The Blockhouse Valley Turpins

On Blockhouse Valley Road in Anderson County, Tennessee there is a little place called "Turpin Spring." I first discovered it on Google Earth, and I had the opportunity to drive by it several months ago.

In an earlier post, I asked the question, "What is the origin of this place name? Could it have been the homeplace of one of the early Turpin households in Anderson County?"

If I were to find out that Martin Turpin (b: abt. 1783 in VA) or his son, James, lived there, that would indeed be a golden discovery. However, nothing seems to suggest that such was the case. In light of notes provided by John Strunk, we probably should be more inclined to believe that the homestead was closer to the Roane County line in the vicinity of present-day Oak Ridge.

Yet one reader has responded with some interesting comments regarding the Blockhouse Valley Road site:

I read your inquiry about the Turpin family on Blockhouse Valley Road. I live about 2 minutes from their old home place. Harrison and Bessie Beets Turpin had two children: Howard and Bess Turpin. They have all since died and the home place has been sold off in lots. There is a spring on the property. The farm is located in South Clinton on Blockhouse Valley Road, about one and a quater mile from 25W highway in South Clinton. Hope this helps you. Howard, the son, when he died had his ashes scattered over the farm.

A Ms. Taylor, who is a member of the Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society, provided this information by email. She lives on Blockhouse Valley Road.

The Above Photograph: The house shown in the Google Earth Street Level photograph above is at the site of the Harrison Turpin farm located on Blockhouse Valley Road near Clinton, Tennessee.

It has not yet been confirmed that Howard Turpin's ashes were scattered on the property. Carolyn Johnson notes that Howard does have a gravesite at Farmers Grove Baptist Church.

The previously cited statement by Ms. Taylor showing Howard's sister with the name "Bess" also needs to be confirmed. Carolyn Johnson notes that Howard's sister's name was actually "Mildred." While Ms. Taylor has stated that Howard's sister is deceased, it has not yet been verified whether or not she is still living. More work is needed to verify which body of information is correct.

Regarding the dividing of Harrison Turpin's farm, Carolyn Johnson notes that the farm was indeed sold off in lots, but that the house and a considerable amount of acreage went together.

After receiving Ms. Taylor's email, I spoke with her by phone. She described the Turpin property as beginning at the intersection of Blockhouse Valley Road and Lanes Bluff Road. When turning from Blockhouse Valley Road onto Lanes Bluff Road, the land running along the left hand side of Lanes Bluff Road is the area that once belonged to the Turpins.

When I asked Ms. Taylor whether or not she thought that this could have been the original homestead of the earliest Turpins to settle in the area, she stated that it very well could have been, seeing that this area is one of the oldest settled parts of Anderson County.

A quick search of the Social Security database at familysearch.org reveals that a Harrison Turpin of Clinton (Anderson County), Tennessee was born August 4, 1892 and died in December of 1970.

Carolyn Johnson has provided a few additional details about Harrison Turpin's life:

I checked the 1910 census and found Harrison Turpin living with my ggrandparents, John and Mary Johnson as a boarder. He was married in the 1920 and 1930 census.

When they [Harrison and Bessie Turpin] died, their son Howard Turpin continued to live there....

He [Howard] was crippled, I believe from polio, but he got around on a crutch and ran a service station in South Clinton for years. He was a very pleasant fellow....

When Howard died, the remaining heir was a sister whose son lived there. He died of cancer a few years ago, and the farm was sold. The beautiful old house that was there burned not long after, and the lady living there almost died in the fire. Although the house was not completely destroyed, it was razed and rebuilt. The farm is now for sale again.

A Google search of the name "Harrison Turpin" reveals a listing of gravesites at Farmers Grove Cemetery on Blockhouse Valley Road. There we learn that Harrison was born on August 4, 1892 and died on December 26, 1970. His wife, Bessie Beets Turpin, was born on November 17, 1894 and died on November 14, 1979.

Howard L. Turpin (Harrison and Bessie's son) was born June 30, 1917 and died January 15, 1985.

Readers are invited to submit any additional information regarding "Turpin Spring" and/or clues to locating the Anderson County (TN) homeplace of Martin Turpin and/or his son James.

Contact Randy Turpin at jrturpin2008@gmail.com.

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King Turpin an Insurance Agent?

The Turpin name is a rare name, so whenever I see it, my eyes open wide in search for more clues to this great Turpin family history puzzle.

Well, today I did a Google search on my grandfather's name, "King Turpin," just to see what would come up. I have Googled that name many times before, but it had been awhile. My great-grandfather was also named King Turpin.

One of the first search results surprised me. A Google Book popped up with "King Turpin" listed as a life insurance agent for 1921-1922 in Carrollton, Kentucky.

