USA > Kentucky > Trigg County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 22
USA > Kentucky > Christian County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 22
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At a later period in the history of Hopkinsville there were the follow- ing merchants additional to those already mentioned : Daniel Park, Robert Patterson, William Nichol, Robert Martin, James Richey, Samuel Finley, Wilson & Sinton, Francis Wheatley, Anderson & Atterberry, Samuel and Jacob Shryock, Richard Poston, James and Thomas Moore, Alexander McCulloch, John McGarvie, George Ward, etc. These have passed away, and a younger generation fills their places. But it is im- possible and would scarcely be interesting to trace the mercantile business through all its growth and prosperity. Among the merchants of Hop- kinsville years ago, were William E. Garvin, Thomas Quigley and Will- iam Bell (father of John and Robert Bell), who afterward became promi-
205
HOPKINSVILLE CITY AND PRECINCT.
nent wholesale merchants of Louisville; Wayman Crow and John Ag- new, who became prominent merchants of St. Louis.
Of the learned professions Hopkinsville has known some as brilliant men as any city in the State, perhaps. The early members of the bar have been noticed in a preceding chapter. Of the medical profession there were Dr. Moses Steele, Dr. James H. Rice, Dr. Augustine Webber, Dr. Short, and others whose names cannot now be recalled. They were men learned in their profession, and faithfully performed their duties to their fellow-men. Dr. Webber receives extended notice in connection with the Baptist Church, and the others are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Just at this point in the history of Hopkinsville a communication is pertinent and of interest, from Judge Livingston Lindsay, of La Grange, Tex., and late Chief Justice of that State, many years ago a resident of this city, and still remembered by many of the older citizens. It was written to his nephew here, Mr. - - Lindsay, who requested his recollections of Hopkinsville as a contribution to our history of the county. It is devoted principally to Hopkinsville, though in one or two instances touching upon the county at large, and the reader will find it of interest throughout. It is as follows :
Communication of Judge Lindsay .- " Oral tradition upon the topics to which you invite my attention, is not very reliable at best. But it is still more uncertain when it is wholly dependent upon the treacherous and failing memories of very old persons. And I have always regretted the neglect of American society in its failure to adopt in an early period of its history some methods, as a system, for the preservation of family records, containing not only all the names of families, but such incidents in connection with them as might be useful to their immediate posterity, as well as of interest to the public at large. In the progress of our social system, possibly, this defect might be remedied. It certainly would con- duce to the improvement of society.
" In regard to what I may know and remember about the early his- tory of Christian County : I emigrated from Orange County, Va., in the fall of 1828, and stopped at my brother's, Lunsford Lindsay, in the borders of Todd County, which county had, not a great while before, been formed out of a part of Christian and Logan Counties, where I remained nearly a year, teaching a country school ; though I then had my license (obtained in Virginia) to practice law. But by reason of the paucity of my finances, I was deterred from adventuring then upon my professional career. I did adventure upon it, however, shortly after the close of my school, and moved to and settled in Hopkinsville; and not long afterward married my wife, and boldly, if not judiciously, took upon myself the charge of a family. This, too, was done without having first achieved
·206
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY.
anything professionally. This new obligation assumed, together with the emptiness of my exchequer, awakened me to the necessity of devising some expedients for the immediate wants of my family, besides the pre- carious reliance upon the professional success of a briefless lawyer, a mere novice just entered, or passed over the threshold of one of the learned pro- fessions, without means and without practical experience among strangers, with a strong and already well-established bar to compete with. Under these inauspicious circumstances I concluded to purchase a printing press with its appurtenances, which had been established in Hopkinsville some years previously by David S. Patton, Esq., and commenced the publica- tion of a weekly journal under the not very taking name of the Spy, which I continued about two years, when I sold out the establishment in consequence of a call I received from the Trustees of Cumberland College, at Princeton, Ky., to the position of Professor of Mathematics and Natu- ral Philosophy, which, though the salary was small, the duties of the position were more congenial to my taste than the turmoil and the com- mon reckless spirit of journalism. I preserved no copy of that publica- tion, nor indeed do I know where one could be found. By mere chance, it may be that some patron of the paper in that county preserved one. But village newspapers were in those days too unimportant and ephemeral to secure any special care from their readers. I regret that I cannot furnish a copy, as it might show somewhat of the temper and tone of the community of those by-gone days, and be of some interest to the present generation of the locality.
