USA > Kentucky > Trigg County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 45
USA > Kentucky > Christian County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 45
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
at different times, the most important of which were those belonging to J. F. Dyer, Cobb & Boyd, Ford & Tyler, and a large one owned by a stock company and operated several years by W. D. Grace and later by Col. J. F. Gentry. A steam-mill was erected by W. D. Grace in an early day, and operated several years. His successors were Whitlock, McNichols & Co .; the last owners were Linson & Clinard.
Canton Methodist Episcopal Church South .- This society dates its origin from the year 1845, at which time meetings were held in an old schoolhouse which stood in the northeast part of the town. Among the early members were W. R. Lee, A. J. Lee, M. Adkins and wife, Sandy Wall and wife, and S. Light. Among the pastors prior to 1878 are re- membered Revs. Davidson, King, Redford, Randolph, Hardison, Rhodes and Petrie. Since 1878 the following pastors have had charge of the church, to wit : James Frayser, Thomas Richardson, Joseph Love, James C. Brandon, and J. L. Reid, present incumbent. In 1874 the society united with the Baptists in the erection of their present house of worship. The officers of the church at this time (1884) are as follows: G. W. Cobb, W. M. Brandon, Stewards; J. H. Lackey, Class Leader.
The Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school was organized in 1880, and with the exception of one season has been held every Lord's day since. The first Superintendent was Mr. Chitwood. The present officers are W. M. Brandon, Superintendent ; Dr. J. H. Lackey, Assistant Superintend- ent; S. E. Lacy, Secretary; and William Malone, Treasurer.
Baptist Church of Canton .- This church was constituted May, 1855, by Elders Meacham and Trimble, with the following members, viz .: S. Finley and wife, E. C. Spiceland and wife, C. H. Major and wife, Wesley Adair and wife, Catherine Durette, William Bell and Ellen Holland. The village schoolhouse was used as a meeting-place until 1874, at which time the Union Church was erected. This house is a handsome structure, representing a capital of about $2,500, and is used by the Baptists and Methodists. The pastors of the church since its organization have been the following : Revs. Trimble, J. H. Spurlin, - Moorhead, C. H. Greg- ston and A. W. Meacham ; A. G. Cobb, T. H. Atwood and C. H. Major are Deacons; T. H. Atwood, Clerk. The membership is forty. A flour- ishing Sunday-school is sustained, the officers of which are the following : C. H. Major, Superintendent ; W. J. Holland, Assistant Superintendent; and James Holland, Secretary and Treasurer.
Masonic .- Canton Lodge, No. 242, A. F. & A. M., was organized in the fall of 1852, through the instrumentality of J. E. Thompson, of Cadiz, and Mr. Weller, of Princeton. On the charter are the names of the following persons, to wit: Lemuel Sills, Kinchen Battoe, Robert Shaw, A. R. Wallace, N. R. Wallace and W. L. Fuqua. The first of-
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CANTON AND LINTON PRECINCTS.
ficers were Lemuel Sills, W. M .; K. Battoe, S. W .; W. L. Fuqua, J. W .; and Robert Shaw, Sec. An upper room of the village schoolhouse was fitted up for a hall at a cost of $200, and served as a lodge-room un- til 1879, when it was destroyed by fire. The society then purchased a va- cant building, and fitted up a very neat room which is still in use. The present membership is twenty-two, a number much smaller than in former years, owing to the organization of other lodges in the neighboring towns. The following are the officers at the present time: J. H. Lackey, W. M .; C. T. Bridges, S. W .; J. N. Haydon, J. W .; L. R. Wallace, Treas. ; T. N. Ingram, Sec .; W. D. Lancaster, S. D .; N. R. Wallace, J. D .; Isaac B. Yates, Steward and Tyler. Among the many charitable acts of the lodge may be mentioned the liberal contribution of $300 to the widows' and orphans' fund of Louisville.
Cruson Council Chosen Friends, No. 5, was established in 1880 by James Cruson, with twenty charter members, among whom were G. W. Cobb, F. P. Cobb, J. W. Logan, J. D. Logan, Mrs. Myra Hopson, W. J. Hopson, J. W. Chitwood and wife, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Blake, and Dr. J. H. Lackey. The society has a membership of twenty- five at the present time, and holds its meetings at the residence of Dr. J. H. Lackey. The following officers were the last ones elected; G. W. Cobb, C. C .; Dr. J. H. Lackey, P. C. C. and Medical Examiner ; W. M. Brandon, Secretary ; and W. J. Hopson, Treasurer.
