This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the July 21, 2005 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.
 

            I haven’t gotten to go out on any cemetery hunts lately.  Roy Cole of Michigan came in Tuesday to look for the Cole Cemetery on Big Lick but I wasn’t able to go with him.  I had Toddie here to work as we need to fix things up for the Kentucky Educational Television crew in a couple of weeks and, of course, Founder’s Days.

            Tours have increased in the last couple of weeks and since Sue has been off on sick leave, I have been busy with tours.

            Toddie and I are fixing up the Arnett Smoke House to use during Founder’s Days as a food booth which it was actually built for but we didn’t have the people required to run it. We have used it as a blacksmith shop and now are remodeling it so it can be used for either.

            We would like to acknowledge gifts of books to our library. One is “Song and Service for Ship and Field – Army and Navy” from Margaret Ellen Hall Sturdivant of California. The other is “Phillip Hamman, Man of Valor” by Ralph Hammond, a gift from Brian Ann Wells Arnett.  We are also very appreciative of a monetary gift toward the purchase of a memorial marker for Aunt Sally Reed from Mrs. Margie Rowe.  This project is well on its way toward completion. 

            Janice Shepherd Cooley came in with some items for the Pioneer Village including a couple of old cookbooks, kitchen articles and something for the post office. Janice has been very helpful to us for several years now and we appreciate it very much.

            Lori Wells wrote to announce the Walters Reunion to be held Sep 17^th in Letcher Co. KY for the families of Dorse Walters and Cordia Patton (dau of Jimmie Lee Patton and Alice Barnett).  Jimmie was the son of James K. Patton and Louise Trusty. Dorsie was the son of Wm. McKinley Walters and Martha McDaniel. James K. was a son of Abner Salyer and Elizabeth Patton. For directions to reunion, contact Wilma at ([email protected]).

            Samantha Carty ([email protected]) wrote that Goldenhawk Sizemore is one of her ancestors. Her father was Shannon Carty, son of Will Carty and gr/son of Dick Carty.  Richard McCarty m. 2 Jan 1905 to Lillie Jackson.  Willie Carty was a son of R. C. Carty and Lillie Carty and married 11 Jul 1929 to Mollie Howard, dau of John Howard and Lillie or Lydia Arnett. She was a dau of Fetney Steve Arnett.  John Howard b. 1843 was a son of Riley Howard and Elizabeth Montgomery. She was a dau of Silas Montgomery and Aggie Sizemore. Aggie was a dau of George “Goldenhawk” Sizemore.

            James A. Williams, 2208 Grandview Ave., Portsmouth, OH 45662 visited. He is a son of Hobert Williams and Mabel Ferguson. She is a dau of William Wallace Ferguson b. 1864 and m. in 1888 to Mary Belle Cooper. She was born in 1864 to David Crockett Cooper. He was born in 1842 and married Elizabeth Nickell b. 1841, dau of William P. Nickell b. 1815.

            David Crockett Cooper was a son of David M. Cooper b. 1802 and Celia Prater b. 1807. Celia was a dau of Archibald Prater and Sarah Fugate.  David M. Cooper was a son of John Cooper b. 1759 (Rev. War soldier). John married in 1789 in Greenbrier, VA to Patsy McDaniel.

            William Wallace Ferguson was a son of Henry Clay Ferguson b. 1838 and m. in 1862 to Juliann Vanhoose. She was born in 1842 to Jesse Vanhoose and Mary E. Brown. Henry Clay was a son of Daniel Williams Ferguson b. 1817. Daniel m. in 1836 to Elizabeth Cash, dau of Caleb Cash and Elizabeth Trimble. Daniel Ferguson was a son of John B. Ferguson and Elizabeth Williams. Elizabeth was a dau of Daniel Williams b. 1763 (a Rev. War soldier) and Violet Crouch.  John B. Ferguson was a son of William Ferguson b. 1754 (Rev. War soldier) and Catherine Lemaster. Catherine was a dau of Abraham Lemaster and Ann Scott.

            Hobert Williams was a son of Samuel Clay Williams b. 1873 and Francis McGuire. Francis was a dau of James Irvine McGuire and Emily Coffee. Emily was born in 1840 to Mason W. Coffee (b. 1811) and Martha Ferguson (b. 1813).  Samuel Clay Williams was a son of William Wallace Williams b. 1852 and Sarah Emily Adams. Sarah was born in 1854 to Charles T. Adams b. 1820 and Elizabeth Ann Brown b. 1824. Elizabeth was a dau of James Brown and Nancy Ann Auxier. Charles T. was a son of James Adams and Mary Allen Womack.

