The Flemingsburg Gazette,

Thursday, March 3, 1977

Just Another Log House for sale
by: Dwight Meadows

On March 05 1977, a tract of land located on
Kendall Lane belonging to the late U.T. Barnett will
be sold at public auction.

Before this sale I would like to share with the citizens
of Fleming County and other interested people a few of many
historic facts concerning this 29 acres of land and the log
house which stands on its ground.

This log house was originally built in two separate sections.
The first section, or the back part, was built in 1803, and the
second, or the front part was built in 1818. The rear area
served as a Kitchen and a living quarters, and consisted of two
rooms which were occupied by Willoby Griffith and his family.

This same family then added the front area because more living
area was needed to accommodated the family of fourteen.
Wooden pegs where used to lay the flooring made from split
logs, these same pegs still hold the flooring. The attic rafters
were made from hewn logs and still hold most of their bark and
ax marks are still plainly visible where the limbs were cut
from the logs.

This house is still sturdy after a period of one hundred-seventy
-four years.
Another interesting fact is that Simon Kenton, the famous pioneer
and friend of Daniel Boone, spent many of nights rest in the house
while visiting his niece, Mrs. Mary Jane Griffith, who at the time
lived in the house. Family History shows that on Simon's last visit
his horse died and was buried on this property. Mr. Kenton then
continued by foot to Frankfort, KY, where he was to get his
taxes exempted. This land left the Griffith and Meadows family
in 1957, when it was purchased by Mr. Jewell Hendrix, who held
the first deed because it had been only a grant.

Again in 1958, Mr. Hendrix, during a private sale
sold the property to the late Mr. U.T. Barnett.
From 1958 to 1968 I was proud to live in the same house
to which my ancestors had held claim for over one
hundred-seventy years.

Since Mr. Barnetts death the land and log home are once
again offered at public auction.

Note: The following has been added to by the submitter of
the photos, Mr. Herbert Grimm.

We lived in the home for many years until the death of
Mr. Barnett, I can remember as a child playing in what
seemed endless fields of hay, tobacco, and gardens. It
was a ritual in the spring to follow behind the tractors
while they were discing the field and observing numerous
arrowheads, flint rocks and the occasional spike would be
brought to the top of the soil. I had asked my father why
there were so many arrowheads and he told me that at one
time a train had ran through the bottom. This still never
answered my question but I accepted the answer for many years
until I had seen my first movie at the drive in. It hit me
like a ton of bricks. I felt like I had solved the biggest
mystery of the universe.

I can also remember the house being surrounded by "bubby bushes"
as they were called by my grand parents. They had a lager orange
bloom that would cover my hand and had the sweetest smell that
you could smell for miles which carried in the breeze. There were
many nights that we would be coming home from rabbit hunting and
could see the lights of home and also smell the bubby bushes while
they were in bloom.

There was a underground spring that had flag stone lain walls and
a large slab of stone that covered the spring. This stone room
would have been 6' by 8' and had a ledge that was made for
milk and meat to be placed. The spring always had fresh water
that came up from the ground and was as cold as if ice had
been placed along its walls. I can still remember the many
mornings that my father would wake me up to get an early
start on the days chores. The first thing I would have to
do would wade through the snow to get to the spring
and spend a good 15 minutes or so just trying to chip
the ice enough to get the pail to fit, then lugging
it back up the bank and into the kitchen so mother
could get breakfast started.

We also would split wood for the next night and have
it placed on the porch.., careful not to leave bark
and snow on it so that mother won't scold us for
making a complete mess of things. We would know when
she was irritated for she would use our full names
like she wanting the devil to know and hear what we
had done. As the morning would grow closer to daylight
we would complete chores closer to the house because
of the biscuits and bacon aroma wouldn’t let us get
to far.

There where also many great oak trees surrounding the
home and property. We as kids during reunions and the
occasional marriage would hold hands and see how many
of us it would take to surround the biggest tree. At
the time it took almost 6 cousins, one brother, a
sister, and myself to surround it. This at the time
seemed like a silly thing to do, but it was suggested
by my father to try this and we had for many years.
After years of doing this I had come to realize
that it was taking less family to surround the great
tree. I then to had realized that all things change
and we grow like the mighty oak being shaped and
formed by our mothers and fathers as we are to our
own children that circle beneath our limbs. We
to have the responsibility to shape and form them
into what we are. It may take many years to achieve
this, but don’t let it take a lifetime to realize
it and most of all don’t forget the mighty Oaks
(Mothers & Fathers) that shield and protect us from
danger for once a mighty oak has gone you will
then realize that you will miss the shade.

Herbert Grimm