Rainwater Ramsey at one time owned all of the mountain called "Ramsey
Ridge." It was purchased for 10 cents an acre. He was a Civil War Veteran but
was not injured during the war. Rainwater gave all of his kids a parcel of land on Ramsey Ridge. He and his wife are burried at Caney Fork Church Cemetery on Ramsey's Ridge.
Elbert(Bird) Ramsey told on 2-13-1927, that his father Rainwater was born
and raised on Gravel Lick Creek.
James Roland Stanley,his son-in-law,told on 3-10-1936 that Rainwater served some time in The Civil War in The Confederate Army, but I don't know the number of his company or the names of his officers. He says that Rainwater and Universal moved from Russell County to what is now Dickenson County- at the Buchanan Place near Dog Patch Gap during the first year of The Civil War.(1861)

!Note: Vista (Fields) Smith says in 1994 that the name of the church was "Caney Fork Church of Jesus Christ of United Baptists" shortened to "Caney Fork Church of United Baptists".

Also source=Patricia Straube-11710, 3/98.; lists marriage at Clintwood, Russell Co, Va.;Note: 1850 Fed, Census of Russell Co, Va.; 1870 Fed. Census of Wise Co, Va.

Buchanan County Civil War Web Page, Grundy,Va.24614, ; lists "Ramsey, Rainwater- Colleys Co, CPB E: 5-1-63, Co. E, 21st Va E: 6-1-63, Age 30 in 1860. Resident of Sandlick (McClure), Raised at Grandlick in Russell Co., Married Universal Franklin. He was son of Billy and Sukie (Bush) Ramsey. Buried on Ramsey Ridge."

Ref=The Appalachian Quarterly- September 2000; Rainwater Ramsey, b.11-11-1829, Russell Co, VA, married 1849 in Clintwood, Russell Co, VA, to Universal Franklin, b.1832, Russell Co, VA,(daughter of James Franklin & Nancy Amburgery) d.4-22-1909, Dickenson Co, VA. Rainwater died 1-9-1902, Dick. Co, VA, buried Caney Fork Church Cemetery, Dick. Co, VA. He served in Company E, 21st Virginia Cavalry (CSA) (Russell County Civil War Website )
It has been said that Rainwater was a full-blooded Indian. It is almost certain, however, that three of his four grandparents: Joel Ramsey, Abigail Freeman, and Austin Bush had no native American ancestry. The ancestry of Austin Bush's wife, Nancy is unknown at this time. The above mentioned Bush family web site reports that she was said to have been "Cherokee" Another possibility is that her surname may have been Rainwater.
For more information about this North Carolina family and the frequent erroneous claims to an "Indian Princess" see The Rainwater Connection . (Information about the descendants of Rainwater Ramsey comes from Roger S. Roop)

Page 2-B The Dickenson Star / Cumberland Times Wednesday, September 10, 2003.

