Family Resemblance

In a previous post I mentioned Randy Ratliff's ancestor, Winright Adkins 1837 and how he was related to Jennie's ancestor, another Winright Adkins 1825.  The following is information on the family of Randy's ancestor:

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Winright ADKINS was born 1837  in Pike County, Kentucky, and died 1918.  He was buried in Winright Adkins Cemetery, Pike Co, Kentucky. He was the son of Winston ADKINS and Hannah COLEMAN.
Louisa EPLING was born 10 JAN 1845 in Pike County, Kentucky, and died 1 FEB 1927  in Pike County, Kentucky. She was buried in Winright Adkins Cemetery, Pike Co, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Zebekiah EPLING.

Children of Louisa EPLING and Winright ADKINS are:   

1. Perry ADKINS. He married Mero ABSHIRE. 
2. Tom ADKINS. He married Lillie BARTLEY. 
3. Floy ADKINS. He married Laura BARTLEY. 
4. John H. ADKINS. He married Libbie COLEMAN. 
5. Jim ADKINS. He married Bessie THORNSBURY. (Randy Ratliff's Great Grandparents) 
6. Alcie ADKINS. She married David COX, son of John COX and Amanda Judy ADKINS. He was born 1863 in Pike County, Kentucky. 
7. Clarinda Addie ADKINS was born 1871 in Pike County, Kentucky, and died 14 DEC 1897 in Pike County, Kentucky. She married William Drayton KENDRICK 10 DEC 1891 in Pike Co, Ky, son of Joseph Browning KENDRICK and Charity HART. He was born 5 DEC 1865 in Russell Co, Virginia, and died 4 AUG 1945 in Greasy Creek, Pike Co, KY. 
8. Laura ADKINS died 1910 in Pike County, Kentucky. She married McCelland JUSTICE. 
9. Ida ADKINS. She married Ol COLEMAN 21 APR 1898 in Pike Co, KY. He was born 7 OCT 1876  in Pike County, Kentucky, and died 14 JUL 1955 in Pike County, Kentucky. 
10. Hannah ADKINS. She married Andy LONG. 
11. Dulcie ADKINS. She married Crit MAY. He was born 3 MAY 1886, and died 9 JAN 1968.
12. Meshac ADKINS.

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While searching around the Internet for more information on this family, I ran across a page with Dulcie Adkins and Crit May's Family Photos. Dulcie was the younger sister of Jim Adkins and would have been Randy's Great Aunt.  Here are a few of the photos from that web-page:
This is Dulcie at age eight.  Does she remind you of any of the guinea girls or guinea grandkids?

Here is Dulcie four years later.  Any resemblance now to anyone you know?

One more before we quit.  This is a gathering of Crit May's family in 1930.  Does the young lady in the upper left look like anyone you know?

Which Winright Adkins did what?

You would think that a name like 'Winright' would not be all that common. If you ran across a reference to Winright Adkins in Pike County, KY in about 1880, why that must surely be the Winright that is Jennie's G-G-Grandfather.  How many Winrights could there be?
Well after a little digging, it appears there were at least seven or eight Winright Adkins living just in Pike County around the turn of the century.  The naming conventions that families followed in the 1800's, and the fact that families often had 15 to 20 children meant a lot of grandsons got named Winright.  It takes a program to keep them all straight. 
Three of the Winrights are significant in our family tree.  Winright Adkins who was born in 1775 was among the first settlers in Pike County.   His son Henry had a son born in 1825 whom he dutifully named Winright.  This Winright was Jennie's G-G-Grandfather.   Another of pioneer Winright's sons, Winston, had a son in 1837 whom he also named Winright.  This one was Randy Ratliff's G-G-Grandfather. 
This diagram might make that a little clearer...



In order to keep them straight I will try to include their birth year when referring to them.  Winright Adkins 1775 is the pioneer, Winright Adkins 1825 is Jennie's ancestor and Winright Adkins 1837 is Randy's.   Maybe that way it won't get so confusing when we talk about Winright Adkins 1825 killing Zachariah Phillips who was married to his first cousin Clarinda, a sister of Winright Adkins 1837.

Registering for the Draft

The year is 1918 and World War I is raging in Europe.  Having entered the war the year before the United States finds itself in need of more soldiers.  A program of military conscription (Draft) is implemented and all across America young men  report to local Draft Boards to register.

On June 5th, 1918 one of those young men was 21 year old Ruey Ratliff from Millard, KY.  Here is an image of the draft registration card he signed that day...

Ninety years have passed and that draft card has gone from file drawer to microfilm roll and now to the Internet.   Those transitions have made it a little hard to read but it still tells us a lot about young Ruey Ratliff from Millard, KY.

• His birth date was Feb. 11, 1897.
• He was born at Millard, KY.
• His fathers birthplace was Regina, KY.
• He was employed by Winston Creek Coal Company at Regina.
• His spouse was Grace Ratliff.

The back of the card tells us...

• He was of medium height and slender build with brown eyes and black hair.
• He had no disabilities.

