After Slavery, Boyd County, Kentucky

AFTER SLAVERY

BOYD COUNTY, KY

Originally published in Boyd County Kentucky Monographs 1, page 48-49.  Teresa Martin Klaiber.

Kentucky legislature created an act for marriage records commonly known as Freedmen registers. Marital   were legalized and county court systems prepared separate books for recording the events. Boyd County's first black marriages were recorded in Marriage Register I-I-A However, because of inconsistent legislation and record keeping the vital statistics of Kentucky for the period prior to the Civil War to 1911 were scattered and confused at times. While Marriage Register I-I-A begins in 1866 several marriages were recorded in the vital register kept for whites each year. The recorder entered these marriages as "Negro" and were usually placed at the end of the years other entries. Some were cross referenced to I-I-A while some were not an example of an entry that did not get cross-referenced was Jesse Mayo who married 27 July 1875 to Margaret Leece. He was 43 years of age, born in Kentucky. This was his 2^nd marriage. Margaret was 30, born in Virginia. This was her first marriage.

Birth and deaths were entered by owners prior to the Civil War. R. M. Biggs registered the death of slave Jasper age 43 who died 10 October 1859. After the war birth and death records were also required by new legislation in the Vital Records system under "Colored." Six births were recorded in Boyd County in 1875.

John Kelley born I January 1875 to Samuel Kelley and May Lockwood Kelley.

Fannie Burns born 7 May 1875 to Dennis Burns and Louvina McGuire.

Birdie Davisson born 7 Sept. 1875 to David Davisson and Martha Lackey.

Josephine Jessie born 20 November 1875 to Nannie Jessie.

Stillborn male 6 December 1875 to Sonny Lockwood and Fannie Cushing. 

Leonard Sexton 12 May 1875 to Henry Sexton and Millie Combs.

County government also set up records for the collection of taxes each year. All residents in the county paid tax on identical items including land, horses, mules, jennets, cattle, stores, carriages and buggies, etc.

Religion and religious education was of the highest priority to Boyd County residents. In 1868 John Means donated land for the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Ashland, Kentucky. The church was organized by, black minister, Christopher Seals. The church stood on what was then called Railroad Avenue later renamed Central Avenue. The congregation grew and in 1885 the building was expanded under Reverend George Parker.

Public education followed religious education. There was no school house but the African Methodist Church also served as the gateway for children's knowledge in Ashland. The school was run by their own trustees for 25 years until the county Board of Education took over in 189 Catlettsburg's first school for colored children was on Panola Street founded about 1874. That school was active until 1930 when a new building was built for grade school level children. In 1902 a new school was built in Ashland at 720 Central Avenue known as Booker T. Washington. By 1930 the older classes from Catlettsburg also attended Booker T. Washington. Catlettsburg enrollment dwindled and by 1940 all colored students attended the Ashland School System.

Funerals were referred to N. E. Fisher by the late 1890's. His undertaker business was at 110 East Greenup Avenue, Ashland. Services were often in the A M. E. Church. In Catlettsburg "Old Catlettsburg" Cemetery had a section known as the colored section. The December 1923 Ashland Daily Independent placed the death of Mrs. Nancy Davis on the front page.

"Old Slave Mammy Dies; Well Known. Leaves Five Great-Great-Grand-Children. Mrs. Nancy Davis, 84, negro, mother of Will Davis, died at the home at 1641 East Central Avenue this morning following a long illness. Mrs. Davis has lived in this section of the country all of her life. She was born in 1839 in Greenup County. She was a slave in Greenup for over twenty-four years up until the emancipation proclamation of President. Lincoln. She was married in 1857. She is survived by four children, eighteen grandchildren, 30 great grand children and 5 great great grand children. The children are George Davis, Smithfield Davis of Ohio, Mrs. Minerva Robinson of Ironton, and W. H. Davis of Ashland. Funeral services will be held at one o'clock Wednesday afternoon fror the A. M. E. Church with Rev. G.W. Andrews officiating."

Time and attitudes were slowly changing. By September 1937 "Negroes" from throughout the tri-state gathered in Central Park, Ashland, to celebrate the seventy-third anniversary of the emancipation of proclamation. Games and prizes were given out. ^[1] The France-Leece Post, American Legion was formed honoring those gentlemen serving in World War I. Activities were held in the gymnasium of Booker T. Washington School. Racial differences were still reflected legal county records during this time frame. Some Ashland deeds contained the following:

-conditions... may not be leased rented or sold to the negro race accept those of race who are employed as servant or employee of principal occupant who is not of negro race..."

History moved slowly but steadily forward in Boyd County, Kentucky.

Colored marriages were kept in separate books within the county.  They are published as Appendix E in Boyd County Kentucky Monographs 1, page 50 - 65.  Many of the marriages give where the person was born. Many in various counties of Virginia.  

The publication also includes Colored Tax payers for 1877.
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