Submitted by  Brenda Joyce Jerome, CGRS  bjjerome@sigecom.net


                    UNCLE BOB HEATH’S MEMORIES 
                OF EARLY CRITTENDEN COUNTY, KY



Crittenden Record - Press, 21 May 1908  Published weekly at Marion, Crittenden County, KY


Uncle Bob HEATH, the patriarch of the O’possum Ridge vicinity, celebrated his 93rd birthday 
Friday, May 15. Young and old turned out to pay their respect to the beloved old gentleman, 
who greeted them with genuine Old Kentucky hospitality.

Uncle Bob was born May 15, 1815. The battle of New Orleans was fought in January of the 
same year, while James MADISON was president of the United States. This was long before 
the days of locomotives and steam boats. Uncle Bob’s father, Rylan HEATH, was a native of 
North Carolina. About the year 1800 young Rylan made a trip down south. While in Georgia 
he became acquainted with a young lady named Anna GILBERT, with whom he soon fell in 
love and married. In 1809 Rylan HEATH immigrated to Kentucky and settled about 3 miles 
of the present site of Marion. A few years later he removed to what is now the Mt. Zion vicinity. 
His nearest neighbors, Tom WILSON and Thomas HUGHES, were 2 or 3 miles away.

Uncle Bob remembers when he was himself about 22 years of age, he killed five fine deers [sic]
 in a single day out toward Weston. He has the horns of the last deer killed in Crittenden County. 
The deer will [sic] killed about 30 years ago by Marion CLEMENT of Weston. Wm. FOWLER, 
the saw mill man, was a boy then. Young FOWLER discovered the deer floating down the river. 
At first he imagined the deer’s horns were brush and that his body was driftwood. However, he 
was not long in finding out that he had made a mistake. The incident was made a joke of and 
FOWLER was glad when he had heard the last of it.

When Uncle Bob was a boy, he played with the children of Messrs. HUGHES, LUCAS and 
DAVENPORT. He says that the youngsters back then had very meager educational advantages. 

In Uncle Bob’s young manhood, Crittenden County was a regular game paradise. Wild 
turkeys were as plentiful then as partridges today. Vast numbers of beavers were found 
along the waters of Crooked Creek and elsewhere. Uncle Bob says that he has seen millions 
of wild pigeons flying southward, some days there would be so many of them that they would 
darken the sun in their flight. Rattlesnakes were terrible in those days. Uncle Bob is still 
somewhat of a hunter in his old age. Last year he was 92 years old and killed 15 squirrels.

The first man Uncle Bob ever voted for was Martin VAN BUREN in 1836. He plainly remembers 
the “hard cider” campaign of 1840. In that year he attended a great political rally at Morganfield, 
Union County. He says it was one of the jolliest times of his life, a log cabin with coon skins 
nailed on its walls, was rolled around on wheels, while hard cider was dispensed generously. 
At the conclusion of the great affair, the one single cannon of the town of Morganfield was brought 
and heavily loaded. A negro slave was commanded to light the fuse, sad to relate, the good old 
cannon was so heavily loaded that it burst into pieces.

Uncle Bob tells us two late stories of Crittenden County boys that may be of interest to the 
younger persons of the Record-Press. The first of these was about a boy named Davy LAMB, 
who was taken by the Black Hawk Indians in the early days. LAMB’s parents lived between 
Weston and Tradewater. Davy LAMB was held captive by the Indians for 7 years. When he was 
liberated he returned to his parents. He was noted all his life as a great hunter and woodsman.  
The other boy Uncle Bob tells about was Silas S. WALKER, who was a lad of about 14 years 
when he ran way from home and went down the river to New Orleans. There he found friends 
among the American soldiers who were preparing to go to the Mexican war. Somehow he 
eluded the scruting [sic] of the officers and accompanied the army that was sent against Mexico. 
At the battle of Resaca Dela Palma, so the story goes, young WALKER grabbed a gun from a 
dying American soldier and helped charge the Mexicans. The poor little fellow was barefooted, 
the ground was rough, but the boy acted with bravery and determination. The infantry now 
rushed forward on the double quick after the fleeing Mexicans. After a few miles hard marching, 
young WALKER was seen to lag behind. For this he was about to receive punishment from a brutal 
soldier when a burly Kentuckian took his part. It is not known how long Silas WALKER stayed in
 Mexico, but he finally came back to Crittenden County.

Uncle BOB has vivid recollections of the wild excitement about the gold discovery in California in 
1848. The BAKER brothers, John FLANARY, Billy BARNES, Phineas NEWCOMBE and Jonathan 
POSTLETHWAITE were among the gold seekers. POSTLETHWAITE never returned. He is 
thought to have met death in the great desert.

Uncle Bob says that Revs. JILES and FLYNN preached at Old Camp Creek Church when he 
was a boy. He remembers Dr. CUTLER of Mattoon and STEWART of Old Salem. These men 
led the medical profession in their day and were esteemed because of their education and 
knowledge by  the old pioneers. These doctors believed in the old fashion practice of 
bleeding for most ailments.

Uncle Bob believes in the simple life. He approves of a plain diet, and will not eat nick-nack or 
fancy cooking. Also, he does not believe in much medicine. He says that had he taken 
medicine like some folks he would have been dead too.

Uncle Bob says that the first steam boat that he ever saw was the old Caledonia. He saw it 
landed at Weston. This was way back in the ‘30’s. He says that at this time the Ohio River 
was a great highway for emigration. Emigrants came down chiefly in boats of their own manufacture.

Uncle Bob says that in about 1800 a wild, fierce woman, named Mrs. CLAYTON, settled on 
cotton patch hill. She built a cabin, hunted wild animals, and cleared and fenced about an 
acre of ground which she planted in cotton. Mrs. CLAYTON was always armed to the teeth 
with bowie knives and guns. After living on the hill a few years she went away as suddenly 
as she came.

Uncle Bob has distinct recollection of the notorious James FORD. He remembers buying goods 
from FORD while he had a store at Ford’s Ferry. In person FORD is described as a very large 
man with a red face.

Uncle Bob says he has heard many legends and tales of the old river robberies; has heard 
much about a band of outlaws that had their rendezvous at Cave-In-Rock; of headless men 
and bleaching bones, and all the horrors of river piracy.

Uncle Bob thinks the Civil War is too recent to be of much interest. He says that a lot of 
Federal gunboats were always busy flying up and down the Ohio River, many loud noises, 
reports of guns, and human voices being almost continuously heard.

Uncle Bob feels that the 93 years he has lived is a rare privilege for which he is thankful to 
God. The progress of the world during that time has been a wonder of wonders. Everybody 
knows something of the supreme place in history that the 19th century occupies. Uncle Bob 
still finds much in this world to enjoy and be happy about, but he is patiently awaiting the flight 
of his spirit to the future world.