Jean "Jenny" Sellards, daughter of Hezekiah Sellards, was born about 1760, probably in Pennsylvania. Tradition is to the effect Jenny's father was quite opposed to her marriage to Thomas Wiley, an Irish immigrant, who came to this land with his brother Samuel. Whether this opposition stemmed from a personality conflict, consideration as an unlikely prospective son-in-law or the opening of old wounds of the Scotch versus Irish conflicts of old Ireland, is not known. Despite the opposition the marriage occurred about 1779 in the vicinity of Walker's Station, Virginia.

Tom had already raised a cabin on land he had purchased from Matthias Harman on Walkers Creek. Four children had been born to this marriage and they were living a typical borderland life when disaster fell on the Wiley cabin October 1, 1789. Tom was away. Being in a rainy season, the day was gloomy and Jenny was busy at her household tasks. Earlier in the day her brother-in-law John Borders, having seen likely signs of Indian activity in the area, warned Jenny of possible danger. Jenny desiring to complete her activities deferred taking refuge at the Borders cabin until later that day. Before she could finish, Indians burst in the door of the cabin, killed her 15-year old brother and three of her children. Her youngest child was spared and she was permitted to carry him into captivity.

Quickly the Indians traveled up Walkers Creek and by various paths to Brushy Mountain which they crossed to Wolf Creek. Then on to the head Bluestone, across Flat Top Mountain and along the swollen Tug Fork.

After a couple of days on the trek, the small child became ill, probably pneumonia from overexposure and was brutally killed by his captors. The significance of the death of Jenny's child has been captured by Allan K. Cornette in his painting titled Jenny's Tree.

The party swam the Tug and moved o to the brim filled Levisa Fork for a similar treacherous crossing. Moving to the flooded Ohio River they found they were unable to cross as they traversed the bank area down to the Little Sandy River. At this point they turned south and moved to the Cherokee Fork of the Big Blaine. Jenny, becoming ill from her pregnancy, gave birth to a new son, traditionally known as Robert Bruce. Again she suffered the agony of watching another child being slain before her eyes. From Cherokee the party moved on to the cave above Little Mud Lick Falls in the present Johnson County, Kentucky, where she was held captive until she escaped to Harman's Station in Block House Bottom, the present site of the Bert Comb Airport between Paintsville and Prestonsburg.

Much has been written on the historical and legendary concepts of Jenny's captivity. For extensive coverage you are referred to the following books, listed alphabetically by author:
Jenny Wiley-Pioneer by John Nathan Bennett; Dark Hills to Westward by Harry Caudill; The Founding of Harman's Station and the Wiley Captivity by William Elsey Connelley; The Big Sandy Valley by William Ely; The Johnson County History and Jenny Wiley Country by Mitchell Hall; Jenny Wiley, Pioneer Woman and The Last Frontier by Henry P. Scalf and White Squaw by Arville Wheeler.

After her escape, Jenny returned to her Walkers Creek home where another five children were born to this couple and about 1800 they moved to the mouth of Tom's Creek (named for Thomas Wiley) in the present Johnson County, Kentucky. Tom died in 1810. Edward R. Hazelett in his addition to the 1969 printing, a reprint of Connelley's story, gives the following description of the location of Thomas Wiley's grave site "buried on a small flat upon the hill, about 150 feet above the present highway Kentucky 581. The site is almost directly above and west of the mouth of Tom's Creek." According to Mr. Hazelett the flat was plowed obliterating any sign of Tom's grave as well as others buried nearby.

Today when you travel to the community of River, Kentucky you quickly see the sign "River, Ky. Original Home of Jenny Wiley". On November 27, 1965, this small community was host to probably the largest crowd in its history when the Jenny Wiley grave marker was dedicated. The Kentucky State Legislature, by act, had authorized the research and expenditure for the marker. John Fred Williams, of Ashland, Kentucky, historian, industrialist and educator delivered the dedicatory address. The large gray granite stone, set just in front of a small, thin had carved stone, is situated within a chain link fenced area surrounding the grave.

The metal plaque on the marker carries the following wording:
Jenny Wiley 1760-1831. Historic Pioneer Mother, Captured by Indians, October 1, 1789 at Walker's Creek, Virginia. Witnessed the slaying of her brother and five children by savages. Was held captive for several months on Little Mud Lick Creek in the present Johnson County. She escaped the Indians to Harmon Station at Block House Bottom and was later united with her husband, Thomas Wiley, in Virginia. Mrs. Wiley returned to Johnson County with her husband and a cabin was built about the year 1800 where they reared five children. Jennie Wiley died in 1831.

Their son William continued to live on the Tom's Creek farm until about 1847 when it was sold to James Nibert. In 1877 Nibert sold it to Samuel Spears.

Connelley describes Jenny as having very dark hair, tall handsome of form and face until old age made her heavy and slow; very intelligent, kindly disposition, but firm and determined and a devout and earnest Christian.

Much discussion and some argument has occurred over the proper spelling of her nickname. "Jenny" is used on her grave marker and "Jenny" is used in the name of the Kentucky State park. Mainly due to the naming of the park, the more prevalent usage has become "Jenny." Please note on the permission slip signed for her nephew's bride, Christinia PACK, she signed her name Janie Wiley. The census of Floyd County, Kentucky for 1820 lists her name as Jean Wiley.

The June 13, 1962 issue of the Paintsville Herald picks up an article from the Floyd County Times, written by Mr. Henry P. Scalf, on the exploration for a proposed Boy Scouts of America hiking trail to be called the Jenny Wiley Trail. This trail was never developed due to the rugged terrain which did not meet Scouting's safety standards for hiking trails. The following excerpt picks up at the base of the falls of Little Mud Lick.

Coming out at the end of the falls area, they began to explore the first level of caves or rockhouses. One was particularly intriguing, for at many places on the walls the heads of horses had been carved. It was named Horse Head Cave.
Members of the group were preoccupied with the carvings and were sketching the horses and other drawings for a color slide when they had a visitor. He was Paul Ratliff from Staffordsville and a recent graduate of Flat Gap High School. Paul has been fascinated by the area for six years and was a fountain of lore.
He pointed out the carvings of recent years, but also noted others that had been there for perhaps a 100 years or much longer. Some of them could have been made by Indians.
Under Paul's guidance the group began to ascend to the second level of caves. His great agility and knowledge of "Had Holds" enabled everyone to climb the canyon side.
They came to a long rockhouse, perhaps 60 feet in length. It could only be reached by a narrow ledge. The dust of centuries covered the floor as far back as the end of the Civil War.
The group sat down, pored over "tope" sheets and read again from Connelley's story of the Wiley Captivity. All agreed this was the actual cave in which Mrs. Wiley had been held captive.

The Calendar of Virginia State Papers, Vol 5, Page 42, contains an October 20, 1789 letter by Walter Crockett, County Lieutenant of Montgomery County, Virginia to governor Randolph giving the October 1, 1789 date of the Wiley massacre.

Page 181 of the same volume records a letter of J.D. Smith, County Lieutenant of Russell County, Virginia, dated July 4, 1790 to Governor Randolph in which he refers to Mrs. Wiley's captivity in the late fall and her runaway from the Indians in late winter.

Thus Jenny's captivity was around six months rather than eleven months to one year claimed in several accounts of her captivity.