William Henry Keys
(Grandson of Oliver Hayden and Eliza Funk) 2001, Our Grandfather
Submitted by Tom Keys
Items in italics are mine, Tom Keys, 2001
Haven Hubbell Keys writes in ca. 1931/34.
WILLIAM HENRY KEYS The eldest son and child of George Washington Keys and Elizabeth Lambert (Waller) Keys, was born Nov 19, 1846, at Ashland (Pollard), Boyd County, Kentucky, and died March 18, 1933, age 87, in Ashland, Ky.
His parents, George Washington Keys, lived there (Ashland) for only a few months before moving to Coal Grove, Ohio, almost directly across the Ohio River. Later, they bought a small tract of land out in the country about 10 miles away. This was a virgin forest; his father (William Henry) did his first work there, helping to clear this land and till the soil when he was about nine years of age. He attended school about 2 miles distant, five months out of the year, which was the average school year then.
His father (G. W. K.) sold the home and land (I remember it, as my father, (William Henry Keys) later owned it himself, built a new home there, and we used the old home of his father George W., a hewed log house, as a barn). A few years later, and bought a village grain mill on Big Ice Creek. Grandfather, G.W. K named the village that grew up around this mill “Rock Camp.”
With his sons, they operated the mill, the boys mining the coal used for steam power from a mine immediately adjacent to the mill property. This continued for several years, the sons going to school for about half time of the five months, working the other half and the remaining seven months. Later on, my father (William Henry) owned and ran this same mill at some period of my early life.
Father, (William Henry) had said to me (Uncle Haven Hubbell Keys), “Up until I was fifteen years old, there were church services held at the school houses about twice or three times a year, and we had Sabbath school during the summer seasons at these same school houses, conducted by the Methodist and United Brethren denominations.
About the winter of 1862 or 63, at a little schoolhouse, Rev John W. Dillon held a meeting and organized a Methodist Class. I came into the church at that time and have been a member ever since; not as faithful as I should have been, but they kept my name on the list, and I am glad today that they nursed me along until I could live the Christian life.”
When the Civil War was on, the father (William Henry) was not old enough to enter the service. In his 17th year, however, on August 18, 1864, he enlisted in the North’s armies (Union Army). Herewith we record a copy of his honorable discharge at the close of the war.”
(See 2001 Photostat enclosed. I have given the original document to Timothy and Gregory Keys.)
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
KNOW YE, That William H. Keys, a private of Captain John W. Funson’s Company, (A), 173d Regiment Of Ohio Infantry VOLUNTEERS who was enrolled on the eighteenth day of August one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four to serve one year or during the war, is hereby DISCHARGED from the service of the United States this Twenty-sixth day of June 1865 at Nashville, Tenn., because of his being mustered out in accordance with instructions from the War Department May 29, 1865. No objection to his being re-enlisted is known to exist.
William Keys was born in Boyd County in the state of Kentucky, is eighteen years of age, five feet six inches high, dark complexion, black eyes, black hair, and by occupation, when enrolled, a miller.
Given at Nashville, Tenn., this twenty-sixth day of June 1865.
J. W. Cluer, Capt.88” Ill Inf.
John W. Funson, Capt. A.C.M.2d Div.4” A.C.
Co. A. 173d O.V.I.
Paid to July 5, 1865, Cooles Kinnen, Paymaster
Stamped on the backside in seal form: “……..& X.R.R., July 1865, Camp Dennison Office.”
“William H. Keys, State of Ohio, Lawrence County S. S.: Recorders Office. Recorded August 7th, 1865 Vol. 1, Page 115,’ Soldiers Record.’ James B. Bartram, Recorder.”
Stamped on back in seal from Bounty rejected, Dec.15, 1869. Ckd Auditor’s Office.
“Index___Oath of Identity” (on back) not used.
“ He was a musician, having learned to play the fife, and often regaled us, children, afterward with the old army tunes, but would not publicly demonstrate his accomplishments on Grand Army celebration days. His army service was in and around Nashville, Tenn., under General Thomas. He voted for Abraham Lincoln (second election) to be President, although not of age, as his officers permitted him to do so.
