Note this a relatively long article that includes several images with detailed legends describing those in the images. The article’s photos will be best viewed on a computer, not with the tiny screen of a cell phone.
In the summer of 1919 the Bates Family of husband James Mason Bates (1849 – 1929) and wife Susan Jane Bailey Bates (1847 – 1937) assembled in Rush KY for a reunion. It was also the 70th birthday year of James Mason Bates (born 23 Aug 1849), so that might have had some influence on the timing for this large gathering.
James and Susan had 14 children; Mark Bates (1870 – 1902), John Riley Bates (1872 – 1974), Lurane Bates Riffe (1874 – 1933), Charles Edward “Ed” Bates (1876 – 1957), Pearl May Bates Gee (1877 – 1956), Jesse Bates (1879 – ????), Samuel A Bates (1881 – 1932), Susan Bates Alexander (1882 – 1947), William “Willie” Bates (188? – 188?), James Gillespie “Jimmy” Bates (1884 – 1926), Elijah “Lige” Bates (1886 – 1955), Mason Bates (1887 – 1975), Solomon Hensley “Sol” Bates (1880 – 1936), and George Washington Bates (1891 – 1965).
James Mason Bates had previously been married to Caroline Jane Williams (born abt 1848 – died abt 1867) in northeastern Arkansas. They had one daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Bates Kirkpatrick (1867 – 1927). Caroline Jane Williams Bates died either when Margaret Bates was born or soon after.
James Mason Bates and his very young daughter Margaret then linked with his deceased wife’s older sister, Margaret Jane Williams Adkins (1842 – 1925), and her husband, Wiser Cornelius Adkins (1840 – 1915), and they all traveled via Tennessee to the Boyd County / Carter County area in Northeast Kentucky. Wiser Cornelius Adkins had lived in eastern Carter County as a youth. James Mason Bates drove his team of oxen on this route to Northeast KY. James Mason Bates was hoping to gain work in the area in the local mining trade using his oxen team. The oxen’s feet wore out on this 700 to 800 mile trek due to the very rough roads.
In the 1870 US Census, James Mason Bates was living with his new wife Susan Jane Bailey Bates (1847 – 1937) and his daughter Margaret, and farming in Carter County with a Grayson postal address, and Wiser Cornelius Adkins was working as a coal miner at Coalton, KY in Boyd County. In the 1880 US Census James Mason Bates was working as a coal miner at Coalton, and Wiser Cornelius Adkins was a carpenter in Carter County.
Many in the extended Bates Family worked the coal mines in the Coalton / Rush area. Later, when the mining at Coalton and Rush waned and became less vital, some moved to work in coalfields in West Virginia and Eastern KY. A few also worked in the iron and steel making industry around Ashland KY, and one, Charles Edward “Ed” Bates, was a longtime blacksmith in his own shop near Norton Branch in Carter County.
This family’s movement and dispersal are great examples of the history of many other families in this area. A family moves to the area for work in the local industries, initially the iron making industry, then a couple of decades later others come for employment in the local coal mines. As these local industries waned, many in the these extended families moved away for better employment opportunities, but some meaningful portion of the extended families stayed. This large Bates family likely has hundreds to thousands of descendants still living in Boyd and Carter Counties.
The reunion was likely held at the home of daughter Lurane Bates Riffe and her husband John D Riffe (1868 – 1935). This residence was in Boyd County at Rush near the current intersection of KY SR 854 and KY SR 1654. This house still stands but was moved a few hundred feet closer to the 854 / 1654 intersection a couple of decades or more ago. This house is currently in marginal condition and can be seen by clicking on this Google Maps street view link (GPS 38.33589164466279, -82.78085544741651).
There were several professional grade group photos taken at this reunion, likely on 5” X 7” glass negatives. The photographer was likely Curtis Bates Sr (1897 – 1971). Curtis was the son of Mark Bates (1870 – 1902) and Rosa Forrest Vickers Bates (1869 – ????). Mark Bates had died a decade or so before this reunion.
Rush KY local and everybody’s buddy Charles William “Charlie” Bates (1907 – 1881) is very likely in that group image somewhere, but not identified. Charlie would have been 12 years old. Charlie was one of my Father’s, George Richard Coleman Sr (1912 – 1991), drinking buddies along with Charlie’s nephew Joseph Edward “Joe” Adams (1919 – 2000). Charlie is the guy “what grew that big punkin’,” as Charlie would proudly declare in that high pitched nasal voice.
Bates descendant Harold Bates (b 1939) kindly shared his copies of these reunion photographs. Harold (b 1939) grew up at the mouth of Blackleg and lived and worked in the general area until moving to a suburban location near Chicago in 1972. Many years after the reunion Harold Bates’ Father, Arthur Bates (1900 – 1985), who attended the reunion as a young man, identified many in this reunion group. Others have been identified using the smaller group photos taken at the reunion. A few in the group image have not been positively identified but a “likely” identification has been noted. These 5 photos are all groups and you can click on the line listing to jump directly to that group photo.
