This Lyon County material is provided by Brenda Joyce Jerome

The following letters were written by Hyland B. Lyon, son of
Matthew Lyon Jr, to his guardian and cousin, F.H. Skinner of
Caldwell County, KY. The letters were found in the estate 
file of Matthew Lyon Jr (1852) in the Caldwell County Clerk's 
Office. Hyland B. Lyon would later, during the Civil War, 
attain some notoriety for his part in the burning of a number 
of Western Kentucky courthouses. After the Civil War he lived 
in the part of Caldwell County that had become Lyon County in 
1854.

                                La Grange, Ky March 16  1850

Dear Cousin

       You cant expect a very sensible letter from me but I 
will do my best. We arrived here last Saturday evening and I
did not see the president until monday and he did not give me
a receipt for the fifty dollars until Thursday, and have not
had a chance to write until to day. My schooling for this 
session cost twelve dollars and a half. The man that I am 
boarding with says if you will advance the money for my
boarding which is one dollar and three quarters a week, in
advance or two dollars at the end of five months. I got a 
receipt from the clerk for eight dollars and he only charged
me five to Louisville and one dollar and a quarter to this place.
My books cost One dollar and eight cents which are a latin
grammar One Arithmetic and a spelling Book and some ink and
paper. I had a very pleasant trip And I like the town very much. 
Give my love to all of my relations and acquaintances and
accept the same of 
                               Your affectionate cousin
                                 Hylan B. Lyon

NB write soon and send the money for my board if you please.




                                    LaGrange Ky April 4 1851

My dear cousin

           Two months have now rolled over my head since I
saw you and I have been looking for a letter from you every day
since but one has not made its appearance. We have some very
pretty weather at present but there is no telling how long it
will last for it is very changeable. Cassius Clay made a speech
here on the 2nd inst which I heard. As I told you in Louisville
you did not give me enough money to pay my debts and you would
oblige me very much by sending me eight or ten dollars to pay
for what I then owed and for what I have bought since. As I
said I am not up with Euk[?] in algebra. The professors have so
arranged it that I do have to stay at college more than two 
hours in a day. You will find enclosed a receipt for my tuition
fee. You will please excuse my short letter for I have written
all that I can think of and also bad writing and mistakes and
believe me to be your kindest and most affectionate cousin.
                                          H.B. Lyon

[Written in another hand at the bottom of the letter: 
Answered Apl 13th & enclosed 10$.   F.H.S.]


Enclosed with the two letters are two receipts:

                  La Grange,  March 13 1850
Received of Hyland B. Lyon Twelve Dollars 50/100 Tuition fees
for 2nd Session of 6th Collegiate Year, at "Funk Seminary,"
the Masonic College of Kentucky.
                            Brent Hopkins  Treasurer




                  La Grange, KY  April 2 1851
Received of H.B. Lyon Fifteen 50/100 Dollars, tuition fee for
2nd session and 7th collegiate year, of the Masonic University.
                              A.M. Yazlay[?] Treasurer  
                    


Brenda Joyce Jerome, CGRS