© by Holly Timm
[originally published from December 1986 to January 1990
in the Harlan Daily Enterprise Penny Pincher]
It will take some time to get over two hundred columns converted, uploaded and listed here. As they are ready, a short description of the subject matter and surnames will be added to the list below. A few will have editorial notes regarding added information or corrections. As always, correspondence is welcome regarding the material presented.The material is unchanged except for the paragraphing (newspaper columns make for awfully short paragraphs) and minor typographical corrections. A few of the HEADLINES have been subtitled as they were unclear or downright misleading.
Search This Site
- WITCHES INFESTED HARLAN COUNTY IN 1850'S
Wood Lyttle's tales of witches in Harlan from his interview with Rev. James Jay Dickey.
Surnames: LYTTLE, CLAY, TURNER, STURGEON, BAILEY, SLAVES: Dinah and George
- COUNTY LATE ATTRACTING SETTLERS
Pre-settlement appearances in the Kentucky mountains.
Surnames: COLVIN, SALYERS, BOWLING, FLANNERY, SHORT, COX, FRASER, DANIEL, ALSOP, DORTON, and HOWARD
- HARLAN COUNTY HAD FEW SLAVES
Slave ownership in Harlan County, mostly household slaves with few owning many slaves.
Surnames: BALL, BAILEY, BLAIR, CRAIG, CAWOOD, GREEN, TURNER, BRITTAIN, HOWARD, WHITE, RICHARDSON, BINGHAM, TAYLOR, SALYER, SLAVES: Dolly, Caty, Lucy and Peter
- HARLAN COUNTIANS FAVORED NORTH
General background on Civil War partcipation.
Surnames: FARMER
- JAMES HUFF WAS EARLY HARLAN COUNTY DOCTOR
Pre-settlement excursion into Harlan area chasing indians which included James Huff and other early surnames in the area.
Surnames: HUFF, LIVINGSTON, CALLAHAN, HOBBS, VANBEVER, ELY, YOCUM, DOTSON, JONES, BENGE
- BROCKS, TURNERS, HOWARD WERE EARLY HARLAN PIONEER FAMILIES
Actually contains more about other families that were in Harlan early along with the well-known Brocks, Turners and Howards with particular detail on the Noe family.
Surnames: BLANTON, HOWARD, BROCK, BRITTAIN. ASHER, DANIELS, COX, SPURLOCK, BREWER, LEE, THOMAS, NOE, FARMER, HARRIS, HALL, JONES
- BENJAMIN BLANKENSHIP COMMANDED HARLAN BATTALION
Civil War activities of Ben Blankenship and the units he commanded.
Surnames: BLANKENSHIP, BLAIR, CLARKSTON, CORNETT, CREECH, DIXON, FRANKLIN, HALCOM, INGRAM, MORGAN, SERGENT, GILLIAM, SMITH, OSBORN, JONES, EVERSOLE, CARDWELL, MUNCY, LEWIS
- MANY HARLAN COUNTY FAMILIES LACKED SONS TO CARRY NAMES
Discussion of the Eager family which consisted mostly of daughters.
Surnames: EAGER, CLARK, JONES, KING, LYTTLE, WOODARD, WILSON, RICE, DURHAM, FARMER, SKIDMORE, POPE
- SPELLING MAY CHANGE, DEPENDING ON WRITER
Discussion of variations in spellings of surnames and christian names
Surnames: SAYLOR, SALYER, OSBORN, HELTON, MELTON, LEE, FEE, STEP, ESTEP
- HARLAN COUNTY HAD ITS SHARE OF COLORFUL CHARACTERS
Assorted outlaws and other characters from harlan's past.
Surnames: FEE, CLEM, HALL, CLAY, IRVIN, FARMER, TURNER, LYTLE, MIDDLETON, FIELDS, PACE, FORRESTER, OSBORN
- WHERE DID HARLAN'S SETTLERS COME FROM
General description of the origins of Harlan's settlers
Surnames: BURKHART, BRANSON, FEE
- THE GENERAL STORE WAS SHOPPING MALL OF EARLY HARLAN
Tidbits from a charge account book from Unthank & Adams, a mid 1800's general store in Harlan County.
