Marion's Taverns and Saloons

There is no comparison between the beer-joints and saloons of today and the mid-19^th century tavern. One hundred fifty years ago a tavern was a rest stop for weary travelers. The taverns served meals, provided overnight lodging, stabling for their animals, as well as the selling of "spirits", in the same manner, as does a modern super-market in a wet territory.

Since a tavern was such as asset to the reputation of a state, Kentucky law required that each applicant apply for a $10-a-year tavern-operation license, furnish proof of his good reputation, his ability and intention of performing full normal services, and furnish a $100 performance bond.

On September 9, 1844, John S. Gilliam was issued a license to keep a tavern in his home in Marion. It is quite likely that Gilliam did this only with the intention of providing what in those days was considered a necessity to a new town, for he could not have had more than two guest rooms in his one-story cabin.

On May 5, 1845, in an effort to control the prices to be charged in the rapidly multiplying number of taverns that were springing up at almost every crossroad in the infant County, the Crittenden County Court set this bill of tavern rates: Breakfast, dinner and supper - .25¢, Night's lodging – 12 ½ ¢. Horse feed – 12 ½ ¢, Whiskey per ½ pint – 5 ¢, Rum, brandy or wine per ½ pint – 10 ¢.

E. A. Calvert built on the northwest corner of Salem and Fords Ferry Streets (the site of the Marion Fire Department today). This building became Calvert's Tavern, the second tavern and first real hotel in Marion.

On Feb. 9, 1846, John W. Williams rented this building and was issued a license to operate Calvert's Tavern for one year. The next year Calvert's Tavern was purchased by John H. and James W. Bruff, and they leased it to John C. Henson who operated it until the 1860's.

In 1870 Calvert's Tavern was run by N. B. Douglas, and it was called White's Tavern. It was the first stagecoach tavern stop in Marion.

From an editorial in The Crittenden Press dated June 22, 1893, Deputy Sheriff John Pickens shared this information. "Yes sir, a reputable citizen of the Eastern portion of the county told me that he had every reason to believe that "Moon shine" liquor was being manufactured in his neighborhood, but as for as proving it, or locating the worm, that was something, that could not be done, even though you might be cocksure it is within three miles of you."

Two or three years ago, continued Sheriff Pickens, a still was operated in that section. Men have told me how they contrived to get 'a wee drap' of the mountain dew occasionally. To a certain cave they went; an oyster can and a string would successfully bring from the bowels of the earth a pint or quart, you put some silver in the can, lowered it with the string, you pulled on the string and behold the can had been transformed into a bottle.

An officer went on the search for that distillery, but he never captured it; he found "bar signs" but no "bar."

Memories Of The Old Crittenden Hotel

 

In Sept 1976 Mr. Ted Boston shared some of his memories about the old Hotel.

At that time, the Crittenden Hotel was the place to stay in Marion.

In those days, there were six passenger trains a day through Marion, three north bound and three southbound.

  The hotel kept a horse drawn bush to meet the trains and carry visitors to the hotel. 

 

 Boston remembers that in 1912, the horse was replaced with an International auto-buggy, with solid rubber tires about three feet high.

 

The trains and the traveling salesmen they carried were the keys to hotel business. Then salesman had to stay overnight in those years before cars and passable roads. Lodging was $1.50 a night. Meals were .75 cents.

 

Mrs. Daniel Webb of Evansville, whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hammack operated the hotel from about 1920-1922, recalled one such traveler who complained to her mother that he couldn't eat .75 cents worth of food. You're not suppose to eat .75 cents worth, Mrs. Hammack promptly replied and went on to explain there was suppose to be little profit made on the meal.

 

She remembered, too, that at that time all the rooms were heated with the fireplaces, which were still in the rooms. Nor was there any plumbing, all the rooms were equipped with a washstand and a bowl and pitcher.

