Pedigo Family Footprints

The Family of James Henry Pedigo
of Warren County Kentucky and Kiowa County Kansas
©1996-1999 Patricia SummersSmith, compiler & author.
2nd Edition - 15 July 1999

The James Henry Pedigo Family (c1885)
James Henry Pedigo & his sister Margaret Spencer (Pedigo) Lair
Children:  James Haden, Daniel Boone, Luther Thomas, Susannah Overmeyer "Ovie", Charles Leslie (center).

James Henry PEDIGO, farmer, blacksmith, and driller of water wells, was born on 23 July 1841 in Smith's Grove, Warren Co., Kentucky.  He died of pneumonia in his 86th year on 1 April 1928 in Mullinville, Kiowa Co., Kansas, and is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Mullinville, Kansas. He was a son of William Craig PEDIGO and Susannah McMURRY.

While he is listed in records primarily as a farmer and blacksmith, James Henry was also a water well-driller and made wood casings for water wells.  He dug the test hole for the largest hand-dug well in the world, the "Big Well" in Greensburg, Kiowa Co., Kansas. Unfortunately, no history books or literature pertaining to the well mention the fact that he played a role in this significant achievement, and only his descendants remember this contribution.

James Henry PEDIGO's parents had five children.  He grew up in Warren Co., Kentucky.  When he was eight years old in 1850, his young 29-year-old mother Susannah McMURRY died. His father, William Craig PEDIGO, remarried the following year and James was raised by his father and stepmother, Elizabeth MILLIGAN, who had ten more children.  Between the two families, James had fourteen siblings. James Henry himself was almost thirty before he married (1) Malinda Francis "Fannie" HOLMAN on 18 June 1871, Bowling Green, Warren Co., Kentucky.  She was not yet sixteen years of age.

Malinda Frances HOLMAN was born on 22 June 1855 in Smith's Grove, Warren Co., Kentucky.  She was the daughter of John W. HOLMAN and Elizabeth "Eliza" SETTLE.  Malinda died of spinal meningitis in her 27th year on 14 April 1883 near Smith's Grove, Warren Co., Kentucky, and is buried in the Holman family cemetery, near Smith's Grove, Warren Co., Kentucky. She was married for twelve years and had borne six children.

Their children were:  Charles Leslie PEDIGO (1872-1903) who married Clora Ellon HOGUE; an unnamed infant in 1874 who died the same year; Susannah Overmeyer PEDIGO (1875-1973) who married Charles TANNER in 1897; Daniel Boone PEDIGO (1877-1963) who married (1) Minnie E. KILGORE in 1901 and (2) Nella Jane LANE in 1908; Luther Thomas PEDIGO (1880-1980) who married Edith OLSON in 1905; and James "Jimmie" Haden PEDIGO (1882-1958) who married Dale BARROW in 1904.

One of James Henry PEDIGO's granddaughters, Beth (TANNER) OLSON, wrote about him in A History of Kiowa County, 1880 - 1980 [Kansas]:

". . . My grandfather told his daughter Ovie the following story.

'I was engaged to marry Nancy Holman but a handsome young man, Jim Totty from Louisville came to our community, began dating Nancy. Suddenly they eloped and were married. [Author note: Married 15 October 1863.]  After I recovered from the shock, I became interested in Melinda Frances, Nancy's younger sister. Why hadn't I noticed her before? She was younger, prettier, had a much nicer personality and a sweeter disposition than Nancy.' Shortly, Melinda Frances celebrated her sixteenth birthday. James Henry said, 'no reason to wait any longer, Melinda Frances.' They were married June 18, 1871 and lived at Smith's Grove near Bowling Green, Kentucky. They had five children: Leslie, Suzannah Overmire (Ovie), Boone, Luther and Jimmy." 

This is the home where James Henry Pedigo, his wife Malinda Francis (Holman) lived at Smith's Grove, Warren Co., Kentucky.  Their children were born here.

