Category: Location

Escape to Her Grandfather’s Ferry

This photo is from “Album of Virginia, Plate 26, Kanawha Fall. Edward Beyer, 1858” –  the time period is very close to the time of this story, which refers to a period between 1847 (Nancy Montgomery Rigg’s birth) and 1852 (the death of her grandfather Henry Montgomery).

Frances Folsom Farley (1886-1076), known as “Aunt Aggie” to her family, recounted a story told by her mother, Nancy Montgomery Rigg (1847-1923), who was granddaughter of Henry Montgomery (1765-1852), founder of Montgomery’s Landing and the ferry service. This story was shared in about 1975 on audio tape.

“My mother [Nancy Montgomery Rigg] said that she was always in favor and got what she wanted from him [her grandfather, Henry Montgomery], and he would spoil her. He saw her coming and would say “Run! Run!” and she got down to the river just in time to jump into the boat [at the ferry]. I think her mother [Cynthia Montgomery Rigg] was after her and was going to spank her or something.

Keeney Cabin

keeney-cabinCatherine Lewis (1759-?) and Michael Keeney (1761-1790) were married on 11 January 1781 in Greenbrier County, Virginia (now WV). They are my 5th great-grandparents. This article about their cabin appeared in the Beckley Post-Herald on 09 October 1956. It tells a great story not only about the cabin but also about the lives of Michael (who died at a young age) and Catherine and their four children.

I just discovered some great information by Central Appalachian Timbers on this cabin; a brief blurb and photo and then much more detailed info, photos and update on 25 August 2015. There is some question about whether this is actually the Keeney cabin, or one belonging to the Lewis family; the study of the wood cores will help determine the answer.

*Note – the newspaper article had to be scanned at a very high resolution for readability, so this page may load slowly. There’s not an online version that I can find. I intend to to transcribe the article and post here.

Chloe Flinn and Boone County

Chloe Flinn (1781-1863) is my 5th great-grandmother, and her childhood rescue by Daniel Boone was the inspiration for the naming of Boone County, Virginia (now West Virginia). The 2nd paragraph on this website sums it up well:

Chloe Flinn Ballard Headstone
Chloe Flinn Ballard Headstone

In 1786, Shawnee Indians attacked the home of a young girl named Chloe Flinn. The father was killed. The six year old along with her mother, brother, and sister were taken to Ohio by the Indians. A few months later, Daniel Boone came across the group and traded meat, flour, and whiskey to the Shawnees in exchange for several white prisoners including Chloe. Boone brought the little girl to live with his family in Limestone (now called Maysville), Kentucky. He then located some of Chloe’s relatives and brought her to an uncle in the Charleston area. Sixty years later, Chloe Flinn’s son, St. Clair Ballard, was a House of Delegates member from Logan County (now Boone) and related that story to the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond. Ballard asked that legislators to name the new western Virginia county in honor of the man who rescued his mother.

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