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History © All Rights Reserved |
In a beautiful tree-covered mountain lies a unique rural black community
made primarily of the descendants of slaves which settled on the hill
well before the Civil War. “Free Hill” is located 5 miles northeast of the
city of Celina in Clay County Tennessee. Free Hill was formerly part of
Overton County and Overton county census reports from 1830 show the
existence of two households on the Hill between 1815 and 1830. Virginia Hill, a slaveholder from North Carolina, came to Celina and gave her slaves their freedom and 2,000 acres of rough timbered land. The former slaves called the mountain Free Hill, because Mrs. Hill freed them and because the land was on a hillside. The area has since been referred to as Free Hill. Among the slaves was a free woman by the name of Betsy Manny and her son Rubin who was a slave. Rubin married a housekeeper known as Sarah; together they had three sons Tom, Joshua, and Polk Hill. Virginia Hill gave Rubin 400 acres and divided the rest among the rest of the slaves. The newly freed slaves were never expected to survive. However, the ex-slaves did and prospered by rafting, logging, and farming. The women provided extra help by seeking day work. The residents of Free Hill withstood the nightriders who beat and ran off the males, while violating and raping the women. Against all odds, they continued to endure and overcome farming the rough hills and valleys. Later runaway and freed slaves migrated to the area and inter-married. The residents built their own stores, clubs, and eateries. Free Hill was once the home for over 300 residents is now the home for only 75.Many are the direct descendants of the slaves who made this rough but picturesque hill top their home. ~ Tanya Andrews ~ |
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| Herman Burris 1983 |