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In Honor of Revisit Knifley 2023 See also: History of Knifley Community and Knifley's schools By Mike Watson  In honor of Revist Knifley, which is this weekend, here are a few short excerpts from Knifley: News & Notes from The Adair County News, 1897-1905, and other Sources, compiled by Michael C. Watson, 2014, prepared for A Knifley Homecoming and Festival, Knifley, Adair County, Kentucky, 6 September 2014:Knifley--An old community, named for the Knifley family who settled the area in northeastern Adair County in the early 1800s, it had a population of 125 in the mid-1890s; moved when the Green River dam project threatened it. A post office was established on 23 May 1887 with Thomas R. Stults as first postmaster. He was followed by: Robert M. Tucker, 12 April 1895; George F. Stults, 6 September 1895; Walter I. Ingram, 7 May 1896; Sampson K. Humphress, 27 May 1897; Michael H. Quinn, 12 August 1901; Lee R. Chelf, 9 June 1903; Maxine Chelf, 21 January 1939; Fannie M. Knifley, 28 July 1945; William R. Wethington, 30 June 1951; Gayla Baker was the postmaster at the time it closed. Absher--The community and the post office were named for the Absher family of whom William Henry Harrison Absher, a minister of considerable talent, was perhaps the most well-known member. The post office here was established 20 June 1884 with Samuel M. Humble as postmaster. He was followed by: William J. Cooley, 19 December 1884; Philip T. Cooley, 19 December 1884; John D. Absher, 21 January 1904; Robert A. Cooley, 16 December 1904; Henry Cooley, 29 December 1912; Lacie G. Weatherford, 2 June 1913; Robert A. Cooley, 12 May 1914; Robert O. Dillingham, 28 October 1927; discontinued 14 January 1955 with mail to Columbia. Casey Creek--This early community takes its name from the nearby stream, named for pioneer Col. William Casey. By the mid-1890s, the community counted one hundred persons as inhabitants; McClellan Goode, John A. Stayton and W.B. Hendrickson each operated stores in town, with Hendrickson as postmaster; C.B. Mayes was the local blacksmith; and Dr. Z.T. Gabbert attended the ill. The first Casey Creek post office was established in 1833 with Thomas W. Hardwick as postmaster. In 1836 the name was changed to Neetsville and later Neatsville. However, a second Casey Creek post office was established in the Roley Community on 4 March 1852 with Robert B. Ferrell as postmaster. He was follow-ed by: William R. Sanders, 19 June 1862; James W. Beard, 15 September 1868; William Sanders, 30 November 1868; Richard M. McWhorter, 19 October 1870; Delonovis L. Edrington, 18 September 1878; James W. Beard, 17 October 1887; John A. Stayton, 15 May 1889; McClellan Goode, 19 June 1893; Willie B. Hendrickson, 29 May 1894; John A. Stayton, 23 June 1898; Dr. Zachary T. Gabbert, 22 October 1910; Carl H. Wolford, 23 April 1915; Mrs. Loracy Bailey, 6 March 1928; Audrey V. Seaborn, 30 June 1955; Lindsay R. Seaborn, 4 May 1956; June A. Walker, 27 June 1958; James Edward Walker, 16 April 1959-1984. An Entertainment--Last Friday night Prof. Hoover and wife entertained a large crowd in the city of Knifley with the phonograph and vocal music. One of the novel features of the program was the gift of a cane to the laziest man present which was determined by vote, the voters paying one cent for each vote cast. There were several voted for, but Mr. Wm. Pendleton proved the winner. We are informed that our old friend, Steve Knifley, was dangerously close to the winner when all returns were in. We do not know whether the cane was rightly placed, but some complimentary votes for our friend, Knifley, is not to our liking. This way of testing laziness might hit an energetic man a severe blow because of so many incompetent voters. --Adair County News, 24 September 1902 Roley--This small town in the northeastern sector of the county once boasted several stores and a sizable population. Historians have surmised it took its name from the marble game Roley-Hole. No other likely possibilities have been presented except by J.E. Walker, long-time post master at Casey Creek, told that the name came from a drummer or traveling salesman, who often visited there on business and nearly every time there was a game of 'Roley Poley' being played, so he said he would call it Roley, and the name stuck.. Delouvois L. Edrington, born 11 June 1844 in Adair County, son of Benjamin Edring-ton, was a Confederate States of America veteran, lived in Missouri, to California and Nevada, operated a store at "Rolla" from about 1870 to 1875. He was postmaster in the mid-1880s. Charles V. McWhorter ran a store for about two years here in the 1800s. An 1884 Act of the KY Legislature forbade the sale and gift of liquors in "Rolly" or within three miles thereof. Hon. W.F. Neat was in the News office Friday and while talking about large sycamores, stated that many years ago Green River bottoms were famed for the tremendous size of this timber. On one occasion Mr. Neat, then a boy, was fishing and heard a noise that excited him and he went in search of the cause. To his surprise he found a cow fully 20 feet up a hollow sycamore that had blown down and which belonged to a widow of that section. He noticed the family and the cow was released by the use of an ax. Someone had stored some turnips in the log and the cow went after them so far that she was unable to extricate herself. On another occasion Mr. Neat stated that a man, while cultivating his corn in the bottom near where Mr. Phil Knifley now lives, his horse fell into a hollow sycamore stump, the earth having formed even with the top of the stump, and there died.-Adair County News, 1 February 1905 Rev. Joseph Knifley was born in what is now Taylor County, Ky., then Green County, December 10, 1809, and is the fourth of five children born to Philip and Sarah Mourning Knifley, who were of English and Irish descent, respectively. Philip Knifley was born in Pennsylvania in 1777. While yet a young man he came to what is now the south-eastern part of Taylor County, Ky., but was at that time a part of Green County. Here he bought wild land and subsequently improved a farm, upon which he resided until 1814, when he sold out and bought another farm in the north part of Adair County, on Casey Creek, upon which he remained until his death, in August 1862. From early life he was a devoted member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. His father was most of his life engaged in agricultural pursuits in his native state of Pennsylvania. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary war and died in Green County, KY., aged nearly a hundred years. Mrs. Sarah Mourning Knifley was born in Ireland in about 1784. While yet a child, however, she came with her parents to what is now Taylor County., Ky. Her death occurred about 1818 or 1819. She was a life-long member of the Separate Baptist Church. Her father, Roger Mourning, was one of the earliest settlers of Taylor County. Rev. Joseph Knifley was employed on the farm until he attained his majority, when he bought a farm on Casey Creek, near Rolla, in Adair County, upon which he remained until about 1838, when he sold out and rented lands for some two years. He then bought the farm of 160 acres, some three miles farther down Casey Creek, upon which he has since resided, and where he has been for many years extensively and successfully engaged in farming and stock raising. He has for several years taken considerable interest in breeding blooded stock, both horses and cattle. For many years in antebellum days, he was a captain in the old State Militia. Mr. Knifley has been twice married, first, February 16, 1832, to Miss Sallie Martin, a native of Adair County, born February 7, 1812. She was a daughter of James and Jemima Butler Martin, both natives of Adair County, and of English descent. Five children were the fruit of this union, viz: Eliza J. (Bland), now the widow of Charles H. Jones; Nancy E. (deceased), married Mr. R.M. Tucker; William W.; Mary J., now Mrs. J.C. Dunbar; and Philip H. Mrs. Sallie Knifley departed this life January 10, 1863, a devoted member of the Christian Church. Mr. Knifley was next married, October 26, 1865, to Miss Elizabeth H. Lainhart, a native of Casey County, Ky., born December 8, 1827. She is a daughter of Christopher and Rebecca Hight Lainhart, natives of Madison and Casey Counties, Ky., respectively, and of English descent. Both Mr. Knifley and wife are members of the Christian Church, in which church he has been a regularly ordained minister for nearly half a century. He is also an old and bright member of the Masonic fraternity, having been a member of the order for over thirty-five years, and has advanced to the Council degree of R & S M. In politics, he is a Republican, and is one of the successful farmers as well as one of the most respected citizens of the county and district. Source: Kentucky: A History of the State..., by W.H. Battle, J.H. Perrin, G.C. Kniffin, 4th edition, Louisville, Ky, F.A. Battey & Company, 1887. [Copied as it appeared in the original; no additions or corrections have been made.-MCW] "Rezon D. Hovious practiced [medicine] in the Knifley area beginning in the 1890s, then moved south. Dr. Hovious died September 1910 at the age of 64. He had practiced medicine in Tennessee and decided he didn't have long to live, so came back to his home place, Knifley, Adair County. He had one son, John Wilkes Booth Hovious. He [RDH] took the southern side during the Civil War and so gave one son this name. He leaves several brothers and sisters in the Knifley area." [Adair County News, September 1910] This story was posted on 2023-09-08 08:48:32
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