Looking at the handwriting I suspect that the registrar, Mr. Bowles, filled out the card and gave it to Ruey to sign.  Ruey's signature looks different from all the other writing on the card, especially the capital R's.  The way the letters in his signature tilt to the left makes me wonder if he wasn't left-handed.

Winston Adkins 1805

(Randy Ratliff's G-G-G-Grandfather)

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Winston ADKINS
Born: 1805 in Virginia
Died:  ca 1885  [Cemetery]
Father:  Winright Adkins 1775
Mother:  Lucy Thacker

Winston married
Hannah COLEMAN on 2-28-1828
Born: 
Died: 
Father:  Stephen Coleman
Mother:  Sarah Rankin

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Winston and Hannah had the following children:

• Clarinda Adkins - b. 5-1828, d. 1-6-1906 - m. Zachariah Phillips, Jr. on 2-27-1846 in Pike County, Ky. Zachariah Sr. was a Revolutionary War soldier and he and Elizabeth Charles Phillips were the parents of Zachariah, Jr. Zachariah, Jr. was a Civil War veteran (Confederate) and was shot and killed by Winright Adkins (son of Henry), who was Clarinda's first cousin.

• Louisa Adkins – b. ca 1830 – died as infant.

• Eli Adkins – b. 1832 – m. Margaret McClannahan on 3-13-1850, a daughter of William McClannahan. Eli never returned home from the Civil War.

• Stephen Adkins – b. ca 1835, d. 12-3-1902, and is buried in the Stephen Adkins Cemetery at Delbarton, W. Va., along with some of his children and grand children.

• Peter Adkins – b. 3-12-1834, d. 2-12-1916 – m. Louisa Belcher on 3-25-1858, a daughter of William and Cynthia Adkins Belcher. Louisa was b. 1-17-1838, d. 9-4-1917. Peter and Louisa both are buried in the Adkins Cemetery at Winright, Ky.

• Winright Adkins - b. 3-5-1837, d. 1-1-1918 - m. Nancy Phillips on 9-24-1860. As far as can be determined, no children were born to this marriage. We do not know what happened to his first wife, Nancy Phillips, but Winright m. Louisa Epling on 11-26-1868. Louisa was b. 10-1-1845 and d. 2-1-1927. Both Winright and Louisa are buried in the Winston Adkins Cemetery at Winright, Ky.

• Joseph Adkins - b. 3-20-1839, d. 9-18-1906 - m. Jane Vance on 2-7-1867.

• Mary Adkins - b. 1841 - m. Thomas H. Powell on 10-25-1859.

• John Henry Adkins - b. 1843 never married. He was killed during the Civil War. He enlisted in the army of the Confederate States along with three of his brothers.

• Moses Adkins - 1846, never married. He was also killed in the Civil War. He enlisted in Company C, 5th Kentucky Mounted Infantry along with his brother Winright, at Princeton, Va. (now W. Va.)

• Elisabeth Adkins - b. 9-2-1847, d. 7-24-1922 - married Samuel Daniels on 5-24-1874.

• Rachel Adkins - b. 9-1856 - married Daniel Richard May.

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Notes:

The following is excerpted from ADKINS of Eastern Kentucky and Surrounding Areas by Joseph T. Daniels

Although no one living today ever saw Winston Adkins and there are no existing photographs to my knowledge, I have obtained a brief description of him through the eyes of one of his daughters, Elizabeth, as related to my father, and thus related to me. He was described as being about 5 ft., 8 inches tall and weighing about 180-190 lbs. and a very powerful build. His hair was completely white, with a full head of hair. He had piercing blue eyes and a prominent nose.

We do not know the location where Winston and Hannah lived on Peter Creek, possibly on Road Fork, but when they moved to the "river", he built a house at the mouth of what is now known as Winston's Creek. The creek is located about halfway between Pikeville, Ky. and Elkhorn City, Ky in Eastern Kentucky.

In the year 1865, a great flood came (comparable to those of 1957 and 1977). Ignoring advice to rope off this house and tie it to several large trees, Winston, feeling that his house would be safe, did nothing. The water rose higher than it had ever been before and the house broke up and washed down the Big Sandy River. No doubt, a large part of our heritage went with the house.

Winston subsequently erected a large two-story log house far above the high water mark on the exact spot where Crit May (husband of Dulcie Adkins) built a modern house that is still standing. Don May, helped tear down the two-story log house built by Winston. It was torn down in the year 1918. Winright, son of Winston, lived in the log house after the death of Winston ca 1885. This property was deeded to Winright Adkins, son of Winston, with the understanding that Winright and his wife, Louise were to take care of Winston and Hannah as long as either one lived.

Don May described the Winston Adkins home as follows: "I slept in the second story of this house many nights. It had no stairway but was entered by a ladder from the back side of the house. A four foot square hole was cut out for the entrance. The house had a large rock chimney, located in the center of the house. The logs were yellow poplar hewed out and were about 15 inches high and six to ten inches thick. This house had porches, upstairs and down stairs, front and back. It had oak riven shingles, gabled ends. It had twelve pane glass single hung windows".

