I wanted to share this Story and Wedding Photo of my grandparents-John Henry Solomon and Vena Mae Huffman with the community. Location: Lynchburg, Tennessee United States. Date: 6 Feb 1923.
Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (812 x 1561).
A Penny In Your Pocket
You come into the world with not a cent to your name. On any given day, John Henry Solomon usually only had one penny in his overalls pocket. Each ten years when the census taker would come around in Lynchburg, Tennessee , Henry would always have one cent in his pocket.
Henry and his wife Vena Mae Huffman lived off their land. They might not have been the richest people in rural Lynchburg, but they had love and three kids : Christine, Richard, & Robbie. They were poor farmers who raised chickens, hogs, corn, tobacco & sugar cane. They only had one old mule to plow the fields. But they were fortunate to be able to live in a 2 story wooden plank house, with 3 bedrooms and an outhouse just out back of the house. In order to keep the air from coming Inside of their house walls, the walls were papered with the local black and white newspaper. You could certainly appreciate every inch of newspaper on the walls because you could see the dark brown dirt peeping through the floor cracks, while looking at the wooden planked floor. They probably could have used some newspapers on the floors too.
There were no magazines or books sitting around to read, nor was there very much wooden furniture to sit on. A small chicken coop Sat outback from the kitchen where the hens would lay their eggs. At all times of the year, there was always a large garden growing out back behind the house . The barn outback of their house housed the hogs, and the old mule.
In 1970, just like the old mule, the Solomon's we’re getting up in age. On top of aging, getting around slower, and just barely making ends meet, they got devastating news. They were going to be forced to move from their old home place, completely out of their area.
The Tennessee Valley Authority would be giving them a mere ten cents an acre for their land. They were crushed. The Tim’s Ford Dam was being built, flooding the valley where they lived forcing them to move. Henry and his wife, Vena Mae Huffman decided they would move to Estill Springs, Tennessee, into a small brick house at 109 Elkins Street.
They had lived in Coopers Branch in rural Lynchburg, Tennessee most of their life. Even though the Solomon’s lived down a dirt road in this rural area, that area was filled with beautiful trees, bustling hills, creeks, and springs. That beauty and rural living is really all they knew . One of the most worthy, useful features in the area, was a beautiful spring. The Spring’s gushing cold water was running down the hill directly across the street from their farm. The Solomon’s felt they were one of the fortunate families around . They had a water box on their back porch, meaning fresh water came right up to their door from that spring. They did not have to walk far and carry buckets to bring water in, just to have fresh water to drink, or wash clothes, or bath. People from miles around would come daily and bring their pales or buckets to get fresh spring water from their Spring at Coopers Branch, just so they could take it home. The Solomon’s moving to the City life of Estill Springs, was going to be totally different living. They survived the move and made friends in Estill Springs. About 2 years before my grandpa died, he was living in a nursing home. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s and Dementia had set in. Watching my grandpa’s decline in health, was such a difficult thing to watch. Even though my grandpa was hit with two debilitating diseases, he could still remember songs. Grandpa especially remembered his favorite songs. The last song I remember my grandpa singing was, “ The old gray goose came flying home, flying home.” I guess, Grandpa Henry came flying home with his one penny in his overalls pocket, and a smile on his face.
Currently the Solomon house in Estill Springs is occupied by the town celebrity-The Mayor.
Written by : Granddaughter Terri Solomon-2474
