This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the June 16, 2005 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.
 

We are continuing to work on the 2005 Founder’s Day celebration for Magoffin Co. KY.  Now, we need to tie up a bunch of loose ends on the Hammond family.  My buddy Roscoe and I went to the Joseph Hammond Cemetery last Friday and did some weed eating.  I also took my chain saw and cut the stumps so all that is needed now is a good raking and a push lawnmower. This is the same procedure we recently did at the John Hammond Cemetery at Bloomington.

We need a Hammond committee to decide where to set the Joseph Hammond marker as it could be set early on while the road is in good shape.

John Hammond has a headstone although his name and dates are practically illegible.  The new marker can be placed near the present headstone. We want to retain the original marker.  Now what we are attempting to do is bring an abandoned cemetery back to “life” as this cemetery has lain abandoned for the last quarter century and I don’t know how many years before that.

We would appreciate help in securing this monument that can be seen from the highway.  Surely, it will not become a jungle again!  We feel that by erecting such monuments throughout the county will save those resting of early settlers of Magoffin County that otherwise would be lost to the next generation.  We are far from our goal as long as sites remain unmarked for Reuben Arnett of Middle Fork, William Patrick of Bradley, William Patrick, Jr. of lower Burning Fork and the list could go on and on.  Perhaps you and your family would consider working toward cleaning up family cemeteries and marking gravesites before they are lost to memory.

Now, back to the original subject: preparation for Founder’s Day 2005!  Although the Hammond family is being honored, this effort to have a homecoming for Magoffin County deserves the support of all Magoffin County people.  We, the Magoffin County Historical Society, need the help of everyone - individuals, clubs, etc.  We lose money on Founders Days but we feel the bottom line warrants our efforts. What if there were no Founder’s Days?

We want to thank Judy Salyer of Puncheon Creek for donating her archaeological and historical publications along with a book on the Thirteenth US Infantry that fought in the War of 1812 thence on into the Civil War.

Also we send thanks to Amber Wallen, 5180 E. 250 S. Knox, IN 46534 for her booklets on the Wallen family as well as one on the Mullins family.  Alice Perkins gave us a CD with her Perkins family info when I met with the Perkins family at their reunion at Ramey Park on Sunday.  We thank her very much.

Roy and Janice Adams, 1430 Left Fork of Morgan Creek Road, Louisa, KY 41230 toured our Pioneer Village early Saturday as they are interested in building a log church near Yatesville Lake. We wish them the very best in their endeavor.  They would like to hear from anyone who may have a log structure and would part with it.

Gwynne and Taryn Gardner, 132 Trading Post, PO Box 134, Island, KY 43350 were seeking info on Ben F. Salyers and Celista Yates as well as Dude and Catherine Conley.  I worked with and coon hunted with Dude Conley in yesteryear, not realizing his real name was Millard F.  He was born in 1887 the son of Catherine Conley (b. 1864). Catherine was the dau of David H. Conley b. 1837 and m. in 1853 to Nancy Conley. Nancy was born in 1840 to Thomas Conley and Sarah Fitzpatrick.

This Thomas was a son of Edmond Connelley and Lydia Joynes. Lydia was a dau of Thomas Joynes and Edmond was a son of Capt. Henry Connelley and Ann McGregor.

David H. Conley was a son of David M. Conley b. 1817. He m. in 1834 to Mahala Robinson. She was born in 1820. David M. was a son of David Conley and Mary.

Now, Millard F. “Dude” went by the name of “Dude Poody” Conley.  Dude married Bessie Salyer who had first been married to Cyrus Trimble.  Bess was a dau of Ben F. Salyer b. 1860 and Clista Yates. As of now, I can’t find their parents.

Curtis Salyer, Jr., 135 State Route 720, Lakeview, OH 43331-9457 and his wife visited Sunday. He is the son of Curtis Salyer, Sr. b. 1915 and grandson of Manford Salyer b. 1877 and Dora Gibson b. 1894.

Manford was a son of William E. “Bud” Salyer b. 1858. Bud m. in 1869 to Catherine Burkhart b. 1851 Harlan, KY. It is not proven but her parents may have been Jacob Burkhart b. 1803 VA and Mary b. 1795.

William E. Salyer was a son of Henry Salyer b. ca. 1817 Scott Co. VA and Elizabeth b. 1811 (last name unknown).  It has never been established who the parents of Henry Salyer were, according to info in Elisabeth Kash Salyer’s book.

