Midway School

Another one of our one room school's was Midway.  It was located between Weldon and Piney Roads.  The pupils were residents of farms located within about a two-mile radius of the school.  Nearby school districts were Crayne, Lone Star, Piney Fork, Pleasant Hill and Marion.

There were generally about 30 pupils enrolled during the school term.  The school building consisted of a large rectangular classroom area with desks down each side, and additional rows at the rear portion of the room.  There was a side room where lunch buckets and some supplies were kept. 

The bell that was mounted in a small cupola atop the front of the school was used to inform the pupil, and the community nearby that school was in session.  

 School Year 1928  1. James Kemper 2. ?Hill 3.  Lorene Rice, 4. Mable Hodge, 5. Evah Lee Brantley, 6. Wendel Matthews, 7. Gutherie Hughes, 8. Lloyd Rice, 9. Reed Kemper, 10. Robert Hill, 11. Gwendolyn Guess, 12. Mable Hunt, 13. Ester Hill, 14. Hayden Hunt, 15. Harley Hunt, 16. ?  Rice, 17. Ray Wilson, 18. John B. Paris, Teacher, 19. Mildred Guess, 20, Marie Hodge, 21. Mildred Matthews, 22. Velda Hodge, 23. Nina Mae Paris, 24. Houston Paris, 25. Gladys Guess, 26. Rowene Holliman, 27. Ted Hunt, 28. Unknown, 29.  Regenia Hill, 30. Ena Hodge, 31. Bill Agee, 32. Clemmie Elkins and 33. Mildred Hill

Midway School closed in the 1940's as many on the smaller one room school were consolidated with larger ones, such as Marion, Piney Fork and Crayne.

Crittenden County 170 years old January 26, 2012

Crittenden County turns 170 on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.  The northeastern section of Livingston County was divided and Crittenden County was formed.  It was named for John J. Crittenden,  Kentucky politician who served in Congress.

The first county and circuit courts were to be held at the home of Samuel Ashley, which was the former tavern and voting place of Cross Keys, at about the territorial center of the newly formed Crittenden County.  At this time Cross Keys was the one and only administrative outpost of this area. This site was either at or near the Fred Gilbert's residence located on the Crooked Creek Church Road.  It is located about 1.5 miles North. 

Barry Gilbert, the Grandson of Fred Gilbert now owns this land.  Through the effort of the Gilberts a Monument has been erected on this historic site and marks the location of this first meeting to form the government of the new county.

The Monument reads" By an Act of the Kentucky General Assembly Jan. 26, 1842 a portion of land in Livingston county was set apart and organized with a court of its own.  The new county, the 91st, was named in honor of John J. Crittenden.  This site was selected because if was located in the center of the new county.  The Inn owned by Samuel Ashley was a popular overnight stopping pace for hundreds of migrating folks en-route west via Fords Ferry during the 1820s-1840s.

Happy 170th Birthday to Our Home - Crittenden County.

Happenings from January 1982

Some interesting tidbits of happenings fro m 30 years ago.  Seems like only yesterday to me.  These items are from the files of the Crittenden Press.

January 7, 1982

It's probably un-American to say anything good about parking meters, but that's exactly what we intend to do.  They have a place and a purpose, and they're needed in Marion.  The Marion City Council was right on target Monday evening when it directed the it's police department to begin rigid enforcement of the meters and collection of tickets.

In the early 70's when the city's old parking meters were worn out and not patrolled.  You could hardly find a place to park downtown because of people leaving their vehicles unattended for hours at a time.  Such a condition is a disservice to both the people looking for parking places downtown and to the merchants thee who need the parking for their customers. 

As the Mayor noted, parking meters are a traffic control device just the same as a stop light.  Their purpose is to keep traffic moving in an orderly manner.

(The parking meters have been removed now for several years.  Once Marion Main Streets were busy with many stores for people to visit and purchase needed items.  Most of these stores have closed and only a few remain.  The need for cars to move on swiftly for others to have a parking place is gone now.)

