More Lyon County Kentucky Residents (1930's - 1940's)

I thought I'd attempt to post a collage of pictures as a test. I've been posting one picture at a time on one of the Lyon County Facebook pages and I don't want to take up all the oxygen with so many pictures, so we'll see what this looks like.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky Lyon County Kentucky INDEX

The History of Lyon County Kentucky Lyon County Kentucky
With permission of the Herald Ledger Newspaper, these posts, in my blog
are a transcription of a special publication of the Lyon County Historical
Society and the Herald ledger Newspaper from July 3, 1996.  I didn't
scan the pictures from the articles at the time I entered these (2008), so
I'd be glad to do that upon request.  Send email to debatchley@gmail.com.
Here's the link in my blog.  You might want to scan down and read the
first one first, and then scroll up to Part 19, or do a search of a specific article.  Various Kentucky
residents wrote the articles.  It's a great look at our history:
http://debs-midlife.blogspot.com/search/label/Lyon%20County%20Kentucky

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 19 (FINAL)  5/10/08 The Smith House by Bill Young
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 18  5/9/08 The Parkersville Lodge by Dale Hayhugh
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 17  5/8/08 The O'Daniel House by Odell Walker
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 16  5/7/08 Cobb's Battery by Glenn Martin & Dewey One Room School by Odell Walker
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 15  5/6/08 the Kelly Kettle by Odell Walker
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 14  5/5/08 The Hawley House by Odell Walker & The Skinner House by Cindy Simpson
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 13  5/4/08 The Battle of Saratoga by Odell Walker
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 12  5/3/08 Governor Charles Anderson by Odell
Walker
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 11  5/2/08 The Woodruff House by Margaret Wilford
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 10  5/2/08 New Bethel Baptist Church by Odell Walker
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 9  4/30/08 Rose Hill - The Cobb House by Odell
Walker
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 8 4/29/08 The Kentucky State Penitentiary (continued
2) by Bill Cunningham
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 7  4/28/08 The Kentucky State Penitentiary
(continued 1) by Bill Cunningham
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 6  4/27/08 The Kentucky State Penitentiary by Bill
Cunningham
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 5  4/26/08 The History of Lyon County by Odell
Walker (continued 4)
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 4  4/25/08 The History of Lyon County by Odell
Walker (continued 3)
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 3  4/24/08 The History of Lyon County by Odell
Walker (continued 2)
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 2  4/23/08 The History of Lyon County by Odell
Walker (continued 1)
The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 1  4/22/08 The History of Lyon County by Odell
Walker

Wonderful resources in unexpected places

I attended the final services at Friendship Methodist Church in Lyon County Kentucky yesterday. The land for the church was supposedly given by my great great grandfather, Noah H Cummins, in the 1850's. Attending that service were two other people descended from two other sons of Noah Cummins. One of them brought a bible which looks to have been owned by another son of Noah Cummins. Listed in the bible were the birth and death dates of several children, of Noah, who were born and died before the 1850 census records. I already had these names and dates, but they had come from a wonderful person working in the Princeton library who had found them "written on an envelope", so I had been looking for proof of the data for years. I promptly accosted this poor bible carrying newly found relative after the service to ask if we could please take pictures. He kindly agreed. I enjoyed meeting my new relatives yesterday and am overjoyed at the genealogical find. It's sad that the Friendship Methodist Church building is now up for sale, along with the lands surrounding it, which includes the graves of so many of my Cummins (and other) relatives (including my parents). A couple of my first cousins, along with my daughter, were at the service yesterday. Here's to you Noah!

Keep reading those probate records

Keep reading through those probate records. Usually the reports from guardians just say how much money was received, from whom and the name of their ward. This guardian report listed in the probate records book actually gave a relationship for which I had been uncertain. It lists the ward, Wm W Jones as the GRANDSON of Peleg Rogers. I've been trying to find hard evidence of the relationship of my Elizabeth Jones (married to Willard C Town) to Wiley and Olive Rogers Jones and trying to connect Wiley Jones to other Jones' in the county and Olive to other Ro(d)gers in the county. Little pieces like this give me a few other clues. You never know where you might find something - read everything.

Kentucky, Probate Records, 1792-1977 Collection on familysearch.org

Lyon County Appraisals, Inventories, Sales, 1854-1870, Vol. 1

Page 645 (Image 376 of 379)

State of Kentucky County of Lyon

W J Rogers guardian of Wm W Jones a minor states that on this day he received a note against W H Harris dated the 15th day of January 1867 and due one day after date thereof for the sum of $23.18 for money due the said Wm W Jones from the estate of Peleg Rogers deceased the Grand Father of the said ward. No other estate due the said ward has been received by this affiant since his last report. That there will be a small amount coming to ward from the estate of Polly Rogers deceased, which when obtained will be duly reported. W J Rogers.

Sworn to and subscribed by W J Rogers before me this 19th day of June 1868

J W Clark Clerk

Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt # 2

A Winter Photo Essay




This is me in 1953 or 1954. This is in old Eddyville, Kentucky, just across the street from the Kentucky Penitentiary. All pictures showing old Eddyville in the background are wonderful to me, as old Eddyville was relocated, and a new Eddyville was built several miles away, when the Barkley Dam was created in the 1960's. The house where we lived, and others surrounding the prison, survive today, as do a few other homes. The entire business district, churches, city hall, post office, school, other homes are all gone and the land where they were is under Barkley Lake. Here are some other pictures of the area, including two postcards showing the old city hall and the old Methodist Church: Link to Kentucky Pics

As I was looking for winter pictures, I noticed that the camera was brought out in the summer for vacations and in the winter, generally, for Christmas pictures. I grew up in Florida, so winter pictures aren't much different from the summer ones except we probably had on a sweater and no shorts - and of course, there was the Christmas tree in the pictures.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 19 (FINAL)

This is the final entry in the Lyon County History series.


The Smith House
By Bill Young

[Pictures: 1) “A view of the author’s home from earlier years.” 2) “Young’s house as it looks today”. ]

Known more recently as the Bessie Hobson House and prior to that as the Annie Eades Collins House, the residence now owned by Lyon County Attorney Bill Young, located on Fifth Street in Old Kuttawa, was originally built by John L. Smith in 1900.

A brief biography of Mr. Smith and a picture of the house as it originally appeared is featured on page 27 in the “Tale of Two Cities” which was published originally in 1901 and most recently reprinted by the Lyon County Historical Society.

According to the biography, “Mr. Smith is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, holding his membership at Mt. Pisgah, near Star Limeworks, where he has liberally contributed to the gospel cause and the building of the magnificent new house that now adorns the old site in the beautiful grove of native sugar maples… the other members of family reside with Mr. Smith in his neat home in Kuttawa, which is the proceeds of many years of diligent labor and economic expenditures.”

Mr. Smith was a leader in the Democratic party and also served as Lyon County Sheriff.

Annie Eades, later Annie Eades Collins, acquired the property in 1928, from her father, William Eades, who had purchased the residence in 1908. Bessie Hobson acquired the property from Annie Eades Collins by a deed dated Sept 28, 1945, but didn’t occupy the residence until the early 1950s.

Bill Young acquired the property in 1977.

According to Ann Matthews, daughter of Annie Eades Collins, her grandfather, William Eades, was known for hosting many “house parties” and the residence, with all its porches on both levels lit up at night, gave the appearance of a steamship when viewed from a distance by oncoming steamers on the Cumberland River.

According to Mrs. Matthews, who now resides in Amarillo, Texas, her mother, Annie Collins, modified the house shortly after she acquired it in 1928, removing the upper porch in the front of the house as well as the lower porch on the side of the house. She also added central heat, replacing all the fireplaces and grates as the primary source of heat.

The residence was completely remodeled after Young acquired it.

Adele Ethridge, daughter of Bessie Hobson, now esides in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

[This takes us to the final page of the newspaper supplement, which contains five pictures: 1) “The La Clede Hotel in Eddyville is where the famed musician of the late 1800s, Jinny Lind, also known as the ‘Swedish Singing Nightingale’ performed.” 2) “One of the old tobacco companies burned by the Night Riders in 1907.”, 3) “A view of the old railroad depot in old Eddyville.”, 4) “The old Lyon County Junior High in Eddyville.”, 5) “The streets of old Eddyville looking toward the prison.”]

