Spanning Our Past - Tidbits of Interest

 As I read the old Crittenden Presses, I find many little tidbits of interesting and fun information.  Here are a few of these items.

August 8, 1941 – Centennial Window Exhibits

Crittenden County will be 100 years old next year and appropriate window exhibits have been planned during the present county fair. Braxton McDonald has secured display windows of merchants for placing of relics, antiques and articles commemorating the centennial. This is done in order to revive interest of early days and history of the county.

Dry Goods – All articles of dry goods, including side button shoes, stiff hats (cadys), celluloid collars, womens old fashioned hats, dresses, coats, mens cravats, brogan shoes, hair rats, hair braids, hobble shirts, bustle dresses, ear muffs, bed spreads, table covers. These are to be displayed in windows of Williams & Taylor.

Furniture – Trundle beds, flax wheels, walking canes, clocks, picture frames, whatnots, book racks, mirrors. These articles are to be displayed in windows of Tucker & Franklin.

Hardware – Guns, pistols, coins, candle molds, cotton gins, wooden sausage mills, bed warmers, pewter ware, grease lamps, coffee mills, saddle bags and side saddles at Cochrans Hardware Co.

Miscellaneous – Old watches, shot pouches, bullet molds, old books and newspapers, cataloges, school books, slates, pictures, stuffed birds and animals, Indian relics, sea shells, old necklaces, spectacles, hat pins and buttons, goose quill pens, clay pipes, kitchen ware, will be on display at City Drug Co.

Fluorspar Exhibit - Marion Kiwanis is to sponsor a large fluorspar exhibit at Farmers Bank & Trust Co.

(As a child growing up in the late 40's and early 50's, these large wonderful store front windows all along Main Street were always a fascinating sight for a young child, especially during the holidays seasons. I wish everyone could have had a chance to see Marion as is was in those days and enjoyed the displays that were shown in these windows.)

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August 1947 – Crane Field and Harness Races at County Fair

Ross Crane built the big horse barn and race track located one and one-half miles north of Marion, on highway 60, and it was one of the best in western Kentucky. (where the empty live-stock barn is today). The barn was large enough to have 2 rows of stalls built, about 10 feet from the wall, so that when the weather was bad outside they could still give the stabled horses exercise on the inside.

For the big three day fair for Sept. 17, 18, 19, 1947 a horse show will be featured each of the three nights, and trotting races will be held during the fair under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Trotting Association. Harness races will be a new feature in Crittenden County, since there have never been such in this county and will be worth seeing as 75 to 100 horses of first quality are expected to participate in the races. Six harness races are scheduled each day with races beginning at 1:30 in the afternoon.

The music for the fair will be provided by Mrs. Peebles from Paducah on her Hammond organ.

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July 16, 1948 – Community Cannery Has Auspicious Opening

The Marion cannery opened the season Tuesday, July 13^th, with 20 families preserving food. Green beans, squash and beets were the principal commodities on the opening day.

A shipment of cans was received recently and a supply of the different sizes and lining are on hand now for canning any commodities that any one may have.

The local cannery has persistently held to the same precessing fee of two cents per can of number two or number three cans and two cents per quart for larger sizes as when glass half gallons are used. New tin cans are available at five and six cents each for numbers two and three.

The facilities for derimming and reflanging the used cans are still maintained for those desiring to use their tin cans twice or even three times when in good condition. This is an economy worth considering for a very little extra trouble for any who desire to take advantage of it. It has been practiced very successfully in this cannery for several years. The cost of processing in the used cans in three cents each which includes the cost of a new lid, the use of the machine in reconditioning the can, and the processing fee.

The days of operation are Tuesday and Fridays and with the increased cost of fuel and facilities, everyone is urged to bring the commodities in the morning so that as many cans may be processed at the same time as possible. The cannery program is maintained in the interest of better nutrition and general welfare of the patrons of our community.

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Nov. 4, 1954 – New Mineral Case.

Offering a new interest to local folks as well as visitors, a new mineral display case has recently been erected on the outside wall of the County Clerk's office on the Courthouse Square.

Attractive and unusual specimens of fluorspar and other minerals from this area will soon be placed in the exhibit case. 

 It's easy visibility from Main Street, plus display lights to show off the specimens at night, is expected to attract many out-of-town visitors and call attention to our resources in this area.  Mr. Ben E. Clement is pictured standing in front of the new display.

Citizens are invited to submit unusual or interesting specimens for the exhibit which may include fluorspar samples, "coal plant fossils" and other unusual specimens.  Contribution will be acknowledged on an identification card placed on each specimen displayed.

