USA > Kentucky > Trigg County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 29
USA > Kentucky > Christian County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 29
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At Salubria perhaps one of the first Cumberland Presbyterian churches in Christian County was organized. It dates back to the early times when the primitive Christians were too weak in numbers and means to afford church houses, and held their services in groves, arbors and private
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houses. It was a famous camp-meeting point for both Cumberlands and Methodists, and perhaps Baptists, though the latter had an organized church near by at Bethel, in which they worshiped. The first house of worship used by the Cumberlands here, it is said, was the Finley School- house, which was used by them in common with the other denominations, and which was afterward deeded to them by the owner, Finley. Finley or his legal representative had moved to Missouri or Texas, and one of their number went out there to secure the deed. The old log schoolhouse for many years stood on the same lot where now stands the present neat, attractive brick edifice. Among the first members of this church were Dr. Usher and his wife, and perhaps other members of his family, Rev. James Y. Barnett and wife, Henry Bollinger and wife, Fountain Clark and wife, Dr. and Mrs. Porter, - Massie and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Wethers, John, and perhaps Dabney Finley. Among the pastors who have ministered to this church may be mentioned James Y. Barnett. The names of the very early pastors, who, like the Methodists, itinerated from church to church and neighborhood to neighborhood, and who, doubtless, ministered at their family altars and in théir camps and groves, it is to be regretted have not been obtained.
The Salubria Methodist Episcopal Church South was organized at a very early day in Dr. Peyton Harrison's house. This was before the building of the schoolhouse on the Finley place, in which afterward they, in common with the other denominations, worshiped through the sum - mer seasons. In the winter they would return to Dr. Harrison's more comfortable residence, and hold their regular meetings. The church as first organized consisted of the following members : Dr. Peyton Harri- son, local preacher, Mrs. Dr. Peyton Harrison, James Cosley, an old bachelor, Mrs. John Lander, Joseph Williams, and a daughter, Mrs. Cobb, George Stevens, local preacher, Mrs. George Stevens, Mrs. Louisa Coleman, Mrs. A. Watson, Mrs. Patsey Kenner and Miss Sarah E. Lander, afterward Mrs. William Payne. After worshiping in the schoolhouse as before mentioned for several years, Dr. Harrison gave them an eligible lot, and on it they soon had erected a very comfortable house of worship. The building is a large frame, 40x50 feet, surrounded by a grove of noble oaks, and still stands a monument to the liberality of Dr. Harrison and a few others. The present membership numbers between ninety and 100. The present Superintendent of the Sunday-school, which holds its sessions through the summer months only, is William McRae. The present pastor of the church is Rev. Vol P. Thomas.
The next church to organize was at Pembroke, and belonged to the Reformers. It was organized under the auspices of Elder John Furgu- son about 1849. Among its members were Dr. John Grubbs and wife,
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Mrs. Perrington, Patience and Nancy Perrington, Thomas Perrington, Dr. Samuel Grubbs, Thomas Grubbs, Joseph P. Grubbs, Taney Grubbs, Prof. I. B. Grubbs, William Harrison, M. V. Metcalf, etc. Their pres- ent church edifice is a neat, commodious frame house, 35x50 feet, and capable of holding several hundred people. Among the pastors who have served the church to the present time are : Elders W. E. Mobley, Henry T. Anderson, Robert Dulin, J. W. Gant, McChesney, John T. Johnson, Charles Day, J. C. Chastain, and J. W. Hardy. Present mem- bership between seventy-five and eighty, and Elder Hardy is pastor.
In the three precincts there are some seven or eight villages, St. Elmo, West Fork, Hinsleystown, Pembroke, Salubria, Fairview and Casky Station, neither of which with the exception of Pembroke con- tains more than a dozen or so of houses, a store or two, one or two churches, and as many shops of various kinds.
Pembroke is a thriving little town of about 400 inhabitants, situated on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, ten miles south of Hopkinsville. Its founder was R. C. Jameson, who at first (about 1848-49) kept the postoffice in his private residence, but afterward built a storehouse at the junction of the Tobacco and Nashville roads to which he removed it. It has a score or more of business houses, a church, a flouring-mill, a planing-mill, two tobacco warehouses, a rehandling establishment, several shops, and last but not least two excellent schools. One of these, the Pembroke Male and Female Institute, is taught by Prof. E. J. Murphy, and has an average attendance of from thirty to forty pupils of both sexes ; the other is also a mixed school, taught by Prof. V. A. Garnett, who has about the same number of scholars. Both schools include in their curriculum, music, presided over by Mrs. Peay, and all the branches of a scientific and literary course.
