Christmas Greetings From The Past

A visit to Christmas past through the beauty of vintage Christmas Postcards.

All from the early 1900's.  Very different from what we have now.  All beautiful and unique.
                                                                   

Tolu's Touchstone

This past history happened in July 1983.

According to legend around Tolu, if you touch or step on a certain rock - no one seems to know for sure just where or which stone it is - that you will always come back to the small Ohio River town.

But in July 1983 some regularly attending members of the yearly Tolu School Reunion got together and had Henry and Henry Monuments create a real Tolu Touchstone.  

At this time there was a large number of the past school students and teachers who would attend these yearly gatherings at Tolu.  

The simple inscription engraved in the face of the rock, "Welcome Home," meant a lot to some of the Tolu graduates that would come from many places to visit their former friends and classmates from Tolu School.

The stone sits on a masonry foundation built by Darrell Sherer in front of the steps to the former Tolu Methodist Church site across from the old Tolu Bank building on the corner of First Street and Orchard Avenue.

The crowd this day in July 1983 gathered around the stone, some placed pennies on the stone for good luck and in hopes they would be able to return the next years for the reunion. 

When one bystander was asked if he had anything to say, he quietly answered, "Just being here is enough."  

The group slowly  made its way back up toward the school building and everyone stopped and placed their hands on the Touchstone.

Now the legend of Tolu will last as long as the stone itself.

These were wonderful times, all of these early reunion attendees are gone now, and the wonderful rural school closed its doors in 1998 to the so-called sound of progress and the students were then bused to the Elementary and Middle school at Marion. 

The Tolu community still has the annual school reunion in the summertime, I wonder now if any of these later graduates of the school know the history of the "Tolu Touchstone."

Owen School

1st row: Rodney Brown, Rawles Hodge, Eugene Guess, Bruce Hodge, Doyle Polk, Shelly Asbridge, Chastine Maxfield.

2nd row: Mildred Riley, Dorothy Brown, Mary Brown, Teacher- Mr. E. Jeffrey Travis, Billie Polk, Evalee Myers

3rd row: Mildred Hodge, Elma Brown, Georgia Polk, Nina Brown, Anna Simpkins, Margaret Polk, Fannie Simpkins, Kelly Asbridge.

4th row: Donald Kirk, Vernon Maxfield, Leroy Brasher, J. E. Asbridge, Harold Hodge, Raymond Riley.

Owen school was located on S. R. 855 N. from the community of Frances.  It was located on the same place that the Owen Cemetery is now located.

The school's time period in history was the 1800's until 1953 when many of the little one room county schools were closed and consolidated with one larger school, when it closed what few students were left were bused to the Frances Elementary  School. 

Here is parts of an essay written in 1937 by one of the students.  It was shared by Doyle Polk and was written by one of his older sisters that attended school there.

The school house is surrounded by a natural forest on all but one side.  During the hot summer days at the beginning of the school term we have shade on all sides and it is usually pleasant in the school ho use until in the late afternoon.  The noon day sun shines in the front door, and we have a mark on the floor to tell us when it is time to eat.

We are not blessed with drinking water like some schools, but have to carry our water from a spring far down in the field.  But it is fun to go after a bucket of water.

In the winter when it is cold we can run and skate on our slide as we have a pond right in the corner of our school yard.  Sometime we fall while skating, but this in only fun after it quits hurting.

There has been a school here longer than the oldest people can remember.  First it was a log house with puncheon floor, and split log seats, then a boxed house.  Then when Mr. Asel Hodge and Alvery Elder were boys, just big enough to use a hammer and saw, they built a new house, framed, with two windows to a side.  One door in the front and one window in the rear where we watched the squirrels play.  

While our school house is old and small, the water far removed, the desks worn and too few, it is still the dearest place on earth to me.  I may live long and travel far from here, my duties in the future require that I live in other communities, yet the loving friendships formed, the pleasant associations formed, the many truths taught by my teachers, all go to make "Old Owen School" a place I will always remember.

A Crittenden County Tree in Frankfort?

Crittenden Record Press, Sept. 12, 1912.
Every county is to have a different kind of tree set on Capital Square, Nov. 13, Planting Day.

H. S. Hillenmyer and Prof. Harris Garman of Lexington have reported the selection and allotment of trees to be planted on the State Capital grounds by the different counties of Kentucky.  If each county should agree, Kentucky will have a complete arboretum as a beautiful background for the new Capital.

Crittenden's tree is a Sycamore, Caldwell a Sugar Maple, Livingston a White Ash, Lyon's a Cottonwood, Webster a Shell Bark Hickory and Union County a Persimmon.

Nov. 21, 1912 - Crittenden County was well represented at the State arboretum and tree planting at the Capitol Grounds last week, by three trees of the variety chosen, Sycamore.  

Judge Blue, who was present to see the job well done, and reports that all three were planted.

As previously noted in these columns, the trees were donated by John W. Wilson, and were selected and the shipping supervised by J. F. Dodge, who is not a novice in the culture of trees and flowers.

William H. Wallace lent his friendly aid also in helping to dig the trees.

These gentlemen did what they did gratuitously and the trees should be named John, Will and Frank in their honor to ensure them living and doing well.

Communities Of Crittenden County

In September 1961, Crittenden County had a three day Frontier Festival.  It celebrated our county and town.  For this special occasion a little booklet was put together with all kinds of history information about the county, the people and other items of interest.  The following was taken from this booklet.