            William Wallace Williams was a son of Daniel Williams b. 1810 and Rebecca Day. Rebecca was born in 1812 to Peter Day and Francis Williams. Daniel Williams was a son of “Squire” John T. Williams b. 1790 and Phoebe Ferguson b. 1892. Phoebe was a dau of William Ferguson and Catherine Lemaster.

            Susan Carlson ([email protected]) writes that her great aunt wished to get her delayed birth certificate. Gladys or Kitty Hamilton was born Mar 1, 1925 or 1926, the tenth and last child of Arthur Hamilton and Nannie Collinsworth. She remembers that her family referred that their address was Blaine, Ky. The family moved to Ohio a few years after her birth and she is in desperate need to qualify for government subsidized housing in Ohio.

            Magoffin Marriages lists Arthur Hamilton married Nannie Collins on 25 Apr 1904 at the home of Granville Sizemore.  The 1920 Magoffin census has Arthur Hamilton age 34, Nannie age 31, Bertha age 15, Virgie age 13, Malcolm age 11, Morris age 9, Raymond age 6, James age 2, Catherine age 1.  They probably moved to Lawrence Co. KY by the time of the 1930 census, hence the reference to Blaine. We don’t have a printed census of 1930 Lawrence County.

            Ann Gehring ([email protected]) is searching for the maiden name of her great-grandmother, Emily or Emiline who married Allen Patrick. They had only one son David “Dave” Patrick.

            The 1880 Magoffin census lists Allen Patrick age 31, Emily age 32, and Dave age 11. The 1870 census has Allen Patrick age 28, Emiline age 19, Dave age 7 months. Allen was a son of Henry Patrick and Lucinda -?-. Can anyone help with this query?

            Larry Hunter, 335 Grove St., Logansport, IN 46947 ([email protected]) visited. He is the son of Bertha Ellen Adams and gr/son of William Thomas Adams b. 1855. Wm. Thomas m. in 1890 to Mary Jane Jackson b. 1875, dau of George W. Jackson b. 1847 Clay Co. KY and married in 1867 to Idress Risner. Idress was born in 1849 to Michael Risner, Jr. and Clarinda Dyer (dau of Nelson Dyer).  George Washington Jackson was a son of Gabriel Jackson b. 1822 Harlan Co. KY. He m. in 1842 Whitesburg, KY to Evelyn McFarland (died in 1865 Clay Co. KY).

            William Thomas Adams was a son of James Franklin Adams b. 1838. James F. m. in 1854 to Drucilla Hampton b. 1838. James F. was a son of Matthew Adams b. 1805 and Mary “Polly” Patrick b. 1809, dau of William Patrick and Mollie Reins. Matthew Adams was a son of Matthew Adams, Sr. b. 1775, son of Jesse Adams and Jane.
            We need further help on Gabriel Jackson’s parents, Emily McFarlan’s parents and Drucilla Hampton’s parents.

            Elizabeth Sellards Copley ([email protected]) read in the June 9^th column info about Sophia Jane and Lon Conley. She writes that Sophia Jane Amyx was a dau of James Fleming Amyx and Myca Lemaster. Sophia was born in 1849 and m. 1^st on 23 May 1869 to William Tolson and had 2 daus: Mary Jane and Micha Ann (she m. Catlett Keeton).

            Sophia Jane m. 2^nd in 1879 to William “Bill” Sellards and they were Elizabeth’s great grandparents. They had 2 children, Elizabeth’s grandfather Floyd William Sellards and his sister, Kathryn “Kate” Sellards.  They were small children when their father was shot and killed while riding his horse about 1883.

            Then on 24 March 1891, Sophia Jane married Andrew Jackson Conley and they had a son Winfield.  He was from Jennies Creek of Johnson Co. KY. She had never seen anything about a nickname, Lon.

            In Magoffin Marriages A. J. Conley married Sophia J. Sellards at her home, witnessed by Wallis May and Angeline May. Now, it’s back to the drawing board, who was “Preacher” Lon Conley of Mine Fork?

            The 1930 census shows him as Alonzo Conley age 54, married 22 years, minister, wife Sophia J.  We hope to hear from someone who can enlighten us on this.