His granddaughter continued:

"My grandfather, blacksmith and farmer, provided well for his family. They lived comfortable in a long log cabin built on a bank above a clear running stream, where fresh spring water was available. A wood burning fireplace at one end of the room was used for cooking and warmth in the winter. A long room above was used for sleeping. Tamarack, honeysuckle vines and flowers bloomed around the house in the summertime. Love and happiness surrounded this family until their beloved mother died of spinal meningitis at the age of 27 in 1883."

In 1880, James Henry PEDIGO and his family are recorded in the US Census in Warren Co., KY, ED 238, p. 20, lines 43-48:

James Henry Pedigo is widowed

Malinda died at age 27 on 14 April 1883.  James Henry PEDIGO was suddenly a widower with five children to raise, all of whom were still quite young.  Charles Leslie was ten; Susannah "Ovie" was seven and one-half; Daniel Boone was five and one-half; Luther Thomas was three; and Jimmie was only ten months old.  James Henry's family helped care for the young children.  In their later years, children Ovie, Boone and Luther told of their early family life between 1883 and 1885, following the death of their mother:

"Dad took us to Scotchtown, near Cameron, Illlinois, to Grandma Elizabeth Milligan Pedigo's.  Then Uncle Willis and Aunt Jane took care of brother Leslie.  Aunt Emily took care of sister Ovie.  Aunt Mag took care of brother Luther and brother Boone.  George, Laura and Louella took care of brother Jimmie.  They (George, Laura and Louella) moved to Iowa so a neighbor took care of brother Jimmie.  Some of them lived close to Garlow and some at Galesburg.   Aunt Kate's first husband was Uncle John.  He died and she married Bill Fisher.  They took all of the children and Dad rented a house, bought groceries and took all of the kids to Science Hall School, then they went to Aunt Mag's."

James Henry's sister, Margaret Spencer (known as "Aunt Mag") was married to Fielden LAIR.  After he died in April 1884, she and and her brother decided to move west.

James Henry Pedigo migrates westward and begins a new life

James Henry left his children in the care of two sisters, one in Kentucky, and one in Illinois, while he made the trip west on the Santa Fe train in the spring of 1884, from Galesburg, Illinois, to Kinsley, Kansas. He pre-empted a quarter section of land in Kiowa Co. north of where the Northern Natural Booster Station is located, and where Clair McELWAIN and family lived in 1980. Then he returned to Illinois to complete plans to bring his children and to prove up his claim. In February 1885, he and his sister Margaret Spencer (PEDIGO) LAIR brought his five children by train to Kansas. When arriving in Kansas, Charles Leslie was 11, Susannah Overmeyer was 9, Daniel Boone "Boone" was 7, Luther Thomas was 5 and Jimmie was 3.  Margaret later married a brother to James Henry's two wives, Charles HOLMAN, on 3 February 1891.

[NOTE: The photo at the top of the page was taken about the time the family arrived in Kansas.]

On 26 Aug. 1887, the Kiowa county newspaper published:

"J.H. PEDIGO settled in Section 20, two years ago and is from Illinois, has 40 acres in cultivation, young orchard, good frame house 16x24 story and a half and a fine well of water."

Reported on 18 Jan. 1889:

"Mrs. Margaret Lehr [sic], from Ill., a sister of Henry Pedigo, is the latters guest this week, and expresses herself delighted with our Kansas Prairies."

Reported on 15 March 1889 - Prairie Home Twp.:

"W. H. Pedigo contemplates moving to Greensburg soon.  We regret very much to lose Mr. Pedigo as he is one of our best citizens and a good smith.  We wish him success and will follow him with our work."

Reported 29 March 1889:

"UNCLE HENRY PEDIGO has opened up a black smithy opposite Mayne's barn on Florida Ave.  Uncle Henry is a smith of over 25 years experience and what he don't know about shoeing horses and general repair work would make a very small almanac.  When you want a plow sharpened, a new lay put on, or a horse shod, give "UNCLE HENRY" a trial."

Reported 5 April 1889:

"Mr. PEDIGO has moved his blacksmith tools to Greensburg and the farmers will have to go there to get their work done."

