Magic Needle

The summer months were freedom. After nine months in the slammer (some called this school), the summer was a joy. On a good day, not storming or too hot, our neighborhood gang would start the day anywhere between eight and ten in the morning. Quaker Oats or a large bowl of
Cheerios's would go a long way into the day. Who ever was the first up and running generally got to pick the activity of the day.

We usually played "army" at least once a day where you divided up into teams and had "seek and destroy missions". It was really like hide and seek only when you found someone on the other side you shot them, or at least shot at them, while you raced between hiding place to hiding place. We always seemed to use the terms "you can't hit a moving target" in order to not get killed, although once you agreed you were killed, you had to sit out until there was only one standing. We all had our favorite guns, and army outfits. Mine of course was the best since uncle Gayle had given me his army belt, army helmet, and army compass. The compass was amazing. It had a way that you could open it up and look down a image finder to direct your path. The needle would move about a circular field of gold colored letters and numbers directing east, northeast, north northeast, and all kinds of places. The gang always loved to watch it spin, and each would take a turn holding the magic needle. Which direction would it point?

I have lost all contact with those guys. I suspect some have died, and most by now are ready to retire. The direction in life for each of us was certainly different, but on those summer days of freedom, the compass pointed us in the right direction.

Make Love Not War

The Civil War years found W.C. Jones in Madison Co., KY having children. Or I should say that Elizabeth Isabel (nee Adams) was having the children, and W.C. was there at each beginning. Children were born 1860 (William Younger Jones), 1862 (Amanda Elizabeth Jones), 1864 (Lorena Isabell Jones), and 1866 (Jacksin Martin Jones). On the other hand, W.C.'s little brother made war.

Benjamin Harrison Jones was born in Clark Co., KY 2 Feb. 1838. Ben. was raised on the family farm 4 Mile Creek and according to History of Kentucky Illustrated, Edition 8-B, p.892, he had a common-school education. He lived on the family farm and helped his Dad, Thomas, until 10 Sept. 1862, when he enlisted in the Confederate Army, Roll of Company C, 11th Regiment Cavalry, under Gen. John Hunt Morgan. In the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky-Civil War, Vol. II, Confederatep.82, he is 16th in line, given as "4th Corportal". There are 73 names given, all but seven being from Clark Co. Ky. The captain of this company was Andrew Jackson Bruner. Ben. was captured at Buffington Island following the most famous John Hunt Morgan raid into Indiana and Ohio recorded in great detail inThe Longest Raid of the Civil Warby Hortwitz. Ben. spent twenty-one months as a prisoner of war. He returned to Clark Co., and in 1866 he married Amelia S. Cunningham (nee Donaldson). He is recored to have been a strict Presbyterian and Democrat. The final statement in "Biographical Sketches" records: "He owns 145 acres of fine land, is popular and public-spirited, and enjoys the respect and cofidence of all who fall within the sphere of his acquaintance." Way to go Ben. in spite of making war.

Farmer Jones

The parents of W.C. Jones were Thomas Jones (b.1796 in Virginia) and Sallie Chisolm (Chism)(Chisholm) (b. 1804 in Kentucky) Thomas and Sallie were married 20 Dec. 1823 in Clark Co.,KY by a Baptist minister named Edward Kindred. The Baptist movement had a great deal to do with the early settlement of Kentucky, and many of the pioneer families in central Kentucky were Baptist. Many families came from Virginia because at this time it was against Virginia Law to preach without a minister's licence. Of course the only ministers approved by Virginia were of the Church of England. Therefore, many other "ministers" were arrested and persecuted by the authorities of the correct denomination. A Richard Jones, most likely Thomas' older brother, had married a Nancy Chisolm (23 March 1817) who was the sister of Sallie. Richard had come into Kentucky with a Baptist group headed by William Bush. Their marriage was done by James Quisenberry another Baptist minister.