Source: The Insurance Year Book, 1921-1922: Life, Casualty and Miscellaneous (New York: The Spectator Company, 1921)

Could this King Turpin be the same as one of mine?

My great-grandfather, King Turpin, was born in Tennessee on March 16, 1875. In 1921 he would have been about 46 years old. So, as far as age is concerned, he could qualify as a match. Aunt Laura did describe King as a very smart man; in fact she said that he was "too smart." However, we have always believed that King, Sr. lived in the Knoxville, Tennessee area during the time in question.

My grandfather, King Turpin ("Little King"), was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in either 1902 or 1903. (The Social Security database says 1903.) In 1921 he would have been about 18 or 19 years old. I am not sure how old an insurance agent had to be in those days, but it is conceivable to me that he could have been an insurance agent at that point in his life. Years ago I saw an old photo of my grandfather dressed sharply in a suit and tie. Someone told me that in the photo my grandfather was 18 years old. Perhaps he could have been an insurance agent; however, until now, all we have known was that in Little King's early working years, he was first a worker in a Knoxville cotton mill, and then he became a coal miner. At some point prior to 1933 he did live in Kentucky, but as far as I know, his place of residence was Lynch, Kentucky in Harlan County--on the opposite side of the state from Carrollton.

So, where does that leave us? Was King Turpin ("Little King") ever an insurance agent? I don't know. If anyone out there has any clues, please let me know.

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Wayne M. Turpin

A number of months ago my uncle (my father's brother) , Wayne M. Turpin, died. In an effort to make this blog site a more complete database for Turpin family history, I believe that it would be fitting to include his obituary here. The following has been provided by the Bluefield Daily Telegraph in Bluefield, West Virginia (Source: http://www.bdtonline.com/obituaries/local_story_362181118.html):

THORPE — Wayne M. Turpin, 63, of Thorpe, died on Thursday, December 27, 2008 in a Martinsville, Va., hospital.

Born on August 8, 1944 in Kimball, he was a son of Bertha Church Turpin of Gary, and the late King Turpin. He had been a resident of Thorpe for one year and attended the Church of God in Welch. He was a retired press operator with 42 years of service for the Roppe Corp. in Fostoria, Ohio.

In addition to father he was preceded in death by one son, Wayne M. Turpin, Jr.; one brother, Jack Turpin; and one sister, Virginia Burks.

Survivors include: wife of 43 years: Joyce Palmer Turpin of Thorpe; five brothers: James Turpin of Princeton, Robert Turpin of Bergoon, Ohio, Melvin Turpin of Skygusty, Doug Turpin of Fostoria, Ohio, Roger Turpin of Kansas, Ohio; six sisters: Pauline Davis of Ridgeway, Ohio, Katherine Graham of Kansas, Ohio, Alice Hatfield of Elbert, Teresa Turpin of Gibsonburg, Ohio, Linda Holcomb of Ashland, Ohio, Sandra Young of Alabama.

Funeral service will be held at the Cravens-Shires Funeral Home in Bluewell on Monday, December 31, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. with the Rev. Tim Akers officiating the service. Burial will follow on Wednesday, January 02, 2007 at Knollcrest Cemetery in Arcadia, Ohio at 1:00 p.m.

Friends and family may call at the Cravens-Shires Funeral Home in Bluewell on Sunday, December 30, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Cravens-Shires Funeral Home is serving the Turpin family.

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Runaways at Mullins Cove

The story about King Turpin, Jr. and his sister, Minnie Belle, running away from home to stay at the home of Captain Samuel Frazier in Chattanooga, TN can be found in A Man Called King: The Life and Legacy of King Turpin, Jr.

Related Posts:

• Turpin Origins in Chattanooga, TN
• The Kindness of Captain Frazier
  

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Places Named "Turpin"

Let's start a list of places bearing the name "Turpin." Identifying places bearing the family name may lead to additional information pertaining to the Turpin family history.

I have already gotten us started by identifying a few places:

• Turpin Spring in Anderson County, Tennessee
  
• Turpin Lane in Hardin Valley, Knox County, Tennessee
• Turpin, Virginia -- an unincorporated community in King William County, Virginia
• Turpin High School in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Turpin, Oklahoma
• Turpin Ridge in Oregon
• Turpin Meadow in Wyoming
• Turpin Hollow in Lauderdale County, Alabama
• Turpin Hollow in Wayne County, Kentucky
• Turpin Hollow near White House, Tennessee
  

To make a contribution, click on the "Comments" link below. If you know why the place bears the family name, please include that information as well.

