Oak Grove School

Although we have no pictures of the school or students that attended school here, we have some old history of the school and how school days were in the days of yesteryear, written by Maebelle Clark Kemper back in 1986

Oak Grove School was located approximately two miles west of Marion near U. S. Highway 60. The building was a big green one room schoolhouse with a door on the right for the boys and the left door for girls. The school ground was shaded by a number of large oak trees – thus the name Oak Grove. The land for the school was probably donated by a Sullenger family.

 

There was a well near the coal house but most of the time the water was unfit to drink. It actually rusted the bucket it was put in and formed an oily substance on top of the water. Most of the time we carried water from the home of Crawford Clark, Coleman Lanham or Walter Fowler. Some children had a drinking cup, others made a cup from a sheet of tablet paper and others used the community dipper. The fact that germs were on it didn't enter enter their heads, in fact most of us would not have known what a germ was.

 

Bathroom facilities consisted of two outhouses. The only equipment furnished was a Sears and Roebuck catalog if we were lucky. The boys seem to delight in throwing rocks at the girls outhouse, even if we threatened to tell the teacher.

 

There were no slides, swings, games, etc. to keep us amused. We played our own version of baseball, if anyone had a ball, using a stick or a board for a bat. We ran relays, played hide-and-seek and built leaf houses in the fall when the trees shed their leaves. A creek bordered the school yard and after a rain it was interesting to see how many time we could hop from one rock to another without falling into the creek.

 

Teachers were expected to teach eight grades if there were pupils for each grade. The hours were from 8 am. Until 3:30 or 4 p.m. With an hour for lunch and yard duty. The teachers built the fires and swept t he schoolhouse floor unless a willing student would do it for 10 or 15 cents a day.

 

The teacher rang a bell at 8 a.m. To call students to class. They lined up, hopefully without pushing and shoving, marched up the steps through the hall, where coats, overshoes and lunch boxes were lrft, and into the classroom. A big potbellied stove was in the center of the room. Two lines of desks were arranged on each side, smaller desks at the front and larger ones in the back that were reserved for the older boys and girls. Nearly everyone had a seat-mate and boys sat on the right side and girls on the left. 

 

Books, tablets and pencils were bought by the parents. Sometimes they had to sell a few chickens to supply them. Crayons were a luxury and were kept carefully and loaned only to very best friends. Most of the time we didn't have a pencil sharpener and probably would have trimmed all our pencil away just for the fun of using the crank. One of the boys usually had a knife and was always glad to sharpen the little girl's pencil, especially if she was cute. 

 

Students went to the front of the room toe “recite” lessons. They sat on a long wooden “recitation” bench with the teacher sitting in the front. One didn't look forward to this if too much time had been spent visiting with our seat-mate.

 

Lunch time was welcome, partly because there was an hour to play and partly because we were hungry. Most of us had been up since 5 a.m. Lunches were brought in lunch boxes or lard buckets, depending of the state of finances at home. Food was an odd assortment, cold fried chicken, biscuits and sausage or fried eggs, sometimes peanut butter and crackers and occasionally the treat of an apple or piece of pie or cake. It was a real disaster if ants got in out lunch box. In the summer we ate outside under a tree and in winter we ate inside. Some of the children brought a cup of sorghum molasses for desert which created an interesting diversion if some got spilled on the desk or seat. Lard buckets kept closed from early morning until noon created their own special aroma when opened.

 

School Bus? We never heard of one. We walked – through dust, rain, snow and mud. If mud was too deep in the road we went through the field. We didn't play sick very often; at our house that meant a dose of castor oil, no matter what the complaint.

In the fall of 1939 the school building burned and the men of the community constructed the present building, which is smaller in size than the older one. After the school closed addition were made to it and it was made into a dwelling occupied by James and Erma Fowler (1986).

