Crittenden's First Airport

Crittenden County's first airport was made possible by Mr and Mrs. Sid Johnson. This airport was located about four miles south of Marion on Highway 641.

The Johnson’s moved to Marion in 1940. Sid first built an auto and truck repair garage and service station

where he serviced and repaired cars and trucks.

During this time he took flying lessons and became an excellent pilot. When World War II was over he built a small airport and taught G. I.’s to fly through the G.I. bill. The airport was known as the Marion Jaycee Airport.

In February 1947 Mr. Johnson had seven solo students that had became licensed to fly alone. They were: Keith Norman, Donald Clark, Barrett Little, William LaRue, Paul Belt, Leslie Freeman and Louis Myers. Other G. I. trainees who had enrolled were Thomas Hughes, Blake Douglas Fritts, Lonnie Hodge, Guthrie Tharp and Roger Linzy.

The airport continued to operate until 1949. When the government stopped the G.I. bill for flying instructions Mr. Johnson closed the airport. In it’s location Johnson became a Packard Auto Dealer and when the Packard Company, in a couple of years, went broke he then started the John Deere Implement Dealership. The John Deere Dealership was in business 27 years in this same location on Hwy. 641.

The building and part of the hanger are still in sight today. Steve Jones is the present day owner of these buildings.

Do You Have Any Information of these Fallen Heroes of Crittenden County?

Press seeking info on fallen heroes

The Crittenden Press is seeking photos of several men from Crittenden County who have paid the ultimate price in defense of the United States. We are also missing some information, such as birthdays.

Each year, The Press features our Fallen Heroes page just before Memorial Day. While families and the community have been wonderful about supplying us with photos of and information for most of the men, we still lack images of five from World War I, nine from World War II and one from the Korean War.

In an effort to humanize and call attention to the sacrifice of each of these men, we are asking the community to once again dig deep for photos and information on the following soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors:

World War I

• Pvt. William Curry: Army, died Nov. 26, 1918.
• Pvt. John E. Samuel: Army; died Sept. 26, 1918, of disease in France.
• Pvt. Harry W Threlkeld: Army, Born 1893; died Dec. 12, 1918, of disease in Warwickshire, England.
• Cpl. James C. Turner: Army; died from disease, date unknown.
• Sgt. Maj. Freda E. Baker: Army; died from  disease, date unknown.

World War II

• Sgt. Forrest E. Brantley: Army, born 1913, died Jan. 13, 1945, in Belgium.
• Pfc. John W. Freeman: Born 1918, died 1943 in the United States.
• Pfc J.D.  Hodge: Born 1915; died 1944 in Italy.
• Sgt. Herbert A. Hoover: Born Aug. 29, 1904; died Oct. 14, 1944, Germany.
• Staff Sgt. Denver L. Marvel: born: 1920; died 1943 in Luzon, Philippines.
• Pfc. Carter Shewcraft: born 1925; died: 1945 in Austria.
• Pfc. James B. Truitt: Born 1910; Died July 11, 1944, in France.
• Sgt. Jack L.Woody: Army Air Forces, born 1910; MIA Dec. 14, 1945, in the Pacific Theatre.
• Pfc. James C Yandell: born 1919, died 1944 in Belgium.

Korean War

• Sgt. James R. Bissell: Army; born 1928, died: June 2, 1951, as  POW taken from Dec. 6, 1950 fighting near Hagaru, North Korea.

Information and/or photos can be e-mailed to thepress@the-press.com.

Marion Bands and Concerts

Marion had many bands during her existence, articles and pictures show up scattered through the old Crittenden Presses.  They didn't seem to stay together very long, but another would soon show up with different band members.

 

This picture is one of Marion's early bands.  Once again the members are not identified on the picture.  I always wonder how they learned to play the instruments.  Did they have music teachers, or did they just teach themselves how to play.  This pictures looks like early 1900's.

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An article in the Crittenden Press dated, Friday, June 17, 1932 tells of  another band.

The thirty-piece Community Band , the best band Marion ever had will give a public concert on the public square every Saturday night beginning June 18, and continuing through the summer.

These concerts under the able leadership of Ben H. Price, are sponsored by the business and professional men of Marion with the intention of stimulation community spirit and holding crowds in the city on Saturday nights.

The first public appearance of the band was made at Winslow Park, May 28.  Cold weather kept many people away on that night but the few hundred who heard them voiced their praise.

Musicians are:  Ovid Kimsey, J. H. Paris, Henry Holloman, Bob Doss, James Small, Monroe Travis, Mrs. J. B. Wiggins- Cornets; Arnold Elder, Orville Grady, C. Imboden, Mrs. Joe Hogard, - Clarinets; Ted Boston, Trcie Yates, Searcy Henry, M. Y. Nunn, - Saxophones; G. Clark, Chuck Rushing, Ray Holloman, John Myers, Bob Haynes- Mellophones; John Wilborn, A. T. Crider, Harold Hogard - Trombones; J. D. Asher, Vaughn Myers, Albert Henry - Baritones; Houston Clark, Guy R. Lamb - Bass; L. E. Mayes and Kenneth Dillard - Drums.

