USA > Kentucky > Hardin County > Elizabethtown > A history of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and its surroundings > Part 7
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The Major mounted his horse and rode to Lexington, ninety miles, and rode home on a pair of saddle-bags with thirty pounds of wrought shingle nails-cut nails were not then invented-paying 371/2 cents per pound for them. The house was finished in 1803, and as an enduring proof of the fact a circle was made in the street gable about the size of the forewheel of a wagon, made lower than the common surface, finished in white, with these letters :
"BEN HELM. 1802."
The house still stands, having undergone some twenty alterations and additions, and has been owned and resided in by the writer of this motley history from the year 1822-forty-seven years.
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The next brick house built was the Court House, in 1805, the brick for which were made and burned on the public square. Of this I have spoken in a previous number.
Next in course of time was a handsome residence built by Major James Crutcher in the west angle of the public square, two stories high, well finished with a set of marble steps in front, being superior in material and finish to anything of the kind in the following sixty years. This house was the hospitable mansion of the Major until about 1818 or 1819, when the Major removed to his palatial residence on the hill, now occupied by I. Robin Jacobs.
The house on the public square was afterward owned by Mr. Hugh Mulholland, an enterprising merchant and clever gentleman, son-in-law of the Major. He added a three-story brick building, filling out to the street. It was sold to George M. Miles, Esq., a most excellent man, who finished the building and lived in it for many years until after the commencement of the late war. During that time Gen. John H. Mor- gan, of the Confederate Army, attacked the town in December, 1862, with several thousand cavalrymen and about seven pieces of artillery, firing one hundred and seven shots of grape and shell into the town. A ball half buried in the wall still holds its place. Soon after a regi- ment of Federal troops was stationed in town. One company quar- tered themselves in an upper room of the house and took possession of the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches. Mr. Miles being a southern rights man, the soldiers became exceedingly annoying to him, and considering his property and even his life in danger and held by a doubtful tenure, he sold at a great sacrifice to Mr. Andrew Depp, an enterprising German, who has since beautified and much improved it so that it is now the most valuable property in the town.
The next brick building in order was put up by Richard May at the corner of Main Cross and Mulberry streets. This was a most substan- tial building, but was never finished. Later (in May) he sold it to James Carlisle, who afterward sold it to Benjamin Tobin, Esq., a lawyer, who completed it in good and tasty style, residing in it until his death, which happened in the year 1836. Having no children, he willed it to his wife, Mrs. Martha A. Tobin, who afterward married Sanford J. Poston, Esq. She was a lady of extraordinary attainments and merit, and they continued to reside in the house until the 7th day of August,
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1869, when it burned down in the great conflagration which visited our town on that day. Mr. Poston had been an active business man and for many years was a merchant, owned a steam mill, filled the office of sheriff and deputy for nearly twelve years. He tried his luck in California and Texas, and has experienced as many of the vicissitudes of this life in good and bad luck as almost any man living, being fre- quently cast down but not destroyed. He is a man that says but little and thinks much. If he has sorrows he keeps them to himself; if he is prosperous he makes no flourish about it. He maintains his integrity, is an accommodating, polite gentleman, and according to the rustic phraseology of the day, "keeps a-kicking." He has rebuilt a portion of his residence and is preparing to rebuild the whole. Although he has lived in this town thirty-seven years, few men outside of his confidential friends know him, as it is to them alone he is communicative and with them he is social, while he is civil to all.
The next of note is the Wintersmith House, since called the Summit House. It was intended as the family residence of the late Horatio G. Wintersmith, of whom I intend hereafter to speak, as one of our most valuable and enterprising citizens. The house was on a large scale, with a large brick stable, and was converted into a hotel. After Mr. Wintersmith's death it was sold to Joseph Miller for $12,000. After some years it was repurchased by the heirs, and was finally burned down in the fire of the 7th of August, 1869.
