Leota Bennett grew up in Roane County, and has researched her lines for many years. She has kindly made several contributions to this web site to share with visitors. If you find any clerical errors, please contact Pat McDonald. If you find connections to the families shown here, please contact Leota. It would be appreciated if you would not submit her notes to other sites without her permission. She has additional data.
Michael Huffaker
An ancestor of the Roane County, TN Hembree and Pickel families
Prepared by Leota Bennett E-mail: rabit@preferred.com March 5, 2003
Michael Huffaker was probably born at Manheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania about 1730. His family came from Germany. The family name may sometimes be spelled differently including Hafaker, Halfaker and Hoffaker in early records. His first name may have been Johan.
Michael Huffaker is an unusual man. He was brave, intelligent, religious and a good farmer. He married at York County, Pennsylvania a Catherine Kegli (or Kitsby or similar spelling). She was probably born in Germany the daughter of George Jacob Kegli and his wife Christina Rauu. (Note: I personally believe the name was Kegli. There are still families of that name where they settled in Virginia.) After the birth of six of their children, Michael and Catherine Kegli Huffaker moved to Washington County, VA. Their 300-acre farm, Greenfield is located at Clinchburg near Saltville, Washington County, VA. This farm is not far from Smyth County, VA. After moving they had six more children for a total of 12.
The year was 1768 and this was the wild and wooly west! The farm he chose was located near the famous Great Indian War Path that ran from the Indian towns in present day northern Georgia to the shared Indian hunting grounds that extended as far north as present day Maryland. Civilization was gradually creeping westward, yet only a few families had ventured this far into the frontier to live. The nearest community or town of any size was a small community at Abingdon, Washington County, VA. Only a few people had ventured in what was to become Tennessee. Daniel Boone had rented a farm from about 1759 to 1769 in what was later to become Tennessee from the Cherokee about 50 miles from where Michael selected his farm. Many of the Indians were friendly but others were not. Indian attacks continued in that area until about 1800. There were only one-hack roads or trails on which to travel. Often only the Warpath itself had been widened to allow a pack animal to pass. There were no bridges and only a few ferries to cross the creeks and rivers in the area.
In selecting his farm, he chose as unique setting. The land in that area has both mountains and valleys. There is a strong stream that follows the west side of a very tall hill on his original farm. The hill goes almost straight up in places that allow some protection from the harsh northwest winter wind. The creek goes about half a mile then turns eastward around the base of the hill and follows a narrow gap into a beautiful piece of rolling farm land. Michael’s home was a two-story log cabin with one fireplace in the chimney that sets up on the hillside northeast of the creek. The two rooms were very large with a central door on the bottom level facing south and a ladder inside the house to reach the second floor. The position of the house allowed for safety and long-range viewing. The thick logs had places where guns could be used to protect the home if attack. Michael built his gristmill at the base of the hill at the creek within 200 feet of the house. It was built of native stones and timbers. The mill stood for many years in disuse. In 1970, the mill had begun falling down and was covered with vines and had started collecting debris from the creek when it flooded. In the 1990’s the current owners donated the inter-workings of the mill to a local restoration project. They were removed from the original site and have been placed in a reproduction gristmill near the Golf Course at Saltville, VA. The original wood was well selected and then cut for the interlocking wheels. Only a few of the wooden pieces have been lost over time. Local craftsmen will restore the missing parts and eventually the mill will be put back into operation for special events.
Michael Huffaker was a follower of the teaching of Bishop Asbury’s Methodist faith. He held church services in his frontier home with his family and neighbors in attendance. Bishop Asbury held the first Methodist conference held west of the Allegany Mountains at Michael Huffaker’s home in the late 1780’s. It was in late May and a cold spell had settled into the area. They reports found in Bishop Asbury’s personal notes tell that the men at the conference huddled together to keep warm while they met upstairs in the room with out a fire place opening. There were over 20 men huddled in the small room on narrow wood benches. The women and children were downstairs and they cooked the meal on the open fireplace. Records show that on the 100th anniversary of this same Methodist conference, the conference met again. This time they met at the Manheim Church again in late May. It had been a warm spring and the church members had removed the church’s stove, so more people could be seated. Well again the temperatures dropped and the members were very cold as they huddled together for the conference. Bishop Asbury was very complimentary about the efforts of Michael Huffaker in establishing the Methodist faith in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee. He gave Michael credit as being one of the founders of the Holston Methodist Conference that serves the Southwest Virginian and East Tennessee area today.
