Cyrus Towner Curtice Deake

From East Tenn. State University files, Feb. or March 1908 -

Cyrus Towner Curtice Deake - Dec. 5, 1824 - born at Providence, (near Daketown), Saratoga Co., NY. When he was a year old (1825-1826) his family moved to a farm near Mount Morris, Livingston Co., NY (FACT: William Deake son of William Gould Deake moved to western NY about 1830). He spent his boyhood days there, attending a country school. Afterwards he attended the old Bucks Academy at Nunda, NY. He graduated from this academy and taught school in that section of NY for several years.

In Jan. 1850 Mr. Deake accepted a position as tutor in a family living on a plantation near Savannah, GA. He stayed there for two years. When yellow fever broke out he started on his way back north going overland by way of Knoxville, TN. At Knoxville, while fleeing from yellow fever, he encountered an epidemic of cholera and was held up there in quarantine. Later he went on and got as far as Jonesboro, TN and while there became acquainted with some gentleman who called his attention to the fact that a principal was needed at Boone's Creek academy, two miles out of Jonesboro. He secured this place, which he held for several years. While teaching there he met Miss Josephine Simpson of Kingsport, TN, whom he married on July 16, 1855. No children was the result of the union, the only relative surviving being two nieces one in Michigan and one in Iowa, his wife and nephew JuliusW.C. Deake of Asheville. Mr. Deake left Jonesboro in 1856 on his wedding tour and went to Little Washington, Ray Co., TN, where he and Mrs. Deake taught school for a number of years, conducting an academy. From there he went to Villa Rica, GA where they taught school for a time; then to Atlanta where he and his wife opened a private boarding school for boys. This institution was conducted with a degree of success until the breaking out of the civil war.

From the book “Secret Yankees – The Union Circle in Confederate Atlanta” As the Civil War started, loyal Union supporters met in private to discuss issues and plan strategies on how to stay out of the Confederate Army. CTC Deake initially used a deferment of being a teacher to avoid service. He and other Unionists would meet in William Markham’s office. Many Unionists left their wives behind in Atlanta and attempted to get through the Confederate/Union lines to safety. Some trying to escape were killed by Confederate soldiers or guerrillas in the north George mountains, others succeeded.

A Unionist Thomas Crussell approached Cyrus Deake in the fall of 1862 and at first told him there was a potential to make money off the war effort. Once they had developed a trust in each other they confided in each other that what they really wanted was to find a way to escape serving in the Confederate Army. Crussell suggested that they raise a company of sappers and miners to support the Army but as civilian workers. Once they had twenty men who agreed to join their company they left for Savannah and Skidaway Island. Once there they offered a Conferdate Colonel their company as civilian laborers at forty dollars a month each, with Crussell and Deake serving as foremen. However, once in place they realized it was going to be much harder to escape from Savannah than they originally thought because the Union blockade fleet was farther off shore than they had earlier thought and all boats along the shore had been taken up by the Confederate authorities. Crussell and another friend tried to get through the rivers and down to the ocean but were fired upon and only were let go when they convinced the Confederate soldiers that they were really harvesting oysters. The men then returned to Atlanta discouraged and apprehensive about their safety and the safety of their families. He succeeded in keeping out of the Confederate Army until the late summer of 1863. Like many of the Unionists, Cyrus had been under constant pressure from citizens committees to enlist, but he made friends with Conscript Officers and bribed them to keep him out of the service. When this no longer worked, he took a job traveling through the rural areas of Georgia and Alabama, buying up gum shellac for use by the Confederate Ordnance Department. Finally when he saw there was no way left to evade conscription, he made his way through the guerrilla country in the the treacherous highland of north Georgia to the Union lines in east Tennessee, first taking his wife out and then after a brief return to Atlanta, returning to Tennessee himself. He did not return south until after the war was over.

During this stay in East Tennessee Mr. Deake read law, was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law at Jonesboro after the close of the war. He remained in Jonesboro until the spring of 1874; when he went to Bakersville (NC) and in company with Julius W.C. Deake went into the mica mining business under the firm name of Deake & Deake. In 1875 he bought the Bakersville Independent, something of a religious paper, and converted it into the Roan Mountain Republican, of which he was editor. In 1879 he sold his mining property and devoted his time to the newspaper exclusively until the summer of 1880 when he sold out and began the publication of the Asheville News. The publication of the Asheville News was kept up until 1884 when it was sold and Mr. Deake retired to a farm and began truck farming. In 1887 he started in the florist business which afterwards became the Idelewild Floral company, composed of C.T.C. Deake , Mrs. J. B. Deake (this is Josephine B. Deake, Cyrus's wife) and Julius W.C. Deake. This business was maintained for several years until the greenhouses were leased.

