CALLAHAN FAMILY

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography – Families
Series 19: Students

CALLAHAN FAMILY

TAGS: Callahan Family; Pine Mountain Settlement School; Pine Mountain Community; PMSS Workers; PMSS Boarding School Students; PMSS Community School Students

Members of the Callahan Family lived in the community of Pine Mountain since very early years. Several were among the student body and workers at Pine Mountain Settlement School.

The names “Callihan, Callayhan and Callayan” are also documented in the PMSS Collections. It is not known if any of these are families separate from the Callahans, a misspelling or an alternate spelling.

For additional assistance in locating histories of families in Eastern Kentucky see:

Harlan County, Kentucky Genealogy – FamilySearch Wiki

Callahan Family: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PMSS COLLECTIONS

CALLAHAN FAMILY HIGHLIGHTS lists Callahan Family members whose names have been found in correspondence, biographies, narratives and other historical accounts in the PMSS Collections.

The following highlights are not in chronological order. Instead, they are roughly in the order of first names.

Each highlight includes the title of the source page (in uppercase letters). That page can be accessed by copying and pasting the page title in the SEARCH box on the main page at https://pinemountainsettlement.net.

Highlights for B.C. “Boone” Callahan are not listed due to the large number of PMSS Collections pages that feature his name. For information about Boone Callahan, see his biography which includes links to other pages with related information.

Allie Callahan and Kitty Ritchie were selected to received scholarships offered by Mrs. J. J. Storrow to attend the Girl Scouts of America National Training Camp at Plymouth, Mass. EVELYN K. WELLS 1921 EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS HOME.

Clara Callahan, who assembled a group of folk-dancers while on scholarship at a Girl Scout Camp Proctor on the Ohio River, was among the PMSS students who introduced PMSS songs and dances where they had gone after leaving the School. WELLS RECORD 14 PMSS FOLK SONGS AND DANCES 1913-1928. Her green dress is among items on exhibition at the 1919 COMMUNITY FAIR DAY. 

Coy (McCoy?) Callahan is mentioned as among the students in the Clean Plate Club in the Laurel House dining room. 1917 MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS (image 030). Coy’s beets are listed among items on exhibition at the 1919 COMMUNITY FAIR DAY.

Debra Callahan, “a Creech great-grand-daughter, is our capable and resourceful office secretary.” NOTES – 1997 Spring, page 3.

Ed Callahan is mentioned as a “great singer” by Chris Anderson in the latter’s account of his own ‘death’ in ALICE COBB STORIES Chris Anderson and Josiah Combs Accounts of Their Own Death.

Harry Callahan is mentioned in a history of health care at PMSS by Evelyn Wells as having died in 1923 of spinal meningitis resulting from severe injuries to the head when he was thrown from a moving train. INFIRMARY (HILL HOUSE).  “We buried Harry today in Uncle William’s graveyard…” [December 18, 1923]. De LONG – ZANDE PAPERS: SERIES I – FOLDER 51. Harry is described as “one of the family of seven who have been with us so many years, … having a “little-boy nature [that] seemed to have a strange grasp on the meaning of his own life and he was particularly full of joy” in NOTES – 1924 May, page 3.

J.M. Callahan’s table is among items on exhibition at the 1919 COMMUNITY FAIR DAY.

James Madison Callahan “is about to take the mail out to Dillon. After three weeks of riding to Rosspoint to carry and fetch the regular mail, we are now going to let people fetch their own, and simply collect the school mail.” From EVELYN K. WELLS 1918 EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS HOME, image 049. James M. Callahan’s letter to Arabella de Long, dated March 27, 1922, is listed among the De LONG – ZANDE PAPERS: SERIES III – FOLDER 20. NOTES – 1920 reports that “James Madison Callahan is at Lincoln Memorial University” following his PMSS graduation last year.  

John Callahan walked 30 miles to bring his 7 motherless children to PMSS in 1916. Four years later, 2 of them graduated from the School. DEAR FRIEND LETTERS 1920. A positive “recommendation,” dated August 1916, was written by a Hazard teacher for John Callahan and his children. DEAR FRIEND LETTERS 1916. The fundraising success of the “Callahan Letter” written in 1916, is described by Evelyn K. Wells in WELLS RECORD 05 PMSS SUPPORT AND BUDGET. EVELYN K. WELLS 1916 EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS HOME relate that “The whole Callahan episode has been wonderful. The children certainly have unusual qualities, and Mr. Callahan is lovely. He has come to stay now, and will live in the new house with Mr. [Luigi] Zande and run the furnace at Laurel House and drive the team. He brought six goats with him as a present to Miss de Long and Miss Pettit. He is very punctilious in his obligations to the School.” According to DEAR FRIEND LETTERS 1921, three Callahans were still PMSS students. “John [their father] was shot in revenge because he had testified to a man’s lawbreaking.”

“Little Martha Callahan who is hardly four waited on their table this noon. She did it beautifully. We had strawberries for dessert and when she carried the bowls to the table, ten high, they reached most to her chin, but above the top was a broad grin.” This and other children’s work at Laurel House is described in 1917 MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS to her family (image 017).

McCoy Callahan studied “high school work in New Orleans,” following his PMSS graduation last year. NOTES – 1920.

