Carson Family Papers, PC.7001

Chronological

John Hazard Carson (1752 - 1841) arrived in America in 1773 from his native Scotland. After a two-year stay in Pennsylvania he made his way to North Carolina. Carson settled in Burke County - then on the colonial frontier - at the time of the Revolutionary War.

In 1778 Carson married Rachel Matilda McDowell (1756 - 1795) of Burke County, the daughter of "Hunting John" McDowell (who acquired this nickname due to his superior knowledge of the area's hunting grounds) and sister of Joseph McDowell who gained notoriety at the Battle of King's Mountain. That same year he began to amass property through a series of land grants. He built a two-story eight-room log cabin where he lived with his growing family for 15 years.

John and Rachel had seven children; Joseph McDowell Carson (1779 - 1860); Jason Hazard Carson (1782 - 1831), James Carson, Rebecca Carson, John W. Carson, Charles Carson (died 1850), and Sarah Carson (1788 - 1840). Around 1793, John Carson received a land grant on Buck and Clear creeks and began to construct a new home, however his wife Rachel died before it was finished.

Following the death of his first wife, he married Mary Moffett McDowell (1768 - 1825), widow of the aforementioned Joseph McDowell of Pleasant Gardens, a nearby plantation. She transferred this name to the Carson home, previously known as Garden Hill. From this second union, five children were born. Samuel Price Carson (1798 - 1838); Matilda M. Carson ( b. 1799); William Moffett Carson (1801 - 1863), George Moffett Carson (circa 1805 - 1863), and Jonathan Logan Carson (circa 1807 - 1866).
Pleasant Gardens was one of the largest and most productive plantations in the region. Through the years John Hazard Carson added to his land holdings and enlarged his house. While Carson traded in livestock and other market goods from his plantation, he may have operated the house as a roadside inn and tavern as early as 1808. The Carsons and McDowells were also formidable horsemen and adept with fire arms making them successful hunters. In addition, they raced thoroughbred horses and created race-paths through their extensive land holdings.

Carson grew corn, made and sold whiskey, beer and brandy. He also ran a grist mill and saw mill on Bucks Creek and rented his unused fields for income. Carson was involved in local community affairs, having served in the 1780s as a justice of the peace, magistrate, administrator of several estates, bondsman and juror. He was also active at the state level, serving as one of five elected Burke County representatives to the Constitutional Convention in 1789 and was a member of the House of Commons in 1805-1806.

In addition to housing the Carson family, Pleasant Gardens was home to enslaved people whose labor was needed operate the plantation. The number of people Carson enslaved grew with his land and investments, increasing from 12 in 1790 to 68 in 1841. Census data indicates that Carson's sons were also enslavers. The 1860 census enumerates the number of enslaved people as follows: George M. Carson, age 55, farmer, 40, J.L. Carson age 53 farmer, 28; and William M. Carson, agent, 19.

Another venture in which the Carsons were involved was the mining of gold, which was discovered in the piedmont and western North Carolina in the early 1800s. They purchased several acres in the vicinity of Brindletown in Burke County. The Carsons, along with other enslavers, had thousands of enslaved people working the mines. Joseph McDowell Carson accumulated most of his wealth via gold and was said to have mined over $1 million during his lifetime.

In 1841 Colonel Carson died, leaving his house and land to Jonathan Logan Carson, his youngest child. Sometimes cited as J.L. or Logan, Carson donated 50 acres east of Pleasant Gardens for the creation of the town of Marion in the new county of McDowell. The Carson house served as the county's first courthouse. Jonathan Logan also added Greek revival features to the double-pen log house and removed the old gable roof. The log walls were covered with siding on the exterior and tongue-in-groove sheeting on the interior. The house has been preserved and is now administered by the Carson House Society.

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Joseph McDowell Carson (1779 - 1860) served in both the North Carolina House and Senate. Much of his wealth was accumulated by mining gold. He married Rebecca Wilson daughter of James Wilson and Ruth Davidson, sister of Catherine Wilson, and granddaughter of Samuel Davidson. He built Green River Plantation and raised his family of six there as well as harbored family members and guests.

