Lyon County

This page created 24 Jan 2012

“White Hall” & Branch Penitentiary

The records below are in two categories:

Those tracing the ownership of "White Hall," the impressive Eddyville, Kentucky, home of Robert L. Cobb from the time he sold it in 1867 (see extracts of his deeds, deed dated 16 Nov 1867) until it became part of the grounds of the new Kentucky State Branch Penitentiary in 1884. He was reputed to be "the richest man in the Cumberland Valley at the height of his career, and his home was supposedly the finest in town.
The deeds that transferred the land upon which the Kentucky State Branch Penitentiary would be built to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1884. Additional land was obtained later for expansion, and those deeds are not included here. The Prison is now known officially as Kentucky State Penitentiary, and unofficially as "the castle on the Cumberland." The following people mentioned in the deeds appear in our family history section:

Frederick H. Skinner

Thomas W. Catlett

Marion (Catlett) Cobb

See map below for lot locations.

Parties are stated to be "of Lyon County" unless otherwise stated.

Date	Grantor	Grantee	Consid.	Description	Recorded	Notes
16 Feb 1871	J W Clark, commissioner	John H Turley, Milten G Young, Frank M McElroy, John T Young & Zacharah Tayler Young	$3143.25	town lots no. 81, 82, 83, 101, 102, 103 in Eddyville, where on 16 Nov 1867 was the dwelling house, ice house & stables of Robert L Cobb; certain portions of streets purchased by Cobb of the trustees of the town; certain tracts in Lyon Co adjacent to the town lots, as in surveyor's report: # 2, 4 37/80 ac beginning at SE corner of #1, to NW corner #1, to stake in town boundary; #3, 1 15/16 ac, beginning as SE corner of Wm Cash lot, to Sally Marshall line, to F A Wilson line; # 5, 1 15/16 ac, beginning NE corner F A Wilson lot; #6, 2¼ ac beginning at stake 1 pole from Crumps line; [#7 & #8 omitted]; #9 12½ ac beginning at corner to #8; #10, 21 ac beginning at Cressaps corner; #11, 29½ ac beginning at Cressaps corner, containing all together, excluding the town lots, 78 3/8 ac	D:425-8 9 Oct 1871	judgement by Lyon Circuit Court in Nov 1869 term in action of Lucinda Young & others against George H Young & others directed sale, of which this is part, sold 27 Dec 1869, confirmed at Nov 1870 term
2 Nov 1878	M G Young & wife Louisa, Frank M McElroy & wife Mary, J H Turley & wife Sarah A, J T Young & wife V E, A G Cooksey & wife Rebecca of Lyon & Caldwell Cos	James C Glenn	$800	town lots no. 81, 82, 83, 101, 102, 103 in Eddyville; such portions of surrounding streets purchased by R L Cobb of the trustees of the town; adjacent tract conveyed to J H Turley, M G Young, F M McElroy, J T Young & Z T Young by J W Clark, Comm, all the land purchased by them under the judgement of the court except the parts designated as #3 & #5, which were previously conveyed to Robert Harris & Thomas Love respectively. Parts conveyed are # 2, 4 37/80 ac; #6, 2¼ ac; # 7, 2¼ ac; #8, 2 43/80 ac; #9 12½ ac; #10, 21 ac; #11, 29½ ac, containing all together, excluding the town lots, 74½ ac	F:258-60 26 Nov 1878	Z T Young & wife had previously sold his interest to grantee Cooksey
9 Feb 1881	James C Glenn & wife Eudora	Rebecca E Lefeber of Jennings Co Indiana	$1000	town lots no. 81, 82, 83, 101, 102, 103 in Eddyville; such portions of surrounding streets purchased by R L Cobb of the trustees of the town; adjacent tract conveyed to J H Turley, M G Young, F M McElroy, J T Young & Z T Young by J W Clark, Comm, all the land purchased by them under the judgement of the court except the parts designated as #3 & #5, which were previously conveyed to Robert Harris & Thomas Love. Parts conveyed are # 2, #6, # 7, # 8, #9, #10 & #11, containing all together 74½ ac, conveyed to James C Glenn by J H Turley & others 2 Nov 1878 recorded F:258	G:41-3 16 Feb 1881	$700 in cash, $300 note by grantee & husband J M due in 12 mo; margin note: paid 6 May 1881; grantor reserves the brick contained in an ice house with right to remove them with 12 mo; grantee to surrender possession by 1 Apr 1881
