W. F. Hogard Remember's Marion

This interesting article was from The Crittenden Press, May 27, 1921, and titled "Marion".  It doesn't say the year that Mr. Hogard was speaking of in his article, but it had to be in the very early days. 

I have known Marion all of my life. My father J. P. Hogard came here on horse back to the old horse mill when Marion was not a town, not even a village, only the old mill and one residence. the first time that I can remember coming to Marion was on an ox cart with four bags of corn across the front bolster.

Some of the men I learned to know were David Stinson, Judge Wager, Cub Bigham, William Carnahan, and Mr. Douglas who kept the tavern on the corner where Douglas Carnahan now sells goods, Robert Fulton Haynes, J. W. Blue Sr., Nathan R. Black, J. N. Woods who sold goods on the corner where the Farmers Bank is located, Charlie Higginbottham, who ran a saloon where the Marion Bank is, W. N. Rochester, Hick and R. N. Walker and other whose names I can not recall. Most all these men were highly respected.

I never did like the business of the Higginbothams and never had much admiration for Judge Wager.

For the first time that I came to church here was in the old brick out by the old grave yard, so called then. The house was well filled and I sat by Judge Wager. While H. M. Ford was preaching Judge Wager turned and spat on me. A thing I have not forgotten to this day. Then I was sure that town people looked down on country people.

Some way country people get to believe that people in town think themselves about them. But this is a mistaken idea. They may be a few now and then who really think so but they are few only and these few are rather to be pitied than blamed. For the salvation of this county, socially, religiously and politically depends largely on the great common people, most of whom live in the country.

Marion is the county seat of Crittenden County, the only town of any size in the county. It is here that all litigation's etc., have to be settled, the great common center.  The town people can not get along without the country people, nor can the country people get along so well without the town people. It must be mutual, we must live to benefit each other.

I have lived in several counties in the state and none of these counties have a better citizenship than Crittenden. Take the families like the Hunt, Paris, Wheeler, Travis, Crider, Dowell, Rankin, Baker, Hughes, Adams, Walker, Hill, Minner Hodges, Asher, Sullenger, Pickens, Deboe, Lamb, Wilson, Crayne, Guess, Gass, Cook, Daughtrey, Conger, Dean, Gahagen, Postlethweight, Franklin, Wilborn, Carter, Conger, Harpending, Ordway Pogues, and space will not allow me to call the names of families whose names stand for good citizenship.

Then we have in Marion a citizenship equal to the best. The Marion bar is made up of good citizenship, the Moores, Henderson, Bennett, Rochester, Blue, Nunn, Deboe.

Marion merchants are all good citizens as well as good business men. In fact in all walks of life no town will excel Marion for citizenship.

Marion can be made one of the most beautiful town in Western Kentucky. Let our motto be United we stand, divided we fall. Let us all put our shoulders to the wheel and push.

W. F. Hogard

Crittenden Press Marion's Oldest Business now at 146 yrs.

 The article first appeared in The Crittenden Press on October 11, 2001, it was for Marion's Sesquicentennial Guide.  At the time the Press was 122 years old.

A chronological history

The City of Marion's oldest business wasn't around when the city was created in 1851, but if it were, you can bet the city's incorporation would have been on the front page of The Crittenden Press.

Its establishment in 1879 makes The Crittenden Press the oldest, continuously operated Marion business.  A close second is Henry and Henry Monuments, which began two years later. 

The Crittenden Press was founded by R. C. Walker. In those first days, it's hard to imagine the long, painstaking process required to produce even a few lines of type, not to mention several pages eight columns wide.

History of the business has been passed down to each of the eight owners, including the descendants of Evers Mick, whose family continues to publish the weekly newspaper and The Early Bird Shopper's Guide.

According to history, the newspaper was distributed to as few as 200 subscribers in 1879.  Growth was rapid, as subscriptions reached 500 the first few years and 1,800 by 1894.

Like the county's growth in the last 50 years, The Crittenden Press' growth has been steady.  Circulation today in 4,300.

