Mapleview Moments, Sept. 27, 2014

On Saturday, Sept 27, the Fohs Halls Community Arts Foundation presented Mapleview Moments.  This was a visit to our city cemetery, Mapleview, with a visit with some of our past citizens who once shared some of their history with us.  A very interesting tour was given.

Greeting the visitors as they arrived was Mamie Mapleview.  (aka Becky Tyner-Belt)

She was a ghostly spirit that roamed the earth visiting from place to place.

This day she chose Mapleview to land so she could welcome the visitors to the tour.

 Dressed in all her finery she was a sight to see.

Some of the other stops on the tour included:

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Cochran (aka Chris and Allison Evans)

T. H. Cochran came to Marion from Livingston Co. in 1882 and began working in the hardware business.  He began the Cochran Hardware Co. in 1895.  The Cochran Hardware Store was one of the best stores in Western Ky.

Mrs. Clara Nunn Cochran came from the little community of Rodney, located on Hwy. 365 not too far from Bells Mines. 

She married T. H. Cochran in Oct. of 1933, being his second wife.  She worked in the store with him for several years and helped manage the displays and hardware.

Mr. Cochran died in 1952 at the age of 90 and Mrs. Cochran lived until 1968, being 87 years old.

                                                                                     ***

Mrs. Mary Witherspoon Wilson (aka Phyllis Sykes).

Since husband Mr. Wilson was unable to be present for the visit he sent Mrs. Wilson to do the talking.  She brought alone his picture to share with us.

The Wilson family was very prominent in farming and well as Mr. Wilson was a very prominent business man in Marion.  He helped with bringing the railroad into Crittenden County, and at one time owned the Crittenden Springs Hotel.  He also helped with the organization of the Marion Bank.

Mr. Wilson also built the first permanent residence home in Marion in 1846.  It was known as the Wilsonia.  A grand home in it's time.

Mr. Wilson died Jan. 2, 1920 and Mrs. Wilson died March 25, 1925.

    *****

Next we met and spoke with Rev. James F. Price (aka Frank Pierce)

Born in 1853 in the Cave Springs area of Crittenden County.

Rev. Price was one of the most prominent ministers in Presbyterian circles.  He held many high offices in the church in addition to holding pastorates in eight Wetern Ketnucky cities.

He was also the organizer and founder of Crittenden County Singing Conventions. Was ordained a CP minister in 1881.

Rev. Price was also noted genealogist and historian. Many of his writings and articles have helped supply many of the historic facts that we know of today about the county.  He also wrote a small book on the Travis Family.  

He died Sept. 10, 1937 at the age of 84. Before he died he said  "I had a good life and tried to contribute to my community and be a faithful servant of the Lord."

*******

Mrs. Grace Conditt McKee  (aka Ramona Ford) waited for the visitors under the shade of one of the Maple trees.

Grace was born in 1895 on the family homestead, located in the Forrest Grove Community.  Her parents were William and Martha Witherspoon Conditt.  

She was born in the original home of her grandfather, Uri Witherspoon, which is still standing today and we know it as the Wheeler Log Cabin on the Forrest Grove Road.

After attending school and teachers college she returned to Marion and got a job as instructor in the county school system.  Later she lived with her aging parents and took care of them.

She met her husband the Rev. Samuel McKee while attending church at the U. S. A. Presbyterian Church,  she was by then, 42 years old.  They married on June 28, 1937.

Grace didn't have a long life and she died on May 10, 1941 at the age of 46 years.

****

Ah, the wonderful old cemeteries, silent story tellers I call them.  They are so full of history.  Most everyone one has a story to tell.

Entrance To Mapleview Cemetery

The impressive stone entrance into the Mapleveiw cemetery,

 built in the winter of 1941.

 

In spite of bad weather, a former Marion boy, now a Major in the United States army, succeeded last winter in building a beautiful and lasting entrance to the Marion city cemetery, Mapleview.

The stone is native granite from Missouri, the home state of his mother. (from The Crittenden Press, May 1942)

On the right ride side of the entrance on a square piece of granite imbedded in the 

entrance wall are these unadorned words

 "A Memorial to my Mother, 

Sallie Hunter Hayward."

Mr. E. J. Hayward and family lived in Marion until 1916 when they moved to a farm across the river in Hardin County, Ill.  They didn't stay there long and in 1920 moved to Danville, Ky.  

