USA > Kentucky > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Kentucky, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational religious, civil military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, biographies of representative citizens, and an outline history of Kentucky > Part 28
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now in their possession; and if they refuse to take it they shall draw in some equitable way with my other three children as above named.
"And I further order and devise that all the residue of my estate that I have not already given away, both real and personal,. be equally divided between my sons and daughters as hereinafter named-William McFarland, James McFarland, John S. McFar- land, Leah Glenn and Rachel McFarland, to them and their heirs: forever.
"And lastly, I constitute, order and appoint my well-beloved son,. William McFarland, and my well-beloved son-in-law, William Glenn, executors to this my last will and testament, and I do hereby royoke and disannul all other wills by me made, ratifying and confirming this only to be my last will and testament.
"In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and affix my seal the day and year first above written.
"JOHN MOFARLAND. [SEAL.]
"In presence of
JOSEPH D. MOFARLAND,
T. D. OREBORN."
There is among the archives of the Circuit Court Clerk's office of this county a patent for a grant of 6,000 acres of land, made by and bearing the signature of Patrick Henry, while Governor of Virginia. This patent bears date of 1745. The writing is legible and the paper on which it is written is in a remarkable state of preservation.
MILITARY.
Revolutionary War .- According to Collins's History of Ken- tucky, the following Revolutionary soldiers were living in Daviess County in 1840, with the ages given: Benjamin Field, aged eighty- four; Charles Hansford, eighty; James Jones, seventy-nine, and Benjamin Taylor, eighty-four. A further notice is given of Mr. Field in the history of Murray Precinct, in this volume. Mr. Hansford was the father of William Hansford, now of Utica, this county. Mr. Jones used to reside a short distance above Owens- boro.
War of 1812 .- Of the soldiers of this war the following ha ve been residents of Daviess County: Jo Daveiss, William Griffith (1), Alvin Clark, Colonel Newton, Banister Wall, Abram Balee and many others. Clark was wounded in the battle of New Or-
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leans. For a sketch of Daveiss see Chapter V. Balee died in 1881.
We clip the following from an Owensboro paper of January, 1883: One day this week "a messenger might have been seen leaving the grocery of Mr. R. B. Nunn, bearing a huge basket- ful of the choicest wares from that well-known establishment. The basket and its acceptable contents were the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nunn to Mr. Thomas I. Carrico, the only survivor in this section of the war of 1812, and it was sent to him on the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans, Jan. 8, (1815), at which Mr. Carrico and Mr. Nnnn's father were present. Mr. Nick Lancaster added to the gift a decanter of fine old whisky, and it is needless to say that the recipient was truly happy at such kindly remembrance."
Mexican War .- Geo. W. Triplett raised a company of 102 men for this war, but unwittingly at a time when the State of Kentucky was not ready to receive and eqnip them.
In September, 1847, under the last call, a special order was sued to convene the militia of the county, and on the 15th they were accordingly mustered and marched into the court-house to listen to addresses and to volunteer. Decius McCreery and Will- fam Bristow were particularly active in raising a company, which, on immediately organizing, elected the former their Captain and the latter their First Lieutenant. Wm. P. D. Bush was elected "Ensign," or Second Lieutenant; I. P. Washburne, Third Lieuten- ant, and H. Senour, Orderly Sergeant.
This company numbered about 100, and part of them were from Ohio and Hancock counties. Being accepted by Governor Owsley, they left Owensboro on the steamer Meteor Oct. 2; went to the field of carnage and did valiant service. They were with General Scott on his march to Vera Cruz. Some of Daviess County's volunteers were probably under the command of General Joseph Lane, Major John C. Breckenridge and Lieutenant-Colonel Ward.
These old Mexican war veterans used to meet in Owensboro. annually for re-unions. Among them was Captain E. C. Berry, from Washington County, who died here. Of the fore-mentioned, Mr. Bush is the only one living, who is now a lawyer at Frank- fort. Captain W. J. Taylor, now living on the forks of Panther Creek, is a Mexican veteran, but was not a member of the above company. C. O. Clements, of Knottsville, was another soldier in hat war.
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Captain Decius McCreery was a brother of ex-Senator T. C. Mc- Creery. He arrived home here July 26, 1848, but died in Arkansas in 1865. Two of his sons are now living in that State, and two in Texas.
