Among The Farmers, Part II

Saturday October 25 was a beautiful day in rural Crittenden County. It was one of those perfect autumn days that you dreamed about when it is 90 degrees in the shade in the middle of summer.

As I took a scenic drive on S.R. 1901, or as we older folks call it, Seminary Loop Road, I was awarded with this beautiful sight. Wanted to share it with everyone.

From the Crittenden Press, June 1897. Among The Farmers, Part II.

• Mr. David Gilliland, one of the tireless farmers of the Hurricane country, was in town Tuesday. Dave is small in stature but it is said that when it comes to moving things on a farm he can do more than two large men. He has charge of Foster Threlkeld's big farm this year and is keeping up with his 250 acres of growing corn.
• Occasionally a farmer takes hold of an old farm and makes a thing of beauty of it. One notable instance of the kind is Dan Green took the old Akers place, on the Fords Ferry Road when it was thought past redemption, and the old fields had been termed out for years. Dan set his wits and muscle to work and now he has as cozy a little place as there is on the road. The persimmon bushes and gullies have disappeared and in their stead are productive fields, a handsome cottage, which has taken the place of the old house, and everything around him has a prosperous look.
• Mr. Albert Weldon of Tolu was in town Tuesday. Albert has recently retired from the mill business and invested more extensively in farms. He has a fine farm near Tolu.
• J. N. Bracey figures on threshing out fifteen hundred bushes of wheat this season.
• Mr. John Asbridge brought a lot of fine honey to town and soon disposed of it. He took 100 lbs. from four stand of bees. He has his hives so arranged that the honey is deposited in one pound cases and these are sold without breaking the comb.
• Mr. E. L. Horning hauled two loads of tobacco to town last week.
• Col. A.D. McFee, one of the best farmers of the Fords Ferry section, is selling his last year's crop of corn this week. He sold at thirty cents per bushel, and will deliver several hundred bushes.

Stately Monuments

W. T. Carloss monument on the left and on the right is the impressive monument of R. L. Moore. Both stones are in the Mapleview Cemetery at Marion, Ky.

Years ago when a new monument was created the Crittenden Press would sometimes publish an announcement about the impressive stone that would be set at the cemetery. Here are two of those stones that were noted in the Press.

July 4, 1907 - The Woodmen of the World decorated the grave of Sovereign W. T. Carloss, as an honor to his memory and to express a brotherly reverence for his worth. The Woodmen formed a line of march at their Camp in town, and headed by the Silver Cornet Band of Marion, followed by a large number of Woodmen marched to the cemetery, where a large crowd of people had assembled to witness the ceremonies.

The Woodmen ceremonies were very beautiful and most appropriate. The band furnished music on the way to and from the cemetery.

Jan. 5, 1893 - Henry Bros. the marble men of Marion, have been contracted by the Moore family for the erection of a monument over the grave of Mr. R. L. Moore. It is a $1,400 piece of work and when completed will be the handsomest in the county. It is to be of gray granite, and the shaft rises sixteen feet in the air and it is six feet square at the base.

This handsome and tasty piece of work will probably be the first to adorn the new cemetery at Marion. The remains of Mr. Moore now rest at Mr. Zion, and will be moved to Marion when the monument is ready to be set.

On The Lighter Side

From the archives of The Crittenden Press come many interesting and unusual stories. Here are two amusing little articles that will surly bring a smile to those who read them. They probably couldn't be used in our paper today, but they bring us a glimpse of our past and the humor that the Press reporter could see in otherwise troubled circumstances.

The Crittenden Press, Sept. 25, 1913 - Kissed and Made Up Differences. But the county couple kept the community well stirred up while the trouble lasted.

A most exciting series of events springing from domestic troubles of Tom Myers and wife, of this county, was brought to a close here when Myers was fined $30 in the County Court for wife beating.

On last Tuesday Myers and his wife had some difficulty during the progress of which he bestowed sundry blows, slaps and bruises upon her and so terrified her that she fled their home and sought refuge in Fredonia, which is near their home.

Noticing her absence for the next several days the neighbors concluded that the woman had been killed, and so they dragged creeks, ponds and cisterns near Myers premises in an endeavor to locate the body.

Naturally they failed to find her and when they next heard from her she was in Marion , where she swore out a warrant, charging her husband with wife beating and in addition asked that he be put under a bond to keep the peace.

Saturday night the sheriff started out to find Myers and arrest him that he night be placed on trial. He failed in his search and later developments show that while he was making his midnight ride to protect the women, who was apparently in terror of her husband, she and her erring spouse resided peacefully in Fredonia. Monday morning both Myers and his wife appeared, and at her request he was allowed to plead guilty to accept a fine of thirty dollars whereupon they departed in apparent peace and harmony with every assurance that they would "live happily ever after."

Feb. 19, 1926 - A Different Return Of A Marriage License

Recently County Clerk D. A. Lowry issued a marriage license upon request of the hopeful groom. The usual procedure is for the happy couple to quickly go find a minister before whom they promise to take each other for better or worse and the officiating minister then properly fills out the blank lines that the event has taken place according to law and returns it to the clerk so that he may complete his records.

