Eugene and Mary Lou Cundiff of Jackson, KY made two trips to Magoffin County in recent weeks doing family research on the Dykes and Salyer families. They had been referred to our historical society library by Doug Dykes.

We were pleased to be able to give them some information and clues for further research from articles in our past Journals as well as our 1981 Salyer family book. Much valuable info was also gleaned from the late Elisabeth Salyer’s very well documented Salyer family book. We are very appreciative of Bob Whittaker’s help in securing permission to reprint this book so that it is available to today’s researchers.

Another book in our library that was very helpful was Westward Branches of the Salyer Family by Buster and Fran Salyer of Oklahoma.

We can follow the ancestry of James Dykes fairly easily through published material. James Dykes was born about 1825, a Civil War soldier, and married Arty Salyer b. about 1833, the daughter of Abner Salyer and Nancy Hale. Abner lived in the vicinity of the former Millard-Hensley Elementary School at Bloomington. After his wife died, Abner moved to Williamson Co. TX with the family of his son Abner B. Salyer.

In the 1900 census, Arty Salyer Dykes reported that she had 13 children with 9 still living at that time. We have info on ten of these: (1) Abner J. Dykes b. 1849 m. Matilda McCarty and lived in Wolfe Co. KY, (2) Nancy J. Dykes b 1851 m. Thomas Hagins, (3) George W. "Dunlap" Dykes b. 1855 m. Polly Ann Gose, (4) John Dykes b. 1860, (5) Martin Van Buren Dykes m. 1^st Levisa Reed and m. 2^nd Lucinda Patrick, (6) Mary Dykes b. 1867 did not marry, (7) Butler Dykes b. 1869, (8) Henry Clay Dykes b. 1872 m. Eliza J. Hall, (9) Nathan Dykes b. 1873 m. Easter Gose, and (10) Ben Franklin Dykes b. 1875 m. Elizabeth Gibbs.

A Magoffin County Historical Society Journal article from May 1993 by Marcella Claudette Bradford Ross of Elk City, OK gives an account of the oldest child of James and Arty (Salyer) Dykes. She is a descendant of James and Arty’s son Abner J. Dykes who married Matilda McCarty and were the parents of 15 children. Jasper Newton was a storekeeper, had a wagon yard and farmed. He was also a mail carrier with his wife Almedia being a postmistress.

Other Journal articles appear in the Winter 1990 Journal by Margaret Beckett of Carlisle, OH. The Summer 1995 Journal has material by Ben J. Dykes of Dayton, OH as well as Marlene Dykes Blake of Port Wentworth, GA.

James Dykes and wife Arty with a son Abner age 8 months are in the 1850 Floyd Co. KY census. By 1860 the area where they lived became Magoffin County and they had three additional children, Nancy J. Dykes age 7, Dunlap Dykes age 3 (b. 14 Apr 1855 according to Floyd County Vital Statistics), and John Dykes age 3 months.

In the 1870 the Magoffin Census has the family listed. Their children were Abner J. Dykes, Nancy J. Dykes, George W. Dykes, John Dykes, Martin Dykes, Mary Dykes and Abner Dykes. The son "George W." was apparently the same as the son "Dunlap" in the 1860 census.

In 1880 the James Dykes family lived on Middle Fork in Magoffin with children, Martin, Mary, Butler, Henry C., Nathan and Ben F.

By 1900 James Dykes was deceased. The Civil War pension application of his wife Arty gives James’ date of death as 25 August 1895. Arty lived with her son Nathan Dykes and his wife Easter (Gose) on Johnson Fork of Magoffin County. Arty’s birth was given as February 1882, she was age 68 and a widow.

Her daughter-in-law Matilda, wife of son Abner J. Dykes, made application for expenses incurred during the last sickness and burial of Arty. The attending physician was Dr. W. P. Wise of Lee City, KY. The application tells that Arty fell off a porch and was unable to care for herself for 8 months, she died 26 Feb 1908 at the home of Matilda Dykes of Neola, Wolfe Co. KY and was buried at Gullett in Magoffin County, KY.

At the present time we don’t know who the parents were of Civil War soldier James Dykes b. 1825. There is said to be a James Dykes who was born about 1755 in Virginia and died in Floyd Co. KY. The wife of this James was named Preshi. There are also records of an Isham Dykes who married Mary Bailey. We have wondered if this is Mary (Bailey) Dykes who was age 88 (b. 1762) in the home of Lemuel Bailey and his 2^nd wife Nancy as listed in the 1850 Floyd Co. KY census. Lemuel and Nancy appear in the Cabell Co. VA 1860 census with children Paulina, Polly and George W.

In searching for early marriages of the surname Dykes, we came up with the following: (1) Sally Dykes b. 1795 VA m. 24 Mar 1814 to Prior Bailey, son of Joseph and Patsy (Brashears) Bailey, (2) Elizabeth Dykes b. 1796 VA m. 3 Dec 1815 to Joseph Damron, son of Moses Damron, (3) Annie Dykes b. 1797 VA m. 14 Oct 1813 to Lemuel Bailey, son of Joseph and Patsy Bailey, (4) Preshi Dykes b. 1798 m. 26 Feb 1815 to Samuel Mann and (5) Isham Dykes b. 1800 m. 24 Apr 1825 to Betsy McMillan. An Isham Dykes m. 7 Oct 1829 to Celia Howard. Could this "Isham" be the same as "Isom" Dykes with wife Nancy in the 1850 Floyd County, KY census?

We would like to make contact with descendants of the Dykes family or any researcher who has more information. Please write to Magoffin County Historical Society, PO Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 or email [email protected].