State Guards, 1859 .- A company of State Gnards was organized in Owensboro in 1859, with J. H. McHenry, Captain. They met for drill, obtained some arms and uniform , and were on the point of obtaining more when the war came on and broke up the organ- ization.
Captain McHenry was selected by Governor Morehead, April 9, 1858, by lot, along with nine other Captains and their companies for service in Utah. He raised and organized a company, but the threatened trouble in Utah ended before he was called into service.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
Collins's History of Kentucky says : " But two cases of hanging have occurred in the history of the [Daviess] county, a negro man for rape, in 1838, and Curtis Richardson, Nov. 1, 1854, for murder." The latter had murdered a man near Knottsville, and was executed on a hill in the southeastern part of Owensboro, since known as " Hangman's Hill." He had been famous for killing men, and seemed to know from the start that he would continue in his career of crime until he should meet with a violent death either at the hands of the law or otherwise. In earlier life he witnessed the ex- ecution of some criminals up the river, and remarked on the occa- sion that he would be hung himself some day. He undoubtedly inherited gross and violent passions, and his attorneys in his last trial endeavored to mitigate his punishment by proving that he had a decided mania for homicide. He actually seemed to have some ambition to show himself off on the scaffold before a large assembly. Thomas Landruin was the Sheriff who executed the sentence.
The negro above referred to was a slave belonging to Mr. Shauntee. The scaffold from which he was hung was erected near where St. Stephen's (Catholic) Church now stands. He was executed by R. C. Jett, Sheriff.
Most cases of murder, homicide, and manslaughter occurring in this county since 1843 are given for convenience sake, toward the conclusion of the chapter on Owensboro, in a journal mainly com- piled from J. Thomas's diary. A few prominent criminal cases are referred to in the biography of Judge James Stuart, in Chapter IX
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Two or three remarkable cases we relate here, as we have no other appropriate place for them, namely, the
MURDER OF ROBERT M'FARLAND.
About thirty years ago this man was murdered in his bed, one night, for his money. He was a farmer, about ten miles south of Owensboro, and South of Panther Creek. He had just been deliv- er'ng his tobacco, and was supposed to have considerable money about him. It was in the summer, and he was sleeping with the door of his room slightly ajar. The murderer entered the room with an ax, and struck him about the eyes with the poll of that heavy implement. His wife was awakened by some one firing a weapon in the room.
No clue was ever obtained to the murderers. Many ugly stories have been told concerning Mr. McFarland's family affairs, with a view of elucidating the mystery; but as nothing has ever been proved in court, we do not rehearse them here.
MURDER OF WILLIS FIELDS.
About 1862 or '3, this man, who was a son-in-law of the preced- ing, started for Owensboro one day when there was a little snow on the ground; but it appears that he never got more than a mile and a half on his way; for in a neck of timber abont that distance from home his buggy was afterward found standing in the road, and him- self lying dead near by, with three or four stabs about his body, each so severe and direct as alone to be fatal. This deed has been supposed to be perpetrated by "Tony," one of his negroes, who had been ordered to shell corn in the crib that day. It is supposed that as soon as Mr. Fields commenced his journey, Toney left his crib and ran until he overtook his master, and after murdering him, returned hastily to his work at the crib, to avoid suspicion. Tony was himself killed sometime afterward.
LOD DUKE.
The following event occurred in Owensboro, Aug. 15, 1872. J. M. Carlin was the only witness to the affair, and testified before the examining court that he was in the clothing store of Lod Duke, the accused, and sitting ipon the counter, Lod being behind the counter in conversation with him. Josh Duke came in and stated that he wanted to settle n > their business that week, and wanted
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the money due him. Lod told him to go on, they would fix that some other time. Joshua threatened if money due him was not paid, he would box up the goods in the store; Lod said he reckoned not. Joshua replied in an angry tone, that he would show hin, and ran into a back room. Lod then began to take his pistol out of his pocket. Carlin caught his hand and he returned his pistol to his pocket. Joshua came in with pistol in hand; Carlin caught each by the arm, when Lod told Josh Duke to go on, that he wished no difficulty. Joshua thereupon jerked loose from Carlin and shot around at Lod. The latter then returned the fire, shoot- ing once or twice. The examining court, Judge Triplett presiding, after hearing the evidence, acquitted the accused on the ground of self defense. The parties were respectably connected, and had been in business together in Owensboro for several years; and, but for the absurd practice of carrying concealed weapons, the unfor- tunate affair would probably not have happened. Joshua Duke lingered in great agony until the following Monday, when he breathed his last.
