During the dwindling years of the 1830's, into the dawning years of the 1840's a proactive group of men from Montgomery County, North Carolina gathered, planned, petitioned and after said petitions were granted, began upon the task of dividing the county into two.
Focused primarily on the perilous journey across the Yadkin-PeeDee River, that the inhabitants of the western portion county were tasked with undertaking, in order to attend court, and perform other matters at the County seat, Lawrenceville, on the Eastern side of the river, the Petitioners sought a division of the County into twain.
Once granted, the new County, previously referred to as 'West Pee Dee', was named Stanly, while East Pee Dee remained Montgomery. An engaged and esteemed group of citizens, including my third Great Grandfather, Henry Davis, set upon the task of establishing a County Seat of their own.
The area that was settled upon was an already established crossroads community referred to as Smith's Store, where a Mr. Smith ran a Post Office in the vicinity of the the current High School. The two roads that intersected here was one known as The Old Salisbury to Fayetteville Trade Route, often referred to as the Turnpike Road and a Stage Route from Charlotte to Raleigh also crossed. There were other roads that branched off these, so it was a bustling location. A number of substantial creeks and branches crossed the area, making it a fortuitous spot.
The men who formed the initial Board and settled upon contriving a new town within a convenient distance of the home of the gentleman they had elected as their first Sheriff, Eben Hearne. My ancestors brother, Edward Winfield Davis, would be the second.
The heirs of Nehemiah Hearne donated 51 acres near the crossroads, built a courthouse, and the fledgling town of Albemarle came into existence upon the former Hearne plantation. The Hearnes, as I often refer to as the first family of Albemarle, would remain an headstone of the town for decades to come, as would the neighboring Smiths, for whom the original community was named.
So Albemarle began as this small rectangle upon 51 acres consisting of Main Street, North and South Streets, running east to west, and a few 'number' streets running north to south. My hometown, I've long been intrigued in the sporolative growth of, and its outlying neighborhoods, that would eventually be annexed in.
In my last post, I was amused to discover that one of its subjects, George Anderson Poplin, had spent his last decades in an abode on Sibley Street, more specifically, at the last remaining house on Sibley Street, pictured at the head of this post. That brought up a memory.
Sibleytown was a thing of the past by the time I heard of it, but not so deep into antiquity that living people still existed who had known of its existence, or had even lived there. At some point in time, I was subsumed in a conversation on the subject of Sibleytown. It was implied that the neighborhood, for it was not an actual town, had acquired, during its existence, a tarnished reputation. This conversation had remained in mind, and I often wondered what Sibleytown was, and where it had been. At present, I am researching the facts of that question. While in that pursuit, I came across a character who had grown up in Sibleytown and may have been shaped by its essence, or whom had herself contributed to its mantle. Her name was Dorothy Randle, the Belle of Sibleytown.
Family Tree
Too often, the course of someone's journey through life is shaped more by happenstance and adversity, than an austere pedigree. The Randles or Randalls, were an esteemed and pioneer family, of Virginian origin, who had settled along the Pee Dee and Rocky Rivers in the years of its antiquity. Dorothy Randles descent from this Pee Dee Plantation clan was through a James Randle, born about 1783 in Montgomery County, NC. James married Anne Calloway, and this is where this family intersects with my own. Anne was a daughter of Isaac Calloway, and his wife, Elizabeth Arnold. I descend from her brother, Job, who married Susannah Martisha Randle. My Susannah was a daughter of Colby Randle and James, supposedly, as I have not researched him directly, was the son of Richard Randle. Were they related? I can't say, but with the same surname, in the same area, and the small kilderkin they had to choose from, as far as population, religion and class, the odds were likely that they connected somewhere along the line.
After Anne Calloway Randle's death, James would marry Temperance Pennington, of another Southside Virginia brood. From James and Anne, the branch travels down to their son, Isham, probably the namesake of her father. Isham John Randle, nicknamed "Billy", lived between the years of 1820 and 1903. He would marry Caroline Singleton, daughter of Tillman Singleton and Fannie Swearingen.