Merry were those musical days in Marion.

Sisco Chapel School

The first schoolhouse was built of logs and was on a hill above Claylick Creek.

 Isaac Sisco gave the land,  the logs and also helped build the school in about 1860.

The school house was also used for church services.  The school and church were one building. 

After the new frame one-room building was built beside the old log one, the old building was used for church services.

Miss Willie Adams taught in 1879 and trustees were B. A. Enoch, J. L. Riley and L. N. Sisco.  Other teachers through the years included: Bob Allen, Sally Moore, Reba Pigeon, Grady Sisco, Owen Davenport, Dennis Farmer, Glenna Sisco, Randall and Paul Woodall, Mabel Wheeler, Ewell Hardin, Regenia Postlethweight, Katherine Swansey, Helen Moore and Homer Davidson.

Surnames of some of the families who attended the school was Belt, Branham, Butler, Canada, Cardin, Davenport, Floyd, Howard, Riley, Sisco, Walker, Watson and Yandell.

The school closed in the school year 1950 and students were sent to Tolu School.   There is no sign of these buildings now, but a few large foundation stones are there.  The Sisco Chapel cemetery is located on the lot next to where the school and church buildings sat.

A Visit To Down Town Tolu in 1891

Tolu - one of Crittenden County early prosperous little communities.  From a Crittenden Press article written in March 1891.  It was a busy and growing town with many businesses on Main street with everything the people would need.  Now only home to a few residents, many who were born and raise here and love their town.

The topography of the town plot consists of gentle undulations, sloping gradually back from the Ohio River, without any bluff or abrupt ascent, and presents hundreds of beautiful building lots, on which we hope will soon stand lovely homes and residences. 

 It is 75 miles from Evansville, Ind, and 60 miles from Paducah, Ky., and is easily reached from the east, west and north by way of the Ohio River. 

When you reach Tolu, coming up Main Street you will find an elegant two-story schoolhouse, which is an honor to the town.  Farther on down you will find the new dry goods firm of Minner & Clark who are nice clever men, and always ready to show you their goods and ask you to call again.

 In the same house is the Tolu Hotel Kept by Dr. Carty with his tables bountifully supplied with good food.

On down the street farther we come to the new hardward store kept by Crider & Company in one of the best houses in the county.  It is a large frame structure, with a solid glass front and brick pavement, which is a benefit to one and all.  At the rear of this is a ware house 20x60 ft. filled with all the latest improved machinery, plows, etc.

An ad for the new Crider & Company Hardware Store - dated 1891

T. M. Moore, the druggist, who is very polite, and ready to mix your medicine either to cure you or to make you ready for the undertaker.

Historic Old Home For Sale

This homes' history started in August 1900, when Dr. Robert Love Moore was making plans to build a new home for his family.  Mr. G. F. Jennings, Marion contractor, was drawing up the plans.  The home was to be one of the handsomest in East Marion.

When the home was first built it was a one-story home.  A few years later two-story homes were becoming popular and since the Moore family was needing some added rooms, Dr. Moore added a second story to their home.  The interior decorations were beautiful and the hard woodwork when finish, was rich and elegant.  (The hardwood trim is still beautiful today.)

Later the home would be handed down to Dr. Moore's daughter, Roberta and her family, which was Floyd C. Wheeler and their two sons, Floyd M. and Robert M. Wheeler.

 This picture shows the way the home looked for many years.

After the Wheeler family sold the home, it was owned by several others, and in the early 1990s, J. D. and Merle Myers purchased the home and turned it into a Bed and Breakfast.  They had a nice business and folks love to stay here in their friendly home.

In 2009 they had the house re-roofed and the new burgundy colored siding put on.  Not too long afterwards the Myers had to close the Bed and Breakfast, due to their health.

Marion's Rosenwald School

Rosenwald School was an all-black school that operated in Marion from 1927 until 1965.  The school was one of 155 Rosenwald schools in Kentucky financed by Julius Rosenwald, the late president of Sears, Roebuck and Co.  In the early 1900's Rosenwald built nearly 5,000 schools for African-American children in 15 states in the South.

In 1911, Rosenwald, who was white, befriended Booker T. Washington, the noted African American educator, and together they built school for black children in the segregated South and Southwest.

Marion's Rosenwald school closed in the year 1965, due to the Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that assured that no person in the United States will be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color or national origin, nor be excluded from participation in any program or activity which is in part, or all, supported by the federal government.

 

The old school building was used as a private dwelling for many years, just until recently it sits empty and terrible condition.  Something that, if funds were available, should have been preserved for it's history.

Picture made March 23, 2013.