This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the June 4, 2009 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            Bob Whittaker, Wendell Hoskins and I set a marker for “The Teacher” on the Ralph May farm a few months ago.  Sometime later J. W. Back and I met members of the Beulah Hoskins Long family and we invited them and anyone who might be interested to come and have a ceremony at the site in the Bull Branch of River Road area.

            Beulah had told me the story about “The Teacher” almost thirty years ago. She told that a man had come into the community and taught at the Bull Branch School in a log school house at the mouth of Bull Branch, across the Licking River from the Hoskins plantation.

            The teacher’s name had been lost to posterity but Beulah thought he had come from Ohio.  The teacher died and as there was no one to claim the body he was buried on the Hoskins/May farm fence row, which I found by Beulah’s directions.

            I related the story to Bob Whittaker once when we were setting some monuments in the Hoskins Cemetery across the river.  Bob obtained a marker for “The Teacher” and he, Wendell and I set it.  Now Beulah’s daughters, Kay Gross and Jane Griswall of Florida will be visiting our area again and they would like to have a dedication of the monument on June 5^th at 9:30 a.m.  The general public is invited to attend.

            This will be the culmination of a project that has been in my mind for these many years, to fulfill an unspoken commitment I made to one of my most respected friends, Ms. Beulah Hoskins Long. 

            Our good buddy, Seldon Holliday and wife Eva of North Carolina came in Friday and had their car loaded down with some goodies for the Pioneer Village.  Some items were an old wooden mixing pan, a hearing horn, shoes with soles attached by wooden pegs, a box of wooden pegs, complete with the tool to cut them off if they needed to be trimmed, a string dispenser, a bowl and pestle for mixing herbs for medicine, a tin doll, a World War I flag and a World War II flag with five stars showing that the family who owned it had five children in service.

            Seldon also brought a manikin named “Bubba”, not to take Todd’s job, although he is a lot better looking and would do until I get back from climbing “them thar hills”.  (Smile)
            We send a big bunch of THANKS to the Hollidays!

            My nephew Roger Keith Kelley and his wife Lynn of Berea also visited Ol’ Todd Friday with intentions of cleaning off the Adams/Kelley or sometimes known as the Doc Millard Cemetery.  We found that young Houston Howard and Loren Hall were well into working to clear this large old cemetery which had been hit hard with our winter ice storm.  We really appreciate these young men for undertaking such an arduous task of cleaning this cemetery.

            A monument is to be set for Isham Bays soon and we would like to see a large crowd for this dedication.  I feel that a lot of folks don’t realize Isham is their ancestor.  Elijah Collinsworth married his daughter, Alsey Bays so their children are descendants of Isham.  Stay tuned for more info, including dates, for this dedication.

            Sharon Nutt, the webmaster for the Magoffin County Historical Society website was here for a visit.  Go to https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/ to visit us online!  Thanks for helping while you were here, Sharon.

            Bob and Betty Whittaker visited yesterday.  They had telephoned as they were coming through Tennessee suggesting that we, along with John Britton and his wife Debbie, make a trip to the Meredith Risner Cemetery on Puncheon.  We picked up Randall Risner for guiding purposes.

            Debbie Britton copied only about a dozen names and Randall told her there were supposed to be about 60 burials in that cemetery.  We also did not find the marker that Bob Whittaker had found about 5 years ago for Mary Beth Leeth Risner when he set new markers for Meredith and his wife.  We visited five more cemeteries including the one at the Mouth of Shonney Branch.

            Bob and Betty Whittaker, John and Debbie Britton, Jack Sizemore, Henry Clay Sizemore, Randall Risner and Ol’ Todd set several monuments Saturday. We first went to the Sam Poe Cemetery on Puncheon and set a monument for Lewis Patrick, son of Hiram. 

            We next set a new Civil War marker for Wilson Risner at the mouth of Limestone near the mouth of Rockhouse.  We then traveled to Risner, KY in Floyd County and set a Civil War marker for soldier Frank Risner. Wilson and Frank are sons of James Risner and Margaret Adams.

            We then came back to David, KY and followed the coal haul road back to the head of the right fork of Puncheon Creek to the Benjamin Holbrook Cemetery then headed down the right fork of Puncheon where we had visited the Mouth of Shonney Branch Cemetery earlier.  This old cemetery has been rescued from an almost jungle like atmosphere to a wonderfully well kept area.  Jack and Randall have set about a dozen monuments through private funds. They and family members are to be commended.

            My sisters, Luva and Ida Jane and I visited sister Sue on Craft Creek of Middle Fork on Saturday evening.

            I went to the Bluegrass Cemetery early Sunday morning and put flowers on Phyllis’ grave then put flags on all the veteran’s graves that didn’t already have one.

            I then went to the Prater Cemetery on Mashfork for services then stopped at the Williams Cemetery for services then visited brother Roger’s grave on lower Mashfork before having lunch at the “chicken house”.

            We then went back to Mashfork and picked up Louise Lemaster and went to the Bailey/Kazee/Conley Cemetery for services then to the Conley Cemetery on Horse Pen for services before coming back to the Bluegrass Cemetery here in town.

            We next picked up Luva and Jessica and went to the Preston Cemetery on George’s Creek in Johnson Co.  From there we went to the Preston Cemetery, Old Town Cemetery and finally the John Wesley Walker Cemetery before dropping Louise off on Mashfork and returning to the home twenty.

            Abbie and I also took Wilma Lemaster Rimer to the cemetery where her parents and grandparents are buried.

            To close the Memorial Day weekend, Bob and Betty Whittaker, Randall Risner, Jack Sizemore, Herley Manns and I installed cemetery signs at the M. F. Watson/John Bailey Cemetery and one at the Sherman Bailey Cemetery that had been obtained by Leola Cole.  When we got back to headquarters, Bob, Betty, Leola and Dorothy had a slightly premature birthday cake for Ol’ Todd.  Eat your heart out John Britton, you left a day too early! 

            Val McKenzie of Ohio happened to be visiting our library at the same time.  He remarked that this is the 4^th time out of the last five years that he has gotten some of Todd’s birthday cake during his visit!