 

 

For the convenience of the salesmen at the rear of the hotel, was a small display building for their wares. Salesmen would open their trunks here, and the town's merchants would come to buy what they wanted. Then, as it was in later year, part of the lower floor was devoted to shops.

 

J. C. Bourland had a job printing shop and sold office supplies, Judge Moore's law office was there, as were the Moore and Pickens Dress Shop, an insurance office and a barber shop.

 

But all that's gone now, gone like the long tables with white tablecloths, the good food and the crowd and the trains. 

 

In December 1991 the roof was blown off by a winter storm, and in March 1992 the back wall on one end collapsed from the weight of snow an drain. This was the final end of the Crittenden Hotel. The end result was the old building had to be completely torn down. The place where the Hotel once stood is a parking lot, located on East Carlisle Street, next to the Woman's Club building.

Men of The Hour in 1902 Political, Business and Educational

 A great part of the history of our county comes from the young men that took an active part of it's growth and progress many years ago. A special section of the Crittenden Press was printed in July 1902 telling about Western Kentucky Minerals and the many fluorspar mines that were located in Crittenden County. Also in this special edition it told that Crittenden County had other products besides its minerals that is extending its acquaintance and making favorable impressions abroad. Among the factors that are giving us prominence is the name and fame of some of our distinguished fellow citizens. A few mentioned  are:

Marion F. Pogue is a native of Crittenden County. He is one of our most successful and poplar teachers. Marion Forrest Pogue, son of William Washington and Catherine Oliver Pogue, was born near Frances in Crittenden County, on October 18, 1867. He was educated in the common schools of Crittenden County and in the Marion Academy, then headed by Dr. James F. Price.

He is also engaged in merchandising and has a prosperous business at Frances. He has also taken an active interest in politics.

Last year he was elected to the Legislature, serving the two counties of Crittenden and Livingston with distinction and honor. In politics he is an ardent Democrat, and his party and country will have more work for him. (Marion F. Pogue died in 1952 and is buried in the Frances Cemetery.)

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A. C. Moore, the son of Judge J. A. Moore, he inherits his father's love of the profession to which he has devoted his life and talents.

A native of Crittenden County, thirty-eight years of age, of prepossessing and distinguished appearance, he makes sad havoc with the preconceived ideas of the twelve good men and true in the jury box, provided, their thought of the verdict to be rendered are contrary to his side of the case.

Educated largely in our own high school, supplemented by the Madisonville normal, he placed himself under the direct touch of Judge L. H. James, the eminent lawyer, and was admitted to the bar in 1888.

In all of our prominent cases Mr. Moore is usually observed on one side or the other. He has been honored politically several times, County Attorney, Supervisor of the United Sate Census, with the direct control of over a hundred bright men whose loyalty and good work indicated his directing genius, he now devotes his entire time to hi large and lucrative professional practice.

He, in common with most of our enterprising men, is interested in mining, being a shareholder and the vice president of the Crittenden County Zinc, Lead & Spar Company. (Alfred Clay Moore died Dec. 11, 1946 and is buried at Mapleview Cemetery.)

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Mr. Lawrence Cruce during the past two years, has been uniformly successful in his mining ventures. His field of operations has largely been in Southern Illinois, although he has several interests in this county. Probably the net results in a money way from the sales of Mining property and leases will net him for the past few months nearly $30,000.

Mr. Cruce graduated from the Vanderbilt University at Nashville in 1882. His five years of successful business life as a druggist, in Ft. Worth Texas, fitted him for the broader sphere which he is not filling.

In the prime of life, 42 years of age, kind and generous to a fault, he is one of our typical Kentuckians and one who has a bright future in store. (A few years later after this article, Mr. Cruce moved his family to Oklahoma and he died there in August 1925. His brother, Lee Cruce, later became Governor of Oklahoma.)

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William H. Clark is one of our younger attorneys. He is twenty-six years of age and a son of Dr. John Riley Clark and Nancy Johnson Clark, of Marion.