James Henry Pedigo remarries

After the death of his first wife, James Henry remained single for eight years before he married Malinda Francis' older sister (2) Nancy Jane (HOLMAN) TOTTY, who was born 11 April 1846 in Warren Co., Kentucky.   He had been engaged to Nancy Jane before he married Malinda Frances, but she married James William TOTTY 15 October 1863.  Many years later, Nancy Jane and her husband went to visit James Henry and his family sometime during the year of 1889.  TOTTY passed away 12 October 1889 while with them.  Two years later, on 22 March 1891, James Henry and Nancy Jane were married in Pratt, Pratt Co., Kansas.  The ceremony was performed by Probate Judge Douglas on board the Rock Island train during a few moments’ stop at the train station. Nancy Jane brought her three children to live with them.  By this time, the ages of James Henry's children ranged from nine to nineteen. 

However, the marriage was not to last long.  After only two years, Nancy Jane developed acute pneumonia due to exposure, and died on 15 October 1893. She is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Greensburg, Kiowa Co., Kansas.   There were no children from this union.  James Henry was fifty years old at the time of Nancy's death, widowed for a second time, and he never remarried. In his latter years, he lived with his daughter "Ovie" TANNER and her family for many years, and then went to stay with son Daniel Boone and his family where he lived the last few months of his life.

A driller of water wells, James Henry PEDIGO was also a farmer and blacksmith.  Typical of many Pedigo descendants, he was endowed with the musical talent and also played the violin.  Appropriately, The Kiowa County Signal newspaper printed the following comment during the harvest season in the summer of 1891:

"J.H. Pedigo, the subduer of iron and steel, may be heard playing tunes on his anvil any morning between dawn and 6 a.m.  J.H. says it is his regular practice hour on the violin, but the wielders of the plow and lister are at him from sun up until dark. He announces that he will only practice anvil choruses until after harvest."

In 1900, James Henry PEDIGO and his family are recorded in the US Census in Kiowa Co., KS in ED 121, p. 6, lines 23-26:

On 8 March 1901, the county newspaper published:

J. H. PEDIGO -- J. H. Pedigo who lives 6-1/2 miles west of Greensburg and 4 miles east of Mullinville, is an old timer, having pre-empted his present home place in Feb. 1885.  Mr. Pedigo was born in Warren County, Kentucky 1841 and in 1883 moved to Illinois and then to Kansas.  Since locating in Kiowa County, he has devoted his time to farming.  In 1900 he raised about 1400 bu. corn, 446 bu. oats, 330 bu. rye, 150 bu. kaffir corn and 350 bu. barley off of 150 acres.  This year he has in 150 acres wheat, 50 acres rye, 30 acres oats and barley mixed and 50 acres corn.  Mr. Pedigo has surely made a success of farming in Kiowa County and is well pleased with future prospects.

In October 1904, the Kiowa county newspaper reported:

"J.H. Pedigo visited relatives in Pratt County this week.  Uncle Henry Pedigo thinks he would like to have a pocket telephone, so that he could attach it to the wire anywhere and talk to the world."

On 21 October 1904, the Kiowa county newspaper reported:

"Chas. Tanner and Luther Pedigo arrived in Mullinville Thurs. the 11th from the World's Fair.  They must be swift to take in the sights, they claim to have seen all worth looking at in two days time.  They went by electricity part of the time and by that means were on the 'get there line'. Funny isn't it how they will hurry home when hungry.  Charlie and Luther Pedigo left last Monday morning for the Fair in company with Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Rankin.  They were expecting to take in the Fair together but the party got separated immediately upon arriving at St. Louis and the boys never saw Mr. and Mrs. Rankin after."

When James Henry attended the World's Fair in St. Louis, the Kiowa county newspaper reported on 18 November 1904:

"J.H. Pedigo left for the World's Fair Tuesday.   He may visit his former home in Kentucky before returning."

When he returned, on 2 December 1904, the Kiowa county newspaper reported:

"BACK FROM KENTUCKY -- J.H. PEDIGO returned from his visit to his former home and birthplace in Kentucky and the World's Fair, Wed. morning.  He was very glad to get back and says it looks very rough to a plainsman back there.  They have a good corn crop, but the wheat does not look so well as here.   He further says that it is very dry there, they not having any rain to speak of since in July  It had been over 21 years since Mr. Pedigo had seen any of these old scenes and faces, and he knew but few of his old time friends and none of them knew him; so great had been the changes of time, the relentless enemy of youth, had wrought.  A peculiar feature of the return of Mr. Pedigo is that exactly 20 years to a day had elapsed from the day of his return home to the first time he came to this county, Nov. 30, 1884."

