Elliott Co., Ky death register for 1874 lists the death on 11 Sep 1874 of Nelson Sparks, age 56, married, farmer, cause of death “killed by a shot”, born in North Carolina, parents Levi & Sarah Sparks.

From the Sparks Quarterly: "On Oct 11, 1874 Nelson Sparks and his 12 year old son George W., went to the town of Olive Hill on business. There he met an old friend, Calvin Scott, and they had several drinks together at a livery stable where Nelson's horses were fed. For some reason, which will probably never be known, Scott shot Nelson Sparks fatally during their visit. It is said that as soon as he pulled the trigger, he exclaimed, "I've shot my best friend!" George drove the team, with his dead father lying in the wagon bed back to Elliott County where Nelson was buried in the Mauk Ridge Cemetery." (It seems that the quarterly has his month of death wrong.)