This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the April 23, 2009 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            I’ve spent most of my time this week preparing room in our Pioneer Village so we can bring in another log home!  The floor space is almost complete thanks to the generosity of my neighbor A. B. Conley for giving us the foundation lumber and my workers, James Wallen, Bob Kugle and Randall Risner, Jack Sizemore with Henry Clay Sizemore as boss (SMILE).

            You may wonder why I undertook such a large project as this as we already have more log buildings in our compound than are in any other such “village”.  First, because most of the old homes have long been destroyed by neglect and other disasters as was the case of the old log home my mother grew up in as well as her ten children.

            Secondly, Albert Wireman paid us a visit and offered us his log home which had been built in 1890, the same year my boyhood log home was built.  When I told Albert we had no room for another log home but that I could sell it for him, he flat out said it was not for sale and he thought it would be better preserved in our log home village.  After visiting his farm on Trace Fork and falling in love with that old log home, I’ve spent my “spare” hours preparing the foundation for this lovely old home.

            Now, a couple more days of work and I think we will have the pad ready.  ‘Course, I’ll have to let the “boys” get their turkey harvesting done before they start “swarming” in to help take down, haul in and reconstruct this log home! 

            We had a message from Carolyn Arnett Escoles of Columbus, OH ([email protected]) who wrote that she is looking for her grandmother’s burial place.  She was Lucy Arnett, wife of Courtney Arnett.  Carolyn is the dau of Paul Arnett.  I found in the records for the Tackett Cemetery on Rt. 40 (State Road Fork): Courtney Arnett b. 1901 d. 1942, Lucy Farrow Arnett b. 1901 d. 1942, Vertrice Arnett b. 1928 d. 1941, Beatrice Arnett b. 1903 d. 1967 and also the parents of Courtney: Kelse Arnett b. 1877 d. ? and Myra Arnett b. 1878 d. 1948.

            Lucy Farrow was the dau of John A. Farrow and Jane Hampton.  Lucy was first married on 19 Apr 1919 to Rufus Lloyd Kazee b. 1898 d. 1920, leaving a baby son Jesse Kazee b. 1920.

            Lucy married 2^nd on 10 Mar 1923 to Courtney Arnett, son of Kelse Arnett (b. 1877).  Kelse was a son of Ben F. Arnett and Louise Fletcher.

            Courtney’s siblings were Hager Arnett (married Gracie Flint), Beatrice Arnett (m. Price Holbrook, Jr.), Beulah Arnett (m. Steve Gose) and Camillus Arnett who was married 3 times but had no children.

            Jesse was my cousin as my mother Mollie Helton was a half sister to Rufus Lloyd Kazee, father of Jesse Kazee.  Jesse has passed away as well as his wife and daughter.

            Our Gullett book gives the following info: Nancy Jane Hampton b. 1872 married 21 Dec 1894 to John A. Farrow and their children were Ethel b. 1896, Benjamin b. 1898, Bruce b. 1899 and Lucy b. 1900.

            Nancy Jane Hampton was a dau of Matthew Hampton and Mary “Polly” Gullett. Polly was a dau of Christopher Gullett and Patsy Bailey. Patsy was a dau of Joseph Bailey and Patsy Brashear.

            By coincidence we got a query along the same lines, Sandy Patrick, 106 Summit Ridge Circle, Columbia, SC 29229 ([email protected]) wrote to inquire as to why Leonard “Leney” and Cora Patrick’s gravesites were not listed in the Volume II listing of the Tackett Cemetery on Rt. 40.  This is one of the larger cemeteries in our county and very well kept.  As usual there are some unmarked graves in this cemetery.  Bob Whittaker and I helped set a monument for Matthew Hampton and Mary “Polly” Gullett last year at their previously unmarked graves. In 1977 when I first copied this cemetery I listed 46 unidentifiable graves in the cemetery.

            Sandy would also like any info on the Millard Collins family.  Millard was born in 1883, a son of William H. Collins b. 1855. Wm. H. was a son of Elijah Collins b. 1831 d. 1891. Elijah was a Civil War soldier (Pvt. Co. I, 14^th KY Vol. Inf.) and a son of Joshua Collins. Joshua was born in 1805 TN and his wife was Elizabeth Dale b. 1805 NC.

            Millard Collins b. 1883 married on 20 Aug 1904 to Mattie Caudill. Mattie was born in 1880 to Benjamin Caudill and Abigail Pennington.  Benjamin (named for his grandfather) was a son of Able Caudill (b. 1827) and a grandson of Benjamin Caudill.  The elder Benjamin was a son of Stephen Caudill and Sarah Adams.

            Abigail Pennington was a dau of William Pennington and Abigail Caudill.

            Able Caudill married Phoebe Hitchcock. Phoebe was born in 1827 to John Hitchcock and Mahala Fitzpatrick.

            I might add, the last time I visited the Whitt Cemetery located at the mouth of Brushy of Lick Creek; it was in dire need of cleaning.  It is the time of year when people are getting out and cleaning cemeteries so we hope someone is working on this one.

            We have just gotten the spring Journal in the mail with the help of Wilma Rimer.  We are getting some good response from our members and we appreciate the comments.