USA > Kentucky > Hardin County > Elizabethtown > A history of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and its surroundings > Part 9
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The merchant mounted his horse with a brace of horseman's pistols on the cantle of his saddle, led another strong horse with a padded quilt containing about two thousand Spanish dollars-sometimes took a guard through the wilderness part of the way, and thus en- cumbered traveled about seven hundred miles, this at the best travel would take over hills, mountains and rivers, from sixteen to twenty days-laying in and selecting a stock of goods occupied about three weeks. Then employing several teams of Maryland or Pennsylvania wagons, each drawn by six Conestoga horses, over the mountains to
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Pittsburg. That trip occupied from ten to fifteen days. At Pittsburg a flat boat was purchased and the goods stowed away in it. Then the broad horn, as it was sometimes called (in contempt after steamboats started) was floated down the Ohio, the merchant always on board, with his hands and consumed some fifteen or twenty days according to the stage of the water to reach the falls. If piloted over the falls, the boat bound for Elizabethtown and the southern counties would be finally landed at the mouth of Salt River, now West Point. Then the merchant posted off a messenger to his clerk calling for eight or ten wagons to be sent to him. The merchant remaining until the last box, crate, keg or barrel was on the wagons. Then like a bird liberated from his cage, he flew to meet his wife and children. It was a day of rejoicing of which all partook in the neighborhood. And when the wagons arrived the news spread like wild fire that the new goods had come and many a dollar had been hoarded for the occasion.
Now with steamboats and railroads, the same journey is performed in so short a time, that one is hardly missed by his next door neighbor, so brief the absence.
CHAPTER XXIV
Major James Crutcher emigrated from Virginia early in the decade of 1780, and landed at the falls of the Ohio (now Louisville) while the Indians were troublesome. His relations from Nelson and Mercer counties hearing of his arrival, came to the falls to guard the Major and his father and family to Bardstown. The Major hesitated whether to settle in Nelson or Mercer county, but finally stopped in Bards- town and occupied a stone house, which since belonged to Nathaniel Wickliffe, the same house that was afterwards occupied by Melville Vining as a tavern. In this town on the 28th day of August, 1795, his eldest son, Thomas S. Crutcher, was born, the Major having married Miss Gilly Slaughter, and shortly after he removed to Eliza- bethtown.
He was the first merchant of any note that I remember, in Eliza- bethtown, he was a resident in July, 1797, for he was one of the first Trustees appointed when the town was established, and remained a citizen until his death. He was then a very sprightly young man,
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and was remarkable for his neat and genteel appearance and con- tinued so throughout his long life. I cannot say precisely the date he commenced as a merchant but he was in that business at my first recollection of him; my memory extends far back, for I distinctly remember the burial of my grandfather, Jacob Vanmeter, on the 17th or 18th day of November, 1798. But that was an isolated case-the open grave, the coffin and the crowd fastened on my attention so completely that I never forgot it, and it is likely that my recollection more extended does not reach back further than 1800. However, I recollect well some incidents which took place in the old cabin in which I was born, perhaps before 1800; one, for instance, my mother had a pot of hominy on the fire-when she was out I seized a pewter spoon, plunged it into the boiling pot and dipped it out smoking hot, slipped to the door to cool it, when an old gander met me and ran his flat bill into my spoon and gobbled my hominy-and ganders have never been favorites with me since, although the goose trade is now quite brisk in this town.
Judge Crutcher was the main dealer in goods in this town for many years, and was very popular with all the ladies. By some strange perversion of nomenclature he was by half the men and by nearly all the ladies called Crutcher, and it was a daily occurrence to see the good old ladies coming to town to deal in Jimmy Crutcher's store. He has been mentioned several times in the previous part of this history-business of this kind was carried on a small scale for several years, as the sparse population did not justify large importations.
He also dealt in cattle and sent several droves to Baltimore. Now to send cattle to Baltimore by steamboats and railroad would be a light affair in comparison with such an adventure as I am now speak- ing of. Then there was no steamboats and railroads and very poor roads of any kind; twenty miles a day would be a good drive with a large drove of cattle. The trip to Baltimore under the most favorable circumstances would occupy at least thirty-five days. In returning from one of these trips the Major met with a young man at Martins- burg, Virginia, named Horatio Gates Wintersmith, and prevailed on him to come to the West. Mr. Wintersmith entered the store as a clerk and soon after as partner, and the business was greatly enlarged.