Surnames: TURNER, UNTHANK, HOWARD, EAGER, JONES, METCALF, BRANSON, SMITH, ELY, JOHNSON, BAILEY, HENSLEY, LYTTLE, CLEM, CALDWELL, NAPIER, SLUSHER
- INSIGHT IS GIVEN INTO THE LIFE OF A CIVIL WAR SOLDIER
Incidents involving Clabe Jones and the Harlan County Battalion in the early months of the Civil War.
Surnames: JONES, MORGAN, CAUDILL, POWELL, JONES, HALL, FRASIER, BANKS
- JOHN SHELL'S AGE MAY HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY OVERSTATED
A discussion about the why and why not of John Shell's age with some information on his family.
Surnames: SHELL, FRY, DIXON, IRVIN, CAWOOD, OSBORN, NANCE, HUFF, HOSKINS, FRENCH, CHAPPELL, FARLEY, DUFF
- CHILDREN WERE OFTEN "BOUND OUT"
A description of the practice of binding out or apprenticing young children with specific examples from Harlan County records.
Surnames: JONES, LANSDOWN, MARK, HARRIS, OSBORNE, GRILLS, EARNEST, BROWNING, NOE, RUSSELL, BLEVINS, HENSLEY
- EDUCATION HARD TO COME BY IN EARLY HARLAN COUNTY
Early education in the Kentucky mountains.
Surnames: FEE, BRITTAIN, PARSONS, COLDIRON
- MANY NATIVE SONS WERE IN THE 4TH KENTUCKY INFANTRY
A brief account of the activities of the Union unit, the 4th Kentucky, in which men from Southeastern Kentucky served.
Surnames: HOWARD, DAY, ESTEPP, HOGG, WOLLUM, KELLY, BAKER, MADDEN
- REGIONAL MIGRATION CAME FOR VARIETY OF REASONS
Discussion of why and where Harlan area families moved onwards
Surnames: GREEN, FEE, NOE, HELTON, SEWALL, SHUMATE, TURNER, HENDRICKSON, BALL
- EARLY MARRIAGE RECORDS SCARCE
Locating early marriage records and why many can not be found.
- INTERMARRIAGE NOT UNCOMMON IN EARLY APPALACHIAN FAMILIES
Examples of several large Harlan families that intermarried.
Surnames: FARMER, LEDFORD, SKIDMORE, NOE, ASHER, OSBORNE, TURNER, BAILEY, MIDDLETON, WYNN, SAYLOR, BLANTON, HELTON, BROCK, STEPP, HOSKINS
- ONE EARLY OBLIGATION WAS WORKING ON COUNTY'S ROADS
Community responsibilites and maintaining the roads.
Surnames: CREECH, FIELD, BALL, WOOLUM, HENDRICKSON, MILLER, SAYLOR, MARK, BENGEY, GREEN, BARNETT, JACKSON, FEE, LEWIS, HOGAN, DORTON
- EACH MEMBER OF A PIONEER FAMILY WORKED TO SURVIVE
Day to day tasks, particularly those of the children.
Surnames: PARSONS
- INDIAN BLOOD RUNS IN MANY HARLAN COUNTY FAMILIES
Traditional and documented Native American bllod in Harlan area families
Surnames: SKIDMORE, FARMER, CALLAHAN, KING, JONES, SIZEMORE, COLE, BOWMAN, ELDRIDGE, BRITTAIN, ELY, BARBOUR, FUGATE, MOORE
- HENRY SHACKLEFORD FOUGHT IN REVOLUTION
The family of Henry Shackleford
Surnames: SHACKLEFORD, SHIELDS, LEE, CRUMP, MIRACLE, SPURLOCK, HOSKINS
- TRADITIONAL TALES USUALLY CONTAIN A GRAIN OF TRUTH
A traditional tale about the massacre of a Noe family.
Surnames: NOE, IRVIN, FORRESTER
- TURNER CONSIDERED $45 A FAIR PRICE FOR CHICAGO VISIT
George Turner writes in 1893 to James M. Nolan who is visiting the Chicago World's Fair with fellow Harlan Countians Henry L. Howard and John S. Bailey about local gossip and with comments on the trip.
Surnames: NOLAN, TURNER, HOWARD, BAILEY, SKIDMORE, HURST, HEENAN, HARRIS, JONES, NOE, SHACKLEFORD, BALL
- WIDE VARIETY OF FOODS WEREN'T AVAILABLE TO EARLY SETTLERS
The food and beverages of 19th century Harlan
- MOST EARLY SETTLERS IN THIS AREA WERE EX-SOLDIERS
Actually primarily a discussion of the Revolutionary war pension applications of James and Thomas Howard
Surnames: HOWARD
- PERMANENT SHELTER WAS OFTEN SECONDARY TO PIONEERS
There are no surnames mentioned in this description of settlers first arriving in the area.
- LATE-ARRIVING SETTLERS USUALLY WERE MET BY RELATIVES
The Lankford family from Claiborne County, Tennessee
Surnames: LANKFORD, POSEY, CHADWELL, BRITTAIN, CLOUD, IRVIN, STURDIVANT, JONES, HOWARD, SKIDMORE, OSBORN
- DRAPER AND DICKEY COLLECTIONS ADD TO HISTORY OF STATE
A brief overview of the Draper and Dickey material.
- TAKING THE FIRST STEPS IN GENEALOGY
A very basic getting started on your family tree
- FAMILY SPLITS ARE SOMETIMES EASILY EXPLAINED
Why do families split up?
Surnames: MIDDLETON, TURNER, EVERSOLE, CAMPBELL, CLAY, CORNETT, DIXON, BAILEY, YOUNG
- MARITAL SPLITS ARE NOTHING NEW
Divorce in 19th century Harlan County.
Surnames: HOWARD, BROCK, JENNINGS, SAYLOR, SARGENT, CORNETT, ELY, HELTON, HENSLEY, FOSTER [FORRESTER?], MANNING, CREECH, ANGLIN, NOE, FARMER, GRAY, PACE, HALL, SKIDMORE
- RECORDS OF FAMILIES BECAME DIVIDED AS COUNTIES FORMED
The family of Edward and Hester "Hetty" Brock Gross.
Surnames: GROSS, BROCK, MOSLEY, HOSKINS, BURKHART, CLEM, LONG, WALDRUP, RICE, HOWARD, GREEN, COLDIRON, JOHNSON, SIMPSON, SAYLOR, SMITH, BAILEY, LANKFORD, NOE, HALL
- DEED BOOKS RECORDED MORE THAN PROPERTY TRANSFERS
Discussing finding genealogical nuggets in land records
Surnames: FEE, BRITTAIN, CHADWELL, POSEY, BURKHART, FARMER, LEWIS, BASHAM, ELY, SEWALL
- ONE-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS OFTEN COMBINED HOUSEHOLDS
The family of Richmond and Dorcas Pace and of James and Margaret Lyttle and of James and Dorcas
Surnames: LYTLE, PACE, KING, TAYLOR, FARMER, LEDFORD, BRANSON, MURRAY, HALL, ANDERSON, JONES, FIELDS, HENSLEY, WYNN, OSBORN, HOUSTON
- GENEALOGY SOMETIMES REVEALS SKELETONS IN CLOSETS
References in Harlan Court Minutes to the trial of Hezekiah Clem
Surnames: CLEM, HALL, FARLEY, HUFF, CLARK, BROWNING, FARMER, IRVIN, LEWIS, SMITH, BALL, JENNINGS, UNTHANK, NOLEN, DANIELS, HENSLEY, FOUCH, JONES, MILLS, OSBORNE, CRIDER, TURNER, JONES, KELLY, HOWARD, GREEN
- TAX ROLLS PROVIDE WEALTH OF EARLY INFORMATION
Tax Lists as a source of genealogical information and background.
