Keziah Bonded 1790-91
Armstead born in 1810 but bonded in 1817.
Step son Sampson, age 15
Daughter Lucy age 2 or 3
James, 2 and Armstead Lewis, 1 or 2
Brothers,
Oliver age 15 or 16
Sperrill age 11
Verification of arrival in Barren County is evidenced in the Census of 1840 where Armstead Burgess has set up his own household and Kessiah Burgis[iii] is living with two children. Other friends and shirttail family may have preceded them or accompanied them to Kentucky. Many form Bedford County VA, came to Barren County, KY.
1850, 14 years after they immigrated to Kentucky, shows Sperril (Spiral) with a family of his own at age 24 (three children) no occupation listed, but Real Estate listed at 100 dollars of value. Oliver, 30 is married to Mary A., 21 no children listed yet. Real Estate of $200. Armstead is listed with 6 children home and wife Millie, he is a farmer and owns real estate of $200. No mention of Keziah in the 1850 census, but is listed in the 1860 census as 69 years old. Some researchers place her death in 1865, but I have no substantiation.
October of 1850-Oliver is listed as having received a land grant of five acres,
August of 1853 Armstead is listed with 7 ½ acres both on Peters Creek in Barren County[iv]
One wonders why it took 14 years to acquire property after coming to Kentucky?
1860-1880 Census- All three families grow substantially with dozens of children in the next two generations.
1862-65 Civil War-Family is divided and fights for both sides.[v]
Armstead Lewis 1835-1904, married Lucy Ann Mitchell December 31, 1857
Ten children
Dory Burgess 1879-1954
1893 Family Photo taken
“In 1895 Uncle (Armstead) Lewis Burgess and his wife Lucy Ann took their family and went to Cozad, Nebraska to live. They traveled in a covered wagon with a wagon train. In 1898 Uncle Lewis and part of his family came back to Kentucky to live. The rest of the family stayed on in Nebraska. We (the John Bailey family) lived in Christian County, KY when I (Levi) was about 9 years old. I remember one Sunday a wagon train stopped at our place. We had a big yard and it seemed to me the whole place was full of wagons. I believe Uncle Lewis was with that wagon train”.
Levi Satterfield Bailey
Dory Burgess told his children that “he walked to Nebraska behind the oxen,” he was 15 years old. The first year was a drought year, the second year brought grasshoppers. They returned as so many others did to Kentucky in 1898, Armstead Lewis died in 1904. But several of his children were old enough to stay on in Nebraska.. Susan Ann married Dowe Whaley in Etoile, KY 13 years before the trip, they never had children. Aunt Susan Ann gave Mitchell a broken loveseat for painting her house in about 1936. He repaired it and it is now in the custody of Ronald, Mitchell’s son.
Lucy was also married at the time to James Spradlin. They stayed in Cozad as well and lived next door to each other into the mid century. Uncle Billy (William Berry) went into the grocery business in Cozad. He later moved to Kansas City where he owned a store. He was shot in the leg during a robbery and limped as a result.
1898-Other children apparently returned to Kentucky with Armstead.
12/23/1900 Dory Married Jewell Dickerson
1900-1909, Ruby and Marvin born, farm in Mount Herman, Monroe Cty, KY
1909-1910, Dory moves to Denver where he can travel to Lyons Colorado to visit the TB camp where Jewell was convalescing. He rode the train weekly from Denver to Lyons. The JR Dickerson family (Jewell’s parents) moved to Denver as well. The high altitude not agreeing with J.R., they moved back to Kentucky. Ruby and Marvin (Jewell and Dory’s children) are taken back to Kentucky under the care of by Jewell’s parents the Dickersons. Marvin stated he went to school in Glasgow for two or three years. Apparently the Dickersons have retired to Glasgow. Jewell’s brother lives next door, Dory having bought 80 acres from hem or his father-in-law.[vi] Jan Burgess Horner has a photo of JD Dickerson with Marvin and Ruby in the homestead log house, but the location is not known.
1910 or 1911 Jewell moves back to the farm in Kentucky to die. Cared for by Maude Gentry Whitehead, a recent TB widow. The 1910 census lists Jewell as 27, both Ruby and Marvin are listed and a “laborer” sited as a servant names Lucy (possibly Burgess) is also listed. Jewell died shortly after. Lucy is Dory’s sister(?).
1913- Dory and Maude marry, each have two existing children, they have 6 more while married. Ruby and Marvin move back home. Maude (Gentry Whitehead) had lived across the road with their father, Simon Gentry.
1920-Move to Nebraska for environment and education of children, 1920 Census lists Maude with Dora M. and their children including Mary D., Helen and Lilian.
1921-Mitchell Burgess Born in Cozad.
1940 Graduated HS
1940-41 Studied at Greeley (Northern Colorado State University)
1941-1943 University of Southern California
1943 Moved back to Cozad to get drafted, but could not get in service
1943-47 University of Illinois School of Optometry
1945 Married to Lola Fae Bell
1947 6 months in Denver to study for the Optometry Boards
1947 Moved to set up practice in Ft. Collins
1948 Ronald born, Ft. Collins
1951 Opened part time practice in Longmont above drug store. Lived in the Kitely house
1952 Moved to Lincoln street. Paula born 1953
1957 Built new office building on Coffman Street
See Life of Mitchell Burgess Document
[i]A reference to a will for Sampson from his grandfather who has served in the revolution. Perhaps a pension.
[ii] Census records in 1850 and 1870 indicate birth state.
[iii] A common mistake was make transcribing because in long hand of the day a double “s” was frequently written as a lower case cursive “f” so easily mistaken for an I. Spelling was probably aided by illiteracy of the family prior to Kentucky.
[iv] Of note, is the grant of Elded Michell, father of Lucy Mitchell who married Armstead in 1843
[v] John Burgess son of Oliver in First Kentucky Orphan Brigade, Confederate, 4th Kentucky Infantry Company A. , Sperrel, Union - Mustered in to Company F, 21st Kentucky Infantry, Private. Served 18 months and fought in Murfeesboro. Distinguished Service,
[vi] From the tape for Marvin’s life.
Armstead born in 1810 but bonded in 1817.
- Married Millie Smith 11 years his senior, July 25, 1832. She had one son, Sampson Smith born in 1819 from a prior marriage (or perhaps out of wedlock)[i]. Also Armstead (or Millie) had a daughter in 1830 or 1831 (Lucy was 20 in the 1850 Census). Lucy would have been out of wedlock or perhaps born just prior to marrying Millie, perhaps the reason to get married.
- It is not known exactly when or how the three boys and Kessiah made their way from Bedford (Franklin) County VA to Barren County KY. They arrived in Kentucky between 1835 and 1838 as indicated by birth of James W. on July 14,1833 in Virginia[ii] and his younger sister Mary Ann born in Kentucky. It seems likely that they traveled along the wilderness trail by wagon to Tennessee then north into the Barren County region (also including most of Monroe County). Although many did travel through the Cumberland Gap into eastern Kentucky, the trail established by Daniel Boone.
- The group included at least: Kessiah age 46
Step son Sampson, age 15
Daughter Lucy age 2 or 3
James, 2 and Armstead Lewis, 1 or 2
Brothers,
Oliver age 15 or 16
Sperrill age 11
Verification of arrival in Barren County is evidenced in the Census of 1840 where Armstead Burgess has set up his own household and Kessiah Burgis[iii] is living with two children. Other friends and shirttail family may have preceded them or accompanied them to Kentucky. Many form Bedford County VA, came to Barren County, KY.
1850, 14 years after they immigrated to Kentucky, shows Sperril (Spiral) with a family of his own at age 24 (three children) no occupation listed, but Real Estate listed at 100 dollars of value. Oliver, 30 is married to Mary A., 21 no children listed yet. Real Estate of $200. Armstead is listed with 6 children home and wife Millie, he is a farmer and owns real estate of $200. No mention of Keziah in the 1850 census, but is listed in the 1860 census as 69 years old. Some researchers place her death in 1865, but I have no substantiation.
October of 1850-Oliver is listed as having received a land grant of five acres,
August of 1853 Armstead is listed with 7 ½ acres both on Peters Creek in Barren County[iv]
One wonders why it took 14 years to acquire property after coming to Kentucky?
1860-1880 Census- All three families grow substantially with dozens of children in the next two generations.
1862-65 Civil War-Family is divided and fights for both sides.[v]
Armstead Lewis 1835-1904, married Lucy Ann Mitchell December 31, 1857
Ten children
Dory Burgess 1879-1954
1893 Family Photo taken
“In 1895 Uncle (Armstead) Lewis Burgess and his wife Lucy Ann took their family and went to Cozad, Nebraska to live. They traveled in a covered wagon with a wagon train. In 1898 Uncle Lewis and part of his family came back to Kentucky to live. The rest of the family stayed on in Nebraska. We (the John Bailey family) lived in Christian County, KY when I (Levi) was about 9 years old. I remember one Sunday a wagon train stopped at our place. We had a big yard and it seemed to me the whole place was full of wagons. I believe Uncle Lewis was with that wagon train”.
Levi Satterfield Bailey
Dory Burgess told his children that “he walked to Nebraska behind the oxen,” he was 15 years old. The first year was a drought year, the second year brought grasshoppers. They returned as so many others did to Kentucky in 1898, Armstead Lewis died in 1904. But several of his children were old enough to stay on in Nebraska.. Susan Ann married Dowe Whaley in Etoile, KY 13 years before the trip, they never had children. Aunt Susan Ann gave Mitchell a broken loveseat for painting her house in about 1936. He repaired it and it is now in the custody of Ronald, Mitchell’s son.
Lucy was also married at the time to James Spradlin. They stayed in Cozad as well and lived next door to each other into the mid century. Uncle Billy (William Berry) went into the grocery business in Cozad. He later moved to Kansas City where he owned a store. He was shot in the leg during a robbery and limped as a result.
1898-Other children apparently returned to Kentucky with Armstead.
12/23/1900 Dory Married Jewell Dickerson
1900-1909, Ruby and Marvin born, farm in Mount Herman, Monroe Cty, KY
1909-1910, Dory moves to Denver where he can travel to Lyons Colorado to visit the TB camp where Jewell was convalescing. He rode the train weekly from Denver to Lyons. The JR Dickerson family (Jewell’s parents) moved to Denver as well. The high altitude not agreeing with J.R., they moved back to Kentucky. Ruby and Marvin (Jewell and Dory’s children) are taken back to Kentucky under the care of by Jewell’s parents the Dickersons. Marvin stated he went to school in Glasgow for two or three years. Apparently the Dickersons have retired to Glasgow. Jewell’s brother lives next door, Dory having bought 80 acres from hem or his father-in-law.[vi] Jan Burgess Horner has a photo of JD Dickerson with Marvin and Ruby in the homestead log house, but the location is not known.
1910 or 1911 Jewell moves back to the farm in Kentucky to die. Cared for by Maude Gentry Whitehead, a recent TB widow. The 1910 census lists Jewell as 27, both Ruby and Marvin are listed and a “laborer” sited as a servant names Lucy (possibly Burgess) is also listed. Jewell died shortly after. Lucy is Dory’s sister(?).
1913- Dory and Maude marry, each have two existing children, they have 6 more while married. Ruby and Marvin move back home. Maude (Gentry Whitehead) had lived across the road with their father, Simon Gentry.
1920-Move to Nebraska for environment and education of children, 1920 Census lists Maude with Dora M. and their children including Mary D., Helen and Lilian.
1921-Mitchell Burgess Born in Cozad.
1940 Graduated HS
1940-41 Studied at Greeley (Northern Colorado State University)
1941-1943 University of Southern California
1943 Moved back to Cozad to get drafted, but could not get in service
1943-47 University of Illinois School of Optometry
1945 Married to Lola Fae Bell
1947 6 months in Denver to study for the Optometry Boards
1947 Moved to set up practice in Ft. Collins
1948 Ronald born, Ft. Collins
1951 Opened part time practice in Longmont above drug store. Lived in the Kitely house
1952 Moved to Lincoln street. Paula born 1953
1957 Built new office building on Coffman Street
See Life of Mitchell Burgess Document
[i]A reference to a will for Sampson from his grandfather who has served in the revolution. Perhaps a pension.
[ii] Census records in 1850 and 1870 indicate birth state.
[iii] A common mistake was make transcribing because in long hand of the day a double “s” was frequently written as a lower case cursive “f” so easily mistaken for an I. Spelling was probably aided by illiteracy of the family prior to Kentucky.
[iv] Of note, is the grant of Elded Michell, father of Lucy Mitchell who married Armstead in 1843
[v] John Burgess son of Oliver in First Kentucky Orphan Brigade, Confederate, 4th Kentucky Infantry Company A. , Sperrel, Union - Mustered in to Company F, 21st Kentucky Infantry, Private. Served 18 months and fought in Murfeesboro. Distinguished Service,
[vi] From the tape for Marvin’s life.
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