This article, written by Todd Preston, the president of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the July 12, 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.

Founder’s Days 2007 has just received a big boost!  We have gotten confirmation that Magoffin County’s own Charlie Sizemore will be here on Friday, August 31, for an album release show announcing his latest CD.  We are very excited about this event!             We have gotten a little rain which was much needed as the small creeks were drying up causing the wildlife to come off the hills to quench their thirst.  Several bear sightings have been reported, yes, I said bears!             I grew up in the thirties and hunted every chance I got, basically for squirrel, rabbit, possum and quail. Since that time several other forms of wildlife have made their appearance here such as raccoon, deer, elk, beaver, coyote, turkey and now bear. What will be next? Buffalo? (smile) Our terrain is gradually changing, due to the coal strip mining and logging             I get to thinking sometimes that I go overboard in mentioning getting burial sites marked and/or cleaned up; however after serving on the DAV honor guard at the gravesite of Comrade Chalmer Wireman, Brother Greg Minix shook my hand and pep-talked me about my interest in keeping our community aware of the condition of our cemeteries and the need to mark gravesites, particularly our veterans.             So, I’ve got a mind to hurry it up a bit and go about getting the markers set for Rousseau Patrick’s little children, Jesse Gullett on Pricey, Reuben Arnett I on Middle Fork, William Patrick, Jr. behind Gordon Long’s house, William Patrick, Sr. and wife Mollie Reins at the Meredith Patrick Cemetery, John Hager in the Town Cemetery in Paintsville, etc.  We have markers for Thomas Conley, Confederate soldier to set on the Straight Fork of Licking and the Manns marker for Hawes Fork of Breathitt, plus a few others now on order.             Corbin Fletcher of Florida who was born 1 Nov 1916 visited Monday. This grand old 91-year old fellow had driven from his home and was starting his return trip the same day. His mind and memory were superb.  He met his sister, Sheila Turman, 60840 E. Rockledge Loop, Tucson, AZ 85739 and other family members while here and they visited the Fletcher Cemetery on Gun Creek.             Corbin is the son of James Ervin (Irvine) Fletcher b. 1858 and a grandson of Simon/Silas Fletcher b. 1828 d. 1875. Silas was married to Mary Jane “Polly” Adams b. in Perry County, a dau of William Tolson Adams b. 1806 TN.  Wm. Tolson, the son of Moses Adams and Mary Garland, married Frances Adams b. 1809, dau of Charles Adams.              Irvine Fletcher married in 1881 to Meldabell “Belle” Puckett b. 1868, a dau of Caleb Puckett b. 1824 Floyd Co. KY. Caleb was a son of Morgan R. Puckett b. 1801 and a grandson of Dury Puckett, Jr. Morgan married in 1822 to Susan Whitaker b. 1800 Russell Co. VA, a dau of Mark and Martha “Patsy” Whitaker.              Leslie Fletcher married Minnie Fletcher b. 1900, a dau of William W. Fletcher b. 1872. William married 1st to Georgeann Arnett then married Atlanta Marshall b. 1870. Atlanta was a dau of Jackson Marshall b. 1840 and a Civil War soldier (Co. D, 14th Regt. KY Inf.).  Jackson married Violet Fletcher b. 1843, a dau of Alexander Fletcher b. 1816 and Loudena Castle b. 1814.  Alexander was a son of George Fletcher and Dicey Johnson.             Caleb Puckett is said to have disappeared about 1865 near Mt. Sterling, KY. He was married to Polly Craft b. 1868, a dau of John Craft and Elizabeth Adams.             David R. Hull (davehull @bresnan.net) writes that he lives in Billings, Montana and hopes we or our readers might be able to shed some light on one of his ancestors. She is Serilda Perkins b. ca. 1836 d. ca. 1912 and was married to Alford/Alfred Bailey b. ca. 1825 d. ca. 1890, a son of Rev. Wallis Bailey and Mary “Polly” Patrick.             First I would like to ask Mr. Hull how his family descends from Alfred and Serilda.  