Of professional gentlemen, Pembroke boasts three lawyers, one of them an ex-State Senator, Hon. C. N. Pendleton, and seven physicians, Drs. W. H. Marshall, B. L. Leavell, J. O. Brown, D. E. Bell, J. M. Robinson, and Robert and John Morrison. The town does a present business valued at $300,000, and gives promise of future and increased prosperity.
There are a number of excellent flouring-mills in the several precincts that do a large and flourishing business, but want of space forbids their mention. Like the other parts of southern Christian most of the lands are well adapted to the growth of corn and wheat, and keep the mills well supplied with "grist."
There are no special geological, topographical or agricultural features of these, that do not apply to all the other precincts of south Christian. The formations are of the "cavernous limestone " variety, the surface more
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY.
or less undulating, and the soil generally adapted to the growth of all the cereals, tobacco, and the various grasses.
Casky Grange No. 38 .- The following sketch of Casky Grange, No. 38, Patrons of Husbandry, was furnished for this work by Mr. Winston Henry. We give it in full :
" This Grange was granted a charter on November 4, 1873, and, as its number indicates, was one of the first in the State-the first one organized in Christian County. The charter members were the following : J. H. B. Vaughan, Winston Henry, S. G. Buckner, W. T. Radford, J. H. Lander, E. W. C. Edwards, Dr. J. P. Peyton, D. M. Whitaker, Alex Campbell, James W. Fields, D. B. Bronaugh, Josiah Gray, Dr. E. R. Cook, L. Bowles, Edgar Bradshaw, James T. Garnett, Thomas Green, Mrs. S. H. Vaughan, Mrs. Mary B. Henry, Mrs. S. G. Buckner, Mrs. W. T. Radford, Mrs. S. H. Peyton, Mrs. E. W. C. Edwards, Mrs. Edgar Bradshaw and Miss Lyda Garnett. On December 19, 1873, an election was held for officers to serve during 1874, and Thomas Green was chosen Master; S. G. Buckner, Overseer; Alex Campbell, Lecturer ; D. B. Bronaugh, Steward ; Edgar Bradshaw, Assistant Steward; James T. Garnett, Chaplain ; Winston Henry, Treasurer; Dr. J. P. Peyton, Secretary ; J. H. Lander, Gatekeeper ; Mrs. Peyton, Ceres; Mrs. Buckner, Pomona ; Mrs. Radford, Flora; and Miss Lyda Garnett, Lady Assistant Steward.
" The year 1874 should be known in history as the Grange year. A regular boom was given the order. The entire time of the meetings was consumed in initiating members. Men and women did not wait to be persuaded, but rushed into the Grange without proper consideration, seeming to think that once within its gates all would be well. Sad dis- appointment awaited many farmers who had bright hopes of finding within the Grange a sure remedy for all the ills that farmers are heir to, forgetting that long years ago the first granger was informed that ' In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,' and when they discovered that the Grange was powerless to remove this stubborn fact, they became dissatis- fied. During the fall of 1873 and spring of 1874 nineteen Granges were organized in Christian County. The membership of Casky Grange increased very rapidly, and at the end of the year 1874 numbered about one hundred. The next year it began to decline, and in the fall of 1877 it had ceased to exist as a working Grange. The charter, seal and books were not returned to the State Grange, and after being dormant for sev- eral years was re-organized on January 11, 1881. Thomas Green was again elected Master, as on the first election ; Otho Graves was elected Overseer; G. V. Green, Lecturer; E. W. Walker, Steward ; Edgar Bradshaw, Assistant Steward; R. F. Rives, Chaplain ; D. M. Whitaker,
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Treasurer ; Winston Henry, Secretary; G. W. Bowles, Gatekeeper ; Mrs. Sue Peyton, Ceres ; Mrs. E. W. C. Edwards, Pomona ; Mrs. James M. Clark, Flora ; and Mrs. T. L. Graham, Stewardess. Twenty-five of the old members went into the re-organization, and the membership has increased to about one hundred. During the summer of 1883 a lot was purchased and a substantial hall erected; size of the building is twenty- eight feet wide by forty long, with ante-rooms ; the cost of lot and build- ing was about $900.