Surnames: CAWOOD, SHACKLEFORD, KELLY, MORGAN, McGEORGE, UNTHANK, BALLENGER, CREECH, TURNER, HOWARD, OSBORNE, EVERSOLE, HUFF, BAILEY, PARSONS
- APPLICATIONS FOR WAR PENSIONS IS SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Overview of pensions and the information to be found there
Surnames: NOE, HALL, CAWOOD, OSBORN
- MOST OF THIS AREA'S HELTONS SHARE A COMMON ANCESTOR
Family of John Helton and of his son Shadrach and wife Mary Brock
Surnames: HETLON, BROCK, SAYLOR, HOSKINS, JACKSON, GREEN, COLDIRON, SIMPSON, HOWARD, NAPIER, BROWN, TAYLOR, LANKFORD, FARLEY, NOE, CREECH, SHACKLEFORD, LEE, LAWSON, ASHER, OSBORNE, GROSS, McQUEEN, JOHNSON, ROBINSON, HOLT, DEES, STEP, WILDER
- MENTION OF HELTON DRAWS INQUIRY
More on James Helton, son of Shadrach and Mary Brock Helton
Surnames: BROCK, HELTON, BRUMMIT, OSBORNE, STEPP, SCOTT, HENSLEY, OSBORNE, SIMPSON, NOE, SLUSHER, DAVIS, BLANTON, SHEPHERD
- MOUNTAINS WERE LAST AREA OF STATE SETTLED
An overview of the formation and changes in Harlan's boundaries
- MORE THAN ONE FAMILY NAMED HALL SETTLED IN THIS AREA
A discussion of the possible relationships between early Hall families in the area with particular detail about the Alfred and Roxanna Hall family of Letcher County.
Surnames: HALL, LEWIS, EARLY, BRANSON, PAULEY/POLLY, FRANKLIN, CORNETT, DAY, HALCOMB
- PERSONAL CONNECTIONS ADD SPARK TO HISTORICAL EVENTS
The Civil War experiences of Ira D. Hall, son of Alfred and Roxanna Hall, includes the transcript of a letter written by Ira while stationed probably at Cumberland Gap.
Surnames: HALL, CORNETT, SERGENT, LEWIS, HOWARD
- OUR HISTORY SHOULD BE FOUND AND PRESERVED
General information about the early county and preservation of history.
Surnames: BRITTAIN, HOWARD
- A LOOK AT THE EARLY PROMINENT FAMILIES OF THE AREA
Three of the most prominent and powerful families in the Harlan County - Lee County, Va., area were the Brittains, Cawoods and Hamblens.
Surnames: BRITTAIN, CAWOOD, HAMBLEN, TURNER, GRAHAM, RUSSELL, BOWLES, POSEY
- EARLY HARLAN COUNTY DIVORCE PETITION CONTAINS UNUSUAL LETTER
Most of this column is taken up with a transcript of a fascinating letter written by Thomas M Harris to explain or excuse his abandonment of his wife and children.
Surnames: HALL, CORNETT, SERGENT, LEWIS, HOWARD
- LATE GOVERNOR PARDONED SOLDIERS INDICTED FOR WAR RELATED ACTIVITY
Joseph Well's petition for pardon for Civil War activities.
Surnames: WELLS, STURGILL, GILLEY, MORGAN, BAILEY, CAUSEY, MIDDLETON, LANKFORD, BAILEY, HOWARD, UNTHANK, BOWMAN
- DETAILS OF INCIDENT LEADING TO HANGING RECALLED
The hanging referred to is that of Hezekiah Clem in 1860 for the killing of Benjamin Irvin in 1859. The information in this column is from the court case primarily.
Surnames: CLEM, IRVIN, MIDDLETON, HOWARD, MILLS, JENNINGS, UNTHANK, DANIELS, FARMER
- MARRIAGE, OFFSPRINGS OF GEORGE AND ELIZABETH CRIDER RECALLED
The children of George Crider and his three wives, Elizabeth, Susannah and Martha.