At the same time the three-story brick building at the northwest corner of the public square was built by Hon. John B. Helm, now of Hannibal, Missouri, and was styled the center of attraction. Judge Helm was then and for years before a successful and active merchant and attorney-at-law. This house was substantially built of the very best material and served as a residence, combined with an ample store- room. It was sold for $6,000 to Brown, Young & Forline. When Gen. John H. Morgan attacked the town in December, 1862, some soldiers were placed in the third-story. A stray ball passed through a window, killed two soldiers and passed through the opposite wall, making a hole nearly as large as a barrel. The house was then owned and occupied by Dr. Samuel Anderson, Sr., an industrious and successful practitioner. He shortly afterward sold it to Mr. Joseph Foerg, a German, who now
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resides in it with his family, and he is doing a thriving business as a baker and confectioner, and is a quiet and peaceable citizen.
CHAPTER XVIII
OUT OF THE WOODS
About the year 1816 the old houses began gradually to disappear, frame and brick houses gradually and slowly coming in. Tavern houses of wooden structure were on a better scale. Some few years previous to this one was opened on Main Cross street by James Perciful and one opposite by Samuel Stevenson. They had their day. The Perciful House was on the site lately occupied by Bud Hawkins and was previ- ously converted into a brick building and successfully kept by Lloyd Harris, Fielding Friend and Daniel M. Jones, all good landlords, then by Roderick Warfield, a Marylander, a very social, pleasant gentleman, with a fine, intelligent family, such as do credit to any town or city. He afterward sold it to William C. Hawkins, familiarly known as Bud Hawkins. He, with his excellent wife and daughters, conducted a popular hotel and made money for several years. On the 7th day of August, 1869, he was burned out-stock, lock and barrel. Bud always was a thrifty man and made money by honest means in a way that no other man would have thought of. He could snare rabbits, kill more turkeys and deer than all his neighbors put together. This was before he moved to town, and he always made his amusements in that way tell to profit.
One instance will suffice: Mr. B. Frank Slaughter, understanding that Bud's head was level on the rabbit trade, requested him to bring him all he could capture at 10 cents each. The next day, or perhaps the second day, Bud came in loaded down to the guards, and meeting Mr. Slaughter, told him he had brought him some rabbits. "Very well," says Frank, "take them down to my wife and tell her to pay you IO cents each." When Bud turned off Slaughter asked, "How many have you?" Bud replied, "Only forty !" "Oh, thunder !" says Frank. "Go around town and sell the most of them." After an hour Bud told him that he parted with all but twenty. "Here," says Frank, "is two dollars, but don't bring me another devlish rabbit."
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After he opened his hotel, although he was considered a close dealer, he was by no means penurious and never turned a man off because he had no money. He had a good run of custom and highly amused his guests by his wit and comical stories. I have known him to go out and invite half a dozen citizens to dinner, saying, "Come in and take a rough check."
On one occasion a poor man without money, and by no means well, came and stood despondently before his door. Without saying a word Bud saw him and called out, "Come in, sir." The man replied that he had no money. "Ah, well," says Bud, "you are the very man I have been looking for. Come in." He got his supper, lodging and breakfast, and after breakfast he took him to the railroad depot and paid his fare to the next station, where the stranger said he had friends, and on taking leave said, "I will show how I am able to do this," ran his hand into the pocket of his trousers and hauled out a handful of gold and remarked, "If you come across another man in your fix, send him to me."
Hawkins had repaired his back building for his family to winter in, for everything on his lot went with the devouring flames, even his chicken coop, cooking his chickens, feathers and all.
The old tavern stand of Major Crutcher at the sign of the lion was afterward occupied and owned by Daniel Waide, who built a brick addition to the wooden house. He kept an excellent house. His wife was the daughter of Alexander McDougal, a Scotchman and a Baptist preacher of some note, and some people have remarked that all of the preacher's daughters were born scientific cooks. One thing is certain- that no family could excel them in that line. But Waide and his wife both died, and their death was a severe stroke upon our town.
Waide had some of the most accomplished servants in the land. In his will he provided that his servant, Jerry Waide, should be set free on his paying $1,000 to his executor, William S. Young, and in order to enable him to raise the money he was allowed to hire himself at $150 a year. Jerry went to Louisville as a barber, and in less than one year he paid the hire and the $1,000 and soon bought his wife and children and his mother-in-law, and had $500 stock in the Galt House. He was a most courtly and accomplished gentleman in his manners, and before his death accumulated an estate of $30,000.
