We got a very interesting and welcome letter recently from William "Bill" Culbertson from right here in Magoffin County with a response to one of our Historical Comments columns.

Mr. Culbertson writes: "In the June 2, 2016 issue of the Salyersville Independent it was stated that George Dingus (1811-1875) of Virginia and Margaret Addington (1814-1877) were the ancestors of the local Dingus families.

"They are also ancestors of other local families. They had a daughter Nancy Dingus (1837-1890) who married William Elam (1826-1888). Nancy and William had a daughter Margaret Elam (1862-1906) who married William Benton Culbertson (1869-1938).

"The Culbertson’s moved from Virginia to Lacy Creek in Magoffin Co. KY about 1890 and on to Lacy Creek in Wolfe County a few years later. William Benton Culbertson and Margaret Elam had children and other descendants that lived or are living in Magoffin County.

"James M. Culbertson (1893-1978) and George M. Culbertson (1890-1969) were sons of William B. and Margaret Culbertson. Bill Culbertson (myself), Elizabeth Shriver and Lorraine Holbrook are their grandchildren. Bob Felber, Dan Wade, Howard Culbertson, Terry Lykins, Linda Connelley and the late Jerry Rice are their great grandchildren.

"William B. Culbertson is buried in Wolfe County near Hazel Green. Margaret was buried at Pomeryton in Menifee County.

"So, George Dingus of Virginia was the great-great-great grandfather of Bob Felber, Dan Wade, Melinda Porter, Terry Lykins, Howard Culbertson, Linda Connelley and the late Jerry Rice."

It seems the visit of Cora Lou Montgomery Sherburne and her husband of Pennsylvania in late May opened up new avenues of research for our Magoffin County ancestors. This led us to delve into the Culbertson family history with the help of Bill Culbertson’s information.

We first found William B. Culbertson in Kentucky in the 1900 Menifee Co. KY census. William B. was born 2 Apr 1869 in Scott Co. VA. He had married Margaret Elam on 16 Aug 1888 in Scott County, Virginia. She was born in 1862 Scott Co. VA to the above named William Elam and Nancy Dingus. William Elam was born in 1826 Russell Co. VA and died there in 1888, a son of Nimrod Elam and Mary "Polly" Easterling.

The 1900 Menifee County record shows that Wm. B. Culbertson’s family evidently came to Kentucky before December of 1893 as that is when their son, their 4^th child, James Monroe Culbertson was born. His birthplace is listed as Kentucky whereas the older children were all born in Virginia (1) Joseph C. Culbertson b. 1889, (2) George Culbertson b. 1890 (he was a veteran of World War One, married Daisy Cox and lived on Burning Fork), (3) Nancy L. Culbertson b. 1892.

Two children younger than James are also listed: (5) Garrett Hopkins Culbertson b. 1896 and (6) Arthur B. Culbertson b. 1898.

By 1910 the family lived on the main creek of Stillwater in Wolfe Co. KY. By this time William B.’s first wife Margaret Elam had died, we found a death date of 27 Mar 1904 Menifee Co. KY for her.

In 1910 William B. had four of his children in his household: James age 16, Garrett Hopkins age 13, Arthur age 12 and a seventh child who had been born to the family in 1901, Mary E. Culbertson.

William B. Culbertson married, as his 2^nd wife, to Mary Parthena Nickell b. 1872 and died in 1964. Mary was first married to Clint Taylor.

The 1920 Wolfe County census enumerates this family as living on Lacy Creek Road, Hazel Green, KY. Will Culbertson was age 50, wife Mary was age 47. William’s children George Culbertson, James Culbertson and Arthur Culbertson are in the household along with Mary’s children from her first marriage: Belle Taylor age 22, Willie Taylor age 20 and Dusie Taylor age 17. William and Mary had a three-year old daughter, Mabel Culbertson, together.

The family shows in the 1930 Lee City, Wolfe Co. KY census. William B. Culbertson and wife Mary, along with 32 year old son Arthur Culbertson, their 13 year old daughter Mabel and Mary’s daughter Barsha Taylor age 28 (this may be the child "Dusie" or "Ousie" from the 1920 census).

William Benton Culbertson died 22 October 1938 and was buried in the Clint Taylor Cemetery in Wolfe County. He has a single gravemarker. Mary Nickell Taylor Culbertson and her first husband have a double marker.

We thank Bill Culbertson for helping us with info on this family. We ask that anyone who might be able to add more information to contact the Magoffin County Historical Society at PO Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 (email: [email protected]) We would especially like to learn more about the Culbertson’s in Virginia and the travels made by William B. and Margaret Culbertson to Kentucky in the early 1890s.