\n
Members of the Combs Family lived in the community of Pine Mountain since very early years. As stated on the page for KATHERINE PETTIT – WEAVING…<\/a>,<\/p>\n When Pettit arrived in the valley she met families with names like Creech, Boggs, Turner, Couch, <\/span>Combs<\/b>, Coots, Day, Hall, and more, suggesting that the population was heavily indebted to England, Ireland and France in its origins.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Several Combs individuals were among the student body and workers at Pine Mountain Settlement School.<\/p>\n For a detailed history of the Combs family, see images and transcription of the newspaper article “History of the Combs Family” by S.S. Combs\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n For additional assistance in locating histories of families in Eastern Kentucky see:<\/p>\n Harlan County, Kentucky Genealogy – FamilySearch Wiki<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Chester Combs<\/b> and his father were two of the community members that Alice Cobb and a co-worker met while on a 20-mile hike to Napier and Gabes Branch Falls. ALICE COBB STORIES Hike to Napier\u2026.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Elijah Combs, Captain Hanan Fields Combs <\/b>and<\/span> Monroe Combs<\/b> are among the names in Samuel Morse Chenault\u2019s 1919 article in <\/span>The Lexington Herald<\/span><\/i>. See image of clipping and transcription at LOCAL HISTORY SCRAPBOOK Hazard, Heart of the Coal Fields 1919<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Enoch Combs<\/b> and his wife <\/span>Mary<\/b> \u201cwere a childless couple living in Sassafras, near Hindman (Knott County), Kentucky, Pettit\u2019s first school (Hindman Settlement School) location. (In 1901) the Combs were the hosts for a group of young women who came to the third and final summer camp in Southeast Kentucky, which was held at Sassafras in Knott County\u2026.the last of a series of summer camps established to serve the literacy-poor hollows in Knott County.\u201d See\u00a0<\/span>KATHERINE PETTIT Social Settlement in Kentucky Mountains Sassafras Album 1901<\/a>\u00a0for photographs of members of the <\/span>Combs family,<\/b> and a young lady who was living with them, engaged in the complex tasks associated with the manufacture of textiles in the Southern Appalachians.<\/span><\/p>\n Among Katherine Pettit\u2019s collection of coverlets and textile fragments was a very worn and modified blanket\/shawl and a badly damaged note that reads:<\/span><\/p>\n This shawl was willed to \u2026 <\/span>Uncle Enoch Combs<\/b><\/em>, when he was a young man, not quite 20. [When he was] starting [for war] his sweetheart Nancy St \u2026 him and gave him this shawl [to \u2026.] him. She told him to f\u2026 [when the] war was over. This he [did ?] \u2026 Uncle Enoch wore the shawl [until he was] an old man with long white [hair].<\/em> KATHERINE PETTIT – WEAVING AT PMSS – BEGINNINGS<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n In a 1920 letter to \u201cMelissa\u201d (<\/span>Mrs. Chester Combs<\/b>), Katherine Pettit mentioned <\/span>Walter Combs<\/b>, a furniture-maker. KATHERINE PETTIT CORRESPONDENCE 1920,<\/a> letter #100.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/b>Chris Anderson and <\/span>Josiah Combs <\/b>Accounts of Their Own \u2018Death<\/span>\u2019<\/b>\u201d was a 1934 story collected by Alice Cobb<\/a>, PMSS worker from 1930s to 1950s.\u00a0ALICE COBB STORIES: Chris Anderson and Josiah Combs….<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Frances Combs <\/b>was mentioned in PINE CONE 1936<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n *Grazia Combs<\/b>, a school administrator from Perry County, Kentucky, accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Glyn Morris<\/a>, Georgia Ayers, Fern Hall<\/a> and others from PMSS on a road trip to Mexico. GEORGIA AYERS DODD<\/a> Biography. (*SEE “See Also” below.)<\/span><\/p>\n Hermann Combs<\/b> is listed among the individuals depicted in the Friends & Neighbors photographs dated late 1940s -1950s. VI 51 FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS People<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Homer Combs<\/b> was cast as \u201cBo,\u201d a hobo \u201cin an act of funnybone ticklers\u201d in the 1935 TOMFOOLERY<\/a> play. <\/span><\/p>\n Uncle <\/span>Ira Combs<\/b> is named as one of the many \u201chome-grown\u201d itinerant preachers in the Baptist tradition in the biography for Rev.\u00a0LEWIS LYTTLE<\/a>. See VI 35 FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS Old Timers, Family Groups <\/a><\/span>Gallery [VI_35_1138<\/a> and 1139]. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Uncle Ira Combs [preacher] seated on porch, holding his great-grandchild and with woman standing behind. FN Vl_35_1138.jpg<\/p><\/div>\n Rev. Ira Combs<\/b> of Jeff, Kentucky, <\/span>W. J. Combs<\/b> and <\/span>Anderson Combs<\/b> contributed articles to the <\/span>Mountain Magazine (Hazard Herald, <\/span><\/i>no date). Images and transcriptions of the articles can be seen at LOCAL HISTORY SCRAPBOOK The Mountain Magazine\u2026.