Disputanta, Kentucky One Place Study

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Location: Disputanta, Kentucky
Surnames/tags: One_Place_Studies Kentucky

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One Place Study: Disputanta, Rockcastle County, Kentucky

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Name

Disputanta is an unincorporated community located in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, United States. It was named for the post office established in 1886.

Often in these small, rural areas, the post office becomes the center of the community. This village is no different. When I lived there, the area was nothing more than my father’s general store and gas station with the post office tucked inside. The Clear Creek Baptist Church sat on a hill above the store (and still does).

The building was located at a three-way intersection: one road leads to Big Hill (Jackson County), one road leads to Berea (Madison County), and the other leading to the county seat of Mount Vernon.

Geography

Continent: North America	Country: United States
County: Rockcastle County	GPS Coordinates: 37°29′18″N 84°15′27″W
State/Province: Kentucky	Elevation: 425m / 1394feet

Disputanta is in the northern part of Rockcastle County. Rockcastle County (established 1810) is about 50 miles south of Lexington, KY in the central portion of the state.

State of Kentucky with excerpt of old map showing Disputanta.

History

In 1855, the Reed Family of Lexington, acquired a tannery from Travis Dodd (1804-1884) near Clear Creek's Todd Branch. From their newly purchased 600 acres, they expanded operations to create a company town of Reedsville.

This company may have been the county's biggest business. The tannery and a church were at the center of this community. To serve the business, there were several area mills, a general store, and some 225 residents. The US Postal Service opened the Reedsville Post Office on 18 June 1878. Thomas Scott was the first postmaster. In December 1884, after the business failed, the post office closed.

The residents needed a centrally located post office. However, they could not agree upon a suitable name. Finally, the editor of the Mt. Vernon Signal, Colonel Jim Maret (1855-1936), suggested the name Disputanta. It is Latin for that which is disputed.

Note: There is also a Disputanta in Virginia with a similar story.

Request for Disputanta Post Office from Henry Wood.

On June 25, 1886, Henry H Wood (1858-1929) re-established the post office north of the mouth of Clear Creek's Loman Branch, half a mile below (southeast of) the old Reedsville site to serve a sawmill and the store Henry inherited from his father, Joseph Wood (1820-1886).

The post office moved multiple times as the village grew. In 1912, the office moved about a mile toward Davis Branch Road. Then in 1927, it moved a quarter of a mile to the mouth of Davis Branch. ^[1]

Postmasters

1. Henry H Wood (1858-1929) Appointed 25 Jun 1886
2. Sarah S Wood Appointed 02 DEC 1891
3. Sarah S Dooley Appointed 28 FEB 1896
4. Sarah B (Sexton) Cress (1878-1963) Appointed 17 APR 1900
5. Jenne L Harris Appointed 18 SEP 1900
6. Lauretta Ogg Appointed 15 JAN 1901
7. Thomas Chasteen Appointed 28 DEC 1906
8. Olmstead Mitchell Payne (1865-bef.1961) Appointed 14 Oct 1912
9. Gertrude Holt Appointed 12 FEB 1938
10. Mayme Gregory (1898-1967) Appointed 27 Aug 1941
11. William Stanley Payne SR (abt.1896-abt.1971) Appointed 15 Nov 1957
12. Howard Goodell Payne (1903-1978) Appointed 2 Apr 1962
13. William Stanley Payne SR (abt.1896-abt.1971) Appointed 27 Sep 1968
14. William Stanley Payne JR (abt.1945-abt.1970) Appointed 16 Jan 1969
15. Betty M Payne Appointed 31 Jul 1971
16. Jean Lucille (Martin) Payne (1921-1999) Appointed 31 Jul 1976 (closed in December 1977)

In 1896, my great-grandfather, Olmstead Mitchell Payne (1865-bef.1961) purchased a farm where he and his wife, Martha Jane (Abney) Payne (1874-1949) could raise a family. He eventually started a general store and ran the post office.