From there we go to their son, Abraham or Abram Puette Randle, born about 1873, and this is where the paintbrush began getting stiff. Puette Randle was a typical, if not prototypal Randle, and Victorian era man. The character of Dorothy was not molded by his ubiety, but by his absence.
Puett Randle married a Lucy Thompson, and had four children, two, Virgil and Bertha, who made it to adulthood, one daughter dying as an infant and another as a teen. After Lucy passed away, he remarried to Emma Carolina Mabry. Emma was the daughter of Ebenezer Mabry and Nora Jane Coley Mabry, and the wedding took place on March 27, 1910, when he was 37 and she was 30. The couple had two children in quick sucession, Eben Earnest Randle on Feb. 4, 1912 and Dorothy Estelle Randle on June 3rd, 1914. And then, tragically and unexpectedly, on September 11, 1915, Puett passed away. He was only 42 years old and an employee of Sibley Manufacturing.
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| Stanly News and Press |
Albemarle, North Carolina • Page 4
Emma was now a widow and would never remarry. When they lost their father, Eben was three and Dorothy was 15 months old.
Puett left a modest estate file. His heirs listed within were his widow, Emma and his four living chiildren, Bertha and Virgil by Lucy and Earnest and Dorothy by Emma. Many small debts were mentioned, including a loan payoff to Isabelle Mabry, mother of Emma. Emma was left with a meager, temporary income, and a house on Huckabee Street.
Where is Huckabee Street, someone from Stanly County might ask Well, it was in Sibley town and although I am not finished with my research of Sibleytown, I know about where it was located. Huckabee no longer exists as a street, but a portion of it is a trail, and another part of it is an alley, so in essence, it is still somewhat in existence.
Emma in 1920 seems to have transmuted her home into a boarding house, where she is seen with her two young children and three young men, boarders, who were laborers at the Sibley factory, and at least two of them from the Randalls Church Community, as was Puett.
A decade later, Emma is still in Sibleytown, but now on Railroad Street, and now, she is employed as a Presser at a Steam Laundry. Her two teenaged children have been put to work as well. Eighteen year old Ernest is a laborer at a Lumber Mill and 16-year-old Dorothy is a Knitter at a Hosiery Mill. Those Mills were probably Sibley's Lumber Mill and Lillian Mills for Dorothy, located at the Five Points, all but a brief walk. Emma's boarders were now family members. Living with them were 60 year old Isabelle Mabry, and 58 year old Ruby Mabry, said to be sisters of Emma, and a niece, 27 year old Amy, a Packer at the Hosiery Mill. Isabelle and Ruby had no occupation. But who were they really?
Isabelle Mabry was indeed, Mary Isabelle Mabry, Emma's older sister. The identity of Ruby and Amy, (perhaps it was 'Annie' with illegible handwriting?), is unknown. Emma did not have a sister named Ruby.
There had been a couple of land transactions within the family between 1920 and 1930. In all, there would be multiple transactions involving three properties in various places, that Puett Randall had owned. In 1920, oldest daughter, Bertha, and her husband, L. B.Swanner, sold to Emma, her stepmother, their one quarter interests in those three or four properties. One was located in 'South Albemarle', that bordered the property of John Carter, and contained 50 acres that A. P. Randall had purchased from J. T. Littleton in Book 42, Page 195, Stanly County Register of Deeds. The second tract was located in 'Hearne Heights' on North Park Avenue that had been sold by S. H. Hearne to the Albemarle Real Estate Company. It was bordered by 4th Street, W. W. Love's corner, 'covering lots 6 and 6 1/2 on map of Hearne Heights Block C." Found in Book 38 Page 213.
In 1924, oldest son, V.P. Randall, conveyed to Emma, his entire undivided interest in his father, A.P. Randalls property, which included the 50 acres bordering John Carter in South Albemarle, the lots in Hearn Heights and the third lot, where Emma lived, on Railroad Street.
