Season 8, Episode 6. 02/06/2021
“Kermit’s Striped Stick Bean, Cades Cove, Tennessee”
In this episode, we are setting the table with “Kermit’s Striped Stick Bean”. We visit with John and Rachel Davis, owners of J & R Farms in Blount County, Tennessee. John Davis’s Great Grandmother is Lois Shuler Caughron, and her late husband was Kermit Caughron. The Caughron family has raised and saved an heirloom bean for generations that they call the “Striped Stick Bean”. This bean comes from the last remaining descendants of white settlers and residents of Cades Cove, Kermit and Lois Caughron. When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established, the residents of Cades Cove where made to move out of the area over a certain amount of years. These last remaining residents of Cades Cove are John and Rachel Davis’s ancestors. This family is very involved with a non profit organization called the Cades Cove Preservation Association, and a link is below to find out more about this organization and depository of artifacts and pictures of the families of white settlers who formerly lived in Cades Cove. I (Amy) am actively gathering recordings and information on the original settlers of Cades Cove and Eastern Tennessee Mountains, Native American residents who long before white settlers came to the area of East Tennessee lived. I hope to be sharing podcasts and radio shows on the Native American perspective through the lens of food over the next months.
For his “Potluck Radio” series, Fred Sauceman recalls a Tennessee memories of the Franklin Club and of Raymond Bautista owner of the former restaurant “Raymond’s Fine Foods” along with Raymond’s recipe for Cole Slaw. Raymond’s Fine foods was inducted into the Tennessee Restaurant Hall of Fame.
Links:
Rachel and John Davis of J&R Farms, Maryville, TN: https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/
Cades Cove Preservation Association: http://www.cadescovepreservation.com/kermitcaughron.html
Ben Cohen and Family, Owners of Small House Farm offer for sale a limited amount of Kermit’s Striped Stick Bean seed. They have been saving and sharing this seed and the story behind it. Find out more by visiting their website: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/product/kermit-bean/
A picture of Kermit Caughron in Cades Cove, Tennessee. Photo from Cades Cove PreservationAssociation:
http://www.cadescovepreservation.com/kermitcaughron.html
These images of Kermit and Lois Caughron come from Cades Cove Preservation Association: http://www.cadescovepreservation.com/kermitcaughron.html
Rachel and John Davis at their Kitchen table. https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/
Raymond Bautista owner of the former restaurant “Raymond’s Fine Foods” , Elizabethton, TN. Raymond’s Fine foods was inducted into the Tennessee Restaurant Hall of Fame. Mr Bautista immigrated to the USA at the age of 16 from Morong Rizal, The Philippines. Fred Sauceman pays tribute to Raymond Bautista in his segment during this episode of The Tennessee Farm Table. The Obituary of Raymond M. Bautista can be found in the notes below.
March 14, 1909 - September 27, 2006:
Obituary for Raymond M. Bautista
Raymond M. Bautista, 97, 1401 Burgie Street, Elizabethton, TN went to be with his Lord and God on Wednesday, September 27, 2006. He was a resident of Carter County, having been born in Morong Rizal, The Philippines, on March 14, 1909. He moved to America at age 16. He was preceded in death by his wife, Georgia Burrow Bautista of Carter County; his son, Raymond Paul Bautista, also of Carter County; and brothers and sisters of The Philippines. He is survived by a son, David F. Bautista of Elizabethton; two brothers, C. M. Bautista, Guadalupe, CA and Alfonso Bautista, Daly City, CA; two grandchildren, Mrs. Ronnie (Lisa) Ensor, Watauga, TN and Tim and Shyenti Bautista, Birmingham AL. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Bayley Ray Ensor, and Lauren and Richard Bautista. Raymond was very active in West Side Christian Church where he served as an Elder, Treasurer and Sunday School Teacher for many years. He also served as a member of the Carter County Election Commission. He was a Knights Templar mason and Shriner of the Jericho Shrine Center. He was the owner and operator of Raymond's Fine Foods (formerly the Franklin Club) until his retirement and also owned and operated his restaurant known as Raymond's in Elizabethton for many years. He was honored by the Carter County Chapter of The Daughters of The American Revolution as Citizen of the Year at a dinner at Milligan College hosted by the DAR and keynoted by the late C. G. Neece, Federal Judge. He was featured in "Home and Away", a fine food publication authored by Fred Sauceman and published by East Tennessee State University. He was also inducted into the Tennessee Restaurant Hall of Fame at ceremonies conducted at Opry Land Hotel in Nashville, TN. In addition, he was a champion and ranked lightweight boxer. At the graveside service the Honor Guard from The Wataugans will fire a volley in memory of Mr. Bautista. He dearly loved America and credited his chosen Country for the many opportunities extended to him for more than eighty years. Funeral service for Mr. Raymond M. Bautista will be conducted at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, September 30, 2006 at West Side Christian Church with Mr. Jim Curtis and Mr. Greg Key, ministers officiating. Music will be under the direction of Beth Ann Henley, soloist. Interment will follow the funeral service in Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Luther McKeehan, Bobby Elliott, Gene Mann, Richard Oatman, Howard Matherly, Earl Williams and Jim Cox. Honorary pallbearers will be Ted Hamilton, Robbie Johnson, Bob Carter, Murrell Mullins, Jim Harmon, Bill Richie, Doug Stair, Roy McKinney, Al Lyons, Brice McKinney, Bill Grindstaff, John Hopson, Paul Hopson, Fred Sauceman, Bob Cupp, Don Tetrick and Harold Lingerfelt. The family will receive friends at Hathaway-Percy Funeral Home Friday, September 29, 2006 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. or at the residence of his son at any time.