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Cliff Lanham departed Madison, Alabama on 27 March 2006 and traveled to Madison Co., Kentucky, to do more research on the LANHAM’s of Madison Co. Kentucky.

This time they were assisted by Linda Ashley, a local Madison Co. genealogist with whom Cliff had been corresponding with for over a year.

Using the archives of Eastern Kentucky University, they proceeded to search for Lanham data. From the library they found the law suit between Green Clay and Thomas LANHAM. In the Clay vs. Lanham, 1806, land dispute, both were suing the other over disputed land along the Hines Creek and Jacks Creek area north of Richmond. In the court records they found a map of the land dispute and proceeded to determine the present location of the land today, 2006. The land in question is near Jacks Creek and Hines Creek. See the map below.

This particular land is now part of the Shiloh Point residential development. Traveling to the construction site was not a problem, however to determine the proximity of the land in question Linda Ashley had already run a reconnaissance of the area prior to Cliff arrival in KY. Coordinating with the construction company, Linda had narrowed the area of the land in question to an area now called Hines Creek St. within the subdivision.

According to the construction company a burial plot had been discovered at the corner of Upper Hines Creek St. and . The construction company did not disturb the grave site and in effect made the site a common area for the community.

See the pictures of the grave site below.

The picture looked West into the sun and to the northwest toward Hines Creek and onward to the Kentucky River. There appears to be at least two burial head or foot stones at the site ( the bottom pictures) and perhaps even a third head stone. None of the stones have markings on the stones.

The present home owner was gracious enough to allow the photography of the grave site and the opportunity to look south west to Jacks Creek and west to Hines Creeks and onward to the KY River.

Is this the grave sites of Thomas and Patience Lanham? There is another recorded cemetery about a quarter of a mile from this site with a number of readable headstones of which none were LANHAM’s.

However, this cemetery had come into existence after 1840. Thomas died in 1840 and it is assumed that Patience died about 1836.

Perhaps this is Thomas and Patience grave site. The location is right, the time is right and the style of marking the graves is right. Perhaps a DNA check would answer the question as to the individual (s) buried there. As of April 2006, Cliff sent a letter to the State of Kentucky to determine procedures to check DNA of any bones or material found at this site.

This is the unmarked grave site found at Upper Hines Creek St. in the residential area of Shiloh Estates north of Richmond and east of the Hines Creek on the former land of Thomas Lanham.

Upper Hines Creek St. in Shiloh Estates, North and a bit west of Richmond, KY.

The above two pictures show the grave stones that at this grave site on Upper Hines Creek cemetery.

There are no markings on the stones. There is no record of this site until the construction began.

Note Hines Creek running toward the KY river. Jacks creek is southwest of Hines Creek. Compare with previous map. Thomas LANHAM property along Hines Creek to Jacks Creek.

Leaving Hines Creek they drove east toward Otter Creek which is about 10 miles east of Hines creek. See map locations again.

Thank goodness that Linda Ashley was with them for there is no way they would have ever found South Fork Otter Creek and Campbell Branch Creek. Only the locals could navigate the back roads and hollows to get to the intersection of Campbell and South Fork Otter Creek, near RedHouse.

Photo on the right is the South Fork of the Otter Creek. This is the intersection of South Fork and Campbell Creeks.

Photo above looks up the Campbell Creek toward the house that has been built on a log cabin foundation.

The owner of the house stated that the house once belonged to the Green Family. Stephen sold his land and house to a Green.

At the intersection, they found three homes within 500 meters of the intersection. While looking at the creek and wondering if they were in the right location a local arrived and told them they were at the right location and that she lived on the left side of Campbell creek up the draw about a quarter of a mile. She informed them that her home was over 50 years old and that the original section of the house was actually built on top of a 150 year old log cabin. This cabin had once belonged to GREEN. Now this really peeked our interest because Stephen Lanham had sold his land to a GREEN.

The lady informed them that a local family by the name of Cosby lived down stream about a quarter of a mile might know more about prior families that had resided in the area. They had been on the land for at least two or three generations.

At the Cosby home Cliff introduced himself and Mrs. Cosby said with a surprise look, “Would you know anything about a Stephen LANHAM that married an Eleanor SELBY?”

At this point if there had been any wind blowing Cliff may have been blown over. Of course, Cliff said "Yes!" and that he was a relative. Mrs. Cosby said “He is my relative also.” Cliff and Mrs Cosby looked at each other for a few moments and then both of them started laughing and she most graciously invited them into her home.

Eleanor Selby LANHAM. Stephen’s daughter Elizabeth married a Willie Powell, part of Mrs. Cosby’s line. The Powells, Moores, Cosby, Spurlin families are interwoven in the local area. If you remember, Oran Stroud Lanham corresponded with Allie Ruth Spurlin back in the 1980’s in researching our line and Allie Ruth line is from Stephen LANHAM.

About 300 meters up the hill from Mrs. Cosby’s home is a local cemetery of Scudder’s, Parke, Fowler, and a couple of other families. Is Stephen buried in the old cemetery? We do not know yet. All of the well marked graves in the cemetery do not have any Lanham name on them.

There are 8 to ten unmarked graves. at the end of the area.

Photo is looking toward Mrs. Cosby’s home. Unmarked graves can be seen at the end of the cemetery.

There are 8-10 unmarked head stones.

Mrs. Wilma Powell Taylor , relative to Mrs. Cosby, indicated she did not think there were any LANHAM’s buried at the Scudder Cemetery (above). However, the only recorded graves are those with legible grave stones. There is a possibility that Stephen may be buried in the Powell Cemetery near Brookstown Rd. Cliff was not able to visit the Powell Cemetery. A later check of the Powell Cemetery revealed that there is no known Lanham buried in the Powell Cemetery. However, again there are unmarked head stones in the Powell Cemetery.

While we were not able to authenticate actual grave sites of Thomas, Patience and or Stephen there is a good likelihood that we did find Thomas and Patience graves at the Upper Hines Street location.

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