The new mineral display case has been made possible by the Crittenden County Development Association and by a committee formed for this purpose, consisting of Mr. Ben E. Clement and Mayor Sylvan Clark.  (This piece of past Crittenden County History was located on the side of the old clerk's office that was located next to the Court House.  It was torn down in 1961 with the old court house to make room for the new Court House that was built in 1961.)

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Nov. 4, 1954 -West Kentucky Pony Sales.

West Kentucky Pony Sales barn just north of the Marion city limits hummed with activity yesterday as final preparations were underway for the first day of the spring sale. J. W. Lingang, owner estimated some 200 ponies were already on hand early Wednesday afternoon. Lingang's sale is the first to be held in Marion. It is housed in a spacious, attractive barn near the city limits.

The building, formerly a racetrack barn, has undergone a complete face-lifting and more buildings, including a snack bar, lounges and the sale ring, have been added to it. The sale area itself contains 300 theatre-type seats from which buyers can view ponies as they are led in.

An open house for residents of the Marion area was held at the barn Sunday and several hundred people took advantage of the occasion to view the facilities.

They saw miniature stalls, identical in every way with an ordinary horse's stall except they were scaled down to a Shetland's size. Several ponies were already on hand, and visitors unfamiliar with the breed examined them to see just what size they were and how they differed from other equines. (The Lingang Pony Sales was located where the empty cattle barn is today on Hwy. 60 East.)

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Aunt Jane's Legacy Lives On With Rural Road

 

 As you drive down Highway 91 towards the Ohio River, before you get to Hwy 135 road,you will see the road sign for Aunt Jane Tabernacle Road, have you ever wondered why it got that name?

To learn more about the Aunt Jane Tabernacle road, you will need to know about Nancy Jane Winders Underdown. Her husband was Robert Pleasant Lee Underdown.  Nancy Jane Underdown started the tabernacle meetings in 1905. 

Everyone called her Aunt Jane, and that's how the tabernacle came to be called Aunt Jane's tabernacle.

Aunt Jane left the denominational church in 1905 after hearing a message of holiness from a Church of God minister. It wasn't long after that when Aunt Jane began inviting circuit riding Church of God ministers to hold services in her home. The shed meetings that were popular later evolved out of that.

Every summer, Aunt Jane would arrange for traveling evangelists to come preach at her home on the Underdown farm. She would also house the evangelists for the meetings. She would get in her buggy and go to the surrounding farms for miles around to invite all the families to the meetings.

The Shed grew out of a need for the group to have a place to worship. 

 The Shed was built about 1927, with hand-cut and hand-hewn posts, hand-sawed boards for pews, pulpit and platform with a tin roof. Two outhouses served as toilet facilities. This Shed represented hard work and sacrifice on the part of poor but dedicated people.   John Fox hand hewed many of the pillars and helped lead the singing. Lanterns hung on posts, and shaded coal oil lamps sat on post stands and the pulpit. The Shed didn't get electricity until the 1950's.

People came from miles around on foot, horseback, buggies and wagons. There was lots of singing, shouting and long services. The meetings were always held the last two weeks of July.

From the files of the Crittenden Press, June 24, 1938 comes an announcement about the annual revival.

Announcement has been made of the beginning of the annual revival on July 4 and running through July 17 at Mrs. Jane Underdown's Tabernacle in the Hebron neighborhood. Mrs. Underdown extends a very cordial invitation to all to attend these services.

Mrs. Jane Underdown has for many years been a familiar figure to Marion people. In spite of her advanced years and she is right at the four score year mark, she is active and rarely a week passes that she does not come to Marion. Others may believe that there are better towns than the county seat of Crittenden County, but not Mrs. Underdown.

Mrs. Underdown has two very chief interests in life: First, is the flower garden in the Underdown Cemetery at the old Underdown home. In this cemetery in which are planted a million pinks, lie the remains of her loved ones. It is one of the best-kept private cemeteries in this section of Crittenden County. Mrs. Underdown supervises or does with her own hands the work by which this last resting place of her loved one is always kept clean and beautiful.

Her other chief interest is this annual meeting which is held in the "shed" near her home. By her efforts this tabernacle was built and through her efforts from year to year, a revival is held here.

From The Crittenden Press -August 18, 1950 we learn of the death of Aunt Jane.

Funeral services for the beloved Nancy "Aunt Jane" Underdown were held at Aunt Jane's Shed, Saturday August 12^th. Interment was in Underdown Cemetery.

Born July 7, 1859, she had been a resident of Crittenden County until her death last Thursday evening at her home. She was known throughout the County as the sponsor of "Aunt Jane Underdown's Shed", a building on her property in which some of the most rousing revivals in this County have ever been held.