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this information as much as I did when it was first published. Now I’m looking for my next project…..

Deb

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 18

Parkersville Lodge
By Dale Hayhugh

[picture: “Parkersville Lodge as it looks today”.]

Parkersville Lodge #484 was organized on Nov 7, 1868. The lodge had its beginnings in 1867 with lands donated by J.M. Early and Levi Jones of 7/8th acre each. A two-story building was started immediately and completed in the fall of 1868. This was a frame building with yellow popular weather boarding and plaster and wallpaper inside. The building was occupied at once with Masons upstairs and a community grade school downstairs.

The school was to be known as Parkersville Academy (a private grade school) with a most enviable reputation and sought after place of learning, with attendance reaching 165 pupils and numbering among its alumni doctors, lawyers and educations of some renown.

The lodge began with 12 masons who were residents of the community but members of several neighboring lodges. These men demitted and under the auspices of Clinton Lodge, with John McLin as proxy and Grand Master in charge, organized Parkersville #484.

The first officers were as follows:
Robert P Smith – WM
J.P. Smith – SW
R.P. Hollowell – JW
J.B. Ramey – Treasurer
J.M. Early – Secretary
N.N. Rice – SD
Thomas Wynn – JD
Jeff Chambers – S&T

Brethren were J.W. Hanberry, J.S. Hollowell, W.H. Harris and F.R. Smith. Also seeking membership with demits pending were J.S. Howard, J.E. Howard, J.E. McCarty, J.B. Kevil and W.M. Johnson.

The first masons to be initiated were R.B. McNary and John J. Nall (better known as Professor Nall), a most charismatic and scholarly man, and the first teacher at Parkersville Academy.

The third man initiated was J.W. Vinson, the father of Judge Jim Vinson and father-in-law to Lewis Lincoln who was to be a member of this lodge and went on to become a prominent newspaperman in Kansas City.

The new lodge held 18 meetings the first year and enjoyed visitors at every meeting beginning in November 1868 to March 1870.

Remembering the only mode of transportation in those days being horse or horse-drawn, tells us something of the dedication and zeal of our forefathers.

The lodge building was located on a lot where the present building and/or the Johnny Thompson residence is now situated, but facing east rather than north like the present building. It was thought to be about the size of our present lodge building.

In 1871, a Baptist church, known as the United Baptist Church, was organized and a building constructed on a lot adjacent to the Masonic/school building. This building fronted toward the north (the same as Johnny Thompson’s house and/or school building) and located a few feet east and south of where Johnny’s shop is now. The upstairs of this building was later to become the second home of Parkersville Lodge.

A few years later, circa 1880, a Methodist congregation was organized. They met in the lodge/school building until 1888 when they built a church later to belong to the Baptist and where the Baptist church recreation building is now located.

My birthplace (where our present church is located) was the Methodist parsonage.

In April of 1871 the first Masonics Widows and Orphans Home in the world was opened in Louisville. In 1902, the Old Masons Home was built with this lodge sending a donation of 50 cents per member.

The Parkersville lodge/school building was the forum for most social activities of the community. Some of the activities were plays, fiddler’s contests, debates, political speeches, traveling shows, etc.

By the early 1900s, the county had taken over the trusteeship of the county schools and the building was needing repairs.

In 1908, the lodge had the opportunity to purchase the upstairs over the Baptist church. This room was owned by C.C. Butts, a local merchant, and was in an unfinished state. The ½ interest in the church building was bought for the sum of $200. Work was begun at once to complete the upstairs plus extending the second floor by eight feet, this providing a porch or canopy for the church and an outside stairwell and ante room for the lodge. The lodge, having insufficient funds, borrowed $250 from Robert Parker (the first Master) to pay for construction.

The Woodmen of the World organized in 1907 and was allowed the use of the Masonic hall for the sum of 50 cents a meeting with lights furnished.

In February, 1909, when the masons moved to the newly renovated upstairs over the Baptist church, the original building over the school was sold to the Woodmen of the World for the sum of $70.

In May 1910, the lodge upstairs building was insured for an annual fee of $27.20. In May 1914, the flue was moved from the center to the side of the building at a cost of $20. In June 1914, Lewis Lincoln was asked to ascertain if the insurance on the building was good and legal. In 1915, an Eastern Star Chapter was formed and was granted permission to use the lodge hall at no cost. In May 1916, Vinson and Co. of Cadiz notified the lodge that the insurance was expired. It was renewed immediately.

In June 1916, a fire of unknown origin destroyed the church and lodge building. Our past generosity to the Woodmen of the World was reciprocated by their allowing us to use the old and original building to hold our meetings.

In September, 1916 we met and offered to share the cost of a new building with the Baptist. The church opted rather to buy from the Methodists, whose numbers were down. The building purchased stood across from our present lodge and was recently torn down.

In October, 1916, a committee was elected and authorized to purchase a suitable building site. This committee was composed of Dennie Mayhugh, W.H. Tandy and Albert Gresham. They were offered a lot across from the old public well belonging to L.L. Rogers for $100, or the Rice and Cummins Tobacco property for $250. They chose the later, since it had a warehouse and goodly amount of salvageable lumber. This property belonged to a Grimmer family of Paducah and formerly of Lamasco.

In December, 1916, the lodge accepted Young and Co. of Princeton low bid of $1,064.50 for a two-story frame building 30 foot ceilings downstairs, a 9-foot ceiling upstairs, a galvanized flue, a lock and key job, with the lodge furnishing all the rough lumber, foundation rock, etc. All first class material was used except for the floor which would be #1 common. The above description of the building was taken from a committee report.

After a few changes, including an additional outside door, the bill of Young and Company came to $1,113.70. Other cost was as follows: chairs, $21.40; desk, $14; stove and pipe, $17; and to C.W. Mayhugh for making the altar, arch, warden stations, etc. $20.

The old building that burned had $700 of insurance coverage but after paying our indebtedness to Robert Parker (money borrowed in 1909 to pay for fixing lodge hall over church) we had $428.79. We borrowed $700 from First National Bank in Princeton. They deducted interest which left us with $666 and we borrowed $5 from M.P. P’Pool to pay the indebtedness on the new building.

When the new building was thought ready to occupy, we remembered we had not provided for lights. Typically, those attending regularly stated donating until the $17.50 for gas lights was paid for.

The new hall was dedicated on Nov. 24, 1917. The lodge opened on M M Degree in the old and original hall (now the WOW building) and marched in solemn procession to the new lodge where (according to minutes) “the 4th Degree was conferred in the form of a good supper and served at the new hall and enjoyed by all”.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 17

The O’Daniel House
By Odell Walker

[Picture of the O’Daniel House]

The O’Daniel residence is a stately old farmhouse located in the Oak Grove Loop Road, in the Oak Grove Community of Lyon County.

Ninian Edwards of Elkton (1775-1833) was a land promoter and speculator. He held land grants in many counties throughout western Kentucky. Ninian Edwards took a 400 acre land grant May 18, 1800 in Livingston County. Present day Lyon Count was a part of Livingston County at that time.

This land was located in the watershed of Skinframe Creek. Ninian Edwards transferred this land to a relative, Elisha B. Edwards, who held it until his death in 1850.

Ninian Edwards moved to Illinois and was a distinguished leader in early history of that state. He served as the first governor of the Territory of Illinois (1809-1818) and he led in forming companies of volunteers for defense against the Indians. He served as one of the first U.S. Senators from Illinois (1818-1824) and as governor (1826-1830)

Following the death of Elisha B. Edwards in 1850, the property was sold by theheirs.

Caleb Stone bought 200 acres of the original land grant. Over the years, Caleb Stone bought additional acreage until he had a total of 470 acres.

Calbe Stone was born in 1826 in the New Bethel community of present day Lyon County, the son of Leasil Stone and Nancy Killen. Caleb was a brother of the Honorable William J. Stone of Civil War fame and a member of Congress from the First Congressional District of Kentucky.

