Thomas P. Jordan and Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Arden Jordan: Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2023

 

Thomas P. Jordan was born between May 1868 (1900 census) and  Feb 1871 (d cert) in Lawrence County, Kentucky.  His tombstone says he was born in 1870.  He was the son of Absalom and Julia Ann Coburn Jordan[i].  His maternal great grandparents were Micajah and Eleanor Clay Brumfield[ii].

Thomas married Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Arden, 25 September 1892 in Lawrence County, Kentucky.  The family settled near Willard in Carter County, Kentucky.   By 1910 they are listed at Maddox. 

On 29 August 1925 the Jordan’s purchased a portion of the land now owned by the compiler and her husband.  The Jordan’s purchased the tract of 26 + acres from John Allen and Eula Bolt Hazlett[iii].   This portion of the land includes the original one room log home which was improved and the compiler’s husband grew up in. You can read The Log Cabin Heritage at Deliverance farm by clicking here.

Thomas and Betty were residing on the property in 1930 along with their youngest daughter’s Thelma and Dorothy. The Jordan’s took out a mortgage with the Federal Land Bank in Louisville and on 28 September 1932, with a transfer of $1.00, their son William Estill “E. W.” Jordan became the owner, taking over the loan. The deed reserved the right of Thomas and Elizabeth to live on the premises during they joint lives and the survivor “may” occupy the same until their death as well.  The road was called Poor House Road during this time frame. The county changed the name to Long Branch Road at a later date. 

On 16 January 1940 Mary Elizabeth Arden Jordan died of a cerebral hemorrhage[iv]. “Betty” was the daughter of Andrew Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor Arden, both born in Virginia.  She was buried in Klaiber Cemetery 18 January 1940.  Their son Hillman Bayes Jordan, (written about in a previous blog), was buried in Klaiber Cemetery August 1931. 

The 1940 census was taken in April after Betty’s death.  Thomas is shown on Poor House Road along with daughter Hermia and son-in-law Billy Fannin and children. Daughter Goldie and husband John D Fannin live in the next residence, beside James M and Julina (Sexton) Klaiber.

Eight months after Mary Elizabeth Arden Jordan’s death, Thomas P. Jordan married Elma DeVore Davidson 23 September 1940 in Greenup County, Kentucky[v]. He was 72 years old.  Thomas Jordan made another deed, with E. W. and wife Ethel Jordan, in Boyd County on 6 August 1941 stating that Elizabeth died intestate (without a will) and that T. P. Jordan has now remarried, Elma (as spelled).

The marriage with Elma was not without drama[vi].  An article appears in the Portsmouth Times on charges of Bigamy 5 Oct 1941, Greenup County: Mrs. Alma (as spelled) Jordan 48 was arraigned today before Judge Jacob Fisher on a charge of bigamy filed by her husband Thomas Jordan who claimed that he married her in Greenup September 23, 1940 and that she was already married at the time. The charge was dismissed by Judge Fisher on grounds of insufficient evidence.”

Thomas and Alma/Elma seem to have resolved their differences.  They were remarried in Lawrence County, Ohio 22 October 1946.  The license states that he resides at Ponds Run, Ohio and is divorced.   Elma age 56 as of 14 January was born in Bluefield, Wet Virginia, daughter of James and Maxine Sayra Devour and is also divorced.[vii]  Thomas is now 78 years old.

Estill William Jordan, son of Thomas and Betty Jordan was an accountant for Pure Milk Company, on Carter Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky.

 

On November 25 1944 Estill William and his wife sold the 26+ acres to John Henry and Elsie Ellis Rucker Klaiber[viii].  This was during a period when Klaiber was purchasing the partitioned lands of his grandfather along Poor House Road. John Henry was a great-great grandson of Micajah and Eleanor Clay Brumfield thus had “family ties” to the Jordan’s.  His maternal uncle Jasper Newton Sexton had previously resided in the cabin. 

 

The log home with improvements 1940’s, Long Branch Road, Rush, KY

 

Thomas P. Jordan and, the widow of his brother David Taylor Jordan, Anna Jordan were living in Nile Township, Scioto County in 1950 along with Roy L. Jordan age 44, single.  Anna is widowed and Thomas P. Jordan is marked as separated.    The census margin reads “proceeding north from US 52 on Main on Left fork of Pond Run.” 

John and Elsie remained on the farm, on Long Branch Road, living in the house, they purchased from Jordan’s, with several remodels, during their lifetime.  Elsie called the original portion that was the one room log home her parlor, where she played hostess to guests.  Their only son James David Klaiber grew to adulthood on the farm. 

Thomas P. Jordan died in 11 July 1951 in General Hospital, Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. The information for his death certificate was provided by daughter Goldie Jordan Fannin.  The certificate states that his usual residence was Boyd County, Kentucky. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage and was buried in Klaiber Cemetery in Boyd County, Kentucky on the 13^th.[ix]

The compiler always welcomes additional information to keep with the cemetery records books.

 

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[i] Absolom and Juilia m 6 Jan 1860 Carter County, KY

[ii] Micajah Brumfield and Eleanor Clay m 15 Feb 1802 in Tazewell Co., VA

[iii] The Hazlett’s held title for five years

[iv] KY Vital Death Cert 158 Elizabeth Arden Jordan

[v] KY Grnp M bk 82 page 382 Thos gives his age as 69 she age 45, both reside at Rush, KY

[vi] Alma had married Boyd Adkins 28 Sep 1933 In Law Co OH as Elma Johnson

[vii] OH Law M cert 31988 volume 45

[viii] KY Boyd dbk 192-355

[ix] Oh Vital, Ohio Historical Society, Certificate  44693, volume 13034

Richard & Elijah Adams part of Local History

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

Over the past several years the Adams family has crossed my desk, involved in different venues, more than a few times.

