On page 421 of Calloway Co: A Pictorial History, there's a photo of draftees being shipped out of "Western KY Bus States Depot" on 29 Apr 1942.... Can anybody tell me anything about this depot? curiously frank

Looking for a McCuiston / Crabtree family connection (beyond single Crabtrees) in Calloway CO. John Calvin McCuiston b27jul1815Nc d6may1873CallowayCoKy mar13feb1844Ky Nancy Crabtree b22oct1827 d16jun1887CallowayCoKy J C McCuiston was named executor of the estate of John Crabtree in the will he signed on 20 Oct 1852. (I wonder if this is not the same as John Calvin McCuiston) John Crabtree's wife was Susan UNKcrabtree 3ch: James, who was a minor in 1852 and two daus: Manervy (sic) & Martha Ann one of the testators to John Crabtree's will was J F Crabtree another possible connection. Mary Ann Crabtree b3feb1837 mar William A McCuiston b3feb1836Ky Any Crabtree folk in the audience? frank

I do feel ignorant, but hiding that fact won't enlighten me; therefore, I ask what the term "Proven in open court by subscribing witnesses, and duly recorded".... means when it's included with wills ... I do not what "duly recorded" means... but wonder what "proven" means and whether the use of "proven" gives "duly recorded" another meaning when they're both used jointly..... so, my genealogically obsessive/compulsive friends, who will be the first on the block to strike one more blow for my knowledge? and, by the way, thank you all for your many favors over the years frank

My friends - Today we are reviewing another biography from the multi-volume "History of Kentucky" collection, published in 1922 by the American Historical Society. Our subject today is Dr. Charles Otis Gingles of Calloway County. As is customary, there will be no data posts per se tomorrow or on the weekend, although, if time permits, I will drop by with another "miscellaneous file". Just as an aside, the South Pleasant Grove file offering received just over 300 requests, making it one of the most popular of those that have been offered. -B ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Calloway County - AHS "History of Kentucky" - Dr. Charles Otis Gingles "CHARLES OTIS GINGLES, M. D., is one of the eminent physicians and surgeons of Calloway County, whose practice in and about Murray has extended over some years, during which time he has acquired what is infinitely of more importance than the mere accumulation of money, the confidence and affection of all with whom he has been brought into contact. He was born in this county, June 1, 1874, a son of John T. Gingles, and a grandson of James A. Gingles, who was born in Scotland in 1809. He came to the United States and first lived in Marshall County, Tennessee, but soon moved to Calloway County, where he died in 1884, having spent his life as a farmer. He married Sallie M. Graves, who was born in North Carolina. She also died in Calloway County. John T. Gingles was born in Marshall County, Tennessee, in 1843, and he is now residing at Kirksey, Kentucky. From 1853, which marks the date of the family removal to Calloway County, John T. Gingles lived in that county, and he was graduated from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, in 1872 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, and was engaged in the practice of his profession until his retirement in 1892. He is a stanch democrat. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church holds his membership and receives his generous support. During the war between the North and the South he enlisted in the Confederate Army and fought until its close, serving under Generals Van Dorn and Price, and participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Franklin and others of importance. He married Martha Alice Watkins, who was born in Calloway County in 1853, and their children were as follows: Dr. Charles O., who was the eldest; Onie, who married Tom Morris, a trader and capitalist, who resides at Murray; Maude, who married W. P. Dulaney, president of the Kirksey Bank, a druggist and merchant, resides at Kirksey; W. H., who is an attorney and lives at Clarendon, Arkansas; Guy L., who is in the railroad mail service, lives at Franklin, Kentucky; Hunter W., who is a physician and surgeon, lives at Jackson, Kentucky; Hugh, who is a farmer, lives at Kirksey, Kentucky; Fred, who is also a farmer residing at Kirksey; and Mabel, who married J[ames] V[ictor]Stark, a physician and surgeon of Kirksey. Doctor Gingles attended first the rural schools of Calloway County and later the Murray Male and Female Institute. Subsequently he matriculated in the medical department of the University of Louisville, Kentucky, from which he was graduated in 1897 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Since then he has taken post-graduate courses in the Chicago Polyclinic in 1900, 1907 and 1914, and in 1910 took a four-months course at his alma mater. In 1897 Doctor Gingles began the practice of his profession at Kirksey, but came to Murray in 1910, where he has since carried on a general medical and surgical practice. His offices are located in the Farmers and Merchants Bank Building on Court Square. Doctor Gingles is a democrat and has served in the City Council of Murray, on the Board of Trustees of the grade and high schools of the city, and is Government examiner for war risk insurance. He belongs to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. A Mason, he