By 1910, James Henry PEDIGO had moved in with his daughter and son-in-law and is recorded in their household in the US Census in Kiowa Co., KS in ED 101, p. 1A, lines 24-28:

On 31 January 1920, James Henry PEDIGO is last recorded living with his daughter and son-in-law and appears in their household in the US Census in Kiowa Co., KS in ED 110, p. 11B, lines 94-98:

James Henry PEDIGO became ill and died of pneumonia in his 86^th year on 1 April 1928 in Mullinville, Kiowa Co., Kansas, and was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Mullinville, Kiowa Co., Kansas.

Author & Compiler's Comments

Burial locations for James Henry Pedigo's children:  Buried in Hillcrest Cemetery at Mullinville, KS, are Susannah "Ovie" (Pedigo) Tanner and her husband; Daniel Boone Pedigo and both of his wives, Luther Thomas Pedigo and his wife, and James Haden Pedigo and his wife.  The author does not know the burial location for Charles Leslie Pedigo.

Regarding Inconsistencies:  Inconsistencies exist in sources regarding the spelling of Malinda Francis' name, as well as her age at the time certain events occurred. Such inconsistencies have existed even amongst her children and the information each of them passed on to later generations.  Malinda Frances' name has been recorded both as "Malinda" and "Melinda" with her middle name recorded as both "Francis" and "Frances."   Sources are mostly consistent that her birthdate was 22 Jun 1855.  This means that contrary to James Henry's statement that they waited until her 16th birthday to marry, they actually married just four days short of her 16th birthday, and she was still age fifteen.  She was age 27 when she died.

Regarding Identify of Other Persons Mentioned:   "Aunt Mag," "Uncle Willis," "Aunt Jane," "Aunt Emily," "George," "Laura," "Louella," "Aunt Kate," "Uncle John" are mentioned by the children. 

James' full-siblings were:  Mary Elizabeth, John Thomas (married Kate; he d., she m. Wm. Fisher), Martha Jane, and Margaret Spencer.  James' half-siblings from his father's marriage to Elizabeth Milligan were:  Sarah Frances, Parmelia Ellen, Susan Paradine, Nancy Ann, Willis Franklin (m. Jane Dove), George Luther, William Lewis, Emily Catherine, Luella May, and Laura Belle.

Copies of Photos & Documents:  Higher resolution copies of the photos on this page are not online, but are available upon request.  If you want higher quality copies of the photos for your files, send an email request to the author who will be glad to forward them as *.jpg file attachments.

Related Links: 

• Vintage Photo Album pages at this site:

  • Family of James Henry Pedigo and Malinda Francis Holman (includes photos of them and their children)
  • Family of Daniel Boone Pedigo

• Read about the "Big Well" at Greensburg, Kansas (online) mentioned above.  This was the largest hand-dug well in the world and it supplied the city's water until the 1930s.

• Visit official The Big Well site in Greensburg, Kansas (online) and read a poem written about the well by James Henry Pedigo's daughter, Ovie Pedigo Tanner.

  ---

  Return to: 
  Pedigo & Allied Lines Biographies / Pedigo Family Histories

  You are the [an error occurred while processing this directive] visitor to James Henry Pedigo's page since it moved to RootsWeb
  22 July 1999.

| Pedigo Homepage | Edward "Ned" Pedigo | Descendants Wm. Craig Pedigo |
| Ned'sAncestors | Marriages | Cemeteries | Obituaries | Biographies | Wills |
| Deeds | Bible & Family Records | Family Histories | Photo Album | Assorted |

© 1997-1999 WebSite, Pages & Files by Patricia SummersSmith,
Shorewoodplace Footprints & Odysseys, Seattle, WA. All rights reserved. 
© Blue Skies background by Tazem Design Web Sites and Graphics
© Photographs and some data by individual contributors.