| Note* | | His wife Lydia is buried at the Union Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery,8 miles east of Dobson on the Siloam Road, Surry County, NC. William isburied at Weston, Oregon where he died. Their son Lewis owned the landthat the church is built on. Daniel Jenkins gives a year of death for Lydia as Nov 30, 1896, I do notthink this is correct as William Keys Will settlement was made on Jul 12,1912 which fits in with the DOD of Apr 8, 1912 given by Kenneth Key. Thesettlement should have been made shortly after her death. William bought 300 acres of land in 1848 from his father-in-law, Rev.Johnny Jones, on Bull Run Creek (in what is now the Eldora Community). Hebuilt his home near the creek (a great-grandson, Rev. Davis Key, now ownsthe home, which has been remodeled, and is a part of the original farm).He also continued the tradition of milling and built a mill on the upperend of the creek. One of the millstone has been engraved as a tombstonefor Hoyt Badgett, a great grandson. It is located in the Union ChurchYard Cemetery. The stone came from Sheffield, England. In 1857, William bought 350 aces of land from Robert S. Gilmer on BullRun Creek. The Civil War brought hardship to Surry County and to William's family.Two of his sons, Lewis and Achillis, joined the Confederate Army in 1861.They participated in Jackson's Campaign of the Shenandoah Valley in VAMay 1865, where Achillis was wounded. The brothers deserted in Junefollowing the battle and apparently returned home. According to familylegend, the two brothers hid out in a room under their father's mill orin a cave on the creek which could only be entered by wading upstream. Whenever the home guards came looking for the deserters, neighborswould pass the word and the brothers would go into hiding. When it wassafe for the boys to come out, Lydia would hang a certain piece ofclothing on the clothes line. Once, as their father started to thehideout with the boy's supper in a bucket, he ran into one of the homeguards. When asked where he had started, William said he was going togrind grain all night and was carrying his supper and a snack. Thissatisfied the guards who let him continue. Williams personal wealth declined during the war, with the value of hisreal estate declining from $1800 on the 1860 census to $1000 on the 1870census, and his personal property going from $1500 to $500. In the 1840 Surry County Census, they were shown as William head ofhousehold with one male 0-5, one male 20-30, one female 20-30. The 1850 Surry County, NC census finds the family as William 30, a farmerwith $300 of real estate, wife Lydia age 28, 6 children: John age 10,Killis age 8, Lewis age 7, Augustin age 5, Russell age 3, and David age 2. The 1860 Eldora Township, Surry County census finds the family as Williama farmer age 41 with real estate of $1800, wife Lydia age 40 years,children John age 20, Killis age 17, Lewis age 16, Augustine age 14,Russell age 12, King age 8, Sarah age 8, Rosianna age 7, Gabriel age 6,Samuel age 5, Lydia age 3, and Mahala age 2 The 1870 Eldora Township, Surry County, NC census finds the family asWilliam age 51, wife Lidda age 49, children King age 22, Gabriel age 16,Lidda age 14, Emely age 12, and Mary age 8. On Jan 7, 1846, William sold 45 acres of land for $90, on Mar 10, 1848 hesold 136 acres for $300. Both times it was purchased by Jacob Fulk. In 1888, at the age of 68, William left his home and family and headedwest. According to family legend, William had several cousins who hadgone out west and struck it rich, so he decided to follow. Why his wifeand family stayed behind is unknown. He traveled by train to Weston,Oregon where a cousin, Hezekiah Key lived. He spent Thanksgiving withHezekiah and his family, where he developed pneumonia and died on Dec 6,1888. He was buried at Weston, Oregon. A picture was made of him and hiscasket, and was sent back home to his widow and many of his brothers andsisters. Some of his children may have went to Oregon at the same time orlater as Kenneth Key states that his daughter Mary and her husband ThomasHickman died and were buried in Oregon. His widow continued to live in Surry County, NC. On October 22, 1895, herchildren signed an agreement for her son G. O. Key, who was theadministrator of his father's estate, to pay out of the estate, board andother expenses for their mother. The amount was to be four dollars permonth if she was up or five dollars per month if she was confined to bed.Any extra expense should be paid in addition to above. On July 12, 1912,the final settlement of William S. Key's $1650.92 estate was made. Afterexpenses the amount for distribution among his children was $871.59.2 |