tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62341204839926233852024-03-13T00:08:08.546-04:00My Hometown: Historical Tales of Owingsville and Bath County's PastRob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-41380339282830397932021-09-22T20:44:00.000-04:002021-09-22T20:44:41.246-04:00The Bath-Montgomery Invincibles: The Battle of Buena Vista<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCpGOqVx-87emCrvr598WIImkEqZvXvshfry62cJFAmEndYTWBrh8tIApAqx-YaRB7WlOTZmUSPis1GpI-k_gYf1bd75DWBdZ5QtvNLXxCSK607-kIAcncO7UqUNX4xXwX9LL6cUPLqQe/s573/MBuenaVista.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCpGOqVx-87emCrvr598WIImkEqZvXvshfry62cJFAmEndYTWBrh8tIApAqx-YaRB7WlOTZmUSPis1GpI-k_gYf1bd75DWBdZ5QtvNLXxCSK607-kIAcncO7UqUNX4xXwX9LL6cUPLqQe/s320/MBuenaVista.gif" /></a></div>
The 2nd Kentucky Infantry, also known as the 2nd Kentucky Foot Soldiers, played an instrumental part in the Mexican War's final large scale battle at Buena Vista. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William McKee, the regiment was divided into ten companies and mustered into service in 1846. A familiar name was also a commander in the 2nd Kentucky; Henry Clay, Jr., who's father was the revered statesman and politician. Company I, 2nd Kentucky Foot Soldiers, consisted of men from Bath and Montgomery Counties and was commanded by Captain Wilkinson Turpin.<div><br /></div><div> In February, 1847, Mexican Colonel Santa Anna, who commanded the siege and fall of the Alamo in 1836, amassed forces near Buena Vista, Mexico. The United States Army deployed troops to counter the Mexican forces and drive them south. The Battle of Buena Vista began on February 22nd in a narrow valley pass between two plateaus. The 2nd Kentucky Infantry held a position high above the valley floor to protect the plateau and saw little action the first day.
The following day, the Mexican Army waged an assault on the left flank, where the First Kentucky, Second Indiana and Second Illinois Infantry were positioned. The engagement was fierce, but the Kentuckians held ground. Confusion set in, and the Second Indiana misunderstood their orders to advance and started a retreat, leaving a hole in the ranks. The 2nd Kentucky advanced toward the narrows to tighten up the ranks. Noticing that the Mexicans had succeeded in creating a diversionary attack to mask the main advance by Santa Anna, the 2nd Kentucky received orders to ascend down the plateau and support the 2nd Illinois. Shortly after, American artillery began pounding the Mexican advance, causing a turning point in favor of the United States. </div><div><br /></div><div> The 2nd Kentucky rallied with the Illinois and Indiana troops and began another fierce fight against Santa Anna's troops. The Mexican lines began to break, and they started a retreat. The US troops gave chase, firing into the retreating lines, before realizing they were in range of the Mexican artillery. After falling back and holding their positions, the Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois infantrymen thwarted off occasional attacks while dodging artillery fire. The US artillery took positions and fired at the Mexican line, causing Santa Anna's army to retreat to the base of the mountain. </div><div><br /></div><div>At around 1 p.m., February 23, 1847, Lt. Colonel McKee and Lt. Colonel Clay spotted a group of Mexican cavalry officers approaching. As the 2nd Kentucky prepared to fire upon the officers, Clay noticed a flag of truce. The Mexican officers were escorted to General Zachary Taylor's command tent to negotiate. General John Wood was send with a flag of truce to meet with Santa Anna, and the fighting halted; on the American side.
As General Wood galloped toward Santa Anna, Mexican Artillery began raining down around him, ending the false truce. During this ordeal, the Mexican army retreated to the safety of a plateau. By mid-afternoon, only a few sporadic troops were spotted along Santa Anna's line. The 2nd Kentucky, 1st and 2nd Illinois, numbering nearly a thousand men, were ordered to make a charge on the Mexicans. After charging nearly a half mile over rough terrain, the Kentucky and Illinois troops were finally within firing distance, when suddenly, a volley of cannon and rifle fire broke the air. The Americans had exposed themselves to a newly regrouped, refreshed and determined Mexican assault force that included several hundred reserve troops that had been hidden.</div><div><br /></div><div> Facing a force ratio of nearly ten to one, the Americans were in the middle of an all out final assault charge by Santa Anna's army. As the Kentucky and Illinois men advanced, they suffered heavy casualties. Fearing full annihilation, the Americans were being flanked and surrounded. An escape route into the ravine was their only way out of an all out massacre. As the Americans retreated toward a highway, the Mexicans continued to barrage them with artillery and rifle fire. The Kentuckians were caught in the ravine, with Mexican forces along the ridges. The race to the American line at Angostura was on. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was late afternoon and the battle had raged since early morning. Weary and exhausted, the 2nd Kentucky was desperate. Lt. Colonel McKee and Lt. Colonel Clay had fallen in the ravine. Captain Turpin's men of Company I were in the thick of the battle and fighting courageously under great depredations. As the Americans and Mexicans continued toward the highway, the artillery of Captain J.M. Washington's cannons exploded into the Mexican ranks. The battle had once again turned in the favor of the Americans. The Kentucky and Illinois men were able to regroup, and were rallied by the artillery barrage against the Mexican forces. From the vantage point of the Americans, they could clearly see retreating Mexican lancers stabbing and mutilating wounded and fallen soldiers in the ravine. </div><div><br /></div><div> The 2nd Kentucky, 1st and 2nd Illinois infantry regiments suffered greatly during The Battle of Buena Vista; forty five percent of the total fatalities and 33 percent of battle injuries was the toll. The 2nd Kentucky Foot Soldiers gained the name, "The Bloody Second" and largely contributed to the eventual victory against Santa Anna's forces. Captain Wilkinson Turpin's men of Company I gained the name "The Bath-Montgomery Invincibles" due to their tenacity and courage in the battle.
</div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Sources: <u>Kentuckians at the Battle of Buena Vista</u>, by Richard Salisbury</i></div><div><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><u>http://www.usgenwebsites.org/KYCampbell/mexicanwar.htm </u></i></div><div><i> History of the Kentucky National Guard<br /></i></div><div><i><u><br /></u></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-65247685028225349262017-07-02T14:34:00.000-04:002017-07-02T14:34:02.021-04:00Alfred Crooks: A Sailor Lost at Sea<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Through my journeys into local history, sometimes I find stories hidden within plain sight. This was the case when I took one of my usual walks in Owingsville Cemetery not long ago. While casually looking at the names of veterans who are buried there, I noticed a large tombstone with a flag posted next to it that just kind of stood out from the others around it. I read the inscription on the stone and noticed it read "Alfred Newton Crooks III, BM2C, USS Saratoga. Born Nov. 21, 1923, died in the service of his country Feb. 21, 1945. Buried at sea". </span><br />
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I snapped a picture of Crooks' grave and set out to research him and the circumstances in which he was taken at such an early age.</div>
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Alfred Crooks was born in Bath County, the son of Robert B. Crooks, who was a deputy sheriff. He entered military service with the United States Navy, being placed aboard the aircraft carrier Saratoga. The Saratoga was a battled-hardened ship that had already seen action across the Pacific Theater of Operations by the time Alfred Crooks boarded her. The ship was nearly sunk by a Japanese torpedo attack in 1942, but was repaired and returned to service shortly afterward. The planes from the aircraft carrier were successful in vital missions in Guadalcanal, The Solomons and the Indian Ocean. </div>
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In February, 1945, U.S. Forces began the Iwo Jima operation. The U.S.S. Saratoga was dispatched to the area to provide air cover for the landings on the tiny island that would prove to be a bloody and hallowed ground for the U.S. Marines. Alfred Crooks was a Boatswain's Mate, 2nd Class, performing general duties aboard the aircraft carrier and served as chief of a damage control party. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The USS Saratoga during the Japanese Kamikaze attack</i></td></tr>
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On February 21, 1945, the Saratoga and three escort ships broke away from the fleet anchored off Iwo Jima to set up night patrols for the landing parties. Suddenly, around 5 p.m. local time, a squadron of Japanese planes began attacking the Saratoga, scoring five bomb hits within three minutes. Damage control parties, including Crooks' crew, were alerted to try and put the fires out and save the stricken ship. During the fighting, three Japanese kamikaze pilots intentionally dove their planes into the Saratoga, blasting through the starboard side, the flight deck and starting a huge fire in the hangar deck. During this phase of the attack, thirty-six aircraft were destroyed, the flight deck was heavily damaged and 123 sailors, including Bath County's Alfred Crooks, were killed or listed as missing. Another 197 were injured during the attack. Two hours later, as the crew tried to mitigate the damage aboard the Saratoga, another Japanese kamikaze attack rained Hell upon the ship, further damaging the flight deck and rendering the carrier inoperable for the remainder of the Iwo Jima operation. There is a survivor's account of the attack that can be read at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://johnbytheway.com/the-kamikaze-attack/&source=gmail&ust=1499104470360000&usg=AFQjCNGaUutAdS7O1qI7PvRspfsxddHjMg" href="http://johnbytheway.com/the-kamikaze-attack/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://johnbytheway.com/<wbr></wbr>the-kamikaze-attack/</a>, and provides a great amount of information about the attack and aftermath.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJQwkev5SiacozkjpnsCS3z6haVHhuE2w611Ljyix76xdqesv-USDI9jkRtwMq7xdo04PdKwphw3Tmvj1P_c1COlE2Ewa7ibl38Jlh5CZJ8Ucnl6LHhtHpe1YprL-_TR7ASOZiUzr92g8/s1600/unnamed+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="736" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJQwkev5SiacozkjpnsCS3z6haVHhuE2w611Ljyix76xdqesv-USDI9jkRtwMq7xdo04PdKwphw3Tmvj1P_c1COlE2Ewa7ibl38Jlh5CZJ8Ucnl6LHhtHpe1YprL-_TR7ASOZiUzr92g8/s320/unnamed+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The bodies of the sailors killed aboard the USS Saratoga being prepared for a burial at sea.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">While in transit for repairs the next day, the remains of the dead sailors were ceremoniously buried at sea. This was customary during times of war, and a long held Navy tradition. The Crooks family was notified of their son's loss by the War Department and decided to place a marker in the family plot at Owingsville Cemetery. Even though Alfred Newton Crooks III lies beneath the waters of the Pacific Ocean, his memory is etched in his hometown and also at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. </span></div>
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Fleming County's Franklin Sousley is no doubt the most famous Kentuckian who participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima; he was one of the men who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi and is part of one of history's most iconic images. Nearby in Owingsville, the marker of another Battle of Iwo Jima hero stands nearly inconspicuous as a testament to the courage, valor and sacrifice he and other fellow servicemen made to secure the Pacific during World War II. </div>
Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-30745682787942525732017-07-02T14:23:00.001-04:002017-12-30T10:51:03.124-05:00The Mystery of Cassandra Deye Cockey Owings Pradelles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Owings family is etched into Bath County history with the Bourbon Furnace and namesake of Owingsville, but another member of the Owings bloodline has an intriguing tale of mystery and romanticism. Tales of swashbuckling adventure and prestige have always held a certain fascination, and the story of Cassandra Deye Cockey Owings Pradelles has all the markings of such adventure.</div>
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Cassandra Deye Cockey Owings was born Christmas Eve, 1772 in Baltimore County, Maryland to John Cockey and Colgate Deye Owings; the first of eight children. Her younger brother was Thomas Deye Owings, who came to Kentucky and gave Owingsville it's name. John Cockey Owings served in the American Revolutionary War and became acquainted with Benedict Francois Van Pradelles, a French lieutenant. Van Pradelles became enamoured with Cassandra and the couple married August 29, 1790 in Philadelphia. </div>
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The couple moved to France soon afterward and started a family which would eventually consist of ten children. During the French Revolution, the family fled France and came back to the United States, first in Baltimore, then in Philadelphia around 1795. </div>
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Around 1804, Cassandra petitioned Kentucky Legislature to free her of her husband's debts and liabilities, and shows her living in Lexington at the time. By July, 1805, the Van Pradelles family was again on the move; this time to New Orleans. The journey took three months of floating down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers on either flatboats or makeshift sail boats. Once in New Orleans, Benedict Van Pradelles became a prominent figure within the city, becoming Register of the Board of Land Commissioners upon his arrival. He also was named Notary Public for the City of New Orleans and Justice of the Peace in 1808. Cassandra and Benedict enjoyed a successful and wealthy life during their time in New Orleans, so much that when her father, John Owings passed away, he willed her nothing, citing that she had "received other considerable fortunes from other inheritances". </div>
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Benedict Francois Van Pradelles contracted yellow fever and died December 12, 1808, only a few weeks before the birth of his youngest daughter. Cassandra, now a widow with six young children still living at home, stayed in New Orleans and opened a boarding house. It is known that around 1811, Cassandra traveled to Maryland and left her children in the care of her sister Frances. It is unknown why she chose to do this, but court documents show several legal actions involving Cassandra and others staking claim to her late husband's estate and land settlements which may have had some impact on her decisions. Cassandra's health began to fail during this time, and a will was drafted in July, 1813; her mystery and legacy begins here.</div>
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At the advice of her doctor, Cassandra decided to return to Baltimore sometime between July, 1813 and March, 1814. Her journey would be by sea, up the East Coast aboard a ship named the Corinthian. A nightmare haunted Madame Van Pradelles just before she boarded the ship; a dream that her ship was captured by pirates and she was bound, blindfolded and made to walk the plank into the ocean along with other passengers. She relayed this nightmare to friends, but continued her journey regardless. Famed pirates Jean Lafitte and Dominique You were known to travel the waters along the North Carolina coast during this era, but by the time of Cassandra's journey, activity had dwindled to a minimum according to reports. The Corinthian docked at the port of Beaufort, North Carolina, according to some official records that survive. Sometime after this stop, the ship, and passengers, vanished into history.</div>
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Dr. John Moore, who married Cassandra's daughter Mary Marie Penelope, allegedly came into contact with a old pirate who made a stunning confession just prior to his death. The pirate, who some believe was Dominique You, told the doctor that he was present when Lafitte's crew took the Corinthian near it's last known port call. He said he had taken jewels from a "pretty young thing from Baltimore" before she and the others were made to walk the plank to their deaths in the churning waters. </div>
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Members of the Owings family were returned a trunk, silver and jewelry that were identified as Cassandra's that was located at a stronghold owned by Jean Lafitte sometime after her disappearance, bolstering the claim of the confession. Her remains, nor the others, have ever been found.</div>
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A book was written about Jean Lafitte in 1930 by Lyle Saxon. It offers a romantic view of the pirate and tells a version of Madame Pradelles' fate, but notes the date as being 1815. The first record of Cassandra's will being probated was on March 9, 1814, and was presented to a Maryland court by her daughter. Lawsuits would follow the disappearance, with Benedict Francois Van Pradelles, Jr. claiming he was the rightful and sole heir to his mother's estate. Another legal action was taken over the disposition of land and slaves which Cassandra still laid claim to at the time she disappeared. Another book, Cassandra Lost, written by Joanna Catherine Scott also gives a romantic view of the legend, but is more of a novel love story than an accurate historical account. A movie was made starring Yul Brenner, aptly called Lafitte the Pirate and alludes to the fact that others took Cassandra's ship and killed the passengers, unjustly placing the blame on Lafitte. </div>
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There is a memorial marker at an empty grave in the Sherwood Episcopal Cemetery, Cockeysville, Maryland, that simply reads, "Cassandra D. Pradelles, Lost at Sea in 1815, Age 40 Years". This monument was erected by Cassandra's sister, Francis. There is, however, an age discrepancy; in 1815, Cassandra would have been 43 years old, not 40.</div>
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We may never know what really happened off the coast of North Carolina, but it is most definitely a tale of intrigue during a romantic age, and one with a touch of local notoriety.<br />
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-31657769906430202332017-07-02T14:20:00.001-04:002017-07-02T14:20:06.296-04:00The Owingsville Inquirer's Perilous Beginnings<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Ahh, the modern age of communication. At the stroke of a keyboard or scroll of a mouse or screen on a portable electronic device, we can have the latest news and weather. Traditional ways of publishing news has nearly fell by the wayside; the large block printer presses and typesetting machines are almost archaic by today's standards. Simply setting up a newspaper business was a task in those early days. For Bath County's first news publication, the </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Owingsville Inquirer</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">, just getting the equipment to begin publishing was a perilous task.</span><br />
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According to John Richards' <i>An Illustrated History of Bath County, </i>The <i>Owingsville Inquirer's </i>debut edition hit the stands on February 2, 1869. Louisville publishers S.K. Bangs and W.H. Boblits purchased a Franklin Press and other materials necessary for printing the weekly paper, opening the business on the second floor of the old Honaker building, which was located on present day North Court Street. The first edition consisted of four pages with seven columns. In that first edition was a colorful account of how the <i>Owingsville Inquirer</i> came to be, with a harrowing journey from Lexington to Owingsville via horse and buggy. The following is quoted from the February 2, 1869 edition, which was reprinted in the Richards book.</div>
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"Arriving at Lexington we found our type boxes broken and</div>
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the type scattered in every direction. After much trouble and annoyance,</div>
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occasioned not only by the condition of the material, but</div>
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by the loss of an indispensable article in our business, we succeeded</div>
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in packing the whole G.d. lot into a wagon that would convey it</div>
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to Owingsville. We found it necessary to follow after the wagon</div>
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on foot to see that none of the loose type played truant by the</div>
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roadside. Leaving Lexington at an early hour on the morning of</div>
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January the 15th, a damp, drizzling, disagreeable day, we jogged</div>
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along at a funeral march, our 'composing stone' keeping time,</div>
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'In a sort of Runic rhyme' against the side of the overloaded wagon.</div>
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Unexpected demands on our pocketbook had divested it of our</div>
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last nickel, and, on reaching the first toll-gate, we resorted to an</div>
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innocent little stratagem on the credulous Irish lady who came</div>
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to the door — 'Pay you on return this evening'.</div>
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"Hardly had we reached the first milestone when a crash occurred,</div>
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and down came the wagon on a broken wheel. Nothing</div>
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daunted, we scoured the neighborhod in the quest of a wheel that</div>
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was a wheel. Failing in this, we returned to the scene of the disaster,</div>
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carried the hub and broken spokes to a blacksmith shop</div>
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some distance away, and had the thing repaired. Blacksmiths are</div>
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proverbially good-hearted men; but it was no Joe Gargery we had</div>
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to deal with in this case. However, earnestly protesting that we</div>
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would not fail to settle the matter on reaching our destination, Vulcan</div>
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grumblingly consented to let the 'veel go'. In the intermediate</div>
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time, between riding to and from the wagon, through sleet and</div>
<div>
rain, we had become drenched to the skin, and resumed our journey,</div>
<div>
in the expressive language of Mr. Santalina, a 'demned, damp,</div>
<div>
moist body'.</div>
<div>
"At a late hour we reached Winchester. Through the kind</div>
<div>
and generous aid of our whole-souled friend, Commodore Parris of</div>
<div>
the Clark Democrat, our wants were provided for. With light</div>
<div>
hearts we took up our line of march on the following day for Mt.</div>
<div>
Sterling, which we reached about 2 o'clock, still pushing on with</div>
<div>
the intention of reaching Owingsville by nightfall. Man proposes</div>
<div>
but outrageous fate disposes. Wearily we climbed hill after hill,</div>
<div>
and anon the shades of evening gathered around us. Just before</div>
<div>
reaching the second toll gate, and when within six miles of our objective</div>
<div>
point, another wheel was smashed and a portion of our</div>
<div>
material dumped into the road.</div>
<div>
"Fortunately the accident occurred near the farm of our worthy</div>
<div>
representative, Hon. George Hamilton, whose amiable, accomplished</div>
<div>
and excellent wife extended to us every courtesy and the</div>
<div>
hospitalities of her home. We shall ever remember with deep and</div>
<div>
sincere gratitude the kind welcome and assistance so cheerfully</div>
<div>
given us by Mrs. H.</div>
<div>
"With a new wagon and a pair of mules and horses we were</div>
<div>
confident of completing our journey without further mishaps. Our</div>
<div>
route lay over a dirt road, in many places axle deep in mud, rendered</div>
<div>
so from recent rains and melting snow. It is a good enough</div>
<div>
road in summer they tell us, and that's a sound argument against</div>
<div>
pikes. This apathy of our good people in this regard to a matter</div>
<div>
of such vital importance as good turnpikes, is very like the fellow</div>
<div>
in the dialogue of the 'Arkansas Traveler'. In bad weather it was</div>
<div>
impossible to cover his house; in dry he had no use for it.</div>
<div>
"But we digress. Of course our wagon stuck fast ere we had</div>
<div>
proceeded two miles. Coaxing the horses and breaking numberless</div>
<div>
rails over the backs of the mules proved to no avail. Unloading a</div>
<div>
portion of the materials we again essayed to pull out, but the horses</div>
<div>
understood the situation and the mules coincided. It was 'No go'.</div>
<div>
"On applying to Mrs. J. A. Marks for an ox team to extricate</div>
<div>
us from the difficulty, she kindly consented to loan them. Her</div>
<div>
servants were away from home and it devolved upon us, agreeable</div>
<div>
to instructions, to hitch the whitest ox on this side and the other</div>
<div>
on the t'other. As we could distinguish little or no difference</div>
<div>
between the browsing, bullheaded twain we gave it up. In the</div>
<div>
meantime our wagon with half of its load had pulled out of the</div>
<div>
mud and mire. As luck would have it further down the road we</div>
<div>
met our clever countryman, Robt. Clarke, who loaned us his oxen</div>
<div>
and wagon to bring up the debris in the rear. Oxen seldom give</div>
<div>
vent to their feelings even under the most trying circumstances,</div>
<div>
but on this occasion it was too much for brute nature. The 'off ox'</div>
<div>
under the terrible strain and distention of muscle and hide, bellowed</div>
<div>
lustily. It was only by the wildest and most threatening demon-</div>
<div>
strations of a young country gentleman who attacked the oxen</div>
<div>
with the apparent intention of 'busting' something, that the wagon</div>
<div>
moved off, amid the yelling of the boy and the bellowing of the</div>
<div>
brutes. At last we reached the pike and our troubles in a measure</div>
<div>
ended. On our arrival at Owingsville we found our type in a mess</div>
<div>
of 'pi' and ourselves in a sad plight, which has occasioned a delay</div>
<div>
in the appearance of the paper." </div>
</div>
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The subscription price for the <i>Owingsville Inquirer </i>was $2.50, and according to some, was a fine newspaper. Most of the early businesses advertised with the weekly publication, but only a year later, the<i> Inquirer </i>closed down. S.K. Bangs went onto become a successful publisher and head of the <i>Frankfort Democrat </i>paper, and employee David Williamson went onto to work for several newspaper publishers in Bath County over the years. </div>
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There have been many newspapers published in Bath County since 1869, but it's unlikely any of those had such a story of origin.</div>
Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-13659867146840272152017-01-30T14:05:00.000-05:002017-01-30T14:05:40.019-05:00The 1865 Bath County Election: An Election Overturned<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The political arena is always a hot and debated topic, especially during election years. Our country has just underwent a Presidential Election that has certainly caused a plethora of debate and turmoil, but it wasn't that long ago, voters in Kentucky could be turned away for their beliefs. </span><br />
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Kentucky was considered neutral in the American Civil War, but across the state, there was a strong Southern sentiment among Kentuckians, including many in Bath County. During, and at the conclusion of the war, there was a sense of uneasiness within the states and who would become the newly elected officials. </div>
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Governor Thomas Bramlette had won the 1863 gubernatorial vote with controversy, as it was alleged that Union forces used intimidation tactics against opponent Charles Wickliffe's supporters. During Governor Bramlette's term, in early 1864, President Lincoln declared martial law in Kentucky and appointed General Stephen Burbridge Commander of the Military District of Kentucky. Burbridge was considered a harsh commander, and in August 1864, issued Order 59, which empowered him to apprehend and arrest those suspected in guerilla tactics against the Union, and those who assisted them. Burbridge ordered the capture and deportation of nearly 30,000 suspected Southern sympathizers. In addition, many more were killed, along with Union loyalists who wouldn't conform to Burbridge's demands. </div>
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These actions soured Governor Bramlette's opinion of President Lincoln, but in early 1865, the final straw was drawn. General Burbridge attempted to overtake the seat of Kentucky's government, but was thwarted. In a letter to Secretary of War Edward Stanton, the governor said, " This unwarranted assumption of power by an imbecile commander is doubtless instigated by those who have long sought to provoke an issue with the state, and which I have prevented".</div>
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Lincoln relieved Burbridge of his command, and in 1865, martial law in Kentucky was ended by President Andrew Johnson. Governor Bramlette sought to end the intimidation tactics at the upcoming election; his proclamation stated "the law requires that a person offering to vote should state on an oath that he had not entered into the service of the so-called Confederate States, nor in the service of the so-called Provisional Government of Kentucky in either a civil or military capacity since the 10th day of April, 1862, nor has he continued in such service since said date; nor has given since that date voluntary aid or assistance to those in arms against the United States and the State of Kentucky".</div>
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Bath County held an election on August 7, 1865 to seat a representative in the Kentucky General Assembly. Lander Barber, a former Union lieutenant from Mud Lick, and B. D. Lacy, a prominent lawyer from Owingsville were the two candidates on the ballot. Voters were met with armed Federal troops at the polling stations that morning. Ambrose Wright arrived before the polls opened at Olympian Springs and testified during a later inquiry that Lacy and precinct judge J.A. Rice were overheard talking about how the election would be held. Rice was known as a deputy revenue agent, and was heard telling Lacy that he had military orders from General Palmer, and asserted that Kentucky was still under martial law. Lacy argued with Rice that the election should be held per the Governor's proclamation, but to no avail. According to Wright, there were "ten to fifteen troops present, some armed with rifles others with pistols. They were part of Barber's company of the State Guard and one of the soldiers, Rogers seemed to be in charge". He also testified that about forty or sixty legal voters were either at the polling station or on the way who were not allowed to vote. The precinct officials had in their possession a list of names of those who were deemed ineligible to vote due to their alleged association with the Confederacy. </div>
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Mr. Wright went on to testify that Rogers shouted into the crowd "the next illegal voter would be promptly arrested and taken to headquarters". It was also testified that it appeared Rogers was intoxicated and that the other precinct officials or friends of Barber did not attempt to challenge Rogers' authority. One man, W.B. Harvey, attempted to vote but was told by Rice "you cannot vote. I've heard you speak of treason myself". Harvey protested the claim, and was willing to take the Oath of Voter, but was still denied his right. This played out several times throughout the day, as testified by several others later.</div>
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At the close of the polls, the official count was tallied at 490 votes for Lander Barber, and 460 for B.D. Lacy. This was recorded by Circuit Judge T.B. Hamilton, Sheriff Daniel Harper and County Clerk R. Coulthard August 9, 1865. The results did not set well with Lacy, who immediately contested the election based on the intimidation tactics used by Federal troops. In the days following the election, depositions were issued for testimony in the election contest. William Satterfield testified that when he delivered a notice of deposition to Lander Barber, Barber stated he was "annoyed by Lacy and would take it in hand by himself and stop it". Three of the soldiers present with Barber commented they would shoot anyone intending to make a<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> deposition against Barber, but the newly elected Representative eased the situation by telling them to "cool it". </span></div>
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At least one instance of violence erupted because of the election. Two men, known as Lee and Mullins, got into a heated argument near White Sulphur about the results and B.D. Lacy's efforts to have a new election. Shots were fired, with Mullins being struck by a bullet in the thigh. Lee and some other soldiers present then decided to go to the home of Van Young with the intent on shooting him as well. They were met by Young's wife, who brandished a pistol; Van made his escape out the back of the residence. </div>
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In December, 1865, Lacy petitioned the House of Representatives and Kentucky General Assembly to contest the seat of Lander Barber. In the petition, Lacy argued that the election was not free and equal as defined by the Constitution and that Barber should immediately vacate his seat in the General Assembly. He also argued that the troops at the election polls were under direct command by Barber, who threatened with arrest and bodily harm those who were refused their right to vote legally. Many witness depositions were presented as evidence, and can be found among the <span style="color: #333333; font-size: 11.869px;"><i>Journal of the House of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky</i> and </span><i>Kentucky Public Records, Volume 2, December 20, 1865.</i></div>
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The House of Representatives appointed a committee to hear the testimonies and conduct an official hearing and review of the Bath County election. The findings concluded that Barber should vacate his seat in the General Assembly and a new election be held. B.D. Lacy won the seat under "free and equal means" and on February 6, 1866, took his place in the House of Representatives, serving one term. Lacy died in Owingsville, October 27, 1893 and was remembered as being an honorable man. </div>
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The contested Bath County election of 1865 was not unique. Other counties within the Commonwealth experienced similar problems during the first post-Civil War elections. Worse problems were recorded in other states, with lynchings and deadly shootings among the Southern states. </div>
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It is difficult to imagine such actions at a polling place in the United States and Commonwealth of Kentucky these days, but in other countries, the threat against openly expressing a right to elect officials is very real. Regardless of the outcome of an election, we should count our blessings we live without fear or repercussions for exercising our rights. </div>
Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-68045416734356617492017-01-25T13:00:00.000-05:002017-01-25T13:00:45.329-05:00The Mystery Hands and Tunnel at the Bourbon Furnace<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
The Bourbon Iron Furnace was the one of the earliest industrial facilities in what we know as Kentucky. In fact, when it went into operation around 1791, the iron making facility was the first west of the Allegheny Mountains. The facility looked much different than it does today; only the furnace stack remains. At the time of it's operation, the Bourbon Iron Furnace smelting site had various structures around it used to house workers, store supplies and protect the site from Native American raiders. The furnace remained a strong and steady operation, even producing cannon balls and shot for the United States Navy that were used at the Battle of New Orleans in 1812. Operations at the site ceased in 1838 and all the structures, spare the famous stack, were dismantled. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh770sH44QZ_2nHeLJNt8dfN17i-usgIiSISr7T9BIc4f2kKJtPnQypgVTsAYFlwB4J_-d4nwiE6azEX0PI8qIhBqp4osfI26x0VNN0owJY6X6b04QtYlsYOZHCafQRTe2xxonk8Z-E64zq/s1600/hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh770sH44QZ_2nHeLJNt8dfN17i-usgIiSISr7T9BIc4f2kKJtPnQypgVTsAYFlwB4J_-d4nwiE6azEX0PI8qIhBqp4osfI26x0VNN0owJY6X6b04QtYlsYOZHCafQRTe2xxonk8Z-E64zq/s320/hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The faint trace of the hands in the furnace</span></i></td></tr>
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One of the most curious things that is noticed about the furnace site is the handprints that are on an iron support beam. The handprints are not imprinted or recessed into the beam, but are brought outward in a relief feature; as if the hands were melted into the metal. To see these mystery hands, you have to go into the bigger entrance of the furnace stack that faces Slate Creek. About midway on the iron beam are the small hands pushing outward. I have heard two tales of how these hands ended up in the metal. One tale is that a slave was caught stealing and as punishment, his hands were burned into the hot metal while the furnace was in operation. Another tale is that someone fell into the furnace and in an attempt to catch themselves, they reached up and touched the hot beam, melting their hands off. We may never truly know how those hands were forever etched into the iron, but the victim was most unfortunate.</div>
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Thomas Deye Owings became sole owner of the Bourbon Iron Furnace in 1810, a year before Owingsville's establishment. By 1814, Owings had built his residence a couple of miles north of the furnace in the heart of today's downtown Owingsville. Elaborate galas were held at the Owings House and famous dignitaries graced the mansion at various times. It is rumored that the whiskey that Owings provided at these events was distilled on the Bourbon Ironworks site, and to keep bandits or Natives from hijacking the distilled spirits, a tunnel system was built to connect the Owings House to the furnace. </div>
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The tunnel entrance was allegedly in the basement of the Owings house in a discreet location, possibly via a secret door behind a fireplace or a trap door in the floor. In the early 1980's, the Owings House was purchased by the Byron family. I've spoken to Tom Byron, Jr. about the tunnels and he asserted he had never found a tunnel, but did find a small passage behind a mantle that led nowhere. The construction for the tunnel would have been a daunting task for anyone to undertake, even in this modern age. Owingsville sits high atop a ridge that us underlined with thick rock layers. The distance to the furnace is a couple of miles at a gradual, steep grade, crossing a few small streams and old springs along the way. The natural barrier that would have had to have been over come was Slate Creek, which borders the ridges and valleys below Owingsville. So far, no trace of such tunnel has ever been found along the banks of the creek.</div>
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One Winter day in 1998, I did some inspections on buildings in Owingsville as part of a firefighting pre-planning project. Under the sidewalks and streets, there is a tunnel system that goes under North Court Street to Main Street. I gained access to this tunnel system (with permission, of course) and was quite astounded at the subterranean world below our city. These tunnels were used as a drain system I was told and we could look up at man holes and storm drains along the curbs. We did find a staircase that led up to street level in front of the row of shops across from the Owings House, but no other access past that. </div>
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These days, most of the tunnel system is off limits and inaccessible. It is possible that over time, these old tunnels may have been the basis for the tale of the Bourbon Furnace tunnel; no one knows for sure entirely. For now, the furnace site holds the mysteries of the hands and tunnel, and is unlikely to reveal anything beyond what is speculated.<br />
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-44630579931409754722016-10-24T10:21:00.000-04:002016-10-24T10:21:12.760-04:00A Cryptic Message<div>
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Owingsville has a rich and
storied past, but perhaps it's the words found scribbled in peculiar
places that tell something more. </div>
A couple of weeks ago, I had
the opportunity to go inside the Bath County Courthouse's bell tower
for the first time, accompanied by Emergency Management Director Jason
York and his step-daughter Kenzie. On one of the boards, there were
names scribbled with dates from as far back as 1917 on it; surprisingly
well preserved over all this time. As we made our way downstairs, one
cryptic message was found written on a wall behind a door. This message
wouldn't normally be visible and is almost hidden behind the door, but
is written in an old style of lettering. But first, a little back
story.</div>
July 6, 1895 was probably a hot summer day in
Owingsville. One could imagine the sun beating down and the dust
kicking up off the dirt roads in town. A circus was in town on that day with many people taking in the day's activities. Around
11 o'clock in the morning, two men met at Young's Saloon in town for
the first of several times that day. John D. Young, Jr. was the son of
Congressman John Young and well known in Owingsville. Pliny 'Clem'
Fassett was a cousin to Young and the pair were soaking in some drinks
when an argument erupted over an unpaid debt Fassett owed Young; another
witness attested that the argument was due to Fassett asking Young to
borrow money. At either account, the pair squared off, then parted ways
into the street. </div>
A while later, Young and Fassett were seen
at the saloon once again, and another heated argument ensued. A witness
by the name of Coyle saw Young strike Fassett, knocking him to the
ground. Clem was put out of the saloon at this point, but was seen
outside the doors with an open knife, taunting Young and threatening to
"cut his heart out". Fassett made such a ruckus in the street, that a
crowd had gathered around him. Witnesses stated they saw the drunken
man with a knife and he was spouting off obscenities and threats toward
Young. Town Marshal Marks approached Fassett and made him leave the
street, escorting him to a bench in front of the Owings House, which was
a hotel at the time. After sitting with Fassett a few minutes, the
town marshal left and went into Gaunce's Grocery Store across the street
(in the row of businesses next to Smith's Hardware). In the store,
Marshal Marks saw John Young and asked him to go to the circus with
him. Sheriff James Lane was also in the grocery and witnessed this
exchange. Young told the marshal to go on, that he would catch up to
him at the circus later.</div>
After a few more minutes, Young walked
out across the street and approached Fassett, who was still sitting on
the bench. Mr. Brother, who ran the dry goods store at the corner of
North Court and Main Street, was leaning up against a lamp post talking
to two other men when they noticed Fassett and Young begin to exchange
words once again. </div>
"What did you follow me for," Pliny Fassett
asked John Young. Not saying a word, Young approached Fassett and
knocked the hat off his head. The Congressman's son then grabbed his
cousin and dragged him outward into Main Street. Fasset broke loose
from Young's grip and asked, "what did you hit me for? Why don't you
tell these good gentlemen why you hit me". </div>
Pliny shoved John away at that point and said again, "I want you to tell these people why you hit me for!". </div>
"I
ain't afraid of you! You better do something about it," Fassett
taunted. Young opened his coat and reached in it. Witnesses scurried
into the hotel, fearing Young was about to brandish a firearm. E.V.