is a member of Murray Lodge No. 105, A. F. and A. M., of which he is a past master, having been worshipful master of his lodge for two years. He also belongs to Murray Chapter No. 92, R. A. M. Professionally he is a member of the Calloway Medical Society, the Kentucky State Medical Society, the American Medical Association and the Southwest Kentucky Medical Association. For seven years he served as president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank, which he helped to organize. This bank was recently merged with the First National Bank 0f Murray. Doctor Gingles owns a residence just west of the corporate limits of Murray, where he has a comfortable home with ample grounds of six acres. He also owns three dwellings in Murray and a farm east of the city. During the late war he took a keen interest in all of the local activities and helped in all of the drives. contributing generously of his time and money. In 1901 Doctor Gingles married at Farmington, Graves County. Kentucky, Miss Jessie Hudspeth, a daughter of T. F. and Catherine Hudspeth, residents of Farmington. Mr. Hudspeth has extensive farming interests in that vicinity. Doctor and Mrs. Gingles have four children, namely: Vivian, who was born July 27, 1902; Nell, who was born February 14, 1904; Hal, who was born November 22, 1906; and Harold, who was born June 21, 1910. A man 0f unusual abilities, Doctor Gingles has always possessed a clear and comprehensive knowledge of his profession and has combined with his skill and experience an intense humanitarianism which leads him to many times give his services without any prospect of remuneration. The breadth of his sympathies and his firm grasp of the large essentials of human progress have enabled him to render dependable aid in the economic and intellectual development of his locality, and he has long been placed in the foremost ranks among the worth-while citizens of Southwestern Kentucky." -History of Kentucky Charles Kerr, Editor Chicago: American Historical Society, 1922 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pottertown KY... is it underwater? was/is it located near New Concord? Is there a map extant showing Knight, Pottertown, New Concord and that area of Calloway Co.... I seem to be running across it frequently frank

Try this again. ----- Original Message ----- From: BARBARA MILLER To: KY-CALLOW@rootsweb.com Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 6:27 PM Subject: Miller Families of Calloway Co. KY Looking for info on the different Miller lines from Calloway Co. KY. I have several different lines saved on my PAF files: Isaac, Jacob, Frederick, Joseph, and my line John Miller from SC. I believe someone told me a couple of years ago that there was a book at the Pogue Library at Murray St. University that documented different Miller families that settled in Calloway Co. KY. Does anyone know about that book and also about a pictorial history of Calloway Co. KY? Thanks, Kevin Miller

Researching Wood and Nichols surnames. My great-great grandparents were Thomas Wood and Francis (or Frances) Nichols. He was born in KY, perhaps Callaway Co, since he and Francis were married in Callaway Co, KY July 17, 1838. 3 of their 9 children were born in KY, maybe Callaway Co: Nancy J. 1843, William C. 1845, and Hugh W. 1847. LuAna Drake Craig

My friends - I am dropping by today to let the JP and Calloway list subscribers know that I have converted another item from the several hundred that I have stored on the old 5 inch floppies (which I call my "miscellaneous files"), and it is now ready for distribution. This one was particularly time consuming to convert. I had attempted it last week, but did not succeed. After about 6 hours of work on it yesterday and today, it finally began to cooperate. This file contains the known burials, up to the middle 1960's, in the South Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Calloway County. I've received a lot of requests for this particular cemetery, and I am glad to be able to now have it ready to offer. South Pleasant Grove is a large cemetery, with nearly 1000 burials contained within it. The earliest birth year that I found was in the 1760's, which is among the earliest legible birth dates that I have seen on a grave marker in Calloway County. Surnames seen in this cemetery include Wrather, Windsor, Wilson, Waldrop, West, White Wicker, Wilkerson, Brown, Buchannen, Camp, Clark, Charlton, Carter, Carraway, Arnold, Baker, Bazzell, Bridges, Brandon, Bonn, Bradley, Bogard, Wade, Vaughn, Smotherman, Spann, Underwood, Treas, Todd, Taylor, Swann, Story, Stone, Stephens, Spencer, Roy, Sanders, Shoults, Show, Shrader, Paschall(many), Phillips(many), Pigue, Robertson, Provine, Plummer, Neale, Nesbit, Parks, Page, Oswald, Orr, Moore(many), Morton, Most, Myers(many), Milstead, Miles, Miller(many), Mills, Kell(e)y, Jones, James, Jackson, Hill, Humphries/Humphreys, Hughes, Hooper, Holly, Hirst, Lannom, Lawrence, Lewis, Madrey, Melton, McPherson(many), McLeod, McClure, McClain, Kelso, Langston, Lamb, Key, Kendall, Herndon, Henley, Hawks, Harris, Hart, Harden, Hamlett, Hale, Gunter, Gupton, Guston, Gream, Erwin(many), Flood, Ford, Foutch, Freeman, Frizzell, Gargus, Glover, Gooch, Adams, Arnett, Armstrong, Alderson, Allison, Anderson, Ellis, Dunn, Douglas, Cunningham, Curd, Deering, Cullom, Craig, Craven, Cooper, Cochrum/Cochran and Clark. Subscribers to the JP and Calloway lists can obtain a copy of this file by sending a request directly to me. Please ask for the "South Pleasant Grove File". The file is available in both Plain Text and Adobe Acrobat PDF formats. The file will be sent as a plain text attachment to an e-mail message, unless PDF is specified. If attachments are not workable, the file can be sent in the body of an e-mail message, although there is the possibility that this form of transmission will badly skew the columnar alignments. If this approach is required, please specify that the file should be sent as a "straight e-mail message". The complete file will be sent. Time constraints prevent me from going into the file and extracting data on individual surnames. -B ====================================================================

