Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

Family Genealogy

Eversole Genealogy

As told by Lewis Baker

Jost (Joseph) Ebersole (Eversole) ancestor of the Eastern Kentucky Eversoles, landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 3, 1739 from Holland on a ship. Robert and wife, Alice, their son Jacob, of Swiss/German ancestry was born 1760 in Pennsylvania.

The Eversoles were German Baptist, who believed in adult-only baptism. The Catholics said that was sending their children to hell so they were persecuting German Baptist and Swiss Brethen over their adult only baptism. Many went down the Rhine River to Holland. They flooded the place so the Queen of England sent seven ships to Holland to pick some up. Most of them later came to America.

Jacob Eversole married Mary (Marie) Kessler, of German descent. They later moved to the northwest corner of North Carolina, today's Ashe County. They lived in a German settlement so when they moved to Cutskin Creek of today's Leslie County, Kentucky in 1810, only their children spoke English. (When Henry Gabbard moved to Indian Creek of today's Owsley County, only the children spoke english). It's odd their grandchildren never spoke German. Sarah (Eversole) Amis' father, William (Billy) Eversole was Jacob's grandson, didn't speak German. My Mother's Grandma Jane (Gabbard) Moore was a granddaughter of Henry Gabbard but she didn't speak German.

Jacob's family only lived on Cutskin Creek about 2 or 2½ years. They moved near today's Chavise in today's Perry county about 15 miles from Cutskin. In their late years, Joseph and Mary (Marie) went to live with their son Abraham on the Right Fork of Buffalo Creek in today's Owsley County, Kentucky. Their children were:

1. John (born 1785)
2. Peter (born 1790)
3. Joseph
4. Abraham
5. Woolery (born 1797).

John, the oldest, settled in Harlan County, Peter in Clay County, Abraham in Clay County in an area that became Owsley County in 1843. Woolery, the youngest, who we decend from, married Lucy Cornett and settled up river from today's Chavies, about 3 or 4 miles (see picture of his old house, lived in until the early 1940's) I have been there twice. Last time October of 2000, they had it torn down and rebuilding it, the log part, not the front frame addition. Now there is a new, modern high ceiling, lots of glass, home in the same yard. The heirs of Sarah (Eversole) Boggs own the place. Woolery and Lucy's children were:

1. William (Billy) (born 1814)
2. Joseph(born 1817)
3. Rachel (Elizabeth)(born 1820)
4. John C. (born 1828).

John was Major of the Kentucky 3rd Battallion, 14th. Calvery. His sons, John became a lawyer, and Joseph a judge, had the fued, called a war with the Hazard business man named French. Joseph's one son, Anderson his wife and 2 small children, also three of his Aunt Elizabeth (Eversole) Bowling's children went to Kansas with the Amis', November 1870.

Elizabeth (Eversole) William Bowling's daughter played it smart; she stayed in St. Louis, Missouri and didn't go on to the cold winters in sod houses of Smith County, Kansas. Elizabeth (Eversole) and William Bowling lived on the middle Fork of the Kentucky River about where Buckhorn Lake Lodge is located. The lake covered that area so cemeteries had to be moved. William (Billy) Eversole and Joseph both married daughters of Jacob Bowling, son of Baptist Preacher Jessie Bowling.(no relation to Wiley Horton Amis' Mother Caty Bowling, d/o of James Bowling of East Tennessee). Billy Eversoles first wife was Elizabeth Bowling the mother of Sarah who married John Horton Amis, s/o Wylie Amis and Elizabeth (Betsey) Bowling. Joseph Eversole married Sarah Bowling d/o John Bowling. Both Sarah and Elizabeth died in their 20's and the other sister age 12. All three and their parents are buried in the Eversole Cemetery, the other side of the river from Woolery Eversoles old house. The cemetery is in a woods, vines and weeds until you can't see any grave stones. Once you find one most of the time you can read them. I guess the trees and weeds has protected them from the weather. Unless someone told you how to find that little cemetery you would never know it's there. John and two boys killed in the feud with French are buried in Hazard, Kentucky.

The same year John Horton Amis and Sarah Eversole got married, her dad moved his family to Cow Creek of Owsley County. Sarah is buried beside her dad on the hill at the place he bought from York's and built a house in 1856 torn down and replaced in 1962. Five generations lived in that house, six in that same yard.

After his first wife died Billy married the 2nd wife Barbara Chappel. All their children but John C. and Woolery (called Dutch) were born at Chavies. Billy may gave John Horton Amis and Sarah some land. Their first three children were born at Chavies, William, Elizabeth (Betty) and Polly. They lived there in 1860 census but in Breathitt county, when John joined the Kentucky 14th Calvary, October 1863.

Billy said he didn't want his children to grow up at Chavies, too many killings. One Sunday morning, May 1865, just after the Civil War, a small group of Southerners from Hazard killed Major John C. and his brother Joseph, in their parents' yard.

William (Billy) Eversole, born June 10, 1814, died December 12, 1897, 1st wife Elizabeth Bowling born August 20, 1817, died July, 1843. They had four children.

1. Sarah (born 9/8/1835, died 5/9/1904, married John Horton Amis 8/1831, he was killed 10/06/1870 at Charlie Deaton's, Sarah married 2nd James W. Baker in 1878. They had Steve and Walter.
2. Nancy Eversole married James Johnson (one child)
3. Polly Eversole married Elijah Duff (4 children)
4. Joseph Eversole, died age 10 in 1852.

William (Billy) Eversole and 2nd wife Barbara Chappel Eversole had 8 children.

1. George, married Rebecca Jane Moore, d/o James R. Moore (mouth of Crane Fork on Cow Creek, Billy's house next one up the creek)
2. Martha married Robert Wilson
3. Lucy married Able Gabbard
4. Mary died age 2 years
5. Logan married 1st Margaret Moore, 2nd Haley (Helton) Sandlin
6. Elizabeth married Tillmon Harris
7. John C. married Aery Turner
8. Woolery(Dutch) married Mary Wilson. (see picture of John, Logan and Dutch)

The Eversoles from Jacob scattered over a large area, Jackson, Laurel, Clay, Leslie, Harlan, Letcher, Perry, Breathitt and Owsley Counties. All but John's two boys that had the feud seem to be good citizens, many were judges, state legislators and held other political offices.