Hardin Brothers Landscaping

February 2022 Community Updates

After a few snows in February, we are beginning to see the first signs of spring! Although weather is warming up, please be aware though that some of our biggest surprise snows can come pop up in March. Please check the forecast before making travel plans in the event of a surprise snow storm. While there were a few minor driving incidents due to winter weather last month, we had far fewer than last year, in large part due to the fact that winter weather did not coincide with holidays when roadways are busier.

The front entrance bridge sustained minor repairs caused by minor vehicle accidents. An additional 6’x4’ board was placed on the side of the bridge to function as a better guardrail. Road reflectors and boulders were also added as safety precautions to increase visibility.

March 2022 Projects

In March, ongoing work will focus on maintaining roadways that are safe and clear of debris, snow, and ice. Because roads become softer as snow and ice thaw, they become more vulnerable to erosion caused by springtime rain showers. This has already resulted in clogging of roadway culverts, which require unclogging of debris including leaves, gravel, and sand. As we continue to have warmer weather, this preemptive maintenance will ensure roads are ready for April showers! Stayed tuned for next month’s issue, where we will discuss local May flowers and fauna unique to our beautiful mountain home.

The Mosley Cemetery

Last month’s newsletter included a brief history of the Mosley family’s barn remains on the side of Amber Drive. Though there is not much information regarding this early Roan Mountain family, their graveyard sits on Megan’s Loop. The Mosley graveyard was almost lost before the developers of Amber Ranches began construction in the early 2000’s. My grandfather had been to the graveyard many years prior, but could not remember exactly where it was until he and a local friend named Shorty Mosley found it while walking in the woods. He and Shorty sought to preserve it so that construction workers would avoid accidentally plowing over the old gravestones.

Since its rediscovery, the Mosley family has replaced two of the gravestones—
those of Ben and Millie Mosley. Ben was a Civil War veteran of the Union Army,
who was contracted to supply the timber needed for the construction of the Old “Ball” (Bald) Road from Buladean to the famous Cloudland Hotel at the top of Roan Mountain. According to the 1910 census, Benjamin F. Mosley was 66 years old and Millie was 63. Census records indicate that Ben could read, but not write. He lived with his wife Millie Garland Mosley on a farm in modern-day Amber Ranches. Together, they had 10 children, of whom 7 survived. Some of their children are buried next to them in the graveyard (see photos).