This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the August 8, 2013 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            Time is fleeting!  It hardly seems possible that we will begin Founders Days festivities in just over two weeks from the time you read this.  The Rudd heritage is being celebrated this coming Labor Day weekend with our 35th annual Magoffin County Founders Day.  Our program begins on August 27th with an Opening Ceremony starting at 5 p.m., with Chairperson Steve Rudd in charge.  Jimmy Dairel Minix will deliver the invocation.  Diane Rudd will sing the National Anthem for us. 

            We are having young Erin Grace Rudd, daughter of Steve and Katrina Rudd, singing God Bless America. 

            We are pleased to have the Magoffin County DAV Chapter 15 and the Magoffin County Muzzleloaders participate in the program.  We always look forward to having our Boy Scout troop lead us in the Pledge to the flag.  We are hopeful of having the Prater Memorial Methodist Church with us once again.  This will be the 35th year for this tradition and one that is looked forward to very much.

            It will be our honor to have Magoffin County Judge Executive Dr. Charles Hardin and Salyersville Mayor Dr. James E. “Pete” Shepherd on hand to welcome our participants and to officially open this Founders Day program.

            We are inviting those Grand Marshals that can arrange to be with us that evening to unveil the Rudd name on the Founders Day marker in our Pioneer Village lawn.

           Magoffin County’s Black Power Express Bluegrass Band with Toddie Preston, Jarrod Howard, Jared Goforth, Jason Preston and Andrea Preston will be performing before the Baby Pageant which begins at about 6:30 p.m.  Our directors for that event are Jessica Preston Howard, Lisa Preston, Paula Montgomery, Abbie Conley, Theresa Dotson and Carol Jean Howard.

           As you can imagine, we will be quite busy around here for the next several weeks. In addition to the finalizing of plans, preparation of materials and various other tasks, we also have our 3rd quarterly Journal of the Magoffin County Historical Society ready to go in the mail.

        We have Rudd family souvenirs (tee-shirts, hats, mugs, knives) and they have been very well received. Remember also that we have some free wooden nickels and pencils for visitors. 

        The in flow of material for the Rudd family book has slowed down somewhat.  We did receive a nice packet of material from Ms. Betty L. Lykins of Crestwood, KY.  This was brought in to us by our own Betty Lykins of right here in Salyersville, KY.  I believe they are cousins.  The material received is for the Henry Clay Burton and Ida May Rudd family.  They were the parents of 18 children: William Marvin, Alta (died as a baby), Eva, Taylor Ova, Thomas Oral, Reva, Charlie Heddie, Osie Lee, Lorene, Richard Ray, Dorsie Russell, Stella Lillian, Forest Wendell, Betty Jean, Lester Gray, James Kenneth, Paul Estill and Robert Arthur Burton.  Ms. Lykins sent along a great number of wonderful pictures of this family but we will try to make arrangements to copy her pictures in another format as she sent photocopies and these will not print for our book.  If anyone has pictures for this book, please call us to arrange a time when we can scan your photos or if you can scan them yourselves then bring in a disk to us here at 191 South Church Street, Salyersville, KY 41465.

            We want to encourage you again to help us collect family genealogy, pictures, stories, obituaries, tributes, court records, etc. on the Rudd family.  We want to make our book of genealogy as complete as possible and need your help.  Also if you visit a family cemetery or happen to stop by a cemetery with Rudd family markers, then please photograph or copy the inscriptions for us as Jeff Rudd did recently when he was traveling.  He saw the name RUDD on a cemetery sign and stopped to take some pictures.  He has found the gravesites of Henry Clay Rudd and his wife Forrest Rose “Duddie” Dunn and several family members.  Henry Clay was the son of Hiram Hyden Rudd and Melvina “Vina” Bailey.  He was born in 1876 Magoffin Co. KY and died in 1959 Menifee Co. KY. By searching some census records we found that they had children: Leander Rudd b. 1896, Dorsie Rudd, Vina Rudd, Teddy Rudd, Golden Rudd, Orbin Rudd, and Madelle Rudd.  Before this point we only had Henry Clay’s name and his wife listed as “Duddie” Dunn in our outline so appreciate the additions very much.

            By coincidence, this family fits in with others on which we have recently received material.  Henry Clay Rudd was a brother to (a) Melford Rudd m. Emery Wages; (b) James Alfred Rudd m. Mary E. Stacy; (c) William Thomas Rudd m. Josie Dunn; (d) Elisha Rudd m. Calista Pearl Holbrook; (e) Matilda “Sissie” Rudd m. Riley Keeton; (f) Lucinda Rudd m. R. B. Dunn and T. J. Burton; (g) H. H. Rudd, Jr. m. Nannie Davis and (h) Carrie Rudd m. Emery Wages and Emery Burton.  There is still much material needed on this branch of the family as well as any other others so we are asking for your help.