Thursday, October 21, 2021

No Shopping on Sunday in Smithland 1885

Wikipedia tells us that Blue laws or Sunday laws were designed to restrict or ban some or all Sunday activities for religious or secular reasons. Some Blue laws also restricted shopping on specific days. The following notice was posted in a conspicuous place on Court street in Smithland according to the Sentinel, a newspaper published in Smithland. It was re-printed in the Hickman, Kentucky Courier on 3 Oct 1884, page 5, according to Newspapers.com

NOTICE

To the merchants in the Town of Smithland, Ky.:   You are hereby notified that after this date any dealer or dealers in merchandise or groceries that is found guilty of keeping open doors or selling goods or groceries on the Sabbath day, will be reported to the Grand Jury at the next term of court, unless in case of sickness or death, and if you do not heed this notice,  you will after January, 1885.  For it is a shame for any man that is raising a family to teach them such, or set such an example.  If you do not believe that there is a hereafter, for the people’s sake have respect for the day; for there are people in this town that do believe that there is a God and a hereafter, too.  Now remember the above notice for there is a law to protect us, and we intend having it carried out to the letter.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        A Law Abiding Citizen

 Published 21 Oct 2021, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

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