This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the May 31, 2012 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            Another Memorial Day has come and gone as you read this. We have seen much evidence of cemeteries being cleaned and restored this past year. It has been upsetting to see the damage that was done by the March 2^nd tornado but gradually we are seeing changes as people try to repair what nature disturbed.

            I see by the calendar that another birthday will have slipped up on Ole Todd by the time these comments are printed.  On June 1^st I will celebrate my 84^th birthday.  I am well pleased with the amount of work that I have been able to accomplish this past year and hope to be able to continue.  There is a lot that needs to be done here at the historical society as well as personal projects.

            Another person who has been busy this last year is Bob Whittaker of South Carolina.  He has worked on and finished many projects and now has another very important one in the works.  This is a granite memorial marker to be set at the Mark York Tavern in Rockford, Surry County, North Carolina for Thomas Whitaker.  Thomas was born in 1712 and died in 1787.  His wife was Mary Wilson.  Thomas and Mary Wilson Whitaker were the parents of Mark Whitaker who married Martha “Patsy”.  Bob believes that Patsy’s maiden name was probably Harvey. 

Perhaps you were here in 2004 when a marker for Patsy Whitaker was set and dedicated along with one for Stephen and Elizabeth (Howard) Arnett.  We are very appreciative of the family of Tip and Ethel (Wireman) Arnett who allowed us to set the markers in their family cemetery.

Bob headed up the plans for a memorial for Mark Whitaker which was set in Virginia also a couple of years ago.  After Mark’s death, his wife Patsy and five of their seven children came to eastern Kentucky.  These children were (1) Francis Asbury Whitaker (m. Margaret -?-), (2) Mary “Polly” Whitaker (m. Robert A. Smith, (3) Susannah Whitaker (m. Morgan R. Puckett), (4) Johnson Whitaker (m. Susannah Howard, (5) James O. Whitaker (m. Lurana Marshall), (6) Mark R. Whitaker (m. Nancy Smith) and (7) Matilda Whitaker (m. James Harvey May).  Now Mark Whitaker’s parents will have a memorial marker.  I know that all Whitaker descendants are very grateful to have these family memorials set for their ancestors. As you can see from the list of children, this memorial will be of interest to many, many people in eastern Kentucky.

We have had notice from Doris Rose of California that a Hamman (all spellings) Family Reunion will be held Thursday, August 2 through Sunday, August 5 in Lewisburg, West Virginia.  This will be a chance for descendants to visit the homestead area where Phillip and Christina Hamman lived.  A full schedule and other information about this reunion is available on several websites and you may contact Jim Rose as well.  His email is [email protected] (phone # 801-423-2747).  Doris Rose is our foremost Hamman researcher and we were honored to have her here in Magoffin County in 2002 for the Hammond (all spellings) Founders Days.

The main project of the Magoffin County Historical Society “home-twenty” this year is the Labor Day Magoffin County Homecoming, this year featuring the Marshall family.  We have heard from Marshall’s from many different areas who tell us they hope to be here for this event.  From the response at the regular meeting of the historical society on May 20^th it looks like we are going to have (as Country Cousin Nolin Hall used to say) a “large” time this fall!