Friday, July 25, 2025

A Look Back at 1985, 40 years ago in 2025

 

A Look Back at 1985

The year 1985, that sure doesn't sound like all that long ago, but in reality it is now 40 years ago. Hard to believe that the years have gone by so quickly. Let's take a look back at some of the things that were happening in that year through the pages of The Crittenden Press.\

January

* Weather dominates the front pages during the first of the new year. Temperatures in the county plunged to 20 degrees below-zero or colder as an arctic cold front moved through western Kentucky dumping an additional two to five inches of snow on the area. Strong winds produced a wind chill of 50 to 60 below zero. Heavy rains from last fall and now cold and snow have kept farmers from finishing the work of harvesting their crops.

* Councilman Bernard Wood became mayor following the resignation from that post of Bobby R. Fox, who had served as plant accountant at Marion's Moore business Forms, who plans to move to that company’s administrative unit at Dento, Teas.

* The first baby of the new year was born at Crittenden County hospital on Jan. 3rd, 1985. Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Wheeler were the proud parents of Troy Woodson Wheeler.

* Gas dips below $1.00 at area stations. For the first time in about seven years, gasoline prices in Marion have dipped below a dollar a gallon. I was surprised to see it get back under a dollar, said Randall Chandler, operator of Randall's Repair on South Main Street. Chandler lowered his price to 99.9 cents a gallon for full-service regular last week.

* Crittenden County students have already missed 16 days of classes this month due to bad weather and slick roads and will probably be in school until mid June.

February

* Continuing cold temperatures have created floating and slushy ice in the Ohio River.

* The week of Feb. 14th, brought six to eight more inches of show accompaniment by 30 mile per hour winds which whipped up to four to six feet high in some sections, closed some roads, shut down schools and interrupted businesses and postal services.

* Two long-term projects finally see some good results. The Crittenden-Livingston Water District finally secured funding to begin construction and the first public event was held in the newly -renovated Fohs Hall.

* For the first time in three years, the United States Postal Service is raising its rates. It will now cost .22 cents to mail a letter.

March

* Three New businesses open in Marion. 1. Sport It, offered uniforms and equipment for ball teams. It was owned and operated by Kathy and Jeff Allen and Edna Thurmond, and was located on East Bellville Street in the site formerly occupied by Granny's Kitchen. 2. Nick's Restaurant owned and operated by Nick Hatfield was located in the former Cruce's Coachman on the Princeton Road and 3. Hook's Drugstore opened in Marion's Darben Plaza. Donald Perry was the store's pharmacist and the pharmacy was to be equipped with the latest state-of-the-art pharmacy computer.

* Marion's Beaver's Brothers Texaco will be flying a new company flag within six months, according to co-owner Jerry Beavers. Texaco notified Beavers, that it is planning on closing most of its stations in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois because of heavy competition. We've been with “Texaco for 25 years, and it's be a pretty big change for us, said Beavers. They will still sell Texaco brand motor oil and grease, but will find a new gasoline and diesel fuel supplier.

April -

* Wind gusts estimated at up to 50 miles per hour downed power lines in the county, interrupting electrical service to about 100 households serviced by Henderson-Union RECC.

May

* State closes Marietta's Cafe, owned by Marieta Stallins of Marion, has been closed by the Kentucky Division of Unemployment Insurance for alleged non-payment of more than $2,000.00in taxes.

* Chrysler Corp. dealership is slated to open here April 1st. It will occupy the former J. R. Chevrolet-Buick-Chrysler location on on the Sturgis Road. Larry Buckman, is general manager for the dealership.

June

* Business continues as usual this week for Marion's Potter and Brumfield plant even though it was “sold” Friday when a Minneapolis, Minn. based company achieved a buy out of its parent, AMF. The sale of the AMF stock was agreed to after Minstar sweetened its original offer. AMF spokesmen also had no projections on what might happen to any of its various divisions.

* The long awaited boat ramp construction project at old Lock and Dam 50 may be completed within three weeks, according to a representative of Louisville's Kamex Construction Co.

July

* Two drown swimming in Ohio River. Two Tolu residents – Shannon Wade Todd, 20, and his 12 year old nephew, Larry Kenneth Todd, drowned Monday evening while swimming in the Ohio River at the old Elizabetown ferry landing.

