The Yancey Journal
Logger, Board Splitter, Railroad Man
Doc Autrey
December 1981
At the suggestion of a neighbor, I paid Doc Autrey a visit recently. Now, Doc doesn't have a great long bunch of achievements to relate and he does fee the effects of doing hard work all his life. However, he has a good sense of humor and seems to enjoy people. Doc's hearing is not as good as it once was and he wears a hearing aid. But Doc might well be considered as "an old timer" in the Busick or Celo community and people thereabouts speak well of him.
I must part way apologize to Doc, and especially his wife, Nellie, for just showing up at their door and telling them I wrote for the Yancey Journal, and I would like to write a story about Doc's life. Mrs. Autrey viewed me with a bit of suspicion even though they subscribe to the Journal and said they were enjoying the stories they had been reading, but somehow they couldn't very well equate me with that fellow who wrote them. Anyway, this didn't seem to bother Doc too much and the first thing you know we were swapping stories, slapping backs as we laughed and Doc posed willingly for the picture you see here. In fact, he was a little shy when I tried to get him to smile.
Doc Autrey was born on Seven Mile Ridge, August 8, 1897. His parents were Commodore Autrey and Sadie Laws Autrey. Commodore was from the Seven Mile Ridge area but Sadie came from Kentucky. They had eight children of which Doc was the oldest boy.
Doc spent his boyhood up and down the Toe River. They only had three months of school each year and Doc managed to finish the 5th grade on three months per year.
Commodore Autrey was a farmer and so all the children had to work on the farm. Doc said he worked on the farm from the time he could lift a hoe and he got up at daylight to start working.
His first paying job was working to build the railroad from Black Mountain across the Blue Ridge to Mt. Mitchell. The company he worked for was Furley and Crockett which came from Pennsylvania. Doc was about 16 years old when he started working with them as that was as young as they would hire. He worked as a section hand carrying and leveling up the rails and ties. "It seems I have carried rocks all my life," says Doc.
The railroad started at Black Mountain, came up the Toe River Gap and across the Blue Ridge at the Pinnacle. There were three skidders who would help bring the logs down to where they could be loaded on rail cars. The crew had to live on the mountain in pole cabins with cracks daubed with moss. "That moss was thick and heavy and grew in abundance," said Doc, "and it made the place warm and livable."
In 1916, Doc was working in Marion for the Southern Railroad, and that was the year of the big flood. (The flood was mentioned in an earlier article). The railroad was completely washed away from the Blue Ridge on down. Doc recalls how hard the foremen were on them, making the men build the railroad back.
In 1920, Doc married his firt wife, Julie Gouge. (Her father was a railroad foreman but Doc had never worked for him). They had courted for three years before they got married.
Doc and Julie went to housekeeping on Colbert's Creek in a two room log cabin. Doc said, "you could track yourself from the bed to the fireplace when you got up in the morning to build a fire, especially if it had snowed." There were two children born of this marriage, but sadly, Julie died about four years later.
When Doc got married, he was driving a team of mules; "a mule skinner." He hauled tan bark chestnut wood, or just anything to keep those mules busy. He later bought himself a team of mules, and this, according to Doc, "put me out of the mule business. I sold them and never wanted to fool with another mule."
Doc registered for the Arm in WWI, but was never called. He did get into the logging business and logged off and on from then until about 1972.
In 1926, Doc and Nellie McMahan were married. She was the daughter of Elic McMahan. There were seven children born of this marriage, five boys and two girls.
According to Doc, he never owned more than 15 acres of land. He has now divided that up amoung (sic) his children, and two of his children live close by. Doc and Nellie share a modest, but comfortable, residence and we enjoyed sitting out in the side yard in the sunshine while we talked.
Doc's last job was with the U. S. Forest Service. His boss was Johnny McLain and he worked for him for about six and one half years making boards. Doc estimates he has made 133,000 boards ranging in widths from 3" to 12". I asked how he knew just how many he had made. He said they were put on ricks of 250 to a rick and he knew how many ricks he had made each day and multiplied that by the days he had worked. He said he made all those boards (I call them shingles) that you see in the new renovation of the buildings at the Carolina Hemlock Campgrounds.
