Eva and Walter Salyer hewed a life for their little family out of the rough Appalachian terrain of Eastern Kentucky in Magoffin County. In those hills, before a “clearing” could exist as a noun, someone’s muscle, sweat and mule team would first encounter this word in its verb tense – active voice.
As hard as life in Magoffin County, Kentucky was in the 1920’s, it got a lot harder for young Eva the day she and little Art encountered a stray dog while SHE was chopping wood on their property. Four year-old Art tried to grab the dog, but the dog escaped from him and somehow attacked and bit Eva.
Eva was known for her long, beautiful hair. It is said that when she sat in her rocking chair, her hair would touch the floor. In this photograph included with this memorial, however, her has been cut short. As she began to struggle with the onset of the rabies symptoms that resulted from the dog bite, washing her hair -along with caring for her family- just took too much effort.
Her husband Walter was already suffering from lung issues referred to in the vernacular as “the consumption” –pulmonary tuberculosis- perhaps the reason Eva was the one chopping wood that day. The summer of ’27 would find this little family unit in trouble with both parents in declining health trying to raise three children ages two, four and six.
Even though Walter never allowed his own photograph to be taken, somehow this photograph including Eva and her youngest child occurred. As far as we know, this is the only known photograph of her in existence. It certainly is the only photo Art ever had of his mom.
Art has carried another image of his mother in his memory, however. As a boy just 3 months shy of his fifth birthday, he vividly recalls seeing her sitting in her rocking chair. The chair was situated in the back of a horse-drawn wagon and, due to the ravaging effects of advanced rabies symptoms, which included involuntary, violent bodily movements, she was restrained. Art was present as the wagon carrying his mother drove out of sight.
On today’s highways and interstates, the trip from Paintsville to Lexington, Kentucky is a two-hour drive; around 116 miles. In 1927, however, travel was not that easy. Nevertheless, this is the trip both Walter’s and Eva’s parents knew Eva had to make if she stood any chance to survive the now ravaging effects of advanced rabies. The Salyer grandparents took Walter and the kids. Will & Minverva Adams took their daughter to Lexington.
They arrived at the hospital in Lexington sometime on June 3rd. Seven days later, the disease did what it has done for thousands of years to anyone who went untreated. Eva died on June 10th, 1927. Her family brought their daughter’s body back to Eastern Kentucky and buried her on June 14th on their land in a cemetery overlooking Short Fork Road in Salyersville.
Seven and a half months later in January of 1928, Art’s grandparents, James & Rebecca -now in their early 60’s- would bury their son, Walter, and continue to raise his three children: Kay, Art and Jean; along with a few of their own children still living at home.
As hard as life in Magoffin County, Kentucky was in the 1920’s, it got a lot harder for young Eva the day she and little Art encountered a stray dog while SHE was chopping wood on their property. Four year-old Art tried to grab the dog, but the dog escaped from him and somehow attacked and bit Eva.
Eva was known for her long, beautiful hair. It is said that when she sat in her rocking chair, her hair would touch the floor. In this photograph included with this memorial, however, her has been cut short. As she began to struggle with the onset of the rabies symptoms that resulted from the dog bite, washing her hair -along with caring for her family- just took too much effort.
Her husband Walter was already suffering from lung issues referred to in the vernacular as “the consumption” –pulmonary tuberculosis- perhaps the reason Eva was the one chopping wood that day. The summer of ’27 would find this little family unit in trouble with both parents in declining health trying to raise three children ages two, four and six.
Even though Walter never allowed his own photograph to be taken, somehow this photograph including Eva and her youngest child occurred. As far as we know, this is the only known photograph of her in existence. It certainly is the only photo Art ever had of his mom.
Art has carried another image of his mother in his memory, however. As a boy just 3 months shy of his fifth birthday, he vividly recalls seeing her sitting in her rocking chair. The chair was situated in the back of a horse-drawn wagon and, due to the ravaging effects of advanced rabies symptoms, which included involuntary, violent bodily movements, she was restrained. Art was present as the wagon carrying his mother drove out of sight.
On today’s highways and interstates, the trip from Paintsville to Lexington, Kentucky is a two-hour drive; around 116 miles. In 1927, however, travel was not that easy. Nevertheless, this is the trip both Walter’s and Eva’s parents knew Eva had to make if she stood any chance to survive the now ravaging effects of advanced rabies. The Salyer grandparents took Walter and the kids. Will & Minverva Adams took their daughter to Lexington.
They arrived at the hospital in Lexington sometime on June 3rd. Seven days later, the disease did what it has done for thousands of years to anyone who went untreated. Eva died on June 10th, 1927. Her family brought their daughter’s body back to Eastern Kentucky and buried her on June 14th on their land in a cemetery overlooking Short Fork Road in Salyersville.
Seven and a half months later in January of 1928, Art’s grandparents, James & Rebecca -now in their early 60’s- would bury their son, Walter, and continue to raise his three children: Kay, Art and Jean; along with a few of their own children still living at home.
