Samuel Colyer b. 22 MAY 1884 d. 1 FEB 1972 Somerset, Ky: Curtis / Colyer family of Somerset Kentucky

1884 - 1972

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Birth	22 May 1884 [3, 4, 5]
Gender	Male
Died	1 Feb 1972	Somerset, Ky [3, 4]
Buried	Somerset Ky City Cemetery, W. Columbia St.
Person ID	I0937	John Colyer family of Somerset Ky
Last Modified	08 Jun 2019

Father	Charles Granade Colyer, b. 8 Aug 1832, Pulaski Co., Kentucky , d. 11 Apr 1910, Somerset, Ky
Mother	Louisa Jane Meece, b. 21 Aug 1842, Pulaski Co., Kentucky , d. 13 Jan 1931, Somerset, Ky
Married	14 Jul 1861	Pulaski Co., Kentucky (shotgun wedding ?)
Family ID	F254	Group Sheet

Family Leone' Valeria Lewis, b. 16 Oct 1886, Greenwood, Ky , d. 26 Sep 1953, Ft. Worth, TX

Married Jan 1 1905 Somerset, Ky [6]

Children

>	1. Elaine Colyer, b. 1912, Ft. Worth, TX , d. 26 Sep 2001, Somerset, Ky
	2. Ray Lowell Colyer, b. 29 Jul 1917, Somerset, Ky , d. 24 Nov 1994, Frankfort, KY
	3. Samuel Lance Colyer, b. 4 Jul 1910, Somerset, Ky , d. 21 Mar 1926, Somerset, Ky
>	4. Ruby Colyer, b. 11/03/1906, Ft. Worth, TX , d. Feb 14 1980, Somerset, Ky
	5. Roy Lewis Colyer, b. 3 Nov 1906, Ft. Worth TX , d. 7 Dec 1906, Ft Worth TX
>	6. Edith Aline Colyer, b. 1 Feb 1920, Somerset, Ky , d. 6 May 1974, Lousiville, Ky

Last Modified 11 Jul 2022

Family ID F251 Group Sheet

Photos		Sam Colyer Taken in entry way of his home on Monticello St, Somerset Ky Status: Located
		Sam Colyer family Photo of Sam Colyer and some family about 1937. This is left to right Leon (Sam’s wife) Ray, Sam and Edith Colyer. Status: Located
		Charles Granade Colyer Family photo of Charles Granade Colyer, his wife and children. Sam Colyer is boy on knee. Status: Located
		Status: Located
		Leone and Sam Colyer Leone and Sam Colyer: in their home on Monticello St, Somerset Ky. Home was at Hope street and was torn down for new roadway in about 2007.
		Sam Colyer house, Somerset Ky House where Sam Colyer family lived. Sam lived there until about 1967. House stood at corner of Hope Ave and Old Monticello Street in Somerset Ky. House was torn down about 2005 when new Monticello road was built. Since the 1920 census shows the family living on College Street, 1930 census shows family living in this house on Monticello St., sometime before 1930 the family moved here. Likely after 1926 when 15 year old son Lance died of pneumonia. Both census show Sam's mother, Louisa, living with the family. When Sam's grand-daughter Janet Avera Claunch and her husband Sonny Claunch, first moved back to Somerset from Dayton Ohio in early 1970's, they lived in this house according to Janet.
		Ft. Worth Texas City Directory 1908 Shows Sam Colyer residence address while living in Ft. Worth Texas
		Ft. Worth Texas City Directory 1908 Shows 2 two residents at 2109 Ross Ave., therefore conclusion that Sam Colyer was renting half of the house at this address as residence as a 25 year old (per 1910 census) while living in Ft. Worth Texas
		Sam Colyer residence in Ft. Worth Texas per 1908 Ft. Worth City Directory
		Charles Granade Colyer family with labels photo from about 1892
		Cherry Grove School, 1932 Photo reproduced in Somerset Ky Commonwealth Journal newspaper 11/29/14. Heading, August 26, 1932 public invited to Polk Supper at Cherry Grove school house. The school stood on Cherry Grove Road off current day Hwy 192. Sam Colyer attended school here.
		Cherry Grove School 1944 Sam Colyer attended here.
		Sam Colyer Dairy bottle top Sam had a small farm he operated on current-day Old Patterson Branch Rd in Somerset Ky, before and after he would do a days work in his grocery store on Old Monticello St. Old Patterson Branch Rd is off Oak Hill Rd. The barn and house on the farm still stands in 2015.
		Ariel map of Oak Hill Dairy, Somerset Ky Per Bobby Sidwell interview with his mother, June Avera, This shows where the Sam Colyer Oak Hill Dairy was in the 1920-40's. June Avera reported that her mother and father, Bob Avera and Elaine Colyer Avera lived in the farm house when first married and that June lived there from birth til about age 5. Sam Colyer lived on Monticello St, Somerset Ky so the farm house was secondary and he let Elaine, his daughter, live there when first married. Bob Avera's father's farm was across the street. See Sam Colyer diary this site mentioning Avera barn fire and see dairy cap photo for Oak Hill Dairy this site. In 2015, Bobby Sidwell reports that house and barn on this map of Oak Hill Dairy are original from 1930's.
		Somerset Court house 1902 Unknown occasion group photo on the Somerset KY square at court house shows people dressed in their fancy clothes. The RED arrow shows who is believed to be Sam Colyer, born 1884. Found this photo in archives of Edith Colyer Curtis, Sam's daughter. Somerset Ky newspaper clipping dates 1902.
		L-R Sam Colyer and Roscoe James about 1950 Believed to be at Roscoe James house located on East Mt. Vernon st. at about Jarvis St.
		Sam Colyer grocery Monticello & Langdon St :Old photo from photographer database at Somerset Ky public library shows what is believed to be Monticello St Facebook Pulaski County Kentucky group identified white building at Sam Colyer grocery.
		Sam Colyer grocery: corner of Monticello St and Langdon St Somerset Ky
		June Avera wedding 1951 Pictured L-R: Jack Curtis, Jimmy Chestnut, June Avera the bride, her father Bob Avera, Sam Colyer sitting.
		Colyer Grocery funeral fan advertisement Sam Colyer grocery days when his grocery was on East Mt. Vernon St, Somerset KY, when Sam lived on College Street. Later, about 1925, Sam moved to Monticello Street residence and grocery relocated to Monticillo and Langdon Streets.

Documents		Sam Colyer Obituary Obituary for Sam Colyer in Somerset newspaper 1972 Status: Located
		Samuel Colyer's Bible Family page from Samuel Colyer's Bible ( Sam son of Charles Granade Colyer, who was son of John Colyer, who was son of William Colyar of Washington County TN) Status: Located
		Sam Colyer’s diary Sam Colyer’s diary 1945-1949 transcript. I suppose this is the web-blog Sam never dreamed of. Status: Located
		Sam Colyer grocery store newspaper ad Sam Colyer upon returning from Ft. Worth TX back to Somerset Ky, opened grocery business. This is newspaper ad from era during World War I Status: Located
		Edith Colyer Curtis notes concerning Granade Colyer school teacher at Beech Grove School and Sam as student at Cherry Grove School and Beech Grove School
		1900 census Charles Granade Colyer
		1920 census Sam Colyer
		1930 census Sam Colyer
		Sam Colyer World War II draft registration
		Sam Colyer World War I draft registration
		Sam Colyer Dairy at Oak Hill Newspaper article 2016
		1930 census: Henry & Samantha Warren, son Andrew Moses Warren (widower) and daughter Geneva Shows Moses Warren born about 1883. (WWI registration shows dob 12/24/1883) So he was same age as Sam Colyer up the road in 1900 who lived on Pitman Rd at Cherry Grove school. Where they playmates in school era ? Max Lay reports that Sam told him he went to Warren house (formerly Sam's father's house before Warrens purchased) in the summer.
		Sam Colyer 1914 Ft. Worth directory Shows Sam with Sears in laws on Ross Ave and store 2200 Clinton Ave.
		1914 Ft. Worth directory Sam Colyer shows Colyer & Sears grocery and Charles Colyer, Sam's brother as a driver for the grocery
		1936 Sam Colyer purchase deed Denham street lots
		Sam & Leone Colyer home property legal history on Monticello St Somerset KY Commonwealth Journal newspaper 9/19/2018 zoning notice change to business of home place deeds acquired by Stewart Development
		Sam Colyer funeral bulletin
		1963 Jack Curtis Family visits Earl Curtis; Ray Colyer visits Sam Colyer
		1960 Commonwealth Journal somerset: Sam Colyer in hospital
		1951 June Avera wedding Commonwealth Journal

Notes

Sam Colyer in Ft. Worth Texas: family verbal history has Sam having moved to Ft. Worth Texas as a young man. Back of old house photo found in possession of Sam's son, Ray, apparently has written thereon "Colyer, 2119 Ross Ave." Searches do not reveal any such address on current maps in Somerset Ky. There is currently this address in Ft. Worth Texas. Research shows Sam "Collier" age 25 and wife Leona age 23, and daughter Ruby age 3 in Ft. Worth ward 12 in 1910. Research shows Ward 12 was all around 21st St. to 28 st.

2119 Ross Ave, Ft. Worth is one block off 21st St. on today's maps. It was determined, that the faint pencil writing must have said 2109 Ross Ave, for the 1908 Ft. Worth city directory shows Sam Colyer at that address.
via Facebook Pulaski County Kentucky by Shana Goggins 01/22/2017:

As a young girl, my Grandmother Norma would walk to Colyer's Store. Colyer's Store was a cherished spot for she and my Grandpa Webb. Both sharing tales of the kindness of the store owner. How he extended credit when needed. Slipped candy into the hands of eager and excited children.

Among her duties or delights was to purchase apples for the family. Mainly her father as he loved apples more than anything. In her childhood he raised apples and peaches at their home. Her family lived on the hill above of what is present day Papa John's on Hwy 27. When the land sold as she grew older, she said she was sad to see the peach trees go.

This evening she shared how very hot it was walking up Monticello Street. Bare feet on the hot ground below. Occasionally seeking refuge in the cool grass along the way. The apples she said made up for the effort.
Somerset KY Commonwealth Journal newspaper 9/19/18: zoning notice by Stewart Development LLC rezoning to business:

TRACT 6:
I) Lying and being in Pulaski County, KY, on the Somerset & Monticello Pike about one Mile south of the Courthouse in Somerset, KY, to-wit: Lots Eight, Nine and Ten in Block 3 of Tibbals Additions to Somerset, as shown on the map or plat of said Addition of Record in Pulaski County Court Clerk?s Office in Deed Book 93 at Page 247. Being a part of the same property conveyed to Leon V. Colyer be Deed of Conveyance dated the 18th day of September, 1925, from Robert Hollars and Mae Hollars, his wife, and of Record in Deed Book 99, Page 303, Pulaski County Clerk?s Office, Kentucky. The aforesaid Leon V. Colyer died intestate on September 26, 1953, thereby vesting one-half (1/2) interest to the hereinabove described real property to her husband, Sam Colyer, and one-half (1/2) interest to her four (4) children, Ruby Chestnut, Elaine C. Avera, Ray L.
Colyer & Edith C. Curtis, pursuant to the Affidavit to Descent of record in Deed Book 278, Page 472, Pulaski County Court Clerk?s Office, KY.
II) A certain lot of ground lying and being in Pulaski County, KY, on the Somerset and Monticello Pike and about one mile south of the Courthouse in Somerset, KY, and being Lot No. 7 in the Tibbals Addition to the City of Somerset, as shown on plat of said addition of record in the Pulaski County Clerk?s Office in Deed Book 93, Page 247. Being a part of the same property conveyed to Ruby C. Chestnut, Ray L. Colyer, Elaine C. Avery and Edith C. Curtis by Deed of Conveyance dated the 12th day of February 1954 from Sam Colyer, a single man, and of Record in Deed Book 278, Page 197, Pulaski County Clerk?s Office KY.
These can be referenced in Deed Book 843, Page 713, at the Pulaski County Court Clerk?s Office, Somerset, KY.
Somerset Ky The Commonwealth 3/16/1932:
FIRE AT
COLYER STORE
Fire, caused by a defective flue,
damaged the store of Sam Colyer
on Langdon Street Thursday morning. Damage to the stock of goods was estimated at $100
The Demise of Frog Level - Commonwealth Journal: Local News
The Demise of Frog Level
By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus | Posted: Monday, February 20, 2006 8:46 am

Time changes everything, even Frog Level. Progressive citizens proclaim that progress is good. However, oldtimers, wallowing in nostalgia, often are grieved by evolution of the landscape. For example, the I66 interchange under construction in the western part of the county has wiped the heart of Possum Trot from the face of the earth. Now, the new Monticello Street, when it opens to traffic next fall, will bypass a busy section of Somerset that threequarters of a century ago was known as Frog Level.

At last count, there are about 18,000 traffic movements a day through this southern section of town. Growth and ensuing vehicular activity around Somerset Community College and the Center for Rural Development keep a constant line of traffic jockeying for position to get through the tunnel at the entrance to Frog Level.

The demise of Possum Trot already has been recorded for posterity on these pages. Frog Level deserves its moment in the spotlight before its place is further clouded by memory's blur.

Chamber of commerce types frown at unflattering names attached to communities from a lingering past. Matter of fact, few, if any of today's moderns could direct a lost traveler to Frog Level. The name and place are fogged in the mists of time.

Don?t feel bad if you can't locate Frog Level. Most people furrow their
brow when the name is mentioned. They don't have a clue.
James A. 'Onion' Eastham knows about Frog Level. He can take you there. The former member of Somerset City Council remembers when Frog Level was a thriving business section.

'Frog Level basically was from the railroad underpass on Monticello Street to the foot of Monticello Street hill,' Eastham said. It included parts of Beecher, Grove, Langdon and Denham streets and Railroad Drive. 'Frog Level did a big business in those days,' said Eastham, referring to the mid 1930s.
Eastham still has a mental map of the thriving businesses in Frog Level, along Johnson's Block and up South Main Street toward the depot.