Doc says he has always led a clean life and has never been arrested. He hasn't drunk a drop of liquor since 1942; moreover, he never drank as much as five gallons in his whole life.
He owes his longevity to hard work which has helped him sleep good at nights. He recommends that young people leave off whiskey, take good care of their health, and stay out of trouble. "The Good Book says," according to Doc, "Honor your father and mother and your days will be prolonged."
I enjoyed talking to Doc and would look forward to seeing him again. I do wonder what Mrs. Autrey and perhaps a couple of Doc's children are thinking about that man who came up there with paper and pen and a camera in his hand and started writing and taking pictures of her husband and their father. I'll try to explain better next time.
Husband of Julia Ann Gouge and Nellie McMahan. Son of Commodore Autrey and Sada Sparks.
Logger, Board Splitter, Railroad Man
Doc Autrey
December 1981
At the suggestion of a neighbor, I paid Doc Autrey a visit recently. Now, Doc doesn't have a great long bunch of achievements to relate and he does fee the effects of doing hard work all his life. However, he has a good sense of humor and seems to enjoy people. Doc's hearing is not as good as it once was and he wears a hearing aid. But Doc might well be considered as "an old timer" in the Busick or Celo community and people thereabouts speak well of him.
I must part way apologize to Doc, and especially his wife, Nellie, for just showing up at their door and telling them I wrote for the Yancey Journal, and I would like to write a story about Doc's life. Mrs. Autrey viewed me with a bit of suspicion even though they subscribe to the Journal and said they were enjoying the stories they had been reading, but somehow they couldn't very well equate me with that fellow who wrote them. Anyway, this didn't seem to bother Doc too much and the first thing you know we were swapping stories, slapping backs as we laughed and Doc posed willingly for the picture you see here. In fact, he was a little shy when I tried to get him to smile.
Doc Autrey was born on Seven Mile Ridge, August 8, 1897. His parents were Commodore Autrey and Sadie Laws Autrey. Commodore was from the Seven Mile Ridge area but Sadie came from Kentucky. They had eight children of which Doc was the oldest boy.
Doc spent his boyhood up and down the Toe River. They only had three months of school each year and Doc managed to finish the 5th grade on three months per year.
Commodore Autrey was a farmer and so all the children had to work on the farm. Doc said he worked on the farm from the time he could lift a hoe and he got up at daylight to start working.
His first paying job was working to build the railroad from Black Mountain across the Blue Ridge to Mt. Mitchell. The company he worked for was Furley and Crockett which came from Pennsylvania. Doc was about 16 years old when he started working with them as that was as young as they would hire. He worked as a section hand carrying and leveling up the rails and ties. "It seems I have carried rocks all my life," says Doc.
The railroad started at Black Mountain, came up the Toe River Gap and across the Blue Ridge at the Pinnacle. There were three skidders who would help bring the logs down to where they could be loaded on rail cars. The crew had to live on the mountain in pole cabins with cracks daubed with moss. "That moss was thick and heavy and grew in abundance," said Doc, "and it made the place warm and livable."
In 1916, Doc was working in Marion for the Southern Railroad, and that was the year of the big flood. (The flood was mentioned in an earlier article). The railroad was completely washed away from the Blue Ridge on down. Doc recalls how hard the foremen were on them, making the men build the railroad back.
In 1920, Doc married his firt wife, Julie Gouge. (Her father was a railroad foreman but Doc had never worked for him). They had courted for three years before they got married.
Doc and Julie went to housekeeping on Colbert's Creek in a two room log cabin. Doc said, "you could track yourself from the bed to the fireplace when you got up in the morning to build a fire, especially if it had snowed." There were two children born of this marriage, but sadly, Julie died about four years later.
