Tacketts and Tinker Forkers: Views of Two Sets of Appalachian Folks

Abel & Rebecca Tackett Tacketts and Tinker Forkers VIEWS OF TWO SETS OF APPALACHIAN FOLKS Instead of the stereotype so long imbedded in the mind of the general American public, it has of late been the promotion that Southern Appalachians are a widely diverse people. The portraits that evolve from Elsie Hudson's material on the Tacketts and Scotty Lee Hamilton's Tinker Fork people show. two aspects of the diversity. Although they seem far removed from each other in attitudes, it would hardly be right to think of them as extremes, thus suggesting that all Appalachian people fall somewhere on a line between. Such an analogy would be far too simplistic. The Tacketts have lived on the Long Fork of Shelby Creek in Pike County, Kentucky, since about 1816. William Tackett, Sr., (born in North Carolina in 1779) and his wife, Amy Johnson, moved there from the Cumberland River area after he had made a trip there and found it to his liking (beautiful valley, fresh water, fish, tall grass and fine trees). He had been a seller of gunpowder. His son, William (Buck) Tackett, married Sarah Caudill. Of their fifteen children the Abel Tackett of the obituary that follows was one. Abel (son ofWilliam (Buck)) married Rebecca Caudill. Their son, James, married Mary Ann Martin, and their daughter, Annie, married Hiram Anderson. Mrs. Elsie Anderson Hudson, the preparer of these papers is the daughter of Hiram and Annie. It is Annie Tackett Anderson's "recollections" that Mrs. Hudson presents. Although the Tacketts of Pike County have spread out all over the country, a goodly core of them remain in the vicinity of Long Fork. Some have achieved a degree of prominence in the fields of law, politics, writing, religion. Scotty Lee Hamilton's "Hollis Dee Jones" and "Homer Lee Thompson" are, of course, creative and imaginative portraits. Yet they do give a feeling for a quite different layer of Appalachian experience from the steady, conservative, traditional, religious family of the Tacketts. There is need to know and recognize them also. 8 THE OBITUARY OF ABEL TACKETT AS IT APPEARED IN THE MINUTES OF THE NEW SALEM ASSOCIATION OF THE OLD REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCH OFJESUS CHRIST IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1972. By the request offriends it becomes my sad duty to write a short sketch of the life of Old Brother Abel Tackett. Abel was the son of William Buck Tackett and Sarah Caudill. He was born July 27, 1833, in Pike County, Ky. As a faithful and obedient son he resided and labored for his parents until his marriage to Rebecca Caudill Feb. 22, 1855. Being born ofpoor parents, but honest ones, he began his married life with a determination to overcome poverty. He persevered and conquered with hard work, honesty and fair dealing, which was his motto. He inherited this from his early counsel and trainingfrom hispoor but honest parents. Unto Abel and Rebecca Tackett was born 14 children, 9 sons and 5 daughters, all of whom lived to bear grandchildren. Six sons and two daughters and seven grandchildren have a hope in Christ. We trust became his brethren and sisters in Christ, having himself been changed from nature's darkness to light in the marvelous light of his dear Son. He joined the Old Union Church ofRegular Baptist, and was baptized by Elder William Cook, the first Sun. in November of 1875. After this he seemed to live a devoted and Godly life, scattering the sunshine ofpeace and love, setting good examples before his and his neighbors children. At all times meeting the Brethren and sisters with a heart expressive ofgratitude and love, extended to each and every person he met a friendly greeting and a welcome to his home. He was generous, kind and accomodating to the poor, and needy, and at the time ofhis death which occurred Nov. 30, 1907, his friends and neighbors owed him borrowed money to the amount of 7,000 dollars. I am persuaded such love and hospitality could come only from a heart wrought upon by the love of God. His morals, honesty and whole Christian life is a crown of virtue which can never fade nor perish...