This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the April 16, 2009 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            At last I got a chance to make a visit to the gravesite of Revolutionary War soldier Benjamin Wages.  It took some scrambling and rescheduling to allow me to make the trip as I had to find a chauffeur due to my daughters “grounding” me from making such a trip by myself.  Thanks to my buddy, Randall Risner of Puncheon Creek, I had an opportunity to go to an SAR ceremony honoring Benjamin.

            We followed compatriot Gerald Burkland, national chairman of the SAR and Chaplain Bernie Wages.  We met Roy Sexton at Korea and he accompanied us to his farm.  He and his brother own a farm of about 500 acres of woodland and hay fields.  We parked at their hunting lodge, a two-story log home, so I felt right “at home.”

            We then began the trek to the cemetery and, of course, due to the earlier ice storm, we found the ATV road was continually blocked by the fallen pine trees and we had to find a way around them.  We soon came to a clearing and could see the beautiful little yellow daffodils (Roy Sexton and I still call them “Easter lilies”).

            In the clearing were portions of a great chimney and fireplace which had fallen in.  It appears to have been an extra large homestead.

            After this we continued across the open field into more woodland and had to contend with more fallen trees. We finally came to the cemetery where a Government Issue marker had recently been set.  Now I didn’t ask, but I didn’t hear Roy Sexton say he was a kinsman of Benjamin Wages.  He seemed to be extra proud to be our guide.  Either way, what a guy!  He has kept a small access road open for several years and has guided several parties to the gravesite.  One he guided was an eighty-year-old lady last fall (almost as old as Ol’ Todd!) so I’m giving Roy (a 76-year-old) a standing ovation!

            Now, this was a very impressive ceremony with compatriot Gerald Burkland of Michigan in clothing styled from the George Washington era. He gave a beautiful dedicatory speech followed by Chaplain Bernie Wages with a wonderful prayer.  It was a very moving service and should have been videotaped.  In my hurry to try to arrange to be there I had forgotten my camera and my GPS.  Randall Risner came to the rescue and took pictures and also took a GPS reading: 37 degrees-55’-8”, 83 degrees-25’-22”, elevation 963.    

            We made our way back to our vehicles and parted.  I took Roy Sexton up on his offer of a tour of the log cabin hunting lodge then we took him back to his vehicle at Korea which is near Camp Judy Layne, a Girl Scout camp where some of my girls attended camp some years ago.

            We stopped at Broke Leg Falls on our return trip home and Randall took a bunch of pictures at this beautiful site.  As there had been an abundance of rainfall, the site was extra beautiful.  Now, for the down side, it was really sad to see that thieves had cut down aluminum light poles and some safety fencing, perhaps to sell as scrap. Not only that, they had sawed a chain in two that had held two picnic tables together and now only one is left.  It leaves me sickened to see this destruction.

            We recently had very welcome guests here at the historical society.  Mrs. Sue Mortimer representing the Renaissance Committee and visitor Margaret Ellen Hall Sturdivant, now of California, were here.  Sue reminded us that next year (2010) will be Magoffin’s County’s Sesquicentennial or 150^th birthday! 

            I vividly remember our Centennial (100^th year celebration) in 1960.  As a twenty-something year old Conservation officer, I worked on helping to form Junior Sportsman’s clubs and we began bait casting, rifle, etc. contests that grew into coon dog events, horse shows and you name it, we had it!  This escalated into the largest 4^th of July celebration in eastern Kentucky and our county certainly had the largest fireworks display anywhere nearby.  By 1960 when the county’s 100^th birthday came up, we already had a great deal of the “stage” in place when the centennial celebration was observed.

            Now, if we are to put on anything comparable for next year for our county’s 150^th birthday, there must be a lot of preparation and all our county people will need to become involved.  All organizations, including churches, schools, businesses, etc. should be participating.

            We have a reprint for sale of the booklet Magoffin’s First Century which was originally prepared by Albert K. Moore.  We added a great deal of information about the 1960 celebration to the original booklet.  It is remarkable to review what took place in 1960.  Only a few of us involved in the organization of this event are still here; sadly a great number of those have gone on to glory. 

            Don’t wait to be asked – get involved now in Magoffin County’s Sesquicentennial celebration!