Frank M. Allara Library Special Collections and Archives (Univ. of Pikeville)
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W.C. Condit
No full textW.C. Condit was one of the original founders of the Pikeville College Collegiate Institute. Condit Hall is named after him
Mrs. Sophia N. (Darnall) Hendrick
No full textThis is Mrs. Hendrick, the wife of Dr. James P. Hendrick. He was a founding father of Pikeville Collegiate Institute, and also helped to organize the Presbyterian Church of Pikeville, KY in 1883. This portrait, as well as a portrait of her husband, was given to the college by Penelope Hendrick Dudley, James Hendrick's sister. The artist was Miss C.S. Cassady, a classmate of Dudley's from Vassar
Mary I. Spilman
No full textMary Spilman at various times taught math, Bible, and biology at Pikeville College. Spilman Apartments was named in her honor
Page 40, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.Bowens to appear. But he did nothing of the kind. After a vigil lasting nearly an
hour, diring which time Bowens lay shivering in the River, the Indians concluded that
their enemy had been drowned, and took their departure.
When Bowens felt that the coast was clear, he crawled out of the icy water and shook
His soggy clothing and went up the river to his hut, where he related his hair-brea-
th escape to the members of his family.
This story has been handed down through the years, and today “Bowens Rock” is well
Known throughout Kentucky and is visited by many tourists.
WEATHER ROCK
By Green Conn
During ancient times, as we all know, people had ways of fortelling many things. In
This case it was foretelling the weather. On top of a low hill on the head of
Prater Creek in Floyd County, a very high rock, flat on top and made somewhat like
a cave on the bottom with enough room beneath for a man to stand.
The rock has space all around and is set off by partitions of rock, into three large
divisions. These divisions were used as shelter by hogs and sheep left to run wild
during the winter.
When the hogs were lying under the rock, the men would go there to find out when the
weather was going to turn cold. IF the hogs seemed restless and were grunting or had
gathered leaves to make a bed, mthe men said it was timer a blizzard. Then they
would prepare for it. Since that time the residents of the creek, where the rock is
located, have called the large rock “Weather Rock.”
APPLE ROCK
By Lake Collins
This rock, in Letcher County at the head of the creek called Daniel, is about sixteen
By twenty foot in size and is located on my grandfather’s farm on the border of a
large apple orchard. The man who owned the farm was also the first settler of this
particular territory. When he found the rock and noticed how it was made, hh thought
it would serve as an excellent tore room for his apples during the winter months.
This rock was hollow on the inside and had an opening on the side just about the size
of an ordinary door. So a door was built to fit this opening. When one opens the door,
he can easily imagine that he is stepping into a large room. The place is still used
as a storage room for apples.
HIGH KNOB
By Ruth Wright
About one mile from Haysi, Virginia on my grandfather’s farm there is a knob on which
Indians were buried. Some trace of the old mounds is still there in spite of the num-
ber of years that have passed.
This is a dreaded spot, by all who know the history of it, especially at night time.
Many ghosts tales have been told and heard about the place. Several of the graves
have been dug into and some valuable things taken from them. My grandfather found
an old stone tomahawk and a beaded braclet in one grave.
This spot is called the “High Know.” On this knob the last wild animals in Dickinson
County were seen. Wild cats are sometimes totoday. There are large caves in this
Knob in which men’s skeleton’s supposedly Indians, have been found.
ELKHORN CITY
By Madeline Elswick
Elkhorn City has an interesting history. Before Kentucky was completely settled a few
adventurous men made a journey in to this part of the country and when they came to a
creek now known as Elkhorn Creek, they looked up on a small knoll and saw an elk make
his bold appearance out of a pine thicket. The elk received a deadly shot between
the eyes.
The adventurers left the elk lying where it had fallen and a few years later some more
men seeking adventure came to this creek. They found the elk’s horns and called the
place Elkhorn. The word city was added to the name in the years of the coal boom
when Elkhorn was built up; and from that day to this it has been called Elkhorn City.