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As I intend to speak of H. G. Wintersmith as a merchant and enter- prising citizen in a separate article, I will simply continue my narra- tive of Judge Crutcher. He was the soul of hospitality, and it was his delight to entertain his friends at his hospitable board, and he was generally useful as a Trustee of the Town, Trustee of the Hardin Academy, was Judge of the quarter session court and afterwards assistant Judge of the Hardin circuit court. He represented the county several years in the House of Representatives of the Kentucky Legis- lature, and was also a Senator of Kentucky and made a narrow escape of being Lieutenant Governor and of a seat in Congress. He was at the battle of New Orleans as aid to General Thomas. His was a useful and active life, laborious and patient in business. His trips East for goods on horse back amounted to an immense travel. One of his trips he took with him a servant man belonging to Major Ben Helm named Charles Slaughter (still living at 93 years). Their route led them across the Youhogeny river, a turbulent, rapid stream, spanned by a bridge thirty feet above the water. The snow was eighteen inches deep on the bridge, which was old and shaky, and in the middle of the bridge two planks were off, leaving a gap two feet wide; the bridge trembled at every step, and then the yawning chasm in the middle but it had to be crossed, it was their only chance; and when accomplished the Judge turned his horse around to look back at his tracks. The Judge remarked, "I was always told to praise the bridge that carried me over safe, but I will never trust that one again." On arriving in Baltimore the servantman, Charles, who always knew which side of his bread was buttered, was not slow in announcing the fact that his master was a Judge.
That was a grand move, and secured to himself as well as the Judge, very marked attention at the hotel. The landlord caught the title and it was "Judge what will you have, shall I send a bottle of wine to your room? Can I make any change to make your quarters more pleasant?" Then the command from the landlord, "Peter, see that the Judge's waiter has a good and early breakfast, for the Judge wants to go out with him in the city."
In short order the merchants were all obsequious. At night the Judge asked Charles how everybody knew he was a Judge. "Why," says Charles, "I had sense enough to tell it." Some years before his
death he retired from business and took his ease in the elegant man- sion now occupied by I. Robin Jacob, Esq. He was a man of firm constitution until late in life-his health failed and he lost his sight, and died at a good old age, upwards of 80 years.
His son, Thomas S. Crutcher, Esq., is now living, in his 75th year. He is fourteen days younger than myself, a well educated quiet gentle- man. We were so near of an age that we might be considered as raised together. We were playmates in childhood-schoolboys together for years, and then he was sent to complete his education under Dr. Hume. He was afterwards a merchant for many years, and lastly clerk of the Hardin county court. He is a kind-hearted, high' toned gentleman.
CHAPTER XXV
TAILORS.
The tailors or artists in cloth, so far as my acquaintance extends, are in the general a clever, neat dressing, gentlemanly class of men ; they also have the reputation of being liberal. There is a tradition that nine artists seated on their board, observed a poor man at their door, he was called in, and on investigation he was found to be an object of charity, and each of them gave the poor man a shilling. It was more money than the poor man ever had at one time before, so he determined to try his luck trading on it, and in the course of ten years he found himself rich, built himself a house and on his front door was painted in gilded letters these words: "Nine tailors made a man of me." And hence arose a scandalous perversion of the generous act of the tailors, and the saying is common that it takes nine tailors to make a man, thereby intending to convey the idea that a tailor is but the ninth part of a man, scandalum magnatum.
As I have before stated, Archibald McDonald, a Scottish dancing master, was the first male tailor that ever stuck a stitch in town, and that he kept no shop, but worked around wherever a garment was to be made, and had his board thrown in. Jack Kendall, of whom I have before spoken, was the next I remember. Jack was a dwarfish cripple. One day while Jack was on his board a very slender and rather cadaver- ous looking man, six feet eight inches high, stopped at the door of
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Jack's shop and straightening up to his full height, was taking a view of Jack's dimensions; without speaking a word, Jack in turn was surveying the height of his visitor ; Jack spoke first and said : "My good fellow could I get you to pick me a mess of squirrels?"