Caleb Stone married Lucy Cruce of Crittenden County in 1849. Caleb and Lucy Stone built the first phase of the house in the early 1850s, which consisted of two large log rooms. Over the years, additions and renovations have been made to the house.

For 50 years, Caleb Stone was recognized as a leader in up-to-date progressive farming. He raised prized thoroughbred livestock and had a premium short horn bull valued at $800. A picture of the bull was on exhibition at the New Orleans World Fair of 1885. He also had a large orchard of selected, choice varieties of fruit.

On Oct 1, 1904, Caleb Stone, following the death of his wife, sold his beloved house and farm to H. H. Holeman of Hopkins County.

In the following years, until 1919, the farm changed ownership five times. It is interesting to note that once the farm was sold two times the same day.

In September 1919, Leslie H. Doom and L. H. Doom Jr and his wife, Sudie, sold the farm and house to James Watkins (Watt) O’Daniel and his wife, Myrtle, of Gilbertsville. Watt O’Daniel had sold a farm on the Tennessee River near Gilbertsville, in Marshall County and purchased the Lyon County farm.

All of the O’Daniel belongings, including the livestock, were loaded on a train at Gilbertsville. The family and all of their things came by train to Fredonia. Watt O’Daniel hired a surrey and driver from the T.O. Ordway livery stable to take Myrtle and the children to their new home over the dirt roads.

Three of Watt’s new neighbors, Charley Stone, Raymond Patton and Omar Patton met the train with wagons to haul their things to the new farm. The livestock were driven over the road to the farm.

Watt and Myrtle O’Daniel had four children: Almerine who married Ted McNeely, Mabel who married Kelly Sutton, James and Laurelle. Almerine and James are deceased.

Laurelle presently resides at the stately old homeplace and carries on the family tradition of farming on a smaller scale.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 16

Cobb’s Battery
By Glenn Martin

[Picture: “The Cobb’s Battery Monument”]

Cobb’s Battery was organized at Kuttawa Springs in the spring of 1861.

Hylan B. Lyon, an officer in the U.S. Army, had resigned his commission and returned to Lyon County. Here he was the most prominent one in the organization of Cobb’s Battery and was its first Commander. The unit went to Camp Boone for its training. They were furnished with field pieces by the Confederate government.

The men of Cobb’s Battery got their first major engagement at the battle of Shiloh, which took place April 6 and 7, 1862. Here they were hit very hard. They lost all of their horses and had 37 men wounded.

Hylan B. Lyon had been transferred to a higher position in the Kentucky Brigade, so Robert Cobb was in command of the battery until later he also was transferred up in the brigade.

The next major engagement for Cobb’s Battery was at Baton Rouge, La. In August of 1862. Here the battery was hit very hard with damage to their field pieces and some loss of men. After this, the Brigade went on a long trip, overland march to Mobile, then by riverboat to Montgomery and onto trains that took them on north to help, they thought, General Braxton Bragg in Kentucky. But the situation changed before they got to Kentucky, and they never got there. Their next engagement was at Hartsville. This engagement was not a big affair, but Cobb’s Battery was a vital part thereof. This Hartsville engagement took place Dec 9, 1862.

Their next major engagement was at Stone River in Middle Tennessee. This battle took place the last two days of December, 1862. This battle took its toll not only from the action of battle, but from extreme cold weather. Cobb’s Battery, along with other units of the Kentucky Brigade, were put in a very bad position and took a very hard hit from the enemy.

Next big engagement was at Chickouga for Cobb’s Battery. This took place Sept 19 and 20, 1863. Here Cobb’s Battery also took a real beating.

The spring of 1864 saw the beginnings of Sherman’s push toward Atlanta and the sea. Cobb’s Battery, now under the command of Lieutenant Frank Gracey was involved in the defense and overall was hard hit. By the time the fighting had reached Atlanta, Cobb’s Battery was so depleted that there is very little mention of it in reports – so ended this saga with many of the beginning characters buried in several places scattered across the south.

In 1933, the Stone-Gracey Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected the monument at the Kuttawa Springs honoring Cobb’s Battery. The unit was made up primarily of local men.

Dewey One Room School
By Odell Walker

[Picture: “Dewey One Room School in the southern end of the county.”]

Dewey one-room school house stands as a silent reminder that in a bygone day, forty such school houses dotted Lyon County from one side of the county to the other.

Before the development of the automobile, the only means of travel in rural Lyon County was to walk, ride a horse, or go in a buggy or wagon. The dirt roads consisted of mud during the winter and dust during the summer.

Under those conditions, it was impossible to have large consolidated schools as they exist today. To make education available, it was necessary to take education to where the children were; thus, the local one room school era came into existence and served the county well for a hundred years or longer.

The state had a goal to place a school within one mile walking distance of every student in the state. This goal was never achieved, but they came very close.

The one room school was more than a center for education. It was a community center that served the educational, social, cultural, religious and political needs of the area. Fund raising events, such as pie suppers and box suppers were often held at the school house. Plays, fiddling contests and other kinds of entertainment were held at the local schools. Those candidates running for political office, especially those on the local level, sometimes published a schedule in the local paper announcing the date and time that they would be at local schools.

The advent of the automobile and school bus, plus improved roads, has transformed education in Lyon County from many one-room schools into one central location.

The picture of Dewey one-room school house appears to have a forlorn and sad look because there are no children running, hopping, skipping, talking and laughing around the building.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 15

The Kelly Kettle
By Odell Walker

[A picture of the historical marker with a larger iron kettle is shown on page. http://www.communitywalk.com/location/kelly_kettle/kuttawa/kentucky/info/1476257 ]

William Kelly was born in 1811 near Pittsburgh of Irish Immigrant parents, John and Elizabeth Kelly. William had training in the iron industry; however, he and some of his family were in the dry goods and riverboat shipping business at Pittsburgh. They owned a warehouse on the wharf.

In the spring of 1845, William Kelly was in Nashville on a buying trip for the family business. While in Nashville, he met Mildred Gracey at a graduation exercise at a girls finishing school. Mildred Gracey was the daughter of J.N. Gracey, a wealthy tobacco merchant and steamboat line owner of Eddyville, Ky.

After a short courtship, William and Mildred were married and decided to make their home at Eddyville. With finances arranged primarily by his father-in-law, William Kelly was joined by his brother, John, from Pittsburgh, and they went into the iron business in Lyon County.

They purchased the old Eddyville Furnace located near the Kuttawa Springs from the Cobb family. Their next venture was the construction of the Suwanee Furnace.

From 1847 to 1857, William Kelly experimented with what he called the “Pneumatic Process” for making steel, which later became known as the Bessemer Process. In 1857 at his Suwanee Furnace, William Kelly demonstrated his process before a large gathering of iron-masters. Molten pig or cast iron was placed in an egg shaped barrel that was on a pivot.

Kelly forced a blast of cold air into the base of the converter. When the combustion and burning process ended, the convertor was tilted and the molten metal was poured into molds to cool. This process proved a faster and cheaper way to make steel and moved the world from the iron age to the steel age. The device used by William Kelly became known as the “Kelly Converter” and is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

In 1846-47 William Kelly built the New Union Forge at the present site of Old Kuttawa on the Cumberland River. At this facility, thousands of cast iron kettles were manufactured and shipped to Louisiana and South American to be used in the refining of sugar. Many of these kettles were very large, measuring as much as 12 feet in diameter.

The picture is one of Kelly’s kettles that was placed on a pedestal and displayed in Silver Cliff Park for many years. When Kuttawa was relocated, the kettle was moved and now stands in the median between the streets of New Kuttawa.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 14

The Hawley House
By Odell Walker

[Picture for this story: “The Hawley House sits on the banks of the Cumberland River.”]

The Hawley House and farm sits on a hill overlooking the Cumberland River, a short distance from the Interstate 24 bridge.

The Hawley family came to this area from Vermont. In an 1825 deed, George and Elizabeth Hawley gave lands along the Cumberland River, in present day Lyon County, to their children. The children were James, Gideon, Malvenia, Elizabeth and Annise Long, wife of Thomas Long.

