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Lookout Mountain, as the early settlers found it, had an astonishing variety of wildflowers, ferns, shrubs and trees, and that nature's bounty attracted the mountain's early "plant hunters." Botanists have long recognized that Lookout Mountain "shares distinct botanical similarities with eastern Asian forests. It supports a wide array of ferns, wildflowers, and canopy trees. China is globally renowned for its vast botanical wealth, holding thousands of unique plant species across its varied mountain ranges" - and Lookout has many of the same species. Buford Craig, who lived many years at West Brow, recalled that his late wife Muriel Voiles's grandfather, Vince Voiles, was the first plant hunter in this section of the 93-mile-long mountain. The Voiles came here from North Carolina. Mr. Craig said Vince Voiles would dig up wildflowers, several varieties of ferns, wild azalea, mountain laurel, rhododendron and other native plants that were abundant in the wild at a time when the mountain was still sparsely settled and largely unfenced. In the days before and after World War I, Vince Voiles and other plant hunters who followed him would go, like peddlers, door to door. They would display their latest finds to the usually interested housewives who lived in the affluent section toward the north end of the mountain. These were added to many fine gardens that adorned the many mansions and fine homes that sprouted up on Lookout. His son, Paul Voiles, was a talented carpenter and homebuilder. He used his carpentry skills, along with sprigs of holly, hemlock and other natural greenery, to create handsome wreathes. Buford Craig said the Craig family was in the Blue Ridge, Ga., section, then moved to near Dayton to work in coal mines there. When a strike shut down that operation, they moved on to the coal mining at Durham on Lookout. He said his father, Avery Buford "A.B." Craig, also spent time in the Durham mines. He also did some shoe repairing, and from that he picked up the nickname "Tac." He said A.B. Craig once spent a day out in the woods and fields with Vince Voiles, and after that vowed not to return to the grueling mines. "He said he made more money with the plants, and it was a lot easier," Buford said. A.B. Craig was so renowned for his plant hunting ability that he was hired by the Chattanooga Medicine Company. The highly successful St. Elmo business was dependent on having ready supplies for their natural based medicinals. One of their first successful products was Black Draught, which used the yellow-flowering senna plant, a Lookout Mountain native. The medicine company also was always in search of goldenseal, another Lookout Mountain native, used for medicinal purposes for centuries back and still widely today. Buford Craig said goldenseal, as well as another highly sought native plant, ginseng, formerly grew in rich woodlands, mainly on the western side of Lookout Mountain. However, much of the mountain's goldenseal and ginseng were removed by plant hunters. He said Chattanooga Medicine asked his father to begin a test of growing goldenseal commercially. He said the company paid to erect several buildings on the Craig property and carried out the experiment for about two seasons. But the endeavor was summarily ended, and the buildings eventually rotted, he said. Buford said his father at one time had a large patch of ginseng on the Craig property, but someone found out about it and dug up much of the highly sought plants. A.B. Craig then disposed of the remainder - knowing that the thief would likely be back. Another peril of the plant hunting were ticks. Buford said his father handled this menace by splashing some kerosene on the bottom of his pants. The Voiles and Craigs were neighbors and Buford made the acquaintance of Muriel Voiles, daughter of Paul and granddaughter of Vince. He said their romance started when they rode the school bus together and he bought her a Coke at a Rock City stop. They had been married for 44 years when Muriel died in 2004. At the north end of the mountain, two other well-known plant hunters were Marvin Massey and Gus Stone. The Massey brothers, Marvin, Joe and Henry, had long operated a grocery at the town center on the Tennessee side. The Craigs and Masseys were intertwined. Dessie Craig, Buford's aunt, was married to Jesse Massey until his death in 1918. Then she married his brother, George W. Massey. Dessie Massey's old house, with its broad porch looking toward Nickajack Gap, still stands at the start of Mount Olive Road. Marvin and Gus made frequent excursions into remote sections of the mountain in search of native plants that a lady gardener might covet. They had their regular customers, who were always anxious to inspect the latest haul. The Christmas season was a prime time for the woodland pair. They would make an annual excursion to Wartburg, Tn., where galax grew plentifully. It is a low shiny plant that adorned many a Lookout Mountain mantel. Marvin and Gus also would obtain galax, holly and other bright plants at Griff Johnson's place at Head River, halfway down the mountain. Mr. Massey said plant hunting was an enterprise that was not without its perils. He told of climbing up a steep side of the Lula Lake railroad cut in search of a handsome specimen. Just as he neared his prize, at very close range he encountered a rattlesnake curled on a smooth ledge just below the plant. On a less serious note, Mr. Massey recalled being asked once by a lady gardener that he bring her a mullein. He had never had a request before for this tall, not-so-attractive woodland plant. He complied with the request, then asked why. The lady said, "I want it for my dog to pee on." Buford Craig got into the plant business himself. He operated a nursery and garden center in Hixson for many years. Buford's son, Glen Craig, also has plants in his blood - but not a search for wild ones. The Lookout Mountain resident is a prominent landscape architect, designing projects throughout the Southeast. Buford notes that nowadays those seeking to be plant hunters must register and be licensed. Robert Sparks Walker wrote, "The flora of Lookout Mountain is so varied and vast that since the coming of the white man, people have been going there on foot and on horseback to search the gulches, the mountain sides, and the summit for wildflowers, ferns and mosses. "The north end of the mountain, which has so long been accessible to the greater number of people, has been threaded and combed by wildflower lovers for botanic specimens for more than a hundred years. As a natural consequence, some of the once common species have been almost exterminated on this part of the mountain. "With all the wildflowers that have been removed from Lookout, there still is left a vast natural garden from the north to the south end, bearing lusty plants from the advent of spring beauties and hepaticas in late winter, until the dwarf-like frost aster, last to wither in the freezing breath of autumn." * * * John Wilson, who once boarded at the Marvin Massey residence by Fairyland School and who talks to Buford Craig every Sunday during the morning break at the old Hinkle Baptist Church, can be reached at [email protected] Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report. (If your case is dismissed, just email us your name and date we ran it and we will promptly take off. Email to [email protected] ) ABERNATHY,COREY ... more Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report. (If your case is dismissed, just email us your name and date we ran it and we will promptly take off. Email to [email protected] ) AGUILAR ... more The city of Soddy Daisy celebrated three heroes at the commission meeting Thursday night. On June 19, five police officers responded to a drowning call for a young child. They administered CPR ... more