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Another Martin Turpin Descendant

Recently we have heard from another person who identifies herself as a descendant of Martin Turpin (Abt. 1783 - Aft. 1850). Her name is Ruby Murphy. Ruby reports,

Martin is my great-great grandfather. His son Henry who married Vicie Smith was my great grandfather. Henry's son, William Greer Turpin ,who is my grandfather moved from Anderson county to Blount county in 1915. My father, James used to talk about the Wheat community....

I have some information on Martin's father who also was named Martin. He was married to Nancy Fleming. He was drafted about 1778 as a Militiaman and served 3 months guarding the frontier. This information was obtained at the Blount county library. He was from Rockingham county, and also Greenbrier County Virginia, but moved to Pulaski county Kentucky....

My grandfather William and his children are buried in Maryville, here in Blount county.

The identification of Martin's parents as Martin Turpin and Nancy Fleming needs to be verified. That connection has been made by others before, but it seems to be lacking convincing supportive evidence.

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Turpin Origins in Chattanooga, TN

On July 1st I spent the day in Chattanooga, Tennessee with a video camera in hand to search for sites of significance to our Turpin family history.

My grandfather, King ("Little King") Turpin, Jr. was born in a house boat on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga on Februrary 3, 1903. Until his early teens, Chattanooga seems to have been Little King's home town.

In addition to scenes of the Tennessee River, the following video also captures shots of (1) the approximate place where King's mother died, (2) the children's home where he lived after the authorities removed him and his sister from their father's home, and (3) the site of Captain Frazier's estate where Little King and his sister stayed after running away from home.

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Return to Hardin Valley

I have located the place where Serelda Turpin reportedly died--thanks to an email from YouTube viewer Daron Long and a guided tour by property owner Mike Presley.

At some point in the latter quarter of the 1800's, Serelda Turpin and her children (Frank, Laura, and King) roamed homeless until they ended up in Hardin Valley (Knox County, Tennessee). We do not yet know exactly where Serelda and her children initially settled; however, contrary to my comments in the video, we do now know that it was not at the site identified here in this post and video.

A title search has uncovered the following information about the parcel of land shown in the video:

November 5, 1907 (Book 218, Page 270)
Grantee: Frank Turpin (King and Laura Turpin's brother)
Grantor: Robert Brashears
8 1/2 acres in district 9 (Hardin Valley area)
Purchase Price: $80
My Note: It appears that Frank Turpin is the first Turpin to own land in Knox County.

The home shown in the following video is the Hardin Valley home of Frank and Laura (siblings) Turpin--two of Serelda's children.

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A Visit to Fort Blackmore

March Video Tour - Part 8

Finally, here is the concluding clip from my March family history video tour.

After leaving Solway Church of God in Solway, Tennessee, I continued on to Virginia in search for Martin Turpin's point of origination on the Clinch River. (Martin settled in Knox County sometime between 1796 and 1805).

Originally I had thought that Fort Blackmore was a possibility; however, it does appear that the Clinch is navigable even further upstream. In fact, even present-day Richlands, Virginia (over 50 miles further upstream) may have been a more likely starting point.



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The Kindness of Captain Frazier

At some point between 1908 and 1915, "Little King" Turpin and his sister, Minnie Belle, ran away from their home at Mullins Cove on the Tennessee River and were embraced for several days by the kindness of a gentleman in Chattanooga, Tennessee referred to as "Captain Frazier."

The complete story is told in the post entitled, "Runaways at Mullins Cove."

Minnie described Captain Frazier as old, wealthy, and kind. She also reported that he had sons who became well-known lawyers. He had house servants as well.

In light of Minnie's words, Captain S. J. A. Frazier fits the description.

S. J. A. Frazier was a former Confederate captain residing in Chattanooga at the time of the runaway story. Some details about his life may be reviewed at Chattanoogan.com.

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Indiana Turpins

My personal Turpin ancestry does not reach into Indiana; however, the Indiana Turpins are our "distant cousins." Because of the fact that I want this site to be of benefit to our "cousins" in Kentucky, Indiana, and elsewhere, I will from time to time include information such as what I am providing here in this post.

Researchers studying the Indiana branch of our family tree may be interested in accessing the "Turpin Family Papers" made available by the Indiana Historical Society.

Other relevant links for the study of Indiana Turpins include the following:

• Thomas Turpin Family Bible
• Turpen Cemetery (Boonville, Indiana)
• Indiana Genealogy Resources
  
• Firstmom's Genealogy Resources--Indiana
• Geneasearch: Indiana Genealogy
  

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Laura Turpin's Walk to Church

March Video Tour - Part 7

My great-great aunt, Laura Turpin (1881-1982), used to walk at least four miles from her home in Hardin Valley to the Solway Church of God (Solway, Tennessee) every Sunday.