EDUCATION.
The growth of what may be termed the "Public School Sys- tem " of this State has been very gradual. At first none but pri- vate schools were sustained, which, of course, were very poor, or wanting altogether in the poorer or thinly populated districts. In the course of time a small State fund began to grow, from the pro ceeds of certain lands. To Daviess County there was originally (Feb. 10, 1798, ) donated about 6,000 acres of vacant land for school purposes. These lands, in the nature of things, yielded but a small revenue until the increase of population made them valuable. Even now most public schools have to be sustained principally by special tax, and the people are generally very loth to vote a levy upon themselves for school purposes. Even as late as 1882 the pro- posed tax of two cents upon each $100 worth of property was voted down by 2,007 against 707.
June 23, 1836, Congress appropriated $1,433,757 to Kentucky for educational purposes, but the Legislature afterward reduced this amount to $850,000, devoting the rest to other objects. The State felt free to do this, because she had not promised to devote the whole grant to education. This is the origin and principal resource of the permanently invested school fund, from the interest of which, for many years, the public school revenues of Kentucky have been derived.
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In 1838 the first law was enacted for the establishment of a gen- eral system of common schools in this State; but for ten years the system languished and struggled with feeble life and doubtful success, under the ruthless hands of unsympathizing and crude legislation.
Up to 1843 there had been in this State only $2,504 for the ben- efit of common schools, while there was $116,375 of interest due and unpaid.
The first successful movement inaugurated for the grading of any public school in this county was made in 1870 in Owensboro. This year there were eighty school districts in the county of Daviess, and sixty-three schools were taught during the year. The amount disbursed for their maintenance was $4,846.60. In 1882- '3 there are ninety-three districts for white children and fifteen for colored. The amount of money paid during the year for their maintenance is $11,000. The number of children in attendance, including Owensboro, is 7,837. Amount of money paid for col- ored schools is $1,800, from the State fund.
TEMPERANCE.
Besides the numerous temperance orders noticed elsewhere in this volume and the Washingtonian movement, and a score of other general temperance revivals, enterprises and schemes com- mon to every civilized community, Owensboro and vicinity, about six months after the Murphy movement started in the coun- try, was pretty thoroughly taken with the blue ribbon pledge, as introduced by Judge James Stuart. It seems that he was converted to the cause in a neighboring county, and immediately upon his return to Owensboro he announced that there would be a mass meeting at the court-house on a certain evening, when addresses would be delivered, and plans proposed concerning temperance.
The evening came, and the court-room was crowded. The Judge then had the door locked, in order to secure perfect quietness. He delivered an eloquent appeal, and circulated the Murphy pledge, which required total abstinence from all alcoholic, vinous and malt liquors. Seventy-two signed the pledge that night, and in a few days the signers reached 400 in number. On the second night John Weir addressed the people, and 200 more went forward. Subsequent meetings were addressed by W. T. Ellis, Baker Boyd, and John P. Barrett, of Hartford. Music was given by the " Mur- phy choir."
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Everything passed off smoothly for about ten days, when the Judge had to leave. The people, especially the youth, were en- thusiastic, and worked with a determined will and direct aim. After the first, the meetings were held in Hall's Dramatic Hall. The numbers joining the movement soon swelled to 1,200 or 1,400. The blue ribbon was their badge. Soon after Mr. Stuart left the city, certain officious parties abroad desiring to visit the place, and have a "finger in the pie," wrote to him for an invitation; but he, fearing the consequences, discouraged their coming. They came, nevertheless, and, true enough, dissensions soon began to arise. After considerable effort, Mr. Stuart succeeded in getting them away.
A purse of $5,000 or $6,000 was made up by subscription to buy property for reading-rooms, etc .; but before the necessary plans could be matured, Mr. Stuart had to leave on official duty and the cause went down, amid the contests of jealous friends. In the spring, about four months afterward, a municipal election came on, the inevitable license question came up, and the consequent heated controversy fixed permanent walls between friend and friend. The necessary meetings were more and more thinly at- tended, many went back to their old drinking habits, and the Mur- phy or "blue ribbon " movement finally, like the streaks of morn- ing cloud, faded away into the dim azure of the past.