Communities of Crittenden County

• Mexico.  Mexico was originally called "Annora," but the name was changed to Mexico when the post office was established on January 13, 1906, with John A. Myers as the Postmaster.
• Crayne. Crayne was once called "Crayneville".  The first Postmaster was Lee Cruce, and he was appointed on January 12, 1886.  Dow Husbands settled his hardy band of pioneers near Crayne over 200 years ago.
• Sheridan.  The Post Office at Sheridan was first established on April 13, 1880, and called "Amplias."  The first Postmaster was William E. Weldon.
• Tolu.  The whole section of the county around Tolu was known as Hurricane in the beginning.  The post office was located at the mouth of Hurricane Creek on the Ohio.  When the post office washed down the river in the flood of 1884, the government set up a new post office in the little settlement about one-half mile from the river, where there was located a general stone.  The general store was selling a very popular patent medicine made from the South American Tolu tree.  This medicine was good for man and beast alike.  Especially for man as a whiskey base it was very pleasing to man's taste.  It was suggested the new post office be named Tolu, so it was.
• Frances.  Frances, lies about ten miles South of Marion.  In its early days it was known as "Needmore," starting up at a crossroad with a general store and a Post Office.  Early settlers laughingly thought this a good name because it needed more of everything.  Around 1886 Marion, a young lad, suggested naming the village after President Grover Cleveland's wife, Frances.
• Dycusburg.  In about the year of 1835 a Mr. Shelby opened the first ferry here on the Cumberland River.  Then came Mr. Berry Dycus who built a warehouse.  From then on Dycusburg was the shipping point for the towns for miles around.   The first fluorspar that was ever shipped in Crittenden  County was put in barrels and shipped by river from Dycusburg.
• Shady Grove.  Shady Grove is located in the Eastern part of Crittenden County and bordered by Webster and Caldwell County lines.  It was founded in the early 1800's and incorporated in 1904 with Dennie Hubbard as City Judge and John A. Moore as Attorney.
• Marion.  Marion, the county seat of Crittenden County, was named for General Francis Marion of Revolutionary fame.  It was incorporated in 1844, and is located in a valley near the center of the county.  It is bounded on three sides by rivers, on the northwest by the great Ohio, on the southwest by the Cumberland, and on the northeast by the Tradewater. 

Marion Businesses Grow After The Civil War

After the cooling down of the hostile passions brought on by the unnatural war between brothers, like most of its Kentucky neighbors, Marion suffered a term of reconstruction as harsh as most Southern States. It was difficult to get the town re-organized and everyone working together again so their town could grow and prosper once again as it was beginning to do before the war.

 

Although the State remained in the Union during the war, Western Kentucky was considered as rebellious territory by the U. S. Government. Even though this period of control was closely followed by the lean economic times of the 1870's, Marion “beat the odds” by laying the basic foundation of her presently very healthy industrial and mercantile situation.

The Civil War left only a burned court house and a military grave marker to remind Marion that hostilities had occurred, yet the young town actually suffered much more from the war than did the battleground areas. For Western Kentucky was a sort of “No man's land” - distrusted by the North as rebellious territory, and yet considered “Yankee” by the ex-Confederates.

Together with the bitterness that prevailed, local affairs among the yet divided citizenry of Marion for several years after the end of the shooting, and the economic recession which followed the wartime inflation in the 1870's, made the necessary industrial development of Marion difficult.

When the regular city government assumed control of Marion in 1867, Aaron S. Threlkeld and John W. Blue were elected to fill the vacancies on the Board of Trustees and E. H. Perkins was appointed City Marshall.

In the April 1870 election, Jorden G. Hoover was elected police judge; T. L. K. Dickerson, marshal; James E. Black, assessor; David Woods, Clerk and John W. Blue, John Cameron, John N. Woods, Aaron S. Threlkeld and Berry S. Young as Trustees. 

On July 28, 1870, a preamble and resolution was adopted setting forth that the peace and good order of the town on Monday, the day of the election, depended on the sobriety of the citizens, and therefore the saloon and hotel keepers and druggists are requested to suspend the sale of liquor on that day.

In 1868 the Marion School Association was formed and the City trustees leveled an advalorem 1% tax and allowed David Woods $85.00 for what is now East Carlisle Street, in preparation to build a new school. 

Always interested in the education of her children and young people the citizens of Marion soon started work on getting an Academy. On February 19, 1869, the Marion Association was granted a State charter and built a $1,700 brick and frame, two story building on what is now the old Marion Jr. High School campus, and officially began the Marion Male and Female Academy.

In January 1869, James W. Bigham, a noted Methodist preacher, was appointed town attorney. W. S. Carnahan was appointed town marshal. At the same meeting Wm. Hughes was allowed the price of his tavern license for filling a large mud hole in the center of town. This license carried with it the privilege of selling ardent spirits by the drink.

Because of the fear of the Confederate raids during the war and of outlaw robbery after it, stagecoach connections were not established with Marion until 1870. Nathaniel B. Douglas ran the first stage coach tavern, called White Tavern, until it was destroyed by fire in 1876. (It was located where the Marion Fire Station is today). Nathaniel Douglas died in 1877 and is buried in the Old Marion Cemetery.

The first real industrial concern in town was the Marion Tannery, a white oak bark-cold water manufacturer of leather and leather products. It was commenced by Wm. D. Haynes and Company in1869 on a ten acre tract which now includes the site of Conrad's parking lot and store building. There was a large spring located near by that was needed to run the tannery.

Also there were no banks established in Marion at this time, but there were several merchants doing business. Alonzo C. Gilbert had a saddlery and harness establishment, D. N. Stinson ran a mercantile store in the Masonic building, A. S. Hodge has a grocery store, Meyer and Ullman ran a grocery in the old long brick building that stood on the present site of the people bank. Mr. Perkins, ran a book store. These merchants carried general stocks, groceries and a few handled liquors. There was also the Marion Hotel called the Brick Tavern and the White Tavern. J. W. Adams conducted the only blacksmith shop in town, it was located on W. Bellville Street. 

