Apr 2, 2019 Orange County Review
That really should read legends, plural. I am just beginning to dig in and learn about this special place, and I have a long journey ahead of me. Fortunately, there are others who have already cleared a wide path. Patricia Hurst wrote a wonderful book about Clark’s Mountain and included a wealth of information about Possum Hollow. In addition to Hurst’s work is a master’s thesis by Kim Willis, soon to be published (although soon is a relative word for researchers). Willis’s work focuses on four families who originally were enslaved on nearby plantations and began to settle a community of their own after Emancipation. There are still others, individuals who live nearby, who explore the mountain on foot and on horseback and have gained an enormous amount of hands-on knowledge of the lay of the land. I am most grateful for all of the work thus far and hope I can add to that in some measure to tell the stories of lives well-lived despite incredible obstacles.
I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was looking for African-American settlements that began to arise after Emancipation. The idea was to own land. It did not matter if only the poorest, rockiest, most snake-ridden property was available to be purchased by freedmen; if the funds could be raised, buying land was the quintessential symbol of freedom. But where?
There were other considerations besides tillable soil. Access to water was critical, but so was a spot that could offer protection from this new world that often could be hostile. A cluster of homes in a secluded and isolated area would be the ticket. You might have heard stories of some similar communities in the hollows of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the same concept driving Caucasians seeking ultimate privacy to make their homes there as well. These hollows were not to be entered on a whim or without permission. The concept that compelled the newly freed people of Orange County to find a private place for their families to dwell in safety while building community was not singular.
Possum Hollow was likely the largest African-American settlement in the county. It was home to multiple families, most notably the Johnsons and Yarboroughs according to Willis’ research. The hollow is located on the southern slope of Clark’s Mountain and based on today’s land tax records, extended for more than 100 acres. Hurst’s work noted a school and church as well as several births, deaths and burials within the hollow. To our knowledge no structures remain, yet the stories of their lives are begging to be told. If there ever was an inspiration to others suffering hard times, it would be here in Possum Hollow.
It is my hope that by collaborating with all those mentioned above, utilizing the research already compiled and working in tandem with local landowners and family descendants, we will have the good fortune to bring you the histories of these remarkable people. If you have information, please contact me.
Until next week, be well.
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