The " Woman's Movement, " which inundated so many places in the Northern States, never gained a foothold in Owensboro, or in the county anywhere. A proposition to inaugurate it here was dif- fidently. made by one or two ladies, but some ngly articles appeared in the city papers, threatening violence and resulting in a rancorons discussion, and the "motion was withdrawn. "
It will not be inferred from the foregoing failures that the blue ribbon movement, or any other temperance movement, has been entirely unproductive of good. The most of them have done a great deal of good-indeed, sufficient to justify the outlay of money and consumption of time attending them.
For further history of temperance societies and movements, see chapters on "Owensboro " and the respective precincts.
CELEBRATIONS.
The Fourth of July, 1871, was celebrated in Owensboro in a magnificent manner. The day will long be noted as one most agreeable in its annals. There was a grand display of the various
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industries of the community, in a procession composed of large, wheeled platforms, elaborately ornamented and illustrated by the industry they were designed to represent. The exhibition was con- tained upon one six-horse wagon, ten four-horse wagons, eighteen two-horse wagons, and twelve one-horse wagons. Arriving at the Fair Grounds, the assemblage listened to a fine reading of the Decla- ration of Independence by W. T. Ellis, Esq., and an instructive and eloquent address by James Stuart, the orator of the day. Feasting and fun followed. Captain G. L. Dear was the Marshal of the day ; and for the success of the occasion credit is chiefly due James Bowlds, C. C. Catlett, C. Zuckriegel, C. Green, S. Kuntz and J. Badger.
July 4, 1872 .- " The Glorions " this year was ushered in with no explosions of fire-arms or display of flags. Nothing disturbed the serenity of nature until the reverberating noise of the steam-whistle of the steamer Mary Ament was heard, about eight o'clock. The citizens left their shops and houses and made their way to the whart to witness the arrival of the Odd Fellows' delegations that were ex- pected to arrive. A hundred or more disembarked, accompanied by a fine band of music, and made their way to their appointed quarters. Shortly after ten o'clock the Odd Fellows' procession was formed and moved through the streets in the following order: Brothers Lodge, of Owensboro; Hawesville (Ky.) Lodge; Rock- port (Ind.) Lodge; Grand View (Ind.) Lodge; Harigari Lodge, of Owensboro, and the Mechanics' Association. The procession was preceded by the Rockport brass band. After reaching the Fair Grounds, the theater of the day's ceremonies, the assemblage was entertained by a well-conceived and delivered address, by Professor Chase, of Louisville. Not less than 4,500 persons were present. Eating, dancing and various amnsements were the order of the day. The receipts amounted to several hundred dollars.
The colored people celebrated the day by gathering at Paradise Garden, where they were addressed by Thomas E. Curtcher and Thomas Botts, two talented young lawyers.
July 4, 1874, was appropriately celebrated in this county by a Masonic barbecue at the Fair Grounds. The Monitor observes that "it was decidedly the grandest success in that line that has ever taken place here, and everything possible was done to render the day a joyful one." There was of course a grand procession of Grangers, Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Harigaris, Knights Templar and Freemasons. At the grounds addresses were delivered
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by Hons. C. G. Wintersmith and John Young Brown. The gross amount realized from the barbecue was $1,400, which was remark- able considering the stringency of the times. Thomas S. Pettit was Grand Marshal of the day.
The Liederkrantz Society had a pleasant time at Floral Park.
SOUTHERN RELIEF.
The fall of 1866 found the people in many portions of the South- ern States in a destitute condition on account of the ravages of war and a desolating drouth. A committee was appointed for Daviess County, consisting of Thomas H. Pointer, Robert G. Moorman, J. C. Maple, W. B. Pegram and T. C. McCreery, who appointed sub- committies throughout the county, to collect and forward contribu- tions of corn, meat, clothing and money. On other occasions, also, Owensboro has exhibited a marked degree of liberality. See chapter on "Owensboro."
LAND LEAGUE.
