USA > Kentucky > Trigg County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 15
USA > Kentucky > Christian County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 15
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Hopkinsville Tobacco Trade .- The following article, on the tobacco market of Hopkinsville, was written for this work by Mr. H. G. Aber- nathy. It is commended to those interested in the weed: The Hopkins- ville Tobacco market may truly be called a creature of necessity. Dur- ing the late war the tier of counties in Kentucky, consisting of Logan, Todd, Christian, Trigg, Caldwell, Lyon, together with portions of Muh- lenburg and Hopkins, then known as a large part of the Clarksville To- bacco District, found great difficulty from various causes in marketing their tobacco. The almost entire absence of railroad or turnpike facilities throughout this whole section forced the burden upon the planting com-
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munity of hauling tobacco on wagons, a distance of twenty to forty miles over the most abominable mud roads. The difficult means of transpor- tation, and the inconvenience of attending distant markets, prevented the masses from witnessing the sales of their produce, and the dissatisfaction resulting from losses, accidental and otherwise, with excessive commission charges, forced our planters to adopt the method of selling privately at their barns, rather than to "go farther and fare worse." Enloe and Fat- man, together with Jesup, Dillara and the Whartons bought freely, sweep- ing over the whole district, and the planter risking tobacco in a distant market was the exception.
Facts like these, and many others that might be enumerated, suggest- ed the necessity of an auction market at home, situated in the very heart of one of the largest tobacco growing sections of the world. In the year 1869, the first tobacco warehouse in Hopkinsville was built by Carter L. Bradshaw, George W. Cayce and H. G. Abernathy. It was conducted under the firm name of Abernathy & Co., and sold 2,476 hogsheads of tobacco the first year it was in operation. Dudley Jeffreys was the first book-keeper, and added experience and ability to the general conduct of the business. The first sale was on the 12th of January, 1871, and the first hogshead sold was the property of William West, an estimable plant- er of Christian County, and was bought by E. M. Hopper, one of our leading and enterprising merchants. The principal buyers at the open- ing sale were Gant & Jesup, Thompson & Mills, Dr. J. D. Clardy, E. H. Hopper, S. T. Fox, E. S. Quisenberry and others. But a large board was soon formed representing an extensive trade.
The doubt and uncertainty usually attendant upon all such enterprises soon vanished, and the market stood forth before the world a success. The second year, several additional warehouses opened and engaged in the business, bringing much ability, energy and enterprise to the trade, and a largely increased sale was made, with the utmost satisfaction to the patrons of the market. Large European orders, together with the home demand, gave to Hopkinsville a commanding position in the eyes of the world. The heavy, fat, German tobaccos, grown almost exclusively in Southern Kentucky, were sought after from first hands, giving to Hop- kinsville, from a geographical stand-point, many superior advantages. The market has been in active operation for more than fourteen years, selling from ten to fifteen thousand hogsheads annually.
Crop Statistics .- The crop reports of Christian County for 1880 show the following : Corn, 1,430,154 bushels; oats, 64,341 bushels; rye, 2,544 bushels ; wheat, 437,668 bushels ; hay, 3,824 tons ; Irish potatoes, 20,837 bushels, and sweet potatoes 25,479 bushels.
Live Stock .- The live stock and dairy reports for the year 1878
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show : horses, 4,920 ; mules and asses, 4,968 ; milch cows, 4,609 ; other cattle, 5,580 ; sheep, 9,514; hogs, 42,834 ; milk, 26,367 gallons ; butter, 297,341 pounds ; wool, 49,235 pounds.
Col. Cyrus Harrison and Matthew Patton were among the first to introduce into the county fine blooded stock from Virginia. This was about the year 1805. Since then many " thoroughbreds " have been im- ported from Virginia and elsewhere, and to-day Christian County can boast as many fine "strains " of both horses and cattle as any county in the State south of Green River.
