"A HISTORY OF THE DAVIESS-McLEAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN KENTUCKY, 1844-1943"
by Wendell H. Rone, Probably published in 1944 by Messenger Job Printing Co.,
Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky.  Used by permission.  p. 272.
[Daviess]

JAMES KEEL:  This brother's name is often spelled Kiel, but the above seems
to be correct.  He was a native of Virginia.  The date of his birth is not 
known but it must have been around 1740 or 1745.  He became a minister of 
the Gospel while still in his native state.  In the year 1780 he moved to 
East Tennessee, where he aided in raising up the first churches in that 
region.  He assisted in organizing the Holston Association with which the 
South Kentucky Association corresponded for a number of years.  Records 
show that he was pastor of the Cherokee Creek Church in Washington County, 
Tenn., as late as 1790.  Between this period and 1796 he moved to Kentucky 
and settled in Mercer County.  Here he is accredited in raising up Deep 
Creek Church in 1796.  He continued to serve this Church as late as 1812, 
although he had become a member of Salt River Church as early as 1806, and 
possibly went into its constitution in 1798.  He must have been quite an 
old man in 1812, after which his name appears on no accessible record.
     James Keel, along with John Atherton, Sr., and his wife Sally, Aaron
Atherton and his wife Christina, constituted Beaver Dam Church, Ohio County, 
Ky., on March 5, 1798.  He became the first pastor of this church serving 
until the year 1803.  Just prior to his return to Mercer County he assisted 
Elder Benjamin Tolbert in organizing Nelson Creek Church, Muhlenberg County, 
on June 10, 1803.  After his return to his home county he was succeeded in 
the pastorate of these two churches by Elder Tolbert.  Beaver Dam Church 
has the distinction of being the oldest Church in Western Kentucky north 
of Green River and east of Elizabethtown, Ky.  His monument will always 
stand as long as this church remains.

Atherton Keel Kiel Tolbert
=
VA Washington-TN Mercer-KY Ohio-KY Muhlenberg

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/daviess/keel.j.txt