The Search for the True Story of Jenny Wiley

Well let's hope this post will make sense to all. Please forgive me if it doesn't and feel free to ask questions, make comments, correct things or even have any ideas on furthering these articles to help. I say that because I'm working on this series battling heart problems and chronic fatigue. I'm having some sort of relapse this week. It's a wonder I got the last post out. I even I slept through Sunday Supper!! One minute they said it was ready, the next thing I know it's 10 at night!! They saved me a plate but I missed seeing my family until next week.  My mind says, "We will do this today", and my body says, "YOU WISH!"

I so admire those that can be prolific bloggers and writers who post every day (365 a year) or even once a week (52 a year). That is NOT me! This blog to date has 44 posts published, 9 or 10 drafts in process and that's been since October 2009!! The shape I'm in....won't change anytime soon..... but that's OK. Do what I can and be thankful to be ALIVE!!

My bed right now is covered in history books, copies of documents, notes and files with my laptop.  I get wore out so easy. I MISS MY HEALTH. Just trying to keep up with everyday simple tasks and concerns and I fall asleep right in the middle of all of this all the time. I'm always afraid I'm going to break my laptop by knocking it off the bed!

I can no longer get out and perform the research that needs to be accomplished to discover the true story of Jenny Wiley. That's why I am putting an effort to putting out there what I had discovered so far, before getting so ill, with the hope other researchers will join together and continue the task, to uncover what is true and what is fiction. The Jenny Wiley story deserves this. It is past time that her story receive intensive research from the historical community. I hope they will share with all of us what they find and not hoard it either. Pox on ye, if ye hoard it!

The next Mystery Monday post will have most of the research I have, especially concerning the location of Thomas and Jenny Wiley's cabin. I am working on that post, it's why I can't turn over in my bed!! I can't remember things like I did. I'm looking for articles to use I wrote before I got sick. Much on this blog was written before I became ill.  My memory... it's a toss up to old age or disability but it's a pain to have to keep moving the books when you are tired anyway.

The post after the cabin location is going to be what areas need to be worked on. This is going to need researchers from Kentucky to Richmond, VA to as far away as Kansas and Wisconsin.  I have a new friend in Richmond who is working with a list I sent her of notes I'd made for areas of research before I had to quit. If there are others who are interested please contact me especially if you can read the old writing in original documents. There is a ton of research to read through and maybe folks will team up in these areas.

This story is also going to need Native American scholars, historians and researchers to shine a light on this time period and this event. Contrary to popular belief the Native Americans of this era were not primitive savages, actually they were just a different culture. After European contact, there were assimilated Native American farmers who had cabins and lived much in the way the first settlers did. There were those who were of mixed blood, educated and lived exactly as the Europeans did.

There are deeds in our own county that date from the late 1700's that list, "the abandoned Indian fields" or "the Indian fields" in certain areas. Fields=Agriculture. Wolf Creek Indian Village was an agricultural community 500 hundred years ago.  I am beginning to understand it wasn't the untouched, uninhabited "wilderness" we thought of it as, nor just used as a hunting ground by Native Americans. There are those who gave up their tribal status, became American citizens and stayed in these mountains. Research in the Bland County area needs SO MUCH more work.

Crop of Benjamin Stewart's July 11, 1791 Montgomery County Grant (land is in Bland Co today)
mentioning the Indian Fields under Rich Mountain. Land Office Grants No. 24 1791-1792 pg 239 reel 90
Library of Virginia

So bear with me. What I have on the cabin location, explaining land grants etc. I'm going to try to publish by Monday. I am sleeping with books to get it done!!

It would be so cool to have some history show or documentary crew want to do this and pay top notch researchers to get it done. But since we don't have that, those of us who love the Jenny Wiley story and for years wanted to know as much of the truth as possible can delve and try to discover it ourselves.

Two questions. Does anyone know if the Jenny Wiley Association is still active? I tried to contact them 3 years ago and never received an answer.  Last week tried to email again and it bounced back.

Second, are these documents showing up enough through Google for those that want a copy of them?  You can test it on the last post where I posted the original letter of J. D. Smith to Governor Beverly Randolph.  Thanks

Until next time. Blessing to all.