My friends - Inasmuch as I am going to be away from the computer for most of the rest of the day, I am going to postpone the Graves County data post that I had planned to do today, and, in its place, bring another selection from Gordon Wilson's little work, "Fidelity Folks", which is a memoir of life in what we now know as New Concord in Calloway County. These selections are always popular, as Professor Wilson had a very engaging writing style, and, through that style, he transports us back for the few minutes that we are reading his words into everyday life in Fidelity. This selection is entitled "Out Into the Dark". Tomorrow, we will look at another item in the Jackson Purchase Vignettes series. -B ===================================================================== "Fidelity Folks" Gordon Wilson OUT INTO THE NIGHT At almost any time of the year we "stepped out" by going somewhere at night. In summer the amount of energy needed to keep the crops going limited our running around to Saturday nights or Sundays, but at other times of the year we never seemed too busy to get away. I am not referring to courting, which had all seasons for its own, but to visits in which all could participate. After the heat of summer was over, we were eager to get out. Probably the first real event that we attended was sorghum making. The mill ran all day, of course, but it was more romantic to go with a merry gang after nightfall and watch the evaporator working. Usually the grinding of the cane ceased at sunset, with several barrels of juice saved up for the night shift. The patient men stayed over the evaporator day and night, taking turns out for sleep. Molasses is something that has to be watched all the time, especially when it is almost done. Greenhorns were always being made the butt of crude tricks around a sorghum mill. The skim hole was slippery around the edges and offered a perpetual trap for the unsuspecting. And there was always a chance to taste the new syrup as it was poured out into the barrels or jugs or buckets. No one ever thought of taking a spoon from home to eat the new molasses; the standard spoon was crudely whittled from a joint of sorghum. Most of us liked the sticky foam better than the clear syrup and also felt that by eating this we were not really doing any damage to the output of real molasses. Good humor, watching the artistic syrup maker at his work, and the frolic of going with a good-humored gang repaid us for the tramp in the night. When the nights got shivery, we went hunting for 'possums and 'coons. Usually this did not involve a far trek, for the woods were all around us, with small timber on the ridges and immense trees in the creek bottoms. Nearly every kind of dog could tree these animals; we had no trained dogs that I can remember. After the varmint was treed, some daring boy would volunteer to climb up and shake it out. Sometimes the boy got out on a limb and had to be rescued by some more agile climber. Wastefully we often cut down the tree to get the animal, and then there would be a great fight with the dogs. Some of our best jokes concerned boys who fell out with the animals and were badly torn up by the dogs. In the winter after Christmas there were often parties on Saturday nights, a continuation of the Christmas festivities. It was never too cold or too snowy to go on horseback, even beyond the state line, to a winter party. Sometimes we were allowed to take our girls, but most of our trips to far-away places were with boys only. We had to depend on the girls who lived close to the parties for partners in games. The adventure of riding so far on bad nights was our chief reward. The Christmas parties were really a chain of house parties, with the girls staying all night and the boys returning home for the day's work between each two. By the end of the holidays we were sometimes worn out with loss of sleep and surfeited with rich food. Colds and general puniness would then attend us for the rest of the winter. The custom of serenading a newly married couple with a chirivari still prevailed at Fidelity, though we called it a "shiveree." The custom was so old that it had rules as constant as those of Town Ball or Prisoner's Base. We met in some centrally located place with all the noise-makers we could find: shotguns, rifles, hand bells, tin pans, cowhorns, tin horns, and anything else that we could devise. We organized into groups like military companies, so as not to kill each other. Then we crept stealthily to the house where the couple were staying and turned on our artillery, marching around the house in some agreed fashion. After the first burst