This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the February 10, 2005 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.
 

            Here it is Ground Hog Day and I’m looking out our window at a spectacular sunrise with a few red clouds so I would have to surmise that Ol’ Whistle Pig will have no trouble seeing his shadow…so we will have our Long Johns on for another six weeks! (smile)

            We get inquiries from time to time such as “Do you accept furniture and/or household donations of significant importance from ageing folks?” Of course, the answer is yes.  Another question is “Are the cabins the property of the city or the historical society?”  The answer is the Historical Society. “Do you have guided tours the year around or only on special occasions?”  We are open the year around and tour guides are available. Due to the very cold weather, we have not had a great number of requests this winter but we stay rather busy in the warmer months. Another question is “When did this project get started?”  The historical society was organized in 1978 and we’ve added to our collection steadily. Now we have sixteen authentic log homes on our property adjoining our Archives and Library building right in the middle of our little town of Salyersville. We are also constantly adding to our genealogy collection for research purposes. Our website is https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/

            While on the subject, we want to thank Mr. Michael Williams who donated this week some books, maps, etc. from a house he is remodeling. We are grateful that he thought of us with these items.  We also want to thank Mr. Robert Skaggs of Jeffersonville, KY, Emma Maxine Vest of Carlisle, OH, Jack and Wanda Reed of Bowersville, OH, and Ron and Lorrene Waddle of Waynesfield, OH for their gifts. Our library building was built back in the middle 1940s so is not up to par in insulation so we have a rather large heating bill.

            I would like to brag a bit on my daughter Jessica Preston Miller, a teacher at Salyersville Grade School. Her dance team won first place at the “Winter Fest” competition at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg. This is the third straight year her team has brought home first place. It was a clean sweep for Magoffin County as the high school, middle school and Middle Fork Elementary School brought home first place trophies.

            I would like to pay tribute to one of my former co-workers, Tim Allen of White Oak who lost his battle with cancer after a hard, long fight. Tim and I “dug coal” on that mountain top on Blackberry Creek a few years ago and I shall always remember his smiling attitude, regardless of the situation.  I believe Tim and I will meet again as he had made preparation to sit on the right hand of Jesus Christ, his Savior forever more.

            Marvin Ray Adams wants to find out just who his great grandmother, Sarah Jane Craft’s parents were so I enlisted the help of James E. Allen on this search. Marvin Ray is the son of Marvin Adams and Ruth Prater. Ruth was the dau of Frank Prater b. 1880 and Mary Patrick who died in 1916. Frank later married Mary Coffee.

            Mary Patrick was the dau of John W. “Legs” Patrick b. 1842 who married in 1899 to Sarah Jane Craft b. 1849 although the printed marriage record calls her Mary Jane Scritch.  Sarah Jane Craft was the oldest child of William Craft b. 1822 who married on 1 Jun 1847 to Reda Amis per Breathitt County marriages but some records show her to be a Hampton. This family is shown in the 1850 Breathitt census. We don’t know who William Craft’s parents were at this time. One William Craft was born ca. 1819, the son of John Craft and Susanna Hagans. This William was married several times, first to Rhoda Risner, 2^nd to Polly Barnett, 3^rd to Cora Noe and 4^th to Mary Hampton. Maybe Hazel Craft over at Caney, KY or Judy Craft of Dansville, MI can help us here.

            Marvin’s ancestor William Craft was a surveyor; you will see his name quite often in early Magoffin County records.  He and Rhoda lived apart after they came to Magoffin. One son was Sanford Craft buried in an abandoned cemetery on Craft Creek. A couple of years ago I pulled up a rose bush from that site and set it out here at the corner of a cabin in the Pioneer Village. It grows so fast I have to keep it cut back to keep it in control.

            John “Legs” Patrick was a son of Thomas Calvin Patrick b. 1824. He married in 1849 to Rebecca Patrick then m. 2^nd to Elizabeth Flint, dau of John Flint and Fada McFarlan. Rebecca was the dau of John Patrick and Martha Kennard. Martha was the dau of James Kennard and Mary Patrick. Mary was the dau of Jeremiah Patrick.

            John Patrick was a son of William Patrick and Mollie Reins. William was a son of Jeremiah Patrick. Thomas Calvin was a son of Reuben Patrick and Charlotte Wilson. Reubin was a son of William Patrick and Mollie Reins. William was a son of Jeremiah Patrick.  I would think Thomas Calvin and Rebecca were second cousins.

            Katherine Bailey and I have spent many hours trying to unravel the seemingly two Benjamin Trusty’s.  One married Minnie Powers, dau of Sanford Powers. They are buried on the left side of the road at the mouth of Flint Branch. The other is Sgt. Benjamin Trusty buried at the Capt. Powers Cemetery at Lakeville.  At the wake of Homer A. Porter, Jr. I talked with Clarence Porter’s girl who stayed with Pearlie Porter, widow of Benjamin Trusty and she informed me Benjamin Trusty had been married before and had a son Dudley Trusty. I found Dudley Trusty’s marriage record stating he was the son of Benjamin Trusty and Minnie Powers!

