The Knox Historical Museum’s genealogy center continues to enlarge its valuable family history collection.
In December 2015, Judith (Callebs) Unthank , in conjunction with her cousin, David Hayes Cole, both natives of Knox County, Ky., presented a new family history to the Museum.
This history focuses on their Hays ancestors, beginning with John Hays, born 1807 in North Carolina.
John Hays’s ancestors reportedly came from England/Ireland to North Carolina during the Colonial period.
John Hays moved to Claiborne County, Tenn. (Tazewell), and settled near the Clinch River on his wife’s family farm which was obtained in Hawkins Co., Tenn., upon Tennessee statehood from North Carolina in 1796.
John’s wife Sarah/Sallie, born 1812, was the daughter of Samuel Dodson and Eleanor Grisham, whose mother was Susannah Chew-Elo-Ka, a Cherokee. Samuel fought in the War of 1812.
This Hays family history then follows the line of John and Sarah/Sallie Hays’s son William, born 1830 in Claiborne County, Tenn. William B. Hays is listed as a Claiborne pioneer farmer; Union soldier, 8th Reg. TN Infantry, Co. G, private 1863-65 in the Civil War; and tax assessor for Claiborne County.
In 1848, William married Laura Ann Brooks, born 1828/1830 in Virginia, later moving the family to the Topeka, Kansas area. See photo above of William and Laura Hays and family members taken in 1894 in Topeka, Kansas.
Following his wife’s death in 1909, William lived with his son Samuel in Barbourville, Ky., reportedly dying from heart trouble in August 1916.
Samuel, born 1858/1859 in Claiborne Co., Tenn., lived 1876-1909 at Straight Creek in Bell County, Ky., at Sims Farm and Artemus. He moved to Barbourville by 1909 after living with his parents in Kansas, buying the farm called “Old William Locke Place.” [Note: The house was located on Old 25E where the electric substation by the railroad is now located, practically across the road from Pope Lumber Co.]
Samuel, shown with wife at left, was on the board of directors for the Union National Bank in Barbourville and Bell National Bank in Pineville. He married Sarah Alice Hendrickson of Straight Creek in Bell County in 1878. Sarah reportedly was a sister to John Hendrickson, 1843-1861, who was killed fighting for the Union Home Guard in Barbourville during the Civil War. This is according to the attached document about the Hendricksons, Binghams and Slushers. Sarah died in 1922 of “acute flu.” Samuel died in 1933.
Their children included sons William M. and John Hays, both of whom were superintendents of the Bell County Schools. Daughter Mattie, 1891-1973, inherited the Hays home place and married Charles G. Cole, 1889-1964. The couple had three sons, all of whom raised their families in Barbourville and all of whom served their country in World War II: Earl, Charles Jr., and Samuel Cole. Sam Cole’s son David contributed several photos for this article.
Another son of Samuel and Sarah Hays, Marcellus, 1894-1954, was a businessman, teacher at Artemus School, and guest lecturer at Union College “since his passion was history.” Marcellus’s daughter Jane Hays Callebs was the mother of six children, including daughter Judith.
Attached are links to the following:
- HAYS-1807 FAMILY HISTORY
- HENDRICKSONS, BINGHAMS, AND SLUSHERS OF STRAIGHT CREEK AT SIMS FORK
- PHOTOS OF JOHN HAYS-1807 DESCENDANTS (PENDING)
Here is a list of items currently contained in the Hays-1807 folder, which is available for research at the Knox Historical Museum’s genealogy center:
• John Hays-1807 Genealogy Tree (10 pages)
• Genealogy information about the Hendricksons/Binghams/Slushers off Straight Creek at Sims Fork. Note: Sam Hays’s first wife was Sarah Alice Hendrickson, 1860-1922. (three pages)
• Article about Sam Hays’s death copied from the Barbourville Mountain Advocate (one page)
• Layout map of old cemetery filled with Hayses located near Artemus on the Himyar Road (two pages)
• 2001 letter to Mary Belle Davenport from Wayne Hays concerning the cemetery (four pages)
• 2002 letter to Judith Unthank from Mary Belle Davenport regarding the graveyard and other genealogical issues (three pages)
• 2002 letter to Judith Unthank from Wayne Hays of Palm Bay, Fla., concerning Alexander Hays and the cemetery near Artemus (four pages)
• 2015 note from Mrs. Unthank to her cousin, David Hayes Cole, regarding the Hays family research (two pages)
• Research notes concerning the Hays family, consisting of 1985 letter to Earl Cole from Shirley A. Meredith; obituary of Laura Ann Brooks; obituary of Sam Hays; census pages; pension papers for William Patterson; census page from Sullivan County, Tennessee; family group record listing individuals named “Hays.” (17 total pages)
• Layout of old cemetery near Artemus (one page)
• Various photos - William and Laura Hays and family in Topeka, Kansas; Samuel Hays election advertisement; Samuel Hays and his wife; Samuel Hays’s daughter Mattie Hays Cole; Samuel Hays’s daughter Mattie with her three sons; Samuel Hays’s son Marcellus (Silas) Hays; Marcellus with his grandchildren; and John Hays
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