of noise was over, we would try to get the bridegroom to come out; otherwise we went in and got him and gave him a good ride on a sharp rail. If the parents of the bride or bridegroom were kind-hearted, they passed us out some cider or cake or sometimes stronger stuff. In a very few instances some one got hurt, but nobody lamented the custom and wondered why fellows in a shiveree could not take care of themselves and stay out of danger from shotguns. The serenade was a more decorous thing and often took place during the Christmas holidays as a sort of tour of goad wishes. Nearly everybody had piles of cakes cooked up, anyway, and we knew it. We rarely came home hungry. Our songs were seldom carols, for we did not know any, but the most of our singing was from the church hymns, as it seemed a little too sacred an occasion to sing nonsense. At school late in the fall when I was about ten years old some of the children from across the creek told us that some Indians were camping by the spring on the second farm above us. We had never seen any Indians and had expected every one to be in war paint and wearing feathers. That night we got our neighbor man to go with us across the footlog and through the fields to the camp. We took the lantern and kept pretty close to it, for we did not want to get scalped ("skelped," we called it). I have suffered many disillusionments in my life but probably none that hurt any worse than the one of that night. I do not know to this day whether they were Indians or were merely white people who had not washed their faces in a month of Sundays. We hunkered around their campfire on the chilly fall night and asked some idiotic questions of the only grown man in the party. He answered in hillbilly English with no trace of foreign accent and probably told us what we wanted to hear. His wagon, standing a few feet away, smelled worse than our Negro cabins; the unwashed brats, some of them stark naked, crowded around the fire; and there were several dogs that had no sign of good manners. The Indian man told us he was a Cherokee. When we asked him to say something in his language to his wife, she answered in something that was not English, but the tone of it plainly said enough. There was no further questioning of either man or woman, in any of the known languages. We took our lantern and went disconsolately back across the fields, and the footlog, with one more dream shattered. Somehow the pictures of noble Red Men never seemed alluring after that. Better than all other types of collective going was the habit of sitting till bedtime. We could do just about everything that was customary at parties, with no formality. We could have play-party games, we could sing, we could have clog-dancing; and we could also have popcorn or roasted chestnuts or apples or cider. When we went to sit till bedtime, we were dressed in everyday clothes and could afford to be freer and more at ease than we were when we were dressed up, "fit to kill," for a party. All these goings in the night tied up our community into a social whole, about as nearly as anything that you could think of. Our politics and religion usually kept us apart; our big dinners were likely to be limited to our own social circle; but the gangs that tramped across the fields to sit till bedtime represented the best and the worst that our little community had to offer. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My friends - A number of our subscribers have asked where additional information could be found on the subject of the Black Patch Night Riders, and several folks have provided some references, as well. For further reading on the Night Riders and the goals and aims of the Planters' Protective Association in their efforts to assist tobacco farmers, here are some items to consult: "The Tobacco Night Riders of Kentucky & Tennessee", by James O. Nall (Louisville, 1939) "The Story of Calloway County, 1822-1976" by Kirby & Dorothy Jennings (Murray, KY: Murray Democrat Publishing Co., 1978) "On Bended Knee", by Bill Cunningham (Kuttawa, KY: McClanahan Publishing House, 1996) "The Kentucky Encyclopedia" (for a short description of Night Riders). (Louisville: University Press of Kentucky, 3rd edition, 1992) I should say, too, as one of our subscribers has reminded me, that there were very real economic issues which were severely affecting tobacco farmers in the early years of the 20th century and the Planters' Protective Association was an organization set up by these farmers to try to get relief, as their plight was becoming desperate. I will return later today with a data post. -B ====================================================================

