K
King Ghidora
Guest
As some of you know a thread with a lot of interesting information in it was deleted recently. I'd like to add some things to that discussion that weren't mentioned before. Some of the stuff I mention here was posted already. The last parts here were not posted in the previous thread so those who have read the info from my ancestors letter might want to skip to the new section. I'll put a divider in to identify what is new after what has already been posted before.
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George McDavid and Mary Blevins, McDavid
George and Mary were living in Scott Co. Virginia in 1827 when they had a visitor Col. Andrew Kitchen, from Kentucky, who was looking for a place to lodge for the night on his way to Greenbrier Co. Va. where both had lived and were friends. Col. Kitchen stayed all night at George’s home. He told George and Mary of the rich bottoms lands, rolling lands, and hills with plenty of timber, plenty of wild game and buy cheap land. They listened carefully and decided a man could have all he wanted.
When Col. Kitchen left the next morning to continue his journey to Greenbrier Co. he told George and Mary if they wanted to go to Ky. to be prepared on his way back, they could travel with him. Col. Kitchen departed on his journey. George and Mary began packing what they needed to take with them and prepared the children. They built a raft to float down the Big Sandy River and loaded it with a few small household items their only clothing were the ones they were wearing. When Col. Kitchen arrived back at their home in Scott Co. George, Mary, George’s Mother, Martha Wilson, McDavid, seven children and the bear dog were waiting for him. (George’s father Patrick McDavid was already dead). They floated the raft and the family rode George’s through-bred horses along the river to keep a watchful eye on the raft.
They settled in Cherokee, Lawrence Co. Kentucky. But they soon purchased a farm by the Little Fork of the Big Sandy water stream on a large farm containing over seven hundred acres. In 1838 Carter Co. was developed a portion was in Lawrence County, and the rest in Carter Co. In 1868 Elliott Co. was developed and the farm was now in three counties where George and Mary remained for the rest of their lives.
George, his two sons James, John and with the help of the Kitchen family they soon had a their two room Log Cabin built, one room downstairs and one room upstairs.
It was heavy forest and they could not allow the children to roam outside for fear of their becoming lost or endangered by wild animals, which were always near by.
George soon built a fence of tree limbs standing high on their ends and tied together with raw hide.
The land was cleared, Game was hunted, garden and crops were planted, and greens were picked and cooked over open fire. The wild game killed for personal consumption was hung from the rafters in the loft. Panthers and wildcats would roam and scream near by because they could not get to the fresh meat.
The noises terrified the children.
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This farm purchased for $500.00 from John and Mary Lester who soon left for Illinois and promised to send George the deed for the farm. After some time became anxious, since George’s brother, William lived in Montgomery Co. Illinois near where John and Mary Lester lived. George decided to go to his brothers in Illinois. George and William made a plan to drive John Lester into the Ohio River if he did get his deed. The two approached Mr. Lester and told him of their plan. There was no other alternative but to kill him.
Needless to say George got his deed. It was dated 25 January 1832, made in Montgomery Co. Illinois.
George was the son of Patrick and Martha Wilson, McDavid. He was the grandson of George McDavid in Rockbridge Co. and Lunenburg Co. Virginia. His great grandparents: James McDavid and Mary Ann Allen, McDavid of Lunenburg Co. James, his wife, and sons Patrick, John, George, and one daughter name unknown, immigrated from Ireland about 1728. James born 1680, Glinsk Castle, Ireland died 1748 at Cub Creek Lunenburg County. His will was probated 1748.
George’s maternal grand parents were Samuel and Martha Wilson. Samuel Wilson’s will was probated May 1760, Augusta Co. Virginia.
Mary Blevins of Cherokee Indian descent was the daughter of Daniel and Sarah Blevins.
George born 1788 in Greenbrier Co. Va., died 14 February 1875, Elliott Co. Ky. married 1812 Mary Blevins born 1800 in Tennessee, died 14 March 1860, Elliott Co. Ky. Their issue as follows:
1. Lucinda “Lucy” married John Armstrong.
2. James married Nannie Eastham.
3. John married Millie Armstrong.
4. Mary Elizabeth “Betty” married Jesse Sloas.
5. Samuel Wilson married Elizabeth Eastham, sister to Nanny.
6. Nancy married Benjamin Sturgill, he died she married second Archie Griffith,
7. Daniel married Elizabeth “Betty” Sturgill, sister to Benjamin Sturgill.
8. Martha married William Bush, he died she married second Jacob Porter.
These children all lived in Carter and Elliott Co. Ky. and died there except James he lived on the property in Lawrence Co.
George was a man of honor and his descendants have followed his ideals.