Mr. Callahan, playing the role of Santa Claus at a PMSS Christmas gathering, is mentioned in 1915 MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS to her family. (Image 081)

Ninny Callahan’s canned peas are among items on exhibition at the 1919 COMMUNITY FAIR DAY. Her letters of 1918 and 1920 are listed among letters to Marguerite Butler from students and neighbors. EDUCATION – CHILDREN’S WRITING II, images 25 and 29. Minnie is described in Mossie Miniard’s letter to Marguerite Butler (no date), “…We have got a new girl. I can’t hardly wait till you get back so you can get her to sing for you. She is a good singer. All of the Callahan’s is her first cousin. Her name is Ninnie Callahan. She is 17 year old….” EDUCATION – CHILDREN’S WRITING II, Image 22a. NOTES  – 1934 (January, page 1) lists songs learned from neighbors and school children. Ninnie Callahan Wells sang the song, “The day is past and gone,” that she heard from her grandmother.

Virginia Lee Callahan, a four-year-old at Alice Cobb’s Sunday School, was the daughter of PMSS’s woodworking teacher, B.C. “Boone” Callahan. ALICE COBB STORIES Pre-Christmas Sunday School at PMSS 1934.

Wendell Tristram Callahan is listed as “children of Pine Mountain alumni who are now a part of the active life at Pine Mountain School.” 1943 PINE MOUNTAIN FAMILY ALBUM, page 6.

Mr. Callayhan or Callayan (sic) was the local preacher at a graveyard meeting at Big Laurel. ALICE COBB STORIES May Graveyard Meeting at Big Laurel, 1934.

Callahan Family: IN PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY COMMUNITY

TITLE LAST NAME FIRST NAME DATE OF INFO SOURCE OF INFO NOTES
Callahan Ed 1934 COBB STORIES “Chris…”
Callahan John D. 1919 Lavender Album “the oldest”
Callahan Minnie 1919 Lavender Album
Callahan Virginia Lee 1934 COBB STORIES “Pre-Christmas…” Boone’s daughter
Mr. Callayhan (Callahan?) 1934 COBB STORIES “May Graveyard..” Preacher

Callahan Family: PMSS WORKERS

LAST NAME FIRST NAME MIDDLE JOB TITLE NOTES PMSS YEARS
Callahan Boone C. Woodworking, Repairs From Berea College & Bradley Institute; Daughter, Virginia, had scarlet fever same time as Fern Hayes. 1927-1943

Callahan Family: PMSS BOARDING STUDENTS

NAME YEARS AT PMSS SOURCE OF INFO
Callahan 1919-1929 BOX 30
Callahan, Blanche 1934 DATABASE
Callahan, Boone 1931-1943  BOX 24
Callahan Family 1921-1929 BOX 30
Callahan Family 1927-1928 BOX 30
Callahan, Henry, Clara, and James 1921-1930 BOX 30
Callahan, Jewel 1931 BOX 30
Callahan, Marie 1935 DATABASE
Callahan, Virginia Lee 1937-1943 DATABASE

Callihan Family: PMSS COMMUNITY SCHOOL STUDENTS

LAST NAME – FIRST NAME – DATE OF BIRTH – DATE OF RECORD

Callihan (sic) Daphne 1941-02-05 1956
Callihan (sic) Darrell 1948-06-17 1954

See Also:

B.C. “Boone” CALLAHAN Biography

COBB STORIES Chris Anderson and Josiah Combs Accounts of Their Own Deaths
COBB STORIES May Graveyard Meeting at Big Laurel, 1934
COBB STORIES Pre-Christmas at Sunday School 1934

MAP OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS 1934 – 1942

Return To: GUIDE TO FAMILIES IN THE PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY COMMUNITY

Callahan Family: GALLERY

Title

Callahan Family

Alt. Title

Callihan Family

Identifier

CALLAHAN FAMILY

Creator

Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY

Alt. Creator

Ann Angel Eberhardt ; Helen Hayes Wykle ;

Subject Keyword

Callahan Family ; Pine Mountain Settlement School ; Pine Mountain Community ; PMSS Workers ; PMSS Boarding School Students ; PMSS Community School Students ;

Subject LCSH

Callahan Family.
Pine Mountain Settlement School (Pine Mountain, Ky.) — History.
Harlan County (Ky.) — History.
Education — Kentucky — Harlan County.
Rural schools — Kentucky — History.
Families — Kentucky.
Schools — Appalachian Region, Southern.

Date

2018-10-28 aae

Publisher

Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY

Contributor

n/a

Type

Collections ; text ; image ;

Format

Original and copies of documents and correspondence in file folders in filing cabinet.

Source

Series 09: Biography – Families ; Series 19: Students ;

Language

English

Relation

Is related to: Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 09: Biography – Families

Coverage Temporal

XXXXX

Coverage Spatial

Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ;

Rights

Any display, publication, or public use must credit the Pine Mountain Settlement School. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Donor

n/a

Description

Core documents, correspondence, writings, and administrative papers of the Callahan Family ; clippings, photographs, books by or about the Callahan Family ;

Acquisition

n/d

Citation

“[Identification of Item],” [Collection Name] [Series Number, if applicable]. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY.

Processed By

Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt ;

Last Updated

Bibliography

Sources

”Callahan.” GUIDE TO PMSS WORKERS 1913-2000s ; PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY COMMUNITY RESIDENTS LIST 1910s-1940s ; GUIDE TO BOARDING SCHOOL STUDENTS, 1929-1949 ; COMMUNITY SCHOOL STUDENTS LIST A-G. Series 09: Biography – Families. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY. Internet resource.

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