Linton Precinct .- Linton is voting precinct No. 11, and with Canton forms a magisterial district. It lies south of Canton, east of the Cum- berland River, west of Roaring Springs, and borders upon Tennessee on the south. The greater part of the precinct is very broken and contains but a small area of good land, which is confined principally to the Cum- berland bottoms and Dry Creek. The latter stream is the most impor- tant water-course, and it was along its banks that one of the oldest and most important settlements in the county was made. " It is a singular fact that the first settlements of this county as in most other counties of Kentucky, were made on the most sterile and unproductive lands, leaving all the rich barrens as comparatively worthless and of no earthly value to the agriculturist." "The time has never been that the lands upon which the first settlements of Trigg County were made could have been sold for 50 per cent above the original cost of the survey, while other lands lying contiguous to them, that could have been obtained for even a less price, have since been sold as high as $75 per acre." "The settle- ment on Dry Creek is an illustration very much in point ; except in nar- row bottoms immediately on the stream the lands for miles around are of the very poorest quality." It is a well authenticated fact that there were a few white people in the county before this division was settled, but the
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
majority of them were transient hunters and had no settled abodes. " Those from whom sprang the present population were a much better and more thrifty class of people." " Restless, daring and uneducated, they had few wants that were higher than an abundant stock of wild meat, a suit of dressed buckskin, or a moderate portion of 'John Barleycorn ' could supply."
A large family of the Westers came from North Carolina and settled on the creek as early as 1798. They were a hardy, energetic and up- right people, and loved the excitements of pioneer life. As the popula- tion began to increase they disposed of their little farms, and moved in- to Jackson's purchase, for the purpose they said of securing more " elbow room." The names of the older heads of these families were Fulgrum Wester and Eli Wester. Abel Olive, a brother-in-law of the Westers, came about the same time and settled near the river. He was a man of considerable energy, and opened the first road in the southern part of the county, and established a landing at Linton, which was long known by river men as Olive's Landing.
A little later, probably in the year 1802 or 1803, a large family of the Joiners and Pittses settled in the same neighborhood. " Israel Joiner and Thomas Joiner settled farther up the creek toward the neighborhood of Flat Lick, while their mother, who was a widow lady, settled on the place now known as the Pitts farm."
The Skinner family, consisting of Samuel, William, Joseph, Theophi- lus and Wiley, all brothers, came about the year 1803 or 1804, and se- cured tracts of land lying along the creek. They were among the sub- stantial citizens of the county, and have a number of descendants living at the present time. "Two of the very oldest families, whose descend- ants still remain in the county, were the Carrs and Sheltons. William Carr was a native of Pennsylvania, but moved to Virginia in a very early day. He came to Kentucky and settled in Fayette County, and from thence came to Trigg in 1804, and located on the farm known as the Old Greenwade place." "He is remembered as a very humorous old man, and like all the rest of the early settlers was especially fond of his glass of 'grog.'" "Whenever he took a drink, it seemed to arouse all the mu- sical inspiration of his soul, and he could be heard singing for miles around. On one occasion he was coming home from a still-house on Sa- line Creek with a barrel of whisky, and meeting his old neighbor, Shel- ton, he remarked that there were a thousand good songs headed up in that one cask. Unfortunately, however,. before journeying far, it was accidentally thrown from the wagon, the cask burst, and the whole of the precious contents thrown upon the ground. The old man contem- plated in sullen silence for a while this shipwreck of his Christmas joys,
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CANTON AND LINTON PRECINCTS.
and turning to his old friend remarked that he was a little mistaken in' his estimate of the number of songs the barrel contained, for indeed there seemed but one and a d-d doleful one at that." His son John came the same time and was a resident of the precinct until 1820, at which time he moved to Mississippi, where he remained until 1824, when he again came back to Trigg County. David Rogers, father of Richard Rogers, was one of the earliest settlers, and his descendants are among the prominent and well-to-do citizens of the precinct. William Scott set- tled near the site of Linton as early perhaps as 1805 or 1806. He was a native of Virginia and came to this county accompanied by his sons-in-law, John Tinsley, William Bibb and Benjamin Bibb, all of whom secured lands in the neighborhood of the village. A man by name of Ryan came about the same time. He was probably the first mechanic in the precinct, having opened a blacksmith shop soon after his arrival.
