McWilliams Cemetery [video]

A picturesque scene of an old, dilapidated house in a field between two trees, one standing tall and another fallen to the ground.

Although you wouldn’t know it from updates here at Jordan’s Journey, 2013 has been one of the busiest years of my life! Don’t worry, though–it’s all in a good way. Luckily for you Jordan’s Journey fans, I recently uncovered an almost-finished Jordan’s Journey video I shot in May 2012. I could not polish it off and share it with you for several reasons, and I had almost even forgotten it existed. But when I rediscovered the work in progress, I finally felt compelled to finish it. It’s a bit different from most Jordan’s Journey videos, and because of those differences, it was a more challenging video to shoot and is a bit rough in spots. But still, I’m glad to have made it.

My cousin and friend (we were friends way back before I even knew we were cousins) Christa McWilliams joined me to help document some history about the McWilliams Cemetery in West Armuchee. I couldn’t have done this video without her. It’s our attempt to tell the story about this significant cemetery, which is also a story about our families.

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East Armuchee Baptist Church [video]

This video on the history of East Armuchee Baptist Church is a great one to share as we draw close to the one-year anniversary of the Jordan’s Journey blog. Several elements in this film connect with things I’ve written about on the blog, such as Delila Brown Ward (here, here, and here), some watermelon memories, and the two posts on music at East Armuchee Baptist Church.

Much more history about East Armuchee Baptist Church isn’t reflected in this video, though. It’s difficult to cram over 125 years of history into just a few minutes. There’s so much more to explore–so many interesting facts and family connections. I’ll continue to collect this history and work on new creations for the future, perhaps in a formal written article or maybe an expanded version of this film. Please let me know if you have anything to share, from your personal recollections to old photographs or anything else.

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Earl Jordan’s Barn [video]

It’s time for another Jordan’s Journey video. Last time, I explored some Civil War-era family roots out in Arkansas with my Caney Fork video. That video was a bit longer form than anything else I’ve done here so far and took a more explicitly documentary approach. The video I’m sharing with you today takes us back to Armuchee Valley, where I grew up–and I explore memories from my childhood instead of searching out long-dead ancestors.

In the Earl Jordan Barn video, I take you on a tour of my grandfather’s barn. This barn was a big part of growing up for me. It’s one of those places with great emotional resonance and instantly gives me the feeling of home. There’s no particular historical significance to the barn. It’s not that old or even that nice of a barn.

But it was my grandfather’s barn. That’s enough to make it special to me.

I spent a lot of time with my grandfather growing up. He was never the type of man you “hung out” with. He mostly kept to himself, tinkered in the shed, or worked on the tractor. Which, if you know me very well, is a lot like my own personality–except I’m more of an artist and tech geek than a farmer. He had one hell of a sense of humor, though; he loved to laugh.

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Caney Fork [video]

Today I’m happy to share a new Jordan’s Journey video with you. This video is pretty different from the others I’ve shown here so far. The short film tells the story of my trip to Arkansas in September 2011, searching out the story of my 3rd great-grandfather Francis Marion Holcomb (about 1832-1864).

This video would not have been possible without the help of Joyce Wood (who is featured in the video). Joyce helped me learn much more about Caney Fork than I ever could have on my own. Unfortunately, it’s an area that has been largely forgotten even to long time residents of Pike County. Joyce knows so much about the area because she and her family are virtually the only people to have lived there in modern times. Joyce’s family were pioneers just like in the old days, living in a cabin without electricity (it is not available in the area) or any of the creature comforts most of us take for granted every day.

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Happy Birthday, Mom

Happy Birthday, Mom
Rhonda Jordan (right) and Debbie Epperson (daughter of pastor at East Armuchee) celebrate Rhonda’s birthday.

Earlier this year I celebrated my Dad’s birthday and then my sister’s. Today it’s Mom’s turn!

This photo is from my mom’s 4th or 5th birthday. She’s sitting at her child-size table on her front porch in East Armuchee. My mom is on the right; the other girl in the photo (just out of reach of the camera) is her friend Debbie Epperson.

I love this photo because I grew up with this same set of table and chairs, handed down to my sister and me. Though I don’t think my sister and I ever played with knives as a kid. Look at the blade in my mom’s hand! But with that adorable smile, ruffled shirt, and polka dot skirt she couldn’t do any harm, right? Why do I envision scenes from a B-grade horror movie?

But I digress… today is Mom’s special day. Those of you who have read the Jordan’s Journey book may recall the dedication… to Mom. Her love of tracing the family tree is a big part of what set me on this path. The Jordan’s Journey project wouldn’t exist without her.

The truth is that I’ve always been a mama’s boy. Growing up, Mom was always a friend, and I’m thankful that she is today as well. Thank you, Mom, for all that you do. I love you.

Concord Road [video]

Today, I present the second history video on Jordan’s Journey. The first video, Suttle’s Mill, was just a short teaser to get things started. This new video, Concord Road, takes the concept a bit further.

Concord Road is one of the more minor roads in the East Armuchee Valley. It’s not a main thruway, and most of the road has never been paved. My Pope family ancestors lived along this road—and some of the other Pope descendants still do today. The video above should give you a good idea of what things are like in the Armuchee Valley. There’s probably much more history surrounding Concord Road than I know, but this is just one part of my effort to preserve the area’s history (not just my specific family lines). If you have any interesting tidbits, please let me know.

Take special notice of the music in this piece. I asked my friend Michael Harren to compose music for my Jordan’s Journey videos using Sacred Harp as a creative springboard. His score for this piece more than exceeded my expectations. The music is forward-thinking yet explores the past interestingly and creatively–which is exactly what Jordan’s Journey is about.

Thanks to Tammy Bartlett and Christy Bartlett for their assistance in making this video. You were a lovely crew to work with!

What kind of videos would you like to see in the future? I want to continue documenting the history this way, so hit me up in the comments below and let me know what you want to see. And if you have any old video footage of Villanow, Subligna, or anywhere in the area, please also get in touch.

Suttle’s Mill [video]

This week I am proud to bring you the first video for Jordan’s Journey since the original book trailer. This video is about Suttle’s Mill in the area known as Green Bush in the West Armuchee Valley of Walker County, Georgia. This is a very short film, a quickly digestible experiment to get things started if you will. You’d be amazed at how much work goes into creating something so brief. Ah… the things we do for art and genealogy!

A special thanks goes out to Michael Harren for working with me on this project. He provided the beautiful score cues. You can look forward to more original scoring from Michael in future Jordan’s Journey videos. I know I am!

The photo of Suttle’s Mill, taken in about the 1940s, was contributed by Kim Hendren. Ken digitized the image from the collection of Frank Shaw of Davis Crossroads, Georgia. Both Kim and Frank are descendants of the Suttle family.

The photo of the Puryear & Hunt general store is from the collection of Evelyn Morgan Shahan, generously shared by her daughter Judy Blackstock. This particular photo seems to be somewhat widespread in collections of Armuchee Valley families as I have encountered at least two others who have antique copies of the image. It’s a wonderful shot and I am grateful it has survived the generations.

To learn more about Green Bush be sure to read Jordan’s Journey. If you have any photos or other information to share, please leave a comment and get in touch.