This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the July 1, 2010 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            Jerry Kyle Arnett and I were in Paintsville Thursday at the funeral visitation for Melvin Blanton, father of Chester Blanton. As we started home I mentioned that my son Toddie and his Black Power Express band was playing music at the Paintsville Tourism and Museum that evening. Jerry and I decided to go and see them.  It was my first time to visit.  I was quite surprised at meeting several fellow senior citizens there on the dance floor.

            Our old buddy, 92-year old Ken Williams hit the dance floor several times.  Some of you will remember Ken from back in the days when we could block off the main street and have a good old-fashioned street dance with Ken doing the calling.

            I met up with other folks, one of whom was Mary Trimble who was on the dance floor every time. She asked the big question that was also on my mind: “Why can’t Magoffin County have a similar program?”

            There were about six or more bands on the stage that night eager to play and sing.  The little blind girl got a standing ovation. I did not get to see all of the musicians as I left a little early. 

            Back to the “Why can’t we…” First, lack of a building and a staff to run it.

            There was no attendance fee, a collection was taken up and there was a ticket raffle but it was all strictly volunteer.

            Along with Ms. Trimble, I second the motion and my neighbor, Jerry Kyle Arnett thirds it! He is eager to go back to the Tourism and Museum and wants such a building placed on the “Most Wanted” list for Magoffin County.

            We have reached the half way mark in our Sesquicentennial year and we have had several different celebrations.  We have plans to make the last half of 2010 the best ever…there are special events planned for the remaining months.  If you have ideas for a few extras, let it be known to the committee, or better still, come to the meetings in the court house.

            The Trail Ride from the Middle Creek Battlefield to the Puncheon Creek Battlefield will be ready to begin by the time you read this.  We so want this to be a success.  The group plans to travel on to the Half Mountain battle site and camp out at the South Magoffin School and a music program is planned for later that evening. 

            And we must not leave out the Muzzleloader’s Primitive Black Powder Shoot which takes you back to the Dan’l Boone time frame.  Then there’s the Renaissance’s Little Miss and Master Firecracker Pageant plus the Kerry Howard antique car show with the annual 4^th of July Parade.  As the late Country Cousin would say, “We’re gonna have a large time!”  Don’t forget the Watermelon Social and the Katie Prater memorial dedication as well as the DAV Flag Raising Ceremony.  This will get the second half of the Sesquicentennial off to a good start.  Come on out and participate.

            Last week we delved into Helen Buchan’s query and statements about the Patrick family.  She mentioned that Jeremiah Patrick’s father has been published as Hugh Patrick but she believes Jeremiah to have been a son of Robert Patrick, Hugh’s brother, and cites Dr. Lee Wellington Patrick’s book, Patricks In Retrospect.

            Helen lists William Patrick b. 1762 as being in the War of 1812 but I believe it was his son William Patrick II b. 1794 d. 1880 who married Nancy Prater who was the War of 1812 soldier.

            This William Patrick Jr. is buried behind the new Bethel Church on lower Burning Fork in the Bill Patrick Cemetery.  A monument stating his war service was installed at his gravesite recently.  He was a son of William Patrick, Sr. and Mollie Reins.

            We set a monument for William, Sr. in the Meredith Patrick Cemetery as there was a small field rock with the initials W. P. on it. This little stone got moved from time to time and there is no grave where the monument was set.

            What I’m leading up to is this, when I visited with the older people in the area they said he was buried near the Mouth of Arnett Branch on the left, looking upstream.  I tried to make a search at one time.

            Why wasn’t the Meredith Patrick Cemetery called the William Patrick Cemetery if he is buried there?

            One of my informants was the Boone Howard who also told me of the two Collins boys buried on the Coin Salyer farm where we set a monument last year.