Childhood Musings by Ward Poag

Benjamin Franklin Poag, "Paw Poag", married Sally Nutt and moved to Lewis County from Upper 48 Creek in Wayne County. His move was motivated by a desire to get away from his brothers. Two of them followed him. One of them had a farm next to Paw Poag's on Highway 20 just outside Hohenwald on the "Columbia Highway."

In his lifetime, Frank Poag was a farmer, moonshiner, whiskey runner, and during WWII, he worked as a laborer. He and Maw Poag had three children. Our daddy was one of them (Russell Hobson Poag). Delphia, Eddie Whittenburg's mom, was another. Another sister, Effie, died of Scarlett fever. After Effie died, maw Poag had a nervous breakdown and never quite got over it.

My cousin, Eddie Whittenburg says Paw Poag had a second-grade education but he was a well-read and intelligent person. When I was about 5, Paw Poag told me, "The first two days I went to school it was alright. But on the third day, the creek was up and I never went back."

He learned to read and write someplace. He got Nashville newspapers every day that the mail came and I know he read the bible and other books around the house.