Thomas and Sallie are found in the 1830 census with two boys and two girls. W.C. was four years old and a male child less than five is given. The 1840 census shows seven children, 4 boys and 3 girls. His farm land was on 4 Mile Creek next to William Adams (father of W.C.'s wife Elizabeth Adams), and William Bledsoe who was the grandfather of Elizabeth and the great grandfather of W.C. The 1850 Census gives his age as 54 and Sally being 46. Five children are still at home, but W.C. had just married and moved into his wife's family home. Thomas is listed as "Farmer".
This census also had Thomas born in Kentucky which was an error. This error cost me about ten years of genealogy research by looking in the wrong state! The 1830, 1840, and 1860 census show Virginia, but I started with the 1850 census which directed me to Kentucky. I went through every other Jones family in Clark County during this time period with no match. This casused me to check the other census which gave the correct State of Virginia. If only I had started with the 1840 census.

The 1860 census is the last to list Thomas and Sally with three children still at home. W.C.'s little brother Benjamin Harrison Jones is given as 22 years and "farm laborer". He must have been helping his Dad (Thomas) on the farm. This Benjamin is soon to join the Confederate Calvary (11th Kentucky) under John Hunt Morgan and spent 22 months as a prisoner of war in Indianapolis, IN, but that's another story.

Otter Creek

The fourth creek to have an impact upon my family's story was Otter Creek. After Richard Henderson was denied his investment into the foundation of Kentucky on 4 November, 1778, he registered surveys for 1400 acres on Otter Creek. This was just a hop, skip, and jump from the fort he established as part of his Transylvania Company. The surveys were dated 9 Feb. 1780 and 23 June 1780. The picture above again shows the Kentucky River (colored blue) and the outline of Otter Creek (colored orange). The little tags naming the rivers are scaled to represent three miles distance. The small pencil dot northwest of the mouth of Otter Creek is the location of fort Boonesborough. He did not move far up stream. The second picture shows a copy made by Richard Henderson himself of the fort he was responsible for building. A copy of his very signature is shown in the middle of the drawing. Henderson's cabin is of course numbered 1 and his kitchen is number 3. The original papers are now in possession of the Wisconsin Historical Library.

So there you have it. The Rivers were the roadways to our families' lands. Henderson on Otter Creek (my great grand mother's line), Jones on 4 Mile Creek (my Dad's family), Ewen on Red River (my Mom's side of the family)and at lot of others in between.

Our House, In the Middle of the Street

My side of Vine street was a little higher than where the cattle trucks parked on stock day. The sewer drain which collected all the rain water run off was in front of our house. This low point was where the asphalt road and sidewalk joined, and a thick metal grill kept you from falling into the drain. It was the lowest point on our side of the street, but the road raised slightly to the middle of the street, so about half the drainage would go to the other side, and half would come to our drain. [I suspected this is also where the water passing through our basement would end up.] You came up a slight incline from Broadway to where Vine Street leveled for a while right in front of our house. It then climbed more sharply, to Washington Street. The top of the hill offered a side walk which could be used to great advantage on a tricycle except, there were several places that were broken apart, and made navigation somewhat difficult. I was ordered not to ride in the street and that was generally a good idea, so I got pretty successful at maneuvering around the broken bits of concrete.

There were seven houses on our side, and five houses on the opposite side. Old man Elkin's house actually faced Broadway, but it was so far back from Broadway, it's back fence ran along the Frazer's house next to our house. Mr. Hill's house was next to ours, followed by the Well's, Powell's, and Hatton's houses. Occasionally there was a trailer placed at the end of the street, and would be tucked behind a 5-6 foot retaining wall that made a perfect spot for throwing snowballs at passing cars during the winter "out of school" days. We would have several days a winter where school was canceled, and this was always a bonus living in Kentucky.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

The neighborhood around our house was a little different than most neighborhoods. This was because the Winchester Stock Yards lived only 1/2 block south. To get there, you had to pass over four sets of railroad tracts that crossed Broadway at the junction of Vine Street. Just across the tracks on the left side of the street, heading into town, stood a large feed store. The front had a wooden stage that extended out to a gravel entrance where trucks could back up and load large bags of feed. There was a narrow gravel drive between the feed store and the side of the two story entrance at the front of the stockyards. This drive was often my entrance to the wonderful world of unusual sounds, all kinds of animals, and all kinds of smells!

