Thought my friends in Bell County would love to see some of the early settlers that came through the Cumberland Gap and settled in Bell County. This was recorded around 1900. Early Settlers in Bell County From the earliest times after the county was settled, farming was by far the most prominent means of livelihood. This continued until the settlers left the farms to begin working in the mines, which reached their prominence in the late 1800s. The logging industry started up after the Civil War ended in 1865, and continued up until the area became more industrialized, to about 1900. Even though the lumber industry is still going on, it was at its heyday from 1865 to 1900. The coal industry reached its prominence after 1888. This was brought about when the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company entered Bell County with their railroad to haul the coal out of the area. The first railroad lines came up from Flat Lick to Pineville, following the Cumberland River to Wasioto, which is only a mile or so from my home on Bird Branch. Later on the railroad was extended to the Left Fork of Straight Creek and the Right Fork of Straight Creek, where both my grandparents had lived and raised their families. Today, the inhabitants of Bell County depend for a livelihood upon a small amount of farming, and to a greater extent on the coal and lumber business. County, state and local government work also furnishes occupations for many of the inhabitants. The coal industry still furnishes more employment for the inhabitants of the county than any other industry. Bell County, known at the time of its formation as Josh Bell County, was established by an act of the Legislature in 1867 from portions of Knox and Harlan counties. According to the historians the majority of the people who settled in the southeastern area of Kentucky were of English and Scotch-Irish descent. Many of the early inhabitants of the area migrated from Virginia and Tennessee; however there are a good number of early settlers who came from North Carolina. Most of these are ancestors of the people who originally settled in Virginia and then made their way west to settle in the new lands. Some of the early settlers of Bell County were some of my relatives, and I will list them, as they were included in the History of Bell County Volume I. The following is a list of the people who lived on Straight Creek in the early 1900,s. THE RIGHT FORK OF STRAIGHT CREEK SECTION Hiram Hoskins, who married Betsy Fultz, had the following children: (1) Gabe Hoskins, (2) Mat Hoskins, (3) James Hoskins, (4) Nervie H. Hoskins, who married Bill North at the mouth of Straight Creek, (5) Nancy Lefevers, who married John Lefevers. A. J. Bailey, who lived on the head of Mill Creek, was a Methodist minister and school teacher. He taught school in the rural schools of Bell County for forty-nine years, and was very efficient and thorough in all he did. He was a well educated man, and his education was the result of his own efforts. He was a student all of his life. He married Catherine Ward, and they had the following children: (1) Everett Bailey, (2) Bascom Bailey, (3) Vadie Bailey, (4) Lucy Bailey. LEFT FORK OF STRAIGHT CREEK SECTION James T. Napier, married the first time 1. Mellie Saylor, daughter of John L. Saylor, and had two children: (1) Lillie Napier, (2) Robert Napier; II. Lucy Bailey, daughter of A. J. Bailey, second wife: (3) Hattie Napier, (4) A. J. Napier, (5) Irene Napier. (who is my mother.) James Thomas Napier was very instrumental in the early development of the coal industry in the Southeastern Kentucky area, as he prospected and opened up the majority of coal mines in the area”. Palestine W. Woollum (1859-), married 1. Martha Neal, and had the following children: (1) Lucy Woollum, (2) James Woollum, (3) Victor Woollum, (4) Walter Woollum, (5) Mattie Woollum, (6) Mollie Woollum; II. Mary Bingham, second wife: (7) Neil Woollum, (8) Dora Woollum, (9) Alberta Woollum, (10) Leo Kenneth Woollum, (11) Palestine W. Woollum, Jr. Isreal K. Woollum. (1824-1921), father of Palestine W. Woollum, married 1. Sallie Jennings. Their children: (1) Martha Woollum, (2) James Woollum., (3) Eliza Woollum, (4) Harriet Woollun, (5) Armilda Woollum, (6) Mary Woollum, (7) Pal W. Woollum, (8) Alice Woollum; II. Betty York, no children; III. Rena Rice, no children; IV. Margaret Wilson, whose name originally was Ward, fourth wife: (9) Lou Woollum, (10) Grace (twin of Charity), (11) Hugh