Cheek's Cross Roads Archive, 1802-1807, Davy Crockett

Cheek's Cross Roads, Tennessee, leatherbound journal or ledger, dating from June 12, 1802 through June 10, 1807, for a store owned and operated during this time period by David Deaderick (1754-1823), William Conway (born ca. 1775), and David Wendel (1785-1840), plus book and cabinet card (3 items total). Located in what is now Hamblen County, TN, Cheeks Cross Roads was acquired by Jesse Cheek as part of a Hawkins County, TN land grant in 1789 along the intersection of Stage Road coming from Abingdon, VA and Kentucky Road between Kentucky and the Carolinas. He built a general merchandise store in about 1795 that was later expanded to add stock pens for cattle hogs, mules, and horses. The store and all 200 acres of the Cheeks Roads property were purchased by David Deaderick and William Conway, both of Hawkins County, TN, from Jesse Cheek, recorded as being from Jefferson County, TN, on a deed of sale dated November 23, 1801, for the sum of $1800, witnessed by Charles T. Porter and David Wendel. The new owners of the store built a two-story brick structure that opened in 1802 near the original wooden structure. Conway left the partnership in 1804, and David Wendel joined Deaderick, who was operating out of Jonesborough, TN, in the business. It is during this time period, 1802-1807, that the journal was used as a record of purchases made by around 900 individuals, primarily men, each with their own account numbers. William Conway and David Wendel were the main contributors to the journal, each with their own styles of recording entries, all handwritten in ink. Conway's entries likely occurred on pages 76-123, pages 153-174, and Wendel's entries likely start on pages 175-248 when he was an apprentice clerk at the store around April-August 1803, and continuing from page 249 until the end of the journal when he became a partner. Entries began on June 12, 1802 through the end of August, 1803, on page 247, with entries for August 1 and 2, 1803 on page 248. Page 249 then jumps to January 1, 1806, and ends on page 509 on June 10, 1807, with about 32 months of recorded transactions in the journal. The first 75 pages were recorded by different individuals, likely other apprentice clerks. The entries show that the store sold a wide variety of goods, including books, dry goods, farm implements, foodstuffs, hardware and tools, equine equipment, housewares, medicines, a few musical instruments, personal care items, and, occasionally luxury items such as a crystal necklace, tea sets with colored edges, and laces. While most transactions were conducted on the barter system without the use of coin or currency, the journal records that the British monetary system was still in use until March, April, and May of 1803 when sales were recorded in both pounds and dollars. Starting on July 1, 1803, only dollars and cents were used. In addition to its function as a general store, it also served as the local post office, with Conway and Wendel both serving as postmaster, and as a bank. Included is one (1) editor signed copy of the book CHEEKS CROSS ROADS TENNESSEE, STORE JOURNAL 1802-1807, edited by Ann K. Blomquist, PUBLISHED BY Gateway Press, Inc. Baltimore, 2001, and one (1) cabinet card depicting a portrait of Davy Crockett with a facsimile signature, studio marks for McCary and Branson, Knoxville TN. Journal - 13" H x 8 3/8" W x 2" D. Book - 11 3/8" H x 8 3/4" W x 1 1/2" D. Cabinet card - 6 1/2" H x 4 1/4" D. Note: Jesse Creek was acquainted with Davy Crockett (1786-1836) who grew up nearby where his parents John and Rebecca operated a tavern. In his autobiography, Crockett describes how, at age 12, he ran away from home, "I then cut out, and went to the house of an acquaintance a few miles off, who was just about to start with a drove. His name was Jesse Cheek, and I hired myself to go with him, determining not to return home, as home and the school-house had both become too hot for me." Note: Wendel left the partnership in 1817 to move to Murfreesboro, and Deaderick's son, David Anderson Deaderick (1797-1873), took over. The property remained in the Deaderick family after the death of the original David and was operated by his sons. By 1833, it had passed to James William Deaderick (1812-1890), another son of the original David. However, he was not a successful businessman and the Panic of 1837 contributed to the failure of the business. Afterwards, James Deaderick studied law and then served on the Tennessee Supreme Court. In 1844, Franklin W. Taylor bought the property from the Bank of Rogersville and operated the store with a variety of partners, including Hughes O. Taylor and Leeper Long. The brick store built by Deaderick and Conway and remnants of the wooden store built by Cheek were still standing in 1915 when Franklin Taylor showed Mr. McClung and Dr. George Mellon the location of the original Cheek's Cross Roads. While there are currently no visible signs of these early structures, there is a Tennessee Historical Commission marker at the site of the old store. (see: https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm57MF_Cheeks_Crossroads_1B_36). Source: Research and transcription help courtesy of Ann K. Blomquist, Dandridge, TN, editor of CHEEKS CROSS ROADS TENNESSEE, STORE JOURNAL 1802-1807. Provenance: Estate of Anne Harrison Taylor & Joseph F. Taylor, Morristown, TN.
Condition Report: Overall good condition with wear, toning, dampstaining, tears, etc. to be expected from age and manner of use. Front cover and front end paper of journal are separated from spine. Numerous ink inscriptions to front end paper. Book in excellent condition. Cabinet card in overall good condition.