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 The Aunt Jane Tab. Road, still carries on her legacy today.  Gone are her many flowers from the Underdown cemetery, and the wooden shed built so many years ago has sit empty and not used now for several years.  But thanks to her Great Grandson, Steve Underdown, the cemetery is still well maintained today.

Kentucky Utilities Comes To Marion

 From the archives of The Crittenden Press, the beginning of a brighter future for Marion and it's occupants is told. The new owners of the Electric Light Company has some new plans to make the company grow.

Feb. 12, 1926 – Marion Plant sold to K. U.

Announcement was made last Wednesday night of the sale of the Marion Electric Light system, which has been owned by S. M. Jenkins for over twenty years. The Kentucky Utilities Company is the purchaser, and their taking over of the plant here marks another step in the extension of their transmission lines and service over the western part of the state.

 

The Electric Light Company was first organized twenty five years ago, and for the first four years was a corporation of Marion citizens. At that time they had only about a dozen customers, the people seeming very unwilling to rely on electric lights. As an inducement to get them to install electricity in their homes, the company offered free wiring to all new customers.

 

In 1901 S. M. Jenkins purchased the interest of his brother in law, J. W. Wilson and since that time the business has been under the sole ownership of Mr. Jenkins, who has furnished the people of Marion with an excellent lighting service.

 

When the system was first organized there was a daily service of only ten hours. In 1922, a twenty-four hour service was added. With the addition of the twenty-four hour service Marion possessed an electric lighting system that was the equal of any small town system in the state. Marion for the past several years has had the reputation of being one of the best lighted small towns any where.

 

From a small beginning of a very few customers the system has grown until it serves daily over four hundred people. Since the addition of the twenty-four hour service three years ago, may people have added other electrical equipment to their homes and places of business. This was impossible when there was only night service. Nearly every home possesses at least an electric iron, many of them have several other pieces of electrical equipment as well. There are several businesses in town that have machinery run by electric power.

 

G. U. Dollar, who has charge of the light plant during the day has been with the company practically ever since it was established twenty-five years ago. John Travis, who has charge of the plant at night has also been an employee of the company for about the same length of time. Robert Jenkins has been electrician, wiring and trouble man since the World War, during which time he served as a radio operator.

The Kentucky Utilities assumed management of the system as of Feb. 1, 1926. Mr. Jenkins will remain for some months at least in charge of the local plant. The Utilities Company will in a few months bring transmission lines, 18 miles in length from Princeton to Marion. They will probably supply electricity to Crider, Fredonia, Crayne and Mexico, the high tension line passing just to the north of these towns.

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April 23, 1926 – First Electric Range

The first electric range to be installed in Marion was put into operation this week in the home of Mrs. W. P. Hogard, on North Main Street. The range is a Westinghouse Junior, with automatic heat control and Mrs. Hogard has reported that she is delighted with the results obtained with this modern kitchen device. It is not only beautifully designed range that will ornament any kitchen, but is a far step in reducing work for the lady of the house.

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Nov. 5, 1926 – New Office

The Kentucky Utilities Company formally opened their new local office last Thursday. The office, located in the Woman's Club building, is attractively arranged and on their opening day was kept thronged with visitors both from Marion and out of town, who came to look over the display of labor saving devices.

 

A group of officials from Louisville, Greenville, Princeton, Clay and other places where the Kentucky Utilities Company has offices were present to greet the people of Marion, whom they serve with electric power and light.

 

Each visitor to the office was asked to register and was given a number for the drawing to be held later in the day. Winner of the electric iron was Mrs. C. M. Mahan, and J. W. Daughtrey held the number for a new table lamp.

 

The local office of the Kentucky Utilities is under the management of L. K. Van Arsdel, assisted by Mrs. Lillie Shrode.

 

In December 1926, the City Council approved a contract with the Kentucky Utilities Company permission to change the town's lighting system to all up to date series system. When the new system is installed all of the street lights in Marion will burn all night instead of the moon light schedule at present.

 

In 1928 Mr. Inos Stallins came to Marion from Princeton, as "trouble man" for the Kentucky Utilities Company, he was soon promoted to Manager. He served as manager until 1937 when he was transferred to the Sturgis office, and Trice Yates, who had been book keeper at the local office was appointed manager to succeed Mr. Stallions. 

 

Other local managers over the years included: Clarence Wright, Orville Love, Denzil Hunt, John Ramsey and Ronnie Marshall. KU closed it's Marion office in 2000 and relocate it to the Eddyville location.

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