Old Pictures Save History

Nothing like old pictures to preserve the history of our town.  The streets around the old court square were full of businesses, people, and automobiles.

Must be a County Court  Day, it was said that was a busy day for Marion, as everyone came to town on that day.  Much visiting and sharing of events were found going on around the Court House.

In the back ground in the old 2-story home of Robert F. Wheeler, now where the Farm Bureau Insurance modern office building sits.

Mrs. Lottie Terry's building is to the right, torn down in the 1980's and now the Christian church parking lot.

Through these wonderful old photographs we can visit the town of Marion many years ago.

Holiday Season In Full Swing - 1938

Christmas in Marion was very different many years ago.  As I'm sure it was in all small towns.  All the stores on Main Street were full of businesses, and at this time of year, all the windows would be full of their Christmas merchandise and beautiful decorated with colorful lights and items of Christmas.  Simple decorations but beautiful to the small child looking at them all.

From an article in Crittenden Press, Dec. 16, 1938.  The holiday season is in "full swing" in Marion with stores stocked to capacity for Christmas shoppers.  All are beautifully decorated and clerks in readiness to meet the last minute rush of shoppers.

The business section, Main St. from Crittenden Motor Co. to Runyan Chevrolet Co. is a veritable canopy of multicolored lights strung across the thoroughfare; likewise is Carlisle from Main to Crittenden Hotel.  The electrical work was done by Kentucky Utilities Co. employees without charge.

Local merchants now have on display one of the most adequate and wide selection of gifts and holiday good ever offered to the Christmas shopper.   Practically every form of gift is offered from the smallest and inexpensive article t that of the most costly and difficult to procure.  Stores are open to 9 o'clock each night.

Many windows are outlined in colored lights and the Santa Claus banner at Main and Bellville Streets is lighted by flood lights from City Drug Co. and Red Front stores.

Business has been brisk for the past four days with today, tomorrow and next week expected to bring forth the last minute rush.  All merchants urge shopping early.

One of the favorite stores to do your shopping, and not only at Christmas time.

Joe Clifton Drive in Paducah has Marion Connections

Joe Clifton Drive in Paducah, Ky. was named for Joseph C. Clifton who was born in Marion, Ky. on October 31, 1906.  He was the son of Thomas Clifton and Pearl Cook Clifton.  He had one brother, Robert Clifton.  Their father died May 20, 1910 while the boys were very young.  Their mother moved to Paducah with her little boys to make her home near her parents.

Some information on the internet about Joseph C. Clifton says that he was born in Paducah, Ky., but he was actually born in Marion.  An item in the Crittenden Press, dated Nov. 8, 1906, says that "A new boy arrived at the home of Thos. Clifton last Wednesday morning, which Robert Gordon, the older brothers, says is a dandy.  Another item dated, Feb. 21, 1907, says that "The two little sons of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Clifton, were christened Sunday morning at the Methodist Church."

Here is some more information on Joe Clifton.

After graduating from Tilghman High School with honors, Joseph received an appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

He graduated there with honors and during World War II, he was commander of the U. S. Ship Saratoga.  He was a navy pilot and was known as "Jumping Joe" during the early years of the war. 

He retired to California as an admiral USN, died there on Dec. 25, 1967 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

The Clifton family had deep roots from Crittenden County, as Joseph was a grandson to James H. Clifton of Dycusburg.  The family resided in Dycusburg in the 1870's and James H. Clifton was a prominent business man in the town of Dycusburg.

Some Businesses in Marion in 1900.

All sorts of merchandise was for sale in the many different business stores in and around Marion in 1900.