- 61 Bates Family members
- James Mason Bates and his 8 surviving sons (colorized)
- 3 Daughters of James Mason Bates & Susan Jane Bailey Bates
- Mostly the daughter-in-laws of James Mason Bates and Susan Jane Bailey Bates
- Susan Bates Alexander & husband Thomas “Thompson” “Thomps” Alexander’s Family
- Carrie Bates Spense Leibee (1896 – 1976) and double cousin Minnie Bates Schmidt (1897 – 1982) with their daughters, paternal grandparents, and Fathers
Bates Reunion 61 Person Group Photo
James Mason Bates and his 8 surviving sons (colorized)
Bates Brothers, With Father Photo
From image left to right, the Bates brothers are aligned in birth order.
Numbers in square brackets [ ] correspond to that person’s location in the large group image.
Sitting Row image left to right:
[13] James Mason Bates (1849 – 1929), [58] John Riley Bates (1872 – 1974), [57] Charles Edward “Ed” Bates (1876 – 1957), [56] Samuel A Bates (1881 – 1932), [55] James Gillespie “Jimmy” Bates (1884 – 1926)
Standing Row image left to right:
[53] Elijah “Lige” Bates (1886 – 1955), [52] Mason Bates (1887 – 1975), [50] Solomon Hensley “Sol” Bates (1889 – 1936), [49] George Washington Bates (1891 – 1965).
3 Daughters of James Mason Bates & Susan Jane Bailey Bates
Bates Sisters Photo
Numbers in square brackets [ ] correspond to that person’s location in the large group image.
[38] Susan Jane Bates Alexander (1882 – 1947)
[40 ]Pearl Mae Bates Gee (1877 – 1956)
[39 ]Lurane “Lurana” “Lourine” Bates Riffe (1874 – 1933)
Mostly the daughter-in-laws of James Mason Bates and Susan Jane Bailey Bates
Mostly the daughter-in-laws of James Mason Bates and Susan Jane Bailey Bates
Numbers in square brackets [ ] correspond to that person’s location in the large group image.
Sitting Row – image left to right:
[42] Nora Ellen Cutts Bates (1888 – 1988) wife of Elijah “Lige” Bates, UNKNOWN, [44] Gertrude “Gertie” Mason Bates (1883 – 1983) wife of Samuel A Bates, Gertrude Gee Adkins (1880 – 1975) a family friend
Standing Row – image left to right:
[46] Frances Ellen “Fannie” Barber Bates (1872 – 1948) wife of John Riley Bates, [43] Hester “Essie” Thomas (1886 – 1962) wife of James Gillespie “Jimmy” Bates, [41] Margaret Jane McCoy Bates (1893 – 1982) wife of Solomon Hensley “Sol” Bates, [33] Elisa Ann “Lyda” Barber Bates (1876 – 1970) wife of Charles Edward “Ed” Bates
Susan Bates Alexander & husband Thomas “Thompson” “Thomps” Alexander’s Family
Alexander Family Photo
Numbers in square brackets [ ] correspond to that person’s location in the large group image.
From Bottom row image left to image right:
[5] Norma Alexander (1 Mar 1916 – 1986) a set of twins, unsure which is which
[6] Nora Jane Alexander (1 Mar 1916 – ?) a set of twins, unsure which is which
[9] John Thomas Alexander (1913 – ?)
Curtis Leo Alexander (15 Mar 1919 – 1976), this very young baby was used to date this Bates Reunion to the Summer of 1919
Middle Row:
[19] Elizabeth Alexander (1910 – 1953)
[47] Thomas “Thompson “Thomps” Alexander (1882 – 1963)
[38] Susan Jane Bates Alexander (1882 – 1947)
Top Row:
[37] Everett Alan “Sook” Alexander (1903 – 1968)
[25] Maynie Susan Alexander (1906 – 1987)
[34] Eunice Beatrice Alexander (1908 – 1965)
Carrie Bates Spense Leibee (1896 – 1976) and double cousin Minnie Bates Schmidt (1897 – 1982) with their daughters, paternal grandparents, and Fathers
Double Cousins Photo
Numbers in square brackets [ ] correspond to that person’s location in the large group image.
Front Row – image left to right:
[20] Carrie Bates Spense (later Leibee) (1896 – 1976) with her daughter [4] Inez May Spense (later Eastham 1916 – 1987) on her lap.
[21] Minnie Bates Schmidt (1897 – 1982) with her daughter [3] Bessie Alene Schmidt (later Thornsbury 1917 – 1989) on her lap.
Young women’s paternal grandparents – [13] James Mason Bates (1849 – 1929) and [14] Susan J Bailey Bates (1847 – 1937)
Back Row left image left to right:
Young women’s Fathers: [58] John Riley Bates (1872 – 1954) and [57] Charles Edward “Ed” Bates (1876 – 1951) . These Fathers married Barber sisters, so Carrie and Minnie are double cousins.
A big thanks to Harold Bates, Betty Schmidt Gullett, Don Thornsbury, Linda Click Thornsbury, Mike Hopper, and Linda Newman for their kind and generous help.
Enjoy! Lon
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