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Since Waide's death the house passed through several hands- Samuel Martin, Esq., and then Denton Geoghegan, and afterward Hugh Mulholland, who removed the wooden structure and put in its place a three-story brick. The hotel was then kept by Mr. Mulholland in fine style. After this Judge LaRue came in. He also married a McDougal, and if any lady could excel their breakfasts, dinners and suppers I have not found them out. Judge LaRue afterward became the owner. After some years he sold it to Thomas B. Munford, who kept up the establishment with equal credit. It finally fell into the ownership of Joseph Tarpley, Esq., and after several changes James E. Talbot became the lessee and now keeps an excellent house, called the Eagle House.
SHOWERS HOUSE
On the old Chalfin stand, at the south corner of the public square and Main street, the old log house has been changed into a large and convenient hotel and is kept by William Showers, more familiarly known as "Big" Showers. He has made extensive improvements in stables, etc., keeps a livery stable, has a strong run of custom, provides good accommodations and a bountiful table. He is aided by an excellent wife as landlady, and well she plays her part.
About the year 1818, John Y. Hill, a tailor, emigrated from Vir- ginia and followed his trade for a few years, but finding stitching too slow a business for a man of his active business habits, he commenced trading in horses. Having built a residence at the corner of Main and Poplar streets and finding the horse trading did not profit, he then commenced burning brick and building houses. He built the Baptist Church, the Hardin County Academy, the house of Mrs. Elizabeth McKinney and the dwelling now occupied by Hon. Judge C. W. Winter- smith. When he quit building it was estimated that he had built about one-fourth of Elizabethtown. He was a popular man and was elected to the Legislature. He was a man of untiring energy, none more so unless we except his wife, to whom he was married shortly after he built his residence. She was Miss Rebecca D. Stone, now universally called Aunt Beck, but with all their energy and untiring industry he became hard pressed. But such a man and woman could not be kept down long. It was admitted on all hands that he was an honest man and all of his old friends were willing to credit him.
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When Judge LaRue sold out his hotel, Mr. Hill concluded to make some additions to his house and convert it into a hotel. No sooner said than done, the hotel was opened under favorable auspices. Everything was as neat as a pin, and when a traveler came he was politely met at the door by the landlord in his peculiar, complacent manner, armed and led into a sitting room, and the stranger felt as if he was in a gentleman's parlor. The place had no tavern smell about it, and if ever two little folks were found together who each played their part like clockwork, it was found in John Y. Hill and his wife. They had a fine run of cus- tom, and Aunt Beck's art of coffee making was spread far and wide. But Mr. Hill labored in the vocation too hard. If he had commenced ten years sooner he would have accumulated a comfortable fortune. His valuable life came to a close by over-exertion. He died on the Ist day of August, 1855, and the town felt that a greater calamity could not have happened them. After his death and up to this day Aunt Beck has kept up the house and has proved herself to be a woman of extraor- dinary administrative ability. She frequently threatened to close her house and quit the business, but she has found that the only thing she does not know how to do and she cannot quit.
Now, if Elizabethtown is not a pleasant place to visit it is not because she has not three first-class hotels. Although in imminent danger from the late fire, fortunately for the town and the community, she escaped that devouring element.
But poor Bud Hawkins' hotel went down, and it is thought that he will rise like a Phoenix and flourish again, to the gratification of his many friends.
