Recent rains had me out foraging for mushrooms at the Robins Branch and Hannahs Creek area of the Birkheads this morning. I located a healthy number of chanterelles but the big coup of the day was this young and fresh chicken of the woods.
Back in the parking area, much activity was afoot. A number of scouts were gearing up for a backpack outing. And the Cooper family reunion and cemetery clean up was getting started. The Coopers get together about this time of year to head out to the Cooper Mountain Cemetery where their family took root in this area a couple hundred years ago. I met Charlie Cooper who acted as the spokesperson for the family. They had prepared another cemetery sign out of cedar. This time, on the back of the sign, they posted the dates of Sterling Cooper's birth and death and also made note that Riley and Matthew also occupied a couple of the 34 graves in the cemetery.
They have only been aware of the cemetery for 27 years. A local landowner, Clark Thornburg told them they had a cemetery out there in the woods. He took them part way and gave them some idea where to look. They located the cemetery and spruced it up. I recall seeing the first sign they erected out there. I believe the one they hauled out there today is the third one.
Charlie told me there was a stage which traveled through this area once a day back then. He mentioned the Cooper homesite was about 3/4ths the way up Cooper Mtn on the right of the road. I had always assumed it was the homesite before crossing Hannah's Creek. Charlie corrected me, saying that was the Brite home.
Charlie also mentioned he was related to the Tadlocks. Our Uwharrie Trailblazers had a January outing to the Tadlock graves. He said the Tadlocks were mostly Keyawee Indians from the Carraway area.
Charlie sent the fellows out with tools and the huge sign. He stayed behind to prepare a meal for them and others who were on there way. The center of the parking circle had a long line of sawhorses with plywood tables ready to be laden with food stored in several plastic tubs.
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