This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the January 22, 2009 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            The 2009 membership renewals are coming in quite well and the complimentary comments many of you made on the latest Journal of the Magoffin County Historical Society gave everyone here at the home-twenty a little extra boost of pride!  The extra few dollars you included sure comes in at a good time as our heating bill is outrageous!

            We appreciate the help of Barbara Crace Murdock of Jensen Beach, FL, Joyce Brown of Leslie, MI, James E. Jackson, Jr. of Estacada, OR, J. W. Back of Salyersville, KY, Ann Patrick Gehring of Adrian, MI, Georgia Reichenbacks of Franklin, OH, Pauline Conley of Lexington, KY, Robert Scaggs of Jeffersonville, KY, Ben D. Lewis of Bartlesville, OK, Brian Harris of Nashville, TN, Charles Hammond of Jacksonville, FL, and Pam Krafczinski of Lorain, OH. 

            We’ve had an abundance of rain these past weeks which has curtailed my squirrel hunting.  We had one of the driest falls in several years but hopefully the water shortage of last fall won’t recur again.    

            We have gotten down to business here in our archive building as we are gleaning every bit of Mann family information from the sources we have at hand.  Brenda Jenkins is busy compiling it into her bulging notebooks.  We urge all of you to send in your family information along with pictures and stories about your family.  You do not have to have it in complete form at this time, we invite you to send what you have and then you can add to it as the information becomes available.  Don’t rely on the assumption that someone else will send in your family info, get it in yourself!

            Many of our members have been sending queries along with their membership dues.  One such comes from Ben D. Lewis, 306 SE Fenway Ave., Bartlesville, OK 74006 who writes he still hasn’t any info on John Milton Lewis who was born in our area in 1865 or so and married Rebecca Minix.

            Ben and his wife along with a sister and brother-in-law were here in Magoffin County for the Minix Founders Days and his info is found on page 305 of the Minix Memories book.  He writes he is very grateful to Ronald Minix for escorting them around looking at cemeteries, etc. Ben says if we see Ronald to thank him again for his helpfulness for him.

            I see in my research that John M. Lewis married on 2 April 1892 to Rebecca Minix at William Wilson’s home. The witnesses were Buel Picklesimer and John T. Dunn and the minister was William Wilson.

            The 1900 Magoffin census lists Milton Lewis b. 1865 (age 34) married for 8 years (1892) to Rebecca Minix b. Dec 1887 (age 22). They had 3 living children of 4 born: James Lee Lewis age 6, Pearly Lewis age 3 and John Lewis age 1/12 (b. 1900).

            Several emails have also come with queries.  Jack Brannon ([email protected]) writes he has a distant cousin Leander B. Bates who married Sarah M. Whitaker who was born in Salyersville in 1857. Her father was Dave and her mother was Elizabeth Patrick.  He asks if anyone knows the family history of the Whitakers. 

            I found a marriage record for Leander Dunn and Sarah Whitaker. They were married on 23 Oct 1874 at David Whitaker’s home.  The 1860 Magoffin census has David Whitaker age 24, wife Elizabeth age 20; with children Sarah Margaret age 3 and Forest Rose age 1.

            The 1870 Magoffin County census tells that Asa T. Dunn was then age 38, wife Eliza was age 28 and they have 6 children, one being Leander Dunn age 5.

            Phil Hanson ([email protected]) writes his mother’s family migrated from Salyersville about 1919 to Wenatchee, WA. He plans to make a trip this spring to the home place of his grandfather Bernie C. Pace on the Burning Fork and asks if we could perhaps direct him to the old home place.

            The 1910 Magoffin census lists William Pace, age 40, married 2^nd to Frances and they have a son Burnie age 12.  William was a son of Matthew Pace b. 1834 and wife Elizabeth Salyer b. 1837. Elizabeth was a dau of Henry Salyer (b. 1814) and Elizabeth Conley (b. 1815). Elizabeth Conley was a dau of Edmond Conley (b. 1775) and Lydia Joynes.

            Matthew Pace was a son of John Pace b. 1808 and Sarah Ely b.  1810. Sarah was a dau of Wm. Ely, Jr. and Rebecca Salyer

            The “Mathie” Pace Cemetery is located on the Beartree Fork of Rockhouse Fork of Burning Fork.  John Pace and Sarah Ely are buried in the John D. Blanton Cemetery.

            The old (1826) court records have some interesting entries, to wit: In May of 1826 Daniel Clark was appointed surveyor of a road from 22 Mile Branch to the forks near the head of State Road Fork and called on the hands of Clayton Cook and Prise Bailey to assist.

            First, note that 22 Mile Branch was named about forty years before Salyersville was named. Second, the branch isn’t 22 miles long but is 22 miles from another site.

            During the November 1825 court session Archibald Prater and John Porter were exempted from paying county taxes.  Archibald would have been near age 70 at this time.  He died in 1831.

            In August 1827 a court case styled The Commonwealth VS Joseph Bailey, defendant bound to pay $120 and to pay $10 for each year from this date for 6 years. 

            These court orders give a glimpse of the lives of some of our early settlers.

            We were sad to learn of the passing of Emogene Cole Howard.  We appreciate Bruce Stephens Jr.’s contribution in her memory as well as his personal recollections of their school days together at Royalton High School.

We are grateful for the help of our local newspaper, The Salyersville Independent, in making these Comments available to the public and for helping us spread the word about the 2009 Mann Clan Founders Days.