Granddaddy Bob Ledford moved a family to Franklin, NC one November in 1920. He drove his wagon over the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains though the wilderness. There were no paved roads back then.
Thanksgiving was coming and Granddaddy figured he would get home in time to eat Grandma Minnie's pumpkin pie. The weather had been mild, and he did not anticipate any problems. It took days to drive to Franklin, but he made it fine to the little mountain town.
As he headed back to Clay County, NC, Granddaddy noticed angry clouds churning above Chunky Gal Mountain. The wind whipped his face like a razorblade. Snowflakes twirled like feathers to the ground. When he came to Buck Creek, Granddaddy could not ford it because the water was frozen. He had to drive the team on ice.
Moment by moment the temperature dropped. Granddaddy stopped in the woods to build a fire. He was going to spend the night there, but couldn't sleep on the cold ground. He gave up and moved on.
Granddaddy came to Rainbow Springs and saw a dim light flickering in the distance. He happened on a log cabin. He explained his circumstances to the mountain couple who opened the door and invited him to stay overnight with them.
After a hardy breakfast, Granddaddy headed home. As he drove the team of horses through the snow, Granddaddy shot a wild turkey. It graced the table as he and his family celebrated a Blue Ridge Thanksgiving.
Bob Ledford thanked the Lord for the mountain couple who saved his life during the Appalachian snowstorm.
7 comments:
What a wonderful Thanksgiving story, Brenda. I rally enjoyed reading this. Thank you for sharing. Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving!
This is a great account of how hard times were for our ancestors. The picture of the log cabin is wonderful; I could live there.
This is a great story, Brenda. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
oh, what a wonderful story of kindness!
A beautiful story of the kindness of others. Blessings to you this Thanksgiving.
What a wonderful story, Brenda! Thank you for sharing such precious history with us.
Beautiful post, Brenda. I love to read stories like this from those early days --when life was so difficult. Thanks be to God for that nice couple who allowed him to spend the night... People today would not even answer their doors...
Love your header...
Happy Thanksgiving.
Hugs,
Betsy
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