We have spent many hours trying to find answers as my children are 4th great-grandchildren of Alfred Bailey and Margaret “Peggy” Adams. Alfred and Peggy are found in the 1850 Floyd Co. KY census, Alfred is age 25, Margaret is also 25 and their children are Sanford age 6, Rebecca age 4, John A. “One-Arm” age 3 and Jackson T. age 6 months. John A. is the ancestor of my children.             Alfred sort of disappears and Margaret is listed as head of household in the Magoffin census records of 1860, 1870 and 1880.             Thomas White Bailey b. 22 Oct 1855 is listed in the vital statistics as a son of Alfred Bailey and Peggy Adams. Then there is Sarah J. b. 1859, George G. b. 1863, and William A. b. 1869. Are they children or grandchildren? James P. Honaker b. 1863 is listed as a grandson as Alfred’s daughter Rebecca married Mart Honaker.             We want to hear how you descend from Alfred Bailey and Serilda Perkins. If Mr. Hull or anyone can give us any additional information on Alfred Bailey and/or his second wife, please let us hear from you.  A son, Frank Bailey is listed in our Bailey book.             Paul Reffet, 16794 Hwy. 1690, Louisa, KY 41230 visited this week and spent many hours trying to do his ancestor chart without much luck so any help would be appreciated.  Paul is the son of Zack Reffett. Zack was the son of James Reffett b. 1823 VA and married in 1843 Floyd Co. KY to Elizabeth Baldridge b. 1826, the only known child of John Baldridge b. 1794 NC.  John was the son of William and Mary Baldridge and married in 1818 Scott Co. VA to Elizabeth Meade b. ca. 1897, the dau of Samuel and Caty Meade.             The 1900 Johnson County KY census lists Turner Reffett at age 28 and married 3 years to Jane Collins b. 1871. She was the mother of two children, Martha A. b. Oct 1894 and William T. b. 1896.  Turner’s mother at age 73 is also in this household.             The Johnson County marriages list Turner C. Reffitt at age 26, his 2nd marriage, married 10 Nov 1897 to Jane Collins, her 2nd marriage.             So Martha and William could have been Jane’s children as in 1900 she stated she was the mother of two children and both born before the date of her marriage to Turner. The Baldridge book lists them as Reffitts. Question: was Jane a Collins or did she first marry a Collins?             Zack Reffitt married Kitty Salyer b. 1918, a dau of Buell N. Salyer b. 1888. Buell married Mary F. “Polly” Cooper b. 1883.  Magoffin County Marriages, vol. II page 396 gives Buell Salyer married Polly Francis “Coots” on 2 May 1913 by J. H. Litteral with witnesses W. E. Whitt and Matt Adams.  “Coots” could be a misprint and should be Cooper, but whose daughter was she?             Who was Buell N. Salyer?  I’m drawing a blank concerning both Buell N. Salyer and Polly F. Cooper.             I am seeking help also on another tough query.  Shawn Howard would like to learn what happened to Verna Lou Power, dau of Sam Power and Nannie Pace.  Sam Power was born ca. 1880 and died in 1964. He is buried in the Green Adams Cemetery on Rockhouse.  He married 1st in 1912 to Nannie “Nan” Pace b. 1884 d. 1908, dau of John C Pace and Nancy J. Bailey. Nancy was born in 1844, a dau of Rev. Wallis Bailey.             Sam Power and Nan Pace had children Toney Power b. ca. 1898 and married in 1929 to Oma Puckett. Oma was born in 1898, the dau of Charlie and Rosa Puckett. Verna Lou Power was the 2nd child of Sam and Nan. Verna was born in 1904 and died in 1973. She married Calla Adams. It is speculation that Calla Adams was appointed Verna Lou’s guardian and they later married.  Any information where they married, where they lived and are buried would be appreciated.             The 3rd child of Sam and Nan was Ernest “Ernie” Power b. and d. 1902. He is buried beside his mother in the John Pace Cemetery.  Sam Power married 2nd to Rhoda A. Adams.             Remember that the Magoffin County Historical Society meets this Sunday, July 15th at 2 p.m. here at our library in Salyersville.  We will continue to work on plans for our Labor Day event, the 29th annual Magoffin County Founder’s Day celebration. Our library is located at 191 South Church Street, next door to the Hall Community Center. Telephone us at 606-349-1607 or write Box 222, Salyersville KY 41465 (email: [email protected]).