Traveling along State Route 506

If one was going to the Piney Fork area you would take S. R. 506 from Marion.  Many of us locals still call this the Piney Fork Road, for if you travel on for about 7 miles you will come to the Piney Fork community.  The Piney Fork Presbyterian Church is still active today, and many of the families that live in the area had family living here many years ago.  The grocery store, blacksmith shop, tannery and gristmill have been gone for many, many years.

Before you get to the Piney Fork community you will pass a lone cemetery marker standing along side the highway.  It belongs to John A. Andrews, 1815-1891. It's such an unusual sight to see it standing there and it makes you wonder about its history.  

Rev. James Boone, now 100 years old, told me the story.  He said years ago, the only road to get to Piney Fork, was actually the creek bed that ran along the foot of this hill.  When it rained and the creek was full, it cut off the only way to get to Piney Fork.  At this time the spot where the Andrews stone is was a field. 

It was decided that a road should be built up on the hill and away from the creek so that it wouldn't be flooded every time it rained.  The land chosen for this road cut through the Andrews farm and was made very  near the monument.

Perhaps the Andrews family at one time had intended for this to be the start of their family cemetery, as many family cemeteries were made on the family's land, but after the road was built and was located so close to the monument, they later buried family members in the near-by Piney Fork Cemetery.  So the monument was there before the road was.

These  little store buildings are still standing at the junction of S.R. 506 and Copperas Spring/Flynns Ferry Rd.  Although empty for many years they are still a reminder of the once active little community of Piney Fork.

The small store on the left was the first store that was there.  It was a wooden frame building.  As the needs of the community grew, so did the need for a larger store, so the block building on the right was built.  All the needs of the community were available at these country stores.

Crittenden Springs Resort

I've written about the once famous Crittenden Springs Hotel before, but it is a part of Crittenden County's past history that holds a fascination for me, just to think about a place so wonderful and grand once actually graced the hillside in rural Crittenden County.  

Here is an article that appeared in the Crittenden Press in Sept. 7, 1893 about this wonderful place. 

A Guest Writes Pleasantly of the Famous Watering Place. 

As I sit in the handsome parlos of this famous health and pleasure resort this delightful cool morning, and allow my eyes to wonder forth upon the beautiful panorama of natural scenery composed of hill and dale, forest and field, rock and meadow, that greets me from my eyrie upon the crest of the hotel hill and my ears drink in the delightful music of the Italian band, my mind reverts to the happy days I have spent amid all their splendor of natural scenery, human joy and refinement, and it is with a pang of keen regret that I am reminded that in one more reolution of the sun in its orbit I will have left it all behind me possibly forever.

Not only has Crittenden Springs been nicely endowed by nature, but for above and beyond all natural beauty is the exceedleness great kindliness, courtliness and hospitableness that has marked the conduct of the present management.  As for the culinary department, never has a summer resort been blessed with such good food, or more enjoyable entertainments that the Crittenden Springs.  What with mother hubbard balls, phantom balls, private theatricals, progressive cinque parties, vocal and instrumental music and other entertainments galore, the week as been one continual round of pleasure.

How exciting to go back in time for a spell and visit this wonderful place in Crittenden County

Shady Grove Cemetery

Shady Grove Cemetery located in Shady Grove, Ky. about 15 miles East of Marion is a large well-maintained county cemetery.  Shady Grove is located close to the Caldwell County line and also the Webster County line, so there are people that have close connects to all three counties.  

There are many interesting and unique stones in the cemetery, as in most old cemeteries there are some stones that have become unreadable with time, but our local cemetery books help with identifying these unreadable stones.

One of the unusual stone memorials are a set of concrete stone-like steps. It is a memorial for the F. L. Atwood family.  Each stone has a small white marker embedded in it, they say: Blanch Atwood, Alpha Atwood, Elizabeth Atwood, Clara Atwood and F. L. Atwood.

Rev. Frank L. Atwood's obituary tells us who this family was and how they came to be in Shady Grove.