Village of Linton .- The spot occupied by the village of Linton was formerly known as Olive's Landing, and was a stopping-place for steam - boats as early as 1820. In 1830 the name was changed to Shipsport, and about that time the place acquired some prominence as a shipping and distributing point for a large area of territory lying on the east side of the river. The first store was started in 1830 by a man by name of Good, who kept a small stock of general merchandise in a small log build- ing which stood near where the Stacker furnace was afterward erected. He did a small business and removed from the place in about the year 1832. In 1845 the Stacker iron furnace was built, and soon after quite a number of families settled in the neighborhood, forming the nucleus of a flourishing little village. The furnace was abandoned in 1856, after which nothing of importance transpired in the locality until 1858, when S. A. Lindsay purchased the iron company's survey, consisting of some 11,000 acres. Soon after Dr. Whitlock, of Christian County, and his brother Thomas Whitlock effected a partnership with Lindsay and to- gether they laid out seven acres in town lots which were offered for sale. At the same time Joseph Dyer started a small store in a log building that had formerly been used as an office by the furnace company. Follow- ing this, in the same year, Lindsay & Whitlock commenced building a large warehouse, but before it was completed, Whitlock purchased Lind- say's interest and continued business until 1859, when Washington Jar- rett was taken in as partner. In 1882 the house was purchased by Frank Mc Rae, who still operates it. In 1859 Whitlock & McNichols put up a dry goods store. They did business as partners until 1882, when Frank McRae purchased Whitlock's interest. In 1863 R. L. Crow opened a store building which he used for a short time, when he sold out to Whit- lock & Co. They afterward disposed of it to C. C. Flore, who sold goods
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
until 1865. J. M. Champion engaged in merchandising about the year 1870, and continued until some time in 1880.
In 1873 A. L. Carr started in business and sold goods until 1876. Other merchants of the town were Carr, Rogers & Co., who engaged in business shortly after the town was laid out. They continued until the fall of 1865, at which time E. C. Spiceland & Sons became proprie- tors. They are still in the village and have one of the best country stores in the county. Penner & Northington put up a store in 1864, and con- tinued in business one year, when they were succeeded by Messrs. Carr & Lock, who in turn sold to J. M. Champer in 1871. Mr. Champer is do- ing business at the present time.
Linton Lodge, No. 575, A. F. & A. M., was organized November 15, 1874, by C. L. Bacon, of Roaring Springs Lodge. The following are the names of original members : Perry Thomas, A. L. Carr, E. A. Nunn, J. S. McNichols, William Rogers, F. S. Carr, A. S. Ford, J. M. Carr, William Futrell and Dr. Henry Blane. The organization worked two years under dispensation, the charter not being granted until 1876. The present membership is seventeen. The officers at the present time are Jonathan Herndon, W. M. ; A. S. Ford, S. W. ; E. A. Nunn, J. W .; J. S. McNichols, Treasurer ; F. S. Carr, Secretary ; A. J. Boyd, S. D .; A. Scott, J. D .; W. R. Futrell, Steward and Tyler.
Churches .- The oldest religious organization in Linton Precinct is the Dry Creek Baptist Church, organized as early as 1805. The first preachers were Elders Dudley Williams, Reuben Ross, Jesse Cox and others. The first house of worship was a log building which stood on land donated by Samuel Skinner. It stood a number of years, and was afterward replaced by another log structure, which was used until about the year 1850, at which time the present frame edifice was erected. The organization is not strong in membership, numbering only about thirty communicants at the present time ; present pastor is Elder William Dyer.
Linton Methodist Episcopal Church South was organized in 1867, by Rev. Thomas Randolph. The first members were Mrs. J. F. Gentry, Mr. and Mrs. McNichols, Riley Vinson, E. Shepherd and wife and James Herndon. Meetings were held in a tobacco warehouse until 1869, when a house of worship was erected in the village. Since its organization the society has been ministered to by the following pastors in the order named, to wit : Thomas Randolph, G. T. Cundiff, Thomas Richardson, Carter Brandon, Richard Randolph, John Frayser, James Brandon and Joseph Love. The present pastor is Rev. J. L. Reid. The organization is not very strong, numbering only about twenty-five members at the present time.
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CANTON AND LINTON PRECINCTS.
There have been but two mills in the precinct. The first was built in 1858, by Whitlock & Lindsay, who operated it a couple of years, when they sold out to Thomas Sowell, who ran it until 1866. E. A. Nunn purchased it in 1881 and moved it to Tennessee. Booth, Delaney & Co. erected a mill on Cumberland River in 1877. They moved it to Canton Precinct in 1880, where it is still in operation.