" When I settled in Hopkinsville in the year 1829, it was a small vil- lage comparatively (I don't recollect the number of the population pre- cisely. I don't think it much exceeded 1,500 inhabitants), but it was in- habited by an intelligent and interesting population. It was a cultivated society for what might still be called a sort of frontier settlement ; as in the following year, in my travels through Illinois I found that now mag- nificent and grandly developed State in all its material, social and moral elements was still in a crude and uninviting condition. Then even the great city of St. Louis, which I visited also, contained a population of only 5,000 souls. What a mighty change in the last half century!
" Hopkinsville at the time adverted to, in her social, moral and intel- lectual condition, could justly enter into rivalry with any community west of the Alleghenies. The manners of her people were polished and re- fined ; her public as well as private morals above reproach ; and so little disorder among her people, both in town and county, as falls to the lot of the most favored communities. Her meed of prominence, character and standing, considering the number of her population, equal to any. When I arrived in Hopkinsville I found these distinguished gentlemen of the
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HOPKINSVILLE CITY AND PRECINCT.
legal profession : Charles S. Morehead, Fidelio C. Sharp, W. W. Fry, Gustavus A. Henry, J. B. Crockett, Gwynn Page, the first three of whom were then in the full tide of practice, with well-established reputations, and the three latter rapidly budding into notice, and very soon developed into full bloom. Two others, Benjamin Patton and Robert P. Henry, had both died a year or two before, and their fame was still echoing through town and county at the time of my arrival, and not confined to town and county, but reverberating throughout the State. But in the hurry of writing I pretermitted two other prominent gentlemen of the profession about that time, James Breathitt and James Ewing, neither of whom lived a great while after. Besides, James F. Buckner was there equipping himself for the struggle. It may be that I have omitted to mention others of that period, but if so, it is a lapse of my memory. Besides these gentlemen of note of the legal fraternity, the medical profession was not less famous for its learned physicians. Dr. John F. Henry, who was afterward professor in several medical colleges, and a man of unquestioned ability ; Drs. Webber, Bell, Glass, Montgomery, men of considerable literary attain- ments, and of undoubted success in the practice of their profession. I cannot now call to mind the names of others, some of whom were just pluming their feathers for the adventurous flight. In addition to these professional celebrities, there were literary gentlemen not a few, of which a modest sample was found in the person of James Rumsey, who was as guileless as a child, and intellectually as brilliant as the most favored sons of genius. In the private walks of life could be seen men of exalted char- acter and of personal worth, a public spirit worthy of all imitation, a specimen of which was plainly manifested in the bearing and conduct of John P. Campbell, Sr., whom I always looked upon as one of Nature's noblemen, and whose memory I shall always revere as a generous friend. These worthy specimens of the male population of the community, which were much enlarged by many in the county, were supplemented by many high-toned, intelligent, refined women, of whom I will not be guilty of the bad taste of particularizing, but who contributed largely to the many ex- cellencies of the community.
"So much in regard to the general view of the town of Hopkinsville and the County of Christian during my short sojourn among their people. from some time in 1829 to the spring of the year 1832. With my imper- fect and failing memory I would not venture upon details. I might com- promise myself by doing injustice to some of those early citizens. But be assured that I have a lively sympathy with those who may desire to have a full and accurate history of the town and county, which might afford some material for the future historian of the State and nation.
" L. LINDSAY."
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY.
Manufacturing Industries .- Hopkinsville has never been anything of a manufacturing center, and why it has not is a problem. With the finest tim- ber in easy reach, coal enough underlying the county for all manufacturing purposes, good railroad facilities-what more is needed ? Only energy and enterprise. The early enterprises of this kind have been confined to flour- ing-mills, carding and woolen mills, tanyards, distilleries, brickyards, etc. There is no distillery in the city, nor in the county we believe, unless it is a " moonshiner," which is a credit mark to both city and county. The manufactories now consist of flouring-mills, a foundry, planing-mills, car- riage and plow factories, an ice factory, brickyards, etc. A development of the coal fields of Christian and adjoining counties will make Hopkins- ville what she deserves to be, a manufacturing city. Upon the future of Hopkinsville Mr. Mercer, a few years ago, thus wrote in the Hopkins- ville Republican : "The geographical position of Hopkinsville, its vantage ground as the center of a fertile region possessing various resources, all demanded a fast advancing civilization, warrant the belief that a safe ex- ercise of enterprise and industry on the part of its citizens, merchants and manufacturers will double its present population and wealth in a few years. An Illinois, Indiana or Ohio town under like conditions would not require more than five years to reach a population of 10,000 souls. The country wants farmers, wool-spinners and weavers, farm-implement makers, pork-packers, dairymen, tanners, and skilled mechanics. Near- ly every competent manufacturer who has given strict personal attention to his trade in Hopkinsville, has prospered." When we consider the amount of money that crosses the Ohio River every year for farm machin- ery alone, the above paragraph comes home with considerable force, and brings pertinently to mind a Biblical phrase that the way (to prosperity) is so plain that " even fools should not err therein."
