1870 Manufacturing Census

Special censuses, such as the Manufacturing Census, are taken by the federal government every 10 years. This information can supplement research done in the general U.S. Census. These special censuses are available on microfilm at the Kentucky Dept for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky.

The 1870 Manufacturing Census contains the following information: owner of company, name of business or product, type of power (hand, steam, etc), type of machine used, average number of people emplyed, materials used and the production. For this article, only the names of owners, business/product and average number of hands is listed.

Webster County

Pool Mill and Sebree
George Brown - sawmill - 2 employees

James Walker - coal - 1 employee

John Reynole - blacksmith - 2 employees

Charles Singer[?] - sawmill - 2 employees

Clay
Joel Blackwell - blacksmith - 2 employees

F. Jenkins - blacksmith - 2 employees

W.T. Vaughn - blacksmith - 1 employee

Dixon
Jesse Sigler - blacksmith - 1 employee

David Martin - blacksmith - 1 employee

Crittenden County

Weston
Thos. N. Lamb - blacksmith - 3 employees

Trade Water United Miners Coal Co. - coal mining - over 25 employees

Applegate & Co. Coal Company - coal mining - over 8 employees

Odam & Britton - sawmill - 2 employees

District No. 3
W.B. Clement - milling - 4 employees

Saml. Howerton - saw mill - 4 employees

Crittenden Academy 1849

Little is known of the early schools of Crittenden County, with the exception of Brown's Academy. Another of the early schools was Crittenden Academy, which began on the 5th day of November 1849 and was staffed by two people from New York.

The flyer advertising Crittenden Academy was found in Crittenden County Circuit Court bundle 55, case file of Yeakey's Executors vs Yeakey's heirs, which was filed in 1853 and can be found at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky.

The flyer states that Mr. James W. Primmer was Principal of the Male Department and Miss Harriet M. Cary was Principal of the Female Department. The first session of the institution will continue for 20 weeks and it was promised that the Crittenden Academy will be "fully equal to any Eastern Academic School. Particular attention will be paid to the morals, manners and habits of the pupils."

The price for the Common English Branches, including Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar, History, Geography and Philosophy was $6.00 per session. Languages, lessons on the Piano Forte, drawing, painting and embroidery were available for additional fees.

The exact location of the academy in Crittenden County is not stated, but it was "in the most healthy portion of the Green River country, and from its close proximity to the Ohio and Cumberland rivers (ten miles), possessing all the advantages of a river town, and at the same time is free from all the objections - such as epidemics, diseases, and a continuous changing population ..."

Boarding was available with "excellent private families" was available for $1.25 to $1.50 per week, including washing and lights.

It would be interesting to know how long this academy existed and how many local students attended.

New Hours at Kentucky Archives

The hours for the Kentucky Dept for Libraries and Archives, 300 Coffee Tree Lane in Frankfort, are changing.

Effective 2 September 2008, the research room will be open from 10 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday Eastern Time.

The Martin F. Schmidt Research Library at the Kentucky Historical Society, 100 W. Broadway in Frankfort, is closed on Monday and open Tuesday through Saturday 8 am to 4 pm.

Kentucky News 1920

From the Evansville, Indiana Courier of 2, 3 and 6 August 1920.

News From Across the River

The fall term at Wilson's school house in Hopkins County will begin today. There are 6 or 7 country schools in Hopkins County that have no teachers.

The city streets at Madisonville are being repaired.

John T. Hosman, a well known resident of the Waverly neighborhood, is dead.

After 33 years of continuous service in the U.S. army, Col. Hansford Lee Threlkeld has resigned his commission and will live in Morganfield.

Sigler Brothers have sold the Morganfield Roller flour mills at Morganfield to R.M. Culver.

News of Clay

Clay, Ky., Aug 2 - Dr. B.W. Frees and wife of Ft. Smith, Ark., who have been visiting A.S. Darroh of this place returned home Sunday.

Judge Clem Nunn of Marion was the guest of H.J. Clark Sunday.

W.J. Moore, who has been attending the state college at Lexington, returned home Saturday.

Abe Wicks and wife, who have been in Tulsa, Okla. for the last five months, have returned home.

W.P. Gordon, his wife and son, left Monday for Texas where they will spend several weeks.

Marion Newcomb purchased the home of Dr. A.O. Lynch on Main street and will move in next week.

News of Marion

Marion, Ky., Aug 5 - Mrs. Bebe Boswell is visiting her mother in Martin, Tenn.

Mrs. Carl Ferguson of Nashville, Tenn. is visiting her sister, Mrs. Sam Gugenheim.

Mrs. Ed Cook of Ford's Ferry passed through Marion Tuesday en route to Paducah to see her son, Lacey Cook, who is seriously ill.

Miss Mildred Summerville returned from Lexington this week, having taken a summer course in State College.

