Daniel WILLIAMS¹ {M} = Violet CROUCH² {F}

Married 1787, Boonseboro, Madison Co, KY³

Daniel WILLIAMS:

Born 31 March 1753, Holston Valley, Lee Co, VA
Died 31 July 1820, Caney, Morgan Co, KY
Misc. event Type: Memorial
Misc. event Date: OCT 1983
Misc. event Place: Memory Hill, Morgan Co, KY
Morgan County's "Memory Hill" A Dream Realized

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By Hazel Craft - 2000

On April 29th, around 100 interested, enthusiastic friends and loved ones gathered at Memory Hill at Caney, Kentucky (near West Liberty), to help dedicate a "dream come true" for Mr. and Mrs. Wardie Craft of Caney; a dream that was conceived in 1958 in Washington, D. C., while the late Mr. Craft and his wife, Hazel, who continues to reside at Memory Hill, were on their honeymoon.

Wardie made the remark, "Wouldn't it be great if we could someday, somehow, leave a museum depicting the history of Eastern Kentucky!"

From that day forward, for almost 60 years, they worked toward that goal; collecting early American furniture, old cooking utensils, crocks, churns, tools, dishes, and much more. Many, many friends and loved ones made this collection possible.

The Crafts often remarked that the completion of the foundation was a "miracle." They often told the children, "God does work in mysterious ways."

So many people were connected in this dream that it's impossible to name them all. So many miracles took place. Wardie often remarked that it was a miracle that he was hired to teach at the Clear Fork School in Breathitt County, where he met a young 16-year-old girl, Hazel Bach; who had no other thought, but to finish school and become a teacher. Hazel often remarked that meeting Wardie "turned her world upside down."
Wardie made the remark to a friend, "I just met my wife." That was the beginning of an almost five-year courtship that resulted in marriage on June 12, 1938. From that day forward, they both worked toward their goal for a museum.

Hazel said, "We were both pack rats, collecting so many objects that, otherwise, would probably have been deposited in a garbage dump." They not only collected old objects, they began collecting children that needed a home and the love and affection the Crafts could bestow. Around 20 of their children and family members were present at the April 29th dedication.

It's impossible to enumerate all the accomplishments that took place on Memory Hill. By the way, the place was named Memory Hill in honor of their children, and the many school children with whom they came in contact.

Wardie retired as the principal at Cannel City School in 1969. Hazel taught on for 13 years. Wardie then started, in earnest, to fulfill their dream. First, he and his brother, Ernest Craft, with the aid of many others, moved seven log cabins from Morgan, Magoffin, Breathitt, and Wolfe Counties to the site. One is the two-story Henry Cabin from the Index community. Two cabins were made from this one cabin.

The logs were numbered so that the cabins could be reassembled as they were originally. Six were completed; two are not completed. After almost 20 years, the cabins have deteriorated and need some repairs. There is a church, a school, a home, two museums, and a blacksmith shop.

Plans were then made to erect a memorial to Elder Daniel Williams, an early pioneer who came into Kentucky in 1775 with Daniel Boone, on his second trip to Kentucky. Elder Williams' grave had been lost. Wardie began searching for the grave after reading in Spencer's "History of Kentucky" that Daniel Williams lived and was buried on Caney Creek.

Two men, Lomax Barker and John Lykins, informed Wardie that the old elder was buried either at Caney or Malone. Finally, Wardie located the grave in the Old Caney Cemetery, by crawling through a path animals had made through the tangle of vegetation. From that day forward, he became the caretaker of this old historic cemetery, where so many early pioneers are buried. Sixty percent of Morgan Countians alive today are descendants of Daniel and Violet Crouch Williams.

With the aid of Wardie's dad, Green Honchul, his classmates, and (later) his students, the cemetery was cleared, and the stones were re-erected around the graves. In the past few years, the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex has done a great job taking care of the historic old cemetery.

In the early 1970s, the Daniel Williams Historical Society was formed. In 1997, a transition was made and the historical society became the Memory Hill Foundation, with the aid of a former student of the Crafts, Joe Benton, a Lexington attorney. Many, many thanks are extended to him.

Now, the impressive marble structure erected in memory of Elder Daniel Williams adorns the Daniel Williams Park. This memorial was made possible by relatives and friends, who had their names inscribed on the monument for $100 per name. Presently, there is still space available for a few more names. The 16-ton memorial was dedicated in October 1983.

