Marion A Civid Minded Town

 Marion A Civic Minded Town For The Betterment of The Town

In years past we find that the citizens of Marion were civic minded and were always looking for new ways and means to make Marion and Crittenden County a better place to live, whether it be through new business opportunities or the organization of social and intercultural clubs and societies. From the archives of The Crittenden Press come interesting articles about some of Marion’s past civic organizations.

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Nov. 25, 1904, Marion’s Opportunity – Our New Commerical Club

A few of the citizens of this city met Saturday night to organize a Commercial Club, the purpose of which should be to advance the welfare of this city and county by fostering enterprises and improvements. Marion’s own, Senator, William J. DeBoe was the speaker of the evening.

At the meeting Saturday night the president, two vice-presidents, the secretary and treasurer of the Club were chosen. At that meeting it was ordered that a committee, appointed for the purposes of arranging articles of incorporation and by-laws, should meet and be ready to report Tuesday night, which was another special meeting to further organize. The interest in the contemplated club grew rapidly and Tuesday night there was a splendid and enthusiastic gathering of some of the best businessmen of the city, ready to assist in the Club movement and its further organization. The motto for the new organization was to be “Marion is Symbol For All That is Good and True."

 

The city and county is now facing an opportunity which has come to but a very few among the multitudes of counties in the various States and territories comprising the United States, as we have with in our borders mineral deposits vast in nature and rich in possibilities – so it is claimed by all of the mining experts who have visited this district and those mineral deposits undoubtedly offer extraordinary inducement of profitable investment for the purpose of their development. 

 But few conditions are lacking to make this district an ideal one for mining operations on an extensive scale, but that these conditions hamper, if they do not all together block progress in the development of Crittenden County’s mineral resources, can not be denied by any one who is fully conversant with the facts. Our most urgent requirements are good roads, then railroads, for the development of the county, and waterworks, then fire protection, for the city. Other improvements and advantages will quickly follow.

To offset or minimize these handicaps to our progress, and then to produce a remedial effect, a Commercial Club has been organized by Marion’s progressive citizens; its officers and its precepts have been wisely and indiscriminately chosen; its purposes should now be set forth and so clearly defined to the people that all who desire to aid and participate in the progress of the community many readily see that it will be decidedly to their interest and mutual benefit to either identify themselves directly with the movement or to co-operate with the Club in their endeavor to accomplish the several important purposes for which they have organized.

Officers and directors chosen, as well as the committee and assignments are as follows:

Thomas H. Cochran, President; T. Atchison Frazer, First Vice-President; Robert I. Nunn, Second Vice-President; James F. Crittenden, Secretary; George M. Crider, Treasurer. Directors, C. E. Weldon, Foreman of Finance and Membership committee; H. H. Sayre, chairman Entertainment, Arrangement and Building committee; J. M. Freeman, chairman City Development committee; C. S. Nunn, chairman County Development committee, C. H. Whitehouse, chairman Press Publicity and Promotion committee; Charles Evans, chairman Public Policy committee.

It should be understood from the start that the Club has been organized as much for the benefit of Crittenden County as for Marion, and that it desires to secure among the membership as many as possible of the representative men located throughout the county. As soon as they can be interested sufficiently to work in harmony with the Club and endorse and strengthen its efforts, then one featured of its work – good roads will be easy of accomplishment. To secure good rock-ballasted roadbeds throughout the county would doubtless benefit a greater number of people both in the county and city, than any other one movement which the Club has endorsed and set about to accomplish.

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November 1905, The Musical Club -

The ladies of the town created a Music Club. The object of the club was to create a greater interest in music, to study the music and the lives of the old masters and the history of music. I think also to give the ladies a reason to meet, have delightful refreshments and just enjoy the fellowship of one's home.

They would meet once a month and have a program that would be centered on the music world. It even included music performances by some of the ladies. Mrs. S. M. Jenkins gave a piano solo, “The Palms”, while a vocal solo was given by Miss Kittie Gray. Their program was the life and music of Bach and a paper on the History of Music. Some of the women that were members of the club were, Mrs. Thomas Cochran, Mrs. S. M. Jenkins, Miss Kittie Moore, Miss Kittie Gray, Lilly Doss and Mrs. Fannie Walker to name a few.

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Another one of Marion’s Community Minded organizations was the Kiwanis Club. It received its charter in May of 1923.

