Jacob Blevins

Jacob Blevins (1857-1935) was a descendant of one of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area’s first settlers, and a blacksmith who owned the farm commonly referred to as “Jake’s Place” near the headwaters of Station Camp Creek.

See Also: Noteworthy Settlers of the Big South Fork Region

Biography

Jacob Blevins was born Feb. 5, 1857 in Scott County, Tenn. He was the son of Jacob Blevins (1811-1868) and Catharine “Catie” Smith (1814-1904). His mother is the namesake of the Katie Blevins Cemetery near Bandy Creek, and his father was the first person to be buried there.

Blevins’ paternal grandfather was Jonathan Blevins Jr., thought to have been one of the earliest settlers on Station Camp Creek.

He was one of at least seven children. His siblings included Polly Blevins Slaven, Daniel Blevins, Elijah Blevins, Elitha Blevins, Nancy Blevins and John B. “Jack” Blevins.

Life & Times

Jacob Blevins married Viannah West (1863-1945) in 1884, and they were known in the community as “Uncle Jake” and “Aunt Vi.”

The Blevins farm was located along the headwaters of Station Camp Creek, west of present-day Charit Creek Lodge. Jake Blevins owned a blacksmith shop and was well known for the handmade hog rifles he produced.

Jake and Vi raised nine children, and two of Jake’s sisters — Elitha and Nancy — lived with them. They lived the life of subsistence farmers, growing or making everything they needed while living off the land. Jake Blevins was a deacon at the Baptist church.

The Blevins children included William (1884-1962), John (1885-1971), Daniel (1887-1931), Elitha (1888-1979), Arbana (1889-1939), Elijah (1891-1978), Catherine (1893-1955), Charlie (1894-1979) and Nancy Louverna (1899-1986).

Following the deaths of Jacob and Viannah, their cabin on Station Camp Creek was disassembled by Joe Simpson and moved to Charit Creek Lodge, which Simpson owned at the time and operated as a hunting lodge that was called Parch Corn Creek Wilderness Lodge. There, the cabin was reassembled and still stands today.

Death

Jacob Blevins died on Oct. 25, 1935, at the age of 78. He was buried at the Katie Blevins Cemetery, where his parents were also buried. Viannah died 10 years later, in 1945, and was also buried at the Katie Blevins Cemetery.

Almost all of their nine children were also buried at the cemetery. The only exceptions were Elitha, who married William Harrison Thomas and is buried at Grave Hill, and Charlie, who is buried at Black Creek Crossroads.