This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the March 18, 2010 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

The Salyersville Independent , a weekly newspaper.
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.

            I was privileged to be a member of the DAV in the funeral of Comrade Willie “Bill” Tackett showing “our last respects”.  This rather bothered me afterwards because Willie was interred in the Hale Cemetery on Mine Fork which is quite a ways up on the hill and elderly people will have a hard time climbing to this cemetery.  What I’m driving at is, is this the last time we will actually pay our “last respects” at Willie’s gravesite?  He and others who are not interred in perpetual care cemeteries will need these gravesites kept decently mowed throughout the years, not just at Memorial Day, etc.

            In my visitations to cemeteries all over our county and area and especially at one over on the head of the left fork of Johnson near the old Samaria Church, I find cemeteries in almost abandoned conditions.  At this particular cemetery is the grave of a veteran “killed in action”.  I found this information after cutting the weeds and briars away until I could read the name.  It would be wonderful if family members were all able to keep these family cemeteries in good condition.

            The DAV has ordered flags to be placed on Veteran’s graves this Memorial Day. These will be left here at the historical society where they can be picked up.  They ask only that you take enough to actually be used for the intended purpose as they have become quite costly.

            I attended an all day meeting at the Health Department and came away really buoyed up at the full house attendance and the renowned speakers whose main scope was to give a bushel of suggestions as to  how we could work together to make our county a better place to live and raise our children.  Marlene was there with paper and pencil for all senior citizens to identify the most needed things to help achieve that goal.

            As I had taken a walk in the park after the final snow melted, some sights met my eyes that should be corrected.

            When I crossed the new bridge, I saw beautiful clear water looking clean enough to drink but then you see literally scores of truck and automobile tires that the clear water flows over and that takes away from the beauty.  Someone has also plumb forgotten to haul off the brush pile from the great ice storm here in the county.

            I then went to the Dixie Bridge and saw the river bed was only about 14 feet wide at that point.  No wonder the river spreads over the park so easily.  There is an island that has formed in the riverbed and collects garbage because of weed growth.

            The worst culprit of all is the area just below where the State Road Creek enters into the Licking River.  Here is a 4 or 6-inch pipe across the river that has caught more trees and stumps. I believe it is in violation of the rules and regulations of putting water lines across creeks and rivers.  This helps State Road Creek eat into the park land.

            This isn’t a pretty sight for the visitors we expect to bring into our county this year.  I know that a permit is needed to do anything to a waterway but removing tires or a brush pile doesn’t seem to be against the “law of the land”.  As I’ve said before, I’m pointing my thumb at myself.

            I’ve had some very enjoyable trips to some of our county schools this week.  We visited South Magoffin and North Magoffin schools.  Accompanying us on the trip were Randall Risner, Brenda Howard, Jack Sizemore, Lori Sizemore, A. B. Conley and some of the participants of the Middle Creek re-enactment team.  They all can downright put on a historical hands-on illustration of Civil War battles.  They also told about the ball that is being planned after the Saturday re-enactment. This is a first ever for Magoffin County!

            We had a couple of hours to wait between visiting the two schools so we spent some time with the Senior Citizens.  Marlene shut down the Rook game and had our group show them what they were portraying at the schools.

            We hope to get together again and visit the Salyersville Grade School and the Whitaker Middle School on Friday, the 12^th.

            We hope our efforts will instill in the young minds of our students a history lesson they won’t forget and that they will carry the information home to their parents to help spread the word about the Civil War re-enactment.

            I sometimes wear my Civil War uniform to the post office and I’m often asked “What is the occasion?”  When I explain, I find there are many who have not heard of the 2010 celebration of Magoffin County’s 150^th birthday.  I wear the outfit to get attention as there are many activities that will be taking place in our county this year and our citizens need to know about and participate in them. 

            We hope that you and your organization (church, civic, fraternal, etc.) will get into the spirit of the celebration.  All the stories that have been turned in have now been typed and we are waiting for your story to come in.  There should be hundreds more written and mailed or brought in to us.  Everyone has a story that only you can tell.  We encourage all the business people and any organization to have someone write the history of your group.  This is our year to record this important history of our county and people.

            Also, let me stress that every church congregation is invited to attend the Sunday service at the battlefield site near the South Magoffin School.  A noted Reenactment Chaplain will conduct the non-denominational service.  Please bring a folding chair to this event.