Agricultural Associations .- The Christian County Agricultural and Mechanical Association was organized under charter granted by the Leg- islature in 1856, with Isaac Lewis, James T. Jackson, R. T. Torian, James M. Ford, William T. Moore, James H. Lander, E. R. Cook, J. C. Whitlock, J. W. Wallace, H. B. Owsley and John Stites as Commis- sioners. A meeting was called February 2, 1857, at the court house in Hopkinsville, and Thomas Green unanimously elected President, and Isaac Lewis, J. I. Thomas, James T. Jackson, C. E. Merriwether, Jesse Mc- Comb and Rice Dulin, Directors. The board thus formed then proceeded to elect J. C. Latham, Secretary, and James S. Phelps, Treasurer. Grounds were purchased from J. H. Caldwell and Dr. Montgomery, suitable buildings erected, and in the fall of 1857 the first annual fair of the association was held. G. B. Long was appointed Marshal with two assistants, and Thomas S. Bryan Corresponding Secretary. Ad- mission fees, for adult footmen 25 cents, horsemen 35 cents, buggy 40 cents, carriages, etc., 50 cents, children and servants 10 cents. The fair was largely attended each day, many fine displays were made, and altogether, so substantial and liberal was the patronage received that the association were encouraged to repeat, with added attractions, their ex- hibitions on the following year. The officers elected for 1858 were : Thomas Green, President ; and John Berry, John T. Edmunds, J. H. Gant, R. W. Henry, G. W. Killebrew and J. W. Wallace, Directors ; Thomas S. Bryan, Treasurer ; J. S. Latham, Secretary, and J. B. Gowan, Marshal. In the course of the year, Mr. Wallace resigning as Director, J. S. Parrish was elected in his stead.
The officers for 1859 were : James S. Phelps, President ; James W. Fields, James Wallace, L. W. Withers, J. C. Whitlock, C. M. Tandy and A. D. Rogers, Directors ; H. A. Phelps, Secretary ; J. P. Ritter, Treasurer, and J. W. Breathitt, Marshal.
The officers for 1860 were: J. S. Phelps, President ; Directors, James Fields, L. W. Withers, C. M. Tandy, James Wallace and A. D. Rogers. H. A. Phelps was again elected Secretary, as was also J. P. Ritter, Treasurer, and J. W. Breathitt Marshal. Mr. Tandy resigning,
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T. Torian was elected Director in his stead. The war coming on, and political excitement running high, this was the last fair held until 1869, and was rendered memorable by the fact that, during its progress, John C. Breckinridge, then Vice-President, made a speech, discussing the issues of the times, to a vast concourse of people assembled on the grounds to hear him. In 1861, before the evacuation of Kentucky by the Confeder- ates, the buildings were used as a barracks by a regiment of Mississippians under Gen. Clark. On their departure the amphitheatre was found to be in flames, and being entirely of wood, was soon burned to the ground. The origin of the fire is not known, but is thought to have been acciden- tal.
In 1869, June 7, the stockholders again called a meeting, and elected as Directors, B. T. Ritter, J. C. Whitlock, John C. Latham, William J. Radford, James Wallace, J. S. Parrish and George W. Lander. The Board of Directors met on the 12th inst. and elected B. T. Ritter, Presi- dent ; John C. Latham, Jr., Secretary, and John P. Ritter, Treasurer. A committee, composed of J. K. Gant, James E. Jesup, S. A. Means and A. Palmer, was appointed to appraise the value of the fair grounds, who reported its value to be $2,600. James S. Parrish resigning his place as a member of the Board of Directors, Samuel G. Buckner was elected to fill the vacancy.
Ata subsequent meeting, June 26, a plan for an amphitheater, cottage, etc., was submitted by D. A. McKennon, which was adopted. The con- tract for the building of the amphitheatre was awarded, July 6, to Welch and McKennon for $7,200, $200 to be taken by them in stock, and the building of the cottage to Gatewood & Keeler for $1,200. J. F. Foard was elected Marshal, and October 20, 21, 22 and 23, set for the time of holding the next annual fair. A committee was also appointed to arrange for a "balloon ascension," and another for a parade of the Steam Fire Department at that time.