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CERULEAN SPRINGS AND WALLONIA PRECINCTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
CERULEAN SPRINGS AND WALLONIA PRECINCTS-DESCRIPTION AND TOPOG- RAPHY OF CERULEAN SPRINGS -TIMBER-AGRICULTURE, ETC. - THE FIRST SETTLERS-INCIDENTS OF THE PIONEER DAYS-CHURCH HISTORY -THE VILLAGE OF CERULEAN SPRINGS-ITS GROWTH, ETC .- MEDICINAL WATER OF THE SPRINGS-TOPOGRAPHY OF WALLONIA-ITS SETTLEMENT BY WHITE PEOPLE-MAJ. WALL-OTHER PIONEERS-MILLS AND DISTIL- LERIES-VILLAGE OF WALLONIA-ITS CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, LODGES, ETC.
C ERULEAN SPRINGS is voting precinct No. 7, and occupies the northeast corner of Trigg County, with the following boundaries, to wit : Christian County on the north and east, Montgomery Precinct on the south, and Caldwell County on the west. The general character of the land is what might be termed undulating, and as an agricultural district it stands second to but few divisions of the county. The soil is principally a red loam resting upon an impervious clay subsoil, and well adapted to all the fruits and cereals indigenous to this part of the State. Limestone of a fine quality is found in many parts of the precinct, and along the banks of the streams are large sandstone bluffs which afford an inexhaustible supply of building material. Much of the stone has been utilized by the farmers in the construction of chimneys and in building foundations for houses and barns. The precinct was originally well timbered, the lead- ing varieties being walnut and the several species of oak, with cedar on the rocky knolls and along the bluffs of the water-courses. Much valu- able timber was ruthlessly destroyed in an early day by the settlers in clearing their farms, and a large area of that which is standing at the present time is of comparatively recent growth.
The principal water-course is the Muddy Fork of Little River which enters the precinct from the northeast, and flowing in a southwesterly course crosses the southern boundary not far from the Caldwell County line. It is a stream of considerable importance, and receives in its course several small affluents, none of which are designated by any particular name.
Farming is the chief occupation of the people, the principal crops being corn, wheat and tobacco. Considerable attention is paid to stock- growing, which promises to become the leading industry at no distant day.
Settlement .- The neighborhood of the Springs is one of the oldest settled portions of what is now Trigg County, and must have had a begin-
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
ning at a very early day after the visit of the North Carolina and Vir- ginia Commissioners in 1790 and 1800. The first settlers were attracted thither no doubt by the heavy growth of timber rather than by the pro- ductive properties of the soil, the thick undergrowth of cane, grapevines, haw bushes, etc., affording a fine covert for such game as deer, elk, bear, which afforded the early comers their principal means of subsistence. Early in the year 1789 a small company of emigrants might have been seen making their toilsome journey slowly across the hills and through the unbroken forests of South Carolina and Tennessee toward the then insignificant settlement of Nashville. This little band was well organized and armed in order to repel the attack of savages who at that time were very hostile toward the whites, and gave them every possible annoyance. It might be interesting to state that the leader of this party was a man. who afterward became the popular hero of New Orleans and the iron- willed President of the United States-Andrew Jackson.
In the same company was one Robert Goodwin, who had been a com- panion of Jackson's in his younger days, and who now under his leader- ship was with his family going to seek a home in the rich and newly-set- tled Tennessee country. After a long and perilous journey the hardy emigrants reached their destination and were obliged to take refuge in the block-house at Nashville until the Indian hostilities ceased, which was not until about a year and a half later. In 1792 or 1793 Samuel Goodwin and his family, together with a few spirits as hardy and daring as himself, left the Nashville settlement and came to Kentucky. Goodwin found his way into what is now Trigg County, and settled a short distance from Cerulean Springs on what is known as the Gardner farm, where he erected a diminutive log-cabin and cleared a small farm.
