Last week, I printed an account concerning the Winborn Futrell family given me by Mrs. Leamon Hendon. This week, I am going to continue along another branch of the same family m material written by Miss Hazel Shaw, of Hardin. Miss Shaw, who spent many years of her life teaching between the rivers and all over Trigg County, laughingly admitted to me, every time I would ask her about someone, "Either they're kin, or I taught them in school."

It is surely true that the Futrell family branches out to touch almost every other family in the Jackson Purchase and Kentucky Lake area. A few of these (a very few) are the Rosses, Shaws, Calhouns, McClaIns, Aliens, Ricks, Carr, Thomas, Bridges, as well as many others. The following is Miss Shaw's account of the life of Shadrach Futrell, one of the earliest settlers around here.

"According to Roger Futrell's account of the Futrell family in the book, The Futrell Family in America, several Futrell families were residing in Northampton County, North Carolina during the early part of the 1700's. Most ,of these Futrells were land owners and tax payers and some served as soldiers during the American Revolution.

After the close of the war, many people heard glowing accounts of fertile land in the far west, in the land called Kentucky. These tales, brought back by hunters, trappers and soldiers who had returned to North Carolina stirred the imagination of many people to the extent that they began to seriously

consider the idea of migrating westward in search of fertile land and a desirable spot to settle and build homes, in order to improve their economic condition.

According to Perrin's account of the early pioneers who came to Christian (now Trigg) county, family traditions, Roger Futrell's accounts and records left by the family of William Shadrach Futrell and other Futrell families, a fairly accurate account can be given of the Futrells who migrated to Christian County and settled there. They located in the upper part of the Donaldson Creek valley where the land south of the Green River was opened up for settlement. Land could be obtained by land grants or purchased cheaply.

William Shadrach Futrell's family and two of his half brothers heard about this cheap, fertile land in the Donaldson Creek Valley, and about 1799, they decided to go west. The group included Shadrach Futrell, his wife Sarah Lassiter Futrell, two daughters, two sons - Thomas and Nathan, and Nathan's wife Charity and small daughter. Also in the party was old John Futrell, his wife Elizabeth Deloach Futrell, Daniel Futrell and his two sons Winborn and Hansel, and probably others.

They loaded their wagons drawn by oxen with their possessions: food, clothing, bedding, tools, seed, fruit trees, iron kettle (a necessity for heating water, making maple syrup, and sugar, and boiling water to obtain much-needed salt). They probably loaded on some spinning wheels and furniture, but these were not necessities, because some members of their family could make furniture, and some were mechanics.

After bidding sad farewells to relatives and friends (many of these folks joined them in a few years), they left Northampton County and started westward on the long, dangerous journey across hills, valleys and mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

A careful look out was kept for Indian attacks or ambush, and this watch took a lot of the pioneers' time. No account was ever given of Indian attacks and the party was very fortunate.

After three months on this long, tiresome journey, the party arrived at Nashboro, Tennessee, on the Cumberland River without any serious mishaps.

Return to the Index of Judy Maupin's Genealogical ancedotes, stories and family notes.