ASAFOETIDA & THOMAS FUSON (MY 5th GREAT GRANDFATHER)

Thomas Fuson

5th Great Grandfather

Born January 3, 1765 in St. Paul's Parish, Hanover, VA

Died in 1849 in Chenoa, Bell County, KY

Rachel Permelia Robinson

5th Great Grandmother (Thomas' Wife)

Born December 22, 1768 in New Garden, Guilford, NC

Died May 23, 1857 in Chenoa, Bell, KY

Burial Site Chenoa Cemetery - Bell County, Kentucky

This cemetery is an old pioneer cemetery

near an area called Big Clear Creek.

Thomas and Rachel were married in 1791 in Patrick County, Virginia.

The inscription on their stone reads…

'Buried Somewhere In this Graveyard.'

Thomas Fuson's Story

Thomas Fuson was born in Virginia and migrated to Dismal Creek, Smith County, Tennessee. It is thought by some of Thomas Fuson's family that he came to Kentucky

in 1817. (See note 10) Some think earlier, around 1800. Some in Tennessee think he left there around 1826 [seems very probable that this is more likely the more reliable date from present-day research-l.m.](see footnote 1) It seems the confusion comes from the

fact that he made some hunting expeditions in conjunction with hunting parties into Kentucky before he brought his family. This is true. It is probable that he

visited Kentucky thus about 1800, or prior to that time.

On one of these expeditions he got separated from his hunting party and remained in Kentucky, alone, for two years. At the end of this time, coming up on another hunting party from Tennessee, he returned with them to his home. The traditional story is told of him that, when he approached his house, the children ran and hid (in pioneer days they were taught to do this when attacked). When they had returned to the house and had learned that there was no harm to come to them, they begged her not to live with the “old hairy man”. He was said to have had an unusual amount of hair all over his body. His clothes had worn out and, instead, he had clothes and shoes make of deerskin. His long hair and beard made him an object of fear to most any child, or even grown person.

He is said to have been a six-footer with broad shoulders and smaller hips. He was large, strong and rugged with it. For that pioneer day he was considered a man among men. A story is told of him in connection with driving hogs for the southern markets. The hogs were collected at Cumberland Ford (now Pineville), and entered in a drove to be taken south. On this occasion Thomas Fuson, with several men to aid him, was taking his drove to the Ford, and, when only a mile from the place, a big old sow of the drove seemed to sense the situation (she had tried to get away a number of times and get back to her pigs, but Tom had determined she should go) and broke away from the drove. When Tom headed her, she made a lunge for him, grabbed him in the stomach and floored him. The other men rushed up and beat her off with clubs. When the defeated Tom got on his feet, he remarked: “Hell warm my soul if she didn’t like to get me, boys.” Another story is told of him. He was out hunting one day, walking down a path of Pine Mountain in the direction of his home late in the afternoon when he discovered a panther out on a limb over the path watching something down below. He sat down on a log to watch the outcome of the situation. Presently he saw a fawn feeding slowly up the path. The panther leaped on the fawn and killed it. Then Tom with the good aim of his rifle felled the panther. So he got both the panther and the fawn by waiting. This is an instance where the hunter bagged two with one shot.

He is said to have introduced wolf hunting into this mountain region. He hunted wolves in this way, so the tradition goes. First, he put assefoetida on the sole of his shoes and walked through the woods where the wolves were. Soon they would take up his track and follow him. He would sit on a log and wait for them to come up to kill them

1.In 1820, Thomas, John and Jonathan Fuson were on the Smith County, Tn. census.

Dismal Creek


Dismal Creek is a branch of Smith Fork of the Creeks Fork of the Cumberland River. Nestled between the steep hills four miles north of Highway 70 in Liberty is the beautiful Dismal Valley. It is a serene peaceful valley with green hay fields, a variety of tree types, and a beautiful rolling creek.  During World War II the United States Army held training maneuvers in this area.

Asafoetida is a plant. It has a bad smell and tastes bitter.

That probably explains why it is sometimes called “devil’s dung.” People use asafoetida resin, a gum-like material, as medicine. The resin is produced by solidifying juice that comes out of cuts made in the plant’s living roots. It is used for breathing problems including ongoing (chronic) bronchitis, H1N1 "swine" flu, and asthma. It is also used for digestion problems including intestinal gas, upset stomach, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and irritable colon. Other uses include treatment of “whooping cough” (pertussis), croup, and hoarse throat.Some people use asafoetida for hysteria, insanity, convulsions, and as a nerve stimulant for ongoing mental and physical fatigue with depression. Women sometimes use asafoetida to restart their menstrual periods after menstruation has stopped for some reason. Asafoetida is sometimes applied directly to the skin for corns and calluses. In manufacturing, it is used as a fragrance in cosmetics and as a flavoring ingredient in foods and beverages. It is also used in products meant to repel dogs, cats, and wildlife.

Well, the many uses for asafetida - quite interesting.

From 'intestinal gas' to 'fragrance in cosmetics' seems a bit weird.

Thomas Fuson (1765 - 1849)

5th great grandfather

Jonathon Fuson (1795 - 1867)

son of Thomas Fuson

Elizabeth Fuson (1837 - 1917)

daughter of Jonathon Fuson

Evaline "Babe" Cantrell (1859 - 1939)

daughter of Elizabeth Fuson

Pearl Gambrell (1881 - 1935)

daughter of Evaline "Babe" Cantrell