The stranger replied :
"Certainly you can, and moreover, my name is Jonathan Worrell- I am a crack tailor, and as you are the boss of this shop, and I want to get a chance to help you cabbage cloth."
This struck Jack's fancy and he said :
"If this shop board is wide enough to hold your legs, just twist yourself up here and go ahead. There is a job before you." Worrell understanding all the twistifications of the art, mounted the board and remained with Jack several years. Worrell himself was nearly as droll a genius as Jack.
On one occasion in James 'Perciful's tavern a wire-walker and a sleight-of-hand conjurer was performing; Worrell came in late after every seat was taken, walking deliberately up to a seated gentleman, making a bow, said: "Sir will you be kind enough to swap seats with me?"
Without thinking, the gentleman arose and Worrell took his seat, and said to Worrell: "Where is your seat, sir ?"
"O, anywhere you can find it," and he held on.
The next was Major John Y. Hill, who set up a shop, employed William Greeman and worked together several years, but the Major, of whom I have spoken, was too energetic to confine himself to a shop board and commenced other business, was elected to the Legislature, and finally was a complete hotel keeper and in that business died uni- versally regretted.
Then George W. Strickler carried on for some years, and then retired to a farm and yet lived a respectable gentleman farmer.
About the year 1829 Addison Kinkead with a partner named Wilson, commenced and had a fine custom, but soon dissolved partnership. Wilson left-Kinkead held on and at various times had partners, but the most reliable one was William Showers, better known as Big Showers. Kinkead was a constant worker, a provident man, and accumulated a handsome property-he was always anxious that the customers should have a good fit. The customer would put on the
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new coat, Kinkead would pull down the tail and slap the man on the back and say, "Big, is not that a bully fit?" then turn the man's face to Big and show -him the front and say, "Big, don't you think that fits like a shirt." Big always proved the job well done, and the cus- tomer went off convinced that he was fitted to a T, and perhaps he was.
Kinkead afterwards purchased a farm, made a model farmer, and died sometime since leaving a comfortable estate. He was fond of en- tertaining his friends at his home, and it was done in genteel style and his death was felt to be a loss to our community.
Big soon after quit the board and formed a partnership with Isaac Radley, in merchandising, farming, sheriffing, and even in gold dig- ging in California, and a few years ago opened the Showers House as a hotel, and is yet doing a slashing business, but I think he ought to advertise in the News, as a printer has to live.
Then Warren C. Gray and Cowley set up shops and did well. Cowley has left the State, but Gray still continues the business in this town; is an industrious, good workman and good citizen, and has raised a very genteel family in our midst. Henry Showers and James Moore for some years did a fine business as merchant tailors but in the full tide of prosperity they were burnt out, losing some six thousand dollars of stock. Showers left for the South during the war and was absent about four years-on his return he commenced business for Solomen Kaufman & Co., large merchants. He is very attentive and industrious, and is a quiet, respectable and social gentleman.
Moore after he was burnt out, carried on the business for a while with Jonathan D. McNeil-McNeil married and went to the country for several years. He had served in the army a portion of the time of the late war with credit to himself. He is at present out of business and so is Moore-they were both good artists.
Mr. George Munsch, a German, has also carried on business quite extensively with several journeymen.
CHAPTER XXVI
I had commenced about merchants, but got decoyed off on a side switch, and fell in among the tailors etc., and now take up the mer- chants again.
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The articles of merchandise have varied in different ages.
About the year 1801 Robert Blakely and William Mont- gomery, two very interesting young Irishmen, came to Elizabeth- town and opened a dry goods store with a stock of goods, and soon became very popular. Their store was opened in a log house at the corner of the Public Square, on that spot where the Wintersmith House was afterwards erected and lately burned down. Perhaps their stock of goods was the first that deserved the name of an assort- ment.
William Montgomery was an Orangeman, and engaged in the rebel- lion in Ireland in 1798. He was arrested and confined in a prison from which men were taken and executed daily. Montgomery was released from prison through the interposition of his aunt, who was the wife of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on the condition that he would emigrate to America.
