Excerpts of two letters Uncle King wrote Christine Holloway Bathaser:
Speaking about can't find out about the Holloway's farther back than your Great grandpa that is as far back as I can go. The Holloways came from North Carolina but don't know whether Grandfather was born there or after they came to Kentucky. He had two brothers. I only know one of their names. His name was Pleas. I know where he lived and died at a big Spring goes by the place Holloway Springs till this day. I can't say the Edmond Holloway was my Great Grandfather. My father was born in Caldwell County near the Need Gray place that's as far back as I can go.
There were 4 Jim Holloways.
1. Sour Jim my 2 Fathers Bro. I know you know him. Aunt Bells husband. 2. Negro Jim - He was dark complected. 3. Squirrel Jim 4. Gallon Jim - sold whiskey, dry goods, groceries, and hardware in Old Eddyville, Kentucky, when I was a boy so this is all I can say about the Holloways.
The varmint trace road was old stage coach route long before the railroad was thought of. It started at Smithland or Dycusburg came thru Princeton 2 miles north of Dulaney on the left side of the Illinois Central and went to Hopkinsville probably farther. It got its name from the fact there were all kinds of varmints. Wolves, wildcats, rattle snakes and bears, all kinds of varmints. The driver carried guns to protect the horses from the varmints. There was a man in Eddyville when I first recollect carried the mail from the depot named Robinson that drove stages over that route also had drove stages from Smithland between the rivers by the way of Golden Pond (known for its whiskey) and Dover to Nashville, Tennessee. I used to talk to him thats where I got this.
K.D.H.
Some more from Uncle King's second letter.
Finas was clerk in the store at the Hillman Rolling Mill when he took sick. It was Dan Hillman ran Works Grocery and Company Store on the opposite side of the river from Empire and Center Furnaces. One mile below Dan Hillman had Empire Center and Fulton Furnaces all on the same side of the river. Trigg furnace 4 miles from Rockcastle on the Cadiz road and the Rolling Mill with all in blast at one time. He had close to 200,000 acres of land on both sides of the river. I just can recollect Finas, they brought him home in a covered wagon and he died that night.
Silas lives just below my fathers place 4 miles. He died soon after Finas, I don't know how long, I just recollect him when he died. Both of them and Joe are buried at the Grandfathers place, my father and mother and Grandfather and Grandmother are all buried there. Meck and Bobbie are buried at the Eddy Creek Church close to Hawkins Place. (Edmund Hawkins was the first person buried there). If you could drive up the Grand Rivers some pretty warm spring day get Nellie Holloway Hones and go get Emogene Holloway Huffman to take you to all these places. Jabe is buried at Saratoga Church. Tennie at Friendship. Your Grandmother
Holloway died in May 1904 and your Grandpa Holloway died February 1, 1905.
Grandfather was from North Carolina, I don't know whether he was born there or not. He came here when a boy or young man from North Carolina. He married a Boyd and raised 12 children, six boys and six girls: George, Crit, William, Charley, James, Robert, Lizzie, Laura, Addie, Catherine (Cappy) Helenia, and Mattie.
George married Irene Bingham. Crit married Hellen Boyd. Will married Edith Bush Satterfield, Charley married a Mitchum. Robert an Allison, Lizzie a Cash, Laura a Kevil, Addie a Cobb. Salina a Nichols, Helen a Robertson, Mattie to Johnson.
Your Grandmother Holloway was a Bingham don't know her fathers or mothers name. She was born in Athens, Ohio. Her father died there and buried there when she was 11 or 12. Three of her brothers lived in Kentucky, they came to bring Rettie Jefferson down there. Grandma Bingham died at my mothers (Irene Holloway Bingham) and fathers home long before I was born. She was buried in a family grave yard near Wallonia. They had one sister Nira married a Kellie and went to Portland, Oregon in a covered wagon. Oxen pulled the wagon 10 or 15 families with 15 or 20 ox wagons called trains at that time. The place my mothers (Mary Irene B.) was born is 75 or 100 miles from here and my grandfather was buried there. There were four Bingham boys. Silas lived near Morganfield, Jabe lived and died at Wallonia, John and Kiles both died at Old Kuttawa. Uncle John married twice. Two Preemans.
Part of two letters Uncle King wrote to Christine Holloway Bathasar after he was 90. He lived in Lorain, Ohio with Claude and family. Uncle King David Holloway Born 8-3-1870 Lyon County, Kentucky Died 9-18-1962 Lorain, Ohio Buried Corinth Baptist Church Cemetery, Livingston, Kentucky