"Casky Grange is located in one of the finest farming sections of Christian County, and embraces among its members the best class of farmers. There may be mentioned Mr. W. T. Radford. He is thought to be the largest wheat-grower in the State, his crop amounting some years to 15,000 bushels.' Mr. R. F. Rives is a very enterprising granger ; he makes wheat a specialty, and he is highly successful ; has raised an average of twenty-six bushels per acre on 150 acres ; this includes about forty acres of corn land. The Garrotts, the Bradshaws, Thomas Green, E. W. Walker, J. M. Clark, Treasurer of the State Grange, and many others might be mentioned as owners of splendid farms, and grangers of great enterprise. Lyman McCombs, J. C. Boxley, Thomas L. Graham and others are establishing fine herds of short-horns. George V. Green owns a beautiful farm, splendidly improved, near Hopkinsville, and is the owner of as fine a herd of Jerseys as can be found in Kentucky.
"The first stock and wool sale was held on June 7, 1883, and was a great success. About 225 head of stock, mostly cattle, and about 8,000 pounds of wool were sold. The amount of sale was over $7,000. These sales will be annual, and will be held hereafter on the last Thursday in May. The meetings of the Grange are held on the first and third Friday in each month. The officers for 1884 are : R. F. Rives, Master ; Ed W. Walker, Overseer; Thomas Green, Lecturer ; J. C. Boxley; Chaplain ; J. J. Stuart, Steward ; Walter Warfield, Assistant Steward; D. M. Whitaker, Treasurer; Winston Henry, Secretary; G. W. Bowles, Gate- keeper ; Mrs. Sue H. Peyton, Ceres ; Mrs. E. W. C. Edwards, Pomona ; Mrs. J. M. Clark, Flora ; Mrs. T. L. Graham, Stewardess."-J. M. Tydings.
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UNION SCHOOLHOUSE PRECINCT.
CHAPTER XII.
UNION SCHOOLHOUSE PRECINCT-DESCRIPTION, TOPOGRAPHY, BOUNDARIES, ETC .- EARLY SETTLEMENT-THE MEANSES, CRAVENSES AND OTHER WHITE PEOPLE-INCIDENTS AND . ANECDOTES OF PIONEER TIMES- MILLS AND EARLY IMPROVEMENTS-SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS-THE CHURCHES-WHEN AND BY WHOM ORGANIZED-OLD SHILOH-SKETCHES OF THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS-VILLAGES-THE COLORED PEO- PLE, ETC.
U NION SCHOOLHOUSE PRECINCT, designated on the map as No. 6, extends from Hopkinsville Precinct on the east to the Trigg County line on the west. On the north it is bounded by Bainbridge and Hamby Precincts, and on the south by the Lafayette Precinct. It is one among the largest precincts of the county, and has two voting places, Union Schoolhouse and Pee Dee. Originally, like all the others in the southern part of the county, it was a " barren " or prairie, and with the excep- tion of a clump or two of trees around certain sink holes and springs, was entirely devoid of timber. Its topographical features are also espe- cially attractive, rising and falling into gentle undulations like the waves of the sea, and thus relieving the monotony of a " dead level," and affording ample drainage for the surface. The soil with but very slight exception is generous and productive, with an underlying subsoil of red clay or marl. The geological formation of this, as of all the southern part of the county, indeed of most of southern Kentucky, may be classed as of the " cavernous limestone " or lithostrotion variety, which being fed by the disintegration of the rocks, makes the best wearing and most lasting of all soils. This cavernous arrangement of the underlying limestone strata also adds much to the better drainage of the surface. The soil is peculiarly adapted for the growth of corn, wheat and tobacco, and with a top dressing of manure, bone meal or other fertilizer, yields boun- teous harvests of these staple crops. All the commoner varieties of grass, timothy, red top, orchard grass and clover, and even blue grass, grow luxuriantly wherever the ground has suitable preparation. Little River laves its entire southern border, dividing it from Lafayette Precinct, while the Sinking Fork of that river forms the western border, dividing it from Bainbridge Precinct.
Among its very earliest settlers was the Means family, who came from North Carolina about the year 1800, and consisted of William Means
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY.
and his wife and six sons, Robert, William, John, James, Joseph and Samuel. These all grouped themselves about what is still known as the Means Spring, near Newstead, and contributed much to the early devel- opment of the infant county. Samuel Means was a surveyor, and assisted in laying off the original site of Elizabeth, afterward Hopkins- ville, and was besides one of the earliest Justices of the Peace of the county. About 1806 he built a schoolhouse, the first in the precinct, in which his brother William afterward taught. The old Means school is memorable not only from the fact that some eminent men have taught in it, but also from the further fact that from its classic precincts many of its scholars have gone forth into the world to win fame. As teachers after William Means may be mentioned, among others, Joseph Bozarth, Otho Graves, Addison Stevenson, Thomas Smith (who afterward became a dis- tinguished Unitarian minister), and John Mimms. Among the scholars have been such men as Nehemiah Cravens, Judge Walter Scates, of Illi- nois, Gustavus A. Henry (the " eagle orator " of Tennessee), Patrick Henry, A. Stephenson, Judge W. W. Mckenzie, Y. J. Means and Gano Henry.