<\/a>\u00a0 Names mentioned in the magazine: Ira Combs, Mason Combs and children, Elijah Combs, Ira Combs, Pearl Combs, \u201cOld Danger\u201d Combs, Jesse Combs, Jeremiah Combs, Anderson Combs, Jerry Combs and children, Willie Combs, \u201cBlinky\u201d Shade Combs, Jack Combs, Andy Combs, Lydia and Matilda Combs, Felix and Sam Combs, Alvin Combs, <\/strong>and Cornie Combs.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Irene Combs<\/b> was among the seniors graduating in May 1935. 1935 GRADUATING CLASS<\/a>. See gallery, photo #2447 – Seniors 1935) When sent a questionnaire after graduation, she responded with a lengthy narrative on her PMSS education. See images here: BOARDING SCHOOL Alumni Reflections on Their Education 1936<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Josiah Combs<\/b> (1886-1960) was mentioned by Evelyn K. Wells<\/a> in her address at Harvard University on Appalachian Folksongs. Katherine Pettit sent Josiah’s songs to Professor Kittredge for the Journal of American Folklore<\/em>. She also lists two of his publications. EVELYN K. WELLS, TALKS 1955 Harvard Talk.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n In 1920, Katherine Pettit sent a letter to <\/span>Josiah H. Combs<\/b>, Prague, Czechoslovakia, inviting him back to PMSS. KATHERINE PETTIT CORRESPONDENCE 1920<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n A 1922 letter (#023) to Katherine Pettit referred to <\/span>Newel Combs <\/b>as a newly arrived PMSS student. KATHERINE PETTIT CORRESPONDENCE 1922<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Rufus Combs<\/b> served in the U.S. Navy, according to a list compiled by a 1947 issue<\/a> of The Pine Cone<\/em>. WWII MILITARY SERVICE (draft)<\/span><\/p>\n An article about Chris Anderson in NOTES 1940<\/a> (page 2) includes Anderson\u2019s story about <\/span>Sary Combs<\/b>, a man who \u201cdied one evening and came back to life the next morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Newspaper clippings (dated March 24, 1912), included in the PMSS SCRAPBOOK BEFORE 1929<\/a>, show two letters to the editor from Manon Cornett in which he questions vigilante actions used to quell mob violence by officials of Woodford County, KY. His biography states that \u201cManon Cornett was married to Clara Belle \u2018Pet\u2019 Eversole, a daughter of Joseph Castle Eversole and <\/span>Susan Combs<\/b> Eversole<\/b>. Her father, a prominent attorney, was one of the victims of the infamous French-Eversole Feuds in Hazard in 1909.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eli Hall and <\/span>Susan (Combs)<\/b> Hall<\/b> were the grandparents of first cousins Fern Hall<\/a> and Susie Hall, PMSS students and workers beginning in the 1930s. SUSIE HALL ANGEL<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Dorothy H. Stiles, an employee at Hindman (KY) Settlement School, wrote in her \u201cKentucky 1915\u201d journal about a horseback ride to Pine Mountain. During the trip, they stayed overnight with the <\/span>Spencer Combs<\/b>\u2019 family. The narrative describes their home and hospitality and mentions Spencer Combs\u2019 son as a \u201ctooth dentist.\u201d DOROTHY H. STILES – \u201cKENTUCKY 1915.\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Susanna Combs<\/b> is among the \u201cauthors\u201d listed in the Berea College Appalachian Museum Oral History Collection. BIBLIOGRAPHY PINE MOUNTAIN SETTLEMENT SCHOOL<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n S.S. Combs<\/strong> wrote a newspaper article \u201cHistory of the Combs Family\u201d c. 1922. Images are displayed in the Gallery below and at LOCAL HISTORY SCRAPBOOK: HiSTORY OF THE COMBS FAMILY…<\/a>. Combs family members named in the narrative include\u00a0<\/span>Harrison, Matthew, Isaac, Henry, Hugh, George, Steve, Alfred, William, Nathan, Rachael, James, Dulcina, Stephen, Sewell, Larkin, Davis, Winnie, Evaline, Angelina, Ben, Mat, Edward, Asbury, Henry, Benjamin, Ike, <\/strong>and Sheriff A.T. Combs.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMost everyone in the Viper (KY) community was either related or could trace to some common pioneer history in the region. Common names in the area are <\/span>Combs<\/b>, Brashear, Whitaker, Woods, and more. Most families in the area were either subsistence farmers or worked at logging or mining or had small mercantile stores.\u201d FERN HALL HAYES<\/a> Biography.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Combs family from Knott County <\/b>was cited as one of two \u201cgreat ballad-singing families\u201d of Kentucky among folk song scholars. (The other family was the Ritchies.) Their repertoire was documented by Hindman Settlement School\u2018s first graduate, Dr. Josiah Combs<\/strong>. (Wikipedia.org.) MAY RITCHIE<\/a> Biography.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nCombs Family: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PMSS COLLECTIONS<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/staging.pinemountainsettlement.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Vl_35_1138.jpg\")
Combs Family: IN PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY COMMUNITY, 1934<\/h3>\n