Other profiles related to this area.

Population

The 1900 Census was conducted on 4 June 1900 by Thomas J Cress (1865-1904). The census officials divided Rockcastle County into four districts as shown in the following figure. Disputanta was in the second district in the Scaffold Cane Precinct. You can hardly make out the word.

1900 US Census Map for Rockcastle County, KY

There were 269 families and 1,344 people in the precinct. It was a young population. Percentage wise, the minors were 51% of the population. The men outnumbered the women by a count of four.

1900 Census Age & Gender Analysis

The oldest person in the precinct was the widow Elizabeth Rhodes (1811-1910). She was born in North Carolina where she married her husband Joseph Northern (abt.1800-aft.1880). They lived in Tennessee in 1850 but relocated to Knox County, KY prior to the Civil War. In 1900, she resided with her grandson,John F Northern (1878-1960) who had just married Lucy Gabbard in April 1900. Later, John and Lucy moved to Tennessee where he was a sawmill operator. After he retired, they returned to Rockcastle County where they both died.

As for the youngest person, the rules were slightly bent. According to the rules, only those born prior to 1 JUN 1900 were to be counted. However, Cleatus Edwin Viars (1900-1985), who was born June 2, is listed.

His parents perhaps did not settle on a name because it is listed as Bryan in the census, but he went by Cleatus Edwin. Cleatus moved to Berea where he worked as a carpenter. He married Nora Lee (Brockman) Viars (1909-1990) who was also a native of Rockcastle County.

Marital Status

Marriage was important in this culture. Women could not vote in 1900 and were seen as second-class citizens. When living in a rural area and running a farm, it required two adults and all the children you could have. This was a strong religious culture so being married was viewed as essential.

1900 Census Marital Status Analysis

There were 660 people over 18 and 80% were married or widowed. Of the unmarried population, as you can see in the following chart the majority were under twenty-five, so probably just a matter of time.

Of the unmarried and over thirty, there were fifteen. Nine of the fifteen were males under thirty-three so it seems like they were also just establishing themselves and would settle soon.

Being an unmarried female at this point may have felt like a curse. If you were not married by thirty, you were an old maid or spinster. Your life would be spent in servitude if your family lacked means.

There were six women who were not married and over thirty. It was difficult to find their death dates. Perhaps they married later or moved to another location. Without a husband, you were nearly invisible.

Some of these women were coming of age as the Civil War began in 1862. The war did two things: removed men of marriageable age and also took the men out of the area. Others may have been the youngest daughter and fell into a caretaker role for her parents. When her parents passed, she then became a helper in a sibling's home.

• Mary Smith (1867-19??)
• Cindy Morgan (1863-19??)
• Elizabeth Chasteen (1856-) lived with her sister's family and was listed as a servant.
• Josephine Allen (1856-19??) lived with her sister’s family.
• Sara F Brock (1849-19??) lived with her parents.
• Vivanna Cook (1842-1901) lived with her nephew’s family after her parents had died.

Occupations

Farming was the chief occupation of the area families. Seventy-three percent of those who listed an occupation named farmer as the occupation. If you were not a farmer, you were a day laborer most likely at a farm. There were three attorneys listed.

1900 Census Home Occupations Analysis

Home Ownership

The majority of residents owned their own farms as it was their principal way to feed their families.

1900 Census Home Ownership Analysis

Notables

• Bert Mullins, Artist

Cemeteries

• Anglin Cemetery
• Chasteen Cemetery
• Davis-Witt Cemetery
• Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery
• Viars-Ogg Cemetery

Others

• WT Stephens Family Cemetery
• King Family Cemetery
• Others ...

Sources

1. ↑ The Post Offices of Rockcastle County, KY, Morehead State University Archives, Kentucky County Histories Collection

• Disputanta,_Kentucky on Wikipedia
• Map of Disputanta, Kentucky. Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer