St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Henderson, Kentucky

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church sits in quiet dignity at the corner of South Green and Center Streets near downtown Henderson, Kentucky. This “stuccoed-brick Gothic” church was consecrated 21 May 1860 after an earlier church, located at Third and Main Streets, fell into disrepair. The new church had the distinction of containing the first pipe organ in Henderson. According to the church website , “St. Paul’s grew and thrived during the Civil War. Divided in sympathy, the congregation nonetheless held together.” St. Paul’s was the scene of much activity shortly before the execution of two Confederate soldiers in July 1864.

The Henderson Reporter of Saturday, 23 July 1864 faithfully, albeit with bias, reported the events leading up to the event. Before the execution, however, the town of Henderson was rife with rumors of attack, which were vividly described in the newspaper. The reporter painted a realistic picture of the feelings and actions of the local citizens.

While reports were flying through Henderson that a fight between the Confederates and Federals was imminent, an order was sent out to clear the town of women and children. “In the meantime, citizens collected … on street corners, rushing through the streets with ludicrous impetuosity, ridiculously clambering upon house tops for protection behind chimneys, while a timid tide of women and children, anxious men and fear-bleached negroes streamed into the Episcopal Church building, prudently resolved to valiantly and boldly hug the floor during the turbulent melee; soldiers who had sworn to protect the old flag here and there were confusedly clattering in headlong dashes … on every street was heard the furious clamor of buggy wheels and the clangorous appeal of the lumbering wagons intermingled in one tumultuous, small Bull Run-like stampede.”




The Federals concentrated their forces at the Court House and deployed skirmishers on Elm and Center Streets and waited in painful expectation for the War to hit them. The expected attack never happened. Confederate forces withdrew from their posts. Gunboat No. 17 arrived that night and “several shells whizzed with an ominous whir over the city. They, however, did no damage. On Friday, no demonstration was made upon the town, and the day dragged lazily along …” About 5:30 p.m., activity picked up and preparations were made for the execution of the two Confederate soldiers.

Henderson is fortunate to have issues of the newspaper which recorded the events of this crucial time in our history. An eye witness account provides us an inside view of the emotions of the citizens and the events. Henderson is also fortunate to have this beautiful, historic church still active in a far different world.

Photographs of the church and sign were made August 2009.

Copyright on text and photographs
by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG
Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog
http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

News From Marion, Kentucky 1920

Because some Crittenden County, Kentucky natives migrated to Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana for employment during the early part of the 20th century, there was interest in news from “home.” The following items appeared in the Evansville Courier, Thursday, 30 September 1920.

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Franks, of Mancos, Colo., arrived Sunday for a visit with relatives. Mrs. Franks is the sister of Mr. Ed Flanary of this place.

Mrs. Dr. T. Atchison Frazer has gone to Evansville for an operation for appendicitis. Miss Edith Burton accompanied her.

Marion Methodists received the announcement of the appointment of Rev. G.P. Dillon as their preacher for the year. Rev. Dillon comes from the Madisonville church, where he served six years.

The Baptist church held a meeting Friday night, and Rev. Maroney of Louisville was called to serve their church.

The family of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Moore celebrated the 59th anniversary of their wedding Saturday at the home of John Moore. The families present were A.C. Moore, Ed Moore of Madisonville, Charlie Moore of Louisville, Mrs. Carrie Bacon of Hopkinsville, D.E. Moore, Mrs. Levi Cook and John Moore of Marion. The occasion was an old-fashioned barbecue and the good things usually accompanying it. Two brothers of Mrs. Moore, Charlie and Harry Bourland, of Evansville were expected but could not come.

Saturday morning between 10 and 11 o’clock, the Methodist Church at Hurricane and the shed and some camps burned. The origin of the fire is unknown. It caught under the shed where sawdust had been left after the camp meeting. This is the only place in Crittenden County now where camp meetings are held. The loss was a great one to that church, with little, if any, insurance. A new piano was in the church and burned. Two lady teachers and a child went there that morning, expecting the school institute to be held there, and found the building on fire. Ere they could get any help, it was burned too far to save anything but a few benches and the bible.

The remains of George Witherspoon, who died in Louisville Sunday, were buried in the Mapleview Cemetery. Mr. Witherspoon comes from one of the old families of this county and was a brother to Mrs. R.W. Wilson of this place.

Wordless Wednesday - Cumberland River Bridge

Bridge over Cumberland River, U.S. 60 in Livingston County, leading from Smithland to Salem. Photograph dated 14 August 2009. Click on photo for an enlarged view.