George, Mary and all their children except Lucy and Samuel are buried in the McDavid Cemetery in Elliott Co. across the road from George’s house. The house is now gone.
Lucy is buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery near Olive Hill in Carter Co. and Samuel was buried on Deer Creek but moved to Grayson when the Army Corps of Engineers was building Grayson Lake.
George loved to hunt. He would lie out all night, under a tree on a bed of leaves under a tree with his feist dog nearby, waiting for daylight to kill a raccoon.
While hunting one cold morning at the head of a hollow, Cliffs all around, walked upon a panther. It was cowed down, hair raised, George hollered. It set back this gave George an opportunity to shoot it. It measured nine feet from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail.
On one of George’s bear hunting trips he shot a bear. It didn’t die but crawled off into a thicket. While George was looking for it with his feist dog, tracking the blood he got his foot caught in some vines. He almost fell in a ravine on top of the bear. It raised up and could have killed George, but the dog saved George’s life by barking and biting the bear causing it to turn on the dog. This gave George the
opportunity to get far enough away to load his muzzle gun and to shoot the bear again.
George and Mary kept a heavy quilt hung over the doors and windows in cold weather to keep the cold air from coming in through the cracks around the doors and windows. The feist dog lay on the quilt at the bottom of the door to keep anyone or anything from entering.
Grandpa Frank McDavid slept with his grandfather, George, when he was a small boy and said, “George was a spare made man, had deep blue eyes, black hair and nice looking.” George died at 87 years; even in his eighties would go to the creek to wash the year around. During the winter when the water was frozen he would take an ax and chop a hole in the ice to wash.
Mary took her homespun clothing to the creek to wash them the year around by beating them with a stick and washing by hand.
George kept sheep under the rock cliffs for shelter. He was a farmer, Hunter, and a hat maker. He spun wool into a cone shape, then block out the crown and brim. For a century after George was dead men were still wearing his hats.
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I have a feist myself partly because of this story about my ancestors. But we also had one when I was a kid but only for a short time. We were keeping it for someone while they were away for a while. I learned to love those dogs then. They are built like greyhounds almost and nearly as quick. I've watched mine run circles around my cats that were running full speed trying to get away from him. He wouldn't even get close to them but they absolutely could not outrun him and that is very unusual.
Some things just never change I guess. Too bad my feist came from a shelter and is really messed up in the head. They're almost always independent dogs but mine is exceptionally so. He gets in a lot of trouble because of that and he doesn't take criticism well at all. Still I think I can make an excellent squirrel dog out of him eventually. I have made some progress in that area.
Jeff
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George McDavid and Mary Blevins, McDavid
George and Mary were living in Scott Co. Virginia in 1827 when they had a visitor Col. Andrew Kitchen, from Kentucky, who was looking for a place to lodge for the night on his way to Greenbrier Co. Va. where both had lived and were friends. Col. Kitchen stayed all night at George’s home. He told George and Mary of the rich bottoms lands, rolling lands, and hills with plenty of timber, plenty of wild game and buy cheap land. They listened carefully and decided a man could have all he wanted.
When Col. Kitchen left the next morning to continue his journey to Greenbrier Co. he told George and Mary if they wanted to go to Ky. to be prepared on his way back, they could travel with him. Col. Kitchen departed on his journey. George and Mary began packing what they needed to take with them and prepared the children. They built a raft to float down the Big Sandy River and loaded it with a few small household items their only clothing were the ones they were wearing. When Col. Kitchen arrived back at their home in Scott Co. George, Mary, George’s Mother, Martha Wilson, McDavid, seven children and the bear dog were waiting for him. (George’s father Patrick McDavid was already dead). They floated the raft and the family rode George’s through-bred horses along the river to keep a watchful eye on the raft.
They settled in Cherokee, Lawrence Co. Kentucky. But they soon purchased a farm by the Little Fork of the Big Sandy water stream on a large farm containing over seven hundred acres. In 1838 Carter Co. was developed a portion was in Lawrence County, and the rest in Carter Co. In 1868 Elliott Co. was developed and the farm was now in three counties where George and Mary remained for the rest of their lives.
George, his two sons James, John and with the help of the Kitchen family they soon had a their two room Log Cabin built, one room downstairs and one room upstairs.
It was heavy forest and they could not allow the children to roam outside for fear of their becoming lost or endangered by wild animals, which were always near by.
George soon built a fence of tree limbs standing high on their ends and tied together with raw hide.
The land was cleared, Game was hunted, garden and crops were planted, and greens were picked and cooked over open fire. The wild game killed for personal consumption was hung from the rafters in the loft. Panthers and wildcats would roam and scream near by because they could not get to the fresh meat.
The noises terrified the children.
