Thought you might be interested in some of
the historical material I've run across on the Baird Family in Campbell Co.,
TN. This was Grandpop Baird's family.
EXCERPT FROM DR. MILLER McDONALD'S BOOK
ON CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN
REGARDING OUR BAIRD FAMILY
Note: Keep in mind, that although this author shows ancestors for Joseph
Baird, back to his Great-Great-Grandfather, John Baird, Sr., who came from
Scotland to America in 1683, this connection has never been proven and is
doubtful due to the fact that his supposed father, Zebulon Baird, was born
in 1764 and Joseph married Hannah Gibson-Baird-Lay in 1794, a difference of
only 30 years! Our line comes from William, Joseph and Hannah's second son.
"It is not often we get a chance to stop and reflect on the diversity and
beauty of our Campbell County and it's people-to think about our history and
the strength of those who have made and continue to make America great. Such
is the case of the Baird Family of Elk Valley which dates back to our
nation'' founding and before.
It is from one Joseph Baird and his wife, Hannah Lay Baird, from whom all of
the Bairds of Campbell County sprang. This intrepid frontiersman, who turned
settler and then agrarian farmer, that resulted in the hundreds and then
thousands of Bairds who populate this area.
There is little information available on the progenitors of Joseph Baird. We
do know however, that his father and mother were Zebulon Baird (1764-1826)
and Hannah Erwin Baird ( ? - ?); that his grandfather was William Baird, who
died in 1794; that his great-grandfather was John Baird, Jr. (1707-1747) and
that his great-great grandfather was John Baird, Sr., who came from Scotland
to America in 1683 and who died in 1755. This places the origins of the Elk
Valley Bairds among the early colonists to the New World.
Joseph Baird lived in North Carolina, near Salisbury, prior to the
Revolutionary War. As a young man, he was anxious to move across the
mountain to virgin territory where he could settle and live on a land he
could tame himself. He met in 1794, and married Hannah Lay. A marriage bond,
authenticated by George and William Dula, both of Wilkes County, North
Carolina, records the marriage of Joseph Baird and Hannah Lay on November
24, 1794.
For a short time the couple lived in Caswell County, North Carolina and
there had their first son, Lewis Miller, on August 22, 1795. They then moved
westward over the mountains and lived from 1795 forward in Jonesborough,
Tennessee, then North Carolina territory. It was here, on February 11, 1797
that a second son, William, was born. This was a scant year after Tennessee
had been admitted to the United States of America as the sixteenth state.
Feeling the desire to move further west into the Indian country of
Tennessee, Joseph and Hannah, with their two sons, Lewis and William, moved
to the Elk Fork section of what was later to become a part of Campbell
County, Tennessee, known as Elk Valley. They cleared a large area for a
farm. At a still relatively young age, Joseph's health began to fail. His
repeated illnesses caused him to be concerned about Hannah and his sons
should she be left alone in the untamed country of Elk Valley. Joseph,
accordingly, decided to take his family back to North Carolina where he
could be close to his relatives. Hannah was expecting their third child.
Joseph's health continued to decline in North Carolina and he died there
before his third son, Joseph was born.
Hannah Lay Baird, now alone with her three sons, was not content in North
Carolina with her situation. She had enjoyed the frontier life in Elk
Valley, Tennessee and had relatives and friends who lived on Indian Creek
which was located on disputed land between Kentucky and Tennessee. They had
encouraged her to return. She took her three sons and set out for her former
home land. After a time, she married Jesse Lay, who was no relation to her.
Two sons, Duncan Jesse and Elijah Lay were born of this union. They were
half brothers to Lewis, William and Joseph Baird.
Lewis, William and Joseph, the second generation of the Bairds of Elk
Valley, grew to manhood and struck out on their own. They moved to the Elk
Fork Creek area and acquired substantial farm and wood lands in the Elk
Valley area of what was to become Campbell County. These three brothers
accounted for the proliferation of the Bairds in Campbell County. They and
their descendants united with most of the early families in the area. Some
of these families were the Lays, Gibsons, Perkins, Smiths, Ellisons and
Stanfills.
Lewis Miller Baird, the oldest son of Joe and Hannah Baird, was born in
Caswell County, North Carolina on August 22, 1795. He lived respectively in
Caswell County, North Carolina, Jonesborough, Tennessee and then on Indian
Creek on disputed land between Kentucky and Tennessee that was later
resolved in Tennessee's favor. He married Elizabeth Woolsley, daughter of
Carr Woolsley. Together they established themselves in Elk Valley. He built
a log home for them on upper Elk Fork Creek. Being a man of not great
height, he built his home to fit his size. He was 5 feet, 5 inches tall. The
doors of the cabin were constructed to 5 foot 6 inches in height. The land
was cleared and over time his farm became one of the largest and finest in
Elk Valley. He and his wife worked hard and they prospered. Being among the
first settlers in the area, they took the lead in building the Elk Fork
Baptist Church with the assistance of his brother, William. Twelve children
came to bless this union of Lewis Miller and Elizabeth. They were Jesse,
Flem, Rachel, Mary, William, Lewis, Sam, Andy, Joe, Zeb., Jr, John and
Pryor.
Flem, Andy, Zeb, Lewis and Pryor all fought in the Civil War in the East
Tennessee National Guard. This was a home guard militia organization that
lasted during the period of the War. Andy died of smallpox in Nashville,
Tennessee while in this service.
