Interesting Facts About Some Early County Post Offices

 

Through the years interesting facts about the early post offices have been published. I find these interesting and informative to read. Here are some of these interesting tidbits.

* Lambs, Lambsville or Willow Grove was a small pioneer town located on the Flynn’s Ferry road in the 1830s, and was started by Joel Lamb, who first built a blacksmith shop and a tanyard. It was located near the Fishtrap Road and Wilson Farm Road.

* January 17, 1895 – A new post office will shortly be established at J. H. Robinson’s on the Marion and Fords Ferry route. The name of the office is “Mounds,” and J. H. Robinson will be the official to stand upon it.

* Jan. 17, 1895 - Mounds Post Office was housed in a country store building. The store was the property of Mr. Harloe Robinson. Both the store and the office were operated by Mr. Robinson.

* August 17, 1899 – A new post office has been established in Rodney. It is at James Hickland’s and Mr. Hickland is the postmaster. The office is supplied Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays from Weston.

* Mar. 29, 1900 – Starr is a new post office, situated at Piney Camp grounds, near Stonewall. We have two mails a week, Tuesday and Friday. Carl T. Boucher is the postmaster and is already to hand out your mail or sell you goods.

* The Pony post office established July 19, 1880, by Richard Vanhook who remained postmaster until John T. Cochran took over January 12, 1881. Pony was discontinued Dec. 14, 1884, and its mail service assumed by Levias. Going by the usual procedure of post offices in the county, the post office was conducted in a corner of Richard Vanhook’s general store somewhere near Midway.

* Kirksville-Hurricane-Tolu – The post office department reveals that the post office in Tolu was first established as Hurricane Aug. 23, 1857. It was changed to Tolu Feb. 3, 1890. The post office of Hurricane was in a boat at the river, when the town was named Tolu the office was moved from the river to town.

* The Weston Post Office was originally established as Westonburg on February 22, 1859. The post office named was changed to Weston on October 24, 1877. Rose E. Sturgeon was appointed as the last postmaster on February 11, 1916 and served until the post office was discontinued on July 31, 1916.

* Frances Post Office. Mr. Marion F. Pogue of Frances furnished this information on the little village of Frances, that it was named, probably by a romantic post office clerk, for Miss Frances Folsom, who became the wife of President Grover Cleveland. Frances was the first post office named after the marriage and was so christened on the day the wedding was announced. At different periods before the coming of the post office this community was variously known as “Cross Roads,” Liberty,” and “Needmore,” but as each of these names was already in use by other post offices in the state, a new one was necessary. As the people of the community made no suggestion the privilege fell to employees of the post office department, as that is the custom in such instances.

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All of the rural post offices, but two, Crayne and Dycusburg, have long since been discontinued with Tolu being the last to be discontinued in 2011. But most all the old communities in the territory in which they were located still go by the old names.

Most of these long ago post offices where located in a corner of the local grocery store, or in some instances, the house of the postmaster. These old post offices were a welcome addition to the small communities and besides being convenient for the local residents to use, it was a daily place to meet and visit with your friends and neighbors, a great place to catch up on the happenings in your community. What great memories to have of those old post offices, grocery stores and communities of yesteryear.

Cave-In-Rock Ferry Became a Free Service in 1994

 

 The owner of the Cave-In-Rock Ferry closed his ferry service in the June of 1994.  There was no ferry service for the Illinois and Kentucky sides to cross.  At the time the charge for crossing the river on the ferry was $5.00.  It was nearly 5 months before the ferry service got started back up.  

As a result of efforts from the Ferry Authority, elected officers, business owners and county magistrates from both states, the Cave-In-Rock Ferry reopened for business on November 10, 1997, as a free service.   What an exciting day it was for both Kentucky and Illinois.  

Kentucky and Illinois both sharing the cost of the ferry.  It was the first time in the history of the Cave-in-Rock ferry that a state subsidy had funded the service. 

Without the Cave-In-Rock Ferry, motorists leaving Cave in Rock, Ill, for Kentucky would have to drive dozens of miles out of the way to either the Ky. 56 Shawneetown Bridge or U.S. 45 Brookport Bridge.  Using the Ferry and Ky. 91 North, there are only 11 miles between Marion and Cave-in Rock and Southern Illinois.

          John May, standing on left, was our current Judge Executive at the time.  

More than 100 people attended the ceremony on both sides of the river.  The free ferry service began about 1:30 that day and began on a regular 16-hour schedule Friday morning. 