When Doc got married, he was driving a team of mules; "a mule skinner." He hauled tan bark chestnut wood, or just anything to keep those mules busy. He later bought himself a team of mules, and this, according to Doc, "put me out of the mule business. I sold them and never wanted to fool with another mule."
Doc registered for the Arm in WWI, but was never called. He did get into the logging business and logged off and on from then until about 1972.
In 1926, Doc and Nellie McMahan were married. She was the daughter of Elic McMahan. There were seven children born of this marriage, five boys and two girls.
According to Doc, he never owned more than 15 acres of land. He has now divided that up amoung (sic) his children, and two of his children live close by. Doc and Nellie share a modest, but comfortable, residence and we enjoyed sitting out in the side yard in the sunshine while we talked.
Doc's last job was with the U. S. Forest Service. His boss was Johnny McLain and he worked for him for about six and one half years making boards. Doc estimates he has made 133,000 boards ranging in widths from 3" to 12". I asked how he knew just how many he had made. He said they were put on ricks of 250 to a rick and he knew how many ricks he had made each day and multiplied that by the days he had worked. He said he made all those boards (I call them shingles) that you see in the new renovation of the buildings at the Carolina Hemlock Campgrounds.
Doc says he has always led a clean life and has never been arrested. He hasn't drunk a drop of liquor since 1942; moreover, he never drank as much as five gallons in his whole life.
He owes his longevity to hard work which has helped him sleep good at nights. He recommends that young people leave off whiskey, take good care of their health, and stay out of trouble. "The Good Book says," according to Doc, "Honor your father and mother and your days will be prolonged."
I enjoyed talking to Doc and would look forward to seeing him again. I do wonder what Mrs. Autrey and perhaps a couple of Doc's children are thinking about that man who came up there with paper and pen and a camera in his hand and started writing and taking pictures of her husband and their father. I'll try to explain better next time.
Husband of Julia Ann Gouge and Nellie McMahan. Son of Commodore Autrey and Sada Sparks.
The Yancey Journal
Logger, Board Splitter, Railroad Man
Doc Autrey
December 1981
At the suggestion of a neighbor, I paid Doc Autrey a visit recently. Now, Doc doesn't have a great long bunch of achievements to relate and he does fee the effects of doing hard work all his life. However, he has a good sense of humor and seems to enjoy people. Doc's hearing is not as good as it once was and he wears a hearing aid. But Doc might well be considered as "an old timer" in the Busick or Celo community and people thereabouts speak well of him.
I must part way apologize to Doc, and especially his wife, Nellie, for just showing up at their door and telling them I wrote for the Yancey Journal, and I would like to write a story about Doc's life. Mrs. Autrey viewed me with a bit of suspicion even though they subscribe to the Journal and said they were enjoying the stories they had been reading, but somehow they couldn't very well equate me with that fellow who wrote them. Anyway, this didn't seem to bother Doc too much and the first thing you know we were swapping stories, slapping backs as we laughed and Doc posed willingly for the picture you see here. In fact, he was a little shy when I tried to get him to smile.
Doc Autrey was born on Seven Mile Ridge, August 8, 1897. His parents were Commodore Autrey and Sadie Laws Autrey. Commodore was from the Seven Mile Ridge area but Sadie came from Kentucky. They had eight children of which Doc was the oldest boy.
Doc spent his boyhood up and down the Toe River. They only had three months of school each year and Doc managed to finish the 5th grade on three months per year.
Commodore Autrey was a farmer and so all the children had to work on the farm. Doc said he worked on the farm from the time he could lift a hoe and he got up at daylight to start working.
His first paying job was working to build the railroad from Black Mountain across the Blue Ridge to Mt. Mitchell. The company he worked for was Furley and Crockett which came from Pennsylvania. Doc was about 16 years old when he started working with them as that was as young as they would hire. He worked as a section hand carrying and leveling up the rails and ties. "It seems I have carried rocks all my life," says Doc.