After the monument was erected, another one was erected honoring Wardie's great-great-grandfather, Daniel Duff, another pioneer minister, who preached with Daniel Williams. The large 20-room house, Daniel Williams Park, Memory Hill Cemetery, and the 19-acre farm now belong to the Memory Hill Foundation. At Hazel's death, the great collection of antiques and early primitives are willed to the foundation.

So much could be said concerning the Craft's lifetime efforts. Their one wish is that their efforts are not in vain, and what they have left at Memory Hill will enrich future generations, by allowing them the opportunity to understand and appreciate their heritage and great history of Eastern Kentucky.

Memory Hill Foundation wants to sincerely thank each and everyone who helped put the grounds and the large house in shape for the dedication. Special thanks to the Woodsbend Boys Camp for making the creek banks presentable, for removing the tons of trash that had lodged in beautiful Caney Creek, and to Judge Executive Sid Stewart for sending two dump trucks to remove the debris and trash retrieved from the creek.

Also, many thanks to Carol Adkins, Mary Stamper, Arkie Ward Patrick, Angela Jackson, Paul Craft, Tammy Craft, and many others, who helped make the place presentable for the dedication. The program included prayer by Elder Roy Collett, an introduction and history of Memory Hill by Hazel B. Craft, and remarks by Elder Gerald Hopkins, State Rep. John Stacy, and State Sen. Walter Blevins. Elder Gerald Hopkins gave the benediction.

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Hazel B. Craft, HC 68 Box 224, West Liberty, KY 41472, shares this story with our readers. She contributes material to the Kentucky Explorer from time to time.


Violet CROUCH:

Born ABT 1770
Died 10 June 1830, Morgan Co, KY
Buried Caney, Morgan Co, KY at Old Caney Cemetery
Violet may have been living with Richard and Edie, her son-in-law and daughter, when the 1830 Census for Morgan County was taken. The census shows a female, age 50-60, living in their household.

Sarah Frances WILLIAMS {F}

Alias Frankie WILLIAMS
Born 1787, Mason Co, KY⁴

John T WILLIAMS {M}

Born 7 November 1789, Morgan Co, KY
Died 10 March 1869, Morgan Co, KY
Occupation: Justice of the Peace
Daniel's son, John T. Williams, was one of the Justices of the Peace appointed by Governor Adair to set up the County of Morgan in 1822. He became known as Squire John T. and lived on Williams Creek of Elkford. A part of his old home is still standing on the farm now owned by Bruce Williams, a descendant. Squire John T. was the father of Capt. John T. Williams of Lower Caney who was a captain in the Confederate forces during the Civil War. Capt. John T. lived in a large house near Liberty Road where Mrs. Minnie Phillips now lives. (Thomas D. Allen, 1997)

Thornton WILLIAMS {M}

Nancy WILLIAMS {F} = David J LYKINS {M} > Family

Married 19 March 1809, Floyd Co, KY

Nancy WILLIAMS:

Alias Lucy WILLIAMS
Born 1794, Mason Co, KY
Died ABT 1840


David J LYKINS:

Born 13 July 1791, Franklin Co, VA
Died 22 April 1882, Caney, Morgan Co, KY

Elizabeth WILLIAMS {F}

Alias Betsy WILLIAMS

Isaac L WILLIAMS⁵ {M} = Elizabeth LYKINS {F} > Family

Married 25 April 1820, Floyd Co, KY

Isaac L WILLIAMS:

Born 1798
Died 1879, Magoffin Co, KY
Census Date: 1860
Census Place: Magoffin Co, KY
Isaac WILLIAMS, age 62, is listed with his wife Elizabeth in household 257.


Elizabeth LYKINS:

Born BET 1802 AND 1804

David WILLIAMS {M}

Edith WILLIAMS {F} = Richard ALLEN {M} > Family

Married 20 January 1819⁶

Edith WILLIAMS:

Alias Edy WILLIAMS
Born 1803
Died 1858


Richard ALLEN:

