Melungeons, Footprints from the Past, author Jack Goins

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Copyright © 2009 by Jack Harold Goins. Printed and bound in the United States of America. All Rights Reserved.

Front cover photo is Alice Minor
Back Cover photo is Vardy Valley from top of Newman Ridge.

Although the author, printer and publisher have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information contained in this book, we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistency herein. Any slights of people, places, or organizations are unintentional.


In Melungeon Footprints From the Past, I present new evidence, found in court records and DNA (See DNA programs at http://www.jgoins.com/). This book revisits several events in my previous book Melungeons & Other Pioneer Families, published in 2000. On May 1, 2001, I received a Research Excellence Award from the East Tennessee Historical Society. In the summer of 1998, I began researching the Hawkins County Court Records stored in the basement of our 162 year old court house in Rogersville, Tennessee, and found several cases on the people who lived in Hancock County known as Melungeons. From those research days in the basement, I realized the old records needed to be restored. and was appointed Hawkins County Archivist in 2005 and with the help of several volunteers, we now have restored the old records and have a county archive. (Use this link to tour the Hawkins County Archives. hawkinscounty/tn.gov/index.)
This book represents a lifetime goal of putting into writing a true story about the lives of my pioneer families and also the lives and migration route of the people labeled Melungeon, where they came from, their parents, their bloodline, which is based upon their own testimony and backed by documented evidence, including DNA testing. Included is a brief autobiography of my first few years of this research journey, and of growing up on a farm with the hard times my parents had in the beginning of their marriage, but I would not trade places with anyone, because those times are precious memories.
I would like to acknowledge all the ones who helped make this book possible, many of whom are now deceased. The stories told to me in the early 1950's by my Grandfather Henry Harrison Goins and the great memory of my parents McKinley and Ona Arrington Goins, Eula Mae McNutt, aunts Bessie Arrington and Cornia Goins Lawson who gave me many stories of their childhood and to uncles, Hustler Lee Goins, William Wesley, Esley and Hezekiah (Car)Goins, for their stories about growing up in Fishers Valley and the life of my Great-Grandfather Hezekiah Goins, my cousins Jack C. Goins, Dewey Goins, Jim Goins, Lee Minor Garner, Elvie and Beulah Goins, Louise Adams, Joanne Pezzullo of Flat Rock, Michigan, Douglas and Pamela Lawson Jenkins, Virginia Willis Winstead, Sue Arrington Fitzgerald, all of Rogersville, Tennessee, Wayne Winkler of Jonesboro, Tennessee, my first cousin Jon Goins of Austin, Texas, David Jones of Ovideo, Florida, Mary Hill of Provo, Utah, Ron Blevins of West Point, Virginia, Joy King of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, Wanda Aldridge of Dyer, Arkansas, Ruth Johnson of Kingsport, Tennessee.
Thanks to my co-administrators in the Melungeon, Goins and Minor DNA projects, Penny Ferguson of London, Kentucky, Janet Crain of Lampass, Texas, Katherine James of Spartanburg, South Carolina and Roberta Estes of Brighton, Michigan, and to my wife Betty for researching with me in the libraries, the many court houses, farms, creeks and rivers we visited in Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina in the research of this book.


This book may be bought now by emailing or writing Jack Goins.
Author's contact information:
Price $25.00
Jack Goins
270 Holston View Drive
Rogersville, TN 37857
(423) 272-7297
jgoins@usit.net

The History Chasers want to thank Jack for all his hard work, for all the time he has donated to Melungeon research, and we're looking forward to reading his new book!

Penny and Janet

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