Surnames: CRIDER, KELLY, BAILEY, BALL, SERGENT, FARLEY, BOGGS, KIRK, SMITH, POPE, FEE, HENSLEY, ROBBINS, LUNDY, HARRIS, SHUMATE, CREECH, LEE, HUFF, DAY, BURGIN, WYNN, IRVIN, NAPIER, BRANSON, FARMER, TURNER, FARMER, CORNETT, MARK, LYTTLE, SHOPE
- A LOOK AT 1896 BUSINESS, PROFESSIONAL LISTINGS IN HARLAN COUNTY
In 1896, a statewide listing of businesses and professionals was published covering the year 1895-1896. At that time Harlan County and its county seat, then known as Mount Pleasant, was an isolated area but the length of its listing was surprising. The list itself mentioned only the name and occupation of various individuals some of whom are listed here with some additional information. Notice that many of them were related to each other in some way.
Surnames: BAILEY, JONES, LEDFORD, BROWNING, NOE, HOWARD, LEWIS, COLDIRON, BALL, EVERSOLE, FARMER, FEE, FORRESTER, FRENCH, FARLEY, CLEM, KELLY, RICE, HURST, HEDRICK, SMITH, TURNER, WARD
- COUPLES INDICTED IN 1836 FOR ADULTERY
Discussion of several indictments for adultery in the 1830's.
Surnames: SALYER, BISHOP, ROSE, STEELEY, ARNETT, BRITTAIN, MARSEE, LANKFORD, HALL, BROCK, SIMPSON, FARLEY, NOE, THOMAS, OSBORNE, STEPP, TURNER, DEAN
- WILLIAM TURNER: A LOOK AT HIS LIFETIME AND FAMILY
Life of William Turner, son of William and Susannah Bailey Turner.
Surnames: TURNER, BAILEY, CLAY, SEWALL, SHUMATE, CAWOOD, MIDDLETON, WYNN, JENNINGS, BRITTAIN, POSEY
- FOUR FIRST COUSINS WERE AMONG THOSE LISTED IN 1896 PUBLICATION
Among the professional and business men listed for Harlan County in 1896 Gazette mentioned a couple of columns ago (#52) were four first cousins and the husband of yet another cousin, grandchildren of Adron and Hannah Lewis Howard.
Surnames: LEWIS, HOWARD, PACE, SMITH, CREECH, NOE, SERGENT, KELLY, HUFF, COLDIRON, BINGHAM, CALDWELL, BLANTON, MORRIS
- MORE ON THE FAMILY OF ADRON AND HANNAH HOWARD
Further discussion of the children of Adron and Hannah.
Surnames: HOWARD, LEWIS, PACE, NANTZ, BISHOP, ALLEN, SMITH, BALL,COLDIRON, BROCK, KEETS, MORRIS, MYERS, WILLIAMS, ROARK, JENKINS, ESTRUDGE, FEE, MORGAN, YATES, BLAIR, CREECH, SERGENT, KELLY, HUFF, NOE, NOLAN, MIDDLETON
- INFORMATION SOUGHT ON 1880 MURDER
A look at information available on the murder of William F. Gilbert on 30 July 1880.
Surnames: GILBERT, FARLEY, TURNER, CLAY, SETSER, LANKFORD, NOE, LYTTLE, POSEY, BRITTAIN
- WAS ROGER OR SAMUEL THE FATHER OF WILLIAM CORNETT?
Discussion of the contradictory information as to the parentage of William Cornett.
Surnames: CORNETT, BENGE, LEWIS, CALLAHAN, DAVIDSON, SMITH, MORGAN, ELY, JWNNINGS, WYNN, RICE, HURST, KELLY, SETSER, BLAIR
- JOHN W. GILBERT CAME TO COUNTY FROM VIRGINIA AS A YOUNG MAN
The family of John W. and Hannah (Farley) Gilbert of Harlan County.