Crittenden Press, May 10, 1940.  Rev. Frank L. Atwood, 89, was buried at Shady Grove Cemetery last Sunday.  A former resident of Crittenden, born at Canton, Ky, Rev. Atwood came here as a young minister and pastored the Shady Grove Baptist Church about a half century ago.  At the time of death he resided with his daughter Mrs. R. H. Keeton, Little Rock, Ark.  Funeral services were conducted by Rev. I. W. Talley, Providence, assisted by Dennie Hubbard. 

One of the names, Clara Atwood, married R. L Wood.  She was born March 31, 1880 and died April 16, 1905.  She died of consumption at the age of 25.

The tombstone in the picture at the left is for Clara.  It is placed by her 'step' with the rest of the family.

Many stones like these that only have a name and no date, without family members present to help with the history it sometimes hard to find any information about the family and who the people are.  Sometimes we are fortunate and can find an obituary that will shed light on who the people are and when they died.  Such was the case with the Atwood family, with whom these stones were for.

Visit to the Historical Museum

The Crittenden County Genealogy Society took a trip to the Historical Museum at 124 East Bellville St. for their program this past Saturday.  

Left to right: Steve Eskew, Doyle Polk, Brenda Underdown, Dot Kunnecke, Fay Carol Crider and Don Foster. 

The Museum is full of interesting items and displays all pertaining to our local history.  Behind the group is a small section of our Military Display, with uniforms, pictures, and other military items donated by family members of the veterans.

The old Lamb Loom is to the right of the group.  It was donated to the Museum by the Dean family.  The Loom used to be located at Deanwood and the Dean family used it to weave many items.

In another room of the Museum, Fay Carol Crider, Doyle Polk and Dot Kunnecke checked out the many items located there. 

Dot is checking out the old hair permament machine that looks somewhat like an item of torture for the person getting their hair curled.

One will always find something of interest at the Museum.  It is open from Wed.-Sat. 10:00 -3:00. 

Marion's Old Water Tower

A familiar Marion landmark of years ago was the Marion Water Tower.  It could be seen for miles around and really was a nice familiar sight to see.  It identified our small town for miles around.  It was taken down in February 1981.

 The 150-ft. steel tower, located on property the city owned off South Walker Street, had dominated the town's skyline since its construction in 1925.

The standtank had not been used since the early 1970's when a new tank was constructed on Wilson Hill off the Piney Road.  The old tank made of quarter-inch riveted steel sheets, had rusted over the years.

It was first thought that the old tank could be dismantled and erected elsewhere, but after closer inspection it was found to be deteriorated too much for further use.

So in February 1981, the old familiar Marion landmark came crashing to the ground as workmen from Henderson cut away two of the towers six legs and notched other to direct its fall.

Using a winch, they buckled a key leg, and it dropped exactly on target, causing no damage to water lines or power lines near by.

Marion Business of Yesteryear

SKETCHES OF OUR LEADING CITIZENS IN 1954

 Rose's Cleaners. In picture.  Left to right  Wilson Andrews, Ewell Hunt, and Guy Rose.

Guy C. Rose – Civic Leader

Mr. Rose was born in Elizabethtown, Ill., and came to Marion soon after his discharge from the Army in 1933. At this time he purchased Marion Dry Cleaners, a business which has since born his name.

  

Mr. Rose was well known and respected in Marion for his service in civic affairs. 

 

He was a member of the City Council, a member of the Crittenden County Library Board since the library started.

He had served previously as an officer of the Marion Kiwanis Club and had always taken a large part in the group's civic and promotional activities. He was a member of Bigham Lodge 256 of the Masonic Order. He was a member of the Marion Baptist Church and a member of its Board of Deacons.

Mr. Rose, died Nov. 24, 1956, at the age of 49, and is buried in the Mapleview Cemetery. Mr. Rose was married to Clessie Agee Rose.

Rose Cleaners closed it's doors several years ago and the location is now the home of Louise's Flowers at 121 N. Main St.