In 1897 Marion adopted its present form of city government. Dr. Robert Love Moore was the first Mayor.

***

Many of these pioneer citizens and business men spoken of in this article, are buried in the old Marion Cemetery.

Mapleview Cemetery, once know as the John Lamb Cemetery

The land was first owned by John Lamb.  He had it platted for graveyard purposes and recorded the plat on April 1, 1893, in Deed Book 1, page 279 in the Crittenden County Court House.  

J. B. Kevil suppose to have prepared the plat for Lamb and was involved in a change of its ownership.

On August 23, 1893, a deed was recorded, whereby John Lamb and his wife, A. A. Lamb, conveyed the cemetery to R. W. Wilson and J. B. Kevil with the exception of certain specified lots; these evidently had already been sold or committeed to various individuals.  John Lamb was to be responsibile for laying out th ecemetery and for building and maintaining its road.  He was permitted to make use of the undeveloped acreage but not for the purpose of grazing livestock. 

John Lamb died almost a year later on Sept. 1894 and was buried in his plot in the new cemetery.

His obituary from the Crittenden Press. Sept. 13, 1894.  John Lamb died at his residence in Marion, Friday, Sept. 7, 1894, after several months illness of consumption.

He was born in the Bells Mines neighborhood, June 18, 1829.  His father was David Lamb, who was born in North Carolina in 1801, and his mother was Mary Ann Price Lamb. 

 In 1807 the family came west, crossing the Ohio at the falls; then a settlement was made in Indiana.  In 1820 David Lamb left this settlement and traveled on to Kentucky and settled, in what later be Crittenden County.

He was married to Miss Almedia A. Phillips.  As a fruit of this marriage, four children was born, one of whom died in early childhood; and three were at his bedside when he died.  They are Rev. J. Reed Lamb of California, Pa., A. U. Lamb, of this place and Mrs Mollie Travis of Princeton, Ky.

Crittenden County Review by The Evansville Press in April 1930

This interesting article about Marion and Crittenden County was published in the Evansville Courier and Journal, in April 1930.

Marion, Ky.  What peculiar properties of greatness does the city of Marion hold?

A strange question, and an unanswerable one.  But this little city of 2,100 inhabitants has brought forth three men who have written their names on the pages of United States history.

Ollie M. James one of the most brilliant orators and certainly one of the greatest figures in Kentucky history, became United States senator.

W. J. Deboe, also a United States senator from Kentucky, claimed Marion as his home.

Oklahoma's second governor, Lee Cruce, was Marion born and reared.

The homes of both Senators James and Deboe still stand in this city, directly opposite each other at the same street intersection on East Depot Street.   The bodies of both lay in the Marion cemetery.

Center of Mining

Marion, the county seat of Crittenden County lies in a section of the most scenic beauty in western Kentucky.  All about are sweeping hills that break the monotony of the broad plain common to this section of the state.

The city was named for Gen. Francis Marion, Revolutionary war hero.

Marion is the center of a rich mining industry, lying in the midst of one of the only two fluorspar districts in the United States of any consequence.  Consequently Marion is the headquarters for several companies engaged in this industry.

In four counties in the country is most of the fluorspar produced.  Crittenden and Livingston counties in Kentucky and Pope and Hardin counties in Illinois. 

Among the companies operating in the Crittenden county field are the Franklin, a subsidiary of the Aluminum  Corporation of America; the Lafayette, a subsidiary of the United Sates Steel corporation; the Holly, controlled by Cincinnati capitalists; the Eagle, under control of Wheeling W. Va.; capitalists; the Independent, Gugenheim; and Kentucky Fluorspar companies, privately owned and developed.  The mines normally employ about 1,000 men.

The first mining in this county was done under General Andrew Jackson, later president of the United States, who operated lead mines where the fluorspar now is being mined.  Lead now is a by-product.

Buzzard Roost School - Lost in Time

Buzzard Roost

 

The school of Buzzard Roost was located a little north of Pigeon Roost Creek in the southeastern part of Crittenden County. The school was located on the Henry Brantley farm off of Fish Trap Road and the Barthel Crowell Road. There were no census records of this school, either they weren't taken, or they somehow got lost over the years.

The log school building had one room and a huge fireplace in which logs were burned. The building had a roof of boards which were made by hand and the doors were also handmade.

Benches for the children were made by splitting a log in half and trimming some of the splinters off the flat side. Round pegs were driven in holes for legs and to support the bench. 

There were no desks on which to put writing material, which was only a slate in a wooden frame. The slates also served as a blackboard. Blackboards were unheard of at that time, as were tablets, notebooks and paper.

School lunches were cold, fixed by mothers at home, and placed in a tin pail or small basket. Lunch was usually wrapped in an old newspaper, after we began having one newspaper each week. Ants also enjoyed our lunches with us. Drinks were water or a bottle of milk brought from home. There was no running water, only what was in branches nearby.

Bathrooms were also unheard of in our area but woods were always a refuge. Children walked through rain, snow, ice and sometimes a distance of one to three miles. 

A few of the children who attended Buzzard Roost were from the families of Hugh Givens, John Tosh, Henry Brantley, Hugh McKee, Evans Crowell, James Edward Crowell, Bob Edwards, Cebe Canada, Bird Ashley, Field Brantley, William Chandler, Marian Clark and John Price.

Some of the teachers were John A. Reynolds, Rev. W.C.M. Travis, Jimmie Canada, Rev. James F. Price and James Harvey Travis.

Prospect School of Long Ago

One of the old one room schools that not much history is known about was the Prospect school.  This school was located in the Cave Spring are of the county.

Prospect school set nestled up next to the wooded bluff in the Cave Spring-Nunn Switch area of the county.

