include a picture and comments.






The young man in the lower picture is not identified. Mother told me that the college asked him to have an extremely young roommate. The young man was the youngest college student accepted at UNC at that time. Apparently he went on to become someone of prominence in some way. But this might not be the same person.

http://library.digitalnc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/yearbooks/id/856   This is a link to the digital copy of the yearbook.

Granddaddy always felt close to UNC. Mother and I took him back for his 50th reunion.


In 1910 Granddaddy Harry was a census enumerator.

 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11573-36460-11?cc=1727033&wc=M9WN-78J:1554826732  Try this link if you are interested in seeing his handwriting.

		F
		F

Head	David F Harry	M	59	North Carolina
Wife	Fanny G Harry	F	60	North Carolina
Daughter	Maggie L Harry	F	22	North Carolina
Son	Woodfin G Harry	M	19	North Carolina
Son	Benjamin A Harry	M	18	North Carolina