History of  Gallatin County, Part 27a

Pullman, Washington
August 15, 1929

Mrs. Curtis Gullion
Sparta, Kentucky

Dear Mrs. Gullion,

Today I received a copy of the Gallatin County News containing the first installment of your history.  It is interestingly written, and I immediately sent my subscription to The News so that I may have all of it.

You say the antecedents to Jacob Carlock are unknown, that he probably came from Pennsylvania. His ancestry is known every step of it back to 1630, and even further back.  His father was John Christian Carlock, who, in recognition of seven years' service in the Revolution was granted a tract of land on the Holston River in Western Virginia.  Jacob was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia.

During my childhood I often listened to stories of early Sparta, but my father always called Jacob, “Grandfather Carlock,” great-uncle Grayson called him “Father” and I cannot remember having heard his name.  We had no written data regarding him from the time he left Virginia until we found him in U.S. Census records for 1820 in Darke County, Ohio.  But since I wrote you that, we have discovered a great grandson of his in Portland, Oregon, who has a diary telling of their settlement in Ohio, of the mill they built there, of their life for years.  Census reports, tax lists, and other documents are plentiful now, but when I wrote you I was really trying to establish that fact that Jacob Carlock had lived in Sparta.

I can hardly wait to get all of your story.  Your description of their arrival is a great picture.  And just the year before Jacob had been visiting relatives in Europe.  His son Duke was born in Europe while they were there. I sent the story flying down to Los Angeles to Marion P. Carlock, who is editing our Carlock Book of Genealogy.  However, I asked the News editor to begin my subscription with the first installment of your story.

Isn't it a happy coincidence - your writing this history just when I wanted this particular information.  I'm hoping Marion will quote from your story in our book - the picture of Great-grandfather's arrival in Sparta.

I trust you had a successful and interesting meeting of your club on the 6th.  I thought of you on that day.

O yes, in your story you say that a nephew of Jacob [Carlock] named John was with them. Are you sure he was a nephew? I don't see how that could be. Wasn't he a younger brother?  Won't you please check up on that.  I think he was the youngest son of John Christian Carlock.  He enlisted in the War of 1812 and we have all his descendants down to date, that is, if he was a brother.  If a nephew, I don't see who could have been his father.  And he would have been a John we never heard of.  Will you try to find out about him, please.

Congratulating you on your history, and wishing you success in having it published in book form, in which case I shall want an autographed copy.

I remain,

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Constance Carlock Hoig

This letter from Mrs. Hoig to Mrs. Gullion appeared September 14, 1928, in the Gallatin County News