Recurring to the Means family, the following anecdote of William Means and Peggy Cravens, whom he subsequently married, will interest our young lady readers. William went one Saturday afternoon to pay his devoirs to his inamorata at the Cravens mansion, which was a log-cabin with two rooms, one above and one below, the former reached by a grand flight of modern "ladder." The fair Peggy, thinking it would add much to the dignity of the occasion, determined to make her entry by the front door, and to this end, after arraying herself in all the gorgeousness of a primitive finery, had herself let down from the garret window by a rope to terra firma. But, " all's well that ends well." In making the descent she alighted astride an unconscious porker that fed under the win- dow, and at once whirled around the corner by the startled beast she was deposited, in what might be styled a " promiscuous heap o' blushes " at her William's feet. Accepting the omen as propitious, William lifted her to his arms, and in the ecstasy of a first embrace, confessed himself her more than slave.
Robert Cravens, the father of our heroine, settled on the Sinking Fork of Little River, about four miles north of Newstead. He was allowed a writ of ad quod damnum for a "mill-site," at the first session of the court held in the county. A son of his-Elijah-is said to have been the first white male child born in the county. Before the mill was built, and while Elijah was yet a youth, it is related of him that he used to go to Russellville, a distance of forty or forty-five miles, to the nearest horse- mill to get his grinding. On account of the distance little other meal
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was used in the family besides that which was ground on an improvised tin grater. Most every family in those days had such a grater, and the meal was grated when the corn was yet immature and soft. Robert Cravens had another son-Abraham, but of him little is known.
John McDaniel located about a half mile from the elder Cravens, and was noted in his day as the ugliest man short of old "Virginny." The following incident, illustrative of his more than mortal ugliness, is related of him: A man named Humphreys, living in Trigg County, met "Bill" Cravens one day, and told him there was a man living over in his county who was the ugliest man then known to the civilized world. Cravens bethought him of McDaniel, and told Humphreys he thought he had a man in his neighborhood who could beat him. The result was a bet be- tween them of one of Gant's best $10 hats, and the wager to be decided at the next court-day in Cadiz. On the day mentioned both parties were present with their champion beauties (?), who were carefully blan- keted and placed in separate rooms. Judges were appointed, straws drawn for the first show, and the lot fell to Humphreys' man. Grasty was brought out, and during the inspection did what he could to heighten the effect of his native ugliness by all sorts of grimaces and demoniacal con- tortions of his countenance. And surely it seemed as if no mortal man could be uglier and live. But Cravens, nothing daunted, when the time came went for his man, and with the injunction : "Now, Mac, look jist as nateral as you kin ; look jist as God A'mighty made you," placed him before the judges. The result was instantly arrived at when McDaniel had attained his most natural look, and the bet was forthwith and unan- imously awarded to the Cravens champion amid the approving plaudits of the standers-by. McDaniel was born, lived and died in a chapter of accidents : was buried into the ground by a falling tree, tossed up into the air by another, fell forty-five feet down one well, was blown out of anoth- er, and was finally killed by a tub of rocks falling from above in a third.
A different order of man was Capt. Eddin Morris, who emigrated to the county from West Virginia in 1812-15, and settled in the neighbor- hood of Newstead. A nobleman by nature, he wore the order of his rank upon his very brow. Men, women and children trusted him as implicitly as they would themselves. It is said of him, that more estates were en- trusted to his care and settlement than were to any other one man that ever lived in Christian County. And no man ever had occasion to regret such confidence. Levi Cornelius, a son-in-law of "Bat " Wood, and orig- inally from North Carolina, also came to the county at a very early day, and settled on what was then known as the Cocke's Mill road, about two miles northeast of Church Hill Postoffice.
Samuel Alexander moved into the Means neighborhood from Edmond-
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son County about 1808, and afterward married the widow of Samuel Means. Alexander was both a farmer and a trader, and made frequent trips to New Orleans with flat-boat loads of tobacco and other produce. On one occasion, he extended his trip as far as Santa Fé, New Mexico, taking out goods on pack-mules, which he bartered for mules and mustang ponies. He was a man of great enterprise and much sagacity, but ulti- mately met with reverses which determined him to remove to Texas. Here he died somewhere about 1848.