Jason Hazard Carson (1782 - 1830) was a landowner and enslaver who farmed with his father and his brothers. He married Mary Hawkins Cowden Carson (1786 - 1853). They are buried at Clinton Cemetery in central Mississippi.
James Carson, little is known.
Rebecca Carson married Thomas "Big Tom" McEntyre, who was reportedly a rough man and an unsuitable husband. She left him and moved into her brother's home Green River. Rebecca petitioned for a portion of her father's estate and was awarded 4 enslaved persons and $1,000.

John W. Carson (d. 1836) farmed with his brothers and made several trips to Charleston to sell livestock. He studied medicine and began a medical practice and was also listed in documents as an innkeeper and merchant.
Charles Carson (d. 1850) was a small farmer and was also involve to a lesser degree in mining.

Sarah "Sally" Carson (pr. 1788 - 1840) married General William Davidson Smith of Burke County who descended from pioneer families. They migrated to the Republic of Texas and had 6 children.

Samuel Price Carson (1798 - 1838) was born at Pleasant Gardens but moved to the Green River Plantation where he was educated under the direction of his brother Joseph. Samuel was elected to the North Carolina Senate in 1922, and served 4 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives 1825 - 1833. After an unsuccessful bid at re-election in 1833, he returned to the state Senate.

Carson faced Dr. Robert B. Vance in his first run for re-election to Congress and during some rancorous politicking, Vance insinuated that Carson's father, John Hazard Carson had loyalist sympathies during the revolution. This caused Carson to challenge Vance to a duel. The men met at Saluda Gap, South Carolina. Vance took a bullet between the ribs and died the following day. It was said that killing Dr. Vance had a profound effect on Carson and ushered in his period of his physical decline.

He married Catherine Wilson in 1831. They had one daughter, Rebecca, and adopted his daughter Emily, born out of wedlock to Emma Trout. On the advice of family friend Davy Crockett of Tennessee, Carson moved to Texas with Catherine and their daughters and an enslaved woman named Eliza Carson.

He was elected Secretary of the State of the Republic of Texas, but was released from that position because of his ill health. Following Samuel's death, the family returned to McDowell County. Carson County, Texas was named for Samuel Price Carson.

Matilda Carson (pr. b. 1799) married Jason Wilson.

William Moffett Carson (1801 - 1863) married his cousin Almyra Wilson. To this union seven children were born. After her death, he married Catherine Wilson Carson, his brother's widow. They had two children. Although he served in the State Legislature and held a number of public offices, farming was his primary interest. Carson amassed large land holdings and many enslaved people.

George Moffett Carson (d. 1863) was provided for in his father's will and with his inheritance he purchased land which grew in value. His wealth also grew with the number of people he enslaved. He served as postmaster at Pleasant Gardens from 1830 - 1844. Never married, he bequeathed his land and enslaved people to his nieces and nephews.

Jonathan Logan Carson (1807 - 1866) was the main recipient of his father's inheritance and received the family home. He owned much land, although not as much as his father. J.L. Carson raised cattle and operated mills for grinding grain and sawing lumber. He also continued to use part of the house as an inn and boarding house with considerable draw due to its location between Morganton and Asheville.

Carson married Mary Sturdivant Presnell (1812 - 1907). They had two children, Harriett and Margaret. They were present when Union soldiers raided the Carson home in the final days of the Civil War. A written account of the event was made by teacher Emma Rankin.

J.L. Carson died intestate in 1866, and the settlement of his estate was long and drawn out with a large number of people making claims.Sources: Texas State Historical Association, ; Michael R. Hill, ; ; John Hugh McDowell, , US Census records.

Collection Contents

Carson family

McDowell family

Carson, John Hazard, 1752 - 1841.

Carson, William Moffett, 1801 - 1863.

Carson, Charles, d. 1850.

Carson, George Moffett, d. 1863

Carson, Jonathan Logan, 1807 - 1866.

McDowell, James, 1791 - 1854.

Green, Thomas

Enslaved Persons

Land sale and transfer

Burke County (N.C.)

Yancey County (N.C.)

McDowell County (N.C.)

Deeds.

Receipts (Acknowledgments)

Surveys

Indentures