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The Carloover Community: Who Lived Where?
 | | By far the most interesting, and tragic, tombstone in the Union Chapel cemetery is that of Earl Morris Sr. and his four tiny children. The Morrises died in a fire March 29, 1952, while their mother, Bertha Hooker Morris, was at work. (Recorder photo by Margo Oxendine) |
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Thanks to Sadie Hornbarger's history of the Union Chapel cemetery, it is easy to pinpoint just who owned which land down in the gorgeous valley at the southern tip of Bath. Descendants of many of the original landowners still live there today.
In the "town center" of what we today call Carloover, Sadie wrote in 1974, "Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wise Hoover owned and operated a general store and the Carloover Post Office. Here, folks from the farms and the Carloover area received their mail."
On the east side was Big Mountain, and "at the foot of it were farmers," she wrote. "The first farm was owned by Will Smith. He, his wife Mattie, and their three sons lived here The next farm was owned by George Smith. Here he lived with his wife, Alice, and their six children The adjoining farm was owned by George Chaplin. Here he lived with wife Corilda, and their eight children The next farm was owned by Elisha Karnes. He, wife Ida, and their five children lived here."
In 1974, Miss Hornbarger noted that Edith Karnes, wife of the late Lerty Cauley, was still living in the community, and was a cemetery trustee who "worked very hard for the cemetery."
She continued, "Adjoing the (Karnes) farm was Lewis Smith his wife Bettie, and their seven children Adjoining Karnes and Chaplins was a small farm owned by Gard Conner. He, wife and four children lived here My father's place (John Hornbarger) was next. Here he lived with wife Belle and five children (Odella, Sadie, Maude, William and Ira, known as "Tom") In a small place just south of Hornbarger's is a farm owned by Charles McElwee, who was our Star Route mail carrier. He, his wife Annie, and seven children lived here On the other side of the Hornbarger place was the Cauley farm. Mrs. Sarah Cauley, her son Bob, his wife and four children lived here Dave Cauley has a home on this farm (1974), where he lived with his wife Florence and five children, four of whom (1974) are still living - son Don lives at the old home place. Jasper Cauley also had a home on this farm; here, he lived with his wife May and their four sons."
Sadie Hornbarger was meticulous in writing down the "whos and wheres" of the community; were it not for her chronicle, this history would only be remembered as long as the best memory could recall.
Little Mountain lay to the west of U.S. 220. Today, the settlement is best known as "Peery Hollow." Sadie's history tells us why: "Along the foot of Little Mountain, Doc Peery, his wife Lettie, and 12 children lived. (His children) Herman and Bill both live in this community. Herman Peery Sr. is the oldest trustee of the cemetery; his son, Carl Lee, is also a trustee, (as is) Clarence Peery, son of Bill Peery. Next, Bob Peery, a carpenter by trade, his wife Emma, and son Pete lived. Tom Peery and his wife, (parents) of Bob and Doc, lived next to Bob Peery.
"Adjoining the Peery place and Jasper Cauley's place was the old Snead place, owned by George and Harry Snead. George, wife Minnie and two children lived on this farm. The old Snead place is now owned by Harry Snead's son Samuel, better known as 'Slammin' Sam.'
"Next to the Snead place, John Loyd and his mother had their home. Adjoining the Snead and Loyd place was the Guy place (home of) Margaret Guy, her son Bill and his wife Bettie, and their children.
"Adjoining the Guy place was the Hoover farm and store. David Hoover, wife Kitty, son Henry, his wife and two children lived here. The part of the farm next to Big Mountain is now (1974) owned by Dr. James Harnsbarger. The part next to Little Mountain is owned by Mrs. Lerty Cauley. The rest of the farm was divided into lots and sold."
Those lots are now the pleasant little settlement we all know as "Carloover." By 1974, there were 16 homes built on the land.
The Mustoe family, whose home is now Mustoe House Antiques, lived on that place from at least 1780, when the house standing now was built, until the 1940s. Latter day residents included former Bath County Treasurer Robert Mustoe, his wife Bessie, and their five children, including Jessie, Anthony and Bessie.
Sadie's chronicle continues, "Next to the Mustoe farm was the Payne farm. Will Payne, his wife Fulria and their six children lived here. The last farm in the community was owned by a colored man, Alec Smith. He, his wife May and their four children lived here. There were three other colored families in the community - Jim Johnson, wife Maria, (Mr.) Addison and wife, who had homes on the Hoover farm, and Albert Johnson and his wife, who had a home on Jasper Cauley's place.
"(O)ne man that lived in our community, who worked quite hard for the cemetery, (was) Tom Carpenter, better known as Cap. He lived with Mrs. Sarah Cauley. She and the older Chaplin boys owned and operated a gristmill and sawmill next to my father's (blacksmith) shop."
Now that we have an understanding of the people of the community, the desire for a cemetery and chapel becomes clear. This was a bustling little burg in its day, with many homes housing many families, each with quite a few children, and assorted relatives and boarders.
- Margo Oxendine
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