Claudius Meade Capps was born April 9, 1863 two miles below Walkers Ford on the Clinch River in Union County, Tennessee. He moved with the family in 1869 to the Maynardville Valley (Nave Hill area) seven miles east of Maynardville, the County seat of Union County. Here he spent his boyhood and young manhood. At that time, there were no educational opportunities in this county, and he educated himself as best he could by studying at home–often at night by a dipwick light or a blazing pine knot by the kitchen fire.

My dear Boys and Girls–Big Children too,
I want you to know that I am so glad that you have good schools to attend. I’m sure glad that you have buildings that have floors, openings in the walls that have windows, and blackboards that are not just “wooden boards” painted black. But I also want you to know that things have not always been this way. I hope you will get grandma and grandpa to tell you their school experiences. Maybe they will even tell you what their parents told them.