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  Magoffin County Historical Society 
"Preserving Our Past for the Future"

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This article, written by Todd Preston, the president of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the August 24, 2006 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

 The Salyersville Independent is a weekly newspaper published and edited every Thursday. For inquires or comments, please write to , P. O. Box 29, Salyersville, KY 41465. Yearly subscription rates are $22.00 in Kentucky and $26.00 per year out of state.

 

We are going “down the stretch” getting everything in place for the 28th Annual Magoffin County Founder's Days celebration here in Salyersville. Now, all the planning that has been made has to be put into reality by a very small contingent of helpers. Were it not for the help of the city and county officials and the Magoffin County Muzzleloaders we could hardly “put on the show”.

Founder's Days are very expensive for us and several food booths make much more money than the sponsoring historical society, then why don't we have a food booth?   The answer is simply because we don't have the help to take care of it.

An undertaking as large as Founder's Days takes a lot of planning and dedicated people to “step up to the plate” early on. Yes, we get help during the festival as that is when several (mostly out-of-state) visitors come in and ask if they can be of help.

Some seem to still think that we make big money out of running the society. The truth is that there are not many days that pass when it doesn't cost us money.  For instance, yesterday the belt broke on my riding lawn mower which cost me twenty bucks to replace. Yes, I furnish my own tools, machines, gasoline, etc. in keeping these yards, cabins, etc. mowed and repaired.

Now, who do you suspect has to see to every minute detail during Founder's Days? You guessed it, and at my age, I can hardly remember my own name by opening day.

We are honoring some of Magoffin's greatest heroes during this event. Notice I said “some” as we now realize that we've come up short in getting all veteran's names and material for printing due to the fact that some who have the material kept “putting it off” then some of our heroes didn't leave their story as they wanted to forget it or get it out of their minds. For instance, one of Lowell Hudson May's Marine buddies asked me if we knew him and related some of the heroic recognition that was due Lowell Hudson, yet this veteran went to his grave and no military rites or footstone was requested.  This is just one of many such veterans.

Those who gave their lives in the line of duty were our greatest heroes. Their stories were never known.   Then there is that veteran who came home missing a body part or in a wheelchair or on crutches, lost eyesight or were shell-shocked.  Yes, “all gave some, some gave all”, the saying is so true even to the present day.

This is the year to honor our veterans so it should behoove all Magoffin Countians to do their part in showing their respect.  Remember that freedom is not free nor does it come easy, only through the efforts of our military men and women of the past and those on the front lines of the present.

We encourage you to take time to reflect on the respect we owe our troops of yesteryear and today and be on the “frontlines” during Founder's Days on Labor Day weekend here in Salyersville.   Would you volunteer your time to help honor your veterans? Please let it be known, ‘nuff said?

Carmel Jay Conley, 149 Elm Ln., Bluff City, TN 27818 (email carmeljay @aol.com) visited. He is looking for the burial site of Rev. James A. Conley who died ca. 1915 in Floyd Co. KY. Carmel Jay is the son of Green Conley who is buried at Bonanza on Abbott Creek. Green is the son of Rev. James A. Conley b. ca. 1858. James was the son of Thomas Conley b. ca. 1812 and gr/son of Thomas Conley, Sr. b. 1777 Guilford Co. NC, the 2nd child of Capt. Henry Connelly and Ann McGregor who are both buried near Oil Springs , KY.

Thomas Connelly died ca. 1850 and is buried on the Preston Farm at Van Lear, KY. He married Susan Joynes b. 1770 Wilkes Co. NC, the dau of Thomas Joynes.

Thomas Conley, Jr. is said to be buried on the Bee Fork of Abbott in the Conley and Spradlin Cemetery .

Rev. James A. Conley married first to Susan V. Music b. ca. 1899 and m. 2nd to Julia Baldridge b. 1873, also her 2nd marriage.

James A. Conley and Julia Baldridge's 3rd child was Green Conley, father of Carmel Jay Conley.

Where is Rev. James A. Conley buried? Perhaps in the Conley Spradlin Cemetery on Bee Fork of Abbott as Joe Skeens reports several unmarked graves there.

Louis Howard donated the Bible that had belonged to Edd Rose and asked me to find out just who Ed's father was.   His mother was Mary Howard Rose Francis b. 1862. She is buried in the Francis Cemetery on Negro/ Francis Branch as Mary Rose married 14 May 1889 to George Harrison Francis. George had first been married to Cynthia Nickell.

The 1900 Magoffin census lists a Lula Rose, step-dau in the household of Harrison and Mary Francis.

Marriage records show Hop Rose married 26 Nov 1883 to Mary E. Howard at the home of Henry Howard.

Edd Rose b. ca. 1883 became a Methodist lay preacher and was associated with the Salvation Army of Salyersville but Edd departed this life at an early age and isn't in the 1900 census with Lula when he would have been only seventeen. If anyone can help determine the parentage of Hop Rose, contact us or Louie Howard.

Judy Miller (judeequeenie @hotmail.com) is interested in any material on the Miller family and would like to know how to obtain copies of our books or Journals. The Miller family book was published in 2002 and costs $55. You may also send for one of our forms that has more info by writing Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465.

Joe Ramsey telephoned to inquire about the children of Joseph Gullett and Adeline Blanton.

Joseph Gullett b. 1873 married in 1900 to Adeline Gullett b. 1873. Adeline was a dau of William Blanton and Eliza. Their children were Zilphia b. 1904, Vernie b. 1909, William Lesley b. 1912 and Viola b. 1916.

We appreciate all the calls and messages. Email [email protected] , write Box 222 , Salyersville , KY 41465 or telephone 606-349-1607.  

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