Brother, George Young and C.C. Hazelrigg intervened and separated the
two men, believing they had defused the conflict. At this point, the
witness' recollections vary; it is agreed that Young backed Fassett
against a rail, but their actions are debated. According to one
testimony, Fassett lunged at Young, holding the knife he was seen with
earlier. Another witnessed stated he saw the men lock into a struggle
and Young had a knife. Whatever was the case, the result was Young
struck Fassett in the neck with a knife, inflicting a fatal wound.
Fassett stumbled backward a few steps and collapsed against the railing
outside the hotel, dying a short time later.</div>
John D. Young,
Jr., son of a congressman, was arrested for the killing of Pliny
Fassett. He was tried in Bath County Circuit Court, found guilty and
sentenced to eighteen years in prison in May, 1897. The case was
appealed and a motion for a new case was granted the following year.
The first retrial resulted in a hung jury. At least four of the jurors
were heard openly talking about the case and how they felt Young should
'pay dearly for his actions'. The second trial resulted in a fifteen
year sentence, and an immediate appeal was granted on the grounds that
an impartial jury could not be seated due to the Young family's stature
in Bath County. Circuit Judge Cooper granted a change in venue to
Menifee County and the case was heard for a third time. The
Southwestern Reporter, Volume 42, published in 1898, contains Young's
appeals case with a wealth of information regarding the case's details.
The final hearing was heard in April, 1899, with a sentence of two
years for Young to serve for the killing. It was the defense's argument
that Young feared for his life and acted in self defense, due to
statements made by Pliny Fasset that were overheard by witnesses; some
statements were in the context of Fassett stating he would "cut Young's
head off and kick it in the hollow". Eventually, in December, 1899,
John Young, Jr. was formally pardoned by Governor William S. Taylor. </div>
This incident surprisingly isn't chronicled in John Adair Richards' <i>A History of Bath County</i>
book, and I personally hadn't heard anything regarding this story until
the day I went into the bell tower. The cryptic message written on the
wall reads, "Clem Fasst killed by John Young Clem Fassets gost inhabits
this court house attic". Whoever wrote this message is a mystery, and
if Pliny 'Clem' Fassett's ghost really does haunt the attic of the
courthouse is an equal mystery. So, the next time you are in the
courthouse and think you hear someone walking around upstairs or feel a strange
presence, it may be Clem Fassett seeking justice after all this time. <br />
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-81484925626468320582016-10-12T09:11:00.001-04:002016-10-12T09:11:36.296-04:00Turning Back Time: Restoring the Bath County Courthouse Clock Tower<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-duyufFqwQdMYyoW9DUv6TMqFRrDZCfsoHlJXqt9U0znXeVWHyQwD5gQewZmoDVO3d9ZixwyE_2NHA6Wn14SveRVAl5yfH5uNLhyphenhyphen34oIkc7NxUk5vqNPSC5JWK_Kks3ytppRROK_3DJTC/s1600/10671323_10152919877257497_2415914030326067109_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-duyufFqwQdMYyoW9DUv6TMqFRrDZCfsoHlJXqt9U0znXeVWHyQwD5gQewZmoDVO3d9ZixwyE_2NHA6Wn14SveRVAl5yfH5uNLhyphenhyphen34oIkc7NxUk5vqNPSC5JWK_Kks3ytppRROK_3DJTC/s320/10671323_10152919877257497_2415914030326067109_n.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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The Bath County Courthouse is undergoing a
renovation project just in time for it's 150 year anniversary. The
courthouse you see today is actually the third one for Bath County. The
first one was planned in June 1815 and completed in early 1816. It was
described as a brick two story structure and sat almost in the middle
of Main Street at the stop light in Owingsville. A second, wood frame
courthouse was built in 1831, where the current one stands today. </div>
During
the Civil War, Federal troops occupied Owingsville and were briefly
garrisoned in the Bath County Courthouse. Early on the morning of May
22, 1864, the troops were alerted that a Confederate column was
approaching Owingsville. In their haste to meet the rebel troops, a
coal stove was knocked over, quickly igniting the courthouse. The
building and many vital records of Bath County's earliest days were
consumed by the fire. The county received an indemnity from the Federal
Government, and a new, and present, courthouse was built on the same
site in 1866.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04FIa535TW5UTWhJajFhqBlWKR0hGt-YgWKKc6xnnEU3RCzmu4uST_oNdOipDHswmkQ4tau5qeWHaCyta9d18zeUo3k_lIecHeSzDc_SY-15LkSB_1cTeAHX3BLl74XOISUTZU6zPhjx4/s1600/clock5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04FIa535TW5UTWhJajFhqBlWKR0hGt-YgWKKc6xnnEU3RCzmu4uST_oNdOipDHswmkQ4tau5qeWHaCyta9d18zeUo3k_lIecHeSzDc_SY-15LkSB_1cTeAHX3BLl74XOISUTZU6zPhjx4/s320/clock5.jpg" width="240" /></a>From 1866-1903, the Bath County Courthouse was a
rectangular, ordinary structure. The interior rooms were built to be
fire proof and sturdy to prevent the loss of other vital records. Under
the administration of Judge Executive John A. Daugherty, a major
renovation project was contracted, starting in 1903 and finishing in
1904. The front of the courthouse was extended over four feet toward
Main Street and a balcony was added for town criers. The most prominent
addition was the construction of the 102 foot tall clock and bell
tower. The tower was built with four clock faces pointing at each
direction of the compass. Built entirely of wood and brick, the tower
is supported by several long iron rods that bear the weight of the
structure and the 1,500 pound bell inside. <br />
Galvanized iron ornaments
adorn the upper corners of the tower near the clock, and the belfry is
an open structure with slats to reduce the elements from creeping in.
The upper dome of the tower is covered with slate tiles and more iron
ornamental accents; indeed a commanding structure once finished. </div>
Accessing
the bell and clock is not for the claustrophobic or those uneasy with
high places. Over the years, able bodied men, including my father
Tommy, would make the climb up the narrow wooden ladder to wind the Seth
Thomas clock mechanism and to clean the mounds of potentially harmful
bird droppings.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif23pTbzerPnXvcV90tqSDp3ofBFnY9V7eTPR8ushb1BGBbUlt2hzNOggfe0S7OoAic8u40U-57By_wU5GjG0n0YF8mQTKr1iJg2JBogQ_VlmHkeRQQmyGptg4jglr-d-LDs4nbpEq8z9Q/s1600/clock6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif23pTbzerPnXvcV90tqSDp3ofBFnY9V7eTPR8ushb1BGBbUlt2hzNOggfe0S7OoAic8u40U-57By_wU5GjG0n0YF8mQTKr1iJg2JBogQ_VlmHkeRQQmyGptg4jglr-d-LDs4nbpEq8z9Q/s320/clock6.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Access into the bell tower via ladder</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of those people added their names on a board near
the clock's southward face; the earliest I personally found was the name
John W. Brother, dated July 6, 1917. <br />
The bell, located on the
fourth story of the five, was cast by the MC Shane Bell Foundry from
Baltimore, Maryland and is date stamped 1903. The large wooden wheel
still turns and rocks the bell on the pedestal, but the pendulum was
replaced with a mechanical striker attached by steel cables to the clock
mechanism on the fifth story at some point. Over the years, the
elements crept into the aging tower and the boards began to decay. It
became unsafe to climb into the clock and perform the maintenance needed
to keep it going; the once hourly bell fell silent. The clock faces,
however, still light up at night as a sort of beacon of time. <br />
Current
Judge Executive Bobby Rogers has committed to restore the aging Bath
County Courthouse during his term. Utilizing local contractors and
labor from inmates under the supervision of Jailer Earl Willis, work is
being done to bring the structure back to its glory. Tommy Johnson,
owner of TJ Construction, was contracted to restore the interior of the
bell tower. Emergency Management Director Jason York gave me an exclusive tour
of the tower recently and gave a progress report of the work that has
been completed and what's yet to come.</div>
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"When they started working on the tower, there was about four inches of pigeon droppings all over the place," York said. </div>
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"We had to have the guys working up there wear hazardous materials suits and respirators in order to stay safe".</div>
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The
tower itself had shifted about four inches to the west due to seeping
water damaging boards and support beams, according to Mr. Johnson. Some
of the ladder's rungs had to be replaced, along with other surrounding
support beams that had rotted. A large hydraulic jack was used to shore
the tower and correct the lean, which wasn't readily noticed from
street level. </div>
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Soon, the clock and bell will be restored
back into working order, according to Emergency Management Director
York. Another proposed project at the old courthouse, spearheaded by
the newly
reorganized Bath County Tourism Council, is the creation of a Bath
County Museum in the second floor court room area. The museum is only
in the initial planning phases at this time, pending final approval and
other preparations that need to be made to accommodate <br />
Judge
Executive Rogers says he "feels the old courthouse is a lasting monument
that has meant so much to the people of Bath County. <br />
That's why the Fiscal Court and I placed such an emphasis on restoring this county treasure." </div>
The
restoration and future projects at the old Bath County Courthouse
should make this historic county treasure an active part of many more
generations to come.<br />
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Below are some pictures inside the clock and bell tower:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33ixXxUMuvBaCd1L5J56sjl4u3yXx4LuvMEkKgWv6YMIt_Ef3EEuEMq0lGGRArgRS957KCbho0dRuTio1j9auzeiuCKFp1AKrfYz1WwXqbed5jB_w51YVmx0BRQGJBGu12i6V9vfFOmX0/s1600/clock1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33ixXxUMuvBaCd1L5J56sjl4u3yXx4LuvMEkKgWv6YMIt_Ef3EEuEMq0lGGRArgRS957KCbho0dRuTio1j9auzeiuCKFp1AKrfYz1WwXqbed5jB_w51YVmx0BRQGJBGu12i6V9vfFOmX0/s320/clock1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Seth Thomas type clock mechanism</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L0csUPmM2n8WMdzaOwgu2SM-If6yrr-03tJJquyYlnz0YnaV-jRQ0_xyoFnh_ag6YElpEiFlPcbs3nAsWUPO9oElu5flq4Q7hHQJN4-0KBAABt3BSZeDs0FZ6cJE8lSZdPEGZMh_bhkt/s1600/clock7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L0csUPmM2n8WMdzaOwgu2SM-If6yrr-03tJJquyYlnz0YnaV-jRQ0_xyoFnh_ag6YElpEiFlPcbs3nAsWUPO9oElu5flq4Q7hHQJN4-0KBAABt3BSZeDs0FZ6cJE8lSZdPEGZMh_bhkt/s320/clock7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An ominous message scribbled on a wall</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9nlb_vpG5Uw1OZpG9qkxbb0kHqcQjGCxiUatirHhdKsQ62-xy3Fu1ipzB6hu5-mA2ApF6Nvlm20qyrHQSydZzrBl4lo0oejo2IU4ZPplpR0zkv9TBZDFD2NeqEYMrZApzj5Hwloc9-YL/s1600/clock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9nlb_vpG5Uw1OZpG9qkxbb0kHqcQjGCxiUatirHhdKsQ62-xy3Fu1ipzB6hu5-mA2ApF6Nvlm20qyrHQSydZzrBl4lo0oejo2IU4ZPplpR0zkv9TBZDFD2NeqEYMrZApzj5Hwloc9-YL/s320/clock2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Names and graffiti from long ago</i></td></tr>
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-21500826865272102762016-09-13T10:08:00.000-04:002016-09-13T10:08:29.616-04:00A Close Call: Downing & Yates' Escape From Natives<div>
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John McClung published a book in 1832 entitled "Sketches
of Western Adventure" that offered a glimpse into the settlement of the
Western United States. This book tells the stories of Kentucky's
earliest settlers and the struggles with the Native Americans who
inhabited the area. One local recollection can be found in the book and
tells the story of two young men and their close encounter with
Natives. </div>
It was August, 1786, and two young men, Francis
Downing and one only known as Yates, were living in the blockhouse
fortification adjoining the Bourbon Furnace. A horse belonging to Yates
had wandered off from the settlement and, with the help of Downing, a
search commenced. By evening, the pair found themselves some seven
miles from the ironworks overlooking a valley. Downing halted and
hushed Yates, advising him to listen closely as he heard what sounded
like sticks being broken behind them. Concerned that the pair were
being followed, Downing urged caution. Yates, who was a bit older than
Downing, was an avid hunter and warded off the concern as nothing more
than the usual sounds associated with the forest. Downing voiced his
concern again, noting that the sounds seemed to have been following them
for some distance before they stopped. Again, Yates passed it off as
paranoia and continued onward into the valley. Downing followed at a
cautious pace, fearing they were being tailed by hostile Natives.
Eventually, Yates had walked several paces ahead and down a hillside.
Downing took the opportunity and ducked into some tall brush nearby,
waiting to see if his fears would be verified. Sure enough, two Natives
appeared out of a cane thicket and were observing Yates' movements.
Downing brought his rifle to bear and misfired the shot before he could
get the Natives in sight. The Natives were startled and before they
could gather their senses, Downing headed in Yates' direction in a full
run. Yates had heard the shot and was running back to meet his friend,
seeing the Natives hurriedly pursuing the pair. The young men bolted
across the field, while the Natives took another path to cut the
distance. The Natives gained on the pair as they tried to outrun them,
and soon, a deep trench ahead proved to be the deciding factor in the
fight or flight response. Seeing that retreating back toward the
Natives could spell certain disaster, Yates took a bounding leap across
the ravine. Downing attempted to follow suit, but fell short and landed
into the deep trench. The Natives crossed the ravine down from the
fallen settler, but either failed to see him or assumed he was too far
gone to try and fight. Downing regained his senses and began to follow
the trench until it crested, coming into view of a Native returning to
his location. During his haste, Downing failed to reload his rifle and
threw it at the advancing Native as he retreated away. Fatigue began to
set in with Downing as he ran for his life and the Native rapidly
gained ground. The pair ran along a large downed tree, and just as they
approached the roots, fate intervened on Downing's behalf. </div>
The
Native arrived at the base of the fallen tree, and as he made the turn
to meet Downing, a large mother bear with a cub was there. The bear
jumped up at the Native and pounced on him; both Native and animal
interlocked in a fight.<br />
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The Native managed to brandish his knife and
stab the bear, who was viciously defending her cub. Downing watched
this event very briefly and took the opportunity to flee back toward the
Bourbon Furnace stockade. The young man ran at full speed and finally
reached the stockade without further incident. Yates was already back,
having escaped his pursuers who had given up the chase some two hours
before Downing's arrival. The pair told their harrowing tale of
survival and were thankful they had been spared. The next day, a party
of men returned to the tree's location, but found no sign of the bear,
the cub, or the Native. </div>
Although few, clashes between
settlers and Natives weren't uncommon in Bath County. Two more
incidents near the Bourbon Iron Furnace are noted in John Richards' <i>A History of Bath County; </i>John
Ely was attacked and killed by Natives a short distance from the
furnace in 1787 along what is now called Ely's Branch, and John McGuire
was shot and injured by Natives in the same vicinity in 1792. Several
more widely known, and very bloody, fights occurred in surrounding
counties; Little Mountain and Morgan's Station in Montgomery County,
Battle Run in Fleming County, and Blue Licks in Robertson County.
Eventually, Native attacks in Kentucky subsided and settlers began
taking over the once 'dark and bloody ground' the Natives used for
hunting. While these tales have been handed down through many
generations, the early days of Kentucky were surely a fascinating, and
dangerous time; painting an adventurous scene in the minds of those who
followed. Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-63822021367101925642016-09-05T08:14:00.001-04:002016-09-05T08:14:37.032-04:00The Night Riders & Tobacco Wars<div>
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<div>
Around this time of year, farmers are cutting their tobacco
crops and hanging them in barns to cure, eventually selling their crop
product at warehouse auctions. It is hard work, and relatively
uneventful these days, but around the turn of the Twentieth Century,
tobacco farming was a dangerous job for area farmers. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
The
American Tobacco Company had acquired a sizeable trust and had
monopolized the tobacco industry, becoming the third largest trust in
the United States by 1908; third only to the Unites States Steel
Corporation and American Oil. Their dominance over the market
eliminated any smaller competition. Farmers were forced to sell their
crops for barely the cost of producing the tobacco, while the American
Tobacco Company's income grew. At the end of 1907, American Tobacco's
gross surplus was approximately 32 million dollars. After stock
dividends were paid out, the company showed a 117 percent income profit,
while the farmers were barely getting by. A growing discerning among
farmers spawned the creation of the Burley Tobacco Society and Planter's
Protection Agency as a way to make a stand against the American Tobacco
Company and to secure fair prices for farmers' crops at market. Waller
Sharp from Sharpsburg was among several who led the charge locally with
the Burley Tobacco Society. The movement was statewide, and soon other
states were joining the fight against American Tobacco. Farmers were
urged to deliver their crops to the Burley Tobacco Society's warehouses
and barns for storage until their tobacco could be negotiated and sold
at a fair price. In 1907, the farmers agreeing to pool their crops
resulted in over 10 million dollars worth of product, with an additional
reserve of 6 million in the previous year's being held. It was
proposed to cut the 1908 crop to avoid increased surplus and to create a
demand for the unsold tobacco, but some farmers declined to cut their
crops as requested. Like a workers' strike, the fight against the burley
giant American Tobacco would send a message to both the big corporation
and to those who shared the ideas of the cause, but refused to stop
production. As a result, a group called the Night Riders came to be. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The
Night Riders were a posse of armed, masked men who used intimidation
tactics, and in many cases, violence to try and force farmers to abide
by the stand against American Tobacco. These groups of marauders were
more prominent in Western Kentucky, with the most violence occurring in
Caldwell and Christian Counties. The men called themselves the Black
Patch Society in that area of the state and part of Western Tennessee.
They found where crops were being raised and destroyed tobacco beds and
standing fields. Barns and warehouses were set afire by the Night
Riders, lighting up the skies in the darkened cover of night. Farmers
began arming themselves to protect their homes and farms, on some
occasions intense gunfights erupted, with the bloodiest of the fighting
taking place December 7, 1907 in Hopkinsville. Approximately 200-300
armed riders rode into the city of Hopkinsville that night and set two
large warehouses on fire near the L&N Railroad yards. Gunfire
erupted and a railway worker was fatally wounded. According the the
newspaper The Country Gentleman's March 12, 1908 edition, a man was
forced from his home and beaten nearly to death in the streets that
night by the Night Riders. Entire cities feared for their safety, and
the rural farmers were especially vulnerable.</div>
<div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfnudPrqvHQQOnZLUa0iAzSixs81Rag4bCs87Bg-khpt2YTSICirbA72L0tTn0zlsPbNyqlE-zHTQ7QURjlHY9aQNEp_cgwCnRki5iD7o2DyABCJRJ25FZgQ8iMNl3kjaWs2UQRpAtN0V/s1600/nightriders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfnudPrqvHQQOnZLUa0iAzSixs81Rag4bCs87Bg-khpt2YTSICirbA72L0tTn0zlsPbNyqlE-zHTQ7QURjlHY9aQNEp_cgwCnRki5iD7o2DyABCJRJ25FZgQ8iMNl3kjaWs2UQRpAtN0V/s1600/nightriders.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Typical Night Rider attire</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Bath
County farmers were not spared the intimidation or acts of violence,
although nothing to the extent of the ordeals in Hopkinsville. Local
farmers in went to the county court to express their concerns about the
threats made against them, with many of the farmers vowing to continue
to raise their crops regardless of the Night Riders. A group of around
twenty masked riders rode into Bethel and Bald Eagle in late November,
1907, posting notices on the barns belonging to Oscar Chandler, Thornton
Snelling, Claude Whaley, Richard Donaldson and others, warning the
owners against selling their crops at market. The actions of these
marauders prompted Governor Augustus Wilson to mobilize a detachment of
twelve mounted cavalrymen to Bath County in an attempt to thwart any
violence. The presence of the armed militia prompted Judge James Lane
to inquire what their purpose was, but the commanding officer only
stated they were under orders by the Governor. Judge Lane then ordered
the cavalry away, telling them that if he felt the need for armed
troops, he would appeal to the Governor himself.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Twenty
Night Riders approached Bethel one night early in 1908 and cut the
telephone lines into the town. They stopped at a warehouse belonging to
A.S. Robertson, which housed 35,000 pounds of tobacco purchased on the
open market. Beside the warehouse was a dry goods store belonging to
the Peters Brothers, with one of the brothers present upstairs. One
rider voiced his concern that the Peters man would fire upon them,
prompting a remark that "if he sticks his head out, shoot it off his
shoulders". The riders poured coal oil into the warehouse and set it
alight. The fire quickly consumed the warehouse and spread to the
Peters' store. The lone occupant of the store escaped the flames and
began to try and salvage goods from the store, but was unsuccessful.
The warehouse and store burned to the ground, but thankfully no one was
injured. The riders left the blazing inferno, heading down Little Flat
Road into Sherburne and set fire to the barn of Thomas Daugherty before
disappearing into the night. Although these men weren't masked, no one
could identify who they were, even after Governor Wilson issued a $500
reward for the capture and conviction of any member of the Night Riders.<br />
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<div>
A
couple of nights after the incident at Bethel, the farm of Hiram Hedges
at the Bath and Nicholas County line was targeted by the Night Riders.
Hedges was awakened by rocks being thrown against his house late that
night. Armed with a gun, Hedges went to investigate the sound and was
met by a group of men. After lowering his weapon, Hiram agreed to
destroy his tobacco bed he had sown and not produce a crop in compliance
with the riders' demands. It is unclear what exactly happened, but a
shot rang out and bullet struck Hedges in the stomach. Hedges fell back
into the house as his son ran out to try to help. Convinced they
hadn't shot Hedges, the riders' leader entered the house, and found the
man's lifeless body inside the home. The riders quickly rode away, and
their true identities were never known. </div>
<div>
Another incident
along Prickly Ash nearly ended fatal near the same time, when a group
of residents were guarding Nunley Everman's wagon loads of tobacco that
were set to be sold in Mount Sterling. A previous warning was issued
not to sell this crop, but Everman ignored it. Around 10 p.m. on the
evening of the incident, horsemen were heard coming down Prickly Ash.
Twelve to fifteen men dismounted and walked to the barn, coming within
sight of the guards. The guards ordered the riders' leader to halt, but
the order was ignored as the marauder continued forward with a bottle
of coal oil. A warning shot was fired, which quickly became an all out
firefight between the barn's guards and the Night Riders. One of the
guards was inured in the hand by a bullet and the fight intensified.
The riders began to retreat with the guards pursuing them to the
junction of the Wyoming Turnpike as the guards continued to fire upon
them. After the Night Riders retreated, several items, including a
bottle of coal oil, were located along the road. The sheriff was
summoned to the scene, and more guards dispatched to the barn, but no
more incidents occurred and the tobacco was safely delivered to the
market in Mount Sterling the following day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Faced with a
short supply of tobacco during the 1908 growing season, American
Tobacco was forced to negotiate with the coalition of tobacco farmers.
The actions of the burley corporation and the Night Riders gained
national attention. The American Tobacco Company was charged with
violating the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 by the Department of Justice
in 1908. A judgement was entered May 29, 1911, splitting the American
Tobacco Company's assets into four competitive markets; R.J Reynolds,
Liggett and Myers, Lorillard and a reduced version of the American
Tobacco Company. The ruling in <i>United States v. American Tobacco Co.</i>
stated that
the combination of the tobacco companies “in and of itself, as well as
each and all of the elements composing it whether corporate or
individual, whether considered collectively or separately [was] in
restraint of trade and an attempt to monopolize, and a monopolization
within the first and second sections of the Anti-Trust Act.” The
farmers had won their battle to gain fair market value of the crops that
provided them with much needed income to survive; with much bloodshed
and fear during their fight. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Today, the tobacco industry
is in a steady decline. Some Bath County farmers who once had
sprawling fields of burley have resorted to alternate crops to sustain
their way of living. The Tobacco Wars and the Night Riders passed after
just a short amount of time, but the violent legacy left will always be
etched into the annals of our local history. Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-75604838508479241742016-08-16T06:59:00.000-04:002016-08-16T06:59:04.531-04:00The Sky Is Falling!<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Most of us have seen the movie <i>Armageddon, </i>or
at least know the plot; an asteroid is on a collision course with the
Earth and could spell certain doom and disaster for the planet and its
inhabitants. Popular television shows on The History Channel and other
stations show a 'what if' scenario should an asteroid or large meteor
strike happen in populated places, and makes for good entertainment.
The reality is, these kind of things have happened many times in the 4
billion year history of Earth. Billions of years ago as the universe
was being born, hundreds, or thousands, of meteors and small asteroids
struck the planet on a regular basis as planetary bodies slammed into
one another, raining the rocky debris into the atmosphere. Most smaller
meteors or meteorites are torn apart and disintegrate due to
atmospheric friction, but occasionally, some penetrate through the
volatile conditions and strike land. </div>
</div>
Perhaps the
best and most poignant example of a stellar strike is what scientists
believe caused the extinction of the great dinosaurs some 65 million
years ago. An asteroid or comet plunged into Earth near the Yucatan
Peninsula of Mexico and created a worldwide destructive event that
killed off the vast majority of plant and animal live. This may not
have been the first mass extinction event; scientists now hypothesize a
much earlier event may have happened between the Triassic and Jurassic
period that also wiped out much of the life on Earth. Another incident
in 1908 in the remote regions of the Ukraine involved what scientists
believe was a comet that exploded in the atmosphere. That explosion
caused widespread destruction to the area, which was thankfully
uninhabited. Kentucky has been no stranger to these cosmic events, but
with much less catastrophe.</div>
There are three documented
meteor strike zones in Kentucky significant enough to leave a lasting
scar. One such zone was mistaken for a volcano from 1887 until 1968.