The house was built by James Hawley who was born in Vermont in 1808. He married Sarah Martin, also of Vermont, in 1834 in Caldwell County. At that time, Lyon County was still part of Caldwell County.

An exact date cannot be placed as to when the house was built, but all indications are that it was built in the 1840s. Slave labor was used to build the house from brick that was made on the site. According to legend, slaves that built the house were set free after the house was finished.

The original house consisted of two large rooms on the ground floor with a wide hall. The same rooms and hall existed on the second floor. There is a chimney at each end of the house and a fireplace in each room. The house was built on a hill with an overlook and beautiful view of the Cumberland River.

In 1878, a summer kitchen was being added to the house and the floor joists were installed and ready for the floor to be laid. Annise Mary Hawley, the nine year old daughter of Van B and Electa E Hawley, ran into the room and fell across the exposed floor joist. She died from the injury.

The children of James and Sarah Hawley were George W Martin Van Buren, Isaac M, Annise E, Mary E, David S and James Jr.

James Hawley died in 1853 of yellow fever and his wife, Sarah, died in 1879. They wre buried in a nearby cemetery, now destroyed. Since the death of Sarah Hawley in 1879, the house and farm has had several owners. The house and farm is presently owned by the Ernest Jones family.

The Skinner House
By Cindy Simpson

[A picture of the Skinner House is on this page.]

Tom and Cindy Simpson reside at 2030 Lake Barkley Drive in Old Kuttawa with their two children. They bought their home from Mrs. Tritt Jones in 1985. According to Mrs. Jones, the house was built in the late 1800s by Governor Charles Anderson as a gift for his daughter, Belle Anderson Skinner.

After moving from Ohio, Governor Anderson bought a large piece of land on the Cumberland River and laid out the the town of Kuttawa. (see related article) Governor Anderson built his daughter’s home across the street from his own home which stood where the park is now located.

The four bedroom home has been well maintained over the years and has had several owners. Mrs. Jones’ parents, A.J. and Julia Martin, once lived in the home. Mrs. Jones, who resides in Elkton, recalls coming in the back door one afternoon only to be whisked away by Secret Servicemen. Much to her surprise, Vice President Alben Barkley was speaking on the front porch.

Vice President Alben Barkley was speaking to a political group that had gathered in the street of Kuttawa. The front porch of the Skinner House was used as a temporary platform.

When Barkley was campaigning for an incumbent office holder he had a favorite expression, “We don’t need to swap horses in the middle of the stream and we don’t need to swap a racehorse for a Shetland pony”.

Mrs. Jones shared a dairy [sic-diary?] with the Simpsons that belonged to Governor Anderson’s daughter. The diary entries date back to 1904.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 13

The Battle of Saratoga
By Odell Walker

[The pictures on this page are 1) “Saratoga United Methodist Church still has the bullet holes to prove that the Battle of Saratoga took place there.” 2) a picture of the side of the church, where, after the new siding was installed on the church, in recent years, a square piece was framed, leaving a bullet hole, from the battle, visible in the original siding.]

In 1798, David Walker, the founder of Eddyville, appeared before the Christian County Court and made a request that a road be laid out from the Eddy Cabbins on the Cumberland River to Prince’s Place at the Big Spring.

The Eddy Cabbins was a campsite for river travelers at the mouth of Eddy Creek, and Prince’s Plcase was the home of William Prince, which later became Princeton.

Walker’s request was granted and the road followed the general corridor of present day Highway 293. The road was later referred to as the Princeton-Eddyville Turnpike. Before the impoundment of Lake Barklery, U.S. Highway 62 followed the same route to Old Eddyville and on to Old Kuttawa.

Approximately four miles east of the old town of Eddyville, on the above named road, was a large spring that flowed into Glass Creek.

When Matthew Lyon and his party arrived at Eddyville in 1802, Lyon’s stepson, Elisha Galusha, was assigned the land around this spring, and for many years, it was called Galusha Spring.

Because of the road, Galusha Springs became a favorite stopping place for travelers to get a drink of fresh water and water for their horses. Because of the level ground and plenty of shade, The Spring became a favorite place for picnics and other gatherings.

In 1822, the pioneer Methodist preacher, Benjamin Ogden, deeded a parcel of land to Reed’s Chapel or Reed’s Campground, upon which a log meeting house was erected.

By the 1850’s, a community had developed in the area consisting of a country store, post office and tavern.

According to legend, a group of young men and boys were looking for mischief one Halloween night. They had heard or read of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. They took a long plan and painted “Saratoga Springs” on it and nailed it over the door of the store. They thought this would make the store owner angry, but much to their surprise, when the owner arrived the next morning to open up, he liked the new name, and thus, the community became known as Saratoga Springs.

The name Reed’s Chapel was changed to Saratoga Methodist Church, and in 1859 a new frame church edifice replaced the original log building.

On Oct 15, 1861, a troop of Calvary was mustered into Confederate service at Hopkinsville. The unit became Company “G”, First Kentucky Calvary, and a majority of the members were from Lyon and Caldwell County.

Company “G” was placed under the command of Captain M.D. Wilcox and assigned for training at Saratoga Springs. The group had a double responsibility; first, they were engaged in military training; second, they were to serve as rangers or scouts to watch for the movement of federal troops overland. The area to be patrolled was from Cave-In-Rock, on the Ohio River, to Hopkinsville.

Saratoga Springs was an ideal location for a small group training camp with an abundance of water, both spring and creek, level land for military drills and nearby foothills for firewood.

The camp at Saratoga Springs was destined to be short-lived. On Sept 6, 1861, General U.S. Grant captured and took possession of Paducah. Brigadier General C F Smith was in command of the Union forces at Paducah and received intelligence of Captain Wilcox’s activities at Saratoga Springs.

On Oct 25, 1861, three full companies of Infantry consisting of 300 men were dispatched to Saratoga Springs. This group was under the command of Major Jesse J Phillips. At 4:30 p.m. the troops staged a parade for General Smith and were issued two days of rations. The troops boarded the steamer, “Lake Erie” and pulled away from the Paducah wharf, under the escort of the gunboat, “Conestoga”.

The boats steamed up the Ohio River to Smithland and turned into the Cumberland River. They continued upstream to a pre-selected landing at William Kelly’s New Union Forge. This site later became the town of Kuttawa.

Under the cover of darkness, the troops disembarked and marched northward to the area of the old Kuttawa Springs and continued north along Hammond Creek for a distance of about five miles. From this point, the troops traveled in a northeast semi-circle to the Eddyville-Princeton road to a point about a mile east of Saratoga Springs.

The success of the Saratoga raid depended on total surprise and this was accomplished by avoiding established roads and traveling through fields and woods. The Confederates at Saratoga Springs misjudged the plan of the Union Army. The Confederates anticipated that should an attack occur, the enemy would travel north on the Varmint Trace Road and turn east on the Liberty Church Road to Saratoga Springs. A watchman was stationed at Liberty Church, but this point was passed by the Union Soldiers.

The Union forces arrived on the Eddyville-Princeton road at about daybreak on the morning of the 26th, and at approximately 7 a.m. they went into formation to attack the Confederate Camp at Saratoga Springs.

The following is taken from Major Phillip’s official report of the battle: “Our skirmishers succeeded in surrounding and capturing the rebel pickets without firing a gun, and the advance of our troops was unsuspected by the rebels until we wheeled in column of platoon in the lane of full view, 600 yeards distant from their camp at about 7 a.m.

They, to the number of about 160 men, dismounted immediately formed in line, awaiting our attack until we advanced within 22 years of their line. We, when first coming in sight, having charged on them the double quick, they commenced an irregular fire when we were a distance of 300 yards, but at our approach broke for their horses, though many took shelter behind fences, trees or houses.

We charged within 50 yards, halted, delivered a volley, and then charged bayonet, driving them from the houses and from their places of cover, and they then fled in every direction, some on foot, others on horseback. An occasional firing was kept up for half an hour or more. Six of their men were left dead and one mortally wounded. Several others were seen to ride off clinging to their horses and were wounded”.

The Saratoga Methodist Church building still has bullet holes to attest to the battle.

