Andrew Jackson "Jack" Mize

Andrew Jackson Mize, son of Isaac and Malvina Mise, was born on 14 July 1854 at Hawk Creek in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. Andrew Jackson was nicknamed “Uncle Jack” sometime early in his life. Jack lived near Hazard, Kentucky during his late teen years; and this was the region where he bought his coveted nickel plated 32 caliber pistol. During his lifetime, Jack ‘notched” his pistol four times. This was the result from the several gun battles with the Internal Revenue Servicemen who were trying to “bust up” his moonshine still. Ellis Reed who lived in Science Hill, Kentucky and who was a former Revenuer for Pulaski County, stated that he had spent many hours trying to track down Uncle Jack’s still in the forested hills of Pulaski County. Ellis also said that Jack spent much more time making “shine” than he did farming. A neighbor of Uncle Jack, named Doolin Smith who lived at Circlesville on the Norwood Road spoke that Jack was also very skilled in the profession of milling. Jack often traded his time and effort in milling corn for his neighbors for a percentage of the meal. This probably helped Jack in maintaining his prosperous trade of making moonshine. Jack learned the trade of milling from his father, Isaac Mize, who also ran a mill near Billows located on the Rockcastle River. Jack married Martha Ann Phelps during January 1877. Martha was fourteen years old when she married Jack at Somerset, Kentucky. Martha lived with Jack in Frog Hollow near Circlesville, which is located near Science Hill in Pulaski County until his death. After the death of Jack in 1935, Martha moved to Payoli, Indiana to live with her daughter Dora Mise. Martha Mize was noted for the long dresses that she wore and the copious amounts of knitting and sewing she did for her children. When Robert Lee Mize and his wife Eula Lay lived on the farm of Jack and Martha , Eula said that Martha would tell her that she looked like a flower that had just bloomed. Martha lived in Payoli , Indiana until she suffered a heart attack and died in the year 1944. Ches Goff is the present owner of the former farm of Jack and Martha Mize. The marriage of Jack and Martha produced several children. There were two children who are buried at the James family Cemetery located at east Route 80 and Mark Road in Pulaski County. A tombstone is marked, “infant son of A. J. and Martha Mize, born and died 14 September 1877.” The other reads, “Isaac Freddie Mize, son of A. J. Mize and Martha Mize, 27 February 1880—5 June 1891.”

The above sketch was made by Eula Lay/Mize former wife of Robert Lee Mize of the Jack Mize farm. The sketch is very faded and explanations of sketch items are hard to read. The top left corner shows where the mail box for Jack Mize was located on the road to Science Hill. Following their driveway, you reach the first farm gate and then you would travel through woods to a second gate. At the second gate you could either go to the Jack Mize home or follow a path to the first home of Robert Lee Mize and Eula Lay. To go to the home of Robert and Eula, you would pass by a shed where a cat called Old Tom lived and where Jack's buggy was kept. The neighbors of Jack Mize helped build this two room cabin for Robert and Eula after their marriage. Prior to living in the cabin, Robert and Eula had lived in the attic of the home of Jack Mize. The cabin of Robert Lee and Eula Lay is located at the top right of the sketch. The cabin was accidentally burned down by a later tenant when she caused a grease fire that became out of control.
If you chose to proceed to the home of Jack and Martha from the second gate, you would pass by a Corn Mill worked by Jack where he made meal for his family and other families in the area. Often he would grind their corn for a payment in meal which could later be used to make White Dog (hard liquor.) When you reached Jack's home you would notice that it was a cabin which was covered with weathered clapboards on its exterior. On the front porch there was a phone and chairs where the family would sit in the evenings and listen to Martha Mize tell stories. Around the back of the house was an outhouse and on the other side of the "one holer", there was a chicken house. At the bottom of the hill from the house, at the bottom right area of the sketch , an underground cellar was located where potatoes and other foods where stored. During the summer, the family would take showers under a bucket hung by the cellar. Near the cellar was a spring where Martha washed clothes and made soap.


There was a story told by Chess Goff who owned Uncle Jack’s former house. He stated that a man had come to the front door of the house and asked to pick walnuts that were on Jack’s property. Jack told the stranger that he could roam around the property and pick walnuts. A little time later the man was walking by the Jack’s home with a burlap sack full of walnuts. Jack asked him to pay for the walnuts but the man said he did not tell him that he was to pay for the walnuts. The stranger stated that he was not going to pay for the bag full of walnuts. Jack promptly shot the man while standing on the front porch of his house. If there any charges pressed, there are no record of it at the Pulaski County Courthouse.

There is another story about Jack when he lived in Hazard, Kentucky. Apparently, a couple of men injured his dog. Whether it was on purpose or accidentally is not known but it enraged Jack to the point that he shot both of the men. He promptly came back to Pulaski County….

This is the site of the former farm (center tree line) of Jack Mize located near Circlesville and Frog Hollow in Pulaski County. The bottom picture is of the ground cellar located next to the creek on the farmland. (2005 photo)
The photograph on the right side is where the Jack Mize farm house stood which is next to the ground celler which is on the left. The tree was in the front yard.

This set of seven photos was taken during the summer of 2011 when I visited the Jack Mize farm site. I talked with the present owner who is the grandson of Chess Goff. He said he had the back acreage leveled for raising cattle. He was in the process of selling the farm to a Doctor. He cordially invited to walk down to the former farm site to take the photos. It was really great to walk on the land that Jack Mize had walked upon during his life. I could imagine the family activity, the conversations, and laughter. You could almost hear it and see the house.

This is the marriage certificate for Andrew “Jack” Mize and Martha Phelps located in the Pulaski County, Courthouse, Kentucky. Notice that Martha Phelps is listed as being 14 years old at time of marriage!

The photo on the left side: “This is my father Carl. He went by the name of Carl but his real name was Andrew Carl Mize. He is with his mother, Martha Mize. This picture was taken at the old farm in Frog Hollow near Science Hill. I think the year was about 1934 or 1935. The building in the background is the old mill that grandfather (Uncle Jack) used to grind corn in. This (mill) was located by the spring where the big trees are in the background.” (interview with Paul Mize 1983) The center picture is “Uncle Jack’s” tombstone located in the Eden Memorial Cemetery, at Eden, Pulaski County, Kentucky. Eden is located on route 39 near Science Hill. His son Andrew Carl provided the tombstone at the time of death. The right photo has Jack Mize on the left and Martha Ann Mize on the right. This was taken at the Mize farm in Frog Hollow which is near Science Hill. (interview with Paul Mize 1983)

Danny Stone (Mize), son of Robert Lee Mize, at the grave of his Great Grandfather Jack Mize located at Eden Cemetery in Pulaski County, Kentucky. The photo was taken during the pilgrimage to Pulaski County in the summer 2009.