The Jeptha Knob is located in Shelby County between Lexington and
Louisville and is a 425 million year old impact site that caused the
Earth to rise above the surrounding countryside, creating what's called
an astrobleme. Another strike occurred near Versailles some 440 million
years ago. The town of Middlesboro sits inside a 300 million year old
meteor crater that struck the area adjacent to the Cumberland Gap. The
evening of November 15, 1902, residents in Bath County were shaken by
the sonic boom of a meteor that struck five miles southeast of Salt
Lick.</div>
Around 7:45 p.m., residents in Ohio, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia observed a
brilliant streak in the sky as a meteor burned across the upper
atmosphere. People in each of those states described the stellar light
show as a "bright streak, like a roman candle; starting off dim and
growing in intensity". John Richards' published account in his book <i>An Illustrated History of Bath County </i>states
that an eye witness in Owingsville said the streak started low above
the horizon and grew almost as bright as daylight for about five seconds
before disappearing. A loud sonic boom was heard over Owingsville in a
southeasterly direction toward Preston or Olympia, followed by a low
rumbling sound. </div>
Meanwhile at White Sulphur Springs, near
present day Clear Creek Lake, Buford Staton heard the noise and went out
to investigate the sights and sounds above. Observant scientists and
curious people also traced the path of the falling object, but weren't
sure of the exact point of impact. The next morning, Mr. Staton found a
piece of peculiar rock embedded in the ground along the roadway almost
directly in front of his home. Scientists from Kentucky and Ohio had
studied the path and deducted from the azimuth calculations that the
meteor should have struck somewhere near where it was found. A day or
so later, Buford Staton became a sort of local celebrity when word got
out of his unique find. Staton sold the piece to W.H. Daugherty for a
sum of fifteen dollars. Scientists arrived within the next few days to
inspect the piece of extraterrestrial rock and documented it as being a
polygon shaped, crusty, black piece eight and a quarter by six and a
half inches, weighing about thirteen pounds. They also deducted that
this must be just a fragment of the meteor that had broken off from a
main body, as this small specimen couldn't have made such a spectacular
entry from space. The piece changed hands again when Mr. Daugherty sold
it to Professor Harry Ward of Chicago for $300. Eventually, the
fragment found its way to the National Museum in Washington, D.C. and
officially called the 'Bath Furnace Meteorite'.</div>
Once at the
museum, Professor Merrill studied the composition of the meteor
fragment and determined that it was made of nickle, iron, olivine and
pyroxene. Other metallic deposits were scattered in the rock, mostly of
rare elements not normally found on Earth. Professor Merrill
officially designated it as a chondrite, a type of meteor that hasn't
been melted or altered from the original body mass. Back in White
Sulphur, local residents hunted for the remainder of the meteorite, and
after the new year, Dick McCarty found two smaller pieces weighing a few
ounces each. These fragments found a home at the State A&M College
in Lexington and officially called 'Bath Furnace 1 & 2'. <br />
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In May,
1903, Hugh Pergram noticed some trees that had the bark skinned off and
branches broken high atop them while out hunting about a mile and a half
from Buford Staton's home. Upon investigation, he struck lucky as what
appeared to be the main body of the meteor was located partially buried
under a grove of trees. With some help the next day, Hugh Pergram
excavated the large rock and took it to Thomas Pergram's home, where he
traded it for two mules. The meteor was triangular shaped with each
side being roughly eighteen inches long, eleven inches deep and weighed
an astonishing three hundred pounds approximately. It was a glazed
brownish-black with pitted holes throughout. Word quickly got around
and soon, college professors visited Pergram to view and attempt to
purchase it. One offer for $2400 was rejected in hopes a higher price
would be offered, but a legal process soon began over the rights to the
meteor. The space debris was found on the land belonging to the heirs
of Clell Ewing, who laid claim once it was discovered the meteor was so
valuable. Their argument was that since the meteor fell upon their
property, they were the rightful owners. Thomas Pergram refused to
relinquish the piece to the Ewings, and a lawsuit followed. Before the
suit came to trial, both parties made an agreement; the Ewing heirs
agreed to pay Thomas Pergram $300, with understanding if the meteor sold
for more than $1200, Pergram was to receive one-fourth of the amount.<br />
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<br /></div>
The
Bath Furnace Meteors gained national attention through scientific
publications of the day and the fragments were displayed in various
science centers. The largest piece and the smaller thirteen pound
fragment was eventually purchased and placed in the Ward-Coonley
Collection. These pieces were also featured at the 1904 Louisiana
Purchase World's Fair and viewed by hundreds, including visiting
dignitaries from other nations. The Smithsonian Institute voiced
interest in the Ward-Coonley pieces of the Bath Furnace Meteor, but an
agreement could not be reached. The pieces are now housed at the Field
Museum in Chicago. Other meteors have struck Earth since the 1902
incident, but no more in Bath County. Each year there are various
meteor showers that give a sometimes spectacular show in the night sky,
but nearly all the ones seen burn up before they pass the atmosphere. A
meteor streaked across the sky recently in Russia, causing a sonic boom
that shook buildings and shattered windows for many miles. With modern
technology by NASA and other observatories constantly watching the
skies, should a large asteroid or significant meteor pose a danger to
Earth, there will be some advanced warning. While it is unlikely, a
small meteor can, and at some point will again, strike the planet
creating a flurry of social activity, anxiety and awesome wonder. <br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<i>The
pictures are from the Field Museum and Ward-Coonley Collection, and are
of the actual meteor fragments found in Bath County.</i>Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-5853935486903451262016-07-12T12:30:00.001-04:002016-07-12T12:30:26.558-04:00The Battle of Little Mountain<div class="ajy">
<img alt="" class="ajz" data-tooltip="Show details" id=":11h" role="button" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" /></div>
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<div>
<i>Although not fought in Bath County, the Battle of Little Mountain was an encounter in neighboring Montgomery County that pitted a few brave Kentuckians against an equally strong Native force. This is an event that is largely ignored outside the Gateway Region, but an important piece of our local history.</i></div>
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<div>
The
early Kentucky frontier was a place of marvel and promise. Early
Virginian settlers came to the 'dark and bloody land' to establish
western colonies, expanding the New World that was quickly
overcrowding. Kentucky was also prime land that provided abundant
resources for the early settlers and pioneers who bravely cut trails or
followed the Native American and large game trails along the rich
waterways and mineral deposits. Although the frontier was a much
desired place to be, it was also very dangerous.</div>
The
American Revolutionary War was still raging in the late 1700's; the
Natives allied themselves with the British on a premise that they would
retain their lands. The British armed and equipped the Natives with
munitions and weapons to assist in their fight against the Americans who
were fighting to gain independence from King George III's reign. The
Natives were well acquainted with Kentucky territory and frequently
raided settlements and stations. Toward the end of the Revolutionary
War, the fight had spilled into Kentucky as the Natives increased their
raids and attacks on the western frontier theater. A siege at Fort
Boonesboro in 1778 conducted by over 400 Natives and a few militiamen
fighting under the British flag was the largest insurgence against any
Kentucky settlement at the time. The siege lasted from September 7-18
and ended with the Natives retreating from Boonesboro; dividing up
into smaller raiding parties, attacking stations and settlements along
the way back to Ohio.<br />
<br />
Captain James Estill of the Kentucky
County, Virginia Militia, established a blockaded station in present day
Madison County, about fifteen miles south of Boonesboro. On March 19,
1782, an alarm was raised when empty canoes were observed floating past
Boonesboro. Knowing this was a sign of a Native war party in the area,
runners were sent to Estill's Station and to Logan's Station near
Stanford to gather men in an attempt to protect settlements north of
Boonesboro. Nearby Strode's Station in Clark County had been raided by a
fearless Wyandot war party a couple of weeks before; a siege that
lasted thirty-six hours, so the settlers knew this was a formidable
force to reckon with. Colonel Benjamin Logan sent fifteen men to
Estill's Station with orders to mobilize an additional twenty five for a
reconnaissance mission to see where the Natives were gathering. The
following day, Natives began to attack nearby stations, including
Captain Estill's. The attack was swift, catching those outside the
confines who had been gathering wood by surprise. Fourteen year old
Jennie Glass was killed and Estill's slave, Monk, was taken prisoner.
The fort had been nearly abandoned of all able men at the time of the
Wyandot raid. In fact, only one man was in station that day, nursing
wounds he had suffered during another raid that had also left James
Estill with a broken arm; an injury that would prove fatal for the
captain. </div>
During interrogation by the war party chief,
Monk gave the impression that the fort was fully manned and armed. The
Wyandots rarely took on a well fortified station or fort, relying only
on 'hit and run' tactics, so they retreated with their prisoner only
after slaughtering several head of cattle. Samuel South and Peter
Hackett set out to catch up with Captain Estill's force and alert him of
the attack. They caught up with the party near the Red River at the
mouth of Drowning Creek in what is now Madison County on March 21st.
About twenty men were sent back to Estill's Station but found that the
Wyandots were nowhere to be seen. Five men stayed back to defend the
station while the rest of the party began to track the marauders. </div>
Estill's
party made camp that night near Little Mountain. The next morning, ten
men of the party were forced to stay at camp due to their horses being
exhausted from the hard ride. A light snow had blanketed the ground and
soon, tracks were seen heading northeast. Captain Estill and about
twenty five men set out to find the war party, and soon, their efforts
paid off. Along Hinkston Creek, about two miles from the small
settlement we know today as Mount Sterling, a group of Natives were
cleaning a buffalo carcass near a crossing. Taking up positions within
the thick trees, Estill's men got into position and fired off a volley
of shots, killing one Wyandot instantly. David Cook lined up a Native
in his line of fire and struck the flint just as another Native stepped
in front. The musket ball tore through both Natives and they fell from
the same bullet. The fight was divided by Hinkston Creek, or Little
Mountain Creek as it was known then, with neither side budging. Musket
balls struck the surrounding trees, sending splinters of wood flying,
and one lucky shot hit a Wyandot chief early in the engagement. The
Wyandot Chief lay mortally wounded, but still rallied the Natives into a
fighting frenzy. </div>
Monk, the slave who had been taken
captive, bravely shouted the Natives' numbers and movements across the
creek to Estill's men. Captain Estill ordered his men into three squads
in an attempt to flank the Natives. Lieutenant William Miller was
ordered to take his men to a crossing downstream to protect the party's
horses and cut off any advance the Natives may make. Miller got into
position when suddenly a bullet struck his weapon, knocking the flint
off the locking mechanism. Miller and his squad retreated from their
position, with Miller reportedly shouting, " <i>it's foolhardy to stay and be shot down"</i>.
Estill and other men offered Miller another flint, but the lieutenant
and his men fled the battleground, leaving the left flank open.
Casualties were mounting on both sides, but now the Wyandots had the
upper hand and decided to make their move. They forded the creek and a
brutal hand to hand fight ensued. Monk, meanwhile took the initiative
and secured the horses away from the battle, insuring the surviving
Kentuckians would have a means of egress. <br />
<br />
The Natives bore their
tomahawks on Estill's men, clubbing them as they were interlocked in
hand to hand combat. The Kentuckians fought for their lives, swinging
their rifle butts in self defense. Other men fell back into the trees
for cover in an attempt to regroup, striking down several Wyandots with
their musket fire. Knowing they were outnumbered and outgunned, Estill
ordered the militiamen to retreat as the Natives pounced on them. One
Wyandot warrior tackled Captain Estill and quickly gained the advantage
on him. Both men struggled and rolled across the ground, locking arms
as the Native attempted to stab the captain. Joseph Proctor watched
with his rifle at the ready, waiting to get a clear shot of the Wyandot,
but couldn't due to the intense fight. Meanwhile, Estill's other men
were being attacked just as fierce and six fell where they fought. The
Native who was wrestling with Captain Estill was described as a large
warrior, weighing approximately 200 pounds, and was showing no signs of
relenting. While the two were arm locked, the captain's previously
injured arm began to fail and gave out, giving the Native the final
blow. With a yell of triumph, the warrior plunged his knife deep into
Captain Estill's chest, killing him. At almost the same moment, a shot
rang out from Joseph Proctor's rifle and the warrior fell across the
slain captain's body. The battle lost momentum after this, while the
Kentuckians retreated back with their wounded, the Natives fell back
across Hinkston Creek and disappeared into the thick woods. The battle was brutal and mostly non stop,
lasting about two hours. The entire
battlefield was concentrated to only a couple hundred yards
deep; unlike conventional battles we know today as being over large spans of ground. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBniHcu_xVZL9tmrpqZwY2bp1YoudNc3RLO61DTlC9efgyUIrh5sEZvkAJ95WqCcB27URvsA4xfT-EBgkb0RPDd3cjiPgx4y3ABXyyrRuZuwq2wwAd5-n2HCtloxJZ6_kplv0Kmn-xxpN/s1600/estill2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBniHcu_xVZL9tmrpqZwY2bp1YoudNc3RLO61DTlC9efgyUIrh5sEZvkAJ95WqCcB27URvsA4xfT-EBgkb0RPDd3cjiPgx4y3ABXyyrRuZuwq2wwAd5-n2HCtloxJZ6_kplv0Kmn-xxpN/s320/estill2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Captain Estill's grave marker in Richmond Cemetery depicting his final battle with a Wyandot Warrior</i></td></tr>
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The surviving men of Estill's party were
bloodied and exhausted, but knew they had to make haste back to the
protection of the station some forty miles away. Joseph Proctor
reportedly strapped a gravely injured man named Irving to himself and
carried the man all the way back to Estill's Station. Monk, who had
secured the horses, joined the party and assisted another seriously
injured man all the way back to the fort. Seven Kentuckians, including
Captain James Estill, were killed; Monk counted as many as seventeen
Natives killed. One of Estill's party was taken prisoner, but escaped
soon afterward and confirmed the number of Native casualties. </div>
<div>
Three
days after the battle, a party of about 40-50 men from Estill's and
surrounding stations returned to the battlefield to bury the dead. In
the haste of retreat, the bodies were left where they fell; the Natives
had either taken their dead with them or had returned after the battle.
According to witness statements taken at a deposition regarding a land
dispute in 1803, the bodies of Captain Estill and his men were buried
where they fell using the rocks, brush and logs from the battlefield to
cover them. They had not been desecrated by the Natives, either as a
sign of respect, or a sign of an equal hasty retreat by the Wyandots.
In the same depositions, it is said that for years after the battle,
bullet marks on the trees could still be seen and the bones of some of
the dead were exposed from their resting site. No markers were placed
at the battlefield marking the dead or who was placed where. Today, the
Battle of Little Mountain site is on private property, and Interstate
64 runs right through the middle of the battlefield. </div>
<div>
The
battle was considered a defeat in the eyes of the early Kentuckians, as
the Estill militia did not hold the ground and repel the Natives.
Lieutenant Miller nor his men never returned to the station and all were
considered cowards, which would have resulted in death by hanging.
David Cook, a survivor of the battle, vowed for twenty years that he
would personally kill Miller should he ever show his face again. Miller
reportedly lived until the age of 95, forever shamed by his actions
that March day. Captain Estill's slave, Monk, would receive great
accolades for his actions before and during the battle, gaining the
distinction of being the first freed slave in the state of Kentucky. He
later went on to become a Baptist minister, married twice and had
thirty children. Monk died in Madison County in 1835. Joseph Proctor
was the last surviving member of the Battle of Little Mountain, passing
away in 1844 with full military honors and fanfare. </div>
Captain
James Estill is forever immortalized by the Kentucky county that bears
his name. A bronze plaque was placed on a millstone on the site of the
Battle of Little Mountain, but moved when the interstate was built.
Today, that millstone is at the entrance to a Mount Sterling Factory
near Midland Trail Industrial Park. A historical marker was placed at
the corner of North Maysville Street and Hinkston Pike in Mount Sterling
that gives a brief account of the battle, although the battlefield is
some mile and a half away. This wouldn't be the last fight between the
Kentuckians and the Natives; five months later, the Battle of Blue Licks
took place not far from where Captain Estill fell. In 1793, a Shawnee
and Cherokee war party raided Morgan's Station along Slate Creek in
present day Montgomery County, the last known organized Native American
raid in Kentucky. Although the Battle of Little Mountain is regarded as
Estill's Defeat, it was a courageous and hard fought battle by a group
of brave men who helped shape the Commonwealth of Kentucky.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDxWDCYWDD7gLWFEfHR1ac7bl9wSLMTFIocW5wb6PHlH0XyGPV-EaZJoj5lhBlYWA9K06zWye0bQU3S85Yt4ZLSJ8-dO_R_vfs40bD9X7T86SpHb_enDVlcJi6jbseQLpKVvm-A9R8-g1/s1600/estillmarker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDxWDCYWDD7gLWFEfHR1ac7bl9wSLMTFIocW5wb6PHlH0XyGPV-EaZJoj5lhBlYWA9K06zWye0bQU3S85Yt4ZLSJ8-dO_R_vfs40bD9X7T86SpHb_enDVlcJi6jbseQLpKVvm-A9R8-g1/s320/estillmarker.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Millstone marker depicting the Battle of Little Mountain, along US 60 in Mount Sterling.</i></td></tr>
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-83054748528385815262016-06-27T13:37:00.002-04:002016-06-27T13:37:28.992-04:00Tater Knob Tower<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQ9778arI7O1EFP4zOfLieL4d9WPOXS_Jv_wV2TaQg20xiL3l5ZoMAcoKYSnxcJisR-lYddi5hAFeXWUqeTjfyRR4Ki3g9cQ45j4n1muMPtCBeP3429CIr2q_AG_7GhiXNrLobfVJ-0YZ/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQ9778arI7O1EFP4zOfLieL4d9WPOXS_Jv_wV2TaQg20xiL3l5ZoMAcoKYSnxcJisR-lYddi5hAFeXWUqeTjfyRR4Ki3g9cQ45j4n1muMPtCBeP3429CIr2q_AG_7GhiXNrLobfVJ-0YZ/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tater Knob Fire Tower, after the 1959 renovations.</i></td></tr>
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Atop the highest point in Bath
County, there are the gleaming, silver remains of a structure that once
played a vital role in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Sitting 1,388
feet above sea level, Tater Knob is a rock outcropping millions of years
old that perches high above the native trees and provides a spectacular
view of the entire region. On a clear day, one can see up to thirty
miles in each direction; a place many have found as the calming solace
in this busy day to day world.<br /></div>
Fires have always been a
danger to heavily forested areas. The fallen timber, dried leaves and
vegetation are a rich catalyst for a conflagration. A forest fire can
be started by lightening, careless campers, or at the hands of an
arsonist. As people began to settle near the natural beauty of the
Daniel Boone National Forest, and industries based on the resources
began to boom, a wildfire could be personally and economically
devastating to those involved. One such wildfire burned over three
million acres across Washington, Idaho and Montana in August, 1910. The
fire killed 87 people, many whom were firefighters trying to contain
the inferno. This fire is considered the largest wildfire in United
States history. After the fire, a focus was placed on preventing such
an incident from happening again. Public awareness of conservation and
new rules incorporated by the newly formed U.S. Forest Service sought to
educate and reduce the fire danger, and to provide an early detection
of fires in the forested areas of the United States. Lookout towers
were built across the nation to do just that; with men staffing the
towers who would be the watchful eye.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKukP-ksbxA4bb5q8SccKf8vzQcZPcJ8sl_Ox6yRxlYkXb49KT7SSr-9U4CXoAD7JOq44zIQScItE8CirJMvQqnJunhSg6iHn1neaz-Kq11tgr13mvDLVNrA3ur3y0C-7mxiIJpSCC_BOa/s1600/5523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKukP-ksbxA4bb5q8SccKf8vzQcZPcJ8sl_Ox6yRxlYkXb49KT7SSr-9U4CXoAD7JOq44zIQScItE8CirJMvQqnJunhSg6iHn1neaz-Kq11tgr13mvDLVNrA3ur3y0C-7mxiIJpSCC_BOa/s400/5523.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Early towers were
either built atop the high points in the forests, or built as towering
structures high above a metal grid in order to see several miles in each
direction. Other towers were built in a network within the forest's
district and communicated via telegraph, visual signals, and later,
telephone to pinpoint the location of a fire if smoke was spotted. It
is believed the first lookout towers were built in Maine, Vermont and
New Hampshire around 1910. The Civilian Conservation Corps was
organized in 1933 as a way to provide much needed jobs during the Great
Depression. The Forest Service utilized Corps laborers to construct
lookout towers and access roads through the dense forests, including the
Daniel Boone National Forest.<br /></div>
The Tater Knob Lookout Tower
was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The area the
tower stands was much more rugged back then; no wooden steps or good
roads led to the tower. Built with hand tools, the tower was a 14x14
foot wooden structure with a wood
stove, two cots, a cabinet, storage box, small table and stool
occupied by two Forest Service men during the fire seasons. In the
middle of the small room was the alidade, or "fire spotter" that the men
used to determine an azimuth when smoke was spotted. One tower would
communicate with another and together, with the azimuths they recorded,
the smoke's location would be triangulated and the location given to
firefighters who would trek into the forest. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUNYnN1xshRBFO1urJQ0vIhtzt-EI80iPx9yIekkkDM_GB5FrgM6A_sm9ElEiJup72iwH4XjtqX-v5uoBfl-Tto9JXV-MUDJDfNMjRkhx2VMe0kVPvResi2q1IIbEkr0YdjM2HrGb4BRw/s1600/forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUNYnN1xshRBFO1urJQ0vIhtzt-EI80iPx9yIekkkDM_GB5FrgM6A_sm9ElEiJup72iwH4XjtqX-v5uoBfl-Tto9JXV-MUDJDfNMjRkhx2VMe0kVPvResi2q1IIbEkr0YdjM2HrGb4BRw/s320/forest.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A forestry service worker fire spotting, 1930's </i></td></tr>
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Constructing
the Tater Knob Tower was no easy task. Materials had to be hauled in
by mules and an elaborate pulley system was rigged to bring items up to
the top of the mountain. A rough road was cut through the forest and
across steep cliffs just south of the tower's site and was the only
access at the time. The finished tower stood 35 feet above the knob's
crest; one of around 160 statewide. During fire seasons, the tower was
manned twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Men worked long, and
mostly lonely, shifts scanning the horizon for anything that would
raise the alarm. Until Cave Run Lake was constructed, the Licking River
Valley was dotted with homes and businesses. Licking Union and Yale
were the closest towns to Tater Knob and the lumber mills would have
been visible from the tower. In 1959, the tower was remodeled and
reduced inside to 10x10 feet. The wooden parts of the tower was wrapped
in an aluminum skin which protected it from the elements and rot. The
conditions hadn't changed much by then; a new road which
is now Zilpo Road was cut through the
forest along the ridge to the north of Tater Knob sometime later, and the area was incorporated as a campground and tourist attraction after the lake was built.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXJpsivXQlZd7_-u_c1a901mX0LEnPrWXC_hYlc3LP3FpnF6sX7epC-YaupIb7wAiOejqh0LZqo4ypLw6xBhraInCqlvflt8LgvlvO-vb1VIJdFniGngWHxD6oTmV7eUtc7thErDoXqBi/s1600/tater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXJpsivXQlZd7_-u_c1a901mX0LEnPrWXC_hYlc3LP3FpnF6sX7epC-YaupIb7wAiOejqh0LZqo4ypLw6xBhraInCqlvflt8LgvlvO-vb1VIJdFniGngWHxD6oTmV7eUtc7thErDoXqBi/s1600/tater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXJpsivXQlZd7_-u_c1a901mX0LEnPrWXC_hYlc3LP3FpnF6sX7epC-YaupIb7wAiOejqh0LZqo4ypLw6xBhraInCqlvflt8LgvlvO-vb1VIJdFniGngWHxD6oTmV7eUtc7thErDoXqBi/s320/tater.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_1638200183"></span><span id="goog_1638200184"></span>Tater Knob Tower remained in constant
operation until the mid 1970's. Forest Service personnel resorted to
spotter aircraft when locating fires, rendering the lookout towers
obsolete. Many towers were dismantled, but Tater Knob was left to the
elements and started deteriorating. The once busy tower remained
abandoned until an interest in restoration began during the early
1990's. A committee was formed and together with the Kentucky
Bicentennial Commission, the Bath County Historical Society and the
Frenchburg Jobs Corps, Tater Knob was restored in 1993. Tourists could
trek up to the tower via over 200 steps up the mountainside and see the
breathtaking views at the top. Trail markers and signs along the way
tell the story of the lookout tower and how important it was during it's
time of service. Over the years, thousands of people have climbed the
metal steps to gaze into the beyond; but sadly, it would come to an
abrupt end. </div>
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On December 3, 2008, a call of smoke from
atop Tater Knob was dispatched to the Salt Lick Fire Department and U.S.
Forestry Service. Once units arrived, it was discovered that the Tater
Knob Tower was on fire. The wooden structure under the aluminum wrap
was burning from the inside, with the aluminum material oozing down in a
molten mass. After some time, the fire was put out, but the tower was
forever damaged. People had vandalized the historic tower over the years, which had
been placed on the National Registry of Historic Lookout Towers after
the 1993 restoration, by spray painting names and slogans on the metal
frame. It was discovered that the fire was no accident; someone had
used spray paint as an accelerate and lit it on fire. The Forest
Service closed Tater Knob Tower due to unsafe conditions, and a piece of
local and National history was lost. After an investigation and tips
from the public, a man and woman were arrested and charged with arson.
Salt Lick native Landon Dickerson, along with Morehead native Danny
Blevins, organized a music festival and fundraiser at the Morehead
Conference Center in 2009, raising over 2,500 dollars to help restore
the tower. Other fundraising events have been held and private donations have been made toward the tower's reconstruction, but to date, the tower is still as it was that December day; a
scorched remnant of the past. <br /></div>
The Bath County Tourism
Council, in conjunction with the Forest Service's Cumberland Ranger
District, is actively looking at ways to reopen the Tater Knob Tower,
restoring it possibly to its original state as a functional tower.
Tourism Chairman Brent Frizzell hopes to have this project under way
very soon, as funds become available. Until then, the tower atop Tater
Knob remains closed to visitors; the last fire tower that hopefully will
stand again soon.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLlF9YpxxsuqOBzZrqZJtIbkW2d-0A4elr7e6w8b-EJ1wJNK1xiBlf25xKyBNSM1aC-sLgbOklSwRLHWOyT_eEC5Rsn7z-gyqUjEafaUeP92aBH9NfoFTsgC9du2Wm1nH7goLO-7NVlDD/s1600/stelprdb5345330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLlF9YpxxsuqOBzZrqZJtIbkW2d-0A4elr7e6w8b-EJ1wJNK1xiBlf25xKyBNSM1aC-sLgbOklSwRLHWOyT_eEC5Rsn7z-gyqUjEafaUeP92aBH9NfoFTsgC9du2Wm1nH7goLO-7NVlDD/s400/stelprdb5345330.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-57431640830212867202016-06-09T11:57:00.001-04:002016-06-09T11:57:33.138-04:00Moonshine & Murder<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPbbnBZxR6DqTWcNw2riDGIidZHsN1OhCLfMYOns7QlE4n2f2qBw06tX64viqA3UIFO7E1ZDBZbydsgsETokTxgWsblDNCT_seOFAZtZ-zxrWqRyeUJ7wB1e-r7s0RId-BkMFK-W4X5d1/s1600/full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPbbnBZxR6DqTWcNw2riDGIidZHsN1OhCLfMYOns7QlE4n2f2qBw06tX64viqA3UIFO7E1ZDBZbydsgsETokTxgWsblDNCT_seOFAZtZ-zxrWqRyeUJ7wB1e-r7s0RId-BkMFK-W4X5d1/s320/full.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Replica moonshine still at Gladie Creek, Red River Gorge</i></td></tr>
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The Eastern Kentucky hills and mountains are beautiful to look
upon, especially in fall and winter. The sheer cliffs of Southern Bath
County along the Menifee County boundary is a majestic view, but a
dangerous journey. These cliffs once hid another danger; moonshine
stills and those who wished to keep their clandestine activities guarded
from revenuers. </div>
<div>
<br /> During the Prohibition Era between 1920 and 1933,
it was illegal to possess, sell, or transport alcoholic beverages in the
United States. People found ways to bypass laws by making their own
alcohol in secret, and often heavily guarded, locations. The Bureau of
Prohibition was organized in 1920 with the sole mission of thwarting
the sale, possession and transport of the illicit spirits. Federal
Agent U.G. McFarland had received word during a raid that Charley
Ballard had a large distilling operation on his property along East Fork
Creek near Means, Kentucky. Bath County resident and former Bath
County Jailer Robert Duff was a Federal Agent with the bureau
division, joining in October 1921. He was approaching fifty years old
with a wife and seven children during the winter of 1922 and tasked to
take on the Ballard family and shut down the illegal distillery. On
December 9, 1922, Agent Duff, accompanied by Agent D.R. Carter and a
group of other deputies, set out to execute a search warrant on the
Ballard farm. <br />The group arrived at the home of Jeff Ballard and
confronted him with the warrant to search for and seize any items
related to the illegal distillery. Ballard denied having any moonshine
stills on his property, but was detained by two other deputies while
Duff, Carter and another agent, W.P. Treadway, began their search. The
trio found a path behind the Ballard home that led to the base of a
mountain along a creek bank. At the edge of the mountain side, they
noticed what appeared to be a large brush pile; but at closer
inspection, they could make out what looked to be a pathway into the
brush. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8wYXIz3vExKtkmIFaLIMB8oxbRlEOxOb-AMzFkbbPSBHpKa5eOW1XoLsuiwu4oZuq-XhWdY70VMbMnaBeyrm7J4nFggHRF7M2Hk6scbsFJUWUh7iodE2j9CgC4VW_MBoTcP_bKBJdm4J/s1600/7785941404_b1a5ff1290_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8wYXIz3vExKtkmIFaLIMB8oxbRlEOxOb-AMzFkbbPSBHpKa5eOW1XoLsuiwu4oZuq-XhWdY70VMbMnaBeyrm7J4nFggHRF7M2Hk6scbsFJUWUh7iodE2j9CgC4VW_MBoTcP_bKBJdm4J/s320/7785941404_b1a5ff1290_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Cautiously, the agents moved in to inspect their find and
noticed it was a fortified structure dug into the side of the mountain.
