Tale of Two Johns…

 

John Knox #2…John Knox of Caldwell Station

John Knox was born 22 May 1777 in North Carolina, and died 16 July 1860 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.  He was the son of a Revolutionary War Soldier -- a husband, a father of seven, a farmer, and a Church and Community leader.  Today, many of his descendants still call Mecklenburg County home.  His offspring have produced five generations of talented, devoted Civic and Church leaders in "North Mecklenburg."

 

In the 1860s, the Atlantic Tennessee & Ohio Rail Road, now Norfolk Southern, cut through Caldwell on its run from Charlotte to just beyond Mooresville.  Today, “Caldwell” is a part of Huntersville, but can still be seen on area maps.   This is the community in which John Knox lived most of his life…this is “Caldwell Station”.

 

 

Caldwell Station

 

Caldwell Station Community, Mecklenburg County, NC

 

 

 

 

 

Caldwell Station?  How do I get there from here?

My Mom, Ruth Hunter Knox was born in 1924 in Huntersville, and died in 1970 in Greensboro. She talked about her childhood in “Huntersville, Cornelius, or Davidson…”  It was Mom’s younger brother, Jimmy (J. C. Knox Jr), born 1927, who in 1998 told me that “his” Knoxes called themselves the “Caldwell Station Knoxes”… 

 

My cousin, John “Wilson” Knox Jr. born 1919, refers to “our” John Knox as “Old” John Knox.  That’s probably because there were – and still are -- so many John Knoxes in our family…including Wilson himself.   Wilson’s father and grandfather were also “John Knox.”  My own Grandfather, had a brother named John Boyce Knox…called “Boyce.”  Every generation had several Johns…so keeping them straight was not an easy task.  But all of them had middle names and initials …unlike “my”John Knox, who had no known middle name.

 

“Old John” was my 3rd great grandfather.  Fortunately, his eldest son, my 2nd great grandfather Robert J. Wilson Knox, had a unique name…and left a very good paper trail for Knox Family researchers.  Robert J. Wilson Knox’s fourth son, William Andrew Knox was my great-grandfather.  William’s second son, James Chalmers “Chal” Knox, was my grandfather.   Chal’s youngest daughter was Ruth Hunter Knox, my mother.

 

 

 

Three Generations of Knoxes

 

William Andrew Knox (1890s), James Chalmers Knox (abt 1895), and Ruth Hunter Knox (abt 1941)

 

 

 

When I began researching John’s story more than 10 years ago, I was mostly a “collector” of the work product of other genealogists.  No need to “reinvent the wheel”, I thought.  My Mother’s sage advice -- “don’t believe everything you read” -- now rings in my ears.   In retrospect, it was certainly advice I should have heeded in preparation of our Knox Family History.  Yes, sometimes, family traditions do get confused with facts.   Moreover, once anything is in print, it takes on a life of its own -- attesting to the power of publishing. 

 

In the fall of 2007, I received the good news that fellow “Knox cousin” and family researcher, Becky Cronin, had proven her lineage back to “our” Robert Knox, a Revolutionary War Soldier, and was accepted into the DAR.  I was thrilled for her…and my next thought was “I should do this too – for my five granddaughters.”  Becky descended from Robert’s son, James.  We had been sharing information for about 7 years.  She had been working on this for years…and her success motivated me!

 

Within a few days, I began collecting the required evidence to prove my lineage back to “our” Robert.   Imagine my shock and surprise when I lined up all the evidence…and suddenly realized what is now obvious – a huge hole. There is no evidence that “my” John Knox was the SAME John Knox who was the son of “our” Robert!   Actually, there is no evidence “my” John Knox ever lived in Lincoln County

 

My initial reaction:  “Of course he’s Robert’s son, everyone says so. The proof is here in this pile of papers…somewhere. I’ll find it.”

 

Over the next few months, I took a fresh look at all the evidence I had collected during the previous 9 years of Knox research -- verifying “facts” and testing old “traditions” about “my” John Knox.  I methodically "dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s".   I re-read old correspondence with other Knox researchers.  I searched for deeds and court records looking for new evidence, or clues that might provide the missing link in my Robert Knox lineage.

 

All that Robert Knox research and analysis did bear fruit...but the not the proof I was looking for.  In the process, I learned to appreciate the difference between fact and tradition, and along the way, a completely new view of “my”John revealed itself.  This is the story of my journey back through time -- and what I learned about the life and times of "my" John Knox of Caldwell Station...and McDowell Creek.

 

 

Go to McDowell Creek

 

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