Leroy Armstrong served in the Southern States Mission, from 1902 to 1905, where he was appointed as East Tennessee Conference President. The first journal begins while he is already laboring in Blount County. The journal documented 19 days in the area before having to leave due to a measles outbreak; however, it is likely he was in Blount County longer prior to the extant journal entries. He labored the rest of his mission in Sevier and Greene counties.
[Thursday] – 21 Jan[uary] 1904 Sweet Blount Co[unty]. When we left this morning, we were going to canvass the little place of Townzen (sic), but it was a nice day. We went off in the woods most all day and studyed (sic). We were quite late getting in at night. We stayed with Squire Dunn. He had a family of 15 children and most of them boys. He was the man that kept the sweet post office.
[Friday] – 22 Jan[uary] 1904 Sweet Blount Co[unty]. We lefe (sic) Mr. Dunn and canvassed over to the place of Townzen (sic). After dinner, as we were canvassing, we run on to one of the Saints. We left our grips there and went and canvassed Townzen (sic). It was a swell place. I went into some kind of a business house and that it was a dwelling house. The next pass I get in to (sic) where they were holding prayer meeting. We canvassed one house that cost about 8,000 dollars. I tell you, we were right among the big wigs. I was up against the preacher, but he did not have much to say. We canvassed till dark, then came up to Bro[ther James Isaiah] Franklin‘s and came down the railroad track to Walland. There I got some soles for my shoes. Also, some writing material. We then went across the mountain to Bro[ther Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s.
[Saturday] – 24 Jan[uary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. We left [Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s and came up to [Samuel Patterson] Harmon‘s. We wrote letters in the forenoon and, after dinner, we held [a] meeting. Sister Crook was prompt on time. I fast[ed] till supper, which was prepared just after dark: cornbread and string beans with the hide on. Went good between the teeth.
[Sunday] – 25 Jan[uary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. After breakfast we left Polley [Ann Davis] Harmon‘s and came down to Bro[ther Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s, set around and chewed the sage with Uncle [Joseph] John [Calvin (JC) Garland]. After dinner, we went up to the mail box and got our mail. We met a Cambellite (sic) preacher there and had quite a little talk with him. After supper we went up and stayed with Bro[ther] John [Goulder] Harmon.
[Monday] – 26 Jan[uary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. When we got up this morning it looked very much like rain. We was going to go out canvassing but we thot (sic) it looked to storm. So, we stayed at [Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s that day and teared granny and guber peas (sic).
[Tuesday] – 27 Jan[uary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. We did not do much but sit around. We got ready to start out canvassing then backed out.
[Wednesday] – 28 Jan[uary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. When we got up this morning it was snowing and it snowed all day. Uncle Joe [John Calvin (JC) Garland] got us out hauling hay up to the barn, so we walked in the snow all day. We had a right smart of fun putting [illegible] on the [illegible] and the geese.
[Thursday] – 29 Jan[uary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. It snowed some this morning. So we stayed to (sic) [Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s till after dinner. We went up to the barn and eat wallnuts (sic) till we just about made ourselves sick. We stayed till the mail came but there was none for us. So we got ready and came up to Sister [Sarah Margaret] Woody‘s. We held [a] meeting with them that night.
[Friday] – 29 (sic) Jan[uary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. We stayed at [Sarah Margaret] Woody‘s till after dinner, then we came up to Townsend and got our mail. I got a photo from my girl of her and the rest of the family of girls. We then came up to Bro[ther James Isaiah] Franklin‘s. That night we see (sic) the team came down with logs to the big mill. There was 15 cars loaded with logs. It was quite a sight to me.
[Sunday] – 31 Jan[uary] 1904 Townsend, Blount Co[unty]. It was Sunday so we stayed in the house most all day. We were going to hold [a] meeting in the afternoon, so we got own to studying for a while. While we were holding [a] meeting, it begun to snow and how it did come down for a while. We had supper right after [the] meeting. We then set around and talked till bed time.