* Our community was saddened this by the passing of Dellar E. Woodall. By the measure of most, Mr. Woodall, 99, had observed the happenings of Crittenden County for a long time. Maybe his greatest days were when he was a custodian for the Marion school system. More than one graduating class adopted him as one of its own. Many of the leaders of the community testify of the the time, Mr. Woodall, although not a member of the faculty, taught them a lesson more important than history or geometry. His texts covered subject such as integrability, honesty and hard work.

* Marion's Police Chief William Ollie Brown, is Kentucky's longest serving police chief. When Brown was named, chief in 1957, there were only three full-time officers in Marion. Brown said the city had no radio communications system, there was no dispatcher. When an officer had to leave his post to check out a complaint or crime, there was no way to get in touch with the police until he returned to the telephone.

August

* Deputy Sheriff, Perry Glore unloaded marijuana at the Marion landfill where it was burned. The truckload of pot, cut by officers on Weston Road north of Marion was valued at $40,000.

October

* Work began Marion's new Shell convenience store to be located at the corner of Main and Bellville Streets, also included will be new quarters for Goodwin-Lynn Insurance and Myers Auto Parts.

November

* Democrat John May wins election, over incumbent Judge H. M. “Roni” Asbridge to win a four-year term as Crittenden County's chief elected official. Deputy Sheriff Perry Glore, a Republican, beat his Democratic opponent Ronald “Red” Howton and Republican County Clerk Danny won his post for another four years over his Democratic challenger Troy Jennings.

* The Crittenden County High School Rocket football squad amassed a 13-1 record for the season to claim the state Class A Football championship downing Paintsville in play at Louisville's Cardinal Stadium.

December

* Potter and Brumfield officials confirmed this week the company, including the Marion plant, is to be bought by Siemens A. G. a West German electronic company which already has a umber of U. S. subsidiaries.

* Boyce Moodie announced he had purchased the former Frontier Spar Co. and was preparing to reopen that mine located near Salem.

***

A look back in our past always brings back memories, sometimes good and other times not so good.

Friday, July 18, 2025

Liquor Laws Defied

 

Liquor Laws Defied – January 7, 1921

According to the Gov. Edwin P. Morrow, in an address to the Association of Circuit Judges and Commonwealth Attorneys, moon-shining and bootlegging are rampant in Kentucky, and the violations of the liquor laws are such as to challenge all of the forces of law and order.

 

"Illicit manufacture and sale of liquor has grown to an appalling extent" he said. There is today a challenge being thrown out to the forces of law and order in Kentucky, he told them, "So far as the sale and manufacture of it is concerned there has never been anything like it before." I ask the Circuit Judges of Kentucky to meet this challenge, I will help in as much as I can. I will go to the utmost of my power fighting this evil and in sustaining you. No man convicted of participating in the whiskey traffic will find any clemency at my hands."

 

Which shall be supreme in this state, the Law or the Blind Tiger?

(Blind tiger is a place where liquor is sold illegally. This term was popular during the Prohibition Era (1920-33) when alcohol was illegal in the U.S.)


It was also rampant here in our own Marion and Crittenden County. I found many, many items and articles in the old Crittenden Presses telling about the struggle to stop the manufacturing and selling of the bootleg liquor. I’ll share just a few in this post and maybe more in a later post. I find them interesting to read about this era of our past history.

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Crittenden Press, Oct. 2, 1925 – Case Of Booze In Monument Shop?

A supply of alleged liquor, supposedly being stocked for disposal on circus day, was accidentally discovered last Friday night about ten o’clock by Policemen Joe Barnes and Hugh Norris. The officers were doing some sleuthing in the vacant lot behind the marble shop of Henry and Henry and saw Press Hill leave the back door of the shop, it is alleged.

 

A casual glance revealed to them a dark object in the door and officer Norris turned on his flashlight and saw a man whom he recognized as Kenna Powell just inside the open door by a box that was partly open and the opening displayed some bottles in neat rows, and asked him what he was doing there at that time of the night.

 

Just at this time it is alleged that Howard Henry walked in and was asked by the officer what was in the box. He is said to have denied any knowledge of the contents. While they were thus engaged in the questioning and replies Kenna Powell made his escape.

 

The three men were later taken in custody on warrants charging them with illegal possession of liquor, it is said. Hill and Powell were released on $500 bonds each and Henry on his own recognizance. The trio is to appear for trial Saturday.

