Jacob Smith Bumgardner was born on December 11, 1862 to parents John & Esther [Hayes] Bumgardner in Johnson County, TN. Jacob's father was likely not present for his birth, as he was serving in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Johnson County was in the south, but had many residents that supported the Union during the war. After the war had ended, their family probably caught a lot of flack, so they moved into Watauga County, NC, before Jacob was 7 years old, and they lived there for a short time around 1870.
Around 1870/71, Jacob's father moved the family one last time. Heading north and west, they traveled to the coal-rich hills of southeast Kentucky, settling down in a little Pike County town, now known as Dorton.
With his father as the town's first postmaster, and his mother their first school teacher, Jacob was likely well known in the area as a young man. Possibly looking to carve out his own life apart from parents, Jacob moved 11 miles southeast to Clintwood, VA.
While in Clintwood, Jacob met and fell in love with Elizabeth Dotson. They courted, and the two were married on September 8, 1882 in Dickenson Co., VA.
Jacob and his wife lived in Clintwood for more than 8 years and had three children born to them there: Linnie (1883), Mary (1885), & Floyd (1887).
In late 1890 or early 1891, Jacob moved his wife and children back to Dorton, KY. Though the reason for moving is not known, it might have been due to his father's fading health.
In August 1891, Jacob's fourth child, Ezra, was born. Though this was undoubtedly a happy occasion, some of Jacob's hardest days were just ahead of him. In December 1891, Jacob's father passed away. According to court documents, Elizabeth left Jacob in 1893, going back to her family in Virginia. Jacob waited a year after the separation began, and then divorced Elizabeth on the grounds of abandonment. The judge granted him custody of their four children. Then in 1896, Jacob's mother passed away.
Despite the last 5 years of hardship, Jacob did find himself falling in love again, this time with young lady in her mid-20s. Her name was Arta Hamilton, and they were married on April 13, 1897. Three months later, Jacob accepted an appointment to be the 5th Postmaster of the U.S. Post Office in Dorton, and he held the position for nearly a year.
Between 1897 and 1899, Jacob & Arta had a child that died in or before 1900. They continued to have children, and they raised three more of their own: John (1900), Mack (1901), & Alberta (1904).
Jacob was a farmer most of his life, and had short stints as a U.S. Postmaster and as a Deputy Clerk of the Pike County Court.Jacob worked the farm well up into his 70s.
When Jacob was in his late 60s, he suffered two deep personal losses, first when his daughter Alberta died in 1928, and then again in 1931 when his son Mack was shot and killed by an officer of the law. Jacob also lost his wife Arta to the flu in 1934.
After 1937, Jacob lived with his recently widowed brother, William, until Will died in 1943. Then in his early 80s, Jacob lived with his granddaughter Lourette, and she cared for him the rest of his days.
Jacob Smith Bumgardner died on June 19, 1947. His friend Hursel Johnson posthumously remembered him as "a farmer," "a good citizen," and as "one of the pioneers of Pike County." Jacob was buried beside his wife Arta at the Bumgardner Family Cemetery.
Johnson County was in the south, but had many residents that supported the Union during the war. After the war had ended, their family probably caught a lot of flack, so they moved into Watauga County, NC, before Jacob was 7 years old, and they lived there for a short time around 1870.
Around 1870/71, Jacob's father moved the family one last time. Heading north and west, they traveled to the coal-rich hills of southeast Kentucky, settling down in a little Pike County town, now known as Dorton.
With his father as the town's first postmaster, and his mother their first school teacher, Jacob was likely well known in the area as a young man. Possibly looking to carve out his own life apart from parents, Jacob moved 11 miles southeast to Clintwood, VA.
While in Clintwood, Jacob met and fell in love with Elizabeth Dotson. They courted, and the two were married on September 8, 1882 in Dickenson Co., VA.
Jacob and his wife lived in Clintwood for more than 8 years and had three children born to them there: Linnie (1883), Mary (1885), & Floyd (1887).