Hearne Heights was one of the earliest subdivisions that would aid to the growth of the Albemarle City Limits. Located just off the legal limits of the City, which now would be considered part of the downtown area, it is located on the high hill above Poplins Branch and encompassed some roads that still exist, Park Avenue, the southernmost parts of 4th and 5th Streets, and Carpenter and Lee Streets, though some of those streets have been greatly diminished and shortened. It also included named streets that are no longer on our maps, including Poplin Drive and Pine Tree Terrace. It was owned and developed by Sidney Hannible Hearne.
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Albemarle, North Carolina • Page 12
After the 1930 census, the now teenaged Dorothy Randall started coming into her own. Dorothy appears to have been a very healthy child. Year after Year, she was listed in "The Stanly News and Press", as having perfect attendance in school.
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The Albemarle Press
Albemarle, North Carolina • Page 5 |
She was also a good student, intelligent, and making the Honor Roll on a regular basis. Lamentably, just three years after she had made honor roll, as shown above, sixteen year old Dorothy was sneaking off to South Carolina to get married, where she would not need parental consent. She had met Frank Burris.
| Name | Dorothy Randall |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Marriage Age | 18 |
| Birth Year | 1912 |
| Marriage Date | 27 Dec 1930 |
| Marriage Place | Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States |
| Spouse | Frank Burris |
Dorothy lied, and stated that she was 18 years old. She was not. Clarence Frank Burris was two days shy of his 20th birthday.
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Stanly News and Press
Albemarle, North Carolina • Page 1 |
Frank Burris, was Clarence Frank Burris, born on December 29, 1909, son of John Ruffin "Scon" Burris and Hettie Isabell Honeycutt. He was a very anonymous Number 7 out of 11 children, prededed by Clyde, Virgil, Vaniel, Nezzie, Craven and Elmer and followed by Clara, Rueben, Robert and Carl. Clarence Frank Burris grew up on a farm in Tyson, south of the town of Albemarle. In 1930, at 19, he purchased his own tract of land. The 1930 census had found Frank living with his family and younger siblings on the "New Albemarle Road", farming. It is unknown how he met Dorothy Randall, but met her he had, and married her on December 27, 1930. Six months later, on June 1, 1931, Frank and Dorothy became parents to a son, David Carnell Burris.
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Stanly News and Press
Albemarle, North Carolina • Page 1 |
The marriage of Frank Burris and Dorothy Randall was not one born of love, instead, the relationship probably began as a mere dalliance, the marriage, one of convenience, and understandably brief. Dorothy filed for divorce, as was reported by the Stanly News and Press on July 21, 1931, a mere 7 weeks after the birth of her son. She had just turned 17 the previous month. The court ordered Frank to pay alimony, but also found him penniless and bereft, unable to work and owning no property. What had happened to Frank?
There's no information as to why he was unable to work, or what had become of the property he had recently purchased but the divorce was granted on February 12, 1932.
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Stanly News and Press
Albemarle, North Carolina • Page 1 |
Prophetically, the SNAP would erroneously, print Frank's name as "Frank Morris". I looked, there was no other Dorothy Burris divorcing a Frank. What became of him?
Frank Burris
Frank had purchased land in Tyson just months before marrrying Dorothy Randall, and just about a month before the conception of their son. As far as what ailment or injury would preclude him from being able to work or pay alimony in 1931 is unknown. What is known, is that he was physically fit enough to join the US Army in 1936.
Frank would move to Cumberland County, North Carolina. There he would meet and marry Willa Rena Johnson, born in 1920. Frank was counted twice in the 1940 census.
| ame | Clarence F Burris |
|---|---|
| Age | 30 |
| Estimated Birth Year | abt 1910 |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | White |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Relation to Head of House | Soldier US Army (Soldier) |
| Home in 1940 | Manchester, Cumberland, North Carolina |
| Map of Home in 1940 | Manchester,Cumberland,North Carolina |
| Inferred Residence in 1935 | Rural, Stanley, North Carolina |
| Residence in 1935 | Rural, Stanley, North Carolina |
| Resident on farm in 1935 | Yes |
| Sheet Number | 49B |
| Institution | Fort Bragg North Carolina |
| Occupation | Private |
| Attended School or College | No |
| Highest Grade Completed | High School, 1st year |
| Hours Worked Week Prior to Census | 44 |
| Class of Worker | Wage or salary worker in Government work |
| Weeks Worked in 1939 | 52 |
Once, at Fort Bragg, as a Divorced, US Army Soldier, listed with his barracks and fellow soldiers. He was reported to have completed one year of High School and to have lived in Rural Stanly County in 1935.
