Blackford Family

The Blackford surname holds a deep and permanent place in Woodford County’s history, carried forward into today by Woodford County native, prominent civic and spiritual leaders like Magistrate Reverend Larry Blackford Sr. To understand the depth of this family, one can trace a line back through his father, Walter “Seymoe” Blackford—who married Ethelyn Chisley—to his grandfather, Roosevelt Blackford, and eventually into the complex post-Civil War records of Elm Bend and Jessamine County. The journey of the Blackford family in the 19th and 20th centuries is a testament to resilience, community connection, and the intricate ways early Black families anchored themselves in the Bluegrass.

The foundational generations of this family require careful archival detective work, beginning with the great-great-grandfather of Rev. Larry Blackford Sr., Mr, Jefferson Harris Blackford (often referred to as Jeff Harris).

Born around 1830 into the era of institutional enslavement. In the 1870 census—the very first federal count to document newly freed Black Americans by name—he is listed under the name "Jeff Harris," living and working as a farm laborer in the Clover Bottom precinct, the geographic area encompassing Elm Bend. Like many who were denied an education by law prior to 1865, the census notes he could not read or write.

Living with him in 1870 was his wife, recorded in varying and misleading spellings as either "Cicey" or "Lucretia." While there were several children in the home at this time, the significant age gap between the eldest children and his wife leaves an open genealogical question as to whether she was the biological mother of them all.

By 1880, a significant shift occurred. At age 50, he appears in the Clover Bottom records explicitly using the surname "Jefferson Blackford." Whether "Harris" was a previous slaveholder's name, a maternal surname, or a middle name he temporarily utilized during the chaotic transition of Reconstruction remains a compelling historical mystery. By this time, Jefferson was living with his 35-year-old wife, Lucretia Blackford. Their household was full of children who would carry the family name into the next century: Burley, Lewis (also spelled Louis), Gowens (Goins), and James.

Tracing Jefferson's son, Goins Blackford, reveals the immense hurdles of early African American genealogy. Due to varying literacy levels and the census takers who wrote down names based purely on how they sounded, Goins' name appears in censuses under a dizzying array of phonetic spellings. Researchers tracing this line on Ancestry will find him recorded as:

• Goeings
• Goins
• Gornes
• Gowens
• Joings
• Goinge
• Goens

Despite the confusion of the records, Goins established his roots firmly in the Elm Bend region. He had a brother named Louis Blackford, who married Mary Eliza Blackford. This branch of the family maintained their ties to the Elm Bend soil for decades until 1935, when Louis and Mary Eliza made the decision to relocate to Mercer County.

Meanwhile, Goins and his immediate family maintained a strong presence just across the county line in South Keene, Jessamine County. The 1900 census captures his son, Richard Blackford Sr. (born around 1887), living in the family home in South Keene at 13 years old. A decade later, the 1910 census records a new generation in the exact same household: Gowens' two-year-old grandson, Roosevelt Blackford.

By 1930, 23-year-old Roosevelt Blackford was married to his wife, Daisy, and they were still residing with Goins in South Keene. Over the next decade, Roosevelt and Daisy built a large, vibrant family. By the time the 1940 census was recorded, their household included children Ella Frances, Gladys Mae, Saus Lee, Nannie Lucille, George, and a son who would carry forward a foundational modern lineage: Walter “Seymoe” Blackford.

The story of the Blackfords is also intimately tied to the historic Wheat family of Elm Bend through Mary Emma Wheat (the daughter of Frank and Ida Wheat). Her life story illustrates how families blended, supported one another, and built extensive kinship networks within rural Black settlements. Mary Emma Wheat was first married to Nathan Taylor. Following her first marriage, Mary Emma remarried to Richard Blackford, who is understood to be the son of Goins Blackford. This marriage expanded the family tree significantly, bringing a new generation of Blackford children into the Elm Bend community.