Excepts From A Letter From Kimberly R. Boyd
Director, Archives & History/The Heritage Center
Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

Go to Asbury's Journal October 18 - 25th 1814 

or Asbury's Journal Text and Notes

Back to Asbury Index 

Ms. Boyd says ...

"In his journal entry for November 30, 1810, Asbury tells us that he, Henry Boehm, Bishop William McKendree and John McGee traveled from Cosby, Tennessee to Cove Creek, North Carolina over the Cataloochee Trail and that after an "awful day" of steep mountains, roaring stream crossings, and "losing ourselves in the woods" they came in about nine o'clock to Vater Shuck's. His December 1 entry says, "Last night I was strongly afflicted with pain." Asbury was a meticulous journal writer yet this is the extent of his entries regarding Jacob Shook -- at least by name. Boehm also mentions the Shook visit in his journal but with no more detail than Asbury's journal entries. It is therefore unsubstantiated that Asbury organized the first Methodist Church in Haywood County during his visit in 1810. He most likely went straight to bed when he got there! Most likely it was Samuel Edney that helped organize the first Methodist society meeting in this area although this has not been substantiated as of yet.

It is also unsubstantiated that Asbury preached at the Shook House (during the 1810 visit) although many writers have perpetuated it as fact. Thank you for not continuing that legend. However it cannot be ruled out that he preached at the Shook Campground during a visit in 1814. Asbury's journal entries for October 19-23 mention hastening to a "camp meeting away on the bleak hills of Haywood." His party passes through "Nelson Spring's" -- probably an inn near Hot Springs -- on the 20th then comes to the "campground" on the 21st. On the 22nd he says that he "preached and ordained W. Span and J. Evans deacons." On the 23rd he ordained two elders, Thomas Bird and Samuel Edney "after preaching" and then "in our tent we contrived a hearth, and had a fire." The journal does not say conclusively that it is Shook Campground. It seems that if it was the Shook campground that Asbury would have stayed in the Shook home rather than in a tent but this does not rule out the campground mentioned as being the one on the Shook property. Please refer to "Asbury's Journal October 18 - 25th 1814" by family historian Bob Jones for his take on the 1814 visit. Also, T.F. Glenn points out in his book, History of Methodism, that the "J. Evans" that Asbury ordained at the campground could have been John Evans, father of Mahala Shook, the wife of Peter Shook, Jacob's son. If so, then it is likely that the campground was the Shook Campground. You can read an excerpt from Glenn's book in an excerpt of Jones' book.
Jones does a good job of providing both primary and secondary sources in regard to the history of Jacob Shook and his family and he leaves it up to the reader to draw their own conclusions. He tries hard to gives us the facts as he can find them and not continue the old legends."

The letter was addressed to :
Barbara Wishy
Director of the Endangered Properties Program

Who sent it on to the contributor Dr. Doris Hammett

 Go to Asbury's Journal October 18 - 25th 1814 

or Asbury's Journal Text and Notes

Back to Asbury Index