| Name | Frank Burris |
|---|---|
| Age | 30 |
| Estimated Birth Year | abt 1910 |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | White |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Relation to Head of House | Head |
| Home in 1940 | Manchester, Cumberland, North Carolina |
| Map of Home in 1940 | Manchester,Cumberland,North Carolina |
| Farm | No |
| Inferred Residence in 1935 | Manchester, Cumberland, North Carolina |
| Residence in 1935 | Manchester |
| Sheet Number | 6A |
| Occupation | Private |
| House Owned or Rented | Rented |
| Attended School or College | No |
| Highest Grade Completed | Elementary school, 7th grade |
| Income | 240 |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Frank Burris | 30 |
| Wills Burris | 20 |
| Buddy Burris | 36 |
Then again in Spring Lake, with Willa, listed as his wife, and his brother, Buddy Burris. Oddly, his residence was given as Manchester, Cumberland, in 1935, and it may have been Willa who was answering for herself.
In April of 1943, Frank and Willa would have a son, whom she named Frank Clarence Burris, Jr.. Frank Jr. would later go by the name of Baker, the surname of Willa's second husband, who would raise the boy. He would have no memories of his father. Below are excerpts from the two obituaries for Clarence Frank Burris, Sr. who died when his second son was 4 months old. David would have been 11.
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Stanly News and PressAlbemarle, North Carolina • Page 9 |
Although a soldier, Frank was not killed in war. He died in a hospital. Could he have had a chronic disease? He was only 34. Above is a photo of Frank in uniform, that headed his obituary in the Stanly News and Press, amongst an entire front page dedicated to local heros and those men who had died while in service to our country.
His obituary reported that Frank Burris died in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC. His body was returned home, to be interred at Howards Chapel Church Cemetery in Aquadale. It was reported that he had enlisted in 1936, and had spent most of that time at Fort Bragg. He was survied by his wife Willa, and two sons, but they did not give the names of the two sons.
The impetuous and precipitous Dorothy had not sat still in the meantime. In 1934, two years after the divorce and two years prior to Frank's enlistment, Dorothy had found her next man. It was reported, "Mrs. Dorothy Estelle Randall, daughter of Emma Caroline Randall and the late A. P. Randall married David Henry Belcher of Milwaukee, Wisconsin." They were making their home on Railroad Street, in Sibleytown, at the home of her mother.
The relationship seemed to have happened fast and furious. Belcher was a teacher with Sweeney Automotive School and a master mechanic with a traveling carnival called "Krause Greater Shows". He must have been a different and intriguing kind of guy for the younger Dorothy Randall, now 20 and a single mother.
They met at the carnival, which spent a week in Stanly County. And just as quickly as the fair came and went, so did the marriage of Dorothy and David.
Over the next months and years, the local paper noted hospitals stays and releases for our Dorothy.
- Mrs. Henry David Belcher was discharged from the hospital on December 28, 1934.
- On January 15, 1935, Dorothy Randall Belcher was admitted to Stanly General Inc. for Treatment.
- On January 22, 1935, Dorothy Randall Belcher was discharged from Stanly General Inc.
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Stanly News and Press
Albemarle, North Carolina • Page 1 |
On March 12, 1935, Emma Randall, her mother, sold to Dorothy Randall, (note married name excluded), three tracts in South Albemarle for $500 and care and protection. This transaction, as found in the records of the Stanly County Register of Deeds office is found in Book 99 Page 194. Emma transferred to Dorothy, for care and protection (of mother or land, I can't be certain), three tracts.
The first tract was 50 acres in South Albemarle that ran with John Carter's line. It referred to Deed Book 42, page 195 and also Book 18, page 129.