'Along Monticello Street there were Sam Colyer's Grocery, McKinney's Grocery (where Eastham's mother worked), Prather's Grocery Store, Tuttle and Lee Grocery Store, a saloon (Somerset was wet in those days), Sears Coal Yard and a gasoline station.

On Railroad Drive there were a storage house for curing cow hides that often emitted a foul odor, Sandy Valley Grocery, Shell Oil Company, Somerset Milk Plant, Somerset Ice Plant, a massive tie yard and a freight depot.

'How Frog Level got its name, I don?t know,' said Eastham. 'I've asked a lot of people and they didn't know. I guess the people who know are all dead,' he said.

Somebody suggested that beleaguered Sinking Creek, a meandering stream that runs through the heart of Frog Level, may have given rise to the name. Back before pollution disfigured and diminished bullfrogs, it stands to reason that the banks of Sinking Creek could have been a haven for the throaty amphibians.

The late Sandy Offutt, mayor of Somerset for about 20 years, with tongue in cheek often gave Sinking Creek an unflattering label. He called it 'Stinking Creek' and in those days the tiny stream could have earned its mayoral put down. Offutt may have been around when the curing cow hides in the storage place on Railroad Drive sent off a nosetwitching scent.

The creek has been cleaned up a lot since then and its channel widened to prevent the oftflooding in the heart of Frog Level. It used to be that a quick downpour would send water flooding across Monticello Street in a low place between the tunnel and foot of Monticello Street hill.

Frog Level was just a part of a sprawling business district in South Somerset during the early part of the 20th century. Businesses and residences stretched from the foot of Wait's Hill on South Main Street south to the railroad depot and Bourne and Griffin avenues.

Eastham said there were a row of mostly white frame houses from the old City Lumber Company (now Mikes New and Used Furniture) south to Dearl Whitaker Way (formerly Swain Street). He noted that City Lumber Company started out as Fish Lumber Company. The late Ira Yeary bought the business and changed the name to City Lumber Company.

Also, there was a row of houses on the west side of the street from about the junction of South Richardson Drive south to about where the Chevron bulk plant is now. The bulk plant, then called Standard Oil, was founded by Morgan Crane, father of the late Blanche Waddle, for many years society editor for his newspaper.

'The late Alonzo Carter bought the bulk plant from Crane and operated it for many years until he sold it to Oscar Hornsby, former Democrat party chairman and now president and owner of Statewide Transport Corporation. Hornsby no longer owns the bulk plant.
Eastham said he doesn't know when Crane built the bulk plant. ?It was there when I was a boy,' Eastham recalls.

The section of South Main Street from South Richardson Drive to where it forks with Monticello Street is called Johnson?s Block.
'I never knew why they called it Johnson's Block,' said Eastham. 'I never knew a Mr. Johnson; anybody they could have named it after.'
South Main Street, from the 'Y' with Monticello Street up the hill toward the depot and the vicinity of Bourne Avenue was the location of several businesses during the heyday of South Somerset.

Eastham said there were a general merchandise store, a bank ('I don't remember the name of the bank.'), the old Cumberland Hotel, Haynes and Massey Grocery Store, the Tent Restaurant operated by a McBribe family, and a concrete block building that housed a barbershop, dry cleaning establishment and several other small businesses. Buck Gossett operated a restaurant in the area and Southern Railway had a general store at the corner of Griffin Avenue and Jacksboro Street.

'That (railroad store) was the biggest store in the area' said Eastham. 'They had everything groceries and a full line of men's and women's clothing. If you worked for the railroad, you could buy groceries and merchandise on the credit and it would be taken out of your next check.'

There was a small jail near the depot, apparently to detain unruly passengers who got off a train.
'El morro,' Spanish words meaning 'the bluff,' is inscribed on the rocky cliff on the west side of South Main Street facing the railroad tracks. Legend has it that the writing in mussel shells cemented to the rock was done by a Mexican, keeper of the small, onecell jail operated by the city.

Reportedly the small jail was often called 'El Morro.' The Mexican worked at the jail for his keep, according to the legend. The historic inscription and imbedded brick from the jail structure may have been destroyed by construction of the new Monticello Street.

Those were the days when Somerset was a 'Saturday town.'

Sources

[S14494] Alice Colyer Gala.
Date of Import: Sep 19, 1998
[S05088] Collierj.ftw--Tim Jeffries, Cincinnati OH, Tim Jeffries, Cincinnatti OH.
Date of Import: Aug 6, 1998
[S27813] ColyerV2.FTW.
Date of Import: Sep 30, 1998
[S30540] Sam Colyer fAmily bible.
sam colyer family bible,
[S01737] Richard Curtis files.
[S31981] Edith Colyer Curtis.

Samuel Colyer[1, 2, 3]

Samuel Colyer^{[1, 2, 3]}