Some of my
greatest genealogical finds have been in old newspapers. News items put flesh on the bone of our ancestors
and fill in the gaps in our history. Small town newspapers are preferred as
they never seem to lack for space in reporting the ordinary as well as the
extraordinary. Here are some of the items I've found recently.
"Mr.
Peter H. Conant, of Smithland, Ky., is now in his eighty-second year, and is
well-preserved and as hale and hearty as if only in the fifties. He built and
owned several steamers before the war, and is well known to the Cumberland
river fraternity."[1]
Another
Smithland citizen was mentioned here: "Capt. James W. Drury, aged about
75, died at Smithland last Monday, after a few days' illness of pneumonia. It
was said that he was the first male born in that ancient city. He commenced his
steamboat career as carpenter and was on many of the boats in the early times
that ran up the Cumberland. He rose to be a pilot, mate and captain, and was
with Capt. Josh V. Throop on several of his boats as mate and pilot. Among them
were the Magyar, Countess and Helen Marr. The last boat Capt. Drury had charge
of was the I.L. Hyatt, during the war. His wife, two daughters and a son
survive him."[2]
From
Crittenden County, we find this: "Martin Gahagan, of Weston, is one of the
interesting characters of the county. He was a pleasant caller at the Press office Monday and informed us that
he was in his eighty-third year and enjoying fine health. He came from
Pennsylvania to this county sixty years ago, and is of Dutch extraction. He
lost his wife several years ago, and lives alone on a fine farm near the Ohio
River, and does his own housework and cooking. He seems as bright and happy as
a boy and looks twenty-five years younger than he is. He has taken the Press over a quarter of a century."[3]
Flooding is
not new to western Kentucky. "Smithland in Ruins. Our news yesterday from
Smithland, Ky., is of the most distressing character. Almost the entire town is
inundated, and up the main street the current is said to run so swift that it
is impossible to row a canoe against it. Some of the houses are already washed
away, and many more, it is expected, will fall or be washed away soon. The
people are doing the best they can in the way of providing homes for
themselves. The court-house is full of families driven from their homes and taking
refuge wherever they can find it. This is sad news from our neighbors of
Smithland."[4]
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