Born 1797
Died 1866
Death: FROM JOYCE PERREAULT: "Richard Allen's father came to America from Wales in the mid 1700's. Richard Allen was born in North Carolina in the late 1700's and came to Kentucky via Wythville, Wythe Co., Virgina, according to his great grandson, Grover Cleveland Allen in SEVEN GENERATIONS OF ALLENS IN KENTUCKY, p. 636. Richard Allen came to Kentucky before 1800, to an area that is now Magoffin County, Kentucky but was once Morgan County. He received land grants in Morgan Co., KY on 9 Oct 1824 for 50 acres on White Oak Creek, and on 27 June 1830 for 50 acres on White Oak Creek. Richard first lived in Caney, Kentucky, for a short while then moved to White Oak Creek. He died at age 69, year not known. (Magoffin Co., KY Cemetery Records, Vol. 3, lists the marked graves in the Allen Cemetery on Lower White Oak and states that there are 20 or more unidentifiable graves, probably Richard and Edith Allen are buried there as their son Daniel W. Allen was buried in this cemetery.) There are no markers for Richard or Edith." Information on this family assimilated by Todd Preston and Ernest Allen. Some early material from Joyce Perreault, P.O. Box 223, Rysley, OK 74062. NOTE FROM ERNEST ALLEN: "This information is of the descendants of Richard Allen, born 1797 and married 1819 Edy Williams, daughter of Elder Daniel Williams. These authentic records are from old family Bibles of the ALLEN families, church records, census reports, cemetery records, and information from older ALLEN family members. The first three or four generations of the Richard ALLEN family settled on the White Oak Creeks of Morgan and Magoffin counties and on Caney Creek in Morgan County, Kentucky." See information on Daniel Allen who died April 1826 in Morgan Co., KY. Richard ALLEN is found in the 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, U.S. Censuses for KY. Some researchers have listed Richard ALLEN as a child of Samuel ALLEN and Sarah Prater. Samuel ALLEN's proven child, William ALLEN was born ca. 1783. It is possible for Richard ALLEN to have been a brother to William. The descendants of the "White Oak Set" of ALLENs have always claimed a relation with the family of William ALLEN who settled mainly in the Magoffin Co. area.

James WILLIAMS {M}

Born 1804

Elijah WILLIAMS {M}

Born 1806

Winnie WILLIAMS {F} = Peter LYKINS {M} > Family

Married ⁷

Winnie WILLIAMS:

Born 1808


Peter LYKINS:

Born 7 June 1799, Montgomery Co, KY
Died BEF 1870

Caleb WILLIAMS {M}

Born 12 September 1809, Caney, Morgan Co, KY
Died 7 October 1865, Morgan Co, KY

Wiley C WILLIAMS {M}

Born 1810
Occupation: State Representative⁸
"The son of Elder Daniel Williams, Wiley C. Williams, was elected Morgan County's first State Representative and served from 1825 to 1827," EARLY MORGAN COUNTY, by Arthur C. Johnson, p. 266.
Occupation Date: 1825 to 1827
Occupation Place: Morgan Co, KY

Daniel WILLIAMS {M}

Jeremiah N Verdman WILLIAMS {M}

Born 1812, Floyd Co, KY
Died ABT 1888⁹
Death: "Jeremiah preserved the Revolutionary War coat that Elder Daniel Williams wore while fighting for this nation's independence. The coat, Mr. Williams remembers, was made of some kind of heavy homespun material and its color was purple. It became lost after Jeremiah Verdman Williams died in 1888. He was Daniel's youngest son."

Mary Phoebe WILLIAMS {F}

Alias Polly WILLIAMS
Born 1814, Floyd Co, KY

Marriage: The couple was married by Squire BOONE.

1 : "Craft, Hazel, http://www.kentuckyexplorer.com/nonmembers/8-m"
2 : "Allen, Thomas D, MrTDA@aol.com, tdallen@ (Website) tdallen@s"
3 : "Allen, Thomas D, MrTDA@aol.com, tdallen@ (Website) tdallen@s"
4 : "Allen, Thomas D, MrTDA@aol.com, tdallen@ (Website) tdallen@s"
5 : "1860 U.S. Census, Magoffin Co., KY"
6 : "Annals of Floyd Co., KY 1800-1826 (Baltimore: Gateway Press,"
7 : "Annals of Floyd Co., KY 1800-1826 (Baltimore: Gateway Press,"; Page p. 260
8 : "Johnson, Arthur C., Early Morgan Co., KY"
P. 266 - The son of Elder Daniel WILIAMS, Wiley C. WILLIAMS, was elected Morgan County's first State Representative and served from 1825 to 1827.
9 : "Johnson, Arthur C., Early Morgan Co., KY"; Page p. 265