My friends - I had indicated yesterday that we would move over to Graves County for our post today, but I have had enough inquiries concerning the Night Riders and their activities that I have decided to devote today's posting to a brief discussion of that unfortunate episode in the history of Calloway and Marshall counties in the JP region(and there were other counties who also suffered at the hands of these people, Trigg in particular, and there was some activity in Henry Co., TN, as well). The 1908-1909 time frame was the period of the greatest activity of these Night Riders(so called because they inflicted their damage in the darkness of the night). In those years, fear was rampant in the areas in which the Night Riders appeared. These Night Riders groups were a lawless by-product of the Planters' Protective Association, which was a group that grew to perhaps 15,000 dark-fired tobacco growers in the JP, TN and other parts of western KY. The original premise of the Association was that the major tobacco companies - particularly the American Tobacco Company - were in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. The Association felt that "price-fixing" was the result of this monopolistic conspiracy, and, as a result, this union of tobacco growers - the Planters' Protective Association - gradually gained favor among such farmers. There are many other facets - political, social and economical - involved in the rise of emotions prior to the start of the lawlessness - too much to be covered in this brief posting. By 1908, feelings had become so polarized on this issue that tobacco farmers were expected to be a member of the Association. If they did not join, or spoke out against the Association, they could expect a visit from the Night Riders at any time. They sometimes sent notes to the farmers in advance, warning them that they had better do as they were told, or their houses and barns were at risk. The first act of violence in Calloway County was reported to be the burning of the barn of Brandon Hurt in February of 1908. Sometimes, a large group of Night Riders would visit farmers and ask them, in a polite manner, to join the Association. If that did not happen, however, the politeness stopped. After a period of attacks by Night Riders against non-Association farmers, these farmers began to warn of revenge. There was the specter of farmer against farmer in many cases. It was a bad and dangerous situation that bred fear, anger and mistrust. In some cases, Night Riders forced farmers, on the threat of death or destruction of their property, to get down on their knees and take an oath to join the Association. The ultimate end of the reign of fear occurred as a result of the failure of the Association to establish and maintain its financial base, and the increased law enforcement activities of the State and county. There was always two sides to the question of whether the Association and the Night Riders were one and the same or whether there were actually two distinct and separate entities, with the Association having no influence over the activities of these "rogue" gangs of Night Riders. A number of people were forced off their farms as a result of the fear associated with the Night Riders. My grandfather operated a small farm outside Murray in 1907, and, when the Night Rider activities began to occur, and since he was not an "Association man", he elected to sell the farm and move to Murray. He had been thinking of doing so for over a year, and the prospect of violence coming onto his property was enough to cause him to make the decision to sell. It was a difficult time in the history of Calloway County, and those other counties affected by this violence. Tomorrow, we will move to Graves County. -B ===================================================================

My friends - Today we are starting the week with another segment in our series of Calloway County early newspaper snippets. These snippets cover the 1907-1909 time frame. During this time, the "Night Riders" were active in Calloway County, and some of the snippets deal with that situation. These snippets can have subject matter ranging from visitations to birth and death notices, obituaries, crime, and many other areas. Just as a matter of interest, speaking of the "Night Riders", the following individuals were indicted for such activity in Calloway County in April of 1908: Dick Berry, Calvin Berry, Ed Thompson, Kelsie Kirk, Jake Ellis, Billy Williams, Elmus Williams, Van Elkins, Emper Parks, George Parrish, Daniel Ellis, Nial Bogard, Esq., T.M.Jones, Clel Burkeen, Chester Burkeen, Dumas Miller, Hardin Lovett, Carlos Elkins, Joe Bell, Bob Duncan, Josh Cunningham, Turner McCage, Dr. E.R.Blalock, E.P.Jones, Tom McCuiston and Walter McCuiston. Subscribers to the JP and Calloway lists can obtain the text of a snippet from the listing below by sending a request to me. I would again ask that no more than 3 snippets be requested, due to the length of some of these. And, as always, your assistance in not resending this entire message back to me with the request continues to be appreciated. Tomorrow, we will move over to Graves County. -B ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Calloway County - Early Newspaper Snippets - Continued Drinkard, Clint (assassination attempt) Smith Tilford (death) Wells, Charles H. (treasure on land) Bailey, Arthur | Pittman, Onie | marriage Williams, Zilba (Move) Sweatt, H.S. (Visitation) Padgitt, Dona (Move) Gardner, Crate | African Americans Gardner, Ed | Escape from chain gang Garland, Clay | Garland, Jasper |Arrest Hurt, J.H. | Howlett, Siddie |Marriage Miller, Isaac (Death) Miller, J.B. "Buck" (Death) Knight, Dr. Tosco (Return) Brown, Wesley (Death) Cochran, Aubrey (Sent to reform school) Fisher, Reese (Murdered) Reasor, Jerry (Arrested) ~to be continued~ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My friends - I had planned on posting another item in our series on attorneys in the JP region today, but it has been sometime since I last posted an item from the delightful little book by Professor Gordon Wilson, entitled, "Fidelity Folks". So, today, we have another