Crittenden County High School, Shamrock, And Rockets

 

The Crittenden County High School was built in 1949 and the first school year for this building was 1950-51.

For a couple of years, the new high school was just known as Crittenden County High, and they had to choose their own colors and a new name for their annual. The students chose for their New Colors - Green and White and the Shamrock would be their emblem. This is their first annual after become Crittenden County High.

 

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In the school year 1954, the students created a school Newspaper and it was named "The Rocket." The name was a big success and that same year the Crittenden County emblem of the Rockets was born for their new Mascot, and they were then known as the Rockets,  although their yearly Annual still remained as the Shamrock until a few years later.  

 

                    Here is where the "Rocket" name was born.

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In 1956, the enrollment at the Marion high school had dropped to only 138 students. The state department recommended the two high schools consolidating to form one High School. The County and City boards met in joint session to take the legal steps necessary to merge the two schools. 

 

After many meetings and much discussion, the two high schools did merge, and in the fall of 1957, Since the Crittenden Co. High School building was the newest and more modern building the city district students were merged into this building. (First year for the consolidated students was 1958.)

 

Much debating and arguing went on between the students of the two schools; with the rivalry that had been so intense during the years, both schools wanted to keep their school colors and their name. Marion wanted to continue being the Blue Terrors and have their colors of Blue and White and Crittenden wanted their Rocket and colors of Green and White.

They finally compromised with the County name of Rockets, and the City colors of Marion, which were blue and white. Their annual that year became the Rockette. 

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The Rocket in front of the school was placed there in April of 1971. 

 

The Crittenden County High School INTERACT Club (sponsored by the Rotary Club of Marion) gave students ages 12-18 the chance to make a real difference while having fun. Every INTERACT club carried out two service projects a year: The students chose one that would help install their school spirit. They though a real rocket at their school would be a great project as everyone was proud of their Rocket name. The project started with each member having to write letters to the Air Force to request the “surplus” rocket and telling their reason why. Their letters must have been very persuasive for they got their rocket - with the condition that if it was ever needed again it would be returned to the Air Force.

This Rocket was a symbol of pride for the school and students. 

(This information is from a program I have given several times to the 8th Grade Middle School students, it's called "A History of our Schools.")

Night Riders of Crittenden County

 

 A lawless element that roamed our county during the early 1900's was the Night Riders.  Operating at their peak in 1906 and 1907, the Night Riders burned tobacco barns and factories, beat the owner if he could be found, and often rode off into the night singing "The Fire Shines Bright in My Old Kentucky Home," to the tune of "My Old Kentucky Home."

The riders were not part of the Klu Klux Klan, but operated in a similar fashion.  Their biggest enemy was the American Tobacco Company.

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The Night Riders also took other matters into their own hands and did some punishment of their own to some folks they thought weren't living right. 

One night the Night Riders, consisting of fifty-two local men, went to J. Sliger's looking for his two sons.  The boys, it seems, had been stealing chickens and jelly.

When the Night Riders arrived the mother of the boys stuck the stolen jelly into a churn of buttermilk.  

Only one boy was there and he crawled up the chimney to hide.  While the night Riders thoroughly searched the house, the boy stood on the cross-piece of the chimney, happily escaping the punishment.

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A family man was known to be very lazy and his wife had to make all the living.  The Night Riders decided to change this so they when to his house and found him, and whipped him so hard that he began working and almost worked himself to death.

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There was a young girl, who had too many men on the string and was simply living the wrong kind of life, and was in dire need of chastisement.  Finding her one night, the Night Riders gave her a good sound whipping.  

From then on she "straightened up and flew right."

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Always fun and interesting to read are these colorful stories from long ago. These are from an unknown writer, written many years ago, but thoughtfully saved for us to read today.

Wallace Ferry aka E-town Ferry Road

 

The E-town ferry road and landing have a long history attached to it.  The ferry's beginning actually began in the early 1830's and it was known for many years as the Wallace Ferry and Wallace Ferry Road. 

