Pleasant Grove Church

Another one of our pretty rural churches, Pleasant Grove General Baptist, lies in the Western part of the county on S. R. 723.  The Livingston County line is not far from the church.

The first Pleasant Grove Church was a log building built in 1892.  Not much history is known about this first building, as the church records were burned when fire destroyed the home of the church clerk.

The second church was a frame building built in 1892.  In 1916 the third building was begun and was completed in 1918.  It served the community until 1956, when the fourth building was begun and completed in 1957.  In 1968, an addition was built, including a classroom, a dining room, and restroom facilities. Pleasant Grove is still an active church today. Brother Herbert Alexander is the Pastor.

To the right of the church is the Pleasant Grove Cemetery. 

This is one of the interesting stones found here.  A nice informative stone of John W. Corn and his two wives. 

His first wife, Martha Wright Corn, who died June 4, 1894.  There is an infant, Beulah Wright, buried close by that was born May 11, 1894 and died July 14, 1894.  The Crittenden County Vital Statistics Death Records stated they both died of fever.  Which was probably what was known as Child bed fever, an infection following the birth of a child.  How terrible to lose your young wife and infant child.

John married second to Sarah Ellen Capes, Nov. 20, 1895 in Crittenden County.  Sarah lived several years after John died.
Pictures made in October 2010.

White Christmas of 2010

Marion and Crittenden woke up to a White Christmas this morning, Dec. 25, 2010. 

We have about two inches on the ground.  It is a heavy wet snow the kind that makes wonderful snowmen and snow cream.  Either of which I don't do anymore.  But it is a good memory of times past.

The scene also reminded me of an old saying that my grandmother used to say when it was snowing large white flakes. 

That Mother Goose was picking her geese.  As the snow flakes must look like the white feathers of a goose being picked of it's feathers. Remember the poem of long ago

The Old woman on high,

Way up in the sky,

Is picking her geese, they say.

White feathers come down,

All over the town from the geese,

She is picking today.

And I'm wondering, oh, my,

How her fingers must fly.

Pick-picking, pick-picking all day,

And I'm wondering, too,

about her geese, wouldn't you?

How many does she have anyway.

Chritsmas Past in Marion

Christmas years ago in the small town of Marion was very different from today.  Today all of the old familiar shopping stores are gone.  But it's nice to be able to remember the hustle and bustle that was here.  Store windows from East Bellville Street to East Depot street would be decorated with Christmas scenes and merchandise.   There was no need to travel miles to Paducah, Princeton or Evanville to do your shopping, there was plenty to choose from at Marion and with reasonable prices.  

From an article in the Dec. 1938 Crittenden Press, it tell us the holiday season is in "Full swing" in Marion with stores stocked to capacity for Christmas shoppers.  All are beautifully decorated and clerks in readiness to meet the last minute rush of shoppers.  

The business section, Marion Street, is a veritable canopy of multicolored lights strung across the thoroughfare. Show windows are outlined in colored lights and a Santa Claus banner hangs across the street. Even the gas stations have festooned gas pump with cedars and lights. 

To end this week before Christmas, I'll share another antique Yule card with you.  Few if any of these early cards used Nativity scenes, most just had brief Christmas sentiments on them.

This card was postmarked Dec. 23, 1929.

Antique Yule Cards

Antique Christmas Cards of many years ago are very different from the ones we are familiar with today.
Although the verses are familiar the pictures and colors are quite different.

This colorful, yet somehow dreary card and envelope lining with the turquoise and black design was from 1923.

It's says "The Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for Christmas and the Coming Year."

This card send in 1930 is a 4 x 5 card.  Still with unusual colors for a Christmas card.

It reminds me of Christmas carolers, perhaps in London.




 Postage for mailing these holiday cards was .2 cents.

When I was a child growing up, we received many, many Christmas cards from family, friends and businesses where my parents had done business over the year.  It was always my job, which I loved, to find a way to display the beautiful cards through the house.  Many times it would be to attached the cards to the doorway frames throughout the house with thumbtacks.  Also on the front of the doors and even in the windows sills. 

Just another good memory of Christmas past.

Crittenden Springs Hotel

During these cold wintery days, it is pleasant to think of the warm summertime days.  Back in the spring of 1902, the grand Crittenden Springs Hotel was getting prepared for one of it's memorable meals.  The Crittenden Springs Hotel is differently one, if not the most, lost treasurers of Crittenden County's

history.

I can imagine the great ball room being decorated for Christmas in these early days when many decorations would come from the beauty around us, such as Cedar and Pine tree boughs and holly and wild berries that grew in the area.  I'm sure the smell of these freshly cut trees was wonderful.

But back to the summertime.  This article was found in the May 30, 1902 Crittenden Press and it was titled "A Toothsome Menu"

The folowing menu of the dinner given by Mr. John Wilson at Crittenden Springs Hotel is somewaht remarkable on account of every article served being produced on the hotel estate with the exception of the tea, coffee and sugar.