Surnames: GILBERT, FARLEY, TURNER, CLAY, SETSER, WYNN, BALL, CORNETT, CREECH, SMITH, LEWIS, NAPIER, STEWART
- COUNTY HAD REBEL SYMPATHIZERS DURING CIVIL WAR
Rebel Harlan Countians file for pardons for wartime activities
Surnames: MIDDLETON, TURNER, BLEVINS, FIELDS- TRACING THE FARLEYS' STEPS FROM VIRGINIA TO HARLAN COUNTY
The early Farley families of Harlan County, Kentucky
Surnames: FARLEY, THOMPSON, SERGENT, WALTON, STANTON, CLAY, HOWARD, KELLY, SMITH, LEDFORD, MARKS, CRIDER, NOE
- INQUIRY LEADS TO MORE DISCUSSION OF FARLEY ROOTS
More on the early Farley families of Harlan County, Kentucky, inclduing the family of George T. Farley
Surnames: FARLEY, THOMPSON, HOWARD, BANKS, MADDEN, JOHNSON, CLEM, FRENCH, LANSDOWN, HENSLEY, LANKFORD, LYTTLE, CARMICAL, HARRIS, JONES, HELTON, BALL, CORNETT, BRANSON
- WYNN FAMILY - EARLY YOCUM CREEK SETTLERS
The Acles and Lucy Turner Wynn family of Harlan County.
Surnames: WYNN, TURNER, MUNCY, BAILEY, DAUGHERTY, MIDDLETON, JONES, BLEVINS, STEWART, HENSLEY, MADDEN, CLOUD, SHOEMAKER, PACE, ELDRIDGE, SETSER, CLAY, HALL, GILBERT, SERGENT, GOODMAN, SHORT, KELLY, CREECH, ROBBINS, SMITH, LEDFORD
- TRACING THE IRVIN FAMILY ROOTS
The Benjamin and Elizabeth Irvin family; includes a Civil War incident.
Surnames: IRVIN, EAGER, CLARK, CLEM, LANKFORD, OSBORNE, FORRESTER, SKIDMORE, BALL, SCOTT, FARLEY, HEDRICK, RUSSELL, RICHARDSON, SMITH, FEE, HALL, NOE, FARMER, WILSON, SHELL, CREECH
- SORTING OUT DETAILS FROM PAST IS SOMETIMES TRICKY
BOGGS, CREECH, LEWIS, HALL, GILBERT, BROWNING, TURNER, HOWARD, HENSLEY, NOE, CLEM
- EARLY CENSUS RECORDS NOT VERY INFORMATIVE
This column says very little about the early census records but rather deals with taking of the census, describing how errors creep in... ride along with Tom Jones and see how mistakes happen!
- FREQUENT MOVEMENTS COMPLICATE RESEARCH
The Anderson & Mary Long Blanton Family
Surnames: BLANTON, LONG, OSBORNE, HELTON, LEWIS, NOE, HOWARD, HENSLEY, HARRIS, SAYLOR, BROCK, SLUSHER, NOLAN, COLDIRON, JENNINGS
- THE TURNERS OF GREASY CREEK
The William & David Turner families in what became Leslie County
Surnames: TURNER, MINIARD, SMITH, NANTZ/NANCE, HOSKINS, HOWARD, HENSLEY, COOTS, SHEPHERD, LEWIS
- THE TURNERS OF GREASY CREEK
More on the William & David Turner families in what became Leslie County
Surnames: TURNER, MINIARD, LEWIS, BEGLEY, BAILEY, WILLEFORD, WILSON, HOLCOMB, EARLY, JENKINS, FARMER, HARRIS, CLAY, THOMAS
- MINIARD CLAN SHARED COMMON ANCESTOR
Family of Israel and Mary Turner Miniard
Surnames: MINIARD, TURNER, CORNETT, MIDDLETON, ELLIS, MAGGARD, LEWIS, JOSEPH, BAILEY, NAPIER
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
Copyright Notice: All files on this site are copyrighted by their creator. They may be linked to but may not be reproduced on another site without specific permission from Holly Timm [ [email protected]]. Although public information is not in and of itself copyrightable, the format in which they are presented, the notes and comments, etc., are. It is however, quite permissable to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use ONLY. |
|