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There are many historical homes in Andrews but one of my favorites is the old Whisenhunt House, which was built in 1912.
Daniel Whisenhunt built the house to accommodate all his children and grandchildren for family reunions. Whisenhunt was a business man in Andrews and married Sally McKee, and the couple had six children.
The house sits on a crest of a rolling hill, beneath the shade of ancient walnut trees, with a huge, wide, porch that wraps four sides of the 11-room home. It is a stately old home that reflects the beauty and the solitude of a place in time, and originally set on 280 acres. The house is just across the bridge from Andrews First Baptist Church on the left.
There is a lot of history with the grounds of this old home that revolves around the smoke house, which is among the oldest buildings in Andrews. It was said to be where some of the local folks hid their horses during the civil war, when animals were being commandeered for a war that could not be won. It was located behind where the present house sits today.
Louise was the granddaughter of Daniel and Sally McKee Whisenhunt, and the daughter of Sally Mae Whisenhunt and Samuel Taylor. She married Howard Whitehouse in 1941, who had given up being a cowboy to take a job with the Utah Construction Co., who at the time was building the Nantahala Dam. The couple had one son named James.
I stopped by to talk to Louise and Howard one afternoon in August of 1990. I had heard from the older folks that Howard had lived an interesting life, and he certainly had. We sat on the sprawling front porch and I remember being mesmerized as Howard recalled his life history. Howard was raised on a farm in
Danville, Ky., and developed a love for horses and cattle as a child.
“My Dad raised cattle, hogs, and sheep, and we farmed 40 acres of bottom land to feed them,” Howard explained. “Back then, my Dad shipped his stock to Louisville, to the Bourbon Stock Yard.” Then in 1937, Howard was hired as a cowboy at the Wine Cup Cattle Co. in Montello, Nev., which was owned by the Utah Construction Co. “They bought out all the local ranches and combined them into one big outfit.
“The ranch consisted of 40,000 head of cattle, 60,000 head of sheep, and 3,700 branded horses were used to work the ranch. It was just like you see on television, with the cook and his wagon in the campsite, and we never stayed more than two days in one spot,” Howard said.
He later migrated to Wyoming and hired on with another outfit called B.Q. His job at the ranch was to break work horses. But in 1940, Howard gave up the life of a cowboy and a year later he went to work again for the Utah Construction Co. But this time, he was sent to work on the dam for the Nantahala Lake project. He worked with that company for 35 years.
Louise said, “We were home visiting in the 1950s during one of the first Wagon Trains, and we went to Murphy to watch them come in.”
Years later, the couple moved back to Andrews to retire in the old homeplace. And in 1981, Howard took up the trek as a wagon trainer, and was a certified board member. He was recognized as the oldest man on the Wagon Train, and said, “I stayed the whole trip. I was feeling good and so was my horse, and I saw no reason to leave.”
Howard and Louise Whitehouse brought the family home in 1961. It was a peaceful refuge for two people who loved and cared for the homeplace.
As I sat on the porch where generations of children have laughed and played, I wondered what tales were spun within those walls, what dreams were shared beneath the sentinel trees, and what memories will linger in the minds of those who remember.
Louise and Howard have both passed away, and sometimes as I drive by the Whisenhunt House, my eyes will fill with unshed tears as I remember their laughter, and the love that this couple had for each other.
Kandy Barnard is a columnist for the Cherokee Scout. To talk about the Andrews Valley, call her at 828-361-3268 or email kandybarnard@gmail.com.