May 4, 1923 – Marion Kiwanis Club

The Marion Kiwanis Club met on Friday evening of last week for their “Charter Party” and a splendid program had been arranged for the occasion. The meeting was also turned into ladies’ night. The district governor made the presentation at the banquet.

The Marion Orchestra furnished music for the occasion. The Kiwanis Club Quartet sang several selections and Misses Guess and Mrs. Newton Moore entertained with some musical numbers.

During the course of the dinner there was prize drawing for the ladies. Each Kiwanian gave some prize for the occasion. At the plates for souvenirs were memo books with the Kiwanis emblem for the ladies and match boxes with the emblem for the men.

Clem S. Nunn resided at the meeting and as soon as the banquet had been served, introduced Hon. Charles T. Gilbert of Nashville, District Governor of the Kiwanis International.

Mr. Gilbert gave a splendid address, explaining what Kiwanis was and its work and how the Club became organized and received its name, and at the conclusion of the address presented President L. E. Crider with the Charter.

This was followed by a speech by Mr. Crider accepting the Charter, and outlining the work that the local club will undertake and has undertaken to accomplish. Our motto is “We Build” and our principle endeavor is to build our community to its highest level.

The hall was decorated in the Kiwanis colors and Kiwanian hats and been passed around in the beginning of the party so everyone present could not help but have the Kiwanis spirit.

During the dinner Secretary Bourland read the several telegrams from the various clubs welcoming the local organization into their large family.

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These are just three of the local civic clubs, that had through the years, given unselfishly of their time and money to help make Marion and Crittenden County a better place to live.  All of the above were disbanded many years ago, but their efforts are noteworthy to remember today.

Marion's Woman Club Building - City Landmark Sold

 The following information appeared in The Crittenden Press, June 8, 2023 edition.  Written by Chris Evans, editor and publisher.

A little more of Marion's history slipped away last week as pieces of the past were wrapped in newspaper then loaded into boxes destined for an out-of-town auction house.  Fine glassware and silver serving dishes were among items packed to be sent away.

Erected almost 100 years ago, the building and property has been sold to NOJO, a limited liability corporation owned by former mayor Jared Byford.

The 2,765-square-foot structure had served as the Woman's Club meeting hall since around 1926 when it was first built.  The original Woman's Club building burnt in March 1947, and the existing establishment was re-constructed by Boston and Son's Lumber Co. 

                  The architect drawing of the Woman's Club in 1926.

(My thoughts, the original sketch of the Woman's Club building built in 1926 and the building that was built back after the fire, the one we see today, still look the same.  The information for the burning of the building in 1947, said that the fire originating in the basement swept through the offices, and the interior of the building was gutted.  Portions of the floor were burned out and the roof, in several sections caved in.  The exterior of the building must have still been intact and the rebuilding was mostly on the inside burned out sections. )

Caring for the building had become a heavy burden for the small and aging group of women who remain active in the club.  Annual recurring costs for utilities, upkeep and taxes had risen to around $5,000 in 2022.

Members aren't sure what the future holds, but for now they're going to keep up the club's mission, which is service to the community.

Community of Crossroads, Needmore and finally Frances

 Our little hometown communities are quickly slipping away. Modern day generations do not know the feeling of living in small communities where the post office and general store were usually in one building. A gathering place for old and young alike to check on the mail, buy everyday needs and share local gossip. To me, these were the good old days.

 Many other small close-knit communities were scattered all over the county, one of these was the village of Frances. Seems it had other names before it was finally christened with a post office and named Frances. Here is some early history of that community.

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Because of a bride, a place in Kentucky first called Needmore, and fabulous deposits of fluorspar, the town of Frances sprawls in a curve on Highway 70 in Crittenden County. The bride and the town of Needmore were responsible for the name Frances. The fluorspar enabled the town to service as a business center even after rural people were able to travel and go to other places.

 

Frances was a place, however, long before anybody knew that fluorspar veined the ground of Crittenden County in a quantity that makes this county one of the foremost spar fields in the world. 

 

The first log cabin in the community was built about 1797 by James Armstrong who came from Giles county Tennessee. But Frances did not begin to look townish until about 1844 when Alvin Duvall built three cabins on the site now occupied by Frances Graded School. 

