Interviews About The Siloam Community in Western Kentucky
- valentinegeneral
- Jun 13, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 13, 2021
Growing up in rural Western Kentucky, I was surrounded by both family and farmland. As the years passed, my family often told stories about the years before my 1975 birth. My grandfather James William (J. W.) Croft often talked openly about the area where we lived – often referred to as the Siloam Community. His father, Clarence Earl Croft, owned and operated a general store adjacent to where I grew up, but he died when I was a baby. Therefore, the only knowledge of his existence within the community was the old store building, his vacant home, a sorghum molasses mill and pan, along with the exciting stories.
After my grandfather died in 1994, I was left with a rather large void in my life. I still wanted to know more about his life, but he was no longer there to ask questions. It was at that moment that I became interested in both history and genealogy. However, it was not until 2010, when I became disabled, that I decided to start documenting, unearthing, and publishing works about our rich local history.
Currently, I am working on a written history of the Siloam Community. For this project, I have begun conducting audio interviews with area elders, with the first round beginning on June 4, 2021. I have provided the following links to those audio oral history recordings about the once-thriving community, along with a brief description for each link.
Interview with Mrs. Dolores (Beard) Belt
Dolores Belt, born on June 3, 1938, resided in the Siloam Community for the majority of her life. She attended the Siloam school at its original location, along the banks of Coefield Creek. Six days after she turned eighteen, she married Kenneth Ray Belt on June 9, 1956, and settled down within the community. She and her husband ran a successful pig farming operation for many years until they could not continue farming. Due to health issues, she resides at the Crittenden County Convalescent Center in nearby Marion, Kentucky.
Edited Transcription:
Interview with Kenneth Ray Belt
Kenneth Ray Belt, husband of Dolores (Beard) Belt, was born January 9, 1936, and raised close to the nearby town of Tolu, Kentucky. Growing up outside the Siloam Community, he was still close enough to be aware of most events that transpired in the Siloam area. After he was married, he and his wife settled down to a farming life within the community. Moreover, Mr. Belt has been a staple of the Siloam Community for many years, both growing pigs and helping area farmers as a feed salesman. He currently resides at his home in the community, often assisting his son Jeremy with a growing cattle operation – riding around the old farm checking fences.
Edited Transcription:
Interview with Linda (Croft) Valentine
On March 11, 1951, Linda Valentine was born to the parents of James William (J. W.) Croft and Rosa Lee (Lemon) Croft. Linda spent most of her life in the Siloam Community during her childhood and after her marriage. On August 17, 1973, she married Austin Valentine and settled down within the Siloam Community – next door to her parents and across the road from the vacant home that used to belong to her grandfather Clarence Earl Croft. She was raised next door to the last location of the Siloam School/Church. After her marriage, she started teaching English at the Crittenden County High School until she retired. Currently, she and her husband Austin reside in the town of Paducah, Kentucky – approximately 50 miles from her original home.
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