Special Collections Library Receives 19th Century Day Book

Gail Raley (right), Judy Perkins (left, with her granddaughter) and Jonathan Jeffrey, Manuscripts Coordinator, holding Miller day book

William Makel Miller (1806-1886) was one of the founders of Horse Branch, Kentucky.  In addition to farming large tracts of land in the area, he operated a store, served as a justice of the peace and election officer, and was appointed the community’s first postmaster.  It is said that many residents of Ohio County can trace their ancestry back to “Uncle Make” and his wife Mary “Polly” Mitchell Miller (1810-1886).  Two of those descendants have recently donated to WKU’s Special Collections Library a day book belonging to Miller that documents his business activities from 1852-1886.  Miller’s many commercial pursuits included trading in corn, wheat, oats, animal hides and lumber, renting out horses and wagons, engaging laborers, and keeping boarders; Miller also regularly earned fees from serving legal documents.  Found inside the book were several loose papers, including a poem written by young Judy Bradley of Rosine and a copy of Miller’s will, dated less than two weeks prior to his wife’s death and less than four weeks prior to his own.  A finding aid for Miller’s day book can be downloaded here.