RHEA-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: essay contest
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 17:21:54 -0400 (EDT)

I belong to the South-Central-Kentucky @rootsweb.com and if you have any
family in Barren, Green, Monroe, Metcalfe, etc. I strongly recommend it. I
have permission from Sandi to post any of her info .

The article I am going to post here will be cut down somewhat from the
article Sandi printed to the list. Evidentally the Genealogy Society in
Barren Co. sponsors a essay contest for 6th graders and this young man wrote
about Matthew HARBISON. I think this name is in our RHEA family. This young
man is obviously related as he has the same last name.

Matthew Harbison was born in the part of Culpeper County, which later became
Madison County, Virginia, on November 3, 1791. His parents were Moses
Harbison [sic] and Ann Barler who were married on Sept, 27, 1789 by William
Mason, a Baptist minister in Culpeper County.
His father died before 1810. We know this because Anne Harbison was listed as
headof the family in the 1810 Madison County, Virginia census.

Matthew Harbison came to Barren Co., Ky between 1810 and 1812 because Matthew
signed for his sister Elizabeth to marry John Bell, in January, 1812. No
Harbison's in that county before 1812. None listed on Barren Co. census 1810.

Matthew had other brothers and sisters besides Elizabeth. John, Margaret,
Mary Anne, and Adam B. They all married after the move to Kentucky.

Matthew Harvison (Harbison) ws married to Elizabeth (Betsy) Bybee on January
5, 1818 by Robert Leeper. They had 8 children in their 54 years of marrige.
They were as follows Joshua, William, Samuel, Lucinda, Adam, Eli, Nancy and
Henry.

Anne harbison bought 50 acres of land from John Garnet on September 15, 1819
on Fallen Timber Creek, where they had been living. In 1823 Matthew started
buying land also on Fallen Creek. Of all the years that Matthew lived there
he bought about 403 acres of land.
He built his cabin on the head waters of Fallen Timbe Creek. The family
cemetery was started nearby. About a mile from his house was a road called
Trace Road, according to a map in 1816, the Trace Road was the main
north-south road through what is now Metcalfe County.
Matthew was a farmer for most of the year, but when farming was done, he
hauled goods to and from Louisville. There are two types of wagoners. Some
like matthew and some that hauled year round. Matthew hauled meat or lard
and sold or swapped it for salt, coffee, iron, sugar or items that the
settlers did not have. The wagoners would load 8 to 10,000 lbs of farm
products on special equipped wagons. The price for hauling was $1.25 per
100lbs to and from Louisville. That journey would take 10 to 12 days, and
when making that trip many wagons traveled together for safety.

The entertainment of the wagoners along the trail was telling stories, making
music, wrestling, boxing, and just plain old fighting.

Yes , I did pick and choose info here. The original article was excellant
for a 6th grader. He won first place.

Pat

This thread:

• essay contest by <>