 

There is said to have been thirty-two half pints of liquor in the case, which was placed in the custody of County Judge E. Jeffrey Travis.


Oct. 9, 1925 – Jury Orphans The Case of Booze

Last Saturday occurred the trials of the three men charged with the possession of the case of alleged liquor found by Policeman Norris and Barnes on Friday night of the previous week.

 

Howard Henry was the first on to face the jury and conducted his own defense. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

 

Press Hill next presented his case to the courts. County Judge E. Jeffrey Travis presiding. He bound the defendant over to the Nov. grand jury.

 

Kenna Powell was tried before a jury, also conducting his own defense, and the jury was unable to agree, after which the commonwealth dismissed the case.


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April 5, 1929 – Sheriff Bing in "Shiner’s" Plant

County officers who searched the farm of Geo. H. Brooks Tuesday night confiscated and brought to Marion a portion of a still, some "moonshine" liquor and mash which was found concealed in the woods on the Brooks farm.

 

The raid was made at about midnight by Sheriff P. R. Taylor, Deputy B. F. Walker and Special Deputy C. F. Conger. In addition to the still over two gallons of liquor, about 400 gallons of mash, a quantity of meal and about 500 pounds of sugar were found.

 

No arrests were made as the still was deserted. It is believed that the owner of the farm did not know that the still was in operation on his place.

 

The Brooks farm is located on the Mexico and Caldwell Springs road about two and a half miles from Mexico.

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April 22, 1927 – Officers Take 3 Stills and Mash

Sheriff and Deputies Make Raids on Three Stills and Capture One Man

 

During the past week several stills have been raided in Crittenden County and quantities of mash found in every case.

 

W. H. Hardesty, justice of the peace in the Tolu magisterial district, together with B. F. Walker, Fred Hill and George Holloman raided the farm of Buckner Croft near Tolu last Friday, April 15, and found a still that had been in recent operation. The still was of forty gallon capacity and with it was found 350 gallons of mash.

 

No arrests have been made in the case but it is suspected that the moonshiner lives on the other side of the river.

 

Last Saturday night Sheriff P. R. Taylor with deputy B. F. Walker raided the J. H. King farm near Cookseyville and discovered one gallon whiskey and one hundred gallons of mash. The discovery was made in the woods on the back of the farm and the mash and whiskey was covered with a quantity of cedar brush. No arrest were made.

 

Sheriff Taylor with Deputy Walker and Chief of Police Hugh Norris located a still in Charlie Bob Sanders’ smokehouse on the Tradewater river Monday night. The still was of thirty-five gallon capacity and with it was found one hundred gallons of mash and five gallons of whiskey.. Sanders was placed under arrest and is now in jail at Marion awaiting trial.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Blacks Add to History of Marion

 

This interesting article is from the "Special Historical Supplement" of the Crittenden Press, December 7, 1972

As has been previously noted, a large number of free black people were citizens of Marion.  This was largely due to the fact that most of the County's early landowners did not condone slavery as it was practiced in the deep south, but as sort of an indenture servitude or apprenticeship. 

 After the death of their personal masters many of the former slaves were freed by provisions of their wills as is witnessed by the fact many of the local black people have the same family names as many of the early Crittenden County settlers.

Joined by many others from  Virginia and Tennessee after the end of the Civil War, the black people moved into Marion and settled in the undeveloped section of the town nearest the places of employment of the trades in which they had become quite expert during slavery.  These trades were the handling of tobacco, mineral mill work, garden farming and all types of domestic service.

About 1890, Herrod Travis organized the men who had experience in air-cured brickmaking into a company which produced most of the "soft" brick used in Marion construction before 1911.

 Travis' ownership of a large part of what is now the north-western corner of Marion plus the nearness of Walker & Wilson Company's tobacco factory caused the formation of the North Marion black neighborhood.

The alleyway where the Kiln was located later widened into a street and was named Travis Street in his honor.

(Somehow someone thought to make a picture of the Travis kiln, or it may be his home, I'm not sure which, before it was torn down, this means a lot in helping preserve our past history.)


Herrod Travis is buried in the Old Black Cemetery, located at the very end of N. Weldon St. in the wooded area. His tombstone reads King Herod Travis.