The Taney County Missouri Connection

Throughout the last several years I have often wondered what the connection to Taney County, Missouri was for our family.  We have known that for some reason Riley packed up the family and made the trek from Knott County, Kentucky, to Taney County, Missouri sometime before 1908.  That is when Margaret was born.  Benton, and Granville, were also born there, with Granville's birthdate showing 1913.  The family then shows up back in Knott County where Robert was born in 1915.

In exchanging information with Sudy Amburgey Reynolds, she made mention that the little town of Bradleyville, Missouri, had come up in conversation with others.  A quick search of Bradleyville, and Amburgey, on Google opened up a whole new set of doors.  For nearly 50 years prior to Riley Amburgey's arrival in Taney County, there was a steady flow of some very common surnames associated with Knott County, and our kinfolk, heading into Taney County, Missouri.  A search of cemetery names in Taney County shows Combs, Maggard, and Adams family in this area.

The first piece of the puzzle was Jesse "Boss" Adams, and Margaret (Maggard) Adams.  Jesse, and Margaret, are the grandparents of Riley.  Jesse died on August 10, 1874 in Taney County, and is buried there.  Margaret also died in Taney County in 1866.  Some records suggest that Jesse and Margaret stopped for a brief period in Fort Smith, Arkansas, before venturing on into Missouri.  Upon Margaret's death Jesse remarried Angelina Solomon.  The two marriages produced 15 children.  Several of those children either ended up in Taney County, Missouri, or they were born there.  Riley Amburgey had quite a few aunts, and uncles, living there before he ever thought about making the move.



Jesse Adams Tombstone in Bradleyville, Mo.



There are at least four of Riley's aunts, or uncles, that can be tied direct to Taney County before his arrival.  The first is Daniel Boone Adams (b. February 18, 1845 in Letcher County, Ky.).  Daniel moved around quite a bit and shows up on five different censuses, in five different towns around Bradleyville, Mo.  He appears in 1880 at Buchanan, Mo., 1900 at Marion, Mo., 1910 at Big Creek, Mo., 1920 in Benton, Mo (any connection to the naming of Benton Amburgey?), and finally in 1925 at Douglas, Mo.

The second uncle in the Bradleyville area during this time is Allen Adams who shows up in the 1880 Census in Marion, Mo.  I do not have any dates for Riley's aunt Jane Adams, however, records indicate that she died in Springfield, Mo.  Riley had one more uncle, Stephen Adams who passed away in 1911 in the town of Brown Branch, which is in Taney County.

It would be neat enough to say that the connection to Taney County ended there but it doesn't.  Riley's older sister Margaret (Amburgey) Combs, along with her husband Granville Combs (the connection for the naming of Granville?), migrated to Taney County around 1890.  Margaret died in Taney County, on March 1st, 1917 in Bradleyville, Mo.

I stumbled upon this oral history of Granville and Margaret Combs by their great-grandaughter Huba Hodge Price:

"My great-grandfather, Granville Combs (s/o Mason & Matilda WATTS Combs), to my mother, daughter of Robert H., Granville's youngest son. My mother grew up with Old Grandpa (Granville) telling her stories and family history. He talked lots about his mom (Matilda WATTS) and his mom's mom whom he said was his Grannie WATTS. Mom said that she asked him why he never talked about his dad, and he replied, "I was small enough when my dad died that I don't remember much about him." In 1890 Granville Combs and wife Margaret (AMBURGEY) Combs moved from Letcher Co., KY to Taney Co., MO. With them was a BLAIR family. Margaret's grandparents Jess "Boss" and Margaret (MAGGARD) Adams had moved to Taney Co, ca 1850. Granville brought the family Bible."

According to the family bible here is the record of Granville and Margaret:

Granville Combs married Margaret Amburgey 23 March 1864 Letcher Co. KY.

Children of Granville and Margaret:
Matilda Combs born 14 Feb 1866 died 12 Aug 1889, married Thomas H Amburgey 19 June 1884
Wiley Combs born 15 Jan 1868 died 26 Aug 1872 Letcher Co.KY
Enoch Combs born 25 Feb 1871 married 3 July 1893 Juda Stamper (Enoch died 3 Jan 1951 Idaho)
John Riley Combs born 18 June 1873 died 7 Dec 1942 Taney Co. MO married Martha Ida Clark 14 April 1895 Taney Co., MO
Ambrose Combs born 8 Feb 1876 died 14 Jan 1916 Arkansas married #1 4 Nov 1901 Rosie Hunt #2 Allie Farr
Shadrick Combs born 4 March 1878 died 24 Feb 1891 Taney Col, MO
Diannah Combs born 23 March 1881 died 18 Dec 1960 Taney Co., MO m #1 29 Jan 1898 Thomas O'Neal #2 Clearence Hayse
Melvina Combs born 28 Oct 1883 died 9 Feb 1909 married Samual P Day
Elizabeth Combs born 24 Feb 1887 died 27 Feb 1887
Nancy Combs born 13 March 1888 died 25 April 1888
Robert H. "Bob" Combs born 21 Feb 1891 Taney Co died 10 June 1950 Taney Co., married 25 Sept 1910 Taney Co., Ettie Jane Pierce.

According to the Combs family bible, in addition to the Adams, and Maggard connection, Riley had his sister Margaret, and brother in-law Granville, along with seven other nieces, and nephews already in Taney County, Mo. before they made the big move.  We now know why Riley stopped, and put down roots in Bradleyville, Mo. The question still begs, why did they have to leave Knott County, Ky in the first place?  Oral family history suggests that there was trouble brewing in Knott County as a result of Riley's sharpshooting skills.  It is a question that may go unanswered as many of the voices who told the original story have passed on.