22 Sep 1881	James H Lefeber & wife Rebecca E	W M Bowman	$350	town lots no. 81, 82, 83, 101, 102, 103 in Eddyville; such portions of surrounding streets purchased by R L Cobb of the trustees of the town; adjacent tract conveyed to J H Turley, M G Young, F M McElroy, J T Young & Z T Young by J W Clark, Comm, the parts designated as # 2, #6, # 7, # 8, #9, #10 & #11, containing all together 74½ ac, conveyed to Rebecca E Lefeber by James C Glenn 9 Feb 1881 recorded G:41	H:57-8 28 Aug 1883
28 Aug 1884	N T Braswell & wife Mary J	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$800	4 lots in Eddyville: no 5, on Water St; no 21, 22 & 23, adjoining, from Washington to College Sts, known as Wilcox property	H:254-5 8 Sep 1884	all improvements specially reserved, to be removed within reasonable time after being notified by agent of grantee; nothing but bare ground is conveyed
26 Aug 1884	W H Martin & wife Mary M	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$350	lot no 43 in Eddyville, on 2nd and College Sts	H:255-6 8 Sep 1884	all improvements reserved, to be removed with 60 days if desired by grantee
26 Aug 1884	Frederick H Skinner & wife Helen M	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$150	4 lots in Eddyville: no 41, bounded by Washington & 2nd Sts & lots no 42 & 61; no 42, bounded by 2nd St and lots no 41, 42, & 63; no 61, bounded by Washington & 3rd Sts & by lots no 41 & 62; no 64, bounded by 3rd & College Sts & lots no 44 & 65	H:257-8 8 Sep 1884	reserving the right to remove the colored Baptist church building from lot no 64
15 Aug 1884	W M Bowman & wife Mattie A	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$500	town lots no. 81, 82, 83, 101, 102, 103 in Eddyville; such portions of surrounding streets purchased by R L Cobb of the trustees of the town; adjacent tract conveyed to J H Turley, M G Young, F M McElroy, J T Young & Z T Young by J W Clark, Comm, the parts designated as # 2, #6, # 7, # 8, #9, #10 & #11, containing all together 74½ ac, conveyed to W M Bowman by Rebecca E Lefeber & husband 22 Sep 1881	H:258-9 9 Sep 1884	all buildings & all building stone where the Cobb houses were burnt specially reserved, to be removed with 60 days if grantee desires; also reserved fruit trees grantors see fit to remove & hedges planted last spring by Dayton Hedge Co
26 Aug 1884	James Peecher & wife Clarissa	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$250	lot no 62 in Eddyville, where grantees now live, on 3rd St	H:260 9 Sep 1884	all buildings & improvements reserved, to be removed with 60 days if desired by grantee
26 Aug 1884	William C OHara	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$1	lot no 44 in Eddyville, on 2nd & College Sts	H:261 9 Sep 1884
28 Aug 1884	Mrs M L Catlett, Geo Catlett, Ollie C Catlett, J H Catlett, Helen M Skinner, Mrs Lettitia Pismon, F H Skinner & J W Clark executor of Thos W Catlett decd	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$200	lots no 25 & 45 in Eddyville, on opposite sides of 2nd St	H:262-3 9 Sep 1884	all improvements reserved, to be removed with 60 days if grantee requests it be done; first grantor signed as M Louisa Catlett
15 Aug 1884	A Hunter & wife M A	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$50	lot no 65 in Eddyville, on 3rd St.	H:263-4 9 Sep 1884
28 Aug 1884	W R Gracey & wife L M	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$1	perpetual right of way from the Branch Penitentiary in Eddyville to a point on the lands of grantor at the foot of the hill N of the penitentiary a cave & spring of water with the privilege to manage some of the perpetual use of the water, and to dig a well at that point	H:264-5 10 Sep 1884
28 Aug 1884	Loeb & Bloom, Moses Bloom & R Loeb of McCracken Co, by F A Wilson their agent & attorney in fact	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$40	lot no 63, on College & 3rd Sts, conveyed to grantors by J W Clark, comm, by deed 5 Dec 1877	H:265-6 10 Sep 1884
