Taking Up of Slaves and F.P.C.

Runaway slave notices commonly appeared in Kentucky newspapers through the end of the War Between the States. The advertisement shown above appeared in the 17 July 1862 issue of the Henderson, Kentucky Weekly Reporter.

Blacks, both free and slaves, who hoped to escape living conditions in the South during the War often traveled through western Kentucky while attempting to reach freedom in the northern states. Being Free Persons of Color did not guarantee freedom from capture as they, along with runaway slaves, were in danger of being taken up by persons hoping to make a profit from a misfortunate human situation. The Taker Up, as the capturing person was generally called, received a reward, usually $75, for blacks caught in Livingston County, Kentucky. After being captured, the black person was turned over to the county Sheriff, who placed him in jail to await his fate. A notice was then placed in area newspapers with a physical description given of the runaway slave or Free Person of Color. If not claimed within a period of time, advertisements of the impending sale of the person was placed in four public places within the county and also on the doors of neighboring county courthouses. When the captured person was sold, the Sheriff, Jailor and sometimes the county clerk, received a portion of the sale. The remainder went to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The end of the War signaled an end to this dark period in the history of our country.

You can also find information on the proceedings of the capturing and sale of blacks in the county court minutes of this era.

Wordless Wednesday - Crittenden Springs Hotel

Crittenden Springs Hotel, Crittenden County, Kentucky real photo postcard dated 1909. This was a popular resort for a number of years, drawing visitors from a wide area.

Tombstone Tuesday - Alfred and Mary Grayot

May we meet in Heaven
Alfred A.
Grayot
Born in the city
of Lyons France
May 28, 1823
Died
Mar. 27, 1883

May we meet in Heaven
Mary A.
Wife of
A.A. Grayot
Died
Oct. 29, 1872
Aged
40 yrs 9 mo
13 da’s

Buried Smithland Cemetery, Smithland, Livingston County, Kentucky. Tombstones photographed 16 April 2009. Click on photograph for enlarged view.

Buried next to the Grayott tombstones are their children, Charles R. Grayot, who died May 18, 1856, and Alfred A. Grayot, whose dates are now below ground.

Alfred A. Grayot, a druggist, first appears with his family on the 1860 Livingston County census. He lived in the two story red brick home next door to the county courthouse.

News From Uniontown, Kentucky 1925

The following entries were transcribed from the Evansville, Indiana Courier and Journal, Sunday, 5 July 1925

Uniontown, Ky., July 4 - Charles Henry Perry, 71, prominent farmer of this county, died at his home near here Friday after a lingering illness of several years. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mamie Perry, and a daughter, Mrs. Roy Howard.

Mr. O. Nally died Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles Blandford, near Robinsonville. She is survived by her husband and nine children. Funeral services here held Monday afternoon at St. Agnes Church. Interment in the St. Agnes Cemetery.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Clements entertained a number of guests at dinner Thursday evening in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Louis Roberts of Wichita, Kans.

Miss Vardine Russell of Evansville is the guest of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Vard Yewell.

Mrs. James T. Minton and children and Mrs. A.D. Reid have returned from a visit with Mrs. W. Walden at Baskett, Ky.

Mr. and Mrs. O.T. Haywood, Miss Elizabeth Yancey and Jake Stone left Tuesday for an overland trip to California.

Elbert Brown of Crayne, Ky. is visiting his aunt, Mrs. R.T. DeBoe.

Mr. and Mrs. James Rice and nephew, James Rice, left Friday for Rising Sun, Ind.

Wordless Wednesday - City of the Dead

Smithland Cemetery, Smithland, Kentucky. Photographed 16 April 2009. Click on photo for enlarged view.

Tombstone Tuesday - Aaron B. Waller

Aaron B. Waller
Born
Dec. 2, 1861
Died
Feb. 23, 1887

Buried at Masonic Cemetery, Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed April 2009. Click on photograph for an enlarged view.

Fire Sweeps Sebree 1914

Fire has always been a fear in small towns. What started out as a small fire would often spread to engulf many buildings due to their wooden construction and fire fighting equipment was usually insufficient or non-existent. Local residents formed bucket brigades to fight the flames, but often were unsuccessful in stopping the spread of the fire. Whether or not the building was insured – and the amount – was of great interest to residents.

A major fire swept through the little town of Sebree, Webster County, Kentucky around midnight on the evening of the 18th of January 1914. The details of the fire were given in the Sunday, 18 January 1914 issue of the Henderson Gleaner.

Shortly before midnight a fire broke out in Marion Ashby’s grocery and undertaking parlor on Main Street in Sebree. The alarm was sounded and every male citizen joined the bucket brigade in an attempt to save the town’s businesses.

From the Ashby store, the business of C.S. Cox next caught fire and then the barber shop of Lambert Walden. From the Walden shop, the flames burst through into the store of Mattingly and Beggs, then to B.F. Jewell, then the Opera House building and then the store of C.S. McCullaugh.

When the Opera House began to burn it was evident that nothing could save the Sebree Hotel from destruction. The fire fighters removed every thing they could from the building before it caught fire.

When the hotel began to burn, the wind changed and drove the flames in the direction of the L. & N. passenger and freight depots. A water train from Henderson arrived, and water from the tank cars was used to save the buildings.

Some of the losses were as follows:
Marion Ashby, $800 on grocery stock, insurance $250; no insurance on undertaking stock, loss $1000.

Lambert Walden, loss $1000, insurance $600.

Mattingly and Beggs, loss $800, insurance $500.

Cumberland Telephone Co., loss of cables, $500.

C.S. McCullaugh, loss $1800 on stock groceries, insurance $1050.

Opera House buildings and stores, $20,000, insurance not known. Building belonged to H.H. Holeman of Madisonville.

O.B. Sellars, building occupied by Oakley & Parker, $800, covered by insurance.

American Bell Telephone Co., loss of cables $300.

C.S. Cox, loss $1000, insurance $600.

Sebree Hotel, loss $10,000, insurance carried in Madisonville.

J.A. Vaughn, office, loss $200.