Burnett Finley -- Soil and Water Conservationist

 

Burnett and Myrtle Finley

Burnett Finley was born on December 6, 1890 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the son of William Monroe “Billy” Finley and Alpha Marcus “Alphy” Cunningham Finley.  Burnett grew up in Trigg County and was a lifelong farmer in the county’s Maple Grove Community.

On June 15, 1919, he married Myrtle Mable Cunningham, the daughter of Elmer Elsworth “Ell” Cunningham and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham.  They were the parents of six children, of which two died in childhood with the other four growing up and becoming productive members of the community.

Burnett was always concerned about saving the land and worked with the local office of the USDA Soil Conservation Service in the effort to solve soil and water problems on local farms.  He cooperated in programs aimed at saving and enriching the farmland.

In the early 1960s as Burnett began contemplating his retirement from the farm, he began converting his cropland to pine trees. By 1964 his entire 75 acre farm except the tobacco land was was covered with grass and the pine trees.   A bundle of energy and a true conservationist, Burnett was surprised and proud of the remarkable growth of his pine plantation.  The pines covered the bare gullied hillsides with a carpet of pine needles and growing over 25 feet in the air, the pines showed the proper care and treatment given by Burnett over the earlier years. He also created a small fish pond and some wildlife food cover plantings to ensure some fishing and hunting near his home.  The Soil Conservation Service helped Finley with his soil and water conservations plans. He received cost sharing and other assistance from the service in converting most of the farm from row crops to woodland, grass and wildlife.  Burnett was proud as he entered retirement that his land was well covered and protected and would be able to produce for his grandchildren and future generations.

An interesting article about Burnett Finley and another Trigg County farmer, Hill Wills, was reported in the Lexington Herald Leader on September 24, 1929:   

REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE IN CADIZ — There is a most remarkable sameness in the records of two young farmers of Trigg county They are Burnett Finley near Cadiz and Hill Wills of the County Both left home the same day to enter service during the World War and spent some time overseas They returned on different transports but both were discharged the same day Returning home they were united In marriage on the same day and the first child to bless each home was born the same day Death took the first born at the age of 20 months on the same day and each family now has two children dead and three living.

Burnett Finley died on July 12, 1972 and was buried in the Allen Cemetery in Trigg County, KY.  His wife, Myrtle died on August 14, 1985 and was buried beside him.

Burnett Finley

Tombstone of Burnett and Myrtle Finley

LINEAGE:  (Burnett Finley was the husband of Myrtle Mable Cunningham. Myrtle was the daughter of Elmer Elsworth “Ell” and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham and the granddaughter of Cullen T. and Martha Virginia Thomas Bridges.  Cullen was the twelfth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Mary was the fifth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)