excerpt from that work. The subject of this essay is "Horse, Bridle and Saddle". For those not familiar with Professor Wilson or Fidelity, he was raised in what we call now New Concord, in Calloway County. New Concord was also known as Fidelity at one time. Indeed, my late grandmother often referred to New Concord, or the northern most edge of it, as "Fidelity". Gordon Wilson went on to become a leading educator in Kentucky, and his animated style of writing is delightful to read. As is now customary, there will be no data posts per se tomorrow or on the weekend. However, if time permits, I will drop by with a miscellaneous file offering. -B +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gordon Wilson: HORSE, BRIDLE, AND SADDLE From: "Fidelity Folks" "We have so changed our standards of value that only the middle-aged can catch the full significance of this essay. There was a time, a rather long one, when every boy of respectable parents was given a horse, a bridle, and a saddle on his twenty-first birthday. This was, his start in the world; he could saddle his steed and ride forth to conquer the world, like a knight of old. Society regarded this as a handsome start for a young man, and it was. With his strong arms and his horse he could make his way in the world. Land was abundant; and practically free. The frontier was calling to all the restless younger generation. Given this start, almost any boy might hope to add to his meager capital until he would own a farm and be able to give each of his boys a horse, a bridle, and a saddle. Very few families of this social class could not afford this initial contribution to the success of its sons. Many fathers that I knew as a boy at Fidelity would talk with pride in their older days of how meagerly they had started life: 'Me and Mary was purty pore when we started out, but I had my horse, and she had her cow and the chickens that her folks had give her. We started house-keeping in a log cabin, with practically nothing but a bed, two or three cheers, and a few cook things. But we worked hard and raised our ten children and were able to give ever' one of 'em a horse, bridle, and saddle; that is, all the boys. And we give a cow and some chickens and some household truck to the girls.' A familiar formula this was to old-timers, a strange rigmarole to youngsters. How can you and I make our children understand the value of a buggy when they are used to the family car? What would they think if they had heard Grandpa bragging about buying a new surrey? The horse-bridle-and-saddle custom was almost passing before I grew up. I did manage to get my steed, but it was a small red mule named Jenny. I raised onions and bought the saddle and bridle. Unlike the older generation, I did not mount my steed and ride forth adventuring. Instead, I sold Jenny and went to school for a long time on the ninety dollars that she brought. I do not remember what happened to the saddle, for I left it on the farm when I went away. Human affection for offspring has in no way changed; we have only changed the way of showing it. My children have seldom seen a horse and could count on one hand the number of times they have ridden one. But both early learned to drive the family car, and both have gone to college, that modern method of equipping people for life comparable with the horse, bridle, and saddle that used to mean so much to a youngster starting out on his own." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

RootsWeb has notified us that they will be performing routine maintenance on the systems they provide in the morning(Thursday)between about 1 AM (MDT) and 4 AM. However, another part of the notice indicates that the estimated downtime is "1 Day". I am hoping - and I believe - that this is incorrect and that the 1-4 AM note is the accurate estimation of downtime. However, should you have difficulty with any of the RootsWeb sites after 4 AM MDT tomorrow morning, this will be the reason why they cannot be accessed. -B ===================================================================

My friends - Today, we are moving over to Marshall County for our posting. Rather than a usual data posting, I am going to discuss briefly the court battle which the Justices of the Marshall County Court launched against the Justices of the Calloway County Court in the 1850's, which was ultimately decided, as was proper procedure at that time, in the KY Court of Appeals. The case involved which county owned "seminary lands". This also has application in Graves County, where I questions now and then about the "Graves Academy". IN 1798, the KY General Assembly passed, "An Act for the Endowment of Certain Seminaries of Learning and Other Purposes", in which the county courts were authorized to allocate up to 6000 acres of vacant land that was to be used for county academies. This land would be exempt for taxes as long as it was kept and used for that purpose. Calloway County, in 1834, allocated some 6000 acres to establish a "Calloway Seminary". However, no such institution was ever established in Calloway Co. In 1842, Marshall County was formed wholly from Calloway County. The legislation which formed Marshall County dictated that Marshall should receive half of the 6000 acres originally allocated to Calloway. Calloway refused to transfer any land to Marshall, and continued to refuse to do so over the period of 1842 to 1855, even defying