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Back in October of 1874, in Harlan County, Kentucky, my 2X great aunt Frances “Fannie” Middleton was born to Benjamin Franklin and Sarah “Sallie” Blevins Middleton.
Benjamin Franklin Middleton
Sarah "Sallie" Blevins Middleton
The following year in September, also in Harlan County, my 2nd cousin 3X removed, John David Turner, was born to James “Devil Jim” and Sarah Jones Turner.
Now, Harlan County is on Kentucky’s eastern border with Virginia and is nestled in the mountains of Appalachia. It is a beautifully rugged place and these two relatives were born during a fairly turbulent time just a decade after the Civil War ended. Some Kentuckians had been sympathetic to the cause of the South even though the state had ended up siding with the Union. The War was over, but hard feelings did not vanish at Appomattox.
Harlan County Kentucky
John’s father James had been born in 1837 and even before the Civil War he had had a gang of ruffians who were well-known for carrying out evil deeds. My own 3X Great-grandfather Joseph Nolen had been involved with him early on. After Devil Jim, Joseph and another man were tried for murder and were acquitted because of a savvy attorney, my 3XG grandfather Joseph was said to have been scared straight. Unfortunately, the same was not true for Devil Jim and he continued to wreak havoc and terrorize the area. Feuds were not uncommon in the region and, of course, this made it easier for a ruffian such as Devil Jim to fit right in.
It was during the seemingly lawless times of mayhem during and following the War that Devil Jim and his gang would be responsible for the deaths of three of Fannie’s father’s brothers, two of his brothers-in-laws, and the “crippling” of another brother. The widow of one of the men claimed that Devil Jim had raped his aunt. Possibly, that aunt was Sarah Turner Middleton, the mother of the Middleton men. Ironically, Devil Jim was also the first cousin of the Middleton men but it seems that Devil Jim was an equal opportunity murderer and felt no loyalty to family.
In 1874, Devil Jim was convicted of murder and sent to the Kentucky state penitentiary where he spent several years. He was eventually let out on parole on the condition that he would leave the state. Devil Jim and his son Hiram moved to Washington State sometime around 1890. So Devil Jim’s actual presence had thankfully been absent for some time due to imprisonment and his move out to Washington State. Perhaps he was “out of sight, out of mind”.
Both, Devil Jim’s son John and Fannie Middleton, the niece of so many of his victims, lived in Harlan. They were second cousins and many of the Turners had been upstanding citizens. Both John and Fannie must have visited some of the relatives that they had in common and they may have run into each other at those times. They may have attended the same church services. The population of Harlan was just under 6200 people at that time and it would not be unusual for John and Fannie to meet at some time, especially since they were related.
We know that John and Fannie did meet and they must have been able to see past any hard feelings that could have been caused by past tragedies. In fact, like Romeo and Juliet, past wrongs could not interfere with Cupid’s arrow.
The following information was found in an interview by the Courier-Journal of the couple on February 24, 1963 and was shared with me by a newly "found" cousin. In early March 1893, the couple trekked over fifteen miles across Black Mountain and on to a train station to catch a train to Sewanee, Tennessee to get married there on March 6th. They then retraced their steps to return to Harlan as man and wife.
Both John and Fannie lost their widowed mothers in 1919, and that coupled with the sadness of seeing their farm "mutilated" must have made a change of scenery desirable. So, in 1919, the couple moved their family to a farm in Columbia in Adair County, Kentucky.
Adair County Kentucky
Harlan County Kentucky
John’s father James had been born in 1837 and even before the Civil War he had had a gang of ruffians who were well-known for carrying out evil deeds. My own 3X Great-grandfather Joseph Nolen had been involved with him early on. After Devil Jim, Joseph and another man were tried for murder and were acquitted because of a savvy attorney, my 3XG grandfather Joseph was said to have been scared straight. Unfortunately, the same was not true for Devil Jim and he continued to wreak havoc and terrorize the area. Feuds were not uncommon in the region and, of course, this made it easier for a ruffian such as Devil Jim to fit right in.
It was during the seemingly lawless times of mayhem during and following the War that Devil Jim and his gang would be responsible for the deaths of three of Fannie’s father’s brothers, two of his brothers-in-laws, and the “crippling” of another brother. The widow of one of the men claimed that Devil Jim had raped his aunt. Possibly, that aunt was Sarah Turner Middleton, the mother of the Middleton men. Ironically, Devil Jim was also the first cousin of the Middleton men but it seems that Devil Jim was an equal opportunity murderer and felt no loyalty to family.
In 1874, Devil Jim was convicted of murder and sent to the Kentucky state penitentiary where he spent several years. He was eventually let out on parole on the condition that he would leave the state. Devil Jim and his son Hiram moved to Washington State sometime around 1890. So Devil Jim’s actual presence had thankfully been absent for some time due to imprisonment and his move out to Washington State. Perhaps he was “out of sight, out of mind”.
Both, Devil Jim’s son John and Fannie Middleton, the niece of so many of his victims, lived in Harlan. They were second cousins and many of the Turners had been upstanding citizens. Both John and Fannie must have visited some of the relatives that they had in common and they may have run into each other at those times. They may have attended the same church services. The population of Harlan was just under 6200 people at that time and it would not be unusual for John and Fannie to meet at some time, especially since they were related.
We know that John and Fannie did meet and they must have been able to see past any hard feelings that could have been caused by past tragedies. In fact, like Romeo and Juliet, past wrongs could not interfere with Cupid’s arrow.
The following information was found in an interview by the Courier-Journal of the couple on February 24, 1963 and was shared with me by a newly "found" cousin. In early March 1893, the couple trekked over fifteen miles across Black Mountain and on to a train station to catch a train to Sewanee, Tennessee to get married there on March 6th. They then retraced their steps to return to Harlan as man and wife.
Initially, the couple lived in a small home that had been constructed by John located on a small piece of land John owned. John worked at logging, did some mining and also farmed his land. Fannie worked the farm also. She told the Courier-Journal interviewer that she had been hoeing corn on the steep hillside and had placed her young daughter Sallie on the ground as she hoed a small distance away. Sallie ended up rolling down the hill. Fannie said that she suffered only scratches and was none the less for wear.
Eventually, the couple was able to acquire more flat land and John could concentrate his time on tending his farm. The couple would go on to have seven children there in Harlan. At some point, the railroad and a highway came through the Turners' farm. Half of their orchard was destroyed in the process. In the Courier-Journal interview, John lamented at seeing the apple trees bearing yet green apples being cut down to the ground to make way for progress.
John and Fannie Middleton Turner with their children
Both John and Fannie lost their widowed mothers in 1919, and that coupled with the sadness of seeing their farm "mutilated" must have made a change of scenery desirable. So, in 1919, the couple moved their family to a farm in Columbia in Adair County, Kentucky.
Adair County Kentucky
Fannie Middleton Turner and John Turner
from the Courier-Journal article
Fannie Middleton Turner and John Turner family
from the Courier-Journal
The couple lived there in Columbia until their deaths. It is there, while anticipating their upcoming 70th wedding anniversary, that the Courier-Journal would interview them. John would die three years later at the age of 90 in 1966 and Fannie would die in 1968 at the age of 93. They were buried there at Columbia Cemetery after living long, difficult but hopefully happy lives; in spite of what must have seemed an unlikely wedding.
from the Courier-Journal
The couple lived there in Columbia until their deaths. It is there, while anticipating their upcoming 70th wedding anniversary, that the Courier-Journal would interview them. John would die three years later at the age of 90 in 1966 and Fannie would die in 1968 at the age of 93. They were buried there at Columbia Cemetery after living long, difficult but hopefully happy lives; in spite of what must have seemed an unlikely wedding.
Just popping in from the Ancestry FB group. This is a fascinating story. Thank you for sharing the link. Keep writing the history of your family down. Stories like yours bring them back to life in our minds.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to read this story and also for your words of encouragrmrnt. 🙂✌🏻
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