From his graduating class at the Marion High school he passed through the regular courses at the Old Centre College, in Danville, Ky. And was admitted to the bar in 1899. He is a leader in our social circles, very quick at repartee, a good lawyer and a gentlemen. (William H. Clark moved to Hoxie Kansas, and was a noted layer. He died there Feb. 1965.)

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John A. Moore, son of James A. and Martha Moore, is devoted to his professional practice of the law, being city attorney for the past five years. Mr. Moore's experience has been for so young a man – 30 years – varied and extensive.

Graduating from the Marion High School in 1890, he was admitted to the bar in 1894, and has since that time been a close student of both men and the law.

He is a Crittenden County production in every respect, born, educated and married, and has all the strong loyalty to his town, county and state that we find in most Kentuckians.

Mr. Moore's connection with mining dates back only a twelve month, but in that brief period he has left his mark upon the rocks of his native county.

Senator Ollie James at Home

 

 This interesting little article appeared in The Crittenden Press Jan. 6, 1916.  

U. S. Senator James at Home.  Senator O. M. James came home to see his mother January 2nd and stayed over until the 3rd.

It was rather an apt coincidence that the tobacco market in Crittenden county should be opened while he was here, as it is chiefly due to his efforts in getting the embargo raised upon the shipment of tobacco to the warring nations, without which, no tobacco could be shipped without danger of seizure, and as a result there would have been no market for tobacco this year.

By his efforts the farmers are enabled to dispose of one of their most important crops.  

Senator James is using his best efforts to get Marion's new post-office built or at least get started on this year.

Senator James cared deeply for his hometown of Marion and Crittenden County.  Through his efforts he did get Marion's new post-office built.  It is the one that is used today on E. Carlisle Street.

The Crittenden County Historical Society has tried for several years to have the post-office named for him.  He did so much for Marion and never has been honored with anything bearing his name as a remembrance of him.

J. T. Elder's Residence at Marion - 1892

 Built in 1892. 

Crittenden Press, June 30, 1892.  J. T. Elder is building a handsome residence on the new street to be opened, North College St.  The Elder's moved to Kansas soon after and Mr. Robert F. Haynes purchased the fine new home.

In 1903 the Robert F. Haynes family purchased the house and lived here for many years.

Later the J. C. Lilly family lived here.   The present of this historic old home is Cindy Davidson.

 

  This picture was made in 1999

 

Thomas Thomas used to love to tell the story about when his Uncle and Aunt, Robert Fulton Haynes, Jr. and Stella Tucker Haynes, lived in the big two story house.  

 

On March 28, 1905, on the night of the big fire that destroyed all of Marion's down town business district, the Haynes were having a reception for the Circuit Court members, which included lawyers, and attorney's from Marion and the surrounding area.  

 

They were just getting ready to set down and eat when they heard about the fire and by then the flames had started jumping from house to house on the wooden shingles.  

 

Some of the guests at the reception went up in the attic and cut a hole in the roof, and they started getting quilts off the beds and soaking them in tubs of water and putting the wet quilts on the roof to keep the house from catching fire.

 

They also started carrying the furniture out to the house to save it in case the house did catch fire.

 

The house was saved and the only damage done was the hole in the roof that had to be repaired and the cleaning and drying of the wet quilts.

 

Thomas and Ethel had keep all these years, up until Mrs. Tucker's estate sale a few years back, the china dishes that were being used that night.  Although some of them got broken in the hurry to get things out of the house.  They were Thomas's favorite of all their china.  White with pink rosebuds.

It is a shame the house hasn't been able to be restored to it's former beauty and glory.  Really a part of Marion's past history.

Crowell Cemetery - Some history about the old cemetery

 

Crowell cemetery is located in the North Eastern part of the county, between the areas known as Cave Springs and Nunn Switch. It's at the top of a hill off of Nunn Switch Road.

