22 SWORDS CREEK (BUTCHER KNIFE)

22 SWORDS CREEK (BUTCHER KNIFE)

According to available records, Henry and Michael Sword were Long Hunters in the Northeastern corner of Russell County. The pioneer settlement at the confluence of a creek with Clinch River and the entire creek basin was named Swords Creek. The first settlers located along the river and for a short distance up the main creek.

Priscilla Hunt and her family owned the land on the west side of the creek where the school building now stands. Her sons, Thomas and William Hunt, were prominent leaders in the isolated backwoods community. James Madison owned land adjoining that of the Hunts. Madison, an absentee owner, was a cousin of President James Madison.

Other pioneers were Harris Wilson, William Samples, William Clark, and John Davis.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Swords Creek was a riproaring railroad center. The trains served the people who lived up Clark Valley, on Kents Ridge, over to Little River and up all the tributary creeks, hollows and ridges to the top of DIvide Ridge and beyond into Buchanan County.

Thomas W. Davis, a surveyor and agent for the Warder lands, owned many choice pieces of property in and around Swords Creek. Mentioned in his will is "the hotel house". Davis bequeathed the Hotel House, a magnificient two-story frame building to a grandson, A,W, Davis. The building burned about 1910. Mrs. A,W,Davis now lives in a modern brick home on the site of the hotel house.

There were two other hotels in the town Charles and Bess Banner owned and managed a two story frame hotel near the N & W depot. It was discontinued during the Depression. The Runyon Hotel was upstairs over a store building. Bob Runyon sold the building and stock of merchandise to Roby Gibson about 1920. Luther Barrett owned a store near the Runyon Hotel. Barrett was Postmaster at that time and had the Post Office in the store.

Other merchants in the town were Charlie DeBord, William Rogers, Beverly and Will Wysor, Elbert Duncan, and Walter Clark.

John Gibson had a blacksmith and wagon shop on the outskirts of the town. He also sold factory-made coffins.

Patton Miller's general store at the junction of Miller Creek with Swords Creek did a thriving business for more than one half century.

Drayton Horton owned and operated a general mercantile business near the present log church on Pine Creek. Horton sold the business to Charles Miller who resold to J.M. Sloan. Later Bill Keene ran a small store at the same location.

On Sulphur SPring Creek, Marion Miller and Ed Whited were merchants at different locations. (Miller at Lynn Spring, Whited at Dye)

The town and countryside had resident medical men. In the late 1800s, Dr. John F. Mays lived on Pine Creek and practiced over a wide area. Dr. Mays bought the Sparrell Boyd home and farm. The property is now owned by Clarence Steele. Dr. Mays moved to the town of Swords Creek about 1905 and later to Oklahoma Dr. E.P. Whited followed Dr. Mays.

In the meantime, Dr. William Whitt supposedly lived up the Jim Call Hollow. Dr. Whitt was a horse and buggy dentist. He drove over the country and practiced in the patient customer's homes. He died quite young. Recently a dental surgeon examined some of Dr. Whitt's gold crowns. The dental surgeon says the quality of the work is super excellent.

In the early 1920's, Mrs. Mattie Cassion Vencille, a french miliner had a shop near the Runyon Hotel, and Bug Hale was the town's lady barber.

Early Swords Creek was somewhat like some of the wild west towns. There are still some unsolved murders and according to legend, there was a hanging tree in a wooded hollow. So the town got the nickname, Butcher Knife. Submitted by: Vivian Boyd.

Published in "Heritage of Russell County Virginia 1786-1986".

Contributed by Linda Sword Peterson.