The front of the stockyards had a dramatic looking, concrete, driveway, with the structure built around and over it. Two large rooms (I guess offices) stood on each side, with the roof coming to a point some two stories above. Can you imagine, right down the middle of the building, giving the impression you could drive directly into the guts of the place without batting an eye. I don't recall seeing anyone actually drive into this entrance, so I guess it was mostly for show.

The real action took place at the unloading docks which stool next. There must have been at least six fenced stalls where a cattle truck would back up to unload their animal cargo. I always got a laugh at watching the farmers try and get their cows off their trucks. I learned a few colorful terms which were being thrown about during this time.

Stock Day was usually Thursday, and the stock trucks would line up and down Vine Street waiting for their turn to unload. They had to park on the side opposite our house, and at times would line up like aircraft on a busy runway. You had to be careful while playing on that side of the street because you never knew when one of critters had to relieve themselves. Dodge ball was not a good game to play on Thursdays.

25 Vine Street

The house at 25 Vine street was nothing special. Two bedrooms, one bath, living room, kitchen, and dining room all squeezed into 900 square feet. There was a full basement that must have been built over a spring of some sort, for every time it rained there was a constant flow of water from the back side to the front side which exited a small drain at the front of the basement wall. We would get quite a bit of water at heavy rains. It was always a fun place to play during a heavy rain for the back wall had a few places which poured out like a facet and would provide a rapid river for my toy boats. You had to keep your boxes off the ground most of the time for it frequently rain in Kentucky.

The upstairs was of course dry. The living room face the street, and a large picture window stood proudly facing west where the afternoon sun would beam through. Here we placed our Christmas tree year after year. It was always one of those Kentucky cedar trees that smelled like Christmas was supposed to smell. A chimney stood at the south wall with a mantel shelf that held pictures and vases and things untill Christmas time, when it became a winter wounder land of cotton snow, reindeer, green trees, and of course Santa Clause and his sled. Mom loved to decorate for Christmas.

My brother and I shared a bed room and the bathroom stood between our bedroom and Mother and Dad's bedroom. How we managed to share a bathroom for almost 18 years with out killing one another is a miracle in itself. I don't ever remember fighting anyone for access, but being the baby of the family I must have been willing to wait my turn.

The kitchen was always a fun place to play, for cabinets lined the south wall where all kinds of adventures awaited. I would spend time arranging cans, boxes, potatoes sacks, and other food stuffs making forts and places for my army men to fight. Mammouth Cave had nothing over on me.

The dinning room was special, especially on Sundays after church. Mother would cook our Sunday meal and we would share this time as a family. Not that mother would not cook some other meals, but she worked outside the home during the week nights and Dad, my brother, and I had to cook for ourselves during the week nights. After eating a week of our meals, it was so good to get some of that Ewen cooking!

Like I say,there was nothing special about the house at 25 Vine Street except we lived there.

4 Mile Creek

William Carter Jones was the second of ten children. [Those Scottish women sure to how to have youngins!] The parents of W.C. were Thomas Jones (b. 1796) and Sallie (nee Chisholm) b. 1804. Thomas Jones was born in Spotysylvania County, VA where his father Nicholas Jones had moved after the close of the Revolutionary War. It was on 4 Mile Creek that Thomas had settled with his father and brothers. Here he married Sallie Chisholm 20 Dec 1823, and W.C. was born three years later.

It was on 4 Mile Creek that Timothy Ewen had his first land of 50 acres in 1795. Timothy Ewen was my great (x5)grandfather, and Timothy Jones was my great (x4) grandfather. Nicholas Jones who came to Kentucky in 1811 was the first Jones to have land on 4 Mile Creek and was my great (x5) grandfather on the Jones side. So I guess you could say my family started things on 4 Mile Creek! I grew up riding my "Western Flyer" past this land and playing in this creek, but I did not know that this was where it had all began some 200 years before my childhood days were done.