The newly enlisted and untrained Confederate soldiers were no match for a well-trained and seasoned Union Army.

In the meantime, the steamers, Lake Erie and Conestoga, had moved up to Eddyville and docked, awaiting the arrival of the troops for the trip back to Paducah.

The Union Army took Confederate Contraband including 30 horses, several mules, 40 saddles, 30 bridles, harness, two wagons, 30 blankets, several rifles, shotguns, sabers, swords, etc.

The Union Army, with their contraband and several Confederate prisoners, marched on down the Eddyville-Princeton road from Saratoga Springs to Eddyville, boarded the waiting boats for the return trip to Paducah.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 12

Governor Charles Anderson
By Odell Walker

[Picture in this article: “Governor Anderson’s final resting place.” http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21714 ]

The grave of Charles Anderson, located in the Kuttawa Cemetery, has a most unusual tombstone. It is made in the shape of a bed.

Charles Anderson, the youngest son of Richard Clough Anderson, was born June 1, 1814, at his father’s home, Soldier’s Retreat in Jefferson County, near Louisville. He attended Miami University of Oxford, Ohio, where he studied law. In 1834, he married Eliza Brown of Dayton, Ohio.

At the beginning of the War Between the States, he enlisted in the Union Army and was commissioned a Colonel. Anderson was wounded early in the war and resigned his commission.

He was Lt. Governor of Ohio in 1863. He became Governor a short time later upon the death of Governor Brough. After serving this term, Anderson retired from public life. Charles Anderson was Kentucky born and transplanted to Ohio where he had served as lawyer, politician, rancher, soldier, and finally Lt. Governor and Governor.

When his term in office ended, he had had enough of politics and was ready to return to private life. He learned that the furnace and land holdings of William Kelly were being sold to satisfy indebtedness. In 1866, most of the Kelly property was sold at public auction and Charles Anderson bought most of it.

Governor Anderson had a great appreciation and love for the natural beauties of nature. He was especially impressed by the forest, trees, wildflowers, hills, valleys, creeks, springs, rivers and rock formations.

Soon after his arrival in Lyon County, Governor Anderson began plans for his dream town. He personally supervised the surveying of the town.

Willis Hammond and Ambrose Martin were to young men who helped Governor Anderson lay out the town. A story is told that Hammond carried the surveyor’s chain and stopped at what he thought was sufficient for Oak Street. The Governor urged him on and when questioned about the extensive width, Anderson replied, “Young man, I don’t expect that people will always use horses and I want these streets wide enough for whatever type of transportation is used in the future”.

When the surveyors, engineers and draftsmen had finished their work and Charles Anderson had the plat before him, he named the town “Kuttawa”, which is an Indian name meaning “city in the woods”.

The town was chartered by the State Legislature in 1872.

Governor Anderson laid out five parks for his dream town. His pride and joy was Silver Cliff, 28 acres of grove on the bluff overlooking the river. In its prime, the park was neatly kept with flower beds, croquet greens, and a large expanse of well kept lawn. Governor and Mrs. Anderson had traveled extensively both at home and abroad, and brought back many trees not native to this area and planted them in Silver Cliff Park.

Governor and Mrs. Anderson spent the rest of their lives enjoying and promoting the town of Kuttawa.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 11

The Woodruff House
By Margaret Wilford

[This article contains a picture with the following caption: “The Woodruff House in old Kuttawa is now home to Eddie and Margaret Wilford who purchased and renovated it.”]

In 1921, Mr and Mrs Woodruff, Louis and Mary, rented a house from Preston Ordway which was to be their home for the rest of their lives. It was located at Lot 2, Block 4, on the north side of Oak Street, Kuttawa.

On Dec. 17, 1930, they purchased the 55-year old house and became the seventh owners. The present owners, Eddie and Margaret Wilford, bought the home from the Woodruff heirs on Aug. 20, 1992.

When the Wilfords bought the house, they did not know that the property had once belonged to Margaret (Bingham) Wilford’s great-great-grandfather John Bingham. Bingham acquired the house and lot from Governor Anderson on Oct. 8, 1885. Governor Anderson had sold the lot in 1875 to Robert Dulaney of Louisville, and his brother, Charles Dulaney of Clark County, Ill. Under grant terms and conditions.

The Dulaneys paid Governor Anderson $1 (one dollar) and agreed “to build a good and substantial commodious house and storehouses to be used and occupied by themselves” within six calendar months. The deed was recorded July 3, 1875.

Robert Dulaney kept the property until March 30, 1881, when Governor Anderson repurchased three parcels of land (Lots 1, 2, and 3) for $750. Governor Anderson then sold the property to John Bingham in 1885, and Bingham sold it to L. P. Holland of Cumberland City, Tenn. On Jan 14, 1893.

On March 29, 1893, Holland mortgaged the “dwelling, butcher shop and other improvements” for $400 at 6 percent interest.

Mr. Holland and his wife, Jaimie, received $500 cash from James T. Rice of Kuttawa on April 24, 1899. Mr. Rice owned the house until April 11, 1907, when it was sold to Preston Ordway. Louis Woodruff bought the property in 1930, and his wife, Mary Fleming Woodruff, inherited the home at Lot 2, Block 4, Oak Street, when he died in 1957. Mary Woodruff lived in and owned the home for another 35 years. She died in 1992 at the age of 97.

When the Woodruffs purchased the house, they made several changes, improvements and modernizations. In 1930, the house contained four large rooms and two porches. The Woodruffs added indoor plumbing, a bathroom and a closet on the south side. They enclosed the backporch and converted it into a sunporch where Mrs. Woodruff kept her plants.

One end of the porch was made into a large pantry. The kitchen where Dr. T. L. Phillips had removed Mrs. Woodruff’s tonsils in the 1920s was converted into a bedroom, and Mrs. Woodruff moved her kitchen into the adjoining room.

Ancient pipes found in floors of both “kitchens” verified this information. Still later, Mrs. Woodruff moved her kitchen into the pantry and converted her 1930 kitchen into a dining room. The house was wired for electricity during this time and the ceiling fixtures Mrs. Woodruff chose in 1930 were still there in 1992.

In the woodruff’s early days, the back lot (backyard) contained an outhouse and a combination chicken house and stable. These were located next to the alley as far up the mountain as possible. The Woodruffs had both horses and chickens.

In 1938, the Woodruffs decided to install a coal furnace which meant they now needed a basement. This basement was dug by hand with a pick and shovel by W. T. Moore and Mark Sexton. Mr. Moore, who lives in Lyon County, says that digging mountain gravel and carrying it out in buckets was no easy task.

When the Wilfords bought the house in 1992, it had been more than 60 years since the Woodruff renovations. Needed repairs, additions and modernizations were greatly facilitated because the original structure was extremely strong, sturdy and straight.

The original, beveled glass, oak front door was refinished by Eddie Wilford and is a focal point of the house. The stained glass windows and all other windows on the main level were kept. The 12-foot ceilings and most original transoms were retained. A new stained glass transom was added between the living and dining rooms.

Exterior transoms were placed above French doors which gave the house a light airy feeling. Golden oak hardwood floors, fluted wood work and an oak staircase leading to the second level were installed. The second level was originally an unfinished attic with a 12-foot ceiling. Brass chandeliers replaced the lighting installed in 1930. Central heat and air conditioning replaced the outdated caol furnace and window air conditioners.

The kitchen has been returned to its original location where Mrs. Woodruff’s tonsillectomy was performed. The back porch has been re-opened and a large deck has been erected on the upper level facing the mountain. The fron porch has been raised to two story level. The entrance has been further enhanced by four large Pillars which give the house a more stately appearance.

During the renovation process, Frank Wilford found an old brick labeled “Kuttawa Brick Works”. He also found a board in the dining room wall which had one of the earlier floor plans sketched on it. Encasing such sketches in walls was an earlier custom.

The old house on Lot 2, Block 4, Oak Street, Kuttawa, now with its eighth owners, Eddie and Margaret Wilford, has been given a new address for 911 purposes. It is currently listed as 1904 Lake Barkley Drive.

