Family History

This site primarily focuses on the Pope family and its immediate relations.  In addition to the Popes, the site includes informaton on the Farris, Huff, Chestnut, Burkhart, and Dalton families.  

The information contained herein was gathered from a number of sources.  Various parts are from historical documents, some information comes from oral family history, and other sections were taken from obituaries or newspaper articles. 

The Pope family and the Washington family intermarried early in America’s history (while it was still a British colony).  This union of the two families eventually led to the birth of George Washington, the nation’s first president.  As a result of President Washington’s fame much material is available about his family’s early life in America.  I have included much of this material because it is so intertwined with the Pope family’s history.

As far as the available information indicates, Richard Pope (1764-1820) left his Virginia home and became a Methodist minister in Kentucky (the exact date is unknown).  This move established the Pope family in Kentucky.   The Pope family settled in Harlan County and resided there for a long time.  However, due to a blood feud threatening the family, some members moved to Laurel County, Kentucky.   It was in Laurel County that my father John Marvin Pope married my mother Lou Ellen Farris.