This in all probability was the first permanent white settlement in the county east of the Cumberland River, although it is claimed by some that a few cabins had been built previous to this time near Boyd's Landing or Canton. With Goodwin came his sons Samuel and Jesse, both of whom were men grown. The former settled about one mile above the Springs, where his son Robert Goodwin now lives, while the latter improved the land now known as the Wake place, near the village, on which he resided until the year 1825. Robert Goodwin, Sr., died prior to 1812. Samuel was an honored citizen until the time of his death in the year 1843. His son Robert Goodwin, Jr., was born in the year 1811, and has lived on the old homestead continuously from that time to the present. He is one of the oldest residents of the county, and justly esteemed one of its most intelligent and honored citizens. A man by name of Spencer came to the county a few months after Goodwin's arrival and settled on land adjoining the latter's place. Spencer was the father of two sons, James
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CERULEAN SPRINGS AND WALLONIA PRECINCTS.
and George, both of whom achieved some reputation in an early day as mechanics, and much of the furniture used by the first settlers was made by them. Another very early settler whose arrival antedates 1795 was James Daniel, who located about one and a half miles east of the farm now owned by J. Stewart. His sons Elijah, John and George came the same time and figured as prominent citizens at a later day. George became Sheriff of the county in 1830. John Blakely settled two miles southeast of the Springs as early as 1792, and was joined soon after by William Johnson and John Roberts, both of whom came from South. Car- olina. Joel Thompson was among the first pioneers, and made a home on land adjoining the old Goodwin farm. John Goode settled on Dry Fork one and a half miles from the Springs prior to 1800, and was one of the earliest magistrates in the county. Jacob Stinebaugh came in an early day and settled where his son Daniel lives, a short distance from the Springs. The latter was born on the place where he now resides, and has been a citizen of the precinct for seventy-five years.
Among other very early comers were Benjamin Ladd, Elisha Harber, John Jones, Richard Stowe, Robert Rogers, H. Hayden, John McAtee and James Brownfield, all of whom located within a radius of three miles of the village. Later came David Haggard, John Guthrie and his sons Vincent, Patrick, Jesse and Erby, William, James and John Blanks, Samuel Campbell, Wiley Wilson, Joel Wilson, William Wilson, Seth Pool, Adam Thompson and J. Pool.
Early Events .- The first death in this precinct as far as known was a man by name of Upton, who died prior to the year 1804. He was the first person buried in the Guthrie Graveyard. Robert Goodwin, Sr., and Jesse Goodwin died in a very early day, and were among the first laid to rest in what is known as the Military Cemetery. Balaam Izell was the first person interred in the Thomas graveyard, his death having occurred prior to 1820. Among the very early marriages were the following : John Goodwin and Elizabeth Griffith, Joseph Goodwin and a Miss Ed- wards, Gustin Cook and Mary Goodwin, David Martin and Martha Goodwin, Josiah Blakely and Elizabeth Goodwin, Richard McAtee and Anna Goodwin. In the year 1806 Jackson Daniel, son of James Daniel, was born, and a year later Samuel, son of Robert Goodwin, Sr., was ush- ered into the world. These as far as known were the first births that occurred in what is now Cerulean Precinct. Other early births were, Green Daniel born in 1808, Leah Goodwin in 1809, Lewis Daniel in 1810, Benjamin Woodson, John and Harry Goode, sons of John Goode, prior to 1812, and Robert Goodwin, Jr., in 1811.
Mills and Other Industries .- The first settlers were obliged to under- go many hardships during the early days of the country, and for a num-
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
ber of years wild game and a coarse bread made from pounded corn was the daily bill of fare. The nearest mill where meal could be obtained was on Red River, fifty miles away, and it was a very rude and imperfect af- fair. Small horse-mills were erected as the population increased, and were kept running constantly in order to supply the growing demand for meal. The first mill of this kind was erected by James Brownfield, and stood on the farm now owned by the Richardson heirs. It was in opera- tion for a number of years, and did a thriving business for a mill of its capacity.
The first water-mill in the precinct was built by Jesse Goodwin about one mile above Cerulean Springs, on Muddy Fork. It was erected about the year 1797, and stood until the year 1800, at which time it was washed away by an overflow of the creek. The next water-mill was erected a number of years later by a Mr. Butler, and stood a short dis- tance above the first named. It ground both wheat and corn, and seems to have been extensively patronized in an early day by the settlers in this and adjacent territory. It passed through several hands and underwent many improvements, and was abandoned about sixteen years ago on ac- count of the dam having been destroyed by a freshet. In the year 1870 G. G. Goodwin built a combination saw and grist-mill on Muddy Fork, at a point between the two mentioned. Two years later it was washed out, since which time no mills have been operated in the precinct.
Among the early industries of this part of the county was a distillery operated by Jacob Stinebaugh about the year 1800. The first blacksmith in the precinct was one Uriah Cato, who ran a shop on the Goodwin farm a few years after the arrival of the first settlers. A second distillery was started by John Rogers, who did a good local business as early as 1812. One of the first orchards in the county was set out by Samuel Goodwin soon after he came to the country.
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