Anecdotal information was mainly provided by Mrs. Woodruff’s nephew, Charles Dunn, who lives in Claxton, Ga. Other anecdotal information was furnished by W. T. Moore of Lyon County, Mrs. Gladys Jones of Elkton and the house itself.

Documented information was obtained from deed and mortgage records in the Lyon County Courthouse.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 10

New Bethel Baptist Church
By Odell Walker

[picture on this page: “New Bethel Baptist stands at the entrance to the correctional complex.”]

New Bethel Baptist Church is one of the oldest, and perhaps THE oldest, organized religious group[s] in present-day Lyon County. Before the formal establishment of churches, in the early days people met in private homes for religious services.

The Methodist Circuit Riders were making inroads into this area as early as 1803. Jesse Walker was a preacher in the Livingston Circuit, 1803-1806. The entire Livingston Circuit had a membership of 103 members. There are no established records showing the establishment of a Methodist Church in present day Lyon County until Circa 1815.

The New Bethel Baptist Church was organized April 4, 1812 at the home of John Cammack. The preachers taking part in this organization were the Revs. Daniel Brown, James Rucker and Washington Thurman. The following people became charter members of this newly established church.

John Stone, Moses Arnold, John Duncan, Stephen Bennett, John McElroy, Andrew Jones, Elizabeth Jones, Nancy Stone, Morning Stone, Martha Sullivant, John Stone Jr., George Owens, Samuel Hill, Patty Hill, Joseph Cobb, Ann Cobb, William Jones, William Bennett, John Aldridge, William Chandler, Nancy Arnold and Mr. and Mrs. Pertle – 21 in all.

It is fair to assume that this new church met in homes from the time of its establishment until 1824. In 1824 a small church was built on land given by Larkin Bennett. This building is located about one mile southeast of the present building – near the old Jones Cemetery.

The first church building burnt in 1831. A new church building was built at the present location in 1832 on land given by Leasil Stone, father of Capt. William J. Stone. The new church building withstood the storms of time for 120 years.

This building was torn down and the third and present, meeting house was constructed in 1952.

In 1828, the Rev. James W. Mansfield came as pastor of New Bethel and served for 25 years. The Rev. Robert W. Morehead served from 1874 to 1900 for a total of 26 years.

Over the years, New Bethel has provided leadership in the establishment of seven other churches. New Bethel was also influential in getting the Baptist Theological Seminary moved from South Carolina to Louisville.

[The next two pages are “picture pages”. The captions are: 1) “Eddyville Baptist Church”, 2) “Lyon County Court House in old Eddyville where soldiers camped for 5 months.”, 3) “Old Love House, Lot 34, Eddyville”, 4) “Ferry Boat Eddyville – 1959”, 5) “Church in Eddyville 1959”, 6) “Street view old Eddyville”, 7) “House which was shot up in Feb. 1908 raid.” And 8) “Liberty School students – Oct. 23, 1901”]

The Huggans House
By Georgette Beatty

[This story includes a picture of the Huggans House along with the historical marker that stands in front of the house. http://www.communitywalk.com/location/dr_george_m_huggans/eddyville/kentucky/info/1476195 ]

Located at the northern edge of Old Eddyville Historic District is the Dr. George Huggans House. Built ca 1840, the house is a one-story, five-bay Greek Revival Style.

It was Dr. Huggans who defended William Kelly against accusations of insanity from his wife and father-in-law, J. M. Gracey. Kelly’s experiments in the development of the pneumatic process for producing steel were ridiculed by many residents and local iron workers, thus leading to the charge of insanity.

The second owner of the house was Governor Charles Anderson, who gave it the name of “Sweet Home”. In 1875, for the sum of $2,000, Governor Anderson sold the house and all the property adjoining the town of Eddyville to John Espie, together with that other lot of ground, lying across the street there from and adjoining the property of Mr. Cobb and W. C. Wilcox.

(The Kentucky State Penitentiary was built on the Cobb and Wilcox property).

After the death of John Espie, “Sweet Home” was sold to Mrs. Laura Gracey, who married Finnis A. Wilson. In 1952, “Sweet Home” was sold by Mrs. Gracey’s daughter, Mrs. Laura Gracey Caldwell to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of Corrections.

The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and is presently used by the penitentiary as employee’s living quarters.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 9

[I’m now up to page nine of the special section. This is a page of five pictures, titled “The Streets of Kuttawa”. 1) “Governor Charles Anderson was instrumental in planning of the city of Kuttawa and its streets. According to historian Odell Walker, Anderson reportedly told the survey crews to widen the streets because “I don’t expect that people will always use horses and I want these streets wide enough for whatever type o f transportation is used in the future.” The picture shows a white haired man with a white mustache and thin, white, long beard. 2) “In the 1950’s, everyone who was anyone went to the Kuttawa Café or Wiseman’s. Wiseman’s connected to the pool room next door where jukeboxes played the rock and roll of the time.” This is a street picture which includes the Kuttawa Café. 3) “Crowds gathered on Saturdays to win silver dollars or to hear political speakers.” This is a picture of a wide street totally packed with people and cars. 4) A street scene of “near the old school where the divided highway begins in old Kuttawa”.

Rose Hill – The Cobb House
By Odell Walker

[This story includes a picture of Rose Hill]

Gideon Dyer Cobb and his wife, Modena, and several other families came to Eddyville with Matthew Lyon in 1801. His wife, Modena, was a granddaughter of Thomas Chittenden, the first governor of Vermont. She was also a niece of Mrs. Matthew Lyon. [a note from Debbie: I am a descendant of Mrs Matthew Lyon. Beulah Chittenden first married Elijah Galusha. I am descended from their son Elijah Galusha. After the death of her husband, Beulah married Matthew Lyon.]

Very soon after arrival, Gideon Dyer Cobb was angaged in several business activities in the new town of Eddyville. He operated a hotel and tavern, a ferry, a store, and had warehouses on the bank of the Cumberland River where he received all kinds of products to be shipped to New Orleans.

The Eddyville Furnace located near Kuttawa Springs was operated by the Cobb family during the 1830’s and 1840’s, and later sold to William Kelly.

Robert Livingston Cobb, one of the sons of Gideon Dyer Cobb and Modena Cobb, also became a successful businessman in Eddyville. Robert Livingston Cobb was the grandfather of Irvin S. Cobb, the famous journalist, humorist and writer.

About 1832, Robert Livingston Cobb built a house in Eddyville which still stands, and today houses the Lyon County Museum. The house stands across the street from the Eddyville State Penitentiary which overlooks Barkley Lake.

In 1844, ownership of the house went to Thomas Washington Catlett. From 1866 to 1897 the house was owned by Fredrick W Skinner and his wife, Helen. Fredrick W Skinner was a grandson of Matthew Lyon, and his wife, Helen, was the daughter of Thomas Washington Catlett.

From 1897 to 1942, the house was owned by Belle Pinner Hussey and her husband, Dr. J. H. Hussey. Belle Pinner Hussey was a granddaughter of Thomas Washington Catlett.

The Husseys lived in the house and Dr. Hussey conducted his medical practice there also. In 1942, the house went to James H. Hussey and his wife, Bess Hussey. James H Hussey was a great-grandson of Thomas Washington Catlett.

Bess C. Hussey taught school at Eddyville for several years. The above information shows that the ownership of the house remained in the family from the time it was constructed in 1832 until 1952.

In 1952, the house was purchased by the State of Kentucky and became housing for employees of the Kentucky State Penitentiary.

In 1891 [sic – 1981], the house was declared surplus property and plans were underway for its destruction. The Lyon County Historical Society made a plea for the house to be preserved because of is age and historical significance. The State of Kentucky gave the house to the Lyon County Historical Society to be used as a museum. The house is on the Federal Register of Historic Places.

In those days most of the mansions were named. The Historical Society has copies of old letters written by members of the family as far back as 100 years and the old letters refer to this house as “Rose Hill”.

The people who lived at Rose Hill from 1832 until 1952 were people of economic, social, political and professional stature. Many business plans were discussed and finalized in the parlor of this old house. Political discussions and plans originated here that affected both state and local politics. Social events were held that filled all the rooms with laughter.