Eva and Walter Salyer hewed a life for their little family out of the rough Appalachian terrain of Eastern Kentucky in Magoffin County. In those hills, before a “clearing” could exist as a noun, someone’s muscle, sweat and mule team would first encounter this word in its verb tense – active voice.
As hard as life in Magoffin County, Kentucky was in the 1920’s, it got a lot harder for young Eva the day she and little Art encountered a stray dog while SHE was chopping wood on their property. Four year-old Art tried to grab the dog, but the dog escaped from him and somehow attacked and bit Eva.
Eva was known for her long, beautiful hair. It is said that when she sat in her rocking chair, her hair would touch the floor. In this photograph included with this memorial, however, her has been cut short. As she began to struggle with the onset of the rabies symptoms that resulted from the dog bite, washing her hair -along with caring for her family- just took too much effort.
Her husband Walter was already suffering from lung issues referred to in the vernacular as “the consumption” –pulmonary tuberculosis- perhaps the reason Eva was the one chopping wood that day. The summer of ’27 would find this little family unit in trouble with both parents in declining health trying to raise three children ages two, four and six.
Even though Walter never allowed his own photograph to be taken, somehow this photograph including Eva and her youngest child occurred. As far as we know, this is the only known photograph of her in existence. It certainly is the only photo Art ever had of his mom.
Art has carried another image of his mother in his memory, however. As a boy just 3 months shy of his fifth birthday, he vividly recalls seeing her sitting in her rocking chair. The chair was situated in the back of a horse-drawn wagon and, due to the ravaging effects of advanced rabies symptoms, which included involuntary, violent bodily movements, she was restrained. Art was present as the wagon carrying his mother drove out of sight.
On today’s highways and interstates, the trip from Paintsville to Lexington, Kentucky is a two-hour drive; around 116 miles. In 1927, however, travel was not that easy. Nevertheless, this is the trip both Walter’s and Eva’s parents knew Eva had to make if she stood any chance to survive the now ravaging effects of advanced rabies. The Salyer grandparents took Walter and the kids. Will & Minverva Adams took their daughter to Lexington.
They arrived at the hospital in Lexington sometime on June 3rd. Seven days later, the disease did what it has done for thousands of years to anyone who went untreated. Eva died on June 10th, 1927. Her family brought their daughter’s body back to Eastern Kentucky and buried her on June 14th on their land in a cemetery overlooking Short Fork Road in Salyersville.
Seven and a half months later in January of 1928, Art’s grandparents, James & Rebecca -now in their early 60’s- would bury their son, Walter, and continue to raise his three children: Kay, Art and Jean; along with a few of their own children still living at home.
As hard as life in Magoffin County, Kentucky was in the 1920’s, it got a lot harder for young Eva the day she and little Art encountered a stray dog while SHE was chopping wood on their property. Four year-old Art tried to grab the dog, but the dog escaped from him and somehow attacked and bit Eva.
Eva was known for her long, beautiful hair. It is said that when she sat in her rocking chair, her hair would touch the floor. In this photograph included with this memorial, however, her has been cut short. As she began to struggle with the onset of the rabies symptoms that resulted from the dog bite, washing her hair -along with caring for her family- just took too much effort.
Her husband Walter was already suffering from lung issues referred to in the vernacular as “the consumption” –pulmonary tuberculosis- perhaps the reason Eva was the one chopping wood that day. The summer of ’27 would find this little family unit in trouble with both parents in declining health trying to raise three children ages two, four and six.
Even though Walter never allowed his own photograph to be taken, somehow this photograph including Eva and her youngest child occurred. As far as we know, this is the only known photograph of her in existence. It certainly is the only photo Art ever had of his mom.
Art has carried another image of his mother in his memory, however. As a boy just 3 months shy of his fifth birthday, he vividly recalls seeing her sitting in her rocking chair. The chair was situated in the back of a horse-drawn wagon and, due to the ravaging effects of advanced rabies symptoms, which included involuntary, violent bodily movements, she was restrained. Art was present as the wagon carrying his mother drove out of sight.
On today’s highways and interstates, the trip from Paintsville to Lexington, Kentucky is a two-hour drive; around 116 miles. In 1927, however, travel was not that easy. Nevertheless, this is the trip both Walter’s and Eva’s parents knew Eva had to make if she stood any chance to survive the now ravaging effects of advanced rabies. The Salyer grandparents took Walter and the kids. Will & Minverva Adams took their daughter to Lexington.
They arrived at the hospital in Lexington sometime on June 3rd. Seven days later, the disease did what it has done for thousands of years to anyone who went untreated. Eva died on June 10th, 1927. Her family brought their daughter’s body back to Eastern Kentucky and buried her on June 14th on their land in a cemetery overlooking Short Fork Road in Salyersville.
Seven and a half months later in January of 1928, Art’s grandparents, James & Rebecca -now in their early 60’s- would bury their son, Walter, and continue to raise his three children: Kay, Art and Jean; along with a few of their own children still living at home.
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