The officers elected for 1870 were W. T. Radford, President ; G. W. Lander, S. G. Buckner, James Wallace and J. C. Latham, Directors ; James O. Ellis, Secretary ; J. P. Ritter, Treasurer ; Joseph F. Foard, Marshal.
In 1871, James Parrish, President ; P. F. Fox, L. McComb, O. Graves, Ira F. Ellis, James Wallace and W. J. Bacon, Directors; J. P. Ritter, Treasurer ; J. O. Ellis, Secretary ; and J. F. Foard, Marshal.
In 1872, Thomas Green, President ; Dr. J. D. Clardy, J. T. Ed- munds, James Wallace, S. G. Buckner, James M. Clark and Winston Henry, Directors ; James O. Ellis, Secretary ; J. P. Ritter, Treasurer ; J. F. Foard, Marshal.
In 1873, S. G. Buckner, President ; Ira F. Ellis, J. M. Clark, W. F.
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Cox, James Wallace, C. T. Lewis and H. G. Bowling, Directors ; J. O. Ellis, Secretary ; J. P. Ritter, Treasurer ; and J. F. Foard, Marshal.
In 1874, W. F. Cox, President ; Col. E. A. Starling, Charles T. Lewis, J. M. Clark, P. Fox, I. F. Ellis and J. T. Edmunds, Directors ; J. O. Ellis, Secretary ; J. P. Ritter Treasurer ; and J. F. Foard, Mar- shal.
In 1875, Dr. James Wheeler, President ; 'Dr. J. C. Whitlock, Dr. J. D. Clardy, E. A. Starling, J. E. Jesup, V. W. Crabb, W. Henry, Direc- tors ; W. P. Winfree, Secretary ; J. W. McPherson, Treasurer ; and J. F. Foard, Marshal. At a subsequent meeting, Dr. Wheeler declining, Col. E. A. Starling was elected President.
In 1876, E. A. Starling, President, and the Board of Directors for 1875 re-elected. April, 17th inst., Dr. Whitlock resigning, G. W. Lan- der was elected as a member of the Board of Directors. September 2, W. Henry resigned, and Dr. E. A. Cook elected Director in his stead. At the same meeting Thomas Boyd, of Trigg, and C. W. Maddox were elected members of the Board.
In 1877, J. T. Edmunds, President ; Ira F. Ellis, J. M. Clark, V. W. Crabb, S. T. Fox, E. R. Cook and G. W. Lander, Directors ; J. O. Ellis, Secretary ; J. W. McPherson, Treasurer ; and M. H. Nelson, Mar- shal. April 14, President Edmunds resigning, J. M. Clark was elected to fill the vacancy. George V. Green and John B. Bell were elected to fill the vacancies occasioned 'by the promotion of J. M. Clark and the resignation of Dr. J. D. Clardy. April 21, Dr. E. R. Cook resigned from the Board, and M. V. Owen was elected Director.
In 1878, J. M. Clark, President ; G. W. Lander, V. W. Crabb, George V. Green, J. B. Bell, M. V. Owen and Ira.F. Ellis, Directors ; J. O. Ellis, Secretary ; and J. W. McPherson, Treasurer; April 6, G. W. Lander resigned, and M. H. Nelson elected Director in his stead.
In 1879, L. A. Sypert, President ; G. V. Green. V. W. Crabb, M. H. Nelson, Otho Graves, W. Henry, Samuel M. Brown, Directors ; J. O. Ellis, Secretary ; and W. P. Winfree, Treasurer. April 21, George V. Green resigned, and N. Campbell was elected in his stead. Mr. Camp- bell declining, Dr. W. G. Wheeler was elected Director. April 26, M. H. Nelson resigned, and Dr. E. R. Cook was elected.
