Need Info. on Shawnee Hill, Vesuvius, Virginia

[CoheeLady]

Hello All,
I am in search of someone that knows about the area of Vesuvius, Virginia, & a burial place of one ancestor, who's surname is Cash. He is buried in a place called Shawnee Hill, in Vesuvius, VA., if anyone knows about this area, please reply. Since we are suppose to be Cherokee & European, doesn't make sense to be buried in a place called Shawnee Hill. Thanks.
Sincerely,
CoheeLady

[itconani]

check your history on shawnee and cherokee sociopolitical organization. very sensible to see shawnee related to cherokee, creek or seneca at various points in time, even present.

traditional center of the home land for monacans is only 15miles from vesuvius as the crow flies.

monacans until recently were know as buffaloe ridge cherokees.

sometimes "supposed to bees" clouds information. who would have thougt 1st cousins would marry. Who would have guessed heather locklear was lumbee?

[CoheeLady]

Hello itconani,
Thanks for the information on Shawnee & Cherokee. The Buffalo Ridge Cherokee are still alive & well, there is a book called, The Buffalo Ridge Cherokee: A Remmnant of a great nation divided, by Horace R. Rice. The Monacan's original homeland was not in the mountains. It was in an area near Richmond, Va., that is known as Manakin Town. In many books you will find stated that the Monacans lived at the "falls" near Richmond. As there are TWO FALLS! The other being in the mountains of Virginia. Monacans moved to their present area in the late 1600's to middle 1700's, so this is not their original home. Plus they all grew up believeing they were Cherokee, until a book titled; Indian Island In Amherst County, by Peter W. Houck & Mintcy D. Maxham was written. The Buffalo Ridge went for state recognition, but were denied it, as the Indian council, didn't approve it. Even though they had documentation. This area was Cherokee, Shawnee land not Monacan.
CoheeLady

[itconani]

Alright http://winwinworld.net/SaponiForum/UBB/smile.gif
ill look forward the the buffaloe ridge powwow this year!

the land the monacans occupied in 1608 extended as far as nelson, buchanan, and arlbemarle county junction on the james. the village seat at that location was monahassanugh, about 15miles east of Amherst proper and bear mountain.
to the immediate north the mannahoacks occupied the land with an additional 4 plus village centers with hamlets.
youll find the saponi or tutleo around Charlottesville in orange and arlbermarle co.
then there are the massawomecks with another territory north of theres into maryland. piedmont into mountain.
at least thats what smith noted from his visits through 1609 with newport.

the mountains peaks are really scanty for population, once you cross the divide you land in firm shawnee territory. route 81 as well as blue ridge are built upon the trade paths established through this travelling and hunted land. so many tribes traversed the Appalachian ridge for trade and war, firm "territorial" rights appear to have either not been firm originally or dissolved after contact.

south of monacan unknown sioun groups lived along the new river in montgomery co. they had firm trade links to the west into Wva with Shawnee (very different pottery) as well as an established eastern trade network (by 1650 they had trade goods well in advance of actual contact) Village sites to the east of the blue ridge to coastal plain in central va are Materialy consistant through late woodland period into contact. Material is very different in the coastal plain, farther southwest, and to the immediate west over the mountains. i dont doubt many groups traversed these counties, just not all of them lived there for significant time as did the siouns.

[Jimbo]

Durn,

Wish I had read this thread earlier! I pass by Shawnee Hill all the time--it's off of Rt 11 (Great Warrior's Path) in Rockbridge County, VA. I have not been there or Vesuvius, but I am now curious. Recently I have been digging around fo information on my own Amherst/Rockbridge people--names are Vines and Smith. Grandson of one Thomas Vines ended up being listed both as colored and white on his death certificate in Mercer Co, WV. Ever come across those names? Just went to Amherst this morning. No trace of them, well except as listed in 1793 census--but without property. See my rhapsodizing in "Other Blackfoot."

[CoheeLady]

Jimbo,
Thanks for responding to my post! We haven't visited the Cash gravesite at "Shawnee Hill" yet, only know about it through my Mother's research. Our family comes from Buckingham, Nelson, Rockbridge, Amherst, & Westmoreland counties. I'm sorry to say I don't have any information regarding the Vines/Smith family. I will ask my Mom about your surnames, as she may know.

You stated that you just went to Amherst and found no trace of your family. Did you happen to ask the locals if they knew of your surnames? Or did you go to the courthouse? Also if you haven't done so yet, the Historical Society has a lot of research on families of that area. In the 1793 census were your ancestors living with another family, since they didn't own land? We have found several of our ancestors that were "boarders" in homes of certain families. However we noticed a trend that the families seemed to move from town to town in groups.

Don't give up on your search! Talk to you soon.
CoheeLady

[Jimbo]

I didn't check, but then I am not sure whether there are Household numbers and Family numbers--this was one of those typed up jobbies from back in the 50s. The interesting thing was that, although Thomas Vines didn't have a "Dwelling," he did have one "Other Building." Any idea what an "Other Building" is? I wonder if there was some room number or the like that delineated what constituted a"Dwelling." I am going to Rockbridge today to see what I can find there. All I can say is that, so far, the only tangible thing--financially--that Thomas Vines ever had was a pension for Revolutionary War service. No deeds, no wills, no marriage bonds, nothing.