 

By 1872, the area still wasn't anything to brag about, but it had improved to the extent that it had a physician, Dr. Charles Owen, who had survived a shipwreck on his way to American from England. Dr. Owen bought a small triangle of land from Alvin Duvall and set out at once to provide a home for his family. Dr. Owen built the first store and apothecary and a Masonic Hall, Liberty Lodge was added to the growing collection of buildings. Dr. Owen was a very prominent and civic minded citizen of the area, for in 1880 when a new school was established just a short distant from the town, it was named Owen School in his honor.

 

In 1874, the small cluster of buildings was known as Crossroads. The name was applied loosely because the Eddyville and Salem roads and the Dycusburg and Marion roads, heavily traveled routes in those days, crossed there. Later, residents of the tired-looking collection of buildings noted the sad appearance of Crossroads and the never-ending fields of persimmon and sassafras bushed around it, and decided that the place should be known as Needmore. The name was a fitting one because Crossroads needed more – of about everything the residents could think of.

 

But one day Needmore, as it was known by that time, had prospered enough to qualify for a post office, and this new important addition to the community had to have an official name. The populace said call it Needmore, as that is what it was now known by, but Uncle Sam said, No, as Kentucky already had a Needmore post office. A duplication of that name would put mail people in a dither, and cause the mail to be sent to the wrong Needmore. So unofficially, the citizens of Needmore got in a huff and told the postmaster to name the town himself.

 

Along about his time, President Grover Clevand's new bride, was the toast of the nation. President Cleveland was trying to think of ways to honor his bride. The post office employees of the postmaster general were aware of this, and when the task of renaming Needmore fell in their laps, they quickly chose the name Frances. 

 

The Frances post office was established June 1886 with John C. Allen postmaster; other postmaster were Wm. J. Tabor; and Frederick Perkins. It was discontinued in Nov. 1887 with papers sent to Marion, but it was re-established in April 1888 with Wm. W. Pogue as postmaster, following him were Marion F. Pogue, Samuel H. Matthews and in March 1908 it was discontinued and the mail was sent to Marion.

 

Now Frances could have made out all right with Crossroads or Needmore or any other name, as far as names go, but without the fluorspar the curve in Highway 70 might be just a curve bordered by persimmon and sassafras bushes. Or there might not have been a road at all.

 

Fluorspar is the life blood of the town, the mineral brings in the people and the trade and the money that any town has to have to exist, and it is responsible for a closely knit village of people who understand each other and work for the good of all.

 

The small community has become a veritable beehive with miners, prospectors and capitalists all in a rush to better their financial condition by developing the spar mining business. Almost a stone's throw from Frances is located the Asbridge Mines, which was opened about 1900. The mine is worked by four or five men and it was learned that the profits on the spar taken from that mine last year was over $8,000. The vein is almost inexhaustible and it is claimed can be worked profitably for the next 50 years. 

 

Within 80 feet of the Asbridge is the McClelland Mines, which promises to be an even greater producer of spar. The mine was opened by Mr. F. A. McClelland. He is an experienced mineral man and an expert on spar. The Hodge Mine, said to be the largest and best paying spar mine in the world is only one and a half miles from Frances. Mr. John Hodge, upon whose land this mine is located, is said gets $3,000 a year as royalty. The Yandell and Tabb and the Tabor are names of some of the other mines, all within a radius of three miles of Frances. They are all doing a fine business and new mines are being opened every week. 

 

Some of the Frances merchants from 1874 to 1950's included: Dr. Charles Owen, drug store and grocery; Critt Allen, general merchandise; M. F. Pogue, drugstore and general merchandise; Pogue and Matthews; general merchandise; W. E. Asbridge and Milton Yandell. Later day store businesses included Dr. Abell, eye doctor, Brown Brothers, Oman Matthews, Wm. Asbridge, Robertson Krone, Doom's garage, Sam Matthews, and John Holloman. 

 

There is farming, too, But farming alone could not have spawned the proud, little town of Frances and kept it on the up grade in an age of emphasis on larger shopping centers. (Information from Doyle Polk and from notes written by his aunt Stella Simpkins in the 1940's)

One Room School - Glendale

 Remembering Our One Room Schools

From the archives of The Crittenden Press, let's travel back to the year 1879 and visit once again some of our one room schools.

We find our County School Commissioner, Rev. James F. Price bundling up against the cold, climbing on his horse and heading out to visit his first school on this trip, Glendale. He shares with us his findings.

