Luke Kelley’s Reminiscences #3
Submitted by Bob Davisson
Ironton Register August 10, 1854
We record a few stray facts and incidents.
The first resident physician in Lawrence County was Dr. Moore, who lived and died on Ice Creek. Dr. Waller, of Portsmouth, was the first who practiced in the county.
The first resident lawyers in the county were Luther Blodgett, who lived on Symmes Creek, and, we believe, Solomon Beckley, who removed to Iowa some 15 years ago.
Of county officers, the first Sheriff was John Kelley; the first Recorder and first Clerk of Court, Wm. G. Robinson; the first Surveyor, Wm. Carpenter; first Coroner Edward Simmons; first Auditor and first Treasurer Joseph Wheeler; first Commissioners Joel Bowen, Joseph Davidson, and David Spurlock; first Associate Judges John Davisson, Wm. Miller, and Gabriel Kerr; first Prosecuting Attorneys were lawyers from other counties, appointed by the Court.
The first school in the county was taught by Reuben Rucker, from over the river, just below Union Landing.
The first Minister of the Gospel who preached in the county was Rev. Robert Scott, a Baptist from Kentucky, who preached here in 1803. The second was Rev. __________ Guthrie, from Virginia. Also, a Baptist, who, we believe, preached here in the same year Mr. Scott first did, 1803.
The first Church constituted in the county was the Ohio Church, Baptist, below Union Landing, in 1804, and was under the ministry of “Father Young,” as he used to be called, for some years.
This Ohio Church was the first church constituted in this part of the State, and from it has branched all the Baptist Churches around in some three or four, or more, counties–many in Kentucky, and perhaps some in [West] Virginia; it was the “Parent Church,” and from it three Associations have taken their rise.
“Storms Creek Church,” the Baptist Church of Ironton, had its first pastor Rev. John Lee; Rev. James N. Kelley is the second pastor.
One fact we will mention now. It has been disputed that Col. Daniel Boone ever lived “in these parts.” He did build a cabin and lived for some years about a mile above Greenupsburg, Ky., about eight miles below this place, on the farm now owned by E. Hockaday.
In 1800, he removed to Missouri, and John Kelley says he helped him load his boat for removal. Jesse Boone, a son of Col. Daniel, lived at that place for some years afterward and was made Judge of the Court in Greenup County at its organization in 1805. Jesse Boone built the first brick chimney in this region of Ohio and Kentucky: his house’s logs are still standing on the bank of the river above Greenupsburg.
Mr. John Kelley relates a few circumstances personally to himself. He says that in early times he acquired a rather bad name for shooting at people. Chris. Yingling, however, says, “No, NO!’ I’ve known Kelley from a boy and a more peaceable, good citizen who never lived in Lawrence County. Still, I tell you the only way to bring down the saucy, black-guarding, thieving rascals who used to run the river in the early days was with a gun, and Kelley did shoot once or twice, though he didn’t hit anybody–he always hit the squirrel, at which he pointed his gun!”
On one occasion, just after dinner, Mrs. Kelley ran into the house with the information that three men in a boat were stealing his (John Kelley’s) fishing gig. Mr. Kelley seized his gun and ran down the bank. They were taking the lines into the boat and making off. He ran into the water and caught hold of the boat, and then they clubbed it, Kelley, with his gun and the men in the boat with the oars.
The three were rather an over-match for the one and took away the gun, but holding upon the boat, Chris. Yingling soon came to his assistance when they “whipped out” the boat’s crew, who finally compromised the matter by paying five dollars and were let off.
On another occasion, three men stole a skiff at Gallipolis. The owner followed and headed them to Mr. Kelley’s landing. Kelley’s rifle brought them ashore when they paid the owner for his skiff and trouble and gave Mr. Kelley a dollar to pay for the use he had made of his rifle.
We mentioned a year or two since, in Gen. John Poage’s reminiscences, Mr. John Kelley once shot at a boat passing down, whose crew used vulgar, profane, and obscene language towards his wife, washing at the water’s edge. Mr. Kelley says that it was a pirogue loaded with cane for reeds, being taken down from up Big Sandy. He hit the pirogue with a ball but says that he did not intend to kill or injure anyone, only to frighten them.
For a similar offense towards his wife, Thos. Buffington, below Guyandotte, shot at an “ark” descending the river; also, Gen. John Poage once shot at a boat and broke the leg of a valuable horse inside. Those shots stopped further offenses on this part of the river.
I shall continue Mr. Kelley’s reminiscences next week.
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