FAMILY HISTORY
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INTRODUCTION BY DR. JEANNE PORTER-KING
In July 1981, the second VanLier-McCurdy Family Reunion was held in Dickson/Cumberland Furnace, TN. At that time, highlights of our family's history were shared through oral tradition by our Uncle Arris VanLier, the only remaining son of Jonah VanLier and Cadonia VanLier.
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Cumberland Furnace is located some 50 to 60 miles west of Nashville, Tennessee, near the Cumberland River. In 1790, James Robertson built the first ironworks furnace west of the Alleghenies in Cumberland Furnace. He sold the furnace to Montgomery Bell in 1812. A. W. Van Leer (a white man) purchased it from Mr. Bell during the Civil War. The chief function of the furnace was to produce munitions for American wars. The facility closed in 1924, reopened in 1937, but then closed permanently soon after. It was torn down and moved to an unknown location. In Dickson County, Tennessee remains a small town, Van Leer, TN.
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HISTORY ACCORDING TO ARRIS VANLIER
Greetings! It gives me great pleasure to share with you some the memories and childhood anecdotes about our families, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives. I hope that you will be inspired to seek more information about our past, develop pride in the character and fortitude of our ancestors, and make our history a living, ongoing experience.
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About my parents: One of the earliest memories is the joy I experienced in the springtime–apple orchard in bloom and the musical harmony of the bees and birds. I was about nine years old then. I watched as Papa Set up beehives made from hallow poplar tree logs. As all boys did, I followed my brothers into the cave. They made torches out of "long johns" soaked in kerosene and attached it to sticks. We would go back a mile or more in a single file line. If Mama and Papa were living, this would probably be their first knowledge of the VanLier boys exploring expeditions!
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Another great joy and fond memory is my father's companionship. He took me many places with him–up to VanLier, to Clarksville to the tobacco auction (Papa's chief cash crop was tobacco), to Charlotte, and Dickson. These were all walking trips from Cumberland Furnace, except the trip to Clarksville–this was a combination of horse and wagon and ferry plus overnight in the "big city."
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One day, we went up on the Ridge to the Oakley Place. Suddenly, Papa said, "Son, somewhere in here is the place where I was born. I'm looking for a big oak tree that stood near the house." He found the tree and now some 60 years later, I believe that I could find that spot again.
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About my grandparents: Grandpa Wade had another name: Wade Lae. He was a free man and part Cherokee Indian. When he met, courted, and married our beautiful Grandma Betsey (an African and a slave on the VanLeer plantation) he had to take the VanLeer name, customary during this period in America. I remember him well. They had five children: Wade Jr., Samuel, Betty Eunice, Argyle and Papa, the youngest, I believe. Uncle Wade purchased land in Cumberland Furnace, not far from where they were born. He later sold it to Uncle Sam and Papa. Uncle Sam sold his portion of the land to Papa around 1913.
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I mentioned Grandpa McCurdy at the 1980 reunion. I have vivid memories of him and his spirited horse, Dolly, a branded Texas wild horse. He was the greatest grandfather–high spirited, fiery, and fearless. He lived nearby and visited us often in the fall and winter. He always came with a pocket full of candy, especially little red striped sticks, which I learned later were called peppermint. He, being a shoemaker, always repaired the children's shoes on such visits.
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About my siblings: As the children in the family approached adulthood, they went north to Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. Only one son, Clarence, returned to the farm. I returned home often to visit. My saddest trip back home was in the spring of 1946. Papa was ill and I took him to Meharry Hospital in Nashville. I returned to Cleveland and about three weeks later, my sister, Lillian, received the message that our father had died. It was my birthday, April 29, 1946. He is buried in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee. Mama stayed on the farm for a while but eventually moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she lived first with Ilma and later with Christell, her daughters. Mama passed away in February of 1970 and is buried in Columbus, Ohio.
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The following was adapted from VanLeerPlus.org
The town of Van Leer, TN remains as a permanent reminder of the history of severe oppression suffered at the hands of our ancestors. Their legacy, however, is one of resilience, faith, and progress.