It was located off of the Nunn Switch Road and the Chappell Rd.

The children like to play on the rocky bluffs that were located behind the school during play time.

The earliest record found for the school was the year 1891 and Sarah Carmen was given as the name of the teacher.

Schools in the early days were of short duration, having only three months in the fall, usually beginning about October and continuing until the end of December.  Sometimes in the spring there was a term of six weeks.  Parents needed their children at home during the spring and summer months to help with all the farm work.

There was running water in a little branch on each side of the school yard.  Drinking water was brought from the branch to the school each day.

During lunch hour in the fall of the year children would gather huckleberries, persimmons, hickory nuts and walnuts.  The small girls liked to find a big flat rock and gather moss to cover it.  That would be their sofa.  they would break a bushy limb from a large bush for a broom to sweep off a place around the sofa for a room or playhouse.  

Many programs were given on the last day of school.  Children and parents always looked forward to that time.  Parents would bring big boxes and baskets of food to be served at the noon hour, and several short programs were given by the students to show what they had learned during their school term.  

Some of the teachers were Rev. James f. Price, Rev. W.C.M. Travis, E. Jeffrey Travis, Jimmie Canada, and Mana Crowell Little.

Some Interesting Facts about Crittenden County, KY

The county was formed in 1842, taken from Livingston County. 

The county is named for John J. Crittenden, one of Kentucky's most famous U. S. Senators of all time (1848-60).  

Marion was named for Gen. Francis Marion, the famous "Swamp Fox" of the Revolutionary War.

The area has an abundance of pioneer and Indian history.

The Chickasaw Road, part of the old Saline Trace used by Indians in pursuit of herds of buffalo, deer and elk, ran across the northern part of the county.

These large game animals crossed the Ohio River here to the salt licks in Illinois.  The trail crossing here became an important route of migration and commerce when Flynn's Ferry was established on the site in 1803.

The county's mining history goes back to around 1815, when Andrew Jackson organized a prospecting venture to hunt for silver ore in the area.

Small quantities of silver were found in the lead sulfide, too small for the cost of mining so Jackson disposed of the large tracts of land he had acquired.

Many years later Andrew Jackson Jr. built one of the first iron furnaces in the area, near Hurricane church off of  Hwy 135.

Near Dycusburg are the ruins of another pioneer iron furnace, the last of several iron works operated by the Cobb and Lyon families who came to the area when Jackson told them about the ore deposits.

The history of these furnaces parallels that of the other early iron-making ventures in Kentucky, which lasted from around 1792 to 1865.

William Hughes at Pilot Knob Cemetery

Crittenden  Press Aug. 29, 1918 -  Large Monument at Pilot Knob

A large monument has just been erected at the burying plot of Wm. Hughes and family at Pilot Knob Cemetery.

The  monument is made from the famous Bleaching Stone, nicely carved and is beautiful.

The individual graves on the lot are marked with a nice grave marker.

W. U. Hughes, of this county, and his brothers purchased this work from Henry & Henry.

Crittenden Press, March 15, 1917

William Hughes died at Paducah at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. W. Hamby, Tuesday night at 12 o'clock.  The remains arrived at Marion at 3 o'clock Wednesday and were taken to the home of his nieces Mesdames A. M. Henry and H. V. Joiner on Depot Street.

The funeral will be preached this morning at the residence and the interment will follow at Pilot Knob graveyard where his wife and daughter and ancestors are buried.

The deceased was 75 years of age and had been ill of pneumonia only three days.

He is survived by two daughters, Mesdames Robt. Gibbs of Caldwell Springs and Jesse W. Hamby of Paduch, and four sons, W. U. of Rodney, C. H. and F. E. of Jackson Micnh., and D. G. , of Olney Ill.

His wife, Annie Gilbert died 15 yeears ago and 5 years ago he lost a beautiful daughter, Carrie.

Also surviving are two sisters Mesdames Charles Sherrell of Stephensville, Texas, and Ellen Bigham, widow of the late J. W. Bigham of Gainesville, Fla, and one brother, Lee of Stephensville, Texas.

He was a charter member of the 1st Baptist church of this city.

The History of the Village of Fishtrap

Fishtrap was located in the area on Hwy. 132 on the Crittenden County side of Tradewater River.  The Enon church sat upon the hill near the village. 

The name was derived from the fact that people took nets and put them in the Tradewater River to catch fish. At this time period the river was navigational for quite some distance up stream from the Ohio River by row boat. 

Just when the village became known as Fishtrap has been lost to history, but there were two general stores there at one time, where they sold everything from ten penny nails to material for ladies to make their dresses, coal oil for lamps (kerosene) that people used following the end of the candle era. One of the stores was owned by Nace Prow, and run by his wife and daughters, Inez, Ruby, Grace, Crystal and son Thomas. 

There was also a sawmill not far from Fishtrap. There were roads running east and west through this tiny village and one north and south. The business section was on the east-west roadway. There was a ferry run by Mr. James "Bud" Little family and they lived on the east-west roadway. 

The memory of any place great or small is made important because of its people, so we must begin with the residents. Upon a hill overlooking the village of Fishtrap was James Titherington and wife, Fannie H. 

On the same hill looking down at the village was the home of Wesley M. Babb and his wife, Margaret and son, Roscoe, and daughters, Dora and Iva.

Mrs. Harriet Towery, widow of Samuel Towery, and daughters, Mary and Margaret lived by the side of the road just north of Enon General Baptist Church, which was east of the road. 

Other people and families who were considered part of the area of Fishtrap were: Edward G. Powell, with his wife Mary V. and their children; Charlie, Rosa E., John, and brothers Robert H., Walter R. and Thomas E. Powell. 

