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Mr Frances Gill, says this is the cabin John Clemens (father of Samuel Clemens) allowed George and Catherine Helm to live in when John Clemens left Fentress County TN. and took his family to Hannibal, Mo. John Clemens, in a deed to Berry Gatewood, sold his property to Gatewood with
the stipulation that George and Catherine be allowed to remain in the house as long as they wanted. This was written in the deed. John
Clemens was the clerk of the Fentress County court when George lost his land due to his erroneously purchasing the land from someone who did not own it. Later the owners claimed the land. There was a long court case involving the issue. He lost everything. Mr. Gill is sure Clemens felt sorry for his neighbors, George and Catherine, and allowed them to stay in his
original cabin on his land. John was then living with his family in Jamestown, the county seat. This cabin was removed from Fentress County
a few years ago when the Museum of the Appalachias was opened near Norris, Tennessee. It is part of the museum. It is called the "Mark
Twain Cabin" eventhough Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) never lived in it.
He was born a year after the family arrived in Missouri.
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