In 1880, Col. E. A. Starling, President ; E. R. Cook, V. W. Crabb, G. W. Means, J. C. Whitlock, W. Henry and Ned Campbell, Directors ; James O. Ellis, Secretary ; and J. W. McPherson, Treasurer. April 26, W. Henry resigning, Dr. J. D. Clardy elected in his stead. June 28, the death of President Starling being announced, a committee, composed of Dr. J. D. Clardy, E. R. Cook and J. O. Ellis, was appointed to draft suitable resolutions. Dr. E. R. Cook was elected to fill the vacancy
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occasioned by the death of President Starling, and E. W. Walker to fill his place. September 6, Dr. J. D. Clardy resigned as Director, and C. F. Jarrett elected in his stead. September 25, N. Campbell resigned, and W. G. Wheeler was elected to fill the vacancy.
In 1881, Dr. E. R. Cook, President ; C. F. Jarrett, V. M. Owen, V. W. Crabb, J. C. Whitlock, Hunter Wood and J. C. Woolridge, Directors ; John W. McPherson was elected Secretary and Treasurer.
In 1882, C. F. Jarrett, President ; Hunter Wood, John C. Willis, G. W. Means, S. G. Buckner, E. Walker and Dr. E. R. Cook, Directors ; J. Burnett, Secretary ; John W. McPherson, Treasurer; and William Cowan, Marshal. May 23, H. H. Abernathy was elected a Director.
In 1883, Col. L. A. Sypert, President ; C. F. Jarrett, G. W. Means, J. S. Parrish, W. Henry, Joseph Woolridge and J. W. Pritchett, Direc- tors ; J. W. McPherson, Secretary and Treasurer. July 3, C. F. Jarrett resigned, and H. H. Abernathy was elected in his stead.
It only remains to be said, in conclusion, that the Association, through the wise and economical management of its Directory, is at present in a healthy condition financially ; all outstanding debts having been liqui- dated, and the property being unincumbered, is increasing in value every year.
Horticulture .- Gardening, or horticulture in its restricted sense, can- not be regarded as a very important feature in the history of Christian County. If, however, we take a broad view of the subject, and include orchards, small fruit culture and kindred branches, outside of agriculture, we should find something of more interest and value. There can be but little doubt that, if the farmers were to devote more of the attention that is given to tobacco to fruit-growing-particularly in the north part of the county, a section in every way adapted to it-the experiment would pay, and pay well. The climate of this portion of the State is better adapted to fruit culture than further north, and it is a pleasant and easy way of making money.
The apple is the hardiest and most reliable of all the fruits for this region, and there are more acres in apple orchards, perhaps, than in all other fruits combined in the county. The first fruit trees were brought here by the pioneers themselves, and were seedling sprouts brought from the old homes in Virginia or the Carolinas. Apples are raised in the county in great quantities, also peaches, and of late years small fruits are receiving more or less attention. There is but little land, even among the hills of the north part of the county, but would produce fine grapes, and grapes always command a good price. Grape culture in that section might be made a valuable industry. In fact, with a soil so well adapted to
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fruits as that of Christian County, horticulture should be held in that high esteem which becomes so important a factor in human welfare .- J. M. Tydings.
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CHAPTER VI.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF THE COUNTY-EARLY STATE OF SOCIETY-THE BAP- TISTS, THE PIONEERS OF RELIGION IN KENTUCKY AND CHRISTIAN COUNTY -FIRST CHURCHES AND PREACHERS-EDUCATION-THE PRESENT SCHOOL SYSTEM-STATE PATRONAGE -- ORIGIN OF OUR SCHOOL FUND- EARLY SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLHOUSES-STATISTICS-ILLITERACY-COM- PULSORY EDUCATION-THE NEWSPAPER PRESS-ITS ADVANTAGES TO A COMMUNITY-THE FIRST PAPER IN THE COUNTY-EDITORS AND PRINT- ERS-IMPROVEMENTS IN NEWSPAPERS-CHRISTIAN COUNTY PRESS, ETC., ETC.
