This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the July 9, 2009 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

The Salyersville Independent  is a weekly newspaper published and edited by Michael David Prater, P. O. Box 29, Salyersville, KY 41465. Telephone (606) 349-2915.  Yearly subscription rates are $24.00 in Kentucky and $30.00 per year out of state.

            Bob Whittaker and his son James were here Monday from South Carolina.  They were here to set and dedicate a monument for Isham Bays in the Gilbert Adams Cemetery at Ivyton.  Isham was a veteran of the War of 1812, joining 1 Sep 1814.  He was born 23 Aug 1795 and he married on 4 Jul 1818 in Pittsylvania Co. VA to Mary “Polly” Taylor.

            Isham and Polly moved to Kentucky about 1830 along with his parents, John and Sarah (Owens) Bays and grandparents John and Levisa Bays.

            John P. Bays of Greenup, KY and his grandson of Florida joined Jack Sizemore, Henry Clay Sizemore and Randall Risner and I as we helped Bob and James in this marker setting and dedication.

            I came back down Mash Fork and stopped at the deserted Bays Cemetery on Mash Fork. John P. is convinced that this is the burial site of the elder John Bays and wishes to obtain a new marker for his gravesite.

            Robert Lacey ([email protected]) writes that he is a grandson of Clay Lacy and his father is James Lacey. He further states James’ sister is Lonie (Loney) Lacy and another sister is Celia Mosley who wrote to me which I answered in an article dated July 14^th, 2005.

            Quoting Mr. Lacey: “I have been researching my family genealogy for about ten years now and keep hitting a brick wall when it comes to my grandfather Clay Lacy.  My name as well as my father’s name had an “e” added to it by the Army when my father enlisted because there was more than one James Lacy. I have heard a few stories about Clay Lacy. One of which claims that his father was married (legitimately or not) to a native who was Clay’s mother. When she died his father remarried and his new wife did not want a half-breed around so his father sent him away. I have never heard what his father’s name is or who his mother was. It seemed he did not want to talk about his parents or how he grew up.

            “Clay was born on 4^th of July 1897 in Salyersville or Stella in Magoffin County Kentucky.  He enlisted in the Army circa 1914 serving in WW 1 and was honorably discharged. He was married to Junie Kilgore on Dec 19, 1919 in Magoffin County Kentucky. They had 15 or 16 children together; Monroe, Bonnie, Woodrow, Loney, George, Glen Edward, Charles, Donald, James, Richard, William Clay, Ella Mae, and Celia Margaret, along with some miscarriages.”

            I found in the 1880 Morgan Co. KY census a listing for Amanda Lacy age 66 (b. 1814).  In an adjacent household was James E. Lacy age 49 (b. 1831), wife Samantha age 27 and their children John A. b. 1876 and Lona b. 1877.

            I believe Robert’s great grandfather was Clay Lacy, Sr. who married Margaret Fugate.  We believe this because on the marriage record of Clay Lacy, Jr. and Junie Kilgore, Clay Jr.’s parents are listed as Clay Lacy and Margaret Fugate. 

In 1900 Magoffin census we found Clay in the Sam Risner household under the name of Clay Fugate, his mother’s surname.

            I completed all the “mudding” on the Wireman cabin, the latest addition to the Pioneer Village and am now awaiting the help of the carpenters to do the stairway.  I have turned my attention to other improvements, one being replacing the boards that had been put around the Prater’s Fort stage many years ago. They had deteriorated through the years.

            Of course, there are other improvements that need to be done as the 31^st Founders Day celebration is looming in the near future.

            As I was busy sawing and nailing, a visitor and his daughter arrived on the scene, he was Jesse W. Allen of 14032 Halper Road, Poway, CA 92084.  He was born in Magoffin County and was a World War II veteran.  Jesse spent 29 years in the Navy so I have entered him in my list of living World War II veterans.  He is number 32 on my list.

            Jesse and his daughter had traveled from California across country to Pennsylvania and back by way of West Virginia to Kentucky to visit relatives.  The next leg of their journey was to travel to Arkansas to visit a former Navy buddy before returning to their home.

            I am sure there are others out there whose names I do not have.  Here is the current list I have: Edgar Blanton, Oakley Blanton, Belsey Connelley, Marcus Connelley, Vanzel Borders, Robert Borders, John T. Arnett, Goble Caudill, Ray Holbrook, B. F. Holbrook, Halbert Patrick, Thomas Patrick, Henry Clay Patrick, Dona C. Patrick, Ramey Montgomery, Marvin Ray Adams, Earl Howington, Ernest Powers, Melvin Blanton, Chalmer “Bub” Patrick, Forest Lemaster, Dollie Lemaster, Glen F. Hampton, Paul Hensley, Ben Patton, Jr., Johnnie Shepherd, Ocie Rowe, Elic Johnson, Luther Montgomery, Hiram Clay Walters, Robert Risner, Jesse W. Allen, Roy H. Conley and Roy “Todd” Preston.

            Now, I know I’ve missed some, such at Elvis Marsh’s sons who live at the mouth of 22 Mile Branch.  We hope to give each World War II veteran some kind of a token recognition plaque at our DAV Veteran’s program, so if you, the reader, knows of a living WW II veteran that I have not named, let us know.  It would be nice to have the life stories of our veterans such as what Comrade Jesse Allen is now writing.  A short version of his career appears in Vol. 1 of our Life Along the Licking River series.

            We are pleased to have the help of Mrs. Willie Gene (Beatrice) Gullett and her daughter Claudetta’s help with our collection of Mann family genealogy. They have brought in pictures and family information. We are continuing to find area families that fit into the Manns Clan. This week we entered some info on the descendants of Samuel Watkins and Mahalia Joseph family that Brenda Jenkins brought in.

            A meeting of the Magoffin County Historical Society is scheduled for the 19^th of July at 2 p.m. here at our library. 

            From time to time we receive an envelope of obituaries from various parts of Indiana, postmarked Gary, IN.  In the last batch sent in April we found several with Mann, Miller, Whitaker and other Magoffin County based surnames.  We want to thank whoever is doing this. We appreciate your help.