--------------------------------------------------------------
This farm purchased for $500.00 from John and Mary Lester who soon left for Illinois and promised to send George the deed for the farm. After some time became anxious, since George’s brother, William lived in Montgomery Co. Illinois near where John and Mary Lester lived. George decided to go to his brothers in Illinois. George and William made a plan to drive John Lester into the Ohio River if he did get his deed. The two approached Mr. Lester and told him of their plan. There was no other alternative but to kill him.
Needless to say George got his deed. It was dated 25 January 1832, made in Montgomery Co. Illinois.
George was the son of Patrick and Martha Wilson, McDavid. He was the grandson of George McDavid in Rockbridge Co. and Lunenburg Co. Virginia. His great grandparents: James McDavid and Mary Ann Allen, McDavid of Lunenburg Co. James, his wife, and sons Patrick, John, George, and one daughter name unknown, immigrated from Ireland about 1728. James born 1680, Glinsk Castle, Ireland died 1748 at Cub Creek Lunenburg County. His will was probated 1748.
George’s maternal grand parents were Samuel and Martha Wilson. Samuel Wilson’s will was probated May 1760, Augusta Co. Virginia.
Mary Blevins of Cherokee Indian descent was the daughter of Daniel and Sarah Blevins.
George born 1788 in Greenbrier Co. Va., died 14 February 1875, Elliott Co. Ky. married 1812 Mary Blevins born 1800 in Tennessee, died 14 March 1860, Elliott Co. Ky. Their issue as follows:
1. Lucinda “Lucy” married John Armstrong.
2. James married Nannie Eastham.
3. John married Millie Armstrong.
4. Mary Elizabeth “Betty” married Jesse Sloas.
5. Samuel Wilson married Elizabeth Eastham, sister to Nanny.
6. Nancy married Benjamin Sturgill, he died she married second Archie Griffith,
7. Daniel married Elizabeth “Betty” Sturgill, sister to Benjamin Sturgill.
8. Martha married William Bush, he died she married second Jacob Porter.
These children all lived in Carter and Elliott Co. Ky. and died there except James he lived on the property in Lawrence Co.
George was a man of honor and his descendants have followed his ideals.
George, Mary and all their children except Lucy and Samuel are buried in the McDavid Cemetery in Elliott Co. across the road from George’s house. The house is now gone.
Lucy is buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery near Olive Hill in Carter Co. and Samuel was buried on Deer Creek but moved to Grayson when the Army Corps of Engineers was building Grayson Lake.
George loved to hunt. He would lie out all night, under a tree on a bed of leaves under a tree with his feist dog nearby, waiting for daylight to kill a raccoon.
While hunting one cold morning at the head of a hollow, Cliffs all around, walked upon a panther. It was cowed down, hair raised, George hollered. It set back this gave George an opportunity to shoot it. It measured nine feet from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail.
On one of George’s bear hunting trips he shot a bear. It didn’t die but crawled off into a thicket. While George was looking for it with his feist dog, tracking the blood he got his foot caught in some vines. He almost fell in a ravine on top of the bear. It raised up and could have killed George, but the dog saved George’s life by barking and biting the bear causing it to turn on the dog. This gave George the
opportunity to get far enough away to load his muzzle gun and to shoot the bear again.
George and Mary kept a heavy quilt hung over the doors and windows in cold weather to keep the cold air from coming in through the cracks around the doors and windows. The feist dog lay on the quilt at the bottom of the door to keep anyone or anything from entering.
Grandpa Frank McDavid slept with his grandfather, George, when he was a small boy and said, “George was a spare made man, had deep blue eyes, black hair and nice looking.” George died at 87 years; even in his eighties would go to the creek to wash the year around. During the winter when the water was frozen he would take an ax and chop a hole in the ice to wash.
Mary took her homespun clothing to the creek to wash them the year around by beating them with a stick and washing by hand.
George kept sheep under the rock cliffs for shelter. He was a farmer, Hunter, and a hat maker. He spun wool into a cone shape, then block out the crown and brim. For a century after George was dead men were still wearing his hats.
--------------------------------------------------------------
I have a feist myself partly because of this story about my ancestors. But we also had one when I was a kid but only for a short time. We were keeping it for someone while they were away for a while. I learned to love those dogs then. They are built like greyhounds almost and nearly as quick. I've watched mine run circles around my cats that were running full speed trying to get away from him. He wouldn't even get close to them but they absolutely could not outrun him and that is very unusual.
Some things just never change I guess. Too bad my feist came from a shelter and is really messed up in the head. They're almost always independent dogs but mine is exceptionally so. He gets in a lot of trouble because of that and he doesn't take criticism well at all. Still I think I can make an excellent squirrel dog out of him eventually. I have made some progress in that area.
Jeff