T THE subject of Christianity occupies a conspicuous place in the his- tory of every enlightened community, and it is to the credit of our ancestors that they were a God-fearing people. Criminals and fugitives from justice, who hover on the confines of civilization, where there is no law to restrain or govern, except that public judgment. that is crys- tallized into a resistless force, flee before the light that shines from the Star of Bethlehem as the morning mist disappears before the rising sun. As the Cross advances, the rough and the turbulent recede, keeping pace with the frontier posts. They cannot flourish in a Christian com- munity. Infidelity may array itself against the Bible, and its clamors may be loud in the assemblies of the wicked, but it has not the courage to enter the sanctuary of a religious home, and listen to the earnest prayers of pious parents as they point their children to the throne of God.
There were among the pioneers of Christian County, as is the case in all newly settled countries, a rough element, ignorant, vicious and worthless, but this element comprised only a few of the people. Of the majority, their moral deportment was good, and their title to man- sions in the skies unquestioned. Scarcely was the nucleus of a settle- ment formed ere steps were taken to counteract, in some way, the in- fluence of the lawless and evil-minded. This early led to efforts at religious organization and instruction, and often hymns of praise were mingled with the sound of the pioneer's ax. The earnest teachings of the time were plain and unvarnished, touched with no eloquence save a sincere desire to show men the way to better things by better living. There was more sincerity and less hypocrisy then than now. A recent writer, with much truth, says: "Bigotry and a disposition to worship creeds rather than one Almighty God, do more to bring religion into
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disrepute than any other cause that might be named. Churches of all denominations agree that there is but one God, one heaven and one hell, but beyond those boundary lines the question of duty diverges widely. Taking a common-sense view of the matter-throwing aside all devotion to denominationalism-there is no reason for strife within the pale of the church. Presbyterians, Catholics, Methodists, Unitarians, Congre- gationalists, Episcopalians, Hebrews, Baptists and all others are living in the hopes of happiness beyond the great unknown. The church is but the way of getting there, and the destination of all the roads is heaven." The above would not be a bad motto for some of our modern churches, modern preachers and modern Christians.
The Baptists were the pioneers of religion in Kentucky, and are still the strongest church, numerically, in Christian County. Elder William Hickman, a Baptist, is supposed to have been the first minister of any denomination to proclaim the "good tidings that should be to all people " in the wilderness of Kentucky. As early as 1776 he left his home in Virginia and came to Kentucky, and during his stay devoted much of his time to preaching the Gospel to the people of the scattered posts and stations. But no Baptist Church was formed until 1781, when the Gilbert Creek Church, near where the present town of Lan- caster stands, was organized.
The Presbyterians followed close in the wake of the Baptists, and long before the war-cry of the retreating savages had died away on the frontiers of Indiana and Illinois, they had obtained a hold upon the "dark and bloody ground." Rev. David Rice was the first Presbyterian preacher who came here. He was from Virginia, and emigrated to Kentucky in 1783, locating in what is now Mercer County. The same year Rev. Francis Clark, the advance guard of the Methodists, came and settled in the neighborhood of Danville, followed in 1786 by Revs. James Haw and Benjamin Ogden. As early as 1794 there was an organized Episcopal Church in Kentucky. About the year 1787 Rev. Father Whelan, a Roman Catholic clergyman, came to Kentucky as pastor to the Catholics, who lived principally about Bardstown. He had been a chaplain in the French navy, that served with us during the Revolutionary war, and when the struggle ended he remained in America. Thus the different religious denominations invaded Kentucky, gathered together the lost sheep of the wilderness, and led them into the fold of the Master.
The first religious organization, perhaps, in Christian County, was the old-time Baptists, known familiarly as "Iron-jackets " or " Hard- shells." A minister of that denomination, named Williams, came here and located in the present Precinct of Hamby about the year 1796-97. He settled on a farm now owned by the heirs of Benjamin Armstrong.
