Family History in Meade County, KY; Early Settlers of the JOHNSON and POWELL Families ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net Submitted by Terri McDonald Hauk 4229 Davis Way, Livermore, CA 94550-3420 Email: motfot@tdl.com *********************************************************************** “Early Settlers of Meade County, KY and Descendants” John Powell and John Johnson John (Jackie) Johnson and John Powell, first cousins, came to Shelby Co., KY from Virginia. In 1815, together with John Powell’s wife, Nancy Mason, and infant daughter, Mary, they settled in Meade Co., KY. John Powell took up about 1000 acres of land on the east side of Doerun Creek near the Ohio River. John Johnson took up about 1000 acres on the west side of Doerun Creek and built a cloth factory run by water power. It was one of the leading cloth factories of that day. While Doerun is not a pretentious stream, it furnished the power to run the Johnson factory into a flourishing business, and later, three grain mills were established along its banks. Children born to Mr. and Mrs. John Johnson were: Nancy – married Thomas Dowell Edward – married Josie Coleman Fannie – married James Shrewsbury Children born to John and Mary Powell were: Mary – married to Alexandria McDonald William – married to Ann Green Henry – married to Martha Thomas Rebecca – married to Edward Griffee Betsy – married to Almond Lawson Nancy – married to James Cameron Robert – married to Elva Berry John – married to 1) Sarah Craig 2) Mrs. Sipes (widow) Winnie – married to 1) Mr. Drake 2) Mr. Griffee Elisha – died young, single Both Johnson and Powell established burial grounds on their estates. In these cemeteries now one may read on the stones erected there, the names of these early settlers who came to Meade County, KY one hundred and twenty-two years ago [date of writing – Jan, 1937]. Also names of children and children’s children unto the 5th and 6th generations. One stone in the Powell Cemetery will be read with interest, as it is an evidence of the sturdy and vigorous constitutions of our early ancestors. It is that of Mary Powell McDonald, born Sept. 10, 1815, died Dec. 1, 1912, age 97 years, 2 months and 21 days. Another evidence of this robust strength is found in the life of Catherine McDonald Jones, daughter of Alexandria and Mary Powell McDonald, who was born Sept. 13, 1838 and died Dec. 12, 1931, age 93 years, 2 months and 29 days. She also sleeps ‘neath the sod, with husband and children, in the Powell Cemetery, near Brandenburg. Alexandria McDonald, son of Allen McDonald, was born in Perth, Scotland in 1807, graduated from a university in Edinburg, Scotland, and came to the United States at the age of 25, 1832. He practiced medicine and surgery with his uncle, Archibald Cambron, in New York City for 1 year after his arrival in the US. After assisting in amputating a limb one day, being tender hearted, he decided that his temperament was unsuited for surgical work. He then came direct to Meade County, KY to accept a position offered him in the Johnson Mill, as finisher on the fine cloth, having learned his work in a factory owned and operated by his father in Perth, Scotland. He put in the flowers and fine finish to the cloth. It was here he met and married Mary Powell in 1835, the same previously mentioned who was brought a babe in arms by her parents from Shelby County, KY in 1815. [Verified by Mrs. Jones before her death in 1931] My great aunt was Verena McDonald Miller, born in Louisville, KY and died in Elberfeld, IN, sister to my grandfather, Benjamin C. McDonald, SR. I have assumed that I am descended from Alexandria McDonald, though there is a gap of at least a generation between his children and my great grandfather, Verena’s father, Thomas Alva McDonald, also born in Louisville, KY.