later acts of the KY General Assembly directing them to comply, claiming, in part, that they(the Calloway Justices) had, under later acts of the General Assembly, sold part of the seminary land, having only 2080 acres remaining of the original 6000, and Calloway County felt they were entitled to retain that acreage, also, since it was granted to Calloway before Marshall County existed. In 1856, Marshall County brought suit, as permitted under a further act of the General Assembly, against Calloway County on this issue, as they felt that they should receive the benefit of, at least, the 2080 acres that had not been disposed of by Calloway County. Philander Palmer and J.C.Gilbert prosecuted the case for Marshall County. The KY Court of Appeals found in favor of Marshall County in 1858, and, by about 1870, a "Marshall County Seminary" had been established in Benton. Like the other county seminaries in the state, the Marshall County Seminary was made a part of the regular school district, in legislation passed by the General Assembly in 1888. The original Trustees of the Marshall County Seminary were Thomas L. Goheen, Chairman, J.H.Johnston, J.W.Whitnell, W.C.Holland, J. Woods, C.Parker, and Samuel Mathis. The land, in part, used in Benton included a lot owned by Polly Pinner, former wife of J.J.Averitt, and lots and a house owned by John and Iowa Walpole, which were sold in 1869 to the County. This is an interesting instance in which the fierce independence of county residents, especially with regard to land, was demonstrated to the Kentucky General Assembly, which continued to pass acts directing Calloway County to transfer land to Marshall County - and Calloway continued to refuse to do so. The entire matter, from the inception of the problem to the final establishment of the seminary in Marshall County, required some 25 years to conclude. Tomorrow, we will visit Graves County. -B +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am still seeking info and proof on the Calloway Co. Hoods. If anyone can help with any of the following, I would really appreciate. I am very interested in finding descendants of this family. (Charles) Roland\Rowland Hood d.abt 1816 Sumner Co. TN m. Charlotte Hood (I now have proof that Charlotte's maiden name is Hood) Children, Charles b. 1785, (have his children, one married a Fakes) Alexander b. 1798 Wife Mary Martha b. 1802 m. Bazel Smith Elizabeth b 1804 m. William Miller Washington b. 1807 m. Elizabeth Martin Nancy b 1810 m. John M. Bowlin\Bourland Susan m 1 Haystack 2. Jake Ripley Summers Need any help proving and connecting all these children I have much on all these families Would love to find bible records etc.. Thanks, Joy, TN

My friends - Today, we are resuming our review of the some early newspaper snippets from Calloway County. All of the items shown below came from the Calloway Times, in the 1896-1903 time frame. Before getting into that, however, it was reported that an earthquake, centered in Blandville, in Ballard County, shook some furniture last Friday, cracked some sidewalks, and registered 4.5 on the Richter Scale. Several of our subscribers have reported this, and I mention here because of the recent piece I posted on the great New Madrid earthquake in 1811. Thankfully, this one, from newspaper reports, does not seem to have done a great deal of damage. Back to the snippets - these items may include anything from visitation notices, birth and death notices, obituaries, tributes, marriages, criminal activities, etc. They give us an opportunity to catch a glimpse of life as it was in those simpler and sometimes gentler days. Subscribers to the JP and Calloway lists can obtain the text of a snippet shown in the listing below by sending a request to me. I will ask that the guideline of no more than three (3) items be requested, due to the length of some of the snippets. And, as always, your continuing assistance in not resending this entire message back to me with the request is appreciated. Tomorrow, we will move to Marshall County. -B +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Calloway County - Early Newspaper Snippets - Continued Abbott, Charles Powell | Gammon, Gertrude | Marriage Franklin, Noah (murder conviction) Ferguson, Ryan (visitation) Jones, Robert (Death) Gutherie, J.J. (Illness) Pitman, James (Illegal spirits) Underwood, Joel (Death) Cook, Salina (Death) Norsworthy, Doc (Child Injury) Davis, Lee (Death) Stubblefield, Toy (Visitation) Key, Garland (Move) Outland, John | Nannie, Bertie |Marriage Lamb, Austin | Calhoun, Ada |Marriage Futrell, Wallace | Holsapple, Bettie |Marriage Crouse, Coleman (Death) Salmon, Archie (Death) ~to be continued~ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We have established a close connection between our McCLAINs and the DAMRONs. Both families seem to be from NC via Ky and Tn and were early settlers in Gallatin Co, IL. Both families moved to Weakley Co, TN about 1823. Charles DAMRON was the executor of Charles McCLAIN's estate in 1846. There are several marriages to McCLAIN women noted in the DAMRON books. We just can't sort out which McCLAIN families they came from. If we can make these connections we can extend you our McCLAIN line back to 1711 in MD. Can you help us? Thank you. pj Thompson pj@apex.net Weakley County, Tn & Garry Brown gsbrown4@yahoo.com Albuquerque, NM McCLAIN cousins and VERY dedicated McCLAIN researchers..........

