Cheek’s Cross Roads (Tenn.) Ledger

1) Cheek’s Cross Road leatherbound ledger. Located in what is now Hamblen County, TN, Cheeks Cross Roads was acquired by Jesse Cheek as part of a Hawkins County, TN land grant in 1789 along the intersection of Stage Road coming from Abingdon, VA and Kentucky Road between Kentucky and the Carolinas. He built a general merchandise store in about 1795 that was later expanded to add stock pens for cattle hogs, mules, and horses. The store and all 200 acres of the Cheeks Roads property were purchased by David Deaderick and William Conway for the sum of $1800. The new owners of the store built a two-story brick structure that opened in 1802 near the original wooden structure. Conway left the partnership in 1804, and David Wendel joined Deaderick, who was operating out of Jonesborough, TN, in the business. It is during this time period, 1802-1807, that the journal was used as a record of purchases made by around 900 individuals, primarily men, each with their own account numbers. The entries show that the store sold a wide variety of goods, including books, dry goods, farm implements, foodstuffs, hardware and tools, equine equipment, housewares, medicines, a few musical instruments, personal care items, and occasionally luxury items such as a crystal necklace, tea sets with colored edges, and laces. While most transactions were conducted on the barter system without the use of coin or currency, the journal records that the British monetary system was still in use until March, April, and May of 1803 when sales were recorded in both pounds and dollars. Starting on July 1, 1803, only dollars and cents were used.

2) Cheek’s Cross Roads Tennessee, Store Journal 1802-1807 edited by Ann Blomquist, signed (2001)

3) Cabinet card with (front) picture of pen-and-ink portrait of Davy Crockett. Below portrait, facsimile signature “David Crockett Born at Limestone, Aug. 17, 1786” Below image, studio mark “McCrary & Branson” (back) gold embossed studio mark - building at 130 Gay St and photographer information.