Woollum, (12) Charity Woollum. (a twin of Grace). Jacob Woollum, father of Isreal K. Woollum, married Sarah Hughes, and their children were (1) Rebecca Woollum, (2) Sam Woollum, (3) Isreal K. Woollum, (4) Eliza Woollum, (5) Mary Woollum, (6) Marie Woollum, (7) George Woollum, who settled on Right Ford of Straight Creek, a short distance above the Forks of the Straight Creeks, was brother to Jacob Woollum. James Woollum, a brother of Isreal K. Woollum, married a Ward, and had children as follows: (1) Andy Woollum, (2) Tom Woollum, (3) Polly Woollum, who married a York; (4) Jane Woollum, who married a Davis; (5) Charity Woollum, who married a Johnson; (6) Mrs. Jim York; (7) Mrs. Frank Gambrel; (8) Mrs. Gord Gambrel, (9) Mrs. Martin Gambrel, (10) Mrs. Carnes, (11) Mrs. Jack Davis, (12) Mrs. Bingham, (13) Mrs. Jacob Slusher. Lula Woollum, who married Oscar Broughton, had the following children: (1) Bernard Broughton, (2) Lillian Broughton, (3) Ralph Broughton, (4) Mary Ann Broughton, (5) Norris Broughton; II. Boyd Carnes: (6) David Arnold Carnes. Edgar Napier, who married Alberta Woollum, had these children: (1) Joyce Napier, (2) Samuel Palestine Napier, (3) Billie Napier, (4) Ester Marie Napier. James Hunter, who married Dora Woollum, had these children: (1) Mary Lou Hunter, (2) Clarence Richard Hunter, (3) Betty Ruth Hunter. Clark Smith, who married Nell Woollum, had one child: (1) Donald Smith. Leonard Blessing, who married Grace Woollum, has the following children: (1) Evelyn Blessing, (2) Billie Joe Blessing, (3) Brenda Jane Blessing. Stanford Ward, who married Amanda Wilson, had these children: (1) Arthur Ward, (2) Margie Ward, (3) Mary Ward, (4) Nora Ward, (5) Rena Ward, (6) Clara Ward, (7) Linus Ward. James Ward was father of Stanford Ward and his grandfather was Murphy Ward. James Ward had the following children: (1) Catherine Ward, (2) Frances Ward, (3) Richard Ward, (4) Stanford Ward, (5) Hugh Ward, (6) Lucy Ward, (7) Margaret Ward, (8) John Ward. Jake Slusher, who married Emily Woollum, had these children: (1) Lucy Napier, (2) Charity Slusher, (3) Ellen Carnes, (4) Harris Slusher, (5) Leonard Slusher, (6) Tom Slusher, (7) Kittie Slusher. John Slusher, father of Jacob Slusher, married a Woollum and had these children: (1) Jake Slusher, (2) John Slusher, (3) Robert Slusher, (4) Sam Slusher, (5) Wilk Slusher, (6) Will Slusher. Wilk Slusher, who married an Asher, had the following children: (1) Robert Slusher, (2) John Slusher, (3) Sam Slusher, (4) James Slusher, (5) Jacob Slusher, (6) Will P. Slusher, (7) Silas Slusher, (8) Richard Slusher, (9) Henry Slusher, (10) America Slusher, (11) Ellen Slusher, (12) Lucy Slusher, (13) Brit Slusher. Rev. W. P. Slusher, a Baptist minister, and son of Wilkerson Slusher, married Fannie Bingham, and had one child: (1) Will P. Slusher, Jr. Silas Slusher, a brother of Rev. Will P. Slusher, married Mollie Meredith, and had these children: (1) Fannie Slusher, (2) Will Slusher, (3) Henry Slusher, (4) Mary Slusher, (5) Bertha Slusher, (6) Elizabeth Slusher, (7) Myrtle Slusher, (8) Floyd Slusher, (9) Leon Slusher, (10) Millard Slusher. Brit Slusher married Kittie Napier, and they had eight children: (1) Silas Slusher, (2) Ellen Slusher, (3) Will Slusher, (4) Lee Slusher, (5) Franklin Slusher, (6) Golden Slusher, (7) Virginia Slusher, (8) George Napier, (9) Kittie Napier. John York married Harriet Woollum and had these children: (1) Isreal York, (2) Harris York, (3) Andy York, (4) Schuyler York, (5) Jim York, (6) McKinley York, (7) Mary York, (8) Sidney York, (9) Sudie York (10) Sallie York. James York married Armilda Woollum and had these children: (1) Palestine York, (2) Sherman York, (3) Mary York, (4) Bessie York, (5) Sarah Ellen York, (6) Amanda York, (7) Dora York. Anse York married Lucy Woollum, daughter of Abner Woollum and had these children: (1) Harve York, (2) Oscar York, (3) Gillis York, (4) Christopher York. The father of Anse, John and James, was Dennis York. Philip Rice married Alice Woollum and had these children: (1) Anderson Rice, (2) Palestine Rice, (3) Bradley Rice, (4) Jasper Rice, (5) Boyd Rice, (6) Ada Rice, (7) Mellie Rice, (8) Sarah Ellen Rice, (9) Eliza Bell Rice. Philip Rices father was Anderson Rice and his grandfather was Stephen Rice. Palestine Rice married Lizzie Hendrickson and had these children: (1) Sarah Rice, (2) Tilmon Rice, (3) Mary Rice, (4) Selvie Rice, (5) Caster Rice, (6) Ewin Rice. Anderson Rice married Emily Napier and had these children: (1) Bertha Rice, (2) Robert Rice, (3) Fannie Rice, (4) Lucy Rice. John L. Saylor married Margaret Miracle and had these children: (1) Gillis Saylor, (2) Elijah Saylor, (3) Joe Saylor, (4) Nellie Saylor, (5) Mary Saylor, (6) Maggie Saylor. Simeon Chappell narried Sidney York, daughter of Dennis York, and had three children: (1) Ellen Chappell, (2) John S. Chappell, (3) Will Chappell. Murph Elliott married Margaret Napier and had three children: (1) Jim Elliott, (2) Bob Elliott, (3) Rev. Cam Elliott, a Baptist preacher. A.J. Asher, a brother of T. J. Asher, lived near the mouth of Straight Creek and had five children: (1) Chesney Knuckles, (2) Bennett Asher, (3) Hettie Hodges, (4) Lindsay Asher, (5) Margaret Asher. Simon Delph was reared on Spring Creek of Red Bird Creek, moved to Straight Creek in 1891, and went to Whitley County in 1899. Joshua Delph, 1854-1931, father of Simon Delph, married Lucinda Sizemore (1853-), and they had six children: (1) Simon Delph (1876-), (2) Nancy Delph (1878-), (3) Sarah Delph (1881-), (4) Ollie Delph (1884-1905), (5) Litha Delph (1887-), (6) G. C. Delph (1896-). Simon Delphs grandfather moved from Hancock County, Tennessee, to Goose Creek in Clay County, Kentucky, in 1859. Harvey Delph (1824-1914) married Mary Irwin (1825-1912) and had eight children: (1) Alexander Delph, (2) James Delph, (3) Joshua Edward Delph, (4) Albert Delph, (5) John Delph, (6) Nancy Sizemore, (7) George Delph, (8) Gilbert Delph. Harvey Delph later moved to Spring Creek, waters of Red Bird Creek in 1861. Jacob Delph (1800-1905), father of Harvey Delph, was born in Grayson County, Virginia, and died in Lee County, Virginia. Jacobs wife was a Baker. Daniel Delph (1765-1855) came from Germany or Holland and settled in Grayson County, Virginia, lived and died there. Simon Delph, a son of Joshua Delph, was County Superintendent of the schools of Bell County 1910-1918, and, before that time, had been a teacher in the Bell County Schools for many years. Since his time expired as County Superintendent he has been teaching in the schools of Bell County. He has been a valuable asset to the schools of Bell County for over a quarter of a century. He is well educated, aggressive, and thorough in all of his work, and his influence on the school system of Bell County will be felt a long time after he has passed from the scene, Simon Delph was married twice: I. Sarah Fuson, daughter of James R. Fuson: (1) Lillian Delph, who married Dr. H. W. Terrell, of Corbin, Kentucky; II. Rosa Knuckles, daughter of C. C. Knuckles (no children by second marriage). The Delphs live at Ferndale, Kentucky. Judge John Greens father was Elijah Green, son of Lewis Green. Judge Green was County Judge of Bell County and lived in Pineville for many years before his death as an old man. Mose Dorton, for whom Dorton Branch was named, settled in the early days on Dorton Branch. Bill North lived at the mouth of Straight Creek, across from Pineville proper. He had two sons: (1) Millard North, who was County Court Clerk of Bell County, and (2) Grant North who was County Superintendent of Bell County. Bill North was the second County Superintendent of Bell County (then Josh Bell County, and the office was called Commissioner). Samuel B. Napier, who lived on the Left Fork of Straight Creek, was born September 11, 1876, and married: 1. Maude Slusher: (1) Tressie Napier, (2) Richard Napier; (3) Cleveland Napier; II. Minnie Brachett: (4) Venus Napier, (5) Lonnie B. Napier, (6) Virginia Napier, (7) Eugene Napier. The mother of Samuel B. Napier was Jane Napier, and her children were as follows: (1) Hiskel Napier, (2) S. B. Napier, (3) Alec Napier, (4) Mary Napier. The grandfather of Samuel B. Napier was Joe Napier and his grandmother was Sallie McConkle, and there were born to them: (1) Jane Napier, (2) George Napier, (3) Pence Napier, (4) Robert Napier, (5) Frank Napier, (6) Sam Napier, (7) Annie Napier.” M. F. Knuckles, born February 13, 1894, married Lydia Green, born August 21, 1892, and to them were born nine children: (1) Della Knuckles, July 16, 1917, who married Paris Doan, (2) Thomas C. Knuckles, March 7, 1919, (3) Oscar Knuckles, March 2, 1921, (4) Brownlee Knuckles, May 2, 1923, (5) Roberta Knuckles, February 13, 1925, (6) Ruby Knuckles, 1917, (7) Cecil Knuckles, 1929, (8) Franklin D. Knuckles, 1931, (9) Paul L. Knuckles, December, 1933.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:49:47 +0000
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