Mr. Hayward was a prominent business man in Marion and was also very active in local and civil affairs. He is the gentleman that built the beautiful mansion, at the time, of the Hayward House, which is known by local's today as the old hospital.

The family must have loved Marion, for the family, though all died away from Marion, were brought back and buried in the Hayward family plot in Mapleview Cemetery.

Marion Baseball Teams

In the early 1900's baseball was a very popular sport.  There are several pictures of the baseball teams, but most of them are only identified with a last name.  I have tried to find first names for them, but have so far only found a few.

 In this post card pictures is Front row L to R: Butch Taylor, John Grimes, Gray Rochester, and __ Brown.
Middle row: ___ Moore, Bunk Perryman, ___Guess, ____Lamb, and ___Clark
Back row: Paul Gossage, ____Mitchell, Manager Baird, ___Justice and ____ Conley.

In 1919 still going strong and some of the baseball stars of that era were:
Front row: Bradburn Wheeler, Arnold Driskell, Ernest Conyer, Orville Lamb and Floyd Wheeler
Back row: Clifton Crawford, Schley Frazer, Jack Johnstone-Manager, Jimmy Kimsey, and Homer McConnell

The Fohs Family

The Mark E. Fohs family came to Marion and made it their home in 1890.  They were Jewish immigrants from New York.  Mr. Fohs's occupation was a tailor.  In 1894 he had a nice business located on Bellville Street.

From Crittenden Press in 1894

M. E. FOHS

One of the latest additions to Marion's business concerns, and one that is rapidly growing into public favor is M. E. Fohs' tailor shop. The proprietor came here from New York and commenced the business on a small scale. He proved to be a fine tailor and his work gave such general satisfaction that a few customers grew to be many, and now he employs three persons to assist him in the shop. He has an expert cutter, a man who thoroughly understand his business. He has filled his house with the best and latest fabric in the way of cloths and can give as good a suit as can be purchased from the city tailor.

He fits perfectly, guarantees his goods and does straight, honest work in the make up. His suits equally as stylish, fully as well made, and fit as neatly as any suit you can get from Evansville, Louisville, or Paducah tailors, while his prices are below those of the city tailor.

Tailor made suits, or pants cost but little more at the start, than the eastern made store clothes; from the shop always get a fit, and the clothes look better while you are wearing them, last much longer, and in fact are more serviceable in every way; consequently it is much cheaper in the long run to patronize a first-class tailor, such a one as there is in Marion.

Mr. Fohs cordially invites the people of Marion and those of the surrounding country to call at his shop. He will take pleasure in showing his goods and the styles, giving you prices and will convince you that he does a superior grade of work.

He makes the everyday suits for rough wear of cloth and work that have the staying qualities, and they fit and are nice too, he makes the medium suits, and he makes the finest dress suits. If you have not been waring tailor made clothes, drop into his shop on Bellville street and have a chat with him on the subject of clothes, he has permanently located here, wants to make your acquaintance and may be able to tell you something of value.

He lost his successful tailor business in the fire of 1905. 

 After Marion got most of it's business houses built back he was able to open a new store on Main Street, but this time it was a Variety Store known as "The Mine."

Ad from April 1910.

 

One of Mr. Fohs's sons was Julius Fohs who went to school here and later after he became a very successful oil baron out west he donated the money for Marion's Fohs Hall.

Hunt Funeral Home

Marion used to have two funeral homes.  Tucker's Funeral Home on West Bellville Street and Hunt's Funeral Home on N. Walker Street.   

The Hunt funeral home was opened in 1951 by Wilbur and Louise Hunt.   It was owned and operated by Wilbur and Louis until 1976.   It was also their home.

In 1976 Terry and Sandy Gilbert purchased the funeral home. In May of 1981, the Gilberts also purchaed the Tucker Funeral Home from Thomas and Ethel Tucking and they operated both facilities.

In January 1987, the Gilberts announced the closing of the Hunt-Gilbert Funeral home.  In making the decision to close it, they cited increased cost of keeping the second facility opening.  They would expand the Tucker building and it would then be known as Gilbert's Funeral Home. 

In June of 1990 the old Hunt Funeral Home building was torn down. 

Today the Senior Citizens building is located on this lot.