It was a bad time during the Civil War for the people of Elk Valley.
Confederate soldiers were continually raiding the farm steads, confiscating
all available provisions including livestock, food, clothing, bedding or
anything that they could lay their hands on.
In October 1862, Lewis Miller Baird, now an old man, was captured by the
Confederates on Buffalo Creek in Scott County along with Lake Cross and Mr.
Hanover. They were accused of spying for the North and were summarily tried
by a Confederate Court Martial for espionage. Mr. Cross and Mr. Hanover were
hanged on the spot on an apple tree. Lewis Baird was spared because he was
the head of a family of importance in the area and his age and taken
prisoner. He was sent as a prisoner of war to Salisbury, North Carolina. He
was offered his freedom because of his advanced age, if he would take an
oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. This he refused to do as he believed
it would aid the Confederate cause and that he had five sons fighting in the
War on the side of the Union. He languished and died in this prison camp and
was buried in Salisbury, North Carolina. He was steadfast, with an iron will
and determination, maintaining his integrity to the end.
Reverend William Baird was born February 11, 1797 in Jonesborough, Tennessee
and died in 1869. He was the second son of Hannah Lay Baird and Joseph
Baird. His mother settled on Indian Creek after his father's death and he
grew to manhood there. His mother had married Jesse Lay and with the two Lay
brothers and the three Baird brothers, they all settled into frontier life.
He married Tasey Ruskin (1799-1876) and settled on a farm in the Elk Valley
community. He had united with the Clear Fork Baptist Church in Whitley
County, Kentucky in June of 1824. He became a minister and farmer in the Elk
Fork community where he helped to lay the stone for the Elk Fork Baptist
Church. The land had been deeded by Andrew R. Sharp on June 4, 1836. Sampson
Stanfill and John Lay were the trustees. The 1850 census shows William as a
farmer with 425 acres of land and these children still lived at home:
Hannah, 21; John, 18; Andrew, 16: Rachel, 14; and Tasey, 11. They were all
born in Tennessee. The 1830 census shows William with 4 sons, 1 under 5, 2
from 5 to 10, 1 from 20 to 30 and two daughters, 1 under 5 and 1 from 10 to
15 and his wife. He was also a man of small stature."
When Dr. McDonald wrote this book, he stated that it was estimated that
one-third of the population of Campbell County would have been related to
this family.
Our Lineage in this family is as follows:
1: Joseph Baird and Hannah Gibson Lay-Baird-Lay
2: Reverend William Baird and Tasey Ruskin
3: John L. Baird and Hannah E. Lay
4: Lewis Baird and Nancy Jane Broyles
5: William Marion Baird and Rosemary Campbell
The following are two stories taken from the Campbell County Genealogy
website, entitled "Goodspeed's Folklore of Campbell County"; this was
written in 1877. Both stories have to do with descendants of the Lewis
Millard Baird line.
"Jesse Baird, farmer, was born in Whitley County, KY., November 24, 1826,
the son of Lewis M. and Elizabeth (Woosley) Baird. The father, a native of
North Carolina, was of Irish origin and was left fatherless when a child. He
was born August 22, 1795 and farmed nearly all his life, coming to Kentucky
soon after his father's death. In 1862 the Confederate soldiers took him
from his home, in Tennessee and tried in vain to make him take the oath of
allegiance and consequently imprisoned him, and he died in a North Carolina
prison, in May, 1864. The mother of our subject was a Virginian, born of
English parents, December 28, 1797. She bore eleven sons and three
daughters. Our subject, the sixth child, was reared on a farm in Kentucky,
and since twelve years of age has been in Campbell County, Tenn. His country
school education enabled him to teach, when of age, for two terms, and then
after some employment in a distillery, he began his career as a farmer, in
Campbell County, on his present homestead, in Elk Valley. In 1853 he married
Louisa, a daughter of John Smith. She was born in Whitley County, Ky,
November 9, 1836. Nine sons and four daughters have been born to them, but
one of the former deceased. Our subject has been successful in life, and is
a member of the United Baptist church."
" S. C. Baird, county clerk, was born November 16, 1841, in Campbell County,
the son of William and Nancy (Barron) Baird; the former born in Whitley
County, KY. October 19, 1819, and deceased in April, 1886. He was a farmer,
and Lewis, his father, was a native of North Carolina. The mother, born in
1821 in Campbell County, was the daughter of Joseph Barron, a Virginian, who
removed to Tennessee and finally to Texas. She died in December, 1861. Both
parents are Baptists. Our subject grew up with country school advantages,
and when nineteen years of age went to Williamsburg, KY, where, August 2,
1861, he joined Company A, First Tennessee Infantry (Federal) and served
with that regiment, until mustered out at Nashville, September 29, 1864. For
two or three years he farmed and in March, 1868, he became trustee of
Campbell County, and in 1870 was re-elected. He then farmed, at the
expiration of that term, and dealt in stock until 1878, since which time he
has held his present office with characteristic efficiency. He is a member
of the G. A. R., Milton L. Phillips Post. No. 27, of which he is Senior
Vice-Commander. December 17, 1865, Sarah Bowman became his wife. She was
born January 9, 1844, in Campbell County, the daughter of Elias Bowman. They
had six children: Synthia E., Winston, Calaway, H. Maynard, Annie J. and
Jimmie N."
