She Saw Three Wars

 Mary Fisher, daughter of George Fisher and Sarah Vaughn, was a young woman when the Civil War broke out and probably knew the young men who enlisted from her western Kentucky neighborhood. That was not the last time she would witness men leaving home to fight in a war. When she was middle-aged, newly-enlisted soldiers left to fight in the Spanish American War and, finally, when she was an old woman, the Great War (World War I) called men to fight in Europe.

But what could a woman do? A woman's work was at home.  Her job was to help on the farm, rear the children to be God-fearing, honest citizens and hope they survived whichever war was being fought.

Mary was twice married, but had no children of her own. By her first marriage to Columbus O. Barnett on 27 November 1866, she was called on to rear his five children by his first wife, Adelina E. Stephens, with the children ranging in age from eight down to one. The marriage of Mary and C.O. Barnett ended with his death in 1871. His father, Samuel S. Barnett was appointed guardian of the children and they went to live with him.

On 19 December 1875, Mary married William B. Hosick, who was 20 years her senior. The 1880 Livingston County census shows William B. and Mary Hosick living in Carrsville. Living with them were William D. Hosick and Mary's brother and sister, Martin V.L.B. Fisher and Catherine Johnson.

William B. Hosick died 21 June 1901 and is buried near his first wife, Mary Cope, in Hosick Cemetery #1 in Lola, Kentucky. Mary Fisher Hosick died 19 June 1919 and is buried in New Union (Ditney) Cemetery near Lola. Her tombstone is surrounded by four rocks which possibly mark the graves of her siblings,

Mary F.

Hosick

Dec. 20, 1841

June 20, 1919

Gone but not

forgotten

Originally published 2 Apr 2015, repeated 10 Apr 2024, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.com/

Rules for the County Jailer 1875

 Being the Jailer in 1875 in Lyon County, Kentucky consisted of more than carrying the keys to the cells. Other duties were required and were spelled out in a document found  among loose county court papers in the courthouse in Eddyville. How do these rules compare to the duties of present-day jailers?

Rules for the government of the Jailer

"The Jailer is required to Keep the Jail perfectly clean, & suffer no filth of any Kind to accumulate in or about it.

He is required to clean out the privy valt [sic], or Sink, under the Jail, immediately and as often as may be necessary to prevent a stench in the Jail.

He is required to whitewash both the upper and lower cells and to use in the cells and in the Sink under the Jail, chloride of lime or other disinfect out in such quantities and often enough to destroy the Scent and purify the air of the Jail.

He is required to Keep the clothing and bedding of prisoners perfectly clean.

He is directed to feed the prisoners confined in the Jail at regular intervals three times a day with a sufficiency of wholesome food and to keep them supplied with fresh water."

Filed in open Court and ordered to be spread at large upon the order book of this court and delivered to the Jailer April 26, 1875.

Originally published in the Wesstern Kentucky Genealogy Blog 20 Feb 2020 and re-published 6 Mar 2024.

William N. St. John - Steamboatman

The first appearance of William N. St. John by name is on the 1850 Livingston County census record when he was living in a household headed by Nancy St. John. William was 19 years old, an engineer and was born in Illinois. Nancy was 60 years old and born in Virginia. Was she his mother - very possibly. Both of them may have been part of the family of an older William St. John, who is found on the 1840 Livingston County census.  Ann Jane St. John, who married G.W. Burton[1], and P.M. St. John, who married Lavenia Wilson[2], were likely siblings of William N. St. John. There should have been more siblings.

William N. St. John married Serena Smith, daughter of Samuel Smith, 16 December 1856[3] at New Liberty, Pope County, Illinois. They were living in Livingston County in 1860 with their 2-year-old daughter, Laura. William N. continued to work on the river and was listed as a steam boat engineer.

By 1870, the St. John  family had moved to Evansville, which was the center of riverboat traffic in the area.  William was now listed as a river boat pilot. They did not stay long in Evansville, but returned to Livingston County before 1880.

William and Serena St. John had a number of children, including the following who appeared on the 1880 census:  Laura, Jennett, William N., Joel, Alice B., Cora, Daisy, Lilly, Violet and Charles.

A small article in the River News of an Evansville newspaper recorded the death of William St. John. It stated the following:  "The remains of Capt. Wm. St. John, who died at Paducah on Sunday, were taken to Smithland for burial. Capt. St. John was at one time a well known Cumberland river steamboatman. He resided in this city some years ago, and has many friends here who will be pained to learn of his death."[4]

William N. St. John's monument marks his burial spot in Smithland Cemetery. His wife, Serena, is buried in Maplelawn Cemetery in Paducah.

Wm. N. St. John

Died

Nov. 23, 1884

Aged

51 yr's., 9 mo's.

Buried Smithland Cemetery

Smithland, Kentucky

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[1] Joyce McCandless Woodyard. Livingston County, Kentucky Marriage Records Including Marriages of Freedmen, Vol. II, (Evansville, IN:Evansville Bindery) 1994, p 19-20.

[2] Kentucky Death Certificate #16598 (1923) of Mattie B. Hill identifies her parents as Martin [sic] St. John and Louvenia Wilson.

[3] Judy Foreman Lee & Carolyn Cromeenes Foss. Pope County, Illinois Marriage Books A-E 1813-1877 Vol. 1, (Evansville, IN:Evansville Bindery) 1990, p. 57

[4] "River News," Evansville Daily Courier, Tues., 29 November 1884, p. 3.

Originally published 17 September 2015, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/  Reprinted 7 Feb 2024

Gone Fishing

 

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas from Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog

Destructive Fire at Smithland 1875

 From the Evansville, Indiana Courier, 15 Oct 1875.

A special telegram to the Courier, received last night, brings the particulars of a disastrous conflagration that occurred in Smithland, Kentucky, on Monday evening, in which two fine store rooms were burned and a complete stock of goods destroyed. The fire originated in an old, unoccupied dwelling adjoining the store of Mr. Tom Leech.  The flames communicated to the store and from thence to T.T. Cochran’s establishment, both of which were destroyed. Leech’s entire stock was destroyed before the flames could be extinguished, and the goods of Cochran were only secured after being somewhat damaged. The entire loss will exceed $10,000,  upon which there was little or no insurance. The work is supposed to be that of an incendiary.

Published 15 Dec 2023, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog. httyp://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Livingston County's Bowie Family Connection

Jim Bowie, who is often associated with the Bowie knife and who was killed at the Alamo in 1836, spent part of the fourth year of his life with his family in Livingston County, Kentucky. Rezin Bowie, Jim's father, can be found on the 1800 Livingston County tax list and was appointed appraiser of the estate of John Clark deceased that same year.[1]

The Bowie family came to Livingston County from Logan County, Kentucky, where Jim was born. After staying in Livingston County a short time, the family moved on to District of New Madrid (Missouri) and  about 1802 moved on to Louisiana.  You can read more about Jim Bowie Here

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[1] Livingston County Court Order Book A, no pagination, 25 Mar 1800.

Originally published 5 Feb 2016. Published again 11 Dec 2023.

http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/