Odessa School Notes, Jan. 9, 1911

So many little one room school houses dotted the country side during the 1900's, their history almost gone now.  I wonder if there are pictures of more of these school still out there somewhere in someone attic or closet, stored away forgotten about.  

One of the little school's was Odessa in the community Blackburn, and was located on the Blackburn Church Road.  I have been fortunate and had several of this school pictures shared with me.  It was a photographer's picture, so I keep hoping different school pictures will be found and shared.  A photographer must have traveled around and made these group pictures each year.  

Here is another one of the Odessa School made about 1910-1912.  This picture was shared with me in 1999 by Dennis Clark, of Roanoke, Va.

Front row:  Ray Travis, Leslie Davis Robert Warren, Burl Elder, Roy Herron, Delmer Travis, Herbert VanHooser, Lewis Coleman, Roy Coleman

Second row:  Sarah Elder, Lera McConnell, Illa Stembridge, Cora Lee MChesney, Freddit Travis, Elsie Coleman, Jessie Travis, Nannie Travis, Dixie Travis.

Third row:  Leonard Herron, Lexie Coleman, Naomi Coleman, Lena McChesney, Alma Herron, Dixie McChesney, Cora McConnell, Richard Elder, Ray Elder

Fourth row:  Maude McConnell, Allie McChesney, Lena Coleman, Pearl Davis, Bertie Davis, James B. McNeely (teacher), Nelly Davis, Mable McConnell, Robert VanHooser, Ethel McConnell, Ila Winn

Old and New

Some of the store fronts on Main Street have changed over the years.  Some are fortunate and have been restored but still have the same original fronts.  One of the building that now have a completely new look is the old building that was built in 1905 after the disastrous fire that destroyed all on Main Street.

The building was known as the Hayward Building.

The company that occupied the new building was Yandell and Gugenheim  Dry Goods Store.

It later years it was the Carhanan's Dry Goods, Willilams's Department Store and The Style Shop.

The very popular and stylish store of the 1970's and 80's was the Marion Style Stop.

Here the front of the building still has the same shape and window style as the the 1905 front.


I'm not sure when the Style Shop closed it's doors, but the store sat empty for awhile.

 Some years later Lawyer's Bart Frazer and Zac Greenwell purchase the building, and that is when it got a new look.  The shape of the front is still viable for the window style is different and covered in new brick work.  Today it is the offices of Frazer, Rogers, and Peek, Attorney's at Law.

Remembering Our Old Grocery Stores

The old community grocery stores that once dotted our country side are all gone now.  Once a common sight and an important necessity to our rural communities, they are now just a part of our past history.  With the popularity of brightly lit and easily accessible supermarkets, the old general stores began to fade from the scene, leaving behind a much simpler time in our past history.

Here are two of our past old general stores.

 

 The Ben F. Drennan store was located on the Cave Spring Church Road off of S. R. 120.  It was a little wooden frame store building.  Mr. Kenneth Drennan, who lives on S. R. 120, and was born and raised in the area, remembers stopping at the store as a child on his way walking to the Olive Branch School.  He would purchase some items to go in his lunch sack.  

Items such as can goods, soft drinks for 5 cents, soda crackers and potted meat were popular items.  The store contained a show case with different kinds of candy in it.

The store served the people in the community and families from nearby Cave Spring area.   The little token in the left corner of the picture was a sales token given to Mr. Drennan's customers, it says Ben Drennan and value 1 cent.

This picture was made in the late 1990's, the little wooden store building has now been gone for many years.

Out on S. R. 506 sat another small wooden store building. When it was in business in the 1920's and 30's it was owned and operated by Mr. Ewing James. Ewing and Bessie James home was located where Baron and Patty Guess now live. This little store was once a thriving county grocery store. Raymond Duffy remembers when the store was an important part of the community. The store carried all the staples that farm families would need, also included were kerosene and gas. Mr. Duffy also purchased his tobacco here. The only items that were not in stock were meat and milk items since Mr. James didn't have an ice box or refrigerated department to keep these items.

Since most families didn't have cars and couldn't get into Marion to buy their supplies they would depend on the James Grocery for their needs. Friday and Saturday's were always the busiest days and sometimes there would be six of seven wagons gathered around the little store besides the local people that would walk to the store. 

Mr. Duffy also remembers that there used to be a large wind mill located beside the store. Maybe 50 feet tall with blades of 6 foot width. The store had a basement with a grinder wheel located there. From the wind mill was a belt or pulley that went into the basement and was attached to the grinder. On windy days, with the wind mill to power the stone grinder, Mr. James would have his grinder open for business and would sharpen the farmer's plow blades and other items that needed sharpening. 

Mr. Huley Guess owned the building next and it was used for storage. Probably then were the glass front windows taken out and replaced with the large wooden doors. This little store building was recently taken down in 2010. It had stood it's ground for many a year. 

This picture was made just prior to it being torn down in 2010.

Gas Stations of Our Past

In 2005 Beavers Brothers Gas station shut down their very popular full-service station after 45 years of business.  This picture was made in 1971.

 Jerry and his brother Kenneth started the business in 1960 after leasing the station from Sam Guggenheim, who build it.  In 1970 they purchased the business and worked together until Kenneth retired in 1994.  Kenneth took care of the farm and construction diesel part of the business.  Jerry continued on handling the service station.

The signs changed through the years from Texaco to Gulf to BP, but the same friendly service was always the same.  

When the station closed at the end of March 2005, the station was torn down and the underground gas tanks, were taken up.  In its place was built a new modern two-bay automatic car wash.  The BP canopy stayed and vacuum cleaners were installed under them.

Jerry, son Kurt, and daughter Kristi, carry on the tradition of service with a smile at the car wash site today.

Another one of Marion's stations that has disappeared is the Marathon Station that was located on South Main Street where the Farmers Bank Drive through is now located. 

 In 1971, when the picture was made, Randall Chandler was the owner.

It is nice to have these old pictures to recall the businesses and service station history that was once such a vital part of Marion's economy.

Frances High School

On March 10, 1919 the Crittenden County School Board voted to build a joint county High School in the community of Frances, Ky., some 15 miles from Marion.

 In compliance with the order, this high school was the first of the "consolidated" high schools.  Many students from neighboring schools came long distances to attend the high school as there wasn't a closer one for them.

The new school built in the 1920's.  The school was for grades 1-8, plus any high school students.  In 1920, Marion F.  Pogue was the high school teacher and principal of the school.  Tina Lutz, of Dawson Springs taught upper grade students and Mazie Pogue taught the lower grades.

Basketball was a favorite sport at the school.  Below is a picture of the 1926 girls basketball team.

Members of the 1926 Frances High Shcool team were front center, captain Lucille Duvall.
fron row, l-r, Opal Lee Vick, Opal Stone, Virginia Brasher, Mary Evelyn Cruce;
back row: Addie Holcomb, Leona McKinney, Alice McClure, Bonnie Horning and Mary E. Howard.

In 1950 the High School was close and consolidated at the new Crittenden County High School built in Marion, also included the High Schools of Mattoon, Shady Grove and Tolu.

The grade school part of the school continued until 1998.