Richard and Elijah Adams were sons of Pleasant Adams [1803-1884] who died in Carter County, Kentucky. Pleasant had a total of 16 children and many descendants. At least 14 of them were alive and able to attend his funeral along with their families.

Richard Adams [b. 3 Jan 1829 in what was then Lawrence County, KY] married Sarah Elizabeth Devore 1 July 1855 in Carter County and settled in Flatwoods, Greenup County which became Boyd County in 1860. That alone is a mouth full.

Caught in the swirl of the Civil War, trying to establish a living farming, Richard Adams became indebted to William M. Baldwin. In a petition of equity filed in Greenup County, Kentucky one Alfred Hastings had been granted a judgment against Baldwin. In order to avoid sale of Baldwin's property, the sheriff had made arrangements for a settlement. The problem was that William M. Baldwin had been within the lines of the Rebel Government "voluntarily" for some time. Thus the county turned to Adams, who was indebted to Baldwin, to meet the judgment of Hastings. No further action seems to have occurred and Richard settled into a life in Flatwoods, Boyd County.

Richard's 1/2 brother Elijah was only 13 years old [b. 26 January 1849] and still living in Carter County during the court battle. Elijah would grow up and stay in Carter County for many years. He was residing with his father, Pleasant in 1880 but we can assume that the family communicated with Richard Adams family. After Richard's wife died in 1871, he had married Margaret Crooks and the family resided in Upper Ashland.

Much as been written about the murder of the Gibbons children in Ashland, Kentucky, Christmas Eve, 1881 that would become known nationally as the Ashland Tragedy. Three men were arrested. The accused [Ellis, Neal, Craft] were transported to Maysville. On 11 January they were returned to Ashland where the Grand Jury had already been appointed. Among the 16 on the Grand Jury sat Richard Adams. The Jury sat for 5 long days before returning an indictment for conspiracy and murder on Neal and Craft. The Grand Jury was dismissed and another appointed for Ellis a week later.

The papers went wild, the residents far and wide talked and were enraged. Without a doubt the Adams family had much to talk about. Ellis was lynched. As time moved forward National Guard came from Louisville to Catlettsburg to protect Craft and Neal. There was a change of venue to Carter County which upset the people more. There was a delay and the prisoners were to be taken to Lexington for their own protection. The people were furious. The steamboat Granite State commanded by Capt. William Kirker would take the prisoners and National Guard on their journey 1 November, 1882.

A train arrived in Catlettsburg bearing two hundred men and boys from Ashland some with old shotguns and pistols. They demanded the surrender of the prisoners and were refused. The Guard dragged a cannon on board and started down river. It is said a telegram notified Ashland that the Granite State had left and would soon be passing Ashland. Citizens gathered on Front Street and along the bank of the Ohio River. Among those watching was Richard Adams.

Richard gave his testimony of what he saw that day in the 16 November 1882 Ashland Daily Newspaper:

"A number, perhaps twenty-five or thirty, went on the ferry-boat, but some ten or fifteen came back off the boat before she pushed out. the ferry-boat pushed out, but she did not go very fast. The steamer whistled. I saw no signal from the ferry-boat. I was on an elevated place and could see both boats, and was not excited. The steamer had almost passed the ferry-boat, which ran out a piece with the bow down the river. The boats were 150 to 260 yards apart. I heard two or three reports of small guns, then a volley from the steamer, which drove everything from the bow of the ferry-boat back, and for a while the smoke was so thick that I could not see the ferry-boat. The next volley fired by the military was on the people standing where Col. Reppert was killed. I got down on my knees in the ditch and as I raised up another volley was fired. I then heard some one say there was a man dead. I saw Mrs. Serey after she was wounded. I did not see Col. Reppert until after the second volley was fired. Half the balls seemed to strike the bow of the ferry-boat."

When the smoked cleared 21 had either died or were injured. Col. Lewis W. Reppert who Richard Adams spoke of was shot through the heart and died that day. He was buried in Ashland, Cemetery. Mrs. Jackson Serey was shot in the shoulder and breast and struggled with her wounds for some time.

Was Elijah Adams in Ashland when these awful events happened? He certainly had first hand information from his brother. Elijah Adams has been credited with writing what is probably the first version of a ballad, Ashland Tragedy. The ballad does not include the story of the fateful day with the Granite State. Ballad historians continue to debate who wrote what. One story says that Elijah got his story from James Hunter "a resident of Ashland." Actually I find James Hunter residing in Carter County. It is more likely that Elijah Adams got most of his information from his own brother.

At least one account states that Elijah Adams was "sometimes called Professor Adams" stating that he had taught school in his day. Census records show him as a farmer and even as a grocery store salesman but if he taught school, other than music,I have not located a record as of this writing.

Elijah Adams would become well known for yet another tragic ballad and story. In 1892 Lottie Yates was murdered in Carter County by her estranged husband Austin Porter. Yet another mob scene in Eastern Kentucky ensued and Porter was hung from a bridge. Elijah Adams wrote the Ballad of Lottie Yates. When Elijah Adams died 11 January 1916 in Mason County, West Virginia his talent for music was finally acknowledged on his death certificate with a simple entry under occupation "Music teacher."

Elijah's brother Richard lived for a little over two more years and died 8 April 1918 at Oakview in Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky.