Welcome to the Tolliver Family!
This web site is for all Tollivers whether the name is spelled Toliver or Tolliver.
2010 TOLLIVER REUNION
June 25-26, 2010
Carl D. Perkins Community Center
Route 32/Flemingsburg Road
Morehead, KY
Tolliver family members from ten states and Germany started arriving in Morehead, KY on Thursday, June 25th for the eighth annual Tolliver Reunion. Friday afternoon at the Carl Perkins Community Center was spent greeting cousins, sharing information, and displaying posters and other historical information. On Friday evening we were entertained by six youth and two adults in our Talent Show. All the youth received an "I'm A Tolliver" bear. The adults were Dean Lyon and John N. Tolliver. James Oxford, otherwise known as Blue Bird, treated us to a display of his beautiful, hand-carved Native American pipes. James, dressed in his Native American regalia, spoke about the pipes and their history. John N. Tolliver also presented some Native American articles.
On Saturday morning, we divided into large family groups to meet our closest cousins and share stories. Each group chose a story to tell in the afternoon. After a carry-in-dinner set up by Carla Eberwein and Mike Tolliver, Bill Tolliver and the youth from the Talent Show led the group in singing, "If You Are Proud to be a Tolliver." Fred Brown, co-author of the book Days of Anger was introduced. Fred is a Logan descendant but we have adopted him as a Tolliver cousin. He and Juanita Blair have the best book available about the Tolliver-Martin Feud. Sabrina Tolliver Kiser introduced her new book, Dove's Trail. This includes the story of Lytte Tolliver's horse being stolen during the Civil War and his travels to locate the horse and get it back. Lytte was the grandson of John Toliver, a Revolutionary War soldier. Bill and Sylvia Blimes, also from John's line, spoke of their new Legacy Locators program where they help persons find their ancestors. Miranda and Heather Robinson, grandchildren of Henry and Shelby Tolliver, were recognized for being on the team from Greenup county who won first place for Math Madness, at the International Community Problem Solving Competition at the University of Wisconsin this spring. A cousin, Amber Brown, was also on the teaqm. Donald and Mary Tolliver reported their granddaughter, Kyla Tolliver, is doing an internship at St. Jude's Hospital. Louise Tolliver from Moses' line told an old story about her grandfather, William Morgan Tolliver who survived being shot in Morehead years ago. Susie Tolliver Hutchinson also shared about her great grandfather, James Frank Tolliver of Ohio. Louella Tolliver Huguenard, our main speaker, shared information about what we know about Moses Toliver b. 1750. An update was given on the Old Toliver Cemetery in NC. Don Tolliver from Whitesburg, KY installed a new flag and put flowers on the 49 known graves in May. Steven Moxley from VA is also mowing the cemetery this summer. Our display recognizing Tolliver Veterans continues to grow.
The youngest person in attendance was Virginia Lutz from OH, a descendant of Lytte Tolliver. The oldest person in attendance was Louise Tolliver from KY, a descendant of Joel Tolliver. Persons who traveled the farthest were cousins of Collette Tolliver. They live in Germany. They had left early so the winner was the Blimes from FL. Bill is a descendant of Wiley Gordon Tolliver, grandson of John b. 1760. Winner of the door prize was Betty Tolliver from TN. Her husband is a descendant of Zachariah Tolliver in TN.
The Reunion ended with the results of the Silent Auction which help defray Reunion costs, such as the building rental, mailings, etc. We appreciate all the volunteers who help and also the warm hospitality of the people of Morehead, especially the Quality Inn and Ponderosa.
See News and Events page for some pictures.
The 2011 Reunion will be held June 24-25 in Morehead, KY.
Tolliver Cemetery, Letcher Co., KY
Lytte Toliver b. 1827 in NC, son of James Toliver b. 1795 NC, grandson of John Toliver b. 1760, is buried in this cemetery. Donald B. Tolliver has recently used a bulldozer to grade the road to this cemetery. He also keeps the area clean and neat. If anyone would like to visit this area, let me know and I will connect you with Don. He would be happy to show you where it is located.
Country Music Duo "Halfway to Hazard"
David Tolliver and Chad Warrix
Credit: www.HalfwaytoHazard.com
David and Chad have toured with
Country superstar Tim McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill.
David is the great great great great great grandson of John Toliver b. 1760 and Tabitha Howell.
He is the son of Jackie Tolliver from Knott Co., KY.
The Tollivers are very proud of David. Check their website for their music and tour dates.
Dedication of Monument
October 27, 2007
Morehead, KY
The Tolliver Family Association dedicated a monument, featuring the names of those killed during the Rowan County War, also known as the Tolliver-Martin Feud, at the old passenger depot (Chamber of Commerce Office) on Railroad Street. Taking place from 1884-1887, the bloody conflict earned Rowan County a reputation for violence that was international in its scope. Beginning with an election day riot on the Courthouse lawn, the Feud claimed a steady stream of victims for nearly three years, ending at last in a two hour shootout on Railroad Street involving at least sixty gunman, that added four names to the dead list. Remarkably, only one murder resulted in a successful prosecution. County officials, themselves partisan, made only a token effort to staunch the bloodshed. The Feud's most lasting legacy was a school so small it opened its doors on its first day to only one student, then doubled its enrollment the second day. Over the years it grew in scope and influence, until today it literally reaches out to the stars. Yes, Morehead State University traces its roots directly back to those dark and violent times, when it was founded in an effort to educate and civilize a people mired in conflict. If any of your ancestors were surnamed Day, Stewart, Young, Hargis, Alderson,Goodan, Bowling, Keeton, Wilson, McKenzie, Nickel, Trumbo, Humphrey, Martin, Tolliver or Logan or any of a host of others, they may have found themselves in the thick of this conflict. The idea for the monument originated with Tolliver family descendant and feud researcher J. D. Reeder. Its placement near an official Kentucky Historical Society Highway Marker commemorating events in the Rowan County War will provide a permanent record of the names of those who died and serve to educate future generations about this important event in local history.
