This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the January 17, 2008 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

          Now that the tinsel of the holiday season has been taken down around the Pioneer Village I’ve noticed that even though we have had some zero degree weather we still have flowers in bloom.  The bloodroot bushes and other flowers help to replace the Christmas decorations we enjoyed so much.
          We here at the “home-twenty” keep busy in this game of “catch-up”.  We have a long list of unfinished projects and new ones come along every day so there is always so much to be done.  We are hard at work getting some of our printed material in order, updating our membership list so that we will be ready when the first Journal of the new year is printed and doing all the other 101 things that need to be done.  Even with all this work we have to think about the future. We have lost much help this year as many contributing members have succumbed through the years and thus far, there seems to be no one to fill the void.  Our big concern is what is the future of Founder’s Days?
          The song “Country Boys (in this case “girls”) Can Survive” comes to mind as we foresee an announcement in the near future, perhaps next week, of the family name to be honored in 2008 for the Magoffin County Founder’s Day celebration. We have the hope of getting a big “bunch” of help from the honored family as well as from all of you who have a desire to see Founder’s Days continue in the future.  We feel that the new walk bridge will be a big asset to the parking problem that we’ve encountered in the past few years. We are hoping the young ladies who promoted the Christmas parade will help or even take charge of the Founder’s Day parade.
          Garbage pick-up is another major problem and the practice of families tying several chairs together hinders garbage pickup as well as poses a problem with foot traffic. There have been some problems of some young people that have no interest in the activities going on and end up getting into trouble.  We have appreciated the police protection we’ve had in the past but is there some other way to curtail this nuisance such as having something that would entertain this group in some other part of town?
          Some folks think this is a money making project for the historical society but the truth is we must work all year long to meet the expenses we incur with Founder’s Days.
          Now, I know this hasn’t all been good news and maybe shouldn’t be printed...but the future of Founder’s Days as we’ve known it for the last twenty-nine years is at stake!
          Henry Clay Patrick has made us very happy.  He donated a riding saddle and saddle bags for display in the Pioneer Village.  We thank him so much.  This was his father Dona C. Patrick’s saddle which makes it all the more special. I’ve already got it displayed in the Pioneer Village!
          Tammy Russell ([email protected]) writes she is looking for the family roots of her great-grandfather John Spradlin who married Rebecca Jane Prater. Rebecca later married Reubin Howard.  She wants to know John Spradlin’s parents.
          My search began with the 1910 Floyd Co. KY census where I found John H. Spradlin age 23 (b. 1887) married 3 years (ca. 1907) to Becca J. b. 1888. She was the mother of two children, Hershel b. 1908 and Myrtle b. 1909.
          The 1920 Floyd Co. KY census lists Reuben Howard age 19, Becky Jane age 27 with the following in their household: Hershel Spradlin age 10, step-son, Ora Spradlin, age 8, step-son, Russ Spradlin age 6, step-son and Pearly age 4 and 8 months, step-dau.
          Rebecca “Becca” Jane was the dau of Wiley Prater and Caroline Brown.  Wiley was a son of Elias Prater and Zylphia Adams.  Caroline was the dau of David Brown and Izana Pitts.
          John Spradlin probably descends from Jesse Spradlin b. 1800 and m. 13 Sep 1820 to Sally Stone b. 1802 but we are not sure of the line of descent.  Perhaps there is someone out there who can help us out with more information on this family.
          Bob Whittaker of SC has announced that he is working on getting a monument for Mary “Pop” Haywood Patrick who is buried on the ridge between Puncheon and Salt Lick. I’ve mentioned this abandoned cemetery many times as needing attention and now Bob has started a movement in that direction.  We would like to learn definitely of her husband, Hiram Patrick’s gravesite.
          Bob is also helping secure a monument for Fielding Carpenter buried on Quicksand of Breathitt Co. KY.   He has planned a trip here about the 15th of April so all those who would like to help, either financially or with labor, be sure to mark that date on your calendar.
          Bob has set over 50 markers in our county and in other states as well so I’m sure a little financial help would be appreciated.

          We appreciate all the encouraging notes on the membership renewals that are coming in as well as the phone calls we have received.  We are located at 191 South Church Street in Salyersville, our telephone number is 606-349-1607 and our mailing address is Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465   Email:  [email protected] .