18. Shelby Palmer
Shelby-Shell to his friends-and older brother Will (see) were partners in the sawmill business. Shelby dragged logs with a yoke of oxen past a school house on the way to the mill. The school teacher was a pretty young woman named Belle Steele. Shell made faces at the kids and did whatever he could to disrupt school, which led to a meeting with Belle. Of course they married! Belle was reputed to be the best dancer and prettiest girl in Wolfe County.
Shell and brother John went to Washington state in the 90's and worked in the timber business. Shell returned in 2 years, but John stayed about 9 years. John had courted Mary Buchanan before but she was preparing her dress to wed a Spurlock gentleman when she saw John ride up. She changed her mind and married John.
Shell was a huge man for the time, about 6'4", with a booming voice to match. He was extremely well read, especially "The Pathfinder" magazine and "The Grit" newspaper, and very prominent in Menifee, Montgomery, Powell and Wolfe Counties. In Winchester, Ky, about 1938, he commented that "the government would have to appropriate $10,000" to operate a nearby corner popcorn stand .
Lore is that Shell was riding from Indian Creek to Frenchburg (3 hours by saddle horse or buggy) and heard a child screaming. As he neared a homestead he saw a woman severely beating a boy about 8 years old. Shell picked up a stick and told the woman if she struck the child again, he would "knock her brains out".
Belle Steele was known as a well educated, excellent dancer, and the "prettiest girl in Wolfe County." She raised 9 fine daughters-one son, Clay, died in infancy. Belle is known to have attended Hazel Green Academy, for many years the "Athens" of Eastern Kentucky. She also taught school, and was so doing when she married Shelby. The family has made several efforts to obtain records of Belle's academic records at Hazel Green, to no avail. Two major fires at the Academy destroyed many records and perhaps Belle's were among those.
Belle's younger sister, Mattie, b. 3 Aug 1882, married Taylor Sewell, of a prominent Wolfe Co., family. Aunt Mattie taught school all her life, passing on 26 Dec 1967.
David John Rowland was a Teamster early, and a pipefitter with Lehigh Portland Cement Co. most of his life. The last 8yrs 5days of his life was spent in the Dixmont Hospital, Kilbuch Twp., Allegheny Co., PA. The hospital was the informant on his death certificate but gives little information.
23. Etta Thomas
Etta Thomas was a beautiful young woman from a prominent family in the Findlay-Fremont-Toledo area of Ohio. Uncle Orange H. Thomas, a graduate of the Cincinnati Medical College in 1882, was a noted physician in Fremont and Sandusky and served as county health officer for several years. Many photographs and newspaper clippings of Dr. Thomas and relatives can be viewed at the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont. Dr. E J Thomas was practicing in Findlay in the 1920's.
Etta was an expert fisherwoman, and was widely acknowledged as so by a eulogy in the local newspaper.