 There are several rows of large sandstone rocks that mark the resting place of unknown persons. Some of the stones are large and others not so large, but they were set in straight rows.

Who are these unknown people that were buried here many, many years ago. Someone cared enough about them to transport these heavy stones to the cemetery and mark their grave.

The earliest engraved monuments belong to two infants of Nathaniel and Angelina Brantley. The death dates show March 13, 1838 and March 1844. The earliest stones are of the Crowell, Brantley and Travis families.

We know from Crowell family research that several of the early Crowell family members are also buried here in unmarked graves. These would account for some of the unidentified sandstone rocks.

The first Crowell pioneer to come to this area about 1818 was Benjamin Crowell. He died Dec. 13, 1852 and is also buried here, but he has a marked monument.

The cemetery for many years was known as the Hugh Crowell cemetery, but over the years it was shortened to Crowell Cemetery.   Hugh and his wife, Eliza Ann, are both buried here, but they have no monuments to mark their grave.

The late Mr. J. D. Orr shared this story about the cemetery. His great, great grandfather, Hugh B. Crowell, told the story of a family in a covered wagon that was on their way west from Pennsylvania. They had a very sick child, so they stopped at Hugh Crowell's farm so the little girl could rest and hopefully get better. The little girl didn't get better and she died while they were there. Mr. Crowell told them to go up on the hill by the farm, pick out a spot and bury the little girl. To this day, in the middle of the cemetery, by a huge old cedar tree is a small stone at the base of it. This is believed to be the grave site of the little girl and the first burial in the graveyard.

Older residents of the area, who have now passed away, told of several members of the early Brantley family that first came to Crittenden County (then Livingston County) who are buried here, but have no stones to mark their graves, other than the sandstone rocks.

It is believed that James Brantley the ancestor of most of the Brantley's in Crittenden and Webster County's is buried here under one of these unmarked stones. The story was told that for many years his grave was covered with a large flat stone, but it came the nesting place of some snakes so the ones cleaning the cemetery thought best to get rid of the large stone.

The cemetery is lined with Crowell, Brantley, Orr, and Travis stones with many of their descendants and family members also buried here.

Years ago at the west end of the cemetery sat a small white church like building. Here funeral services would be conducted. It had a pulpit and wooden benches for the family and friends to sit on during the service.

Sometime between the time period of 1956-1960 the building burnt. The building wasn't rebuilt, perhaps because it wasn't needed as much now, since funerals were held in the more modern funeral homes at Marion. The building was replaced with a wooden shed with some benches to be used every year for the annual Crowell Cemetery cleaning day.

The shed was used for the dinners that were held during the annual Crowell cemetery cleaning day, which was always the 3^rd Saturday in August. On this day people from all around that had family and friends buried in the cemetery would bring dinner in a basket and work tools and they would spend the day cleaning the cemetery, visiting with people they may not have seen since the last cleaning day, and then they would rest in the shade of the shed, having a large meal at noontime. 

This tradition of cemetery cleaning day is gone now, as cemeteries that are fortunate enough, have a fund to have them taken care of during the summer months.

There are several pioneer families of Crittenden County buried in this cemetery as well as several Civil War Veterans.

Lock and Dam 50 Being Constructed - 1926

 

June 27, 1924 - Construction Work Started At Dam At Fords Ferry

Work has begun on Dam. No. 50 on the Ohio River, just above Fords Ferry in this county. The work of clearing off the land on which to erect the camp buildings was begun last week, and actual construction will begin as soon as lumber and other materials can be secured, which will be in the course of a few days.

This dam is being built by the United States Government, as are the tree other dams located on the lower Ohio at Uniontown, Golconda and Brookport. The purpose of the dams is to ensure a nine-foot boating state in the river at all seasons of the year. This work will give employment to hundreds of men, and four or five years time will be required for its completion. Mr. R. B. Tinsley is the superintendent in charge at Fords Ferry.