Names on the monument are: 1884 Solomon Bradley, John G. Hughes, Floyd Tolliver, John P. Martin; 1885 Ben Rayburn, John Marlow, Stewart Bumgardner, Stewart Caudill; 1886 Whit Pelfrey, John C. Day, William O. Logan; 1887 H. M. (Mason) Keeton, John B. Logan, William H. Logan, Hiram Cooper, Craig Tolliver, Jacob F. (Jay) Tolliver, Jr., John R. (Budd) Tolliver, Wylie V. Tolliver, John N. Witcher.
Family members from the families of Bradley, Martin, Tolliver, Logan, and Cooper attended the dedication.
If you would like to help us pay for the monument, please send a check to Dr. J. D. Reeder, 230 Lyons Ave., Morehead, KY 40351.
Byron Crawford wrote a nice article in the Courier-Journal about the dedication Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007.
Janie Strunk, great-great granddaughter of John Martin stands between Jim and Harry Tolliver, great grandsons of Craig Tolliver. It was John Martin who killed Craig's brother, Floyd, and Craig and his friends who killed John Martin. After the dedication, time was spent sharing stories. Janie was quoted as saying, "Everybody was just sharing hugs." It was an emotional time, a time for healing.
Days of Anger, Days of Tears
by Fred Brown and Juanita Blair
The History of the Rowan County War, available for the first time in hardcover, was released at a book signing Saturday, October 27, at the Pine Grove Gallery on Bridge Street in Morehead, Kentucky.
To order the book by mail, send a check for $27.32 to Fred Brown, 211 Rogers Ave., Mt. Sterling, KY 40353. Cost includes postage.
The cover of the book is by Chris Barker. A copy of the print can be ordered at www.pinegroveart.com. She has a gallery in Morehead, KY.
THE TOLLIVER FAMILY
Tolliver
researchers have long talked about 5 Tolliver/Toliver brothers
from North Carolina. In 1916 Florence Wilson Houston wrote
a book titled Maxwell History and Genealogy, in which she stated
that "Charles Toliver lived in Ashe Co., North Carolina
and about the year 1816 he moved to Lawrence County, Indiana,
where he entered land in 1817. He had four brothers and
two sisters: John;
Moses (who) lived in North Carolina and died on the way to Indiana;
Jesse; William; Lucy, (who) married William Maxwell;...(and)
Sarah, (who) lived in North Carolina; Charles Toliver married
Susan Edwards." From this book, we can talk about
the five Tolliver bothers from North Carolina in the 1700s. Moses
was born before 1755 and died after 1812 on the way to Indiana. Jesse
was born in 1756 in Fauquier County, Virginia and died in Ashe
County, North Carolina. John was born in 1760 and
died in 1863 in Alleghany County, North Carolina. Charles
was born in 1765 and died in Lawrence County, Indiana. Sarah
was born in 1766 and died in 1836 in Coffee County, Tennessee. Lucy
was born in 1770 and died between 1844 and 1850 in Lawrence County
Indiana.
Information found in military pension
files indicates that about 1770, or five or six years before
the Revolutionary War began, John, Jesse, and Moses (and probably
Charles and William) moved from Virginia to Surry (later named
Wilkes) County, North Carolina, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The
father was still living and was involved in this move, but he
is not named in any of the pension records of Jesse or John.
According to Revolutionary War Pension Records transcribed
by John C. Tolliver, Jr. at the National Archives, John's family
was in Prince William Co., VA (named Fauquier Co. in 1759) in
1756. Frankey, the widow of his brother, Jesse, stated that her
husband had been born in 1756 on the Rappahannock River in Fauquier
Co., VA and that the family moved shortly thereafter to the James
River, 30 miles above Richmond, VA, and that they came to Wilkes
Co., NC about 5 or 6 years before the Rev. War which started
in 1776 and ended in 1783. The Tolivers bought and were granted
many acres of land in what is now Wilkes Co. along Roaring River,
Mulberry Creek and the Yadkin River. Eventually they moved over
the Blue Ridge to what is now Alleghany Co., NC. Here they acquired
vast acreage along the New River and its tributaries. In the
above record John states that some time after the Battle of King's
Mountain (1780) he moved with his mother to the west side of
the Blue Ridge. This raises the question of what happened to
his father. To add to the confusion in the late 1770's Dr. John
and Mary Hardin Taliferro moved from VA into Surry Co., NC and
settled on Stewart's Creek.
DNA PROJECT
If you are interesting in participating in the Tolliver/Toliver/Taliaferro DNA Project, click on the following link. DNA Test
Click
here for restoration work on the Old Toliver cemetery in NC .
2011 TOLLIVER REUNION
Carl D. Perkins Community Center
Route 32/Flemingsburg Road
Morehead, KY
June 24-25, 2011
Questions: Please contact:
Emma Lee and Bill Tolliver Dr. J. D. Reeder
472 E. Torrence Rd. Columbus, OH 43214 121 Blackberry, Morehead, KY 40351
ELT1000@aol.com jdreeder2003@yahoo.com
Home 614-267-6556; Cell 614-620-6556 606-784-5669
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