We want to thank Goble and Mary Alice (Bradley) Caudill, 102 Ashland Dr., South Point, OH 45680 for their gift and for bringing the obituary of Goble’s sister, Edith Caudill Tackett.  Goble was born in 1923 to Thomas “Tom” Caudill b. 1895 and Ora Conley b. 1890. Ora was a dau of Sam “Poody” Conley b. 1874 and Mary Caudill b. 1871. Mary was a dau of Arbuth Allen Conley b. 1845 and Ellen Helton b. 1845. Ellen was a dau of George Helton and Malinda Wade. 

Sam “Poody” was a son of David H. Conley b. 1835 and Nancy Conley b. 1838. They were married in 1853. Nancy was a dau of Thomas Conley b. 1807 and Sarah Fitzpatrick b. 1809. They were married in 1824.  David H. Conley was a son of David M. Conley b. 1817 and Mahala Robertson.

Thomas “Tom” Caudill was a son of Able H. Caudill b. 1866 and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Roark. She was born in 1870 and her parents were John Wesley Roark and Virginia “Jennie” Cook.  Jennie had previously been married to Marion Hale and had a son Marion Hale, Jr.  John Wesley Roark was a son of James Roark b. 1784 who married Elizabeth Mullins (Adams). She had previously been married to Uncle Billy Adams and they had one son Samuel Johnse Adams. Billy then married Elizabeth Williams.

Able H. Caudill was a son of Able Caudill b. 1817. He m. in 1842 to Mary Ann “Polly” Crace b. 1825 Letcher Co. KY. Able was a son of Matthew Caudill b. 1772 and Sarah Webb. Sarah was a dau of James Webb and Lettie Nelson.  Matthew was a son of James Caudill, Sr. and Mary Yarborough.

Farmer Penix lived with the family of Tom and Ora Caudill.  Ora Conley Caudill was a 2^nd cousin to Farmer. He was born in 1903 to Nehemiah “Demar” Penix b. 1879.  Nehemiah was a son of William M. Penix b. 1843 and Melvina “Vina” Helton. Vina was a dau of George Helton and Malinda Wade.  Wm. M. Penix was a son of Henry Penix and Rachel Jenkins.  Nehemiah “Demar” married Rebecca J. Ramey in Lawrence Co. KY.

I attended the funeral wake of a friend and one of our members, W. H. “Pat” Pelphrey who was born in 1916 at Mima, Morgan Co. KY. He was the son of Forest and Rinda (Cox) Pelphrey. Pat was a veteran of WWII serving in the Solomon and Southern Philippine Islands with the 108^th Chemical Company. After this service, he was employed by Ashland Oil and Refining Company, retiring after 33 years.

Pat was involved in many community development areas but genealogy was his hobby, thus becoming one of Johnson County’s leading historians. He was listed in the 1982 “Who’s Who in Kentucky Genealogy”. He shared his knowledge and research with young and old throughout the United States.

Pat was always trying to get all Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers gravesites marked with appropriate markers as well as get all the cemeteries copied in Johnson County and our region. 

Pat was interred in the M. O. McKenzie Cemetery at Flat Gap with the Auxier Chapter DAV doing graveside military rites.

Bill and Pat Hammond Yates, 7061 SE 173rd, Arlington Loop, FL 32162 were visiting on the 2^nd.  Pat is the dau of Orbin Hammond who was born in 1913. Orbin was a son of Fred Hammond b. 1888 and grandson of George Hammond, Jr. b. 1857. George Jr. was a son of George Washington Hammond b. 1827. G. W. was a son of Benjamin Hammond b. 1799 and a grandson of Joseph Hammond.

Benjamin married in 1924 to Sarah Johnson. G. W. married in 1846 to Louise Williams. She was born in 1827 to Isaac Williams b. 1798 and Elizabeth “Betsy” Lykins. Betsy was born in 1804 to William Lykins and Margaret Ritter. Isaac was a son of Daniel Williams and Violet Crouch.  Isaac married 2^nd to Matilda Reed.