CHAPTER XIX
I have in previous numbers spoken of the Baptist Church as having been constituted in the wild wilderness on the 17th of June, 1781, more than eighty-eight years past. The Baptists were the first in order of time in this Valley. Their membership was scattered and covered a great deal of ground. For the accommodation of the church the monthly meetings were held alternately at the Valley and Nolin. These meet- ings were held in open air or at a private house for many years. Old Nolin Church was constituted in 1803 by a mutual agreement. Up to
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that time neither church had a regular place to worship. The town church, called Severn's Valley Church, about 1799 or 1800 built a huge log concern on the hill northeast of the Court House. It was of hewed poplar logs. This house was covered but never finished. A rough floor was laid loose and a few break-back benches were set up. The house was used in summer time for public worship, free for all, and occasionally for a school house. About 1805 the house was sold to John Davidson, who removed it to the lot where the clerk's office now stands and put up for a stable. The ground on which the house was first built was sold to Major James Crutcher, on which he erected the fine residence now occupied by I. Robin Jacobs, Esq. About that time my father donated about one acre of ground on the southeast of the town for a Baptist meeting house and a common burying ground, free for all societies.
The Baptist built a frame house on it, which never was finished. About the year 1815 they tore down the frame and erected a large hewed log house with two galleries. This house was finished and held a large congregation. This house was not comfortable in winter and it was customary with the church in the month of October to fix the place of meeting monthly for six months, designating some private residence for each month.
This being the only house of worship, it was occasionally used by other denominations making their appointments at the old log meeting house. About the year 1832 the Methodists, who were now becoming strong, erected the first brick house of worship in the town, in which all the denominations were contributors in some measure. But the largest contributor was Major Ben Helm, who built the house and expended some seven or eight hundred dollars upon it. At that date there was but few better houses in the State.
The Methodists kindly tendered the use of this house to Baptists and Presbyterians and was used accordingly.
Previous to this time the Court House was opened for religious wor- ship and was frequently used by all denominations. So was the old Seminary and many private houses, and particularly the house of Major Ben Helm, under whose hospitable roof the traveling or visiting preach- ers always found a hearty welcome, and the same hospitalities are used to this day by his son, Henry B. Helm, Esq., who inherits and inhabits
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the last family residence of his venerable father. Various other places and family residences were open for the same purpose.
The Methodist meeting house some years since was struck by lightning, and in repairing it a considerable addition was made.
About the year 1833 the Baptists and Presbyterians, each consider- ing themselves too weak to build a good house, concluded to build a partnership house, the time to be equally divided. A subscription for that purpose was proposed but did not meet with much favor, and after some weeks' trial was abandoned, only $900 being subscribed. Each house then started separate subscriptions to build separate houses, and in one day's time each had a larger subscription than the united project. The Baptists were fortunate in getting their house built and finished by the late John Y. Hill for $1,200 and he completed it in the second year, this making the fourth house of worship erected by the Baptists. Material and labor then being cheap, the house was finished in good plain style, and such a house could not now be erected under $3,000.
The Presbyterian house was put up and covered in the first year. The funds failing, Mr. Park, a zealous member of that church, finished it the next year at a cost of $500 or more over his subscription, relying on the membership to some day reimburse him. That house has since been much enlarged and improved in every particular, the membership and some friends making liberal subscriptions.
After this the Episcopalians erected a small and neat house of worship.
The Catholics also erected a good house in the west end of town.
These five houses of worship are all standing and regularly supplied up to this time (1870).
CHAPTER XX
The town after 1818 was slowly and steadily built up, so that before the commencement of the war in 1861 from Mulberry street to the public square on both sides there was a solid block of buildings, all of brick. The public square was compactly built all around with brick houses, except two spaces filled by frame houses. After the war com- menced until it closed all improvements stopped and if a shingle was nailed on I never knew it. As soon as peace was made a new era
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began. Nearly all the old roofs were torn off and replaced with new, many old houses were torn down and remodeled, and in two years' time more improvements were made than had been done in twenty years before. In 1842 the town was extended to half a mile square. In the year 1867 the town was again incorporated and its boundary extended to three-fourths of a mile each way from the center of the public square.
This act was repealed and re-enacted with amendments on the 26th day of February, 1868. Previous to this time the spread of the town was retarded by the owners of land adjacent to the old three-acre plot, since which time the land holders east, west and south of the old town boundary have laid out their lands in lots, streets, alleys and avenues, in which additions many lots have been sold at reasonable prices and buildings on these new lots have been rapidly erected.