In this specific case, however, something seems to have gone awry. After several days of watchful waiting for the return of the license Clerk Lowry was rewarded by having it come back with the blank spaces still in the same condition as when they originally left his office - but a note came with it signed by the original applicant stating that the papers were being return for cancellation because no property was found.

Clerk Lowry is still wondering.

Genealogy Society Goes To Dycusburg

The Crittenden County Genealogy Society goes to Dycusburg Sat. Oct. 11th. Matthew Patton was our host for the day.

Front row, left to right. Anna Rhea Belt Porter, behind Anna Rhea is Betty Charles Mitchel from Clay, KY, Connie Brasher Gould, Rita Owen Travis, and Judy Kemp Owen.

Second row: Doyle Polk, Fay Carol Crider, Matthew Patton, Dale Owen (husband of Judy) and Gary and Renata Dycus. Gary and Renata had seen the Dycusburg.com site on the internet and decided to drive all the way from Texas to spend the day with the Dycusburg crowd. Gary's family was originally from this area. The group is standing in the Dycusburg cemetery, this was part of our program, as Matthew took us on a tour and told some interesting facts about some of the stones.

Our meeting began in the Dycusburg Methodist Church with a interesting history on the community of Dycusburg and some of it's tragic fires that destroyed the business section. Then Connie Brasher Gould shared some history about the beautiful little Methodist Church as her ancestor's had a hand in constructing some of the interior.

We then walked down to the location of the new Veteran's Memorial marker. The marker is located on the lot where the Dycusburg City Hall used to be.

We ended our program with a tour of the cemetery. It was an enjoyable and interesting day. It is wonderful to see Matthew Patton and his family and friends trying to protect and preserve their community's history.

History of the Levias Community

Crittenden County was blessed with many small home-town communities with businesses, schools, churches and their own post office, now all that is gone but the names of the communities. The names live on carrying on what little history is left of their area. This history is of the little community of Levias, which was located about 6 miles West from Marion. You could get to Levias by turning off Highway 60 East at Midway and also by a side road from S.R. 297. It is still noted on our county maps. The history was written many years ago by James B. Kirk who passed away Aug. 28, 2000 and is buried in the Union Cemetery, which is located next to Levias. Jim loved genealogy and his hometown community of Levias.

LEVIAS - At the close of the Civil War, Loyd Levi Price, a young single man from Tennessee, who had fought for the north, bought two acres of land in the Union Baptist Church neighborhood. This was six miles from Marion, and one-fourth mile off the Marion-Salem Road. A county road then, but now known as U.S. Hwy. 60 West.

Price built a house, married a local girl and built a store building. He stocked it was groceries that he received by boat put off at the Tolu landing, some 10 miles away. He had a splendid trade, as the store was located halfway between Marion and Salem. It was a place the women could take their eggs for sale, or to trade for groceries and small items in the dry good line.

Price saw the need of a post office in their neighborhood and applied to the Post Office Department in Washington for an office to be opened and put in his store. Prior to this the settlement had no name but it must be named to have a post office. He asked for the village to be name Levi and call it the Levi post office. The Post Office Department notified him there was already a Levi Post Office in Kentucky and the closest they could name it would be Levias. From that time on the village went by the name of Levias.

There was a Union Baptist Church dedicated in 1810 and a Union School. With these, and a post office Levias began to grow. It was on the map, a thriving little community of church going and God loving people.

A few houses were soon built around the store. A gristmill was put in operation and later a second store was built by Charles LaRue. It was stocked with groceries, general merchandise, a set of stock scales and a scale house. A house was built for a voting place for the Fourth Precinct, called Union Precinct. A third store was soon built and operated by C. C. Bebout.

Industries of this little community were farming, a sawmill operated by O. G. Threlkeld, a barrel mill run by Uncle Jack McClure of Tennessee, a blacksmith shop operated by Ed Mayhugh and later operated by R. E. Wheeler. Dr. Billy Paris was the first doctor nearby, later Dr. Ernest Fox located in Levias.

As years went by, due to failing health of Mr. Price, the Levias Post Office was moved to Charles LaRue's general store. This was a waiting place for mail arrival delivered by the Marion-Salem Star Route. Next came the rural route out of Marion Post Office, a mail delivery of all was made in a line of travel on the road nearest your house. Soon everyone had their own mail box and proudly displayed their name on their box. It was hard for Levias to lose the post office.

Mr. Loyd Levi Price was taken by death, and his store was then operated by Clarence G. Settles. Levias was still a very active trading center untill the death of Mr. Settles wife. Soon after her death and the death of Mr. Settles, the store in Levias closed. It was sold and a dwelling built nearby.

All industries, except farming and mining fluorspar, moved nearer to U. S. Highway 60. This community was known as Midway, as it is halfway between Marion and Salem. Businesses in Midway were Loftis Grocery, Ramage Grocery, Midway T. W. Sale and Service operated by Neil Marin, Fritt's Lawn Mower Service, Lal Conyer's sawmill, Midway Service station, Russell Davidson's Saw Shop, Teer Grocery and Patmore Seed Store owned by George L. Patmor.