            So there is only ONE Benjamin Trusty.  Ben and Minnie have a double grave marker at the mouth of Flint Branch in a now abandoned cemetery. Ben then married Pearlie Porter. Ben died 43 years before Pearlie died and she had him buried at the Capt. Power’s Cemetery and she was buried in the Tackett Cemetery.

            And so it goes…if you keep digging, you can sometimes get the straight of it.  Benjamin served his country in WWI.

            William McCarty, P. O. Box 157, Jacksonville, NC 28541 ([email protected]) is the son of William Eugene McCarty, gr/son of Russell McCarty and great gr/son of Harmon McCarty b. 1903 and wife Mary Patrick b. 1900. Harmon was a son of Johnnie McCarty. He would like help with his family tree.

            Johnnie McCarty was born in 1873 and married in 1895 to Susan Dunn b. 1876, dau of Jeremiah M. Dunn b. 1849 and Sarah Reed. Sarah was a dau of Daniel Reed and Martha “Patsy” Lewis. Daniel was a son of Benjamin Reed. Jeremiah Dunn was a son of Asa T. Dunn and Eliza Wages. Eliza was the dau of Moses Wages and Rebecca Smallwood.

            Johnnie McCarty was a son of Harmon McCarty b. 1849 and (according to one source) Betty Caudill. One Harmon McCarty m. in 1890 to Mary Noe, dau of Martin Noe. Harmon was a son of Jeremiah McCarty b. 1818 and Malinda Kilgore. Malinda was born in 1823 Scott Co. VA and died in 1919. She is buried on Stinson Creek in Magoffin County. She married 10 Apr 1842 Scott Co. VA to Jeremiah McCarty who died in 1877.  They were married by Robert Kilgore.

            Malinda was a dau of John Kilgore b. 1799 who m. 1^st to Cynthia Addington b. 1802.  John was a son of Ralph Kilgore, Sr. b. 1773, the 6^th child of Charles Kilgore and Winnie Clayton.

            You give Harmon McCarty b. 1903 and Mary Patrick b. 1900 as the parents of Russell McCarty. The only Russell McCarty I found was born 27 Apr 1929 to Mary Caudill.  In the Magoffin Marriages Harmon McCarty age 17 b. Magoffin Co., son of John McCarty and Susan Dunn, married 15 Apr 1920 to Margaret Rudd, age 15, b. Magoffin County, dau of Fred Rudd and Amanda “Mandy” Holiday.  Please get in touch with us again and send Russell’s birthdate.

            Linda Webb ([email protected]) is still searching for info on the wives of Dean Arnett, namely Georgeann Gullett, Rachel Walters, and Alva -?- who raised William Dean Arnett, son of Rachel.

            Georgeann Gullett Arnett was born in 1878 and died 1918. She is buried in the Ben Arnett Cemetery either beside or shares a double stone with Dean Arnett b. 1880. No death date is inscribed.

            The 1910 Magoffin census gives Dean Arnett age 30, married 9 years, wife Georgeann Gullett and children Frank age 10, Lillie age 6, Dewey age 3.  By 1920 Dean was a widower with son Frank age 20, dau Lillie age 17, and son Dewey G. age 12. I can’t prove Georgeann’s parents, maybe Tempa Gullett?

            Dean Arnett, age 38, married 19 Feb 1921 to Rachel Walters age 18, dau of John Walters and Louise Fletcher. The 1930 Magoffin census has Dean Arnett age 50, Alva age 23 and children Nora age 8, Ella age 6.

            Our Arnett book has info that Dean Arnett married Rachel Walters and had a son William Dean Arnett who married Phyllis Gose.  Dean Arnett was the son of Ben Arnett and Louise Fletcher. Louise was the dau of Kelsey N. Fletcher and Malinda Arnett.  If anyone can give Linda more insight into her family, let us know.

            Ellazine Almallah, P. O. Box 8643, Michigan City, IN 46361 is the gr/granddau of Joseph Reed and Nora Dyer as well as Elijah Patrick and Peggy Risner. She wonders if we have any pictures of them.  If anyone can help Ms. Almallah, please contact her or us.

            Joseph Reed b. 1858 was a son of Jesse Reed b. 1829 and Mary Walters, dau of Matilda. Joseph was a son of Daniel Reed b. 1806. Daniel was a son of Benjamin Reed. Daniel married in 1827 to Martha “Patsy” Lewis b. 1808.

            Joseph married Nora Dyer. Nora was the dau of Joseph Dyer and Lucretia Gullett. Joseph was a son of Francis Dyer.

            Elijah Patrick b. 1861 was a son of John “Fighting Jack” Patrick b. 1818 and Elizabeth “Betty” Fletcher. John was a son of Robert Patrick b. 1794 and Betsy McMullin.

            Elijah married 1886 to Margaret “Peggy” Risner b. 1868, dau of George Risner b. 1844. He m. in 1865 to Mary Hamilton b. 1848, dau of Manda Leath. George was a son of James Risner and Margaret Adams.