In the front were double logged walls with space between them filled
with rock and dirt. Other logs were made into a lean-to type structure
across the top, with a layer of tar paper to make a roof. The entire
structure was covered in surrounding brush to camouflage it's true
appearance. A door was to the right of the logged walls and a small
shuttered window was in front, giving those inside a view of the
outside. The elaborate structure was built to withstand even the most
powerful bullet from a long rifle, and to conceal anyone who may be
inside. </div>
Agent Duff took the lead to open the door, which was
secured from the inside. Finding a stick, he began to beat on the
shuttered window to gain entry, when suddenly the door flew open and a
hail of bullets flew out, striking Duff. The other two agents sought
cover and returned fire into the still house. The other deputies,
hearing the commotion, quickly ran up to assist but were met with
gunfire, pinning them down. The agents and deputies fell back to
protect themselves, returning fire as they could. Agent Duff lay near
the entrance of the fortification, in a direct line of fire. Attempts
were made to retrieve Duff's lifeless body, but quickly abandoned in
fear others would suffer the same fate. Not knowing how many assailants
were inside the fortified still house or how much fire power they
controlled, the agents and deputies retreated, leaving Agent Duff until
an arrangement was made for an undertaker to retrieve his body. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The
next day, Prohibition Bureau Director Sam Collins arrived in Lexington
and organized a posse to return to Means and bring the Ballards to
justice. Joining Collins was Lee Stewart, who had a reputation of being
one of the most feared and tenacious agents in Eastern Kentucky, and
eight other deputies. The group arrived in Mount Sterling and were
joined by five other deputies before trekking to East Fork. Once the
party arrived, they made their way to the site of the previous day's
bloody gunfight; Agent Duff's body had been removed by the undertaker as
agreed. The still house was unoccupied but housed an enormous
distillery operation; seventeen barrels and fermentors, forty gallons of
moonshine, 1,400 gallons of beer and a substantial assortment of
related manufacturing materials were seized and destroyed. A still and a
'worm' - a coil made of copper that is a vital part of a still - were
missing. Stewart exited the still house and began following a trail up
the mountain, attempting to locate the other components of the
operation. </div>
<div>
<br />At the same time, Deputies Eubanks and Phillips began
searching for a missing firearm lost during the previous day's battle. A
shot rang out from above and the two dashed for cover, not knowing
where the shooter's position was. A group of eight or ten agents and
deputies began to move around to the back of where they heard the shots,
to close in on the shooter. At the crest of the mountain, another shot
rang out even closer, but the party couldn't ascertain where the shot
had originated. After regrouping from taking cover, the posse cautiously
continued along the ridge crest. About fifty yards from where they had
ducked for cover, David Treadway, one of the deputies, lifeless body
lay along the path. Treadway was a twenty-four year old Montgomery
County resident and had just joined the posse when they met in Mount
Sterling earlier in the day. The group retrieved Treadway's body and
headed off the mountain; a second bloody day in the hollows of Means,
and the Ballard's were still on the run. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The bureau
agents convened in Lexington that night and decided to wait a few days
for tensions to ease before launching another raid. Kentucky Governor
Morrow offered a $500 reward for the capture of Bob and Charles Ballard
for their connection in the murders of the bureau agents. Twenty agents
and deputies moved out at 2:15 a.m. December 15, 1922 with the sole
mission of taking the Ballards into custody once and for all. A new
strategy would be deployed; the posse would park at the Means Post
Office and walk to the Ballard farm. It was a cold, drizzly night as
they made their way on foot. Along the way, agents detained anyone they
found along the way to insure the Ballards wouldn't be alerted. Around
daylight, the posse arrived at the home of Albert Ballard and arrested
him and a cousin, Willie Ferguson. Soon after, they arrived at the home
of Jeff Ballard and found no one was home. About a half mile away, the
group found a cabin behind Willie Ferguson's place and cautiously
surrounded it. Mat Sanders, a deputy in the posse, busted the door open
with the butt of his rifle, to be met with instant gunfire. Sanders
was struck and fell at the front door. While Agent Guy Cole attempted
to enter the back door, he was shot three times; twice in the torso and
once in the head. </div>
<div>
<br />The other members of the posse formed two lines
and began openly firing into the cabin. Approximately 150 shots were
fired into the cabin; the return fire ceased after a few minutes.
Charley Ballard ran out of the rear door and fled into the woods, being
struck twice before disappearing into the thick brush. Mat Sanders was
injured, but Guy Cole succumbed to his injuries on site. As agents
looked inside the cabin, they found Bob Ballard lying in the floor with a
fatal wound to his head. The remaining agents pursued Charley
Ballard's trail to the home of Henry Reffett, where they learned the
injured assailant had been bandaged up and left via horseback toward
Mill Creek in Bath County. They broke off the chase around dark and
returned to the Ferguson cabin to find that Jeff Ballard had been
apprehended. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The following day, agents returned to Means
to attempt to locate Charley Ballard. They were met by Menifee County
Sheriff Ben Wells who had a message from Ballard stating that he would
surrender to Wells only. Wells was reportedly a relative of the
Ballards and had knowledge of Charley's hiding spot near Preston's train
depot. The bureau agents agreed, on the condition that Ballard be
brought to Fayette County. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_FdNgeUzo5ogxDcAJle_SqUrU0l-9yZFrYmA69_1rauctQb8PP4RMBS9EBarXKC14gmCgBmp1GbMp5XpGIlMkVNQRIXm6n78m2IxZRDOPB3ty7zE_DmMAJyjHo-iSYl_-uk1ieExnGr_/s1600/ballards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_FdNgeUzo5ogxDcAJle_SqUrU0l-9yZFrYmA69_1rauctQb8PP4RMBS9EBarXKC14gmCgBmp1GbMp5XpGIlMkVNQRIXm6n78m2IxZRDOPB3ty7zE_DmMAJyjHo-iSYl_-uk1ieExnGr_/s320/ballards.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
<div>
A total of five were arrested
and brought before the United States District Court in Lexington for
their roles in the moonshine operation; Jeff and Albert Ballard, Willie
Ferguson, Joe Clem and Henry Reffett were charged with violating the
National Prohibition Act. Charley Ballard was charged for the killing
of Agents Duff, Cole and Treadway in Menifee County, and charged
similarly by the US District Court. He was under hospital care during
the judicial process due to wounds he received in the final gunfight at
East Fork, and had to have surgery while in jail to avoid an amputation
of his foot. </div>
<div>
<br />The raid garnished national attention; numerous papers
nationwide told the story of the raid and killings within the following
days. Headlines across the country told of the spectacular raid and
shootout in the hills of Eastern Kentucky and how the slain bureau
agents were bravely performing their duties before they were cut down. A
Lexington Herald Leader article states that the initial court
appearances of the men accused was set for January 2, 1923 at the US
District Court in Lexington; however, not many records relating to the
trial, which started in 1924, are readily available. It is known that
Charley Ballard was initially acquitted of his murder charges in Menifee
County, but was later sentenced by the US District Court to six years
in prison for his actions. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
This event was known as the
Menifee Moonshine War, the last great and spectacular raid in the area.
Other illegal distilleries were raided and destroyed in the hills of
Eastern Kentucky throughout the Prohibition Era, some with heated
confrontations, but none would result in the loss of life as the Ballard
raid. Agent Robert Duff was buried in his hometown of Owingsville,
Deputy David G. Treadway was buried at Machpelah Cemetery in Mount
Sterling, and Agent Guy Cole was interred at Mount Pigsah Cemetery near
Bowling Green. These men are added to local and National fallen officer
memorials as a reminder of their public service. Today, clandestine
moonshine operations still exist, and agents of the Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms, FBI and other local law enforcement agencies still battle the
'shiners' nationwide. The lore of the moonshiner takes on a nostalgic
and cultural feel, mixed with legend and romanticism, but still a very
dangerous and illegal activity.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXVrzR3WBPSu1xtX9zwvTcyBCzOr9kYt_NnirjhIL_v2gvulO3XHSJyOtk8UA3WxuEK-ra2JO7Kcvm_6NqQ4PWjnPCKYZAXQQ8DgyTmVl7ksLOxLi7WUSGHYB1s5jyjIu1qI0qwavUR0f/s1600/4955133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXVrzR3WBPSu1xtX9zwvTcyBCzOr9kYt_NnirjhIL_v2gvulO3XHSJyOtk8UA3WxuEK-ra2JO7Kcvm_6NqQ4PWjnPCKYZAXQQ8DgyTmVl7ksLOxLi7WUSGHYB1s5jyjIu1qI0qwavUR0f/s320/4955133.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Agent Robert Duff's grave at Owingsville Cemetery</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Special thanks to Felicia Stalder for inspiring this story, and the pictures she sent!</i><br />
<br />
<i>For more information about this incident, go to </i><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/JasperByrd/HTMDocs/StewartRobertLeeMoonshine.htm&source=gmail&ust=1465569792766000&usg=AFQjCNGlfHf5IDld_cqdKLQ4Cthj-3Iqpg" href="http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/JasperByrd/HTMDocs/StewartRobertLeeMoonshine.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kentuckystewarts.<wbr></wbr>com/JasperByrd/HTMDocs/<wbr></wbr>StewartRobertLeeMoonshine.htm</a> <br />
<br />
and<br />
<br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://books.google.com/books?id%3DSuvYAgAAQBAJ%26pg%3DPA16%26lpg%3DPA16%26dq%3Dlocation%2Bof%2Bballard%2Bmoonshine%2Bstill%2Bmenifee%2Bcounty%26source%3Dbl%26ots%3Dy2DqDRHKNL%26sig%3DNC7rew2SdR050Em8A8U9SUd0jnY%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26ved%3D0ahUKEwjO4tG5i5nNAhVCJiYKHdo4D8UQ6AEIMTAE%23v%3Donepage%26q%3Dlocation%2520of%2520ballard%2520moonshine%2520still%2520menifee%2520county%26f%3Dfalse&source=gmail&ust=1465569791205000&usg=AFQjCNGNgOdo0FGYBybSjSumCTLx0ULCQQ" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=SuvYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=location+of+ballard+moonshine+still+menifee+county&source=bl&ots=y2DqDRHKNL&sig=NC7rew2SdR050Em8A8U9SUd0jnY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO4tG5i5nNAhVCJiYKHdo4D8UQ6AEIMTAE#v=onepage&q=location%20of%20ballard%20moonshine%20still%20menifee%20county&f=false" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/<wbr></wbr>books?id=SuvYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA16&<wbr></wbr>lpg=PA16&dq=location+of+<wbr></wbr>ballard+moonshine+still+<wbr></wbr>menifee+county&source=bl&ots=<wbr></wbr>y2DqDRHKNL&sig=<wbr></wbr>NC7rew2SdR050Em8A8U9SUd0jnY&<wbr></wbr>hl=en&sa=X&ved=<wbr></wbr>0ahUKEwjO4tG5i5nNAhVCJiYKHdo4D<wbr></wbr>8UQ6AEIMTAE#v=onepage&q=<wbr></wbr>location%20of%20ballard%<wbr></wbr>20moonshine%20still%20menifee%<wbr></wbr>20county&f=false</a> Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-91546907781573722932016-06-03T08:36:00.000-04:002016-06-03T08:36:02.733-04:00Ancient Mounds <div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ROKx-rY82u86rvW2-nOI6S-OAiwVl4zuptmV25inBTnOGnpnNBfqPz0107SO5Au_uafIlR0fNns0XxN_cWhSMoQaWK3P0YHd7PMw9unmjuWS6sIJqtAh93sOkMgiZVj96DuJn4qXAZg9/s1600/shannon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ROKx-rY82u86rvW2-nOI6S-OAiwVl4zuptmV25inBTnOGnpnNBfqPz0107SO5Au_uafIlR0fNns0XxN_cWhSMoQaWK3P0YHd7PMw9unmjuWS6sIJqtAh93sOkMgiZVj96DuJn4qXAZg9/s320/shannon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shannon, Kentucky's Indian mound, just to the right of the church.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Long before Kentucky was settled, nomadic tribes of
people wandered the forests and fields, hunting and gathering resources
to survive. We know that when the first white men entered Kentucky,
bands of Shawnee, Iroquois and Wyandot natives, with smaller factions of
Cherokee, were present within the region; but long before those people,
another cultures existed and left lasting remnants with their artifacts
and ceremonial sites we still find today.</div>
Around 13,000
B.C., early humans began migrating into North America during the
Pleistocene Era, probably with the glacier movements that linked Asia
and the American Continent. Some of the earliest ancestors of
indigenous North Americans, called the Clovis People, arrived around
this time and first settled in what is now New Mexico. The Clovis
People began migrating to other parts of North And South America;
archaeological sites attributed to this early culture are found from
Oregon to Pennsylvania and as far south as South Carolina. Other sites
are found as far away as Brazil and Chile. A time at the end of the last
great Ice Age called the Paleoindian Era, circa 9,900 B.C., descendants
of the Clovis People had begun to appear in Kentucky, but the only
evidence so far are a very few arrow and spear tips that have been
found. Mastodon and other large mammals roamed Kentucky and gathered at
the rich mineral springs and salt deposits. The early inhabitants
hunted these giant beasts for food, clothing and shelter; in fact,
remains of a mastodon were recovered in Sharpsburg, at a place
called Fleming's Pond near the Sharpsburg Cemetery. In the nearby
cemetery, there is a conspicuous earthen mound that greets visitors as
they enter. This mound is indeed man-made, but not due to digging graves and discarding the unused soil. </div>
Earthen mounds are found dotting the landscape
through Ohio and parts of Kentucky, made by the Adena People from around
1000 to 200 B.C. These mounds range from just a few feet high and in
diameter like the one in Sharpsburg Cemetery, while others are much
larger. The name Adena is derived not through historical accounts
passed down from the original people, but from the large mound found on
the estate of Thomas Worthington called Adena in Chillicothe, Ohio.
These mounds are burial sites used multiple times, usually filled with
human remains and artifacts, such as arrow points, spears, pottery and
other items. In early settler times, and even up until the early modern
age, the mounds were often leveled by farmers as they plowed fields,
not knowing the significance these earthworks held. One large mound
that suffered a similar fate was located off Ramey Road in Sharpsburg.
From an aerial map, one can still make out the trace of the mound's
large base diameter. There were two more smaller mounds that flanked
the larger one, but they are completely gone now. The mounds in the
region are believed to be from the Middle Woodland Era of the
prehistoric timeline, a time that is not well understood as far as their
social habits; however their culture was obviously well structured. </div>
Some
of the best preserved mounds still existing in the Bluegrass Region are
in Sharpsburg, Mount Sterling, Mays Lick and Shannon. The Gaitskill
Mound in Mount Sterling stands about twenty feet high and his largely
untouched. A larger mound, which gave Mount Sterling its name, was
located at South Queen Street and East Locust near the Keas Church and
described as being a large diameter earthwork with a large elm tree
growing at the top. Unfortunately, during Mount Sterling's early
settlement, the mound was cut down and leveled to accommodate
dwellings. Many artifacts were recovered from the mound, giving a
glimpse into the skill and artisan work the Adena People had in the
production of tools and weapons.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEWce5yBmDHWd89LZoBDSI-T7K37UIzjD_PN2mPl3SGq7W3FMROagInGVl286lvBAkNzq6HwLEBr6O_svyxS2DychODwezfswHnKfK6351IdovxR720iPlyvTkJ-huKVTxdcm0oPorzw7/s1600/gaitskillmoundmtsterlingadenaculture1000to200bce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEWce5yBmDHWd89LZoBDSI-T7K37UIzjD_PN2mPl3SGq7W3FMROagInGVl286lvBAkNzq6HwLEBr6O_svyxS2DychODwezfswHnKfK6351IdovxR720iPlyvTkJ-huKVTxdcm0oPorzw7/s320/gaitskillmoundmtsterlingadenaculture1000to200bce.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mt. Sterling's Gaitskill Mound</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAyoCSZizyv6iqbGMd_DvMZg5TvJGey6s_hOKnHw8RQ4O-T49X7twv9JsxR1zcitHnQnFCmMmAZQ4umO5kA61QhL5XYXwj-oFBdexN5mrrAVR8BgG1kgZ4xSeKbZ5SFKfeAsozxcDkL7d/s1600/gaitskill-reverse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAyoCSZizyv6iqbGMd_DvMZg5TvJGey6s_hOKnHw8RQ4O-T49X7twv9JsxR1zcitHnQnFCmMmAZQ4umO5kA61QhL5XYXwj-oFBdexN5mrrAVR8BgG1kgZ4xSeKbZ5SFKfeAsozxcDkL7d/s1600/gaitskill-reverse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Gaitskill Tablet</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The Gaitskill Mound stands just off
Kentucky 686 adjacent to the Gateway Plaza Shopping Center. Only slight
archaeological excavations have been conducted yielding one curious
object; a tablet made of baked clay that appears to be a spider with a
human face on it. The purpose of this tablet is still a mystery.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRdXsKD4T2sYFslpXhp_VJEsA06lW0c4YlUDO-xP_Md8HlKO6M48Rg7tAhJCrq7aEiD-q8VmJKVPDcFiYpATsYupXEvDLym_4Y8nWwGUUF7QpNvB3xt1SfYgkWikmUGUu72P2IVFryjmT/s1600/sburg+mound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRdXsKD4T2sYFslpXhp_VJEsA06lW0c4YlUDO-xP_Md8HlKO6M48Rg7tAhJCrq7aEiD-q8VmJKVPDcFiYpATsYupXEvDLym_4Y8nWwGUUF7QpNvB3xt1SfYgkWikmUGUu72P2IVFryjmT/s320/sburg+mound.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A small Adena mound in Sharpsburg, Kentucky</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadZZSa4NdI4CVrpDZIl5vyXI1v6J49Nn8q4Xhyphenhyphenv1ou-d26ZpvCLozEite1BRpna4O-TMp7VlR_kEdkJvHmc_HpG1KcHgCv18z7kUmW6GfLkEpMwkA8DMjTAMW3ruFCCU971qIJCESwfLl/s1600/mou+nd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadZZSa4NdI4CVrpDZIl5vyXI1v6J49Nn8q4Xhyphenhyphenv1ou-d26ZpvCLozEite1BRpna4O-TMp7VlR_kEdkJvHmc_HpG1KcHgCv18z7kUmW6GfLkEpMwkA8DMjTAMW3ruFCCU971qIJCESwfLl/s320/mou+nd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shannon Cemetery mound</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Sharpsburg Cemetery mound is largely intact, and no in depth
excavations have been conducted there. More mounds were located between
Sharpsburg and Bethel, toward Upper Blue Licks and along Flat Creek,
but have all mainly been leveled off by farmers. More mounds in
Montgomery County are still slightly visible near Camargo on private
land. <span id="goog_1152509673"></span><span id="goog_1152509674"></span> At a small country settlement known as Shannon, about twenty
minutes west of Maysville, there is a mound in a cemetery. Atop the
mound are graves of early residents who were buried there before anyone
realized the historical value the mound held. No excavations can be
performed there due to the burials, so it will always remain safe and
unharmed. <span id="goog_1152509671"></span><span id="goog_1152509672"></span> Another mound is visible along Route 11 near Maysville almost
to the intersection of the Double A Highway, in a field next to an
large, white house. In Mayslick, a large village site was discovered on
what's called the Fox Farm Site and dates to the Fort Ancient People
during the First Century A.D. Burial mounds are present on the site,
which is on private land, but listed on the Historic Registry. On
Prickly Ash Creek just outside Owingsville, many artifacts have turned
up in a field, but it's not known if the site once had a mound or if it
was a hunting settlement. The best known mound site in Kentucky is the
Wickliffe Mounds in Ballard County. At this location, a village of the
Mississippian People thrived between 1100 and 1350 A.D. Two large
mounds and several smaller ones dot the grounds around the site,
including an excavated mass burial grave site. Wickliffe Mounds is a
Kentucky State Historical Site and has a living history event to show
visitors how the later era people lived from day to day.<br />
<br />
Today,
known and documented mound sites are protected by Federal Laws to
preserve cultural and early American heritage. While we may never know
the true customs of the earliest people to inhabit Kentucky, we can
piece together their ceremonial practices through these sites. There
are probably many more sites yet to be discovered, or realized, hidden
along the ways or maybe even in plain sight. Arrowheads, spears and
other early native artifacts are highly sought after by collectors, but
are the physical remnants of the first people to arrive in North
America, and should be treated as precious relics. The mounds were
considered a sacred place for those early people, and should still be
considered just as hallowed as they were thousands of years ago.<br />
<br />
<i>For information about the protection of Native American sites and artifacts, go to https://www.justice.gov/usao/priority-areas/indian-country/native-american-artifacts</i><br />
<br />
<i>For more information about Kentucky's Historic State Parks, go to http://parks.ky.gov/things_to_do/historic/</i><br />
<br />
Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-89982419726763628472016-05-23T14:34:00.000-04:002016-05-23T14:34:44.384-04:00Back on the Road Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYqJlYDOX2gnzNEsa4ttGvOv8NZenMkGv3GcZISl2OsnTRTxGG9C-ro4Kif7Siw_yC7gir0NuHa2M3tfBe5J2RrST48IWy3fOLS6F9NW4OsnHq9ZzxtJSh_XGYiOpmCblesB1XLPKsKDA/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYqJlYDOX2gnzNEsa4ttGvOv8NZenMkGv3GcZISl2OsnTRTxGG9C-ro4Kif7Siw_yC7gir0NuHa2M3tfBe5J2RrST48IWy3fOLS6F9NW4OsnHq9ZzxtJSh_XGYiOpmCblesB1XLPKsKDA/s320/IMG_0244.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When some people these days hear the name REO
Speedwagon, they think, "oh yeah, I've heard them on the radio a time or
two," but they don't realize the origin of the band's name stems from one
of the workhorse vehicles of the early Twentieth Century and it has an
Owingsville connection. Ransom E. Olds,
founder of the Olds Motor Vehicle Company that later became Oldsmobile,
established the REO Motor Car Company in 1905.
Based in Lansing, Michigan, the REO line of vehicles lasted until 1975
and at one time was one of the wealthiest automobile manufacturers of the early
1900's. Touring cars were largely
produced by the REO Company those early days; usually open top convertibles
that people used to drive across the dusty country roads on a leisurely
afternoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A truck manufacturing division was established in
1910 to help move products across the booming nation. A light duty truck called the REO Speedwagon
hit the production market in 1915 with a state of the art chassis and basic
design that became a widely used service vehicle until around 1953. These trucks were the predecessor of the
modern pickup truck and used as hearses, ambulances, delivery, tow, dump and
fire trucks. Prior to World War I, the
Speedwagons were a highly successful and durable line of vehicle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Fire trucks have been in service for hundreds of
years throughout the world. The earliest
trucks were hand drawn pumps that were deployed by men carrying or dragging
them to fire scenes. Cities soon began
to sprawl out, demanding the need for more efficient trucks to carry more water
and get to fires more quickly. The first
self-propelled fire truck was a steam powered engine built in New York City in
1841; probably the first modern fire truck powered by a combustion engine was
manufactured by the Knox Automobile Company in 1905. The REO Speedwagon fire trucks usually
featured what was called the 'Gold Crown' type six cylinder power plants; a
heavy duty motor which gave them extra power to pull the weight of the truck
with a load of water and other equipment.
The top speed, however, was left to be desired; most of the trucks only
managed about 45 miles per hour at best.
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI2hduj0tnlPd_qxqgxd234w6X04_4OlAhvgtSBi1twToV4LO5vXvFZcs2X_6tTgDtWF9I-GIYXa5sCQzjFuCl0iQVyA-BNfrSmv9hoXTk03K3ueJj01pC2LDy7d4Yeh3aaJryeco-eYx/s1600/IMG_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI2hduj0tnlPd_qxqgxd234w6X04_4OlAhvgtSBi1twToV4LO5vXvFZcs2X_6tTgDtWF9I-GIYXa5sCQzjFuCl0iQVyA-BNfrSmv9hoXTk03K3ueJj01pC2LDy7d4Yeh3aaJryeco-eYx/s320/IMG_0245.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Classic open cab style </i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The City of Owingsville sought a new, modern fire
truck sometime in the 1930’s. The
earliest known fire truck Owingsville had was an old hand-drawn Howe pumper
housed where the Hometown Mortgage office now stands. Water was drafted from cisterns or wells into
the truck via large rubber hoses as men used a lever/piston type mechanism to
get water pressure through the cotton fire hoses. The City Council voted to purchase a reliable
fire truck and settled on a 1932 REO Speedwagon vehicle. Unfortunately, the council meeting minutes
from that era have been lost, so the actual date is unknown. Current Fire Chief John Barry Staton recently
sat down with Tom Byron and discussed some of the history of Owingsville’s ‘Old
REO’. In the early 1930’s, Owingsville’s
water supply was upgraded with new fire hydrants to better protect the city
under the direction of Ernie Downs.
Byron said that Downs was in charge of the water company and held a
significant role in the city’s affairs.
He wasn’t sure of Downs was fire chief at the time, but Tom says his
uncle, Ed Byron, was the mayor during this time. “I believe Dinks Jones may have been the Fire
Chief when the truck was bought,” said Tom.
“Jones actually went to St. Louis and drove the fire truck all the way
back to Owingsville". This was an interesting feat due to the slow speed of the truck and the fact it was an open top.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdMtX9SeDGDvDIJ73g397IvfzKxR1bfiVGpx2B-Tpegen80d1iEjcFwpz9EsY7cyfCi_K7kSM3x8FmnQwzSP7gTndJqMdARC_0hs01oUv1KOAolVE8ZbFfTxC5OaejWvqko6CGy_8-9Rw/s1600/IMG_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdMtX9SeDGDvDIJ73g397IvfzKxR1bfiVGpx2B-Tpegen80d1iEjcFwpz9EsY7cyfCi_K7kSM3x8FmnQwzSP7gTndJqMdARC_0hs01oUv1KOAolVE8ZbFfTxC5OaejWvqko6CGy_8-9Rw/s320/IMG_0254.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
'Old REO' stayed in service many years and was housed at the old city
hall building which is located across from Gray's Funeral Home on Slate
Avenue. During this time, the fire truck was only allowed to respond to
fire calls within the city limits; a policy that remained until more
recent times. Tom Byron said that the city bought another fire truck
around 1953 or 1954; a Ford that with the Speedwagon, were the two front
line trucks for the City of Owingsville. It was mentioned that the REO
fire truck was an open topped vehicle, which maintains that vintage,
classic look. The padded wooden seat probably wasn't very luxurious or
comfortable for long rides, but it served the purpose. The truck's hose
bed is wooden planks that were stained to protect against the wet
cotton hoses that were stored until the next call. Unlike today's fire
trucks that hold 1,000 or more gallons of water, the REO Speedwagon only
held maybe fifty gallons of water. There is a coupling that is fitted
onto the driver's side of the truck that hooked to a hose firefighters
secured to a fire hydrant which fed water into the tank for larger
fires. In its day, the fire truck was a vibrant red with gold trimmings
painted on it and Owingsville F.D. painted in gold on the hood. A
simple 'O.F.D.' was also painted in gold on each side of the truck's
body just behind the cab. Only a couple of people could ride in the
open cab, which left the other firefighters to ride on the side boards
or tailboard to the fire scene. One can envision this classic sight of a
fire truck roaring down the streets as firemen hung onto the sides.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4bYdp8UEFriR3pl9nzNjv5Nvdum2DH_ahaRz203Y4uR_4N14dK5wt4Hp9vaN1T58csLTQPy6qbMkWRUV2d7CqmOcfHBX4WoWk09DdJopyWsQGP_09Hur_iI_h1SlTPwr4Ok1y9SD_Dpd/s1600/IMG_0255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4bYdp8UEFriR3pl9nzNjv5Nvdum2DH_ahaRz203Y4uR_4N14dK5wt4Hp9vaN1T58csLTQPy6qbMkWRUV2d7CqmOcfHBX4WoWk09DdJopyWsQGP_09Hur_iI_h1SlTPwr4Ok1y9SD_Dpd/s320/IMG_0255.JPG" width="240" /></a><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Eventually,
standards in firefighting were streamlined and certain rules were
established regarding how much water a fire truck needed to flow to
effectively extinguish a large fire, rendering the REO Speedwagon truck
obsolete. The truck went out of service sometime before the fire
department reorganized in 1975. Jeff Adkins, who has been a member of
the Owingsville Fire Department since 1984, recalls seeing the 'Old REO'
sitting at the service station that once stood where Owingsville Fire
Department's station is now located. Around 1982 or 1983, the truck was
even decorated as a parade float and pulled through the May Day
Parade. As time went on, the REO Speedwagon was moved to the old water
plant that used to be along Slate Avenue, and next door to Tom Byron.
Tom told Chief Staton that he was talking to the late Mayor William
Steele and the mayor told Tom, "this old truck needs to go away
somewhere soon". Understanding the historical and local tradition the
old truck had, Byron purchased 'Old REO' , saving it from being
scrapped. The truck was moved to a barn Tom owned and there it stayed
for twenty-eight years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
About a month ago, Tom Byron needed help repairing a tractor that was
on the farm. Randy Ferrell, who owns a local repair shop and tow
service on East High Street, came to help Tom. Along with him was Jeff
Adkins, who had always knew the truck was somewhere on the property.