In late 1890 or early 1891, Jacob moved his wife and children back to Dorton, KY. Though the reason for moving is not known, it might have been due to his father's fading health.
In August 1891, Jacob's fourth child, Ezra, was born. Though this was undoubtedly a happy occasion, some of Jacob's hardest days were just ahead of him. In December 1891, Jacob's father passed away. According to court documents, Elizabeth left Jacob in 1893, going back to her family in Virginia. Jacob waited a year after the separation began, and then divorced Elizabeth on the grounds of abandonment. The judge granted him custody of their four children. Then in 1896, Jacob's mother passed away.
Despite the last 5 years of hardship, Jacob did find himself falling in love again, this time with young lady in her mid-20s. Her name was Arta Hamilton, and they were married on April 13, 1897. Three months later, Jacob accepted an appointment to be the 5th Postmaster of the U.S. Post Office in Dorton, and he held the position for nearly a year.
Between 1897 and 1899, Jacob & Arta had a child that died in or before 1900. They continued to have children, and they raised three more of their own: John (1900), Mack (1901), & Alberta (1904).
Jacob was a farmer most of his life, and had short stints as a U.S. Postmaster and as a Deputy Clerk of the Pike County Court.Jacob worked the farm well up into his 70s.
When Jacob was in his late 60s, he suffered two deep personal losses, first when his daughter Alberta died in 1928, and then again in 1931 when his son Mack was shot and killed by an officer of the law. Jacob also lost his wife Arta to the flu in 1934.
After 1937, Jacob lived with his recently widowed brother, William, until Will died in 1943. Then in his early 80s, Jacob lived with his granddaughter Lourette, and she cared for him the rest of his days.
Jacob Smith Bumgardner died on June 19, 1947. His friend Hursel Johnson posthumously remembered him as "a farmer," "a good citizen," and as "one of the pioneers of Pike County." Jacob was buried beside his wife Arta at the Bumgardner Family Cemetery.
Jacob Smith Bumgardner was born on December 11, 1862 to parents John & Esther [Hayes] Bumgardner in Johnson County, TN. Jacob's father was likely not present for his birth, as he was serving in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Johnson County was in the south, but had many residents that supported the Union during the war. After the war had ended, their family probably caught a lot of flack, so they moved into Watauga County, NC, before Jacob was 7 years old, and they lived there for a short time around 1870.
Around 1870/71, Jacob's father moved the family one last time. Heading north and west, they traveled to the coal-rich hills of southeast Kentucky, settling down in a little Pike County town, now known as Dorton.
With his father as the town's first postmaster, and his mother their first school teacher, Jacob was likely well known in the area as a young man. Possibly looking to carve out his own life apart from parents, Jacob moved 11 miles southeast to Clintwood, VA.
While in Clintwood, Jacob met and fell in love with Elizabeth Dotson. They courted, and the two were married on September 8, 1882 in Dickenson Co., VA.
Jacob and his wife lived in Clintwood for more than 8 years and had three children born to them there: Linnie (1883), Mary (1885), & Floyd (1887).
In late 1890 or early 1891, Jacob moved his wife and children back to Dorton, KY. Though the reason for moving is not known, it might have been due to his father's fading health.
In August 1891, Jacob's fourth child, Ezra, was born. Though this was undoubtedly a happy occasion, some of Jacob's hardest days were just ahead of him. In December 1891, Jacob's father passed away. According to court documents, Elizabeth left Jacob in 1893, going back to her family in Virginia. Jacob waited a year after the separation began, and then divorced Elizabeth on the grounds of abandonment. The judge granted him custody of their four children. Then in 1896, Jacob's mother passed away.
Despite the last 5 years of hardship, Jacob did find himself falling in love again, this time with young lady in her mid-20s. Her name was Arta Hamilton, and they were married on April 13, 1897. Three months later, Jacob accepted an appointment to be the 5th Postmaster of the U.S. Post Office in Dorton, and he held the position for nearly a year.