Shortly after Robert Blakely who was engaged in the same rebellion, evading the officers of the Government, concealed himself in a vessel and thus made his escape to the United States. They married sisters two of the daughters of William Withers, Esq., a very respectable Virginia gentleman near West Point.
About 1820 Montgomery bought a farm near West Point, which was divided between them. Montgomery died about the year 1830, leaving an only son, the late Wm. W. Montgomery, Esq., the father of James Montgomery, Esq., a very prominent young lawyer of this town, and also A. B. Montgomery, Esq., at present a very efficient deputy sheriff.
Blakely remained some years after Montgomery left town, and acted as sheriff for several years, and then settled on the farm and died about the year 1850, leaving a large family of respectable members of the community.
There is something romantic and interesting in the history of these two men. Born on the same Island, engaged in the same rebellion, both compelled to leave to save their lives; emigrating to the same country, finding employment in the same establishment in the city of Baltimore, partners in merchandising in Elizabethtown, marrying sisters, and then living and dying on adjacent farms.
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Horatio G. Wintersmith was born at Martinsburg, Virginia, in the year 1786, was the son of Doctor Charles Godfrey Ulias Winter- smith, who was a surgeon in the British army and was taken prisoner by General Gates at the defeat of General Burgoyne. As he was a German and spoke the Hessian language he was put with that corps as a surgeon.
After his capture he joined the American army, and became a part of General Gates' family, and went with him to Philadelphia, where he met with and married a widow Spangler, whose maiden name was Lighter, being the maiden name of his own mother. After which the Doctor settled in Martinsburg, where the subject of the notice was born, and having become much attached to General Gates, his captor, called his son Horatio Gates, which name seems to have been to a great extent in the Wintersmith family.
As has been before remarked, as Major James Crutcher was return- ing on one of his trips to Baltimore, he came across young Horatio Gates Wintersmith at Martinsburg, and prevailed on him to come to Kentucky-and arrived here in 1806. As I was always intimate with him I have heard him frequently speak on his notions about Kentucky before he came to it. He had been taught to believe they were a semi- savage set of bruisers-wore leather hunting shirts and leather breeches -and they took particular pleasure in knocking a man down if he crooked his finger or refused to drink with him, and that he was astonished on landing in Louisville to see men dressed in broadcloth and acting as polite gentlemen. He entered as clerk in Major Crutcher's store, and shortly after was taken in as a partner.
In about two years after he entered the firm, he was sent to Balti- more to lay in a stock of goods, and as he was a go ahead man, he laid in quite a large stock; so much that the Major was alarmed and expressed some dissatisfaction. Wintersmith had provided for such a contingency, and told the Major that if he entertained doubts about the policy of getting such an abundant stock, that he would take it himself and be personally responsible. And as the Major had great confidence in the foresight and business tact of Wintersmith, with some grains of fear, he acquiesced, and opened a house also at Glasgow, Ky., with Henry Crutcher as a partner, and as proof of his adage, that
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"ventures make merchants," it turned out that each of the partners laid the foundation of his future fortune upon that importation.
The partnership continued some years when Wintersmith separated from the original firm, and brought many of his relations into busi- ness, having married Miss Elizabeth Hodgen, daughter of Robert Hod- gen, Esq.
Wintersmith was an energetic business man and of great public spirit, and built largely, and also opened a hotel on an extensive and elegant scale. He was emphatically the life and soul of the town, and was widely known and respected. He was also the cashier of the Union Bank of Elizabethtown which was the only bank of that batch of forty odd independent banks that wound up safe and sound. But in the full tide of life and at the zenith of his prosperity he died January 2Ist, 1835 in the 49th year of his age. He was married three times, his second wife was Miss Morehead, the third, Miss Jane C. Stovall.
By the first wife was born Charles G. Wintersmith, an eminent lawyer, who served several years in the Legislature of Kentucky, and was afterwards elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, which honorable situation he filled with dignity and ability. While a mem- ber of the Legislature as chairman of the Committee on Federal Rela- tions he made a report on the jurisdiction of the Ohio river, which was justly esteemed an able State paper.
He also at one time was elected and served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky and afterwards occupied the honor- able position of Grand High Priest of the same order of Ancient York Masons.