Some of the teachers at Oak Grove were A. E. Clark in 1891, Rose Clark, Annie Clark, Bob Allen, Robert Corley, Kenneth Powell, Pearl Wa ddell, Leota Sullenger, Katie Sullenger, Maude Conger Elder, Rebecca Moore Pickens, Clessie Agee Chick, Anna Smith Collins, Regina Postlethweight, Arrie Joyce, Grace LaRue and in 1941 Katherine Swansey.

Oak Grove closed in 1958. Students bused to Marion.

Marion Named 1969 All-Kentucky City

Crittenden Press, Feb. 5, 1970.

Many months of hard work and achievement for Marion culminated Friday with presentation of awards recognizing the city's accomplishments.  Marion and nine of nearly four-score Kentucky communities were designated All-Kentucky Cities for 1969 by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.  Presenting the awards was President LeRoy Miles of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, assisted by Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame.

Sponsored locally by the Woman's Club of Marion, the award marked the first time Marion has been selected for the honor. 

Mrs. George Winn served as chairman of the annual Woman's Club project with James D. Hunt acting as coordinator for the various civic organizations.  Mrs. James Johnson also wrote portions of the report along with helping compile the visual aids.

After an organizational meeting in late summer, the committee began gathering information, newspaper clippings and pictures to supplement the report.

In November, the first presentation was made on a district level at Kentucky Dam Village.  It was necessary for each city to have four of six possible categories judged excellent to qualify for the state competition.

Marion's report included over sixty individual projects which was described orally with the help of visual aids. 

After advancing to the state level, over fifty color slides were prepared showing the improvements and completed projects in Marion and Crittenden County.  

Attending the awards luncheon from Marion were Mrs. George E. Winn, Mrs. C. L. Frazer, Mrs. William Tobin, Mr. and Mrs. James Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. James D. Hunt and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mick.

Marion Installed As Member In State Chamber's Hall of Fame - 1972

Crittenden Press, May 13, 1972

 Now, IN HALL OF FAME.  this delegation was on hand in Louisville Wednesday, April 5, when Marion was officially named to the All-Kentucky City Hall of Fame by the Kentucky chamber of Commerce.  To be admitted to the Hall of Fame, a city must win the title of All-Kentucky City three years out of five.  Marion has won the title for three consecutive years.

Marion was one of eight communities to be installed in the Kentucky Chamber's All-Kentucky City Hall of Fame during presentations at the Executive Inn in Louisville on April 5.

The communities were cited for progress in development during a five-consecutive-year period when each community was recognized as All-Kentucky three times by the state-wide Opportunity for Progress program of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.  

Each community was presented a plaque in recognition of the accomplishments.  Marion - 1969, 1970, and 1971.

Attending the luncheon and representing Marion were: Mr. and Mrs. James Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. William Tobin, Mr. and Mrs. George E. Winn, Mrs. Neil Guess, Mrs. Weams Croft, Miss Nelda Phelps, Mrs. C. L. Frazer,  chairman of the Community Improvement Committee of the Marion Woman's Club, Mr. John Ramsey, Mr. Gordon Guess, and Mr. James D. Hunt.

The Perils of the New Automobiles

 

The late Maxine Be bout Croft of Tolu shared this wonderful vintage picture from her husband's family photos.  The picture was made about 1915-1916.  Seated in the sporty new touring vehicle are Nellie Croft, with daughter Roberta standing in front of her, and behind the wheel is a very young Ollie Phin Croft.  It certainly goes right along with our story.

 

 Although being exciting and getting one to their destination faster, owning one of the new rubber tire automobiles in the 1920's could definitely prove to be a challenge. Many perils awaited most of the owners, and also proved a danger for the traditional travel of the horse and buggy.

From the archives of The Crittenden Press we can read many of these adventures of our fellow citizens of yesteryear. Looks like the reporter for the paper was kept pretty busy keeping up with all the automobile news.