In 1981 when the house was given to the Historical Society, it was in a poor state of repair, almost in shambles. A small number of dedicated, determined and hard working people gave many hours of free labor and professional skill in restoring an old house as near as possible to its original state.

The old house has been preserved for future generations. Many items of Lyon County history are also preserved inside the old house which is now home to the “Lyon County Museum”.

The parlor has been restored with period furniture to represent the time period that the house was in its heyday. There is one piece of furniture, a sideboard, which belonged to the Cobb family when they moved into the new house.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 8

Other fatal maladies included diarrhea, typhoid fever, malaria, syphilis and pneumonia. Interestingly enough suicides were relatively rare during those grim times.

Under one of the old cell houses lies a tunnel which leads back into the hill. This was “the dungeon.” There, in solitary darkness, unruly prisoners were chained to the walls, while they contemplated their wrongs.

There is no better way to depict graphically the environment of this 19th century prison and the penal philosophy of its administrators than to quote directly from the journal entry of Warden Louis Curry for October 7, 1889: “Prisoner Wheeler requested an audience with me. Wheeler, even by prison standards, is an odious creature… Upon granting him an interview, it was his request to obtain a Bible. The very idea that such a vile creature should hold God’s word was quite repugnant to me. I ordered him back to work, without further ado, and requested the keepers to retain a close scrutiny at his doings. One false step and Wheeler will know the true meaning of prison. A Bible indeed!”

A new and significant dimension was added to prison life in 1911 – the installation of the electric chair.

James Buckner from Marion County was the first to die by legal electrocution on the hot and steamy night of July 8, 1911. One hundred and sixty-one others have been executed since then. The last was Kelly Moss in 1962.

On July 13, 1929, starting at 12:24 a.m. and continuing to 2:22 a.m., seven men were electrocuted, the most ever to die there by electrocution in a single day. In the early morning of March 18, 1955, a afther and son were put to death only minutes apart.

A solemn and eerie procedure accompanied each execution. Shortly before midnight the warden, a physician, a minister, news reporters, guards and invited guests would meet at the warden’s office. The group would then march solemnly, in single file, to death row to carry out the execution.

When No. 3 cell house was occupied solely by black inmates, the occupants would hum and sing spirituals as the grisly ordeal was carried out.

Like all pirsons, Eddyville has had its share of riots and internal disturbances. From the very beginning, there have been numerous minor skirmishes between disgruntled inmates and “keepers”. Usually these outbreaks occurred in the dining hall and were caused by dissatisfaction with the food. Usually they were quickly subdued with the knocking of heads and a good lashing at the post.

By far the most serious uprising occurred in October 1923. Inmates Tex Walters, Lawrence Griffith and Harry Ferland had a pistol smuggled into the prison through the efforts of Tex’s wife, Lillian. An ill-fated escape attempt was made, resulting in the death of three prison guards. With their escape route blocked, Walters and his confederates retreated to the main dining room where they barricaded themselves. What followed was a rather untidy bit of military maneuvering.

About 50 members of the state militia were called in to lay siege to the building. They were bolstered in their efforts by 39 prison guards. During the first eight hours of the siege, the embattled convicts fired about 100 shots. Throughout most of the first night, the encirclement of militiamen and guards laid down a blanket of fire against the dining room’s outer walls.

The next morning an organized assault was made upon the dining hall, under cover of heavy fire from the militia. Gas grenades were shot into various sections of the entire building. One exploded on the ledge of the laundry, setting it afire.

Constant machine gun fire was directed toward the target during the next two days and nights. A decision was made not to dynamite the building as previously planned. On the third full day of the attack, a makeshift pipeline was laid across the prison yard behind two armor plated shields built for the occasion. Ammonia was then flushed in upon the hapless defenders.

Finally under heavy barrage of bullets and hand grenades, another charge was made by the state forces. It was conducted with a grand and dramatic flare, the leaders bravely yelling, “Over the top!”

This time they broke through and found all three inmates lyinig dead on the dining room floor. They had been so disposed for three days, and at their own hands. A defiant suicide note found near one of the victims proclaimed, “You didn’t kill us, all killed ourselves.”

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 7

Soon legislative committees were making official inspections of the Frankfort prison. Their grim reports shocked the conscience of lawmakers and voters. Slowly the tide of opinion began to turn in favor of Blackburn and his plan for prison reform.

The governor’s legislative package included many correctional principles implemented years later such as strict classification of offenders and “halfway” houses for prisoners moving back into a free society. Most important to the immediate need, however, was the appointment of a three-man commission to select a site and receive plans for a “branch penitentiary”.

A pivotal member of the commission was an old friend of Blackburn’s and a colorful hero of the Confederacy – General H. B. Lyon of Eddyville. After visiting several sites, the commission narrowed the choice to Bowling Green and the general’s hometown.

The people of Lyon County were excited at the prospect of the prison being located in their county seat. The railroads were overtaking the river market upon which Eddyville had depended through the years as its main economic asset. The community saw the prison as a much needed industry and pledged money and land for its construction.

The Eddyville location, high on a hill overlooking the Cumberland River, was ideal, according to the architects hired to advise the commission on site selection. The tract adjoined the Paducah-to-Louisville railway and was within 2,000 yards of the river, 116 feet above its low watermark.

The area was a healthy region, conducive to agricultural endeavors and blessed with a bountiful store of natural resources – coal, iron, brick clay and building stone. Perhaps most important to the minds of law-abiding citizens, Eddyville was remote from the populations centers of the state. It was considered good planning to have convicted felons as far removed from the mainstream of society as possible.

In 1844 [sic – 1884], after Blackburn had left office, the legislature appropriated funds for the branch penitentiary at Eddyville. Construction began in October of that year when the first inmates arrived to make up the bulk of the labor force.

The inmates were assisted by 30 Italian stonemasons, who hewed the large stones from limestone slabs dug from a quarry within 300 yards of the construction site and transported over a small gauge railway built for the purpose.

The state had purchased 87 acres for $4,000, of which $1,400 was donated by the citizens of Eddyville. The prison itself was to cover only 10.5 acres with the remaining land to be used for farming and garden plots for prisoners.

Slowly the massive limestone structure began to rise upon the hilltop, dominating the horizon and posing like a brooding monster over the peaceful river valley. It took on the appearance of a large medieval fortress.

The “Castle on the Cumberland” was completed officially in 1886, at a cost of $275,000, a pittance compared to today’s prison costs.

[Picture on this page is a full view of the “river side/front” of the prison. The lake is shown in the foreground of the picture, and the water tower with the letters, KSP, stands behind and above the prison. A small pleasure boat is seen on the lake in the foreground of the picture. The picture seems to have been taken from the vantage point of a boat on the lake.]

Before the mortar had hardly dried and inmates began filling up on its cavernous confines, a large sign was placed above the front entrance: “Abandon Hope, All Ye That Enter Here”.

Early living conditions for the convicts were far from the humane designs of Governor Blackburn. An 1897 legislative investigation produced alarming revelations. Twelve-year-old boys were being incarcerated at the prison. Corporal punishment, including lashings at the post, was inflicted regularly. Sometimes permanent injury such as broken bones was sustained.

The mortality rate was shocking. In 1896, there were 35 deaths from natural causes. A year later, 27 prisoners died. The main cause of their demise was sewer gas, which languished in the damp and squalid basements of the cell houses where long-term prisoners were confined without proper ventilation or exercise.

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 6

Twenty years following the construction of Kentucky Dam, in 1964 the Vice President of the United States, Hubert Hump[h]rey, dedicated Barkley Dam and Lake. Lake Barkley did not come about painless[ly]. Ninety percent of the old and established towns of Eddyville and Kuttawa had to be relocated. That is the reason in the narrative I have referred at times to old Eddyville, new Eddyville and the same for Kuttawa. In acquiring the necessary private property both in the county and in the towns, and in bringing about the relocation of the towns, the following words give some description of the upheaval and turmoil that came about. There was surprise, disappointment, excitement, anger, hate, controversy, prejudice, shock, disagreement and dissatisfaction.