November 17^th 1879, - I visited Glendale school, E. M. Rousseau teacher.

It rained me out this day so that I did not get there until late, and as the very unfavorable day prevented many pupils from attending, I did not have a good opportunity to see the character of the school, but from my own observation and from what I could gather from the teacher and trustees, I think they have a splendid school.

The average attendance is forty-four; the school seems to be progressing well; the teacher is manifesting a great interest for the school and his instruction is very thorough.

You need not say whispering cannot be prohibited in school for we have a test of it here; the teacher does it by means of the merit roll. Whenever any one whispers, he or she is deprived of recess the next day.

You may say that the pupils act perfect, when they are not, the teacher watches them very closely and if he ever finds one practicing deception upon him in that way, he deprives that one of recesses two or three days or until he thinks that the pupil will tell the truth; this, I am informed for the last six weeks the school has been without whispering.

Some students are pursuing studies beyond the common school course.

The patrons seem to be very much interested in the school, they have a very good schoolhouse, but not sufficiently supplied with blackboard to accommodate the school.

Some extra history about Glendale School.

Glendale school was located about one and one-half miles off S. R. 297 on Hwy 2123 between Sheridan and the Crittenden Springs Road.

In Sept 1865, B. B. Terry deeded to the trustees of the school district land on which to build a schoolhouse.  It was a one-room building with one door.  Later a new school house was built not more than a few feet away from the old building.  The new school had a vestibule and the heating system was in this vestibule.

Sunday school and church services were held in the school building for many years.  School was discontinued in the spring of 1953 and students were sent to enroll in Tolu School that fall. 

When the board of Education sold the building, the people of the community bought it and organized a General Baptist Church.  

Our County Roads - Always in the News

Roads have always been a vital part of our county's history and always in the news. As early as the second county court meeting, after Crittenden County was formed from Livingston County in January of 1842, the court preceded to lay the county into Constables' districts. There were six districts laid off.

At the next county court meeting, April 5, 1842, men from the different districts were appointed to begin surveying roads for the new county.

Surveyors Chosen For New Roads

Some of the men that were selected to view and mark the new roads for the county were Arthur Love, Daniel Minner, Calab Minner and Harvey J. Minner, who were appointed commissioners to view and mark out the nearest and best way for a road from the Hurricane Meeting House to intersect the Wallace Ferry Road at A. Walker's.

In the Eastern part of the new county, Edward Kemp, Mannering Towery and Joshua Orr were appointed to view and mark out the nearest and best route for a road commencing at the bridge on Piney Creek and intersecting the road leading to Montezuma at or near Thomas Neal's and report to this court.

Other responsible men were appointed for surveyors with hands to help keep the roads in repair. (Some entries in the County Court Books reads):

William Weldon was appointed surveyor of that part of the public road from Centerville to Ford's Ferry, beginning at the fork of the road at tree No. 2, being prescient No 1, with the following keeping said road in repair, A. H. Yandall, D. Gaines, L. McMillon, W. Brown's hands, W. Smith and hands, Mrs. Stephenson's hands, J. Carrick, H. Jackson, J. Loyd, L. D. Husband, J. W. Cruce and hands.

John R. Clement was appointed Surveyor over that part of the public road leading from his ware house at Clemensburg on the Ohio River to where said road intersects Flynn's old road near Gen. Hughes and that he with the following hands keep same in repair, Joseph Hughes' hands, Matthew Hughes, Benjamin Hughes, James Hughes, William Health, Samuel Heath, Robert Heath, J. C. Beal, John Beal and Joab Beal.

The roads in the area where you lived were to be kept in repair by the males of the families that resided there and used these roads.

Male Citizens to Work Roads

 Pictured is a man using a wooden road drag to try and smooth some of the ruts and potholes from one of the county dirt roadways. 

 In a special Fiscal Court meeting of Jan. 7, 1913, it was ordered that the county roads of Crittenden County be worked by hands to be turned in by the County Road Engineer, or his assistants, and all able bodied male citizens of the county over the age of 18 years and under the age of 50 years, except licensed ministers of the gospel and citizens of incorporated towns and cities, are required to provide themselves with necessary tools and implements and to work on pubic roads of the county, not exceeding two days in a week and six days in each year, provided that any road hand may pay to the county engineer, the sum of three dollars. ($3.00) on or before the 1^st day of June, of any year, and upon payment of said sum, he will thereby be released from work upon the road during the said year.