More familes were – Daniel S. Babb and wife Rebecca (Brantley) and daughter, Ettie.

John R. Towery and wife Susan (Ford). Susan was the first wife of Henry Bern Simpson and they had children, Henry and Susan Simpson. Henry Bern and Susan were the grandparents of Eugene Simpson. Ewell and Susan (Martin) Little and their children, Oscar, Ercie and Linnie.

Doctor Jacob Martin and his second wife, Mattie Hubbard (his first wife was Margaret McDowell) lived near Red Top School. 

John Walter and Dollie "Byrd" Martin and their sons- Lacy, Vernis, Amos, Robert and William and daughters, Stella, Lossie and Sadie. George Martin and wife Laura E. (Canada), and their daughter Vicie L. and son Joseph E. 

John Walter Martin lived on the road down to the river where in summer when the water was low people forded the river. Just above this place was a deeper place in the river where the Enon Church baptized people upon joining the church.

Sarah Wood, known as "Aunt Sallie" and her sons, David and Thomas Wood.

Milton Woodall and his wife, Laura B. (Wood), with son Robert G. and daughters Carol, Marie and Shirley. 

There was James Franklin O'Neal, known as Uncle Frank and his wife Mary.

Abednego and Isabelle Martin Morrow lived at the top of the hill from Enon Church with their family, which included - Sarah E. Morrow who married Thomas Wood, Thomas Morrow who married Leatha Brown, Samuel Morrow who married Mary Ruth Stephens and John Walter Morrow who married Zelma Brown Fox. John Walter and Zelma had no children but raised her children, Evelyn and Harry Fox. Katherine Morrow, who married Sylvester Reel, (he came here as overseer of the building of the new iron bridge), they became one of the store owners at Fishtrap about 1924, George Lewis Morrow who married Josie Creasy, Alman Remus Morrow, who married Edna Martin, and Jacob Demetrius Morrow who married Opal Duke and became a Methodist Preacher. Abednego Morrow was the sexton and care taken of Enon Church later in life.

Ben Price and family lived there just south of the Abednego Morrow family.

All the people did not live in the village, but were considered part of the Fishtrap community. 

(This history was written by Sybil Morrow Hunt)

Crittenden County Historic Items from 1951

You never know what you will find while looking through old discarded magazines from years ago.  

Some interested facts about Marion that were found in an old Kentucky Treasurer Trails Guide - 1951.     These homes were written about in the magazine.  

Old Buildings - (most gone now for many years)

The Dean Home, located on Old Ford's Ferry Road was constructed in 1826 by Alexander Dean.  (This beautiful old home burnt to the ground in 1981)

The Flanary Home - 317 W. Bellville St.  Constructed in 1877 by John W. blue, Sr.  A fine example of Victorian architecture featuring lavish gingerbread trim and a steamboat Gothic front porch.  (This one of a kind home has been gone now for several years and a new home sits on this location.)

 Known as the Kykendall Home in 1951, located at 217 W. Bellville St.  Constructed in 1868.  (Today this home is well cared for and is the office of our County Attorney, Rebecca Johnson.  This picture made in 1988, some changed have been made to the front entrance.)

The Tucker Home, located at 117 W. Bellville St.  Constructed 1870 by Judge Thomas J. Nunn.  (Today this home if well cared for and is the home of Tommy and Mary Tabor.)

Senator Ollie M. James House, 204 East Depot St.  Was the home of the former u. S. Kentucky Senator Ollie M. James.  (This home is well cared for today by Robert M. Jenkins.)

The Nichols Home, located on Moore Street.  Constructed by Ed Dowell, county sheriff at one time in the early days of Marion.   Mr. Dowell made the brick used to build the home in the back lot.  (This beautiful old  home  has been gone for many years.  Today Crittenden County's Nursing Home sits of the lot where this home once sat.  For many years during the 50's and 60's, Curry Nichols lived here.  He was a well known photographer and he made all the Senior picture for the Crittenden County High School, plus baby and family photos also.)

Remembering The History of Shady Grove

I have written several posts about the community of Shady Grove and what a busy town it was many years ago.  You never know when something new will surface that tells more history of this little community.  Recently a former Shady Grove resident, Mona Ricks Ferrell, shared some of her pictures.  One I found really fascinating was the following photo of Isaac Zachary's Photography Studio. 

In 1915 Zachary's Photo Studio was located on the left side of the road, across from the cemetery.  Located next to the photography shop was Tom Land's Barbara Shop.

Mr. Zachary was a single man, and lived in Shady Grove area until his death Sept. 29, 1942.  He died in Providence, Ky., was brought back and according to his Death Certificate was buried in the Hood Cemetery.  The sad ending is that he has no tombstone to mark his grave, and without this knowledge he isn't even listed in our Cemetery Book, Volume II.  

But through his wonderful pictures, several historical groups and locations are  preserved by these pictures.  How many other of our communities can boast that it once had it's own Photography Studio at this early time.?  

One of Mr. Zachary's historical photographs was on the Shady Grove Concert Band.

Mrs. Nadine Sigler Horning, a Shady Grove Resident, and who is now 95 years old, shared this wonderful picture with me.  Made in the early 1900's.

She even has identified the band members.  How wonderful.

L to R:  Front row: Spaulding Ringo, Davis Hollowell, Garett Towery, Clarence Sipes, and Will Sigler (Nadine's father).

Back row: Mr. Travis, first name not known,  band instructor, Richard McDowell, Ira McDowell, J. Brown, Ross Fox and Sheck Birchfield. 

Forest Grove School, Only Memories Remain

A building was built for Forest Grove School in 1893.  It was located near the Cave-In-Rock Road, or today State Rd. 91.  The new building was built on an acre lot and was funded by the state with the help of the patrons.