Between 1897 and 1899, Jacob & Arta had a child that died in or before 1900. They continued to have children, and they raised three more of their own: John (1900), Mack (1901), & Alberta (1904).
Jacob was a farmer most of his life, and had short stints as a U.S. Postmaster and as a Deputy Clerk of the Pike County Court.Jacob worked the farm well up into his 70s.
When Jacob was in his late 60s, he suffered two deep personal losses, first when his daughter Alberta died in 1928, and then again in 1931 when his son Mack was shot and killed by an officer of the law. Jacob also lost his wife Arta to the flu in 1934.
After 1937, Jacob lived with his recently widowed brother, William, until Will died in 1943. Then in his early 80s, Jacob lived with his granddaughter Lourette, and she cared for him the rest of his days.
Jacob Smith Bumgardner died on June 19, 1947. His friend Hursel Johnson posthumously remembered him as "a farmer," "a good citizen," and as "one of the pioneers of Pike County." Jacob was buried beside his wife Arta at the Bumgardner Family Cemetery.
Johnson County was in the south, but had many residents that supported the Union during the war. After the war had ended, their family probably caught a lot of flack, so they moved into Watauga County, NC, before Jacob was 7 years old, and they lived there for a short time around 1870.
Around 1870/71, Jacob's father moved the family one last time. Heading north and west, they traveled to the coal-rich hills of southeast Kentucky, settling down in a little Pike County town, now known as Dorton.
With his father as the town's first postmaster, and his mother their first school teacher, Jacob was likely well known in the area as a young man. Possibly looking to carve out his own life apart from parents, Jacob moved 11 miles southeast to Clintwood, VA.
While in Clintwood, Jacob met and fell in love with Elizabeth Dotson. They courted, and the two were married on September 8, 1882 in Dickenson Co., VA.
Jacob and his wife lived in Clintwood for more than 8 years and had three children born to them there: Linnie (1883), Mary (1885), & Floyd (1887).
In late 1890 or early 1891, Jacob moved his wife and children back to Dorton, KY. Though the reason for moving is not known, it might have been due to his father's fading health.
In August 1891, Jacob's fourth child, Ezra, was born. Though this was undoubtedly a happy occasion, some of Jacob's hardest days were just ahead of him. In December 1891, Jacob's father passed away. According to court documents, Elizabeth left Jacob in 1893, going back to her family in Virginia. Jacob waited a year after the separation began, and then divorced Elizabeth on the grounds of abandonment. The judge granted him custody of their four children. Then in 1896, Jacob's mother passed away.
Despite the last 5 years of hardship, Jacob did find himself falling in love again, this time with young lady in her mid-20s. Her name was Arta Hamilton, and they were married on April 13, 1897. Three months later, Jacob accepted an appointment to be the 5th Postmaster of the U.S. Post Office in Dorton, and he held the position for nearly a year.
Between 1897 and 1899, Jacob & Arta had a child that died in or before 1900. They continued to have children, and they raised three more of their own: John (1900), Mack (1901), & Alberta (1904).
Jacob was a farmer most of his life, and had short stints as a U.S. Postmaster and as a Deputy Clerk of the Pike County Court.Jacob worked the farm well up into his 70s.
When Jacob was in his late 60s, he suffered two deep personal losses, first when his daughter Alberta died in 1928, and then again in 1931 when his son Mack was shot and killed by an officer of the law. Jacob also lost his wife Arta to the flu in 1934.
After 1937, Jacob lived with his recently widowed brother, William, until Will died in 1943. Then in his early 80s, Jacob lived with his granddaughter Lourette, and she cared for him the rest of his days.
Jacob Smith Bumgardner died on June 19, 1947. His friend Hursel Johnson posthumously remembered him as "a farmer," "a good citizen," and as "one of the pioneers of Pike County." Jacob was buried beside his wife Arta at the Bumgardner Family Cemetery.
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