My Melungeon Heritage: A Story of Life on Newman’s Ridge

Born and raised in Hancock County, Sneedville, Tennessee, Mattie Ruth Johnson lived on Newman's Ridge in an area called Prospect Ridge, In My Melungeon Heritage she tells what it was like to grow up and live in a place and time when life was much different than it is at the end of the twentieth century.

A descendant of several of the first known settlers in Hancock County, Johnson has spent a lot of time through the years reading the history of early settlements and colonization of the United States. Her ancestors include many Melungeons, and she has done much research on her family lines. Interested in the Melungeon history for years, she has corresponded with numerous writers dealing with genealogy and people searching their family trees. Johnson, who currently lives in Kingsport, Tennessee, is a nurse. She is also an artist who enjoys working in oils and watercolors. A number of her paintings are scattered throughout this volume.