11/26/2025
On 17 Jun 2011, Norma Jean Mode Booth, granddaughter of John William "Long John" Mode, sent the full history of this family to Sharon Henderson Noyes. She is my 2nd cousin twice removed as "Long John" Mode was the son of Samuel Mode & Lavinia White and brother to Able Hiles (my great-great-grandfather), Andrew Franklin "Frank," Joseph Thomas, Henry C., Eliza J., Rachel Elizabeth, and Martha Susan.
The first part of Jean's writings that confused me were John's birth, children's births (as census data is all in Rutherford, Cleveland & McDowell Cos., NC), name of 1st wife, and some other things. I called her and we had a great conversation. I asked her about where the information came from and she said that she had sat her father down one day and asked him to tell her all about the family. Jean said that she used all the information that she had written from her father, but then had to also find actual records to help write the story. I have since sent her all the information that I had on John William Mode, all his wives & children, census data, marriage, birth, death records, etc. I have inserted into her writings corrected or other information where space allowed. Each of John William Mode's children had their own page as part of the writings and I will share those later.
The writings per Jean:
John William Mode was born 1 Oct. 1849 in Winston, Forsyth County, North Carolina (no record of the family in that location). His parents were Samuel Mode and Lavinia White. Samuel was a laborer and shoemaker. About 1870 John married Rachel Hunt (proven to be Mary J. Hunt on 14 Apr 1871) and they had two children, Samuel and Rowena. Both were born in Winston, Forsyth, North Carolina. John and Rachel later divorced. Samuel went with his father and Rachel (? Rowena), being quite young, stayed with her mother (? Rachel). (NOTE: the only Rowena is daughter of Sarah Hunt & John Thomas Mode - brother to John William. The marriage record found was J. W. Mode to Mary J. Hunt. Rachel is not found in any record after 1860 with her parents & siblings. Mary J. is found in 1880 with her parents in Kentucky. I can't completely dispute that John & his Hunt wife had a daughter, Rowena, but based on the conflict of Hunt names (Rachel vs Mary J.) combined with knowing a child Rowena was born to John's brother, I have doubts that Rowena was John's daughter but confused with his brother's child).
About 1877, John married Laura J. Conley. They had four children, Mary Lula, Ida Maude, Rosco Butts and John William II. All were born in Winston, Forsyth, North Carolina (not proven). The family made a move to Henderson county, Kentucky around 1886. This is where Laura died sometime before 1890.
Henderson, Kentucky is where John met his third and last wife, Sallie Carolina Raffety. They were married 4 Dec 1890 Robards Station in Henderson County, Kentucky. There two are the ones who later came to Oregon and are the reason for the area named Modeville.
Sallie was born 20 Jan. 1870 at Henderson, Kentucky. Gideon Raffety and M. J. Davis (Amanda "Manda" J. Keown was her mother and she married Davis in 1876 after Gideon died) were her parents. Gideon was a traveling preacher. He drowned in 1872 while crossing a river in his wagon. Thereafter, Sallie was raised by her grandparents, William and Mary Keown, who were farmers.
Sallie Carolina Raffety had a first marriage to Franklin Mode (son of Henry C., John William's brother, and uncle to Franklin). Two children were born, Hatty Carolina, who lived fifteen months, and Ann Franklin. Franklin Mode died shortly after Ann was born (actual death 22 Dec 1889).
John William and Sallie Carolina, while living in the Corydon District in Henderson County, Kentucky, added six more children to their household. They were Hiles Thompson, Henry Clay, Andrew Franklin, Rena Carolina, Lena Mae and Robert Henderson. John was a farmer, raising to***co and corn to make a living for his large family.
In 1902 the family made a big decision to head out west to Oregon. Some of their Mode relatives (later found to be Bryson Summey Mode family) had made the journey earlier and, no doubt, said it was a great place to be. They packed up their eleven children; two sons-in-laws, Manassie Henderson Raffety (also Sallie's brother) and William Henry Stallings; four grandchildren; William Gilbert Stallings, Hallie Lourene Raffety, Nellie Ann Raffety and Verble Jane Raffety for the trip. John's oldest son, Samuel, was the only family member who chose to stay behind.
As the story goes, they did not have much money, so rented a box car, maybe more than one. Their beds were straw. They had a stove of some sort to cook on. John also brought his dismantled still for making corn whiskey. John was know for his wrestling skills and was given the nick name "Long John." They would ride the box car as far as their funds would take them, then get off and set up camp. John would get a wrestling match going in the area. He would win the match, make a few bucks and they would travel a bit further on the box car. Don't know how many stops they made before their journey ended, but it was a terribly tough way getting to Oregon.
