The period of time just preceding the Civil War, it was thought that John Frazier Vincent [Brother of our Joseph Vincent Jr.], would remain neutral in the War between the States. This may have been one reason; that John Fazier Vincent moved from Virginia to Kentucky in 1846. He moved his family and his belongings down the Ohio river by steam boat. He purchased 3,500 acres on the Little Sandy River between Grayson and Anglin, which is now Hitchins. When the Eastern Kentucky Railroad was built through the Carter Co., in 1872, this settlement became Vincent Station.
John Frazier's farm was largely covered with virgin timber and underbrush. With the help of his sons and fifteen slaves, which he brought along from Virginia, he gradually converted the wilderness into a thriving and prosperous farm. On this farm, he built a house for his large family near the river. He also built log cabins to house his slaves.
About one mile down the river was a farm owned by Dr. Lansdown, and up the river was a farm owned by Dr. DeBard. Both of the men owned a number of slaves, who would visit each other on weekends and would sing and dance throughout most of the night.
The slave owner found suitable mates for their slaves by buying or trading with each other. The slaves learned that it was only twenty miles to the state of Ohio, which was free territory. On one occasion, four of the Vincent slaves who visited the Lansdown farm on Saturday night disappeared along with three of the Lansdown slaves. John Frazier Vincent and Dr. Lansdown immediately started riding horseback to Greenupsburg, KY, which is located on the South side of the Ohio River. When they arrived late that afternoon and made inquiries, it was learned the negroes had been taken across the river, by a strange white man. They were never heard of again.
All of the clothing for the entire family and all of the slaves was made in the home by his wife and daughters and a couple of female slaves. All of the cooking had been done by the slaves and when they made good their escape, it left the family without a cook. So, they had to bring in a neighbor to give cooking lessons.
After the end of the war, some of the slaves continued to live on the Vincent farm and some migrated to the state of Missouri and Kansas....
The Vincent Cemetery was first used as a burial ground for the slaves. It was located in a very beautiful place near the river. It later became the burial ground for John Frazier Vincent, his wife and some of his children and grandchildren.
John Frazier Vincent was a member of the Presbyterian Church and quietly lived his religion. A Victoria Vincent Beckwith, was told that John Vincent's relatives were Scotch-Irish-English; but that there was no known record of when they came to America.
This article was originally written by Willa Harmon in the "Genealogical
History". She is a granddaughter of John Frazier Vincent.
Joyce's note: Later research showed that John Frazier married Nancy Renick and also Sarah Ellen Hoke. . Research also shows that the family originally came to America around 1777. Hope you find this interesting. If it brings to mind, questions and or additions to this, please contact me.
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