Lyon County survived this ordeal and had not recovered from the shock when the Land Between the Lakes was proposed and implemented. This again required thousands of acres of private property and the relinquishing of this property brought stronger protest than the Barkley Lake project.

Thousands of acres of land and property were taken from the tax base. Many prominent and influential citizens who were stripped of their property moved outside the county. Because of the loss of tax base and population, for a period of time it was questionable if Lyon County could survive as a county entity.

Historically, Lyon Countians have faced difficulty with courage and have received good fortune with humility. Perhaps we have been made stronger by our tribulation and wiser by our experience.

At present, good fortune smiles on Lyon County. Progress has been slow and painful, but at present our tax base is solid and our population continues to rise. The economy is good and greater things appear over the horizon.


Kentucky State Penitentiary
By Bill Cunningham


The Kentucky State Penitentiary at Eddyville is over 100 years old.

In the untamed days when pathfinders were leading early settlers into the vast and rugged western portion of Virginia, law and order was a personal concern. The area that became Kentucky was governed by the criminal code of the Old Dominion, but as a matter of practice the code had a very limited influence.

Whether a malefactor was hanged most times depended upon the character of the accused and the temper of the crowd, rather than the formal dictates of law.

With Kentucky statehood in 1792 came a more meaningful attempt at establishing and enforcing some type of uniform criminal sanctions. Jail houses and stockades sprang up but no prisons. With no penitentiary in which to incarcerate the more serious offenders, the Commonwealth adopted a very practical, if draconian, approach. It simply made the death penalty the punishment for most felonies.

[Picture on this page: “Kentucky State Penitentiary in the 1890’s” shows several well dressed men, women and children dressed in long skirts, hats and suits under a canopy at the front doors and at the top of the steps to the prison. Also on this page is the following: “A Special Thanks… Thanks to the Lyon County Historical Society, Odell Walker, Bill Young, Mrs. Maxine Jones and Shirley Greene for supplying the old photos used in this special section. Also a big thanks to all of the writers for this special product. We hope you all enjoy and treasure this piece of Lyon County’s history. – The staff of the Herald Ledger”.]

Capital offenses included such relatively minor crimes as perjury, forgery, destroying a will and larceny. Needless to say, with such extreme penalties being extracted, there was little need for prisons in which to stow felons.

That changed in 1797, when Kentucky revamped its criminal penalties and all but did away with the death penalty, reserving it for only one crime – murder.

Almost immediately there was a need for the first Kentucky prison, which was constructed in 1799 in Frankfort near what was then the governor’s mansion.

Our penal system received little attention the next 80 years.

By 1875, the prison was a disgrace. The unheated bathhouse contained only two large tubs in which several prisoners bathed together in the same dirty water.

The prisoners suffered from a terrible diet of clammy cornbread and salted meat, uch of it rancid. Rain-soaked clothing of the inmates often froze stiff in the unheated cellhouse. Frostbite and respiratory diseases were common. Punishment for inmates was harsh, brutal and inhumane.

This festering sty of squalor and suffering was terribly overcrowded. Many inmates died from “natural causes.” It was, in the words of a prominent politician of the day, Kentucky’s “black hole of Calcutta”.

Upon this scene of human misery arrived one of Kentucky’s more unusual and resourceful governors – Dr Luke P Blackburn.

Blackburn was born in Woodford County in 1816 and studied medicine at Transylvania College. He was practicing medicine in New Orleans when the Civil War began, and he spent the war years administering to the suffering citizens and soldiers of the Confederacy.

He returned to Kentucky in 1873, and helped wage war against the yellow fever epidemic that swept the South in 1878. His selfless and courageous efforts made him a hero to many Kentuckians and though he was completely untutored and inexperienced in politics, he was pressured by pro-southern Democrats into running for governor in 1880. He won by an overwhelming margin.

Upon moving into his official residence in Frankfort, this humanitarian chief executive was appalled at what he saw across the street in the penitentiary. The new governor quickly began to use his pardoning power to help reduce the prison’s population, offering his first act of clemency on the day of his inauguration.

Within the week, seven more inmates had been freed because of poor health. By the time the legislature convened in late December, 52 prisoners had been pardoned.

Throughout the state, a loud and bitter outcry arose against Blackburn for his action. There were scathing editorials in local newspapers and citizen demonstrations. Undaunted the courageous chief of state laid for the legislature a bold and imaginative plan for prison reform.

[picture on this page: “The electric Chair of the Penitentiary in Eddyville”.]

The History of Lyon County Kentucky - Part 5

[Pictures on this page: 1) “People gathered at the Mineral springs to take water home for the evening.” This picture shows small children, men in hats, women in dresses and several of them with cups, drinking from the springs. And 2) “Camp meetings were held at the springs”. This picture shows a pavilion chairs inside and out, filled with people.]

Kuttawa citizens being education conscious, in 1900 established Century Normal College which served Lyon and surrounding counties with distinction until 1910.

One mile northwest of Kuttawa there was a cluster of five mineral springs within 500 feet of each other. At this spot, there was a beautiful valley on the east side of Knob Creek, and on the west side a gently sloping hillside. This was an ideal place for a resort. A group of Kuttawa businessmen formed the Kuttawa Springs Corporation. A hotel was constructed in 1909 and people came from far and near to relax in the shade and drink and bathe in the mineral waters.

A restaurant was constructed, specializing in the finest barbecue. Cabins were built around the rim of the hillside and youth groups would come and spend a week camping. Tennis courts and other sports facilities were provided. A swimming pool was constructed – one of the finest outside of the larger cities.

A large open air pavilion was constructed for religious services and other types of meetings. The first two weeks in August each year a great Camp Meeting was held under the auspices of the Methodist Church. Second Sunday, called Homecoming, sometimes drew as many as 5,000 people. Many large political meetings were held there, when candidates would mount the stump.

Kuttawa Mineral Springs was a widely known resort area and served religious, political and social functions until its demise upon the construction of Barkley Lake.

Upon the coming of World War I, Lyon County’s native sons answered the call with honor and many received recognition and awards. Following World War I, Lyon County entered a period of gradual decline. To find work, many young people made their way to the north to find jobs in the factories.

In 1937, the highest natural flood ever recorded covered the entire Ohio and Mississippi watershed. Eddyville and Kuttawa were both built on the bank of the Cumberland River. The towns were located just two miles apart. This flood brought great destruction, property loss, hardship and misery. The two towns never completely recovered from this natural disaster.

Prior to the flood, a high dam on the Tennessee River had been discussed and proposed in Congress. The great flood brought new and greater emphasis to this project. This dam and lake were proposed to help control flooding, improve navigation and supply hydro-electric power.

Many people and government agencies contributed to this project. Senator and Vice President Alben W. Barkley and Luther Draffen of Calvert City made great contributions. Kentucky Dan and Lake on the Tennessee River became a reality and was dedicated by President Harry Truman in 1944.

In the humble judgement of this writer, the construction of Kentucky Dam and Lake has made the greatest impact on Lyon County of anything in its history. The production of hydro-electric power at Kentucky Dam, along with the good West Kentucky leadershipi brought industrial plants to the Calvert City area The plants brought good jobs and Lyon County workers were eager for the jobs and made good workers.

The millions of dollars of payroll has brought Lyon County from a stgruggling and poor farming county to a middle class and proud community. The economic benefits and standard of living and quality of life have been multiplied many fold in Lyon County. All one neds to confirm this stand is to have had the opportunity to travel through Lyon County in the 1930’s and travel across the same area today.

The network of modern roads replacing the dirt roads, the beautiful and comfortable homes with neatly kept lawns, the business climate and recreational opportunities boggle the mind.

[pictures on this page: 1) “The flood of 1937 devastate old Eddyville and Kuttawa.” It shows a a street in Eddyville near the Mays Motor Co., under water. 2) “A crowd shot from old Kuttawa in the early years”. This photo shows a completely packed street, crowded with people, with some people on the porch and the second floor porch of the Kuttawa Hotel. 3) “A photo of one of the old hotels in Lyon County possibly shows some of our ancestors.” This picture looks like the same hotel as in picture 2. The people are lined up on the porch, and in front of the building, in chairs and sitting on the ground, all posing for the picture.]