Our Story

Samuel S. Galloway was the first owner of the land surrounding Whippoorwill Manor that can be traced though deed records dating back to the late 1800s. Samuel’s father was John Galloway, who is listed as one of Mayfield’s original founders. John Galloway was born Feb 9, 1785 in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and on January 18, 1809 he married Lucy Thompson. John & Lucy had 5 children: Sarah, John T., Moses W., Agnes N., Daniel M., Narcissa, and Samuel S. They moved to Maury County, Tennessee in 1821 and in 1837 relocated to Graves County, Kentucky about 3 miles southeast of Mayfield. John Galloway first appears in Graves County tax records in 1839 and it stated he owned 835 acres of land along Mayfield Creek and Vulton Creek (Vulton Creek is near Backusburg Rd). In 1844, tax records show that John owned 505 acres, then in 1845 it appears his son Samuel had acquired some of his land, as John now owned 265 acres and Samuel owned 240 acres. John had a second wife who was also named Lucy, and they had 2 children, Elizabeth and William M. (It is unclear when the first wife died and the 2nd marriage occurred). John died from pneumonia on August 14, 1859 at age 74, and is buried in Galloway Cemetery on Deward Rd near Farmington.

Samuel S. Galloway was born on May 18, 1823 in Maury County, Tennessee, and moved with his parents to Graves County in 1837 at the age of 14. Samuel married Charity Adeline (Addie) Gilliland in the early 1940s (marriage records were destroyed in courthouse fire so exact date unknown) and they had 7 children: John Calvin (1845), Nancy Jane (1849), William T (1852), Nicholas L (1855), Thomas L (1858), Lucy Adeline (1862), and Albert Bedford (Bud – 1864). Samuel’s residence is listed in an 1880 publication of “An Atlas of Graves County” (p37). His residence is plotted in Section 30 of Township 3, North Range 2 East on the Mayfield/Farmington Road just north of the Mayfield Creek (not far south of where Whippoorwill Manor now stands).

On July 30, 1888 (one year prior to his death), there were 2 deeds recorded transferring land from Samuel to two of his children:

• Deed Book 1, p 208 – Samuel S. Galloway to J. T. Watkins and wife Lucy (Samuel’s daughter), tract of land lying on the waters of Mayfield Creek in the NW corner of the NE Quarter of Section 30, Township 3, Range 2 East for $400, $200 of which was gifted to Lucy. (Note: J.T. and Lucy later sold this tract of land to Lucy’s brother Thomas).
• Deed Book 1, p 255 – Samuel S. Galloway to Thomas L. Galloway, 40 acres of land on Mayfield Creek located in the SW corner of the NE Quarter of Section 30, Township 3, Range 2 East for $600, with $300 bestowed as a gift to his son.
• It is believed that Samuel had also gifted some land to his oldest son, John Calvin, but no deed could be located. The deed was likely filed prior to the Graves Co Courthouse fire in 1887.
• Samuel’s remaining land was left to his wife in his will, and upon her death divided between their other 4 children.

Samuel died on September 21, 1889, and left a will that was recorded in Will Book A, p 131, where he left his estate to his wife Addie, and requested that upon her death his remaining land be divided among his other 4 children (Nancy, William, Nick, & A.B.). Samuel’s wife Addie died December 20, 1906. They are buried in Harmony Church Cemetery in Farmington, KY.

John Calvin Galloway was born on August 13, 1845 in Graves County. He was the oldest son of Samuel S. and Addie Galloway. He married Nellie Jenkins on November 4, 1876. They had 5 children: Robert (Bob) Franklin (1878), Mary Adeline (1879), John Vernon(1881), Marshall Jenkins(1885), and Brown S (1888).

In the 1880 Atlas of Graves County, John’s residence is shown in Section 26 of Township 3, Range 1 East, a little less than 2 miles from his father’s residence. This is apparently where he and Nellie lived with their children in the early years of their marriage.

In 1886, according to a handwritten deed recorded in Deed Book 4, p 230, Nellie Galloway purchased 120 acres of land from Elizabeth M. Wood, for $2400. Elizabeth had inherited this land from her father, John Pryor, whose property joined land owned by the Galloways. This land was located in the south end of the Southeast quarter of Section 19, Township 3, Range 2 East.

On March 10, 1891, Thomas L. Galloway sold a10 acre tract of land to his brother John Calvin. The land was described as the North end of a 40 acre tract in the NW corner of the NE Qtr of Sect 30, T 3, R2E and was recorded in Deed Book 6, p365. This land joined the above mentioned land that Nellie had purchased.

In the Mayfield Weekly Monitor newspaper on March 14, 1894, it was reported that John Calvin was building a new house that was expected to be completed in May 1894. This is believed to be the house we now know as Whippoorwill Manor.

John Calvin and Nellie were well known in the community, and were frequently mentioned in the local newspaper for hosting guests, hayrides, picnics, etc. at their home. Sadly, in the early 1900s, Nellie contracted consumption (tuberculosis) and passed away on May 30, 1906 at the age of 45.

On October 24, 1911, five years after Nellie’s death, John remarried a widow from Paducah named Jane Holland.

John Calvin passed away on February 11, 1919 after a lengthy illness. His obituary stated he had Bright’s Disease and heart trouble. He is buried with his first wife Nellie at Chapel Hill Cemetery on Backusburg Road (Hwy 564).

Robert Franklin Galloway (referred to as Bob) was the oldest child of John Calvin and Nellie Galloway. Bob was born April 18, 1878. He married Maude D. Hall on October 5, 1902 in the middle of Brush Creek Road, according to the announcement in The Mayfield Messenger on October 8, 1902.

Bob and Maud assumed ownership of John Calvin’s house sometime in the early 1900s, but it is unclear exactly when that occurred. The following real estate transaction was published in the Mayfield Messenger on April 9, 1908, indicating that JC sold Bob some property for $1250; however, no deed could be located for this transaction.

In June 1916, there was a story in the Daily Messenger about a tornado causing damage to Bob Galloway’s house and property, and the location was described as “4 miles from Mayfield on Farmington Road”.

Today, Whippoorwill Manor stands as a living testament to over a century of stories of pioneers and farmers, of families who built a life in rural Kentucky, and of a home that has always been more than just walls and a roof. It is a place where history echoes, and where the spirit of the Galloway family still lingers in every brick and beam.