The railroad started at Black Mountain, came up the Toe River Gap and across the Blue Ridge at the Pinnacle. There were three skidders who would help bring the logs down to where they could be loaded on rail cars. The crew had to live on the mountain in pole cabins with cracks daubed with moss. "That moss was thick and heavy and grew in abundance," said Doc, "and it made the place warm and livable."
In 1916, Doc was working in Marion for the Southern Railroad, and that was the year of the big flood. (The flood was mentioned in an earlier article). The railroad was completely washed away from the Blue Ridge on down. Doc recalls how hard the foremen were on them, making the men build the railroad back.
In 1920, Doc married his firt wife, Julie Gouge. (Her father was a railroad foreman but Doc had never worked for him). They had courted for three years before they got married.
Doc and Julie went to housekeeping on Colbert's Creek in a two room log cabin. Doc said, "you could track yourself from the bed to the fireplace when you got up in the morning to build a fire, especially if it had snowed." There were two children born of this marriage, but sadly, Julie died about four years later.
When Doc got married, he was driving a team of mules; "a mule skinner." He hauled tan bark chestnut wood, or just anything to keep those mules busy. He later bought himself a team of mules, and this, according to Doc, "put me out of the mule business. I sold them and never wanted to fool with another mule."
Doc registered for the Arm in WWI, but was never called. He did get into the logging business and logged off and on from then until about 1972.
In 1926, Doc and Nellie McMahan were married. She was the daughter of Elic McMahan. There were seven children born of this marriage, five boys and two girls.
According to Doc, he never owned more than 15 acres of land. He has now divided that up amoung (sic) his children, and two of his children live close by. Doc and Nellie share a modest, but comfortable, residence and we enjoyed sitting out in the side yard in the sunshine while we talked.
Doc's last job was with the U. S. Forest Service. His boss was Johnny McLain and he worked for him for about six and one half years making boards. Doc estimates he has made 133,000 boards ranging in widths from 3" to 12". I asked how he knew just how many he had made. He said they were put on ricks of 250 to a rick and he knew how many ricks he had made each day and multiplied that by the days he had worked. He said he made all those boards (I call them shingles) that you see in the new renovation of the buildings at the Carolina Hemlock Campgrounds.
Doc says he has always led a clean life and has never been arrested. He hasn't drunk a drop of liquor since 1942; moreover, he never drank as much as five gallons in his whole life.
He owes his longevity to hard work which has helped him sleep good at nights. He recommends that young people leave off whiskey, take good care of their health, and stay out of trouble. "The Good Book says," according to Doc, "Honor your father and mother and your days will be prolonged."
I enjoyed talking to Doc and would look forward to seeing him again. I do wonder what Mrs. Autrey and perhaps a couple of Doc's children are thinking about that man who came up there with paper and pen and a camera in his hand and started writing and taking pictures of her husband and their father. I'll try to explain better next time.
Husband of Julia Ann Gouge and Nellie McMahan. Son of Commodore Autrey and Sada Sparks.
Logger, Board Splitter, Railroad Man
Doc Autrey
December 1981
At the suggestion of a neighbor, I paid Doc Autrey a visit recently. Now, Doc doesn't have a great long bunch of achievements to relate and he does fee the effects of doing hard work all his life. However, he has a good sense of humor and seems to enjoy people. Doc's hearing is not as good as it once was and he wears a hearing aid. But Doc might well be considered as "an old timer" in the Busick or Celo community and people thereabouts speak well of him.
I must part way apologize to Doc, and especially his wife, Nellie, for just showing up at their door and telling them I wrote for the Yancey Journal, and I would like to write a story about Doc's life. Mrs. Autrey viewed me with a bit of suspicion even though they subscribe to the Journal and said they were enjoying the stories they had been reading, but somehow they couldn't very well equate me with that fellow who wrote them. Anyway, this didn't seem to bother Doc too much and the first thing you know we were swapping stories, slapping backs as we laughed and Doc posed willingly for the picture you see here. In fact, he was a little shy when I tried to get him to smile.
