General Slaven

General Slaven (Jan. 11, 1909 – Sept. 20, 1985) was one of the last residents in what is now the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. He lived on the John Litton Farm near Bandy Creek until the federal government purchased the land in the 1970s.

See Also: Noteworthy Settlers of the Big South Fork Region

Early Life

Born Jan. 11, 1909, General Slaven was the son of Charley Slaven (1861-1934) and Mary Safrona Roysdon (1872-1957). Both the Slaven and Roysdon families have deep roots in the Big South Fork region. General Slaven’s great-grandfather was Richard Harve Slaven, the first permanent settler of the No Business Creek area. (Charley Slaven’s father was Elisha Slaven, Richard Harve Slaven’s son who married Mary Ann “Polly” Sweet.)

National Park Service writings suggest that General Slaven’s real name was Charles Rudy Slaven. However, this is disputed. He always appeared in census records as General Slaven, and the name on his headstone is General Slaven. There are no known official records listing his name as Charles Rudy Slaven.

General Slaven’s father, Charley Slaven, was first married to Sally Ann Roysdon. When she died in 1897, he remarried to General’s mother, Mary Safrona Roysdon. Sally and Mary were cousins. Mary’s parents were Benjamin Franklin Roysdon (1849-1933) and Elizabeth Frances Sumpter (1843-1934).

General Slaven married Mary Lizabeth “Did” Miller (1904-1993) on June 6, 1931. They had three children: Leamon “Red” Slaven (1933-2024), Harlen “Red” Slaven (1939-1986) and Viola Mae Slaven Ledbetter (1945-1997). Only Ola remained in the Big South Fork area, settling in Fentress County. Leamon moved to Indiana and Harlen moved to California.

Did was the daughter of John Miller (1877-1953) and Darcus Blevins (1877-1968). Like the Slaven and Roysden families, the Miller and Blevins families have deep roots in the Big South Fork. Did was descended from Jonathan Blevins, an early settler of the Station Camp Creek area. Jonathan Blevins was her second-great-grandfather. Did was a brother to Francis Miller, who owned a store on No Business Creek. It was France Miller who moved the Jonathan Burke home — site of the Battle of No Business — from near Parch Corn Creek to No Business after purchasing it in the late 1800s.

Life at the Litton Farm

General and Did Slaven purchased the John Litton Farm near Bandy Creek sometime around the time of John Litton‘s death in 1935.

Located on the North Fork of Fall Branch, northeast of the Bandy Creek Campground & Visitor Center, the John Litton Farm is one of four historic homesteads within the boundaries of the national park that are preserved (the others being the Oscar Blevins Farm, the Lora Blevins Farm, and Charit Creek Lodge).

John Litton established the farm around 1900, building a single pen, 1.5-story, timber-framed house with a stone foundation. He also built a two-story, English-style milk barn that measures 32 ft. by 32 ft. Both structures remain intact.

General Slaven added a 14 ft. by 7 ft. wood shed and an earthen dam for a pond, both of which remain intact. He also built a hog lot with wood fencing at the base of a rock bluff in the forest outside the cleared area, which also remains intact.

Slaven also added a wrap-around porch to the home, which has since been removed. He added a wood-frame addition to the home, which remains. The final measurements of the home were 29 ft. by 26 ft. Beneath it is a root cellar walled with hand-hewn sandstone.

The Slavens lived on the farm until they were forced to leave in 1974. They did not have running water or electricity at the farm. However, it was said that no one visited the Slaven home and left hungry; Did Slaven always made sure they had plenty to eat.

The National Park Service continues to maintain the John Litton Farm as an historic site, keeping the original field boundaries intact. The farm is accessible via foot on the John Litton Farm Loop Trail, and by horse on a gated administrative access gravel road. The residence is missing most of the siding and is quickly deteriorating.

Latter years and death

Susan Duda recorded an oral interview with General and Did Slaven on Sept. 21, 1979 as part of a history project entitled “Folk Life Along the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.”

General Slaven died on Sept. 20, 1985, at age 76. He was buried at Taylor Place Cemetery in Jamestown. Did Slaven died on Feb. 16, 1993 at age 88 and was buried beside him.