J.H. Shuford Recalls Childhood Along Old Hop Creek, Nov. 27, 1922

Old Hop Creek

By J.H. Shuford

I wish to say something about Old Hop Creek. It has its origin near Baker’s Mountain where David Abernethy has a flour mill. It runs through the old farm of Jesse Killian and then through the farm of Jesse Hahn and runs through the farms of Humphrey Hoyle and Jacob Shuford, where it empties into Jacob’s Fork river.

In the days that are passed and gone I used to fish in this creek with a hook and line and pole. I was once fishing at the mouth of the creek and caught a large eel. Charles Hoyle and John Shuford were fishing with me at the same time. We boys of early life had much fun when we went up and down old Hp Creek. Some times at night we would wade the creek and gig fish and bullfrogs. These were pleasant days to the boys. I would like to lay the burdens of life aside and go back to old time happiness which we had along the banks of old Hop Creek. There was a b ridge across the creek on the old Shuford farm near the place where the creek finds its way into the river. On the south side of the creek near the farm of Humphrey Hoyle there was a meadow land. Here Ike and Dobb cut grass with a grass scythe. The hay was dried and put in a stock. Some of it was hauled to the barn in a wagon.

In those days the boys went bare footed. Some times a boy had a stonebruised foot. While going up and down the creek his feet were scratched and tanned. The sun would shine very hot on dog days when we went up and down old Hop Creek. Here we heard the birds sing and could see people cross the creek on the bridge on the Humphrey Hoyle farm. There was a long lane that lead to this bridge.

We school boys would travel this lane when going to school at old Snow Hill school house. Old Snow Hill school house was on the west side of the creek on a hill where he (we?) could look down on the botton land of Humphrey Hoyle which was along the creek. Uncle Abel Shuford owned the Humphrey Hoyle farm. He sold this farm and moved to Lenoir where he had a hotel. He had a mill on Hop Creek and dug a race where the water ran to the mill. Jesse Hahn lived on the creek. He was the first man in the community that operated a wooden mill where the juice was pressed from the cane. He was the first man to make molasses in the community from sugar can. We school boys played on his farm in an old field when we went to school at old Snow Hill school house.

From The Hickory Daily Record, Monday, Nov. 27, 1922