We are aware of many reunions that have been held all over America, but mainly in the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas & Mississippi.
The largest of the several reunions had been continuously held from 1957 thru 2000. It was first billed as The Tackett Reunion and then for many years it was known as The National Tackett Reunion. It is currently billed as the Annual Tackett Family Association Reunion, but it is not affiliated with the national Tackett Family Association. For most of these years, this exciting event was held on the 2nd Sunday in July at the Geo. F. Johnson Elem. School on Long Fork Rd., Virgie, Pike Co., KY. Beginning about 1978, participants from many branches across the nation began attending. Attendance then blossomed from between 250 to some 800. Quite a gathering! The reunion was canceled in 2001 but later re-formed and is now held again on the 2nd Sunday in July in the same location in Pike Co., KY. For information please contact Paul E. Stringer, <pnstringer@alltel.net>.
Founders of this longest-standing Tackett Reunion were Hassell Tackett, 1903-1994, of Pikeville, Joseph Patterson "Joe P." Tackett, 1895-1971, of Prestonsburg, and Juble Tackett, 1922-1999, of Pikeville.
This reunion was held in an area with the largest concentration of TACKETT/TACKITT descendants in the U.S.: Pike Co., KY. At one time there was a U.S. Post Office there named "Tackitt, KY," active between 1881-1904. [See map below] Other active post offices in the immediate area, served at various times by "Tackitt, KY," included "Long Fork, KY," 1878-1888 and 1890-1894 and "Etty, KY," after 1904, and just recently discontinued. Part of the area was also later served by "Hartley, KY," 1900-1975 and now by "Virgie, KY," established in 1890. The area known as "Wales, KY," on Indian Creek, also has had large numbers of Tackett descendants resident there for over 150 years, as has the Beefhide Creek area, not shown, but nearly bordering the bottom of the map and extending to Letcher Co., KY. None of these are "towns," as might commonly be known, but post offices serving the area in the Shelby Valley. An interesting VHS video of the 29th Reunion (1987) is available from The Tackett Bookstore.
By the way, the first constable selected by the County Commissioners for the Shelby Valley,just after Pike Co., KY was formed in 1821, was George W. Tackitt Sr., c1804-1852 and one of these early Commissioners was Elder William Tackitt Sr., 1779-1851, a pioneer Baptist preacher and an 1817 settler in the valley.