George W. Jr. married in 1875 to Louise “Shug” Williams b. 1860, dau of Holloway P. Williams.  He was born in 1835 and married in 1854 to Julie Ann Collinsworth (b. 1839 dau of David Collinsworth and Elizabeth “Betsy” Prater).  Betsy was a dau of John Prater b. 1795 and married in 1806 to Mary Brenton b. 1783.  John Prater was a son of Archibald Prater b. 1755 (Rev. War soldier) and Sarah Fugate. She was b. in 1760 to Josiah and Elizabeth Fugate.

Fred Hammond married 1^st to Doxie Salyer b. 1844 d. 1940 and m. 2^nd in 1941 to Delia Williams. His 3^rd wife was Ellen Borders. Doxie was a dau of Greenville Salyer b. 1858, son of Martin D. Salyer. Martin was born in 1834 to Samuel Salyer b. 1812. Samuel was a son of William Salyer b. 1775 and his 1^st wife believed to be a Raney or Ramey.  Samuel married in 1830 to Malinda Arnett b. 1815. Malinda was a dau of Stephen Arnett b. ca. 1870 and Elizabeth Howard. Stephen was a son of David Arnett.

Martin D. Salyer married in 1856 to Mahala Jane Gullett. She was born in 1842 to Mason Gullett b. 1818 and Polly Gose b. 1818. Martin D. married 2^nd in 1861 to Caroline Salyer. She was born in 1846 to Thomas L. Salyer and Violet Montgomery.  Greenville Salyer married 12 Mar 1881 to Angeline Bailey b. 1859. Her parents are not presently known.

Janet Melendez ([email protected]) writes she is the dau of Herbert Clay Rudd b. in Breathitt Co. KY and a gr/dau of Henry Clay Rudd and Carrie Lee Mullins of Johnson Fork. She would like to get in touch with Mark Hammon and others who are doing Rudd family research.

Henry C. was a son of David Rudd and Margaret South Stacy of Middle Fork.  David was a son of James Harvey Rudd and Dorcus (Anna?) Payne Allen of Tazewell Co. VA. They moved to Johnson Fork about 1853. James H. was a son of Archibald Rudd b. 1788 in Chesterfield Co. VA who married in 1822 Grayson Co. VA to Nancy Woosley of Tazewell Co. VA. They moved to Magoffin Co. KY after the Civil War.

Archibald applied for a War of 1812 pension. Janet’s family lacks proof that he was a son of Archibald Rudd b. 1762 d. 1838 and his wife Martha.  Archibald Sr. received his Revolutionary War pension in 1833.

I will not try to answer this question as I have studied the Rudd clan for years and I am still puzzled on this family connection.  I copied the Archibald Rudd cemetery on Purcell Fork in 1980 and listed Archibald Rudd b. 10 Oct 1830 d. 26 Sep 1907 and Daniel William Burton b. 8 May 1840 d. 22 Jun 1902 as well as six unidentifiable graves.  Blanche Lindon of Lee City, KY says there is also a Patrick baby and three Rudds buried there.

Now it appears this Archibald Rudd married in 1872 to Nancy Jane King, was a Private in CSA Co. A, 45^th VA. He enlisted on 23 May 1863.  A CSA memorial marker was set at the gravesite in 1997 by descendant Steve Rudd.

Downstream a short distance on the opposite side is an abandoned Rudd Cemetery that may be cleaned up by now as I understand a road has been opened up near it. I copied it in 1980 and show J. H. Rudd b. 1854 d. 1908, Eliza (Taulbee) Rudd b. 1879 d. 1963 (wife of L. C.), Maud Rudd b. 1895 d. 1921, Allie Reed b. 1899 d. 1900 and Golden Lee Rudd b. 1916 d. 1932.

Our Civil War book on page 1561 lists Hiram H. Rudd b. 1845 Tazewell Co. VA d. 9 Apr 1927 Dale, Magoffin Co. KY (left fork of Johnson). He was a private in USA Co. D, 45^th Inf.  John Floyd Rudd b. 1843, Pvt. Co. E, 8^th KY Inf. Hiram and John Floyd were sons of James Rudd b. 1824 VA and Darcus Payne b. 1825 VA.                      

Archibald Rudd, Jr. was born in 1830 Tazewell Co. VA was a son of Archibald Rudd and Nancy Woosley, so Archibald Jr. was an uncle of Hiram H. and John Floyd.  I have searched for and inquired where Archibald and Nancy were buried to no avail.

A new display has been put up in our historical society window. We thank Marcella Wireman Allen for letting us use her beautiful quilts for backdrops.