Rainwater Ramsey built first house on Ramsey Ridge
By Anita Belcher

There has been much interest in Rainwater Ramsey over the years, partly due to his unusual name and partly due to his Indian background, and there have been many facts and much fiction written about him and the pioneer members of his family.
As time has passed, some of the facts and fiction have developed into legends and myths that have grown with the telling.
Of course, the facts are true, a part of our history, the legends are interesting as long as they don't hurt the feelings of family members who are still living.
We need to keep in mind that Rainwater was part Indian and the Indians had their lifestyle, the same as we have ours.
I know I was fascinated when one of the older of Rainwater's kin told me that he (Rainwater) slept in a hollow log in front of the fireplace, and still another told me that when Rainwater first came into the area, he lived in a big hollow tree, big enough for his horse, too!
That sounds strange to many folks living today, but keep in mind that in those days our virgin timber was six to eight feet in diameter!
We are indebted to Angelean Stanley Mullins for sharing the following letter with us from her aunt Cordella (Della) Stanley Whitt, daughter of Roley and Susie Ramsey Stanley and granddaughter of Rainwater and Universal (Una) Franklin Ramsey.
Della is also the sister of Angelean's father, Willard E. Stanley (I will not share the personal family stories that are mentioned in Mrs. Whitt's letter, only the history.) Mrs. Whitt was 87 years old when she corresponded with Mrs. Mullins.
She wrote:
Dear Angelean, About my grandfather, Rainwater Ramsey, I don't ever remember even seeing a picture of him.
He died before I was born, but the last time I saw my sister, Hannah, who lived in St. Paul, she told me that she remembered him well.
" She was several years older than I. She said he was a small man with a mustache and a little beard on his chin. She told me that he was a nice - looking man and when he was dressed up, he looked like a judge .
" I am sending you a picture of his old home place which was the first home built on Ramsey Ridge, and the ridge was named for him. He built the house himself. It had four large rooms, two upstairs and two downstairs. I can remember it before the back part fell in.
"The chimney was in the center with a large fireplace in the back kitchen, also the same in the living room downstairs. The four girls slept upstairs. Over the main living room there was a small hallway between the main room and the kitchen, and steps went up to the hallway to the upstairs rooms.
"The boys slept over the kitchen part and Grandma and Grandpa slept in the main room downstairs. I can remember when the family would all gather in and have dinner at the old home place. My Grandpa and Grandmother were dead then.
" I can well remember the Blue Willow dishes on a shelf in the kitchen. My Grandpa Ramsey was the first man in that part of the country to buy a cook stove and also a sewing machine. Mother also had a sewing machine but it got burned up when our house burned when I was about 9 years old.
"My Aunt Polly (Polly Ann) called 'Pop' was still living in the old home when they tore it down in 1928. That was the same year I was married, Dec. 1. I cried my eyes out to see the old home torn down.
"They built Aunt Polly a one room cabin down the hill at a spring, then my dad (Roley) took the remaining logs and built a church. Now they have a church building in place of the old one.
"I am sending you a picture of the old Ramsey home when Aunt Polly and Uncle Charlie were still living with Uncle Charlie sitting on the porch and Aunt Polly standing in the doorway"
(This picture got misplaced or was borrowed and not returned. If anyone has it, or one like it, please let me know and I will pass the information or picture on to Angelean. My address is Box AA, Haysi, VA. 24256.)
"Uncle Charlie died when I was about 16 years old but Aunt Polly lived a few years longer. When she got sick her niece, my Uncle Bird's daughter, Dora, took her home with her and kept her until she died. She was buried xxxxx in the graveyard on what they call Little Ramsey Ridge, a few miles above Stratton.
"My Uncle Bird lived there on the 30 acres my Grandfather Ramsey gave him. He was still living when I was married. My mother and I rode horseback to see Aunt Polly not long before she died at my cousin Dora's home. Mother lived about 8 years after that. She was the last of the family of 14.
"I wish I could tell you more but that is all I can think of right now. I am getting old, going on 88 years old. I wish I could see you. Write me when you can. God Bless you."
I am sure that all of you interested in family history have appreciated this letter especially those of you xxx xxx xxx own family tree to any branch of either of these families Mrs. Whitt wrote about.
My grandmother on my mother's side was Belle Stanley Fuller, so naturally I am very interested in all this information, but another thing that immediately "jumped out" at me was the mention of the Blue Willow dishes.
I am a collector of old dishes and I know that back in those days a set of Blue Willow was a rarity, and today if one could find an original set, they would be quite expensive!
I'm sure, like me, you'll be looking forward to parts of another letter written by Mrs. Whitt and loaned to us by Angelean S. Mullins, as well as one or two very interesting pictures!
(Picture of Rainwater Ramsey (left) was one of the earliest settlers on Ramsey Ridge, which is named for him. He is pictured with his wife, Universal 'Una' Franklin Stanley.)