After the building was completed, Tom Akers furnished the maple saplings and a very beautiful yard was built around the school house.  The Aker family lived in the Forest Grove community.

The schoolhouse was also used for Sunday School through the summer months, and there would be preaching occasionally.  

There was also a Literary Society that met in the school building every other Friday night.

The patrons of this Forest Grove School were the families of Bracey, Williams, Heaths, Shuberts, Akers, Paris, Milligans, Terry's Robinson's, Fritts and many other.

The first teachers of the new school were, Edgar Bozeman, Sid Moore, Karl Flanary, Emma Terry, George Conditt and Maude Gill.  The last one to teach was George Wofford.

Textbooks were McGuffy's reader and speller, Rays arithmetic, geography and physiology.

After the school districts were consolidated and school wasn't held here anymore, the Forest Grove School house was used for family reunions, and church gatherings.

The last year for the Forest Grove School was 1958.  The building was torn down in 1985 by Duke Hodge who then owned the property.  

In those days before it was closed and torn down, it was a nice place to stop and rest if you were coming from Illinois and going to Marion.  Many people used it for a picnic area as it was a nice cool place to stop with all the shape trees and nice yard. 

That's all gone now, it just an over-grown lot that usually has hay stored on it or is grown up with weeds and grass.  A part of our forgotten passages of time.

A Vist to Marion's past through Post Cards

Picture postcards from long ago, in their own special way,  have helped preserve our past history. 

Here are a just a few that tell of some of Marion's past history.

One of the older ones shows a picture of South Main Street.  The house on the left is the Wm. Barnett home built in 1911.   It is still there today, but the color is now gray. Today on the left of it would be Belt's auction realty and then Tabor's service repair station.

County Court Day in Marion was always a big day in the early 1900's.   Not just the monthly court meeting day, but a day of shopping and making a visit to Jockey lot, where mules and other farm animals were on hand for trading or buying, also many other farm and food items.  It was a big day for the merchants of Marion also, as with the large number of people in town, their stores would be busy all day. 

 

 This old post card gives us a glimpse of all the people that would be in town on County Court Day.  This picture would have been made on West Bellville St.  The building the men are on the porch and in the windows was the old Western Auto Store.   

Always heard of the big loads of lead and zinc that was located in the mines around Marion?  Especially in the Crittenden Springs area, as the Columbia Mines.  This picture made in 1902 shows a large number of loaded wagons being brought into Marion to be taken to the depot for unloading.  Such a wonderful post card as you can see the Farmers Bank on the left, and the Court House and Clerk's building a little farther down.  

 

Marion was as it's finest during these times.  Soon in a few years, 1905, the store on the right would all be burnt down in the great fire. 

 

This post card says "A Fourth of July Scene in Marion, KY."  It appears that the "blimp" may be what is popularly called an "exaggeration postcard" at the turn of the century.  The scene originally was a Fourth of July celebration that was turned into a more exciting event by an enterprising postcard publisher who superimposed "exaggerated" details for added interest and sales.

Some of the building on the right look somewhat familiar from other old pictures, but I haven't placed it for sure if this was is Marion, just exactly where it was made. 

Early Churches

This interesting article about some of Marion's early churches was published in a special edition of The Crittenden Press on April 24, 1958.  

Churches came into Crittenden County as fast as the settlers came, many times a church was organized in a home of a devout Christian  and continued to meet there until the membership was able to have their own building.

In 1797 Rev. Terah Templin helped to organize the First Presbyterian Church in Old Centerville.  This church lived only so long as the town existed.

In the year 1803 the Rev. Wm. Dickey organized the Bethany Presbyterian Church, which was more commonly called "The Old Log Cabin Church" on Crooked Creek at Cross Keys, and it is back to this church that the First Presbyterian Church of Marion traces its history.

When the County Seat was moved to Marion, this church with all of its membership also moved.  

Their first building was erected in what is now known as the Old Cemetery on the South side of town.  In 1854 this church organized the first Sunday School in the county. 

 The location of the church has changed several times since, but in 1881 it was moved to its present location on the corner of Bellville and College Street in Marion.

Possible the oldest Baptist Church in the county with a continuous record in the Union Baptist, which is a branch of the "Old Salem" Church and met in the Fulkerson home until they could build in 1810, and in 1812 Union Church joined the Little River Association of  United Baptist.

Another Baptist church was established at Deer Creek in 1823.  Since that date the Baptists have grown rapidly in membership.

The earliest Methodist records take us back to the 1830's when a Circuit was formed with Caldwell and Livingston Counties, included: Princeton, Hurricane, Salem and Tolu forming the circuit.

In 1853 there were 47 names listed as being members of the Marion Methodist Church.  In 1873 their first building was erected in Marion on Salem St., which is now West Bellville.  This was a frame building and was destroyed by a storm in 1890 but was soon replaced with a brick structure which is still standing and at present is being used by the Christian Church.

In 1910 the Methodists purchased a lot on the corner of College and Carlisle Streets and built a new church, which is still in use and in 1954 an Education Building was added.

July 1953 - New Drive-In Theatre To Open In Marion.

Yes, Marion and Crittenden County was to have their own drive-in theatre.  It would be a great convenience to everyone that before had to drive to Princeton, Morganfield or Paducah to see a drive-in movie.  It was to be located on U. S. 60 West about 1/4 from the city limits of Marion.  It would be built to accommodate 300 cars.

The owners and managers of the new drive-in theatre were Dr. J. J. Rosentihal, B. G. Moore and Tom Simmons.  

The Drive-In would also operate a Snack Bar for the pleasure and convenience of its patrons.  Popcorn, hot dogs, soft drinks, ice cream, candy, cigarettes and various other items and confections would be featured and sold there.