# May 7, 1881, a large mass-meeting was held at the court-house to consider the propriety of organizing a branch of the Irish Land League. J. D. Shortell was made Chairman, and George F. Haynes, Secretary. A series of enthusiastic resolutions were adopted, and addresses were made by R. W. Slack and Rev. P. M. J. Rock, after which forty-two members placed their names on the roll, and $85 were subscribed to the funds of the League. J. D. Shortell was elected President; Rev. Mr. Rock, Vice-President; Edwin P. Millett, Secretary, and R. W. Slack, Treasurer. Over $100 was collected and duly forwarded to headquarters.
ARCHEOLOGY.
This term relates to the remains of art left us by aboriginal nations; as, mounds, skeletons, arrow-heads, skinning-hatchets, stone-axes, pottery, ornaments, etc., most of which in this country were made by the Indians, and some possibly by other and more c vilized nations which preceded them. Many ethinologists believe that the tribes of Indians which the whites are now driving out of this country, at some stage of their former national existence, were fully adequate to the building of all the mounds and the manufacture of all the implements of the chase and of warfare which we now find scattered all over the West. Indeed, it is not
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really certain that any different race of people ever existed in this country. However this may be, we find within the limits of Daviess County many of these ancient remains of art, of which a number of collections have been made.
W. L. Burton's Collection .- W. L. Burton, attorney at law, Owensboro, has a very fine collection of Indian relies and geologi- cal specimens. Of stone axes he has one made of hard sandstone, and weighing about five pounds; and a long-polled specimen, of blue limestone, of about four pounds' weight. Of flint hoes, spades or other digging implement of some kind, there are sev- eral good specimens in this collection; also, pestles and mortars, or "grist-mills," by which the aborigines of this land ground up their corn, acorns, paints and medicines. These consist simply of a biscuit-shaped piece of hard stone of any kind, hollowed out a little on one side, and of another piece of very hard stone, some- what oblong in form, used as the pestle or pounder. The smaller ones, weighing but a few ounces each, are supposed to have been used for grinding paints, and the larger ones for paints and various articles of food. One specimen of pestle is about the size and shape of a small rolling-pin, and may have been a pestle or a war-club, or both. Its weight is about five pounds, and it was found in McLean County. Some pestles were bell-shaped.
Of arrowheads Mr. Burton has a large quantity of fine ones, most of which have been picked up within the bounds of Daviess County. They are usually of blueish-gray flint, and vary in size and shape materially. He also has a modern Indian arrow. mounted, or set in the rod. It is small, but very neat.
Of Indian pipes there are some of the oddest specimens in this cabinet. A verbal description of them would be unsatisfactory. One is made of a white sand or limestone, and a huge one, of the same material, is painted a brownish-red color, in exact imitation of the color of the pipe-stone clay of Minnesota. This specimen weighs nearly four pounds, and was found in Indiana, in a mound near the Wabash. One pipe, made of white clay and of a fancy shape, is supposed to be a peace pipe.
Of ancient American pottery Mr. Burton lias several magnificent specimens. Two are almost globular, with a rim aronnd tlie mouth at the top, and projections on the bottom to keep them in a standing position. One of these would hold about a pint and a half, and the other a quart. One has two ears, and the other four, as if to be held by a bail. There are two larger vessels, in shape
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somewhat between a jug and an urn, from Arkansas; also, handles to household vessels, of fancy shapes .. One has an image of a squirrel's head attached.
In the mounds the pots are always found enclosed by the arm of the skeleton of the mound-builder, and the pipes are found near the month.
In this collection there are also a few Indian skulls, teeth, etc., from the mounds, in which the archaeologists say they were buried over 400 years ago.
As almost every archaeologist has also a few geological speci- mens, we will mention that Mr. Burton has a few very fine pieces; as, of Lepidodendron and leaf marks, from Tell City, Ind .; fossil shells, from the Devonian formation; mushroom coral; crinoidal stems; lithographic stone, from Edmonson County, Ky .; a petrified gate-pin, from Breckenridge County, near the. Falls of Rough Creek, and many smaller curiosities.
Other parties throughout the county have a greater or less num- ber of Indian relies; as, pestles and mortars, grist-mills, pieces of pottery, etc. A specimen grist-mill consists simply of two stones: one weighing six pounds, hollowed out a little on one side, with a pestle weighing one and one-fourth pounds. They are made apparently of bowlder granite.
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