On March 3, 2008, I drove the exact route that Laura and her brother, Frank, used to walk. In the following video, you will join me as I drive from the Solway church to the approximate location of Laura's home in Hardin Valley.


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A Visit to Solway Church of God

March Video Tour - Part 6

"Aunt Laura" Turpin and her brother Frank were responsible for the establishing (or re-establishing) of the Solway Church of God (Knox County, Tennessee) in the early twentieth century.

In the following video, you will be taken to the Solway church and to its adjacent cemetery where several notable Turpins are buried: Rildia (Serelda) Turpin, Amanda Turpin, King Turpin, Ida Belle Turpin, Laura Turpin Dunaway, Frank Turpin, and others.


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A Visit to Bethel Valley

March Video Tour - Part 5

In the following video clip you will note my almost child-like excitement over the fact that I had stumbled across the eastern entrance to Bethel Valley near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Please understand that I first heard about the significance of this place to our family history about ten years ago, yet I had never been there.

Bethel Valley is significant in that it may have been one of the places where the Turpins lived after arriving in the Knox County, Anderson County, and Roane County area in the early 1800s.


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A Visit to the Clough-Christenberry Cemetery

March Video Tour - Part 4

Here is some very rough video work--the worst series of clips from my little family history video tour yet. Sorry. I really wish that I had taken more time, but I was in a bit of a rush.

On this part of my journey, I discovered the Clough-Christenberry cemetery located in a wooded area in the middle of the Oak Ridge Country Club golf course. Only a few of the grave markers were legible.

I discovered later that some of the Christenberry names that I mentioned on the clip are connected with the Christenberry families that I visited earlier in the day at the George Jones Memorial Baptist Church cemetery.

Note that the Scott Cemetery (where a number of Turpins are buried) and this Clough-Christenberry cemetery are within sight of one another. In view of the proximity, I am wondering if the country club site may be the site where the Turpins and Christenberrys once lived side by side. As you view the video, ponder that question with me. Hopefully somebody out there in cyberspace has some answers.

Okay, enough for the text. On with the show....


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A Visit to Scott Cemetery

March Video Tour - Part 3

Join me as I search for the gravesite of Martin Turpin (the son of James Turpin, the son of Martin Turpin) at the Scott Cemetery near Oak Ridge, Tennessee.


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The Patesville, Kentucky Incident

By Becky Jolly Vaught

About 1890, Vince Turpin visited his sister Nancy Turpin Newman, in Patesville, KY. Nancy lived across the street from the general store.

Vince was in the store when some one came in to tell him that a man was looking for him. He and this man had had trouble earlier. When Vince went out to the street, he was attacked by the other man who was drunk and waving a knife. Vince managed to pull his own knife and administer one blow. That blow was enough as it effectively gutted his opponent; a fatal blow.

The county sheriff was duly sent for and he took Vince back to the county seat to stand trial. After a short trial where Vince's young nephew, Will Newman, was called as a witness and even shorter deliberation by the jury, a verdict was reached. Not guilty by reason of self defense and besides that the man needed killing anyway!

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A Visit to George Jones Memorial Baptist Church

March Video Tour - Part 2

My family history video tour continues with a visit to the George Jones memorial Baptist Church cemetery, located at the site of the Wheat Community near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Here I am in search of Joshua King Christenberry's gravesite.


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En Route to Oak Ridge

March Video Tour - Part 1

On March 3, 2008 I took a trip to the Oak Ridge, Tennessee area to explore possible sites where the Turpins may have settled near the Clinch River in the late 1700's and early 1800's. The following video (Part 1) documents the first part of my journey, taking the viewer to the site of the Wheat Community in Roane County.

In this video I make reference to a "Mary Elizabeth Russell" as being the wife of Martin Turpin. Since producing this clip I have learned that her name was simply "Elizabeth Russell"--"Mary" was not her first name.



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My Interest in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Has anyone heard of Oak Ridge, Tennessee? Does the term "Manhattan Project" sound familiar?

In the 1940s the United States government built this secret city called "Oak Ridge" to initiate the "Manhattan Project"--an endeavor that would result in the creation of the world's first atomic bombs.

So what does any of this have to do with the Turpin family?

Between the years 1797 and 1805, Martin Turpin entered Tennessee by raft on the Clinch River. He first lived someplace in Knox County, but soon he and his family were living in what is now Anderson and/or Roane Counties. According to family historian, John Strunk, the Turpins lived in Bethel Valley--the site where one day a high security plant known by code name "X-10" would be built.

(The property passed into the hands of the Christenberry family in the 1860s or 1870s; the Turpins lived elsewhere at the time when the government began the Manhattan Project.)

This week I am making a personal trip to Oak Ridge to gain a better sense of where Martin Turpin and his son, James, may have lived.

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