The Rev. James Gilruth died before July 12, 1873, a year after publishing these stories, in Davenport, Iowa. He was an abolitionist and preacher of the Gospel. This article was published in the Ironton Register newspaper on March 7, 1872. It is transcribed below.
We continue this week the publication of “Old Times,” in the lower end of this county, by Reverend James GILRUTH. These reminiscences have occasioned much interest among the old people here and elsewhere. Mr. GILRUTH is now very old and has to write slowly, so we must be satisfied to publish his articles as we get them. The last one we gave was in the issue of February 8th. Mr. GILRUTH closed his last letter by referring to Luke KELLY’S settlement, on Kelly’s Run, in 1802-03. He built the first church in Lawrence County:
Mr. Luke KELLY had a brother, an old bachelor named DARBY, that lived a short time with him and was a Baptist preacher. If my memory serves me, he preached once or twice while here. If I am correct, to Kelly belongs the credit of preaching the first sermon and building the first meetinghouse in Lawrence County.
In the fall of 1796, Vincent FERGUSON (*) settled on the bank opposite what is since known as Ferguson’s Sandbar, which took it’s name from him. His wife’s maiden name was Mary BOYD. Their children’s names were Sarah, John, Margaret, Margera, Elizabeth, James, and Vincent. Sarah married James SPERRY while they lived here. John married Elizabeth MCCOY; Margaret married William BRUCE; (William BRUCE was finally shot and killed by a black man.) Margera married John BRUCE; Elizabeth died of consumption.
In my last, I stated that Andrew YINGLING was the first in this region that die of consumption. Elizabeth was the first, and he was the second. She was never married; James married Rebecca BRUBAKER; Vincent died of the common fever of the country when about nine years old. A frolic accompanied the marriage of Sarah, and it was the first public dance between Storms Creek and the French Grant. After Luke KELLY entered the land, FERGUSON and his family moved down to lot No. 2 in the French Grant, for which he paid $400.
Next below, the same fall settled Peter VANBIBBER (*); his wife’s name was Sarah. Their children’s names were Jesse, Jacob, John, and Tice. In P. VANBIBBER’s family lived a niece named Olive VANBIBBER, a very beautiful young woman who married Nathan BOONE, the youngest son of the celebrated Colonel Daniel BOONE, who, with her husband and the old Colonel, moved to Missouri. Jesse VANBIBBLER went with them and never returned. After some years, this family moved back and was scattered abroad on Pine and Symmes Creek waters.
After the VANBIBBERS left, Gabriel NEFF (*) occupied the place sometimes. His wife’s maiden name was Rachel NORMAN. Their children’s names were Phoebe, George, Mary, Catharine, Jacob, Eunice, Elizabeth, Christian, and Henry. Phoebe married Reese THOMPSON; George married Elinore MCCRARY; Mary married ______THRONE; Catharine married Alex BACON; Jacob married Loisa ALBRECHT. The NEFF family moved from place to place. Their last residence was on Crain Nest, a tributary of Pine Creek. What became of the younger members of the family I never knew?
After the NEFFS left, the place was occupied by Daniel WOLFORD (*), a house carpenter. He had a son named Daniel, who was learning the same trade. This family moved down to a little above Little Scioto.
About this time, Stephen COLVIN, and ______BARKLEY, of Rumley, VA, in company entered all the bottom from Kelly’s section down to the French Grant. George AUSTIN bought and permanently settled on this farm. His wife’s maiden name was Esther KISER. Their children’s names were Mary, Isaac, and Rebecca. Mary married George TRUMBO; Isaac married Lydia KISER; Rebecca married William GILRUTH. Austin was an industrious farmer and a valuable citizen.
Next below, in the same fall, 1796, came and settled George STEWART. (*) His wife’s maiden name was Elizabeth CROUSHOAR. After living on the riverbank for some time, he moved back to the foot of the hill, a little above the French Grant line, and cleared a few acres. Having no team, he carried his rails, one by one, upon his shoulders and fenced his field.
After living here for a few years, he bought a lot in the French Grant on Gennett’s Creek and moved there. Their children’s names were Stephen, Anna, Delilah, Elizabeth, John, Joel, and Amos. Stephen married Caroline DIDWAY (may be same as Duduit – smk); Anna married David ATKINS; Delilah married Reuben KELLY; Elizabeth married William KIMBLE (may also be Kimball spelling – smk); John married Sarah MCCARTNEY. What became of Joel and Amos I never knew?
STEWART was a farmer who often remarked, “Every day’s work that a man did on his own farm is worth more to him than a dollar.” After STEWART left the bank, a man named RETHERFORD occupied the place for some time. He had two sons, young men, Thomas and William. On this place was kept the first school ever kept between Storms Creek and French Grant. Reuben RUCKER kept it.
His pronunciation was that of an uneducated Southerner, viz.: for “the,” de; for “there,” dar, etc. When one letter constituted a syllable, he always taught us to spell that letter “by itself,” for instance, the word “Idea:” I by itself; ‘I,’de’ i-de;’ ‘a by itself,; ‘a’ Idea. It will be perceived that with such teachers, it would be long before the scholar could approach near perfection in the English language.
The old house being untenable, and the right of property falling into the hands of gentlemen in Virginia by the name of Andrew KISER, it had no more occupants until he bestowed it upon his son-in-law, Ephriam TRUMBO, who had married his daughter, Susanna. TRUMBO was a wheelwright, and as in those days, women did their own spinning. It was a good trade. But he turned his attention to farming and made the best fences of any man in those parts.
Next below, in the same fall, I think William KELLY (*), a brother of Luke KELLY, settled and cleared a few acres. His wife’s name was Dolly. At least she was so-called. I have no recollection of their children. They lived here but a few years and then moved off; I never heard where.
William KELLY was followed by David FORRISTER (*). His oldest daughter was a fine-looking young woman. She married William WAMACH (may be spelled Wamock or Wamick later – smk) of Greenup Co., KY. I have no distinct recollection of the balance of the family or what became of them.
A man succeeded FORRISTER by the name of BLOOMER (*), whose given name or that of his wife, I never knew. He was a Baptist and occasionally spoke in public by way of exhortation. Their children were Henry, Samuel, Mrs. Moses CRABTREE, Patty, Runnels, and Peter. This family lived by farming.
After the BLOOMER left, Peter BUMGARNER and his family occupied the place (spelled Bumgardner later – smk). His wife’s name was __ BUVNER. Their children’s names were John, Barbara, Elizabeth, Jacob, Daniel, Abraham, and Rebecca. John married Miss MILLER (at the mouth of Symmes Creek); Barbara married William JONES; Elizabeth married William COPENHAVER; Jacob married Edith DAVIDSON; Daniel married Miss BRUSH; Abraham died in early manhood, and Rebecca was dumb and disordered in her mental powers.
John and William JONES owned the land. They all lived by farming. The whole family scattered from thence. The land that JONES owned fell into the hands of Daniel, and that which John owned, into the hands of George TRUMBO (the husband of Mary AUSTIN), who lived there and raised a respectable family.
(*) Did not own land.
0 Comments