The Marion News, Marion, KY  18 Sep 1936. Used with permission.
Written by E. Jeffrey Travis.
[Crittenden Co]

   Closely associated with the early settlement of Bells Mines is the
name of Newcom.  The name comes from Ireland.
   In the year 1767, there was born one Joseph Newcom in Ireland.  He
came to the States in 1785, married and settled in Smith county, Tenn.
He, like most "old timers" reared a large family.  As his sons, William,
Dudley, John and Joseph married they came to Kentucky and settled near
Bells Mines.  In the year 1807, the parents followed and, too, settled
near here.  Of course, this was long before there was a Crittenden
county, we were a part of Caldwell county [sic], and the county 
[sic] was at Centerville, near Tom Young's place.  This Wililam Newcom
patented a large tract of land, extending from Tradewater on the east
to Tradewater on the west, embracing all the coal lands where the early
development of Bells Mines began.  Dudley patented what is known as
the "Black Place."  John patented and settled what is the "John Coker
Place."  Joseph of this tribe moved to Illinois and settled there.
   It is William Newcom who came from Tennessee, that adds much interest
to this story.  It was he who owned the coal fields that brought 
Colonel John Bell to Kentucky to open and operate the mine in this
community.  Newcom was procuring coal from an outcrop to use in his
blacksmith shop, when a man from Tennessee, a relative of Colonel John
Bell, saw the coal and recognized the excellent quality of it.  He
traded Newcom five acres of surface adjoining Newcom for as many 
hundred acres of coal rights.  This relative attracted the interests of
Colonel Bell and a company was formed to operate the mine.  The
Tennessee man sold his right the next year for $2,000.00.  Thousands of
tons of coal was [sic] taken from this mine - the finest coal in the
world.  A town sprang up and grew to be one of the largest of the
county.  Stores, schools, churches, and of course, saloons were there.
Also many died there.  An epidemic of cholera broke out at one time and
there were one hundred men, women and children buried in one week on
the top of the hill west.  This was the beginning of the grave yard at
what is now the Bells Mines church.
   William Newcom gave each of his children a good farm while he was yet
living and then had a large tract to be sold at the court house door by 
his executors.  Stephen Rutherford of Tennessee [sic] bought the
place and at his death the place was divided among his heirs.  Gus still 
lives on his share.  William Newcom had several children, two of the
boys I will mention, James and W.D.  R.M. Adamson owns the W.D. 
Newcom place.  James had two boys, Bud and Hull.  Bud married Jeffie
Miller, thus linking the Newcom name with that of Miller-Travis.  Hull
had four boys, J.B. (We call him just plain "Jim"), and Guy both
live in this community.  In fact, all of the Newcoms in all of 
Crittenden, Union and Webster counties are descendants from the first
old Irish Joe Newcom.
   John, the third on [sic] of Irish Joe, born in 1795, married Sallie
Price, of Waverly, Humphrey county, Tenn. and came to Bells Mines in 
1818.  His sons were Dudley, John, Dennis, Alvin and Newton.  This Newton
is the father of Sumner, who lives in this community.
   Joseph, third son and fifth child of this Tennessee John, is the
"Uncle Joe" who lived and reared a large family in the Oakland community
near Repton.  "Uncle Joe" was born Jan. 7th, 1825, married Mary Eliza
Cain in 1850.  The Cains came from Georgia.  (I knew another "Aunt Liza
Newcom," mother of Bud and Hull.  A pecular freak in Nature caused
the second and third toes on each foot to grow together almost to the
ends - webbed.)
   Uncle Joe's children were Wm. Pinkney, Joseph Sylvester (Ves),
John Albert, Burnett, Theodore Franklin, (T.F.), Clarence Rutledge,
Emerson Ethridge and Mary Ellen.  Of these Ves, Frank, Rutledge,
Em and Ella married and raised families.  Frank, Rutlege and Ella are
living.  E.E. or Em. became a successful physician and practiced in
all the northern part of the county.  He died a few years ago in 
Blackford.  Frank, Rutledge, Em and Ella all taught school in the
county.
   Uncle Joe was one of the best citizens of the county, and with his
straightforward, christian way of living, added much to the moral and
religious good to the community where he lived.  It can be said of 
him that he was a wise counselor, sterling character, frugal, 
companionable, a sympathising neighbor never mixed up in the 
neighborhood brawls, friends with all mankind.  There could have been
no better citizen.  He never tried to project his creeds, doctrines,
or beliefs on others - he gave his opinions and beliefs and if they 
were accepted, all right, if not Uncle Joe was unpurturbed [sic].

Newcom Young Black COker Bell Rutherford Adamson Miller Travis Price Cain 
=
Ireland Smith-TN Caldwell-KY Waverly-Humphrey-TN GA

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/crittenden/newcom.txt