The drawing to the right shows 4 Mile Creek in relation to Red River and Kentucky River. It is colored green and runs northeast into Clark County. It was named 4 Mile Creek because it was four miles from Boonesborough where another grandfather had made his claim in 1774, Col. Richard Henderson my great (x6) grandfather. 4 Mile Creek was the beginning point.

The Mouth of Red River

Finding our Jones Family Cemetery where Mam maw had told me many years before was completing a quest. At the mouth of Red River, she said. The picture to the right is my attempt to show the junction of the Red River to the Kentucky. It is drawn to scale with north being directly to the top of the page. Red River is of course colored red! It runs almost due east into the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Up this river went my Ewen side, to settle along what is today called Ewen Creek. The Kentucky River is colored blue, and you can tell the snake like twists and turns that meander out of the mountains to the east. The distinctive "bend" just at the mouth of Red River is where the Jones family cemetery is located. This is called Maupin Bend on Kentucky maps of today, but it was Jones land at the start. The drawing also shows the relationship of the three counties that make the junction of Red River to the Kentucky River. North is Clark County. Southeast is Estill County. Southwest is Madison County. All three counties played a role in uniting many of my family members...Jones (Clark County, Madison County), Henderson (Madison County, Estill County), Ewen (Clark County, now Powell County), and Monroe (Clark County). All where around the mouth of Red River.

E.T. Phoned Home

The picture to the right shows the family of Edward Turner (E.T.) and Ellen (nee) Henderson. From left to right is E.T. and Ellen with Pap paws' older sister Nona. Pap paw would most likely still be in the oven, so the picture would have been taken before 1900. E.T.'s sister Amanda is shown with her family Osborne. She married Filmore Osborn. If you look closely, there is a set of twins with high buttoned coats. The next group is E.T's brother Benjamin Thomas Jones and his wife Susan Kenny. Benjamin certainly believed in beards. Pleasant Burger Poer make up the last family group, with Grandmaw Poer sitting among this group. His wife was Lorene Isabella (nee) Jones, another older sister to E.T. What a group. Twenty six people are in this family picture. No smiles are present, they were not invented yet.

Silent Slumber

It was October 1993, that my Dad and I finally got to stand before the grave of William Carter Jones. We had been trying to find this family cemetery for some twenty years. The mouth of the Red River was not accessible by road, and we had a difficult time trying to find out who owned the land. At the time W.C. lived here, the water was the highway. The Kentucky River and the Red River joined, and at this point, you could put a canoe in the water and head down stream to the Ohio River. The road crossed here, between Clark County and Madison County, and the Kentucky River was shallow enough that you could cross here in a buggy. Today, with the TVA and flood control, the River is damned, leaving the road no place to go but underwater. At the end of state road 977 [called Cain Springs road], at the very last gate to the right, is the access point to the grave yard. You can see a grave yard just inside the fence from the road, but this cemetery is not it. It is known as the Skinner Cemetery. You have to get out of the car and walk about 1/4 mile further around the bend until you see the Jones Cemetery. Half way up a gently slopping hill, facing the Kentucky River, is a 20 ft. by 20 ft. wrought iron fence. There are four graves in this plot.... Robert Allen Jones, b. 27 Feb. 1856, d. 3 Feb. 1894...Charles B. Jones, b. 17 Dec. 1867, d. 24 Oct. 1877...W.C. Jones b. 20 Oct. 1826, d. 4 Feb. 1902. There is also an unmarked headstone. The headstone of W.C. reads : "Peaceful be thy silent slumber"