The County Road Engineer shall immediately pay over said sum so paid to him, to the county treasurer, who shall place same to the credit of road, and same shall be applied and used in the employment of graders, plows, and teams and hands to work upon the roads of the county when needed.

Judge Travis' Vision for Better Roads

In the early part of 1920, the muddy county roads were still in the news, seemed no matter how hard the men worked the roads would become almost impassable in the winter months and rainy spells. 

 Judge E. Jeffrey Travis shared his thoughts and a new idea with the Press:

The weekend brought a good many citizens into town, 'cussin' and discussin' the roads. Bob Gibbs says that the roads in his community would bog a buzzard; Perce Brasher thinks it dangerous to undertake to go anywhere, even to Sunday school, except on foot or in a flying machine; Tom Ed Walker says traveling on his roads is not so bad if it would not give you seasickness, so muddy.

Uncle Dick Cruce and Jeff Clement, the most optimistic of all callers and commentators, blame mostly the unusually wet and freezing weather that we have been having rather than the county road engineer and the overseers for our extremely muddy roads at this particular time.

Judge Travis remarks to the public - It looks now that the Crittenden County roads are past all using. What are we going to do? We all want to know. The sooner we quit throwing our money into mud holes the sooner we will have money with which to build roads that do not get muddy, nor wash away.

You don't like this system: Well, what do you say to having all property owners pay reasonable property tax, say 30 cents for each $100.00 worth of property and each male citizen over twenty-one years, pay a reasonable poll. This would give us a fund of amounting to $25,000.00. With proper equipment and money properly distributed, this would work all our roads as well or better than now and leave us a nice sum to be applied with state aid in building some permanent roads.

This idea for a new way to improve the roads must not have gone over too well, but it would eventually be the only way to get better roads.

Judge Travis had a vision for the betterment of Crittenden County Roads, but it was several years later at a Fiscal Court meeting in August 1927 before the Court decided to fix a special road tax.

Road Tax Implemented

At the regular meeting August 2, 1927, the Fiscal Court voted to call for a special road tax election, the purpose being to change the system of road maintenance. The old plan, now over 75 years old, was based on free labor and is considered not only out-of-day but inadequate.

According to the new plan, which is to be voted on in the special election, a pole tax of $1.00 on each male voter and property tax of 20 cents per hundred is to be assessed for road purposes and the funds thus provided used to pay for the upkeep of the road system in Crittenden County.

Every member of the court was present at the meeting.

In January 1928, under the leadership of Judge L. E. Waddell, a new system of maintaining the roads was decided on by the Fiscal Court. According to the new plan all work on the roads will be done at the order of the fiscal court and the money expended under the old supervisor system would be used in payment of this work.

The Magistrate of each district would be allowed so many road supervisors. Said road supervisors would be appointed by the Court and would report to the Magistrate of his district once every two weeks as to the work he is doing and the expense of such work.

Team work on the roads for the year 1928 shall be $2.00 per day for each team. All road hands are required to work 6 days on the roads or pay the sum of $5.00 which shall be equivalent to such work.

The court voted to place $8,000.00 in a fund to be used in construction of a rock road in any community where the citizens will furnish a like amount. This was to encourage people to use their money for the improvement of permanent roads instead of throwing it in the mud holes that would just keep returning.

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Crayne Post Office History

 

The postal service has been a great asset for the community of Crayne for many, many years. The Crayne Post office plays an import part in the life of each resident of Crayne and those of neighbors in the surrounding area.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Crayne was a busy little community with general stores, a hotel and a blacksmith shop. The salary for the Postmaster at this time was small, and most of the Post offices were locate within one of the general stores. At that time postmasters were selected by political leaders. The postmaster position was usually given to a member of the political party of the leader in office at the time. Postmasters are now selected on postal experience and qualifications and they now receive compensation in compliance with today's economics.

Today the Crayne Post Office is the only public building and business located in Crayne.  It is located in the former Seth and Velma Ferguson's Grocery Store.  The original store building was  remodeled into an office and is home to the Crayne post office. 

 Although not in use anymore the original wooden post office front is still in the store as a reminder of its former use as the Post office.  It belongs to Seth and Velma's daughter, Sandra, today.