 

This picture shows the inside of the cofferdam as the work is going on.  You can see the river being held back by the coffer dam to the left.

 

May 14, 1926 – Construction Work Begins For Season At Dam

Construction work at Dam 50 has been resumed and has been in progress for nearly two weeks. Work on the dam was ceased during the winter months because of the high water.

Captain H. R. Dumont, United States Assistant in charge, says: "Work for the season at Dam 50 was definitely started on May 2 with the commencement of pumping down the water within the coffer-dam. "Two 15-inch and one 12-inch centrifugal pumps were employed in the process of unwatering the work. (I did not know what a cofferdam was, the short definition for cofferdam is a temporary watertight enclosure that is pumped dry to expose the bottom of a body of water so that construction, such as piers, may be constructed.)

Something in the neighborhood of 13k000 cubic yards of solid rock were blasted from the cliff above Cave-In-Rock on May 6 for use in the cribs to be placed below the Dam. 7,400 pounds of dynamite were used. No damage was done to anything except the rock.

Actual work on the project at Dam 50 is now in its second year and several more years will probably be required for its completion.

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May 28, 1926 – Now Have Full Quota Of Tow Boats, School Closed

The following statement has been given to the Press by Capt. H. R. Dumont, engineer in charge of construction at Dam 50, in regard to progress being made there:

Due to difficulties in unwatering cofferdam, work up on the foundation of the dam at Dam 50, has been delayed several days, it being necessary to install additional pumps and to build a small coffer within the large one to cut off the worst leakage.

At present writing, May 19^th, two 8-inch, two 10-inch, one 12-inch and two 15-inch pumps are being run night and day. Work should commence on the rock foundation Friday or Saturday. Advantage was taken of the slowly receding water in the main cofferdam to drive piling for that part of the dam to be built on this type of foundation so that the time is not being lost.

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May 6, 1927 – Lock and Dam 50 News

The Ohio River has come to a stand following a fall of 11 feet since the 19^th of April. It is hoped that the end of May will find the water low enough to allow work in the river, where an attempt will be made to complete the dam this season.

Thomas E. Sublett of Owensboro has been awarded the contract for building the permanent power house, a three story structure of brick and concrete, which furnishes the power for operating the lock gates and lighting the various building on the reservation.

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Dec. 7, 1928 – Work Done on Lock and Dam

Since the completion of Lock and Dam 50 near Fords Ferry, work has been in progress on clearing off the reservation. Sylvester Allen is now in charge of operations at the dam, Paul McGinnis is lock manager.

Ten government employees are to be retained. Most of the small dwellings have been removed. The residences are to be left on the grounds in addition to the powerhouse and the warehouse. There is also 100,000 cubic yards of permanent concrete work.

H. R. Dumont was in charge for the first two years and the work was completed under the supervision of Alfred Sorg, who now has charge of the construction of dams on Green and Barren Rivers.

A total of $3,500,000 was spent by the government in the construction of Lock and Dam 50. Material used included 1000,000 cubic yards of stone, 3,000,000 feet of lumber and 400 tons of steel. During the three years about 3,000 carloads of material for use in building the dam were unloaded at Sturgis, six miles above the dam, and floated down on barges.

Lock and Dam 50 is one of a series being constructed on the Ohio and other waterways. Dam 49 is located at Uniontown and Dam 51 at Golconda.

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This historic dam, a vital part of Crittenden County history, which was started in 1924, would become an impediment to river traffic after 68 years of service. The old wicket type dam, regarded as spectacular when it was being built, was now considered old and worn out. It would be demolished one section at a time to clear the section of the river pool maintained by high-lift dams at Uniontown and Smithland.

On November 3, 1980 the first explosive charges were detonated to demolish Dam 50 on the Ohio River, and a part of Crittenden County history went up in smoke. Dam crews went out to lower the wickets one last time to allow free navigation of the river again. All clean-up of the destruction site was scheduled to be completed by Nov. 1980.