William Wallace, one of the Wallace family that came to the Tolu area in the 1830's and built the plantation homes of Ridgeway, Westwood, and William's home of Richland. 

 

                 Today the area where Richland stood is farm land.  

William's home was built on the northwest corner of the intersection of now Hwy. 135 and the E-town ferry landing Road.  William also owned and ran a country store.   Having the Ohio River on his property and not too far a distance from his home and farm, he hired a man to purchase and bring a ferry boat from Louisville to his location ab 1834.   At the time the river was the only means of transporting supplies and goods to the North and South and also being able to receive goods.  At this time the Wallace Ferry was established.

 William Wallace sold his home and land to George Croft and I don't know any history of the area for many years.   This house and land was later owned by J. T. May.  In the late 1990's J. T. sold the Richland house to a couple from Texas, they took the house down log by log and moved it to Texas where they rebuilt it and made it into a bed and breakfast, but it's original look was changed when it was rebuilt.

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In the 1930's Charles L. Brazell owned and ran a good ferry business between the Kentucky side landing across the river to Elizabethtown (E'town, Ill).  Mr. Brazell knew the people on the KY side needed a way to get to the spar mines in Southern Ill., many went this route to get married, and still some used the ferry regularly to purchase liquor from E'town.

He hung a bell on the Kentucky side of the river, and when the ferry was needed, if he was on the Illinois side, they would ring the bell and Mr. Brazell would come across and pick the people up, or perhaps bring them some alcoholic beverages, for which this was a well used place for this purpose.  I believe this is the time period that the ferry became known as the E-town ferry.

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After Mr. Brazell owned the ferry, Mr. Russell Hardesty owned and ran the ferry from 1944 until April 1964.  Mr. Hardesty announced that his ferry service between Crittenden County and Elizabethown, Ill., would be closed. Mr. Hardesty said that he had sold both the tow boat and the barge.  Business had fallen off since the fluorspar mining had declined in Illinois and truck traffic was subsequently less. 

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In 1987 a new modern boat ramp was being built at the old ferry landing.  The ramp and new parking lot for boats and trailers was completed sometime later after Nov. 1987.

The E-town Ferry landing as it looks today, Oct. 2022.

View of Elizabethtown or E'town, Ill. from the Kentucky E'town Ferry Landing site .

The very historic old Wallace Ferry Road, today known at E'town Landing Rd.  Notice the high banks on each side where the old road bed had worn down the land being used for nearly 200  years.

Ruby Laffoon Trail through Crittenden County

 The history of roads through Crittenden County can be very interesting.  I don't remember ever seeing this stretch of road from Dycusburg to Shady Grove being named the Ruby Lafoon Trail on any old Crittenden maps, so I don't know when the name was dropped and just the State Highway numbers were used.  Maybe when the later updated road maps were redone.

 Crittenden Press, March 25, 1932. 

Senator Marion F. Pogue (from Frances, KY), introduced the following bill to the last General Assembly.

"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:  That the road leading from Smithland, Livingston County, KY, via, Tiline, Dybusburg Ferry on Cumberland River; Thence via Frances, and Mexico over State Project No. 70, to State Highway No. 91, at Cliffie McClure's; thence over Highway 91, to Marion; thence over State Project No. 120, to Shady Grove, thence across Tradewater River to Providence, Webster County, connecting with Federal Highway No. 41; thence with Federal Highway to Madisonville, Hopkins County, Kentucky."

The road to be known hereafter, as the Ruby Laffoon Trail, has the support of the Governor and he has urged the completion as soon as possible.  

Governor Ruby Laffoon has signed the bill establishing a road project running from Smithland, thru Marion and Princeton to Madisonville, to be known as the "Ruby Laffoon Trail."

This will cover the route traveled by Governor Laffoon while he was Circuit Judge of this district.

Here is Gov. Laffoon's Historical Highway Marker located in Madisonville, KY.