He lived with his parents (GWK) until he was married after the war. I quote from THE REGISTER, Ironton, Ohio, weekly newspaper published at that time: MARRIAGES; Keys-Brown. On Thursday, January 25th. 1872, by Rev. James Mitchell, Mr. W. H. Keys, and Josephene Brown.” The Rev. James Mitchell was then Pastor of Spencer Church, and the marriage ceremony was performed in the home of the Rev. William Gardner.
Please see the separate biography enclosed on Josephine Aurelia Brown Keys
At this time, father had a mail route from Ironton to Gallipolis, Ohio, a distance of forty-three miles; he made this round-trip weekly in winter, on horseback, and twice a week in summer, with horses and buggy.
Sometime during 1877, he (William Henry) purchased a general store at a little village one mile west of Rock Camp, –Johnstown. Then in 1879 or 1880, he bought the Rock Camp property (from GWK), where he lived and ran a good general-store business for ten years; then to Ashland, Ky., where he conducted one of the best grocery stores in that city. We sons then scattered, all his help, and as he still had the Rock Camp store, he sold out in Ashland and returned to the country village.
In all, he was twenty-one years in the mercantile trade. After a flood almost ruined his home and store at Rock Camp, he moved to Ironton, where he remained until March 1913, when he moved, with this writer’s family (Haven Hubbell Keys), to Hyatts, Delaware County, Ohio.
Where he remained for two years or more; then he purchased a beautiful little home and two acres opposite the entrance to Greenwood Lake and Park, just outside the city limits of Delaware, Ohio, where they lived for ten or twelve years and until just before our mother passed on, for they had moved over into the city of Delaware for mother’s sake, church conveniences and the like, but retained the old home, however.”
After mother’s death, August 3, 1927, father has made his home mostly with that splendid daughter of his and sister of mine, Mrs. Frank B. Wilson (our Aunt Lyda Euans Keys Wilson) in Ashland Kentucky, where he is as I write this (1931).
He made a trip west, to Emerson, Nebraska, and Denver, Colorado, to visit two daughters in 1930 and spent one winter and part of another with this son (Haven Hubbell Keys) in St. Petersburg, Florida, when he said, “I am glad for the privilege of being with him, also for my visits to the Sunshine City.”
I have told of my father’s life work mostly. Still, I would not forget that he was an ardent advocate of prohibition, since I can remember most, and voted consistently for the National Prohibition ticket until the 18th Amendment became a law in the United States.
A large group picture of the early national leaders, including John G. Wolley, Neal Dow, Frances, Willard, J. A. Van Fleet, and many others, hung over our fireplace in the parental home for probably forty years. Father abstained from intoxicating drinks after the war and admitted to drinking some.
Father and mother were the parents of ten children, six sons, and four daughters. In these last years of his life, he is lonely. He has said, “Before my dear wife passed away, I thought my sympathy went out to those bereaved of wife or husband, but my own experience in the loss of my wife and helpmate gives me a different viewpoint from what I had ever felt or seen before, and I find it a lonely road to travel.”
And I can add that I do not question his perfect sincerity, for our mother was a wonderful woman. One of the best friends father ever had on earth, a loving wife, help-mate, and mother, “true as steel,” guiding her flock and the communities in which she lived and labored to the best in them in action, word and deed.”
Later: “1137 Walnut Avenue. Ashland, Ky., March 18, 1933. Dear Uncle Hal: (to Haven Hubbell Keys) Grandfather passed away (William Henry Keys) at 2:05 this morning. He had been practically helpless for the lesser part of a week. Yesterday afternoon about four o’clock, he lost the use of his whole right side and went blind simultaneously. Aunt Nanny Bazell was with us at the time.
She came in the morning and is with us yet…I know you will be sorry to hear of his ‘going west,’ but it’s truly a blessing. Hoping you are all well, I am your nephew JACK.” Excerpts from a letter written by Jack Wilson to Haven Hubbell Keys
Published note from a cousin, probably, Jack Wilson ” Uncle (Hal) Haven Hubbell Keys died on August 19, 1941, standing on his feet working on the finals of this “set up” for the genealogy press run at the Keys-owned Artcraft Press in California. “He’d been blessed with a quick summons.” ..End…
Above is a page copy from a history book of persons residing in Lawrence County, Ohio.
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