With permission, Jeff opened up the door to a barn and before him was
"Old REO". Randy and Jeff negotiated with Tom and was granted
permission to haul the vintage fire truck out of the barn to the shop on
a journey of restoration. The truck is in quite remarkable condition;
the vibrant red and gold paint has faded and oxidized, the tires have
dry rotted and seat cushions are gone, but the truck is just stunning to
look at. </span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Owingsville's
REO Speedwagon fire truck will be restored back to its original state
over the course of the next several months. If you attended the May Day
Parade last week, you saw the truck poised upon </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB27nOPsxnF11F5kAjrjepMBcVFr-6ZEZshkWpd0w4Vgd-8mD9XVq0CQnso8U7r3aFkzu2fLRiLDKtOTPxSQdkrRRIadzICY5NvFCyj7HGx3DmdY7a0cnUSEXDunLwrK_Z707s8_fNKGcf/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB27nOPsxnF11F5kAjrjepMBcVFr-6ZEZshkWpd0w4Vgd-8mD9XVq0CQnso8U7r3aFkzu2fLRiLDKtOTPxSQdkrRRIadzICY5NvFCyj7HGx3DmdY7a0cnUSEXDunLwrK_Z707s8_fNKGcf/s320/IMG_0221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Randy Ferrell's roll
back truck with Mayor Gary Hunt and <span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Owingsville Fire
Department</span> junior member Jacob Purvis atop it. Randy said that over the past month, several people
have stopped to snap pictures or even asked to buy it. The truck still
belongs to Tom Byron, who has the original title dated 1932, and there
are no immediate plans to sell it anytime soon. There are only 7,000
original miles on the REO Speedwagon, most of which were tacked on when
the maiden trip from St. Louis to Owingsville was made. One piece of
equipment that isn't on the truck is the old bell, which was donated to
the Bath County Memorial Library in honor of Mayor Robert Gilmore, but
an old pike pole and section of hose is still there. The spotlight and
red beacon light is still on the truck and appear to be in great
condition. Randy said the power plant six cylinder motor is in
remarkable shape, and has been pulled out to be restored along with the
rest of the truck. As months go by, it will be interesting to see the
restoration progress of this vintage gem of a truck; a true visual relic
of Owingsville's history.</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrvMf9LYkbTcPA6PnM_AsjQOtchDk1m7_3C-ztUIffvReq23OHYYZvs0apznbk_rf_uq6b_ESjcQejvhk5THB582piZzDDUz7C3B7CGbD3v2AX-9_UvO8Qi-Q69nGNz9ZMiTzHUUYqdXp/s1600/IMG_0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrvMf9LYkbTcPA6PnM_AsjQOtchDk1m7_3C-ztUIffvReq23OHYYZvs0apznbk_rf_uq6b_ESjcQejvhk5THB582piZzDDUz7C3B7CGbD3v2AX-9_UvO8Qi-Q69nGNz9ZMiTzHUUYqdXp/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSyHjkobs49etnbmT2JTV73rFrt1MIntAyYI3AXPRY5hC-HSWjYYYks8xvPNKUuvC0L1fG-3wqHiOcR64gP94BLcGiQViAVWZX01H-8lWiNnhXCGYwjrof6lnh1b2mMRspsQSSgf5gp_M/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSyHjkobs49etnbmT2JTV73rFrt1MIntAyYI3AXPRY5hC-HSWjYYYks8xvPNKUuvC0L1fG-3wqHiOcR64gP94BLcGiQViAVWZX01H-8lWiNnhXCGYwjrof6lnh1b2mMRspsQSSgf5gp_M/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3Uo3_Sb_S3M3vkhwqYCJLQcfZmQMYaAdwo8PyBoowo6ENdtsa-xB_PhPY9whKe9sr-pBhwHTIJHV4QFl0Pf_kWkXLMwKpRJat-xJa64j7FkFEBWDcmUERtK5iQHwAxYUQpT3WwPIhFTa/s1600/IMG_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3Uo3_Sb_S3M3vkhwqYCJLQcfZmQMYaAdwo8PyBoowo6ENdtsa-xB_PhPY9whKe9sr-pBhwHTIJHV4QFl0Pf_kWkXLMwKpRJat-xJa64j7FkFEBWDcmUERtK5iQHwAxYUQpT3WwPIhFTa/s320/IMG_0259.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gCjd8ro9RJ9AwvdnOyFLrcXNdVKGTNKClTJJyl4dJupcNetaoIDIDo1qBT_IOYUk3SahVr3Hx77eqacL0ZykZDurV5dQdUNwG91v7djhd6aA0TW1g0Bsl2PhOjM5nXOsu46DYMhQxl2t/s1600/IMG_0260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gCjd8ro9RJ9AwvdnOyFLrcXNdVKGTNKClTJJyl4dJupcNetaoIDIDo1qBT_IOYUk3SahVr3Hx77eqacL0ZykZDurV5dQdUNwG91v7djhd6aA0TW1g0Bsl2PhOjM5nXOsu46DYMhQxl2t/s320/IMG_0260.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hand crank type windshield wiper</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDywRGzLjqyl8TxIK6sBwHKjVuF62Jzyrpm8NYJNUr98s9R9eIzJx0v94Jq3TmLUHX227ZViV4Wf4btm0KpNRmo0PHU-0KUGLbVvGZAcACJiILyRQW-DrAEcdCer42xlDVlJnJ2MEPn6m4/s1600/IMG_0250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDywRGzLjqyl8TxIK6sBwHKjVuF62Jzyrpm8NYJNUr98s9R9eIzJx0v94Jq3TmLUHX227ZViV4Wf4btm0KpNRmo0PHU-0KUGLbVvGZAcACJiILyRQW-DrAEcdCer42xlDVlJnJ2MEPn6m4/s320/IMG_0250.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Add caption</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Zd3yGOvqkM0GoZR8rdu_Sq2jUzS5jHZdPPUeyPRm4j4NbQxQlD2GHzFDiBp6w0zBUBn0QvigDxT2zJ-X7RFCZ5Duk1viCUoQ2DyNQRKUAD7y-YM248zZTzscjiJ6KKKe6mUamURZTQDe/s1600/IMG_0249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Zd3yGOvqkM0GoZR8rdu_Sq2jUzS5jHZdPPUeyPRm4j4NbQxQlD2GHzFDiBp6w0zBUBn0QvigDxT2zJ-X7RFCZ5Duk1viCUoQ2DyNQRKUAD7y-YM248zZTzscjiJ6KKKe6mUamURZTQDe/s320/IMG_0249.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Faint Owingsville FD on the hood</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-10567001910731779632016-05-06T09:10:00.000-04:002016-05-06T09:10:09.873-04:00Thomas Deye Owings, Military and Civic Leader<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZv6gS38svH4WG3yzEHSrfgQ-ZPE3ED0Fe-uea1ESc4x1ZYhzNhzjmYUX3bPq9-VujAKgyhQVSKVlm_5GbYSzBJYteu-ygvuhDXJwgu4Gsjc80dUOtPeHpp5HExd3MvjBulIufC1-B5_pB/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZv6gS38svH4WG3yzEHSrfgQ-ZPE3ED0Fe-uea1ESc4x1ZYhzNhzjmYUX3bPq9-VujAKgyhQVSKVlm_5GbYSzBJYteu-ygvuhDXJwgu4Gsjc80dUOtPeHpp5HExd3MvjBulIufC1-B5_pB/s1600/th.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Colonel Thomas Deye Owings, 28th US Infantry </i></td></tr>
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The War of 1812 is regarded as America’s Second Revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The British Government had restricted trade during
their war with France
and had captured several thousand American merchant sailors and hundreds of
ships loaded with goods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also
opposed the annexation of America
into the remaining British held territories of the Northwest, which is now the
upper Midwest near the Canadian border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In return, the United States opposed British
support of the Native American tribes who fought the pioneers expanding
westward past Kentucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In June 1807,
the British ship Leopard engaged the USS Chesapeake, a frigate with deserters
from the Royal Navy, at Norfolk,
Virginia. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While on blockade patrol, Salusbury Humphreys,
captain of the Leopard, ordered the Chesapeake
to submit to a search.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Captain James
Barron refused the order from the British naval officer, prompting the Leopard
to fire on the American frigate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
crew of the Chesapeake
only managed to fire a single shot before being nearly decimated by the furious
cannon fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three of the Chesapeake’s crew had
been killed with 18 wounded, including Captain Barron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realizing the gravity of the situation,
Barron lowered his flag, signaling surrender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Humphreys ordered the Chesapeake
to be boarded regardless of the surrender, and four men were taken off the
stricken ship, three of which were American sailors who had previously served
on British ships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This act sent
shockwaves across the Untied States and a cry for retaliation was sounded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President Thomas Jefferson responded with the
Embargo Act of 1807; choosing to treat the issue diplomatically rather than
with force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This incident, known as the
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, helped spark the declaration of war five years
later.</div>
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During this time, Kentucky
was the known as the far western territory. The Mississippi River was the
westernmost point in the United States, with territories in Indiana,
Illinois and Michigan being mainly frontier occupied by
natives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American expansion into these
territories and into Canada
was hindered by native tribes who were supplied by the British.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kentucky
was a young state of only twenty years at the time war was declared in June,
1812.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A vast majority of those who would
fight against the British and Natives came from Kentucky, including Owingsville’s namesake,
Thomas Deye Owings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owings was the owner
of the Bourbon Ironworks and successful businessman, securing a government
contract in 1807 to supply the newly formed US Navy with cannon balls,
grapeshot and canisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The war
material was taken by oxcarts to a shipping point in Maysville, then loaded
onto boats and floated down the Ohio River to the Mississippi
to New Orleans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the War of 1812 broke out, Owings raised
a regiment of 377 soldiers; mostly soldiers from Bath and surrounding counties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On April 3, 1813, Owings was commissioned as
a colonel of the 28<sup>th</sup> US Infantry and attached to General Isaac
Shelby, who, consequently, was Kentucky’s
first governor and Revolutionary War veteran. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shelby
was again governor at the outbreak of the war, and was asked to supply troops
to support the Northwest campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was personally
asked by future president General William Henry Harrison to join the fight and lead more volunteers in June, 1813, raising a force of 3,500 soldiers to fight the British and Native Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas Deye Owings’ regiment, under General
Shelby’s force, was part of the recapture of Detroit in September 1813 and in October,
participated in a significant battle that would help change the course of the
war.</div>
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Shawnee Chief Tecumseh led a Native American tribal
confederacy and was allied with the British Army commanded by Major General
Henry Procter during the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tecumseh
opposed the treaties between the Federal government and the native nations, and wanted
to reclaim the territories as their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the coalition of the British, the confederacy was well equipped to
match the Americans and had gained significant victories early in the conflict;
notably the capture of Fort Detroit and control of Lake Erie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fierce naval battle on September 10, 1813
resulted in the British losing Lake Erie and cutting vital supply routes the
British needed to sustain Detroit
and other occupied territories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colonel
Owings and 28 others from the 28<sup>th</sup> Infantry joined Commodore Oliver
Perry’s fleet as sharpshooters hidden in the rigging of the frigates during
this crucial battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately after
this battle, General Procter began a retreat to a position near Lake Ontario
at Burlington Heights; an act that would threaten to
leave the native confederacy to fend for themselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tecumseh objected to the retreat and argued to
stay and fight the Americans, but relented and
joined General Procter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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General William Henry Harrison, with a force of around 3,500
infantry and cavalry which included a detachment of the 28<sup>th</sup>
Infantry including Colonel Owings, pursued the fleeing British a few days
after the Battle of Lake Erie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The army
captured several abandoned boats and encountered several stragglers that were
taken prisoner along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
British army consisted of around 800 troops from the 41<sup>st</sup> Regiment;
Tecumseh’s warriors numbered around 500, both greatly outnumbered and
outgunned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The armies would finally meet
along the Thames River
near Moraviantown in present day Ontario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around daybreak, October 5, 1813, General
Procter formed a battle line in an attempt to surprise and trap the American
army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tecumseh positioned his warriors
along a swampy area to the right of the British position to try to flank Harrison’s troops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, Procter failed to fortify his position and left the field
of battle unbroken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James Johnson was
ordered to make a frontal attack with his mounted Kentucky riflemen, breaking through the line
under a hail of bullets from Tecumseh’s warriors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The British were overrun; General Procter and
250 men retreated while the rest surrendered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tecumseh and his warriors stayed to fight, inflicting flanking fire into
the Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A charge led by Colonel Richard
Johnson into the natives’ position was quickly stopped by intense firing, with
fifteen of Johnson’s soldiers killed or injured; Johnson was reportedly hit
five times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main force became bogged
down in the swampy marsh during the fight, and at some point, a bullet fatally
struck the great Shawnee Chief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American
reinforcements began to assist Colonel Johnson’s troops, and soon the native’s
flank began to fail. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The warriors became
disheartened after Tecumseh’s death and began a hasty retreat from the
battlefield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This victory was a crushing
blow to the British and natives; securing the Northwestern front and Detroit in favor of the Americans.<br />
<br />
After the war, Thomas Deye Owings returned to Owingsville, and welcomed as a war hero. Word of his bravery and indirect assistance in the killing of Tecumseh fueled that sentiment among those around the already successful man. He elected into the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1815 until 1818, and as State Senator in 1825. In 1835, Texas sought to gain independence from Mexico, and Colonel Owings pledged 1,500 troops to support the Texas Revolution. His own son, Robert Smith Owings, joined Captain Burr Duvall's army based in Bardstown and was sent to New Orleans to await orders to march into Texas. From letters sent to various parties during this time, it seems Colonel Owings was financing the recruitment and munitions for the Kentucky army's Texas campaign. On March 27, 1836, the Goliad Massacre took place when over 400 US prisoners of war were killed by the Mexican Army, including 75 Kentuckians an Owings' son. In April, Colonel Owings and a regiment of troops numbering around 1,500 left Maysville on a steamer bound for New Orleans. From there, the regiment planned to move into Texas, but the Texans' victory at San Jacinto ended the fighting before Colonel Owings' regiment could see battle. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMptWX_uGR3ywscYjNGcuicYJHfAh7At7wH0_ZtiCP2sHYX_itNlltND03snbCluKaTnQbliXWnIDFAb9FLnU3op7QwoHnx10Ibf8saAriBQK9Ekk61pWJCbtpyfCQ8CjLzeTdt_u57Ynp/s1600/BrenhamTexasMasonicCemeteryOwingsTombstone111206JT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMptWX_uGR3ywscYjNGcuicYJHfAh7At7wH0_ZtiCP2sHYX_itNlltND03snbCluKaTnQbliXWnIDFAb9FLnU3op7QwoHnx10Ibf8saAriBQK9Ekk61pWJCbtpyfCQ8CjLzeTdt_u57Ynp/s320/BrenhamTexasMasonicCemeteryOwingsTombstone111206JT.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Thomas Owings was awarded land grants in Texas and settled in Brenham for the last sixteen years of his life. He was prosperous as a land owner and businessman, but only returned to Kentucky for occasional visits. His home in his namesake town of Owingsville became an inn and hotel and is still standing today as the Owingsville Banking Company. The Bourbon Iron Works, the first iron industry west of the Alleghenies, made its last blast in 1838 and left to abandonment. The stack for the furnace stands as a roadside park and is on the National Register of Historical Places. It is said that Owings was nearly bankrupt and at one point had over 250 lawsuits either as plaintiff or defendant due to his business ventures and land disputes. At the end of his life on October 6, 1853, Thomas Deye Owings was given a Masonic burial in Brenham, Texas and still hailed as a hero of the War of 1812.<br />
His family lineage stretches far and wide, with ancestors still living in the area around Bath County, Texas, Missouri and Maryland. While it is commonplace now for those in military service and wartime campaigns to be awarded medals and ribbons, the War of 1812 only bore the award called the Congressional Gold Medal. It is unknown if Colonel Owings received such a medal, but his service record is of remarkable distinction. The First Division, 28th Infantry that Colonel Owings served under was deactivated and reorganized as 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry during the Indian Wars in 1866 and lasted until 1869, when it was finally reflagged wholly as the 19th Infantry. A third version of the 28th Infantry went into service during the Philippine War from 1901 until 1904, and fought with distinction in all major US conflicts through Vietnam. Although not part of the original 28th Infantry Thomas Deye Owings was a commanding officer of, the 28th Infantry was my Army Basic Training unit at Fort Jackson, South Carolina (Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry). While most Bath Countians only know what is written on the bronze historical marker outside the Owings House, the history of Colonel Owings' military and civic leadership is one that reflects well on the town that bears his name some 212 years later. <br />
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-22610252038843866802016-04-18T08:57:00.001-04:002016-04-18T09:01:36.211-04:00The Old Springfield Presbyterian Church<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjDKvOsKj6n2SXzkXWl1zvTjdpDvzsCh_TvlqT8DKlOzUFKd7G4Di-Oc4-CUQ4s_LFHHr4M7rm752718UPbTSqp3OvsCBjILPQ6_cXGGAsyTM6b8U_SplnME3p5B_KbxIaNkl64-OKNWB/s1600/13015111_10154107148332497_1953116835275579502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjDKvOsKj6n2SXzkXWl1zvTjdpDvzsCh_TvlqT8DKlOzUFKd7G4Di-Oc4-CUQ4s_LFHHr4M7rm752718UPbTSqp3OvsCBjILPQ6_cXGGAsyTM6b8U_SplnME3p5B_KbxIaNkl64-OKNWB/s320/13015111_10154107148332497_1953116835275579502_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Old Springfield Church, April 2016</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The cornerstones of any community are the houses of the holy. This is especially true in Kentucky, where churches of varying faiths are quite abundant. Early immigrants from Europe came to what would be the United States to exercise a freedom in religion; we all have read about the Pilgrims who sailed from England on the Mayflower in order to break away from the teachings of the Church of England and the Catholic churches, which they felt strayed from the true meanings of the Bible. After the colonial settlements and mass migrations to the New World began, many others followed suit and sought to teach the Gospel, establishing places of congregation and worship along the wild, wilderness trails. According to the history of Fort Boonesboro, Reverend John Lythe from the Church of England performed the first formal Christian religious service in Kentucky on May 8, 1775, under a large elm tree near the fort during a meeting to establish a colony called Transylvania. A piece called The Kentucky Baptist History compiled by William D. Nowlin states the first organized church in Kentucky, called Severn's Valley, was constituted June 18, 1781 near present day Elizabethtown. South Elkhorn Christian Church off Harrodsburg Road in Lexington was founded as early as 1784 and the Walnut Hill Presbyterian Church, also in Lexington, was organized in 1785 as a small cabin for pioneers to congregate and worship. The Stanford Presbyterian Church was recognized in 1788; however, the church wasn't built and established until 1792.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf5pcpDinsV5Ys3pZ9_H4lLx3RBOgh3Gdylcbsmn5gLqe-LsZiWnwnKzer5rzlou00bOPj6YZzTL_um7tpGAg6MoIy5VvEADNWBMOmK6nrkm3jXO8iFKop9JBQo6bvpU4w63cbjW6ec23/s1600/Cane_Ridge_Meeting_House%252C_Little_Rock_Road%252C_Paris_vicinity_%2528Bourbon_County%252C_Kentucky%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf5pcpDinsV5Ys3pZ9_H4lLx3RBOgh3Gdylcbsmn5gLqe-LsZiWnwnKzer5rzlou00bOPj6YZzTL_um7tpGAg6MoIy5VvEADNWBMOmK6nrkm3jXO8iFKop9JBQo6bvpU4w63cbjW6ec23/s320/Cane_Ridge_Meeting_House%252C_Little_Rock_Road%252C_Paris_vicinity_%2528Bourbon_County%252C_Kentucky%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cane Ridge Meeting House, circa 1934</i></td></tr>
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The Cane Ridge Meeting House, located in Bourbon County, Kentucky near Paris was built around 1791 as a one room log structure made of roughly hewn logs and wooden slat siding. It was the site of The Great Awakening Revival in 1801 and reportedly attracted over 10,000 people. Today, the original structure is enclosed within a brick building and still in use today. <br />
<br />
The Presbyterian Movement can be traced back to Scotland, where a reform against the Catholic churches started around the 16th Century. Reverend Francis Makeme is credited as organizing the first Presbyterian church in America at Philadelphia in 1706. The sect of Presbyterians that came to Kentucky were derived from the Irish who had settled in Virginia. David Rice arrived in Kentucky in 1783 from Virginia and is regarded as the 'father or Presbyterianism in Kentucky'. He preached at the Stanford Presbyterian Church and was a member of the Kentucky Constitutional Convention in 1792. As the region that would become Bath County was settled, the need for a place of worship was expressed. In the minutes of the Transylvania Presbytery Meeting held June 12, 1793, the Springfield congregation petitioned to erect a place of worship. Located on the old road that connected Mount Sterling to Blue Licks, four-hundred acres of land was donated by William Robinson to build what would be known as the Springfield Meeting House. At the time, this portion of land was considered part of Clark County; in fact, the Springfield Church as been, at some points in time, in parts of Clark, Bourbon, Montgomery and finally Bath Counties.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Map showing some of Kentucky's Counties, 1794</i></td></tr>
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Joseph Price Howe, a Presbyterian reverend, emigrated to Kentucky from North Carolina with his family and met with Robinson during the summer of 1794 to express interest in organizing the church, which would be located along the old Blue Licks road near a large spring that inspired the name Springfield. That fall, Reverend Howe organized what was at the time called the Springfield Meeting House with James Trimble as the first elder. The first members were William and John Robinson, Jane McClure and William & Rebecca Moffatt. The church was a small square log cabin built with the abundant timber that covered the area. According to Edward Owings Guerrant's speech made at the Centennial of Springfield Church dedication on September 12, 1894, the church, at the time of its organization, was the only one in the area; the closest being at the Washington settlement in Mason County. This is an interesting revelation, since the Cane Ridge Meeting House is regarded as being one of the oldest churches in Kentucky, and is nearer than the aforementioned church at Washington. Another nearby church was organized in Montgomery County in 1794 along the
banks of the Lulbegrud Creek near the Clark County line on Prewitt Pike; although the first record
of a minister presiding over the congregation isn't noted in records until 1799. It is also of interesting note that the Old Republican Meeting House was built around 1791-1793 (depending on which source is read) near Bethel, but the purpose of that meeting house has long been forgotten. Aside from a very old cemetery adjacent to the location, nothing remains of the Old Republican Meeting House. <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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A few weeks after the 1801 revival at Cane Ridge drew such an
enormous crowd, Springfield hosted one of similar nature, but only
drawing around 3,000 people, according to the diary of Reverend John
Lyle. Another revival in August, 1802 brought many more into the congregation over the course of a weekend. By 1803, the Springfield Church congregation had increased partly due to the revivals and the small cabin was outgrown. A larger, double log cabin was built by Andrew and James Richart in 1804 and used until 1820. A third church was built on the spot we know today by Thomas Graves between 1820 and 1821; being a stone and brick structure. The title to the land donated by William Robinson didn't pass to the
church trustees until 1816, when John Jones conveyed three acres that
included the Springfield Church and adjacent cemetery to trustees
James McIlheny, Rollins Burbridge John Lockridge, Andrew Shankland and
James Graham. It is unknown exactly how many people dedicated themselves to the Springfield Church during the tenure of Reverend Joseph Howe, but it is a fair bet that it was a large amount due mostly to his active role in the revivals. An astonishing 384 marriages were performed at the church by Reverend Howe from 1795 to 1826; the first being Patrick McCollum and Elizabeth Saint Dreskie on May 7, 1795 (a list of these marriages can be found in Robert Stuart Sanders' 1954 book <i>An Historical Sketch of Springfield Presbyterian Church, Bath County Kentucky</i>). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Grave site of Rev. Joseph Price Howe</i></td></tr>
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Reverend Howe remained the pastor at the Springfield Church for thirty two years. He also preached occasionally at the Little Mountain Church in present day Mount Sterling and the Point Pleasant Church in Bourbon County. The last sermon Reverend Joseph Price Howe preached was at the Peeled Oak Church in 1827. He passed away at his home in Mount Sterling July 11, 1827 at the age of 62 and is buried next to the church he organized.<br />
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A host of pastors manned the pulpit over the years at the Springfield Church, but the one of the most known aside from Reverend Howe was Edward Owings Guerrant. Guerrant was born in nearby Sharpsburg, Kentucky February 28, 1838. After graduating Centre College in 1860, he received by the Ebenezer Presbytery as a candidate for ministry. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Guerrant joined the Confederacy and served as a staff officer for General Humphrey Marshall. Later, he achieved the rank of captain in John Hunt Morgan's 2nd Kentucky Cavalry and participated in many campaigns during his time in service. After the war, Guerrant studied medicine, graduating from Belvue Medical College in 1867. Guerrant moved back to his native Kentucky and practiced medicine in Mount Sterling until 1873. He was ordained and licensed by the West Lexington Presbytery October 30, 1875 and preached at Springfield Church, and others in Clark County, Louisville, Wilmore and Woodford County.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHqaDkoOuseNgkCBDWiDfHEbIWlu5YI4-cLsgmEo_FgtLifwdna0yGMqCVdcagbykLuNoojt1wShyrcUnW8Bze-3LMdmDXb-v6oSNszGjSrR6ssGksuMHnyYMfMYps0Gno7yQ6Wz7Z2U8/s1600/guerrant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHqaDkoOuseNgkCBDWiDfHEbIWlu5YI4-cLsgmEo_FgtLifwdna0yGMqCVdcagbykLuNoojt1wShyrcUnW8Bze-3LMdmDXb-v6oSNszGjSrR6ssGksuMHnyYMfMYps0Gno7yQ6Wz7Z2U8/s320/guerrant.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rev. Edward Owings Guerrant</i></td></tr>
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The Springfield Church's Centennial celebration was held September 12, 1894 and Reverend Edward Guerrant delivered the address. He gave an historical account of the church's organization and a comparison of notable events and the age of the church, such as the birth of Kentucky in 1792 and the Indian raid at Morgan's Station that occurred the year prior to the organization of Springfield Church. The entire address was published in the Mt. Sterling Gazette and provides some great information about the origins of the church. Reverend Guerrant presided over the American Inland Mission and received the degree of Doctor of Divinity during his ministry. He also became a well known author and published a memoir of his time with John Hunt Morgan that gave an intimate insight of a soldier's life during the Civil War. It is said that Reverend Guerrant's oratory skills and dedication to the church was one of great favor among the congregations he preached to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUbq5ZSXnMIILbZFTE6ozyBngeScqwmKWx7LIlCheQS-ZwWJeCwOcjD2hTro9PAeA_LJmtxvsRpYfBfgjjrdfcb8_5idJX9QZNamYm9uvX8f11fZ4w5LNob_N_NRbKxjKMiciTY2uqYSt/s1600/church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUbq5ZSXnMIILbZFTE6ozyBngeScqwmKWx7LIlCheQS-ZwWJeCwOcjD2hTro9PAeA_LJmtxvsRpYfBfgjjrdfcb8_5idJX9QZNamYm9uvX8f11fZ4w5LNob_N_NRbKxjKMiciTY2uqYSt/s320/church.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The dilapidated Old Springfield Church, circa 1951</i></td></tr>
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Time and wear began taking its toll on the Springfield Church during the early 20th Century. Spot repairs were made to make the building usable through the years as offerings would allow, but the congregation began declining. Reverend Thomas Jackson Ray presided over the congregation from 1936 until 1943. At the time of his death at age 40, Ray did dual duty at Springfield Church and the Menefee Memorial Church in Sharpsburg. After his death, the Springfield Church lay dormant and fell into a shape of disrepair. The doors closed and the people moved to other churches, leaving one of Kentucky's oldest churches and cemeteries to the elements. Nature began taking the old burying grounds over; the tombs of Reverend Howe and many other early settlers disappeared under thick vegetation. The church's roof and floor timbers began decaying as termites fed on the 120-plus year old structure. Trees and native bushes crept up the walls, cracking the old brick and displacing the aged mortar. It seemed the church would collapse and be lost forever. In March, 1954, H.D. Bastin, Chairman of the Presbyterian Home Extension Committee, set out to revive rural churches, including the Springfield Church. He appointed a local committee comprised of Frank Taylor, William and Mark Smathers, Stanley Brown and Frank Hill to see what was needed to restore and reopen the historic church. A community call was put out and soon, a great many people came to rescue the ailing house of worship. All of the labor and a vast majority of the material was donated. The floors and window sills had to be completely replaced; the old wooden floor was torn out and 40-50 loads of rock were hauled in to fill the underfloor prior to the concrete being filled in. The cemetery was cleaned up and the old stones replaced and uprighted as needed. By September 19, 1954, the Old Springfield Church was again ready to accept a congregation. Three services were held that day, morning, afternoon and evening. The morning service had around 300 people present, the dedication service was at 2:30 p.m. and had over 500 in attendance. A fellowship dinner was held at noon and many people from all over the state and even other surrounding states attended. Visiting members of the Presbytery were in attendance and brought messages, including Versailles Presbyterian Church minister emeritus Dr. Robert Sanders, Lexington-Ebenezer Presbytery Executive Secretary Reverend Walter Maude, and Elder H.D. Bastian. The Sharpsburg Christian Church choir, along with the Stanton Presbyterian Church and Elizaville Presbyterian Church choirs, performed as August Schmidt from New Orleans played the piano. Frank Taylor, the minister of the newly dedicated church, praised the tireless efforts of the people of Bath and surrounding communities during his service by saying, "We have reopened Old Springfield, and we intend to keep it open."<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRG_HmCOJpH4eSUDEAA_yYgU6fa53gRBIfjJqX44mTcfcjaAMGjEbAfRow1W-HzAyaG54MfGEGBL-HFGFQQCLYgg1c4sUy6llZ7oX2JLJYTJ_JRVOL3uUpj9qYXNKg9iI8xjooKlhfIza/s1600/12718201_10154107148392497_7677852054871052539_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRG_HmCOJpH4eSUDEAA_yYgU6fa53gRBIfjJqX44mTcfcjaAMGjEbAfRow1W-HzAyaG54MfGEGBL-HFGFQQCLYgg1c4sUy6llZ7oX2JLJYTJ_JRVOL3uUpj9qYXNKg9iI8xjooKlhfIza/s320/12718201_10154107148392497_7677852054871052539_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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The Springfield Church was known as the "Mother of Churches" as it's members spawned the organization of the Gilead Presbyterian Church in 1839 at Sharpsburg, the Sharpsburg Presbyterian Church in 1848, and the Owingsville Presbyterian Church, now the St. Julie Catholic Church, in 1876. Indian Point Presbyterian Church in Maynard County, Illinois was also organized by members from the Old Springfield Church. Several important meetings of the Presbytery were held at the church, including one in 1836 that debated the issue of slavery. A petition to include the Old Springfield Presbyterian Church on the National Register of Historic Places was initiated in 1971, and finalized in 1979. Today, a bronze marker is on the front of the church as a standing monument to the early settlers who paved a spiritual way of life in the wilderness of Kentucky. In recent times, the congregation and ministers of Springfield Church have came and went. According to the site Find A Grave, the cemetery holds 279 interments dating back to the late 18th Century to just recently. Many of these graves are illegible now but for the most part, the stones are still standing. Many other places where the ground is sunken are tell-tale signs of a grave with no marker and scatter the grounds here and there. Several very old above ground stone boxes adorn the grounds, sealing the remains of those souls below. The church once again is dormant and no longer holds services; I've been told it has been several months since the Gospel was delivered before a congregation. <br />
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I recently visited the site for the first time and found it rather peaceful and intriguing; the history the site holds is immeasurable. Just inside the wooden gate, there is a curious stone step-like structure that greets visitors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stones used for mounting horses</i></td></tr>
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At first I thought it was maybe part of the original entrance to the cabin that was once there, but during the course of this research, I learned this was a step used by women to mount horses and coach buggies that once was the only means of travel. The cemetery is quite large and extends well past the rear of the church over the three acre tract. The church itself is locked tight and the stained glass windows offer no glimpse into the sanctuary; it would be sacrilege to gain entry illicitly. It is my hope that the church and the hallowed grounds around it remain intact and taken care of until the doors open once more.<br />
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If you decide to visit this historic site, it is located on a remote back road that is populated with some families who are descendants of those who organized and worshiped in the Old Springfield Presbyterian Church; so be mindful and respectful. Recent reality television shows have glorified paranormal experiences and people have been known to gather at the site to see if the spirits of those buried around the church are in a state of unrest. Whether of not they have truly seen or heard something is a matter of opinion. The fact is that the Old Springfield Church is a revered and hallowed place that has outlasted the times for over 222 years. <br />
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<i>The Old Springfield Church is located on Springfield Road (KY Route 3289) in Bath County. Directions are: Off Kentucky Route 11 from Sharpsburg - head south out of Sharpsburg toward Mount Sterling approximately 2 miles. Springfield Road will turn off to the left. Go 3.6 miles down Springfield Road, the church will be on the right. </i><br />
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<i>From Mount Sterling, exit Interstate 64 at the 110 exit, go north on Kentucky 11 toward Sharpsburg approximately 7 miles. Springfield Road will turn to the right. The church is 3.6 miles down on the right. An alternate route is to travel out Route 11 to the four-way intersection at Judy Drive In. Turn right onto Kentucky 537 and travel approximately 3.5 miles. Springfield Road turns left at a sharp curve, almost T-intersection. The church is one mile down on the left. </i><br />
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<i>From Owingsville - Travel US 60 West outside Owingsville toward Mount Sterling, go approximately 6.5 miles to Van Thompson Road at the Montgomery County line. Turn right onto Van Thompson Rd (Kentucky 537) and go 2.5 miles to a sharp 90 degree left hand turn. At that point, a road will go straight at the curve, that is Springfield Road. The church is one mile down on the left. </i><br />
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<br />Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-40063761813452841582016-04-15T07:43:00.000-04:002016-04-15T07:43:55.419-04:00A Hoss is a Hoss, of Course<div>
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One thing about growing up in a small town is the
community events that are held throughout the year. Owingsville has
several notable events that have become part of the local tradition; May
Day and the Lion's Club Horse show are two lasting events that still
draw crowds today. But, not so long ago, there was a time when
Owingsville was filled with vendors, food, and outhouses on hot July
days....wait, <i>outhouses</i>?</div>
There was a local tradition
each July that brought Owingsville together much like the May Day
Festival called Hoss Tradin' Days. Now, for the folks who are not from a
small town or have never heard of the term, a hoss is a southern term
for horse. Back in the early days, every second Monday was court day,
and vendors filled the streets selling produce, farm implements and
livestock. Horses, hogs and cattle were bought and traded all through
the day while local merchants opened their shops for all to browse and
buy the latest things. Local saloons and taverns (yes, at one time
Owingsville had such places) would be busy with patrons quenching their
thirst and telling tall tales. The most busy times for court day
activity were the months of March, April and October. In addition to all
the livestock bartering, street minstrels played their songs to anyone
who would hear them and toss a coin into a hat. Politicians mingled and
shook hands of prospective voters during election times, and ministers
preached the Gospel to the crowds. As the modern age approached, the
street spectacles of court days in Owingsville and 'hoss' trading went
by the wayside.</div>
Owingsville and Bath County went through a
revitalization period in the 1960's and 1970's with focus on bringing
people back into the town. The Chamber of Commerce proposed and helped
organize a modern era trade day to go in conjunction with the Lion's
Club Horse Show, dubbed Hoss Tradin' Days. Although there wasn't any
livestock paraded down Main Street, stores opened their doors, vendors
set up food booths and a small flea market atmosphere brought the town
alive each July. It was similar to the annual May Day Festival, without
the parade. Usually, an exhibition of some sorts in the middle of Main
Street entertained the crowds, while bands played in the 'pocket'
behind the courthouse or behind the library. Perhaps the most
entertaining event during this day was the outhouse races. Teams
consisting of local business groups built mobile outhouse props, some
quite elaborately made, and pushed them from the intersection of North
Court and Main Streets to the stop light. It was all in the name of fun
and friendly competition, with prize money awarded, that was usually
always donated to a charity. Prominent business owners, political
figures, and elected officials got into the outhouses and hoped that the
wheels remained sturdy and the structure didn't fall apart during the
short race. One particular race I recall involved late businessman
Parley Richardson, who was in an elaborately designed creation. As the
team pushed his outhouse to the finish line, Parley, being the jokester
he was, darted out of the outhouse in a pair boxers and his pants around
his knees. The crowd roared in laughter as he ran across the finish
line ahead of the team. </div>
In 1992, I was a firefighter recruit
with the Owingsville Fire Department. We made a simple outhouse for the
race that July and I was chosen to ride upon the throne, pun intended.
