Meet Drs. John O. Dixon and Isacc H. Clement

Dr. John O. Dixon on the left and Dr. Isaac H. Clement of the right.  Two caring doctors who were loved by the people of Crittenden County in the first half of the 20th Century.

Dr. J. O. Dixon was born in Dixon, Ky. on January 26, 1861.  On June 20, 1889 he married Miss May Croft of Tolu.  They had two children, Galen and Mira.  

After marriage he moved to Tolu where he continued the practice of his profession that he had entered since he was 20 years old. 

Dr. Dixon had a beautiful farm near Tolu, which he named "Hurricane Valley."  On this farm he had all kinds of stock of the finest breeds, Hereford cattle, Pollen-China hogs and different breeds of horses.  He was also a good farmer and kept his farm in a good condition for growing any kind of grain, timothy, red top clover, peas and millet, and had a fine lot of hay for his stock in the winter.  

People that knew Dr. Dixon said he was one of the great benefactors to Crittenden Count in the introducing of blooded stock into the county creating a desire upon the his neighbors to the the same.

When their children were older Dr. Dixon moved to the town of Marion so they could have the advantages of the city schools and their more advanced stages of learning.  

Dr. Dixon died on March 16, 1910 and is buried in the Mapleview Cemetery with other members of his family.

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Dr. Isaac H. Clement was born in 1862, the son of Isaac Newton and Maggie Anglan Clement, members of one of the pioneer Crittenden County families.

Dr. Clement was born and raised in Crittenden County.  His entire lifetime was spent here with the exception of several years absence while attending the University of Tennessee from which Institution he obtained his degree.  

On September 9, 1885 he married Addie J. Nunn. They had two daughters, Willie and Evelyn and two sons, Earl and Douglas.

After entering practice he was located for a number of years at Repton, later opening offices in Tolu before coming to Marion.  Here he met Dr. Dixon and after mowing to Marion, he and Dr. Dixon had a practice together. 

 He was well-known and respected and considered a capable physician by all who knew him.  

Dr. Clement died June 18, 1940 and is buried in Mapleview cemetery with his wife, Addie.  

The Forgotten Community of View and White Hall

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View - How the name View and White Hall school came to be. 

 One of the views that Mrs. Cardin may have seen from her home

Mr. Alfred H .Cardin was born in Virginia and came to Western Kentucky in 1845. He and his family settled on a large farm close to the center area of the county, seven miles from Marion. Here Mr. Cardin built a handsome two-story residence for his family. At the time, their farm was on the main road leading out of Marion. (The Trail of Tears road).

His wife Mary, thought the area was beautiful and their pleasant county home was a popular resort for their many friends. She loved the view of the fields and forests she could see from their comfortable home.

A school was soon needed for the area. Mr. Cardin, Senator Clement, A. B. Hodge and others gave donations to help build a school near the road and not far from their home. It would also be used for church gathering for the local neighbors since Marion was seven miles away. Mrs. Cardin took much interest in the local surroundings and she suggested the newly built structure be painted white and called White Hall. It was indeed a very pretty building when it was finished.

 The school in this picture was the original White Hall School.  It burnt in later years.

The area also began to need a post office, it would be located just below the school location at the cross-roads, (View Rd. and Frances Rd. today) being newly established it needed a name, and once again Mrs. Cardin suggested the name of View, it was appropriate for her feelings for her home site.

There is nothing left of Mrs. Cardin's pretty White Hall School house, and no visible signs of the little community of View, where the post office was located that she named. Just another forgotten passage of time, if not for the road sign that tells you as you drive along the road, that you are on View Road. It is still a beautiful location even today.

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Some years ago as you drove around our beautiful country side, if you saw an old road that you might want to explore you were able to walk the road, and look for wild flowers or even an old cemetery or homeplace.  Today our county is not so sociable.  I think mostly due to hunting rights on most all the land.  

This is what greets you most anywhere you go.  No more fun exploring times.

Civil War History Markers

 The Crittenden County Genealogy Society met Sat. April 11th.  The program was on the history of the Civil War in Crittenden County.  After the program we made a field trip to see these two historic sites and the markers that are there.  Some of the program included the following:

Several years ago in 1998, a project in the county was being researched that would be titled the "Illinois-Kentucky, Ohio River Civil War Heritage Trail.

Crittenden County played no commanding role in the Civil War but rather suffered to be overrun by both sides.

All known military actions were confined to the northeastern corner of the county, and represented a spilling over of the military activities in Union County.

Guerrilla activity was sustained within the county and the largest military action in Crittenden County was located in the area of Weston and Bells Mines.   

The largest military action took place at Weston on June 21, 1864.  The steamboat Mercury, carrying the entire 7th Ohio Infantry was fired on by Confederates as it passed the north end of town, the attackers firing from behind a bluff and buildings near it.  There were casualties on both sides.  The boat's captain refused to land and allow the infantry to burn the town, citing orders to not land on the Kentucky shore.

     The Historical Marker that is at the foot of the bluff telling about the skirmish.

The second documented military action was at Bells Mines just weeks after the Weston incident.  Lt. Thomas W. Metcalfe with 436 men of Company C, 56th Kentucky Mounted Infantry from Cloverport, Ky., were attached at Bells Mines by a reported 300 "guerrillas" and the force was reported captured by the an article in the Evansville Daily Journal of July 19, 1864.

The group gathered around the Historical Marker at Bells Mines for a photo.

Left to right: Rita Travis, behind her, Don Foster, Margaret Parish, Steve Eskew, Fay Carol Crider and Darlene Eskew.

Also while at Bells Mines we toured the old historical cemetery and visited some of the grave stones.

 

The group at the marker telling about the old Bells Mines Church.

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Rita Travis, Jean Owen and Fay Carol Crider in front.

Don Foster, Margaret Parish, Darlene Eskew and Steve Eskew in back.

Dr. O. C. Cook, Country Doctor

One of Crittenden County's beloved country doctors was Dr. Oliver C. Cook, better known just as Dr. Cook. 

He received his medical training from the University of Tennessee and graduated on April 29, 1899.  

Soon after graduation he packed the tools of his profession, a few suits of clothes and his new diploma in a carpet bag, saddled his riding horse, rode to the Cumberland River and caught a river boat to Pickneyville, Ky, near the town of Salem in Livingston Co.,  from there he re-saddled his horse and rode to the little village of View, Ky. located about  5 miles south of Marion.

After a few months of practice he sent for his family to join him.  It was his wife, Nellie Searcy Cook and children, son Roy, and daughters, Mary, Hilda and Ruby.  They lived in Crayne, Ky for several years, then he moved his office to Marion.

Thomas Harrison Rushing, better known as Shine, drove Dr. Cook to see his patients in the rural parts of the county by way of horse and buggy.  Then when automobiles because in use, he drove Dr. Cook in his new car, one of the first cars in Crittenden County.

Dr. Cook practiced medicine in this area for 56 years, and only retired then on account of ill health.  He had a genuine love for people and for his chosen profession, and with his medical skill and sense of humor, he endeared himself to his patients.  

At the time of his retirement, he had delivered 4,400 babies.  He closed his office in 1955.  ( I was one of those many babies he delivered)

Dr.  Cook remained fairly active for several years until his death on July 30, 1960.  He is buried at Mapleview Cemetery with other members of his family.