January 14, 1982 -

Area residents suffer effect of cold and snow.  Western Kentuckians have been buffeted over the past few days by the one-two blows of extreme cold and snow.  Pushed by howling winds, a blast of arctic air plummeted temperatures well below zero throughout the area Sunday morning and as temperatures warmed this week, snow began falling mid-day on Tuesday.  By afternoon the storm had left about two and a half inches of dry powdery snow and up to eight inches in some western portions of the state.  Sunday may well go down in the record books as the coldest day of the Twentieth Century.  Temperatures dropped well below zero.  Marion recorded 4 degrees below zero on Sunday.  The high temperature for the day was 6 degrees above zero.  Home thermometer readings of 12 and 14 below were reported throughout the county.  Strong winds made it fell much colder.  Wind chill factors of about minus 50 were recorded Sunday morning.

January 21, 1982

 Ice conditions in the Ohio River are breaking up and traffic is moving as usual.  There's been ice up to six inches thick over seven to nine tenth of the river, but it's moving again now.  Because of the warmer weather it's breaking up he ice into a mushy state which boats can move through, reported the Dam Lockmaster at the Smithland Lock and Dam.

Easley Blacksmith Shop

The old pictures of long ago tell a story all their own.  Here is great old picture made in March 1911.

The announcement in The Crittenden  Press reads:  New Shop New Man.  Al Easley has taken charge of the Adams shop on north College Street, and will be ready for all kinds of repair work, blacksmithing and horse shoeing.  

He is a good workman and guarantees satisfaction in all departments.  Give him a trial.

People in picture:  Elbert Guess shoeing horse on left, Hugh Driver holding horse, Al Easley shoeing horse on right.  Others not identified.

Weston Cemetery Cleanup

The old historic Weston cemetery located on the bluff above the tiny town of Weston was the site of another clean up day this past Saturday Jan. 7th, 2012.  Over the past several years it had once again gotten overgrown with weeds and broken tree limbs from the 2009 ice storm.

Boy Scout Group #30 from Marion, for some of their community service hours worked hard for about 4-5 hours to get the cemetery once again in a very respectable condition.  The picture at the right is the group of boys that worked so hard.

As the work first began.  The whole area was covered in these grass like weeds.

Near the end of the work day - What a difference.  Fires were built to help get rid of the leaves, weeds and tree limbs.

Some interesting facts about the old cemetery.  The stone in the picture at the left is for Sylvester Sturgeon.  He was a river boat captain that plied the old boats and barges up and down the river.  He requested to be buried on the edge of the bluff so he would be near the river he loved.  What a view he has.

The earliest burial there is for J. Finch, a small child.  Born Oct. 7, 1832.  Died Aug 1834, 8 years before Crittenden County was formed.

There is a Civil War Marker for Jas. M. Lamb, he fought in Co. B. Ist Ill. Cav.

A small stone near the point of the bluff is for J. C. Crowell.  Josiah C. Crowell, although he had a family stone, he was a Civil War Veteran serving for the Union Army, Co. C. 1st Regiment, Capital Guard, Frankfort Battalion.

There are many more unknown and unmarked burials here that lie beneath the sod of a freshly cleaned cemetery. Many it stay clean for many more years.

The Chautauqua

A big event in Marion was the coming of the Redpath Chautauqua each summer.  They would set up their tents for seven days.  The entertainment must have been on a grand scale. It consisted of plays, band concerts, magicians,speakers and all kinds of entertainment. 

Here is an announcement about it coming to Marion from the June 22, 1923 Crittenden Press.  It is the great Redpath Chautauqua, seven big days of the most instructive and delightful entertainment.  

A splendid program has been arranged. It was the desire of the Woman's Club to provide the people of Marion and Crittenden County with the very best entertainment procurable and they have made possible to have in our midst a week, seven big days, of delightful entertainment.  

The group contains the best preachers, orators, entertainers, and musicians that can be had.  It will give a week of wholesome treats that leaves no bad taste in the mouth.  Such lectureres as Gov. Folk and Adam Bede, such music as Knight's famous band and such entertainers as Lamant are on the program.

Crowds of over 2,000 were estimated to have visited the Chautauqua during this week.

New Year Happenings 2012

This is a picture of the new Fire Station that is being built on the corner of South Main and West Bellville Street.  

This lot used to house the old Western Auto Store for many years.  The other buildings that were located next to it, that were razed this past year, had housed many businesses during their time.  They had all set empty for several years and had deteriorated without the upkeep that it takes to saves old buildings.

The old fire station had been located a couple of blocks away on East Bellville street for many years.  The new station is being built on the busiest block in town.  Hopefully it won't cause any conflict when a fire call comes in.  For sure it is going to be a very beautiful building and the clock tower will add much to the down town scenery. This photo was made Dec. 26, 2011.