Splendid residences have been put up by George L. Miles, Rev. Mr. Hagan and Dr. E. Warfield, besides many comfortable and neat residences by other individuals on the west side, and splendid first-class residences on the east side by Col. H. H. Cofer, Capt. W. F. Bell and T. H. Gunter, also about ten other very neat and respectable residences. On the south side, including the old Gallows hill, some twenty or thirty buildings have been put up by the colored population. The African population have exhibited a good deal of energy in erecting their houses of no mean pretentions, and many of them show evidences of thrift.
Two of our citizens, Fritz Raubold and Robert L. Wintersmith, Esq., have showed a good deal of foresight and public spirit in erecting houses in the last named locality for the purpose of renting to such as were not able to build. Additions and handsome alterations and new buildings of elegant finish have been made on Mulberry and Main Cross streets, and up to the 7th of August, 1869, the improvements and addi- tions had at least doubled the previous improvements and extended over five times the area of the original town.
William Wilson, Esq., attorney-at-law, made a purchase of thirty- four acres on the southeast side of the old town and put up a great number of fine outhouses and enclosed the whole in a handsome and elegant style. It is all in the town boundary as extended, an admirable location, and is now decidedly one of the most desirable places in the State of Kentucky for the residence of a private gentleman.
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In the last year ( 1869) many alterations were made on both sides of Main Cross street from Mulberry street to the public square, making the most compact and beautiful part of the town. Those houses were occupied by dry goods merchants, shoe merchants, druggists, saddlers, coffee houses, confectioneries and family groceries, all put up and completed and the rubbish in the streets removed. That street was the pride of the town, giving evidence of enterprise and thrift.
On the 7th day of August, 1869, at about I o'clock p. m., some drunken, trifling scamps crept into a haymow of a stable belonging to the Eagle House, which had been kept as a livery stable and situated between the alley and the Baptist Church, and it is supposed they used matches to light their stinking, crooked-necked pipes, and being too far gone in drunkenness to use discretion, communicated the fire to the hay, but drunk as the idle dogs were, they had sense enough to make their escape and the perpetrators are not known to this day. If they had been caught they might possibly have been accommodated with hot lodging. The weather was extremely dry and the flames communicated with great rapidity. Everything on that square on Poplar street, except the Baptist Church and the Seminary, was enveloped in a sheet of flames, and had not the wind favored these two buildings could not have escaped. The fire soon caught to the stable and back buildings on the south side of the alley and from thence to the newly finished fine buildings on the north side of Main Cross street, from which the flames mounted high, and the winds rising, caught across a sixty-foot street into the buildings on the south side of Main Cross street, and in less time than it takes to write this account of it, made an utter sweep of every- thing from Mulberry street to the public square and on one angle of the square.
The fire raged with such madness and rapidity that a great deal of damage was done in the haste of removing goods and furniture, only a part could be saved, for the fire soon drove everybody out of Main Cross street, and a great quantity of goods and furniture were neces- sarily abandoned to the devouring elements-all back buildings south of Main Cross street were made a clean sweep of-all the buildings on three squares, and by almost superhuman effort on the part of the citizens, white and black, and even the ladies of the town, the fire was
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stopped after raging about two hours, and in that short time the hard earning of twenty years lay in ruins.
The loss was variously estimated from one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Several buildings at a distance caught fire, among them was the jail, the Methodist church, Presby- terian church and some private buildings, but they were extinguished without doing much injury.
The great eclipse of the sun occurred just about the time the fire was subdued. The eclipse gave a sombre hue to all nature, well be- fitting the calamity which had destroyed one-half of the business houses of our town.
CHAPTER XXI
In my last chapter I attempted to give a general description of the great conflagration of the 7th of August, 1869. The town had no engine and no appliances for extinguishing fire except long ladders to ascend upon the roofs, but we have as good a set of fire fighters as any other town. The citizens worked to a great disadvantage, and perhaps the credit of stopping the fire is due in a great measure to Captain J. D. Cole, who at the critical moment took the lead, and by his cool deliberate management had the fire stopped at the southwest corner of the public square, where Wintersmith House connected with the south line of the public square; had it passed that point nothing could have saved the balance of the town.
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