The picture billed as the opening attraction would be "Bronco Buster."  This technicolor picture would be shown on Thursday and Friday nights.

I don't know the date that Mr. Harry Gass and his wife Frankie purchased the Drive-in.  But they, with their son, Trent, operated the Drive-In-Theater for several years.    During this time, the Kentucky theater would close for the summer months and they would open the Drive-in for the summer.  

I'm not exactly sure of the date when the Gass family closed the Marion Drive-in, but the last advertisement for the drive-in was in the October 9, 1986 Crittenden Press.  The movie Back To School, starring Rodney Dangerfiled was to play Oct. 10, 11, and 12.  

In April of 1988, a young man, Scott Zimmerman, 21, from Denver Colorado, moved to Marion just so he could purchased the abandoned Drive-In and re-open it.  Owning and running a drive-in was a life-long dream of his.

But by August of that same year,Scott reported that his dream of owning a drive-in was turning into a nightmare.  People just wouldn't come to the movies, night after night only a few cars would be there.  He tried everything he knew to get people interested in coming back for the nightly movies.  Single feature, double feature, nothing he tried worked to bring in the people.

Like so many things that were once popular, people had just lost interest in going to a drive-in movie.  By 1992 it was closed and some years later the once popular huge outdoor screen,  was becoming dilapidated and would soon be torn down.

Another part of our past history was now to be in the forgotten passages of time.

Crittenden County Treasure Trails - 1951

Some interesting facts published about our Crittenden County in 1951, taken from "Kentucky Treasure Trails."  Although some facts have changed, it's still interesting to read the way we were in 1951.

In the early 1840's Marion was a booming town with a strong economy based on the largest metallurgical fluorspar mine and plant in the United States.   

The community of Ford's Ferry is across the Ohio River from the well-known robber's den, "Cave-In-Rock," on the Illinois shore.  In the early nineteenth century this cave was the headquarters of a vicious band of river pirates who terrorized flatboat travelers as they passed this great bend in the river.

Today, (1951), two important factors contribute to the success of Crittenden County:  first, the millions of tons of high grade sandstone and limestone in the area, and secondly, the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tradewater Rivers on the county's boundaries.

Old Buildings:

• The Cruce Home - Marion, Princeton Rd. US-641 S.  Built in the early 1800's, by Presley Cruce.  The 3 front rooms are of logs.   (Still standing today, a family residence.)
  
• The Dean Home - Old Ford's Ferry Rd.  Constructed in 1826 by Alexander Dean.  (This old 2-story home burnt in 1981)
•  Shewmaker Home, Old Ford's Ferry Rd.  Constructed in 1888 by Peter Shewmaker.  (Still standing and owned by Shewmaker descendants today.)
• The Flanary Home - 317 W. Bellville St.  Constructed in 1877 by John W. Blue, Sr.  A fine example of Victorian architecture featuring lavish gingerbread trim and a steamboat Gothic front porch.  (This beautiful home has since been torn down and a new modern home built in it's place by Virgil and Linda Cook.)
• Kykendall Home, 217 W. Bellville St. Constructed in 1868.  (Still standing today.)
• Tucker Homer, 117 W. Bellville St.  Constructed in 1879 by Judge Thomas J. Nunn. ( Still a beautiful home today, owned and lived in by Tommy and Mary Tabor.)
• Senator Ollie M. James House, 204 E. Depot St.  Constructed in early 1800.  Was the home of the former U. S. Kentucky Senator Ollie M. James.  (Still standing in good condition thanks to it's present owner, Robert Marshall Jenkins.)
• Dycus Home, Dycusburg, overlooking the Cumberland River.  Constructed in 1857 by Thephis Cooksey.  (Still standing today, a beautiful old home)

Beer Sold In Marion Restrauants 1933-1936

March 1933 the sale of beer was legal in Kentucky.  Marion had a few restaurants that sold beer

Marion City Council didn't intend for the beverage to be very cheap to sell, as they placed retail license at $20.00; Wholesale License at $30.00.  

The council also ordained that the wholesale tax for the city should be $30.00 and that any retailer or wholesaler that should distribute beer without obtaining a license should be fined $15.00

Orme Drug Company was the first business to request a license in April of 1933.  

In July 1936 the prohibition forces of the county had been busy circulating a petition for the purpose of calling an election to decide whether intoxicating liquors would legally be sold within its boundary.

The petition, containing the names and post office addresses of 1,967 legal voters of Crittenden County was on file at the County Judge's office.

September 1936.  Crittenden county voted for local option Saturday by a vote of 1,705 as compared to 398 in favor of wines, liquor and beer.  The totals surprised the most ardent drys as several leaders had previously expressed themselves as confident of victory, but not to the extent to which the final returns showed. 

Marion's New Buthcer Shop, June 2018

Meat Markets

What is so interesting about this new business is that Marion hasn't had a butcher shop or meat market since 1926, a store that just sold fresh meat.

Here is a little history of early meat markets in Marion.

1881 -   T. C. Williams was the town Butcher 

 

1900  -Two butchers listed as having a store in Marion were J. W. Givens and Thomas White

1924 –  J. R. Sowders had a meat market on Carlisle St. (on the corner next to the alley)

1926 Meat Markets –  A. W. Jones, at his location on Carlisle Street is conducting an up-to-date meat market. Mr. Jones only recently came to Marion from Eddyville, where he was editor of the Lyon County Herald. One section of his place of business is occupied with a lunch stand, specializing in lunches for school children. 

Morris & Son Grocery on Main St. (where City Drug Store was) had a meat market in their grocery store.

Happy 100th Birthday To Marion Post Office, June 2018

 Marion Post Office (on the right) from 1905 until 1918 when the new one was built and finished. 