20 Years Later

W.C. was the only name that Mam maw knew. He lived at the mouth of Red River. He played the fiddle, and loved to play cards. That was about it. All I was told at nine years of age while being sworn to secrecy. Little did I know that it would take some 20 years to find the grave of William Carter Jones, the father of E.T.(Edward Turner). There is of course a lot of story to 20 years of hunting, but just to show his picture with his wife, Elizabeth Isabella Adams is enough for now. He was born 20 Oct 1826 in Clark Co., Kentucky. Eliza was born 18 July 1829. They were married 21 Feb 1850 at Eliza's father's house, William Adams, in Winchester, KY. They were married by Rev. Andy Keith with witnesses being Nancy Jane Watts and Mason Haggard. They had eleven children with the oldest being born ten months later 6 Dec 1850. (No time wasted here.) E.T. was the baby being born some 23 years after his oldest sister. W.C. died 4 Feb 1902 and is buried in our family cemetery Madison Co., KY. Eliza died some years later 26 Feb 1919. She had a home on the corner of Broadway and Buckner Streets that I would pass each day walking to Hickman Street School. There was an iron fence surrounding this house that I would often run my hand down as I walked past. All those years of walking by, I never knew this was great, great, grandmaw's house at the end of her life. I never got it all figured out until some 20 years later. I would have at least waved at her if I had known.

In His Youth

The picture to the right shows the father of Ellen Dorcas Henderson in his youth. Nicknamed "Sonny" he was born 22 October 1843, and married Armilda (Millie) Berryman. Nicknames must have been popular during this period. Sonny is leaning back, hands crossed, and a certain sadness about his face. His legs are crossed and he almost seems resigned to his fate. His hair and beard are well kept, and his coat is buttoned high up the chest. Holding things in I guess. Pictures of life, what stories do they tell? He died 12 April 1908, and is buried next to his wife in the Winchester-Clark County Cemetery. I wish I had been able to ask him some questions about the Henderson Clan.

Clan Henderson The Dreamers

The parents of Ellen Dorcas Henderson were Abraham B. Henderson (called Sonny)b.22 Oct. 1843 in Estill Co., KY, and Armilda Berryman b.12 Jan. 1844. This was Sonny's second marriage and Ellen with her half-sister had been shown. Sonny's Dad, William Henderson had moved to Estill County before the 1830 census. William's Dad, Samuel Henderson was residing in Fayette County 1820 census and died 3 Oct 1844 just after William had married. Samuel's father was Richard Henderson who the younger son of none other than Col. Richard Henderson who bought Kentucky from the Cherokee Indians 17 March 1775. Can you believe it. My Henderson grandfather owned 20 million acres of what was to become Kentucky and Tennessee, before anyone else. Of course, this purchase and government called the Transylvania Company were short lived , but the Wilderness Trail and a fort called Boonesborough were a result of his planning. The colonies of Virginia, North Carolina, had something to say about this upstart from North Carolina. History has written very little about Col. Richard Henderson b. Hanover Co., VA 20 Apr 1735 and died broken hearted Hillborogh, NC, 30 Jan 1785. He sure had big dreams, and almost pulled it off. Our family knew how to have big dreams.

The picture to the right shows the Tartan of the Henderson Clan. The Henderson Clan had several branches in Scotland. Some of these Clan were not related, but carried the same name.

Our Smiles

Four generations later, smiles appear upon the faces. From stiff, not touching (Ellen and her older half-sister), to almost fearful, hold my hand (Pap paw's sisters), to let smiles be your umbrella (Dad, Mom, Henry, and me). The picture to the right was taken 1953. Around 70 years after no smiles, and around 50 years after doubtful smiles, to the 1950s where we all had smiles. My brother, was four years of age, and I was two years old when this picture was taken. Look at our eyes. What hope, what excitement, what anticipation seems to be there. What would the future hold for us. The house on Vine Street was just round the corner. [Literally, we had rented a house on Bucker Street, then Ashland Avenue, both were just around the corner to Vine.] WWII and the Korean War had just passed where guys Dad's age got killed. Mom had entered marriage at age 18 where by this age you had already put things together. This was my family. We loved. We fought. We laughed. We cried. We grew together for 18 years at that house at 25 Vine Street. All smiles...it took all the generations of our family to bring us to this point. Thank you, all the generations that had come before. Our smiles come through you.