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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 February 22 2007 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.

 

            Much sadness has come our way this week as we have learned of the deaths of two of our own who have been staunch supporters of the work of the Magoffin County Historical Society as well as good citizens and mainstays in their families.  It is with great sorrow that I report on the passing of Raleigh Shepherd, Jr. of Pikeville, KY on February 13 and my sister Ann Elizabeth Preston Kelly of Berea, KY on February 14.   

Sister Ann has been so encouraging and helpful down through the years.  She could be counted on to be here for special activities and was always finding and sharing information, articles and clippings to further our knowledge of Magoffin County families.  She had a deep love for her family and our ancestors and we believe she has passed that on to her own children and grandchildren. 

Raleigh was one who saw a need and worked to see that it was filled, many times without anyone knowing how the good deeds were accomplished. His appreciation of our forefathers led him to take care of many cemeteries that would have been in an abandoned condition had it not been for his labors.  His efforts ensured that many memorial markers were set at unmarked gravesites. We regret that he did not get to see the Vanderpool and Hoskins family markers set before his untimely death and we of the historical society respectfully pledge to see that these projects get completed by summer.

This column had been written when this heartbreaking news came to us. We here at the “home twenty” will surely miss Raleigh and Ann. 

Betty Gibbs Cantrell (bettycantrell @hotmail.com) is the dau of John and Vernie Gibbs of Jellico in Magoffin County. She writes that she has found the grave of her dad’s two little brothers and also thinks it is the gravesite of Abraham Gibbs who was the grandfather of her father and his brother Abe Gibbs.  This is a very near deserted cemetery in Johnson County and she would like to get it cleaned up and mapped and wondered if we could help her or tell her what to do.

Betty, I knew your parents. I know your sister-in-law Lila Montgomery Gibbs.  She has been a helpful member of ours for years. I am a kinsman of Abe Gibb’s wife Virginia Alice Helton.  Abe and John were sons of Sheridan Gibbs b. 1866, a son of Abraham Gibbs b. 1843 who served as a Private in Co. G, 14th KY Inf. (Union) from 10 Nov 1862 to 12 Jan 1865. On 23 Sep 1875 he married Malinda J. Daniel who was born in Johnson Co. KY. According to the birth record of their sons George W. Gibbs and John H. Gibbs their father was born in Breathitt Co. KY.

I have searched the census records of Breathitt, Morgan, Wolfe, Johnson and Magoffin but have thus far failed to find the parents of Abraham. His discharge is probably lodged in Johnson Co. KY.

The oldest Gibbs in the 1850 Breathitt census was John Gibbs b. 1787 in VA. The 1850 Morgan has Nathan Gibbs b. 1794 NC. The 1850 Clay Co. census has Henry Gibbs b. 1802 NC and the 1870 Johnson Co. census has Abraham Gibbs b. ca. 1843.

I will be interested in visiting the Gibbs Cemetery and helping to piece together all these Gibbs families in these counties as I don’t remember trying to do an in-depth search into the Gibbs family name.

Cheryl Bada (cherylbada @hughes.net) writes that she is a descendant of Benjamin Howard b. ca. 1776 d. ca. 1850 in Harlan County and was married to Phoebe Slusher. She has seen info on various Internet sites that Thomas Howard b. 1745 d. 1822 and wife are buried in Magoffin County. There has been and still is confusion concerning Thomas Howard, Sr. who is said to have married Letty Durham and Thomas Howard, Jr. who married Frances Jackson.

The Magoffin County Historical Society helped in a drive to set a monument near the burial site of Thomas Howard, Jr. b. 1770 and Frances Jackson. This is near the entrance of the Howard Cemetery at the junction of Rt. 1081 and Rt. 2019 (junction of Lick Creek and Coon Creek) roads. This Thomas Howard had a brother James Howard b. ca. 1872 Wilkes Co. GA who married in 1857 to Elizabeth Green, dau of Lewis Green.

Thomas Howard b. ca. 1770 and James Howard b. ca. 1772 are “thought” to be sons of a Thomas Howard who by word of mouth of descendants was said to have been married to Letty Durham who had Indian blood. To our knowledge this has never been proven but we are always open-minded to any pertinent or updated information.

Our Howard book, Vol. 1, page 4, has this preface: “It has been accepted from folklore that the progenitor of the majority of the Howards in eastern Kentucky was a Thomas Howard who was married to a Cherokee Indian woman. It is believed her name was Letty Durham. It is also believed this Thomas Howard, Sr. was born in 1750 and served in the Revolutionary War, although legend claimed by his sons Thomas Jr. b. 1770 and James b. 1772 that their father was killed by Indians.”

Someone should be able to find factual information and put speculation and legends to rest …nuff said?

We are working on getting the first Journal out for 2007 and we have had a good response with renewals of membership and new memberships. We appreciate all the kind comments and help that has come our way.  We send a special thanks to Lucy Howard Hall of Lexington, KY, Lorrene Waddle of Waynesfield, OH, Jeanette Ward Schwab of Hamilton, OH, Charles & Linda Coffey Turner of Bexley, OH, Callie Conley of Melbourne, FL, Ruth Drake of Grass Lake, MI, Jean Hower of Elida, OH, Lonzie F. Rigsby of Williamsport, OH, Ann Patrick Gehring of Adrian, MI, Henry C. Keaton of Willard, OH, Janet Prater Edmonds of Marysville, WA, John & Deborah Britton of Hopewell, OH, Rhonda Watson Duvall of Beaver Creek, OH, Doris D. Rose of Rodeo, CA, Pauline Conley of Lexington, KY, Emma Maxine Vest of Carlisle, OH, Jack & Wanda Reed of Bowersville, OH, Goldie Shepherd of Wheatfield, IN and Barbara Lemaster of Knoxville, TN.

My outings this week took me to the vicinity of my brother-in-law’s famous “very used car graveyard” and when on the highest peak Toddie and I thought we heard the meow of a cat. Closer examination found it to be a lone pup under the dashboard of an old “junker”. This fat, sassy little fellow came out wagging his tail and wouldn’t stay put; he kept trying to follow us.  We thought it best to leave him in care of his mommy although there was no indication of there being a mother dog around.

The next day I suggested we go back to that locality and as we were passing the junkers, that little dog ran out to join us. No amount of scolding would keep him from following us even in snow up to his belly. Finally he got to chilling so I crammed him into my “game pouch” with only his nose exposed to the elements. He never whimpered so I carried him that way back to his “Junker” bed but still saw no mother dog. Yep, he’s now perfectly content in Todd’s dog house but he needs a good home, hint, hint. (smile).

No, I don’t know the dog’s pedigree, only that he has short hair, black with white around his neck and forehead and lovable as can be. My granddaughter Haley sort of took him home with her but since Toddie and I are overloaded with dogs she reluctantly brought the little fella back to my pen so she wouldn’t get attached to the little fellow.

You may contact us at the Magoffin County Historical Society, Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 (email: [email protected] ), telephone 606-349-1607, or visit 191 South Church Street.

 

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