Our team consisted of Norman Crouch, Mike Crockett, Ricky Faudere, and
Fire Chief Wes Everman. We raced against Champ Maze's Law Office and
came in second that day, but it was a fun event to have been a part of.
That was the last true Hoss Tradin' Days event I attended, as I left
for military service soon afterward.</div>
Hoss Tradin' Days lost its
spark sometime soon after I participated; time, funding and other
methods of entertainment became the biggest culprits in the demise. The
Chamber of Commerce attempted to revamp Hoss Tradin' Days in 2012 and
relocated it to the Miller Shopping Plaza just outside of town. Several
local vendors set up booths to sell items, but it lacked the excitement
of the former days. Eventually, the idea fell short and again, Hoss
Tradin' Days was scrapped. Many residents have fond memories of the
summer festival in town, some have expressed a longing for it to return;
perhaps one day, Owingsville will again see the days of rolling
outhouses down Main Street.<br />
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-49119975212891185742016-03-30T14:02:00.000-04:002016-04-07T04:44:57.545-04:00Standing on Shaky Ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>It was a hot Sunday afternoon in July, a slight breeze stirred and the sun was poking out of the clouds that had hung around most of the day after some brief showers that wandered through earlier. My sister was inside the mobile home we lived in cooking while my mom was mowing the back yard. My dad was working on the farm that day and I was on the porch of our home being a typical six year old; hammering nails into a two by four for whatever reason. I raised the hammer to strike a nail and as contact was made, the whole porch started violently shaking. I tossed the hammer down and ran out into the yard, fully thinking I had caused the end of times. I ran to my grandmother's house next door and my great-aunt was crouched on the floor yelling, "oh honey, it's an EARTHQUAKE!" In a couple of minutes, the shaking was over but our nerves were still rattled.</i><br />
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The strongest recorded earthquake in Kentucky happened Sunday, July 27, 1980 at around 2:50 p.m. The magnitude 5.2 quake was centered just west of Sharpsburg and felt as far north as Canada. There was some slight damage to brick chimneys, foundations and some small cracks in the ground in Bath County, with more damage noted in Maysville some forty miles north. According to the United States Geological Survey, some thirty aftershocks were recorded, with a 2.5 magnitude aftershock recorded July 31. When people think of earthquakes, they usually envision large faults like the San Andreas Fault or the New Madrid event; that they won't occur in the area of Kentucky Bath County lies. So, what exactly is a fault? A fault is basically a crack in the rocky areas deep in the Earth's crust. These cracks are from the movement of rock mass against other rock masses. Large faults are the result of what's called plate tectonic forces, where large masses of rock cause boundaries between the plates the rock beds set upon. Energy released when one of these plates move causes an earthquake. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fault line along I-64 in Bath County</i></td></tr>
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There are a few ancient faults that lie far below the surface of Bath County; one is in plain sight along Interstate 64 near the 117 mile marker headed east bound. The rocks along the cuts in the hillside reveal a shift in the geology where, millions of years ago, the Earth's tectonic plates collided. This fault is very old and dormant, running across the interstate to Day Road, where it is deep below the surface and out of sight. <br />
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Earthquakes have been recorded in Kentucky since the late 1700's when the early explorers began settling the Bluegrass State. The most famous earthquake to affect the state was the New Madrid event in 1811 when a series of magnitude 7+ earthquakes rocked the Missouri/Kentucky border. Starting December 16, 1811 with a powerful estimated 7.5 quake, the event was felt over 976,000 square miles. Damage to structures within close proximity was limited due to the area being sparsely populated, but the landscape was changed greatly. Landslides, sand blowouts from fissures occurred, and in some cases, land simply disappeared; sinking below the ground; Reelfoot Lake in western Kentucky was formed due to the land sinking. In some places the land thrust upward and islands in the Mississippi River disappeared totally. Further away from the epicenter, damage was reported all over Kentucky and Cincinnati, as well as throughout Tennessee and St Louis, Missouri. Two more powerful quakes struck on January 23, and February 7, 1812, both with a magnitude estimated as 7+. The stories of the Mississippi River running backwards is not entirely untrue; the intense shaking churned the water with such great force, boats were toppled and portions of the riverbanks collapsed. There were no modern seismographs in the area back then, so the magnitudes of the quakes were just estimations, and may be underestimated. Undoubtedly, these earthquakes were felt in Bath County, however there is no mention of them in John Richards' book. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vAFYoKNvYrPV8DGbiqYOMK3yg_DsVpSsqW2PnUKvFWq0IquDiWSoedWl8X5Tuf99a3WDGew4ONL8YmzVtoaIcAxHqd0uGRYWp6i0765Tk4GaZK5cNI1XcjxtuPUKUeOeaqXzkjtUFbjC/s1600/1980_07_27_iso.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vAFYoKNvYrPV8DGbiqYOMK3yg_DsVpSsqW2PnUKvFWq0IquDiWSoedWl8X5Tuf99a3WDGew4ONL8YmzVtoaIcAxHqd0uGRYWp6i0765Tk4GaZK5cNI1XcjxtuPUKUeOeaqXzkjtUFbjC/s320/1980_07_27_iso.gif" width="279" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>USGS map showing the areas affected by the 1980 earthquake</i></td></tr>
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The Kentucky Geological Survey's website shows in addition the the fault that runs across Interstate 64, there is another that runs from the Montgomery County line near Saltwell Road and extends across the countryside to a point just south of US 60 and west of Bob-O-Link Drive. Curiously, the fault that sparked the 1980 quake isn't shown on the interactive map. That earthquake was classed as a right lateral strike slip type event focused in a northeast direction. Maysville reported the most damage to older buildings in town; mainly cracked chimneys and bricks or tiles knocked off. The total damage from the July 1980 earthquake reached over a million dollars, with 59 homes and 27 businesses sustaining major damage and 210 homes and 10 businesses with minor damage in Maysville alone. In Owingsville, the damage was minimal, with some older buildings receiving cracks in foundations, chimneys and mortar. It was said at the time that the balcony at the Majestic Theater was damaged, however I am unable to verify that information. The ornate brick and concrete roof facades on the older business district received some damage and was enough concern to have them removed later. Thankfully, no one was reportedly injured, but nerves were on edge after the earthquake. Most people, like me, were caught off guard and had no inkling that an earthquake could happen in Bath County. This event seemed like just a random, isolated incident that was a quirk of nature.<br />
<br />
The evening of September 7, 1988 was a typical late summer evening. Around 10:30 p.m.,I was lying in bed when a loud boom sounded and the house began violently shaking. I immediately jumped out of bed, thinking a car had ran off Wyoming Road and into the house. We ran outside as the earth started settling down from the rumbling and checked on my sister and her family next door. While outside, a low roar started northwest of our location and gradually increased as a strong aftershock rolled across the land. The 4.6 magnitude earthquake centered along a tributary fault near the location of the 1980 event, but this time the energy moved in a southeastern direction, meaning Owingsville and surrounding communities would feel the most shaking. It was felt in five states and registered on seismographs in Canada. There were twenty-three aftershocks within the following two weeks, most too small to feel. There were some reports of the usual damage to brick walls, chimneys, basement walls and mortar cracking, but no injuries or major structural damage reported. Once again, we were all rattled physically and emotionally thanks to Mother Nature.<br />
<br />
A few more smaller earthquakes have shaken Bath County in recent times; in fact, a total of eight recorded earthquakes have happened since 1980's big one. Most have been small, ranging around 2.3 to 2.5 on the Richter Scale and rarely felt. The largest Bath County earthquake since 1988 was a 3.3 magnitude centered near Blevins Valley Road, close to Old State Road, on September 8, 1990. Another 4.2 earthquake near Hazard, Kentucky was felt as just a slight rumbling in Owingsville on November 10, 2012. The most recent quake in Bath County was December 23, 2013 and registered 2.3 magnitude very near the center location of the 1988 event. That quake made a loud booming noise and the shaking was felt in Mount Sterling, causing a flood of calls into the 911 center at Montgomery County with people reporting anything from an explosion to a plane crash. It is very likely that there will be more earthquakes in Bath County as the Earth continues is evolution and the tectonic plates deep underground stay in motion. The New Madrid Fault System has been the focus of concern for scientists
and geologists since the massive quakes of 1811-1812; it is anticipated
that another equally large or larger earthquake could, and statistically
will, strike again. With the dense population in the area now, the
effects will be most certainly devastating. Emergency officials throughout Kentucky have plans in their local operation plans for a large scale earthquake event if, or more appropriately when, it should happen. <br />
<br />
<i><u>For further earthquake research go to:</u></i><br />
<i><u><br /></u></i>
<i><u>http://www.uky.edu/KGS/</u></i><br />
<i><u><br /></u></i>
<i><u>http://earthquaketrack.com/r/eastern-kentucky/ </u></i><br />
<i><u><br /></u></i>
<i><u><br /></u></i>
<br />Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-14997961755593631852016-03-28T11:48:00.000-04:002016-05-09T14:23:54.703-04:00Voices in the Walls<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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There is a special beauty to living in a small town that a
big city can’t offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That beauty is the
unique buildings and homes that line the streets, nestled behind trees along
the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Downtown Owingsville is a prime
example of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Owingsville was
founded in 1811, the area was a thick forest with small paths and dusty trails
that zig-zagged across the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Main Street as we
know it today didn’t exist; Coyle
Street was the main drag with a few rough built
homes, a school and some merchant shops lining the dusty wagon trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the town grew, homes and buildings were
erected across the plats that were laid out by proprietors<span class="st"> and
soon, Owingsville became a booming place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, it is hard to imagine how Owingsville looked during the early
times; as a matter of fact, in the forty plus years of my existence, things
have changed so much.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyIIBZ7ipMPy-2CCgi6UKwsYMHinzQkATZQhKszYfu2A1gXIm4-oIvN272IaBbbbEu2v6qQqVD7jRUI2TVygsw28ukAjPHGAAOZs_8bs8ySPm7vhW-tnecq0QXnD0c4rYYzdRWe1HjamU/s1600/lee11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyIIBZ7ipMPy-2CCgi6UKwsYMHinzQkATZQhKszYfu2A1gXIm4-oIvN272IaBbbbEu2v6qQqVD7jRUI2TVygsw28ukAjPHGAAOZs_8bs8ySPm7vhW-tnecq0QXnD0c4rYYzdRWe1HjamU/s320/lee11.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="st">Most residents of Bath County
know the story of the Owings House and the Bath County Courthouse, but there
are so many more buildings and places that have stories of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heart of the town at the stop light has
been the most changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shops and
church are not the original structures, but were built after the great fire of
September, 1893.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The block from the
Perfect Lady Salon to the Citizen’s Bank was reduced to rubble and brick shells
after that devastating fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a few months to a year,
the town was rebuilt, including the First Christian Church we see today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Christian Church was </span>founded by
renowned pioneer evangelist John ‘Raccoon’ Smith in 1828, along with the Upper
White Oak and Sharpsburg Christian churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Smith was a minister associated with the Calvinism Movement and early
Baptists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original church was
described as a ‘magnificent wood frame structure’ in John Richards’ book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Illustrated History of Bath County</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wooden church was replaced by a brick structure in 1849 and was similar
to the present day church, standing in the same spot as it does today. The Christian Church was rebuilt and finished in 1894 and is indeed a magnificent and beautiful place of worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> John Smith's residence further down West Main Street is still standing today and is listed on the Owingsville/Bath County Chamber of Commerce's tourism pamphlet</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">, along with several other homes and buildings,</span> that can be picked up at the Bath County Memorial Library. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBX7fHlEyf3aXYRFWL_DyBCKJhYUAgdC1oTwRELi5Kc2xLOfGr-I9FBGmDHdOVDKZwD9gkIQJU2mFNXXfd4TpDOo9fBuB3fiVhUIJnuhzSBuKafzcxyHl12c_opLazVY95IGosZY0VIyD/s1600/fratman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBX7fHlEyf3aXYRFWL_DyBCKJhYUAgdC1oTwRELi5Kc2xLOfGr-I9FBGmDHdOVDKZwD9gkIQJU2mFNXXfd4TpDOo9fBuB3fiVhUIJnuhzSBuKafzcxyHl12c_opLazVY95IGosZY0VIyD/s320/fratman.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fratman's Hall, early 1900's.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">At the corner of Main Street and North Court Street is what locals know as Smith's Hardware store. Owned by Charles 'Chick' Smith, the building as we see it today looks like a typical, nondescript late 1800's brick frame structure, but if you look up to the second and third level, you'll notice stained glass windows that seem out of place with a hardware store. On the second floor of the building, there was once a live theater called Fratman's Hall. The hall held around 500 people and had dressing rooms, a curtained stage and boasted as having the first fully electric lighting system in Owingsville at the time. During fall and winter months, traveling actors entertained with vaudeville comedies and tragedies. The Owings House across the street would be busy with entertainers and visitors renting out rooms to stay during the theater season. Today, the second floor is mostly a storage area and there is an area where the tongue and groove hardwood floor is sagging due to age and disrepair. The stage is now gone, but the service elevator is still behind where it once was, still stuck between floors. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iYdxavo_8l7e8T6rRvRN4aEH_fhpp0L8kSL3uIXZXG-Htqv_GlgyPh8lWUwq2gng7kFLSjYecwFpbIDZaHycS0m2RUsCz5PranOJzm18hH0UqtYA_JXvux1UWqIh1tK8cGwpZRj_errE/s1600/IMG_3728+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iYdxavo_8l7e8T6rRvRN4aEH_fhpp0L8kSL3uIXZXG-Htqv_GlgyPh8lWUwq2gng7kFLSjYecwFpbIDZaHycS0m2RUsCz5PranOJzm18hH0UqtYA_JXvux1UWqIh1tK8cGwpZRj_errE/s200/IMG_3728+%25284%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Howe type fire apparatus</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7nP5FpYNz9l2wySutMjv5JOX-mAvxW-DkogQl1Y7KkdcKWq_18IzaR7GD_jOOaFL-eYCQwwNNOD9A4OUQ_haqjZDSZ0qRRmZTlR-5SBKwI5kYT5Q8IJ674jLlfUblOYdA-xKAdZwLCfD/s1600/DSC00030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7nP5FpYNz9l2wySutMjv5JOX-mAvxW-DkogQl1Y7KkdcKWq_18IzaR7GD_jOOaFL-eYCQwwNNOD9A4OUQ_haqjZDSZ0qRRmZTlR-5SBKwI5kYT5Q8IJ674jLlfUblOYdA-xKAdZwLCfD/s320/DSC00030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Site of Owingsville's early fire station</i></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The small white building next to the present day courthouse annex is a plain, white structure that has been many things over the years; from a beauty shop, a law office, to its present function as the Hometown Mortgage business. While searching old maps, a Sanborn Insurance map from 1903 shows in that location a fire station; likely the first fire station in Owingsville. While I am not sure if the current structure is in fact the old fire station, the dimensions on the map seem to correlate. The same map has a note that states there was a Howe type hand pump truck, a two wheel hand hose, 1000 feet of cotton hose line and two 25 foot ladders</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> housed at the station. While the fire department was mainly ordinary citizens who would mobilize in a time of need, much like the volunteer fire service we have today, it appears the city was sufficiently equipped to stop a major fire in 1903.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbQdZfnLlbP6hFpOFXT-VReB_n5zNZWAO-pI5IPE5UvhG_Ay9uwdkOpkxPVOyJPYts04H9zRZRskIE2CkwwyDVfRMOVP6F2aCwKIkO1fYbYRIFURbyWqqSZt5moQ9KDWpsw3XJ8TJbLDE/s1600/kimbrough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbQdZfnLlbP6hFpOFXT-VReB_n5zNZWAO-pI5IPE5UvhG_Ay9uwdkOpkxPVOyJPYts04H9zRZRskIE2CkwwyDVfRMOVP6F2aCwKIkO1fYbYRIFURbyWqqSZt5moQ9KDWpsw3XJ8TJbLDE/s320/kimbrough.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Kimbrough House</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYL_eTOyIm2GuiQKyXfRX7o0rdv3sao_p7pY2QmNdB8mhzts6w0e6Hrv7Lyvjjg2VESQ1Si_HJtNFjkGzYpJieNvM34Ex8v8_25pxHBl4owpjkZcHR5Nm0ZQOU7DRuZQxIcmQHUyvVpmX9/s1600/nesbitt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYL_eTOyIm2GuiQKyXfRX7o0rdv3sao_p7pY2QmNdB8mhzts6w0e6Hrv7Lyvjjg2VESQ1Si_HJtNFjkGzYpJieNvM34Ex8v8_25pxHBl4owpjkZcHR5Nm0ZQOU7DRuZQxIcmQHUyvVpmX9/s320/nesbitt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Nesbitt House</i></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Down West Main Street, there are many large homes that range from the earliest days of Owingsville to the more modern era. The Kimbrough House, the Nesbitt House, the Smith House are all prominent homes that have survived the times, and in at least one case, a fire that threatened to destroy. The Nesbitt House is occupied by the Collinsworth family and is registered on the National Registry of Historical Places. It was built between 1876 and 1878 by J.J. Nesbitt, who was a prominent lawyer and later state representative. The nearby Kimbrough house, occupied by the Richards family who are direct descendants of John Kimbrough who built the home, is an elegant two story home with a wrought iron fence around it that features an old hitching post. In the late 1980's, the home was threatened when a fire broke out in the rear section and did extensive damage. Efforts by the Owingsville, Salt Lick and Sharpsburg fire departments saved one of the oldest homes in town that day. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg-KQTXQfB6nHkpMarrES-BSYbRt9hnNQfWHw3_DLgsytC4nPhrIR2WvXC04P6t-us5j8sPAvZhlmsjSEPyaYf9ltSr0Vsh2f30D8X8Z8FwX53pRHlmpyIDgfVw5RdN593aNUg14A-xmG/s1600/kimb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg-KQTXQfB6nHkpMarrES-BSYbRt9hnNQfWHw3_DLgsytC4nPhrIR2WvXC04P6t-us5j8sPAvZhlmsjSEPyaYf9ltSr0Vsh2f30D8X8Z8FwX53pRHlmpyIDgfVw5RdN593aNUg14A-xmG/s320/kimb2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>John Kimbrough's drug store, 1893</i></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">If you walk along the streets of Owingsville, you may notice the names Kimbrough, Richart, Ramsey and the word bank etched into the store fronts along the main business district. Prior to, and after the 1893 fire, these buildings housed businesses owned by people of these names. The bank was Goodpaster's Bank and is where the library is today. John Kimbrough owned a drug store where the florist shop is now located. Next door, where the library's main entrance is, was J.M. Richart's dry goods store. The Ramsey Building, now a community fellowship hall for the Christian Church, was a hardware store ran by John Ramsey. Many people still associate the Ramsey building as the old 'dime store', which was popular store for many years The facades of the store fronts have changed many times over the years; ornate brickwork along the top of these stores was removed in the 1980's, partly due to the earthquakes that struck Owingsville. Byron's Department Store was among these buildings and another thriving business during its tenure. One store building that is now gone was the Bath County Drug Store, which was on the right of the church on Main Street. The store had a little diner in it with the red topped swivel stools and some of the best ice cream one could eat. It was razed in the early 1990's, along with the old two story building </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> at the corner </span>that was the C.H. Hoon building and more recently, Farmer's Bank.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Some of the oldest structures in Owingsville still stand today, like the Bailey house at North Court and Main Street which was built around one of the first cabins built in Owingsville. The site where Richardon Funeral Home is located is where Harrison Conner built a cabin around 1803; eight years before Owingsville was founded. The Catholic church on East Main Street began as the Presbyterian Church and was established in 1876. After the great fire, the First Christian Church congregated at the Presbyterian church until the new building was erected. The house belonging to the Elam family located at the corner of East High Street and East Alley was once owned by E.V. Brother, an early county judge executive, and is reportedly the location of Owingsville's earliest church. Each one of these old houses are magnificently built structures of a bygone day; built with a construction method that is entirely hands-on with very little modern amenities. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A row of early homes in Owingsville</i></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">An interesting row of houses along West Main Street across from Brooks Alley are some of the oldest structures in town and Bath County. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Shella and Walter Bailey own the row of houses and have worked for the past several years restoring them. </span>At the western flank stands a restored log two story cabin with a large brick fireplace. Shella told me that the cabin was built between 1795-1810 and was once used as a stagecoach stop. The interior is intact and features the original fireplace and mantle. A fire did some damage to an added on section of the cabin around 1990, but the original part wasn't damaged. The two structures adjoining the cabin were built around 1810 and sit on the original stone foundation. The easternmost house was known as the 'rock house' and at one time featured two massive stone fireplaces, one </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">of which </span> still stands. Across from these buildings, where the gas station is, stood the Brooks House. The Brooks house was built either just prior to or shortly after the founding of Owingsville. It was a boarding house and tavern in the early days, being a favorite stop for travelers before the Owings House was constructed. In 1828, President Andrew Jackson stopped at the tavern on his way to take the Presidential Oath, creating a whirlwind of excitement. The Brooks House continued to serve as a hotel, boarding house and restaurant until the early 1900's when it was torn down. To my knowledge, there are no pictures of this historic place. </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">The 'pocket' behind the Bath County Courthouse was once a center of activity for Owingsville. Starting at the Owings House, the rows of shops bear little resemblance to how they would have looked even in the past sixty or even forty years. Law offices, a post office, a grocery store, and drug store once occupied the row of buildings, with the Masonic Lodge and Majestic Theater being the standouts. Davis Department Store was also a busy and popular business in the pocket for many years. Patrons could buy all the latest fashions and home items at the store and it remained open at some capacity until the late 1980's. In the corner of the pocket was one of Owingsville's most popular places, Boyd's Restaurant. Marjorie Boyd operated the eating spot and served highly acclaimed home cooked style meals for many years, even to passing senators and governors. My aunt Frances Willman once owned a beauty shop next to the Karrick's Cut Rate Store building; I can still vaguely remember being there as a small child while my mom and grandmother had their hair permed. The most popular hot-spot in the pocket was the Majestic Theater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Majestic Theater, 1947</i></td></tr>
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From 1922 until 1984, the Majestic was one of the key meeting places for people in Owingsville, Starting out as a silent film type theater, countless people still recall seeing their first Elvis Presley movie, or a news reel report of a local soldier from World War II there. I personally have the fond memory of standing in line almost to the Owings House waiting to see the premier of Star Wars. The modern age of home video brought a decline in theater patronage and the Majestic soon fell by the wayside, closing the curtain permanently after 62 years of entertaining Bath County and Owingsville. In the 1990's, the row of buildings from the Karrick store to the corner where Doc Cameron's office stood was razed, including the Majestic. A bank and clinic was built in the spots these once popular businesses thrived for all those years. The Davis Department Store became a pool hall, Boyd's Restaurant became a number of businesses, including another short lived eating spot, and the law offices moved. The WKCA radio station still occupies a spot in the pocket</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> where it has since the mid 1980's</span> next to the Owingsville Bank.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">So many other buildings and houses in Owingsville have a rich and storied history; it would literally take volumes to tell all the stories of these places and how they have evolved over the generations. A leisurely walk through Owingsville on a warm spring, summer or fall day or evening is relaxing; one must really stop occasionally and take in the elegance and beauty these places hold. The voices in the walls echo back to a day that sadly, will soon be forgotten. For now, take a moment to hear the stories the walls offer and see the beauty of a small town. </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>http://www.bathcountytourism.com/</i></span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i> http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ky/bath/state.html</i></span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i> http://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/tours/show/32</i></span><br />
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Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-7155086906644318592016-03-17T10:08:00.000-04:002016-03-17T19:09:26.369-04:00Unconventional Medicine: The Wells Family & Herbal RemediesLong before the days of modern medicine, people relied on home remedies to treat ailments using herbs and 'potions' that were passed down through generations. Most people who were called 'doctors' during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Kentucky were just simply a title only, as they couldn't afford to attend a medical school, and most couldn't even read or write. Regardless, these people were highly regarded and trusted to treat, and sometimes cure, any illnesses they were presented.<br />
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Botanical practitioners, as they were formally called, were predominate in early Appalachian settlements. They were said to have received their recipes for their medicines from the Native Americans or they were brought over from Europe generations before. They relied on roots, seeds, leaves, bark and other natural resources that could be mixed and used to heal problems from sore throat to gastrointestinal ailments. Side effects, however, could be deadly if not mixed properly. Some of these practitioners also used faith-based techniques and local folklore combined with the herbs and roots to heal the sick. Even today, there are still botanical practitioners prescribing their home remedies in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky.<br />
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Bath County had its own botanical, or herb, doctors that were from the same family, and relatives of mine. They were William Mayhall Wells and his sons, Zachary Taylor and Benjamin Franklin Wells. The Wells family story starts when the early descendants immigrated from England in the 1600's and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. William Wells, born in 1710 to Richard and Catherine Wells in Baltimore, moved to Lee County, Virginia with his family, where in 1780 he was reportedly killed by Indians. William's son, Zachariah, served in the Revolutionary War with the Virginia Continental Army's cavalry, participating in battles at Germantown, Brandywide, Bordentown (or Bonhamtown). He was captured on December 12, 1777 near Fox Chase, Pennsylvania and held in a British camp as a prisoner of war for five months. After Zachariah's release, he resettled in Lee County, Virginia and led a quiet life until his death in 1826. One of Zachariah's sons, also named Zachariah, is the first to have been known as an herb doctor. It is a fair assumption that he learned the practices of botanical medicine as it was passed down the generations. Zachariah Wells, II moved to Wise County, Virginia where he died in 1870 at the age of 92 years; an almost unheard of age during that era.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mayhall Wells, my third-great grandfather</i></td></tr>
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William Mayhall Wells, my third-great grandfather, learned medicinal practices from his father Zachariah at an early age. He was born in Lee County, Virginia around 1823 and grew up in the rural part of Wise County, Virginia near Pound Gap, a mountain pass at the Virginia & Kentucky border. He married Lavina Stidham in 1883 and together, they reared eight children. During the Civil War, Mayhall was commissioned as a captain in the Virginia Home Militia and tasked to help defend the Pound Gap. An interesting short story entitled <i>The Army of the Callahan</i> written by John Fox, Jr. in 1902 as an article for Scribner Magazine recounts the adventures of Mayhall and his 'home guard' during this era. The article is dated and speaks in in a heavy Appalachian dialogue, but is an interesting tale. Around 1865, Mayhall and his family moved from Big Stone Gap, Virginia to Morgan County, Kentucky. It was there that he was first officially known as a physician in an 1870 census record. It was interesting to know that Mayhall was unable to read or write, but was able to use his knowledge of herbal medicine passed down verbally to treat illnesses. Sometime within the next decade, Mayhall relocated to Bath County near the Forge Hill community and applied for a formal medical registration. His unique medicinal recipes were widely known; many people traveled long distances to be 'cured' of a variety of ailments. The recipes were never written down, but he passed his knowledge to three of his sons, Benjamin Franklin, Jeremiah and Zachariah Wells. <br />
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Lavina Wells died in 1888 on the family's farm and was buried in Knox Hill Cemetery off Adams Road in Bath County. Soon after her death, Mayhall moved to Breathitt County, Kentucky where his daughter Rebekah resided. It was there in 1889 that Mayhall received his certificate for a botanical system and became known for his famous 'blood poisoning cure'. This medicine seemingly cured blood infections that would otherwise constitute the loss of a limb or death. The remedy made Mayhall a much sought after celebrity of sorts. He remarried a woman named Mary Fugate and treated patients well up until his older years, passing away in Breathitt County on March 3, 1902.<br />
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Mayhall's sons Zachariah and Benjamin, or Frank as he was called, stayed in Bath County and continued to practice the unconventional medicinal ways as they were passed to them. Zachariah<br />
settled in the Preston area and Frank in the Forge Hill community. They stayed busy treating patients and curing otherwise incurable ailments with their botanical system. Frank married Effie Hunt and their daughter, Wynona, was my great-grandmother.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doctors Zachariah and Frank Wells</i></td></tr>
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By the time Frank and Zachariah were older, the Wells name was household for their remedies, but the advent of modern hospitals and licensed physicians soon began to edge out the botanical practitioners in more populated areas of Kentucky. Regardless, people still sought the Wells brothers for their blood poison cure. The recipe was closely guarded by the family; in fact, only a few people were ever told and it's a mystery of who actually may have written it down and kept it over the generations. Frank died in 1916 at the age of 68 and was buried next to his mother at Knox Hill Cemetery. Zachariah died in 1944, aged 93 years, and is buried at the Kendall Springs Cemetery. My great-grandmother Wynona married Thomas Ensor of the Bethel/Sherburne area of Bath County and lived in Sherburne until her death at the age of 95. More descendants of the Wells family still live in Bath County near the Preston and Peasticks communities, and if they still have the blood poisoning recipe, they aren't revealing it. Today, the botanical practitioners of Bath County have disappeared; modern medicine and strict regulations by the Food & Drug Administration have all but made the home remedies obsolete. In recent times, Amish families have moved into parts of Bath County and brought with them some home remedies. In one very recent incident near Preston, an Amish family was investigated and their remedies confiscated for not following FDA guidelines. There are still a few botanical practitioners in Appalachian mountain communities nestled in hollows, but their practices aren't widely known; whether it be to protect a family tradition or just to plainly protect themselves from being prosecuted.<br />