In 1886, James Lee Cruce became the first postmaster of Crayne. The post office was located at his farm about half a mile south of Crayne.

 In 1890, Richard Dorroh was named postmaster, followed by Hugh Glenn in 1900-02, James F. Canada in 1904, and Newton Bishop in 1907. 

 James Franklin Dorroh, William Robert Dorroh, and Eugene Dorroh each served as Postmasters of Crayne. At the time the Dorroh's served as postmasters, the office was located in the Hugh Glenn Store. This store later became the Dorroh General Store and the post office remained in this building until 1953. (This store building was located where the block building is in the center of Crayne today.)

In 1953, Seth Ferguson became Postmaster. Mr. Ferguson moved the post office to his general store. He retired as Postmaster of Crayne in 1982. His wife, Mrs. Velma Ferguson and Mrs. Jackie Dorroh served as Assistant Postmaster during this time.

In 1982, George Tucker of Mayfield became Postmaster in charge until his retirement. In February 1983, Rose Ann Bebout was appointed Postmaster.  She was Postmaster until October 2014 when she retired.

The community of Crayne is thankful today to have the post office still very much a part of our small community. It had grown over the years and in 1995 because a full-time office, being open for eight hours per day.   Until this time it has only been open for six hours per day.

In 1992 the post office was remodeled and a twenty-four-day lobby with post office boxes for rent became available to customers. The original post office window and box service area is now a lobby display for everyone to remember where we came from. The display will remain a part of the Crayne Post Office history.

In 1997, the postmaster received national honors by being named The Benjamin Franklin recipient. This award is given by the United States Postal Service Corporate Relations each year to fifty–two postal employees who demonstrate outstanding results in community outreach activities, then postmaster Rose Ann Bebout gave the credit to the Crayne community for this award.

 On October 18th, 2014 the mailing center saw a stark reduction in its window hours, it went down to 23 hours from its 41.75 hours, once again a part time post office.  Kim Asbridge, who previously was postmaster relief assumed the responsibility of managing the post office and is still on the job today. 

This picture of the front of the building was made in June of 2010.  Gone today is the historical and much remembered bench that used to sit there.  It was there when I was growing up in Crayne some 70+ years ago.
 

Many happy memories of sitting on that bench with friends having a coke and peanuts or an ice cream popcicle.  It was accidentally smashed by a vehicle that went forward instead of backwards.  I was sad to not see the much remembered bench on the front porch anymore.

Clinton Easley and James Watson In Boxing Tournment 1937

 Not much has been documented about Marion boys being involved in the art of boxing.  Here is an interesting article from The Crittenden Press, May 7, 1937.

Easley and Watson Annex Tournament Titles in Paducah Meet

 Clinton Easley and James Watson fought their way to Tri-State titles in the tournament sponsored by the Sun-Democrat, being held in Paducah.

Clinton Easley gained his title with one of the most powerful knock-out punches ever displayed in Paducah and had no trouble in winning over Willard Camp, Camden, Tenn., in the light-heavy weight division.

The bout lasted only one round.  Camp was floored twice before being counted out.  Swinging a punch loaded with dynamite Easley was master of Camp at all times and clearly demonstrated that his near victory over last year's champion was n ot a flash-in-the-pan type.

James Watson, in the opening session, in the 113 pound class, scored a technical knockout over Henry Jordan, Paduch, in the thrid round, and Wednesday n ight dowed Bill Walton, Benton, in a decisive fashion, leaving no room for doubt as to his superiority in the division.  Walton was floored three times in the first round and would have scored a knockout if the fight had not been called at the end of the second.

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Douglas Travis, lost to Jack Gatlin, Benton, in the feather-weight division in one of the biercest battles of the meet.  

A terrific jab to the heart gave the victory to Gatlin after Travis had fought one of the most surprising battles of the evening.

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Dick Moore drove power punches into the body of Clyde Swift, Camden, Tenn., in the 135 pound class but lost to one of the fastest and cleverest of entries.

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Mose Johnson refused to claim victory in the middleweight scrap with Tynes Benton, on a foul.

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Harold Winn lost his bout after putting up one of the best bouts on the opening card.

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The local fighters have had no ring experience and very little training, conditioning themselves as best they could within the past few days. 

Paducah sports writers highly praised the squad as the gamest and hardest punching of all entries.