Marion's Woman Club

 The Marion's Woman's Club Building built in 1926.

The Marion Woman's Club is the outgrowth of a small literary club which was organized in 1920.  It had 16 charter members.  Mrs. V. L. Christian was elected first president of the organization. 

Within the first year the membership of the club more than doubled and before another year ended it was decided that the new organization must have a club house.  They began at once working on ways to raise money for their project.  The first money making project of the cub was to put on "The Greenpath Chautauqua," which was patterned after the famous Redpath Chautauqa.  Then followed 4 years of cake sales, candy making, dinners, markets and other entertainment.

In 1926 their dream of a Woman's Blub building was beginning to become real.  The building was to be erected on the club's lot on Carlisle Street, next to the post office.  The architect was to be D. Harry Jamieson, of Paducah, with J. N. Boston and Sons of Marion as the contractors.   It would have two business rooms, plus club auditorium, and a stage with dressing room.  The room of which every person in the territory around Marion should be proud of was the ladies rest room.  Something that had been needed for many years, since the court house only had rest rooms for the men.

The new building was formerly dedicated with a reception.  In the reception line were the officers, Mrs. J. W. Blue, President, Mrs. E. C. Van Pelt, V-Pres; Mrs. Roy Atkinson Treasure, Mrs. C. W. Haynes, Secretary and Mrs. S. M. Jenkins, Recording secretary.

On March 30, 1947, the Woman's Blub building was destroyed by fire.  The interior of the bulding was gutted and practically all furnishing of the offices were destroyed.  Portions of the floor were entirely burned out and the roof in several sections had caved in.  

The members were devastated but once again they went to work and found many worthwhile ways to raise money and have their building rebuilt to its former glory.

The Woman's Club is still active today, and serves the community in many ways and participates in many worthwhile projects for their members and the town.

Jockey Lot Day In Marion

Jockey Lot and Farm Implement Day were always on the same day as the County Court day.  As County Days always drew a large crowd from Crittenden County, as all the surrounding counties, it was the perfect day for having Jockey Lot and Farm Implement Days.  

The need for such as event as the Jockey Lot began as early as 1785 to 1809, as there were no stores of any type in the area that was to become Crittenden County, except one or two single-room log cabins at Centerville. 

Jockey Lot was a place for the people to purchase salt, spices, medicine, guns, powder, shot and other small items that the pioneer farmer was in need of, but could not produce himself.  You could also bring your excess product to this central located field or lot and sell or trade these item to each other.

In the early 1900s the crowd of people were gathering around the town spare for the County Court Day and then to Jockey Lot for some buying and selling of goods and animals.  It was a busy and enjoyable time for everyone.

Long Ago Football

Football sure looked different -

 Picture back row from left:  George Gumbert, Coach; John Graves, Willard Daughtrey, Watts Franklin, Carlos Grubbs, James Henry, Otis Wheeler, Tower Belt and Ernest Threlkeld, manager;

front row: Hubert Crider, Raymond Boucher, Calvert Small, Harry Moore and Billy Eskew.

This photo was made in 1919 of the Marion High football team.  The first team organized after World War I, according to Calvert Small, who was a member of the team.  Small recalled three important facts concerning the team and the season - it was before the huddle was being used, it was before clipping was illegal, and the team finished the season win less in six starts.  

All the games then were played on Saturday afternoons.

Beautiful Scenry Makes Our County Special

Here are some interesting facts about our county, it has many beautiful scenic spots.  This article was written many years ago, but most of it holds true today.

Wilson Hill near Marion (this spot was opened up over 30 years ago as a subdivision of Marion known as Briarwood Lane) is the highest point in Crittenden County, with an elevation of 842 feet.  This information was taken from a series of topographical maps that used to be available from the Kentucky Department of Economic Development.  It takes 14 maps to cover the county completely.

This old picture was taken many years ago from the top of Wilson Hill.  The town of Marion can be seen in the background.  The photograph was titled "A Birds Eye View."

                            ***

In all there are 10 hills in Crittenden County that top 700 feet in elevation above sea level.  Next to the Wilson Hill, the highest is Hardin Knob, roughly west of Marion and North of Salem.

This picture of Hardin's Knob was taken from the Zion  Cemetery Road, north of Levias, in January 2013. 