The second 'lot' was 'lying and beginning in the town of Albemarle on Hearne Heights'. Hearne Heights may have been the first subdivision in Albemarle. It began at a stake on the north edge of Park Avenue, ran on 4th Street to W.W. Love's corner, then south 100 feet on Park Avenue, then another 200 feet, covering lots 6 and 61/2 on a map of Hearne Heights in Block "C". " See Deed Book 38 Page 213."
The 3rd Lot "Lying and Being in the town of Albemarle", began at a stake in the Right of Way of the Yadkin Railroad opposite the Sibley Shop. It ran south 65, west 210 to a pine in an old field, the south to a branch in the line of the right of way to a culvert, then 241 containing 1.45 acres.
Excepting Lot 3, the next part becomes a little confusing; "It is intended by this deed to convey all my entie interest in the real estate owned by my father, A. P. Randall, at this death." Then it was signed Mrs. Emma Randall on March 7th, 1935. A. P. Randall was the husband of Emma, not her father. He was the father of Dorothy.
This was followed by a deed on August 15, of the same year, 1935, wherein David Belcher, and wife, Dorothy Randall Belcher, of the first part and Emma Randle of the second part, for $10 and 'other valuable considerations', transferred the properties in these exact descriptions back to Emma. Book 100 Page 112.
Three years later, on February 11, 1938, Mrs Emma would sell, for $10, the Hearne Heights property, Lots 6 and 6 1/2, Block C, to Ernest Randall and his wife, Thelma, for $10.
Diving back to 1931, another interesting 'deed' is found in Book 91 Page 416, which is not a deed at all, but a separation agreement between Frank Burris and wife, Dorothy Randall Burris. It's interesting, considering the divorce reporting. The document proclaims that the couple were married on September 27, 1930 and lived as husband and wife until the 13th day of October, in 1930, a period of roughly two weeks. It declares that they had lived 'separately and apart' since the last day mentioned.
Within, Frank releases his quitclaim to any property owned by or due to Dorothy and she released quitclaim to any property owned by him, "including right of dower abd the said Frank from any claims of alimony or support up to this date for herself and for her infant child, which is about 8 months old and does release Frank Burris from any claim for future support for either during the natural life of said Dorothy Randall Burris, and during the minority of David Cornell Burris."
Item 4 grants Dorothy complete custody and care of David Cornell Burris and released Frank from all future obligations of supporting or educating the child.
Item 5 gave both Frank and Dorothy the right to sell, mortgage or otherwise dispose or use any property they owned or were heirs to before the marriage.
Item 6 stated that the Articles were necessary for the happiness of the parties involved.
Item 7 announced that Mrs. Emma Randle. "mother of Dorothy Randles Burris approves of articles and does assume the full responsibility of supporting and caring for her daughter and the infant son of Dorothy Randall Burris and Frank Burris", and released Frank from any future resposiblity. This was like done due to the fact that Dorothy was still a child, herself, and by this point was 16. All three signed the document and it was dated October 15, 1931.
It was a different time. Frank was 5 years older than Dorothy. At the time of their sons conception, she was 15. In those days, pressure would have been put upon the father to marry the mother, no matter the age of either. Today, he would be arrested for statuatory rape and called a groomer. The brief marriage might have been in an agreement to legitimize the child with him not regulated to any future responisibilities. How morality has changed.
In 1953, when young David C. Burris became 18, another deed would be filed, where he and his mother, 'Dorothy Randall Belcher, widow', sold to Stanly Lumber Company, one 45/100 acre of land of tract that ran with the Right of Way of the Yadkin Railroad and was opposite of Sibley Manufacturing, excepting the specific tract that A. P. Randall had sold to E. C. Miller on January 4, 1909. The more recent deed is found in Book 172 Page 282 and dated June 13, 1953.
It was after this time that Dorothy Randall began to find her footing as an adult, and would succomb to the reputation and ways and wiles of Sibleytown. Smart, youthful, resourceful, beautiful, wayward and willfull, Dorothy would become the Belle of Sibleytown. Follow the rest of her story in my next post title, "Shotgun, Lysol and Two Women, Oh My!".
