This article, written by Todd Preston, the president of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the May 10, 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.

May Day of yesteryear was almost a holiday in Ol’ Magoffin for come rain or shine, there would be a Maypole Dance.  The pretty participants did a lot of skipping as they wove their ribbons in and out to get in just the right place so they could change direction to unweave the ribbons.             Miss Virginia Prater was the piano player and Katie Prater Dolan said Miss Prater made the girls practice over and over until they had the dance down “pat”.             Moms had to make, buy or borrow gowns befitting the occasion.  I don’t think there were any winners or losers, just a spring “coming out” party to show off the beautiful girls in their festive attire.  We might talk Katie into putting on such a “shindig” come next May.             I took one last turkey hunt this morning. Nope, I didn’t bring one home as the turkeys have become too smart to fall for my squawking or “turkey talk” but I still saw honeysuckle and blackberry briars in bloom. The lower limbs of trees that were frostbitten are leaved out again and it looks as though those top frostbitten limbs may sprout new leaves. The most damaging thing to watch for is the nut and acorn crops which may be scarce or not at all.  This will hurt turkey, squirrel, deer, etc. in their efforts to make it though the winter.             I’ve heard of a couple of old cemeteries so I won’t be satisfied until I can find them. In fact, I’m going to be on my way in a while to find one that forestry firefighters told me about at noon today.             I have ordered a marker for John Hager who, at age 18, was conscripted into the German Army in Hesse Cassel, Germany and with others was sent, under British command to America to fight the colonists.  John and others deserted this army and joined the Colonist army. John Hager fought under Col. Sumpter and later with Anthony Wayne in subduing the Indians who were under British leadership.             John Hager married Mary Shrader and began their married life in Amherst Co. VA. In 1821 they moved to Floyd Co. KY where he died in 1819 and his widow died in 1847.             Their burial site is unknown so we’ve chosen to set the marker beside that of his youngest son Daniel who is buried in the “Old Town” Cemetery in Paintsville. The marker could be moved when the actual site can be determined.             This will be a larger and similar version of the government marker with patriotic insignia as we haven’t yet learned of his actual discharge. I will keep you posted.             I also have a tombstone ordered for little Nora Patrick and her brother Robert, children of Rousseau Patrick. Now, I am racking my brain (or what’s left of it) to find a little picket fence about 4 feet by 5 feet of metal to encircle these graves.             Next on our list to order are markers for Reuben Arnett of Middle Fork and Jesse Gullett of Pricey. I am not a descendant of either but have donated to both funds so as to be able to help place markers for our early settlers.  I’ve worn out a lot of shoe leather looking for gravesites of Cudberth Stone, Benedict Watkins, etc. because we would like to see the gravesites marked in our life time. Nuff said?             My daughter Abbie and husband Brian bought the Stephens property, the former Homer “Dodd” May home on the May Branch and had a “house warming” the first evening after they had closed the deal. By the time I got there a lot of “guests” were already there, consisting of two fire trucks and their crews plus a dozen or so neighbors and concerned friends. You see, Abbie had turned on the back porch light where a bird had built a nest at one time and maybe a bulb exploded and caught fire to plastic or whatever. She called 911 as Brian pulled off his tee-shirt and began fighting the fire. Their car which was setting under it received the most damage with a cracked windshield and melted tar and plastic droplets over the hood and, yes, Brian lost his tee-shirt.  It has been several years since this home has been occupied and the former occupants had an extensive outdoor flower and tree garden complete with ponds and waterfalls that have not been cared for in several years. We gathered in the next day for a clean up around the house but have a way to go even yet.             Of course, I’ve started cleaning our grounds around the Pioneer Village plus around our “home-twenty”, including the street in front. There’s a lot of dust kicked up by traffic along the sidewalk and our parking lot where grass and weeds have to be pulled by their roots. Just cutting them would cause them to sprout up again. The “whirly birds” (maple seeds) out back have fallen and our maple trees are coming back with new leaves after the frost so now it is gutter cleaning time again.             Then it is a never-ending task to repair the things that vandals tear up. Of course, we can’t repair the Star Theater seats I set on the porch last fall that have been slashed with sharp knives.             Beulah June Wiseman, 812 S. Greenlawn, Lima, OH 45804 and her grandson, Keith Hobson, also of Ohio, visited Monday. She was adopted by a Wiseman.  She has found one sister and is looking for two others. She is the natural daughter of Floyd West and Martha Marie Cole. Martha was the dau of Samuel Cole and Mary Watkins. Mary was a dau of John Watkins and Rose Ann Perkins. Samuel Cole was a son of Wallis Cole and Margaret “Peggy” Poe. Peggy was a dau of Angeline Bradford. Wallis Cole was a son of Charles and Charlotte Cole.             Floyd West was a son of Jasper West and Laura Cole.  Laura was born in 1890 and is apparently a dau of Wallis Cole and Margaret. Any information on any of the above families would be greatly appreciated.             Call us at 606-349-1607 or write to the Magoffin County Historical Society, Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41464 (email: [email protected]). Our genealogy library is located at 191 South Church Street in Salyersville.