Tombstone Tuesday - Chester and Minnie Bebout

Copyright on text and photograph by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

 



Bebout

Chester C.

1857 – 1942

Minnie T.

1882 – [blank]

Buried Salem Cemetery, Livingston County, Kentucky. According to his death certificate, Chester C. Bebout was born 24 December 1856 and died 7 January 1941. He was the son of Peter Bebout and Harriet Wilson. Minnie Thorning was the daughter of John and Charlotte Thorning. Minnie died 26 November 1967 at the age of 85.

Chester C. Bebout and his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Lewis, were my great great grandparents.

Tombstone photographed 24 May 2009.

Another Landmark Gone

The former First Christian Church, the oldest church in Henderson, was demolished yesterday. It had graced the corner of S. Green and Washington Streets since the 1850s. During the Civil War, the church was taken over by the Federal Army and after the war, it was returned to the congregation. In 1962 a new church was built farther south on Green Street with the old building later becoming Haven Pentecostal Church. Before demolition, the building had been empty for several years. This photo, taken in June 2009 of the side of the building, shows the older part of the church in the back and the newer brick portion, built about 1930, in the front. All that remains of this old landmark today is a pile of bricks and rubble.

Pat Oliver 1943 - 2009

Willis "Pat" Oliver, original coordinator for the counties of Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg for KYGenWeb, passed away in Huntsville, Alabama 15 August 2009. He was born in Lyon County, Kentucky 4 February 1943.

In real life Pat retired from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's Missile and Space Intelligence Center as Senior Intelligence Officer/Physicist in 2003.

RIP Pat.

A Case of Mayhem

Smithland, Kentucky has not always been the quiet, little town it is today. In the 1830s and 1840s, it was a bustling river port with people arriving and departing on the steamboats that plied the Cumberland and Ohio rivers.

When boatmen had a little too much refreshment, they often created their own entertainment and it wasn’t unusual for someone to get hurt. That’s what happened in late November 1836 when Thomas Joice was stabbed while trying to be a good Samaritan.

Salem, the county seat, was some distance from Smithland so the coffeehouse of John Price on Water or Front Street in Smithland was the location where witnesses gave testimony about the troubling events. Samuel D. Crunk stated that on the 20th of the month, in the street between Robert M. Mitchell’s and S.P. Gower’s, George Thompson, who appeared to be intoxicated, pushed Wm. Slaughter to the ground. Thomas Joice saw what had happened, caught Thompson by the shoulders and jerked him away from Slaughter, telling him to let Slaughter alone and not hurt him. Thompson slapped Joice, who immediately slung Thompson back and walked away. Thompson then cursed Joyce and “abused him much saying … that he would cut him with a knife.” Joice walked back and caught him by the arm or label of his coat then Thompson "cut him through the nose and mouth and it is believed Thompson stabbed Joice with the intention of taking his life.”

Robert Douglass verified Crunk’s statements, saying he also saw Thompson slap Wm. Slaughter. Thompson used abusive language, which induced Joice to stop a moment and then he proceeded on towards S.P. Gower’s. Thompson went after Joice and called him “an Irish Son of a Bitch” before cutting him.

George Thompson was taken before Thomas Willis and James McCawley, justices of the peace. With his securities, M.B. Belknap and R.M. Mitchell, Thompson posted bond for his appearance at the next term of Livingston Circuit Court.

Thompson appeared in court on Wednesday, 1 March 1837, and was indicted by the Grand Jury on a charge of Mayhem. The following day, the jury gave their verdict, “Guilty of the charge and he shall be confined in the jail and penitentiary for the term of one year.” The attorney for the defense made a motion for a new trial. The guilty verdict was set aside and a new trial was ordered. The case was continued from session to session of court until Tuesday, the 5th of June 1838, when the attorney for the commonwealth introduced a motion of Nolle prosequi, indicating he would no longer prosecute.

No reason is given for the motion, but perhaps the attorney was tired of waiting to try the case or maybe most of the parties had moved on. Thomas Joice was the only one of the group who appeared on the 1840 Livingston County census, but was not on the 1850 census. In 1840, he was a young man, just 20 or 30 years old. Smithland might have been just a brief stopover for him. R.M. Mitchell and S.P. Gower, who were mentioned in the testimony of both witnesses, kept taverns on Water or Front Street.

While this case is not of great historical value, it is valuable as it gives us a view of Smithland during this time period.

References: Livingston Circuit Court Equity, Ordinary and Commonwealth Cases, Box 55 of 142, Accession No. A1986-289, Dept for Libraries and Archives.
Livingston Circuit Court Order Book H:458, 465 and Book I:162