This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the April 10, 2008 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.
 

          I am beginning these Comments with a very special announcement!  The 4th volume of the Life Along the Licking River books has been completed and bound.  I have lost some sleep due to reading it.  I get so engrossed that I forget the time and sometimes it is midnight before I quit.  For those of you who pre-ordered it early on, Dorothy plans to get it mailed to you this week.
          The first volume in the series began with stories from the head of Licking and continued downstream to about Royalton.  The 2nd volume has stories from Royalton downstream to near Salyersville.  The 3rd volume has material in and around Salyersville with Burning Fork, State Road, Mine Fork, etc. thrown in for good measure. Then “the icing on the cake” Volume 4 covers the Bloomington area with Middle Fork, Johnson, Grape Creek and White Oak tributaries also represented.
          We must thank all the folks who contributed the material for these books; you will go down in history!!
          Special accolades to Connie Wireman for the thousands of hours she has spent to bring this project to completion.  Dorothy Wireman has been her “crutch” helping get in bits and pieces of info to fill in and elaborate on the book topics.
          The Reuben Arnett Memorial Marker is ready to set and a dedication will take place soon.  Look for an announcement on this from Betty Lykins and Jaynie Poe.  I’m told it is a few hundred dollars lacking for final payment.
          This monument has taken several years to come to completion and we commend Betty and Jaynie for pressing on to see it finished.
          This makes the two patriarchs of the Arnett family, sons of David Arnett of Harlan Co. KY, with impressive monuments where neither one had even a cobblestone before, namely Stephen Arnett at Swampton and now Reuben at the Bear Branch Churchyard on Middle Fork. 
          Our historical society has been involved in helping set many monuments. We didn’t actually buy them but encouraged others by making people aware that their ancestors lay in unmarked graves, starting with the monument in the Hall Community Center yard that memorializes Uncle Billy Adams, Archibald Prater and Samuel Salyer.  We are also proud of the George “Goldenhawk” Sizemore memorial near Royalton, the Martha “Patsy” Whitaker marker, the Jacob Shepherd marker at the head of Licking, the Thomas Howard marker at the mouth of Coon, the Robert Jenkins marker on Lost Creek of Morgan County, the George Helton marker here in Salyersville, the William Ferguson and Marcus Lykins markers near the mouth of Grape Creek, the Joseph Hammons marker at the mouth of Greasy, the John Hamman and John McGuire markers at Bloomington, the Christopher Gullett marker on Rt. 40 Stringtown, the Joseph Bailey marker at Mouth of Rockhouse, the William Patrick, Sr., the William Patrick, Jr. and the “Little” Nora Patrick markers on Burning Fork, the Howard markers at the mouth of Bullmire, the Michael Risner marker on Middle Fork, the Charles Minix marker on Oakley, the “Aunt” Sallie Reed marker on Mash Fork, the Moses Hoskins markers and also the Vanderpool markers on the Straight Fork of Licking.
          We have also aided and assisted in many more in our county as well as surrounding counties.  We are not listing these to get a “pat on the back” but to let people know what has been done and perhaps get others interested in setting markers for their own ancestors so that future generations will know their burial sites.  This project hasn’t come to a halt.
          We are presently involved in seeing a marker set for “Old” George Fletcher and his wife Louisa Marshall, ancestor of almost all the local Fletcher clan whose burial site is presently unknown.
          Connie Hobbs, 7992 Linton Dr., W. Jordan, UT 84007 would like info on Clifford “Christopher” Gullett b. 1911 in Hughes, OK. He was the son of Melsena “Sena” Cole b. 1894 Magoffin Co. KY and went to Indian Territory when she was age 17 and unmarried, gave birth 15 Jul 1911 to a son Clifford “Christopher” Gullett.
          Melsena died 4 years after the birth of Clifford. She had married Esau Cole who raised Clifford (who kept his surname of Gullett) as his own child.
          According to Clifford’s dau Kay Gullett-Mannon, her grandfather was Wilbur Kelly Gullett b. 1897, a son of Marion and Emma Gullett.
          The 1900 Magoffin census lists Shepherd Cole b. 1849, wife Mary Jane Cole b. 1850 with John Merger Cole b. 1881 (age 18) and Melsena “Sena” Cole b. 1894 (age 5).
          By 1910 Shepherd Cole had married 2nd to Demess Patrick and Sena was age 16. John Merger Cole was age 28 and married to Emma Gullett and they were the parents of W. L. “Wilbur Kelly” age 8.  Webb Gullett was age 30, a brother-in-law and mother-in-law Jenia age 62 were also in the household.
          Any information would be appreciated. Please contact Connie Hobbs and our historical society.
          Marcella Merz (mmrz @woh.rr.com) is planning a trip to Magoffin in a few weeks. Her grandparents were from Cow Creek and she would like to know the burial site of William Cooper.  Our Cooper books lists John Cooper b. 1859, Revolutionary soldier, buried at the mouth of Buffalo on Lick creek. He was the father of William, David M. and Perry Cooper.
          This William Cooper b. 1790 married in 1829 to Roxanna Mannon. Their children were John b. 1833, David, Elizabeth, Joel, Sanford, Mary, William b. 1850 and James b. 1850.
          The 1860 Magoffin census lists William Cooper age 70, basket maker, with children Patsy age 27, Sanford age 14, Mary age 12 and James age 10.
          Help!  Is this William Cooper buried in Magoffin County?  If so, where? I can’t seem to find any location.  William was a neighbor to Wiley Gullett and Jane Pelphrey who are buried in the Sand Bottom area of Royalton.
          We hope someone can come to our rescue!
          Mary Lou Sargent Lykins, 950 Jackson Furnace Rd., South Webster, OH 45682 writes she is a granddaughter of Sheridan and Lyda Fletcher. Someone in their family has a picture of Aunt Lyda and Grandpa Irvin but they haven’t been able to trace it.
          The 1900 Magoffin census lists Irvin Fletcher b. 1858 m. 1881 to Wilda Bell Puckett b. 1886. Their children were Sheridan age 17 (b. 1882), Lulie b. 1883.  Irvin and Belle are interred in the upper Fletcher Cemetery on Gun Creek of Licking River.

We are continuing our search for pictures and information on anyone with a Fletcher ancestor.  Write us at Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 (email: [email protected]).  Telephone us at 606-349-1607 or come in to our library at 191 South Church Street in Salyersville.

We will be having our regular meeting on April 20th at 2 p.m. and look forward to seeing you then.