Michael Huffaker donated two acres of his farmland in 1802 for the Mahanaim United Methodist Church and Cemetery. This land is located on the northwest side of the hill east of the creek that flows near Michael’s home. The church has a Methodist Circuit minister and services are held weekly or bi-weekly depending on the weather.
(A personal note: I had been researching my ancestors for years. Several years ago I found out that the Michael Huffaker who was one of my ancestors was the same one who lived at Greenfield, Washington County, VA. When I found out about the donation of land for the church, I called one of my best friends who grew up at Clinchburg, VA to see if she knew where the Manheim Church was located. It was then I learned it was the church she grew up in and was married in 1968. I also realized that not only had I been by the church many times, I had been through the family farm, and by the old mill for over 30 years on many occasions.)
Where and exactly when Michael Huffaker died has not been established. Family rumors suggest he died in an Indian attack while in Virginia about 1815 or so and is buried at the Manheim Church Cemetery. This has not been proven. There is a recorded burial for Michael in church records there and no stone. Since there isn’t any officially recorded Indian attacks after 1800 in that part of Virginia, it is not likely that he would have died there in that manner. Did he go with his son, George Michael Huffaker, during the War of 1812 or 1814 to the war with the Indians against “Red-Sticks” or maybe later to Florida with General Jackson? Or could he have been taking supplies to his family members there and was ambushed by Indians on the way? His wife died in Knox County, TN.
George Michael Huffaker
The next generation
An ancestor of the Roane County, TN Hembree and Pickel families
George Michael Huffaker was born probably at Manheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania on August 07, 1757. He was the oldest of Michael and Catherine Kegli Huffaker’s 12 children. When he was about 11 years old, he and his family moved to the new family farm called Greenfield in Washington County, VA.
He was a real frontiersman. As he oldest, he would have helped his family on the farm and at home. He appears to have been a well-rounded, multi-talented man whose intelligence and talents made him a survivor of the frontier. As a young man he was a part of the local militia. During the Revolutionary War he participated in the Battle of Long Island Flats. This was a small skirmish in the flats about two miles east of the famous Long Island of the Holston River. When Ramsey wrote his annuals of Tennessee, he used George Michael’s account of the Battle of Long Island Flats. This battle is also referenced in the Draper Manuscripts. Today the location of this battle is marked by two historic markers on Memorial Boulevard and near Ross-Robinson School at Kingsport, TN. He was assigned near by Fort Henry and was in charge of the guard there at one time. (This is according reports from his obituary). The exact location of the fort has not been completely established, however it was at present day Kingsport. George Michael is reported to have fought in the War of 1812.
He married Agatha Lee or Lea on June 08, 1780 at Washington County, VA. Her parents have not been proven although other Lee/Lea families in the general area of Wythe, Smith and Washington Counties in VA were related to the famous “Lighthorse Harry Lea / Lee of Revolutionary War fame and the ancestor of General Robert E. Lee. The Lee / Lea family is a very large family like the Huffaker and other families of that era.
George Michael and Agatha Lee/Lea Huffaker had twelve (12) children. About late1781 or early 1782 the family moved to Knox County, TN to an area called Seven Islands. Seven Islands is a few miles upstream from where the French Broad River and the Holston Rivers met and form the headwaters of the Tennessee River. Pickel Island is at the juncture of the two rivers. The family operated the Huffaker Ferry there as well as farming. There is a large family cemetery at Seven Islands. And a family reunion is held there. After the death of Agatha L. Huffaker, George Michael Huffaker married Mary “Polly” Creswell about 1804. They had seven (7) children. They lived continued to live at Seven Islands.
George Michael and Agatha’s fifth child was a daughter, Catherine Huffaker born April 19, 1788 at their Seven Islands home. She married John H. Pickel, the son of Christian Pickel and his wife, Catherine Puffenbarger on March 04, 1807 at Knox County, TN. Catherine and John H. Pickel moved to a farm near present day Melton Hill Dam. At that time it was in West Knox County. They had eleven (11) children. John H. Pickel died February 13, 1847. His will was in probate in Knox County for several years while his numerous descendants were located. Catherine Huffaker died March 21, 1854. They are buried at an unnamed cemetery near the entrance to Melton Hill Dam. The dam area is now located in both Loudon and Roane Counties. Loudon County was not formed until 1870. Many of their children migrated into Roane County. Many of their descendants today live in Roane, Loudon, Anderson, Knox and other parts of Tennessee. Others migrated westward.
To research these two men, the McClung Library at Knoxville, TN and the Archives at the Washington County, VA Court House at Abingdon, VA are the Tennessee State Archives in Nashville, TN are three good starting points.