 Lonnie Lewis, now owner of the ferry service, said they had been extremely busy the first six days and merchants here are lauding the increased sales they are realizing from southern Illinois shoppers. 

Ollie M. James Birthplace

 

This is a post card of the birthplace of Ollie M. James.  He was born here July 27, 1871 to Lemuel and Elizabeth James.  I do not have a date for the publication of the postcard.

This log cabin, typical of the homes of that era, contained a center hall which separated the living room-bedroom from the kitchen.  The room near the chimney was added some years later.

The remains of this log cabin stood for many years near the community of Sheridan, on the now named, Coy Watson road.  At one time the mailbox was still visible. I've been told now there isn't anything that remains of the old historic home.  

In the 1933's when work was being done on State Highway 297, then called the Wallace-Ferry Road, which ran close by the cabin, it had been proposed that the cabin be acquired and preserved as a memorial to the memory of Senator Ollie M. James.  This was never done and is now just a part of our forgotten passages of time, with nothing to show the location. 

The James family didn't live here too long after Ollie was born.  Mr. James was a well-known lawyer, and when son Ollie got school age, they moved to Marion so he could get his education from the city schools and Mr. James could be near his business.

This is the James home on East Depot Street.  Ollie lived here during his years in politics.

It's still beautiful today.  A Marion treasure.

Marion and Crittenden County have always been proud of our own Ollie M. James who was elected to the United States House of Representative to serve in the 58^th Congress, and was re-elected to the same position in the 59^th, 60^th, and 61^st and 62^nd Congresses. He won the nomination for United States Senator in the 1911 Democratic Primary, and was elected to the Senate by the Kentucky Legislature for a six-year term beginning March 4, 1913.

Ollie James was elected Permanent Chairman of the 1914 Democratic National Convention. He was considered the Party's outstanding orator, and many thought him to be the favorite for the Democrat's 1920 Presidential Nomination.

His death in 1918 at John-Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he was taken after collapsing at his post in the United States Senate, cut short a most brilliant career. His death was from an incurable kidney disease.

Freedom School

 

The land for the new one room Freedom school was obtained August 11, 1917.  The school was a large modern building for those days.

When State Highway 91 was built it split the school ground and left the schoolhouse within 15 feet of the highway.  The  nearness of the highway was always a disadvantage to the school.

In the late 1940's the school became a target for vandalism.  It appeared to be a nightly sport of a group of youngsters from Marion to borrow the family car for a drive through town.  Instead they would rush two and one-half miles out the highway to Freedom school and overturn the boys' toilet, which sat within five feet of the highway, or would knock out a few window panes, then head home as innocent as youngsters could be.  Thus Freedom school building became a total wreck.

In 1951, County School Superintendent, and trustee of Freedom School, Ivo Hughes, knowing the poor condition the school had become,  asked the help of Mrs. Edna Fritts Easley to help get the school back on its feet.  With the help of the Freedom community parents they patched up the broken school with many repairs and made it usable again.

 Some of the teachers who taught at Freedom were Emma Terry, Homer David , David Postlethweighte, Gladys Graves, Lady Roe Ruyan, Mable Ryan, Mary Todd, Lela McMican, and Edna Fritts.   

Some of the prominent family names of the Freedom area were McEuen, Nesbit, Conger, Fritts, Brown, Roberts, Hughes, Gipson, Crider, Millikan and Perryman.

In 1958 the school was consolidated with Marion.  The building was sold and used for a fish market and grocery store for several years.  After that the Crittenden County Gun Club purchased the building, along with 15 acres. 

 The old school building was demolished, thus the history and happenings of Freedom School passed into history.

History of Lake George

 This article appeared in the Crittenden Press, May 5, 2022, my history column, Forgotten Passages.

Louisville Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, Oct. 11, 1954

Soil Conservation Helps Town Get Needed Water - 1954

Lots of folks talk out the need for cooperation between farm and city. Here in Crittenden county they are doing something about it. For years water has been a serious problem in Crittenden County. Recent droughts have forced farmers to haul their stock water from the Ohio river all during the year. During the worst of the drought during the last two summers, Marion had to ration its water supply to City users. But the drought only served to point up a problem that had been growing for almost 20 years.

Crittenden hardly is what would be called a rich county. Few farmers have tobacco bases. Most of them must work hard at dairy, beef and poultry projects to make a living.