Essie Adkins White, now deceased, gives this description of this home. "My grandfather, Winright Adkins, lived at Winright, Ky. He had a farm house, with three large rooms upstairs, a front porch and back porch upstairs, straight across, English style, and a large back porch. He had a large barn, a large grainery (crib) with a driveway between the cribs, a pear and apple orchard above the barn. An apple house and root cellar were located below the barn. A large spring house was also on this property that you had to step down to get the water".

The spring house and spring is still there at this writing. (1988).

Winston Adkins, as were his sons, Peter and Joseph, were members of the Raccoon Creek Baptist Church and indicated in the church records in the year 1848. We assume these people rode horseback up Lower Pompey Creek and across the hill down into Raccoon Creek to attend church meetings. All three obtained their church letters and moved them to the "river" at Millard, Ky. ca 1851, where they helped to establish a branch or "arm" from the Raccoon Creek Baptist Church. This church was a log house structure and was located at the mouth of"Biggs Branch" or on the spot where the "Pollyanna" drive in theatre now stands. Land for this building was given by Peter Adkins.

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If you have additional information or find a correction that needs to be made,
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT.

Winright Adkins 1837

(Randy Ratliff's G-G-Grandfather)

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Winright ADKINS
Born: 3-5-1837
Died: 1-1-1918  [Cemetery]
Father:  Winston ADKINS 1805
Mother:  Hannah COLEMAN

Winright married (1st)
Nancy Phillips on 9-24-1860
As far as can be determined, no children were born to this marriage.

Winright married (2nd)
Louisa Epling on 11-26-1868
Born: 10-1-1845
Died: 2-1-1927
Father: 
Mother:

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Winright and Louisa had the following children:

• Ailse G. Adkins - b. 9-5-1869 - m. David Cox on 8-30-1888. David was b. 11-27-1861, d. 11-22-1950, a son of John and Julia Adkins Cox. Ailse died on 12-30-1940. These people were farmers and owned a large farm at Millard, KY. Both are buried in the David Cox Cemetery at Millard, KY.

• Clarinda Addie Adkins - b. 1871 - m. William Drayton Kendrick on 12-10-1891.  Addie died on 12-14-1897 and is buried in the Adkins Cemetery at Winright, KY.

• John H. Adkins - b. 7-22-1873, d. 4-20-1939 - m. Ibbie Coleman.  John was an attorney for several years and established his home at the forks of Daniels Creek.

• Laura Adkins - b. 3-31-1875, d. 6-16-1910 - m. McClelland Justice on 1-10-1896. She is buried in the Winston Adkins Cemetery at Winright, KY.

• James Winston Adkins - b. 5-6-1876, d. 12-12-1912 m. Bessie Thornsbury on 8-16-1900. Bessie was b. 3-16-1884, d. 1-3-1971 and is buried at Regina, KY. James was a carpenter and is buried in the Winston Adkins Cemetery at Winright, KY. Bessie later married Shade Venters.

• Ida Adkins - b. 6-30-1877, d. 1947, m. Oliver "Oll" Coleman.  Oll was a farmer and a preacher in the Old Regular Baptist Church.

• Joseph Perry Adkins - b. 9-15-1878, m. Mero Abshire.

• Floyd Adkins - b. 9-3-1880, - m. Laura Bartley.

• Thomas Adkins - b. 5-12-1882, d. 9-13-1971.

• Hannah Adkins - b. 7-27-1884, d. 6-17-1921 - m. Andrew Clinton Long.

• Dulcina Jane Adkins - b. 9-14-1890 - m. Crit May.

• Hayes Carl Adkins - b. 1880 - probably died young.
  

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Notes:

The following is excerpted from ADKINS of Eastern Kentucky and Surrounding Areas by Joseph T. Daniels

When the Civil War broke out, Winright and his brothers, Eli, Moses and John Henry all enlisted in the Confederate Army. Winright was the only one of the four to survive the war and return home.

We do not know what happened to his first wife, Nancy Phillips, but Winright m. Louisa Epling on 11-26-1868. Louisa was b. 10-1-1845 and d. 2-1-1927. Both Winright and Louisa are buried in the Winston Adkins Cemetery at Winright, KY.

Physically, Winright was of small or short stature, being only 5 feet and 4 inches tall. According to his Civil War records, he had grey eyes, black hair, tan complexion. He enlisted in Company "C" of the 5th Kentucky Mounted Calvary, in Letcher County, KY. on 12-20-1863 for three years. He had previously enlisted at Princeton, VA. (now WV.). Winright was promoted to Corporal and then to Sergeant. He saw service in and around Dalton, GA. and Chattanooga, TN.

Winright and his wife were deeded the Winston Adkins home place at Winright, KY., with the provision in the deed that he and his wife were to care for Winston and Hannah, as long as either of them lived. Winright and Louisa lived in this place until their deaths. Both are buried in the Winston Adkins Cemetery at Winright, KY.

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If you have additional information or find a correction that needs to be made,
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT.