Southern Ohio Genealogical Society to conduct program on Ezekiel Kelley and Troutwine Cemetery
Thursday, Sept. 20 will be the first fall program of the Southern Ohio Genealogical Society.
The guest speaker will be Howard Kelly of Webertown, a community just west of Lynchburg in Highland County. Howard will be sharing the story of Ezekiel Kelley and the Troutwine Cemetery.
Howard’s ancestor, Ezekiel Kelley, first came to Highland County (circa 1797) as a meat hunter for the survey crew of Nathaniel Massie. Massie was one of the first surveyors in the Northwest Territory.
The hunters led the party, followed by the surveyors, the chainmen, the markers then the pack horses with the baggage. Also, about 200 yards in the rear of the others, a man called the spy made sure the party would not be attacked in the rear.
Ezekiel Kelley was among the party that made the first surveys of the territory that is now Highland County. He received $10.50 for his services.
Ezekiel homesteaded on Ballard Survey No. 2,352 some four miles southeast of Hillsboro, near New Market. A burial plot on the farm was selected when a member of the family died in 1806. Today, the cemetery on the hill overlooking the old home site is enclosed in a cement wall.
Howard Kelley, speaker, has also done extensive work at the Troutwive Cemetery which is located near Webertown just north of Route 50 near the Brown and Clinton county lines.
The land for this cemetery – one acre – was originally deeded March 7, 1847 to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Then again on March 7, 1873, another deed conveyed the “public burying ground” to the Trustees of Dodson Township.
Howard Kelley has been building muzzle-loading rifles since the early 1960s and also builds fiddles, banjos and is a fiddle player himself.
Join us for this very interesting program which will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20. The meeting will be held in Hillsboro at the Highland County Service Center Conference Room, 1487 N. High Street [This is the old K-Mart building located close to Southern State Community College and also houses the Highland County Health Department.]
Upcoming meetings will include the following programs:
• Thursday, Oct. 11 – “History and genealogy of Governor Allen Trimble,” presented by Jean Wallis;
• Thursday Nov. 8 – “Inferential Genealogy: Deducing and Tracking Ancestors Indirectly,” presented by Betty Crum.