1.0Rye Valley Historyhttps://socialmogul.us/RyeValleyHistoryAdminhttps://socialmogul.us/RyeValleyHistory/author/admin/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="BTvesiwk9T"><a href="https://socialmogul.us/RyeValleyHistory/families/williams/">Williams</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://socialmogul.us/RyeValleyHistory/families/williams/embed/#?secret=BTvesiwk9T" width="600" height="338" title="“Williams” — Rye Valley History" data-secret="BTvesiwk9T" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://socialmogul.us/RyeValleyHistory/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> The Williams Family of Teas: A Cornerstone of Early Rye Valley History The story of Teas—one of Rye Valley’s most enduring communities—cannot be told without the Williams family. Their roots in the valley stretch back to the 1760s, when Jenkin Williams arrived and “took up a corn title just below Sugar Grove,” establishing one of the earliest Williams homesteads in the region. Over generations, the family shaped the civic, educational, and spiritual life of what would later become known as Teas, leaving a legacy still visible in the landscape and in the families who remain. Early Settlement and the Griffitts Connection By the time Smyth County was formed in 1832, the Williams family had already become firmly established. Jenkin’s descendants purchased land on the north side of the South Fork of the Holston River from John Griffitts, who had settled both sides of the river in 1776. This tract eventually passed to Jenkin’s grandson, Rufus K. Williams (1806–1860). Rufus married Elizabeth Thomas (1819–1878) in 1837. Elizabeth came from one of the most prominent families of Royal Oak—her parents, John and Margaret Irons Thomas, were so respected that county court was held in John’s home until the first Smyth County courthouse was built. Rufus and Elizabeth built their home ⅜ of a mile from the present Teas Bridge*, anchoring the Williams presence in the valley for generations to come.*The Teas Bridge was originally across the road from Elizabeth UMC Building a Community: School, Church, and Service Rufus served as constable for the district, but it was Elizabeth whose influence shaped the heart of Teas. When their children reached school age, she persuaded Rufus to build the Williams Schoolhouse on their property. Elizabeth taught not only her own children but also those of neighboring families until the community could afford a hired teacher. The schoolhouse stood for more than a century before a windstorm destroyed it in 1970. Elizabeth also organized Sunday church services in the schoolhouse, a tradition that continued until 1899. She became known for caring for the sick throughout the community—an early example of the valley’s tradition of neighborly care. Of their nine children, three died young. Two remained in the Teas area and became central figures in its development: Dr. John Williams (1838–1910) Loretta Williams Pugh (1857–1898) The Next Generation: Teachers, Soldiers, and Homemaker In 1855, a young teacher named Jennie Shinault (1855–1933) arrived at the Williams Schoolhouse. She later married Dr. John Williams, who had served as a Captain in the Civil War until a leg injury led to his discharge in 1863. They built a home on the south side of the river—the residence of Sylvia and Bob West. Jennie had no children of her own, but she raised Martha Williams (1892–1989), daughter of John’s brother Abijah, after the family migrated to Missouri. Martha later became a beloved figure in her own right, remembered for her years operating the Sugar Grove Cannery from the 1940s until its closing.  Jennie was known for her industrious spirit. During the construction of the Teas Extract Plant, she boarded workers in her home. Martha recalled “wall-to-wall beds upstairs” and endless housekeeping to keep up with the demand. (Read more here.) Loretta Williams married Monroe Pugh, and together they built a home across from her mother’s. Though the house still stands, it is no longer in good condition. Their sons—Hix, Look, and Edison—kept the family’s presence strong in Teas. Edison operated a store in the community for many years. A Church for the Valley: Elizabeth Methodist In 1899, a new chapter began. John, Jennie, Loretta, and Monroe led the effort to build a church on land donated by Loretta and Monroe in honor of her mother, Elizabeth. The resulting Elizabeth Methodist Church became a spiritual anchor for Teas and remains active today, lovingly maintained through renovations and the dedication of local families. Pugh descendants still living in the area include Hix Jr., Bill, K.M. (Jack), and Peg Pittard, continuing a line of community leadership stretching back more than 150 years. The Griffitts Connection Continue Martha Williams married Roy Griffitts in 1912. Roy served as a rural mail carrier from 1908 to 1937, and together they raised six daughters near the spring where John Griffitts built his first cabin in 1776. Several of their daughters—Louise Pugh, Lucille Kinkade, June Shuler, and Jean Canter—remained in the area, while Lenore Rouse is deceased and Mayme settled in Churchill, Texas. Legacy in the Land Today, seven Williams descendants are members of Elizabeth Methodist Church. The family’s earliest leaders—Rufus, Elizabeth, John, Loretta, and their spouses—are buried on the original farm in the Pugh Cemetery at Teas, a quiet testament to the generations who shaped the valley. The Williams family story is woven into every corner of Teas: in the church pews, the old homesteads, the memories of the schoolhouse, and the families who still call the valley home. Their legacy is not just one of settlement, but of service—education, faith, caregiving, and community-building that helped define Rye Valley’s character for more than two centuries.   Credits and Notes About This Page Notes submitted from Lucille Kinkade (1980s). Contains information from Smyth County Court House, Family Bibles, Oral History from Jennie Williams, Greer Young, Martha Williams- Griffitts, Church Records.https://socialmogul.us/RyeValleyHistory/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Williams-Pioneer-Families.png851315