Umpqua, Douglas County, Oregon was their landing place in 1902. Umpqua was a small area, only .07 square miles, established in 1888. They set up their household here about 11 miles from Oakland, on the Umpqua River, near Old Tyee Mountain. This was near their relatives who had come in 1890, the Summy Mode family.
While at Umpqua, in 1903, a baby girl was born to John and Sallie. She died at birth and was not given a name. Soon after that, they made a move to Leona, Oregon, which is just a few miles from the town of Drain. The next move was to Windling, Oregon. This area was owned by the Booth-Kelly Lumber Company so that is probably where John and his older sons worked. There are no signs of any sort left there now, only the forests. Finally, in 1905, the family made it to Independence, Polk County, Oregon. One son was born here during 1905, Dock Rufus. They worked here in the hop fields until 1908, when they moved about 3 miles north of Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon. John was in charge of a hop ranch here. He and Sallie had a son who was born at this place in 1908, Joe Herman.
In 1910 the family was back in Independence, living on 3rd Street. Their last child, Charles Marvin, was born here in 1911. They also purchased a home that year in the E. A. Thorpe town plat of Independence - 665 Marsh Street West for $225.00. As of 2008, it was still standing, with the roof pretty well caved in. For the next six years they were back to the hop farms of Independence where John leased a hop ranch. In later years, this ranch was purchased by the Heaner family and their descendants are still living there.
About 1916 they moved to Marcola, near Wendling and Springfield, more or less where they first started out in Oregon. They were here only a short time before moving up into Washington State. World War 1 was still going on, so in 1917 the family moved up to Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County, Washington. The sons, who were old enough, began working for Blagens Mill. Spruce wood, because of its strength and light weight was being used to build the war planes. This gave many people jobs in logging and milling where Spruce was growing. The Mode Family lived here until sometime in 1920, when they headed back to Oregon.
In 1920, living back in Independence, Oregon, John and Sallie brought 5 acres of land from James and Anna Thurston for $575.00. This was in the area now known as Modeville. With the help of family, they built a home here. The large timbers they used were from the old ferry landing near by, now called Well's Landing. This house is still lived in but not by a Mode.
The family kept growing. Sons and daughters married, had children of their own. So besides John and Sallie, there were 14 other Mode families living down in the American Bottom through the years. No wonder they named it Modeville. Working in the hop fields was where most of their time was spent, from early spring to late fall when harvest was over. Women, as well as the men, were out in the fields working, wearing their long dresses and trying to keep track of their little children. Sallie also helped out when folks in the area were sick or having babies. She had plenty of experience in that field.
If there was any slack time the fellows loved to hunt and fish, which helped with the food supply. They always shared their bounty with the rest of the family. Even the duck and good down for pillows was passed around. In 1926 Sallie became ill. She had gall bladder surgery at the Salem Hospital and died there on the 24th of August. She was 55 years old and always the rock of the Mode family. She is buried in Hilltop Cemetery.
After Sallie died, John split his 5 acres into 3 parcels which we sold to his children. Ida and Menassie Raffety bought the house and 2 acres. Dock and Minnie Mode bought 1/2 acre. Andrew and Lillian Mode bought 2-1/2 acres.
For awhile, John more or less took turns living with several different children. He finally settled in with his son Henry, daughter-in-law Maude, and eventually their children, Floyd and Norma Jean. Together, they lived through the loss of two homes.
In July of 1932, their two-story home caught on fire from chimney sparks on the roof. John and his son were outside, working. Maude and baby, Floyd, were just coming home from a visit across the road when she spotted the fire. The only thing saved was a radio, icebox and the clothes they were wearing. Dow and Phoebe Patton hosted a benefit dance at their hop house where family, friends and neighbors came, bringing clothing and household goods. Another house was built, only a one-story this time. This home was lost about 1935-36 due to the Depression.
John made two more moves with Henry and family. His last home was one they rented from Norman and Lola Simpson Barker. It was just across the road the Ed and Hazel Barker Simpson's house. John William Mode died there on 1 May 1942, at home in Modeville, with his son, Henry and family. He is buried beside his Sallie in Hilltop Cemetery.
John lived to the age of 92-1/2. He never learned to drive a car; a horse was just fine with him. He did not read or write, somehow managed without it. He did not learn to sign his name until he was grown and married. He did, however, along with his family, contribute a lot to the agriculture of the American Bottom. His sons, daughters, their spouses and their children (a grand total of 59 folks) all worked in the hop fields and other types of farm labor over a period of sixty-plus years. Who else could match that? As an ending to the story of John and Sallie, I think that area where they lived should have been named "MODE-RAFFETYVILLE." Without Sallie Carolina Raffety, there would be no family of sons and daughters in the following pages of Modeville history.