                               ***

 

A series of knobs south of Marion are prominent.  The highest is Jackson Knob, which is higher than 820

feet.

The Crayne Knobs are more than 810- feet high.

 Here history has been changed, for the Crayne Knobs are no more.  They were destroyed in the year 2012 for a new 2-lane highway.  They were blasted away and the rocks were used as filler for the road on both sides of these landmarks knobs.

This picture was made some years before it was known they were going to be destroyed.

The highest peak in the northern section of the county is called The Pinnacle and is located on the Baker Church Road and can be seen from the church location, it is 792 feet.  To the east of Marion the only peak above 700 feet is Pickens Hill, near Tribune, upon which the Tribune Fire Tower was located.  It s altitude in 701 feet.

The county has a splendid water supply, the Ohio River bordering a distance of 30 miles, the Cumberland River 15 miles, and the Tradewater River 20 miles.  There are many small streams in the county, such as Hurricane and Crooked Creek which empty into the Ohio on the north; Livingston and Clay Lick which flow southward and empty into the Cumberland River and Piney, Long Branch and Caney Creek which empty into the Tradewater River on the northeast.

Happy Birthday America. God Bless America

Our great homeland of America is having another birthday.  We have several Revolutionary soldiers that served in that fight for freedom, who later traveled to what was then Livingston County, perhaps through a land grant for their services or maybe just to a new frontier to get a new start.  The sad part of this is that some are buried in unmarked graves and will soon be forgotten for their role they played in America's history.

Arthur Travis, born 1764,  from North Carolina.  He entered served in the year 1780.  He served under Colonel Lacy, and for most of the time under that tour he acted in the capacity of a spy.  He was also in the Battle of Rocky Mount.  In 1799 he moved to Livingston County (which in 1842 would be divided into Crittenden County).  Arthur Travis settled in the area of the Travis Cemetery road not far from the Piney Fork area.  He died March 23, 1853.  He has no tombstone to mark his burial location, but it would be logical that he would be buried in the family cemetery that was located very close to his home place, the Wilson-Travis Cemetery, located deep in the woods off of his road.

Daniel Travis served in the Revolutionary War under Col. Edward Lacy Sr.  He came to Livingston Co around 1795.  He died about 1810 and is buried in what was once called the Dickey Cemetery, but has long since vanished from sight.  It was located about six miles from Marion, off of Hwy. 120.  It was on land now owned by Roger and Debbie Roberts. 

William Clark, born in Ireland out 1758 came to South Carolina in 1773.  At the age of 16 in Camden South Carolina, he entered as a volunteer private in the militia of that state under Capt. Andrew Love.  He was in the Snow Campaign , the Battle of Briar Creek, Battle of Cane Brake and Battle of Rocky Mount, to name a few.  William remained in York County for 22 years after the war.  He received a land grant of 200 acres on January 11, 1799 on Pigeon Roost Creek.  William Clark died in 1834 and is thought o be buried in the Kilpatrick Graveyard, with no stone.

John Wheeler, born in Virginia, at the age of 16 enlisted in June 1776 as a private in Captain Bohannon's

company.  He served as a volunteer in campaigns under Colonels William Christian, Joseph Martin and Evan Shelby of Virginia.

John Wheeler died Nov. 24, 1838 and is buried in the family cemetery that was started at his death, as he was the first to be buried there.  He has only a hand engraved stone that says "John Wheeler".  This cemetery is located off of S. R. 506 in a wooded area a short distance behind Ralph Paris Surveying office.

Captain James Clinton, born 1761 in Pennsylvania, died in Crittenden County Mar. 2, 1847. He is buried at the Piney Fork Cemetery.  The only Revolutionary Solider that has a monument, and the only one that has been duly honored by being decorated with a NSDAR marker.  The marker was dedicated in June of 2002.  (Marker through hard work of ancestor Ann Walker Hezer)

He served in battles of Mobley's Meeting House; Stallions on Fishing Creek; Fish Dam Ford; Black Stocks on the Tiger River; Bratten's Plantation and Biggen's Church.

Others who served in the Revolutionary War include James Walker, George McDowell, Patrick Cain, William Pickins, David Robertson,  and there is probably more than I am unaware of.