In 1912 an article in The Crittenden Press tells the public that the present Marion Post Office on East Carlisle Street that the once capable building had become too small and was cramped for space with the immense volume of business that passes through it each day.   

Recently a petition was presented to Congressman Ollie M. James asking him to present a bill in Congress before he steps up higher, asking the government to build a federal building here. Mr. James will do so and assured his petitioner that he would leave no stone unturned to accomplish the wishes of his home city.

Although it took several years, a notice in 1917 was sent from Senator Ollie M. James to Mr. S. M. Jenkins, that bids for the construction of Marion’s new federal building would be opened on March 15, 1917. 

Thank to Crittenden County's own Senator Ollie M. James, Marion was to have her new Post Office building at last. The location was chosen, when was not too far from the old building, on the corner of Carlisle and College Street across from the Marion Graded School.

 In July of 1917 construction was well underway with the foundation in place. The building was completed in June of 1918 and was ready to open for business. 

Recently Postmaster, Rhonda Hunt gave me a tour of the post office.  In the basement were blueprints from when the building was being constructed in 1917-1918.  They were still in good condition.  She plans to have them organized and placed on a table.

Postmaster Hunt is only the second woman to ever  hold this Marion Postmaster position.  The first was Barbara Centers Gard from Sept. 1980-April 1983.  Through the years there have been several women Officer-In-Charge, but not Postmaster.

A Visit To Old Colon School

 Picture made in the 1970's by Braxton McDonald, as he gathered pictures of as many of the old school houses that were still standing, and also information to preserve the early school days of Crittenden County.  What a wonderful thing for him to do.

The school of Colon was located off the Crittenden Springs Road on the left, just before you get to the intersection of S. R. 135 that goes to Tolu.

In Nov. 1887 a deed from Job Truit and his wife Annie, for ten dollars was made to Trustees of school district of Colon, #18.  Trustees were W. S. Lucas, S. G. Lee, and B. M. George, for one acre of land for a school house.  After the school is no longer in use it goes back to Truitt. (Deed Book W, page 41, Crittenden County Clerk's office.

The school district took in a large area with some children walking across fields for three or four miles.

As with many of the little one room schools scattered across the county, there was a well located close to the school house.   the well usually went dry in the late summer and fall, and the older boys would take turns walking to Colon Spring a half-mile away to get a bucket of water.  Usually by the time they arrived back to school the water was hot and after each child took a drink from the dipper, the bucket would be empty.  

Some of the names of children who attended Colon were, Bateman, Bebout, Belt, Brazell, Croft, Easley, Dalton, Fritts, Kirk, Lucas, Maynard, Phillips, Winders, Weldon, Stallion, Wofford, Lynch, McDaniel, Moore, McKinney and Workman.

The school closed in 1948 and students were sent to Tolu.  The old building has long since been torn down in the 70's, there is nothing left to show the Colon school was ever there but the foundation of the old well that would run dry in the summer months.

Arminta "Mina" Wheeler, Crittenden's First Woman Superintendent

Arminta "Mina" Wheeler, one of Crittenden County's Finest

Miss Wheeler, superintendent of Crittenden County Schools from 1894 to 1901, is pictured when she retired.  The county was sad to see her leave the position, for she was a very popular superintendent and served her county well.

 Crittenden Press of October 1893 tells her story.

Crittenden is one of the few counties in the state that has broken away from the old idea that the offices were created for the men and men only. 

At the last November election Miss Mina Wheeler defeated George W. Perry for School Superintendent by one vote, after one of the most remarkable campaigns in the history of the county.

Miss Wheeler is a native of the county. 

 She educated herself and at the time of her election was one of the best teachers in the county. Her friends who had knowledge to this, solicited her to become a candidate, and she at last consented, and created more real genuine enthusiasm among the people than any other person who ever asked for office in the county. 

She made a number of public addresses of an educational nature and the people, learning that she was thoroughly competent and was deeply interested in the schools of her native county, rallied to her support. 

At first there were those who would not vote for a woman, but when they met Miss Wheeler or heard her addresses their prejudice vanished, and when the election came on and the vote was counted, and she had a majority of two, her opponent contested the election. 

After hearing the contest the board gave her a certificate of election, and declared that she was elected by one majority. She will enter upon the duties of the office next Monday, and Crittenden would not exchange her Superintendent for any other state. 

*******************

Miss Wheeler served her 4 year term 1894-1898 and was elected again for another 4 year term, 1898-1901. She won over John B. Paris by 21 votes. She was a very popular Superintendent and served her county well. She retired at the end of her term in January 1901. 

 Miss Armina Jane Wheeler was the daughter of Isaac and Nancy Elvira Crider Wheeler. She was born April 6, 1861. 

After she retired in January of 1901, she went to Indian Territory in Oklahoma where she once again took up her previous occupation as a teacher. 

Here she met her future husband, Charles Gustafuson, who for several years had lived there and been in the employ of one of the leading coal companies of the West. They returned to Kentucky and were married at Cadiz, KY, on Sept. 2, 1905. 

After visiting family and friends in Marion they returned to their home in Oklahoma.

An announcement in The Crittenden Press, October 7, 1905, tells the tragic news – the remains of Mrs. Mina Wheeler Gustafson, who died at Coal Gate, Indian Territory, Oklahoma, last Saturday, arrived in the city Tuesday morning and were taken to the home of her sorrowing relatives.

Her death came as a complete shock to every one, a letter having come to her sister from her after the telegram announcing the news of her death. 

She was a woman of superior character and possessed many womanly traits. She was honored and loved by all who knew her. She was interred in the Wheeler family cemetery. (this cemetery is located on Just-A-Mere-Road).