BIOGRAPHY: One night while he was camped on Barren Creek, the indians attacked the hunting party as they lay asleep in their tent. One indian crawled up almost against the tent--the ball clipped through the beard of Thomas, the ball killing the white man next to him. Thomas's son Wiley recalled that the flame scorched his fathers breast, so close was the death's call. Thomas was then a single man. He was so delighted with Barren Creek, that he vowed he would have a home there some day. (from the writings of Jewell Mayes for the Historical Edition on the Claiborne county Progress).

(The following is from: "The Ancestors & Descendants of James Dickerson Mayes to 1968" by Thomas Clure Mayes.) This particular land consisted of 1,500 acres, in Claiborne Co TN, and he bought this land for 10 cents an acre. They settled there before 1800. It is known as the Barren Creek Section of Claiborne County and is located on the main Highway from Tazewell to Knoxville, Tennessee, about 10 miles from Tazewell. Quoting his grandson, James D. Mayes, "Thomas Mayes was about 5 ft 10 in tall, of sandy complexion. He was of strong build, square shoulder and quick step. He was a good carpenter, blacksmith, farm mechanic and all around handy man. He was also a cobbler to the extent that he made his own shoes. He was in good financial circumstances, owning all his property including the 1,500 acres when he died. He was held in respect as an honest man and a money maker. He was cordial, and Hospitable, a very agreeable man. He was a good conversationalist and enjoyed narrating old time stories and experiences of himself and others". Thomas built the first grist mill on Barren Creek and operated it until his death. His home was a large square two story structure made of perfectly hewed logs. It was located 200 or 300 feet beyond the grist mill on Barren Creek. (It is said that at the time of his death he owned 1500 acres of land). Some years ago, it was years ago, the Mill was dismantled completely and moved about 1/2 mile up the creek. There is a picture of the house, but a few years ago it was destroyed by fire and now only a part of the tumbled down chimney remains.

In Sep 1967 We (Thomas Clure Mayes) visited the old house on Barren Creek. The mill was located about 3 miles from the head of Barren Creek and was first built as an over-shot corn mill, but later it was established for grinding flour by using a bolting-cloth by hand. It was operated by William Mayes, youngest son of Thomas, after Thomas died. Later in 1857 or 1858 it was sold to Jefferson Treece. It was destroyed by fire in 1870 but was rebuild a few feet further away from the creek. On Aug 3, 1916, it was again destroyed by a devastating flood in which 22 people living along Barren Creek were drowned. When we saw the creek recently it was hard to believe it could have been so destructive, for we could practically have stepped across it. A John Chumbly was the owner of the mill, and he rebuilt it as it stands today. It has been out of operation for sometime, but while we were there, the present owner, Mr. Ramsey, with the help of his grandson, was repairing the mill and planning on operating it again. We stopped and talked to Mrs. Ramsey, trying to find where the Mayes Cemetery was located. Her grandson took us up the hill to it, or we would have never found it, so hidden it is in a deep Wooded section nearly 100 yards from the mill. It was almost completely over-grown with evergreen trees and Myrtle's. There were probably 10 or 12 graves there, some completely caved in and some with small stone markings on which the names had disappeared. We were unable to located the grave of Thomas who was buried there, but the graves of Sterling and Johnson, two of his sons, were marked by comparatively new stones put up by James D. Mayes and other relatives some few years before James died."

Elizabeth Bridges Mayes was described as being tall, large, dark complexioned woman, always strongly opposed to slavery.