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 | Clay and Susie’s house in all it’s glory (ca1900). Clay and Susie bought their place from G.S. and J.J. Jones in 1894. Some think that Susie built the house in 1897, but it has also been said that it was a fine plantation before they bought it. From the looks of the house it was built after 1894 so perhaps Susie did, in fact, build it. Susie died before 1929 and Clay married Bessie Sowell. At some point, in early 1940's, Clay moved to Columbia on West 9th street. He died 1940’s with no children. The farm went to his nieces and nephews, but Bessie Sowell had living rights. |
 | TVA bought the bottom land in late 70’s from the heirs and the house and high ground remained the property of about 20 heirs until it finally sold to Jim Bradburn in 1992. He did a lot of work restoring it and as you can see it looks pretty good. |
| Mr. J.D. Uzzell living there and working the farm in the 70’s and 80’s, but it is unknown who rented the place from the 40’s to 70’s.
All these notes from Bill sure do clear up a lot of memories about this house for me (Dianna). I rode by that house a thousand times on the way home to Seavy's place from Columbia, always looked over at it thinking how beautiful it was, but only visited it maybe one time in the early 50's but that might even be a mist in my head. Now Bill explains that other renter families lived there during the years of my trips along that road (50's and 60's) and that explains why it was not part of our visiting routine, i.e. the renters were not our family most likely. |
Jim and Minnie Hight lived in a log tenant house on Clay’s place for a short while. This tenant house was in the bottom between Clay’s House and the creek.
Related item – The place south of Seavy’s that was known as Mark Vaughn’s at one time probably belonged to Clay. While searching deed records this was found to be partly true. Mark Vaughn’s place belonged to SUSIE in 1924. This is where a current day Thrasher lives now (The small brick house South of Seavy’s old place and across road from Pilkintons old dairy farm). Lee Mann 1930’s lived in a tenant house on this place. Clay also may have owned Pilkintons farm at one time.
Dixie, Rick and Joe P were young when their parents died. Dixie, being the oldest, held the responsibility for the others. Susie and Clay , not having any children of their own and living right across the road were a great help to Dixie. Although they never officially “adopted” Dick’s children it’s obvious they picked up much of the financial burden for the family. It’s also obvious from photographs, Susie made sure Dixie had time to enjoy her teenage years, instead of taking responsibility of the mother role.
Susie Hight was a woman ahead of her time. She and Clay each had a car and Susie went when and where she pleased. Susie was a favorite of her nieces and nephews.
Uncle Clay was County road superintendent and later a State Highway engineer over several counties. Clay, like most Hights, was headstrong, set in his ways. (a similar trait also remembered for Seavy, and Rick).………..anyway the story goes that when building the road from Crews Hill to Hill Station, Clay had part of the Lancaster-Kerr cemetery pushed out of the way.
A funny story about Clay and Rick….Clay, being over the highways, wanted to straighten out the Lewisburg Pike near Rick Hight’s. The Silver Creek bridge was dangerous being in the curve next to Rick’s house. Clay had the idea to re-route the highway through Rick’s creek bottom. It would have been better for the road, but it was also Rick’s best land. They started discussing the matter, then it led to arguing. Rick finally gave a firm “NO” and Clay came back with “Well, that roads going through there, whether You like it or not” Before it was over, Rick had knocked Clay out with a hoe handle. That must have been in the 30’s but that road never got straightened.
