African Americans of the Kentucky Borderlands

Items

• Anderson, Elijah A.

  Anderson was a Virginia-born free African American, blacksmith by trade, active agent and conductor on the UGRR. He was known for helping enslaved people escape in great number. Anderson arrived in Cincinnati in the 1830s, moved to Madison, IN in 1835, then to Lawrenceburg. It is suspected that hundreds of enslaved people held in Boone County found freedom with his help. Arrested in 1856, Anderson died of suspicious circumstances in a Kentucky penitentiary in 1861, on the day he was due for early release.

• Newspapers.com

  Newspaper database containing over 841 million news pages from 26,700+ newspapers primarily from the United States, some from Canada and other countries.

• Old Fashioned Folks

  The article states that "Evan Corneal born in Boone County, Ky., went to Missouri in 1857 and came here in 1864. Twelve children have been borne to him, four of them are buried here. He owns his home at 105 Kickapoo street."

• How They Came Here

  An article describing the escape of Evan Corneal and other men on June 28 and their crossing of the Missouri River into "the land of the free," Kansas. The article tells of their adjustments to society, to include employment and social intergration into a welcoming town.

• Brown County World

  A republican leaning weekly publication, it was accompanied by a daily edition in 1908.

• Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The

  A daily publication which featured several editions focusing on home news, Wall Street news, and sports. Contains sections for different bouroughs of New York City.

• Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-Current

  From Ancestry,com, "this database consists of facts extracted from obituaries found on Newspapers.com™ dating from the early 1800’s to current."

• New York Times, The

  From Britannica, "The New York Times, morning daily newspaper published in New York City, long the newspaper of record in the United States and one of the world's great newspapers. [...]The Times was established in 1851 as a penny paper that would avoid sensationalism and report the news in a restrained and objective fashion."
• 

  Mrs. Anna Ryle Passes Away

  "Mrs. Anna Belle Ryle, colored, of 52 Sycamore street, passed away at Mercy hospital on Tuesday morning at the age of 80 years and four days. Mrs. Ryle was for many years a resident of Oxford where she was well known among the colored residents of that village. She made her home with her son, James Ryle, of Hamilton, who is the only surviving relative. In her youth, Mrs. Ryle was a slave. Funeral services will be held at the Michael J. Colligan funeral parlors, 425 Walnut street on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Internment will be in the Oxford cemetery."
• 

  Burial of Woodford Ryle

  "H.D. Cormier, burial of Woodfod Ryal, $23."

• Obituary of Elizabeth Lakie Piatt

  The 1963 obituary of Elizabeth Ryle. It mentions names of her family members.

• Journal News

  A publication which has had different titles throughout it's existence. It was known as the Hamilton Democrat-Sun, the Hamilton Evening Journal, the Hamilton Daily News and the Hamilton Daily News Journal.

• Hamilton Evening Journal

  A publication which was published daily, except for on Sundays.

• Butler County Democrat

  A weekly publication which ceased in 1923.
• 

  Licensed to Wed

  "Licensed to Wed. John H. Smith and Fannie Gaines, of Oxford (colored)."
• 

  Three Hurt Slightly Butcher Knife Used in Lane Street Row

  "Three men were cut and stabbed in a series of altercations here during the week-end. One arrest was made, another victim refused to name his assailant and the third told police who cut him but refused to sign a warrant. Arthur J. Towsey, age 55, 1269 Lane street, faces a charge of cutting Henry Smith, residing in the rear of 1280 Lane street and a charge of breach of peace made by his father, George Towsey. The father said Towsey got drunk and armed himself with a butcher knife and a 22 calibre rifle. Smith is said to have been cut when he attempted to take the knife away from Towsey."
• 

  Colored Men Furnish Bonds After Arrest

  "Arthur J. Towsey, age 59, colored, 1269 Lae street, was released under personal bond at police headquarters early Sunday morning, following his arrest on a charge of breach of peace Harvey Smith, age 49, colored, 1269 Lane street, arrested Sunday at 1:15 a.m. on a charge of breach of peace, was released from custody on a bond signed by George Towser, colored, 1269 Lane street."
• 

  Exoneration for Towsey

  A detailing of the exoneration of Arthur Towsey in the connection with some robberies which occurred in Tippicanoe City, Ohio and Indianapolis: "Arthur Towsey, colored, South avenus, was exonerated of having any connection with robberies said to have been committed in Tippicanoe City, Ohio and Indianapolis by John Covey, alleged parole violator, now in the Ohio State Penitentiary, after two Indianapolis Detectives had interviewed Towsey on Thursday. Covey is reported to have told the two detectives at columbus that some of the loot from at least one of the robberies was in the possession of Towsey. Detectives Chas. Morton said today that the detectives left Hamilton convinced that Towsey knew nothing about the robbery. Morton said that covey has told similar stories about other Hamilton people who, when quizzed, were able to convince detectives that they had none of the loot in their possession."
• 

  Divorce Notice of William Towsey and Daisy Towsey

  A listing of court cases to include the notice of "William Towsey vs. Daisy Towsey."
• 

  Obituary of Mrs. Mattie Towsey

  The obituary of Mrs. Mattie Towsey.
• 

  Mrs. Mattie Towsey

  "Mrs. Mattie Towsey who has been very ill at her home on Lane street, is improving slowly."
• 

  Andrew Jackson's Wife Judged Insane

  "Judge Berry, of Hamilton, was here Saturday holding an inquest of lunacy on the wife of Andrew Jackson, colored. The woman will be taken to the asylum at Dayton."
• 

  Towsey Tells of His Slavery Days: Believes he was once mortgaged to the father of Wilson

  This article tells the life story of George Towsey and details his life and the life of his family under enslavement: "George Towsey, 78, colored, Long street and South avenue was sitting with his attorney in municipal court Wednesday afternoon awaiting the hearing of a civil suit in which he is suing Tiofi Golobaski for $6 commission allegedy due from a real-estate transaction. [Towsey], who has lived in Hamilton and vicinity for fifty years is widely known and is cordially greeted whenever an acquaintance chances to meet him. Towsey does not show his seven decades and more of age and is often mistaken for a man of lesser years. Towsey had quite a bit of experience in his younger days spent in slavery and retains vivid impression of incidents while still subject to a southern master. The old gentleman, liberated in accordance with the memorable proclamation of Abraham Lincoln is an eager conversationalist and especially relishes an opportunity to tell a listener of life in the old South. 'I was in slavery up till the end of the war,' Towsey commenced his short sketch of his life. Continuing he said, ' For a time my mother and I were together, were slaves for the same master; the rest of the family and my father were scatered about. During the great war I was under several masters in Boone county, Kentucky. First one would buy me and then would have to sell me because he could not afford to keep me.' Among other things Towsey said that at one time the mortgage on his mother and himself was held by a certain Joseph R. Wilson, whom [Towsey] believes to be the father of former President Woodrow Wilson. 'Yes sir, i'm older than President Wilson,' Towsey replied when asked for comparative age with the former chief executive. After the war Towsey said that the family was united for a time, but he came north. Towsey has lived in Hamilton for fifty years. He also has resided in Oxford two years and College Corner, one year."
• 

  A Sacred Relic! Dollar Bought Dad's Freedom

  "A Dollar Bill issued in 1811 which he used to buy his father out of slavery was being displayed in the office of Harry Emerick, clerk of the municipal court, Friday morning by George Towsey, 80, colored, of 1269 Lane street. Towsey was born in slavery on a southern plantation. He came in posession of the same dollar bill which he used in buying his father out of slavery and the currency is his most cherished possession."
• 

  Born in Slavery

  An article describing a lawsuit brought forth by George Towsey: "The filing of a partition suit recently in common pleas court by George Towsey, 1269 Lane street, Hamilton, revealed that the plaintiff had been born in slavery and that Thomas Wilson, father of the late President Woodrow Wilson, had at one time held a chattel mortgage on him. In addition, Towsey cited the fact that the two defendants in the suit, his nephew, Alfred Parker, and niece, Amanda Bedenbaugh, Oxford, also were descendants of slaves. According to the suit, his father, John Towsey, married Louise Jefferson in Kentucky while both were slaves. From that union, came the plaintiff and Judy Towsey, another of the defendants."