1 Sep 1844	Mrs Nellie Espie	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$200	lot no 1 in Eddyville on 1st or Water St, extending on Washington St, conveyed to her late husband John Espie by Charles Anderson	H:267-8 10 Sep 1884	conveying her interest and that of her two infant children, only heirs of John Espie, who have title upon her death; grantor agrees to take steps to have court divest them of their title
3 Sep 1844	Town of Eddyville, by O M Jenkins, H B Lyon, J T Brindley, Geo Catlett & W H Marin, its board of trustees	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$1	lot no 4 in Eddyville fronting on 1st or Water St, up College St; College St from Cumberland River to 3rd St, 858' from Water St or 1st St, 66' wide, but free use of Water St is not to be obstructed; part of 2nd St, that st nearest to & parallel with 1st or Water St, bounded by lots no 21, 22, 23, 24 & 25 and 41, 42, 43, 44 & 45, 66' wide & 616' long; & E ½ Washington St from Water St to 3rd St, 33' wide, the other half to be kept open at all times	H:268-70 10 Sep 1884
26 Aug 1884	Emma S Crumbaugh & husband Geo W, Mrs Medora E Woods & husband P H, Mrs Mary C Menard & husband E S, & E Willie Crumbaugh	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$1000	lot no 3 in Eddyville, fronting on 1st or Water St, running back on College St, where G W Crumbaugh lives	H:270-1 10 Sep 1884	$500 paid by state for lot, $500 paid by citizens of Eddyville for buildings & improvements; building & improvements conveyed to citizens of Eddyville, with right to remove them
3 Sep 1844	Mrs Marion Cobb	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$1200	lot no 2 in Eddyville, fronting on 1st or Water St, where grantee now lives	H:272-3 10 Sep 1884	$670 paid by state, $530 paid by F H Skinner for buildings, who is authorized to remove them; acknowledged by grantor to notary public in St Louis Missouri 3 Sep 1844
28 Aug 1884	W M Bowman, J W Clark, M P Molloy, W W Smith, T J Watkins, J L James Jr & John Boyd, trustees of Eddyville Male & Female Academy; and W C OHara, James N Halloway, James Lester, Bell M Baker, W M Bowman, T J Watkins, J W Clark, M P Malloy, F B Evins, Geo Catlett, J L James Jr, H B Lyon, S N Leunard, John Boyd, William Clark, R M Ethridge, M R Gracey, A H Champion & W T Smith, owners & holders of stock in the property	Commonwealth of Kentucky	$290	lot no 244 in Eddyville, bounded by College & 2nd Sts, and lots no 4 & 25, conveyed to trustees & certificates of stock were issued pursuant to act of Legislature of Kentucky 5 Mar 1872 "An Act to Charter the Eddyville Male and Female Academy in Lyon County"	H:273-5 10 Sep 1884	reserving the right for a reasonable time to remove all buildings, fixtures, & apparatus , & all personal or movable property such as stove, grates, desks
20 Jul 1885	J N Catlett & wife Mary E of Davidson Co, Tennessee, M G Catlett & wife Fannie B of Yell Co, Arkansas, Mrs Marion Cobb of St Louis, Missouri	Commonwealth of Kentucky	see notes	all the right & claim grantees have as heirs at law to Thos W Catlett, decd in lots no 25 & 45 in Eddyville, on opposite sides of 2nd St, previously conveyed to Commonwealth as recorded at H:262	H:472-3 31 Jul 1885	consideration: $200 already paid to as recorded at H:262; all signed for grantors by J M Clark, their agent & attorney in fact

Map of properties purchased for Branch Peniteniary in 1884:

Notes:

I have copies of each of the pages extracted above. Please contact me for clarification or copies, using the link below.
The original records are handwritten, in some cases faded, and some films of poor quality. Errors no doubt were made.
In the property descriptions, I have extracted the contents rather than attempting to transcribe it exactly. Full meets and bounds are included in the originals, but I have extracted only those naming adjoining owners or other landmarks.
Source: Abstracts were made from Family History Library films of Lyon Co. Deed books:

Deed Book	FHL Film No.
D, E, F	1760257
G, H, I	1760258

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