Doc Autrey was born on Seven Mile Ridge, August 8, 1897. His parents were Commodore Autrey and Sadie Laws Autrey. Commodore was from the Seven Mile Ridge area but Sadie came from Kentucky. They had eight children of which Doc was the oldest boy.
Doc spent his boyhood up and down the Toe River. They only had three months of school each year and Doc managed to finish the 5th grade on three months per year.
Commodore Autrey was a farmer and so all the children had to work on the farm. Doc said he worked on the farm from the time he could lift a hoe and he got up at daylight to start working.
His first paying job was working to build the railroad from Black Mountain across the Blue Ridge to Mt. Mitchell. The company he worked for was Furley and Crockett which came from Pennsylvania. Doc was about 16 years old when he started working with them as that was as young as they would hire. He worked as a section hand carrying and leveling up the rails and ties. "It seems I have carried rocks all my life," says Doc.
The railroad started at Black Mountain, came up the Toe River Gap and across the Blue Ridge at the Pinnacle. There were three skidders who would help bring the logs down to where they could be loaded on rail cars. The crew had to live on the mountain in pole cabins with cracks daubed with moss. "That moss was thick and heavy and grew in abundance," said Doc, "and it made the place warm and livable."
In 1916, Doc was working in Marion for the Southern Railroad, and that was the year of the big flood. (The flood was mentioned in an earlier article). The railroad was completely washed away from the Blue Ridge on down. Doc recalls how hard the foremen were on them, making the men build the railroad back.
In 1920, Doc married his firt wife, Julie Gouge. (Her father was a railroad foreman but Doc had never worked for him). They had courted for three years before they got married.
Doc and Julie went to housekeeping on Colbert's Creek in a two room log cabin. Doc said, "you could track yourself from the bed to the fireplace when you got up in the morning to build a fire, especially if it had snowed." There were two children born of this marriage, but sadly, Julie died about four years later.
When Doc got married, he was driving a team of mules; "a mule skinner." He hauled tan bark chestnut wood, or just anything to keep those mules busy. He later bought himself a team of mules, and this, according to Doc, "put me out of the mule business. I sold them and never wanted to fool with another mule."
Doc registered for the Arm in WWI, but was never called. He did get into the logging business and logged off and on from then until about 1972.
In 1926, Doc and Nellie McMahan were married. She was the daughter of Elic McMahan. There were seven children born of this marriage, five boys and two girls.
According to Doc, he never owned more than 15 acres of land. He has now divided that up amoung (sic) his children, and two of his children live close by. Doc and Nellie share a modest, but comfortable, residence and we enjoyed sitting out in the side yard in the sunshine while we talked.
Doc's last job was with the U. S. Forest Service. His boss was Johnny McLain and he worked for him for about six and one half years making boards. Doc estimates he has made 133,000 boards ranging in widths from 3" to 12". I asked how he knew just how many he had made. He said they were put on ricks of 250 to a rick and he knew how many ricks he had made each day and multiplied that by the days he had worked. He said he made all those boards (I call them shingles) that you see in the new renovation of the buildings at the Carolina Hemlock Campgrounds.
Doc says he has always led a clean life and has never been arrested. He hasn't drunk a drop of liquor since 1942; moreover, he never drank as much as five gallons in his whole life.
He owes his longevity to hard work which has helped him sleep good at nights. He recommends that young people leave off whiskey, take good care of their health, and stay out of trouble. "The Good Book says," according to Doc, "Honor your father and mother and your days will be prolonged."
I enjoyed talking to Doc and would look forward to seeing him again. I do wonder what Mrs. Autrey and perhaps a couple of Doc's children are thinking about that man who came up there with paper and pen and a camera in his hand and started writing and taking pictures of her husband and their father. I'll try to explain better next time.
Husband of Julia Ann Gouge and Nellie McMahan. Son of Commodore Autrey and Sada Sparks.
Family Members
Parents
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