Robert L. Wintersmith was another son of the first marriage. I have spoken of him before as a liberal gentleman and enterprising merchant and justly a popular man, but as he has the misfortune to be one of the most laborious Trustees of the town, I cannot answer for his future good name, although the Trustees work like dray horses, they get more curses than thanks.
Major Richard C. Wintersmith was a son of the second marriage. It would be a difficult task to give a faithful pen portraiture of the Major-suffice it to say that he was Treasurer of the State of Kentucky, and during the late war he served with distinction in the Confederate
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service. He is a portly, fine looking man, possesses a great deal of original wit, a man of decided ability, and universally popular, and if he cannot win a man by argument, he is certain to get him by his humor.
Mrs. Margaret F. Wintersmith, a daughter of the second marriage, a most excellent lady who married her cousin, H. G. Wintersmith, a pleasant and accomplished gentleman, a good merchant and an amateur fruit grower. He was a man of fine taste and a first rate citizen. He left a fine family of children to the care of his widow, and well has she performed the heavy responsibilities which devolved upon her. I have not space to notice any of his decendants except his eldest son, Charles H. Wintersmith, who is a remarkable, sociable, pleasant gentleman, and has made discoveries in the healing art that Esculapius never dreamed of. As he advertises, it will be needless for me to give a list of his remedies. Suffice it to say that they are represented as be- ing sovereign remedies for nearly all the ills, pains and aches that the human family is heir to.
Hon. H. G. Wintersmith is the only survivor of the third marriage. He has been a merchant and Judge of the Hardin County Court and is now a practitioner of law, and raising a fine family. He is a pleasant, polite gentleman, and a zealous member of the Baptist church.
CHAPTER XXVII
Audubon & Rozier were also merchants in town at an early date. Their clerk was James Hackley, who afterwards became an officer in the regular army, one of the most starchy and fine dressing men that ever lived in our town.
This is the same Mr. Audubon who has since been world-renowned as the greatest ornithologist in the world, and has traveled through the United States, Central and South America, torrid, frigid and temperate zones, and has furnished the world the most complete specimens and descriptions of the feathered tribes, from the humming- bird and the sparrow up to the Condor, Ostrich, and Cassowary, with all the grave and splendid plumages that adorn or beautify the birds of creation.
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Charles Helm and Samuel Stevenson were once merchants. Helm was a politician and served many years in the Legislature, and in his day the most popular man in the county, and no man could overcome him in an election. He was on Hopkins' campaign, and died several years since ; his son, Thomas J. Helm, was for many years clerk of the House of Representatives of the Kentucky Legislature, and was considered the best parliamentarian in the State of Kentucky. He died in Glasgow several years since.
I tried two years under him to master the Latin language, but made a signal failure. Whether it was the fault of the teacher or the scholar I am not able to determine.
After Helm and Stevenson there came up as merchants Major Ben Helm and General Duff Green. They occupied the stand now owned by Judge Eliot-they did business together several years, and as the partners were both distinguished men, special notice of each will be required. Major Ben Helm has been mentioned frequently in the preceding part of this history.
He was born in Virginia on the 8th day of May, 1767, came to Kentucky with his father, Hon. Thomas Helm, and landed at the falls of the Ohio (Louisville) in the fall of 1779, and removed to the Valley in the spring of 1780, then being thirteen years of age, consequently he underwent all the perils of that early day. As soon as courts were established in Hardin county he became prominent in the business of the county, was Deputy Surveyor, and one of the Trustees of Elizabethtown, and made the first survey of the town. He was also one of the first Trustees of the Hardin Academy and held that position for more than forty years. About the year 1800 he was clerk of the Hardin county court, and shortly after received the appointment of clerk of the quarter session court, and when the courts were changed he was appointed clerk of the circuit court, which office he filled up to January, 1817.
Had filled the office of Brigade Inspector for many years.
He was a prudent and provident man, and soon become independent in his circumstances. In the year 1812 there was a call for volunteers under General Hopkins. The Major then being forty-five years of age was a volunteer in Col. Aaron Hart's company, although in affluent circumstances and rather feeble health, he answered to the
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