The Crescent Mills .- Without going into details of enterprises that have long since passed out of existence, a brief space will be devoted to some of the present manufacturing industries of the city. One of the great flouring-mills of Southern Kentucky is the Crescent Mills of Rab- beth & Brownell. This establishment dates back to 1876 and stands on the railroad north of the depot, and is a large frame building. It has six runs of buhrs and three sets of the celebrated Stephens rolls, with a capacity of 200 barrels of flour per day ; the whole valued at $30,000. They do a merchant and custom trade, and ship largely to Southern mar- kets.
The Eugene Mills .- The sketch of these mills is from the South Kentuckian of February 26, 1884 : This mill is a frame structure with four stories and a basement, with 75-horse power, and is propelled by water and steam, water being used six months in the year, and is one of
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HOPKINSVILLE CITY AND PRECINCT.
the best built, local, new-process mills to-day in Christian County, and is supplied with all the latest improved machinery from top to bottom. The capacity of this mill is 100 barrels of flour every twenty-four hours, and it is kept in motion the year round from early dawn till dewy eve. Mr. Eugene Wood, its proprietor, has been engaged in the milling busi- ness since 1872 at this place, at which time he took charge of an old structure and ran it until 1879, when he remodeled and built the present handsome structure, and by his energy, perseverance, as well as a thor- ough knowledge of the business, has built up a wide-spread local trade second to no other mill in this or adjoining counties, and "Eugene's Best" has long since become a household word throughout the city and county. He makes a specialty of exchange work, and is constantly re- ceiving grain for which cash payments are made. Mr. K. J. Ensminger is the miller, and is thoroughly qualified to fill that position, as he has al- most devoted his entire life-time in this capacity.
Hopkinsville Mills .- This mill was erected in 1868 by Thomas & Linden, who brought much of the machinery from Cadiz, all of which has since been removed and replaced with the latest improved. It is now owned by F. L. Ellis & Co., and is a most excellent mill, with a capacity of 150 barrels per day. It has three sets of the Stephens rolls and seven runs of buhrs. The mill is located on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, and is valued at $30,000. In 1874 William Ellis purchased the Ed- munds interest, and in 1876 F. L. Ellis purchased Linden's interest. They ship their flour principally to Southern markets.
The Hopkinsville Planing-mill was erected, in 1866, by John Orr and Martin Miller. It was then but a small building 30x40 feet, and they could only operate on a small scale. Miller was finally succeeded by F. J. Brownell, with whom Mr. Orr did business under the firm name of Brownell & Co. Mr. J. S. Torrey, the present partner, succeeded Brownell, and the firm is now John Orr & Co. They do all kinds of work common to an establishment of the kind, and work, upon an average, about fifty men.
Ducker & Dryer's carriage factory is a considerable establishment. They succeeded the old firm of Poindexter & Baker, with whom Mr. Ducker had learned his trade. In 1876 he went to Fairfield, Ill., where he was associated with F. R. Dryer ; he remained nearly a year. They then returned to Hopkinsville, where they have continued the business as successors of Poindexter & Baker. They make a specialty of repairing, but also put up considerable new work.
There are several other establishments, viz .: McCarny, Bonte & Co., carriage manufactory ; Forbes & Bro., planing-mill; Hanna & Co., foundry and ice factory, but of these we have no information. The grain
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY.
trade of Hopkinsville is large, but is principally conducted by the mills already noticed. The tobacco trade is perhaps the most extensive busi- ness of Hopkinsville, but as a sketch of it is given by Mr. Abernathy in a preceding chapter, anything here would be a repetition.
Banking .- The first bank in Christian County was established by an act of the Legislature, approved January 26, 1818, called the Christian Bank, with a capital of $200,000 divided into 2,000 shares at $100 each. Subscriptions were opened in Hopkinsville, under the direction of A. Webber, Charles Caldwell, Charles W. Short, Samuel A. Miller, Joshua Hopson, Robert Patterson, Francis Wheatley and John Burgess, a majority of whom were empowered to superintend the subscriptions of stock. Young Ewing was the first cashier of this bank, a man then in the zenith of his glory and popularity. It is not known just how long this bank continued in existence. There was another bank here, but whether a private affair or a branch of the Bank of the Commonwealth, we do not know, as few now remember anything about it.