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Oct. 19, 1911 - Narrow escape. Sunday afternoon the horse driven by R. A. Rodgers, to this runabout became frightened at a passing automobile and was soon unmanageable. After rearing and plunging he fell and broke the shafts and otherwise damaged the vehicle which was a new and handsome one. Mr. Rodgers was accompanied by his wife and son. None of the occupants were hurt, as they escaped by jumping out, and were only badly frightened by their experience.

***

Nov. 12, 1920 - Three automobiles have been destroyed by fire in this county, all within the past week.

A Ford belonging to Fred Crayne was burned Saturday night. Mr. Crayne was driving the car when the machine caught fire from a short circuit.

C. M. Dillard, of Marion, lost a Inland truck by fire Saturday while on is way to Rosiclare, Ill. The fire originated as above while he was driving near Sheridan. The flames fro m the burning machine ignited the dry leaves and the woods caught fire resulting in the burning of a fence.

A Ford car belonging to Frank Butler caught from back fire in the carburetor while being driven near Frances Sunday and was destroyed. All these machines were insured.

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Loses Foot In Automobile Accident. Thursday morning of last week an automobile accident occurred on South Main Street, in which Hally Wilcox, colored of this city was seriously but not fatally injured.

Wilcox was riding on the fender of T. C. Bennett's car, driven by Walter Fritts who was driving close behind the car of Carl Henderson. As they neared the top of the hill on South Main, the cars met Fonnie Belmear in his “Lizzie.” The dust was so dense that the second car and Mr. Belmear's crashed in which the Negro was injured. He was taken to the hospital at Paducah where his foot was amputated.

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Aug. 5, 1921 - Car Runs Away

Thursday morning about 9:30 Elzie Moore who works at Cochran's Garage cranked a Chevrolet car that belonged to Cochran and Co., after he had filled it was gas and oil. The car was in gear and before Mr. Moore could get in the car started backward down the street. It ran into a buggy belonging to Mr. George Conditt and threw him out.

The horse became frightened and ran away, doing considerable damage to the buggy. The car backed into Mrs. Mary Cameron's front porch and stopped. No one was injured.

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Sept. 1, 1922 - Injured In Auto Accident

Wednesday morning while Mr. J. Hicklin was motoring near the Cave-in-Rock landing he met with a rather painful though not serious accident. The roads in that section are nothing to brag about and while he was going along the car ran against a stump.

When the car wheel hit the stump Mr. Hicklin struck the windshield of his car bruising and cutting his face in a number of places. He drove home and had the wounds dressed and it is reported is doing well. The car was uninjured.

***

July 28, 1923 - Automobiles Collide

A Star automobile, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Willie George of Salem, and Mr. and Mrs. Press Guess, while being driven on Bellville Street opposite the residence of Mrs. Clara Carnahan Sunday afternoon, collided with a Ford car driven by Sig Hopson, slightly injuring Mrs. George and badly damaging both machines.

A buggy being to the right of the approaching car, Hopson in trying to pass, collided with the other car as it met the buggy.

***

Buggy's Beware - On last Sunday as H. B. Hamby was driving in a buggy in the vicinity of Haffaw Mines near Mexico, he was run into by an automobile and the buggy wrecked. Mr. Hamby escaped with slight injuries, as also did the horse.

The driver of the machine was not reported.

***

May 23, 1924 - Auto Overruns Cow.

Sat. afternoon as Squire Charles LaRue was driving a cow along the Salem Rd. near J. E. Sullengers place, the animal was overrun by an automobile driven by George Dowell of Tolu, dislocating the lower joint of the cow's leg. The collision is reported to have been purely accidental or unavoidable, the cow delaying or refusing to give the necessary right of way until it was too late for the driver to stop his machine. Dr. Slayden was called to set the injured limb.

***

Three persons were painfuly injured Sunday when an auto driven by Mrs. Earl Stephens was over-turned near the R. H. Enoch place on the Morganfield Road. The car was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stephens, Misses Ada Barnes, Jewell Dean Glore, Nellie Belt, Gladys Barnes and Messrs. J. D. Glore and Arnold Travis. The following persons were injured in the accident: Jewell Dean Glore - gash behind ear and bruises, Ada Barnes, gash on right cheek, Gladys Barnes - cut across nose. Dr. Cook dressed the wounds.

***

June 20, 1924 - Two Injured

Lonnie James and Cecil Sigler, young men of near Marion, were seriously injured Sunday afternoon on the Marion and Princeton road when their automobile was struck and run over by another car.

Sigler who was driving and his companion were going south and overtook another car driven by a Mr. Gilland. Sigler in passing Gilland's car swerved too quickly in front of it and was struck and turned over.

James suffered two broken ribs, a cut on the chin, besides several minor cuts and bruises. Siglers ankle was dislocated, his left arm and small bones in his hand were broken.

***

While Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Caps, who reside near Mexico, were returning home from Princeton one day last week the automobile in which they were traveling went over a culvert, turned turtle and threw the occupants out resulting in a broken rib for Mrs. Capps. Dr. Cook dressed the wounds of the injured woman and she is reported to be improving.

***

July 1924 - More Accidents

Mr. A. C. Babb, while driving on N. College St. was painfully, but not seriously hurt in an automobile accident. The rear axle of the machine struck some high stepping stones and Mr. Babb was thrown forward on the windshield, resulting in the loss of one tooth and being considerably bruised and shaken up. His car was also considerably damaged.

***

Last Sunday as P. P. Paris, of near town was driving on the Marion and Princeton road near Crider, his car, a new Chevrolet, was struck by another car and badly damaged. Mr. Paris while going South and while passing some buggies was met by a Ford car, which is stated, was going at a high rate of speed, which collided with his car. Mr. Paris was slightly injured by bits of broken glass. None of the occupants of the other care was reported injured. Both cars were damaged.

Clock Tower Measured Days and Years For Marion

 I have made a couple of posts in the past about the old Clock and Bell Tower on the old Marion Jr. High building located on College Street, I seemed to have a fascination for the old structure and it haunts me every time I see it.  I feel I must carry on its history as long as it hangs on, literally hangs on to the top of the building. 

I can't help but look at it every time I am on College Street and think about the history of this once proud clock and bell tower.  There is no sign now of the old clock, because its Roman numerals and arms of  the clock have been lost to time, only the aging wooden tower once home to the 1895 clock is left, and with its present condition, it will soon disappear from sight.

 

It's history began with the new Grade and High School building that was built in 1895.  As the building was almost completed and the tower that was to be the final step in it's completion, some enterprising spirits conceived the idea of putting in a clock, and in a few days a big $600 clock and bell  was installed in the tower, it will tell and toll of the time, and as it measures off the days and years of the people of Marion.

 

 

The clock and bell tolled out the time and called the children to school each day in this building for 43 years and by then the school had become to small to hold all the students so in 1938 a new school was decided to be built.  The new brick structure would be part of the work of the New Deal, the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The new school was completed in 1938-1940 and the first graduating class was in 1941.  The clock and bell from the 1895 building was saved and placed in the new structure.

The clock ticked and the bell tolled until about 1966 and it became beyond repair and some of the parts on the outside were lost and it wasn't able to rewind the time piece so it sat idle for the rest of it's life.

In August of 1981 this school was closed and students transferred to the new Crittenden County Elementary School on Autumn Lane.

Today,  November 2023, only the old wooden structure that held the clock and bells has just about lost it's battle to time and looks like it will soon be gone.

New Deal Programs helped Crittenden County - WPA

 Works Progress Administration, known as the WPA was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings, streets, bridges, roads and numerous other projects.  

Marion and Crittenden County greatly benefited from this agency and the many projects done here through the years of 1935-1943.

Some of the streets to be improved with cement bound macadam or cut black asphalt, which would include curbing and drainage, included: East and West Depot, East and West Elm; North and South College, East and West Carlisle, North and South Walker. 