• Puree of Green Peas, Radishes, Lettuce.
• Ohio River Bass, Tartare Sauce
• Water Cress, Duchess Potatoes
• Roasted Sirloin of Beef au naturel, Barbarcued Lamb with Mint Sauce, Broiled Spring Checkens with Giblet Gravy, Youong Squirrels on toast, Frogs Legs Breaded
• Green Peas, Butter Beans, Irish Potatoes, Green Onions Sweet Potatoes, Lettuce Salad
• Strawberry Ice, Cabinet Pudding, washington Pie, Sweet sauce, Blackberry Tarts, Strawberries
• American Cheese
• Tea, Coffee, Milk, Waters

Mr. Wilson's extensive gardens produce all the vegetables desired, the stream that meanders through the hotel grounds supplies the fish, while the pools adjacent furnish the frogs.  The beeves and muttons are fattened on the rich grasses of the bottom lands, while the chickens, ducks and turkeys are brought to a high degree of perfection in their separate houses.

Milk and cream, not the milkman's product, but the old fashioned, golden tinged article is served.  The hotel woods are full of squirrels, quail and pigeons.

Two hundred guests can be very comfortably accommodated in the spacious hotel.

Another Old Building Lost

Marion lost another one of it's Main Street buildings Friday, Dec. 3, 2010.  The building was build in the 1940's by C. W. Grady.  Through the years it has been home to several business, some being the Kroger Grocery store, Gene's IGA store, and the last being the General Dollar Store.  Most of the other places of business on the nearby streets hated to see the Dollar store move to it's new location, for it was so convenient for them to walk there during the day and get most anything one would need.  

The upstairs area also held different offices during the years.  Dr. Brandon's offices were located there during the 1960's and Dr. Hopkins had a dentist office there.  The white area with the blue front was once a jewerly store and then later a natural herb store.

Farmers Bank and Trust purchased the property and are the ones that had it torn down.  The purpose is for future expansion of the bank, but it will be a while before anything is done to the area.  The side of the building on the right is the Bank, and the building on the left is the offices of Larry Orr, P.C.A., which was once the Kentucky Theater.  

Progress, they call it.

City Drug Store

Another popular place about a block down the street from the old Marion Cafe was the City Drug Store.  A very favorite place and meeting spot for young and old alike to enjoy hand dipped ice cream and all kinds of milk shakes, fountain drinks, and many other items, plus get your prescriptions filled by the most popular druggists anywhere around, Mr. G. N. Rankin and Mr. Ted Frazer.

Mr. Rankin and Mr. Frazer purchased the store in 1925 and named it the City Drug Store.  The store stayed in business until May 1992.  During the years many students at the High School found work here after school and on week-ends.  They always worked the soda foundation.  A popular place to go after ballgames as the store always stayed open until 10:00.  Hard to think now that Marion ever had a life after 6:00.  

Cigarettes, cherry and orange cokes and five cent ice cream cones were popular items.  People came from miles around to get a treat at the City Drug Store.  At one time in the 1940's they even had curb service, the street would be backed up and down the street for a couple of blocks.  There was every flavor of ice cream imaginable and fresh peach ice cream in the summer.  

 This is an old vintage photo of the City Drug Store but even up to the day it closed it still looked the same.  The beautiful wooden glass front cabinets along both walls, and the tin decorative ceiling and the beautiful tile floor and oh the marble foundation that you can see on the left in the picture.

After the store closed in 1992 it sat empty until 1997 when Sandra Hawthorne and her son Thom purchased the store.  They have restored it to it's beautiful former days.  At one time they kept it opened and used the foundation as it was in it's earlier days.  But due to the economy now they haven't been able to keep it staffed to keep it open for use.  How I miss this old place.

Cline's Marion Cafe

Yesterday, Sat. Dec. 4th, Marion had it's annual Christmas Parade.  Do you wonder what Cline's Marion Cafe would have to do with the Christmas Parade?   

Years ago, the old Marion Cafe was where everyone went and gathered for meeting friends, having good food and fun.  Attending the parade made me remember all the times that as a child, and teenager and as a young adult that we made our way to the eating place on Main street, whether is was after the Christmas parade, going to a movie at the Kentucky Theater across the street, and later after going to ball games and other local activities.  The Marion Cafe was 'the' place to go.

Cline's Marion Cafe was located on Main Street. across the street from the Farmers Bank.  Today the Botanical Flower and Gift shop is located in this building.  Cap and Edith Cline ran the popular eating and gathering place for 29 years.  Later after their daughter Phyllis was older she also help behind the counter.  It was Cline's Marion Cafe from 1945 until they sold it in 1974.  The picture above was made in 1955, the way I remember it. 

As you entered the cafe on the right in the front corner was the large colorful Jukebox, remember those?  The big cushioned booths were on the left wall.  On the wall by these booths was the Jukebox selection devise.  From your seat you could choose the songs that you wanted to hear.  The prices on the old Marion Cafe Menu are hard to believe now, with hamburgers and fries $1.50 and a steak for $2.50. 

Don't guess any of us living in this time period will ever forgot this popular place and the good times there.

This in a picture made inside the Cafe in 1951.

Waitress standing by the table is Delia Kirk Hughes, the lady by the counter is Sylvia Sutton and Percy Sommers in standing behind the counter.

In this photo the booths on the left are wooden before they installed the more comfortable ones and you can see the top of the Jukebox behind Mrs. Hughes.

The tile floor that you see in the photo is still being in use today, and it is still in beautiful condition.