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The Wells family doctors were a unique breed who had an art for healing using what we now call unconventional methods. It makes one wonder if their art had been further honed within an institution of higher learning, would they had found cures to ailments much sooner than modern times? For those who were treated by the Wells family, they attested to the abilities of the men and their home remedies as being the best in the medical field. <br />
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<br />Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-65424779518443872032015-12-17T13:13:00.002-05:002015-12-28T07:35:21.758-05:00Founding Fathers<i>To build a good house, you must first build a good foundation, as the saying goes. That foundation must be able to stand and bear the weight of the entire structure, but it takes a visionary to plan and build that foundation.</i><br />
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<u><b>Bath County</b></u><br />
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When Kentucky was known as the "far west" during the English
colonization period, it was largely untamed wilderness used for hunting
by nomadic tribes of natives. Around the early to mid 1700's, explorers
began trekking into the wilderness and establishing settlements along
the Kentucky, Ohio and Licking Rivers. The land we know as Kentucky was
part of Virginia until 1792, and Bath County as we know it was
initially Fayette County, then Bourbon and finally Montgomery Counties
before becoming the state's 56th established county in 1811. Kentucky's then governor, Charles Scott, commissioned the first county court of Bath County, consisting of Thomas Isles, Jacob Sorency, John Hawkins, Paul Skidmore, Elisha Owings, Josiah Richards, Francis Hopkins, William Donaldson, Issac Gray, Andrew Gudgell and James Blair. The first county court meeting was held February 25, 1811 at a home on Flat Creek belonging to James Young. James McIlhenny was commissioned by Governor Scott as being the first Bath County Sheriff, Thomas Fletcher was commissioned by the Court of Appeals to the title of County Clerk and James Hughes as State's Attorney. James Young was appointed Jailer and Joseph Dawson appointed Coroner during the same session. Abraham and John Thompson, William Hughes, Spencer Boyd, George Routt, John Arnett, Robert Mitchell, Edwin Oakley and John Alexandra were also appointed as the first county commissioners of the newly formed county, rounding out the core government. These men were the foundation of Bath County; others who came after solidified that foundation by establishing other vital communities within the county.</div>
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<u><b>Owingsville</b></u> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thomas Deye Owings</i></td></tr>
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Jacob Myers, a German immigrant, traveled from Baltimore, Maryland into what is now Bath County in 1782 and patented over ten-thousand acres of land along Slate Creek. He had heard talk of rich iron ore deposits in the area and once the claims proved to be true, he and Christopher Greenup started constructing the Bourbon Iron Work. In the meantime, John Cockney Owings, a wealthy businessman from Cockneyville, Maryland, purchased around seventy-thousand acres of land in Bath County that included Myers' tract where the iron furnace was being constructed. The first blast of the iron furnace was in 1790 and in May the following year, the operation was purchased by John Cockney Owings & Company. Owings sent his son, Thomas Deye Owings, to manage the Bourbon Iron Furnace operations in 1795. Thomas Deye and his family resided in Lexington, Kentucky after his relocation and obtained full ownership of the iron works after the death of his father in 1810.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL_4zuZOOk-9Kz7OaZFlXhHUgTtwIIKO4qy5Lh0BTiSbPw8JCNbuvZeJ_7qcI03IaJE44sMtnHTnhbtxpyMQPQP0cCT915GDum4FePzKpYKIsHlDkilPnJL8LKg8YK3EMIS5PtcNcIaKP/s1600/40437af0f0dd034b5b6ce67b51e4c549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL_4zuZOOk-9Kz7OaZFlXhHUgTtwIIKO4qy5Lh0BTiSbPw8JCNbuvZeJ_7qcI03IaJE44sMtnHTnhbtxpyMQPQP0cCT915GDum4FePzKpYKIsHlDkilPnJL8LKg8YK3EMIS5PtcNcIaKP/s320/40437af0f0dd034b5b6ce67b51e4c549.jpg" width="320" /></a>A small settlement near the Bourbon Iron Works known as Catlett's Flat was established as the original seat of Bath County shortly before the county's formation. Around the same time, a notable Irishman named Richard Menefee moved from Virginia and purchased land adjoining the Owings tract. It was decided that the county seat be relocated atop the hill that dominated the area, partly due to the strategic location and easy defense along access roads, but mostly due to the number of prominent families who were starting to settle there. Both Owings and Menefee offered to donate a portion of their land to create the new county seat, but only if the new settlement would bear the name of the donor. To settle this, the two men decided on a friendly wager; the one who could build the most luxurious home in the shortest amount of time would have the honor of naming the new town. Between the two tracts of land, approximately 200 acres was set aside for the new seat. Menefee began construction of his home on property he owned along what is now West Main Street, approximately in the location where the Bath County Middle School now sits; Owings' home would be built about half mile east of Menfee's. The men spared no expense in building their homes and Owings hired renowned architect Benjamin Latrobe of Washington, D.C. to design his residence; it is unknown if Menefee hired any such architect to construct his home. Thomas Deye Owings' house was the first home completed in 1814 and was the lap of luxury for the time. Menefee conceded to the terms of the wager, thus the new town would be called Owingsville. The Owings House is a massive three story structure with a magnificent free standing spiral staircase as it's center piece attraction. The walls are made of brick twenty-four inches thick; almost fortress like with heavy wooded shutters to close the windows tight in the event of an Indian attack. The exterior looked much different than it appears today and was described in<i> An Illustrated History of Bath County </i>as "severely plain...a rectangular plan of 75 by 52 feet". Richard Menefee's home was a brick structure and probably very elegant, however there are few records regarding what the home looked like. The Menefee home stood for many years, but disappears off plat maps sometime around the Civil War. Thomas Deye Owings died October 6, 1853 and is buried in Brenham, Texas; far away from his namesake town. Richard Menefee died in August, 1815 and his burial location seems somewhat a mystery; quite possibly in the cemetery that lies beneath the parking lot behind the People's Bank at the corner of Slate Avenue and Coyle Street in Owingsville. While Menefee may not have had the honor of a town's name, neighboring Menifee County bears his family's surname, albeit misspelled. Thomas Deye Owings can be credited as the town's namesake, but both he and Richard Menefee should be credited as Owingsville's founding fathers.<br />
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<u><b>Sharpsburg</b></u></div>
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Moses Sharp was born in Virginia May 2, 1757. He served a three year term in the Virginia Militia during the American Revolutionary War under several different commands and campaigns. He was honorably discharged after Cornwallis' capture in 1781, and by some reports was at Valley Forge his last duty station. After the war, returning veterans were able to obtain land grants in Kentucky for settlements. Sharp moved to Kentucky sometime around 1787 and settled in the northern section of what is now Bath County. It is said that he worked as a spy for Daniel Boone at the time of his move, but to what extent remains a mystery. At the time, the area in northern Bath County was mostly forest with open grasslands filled with native flowers, and Sharp was so inspired, that in 1814, he laid out a plat for a town in which he would call Bloomfield. Moses Sharp and his wife, Mary, reared eight children and established a farm on his land just north of the present day town. Sharp died in 1820, and soon after, a post office was established in Bloomfield. Bloomfield's name was changed around 1825 by the town's postmaster due to another city bearing the same name; that name, Sharpsburg, would honor the man who founded the town. Sharpsburg remained a quaint, but thriving, little town, with several merchant shops lining the business district. The town was along the Maysville/Mount Sterling turnpike and was along the vital stage coach route that ran to the Ohio River. Today, Sharpsburg still thrives as a small town, with agriculture being the primary industry. Many descendants of Moses Sharp still reside in the area and some their farms have been passed along over many generations of the Sharp name. Moses Sharp's burial location is in an overgrown section of land known as Goodpaster's Field between Ramey and Ratliff Roads just outside of the town that bears his name. Take a look at the site <a href="http://www.pbase.com/jtsmall/sharp_cemetery">http://www.pbase.com/jtsmall/sharp_cemetery</a> to see the location and a restoration effort to the Sharp Cemetery.<br />
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<u><b>Bethel</b></u></div>
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The town of Bethel was first platted around 1817, but the founder's name has sadly been lost to history. The vast, fertile fields on the ridges and valleys along the Licking River and Flat Creek attracted farmers to this area of Bath County very early in Kentucky's history. Settlers began moving into the area in the late 1700's, along Flat Creek's banks. The Old Republican Meeting House was located along what is now Sanderson Road, just down from where Bethel would be established. A cemetery close to the spot of the old meeting house bears several interments with the Hawkins surname, so it is a fair assumption the Hawkins family were the first inhabitants of the area. A large house constructed of limestone was situated along a tributary stream of Flat Creek and used as a 'fort' against Indian attacks; the early records show this house was built in approximately 1791. The remains of this house are still standing on a farm near the Old Republican Cemetery. After Bethel was established, a police judge and officers were commissioned to keep the peace, but their names are not known. Lucy Harper spoke at the dedication of the new school building in 1924 and stated, "I cannot find a record of the early history of Bethel, but tradition tells that the first building was an old log church situated in the old cemetery". Ms. Harper then stated that the church was named Bethel, or "House of God" and that the town's name originated there. During the Civil War, rebel guerrilla forces stormed the town and burned most all of the old records, erasing the early documented story of Bethel. <u><b> </b></u></div>
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<u><b>Salt Lick</b></u></div>
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The story of Salt Lick begins with a group of pioneers who explored the Licking River down to Salt Lick Creek around 1771. These explorers, Simon Kenton, George Yader, and John Strader, were possibly the first white men to ever explore into what would be Bath County. The southeastern area of the county where Salt Lick now sits was a vast, heavily forested region of rich hardwoods and had several natural mineral and salt deposits where buffalo, bison and other animals gathered. A few people settled here and there during the early to mid 1800's, one being Lafayette North who settled on 700 acres after his service in the Mexican-American War around 1848. Around 1882, a town then known as Vail was platted out along the newly constructed Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and James Colliver established the post office. Vail, according to the Kentucky State Gazetteer and Business Directory published in 1884, boasted a population of fifty, a saw mill and four general stores. Sometime around 1884, the town was renamed Salt Lick, but the post office retained the Vail name until 1888. Salt Lick became a booming industrial and shipping hub and remained prosperous until well into the Twentieth Century, mostly due to the abundant resources and trains that rolled through. It's not known who exactly the founding father of Salt Lick was, but a number of family names from that early period still appear today; Dickerson, Maze, Shouse, Razor and Staton are a few examples.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>Other communities</b></u></div>
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While Owingsville, Sharpsburg, Bethel and Salt Lick are the most established towns in Bath County, many more communities were founded. The oldest place was the settlement called Yale, first settled by Samuel Gill around 1807-08. It was there that Gill constructed a mill and over the next several years, the settlement became a boom town of sorts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQJ-nDTkPx-7aNquASb9VCFYcIYrRSACAqT8t89xKxWK-O-9IkiGgoKpqpAbH4NtYq8ulrbzU1VK6VKV0s5-I16n7hVM0CmhEJVCnQdkwrV7Tm4HSkkMHfLwplOsuy7yfACbruILuFHso/s1600/FHS4527th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQJ-nDTkPx-7aNquASb9VCFYcIYrRSACAqT8t89xKxWK-O-9IkiGgoKpqpAbH4NtYq8ulrbzU1VK6VKV0s5-I16n7hVM0CmhEJVCnQdkwrV7Tm4HSkkMHfLwplOsuy7yfACbruILuFHso/s320/FHS4527th.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The long gone town of Yale</i></td></tr>
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Yale would boast hotels, a saloon, a post office, several merchant shops, a railroad, and a population of around three-hundred in its hey-day. Wyoming was a town situated at the confluence of Slate Creek, White Oak Creek and Licking River. It was founded in 1820 from land that belonged to Thomas Deye Owings, and originally called Mouth of Slate. The first true proprietor of Wyoming isn't known, but the county court appointed Jacob and John Trumbo, Isaac Conyers, Archibald Ramsey, William Atchinson, Phillip Clark and Coleman Smoot as the town's original trustees soon after it was surveyed in 1819. Today, nothing is left of the once thriving towns that were Bath County's earliest industrial hubs; Yale is now under Cave Run Lake and Wyoming was bypassed by the modern age. </div>
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Moore's Ferry, located on Kentucky 211 north of Salt Lick, was named for a man only known as Mr. Moore, who established a ferry across the Licking River to Grange City in Fleming County. In the same vicinity, William Isles settled sometime in the early to mid 1800's and established a mill along the Licking River. The mill was successful business and a hotel was established to accommodate those who had interest in the mill operations. The mill ran until 1912 and the log dam across the river was dismantled soon afterward. Today, the only trace of the old mill is the name of the road that led to it.<br />
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The southwestern portion of Bath County was settled very early by pioneers such as Peter Cassidy, who established a fortified station in the Saltwell and Stepstone area of Bath County in 1777. Others who settled along with Cassidy found a salt well that had been walled with stone; however there is no mention of who may have constructed the well. Kendall Springs was first settled around 1815 by Ransom Kendall who built a cabin next to an abundant well located near what used to be Carpenter's Store at the corner of Ely's Branch Road. The location of the spring was probably well known to the natives before the settlement was established, as it was an area known to be along an important hunting path.<br />
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The town of Olympia was laid out sometime between 1876 and 1884, but it is not known who founded it. Old precinct maps from those dates show a few houses and structures; however, the maps prior to 1876 show a sparsely populated area. The famed Olympian Springs Resort was located a few miles south of the town and was first opened by William Ramsey around 1796, long before the birth of Olympia as a town. When the C&O railroad was constructed, Olympia Station <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtYmiCUkdLCUeX5zTxvKRn1Nd29WmNp2VNZBInmfxD1e71-7tNRN9zH4KEuiVlas5-4-bVd8ENuj7sCPLWwf7JxHWVKQf7EoAfo8N1qmaQRW64P2nopAKmZNQB-jfoSHsdJMjtcDBISA6/s1600/OLYMPIA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtYmiCUkdLCUeX5zTxvKRn1Nd29WmNp2VNZBInmfxD1e71-7tNRN9zH4KEuiVlas5-4-bVd8ENuj7sCPLWwf7JxHWVKQf7EoAfo8N1qmaQRW64P2nopAKmZNQB-jfoSHsdJMjtcDBISA6/s320/OLYMPIA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Olympia, 1884. <a href="http://www.historicmapworks.com/">www.historicmapworks.com</a></i></td></tr>
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was established and connected the narrow gauge rail lines that ran to the nearby iron ore mines. The date of this establishment was around 1883, giving an approximate date of the town's birth. It is known that Cal and Riley Ingram had purchased an extensive amount of land and leased it about this same time. They operated a couple of saw mills along Mill Creek and used the railroad to ship their timber; quite possibly the first proprietors of Olympia. <br />
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Preston was founded in 1881 as Preston's Station for William Preston who donated property for the C&O railroad. The post office was established shortly after, but named Crooks after a prominent family who resided in the area. Later, the town's name changed again to simply Preston, and was a regular stopping point for passengers and freight along the railroad line. Over the years, Preston has retained that small town feel and hosts the annual October Court Days festival that brings in thousands of people from all over.<br />
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Other, smaller communities sprang up throughout Bath County, and are still known today. Wes and J.S. Blevins settled just outside of Preston around 1900, purchasing tracts of land and building some small homes. The Carter family moved in the area soon after and a community was established, known as Blevins Valley. Polksville was laid out and established in 1844 by Robert Warren, naming it after President James K. Polk. The post office there was called the Marshall P.O. and there was a general store, blacksmith, school, church and a population of about fifty in the early days. Reynoldsville was named for Joseph Reynolds, a doctor from Virginia who built the first home there around 1870. Many more small hamlets dotted Bath County's landscape but were never officially established as towns or they were absorbed into larger communities. Each of these settlements and towns have a history and story to tell on their own. Those who blazed the wilderness trails, laying the cornerstones and foundations of the communities within Bath County, left a lasting legacy for all generations. <br />
<br />
<u><i>Resources:</i></u><br />
<br />
<i>www.historicmapworks.com</i><br />
<br />
<i>An Illustrated History of Bath County, John A. Richards</i><br />
<br />
<i>http://www.wtblock.com/wtblockjr/thomas_deye_owings.htm </i><br />
<i> </i><u><i> </i></u></div>
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<br />Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-63591876799021851522015-11-27T14:18:00.001-05:002015-11-27T14:18:15.037-05:00In the Days of Iron Horses: Bath County's Railroads<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_U-9O80Rgs5PU1oxHxPQN06HpbNTSrVKyuRuaTy68DXfbTFvgijEnhYRpmwTv7qU6wzh0vyIax0ljtEMK3qjzyMJ2mBkTFg9jqI_jOSTFVGJUcd_mhDdbcy9DgFnR50BetSIRjiWolSp/s1600/train2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_U-9O80Rgs5PU1oxHxPQN06HpbNTSrVKyuRuaTy68DXfbTFvgijEnhYRpmwTv7qU6wzh0vyIax0ljtEMK3qjzyMJ2mBkTFg9jqI_jOSTFVGJUcd_mhDdbcy9DgFnR50BetSIRjiWolSp/s320/train2.jpg" width="320" /></a><i>While coming home from a recent business trip, my work colleague and I stopped in the Western Kentucky town of New Haven and visited the Kentucky Railroad Museum. Outside the museum is a large train and some cars on display that bear a familiar moniker to many local folks; Chesapeake & Ohio. For those who remember the days of the Iron Horses that ran through Bath County, and those who have yet to discover, this is the story of the railways that once crossed the fields and through our small towns.</i><br />
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Not long ago, about thirty-five years ago to be exact, the distant howls of an early morning steam whistle echoed through the valleys, bouncing off the hills and mountains along the way as I stood outside waiting on the school bus. From my vantage point, the sounds were coming from a southeastern direction toward Polksville, and was the train that passed daily from Olympia to Salt Lick along the Chesapeake & Ohio railway. I was fascinated when I saw the mighty trains pass along the way while traveling with my family, but had no idea at that early age the importance and impact these machines made to thousands of people over time.<br />
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<i> </i><br />
Bath County's rich natural resources were harvested or mined, then traded by people long before the advent of modern travel. Natives traded furs and food among themselves and with the occasional pioneer trader as they passed on horseback or by foot. Early settlers used mule, ox, or horse drawn carts to move goods across the mountain passes and fields to river towns where the items would be placed on flat boats and sailed down the Licking River to the Ohio River ports in Maysville. The abundance of timber along the Licking River in the southeast region of Bath County gave rise to thriving settlements called Yale and Ragland Mills, while the iron ore and mineral deposits in the central part of the county spawned booming iron smelting operations. At the time, cart and river travel was a long, tedious and sometimes dangerous journey; terrain, weather and encounters with Native Americans caused delivery of these goods much delay. Passenger travel at that time was by stagecoaches along dusty, bumpy and sometimes very treacherous paths that also took long periods of time. One of Kentucky's first stagecoach lines ran from Lexington to Olympian Springs, along the wooded paths that passed through Mount Sterling and Winchester.<br />
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The first railroad to operate in Kentucky was the Lexington & Ohio Railroad, built in 1832-1833. It ran from Lexington west to Frankfort, with substantial financial backing to continue onward to other points along the Ohio River. In 1852, the Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad connected the heart of Kentucky to the state's eastern coal fields and beyond to the eastern seaboard. The proposal for railroads through Bath County was brought to the table for voters to consider in July, 1852. A purchase sum of stock worth $150,000 in the Lexington & Big Sandy, or L&N, Railroad was required for the creation of the rail system. The vote was 854 in favor, 408 opposed. In April, 1853, Bath County subscribed to the stock at $1,000 each, payable in thirty years at six percent annual interest. The stock was payable bi-annually through the Bank of North America, housed in New York. By 1876, twenty-two of these stock certificates were bought, then retired. The remainder of the balance then went to a financial institute in New York and the county refused to pay any further interest. A lawsuit resulted against Bath County, with judgement awarded to the plaintiff, Amey & Company. Bath County Judge E.V. Brother negotiated a settlement sum of approximately $234,000, of which Amey & Company agreed to reduce another $25,000 off the debt. Bath County paid a little over $31,000 back, with a remaining seventy-five bonds sold between 1880 and 1886; the last finally paid off twenty-five years later under the administration of County Judge Executive C.W. Goodpaster. Because of this, the railroad project was derailed for some time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLYEieROjCQJH0sfIEQCbSZbfSziIDOtcryrTREeSlbIICB_LE3OeZsibu6Xg_HCGGVM-8lEmI6CSz6uxwVqurUC4POqsrZToer6nSiTVtlbCJM1XJeF0JzhI06CZnaoA2RPTf4rD2cA5/s1600/L%2526BS+Map+1853+%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLYEieROjCQJH0sfIEQCbSZbfSziIDOtcryrTREeSlbIICB_LE3OeZsibu6Xg_HCGGVM-8lEmI6CSz6uxwVqurUC4POqsrZToer6nSiTVtlbCJM1XJeF0JzhI06CZnaoA2RPTf4rD2cA5/s320/L%2526BS+Map+1853+%25233.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Proposed map of the Elizabethtown, Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad, 1853</i></td></tr>
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On January 29, 1869, the Elizabethtown, Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad Company was established by an act of Kentucky's legislature, consolidating with the Western Division of the Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad was formed in 1869, incorporating several smaller rail lines from Richmond, Virginia to Huntington, West Virginia by 1873. These rail systems would further link Kentucky to Atlantic sea ports, and provide much needed jobs for the post Civil War population. Around the same time, small, narrow gauge railroads were being established in the coal mining towns in east Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. The smaller locomotives were economical and could easily access narrow mountain passes along the way. The Elizabethtown, Lexington & Big Sandy railway began construction in 1871, linking Lexington with Winchester. By June, 1872, the railway was extended to Mount Sterling and stopped there due to lack of funding. Plans were drawn out for the railroad to pass through Owingsville and sites were surveyed and mapped as early as 1853. Right of ways were purchased, then abandoned, and eventually Owingsville was passed up as a train stop location. In 1892, the EL&BS Railroad was bought out by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company and construction began connecting Huntington to the heart of Kentucky. Meanwhile, between Yale and Ragland Mills, a three-foot narrow gauge railroad was starting to to be established to transport timber to ports along the Licking River. Chartered by the Sterling Lumber Company in 1896, the Licking Valley Railroad came to life in April, 1897. The rail line ran from the lumber mill at Yale to Ragland Mills, and onward twelve miles to Salt Lick, where it eventually connected with the Chesapeake & Ohio line. The Sterling Lumber Company failed and dissolved in 1899, leaving the railroad up for purchase. Yale Lumber took ownership of the mill and purchased the railroad for $29,000; renaming it Licking River Railroad. In addition to freight hauling, a passenger service was established to generate much needed revenue for the railroad. By 1905, the Licking River Railroad expanded into Morgan County to Blackwater, encompassing a total of thirty-five miles. A total of thirteen Climax type locomotives <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DU8e3-JDkGnc9lqQstU5Qdme4RFiiVUhlvHaS1Fb4CxzAq73cfKRRYtyVTqB66qXdMsDb2DEhY3CQnm82x3PPuiqCckzU2GF_pqdQFu6ANFXi9eo6BRPX5BY_2CiyRKOce-ZEXQq4_5V/s1600/climax23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DU8e3-JDkGnc9lqQstU5Qdme4RFiiVUhlvHaS1Fb4CxzAq73cfKRRYtyVTqB66qXdMsDb2DEhY3CQnm82x3PPuiqCckzU2GF_pqdQFu6ANFXi9eo6BRPX5BY_2CiyRKOce-ZEXQq4_5V/s320/climax23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo courtesy of </i><span class="_r3"><a class="irc_hl irc_hol i3724" data-noload="" data-ved="0CAYQjB1qFQoTCLLQ79jc9MgCFcvYHgod7qwFNw" href="http://www.gearedsteam.com/climax/images_kl.htm"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">www.gearedsteam.com</span></a></span><span class="_r3 irc_msc"><a class="irc_hl irc_msl i3591" data-i="1" data-noload="" data-ved="0CAgQhxxqFQoTCLLQ79jc9MgCFcvYHgod7qwFNw" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=climax+locomotive+yale+kentucky&biw=1280&bih=603&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSEgkSlg7CbBsUACFfNa4nPkEv7A"><span class="irc_idim">.</span></a></span></td></tr>
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operated along this route with five freight boxcars; a significant amount for such a small line. A single passenger train ran daily from Yale to Blackwater, then to Salt Lick and back to Yale. As the early Twentieth Century dawned, the intense logging operations began to deplete the forests at a rapid pace. Native hardwoods became nearly obliterated and the lumber yards began to reduce operations. By 1906, the Licking River Railroad became unprofitable due to the people leaving the area to find better work, and by 1913, the little railroad was abandoned. The tracks were pulled up, the trains and cars were sold off; however, one locomotive, some cars and most of the rails remained in Bath County and moved to Owingsville. A couple of other narrow gauge railroads sprang up during this era;
one being used primarily for transport of iron ore at the Rose Run Iron
Beds between Polksville and Olympia.<br />
These rail systems utilized rail carts and horse drawn wagons to transport ore to markets in the area and were short in length; thus no regular freight or passenger service was ever established.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mONnbOjlqd1XgrgHSq1jUWikxCLgPxoxnYwIZTX0-WYf4AMA_fw3u_-nktvWTmVu_xa4fAP3C2YOWxS70MkhWNiKaLiIdd9bsb-GKz26d_f-RX16BcQHaGKLpG_DPCaJZ6qtJMu9c-Ab/s1600/Iron_ore_bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mONnbOjlqd1XgrgHSq1jUWikxCLgPxoxnYwIZTX0-WYf4AMA_fw3u_-nktvWTmVu_xa4fAP3C2YOWxS70MkhWNiKaLiIdd9bsb-GKz26d_f-RX16BcQHaGKLpG_DPCaJZ6qtJMu9c-Ab/s320/Iron_ore_bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="smallerfont">Rose Run iron mining operation in Bath County,<br />
mining from Brassfield(Clinton) iron ore beds. <br />
Photograph by A.M.Miller, 1919</span></i></td></tr>
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As the railroads expanded, the vision of a standard rail system through Bath County was finally a realization. Construction began from Mount Sterling into Bath County in 1880, with freight depots built in Olympia, Preston, and Salt Lick. A connector line was proposed to run from Owingsville to Sharpsburg around 1886 when the Paris, Georgetown and Frankort Railroad was established. The line would also connect Owingsville to Salt Lick and down the Licking Valley line to Yale. Bath County would own and maintain the railroad, of which the county raised $2000,000 in bonds at 5% interest. Additional principle would have to be borrowed from private sources solely on the good faith that the rail service would be prosperous. <br />
An 1888 pamphlet published by F. L. McChesney, of Paris, entitled <i>The Kentucky Midland Railway Company – Its Resources and Prospects </i>said this about the PG&F Railroad route:<br />
<i> “Starting from Frankfort, the Capital of the State, a prosperous city
of from 8,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, and one of the largest lumber
markets . . . . proposed road will pass eastwardly . . . through
Stamping Ground . . . . Georgetown is reached, a flourishing city of
3,000 inhabitants . . . . Here a junction is made with the Cincinnati
Southern, opening to that road the most direct line to Frankfort and to
Louisville. The Kentucky Midland will certainly divide the business
south of its line with the Lexington branch of the Louisville &
Nashville, and will also receive the entire traffic north of its line
where there is no competing road.”“Traversing a magnificent section of
Bourbon county, the road will reach Paris, a growing and enterprising
city of between 5,000 and 6,000 inhabitants. The business of Paris is
large . . . . the most important shipping point on the Kentucky
Central Railroad.”</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>“after passing through Bourbon the road will enter the county of Bath
within about one-half mile of Sharpsburg . . . . the farmers are
well-to-do, and almost all have deposits in their local bank.”</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>“The road will pass through Owingsville, a prosperous, thriving, business town.”</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>“The Kentucky Midland will cross the Chesapeake & Ohio near Salt
Lick, and thence will pass on through Morgan county. Near Salt Lick it
will reach and cross the Licking river, and open up a large lumber
trade.”</i><br />
<i>
“In Morgan county, is the best defined and most reliable and largest cannel coal<a href="http://c/Users/William/Desktop/On%20February%2024.docx#_ftn2" id="_ftnref2" name="_ftnref2" title=""></a> field in the known world.” </i><br />
The PG& F route through Bath County would run from Paris to Sharpsburg, onward to Owingsville near the courthouse square, crossing the C&O Railroad at Salt Lick, then to Yale. During construction, the railroad's route shifted and the route into Bath County never went beyond the planning phase. The railroad instead went from Paris to Carlisle onward through Cynthiana, Falmouth, Maysville and Covington. During the expansion from Paris, the railroad's name changed to the Kentucky Midland Railway. A couple of other proposals from interested parties came to light in 1896 and 1897, with one route running from Jellico, Tennessee through Owingsville to the Ohio River, but neither proposal came to fruition. A new rail line from Midland to the mouth of Caney Creek, near the Caney Furnace location, was also proposed, but never got past planning. An electric railway was proposed by John P. Martin of Xenia, Ohio to run from Mount Sterling to Sharpsburg, carrying freight from the Cincinnati-Southern Railroad, but again, never came to be. <br />
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As the Twentieth-Century arrived, the towns of Olympia, Preston and Salt Lick became booming industrial ports for the railroad, which, in 1904 was consolidated and changed from the Elizabethtown, Lexington & Big Sandy to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The railroad was especially important to Salt Lick; a large lumber operation was established on the southern outskirts of town. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ9KCXFG8nFAw7v3IGzLvKgFFAH0Hu5RpqEf9vpBLGQ5xSRJmoULDRv7C98_Mk_aNULRc033mvZLU-bX0eT8rWkVj7FFx5a8yDWnXw1i1csC5NQZMzF49hem1vGKD_kasy9zC-1Uobdo2/s1600/coal_trian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ9KCXFG8nFAw7v3IGzLvKgFFAH0Hu5RpqEf9vpBLGQ5xSRJmoULDRv7C98_Mk_aNULRc033mvZLU-bX0eT8rWkVj7FFx5a8yDWnXw1i1csC5NQZMzF49hem1vGKD_kasy9zC-1Uobdo2/s320/coal_trian.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coal Burning Train, Salt Lick Ky. 1900</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Many local men were hired by the railroad as linemen, signal operators or performed other essential duties to maintain the rail line. Owingsville, however, would be largely ignored by the railroad systems. From 1907-1909, there was an interest in getting rail service from Salt Lick, through Olympian Springs, Owingsville and Sharpsburg, ending in Maysville. Many prominent people of the day expressed a great interest and public meetings were held to generate support and potential financial backers. It was estimated that the route would cost around $400,000, of which many of the county's businessmen were initially willing to help fund. Engineers and surveyors from the Kaufman-Shaw Construction Company were hired to plot the route and land owners were contacted about right of way, but, like the several proposals before, the idea lost interest. The Kentucky Midland Route was planned to run from Salt Lick to Paris, through Owingsville, but abandoned early in the planning stages. The last consideration for Sharpsburg to gain a railroad was in 1909, when the Commercial Club of Winchester proposed a route from North Middletown in Bourbon County to Sharpsburg. More public meetings were held, and great consideration was expressed, with right of ways agreed upon. When the proposal was brought before the financial backing group from Philadelphia, the group deemed the railroad as unfeasible, and the project was scrapped. It seemed efforts to establish an effective rail system in the northern section of Bath County, and into Owingsville, was lost. <br />
