By Gary Beeler
H. W. Beeler (Tint) and wife Francy (Clawson) opened Beeler Store and a canning business on property now under Norris Lake in the 13th district in Union County in 1905. Tints father, French Haggard (Hag), married Martha Stiner. They farmed and he operated a blacksmith shop on the opposite bank of the Powell River. French Haggard was a “master smith”. In that era of time, a good “smith” was an asset to the community for crafting and repairing broken tools. The lead mine located in the community hired Hag to sharpen bits for drilling the lead ore. At first, the mine operator was sending the bits up north to be sharpened. He had heard that Hag was a master blacksmith. After allowing him to sharpen one bit, the mine operator noticed it lasted three times longer than the others. From that point forward, Hag sharpened bits for the mine. Lead Mine Bend on the Powell River holds much history in Union County.
French Haggard Beeler was the fifth generation of Beelers to live and work in Union County. Johann Michael Buhler, now spelled Beeler, was born November 30, 1680. He was the first Beeler to arrive from Germany on Sept 30, 1727 aboard the ship “Molly” landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Vestenburg Germany. The ship’s master listed his name as Johannas Pealer. Following Johann was his 29-year-old son, Ulrich, arriving in America on September 23, 1734. Ulrich’s son was John Valentine. John Valentine’s son was Peter and Peter’s son was Daniel who was French Haggard’s father.
While still single, Tint, in his teenage years, bought logs from local farm owners and “rafted” them on the banks of the Powell River, awaiting the rising tides in spring to launch and “raft” to Chattanooga, Tennessee to sell to a sawmill owner who sawed lumber to be used in building. This lumber was shipped by rail across America. He also bought turkeys from the farmers and drove them to Lafollette, Tennessee several miles from Straight Branch. At dusk, the birds would roost in the trees by the roadside while Tint and the boys slept in the woods. They drove the turkeys with two long sticks, holding them apart on either side of the flock. Upon completion, they walked home to Straight Branch Holler.
After marrying the love of his life Francy Clawson, they worked together for the remainder of their lives in business and farmed in Union County. Tint farmed and ran the cannery. He bought produce from local farmers and canned in gallon metal cans to ship to area businesses. Francy tended the store and took care of the home raising five children, Gladys, Ernest, Lee, Remer and Loretta.
Tint and his sons bought store supplies from Middlesboro, Kentucky, Lafollette and Knoxville, Tennessee. A trip to Knoxville took three hard days driving a team of mules pulling a wagon. The first day brought them to a livery stable at the foot of Black Oak Ridge on Highway 33 where the mules were “stabled” with Tint and the boys sleeping in the hay. The second day found them in Knoxville buying stock for the business. After traveling back to the same livery stable the mules were stabled at, Tint and the boys slept in the hay again. Rising early the next day found them on “the road again” arriving home at dusk, tired boys, tired mules and a tired Tint.
Their general store was a mini Walmart, Food City, Rural King and Ace hardware combined. They had just about everything you might need from farm equipment to sewing thread, new soles for your shoes, shirt collars and everything in between including grocery items. If it wasn’t in stock you could order it from one of the catalogues and it would be picked up on the next trip to town. If you needed material to make a casket for a death in the community you could find it at Beeler’s Store. The store worked on a credit system. For example, a farmer might bring a chicken to the store to trade with and its value was recorded in the ledger, one chicken and the number of credits it was worth. The credits could then be used to purchase items in the store when needed. The chicken would then be dropped through a hole in the wall into a chicken coop outside to be sold or taken to market. Tint’s General Store sold most anything people needed.
Moonshine whiskey was easy to come by in Straight Branch. There was a saying that most everybody made moonshine except Tint Beeler and Doc Norton who was the deputy sheriff. When Doc Norton would raid a still it would be brought to Beeler’s store to put the fear of God in the local moonshiners. My grandmother asked Doc for the cooker on a still to make a canner for her family to which he complied. I have part of one of the stills in my possession to this day.
The construction of Norris Dam by TVA in the 1930s would flood the Beeler family from Straight Branch to the other side of Union County. TVA bought Tint and Francy’s land, allowing them along with other residents to remove existing buildings and fences. Heartbroken and sad to leave Straight Branch, the family worked together tearing down two houses, two barns, a canning business, corncrib, smoke house other out buildings, toilets and fences, hauling them with a 1926 Ford one-ton truck (bought new for $627.00) and farm wagon to Tazewell Pike in the Plainview community. Two years later, with the family working from sun up to sun down the buildings were rebuilt. The Beeler farm is now Mountain View estates.
After building the store on Tazewell Pike, progress forced the tearing down of the old store and the building of a new one. In 1948, Tazewell Pike was widened and paved resulting in the current store (Pit Stop Market). One of H.W. (Tint) Beeler’s sons, Lee, married to Edith Cox, added a garage and gas pump and renamed it Beeler’s Gulf and Grocery. They worked together for 37 years. Following in family tradition, Gary and Ruth (Chesney) Beeler along with three sons, Lynn, Lorne, and Lucas operated under the same name for seven years.
Gary worked with his parents and grandparents operating several businesses in Union and Knox County and later with his wife Ruth, until becoming pastor of Fairview Baptist Church on Tater Valley in 1976 where he served for 29 years. During this ministry, Crusade Ministries was formed by the help of God, Curtis Whitson and many others and has been in service in Union County for 27 years. This ministry has spread outside of Union County to East Tennessee and many other states. Thousands of people have been saved (more than 2700 in Union County). Currently, Gary and Ruth’s oldest son Lynn along with his wife of 30 years, Kim, a licensed practical nurse, operate Pit Stop Market in the same location. They have four children. Currently, the 11th generation is alive and still living and working in Union County. This has been a long and successful run for this family and they wish to express their thanks to all the friends, neighbors and customers for 115 years of service in this County.
Written by the oldest of the 9th generation, Gary Beeler.