Weston In The Saddle

Lets take a ride with the Press agent, John A. Caldwell, on one of his trips in the county to sell the subscriptions for The Crittenden Press. This time his destination is the busy bustling river town of Weston. We learn of the people, times and happenings along the way over 140 years ago.

 Imagine if you will, saddling up on a cold winter day in February from your office in Marion, and riding your horse to Weston.

Feb. 23, 1881

I took the road, if road it can be called, for there is no rougher one in the county, to Weston in company with Cal Elder, who was visiting tobacco growers in the interest of his firm. I saw a five-mule team badly stuck in the mud and only one hhd of tobacco and assisted the teamster to unload and get out of that snap and the need of good roads again impressed me. 

Next we came to M. G. Gilbert's the boss tobacco farmer. Uncle Mike is getting old but he is a determined farmer and was busy at work. Then on to John Gilbert's another one of our good farmers, who raises tobacco with the many other crops, such as grasses, corn and wheat.

 

 

We soon arrived at the town of Weston, we were the guests of the Weston Hotel, kept by J. L. Hughes, and no one knows better how to care for the wants of the weary and hungry, his table is supplied with the very best of eatables, his rooms comfortable and neat, and beds with snowy linen and elder down. You at once feel that you are at home. Connected with this well kept Hotel is a good table, a grocery store where staple and fancy groceries, as well as the choicest wines and liquors, cigars and tobacco are kept.

Weston is a very unpretending little place, but is surprising at the amount of goods sold there, all lines of goods are very well represented and no complaint of dullness in trade, all the merchants assuring us that trade was very good. Our your friends the Haynes Bros. are going to increase their business by adding groceries to their neat drug store.

 

Otho Nunn and Son intend building a storehouse soon to accommodate their growing trade. They carry an assorted stock of general merchandise. Lambeth Bros. are doing a thriving business. Billy is going to Cincinnati soon and if you will read the Press when he gets back you will see what he has for sale.

John Nunn and Co., has a nice lot of hardware, saddlery, furniture, plow, and field seed for sale. They keep the best line of cooking stoves I have ever seen in the county, and they sell for prices to suit the times. The store is presided over by the junior member, Bob, that enterprising, modest and gentlemanly young man, will charm you and you will be pleased and sure to go again.

Our Marionites will be surprised to find the trade leaving their town, but low prices and good stock, with liberal advertising will win, and our Weston merchants understand this.

Here we met old friends we knew in Marion years ago, Dr. Cain and Charley Higginbotham. The Doctor gets a good practice and is the same kind, worthy, noble hearted friend of old.

Charley keeps a hotel and it is useless to tell you that he knows his business, he entertains and supplies his table with the best the markets affords.

Weston is one busy river port town; steamers and placket boats keep the port busy with their dockings. 

All kinds of merchandise for Marion are brought to the Weston dock to be picked up and hauled to their destination in Marion. Here, also, are local goods loaded and sent to other destinations. T. R. Johnston is loading a boat with potatoes to send down south. G. R. Jenkins & Co., have shipped a large load of lumber to St. Louis.

The H. T. Dexter steamer passed up this morning plying her way for Evansville. Several folks boarded the steamer, Joseph Williams, on their way to Pittsburgh. R. C. Hill, W. E. Lambett, and Ed Hubbard, all went to Evansville on the Josh V. Throop.

Captain Walt Cook arrived during the day on the job boat Oil City bringing a barge loaded with tobacco.

The Pittsburgh from St. Louis laid up at the Weston port nearly all day and put off Cave-In-Rock- freight.

After visiting with friends and watching the river traffic, we struck out for the Bells Mine country.