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In 1914, the remaining rails from the Licking Valley Railroad were put down in Owingsville to establish the Owingsville & Olympia Railroad, or O&O. Five cars and a locomotive made up the O&O line, which was also known as the Little Dinky because of the narrow gauge rail and small Climax engine. The depot was located off what is now Paul Lewis Drive behind the old city hall building on Slate Avenue. The track ran down the hill, then turned south six miles to Olympia, rounding the hillside across from Kendall Springs Road; of which, the old rail bed can still be seen. Owingsville had finally secured it's place in the railroad age. The first train left Owingsville in the early part of 1915 and was managed by W.W. Hubbard, with John K. Richards being the local agent at the depot. The steam engine soon became impractical, probably due to the steep grade just outside Owingsville, and was replaced by a gasoline fueled engine that could haul the heavy freight and eventual passengers that would board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6gmHcRCKMbO-Nril-FjFoyB2Pe2-gIRpwV51ZuiKTn4w9CxMIMGXpVjrenlQ41vBpIEUgj9_c8m0fXQ_kP5luyLgXiPbDffuxSQ0WE2S-_ioWBuwOZ9K95A9AR3u9MxuXdXbgvZxmCQo/s1600/train3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6gmHcRCKMbO-Nril-FjFoyB2Pe2-gIRpwV51ZuiKTn4w9CxMIMGXpVjrenlQ41vBpIEUgj9_c8m0fXQ_kP5luyLgXiPbDffuxSQ0WE2S-_ioWBuwOZ9K95A9AR3u9MxuXdXbgvZxmCQo/s320/train3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A bridge was erected across Slate Creek near the Bourbon Furnace, and is still standing behind the Church of the Latter Day Saints on Kentucky 36. A couple of smaller trestles were erected over the smaller streams between Owingsville and Slate Creek, one of which was at the bottom of the grade just below the depot. The O&O was very profitable hauling goods and a passenger service was envisioned, but in October, 1915, ideas for passenger service came to a dashing halt.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFLXIHHj0jwTv0y6jrSy7NqwtX8G4stqwTMzRt-zPLd8cblJixtdG5p0CsdQF55in8mG99Jfviiw3-oNfFia4ecraMyCyammQQMhNJL9C80o-yGfeZmB2xfv1o79H7WAe1slQMOkjoE2Z/s1600/trainwreck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFLXIHHj0jwTv0y6jrSy7NqwtX8G4stqwTMzRt-zPLd8cblJixtdG5p0CsdQF55in8mG99Jfviiw3-oNfFia4ecraMyCyammQQMhNJL9C80o-yGfeZmB2xfv1o79H7WAe1slQMOkjoE2Z/s320/trainwreck.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Little Dinky train was parked at the depot in Owingsville taking on freight one afternoon. Suddenly, the locomotive's brakes failed and the train barreled down the grade. It continued to the bottom of the hill and raced toward the curve going into the first trestle, gathering momentum. The train jumped the track at the first trestle and plummeted to the ground onto its side. The public became apprehensive about traveling on the O&O after the wreck and passenger service eventually came to a stop. The O&O continued to run freight, but without the funding from passenger service, the railroad became financially unstable. By 1916, hardly any trains were moving along the route and the Owingsville & Olympia Railroad ceased operations. The tracks were dismantled in 1918 and sold to coal companies. No trains have ever rolled into Owingsville since, and the O&O holds the distinction of being the shortest lived railroad in Kentucky.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-La23V1Zp7CImelYGPUR4tD3p87NG8b6W3Fq2o6RhlegKUdFWiL-C7db6JfYfeDw1CgRCWz4SaLY0u4zpu2kBYoUlEnC_5EBCVbUnGCsv8MUahwlhuIjPNZvOAh_UwD8YWRDCGYWbrMm/s1600/salt_lick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-La23V1Zp7CImelYGPUR4tD3p87NG8b6W3Fq2o6RhlegKUdFWiL-C7db6JfYfeDw1CgRCWz4SaLY0u4zpu2kBYoUlEnC_5EBCVbUnGCsv8MUahwlhuIjPNZvOAh_UwD8YWRDCGYWbrMm/s320/salt_lick.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Salt Lick's depot, circa 1950</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NKC5q8-2K122Ec_3GLUsi895j-DuBAF8s96FtXBg9_UMXsKjGEmPZFpCYTtm0a1oXtOksMxW93txPZ9QyeACAEp7drX9ahCbJkxwIj9N-InnKIowGYlKlxnAQGr1EsW_jtD-sK50Kbhy/s1600/Doswell41GeorgeWashington1966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NKC5q8-2K122Ec_3GLUsi895j-DuBAF8s96FtXBg9_UMXsKjGEmPZFpCYTtm0a1oXtOksMxW93txPZ9QyeACAEp7drX9ahCbJkxwIj9N-InnKIowGYlKlxnAQGr1EsW_jtD-sK50Kbhy/s320/Doswell41GeorgeWashington1966.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The George Washington, circa 1966.</i></td></tr>
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As the Twentieth Century dawned, the railroad system was booming nationwide. Trains took over the once prosperous river routes and wagon trains that once raced across country. In Bath County, Salt Lick was the key railroad depot and shipping point. The town grew into a thriving business district; the rails created much needed jobs for local residents and stores and shops began to line main street in the small town. In addition to freight, passenger service along the C&O Railroad became routine. The route could whisk passengers to Washington, DC where they could be connected to other rail lines anywhere up the East Coast. Steam and coal powered engines still chugged down the lines, but the
passenger trains in the early 1900's moved to gasoline power for better
efficiency. Several passenger trains passed through daily, but two were considered the luxury lines of the rails; and made stops at Bath County's local depots. The first was the Fast Flying Virginian, or FFV for short, which ran the daytime route from Washington, DC to Cincinnati. The FFV was brought into service in 1889, and was the first train in the Chesapeake & Ohio fleet to have a dining car. Another amenity was enclosed passages between cars to allow for passenger safety. The George Washington had air conditioned cars that provided an extra layer of comfort for passengers on their trip. The George Washington was probably the most famous of all of the C&O passenger trains due to the level of comfort and scenic views it traveled. Many of the C&O trains were coal burners and rightfully so as the main route ran right through the heart of coal country. During the Great Depression of the 1930's, the rail system seemed <br />
unfazed by the economic crisis. The Chesapeake & Ohio line was very prosperous despite the hardships, and helped contribute to the delivery of much needed goods to stricken major cities. During World War II the C&O trains were one of the main suppliers of materials and men to the ports at Newport News, with many of those trains loaded with war material and recruits passing through Bath County.<br />
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During the railroad age in Bath County, there were a few incidents recorded involving accidents and fatalities. A small article in the Owingsville News Outlook dated February 17, 1898 tells of Jessie Keesee, of Carter County, who was killed by a passing train as he slept near the tracks just outside of Preston. The Bath County World newspaper notes on the same date of publication that Will Kinsie, also of Carter County, was killed near Preston by a passing freight train; quite possibly the same person, just variations of the name. Pete Miller of Lexington was killed January 30, 1906 near Preston when the caboose he and another man, Edward Flynn, were operating overturned in a curve. It was reported that Miller was trapped in the caboose and the overturned stove set the car on fire. Flynn was badly injured, but survived. Albert Lewis was killed when he attempted to jump onto a platform between moving rail cars near Salt Lick February 22, 1906. Another person attempted to jump onto a moving train at the Stepstone freight station, which was located at the bottom of Sugar Grove hill, and was dragged to death in 1908. A few more incidents of pedestrians being struck are dotted among old newspapers, but perhaps the most bizarre incident is also chronicled in fellow writer Tom Byron's <i>The Kentucky Files</i> blog. Elbert Thomas of Olympia took a new Greyhound Bus from the terminal yard in Cincinnati one night in July, 1953. He drove the bus all the way back to Olympia, where he abandoned it in the middle of the railroad crossing on Highway 36. Shortly afterward, a freight train slammed into the bus, cutting it in half. No one was reportedly injured in the spectacular crash, but Thomas was arrested and charged with the theft of the bus.<br />
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Throughout the early years of rail travel, there were few major accidents involving derailments. Aside from the Owingsville & Olympia wreck, there was an incident of a Licking Valley train jumping track due to a portion of track being washed out along the route. Another was the derailment of the caboose that killed Pete Miller. Two major incidents in the 1970's had the potential for deadly consequences; not only for the rail crews, but to the general public. A freight train pulling thirty-four cars derailed November 8, 1976 adjacent to a farm belonging to Dick Lyons near the Stepstone freight station. Twenty-six cars left the track, including a tanker hauling 4,000 gallons of sulfuric acid, tearing out over 500 feet of track. The damaged tanker car began leaking the hazardous chemical into Stepstone Creek, a short distance upstream from Slate Creek. The fire department responded to insure there was no fire hazard and the fledgling Bath County Disaster Emergency Services, led by Vernon Barber, responded to assist. A bulldozer was called to the scene to construct a dam in order to keep the chemicals from further flowing into Owingsville's water supply point, located about five miles away, behind the Lion's Club Park off Kendall Springs Road. State and railroad emergency response crews arrived on the wreck scene and began using a limestone filter system to neutralize any contaminated water down stream. Several hours later, the spill was mitigated and the threat was over. Recovery crews from the Chessie System began moving the train cars the next day and repairing the damaged tracks. No injuries were reported during this incident, but it was a very close call for the public. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZRy8rudn_oXrb1DFaQWY5cbcb2el9vRIwXM2HKS8Dh03HV9wgyYrmC3kWktpQ448w29lXaqhvYJICU3cn772BppFPNRK_BS35-OPaPaK94Uw4J0D5Gc91KRhykY6e2FNb3FF4mHSxwPU/s1600/preston1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZRy8rudn_oXrb1DFaQWY5cbcb2el9vRIwXM2HKS8Dh03HV9wgyYrmC3kWktpQ448w29lXaqhvYJICU3cn772BppFPNRK_BS35-OPaPaK94Uw4J0D5Gc91KRhykY6e2FNb3FF4mHSxwPU/s320/preston1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The derailment at Preston, April 1978. Courtesy of the Bath County News Outlook</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vnkTOUdR8PiwCTnNO9LFp2vv6Sd2ETqeTs7M0MKEgWeSjcIciKvgSZXp35GeRbZk-Ml6X996O2a0fn8V6CLGapzRBSo_-qcZoEiI5M9T3igawTFo_4J4eiMlWSpo5dTvq-AUuYA1BgD/s1600/preston3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vnkTOUdR8PiwCTnNO9LFp2vv6Sd2ETqeTs7M0MKEgWeSjcIciKvgSZXp35GeRbZk-Ml6X996O2a0fn8V6CLGapzRBSo_-qcZoEiI5M9T3igawTFo_4J4eiMlWSpo5dTvq-AUuYA1BgD/s320/preston3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wrecked rail cars dangerously close to homes after the 1978 Preston derailment</i></td></tr>
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Residents of Preston were going about their usual routines the morning of Thursday, April 13, 1978. Eula and Arnold Miller were at their breakfast table around 6:30 a.m. and heard the eastbound freight train approaching the town's crossing by Rube Blevins' store; what the Miller's saw and heard next would be the beginning of a harrowing twenty-four hour ordeal. A train hauling sixty-nine cars jumped the track at the crossing, scattering thirteen cars, debris and twisted rails all around. One empty coal car nearly plowed through a house down the street along the tracks. Mrs. Miller watched in awe as the cars crashed into each other. Neighbors began going door to door to check on each other, when suddenly, a crewman on the train ran up telling everyone that three cars were loaded with deadly hydrocyanic acid. Mike Cassidy, who lived near the tracks, alerted the fire department on his CB radio and ran up to the scene to see what he could do to help. When told that there were hazardous chemicals involved, he and a few others began evacuating people from the immediate area. According Eula Miller's interview in the Bath County News Outlook's April 20, 1978 edition, there was no panic as people began to move away from the accident location. Soon, the fire department and rescue squad were on location and with help from the sheriff's department and Kentucky State Police, they began evacuating residents within a mile radius of the accident. The acid was being transported in three 11,000 gallon tanker cars, with
one receiving a large dent from being sandwiched between other tanker
cars; none of the three overturned thankfully. An evacuation center was located at the Owingsville Church of God and by 8:30 a.m., evacuees were starting to fill the church. About 300 people were evacuated to either the church or to other family members' homes. In some cases, residents had just enough time to gather a handful of items before they had to leave, so most just had what clothes they were wearing and no other provisions. The church, schools, and local residents assisted the evacuees in their basic needs and provided meals; a true community wide effort.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAVjQulAh38XmnILYezAlcTObRREeqDSe_0BLYbMKblJn96oH-J-v4LXSgsr8DV7yyPGCQIcx1wsdLwXFL9PikIv490E9RgGdalLxIwyfd6Q_iQiIJ60QFyjX5YP8aXo2746syML4acEY/s1600/preston2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAVjQulAh38XmnILYezAlcTObRREeqDSe_0BLYbMKblJn96oH-J-v4LXSgsr8DV7yyPGCQIcx1wsdLwXFL9PikIv490E9RgGdalLxIwyfd6Q_iQiIJ60QFyjX5YP8aXo2746syML4acEY/s320/preston2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A representative from DuPont inspects a damaged rail car, Preston, 1978</i></td></tr>
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The incident command post was established at a residence on Kendall Springs Road and by mid-afternoon, representatives from DuPont, the owner of the chemical tankers, had been flown into Preston. Preston had become the center of media attention and curious on-lookers. Several low-flying airplanes and helicopters surveyed the wreckage from above. Kentucky State Fire Marshall's office representative, Carl Mastin, arrived on scene and presided over some of the operations during the incident, with the local fire department standing by. Vernon Barber organized the rescue squad to assist Sheriff Dan Swartz in keeping the radius secure and allowed only essential personnel into the scene's perimeter until it was deemed safe. Once representatives from DuPont arrived, they indicated that the tankers were not leaking the deadly materials and the clean-up process began. Evacuated residents were allowed back home after a tense twenty-four hours. Chessie System representatives began moving the cars still on the tracks the following Monday, and by Tuesday, April 18, all of the wreckage had been cleared out from Preston. It is believed that the cause of the derailment was that the tracks had become unstable at the Preston crossing after so many years of train travel. Mike Cassidy stated during an interview with the Bath County News Outlook that he had seen the tracks sway up and down several times over the years. At the time of the accident, there was only one foreman and two rail hands that were tasked to maintain the tracks, most certainly an undaunting task for such a small crew. No one was injured during this incident, and other than the property owned by the railroad company, no homes or personal property was lost. <br />
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As transportation shifted from rail to interstate highway and air travel, fewer goods and passengers traveled the rails through Bath County. To accommodate over the road commercial vehicle travel, a bypass route had to be established in Salt Lick due to the low clearance of the C&O bridge. Bypass Road was built across from the BP gas station and paralleled the railroad, exiting onto US 60 in Midland. When US 60 was widened and rerouted in the early 1990's, the C&O overpass was left standing and now sits on privately owned land just barely out <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhyphenhyphenu9galNM1FxjLRQy_4MohYlt3vjDbvDphrWzUC9FKrEhXHOtPWIqBFSrv4xkypFNU3XdBcasyKPYblBkfYreQuZ2htNZMY0sIUgvXDft5HTgpopX4O0VlXe-w6qBbvWWxYSHcWjAVGd/s1600/m2ia2mop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhyphenhyphenu9galNM1FxjLRQy_4MohYlt3vjDbvDphrWzUC9FKrEhXHOtPWIqBFSrv4xkypFNU3XdBcasyKPYblBkfYreQuZ2htNZMY0sIUgvXDft5HTgpopX4O0VlXe-w6qBbvWWxYSHcWjAVGd/s320/m2ia2mop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The C&O Overpass in Midland, 2005. Photo by TJ Mahan</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiot3DLmomESLWhGCoBzajXd97cteZ5aQFok_UmlTHNRR_rrRlAddjnbiOetIHh_UHYv-cjPpUNi_H6lht6wfvPdwVgWZToy_K9QLlLci_zkuAZe11kcwUThaADqft4K3QJrmV2-nv_ih1U/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiot3DLmomESLWhGCoBzajXd97cteZ5aQFok_UmlTHNRR_rrRlAddjnbiOetIHh_UHYv-cjPpUNi_H6lht6wfvPdwVgWZToy_K9QLlLci_zkuAZe11kcwUThaADqft4K3QJrmV2-nv_ih1U/s320/index.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The O&O bridge site, 2015. Taken by Andy Crouch</i></td></tr>
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of sight. Passenger trains dwindled in Bath County by the mid Twentieth-Century and the Chesapeake & Ohio line merged with two other rail systems and renamed the Chessie System. Yellow and black diesel locomotives replaced the older streamlined trains and the older classic style trains had become that of nostalgia. By 1970, Passenger service had ceased along the railroads that passed through Bath County. Freight trains carrying coal and tanks of various substances passed through daily, but not as frequently as they had before. The old railroad beds at Yale and Ragland Mills were lost to history when Cave Run Lake was built and the old Ore Mines rail beds were, and still are, used as farm roads. Today, the trail of the Owingsville & Olympia Railroad can be seen as a driveway to a home below the Owingsville Cemetery and along the hillside across from Kendall Springs Road. As mentioned before, the Slate Creek Bridge support structures are still standing behind the church of Latter Day Saints, but is on private property. The trains continued to roll down the rails until the early 1980's. Preston's railroad depot burned down and was never rebuilt, and the Olympia depot closed and was eventually torn down. The Chessie Railroad and Seaboard Coast Line Industries merged to form the CSX Corporation in 1980, absorbing the nearby Baltimore & Ohio and Lexington & Nashville lines. The existing rails, which ran well away from the C&O line, were kept in service for the new CSX trains. Fewer and fewer trains ran through Bath County, and eventually, all service was discontinued through the county. The last train to roll through Bath County was in 1985, bringing an end to the era of the mighty iron horses. The tracks were torn up and hauled away, however, many people bought the wooden ties to use for various purposes. The old rail beds were eventually abandoned all together by the railroad company and sold to neighboring residents. Some of the old railroad beds have been converted into roads, both private and county maintained; an example of this is Vista Lane in Olympia. Salt Lick's depot stood until the late 1980's, when it was torn down and the Salt Lick Fire Department was built in nearly the same location. Some neighboring counties have preserved their depots and created community centers or museums out of the once bustling structures. The last train I personally remember seeing was along US 60 in Rowan County in the mid 1980's. For those who lived and was raised in Olympia, Preston and Salt Lick during the age of the iron horses, the trains hold a special place in their hearts and memories. Lifelong Salt Lick resident Bob Frizzell published a book called <i>Memories of Old Salt Lick</i> and has some great references to the railroads, and if you walk into the home/office of Brad Frizzell, several railroad artifacts such as lanterns, spikes and old photographs adorn the walls; most of which were acquired in Bath County. Train travel remains a romanticized method of travel and there are places in Kentucky that still offer short excursions that take one back into that nostalgic age away from the busy interstates. The Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven offers some great insight on the railroads that ran throughout the state, and has some unique and rare artifacts. Outside, visitors get a treat by seeing the mighty trains up close, such as the Chesapeake & Ohio Number 2716 locomotive. The C&O 2716 may not have rolled through Bath County, it was primarily used in West Virginia, but the nod to Bath County's local history painted on the side would make anyone who remembers the age of the iron horses smile with some pride.<br />
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There are many, many more stories associated with the railroads in Bath County, probably far too many to put into a short story context. While this volume of Bath County's history is only a brief summary, there are still many people who can tell their own stories about the railroads and how they impacted their lives in some way. <br />
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<u><i>Resources:</i></u><br />
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<u><i>Ghost Railroads of Kentucky by </i></u><u><i><span class="addmd">Elmer G. Sulzer</span></i></u><br />
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<u><i><span class="addmd"> Bath County News Outlook, April 20, 1978 edition- Special Thanks to Donna Conway for use of this paper!</span></i></u><br />
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<u><i><span class="addmd">Andy Crouch-photo credit</span></i></u><br />
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<u><i><span class="addmd">Robert Wright-Salt Lick Depot photo credit </span></i></u><br />
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<u><i><span class="addmd">An Illustrated History of Bath County, by John Adair Richards</span></i></u><br />
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<u><i><span class="addmd"> http://www.caverun.org/</span></i></u><br />
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<u><i><span class="addmd"> http://www.abandonedrails.com/Lexington_Subdivision</span> </i></u><br />
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<br />Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234120483992623385.post-87954123229410718592015-11-17T11:30:00.001-05:002015-11-17T11:30:49.512-05:00The Cold War & the Home Front: Owingsville's Air Force StationThere was a period in recent time when America lived in a state of constant readiness. We lived under the assumption that one day, communist forces from the USSR and Cuba would attack The United States and spark the dreaded Third World War; a nuclear war that could obliterate our cities and lives. At the end of World War II in 1945, the United States and USSR (Russia) dominated world affairs. Berlin, Germany's capital city, was divided, with the United States and Allied
Forces occupying the west, and the Russians occupying the east. The US, British and French occupied the entire western and southern sections of Germany. Russia's leader, Joseph Stalin,
counted on the allies to vacate Germany within a couple of years, and
there would be a total communist control over the country. Tensions arose in 1948 when the Russians blocked the crucial transportation routes into Berlin and the region was once again at the brink of war. Luckily, the blockade was resolved in May, 1949 and the region stabilized again. Berlin was again at the center point of world affairs when in 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed by the Russians, dividing the city for twenty-eight years. <br />
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As the 1950's dawned, the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was tested with the Korean War. Communist forces under the direction Kim Il-sung invaded South Korea, allegedly under the advisement of the Joseph Stalin. The war was a brutal fight, ending in 1953 with over thirty three thousand United States deaths. Tensions between the USSR and US continued, and by the 1960's, Cuba was a player in the field. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 nearly brought the world into an all out nuclear war. A failed coup attempt to oust communist Cuban leader Fidel Castro at the Bay of Pigs resulted in the positioning of nuclear-armed missiles by Russia on the Cuban mainland; well within striking distance of the Untied States. A tense stand off brought a nuclear war closer than it ever had, or has, been and was resolved diplomatically.<br />
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All the tensions, provocations and fear of war mobilized the United States into readiness mode. The armed forces, particularly the Air Force, prepared for the anticipated event of war by bolstering air defenses on land and in space. Intercontinental ballistic missiles could strike targets thousands of miles away by the push of a button, so early warning systems were designed to better protect us. Powerful radar systems and a series of transmitters were strategically built nationwide, providing a web of protection against nuclear strikes. In the meantime, everyday citizens of all ages were taught to 'duck and cover' and participated in drills in their homes, workplaces and schools. No one appeared safe from the nuclear threat; large cities, military facilities and small town America was in harm's way. Part of this readiness mode brought the Cold War right into Bath County.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_JoB36wM36HvEbGmCvUWnp9i0XcDnQ9ajASPtEGhye3fpdJtiDEyISvLI5-P_V3SEr329P2uCXAipGFWualI8kt5YgBq5VWXUtpEkXaPRsHWezovnq5iogCyQceuJzMChyh8pUt2OONp/s1600/Airdefensecommand-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_JoB36wM36HvEbGmCvUWnp9i0XcDnQ9ajASPtEGhye3fpdJtiDEyISvLI5-P_V3SEr329P2uCXAipGFWualI8kt5YgBq5VWXUtpEkXaPRsHWezovnq5iogCyQceuJzMChyh8pUt2OONp/s320/Airdefensecommand-logo.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
The Air Defense Command was activated in 1946 by the United States Air Force to provide a blanket of defense from attacks by planes or missiles. The Russians were building larger and better ranged bombers that could strike key targets and large municipalities, so early warning was integral. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72Agmmu0kpzBKJjOeaAfGe12jDZCt_iCLRRrbk4PAMyGRoQ74aNAyurs0_3VTkI2LHiN_zrx1aykUWrb3PkIC5L4GiqPWk0aJGV1tvztGHbVPm3MxwjxFBbG2IO3bUHWn-ZXI74OYwBQO/s1600/tps-1dGermany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72Agmmu0kpzBKJjOeaAfGe12jDZCt_iCLRRrbk4PAMyGRoQ74aNAyurs0_3VTkI2LHiN_zrx1aykUWrb3PkIC5L4GiqPWk0aJGV1tvztGHbVPm3MxwjxFBbG2IO3bUHWn-ZXI74OYwBQO/s320/tps-1dGermany.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A deployed mobile AN/TPS-1D radar system </i></td></tr>
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Forty-four mobile radar stations were built nationwide to supplement the stationary radar sites, a kind of mobile-relay system. Originally slated for full operation by 1952, budget limits, site changes and other factors delayed the implementation of the mobile sites and in 1954, the 809th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated at the newly constructed Owingsville Air Station; officially designated as M-131. Owingsville Station was part of the 4708th Air Defense Wing based out of Selfridge Air Force Base in Mt. Clements, Michigan. The barracks, mess hall, motor pool, support and personnel buildings were located off Kentucky Highway 36 West, just prior to Tunnel Hill Road. A mobile AN/TPS-1D type radar was placed on the garrison site until the station was fully operational in 1956. A tactical operations site was constructed a few miles north of the garrison site, on a hillside adjacent to Powers Branch Road. The tactical site featured a few buildings and a stationary mounted radar that functioned as a Ground Control Intercept station. The role of the station was to guide aircraft to intercept incoming, unidentified threats using the other radar systems within the links of the air defense chain. The station was called a 'manned gap-filler' type site due to the relay capabilities. Major Frank Smyth was the commander for the 809th AC&W Squadron, Second Lieutenant Robert Poline served as the Adjutant at the small garrison, and together with a small force of Airmen, they maintained a constant, watchful eye on the skies above and beyond. Amenities at the station were modest; barracks lined one side of the facility, the motor pool where all the vehicles were parked was on the back side against Prickly Ash Creek, and a few other buildings rounded out the perimeter. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhDX7h67gKW9pZjWdyp5ulzmMVsq_JYPJfsph61KoamWFASfZ490JEPNhJC9q1jMbWfPP1Fx2sfM8WWRvDWKVfotau1vKdeQL6gzsc7ur7crK4KHzs4pMDPi9Qcr1JkAvTSuwyx-koFNa/s1600/photos-OwingsvilleAFSKY57cantonment.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhDX7h67gKW9pZjWdyp5ulzmMVsq_JYPJfsph61KoamWFASfZ490JEPNhJC9q1jMbWfPP1Fx2sfM8WWRvDWKVfotau1vKdeQL6gzsc7ur7crK4KHzs4pMDPi9Qcr1JkAvTSuwyx-koFNa/s320/photos-OwingsvilleAFSKY57cantonment.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Owingsville Air Force Station, 1957</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MH0iDJtPBmJHDekKy6tRG38IbBidWdb2zyicpyljEaTM-UDtoPBLwsqV0VG4MDLlbIHsw696ujriHkDF5pEBnuziB1azSrJ8yZ6xm_kSGEJ4nIl9TSarl3aYRnh5D8q9tYuxbvluPKgr/s1600/photos-OwingsvilleAFSKY57site.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MH0iDJtPBmJHDekKy6tRG38IbBidWdb2zyicpyljEaTM-UDtoPBLwsqV0VG4MDLlbIHsw696ujriHkDF5pEBnuziB1azSrJ8yZ6xm_kSGEJ4nIl9TSarl3aYRnh5D8q9tYuxbvluPKgr/s200/photos-OwingsvilleAFSKY57site.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 809th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron's tactical site</i></td></tr>
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In March, 1956, the 809th Squadron was placed under the command of the 58th Air Division, based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The 58th Air Division yearbook from 1957 provides some great photographs and insight of the operations that went on at the Owingsville Air Force Station. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher6kJ5PCtQMK4CoUo2V4ukePw0c8lTgZAUTPFFdh1GAldTZRmPw3q5UDbXukZzsgece5ljxj5lupWEEZf_FQedBvuQFAMGPJHIpmfHap6KJTWFkZB5dR3x0piUc08DrcpT7uw-478z-qA/s1600/documents-Owingsville57-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher6kJ5PCtQMK4CoUo2V4ukePw0c8lTgZAUTPFFdh1GAldTZRmPw3q5UDbXukZzsgece5ljxj5lupWEEZf_FQedBvuQFAMGPJHIpmfHap6KJTWFkZB5dR3x0piUc08DrcpT7uw-478z-qA/s320/documents-Owingsville57-1.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From the 58th ADD 1957 Yearbook</i></td></tr>
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No major incidents were ever publicly revealed, mainly due to the intense secrecy that guarded our National safety. Budget cuts across the armed forces caused the reduction or closure of many radar stations across the country, including the Owingsville Air Force Station in November, 1957. The station was then operated as an unmanned radar annex controlled by the Snow Mountain Air Force Station located in Fort Knox, Kentucky. The site on Powers Branch Road was slated to be upgraded to an AN/FPS-18 radar system, but the garrison on Kentucky 36 was abandoned and dismantled. Site control was then transferred the Guthrie Air Force Station in West Virginia until sometime in the early 1960's before it was closed completely. The larger AN/FPS-18 radar was never constructed.<br />
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The Cold War effectively ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the USSR consolidating, but threats till loom on a smaller scale. Today, the 809th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron command and tactical stations are unrecognizable as places that once helped insure National security by watching our skies. The garrison site is now home to the Kentucky Department of Transportation garage and the Powers Branch site is now privately owned land. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRNFiDxlmB63aurQ3XTK2U9GSnmi0Q-qyzioWJ8spGm481H283RtfSblzOHkv1gdDkcoULTcBsKLBq7Yotl1g8h8dWRoydG3TRLveneWBu11Qp17O0fHA05_7IqOmX2FCM4IAG0_AUliq/s1600/oafs+tac+site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRNFiDxlmB63aurQ3XTK2U9GSnmi0Q-qyzioWJ8spGm481H283RtfSblzOHkv1gdDkcoULTcBsKLBq7Yotl1g8h8dWRoydG3TRLveneWBu11Qp17O0fHA05_7IqOmX2FCM4IAG0_AUliq/s320/oafs+tac+site.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>On this hill was the 809th </i><br /><i>Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron's radar site. Located on Powers Branch Road, off KY 36 West.</i> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfg-2fLkq_APMviqP-tgKC89Fmnv3E-lQETJoEzWypHXWpUXiw4e4UMtF3ClGSiA91GBoWgjUQSpRLknWJaRZ9aerYe6EtZBT8xodMUgvM3e94uGMZq53hYmbFRiseZt5arZfmnHf_Aii/s1600/ofas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfg-2fLkq_APMviqP-tgKC89Fmnv3E-lQETJoEzWypHXWpUXiw4e4UMtF3ClGSiA91GBoWgjUQSpRLknWJaRZ9aerYe6EtZBT8xodMUgvM3e94uGMZq53hYmbFRiseZt5arZfmnHf_Aii/s320/ofas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Owingsville Air Force Station command site, September 2014 (courtesy of Google Map)</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
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It is highly unlikely that Bath County will ever host another gap-filler radar station for the United States Air Force. Changes in technology and global security has made these small stations obsolete, but for a short time, Owingsville was an integral part of our nation's defense. <br />
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<u><i>Resources:</i></u><br />
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<u><i> http://www.radomes.org/museum/showsite.php?site=Owingsville+AFS,+KY</i></u><br />
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<u><i>Google Maps </i></u><br />
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<u><i>The 58th Air Division archives</i></u><br />
<u><i> </i></u> Rob Kiskadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729507457550464443noreply@blogger.com0