Story written and submitted by:
Cova Lee Rusk Freeman
All photos on this page from the Cova Lee Rusk Freeman Collection

Boston Steele was born February 1822 in Russell County, VA and died October 12, 1899 in Concord, Pendleton County, KY. He is buried in the Lenoxburg Cemetery, Lenoxburg, Bracken County, Kentucky. He was the oldest child of Harvey Jacob and Jane Asbury Steele. He left the family home in VA at the age of 24. We do not know whether or not he came directly to KY from VA upon leaving home.

He married Elizabeth Ramey of Greenup County, KY in 1860. She was born Sept. 14, 1838 and died in Concord, Pendleton Co., KY. The first Pendleton County, KY census, which he has been found on is the one taken in 1860. Both he and Elizabeth are listed there.
Boston and Elizabeth had four children:
1. Mollie Thompson Steele Newkirk (1862-1891)
2. George Wesley Steele (1864-1957)
3. Anna Eliza Steele (1867-1891)
4. Jane Glenn (Jennie) Steele Martin (1871-1945)

Boston and his family lived in several different locations in Pendleton County and in May 1885, he bought approximately 52 acres of land along the Kincaid Creek in Concord, KY. His son, George Wesley Steele bought 22 acres adjacent to that of his father in 1909.

George W. Steele, my grandfather, married Ada Lee "Dollie" Hart (1870-1905) on November 22, 1893. Six children were born to this union: Garnett E. Steele (1894-1976), J. Corbett Steele (1896-1955), George D. Steele (1898-1899), Granville C. Steele (1900-1972), Mabel Maude Steele Rusk (1902-1980), and Bessie Lee Steele (1904-1984).

All of the property which Boston and George Wesley owned along the Kincaid Creek was eventually sold by the heirs and is now part of the Kincaid Lake State Park, located near Falmouth, KY. The log house in the park belonged to my grandfather, George, and has been restored. It is now used as the office of the park ranger and business manager.

We (Boston's descendants) always knew our great-grandparents were Boston and Elizabeth Steele and that his parents were Harvey and Jane Steele. My uncle had a letter, which was sent by Harvey to Boston telling him about the death and memorial service for his mother, Jane Asbury. One of my cousins, Gloria Kashmerick, who has done research on the Steeles, saw the letter. Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate it.

Boston and his son, George Wesley, returned to VA for a visit with Harvey Jacob and Jane Asbury Steele when George was about 8 years old. They went in a covered 2 horse spring wagon. A little dog named "Trim" made the trip with them. They stopped at people's houses on the road. They went in May and returned in about three months. On that trip George saw his grandfather, Harvey, and his grandmother, Jane. Boston's brother, George (a soldier in the Union Army) was living with his parents at that time. Harvey owned a farm and lived in a valley called New Garden. When they came home they returned via Tazewell, Claiborn County, Tennessee where Boston's sister, Ellen and husband, Ab Scott, lived.

The trip information was copied by Gloria Steele Kashmerick from The Barton Papers, which are collections of events taken from Pendleton County residents by Mr. E. E. Barton, a Pendleton County attorney. My grandfather, George Wesley Steele, told this story about the trip to the interviewer. When Mr. Barton died his wife donated the papers to the library at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

My grandmother, Ada, died before this log house was built. She never lived in this particular house. My grandfather and his children did live there. My grandfather, George W. lived in this house until his death in 1957. His daughter Bessie, lived with him and cared for him until then.

Occasionally, I visit the park and log house. The log house and farm do not look like they did when I visited my grandfather and aunt during summer vacations from school when I was a child, but I can still visualize the way it was and remember those times with pleasure.

Cova Lee Rusk Freeman