I teamed up with Hurley Manns and Melvin Minix at Tip Top for a trip into the Hawes Fork of Breathitt County that I had been itching to do for sometime. The trip through the tunnel was worth it all, I never knew a tunnel could be classed as beautiful. Instead of seeing rough rock walls and ceiling, this one was supported by huge timbers and took on a cathedral or castle look. It probably touches me a little extra as my cousin, James T. Copley of Paintsville was an engineer on this project.
We traveled down the gravel base of the railway that has been taken up; even though it is a one-way, there is little traffic. If you should meet another vehicle, someone would have to back up. One can only travel about ten miles an hour. We went all the way into Evanston and just across the creek is Rt. 542.
Now, I urge the powers that be of Breathitt and Magoffin counties to consider a connect of Rt. 542 and Hawes Fork at the mouth of Hawes Fork and blacktop the existing railway an estimated 6 miles to the Magoffin line, thence a half mile to Tip Top road and about 8 miles to Royalton, a much shorter route than by Rt. 542 to Rt. 7, thence down to Royalton.
Hurley Manns and Melvin Minix were both born on Hawes Fork. Melvin told of walking over two miles to school at the mouth of Hawes Fork. He said that the area was heavily populated but these families all moved out in the forties or fifties, seeking employment.
Here are thousands of acres lying desolate, mostly because of no roads which were never made usable again after the floods of a few years ago. But, back to the real world, not fantasy or wishful thinking, our reason for being in this beautiful valley was to copy cemeteries. We stopped at the Benton Manns Cemetery as it is called but there is a William Manns b. ca. 1808/09 who married in 1832 to Rhoda Howard b. 1813 buried there in unmarked graves so it seems that it ought to be called the William Manns Cemetery. Minnie Manns b. 1891, wife of Benton , has a headstone but I failed to find one for Benton.
There were graves with markers and two unmarked. Hurley Manns pointed to another cemetery across the creek that he had helped clean up last year but the creek water prevented us from crossing over to it so we traveled on upstream to the John Manns Cemetery on the left. It was quite a ways on up the road but had a right good walking road up to it.
This large cemetery has approximately seventy-five or more graves but only about a dozen have markers. The oldest one marked was Sarah Joseph b. 1835 d. 1889 and another was Samuel Manns b. 1845 d. 1893. The most recent burial was Martin Manns died 1970 but Hurley Manns says Civil War soldier, William Manns, a Confederate veteran is buried here.
From where we were parked there was an ATV road, curiosity got the best of me and I started walking down that trail, which joined another trail. Hurley and I walked upstream, crossed the Betts Mann Creek, the Hawes Fork waterway, which was too deep to wade. He pointed out another cemetery and said there were five more upstream besides the Ambrose Mullins Cemetery we went to last year when we set a Confederate stone for Ambrose. Steve Bolen of Jackson has two more Confederate military markers to set in this area but more exploring needs to be done. I can hardly wait to get back into that area, as if I needed an excuse. (Smile)
Before quitting for the day, we traveled up the coal haul road to Pine Ridge and copied a Mullins as well as the Thompson Cemetery . Hurley said there was another Summa family cemetery further out on the ridge but we would have to wait until a Sunday to visit it when the trucks are not hauling to get to it.
Bob and Betty Whittaker of SC were here for a couple of days getting some loose ends tied up in preparation for the dedication on April 15 th for a memorial for Mark Whitaker, husband of Patsy for whom a memorial was set during the Whitaker year. Bob had with him the bronze plaque that is to be attached to the Methodist Church wall in Castlewood , VA. Now the inscription on this plaque is wonderful and if Castle Whitaker had gotten to read it, he would have felt a lot of pride in his ancestor!
I urge everyone with Whitaker blood lines to mark your calendar right now and plan to attend this dedication. I, for one, intend to be there if at all possible. I may feel as proud as Castle as Mark Whitaker was a brother Methodist! I am a descendant of another Methodist Circuit Riding preacher, Elexious Howes, who was instrumental in establishing the Methodist churches in the Big Sandy Valley area.
Our regular meeting was attended by Stacy Blanton, Dallas and Kay Bentley, Belsey and Luva Connelley, J. W. Back, Leola Cole, Charlotte Gillum, James C. Montgomery and Todd Preston. It was extremely cold which affected attendance. Charlotte reported that a facsimile or smaller version of the wind chime sign that is to be installed at the end of the four-lane of the Mountain Parkway near Campton, is to be brought to Magoffin County soon. We hope to display it in our window a few days as well as other windows, such as the Renaissance window in Salyersville. This project has been in the planning stages for a couple of years now so we may see the grand finale in the next few months.
I gave the recommendation from our historical society for a new wheelchair accessible bridge across the river connecting Ramey Park and Pioneer Village . I asked if the swinging bridge could be left in place as it is a tourist attraction but was informed that it is too dangerous which is the main reason a new bridge is to be built.
Dennis D. Dalton, 27 West Orchard Ave., Apt. 1 , Lebanon , OH 45036 wrote to inquire for more info on his great grandparents, John W. and Nancy Rutledge Adams. He believes that John W. Adams, son of William Adams, died at or near Salyersville in 1896 and may be buried there. According to family info, John and Nancy spent the winter of 1894/95 with family in Magoffin. Since John died in Magoffin County, Dennis feels that he was probably buried there.
I can't seem to answer this query and ask if anyone can help with it.
We are mailing out copies of the Spring Journal, Volume 28. Please check to see if you have sent in your membership dues.
We have many people to thank this week. Thanks to Callie Conley of Melbourne, FL, Gay Gullett Wilson of Broken Arrow, OK, H. G. Whitaker of Chattanooga, TN, Ann Patrick Gehring of Adrian, MI, Daniel and Ola Hall of Mansfield, OH, Barbara Patrick of Salyersville, KY, Kenneth Ellis of Fayetteville, GA, Belsey and Luva Connelley of Salyersville, KY and to John Powers of Edgewood, WA. We are very appreciative of your help. Information is also coming in quite well for the planned veteran's book. We urge you to get any info in to us soon.
Our mailing address if Magoffin County Historical Society, Box 222 , Salyersville , KY 41465 (email
[email protected]
) or telephone 606-349-1607.
Magoffin County Historical
Society
This
article, written by Todd Preston, the president of the
Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the
March 2, 2006
issue of