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The town was named for Anthony Van Leer, the sixth child of Samuel Van Leer, who owned the land on which it stood. Anthony Van Leer (as seen on the left) purchased Cumberland Furnace between 1820 and 1825, and it was this enterprise that formed the basis for most of his wealth. The only descendant of the three Van Leer brothers known to be living in Dickson County in 1990 was a great-grandchild of Margaret Van Leer and Hardiman Stone–Mrs. Roberta Andrews.
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Dickson County records regarding slaveholdings are a good indication of the growth of Anthony's wealth–wealth attained at the enslaved hands of our ancestors. In 1820, the largest slaveholder in the county was Montgomery Bell with 83. By 1840, Anthony Van Leer had acquired the most slaves (114)–more than double any other county resident except fellow ironmaster Elias W. Napier who owned 70 slaves.
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Slavery and the Iron Industry
The use of slave labor differentiated Tennessee operations from Pennsylvania iron plantations. Since slaves were never "laid off," the plants operated constantly, leading to overproduction. Consequently, Tennessee companies found themselves in a position to undercut prices charged by Pennsylvania companies. Although most of the men involved in the Tennessee iron industry were originally from Pennsylvania, they were among the most ardent secessionists in order to keep this competitive advantage.
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Pennsylvania plantations experienced problems with runaway indentured servants. Rewards were offered for the apprehension and return of runaway servants. Runaway slaves presented more of a challenge to their owners, however. Slave patrols were routinely conducted and slaves had no legal rights to regulate the harshness of punishments. Still, slaves continued to press their luck and run toward freedom.
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Of the 114 slaves at Cumberland Furnace in 1840, most were males under the age of 35. The absence of the slave family and the young age of the workers caused whites to constantly fear an insurrection. Two threats of rebellion–one in 1835 and another in 1856–were particularly "frightening" for white citizens. The first was of little consequence to slave owners and did not progress past the rumor phase. Subsequently, the following year, the general assembly of Tennessee passed an act making it an offense to "circulate printed matter, make addresses, or preach sermons which fostered discontent or insubordination among slaves."
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The second of the "proposed insurrections" came in 1856. The entire iron district on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers was "terror-stricken" because, in many areas, the Negro population near the furnaces outnumbered whites. A keg of powder was found under a Negro church at Louisa Furnace in Montgomery County and it was assumed that rebellions at several iron furnaces had been planned.
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A Negro slave at Cumberland Furnace gave plotters away and nearly 80 slaves were accosted and arrested. A number of slaves were hung. However, this bold move toward liberation is merely marked by the "panic" that resulted in serious financial losses for furnace owners. White historians describe these events as catastrophic for the 25 furnaces that were forced to temporarily or permanently close. "Some never recovered..." (in reference to the "businesses") is indicative of the humanness that was stripped of our ancestors and reassigned to white property.
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Cumberland Furnace and the Civil War
During the Civil War, Union soldiers burned property, including homes, of Dickson County residents that would not sign an oath of allegiance. Anthony was living in Nashville by 1862. His son-in-law, Hugh Kirkman, maintained Cumberland Furnace. No records have been found of Mr. Kirkman's taking the "oath of allegiance." However, Cumberland Furnace was one of the few furnaces that were not destroyed during the Civil War.
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Anthony's granddaughter, Mary Florence Kirkman, inherited Cumberland Furnace in 1863. After marrying Union Captain James Drouillard in 1864 (immediately following the war), she was able to begin profitable operations. A second cousin, Robert B. Stone (son of Margaret Van Leer–the daughter of Anthony's brother Isaac) was employed as manager. Stone had served with Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry unit (Confederate and founder of the Ku Klux Klan). Cumberland Furnace's former slaves continued to live in the area following the war. Capt. Drouillard hired them as "free" laborers.
WORKING FAMILY TREE
Wade (Lae) Van Leer
Betsy
Van Leer
Wade Jr.
Samuel
Betty
Eunice
Argyle
Jonah
(Candonia)
Arris
Christell
Ilma
Lillian
Clarence
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
