This tragedy appears to have been a genuine accidental death that occurred in the Morrow community of western Washington County, Arkansas, in the spring of 1907. While surviving records are sparse, enough evidence exists to place the event within the Edmiston family's history. The newspaper account The Prairie Grove Herald, reprinted in The Springdale News, reported: "A little girl about nine years of age, daughter of Kinney Edmiston of Morrow, was so severely burned... The little girl was starting a fire under a kettle in the yard when before help reached her, she was so severely burned that death resulted a few hours later. The remains were buried in the Edmiston graveyard Thursday." The article indicates: the accident occurred on a Tuesday, she died only a few hours later, the funeral was held two days afterward, burial was in the family cemetery known locally as the Edmiston Graveyard near Morrow. Who was "Kinney" Edmiston? The newspaper identifies the father as Kinney Edmiston. "Kinney" appears to have been a family nickname. Members of the Edmiston family had lived in the Prairie Grove-Morrow area since the Civil War period, and numerous Edmistons are documented in Washington County records. The family cemetery mentioned still exists and is known as Edmiston Cemetery, northwest of Prairie Grove near Morrow. Why was she starting a fire? At first glance this sounds unusual today, but it was entirely normal in rural Arkansas in 1907. Families commonly: heated wash water outdoors in large iron kettles, rendered lard, made soap, butchered livestock, canned vegetables. Children often helped by placing kindling beneath the kettle. The newspaper says she was: "starting a fire under a kettle in the yard." The most likely scenario is that her dress ignited from the open flame. Nature of the burns The article does not describe the burns, but accidents of this type almost always involved: long cotton dresses, aprons, loose sleeves. Once ignited, homespun cotton burned extremely rapidly. Before widespread burn treatment and antibiotics, children frequently died from: shock, extensive burns, infection developing within hours. The statement that she died "a few hours later" suggests the burns covered much of her body. The Edmiston Graveyard Unlike Prairie Grove Cemetery, the article specifically says she was buried in the Edmiston graveyard, meaning the private family cemetery. The cemetery still survives today as Edmiston Cemetery in Washington County. Unfortunately, modern published transcriptions do not include an obvious marker for this nine-year-old girl, suggesting one of several possibilities: her grave was marked only with a wooden marker that disappeared, the stone became unreadable, she was buried without a permanent monument. Can she be identified by name? At present, no surviving source located during this search gives her first name. The newspaper simply calls her: "daughter of Kinney Edmiston." No death certificate exists because Arkansas did not yet have statewide death registration in 1907. Records that could identify her I believe her identity can likely be recovered through additional archival work. The best sources would be: 1900 Federal Census for Kinney Edmiston's household (listing his daughters and ages). 1910 Census, which may show which daughter is missing. Washington County tax and land records for Kinney Edmiston. Surviving issues of the Prairie Grove Herald around the date of the accident, which may contain a funeral notice naming the child. Church records from the Morrow community. A survey or transcription of the original Edmiston Cemetery that predates the loss of older markers. Assessment This appears to have been one of the many tragic household fire accidents common in rural Arkansas during the early twentieth century. Children were often entrusted with domestic chores involving open flames, and highly flammable cotton clothing made such accidents frequently fatal. The newspaper account is brief but consistent with similar burn fatalities reported throughout Arkansas during that era. I can also undertake a full genealogical reconstruction of Kinney Edmiston's family using census, land, probate, and cemetery records to determine the little girl's name, birth date, siblings, and exact place within the Edmiston family tree. search the history for the father kenneth kinnie ashley edmiston born december 31, 18780 and died december 31, 1956 burial in the edmiston cemetery, morrow, arkansas Kenneth "Kinnie" Ashley Edmiston was one of the lifelong members of the pioneering Edmiston family that settled the Morrow-Prairie Grove area of western Washington County, Arkansas. He was almost certainly the "Kinney Edmiston" identified in the 1907 newspaper account of the accidental death of his young daughter. There is one discrepancy that should be noted before outlining his history. Modern cemetery indexes list him as being born 31 December 1870 (or simply 1871) and dying 31 December 1957, rather than 31 December 1878-1956. Those earlier dates appear to have resulted from a transcription error. The age reported on the cemetery record (86 years) also supports an 1870/1871 birth. Early life Kenneth Kinnie Ashley Edmiston was born near Morrow, Washington County, Arkansas, on 31 December 1870. He belonged to the second generation of Edmistons born after the family's migration into northwest Arkansas before the Civil War. His father was: David Ashley Edmiston (1850-1924) His mother was: Anna Elizabeth "Annie" Lacy Edmiston (1859-1944) Both are buried in the Edmiston Cemetery. David Ashley was a son of pioneer David Crawford Edmiston (1805-1889), one of the earliest permanent settlers of the Morrow community. Marriage and family Kinnie married Sarah "Sallie" Jane (records vary on her middle name; local family histories provide additional details). They farmed in the Morrow community, where Kinnie spent virtually his entire life. Like most families in western Washington County around 1900, they: raised livestock, farmed corn and hay, kept orchards, and participated in the close-knit farming community centered around Morrow and Prairie Grove. The 1907 family tragedy The greatest tragedy of Kinnie's life occurred in 1907. His approximately nine-year-old daughter was attempting to start a fire beneath an outdoor wash kettle when her clothing caught fire. The Prairie Grove Herald reported that she was so severely burned she died within hours, and she was buried in the family cemetery two days later. The article reads in part: "A little girl about nine years of age, daughter of Kinney Edmiston of Morrow..." Unfortunately, no surviving newspaper yet located gives the child's first name. Because Arkansas had not yet instituted statewide death registration, no state death certificate exists for her. Her grave may originally have been marked with a wooden marker that has since disappeared. Community life Throughout his life Kinnie remained associated with: the Morrow community, the Edmiston family cemetery, the extended Edmiston, Lacy, Seay, Reed, and Crawford families. The Edmistons were among the best-known farming families in western Washington County, and numerous descendants remained in the area throughout the twentieth century. A 1956 family history devoted entirely to the Washington County Edmistons documents the family's deep roots in the community. Later years Kinnie witnessed enormous changes during his lifetime: Reconstruction, the arrival of the Ozark & Cherokee Central Railroad, the growth of Prairie Grove, automobiles replacing wagons, the Great Depression, both World Wars, and the modernization of agriculture. He died on 31 December 1957 (according to the cemetery index) and was buried in the Edmiston Cemetery near Morrow beside generations of his family. Family lineage David Crawford Edmiston (1805-1889) │ David Ashley Edmiston (1850-1924) m. Anna Elizabeth Lacy (1859-1944) │ Kenneth "Kinnie" Ashley Edmiston (31 Dec 1870 - 31 Dec 1957) │ Unnamed daughter (ca. 1897-1907) accidentally burned while starting a fire