      Shady Grove and Frances Gymnasium's constructed by the WPA

 Other projects submitted and approved were to construct recreational center at Shady Grove, Ky, (new gymnasium) $2,027.00, Training work centers for women at Marion, $7,782.20, to construct playground at Frances Consolidated School, Frances, Ky., $2,269.00, (Frances also got a new gymnasium) Construct playground at Mattoon Consolidated School grounds, $1,5469.00. 

Dec. 13, 1935. The rock crusher began operation at the Alexander-Hopsons quarry, Shady Grove, crushing rock for the use of W.P.A. in the paving and curbing of the various streets in the city previously designated for these improvements. The first of the rock so delivered will be placed for use around the court Square in order that this paving and curbing may be completed at once and after this to the other streets so named.

 

In March of 1936 the Press tells us that the work of preparing the streets around the Court Square for paving is rapidly progressing since the moderation of the weather. The remainder of the sewage has been completed and preparations are now under way for the laying of the curbs.

 

Another important road project that was completed in October of 1938 was the Dycusburg-Kuttawa road. The bridge connecting Lyon and Crittenden counties was opened last week. With the completion a direct route to Lyon County is now open to citizens of the Dycusburg area.

 

 

 We know they helped with the building of several bridges in the county.   In 2013 the Fiscal Court authorized the replacement of the bridge on the Bells Mines Road.  Prior to the demolition of this bridge it was noticed that this foundation stone indicated the WPA had constructed the original structure in 1939.  The stone was removed and preserved for historical purposes.  This historical stone was presented to the Crittenden County Historical Museum in Oct. 2023 to be kept and preserved.

 

Perhaps one of the last large projects completed by the WPA was the demolition of the old Marion Grade and High School building and replacing it with a beautiful new building in 1938.  

This is why it is such a shame and disgrace for us to have let this beautiful and historical building sit and slowly fall into ruin, a ruin so bad that they say it is beyond any kind of repair now, due to the expense. 

Early Pioneers and Early Roadways

 

This is an interesting article that was written many years ago in 1931 by Rev. James F. Price. It's a look into some of our very early history of the land and the settlement of our county.

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The early pioneers of our Western Kentucky that later would become Crittenden County were a most neighborly and visit-prone people right from the beginning. This can be attributed to many factors, not the least of which was the dark, gloomy, largely unbroken forest which blanketed our virgin landscape and cast uncontrollable fears of Wilderness Fever caused by too much loneliness and isolation. Added to this was the nagging fear of Indian trouble .

 

The pioneer of original Livingston County was that hardy breed of perpetual western movers we term the Scotch-Irish. Even though they were relatively poor, in most instances, they retained the overbearing family and neighbor ties as the system was developed in the deep South. There were a few of the planter-aristocrats who attempted to set up plantation type farms, these were usually in the river bottoms, but these people soon realized that this land was just not suitable for such uses, and soon adapted themselves down to the smaller cropping method of provision farming.

***

Traveling To Western Kentucky

The Pioneers migrated to what became Crittenden County by both the overland routes across the Cumberland Mountains and across Kentucky or through the Cumberland River Valley through Tennessee by wagon, foot and pack-horse, and by the river flatboat route down the Cumberland, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. 

 

By far, the former overland routes were mostly always taken by the home seeking, very few of whom lived near rivers in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee, and fewer yet had any river boats nor navigation skills, and since few had money to buy or build boats and rent crews or pay passage, the river pirate and hostile Indian danger on the rivers decided the way this county was settled, which was traveling on land.

 

The overland travelers in the virgin Kentucky and Tennessee forests always traveled in groups as a means of protection against the ever-present larger savaging-wild animals, such as wolves and panthers, who would follow the pioneer's herds of cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry in packs awaiting the opportunity to attack a straggling animal or even a child. 

 

They also traveled together for protection from possible attacks of hostile Indians or robbery and murder by land pirates, although there was less actual danger of Indian attacks in Kentucky, since they using the state only as a hunting ground, and had become adjusted to sharing the game with the white settlers.