All this is gone now, only the names of the once busy communities, and a few of the orgininal family members live on the remind us of these once loved little hometown communities of Crittenden County.

At Grandma's

From the Crittenden Press, dated August 25, 1925, comes an interesting article about a visit to Grandma's house and all the good memories that goes with one of these visits. Indeed a good memory of yesteryear.

At Grandma's. Since, and even the time before the poem written by Riley, all boys and girls more than enjoy the large stock of culinary products of grandma's cupboard.

The days when a visit is made to Grandma's, chickens are expected to meet their doom in a heroic way, and all other good eatables are suppose to march in orderly way before our vision.

On August 14, 1925, the grandchildren of Mrs. Rushing Meyers, who lives with her son, Edward Rushing, called Aunt Lillie Edward Rushing, and made known to her that they were coming to Grandma's and how much they expected to eat. She, being an excellent lady, called on all the kinsfolk and invited them to join her at Grandma's.

Early Sunday morning, everyone was ready to start on their most enjoyable trip. Even away below Marion you could hear the car wheels rolling from the homes of J. R. Postlethweight, Albert Conger, Fred Gilbert and David H. Postlethweight, they each brought their families and were joined at Grandma's by the families of John Rushing, Reed Woodall, Edward Rushing, J. O. Belt, Gilbert Rushing, Albert Cannan, Aunt May Belt, and Misses Ida and Alma Elkins, daughters of Pink Elkins.

Everybody arrived early. After two hours of waiting a shadow of gloom seemed to settle over the faces of all the hungry ones. There had never been even a sound in the kitchen, not even any smoke could be seen curling from the kitchen flue.

The only hope was that Uncle Ed would refill the water bucket with ice water. At twelve o'clock dinner was announced ready and what a surprise.

A table with a seating capacity of fourteen was loaded with so many good things we can't name the half of them. Each one in his turn was helped to ice cream. Eating and merry making lasted until 3:30, when every filling station was served.

Everyone enjoyed a great day, but I think Mrs. Bertha Postlethweight and Albert Conger had the most thrilling time. Bertha drove a wild Lizzie without brakes and Albert one with wings. He was a new man at the wheel and tried to keep up with her.

Go with us to Grandma's next year for a wonderful time. Written by one who was there, David H. Postlethweighte.

Among The Farmers

An old time horse pulled farm hay rake. Something you don't see much of any more, although they are still used by the Amish in our county. This photo was made on the Aunt Jane Tabernacle Road, and is owned by Jr. Beechy.

There used to be many of the old time horse drawn and small tractor pulled implements to be seen, but they are a thing of the past now, and with the increased need for money and the scrap iron at a high price, they will indeed be a thing of our past.

This article is titled Among The Farmers, it was published in The Crittenden Press in the year 1897. It seems Crittenden County had a large agriculture business at this time and good hard working farmers to produce the crops.

May 1897

• W. H. Ordway, one of the most extensive tobacco in the county has a fine crop this year.
• Mr. G. H. Shreever says in the View neighborhood there is a one hundred acre wheat field, that is ready for cutting.
• John Shaffer has been selling some mighty fine strawberries. He raises them as large as peaches and has a half a dozen different varieties.
• Mr. George Hughes of Weston advertises the Rose Eran, an Irish potato new in this section. He has been raising potatoes all his life and pronounces this the best variety he has found.
• Mr. A. J. Bennett, of Tolu, was in town Tuesday. He is one of the extensive farmers of the Tolu section, the greatest corn growing neighborhood in the district. Mr. Bennett has 300 acres of corn planted.
• J. H. McDowell of Shady Grove says there will not be more than half the acreage of tobacco in his section this year.
• Mr. J. F. Conger, one of the thrifty farmers of Pleasant Hill neighborhood, had nine acres of tobacco set the middle of last week.
• W. C. Tyner has plowed his corn three times and says he has the best in the neighborhood.
• Squire E. H. Taylor, of New Salem, as he is familiarly known, has one of the prettiest homes on the Salem Road, and has a fine farm too. He is a successful farmer, while making his farm produce well.
• Joe Samuels of Repton was delivering corn to parties in town yesterday.
• George D. Kemp of Shady Grove brought his old reaper down to town Wednesday and exchanged for a new one.
• Horace Williamson is the only man who reports that he will have a larger acreage of tobacco this year than last.
• Mr. E. L Nunn of Bells Mines was in town Tuesday. When called on for the news he said with enthusiasm "A fine rain yesterday, we are up with our work and crop prospects are encouraging.
• Mr. Owen Boaz, who owns a pretty farm on the Dycusburg Marion Road, was in town. Mr. Boaz is one farmer who does believe in the virtue of commercial fertilizers. He is in good spirits over the prospects of a good crop.
• Mr. William H. Bigham reports that the farmers of Chapel Hill neighborhood are done setting out tobacco.