Marion offers little opportunity for jobs for the children who grow up on the farms. A silica plant and a printing company are about the only industries in town. Once the fluorspar mines offered jobs, but foreign completion has shut down that industry here.

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Industries Lost

In the last few years some industries have been interested in setting up plants here. One company wanted to set up a clothing plant that would have hired 75 workers. Another considered building a plant that would have hired 250 workers. A glass company thought of setting up a factor to process the silica mined here.

None of these plants were built. the reason? Not enough water.

The city's water supply came from a man-made lake on Crooked Creek. In 1940, that lake had silted up to a depth of four feet. The City then spent about $5,000 to raise the spill. By 1952, all that added capacity had been wiped out by further silting.

At that time George Strickler arrived. He is the work-unit conservationist of the United States Soil Conservation Service. In working with the Crittenden Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors, of who Harvey Lowry is chairman, Strickler came to realize that what was needed here was a co-operative project between the farmers in the Soil Conservation District and the city folks of Marion. Strickler and the supervisors met with the City Council and Mayor Sylvan Clark. The farmers, he explained, needed soil-conservation work on their farms to cut down the silting of the City water supply. The City needed more water. By cop-operative agreement they both could get what they needed.

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Three lakes planned

When the City Council was convinced, Strickler and the Board of Supervisors went to work on a watershed plan for Crooked Creek. Farmers were organized into a watershed association. Marion merchants agreed to support the plan. Strickler worked long hours, ofter late into the night, plotting the needs of the watershed. He came up with a plan for three lakes. Lake No. 1 would hold 25,000,000 gallons. Lake No.2 would impound 150,000,000 gallons. Lake No. 3 about 500 feet above the old City lake, would hold 200,000,000 gallons. The old lake has a capacity of only about 7,000,000 gallons.

It was decided that Lake 3 should be built first. The City agreed to put up $50,000 that remained from an old bond issue.

Thirteen farmers contributing to the 750 acres that form the runoff for this lake. The lake itself will cover about 65 acres. Part of the $50,000. was used to buy this flooded area.

Work on the 30 foot high dam was begun July 30 and now is nearing completion. Water already is collecting in the new lake and feeding through a sluice to the old reservoir. Farmers are working out plans for conservation measures and cropping practices on the watershed land to protect the soil against erosion.

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Crittenden Academy, Oct. 30th, 1849

 

Yes, Marion had an Academy in the early years of 1849.  Only 7 years after we became a county in 1842.  This paper was located in some of the files of the County's Clerk's office at the Crittenden County Court House.  

The School was arranged in two departments, Male and Female, each teacher taking charge of their respective department. 

Teachers were from New York, attended the New York  State Normal School.  Mr. James W. Primmer, Principal of the Male Department and Miss Harriet M. Cary, Principal of the Female Department.

Subjects to be taught: For Common English Branches, including Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar, History, Geography, philosophy, & C.

For Higher English Branches, including Botany, Rhetoric, Chemistry, Algebra, Geometry, Astronomy, &c, Latin, French, German, Greek

For lessons on the Piano, Forte, use of the Piano and Music Books, 

Lessons on the Melodian, with use of instrument,

For Drawing, Painting, and Embroidery.

(My note:  I have no information on where this very early teaching institution was located, other than in the down town area of Marion.)

Blooming Rose School

Some history about one of our long ago one-room schools.  Blooming Rose was located on Hwy. 838 at the end of Lewis Croft Road.

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Blooming Rose. One of these little schools that very little written history has been found through the years is Blooming Rose School. It's location was about one mile from the Livingston County line and about three miles from Lola in Livingston County. 

 

In April of 1894, in Deed Book 4, page 79, we find that Robert A. Hearell and his wife, Nancy, sold land to the Crittenden County trustees of District 20 for the purpose of a site for a new school house. It would be a one room building and the name of the school would be Blooming Rose. It is thought that this colorful name was because there were many of the little wild pink rose bushes that grew in the fence rows where the school would be built. This was confirmed by two of the past students. 

 

The school had the usual pot-bellied wood or coal stove. The boys cut wood for the wood stove or brought in coals when the county started furnishing the coal.

 

Twenty pupils were the average enrollment for all eight grades. Some of the teachers used punishment such as standing with face to the wall, standing at the blackboard with nose is a ring; some children had to stand on top toes with nose in a ring and there was always the dreaded paddle.

 

The school closed in 1949 and students were sent to Tolu elementary school.

 

This picture was taken from the Crittenden County History Book, Vol. II.