24 May 2023

John Henry Harris. Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2023



John Henry Harris was the son of Lawrence and Cynthia Collingsworth Harris, born in Johnson County, Kentucky, 2 March 1860. 

Family traditions have whispers of truths, some flamboyant, but mostly hearsay.  Thus a repeated story appeared in 2007 on a noted genealogy site stating that “John Henry Harris wandered into Rush, Boyd County, Kentucky and went to work for Evie’s uncle, Taylor Mayhew…” and that is how he met his wife.[i]

John Henry Harris was one of ten known children of Lawrence and Cynthia.  The family had moved to Johnson County from Floyd County before some of the family migrated to Boyd County.  By 1869 John Henry Harris’ older sister, Nancy, had married George W. Crum[ii] and resided on Bolts Fork of Boyd County.  One of Crum’s brothers, James Crum, would later marry, Susannah “Susan” Sexton, the daughter of Richard Sexton and Mary Lucas[iii].  Susannah was a grandniece of Marcus/Mark Sexton buried in Klaiber Cemetery.

By 1880 John Henry Harris and father Lawrence Harris, are residing next door to the Mayhew Family on what is now Long Branch Road, along with John’s sisters Sarah A. and Mary.  Indexing of census records is done by volunteers and unless the indexer is familiar with a local area many errors are made.  Thus the indices show Lawrence as “Lance” misread and easily overlooked.

John Henry Harris and Susan Evangeline “Eva” Mayhew were married 13 June 1886 on Williams Creek in Carter County at the “Pleasant Church”[iv].  Eva’s father, William Mayhew died 3 May 1890 and is buried in Klaiber Cemetery.  John and Eva resided with her widowed mother, Mary Mayhew in 1900.

In 1903 Taylor Mayhew, brother of Eva, was deeded the north side of Salmons Fork at the mouth of Long Branch to a corner with the property of Philip Howe from brother John D. Mayhew, all part of William Mayhew’s, then deceased, property.[v]  In turn, in November  Taylor had several transactions involving the north side of Salmons Fork which partitioned  William Mayhew’s property.  71 acres on the north side of Salmons Creek  was deeded back to siblings including one to John and his sister Susan E. (Eva Mayhew) Harris[vi].  All the property in turn reverted back to Mary “May” Ross Mayhew, widow of William C. Mayhew.

Ever confusing is the renaming of this part of the creek on early maps.  Today maps show Long Branch Creek going straight up Long Branch Road into Carter County.  But early maps and deeds show Long Branch Creek turning at the bridge (the mouth of Long Branch) and running up the lane past  what is now this compiler’s home, then past the Philip Howe aka Klaiber log one room house.  Long Branch Creek meanders through the bottom fields behind our home and then curves back  left where the head of Long Branch ends in the water shed in Carter County.  Salmon’s Fork was in fact the stream continuing up what is now Long Branch Road in front of then Mayhew property[vii].  The Philip Howe log home still stands behind our log home and is a Kentucky Registered Landmark.

Mary Elizabeth Ross Mayhew, mother of Eva died 8 September 1904 and is buried in Klaiber Cemetery.

John Henry and Eva Harris had six children by the time of William Mayhew’s death[viii].  John Henry Harris died on 11 March 1909 here on Garner.







 Eva, widowed with five of her children are still residing next to the Mayhew holdings.  By 1920 Eva had moved to Logan County, West Virginia where, son Charles was renting and working in the coal mines.

In the 1950’s Julina Sexton Klaiber, campaigned for funds to fix the road and  fence around Klaiber Cemetery. Among the responses was a letter dated  May 1956 “…Dear old friend and neighbor. I am Mae Harris daughter of John and Eva Harris, now Mrs. R. E. Bryant…”  The Bryant’s were living in Worthington, Franklin County, Ohio and donated for the care of the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 



[i] Angie Harris Pelfrey, Ancestry.com, original submitted by NolaBull

[ii] s/o Reuben and Pricilla Mutters Crum

[iii] Carter County Circuit Court Bk 30/31 Divorce 1911

[iv] FHL 1842850

[v] KY Boyd deed book 40 p 2

[vi] KY Boyd deed book 4-0 p 4

[vii] Today what was then Salmons Fork runs along Blanton  and Stewart, Green and others property on the south and  across the road, Wright’s, Stewarts, Tolliver’s on the north.  Today the creek and road running into Carter County is simply all labeled Long Branch. While the turn at the county bridge at 22937 and creek running up the hollow is simply not named on most maps.  By experience this compiler can tell you that when there are heavy rains the water rushing from the water shed into Long Branch,, down the hollow and into the main Long Branch is not something for the faint of heart.   Long Branch flows between the old Howe/Klaiber one room and our log home flooding the lane and leaving  us to wait for receding waters.

[viii] Clarence Burns Harris m Ethel Rice; Flora Fain Harris; Elizabeth Ethel Harris m Ed McCormick; Ida Mae Harris m Robert Bryant; Mary Angeline Harris m Bert Allen Pelfrey