Looking for any info on 1. Obediah Eldridge, born 1807 in Tennessee; died August 22, 1876 in Calloway County, Kentucky. He was the son of 2. W.??? and 3. A.. He married (1) Martha Redden Abt. 1832. She died Bef. 1844 in Tennessee. He married (2) Elizabeth Winchester July 14, 1844 in Calloway County, Kentucky. She was born 1812 in Guilford College, Guilford, North Carolina, and died January 22, 1893 in Calloway County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of William Winchester and Margaret Witty. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1850 Census, Calloway Co, Kentucky 228-230 Eldridge, Obadiah 43 m farm 800 unk 12 Elizabeth (McCuiston) 38 f NC Martha E. 16 f 11 L. H. 13 m Wm. R. 10 m O. H. 9 m A. P. 5 m Margaret E. 3 f Rahel A. 1 f McCuiston, Jno. Calvin 15 m 11 Wm. L. 14 m 11 Martin L. 12 m ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for your time Bill Ratterree diver466@earthlink.net

My friends - I am going to forego a data post today in order to bring you up to date on what the next digitization projects will be, based on the vote taken last week, and to address the possibility of a society for descendants of the pioneer settlers of the JP, which we also discussed last week. In the case of the digitization projects, the final tally of votes that came in caused the Calloway County Inventory, Appraisement and Sale Bill book to slightly edge out the Ballard County Deed Book A(which is the volume that contains the re-recording of deeds destroyed in the 1880 courthouse fire there). However, the difference in votes was only five. As a result, and because I have a bit of a concern about placing different county records on the same CD with each other, I have decided to do the Ballard County Deed Book A digitization, which will be placed on a CD with the Ballard County Deed Index. That latter item was not on the list of items I asked about last week, but it would be a natural additional item to have on the same disk as Deed Book A. Simultaneously, with the above, digitization of the Calloway County IA&SB book will proceed, but it will be coupled with the Calloway County Road Order Book on the same disk. So there will be a total of four items that will be digitized in the next project. This is already under way, with about 50 images of the Ballard Deed Book A already digitized. There are some 650+ pages in this book, but because of the size of the book(large ledger size), and the manner in which it was originally filmed, there will be about 850 total images necessary to handle the entire book. We were particularly fortunate in the Graves County Order Book G project, since each order book page was filmed almost exactly right to create a perfectly sized image for our purposes. Other record books were filmed differently. It may be that CD space will become a factor, as a result, and it could be that only Book A can be contained on a single disk. I will monitor that and keep the Lists informed. The same may be true for the Calloway item, and I will also watch that one closely. I expect the digitization to go somewhat faster on these upcoming projects, as I am working on upgrading my homemade system to a more automated one that can scan film in an auto mode, rather than having to do it page by page manually. I will still have to enhance and otherwise work on each page, but much time will be saved in getting the image into my computer if the improvements work as planned. The indexing process will also be easier than that which we see in trying to index order books. On the matter of the formation of a society of descendants of JP pioneers, there was less than 100 "votes" cast on that question, which is about 13% of the JP List total subscribership. The percentage voting on the digitization projects, by comparison, was 36%. Given all that would have to be done to plan, organize and maintain such an organization, a fairly high interest level would need to be present, and it does not appear that we yet have that level of interest. All but two of those who did respond and expressed an opinion in one way or another were in favor of the idea, which is encouraging, but it appears we have a ways to go before we will be able to really get into this type of project. If anyone would like to attempt it independently, of course, they would have my full cooperation and assistance, but it will be a task, I think, that will require a number of people working together to get it off the ground and to maintain it properly and see to those day-to-day administrative duties that must be done. Tomorrow, we will start a new series on the legal community in the JP region. -B ====================================================================