This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the October 15, 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.

            The Home-Twenty crew and I have been trading some ideas back and forth, about what might be done for Magoffin County’s 150^th birthday next year.  We have thought about setting up a sorghum mill between our barn and the bridge or maybe having a Coon on a Log Contest such as used to be held at the Conley Farm Pond or a mock Civil War Battle. A lot of activities such as this would require a large area and might involve problems with transporting visitors to and from sites.  We are still thinking about possibilities. 

            I understand the city and county committee will be meeting soon to begin laying out plans for this Sesquicentennial celebration.  Keep in mind that this is not a “one organization” project and that there is something that every group and individual can do to participate.  Get into those scrapbooks and picture albums!  Our historical society is interested in receiving pictures of long ago places, individuals, family groups, schools and older businesses of Magoffin County. 

            I took an excursion with Carter and Vivian Conley to the Warren Blanton/ Christopher Gullett Cemetery recently to see if we could get a monument to that site.  We found it possible although Vivian said she kept her eyes closed while climbing that hill!  A few years ago, we set a monument for Christopher outside the Tackett Cemetery. One was also set by descendants for Joseph Bailey outside the Cain/Bailey Cemetery on Burning Fork.

            Joseph Bailey married Martha “Patsy” Brashears, a dau of Phillip Brashears, Sr. b. 1727 who married about 1750 to Ann Wilson.  Phillip served as a patriot in the American Revolution in Talent’s Company.  Christopher Gullett married Joseph and Martha’s daughter, also named Martha “Patsy”.  

            The 1850 Floyd County census shows Martha Brashears Bailey at age 100, living in the household of Christopher Gullett so it is conceivable that she was probably buried in the Christopher Gullett Cemetery.  At any rate, I am proposing that a memorial marker be set for Martha “Patsy” Bailey.  

            Carter, Vivian and I then went to the Lemaster Cemetery where we will be setting a monument for “Granny Fanny” Shaver, the midwife of the Falcon area. She is buried behind the former location of the Falcon School. 

            The trail up to the cemetery is impassible so we got permission from Doug Mortimer to pass through his land and go around the ridge. We cleared a passable road to the cemetery as well as we could.  Now, three ladies, Sandra Hudec from Pennsylvania, Gloria Sue Schreiber from Ohio and Wanda Bailey from Mt. Sterling, KY financed this monument that is now in the process of getting lettered. When finished, we expect to set it and have a dedication later, depending on when the above ladies and others who are interested can attend.

            On Monday, Joseph T. Lyons of Ashland and Sue Kellemar of Pennsylvania, descendants of George Perkins, a Civil War soldier, visited.  Sue wanted to visit his gravesite. I thought they might not be able to find it without help and I had a hankering to see the improvements the late Burley Perkins had made to this cemetery located in the head of Mash Fork, so I volunteered to go along.

            I wouldn’t have recognized this cemetery had I not heard about Burley cleaning it up and setting monuments.  One marker has the names of all the known burials in the cemetery. The broom-sage grass is taking over so perhaps there is someone who will help keep this cemetery in good condition as Burley did.

            Judith Helton Drescher, 5231 SE Bybe Blvd., Portland, and her husband visited us.  Judith is a distant cousin of mine as she descends from Jacob Helton, a brother to my 3^rd great-grandfather, George Helton.  Both were Union soldiers and are buried side by side in the Helton Cemetery located in what is known as the Fairchild Branch of Mash Fork.  The road to the cemetery is limited to ATV travel and Judith didn’t think she was up to traveling on an ATV so she went on to Staffordsville to visit cousins.

            Matthew Coon ([email protected]) wrote to say he was wondering if there had been a funeral director in Salyersville at one time by the name of Reuben Patrick.  Yes, I live in the house built by Reuben “Chick” Patrick’s father, William “Salty Bill” Patrick.  Reuben “Chick” Patrick was born in 1867 and married Sola Bailey, dau of John Bailey and Elizabeth Power.  Chick Patrick also built the first telephone system in Salyersville.

            In 1950, I married his granddaughter, the late Phyllis Prater.