Walter Walker succeeded his father, R. C. Walker, as publisher of The Crittenden Pr ess.  He was followed by S. M. Jenkins and W. F. Hogard and his son Wilson Hogard.

 The Hogards sold the newspaper to J. Brown, who owned it until 1955 when it was purchased by Charles Pepper.

Current ownership by the Mick family started in 1960, when Evers Mick branched out of his role as a radio announcer in Madisonville to embark on a career in print media.

Evers Mick, was editor and publisher for nearly 10 years, with assistance from his wife, Lucille, and high school-age son - a 1969 graduate of Murray State University - took the reins.

While Lucille Mick was not involved in the day-to-day operation of The Crittenden Press between 1969 and her death in 1989, she maintained close ties to the family business helping out in the newspaper office from time to time. 

 Through the 1970's and 1980s, a third generation of Micks, Allison, was introduced to the newspaper.  As a teenager, she took photographs, worked in the darkroom and delivered newspapers.

Paul Mick published the newspaper until his tragic murder in 1990.  At that time, John Lucas, a long-time Press editor, took over daily operations.  Mick's wife, Nancy, remained as the company president and eventually took over as publisher in 1993.

Also in 1993, Ms. Mick hired Chris Evans to become just the second editor in more than 20 years at the newspaper. Evans had worked at The Press in the late 1980s as a reporter before joining the Paducah Sun staff.  He returned to Crittenden County and married Paul and Nancy Mick's oldest daughter, Allison.   

A strong commitment to community news and professional reporting is testament to The Crittenden Press' longevity. 

Early Pictures of The Crittenden Press office when it was in the basement on East Carlisle St.

 

Church Gatherings of Long Ago

 Those wonderful old days when church gatherings were so special and a much looked forward to event.  

This wonderful old picture is worth a thousand words.  It was shared by Orville Truitt.  The time period was from 1908-1912 and possibly a homecoming at the old Mt. Zion Church.  His grandfather, Marvin Truitt, is the middle man in front with a guitar.

All the folks are dressed in their Sunday go-to-meeting clothes, men, women and children gathered around the wooden tables laden with food and listening to the music.  

Here are a couple of those events taken from the archives of The Crittenden Press. 

July 1913 - Children's Day at Mt. Zion

Sunday morning at an early hour wagons, buggies, horseback and footbackers began to arrive till several hundred people had gathered, then came the auto with R. Kemp as driver with some of Marion's best citizens as passengers. 

 

At 9:30 the house was called to order by the pastor Rev. J. A. Wheeler. He introduced Rev. W. Pl Gordon of Marion, and with eloquence he addressed the people for about fifteen minutes.

 

A song by the choir. Bro Wheeler called for prayer by Bro. Th. H. Cochran The program was then turned over to the children. The session represented the highest morals of literal and spiritual life.

 

At 12:15 in the beautiful grove such as surrounds a county church, dinner was spread. Some wondered how this multitude could be fed, it was like the five loaves and fishes, there were plenty of as fine dinner as the writer ever saw, and everybody seemed to enjoy it.

 

The day was closed by Sister Duvall who by this time was so filled with the holy ghost that she gave us an old fashioned holy ghost talk. To say the least of it we had an all around good time that will dwell with the memory through time and eternity.

***

Sept. 11, 1913 - County Singing Convention

The county singing convention met at Repton Church Saturday. A large crowd was present, and the exercises were opened by singing by Repton choir followed by devotional exercises by Rev. B. F. Hyde, who also delivered the welcome address.

 

Cave Springs choir then took charge of the singing. This choir did good singing and showed they had good training. They were followed by Rosebud choir who also delivered some excellent music led by Desmond Crowell. 

 

After a song by the entire congregation, the choir from the Second Baptist Church, of Marion, with George Gass as leader were next, and many comments were made upon the spirit with which they sang. This was followed by a recitation “The Gift of God to Fallen Man” by Miss Lockie Powell, and Mrs. E. M. Duvall made an interesting talk on the “Blessings of Music.” 

 

More music followed by Messrs. Travis, Crowell, O'Neal and Crowell, and a solo by Guthrie Travis.