In 1900 US Census North Carolina
Cyrus was listed as born in Dec. 1824 (age 74), in New York (both of his parents were also born in New York). His wife Josephine was born Feb. 1839 (age 61) born in TN. Julius W.C. Deake was listed as his nephew born Dec. 1849 (age 50), in New York and both of his parents were born in New York).

Cyrus T. C. Deake born Dec. 5, 1824 in New York and died March 11, 1908 at Asheville, NC.

Cyrus wife Josephine died in Nov. 19, 1910 in Twin Falls, Idaho. In 1920 Idaho Census, Julius was shown as a single farmer and Josephine as his aunt still living in same home.

Julius William C. Deake

Julius was born on Dec. 02, 1849 in New York. (may have been the Nunda area).

The Landmark - Statesville, NC, 25 Sept. 1885
J.W.C. Deake was route agent for the Western North Carolina Railroad and was removed from this position in September 1885. He resigned to start a business in Asheville, NC.

In the spring of 1874; when he went to Bakersville (NC) and in company with his uncle Cyrus T. C. Deake went into the mica mining business under the firm name of Deake & Deake.

In 1887 he went in the florist business which afterwards became the Idelewild Floral company, composed of Cyrus T.C. Deake , Cyrus's wife Josephine B. Deake and Julius Deake.

From Allegany Co., NY THE NEWS clipping 1911
Old Sweethearts are wedded
J.W.C. Deake, now of Twin Falls, Idaho, back at the old home town for a visit, meets a sweetheart of youthful days and is to be wedded at noon today. (marriage Aug. 12, 1911, listed in Escanaba Morning Press in Michigan).

They will be at home in the west.

Escanaba Morning Press, Aug. 12, 1911
Hornell, N.Y., Aug. 11 - As the climax of a romance begun in civil war times, Julius W.C. Deake a real estate operator of Twin Falls, ID arrived her today to marry his boyhood sweetheart. In 1865 when Deake was 17 and a resident of a western New York village he was engaged to a pretty Sarah Rice. Late in that year his parents removed to South Carolina,(this may have been Asheville, North Carolina) where he studied law. Correspondence between the couple lagged and after a year or two the girl married Joseph Newton, a prominent resident of Hornell. Fourteen years ago Newton died. After a search of several years Deake located Mrs. Newton, the old acquaintance was renewed and the marriage followed.

Hornell, NY, Aug. 11, 1911
Col. J.W.C. Deake, a son of Mrs. William Deake of this place, is to be joined in wedlock with Mr. Sarah Newton at 174 River Street, Hornell, today at noon. Rev. Brown to perform the ceremony. This will not doubt be a surprise to many who have known the genial bachelor since his youth. It was back in 1866 that Julius, a mere lad, met and fell in love with Sarah C. Rice at Raymond, PA, when visiting his sister, Mrs. G. L. Blackman. A short time afterwards Mr. Deake went to Asheville, NC and a lost letter for the time ended the love affair. The years drifted by and Miss Rice became the wife of George Newton of Hornell, but Julius remained a bachelor. From Asheville Mr. Deake moved to 'Twin Falls, Idaho. This spring he cam for a visit with his mother and friends. While at Raymond he learned the address of his former sweet heart in Hornell and called upon her. Mr. Newton had passed away and the old courtship was at once taken up where it was dropped long ago. The wedding today is a happy event and THE NEWS joins in extending best wishes and most hearty congratulations. After visiting a few days in Western New York, the happy bride and groom will journey across the continent, where Mr. Deake has extensive business interests and there they will be at home to their many friends.

1900 Census - J.W.C. Deake lived in Buncombe Co., NC

1910 Census - Lived in Twin Falls, Idaho
Cyrus wife Josephine B. Deake died in Nov. 19, 1910 in Twin Falls.

Julius applied for an old age pension in Twin Falls

In 1913 a Julius and Melvina Deake purchased burial plots in Rural Cemetery, Whitesville, NY (town of Independence)

July 11, 1933 - Sarah (Rice)(Newton) Deake died in Twin Falls, ID. She was born Nov. 10, 1850

Aug 2, 1939 - J.W.C. Deake died in Twin Falls, Idaho. Both Julius and his wife Sarah are buried in Twin Falls, ID.

Death Certificate 115013