One of oldest settlers of Ferndale was Drury Mayes. When the road was widened in front of the Thomas Jefferson Kellems house at Ferndale a few years ago, the road men cut off a point of the hill and unearthed the grave of Drury Mayes and one of his children. His tombstone showed that he was born in 1771 and died in 1827. It is said that after his death, his family became frightened and left the community. He is supposed to have been the first man to take up land in and around Ferndale.
Simon Delph, former County Superitendent of the Schools of Bell County, tells the story of Drury Mayes, which follows in all of the details he gave to it.
"One of Bell County's pioneers was Drury Mayes, who settled at Ferndale on a tract of land containing 150 acres, patented to Daniel Miller, signed by Governor Christopher Greenup, of the date February 12, 1807. On October 7th, 1826, Drury Mayes had a 50 acre tract surveyed on Canyon Creek, County of Harlan, (afterwards Bell), adjoining the 150 acre tract on which he lived. The patent was signed by Joseph Desha, Governor of Kentucky, July 10, 1827.
Drury Mayes lived, died, and was buried on his farm at Ferndale. In 1932, a slide of earth carried the grave and tombstone into the state highway. The words 'Drury Mayes born November 19, 1771 died September 6, 1827' were plainly visible on the tombstone. The contents of the grave consisted of a strata of brown dust, about four inches thick, three feet wide, and six feet long. A few pieces of bone and some square cut rusty nails could be seen in the dust.
All that remained of Drury Mayes, after he had been dead one hundred and five years, was about three bushels of brown dust, sufficient to fertilize a few hills of corn or potatoes. The state highway maintenance crew removed the slide of earth from the highway and dumped it on the side of the highway near the L&N depot, where most of it soon found it way into Canyon Creek (now Cannon Creek). Consequently, the dust of what was once Drury Mayes has been scattered from Ferndale to the Gulf of Mexico and some of it may have been carried by the current into the ocean.
The tombstone is still leaning against the fence of the poultry lot of J.C. Knuckles, proclaiming that Drury Mayes was born November 19, 1771 and died September 6th, 1827.
The farm of Drury Mayes was sold to Jim Davis. His sons, Murphy Davis and Preston Davis sold it to John Kellems in 1860. Thomas Jefferson Kellems, son of John Kellems, came into possession of the farm, and it was divided by him and deeded to his daughters: Kate (Kellems) Knuckles and Etta (Kellems) Asher, in 1925."