 

When the groups of overland traveling pioneers arrived in west Kentucky they considered the wooded rolling hill-land of what was to become Caldwell and Eastern and Southern Crittenden County as prime land, for the pioneers were convinced that land that would not grow trees would grow nothing, and most of them were quite familiar with hill-farming in their original homes in the south, thus the first sections of original Livingston County to become settled were its Eastern and Southeastern half. 

 

The original permanent settlement of what was to become Crittenden County was determined to a great extent by the only roadway that naturally led through the desired homestead country in a south to north direction.

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Roadway known as the: Saline Trace, Chickasaw Trail and Flynn's Ferry Road

Geologically a natural break, formed by parts of Camp Creek and Piney Creek in very early times formed a basis for a North-South track or trail through the eastern part of the County from the plains or grasslands of middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky to the salt-licks along the Saline River in Southern Illinois.

 

The first use of this pathway was made by the great herds of buffalo and other grazing animals that had inhabited the grasslands from time immemorial as the route to travel to secure the supply of salt, which was necessary for their health. 

 

The "Saline Trace" was built by the buffalo, which has been called the trail maker or engineer, because of his habit of finding the route of least resistance between salt licks and cane breaks. His trail, some 4 or 5 feet wide, was hard packed by many hoofs. Indians adopted and followed his traces, or paths. 

 

Before Crittenden County was settled, the Chickasaw tribe of Tennessee sent hunting parties into the area. One of these early camps was located in the vicinity of Piney Fork church, near whee the present highway crosses the creek west of the church. 

 

The Kaskaskia Tribe representing the powerful Illinois nation, often camped on lower Camp Creek near the site of Weston. Thus these large groups of Indians often came into conflict over possession of hunting rights in the land that was to become Eastern Crittenden County.

 

Early Crittenden County tradition tells us that in about 1790, warriors of these tribes met near the Piney Fork campsite, and in a running battle from there to the river, more than 200 Indians were killed. The Chickasaws won the battle and immediately made provisions for the spoils to be transferred to their camp. They cleared a road along the trail for the use of their wagons, by 1790, the Chickasaw had adopted the full use of the white man's freight wagon. 

 

When early settlers located, at what would later become Weston, the road was known at the Chickasaw Trail, but soon in 1803 it would become know as Flynn's Ferry Road for George Flynn who opened a ferry and established a better road to Big Spring in Princeton.

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Armstrong and Centerville

The land that is now Crittenden County is a rolling plateau cut by three main north-south running valleys which are clearly divided by high ridges between them in its southeastern quarter which were the first sections to be settled by the pioneers after the Centerville neighborhood had been taken up.

 

The Armstrong's were among the first settlers of (what was to become) Crittenden County. James took up 200 acres on Livingston Creek, the site of Centerville, where he had already built a residence a few years earlier. Logan Armstrong and Samuel Armstrong took up 200 acres on the same creek. The three tracts were all surveyed in 1799. (There is a Kentucky Historical Marker to mark the site of Centerville on the Crittenden-Caldwell line on Highway 641.)

 

The Piney Fork Valley was next preferred by the homesteaders. It begins as a narrow valley in the south, near where the original Piney Creek Baptist Church was located and is separated from the Tradewater River Valley by the Haw, Blackburn and Piney Bluffs ridge on the east, but soon broadens to the Twin Knobs-Wilson Hill ridge on the west. (Who would have ever dreamed that the once historically known Twin Knobs would be no more, and a modern highway would now be where they once stood. These knobs were landmarks known for miles around by pilots in the air and from travelers on the highways.)

 

This valley was very fertile to the basic pioneer crops and was well drained by both forks of Piney Creek and watered by numerous ever flowing springs. The land was also blanketed by a fine virgin growth of hardwood timber. These factors made it the ideal location for successful pioneer settlement and it became the "cradle" of Crittenden County.

***

As each generation dies out, much of our past history is lost. It's nice to have these written facts to still read and recall the very early days of our county and it's pioneer people.