====== African Americans in Will Records and Property Inventories ======
African Americans have been included in [[Boone County]] wills since the county was founded in [[1799]].  Prior to emancipation in [[1865]] with the abolition of slavery, many african americans were included as property in wills.  For an excerpt of slave owners' wills click [[wills_of_slave_owners|here]]

Below are excerpts of African Americans in the 19th and early 20th Century.  In addition to an excerpt from a Jonas Crisler letter regarding his slaves.   


//Compiled for the African Americans in Boone County Project sponsored by Preservation Kentucky. All accounts from //Boone County Inventory Book 4, 1895-1904:  Inventories, Appraisements and Sale Bills, No. 4.//  Microfilm.  Boone County Public Library.  Burlington, Kentucky.//

===== Benjamin Garnett Inventory, 1 February 1875, Will Book K, 1873-1876 =====  

|Buggy & harness|	15.|
|Turning plow	|	6|
|3 shovel plows	|	5|
|Scythe & cradle|		2|
|Scoop shovel	|	.75|
|Neck yoke	|	.50|
|Dirt shovel	|	.25|	
|Pair harness	|	.25|
|3 hoes		|	.60|
|Saddle		|	1.|
|Mule		|	85.|
|Grind stone|		.50|
|Rifle gun & shot gun|	13|
& other various items, adding to $137.65
[Could not find will]
p. 318, same citation:  property left to widow included spring wagon (15.), road wagon (20.), gray mare (25.) brown horse (75.),  lot house furniture & bedding (15.75)


===== James Huey, 31 Jan. 1899 (p. 198) =====
|2 cows & calves	|		$80|
|1 pair work mules	|		$100|
|Sow & pigs & 2 shoats	|		$15|
|Poultry		|		$15|
|8 shoats		|		$20|
|Bible & table		|		$?|
|Loom & wheel		|		$15|
|2 beds, bedding & furniture|		$80|
|½ doz. Plates, knives &c.|		  |
|Cook stove		|		$15|	
|Chairs			|		$8|
|Side saddle		|		$4|
|Plow & harness		|		$8|
|Wagon			|		$12|	
|Sewing machine		|	        $2.50|
|Provisions on hand	|		$38|

===== Sam Johnson, 1 June 1901 (p. 331) =====
|2 |beds & bedding|
| |Cooking stove|
|2 |dressers|
| |Safe|
| | table|
|6 |kitchen chairs|
|6 |sitting room chairs|
|4 |rocking chairs|
|1 |clock|
|5 |pictures|
| |Heating stove|
|4 |barrels corn|
|15 |chickens|
|9 |gallons lard|

===== Jonas Crisler to children, 11 November 1852, Crisler Family Letters =====
//98sc17,Library Special Collections and Archives, Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort//.

On slaves:  “there has been at least 30 ran of this faul (sic) 14 at and abut Burlington and the rest about Petersburg Abraham Piatts Thomas Graves and Wm Whittaker all the most valuable I have no doubt if things continue negroes slaves (sic) will be scarce neare the O. River particularly if old Mat Bots and his clan continues thare privilege thay have had I believe thay have been thare pilots and is yet.”


===== Related Articles =====
  * [[African-Americans]]
  * [[families|Boone County Families]]
  * [[Boone_county|Boone County History]]
  * [[Wills]]