[Monday] – 1 Feb[ruary] 1904 Townsend, Blount Co[unty]. When we got up this morning it was cloudy and looked very much like [a] stormy. So, we stayed over and wrote letters and fixed up our reports. In the afternoon, how it did snow for a while. Then, towards night, it cleared off and turned cold.
[Tuesday] – 2 Feb[ruary] 1904 Townsend, Blount Co[unty]. We left Bro[ther James Isaiah] Franklin‘s and started out canvassing. After we got out a wase (sic), we found the measeles (sic) so bad that we stop[p]ed canvassing, for Elder [Wilford Woodruff] Freeman had never had them. We came on to Bro[ther Jonathan] Woody‘s and stayed that night. We were going out coon hunting but it began to rain just about the time we were going to start. Then, it turned off into hailing and how it did come down for a while. We got on a big way of singing and had a big time.
[Wednesday] – 3 Feb[ruary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. Soon after breakfast we left Bro[ther Jonathan] Woody‘s and went down to [Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s. We came up to the door, they did not ask us to come in, so, [if] anything, it made me feel pretty funny, but we went in any how, but did not feel much welcome. Elder [Wilford Woodruff] Freeman went up to the mail box after dinner and there he got some photos for us, some large ones of his self and some [illegible] photo of us both. While he was gone, I went up in the woods and fixed my pants. At night, some loving folks came in and they had a rough and tumbled time for a while. The girls and boys would wrestle. This is the way. Feb[ruary] 3[rd] warmed up.
[Thursday] – 4 Feb[ruary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. Right after breakfast we went over to Wallen (sic) to post some pictures that Elder [Wilford Woodruff] Freeman had to send off. I tell you, we had a muddy walk! Got back just in time for dinner. We came up to Polie [Ann Davis] Harmon‘s and stayed that night. She was telling us about her getting married. She was married when she was 12 years old. She ran away from home and got married, and when they come back that night, they went to bed together and [an] old lady would not believe they were married, so she made Polie [Ann Davis Harmon] get up and get in another bed.
[Friday] – 5 Feb[ruary] 1904 Wallen (sic), Blount Co[unty]. We left [Samuel Patterson] Harmon‘s and came over to W[illiam] C[harles] Garland‘s, 400 miles from no where. He accused Jobe [Abraham] Harmon of stealing two hams and a side of meat. We did not do much but set around and read a little.
[Saturday] – 6 Feb[ruary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. We left W[illiam] C[harles] Garland‘s and came over to Pollie [Ann Davis Harmon]‘s for dinner. We then went down to Joe [John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s and packed our grips and made ready to leave the co[unty] as there were so many measels here. We went over and spent the night with Bro[ther] John [Goulder] Harmon.
[Sunday] – 7 Feb[ruary] 1904 Walland, Blount Co[unty]. We left Bro[ther John Goulder] Harmon and came over to [Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s and got our grips. Then went up to Bro[ther Jonathan] Woody‘s. Just after we got there, how it did rain and blow and there [were] places in the house that you could throw a cat through, and the rain came in and wet the bed, and the folks had a hard time to keep in the dry. But after it stop[p]ed raining, we had a good time talking with the people, and we sang some for them. The night before we got there, Bro[ther Jonathan] Woody and his son caught 5 [o]possums. Some had [o]possum for dinner to [illegible].
[Monday] – 8 Feb[ruary] 1904 Wallen (sic), Blount Co[unty]. We left [Jonathan] Woody‘s and started for Sevier Co[unty]. Came to Walland and got our mail. We had too many tracts to carry, so we went some over to [Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s. We had a heavy load but we made it thru to John Baker before run down. He seemed quite pleased to see us as Elder [Wilford Woodruff] Freeman had been there before and visited on him when he got hurt.
Source: Armstrong, Leroy Smith, Missionary Journal. https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/174616109?p=59719026&returnLabel=LeRoy%20%20Smith%20Armstrong%20(KWCC-DS2)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FKWCC-DS2 (accessed: March 1, 2024).
Smoky Mountain Ward 