The Bank of Kentucky or a branch of that bank was next established in Hopkinsville, and was for many years the principal banking institu- tion in the county. It occupied the old Christian Bank building, in which Merritt & Gwynn now are, but which has been remodeled and mod- ernized since then. It existed until the commencement of the war, when its business was wound up. Among the Presidents of the bank were John H. Phelps, Strother J. Hawkins and John B. Campbell. Rewlen Rowland was Cashier from its organization until his death; William H. Sasseen succeeded him, and then came John H. Van Culin. There was no other bank in Hopkinsville until after the close of the war, and the es- tablishment of the Bank of Hopkinsville, one of the leading banks in Southern Kentucky, and the principal bank of the city. John C. Latham is its President, and has been since its organization. There are two other banks in Hopkinsville.
The Great Butter Company .- Probably the most gigantic enter- prise that ever agitated Hopkinsville, and which was equal to, if it did not surpass any scheme ever conceived by Col. Mulberry Sellers, was the great butter company. The following explanation is necessary to fully understand the ponderous bubble, and how it ultimately bursted : A patent had been secured by a Mrs. D. H. McGregory, of Detroit, Mich., for making two pounds of butter out of one pound, and one pint of milk. This patent she sold to J. H. Fields and R. T. Coffey, of Ashley, Ill., for the United States. These enterprising gentlemen issued a circular which they scattered broadcast over the country, and some of Hopkins- ville's alert business men bit at the tempting bait, and of course were in the end themselves " bitten." The circular was as follows : " BUTTER .--
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HOPKINSVILLE CITY AND PRECINCT.
An improved method of making butter, for which letters patent No. 68639 were issued to the inventor, dated September 10, 1867, consists in compounding certain well-known and simple articles with common but- ter and milk, in the following proportions: one pound of butter to one pound (or pint) of milk, producing in from six to ten minutes' common churning a little over two pounds of 'sweet, fresh and wholesome but- ter,' appearing like ordinary new butter, proving the same unadhesive character, so that it will come from the churn freely, leaving nothing be- hind as a residual product. Nothing is contained in the preparation but simple articles of diet, which are used by every family in the country at almost every meal, and are entirely harmless. As the cost of producing good butter by this method is but a trifle over 'half the price of common butter,' and as butter is one of the great staples of the country, costing every family more than. flour, wood or meat, it is not difficult to compre- hend the utility and great value of this invention. Any one desiring to purchase State or county rights can see samples of butter manufactured on short notice, or can make it themselves under our directions," etc. This was signed by Fields & Coffey, of Ashley, Ill.
The right for the State of Kentucky was purchased in Hopkinsville, and a company formed known as Brown, Glass & Co. The incorporators were, J. R. Merritt, B. M. Harrison, John P. Glass, James C. Glass, J. A. F. Brown, J. D. Steele, E. L. Foulks, James E. Jesup, T. H. Harned, F. B. Harned, T. F. Brown, H. W. Killen, John W. Mills, G. W. Rives-fourteen all told, which at $250 each amounted to $3,500 for the State. A pretty good thing for Messrs. Fields & Coffey, of Ash- ley, Ill., but a rather poor investment for Brown, Glass & Co., as it turned out. They sold a number of county rights, and were on the point of selling Louisville and Jefferson County for $6,000, when the thing ex- ploded. Some of the agents of Fields & Coffey traveled South and were about to sell a State right to some large dairy company, but who first proposed to test the matter thoroughly. They did so, and sure enough the pound of butter and pint of milk made two pounds of butter, but upon fully testing and working it, it went back to the original state-one pound of butter and one pint of milk. And upon similar tests similar results were produced everywhere.
When the result of practical tests became known, the great bubble burst, and Brown, Glass & Co. sat down and wept (metaphorically speak- ing) over the ruins of their castles in Spain. Mr. T. F. Brown, who was the Treasurer of the concern, has a picture-a photograph which he preserves with great care, as a relic and souvenir of the defunct butter company. It represents him in conversation with Mr. L. A. Waller, who is sitting upon his horse in front of Mr. Brown's store door, and who had
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY.
purchased a County right for which he had given the horse upon which he sat. What prompted them to have the picture taken we do not know, unless to keep as a memento to the folly of speculation. And if it is a rem- edy for that evil-an evil that is running riot everywhere, and ruining thousands upon thousands of people-it would be well to have the picture copied, and place one in nearly every house in the country.