Joel Nance was another very old settler. He was a soldier of 1812, and settled and died on the farm now owned by his son, Mr. B. B. Nance. He was one of the original members of the Little River Baptist Church, and lived an exemplary Christian life, beloved and respected by all who knew him.
But perhaps the most distinguished of the earlier settlers of this neigh- borhood was Gen. William Henry, a Virginian, nearly related to Patrick Henry, and father of Col. William, and grandfather of Mr. Gano Henry. He came to the county about 1817-20, bought a tract of 3,000 acres of land, and settled on what is now known as the Cox place, one mile west of Newstead. He was a distinguished officer of the Continental Army, and took part in the battle of Guilford Court House. In the war of 1812 he was second in command under Gen. William Henry Harrison, and rendered distinguished service to the country in that memorable campaign. His brother, Daniel Henry, came to the county about the same time, and settled hard by on a tract of about equal size.
Col. Arthur McGaughey was also cotemporary with the Henrys. His title is supposed to have been derived from his rank as a militiaman. He was a farmer, an excellent, good man, and came from Munfordville, Ky. He was in the battle of New Orleans in 1815, and deported him- self as a gallant soldier. It is related of him that he once caught one of his negro men stealing from him, and punished him in the following characteristic way : Calling him into his family room, he assembled all the members of his household, read a chapter from the Bible, then prayed a long and fervent prayer, after which he took him out and gave him a severe castigation. The Colonel lived to a ripe old age, and died on the place now owned by his descendants. George Loftus, who was afterward killed at the Phoenix Hotel in Hopkinsville, came at an early day and settled on a 3,000-acre tract near the present site of Newstead.
Col. John W. Cocke, a Virginian, came about 1820, bought the Muh- lenburg Seminary survey of 3,000 acres, and built a mill on Little River, which cost, it is said, about $10,000.
William Rasco was one of the original settlers, and located in this neighborhood. He had a son, Moore, who was engaged to a daughter of
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Joshua Taylor, living near the county line. On the appointed day he, in company with the parson and a number of friends, went over to Tay- lor's to claim his bride. When they rode up to the house, his fiancee, Miss Taylor, came to the door, waved him the back of her hand, and bade him go back to his own place. This the spirited Rasco at once did, feasting his friends on the viands prepared for the expectant bride at his home, then getting on his horse and riding to another part of the county, where he forthwith courted and was married to a Miss Johnson, who ac- companied him back to his home. Miss Johnson was the daughter of a rich farmer, who, by reason of his wealth and importance in that region, was long known to the people by the sobriquet of the Governor of Pond River. Mr. Mimms, the father of John, Addison and David Mimms, came from Virginia about 1816-17, and settled about one mile west of Means' Spring. He was sent in 1832 by Gen. Jackson as agent to the Northwestern Indians.
Michael, William and Samuel Northington were three brothers who also came at a very early day, but at what time has not been learned. Con- temporary with these was Thomas Arbuckle, who was a brother to Gen. Mathew Arbuckle, Quartermaster General of the United States Army, and founder of Fort Arbuckle, Ark. Other early settlers were Samuel Harry, William Hoxie, Henry Lander, Jonathan Bozarth, Davis Harri- son, Joseph Sivley, Edmund Calloway, and many others whose names have not been obtained. These all came before the year 1820, and may be classed as early settlers. After this, by reason of natural increase and immigration from all over the Union, the precinct became rapidly popu- lated by a most unexceptionable class of farmers and other residents. Among these may be mentioned the names of Judge Bledsoe, John H. Tadlock, Dr. James Wallace, and his brother Albert ; Gamaliel Corbin, founder of Newstead ; Dr. J. C. Whitlock, who afterward bought from Corbin ; Dr. P. W. Dryden, Dr. James H. Usher, Rev. James Payne, Dr. J. A. Steele, John W. Offutt, John W. Cook, Ben S. Campbell, Isaac Lewis, Robert and O. McReynolds, Jesse McCombs, Joseph and Lindsey Kinkead, Dr. John D. Clardy, Gen. James Jackson, Hardy Boyd, Thomas Torian, Richard Caudle and many others.
With the coming of this worthy class of citizens came also the nuclei of the several Christian denominations at present represented in the pre- cinct. It cannot be said with certainty which denomination was first in establishing a church society. We will proceed, however, to sketch the different churches as we have obtained the facts of their organization. The following sketch of Shiloh Methodist Church South was written for this work by Judge Joe McCarroll, and will be found of interest :
Shiloh Methodist Church .- There is a beautiful elevation, a sort of
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