Broyles Herman & Lotis Mabel Burton “Homestead” in Walnut Grove Kentucky

2012

These pictures were taken in September 2012, during my first visit (as an adult) to the Somerset, Kentucky area, for the annual Homecoming service and luncheon at Burnett Chapel.

I rode my Suzuki GS500E motorcycle out from Utah, and picked up Dad (Robert L. Burton) in Rose Bud, Arkansas on the way. He accompanied me on his Suzuki V-Strom 650; this was his last big motorcycle trip, a month before he married my stepmother Ann Honeycutt.

After the Sunday service my Aunt “Crete” offered to direct a 2- or 3-car group of us Burton relatives to the family homestead. Even so, we had to turn around a time or two; the place is pretty hard to find! While we were still in the “semi lost” stage, we happened across this sight. Someone in the car said something like, “Hey – they look like a bunch of Burtons!” (Click on an image to enlarge it.)

A “bunch of Burtons” at a random home on the side of the road.

We finally found the real “Burton Homestead”. I got pictures of it from all sides.

I know that part of this structure was “added on” at some point, but I don’t know the details….

An enlarged portion of the previous image. From left to right: Larry James, my oldest cousin on the Burton side; his mother, my aunt Lucretia (“Crete”) Howard; my father Robert L. Burton, and me (Kerry Burton).
As of 2021, I am the only one of this group who is still living.

The pictures below are of the barn behind the house. (You can see a little of it in the first “Homestead” picture above.)

This is a sort of “bonus” barn photo. The young-ish (very personable) man on the 4-wheeler owned the property when we visited. He said that the old house was not in good enough shape to live in, that it was just being used for storage, and that he kept planning to tear it down … but that every year groups (like us) from the Burton or _______ clans would show up to take pictures and reminisce.

From left to right: my cousin Larry James, the property owner, my cousin Gale LaFollette, my cousin Starla Reyer and Gale’s husband Fred LaFollette.

2016

My brother Randy made the trip with me this year. I drove out from Utah, visited Dad and my stepmother Ann in Rose Bud, Arkansas on the way, and then picked Randy up at the airport in Nashville. After the Sunday Homecoming service at the Burnett Chapel we drove around until we, again, finally found the “Burton Homestead”.

While I took pictures, Randy took the time to talk to the wife of the owner.

2018

I brought my siblings Layna (Farnsworth) and Robby along this year. Layna almost didn’t make it to Burnett Chapel because of illness (apparently a case of food poisoning). After the Homecoming she didn’t feel well enough to go “Burton Homestead hunting” so Robby and I went alone.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this!

In the space of 2 years the “Homestead” had been torn down, along with the trees in front of it, and the lot had been smoothed out and planted with grass. It took a while to convince myself that we were in the right place, but the barn and the house next door were proof positive. Impressive!

I wonder if some of the sheet metal on this trailer (next to the barn) came from the roof of the “Homestead”?

Nobody seemed to be at home next door, so we didn’t have a chance to ask about the changes. (In fact, the yellow house next door had a somewhat unlived-in look itself.)

With the house gone, I don’t know if I’ll ever have a reason to visit this spot again. But at least I have pictures!

NOTES:
1) At this last visit Robby took a 360-degree video on his phone while standing in the corner of the road that used to curve around the old house.
2) My cousin Linda Thorp has a facsimile copy of the notice that was circulated when my grandparents put the “Homestead” up for auction back in the 1940s. It describes the property and a lot of the items that were to be auctioned off. Interesting stuff.