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Here, it is said, a church was built as early as 1805, and the small con- gregation was administered to by Elder Williams. He removed to Mis- souri about 1815, and the church finally died out. It seems only to have flourished while Williams remained, and now there is not even a ruin to show where the old building stood. There is also a tradition that there was a church of the same denomination organized in the southeast part of the county in the Galbraith and McFadden settlement as early as 1800. As that section was the scene of the first settlement of the county, it is not improbable that there was a church organization there very early. James Davis, the pioneer, is represented as having been a fatalist, or Predesti- narian, and doubtless was a member of the old Baptist Church.
Elder Isaac Todevine was one of the pioneer Baptist preachers of Ten- nessee and Southern Kentucky, and possessed all the peculiarities and eccentricities of the Hardshells. He lived six or eight miles north of Clarksville, a kind of a hermit life with his horse "Snip " and his dog "Pup." He had no other family, and thought as much of Snip and Pup as if they had been his children. He often preached to the old church, tradition says, in the southeast part of Christian County before the great majority of the citizens now living here were born. Pup always accompanied his master on his preaching expeditions, and sometimes caused the old man some uneasiness lest he might depart so far from his ministerial dig- nity as to stray off with young and frivolous dogs and he would lose him. It is told of Elder Todevine that he was preaching one day, and had be- come warmed up in his sermon, when, looking through the window and seeing Pup in a great romp with the other dogs, he stopped short and asked a brother to go and get him, as he was afraid he would stray away and be lost.
Elder Todevine believed in election and predestination, and accord- ing to his theology, one not elected from the foundation of the world was as surely lost as though already in the bottomless pit. He dreamed that he would die upon a certain day, and when the appointed day came, he went to bed, told his friends that his appointed time had come, and sure enough died (March 23, 1821) the time indicated in his dream. His name has nearly passed into oblivion, but this mention will doubtless re- call it to some of the oldest citizens.
Lorenzo Dow, one of the most eccentric preachers, perhaps, that the country has ever known, unless it was the " White Pilgrim," used to sometimes preach in Hopkinsville and Christian County. As early as 1814 he made his appearance in Southern Kentucky and the adjoining part of Tennessee, and at Hopkinsville, Russellville, Clarksville and Palmyra, his strange, weird voice was often heard proclaiming the messages of his Divine Master. He was born in Connecticut in 1777, and is said to have
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been an ordained minister of the Methodist Church. He generally trav- eled the country on foot, and preached wherever and whenever he could get an audience together ; he preached the Gospel pure and simple as he un- derstood it, not for pelf, but solely for the good of mankind. He was a humble, sincere, great pioneer preacher, with fists like a maul and a voice like the roar of a Numidian lion, and thus equipped he went forth upon his mission, made reprobates tremble, women to cry and shout aloud, and many a tough old sinner to fall upon his knees and plead for the pardon- ing of his sins. Anecdotes and incidents enough have been told of him to make a large volume of themselves. One of these will serve as a sam- ple of the others, and is as follows :
One of his brother preachers was in the habit at the close of every sermon of giving a description of the day of judgment, when at the sound of Gabriel's trumpet, the Son of Man would appear in the clouds of heaven with all his holy angels, " to judge the quick and the dead," uni- formly adding a description of the alarm and terror that would overwhelm the impenitent sinner. Then changing his description, would picture all the glorious triumphs of the righteous, and with whom he hoped to be found. Mr. Dow, becoming disgusted with his repetition, determined to put a stop to it, and for that purpose engaged a boy famous for his skill in blowing the trumpet, to climb a tree near the church one night where the old brother was to preach, and when he got to the day of judgment and Gabriel's trumpet, to blow a terrible blast. All worked well ; the preacher gave an animated discourse with the usual peroration of the judgment and Gabriel's trumpet, when the boy, from his perch in the tree-top, with his trumpet gave an awful peal, making the heart of every one in the meeting-house stand still. Leaving hat, saddle-bags and umbrella, the old preacher cleared the pulpit at a single bound, rushed to the door and took to the woods, followed by his terror-stricken congre- gation. Henceforth, that preacher struck Gabriel and his trumpet out of his sermons.
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