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            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 he 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. Barnett's death the land and log home are once again offered at public auction.

 10- The Flemingsburg Gazette,   Thursday, March 3, 1977  (End of Article)

My Memories

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 disking 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 answer 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 choirs. 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 place 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