• The Marion Milling Company was run by Clark and D. B. Kevil.  It was located east of Marion near the railroad tracks.
• Clark and Paris were in the lumber business.  
• Tobacco was one of the farmers' principal money crops and there were two large tobacco factories, one run by Mr. Dupuy and the other by Cardin Bros.  During the tobacco season it as not uncommon to see 100 wagons loads of tobacco around these factories and in the various streets. 
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• There were two livery stables.  One (above) was run by Dudley Wallingford and the other by Pierce & Son.  There were around 80 horses in the two stables and a number of buggies and hacks.  Drummers and other traveling men would rent the vehicles for as long as a week at a time, taking along a driver from the stable, as they made their rounds throughout the county.  They would take their wares to all the country stores to sale.
• James G. Gilbert had a first class blacksmith shop, as did Sandy Adams.  A number of blacksmiths worked here for both Adams and Gilbert.  The most prominent of these was Joe Hopson, who was strong enough to put his shoulder between the legs of an average horse and lift it off the ground.
• There were two barber shops in Marion, one operated by William Morgan and William Woolridge and the other by Samp Bigham.  
• General merchandise stores were run by Pierce-Yandell and Gugenheim and J. H. Clifton and Sons.
• Grocers were M. Schwab, Herman Koltinsky, M. Copher, A. M. Hearin, J. M. McChesney, James Paris, Ed Haynes, McAfee and Hill.
• The Crittenden Press was the only paper published in the county, its editor and publisher being R. C. Walker
• Joe Stewart and Mr. Kingston were the photographers, and there are many examples of their work in the county today.

• The Kentucky Fluorspar Company, operating the Memphis and Hodge Mines, was the largest shipper of fluorspar.  The pure white spar was very much in demand for the glass industry.  Harry A. Haynes was secretary and treasurer of this business.  The Company had it's loading facilities next the the railroad track at the Marion Depot.
• These are only a few of the many places of business in Marion at this time.  Marion was indeed a growing and busy town.

Cross Salve

Cross Salve, created in the early 1930's by James Henry, Jr., could cure - Sores-Burns-Piles.  His ad in 1933 stated that for over a quarter of a century down in the hills of Western Kentucky a locally made salve has been creating a truly amazing record in the treatment of sores, burns, and skin diseases.  Many cases of years standing and extremely aggravated cases have defied all other remedies, have been cured.

Some testimonies from users include Mr. E. L. Guess, of Marion, who had an x-ray burn.  Two thirds of the back of one hand was an open sore; bones and leaders exposed.  He went to two hospital, several doctors, suffered untold agony for over a year.  

One application of this salve gave him his first sleep in several weeks without being under the influence of an opiate.  Within one month his hand was cured and he returned to work.

W. H. Holloman, of Crayne, had piles for 16 years.  In bed a week at a time unable to move.  Less than one jar of this salve permanently cured him, and he was able to work again.

Daniel W. Stone Medicine Co.

Stone's Specific, created D. W. Stone Medicine, Co. His ads appeared in the Press as early as 1915. He produced Stone's Healing Oil, a blood purifier and system builder. It was good for rheumatism, chills, malaria, torpid liver, indigestion, eczema, and bad stomach, to name a few. 

 The D. W. Stone Company also sold a chocolate tablet for constipation, stomach, liver and kidney troubles, chills, malaria, lagrippe, colds and run down systems, is was made from herbs like your great grandfather used and lived to be 90 to 100 years old, why? Because this is nature's way of cleansing the system, purifying the blood, without any ill effects upon the nerves, so his ad's told us.

Some of the businesses that sold Stone's Medicine supplies were: in Marion they were available by Haynes & Taylor Drug Store; at Tolu by R. H. Lowry & Co.; in Salem the Farris Drug Co.; at Deanwood by J. N. Dean; and at Sheridan by A. J. Bebout & Son.

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Local resident, Miss Helen Moore, who is now in her late 90's, shares with us that Daniel Webster Stone, was the head of the Stone's business operation.

Mr. Stone ordered the wonder tablets through the mail, and they would arrive in a large can. The tablets were orange and made of a herb type mixture. The tablets would be re-packed in little packages that had Stone's Special Tablets printed on the label. 