WOLFPIT
By Myrtle Kelley
Wolfpit is now a large mining camp. A long time ago, before the camp was built sev-
eral trappers built a pen to catch wolves which were killing sheep, hogs, and other
livestock. The place soon became known as Wolfpen. Trapping went on for several years
then the camp was bought and the company changed the name of the place to Wolfpit,
by which it is now known
Page 41, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.STORY OF JENNY WILEY
NAMING OF OHIO
By Clara Scalf
This may be just an old legend yet there is a phase of truth in it.
This is the story as my mother told it to me:
“About thirty years ago Mrs. Sophie Maynard, then about forty years of
age, told me about Jenny Wiley. This is the way it goes, ‘I knew her,
Jenny Wiley, when I was a little girl. She was then an old old lady,
and she told me about her narrow escape from the Indians.
One day while spinning she was suddenly pounced upon by a number of In-
dians; the first thing she thought of was taking a ball of yarn. She
concealed it in her skirt and while she was being taken away she was
marking her way by dropping small pieces of yarn. She was caughe at
this and made stop. Her last hope of rescue was gone. They went ahead
to their camp and she was tied beneath a large cliff by leather throngs.
One day while out hunting the Indians left her thus. It began raining
and she held her arms under the drip of the cliff; the throngs got wet,
expanded and she slipped them from her arms. She was free but the In-
dians were coming back. She fled to a large hollow log and crawled
into it. She was pursued and the Indians stopped, climbed on top of
the log, and called to her. They sent a little dog into the log, but,
this time the little dog wouldn’t bark; Jenny while in camp had made friends
with it. The little fellow wagged his tail and went back to his mas-
ter and they all disappeared.
Jenny then escaped and went for hours coming at last to the banks of
the river, now called the Ohio. On the other side were some some men
and she called in a distressed voice, for behind her she sould hear the
savages, “O-hi-o -- O-hi-o” and an answering shout came back. They
had to make a raft of logs to get to her but they succeeded and as they
landed safely on the opposite side of the river with her, the Indians
appeared on the other side. She was safe and they say that the Ohio
was named for her because she used the name as a distress call to her
race.’”
THE NAMING OF BETSY LAYNE
By Edgar Newsom
Many years ago, before the Civil War -- Betsey Layne, a wealthy old lady
lived in the village which now bears her name.
She owned a large part of the land in that vicinity, and also a number
of slaves. It is said that when one of her children got married, she
would make them a present of one of her slaves. The steam boars which
navigated the Big Sandy River would stop there, and the boat men would
take their meals at her home.
When the village of Betsy Layne was layed out it was decided to name it
in honor of Betsy Layne, since she was the most prominent person in the
neighborhood.
A daughter of Betsy Layne, Mrs. Mary E. Harmon died at Virgie, Ky. in
nineteen hundred and thirty at the age of ninety nine. Mrs. Harmon had
some very peculiar characteristics. Up to the time of her death she was
not feeble and could read and write without the aid of glasses.
The Betsy Layne homestead still stands at the village of Betsy Layne
and is rented for eight dollars a month.
THE FIRST HOTEL IN PIKEVILLE
By Birdie Murphy
The first hotel in Piekville was situated where the Anthony hotel now
stands. It was owned by Hibbard Williamson and was known as, “The Wil-
liamson Boarding house.”
When the inn was first built it had only four rooms, but due to the
large number of “drummers’ in this section that time the hotel had four
other rooms added.
One Saturday night a young man by the name of Jones came to spend the
night at the Williamson House. After he had registered, he seated him-
elf beside Mr. Williamson in front of the heating stove
Page 46, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927
Pikeville Collegiate Institute Baseball
No full textThe Pikeville Collegiate Institute is in the background
Pikeville College Men's Basketball
No full textThese players are the Cubs, the Training School's basketball team
Pikeville College Women's Basketball
No full textThe back of the images says that this is Colette (Cleins?). Pikeville College vs. Lady Tigers