New Crittenden County Precinct 1861

Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Chapter 36: An act establishing an additional precinct in Crittenden County.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

1. That there is hereby established an additional precinct in the county of Crittenden, embraced in the following boundary, to-wit: beginning on the Ohio river, at Richard McConnell’s house; thence a straight line to Levi Taylor’s farm, on Camp creek; thence with the Flin ferry road to the farm formerly owned by General Joseph Hughes; thence a straight line to Sandy Deane’s; thence a straight line to the Sulphur Springs; thence down Hurricane creek to the Ohio River; thence up said river to the beginning; and all elections in said precinct for Federal, State, or county officers, shall be held at Bell city, at Levi Yakey’s warehouse.

2. That the same shall be known by the name of Bell city precinct, and be entitled to two justices of the peace and one constable, who shall be elected and commissioned at the time and manner prescribed by the laws and Constitution of this Commonwealth.

3. When said justices are elected and qualified, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to furnish each of them with the books that a justice of the peace is entitled to receive from the State.

4. This act shall be in force from its passage.

Approved May 22, 1861.

Campaigning in Crittenden County

The two presumed candidates for President are busy on the campaign trail. Their campaigns are well planned, but they just don’t have the “style” of the campaigns of the past. Back in 1888, when Grover Cleveland was running for office, his fellow Democrat, James McKenzie, better known as “Quinine Jim” because he was instrumental in getting a bill passed that lowered the tariff on quinine, traveled through western Kentucky in support of his candidate.

According to an article in the St. Louis Republic of 9 October 1888, the crowd began pouring into Marion, Crittenden County, Kentucky in early morning. The street procession was formed by 10 am and was headed by the Caseyville brass band, followed by a hack containing the speakers. Behind the speakers came the glee club, consisting of 22 young ladies dressed in red, white and blue. They were followed by over 500 people on horseback, who paraded the streets of Marion for over an hour. After taking a break for dinner, the crowd gathered on the courthouse lawn to listen to a two hour speech by “Quinine Jim.” Another break occured and then the evening speakers took over. All in all, a day full of patriotism and spectacle!

Trip to Tolu and Ford Country

The following article appeared in the Henderson Journal, Thursday, 26 August 1909. The writer obviously had William Ford mixed up with his father, James Ford. As with any story based on legend, enjoy it, but do not take it as gospel. The Rev. J.J. Smith is credited with organizing a camp meeting at Hurricane in 1889, according to The Churches in Our County, compiled by the Crittenden County Ministerial Association.

Sturgis, Ky., Aug. 24 - Sunday morning at 6 o’clock a party of nine left Sturgis for Caseyville, Ky., at which place they took passage and after a 20 mile trip down the Ohio they arrived at Tolu, Ky., about 9 o’clock. They disembarked and drove by carriage three miles into the country, where the Rev. J.J. Smith has just begun a Methodist camp meeting. Brother Smith has been known all through this territory for 20 years and a renewal of his acquaintance, as well as the day’s pleasure upon the river was enjoyed keenly. The party consisted of the following citizens of Sturgis: Fred L. Alloway, O.C. Quirey, C.B. Hina, W.S. Williams, J.N. Raulins, W.B. Winston, D.W. Bishop, A.L. Grady and J.D. Hedges.

Twenty annual encampments have been held at this place, 18 of which have been conducted by this same J.J. Smith. Among the peculiar rules governing these encampments are the following: No one is allowed to smoke tobacco within a distance of 20 feet of the tabernacle. No man and woman are allowed to sit together, except a man and his wife and then they must have with them a child needing the care of its parents.

If within 20 years this country has seen much of religious revival, it is to the glory of God, for in the early years of the 19th century probably no land in the world witnessed more murders and robberies than did this territory near the cave in the rock.

Grave of William Ford

After the morning service our Sturgis party visited the grave of William Ford, distant from the mouth of the Hurricane about one mile. William Ford in life was a noted character - noted alike for his benevolence and his wickedness. It has been said that in his home and to his neighbors he was a type of the cultured southern gentleman. Tradition has it that he was also the leader of the notorious band of thieves and river pirates that infected the regions near the mouth of Hurricane whose headquarters was the famous cave in rock, just across the Ohio in Illinois. Many a missing man has been traced to this neighborhood where all trace of him has been lost.

It was said that after several years Ford’s neighbors sure of his connection with this band and unable to produce the legal proof necessary to convict him formed a posse and dealt out to this man justice in the Southern style. Guns were loaded, some with powder, others with powder and ball; then these guns were so mixed that no one knew which were the loaded or blanks. Having chosen their guns, this posse then marched upon the house of Ford and finding him upon his porch, shot him to death. It was never known who was responsible for his death.

It is a traditional story that while the funeral was in progress that a terrible storm came up, so awful that no storm like it in its fierceness had ever been seen in that territory before. As the negro slaves were lowering Ford’s remains into the grave, a terrible flash of lightning from the storm struck the head of the casket, throwing the attendants into a panic; so fear-stricken were the negroes that the white people had to finish the ceremonies.

The following inscription upon the monument of Ford was copied by Mr. Quirey, a member of the Sturgis party:
“William Ford died November third, 1832, whose benevolence caused the widows and orphans to smile and whose firmness caused his enemies to tremble. He was much oppressed while living and much slandered in death.”