After the tablets were repackaged and ready to sell, Mr. Stone would travel to the communities in the county and sell his product to the Drug Stores. He also had a mail order business for his miracle tablets. 

Miss Moore remembers when her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth "Bessie" Moore, would help with the packaging of the tablets when the Stone's got behind in their orders. The Stone residence, although getting in bad condition, is still standing today, located East Bellville St. 

Marion Bargain Days- 1931

With the promoting of small business days coming soon, let's look back at a few of Marion's Bargain Days that was created in 1931 to promote some of the town's businesses.  Marion's main street from East Bellville for two blocks were once filled with many different kinds of stores.

They were looking for large crowds of shoppers to invade the stores during the three day community sale.  Shoppers were advised to come early tht they might partake of the many values. 

Taylor and Cannon located in the Masonic build on the corner of Main and Bellville Streets, was one of the county's best known dry good stores.  (Later this store would become Hunt's Department Store.)

All three member of the firm, Gus Taylor, C. W. Lamb and J. Doyle Vaughn are Masons. Mr. Taylor, the senior member of the firm has been in the dry goods business in Marion for the past thirty years and was in business my himself at the beginning. His store has always been located in the same block and since the construction of the present Masonic temple after the destructive fire of 1905, the Taylor store has occupied the same building.

For seventeen years Mr. Taylor had for his partner, W. D. Cannan. In 1918, after Mr. Cannan disposed of is interest, C. A. Taylor became a member of the firm and the business was operated as Taylor and Taylor.

In 1924 the present firm was organized. All three devote their full time to the business. Miss Louise Love is employed as clerk. The store prides itself on the high quality of material sold, which includes dry goods, shoes, ladies, ready-to-wear and men's furnishings.

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                                   Yandell and Gugenheim is Oldest Store

Yandell-Gugenheim Company, local dry goods dealers, has the oldest merchantile establishment in Marion, this business being well over forty years old. Years ago Samuel Gugenheim was the owner of a dry goods store here and Pierce and Yandell another. Several years before the beginning of the twentieth century these two stores were consolidated and became known as Pierce, Yandell and Gugenheim. The Pierce referred to is the late J. P. Pierce, who later retired from the business, which since that time has gone under the firm name of Yandell-Gugenheim Company.

Partners in the business are W. B. Yandell, Samuel Gugenheim and R. B. Cook who are assisted in the business by Samuel A. Gugenheim and Ernest Butler. Mr. Cook first became connected with the business about thirty-five years ago. Mr. Butler has been with the store twenty-four years.

Every individual connected with the store has for years been connected actively with community affairs and by their business policies they have won the warm friendship of their fellow citizens. Their store stands on one of the business corners in Marion.

Yandell-Gughenheim and Company has long been one of Marion's most successful stores and it is prophesied that continued good patronage will follow them. (This store was located where Frazer and Massey's Law Office is today.)

                                                     ***

                                                             City Drug Store

It is owned and managed by two of Marion's youngest business men, Ted Frazer and G. N. Rankin, both of them born and reared in Marion. In addition to the proprietors two clerks are employed, Bernal Hill and Chastain Frazer.

At least two reasons may be assigned as to why the City Drug Store has so quickly taken its place in the foremost ranks of local business establishments. First, the store itself, attractive and well lighted, is modern in every respect, from its up-to-date soda fountain, its line of drug sundries and novelties to a complete prescription department with a graduate, registered pharmacist in charge; second the modern business method and progressive ideas of the owners, who identify themselves with every movement for civic betterment and community progress.

The City Drug Company occupies two floors of the Flanary building on Main Street. On the first is located the soda fountain, the prescription department, and well stocked cases of cosmetics, toiletries and novelties.

The wall paper, paint and glass department is located on the second floor. Here they have two complete lines of wall paper on display at a price range of five cents per roll up.

(The City Drug Store, as the articles speaks of, closed on May 14, 1992)