General Business .- Hopkinsville makes no pretensions to a whole- sale trade, and does but little in that way .. But in its retail trade it will compare with any town of its size in the State. Its stores and business houses are large and of a much better class than may usually be found in a town of this size. The Thompson Block, the Opera House Block, the Bank of Hopkinsville's building, the Hopper Block, the McDaniel Block, Anderson's building, and a number of others that are a credit to the city, among which, one erected and owned by Peter Postell, a colored man, is not the least magnificent. These buildings are handsome and show the energy and enterprise of the inhabitants. Others are now in course of erection that will compare favorably with those already con- structed, and still others are contemplated, which no doubt will be built during the coming year. This spirit of improvement denotes a healthy business and prosperity, and it is no wild or extravagant prediction to suggest the probability of Hopkinsville becoming the leading city in Southern Kentucky.
The handsome residences should not be overlooked in the general sum- mary of the city's elegant buildings. Many palatial residences, situ- ated in beautiful grounds, and surrounded with grand old trees, orna- mental shrubbery and fragrant flowers, are seen along the principal streets, and would be creditable to much larger and more pretentious cities. But of the many we will particularize none, for fear of omissions that might appear unjust to the owners, and also for the lack of space to notice all. Other ornaments to the architectural beauty of the town are the churches, school buildings, colleges and court nouse, which find appropriato men- tion in other chapters of this volume.
The Hopkinsville Building and Loan Association is not the least factor, perhaps, in the fine improvements of the city. Its name and title denote its character and business, which need no explanation. Its offi- cers and Board are as follows : J. D. Russell, President ; J. I. Landes, Secretary ; Thomas W. Long, Treasurer ; Landes & Clark, Attorneys. Board of Managers-George C. Long, J. D. Russell, F. J. Brownell, F. R. Dryer and H. C. Gant. Its semi-annual exhibit, October 1, 1883, showed the following :
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HOPKINSVILLE CITY AND PRECINCT.
First mortgages on real estate. $25,400 00
Delinquent dues, $131 ; interest, $65.50; fines, $15. 211 50
Cash on hand.
4,293 82
$29,905 32
LIABILITIES.
242 shares first series, at $61.20. .$14,810 606
425 shares second series, at $27.20. 11,560 162
272 [shares third series, at $8.16.
2,219 552
Loans not paid.
1,075 00
Advanced payments on stock.
240 00
$29,905 32
City Government .- Originally the government of Hopkinsville was under a Board of Trustees, provided for by legislative enactment. By an act of the Legislature approved March 5, 1870, the town was granted a charter as the City of Hopkinsville. Under this charter the limits were as follows : Beginning at a stake on the west edge of the Madisonville road, northeast corner of a small tract of land on which Samuel A. Means now resides, and southeast corner to a tract of land formerly owned by Zachariah Glass, deceased; thence south 53 east, passing through the land of Mrs. Stevenson, Mrs. McCarroll and the heirs of N. E. Grey, deceased, and crossing the Town Fork of Little River at 109 poles, and passing through the land belonging to the heirs of M. Sharp, deceased, and through the fair grounds, and through John Tandy's lot 347¿ poles, to a stake on the north edge of the Russellville turnpike ; said stake is in the direction north 59 east, 2 poles from John Tandy's southeast corner and A. Palmer's southwest corner ; thence south 26 west, passing through the lands of John B. Knight and R. T. Petree, and between the resi- dences of Claiborne Buckner and James Coleman, men of color, and pass- ing the house occupied by Peter Quarles, and including the homes of the said Coleman and Peter Quarles within the boundary of the city ; passing through the lands of John B. Gowan and Hardin Wood, 259 poles to a stake on the north edge of the Nashville road ; said stake is south 21} east, 2 poles and ten links from Hardin Wood's well (formerly Curtis Wood's) ; thence south 71 west, passing through Mrs. Sharp's land, in- cluding a house now occupied by Kitt Humphrey ; passing through Richard Durrett's land, crossing the Evansville, Henderson & Nashville Railroad at 184 poles, and the Clarksville road at 201 poles; passing through Louis Wal- ler's lot, including said Waller's tobacco stemmery and cooper shop, 288 poles to a stake in Mrs. Bryan's field ; said stake stands in the direction south one and one-half east 15} poles to a black oak in Dr. R. H. Kelly's line, marked as a pointer ; thence north 50 west, crossing the Palmyra road at 41 poles, passing through Wallace W. Ware's lot, including his residence,
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