Background
Jenny Wiley was born to Hezekiah Sellards and Jean Brevard (Jean Brevard is in dispute as some believe that Hezekiah may have married a Cherokee).
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Jenny Wiley
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Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg, Kentucky is named in her honor. Her family moved to Walkers Creek, in what is now Bland County, Virginia. Soon after, they built a log cabin and had their first four children.
On October 1, 1789, Thomas set out for a trading post with a horse heavy laden with ginseng to barter for domestic necessaries.
A group of eleven Native Americans, composed of two Cherokees, three Shawnees, three Wyandots, and three Delawares stormed the cabin. There was some dispute amongst her captors about whether or not to kill her and her baby as they were slowing the party down, but they kept her and her baby alive until the baby became illinois
At that point the captors killed the child while Jenny slept. She gave birth shortly thereafter, but that child was also murdered from scalping.
The test was to put the baby on a piece of wood and send it down the river.
If it cried, they would scalp lieutenant If it did not cry, it"d live. Jenny was held captive by Native Americans for several months in what is presently Little Mud Lick Creek, Johnson County, Kentucky.
She managed to escape to Harman"s Blockhouse in what was then Floyd County (now Johnson County).
In approximately 1800, the Wiley family crossed the Big Sandy River, and settled in what is currently Johnson County, Kentucky. Jane Wiley, married Richard Williamson, son of American Revolutionary War patriot at the Battle of Point Pleasant also settled on Twelve Pole Creek;
Sarah "Sally" Wiley, married twice (1) Christian Yost.
(2) Samuel Murray and resided in Wayne County;
Hezekiah Wiley, married Christine Nelson and settled on Twelve Pole Creek, Wanye County (West)Virginia;
Willaim Stapleton and Sarah Wiley married and
Adam Brevard Wiley married Neely Dillon, both left families in Johnson County Kentucky. Jenny Wiley lived in Johnson County with her family until her death in 1831.
She was buried near the farm in River where she spent her final years.
Jenny Wiley State Resort Park was established in her honor just northeast of Prestonsburg near highway Route 23. The park is centered around 1,100-acre (45 km2) Dewey Lake, and features the Jenny Wiley Theatre. Jenny is also honored by a Thoroughbred horse race named in her honor and run each year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.
An event for fillies and mares, the race is called the Jenny Wiley Stakes and attracts some of the best female horses in American horse racing.
